thedeadparrot (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
thedeadparrot) wrote2010-02-27 12:02 pm
thedeadparrot) wrote2010-02-27 12:02 pm
Entry tags:
What I have been doing while I am inundated with work
I have been watching The West Wing, a lot of which I already knew from fannish osmosis. I'm about halfway through season 2 right now, though I've been spoiled for the entire series.
And okay, I will break things down for myself a bit:
The Good:
- characters! - I love my overly-smart, know-it-all characters with deep hearts and genuine passion of their jobs. Arguably, they all sound the same at the beginning, but eventually they all become recognizably different people by the end.
- Martin Sheen chewing scenery. - To be quite honest, this was the reason why I started watching in the first place, and it is still awesome every time he does it. Man, I could just watch entire episodes consisting of the president showing up in random rooms of the White House and then schooling them on how it is done.
- politicking - I love watching politics unfold in an arena that is not real-life. It's like watching people herd cats! So much wheeling and dealing and maneuvering and desperate attempts to fix things. I kind of like watching that machinery happening a lot. You know, when it's not real life.
The Bad:
- Aaron Sorkin's pedantic approach to politics - I am sorry, but I agree with this guy at least 70% of the time, and I can't handle the long lectures, the strawman opposition characters, the general smug superiority of the writing. Basically, I kind of just tune out which particular bill/issue they are currently pushing to focus on the ridiculous political maneuvering.
- Josh's manpain - Okay, confession: I do not understand why fandom is so enamored with Josh. I find him kind of boring. Okay, really boring. Especially if you consider the fact that he was apparently based of Rahm Emmanuel and is about 200% more boring than Rahm Emmanuel on a bad day.
The Ugly:
- Aaron Sorkin's classic straight white liberal d00dness - So basically, you know that 30% where I don't agree with Sorkin? It's usually when he's talking about sexism, racism, or foreign policy. And then I just want to scream at him. I could probably write an entire post on his women issues alone. To be fair, I can't fault him for the awesomeness female of his characters, but they are treated so badly so consistently, man. Do not even get me started on this conversation.
- Josh/Donna - I am sorry, you guys, but it freaks me out to think that this is like, a major pairing, because all I have seen so far is Donna being treated like shit and generally insulted by Josh (her boss) on a regular basis.
Anyway, for the most part I am enjoying it a lot, but when it hits my pet peeves, it really hits my pet peeves.
And okay, I will break things down for myself a bit:
The Good:
- characters! - I love my overly-smart, know-it-all characters with deep hearts and genuine passion of their jobs. Arguably, they all sound the same at the beginning, but eventually they all become recognizably different people by the end.
- Martin Sheen chewing scenery. - To be quite honest, this was the reason why I started watching in the first place, and it is still awesome every time he does it. Man, I could just watch entire episodes consisting of the president showing up in random rooms of the White House and then schooling them on how it is done.
- politicking - I love watching politics unfold in an arena that is not real-life. It's like watching people herd cats! So much wheeling and dealing and maneuvering and desperate attempts to fix things. I kind of like watching that machinery happening a lot. You know, when it's not real life.
The Bad:
- Aaron Sorkin's pedantic approach to politics - I am sorry, but I agree with this guy at least 70% of the time, and I can't handle the long lectures, the strawman opposition characters, the general smug superiority of the writing. Basically, I kind of just tune out which particular bill/issue they are currently pushing to focus on the ridiculous political maneuvering.
- Josh's manpain - Okay, confession: I do not understand why fandom is so enamored with Josh. I find him kind of boring. Okay, really boring. Especially if you consider the fact that he was apparently based of Rahm Emmanuel and is about 200% more boring than Rahm Emmanuel on a bad day.
The Ugly:
- Aaron Sorkin's classic straight white liberal d00dness - So basically, you know that 30% where I don't agree with Sorkin? It's usually when he's talking about sexism, racism, or foreign policy. And then I just want to scream at him. I could probably write an entire post on his women issues alone. To be fair, I can't fault him for the awesomeness female of his characters, but they are treated so badly so consistently, man. Do not even get me started on this conversation.
- Josh/Donna - I am sorry, you guys, but it freaks me out to think that this is like, a major pairing, because all I have seen so far is Donna being treated like shit and generally insulted by Josh (her boss) on a regular basis.
Anyway, for the most part I am enjoying it a lot, but when it hits my pet peeves, it really hits my pet peeves.
no subject
This is basically how I see the show as well. I think I originally had a more favorable view of it but the older I get and the more TV progresses (WW is an old show, by now) the more I look at it and see it as a show that TALKS about a lot of issues, in an entertaining and sometimes even convincing/interesting way, but at the same time is about a bunch of white straight dudes and their pain/struggle/issues which... no. The more I'm exposed to it the more I want to go "nice try, I appreciate the effort, but this is not how what you're trying to do should be done."
no subject
The show is, for me, a fun look at the behind-the-scenes sort of shenanigans of political operatives who have a hard time getting things done, because political maneuvering is hard.
And yeah, I have SUCH issues with Sorkin's approach in a lot of places, because he's so assured of how smrt he is. When he's really not as hot shit as he thinks he is.