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Sunday, March 25, 2007
New TV Ratings System?
I've been pondering about employing a new ratings system for the tv reviewing. I'm currently using Module 2 that places categorical criteria to be judged on a 1-5 scale. Yet, I'm starting to feel that it's difficult to fairly review a show and rate it if the system is standardized. For example, why keep grading Heroes down due to their lack of strength of standalone story-arcs. Despite it being a downer for me, the multiple storyline-system is a Heroes staple - it doesn't try to hammer down a solid episode-based plot. (I mean, except for Company Man, there hasn't been so far or it hasn't been noticeable.) Why not, instead, operate on completely individual strength and weakness?
I've thought of starting at a 5 in a 10-point scale. 5 would be average. This isn't an A-F grading system obviously. 5 seems to make sense since because there's no way any show I watch consistently would get a 0 to start. If I like a show, there's gotta be reasons why I watch and keep coming back. 5 is smack dab in the middle. What side tips the scale?
Then, I thought about starting with a clean slate, and pointing out 10 specific things that caught my attention in the show. Some would be positive some would be negative. Say 8 things were positive and 2 things were negative, the score would be 6. Okay, typing that out makes sense to me that this specific idea of a system makes NO sense.
It could be completely subjective, but what fun is that?
Now, I'm just lost.
to be continued.
Friday, March 16, 2007
paul kim column
[note: this was written as an assignment. requested by my cousin to help pump one of his friends who got to the final 24 in this year's American Idol. We tried to get this into Hyphen Magazine, but didn't get accepted. SO, now that there's no chance to get it in, I'm posting it. Thanks to Anton and Daniela for the help with the editing.]
FINAL DRAFT WRITTEN: TUESDAY, FRIDAY 13, 2007
Paul Kim, Action Star?
Tobey Maguire is an action star. As Spider-man he throws punches, glides through the air, and he fights supervillains. Even as Peter Parker, a legendary nerd, he is still an action hero, and, most importantly, he gets the girl.
Action stars are cultural icons. They are ideal images.
In the 80’s, action stars were over-the-top war machines like Sylvester Stallone. But now, we have Tobey. And, for the most part, we’re okay with this.
Tobey represents the everyday guy. He’s not too big. He’s got a boyish charm. He doesn’t have that hard, chiseled face. Tobey’s action stardom is about accessibility. We want to believe that Tobey really is that dork who got the girl because we want to believe that we can gain that same power.
Enter Reality TV and Paul Kim.
Kim splashed onto the American Idol scene on the February 7th “Best of Rest” episode under the shadow and soundbyte of the infamous William Hung – he of terrible voice but of pure heart. He of the yellow-minstrel show that many pretended was America’s love of an unapologetically clueless but sympathetic underdog.
Let’s get this straight. This isn’t a comparison between Paul Kim, the “pool boy”, and William Hung. They are nothing alike. William was clearly different from any other person. Though endearing, he was a voyeur’s wet dream: an unassuming train wreck that fit the epitome of never-ending redundant jokes. Accent? Check. Bad fashion sense? Check. Oblivious to those laughing at him, not with him? Check.
No, there is nothing to compare. Paul Kim is a regular guy from the San Francisco Bay Area who happens to be an Asian American man with a great voice. He is the “everyday guy” that Tobey Maguire represents. Yet, talking about Paul Kim demands a conscious inclusion of William Hung in the discourse. In fact, it also includes Jackie Chan, Chow Yun Fat, and Jet Li.
While Tobey is an action star because of a blockbuster series, Jackie Chan and Jet Li are prominently just kung fu stars despite their commercial success. Chow Yun Fat, who may transcend the kung fu genre, is equally marginalized. He is not so much an action star as he is an Asian actor who happens to have a few leads in American action movies. What disqualifies them as bonafide action stars in American media is one main distinction: sex appeal.
Though they have carried romances in many of their roles, in their American films when their female lead counterparts are not Asian, they are often left with ambiguous glances, sheltered hugs, a pat on the back, if anything at all.
The music industry plays the same game. When someone is listening to a singer croon about love and sex, does a label want the stereotypical alpha male or someone who represents an image that is historically under-sexed in the pop-cultural lens of the American public?
Again, this is no mock of Kim’s individual capabilities of being a sexually relevant leading man. This is about a lacking precedence of leading Asian American men and commercial sexuality. There’s Masi Oka, who plays a cuddly Hiro on NBC’s Heroes. He had a nice little romance with a Texan girl, but she died after a couple episodes.
Past seasons have clearly shown that American Idol is barely about pure talent or even charisma. It is completely dependent on the whims of the audience. Ultimately, the contestants are pawns to gut reactions, personal biases, and cultural nepotism.
With his “smoky, yet powerful” vocals, Kim not only has to battle against the great talents of his competition, but he also has to convince America that he can get into the soul of any woman; that he can sweep her off her feet at his whim. He has to evoke Tobey.
He has the voice to do it.
Now it’s a matter of whose whim is stronger.
Saturday, March 03, 2007
"The Cool Crowd" Rankings Week 2/25/07
Top Dog: Lost “Tricia Tanaka is Dead”, 30 points
I didn’t rank last week’s episode. Without going into the pseudo-scientific, I would say last week’s was between in the 25-27 range.
This week though was classic (yet new) Lost. Hurley played a different role this week. Seeing the reunion of our favorite originals probably added to the bigger feeling of joy. It wasn’t that they were interacting again, but the plot was being fed with their interaction instead of feeling forced and sluggish when it’s focused on The Others.
Sawyer and Jin moments were great. Charlie and Hurley almost killing themselves was great. The impending siege is really building. Go Lost! Two perfect scores out of 3 episodes. Man, the writers are really in a groove right now.
2nd Place: Heroes “Company Man”, 28 points
No need to refresh or reload. That’s right. Heroes actually delivered this week. Like I’ve said all along, I’ve felt very consistently underwhelmed by their episode arcs but this week’s episode was damn good. What helped? Focusing on the two most intriguing characters with the most weighted relationship: Claire and her father. The other “differents” added a lot to the story in their supporting roles and added to their own complexities: especially for the Haitian. At least it seems like Matt Weis might have a new job, though I don’t know if he’d want to work for that company.
3rd Place: Veronica Mars Papa’s Cabin”, 27 points
This was a pretty good episode. I just didn’t like that Tim Foyle was the killer because ever since the O’Dell murder it reeked of him. There were great Veronica moments as always. Since Logan seems to be out of the romantic picture, could they start filling in more scenes with Weevil and Wallace?
4th Place: Battlestar Galactica “Dirty Hands”, 23 points
Two Tyrol heavy character pieces in a row. That’s a bit weird. I liked this episode, but they really need to move forward with the rest of the plot so that the other characters can make a difference. I didn’t like the portrayal of the working/labor class of this episode. It’s still the best show on TV, but if Lost keeps up what they’re doing with their second wind I might have to shift the title again!
I’m testing out the BBC’s new Robin Hood series. BBC America, Saturdays, 9PM. And, I also haven’t had a chance to watch The Black Donnelly’s, but it’s on too.
