And I Said No No No

Tried to make me go to rehab I said no no no....

I have so many mixed thoughts and feelings about the reported death of Amy Winehouse today.  I will say upfront that I am not a big fan of her.  I despise the song "Rehab" and really haven't listened to her other stuff because of it.  She seems to be really talented and maybe now that she is gone, I will buy an album and see what I think of her aside from that song.  I would feel more comfortable buying a CD now.  Previously I just didn't feel good about the process.  My money went from my American Express to iTunes, Amy got her cut and more than likely, before I even paid my bill for the month Amy's fair trade heroin dealer got his cut.

Here's the thing, I have always just felt mad when I thought about Amy Winehouse.  I was mad at her for making it cool to "say no to rehab".  I was mad at her fans for making it cool to "say no to rehab".  I was mad at her for "saying no to rehab".  Mad that she made money while doing this.  Oh and she just looked sickly.  Yeah, so I can be shallow.

It is really sad the way people let this happen.  Who was watching over this woman? I mean I understand that you can't control a person but maybe put her into a little bit better situations.  And take her to rehab and lock her in there!  Don't just keep sending her to record and tour so that the money keeps rolling in.  It just sickens me the way we could give a junkie award upon award for singing a song about how she won't fix her problem.  Everything about Amy Winehouse, her fans, her music, her handlers, just felt/feels so irresponsible to me.  I mean who didn't see this coming?  Lets try something, raise your hand if you were surprised when you heard this news.....see.....nobody.....wait....what an idiot.  But everyone else is with me right?

Also, we take drug references out of songs on the radio to the point that you can't say anything the even relates to smoking weed.  We freak the fuck out when there is a nipple on TV at the halftime show.  We can't say fuck basic cable. But we can have a heroin, ecstasy, cocaine, self mutilation, eating disorder addict sing about how she doesn't have time for rehab on network TV.  Sure it is late night and there were probably more, OK a shit ton more kids watching the Super Bowl, but tell me is it more harmful that someone say fuck on an awards show, or to give a person in dire need of rehab an award for a song about how they don't have time for it?

I am trying not to be insensitive (this is difficult) but I almost feel like this had to happen, that it is better this way, that there is a lesson somewhere here.  Something about saying no no no...to making a heroine out of someone that needs more help than fame.

You Can't Break Bad

Below I am posting a link to an article on Grantland by an essayistI really enjoy, Chuck Klosterman.  It discusses the four television dramas that are generally accepted as four of the "best of all time".  I can't say that I agree with him on the four best of all time or his ranking of them, but he certainly makes some very interesting observations about the shows, their characters, their stories, and the effect that they have on us, the viewers. 

I have at least watched one episode of each of these shows so I feel that I am qualified to give my thoughts and feelings about them.  We will go in order of my least watched to most watched. 


And the nominees:

The Sopranos sounds like it is supposed to be a good show.  I am pretty sure I would like it from everything that I hear.  I even own the first five or so seasons.  So what's keeping me from it?  I just know what a huge undertaking it will be to get into this show.  I also know that when I get into a show, I simply cannot stop watching it.  I have seen the very first Sopranos episode, but when I finished I was dead tired and couldn't watch another.  I would say if I had watched one more that night, I would have seen this entire series by now.  Since I didn't, I am very hesitant to start because I don't know that I can survive a 90 hour commitment.  I need sleep, I have a job, maybe I should just stay away from the Sopranos.

The next show listed is Mad Men.  I own the first three seasons of this one and have watched a season and a half.  I like to think that I can handle slow shows if there is a payoff, that I will stick with books and shows that are not entertaining in the beginning while trying to give the creator the benefit of the doubt that it will turn out to be worth the investment.  Mad Men was so incredibly boring to me.  Maybe I didn't look deeply enough into it but I just wasn't entertained and did not find myself committed and connected to the characters. The first season was interesting, seeing how things worked in that time period.  Seeing the business world, family life, women's status, etc. in the 1960's, was interesting but then, nothing really happened...  By mid point season two I had basically gotten to the point of saying "Ok, I get it, Don Draper is a bad husband, and doesn't treat others (see: women) particularly well.  They smoke, drink and screw in the office; ok so that cool I guess....umm ok soooo, what is the fucking point Mad Men?  Is anything going to happen?!".  And that is when I put the DVDs up on the shelf where they have since been hidden by about an inch of dust.  I keep telling myself the show has to be good and that I should start it back up, but I don't know if that will happen because I am far enough removed that I feel I would have to re-watch the stuff I have already seen just to really give it the proper chance.  That is a big commitment for a boring show. 



The Wire...ah greatness.  I have actually watched more of this than Breaking Bad but I am going to write about it first because the article I am linking to is mostly about Breaking Bad and I want to force you to read what I have to say before you get distracted by a link.  I think the Wire is by far the best thing I had ever experienced on TV.  When i finished that last season I literally thought to myself..."so what do i do now?".  It was like the feeling of finishing the Deathly Hallows times ten.  Why?  I just felt like I was so close to nearly every character.  The range of emotions the show made me feel was so broad and so real.  It was like life.  You never knew what was going to happen, who was going to hurt you, who was going to leave.  It is not for everyone because it can be to slow for some (Mad Men).  Crimes are not solved in one episode, maybe not even in one season.  But if you can stick with it, it can be well worth it.  You will feel so connected to the main character, a city (that you may never have been to), that you do feel like you are an expert on inner city education, politics etc. like Klosterman will point out in his jab at Wire fans.  It just really is a moving work, try it if you haven't. 

As for Breaking Bad, I am just finishing up Season 3.  So far I am really enjoying it, but I can't say it is at the Wire's level until I see the entire series (which is still going on).  I will defer to Klosterman's piece for now.  It really breaks down how these shows make us think and feel.  Here it is. 

-A