Monday, December 22, 2008

We'll be back to our regularly scheduled programing shortly...

Like network TV, I'll be taking a short break until January. Happy Holidays, everyone!

Sunday, December 14, 2008

He's ba-a-a-ck!! And I am so excited!!

I first heard about the triumphant return of Joss Whedon (who, in case you're less inclined to worship at the altar of geekdom and are more prone to tune me out periodically, created Buffy) to Fox a few months ago, but I missed this absolute gem forwarded to me by my friend over at Sickpimpin'.

http://www.motherjones.com/arts/qa/2008/11/media-jones-interview-inside-the-dollhouse.html

Because I really needed more reasons to love Joss Whedon.

I sure hope Dollhouse survives the Fox guillotine.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Feminizing the Law and Order Warhorse

Starring long term in Law and Order or one of its spin-offs has long been a sure route to becoming a B-list celebrity: you’re recognizable, you do commercials, you might even get some bit parts in bad movies. SVU’s Mariska Hargitay, who plays Detective Olivia Benson, epitomizes the Law and Order brand of success. A periodic spokeswoman for various campaigns and cover for women’s magazines, she’s even won a Golden Globe.

I’ve often thought that SVU is worth just a bit more than your usual cop drama for the way it compassionately shines light on the uniquely heinous nature of sexual violence, which most of us would like to forget about. And it doesn’t appear to just be an opportunity for fame for Hargitay, who is the founder and president of The Joyful Heart Foundation, a non-profit that aides victims of rape.

This season, which features Olivia’s post-sexual assault perspective on the job she has performed for seven years, is proving that even the most formulaic television dramas (of which Law and Order is perhaps the epitome) can surprise and impress us. Dick Wolf and his supporting writers seem to have finally realized the limits of the stoic, tough character of Olivia’s partner Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni, who plays a great emotionally stunted meathead and little else) and placed him squarely in the background for the majority of the episodes. Lately it has been Detective Tutuola (Ice-T) accompanying Olivia, who is at least written as a less verbose limited range character. The writing finally reflects what has been true for years: Mariska Hargitay carries the show.

Now that Detective Benson is a victim herself, the dynamic between the victims and the police has changed considerably, highlighting the ways that the violence and dominance of sexual assault can be replicated in its very prosecution. “Smut,” aired on December 9, raises this complication in the form of victims drugged to prevent their memory of their assault. In their efforts to stop the rapist, SVU detectives wind up creating victims out of women with no memory of the trauma. Olivia is the only character that pauses to reflect on the unfortunate cruelty of the circumstances… and she’s the one that gets bitch-slapped by one of the new victims when the prosecution goes south.

Rumor has it that Hargitay may be looking to leave the show to spend more time with her new baby. That’s noble, but the show is done when she walks: even the tremendously talented Connie Nielson never really captured the female lead with the range Hargitay shows seemingly effortlessly. And that’s too bad, because it’s one of the only mainstream outlets for promoting awareness of the nightmarish world of sex crimes.