Sitting at home watching one of the best sports weekends all year: College football, NFL, final week of the MLB regular season (with a tight NL wild-card/West race). and even Golf Ryder Cup. RIGHT now: flipping through the premiere matchups of the weekend: Stanford v. Oregon, Alabama v. Florida.......Can someone say "Playoffs in College Football." A lot to be decided. O, and undefeated USC at home v. Washington Huskies (couldn't get tickets to this game, there was so much anticipation).
First of all, for everyone 18 and under who happen to read this blog, DO NOT watch The Wire. There's so much cursing and on there to make a football head coach blush, not to mention the sex scenes, gang violence, and murders depicted on the show. The Saturday cartoon that you woke up to when you were a kid, The Wire is NOT.
Alright, disclaimer aside, I venture to say that The Wire is a LIFE-CHANGING show. Yes, I said it, LIFE-CHANGING. My life, and I'm sure others' lives, can be divided into the pre-Wire me and the post-Wire me. It's that good. I use it as a booster, downer, take-before-sleep-er, guilty pleasure, whatever. It is THAT unique in its originality and THAT realistic in its dialogue and other human elements. It's so good, there's characters on the show that people feel like they've met all their lives; they talk, act, and live just like real life counterparts. Here's some of them (trying my best to stay away from spoilers):
1.) Detective Bunk Moreland: The definition of career police, he's good at his job, especially in interrogation techniques and working a crime scene. Away from work, he's like that funny uncle who shows up to family reunions: A cigar in his mouth, deep voice, very avuncular personality, gets in nice with everyone, but does have a penchant for using profane language and dirty jokes....and is not afraid to boast about his accomplishments and lengthy "cigar."
Plus, I actually MET Bunk Moreland as part of a volunteer trip last year. REAL class act in person.
2.) Marlo Stanfield: A young man with extreme ambition; Quiet but dangerous, a man of few words but when he speaks, people follow. Natural leader, but has a dark side; this guy does NOT like to lose, especially in big-time gambling games. You admire his tenancity and leadership, but quietly you want to see him fail.
3.) "Bubbles"- a man who's been hard on his luck all his life, he's made some bad decisions in his life. Everyone has seen Bubbles or a form of him at some point: He's outside your local grocery store asking for money, maybe with a grocery cart in hand, and you dismiss him without any further thought. But behind the man along the side of the highway is a tragic tale of drugs, survival, and sorrow; we just don't pay attention long enough to find out about it.
4.) Rhonda Perlman: Probably more likely to see these types if you're in law school like me: Idealist who is interested in working for public interest, this girl has established a career working as a district attorney and is damn good at what she does. She's also a career woman who's just starting to settle down and make a long-term commitment..... What woman isn't?
5.) Proposition Joe: This guy has been in business all his life; from selling lemonade at the corner (precursor to a long-term adult career selling more lucrative items on street corners) to selling exam answers during high school; he lives by the motto, "Buy it for a dollar, sell it for two" and he as done damn well doing it all his life. True entrepeneur, didn't need business school or an MBA to learn the tricks of the trade; pure street smarts has propeeled him to where he is now.
6.) Namond Brice: The bully of your high school, the guy who lashes out all the time and acts like he's misunderstood. (personal opinion: don't like these kind of people, never did. These guys wreak havoc on other people during high school/ other social situations just because they can and have a built-in excuse like "they have mommy issues" or "they're misunderstood." Meanwhile, while they're dealing with their issues, other people get hurt, and Namond in particular actually finds a happy ending. Undeserved.
Namond also represents the spoiled kid who shows up at school with the best clothes and best "stuff"- you can see the silver spoon perpetually hanging from his mouth, his riches and legitimacy due only to his parents. Did I mention I didn't like Namond?
7.) Senator Clay Davis: Epitomizes the phrase, "We used to make stuff in this country. But now we just got our hands in the next guy's pocket." You may never have met Senator Davis in person, but you might as well have since you've read all about him in the paper: high-ranking offical in public office gets caught accepting bribes. Davis is everything that's wrong about what's wrong with politics today: "too much money involved, not enough substance."
8.) Detective Eliot Carver: When you last saw him in high school, he was a young punk, drinking with his buddies all the time and basically having no regard for human life. Ten years later, at the high school union, he's there in a suit and tie: there's much more maturity about him, and he stands for the right thing. Carver represents one of the more positive character changes in human life: the onset of maturity, the development of maturity and moral compass. Fight on, Detective Carver.
9.) Detective Jimmy McNulty: McNulty is an asshole. (Pardon my French). You admire his detective work, you admire his conviction, you admire his pursuit of something he values very highly in the face of opposition, but he takes it too far. He also is not a good friend (or husband/boyfriend) in that he is NOT loyal. He's like your friend who is really nice to you when you're alone and it seems like it's just you two, but once he goes into a crowd, he's gone and it's like you never existed. That's McNulty: he cannto keep commitments and he DOESN'T stay with you through thick and thin; he's more worried about his own agendas. And as for his passion to catch bad guys, yes they make great TV when he screws over other people to get his way, but that's not the kind of guy you want in your corner. He is the epitome of what you call "a loose cannon."
(This goes against the grain of people who LOVE mcnulty: Trust me, I loved him once too, but that's just his thing: He makes you love him, and then he tears your heart out. F*ck you, McNulty.)
10.) Saved Omar for last because he is the Star of a show that doesn't need a star for its cast, but I really think Omar's the exception: People actually haven't met Omar in real life. Omar belongs in another galaxy or another time, maybe in the future: He's existential, he fights for the ordinary human being and robs drug dealers. Are there really people like that? Maybe there are, and that's maybe what's so great about the Wire and Omar's character: we see Omar go against the grain and take on a society in which he's not valued, not needed, a thorn in everyone's side, in which he stands alone in a fight against the norm. We sympathize with Omar, and we all feel like we can be Omar, we can all develop our own personal moral code "Thou shall not injure innocents" and we hold that hope for ourselves. Thank you, Omar, for five seasons of excellent television. You will be missed.
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan (enthusiastic "The Wire" viewer).
First of all, for everyone 18 and under who happen to read this blog, DO NOT watch The Wire. There's so much cursing and on there to make a football head coach blush, not to mention the sex scenes, gang violence, and murders depicted on the show. The Saturday cartoon that you woke up to when you were a kid, The Wire is NOT.
Alright, disclaimer aside, I venture to say that The Wire is a LIFE-CHANGING show. Yes, I said it, LIFE-CHANGING. My life, and I'm sure others' lives, can be divided into the pre-Wire me and the post-Wire me. It's that good. I use it as a booster, downer, take-before-sleep-er, guilty pleasure, whatever. It is THAT unique in its originality and THAT realistic in its dialogue and other human elements. It's so good, there's characters on the show that people feel like they've met all their lives; they talk, act, and live just like real life counterparts. Here's some of them (trying my best to stay away from spoilers):
1.) Detective Bunk Moreland: The definition of career police, he's good at his job, especially in interrogation techniques and working a crime scene. Away from work, he's like that funny uncle who shows up to family reunions: A cigar in his mouth, deep voice, very avuncular personality, gets in nice with everyone, but does have a penchant for using profane language and dirty jokes....and is not afraid to boast about his accomplishments and lengthy "cigar."
Plus, I actually MET Bunk Moreland as part of a volunteer trip last year. REAL class act in person.
2.) Marlo Stanfield: A young man with extreme ambition; Quiet but dangerous, a man of few words but when he speaks, people follow. Natural leader, but has a dark side; this guy does NOT like to lose, especially in big-time gambling games. You admire his tenancity and leadership, but quietly you want to see him fail.
3.) "Bubbles"- a man who's been hard on his luck all his life, he's made some bad decisions in his life. Everyone has seen Bubbles or a form of him at some point: He's outside your local grocery store asking for money, maybe with a grocery cart in hand, and you dismiss him without any further thought. But behind the man along the side of the highway is a tragic tale of drugs, survival, and sorrow; we just don't pay attention long enough to find out about it.
4.) Rhonda Perlman: Probably more likely to see these types if you're in law school like me: Idealist who is interested in working for public interest, this girl has established a career working as a district attorney and is damn good at what she does. She's also a career woman who's just starting to settle down and make a long-term commitment..... What woman isn't?
5.) Proposition Joe: This guy has been in business all his life; from selling lemonade at the corner (precursor to a long-term adult career selling more lucrative items on street corners) to selling exam answers during high school; he lives by the motto, "Buy it for a dollar, sell it for two" and he as done damn well doing it all his life. True entrepeneur, didn't need business school or an MBA to learn the tricks of the trade; pure street smarts has propeeled him to where he is now.
6.) Namond Brice: The bully of your high school, the guy who lashes out all the time and acts like he's misunderstood. (personal opinion: don't like these kind of people, never did. These guys wreak havoc on other people during high school/ other social situations just because they can and have a built-in excuse like "they have mommy issues" or "they're misunderstood." Meanwhile, while they're dealing with their issues, other people get hurt, and Namond in particular actually finds a happy ending. Undeserved.
Namond also represents the spoiled kid who shows up at school with the best clothes and best "stuff"- you can see the silver spoon perpetually hanging from his mouth, his riches and legitimacy due only to his parents. Did I mention I didn't like Namond?
7.) Senator Clay Davis: Epitomizes the phrase, "We used to make stuff in this country. But now we just got our hands in the next guy's pocket." You may never have met Senator Davis in person, but you might as well have since you've read all about him in the paper: high-ranking offical in public office gets caught accepting bribes. Davis is everything that's wrong about what's wrong with politics today: "too much money involved, not enough substance."
8.) Detective Eliot Carver: When you last saw him in high school, he was a young punk, drinking with his buddies all the time and basically having no regard for human life. Ten years later, at the high school union, he's there in a suit and tie: there's much more maturity about him, and he stands for the right thing. Carver represents one of the more positive character changes in human life: the onset of maturity, the development of maturity and moral compass. Fight on, Detective Carver.
9.) Detective Jimmy McNulty: McNulty is an asshole. (Pardon my French). You admire his detective work, you admire his conviction, you admire his pursuit of something he values very highly in the face of opposition, but he takes it too far. He also is not a good friend (or husband/boyfriend) in that he is NOT loyal. He's like your friend who is really nice to you when you're alone and it seems like it's just you two, but once he goes into a crowd, he's gone and it's like you never existed. That's McNulty: he cannto keep commitments and he DOESN'T stay with you through thick and thin; he's more worried about his own agendas. And as for his passion to catch bad guys, yes they make great TV when he screws over other people to get his way, but that's not the kind of guy you want in your corner. He is the epitome of what you call "a loose cannon."
(This goes against the grain of people who LOVE mcnulty: Trust me, I loved him once too, but that's just his thing: He makes you love him, and then he tears your heart out. F*ck you, McNulty.)
10.) Saved Omar for last because he is the Star of a show that doesn't need a star for its cast, but I really think Omar's the exception: People actually haven't met Omar in real life. Omar belongs in another galaxy or another time, maybe in the future: He's existential, he fights for the ordinary human being and robs drug dealers. Are there really people like that? Maybe there are, and that's maybe what's so great about the Wire and Omar's character: we see Omar go against the grain and take on a society in which he's not valued, not needed, a thorn in everyone's side, in which he stands alone in a fight against the norm. We sympathize with Omar, and we all feel like we can be Omar, we can all develop our own personal moral code "Thou shall not injure innocents" and we hold that hope for ourselves. Thank you, Omar, for five seasons of excellent television. You will be missed.
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan (enthusiastic "The Wire" viewer).
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