This is a set of reviews of Roseanne episodes. My general thoughts about that show are here. I will focus only on the political aspects and will mention what percent of lines spoken by non-family members are spoken by people of color.
“One for the Road” Episode 14, season 2. Wikipedia summary is: “Dan and Roseanne are not home, leaving Becky in charge. She invites her friend, Dana over to do homework. When they take a break, Becky whips up a few 'Tornadoes' from the Conner's liquor cabinet, resulting in the girls getting drunk. A hung-over Becky is left to explain herself when Dana's mother arrives the next day demanding an explanation.”
Out of about 25 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.
“Born to be Wild” Episode 16, season 2. Wikipedia summary is: “The Conners' old biker pal Ziggy (Jay O. Sanders) roars into town, making them feel old, fat, and trapped. In the end, they realize that while their lives are not what they had planned, they still feel fulfillment.”
There’s a negative reference to the chemical DDT, which could be considered an environmental statement.
Out of about 50-75 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.
“Hair” Episode 17, Season 2. Wikipedia summary is: “Crystal recommends Roseanne for a job at the beauty shop that she frequents, doing the same tasks that she does at home for free. Roseanne is hesitant, but once interviewed, is persuaded into the position by the shop owner. After a short time on the job, she is given a raise, and more responsibility.”
Out of about 60 lines by non-family members, about 20% are by people of color.
“I’m Hungry” Episode 18, Season 2. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne and Dan reach the point where they realize they must lose weight. Roseanne takes charge and puts strict restrictions on their diet, but she has the most trouble adapting to the new regime.”
Out of about 35 lines by non-family members, about 20% are by people of color.
“All of me” Episode 19, Season 2. Wikipedia summary is: “Jackie has finally found 'the one,' but Roseanne continues to meddle.”
Out of about 50 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.
“To Tell the Truth” Episode 20, Season 2. Wikipedia summary is: “Jackie gives Roseanne the silent treatment when she has had enough of her meddling in her love life, but the sisters reconcile. Gary proposes to Jackie on a whim, and Roseanne goes into overdrive with wedding preparations, but Gary and Jackie soon realize they're not ready for marriage. As the ending credits roll there are photographs of the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana Princess of Wales.”
Out of about 40 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.
Monday, July 27, 2020
Saturday, July 4, 2020
Law and Order Special Victims Unit Reviews D
This is a set of reviews of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episodes. My general thoughts about that show are here. I’ll often do no more than make brief notes about an episode, although occasionally I’ll go deeper. Also, often there are dissenting main characters on almost any political issue, but you can usually tell what the general position of the show is. All the rest of the reviews are available by clicking on the l&osvu label at the bottom.
(Now that I’m getting into some of the episodes that involve the character John Munch, I’m going to ignore most of his political statements)
“Assumptions” Season 20 Wikipedia summary is: “A Muslim woman appears to be assaulted in a synagogue and two teenage boys are seen fleeing the scene, which prompts the Special Victims Unit to come in and investigate. The case quickly is confirmed as a hate crime and controversy quickly erupts. However, the case takes a shocking twist when it is discovered that the Muslim woman may not be telling the exact truth. Later in the episode it's revealed that the Muslim woman was raped by her ex-husband. He knew she was a lesbian and due to Sharia Law he believed she was still his wife. Meanwhile, Benson receives news that Rob Miller, who raped defense attorney Nikki Staines, has been released from prison on bail, leaving Benson shocked and dismayed.”
The two main issues are the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and social conservatism among Muslims. The Muslim woman is a City Council person who takes a very public position in support of the Palestinians and there is great hostility towards her from the Jewish population. The idea is that she is allegedly anti-semitic because of her support for the the Palestinians.
It’s not inherently anti-Semitic to support the Palestinians, although it can be, as I have written in several essays that are found here, here, here, and here. But supporting the Palestinians is usually based on a very good argument, a version of which I deploy here.
There’s hardly anything in the episode about anti-semitism among the Arab community of NYC, but there’s plenty about anti-muslim bigotry among supporters of Israel.
The other main issue is social conservatism among Muslims, something that I think a lot of progressives ignore. One really awesome part of this episode is that the victim is a RELIGIOUSLY OBSERVANT MUSLIM LESBIAN. You don’t hear about that everyday. In fact, a briefly-appearing character stupidly assumes she believes in Sharia (very conservative Islam) because she wears a hijab.
One of the last things is that this Muslim, Palestinian-supporting City Council member is an anti- eviction activist.
Lastly, I’d say that in America there’s not much anti-semitism of the Nazi sort or the left-wing sort or the Arab/Muslim sort. But there is one type of anti-Semitism that is unrecognized by most people and that is the Evangelical kind. I discuss that and some related stuff here.
“Payback” Season 1. Wikipedia summary is: “Two detectives from the NYPD's Special Victims Unit, Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler, investigate the stabbing and castration of a cab driver, only to learn that the victim had purchased a phony hack license from an inmate (Matt Skollar) at Rikers Island. Further investigation reveals that the dead man was a Serbian soldier named Stefan Tanzic, who had been indicted on charges of ethnic cleansing. Herself a child of rape, Benson has trouble separating herself from the case after realizing that the victim was a rapist. Stabler tries to keep her from crossing the line in her attempts to protect suspects whom she feels were justified in their actions.”
I like the part about the rape-infused ethnic cleansing that took place in the Serb campaign in Bosnia around 1994. Although a lot of leftists weren’t sympathetic because Serbia was seen as in conflict with the US, I always was very concerned about the muslims of Bosnia. That’s based partly in hind-sight on the fact that Serbia consistently went after it’s neighbors in very heavy-handed way- first Croatia, then Bosnia, then Kosovo. Also, I was political friends with a Bosnian woman who said that what the Serbs did in Bosnia and Kosovo was wrong. Because of this I have mixed feelings about the NATO war against Serbia over Kosovo- there were some bad things about it (bombing civilian targets), but I think it was for a good cause.
There were some weird references to homosexuals and one very minor character was gay.
“Hysteria” Season 1. Wikipedia summary is: “When a young woman is found dead, she is initially believed to be a prostitute and the latest victim of a serial killer. As they look into her home life, however, Benson and Stabler realize that the victim does not fit the pattern, and may not be connected to the other deaths after all. After Munch's instincts lead the team to believe their suspect is a cop (Joe Lisi), Cragen consults his old friend Det. Lennie Briscoe for help. “
This is one where a cop is (one of) the bad guy(s), in this case a misogynist. In all fairness, I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s less sexism than racism among police. They seem like they’re very much against violence against women.
“Stocks and Bondage” Season 1. Wikipedia summary is: “When a financial analyst and devotee of BDSM is found strangled to death in a leather harness in her bedroom, Benson and Stabler at first suspect either suicide or accidental death from autoerotic asphyxiation However, the discovery of a large quantity of hidden diamonds leads the detectives into a shadowy world of money laundering and securities fraud.”
At one point the head of SVU talks to a witness who is an undocumented immigrant and makes it clear that he’s not with immigration.
Friday, July 3, 2020
Roseanne Reviews F
This is a set of reviews of Roseanne episodes. My general thoughts about that show are here. I will focus only on the political aspects and will mention what percent of lines spoken by non-family members are spoken by people of color.
“Sweet Dreams” Episode 8, Season 2. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne tries to relax in the bathtub despite constant interruptions from her family; she ends up dreaming about murdering her husband and kids. The dream ends with Roseanne on trial, her family back from the dead to testify on her behalf, and a lavish musical number.”
Probably about 50 lines were by non-family members and none were by people of color.
“We Gather Together” Episode 9, Season 2. Wikipedia summary is: “On Thanksgiving Day, Jackie finally tells her mother about her new police career. They end up being the main event with their bickering and snickering flowing throughout the holiday feast. After dinner, Dan gets a huge shock when he learns his father is romancing Crystal.”
Of about 15 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.
“Brain Dead Poets Society” Episode 10, Season 2. Wikipedia summary is: “Darlene's homework poem wins teacher recognition, and she is asked to read it at the school's Culture Night. Roseanne is thrilled, but Darlene does not want to go. Roseanne puts her foot down, and the family goes to the event, where Darlene's reading strikes an emotional chord with all.”
Out of about 25-30 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.
“Lobo-Cop” Episode 11, Season 2. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne gets a second job at the Lobo Lounge, but soon discovers that she and Dan are spending too much time apart.”
Out of about 50 lines by non-family members, about 10% are by people of color.
“Chicken Hearts” Episode 13, Season 2. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne's new job at a fast-food restaurant includes an obnoxious teenaged boss. When she invites him to dinner to try to butter him up for better shift hours, his nasty attitude soon convinces everyone that Roseanne deserves better treatment. Glenn Shadix guest-stars as an indecisive customer.”
This episode is, of all the episodes that are about labor and management, probably the furtherest from being pro-union. It DOES however illustrate a labor-management problem and one aspect of why it’s important to talk about working families. Ideally parents shouldn’t have to work when it’s inconvenient for their family life. They’re contributing greatly to our society by raising children and our society should help them with that.
Of about 40 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.
“Sweet Dreams” Episode 8, Season 2. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne tries to relax in the bathtub despite constant interruptions from her family; she ends up dreaming about murdering her husband and kids. The dream ends with Roseanne on trial, her family back from the dead to testify on her behalf, and a lavish musical number.”
Probably about 50 lines were by non-family members and none were by people of color.
“We Gather Together” Episode 9, Season 2. Wikipedia summary is: “On Thanksgiving Day, Jackie finally tells her mother about her new police career. They end up being the main event with their bickering and snickering flowing throughout the holiday feast. After dinner, Dan gets a huge shock when he learns his father is romancing Crystal.”
Of about 15 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.
“Brain Dead Poets Society” Episode 10, Season 2. Wikipedia summary is: “Darlene's homework poem wins teacher recognition, and she is asked to read it at the school's Culture Night. Roseanne is thrilled, but Darlene does not want to go. Roseanne puts her foot down, and the family goes to the event, where Darlene's reading strikes an emotional chord with all.”
Out of about 25-30 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.
“Lobo-Cop” Episode 11, Season 2. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne gets a second job at the Lobo Lounge, but soon discovers that she and Dan are spending too much time apart.”
Out of about 50 lines by non-family members, about 10% are by people of color.
“Chicken Hearts” Episode 13, Season 2. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne's new job at a fast-food restaurant includes an obnoxious teenaged boss. When she invites him to dinner to try to butter him up for better shift hours, his nasty attitude soon convinces everyone that Roseanne deserves better treatment. Glenn Shadix guest-stars as an indecisive customer.”
This episode is, of all the episodes that are about labor and management, probably the furtherest from being pro-union. It DOES however illustrate a labor-management problem and one aspect of why it’s important to talk about working families. Ideally parents shouldn’t have to work when it’s inconvenient for their family life. They’re contributing greatly to our society by raising children and our society should help them with that.
Of about 40 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.
Thursday, July 2, 2020
Law and Order Special Victims Unit Reviews C
This is a set of reviews of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episodes. My general thoughts about that show are here. I’ll often do no more than make brief notes about an episode, although occasionally I’ll go deeper. Also, often there are dissenting main characters on almost any political issue, but you can usually tell what the general position of the show is. All the rest of the reviews are available by clicking on the l&osvu label at the bottom.
“Missing” Season 20. Wikipedia summary is: “The Special Victims Unit are called in after a little girl is found in the trunk of an abandoned car. The girl says her kidnapper wore yellow the same color as Big Bird and the detectives discover that she was adopted by two gay men after a surrogacy arrangement. After interrogating many suspects, the detectives find the girls kidnapper but they also learn that her kidnapper may not be who he claims to be and uncover a years kept secret kept by his mother, who may not be as innocent as she says she is.”
There is a gay male couple and this time it goes a bit further than the normal anti-homophobia of the show, because they have a child (one artificially inseminated a surrogate and the other adopted). Although that stopped being controversial about 15 years ago, it still is more significant than if they were child-less.
“Dearly Beloved” Season 20. Wikipedia summary is “The Special Victims Unit are called in after a woman crashes a wedding claiming that the groom, a therapist, raped her. The detectives talk to several people, who claim that the woman has stalked them at times after sending inappropriate messages on Facebook and Instagram, which challenges the woman’s integrity. However, when it is discovered that the woman is pregnant with her alleged rapist's baby, the woman confides to Benson that she doesn’t know if she can have the baby due to being unable to love it and an upset Benson tells Rollins something that she overheard her mother say years ago.”
There are two minor things and one bigger thing worth commenting on. First, the villain, a white man, is at the beginning about to get married to an Asian-American woman. Second, there a brief appearance by another Asian-American woman who is gay.
The episode kind of brings up the subject of rape and abortion, even though there is no attempt made to stop a rape victim from having one. As I wrote elsewhere on this blog,
“I’m pro-choice for the following reasons: I don’t know whether or not the fetus is alive but I am sure that A) women should control their own bodies, B) without the right to choose they can’t have full equality, and C) if men could also get pregnant there would be a massive pro-choice majority in this country.”
If I were a pro-lifer, I would believe in making some exceptions and the very first one would be for rape survivors. As the show states, some survivors who get pregnant by their attacker choose to have then child, but if they choose to have an abortion that should be an option. It’s one reason I support Sinn Fein, now the largest party in Ireland. I’m not sure what their current position on abortion is, but they used to be the kind of pro-life party that made a lot of exceptions, including for rape.
“The Good Girl” Season 20 Wikipedia summary is: “The Special Victims Unit are called in to investigate a complicated pregnancy case involving a thirteen year old girl. Benson works to try and find out who the baby’s father is, but getting the answer becomes complicated when the teenage girl is reluctant to expose the baby’s father. She refuses to speak to Benson and the Special Victims Unit, prompting Benson to believe that the baby’s father might be someone close to the teenage girl who may have taken advantage of her.”
There’s a bit about homophobia where a gay teacher at a Catholic Middle School is in the closet because he would be rejected by them. It’s also noteworthy that he’s a white man in a relationship with a black man.
I also learned something pretty sick. In Missouri, adults can marry children, I think starting at around 10. It’s sick.
“Diss” Season 20 Wikipedia summary is: “When a pop star is assaulted in her own home, the Special Victims Unit are called in to investigate what happened. The detectives soon find out that the pop star’s husband had a heated public feud with another competing recording artist, which could easily have been the motive for the assault. Just as Tutuola gets deep into the case, it is discovered that his family ties to one of the suspects of the assault and as a result, Stone, who is taking the case seriously, orders Benson to take him off the case.”
One of the characters is a bi-racial man and another is his mom. I know that’s not as unusual as it was 20 years ago, but still…. There’s also some stuff about how cops treat black people.
“Missing” Season 20. Wikipedia summary is: “The Special Victims Unit are called in after a little girl is found in the trunk of an abandoned car. The girl says her kidnapper wore yellow the same color as Big Bird and the detectives discover that she was adopted by two gay men after a surrogacy arrangement. After interrogating many suspects, the detectives find the girls kidnapper but they also learn that her kidnapper may not be who he claims to be and uncover a years kept secret kept by his mother, who may not be as innocent as she says she is.”
There is a gay male couple and this time it goes a bit further than the normal anti-homophobia of the show, because they have a child (one artificially inseminated a surrogate and the other adopted). Although that stopped being controversial about 15 years ago, it still is more significant than if they were child-less.
“Dearly Beloved” Season 20. Wikipedia summary is “The Special Victims Unit are called in after a woman crashes a wedding claiming that the groom, a therapist, raped her. The detectives talk to several people, who claim that the woman has stalked them at times after sending inappropriate messages on Facebook and Instagram, which challenges the woman’s integrity. However, when it is discovered that the woman is pregnant with her alleged rapist's baby, the woman confides to Benson that she doesn’t know if she can have the baby due to being unable to love it and an upset Benson tells Rollins something that she overheard her mother say years ago.”
There are two minor things and one bigger thing worth commenting on. First, the villain, a white man, is at the beginning about to get married to an Asian-American woman. Second, there a brief appearance by another Asian-American woman who is gay.
The episode kind of brings up the subject of rape and abortion, even though there is no attempt made to stop a rape victim from having one. As I wrote elsewhere on this blog,
“I’m pro-choice for the following reasons: I don’t know whether or not the fetus is alive but I am sure that A) women should control their own bodies, B) without the right to choose they can’t have full equality, and C) if men could also get pregnant there would be a massive pro-choice majority in this country.”
If I were a pro-lifer, I would believe in making some exceptions and the very first one would be for rape survivors. As the show states, some survivors who get pregnant by their attacker choose to have then child, but if they choose to have an abortion that should be an option. It’s one reason I support Sinn Fein, now the largest party in Ireland. I’m not sure what their current position on abortion is, but they used to be the kind of pro-life party that made a lot of exceptions, including for rape.
“The Good Girl” Season 20 Wikipedia summary is: “The Special Victims Unit are called in to investigate a complicated pregnancy case involving a thirteen year old girl. Benson works to try and find out who the baby’s father is, but getting the answer becomes complicated when the teenage girl is reluctant to expose the baby’s father. She refuses to speak to Benson and the Special Victims Unit, prompting Benson to believe that the baby’s father might be someone close to the teenage girl who may have taken advantage of her.”
There’s a bit about homophobia where a gay teacher at a Catholic Middle School is in the closet because he would be rejected by them. It’s also noteworthy that he’s a white man in a relationship with a black man.
I also learned something pretty sick. In Missouri, adults can marry children, I think starting at around 10. It’s sick.
“Diss” Season 20 Wikipedia summary is: “When a pop star is assaulted in her own home, the Special Victims Unit are called in to investigate what happened. The detectives soon find out that the pop star’s husband had a heated public feud with another competing recording artist, which could easily have been the motive for the assault. Just as Tutuola gets deep into the case, it is discovered that his family ties to one of the suspects of the assault and as a result, Stone, who is taking the case seriously, orders Benson to take him off the case.”
One of the characters is a bi-racial man and another is his mom. I know that’s not as unusual as it was 20 years ago, but still…. There’s also some stuff about how cops treat black people.
Roseanne Reviews E
This is a set of reviews of Roseanne episodes. My general thoughts about that show are here. I will focus only on the political aspects and will mention what percent of lines spoken by non-family members are spoken by people of color.
“The Little Sister” Episode 2, Season 2 Wikipedia Summary is: “Jackie takes umbrage at Roseanne's snarky remarks about her career ambitions when she reveals that she has enrolled in the police academy. Becky gets caught reading Dan's girlie magazine; and Darlene commiserates with a drunken Jackie about her frustrations over being the little sister.”
This is the first episode in which Jackie talk about becoming a cop, something she follows through with later on. Although I could put this in the negative column, since in general I’m not real fond of cops, it could be that the Landford police department have no bad apples at all- it’s probably so small it could be that they’re all good people. So, it’s pro-cop to one degree or another, but it’s also a very anti-racist show so maybe it’s not meant as an uncritical pro-cop message. For my thoughts about Black Lives Matter, see this.
This is also either THE or the first pro-porn episode, although it’s mixed. There’s some talk about the idea that women who do porn come from bad families, which is probably mostly not true. I don’t know if that’s part of the feminist anti-porn argument. In any case, overall it’s sort of pro-porn.
“Guilt by Disassociation” Episode 3, Season 2 Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne gets her hopes up after a friend recommends her for an office job that would allow her to quit her hated telemarketing. After a quick interview, she lands the job—but the celebration is short-lived, when the offer is revoked due to her lack of computer knowledge.”
This episode is significant because out of about 60 lines by non-family members, about 85% are by people of color. And 1-2 lines is by a spanish-speaking immigrant.
“Somebody Stole My Gal” Episode 4, Season 2. Wikipedia Summary is: “Bert (Kevin Dunn), an emotionally needy architect at Dan's new job site adopts the Conners as a surrogate family, much to their chagrin.”
Out of about 50 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.
“Five of a Kind” Episode 6, season 2. Wikipedia summary is: “A poker night becomes interesting when Roseanne receives a kiss from Dan's friend Arnie. Roseanne tells Jackie about the kiss but later realizes it was only a platonic gesture.”
Of about 60-75 lines by non-family members, about 30% are by people of color.
“BOO!” Episode 7, season 2. Wikipedia summary is: “The Conners celebrate Halloween. Roseanne and Dan compete to see who is the spookiest. Roseanne tries to rekindle the spirit of Halloween for Becky who is upset after she was not invited to a party.”
Out of about 20 lines spoken by non-family members, none are by people or color.
“The Little Sister” Episode 2, Season 2 Wikipedia Summary is: “Jackie takes umbrage at Roseanne's snarky remarks about her career ambitions when she reveals that she has enrolled in the police academy. Becky gets caught reading Dan's girlie magazine; and Darlene commiserates with a drunken Jackie about her frustrations over being the little sister.”
This is the first episode in which Jackie talk about becoming a cop, something she follows through with later on. Although I could put this in the negative column, since in general I’m not real fond of cops, it could be that the Landford police department have no bad apples at all- it’s probably so small it could be that they’re all good people. So, it’s pro-cop to one degree or another, but it’s also a very anti-racist show so maybe it’s not meant as an uncritical pro-cop message. For my thoughts about Black Lives Matter, see this.
This is also either THE or the first pro-porn episode, although it’s mixed. There’s some talk about the idea that women who do porn come from bad families, which is probably mostly not true. I don’t know if that’s part of the feminist anti-porn argument. In any case, overall it’s sort of pro-porn.
“Guilt by Disassociation” Episode 3, Season 2 Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne gets her hopes up after a friend recommends her for an office job that would allow her to quit her hated telemarketing. After a quick interview, she lands the job—but the celebration is short-lived, when the offer is revoked due to her lack of computer knowledge.”
This episode is significant because out of about 60 lines by non-family members, about 85% are by people of color. And 1-2 lines is by a spanish-speaking immigrant.
“Somebody Stole My Gal” Episode 4, Season 2. Wikipedia Summary is: “Bert (Kevin Dunn), an emotionally needy architect at Dan's new job site adopts the Conners as a surrogate family, much to their chagrin.”
Out of about 50 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.
“Five of a Kind” Episode 6, season 2. Wikipedia summary is: “A poker night becomes interesting when Roseanne receives a kiss from Dan's friend Arnie. Roseanne tells Jackie about the kiss but later realizes it was only a platonic gesture.”
Of about 60-75 lines by non-family members, about 30% are by people of color.
“BOO!” Episode 7, season 2. Wikipedia summary is: “The Conners celebrate Halloween. Roseanne and Dan compete to see who is the spookiest. Roseanne tries to rekindle the spirit of Halloween for Becky who is upset after she was not invited to a party.”
Out of about 20 lines spoken by non-family members, none are by people or color.
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