Posted on 01/28/2009 4:46:42 PM PST by mojito
I've noticed that it's de regeur that all top-rated (probably most low-rated ones too) tv shows show women and minorities in positions of power and influence where it most likely does not exist in the real world. In real life how many female policemen break down doors of violent criminals gun in hand or catch speedy male miscreants in running contests? I like the CSI shows as much as anyone, but it is really ridiculous to see these attempts at making the real world fit the liberal wish list. NCSI is the worst offender. Their episodes seem to have been written by members of NOW.
You are about to be surprised, as it is not like the movie. It is very good and not the violent anarchic dystopia Hollywood made it out to be in order to push their political agenda. Quieter and more believable and very sad.
"Criminal Minds": FBI team (all unmarried---leader just lost his wife) features two women agents (both carry guns and break down doors) and a black, as well as three white males.
"The Shield": A successful multi-year run just ended a couple of months ago, but it featured a black woman as Captain, whose superior was a black male and a Hispanic city councilman; her predecessor was Glenn Close, and her predecessor was the Hispanic councilman.
"CSI": Gil Grissom (William Peterson) has departed---he was the head. But the number two (now head) is Katharine Willows (Marg Hilgenberger) and there was a black CSI (now deceased in the show) and two females. Previously, there was a female detective regular.
"Numbers": The FBI team features two women, two white males, and one black.
"House": The boss of the hospital is a woman; House always has one woman on his team of brilliant surgeons, along with one minority (this season, an Indian played by Kal Penn---probably not so unlikely). Omar Epps is the token black, and the previous team had a woman.
"Fringe": New FOX hit show features a woman (naturally) FBI agent who reports to a black male who heads the program. Two whites answer to the woman, along with a black female.
"The Unit": One of my favorites, this featured the Sergeant (former "president David Palmer"), who heads the Unit in action. He answers to a white colonel, but his team is comprised of two whites, a woman, a black, and a Hispanic.
"Without a Trace": Another FBI unit with two white males, one black female, and two Hispanics.
We can go on and on. Virtually every show ("Law and Order SVU") has several women who break down doors, and who seem to always be the "best shot" and when the guy gets beat up, always find a way to knock out the bad guy.
But now, the mandatory character in almost every one of these shows is a homosexual or Lesbian who has been victimized or who is "better" at his or her job than heterosexuals, despite the "prejudice."
To add to your list.
“Life” - homicide detectives: Main character is white male, his partner is latina and the boss is a womanizing white mail.
“Psych” - very observant guy selling himself as a psychic. His sidekick is a black dude. Police chief is a woman, a pair of detectives they work with is a strange white male and loveable white female.
“Mentalist” - another very observant guy specifically says he is not a psychic. Senior agent is a woman, and the unit consists of another woman, asian guy and another white male.
I don't think it's an indictment as much as it attempts to be an honest depiction of that era without sugarcoating or damning which is what makes that show so compelling to watch.
I love Mad Men! I just meant that if the producers are giving a subtle message that the “good old days” weren’t so good, I ain’t buyin’.
The good old days were never completely good,that’s just the human condition - same as always. People did get sick from too much smoking and drinking and had problems with their marriages and I have to applaud the producers for indicating that without giving in to excess political correctness or the smugness of modernity.
Well, kind of.
People wanted to be adults in the 1950s. Since then, they've wanted to stay children.
But if Mad Men is accurate, there was an anxiety about not being as young as one once was even then. The younger guys envied Don Draper in a way that the young don't envy their elders today, but Don could see that the salad days wouldn't last forever.
You should. Aviatrix, born 1912. Worked at a place called Peenemunde, among others. Set a number of glider records. Flight-test pilot on the Junkers Ju-87 and Dornier Do-17, as well as several fling-wing articles and prototype Messerschmidt rocket planes. Was awarded the Iron Cross by a fellow named Adolf.
Start counting “patriots”. In the long, slow but well made “Benjamin Button” movie the fiercely patriotic character on a civilian boat working for the USN was a Cherokee Indian “who had been an American for 500 years”. It struck me that It'd been a hell of a long time since I'd seen a patriotic white male in a film who wasn't a buffoon, straw man or just plain evil.
“Dexter” Hero is a white guy, sister is a cop with a Latino and the boss is (you guessed it) a woman (Latino in this case).
The point is, as I recall (and I am NOT going through the whole thread) that young, black, Hispanic, and female is in, whites, older people, and males are always to be "out."
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