I don't watch The Wire. I hate myself for that, as everyone who has ever seen it says it's hands down the best thing ever put on television. I need to go back and rent the DVDs for Season 1 and just start from the beginning... sounds like a project for when the family is out of town.
I noted that the series creator, David Simon, wrote a thank you note to its viewers, and there were some portions that struck me:
"This year, our drama asked its last thematic question: Why, if there is any truth to anything presented in The Wire over the last four seasons, does that truth go unaddressed by our political culture, by most of our mass media, and by our society in general?"
"We are a culture without the will to seriously examine our own problems. We eschew that which is complex, contradictory or confusing. As a culture, we seek simple solutions. We enjoy being provoked and titillated, but resist the rigorous, painstaking examination of issues that might, in the end, bring us to the point of recognizing our problems, which is the essential first step to solving any of them."
"If you followed us for sixty hours, and you find yourself caring about these issues more than you thought you would, then perhaps the next step is to engage and to demand, where possible, a more sophisticated and meaningful response from authority when it comes to such things as the drug war, educational reform or responsible political leadership. The Wire is about the America we pay for and tolerate. Perhaps it is possible to pay for, and demand, something more."
He goes on eloquently, but I'll let you read it for yourself.
It's times like these, when I see that no one watched this series (myself included), and yet Dancing With The Stars is on for its 6th freaking season, Deal or No Deal counts in most homes as doing math homework, Don't Forget the Lyrics was watched by 14.4 million people this week, the top 7 shows this week were all reality-based crap, 10,000 BC made $35.9 million this weekend, and Alvin and the Chipmunks grossed almost $350 million worldwide ... well, I get a little cranky.
Alvin grossed $350M -- wow
Posted by: MSG | March 12, 2008 at 12:47 PM