Scattered thoughts 4/2/09
-I've spent an inordinate amount of my free time lately watching The Wire. I tried watching the show when the second season premiered a few years back, but found myself sort of lost. It was apparent to me that it was the kind of show that you really needed to watch from the beginning if you wanted to "get it." So years passed and more and more acclaim was heaped on the show and I kept putting off watching the series. Then it ended. And all of my friends were still talking about it. So I finally decided to give it a shot a few weeks ago so that I could finally be part of the conversation. 5 seasons, 12 or 13 episodes in each one, equals 60 plus hours of television watching. When I started part of me secretly hoped that I wouldn't like it so I wouldn't feel bad about aborting the mission in its early stages. HA! I've never quite experienced anything quite like watching in The Wire in my history as a consumer of moving electronic images. It's like a great book that you just can't put down, even when you know you have to. I have literally had to force myself to turn off the television and go to bed numerous times while watching it. Left to my own devices, I could easily sit there for days completely engrossed in this show. And here's the shocking thing about it...I actually feel so much smarter for having allowed myself to become lost in the show's storytelling, a feeling that runs contrary to just about all conventional wisdom when it comes to television. But I've never really been a fan of conventional wisdom anyway, so fuck it. Amazingly, the show has lived up to all the hype. Now I've got seven episodes to go in the final season and I can already feel a sense of loss in knowing that it's going to end soon. I'm almost dreading watching it to the end because I don't want it to end. Does that even make a lick of sense? I'll probably wander around for days acting as if my dog just died or something. Regardless, I've never seen anything that so accurately illuminated the incompetence of American institutions, and I've certainly never seen anything that walks the line between education and entertainment so well. So yeah, if you've never seen The Wire, well, ugh, yeah...I'm kinda sorta endorsing the shit out of it right now. The investment of your time is well worth it.
-Speaking of The Wire, and I mentioned this on my dumb Twitter the other day, but if I controlled the world I'd see to it that Isiah Whitlock Jr. had a cameo in every TV show and film just so he could do that "SHEEEEEEEIT" thing he does on The Wire and in 25th Hour. It just tickles me to no end when he does this...
-Speaking of Twitter...I wanna issue a beatdown to the asshole who registered a Twitter account under the name CajunBoy and then proceeded to NEVER USE THE FUCKING THING, forcing me to go with TheCajunBoy. What an insufferably twattish thing to do! Doesn't he know who I am?!?!?!?!
-You know what's sort of humbling, perhaps even degrading to the soul to some degree? Discovering a band that you absolutely love after they've already broken up when they were seemingly right under your nose the entire time they existed. That's how I feel about this band Vega4 right now. I'm pissed that I'll never get the chance to see them live.
-Ok, I'm just gonna say it...Fuck the motherfucking Queen of England! All you Brits with your panties in a wad because the First Lady hugged the Queen without first being touched by the old bag of bones can eat a big bag of dicks. Get over your ridiculously antiquated institutions for the love of God!
-A lady friend emailed me the other day and posed a question to me..."Have you ever read any Eckhart Tolle?" she asked. "No I have not...why do you ask?" I replied. This was five days ago and I still haven't gotten an answer to my question that was inspired by her original question and it's driving me FUCKING CRAZY to know why she asked if I've ever read any Eckhart Tolle!!! Why do girls play such evil mind games?
-I have to go to the dentist soon and I'm, like a billion other people in this world do, fucking dreading it. My fears of going to dentist are deep and completely irrational, like a billion other people in this world, but still...I wake up each day lately thinking..."aw fuck it's now x number of days before I have to go to the fucking dentist!" Isn't that such an awful feeling?
-I miss Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery doing college basketball games on television. Every game they call just seems so much more exciting than all the others. Can we put these guys in the booth to do baseball or something?
And with that, my lunch just arrived at my door...
21 comments:
cj,
welcome to the land of the wire fandom
best show ever created for tv
Ha! I guess I'm directly responsible for the TheCajunboy/Cajunboy dustup.
Y'know, I woulda thought the Eckhart Tolle girl would have replied, like, now.
"I've never seen anything that so accurately illuminated the incompetence of American institutions"
I think you have at least slightly the wrong idea. The American institutions portrayed are HIGHLY COMPETENT at achieving the actual goals of the players: i.e. to line their pockets and maintain power.
The Avon/Stringer Bell showdown in Season 3 is by the far the greatest drama moment in the history of Television. I get goosebumps just thinking about it. The kids season is amazing and no show has ever captured the true issues facing inner city schools so well.
I wish Season 5 went longer and they did more on the Newspaper Industry.
oh to help with your Rafferty withdrawls, ONIONS!!
Absolutely with you on The Wire. I actually caught the Second season on On Demand shortly after it aired and was so in love with Stringer Bell. Then I saw the first season and, well, Wallace. That shit tore me up. In fact, I saw Idris Elba running along Sunset Boulevard one morning, and I still had this visceral reaction towards him. Yes, I'm insane.
What you have been doing with The Wire, I have been doing with The West Wing. It's not nearly as good, but it beats watching porn all day. Seriously. That is what unemployment has driven me to.
I absolutely love going to the dentist. I've actually never met anyone who was scared of the dentist so please expand on that if you could. I mean, yes, every time I go it seems that there is something very expensive to be done, but its so relaxing and my dentist has a big tv for you to watch while she works. Its the best get-out-of-work appointment ever.
I secretly love Eckhart Tolle but am loathe to admit it because I found him through Oprah and people can be very divisive when it comes to Oprah. Anyway, maybe she was implying that you are seemingly in line with yourself and are not ego-driven. Or perhaps she is suggesting that you should read him to lead a less ego-driven life. I'm inclined to think the former, but I really don't know you. I just read your blog.
As you watch Season 5, do a google search for: Slate The Wire Season 5 and read along with David Plotz, Jeffrey Goldberg and David Simon as they discuss each episode as it was aired. It's great stuff.
As for Michelle Obama and the back touch... yeah, the Brits are antiquated, but you should respect another country's customs when you visit.
I saw Isiah Whitlock on 23rd Street yesterday. I did not say
sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeiiiiiiiit to him.
Welcome to the sleepless nights of The Wire addicts.
This clip is waaaay better: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrfCixsd2N8&feature=related
This clip is waaaay better: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrfCixsd2N8&feature=related
The downside of tv series on DVD that you're hooked on is that you desperately want to know what happens but then don't want it to end.
You can actually request a username if it is unused.
See http://getsatisfaction.com/twitter/topics/wish_to_change_username_but_username_is_taken_but_unused
@bacci40...i can't choose between the wire and the sopranos.
@twoeightnine...i've been stewing on that one for a while now actually. you just re-ignited a flame.
@moff...yeah, I KNOW!
@nick...well aren't the people who manipulate the institutions from the inside not part of the institutions themselves?
@mac g...i really enjoyed season two and the union/dock workers storyline and season 4 on the school system just ripped mu heart out. i wanted to adopt dukie.
@ae38...i actually don't think i've ever heard anyone say that they "love going to the dentist."
@anon...oh thanks. i'll look for that!
@i am not star jones...i swear to god that if i ever run into isiah whitlock i will totally drop a "sheeeeeeit" on his ass. totally. i don't know how i'd do it, but i would find someway to.
@alex...true. i was thinking that the other day. there's a danger to having the full dvd set available to me.
Totally get the dentist thing. Loathe it with the fire of a thousand suns. My appointment is on April 11, so take heart. You are not suffering alone.
Stringer Bell is hot, and can now be seen on The Office...
http://www.iwatchstuff.com/2009/01/stringer_bell_turns_to_legitim.php
We also did the DVD Wire thing... we concluded that when television was invented, it was because the people inventing it knew that in the future the BEST SHOW EVER would be made and they had to have a platform for it. That's why we have TV. So The Wire could exist.
It's called Faith.
Plus Tom Waits wrote the song they use as the theme for The Wire, and that kicks ass.
CB - I love going to the dentist. Has always been a pleasant experience plus I always get rave reviews on how well I keep my teeth. Type A's love positive feedback!
k
Have you heard "Time Of Our Lives" yet by Paul van Dyk with Vega4?
I hear you on the band thing. Two years ago, I discovered an early 90's house group that broke up about 14 or 15 years ago and I would really, REALLY love to see them live now since I was too young when they were out, but I don't think the break-up was on good terms and the lead singer has said that a reunion will never happen. So now I just have to stick with seeing her perform alone live (if she ever comes to my area) and watching live performances from back in the day on Youtube.
Not to nitpick or anything but the QUEEN initiated the hugging. But of course it makes so much better press to accuse a First Lady of breaking with protocol.
cb,
the sopranos was brilliant...then mama soprano died and it lost something...specifically....direction....still brilliant, but not as great as the first two seasons
the wire is more than tv, it is like a brilliant novel
and no question, next to homicide, best cast ever brought together
come on, what other show could make you root for drug dealers and junkies?
its too bad that you are watching it all in one chunk...its much cooler to take it slow and really note the character arcs
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