Since today is one of my favorite TV days (The Newsroom, Homeland, 60 Minutes, Meet the Press, etc.), I feel the need to blather about it a little. First off, Homeland is about to lose my viewership due to the unnecessary darkness that it seems hell-bent on peddling. Last season, they offed Brody, and this season three scenes have disturbed me out of my comfort zone---offing another very likable character (no spoilers), the baby in the bathroom thing, and Carries recent behavior while off her meds. To begin with, she is a bizarre mixture of a caring individual and a maniacal, murderous monster. Not to mention that she is a stark-raving lunatic, which would never be tolerated in CIA station heads (killing any pretense of representing reality). I mean, her manic times are wearing on my nerves, and if I want to see constant nutzo, Ill just put on an endless loop of Sarah Palin, Blake Farenthold, or Louis Gohmert monologues. But The Newsroom is great, and looks to be another season of drama wrapped in an overall positive affirmation of life. In general, my beef is with the subject matter of much of American television and cinema. Its absurdly violent, and it seems to be getting worse. You know, its: All about dat gore, Bout dat gore, And trouble..... (my apologies to Meghan Trainor). I mean, why do we support such negativity by watching it? Imagine a TV show or movie about a couple who adored, loved, respected, and unselfishly devoted themselves to one another, who weathered lifes tsunamis with unflinching loyalty to each other, and passed into the great beyond through the gateway of contentment!!! Ah, almost nobody would watch it. Lifes blackness shows up often enough (though our perceptions certainly and unjustifiably create much of it), but I dont really need to have it constantly plastered all over my TV screen as a reminder. I guess thats why I like comedies, and dramas with an overall positive redeeming message. Of course, violence in cinema can occasionally have its place---e.g., as in True Detective or The Godfather, but gratuitous violence meant to satisfy a lust for morbidity and thus line the pockets of the industry is harmful to any society. And to me. If you want to observe the saturation of violence in cinema, just look down the roster of flicks shown on the cable movie channels. I have the highest U-Verse movie package available, and about 70% of what they air is permeated with gore, depressing story lines, and blackness of all sorts. Most of the Brits I have known who moved here will not watch much American television or go to the movies, cause its just too disturbing. Thank Heaven for the Aaron Sorkins, The Ron Howards, the Rob Reiners, and certainly the Mel Brooks, Farrelly Brothers, and Josh Apatows. There. Im done.
Posted on: Sun, 16 Nov 2014 22:26:28 +0000
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