"The Wire" on HBO

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.

good points

otm

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.

hardly a unique failing of course

For sure.

is he still making a Spanish Civil War show? that seems destined to make everyone mad

Reg E Cathey was such a delight every time he was on the screen.

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.

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).

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

awww Clark Johnson, who would later go on to trade off w/Tim Van Patten at directing very special episodes of prestige tV

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.

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.

xp - oh yeah that guy.

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

this makes my head hurt

Just really dumb reasoning. The great majority of unions organize workers in different trades.

also why would you want to lose due-paying members?

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)

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

xp. yes but that's particularly because the teamsters is a bad, undemocratic union

JFC: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/michael-k-williams-the-wire-star-dead-at-54-1235009002/

worst news

photograph taken at his home in brooklyn, august 2021.

by jesse dittmar. pic.twitter.com/xVLILGDfVA

— #freekeithdavisjr (@liberianjue_) September 6, 2021

RIP legend

Man, RIP. Some sites are saying it was an overdose. :(

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

(click through for the thread)

OMAR

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

the idea of paul reubens sending mkw a valentine every year is just breaking my heart into little pieces

right?

sorry for multi posts

great 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

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

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.

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

forgot about him on Community. loved his character on that show.

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.

This is it. The definitive Michael K Williams take

pic.twitter.com/rzJ5zZ3VTV

— Germinator (@johngermany) September 6, 2021

it’s wild to watch this now too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpST8KE3vSI

Michael K. Williams talking to different versions of himself on getting typecast as a black man. pic.twitter.com/uRowCxU4Tf

— chu (@chuuzus) September 6, 2021

last line really hurts now

Great clip, vg.

What is it VG, in UK I‘m getting:

Video unavailable
The uploader has not made this video available in your country.

ugh ugh ugh

xpost chewshabadoo - HBO shortfilm “Typecast” - Michael K Williams as himself, and in character as Omar, Chalky & Montrose in conversation together talking about the question of typecasting & how/if it applies to him as an actor

wow, that video hits hard. what a great actor, what a loss.

David Simon essay on MKW in the New York Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/12/opinion/michael-k-williams-david-simon-the-wire.html

I dunno, that felt a bit off to me somehow, can't put my finger on why.