Television Marathon Followed by Grading Marathon Reduces a Usually Somwhat-Agile Mind

I've been watching "The Wire," right?

And, I temporarily gave it up yesterday so that I can grade exams by Friday's due date.

So, I have "The Wire," provocative, clever, astounding, on one side of my brain, and students waxing-pretty-damn-poetic (on the limitations of the early Civil Rights Movement wrt women, the urban poor, etc. or the construction of race in the U.S. in the last 140 years or why black power was so threatening beyond, "OMG, scary black men with gunz!!!" or challenges African Americans face in the 21st century and how they are linked to the myriad issues we discussed this semester) on the other. And you know what I keep thinking?

I'd really, really like a doughnut. And not just any doughnut; a warm, way-too-sweet Krispy Kreme with hot chocolate or chocolate milk. I've even gone so far as to call to find out when will the hot sign be on again. However...

the temperature is 45 degrees and falling, with an expected low of 35.

You know how this dream ends, right? No doughnuts for me. No "The Wire" for me. Only essays stretching far into this cold, dark night.

The Wire, III

Notice to all interested parties, one Idris Elba, aka Stringer Bell is now available again. I'm cutting him loose. I mean, I knew he was a criminal--though I know one of the points of this series is to show the thin line between "criminal," taken to mean "bad guy" and "authorities"--but some criminals, like Omar who prides himself on never killing "a citizen" (someone not involved in drugs), have a code. Stringer Bell is now dead to me--you don't kill someone's child then pretend you're her best friend and truly concerned. That is so low down and dirty!

Some things I've been meaning to comment on 1) the almost "casual" racism, sexism, and homophobia. Like, really, "cunt" and "nigger" and "faggot" and "Polack" can just fall out of people's mouths and the next moment, they're eating dinner or drinking or working with someone they've included in one of the slurs referenced above. The stevedores/longshoremen are perfect examples. I don't doubt that they love each other, have a strong bond, but I'm struck by their language.

ETA: And, Maurice Levy: If I knew someone like him, I would step in his face, using all my considerable weight and really, really high heels. But so much of that character is a grossly-caricatured, anti-Semitic stereotype--when Bri calls him "that Jew lawyer," I was like, "Damn, we get it!!!"

And references like "project niggers" and when Prez cracked the phone code used by the Barksdales--he knew it had to be easy because the black Barksdale gang wouldn't be able to use algebra or something he said.

Clear cases of exceptionalization I think--"the black people I work with/respect are not like those 'project niggers'"; Kima is a "cool" lesbian; Omar is gay, "but" he's tough as hell and has the aforementioned code. Jimmy McNulty's wife "Elena" is "different" from the other women he treats as if they are disposable.

2) The level of inner city violence. A shootout on a city street in daylight? Drug gangs "controlling" public housing? I knew, but didn't KNOW. Hell, I still don't know. I feel naive and frustrated. I'm most angry at the police and politicians who are willing to let the city die behind politics--really, is it that serious? There's so much more I could say here, but I'm just still taken aback.

3) The drinking. My God.

I made it through episode 10 of season two last night, slid the final disc, episodes 11 and 12, out of the sleeve and realized it was broken. Cracked from center to outside like a line of radius or something. If I could kick someone's ass at netflix, I would.

So, here's the plan. I go drop season two in the mailbox. I grudgingly rent the last disc of season two and the first two of season three at the video store. That will tide me over until the rest of season three and beginning of season four come on Wednesday. Ok, it won't, but I can't justify paying for netflix and making numerous trips to the video store. Ye old budget says no.

That's probably all I can do before the break--I have my last final tomorrow and grades are due the 19th, plus we have all the end-of-semester get-togethers and luncheons and stuff. I'm trying to figure out how to at least get the rest of season four to take home with me.

mrs. o says that we have to figure out a way to get whatever I need while I'm in Louisiana so that she finally has someone with whom she can discuss the show. For her, I'd be willing to buy the last season, except I really don't watch too many shows/movies after I've seen them once. Plus, no lie, Christmas has me on the verge of BROKE!!!

The Wire, II

So you're all going to have to deal with my discovery of this show. Just pretend your head had been buried in the sand, too. On my last "The Wire" post, I drooled over Idris Elba and Sonja Sohn. Hagar's Daughter asked me about Omar Little, played by Michael K. Williams. I swear, I had just sent mrs. o this text message:

I know omar gotta die. I'm starting to love omar. Don't die, omar!!

And that heifa sent back:

Not going 2 tell u. But u will not like what happens...

SCREAM!!!!!

No, really, I don't want to know. You should see me, wanting to look up all the characters, but scared to read too much on imdb or wikipedia.

I'm about to start season 2, episode 3. I'm not as into the dock/port stuff yet, but I am interested. mrs. o says the school system season is going to kill me.

Will update you at the end of season 2. And I don't mean to take props away from McNulty/Dominic West. He's a cutie, too--but Idris, Lord, Idris!!!

The Wire

Started watching "The Wire" this morning a little after midnight. At 7:14, I could no longer hold my eyes open. I paused near the end of episode 7.

Why didn't y'all tell me it was instantly addictive? I'm scared! B/c I could only get Season I, Discs 1-4 on netflix (I still had one film checked out, so disc 5 is at the top of my queue), if I sit here and finish discs 3 and 4, I won't know how the season ends until Saturday or Monday (if I send netflix back today, they'll send more out tomorrow). I can't take it!

I guess I could pay my late charge at the video store and get the last disc and the first disc of season two. Will that tide me over til Saturday? Who knows???

A quote from the text I sent my friends and sister this morning, begging them not to call me because I was finally going to sleep:

And, oh, Idris Elba could make me agree to have sex again!

His tall drink of water ass in glasses or jeans? Oh. My. God.

And I've always seen him playing an American.* I just watched a video clip of him speaking with his British accent. I want to cry.

ETA: And I always heard about Felicia Pearson (admittedly bad-girl sexy). No one told me about Sonja Sohn--around episode four or five when we first see her with her hair down... Yeah, I'm loving this show.
___________________________________________
*ETA: I lied; How can I forget watching "Sometimes in April?"

Movie Question

I decided last night to order "The Wire," beginning with season one.

No, I've never seen it, not one episode.

But hold your gasps until I ask my question for the weekend!

"The Wire" isn't the only apparently huge hole in my tv/film life. My students were shocked, SHOCKED!! that I have seen none of the "Star Wars," "E.T.," or "Indiana Jones" films.

Off the top of my head, also unseen: "Boyz in the Hood" (I pieced that together from various clips and people's stories of the film), "Do the Right Thing," any "American Pie," "Citizen Kane," "Rocky I through MMXLV" or whatever, "Love Jones" which I began and couldn't get into, to be honest, "Love and Basketball" in sequential order, "Fatal Attraction," "Gone with the Wind" (don't want to), any episode of "Grey's Anatomy," or "Lost" and I'm stopping there, whew.

So what's the gaping hole in your motion picture repertoire?