Can’t watch tv with husband

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know about this show specifically, but I’ve seen lots of storylines that remind me of afterschool specials. Whether you agree with the message or not, being hit over the head with it like a hammer gets old pretty quickly. If you plan on watching a mystery (or other genre) and end up getting lectured, it’s pretty discouraging.

If you're gay or a person of color, it also gets old pretty quickly to watch shows about straight white people all the time. Minorities are not existing at you. The fact that you take their presence in a show as "being lectured" speaks volumes about you.

The fact that diverse characters ste present doesn’t make me feel lectured to. Will and Grace may have been mostly about white people, but they definitely weren’t all straight, and it didn’t feel like a lecture. They were characters who happened to be gay, but the show was just about them living their lives. Sense8 was a great show that was just about a bunch of people, who happened to be very diverse (and celebrated that diversity), in a premise which may have been a nightmare for the characters, but was entertaining for the audience.

Compare a show like Girlfriends to Different Strokes. Different Strokes is more the type to lecture about diversity (but at least it was designed with that goal in mind), while Girlfriends was an entertaining show with a diverse cast. While I enjoyed Different Strokes and afternoon specials back in the day when I’d come home after school as a kid and watch TV, as an adult, if I’m looking for a mystery, comedy, drama, thriller, etc., I want the plot and characters to be focused on the story and not interrupting the flow to raise my awareness. Just having a storyline promoting tolerance does not equate to good writing. I don’t care as much about their ethnicity, orientation, religion, species (vampires, aliens, etc.), I’m looking to be entertained. If I want to be educated, I’ll seek out a documentary, or maybe just revisit those afterschool specials, where the lectures were at least at intrinsic part of the story and not just a distraction tacked onto the side.

So you want a show with black people that doesn't have any mention of racism, a show with gay people not to mention homophobia. Don't you realize that for these groups, those worlds don't exist? Their lived experience is different from straight white people, and it's one in which their identity is centered constantly. I'm sure they would love to "just live their lives", but they aren't allowed to. You want a dishonest show, because it makes you more comfortable.

[Anonymous]

My dh rolls his eyes at me when I start complaining about shows being too white. We got to the point I bite my tongue and he looks at me knowing exactly what I'm thinking and says he knows. I feel the anger and revulsion in my soul when U.S. based shows/movies stick to the homogenous recipe (Hi Hallmark). If its a subtitled Danish movie, sure bring all the whites and I will happily watch as it makes more sense but even those often have more depth and a bit of diversity. Even good directors often blow it by not being more inclusive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know about this show specifically, but I’ve seen lots of storylines that remind me of afterschool specials. Whether you agree with the message or not, being hit over the head with it like a hammer gets old pretty quickly. If you plan on watching a mystery (or other genre) and end up getting lectured, it’s pretty discouraging.

If you're gay or a person of color, it also gets old pretty quickly to watch shows about straight white people all the time. Minorities are not existing at you. The fact that you take their presence in a show as "being lectured" speaks volumes about you.

The fact that diverse characters ste present doesn’t make me feel lectured to. Will and Grace may have been mostly about white people, but they definitely weren’t all straight, and it didn’t feel like a lecture. They were characters who happened to be gay, but the show was just about them living their lives. Sense8 was a great show that was just about a bunch of people, who happened to be very diverse (and celebrated that diversity), in a premise which may have been a nightmare for the characters, but was entertaining for the audience.

Compare a show like Girlfriends to Different Strokes. Different Strokes is more the type to lecture about diversity (but at least it was designed with that goal in mind), while Girlfriends was an entertaining show with a diverse cast. While I enjoyed Different Strokes and afternoon specials back in the day when I’d come home after school as a kid and watch TV, as an adult, if I’m looking for a mystery, comedy, drama, thriller, etc., I want the plot and characters to be focused on the story and not interrupting the flow to raise my awareness. Just having a storyline promoting tolerance does not equate to good writing. I don’t care as much about their ethnicity, orientation, religion, species (vampires, aliens, etc.), I’m looking to be entertained. If I want to be educated, I’ll seek out a documentary, or maybe just revisit those afterschool specials, where the lectures were at least at intrinsic part of the story and not just a distraction tacked onto the side.

So you want a show with black people that doesn't have any mention of racism, a show with gay people not to mention homophobia. Don't you realize that for these groups, those worlds don't exist? Their lived experience is different from straight white people, and it's one in which their identity is centered constantly. I'm sure they would love to "just live their lives", but they aren't allowed to. You want a dishonest show, because it makes you more comfortable.

You seem bound and determined to disregard what I’m saying in order to provoke an argument. I’ll try afain.

I never said that I wanted a show about blacks that didn’t mention racism or a show about gay people that didn’t mention homophobia. I’m pretty sure that the shows I used as an examples did address those topics as part of the characters lives, because as you yourself point out its part of their lived experience. As entertainment depends on the audience to suspend their disbelief, reflecting reality accurately will most likely increase the entertainment value. That is different than throwing in an artificial storyline just to teach a lesson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know about this show specifically, but I’ve seen lots of storylines that remind me of afterschool specials. Whether you agree with the message or not, being hit over the head with it like a hammer gets old pretty quickly. If you plan on watching a mystery (or other genre) and end up getting lectured, it’s pretty discouraging.

If you're gay or a person of color, it also gets old pretty quickly to watch shows about straight white people all the time. Minorities are not existing at you. The fact that you take their presence in a show as "being lectured" speaks volumes about you.

The fact that diverse characters ste present doesn’t make me feel lectured to. Will and Grace may have been mostly about white people, but they definitely weren’t all straight, and it didn’t feel like a lecture. They were characters who happened to be gay, but the show was just about them living their lives. Sense8 was a great show that was just about a bunch of people, who happened to be very diverse (and celebrated that diversity), in a premise which may have been a nightmare for the characters, but was entertaining for the audience.

Compare a show like Girlfriends to Different Strokes. Different Strokes is more the type to lecture about diversity (but at least it was designed with that goal in mind), while Girlfriends was an entertaining show with a diverse cast. While I enjoyed Different Strokes and afternoon specials back in the day when I’d come home after school as a kid and watch TV, as an adult, if I’m looking for a mystery, comedy, drama, thriller, etc., I want the plot and characters to be focused on the story and not interrupting the flow to raise my awareness. Just having a storyline promoting tolerance does not equate to good writing. I don’t care as much about their ethnicity, orientation, religion, species (vampires, aliens, etc.), I’m looking to be entertained. If I want to be educated, I’ll seek out a documentary, or maybe just revisit those afterschool specials, where the lectures were at least at intrinsic part of the story and not just a distraction tacked onto the side.

So you want a show with black people that doesn't have any mention of racism, a show with gay people not to mention homophobia. Don't you realize that for these groups, those worlds don't exist? Their lived experience is different from straight white people, and it's one in which their identity is centered constantly. I'm sure they would love to "just live their lives", but they aren't allowed to. You want a dishonest show, because it makes you more comfortable.

You seem bound and determined to disregard what I’m saying in order to provoke an argument. I’ll try afain.

I never said that I wanted a show about blacks that didn’t mention racism or a show about gay people that didn’t mention homophobia. I’m pretty sure that the shows I used as an examples did address those topics as part of the characters lives, because as you yourself point out its part of their lived experience. As entertainment depends on the audience to suspend their disbelief, reflecting reality accurately will most likely increase the entertainment value. That is different than throwing in an artificial storyline just to teach a lesson.

Who are you to decide a storyline is artificial?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My dh rolls his eyes at me when I start complaining about shows being too white. We got to the point I bite my tongue and he looks at me knowing exactly what I'm thinking and says he knows. I feel the anger and revulsion in my soul when U.S. based shows/movies stick to the homogenous recipe (Hi Hallmark). If its a subtitled Danish movie, sure bring all the whites and I will happily watch as it makes more sense but even those often have more depth and a bit of diversity. Even good directors often blow it by not being more inclusive.

Hallmark typically has more diversity than BET.

[Anonymous]

We like different shows and I'm always in my studio making jewelry while I watch TV. He's recently been watching Billions and Goliath which tells you what he likes. We did watch episodes of The Crown together and we both enjoyed it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We like different shows and I'm always in my studio making jewelry while I watch TV. He's recently been watching Billions and Goliath which tells you what he likes. We did watch episodes of The Crown together and we both enjoyed it.

So not the point of this thread....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know about this show specifically, but I’ve seen lots of storylines that remind me of afterschool specials. Whether you agree with the message or not, being hit over the head with it like a hammer gets old pretty quickly. If you plan on watching a mystery (or other genre) and end up getting lectured, it’s pretty discouraging.

If you're gay or a person of color, it also gets old pretty quickly to watch shows about straight white people all the time. Minorities are not existing at you. The fact that you take their presence in a show as "being lectured" speaks volumes about you.

Are you literally shaking?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know about this show specifically, but I’ve seen lots of storylines that remind me of afterschool specials. Whether you agree with the message or not, being hit over the head with it like a hammer gets old pretty quickly. If you plan on watching a mystery (or other genre) and end up getting lectured, it’s pretty discouraging.

If you're gay or a person of color, it also gets old pretty quickly to watch shows about straight white people all the time. Minorities are not existing at you. The fact that you take their presence in a show as "being lectured" speaks volumes about you.

The fact that diverse characters ste present doesn’t make me feel lectured to. Will and Grace may have been mostly about white people, but they definitely weren’t all straight, and it didn’t feel like a lecture. They were characters who happened to be gay, but the show was just about them living their lives. Sense8 was a great show that was just about a bunch of people, who happened to be very diverse (and celebrated that diversity), in a premise which may have been a nightmare for the characters, but was entertaining for the audience.

Compare a show like Girlfriends to Different Strokes. Different Strokes is more the type to lecture about diversity (but at least it was designed with that goal in mind), while Girlfriends was an entertaining show with a diverse cast. While I enjoyed Different Strokes and afternoon specials back in the day when I’d come home after school as a kid and watch TV, as an adult, if I’m looking for a mystery, comedy, drama, thriller, etc., I want the plot and characters to be focused on the story and not interrupting the flow to raise my awareness. Just having a storyline promoting tolerance does not equate to good writing. I don’t care as much about their ethnicity, orientation, religion, species (vampires, aliens, etc.), I’m looking to be entertained. If I want to be educated, I’ll seek out a documentary, or maybe just revisit those afterschool specials, where the lectures were at least at intrinsic part of the story and not just a distraction tacked onto the side.

So you want a show with black people that doesn't have any mention of racism, a show with gay people not to mention homophobia. Don't you realize that for these groups, those worlds don't exist? Their lived experience is different from straight white people, and it's one in which their identity is centered constantly. I'm sure they would love to "just live their lives", but they aren't allowed to. You want a dishonest show, because it makes you more comfortable.

That's not at all what PP said, and you're kind of shitty for putting those words into his or her mouth.