Monday, August 2, 2010

Notes on Pop Culture: Depressing 'FNL,' Meanest Anti-'Lost' Finale Tweets, 'Eat Pray Love' & 'The Philadelphia Story'

*Warning, spoilers ahead from the recent episode of Friday Night Lights.*

FNL’s Depressing Episode

Fifteen-year-old Becky Sproles’ abortion on Friday Night Lights’ – a choice fully supported and, in fact, insisted upon by her mother Cheryl – continues to haunt Tami Taylor, even though Tami neither advised Becky to terminate her pregnancy nor did she advocate that Becky do anything other than talk with her mother.

Somehow, the baby daddy’s mother, Margaret Cafferty, got it into her head that the abortion was all Tami’s idea and that since Margaret didn’t get to speak with Becky while Becky was still pregnant, Tami is the one who has to pay. In the latest episode, “Laboring,” Margaret had taken the false story to the newspaper, resulting in Tami getting attacked in an article with her photo next to it, accusing her of pushing Becky into having an abortion. After the article's publication, Tami received phone calls at home calling her a “baby killer” and telling her she’s going to rot in hell (even though she pointedly told Becky, who’d asked Tami if she’d go to hell for having an abortion, that she didn’t think Becky would burn in hell). Tami got picketed at school with signs, while the school board pressured her to publicly apologize of her “inappropriate behavior,” even though she didn’t do anything inappropriate.

Sure, there's a big football game coming up between the two rival Dillon teams and Eric is all worked up about it – fielding his own hate-filled, taunting phone calls, hearing the mean-spirited trash talk and seeing his car covered with graffiti -- but between Tami’s situation and poor Vince’s, where he bravely stood up to a gang member who wanted him to help him kill a rival who gunned down one of their friends . . . never mind that Billy Riggins became a daddy at roughly the same time he and his younger brother Tim were hauled to jail for running a chop shop, and the East versus West game seemed like a minor concern by comparison, except for that heartbreaking scene where the spoiled heathens from West Dillon ransacked the East Dillon field, knowing full well that East Dillon doesn’t have the money to repair it. That was truly sad, particularly because it seems like the odious brats will get away with it.



Meanest Anti-Lost Finale Tweets Sent to Lindelof

During a the TV Critics Association Awards over the weekend, Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof accepted an award for best drama series by sharing a handful of the nastier tweets he received after the show’s controversial finale (I still cannot discuss the finale rationally), New York Magazine reported. Among them:

“Hey, douche! Instead of backpacking in Europe or whatever the f_*& you’re doing, how about you give me six years of my life back?”

AND

“Has anyone accused you of being an emotional terrorist yet? And research these words: closure and actual explanations.”

Eat Pray Love: The Eating Portion

Having just dispensed with The Help last week (I couldn’t stop thinking about Betty Draper’s housekeeper/nanny Carla, who we saw for the first time last night), I’m now onto Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I completed the Italy section over the weekend and, I must say, I developed an immense desire to consume copious amounts of fresh, authentic Italian fare and wash it down with a fabulous glass of red wine while reading it.

And while I dabble in yoga – try to take classes intermittently – I can’t envision that reading about the India portion of Gilbert’s trip is going to compel me to pull out my yoga mat and meditate every morning. (It’d be kind of impossible, the notion of meditating, what with the three kids who live here in the house, including the one who likes to wake up at the crack of dawn and follow people around.)

The Philadelphia Story

My 9-year-old son had a friend sleep over our house the other night and for entertainment, the two of them chose to watch the Pink Panther 2 with Steve Martin for the umpteenth time because they so adore watching Martin mispronounce “hamburger” while affecting a French accent.

Since I didn’t think I could sit through it again (actually, I think I’ve only watched portions of it), I, opted to retreat to my room to watch The Philadelphia Story for the umpteenth time without having to listen anyone whine, “Mooom, this is so borrrr-ing!).” Katharine Hepburn, Jimmy Stewart and Cary Grant, they never get old. Plus having Stewart portray a not-well-paid writer, well, that hits a note with me.

2 comments:

Cooley Horner said...

I lovveeee "The Philadelphia Story." "South Bend...it sounds like dancing!" :)

Those tweets are pretty funny, but I stand by my love of the LOST finale. I thought it was pretty well done, and I think it will stand up well over time as future generations get into the show.

Tanya Bermudez said...

Eat Pray Love is such a great book. She really does a great job on the Italian, food section, I definitely got the same sensation as you!

I think the Indian part gave me more inspiration to look at my own life and the 'resentments' I hold onto more than wanting to bust out the yoga mat. I look forward to what you might think on this :)


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