the only "ordinary looking" people who were ever on the show were the actors for Brian, Zane and Dale, and arguably Stan Lee
What about Bob, err, Stephen T.?
I would add Mad Men to that, which seems to go a step further, because they want you to feel uncomfortable about the sexism and racism. Of course, it's also a historical setting, but it seems the polar opposite to Life On Mars in approach, because there really isn't any nostalgia.
Yes and no, because as I recall just about every review of a Mad Men episode also included the line "I want Joan's (or more rarely Betty's) wardrobe!" And the interviews I've seen all have the headwriter mentioning how women responded positively to Don Draper/Jon Hamm because of his old fashioned masculinity, which makes me wonder just how criticial of Don's behaviour we're supposed to be. (I mean, obviously we're supposed to entirely disapprove of Pete, Roger et al when they're being sexist, and the way the season finale plays out gives me hope we're not meant to think "oh, poor, tormented Don, see, he does have feelings for his wife after all!", but those interviews make me uneasy.)
House: give in. It is intriguing. I actually like it much better than Mad Men though Mad Men is probably the smoother and better written show, but I dislike every male character and only have a distant sympathy for Betty, Joan and Peggy, so it gives me the same feeling Robert Altman's films give me. Whereas with House, even when I resent the occasional plot decision, I do like the characters. I care what happens to them.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2008-01-22 11:26 am (UTC)What about Bob, err, Stephen T.?
I would add Mad Men to that, which seems to go a step further, because they want you to feel uncomfortable about the sexism and racism. Of course, it's also a historical setting, but it seems the polar opposite to Life On Mars in approach, because there really isn't any nostalgia.
Yes and no, because as I recall just about every review of a Mad Men episode also included the line "I want Joan's (or more rarely Betty's) wardrobe!" And the interviews I've seen all have the headwriter mentioning how women responded positively to Don Draper/Jon Hamm because of his old fashioned masculinity, which makes me wonder just how criticial of Don's behaviour we're supposed to be. (I mean, obviously we're supposed to entirely disapprove of Pete, Roger et al when they're being sexist, and the way the season finale plays out gives me hope we're not meant to think "oh, poor, tormented Don, see, he does have feelings for his wife after all!", but those interviews make me uneasy.)
House: give in. It is intriguing. I actually like it much better than Mad Men though Mad Men is probably the smoother and better written show, but I dislike every male character and only have a distant sympathy for Betty, Joan and Peggy, so it gives me the same feeling Robert Altman's films give me. Whereas with House, even when I resent the occasional plot decision, I do like the characters. I care what happens to them.