Thank you for putting into words what I felt when I watched season one. Honestly, I didn't go back for two or three because of it. I agree that Mike Smith is writing great .. This is where I get stuck. Because if you're laughing but not cringing or crying on the inside, yes you aren't watching close enough. And the way these characters were written was like navigating my real life. And RL is currently a horror show.
This is why I had to stop, too! I couldn’t stomach it because these are real people in the world who don’t even wear a mask to conceal their identity. They wear it proudly. That’s scarier than any Jason or Freddy.
I initially watched it because Mike Smith was on Survivor. And I thought how cool is that. And I do like smart writing so Tim has me thinking I should go back in, with a critical eye, and do commentary on it.
I started getting angry like this when I first watched Yellowstone in 2021. Furious, as a matter of fact. It glorifies and romanticizes the ego-driven greed in the world today. I haven't watched The White Lotus except the pilot. I suppose I should, but I'm already angry enough. And I'm sick of TV shows where people are constantly yelling at each other, bullying each other and pushing each other around (especially US cop shows). Sigh. The thing that gets me is those writers KNOW they are idolizing that behaviour. And I find that grossly irresponsible on a societal level. Oh god, I can't watch this, it will just make me angrier. We need to turn this around and perhaps make shows that glorify and romanticize nice people?
Same with me. Yellowstone was really just another Sopranos. Incredibly well done, but the content is just glorified horror. I don’t need more of that in my life, but I felt compelled to watch this season since everyone is talking about it. Hopefully they’re seeing what we’re seeing.
Now that I think about this, the real horror for me, whether it’s slasher or societal horror, is that death is a gift to the good of heart. A painless death compared to living in a world of ugly. I feel what you’re saying is so powerful and scary. I feel reality shows were the beginning of applauding the ugly and stupid in our world. The evidence is in the highest position in our country. Being the “good guy” isn’t as sexy as being the bad one. This started on the screen, so we have the power to make it right. Thank you for the insight.
Exactly. Slasher films are horrific, but stories celebrating the Seven Deadlies are worse. I noticed it with the "greed is good," speech by Gordon Gekko in 1987. Normalizing and romanticizing these behaviors is worse than showing violence, which is easier to reject.
Well! I can't tell you how much I admire your stance, your humanity, and your ability to so beautifully express it, Max. You nailed it! You and I touched upon the ''cluelessness' of certain segments of society in our call last week. Your wonderful notes have inspired me to attempt to write my series also based on this society from a more enlightened perspective. And I'm rewatching the third season with this POV. I posted your article to my FB page for the general public to read so they can all benefit from your wisdom. Thank you for engaging with and caring so much about your students, Max.
This makes me beg the question as a writer. Is the audience too concerned about their own way of life being proved correct and that any film that says it but doesn’t spray it, will be overlooked or the evil that is being shown be actually glorified? I guess that’s why art is subjective
Really good point. Some viewers may see this as a perfect way to expose some truths about society and how we respond to it. So yeah, art is so wonderfully subjective as it should be. Just because I want my art to be displayed to me (or received) in a certain way, doesn’t mean that it’s the “right” way. We all consume the same piece of art differently, and I love that.
Thank you for putting into words what I felt when I watched season one. Honestly, I didn't go back for two or three because of it. I agree that Mike Smith is writing great .. This is where I get stuck. Because if you're laughing but not cringing or crying on the inside, yes you aren't watching close enough. And the way these characters were written was like navigating my real life. And RL is currently a horror show.
I completely understand!
This is why I had to stop, too! I couldn’t stomach it because these are real people in the world who don’t even wear a mask to conceal their identity. They wear it proudly. That’s scarier than any Jason or Freddy.
I initially watched it because Mike Smith was on Survivor. And I thought how cool is that. And I do like smart writing so Tim has me thinking I should go back in, with a critical eye, and do commentary on it.
I started getting angry like this when I first watched Yellowstone in 2021. Furious, as a matter of fact. It glorifies and romanticizes the ego-driven greed in the world today. I haven't watched The White Lotus except the pilot. I suppose I should, but I'm already angry enough. And I'm sick of TV shows where people are constantly yelling at each other, bullying each other and pushing each other around (especially US cop shows). Sigh. The thing that gets me is those writers KNOW they are idolizing that behaviour. And I find that grossly irresponsible on a societal level. Oh god, I can't watch this, it will just make me angrier. We need to turn this around and perhaps make shows that glorify and romanticize nice people?
Same with me. Yellowstone was really just another Sopranos. Incredibly well done, but the content is just glorified horror. I don’t need more of that in my life, but I felt compelled to watch this season since everyone is talking about it. Hopefully they’re seeing what we’re seeing.
Now that I think about this, the real horror for me, whether it’s slasher or societal horror, is that death is a gift to the good of heart. A painless death compared to living in a world of ugly. I feel what you’re saying is so powerful and scary. I feel reality shows were the beginning of applauding the ugly and stupid in our world. The evidence is in the highest position in our country. Being the “good guy” isn’t as sexy as being the bad one. This started on the screen, so we have the power to make it right. Thank you for the insight.
Yes! Totally agree.
Exactly. Slasher films are horrific, but stories celebrating the Seven Deadlies are worse. I noticed it with the "greed is good," speech by Gordon Gekko in 1987. Normalizing and romanticizing these behaviors is worse than showing violence, which is easier to reject.
Well! I can't tell you how much I admire your stance, your humanity, and your ability to so beautifully express it, Max. You nailed it! You and I touched upon the ''cluelessness' of certain segments of society in our call last week. Your wonderful notes have inspired me to attempt to write my series also based on this society from a more enlightened perspective. And I'm rewatching the third season with this POV. I posted your article to my FB page for the general public to read so they can all benefit from your wisdom. Thank you for engaging with and caring so much about your students, Max.
This makes me beg the question as a writer. Is the audience too concerned about their own way of life being proved correct and that any film that says it but doesn’t spray it, will be overlooked or the evil that is being shown be actually glorified? I guess that’s why art is subjective
Really good point. Some viewers may see this as a perfect way to expose some truths about society and how we respond to it. So yeah, art is so wonderfully subjective as it should be. Just because I want my art to be displayed to me (or received) in a certain way, doesn’t mean that it’s the “right” way. We all consume the same piece of art differently, and I love that.
Yeah, A story doesn’t belong to you after you tell it.