An Important Angry Work Of Art
October 8, 2008 4:09 PM Subscribe
And the BBC show "The Vice" rules as well.
And I have to ask, fearfulsymmetry, as someone watching episode 1 of season 3 for the first time. Any of these links going to make me want to hunt you down and kill you? Because, you know, if it turns out that the clips ruin my hopes and dreams for a happy ending for everyone involved I will.
It does turn out all shiny, right?
posted by cjorgensen at 4:32 PM on October 8, 2008
And I have to ask, fearfulsymmetry, as someone watching episode 1 of season 3 for the first time. Any of these links going to make me want to hunt you down and kill you? Because, you know, if it turns out that the clips ruin my hopes and dreams for a happy ending for everyone involved I will.
It does turn out all shiny, right?
posted by cjorgensen at 4:32 PM on October 8, 2008
Yeah but how did Beadie go from the docks to selling paper in Scranton?
posted by geoff. at 4:45 PM on October 8, 2008 [4 favorites]
posted by geoff. at 4:45 PM on October 8, 2008 [4 favorites]
While I applaud these clips to spread the "evangelical fervor" I have for The Wire
I know it's the best thing on telly, like, ever, but it is weird how fervently evangelical fans of this programme are - I honestly don't know anyone who's watched it and not bought or burned DVDs for their friends, delivering them with a glassy-eyed demand to watch the lot within a month. (Myself included. The other day I sat down to watch the first few episodes of The Wire with a friend who'd never seen it before, and found it impossible to avoid nodding sagely/chuckling wryly/pointing out that the way so-and-so just raised his eyebrow will seem incredibly prescient come the fourth series/speaking in a cod Baltimore accent/generally whooping with joy. It is a testament to the programme's greatness that, despite this appalling behaviour, my friend is totally hooked.)
It does turn out all shiny, right?
Absolutely. In the final episode, Bubbles is revealed to be the Second Coming of the Baby Jesus, pardons the sins of everyone else, and then they all ascend to Heaven. On arrival, Omar does a very sexy dance.
posted by jack_mo at 4:45 PM on October 8, 2008 [8 favorites]
I know it's the best thing on telly, like, ever, but it is weird how fervently evangelical fans of this programme are - I honestly don't know anyone who's watched it and not bought or burned DVDs for their friends, delivering them with a glassy-eyed demand to watch the lot within a month. (Myself included. The other day I sat down to watch the first few episodes of The Wire with a friend who'd never seen it before, and found it impossible to avoid nodding sagely/chuckling wryly/pointing out that the way so-and-so just raised his eyebrow will seem incredibly prescient come the fourth series/speaking in a cod Baltimore accent/generally whooping with joy. It is a testament to the programme's greatness that, despite this appalling behaviour, my friend is totally hooked.)
It does turn out all shiny, right?
Absolutely. In the final episode, Bubbles is revealed to be the Second Coming of the Baby Jesus, pardons the sins of everyone else, and then they all ascend to Heaven. On arrival, Omar does a very sexy dance.
posted by jack_mo at 4:45 PM on October 8, 2008 [8 favorites]
It does turn out all shiny, right?
All in the game...
Actually the program is pretty much spoiler free, unless you don't wanna know the theme of each series or things of that nature.
And it's really weird to see Jimmy talking with a British accent
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 4:47 PM on October 8, 2008
All in the game...
Actually the program is pretty much spoiler free, unless you don't wanna know the theme of each series or things of that nature.
And it's really weird to see Jimmy talking with a British accent
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 4:47 PM on October 8, 2008
Ah, the Screenwipe guy!
Also the creator or Nathan Barley, which was turned into a fantastically hilarious televisual programme with the aid of genius satirist Chris Morris!
posted by turgid dahlia at 4:50 PM on October 8, 2008
Also the creator or Nathan Barley, which was turned into a fantastically hilarious televisual programme with the aid of genius satirist Chris Morris!
posted by turgid dahlia at 4:50 PM on October 8, 2008
err, "of".
posted by turgid dahlia at 4:50 PM on October 8, 2008
posted by turgid dahlia at 4:50 PM on October 8, 2008
On arrival, Omar does a very sexy dance.
The Ballmer Shuffle, I believe that's called.
posted by turgid dahlia at 4:52 PM on October 8, 2008
The Ballmer Shuffle, I believe that's called.
posted by turgid dahlia at 4:52 PM on October 8, 2008
fantastically hilarious televisual programme
Yes, well, err... I'm sure Dead Set (Big Brother meets Night Of The Living Dead) will be great though
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 4:53 PM on October 8, 2008
Yes, well, err... I'm sure Dead Set (Big Brother meets Night Of The Living Dead) will be great though
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 4:53 PM on October 8, 2008
Yeah, alright, I'll watch it someday...
NOW! WATCH IT NOW! IT'S YOUR CIVIC DUTY!
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 5:06 PM on October 8, 2008 [2 favorites]
NOW! WATCH IT NOW! IT'S YOUR CIVIC DUTY!
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 5:06 PM on October 8, 2008 [2 favorites]
So I've suffered through five seasons, and I'm still waiting for the payoff. Seems the writers must suffer from writer's block. ... Anyone seen my Full House season 3 DVD?
posted by Christ, what an asshole at 5:10 PM on October 8, 2008
posted by Christ, what an asshole at 5:10 PM on October 8, 2008
Add me to the list of people being raved at constantly until I gave in.
Now I try to avoid raving, per se.
I just love finding great tv long after it's begun. I'm just coming to the end of season 1, not knowing how many there were and -- FIVE -- 5 -- V -- THERE ARE FIVE SEASONS AND I CAN WATCH THEM ALL RIGHT NOW...
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 5:12 PM on October 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
Now I try to avoid raving, per se.
I just love finding great tv long after it's begun. I'm just coming to the end of season 1, not knowing how many there were and -- FIVE -- 5 -- V -- THERE ARE FIVE SEASONS AND I CAN WATCH THEM ALL RIGHT NOW...
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 5:12 PM on October 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
jack_mo: "Absolutely. In the final episode, Bubbles is revealed to be the Second Coming of the Baby Jesus, pardons the sins of everyone else, and then they all ascend to Heaven. On arrival, Omar does a very sexy dance."
See, there you go. I thought Bubbles wouldturn out decide to be gay as well, become Omar's new squeeze, and Omar would help Bubs kick the habit, they'd tap into Omar's retirement fund (sine the show is pre-stock market crash) and get real jobs.
Actually, I didn't expect either to be long for this world, so you'll forgive me if I duck out of this thread and come back in like a month when I am finished.
posted by cjorgensen at 5:17 PM on October 8, 2008
See, there you go. I thought Bubbles would
Actually, I didn't expect either to be long for this world, so you'll forgive me if I duck out of this thread and come back in like a month when I am finished.
posted by cjorgensen at 5:17 PM on October 8, 2008
Do they talk about the major theme of the fifth season being inspired by the writers' own guilt feelings toward having invented a world with a fictionalized and highly dramatized relationship to a real and really troubled place? Because that's what I was thinking about all last week as I watched the last episodes. I love the show, but this particular thematic...um...obsession...was a little heavy for me. Still. Best show ever. Recommend it to everyone. Hate that it's over.
posted by felix betachat at 5:23 PM on October 8, 2008
posted by felix betachat at 5:23 PM on October 8, 2008
We actually have S1 as a box set, but sadly it falls into the category of “things my wife wants to watch enough that I can’t watch it without her, but that will never be sufficiently high enough on the priority list for us to actually watch”, which is a sort of limbo zone a lot f things fall into now we can only watch TV while our sweet little babums is asleep. Somehow we find the time to watch The Rachel Zoe Project so I think I'm going to have to push harder on this.
posted by Artw at 5:23 PM on October 8, 2008
posted by Artw at 5:23 PM on October 8, 2008
And it's really weird to see Jimmy talking with a British accent
Yegods.
America, I hereby implore you to understand - there is no such thing as a 'British accent'. It's like saying there is a 'European accent' or an 'Americas accent'. Generally what you collectively seem to understand to be a 'British accent' seems to be an English accent.
I pre-emptively note that many of you will utterly fail to see any worth in understanding this distinction. Well, tough. The British do, and the differences are significant in sound and implication to the various people involved.
posted by Brockles at 5:25 PM on October 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
Yegods.
America, I hereby implore you to understand - there is no such thing as a 'British accent'. It's like saying there is a 'European accent' or an 'Americas accent'. Generally what you collectively seem to understand to be a 'British accent' seems to be an English accent.
I pre-emptively note that many of you will utterly fail to see any worth in understanding this distinction. Well, tough. The British do, and the differences are significant in sound and implication to the various people involved.
posted by Brockles at 5:25 PM on October 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
We actually have S1 as a box set, but sadly it falls into the category of “things my wife wants to watch enough that I can’t watch it without her, but that will never be sufficiently high enough on the priority list for us to actually watch”,
In my house, we call that Deadwood.
posted by felix betachat at 5:26 PM on October 8, 2008 [3 favorites]
In my house, we call that Deadwood.
posted by felix betachat at 5:26 PM on October 8, 2008 [3 favorites]
And it's really weird to see Jimmy talking with a British accent
Yegods.
America, I hereby implore you to understand - there is no such thing as a 'British accent'. It's like saying there is a 'European accent' or an 'Americas accent'. Generally what you collectively seem to understand to be a 'British accent' seems to be an English accent.
I pre-emptively note that many of you will utterly fail to see any worth in understanding this distinction. Well, tough. The British do, and the differences are significant in sound and implication to the various people involved.
California, southern, new york, bostonian...are all american accents.
Forest from the trees...
posted by Christ, what an asshole at 5:31 PM on October 8, 2008
Yegods.
America, I hereby implore you to understand - there is no such thing as a 'British accent'. It's like saying there is a 'European accent' or an 'Americas accent'. Generally what you collectively seem to understand to be a 'British accent' seems to be an English accent.
I pre-emptively note that many of you will utterly fail to see any worth in understanding this distinction. Well, tough. The British do, and the differences are significant in sound and implication to the various people involved.
California, southern, new york, bostonian...are all american accents.
Forest from the trees...
posted by Christ, what an asshole at 5:31 PM on October 8, 2008
sadly it falls into the category of “things my wife wants to watch enough that I can’t watch it without her, but that will never be sufficiently high enough on the priority list for us to actually watch”
Wow, what timing. Yeah, Deadwood here, too. A few have falled victim to this, and it's why we're still on season one. But I will not let this one go.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 5:31 PM on October 8, 2008
Wow, what timing. Yeah, Deadwood here, too. A few have falled victim to this, and it's why we're still on season one. But I will not let this one go.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 5:31 PM on October 8, 2008
So I've suffered through five seasons, and I'm still waiting for the payoff. Seems the writers must suffer from writer's block. ... Anyone seen my Full House season 3 DVD?
posted by Christ, what an asshole at 8:10 PM on October 8 [+] [!]
Username.
posted by designbot at 5:34 PM on October 8, 2008
posted by Christ, what an asshole at 8:10 PM on October 8 [+] [!]
Username.
posted by designbot at 5:34 PM on October 8, 2008
If only they had put lasers or robots in it then I would have watched the lot by now and she'd have been none the wiser to it being any good.
posted by Artw at 5:35 PM on October 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Artw at 5:35 PM on October 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
California, southern, new york, bostonian...are all american accents.
Forest from the trees...
They are all from the same country. There are many different types of English accent, as well. However, you may note that I said "Americas". Had you forgotten that you are just part of a continent? Or are you going to tell me a Brazilian accent is the same and not worthy of distinction to an american?
posted by Brockles at 5:36 PM on October 8, 2008
Forest from the trees...
They are all from the same country. There are many different types of English accent, as well. However, you may note that I said "Americas". Had you forgotten that you are just part of a continent? Or are you going to tell me a Brazilian accent is the same and not worthy of distinction to an american?
posted by Brockles at 5:36 PM on October 8, 2008
It does have robots! In Season Two! THERE ARE ROBOTS NOW WATCH THE FUCKING SHOW!
posted by WolfDaddy at 5:40 PM on October 8, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by WolfDaddy at 5:40 PM on October 8, 2008 [2 favorites]
Now, if they had made it with model trains and set it on the Isle of Sodor I would have watched the whole thing through about fifteen million times by now, and be thoroughly sick of it, and my daughter would insist on playing with the The Wire table at Barnes and Noble all the time, and want The Wire books read to her at night, and be eyeing up overprices The Wire merchandising, and it would be our fault for letting her watch television at such a tender young age and generally being negligent parents.
posted by Artw at 5:41 PM on October 8, 2008
posted by Artw at 5:41 PM on October 8, 2008
It does have robots! In Season Two! THERE ARE ROBOTS NOW WATCH THE FUCKING SHOW!
We’d have to get to season 2 to see the robots and for my wife to lose interest. Now if they’d just put the robots in the title sequence of S1 and make ludicrous false claims that they have some kind of plan we’d be sorted.
posted by Artw at 5:42 PM on October 8, 2008
We’d have to get to season 2 to see the robots and for my wife to lose interest. Now if they’d just put the robots in the title sequence of S1 and make ludicrous false claims that they have some kind of plan we’d be sorted.
posted by Artw at 5:42 PM on October 8, 2008
Okay, now you're just being silly.
THE ROBOTS DO HAVE A PLAN! IT'S TO PUT THE STEVEDORES OUT OF WORK PERMANENTLY! THERE ARE ALSO TRAINS! WELL, TRAIN TRACKS! UPON WHICH MUCH PISS DOES FALL!
posted by WolfDaddy at 5:48 PM on October 8, 2008 [2 favorites]
THE ROBOTS DO HAVE A PLAN! IT'S TO PUT THE STEVEDORES OUT OF WORK PERMANENTLY! THERE ARE ALSO TRAINS! WELL, TRAIN TRACKS! UPON WHICH MUCH PISS DOES FALL!
posted by WolfDaddy at 5:48 PM on October 8, 2008 [2 favorites]
Are the trains constantly obsessing over being Really Useful, or Shiny and Clean?
posted by Artw at 5:51 PM on October 8, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by Artw at 5:51 PM on October 8, 2008 [2 favorites]
This would have been well worth watching if Aardman Animations had gotten ahold of this, and done something like "Creature Comforts" with it.
I imagine Alexei Sayle as a clumsy bear, and Graham Linehan as an adorable meerkat. And Charlie Brooker animated as a great, big [take it to Meta with that sort of language.]
posted by freshwater_pr0n at 6:01 PM on October 8, 2008
I imagine Alexei Sayle as a clumsy bear, and Graham Linehan as an adorable meerkat. And Charlie Brooker animated as a great, big [take it to Meta with that sort of language.]
posted by freshwater_pr0n at 6:01 PM on October 8, 2008
I've found it hard for me to recommend watching The Wire to other people. After watching it, no other shows or movies seem worth watching. It's like, I've seen the best thing there is so why should I bother with anything else?
After thinking that out, I guess I might start trying to get people to watch it, since I like the feeling of not ever having to watch stuff again.
posted by dogwalker at 6:20 PM on October 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
After thinking that out, I guess I might start trying to get people to watch it, since I like the feeling of not ever having to watch stuff again.
posted by dogwalker at 6:20 PM on October 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
Had you forgotten that you are just part of a continent?
Wow, you're very serious about this. Whereas many Americans can't tell the difference between a Welsh accent and an English accent, or at least not see any more difference than what's between two English fellas.
posted by smackfu at 6:26 PM on October 8, 2008
Wow, you're very serious about this. Whereas many Americans can't tell the difference between a Welsh accent and an English accent, or at least not see any more difference than what's between two English fellas.
posted by smackfu at 6:26 PM on October 8, 2008
Whereas many Americans can't tell the difference between a Welsh accent and an English accent, or at least not see any more difference than what's between two English fellas.
Different English accents are hard to pinpoint (the vast amount of US-centric media makes it relatively easy to hit the broader ones for the US, for me at least) but it doesn't mean it's not worth bothering to try. The recent accent identifying post showed that people in the US are very sensitive to a lot of accents, but seem to just not bother with the differences between the British (major only, not regional) differences. There is a lot of history and feeling around the identity of the various British peoples that other cultures should be aware of and, hopefully, be sensitive to.
As an example, I'm not sure I could necessarily tell a Chinese spoken sentence from a Japanese one, but I'd certainly consider myself ignorant if I were to consequently just blanket consider all those people to have 'an Asian accent'.
posted by Brockles at 6:51 PM on October 8, 2008
Different English accents are hard to pinpoint (the vast amount of US-centric media makes it relatively easy to hit the broader ones for the US, for me at least) but it doesn't mean it's not worth bothering to try. The recent accent identifying post showed that people in the US are very sensitive to a lot of accents, but seem to just not bother with the differences between the British (major only, not regional) differences. There is a lot of history and feeling around the identity of the various British peoples that other cultures should be aware of and, hopefully, be sensitive to.
As an example, I'm not sure I could necessarily tell a Chinese spoken sentence from a Japanese one, but I'd certainly consider myself ignorant if I were to consequently just blanket consider all those people to have 'an Asian accent'.
posted by Brockles at 6:51 PM on October 8, 2008
watching charlie brooker host this flaccid wankfest in celebration of 'the wire' is a bit like listening to a life-long vegan praise the joys of bacon-wrapped sausages on a cooking show. you'd have to wear handkerchiefs on your forehead to find anything novel here, which is all the more frustrating since brooker has had his moments on other occasions. I also wonder who directed this piece. certain wide-angle shots only serve to highlight brookers considerable cleavage, which somewhat diminishes what he was going for when deriding itv for its reality shows ("celebrity goosewrestling" - I wonder how long he stayed up for that line).
brooker is a clueless fish out of water who doesn't bring anything to the table other than his rehashing of expected or at least predictable stereotypes (look at these crabs, local delicacy, yumyum) or the sloppy open-shirt wardrobe british morning show anchors think symbolizes the opposite of the only dress-code they truly are familiar with: buttoned-up to their ears. he is more painful to watch than a BBC breakfast show host attempting to look relaxed and that's saying a lot. seeing brooker stroll towards the camera wearing a tight black shirt and mirrored sunglasses in a fashion usually seen by the much more passable michael chiklis made me want to hurl violently and hearing nick hornby speak, even though I adore his literary output up to and including his 'believer' columns.
seriously, why did they produce this deep-fried mars bar of a featurette? did they really assemble half of the cast of 'the wire' just to get one or two of the most empty sentences possible out of them or did they reedit a making-of featurette HBO aired at four a.m. for six years because they didn't just want to be seen as a repackaging plant? btw: the latter is an especially egregious british sin: they recently began airing the fascinating shows 'ice road truckers' and 'deadliest catch' in the UK only after replacing the narrators with versions that somewhat sound like a castrated scottish mountain goat liquored up on cough syrup.
there is no such thing as a 'British accent'
can't growl = british accent.
can't for the life of (...) sound remotely threatening = british accent.
everything else (northampton? plaistow? wales?) = unimportant details, just like cricket rules.
it's that easy.
also: brooker has watched a couple of episodes of 'homicide' and steals what little he passes off as local knowledge from it.
posted by krautland at 7:15 PM on October 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
brooker is a clueless fish out of water who doesn't bring anything to the table other than his rehashing of expected or at least predictable stereotypes (look at these crabs, local delicacy, yumyum) or the sloppy open-shirt wardrobe british morning show anchors think symbolizes the opposite of the only dress-code they truly are familiar with: buttoned-up to their ears. he is more painful to watch than a BBC breakfast show host attempting to look relaxed and that's saying a lot. seeing brooker stroll towards the camera wearing a tight black shirt and mirrored sunglasses in a fashion usually seen by the much more passable michael chiklis made me want to hurl violently and hearing nick hornby speak, even though I adore his literary output up to and including his 'believer' columns.
seriously, why did they produce this deep-fried mars bar of a featurette? did they really assemble half of the cast of 'the wire' just to get one or two of the most empty sentences possible out of them or did they reedit a making-of featurette HBO aired at four a.m. for six years because they didn't just want to be seen as a repackaging plant? btw: the latter is an especially egregious british sin: they recently began airing the fascinating shows 'ice road truckers' and 'deadliest catch' in the UK only after replacing the narrators with versions that somewhat sound like a castrated scottish mountain goat liquored up on cough syrup.
there is no such thing as a 'British accent'
can't growl = british accent.
can't for the life of (...) sound remotely threatening = british accent.
everything else (northampton? plaistow? wales?) = unimportant details, just like cricket rules.
it's that easy.
also: brooker has watched a couple of episodes of 'homicide' and steals what little he passes off as local knowledge from it.
posted by krautland at 7:15 PM on October 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
Dominic West has a somewhat flattened Yorkshire accent. It's both a little posh and a little Americanized; I presume that's from his education and his work experiences.
Idris Alba has a London accent. I couldn't tell the difference between Hackney and, say, Bexley, but it's hard to miss the sounds of London.
If you can't recognize a Welsh accent, you're not trying. And at least somebody must have noticed that Aidan Gillen is Irish. Dublin, specifically. Please tell me you could hear his voice in that Charlie Brooker clip and know he is Irish, or I might cry so hard I spill my Jameson.
posted by Astro Zombie at 7:19 PM on October 8, 2008
Idris Alba has a London accent. I couldn't tell the difference between Hackney and, say, Bexley, but it's hard to miss the sounds of London.
If you can't recognize a Welsh accent, you're not trying. And at least somebody must have noticed that Aidan Gillen is Irish. Dublin, specifically. Please tell me you could hear his voice in that Charlie Brooker clip and know he is Irish, or I might cry so hard I spill my Jameson.
posted by Astro Zombie at 7:19 PM on October 8, 2008
1. hey accent experts - what kind of accent does Ricky Gervais have? I'VE ALWAYS WONDERED!
2. I can understand British frustration with the American *lumping* of accents - but c'mon. Demanding that we see a parallel between THE WHOLE OF THE AMERICAS and your little island is just goofy.
posted by moxiedoll at 7:26 PM on October 8, 2008
2. I can understand British frustration with the American *lumping* of accents - but c'mon. Demanding that we see a parallel between THE WHOLE OF THE AMERICAS and your little island is just goofy.
posted by moxiedoll at 7:26 PM on October 8, 2008
As an example, I'm not sure I could necessarily tell a Chinese spoken sentence from a Japanese one, but I'd certainly consider myself ignorant if I were to consequently just blanket consider all those people to have 'an Asian accent'.
I'm fairly sure even the last british person unfamiliar with anyone other than fellow pink-skinned individuals could make out that difference but your example limps anyway. for every rush-hour central-line train worth of chinese natives you have a third of a cow and one sixtieth of a milkman. the various dialects in england really only are important to a horse in a barn down the road and perhaps that woman who'd like to make cheese but she's hungarian and you all talk funny to her anyway.
posted by krautland at 7:26 PM on October 8, 2008
I'm fairly sure even the last british person unfamiliar with anyone other than fellow pink-skinned individuals could make out that difference but your example limps anyway. for every rush-hour central-line train worth of chinese natives you have a third of a cow and one sixtieth of a milkman. the various dialects in england really only are important to a horse in a barn down the road and perhaps that woman who'd like to make cheese but she's hungarian and you all talk funny to her anyway.
posted by krautland at 7:26 PM on October 8, 2008
America, I hereby implore you to understand - there is no such thing as a 'British accent'. It's like saying there is a 'European accent' or an 'Americas accent'. Generally what you collectively seem to understand to be a 'British accent' seems to be an English accent.
Hear, hear. Whether in England/Scotland (where multiple isolated dialects evolved more or less in parallel over the course of over a thousand years) or Ireland (where English inherited the features of at least three wildly different Irish language dialects), there are huge differences in accents, vocabulary, and grammar (no, I'm not forgetting Wales). As someone from the south east of Ireland, the various English accents range from perfectly clear to completely unintelligible. I'd never think of lumping them together.
2. I can understand British frustration with the American *lumping* of accents - but c'mon. Demanding that we see a parallel between THE WHOLE OF THE AMERICAS and your little island is just goofy.
Not really. I'd hazard a guess that there's more variation of Latin languages in Iberia than in the Americas. Same thing: large variation in original country -> one standard version exported abroad.
posted by kersplunk at 7:54 PM on October 8, 2008
Hear, hear. Whether in England/Scotland (where multiple isolated dialects evolved more or less in parallel over the course of over a thousand years) or Ireland (where English inherited the features of at least three wildly different Irish language dialects), there are huge differences in accents, vocabulary, and grammar (no, I'm not forgetting Wales). As someone from the south east of Ireland, the various English accents range from perfectly clear to completely unintelligible. I'd never think of lumping them together.
2. I can understand British frustration with the American *lumping* of accents - but c'mon. Demanding that we see a parallel between THE WHOLE OF THE AMERICAS and your little island is just goofy.
Not really. I'd hazard a guess that there's more variation of Latin languages in Iberia than in the Americas. Same thing: large variation in original country -> one standard version exported abroad.
posted by kersplunk at 7:54 PM on October 8, 2008
Ricky Gervais has a Reading accent. More.
posted by Astro Zombie at 8:15 PM on October 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Astro Zombie at 8:15 PM on October 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
In the final episode, Bubbles is revealed to be the Second Coming of the Baby Jesus, pardons the sins of everyone else, and then they all ascend to Heaven.
I'm only on season 3 and praying that Bubs makes it out alive and clean. Morally, he's probably the purest and most deserving character of the show. I'll be sad if he winds up shot or OD'ing or stuck forever in the game, sadder than I've ever been over someone who isn't real.
And it's really weird to see Jimmy talking with a British accent
Fuck McNulty, at least on that score. Best fake trans-Atlantic accent of all time goes to Stringer, hands down. I about hit the floor when I heard he was English.
posted by middleclasstool at 8:16 PM on October 8, 2008
I'm only on season 3 and praying that Bubs makes it out alive and clean. Morally, he's probably the purest and most deserving character of the show. I'll be sad if he winds up shot or OD'ing or stuck forever in the game, sadder than I've ever been over someone who isn't real.
And it's really weird to see Jimmy talking with a British accent
Fuck McNulty, at least on that score. Best fake trans-Atlantic accent of all time goes to Stringer, hands down. I about hit the floor when I heard he was English.
posted by middleclasstool at 8:16 PM on October 8, 2008
Dominic West has a somewhat flattened Yorkshire accent. It's both a little posh and a little Americanized; I presume that's from his education and his work experiences.
The first thing I noticed about that clip was that Dominic seemed to be altering his accent for the interview. He has a more pronounced Yorkshire accent when he's conversing casually. On the couple of occasions when I met him, I didn't find it too difficult to follow but still a bit of work. Then, later in the evening, when he was piss drunk he was utterly unintelligible.
posted by weebil at 8:33 PM on October 8, 2008
The first thing I noticed about that clip was that Dominic seemed to be altering his accent for the interview. He has a more pronounced Yorkshire accent when he's conversing casually. On the couple of occasions when I met him, I didn't find it too difficult to follow but still a bit of work. Then, later in the evening, when he was piss drunk he was utterly unintelligible.
posted by weebil at 8:33 PM on October 8, 2008
I'm sorry guys, but the man does talk with a British accent. Nobody said he talked with the British accent, but he certainly does talk with one of them.
posted by bookish at 8:34 PM on October 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by bookish at 8:34 PM on October 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
I'll be sad if he winds up shot or OD'ing or stuck forever in the game, sadder than I've ever been over someone who isn't real.
From the Wikipedia page which you should not read:
"Bubbles was based on a real police informant known as "Possum," whose true identity has not been made public at the request of his family. The real Bubbles was noted as having an incredible memory for faces, and was often very helpful in pointing out drug dealers to police. David Simon met with him twice shortly before his death from AIDS, intending to write an article about him. He ended up turning it into an obituary."
NB: This does not necessarily have anything to do with the in-show fate of the fictional Bubbles.
posted by felix betachat at 8:35 PM on October 8, 2008
From the Wikipedia page which you should not read:
"Bubbles was based on a real police informant known as "Possum," whose true identity has not been made public at the request of his family. The real Bubbles was noted as having an incredible memory for faces, and was often very helpful in pointing out drug dealers to police. David Simon met with him twice shortly before his death from AIDS, intending to write an article about him. He ended up turning it into an obituary."
NB: This does not necessarily have anything to do with the in-show fate of the fictional Bubbles.
posted by felix betachat at 8:35 PM on October 8, 2008
The Wire is changing Baltimore it's attracting people who want authenticity and the artsy blue-collar scene sort of a new Brooklyn - but it's Heisenberg Uncertainty, as soon as you look for it is disappears and a new reality emerges. Baltimore is best as an underdog, second hand has been, and not a center of attention.
posted by stbalbach at 9:01 PM on October 8, 2008
posted by stbalbach at 9:01 PM on October 8, 2008
what, you mean more whites are moving to Baltimore? for authenticity? what?
artsy and blue collar was not one of the characteristics of the city on that show. wtf are yu on about? plus your link is dead.
posted by Student of Man at 9:20 PM on October 8, 2008
artsy and blue collar was not one of the characteristics of the city on that show. wtf are yu on about? plus your link is dead.
posted by Student of Man at 9:20 PM on October 8, 2008
Americans confused about foreign accents! Film at 11!
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 9:32 PM on October 8, 2008
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 9:32 PM on October 8, 2008
artsy and blue collar was not one of the characteristics of the city on that show.
Pretty much the entire second season of the show was about the working class. And just because the show doesn't touch on the "artsy" aspects of Baltimore doesn't mean it's not there. They don't spend a helluva lot of time in Roland Park and Homeland, but that doesn't mean that a starkly different picture of Baltimore does not exist.
posted by dhammond at 10:26 PM on October 8, 2008
Pretty much the entire second season of the show was about the working class. And just because the show doesn't touch on the "artsy" aspects of Baltimore doesn't mean it's not there. They don't spend a helluva lot of time in Roland Park and Homeland, but that doesn't mean that a starkly different picture of Baltimore does not exist.
posted by dhammond at 10:26 PM on October 8, 2008
it's attracting people who want authenticity and the artsy blue-collar scene sort of a new Brooklyn
Haven't Charm City's less fortunate suffered enough already?
Moccasin Flats was way better than The Wire.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 11:03 PM on October 8, 2008
Haven't Charm City's less fortunate suffered enough already?
Moccasin Flats was way better than The Wire.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 11:03 PM on October 8, 2008
As you can see, it is only ignorant Americans who would use the term "British accent".
posted by dhartung at 11:11 PM on October 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by dhartung at 11:11 PM on October 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
People who want 'authenticity' will by definition never find it.
Anyway, I really want to get into the Wire. Must get around to watching it.
posted by Happy Dave at 1:02 AM on October 9, 2008
Anyway, I really want to get into the Wire. Must get around to watching it.
posted by Happy Dave at 1:02 AM on October 9, 2008
I'm at series 3 now and I really hope it all ends with Bubbles waking up in the White House. He's the president! It was all a dream! There's a winning lottery ticket in his hand! There's a vial on the ground, then it fades to black and "The End?" appears on screen.
posted by minifigs at 1:13 AM on October 9, 2008
posted by minifigs at 1:13 AM on October 9, 2008
It was funny hearing all those non-Baltimore-ians speak those funny, foreign accents. What I didn't understand, though I'm always happy to watch/reflect upon watching The Wire, is why this puff piece was made in the first place.
posted by From Bklyn at 1:18 AM on October 9, 2008
posted by From Bklyn at 1:18 AM on October 9, 2008
Reason for the puff piece? I'm pretty sure it was produced for the FX channel in the UK, who were re-showing the series (no HBO over here) as it's not widely known (though evangelising fans seem to be helping with that - myself included).
posted by stumcg at 1:46 AM on October 9, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by stumcg at 1:46 AM on October 9, 2008 [1 favorite]
I was, mistakenly I guess, under the impression that "The Wire" just finished airing in the UK... Still, 'People not 'Murican sure does speak funny-like hurf-hurf hurf-hurf"
What really gets my goat is when people hear someone who is obviously from the Bronx or Queens even, and they're all like, "Hey, New Jersey, right?"
posted by From Bklyn at 4:28 AM on October 9, 2008
What really gets my goat is when people hear someone who is obviously from the Bronx or Queens even, and they're all like, "Hey, New Jersey, right?"
posted by From Bklyn at 4:28 AM on October 9, 2008
Is it possible that The Wire was about Bubbles? His story arc throughout was a kind of barometer for the story. I cant go into details really, without spoilers unfortunately. When people ask me "so what is it about?" which is impossible to ask, I ask them to just keep an eye on Bubbs. He's there most of the time, he's a common thread between many of the levels.
The scene where Bubbles is doing the washing up, for like five minutes, in utter silence, is just the most beautiful & brave television. You can actually *hear* and *see* everything he was thinking.
posted by daveyt at 4:36 AM on October 9, 2008 [2 favorites]
The scene where Bubbles is doing the washing up, for like five minutes, in utter silence, is just the most beautiful & brave television. You can actually *hear* and *see* everything he was thinking.
posted by daveyt at 4:36 AM on October 9, 2008 [2 favorites]
If only they had put lasers or robots in it
It's got lesbians... is that good enough?
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 5:48 AM on October 9, 2008
It's got lesbians... is that good enough?
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 5:48 AM on October 9, 2008
Yegods.
America, I hereby implore you to understand - there is no such thing as a 'British accent'.
Well as I am actually British, I'm going to say 'er, yes there is'
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 5:49 AM on October 9, 2008
America, I hereby implore you to understand - there is no such thing as a 'British accent'.
Well as I am actually British, I'm going to say 'er, yes there is'
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 5:49 AM on October 9, 2008
I was, mistakenly I guess, under the impression that "The Wire" just finished airing in the UK...
It has, about a month ago I think. I taped it all to watch through in one go. Plausibly it was previously shown on some high-end cable station, but I think that was the first showing in the UK.
posted by outlier at 6:10 AM on October 9, 2008
It has, about a month ago I think. I taped it all to watch through in one go. Plausibly it was previously shown on some high-end cable station, but I think that was the first showing in the UK.
posted by outlier at 6:10 AM on October 9, 2008
FFS Brockles, he does speak with a British accent. To say otherwise is like saying "he doesn't drive a German car, he drives a BMW".
posted by bonaldi at 6:49 AM on October 9, 2008
posted by bonaldi at 6:49 AM on October 9, 2008
There is no single British accent. However, there are many accents which are British. So to say 'a British accent' is factually accurate, as we're talking about 'a British accent' among many accents. I have a British accent - it's a Scottish one, but it's also British. It would be factually inaccurate to say
And it's really weird to see Jimmy talking with the British accent
but since nobody said that, this is an utterly pointless and silly argument. Regular American confusion about the nation/state/country relationships between the various entities in the United Kingdom aside, I fear you're seeing active ignorance/casual stereotyping where there is none.
Anyway, back on topic - the more I hear about this show, the more I want to just block out a couple of weekends and watch it.
posted by Happy Dave at 7:02 AM on October 9, 2008
And it's really weird to see Jimmy talking with the British accent
but since nobody said that, this is an utterly pointless and silly argument. Regular American confusion about the nation/state/country relationships between the various entities in the United Kingdom aside, I fear you're seeing active ignorance/casual stereotyping where there is none.
Anyway, back on topic - the more I hear about this show, the more I want to just block out a couple of weekends and watch it.
posted by Happy Dave at 7:02 AM on October 9, 2008
There's a couple of weekends in my past I wish I could block out now you mention it Happy Dave.
posted by Abiezer at 8:19 AM on October 9, 2008
posted by Abiezer at 8:19 AM on October 9, 2008
I'm all for Yank-Baiting, but my god this accent derail is dull.
Now, back to me and my wifes viewing habits...
posted by Artw at 8:28 AM on October 9, 2008
Now, back to me and my wifes viewing habits...
posted by Artw at 8:28 AM on October 9, 2008
I love The Wire, really I do, but McNulty's "accent" is just fucking hilariously wonky. What the heck is it supposed to be? It's all New Yorky or New Englandy or, like, Chicagoey or something, with no resemblance whatsoever to a Baltimore drawl. It totally fits the character, though; it's just like McNulty to go around poorly imitating some tough cop he saw in a movie once.
(Snoop, on the other hand, now there's an accent.)
posted by Sys Rq at 8:40 AM on October 9, 2008 [1 favorite]
(Snoop, on the other hand, now there's an accent.)
posted by Sys Rq at 8:40 AM on October 9, 2008 [1 favorite]
my daughter would insist on playing with the The Wire table at Barnes and Noble all the time, and want The Wire books read to her at night
I read the (graphic and stomach-turning) chapter on autopsys from Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets to my girlfriend one night and she didn't dump me, she said she'd consider reading the rest of the book. I say put down The Very Hungry Caterpillar and give it a go.
posted by Molesome at 8:52 AM on October 9, 2008 [1 favorite]
I read the (graphic and stomach-turning) chapter on autopsys from Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets to my girlfriend one night and she didn't dump me, she said she'd consider reading the rest of the book. I say put down The Very Hungry Caterpillar and give it a go.
posted by Molesome at 8:52 AM on October 9, 2008 [1 favorite]
I love The Wire, really I do, but McNulty's "accent" is just fucking hilariously wonky
*Cough*
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 8:52 AM on October 9, 2008
*Cough*
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 8:52 AM on October 9, 2008
I love and admire Charlie Brooker, in no small part because of his synthesis of satire, pessimism, honesty and intense passion for great television.
FWIW, xthemusic is one of less than a handful YouTube users in my subscription alerts. They have done an excellent job in uploading Screenwipe episodes and other Brooker gems such as this one.
Also, check out Charlie Brooker in the Guardian on The Wire, and his general writing for the Guardian.
Be sure to check out Screenwipe USA and How To Watch Television, too, and thank xthemusic, not me. They're doing an awesome job.
Great post, fearfulsymmetry.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 5:52 PM on October 9, 2008
FWIW, xthemusic is one of less than a handful YouTube users in my subscription alerts. They have done an excellent job in uploading Screenwipe episodes and other Brooker gems such as this one.
Also, check out Charlie Brooker in the Guardian on The Wire, and his general writing for the Guardian.
Be sure to check out Screenwipe USA and How To Watch Television, too, and thank xthemusic, not me. They're doing an awesome job.
Great post, fearfulsymmetry.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 5:52 PM on October 9, 2008
Durn Bronzefist: "Wow, what timing. Yeah, Deadwood here, too. A few have falled victim to this, and it's why we're still on season one. But I will not let this one go."
Man, you are so screwed.
After watching Carnivale (and having it pulled out from under me) then watching Deadwood (and having it pulled out from under me) I vowed to never watch HBO again. I would like to credit this vow as being the reason I never watched "The Wire," but honestly, the show never landed on my radar until NPR did a segment about the series finale.
Anyway, I don't think it's a spoiler to say Deadwood ends with the mother of all cliffhangers, then just ups and quits. I have the biggest pair of metaphorical blue balls for that show! So unsatisfied.
posted by cjorgensen at 6:23 PM on October 9, 2008
Man, you are so screwed.
After watching Carnivale (and having it pulled out from under me) then watching Deadwood (and having it pulled out from under me) I vowed to never watch HBO again. I would like to credit this vow as being the reason I never watched "The Wire," but honestly, the show never landed on my radar until NPR did a segment about the series finale.
Anyway, I don't think it's a spoiler to say Deadwood ends with the mother of all cliffhangers, then just ups and quits. I have the biggest pair of metaphorical blue balls for that show! So unsatisfied.
posted by cjorgensen at 6:23 PM on October 9, 2008
Charlie Brooker brings zombies to Big Brother
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 1:54 PM on October 10, 2008
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 1:54 PM on October 10, 2008
Zombies are the misanthrope's monster of choice, says Charlie Brooker. That's why he's made a TV show letting them loose in the Big Brother house
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 5:01 PM on October 17, 2008
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 5:01 PM on October 17, 2008
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This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
Sorry, that last one wasn't Wire related. It just pisses me off.
posted by WolfDaddy at 4:28 PM on October 8, 2008 [4 favorites]