Comments on: Missing “The Wire” http://witnessla.com/education/2008/admin/missing-the-wire/ street news, views and stories of justice and injustice Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:14:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Celeste Fremon http://witnessla.com/education/2008/admin/missing-the-wire/comment-page-1/#comment-9584 Celeste Fremon Sat, 15 Mar 2008 22:09:36 +0000 http://witnessla.com/media/2008/admin/missing-the-wire/#comment-9584 "Some of us give a #@%^ when it’s not our turn to give a #@%^." One of my top three favorite lines on the wire "The Wire". <em />There you go, giving a f*ck when it ain't your turn to give a f*ck. -Bunk “Some of us give a #@%^ when it’s not our turn to give a #@%^.”

One of my top three favorite lines on the wire “The Wire”.

There you go, giving a f*ck when it ain’t your turn to give a f*ck.
-Bunk

]]> By: Rex http://witnessla.com/education/2008/admin/missing-the-wire/comment-page-1/#comment-9582 Rex Sat, 15 Mar 2008 21:07:24 +0000 http://witnessla.com/media/2008/admin/missing-the-wire/#comment-9582 Shakespeare actually had many "pottymouth" aspects in his plays; most historians will tell you that his work had various levels of vulgar humor for the high and low brow audiences. But, you have hit on an important vein of truth. Many people, like your wife, don't want to expose themselves to bad things, like vulgar language or complex problems. This is why a show like "The Wire" hasn't been acclaimed at the level it should be. It deals with drugs, violence,child abandonment, political corruption, murder. For many who deal with such problems, this was a show that illuminated the struggles that occur daily. It showed the nobility of those who try to help, and the obstacles that impeade them. Some people get that, ...but some people avoid it, and click the channel to see what's up with UGLY BETTY. Some of us give a #@%^ when it's not our turn to give a #@%^. Shakespeare actually had many “pottymouth” aspects in his plays; most historians will tell you that his work had various levels of vulgar humor for the high and low brow audiences. But, you have hit on an important vein of truth. Many people, like your wife, don’t want to expose themselves to bad things, like vulgar language or complex problems. This is why a show like “The Wire” hasn’t been acclaimed at the level it should be. It deals with drugs, violence,child abandonment, political corruption, murder. For many who deal with such problems, this was a show that illuminated the struggles that occur daily. It showed the nobility of those who try to help, and the obstacles that impeade them. Some people get that, …but some people avoid it, and click the channel to see what’s up with UGLY BETTY. Some of us give a #@%^ when it’s not our turn to give a #@%^.

]]> By: Randy Paul http://witnessla.com/education/2008/admin/missing-the-wire/comment-page-1/#comment-9422 Randy Paul Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:55:58 +0000 http://witnessla.com/media/2008/admin/missing-the-wire/#comment-9422 Homicide would not be on network tv these days. That scene with Bayliss and Pembleton interrogating the Araber was sheer genius. Homicide would not be on network tv these days. That scene with Bayliss and Pembleton interrogating the Araber was sheer genius.

]]> By: nancy http://witnessla.com/education/2008/admin/missing-the-wire/comment-page-1/#comment-9400 nancy Thu, 13 Mar 2008 19:45:55 +0000 http://witnessla.com/media/2008/admin/missing-the-wire/#comment-9400 Just to clarify the arc of David Simon's Baltimore saga: he worked for Sun. Got a contract to write about a year hanging out with the PD homicide division. The result was a nonfiction book titled Homicide, published in 1991, which won an Edgar. Sold it to NBC for the series, which lasted 7 years. Simon wrote/produced 42 of those shows. Some of them are stunning--like one-act plays. (Clark Johnson, who played Meldrick, by the way, plays the city editor in the 5th season of The Wire.) But it WAS network TV. The Wire is extraordinary as art and eyeopenign and alarming as social commentary. Just to clarify the arc of David Simon’s Baltimore saga: he worked for Sun. Got a contract to write about a year hanging out with the PD homicide division. The result was a nonfiction book titled Homicide, published in 1991, which won an Edgar. Sold it to NBC for the series, which lasted 7 years. Simon wrote/produced 42 of those shows. Some of them are stunning–like one-act plays. (Clark Johnson, who played Meldrick, by the way, plays the city editor in the 5th season of The Wire.) But it WAS network TV. The Wire is extraordinary as art and eyeopenign and alarming as social commentary.

]]> By: Rebel Girl http://witnessla.com/education/2008/admin/missing-the-wire/comment-page-1/#comment-9376 Rebel Girl Thu, 13 Mar 2008 14:27:17 +0000 http://witnessla.com/media/2008/admin/missing-the-wire/#comment-9376 Love the Wire -- and deadwood. We don't get TV - just get gifted (oddly enough) the boxed series as they come out. Just finished the season on the schools - angry-making and heartbreaking. Love the Wire — and deadwood. We don’t get TV – just get gifted (oddly enough) the boxed series as they come out.

Just finished the season on the schools – angry-making and heartbreaking.

]]> By: Celeste Fremon http://witnessla.com/education/2008/admin/missing-the-wire/comment-page-1/#comment-9351 Celeste Fremon Thu, 13 Mar 2008 06:46:52 +0000 http://witnessla.com/media/2008/admin/missing-the-wire/#comment-9351 Yeah, great Levy/Omar exchange. I'm a sucker for the semi-mythological characters too. Yeah, great Levy/Omar exchange. I’m a sucker for the semi-mythological characters too.

]]> By: L.A. Resident http://witnessla.com/education/2008/admin/missing-the-wire/comment-page-1/#comment-9342 L.A. Resident Thu, 13 Mar 2008 05:16:55 +0000 http://witnessla.com/media/2008/admin/missing-the-wire/#comment-9342 The first time I saw "The Wire I thought it was just a show about gangs and violence and passed it by, until I got the word that it was much more than that. Unfortunately I got the word during after the 3rd season. My favorites "characters" on The Wire were Senator Clay Davis, Omar Little, Detective Lester Freamon and Detective James McNulty. Not necessarily because they provided “commentary on modern urban life with a nuanced authenticity rarely seen elsewhere” but they were simply very entertaining and/or interesting characters. The addition of newspaper characters was probably the weakest part of the show. The “good” guys were the black editor and Latina reporter and the “bad” guys were the white reporter, white chief editor and white executive editor. Hmmmm….. Some of my favorite show scenes below; Senator Clay Davis – they don’t teach you this in law school. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAKzIKa03Eg I’ll take any m’f’s money if he’s giving it away. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QpWKu98h3I Omar Little – I also like mythical characters just like Omar Little. Attorney Levy to Omar – “You a parasite who leeches off the culture of drugs.” Omar to Attorney Levy – “Just like you, I’ve got the shotgun and you’ve got the briefcase.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pKE-JDjYog Omar Little – Make sure to always ask for a receipt to pick up your clock later. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_rLZYtl27w Detective James McNulty – The serial killer being profiled by the FBI. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrD4se0ujxw The first time I saw “The Wire I thought it was just a show about gangs and violence and passed it by, until I got the word that it was much more than that. Unfortunately I got the word during after the 3rd season.

My favorites “characters” on The Wire were Senator Clay Davis, Omar Little, Detective Lester Freamon and Detective James McNulty. Not necessarily because they provided “commentary on modern urban life with a nuanced authenticity rarely seen elsewhere” but they were simply very entertaining and/or interesting characters.

The addition of newspaper characters was probably the weakest part of the show. The “good” guys were the black editor and Latina reporter and the “bad” guys were the white reporter, white chief editor and white executive editor. Hmmmm…..

Some of my favorite show scenes below;

Senator Clay Davis – they don’t teach you this in law school.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAKzIKa03Eg
I’ll take any m’f’s money if he’s giving it away.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QpWKu98h3I

Omar Little – I also like mythical characters just like Omar Little.
Attorney Levy to Omar – “You a parasite who leeches off the culture of drugs.”
Omar to Attorney Levy – “Just like you, I’ve got the shotgun and you’ve got the briefcase.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pKE-JDjYog
Omar Little – Make sure to always ask for a receipt to pick up your clock later.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_rLZYtl27w

Detective James McNulty – The serial killer being profiled by the FBI.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrD4se0ujxw

]]> By: richard locicero http://witnessla.com/education/2008/admin/missing-the-wire/comment-page-1/#comment-9322 richard locicero Thu, 13 Mar 2008 00:03:24 +0000 http://witnessla.com/media/2008/admin/missing-the-wire/#comment-9322 I guess the "Life Imitates Art" moment for me occurs in the episode where the staff at the SUN learns that cutbacks will be made. Right around the time that aired we had the tsuris at the LAT (a "sister" paper) about to fall under the control of Zell the Barbarian! (Could have been Cindy McCaw though) I guess the “Life Imitates Art” moment for me occurs in the episode where the staff at the SUN learns that cutbacks will be made. Right around the time that aired we had the tsuris at the LAT (a “sister” paper) about to fall under the control of Zell the Barbarian!

(Could have been Cindy McCaw though)

]]> By: Randy Paul http://witnessla.com/education/2008/admin/missing-the-wire/comment-page-1/#comment-9315 Randy Paul Wed, 12 Mar 2008 20:41:53 +0000 http://witnessla.com/media/2008/admin/missing-the-wire/#comment-9315 The brutal irony of Season 4 was the fact that the boy who seemed most endangered (Namon) ends up with the brightest future and the one with the brightest future (Randy) ends up with the bleakest prospects. The brutal irony of Season 4 was the fact that the boy who seemed most endangered (Namon) ends up with the brightest future and the one with the brightest future (Randy) ends up with the bleakest prospects.

]]> By: "reg" http://witnessla.com/education/2008/admin/missing-the-wire/comment-page-1/#comment-9314 "reg" Wed, 12 Mar 2008 20:18:58 +0000 http://witnessla.com/media/2008/admin/missing-the-wire/#comment-9314 Yeah, Season 4 was worth more than 90% of what passes for sociological research these days put together. Also 90% of journalism. On that note, I said that the newspaper storyline felt arbitrary - and it did for me in the context of the overall show - but it was obviously not arbitrary at all from David Simon's perspective because he was closing the circle of failed institutions. Unfortunately for the storytelling I thought the connection to the more compelling characters was weak and the whole import got wrapped in two early scenes. The first was the "girl reporter" desperately searching for the first run of papers to find her byline. The second was the veteran getting "let go" to cut costs, then shambling back to his desk and it becoming immediately clear that he was the only guy there up to the task of covering a breaking story. Simon schooling his interviewer in Randy's link lets the bad news out of the bag - the Big Story you need to know about most dailies is that what you need to know more than likely isn't in 'em. Yeah, Season 4 was worth more than 90% of what passes for sociological research these days put together. Also 90% of journalism. On that note, I said that the newspaper storyline felt arbitrary – and it did for me in the context of the overall show – but it was obviously not arbitrary at all from David Simon’s perspective because he was closing the circle of failed institutions. Unfortunately for the storytelling I thought the connection to the more compelling characters was weak and the whole import got wrapped in two early scenes. The first was the “girl reporter” desperately searching for the first run of papers to find her byline. The second was the veteran getting “let go” to cut costs, then shambling back to his desk and it becoming immediately clear that he was the only guy there up to the task of covering a breaking story. Simon schooling his interviewer in Randy’s link lets the bad news out of the bag – the Big Story you need to know about most dailies is that what you need to know more than likely isn’t in ‘em.

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