Thoughts on TV and Some Other Stuff

Whoopie Goldberg reprised her role from Ghost on 666 Park Avenue this week.

The devil/demons in American Horror Story are hands down more terrifying than anything on 666 Park Avenue, AND Walking Dead...except maybe the Governor. That guy's a freak.

Can someone feed Julie Bowen?

That guy agrees.

I have 3 degrees, have traveled to 8 countries, have lived in 5 states, and have already held down 1 successful career in my life, but cannot find a full time job. Finn gets kicked out of the military, has never left Ohio, and lands a job working at a school at age 19.

Santana is the only thing worth watching about Glee. Ever.

Remember that jerk from The Bachelor, Jake? Yeah, Kristin Chenoweth is dating him. She apparently hit her head on the set of The Good Wife and it made her have this awakening that life is too short and she should do what makes her happy. I am betting when she recovers fully from this head injury, she will also recover from her huge mistake of dating Jake.

She's gonna make him pop-u-lar.

Revenge is the biggest flop this season. It's like watching a soap opera. I keep waiting for Stefano to come in and ruin things for everyone.

Nashville is seriously rising to the top of my list as best show on TV.

Kate Middleton is pregnant. Adorable. Next up, I'm calling it...Jennifer Aniston. Julie...start preparing your gushing blog!

Dexter...you're killing me with this Russian mafia in Miami, borderline incestual stuff. KILLING ME.

Taylor Swift is dating someone...

Grey's Anatomy's April and her thoughts on God/ her regurgitation of personal conviction is probably very normal for a Christian girl who promised herself to wait and has broken her promise. However, it makes her look crazy, and those thoughts need to be an internal monologue...that we never have to hear.

Grey's Anatomy's Jackson is hot. Have I mentioned that?

Adam Levine criticized Honey Boo Boo this week, saying something about her existence being the sign of a demise of Western Civilization. Adam...you, rebel you. Just sit there and look pretty please.

Don't fill your head with silly thoughts, just sing.

Um, Fleetwood Mac is going on tour in 2013. I think this is my chance to see them. Also, I think I want to make 2013 the year of concerts. I don't even know what to do at concerts, but I love music and so it's time to figure it out.

Lindsay Lohan is...I can't. I just don't have the energy.

What notable things did I miss?

Agenda vs. Awareness

It’s no secret that Hollywood has a “hidden” agenda. Lots of them. And they leak out through the TV we watch. You might think you are just sitting down to watch Law and Order, SVU, enjoy a good crime drama, but then Olivia Benson starts throwing out some facts about rape or abandoned children and before you know it, it feels less like a crime drama and more like a lecture.

Lots of shows do this, but some do it better than others. And there’s a difference in Agenda and Awareness. This blog is going to try to explore and explain that difference.

Agenda:

When I think of Agenda the first show that comes to mind is Glee. Agenda tries to make you feel guilty about not embracing whatever issue it presents. It’s heavy handed and wants to drive you to action. It’s full of rhetoric, extremes, and fails to SHOW the issue at hand, but rather TELLS you the issue at hand. Agenda does not know its audience.

Glee has done this with a few things. Sexuality and Bullying (and more specifically, bullying BECAUSE of sexuality) are at the top of the list. Having a gay character on a show is not a big deal anymore. But Glee kind of acted like it was. And it acted this way in EVERY EPISODE for the better part of 2 seasons. While there were moments of heartfelt interactions between Kurt and his father, for the most part Glee kept on keeping on with reminding us just how hard being gay was for Kurt. He was picked apart and picked on, lots of tears, lots of statements about not fitting in. And then there was the horrible and awkward thing with the football player who assaulted him but then became someone he wanted to help....and then Kurt seemed to be fine, once he met Blaine and the perils of his sexuality were lessened because he wasn’t alone in it anymore. Then Santana came out, Britney expressed her bi-sexuality, and so forth and so on. 

Thanks for spelling it out for us Glee.

Glee beat us over the head with the sexuality issue. Instead of approaching it with some subtlety, and letting us watch the progression of how these teenagers handled themselves, each episode came with a monologue delivered by some character who was practically spotlighted and looking at the camera teaching the audience something. And who is the audience of Glee? Mostly, people under 25: the one demographic in America that really doesn’t care much about sexuality anymore. They have a live and let live mentality. Also the demographic that is going to do what they’re going to do no matter what a TV show says. 

Awareness:

When I think of Awareness, Parenthood comes to mind. Awareness dangles something out there for you to see, but doesn’t push it on you. It kind of says, hey...we’re all thinking about this topic here, but we get that it might not be on your mind as much as it is ours. Even so, Awareness wants to bring you up to date and let you know that this thing, whatever it might be, is happening and well...you might want to at least be...aware.

Now, having said all that, I do appreciate what Glee was/is trying to do. I just think they do it poorly. But take another show by Ryan Murphy, American Horror Story, and let’s discuss the very same issue. One of the main characters on the show is a lesbian in the 1960’s, which was obviously frowned upon at the time. As they try to “fix” her on the show, she doesn’t spend much time talking about how hard it is for her in life, nor does anyone else really bully her. Instead, the show simply puts her in a mental institution (with lots of other characters “suffering” from other afflictions) and gives her “conversion/aversion therapy” to solve her lesbianism. She is forced to look at pictures of women and injected with something to make her vomit when she sees the pictures. (The aversion part.) Then she is asked to look at a man and touch herself, and him. (The conversion part.) 

Worst. Therapist. Ever.

Watching that one scene was more effective than 2 seasons of Glee’s trying to teach us that sexuality is not something that is chosen, not something to be picked on. Because it didn’t lecture or throw out statistics or dumb things down for us. It just worked a perfectly viable scene from the 1960’s into the show and it was believable and horrible all at the same time, making anyone with any sort of compassion or basic appreciation for humanity want to scream, “Just leave her alone!”

I am aware now. I get it. And awareness can spur someone to action just as easily, if not more effectively than agenda. Awareness says...here’s what’s going on and here’s what you could do about it, but it’s up to you if you want to. Agenda says, you’re wrong/bad/evil if you don’t do what we think you should do.

I mentioned Parenthood as an example of a show that does awareness well. The center storyline of the show this season is Christina’s breast cancer. The writers do a great job at showing how it affects the entire family. Rather than spouting off statistics or over explaining the finer points of breast cancer, we watch someone go through it. And honestly, it’s not trying to convince us to do anything, it’s just making us aware of what people might go through who face this disease. The same way it makes us aware weekly what it might be like to live with a kid who has Aspergers. Or what it might be like to adopt an older child of a different ethnicity. All of the issues that Parenthood explores, happens in the context of the characters’ lives. I never feel like I’m being guilted or even manipulated, even though they make me cry every week. I don’t cry because of the issues the characters are facing, I cry because I can imagine what they are feeling. It’s good writing, good acting, sweet or sad, and pretty true to life in a lot of ways. It tugs on the heartstrings, shows flawed characters, and lets us imagine ourselves in their shoes.

Such a good crier. Take notes Claire Danes.

The truth is, almost every show has a hot button topic from time to time. Every producer/writer/creator wants to bring attention to something that has most likely affected them personally in some way. And even though you know my philosophy, TV IS FOR ENTERTAINMENT, ultimately, writers write what they know. Here are just a few other shows that work through agenda/awareness.

Two Broke Girls-The state of the economy/Reclaiming sex for women/Feminism. 

Scandal-The pervasive corrupt personal and business practices in politics.

Homeland-Perpetuating conspiracy theorists/Justifying the need for Homeland Security.

Modern Family-Challenging current beliefs of what “family” should look like.

SVU-Sexual crimes.

Nashville-Playing games associated with fame/Corrupt politics.

I could go on, but I will leave some for discussion. 

What shows come to your mind (past or present) that have an agenda or try to drive awareness home about any given issue? Was it agenda or awareness? Was it successful?

What I am ACTUALLY Watching

I've decided to tell you what I am actually watching, since we all go back and forth about TV so much on this blog. These are not in order of importance or favorite at all. They are kind of in order by genre if anything. If you are watching a show you want covered on the blog, then feel free to write up a post and send it to me at catidwell222@gmail.com I'd love more writers and more input. As you can see, I have my hands full. Some spoilers below on various shows...

The Walking Dead-So much misguided anger this season! And I want them to take baths. I've been around West Georgia and there are TONS of creeks and lakes. No reason to be filthy. Also, I might be late to the game, but as I watched the first episode of Season 3, I couldn't help but think...."OH...so THE Main Characters are the walking dead..."
666 Park Avenue-If LOST, American Horror and Gossip Girl had a baby it would be this show.
American Horror Story-Since so many shows have come back this season causing "meh" reactions, I gotta say I'm glad AHS is attempting a different storyline altogether. And wow, they are off to a great start!
Dexter-I always thought the show should END with Deb finding out about Dexter, so now that we've crossed that bridge I'm a little indifferent about things at the moment. Where is this gonna go?

New York.

SVU-Mariska Hargitay. Enough said.
Scandal-I am so conflicted over this show in so many ways. But I will stick around cause I love old Shonda.
Homeland-This is what Scandal wishes it were.
Revenge-I have never LOVED a Season 1 so much only to hate Season 2 so much. Get it together!
Grey's Anatomy-Have I mentioned that this needs to be the last season? Cause it needs to be. I hear Neve Campbell is coming on...NO NO NO, no more new people...wind it down please.
Parenthood-Best. Show. On. TV.
Nashville-Connie Britton was fabulous, and even though the 10 months I spent in Nashville weren't great, this makes me want to go back a give it another try. Plus...I mean, it's about music!
SmashI was hate-watching this show last season, and I will do the same this time around.
Glee-When Glee gets emotional, so do I. The Break-Up episode was Glee at its finest. More character building, less cheesy plot please.
Once Upon A Time-Again, strong Season 1, but this time around it's just losing steam.

Long Island

SNL-Sure it's all political at the moment, but soon it might find a nice retreat back into the relevant references of pop-culture. Best skit so far was either Bond Girls or Tech Talk.
30 Rock-I'm a fan in every since of the word. I will miss them after this season!
The Office-Dying a slow and painful death...
Community-I am cynical that without Dan Harmon it will be any good, but when done well, this show is pretty close to perfect. Oh...IF IT EVER COMES ON AGAIN!
Parks and Recreation-Thank God for Ron Swanson, Donna and April!
Up All Night-I am really rooting for this one, but I need more Maya and Christina interaction.
Raising Hope-This is so underrated, but it really delivers every week consistently.

Brooklyn

Two Broke Girls-Ok...so this is my "sleeper hit" of the year. My friend Joni was watching and told me to check it out. I fully expected to hate it. It has a laugh track, manufactured banter, and lots of sexual innuendo. And yet, I LOVE IT. The girls are adorable and the set up of the show is clever.
Modern Family-Another consistently strong show.
The Neighbors-Don't judge me...but this show is really cute. Yes, there are aliens, but I have been showing it to my Chinese students and they LOVE it.
The New Normal-Ryan Murphy, creator of Glee, American Horror Story, and Nip/Tuck, kind of took a few characters and plots from a few different shows and mixed them into this one. It's working, but I don't think it will last too long. Still, I like it enough.

That's at least 20 hours of TV a week. I will probably add Criminal Minds, Body of Proof, Gossip Girl, and sprinkle in some Real Housewives (New Jersey and New York) here and there. And I would LIKE to start on How I Met Your Mother, Gilmore Girls, and Downton Abbey.

I guess you could say, I watch TV like it's my job.

How many hours a week do you watch? BE HONEST!

Blurgh: A Review of TV's Fall Return

I am so overwhelmed by all of the TV I have to watch. Anyone else wanna get in on blogging some TV shows? I really need to narrow down my options...there is no way I can sustain this when I'm back in America!

But until then....here are my thoughts.

I tried to give most of these shows at least 2 weeks before writing this blog. But you guys...what is UP with TV? I mean...

Glee-Is anyone else bored? Sure, the music is good...because the music is always good because it's MUSIC. But come on...nothing is grabbing me this season. I miss Santana. Kurt hanging out with Carrie (or whoever SJP is playing this time) is too much to believe. And bring back the Britney we used to love. The one who has the one-liners that were the best moments in the show! I have no idea what's going on with the "adults" in the show, was Sue even on it? See...I've tuned out. So bored...

Take note, Arizona...

Grey's Anatomy-I'm sorry, were you trying to make me want to kill myself? Because even though I did have an idea of what was coming in the season opener, I was sorely disappointed when it arrived. First of all, WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE CRASH! Back it up Grey's. Show us how Meredith became her mom, how Cristina ended up in Narnia, and how Bailey turned into a joke. And Arizona...it's just a leg. Shonda...you don't GET to jerk us around like this and expect us to stick it out. Please dear God let this be the last season...

Scandal-Did I even see Season 1 of this show? Cause I am pretty sure I watched it and liked it, but when it opened, I was so lost. LOST I say! LIke more lost than I was in LOST! Who are these people? Is the FLOTUS really pregnant? And who is that girl on trial? Oh I think I remember something about her boyfriend dying and her being at the scene...is that was this is about?

Revenge-Meh. So the most riveting scene was supposed to be Charlotte's dramatic whisper to "Emily" at the art show? I was so happy to see Nolan, but the rest of the characters felt like strangers. And the big Victoria reveal was a knock on the door? Really? Didn't want to milk that mystery just a little bit more? Gah.

Up All Night-I'm trying not to be mad at Will Arnett for his divorce with Amy Poehler, but I am mad. Something about his skinny newly buff self is making me angry. And I think the anchor of the show was the fact that Ava and Reagan worked together on the talk show. Why is Reagan's brother there, and now Just Jack! Last season was so great...but they better pick it up fast and get some plot going if they want to see season 3.

Parks and Recreation-I'm trying not to be mad at Amy Poehler for her divorce with Will Arnett, but I am mad. Did she have work done? Her hair was different. Ron Swanson is the only redeeming part of this show at the moment. And Donna...more Donna please.

The Office-Andy is a joke. Jim and Pam need to get happy fast. I want to see one of the new guys (why are there new guys, we all know this show has to end soon) killed by the Scranton Strangler creating a desperate search for the killer during the season. At the end, it's discovered that it's Creed. The end. Also, let's see more Angela.

This is even weirder than those sister wives I used to have.

Once Upon A Time-Look, I loved season 1 even with the fantasy meets reality crossover. But let's be honest. Even though we knew that Emma was gonna be Mary's (Snow's) daughter, but then when it got here in the first episode this season it was like...awkward....I don't remember the rest, except I do like Mulan.

Maybe I wasn't in the mood, or ready for the seasons to begin, but based on what I've seen so far, my TV repertoire might get some major adjustments.

I did think that a few shows came back strong...

Raising Hope-Martha Plimpton is just fabulous. And the premise of this show never gets old. Poor is funny.

The New Girl-Who doesn't love Schmidt! Good return!

Modern Family-With the Emmy sweep it's no surprise that the show came back strong.

All of these kept me laughing.

I will discuss Dexter and Homeland as soon as I can find a way to watch them in China.
And I cannot wait to discuss 30 Rock and American Horror Story!

Awwww...I still want to be a Braverman!

But until then, what on EARTH would we do without.....
Parenthood-BEST SHOW ON TV. If you aren't watching, what ARE you doing?

TV REVIEW TIME....

What did you think about the above? 

What shows should I add to my lineup?

The Dad Awards

In a world where TV dads are often dead (6 Feet Under, Dexter, Brothers and Sisters, Game of Thrones) or portrayed as out of touch for comedic relief (almost every other show), it's important to take some time to recognize the good ones. In honor of Father's Day, here are the First Annual Weekend Fat Dad Awards!

I would follow that hair down the highway to heaven.

Beauty King: Michael Landon as Charles Ingalls in The Little House on the Prairie
Sure, it's an older show, but seriously...what other dad in history has possessed this kind of rugged handsome goodness while still looking like a father? I dare you to find one. As a hard worker on the prairie, Charles always has the perfect tan, and he might be the only dad in TV history to have better hair than his wife. Seriously, he is a good looking man.

If you crack a Brokeback Mountain joke Phil, I'll bury you over there.

Most Improved: Ed O'Neill as Jay Pritchett on Modern Family
Ed O'Neill is most famous for his character Al Bundy on Married With Children, maybe one of the worst dads of all time. But in Modern Family, he's been given a second chance as the patriarch of this wacky pack. He's gruff at times, and we have enough context to know that maybe he wasn't the greatest dad when Mitchell and Claire were growing up. But throughout the seasons we have seen him learn to go with the flow, becoming a source of stability and tough love. Plus, he's kind of the normal one in the family, except when it comes to his French Bulldog, Stella...then all bets are off.

Laugh Out Loud: Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy on Modern Family
Is there anything that comes out of Phil's mouth that doesn't make you laugh out loud? His complete adoration for his wife along with the energy he puts into trying to relate and appear cool to his kids make us love him in spite of his moments of cluelessness. He serves up suburban slapstick at its finest.

Plaid makes you smarter.

TIE for Wisest Words: Andy Griffith as Andy Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show 
                                                                             AND 
                                      Matthew Settle as Rufus Humphrey on Gossip Girl
Everyone knows that growing up is hard, and without the words of wisdom bestowed on us by our fathers, how would we make it through adolescence at all! Ok, let's get real, kids don't listen to their parents. But if they did, it would look like it does in these two shows. It's no wonder Opie grew up to be the successful Ron Howard with a dad like Andy around. His patience to let Opie learn hard lessons and face consequences never tire. His guidance is perfectly timed and always welcomed. And former rock star Rufus is practically a modern day sage from Brooklyn gone UES, offering up the best advice to his own kids and pretty much every other character on Gossip Girl. When he's around, confessions just tumble from the lips of otherwise reckless troublemakers. Rufus and Andy know that a little sadness in the eyes and the words, "I'm disappointed in you" go farther than any over the top lecture ever could.

This. Man.

Grand Supreme (That's a thing, right?): Sam Jaeger as Joel Graham on Parenthood
There are a lot of things we could say about the dads on Parenthood. But in the midst of Zeke's extreme behavior, Adam's borderline judgment, and Crosby's attempt at growing up, Joel emerges as the hero. He is supportive of his working wife, stays at home with their daughter, and he works with his hands. That entire sentence is almost too good to be true. He knows when to stay silent, but is no pushover, and can stand up to Zeke or Julia in their moments of irrationality. He pays attention to his daughter enough to know when she's in need of a hug or a spanking. He doesn't get a lot of screen time, but when he does we always remember that he's maybe one of the greatest characters on the show. And aside from being a great dad, he's the kind of man every girl wants to marry!

What Dads Do You Want To Add To The List? 

What Awards Do They Deserve?

Yippee Ki-Yay Mother Mother! 5 TV Moms You Do NOT Want To Mess With

Not everyone can be Clair Huxtable or Carol Brady. In this day and age, it takes a new level of strength to be a mom. So in honor of Mother's Day, here are 5 of the best and baddest moms on TV!

Hans Gruber was a piece of cake compared to this family!

1. Camille Braverman-Parenthood
Everyone wants to be a Braverman. Even with the drama of sibling rivalry, lost jobs, changing love, and raising kids, no one on TV is more loyal or has more fun than this hippie family. But that kind of camaraderie wouldn't exist without a matriarch like Camille Braverman. Though most of her scenes are short and revolve around giving advice to one of her adult children while she pours tea or paints, Camille is no pushover. If anything, she is the rock of the Braverman clan. She is feminine and a feminist, open-minded and self-controlled. She balances out her borderline irrational husband Zeek, shows tough love, and does it all with just the right amount of wet behind her eyes.

Claire doing what any mother would do on a night out; rebel against napkins.

2. Claire Dunphy-Modern Family
With a free spirit husband like Phil, it's no wonder that Claire comes across as the neurotic twin sister that Monica Geller never had. Claire adores her family while never losing sight of the fact that they are all so weird. Her raspy voice and passionate nature make even the most simple statement out of her mouth come across as an argument or rant. She is controlling, takes herself too seriously, and when she does occasionally let her hair down, it almost always backfires. Claire manages to maintain control in the wackiest of situations because of her keen observation skills. She knows her family so well, she can predict exactly what they are going to do at any moment and she is ready for their antics. Give her 25 years and she will be as calm as Camille Braverman.

She once got Jet Blue to accept an AmTrak Ticket. 

3. Colleen Donaghy-30 Rock
There is only one woman who can make Jack Donaghy-the NBC executive, super conservative, proud member of the 1%, and mentor to Liz Lemon-weep...his mother, Colleen Donaghy. Colleen spends most of her days situated leisurely in Florida with other retirees, but is known for her surprise visits to New York to berate and belittle her son. With one look, Colleen commands everyone at 30 Rock into submission. She is cynical, critical, cunning, and Irish Catholic which makes her Jack's worst nightmare. With each visit, more of their relationship is revealed, and while Colleen might fake a heart attack to control Jack, she does it all out of love...we think.

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Or maybe it kills you.

4. Vivien Harmon-American Horror Story
No matter what life has thrown at you this year, Vivien can top it. Her world turned upside down when her husband cheated on her and in an attempt to stay together, moved the family to an extremely haunted house in LA. While trying to nest, she comes face to face with the demons of the house, creepy neighbors, a depressed daughter, and a husband who thinks she is crazy. All of this while she is pregnant with the child of a man/ghost in a rubber suit. It sounds a little strange even if you are familiar with the series. It's hard to admire Vivien in her more emotional moments, but ultimately she makes this list because no one else on TV has had to endure the trauma she has. Oh, and did I mention, she's a ghost?

Virginia is for lovers...and grandmothers, husbands, grown kids, and grandchildren.

5. Virginia Chance-Raising Hope
Virginia was just 15 when she became a mom, and only 39 when she became a grandmother. This alone makes her awesome. Virginia embodies all of the best qualities of a lower middle class mother. She takes care of her grandmother, plays games with her fun-loving husband, Burt, houses and harasses her adult son, Jimmy, and babysits her granddaughter, Hope, all while working full time as a maid. She is not a housekeeper in her own home, but her blunt delivery of hard truths and off the wall solutions to life's everyday problems make her one of the most fun mothers on television. She never loses her patience with anyone in the house, and even though she pursues silly get rich schemes with Burt from time to time, she is the ultimate example of being content with what you have.

You think this is hard? Try being a mom!

Honorable Mention: Sue Sylvester from Glee
Sue is not a mom yet, but she is pregnant. And if there is one mother you do not want to mess with, Sue would be that mother. Of course we've seen Sue's sensitive side through past seasons as she dealt with her sister, and everyone's favorite cheerleader, Becky. But Sue is known for her hard-hitting insults and high standards. Either her kid will be a badass off the old block, or have the highest therapy bill in TV land.


Who would you add to the list and why?