tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9039538744091857826.post768649984826498016..comments2024-01-11T08:23:44.552-05:00Comments on Humanizing The Vacuum: Alfred Sotohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10465449057630241820noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9039538744091857826.post-32763301159037612652008-09-24T16:33:00.000-04:002008-09-24T16:33:00.000-04:00Firmly in the "agree" camp on this one. Season 5 h...Firmly in the "agree" camp on this one. Season 5 had much to recommend it, but the newspaper stuff was the weakest of any threads on the entire show (and some of the writing was barely above Lou Grant-level sermonizing).s woodshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16658406082576903435noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9039538744091857826.post-4040451013071473982008-09-23T20:48:00.000-04:002008-09-23T20:48:00.000-04:00Douthat was useful for my purposes.Douthat was useful for my purposes.Alfred Sotohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10465449057630241820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9039538744091857826.post-67506198387285354172008-09-23T19:49:00.000-04:002008-09-23T19:49:00.000-04:00I forgot to mention that using Ross Douthat to rei...I forgot to mention that using Ross Douthat to reinforce an opinion on anything is not a winning hand to play. Douthat is cynical about Simon from the get go. Simon's world view is one that Douthat doesn't agree with and has no use for, so his attempt to claim that he loves the previous seasons of the Wire fail to convince me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9039538744091857826.post-88333400683079900942008-09-23T19:31:00.000-04:002008-09-23T19:31:00.000-04:00I am currently re-watching season five and also co...I am currently re-watching season five and also couldn't disagree more. The first half of the season focuses on some of the reasons for failing newspapers, both financially and structurally. The lying reporter, and his connection to McNulty's fake murders, are nothing compared to a police captain creating a no drug arrest zone. And, of course, only McNulty realizes they are both liars, at least until the end. They are lying for different reasons and for different results, which is a main reason it is anything but facile.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9039538744091857826.post-7527111224945192642008-09-23T17:16:00.000-04:002008-09-23T17:16:00.000-04:00The cartoonish treatment of the Stephen Glass fabu...The cartoonish treatment of the Stephen Glass fabulist -- Cary Grant's editor in "His Girl Friday" was more convincing than the buffoon of a managing editor -- did Simon no favors. Plus, <I>The Secret Sharer</I> shit -- McNulty and the reporter realizing they're both liars -- was REALLY facile.Alfred Sotohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10465449057630241820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9039538744091857826.post-92099849551989057372008-09-23T16:41:00.000-04:002008-09-23T16:41:00.000-04:00Completely disagree. This is an example of journa...Completely disagree. This is an example of journalists not being able to take thier own medicine. The story of Season 5 is what the newspapers do NOT cover - what they miss. Which is a lot.<BR/><BR/>As Simon says we need to be concerned with the "WHY" when it comes to journalism. This rarely happens anymore, or maybe it rarely ever has happened?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9039538744091857826.post-38738876706805616202008-09-23T14:54:00.000-04:002008-09-23T14:54:00.000-04:00I was really disappointed with the journalism stuf...I was really disappointed with the journalism stuff too. It was monotonous, the characters were one-dimensional, you just wanted to yell WE GET IT WE GET IT. The school season could get a little preachy, but the kids were nuanced enough to make it interesting. From what I've heard about Generation Kill, it sounds like Simon is taking his success as a chance to hammer a point, when what we loved was how he presented us a world.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15470280503689514940noreply@blogger.com