i need media
Hate is blind: Judging media without knowledge is the American way. Let me wave the flag.
By Matthew Singer 02/09/2012
As a semipro critic, I’m not allowed to judge books by their covers, or movies by their trailers, or television shows by their Whitney Cummings. In other words, I’m forbidden to review things I haven’t seen. Isn’t that one of the reasons everyone mistrusts critics, though? Our vow of fairness perpetuates the stereotype that critics somehow consume media differently than other people. Normal folks make uninformed judgments all the time. Shoot, most of the political discourse in this country is conducted by blowhards with inflexible opinions on issues they know absolutely nothing about.
Well, I want to be one of those blowhards! If just for one column, grant me permission to express my views on a few shows I’ve never actually bothered to watch. Naturally, these views are not positive.
• The Big Bang Theory •
Faux nerdism is rampant in pop culture, right now. (I’m looking at you, Olivia Munn, and not just because you’re half-naked on the cover of Maxim.) But Big Bang Theory strikes me as outdated nerd minstrelsy, with characters only a half-step above Steve Urkel. Or maybe I’m just sick of the whole “glorifying asocial man-children” thing in general. Either way.
• Lost •
Although I never sat through a single episode of Lost, I did catch the two-hour series recap that preceded the finale, and seeing the major plot developments presented one after another — Smoke monster! Disappearing island! Constant zigzagging through time! A frigging polar bear! — confirmed my suspicions that the writers were just making up stuff on the fly with no idea where it was all supposed to lead. Watching in real time, it must’ve been hard for fans to perceive the sheer amount of bullshit being thrown at them; considering fan reaction to the last episode, J.J. Abrams got buried in it himself, and couldn’t find a way out.
• Chelsea Lately •
Other than the occasional talk show appearance, I’ve managed to dodge the Chelsea Handler juggernaut. It’s getting harder to avoid, though. Not just because she’s getting movie roles and a network sitcom, but because her brand of comedy — let’s call it the “women say the darnedest things” brand — is spreading through the zeitgeist, with shows like Whitney and 2 Broke Girls based entirely on “outrageous” jokes about menstrual cycles and things of that nature. At least, that’s what I presume; I’ve also ducked those shows like my crazy ex. Am I right, ladies?!
• Mad Men •
Stop shouting and let me explain! As is the case with The Wire, Mad Men is on my perpetual catch-up list. So I do have an interest in checking it out, OK? I’m just skeptical. First of all, call me a snob, but any show receiving the universal mainstream accolades it has, makes me doubtful of its true quality. Plus, the series’ most ardent followers appear to be burlesque dancers, leading me to believe 85 percent of its audience is only watching for the clothes. I’m sure it’s good, but the contrarian part of me doesn’t want to find that out quite yet.
I Need Media is a biweekly media column. Matthew Singer watches everything from PBS documentaries to Community to Showtime’s Gigolos, but mostly he’s just filling the void until Breaking Bad starts again. Follow him on Twitter at @mpsinger.
DIGG | del.icio.us | REDDIT