The CW's New Shows Are Lacking In Color, Jezebel via Racialicious.
'Privileged': The kids are all white, and kind of shallow, too, USA Today.
Bring it on...It's already been broughton!, Stephanie's Soap Box.
The first two links are self-explanatory. In the third one, Stephanie laments that she didn't see the murder of "Q" (the troublemaker with a heart of gold) coming on One Tree Hill. Coincidentally, Q is one of the only nonwhite people on One Tree Hill. I haven't watched an entire episode since Season Two, but I think Skills is still there. So now there is one left.
What can I say that I haven't said before? Oh yes. As I think back to the old 90210, glaringly white though it may have been, in retrospect, the original series looks inspired compared to this latest rip-off of The OC.
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Saturday, September 27, 2008
Seriously, CW?
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
The CW doesn't care about black people.
I first heard about this today on "Big Boy's Neighborhood's Liz Hernandez".
Sitcom Saga: No Finale For 'Girlfriends' and Litigation Looms, by Jawn Murray, BlackVoices.com.
. . . The CW had opted to cancel [Girlfriends] without fulfilling its remaining nine episodes.
Well I've now learned exclusively that The CW made the cast members an offer to return for a "retrospective" episode that would feature recaps of the previous shows and cast members reflecting on those shows.
The CW apparently only offered to pay the actors half of their episodic salary to shoot the makeshift finale, thus the stars collectively opted not to participate.
In addition, several people close to the show tell me that The CW refuses to honor the contracts of the principal cast members and does not intend to pay the actors for the nine episodes that will not be taped.
Now the show stars have hired a litigator who will file a joint lawsuit on behalf of the talent, suing the network for the money they are due.
"The network told them point blank, 'Sue us!' After using this show to help build its name, The CW has turned their back on them and disrespected them in the most horrible way," said someone associated with the show, who spoke under the condition of anonymity.
This is some nonsense. I don't even watch Girlfriends on The CW, because the show has gone downhill since Toni left, and Joan and William got together, then broke up. However, the show did bring over a solid audience base from UPN to this redheaded amalgamated stepchild of a network.
First Dawn Ostroff came for Everwood. Then she came for Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars. Now Girlfriends is getting the Ostroff treatment. Shame on you, CW. Shame!
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Friday, January 11, 2008
Sunshine and Rain
(I heart Psych.)
The CW's views on the roles of young women in society, as featured on Wednesday episode of Gossip Girl (at 3:23).
If you can't see the video, of if The CW has snatched it off of YouTube, here's what the closeted attempted-rapist said to the recently-dethroned Queen B:
"You held a certain fascination when you were beautiful, delicate, and untouched. But now you’re like one of the Arabians my father used to own: Rode hard and put away wet. I don’t want you now and I don’t see why anyone else would."
As I told Carrie on South Dakota Dark, Chuck's pot needs to meet Blair's kettle.
Talk about "rode hard and put away wet." Or in his case, "put away in a gay closet." What Pandora's Box of STDs is that boy dragging around in his pants?
What is wrong with Gloria Steinem?
. . . Gender is probably the most restricting force in American life, whether the question is who must be in the kitchen or who could be in the White House. This country is way down the list of countries electing women and, according to one study, it polarizes gender roles more than the average democracy.
That’s why the Iowa primary was following our historical pattern of making change. Black men were given the vote a half-century before women of any race were allowed to mark a ballot, and generally have ascended to positions of power, from the military to the boardroom, before any women (with the possible exception of obedient family members in the latter) . . .
. . . So why is the sex barrier not taken as seriously as the racial one? The reasons are as pervasive as the air we breathe: because sexism is still confused with nature as racism once was; because anything that affects males is seen as more serious than anything that affects “only” the female half of the human race; because children are still raised mostly by women (to put it mildly) so men especially tend to feel they are regressing to childhood when dealing with a powerful woman; because racism stereotyped black men as more “masculine” for so long that some white men find their presence to be masculinity-affirming (as long as there aren’t too many of them); and because there is still no “right” way to be a woman in public power without being considered a you-know-what . . .
No wonder so many progressive non-white women don't consider themselves feminists.
I didn't know 30 Rock was on last night, and I missed it. :(
Janet Jackson's video for her new single, "Feedback." I have been playing the song all day almost every day for the past month. But the video needs help. And more dancing.
My friend Chrissy saved this week's 30 Rock on her DVR, so now I can watch it this weekend.
Psych is coming back tonight!
I got a Hello Kitty calendar. It only took me a week to realize that I would need a new one for 2008.
I'm sure some more good things happened, but I can't think of them at the moment.
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Friday, June 08, 2007
This is sad for various reasons.
Diversity still an issue at TV networks, by Greg Braxton, Los Angeles Times.
Though minorities are featured in most of the 29 new series on the major networks, only five feature performers of color in central starring roles. While most of the shows have at least one regular minority cast member, the performers are mostly in support of the main white characters. Many shows with ensemble casts (ABC's "Dirty Sexy Money" and "Big Shots") feature predominantly white casts.
The CW remains the primary network venue for multiculturalism.
Groan.
Insert Pussycat Dolls/Veronica Mars cancellation/Gossip Girl/Hidden Palms/Chad Michael Murray joke here.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Must I give up The Office, too?
I've been reading the TWoP forums, and perusing the blogs on the interwebs. So far, most of the opinions about last night's Season 3 finale, "The Job," have been in the vein of, "I love The Office," "This is the best show ever!" and "Wow, I did not see that ending coming."
I didn't see the ending at all, because I went to sleep after Jim asked Pam on a date, but before the credits rolled. So I missed whatever Ryan said.
My problems with this episode were twofold.
1. It was too long. A lot of the scenes, especially the ones with Pam talking to the camera about how much she luvs Jim, were just filler. The show would have been more powerful in 22-minute form. Even in a Super sized form, it would have felt less drawn out than in those 44-minutes.
2. The writers are punishing the strongest woman on the show.
As erendiradali posted on the TWoP Office forums:
...There was way too much misgogyny [sic] in this episode--heck, in this season, what with having the strong, assertive role of Jan turn into a total psycho, self-destructive, semi-abusive fake-boobed weirdo. I am not sure if I will be watching next season because of this. Misgogyny [sic] is not funny. It's just pathetic.
How did Jan go from a competent executive to a raving loon in one season? I really don't get the transformation. Yes, Jan's meltdown in David's office was amusing, as were Karen's reactions to it. But the character assassination was revolting. The part that most disgusted me was Michael squeezing her new boobs in his office. And then the overall fact that she underwent an unnecessary surgical procedure to win back her lame boyfriend. A procedure that made her crazy from the painkillers. A procedure that probably eliminated any pleasure she used to get from her chest by deadening the nerves in that area. She got two bags of saline inserted into her chest in an attempt to please a man that was already dumber and less attractive than she was. Now she's supposedly going to be Michael's de-facto housewife? Does she have no marketable skills other than managing a failing paper supply company and having sex with Michael?
Yet another uppity career woman getting put in her place by a mostly male writing staff. It also exemplifies this problem, via Defamer: Hollywood Diversity Shocker: White Guys Still Doing All The Writing. Read the comments under the Defamer article for some bitter chuckles.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
I Hate Gilmore Girls
This is the worst season ever. I don't know of a show that has fallen so far so fast. I don't think Season 5 of The West Wing, after Sorkin left, was this bad.
These post-Palladino, Season 7 writers do not need the character to repeat every phrase two or three times. David Hasselhoff doesn't deserve to have his name dropped more than once an episode, much less in one scene.
Can Rory deal with an actual disappointment in her life? I mean, when she was actually working for stuff in high school, it was fulfilling when she earned something, like delivering a speech on C-SPAN, or getting into. Now when she gets this job in Providence that she doesn't even want, I feel like smacking her face. I'm sure real journalism majors share my sentiment. Holding out for a real newspaper? Please. As if The New York Times would really hire someone like Rory Gilmore.
I do not need anymore Logan on my screen ever. During Seasons 5 and 6, I was worried that I retroactively liked Jess because of how stupid Logan was. After the "you wrote a book" episode where Jess tangles with "the blond dick at Yale," I am now retroactively in love with Jess. Dean goes without saying. I'm not usually into adulterers, but I'll make an exception for the devoted Mr. Forester.
What is up with the, "Hi. How are you?" "Nice to see you again." and "This is a nice house." Is anyone at the show capable of constructing a meaningful line for a character? And how many times do I have to hear about the hay bale maze? Once! That's it. Everyone in town does not need to tell me about the things that I can see for myself happening on the screen. If I see the gazebo being lifted into the air by a crane at the end of one scene, then in the very next scene, Lorelai does not need to tell Rory that Taylor is "ripping out the gazebo with a crane." Hello, I was just there! I know that already!
I actually liked the April and Luke part. Hmm.
On to general CW issues. There's this new annoying segment called "C what's hip" with Mark McGrath. I think this was "hip" back in the mid-90s when it was called E! News Update with Steve Kmetko. And Mark McGrath, from Extra? The last time you were "hip" was when you were chanting "Fly" with Sugar Ray. If I want to "C what's happening," I'm not going to the lovechild of the WB and UPN--who brought us such gems as Pussycat Dolls: The Search for the Next Doll, and the final season of 7th Heaven--to find out what's going on in the world of celebrity.
Back to Gilmore Girls. Watching Season 7, and then watching Seasons 1 and 2 on DVD? The comparison makes me want to barf. Or maybe I ate too much for breakfast. My tummy is only so big inside.
I hope Jezebel James makes it to air.
End of kvetching.
