Breaking Bad or The Wire?

  On 12/21/2013 at 7:11 AM, zaphod said:

sometimes the wire seems insufferably preachy. sometimes breaking bad seems shallow and manipulative. neither covers the full emotional spectrum of what it is to be a human being. they both have faults. i would recommend both, but don't take them as being more than commercial art. david simon's writing certainly has a kind of salt of the earth need to be authentic that can grate on my nerves, and gilligan can seem like a poor man's coen brother. if you have a limited period of time, breaking bad is much easier to get into and far more addictive. the wire is depressing, epic in scope, panoramic and dense. i would go with bb, if only because you're working with a limited period of time. the wire took me years, as a viewer when it was actually airing, to fully appreciate. i don't think it lends itself to marathon viewing.

well said, I agree. Except for the last part, I think if you don't marathon the Wire, you may not be interested enough to continue. I marathoned it the first time I watched.

also I wouldn't recommend the Wire if you're Asian, as it's filled with black people.

(that last sentence was said by my wife, except change all the r's to l's)

ror

  On 12/21/2013 at 7:11 AM, zaphod said:

sometimes the wire seems insufferably preachy. sometimes breaking bad seems shallow and manipulative. neither covers the full emotional spectrum of what it is to be a human being. they both have faults. i would recommend both, but don't take them as being more than commercial art. david simon's writing certainly has a kind of salt of the earth need to be authentic that can grate on my nerves, and gilligan can seem like a poor man's coen brother. if you have a limited period of time, breaking bad is much easier to get into and far more addictive. the wire is depressing, epic in scope, panoramic and dense. i would go with bb, if only because you're working with a limited period of time. the wire took me years, as a viewer when it was actually airing, to fully appreciate. i don't think it lends itself to marathon viewing.

Well that's an interesting point of view, Wire being too preachy. I've never got that feeling, I guess you couldn't stomach Generation Kill then?

But you're right, it boils down to personal preference, yet again. It's just so funny you know, some shows, we all know just aren't worth a dime, for instance CSI that was mentioned in this thread. With CSI it's really not so much about personal preference, it's just known and established, it's really not that good and everybody pretty much agrees, it's the truth.

My problem is (and I'm aware it's MY problem) that I feel the same about Breaking Bad, it's just not that good, but the current popular sentiment is that it's the best thing ever. That's what I can't wrap my head around, I think we shouldn't be comparing it to Wire, but, for instance, to CSI instead. And I'm not trying to be insulting, I'm sorry if I'm hurting anybody's feelings, that's not my intention. Also, CSI isn't that offending to me, I watch it when it randomly comes on.

Truth be told, it's been a long time since I've watched Wire, maybe I wouldn't rate it so favorably today. Or maybe Breaking Bad really does pick up in later seasons and shows some qualities that I'd appreciate.

I guess I should give BB another chance, but god damn, when's that ws hd transfer of the Wire coming out? I'm SO watching that!

The Prisoner http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061287/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2

great watch/can rattle through the episodes really quickly ;)

How about... Barb Wire?

  On 12/21/2013 at 9:18 AM, chenGOD said:

 

It's not dated - it's of its time. Kind of different you know what I mean?

 

i don't know if i agree with that, when it comes to the way white people or larger society views conflicts of certain races it will inevitably become dated. Even classic films dealing with race relations or portrayal of certain races from the point of view of privileged white people don't stand up in terms of them not being in any way cringe worthy. At least that's my point of view. All i know is that certain parts of the Wire already seem kinda cringe worthy to me and dated. Being 'of a time' in a positive way is debatable.

his series the Corner i think was made in early 2000 and it already seems way more dated and very stereotypical in certain ways compared to the Wire.

how about all the people not watching Treme?

Yeah, I thought not.

I, too, only care about black people when they are gangsters

As long as they don't live anywhere near me

The great thing about The Wire is that it ISN'T preachy at all and still manages to give you a hell of a lot of perspective on the institutions that run our everyday lives and how free will vs. determinism runs things. It's every bit as great as you've heard, but you have to treat it like a gigantic novel. It's more than just a TV show, it has merit besides mere entertainment.

X-Files

  On 12/23/2013 at 4:18 AM, lumpenprol said:

how about all the people not watching Treme?

 

Yeah, I thought not.

 

I, too, only care about black people when they are gangsters

 

As long as they don't live anywhere near me

Treme came out at a time when I had little time to devote to watching shows (like now - i have no time to consume media really - I watch the daily show once in a while and that's it). So I can't really comment on it. I should watch it though, it gets pretty positive reviews.

What about all the non-gangster black people on the wire? You had no love for Bunk? Captain Daniels?

The Wire was a story about a very specific part of society, and it had its norms and hegemonic structures. To say that it was a portrayal of all black culture is taking a really reductionist view of the show.

Do you think "Do the Right Thing" is dated? Or is it of its time?

  On 12/21/2013 at 7:11 AM, zaphod said:

david simon's writing certainly has a kind of salt of the earth need to be authentic that can grate on my nerves

This bothers me a whole lot more in Treme. I had to ditch that show because people seem to unrealistically bring up how they all live in New Orleans all the time. It likes to unsubtly force down your throat via character dialogue how NO is such a magical and unique place to be.

I don't see how The Wire is dated or how it ever will be. You can take the show's premise and tell that kind of story in any location on the globe in just about any period in civilization. It just happens to use the "drug war", politics, bureaucracy, journalism, the failing inner city school systems in Baltimore to show how institutions are created and take on a life of their own to mercilessly steamroll over some people and give others a free ride. It doesn't portray blacks in any specific way because the black characters on the show are a pretty wide variety of personalities and social standings and most of them are basically playing themselves anyways.

It's just based on David Simon and Ed Burns' collective experience as a crime reporter and police officer in Baltimore, but you know it's just a microcosm of the world at large in most respects. Any little things you can nitpick about it really don't matter in the end because it does something specific that no other film or TV show can accomplish. It's like an act of protest that ended up working really well as a series. Marathon the shit out of it, you'd be doing yourself a favor. It's better than reading a book, to be perfectly honest.

  On 12/23/2013 at 8:04 AM, chenGOD said:

 

  On 12/23/2013 at 4:18 AM, lumpenprol said:

how about all the people not watching Treme?

 

Yeah, I thought not.

 

I, too, only care about black people when they are gangsters

 

As long as they don't live anywhere near me

 

Treme came out at a time when I had little time to devote to watching shows (like now - i have no time to consume media really - I watch the daily show once in a while and that's it). So I can't really comment on it. I should watch it though, it gets pretty positive reviews.

 

What about all the non-gangster black people on the wire? You had no love for Bunk? Captain Daniels?

The Wire was a story about a very specific part of society, and it had its norms and hegemonic structures. To say that it was a portrayal of all black culture is taking a really reductionist view of the show.

 

Do you think "Do the Right Thing" is dated? Or is it of its time?

 

I was joking, sort of (well not the part about not wanting to live next to black ppl)

ok, haha, that last part was a joke.

Or not.

  On 12/23/2013 at 3:04 PM, lumpenprol said:

 

 

I was joking, sort of (well not the part about not wanting to live next to black ppl)

 

ok, haha, that last part was a joke.

 

Or not.

 

Incoming The Wire Black People Reaction Gifs

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  On 12/23/2013 at 11:09 AM, Obel said:

 

  On 12/21/2013 at 7:11 AM, zaphod said:

david simon's writing certainly has a kind of salt of the earth need to be authentic that can grate on my nerves

 

This bothers me a whole lot more in Treme. I had to ditch that show because people seem to unrealistically bring up how they all live in New Orleans all the time. It likes to unsubtly force down your throat via character dialogue how NO is such a magical and unique place to be.

 

sadly this isn't unrealistic. NOLA people never seem to shut the fuck up about the shithole city they live in.

  On 12/23/2013 at 8:04 AM, chenGOD said:

 

  On 12/23/2013 at 4:18 AM, lumpenprol said:

how about all the people not watching Treme?

 

Yeah, I thought not.

 

I, too, only care about black people when they are gangsters

 

As long as they don't live anywhere near me

 

Treme came out at a time when I had little time to devote to watching shows (like now - i have no time to consume media really - I watch the daily show once in a while and that's it). So I can't really comment on it. I should watch it though, it gets pretty positive reviews.

 

What about all the non-gangster black people on the wire? You had no love for Bunk? Captain Daniels?

The Wire was a story about a very specific part of society, and it had its norms and hegemonic structures. To say that it was a portrayal of all black culture is taking a really reductionist view of the show.

 

Do you think "Do the Right Thing" is dated? Or is it of its time?

 

you weren't asking me, but yeah i think it's dated as shit. Most of Spike Lee movies made in the 90s are too.

I guess for me I see it the same as a movie with dubstep music in it or something, is that 'of it's time' or 'dated' i er on the side of dated

B.Bad was shit until season 4, to be honest. I'd say the Wire by a mile.

edit: also Treme is so bad, holy shit. Prime example of someone getting too much critical acclaim and deciding everything he does is gold (see also Aaron Sorkin)

I think you could just record actual real life and present it unedited and some people would think it was too preachy.

BB is great and addicting. It's like the meth of tv shows.

  On 12/23/2013 at 10:59 PM, dr lopez said:

 

  On 12/23/2013 at 11:09 AM, Obel said:

 

  On 12/21/2013 at 7:11 AM, zaphod said:

david simon's writing certainly has a kind of salt of the earth need to be authentic that can grate on my nerves

 

This bothers me a whole lot more in Treme. I had to ditch that show because people seem to unrealistically bring up how they all live in New Orleans all the time. It likes to unsubtly force down your throat via character dialogue how NO is such a magical and unique place to be.

 

sadly this isn't unrealistic. NOLA people never seem to shut the fuck up about the shithole city they live in.

 

just posting here to lol at this, it's true

Oh serious? Hahahaha, I'll scrub it off the ol bucket list then

  On 12/24/2013 at 1:18 AM, LimpyLoo said:

I think you could just record actual real life and present it unedited and some people would think it was too preachy.

Yep.

People could argue watching fictional stories on a screen is a waste of time and I could understand that point of view, but The Wire is definitely not a waste of time. I think they should show it to all seniors in high school. Watch the whole series, have discussions and then spend the rest of the school year discussing current events, etc.

wait, Bunk has inner city businesses in NO?

if so, I can respect that. One thing I really liked about the Wire is the impact it made on the woman who played Kima....apparently shes slowly learning to become an advocate for a number of inner city problems, education reform. To see Baltimore have that effect on someone, it makes me feel happy...and almost as if Simon achieved in some small part, what he set out to do.