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TV Meme, Day Eleven
Jul. 28th, 2010 12:08 amDay 01 - A show that should never have been canceled -- "The Five Mrs. Buchanans"
Day 02 - A show that you wish more people were watching -- "The Big Bang Theory"
Day 03 - Your favourite new show (aired this season) -- "V"
Day 04 - Your favourite show ever -- "Star Trek: The Next Generation"
Day 05 - A show you hate -- "Everybody Loves Raymond"
Day 06 - Favourite episode of your favourite TV show -- "All Good Things..."
Day 07 - Least favourite episode of your favourite TV show -- "The Child"
Day 08 - A show everyone should watch -- "Seinfeld"
Day 09 - Best scene ever -- All the quiz scenes from the Friends episode, "The One With the Embryos"
Day 10 - Day 10 - A show you thought you wouldn't like but ended up loving -- "Weeds"
Day 11 - A show that disappointed you
This isn't fair of me, not at all, but Ellen disappointed me. 13 years ago, Ellen DeGeneres came out in real life and then her character came out in an episode called The Puppy Episode, which instilled in all lesbians an intense desire for a toaster oven. ;)
This episode is not what disappointed me. I loved it. It was perfect in so many ways.
What disappointed me were the episodes, most of them, after The Puppy Episode.
It's so easy to look back and judge after being steeped in 21st century ideology and society. Canada has had nationwide same-sex marriage legalized since 2005. Marriage in Quebec since 2004 and 2003 in Ontario and BC. Ellen came out six years before same-sex marriage was legal in my province.
So I really shouldn't be disappointed in the episodes that followed the coming out episode. I shouldn't be disappointed with how Ellen didn't deal with the gay thing enough or dealt with it too much. I really shouldn't judge it from the position of being firmly in the 21st century.
But I do. So it's disappointing. I don't put all the blame on the show, though; I am disappointed in ABC cancelling the show after the fifth season. I am disappointed in the ABC affiliates who did not air the coming out episode. I am disappointed in the advertisers who threatened to boycott the network because they were brave enough to show what they did.
Ellen paved the way for Tara and Willow's relationship on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, paved the way for Will and Jack (and even Karen) on Will & Grace. Ellen was what gave lesbians visibility on television that lasted beyond an over-hyped, ratings-based same-sex kiss like the one between Neve Campbell and Olivia d'Abo on Party of Five, or Wynona Ryder kissing Jennifer Aniston (and Jennifer Aniston then being kissed by Lisa Kudrow) on Friends. Ellen gave us so much in terms of visibility and acceptance that it feels wrong to be disappointed by it.
But it could have given us so much more, if only people (the network, the affiliates, the advertisers) weren't such cowards.
( Coming up... )
Day 02 - A show that you wish more people were watching -- "The Big Bang Theory"
Day 03 - Your favourite new show (aired this season) -- "V"
Day 04 - Your favourite show ever -- "Star Trek: The Next Generation"
Day 05 - A show you hate -- "Everybody Loves Raymond"
Day 06 - Favourite episode of your favourite TV show -- "All Good Things..."
Day 07 - Least favourite episode of your favourite TV show -- "The Child"
Day 08 - A show everyone should watch -- "Seinfeld"
Day 09 - Best scene ever -- All the quiz scenes from the Friends episode, "The One With the Embryos"
Day 10 - Day 10 - A show you thought you wouldn't like but ended up loving -- "Weeds"
Day 11 - A show that disappointed you
This isn't fair of me, not at all, but Ellen disappointed me. 13 years ago, Ellen DeGeneres came out in real life and then her character came out in an episode called The Puppy Episode, which instilled in all lesbians an intense desire for a toaster oven. ;)
This episode is not what disappointed me. I loved it. It was perfect in so many ways.
What disappointed me were the episodes, most of them, after The Puppy Episode.
It's so easy to look back and judge after being steeped in 21st century ideology and society. Canada has had nationwide same-sex marriage legalized since 2005. Marriage in Quebec since 2004 and 2003 in Ontario and BC. Ellen came out six years before same-sex marriage was legal in my province.
So I really shouldn't be disappointed in the episodes that followed the coming out episode. I shouldn't be disappointed with how Ellen didn't deal with the gay thing enough or dealt with it too much. I really shouldn't judge it from the position of being firmly in the 21st century.
But I do. So it's disappointing. I don't put all the blame on the show, though; I am disappointed in ABC cancelling the show after the fifth season. I am disappointed in the ABC affiliates who did not air the coming out episode. I am disappointed in the advertisers who threatened to boycott the network because they were brave enough to show what they did.
Ellen paved the way for Tara and Willow's relationship on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, paved the way for Will and Jack (and even Karen) on Will & Grace. Ellen was what gave lesbians visibility on television that lasted beyond an over-hyped, ratings-based same-sex kiss like the one between Neve Campbell and Olivia d'Abo on Party of Five, or Wynona Ryder kissing Jennifer Aniston (and Jennifer Aniston then being kissed by Lisa Kudrow) on Friends. Ellen gave us so much in terms of visibility and acceptance that it feels wrong to be disappointed by it.
But it could have given us so much more, if only people (the network, the affiliates, the advertisers) weren't such cowards.
( Coming up... )
