Ugly Betty - I get it

I finally got why I enjoy Ugly Betty. The show is full of outrageous moments - people returning from the dead (or did they), people finding out they are so-and-so's daughter, relationships broken up by someone claiming they are pregnant when they aren't -

It's all over the top, but I couldn't figure out why it worked for me. If this was a daytime soap opera, I'd be retching into the nearest potted plant.

And today, I figured it out. It goes back to an idea in computer graphics where when something reaches near human looks, it becomes really creepy looking. And that's what makes Ugly Betty work:

It's not human.

In other words, they have their characters doing outrageous things in a humorous fashion. They play with the ideas of what a soap opera should be. For example, making us think that someone was back from the dead - when it was actually the sex changed elder brother now turned into a hot woman there to take over the company.

What? No, this doesn't exist in the real world, and it's so over the top and most of the time it doesn't take itself seriously - so when it *does* do something serious, you don't think "Oh, come on!" You think "Holy crap - That man is going to be killed unless he makes a perfect flan!"

Yes, that was a plot point. No, I'm serious. Really.

Of course, the fact that they always seem to be going one direction and then zag outside your expectations certainly helps the most. But I think it's that "create a separate reality of overblown craziness so anything that happens doesn't seem crazy" that helps.

I wonder if the writers do it on purpose, or if it's just a happy accident?

Looks like she's not getting back to Lost anytime soon

Remember, kids, drinking and driving is bad - even if you are an attractive Hollywood star.

Aliens in America

OK, let's be honest: I only checked it out because there was suppose to be a big controversy about the show. If I go by the thing I saw on CNN, this TV show was getting Muslims panties in a bunch.

Here's the setup: midwest family applies to get a foreign exchange student from Britian (mainly because the son is such a loser Mom decides importing a friend might be a good idea). When the kid shows up - he's Pakistani and Muslim. In small town America.

Hijinks ensue.

I watched the show and - actually enjoyed it. Granted, it's a place that only exists in TV land, with moment such as this:

Teacher: So, who has an opinion on Rahja being different?

Girl: It makes me angry, because his people flew those plans into the World Trade Towers on 9-11.

Rajah: Pardon me, but those were not my people.

Teacher: Rajah, don't try to cover things up. Who else is mad because of what Rajah's people did?

Basically, the show is more about the stupidity of Americans about the outside world (and stupidity in general, such as when two bullies get into a fight about who would be boning their hot sister more. Right.). What I found interesting is that nobody seemed to be prejudiced against the blacks or hispanics in their school - just the "new" strange ethnic group with funny dress. Interesting, because one or two generations back the idea of a black school counselor in middle America would have been a crazy idea - as crazy now as a Muslim foreign exchange student, I guess.

But just when you think they're just going to pound you over the head with "Americans stupid", they show some flashes of brilliance. Such as when the teenage boy starts talking to Rajah (after ignoring him for an entire day), and discovers that this guy is actually pretty cool about stuff. Different, sure, but cool.

I'm curious to see if they can make the show more than a one trick pony of "Americans stupid and prejudiced", but if they can expand it out a bit more, I think the show will end up having a lot of things to say about people's perceptions of "those people", and how stupid those perceptions are.

Dr. House and the Mormon Doctor

Last night I was up late enough to watch "House". By now, the formula is pretty clear: someone has an illness, and either they're hiding something important - or the disease is throwing up a lot of red herrings.

To give them credit, the writers seem to get that the formula has to be tweaked every so often to make things seem fresh. For example, last night you had a patient who wanted all of her tests "off the record" so her job (and dreams) wouldn't be ruined. And, at the same time, House had to reduce a potential crowd of 40 would-be assistants to just 3. Let loose the cat fighting the nastiness, people!

What caught my eye though was the portrayal of one of the doctors as a Mormon - an ethnic minority. Compound that with the same doctor being black - a racial minority, and a minority within a minority (not that many black Mormons, though the number is growing).

Being a Mormon myself, I was kind of apprehensive. For some reason, Mormons usually don't get great billing time on TV. We're usually weirdos who won't touch a woman (even if their a paramedic - that was one show I recall), or we're cultists (like "Angels in America" I think it was, where Mormons were pretty much homophobic jerks).

But here, we had a Mormon who was more like me. There was a moment where House had to determine if Patient X had a failed liver without doing a biopsy. The solution: get her drunk. If she goes into toxic shock, then she has a liver problem. To test, they needed a control group of a hard drink (House), a moderate drinker (one of the other doctors), and the Mormon (who doesn't drink at all).

At first, Mormon guy wouldn't do it - wrong to drink alcohol. And then House asks a question: Would you help an ass out of a pit on the Sabbath. For religious people, the question is clearly a reference to when Jesus stated that the Sabbath was made for man, and not the other way around. Therefore, it was perfectly all right to do some work or good deeds even when they conflict with commandments.

Mormon guy then decided well, that a good point. If my drinking can save a woman's life, then it's no longer sinful. When later challenged by House about why he was abandoning his beliefs, Mormon guy gave the same answer I (or hopefully any other decent Mormon would have):

You have a convincing argument.

I hope they keep him around. Yeah, self serving becaue he's a Mormon, but because he's one of the few on a show who isn't portrayed as someone weird. He's got beliefs, but as he says, people in the Mormon faith are free to make their own decisions. Yeah, we've got our own jerkoffs who think that they should set the rules for all other, or who judge others because they drink or some stupid reason like that.

Maybe, if nothing else, it will be a reminder to other Mormons as well that we are suppose to have our own minds. The thing I always remind people when they say to "Follow the Holy Ghost" is to remind them of the advice Joseph Smith gave to Oliver Cowdery: First *reason it out in your mind*, *then* ask God if its correct. Too many Mormons seem to forget the first part and expect the answers to just come.

House had a good, reasonable argument, and for once, I don't feel embarrassed to see how my faith is portrayed on a TV show.