Kate and I watch Glee every week, and this week there was a big revelation about one of the characters, Sam: his dad lost his job, they were kicked out of their house, and his whole family was living in a motel room.
I thought this was an interesting and good plot development. Glee sometimes comes across as a public service announcement set to music. There's always discussion of social and cultural problems, particularly as they relate to youth. They've covered lots with homosexuality, bullying, different disabilities, teen sex, teen pregnancy, religion, single-parenthood, obesity, etc. I know saying "public service announcement set to music" doesn't sound that great for those that haven't seen it, but it also has another important element: Jane Lynch!
Anyway, all those issues it talks about are important of course, but one thing it never touches on is unemployment, which is a social problem that has been front-and-center "in the real world" for the entire tenure of the show. I think it's great that they've brought that in. And like the homosexuality or the teen pregnancy, I think it's going to be an issue that will continue to receive coverage and commentary on the show through the character of Sam. That's a very good thing.
Friday, May 6, 2011
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"The economic freedom which is the prerequisite of any other freedom cannot be the freedom from economic care which the socialists promise us and which can be obtained only by relieving the individual at the same time of the necessity and of the power of choice; it must be the freedom of our economic activity which, with the right of choice, inevitably also carries the risk and the responsibility of that right." - F.A. Hayek, _The Road To Serfdom_
ReplyDeleteWell said.
ReplyDeleteUnemployment is still a major social problem.
Some problems you just have to live with for the time being because the alternative is worse.
ReplyDeleteCertainly - unemployment of the degree we're experiencing is not one of those problems.
ReplyDeleteYeah it is.
ReplyDeleteYou ought to be watching "Sherlock" or "Foyle's War" instead. :)
Has a new season started of Sherlock? That was a great show. Not sure about Foyle's War - I'll check it out.
ReplyDeleteThey are filming a new season right now; it will be out in the Fall.
ReplyDelete"Foyle's War" concerns a Detective Chief Superintendent (DCS) Foyle who solves crimes (homicides) - many of the perpetrated by elements of British government or those the British government wants to protect - during the war. Many of the plots having going against elements of the British government who would like to silence him one way or another. He's a classical liberal who keeps his moral bearings during war; a hard task to do, given how corrosive war is regarding civil liberties, etc.
Foyle is also a fly fisherman, like me. :)
"Glee sometimes comes across as a public service announcement set to music."
ReplyDeleteArguments for USG takeover of TV production to follow...