television and leisure

[gurdonark]

I consider it a sign of immense personal weakness that I never watch the Howard Stern cable television show, except when the interviewee is Emma Caulfield. Even though I still think that the Howard Stern show is moronic, I'm not positive that Ms. Caulfield is moronic. Meanwhile, ER seems truly rejuvenated this season, and can even provide a Law and Order style twist once in a while. I wish that the last few seasons had not increased the gore count so much, but I suppose that it is a show about an emergency room, after all. For that matter, Law and Order is doing interesting things with both Senator Thompson as DA and with Elisabeth Rohm's character. I really wonder if that show must always have an attractive female sidekick for the assistant DA character. That seems to have been the pattern since the first assistant left. I suppose that cosmetics models and clothes horses must try cases, too, so that they can be role models for the pageant entrants of the world. I tried to watch part of the show about Julliard on public television the other night, but for some reason, once I'd gotten the gist, I was ready to move to other programs. Julliard sounds like one tough place, which generates lots of success stories. I'll bet being in that intense competitive pressure cooker at 16 is rather a stressful experience.

I got one hobby pursuit back on track, finishing a couple of responses to mail art calls. I liked the call by the Orangedale, IL high school class. Its topic was "Fear". Fear is something we all know first hand, but summarizing it on a postcard was a fun experience. Today I have a schedule filled with meetings, and tomorrow I will probably need to work also. But the weather for the weekend looks grand, and I have long hikes in mind as well.

Comments

[auntiesiannan.livejournal.com]

I have to say that the ending of last night's ER left me agog. I did not see that coming, in regards to Ed Asner's character. Hubby and I were mooing in disbelief. Excellent setup.

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

It got me, too, although in hindsight the clues were there. Great subplot.

[maltese-cat.livejournal.com]

Your posts are interesting. Hope you don't mind, I added you to my friends list.

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Glad to have you add me, and I'll go add you now to mine.

It's only television, BUT....

[texas-tornado.livejournal.com]

There is NOTHING wrong with being attractive.
There is NOTHING wrong with being an attractive female.
There is NOTHING wrong with being an attractive female D.A.
There is NOTHING wrong with wearing cosmetics.
There is NOTHING wrong with being a model.
There is NOTHING wrong with wearing nice clothes.
There IS however, something wrong with beauty pageants. They are just plain stupid.

Re: It's only television, BUT....

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

Good points. I guess the problem I have is that the disparity in casting between the lead DA, who is usually a male, of reasonable but not necessarily outstanding looks, and the female assistant, who has for some years been cast with looks as a primary priority.
There's nothing wrong with any of the things you list, so long as we don't send the message that we cast women only for their looks. Sometimes Law and Order, a great show, sends a mixed message on this point. It's true that Epatha Merkerson is no fashion plate, which shows that not every actress on the show is a model, but it's also true that while the male attorneys range from ordinary to attractive, the female assistant prosecutor seems to have been cast for the last 4 actresses with beauty as a pre-requisite. I mean, Sam Waterston is a handsome enough man, but nobody imagines he was picked for his photogenic nature. Surely his predecessor was not.

My rough understanding is that Law and Order began doing this, though, because ratings improved when they cast Jill Hennessy, suggesting that it is the audience, rather than the producers, that caused this situation. But as much as I love attractive women, and for that matter, attractive women attorneys, I think we send the wrong message when we tell women that beauty is the main criterion for success.