The last new episode, called 4 a.m. Miracle, has a number of plot lines, but the one I’m interested in is the one concerning the lawyer that shows up about a sexual harrassment claim. Throughout the episode, Matthew Perry’s character is questioned about whether he will be a witness for a case defending against a writer who claims that the nature of jokes in the writer’s room at Studio 60 constitutes sexual harassment. Outside of its general appeal as news in the world of sexual harassment law (fun!), this plotline is interesting because it almost exactly mirrors a situation that actually happened on the Friends set a few years back. After a protracted legal battle, the California Supreme Court ruled that “writers have the right to talk dirty and make lewd comments while creating a television situation comedy without having to worry about being sued.”

Now, there are a couple of differences between the actual case and Studio 60’s narrative. In the Friends case, the person alleging harassment was the transcriptionist, so she couldn’t very well just walk out of the room when discussion moved to graphic descriptions of Courteney Cox Arquette’s infertility or what the best way to have sex with Jennifer Aniston would be, and on the TV show, the womyn in question was a writer. Zap2it has a good explanation of the claims the plaintiff made, none of which were disputed substantively by the writers of the show.

I don’t know whether the California Supreme Court was wrong. They were unanimous, and deciding on a California employment law with which I’m not familiar. But I do have a couple of concerns with the notion that writers’ rooms are always protected speech, even when that speech is unquestionably misogynistic, perceived as harassing, and not relevant to any sketch or scene that will make it to air. I think that the idea that there are some places where anything goes, even though what always goes is jokes against the same groups of marginalized folks, is the same argument used to justify lower standards for sexual harassment at construction sites or oil rigs, which I find ridiculous. As this defense of the court’s action admits, the jokes are usually racist and/or sexist. The fact that they’re funny is the defense, which I think is good but incomplete. I mean, if the idea phase is so important, why was Amaani Lyle asked not to take notes at certain times? It just seems so much more complicated than to say that free speech means she should get over it, or that these jokes are “sexually coarse and vulgar language” but not sexist or overall demeaning to womyn. How you make that distinction in this situation is beyond me.

Given this knowledge, which I know not everyone would be aware of upon starting to watch the episode, I became skeptical as soon as the lawyer walked into the room. There were a couple of factors that raised my hackles right away, especially the snide way that everyone said “claiming sexual harassment” as though the person filing the lawsuit was probably lying, and the fact that Matt’s first reaction was to say that she was a bad writer because the boss before him would certainly not have done anything illegitimate even though he wasn’t there and doesn’t know the writer in question. There is a difference between saying that there is an obligation to prove one’s case and the implication that the filer of charges is a liar, and it is my experience that sexual harrassment/sexual assault cases are the ones in which the latter claim is most likely to be made.

As the rest of the episode played, I wasn’t surprised to find out that, despite being appalled by the slurs made at the love of his life, Harriet Hayes, that he said he would testify on behalf of the defense. He said that although it was no way to run a writer’s room, and he would never run a room like that, plenty of funny stuff comes out of rooms that he doesn’t run, so he’s their guy. Now, I have no doubt that obnoxious people are critical to the joke process, and it’s not like perfectly normal people don’t make offensive jokes. But why is that the only concern? Why is the only question whether or not the jokes produced are funny? If it were an unfunny writer’s room, influenced by the fact that all the jokes told were sexist ones, would it be sexual harrassment then?

I am hesitant to put controls on speech, because it’s free speech, and that’s good. But what happens when it’s harassing speech? Isn’t the point of things like the 1991 amendments to Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act (which classifies sexual harassment as discrimination and thus against the law) that not all speech should necessarily be protected? On the other hand, I want spaces for art to be as open as possible. But maybe I’m not surprised that there aren’t more female comedians when the rooms are all telling the same staid sexist jokes.

What do you think?

Image via Studio 60 Guide

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Studio 60, Sexual Harassment, Friends, Amaani Lyle

In part, Buffy was a joke. Every horror movie used to have that petite, cute blond girl who would (for no readily apparent reason) go wandering, alone, into a dark alley, deserted house, or spooky graveyard. The blond would then, of course, be killed. Well, Joss being a feminist at heart, he thought it would be hilarious if the big, hulking monster came up behind the little blond girl and then the cute little cheerleader turned around and kicked its otherworldly butt. And thus the seed was sown.
The idea of the pretty girl who can take on the big, ugly monsters struck a wonderful metaphoric chord. She was a perfect symbol of any of us who have ever had to face obstacles that seemed overwhelming. The Slayer was every woman who ever fought for equality, every scrawny geek who ever stood up to a schoolyard bully, every individual who ever fought city hall, every flop of a movie that ever got made into a successful TV series. She was everyone who was outcast, different, special, or downtrodden, and she demonstrated that all of us could still stand up and fight the good fight, no matter how hopeless it may seem from the outside.

It’s a good read, if for no other reason to read the word ’slayerbrate’ in a sentence.

Image via My Tribute to the Fabulous Sarah Michelle Gellar.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Joss Whedon, Sarah Michelle Gellar

The Munsters, was also a personal favorite. After nearly watching the entire first season, I can truthfully say, this show also stands the test of time. The Munsters who consist of: Herman, Lily, Grandpa, Eddie, and their beautiful neice Marilyn, move into a nice neighborhood, and much like the Clampetts, must try to adjust to their surroundings. In The Munsters, Herman and the rest of the family are baffled by people’s reactions towards them, not understanding why they are looked upon differently. Every episode introduces us to many of their spooky habits, which land them in hilarious situations time and time again, making this a must see TV show.

I Dream of Jeannie, starring Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman, is another one of those shows that I still enjoy watching. With only a few more episodes to view on the first season, I have thoroughly enjoyed the chemistry between Jeannie and Captain Tony Nelson. When Captain Nelson discovers a bottle on a deserted island, he releases a beautiful genie who has been trapped inside for two thousand years. Jeannie, who uses her magic to help her master in any way possible, usually causes more trouble than good, without realizing it. Tony Nelson, finds himself more often than not, trying to explain the unexplainable to his colleagues. The captivating technology and cleverness of this show, is pure magic.

The Haves, of Moto, are riding high on their undefeated laurels. They even have paint, of a bright blue, that they’ve decided to pain the floor of their shelter in hopes of keeping out the ants. One tribe member gleefully gloated, “It’s not even survival! It’s ‘Thrival’!” I hope they get whupped, but I fear I shall be disappointed, once again.

Little Michelle hits on an idea, though, and back at Ravu, she waits for the Fiji sun to raise high in the sky, at which time she uses a pair of glasses to start a fire. Hurray! Only took them 6 days without water to think of that! Whatever, necessity is the mother of invention and all that rot.

They’re delighted to find at the challenge that since they made their own fire, they now get flint. Gee. Thanks!

The challenge is a giant slip and slide, where they face off, head to head, run, slide, grab their numbered balls and make a basket for a single point, with the first team to six declared the winner. The rounds went to Moto, Ravu, Moto, Moto, Ravu, Moto, Moto, Moto. Another rousing win for the haves vs. the have nots. Sylvia is returned to Exile Island, and Moto chooses another set of fishing gear over their personal items or fresh fruit.

I really want to keep rooting for the underdogs here, but man, they aren’t making it easy!

While on Exile Island, Sylvia gets clue number three and is pretty sure she knows where the idol is. She’s also sure that she’s up for the boot at Tribal Council because of her terrible performance in the challenge. While others slipped and slid, she fell and stayed, before finally getting a move on. It was classic giving up, and quite stupid on her part as she’s been on the chopping block since the first Tribal Council. She’d better hope she gets to the idol!

Meanwhile, back at Moto, Papa Smurf (Gary) is having problems breathing, and the fear ranges from heart attack, to broken rib, to exhaustion. They call in the medics, who decided he should just rest, and see how he’s doing later. Of course, the tribe is willing to sacrifice Gary for the good of the tribe if needed. How nice of them! They did continue by suggesting it would be to make sure he’s healthy. Which we, of course, believe!

At the Immunity challenge, it’s a very welcome head to head eating contest! Well, mostly welcome, as they were treated to delicious native treats: Giant Clams, Octopus, Peanut Worms, Sea Cucumbers, Fish Eyes and Pig Snouts! Yummy! Ravu dives right in, eager to get SOMETHING on their stomachs besides coconut and pineapple. It was looking good, neck and neck, as first. Ravu, Moto, Ravu, Moto, Moto were winners for each individual challenge. Needing only four to win Immunity, it came down to the pig snouts, and Papa Smurf (Gary) vs. Anthony.

Anthony couldn’t even get one bite down, and whined like a little girl about it, while Papa Smurf proved his ability to pull through for his tribe as he chowed down as if it were bacon, dripping hot from the pan. In the end, Moto remains undefeated in every. single. challenge.

Despite some covert digging, Sylvia can’t come up with the idol, and though there was a last minute pull for Anthony to be voted off for his poor performance and whiny attitude, in the end, Sylvia is voted off the island at a Tribal Council that voiced the irritation and frustration of continued losses.

No Idol, so long Sylvia! She’s none too happy either, saying “I’ve been had and I’m not happy about it!” She explains in an interview that she’d have done everything differed from the get go, and though she’d performed badly in the first challenge, everyone told her Anthony was going because of the pathetic nature of his excuses for not eating the pig snout. “Oh yeah. I was had. Yeah I was stabbed…stabbed in the back.”

Three weeks down - tune in next week to see if the Ravu Rejects can FINALLY pull it together!

PS:
Way to go, Boo! A week with no injuries! Yay!
Snake Close-up Count: TOO MANY! STOP IT! GAH!

(images from Survivor Fever)

Sam and Dean investigate a college campus where strange incidents have been happening. It first starts with the death of a professor, whom the brothers find out had a quick fling on the night he died with a girl who supposedly died in the same building years earlier. Shortly after, they hear of another incident involving a college student who claims to have been abducted by aliens while walking across campus one night. Then comes the final straw — a research scientist who conducts animal tests is killed by something in the sewer. Sam realizes it was an alligator attack. All three victims had one thing in common: they weren’t angels, so to speak, and they seemed to get what was coming to them.

Baffled by three different incidents at the same campus, Sam and Dean turn to their hunting buddy, Bobby, for help. He quickly comes up with a theory that they aren’t dealing with three different creatures here, but only one: The Trickster. He looks human but he loves to put people into deadly spots. Their goal is now simple — find the trickster, dispatch him, and the college will be safe again.

But, of course, nothing is ever simple when it comes to the Supernatural. They locate and corner the trickster and after a grueling fight, which involves a couple of sexy demons in undergarments and a chainsaw madman, Dean drives a stake through the trickster and ends his reign. But as our heroes drive away, we are left to wonder: Did they really kill the trickster or was it another trick?

She’s good on the show, so that’s something.

Maggie Lawson, Psych

According to E! Online,

The erstwhile Felicity star married her longtime boyfriend, contractor Shane Deary, in a snowy ceremony in New York on Wednesday, her rep, Jill Fritzo, confirmed to E! News. The publicist declined to elaborate on details of the ceremony, but it was said to be an intimate wedding with only a few family members and friends in attendance. According to Us Weekly, the reception was held at the Harrison, a restaurant in TriBeCa.

According to the press release, Russell and Deary got engaged last year, and have been dating for several years. Most Felicity fans, however, are still sad that she broke up with Scott Speedman, who played Ben on the awesome WB show.

Photo via IMDB.

The networks response on the cancellation is it doesn’t fit their “desired demographic”. What is their desired demographic? In the past the WB had great shows. They had something for everyone. But during the transition to the CW, the shows started disappearing one by one. Bye bye to The Bedford Diaries,Twins, Living with Fran, What I Like About You, and my personal favorites Related and Everwood. What do they replace them with? Great “family” shows like Friday Night Smackdown and America’s Next Top Model.

With Reba departing, followed by Seventh Heaven and potentially Gilmore Girls on it’s heels, I too will be saying goodbye to the CW. That is, unless they think up some good shows. Sadly that seems unlikely considering the current programming trend. So goodbye CW and you can say goodbye to a lot of other viewers, too.

Don’t forget to say goodbye to Reba on February 18th at 7pm.

Meanwhile, the Moto Tribe - the Have’s, are living it up in their plush hammocks and pillows, the couch and plates, and declare this game “So vicious it’s delicious!” Of course, “Boo” and his flatulence made it a little less lovely.

The Ravu tribe was working hard, hard at attempting to start a fire rubbing sticks, but don’t have enough energy in the whole tribe to get it going. My man Yau-man worked his skinny lil butt off to fill a canteen with coconut milk. The boys, of course, started a competition to see who could chop them open the fastest. They’re so dehydrated they’re falling down, and exhausted, and poor Rocky, he’s eatin’ clams off the GROUND man, it’s CARAZY, they’s STARVIN man!

Then Moto Boo, the idiot, gets something in his eye, and then is a bigger idiot with the ax and cuts his hand and his knee. And the Hammock he’s resting on falls with a thud and dumps him on the ground. Prediction by Dreamz the Cheerleading Coach? Boo’s gonna hurt hisself outa the game! It is certainly a possibility at this point!

I do have to admit that I laughed out loud when the hammock dumped him on his ass though. Wonder if anyone untied it…

Day 5, and still no water. Ravu does get Sylvia back from exile island - and Yau-man does a quick peek to see if she has the immunity idol, by sneaking a peek in her bag. Says he was a little ‘nasty’ while giving her a hug to do so. How cute is he? She says she made fire and was all proud - until finding out they have none, and also finding out she’s too darn weak even WITH her water consumption, to crack a single coconut.

Commence plans to vote off the outsider!

Dreamz opens up and tells us his road to a cheerleading coach on Survivor started with his crackhead mama and how much the Haves got it easier then living on the streets. Aw, ain’t he cute?

Ravu finds food! They’d been looking all in the wrong places, and right in front of them was hundreds of pineapples. Go Erica! Earl loves ya, and is gonna propose since ya found him food - it’s the way to a man’s heart and all that. Pineapple! Go figure!

Dude - it’s thirty minutes in, no challenge, no tree mail? Bah Humbug! Bring on the competition! Man, I need Tivo. HD-DVR. Something!

FINALLY! A challenge! Again, there was only one, for both Immunity and reward. They were playing for Immunity, fishing gear, and for Ravu, flint. Ravu wants it really bad, and as they take off on the raft and start clipping their crates to the rope, they are ahead of the other Tribe and pulling away. Things look good, and it looks like the painted colors on Moto doesn’t seem to help their tangled cable and the mounting frustrations.

They pulled in the crates they’d clipped to the cable, all four, to the mat where they untie and open to find a 6 piece pole and flag they have to put together and raise. They hit the beach, and it all starts to fall apart for Ravu. Erica gets bossy, telling people the way it goes together, and they start ignoring her and she throws a hissy fit. They fall behind, and eventually lose, as Moto gets their act together, sniffing out the weakness of the other Tribe and busting ass. They raise their flat, and win Immunity and Reward!

They then send Earl to Exile Island and the backstabbing bitchery begins as Ravu has to figure out who’s getting the ax at Tribal Council. Though many had already agreed the exiled outsider Sylvia should be gone first, many think Erica’s freakout was way out of line. End result, Erica is voted out 5-2, and is naturally shocked! SHOCKED! After all, she found PINEAPPLE, people! PINEAPPLE!

THANK YOU, CBS, for the fewer shots of the snakes this time, though watching Earl kill one with the machete was a nice touch. *shudders* But seriously, less close-ups, ok? Only one view would have been fine! UGH! Earl spends his time muttering that the idol is back at camp, but enjoying fire and water. And the killing of snakes, I mentioned that, right? SLICE AND DICE BABY! (But please, don’t show me again!) (And he didn’t enjoy it, really. But I did! Sorta, in that “ew! EWEWEW! kinda way.)

Tune in next week, to see if Boo manages to actually sever a limb, or crack open his skull! Oh, and also, who is the next to get voted off the Island. So long to you, Erica, and to your screechy freakouts, too!

According to an interview that will air Thursday on the Montel Williams Show, and reported by the Associated Press, Curry said that after he awoke from a medically-induced coma that lasted 3 days, “It was so bad … that pain was so excruciating that I just threw it out . . . I wanted to kill myself and, by the fourth day, I said, ‘I can’t do this.’ I felt less than a man. I couldn’t even look at my own body. I saw my hand with the peeling skin and threw up, and I didn’t look at myself again.”

Luckily, he was able to call some comedian friends, like Sinbad and Bill Cosby, and they convinced him to change his mind. This is great news; if only everyone could be so lucky.

Mark Curry, Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper