television

status quo

I’ve been watching Grey’s Anatomy since it first came on air. Well, that’s not true. I started watching it because my sister-in-law, a nurse, mentioned it, and, at the time, she really enjoyed it. And I did, too, at first.

My enjoyment of it was purely because of Patrick Dempsey. We had grown up together (well, not together, but at the same time). I watched him in his earlier movies when he was cute, but also a bit geeky. Now he’s McDreamy. Whoa.

My disillusionment with it has come because of inequities portrayed in the program. Out of the main couples (Meredith/Derek, Lexie/Mark, Izzie/Alex, Cristine/Owen, and Arizona/Callie), three are older, established male doctors engaging with younger female residents. There isn’t a case of an older established female doctor engaging with a younger male resident (but, to be fair, that did occur when George was married to Callie).

Ok, I know this is only a television show. But so often what I see portrayed on television is what I see occurring off-screen. There are inequities that seem to be ok in portraying and even celebrating.

This could simply be a case of the older me finding most television problematic. But I think it’s also a case of the older me recognizing that older women are not considered desirable in pop culture (and don’t even get me started on Cougartown, one of the most irritating programs I’ve wasted 23 minutes on lately).

Ok. Three minute rant over.

For now.

is this *really* funny?

A fellow blogger just posted a link to this video on friendfeed. He wrote that it made him laugh, so I figured I’d get a good laugh out of it, too.

Now, I agree that I can see the funny side of it. And the actress in question, Emmanuelle Béart, was obviously not offended by it. But…when did it become ok to accost a sleeping woman?

Yes, yes…I know it’s just a commercial. And yes, I understand it is done in humor. But people watch these things and then consider that this kind of behavior is ok. It’s not. The man was moving her clothing around to make it appear as if they had an intimate relationship. That’s not funny to me. In fact, it’s alarming that this would be considered humorous at all.

barriers


A month or so ago, I watched a few documentaries on the Sundance Channel about the issue of immigration over the U.S.-Mexico border. I watched these shortly after having returned from northern Mexico, the very area where immigrants arrive in the United States after walking for miles and days over the harsh desert.

The first documentary I watched was Crossing Arizona. This production tried to look at the issue from both sides but I always felt like the makers were trying to make a very specific point about the issue that leaned a bit more toward those who are fighting immigrants. They didn’t talk as much to the people who were trying to come across the border, to them as they did cross over, or understanding what would incite someone to risk his/her life to go to a country that both wants them and hates them. They are entering a very racist, elitist, judgmental society that will treat them badly. And yet, they come by the 1000s.

Why?

The documentary didn’t discuss that at all. Instead, we heard plenty from the so-called Minuteman Project. We heard all about their rights and their feelings about this issue (which, obviously, are very negative toward the immigrants). We heard from a Native American man (Tohono O’odham nation) who puts out water, shares what food he has in his truck, and fights against tribal customs to assist the crossers. While the description of the film says that farmers are interviewed, there was very little of that.

Really, though, the voices of the immigrants themselves were hardly existent at all. I’m not sure if that was intentional but it reminded me of how much disrespect is given to them. We speak of the immigrants, the illegal aliens, the migrant workers. We don’t speak about them as people but as groups (and I’m guilty of this as well). Sure, they did follow 3 men but they didn’t give them a big voice in the film. The “guardians of the border” had much bigger voices.

Why?

I watched another documentary about this topic, as well. Wetback follows the migrants across the Rio Grande. This film gives voice to the people moving across the border, understanding why they make the journey. It delves into the reasons for taking this chance, for making this journey

Maybe this is due to the differences in the ethnicity of the filmakers (although I can’t be particularly sure of ethnicity because there is little about Dan DeVivo, editor of Crossing Arizona). Maybe this is due to who gave them access.

What I’d like to see, though, is a film that actually discusses the real issues of this situation from all sides. I’d also like to hear from the U.N. on this and how the Mexican government (really) feels about it, as well.

We need the migrant workers. Our society doesn’t work without them. But they need a voice and they need to be given more respect. They do an amazing job and we all benefit from their work.

They should, too.

punk wisdom


This weekend I watched Punk: Attitude on IFC.

When I was a teen in the 1980s, I listened to a lot of American punk: Dead Kennedys, Circle Jerks, and Black Flag most specifically. They spoke to my disenfranchised, lower-middle class existence. There were times when I tried to get into the British punk scene and listened to the Sex Pistols, Adam and the Ants, Buzzcocks, etc. but it was the American punk I was drawn to more.

It was interesting to watch the program because a lot of what was being said was exactly how I felt at the time.

Interesting things to come out of the program were how some of the old punkers talked about current day phenomenons. I can’t remember who said these two things that stuck in my head but I found them profound. One guy said that today we have a manufactured anger going on. He said anger is being induced at every turn.

I started thinking about this. It’s true. Our leaders incite anger, fear, and hate. They encourage us to be a part of the bigger, better gang or face being ostracized for being different. We are being fed anger over the 9/11 events, the Mexican-American border, drugs, gay marriage and the fact that many nations do not support our militaristic movements. All of this manufactured anger takes away from issues that we should be really angry about: lack of funding for education, lack of universal health care, the increasing divide between the rich and poor, the fact that many people within our own country are going hungry and homeless, that people are STILL not receiving federal assistance in the Katrina-torn south, that bombings are going on in Thailand and Spain, that people are being systematically killed in nations all over the world by their own leaders, that we are destroying our environment, that our government is increasingly taking away our rights.

We are being told what to be angry about to take the focus off of things that may affect us more immediately.

Another person said that the internets are the punk of this generation. This is the area where people can rant and rave, speak out against injustices, feel free shouting out about their causes, and get people involved.

I think, though, that there are forces against these freedoms, just as there were factions against punk. Freedom is scary to those who want to control. Take China, for instance, where the government is very strict about what can and cannot be seen on the internets.

When I first starting my online escapades in the mid-to-late 80s, I felt like a rebel. Hardly anyone else was doing it then. Even in the early 90s, when the cool browsers started coming out and I was one of the few using the new Netscape Gold 1.0, I felt like someone who was on the cutting/sub edge of something.

Now? I don’t think I do. I feel like just one of millions and millions who are, once again, lost in the shuffle of bigger names, people with bigger voices, and not having a voice that is getting heard.

But maybe that is exactly what she meant when she said that. Punk didn’t have huge followings (in comparison to pop/rock/etc.) but the people who did were loyal. Just as I am loyal to select blogs (none of which are “big” names), I have loyal readers who have stuck by for quite a while. Is the importance how many we reach or that we are being true to ourselves and sharing our message?

I’m willing to bet, in the long run, it will be the latter.

the lost room

The firefighter wasn’t able to come today. He hurt his back and was taking some muscle relaxants and couldn’t drive the 4 hours to get here (understandably).

So, I stayed home (the weather is bad and we’re due for a big snow storm) and watched the SciFi Channel’s The Lost Room.

What a show. It kept me riveted to the television for six hours straight (it’s a three part mini-series).

It’s interesting and engaging. I didn’t know where it was going to go next (which is unusual).

Peter Krause (of Six Feet Under fame) plays the main character.

It will be showing again tomorrow so if you’re interested in an original mystery, give it a try (I actually Tivo’d it and that made it a bit less than 6 hours).

The ending doesn’t tie things up neatly — but I understand that there is a chance to make this a series. I’d welcome that.

rockstar: supernova

rockstarThe U.S. CBS television program, Rockstar: Supernova is either one of those shows you really love or really hate. There isn’t really an in-between stage for this one.

It began last year with the quest to find a lead singer for INXS. While I’ve been a long-time INXS fan, I was still enchanted by some of the performances that were shown. No one could replace Michael Hutchence but that wasn’t the goal. The band members of INXS needed a lead singer – and they got one with J.D.

This year, Rock Star brought together the new group, Supernova, consisting of drummer Tommy Lee (Mötley Crüe), bassist Jason Newsted (Metallica), and guitarist Gilby Clarke (Guns N’ Roses) to find a front person for the group – someone to belt out tunes to the harmonies they play.

And the choices they have, overall, don’t disappoint. Some are better at putting on shows. Some are better singers. Some can mix it up and give a show AND sing well.

If you like music, especially covers sung with a twist (although there are original tunes showcased), then this is the show for you.

Check out Magni, Dilana, and Storm, in particular. They don’t disappoint. Each is a consumate professional.

B+

(image uploaded by hfabulous)