HBO was showing some promo between shows that had little ‘behind-the-scenes’ segments and quotes from some of the VIPs involved in making their shows. Some director guy was on saying: “The characters should always struggle. People will watch that and say: “Hey, that’s like me! I struggle!”.” Is that so?
I like the fact that some rich, pampered, pretentious director is trying to relate to the rabble vicariously through the characters of his show; it’s cute. It’s kind of like a billionaire in an ivory tower looking down at the ant-sized people on the street below and imagining what their lives are like down there: he has no idea, but it makes him feel more ‘in-tune’ and responsible at least trying to relate, even if it’s totally wrong and essentially meaningless.
But the fact is that I watch movies and television programming for something that’s called entertainment. Watching some guy on television or in a movie struggle through problems just like me is not what I’d call entertainment. No, that’s what I’d call patronizing. And boring. I can just look around every day and see the real stuff; I don’t need some jerk to offer up fake “reality” and pretend it's entertainment. Maybe it’s entertaining for the rich movie people to imagine what life’s like for the ‘common man’ (as long as they don't have to be one!), and how since we’re all not movie stars and hot directors, we must struggle awfully, but it’s not entertaining for me! I need fun and escapism and awesomeosity and stuff, just without too much obvious CGI, please.
