also my desire to watch was def impacted by his Twitter/blog voice, fairly or not
I will admit it is probably also coloring my memories of The Wire
― k*r*n koltrane (Simon H.), Monday, 15 June 2020 02:18 (three years ago) link
I tried watching The Deuce but the combination of James Franco and actually knowing something about the world they were attempting to depict made it impossible.
― but also fuck you (unperson), Monday, 15 June 2020 02:21 (three years ago) link
I can see that
― Dan S, Monday, 15 June 2020 02:24 (three years ago) link
James Franco is a good actor I don't care to watch act in things at this juncture
― k*r*n koltrane (Simon H.), Monday, 15 June 2020 02:25 (three years ago) link
am comforted for some reason by its depiction of NY in the 70s
― Dan S, Monday, 15 June 2020 02:28 (three years ago) link
I think about how far gone we are now and I long for the innocence and griminess of that era
― Dan S, Monday, 15 June 2020 02:37 (three years ago) link
so I guess nostalgia
It was a fairly radical move to place the drug dealers on the same footing as cops - equal agency, equally charming or equally awful depending on the character, etc. - but that’s also the weakness of the show in retrospect because it doesn’t mirror actual reality. Cops have more agency in life than a kid raised on a drug corner.
― Donald Trump Also Sucks, Of Course (milo z), Monday, 15 June 2020 02:40 (three years ago) link
i think that's part of the virtue of the three zones of characters i mentioned before—more, once you bring in politicians and teachers and the like.
they don't have the same agency and part of the problem is that some of the people with more do less with theirs, or are negligent or intentionally harmful.
the drug dealers are using their agency, in certain ways for much more than people ordinarily do (cf. gant the murdered witness being a 'citizen', a working man etc), but like the addicts and the cops they act under what they feel is a constraint on what they must do and can do. the real sources and natures of these constraints vary, and they have a lot to do with how we evaluate the characters' actions. the whole stoic-nihilist soldier mentality of the drug dealers that gets its extreme expression in avon and (not quite the same) omar and stringer permits them to play out a little heroic-tragic storyline within the larger one, but it wouldn't be able to if their characters weren't depicted as genuinely acting in the face of necessities imposed by the situation and the world.
― j., Monday, 15 June 2020 02:52 (three years ago) link
yeah, like Bodie is a character who would probably do great as a cop - hard-working, attentive, pretty good with people, morally malleable enough to not make himself a nuisance the way McNulty does - but he’s so limited by his environment that it inevitably closes in around him.
― JoeStork, Monday, 15 June 2020 04:45 (three years ago) link
I forgot that he also wrote Show Me A Hero
oh geez, that show made me cry.
that’s also the weakness of the show in retrospect because it doesn’t mirror actual reality. Cops have more agency in life than a kid raised on a drug corner.
one of the key points of the show is this exact thing.
But going back to the article posted upthread about women -- it does a bit of gender essentialism which I found a bit off-putting. Like, it complains about a dearth of female characters, and how we barely see women involved (esp. from the drug dealer angle), and I agree there. It would be good to see more of that. Who are the "little old ladies" these dudes put their fancy cars in the names of. What are their stories? What about the girls at the parties, Bodie's grandma, etc.? I was sympathetic there.
But then it does the thing where it is dismissive of some of the actual woman characters as not "female enough" (e.g. Snoop). The "men with tits" bit. ... It evades the issue that the world depicted in the show, esp. regarding the drug trade is a masculine one. So, to function in that world as a woman (e.g. Snoop, Kima, Kimmy, Rhonda) you kinda have be a "man with tits" -- and even the actual cis-men in the show have to demonstrate a certain form of masculinity. This is something that the characters even talk about.
― sarahell, Monday, 15 June 2020 14:05 (three years ago) link
good points
― If you choose too long a name, your new display name will be truncated in (Left), Monday, 15 June 2020 15:03 (three years ago) link
otm
― terminators of endearment (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 15 June 2020 15:26 (three years ago) link
I remember hearing Simon feeling regretful of the all-male writers rooms of the wire after the much more diverse room they assembled for the deuce.
― DJI, Monday, 15 June 2020 16:00 (three years ago) link
hardly a unique failing of course
― k*r*n koltrane (Simon H.), Monday, 15 June 2020 16:02 (three years ago) link
For sure.
― DJI, Monday, 15 June 2020 16:03 (three years ago) link
is he still making a Spanish Civil War show? that seems destined to make everyone mad
― k*r*n koltrane (Simon H.), Monday, 15 June 2020 16:05 (three years ago) link
Reg E Cathey was such a delight every time he was on the screen.
― Joe Biden Stan Account (milo z), Wednesday, 24 February 2021 05:13 (three years ago) link
Yes he was.
And though Clarke Peters was near-perfect as Lester, I still would've liked to have seen what Cathey could have done there.
― pplains, Wednesday, 24 February 2021 13:21 (three years ago) link
Season 5 is both better than I remember (the serial killer plot isn't that bad when it's not focusing on McNulty acting out his relapse, City Hall stuff all good) and much much worse (every scene set at the Baltimore Sun).
― Joe Bombin (milo z), Wednesday, 3 March 2021 05:11 (three years ago) link
the smug Simon stand-in at the Sun doing his "at the Baltimore Sun, God still resides in the details" after correcting a poor word choice - fuck u fuck u fuck u
― Joe Bombin (milo z), Wednesday, 3 March 2021 05:12 (three years ago) link
awww Clark Johnson, who would later go on to trade off w/Tim Van Patten at directing very special episodes of prestige tV
― sarahell, Wednesday, 3 March 2021 15:44 (three years ago) link
He's not bad (as an actor, the role is bad), I didn't see him as a Simon stand-in. This one was an old white-haired white guy. The real Simon stand-in probably is the 50-year old crime reporter who gets bought out and then immediately reveals his photographic memory of everyone who works for the police department.
― Joe Bombin (milo z), Wednesday, 3 March 2021 17:34 (three years ago) link
I love Clark Johnson, he was so, so good as Lewis on Homicide. His performance in the episode "Crosetti" is prob my favorite TV performance of all time.
― Lily Dale, Wednesday, 3 March 2021 17:45 (three years ago) link
xp - oh yeah that guy.
― sarahell, Thursday, 4 March 2021 13:54 (three years ago) link
wgae council member david simon says he decided not to step down specifically to tell digital media workers—which he admits make up almost 1/2 of membership—they're not welcome at wgae and please go somewhere else for solidarity and contract protections https://t.co/TF2mv1ATE8 pic.twitter.com/yURvgVPsx7— sara david (@SaraQDavid) August 4, 2021
― Joe Bombin (milo z), Friday, 6 August 2021 04:07 (two years ago) link
this makes my head hurt
― sarahell, Monday, 9 August 2021 03:51 (two years ago) link
Just really dumb reasoning. The great majority of unions organize workers in different trades.
― 《Myst1kOblivi0n》 (jim in vancouver), Monday, 9 August 2021 04:23 (two years ago) link
also why would you want to lose due-paying members?
― 《Myst1kOblivi0n》 (jim in vancouver), Monday, 9 August 2021 04:24 (two years ago) link
idk there are definitely dynamics where there are smaller unions that get absorbed (not the best word choice, sorry) by larger ones, and the needs of their members and/or locals aren't prioritized by the larger org (e.g. the teamsters)
― sarahell, Monday, 9 August 2021 17:52 (two years ago) link
I can see the rationale for Simon's argument. I just don't know enough about the different agendas/issues about the different types of workers to be able to determine whether he is otm, because he could very well be not otm
― sarahell, Monday, 9 August 2021 17:55 (two years ago) link
xp. yes but that's particularly because the teamsters is a bad, undemocratic union
― 《Myst1kOblivi0n》 (jim in vancouver), Monday, 9 August 2021 18:01 (two years ago) link
JFC: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/michael-k-williams-the-wire-star-dead-at-54-1235009002/
― Carte Blanchett (Leee), Monday, 6 September 2021 22:05 (two years ago) link
worst news
― terminators of endearment (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 6 September 2021 22:10 (two years ago) link
photograph taken at his home in brooklyn, august 2021. by jesse dittmar. pic.twitter.com/xVLILGDfVA— #freekeithdavisjr (@liberianjue_) September 6, 2021
― papal hotwife (milo z), Monday, 6 September 2021 22:13 (two years ago) link
RIP legend
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 6 September 2021 22:18 (two years ago) link
Man, RIP. Some sites are saying it was an overdose. :(
― jmm, Monday, 6 September 2021 22:32 (two years ago) link
sweet remembrance from Paul Reubens/PeeWee Herman
I just saw some extremely sad, heartbreaking news. My friend and supremely talented actor Michael K. Williams has died. We met on a film in 2008 and became casual pals. I was excited to meet him having greatly admired his incredible, insightful work in ‘The Wire’. pic.twitter.com/LD0icMcbei— Pee-wee Herman (@peeweeherman) September 6, 2021
― terminators of endearment (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 6 September 2021 22:57 (two years ago) link
(click through for the thread)
― terminators of endearment (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 6 September 2021 22:58 (two years ago) link
OMAR
― calstars, Monday, 6 September 2021 22:58 (two years ago) link
and Wendell Pierce ;_; (also a thread)
The depth of my love for this brother, can only be matched by the depth of my pain learning of his loss. A immensely talented man with the ability to give voice to the human condition portraying the lives of those whose humanity is seldom elevated until he sings their truth. pic.twitter.com/EvrESGSK8O— Wendell Pierce (@WendellPierce) September 6, 2021
― terminators of endearment (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 6 September 2021 23:00 (two years ago) link
the idea of paul reubens sending mkw a valentine every year is just breaking my heart into little pieces
― Clay, Monday, 6 September 2021 23:03 (two years ago) link
right?
― terminators of endearment (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 6 September 2021 23:12 (two years ago) link
sorry for multi postsgreat clip of MKW talking about playing Omar
Omar Little meant just as much to Michael as this character did to us pic.twitter.com/isb8pashM3— certified lover kar (@karlogan_) September 6, 2021
― terminators of endearment (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 6 September 2021 23:15 (two years ago) link
he really gave his roles full gas, nothing felt like him ~trying~ to give you the character. and when he cried on camera, you felt it. so good in closeup. he was 100% in it
― terminators of endearment (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 6 September 2021 23:19 (two years ago) link
He was good in other things, but Omar is one of those indelible performances. One of the best characters on one of the best shows ever. R.I.P.
― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Tuesday, 7 September 2021 00:45 (two years ago) link
For me, this scene of Michael K Williams as Dr. Marshall Kane is the most deep and intense scene from 'Community'. I've been replaying this scene. 😢 #MichaelKWilliams#legend https://t.co/WVPbmy2T2D— Anum Jamal (@AnumAJamal) September 7, 2021
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 7 September 2021 00:50 (two years ago) link
forgot about him on Community. loved his character on that show.
― Duke Detain (Neanderthal), Tuesday, 7 September 2021 00:51 (two years ago) link
he was great! and he could have came on and given like a 5 and blown everyone ,away but he’s fully giving a 10.
― terminators of endearment (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 7 September 2021 01:28 (two years ago) link
This is it. The definitive Michael K Williams take pic.twitter.com/rzJ5zZ3VTV— Germinator (@johngermany) September 6, 2021
― terminators of endearment (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 7 September 2021 01:40 (two years ago) link