In general I very much enjoy watching movies and television shows of all kinds. I get a personal high out of pausing the screen and screaming "THIS IS F*ED UP, WHAT ARE THEY TRYING TO SAY HERE??" so from a perspective of critical analysis, this gives my brain treats and challenges that I enjoy.
The article "Tragedy of Modern Guys Guy" aligned with the same message I picked up on: "men are helpless" "men can not deal with problems". The relationship with his children and the behavior he exhibited towards his exwife made this message evident.
I appreciated the producers at the very end of the episode in two ways 1. When you see the main male character confess to the psychologist his tragedies and his inability to let them go and 2. Witnessing the firefighter who used poetry to heal cry over his computer screen. I feel as though this leads into how the show may highlight this throughout the continued seasons. That in life, men are perceived (or told) to have an inability to show weakness and in reality- its impossible and destructive. I think the other firefighters making negative comments about sharing feelings only furthered the males expected role: men are so ingrained that they are supposed to be strong on all levels that they have to tease others who do not fit this bill- even if it's individuals they are close to.
However, the fact that most of the pain the firefighters experienced (or that was told to the audience) was through the trauma of 911 I found interesting. Is the show trying to send a message that it is only ok for men to grieve and show emotion when their country cries? Of course 911 was far more traumatic then many of the things that many public service workers encounter, I do wonder however, is the death of a spouse, any other large fire or incident not enough to incite trauma in the firefighter, A MAN, (although, there was the death of those two children that refutes this hypothesis)? Is the purpose of this to heighten and support nationalism and patriotism?
It may be a stretch... but it did have me thinking.
Grace, I was wondering the same thing-- "is the purpose of this [show] to heighten and support nationalism and patriotism?" However, the route I took was that I found it interesting that so many years after 9/11, the firefighters were still using 9/11 as an excuse and sense of entitlement for whatever they wanted (sex, beer, sympathy). It's like 9/11 was the "height" of their career, and ever since the men have been coasting downwards ever since because there has not been anything else nearly as thrilling or status-changing as that.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with your point that the men's constant taunting of each other and refusal to open up, despite all they have been though is a self-destructive move, because by not choosing to talk to the psycotherapist and blowing off the obvious pain they are feeling will only make their conditions worse. It does though, form the whole basis of the show, and without that we would have nothing to discuss.