S10.E07: Go Cubs

[Miss Ruth]

3 hours ago, bigskygirl said:

Dan and Roseanne bring it on themselves.

Hear!  Hear!

[greekmom]

17 hours ago, Mu Shu said:

What I don’t get is Dan still hanging drywall.   He has to be on Social Security at this point, and should be able to work a less strenuous job.  The solution seems easy enough, move Becky and Bev in and pool resources.  That’s what a lot of families are doing now.  It’s actually how people used to live, and can be rewarding.   For smart people, the Connors sure have funky finances. 

Agreed. Especially since Dan is so handy with home repairs they can turn the basement into a mini apartment and the garage. 

3 hours ago, bigskygirl said:

Why would Roseanne write out checks to places without knowing if Dan got the job? 

Roseanne and Dan have always been crafty with paying bills with cheques. I clearly remember the one episode where they were putting the phone bills cheque in the envelope to send for the electricity and then they threw out the cable bill saying "oh we never got it!"

[peacheslatour]

"Oh, I forgot to sign the check? Oh, that's okay, it's good, why don't you just sign it for me? Oh, you can't do that? I'll be right down." Then she makes up a story about how she got in a wreck or something.

[JakeyJokes]

2 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

That is true.  They had financial problems during the original run, but it also didn't feel like their lives were as bleak as they seem now. 

Roseanne and the writers visited Elgin, IL as research for the reboot and discovered that, even with inflation, the Conners would be making less money NOW than in the '90s.

[JakeyJokes]

4 hours ago, Lion18 said:

I just recently binged watched Greys on Netflix. So when I saw “ Richard” I went Wow’!  Was he on the original Roseanne?  Thanks

Chuck (James Pickens Jr.) and Annemarie (Adilah Barnes) were recurring characters from Seasons 3-8. Annemarie went to high school with Roseanne, Jackie, and Crystal; Chuck often worked with Dan in dry-walling or the city job. With "Roseanne" residuals and 13 years of "Grey's", Pickens is probably one very (deservedly) wealthy character actor!

[ItsHelloPattiagain]

Quote

Also, I was so excited to see Anne Marie and Chuck!! Outside of Nana Mary, they were always my favorite recurring characters. I wonder if we’ll find out what became of Chuck Jr. 

I'm always so happy when I see one of the old-school Roseanne neighbors/friends. Now help me out a little, my friends. 

I swore I had seen that cashier before. .  like I could hear her voice perfectly in my head and she appeared to be saying something I have heard before - yet I couldn't pull up the episode. Now I remember. Did anybody here watch the movie "Terms of Endearment"? Remember that scene where Debra Winger is trying to check out with her kids and she doesn't have enough money. The clerk is super rude and condescending and John Lithgow ends up helping Debra Winger's character and tells the clerk "she's a very rude young woman"? I swear that girl was the spitting image of that clerk, and the dialogue was really similar. I'm off to check IMDB to see if any of the writers were on both Roseanne and that movie.

Regarding Uber - they require you to have a later model car with AC (at least here in Florida). My neighbor rents a brand new car as an Uber driver and gets some kind of special deal through Uber. I even think they deduct it from her earnings. So that's a way Roseanne could drive a newer car. 

Dan and DJ working on motorcycles together gave me the happy feels. 

My SIL's cousin just got discharged from the military because of severe PTSD. He had to go to the VA a bunch of times to try and get disability status so he was discharged with a pension. It had been an ongoing ordeal and took months to get straightened out. Maybe that's what DJ is trying to do - get a disability rating for his PTSD so that he could possibly go to school or at least have a little financial help until he gets a non-military job. Plus if you've ever been to the VA, it's a ridiculously long wait to get anything done there. 

[iMonrey]

Quote

I did not like the part where the "illegals" were supposedly taking his job. That seems like a myth that got out of control and just not true. imo

It also seems like another way the show is defending Trump voters and (by association) anti-immigration voters who believe illegals are stealing American jobs. In Dan's case, it's somewhat plausible that a contractor would hire illegals rather than Dan and his crew because they'd be a lot cheaper, so the show is addressing where that sentiment can come from. It's true in this specific case even if it's something blown wildly out of proportion and a cause of paranoia.

[UYI]

2 hours ago, ItsHelloPattiagain said:

 

I swore I had seen that cashier before. .  like I could hear her voice perfectly in my head and she appeared to be saying something I have heard before - yet I couldn't pull up the episode. Now I remember. Did anybody here watch the movie "Terms of Endearment"? Remember that scene where Debra Winger is trying to check out with her kids and she doesn't have enough money. The clerk is super rude and condescending and John Lithgow ends up helping Debra Winger's character and tells the clerk "she's a very rude young woman"? I swear that girl was the spitting image of that clerk, and the dialogue was really similar. I'm off to check IMDB to see if any of the writers were on both Roseanne and that movie.

 

I was about to say that Terms of Endearment was in 1983, so that clerk would have been WAY too young (and she has a different hair color)...but then I saw this sentence. Never mind. :P

Edited May 9, 2018 by UYI

[TattleTeeny]

1 hour ago, greekmom said:

Agreed. Especially since Dan is so handy with home repairs they can turn the basement into a mini apartment and the garage. 

Roseanne and Dan have always been crafty with paying bills with cheques. I clearly remember the one episode where they were putting the phone bills cheque in the envelope to send for the electricity and then they threw out the cable bill saying "oh we never got it!"

I actually mistakenly thought she made a reference to choosing which bills to pay by spinning them (on a lazy Susan)...but then I realized that it was Lucy Ricardo who did that!

[bichonblitz]

7 hours ago, Mu Shu said:

When you do the math, the full benefits aren’t really worth waiting for.

An accountant told me the same thing.

[mamadrama]

18 hours ago, Brn2bwild said:

Showing my economic ignorance: I was surprised when the neighbor used food stamps to buy her groceries, given that the family was buying so many items (including lots and lots of fertilizer) and had cable/WiFi, which would likely be pretty pricey.

I can't explain the fertilizer but as someone who has spent time on welfare programs (Food Stamps and Medicaid)...The "working poor" sometimes still qualify for benefits even though they're technically not unemployed. When we received benefits, both of us were working-my husband as a college professor literally made less than the people working at Starbucks thanks to the way the university kept getting budget cuts every year. Cable/internet came as a package deal for us that was less than $60 a month. To have internet alone it would've been $65, to bundle them was cheaper. Did we need internet? Yes. We gave up our cell phones to eliminate the big bills and used Skype instead (from $150+ a month to free on Skype). Rather than going to the movies for entertainment, we found films on You Tube and made "movie nights" sitting around the laptops. The big thing, though, is that my job required internet access. Without it, I didn't work. Honestly, we'd have been better off if I hadn't been working. Without my job we would've qualified for more benefits. I enjoy working, however, was embarrassed to be receiving government benefits (even though we paid into the system), and was trying to build a business. Few things are as embarrassing as sitting in that office every month, filling out more paperwork or having the person in line behind you at the grocery store monitoring everything you put on the conveyor belt to make sure that you're not ripping off the "taxpayers."

Ironically, we were looked upon as having "good" jobs for the area. Lots of people were worse off than us, we were lucky. I eventually built up my business enough that not only were we able to get off of Food Stamps, but we were able to purchase a vacation house. Like I said, we're luckier than most. 

I wasn't sure that I liked this episode at first, but the more I think about it the more I'm warming up to it. I definitely enjoyed the warm moments between DJ and Dan. Like others, though, I am not sold on Harris. She has her mother's attitude down but none of the wit or heart. 

[LadyNebula]

The race stuff really rang true to me. I live in a coal region town, which would be the Lansford of PA. Many people here will say all sorts of things ranging from slightly un-PC to downright racist in their own homes, but if they see it in public, they'll call it out. Especially if the victim has managed to become "one of us."  That said, I have never heard any cashier being that blatantly rude, thank goodness. 

[peacheslatour]

Maybe the fertilizer was an investment. If you grow your own fruits, veggies and herbs you can save a ton. Although I don't know anything about farming in Yemen so I don't know if Lanford's weather and soil conditions would be conducive to whatever they are going to grow.

[qtpye]

5 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

That is true.  They had financial problems during the original run, but it also didn't feel like their lives were as bleak as they seem now. 

 

2 hours ago, JakeyJokes said:

Roseanne and the writers visited Elgin, IL as research for the reboot and discovered that, even with inflation, the Conners would be making less money NOW than in the '90s.

In the nineties and late eighties, there still was hope that things will get better even with the early nineties recession. Wages have stagnated and the average American actually makes less now after you adjust for inflation.

There was also hope that the kids, particularly Becky, would go on to do better. Now the Conners are senior citizens that can barely keep the lights on and both of their daughters are struggling financially. Becky is a waitress, just like her mom and did not improve her lot in life. Darlene did try to make a go of it in Chicago but had children with an irresponsible flake and is actually in worse shape than her sister, who can at least afford her own apartment.

The hope "that things will be better" is just not there anymore. However, the family still has a lot of love for each other and can still find happiness in other things.

[CatsAndMoreCats]

5 hours ago, Rachel RSL said:

Perhaps I missed something in earlier episodes but did they ever give a reason why Roseanne does nothing except occasionally pick up an Uber customer? (And I can't imagine there's much business for Uber in a small town like that.) They've made reference to her bad knee or whatever but there are PLENTY of jobs that don't require physical labour.  I want to like the Connors, despite the fact that we are on totally opposite ends of the political spectrum, but I find it really difficult to feel bad for them when they start blaming illegals for taking away money they were counting on. I mean, maybe the Connors are poor because Roseanne sits on her ass all day whining instead of, you know, getting a job.  I'm really enjoying all the characters this time around, except Roseanne...I don't remember her being so miserable and unlikable.

Have you ever tried to find a job as a female "of a certain age" while living in an economically depressed town?  It ain't easy.  IMHO Roseanne is lucky that she finds enough Uber work to justify even pulling the car out of the driveway.

[bigskygirl]

26 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

Maybe the fertilizer was an investment. If you grow your own fruits, veggies and herbs you can save a ton. Although I don't know anything about farming in Yemen so I don't know if Lanford's weather and soil conditions would be conducive to whatever they are going to grow.

I thought the wife said they ended up with a lot of fertilizer because they husband kept hitting the order fertilizer button on Amazon. Why not cancer the orders or send the fertilizer back instead of keeping it.

[Bastet]

It's heavy; maybe the shipping to send it back (since it was his mistake, not Amazon's) makes it cost-prohibitive, and he'd rather keep it on hand for future use.  As for why they're buying it in the first place, they're relatively new to the house, and maybe the previous residents neglected the yard and they're trying to spruce up the grass - for their own benefit, and to not give their prejudiced neighbors one more thing to complain about.

All I know is, I'm glad he's a dunce with Amazon, because the way Fatima explained what all the fertilizer was about was funny; those two actors worked well together in the short time we saw them.  And I think ribbing her husband like that was the first time Roseanne realized, hey, she's just a regular person like I am.

[mythoughtis]

Regarding Roseanne’s job prospects - she’s only got a high school education, seems to have only worked entry level type jobs.  Those probably didn’t come with pensions or 401Ks.  She could go work at Walmart, but she’d have to stand all day and end up with less than 30 hours a week probably. She may make just as much money doing Uber( with tips). Dan is also doing physical labor and waiting for people who want his services.  It’s true that jobs get harder to come by the older you get.  

As someone said- their income might have worked for the two of them/ but there are several extra mouths to feed here. Becky, DJ and Mary probably eat there a lot along with Jackie. Maybe they are helping  Bev too. 

[mamadrama]

36 minutes ago, CatsAndMoreCats said:

Have you ever tried to find a job as a female "of a certain age" while living in an economically depressed town?  It ain't easy.  IMHO Roseanne is lucky that she finds enough Uber work to justify even pulling the car out of the driveway.

It's become a catch 22, too. I live in an economically depressed area that's considered one of the poorest parts of the country. More than half of the people who live here are on some kind of benefits. Jobs are scarce. A recent part-time position at our local library scored more than 200 applications. Take into consideration that our county only has 2,000 people to begin with...People say that those who are struggling should "just move." But with what money? If you're broke then you can't afford to move to another town, set up shop, and job hunt for several months. Find a job before you get there? Maybe. but even people with college degrees are struggling at the moment. Someone with a high school diploma, GED, or even a basic BA with limited experience is going to be hard pressed to find a company that will pay to relocate them. People get stuck and it's particularly hard on, as you say, a woman of a certain age-especially with limited education and mostly blue collar work experience. 

[ButterQueen]

I loved this episode.

Roseanne is far from being lazy.  She has always worked, even owned her own business.  But, she’s older now, has knee problems, so that limits what she can do.  I find the Conners so much more likeable as a family, than say, Modern Family.  They remind me of how I grew up.  My parents always paid the bills, but we were lower middle class and I was never embarrassed.  

I love seeing Roseanne and Jackie together again.

I don’t really care about kids that went missing....I just enjoy the show for what it is.

[Annber03]

About eight years ago, my family was living in a small town in South Dakota. My dad had fallen ill to the point where he could not work anymore, and my mom went out to find a job. She didn't have a college degree, but she did have years of office experience from her younger days, and she'd also worked retail at one point as well, and worked her way up to assistant manager level. 

She got turned down for every job of that sort she could find and tried to apply for, because she was "overqualified", and all she was able to get in the end was part-time work at Target. She took the job, because some money was better than none, but it sure as hell didn't do squat to help our family's mounting medical bills we were getting because of my dad's illness. We were lucky if we could even cover the rent and food, let alone anything else. 

And I tried to look for work as well, and couldn't find anyplace that would take me, either, because I didn't have enough experience. That's another frustrating part of the job hunt. You're either overqualified or not qualified enough. 

Edited May 9, 2018 by Annber03

[Runningwild]

8 hours ago, CatsAndMoreCats said:

I don't think it's pathetic.  I think it's how most of us 99-percenters are forced to live.  Forced.  As in, we really have no other choice.  To keep this on-topic and avoid a wrist slap from the mods, I'll say that I too like the new neighbors.

I don’t understand how the Conners are still so broke. They obviously haven’t learned any money management skills.  I find it depressing and annoying. 

[Rachel RSL]

55 minutes ago, CatsAndMoreCats said:

Have you ever tried to find a job as a female "of a certain age" while living in an economically depressed town?  It ain't easy.  IMHO Roseanne is lucky that she finds enough Uber work to justify even pulling the car out of the driveway.

I'm not referring to anyone in real life, I'm referring only to Roseanne Connor the character who, from what we've been shown, complains about money and people taking away jobs, yet we haven't seen her doing any actual job hunting herself. This isn't real life, it's a tv show, so it would be much easier for me as a viewer to empathize with her if they would actually show her struggles when it comes to finding a job. The writers could easily drop a line in here or there. As someone said above, they just assume she's looking for a job. I, personally, assume she isn't because they haven't ever shown her so much as even mention it. They've written her as being such a miserable person, even to her own family, it's hard for me, personally, to feel bad for her, especially when she's blaming things on illegals.That's why I was wondering if I missed something in an earlier episode. Like maybe her physical problems are too serious for her to work full-time or something.  

[ButterQueen]

3 minutes ago, Rachel RSL said:

I'm not referring to anyone in real life, I'm referring only to Roseanne Connor the character who, from what we've been shown, complains about money and people taking away jobs, yet we haven't seen her doing any actual job hunting herself. This isn't real life, it's a tv show, so it would be much easier for me as a viewer to empathize with her if they would actually show her struggles when it comes to finding a job. The writers could easily drop a line in here or there. As someone said above, they just assume she's looking for a job. I, personally, assume she isn't because they haven't ever shown her so much as even mention it. They've written her as being such a miserable person, even to her own family, it's hard for me, personally, to feel bad for her, especially when she's blaming things on illegals.That's why I was wondering if I missed something in an earlier episode. Like maybe her physical problems are too serious for her to work full-time or something.  

How many sitcom characters are actually shown at work or looking for work?  Everyone seems to be available all the time.  

[Rachel RSL]

I agree. But the financial difficulties the Connors are experiencing seem to be a key plot point in this series, as opposed to other shows that focus on other things, so it seems like it would be beneficial to address it, even just once.

*And because I get the impression that some people here think I'm being judgmental without really understanding the financial struggles the Connors have, believe me, I get it and can empathize. I work 10 hours a day, 5 days a week but, because of a serious medical condition and no health insurance, I'm in just as rough shape as the Connors. Not posting that to say "woe is me", just pointing out that I'm not being a snooty-snoot looking down at the "poor people" with disdain. Hell, I *am* one of those people.  I'm just genuinely wishing they'd give us a bit more info so I can feel good about Roseanne, not just think of her as a whiny, racist.  

[Mu Shu]

1 hour ago, Rachel RSL said:

I agree. But the financial difficulties the Connors are experiencing seem to be a key plot point in this series, as opposed to other shows that focus on other things, so it seems like it would be beneficial to address it, even just once.

*And because I get the impression that some people here think I'm being judgmental without really understanding the financial struggles the Connors have, believe me, I get it and can empathize. I work 10 hours a day, 5 days a week but, because of a serious medical condition and no health insurance, I'm in just as rough shape as the Connors. Not posting that to say "woe is me", just pointing out that I'm not being a snooty-snoot looking down at the "poor people" with disdain. Hell, I *am* one of those people.  I'm just genuinely wishing they'd give us a bit more info so I can feel good about Roseanne, not just think of her as a whiny, racist.  

My ass is poor, too.  But when you have a home and family, you all get together and pool resources.  It’s what I’m doing now. I have an Apartment in my aunts house for two years and it’s working out really well. 

[Rachel RSL]

I have no family, except a brother I haven't seen in a decade who lives on the other side of the country but, if it were an option for me, I would totally do that. I can see how the Connor house is already super crowded though. But, like someone else said, Dan is handy with construction, so they could make some adjustments if they wanted to.  Then again, they way they fought over not having to take care of Bev, doesn't sound like that's something Roseanne would ever go for.

[BitterApple]

Roseanne doing Uber makes a lot of sense. Nowadays you can't even get an administrative assistant job without a four year degree, and age discrimination is a very real thing. If you consider the jobs Roseanne held on the original show (factory worker, bartender, fast food cashier, salon custodian, waitress, diner owner) they all involved standing for long periods of time. Roseanne mentioned a bad knee, so her options at this stage are probably limited. 

[AppleCore]

I was surprised they went and bothered neighbors they didn't know in the middle of the night. Why didn't they pile in the car and go down to McDonald's or Starbucks or somewhere that has free wifi?

[txhorns79]

Quote

I was surprised they went and bothered neighbors they didn't know in the middle of the night. Why didn't they pile in the car and go down to McDonald's or Starbucks or somewhere that has free wifi?

I'd be shocked if Lanford had a McDonald's or Starbucks that was open 24 hours a day.  They really should have just rescheduled the call, rather than bothering their neighbors in the middle of the night. 

[Mu Shu]

8 hours ago, Pallas said:

Financial hardship gets old around the same time we do.

Do I need a reminder on TV, though?  Does that make anyone feel better?  Why does Darlene and Becky have to be destitute too?  Everyone in the family is fucked.

i grew up with no running water or indoor toilet until I was 7.  We never had any money.  It was fucking miserable, and reliving it in 2009 was fucking traumatic.

Not something I want to watch on a regular basis. 

[mamadrama]

13 minutes ago, Mu Shu said:

Do I need a reminder on TV, though?  Does that make anyone feel better?  Why does Darlene and Becky have to be destitute too?  Everyone in the family is fucked.

i grew up with no running water or indoor toilet until I was 7.  We never had any money.  It was fucking miserable, and reliving it in 2009 was fucking traumatic.

Not something I want to watch on a regular basis. 

There's something about it that's bothering me, too. While I like the realism, Roseanne has always tried to portray life for the "common people" as accurately as possible, it seems a little unreasonable to me that the whole family would be this bad off and that they haven't tried something "new" to improve their situation. I guess it's realistic that some people really do seem to never get that break and that there are generations that stay in the same boat, but think it's just as realistic to show that someone in the family HAS achieved a modicum of success. Let Darlene be successful and watch how that impacts the rest of the family. 

If there's one thing about poor people, it's that we are resourceful. Although Roseanne finds creative ways of paying the bills, or not paying them, they still seem to be stuck in the same rut that they were in 20 years ago. Moving Becky in would be a good start. 

[Bastet]

One of the things Roseanne did best was show the truth that, "American Dream" myth aside, most people born poor die poor.  So it stands to reason that they'd still be struggling, and the next generation would be struggling - and in some ways more so, just as we saw Dan and Roseanne struggle more than their parents had at the same age, because of the ever-widening economic gulf between the haves and the have-nots.  But Becky and Jackie both have their own apartments, Darlene did well for herself for a while and wouldn't have needed to move home following job loss if she hadn't had to be a single parent for many years, Roseanne and Dan have held onto the house, even if by the skin of their teeth a few times, etc. -- I don't think it's all doom and gloom, and definitely not unrealistic in its gloom.

[Nordly Beaumont]

12 hours ago, DoubleUTeeEff said:

I didn't know you couldn't buy "prepared" food with food stamps.

I haven't seen them for years, but gas stations with convenience stores used to have signs that said if you are buying a burrito with food stamps you had to pay for it before microwaving it. If you nuked it first you had to use cash. It has to do with not being able to use food stamps at restaurants, I guess.

7 hours ago, ItsHelloPattiagain said:

Remember that scene where Debra Winger is trying to check out with her kids and she doesn't have enough money. The clerk is super rude and condescending and John Lithgow ends up helping Debra Winger's character and tells the clerk "she's a very rude young woman"?

"I don't think I'm rude"

"Then you must be from New York"

Edited May 10, 2018 by Nordly Beaumont

[chocolatine]

I can see how it's very depressing to watch an entire family struggle, but I also appreciate the realism. The thing that bugged about some of my other favorite sitcoms, like The Office and Parks & Rec, was that by the end of the show, all those people who started out as ordinary office workers, ended up having a ton of success. That's fun to think about, but it's not how life works for most people.

I think what would have been great for this show is if some of the characters were allowed to have some success that's not financial, that way they could still be poor but not completely miserable. For example, since Darlene is a writer, she could have had some success publishing her work and have a small but loyal following, but not sell enough books to keep herself and the kids afloat. She'd still need to find a job to make ends meet, but she'd also be motivated to keep writing. Something like that.

[camom]

Quote

Sadly, I have never heard one person with  good, positive V.A. story

My son retired from the military on disability after 21 years of service, and he gets excellent care from the VA.  I know there are a lot of horror stories out there, so I feel very fortunate that my boy is being taken care of so well.  I think a lot of it has to do with the location (he's in San Diego).  

[voiceover]

Ignorant mean-spirited commentary isn't restricted to Small Town America.

The first and only time I was ever slammed for my heritage was while on the job in a wealthy Maryland suburb of Washington DC.  It burned like acid.  

More so, because I came of age in the Midwest, where I'd blessedly never been subjected to this kind of abuse.  Where my Middle Eastern father's best friend was a man raised on a farm in an "only one traffic light" town.

Nice to think Roseanne & her neighbor bonded over "My husband the idiot" = the universal truths bring us all together?

[SpiritSong]

13 hours ago, BitterApple said:

I thought the Fox News comment was a low blow considering neither CNN nor MSNBC are bastions of objective journalism either.  

Neither of those networks have gone to court and argued that they're actually entertainment channels, not news, like Fox did.

Does anyone know just how small Lanford is? And where is it located in relation to the nearest city? Close enough to commute to find work? I know when Roseanne first aired there was some kind of factory a lot of them worked at, so I was wondering if there is any industry in the town.

They must have refinanced that house a time or two because surely it would be paid off by now.

[SpiritSong]

11 hours ago, iMonrey said:

It also seems like another way the show is defending Trump voters and (by association) anti-immigration voters who believe illegals are stealing American jobs. In Dan's case, it's somewhat plausible that a contractor would hire illegals rather than Dan and his crew because they'd be a lot cheaper, so the show is addressing where that sentiment can come from. It's true in this specific case even if it's something blown wildly out of proportion and a cause of paranoia.

The proper thing to do would have been to report the contractor if he was hiring illegal immigrants. HE is the problem, not the laborers. Nobody undocumented would come here for work if Americans didn't hire them, so let's put the blame where it really belongs.

[nikita]

The belief that the poor deserve to suffer and enjoy nothing is as hateful and ignorant as the cashier's comments and Roseanne's take on the new neighbors.

[mythoughtis]

Sit-coms have been used for decades to put a mirror on prejudice. Think Archie Bunker. George Jefferson and interracial couples. Roseanne, a lower middle class ( if that) white 60 ish Trump supporter is made to realize that ‘the scary they’ Is more like her than she thought.  The Roseanne show has never shied from holding a light on society’s predujices. 

[llewis823]

16 hours ago, iMonrey said:

He does seem the most awkward out of the three original Conner kids,

I disagree. I think "Becky" says her lines like a little kid in a school play. Or an exaggerated 70's commercial, "Why, Madge, I'm soaking in it!" 

[txhorns79]

I find it interesting that of the Conner children, DJ appears to be the most stable.  He might have some emotional problems from his service, but otherwise he seems to have things pretty together.  Or at least, there's been nothing to suggest he's in any real trouble.    

[UYI]

While I'll admit that at first the Muslim jokes/stereotypes made me VERY uncomfortable, the very end definitely redeemed it for me, and there were enough strong lines/jokes that I liked this episode overall. And the scene with Dan and DJ in particular was great.

[ChicksDigScars]

14 hours ago, mythoughtis said:

Regarding Roseanne’s job prospects - she’s only got a high school education, seems to have only worked entry level type jobs.  Those probably didn’t come with pensions or 401Ks.  She could go work at Walmart, but she’d have to stand all day and end up with less than 30 hours a week probably. She may make just as much money doing Uber( with tips). Dan is also doing physical labor and waiting for people who want his services.  It’s true that jobs get harder to come by the older you get.  

I gotta say, though, John Goodman looks healthier now.  Think back to Dan Conner, the morbidly obese 30-something, who lived on cheap processed carbs and beer, having to lift and carry drywall around a construction site. The wheezing and sweating would be epic. (Brain flash to the wrecking ball hitting the porta shitter....classic episode)  John Goodman looks like he could still work a dry wall job. As does James Pickens (though he was never at such an unhealthy weight as Goodman was). 

 

9 hours ago, Nordly Beaumont said:

"I don't think I'm rude"

"Then you must be from New York"

 

And the withering look that the snippy bitch gave him as she slammed the register door shut? Love it. Such a classic movie. 

Edited May 10, 2018 by ChicksDigScars

[CatsAndMoreCats]

1 hour ago, mythoughtis said:

Sit-coms have been used for decades to put a mirror on prejudice. Think Archie Bunker. George Jefferson and interracial couples. Roseanne, a lower middle class ( if that) white 60 ish Trump supporter is made to realize that ‘the scary they’ Is more like her than she thought.  The Roseanne show has never shied from holding a light on society’s predujices. 

I think the names Archie Bunker, George Jefferson, Maude Findlay and the like would mean nothing to most individuals watching TV (and perhaps contributing to these message boards) in 2018.  Those characters' shows first ran in the 1970's -- 40-some years ago!  I realize many classic sitcoms live on in cable reruns.  But I have trouble envisioning someone about, say, Darlene's age spending their evenings or weekends tuning in to cable TV reruns.  Also? The TV shows of today are FAR more politically correct.  There's stuff from the 70's that I don't think would EVER see the light of day on TV in 2018.  (Anybody else remember a 49-yr-old Maude becoming pregnant and choosing to have an abortion?)  Of course, YMMV.  

[qtpye]

14 hours ago, mythoughtis said:

Regarding Roseanne’s job prospects - she’s only got a high school education, seems to have only worked entry level type jobs.  Those probably didn’t come with pensions or 401Ks.  She could go work at Walmart, but she’d have to stand all day and end up with less than 30 hours a week probably. She may make just as much money doing Uber( with tips). Dan is also doing physical labor and waiting for people who want his services.  It’s true that jobs get harder to come by the older you get.  

As someone said- their income might have worked for the two of them/ but there are several extra mouths to feed here. Becky, DJ and Mary probably eat there a lot along with Jackie. Maybe they are helping  Bev too. 

 

14 hours ago, mamadrama said:

It's become a catch 22, too. I live in an economically depressed area that's considered one of the poorest parts of the country. More than half of the people who live here are on some kind of benefits. Jobs are scarce. A recent part-time position at our local library scored more than 200 applications. Take into consideration that our county only has 2,000 people to begin with...People say that those who are struggling should "just move." But with what money? If you're broke then you can't afford to move to another town, set up shop, and job hunt for several months. Find a job before you get there? Maybe. but even people with college degrees are struggling at the moment. Someone with a high school diploma, GED, or even a basic BA with limited experience is going to be hard pressed to find a company that will pay to relocate them. People get stuck and it's particularly hard on, as you say, a woman of a certain age-especially with limited education and mostly blue collar work experience. 

 

14 hours ago, Annber03 said:

About eight years ago, my family was living in a small town in South Dakota. My dad had fallen ill to the point where he could not work anymore, and my mom went out to find a job. She didn't have a college degree, but she did have years of office experience from her younger days, and she'd also worked retail at one point as well, and worked her way up to assistant manager level. 

She got turned down for every job of that sort she could find and tried to apply for, because she was "overqualified", and all she was able to get in the end was part-time work at Target. She took the job, because some money was better than none, but it sure as hell didn't do squat to help our family's mounting medical bills we were getting because of my dad's illness. We were lucky if we could even cover the rent and food, let alone anything else. 

And I tried to look for work as well, and couldn't find anyplace that would take me, either, because I didn't have enough experience. That's another frustrating part of the job hunt. You're either overqualified or not qualified enough. 

 

12 hours ago, BitterApple said:

Roseanne doing Uber makes a lot of sense. Nowadays you can't even get an administrative assistant job without a four year degree, and age discrimination is a very real thing. If you consider the jobs Roseanne held on the original show (factory worker, bartender, fast food cashier, salon custodian, waitress, diner owner) they all involved standing for long periods of time. Roseanne mentioned a bad knee, so her options at this stage are probably limited. 

 

9 hours ago, chocolatine said:

I can see how it's very depressing to watch an entire family struggle, but I also appreciate the realism. The thing that bugged about some of my other favorite sitcoms, like The Office and Parks & Rec, was that by the end of the show, all those people who started out as ordinary office workers, ended up having a ton of success. That's fun to think about, but it's not how life works for most people.

I think what would have been great for this show is if some of the characters were allowed to have some success that's not financial, that way they could still be poor but not completely miserable. For example, since Darlene is a writer, she could have had some success publishing her work and have a small but loyal following, but not sell enough books to keep herself and the kids afloat. She'd still need to find a job to make ends meet, but she'd also be motivated to keep writing. Something like that.

It's even worse. Now, job fairs are a waste of time and no one is allowed to "pound the pavement" anymore because all the companies want you to apply online. So that means you have a lot more competition for even simple admin jobs. Also, the employers do not have time to look at the hundreds of resumes so robots automatically root out ones without specific keywords like "college degree". I remember in the original show Roseanne lost out on a great administrative job because she did know computers.  I wonder if current Roseanne has any familiarity with Windows Office Suite? It would be hard to get a regular office job today without knowing it.

The original show also had a great episode where Rosanne quit her factory job because her boss was a demeaning monster. She talked about how the factory job provided her with retirement benefits. I remember cheering when it happened because her boss was such a jerk. However, she never ever had a job nearly as good and definitely not one that would pay her retirement benefits. Of course, the town economics probably also went to hell when the factory closed down. I really respected that the storyline did not have her become some sort of great success because she stood up for herself. Instead, her jobs got worse and worse (getting fired from fast food by a snot-nosed kid and sweeping hair) until she landed on waitress (though later she opened the diner). It was a harsh reality that working class people do not have a lot of career options.

I remember reading articles about how working at a Sears in the up until the seventies was kind of like having a dream job. They paid a good wage, provided excellent benefits, and had a very good work environment. Retired Sears employees would visit the malls they used to work at and tell current employees about how great the company was and how they were living the good life in retirement because of having worked there. Now, Sears is dead and that type of secure position for the average person seems like a dream.

Speaking of the snot-nosed kid that fired Roseanne from the fast food place, I would love to get an update on him. I would love it if he was some 43-year-old loser who never got out of his parent's basement or a fallen wall street guy who got busted for insider trading.

[UYI]

25 minutes ago, CatsAndMoreCats said:

I think the names Archie Bunker, George Jefferson, Maude Findlay and the like would mean nothing to most individuals watching TV (and perhaps contributing to these message boards) in 2018.  Those characters' shows first ran in the 1970's -- 40-some years ago!  

Not to look too precocious or anything, but I was watching (and idolizing--she was the first overtly feminist hero I was truly aware of) Maude reruns on TV Land at 10 years old in 1999. And I'm a huge All in the Family fan, too.

But what I can say? I'm a young woman who actually appreciates classic television and always has. :)

[ChicksDigScars]

16 minutes ago, CatsAndMoreCats said:

I think the names Archie Bunker, George Jefferson, Maude Findlay and the like would mean nothing to most individuals watching TV (and perhaps contributing to these message boards) in 2018.  Those characters' shows first ran in the 1970's -- 40-some years ago!  I realize many classic sitcoms live on in cable reruns.  But I have trouble envisioning someone about, say, Darlene's age spending their evenings or weekends tuning in to cable TV reruns.  Also? The TV shows of today are FAR more politically correct.  There's stuff from the 70's that I don't think would EVER see the light of day on TV in 2018.  (Anybody else remember a 49-yr-old Maude becoming pregnant and choosing to have an abortion?)  Of course, YMMV.  

I actually saw that episode on a rerun not too long ago.  It holds up. 

 

True to a point, but I also remember being in my 20's and sitting and watching Nick at Night with my mother. In the 80's, they were showing black and white sitcoms from HER era. Dobie Gillis, Groucho Marx. Now, they're showing reruns from the 90's, which is Darlene's era.  I've watched MASH reruns and realized, through the filter of today's standards, how sexist the funny parts seem now.  I think someone Darlene's age is aware of who the people her parent's watched are.  Especially thanks to cable and the internet.

 

When my son was a teen and I would harp on him to clean his room, I'd hum the theme from Sanford and Son whenever I would walk in there. He didn't get it for the longest time. Then, one day, he's watching TV Land, and Sanford and Son starts.  He hears the theme. It took him a minute and he said, "Hey...isn't this the song you hum when you walk into my room?" And I said, "Yeah." Then he watched the opening credits and said, "Ohhhhh.....and they live in a junk yard...." Now you're catching on! 

 

Thanks to cable, and Nick and Night, TV Land, My TV, Antenna TV, CMT and Logo, and all these stations that show sitcom reruns, basically 24 hours a day, it's not unheard of for someone my son's age (30) to know and enjoy something before his time.  I recently caught him laughing his ass off when he stopped over and MASH was on. 

[Annber03]

17 minutes ago, ChicksDigScars said:

Thanks to cable, and Nick and Night, TV Land, My TV, Antenna TV, CMT and Logo, and all these stations that show sitcom reruns, basically 24 hours a day, it's not unheard of for someone my son's age (30) to know and enjoy something before his time.  I recently caught him laughing his ass off when he stopped over and MASH was on. 

Yep. I'm 33 and I know of so many classic TV series thanks to both those channels and my parents. My parents pretty much raised me on classic TV shows :D.