Since tonight is the second episode of the redo of "Roseanne", let's have a chat about it. Did anyone see the opening episode last week? I just happened to be flipping through the channels just when it was starting and...well, I thought it was great! It was fair and honest with a lot of heart but most of all not mean-spirited. Here's some of the the first half of the show.
Right off the bat, it is revealed that Roseanne and Jackie (her sister) had a falling out since the election and aren't speaking to each other. Roseanne's daughter Darlene, just recently moved back in with her children (one whom is a "gender-fluid grade-schooler"), asked Jackie to come over...heart-felt moment ensues - Roseane upset as Darlene explained that Jackie was her beloved aunt and a big part of her life. Just then, Jackie shows up at the screen door wearing her knitted pink pussy hat and "Nasty Woman" t-shirt exclaiming "How are all you deplorables doing?" (or something like that). Honestly it was funny. They acted like a family who with prodding and a sense of humor "agrees to disagree" and air their flaws just like...SHOCKING...we all have.
If you listen to the twittering on social media, you'd think that Roseanne Barr had forced the cast to murder small animals during every scene. "How DARE she "normalize" Trump-supporters! They're deplorable and stuff!". "We all know that Trump supporters are irredeemable racists, homophobic, transphobic, misogynists!", or my personal favorite was some "journalist" expressing his dismay at the "monetizing" of Trumpism. Uh, exactly what does he think television shows are for if not to make money for the producers and advertisers?
By the way, according to The Hollywood Reporter when all of the numbers came in,, the show was "the highest-rated regularly-scheduled scripted show of the last few seasons, as well as the highest-rated sitcom in recent memory,” This shouldn't be surprising. Norman Lear made his reputation and vast fortune producing similar "blue-collar" shows like "All In The Family", "Sanford & Sons", "The Jeffersons", and "Good Times" among many others. Frankly shows that could not be produced today because of our "political correct" culture that clutches their pearls at every turn. But I am not sure why all of the brainiacs, super-smart liberal pundits, and media producers are really this dense. This is a great show because it is about regular folks struggling with everyday stuff and being really funny...and it's NOT MEAN!
Right off the bat, it is revealed that Roseanne and Jackie (her sister) had a falling out since the election and aren't speaking to each other. Roseanne's daughter Darlene, just recently moved back in with her children (one whom is a "gender-fluid grade-schooler"), asked Jackie to come over...heart-felt moment ensues - Roseane upset as Darlene explained that Jackie was her beloved aunt and a big part of her life. Just then, Jackie shows up at the screen door wearing her knitted pink pussy hat and "Nasty Woman" t-shirt exclaiming "How are all you deplorables doing?" (or something like that). Honestly it was funny. They acted like a family who with prodding and a sense of humor "agrees to disagree" and air their flaws just like...SHOCKING...we all have.
If you listen to the twittering on social media, you'd think that Roseanne Barr had forced the cast to murder small animals during every scene. "How DARE she "normalize" Trump-supporters! They're deplorable and stuff!". "We all know that Trump supporters are irredeemable racists, homophobic, transphobic, misogynists!", or my personal favorite was some "journalist" expressing his dismay at the "monetizing" of Trumpism. Uh, exactly what does he think television shows are for if not to make money for the producers and advertisers?
By the way, according to The Hollywood Reporter when all of the numbers came in,, the show was "the highest-rated regularly-scheduled scripted show of the last few seasons, as well as the highest-rated sitcom in recent memory,” This shouldn't be surprising. Norman Lear made his reputation and vast fortune producing similar "blue-collar" shows like "All In The Family", "Sanford & Sons", "The Jeffersons", and "Good Times" among many others. Frankly shows that could not be produced today because of our "political correct" culture that clutches their pearls at every turn. But I am not sure why all of the brainiacs, super-smart liberal pundits, and media producers are really this dense. This is a great show because it is about regular folks struggling with everyday stuff and being really funny...and it's NOT MEAN!
And now a word from our sponsor...
ReplyDeleteSHAMELESS PROMOTION
The fact that it's not mean will disappoint the progressives.
ReplyDeleteIt’s devoid of random idiocy, outlandish conspiracy theories and theatrical cruelty? Huh. Be interesting to see how well ratings hold up.
ReplyDeleteI lost my appetite for sitcoms two decades ago but it’s nice Roseanne is doing well.
I haven't been a fan of Roseanne in recent years, but was curious enough to watch the show and was surprised. Other than the over-the-topness of having literally EVERY hot button topic represented in a single family, it is as you said, real. They are flawed and trying to survive in a world that doesn't care much about the white working lower middle class.
ReplyDeleteThe same irreverent humor is there and it's balanced...everyone and everything is fair game. I had honestly expected the show to be a liberal lovefest, to find it otherwise was a pleasant surprise. It's also nice to see a comedy in which the adults are in control and the kids are held accountable when they are disrespectful.
I may give the new Roseanne a watch (thank you, streaming). I remember watching the show as a kid, back when weekly family viewing was a thing (no longer, thanks to streaming). I also remember the episodes falling off in quality as they entered the "very special episode" phase about 5 or 6 years in.
ReplyDeleteHere's what's funny, if you think about it. The show purportedly catalogs the struggles of a working-class family, but Roseanne and Dan are actually serial entrepreneurs. Dan just had a penchant for going into business with crummy partners.
Tryanmax - I agree that the first version years ago went on too long as most shows do eventually. And I doubt this new one will go on as long. It's just fun to watch a PC-breaking show that everyone is freaking out about because it's more honest. And as Stacy brings up, it's a pleasant surprise to see the grandparents adults schooling the grandkids in manners and gratefulness and the parents doing a bit of "okay, I understand now, Mom. Kids need boundaries"-ness.
ReplyDeleteSounds like Roseanne’s show going the conspiracy nut route isn’t out of the question.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.nationalreview.com/2018/04/roseanne-barr-views-risky-for-trump-supporters/
Barr has never met a conspiracy theory she didn’t love. She’s a 9-11 truther who believes that “Bush did it,” and she has called the Boston Marathon bombing one of many “false flag terror attacks” perpetrated by the Obama administration to “remove” the Second Amendment. For good measure, she also believes that the old man Bush killed JFK.
You can find YouTube videos of her rambling about “MK ULTRA Mind Control” on RT, and she seems particularly fond of the notion that the American ruling class is running some manner of pedophile sex cult. Her views on Jews and Israel fluctuate wildly — in the past, she has called Israel a “Nazi state” and alleged that Zionism was created by the Third Reich (or something — I challenge you to succinctly summarize the opinions expressed here), though more recently she’s taken to accusing Hillary Clinton of plotting Israel’s destruction and labeling aide Huma Abedin a “Nazi whore.”