Twisty is back

[ismnotwasm]

Breath of much needed blaming. Damn it feels good to read her, righteous, no bullshit, blame where blame is due. With no apologies for being a RADICAL feminist, no, not even close, not even a little bit. I bow in awe.

"Yeah, I watched TV again

You know how spinster aunts love to lounge around on or about the TempurPedic eating Cool Whip and watching TV. Today I saw a series of programs on the E! channel. The E! channel, for those blamers who obstinately decline to monitor world misogyny via American television, consists, even more transparently than most other channels, entirely of antifeminist celebrity idolatry/hatred. Whose dress is ugly, who drove her celebrity man into the arms of another celebrity woman, that mouthy slut Amy Winehouse in rehab, etc.

This morning there was a show called “Soup” where a smirking motherfucker cuts famous people down to size by screening embarrassing video clips of them attacking their fans or being fat.

http://blog.iblamethepatriarchy.com/2008/07/05/yeah-i-watched-tv-again/

[musette_sf]

1. glad to see Twisty back

but i do love my Soup... i take it she's, um, not a fan.

The Soup is an equal opportunity offender, i don't think it's particularly sexist.

[bliss_eternal]

2. Just read this last night...

So glad she's back.:thumbsup:

That post cracked me up! Interesting comments followed, too.

[ThomCat]

3. It's good to read her blog again.

She definitely hit it directly. The publicity that women celebrities get is of a different kind entirely from what guys get. The expectations are different, and the image seems to be much more solid and inescapable.

After not watching TV for the past year (and three months) I am starting to see tv from an outside perspective (I think). When I get my rare glimpses I don't recognize the shows or the celebrities. Instead of being automatically sucked into the assumptions and expectations of these shows I can sit and see the way they're using people as props for a larger cultural message.

It's refreshing in a lot of ways, but scary as hell to see how blatant and bigoted those messages are.

[ismnotwasm]

4. That is an interesting perspective

I'm not a TV fan, and like you, not because of some sort of cultural superiority (Twisty makes fun of that type BTW)but because I don't have the attention span for it. I can read books for hours though. (I think it something to do with being nearsighted-- meh, who knows?)
ANY way, so when I do watch TV, I notice the same thing you do. I think I notice more because It hits me harder when I do watch, kind of a WTF moment. I can get overly analytic about it though. For instance, I was watching Cold Case, the plot had to do with bombings. One of the police referred to the bomb as a nasty little bitch, or some such term with a slight emphasis on "bitch"-- being the operative word and all. Something someone would call their girlfriend if they were pissed, with lateral violence in the language. The female cop, started to turn to the guy, I was expecting her to say something about the comment, but with a perfectly blank expression,(eerily stepford like)talked about the the MO of the bomber

Now, I'm not the language police. In fact, I'm an expert potty mouth, and I don't always notice things. But the way the scene was set up, was--strange. Almost a challenge to the lone female in the scene, who did not respond to it, challenge or otherwise. I still think it was weird, but that's what I get for not watching TV.

(I don't like the word bitch. I prefer the word c*** if I'm going to use gender specific profanity. Mostly because it creeps certain people out, the language hypocrites who defend calling a woman an animal, call men pricks and dicks as mild insults or term of endearment, yet have little seizures over using or hearing a specific word for female genitalia. I'm off on a tangent now, but it has to do with the perception of female genitalia being dirty or disgusting. It gives the word a lot of power that I've never understood.)

[bliss_eternal]

5. Weight, age and drugs...

Barely an eye is turned to male celebs with much younger wives. We all recall the media hailstorm of Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher a few years ago--she was in some instances spoke of in terms of a "pedophile."

If a female actress is "getting heavy" they can't wait to plaster her face all over every tabloid in the most unflattering of positions (and clothing). No one mentions it when male actors gain weight--and they gain weight, all the time and yes, it affects their "on-screen appearance" too.

Lyndsay Lohan's career (among other female actresses) was allegedly ruined because of her rehab stint. I have three words--Robert Downey junior.

:eyes:

[femrap]

7. I wish more people would watch TV

with that objective outlook. I don't watch much...I like the new cable shows like 'The Closer,' 'Saving Grace,' and 'Burn Notice.' Otherwise, I much prefer to read.

Today's sitcoms would have been PROTESTED back in the '70's. I miss Mary Tyler Moore, Roseanne, and Murphy Brown...oh and The Designing Women.

The young women of today have to fight a MSM that hates them.

[ismnotwasm]

8. You're right

I never thought about it that way. After George Carlin died, I watched a lot of his old stuff, including that first Saturday night live show. I was struck by his mention of topics you don't hear about anymore, like the genocide of Native Americans. Today, you'd get a "hey it wasn't me, get over it"

So thinking about how topical stuff was, compared to the dead chick shows and the tired comedy we're offered these days, yeah, they would have been protested. Woman have heels and boobs and not much else, unless it's a reality show, then from what I understand, there is a tendency toward "Femme Fatale". God.

[bliss_eternal]

9. If I may...

...use a Twisty-ism--
I blame the show Ally McBeal and it's creator, David E. Kelley. :(
Though I think we've talked about this a bit before (in case anyone notices, or if I'm ingrepeat myself). ;)

I've seen Burn Notice but will have to check out Saving Grace and the Closer. If I want something on in the background (while busy with other stuff) it's TvLand or Nick at Nite featuring Roseanne, Murphy Brown and Designing Women. Everything else is crap is far as I'm concerned.

(sigh)

[femrap]

10. I didn't watch much

of Ally McBeal...except the Jon Bon Jovi episodes...I'm sorry, but it had been such a long time since I had seen a good looking man. That's all I remember of the show and that the women attorneys dressed like they were NOT at work. Was this show on FOX??? I can't remember. If so, I'm sure Murdoch issued a dictum governing women's fashions.

I watch Closer and Saving Grace because they are shows with a woman lead and we need to support those. Burn Notice has a fairly good looking guy and a cool woman as his 'partner.' These shows are on late at night when I'm ready to veg out...btw, 2 attractive men on Saving Grace.

Some folks accuse me of 'reverse sexism' when I 'reduce' men to eye candy, but as long as women are treated as such, it is only Just, Fair and Equal to do the same to males. IMHO, at least.

A friend and I went to see a movie yesterday...when we came out, there was this HUGE line to see some premier with Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Downey, Jr. (Was it Tropic Thunder...never heard of it). Anyway we were about out the door when I said, let's conduct a study and walk all the way down this line and look for a handsome male or atl least someone well groomed. We found a well groomed, cute kid who was maybe 14...the rest were just sad.

But I do have to admit that I grew up in the days of longer hair for men, no baseball caps, tighter jeans/pants...and today's 'styles' are the opposite. Today's guys seem to really work at being ugly.

Alas, Jon Bon Jovi.

White guys shaving their heads...??? Not good. They look so Nazi-ish, imho.

Done rambling.

[ismnotwasm]

11. Admiration or even lust

isn't "reverse sexism" I never buy into that notion. Men aren't the sex class.

I love physical beauty and I find it in a lot of diverse and unexpected places. As far a sexual attraction, to this day, the best looking man I've ever seen was a Pacific Islander down at Pike Place Market in Seattle just standing there in that traditional little skirt thing they wear. DAMN he was fine. I can still see him and that must have been over ten years ago.

The best looking woman was an old friend of mine, haven't seen her in years, she just had that compelling symmetry of face and body and was of mixed ethnicity.

[femrap]

17. It's funny how at first someone isn't particularly

attractive, but as you get to know them...their sense of humor, political stances, etc...they become attractive. And the reverse is true as well.

True beauty comes from within, I guess.

[ismnotwasm]

18. That is so true

My husband is like that. He's big with long thinning hair and a beard, attractive enough feature wise, but no Johnny Depp. When he was younger, he was too self effacing to try that "hunk" shit. But he's gorgeous inside. We're both so much older now, and he still takes my breath away.

He attracts people, especially those who need to feel safe, especially women. He's a nexus for positive events and he truly cares about human beings, far more than I do if the truth were told, since I'm a bit of a shit.

I've seen beautiful faces lose all attractiveness once you knew what was inside, they don't become "ugly" exactly, they become blank, or neutral, with no meaning. It's kind of a surreal, sad experience.

[bliss_eternal]

12. There's never a need

to apologize for tuning in to see Jon Bon Jovi, anytime...anywhere. Never.

The summer the original Pirates of the Caribbean was released, I found myself making quite a few trips to the theater (sans husband). Something about Johnny Depp (a ridiculously good looking man, particulary when clean shaven) with kohl rimmed eyes, dreds and just oh so filthy....:loveya: o.m.g. (lol. on edit--I know that's not everyone's thing, but I dug it on him. Anyone else would look creepy and gross.)

Bon Jovi hit the music scene in my late teen years. Prior to him were the brit-pop, mod, nu-romantic and punk eras of the 80's. All the male looks of that time hold a soft spot in my heart. Though the 90's music scene produced some swoon worthy dudes (i.e. Gavin Rossdale, Chris Cornell).

I totally agree with supporting women as leads on tv (so I'm really interested in the shows you mentioned). It's rare they cast women in leads, though cable networks seem to be making the exception (I caught Glen Close on an F/X show). It's one of the reasons I followed Medium. It was on a major network (NBC) featuring Patricia Arguette, great actresss, in her late 30's with a real body and she's always interesting to watch.

[spooky3]

13. awww, those are two of my all time favorite celebrity men

Glad to know I'm not alone and that feminists like them.

But after reading Twisty and this thread, I'm glad all I ever watch these days are tennis and GSN!

[femrap]

16. I forgot all about Johnny Depp...His face is just

hypnotizing to me. Plus he stays out of Hollywood...raises his kids in his wife's home country of France. I loved him in that movie....was it called 'Blow?' He played a cocaine dealer...based on a true story. His looks changed thru out the movie.

The Closer and Saving Grace are starting SOON...their new season...could be next week. They're both on TNT.

I watch repeats of 'Medium' on Lifetime and enjoy it.

[bliss_eternal]

19. His looks are sublime.

I don't always go for that "dirty, unkempt" thing. But as a pirate, with the accent...(swoon). :9

Yes, Blow--was the drug dealer movie. I was moved by his performance in Blow. He cracked me up as Ed Wood and as Ichabod Crane (in Sleepy Hollow).

I've heard him say that he really didn't like the idea of becoming someone's "product." It's almost inevitable for women in the industry, and can be an obstacle for the men that look like Depp. So he shunned much of the Hollywood game early on. It was one of the reasons why he chose to leave 21 Jump Street (a popular tv show, at the height of it's success).

I know he didn't see it coming, but it's ironic (to me) that he always shunned the "becoming a product" thing, only to become one for Disney as Capt. Jack Sparrow. But he had no clue how successful that character would be. Hell, Disney didn't know. He said he thought he was going to be fired early in the film, for what he was doing with the character.

Thanks for the head's up on Saving Grace and the Closer. I saw ads for both today and will definitely check them out! :thumbsup:

A few other guys I never get tired of looking at: Chris Noth, Viggo Mortenson and Joe Perry. :loveya: Me likey.
Oh and Joaquin Phoenix isn't too hard on the eyes either.

Shame on me... :spank::evilgrin:

[bliss_eternal]

20. Actually...

I meant to say he's sublime to look at. Sorry for the error--was typing while distracted again.

[spooky3]

14. both the men's and women's fashions for the past 5-10 years

are so ugly and unflattering, I can't understand why people (mostly young) keep buying them. But at least the men's fashions are comfortable. Can't figure out how women can stand to wear skintight clothes, especially not when involved in sports. I really don't get it.

[femrap]

15. I can't stand all that spandex put into

blouses, tops, skirts and dresses...it's sticky and hot. Give my cotton! And I am so sad that all linen clothes are now made in China...I refuse to buy products from there, so no more linen for me.

I noticed this summer that there are a lot of dresses...why don't you see dresses in the winter?? I swear, we could make a fortune by designing and offering dresses in the fall/winter.

The guy's with their pants hanging below their butts...I so want to tug ever so lightly and see them fall to the floor. Or maybe if they wore thongs, I wouldn't mind the low-hang!! LOL.

[spooky3]

21. haha! I want to buy them some Larry King suspenders!

[BlueIris]

6. I love me some Twisty.

Now I've got my entertainment for next weekend.