[Content Note: Misogyny, Patriarchal Relationships, Disability]
So did you enjoy the very slight Ross-reprieve on the last disc (which didn't even last the entire disc)? I hope so because now it's back to really-horrible-Ross-ville, population: YOU. And also probably lots of eyerolls and maybe some judicious rage, lol.
(Also, I'm sorry this one is coming after such a long delay--I've been sick this week, ugh.)
Showing posts with label deconstruction (friends). Show all posts
Showing posts with label deconstruction (friends). Show all posts
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Friends: An Annotated Index of Ross Geller (119-124) |
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Friends: An Annotated Index of Ross Geller (113-118) |
[Content Note: Misogyny, Patriarchal Relationships, Disability]
So the thing I love best about analyzing older pieces of Very Popular Media is that the sense of distance given by a series that has finished out and closed up often makes it a lot easier to analyze and discuss without distractions over where the series is or might go from here.
For example: When I criticize Ross for falling into, say, rape culture or stalker culture or bullying culture tropes, we don't have to worry about whether the writers are "getting better" or if they're "going somewhere" with all this in a clever double-secret-deconstruction-of-the-genre sense because we all already know where all this is going and that it just gets worse and worse. Which means we can talk about the problems inherent in the work without the distractions provided by a still-ongoing series.
I bring this up to note that for this particular DVD in the series, Ross is actually much better than the previous two DVDs (as well as many of the upcoming ones), mostly because his presence in the episodes has been dialed back quite a bit, rather than because the writers figured out he was being a creepy asshole all the time (as evidenced by the fact that he will go back to being a creepy asshole soon enough). I have an unconfirmed suspicion that this might be because we've hit the point where the writers decided to make the show about all the Friends and not just Ross and Rachel. But for whatever the reason, we've been granted a small reprieve!
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Friends: An Annotated Index of Ross Geller (107-112) |
[Content Note: Misogyny, Patriarchal Relationships, Disability]
You know what is not fun? I am still stuck in bed for pretty much all the times I'm not at work, because my back hates me! This is me giving a seriously negative look at my back! (ಠ_ಠ)
But the happy part is that being trapped in bed means I get to watch more Friends and now I have another disc analyzed thanks to the magic of typing! And positive thinking! ✽ ✾ ✿ ❀ ❁ ❃ ❋
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Friends: An Annotated Index of Ross Geller (101-106) |
[Content Note: Misogyny, Patriarchal Relationships, Disability]
Let me tell you a story.
When I was younger, my parents were dedicated fans of the Friends sitcom. I watched it with them, never missing an episode, and I generally liked everyone on the show (flaws and all) with the glaring exception of Ross. I hated Ross with the fire of a thousand suns, and my folks were largely baffled at how harsh and unforgiving I was. (The term "feminist" was invoked at me, and not in a positive manner. But I'm glad the label stuck!) But I didn't care because c'mon Ross Geller is clearly the worst.
Anyway. I grew up and I mostly forgot about Friends until my surgery last year when I found that the episodes work really well for keeping me out of a depression head-space when I'm confined to bed. I started watching the show again and realized that I owed it to my younger self to write a post for her about Why I Dislike Ross Geller. Given that I was about a decade or two away from actually being timely and topical, I was pretty darn shocked at how many people popped in to validate my Ross hatred. Then about a year after that, Melissa found my post and we cross-posted it here because as it turns out, we are Ross-Hating Besties. Which is obviously the best kind of besties!
We now text each other about Ross and how he is THE WORST several times a week (which always makes me dissolve into a fit of giggles), because Liss has been catching the reruns and I've been in and out of bed with back pain and head-cold-allergy-fun. It is our fervent desire to meet up one of these days, plop down on the nearest couch, and watch all the Friends together while heckling Ross and throwing popcorn at the screen.
In the meantime, I am writing an annotated index of Ross Geller's failings, organized by DVD disc since my mom gave me her complete set to hang on to for her (and which is definitely Very Serious Feminist Commentary, lolololol!) and I am dedicating the work to Liss, my bestie who loves to hate Ross with me. ❤
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Friends: Why I Dislike Ross Geller |
[Content Note: Nice Guyism]
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| @ sharetv.org |
I've been re-watching Friends recently, ever since Mom got done with the complete box set and I've been largely confined to bed rest. I mostly like the show, despite the god-awful laugh track, and here is a note from me to television producers: Stop Using Laugh Tracks. I hate them. Hate, hate, hate. With a really good show, with something I like, with something like Friends, I can just barely manage to tune out the laugh track; with something I struggle with, like Big Bang Theory, the laugh track is the final nail in the "wouldn't I rather watch the Food Network anyway?" coffin. Stop using 'em. Hate-hate-hate.
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Index: Friends |
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| Friends @ mediabistro.com |
Friends
Label: Deconstruction (Friends)
09-20-2012 - Why I Dislike Ross Geller
03-06-2014 - An Annotated Index of Ross Geller (101-106)
03-16-2014 - An Annotated Index of Ross Geller (107-112)
03-22-2014 - An Annotated Index of Ross Geller (113-118)
04-03-2014 - An Annotated Index of Ross Geller (119-124)
Note: Last updated 02/03/2019.