Dear TV Producers,
You have brought something into my home that I can no longer tolerate. It is disruptive and condescending at the same time. I am talking, of course, about the laugh track.
I understand the laugh track has been used throughout TV history to confound the viewers at home in the absence of a live audience. Do shows other than late night comedies even have studio audiences anymore? Anyway, if a show is too new to have a live audience or too shitty to elicit a giggle from one it does have, the tinny sound of the laugh track does nothing to speed up the popularity the former or to improve the quality of the latter.
In your average TV sitcom, there is one or MAYBE two lines that are worthy of a mild chuckle out loud in my living room. There is no need to punctuate every sentence with a little titter from the laugh track. I have spent the last 30-something years deciding for my very own self what I find amusing. Your counsel in these matters is both unnecessary and unwelcome. Fake laughter at unfunny jokes calls attention to just how unfunny they are. Please stop it!
Sincerely,
Me
Showing posts with label Soapbox. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Soapbox. Show all posts
Monday, October 3, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
I live.... WHERE?!?!?!
So... When my fellow Canadians elected a Conservative majority this spring, I was more than a little disappointed. I didn't especially want any of the other candidates to win, I just really, really, really didn't want a Harper majority. It's not even Harper himself that scares me so much. Oh, I don't like him AT ALL but he's just a soulless automaton with all the charm and charisma of drying paint. It's his "we-walked-among-the-dinosaurs" former Reform Party cronies that scare the shit out of me.
The man is totally unlikable, I knew that. What I *didn't* know is that he is SO racist, he'd make up new words to try to bring legitimacy to his deluded point. It seems he lives in a different country than the rest of us. As we take strides to become a more open, tolerant society, our fearless leader is relying on fear-mongering to demonstrate his... something. Really, I don't know what he's trying to accomplish, other than being a buffoon. It's completely out of touch with the people of the country he leads.
I was afraid of a Harper majority because I was afraid that as a leader without other parties to keep him in line, he and his former Reform Party cronies would chip away at things we hold dear. I felt OK with Jack Layton as his Jiminy Cricket but now he's gone and the Liberals are running around like a headless chicken so there's nothing to stop Kooky from doing kooky things. The next thing you know he's going to try to strengthen ties to the monarchy. Wouldn't that be funny? Some self-aggrandizing pile of horseshit like pictures of himself and the Queen in every Canadian embassy in the world. God, that would be ridiculous! Oh...
The man is totally unlikable, I knew that. What I *didn't* know is that he is SO racist, he'd make up new words to try to bring legitimacy to his deluded point. It seems he lives in a different country than the rest of us. As we take strides to become a more open, tolerant society, our fearless leader is relying on fear-mongering to demonstrate his... something. Really, I don't know what he's trying to accomplish, other than being a buffoon. It's completely out of touch with the people of the country he leads.
I was afraid of a Harper majority because I was afraid that as a leader without other parties to keep him in line, he and his former Reform Party cronies would chip away at things we hold dear. I felt OK with Jack Layton as his Jiminy Cricket but now he's gone and the Liberals are running around like a headless chicken so there's nothing to stop Kooky from doing kooky things. The next thing you know he's going to try to strengthen ties to the monarchy. Wouldn't that be funny? Some self-aggrandizing pile of horseshit like pictures of himself and the Queen in every Canadian embassy in the world. God, that would be ridiculous! Oh...
Monday, August 22, 2011
Fare thee well, Jack
Canada lost a visionary today. Oh, I didn't necessarily agree with his vision and I didn't vote for him in the last election, but that didn't make me respect him any less. I never doubted for a second that Jack Layton had Canada's best interests at heart, even if the implementation of his vision would have been Utopian at best. Jack Layton reminded us to swing for the fences, and leading his party to official opposition status reminded us that anything is possible.
I remember him best as a city councillor when he refused to sit at a debate with then leader of the Heritage Front (a white supremacist group), Wolfgang Droege. I was just a pup figuring out my political leanings at the time, but I will never forget the tremendous respect I gained for Smilin' Jack at that moment. It's hard to be principled in our world, but that never mattered to Jack Layton. I think most Torontonians remember him as much for his vehement defences of the less fortunate and commitment to his constituents in our fair city as they will for his federal accomplishments.
A skilled politician to the end, Jack Layton wrote a deathbed letter to Canadians that made me cry at work. I could choose to cynical about the timing of the release of the letter, but I prefer to leave that to others. For example, there's the column written by Christie Blatchford calling him out for the "opportunistic" timing of the release. I dropped the C-bomb about her thoughts when I first read it and I stand by my initial reaction. She's not necessarily wrong in her assessment, but the timing of her comments calls her own principles into question. I suppose my use of the C-bomb could also be up for debate, but I'm not a nationally syndicated columnist criticizing a passionate, caring politician for his politicking to the very end.
From opening up his Eco-friendly home for the Rick Mercer Report to the frequent mentions of how fun he was to have a beer with, Jack Layton will be remembered a genuine human being who was doing his best to bring hope to a cynical populace. Was he successful? Only time will tell. I live in his riding, where he was a fixture when parliament was on break, just being himself with his people and his guitar. We don't need time to tell us Canada was richer for having him as a Jiminy Cricket to the current government's policies. His presence will be sorely missed on Parliament Hill and his passion will be missed by us all.
Fare thee well, Jack. The world was a better place with you in it. You've left behind some mighty big shoes to fill.
I remember him best as a city councillor when he refused to sit at a debate with then leader of the Heritage Front (a white supremacist group), Wolfgang Droege. I was just a pup figuring out my political leanings at the time, but I will never forget the tremendous respect I gained for Smilin' Jack at that moment. It's hard to be principled in our world, but that never mattered to Jack Layton. I think most Torontonians remember him as much for his vehement defences of the less fortunate and commitment to his constituents in our fair city as they will for his federal accomplishments.
A skilled politician to the end, Jack Layton wrote a deathbed letter to Canadians that made me cry at work. I could choose to cynical about the timing of the release of the letter, but I prefer to leave that to others. For example, there's the column written by Christie Blatchford calling him out for the "opportunistic" timing of the release. I dropped the C-bomb about her thoughts when I first read it and I stand by my initial reaction. She's not necessarily wrong in her assessment, but the timing of her comments calls her own principles into question. I suppose my use of the C-bomb could also be up for debate, but I'm not a nationally syndicated columnist criticizing a passionate, caring politician for his politicking to the very end.
From opening up his Eco-friendly home for the Rick Mercer Report to the frequent mentions of how fun he was to have a beer with, Jack Layton will be remembered a genuine human being who was doing his best to bring hope to a cynical populace. Was he successful? Only time will tell. I live in his riding, where he was a fixture when parliament was on break, just being himself with his people and his guitar. We don't need time to tell us Canada was richer for having him as a Jiminy Cricket to the current government's policies. His presence will be sorely missed on Parliament Hill and his passion will be missed by us all.
Fare thee well, Jack. The world was a better place with you in it. You've left behind some mighty big shoes to fill.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
The March of the Sluts
On April 4, 2011 women took to the streets in the city of Toronto for the first ever Slut Walk. Sounds like something a teenage boy would be all over attending, doesn't it? He wouldn't have been very welcome. All jokes aside, the Slut Walks are trying to send a message to the Toronto Police force and the world. Satellite events have taken place all over Canada in other countries, and continue to pop up every month. The whole mission statement is here, but in short Slut Walks are meant to take the word "slut" back. To remove the pejorative context. To make women feel safe being confident in their sexuality, without judgment or fear.
I live in the city where it all began after a Toronto Police officer addressing a group of University students advised that to stay safe "women should avoid dressing like sluts." It's the same old blame the victim horseshit we've been hearing forever. Most people were shocked and angry that he said it. I'm not. I like it when pigs out themselves, it makes them easier to spot in a crowd. What he said is repugnant, true. But you know what's worse?
That he thinks it.
In the city where I live, in the city where I am a mother raising a daughter, members of the force sworn "To Serve and Protect" think rape victims are asking for it by wearing a short skirt. In addition to worrying about one of many unthinkable things happening to my little girl, I have to worry that the police investigating what happened may adjust their level of dedication based on what she was wearing when it happened. In case you haven't noticed, I'm prone to verbosity. But when I think about how I would respond to hearing an investigating officer ask "And what were you wearing on the night of the attack?", I am at a complete loss for words.
I get that the purpose of protest rallies is to build awareness and that awareness is supposed to affect social change. With all due respect to my fellow sluts, I don't think marching on the streets of <insert city name here> in your underwear is going to do the trick. There are protests every day in every major city and most of the time people have no idea what they're on about. If you're in Toronto you probably know what it's in response to, but what is the goal? Yes, I know the mission statement claims to be sending a message to the Toronto Police force, but I'm not convinced the end result will be louder than a whisper. If doing something makes people feel better then by all means, go ahead. Just don't expect to go for a walk and wake up to a new dawn.
The last time a protest really affected change was the Orange Revolution. Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians packed the streets of Kiev around the clock for days, living in tents in freezing conditions. That's right - days in subzero weather. The election results were questioned, the votes were recounted and to the right Viktor, who survived poisoning along the campaign trail, went the spoils. Five years later, after an election under intense international scrutiny, the old Viktor returned to power. The ringleader of the Orange Revolution, the most outspoken voice of the people, Yulia Tymoshenko, was arrested during her own trial this week. So much for the revolution. If hundreds of thousands of people occupying the streets for days can only shift the tide until the next election, what does that say about the chances of a stroll in fishnets and stilettos?
It's terrifying but not surprising that those who promise "To Serve and Protect" still blame the victim. We all do it to some extent. If not the rape victim, then the guy who parked his nice car in a dodgy neighbourhood or the kid who forgot to lock up her bike. Again. Let's stop doing that. Let's instill some empathy in our kids. Let's have frank discussions about inappropriate comments with our friends and family. Let's acknowledge that while it's going to take some time for this groundswell of compassion to spread, it's going to be worth it in the end.
I live in the city where it all began after a Toronto Police officer addressing a group of University students advised that to stay safe "women should avoid dressing like sluts." It's the same old blame the victim horseshit we've been hearing forever. Most people were shocked and angry that he said it. I'm not. I like it when pigs out themselves, it makes them easier to spot in a crowd. What he said is repugnant, true. But you know what's worse?
That he thinks it.
In the city where I live, in the city where I am a mother raising a daughter, members of the force sworn "To Serve and Protect" think rape victims are asking for it by wearing a short skirt. In addition to worrying about one of many unthinkable things happening to my little girl, I have to worry that the police investigating what happened may adjust their level of dedication based on what she was wearing when it happened. In case you haven't noticed, I'm prone to verbosity. But when I think about how I would respond to hearing an investigating officer ask "And what were you wearing on the night of the attack?", I am at a complete loss for words.
I get that the purpose of protest rallies is to build awareness and that awareness is supposed to affect social change. With all due respect to my fellow sluts, I don't think marching on the streets of <insert city name here> in your underwear is going to do the trick. There are protests every day in every major city and most of the time people have no idea what they're on about. If you're in Toronto you probably know what it's in response to, but what is the goal? Yes, I know the mission statement claims to be sending a message to the Toronto Police force, but I'm not convinced the end result will be louder than a whisper. If doing something makes people feel better then by all means, go ahead. Just don't expect to go for a walk and wake up to a new dawn.
The last time a protest really affected change was the Orange Revolution. Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians packed the streets of Kiev around the clock for days, living in tents in freezing conditions. That's right - days in subzero weather. The election results were questioned, the votes were recounted and to the right Viktor, who survived poisoning along the campaign trail, went the spoils. Five years later, after an election under intense international scrutiny, the old Viktor returned to power. The ringleader of the Orange Revolution, the most outspoken voice of the people, Yulia Tymoshenko, was arrested during her own trial this week. So much for the revolution. If hundreds of thousands of people occupying the streets for days can only shift the tide until the next election, what does that say about the chances of a stroll in fishnets and stilettos?
It's terrifying but not surprising that those who promise "To Serve and Protect" still blame the victim. We all do it to some extent. If not the rape victim, then the guy who parked his nice car in a dodgy neighbourhood or the kid who forgot to lock up her bike. Again. Let's stop doing that. Let's instill some empathy in our kids. Let's have frank discussions about inappropriate comments with our friends and family. Let's acknowledge that while it's going to take some time for this groundswell of compassion to spread, it's going to be worth it in the end.
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