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This became a rant
So I have been on holiday (one of the reasons for not posting much), so I merely bring you a random observation, since whilst away Darcy thought it might be nice to try a new show. It was a French show called 'The Very Secret Service' and was on Netflix.
We watched the first episode and it is rare for me to struggle to find even a single nice things to say. I guess the period detail was nice? It's set in the 1960s and follows a young man who gets chosen to be in this Very Secret Service. And that's the first problem. Well, couple of problems. Throughout the first episode we learn literally NOTHING about him, except his name. His 'qualifications' appear to be giving the right answers to three questions (and being male, white, straight etc, obviously). I have NEVER seen anything so blatantly created for [straight, white men] to project themselves onto. The people in charge are all straight, white men. There is a 'fun' 'beating up an Eastern European for information scene' and some African dignitaries/generals who are kept waiting in the reception throughout (and they have such weird names and the receptionist can't spell them!! Hilarious /possible overdose of sarcasm font) and the women are all petite and beautiful and the main female spy (VERY attractive. VERY French. Spent a fortune on underwear, the gag is too long to explain) is introduced via her legs.
Apparently it was supposed to be a comedy?
The main thing it made me think of was how I have not been keeping up with Picnic at Hanging Rock, where women are shown leading (literally, front and centre, head held high, straight towards the camera) and how such simple things can mean so much. How women are shown, matters.
I recently watched S1 of The Hour (same period), but all the women were their own characters and introduced as such (actually, everyone had a character and a backstory etc etc). It's an unfair comparison though, since The Hour is a proper drama and The Very Secret Service is... not. Actually, even when comparing it to Archer (which is so deliberately offensive and gross it's hilarious), The Very Secret Service comes off worse. Archer may be a jerk, but at least he's got personality.
In other news, I have enticed my two youngest to watch Buffy. We have watched 4 episodes so far and they like it very much. :)
ETA: Buffy's immortal line 'If the apocalypse comes, beep me!' is from Never Kill a Boy on the First Date. I pointed out how famous this line was.
Impish Girl: Beep me? What does that mean?
Me: She has a pager.
Impish Girl: What's a pager?
Lesson 1 in HOW TO FEEL OLD.
We watched the first episode and it is rare for me to struggle to find even a single nice things to say. I guess the period detail was nice? It's set in the 1960s and follows a young man who gets chosen to be in this Very Secret Service. And that's the first problem. Well, couple of problems. Throughout the first episode we learn literally NOTHING about him, except his name. His 'qualifications' appear to be giving the right answers to three questions (and being male, white, straight etc, obviously). I have NEVER seen anything so blatantly created for [straight, white men] to project themselves onto. The people in charge are all straight, white men. There is a 'fun' 'beating up an Eastern European for information scene' and some African dignitaries/generals who are kept waiting in the reception throughout (and they have such weird names and the receptionist can't spell them!! Hilarious /possible overdose of sarcasm font) and the women are all petite and beautiful and the main female spy (VERY attractive. VERY French. Spent a fortune on underwear, the gag is too long to explain) is introduced via her legs.
Apparently it was supposed to be a comedy?
The main thing it made me think of was how I have not been keeping up with Picnic at Hanging Rock, where women are shown leading (literally, front and centre, head held high, straight towards the camera) and how such simple things can mean so much. How women are shown, matters.
I recently watched S1 of The Hour (same period), but all the women were their own characters and introduced as such (actually, everyone had a character and a backstory etc etc). It's an unfair comparison though, since The Hour is a proper drama and The Very Secret Service is... not. Actually, even when comparing it to Archer (which is so deliberately offensive and gross it's hilarious), The Very Secret Service comes off worse. Archer may be a jerk, but at least he's got personality.
In other news, I have enticed my two youngest to watch Buffy. We have watched 4 episodes so far and they like it very much. :)
ETA: Buffy's immortal line 'If the apocalypse comes, beep me!' is from Never Kill a Boy on the First Date. I pointed out how famous this line was.
Impish Girl: Beep me? What does that mean?
Me: She has a pager.
Impish Girl: What's a pager?
Lesson 1 in HOW TO FEEL OLD.