19 posts tagged “tv fandom”
Here I am. Awake again at 5:30am. I've decided to relax and accept my body's natural attempt to cope with this transition period. That's what I'm calling it now. My life's in transition. I'm not sure where I'm headed, but I have to believe that this time in my life is just a bridge to whatever phase or chapter that awaits me around the next turn.
It's not easy trying to focus on the positive though. It's not really in my nature to be a cheerleader for myself. For others, yeah. I can be a freaking PollyAnna without the slightest hesitation. But I think like most people, I'm a hardcore realist when it comes to dealing with what's on my own plate. Did I mention I hate my job? :-P
Since I'm awake, how about some random thoughts about "stuff"?
- Tweets from qoolquest (?uestlove), LouisCK, and Mashable
will be the death of me online. Too. Many. Tweets. Well, not really
since I haven't figured out how to get Twitter sent directly to my cell
phone from people who aren't following me as well. Why must James Kyson Lee ignore our love? J/k Please, don't call the police. I'm only joking.
I’m pretty sure if I’m not using Twitter right anyway. I’m not one to jump on bandwagons (dude, I only signed up for a Myspace acct. last December, and that’s was only to follow the bands, artists, and people I adore in L.A. while I’m in transition). But so far, Twitter has helped me cope with some of my crushing, immobilizing depression, so I figure it can’t be all bad. Yay distractions! - I
put all this effort into planning and writing content for a fledgling
website that I hope to put online at some point back in Dec. and Jan.,
and so far, the work has been for naught. I’ve laid it by the wayside
and now I feel guilty because it’s just one more career-related item on
my to-do list that I know may help me get a decent full-time job, but
I’m still procrastinating.
Why is it you always hear about Type A personalities? What about all of those other types like B, C, D+, sigma? Why does Type A get all the attention? What is my type? ::goes off to Google:: - Personally,
I couldn’t care less about Rihanna and Chris Brown. And I’m really
sick and tired of hearing about them as if their relationship deserves
a hearing in the public court of opinion. No, I’m not a cold heartless
bitca. I just wonder if this outpouring of support for Ms. Rihanna
would be the same if her name was Latwayla and she worked second shift
at the local Safeway ringing up groceries. And now the obligatory
disclaimer: Unless you or someone else’s life is in immediate danger,
a man has no excuse for laying his hands on a woman without her
permission.
Having said that, why are people surprised she went back to Chris? If you truly care about domestic violence and bothered to understand why it's so prevalent throughout our society, you would know that most victims of DV go back to their partners. Why would you assume Rihanna would be any different? Because she's a celebrity? Last I checked, she was a human being first. Oh, but I forgot. Her first duty is to be a role model for the millions of people she's never met. Bullshit! And I call bullshit on Aisha Tyler and any other so-called concerned celeb citizen who assert that the most damaging aspect about the situation is NOT that Ri went back to Chris, but that doing so sends a message to millions that his behavior is acceptable.
Well, you know what, Ms. Tyler? F#ck You!! No, the most damaging aspect about the situation IS that she went back to Chris. Her well-being is 10,000 times more important than being your poster child for a society ill that you clearly don't understand. The psychological effects of DV are far more profound and debilitating than the physical abuse itself, but ignorant-ass people like you only see victims as enablers of their own conditions and their diminished sense of self-preservation is nothing more than a choice. I cannot stand this "Blame the Victim" philosophy that permeates our society. My blood boils every time I hear this fake-ass attempt to reduce complex problems into cookie-cutter, quick fix afflictions that deny any acknowledgment of the pervading message of socially acceptable sexism and violence that teaches men that a woman's sole purpose is to serve mankind, and by that extension, men. Of course she went back. It's unfortunate. But the most unfortunate thing is that people like Ms. Tyler are just as much apart of the problem as Mr. Brown. - Moving on to more pleasant rants, I finally finished watching my Profit
DVDs. Overall, I liked the show, but I didn’t love it. Not because it
wasn’t lovable, mind you. But because it wasn’t nearly as fantastic as
reviews have made it out to be. It seems to suffer from a clear case
of nostalgic revisionism. The praise you hear so often about this show
is that it was soooooo ahead of its time, and there was
nothing like it on TV that was even close to being this different and
edgy, and the audience simply wasn’t ready for a villain protagonist in
the lead role, etc. And maybe that’s true, but I think I was a bit put
off by all the backslapping on the DVD commentary and the
behind-the-scenes retrospective. I thought it was a good, solid show
for the 9 episodes that they made, but, sheesh, it wasn’t all that,
people.
The way John McNamara and David Greenwalt go on about the show, you would think that every single series that did something outside the television norm from 1998 - 2008 owes its ingenuity to Profit. Wow, buy your own hype much? It was a good show. Kind of cheesy in its delivery, but that’s intentional and I can respect that. It’s melodrama that knows it’s a melodrama. I would’ve preferred it if they had Profit either address the audience directly or delivered a voiceover throughout, not both. It seemed a little too intrusive to have both elements, IMO. I didn’t care for that in the first 2 seasons of Sex & the City either.
But don’t get me wrong, I liked it. If I were grading the show, I’d give it a B+. Lisa Blount and Lisa Darr were freaking amazing and adorable, respectively. And Naked Nathan is always appreciated, of course. I guess I’m just tired of so many writers, producers, and showrunners in the industry constantly patting themselves on the back in interviews and DVD commentaries about how everything in the medium of television is wrong except for whatever it is they’ve created and the 2 or 3 pieces produced by their mentors and idols. Apparently, everyone in Los Angeles is doing it wrong except you. The ego knows no hypocrisy, especially if you wrap it in a thin veil of self-deprecating humor. The final word: False humility is for hipsters. Hipsters suck. Therefore, false humility sucks. QED
- A
little over a week ago, our new Attorney General Eric Holder gave a
speech about race relations in America. I haven't been able to applaud
or rebuke his statement for a few reasons. One, I've been busy, and
two, what he said wasn't nearly as significant as I think others wanted
it to be. I can't quite put my finger on it, but something about his
speech felt off. He tried to say something important, but he didn't
quite hit the nail on the head or his execution was faulty or
something. It was just off. Tim Wise
does a somewhat decent job of pinpointing what it is about his
statement that really felt like a wasted opportunity to address a
social ill constructively and accurately. ::sigh:: I'm still not
saying this right. Just go and read Wise's response. He doesn't articulate exactly what it is that bothered me about Holder's speech, but he does a better job of it than I.
However, I'm happy to say that at least my issues with Holder's statement didn't mirror the third grade flailing of celebrated comic book and sci-fi author Peter David. (I'm not providing a direct link to his site.) Apparently, AG Holder's speech really, really hurt David's feelings and he thinks that black people are really mean for trying to encourage people to talk about racism instead of simply sweep it under the rug like so many nice, sweet and gracious white people who only have our best interests at heart. Honest.
Frankly, I have no words that don't result in some horrible, yet accurate generalizations about how this constant attempt to derail discussions about racism, and thereby, actually promote social progress and cultural growth feels like a 500-year-old playbook that gets passed down from one generation to the next in Western (read Euro-American) Culture. This is why so many POC feel as if they have to pick their battles when dealing with racism. Because if they didn't, no one would live past the age of 35 due to constant stress on their hearts, minds, and health when addressing bullshit detractors and denial day-in and day-out. - If you're interested in one extreme case of
"well meaning whites" attempting to derail a frank discussion of racism
in science fiction, take a gander at Coffee & Ink's unfortuate predicament.
The best thing to come out of that post is the fantastic support of
Mely's rights and the denouncement of Cramer and Shetterly's fuckery.
The second best thing to come out of that post is the fantastic list of
book recommendations by authors of color that I've pinched from each
page of replies. Yep! It's all about me and my needs. :-D
Feel free to ignore this. I'm posting these recs from the comments that caught my eye here for my future reference (I've also included a note re: the cultural perspective they represent). But if you see something that interests you, by all means, enjoy.
- Futureland by Walter Mosley African-American
- The Hanging of Angelique: Canada, Slavery and the Burning of Montreal by Afua Cooper African-Canadian
- The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz (I already planned to read this, but those quotes cited in the comments just nudged it higher on my list.) Dominican-American
- Journey From The Land of No: A Girlhood Caught in Revolutionary Iran by Roya Hakakian Persian
- Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler (I had plans to read this one also, but the rec was for the audiobook read by Lynne Thigpen, whom I adored. May she rest in peace.) African-American
- Black Space: Imagining Race in Science Fiction Film by Adilifu Nama African-American
- The Colossus of New York by Colson Whitehead African-American author, Multi-ethnic perspective
- Once Were Warriors by Alan Duff (This is the last movie I remember ever balling my eyes out uncontrollably. I fear the book will probably do the same, but it's a story that definitely needs to be told.) Maori and Samoan
In case you haven't noticed, I haven't been blogging about much other than my current fandoms and other non-depressing distractions. I rarely have anything positive to say about what's going on over here in cold, ass Pennsylvania, so I'm sticking with the vapid and amusing. I know that many of you have far more serious issues to contend with than I (Love you Jenn!!), so having me sitting here whining about this, that and the other seems more than a little rude. Almost bordering on offensive. So I won't.
But if you are interested in what's happening in my neck of the woods /Al Roker, here's 3 things to help paint a wee picture:
- Working a 4 1/2-hour shift on your feet feels like working a 7 1/2-shift sitting on your ass.
- I had an awesome Gmail chat with Madeline last Tuesday that honestly made my week, if not my month. Thank you Ms. Madeline. I really needed that shot in the arm. I haven't discovered any news on the Atlanta front, but I'll keep asking. Also, thank you so much for the LinkedIn recommendation. {{{Hugs}}}
- After I'm finished here, I'm going to crawl back into my cocoon of fanfiction and Adrian Pasdar-related YouTube videos. It's nicer there than it is out here.
And since I'm here, I might as well share my thoughts on Monday night's new Heroes episode.
Generally speaking, it was okay. It wasn't bad or disappointing, just okay. Which I expected because I never anticipate 3 kick-ass episodes in a row. I just know better. So I'm okay with this episode serving as a lovely little bridge between Ep. 15 (the Specials are fugitives now and Nathan is short and hot) and Ep. 17 (Mr. Bennet gets no love; yet we love him even more. **sob**). So I can't hate on the writers for minding their ebb and flow.
Although she and I don't agree on every issue, mystery_sock on LJ gives a wonderful recap of the latest Heroes that's definitely worth the read. But before you jot over there, my 3 quick notes on the episode go like this:
- Claire has just moved into a dead-heat with Maya as my least favorite character on the show. I knew that HRG deserved a freakin' medal for putting up with her during the second season, but now he's teetering on sainthood. Poor Noah. You confused, morally ambiguous bastard.
- Heroes:X-Men::Nathan Petrelli:Senator Kelly
- Will Sylar please kill this kid already? Please. please.
Wow, I haven't done this in awhile. Let's see if I remember how. :-)
Heroes - Volume 3: Villains
Okay, I finally caught up with the Heroes' Season 3 storyline via G4’s all-day Saturday marathon. Overall, I can’t see why the fans were so pissy about this volume. Granted, there are definite moments of “Oh you’ve got to be kidding me with this!” But those where easily met and outweighed with moments of “This show is like crack! The characterization, the special effects, the homoerotic subtext. How can you not adore this?"
- I loved all of episode 8 - "Villains". Especially the flashbacks that featured Eric Roberts and Malcolm McDowell. Their additions to any season will always be welcome. :-)
- If Robert Forster was my father, I would be 10 times more f%#ked up than Nathan or Peter. Just watching him stare at Nathan from across the room in "Villains" scared the crap out of me.
- Tamlyn Tomita. :-D
- I’m a fan of great characterization. Or to be more specific, I’m a fan of great characterization as it is revealed through wonderfully written arguments and fights. Case in point: the fight Peter and Nathan have in the Haitian jungle in the "Eclipse Part I" episode. You know an argument is well written when you can’t choose which side to cheer for. I truly love Milo and Adrian’s work here.
- Squee! Cameos by Breckin Meyer and Seth Green and Seth Green’s beard, which incidentally isn’t Breckin Meyer.
- Let me see if I get this straight: Haiti is full of big, black, incredibly masculine, hunky dark-skinned Haitian men and light-skinned, wavy haired, coquettish Dominican women. Oh Heroes, will you ever learn to control your skanky race issues? Was it inconceivable for Nathan to sympathize with a dark-skinned, nappy-headed black woman on the verge of being sold into slavery? Would the audience find it far-fetched to see a white man care about the fate of a bushy haired goddess with skin the shade of midnight? I guess your casting directors seem to think so.
- Although he scared the crap out of me, I was sad to see Papa Petrelli go. He was a really good "big bad" for the season. I was also disappointed that he went so easily (via the hand of Sylar).
- Why is the man without any special powers -- the one and only Noah Bennett -- 80 times more badass than any of the characters with powers, including Gabriel/Sylar/OMG! Who-am-I-this-week?!
- I’m lukewarm about Daphne, Ms. Speedster with a heart of gold. She’s an okay character, but she has no chemistry with Matt Parkman/Greg Grunberg. The thought of them making out makes my retinas burn. I might like her more if she were paired with someone else.
- On the other hand, no more Elle. I wish she could've stayed on. She will be missed.
- I love it how, according to Hollywood, Kansas is nothing but farmland as far as the eye can see, with the occasionally comic book store a mere 2 blocks away.
- Despite his supposed crossover to the dark side, Nathan is still one of my favorite characters on the series. It’s partially due to the fact that I find characters that straddle the fence between good and bad and continually struggle with their morality far more fascinating to watch than those who are loyal to one side but occasionally disappoint their colleagues by making bad decisions. What can I say? Case in point: Faith vs. Buffy, Lindsay vs. Angel, Garak vs. Bashir.
- I also adore Nathan because Adrian Pasdar is definitely one of the better actors on the entire series and he’s a bit of a hottie. I think I'll make him my next celebrity obsession. :-)
- Claire’s still whiny and annoying.
- President Worf
- The
first 3 episodes of this season were boring, but I think I might still
buy this season when it comes out on DVD if the extras are plentiful.
As for the premiere of Volume 4: Fugitives, my thoughts go a little something like this:
- I actually like Hiro's affection for Ando now. For too long, it's felt like Ando has had a sycophantic devotion to Hiro. So it's nice to see Hiro show that devotion in kind. Their relationship actually feels more like true friendship now, instead of something more one-sided. And Hiro’s password being “Ando”. Awwww. Corny, but awwwww.
- I thought the conversation between Mohinder and Peter in the cab was cute. Intentionally repetitive, but less ominous and forced than the first time we heard it. It’s a bit ironic that Mohinder agreed with what Nathan was saying about specials being dangerous, but he didn’t much care for being hunted down like a jack rabbit, did he?
- Peter's going to have intimacy issues with all these family members asking for a hug right before they betray him. Poor Pete. So trusting. So stupid.
- My guess is the SuperDuper Formula gave Pete his natural powers back, but a new way to absorb them from other specials. Interesting. I wonder if the formula would work the same way on Hiro. But there is no more formula, so Hiro may be a normal schmoe for the rest of the series. Hmmmm.
- Another interesting catch, as a AP fan anyway, is the EMT who mentioned that he's from Iran, so he's worried about Nathan's Gitmo plans. I couldn't help but smirk at that knowing that Pasdar is half-Iranian, but he's passing for Italian on the show.
- I’m so not buying Claire as the action heroine. I find her "Ripley" about as believable as low-fat cheesecake. I don’t think I’ll ever be a Claire fan, but I do try to be fair. And the notion of her running after the plane and crawling inside through the wheel well was laughable, and not in the good way.
- Overall, I like Evil!Nathan. Hell, I like Nathan pretty much any way I can get him. (In S1, he was my second fav character after Hiro. Now, he’s my second fav after Bennet.) I don't actually think he's evil at all though. Morally ambiguous, yes; but not evil. But let’s say I’m wrong and if he is supposed to be evil, Adrian Pasdar is playing him wrong because I don't believe for five seconds that he's sincere about his locking-up-all-the-specials-will-keep-us-all-safe schtick. It just rings hollow to me. I feel as if Nathan has something else planned that not even his crackerjack team fully understands. Of course, I could just be in denial. :-) It wouldn't be the first time.
- Claire is still whiny and annoying.
- I finally get Petrellicest. I don’t lust after Milo like so many other fans (male and female), but when he’s slashed with Nathan, I can see the appeal.
Leverage - “The 12-Step Job”
- You
know, I don’t think the Nate/Sophie romance storyline would bother me
so much if TNT had actually shown the episodes in the right order. I’m
normally not one to bitch about series running in the exact order the
writers intended; most of the time, I can't even tell they’re not in
order until someone online complains.
But this hodge-podge order of the first season is hurting the character development of Nate and Sophie, IMO. Which really sucks for Nate because he’s the leader and we’re supposed to care about what happens to him. But Sophie’s constant pining mixed with belligerent psychoanalysis does a disservice to both of them.
By mixing up the episodes, Nate/Sophie’s characterization and relationship seems far more dysfunctional and disjointed than I think it was meant to be. The transition from righteous do-gooder to flawed leader in charge of directing a talented pack of ne’er-do-wells has become piecemeal and frustrating for those of us who want to enjoy the whole ensemble, not just the hottie with the short temper and permanent scowl or the charismatic geek who keeps stealing every scene he’s in. In the end, I think it’s unfortunate. All I can hope for is that TNT learns its lesson and avoids futzing with Season 2’s episode order. - This episode was overflowing in buddy-cop goodness. Writers please take note: I’m going to need more of the Hardison/Spencer tag-team in the future. The slushie mishap in Eliot’s truck, the mini-slapfight when Hardison sat down in the car with the bomb attached under the chassis, and of course, the hoyay! shenanigans when they were trying to sneak into the rehab center to see Nate all made the episode for me. I want more of this please. :-D
- I know some fans are bothered by the lack of Parker screen time in this episode, but, honestly, I’m okay with it. I like her character, but she doesn’t have to have exactly as many lines as every other co-star on the show each week. None of them do. As far as I’m concerned, it was just her turn to sit back and let someone else carry the A-story and B-story.
- The caper in this episode was kinda m’eh. I like it that the bad guy was set on a new path instead of going to jail. It sort of fits the tone of the episode (hint: Nate’s drinking problem), but the overall con was pretty limp. Oh well, they all can’t be winners.
- So far, my favorite episode remains "The Bank Shot Job," followed by "The Mile High Job."
- Hopefully, next week’s "The Juror #6 Job" will be better than "The Wedding Job." Both episodes were directed by Jonathan Frakes, and I know Johnny can do better than "The Wedding Job." Because other than the knife fight in the kitchen and Parker’s kookiness, I was pretty unhappy with that episode as well.
Which cartoon character best represents you?
La la la la la.
As one of the poor schmucks who refuses to fork over $60 per month for basic cable, I have to wait until the weekend to catch up on my Colbert Report love via the Interweb. I must say that last week's broadcast from the Keystone State was pretty sweet. Nice work, Mr. Noblet. Nice work.
And it seems only fitting that on the eve of the big Pennsylvania primary that I post this clip of last Thursday night's The Word. I was an Edwards supporter until he dropped out of the race before the California primary, so it's nice to see him in the spotlight again. If only, briefly. His timing's not perfect, but I think he did pretty well for a politician. Plus, I like a guy who can poke fun at himself.
I've never been a woman who is attracted to a certain type of man. Every time someone has asked me what I look for in a guy, I would either draw a blank or just rattle off some generic list that most human beings with common sense would consider a must-have trait in a partner. You know, like "trustworthy," "kind," "funny," "big package." The usual.
This is because my tastes never seemed to conform to any particular archetype in romantic tales of splendor or heartache. I think "bad boys" are too self-centered, "jocks" are too dull, "geeks" are too self-pitying, "artistes" are too pretentious, and "class clowns", sadly, never seem to take anything seriously. When it comes to types, I think of men like works of art: I don't know much about art, but I know what I like.
Back in college, I thought I was partial to older men. Then I realized that an asshole at 25 pretty much grows up to be an asshole at 45. Then, I thought I liked guys who reminded me of classic Hollywood leading men, but it later dawned on me that I really only liked them because they reminded me of a time when men at least pretended to treat women with respect and humility didn't seem like a 4-letter word.
Sure, there a few aesthetic traits that I prefer, but they're in no way deal breakers. Yes, I like 'em tall, but that's only because I'm 5'10", and usually when I date someone shorter than me, they tend to make a big deal about the height difference. Those 2 or 3 inches in height don't turn me off, but whining about something I can't change and have no reason to be ashamed of does. Dude, I've dated guys who are 5'3" and 5'5". Your 5'8" isn't that big of a deal. So suck it up and get over it.
I won't insult your intelligence and say that looks don't matter. I do like a nice pair of eyes and a kind smile. Great, muscular arms are a plus, and I'm a sucker for a sexy voice. But guess what? I rarely, if ever, see this in men who aren't so full of themselves they make you want to check into a convent and commit to a life of celibacy. So clearly, I'm not willing to sacrifice personality and modesty for an Orlando Bloom face and a Mark Wahlberg body. (Although, if I ever run into Keith Hamilton Cobb or Russell Wong down at Urth Cafe or Whole Foods. All bets are off.)
So I guess I resigned myself to the fact that I, indeed, do not have a "type" of man in mind when I think of my dream guy. That is, until tonight. After watching tonight's last new episode of Ugly Betty, it hit me: Henry Grubstick is my type. Yeah, I said it. That tall, geek-tastic, chivalry-is-not-dead, drunk-off-of-one-wine-cooler, spazzy brunette from accounting is pretty much everything I'm looking for in a partner. (Minus the whole flirting with me knowing full well that you have a girlfriend part. I could do without that.)
But seriously, how can you not love this guy? Yeah, I know some fans are all "Betty & Daniel 4eva!!111!!!" and "Betty + Gio = Love", but I'm just not feeling it. Henry throws out the rulebook that says Superman is the guy of our dreams, and says Clark Kent is the man who's supposed to make us swoon. And I don't even care if Betty ends up with Henry in the show. I adore him for just being so damn . . . adorkable. If they write him off the show, it'll bum me out for a while, but the show was great before he came on and it'll be great after he's gone.
But Christopher Gorham's performance really makes me question this idea of what behavior and personality is considered worthy of a "leading man." It's cliched, but he really is the kind of guy every [heterosexual] woman would be lucky to find. He's not perfect, but he's flawed in all the right ways. Plus, I love that he accepts Betty for who she is and has no desire to change her. He never tries to tell her what she should do like he's knows what's best for her (I'm looking at you, Gio!). If he disagrees with her, he makes suggestions that aren't authoritative or manipulative. That kind of non-pushy, let-me-appeal-to-your-sense-of-reason, and put-my-ego-aside honesty is rare. Not because men are incapable of it, but because they're taught that women respond to men who "take charge" and then mistake arrogance for confidence. I love that Henry genuinely cares about Betty, even if he realizes that he can't be with her forever.
Like I said, he's not perfect, but he and Betty are perfect for each other. Yeah, he's kind of a Mary Sue, but, honestly, who the hell cares. It's a soap opera passing for a sitcom. Just go with it. Besides, have you seen this guy without his shirt on? Daaammmnnn! Who knew all that was hiding under a button-down shirt, tie, and sweater vest? And Henry does love his sweater vests.
Film & TV writers are on strike, which means everything except reality TV could halt production. Do you support the strike? Are any of your favorite shows in jeopardy?
I may be the lone voice of semi-apathy here, but honestly, I'm not that wrecked about the WGA strike. I guess I support them in that I think they deserve to make decent wages off a product they helped create that is now earning bazillions for studios on DVD releases. Seems only fair, IMO.
I'll be the first to acknowledge that I haven't been following all the news about the strike as closely as others. (Hey, I have naps to take!) But I recall reading a few comments here and there about how the strike is causing so many hardworking crew and staff members to be out of work, including caterers, technicians, gaffers, janitors, etc. And all I can think to say to that is: Pay the damn writers the money they're due, and everyone can get back to work! It's not rocket science, folks. The writers aren't putting people out of work, the studios are. The amount of money execs make off of scripted television is astronomical compared to the writers. And the disparaging treatment of screen and scriptwriters in Hollywood is notorious. Hell, it's the stuff of legends. Boring, not-all-that compelling legends. But legends nonetheless.
So the strike doesn't bother me one bit. Plus, I'm from a Midwestern blue-collar family where unions played and continue to play a definitive role in my community. Now, that being said, will I be down there to wave a placard along with the creative working stiffs? Heck-i-naw. I'll honk my horn and raise my fist in the air as I pass by, sure. But that's it. Well, and I guess I'll blog about it too. Blogging: The modern-day equivalent of expressing outrage without incurring any of the consequences of actually, you know, standing up and speaking out. (Wow. We are one cowardly generation, aren't we?)
Yeah, I'll provide moral support while I head home to my beautiful Netflix queue that's brimming with TV shows on DVD. That's right. Fantastic, plot-driven stories with character development, pop culture references, and witty exchanges. Waiting to fill my empty weekday evening hours are shows that I've been meaning to catch up on, but can rarely find the time like Entourage S3, Part 2, Robot Chicken S2, and Little Britain S3. Shows that come highly recommended by my fellow geeks, but I've never made time to sit down and watch like Deadwood, The Prisoner, and Carnivale. And of course, there are the shows that I simply miss from my weekly TV dial that have been slowly making their way to DVD to comfort those of us without cable like Martin S3, Wings S5, and A Bit of Fry and Laurie.
Let's take a moment to appreciate the irony that I'll be watching TV shows that I've adored for years or may adore for years to come that will never provide a decent compensation for the writers who poured their heart and souls into bringing them to life in the first place. Sure, Paramount, Fox, HBO, and the BBC will make some nice coin off those DVD sets purchased by Netflix and Blockbuster, but how much will the writers be taking home? So you see, for geeks like me that have our online DVD rental queues lined with more TV shows than films, it's not difficult to see why the WGA deserves a fair shake. The money that studios are earning off this "new" technological innovation deserves to make its way back to the women and men who are responsible for my lazy ass devotion in the first place. Blogging about it is the least I can do. Seriously, it's the least I can do.
Bring on the Studio 60 box set. I'm settling in.**
**Yeah, yeah, yeah. I might read a book here and there. Or write in my journal. Or do something constructive. Stop hounding me.
I know that they’ve only aired 3 episodes of Heroes so far this season, but at this point, my adoration has found another home on another show on another network: Jericho. (Currently making my way through the first season DVDs and I’m loving it.) Now, I’m not abandoning Heroes completely. Well, not yet. But I’m becoming very disillusioned by it, and I wouldn’t be surprised that if the show continues on this track that I won’t be watching it this time next year.
What’s my beef? It’s this: everyday this country gets more and more multicultural, but American network television is still stuck in 1967. And what’s more pathetic is so many people never even bother to notice. There’s a group over on Livejournal called deadbrowalking. It’s essentially a community for sci-fi/fantasy geeks of color. There, the comm follows the many (and believe me, there’s no short supply) portrayals of CoC (characters of color) in genre fandom and their ass backwards characterization that makes you want to through up your hands in resignation. The name of the comm is a wordplay on the fact that for years, the “brother” was usually the first one to buy it in a sci-fi action film.
When the members of the comm starting complaining about the writing for black, brown and Asian characters on Heroes last season, I have to admit, I felt a little bit like a traitor because I honestly didn’t see anything all that glaringly offensive. Well, that was about halfway through the first season. And now, with a full season come and gone, and a new one well under way, I’m starting to feel a lot less oblivious. No, I’m past that, folks. At this point, I’m just f#!king pissed!
Is there some rule on Heroes that states that if you want to add a new character of non-European descent, you first have to kill one off? Seriously, WTF! In the first season, we lost both Simone (who I’ve admitted I wasn’t that crazy about) and Isaac. Well, apparently, they were just getting warmed up because now we’ve lost Kaito Nakamura and D.L. for no fucking good reason. In exchange, we get the Wonder Twins from Honduras, Yaeko pining for the gaijin Kensei, and the Queen of Star Trek herself, Madame Nichelle Nichols. Because heaven forfend if we had all these characters on the show at the same time. That would throw the whole universe out of balance and people’s heads would implode with confusion.
Need I even bring up the fact that the only non-white character who’s actually getting a strong A-storyline characterization is Hiro. And even he gets to play Cyrano for the white guy in his home country. Come on now! I know I’m not the only one calling shenanigans on that bullshit.
Can a CoC other than Hiro have a decent storyline and not die a meaningless death for “the sake of others?” Case in point:
- Ando: Sidekick and awkward goofball. Chicks don’t like him because he’s a nerdy, yet passionate doofus following his best friend around the U.S.
- Micah: Stands around and pretends his mother doesn’t have a problem she can’t handle. Helped rig an election for Nathan Petrelli and got nothing but sorrow for his trouble.
- Mohinder: Spent the first season wandering around trying to find out where he fit in in all this, and is now an agent for others’ survival which is probably going to get him killed. Not to mention that for half the first season, he was written to appear far too clueless for someone so intelligent.
- The Haitian: Apparently no one ever bothered to give this guy a nickname in over 15 years with the company. Again, an agent for the survival of others. He’s a tool with no character development beyond that of mysterious protector and friend to white male #3. Can a brother get a name tag?
- Simone: Stood around the first season looking pretty before being accidentally shot in the chest. I heard she’s actually getting some decent onscreen character development over on K-Ville.
- Isaac: Never proactive, only reactive, even after he was clean. Another CoC who served as an agent for others’ survival, and it got him killed. Why exactly did he have to die in order for Hiro and Peter to find out how to kill Sylar? Couldn’t he have simply drawn the pictures and got the hell out of dodge?
- D.L.: Had to put up with the world’s whiniest, crazy-ass baby mama drama, and was then sacrificed in one of the weakest excuses for a character death I’ve seen since Diana Muldaur took a tumble down the elevator shaft on L.A. Law back in ’91. Question: How was it that D.L. had the presence of mind to get behind Linderman and go all Kitty Pryde on his brain, but didn’t have the sense to simply hold onto Nikki/Jessica and let the bullet pass through them both? Yeah, waste of a decent character they didn’t even bother to develop.
But that’s okay, because as long as Claire, the Petrelli family, Sylar, Molly, Matt, and any other Anglicized character they choose to add this season are on the show, no one will bother to notice that the CoC are just window dressing. It’s Lost The-Jack-Kate-&-Sawyer-Hour all over again.
At least when Ted, Eden, and Candace died, it actually served the story in some fashion. Unfortunately, it served the same point each time: Sylar will kill you and use your power to kill others. He killed Eden to escape from the Company’s stronghold and go after Claire, he killed Ted with the intent of using his power to blow up NYC, and he killed Candace to get his powers back so he go create the havoc that the others deferred when he was beaten by the emo kid with stringy hair and flying Japanese dude’s sword.
I’ve become so disappointed so quickly with the writing on this show. It had so much promise, but in the end, it’s just comes off as another show written by people who have “one black friend,” “one Asian friend,” “one Latino friend,” etc.
Sure, I could go into another rant about how poorly written the female characters are on the show, how with the exception of Jessica they are always needing to be rescued, and how with the exception of Mrs. Petrelli are always whining about their problems far more than the male characters, but it’s late and I'm tired. So let’s save that venom for another post, shall we?
I’m gonna go back to my Jericho - Season 1 DVDs. There’s only one prominent CoC on that show, but at least he gets a decent amount of screen time and he’s written like a fully developed human being devoid of stereotype or caricature. Yeah. Imagine that.
These are just my random thoughts on the season premiere. They're not necessarily connected though, so mind the mental zigzagging.
__________
Ugh, Nathan. Poor, drunk, delirious Nathan. I still love you, even if others don't. I see your inner struggle, and I adore you for it. That's why I find you 10 times more interesting than your emo brother, Peter. But please get better soon. I hate seeing you look all tore up, although I am glad you kicked your Mama to the curb. Oh, and what the hell was going on with your face in the mirror?! Seriously, dude, did you develop another power over the break? Do you have a little Claire in you now?
Okay, I'll defend Mohinder until the last, but his voiceovers are becoming superfluous. They're not really profound in any way, and I find myself struggling to tune them out. That being said, I'll take him over any guy on the show because the brother is fine as hell. It's nice to see him be a little more proactive; it's great that the writers had that carry over from the end of the last season. He's mad as hell and he's not going to take it anymore.
Also, I'm not into any of the fanfiction aspects of the show yet because, frankly, I'm just not seeing it for most of the characters. I need something more than "Oh, those 2 would look pretty together" to buy into a pairing. But someone on LJ mentioned that they can definitely see the beginnings of a Mohinder/Matt-ship in this episode, and I would have to agree. It could be like My Two Dads, except with more Hoyay!
How interesting was it that it was Mr. Bennet/Butler/HRG/Noah who did something to draw attention to himself after lecturing Claire at the high school. *tsk* *tsk* Bad Noah. (Not really. How many of us have wanted to do that to some douchie supervisor who thought himself the king of his tiny little world.) And what's up with Claire's would-be stalker. That kid seriously gave me the willies. Dude, I just met your ass, stop following me. I think he's a plant. But for whom?
I swear I thought I recognized the guy who played Alejandro. I think he used to play on General Hospital in the early '00s dating Amber Tamblyn's character, Emily. Or maybe he just looks like that guy in the dark. It would be an honest mistake considering I could barely make out most of the blocking in those scenes. Seriously, I know they're on the run, but would it kill you to backlight for the sake of the audience? Sheesh! My kingdom for a lighting scheme.
I'm glad they made that whole David Anders casting thing make sense because I was seriously pissed about him being cast to play a Kensei hero. But I like this angle. Granted, it unnecessarily introduces a white male character into a storyline where he doesn't really belong, but if they tell it right, it can work. Hell, it is Sci-Fi. The storyline feels a little obvious at this point (i.e. Hiro does all the stuff that he's telling Sark Takezo Kensei about because he's obsessed with this guy's legacy, and when he leaves, he makes sure Takezo gets all the credit so it doesn't screw up the space-time continuum or whatever), but I'm hoping they'll surprise me and do something unexpected instead.
I was sad to see George Takei go, but I read that Nichelle Nichols is going to be on the show this season, and it might be a little weird having them both on the show at the same time. I wonder if the mysterious shadow that killed Kaito is the same creature/guy that Molly's seeing in her nightmares. Or if both entities are simply connected, but not the same. Mr. Nakamura made it seem like he knew the guy before he rushed him.
As for Emo Pete and the mysterious, um, **cough** Irishmen, nice intro. I like the whole "I'm helplessly restrained with handcuffs, but I can still shoot energy beams from my hands" bit. Peter, you've changed. Someone please tell me these guys just happen to be in Eire but are not actually Irish, because only one of them sounded even remotely Irish -- and that was a very weak Dubliner brogue at that. I'm interested to see where this goes, but I don't want another season of Peter whining all over the place trying to figure it all out. F'eh.
Oh, and one final thought. James Kyson Lee (aka Ando) is a cutie. That is all.
In honor of The Simpsons Movie release, I thought I'd share my crappy camera-phone pics of the 7-11-turned-Kwik-E-Mart store in Burbank. I made my way over there last Saturday, and even though there was a line around the building, it only took about 5-7 minutes to get in.
I did buy some souvenirs, but I didn't go crazy. One guy bought each bobble-head character they had. He must have dropped almost of $100 on merchandise. I think the Simpsons Monopoly games were $25, and the wall clocks were $35. Me? I bought a set of 4 donuts, 1 Flanders bobble-head doll, and a cherry Squishee in a special commemorative plastic cup. The cool thing is you can still buy the merchandise at any 7-11, not just the ones converted into Kwik-E-Marts.
Also in spirit of the opening weekend, take a gander at my Simpsons' avatar. You know you want it! The trippy this is, I'm wearing a shirt with that same shade of green today. My hair isn't purple, of course, but if I lived in Springfield, I think it would be. It's just a hunch. :-P
Anywho, without further ado, part un of my visit to the Kwik-E-Mart:
And part deux:
BTW, nobody spoil the movie for me. I won't be able to see it
until Sunday, so I may be avoiding the interwebs until after I've seen
it. Shhh! Don't spoil it.
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