Yup, but it's only two episodes in and it has a lot of discussion already. Surely I want to be part of it.
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The Newsroom - Sorkin, Daniels, and Mortimer drama about cable news - Sundays on HBO
- Thread starter Cornballer
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Yup, but it's only two episodes in and it has a lot of discussion already. Surely I want to be part of it.
Hydrogen Bluebird
Member
If people like the ones in this show actually produce nightly news program, it will be a clusterfuck.
Not very accurate, IMO...Saw this on twitter. I still think that S&M Gay Fantasia is a better hate watch than Misogyny + piano accompaniment, but each to her or his own.
Yup, but it's only two episodes in and it has a lot of discussion already. Surely I want to be part of it.
It is a fun conversation. Prepare yourself for jokes about OnStar and asterisks
Yeah slightly disappointing second episode.
Alison Pill. Shesshh she is very borderline for me atm I really hope they reel her character in she was getting very grating last night getting very near to instant cringe when she was on screen. I think the scene near the end Jim Harper shouting at the team may hopefully calm people down a bit next week. But she definitely needs some adjustment.
I know of Oliva Munn, but don't subscribe to the hate for her she was fine and quite foxy.
Jeff Daniels is still the best thing on the show we need more scenes with him. I'm happy to give the show a chance.
Alison Pill. Shesshh she is very borderline for me atm I really hope they reel her character in she was getting very grating last night getting very near to instant cringe when she was on screen. I think the scene near the end Jim Harper shouting at the team may hopefully calm people down a bit next week. But she definitely needs some adjustment.
I know of Oliva Munn, but don't subscribe to the hate for her she was fine and quite foxy.
Jeff Daniels is still the best thing on the show we need more scenes with him. I'm happy to give the show a chance.
Hours Left
Member
I have no problem with Olivia Munn, and think she's been fine in her scenes so far.
I don't want to incite another discussion/debate about her, but you'd think by they way some people talk about her that she had personally ran over everyone's dog/cat/lover, reanimated them, and then proceeded to commit vehicular manslaughter on said loved one again.
Anyway, the episode was alright, not quite as good as the first. The Don character is insufferable, I think he's there just to roll his eyes and belittle his girlfriend.
I don't want to incite another discussion/debate about her, but you'd think by they way some people talk about her that she had personally ran over everyone's dog/cat/lover, reanimated them, and then proceeded to commit vehicular manslaughter on said loved one again.
Anyway, the episode was alright, not quite as good as the first. The Don character is insufferable, I think he's there just to roll his eyes and belittle his girlfriend.
PastorOfMuppets
Banned
I think I'll give this show one more shot next week - only because Breaking Bad premiers on the 14th. If it still sucks, I'm jumping off then to avoid getting to attached to it and fall into that horrible downward spiral of watching a shitty show out of a sick sense of obligation I have to the story.
I don't like her at all, and I was resistant to her presence in this show, but in honesty, her scenes in the episode were fine. I was surprised that she apparently can in fact act a little bit, which is a skill she has never demonstrated before.
She really surprised me in Magic Mike. She's certainly approved a lot since...everything before that and The Newsroom.
She didn't win me over as a capable actress though I suppose she didn't fall flat on her face, either. I don't have any problems with her beyond the fact that 1) she is definitively not funny and 2) I have no evidence that she has dramatic talent either. But I am indeed giving her a chance.
Cornballer
Member
- Episode #3 Preview (please spoiler tag any discussion, youtube vid)
- Inside the Episode for this week's installment (HBO video)
- Inside the Episode for this week's installment (HBO video)
The Big Rig
Member
I really wish shows like this didn't try to pander to every demographic by putting in the soap opera crap. Be like Law and Order: Do a good show, and lightly sprinkle in some character development. I think the actual news parts are the most interesting anyway.
Emerson
May contain jokes =>
Caught up just now. The show continued to be okay. It wasn't as bad as I feared but it was starting to outstay its welcome by the time the broadcast started, when it picked up again (possibly a long-term pattern).
Mackenzie's behavior throughout this episode was indeed pretty ridiculous.
I don't know who Olivia Munn is or why people hate her, nor do I really want to find out, but she was fine.
Jeff Daniels is good.
I'll keep watching. I'm sure I'll watch the whole season at least.
Mackenzie's behavior throughout this episode was indeed pretty ridiculous.
I don't know who Olivia Munn is or why people hate her, nor do I really want to find out, but she was fine.
Jeff Daniels is good.
I'll keep watching. I'm sure I'll watch the whole season at least.
Messofanego
Banned
Should I watch this for only Allison Pill?
Just like I did with Chloe Moretz and 30 Rock?
Just like I did with Chloe Moretz and 30 Rock?
If you like her that much, sure. She's doing good with what little she has to work with.
onlyindreams
Banned
Posts like these are why RealPic avatars are the worst idea ever.
HP_Wuvcraft
Banned
Just got renewed.
Cornballer
Member
- Alyssa Rosenberg for Slate.com: Why Aaron Sorkin's Woman Problem Makes The Newsroom So Boring
HP_Wuvcraft
Banned
Newsroom is definitely Sorkin's most Wacky Women show. The last episode wasn't just bordering on, but was pure misogyny.
Messofanego
Banned
a tragedy.
that Slate article was a good read. sums up one of my (many) problems with Sorkin.
oneils
Member
I'm starting to think that Sorkin's writing only really shines when the setting has more gravitas.
It works in a courtroom or in the whitehouse. But, I just can't put up with it very long in, say, a studio/newsroom/sportscast. I think the setting/subject will be way too tired before the season is over. I dunno, maybe I am the problem and not the setting.
It works in a courtroom or in the whitehouse. But, I just can't put up with it very long in, say, a studio/newsroom/sportscast. I think the setting/subject will be way too tired before the season is over. I dunno, maybe I am the problem and not the setting.
GitarooMan
Member
I have to say I actually enjoy the show so far, I guess I'm just a sucker for Sorkin dialogue, even though it's obviously not realistic. I like most of the characters so far and I'm looking forward to watching more. Having said that, I do think Studio 60 went down the shitter pretty quickly so no doubt I may not like where it goes, but for now I'm digging it.
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
I found Jeff Bridge's character to be much improved this week. He wasn't such a huge asshole to everyone, and he even made an effort to learn people's names and such. I think part of the improvement had to do with the writing, but I think Jeff Bridges made a distinct effort to make Will more likable, and I think he did a good job. (despite that story being a little zany)
Is it just me, or does this show feel like it's 2 hours long? At one point I checked to see how many minutes were left, as it felt like the episode was winding down, and I was surprised to see that there was still 30 minutes left.
Olivia Munn was definitely one of the better aspects of episode 2. I'm a little surprised that people are giving her her due.
I take it the only show besides BB that you watch is The Newsoom then?
Nope, not alone. I actually enjoyed episode 2 more than episode 1 as well. I think you hit the nail on the head. The batshit crazy fast dialog, the hysterical women, the tepid karaoke; everything really is dialed up to 12 and it's like watching a very fast talking train wreck of Sorkinisms.
Is it just me, or does this show feel like it's 2 hours long? At one point I checked to see how many minutes were left, as it felt like the episode was winding down, and I was surprised to see that there was still 30 minutes left.
Olivia Munn was definitely one of the better aspects of episode 2. I'm a little surprised that people are giving her her due.
I take it the only show besides BB that you watch is The Newsoom then?
Nope, not alone. I actually enjoyed episode 2 more than episode 1 as well. I think you hit the nail on the head. The batshit crazy fast dialog, the hysterical women, the tepid karaoke; everything really is dialed up to 12 and it's like watching a very fast talking train wreck of Sorkinisms.
The Storyteller
Member
Not just you, it feels like every scene is 2-3minutes too long. The dialogue just blathers on incoherently.
You said Jeff Bridges. lulz
And unfortunately i watch stuff cause it is quality, not because it has creative ways of shitting up the place, which episode 2 had in spades over the pilot.
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
Isn't that his name? Jeff somethingorother.
Steelyuhas
Member
Daniels
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
I see. How confusing.
No, he needs an equally strong creative force to counter act his indulgent tendencies. For example, Fincher/The Social Network and Wells, Schlamme/The West Wing.
Before edit was hilarious.
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
>_>
Steelyuhas
Member
Maureen Ryan and Jace Lacob - 'The Newsroom': Women Problems Abound In Aaron Sorkin's HBO Series
I can't do it anymore. Episode 2 was fucking brutal. This show hates women so much. It's not even funny how quickly they destroyed any semblance of Mackenzie being a vaguely sane and intelligent person. How the hell are we supposed to believe she was ever, even for a moment, an acclaimed war reporter? Maggie's character is pretty much the same, she's immediately incompetent at her job and letting emotions and men lead her life.
Those fucking email scenes... egads.
This is simply dreadful.
I can't do it anymore. Episode 2 was fucking brutal. This show hates women so much. It's not even funny how quickly they destroyed any semblance of Mackenzie being a vaguely sane and intelligent person. How the hell are we supposed to believe she was ever, even for a moment, an acclaimed war reporter? Maggie's character is pretty much the same, she's immediately incompetent at her job and letting emotions and men lead her life.
Those fucking email scenes... egads.
This is simply dreadful.
Emerson
May contain jokes =>
I really don't like that a writer can't write something poorly and have it be left at that. Why do we have to write articles about how he has a "woman problem" or is a misogynist? Really? That seems like overkill to me. "Misogyny" is a word that is being seriously overused these days, especially on GAF. Does anyone actually believe Aaron Sorkin hates women? Isn't it more likely that, like the majority of male writers, he just isn't very good at writing women?
I still don't understand why this is a complaint. Why does dialogue have to be realistic? Nobody complained that the Gilmore Girls had unrealistic dialogue.
Shouldn't people sound like people?
This show really is bad. For a show with such fast dialogue, it shouldn't be a slow bore; but that's exactly what it is.
It took like over half an hour for the first episode to get interesting, and even then it went in slow motion. I couldn't even justify finishing the second one.
The show really does need more drama, perhaps stronger and better music and scenes that aren't people talking to each other.
It took like over half an hour for the first episode to get interesting, and even then it went in slow motion. I couldn't even justify finishing the second one.
The show really does need more drama, perhaps stronger and better music and scenes that aren't people talking to each other.
dead souls
Member
Given his pervasive pattern of writing awful female characters and the whole "Hey Internet Girl" thing I believe that Aaron Sorkin has major issues with women. Calling the portrayal of women on The Newsroom misogynistic seems perfectly appropriate to me. It's not overkill at all.
Emerson
May contain jokes =>
I don't know what the Internet Girl thing is but I'll go look. But still, the history of poorly-written female characters does not equate to being a misogynist, which was my entire point in the last post. Many, many male writers cannot write female characters well. It doesn't make them sexist.
And I don't think you can cite The Newsroom as any proof of any kind of pervasive anything. There have been two episodes. The first was fine and the second involved female characters acting ridiculously. I know critics have seen more but we can't analyze what we haven't seen.
Anyway, maybe Sorkin is a misogynist. Personally I kind of doubt it, but we'll never know for sure really. It's still a bigger problem in my opinion as people really jump at the opportunity to accuse people of prejudice at every turn.
No. Even "realistic" dialogue sounds much more clever than people usually are. I'm not saying Sorkin's dialogue is good in this show, but there are lots of examples of brilliant, unrealistic dialogue.
Souldriver
Member
Dialogue just has to prevent the suspension of disbelief being broken while watching the show.
And in the News Room the dialogue often is so unrealistic and/or ridiculous that it takes you out of the experience. That is bad dialogue. I didn't watch Gilmore Girls quite often, but perhaps the viewer "bought" that those women are very clever, funny and talk fast.
Male writers who can't write female characters well are at least a bit sexist. If you can't write for a kind of human being just because they aren't you, that's a problem. In the broad strokes, you write women the same way you write men: like humans. Instead, Sorkin's female characters in this show have already contradicted their established characters in order to push the plot forward.
And I think you're thinking we're accusing Sorkin of intentional prejudice. It's not that, it's just a problem with his writing that I'd assume happens inadvertently. I mean, at this point it's a problem he's conscious of. Writers know their own work. But he's maybe having trouble fixing it.
Devolution
Member
Was discussing with my mother how women in shows inevitably have "hysterical" moments and we both agreed we liked the Wire so much because most of the prominent women were professionals who got shit done and didn't turn into raving hysterics. It's part of why I'm disliking the relationship angle. I thought Mackenzie was going to be a no nonsense let's get shit done character and she's becoming more whiny as the show progresses. It's disappointing.
HP_Wuvcraft
Banned
That's the main problem with Sorkin's "let's get shit done" characters. They're eccentric and wacky but they never show why they are a badass.
The West Wing heavily masks a lot of Sorkin Staples because of the directors and the context.
As others have said, the point is less whether or not Aaron Sorkin is misogynistic, but whether the show is. I have little interest in exploring Sorkin's psyche. That's a dangerous path to take. I wouldn't even want to say that The Newsroom is consciously or purposefully misogynistic or sexist. But it is.
The show has waaaaay too much emphasis on "great men", and the crazy women that support, or thwart, them. That second episode utterly destroyed the Mackenzie character, having her debase herself to 'prove' that her asshole ex and boss is not in fact an asshole. Both of the main women on the show just happen to be extreme klutzes, emotionally unstable, and in constant need of men supervising or saving them. And of course this whole adventure is kicked off by a dumb "sorority girl" who is then brought back up in episode 2 for no other reason than cementing the impression that she was truly an awful member of society.
Based on the previews and the advanced reviews of the next two episodes, I don't think any of this is changing. The show undoubtedly has problems with women. I'll leave the judgments on Sorkin to those who know him.
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