For decades television was criticized as "an intellectual wasteland;" a medium devoid of knowledge and sophistication. But that was back when broadcast TV needed to appeal to a wide audience for economic viability. The whole venture was based on untargeted advertising.
Today, streaming on TV doesn't face that pressure. As a result, some shows are enlightening. Let's, for example, consider Season Five of "Emily In Paris," released this month on Netflix. Many male critics attack the show as vapid but their perspective is tinged -- no, fatally corrupted -- by sexism. "Emily..." is conspicuously aimed at a female audience with its focus on romance, fashion and exotic locales, but it is more than that. Here are two instances of its higher aspirations.
Over a dozen times this season the show references a remarkable period in European history called La Belle Époque. (That's French for "The Beautiful Era.") In case viewers are unaware of that period, it is explicitly explained as a time of peace, prosperity, scientific advancement and cultural innovation. Art Nouveau, a popular art movement you've undoubtedly heard of, emerged during this time. La Belle Époque spans 1871 to 1914 (the outbreak of World War I).
A second instance of valuable knowledge in Season Five is "the Green Fairy" (slang for absinthe). Absinthe is anise-flavored liquor with a notorious reputation. Legend says the Green Fairy is hallucinogenic and will drive you crazy. Research later proved, however, that the rumor was an exaggeration spread to both promote and discourage consumption. The drink, embraced by bohemians, is socially associated with hipness and social transgression -- making it a perfect symbol for a show like "Emily...".
Watching TV is no longer a shameful activity. You can even consider it "educational". :)
I just came across a YouTube channel you might like and is quite relevant to this post:
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/_H7mvlZ022o?si=QNGPoFO1Sf-jwQFA
She breaks down how because of Henry VIII and the Dissolution of the Monasteries we have the Synder cut of the Justice League!!
Which is a bit of a far-fetched stretch but she really does make a very good historically relevant argument.
I also agree with you that we live in an absolutely bonkers era of television. I fear the AI slop creep happening around the world and what it's going to do to television and movies. There's something very special in television storytelling. I don't think we give enough credit to tv shows and power of them in comparison to feature length movies.
TV is a silly thing to be passionate about, and I love my books, but it does get me pumped up.
Astute observations. Thanks for the link. For most of my lifetime Hollywood (i.e., movies) ruled the entertainment world and had the most cultural prestige. Today, TV does.
DeleteMany storytellers -- like Sam Esmail ("Mr. Robot") -- start their creative journey expecting to tell their idea in a two-hour movie but, after reflecting on the better opportunity to tell it with more depth in a mini-series, turn to television. Creative talent has migrated from movie studios to TV shows.
"...as a time of peace, prosperity, scientific advancement and cultural innovation..."
ReplyDeleteWouldn't that be nice for future years? 🤞 Think of all we might create and how much things would be better off emotionally, spiritually, and ask the rest.
With Emily, I've not seen it but I wonder if the show has the curse of "this isn't for you, Mr Reviewer"? In general, if the TV critics in the paper I read, dislike a show, I usually know that's a good sign that I'll like it 😁
As to TV - perhaps with certain periods of derivative unimaginative music (pap? Packaged Pop?); as much as studios can churn out the slop, I think there will always be folk who both create and yearn for other.
Maybe, quirky and niche TV might be enabled, as folk reject the tedium of the bland? There's certainly been a few geek shows that have broken through from the online world, to gain traction on streaming and trad media.platforms.
Something for everyone*, that would be good.
( Who isn't evil, I should add 😁 )
Good points. One big determinant in the kind of culture we get is how information is distributed: what economic incentives exist or don't exist for various creative work. Under the early untargeted advertising business model, shows needed to reach a broad audience. Now, with cable/streaming, they don't and can prosper with smaller "niche" audiences (as you say). Plus the very notion of whether TV should be quality or not has evolved. In the earliest days of television, shows were treated as theater and radio were (high quality); 1-2 decades later they descended to much lower quality. Then, around the turn of the century, pay-cable (HBO and others) started elevating the medium with shows like "The Sopranos", "Six Feet Under," etc. That trend continued for 20 years and might be reversing at this time.
DeletePersonally, I enjoy watching Emily in Paris for its wildly unrealistic fashion and the chance to “visit” Europe without ever boarding a plane. Romance and travel stories have always existed—they offer a form of escape, and right now, that sense of escape feels especially appealing to so many of us.
ReplyDeleteAs for the historical tidbits woven throughout, much of it is familiar to me after visiting Europe many times. History truly comes alive when you experience it in the very places where it unfolded.
Suzanne
You're far more sophisticated than most fans of the show, given your background, intelligence and experiences. I agree some shows, like this one, can be enjoyable for simple reasons like fashion and travel. Many of us (me!) like vicarious pleasure.
DeleteI enjoy EiP for the fashion, esp of Sylvie! I know about la Belle Epoque and have partaken of the Green Fairy many times (I think we still have a bottle somewhere).
ReplyDeleteYou're a sophisticated woman, Sheila!
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