erda | (no subject)

There was a trans character (mtf) on Terriers on Wednesday night. Um, I'm not sure what to say about that. The show frustrates me, because I enjoy it, and find myself eager for more, despite huge failings and lately a lot of cringingly embarrassing moments. This show is like your asshole uncle, who says the most in your face, gut punchish, sexist crap but his personal dealings with women are the complete opposite of his verbal pronouncements. It leaves me confused.

I'm aware that my trans consciousness needs raising, so I don't feel competent to even try to untangle my feelings about this. Gender is a huge thing to me, and I am struggling to sort out my own issues with it. I mean, no one was throwing up or anything? I wasn't happy with this, but it was interesting to me to see something I would consider a semi mainstream portrayal. And there were some things I liked about it, which kind of sums up my feelings about a lot of things that happen on this show. At least it never seems overly simplified.

The ending especially bothered me. I haven't seen anyone talking about this, so if anyone else has, could you let me know?

Can't wait for Spn tonight. I wish they would pick up right where they left off last week. I mean, we've known since Star Trek TOS that the whole point of the beat down is the comfort part that can be safely indulged in afterwards, so they should give it to us. But I suspect there will be at least a small time jump to avoid all that icky stuff.

In other news, I got my motorcycle operators' manual so I can start studying for my permit.

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I'm several eps behind on Terriers, so I can't comment on the latest one, though I'll watch it with interest when I get to it. Like you, I have a mixed relationship with the show. I think it's excellent--some of the best dialogue and acting out there right now. I like the dark humor of it. I think Donal Logue is just extraordinarily good.

But my problem with it is part of what makes it so good: the main characters seem to me to be so naturally, realistically the white American males that they are--every word, every action so dead-center in the bullseye of how men really are--that I admire it. So of course, from my perspective, it's like a perfect, crystal-clear picture of what the fuck is wrong with America.

And yet that's not what the show is trying to be--at least, I don't think it is. I think it's trying to say Pity The Poor Working Class White Dude Who Has No Working Class Anymore.

So that's where I think the disconnect is for me.

Still. I'll keep watching till it's cancelled (which I hear is imminent) because good writing on television is so rare.

I really like what you said here about Terriers, because you've nailed some of the vague thoughts I've had about it. It totally is Pity The Poor Working Class White Dude Who Has No Working Class Anymore

It's shocking and almost frightening to me at times to see how far off the beaten path my ideas are.

Sorry to hear it is on the way out, though I'm not surprised. No one seems to be watching. I can't help but think if these guys were a little hotter and younger, fandom would be all over them and their relationship.

I feel kind of guilty for being aware of that very thought in my own head. Just the other evening, I was thinking "The reason I don't slash these guys is that they aren't quite hot enough."

/o\

I have to admit I am totally slashing them, and would love to read some good fic, but with hardly anyone watching, i don't expect that will happen.

Sounds like a job for Yuletide!

Yes, it's been nominated.

I haven't seen this week's ep yet (my TiFaux seems to have deleted it for me, and it's not yet available 'on demand', so it may take some time) but I agree with what you've said. I really like the show for the acting/writing/stories, and actually find it a bit refreshing that the guys are 'not hot enough to slash'. I was just talking it up to a friend this morning, explaining that they were more like real people than tv characters. I also rather like the way things keep pulling them back into the central mystery of the series (I started out thinking they were going to be 'case-of-the-week' and am impressed that it's turning into an extended and complex underlying plot) and I really hope we get the solution to the central mystery before it's taken off the air!!

When I get a chance to catch up I'll try to remember to come back and comment on your TG point...

Yes, I'd like to know what you think of this ep. this show leaves me feeling confused, but I like the acting and the dialog a lot.

I got to watch Terriers on the weekend and I wanted to comment about Michaela. I was profoundly uncomfortable watching the ending of the episode, but they were so unclear in the episode if she was meant to be a trans woman or if she was supposed to be seen as a transvestite sex worker, who does not identify as a woman all the time, so I wasn't sure what to think. I'm not sure they know the difference is the thing. The website refers to her as a transvestite. (The actor is an unknown who was on Drag Race for one episode and presents himself as a guy who does drag, not as a trans woman.)

If we see her as a trans woman, which I did, then that ending was saying that her job is to go to extraordinary lengths, even to the extent of dressing in boy drag, to make "normal" people comfortable. I mean they were pretty clear that Crystal Id'ed as a woman, so that was all about allowing her parents to keep their privileged obliviousness about their dead kid. And yet maybe they just don't realize the import of that presentation as Michael. But then the "give up show business" line makes me think again that they do get it, because what she does for money allows her to live as she wants to, so that seemed to be more than just the oh, no, lets save the sex worker shtick.

I think the line in the police station where Britt explains the getting a tan joke was meant to be showing Michaela as having to deal with cluelessness all the time, and also positioning Brit as a guy who gets it, but then they seemed to be saying she's supposed to be nice about it all the time too. We're supposed to be impressed by Britt and by the other cop, who gradually starts realizing she's a human being worthy of respect.

I don't know if I'm reading the show the way they intended, but her portrayal was kind of positive, and she was very likable, but it sure seemed to be all about propping up privilege in the end.

Yes, the ending was making me cringe. I think they thought that was supposed to be a noble sacrifice on her part or something?

I don't know what they intended, but it did seem like they were trying to put a positive spin on the character.