Thursday, March 22, 2012

Discussion Points-"And I Know"

What is the bottom line? What is the point the author is trying to make in this
reading? What is their thesis/ their argument?


Roseanne Barr discusses her difficulty in keeping her perspective, and feministic 
views while in Hollywood.

This article displayed the pressures of remaining true to your self identity  in Hollywood. In an atmosphere where many in Hollywood change who they are to become popular Roseanne, showed how she rose above it and stayed true to herself. 
What I liked about this article is it showed Roseanne's strength not only a 
person but as a female as well. 

In the article Roseanne mentions an argument she had with Matt over a line change. Matt wanted Roseanne's character to say something along the lines of“You’re my equal in bed, but that’s it.” Instead of conforming to the boss, she argued for hours because she believed her character would not say that. In the end she won against Matt. This argument was empowering because she did not and refused to back down. 
It was a great feeling that she never settled while filming the show. It 
makes me wonder what the show would have been, if she would be like 
Margaret Cho and change to please. Would the show be the same success? Also 
Roseanne claims that her show, is the last feminist and working-class-family 
sitcom. However, I beg to differ. I believe that the ABC television program THE 
MIDDLE displays the same, modern, and feministic approach Roseanne had. Can
anyone else think of a program similar to Roseanne? Or is her show the only
feminist and working-class-family sitcom?

1 comment:

  1. I also bring up Margaret Cho in my portfolio. Maybe if she had stood her ground things would have been different. With that said I also think that Roseanne used some of her Jewish contacts to guide her in the industry when Margaret didn't have that to fall back on.

    I don't know of another show that is like Roseanne, I've never seen THE MIDDLE but I can think of the character Janet from Threes Company that started to embody what a working class woman looked like especially in comparison to her co-star Chrissy. They were both thin, but Chrissy was the sexual object on the show, and Janet's character had strong sensible morals that advocated for sisterhood, with a motherly sort of sensibility, and not taking any slack from anyone. She loved her friends but she stayed her ground by not playing into acting dumb and sexy to get what she wanted. She always turned downed Jacks sexual advances, managed the flower shop where she worked and was the person in the home who administered everything from finances to home upkeep to advice when necessary. She did all these things except cook, which was Jacks job.

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