Life, Etc.

A Response to Phi's "Tired of Life" post:

Even apart from PC, the crimes on Life were typically pretty lame. I enjoyed the show mostly because of the premise and characters. A good portion of the crimes presented are along the lines of what you're talking about (minus the PC). Things that, if they happened in real life, the media would have a complete field day about if only for their utter weirdness or the notoriety of the victim. It was the only thing that I didn't really like about the show.

Do yourself a favor and never watch Detroit 1-8-7. It's obvious by the show that the city of Detroit has been ruined by professional-class whites, retired cops, crooked land developers, and right-wing Republicans so popular in the city. I'm not as sensitive to PC as you are, and it didn't stop me from watching the show, but it was enough that I won't lament the fact that there won't be a second season.

On the other hand, if you're interested in a show with a more demographically credible set of bad guys, The Shield more or less fits that bill. The Strike Team spends week-in-and-week-out going after gangs, which they don't pretend to be a bunch of middle class white guys. It also has some of the moral dimensions that you found lacking in Dexter. The only real PC thing that comes to mind is a subplot involving a repressed gay cop, but it's a subplot that comes and goes for a second-tier character.

Redirect all comments to Phi's blog.

Comment to Phi's Post on Manchildren vs Womenchildren

Below is a comment that I cannot, for the life of me, post on Phi's blog. Direct all comments here.

I lived with my folks for about three weeks while I was engaged. I was actually kind of looking forward to it. I was working across town and saving up for the move to Deseret. Mom and Dad both wanted me to move back in after college until I got my feet on the ground, but I carefully avoiced that. But here was kind of a last chance before I moved far, far away. The plan was for me to move in for about four months. The fact that I left after three weeks gives you an idea of how well it went. My problem was not with my father, but rather my mother.

Notably, all of my significant exes lived with their parents through college and beyond. Two (Julie and Evangeline) moved out to cohabitate and the third I lost contact with. It was problematic in all three cases. With Eva there were specific problems with a step-mother who resented her presence. With Julie it was what I think is more typical. It's hard to establish the distinction between parent/child and landlord/tenant. Even if they're more liberal, you're still living under the rules of the house. Things like cleaning up after yourself and the like are done not because you have determined them to be valuable, but because your parents say-so. It ends up frustrating both sides. Things were so problematic with Julie that I was actually moderately supportive of when she moved in with the boyfriend, despite my belief that it's generally a bad idea. As long as it got her out of that house (and I *liked* her parents).

Regarding the double-standard, I consider it a branch off the same tree that has parents bankrolling their daughters moving to NYC looking for unlikely or doing unprofitable work while telling their sons to get a damn job. Girls have intrinsic value. Boys have to earn or prove theirs.