I sat down to watch "new" tv for the first time in days and soon found myself remembering why I prefer old movies and my "I Love Lucy" dvds.
First, I checked out the latest CSI incarnation, "Cyber." Then, when I could take no more of the overly slick production values and monotonous vibes (is this the same Patricia Arquette who just won an Academy Award?) of the show I tried to catch up on "Castle."
There, I was troubled by the opening line. An astronaut in training exclaims how badly he wants a "hot girl in a bikini." Even a "ugly one" would do as long as she came with a "paper bag."
Way beyond irritated by then, I turned that off and switched to a "Mike & Molly" rerun, where not ten minutes into it, the running gag is how many quips they can get out of three men being "grossed out" over a topless, much older woman accidentally walking in on them.
This is way much sexism for me in one day so now I'm trying to escape with the Sunday papers, which by nature of its sharing the news of the world is also disturbing.
I know that the word "ugly" bothers me beyond my having a righteous indignation for women everywhere. I heard my share of the world "ugly" enough in middle and high school and it stuck with me for so long that it still hurts when I hear that world used anywhere, about anyone.
But personal bias aside, I know there is a sexism problem on tv and that's one main reason I prefer reruns and classics.
Chuck Lorre (who created "Mike & Molly") knocking women over for good laughs should not surprise me, but the "Castle" thing really does. It struck a nerve with me that I should get past, but right now I just can't. Yes, there is sexism in old movies and "I Love Lucy" but it's not as vulgar as today's and it's not as shocking.
I would rather be insulted with a little class and style, two things mostly missing in today's entertainment. Katherine Hepburn may be a bit daft in "Bringing Up Baby" and Lucy may cry to get her way and Ricky may sometimes patronize her, but there wasn't this crudeness, this complete lack of respect for women as people that (to me) seems worse today than ever.
The more vulgar the world gets the more I just want to escape. "Bringing Up Baby" and "I Love Lucy" will never be considered feminist works of art, but they are fun and from a world that didn't pretend to be as enlightened as today's world tries to pretend it is.
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2 comments:
I know what you mean with this - it's like you can't turn anywhere without finding some form of gross sexism, not to mention racism as well.
I've been loving a couple of really good women-centered shows. Jane the Virgin (about a young girl who is accidentally artificially inseminated) is EXCELLENT for those nights you just need something light and distracting - having said that though, their character development is so strong, and the relationships between women are so well-written. It's a ludicrous concept but the writing more than makes up for it.
For crime, "How To Get Away With Murder" is also good - basically about a lawyer and her 5 "interns" who go through cases solving mysteries, but there's one central mystery running throughout the series that involves all 6 of them. I think both have been out in the US for sometime, but maybe you can find a streaming site? :)
Thanks for the recommendations!
I have been meaning to watch Jane the Virgin and I just never got around to it. The fact that there is strong character development and that it is well-written makes me want to watch it even more now.
I do watch "How To Get Away With Murder," though I'm behind on it. Viola Davis is an amazing actress and I always try to watch anything she is in.
Hopefully, I _can_ catch up with a streaming site! :)
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