This episode we discuss a few TV shows, a little bit about Tony’s trip to Chicago, and a little bit about a cheesy horror movie. Then we get down to the serious business of solving society, as always. Enjoy!
QUESTIONS:
If life is so short, why do we spend so much time doing things we don’t like, and at the same time doing so little of what we love? –Cawfee
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William, thank you for your refreshingly insightful take on Scandal. I don’t watch the show, but have many friends who adore the show…your descriptions of how the female characters do what they do and why they have to do it is totally spot on.
Thank YOU for the positive feedback. 🙂
I picture you saying that with wide eyes, an enormous toothy grin, and a thumbs up, right next to your face..
https://whyweprotest.net/attachments/waynezang-jpg.177130/
http://imgur.com/dRZn9VP
FTFY
I think what might be a false assumption is that a show created by a woman with a female lead would be more likely to question the toxic romance narrative than a show created by a man (especially if the show is titled “Scandal”). Romance narratives in general (including “Twilight” and “50 Shades”) are the main genre in which one has female protagonists and female creators, and are dominated by that same toxic narrative. And especially recently, creators have added superficial feminist themes without questioning that narrative. I know lots of women who consider themselves feminists who still really liked both “Twilight” and “50 Shades” and I’ve heard the argument that they are feminist because the main character gets to express desire in some way (and thus has agency).
To me, this is unsurprising because women have been very thoroughly acculturated to believe that this story is 1) how they achieve power, and 2) how they achieve love. (Said this in email already, but bears repeating). Reminds me of what J.S. Mill said when arguing for women’s rights in the 19th century: “All causes, social and natural, combine to make it unlikely that women should be collectively rebellious to the power of men. They are so far in a position different from all other subject classes, that their masters require something more from them than actual service. Men do not want solely the obedience of women, they want their sentiments. All men, except the most brutish, desire to have, in the woman most nearly connected with them, not a forced slave but a willing one, not a slave merely, but a favourite. They have therefore put everything in practice to enslave their minds.”
Well said.
I can think of a fairly recent example of the ethical issue you guys were outlining at the end–the fact that the British government kept grain prices high to protect British farmers during the potato blight in Ireland so there were silos of grain rotting while people were starving to death. I’m pretty sure there have been recent documents to show that this was even encouraged as a way to bring the Irish population down.
In a less dramatic way, I think that sort of thing is happening all the time in our culture and is why people work more and more with less and less satisfaction. Reminds me of that video “The Story of Stuff.”
Jas,
When we were in Ireland in 2014, we were told that while yes, there were a few strains of potatoes that were affected, the main cause of the famine itself is that the British were taking the potatoes that did grow to feed Britain, and the Irish couldn’t keep enough of what they grew to feed themselves. Sad. We should learn from that and work to distribute food more equitably throughout the nation and the world.
Elastic servants: I guess you’ve gotten more flexible then.
Scandal: *shrug* Not seen any of it, and the commercials for it didn’t appeal in the slightest. Hearing William’s description really makes me glad I never gave it a shot.
Tony: Kill Joys vs. Dark Matter, which did you like better?
Tony has a cellphone? Nice…. Wait a second, you sent everyone a text that you finally joined the modern era? Now I feel left out. 🙁
JoCo concert: You lucky bastard. 🙂
Singalong: Sounds like my experience watching the pre-release of Serenity back in the day. That was a fun but brutal night (worked a full day, drove to St. Louis, nearly got lost, and watched the midnight show from the front row looking up at the screen).