I have nothing against this show. I actually think that it is a great insight into an oft over-romanticized time. When people talk about the 'good old days' I always wonder just what fantasy they are alluding to. The past in this country was one of higher crime rates and a time when women and non-white people were second-class citizens who existed solely to make the white man's life easier.
Mad Men shows at least part of this past for what it was. The main character has no respect for the women in his life, and by proxy his family. You can say that it was a different time, but even before the 1960's adultery was an issue among most people.
He is a bad husband in a time when all you had to do to be a good husband was come home, eat the meal your doting wife prepared, kiss the children she looks after and sleep with her in the bed she will make in the morning. That is some feat.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
Harry Morgan - Dexter
For a long time, watching Dexter, I have noticed that many of the aspects of his personality do not mesh with the typical attributes of someone with antisocial personality disorder. While he did have a few of the traits (almost ticked off in order to his character) such as artificial charm and a lack of most emotions, something was off. People with antisocial personality disorder do not possess empathy, which means that they do not have the ability to care or connect to anyone. Dexter clearly had strong feelings for his father and he also protected and cared for his wife and sister. He also showed signs of guilt and fear, something that sociopaths cannot do.
I wrote these off as oversights or inconveniences in truth, however, lately with the turn of events in the series, it seems like perhaps this was intentional. Perhaps Dexter himself was made to feel like a sociopath and grew up the way that his father raised him, never stopping to question it for fear that if he did he would make a mistake, breaking the 'code' and ending up in prison or worse.
A young boy who has experienced a trauma cannot be 'made into' a psychopath. Psychopaths are born, not made. We do not yet know everything there is to know about this incurable disorder, but what we do know is that A) Their brain's function differently than ours, their frontal lobes are damaged and there are other fundamental neurological differences which make up their neural networks and B) In studies of siblings and twins, there have been quite a few cases of one twin having antisocial personality disorder, while another, raised in the exact same environment, does not. This leads most experts in the field to assume that psychopathy is not something which can be in any way 'created'. What can be affected by environment is how this psychopath will evolve. Those who grow up in affluent and supportive homes tend to be quite successful businessmen, doctors and the like. Those who grow up in impoverished or violent homes tend to be petty theifs going in and out of prison. And a rare few do turn into killers. A horrific act of violence like the one Dexter and his brother endured can turn a psychopath (like his brother) into a killer, but it cannot turn someone who is not a psychopath into a psychopath.
It is also very unlikely that both boys would suffer antisocial personality disorder as it is not genetic and while it is more common than most people would assume, it is still relatively rare. What a traumatic event can do is make someone act out temporarily, or permanently if they do not receive the help they need. Dexter's father -acting either out of love, guilt and panic for what may become of his adopted son who had already been through so much (of which he felt somewhat responsible for) or out of a twisted desire to use his son to exact the revenge on criminals he could not- may have convinced his own son that he had no other option than to become a coldblooded killer. And by instilling this belief in an already troubled boy, he may have sealed Dexter's fate.
I wrote these off as oversights or inconveniences in truth, however, lately with the turn of events in the series, it seems like perhaps this was intentional. Perhaps Dexter himself was made to feel like a sociopath and grew up the way that his father raised him, never stopping to question it for fear that if he did he would make a mistake, breaking the 'code' and ending up in prison or worse.
A young boy who has experienced a trauma cannot be 'made into' a psychopath. Psychopaths are born, not made. We do not yet know everything there is to know about this incurable disorder, but what we do know is that A) Their brain's function differently than ours, their frontal lobes are damaged and there are other fundamental neurological differences which make up their neural networks and B) In studies of siblings and twins, there have been quite a few cases of one twin having antisocial personality disorder, while another, raised in the exact same environment, does not. This leads most experts in the field to assume that psychopathy is not something which can be in any way 'created'. What can be affected by environment is how this psychopath will evolve. Those who grow up in affluent and supportive homes tend to be quite successful businessmen, doctors and the like. Those who grow up in impoverished or violent homes tend to be petty theifs going in and out of prison. And a rare few do turn into killers. A horrific act of violence like the one Dexter and his brother endured can turn a psychopath (like his brother) into a killer, but it cannot turn someone who is not a psychopath into a psychopath.
It is also very unlikely that both boys would suffer antisocial personality disorder as it is not genetic and while it is more common than most people would assume, it is still relatively rare. What a traumatic event can do is make someone act out temporarily, or permanently if they do not receive the help they need. Dexter's father -acting either out of love, guilt and panic for what may become of his adopted son who had already been through so much (of which he felt somewhat responsible for) or out of a twisted desire to use his son to exact the revenge on criminals he could not- may have convinced his own son that he had no other option than to become a coldblooded killer. And by instilling this belief in an already troubled boy, he may have sealed Dexter's fate.
Lea Beaulieu - Bad Girls Club Miami
Throughout this season of the Bad Girls Club, Lea showed again and again that she had little personality of her own. While she was somewhat watchable as Kristen's side-kick (although her behavior as such was often cruel) she lost most of her supporters when she did a last minute turn-around and decided that she actually hated the girl who had made her who she was in the house.
To many this may have come as a shock, but it was quite in line with her behavior thus far in the show. She tends to find someone to stand with and when that person makes any mistake at all, she shows them the door and turns on them completely. One may wonder how someone can be so cold, as for many, it is hard to ever imagine treating a former friend the way that she treated Erica, then Brandi, then Kristen. However, for Lea, I don't think it's about being cold, it appears to be more about protecting her obviously fragile heart. No one switches personas that often or tries so hard to appear 'tough' without having some serious self-esteem issues (probably stemming from early childhood or teenage years).
Because she obviously has trouble dealing with anything (she shifts responsibility for the actions she took on whoever is her former friend turned enemy de jour, blaming them for everything, getting on the other side of the issue and avoiding her own actions) it is apparent that she never resolved these deep-seated feelings of inferiority, she may not even be aware that they drive her outrageous behavior. It seems as though she has either grown up in an environment where 'tougher' is 'better' or has been bullied herself, because she appears to be under the delusion that the girl who acts the trashiest (gets into the most fights, picks on the most people, swears the loudest) is the best.
Because she believes that showing empathy is a sign of weakness and is so sensitive, it is a lot easier for her to say 'I don't forgive people, as soon as they make a mistake they're gone' than 'I don't want to let people get too close, because then they might break past the facade and dislike me'. You see, everyone makes mistakes. We are all human. Every friend will err at some point. It is inevitable after you have known someone for a certain amount of time. This is also the point in time when you get to know someone the best, and when you begin to get close to them. This is the time when Lea dissolves her friendships. This also allows her to blame all of her bad actions (like everything she blamed on her friend Kristen) on that scapegoat and walk into a new persona and new friendship unscathed and with her heart protected... until that inevitably tears apart as well.
She needs to realize that the path she is on will lead her towards a very sad, lonely life... and eventually she will have to face her root issues, the more she piles onto her problems, the more she will have to face. Hopefully, as she is still so young and being on TV does tend to hold a mirror of yourself up which you cannot easily avoid, she will still be able to turn it around and figure out who she is and what she is really capable of.
To many this may have come as a shock, but it was quite in line with her behavior thus far in the show. She tends to find someone to stand with and when that person makes any mistake at all, she shows them the door and turns on them completely. One may wonder how someone can be so cold, as for many, it is hard to ever imagine treating a former friend the way that she treated Erica, then Brandi, then Kristen. However, for Lea, I don't think it's about being cold, it appears to be more about protecting her obviously fragile heart. No one switches personas that often or tries so hard to appear 'tough' without having some serious self-esteem issues (probably stemming from early childhood or teenage years).
Because she obviously has trouble dealing with anything (she shifts responsibility for the actions she took on whoever is her former friend turned enemy de jour, blaming them for everything, getting on the other side of the issue and avoiding her own actions) it is apparent that she never resolved these deep-seated feelings of inferiority, she may not even be aware that they drive her outrageous behavior. It seems as though she has either grown up in an environment where 'tougher' is 'better' or has been bullied herself, because she appears to be under the delusion that the girl who acts the trashiest (gets into the most fights, picks on the most people, swears the loudest) is the best.
Because she believes that showing empathy is a sign of weakness and is so sensitive, it is a lot easier for her to say 'I don't forgive people, as soon as they make a mistake they're gone' than 'I don't want to let people get too close, because then they might break past the facade and dislike me'. You see, everyone makes mistakes. We are all human. Every friend will err at some point. It is inevitable after you have known someone for a certain amount of time. This is also the point in time when you get to know someone the best, and when you begin to get close to them. This is the time when Lea dissolves her friendships. This also allows her to blame all of her bad actions (like everything she blamed on her friend Kristen) on that scapegoat and walk into a new persona and new friendship unscathed and with her heart protected... until that inevitably tears apart as well.
She needs to realize that the path she is on will lead her towards a very sad, lonely life... and eventually she will have to face her root issues, the more she piles onto her problems, the more she will have to face. Hopefully, as she is still so young and being on TV does tend to hold a mirror of yourself up which you cannot easily avoid, she will still be able to turn it around and figure out who she is and what she is really capable of.
Teresa and every other woman on the show - Real Housewives of New Jersey
Ah these are a psychologically dysfunctional bunch of ladies. While Danielle Staub is a very dramatic and insecure woman, the most dysfunctional of the lot are certainly Teresa, Jacqueline and Caroline (in that order).
Teresa has some very serious rage issues, bordering on a personality disorder. She snaps at the slightest provocation which gives her that appearance of being "trashy". She needs to seek serious help before she is sued by someone for assault.
Jacqueline, on the other hand, is the typical insecure follower. She has no personality of her own. She has fallen into her husband's family and adopted their personas, then she followed around Danielle and when that wasn't getting her the kind of attention she craved (and more people were against the side she was on than were on it) she switched over to follow Teresa and her sister-in-law. When she did that, gone was the gentle persona she had adopted previously and in its stead came Teresa number two. An almost exact replica of a swearing, aggressive, catty woman. Everything she does screams 'blank slate waiting to be filled by substance'. When she realized that people did not like Teresa's trashy ways, she went back to being gentle halfway through the reunion to hug Danielle and make peace.
The problem with both ladies is that they are passing their unhealthy behavior on to their daughters. In Teresa's case, her daughter's are already displaying signs of aggression and being massively spoiled (which will do them no favors in the world, especially if they have to humble themselves to work one day). In Jacqueline's case, she sent incredibly mixed messages to her impressionable teenage daughter. She made fun of, mocked and was cruel, cold and aggressive towards a woman who had not done much to her, and then was surprised to find that her young daughter had taken it one step further in an all-out brawl started by herself and Teresa. Rather than taking responsibility for her part in this, she simply wrote off her daughter's behavior and scolded her (unfortunately 'do as I say, not as I do' and 'because I said so' are very poor parenting techniques and it shows in the girls subsequent behavior).
Teresa has some very serious rage issues, bordering on a personality disorder. She snaps at the slightest provocation which gives her that appearance of being "trashy". She needs to seek serious help before she is sued by someone for assault.
Jacqueline, on the other hand, is the typical insecure follower. She has no personality of her own. She has fallen into her husband's family and adopted their personas, then she followed around Danielle and when that wasn't getting her the kind of attention she craved (and more people were against the side she was on than were on it) she switched over to follow Teresa and her sister-in-law. When she did that, gone was the gentle persona she had adopted previously and in its stead came Teresa number two. An almost exact replica of a swearing, aggressive, catty woman. Everything she does screams 'blank slate waiting to be filled by substance'. When she realized that people did not like Teresa's trashy ways, she went back to being gentle halfway through the reunion to hug Danielle and make peace.
The problem with both ladies is that they are passing their unhealthy behavior on to their daughters. In Teresa's case, her daughter's are already displaying signs of aggression and being massively spoiled (which will do them no favors in the world, especially if they have to humble themselves to work one day). In Jacqueline's case, she sent incredibly mixed messages to her impressionable teenage daughter. She made fun of, mocked and was cruel, cold and aggressive towards a woman who had not done much to her, and then was surprised to find that her young daughter had taken it one step further in an all-out brawl started by herself and Teresa. Rather than taking responsibility for her part in this, she simply wrote off her daughter's behavior and scolded her (unfortunately 'do as I say, not as I do' and 'because I said so' are very poor parenting techniques and it shows in the girls subsequent behavior).
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Vanessa/Lilly- Gossip Girl
Vanessa
Vanessa is all over the place. When the show began, the girl who seemed only mildly irritating, with a small chip on her shoulder, was harmless enough. In fact, she was almost an admirable character. She did not care what others thought about her, save for her Brooklyn buddy "Lonely boy". She was original and artistic. Vanessa appeared to be a together character. Her only fault, in fact, was a slight judgemental streak. This reared it's ugly head when her friend seemed to care too much about fitting in with the 'have-it-alls' of his new school.
Vanessa came off as someone who did not have everything those in the world she had recently been introduced to had, but someone mature enough to handle this. Then there was a shift. She became more bitchy, more judgmental and more possessive. By the current season, she has become insanely jealous and the type of person who blames everyone else for her problems. This is just pathetic and distasteful.
She was willing to ruin Serena's life and for what? Serena had never gone out of her way to be cruel to Vanessa. In fact, the only one who had been cruel to Vanessa was the person she teamed up with to take Serena down. The other person who she viewed as having nothing while Serena had everything. This is jealousy at it's worst and ugliest.
Perhaps Vanessa's former appearance of confidence was merely a facade, and now, faced with actually having to interact with people who have more than her, her true insecurities shine through. Or perhaps her character was badly developed. The writer's may have decided that she was too boring before and inserted some drama into her personality and relationships.
Lily
Lily is just a cold-hearted woman and a horrible mother. The only thing she seems to care about is her reputation and image. She does not care who she throws under the bus; her son who she ushers into treatment because he is gay, her step-son whose company she steals, her husband who she continues to lie to and disregard, her daughter who she seems to have no faith in or motherly love toward... It is revealed that even strangers - like the teacher she had no problem sending to jail to protect her family's image - are not safe from her borderline sociopathic wrath. This woman is a greedy void. There is nothing real left on the inside, so all she cares about is the outside and how she "appears" to others.
Vanessa is all over the place. When the show began, the girl who seemed only mildly irritating, with a small chip on her shoulder, was harmless enough. In fact, she was almost an admirable character. She did not care what others thought about her, save for her Brooklyn buddy "Lonely boy". She was original and artistic. Vanessa appeared to be a together character. Her only fault, in fact, was a slight judgemental streak. This reared it's ugly head when her friend seemed to care too much about fitting in with the 'have-it-alls' of his new school.
Vanessa came off as someone who did not have everything those in the world she had recently been introduced to had, but someone mature enough to handle this. Then there was a shift. She became more bitchy, more judgmental and more possessive. By the current season, she has become insanely jealous and the type of person who blames everyone else for her problems. This is just pathetic and distasteful.
She was willing to ruin Serena's life and for what? Serena had never gone out of her way to be cruel to Vanessa. In fact, the only one who had been cruel to Vanessa was the person she teamed up with to take Serena down. The other person who she viewed as having nothing while Serena had everything. This is jealousy at it's worst and ugliest.
Perhaps Vanessa's former appearance of confidence was merely a facade, and now, faced with actually having to interact with people who have more than her, her true insecurities shine through. Or perhaps her character was badly developed. The writer's may have decided that she was too boring before and inserted some drama into her personality and relationships.
Lily
Lily is just a cold-hearted woman and a horrible mother. The only thing she seems to care about is her reputation and image. She does not care who she throws under the bus; her son who she ushers into treatment because he is gay, her step-son whose company she steals, her husband who she continues to lie to and disregard, her daughter who she seems to have no faith in or motherly love toward... It is revealed that even strangers - like the teacher she had no problem sending to jail to protect her family's image - are not safe from her borderline sociopathic wrath. This woman is a greedy void. There is nothing real left on the inside, so all she cares about is the outside and how she "appears" to others.
Kelly Taylor - Beverly Hills 90210
Kelly Taylor is just an awful person from the beginning of the series to the end.
In the first season she is a stuck up snob who speaks only of clothing and boys. The only reason she becomes friends with Brenda is to avoid having a fat girl as a lab partner. Kelly treats all those around her badly. She constantly betrays Brenda, even hitting on her boyfriend after they have begun dating. She asks Brandon to the school dance, and then flaunts it in Andrea's face, even though she knows that Andrea is in love with him. She treats Steve horribly at the same dance, forgetting his birthday and ignoring the fact that he is in pain because he has found out that he was adopted. She is more interested in trying to get his best friend to make out with her and in being spring fling princess.
In the second season, this selfish, bratty persona completely devoid of empathy or substance continues. She treats David and his father horribly, even though both of them are nothing but kind to her. She continues to treat Steve and Brenda badly when it suits her to do so and for no real reason. It is also in this season that she whispers to Brandon when he brings an African American girl to the Peach Pit; "This is very hip of you Brandon." Then in the next season she sleeps with Brenda's boyfriend. This is just disgusting. She not only sleeps with her best friend's boyfriend once, she continues to do it and be his "thing on the side". This is bad enough, but to top it off, she isn't even a good girlfriend to him. She makes him indulge her every crazy whim. When he needs her, for example when his father died, she refuses to go to the funeral with him because she thinks she looks fat.
The worst part about this character comes in the later seasons. One would think that at least someone who has broken apart loving relationships, thrown friends aside, betrayed others, and slept with almost guy friend she ever had would be non-judgmental. This is the good thing about people with a past. If they are matured by it then they grow to be less harsh on others around them. They become forgiving and take a more zen-like outlook on life. But with the awful Kelly Taylor, this is not the case.
When Brenda leaves the show, she is succeeded by Valerie and later Gina. These are two women with tragic childhoods. They did not grow up in privilege and sunshine like Ms. Taylor. She could never imagine the things those poor girls went through. Yet, from the moment they arrive, the same jealousy she showed towards Brenda reared it's ugly head. She berated them, outcast them and treated them like garbage. Not only did she NOT give them a break when they made mistakes (mistakes which were far more understandable given their backgrounds, as opposed to Kelly who did all the same things but for no reason other than an inability to care for anyone but herself), but she evolved into the most judgmental character on the show.
With Kelly's inclusion in the show, the message seemed to be that if you are a selfish brat who has no problem betraying everyone around you to get what you want; you will always be forgiven and always come out on top. Meanwhile, those you destroy will be cast to the side and disappear.
In the first season she is a stuck up snob who speaks only of clothing and boys. The only reason she becomes friends with Brenda is to avoid having a fat girl as a lab partner. Kelly treats all those around her badly. She constantly betrays Brenda, even hitting on her boyfriend after they have begun dating. She asks Brandon to the school dance, and then flaunts it in Andrea's face, even though she knows that Andrea is in love with him. She treats Steve horribly at the same dance, forgetting his birthday and ignoring the fact that he is in pain because he has found out that he was adopted. She is more interested in trying to get his best friend to make out with her and in being spring fling princess.
In the second season, this selfish, bratty persona completely devoid of empathy or substance continues. She treats David and his father horribly, even though both of them are nothing but kind to her. She continues to treat Steve and Brenda badly when it suits her to do so and for no real reason. It is also in this season that she whispers to Brandon when he brings an African American girl to the Peach Pit; "This is very hip of you Brandon." Then in the next season she sleeps with Brenda's boyfriend. This is just disgusting. She not only sleeps with her best friend's boyfriend once, she continues to do it and be his "thing on the side". This is bad enough, but to top it off, she isn't even a good girlfriend to him. She makes him indulge her every crazy whim. When he needs her, for example when his father died, she refuses to go to the funeral with him because she thinks she looks fat.
The worst part about this character comes in the later seasons. One would think that at least someone who has broken apart loving relationships, thrown friends aside, betrayed others, and slept with almost guy friend she ever had would be non-judgmental. This is the good thing about people with a past. If they are matured by it then they grow to be less harsh on others around them. They become forgiving and take a more zen-like outlook on life. But with the awful Kelly Taylor, this is not the case.
When Brenda leaves the show, she is succeeded by Valerie and later Gina. These are two women with tragic childhoods. They did not grow up in privilege and sunshine like Ms. Taylor. She could never imagine the things those poor girls went through. Yet, from the moment they arrive, the same jealousy she showed towards Brenda reared it's ugly head. She berated them, outcast them and treated them like garbage. Not only did she NOT give them a break when they made mistakes (mistakes which were far more understandable given their backgrounds, as opposed to Kelly who did all the same things but for no reason other than an inability to care for anyone but herself), but she evolved into the most judgmental character on the show.
With Kelly's inclusion in the show, the message seemed to be that if you are a selfish brat who has no problem betraying everyone around you to get what you want; you will always be forgiven and always come out on top. Meanwhile, those you destroy will be cast to the side and disappear.
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