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Celebrating 25 Years Of The West Wing

grayson

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Posts posted by grayson

    Season Two: Marvelous Full-Season Discussion

    in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

    · Edited by grayson

    Auntie Mame  notes,

    Quote

    I don’t think Benjamin could ultimately accept Midge’s career despite his wish for someone weird. The role of wife still has expectations attached to it that we all still struggle with even today. And we know that trying to balance career and marriage when the career is the female career and/or the wife is more talented or makes more money causes serious issues for everyone involved. 

    Wise observation. Benjamin is amused by Midge's quirkiness, but she is always "on stage" for him with incessant sarcasm and irreverence . Have we seen any conversations where she expresses vulnerability or neediness with him? Midge told her mother that she was disconcerted by Benjamin's unexpected appearance at the park while she was with Ethan, because she was "not in the right frame of mind" to deal with him. Did she mean that she was not prepared to be in "performance" mode?

    Midge has more emotional intimacy with Joel and Lenny.

    • Love 6

    S02.E10: All Alone

    in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

    · Edited by grayson

    Baltimore Betty writes,

    Quote

    ". . . instead of going to her boyfriend and having an honest conversation about her career goals and the 6 month tour she runs to her soon to be ex...she never gave that boyfriend a chance.  I got the impression that Dr. BF would have been supportive of her choice. "

     Midge and Joel's  shared history and children have created a space where she feels safe to be vulnerable and even needy. When Midge is with Dr. BF, she is always "on", constantly performing. He likes her ceaseless stream of irreverence and sarcasm; Midge and her mother like his wealth and medical degree. Have we seen any conversations between them that indicated emotional intimacy from transparent self-disclosure?

    • Love 18

    S02.E08: Someday...

    in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

    · Edited by grayson

    Auntie Mame notes:

    Quote

    it has been my experience that bullies of women often turn tail when confronted with another man too. I guess a variation on the all bullies are cowards at heart trope. 

    Auntie Mame  makes a key point that bullies of women (bold added) are often intimidated when another man confronts them. 

    qtpye writes:

    Quote

     Joel also easily beats up and intimidates men twice his size with his whiny voice and Pee Wee Herman physique. He is definitely the Prince Charming we all dream of.

    With all due respect, the night club manager who refused to pay Midge was not twice as large as Joel-they looked approximately equal in size. In episode 10, Joel wears a sleeveless tank style undershirt and looks impressively athletic and fit with strong shoulders, substantial pectorals, and muscular arms--definitely not a "Pee Wee Herman physique". 

    • Love 6

    S02.E08: Someday...

    in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

    qtpye writes:

    Quote

    "No, Joel is so awesome that all the women line up for him, just begging for his attention. Luckily he only has eyes for Midge now that fucking Penny Panda is out of his system. Joel also easily beats up and intimidates men twice his size with his whiny voice and Pee Wee Herman physique. He is definitely the Prince Charming we all dream of.

    Joel is somehow appealing to me, so his rehabilitation is welcome. He projects a sort of wiry athleticism. I am baffled by my own reaction to the Joel character, because small men are repulsive to me in my actual life.

    • Love 4

    S01.E08: Thank You and Good Night

    in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

    · Edited by grayson

    Biakbiak notes:

    Quote

    I honestly don't remember anything witty that he has said, Midge to me was the funny one in the relationship.

    Midge (to me) is definitely the performer of the pair. Joel is quick-witted in conversation (which Midge appreciates), but his clever quips may not translate to a career as a standup comedian. I loved that Joel beamed with pride and appreciation for her comedy during her wedding "toast"--he was not threatened or resentful that she was "the funny one" in the relationship.

    Funny Joel moments: When he pursued Midge at the frat party, his quips to and about Palmer were witty and flawlessly timed (although, somewhat mean-spirited).

                                       At Midge's parents' home after the birthday party, his jokes about his father's sleeping habits were amusing.

                                      As Midge was pushing him out of her bedroom window, he teased her that he had left his wallet in the kitchen.

    I confess that Joel is sexy and appealing to me--which is extremely surprising because I am definitely not attracted to smaller men in general. Maybe I feel protective of him because he is struggling and, unlike Midge, he does not have the support of his father, who disparaged his intelligence and ability.

    • Love 2

    S01.E08: Thank You and Good Night

    in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

    · Edited by grayson

    Joel was actually funny and sexy in the scenes at Midge's parent's apartment. Joel and Midge had a cute rapport that reflected earlier scenes when they were enjoying their relationship. By contrast, I am not enthralled by the Suzy character.

    In my ideal second season, Joel would realize that the standup career is Midge's dream--not his. In the last show, he told the booker that he would return until he got a slot on stage "because Midge wants me to be a comedian". Because he is actually witty, he will write material for her act and be a supportive husband.

    • Love 5

    Memory Lane: Seasons 1-5

    in The Real Housewives Of New York City

    · Edited by grayson

    Imjgain writes:

    Quote

    Almost forgot the best part Alex saying Ramona is crying she want me to protect her from Lu. Cut  to Ro & Sonja  have a good ol' time lol. 

    During the reunion,  Alex claimed that she confronted LuAnn at Ramona's request. Ramona contradicted Alex by noting that  Alex volunteered to speak with LuAnn.

    Although Kelly's behavior sometimes appeared erratic, her observation about Alex's "defense" of Ramona in the henna salon was highly insightful. Kelly noted that Alex's self-appointed role as Ramona's avenger/wingman was superfluous because Ramona has "a big enough mouth" to speak for herself.

    To conclude on a positive note, Alex and Simon report that they are very happy in Australia. I hope all is indeed well with them.

    • Love 2

    Ramona Singer: The Turtle Time Walk of Shame

    in The Real Housewives Of New York City

    · Edited by grayson

    Quote

    Ramona has claimed that she blacked out and doesn't remember some of the stuff that happened and some of the stuff that she said. 

    Ramona also claimed that she did not remember when she tried to hit Kristin with a canoe paddle after the splashing incident. She clearly swatted the wooden paddle at Kristin, but fortunately did not make contact. It was disturbing.

    • Love 8

    Memory Lane: Seasons 1-5

    in The Real Housewives Of New York City

    · Edited by grayson

    The "message from Bethenny" is another example of the passive-aggressive behavior that Alex and Simon exhibited, AndySmith. Alex expressed her own annoyance with  Jill under the guise of protective behavior for Bethenny.  Alex admitted, "Over the years, I’ve become more and more frustrated by Jill’s behavior, to me specifically and to others in general"; however, she portrayed herself as Bethenny's valiant champion rather than own and articulate her feelings.

    In the Morocco episode, Alex claimed that Ramona asked her to be Ramona's "wing man" before she galumphed in her "Hermann Munster shoes" into the salon where LuAnn and some other housewives were gathered for henna applications. In the reunion, Ramona contradicted Alex by noting that Alex volunteered to confront LuAnn. Again, Alex cloaked her own hostility as the heroic defense of another housewife. Kelly's intelligence and awareness are often maligned (frequently by Alex), but Kelly made the trenchant observation that "Ramona has a big enough mouth" to speak for herself.

    I hope Alex and Simon are happy and thriving in Australia, because their passive-aggressive conduct in New York was painful to see.

    • Love 6

    Memory Lane: Seasons 1-5

    in The Real Housewives Of New York City

    · Edited by grayson

    AndySmith writes:

     

    Quote

    Oh my God, remember Jill's histrionics when Alex delivered Bethany's message to Jill? Yes, on the one hand, that wasn't the right time and place to deliver the message; she could have done it at a non-event or even just pull Jill aside and give her the message.

    Bethenny actually disavowed Alex's claim that Bethenny  asked her to  deliver "a message" to Jill.  Bethenny wrote:

    "I never intended for Alex to put a hit out on Jill. I think she had so much to say to Jill and I gave her a great excuse to attempt to unleash. . . By no means was Alex's message delivered how I intended. I basically told Alex that I was done with Jill and didn't care if she told Jill to her face."

    As for Jill's reaction, she was caught unaware when Alex interrupted her conversation to announce she had "a message" from Bethenny. Alex was blotched with hives and babbling while she attempted to convey "a message" purportedly from Bethenny. Her "message" was muddled to incoherence by her awkward delivery. Even the extremely defensive Alex, who usually insisted that her frequent sputtering inarticulateness was an illusion created by unfriendly editors, later admitted the confrontation that she initiated "was not my smoothest hour".

    • Love 4

    Memory Lane: Seasons 1-5

    in The Real Housewives Of New York City

    · Edited by grayson

    Quote

     I missed Alex & Simon a bit.  Simon was nasty, but he offered some eccentric weirdness the show needs.  And Alex offered up intelligence that Carole arrogantly thinks she offers, but doesn't at all.

    Please refresh my memory, Scoobiedoobs, by citing some  instances when "Alex offered up intelligence".

    I remember her painful pseudo-intellectual pose in the Season 1 reunion when she paraphrased Ayn Rand's observation: "Whenever you think you are facing a contradiction, check your premises."  Alex did not cite Rand by name (perhaps because she did not know how to pronounce Ayne--rhymes with "mine"), but referred to the novelist as "a very wise woman". In her blog, Alex concluded her reference to Rand was too intellectual for the other housewives to appreciate.

    Interestingly, at that time, Alex did not have any college degree. While in Australia, she has completed a Bachelor's in Psychology.

    • Love 2

    Memory Lane: Seasons 1-5

    in The Real Housewives Of New York City

    · Edited by grayson

    Quote

    I always felt bad for Alex b/c no matter what antics she & Simon were up to nether of them were ever cruel.

    Chick Binewski - Simon and Alex were actually disturbingly passive-aggressive at times. Simon referred to LuAnn as "the countess without the 'o'" which may not be cruel, but is certainly puerile and crude. Alex made slanderous references to Kelley's mental state and intelligence for years following the island misadventure and after both of them were fired. Alex had insisted with high dudgeon that Jill's comment to the NY Post about Simon's excessive alcohol consumption was potentially damaging to his career, but she had no concern for Kelley's reputation when she told Us magazine that Bensimon was "was much more [crazy] in real life" on the island.

    Their comments were not made directly to LuAnn or Kelley, which was ironic when Simon later took umbrage because Bethenny's remark about his excessive drinking was not made "to his face".

    • Love 6

    Whitney Thore: So She Thinks She Can Dance

    in My Big Fat Fabulous Life

    · Edited by grayson

    Quote

    I am downright freaking APPALLED that she would be allowed on a horse. Judging by what we see of her mount, he/she is NOT a draft type or even a particularly large animal. literally, I am absolutely HORRIFIED.

    I am sympathetic to Whitney (which I know is not the trending opinion on this thread). She is showing the challenges faced by the super morbidly obese that are not always understand by individuals in the normal weight ranges.

    However, I am alarmed by Whitney's attempt at horseback riding, because her size risks an injury to the horse.  At nearly 400 pounds, she would require a horse who weighs 2,000 pounds to spare the poor beast from injury. For perspective: today, the massive Clydesdale horses who are the iconic symbol of Budweiser are  16 to 18 hands (64 to 72 inches, 163 to 183 cm) high and weighs 1,800 to 2,000 pounds (820 to 910 kg). Some mature males are larger, standing taller than 18 hands and weighing up to 2,200 pounds (1,000 kg).

    • Love 2

    S01.E12: The Big Day

    in This Is Us

    · Edited by grayson

    Quote

    McRaney and Mandy Moore were the standouts in this episode.  I didn't care so much for the back stories of either Dr K or the fireman, but GM acted the hell out of those scenes.  The catch in his voice when he spoke to his wife... got me.

    His portrayal of Dr. K was really the first time that I noticed Gerald McRaney. Now I am a huge fan. He is a powerful performer. I welcome every opportunity to watch this venerable actor command any scene.

    • Love 6
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