Discussing Television

My students are so young! I tried discussing Sex and the City as an example of homosocial communities, but many had no idea that the show even existed. I could have used The Wire as well, but if they don’t know Sex and the City that has reruns on every other channel, what are the chances they will recognize The Wire?

And why I’m on The Wire, the upsetting thing is that the moment I get emotionally invested into a character, he gets killed. Obviously, it’s done on purpose to imitate the emotional experiences in the street but I still feel sad for the characters.

10 thoughts on “Discussing Television

  1. “the upsetting thing is that the moment I get emotionally invested into a character, he gets killed.”

    It’s great that you’re not into Game of Thrones, then. 🙂

    Like

      1. I avoided watching GoT for years but when I got around to it I loved it. I’m not crazy about a lot of fantasy (and have no strong intention of reading the books) but it’s very well done.

        And it has more interesting female characters per episode than any other show I’ve seen…. ever.

        But it is brutal in realpolitik ways.

        Like

  2. You are at season 3, right? Knowing you I am pretty sure I have guessed right you are mourning.

    I watched Games of Thrones. It is fast food entertainment at its best, with superficial political thoughts.When will winter finally come?

    Like

      1. Was that stringer? Don’t worry about spoilers because, well, you’re probably the only person on the planet who hasn’t watched the show.

        Wallace in season 1 was brutal, too.

        Like

        1. Yes, first Wallace, and then the Sobotka fellow whose struggle to save the union I really related to. And now Stringer!

          It was very sad how he failed to inscribe himself into the legalized existence because he projected his inner reality onto it. And the Nast politician knew and exploited it.

          And the artist playing McNulty I’d the perfect example of what happens when an actor can’t fill his part and is being eclipsed by more talented actors.

          Like

          1. I also find it interesting that we mourn his death in season 3 and yet, at the end of season 1 we were pissed that he didn’t get arrested. Good writing does that to you.

            Loved the parallels between bunny colvin and stringer and their failed attempts to reform their respective institutions. The writers insert a cheeky reference to this by making bunny’s last words before getting fired and stringer’s last words before getting killed the same: ‘Get on with it, motherfuckers’.

            Like

            1. Hah! I did not notice that. Nor did I see the parallelism. Thanks for pointing out!

              I was very sad when Hamsterdam got destroyed. So stupid, so useless.

              Like

Leave a reply to Ol. Cancel reply