S01.E04: Art Show

[candall]

Quote

When Anna-Kat draws an unflattering portrait of Katie for the school art show, Katie plans to retrieve it before anyone can see it; Doris is left in charge of Oliver and Taylor. . .

 

Katie:  "I am not the problem.  The Westport mommies are."

 

No, Kate, I've seen all four episodes--you are the problem.

[auntiemel]

I was pissed as hell when the dad ate that stew. Hell, no! That kid got told to do something by the adult in charge, refused for 6+ hours, and then was let off the hook. That would have been the time to ESCALATE the consequences, not just call it a draw! GGGRRRR!!!

[ItCouldBeWorse]

I don't think anyone should be forced to eat anything, especially "expired meat stew" or whatever that was. 

[MaryMitch]

I didn't care for the main plot, because I kept thinking "why doesn't she just ask her daughter why she drew her like that?" But I did like the part where all the mothers ended up embarrassed by their kids' pictures. It kinda reminded me of "The Angry Family" episode on "Everybody Likes Raymond".

I am still liking the main character and her 2 friends, though. Even the kids are growing on  me.

[lallalla]

The actor playing the husband is grating, I've never liked him. His face, voice, and mannerisms make me irrationally angry. He makes me feel like punching something, just detest him!

[CarolMK]

Who was the actress playing the art  teacher? I didn't remember seeing her in the credits but she looks so familiar. 

Kids are very "honest" at that age, I can really relate back to when my kids were little. 

[Snarklepuss]

Again another episode where Katie is perpetually sneering and angry and to me unlikable, and I liked the actress on Mike and Molly.

She doesn't confront her children meanwhile her friend does.  And when her son acts disrespectful to her friend she should scold him for it.  And why can't she just tell her daughter not to draw her so fat because she isn't anywhere near that fat?  My mother would never let me get away with that without giving me a virtual slap into reality.  But then again what daughter in what universe would ever draw their mother so out of proportion to the reality?  Are they trying to make a point about her transferring her body dysmorphia to her daughter?  Because it's not coming across very well.

And why on an episode where Katie is making a deal about her supposed fatness does she have to wear clothing that reveals just how un-fat she really is is beyond me.  If they're trying to make the point that her fatness is all in her mind they're not getting that across either, otherwise they should have had the teacher and "fellow fattie" (her words) tell her she wasn't really fat at all.  But they didn't unless I missed it.  Are we just supposed to believe it's true because they want us to believe it?  In no universe would those two women be in the same ballpark weight-wise, sorry.  The thought of them even suggesting that connection even if only in Katie's mind is making me kind of ticked off, to be honest.  Like the audience might actually buy that Katie is in the same weight league with that woman.  Way to promote the very thing they're trying to show is ridiculous or whatever it is they're trying to do.

Oh yeah and here's a woman fatter than she is and Katie didn't gloat about being thinner than someone.  OK, the woman's a teacher and not another mother but still, she's a teacher in Westport.

To me the father's character doesn't fit somehow with the rest of the show.  Quirky is not the reason why as the husband should probably be quirky, but somehow his brand of quirky just doesn't fit for me with this show.

I had to laugh at the streets they picked to supposedly resemble Westport.  They didn't have the panache, LOL.  I didn't quite understand why she told her daughter never to go to Norwalk again.  It went by me so fast.  I lived in Norwalk for 5 years, still visit every now and then.

Edited November 2, 2016 by Snarklepuss

[candall]

2 hours ago, MaryMitch said:

But I did like the part where all the mothers ended up embarrassed by their kids' pictures.

I liked this part, too.  Hello, TV addict.

But also, I thought it reflected my objection to the chief conceit of the show.  Katie was obsessed about everyone judging her for her crayola portrayal.  But they weren't judging her or thinking about her at all, they were thinking about themselves and worried how others would see them.  Just like she was!  Common ground!

Every time she goes to the school, or anywhere else in town, someone says hi to her, and she just looks sour or rolls her eyes because she thinks they're making fun of her, or looking down on her, or being insincere.  Maybe they are, but she never says "Hi" back or stops to chat, so that situation doesn't have much chance to improve.  I thought this episode (and the one with the tennis player next door) showed that everyone has their own insecurities and vulnerabilities and who knows where you're going to mesh if you never give anyone a chance?  (I waited for Katie to have a cup of coffee with the ditz next door, since she was lonely and not after stealing Katie's kid--but no.)

 

Those two wealthy women in "New Adventures of Old Christine" were horrible to JLD, and I didn't know why she kept giving them chances to insult her--but every now and then, they all pulled together.  They had their kids' school in common and they'd known each other a long time.

Katie would have some things in common with all the "Westport mommies" that might be more important than everyone wearing the same dress size, if she'd allow that.  But instead, she has these issues that get in the way of everything else--not only the mommies, but her relationship with her husband who adores her and with her kids.  ("Diet?!  So you won't be fat like your mother?") 

I like her with her two friends, because that's the main place she's seen to be "I'm okay, you're okay."  And surprise, they still find funny things to say.

 

Definitely overthinking this sit-com, but I like the actress and I'm disappointed so much of the humor is written to revolve around her doubts, or sneering, or impatience.

[shura]

8 hours ago, Snarklepuss said:

I didn't quite understand why she told her daughter never to go to Norwalk again.  It went by me so fast.

That was in response to her daughter mentioning a "Norwalk pregnancy pact".

They really should mention once in a while that the son is a fan of Family Ties, or reference it in some other way. Without that, he is just a walking plagiarism.

[lazylump]

I'm so sad. I didn't even make it through the episode.  I got bored and went and did something else.  I loved Katy's role on Mike and Molly, loved the Dad when he was on the Drew Carey Show, but the plots are boring.  My thoughts are Katy needs a bit of an edge?  I'm sad.  Maybe something better will come along for them.

[vmcd88]

Ok this episode made me laugh way more than it should have.  The fact that the daughter kept drawing the mom bigger and bigger cracked me up.  I did not like the husband's routine.  I didnt like the friend left in charge.  

[Snarklepuss]

I'm sorry I can't let go of this, but here's a photo of the Board of the Westport Young Women's League from a local paper.  Note that pretty much none of them seem like snobby stick thin weight obsessed athletes by a long shot.  These women are what I would consider average women of Westport:

I am just so sick of the way this show depicts the women of Westport.  I am just so sick of women and TV shows depicting women as stereotypes and villains period even if it is fictional.

Edited November 2, 2016 by Snarklepuss
Grammar.

[iMonrey]

OK maybe it was the 2 beers but I did get a few laughs out of this episode, especially of the drawings at the art show. "Mommy loves to garden" totally cracked me up, as well as the mom watching Bravo on TV. 

However - I totally agree with Snarklepuss about the weight thing. Yeah, maybe Katie could stand to lose a few pounds but she looks like she's just a normal, healthy size to me. The art show teacher was definitely overweight. The two sizes are not comparable. Lumping them both together as "fellow fatties" is really over the line. They're essentially saying anyone over a size 2 is fat and it doesn't matter if you're 10 pounds overweight or 100 pounds overweight, it's all the same. Which is bullshit. They need to drop the whole weight angle from this show.

[Kip Hackman]

This one didn't do that much for me. Agree that they need to get away from the weight thing. The husband is right - Katy is more curvy than she is fat.

The previous two episodes were more along the lines of "The Middle", and they would do better to stay in that wheelhouse.

[chitowngirl]

This reminds me of a picture my sister drew in grade school of the family. Our dad was not in it. We were a typical nuclear family from the '60s/'70s. My grandmother ranted it was because my dad went to the tavern after work to have a beer or two and hang out with the guys. When someone finally asked my sister why her daddy wasn't in the picture, she said, "I ran out of room".

[Perfect Xero]

18 hours ago, auntiemel said:

I was pissed as hell when the dad ate that stew. Hell, no! That kid got told to do something by the adult in charge, refused for 6+ hours, and then was let off the hook. That would have been the time to ESCALATE the consequences, not just call it a draw! GGGRRRR!!!

I disagree, parents shouldn't double down on a punishment they don't agree with simply to teach a lesson about following rules.

They were ordered to eat something that was clearly intended they wouldn't enjoy and would make them sick if they actually ate it all ("Surprisingly strong stomach for a white child"). Saying no to eating that is perfectly valid, IMO.

[EVS]

Some people might disagree with this, but in a way Katie reminds me of Dre from black-ish.  She over-reacts to everything and thinks everything is about her being fat, whether it is or not. Dre does something similar by making everything about being black. Both can come across as whiny and immature. For some reason though, even though I find both characters annoying, I find black-ish a much better show. Maybe it is because there is often more validity to many of Dre's issues where Katie just seems so insecure. I think a big part of it is also the writing.  Black-ish is much better written, imo. So far, this show just seems tedious. I keep hoping it will improve because I think the leads are talented, but I don't know how many more episodes I am willing to watch before giving up. 

[mojito]

Black-ish balances out Dre with his wife and kids, who don't perceive everything from a racial angle. Black-ish is also about Dre as a parent. This show is about Katie being "fat" in a skinny town. Every show so far has been about that. And that's the difference, I think.

Having said that, it could be, too, that Black-ish is in its second season and has established Dre as hypersensitive and does not have to harp on race as much. Maybe after a few more episodes, Katie will just focus on being a parent, with weight only occasionally surfacing.

To me, the actress looks as tone and slender as she's gonna get as a mother who can't spend $$$ on surgery or hours at the gym, so I don't buy into the premise, like other posters. @Snarklepuss provided us with an excellent example of Westport women, so this show doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I'd rather Katie look more at the wealth of her town but from a parent's point of view, trying to middle class kids in an upper middle class town, directing their values. There's plenty to work with there. Her body issues would be better served showing how she works at maintaining her current size, not trying to be a size 2 when her bones alone are a size 12. It would be fine to show her conflict with not being thin as long as she's not obsessed with it.

It seems the show has backed off the youngest daughter's OCD, which for me makes better entertainment. I don't want to laugh at a child's psychological issues unless the child, too, can laugh about it. At such a young age, I'm not sure she could come to terms with it yet and it's more likely to affect her life negatively. 

That's all I got (I know, cringe-worthy English).

[ItCouldBeWorse]

54 minutes ago, mojito said:

trying to middle class kids in an upper middle class town

Upper upper class. According to Wikipedia: "... in 2008 ranked the tenth wealthiest town in the U.S. with populations between 20,000 and 65,000 . . ." 

 

54 minutes ago, mojito said:

It seems the show has backed off the youngest daughter's OCD

At the end of the show, she performed strict pre-homework rituals, no doubt inspired by her father's obsessive pre-writing rituals.

Your English is fine!  (My only correction would be "toned" for "tone" and I assume that's just a typo.)

Edited November 3, 2016 by ItCouldBeWorse

[mojito]

Quote

(My only correction would be "toned" for "tone" and I assume that's just a typo.)

A mistake! Oh, the humanity! And me, of the writing persuasion. (There I go again.)
I didn't think her rituals were alarming; afterall, she's taking after dear old dad, and her actions were not anxiety based. 

[ItCouldBeWorse]

2 minutes ago, mojito said:

I didn't think her rituals were alarming; afterall, she's taking after dear old dad, and her actions were not anxiety based.

I suppose; but if she can't do homework without going through a complicated set of rituals involving gummy fish (?) , one could call that a problem.  What if  one day there's no gummy fish?

[joanne3482]

13 hours ago, mojito said:

I'd rather Katie look more at the wealth of her town but from a parent's point of view, trying to middle class kids in an upper middle class town, directing their values. There's plenty to work with there.

That is a difficult balance and something some of us can relate to. My town borders a MUCH nicer town and my older girl goes to middle school with kids whose parents think nothing of buying their kids new iPhone 6s after they broke their last iPhone 6. And I won't even pay to get her iPhone 5 (bought with money from relatives not by me) fixed because she refuses to keep a phone case/screen protector on it.  

[iMonrey]

Quote

They were ordered to eat something that was clearly intended they wouldn't enjoy and would make them sick if they actually ate it all ("Surprisingly strong stomach for a white child"). Saying no to eating that is perfectly valid, IMO.

Plus when she pulled the meat out of the refrigerator she said it was expired. That could be potentially dangerous. Maybe not life-threatening, but forcing a kid to eat expired meat kind of borders on child abuse.

I didn't get the joke about the dad posing as "Wonder Woman." If I were to guess, that looked more like a stereotypical Superman pose than anything else. I don't think Wonder Woman is known for any particular "pose."

[Tiger]

Not as good as laat week, but I liked it.

I could not care less if the show's Westport is anything like the real Westport, or if Katie would be considered fat in real life or if the son is extremely similar to Family Ties' son.  Its a tv show.  If I get a few genuine laughs for my 20 mins, I'll take it.

[questionfear]

I generally enjoy the show, but I think I finally put my finger on why the fat jokes, etc feel so "off". It would have worked better if Katie had encountered someone who actually judged her for being fat, or she overheard something...even one scene in the pilot that spelled out that she's had those encounters. Then it would better explain why she hates the town so much, instead of it being ALL about her wacky insecurities.

Like, here's an example: I hate, hate, hate the town I grew up in. If I moved back there, I would be miserable, and probably spend all my time bitching about how judgey and closed minded and mean the people were. But even though the reality is that none of them are like that (mostly), I would at least have the basis of my experiences with them growing up to fuel my stereotyping of them. Even a few lines about Katie growing up near there or SOMETHING would help round out her hatred a bit more. 

[morgan]

I agree, questionfear.  I hadn't planned to watch again after the first 2 eps but was sick this week and curled up on the couch and had watched the middle before so just left it on.  She just strikes me as such a mean girl.  From what I have seen, the other moms have done nothing to her except dare to work out/eat healthy/be thin.  She has judged them all and found them wanting because of her own insecurities because she is heavy.  Honestly she just strikes me as bitchy, and all things are her way or he highway.  

Edited November 4, 2016 by morgan

[sharkerbaby]

I relate to this show so much and love it for that very reason.  I could be Katie in practically every way except that I am a part time vs full time SAHM.  Even my 15 yr old can see elements of our life in it.  Yes it is over the top, yes it can be trope-ish, yes it expands on stereotypes, but you know what... that's what for me makes it relate-able and funny it's a TV version of "a lot of comedy is funny because it has an element of truth to it"

18 hours ago, Tiger said:

I could not care less if the show's Westport is anything like the real Westport, or if Katie would be considered fat in real life or if the son is extremely similar to Family Ties' son.  Its a tv show.  If I get a few genuine laughs for my 20 mins, I'll take it.

So much this!

[questionfear]

22 minutes ago, morgan said:

I agree, questionfear.  I hadn't planned to watch again after the first 2 eps but was sick this week and curled up on the couch and had watched the middle before so just left it on.  She just strikes me as such a mean girl.  From what I have seen, the other moms have done nothing to her except dare to work out/eat healthy/be thin.  She has judged them all and found them wanting because of her own insecurities because she is heavy.  Honestly she just strikes me as bitchy, and all things are her way or he highway.  

Exactly! And a tiny bit of background/a flashback showing actual mean moms would soften the "mean girl" vibe immensely. 

[Shermie]

I enjoy the show, the cast is quite entertaining. I think there's lots of potential here. However...

Kate is sitcom typical in that she brings most of her problems upon herself, mostly through some weird lens of perception that she thinks exists in the other moms. Other than the bitchy alpha mom in the pilot, I haven't seen the Westport moms judging her for anything, including her weight. Which leads to...

i disagree with everyone in that I do think she's fat. Not obese, but definitely heavy. Defending her weight by saying the average American woman is a size 14 does not mean this character is healthy and fine the way she is. She's too heavy, and when most of the other moms are a healthy thin weight, it's even more noticeable. But if everyone you know is some degree of overweight, then maybe Kate doesn't seem too bad. There, I said it.

[possibilities]

On 11/3/2016 at 2:08 PM, iMonrey said:

I didn't get the joke about the dad posing as "Wonder Woman." If I were to guess, that looked more like a stereotypical Superman pose than anything else. I don't think Wonder Woman is known for any particular "pose."

There was a story running through the media (even mainstream "respectable" media) a while ago, about striking that pose to raise testosterone levels. I think the show specifically called it Wonder Woman instead of just "superhero" because it's supposedly funnier that way.

[Perfect Xero]

While other superheroes do that sort of hands-on-hips pose, I think it's pretty strongly associated with Wonder Woman because Lynda Carter used to strike it a lot on the Wonder Woman series and in promotional material for the show.

[juliet73]

22 hours ago, Shermie said:

 

i disagree with everyone in that I do think she's fat. Not obese, but definitely heavy. Defending her weight by saying the average American woman is a size 14 does not mean this character is healthy and fine the way she is. She's too heavy, and when most of the other moms are a healthy thin weight, it's even more noticeable. But if everyone you know is some degree of overweight, then maybe Kate doesn't seem too bad. There, I said it.

I agree.  She is overweight. However,  I think the show/her character dresses in a way that makes her appear heavier than she really is.  She always wears jennings which aren't a good look on anyone IMO. Then she pairs them with an oversized shirt. Her shirt on tonight's episode was cute. If she would have worn it with dark bootcut pants/jeans, she would have looked 20lbs thinner. 

[Court]

Being thin does not mean one is healthy. 

[kat165]

Sorry, Iallalla, but I've only been watching for the dad (Dietrich Bader) and out of boredom. (On Demand, not live).  He is an aquired taste though so I can understand your pain. :)

I didn't know Katy Mixon beforehand (never watched Mike & Molly) so I'm really not liking her. I'm annoyed with her/the show's focus on her weight. The wife on the new Matt LeBlanc show seems to be about the same size as Mixon's character, and yet there's no mention of that character's weight on her show. In this ep, wearing that shirt Mixon looked even thinner than the wife of the MB show. They really need to move on from the fat plot and soon.

And Mixon's character is somewhat obnoxious in general as many posters have already mentioned. That needs to be toned down too.

I too loved the scene with the mothers worrying about their own pictures.

EVS good call on Dre. Yeah, I can see that. I don't like him either. :)

Mixon's character is not only insecure but she's mean and surly too.

Edited November 6, 2016 by kat165

[candall]

On ‎11‎/‎2‎/‎2016 at 6:45 PM, EVS said:

Some people might disagree with this, but in a way Katie reminds me of Dre from black-ish.  She over-reacts to everything and thinks everything is about her being fat, whether it is or not. Dre does something similar by making everything about being black. Both can come across as whiny and immature. For some reason though, even though I find both characters annoying, I find black-ish a much better show. Maybe it is because there is often more validity to many of Dre's issues where Katie just seems so insecure. I think a big part of it is also the writing.  Black-ish is much better written, imo. So far, this show just seems tedious. I keep hoping it will improve because I think the leads are talented, but I don't know how many more episodes I am willing to watch before giving up. 

That's a good comparison, EVS.  You need a very deft touch to make discrimination, real or perceived, and insecurity the core of your sit-com.

I was sour in the very first episode of black-ish when Dre had an adverse reaction to one of his kids coming home with two white friends.  "Where are the black friends?"  No, no!  Your kid just calls them "friends," not white friends or black friends.  Don't slide in an extra sliver of divisiveness where there is none.

Are the American Housewife writers imagining a seven-year run where Katie discovers every week that no one cares about her weight as much as she does?  They changed the title from "Second Fattest Woman in Westport," so maybe that was the initial plan, but they thought better of it.

[theatremouse]

On 11/2/2016 at 8:02 PM, ItCouldBeWorse said:

I suppose; but if she can't do homework without going through a complicated set of rituals involving gummy fish (?) , one could call that a problem.  What if  one day there's no gummy fish?

Based on my experiences at that age, either:

• Stringent rituals in advance to ensure not running out
• Extreme anxiety and meltdown

[ItCouldBeWorse]

7 hours ago, theatremouse said:

On 11/2/2016 at 11:02 PM, ItCouldBeWorse said:

I suppose; but if she can't do homework without going through a complicated set of rituals involving gummy fish (?) , one could call that a problem.  What if  one day there's no gummy fish?

Based on my experiences at that age, either:

• Stringent rituals in advance to ensure not running out
• Extreme anxiety and meltdown

In other words, a problem!

[theatremouse]

Yes, I appreciate the show (so far) displaying the child with OCD as a fact and not just a when-convenient-for-jokes thing. I'm hoping it continues since it was the premise of why they moved there. Not that she can't improve in general, but I do hope the treatment of it and the character remains realistic-ish. If this makes any sense: at least in the first few episodes, while the show is a sitcom and goes to sitcom-logic places, the OCD so far has mostly been real-realistic, not sitcom realistic. To me.

Edited November 20, 2016 by theatremouse