hyperdonut 2k7 | blog of carlytron

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Well, if it isn't the cashmere mafia!

Really, show, really? REALLY!? That's the best you could do??! "Well, if it isn't the cashmere mafia" ... then followed by "see you on campus, girls!" I really want to hate this show, but you have to understand that, historically, I have watched some HORRENDOUS television because of either 1) lesbian storylines, 2) hot girls, 3) lesbian subtext, or 4) dire boredom. To review:

Profiler
Birds of Prey (OMG BATGIRL IS GOING TO BE ON THE L WORD THIS SEASON! WTF!?)
Women's Murder Club (seriously just have sex already, all of you)
Umm ... I'm sure there are others. I will add them as I recall.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say here is that although I have many problems with this show (see below), I will continue to watch it until they either 1) kill off the lesbian, or 2) get canceled. And seeing as how there is this writer's strike going on (did you guys know that?) and the networks are starved for programming (Clash of the fucking Choirs? I give up), I doubt #2 will happen anytime soon, and since the "love interest" (Lourdes Benedicto, whose presence just makes me miss "The Nine" even more than I already do) is in all of the episodes that were completed before the strike, I guess I'll keep watching (wow that was a long sentence, right?)

My first problem with this show is the writing, in that it is horrible and no one talks like that. It's worse than the L Word at times. My second problem is the horrible Sex-and-the-City-rip-off-ness that is going on. This has been expounded upon in numerous articles around the interwebs, so I won't reiterate everything here, but it's just absurd. Lucy Liu (sorry, have to use the actors' names, as I have no idea what the characters are named as I do not care at all) is the Carrie, except they made her Asian or whatever, and then I don't even know or care what roles/stereotypes the others play. All I know is that Miranda Otto talks like Samantha and I think they're sorta setting her up to be a little like her, kinda? Anyway, no one talks like that in real life, except for drag queens. Also hated by me: the awful soundtrack and Lucy Liu's wardrobe.

I'm not going to even touch upon the absurd storylines w/r/t/ successful women vs. the men they love, gender roles, and stupid shit like that because it's just painful. And you can find that elsewhere. I will talk about what I liked, though. I have had a thing for Frances O'Connor ever since Love and Other Catastrophes so I hope they don't make me hate her character. And the lesbian stuff was actually handled pretty well, I thought. Bonnie Somerville is adorable and funny and that right there is why I'll keep tuning in. I mean, I've stuck with The L Word since day 1, I can deal with this for a few weeks. (SPEAKING OF The L Word, Riese's recap of the season 5 premiere is up over at Auto-Straddle -- and The L Word Online -- and you should go read it cause I'm in it and it's better than the show itself!)

Oh, and hi. I'm gonna try to write more. But we all know I'm lying.

P.S. Although I have yet to see Juno, Ellen Page is AWESOME and I am utterly fascinated by Diablo Cody. Thank you for your time.

Labels: cashmere mafia, girls, l word, tv

posted by carlytron @ 1:03 AM,

7 Comments:

At 1/09/2008 8:31 AM, Fragolina said...: Carly!

Okay, so I did not watch the show, but I have to say I was always a bit perplexed by the casting of Bonnie Somerville and Lourdes Benedicto. Mostly because I associate Somerville with her role as Rachel on The O.C. and Benedicto as the the waitress/Pacey love interest on one of the later seasons of Dawson's Creek, whom Jessica of TWoP hated so much she referred to her as "She Who Will Not Be Recapped." I thought it was funny that the producers took two of the least popular soap opera guest stars of recent years and said to themselves, "Let's get these two ladies TOGETHER!" But it seems they were cute, no?

Oh, and while I'm babbling about TV, I wanted your opinion (as a fellow HIMYM fan) on a little debate I'm having with a friend. He thinks producers are hinting that Robin is going to turn out to be a lesbian, whereas I think they are hinting that she's going to end up with Barney. Any thoughts? (I can easily expound further on both these theories, but this comment is getting kind of embarrassingly long.)
At 1/09/2008 4:36 PM, riese said...: 1. I want to lick Ellen Page's face.

2. Or tackle her at a rock concert.

3. This show is another show I can add to the list of shows I won't ever watch, along with every other show on teevee aside from The L Word, which, mark my words! Is getting better.

4. Don't forget the double trouble option -- they can kill off the lesbian in the season finale, then announce that was the last episode, as it is now canceled.

5. OMG SO EXCITED YOU'RE POSTING MORE!
At 1/09/2008 8:41 PM, Anonymous said...: I just assumed both your hands were broken for a month. Write more.
At 1/10/2008 12:31 AM, carlytron said...: Fragolina: I stopped watching DC at some point during the 2nd season because it was so bad it made me throw things at the tv, and I've never seen the OC. So I don't really have any input here, but your observation is funny and I heart TWoP too.

HIMYM, on the other hand, is a fond subject for me, obvs. The show's creators were being cagey when asked recently about the possibility of a Robin-Barney thing in the future. But I still hold out hope that they'll let her be gay one day. Isn't it funny that both Cobie Smulders and Alyson Hannigan have played lesbians in the past? I totally love that. Anyway, I'd love to hear your theories on this topic.

riesling: I have nothing to say here, really, other than that tackling people at rock concerts is dangerous and AWESOME. Don't worry about not watching this, you're not missing anything at all.

anon: That is correct. Ok, that's a lie, but it sounds better than "I work too much."
At 1/10/2008 2:25 PM, Fragolina said...: The hating was always sort of part of the appeal of Dawson's Creek to me. When the characters spent an episode misusing the word "persnickety" or Katie Holmes mispronounced "homage," I could revel in the hate, and, more importantly, turn to my older sister (who genuinely enjoyed the show) and say "Oh my god, how can you watch this show? Seriously."

As for HIMYM, I think Robin's rapport with Barney is pretty well-established, esp. back in season one where she suited up and they played laser tag. So I won't dwell on it that much. Honestly, part of me thinks I could be on board for the pairing of Barney with anyone, because he's so awesome.

The "Robin is actually totally into the ladies" theory derives from the fact that the two most common Robin jokes are about 1)her Canadianness, which is an established fact and 2) her lesbianism, which .... isn't so much. For instance, the kiss between her and Lily in the prom episode, or the kid at career day asking if she was a lesbian, or in the recent episode when they were at the gym, etc. (There are many more I can't think of right now.) Bays and Thomas don't usually throw things out there that mean nothing. Also, there is the whole "Making out with Vacation Robin" thing.

My friend also points to her lack of scorching chemistry with Ted, but I doubt the producers intended that. It's not their fault that Josh Radnor isn't exactly a paragon of sexual magnetism.

I favor the Barney theory mostly because I think it fits more snugly into the standard sitcom paradigm. (Did I just type "standard sitcom paradigm"? Forgive me.) Anyway, while I think HIMYM has revived and, in many ways, reinvented the standard three-camera sitcom, it still is a three-camera sitcom. On CBS. Airing on the same night as Two and A Half Men. I may be a cynic but I kind of doubt they would go as far as to make one of their romantic leads gay.

And while there's a part of me that would love to see Cobie play gay again (also how adorable is the name "Cobie"?), another part of me feels it would be kind of a cop-out to have the independent,ambitious, commitment-phobic female character turn out to be gay. I think one of the great things about Robin (besides her pop music stylings, of course) is how very unapologetic she is about what she wants. To make those aspects of her character be symptomatic of something more deep-seated, like repressed sexuality, just seems kind of lame to me.

All right, this comment could be a primer on Overthinking Television. Bays and Thomas probably just really like Canadian lesbian jokes. But this is what a writer's strike and repeat viewings do to a person.

Oh, and let me say, I totally watched Profiler and Pretender, which was even worse.
At 1/25/2008 4:45 AM, CHeeren said...: wow thank god i'm not the only lesbian that watches that show. even if only to show support. it's the only show on network tv with a real in the flesh lesbian. (no not caitlin she is just bicurious i think) Alicia seems amazing! Great HRC material, but I have a scary feeling that she's only going to be temporary. If Caitlin goes back to men I think it's just going to give the men of america false about lesbians. That stupid fantasy guys have about turning a gay girl striaght. haha Anyway. Love your blog.
At 2/20/2008 6:06 PM, Crystal said...: Have you seen the photoshoot of Ellen Page dressed as Patti Smith? Kinda awesome.

I know I'm commenting super late but Cashmere Mafia only premiered here this week (it's still 2007 in Australia). See you on campus girls was by far the highlight of this show, for real, only second to the soundtrack. The only reason I'm going to the US is so I can watch tragic TV, and Clash of the Choirs sounds like a real winner. Speaking of US travels, hope I see you around at some stage.