Radiation by Fiona Rae

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Radiation: Big bang theory

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  • Alan Perrott,

    sheesh, seems I made no sense at all...wouldn't be the first time.

    Lucy, what I meant was that your discussion could be taken as being about whether these televisual geeks were realistic, and how their particular world view doesn't necessarily mesh with those who don't share their areas of interest.

    then when Beyonce came up it seemed like your discussion directly paralleled...oh never mind. It doesn't matter.

    much more interesting is a clip of ye olde sci-fi series Timeslip I was watching yesterday that starred John Taylor in way pre-Duran Duran days.

    and going back to that Glee scene with the deaf choir - dad-dom means I'm home of a Friday now... - that did strike a very odd tone. Would they have got up and taken over with any other choir? It struck me as extremely patronising.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 438 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart,

    I didn't see very much of it (never a whole episode), but their interview with Prince William had an excellent Clarke and Dawe vibe going (I happened to get it for Christmas):

    It had highs and lows. Lows included Petra Bagust and her frozen awkwardness whenever the comedy veered near sex and religion, highs included the interviews and John Campbell taking over the last episode ("this is my studio! This is my microphone! No-one ever gave me a live audience, why do you guys get a live audience!"). Not a terrible summer replacement, but they need better ideas and a presenter who can ad-lib comfortably.

    Lucy, what I meant was that your discussion could be taken as being about whether these televisual geeks were realistic, and how their particular world view doesn't necessarily mesh with those who don't share their areas of interest.

    then when Beyonce came up it seemed like your discussion directly paralleled...oh never mind. It doesn't matter.

    I kind of see what you were getting at, but I don't think the discussion was ever about whether their obsessions/world view were realistic? More about whether the consistency and gender essentialism of their presentation was? Which...no, I've lost you there.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    Anyone see last week's squash-the-junkie ep? Ouch!

    Yes! Great!

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Loving the return o Radiation.

    Petra Bagust and her frozen awkwardness whenever the comedy veered near sex and religion

    And didn't the comedians play on that after a while - along with the odd christian dig and her own unforced blurts about the state of her mariage. Who would you put in that hot seat instead though?

    Would they have got up and taken over with any other choir? It struck me as extremely patronising.

    Exactly, Al. It trades on stereotypes that disabled folk need help, the poor dears. Was also I suspect done to reduce the audience's discomfort. Imagine what your lovely friend Caitlin would have to say in the equivalent situation.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Who would you put in that hot seat instead though?

    Ooh, thought of an answer: Jaquie Brown

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Gold stars for these beauties:

    badassly

    freaknroguescholar

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • recordari,

    Just caught Breaking Bad. Quite compelling, in a weird sort of way, and having missed the proceeding stuff, that's a good thing. Having watched The Wackness on Rialto recently, I can't help making comparisons, at least in this episode. But the bad-arse gangs in need of a psychologist in the movie were far less threatening than those in BB. Lambs to the slaughter is all I could think about.

    Oh, and back to the Cheerleaders, did anyone else notice the promo for Bring it on - In it to win it where a tough little love grabbed the fence and said 'let the disembowelling begin'. Umm, what?

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart,

    Ooh, thought of an answer: Jaquie Brown

    There's some potential there, definitely.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    almost a pisstake of the pisstake, I thought

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    I didn't see very much of it (never a whole episode), but their interview with Prince William had an excellent Clarke and Dawe vibe going (I happened to get it for Christmas):

    I've caught @seven a couple of times. Didn't quite hold my attention enough.

    I do however like that TV3 seems to be working hard to put our NZ comedic talent on TV. I thoroughly enjoyed Seven Days, Jacquie Brown Diaries is good. They're not going to score with every show, but someone in TV3 and the production companies deserve a gold star for trying and coming up with some good stuff.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Just thinking,

    @seven needs to be @nine and let the humourists go for it.

    Prudishness can be cute, but when she also talk of "Indian Giving", it just looks, well I suppose it looks like what it is.

    Putaringamotu • Since Apr 2009 • 1158 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Opinions on Skins? Nicholson in the Guardian thinks it's clever and well done. I have no idea, because it's never appealed to me enough to watch a full episode.

    I'm basically with Russell T. Davies, who is a big enough fan of Skins to include a positively gushing fan e-mail to co-creator Bryan Elsley in The Writer's Tale (new expanded edition just out, BTW). I think he makes a good point that it took him a long time to get a grip on the show because the writing and style isn't pitched at middle aged men like him (and me). As Chicago Tribune television critic (and excellent TV blogger) Maureen Ryan puts it, it's one of those shows that's more Not For Me than Not That Good.

    I thought it was a shame that Glee couldn't seem to find a singer in a wheelchair

    I get why people would get pissed off about that, but 'diversity' in television casting can end up going some really weird, patronising and downright cringe-inducing places. Edward James Olmos, who isn't exactly shy about expressing his views on institutional racism and stereotypical casting of Hispanics in Hollywood, has one of his inimitable WTF moments when folks got pissy about a British actor (Jamie Bamber) being cast as the son of his character in BSG.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart,

    I think he makes a good point that it took him a long time to get a grip on the show because the writing and style isn't pitched at middle aged men like him (and me).

    I was twenty when I first saw it and it has never appealed to me in the slightest, so it's probably not *just* an age thing.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    I get why people would get pissed off about that

    Yep, it's pretty much the same as breaking out the shoe nugget when there are black actors out there who have the advantage of, oh, being black already. Or getting men to don dresses a la Shakespeare and co.

    It happens because people still think of disability as an individual medical status rather than also being cultures that actually mean something when you portrtay them on screen. Deaf is not the same as "does not hear".

    The sooner we get that, the sooner we all start looking for the positive contributions rather than seeing only cost, pain and brave tragedy.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    @seven needs to be @nine and let the humourists go for it.

    That's 7 Days

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark,

    Love 7 Days, and I did enjoy @seven - Bagust aside. I too love that TV3 have so much local comedy on, it does us all good. And really, Ben Hurley and Steve Wrigley are gojus.

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report Reply

  • recordari,

    Love 7 Days

    I concur. When they had Rove on last year during one episode, there was one moment that had me practically crack a rib. I'm not sure how much of it is scripted, but the timing suggests very little, and they are sure quick off the mark. And the kids drawings are priceless.

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • philipmatthews,

    I'm not sure how much of it is scripted, but the timing suggests very little, and they are sure quick off the mark. And the kids drawings are priceless.

    A lot of it is about the editing. They film about two hours on the Thursday and edit it to 23 minutes on the Friday. But it looks pretty seamless.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2007 • 656 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Yep, it's pretty much the same as breaking out the shoe nugget when there are black actors out there who have the advantage of, oh, being black already. Or getting men to don dresses a la Shakespeare and co.

    Woah... so, you're really comparing the casting of Kevin McHale to the Black & White Minstrel Show? Oy... And just for the record, Sacha, you might want to have a think about the diss on cross-dressers there. I think Harvey Firestein (the original Broadway Edna Turnblad in Hairspray) would have a word or two to say about the charge that his casting was in any waty misogynistic.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart,

    And just for the record, Sacha, you might want to have a think about the diss on cross-dressers there. I think Harvey Firestein (the original Broadway Edna Turnblad in Hairspray) would have a word or two to say about the charge that his casting was in any waty misogynistic.

    I'm pretty sure Sacha was referring to the times when women were banned from appearing on stage, rather than panto dames - hence the Shakespeare reference.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Oversimplifying again, I see. I trust others understood what I was saying.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Fiona Rae,

    Breaking Bad was particularly awesome last night, especially the opening song, and as I'm not clever enough to embed a YouTube clip, here's the link.

    Also, the turtle! Holy crap! BB does tend to get people out of sticky situations with just some random luck (like Jesse and the drug addicts), but it pretty much emphasises the randomness of life. Like Walt getting lung cancer despite never having smoked in his life. No talk about fate or destiny or God here, nosiree.

    Point Chevalier • Since Nov 2006 • 34 posts Report Reply

  • 3410,

    turtle!

    Tortoise! :)

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Oversimplifying again, I see.

    WTF, Sacha? You were the one saying the casting of Kevin McHale was (and I quote) "pretty much the same as breaking out the shoe nugget when there are black actors out there who have the advantage of, oh, being black already."

    Well, perhaps you'd care to enlighten me how Glee is equivalent to the long and ugly history of racist contempt for black men and women in minstrelry? I'd sincerely be fascinated to know.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • recordari,

    Tortoise! :)

    Did you get a pendant too? ;-)

    Breaking Bad was particularly awesome last night, especially the opening song, and as I'm not clever enough to embed a YouTube clip, here's the link.

    I need to get the back catalogue, cause it was pretty damn good, and the better for being slept on. I mean... oh whatever.

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

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