Friday, November 22, 2013

The flawed characteristics of Queenie on AHS: Coven


American Horror Story has done a good job including women of color in its cast.  This season called “Coven” has made race a prime theme with storylines that involve slavery and voodoo.  However, the biggest (pun intended) development is the casting of Gabourey Sidibe, who is estimated to weigh as much as 350lbs, in the role of Queenie.  Gabourey is best known for her best actress nominated role as Precious in the film Precious (2009). Queenie and Precious share many similarities such as their love for food and inner strength.  The character of Queenie in American Horror Story: Coven is both enabling and constraining because it demonstrates that there are places for powerful, obese African American women in our society.  The importance of this cannot be understated.  According to Blanton, “Black media play a significant role in determining the content of blacks’ view of themselves.”  However, Coven does so by centering her character around stereotypes relating to food, size, racism, and the phenomenon known as the angry black woman. 

              

               Somehow, the narrative about race in America has shifted. A Rasmussen poll from July has framed Blacks as more racist than Whites.   Historically, Whites have oppressed racial minorities and we don’t forget that watching Coven all the flashbacks and call backs to slavery.  The other black character on Coven, Marie Laveau, tells Queenie, “Their power is built on the sweat of our backs.  The only reason you and I in this country is cause our great-great grandpas couldn’t run fast enough. You’ll never be welcome here and those witches are the worst.”   Marie wants Queenie to leave the Coven and come live with her own people.  Marie comments, “Livin over there in wonder bread land. They probably feed ya Shake N Bake and watermelon for dessert.” Queenie tells Marie, “They don’t care that I’m black.  I just think that they just don’t like me.”  Marie objects, Ohhhhhh. They care plenty.”  This was not the first time Queenie’s race had been brought to her attention. Madame Marie Delphine LaLaurie, the show’s resident racist, earlier told her that the girls at the coven were never going to see her as their sister because was black.  This seemed to bother Queenie, although it shouldn’t have, because Blacks are more racist, right?  Let’s look at how this representation of Queenie’s race is both harmful and beneficial.

              

               Queenie attacks the witches in the coven for their whiteness, but the racial attacks are not reciprocated.  This is harmful because it supports the results from the Rasmussen poll that claim that Blacks are more racist than Whites. Queenie didn’t know there were black witches.   She tells the girls, “I grew up on white girl shit, like Charmed and Sabrina the Teenage Cracker.”  In one example of Queenie’s attacks, Zoe, a coven member, cites how the number of witches have dwindled and how they need to watch each other’s backs going forward.  Queenie retorts, “Look, I’ve been taking care of myself for a really long time. So I’m not sure I need some white girl sorority sisters to cover my ass.”  Zoe is quick to correct her that it is a coven, not a sorority. Queenie’s drawing attention to race makes it appear as if she is the only coven member that it matters to and is the reason that she does not like them.  Queenie’s framing as a racist is beneficial in the sense that it gives her a sort of agency and she escapes finger pointing of blacks as “eternal racial crybabies who love to scream racism at every slight or failure (Hutchinson).”  She is self-aware. She is equal to the other witches.  She is free to be blunt and speak her mind and is not subservient. 

              

               In our culture, fatness is not synonymous with blackness, but Coven found an easy way to go there using food.  When Queenie and Marie Lavue meet for the first time Queenie asks, “You doing some kind of voodoo with those fish heads?” Marie is making gumbo.  Being from Detroit (go figure) and living in “wonder bread land,” Queenie has never had gumbo.  Marie states, “And I know you didn’t cross the line and break the truce for no bowl of gumbo.” I am sure that line was meant to be cute, but you cannot overlook what it suggests especially after having watched Marie give Queenie a taste from a large wooden spoon.  Gumbo = Soul = Black.

Queenie = fat = will eat anything. However, gumbo talk set up was fodder to introduce the Shake N Bake gem.  “Black people are engaged in an ideological warfare with between race, identity, and food (Williams, p. 170).  Unfortunately, Queenie’s backstory involved her working at a fried chicken joint and fighting over fried chicken with a black man.  According to Sparky,   “Seriously, it could have been anything in the world and American Horror Story chose to have Black people fighting over chicken.”  Aside from being stereotypical, the story created a viewing rupture by linking Queenie to Precious who ran down the street with a bucket of stolen fried chicken.  Queenie’s relationship with food shields her from racial attacks since it is a lot more convenient for people to attack her based on her weight.  Queenie told Madame Delphine, “My problem aint food you dumb bitch.  It’s love.  Dr. Phil says that kids from broken homes use food to replace love. It’s comforting.”  That quote ties things together nicely.  Black =Broke Home = Overeating. 

               Why does being a strong black woman come with drawbacks?  Nichole Perkins writes, “The Strong Black Woman is a supposed to be positive, a counterpoint to the negative representations of black women that permeate American culture.”  She references the role of Queenie being a human voodoo doll who doesn’t feel pain although she can inflict it on others. 
The problem with this power is that Queenie usually it when she is angry.  For example, the girls try to get information from butler and he won’t oblige.  Queenie kicks his chair and then she takes the hot spatula to her face (which burns him) and says that they will wait for him to wake up to kill him so that he can feel the pain.  She threatens to eat one of her sisters, threatens to slap Madame Delphine, threatens to throw a plate at her head, and lifts up her hand to strike her although she does not follow through.  Madame Delphine seemed to be trying to correct her racist ways and she and Queenie were beginning to get along.  However, after meeting with Maria Lavue, Queenie decides to deliver Madame Delphine to her.  Madame Delphine looks so betrayed as she says, “No. You don’t know this woman.  What she’ll do to me.”  Queenie’s response, “Yes, I do.  That’s the reason I brought you here, you dumb bitch.”  Shortly thereafter, Madame Delphine gives Queenie a knife to cut Madam Delphine.  Yes, she literally cut a bitch.

 

               American Horror Story Coven is a very intriguing show that is not afraid to tackle racism and body image.  The casting of Gabourey Sidibe is undermined by the fact that she comes off as an unsympathetic character mainly because she is given many stereotypes to work off such as being angry, loud, racist, and a fat chick that eats too much.  She stands out literally and figuratively.  The thing to remember is that while her representation is constraining, it is also very enabling for the sheer fact that she is allowed into the space with a bunch of tiny white actresses and her character is given agency by being able to stand on its own without having to be someone’s victim. 

              

 

Williams, Psyche A. Sucking the Bone Dry.


 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/earl-ofari-hutchinson/why-so-many-believe-black_b_3557793.html

 


 

http://www.fangsforthefantasy.com/2013/11/the-problem-with-queenie-on-american_1.html

 


 

 

 

“The Game” Darwins Evolution



The show, The Game, is centered around the lives of fictional star athletes. These athletes live the glamorous life with nice cars, big houses, and living the night life. One of the main characters Darwin Davis started off as a humble rookie trying to make it big in the NFL. He was honest, loving, and always did things for other people. As his career progressed he becomes a better player as well as becoming one of the leaders on his team which ends up bringing him lots of fame. As he got more famous, the morals he once stood for started to fade. Once seen as a hero but now the fame has turned Darwin into a villain.

The Hero

In the first season of “The Game”, Darwin Davis was just getting drafted into the league. He and his girlfriend Melanie moved into a new apartment together in San Diego. He was excited that all of his hard work paid off and that he made it to the league. He was made out to be a hero throughout the first parts of the series. The producers do a good job of writing the script so Darwin possess many hero qualities.  James Ladd, a life coach says, “a hero is a man or woman admired for his or her achievements and noble qualities, one who shows great courage, has wisdom and fortitude to do what is right, possesses and displays the highest level of charity, selfless dedication and a willingness to put others first while seeking no attention for him or herself”. He goes on to say, “a role model is considered to be a person who serves as a model in a particular behavioral or social role for another person to emulate. A person who is unusually effective or inspiring at some social role, job, etc. and so serves as a model for others, in fact very similar or synonymous with a hero” (Ladd 2010). He’s admired by Melanie and many viewers for being a humble guy who has made it to the big leagues, where many of the other guys have become cocky and selfish. As a viewer, I like the fact that he was humble and the noble qualities that he possessed. This was unexpected when I first started watching the show because many athletes that are portrayed on TV are selfish and think they are better than everyone. Darwin also showed courage and the willingness to do the right thing when faced with a problem. In one episode the San Diego Sabers bring in a new defensive lineman. This guy tried to bully other players, specifically the offensive players, by taking over their weight sets. Darwin steps up and tries to protect his friends on the team by showing the new guy that that’s not how they do things on the Sabers team. He also shows his selflessness by paying for Melanie to go back to medical school. Growing up she wanted to be a doctor but her parents stopped paying for her school because she move to San Diego for Darwin. Darwin wanted to help her achieve her dream of being a doctor so he tries to help her out by paying for her school. Darwin was also very religious and referred to the Bible many times throughout the season as well as attending church regularly. Many people would see this as a good quality in a person and adds too what the producers we're trying to make Darwin out to be.

The Villain

During one of the games a starting receiver that Darwin backed up has a season ending injury. Darwin was sent in to replace the injured player and took advantage of his opportunity, he makes some big plays for his team and wins the starting position. This is when his fame began and things start to turn for the worst in Darwin’s life. The producers progress his character into the villain. He goes through moral decay of the Anti-Hero. The Trop says that “moral decay of the Anti-Hero, as in Shakespeare's Macbeth or Coriolanus, or the modern equivalent of Walter White in Breaking Bad. In each case the protagonist's growing vices are timidly concealed at first but then openly displayed” (Trop 2013). Because of the fame Darwin starts hanging out with Hollywood stars and begins to lose the morals he once stood behind. Once an honest guy Darwin does stuff behind Melanie's back and cheats on her with a famous singer named Drew. He starts telling Melanie lots of Lies and no longer is seen as a noble character. As the Sabers season goes on Darwin keeps making plays and starts acting like the other players on the team, he becomes selfish, dishonest and not the team player he once was. The producers do a great job slowly changing Darwin into the villain of the show. He slowly stops going to church and referring to the Bible like he was in the beginning of the show. He is not seen as a role model like he once was at the beginning.
“The Games” producers do a good job developing Darwin into the hero of the show when it first starts. He is humble, honest, selfless, and a team player. He goes out of his way to help the people around him and is always there for his girlfriend Melanie. They also do a great job in slowly transforming him into the stereotypical professional athlete and villain. Darwin becomes a self-centered guy and begins to lie to the person he is in love with. The producers make him slowly lose the morals he had at the start and give him the morals that we would consider to be valued by a villain.

Saturday Night Live: Trumping Late Night Variety Shows For Forty Years


Initially, Saturday Night Live (SNL) was created to answer Johnny Carson’s complaint and demand for NBC to create a new show to air instead of showing the reruns of Carson’s Tonight Show on Saturday nights. With SNL’s premier (then only called Saturday Night) on October 11, 1975 produced a bold, trendsetting television program that would continue to make audiences laugh for decades to come. Really, who knew? Now, after noting the season premier of its 39th season proves that SNL is one of the longest running shows of all time. [1] Undoubtedly, this show has become a staple in our popular culture. SNL’s style remains unique to any other Late Night show out there; honoring the older variety show style with comedy and music sketches combined into one-hour slot. With this traditional form of broadcasting, brought a new attitude and a new vision for late night television comedy. Even through all of SNL’s prominent success, many critics have panned the show currently. Stating motives such as SNL is not as successfully funny with the new cast and new jokes, as it once was in the past. Yet, I will respectfully disagree, as I explain why SNL is still current, funny, and one of the most impactful shows in our society.
            SNL’s style and format could serve as a discussion alone, but I will merely sum it up because odds are anyone interested in reading this have most likely seen or heard about an episode, or two. In each episode, a celebrity guest hosts the show and delivers a monologue to open the segment. The celebrity performs with the cast in impromptu sketches that are prepared earlier in the week. They typically go through 7-10 sketches in a show that range from various political and social topics in current popular culture. The beginning of the show introduces the “cold open,” where in the end, the sketch allows the actors to break away from their character and blurt out the famous phrase, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!” [2]
The benefit of SNL’s format is that it is set up to move easily from failed material. To dig deeper, the different skits allow viewers to receive a wide range of jokes in a small amount of time. With example of the most recent episode out from SNL’s season back, featuring Lady Gaga as the host, the sketches ranged from a number of events. From a celebrity parody of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West “if they had a daytime talk show” called KimYe to Weekend Update’s Jebediah Atkinson sketch, a different parody of an old English speech writer discrediting all of the famous speeches, from Abraham Lincoln’s Four Scores to Martin Luther King, Jr. I Have a Dream. What seems like a major jump in between jokes is what works with SNL’s setup effectively. And, because of SNL’s historical success with having millions of viewers every Saturday night, this provides the writers and producers with a wide range of topics to pursue, along with an edge to push the boundaries of their sketches. Basically, having the thought that if one joke didn’t work for someone it may have worked for someone else. And many times when a joke fails, everyone has to endure watching a failing SNL skit. (Which is definitely the worst!) Knowing the failing joke is not working for anyone, even the actors trying to pull it off, is rough. Yet, with so many different sketches, when one doesn’t work the casts have the power to “bounce back” from the failed joke with new skits to follow. Therefore, this setup for failure, so to speak, allows the show to move away swiftly from the failed sketch to recreate a more humorous one.
            Another way that SNL constantly invites more creative juices within the show is an influx of new cast members. Since the cast members can technically leave the show whenever they feel necessary (after their contract) and stay as long as they like. [1] Therefore, as explained by Seth Abramovitch, the cast of SNL …is divided into two tiers: the more established group of repertory players; and newer, unproven cast members known as featured players, who may eventually be promoted to the repertory stable.” [6] Frankly, this show gains new viewers through these shifts in generational audiences. With new talent, the late night show invites new viewers who may have never seen the show before. Thus, by not focusing on the same cast for years to come, the casts’ type of humor doesn’t matter as much (not having to deal with actors losing touch). What matters even more is keeping up with the political and societal issues of the times, which make any audience member, young or old, both able to enjoy the jokes. This type of tactic works well in SNL’s favor: the idea that newer talent is adding their own comedic flavors to each sketch. Even though critics initially doubt the new cast’s talent and credibility as impromptu comedic actors, the vivaciousness of the show’s younger talent generates new jokes and new ways for audiences to view and accept these jokes. Which makes SNL a standout show that continues to be as inventive and fresh, as ever.
Yet, this is where many critics have shown a loss of interest. The view that new and unknown cast members are not able to keep up with the consistency of the legendary talents of SNL’s prime eras, such as: John Belushi, Steve Martin, Dan Akroyd, Dana Carvey, Mike Meyers, Chris Farley, Amy Phoeler, Tina Fey, and Will Ferrill, to only name a few. Many remarks of mixed criticism have circulated over the Internet of fans and critics questioning the ability of the new cast’s talents. Especially, more recently with the premier of the new season earlier this Fall:

“In fact, the new cast members were not very good at all, and were so unfunny that they seemed to be dragging the rest of the more seasoned cast member down with them. The show, overall, might be in trouble.” – Rebecca Savastio, Guardian Express [5] [A response to SNL’s new 2013 season with Miley Cyrus as host]

“Will they struggle? Perhaps, but after watching the season 39 premiere, it seems like this surprising all-hands-on-deck approach may provide enough energy to smooth out the rough spots and make this a sneakily good season.” – Jason Tabrys, Screen Rant [4] [A response to the new cast with the initiation of the 39th season premier]

            And other times, critics have a lot more to say about the chosen celebrity host and/or the head writers (or lack their of) on SNL.

“But the combination of the actual Cyrus’ annoying persona and some really weak writing set the bar pretty low for this early in an SNL season.” – Ross Bonaime, Paste [3]

            Yet, even though the critiques have been harsher in recent years, they prove that the fans’ and critics alike want to flashback to the former legendary casts of SNL that have been long gone. However, whenever a new cast graces the SNL stage, it makes headlines and keeps audiences, even negative critics, interested and talking. And, even looking back at the legendary casts and the beginnings of SNL, a former worker on the first season of SNL, Herbert Schlosser, offers a memory of his:

            “I remember being at one of the tapings of the show live on more than one occasion when the Muppets were on. Some of the pieces were good, but the cast was so good you wanted to see Belushi, and Gilda, and Garrett Moris doing news for the hard of hearing. As a matter of fact, we had to take that off because we got protests from organizations that felt this was not fair to the handicapped. And then after we took it off, we started to get letters from people who were hard of hearing say they loved it, why were we doing that, why didn’t we have the guts to keep it on?!” [1]

Therefore, Schlosser expresses the confusing absurdity in how some people critique SNL. Some people will love it. Others will hate it. And so, SNL now understands that they can’t please everyone, so they are going to continue to do what they do best, that is, to continue to make someone laugh. And, that is another way of how SNL is still reaching success by continuing to influence and shape today’s popular culture and media.
            SNL also proves it’s not going to lag behind in the old beat up comedy wagon. It promotes new ways of getting jokes across to younger demographics. Such as with the new induction of the cast member, Andy Sandberg (2005-2012), brought along the inventive Digital Short segments (Short films that synergises the hyperactivity and randomness SNL thrives on.) Such Digital Shorts include, the first, “Lazy Sunday,” and others to follow the phenomenon, “Jizz In My Pants,” and “Dick in a Box, that have totaled over a billion (Yes, over a billion!) views on Sandberg’s YouTube channel for his band and comedy group, The Lonely Island. [7] For being a one of a kind show, it’s not hard for producers to make such swift inventive decisions. And overall, adding the Digital Short segments has worked exceedingly well for the show by attracting younger demographics and reaching wider audiences. But now that Sanberg has retired from the cast in 2012, the former glory with the Digital Shorts now remains a question of what will the show do without its inventive and hilarious creator? However, the fact that they have made so many successful Digital Shorts on SNL that are now compiled with the show’s already long list of famous jokes and sketches, is impressive. A progressive achievement for a show that was started over forty years ago that proves it will not be left behind by newer competition. Because, without a doubt, SNL is becoming newer and more inventive as time goes on.
Even though the cast and jokes may change, the structure, the traditions, and the legacy remains the same. An essential piece to SNL’s puzzle of why this show is able to generate consistent appeal and attract younger and older viewers alike. The show combines traditional and modern broadcasting that makes it a unique and one of the most successful shows to date. Yes, there are recurrent dry jokes and dry seasons with less funny content (Thanks to the critics, for pointing out what we already know.) Yes, I believe there has been historically funnier moments in SNL’s history that stand the test of time. But, underscoring the new and upcoming talents SNL has to offer is degrading to the show’s specific format and to the progressive attempts in the show's creation of new and hilarious sketches. (Let’s give SNL some credit for still being funny after its 40-year mark!) Still, SNL proves and maintains its significance on late night television. Because, in the end, the show’s jokes and sketches continue to make audiences laugh. And, their once inventive, but now traditional style still entices audiences every Saturday night. Even though there is much more to say about the legacy and influence of SNL’s success, that discussion will have to be left for another blog someday. Until then, the negativity from critics and audiences circulating are probably just waiting for some more cowbell! (And, here you go!)

"I gotta fever! And the only perscription, is more cowbell!"

  
References:
1. Shales, Tom, and James A. Miller. (2002). Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live. Boston: Little, Brown.
2. Rulli, Maggie. (2010). “‘Live from New York It's Saturday Night’: The Evolution of Humor as Rhetorical Statement in the 35 Years of Saturday Night Live. Thesis. Boston College.
3. Bonaime, Ross. (2013). "Saturday Night Live Review: "Miley Cyrus" (Episode 39.02)." Rev. of SNL Episode (39.02). Web log post. Pastemagazine.com. 20 Nov. 2013.
4. Rebecca Savastio, (2013). “Miley Cyrus Host worst SNL Episode in Recent History” Guardian Express. 20 Nov. 2013.
5. Jason Tabrys, (2013). “’Saturday Night Live’ Premier Review: Did the New Cast Sink or Swim?” Screen Rant. 20. Nov. 2013.
6. Abramovitch, Seth (September 16, 2013). "'SNL' Announces Hire of 6 New Cast Members publisher =Prometheus Global Media". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 20. Nov. 2013.
7. Rosenberg, Yuval. (April 1, 2006). "Target: Dream Job." Fast Company 104. 103–04. Fast Company. Washington, D.C.: Fast Co. Inc. Retrieved 20. Nov. 2013.


Additional Clips For SNL Fans
1. SNL Evolution
2. Dana Carvey’s audition part 1
3. Chris Farley’s “Man Down By the River” Sketch
(Warning: Awful Quality, but still watchable. It’s the only one I could find!)
4. Chris Farley’s “Quotation Guy” on Weekend Update
6. The 10 Best SNL Crack-Ups



Thursday, November 21, 2013

Teen Mom: Encouraging or Educational


            Among the variety of television shows that are displayed on a day to day basis many are presented for sole entertainment whereas others, especially reality television enables the audience to either relate to the content or set themselves aside from the events that are unfolding on screen. Teen Mom is an MTV reality television series that depicts the struggles that pregnant teens endure daily. It allows the viewer to take a glimpse into obstacles that follow an unexpected pregnancy and is designed to essentially warn teens of many of the unthinkable responsibilities that follow the reality of being pregnant at a young age, including both financial hardships and parental disappointment. However, does Teen Mom actually prevent future pregnancies, or does it glorify their ‘mistake’ by giving them the misconception that they too could potentially be paid to reveal their story on television? Critics have created controversy over the effect that the show has had on adolescent sexual health raising questions of whether or not the content is truly educational for a young audience or if it’s encouraging experimentation and bad behavior.
            According to Dr. Logan Levkoff, an expert in teen development, she states “we have pregnant teens showing up on the cover of magazines, they're getting paid, they're getting endorsement deals and getting calendar deals. That's the message, even if MTV shows all of the hardships; they're still being supportive in so many other ways.” Levkoff, disagreeing with the content portrayed on screen (which is typically argumentative and dysfunctional in comparison to normative social standards) bases her opinion off of the stereotypical values that teens are assumed to possess. At a young age, it’s more likely for adolescents to express irrational behavior in addition to being easily influenced by their peers indicating that the content shown on screen, although emotionally destructive eventually all pays off in the end. Levkoff associates the television content with dollar signs insinuating that it is purposefully manipulating the audience into thinking these dysfunctional lifestyles may be worth the human capital that the behavior in question has the ability to produce. Proof of the destructive nature of the show however, lies within cast member Farrah Abraham who’s described as constantly trying to steal the spotlight. Farrah questionably furthering her television career in a less than inspiring direction started her life of fame as a cast member on Teen Mom, proceeding on to enhancing her imagine with breast implants, lip injections, pornography deals, and alleged rumors of dating Charlie Sheen. For some these may be desirable life choices, although realistically it’s easier to assume that the interest that most people have of Farrah’s ‘track record’ is due to sheer astonishment and essentially comedic entertainment. Yes, it’s hard to deny the effects of televisions hidden messages due to various scientific and psychological studies that have been conducted on teens and their viewing habits. However, I’d like to give more credit to the majority of high school students, assuming that they don’t aspire for their destiny to lie among cheap pornography.
            Although there are certain instances that reject the ‘warning signs’ that the show Teen Mom is designed to emit, I’d argue that the show serves a reasonably positive social purpose with respect to teen pregnancy. While some of the stories are inspirational, others make the viewer wonder what these mothers could be thinking. Catelynn and Tyler for example, chose to give up their child for adoption because they were mature enough to understand that they weren’t ready to raise a family. This element of the show, yet emotional for the participants involved is evidence of a healthy decision given the point in their life that the couple was in. In contrast, but interesting to watch is the lifestyle that cast members Janelle and Amber personify which include drug use, dysfunctional relationship and jail time. Although both examples provide drastically different messages about parenthood both instances stated above have the potential to promote healthy decision making. Viewers have the ability to empathize with Catelynn and Tyler as well as wonder who in their right mind would ever think of bringing a child into the chaos that surrounds Janelle and Amber. Teen Mom enables the viewer to experience multiple ways of handling and unexpected pregnancy consequently educating the audience through the lives of others.
            Given the fame that tabloids and television have the tendency to provide undesirable situations is essentially for entertainment as opposed to educational purposes. Teen Mom has experienced backlash due to the life choices that its original cast members have continued to make, however these choices, and the criticism that they publically receive in turn allows young audiences to witness the consequences of these various decisions enabling them to potentially think twice about questionable choices within their own lives.
             
Works Cited
Henson, Melissa. (2011, May 4). MTV’s ‘Teen Mom’ glamorizes getting pregnant. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/05/04/henson.teen.mom.show/


Chang, JuJu. (2011, February 11). Pregnancy Pressure: Is MTV’s ‘Teen Mom’ Encouraging Pregnancy for Fame? Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/US/teen-pregnancy-fame-friends-teen-mom-star-jenelle/story?id=12891932

SOA



            Kurt Sutter created the hit television series, Sons of Anarchy.  A close-knit group of outlaw motorcyclists who operate a small town called Charming in California. It is centered around Jax Teller the now President of Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, Redwood Original (SAMCRO). The series premiered on September 3, 2008, and had their newest 6th season begin on September 10, 2013.  Through many different evil rapes, decapitated victims, murders, and many other hardships, SAMCRO works to protect and control the community of Charming through close relationships, bribery, and violence. The viewers are rooting for this group of criminals throughout the whole series. Why is it these characters can commit crimes and in the end still be viewed as “good guys”?
In the 6th season opener, Sutter was took the show to all new heights by having an 11-year-old boy shoot up a school. Viewers could hear the terror and see blood spatter on the window from the murdered teachers and students. Something that has hit so close to home in recent times due to the Colorado Movie Theater shooting and Sandy Hook Elementary School, is now being used in television plots. Gun violence has sky rocketed in television and movies in recent years and according to a study on gun violence in movies, authors “predict that youth will be more interested in acquiring and using guns after exposure to gun violence in films”.  (HERE). Although, I’m sure most parents aren’t allowing younger children to view this television series, adults are committing these crimes as well. This is also a common fear many people face today. There is always a thought in the back of people’s mind on their safety, and if you go anywhere today that are some sort of security system you must go through. If Sutter really wanted to make a “school shooting” episode of Son’s of Anarchy, there are better ways he could have portrayed this. Why not make the members of SAMCRO realize the troubles they have caused and the possibility that it could have been their children, and get out of the gun-running business? It goes on to Gemma Teller wrapping a toy gun as a gift for a young boy. In the eyes of SAMCRO, weapons, violence, and sex are what defines masculinity. 
In later episodes, Jax tries to fix the issue of the school shooting by only thinking of ways they can avoid the blame for this incident. We are once again rooting for the bad guys that in some way, shape, or form had provided this gun to the boy’s father and in a way enabled the school shooting. SAMCRO showed no guilt or involvement with the deaths of these school children, and as viewers we want to see it work out for these outlaws.
 Many viewers didn’t agree with this episode. Looking to twitter many posted statements including:
“I love SOA but the kid shooting up a school was horrible, pointless and a terrible influence” - @SGottii810
“That shooting scene was so uncomfortable to watch and I still don’t understand the significance. #soa” - @maggieee0
“Shame on #FX #classless #insensitive and #poorform to include school shooting scene in #SOA” - @Pat1018
Through all of these criticisms though, we will hopefully see SAMCRO start to wrap up and bring everything to an end throughout the end of season 6 and rest of season 7. The main reason we continue to watch and root for SAMCRO is how they treat women. Throughout the entire series, through drug and gun running the women and children were always taken care of. However, the further and further we get in the episodes, more women are shown getting rapped, murdered, tortured, and killed.
Will the disgusting scenes and disturbing violence change the way we feel now? Will our sympathy turn and lose support for the members of SAMCRO? How is that we support and cheer for this group? As viewers, we are need to reach that point where we can’t sympathize for these obscene characters any more If there was an episode that would do it, it has got to be this one. These antiheroes need to fall in our eyes in or to have that feeling of good conquering evil.   We need to sit back and think about what we are watching. We are pushed to the edge of our seat to see that we are cheering for the bad guys.
Does good really trump evil in Son’s of Anarchy?
Nancy Tartaglione. (November 11, 2013). Gun Violence in U.S. Movies on the Rise; PG-13 Levels Exceed R-Rated Films: Study. http://www.deadline.com/2013/11/gun-violence-in-u-s-movies-on-the-rise-pg-13-levels-exceed-r-rated-films-study/
Kristen Acuna. (September 11, 2013). The Internet Reacts to Controversial ‘Sons of Anarchy’ Season 6 Premiere.  http://www.businessinsider.com/sons-of-anarchy-controversial-school-shooting-twitter-reactions-2013-9

Queer As Folk and Homosexual Representation

         The mainstream channels are dominated by the shows that feature heterosexual romance and sometimes heterosexual interactions with homosexuals. There are only few shows whose main characters are homosexuals and whose narrative is entirely about the life of gay and lesbians. Even in Glee, Will&Grace, and Queer Eye, shows that are considered as gay friendly and ‘supporting the optimistic vision of contemporary gay life’ (Becker,132), the gay characters belongs to the sub-line of the narrative or they are paired with straight men or women.
         Showtime’s Queer As Folk is one of few shows that exclusively represent the life of a group of gay men and women. Queer As Folk made its depute in 2000 on Showtime and brought a huge amount of attention of the public at the time The series depicts the life of a group of gay men and a lesbian couple living in Pittsburgh, PA, revolving around their romantic relationships, careers, friendships, and tribulations. Unlike the queerness in other shows, the representation of queer life in Queer As Folk was referred to as ‘by far the most aggressive and comprehensive representation of the queer community on television to date’ (Kevyn, Justin Main). The show focuses on portraying almost exclusively gay community, moving the straight characters from the focus to the supportive roles. It opens a gate for the heterosexual audience to see the gay community through the aesthetic representation of the gay community in terms of diverse personality and backgrounds, gay speech, and concerning issues in the community rather than the stereotypical queer life. It also establishes a role model for the audience regarding to how gay people should be treated.  
         Queer as Folk has been widely embraced by the gay community because of its authenticity. ‘Being a gay male and living in a larger city area it was like watching a mirror reflection of myself’ a viewer wrote in his review for the show on tv.com. The show also received commands such as “no one has ever seen gay characters quite like these, characters just as real and nuanced and hedonistic as many of their real-life counterparts” (Mats-Erik Augustsson, 5).
         The show achieves authenticity by including different types of gay characters, rather than the stereotypical flamboyant and effeminate gay men or masculine lesbians. They come from different backgrounds, which include class, education, and professions. Michel, the narrator in the show, is a ’the boy next door’ (Queer as Folk, 101) type and a ‘not obviously gay’(Queer as Folk, 102) man, whose mom owns a little dinner on Liberty street. Brian, who grew up with Michel, is the young advertising executive who lives in a loft. He likes to play around and has no faith in love, until he meets the 17 year-old Justin, who has not came out and knows nothing about the real queer world. The working-class accountant, Ted, is a tiny man, who is always cautious and unconfident. Ted’s best friend, Emmett, is the only gay man who has flamboyant characteristic and who is obviously gay in the show. As for the lesbian couple, Lindsey and Melanie, both of them have both feminine and masculine characteristics, even though Lindsey, who works at a gallery, appears to be more feminine than Melanie, who is a lawyer. The diversity of the gay characters makes it easier for the homosexual audience to identify themselves with certain character or certain aspects of these characters.
         Besides the characters, the show’s creators, who are openly gay, weaved humors, lifestyles, and slangs that gay audiences are familiar with into the show. For example, in the first episode of season one, four main characters are introduced in a night club, which has shirtless dances, upbeat music, and flamboyant lighting. The scene of the night club was repeated frequently throughout the series, not only because it helps to develop the narrative, but also it shows the lifestyle with which many gay audiences can affiliate. The casual sex and hooking up in the nightclub are realistic for gay men. Also, the use of sexual jokes and slangs that marks the queer speech and signals the queer identity helps the audience to identify themselves with the characters. For example, words such as fag, dyke, top, bottom, campy appear regularly in the conversation between characters. With these authentic elements of gay community being presented, the heterosexual audiences can gain some sights about the community and drop their stereotypical imagination of the group.
         The authenticity is not the only factor that appeals to the homosexual audience. Controversial Issues, such as AIDS, drugs, coming out, homophobia, bullying, which exist in the gay community are the reason why the show has gained a lot of attention. For example, in Queer as Folk, Michel’s uncle and partner are both HIV positive. Ted becomes addicted to drugs which cost his job and friendships. Justin’s parents become outrageous when he confronts to them that he is gay. There are scenes shows that people who are homophobia paints on Brain’s car and call him ‘a fag’. These issues which gay people must to face, in one hand, add up to the authentic representation of gay community. On the other hand, these issues provide a space for the show to present the idea that people who involved with these issues should not be discriminated and treated unfairly. In the show, Michel’s uncle always has his sister, Debbie, on his back. She takes care of him and supports him to fight the disease. When Ted is addicted to the drugs, Emmett has been always stood by him and helped him to get clean. Justin’s mother gradually understands her son and becomes proud of her son after enlightened by Michel’s mother Debbie. These plots give the audience the role model of treating the marginalized group, especially those involved with controversial issues, in the way of caring, supporting, and without discrimination.  
         Queer as Folk did not present gay characters who talk or act like heterosexual people, because in the reality it is not the case. Instead, it give a positive representation of gay community and provide a space for the homosexuals to voice themselves meanwhile, the show allows the heterosexual audience to gain more knowledge about this marginalized group in terms of their live style, their language, and the issues they are facing, and consequently, reduces the stereotypes and discrimination that people have about the gay community.
         The show can be summed up in the words of the character of Michael: ‘in many ways, my life is nothing like yours. Why should it be? In the gay community, we have drag queens and leather daddies and trannies and couples with children, every color of the rainbow. […] But being different is what makes us all the same. It's what makes us... family’ (Queer as Folk 513)



Work Sited
Augustsson, Mats-Erik. “Queer as Folk Representation of Gay Language in Popular Culture”.   University of Gothenburg. 2011. Web. 21 Nov. 2013
Becker, Ron. “Glee/House Hunters International Gay Narratives”. ICON. Web. 21 Nov. 2013
Kevyn. Main, Justin. “Queer As Folk A Double Edged Sword of Queer Representations on American Television”. Film Commune. December 30, 2006. Web. 21 Nov. 2013
 “Queer As Folk Fan Reviews”. Tv.com. October 25, 2012. Web. 21 Nov. 2013
Queer as Folk. TVsubtitles. Web. 21 Nov. 2013
         http://www.tvsubtitles.net/tvshow-229-1.html.


Progressive Ideas in Downton Abbey



Downton Abbey is a British period drama TV series that began in 2001. The TV series depicts the lives of the aristocratic Grantham family and their servants in the post-Edwardian era. The events such as the World War I in history have an effect on their lives and on the British social hierarchy. Downton Abbey has received critical acclaim from television critics and it also has become one of the most widely watched television shows in the world by its third season. Downton Abbey’s popularity is not only because of the delicate costumes or the famous actors, but also it is clearly a very liberal show, using the early 20th century backdrop to push for progressive ideas, which most of audience accepted by the 21th modern society. The progressive ideas in Downton Abbey represent the development of feminism and the different social class of that period that exist even today.
Even though Downton Abbey set the story in 1920, not every woman can mark her place in the world through their identities no matter their social class being high or low. However, the audience would like to see something different and changed that women are taken out of the equation for feminism in the following episodes. The creator showed the development of the feminism, which connects the same feeling for the modern female audience. In Downtown Abbey, the gender concept is represented very clear by males and females through their attire and social behaviors. Males usually played hunting games, smoking meetings for business or drinking in the bar, but females were not allowed to participate in these. The female stereotypes in the Downton Abbey presented that the women got married and had children and were domestic and always followed men’s order. They have no rights to choose their future. Women’s lives are arranged by the society at that period.
However, Sybil Crawley, the third daughter of the aristocratic Robert Grantham, is my favorite character in the TV series, which representes a strong female symbol to attract the audience. In the previous two seasons, Sybil is the center of the show and represents the symbol of the feminism. The girl saw the kindness in everybody and pushed for greater kindness in the world. She helped her family maid, Gwen, to be a secretary as a typist even though around people thought that Gwen had a daydream. Sybil encouraged her that “it’s terrific that people make their own lives, especially for women” (episode 03, season I). Sybil had strong opinions for her own, and she was willing to fight for her right to express them.  She owned her revolutionary ideas and took part in political activism. She worked as a nurse in World War I even if she is from a noble family. She is not like her older sister, Mary, who is waited for an arranged wedding, but falls in love with the chauffeur, Branson. She broke the old opinions and hierarchy. She goes against her stubborn father for her social rights as a woman. The audience was touched when her father Robert, understood his daughter and accepted that she could get married with Branson who is from low class because finally her father admitted Sybil’s feminist behavior and her right. Unexpectedly, Sybil was dead in the third season, which made the audience feel uncomfortable because the reason of Sybil’s death is that her father (man) didn’t listen to her mother’s (woman) opinion. However, she dies as the pawn in the middle of a wider message, one that rocks Cora and Robert’s relationship, one will be used to add complications and development to Branson’s story and one that will affect Mary and Edith’s attitude to life (feministfiction.com) . Both of her sisters are also perfect examples of young “strong female characters.” Mary is a fighter and finally married Mathew who is her true love. Edith also learned to drive and go outside to work as a female for a newspaper company at that time. Those characters represented the progressive idea to the audience that the women will have more and more rights to control their own life and this also will be the tendency of the society today.
Social hierarchy is a very typical topic in Downton Abbey, which the creator presents the class difference authenticity at that time in order to impact the audience today because unequal society is an everlasting topic that exists no matter in 20th century or today. However, Downton Abbey offers for the modern viewer the progressive idea either that class differences still existed but gradually will become ambiguous for two reasons.
 Firstly, the great historical event made the hierarchy is ambiguous. Branson, as I mentioned in previous paragraph, Sybil’s husband, the Irish socialist revolutionary chauffer who is from low class, when he first showed his love to Sybil, he prophetically told her that after the war, nothing would return to as it was.  And he is right. The World War I marked a change in the way of life for the British aristocracy, a change that would be cemented half a generation later by the return to war. The wars seemed to remind people that they were more similar than different ( bitchmagazine.com). When the wars need males to fight, all of the young males should go no matter upper or lower class. Thus, there is a reason that this fascination with class continues, and there is a reason that Downton Abbey is popular now, at this historical moment. The audiences know that the lives of the characters will be turned upside down, that the class divisions that separate them will slowly become less important.  And the audiences also want to believe that for ours today.
Secondly, the show makes the class difference become ambiguous since the moral of the different classes. When each class uses more emotions to treat others, the difference of the class will be blurring. The show has much to offer for a class analysis: Matthew Crawley, Mary’s cousins who is a lawyer from Manchester middle-class. At the beginning he got lots of prejudices from the upper class. After Matthew became the successor, he landed on his feet and did so without having his head turned. Unlike most aristos, he knew how to work, having worked as a lawyer before his anointment, and, once anointed, he continued to take his fellow human beings as they were human, and not suddenly as members of an upper or lower class. He deeply loves Mary and respects her and her families, which is the most important reason to blur the difference of the social class between Mary and him. The other contrast between the lives of the Grantham family and the lives of the servants is profound to be sure (bitchmagazine.com) , but there is also a nuance to the show that is missing in other television representations of class because the Grantham’s noble family is more humanistic to treat their servants. They send the female cooker Patmore to the hospital and cure her eyes. They also help a timid manservant Mosely to find confident to be a good manservant. On the country, the servants are also loyal to their master. So at the most of time, the audience usually are touched by the plot of the stories and focus on the stories, which happens between the servants and masters rather than the difference of their social class.
In conclusion, Downton Abbey becomes popular, which is not accidental. The progressive ideas feminism and class difference are still hot topic in our modern today. The TV show doesn’t clear the class division but emphasizes on the moral humanity. As the story showed in the drama, but it also demonstrates the class difference still existed today, but if the people treat each class sincerely, the difference od the social class will be ambiguous.  





Work Cited

Rhiannon. (2012). Thoughts on Sybil Crawley.feministfiction.com.Retrieved from

            http://feministfiction.com/category/downton-abbey/

Gretchen, S. (2012). The 99%: "But look how far we’ve come!" Downton Abbey and Historical Representations of Social Class. bitchmagazine. Org. Retrieved from