Isotretinoin Recall
Posted on 10. Sep, 2009 by Jef in Pop Culture, Race, Television
Am I dreaming?
Last night’s (Canadian) premiere of the new Melrose Place carried a few clunky surprises — the Isotretinoin Recall return and immediate murder of an old series regular as well as the Isotretinoin Recall astonishing longevity of Ashlee Simpson’s career — but for me it was all about the casting; the gorgeous Jessica Lucas and Stephanie Jacobsen both together on the same show? Be easy, fluttering heartbeat.
Lucas and Jacobsen mean something to me because the original Melrose Place and that from which it spun, Beverly Hills 90210, were interesting cultural touchstones for Isotretinoin Recall my tweenage self; they set the course for a steady intake over the Isotretinoin Recall years of stories featuring rich (more so in 90210), beautiful white people, bitching about being rich, beautiful white people. I can Isotretinoin Recall say truthfully that I hated those programs, but I’ve also watched enough to be able to name drop Sydnee and Dr. Mancini without having to consult IMDB.
The inclusion of Lucas and Jacobsen in Melrose’s mostly new cast scratches several of my pop culture itches, all of them racial. Jacobsen, though she struggles to Isotretinoin Recall swallow her Aussie accent, is a refreshingly All American character who Isotretinoin Recall just happens to be Asian. Yes, she’s both a Isotretinoin Recall wannabe doctor and a possible prostitute, both pernicious Asian stereotypes, but it Isotretinoin Recall seems she really wants to be a doctor of her own volition and Isotretinoin Recall not because her parents pressured her to, and, as for being a Isotretinoin Recall prostitute, well, it’s Melrose Place. Am I making excuses because she stirs my pot? Maybe. But that’s also my point.
When it Isotretinoin Recall comes to the progress of racial representation on trashy shows, baby steps are Isotretinoin Recall just that in a lose/lose race to Isotretinoin Recall some weird ass problematic finish line. So why do I care, then? Because so much of Melrose Place, and Isotretinoin Recall moreso the overall blob that it is symptomatic of, was a Isotretinoin Recall driving force in my own confused (pause) sexual development. Melrose Place was where sex lived on TV and, sadly, it was like a white party where you show up dressed all in white and then you’re like, *forehead slap*, oh you meant WHITE party (ask Vanessa A. Williams, Paxil Prescription Canada who didn’t make it past the first season).
The re-make/re-visit still has no male ethnic characters, I know, but hey, I’m having a Isotretinoin Recall conversation with my pre-teen hormone addled self here. Having Jacobsen and Isotretinoin Recall Lucas — both better actors than the material demands — as two of the Isotretinoin Recall more interesting and, yes, attractive female characters on the show in a Isotretinoin Recall weird way has me pining, wishing I could send this version back to Isotretinoin Recall my old gangly self so I wouldn’t enter highschool with all these messed up notions of what Isotretinoin Recall colour female was the most attractive. By that measure, Melrose is doing leagues better than buzzed-up Glee, where Isotretinoin Recall the Asian girl is of course a not-goth-but-goth-ish type and Isotretinoin Recall the black girl is large and sassy and both are in the background.
Then again, with this version of Melrose I’d probably just have Isotretinoin Recall spent my early highschool years with messed up notions of sex and Isotretinoin Recall girls of mixed-race. Same same but different.
Fuck. See what you do to people, Melrose Place?
Anupa
Sep 11th, 2009
I really love Glee. It’s funny and Isotretinoin Recall self-deprecating and kinda grown-up but silly at the same time. What I don’t love about it Isotretinoin Recall is that despite the very obvious inclusion of POC’s (People Of Colour, for those unfamiliar with race-politics-speak), the main characters couldn’t possibly be Isotretinoin Recall non-white. Some might call it nitpicky, but I don’t. If you look across America (let’s leave Canada outta this Isotretinoin Recall one cus this is clearly an American venture) I guarantee you Isotretinoin Recall that bitchy head cheerleaders, sexually frustrated star jocks and dedicated glee club teachers come in all colours.
I will add that I’m interested to see how sexuality will be represented on Glee….Oh shit, this Isotretinoin Recall was about Melrose Place I better save it for a Isotretinoin Recall post.
Sorry to Isotretinoin Recall take it off-topic, the idea of any show with Ashlee Simpson on it Isotretinoin Recall gets my head fuzzy. But great post, with great ideas.
Simon
Sep 11th, 2009
From the NY Daily News post:
“Ashlee Simpson-Wentz, who Isotretinoin Recall turns 25 in October, admits she was too young to catch [the original Melrose Place] the first time around, too. “I never really watched shows like this until I was pregnant,” says the singer-actress. “But they’re so much fun — they’re part of American culture.”
I found that quote incredibly deep for some reason.
jeflee
Sep 11th, 2009
Word, thanks — awesome, apt quotation.
jeflee
Sep 11th, 2009
Sexuality on Glee will be interesting, def. I’m also interested to Isotretinoin Recall see how certain songs are handled. We saw ‘Take a Bow’ and ‘Push It’, both pretty innocuous — but I wonder what Isotretinoin Recall happens when something, also by a black artist but more tied to Isotretinoin Recall blackness, is performed. It happens on American Idol, I’m sure it’ll happen here. On Idol it Isotretinoin Recall has a harmless karaoke tribute effect, but on Glee what happens when Isotretinoin Recall there’s narrative context and the song is changed?
Good related Oh Word post: http://www.ohword.com/nike-p-rods-ice-cube-it-was-a-good-day/
p.s. I’m liking Glee so far, too.
Simon
Sep 12th, 2009
P-Rod’s are the shit. Some of the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn.
Denise Buy Antabuse In Canada
Sep 13th, 2009
The thing is, we should stop watching and Isotretinoin Recall write letters to advertisers about why we’re not watching. But we don’t, and I include myself in that we, and that’s why Hollywood is Isotretinoin Recall still whiter than blow. Meanwhile, the anti-choice activists continue to ensure that Isotretinoin Recall no real mention of abortion happens anywhere on tv, or even in movies, ever, even when Isotretinoin Recall Degrassi is show Stateside. Is it because “people of colour” is a big, sprawling entity and they’re a tight political group? Or is because we don’t have enough energy? Or because we don’t have enough self-respect? Or what?
Personally I wouldn’t touch Melrose Place with a ten foot pole, but I hear “Glee” is good, so I might check it out. I’m disappointed in “True Blood;” first season seemed like it Isotretinoin Recall was going to be so crazily diverse and amazing, but this Isotretinoin Recall season all the black characters are pretty much in the Isotretinoin Recall background (and Isotretinoin Recall REALLY did we have to see Tara and Eggs doing it Isotretinoin Recall doggy style at the orgy?) while the Isotretinoin Recall white vampires get to have cool historical flashbacks with awesome costumes. Sigh.
jeflee
Sep 18th, 2009
Big sprawling entity, for Isotretinoin Recall sure. I think we have truckloads of energy and self-respect, but it’s hard to organize, and everybody has degrees. Problem with identity/representation issues is Isotretinoin Recall that everyone is out for theirs. The anti-choice movement like you Isotretinoin Recall said is tight, and their message is easy to focus and Isotretinoin Recall slogan-ize. I mean, technically Melrose Place gave me what I wanted. The problem is Isotretinoin Recall nuanced and that’s hard to be specific about or rally a group around. (Or am I just making excuses for not letter writing?…) Still haven’t checked out True Blood, but sounds interesting. Speaking of race and Isotretinoin Recall vampires, have you read “Fledgling” by Octavia Butler?