Friday, February 21, 2014

TV Wasteland aka Fuck You Sochi

No new episodes of Nashville, Law and Order: SVU, or Modern Family have aired since February 5.  Each Thursday morning I check Hulu plus hoping, praying, but am once again disappointed when it prompts me to Watch Again instead of bringing me new hijinx and escapades of Juliette Barnes, Detective Olivia Benson, and the entire Dunphee/Pritchet clan.  I've asked myself why and the only reason I came up with was the Winter Olympics.  Why air new episodes of beloved TV shows when the nation is transfixed by double axels and skiing with rifles? I WILL TELL YOU WHY TELEVISION EXECUTIVES: GAY RIGHTS AND PUSSY RIOT.  Some of us are boycotting Sochi due to Russia's egregious human rights record.  Don't you think we are the people who really enjoy Juliette Barnes country ballads and personal struggles? Wouldn't this have made a great episode of Modern Family; Cam and Mitchell both decide to boycott the games but Cam just can't keep himself from watching figure skating and sneaks over to Gloria's to watch it, but forces Manny to keep it a secret from Mitchell, hilarious misunderstandings ensue.  Wouldn't that just be delightful?
But no, executives, you chose not to capitalize on the boycotting audience. Shame on you. 

Friday, February 7, 2014

Law and Order:SVU's highly inaccurate portrayal of college life in New York City, from an alumni and a fan.

First may I state my endless devotion to Law and Order: SVU, while I mourn the loss of Stabler, Munch and now Captain Kragen I remain a loyal viewer as long as Finn Tutuola and our heroine Olivia Benson are still out there standing up for all that is right and just. As a long time viewer (often in marathon format) one can't help but notice the continuing theme of "ripped from the headlines" plots; fictionalized narratives based on actual current events.  Recent notable ones have included the Anthony Weiner, Paula Deen, and Trayvon Martin stories.  In the heartbreaking wake of seemingly endless reports of rapes on college campuses by athletes and fraternities, it seems Dick Wolf felt it only socially responsible to respond with episodes that addressed this hotbutton issue.  Ay but here's the rub: Law and Order takes place in Manhattan.  The two major universities in Manhattan are Colombia and NYU, fictionalized into Hudson and Tompkins Square University (really?).  The demographics don't add up. Here's why

*Sports-These are Division 3 schools, these athletes don't go on to join the NFL or NBA, they go to grad school.  Attendance at sporting events is notoriously poor. School spirit is non existent.  Athlete worship that would create a culture of permissiveness allowing for gang rape does not exist.  I went to NYU for four years and I don't even know if we have a football team...seriously? Do we? Can someone tell me or do I have to Google this?

*Greek life: 1. They don't have houses, they have floors of dorms.  So you can get shitwrecked in Palladium til an RA cuts if off, or you can just go out to a bar like a normal person CAUSE YOU LIVE IN NEW YORK CITY and get roofied there.
2. Fraternities are a joke. They don't turn anyone away. They have to beg people to rush, and they are not populated by the charismatic, muscle bound "BMOC'/rapists" depicted on SVU.  They are filled with tiny Stern students who are afraid to talk to girls. I met only 4 frat members in my entire time at NYU and I was a head taller than all of them. Girls don't have to worry that they will be slut shamed and accused of "asking for it" by getting drunk at an NYU frat party, because they will never, ever go to an NYU Frat party.

In conclusion Go Violets? Or Bobcats? Which was it?