Comments on: Review: Difficult Men, Brett Martin

By: Marian Halcombe

Marian Halcombe — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 13:56:35 +0000

EWWWWW. That first excerpt is my new replacement for ipecac syrup.

I commend you for finishing the book and definitely endorse picking up Alan Sepinwall’s book instead. I haven’t wanted to review it because I skipped some chapters (didn’t want to be spoiled for Breaking Bad, which I haven’t finished yet) but it’s a much more thoughtful and less disgusting insider view.

By: Christy

Christy — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 23:40:08 +0000

I really really hope that the success of Orange is the New Black starts paving the way for more shows that show the interiority of female characters. It shouldn’t have to feel like a novelty.

By: Athira

Athira — Sun, 22 Jun 2014 22:35:01 +0000

Ugh, those passages are just disgusting to read. I am already sick of the TV/movie industry’s portrayal of women as playthings or scheming things. I would imagine book writers have better sense. Nop, I guess.

By: Katy

Katy — Sat, 21 Jun 2014 00:14:45 +0000

In reply to Gin Jenny. I had to stop watching The Wire because I hated McNulty so much. I was rooting for Rawls to put McNulty on a boat and just leave him there forever. Have you seen Homicide, Life on the Street? It was the pre-Wire Baltimore cop drama, and it had, in addition to fantastic writing, a very diverse cast and a bisexual male lead.

By: Words for Worms

Words for Worms — Thu, 19 Jun 2014 00:42:06 +0000

PREACH!

By: The Literary Omnivore

The Literary Omnivore — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 16:38:08 +0000

That last paragraph is PERFECT. I loathe it when people try and excuse their racism/sexism/homophobia/what have you by disguising it as something else. For instance, romance, young adult fiction, and fanfiction get slammed because they are mostly produced by ladies, but instead of coming out and saying “ew, ladies”, there’s also something else wrong with it that’s not actually a real thing. Vomit.

By: aartichapati

aartichapati — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 03:32:21 +0000

Oh-Em-Gee. I agree with all of the things you say above. My favorite genres are NONE OF THOSE that are listed above, which totally leave out anyone who is not an WASP male. Ugh. I am sick of the brooding white male who is oversexed and now wants to find real love and then finds it in the arms of a woman who knows all about his gross and sordid past, but also believes that she can change him for the better because all he needs is the love of a good woman. And I’m sick of every other woman being branded a slut. And I’m sick of no shows on TV giving women or non-whites even a role to play. Like that show Friends with Better Lives – how is it POSSIBLE in this day and age to be 30+ years old, live in (what I presume to be) a city and have ONLY WHITE FRIENDS that you hang out with all the time?! That is not realistic! WHY CAN’T TV BE REALISTIC?

I think to cleanse yourself of this book, you should read Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? which is refreshingly funny and doesn’t even address the non-issue of women being funny and present in TV.

By: Kim (Sophisticated Dorkiness)

Kim (Sophisticated Dorkiness) — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 02:16:23 +0000

Dang! I’m sad this book was so frustrating. I’m really interested in reading about the television landscape and even had this one on a list. It sounds like I should probably skip it.

By: Gin Jenny

Gin Jenny — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 19:27:21 +0000

In reply to Teresa. Me too! Some people thought he was screwing with us by saying that Skyler was a perfectly reasonable character, but I think that was his genuine position. (It was mine, too! I don't know why everyone hated her. She laundered money really helpfully.) Yep, I could do without McNulty on The Wire, if for no other reason than I found his accent distracting.

By: Gin Jenny

Gin Jenny — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 19:26:23 +0000

In reply to Jeanne. Yeah, it sounds really difficult. I wouldn't know where to begin to break into that business.