Lally's Alley: BIG LOVE

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

BIG LOVE

I'm glad it's back.

I'm still hooked.

Some of the best acting on TV.

(Full disclosure, I knew some of the actors in my years in Hollywood. But even if I didn't—still some of the best acting on television, or anywhere else for that matter. And the writing isn't bad either.)

7 comments:

Anonymous said...: Oh no! Not you! How can you fall for this misogynist happy-harem bullshit!! (F loves it too.); February 5, 2009 at 11:34:00 AM EST
AlamedaTom said...: Me too, Lal. And Kid, that harem is very often far from happy.

~ Willy; February 5, 2009 at 2:01:00 PM EST
Lally said...: Yeah, ditto Tom to Kid, and I would add, if you notice the strongest individuals on the show are several of the women. But like I said, it's more for the artistry on exhibit. Some of the best so-called "character actors" alive are working on it, old and young, and the story lines are simple enough to follow but complex enough to keep my curiosity level high. And also, I love learning more about worlds I'm not so familiar with and perspectives I'm suspect of and critical of, in this case shared in a way that reveals the universal aspects of all human struggle. And like that.; February 5, 2009 at 2:28:00 PM EST
Anonymous said...: Yeah, I understand, that kind of living exists, it's in the news and it is compelling — and I would be interested in examining sub-cultures where women are subordinate (so where's the show on the Hasidic people or the Quakers?) - IF WOMEN WEREN'T STILL SUBORDINATE IN OUR PRIMARY CULTURE!

Imagine for a minute my position; looking out in the media for work that reflects my world, the people and things I see everyday, the emotional life of a contemporary woman and mother. It's pretty desolate. If there are aliens somewhere deducing our culture from cable tv, then (1) the majority of our citizens are white and (2) women continue to play only supporting roles.

But perhaps it will pave the way for acceptance of MY tv script about a woman who starts a matriarchal cult called MoreMenism....; February 6, 2009 at 11:34:00 AM EST
Lally said...: Sorry Kid, but I'm not buying it, not entirely. If there are aliens out there watching TV they'll think most husbands and fathers are white, but also stupid clowns who would probably wither away of incompetence if it wasn't for their either smart aleck or sympathetic more competent wives and female partners and daughters etc.
And, if we were to judge art by the standards you suggest, then every movie or TV show or book etc. would have to be written only about what an ideal world might look like and not what is really occurring, which would not serve the purpose of inspiring change, because no one would know what needs to be changed. If you haven't seen a TV show (or movie or book or etc.) that makes fun of or insults white males, particularly older white males, I can supply a long list. And by the way, there are not only more females in colleges and universities now, and an even higher rate graduating, than males, this morning's news also points out that it looks like there are more women in the workforce than men, because more men are either dropping out, committing suicide, going to prison, spiraling downward on drugs and alcohol or just losing jobs and out of work or prospects.; February 6, 2009 at 12:15:00 PM EST
Anonymous said...: BIG LOVE is on cable, on HBO, my favorite channel, and one that has supplied many, many shows that I've loved, Six Feet Under, The Sopranos, Deadwood, none of which were idealic - I never asked for an idealic depiction of the world in art, Mike, just story lines that include contemporary women as the central characters - and therein lies my disappointment with BL. HBO is free from all the average, network-tv, salacious,headline-grabbing bullshit. I hate to see them waste their time and $ on a show about polygamy - I can't see the value in exploring that subculture in fiction. It elevates it. If anything, produce a documentary on the real groups; tell the stories of the women that have escaped; help expose the evil, subjugating bastards and bring them down.

And yeah, your long list of shows will undoubtedly belong to network TV, I'm quite familiar with them, Ray Romano and King of Queens and these shows are insulting men - the insults being obvious & spoken - but the unspoken plotline in all these is MORE insulting to women - it being, "Honey, this is the only power you get in this life. Being smarter than this asshole. You get to snicker while you clean his shorts. Enjoy!"

And yes, yes, YES!, the flip is happening, more women in colleges, workforce but not in the running of things. 7% in the Senate!!! Come on!

And that recent report of women becoming the majority in the workforce because of all these men losing their jobs is a lot like what happened during WWII.

Women not moving into the workforce because of better hiring practices, less discrimination, but wholesale, unrelated removal of the men.

But this time, no ones going back into the kitchen after the war.

Look, Mike, I'm not a dumb knee-jerk Goddess quoting man-hater and you know that.

All I'm saying is that watching a show about a cult that claims God commands women to subjugate themselves to men, that they forfeit their will and submit to marriage and rape, that includes the line "He is my lord and master" and the pre-abuse scene of a little girl hitching a ride to LA...is not so much fun. For me.; February 9, 2009 at 2:53:00 PM EST
Lally said...: Hey Kid, I didn't accuse you of being whatever that was you said. And I understand your point. But I think the show makes clear the evil in some aspects of fundamentalist Mormonism. Harry Dean Stanton's character is certainly seriously evil, as are many of the others. I can see how it makes you uncomfortable. But I think that's partly why it succeeds. It's provocative in the way it portrays this particular idea of spirituality and religion. But like I said, I mostly watch it for the terrific acting and the sometimes really good writing, though I thought this last episode was a little too obvious and didn't pay off all the story threads as well as it usually does in terms of emotional impact.; February 9, 2009 at 10:24:00 PM EST