Sarah Connor Chronicles
House
Eureka
Bones
Psych
Numb3rs
Firefly
SG-1
Dark Angel
NCIS
Shows I can watch, but the rest of the audience needs to be carefully selected
Burn Notice (no TGD)
Supernatural (no B, no VB, TGD is pushing it)
Dr Who (no VB)
Buffy/Angel (no VB)
Shows that are edging into questionable
SGA
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chasethestars
chasethestars
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But still: only EDGING into questionable.
TGD =
Do you pause the debates a lot?
WHY is it you can't watch certain show with certain people? Is it like why they say you can't go to the movies with black people - because they're always yelling at the characters on the screen? Do these people try to tickle you while you're trying to watch? Do they want to flip over to another show during the commercials and don't flip back in time? What is the deal?
She's right, but I don't want to talk about it when I'm trying to enjoy my TV, and when someone points something like that out, the only way to NOT talk about it is to be rude and ignore them -- which point I am past and now well into STFU. So, watching BN without her helps me be the not-mean person I prefer being.
You could try watching debate over here :) We have pausing ability, and I don't take it seriously enough to get worked up about any particular point or opinion.
Sarah Connor Chronicles
Firefly
SG-1
Dark Angel
NCIS
Supernatural
Buffy/Angel
or SGA with because I keep tickling you while you are trying to watch.
I also admire you guts in pointing out, on your blog, that we all can read, who you will and won't watch stuff with.
2) Before I say anything else, I do need to apologize for two things: I am sorry (a) that I did not speak up when you asked if there was any objection to watching Burn Notice the other night, and (b) that after not speaking up, when I knew full well you were already in a bad mood, I opened my mouth with a negative comment about the show. More on that later, but first I do owe you the apology before I say, do, or even think anything else.
3) In re. to your comment "There isn't a horror show in existence that treats the power of God right, IMO."....
Of course, part of this would depend on which shows you classify as "horror". There are moments in Buffy that come pretty damn close, and at least have done nothing horribly offensive wrt the power of God. (I can't say the same of Angel, which technically is the same universe, but a different show.) Some might consider all SF a sub-genre of Horror (I would not, but some would), in which case I'd have to say DS9 was right on it.
4) There is more I would like to say wrt debate / discussion / comments about television, and finding negative things about characters you otherwise might like, or even love, and discussing them with other people with whom you share those opinions. I find great joy in such discussion. Extended dialogue about character flaws in my favorite people on Buffy, or Torchwood, or Star Trek, are what bring those people alive for me. When Joyce threw Buffy out of the house at the end of Season 2, saying "Don't ever come back", and then blames Giles, the Principal, anyone but herself, throughout Season 3, for her running away ... That really pissed me off. When the Doctor ignored Jack, actively tried to avoid him: how DARE he.... I could go on, but you get my point.
Part of watching a show WITH someone is being able to discuss these things with the person. If one shuts off all dialogue about a complex character, what's the point of watching shows together? And frankly, if all there is in a character is good stuff, it's not a complex enough character to hold my interest, and I'm not really interested.
And no matter what a PolyAnna you are, you're smarter than that, too.
There is a difference between exposing a sexist tendency in a character to show a character flaw, vs. showing gratuitous sex to increase ratings. I suspect (though I don't know for sure), that BN is doing the later, which is why it bothers me: as much as my mention of it during the show bothers you. Its very existence is a hot-button for me, and the objectification of women hurts me like a slap in the face, too. So yes, we absolutely cannot watch that show together, and I'm sorry I didn't figure that out 3 days ago.
But that doesn't answer a larger question. For me, I try to make a distinction between criticizing a character and criticizing the whole show. It seems to me that you don't want a show criticized, at least not while you're watching it. You're ok, however, with commentary about the character flaws. Am I correct? For example, when I comment about the way Dean slapped the female demon, I'm not necessarily saying it was a poor choice on the part of the writers. I'm saying it was an interesting choice, and it says something about Dean's character. It makes certain statements about who Dean is, his relationship with the demon, with women in general, with demons in general, etc. It's a BRILLIANT use of writing, IMHO, because it can be interpreted in so many ways. Is that kind of discussion off limits or no?
Let me know your thoughts on this, or if you just want not to talk about this at all.
I need to get going. See you at home in a few. Love you!
2) Thank you. I'm often surprised when people apologize, so that makes you impact me as doubly gracious. Thank you.
3) God in horror
4) tbc.
4d) I agree with your distinction between criticizing a character and criticizing a show. B and I share that distinction as well. The trouble starts when a character flaw is so ignored by the other characters in the show that it gives the impression that the show itself is condoning, if not glamorizing, that flaw. Your reaction to "The Slap" as stated here is discussable -- what does it say about Dean -- but the reaction I heard during the episode (predominantly from B but I thought I heard you agree) was "that wasn't necessary." Also, knowing as I do that B sees Dean as the avatar of the show's opinion toward women, the discussion wasn't about Dean. It almost wasn't a discussion at all. It was "Look at yet another example of how SPN mistreats women." IMO, if the demon had been wearing a male body (a bit more cumbersome and less unremarkable than a female waitress at a diner), Dean's actions could have been exactly the same and carried the same weight - with the exception of hitting the hot-buttons wrt violence toward women.
4b) I find flawed characters more interesting, but at the same time I will focus on what I find admirable. The characters I love are pragmatists more often than anything else. Sometimes pragmatism hurts the people around those characters, which makes it not unequivocally "good stuff." Understandable does not equal justified (i.e., in-line, correct).
4a) As a rule, I never enjoy discussing the negative. Ever. I don't mind flaws, drawbacks, or other interesting facets, but I prefer them as accent pillows rather than the whole couch.
4b1) I'm sad that Pollyanna is an insult in most circles.