AMC: Week Of July 15, 2013 Discussion

[~bl~]

I think objectifying men for a charity that helps victims of abuse is just weird even before what happened in Cleveland. I hope someone realized this was a bad idea and it is something that was discussed, but doesn't happen at the party.

[marceline]

Jesse's being treated like any other character, regardless of his race, and that's all I've ever wanted for black characters on these shows.

I keep thinking about an interview I saw with Octavia Spencer and Viola Davis talking to Tavis Smiley. He complained about them playing maids in The Help and Viola Davis told him point blank that that attitude is "killing the black artist." If the only black character that's acceptable is a perfect one then they become more trouble than they're worth. I want complex messy characters that I can't look away from. Give me the RJ Gannons, David Grants and Drucilla Winters.

If I want black wallpaper, I'll go to Home Depot.

[Vee]

Except that's not what this story was about at all - then or now. You took the surface elements, which are a reality, for titillation. Nothing about that story was titillating, then or now. It was relentless and it was difficult to watch. Cassandra was captive onscreen for maybe a month of real time prior to the schedule change - it felt like months and months.

[cassadine1991]

WOW!!! Comparing a FICTIONAL character to the unjustifiable murder of an innocent teenager.. I have no words

[Winchester91]

...and I thought I've seen it all. So, David Hayward is Georgie Zizzle?

[EricMontreal22]

Exactly. Honestly, while there certainly was a mixed reaction to the story, this is the first time I'm reading complaints that it was all about sexual titillation for the audience...

I don't think I can even comment on Linda's comment that the writers are drowning a black man or whatever. Sigh.

[ellabelle]

I didn't say that it was ALL about sexual titillation for the audience, but I do feel that the scenes in the strip club and with Zach and Lea playing around on a computer were thrown in for the sake of being "edgy" in a story that I felt was lacking in terms of having an educational component. There are a lot of factual issues related to human trafficking that could have been brought into play, and an FBI agent could have been a reasonable character to deliver some of that, but it was more about her sexual tension with Zach.

I feel like there were missed opportunities in the story, and if PP doesn't grasp that, then I don't see why they'd grasp that auctioning off men to fund a center that supports women who've been objectified is at best ironic and at worst potentially offensive. I suspect any bachelor auction is just an excuse for Rob Wilson to take his shirt off. Granted, he is quite easy on the eyes, especially sans shirt, but I'm just not a fan of bachelor auctions on soaps where some woman gets into a snit because someone else bid on the man she wants, etc.

[DramatistDreamer]

I do agree with one thing said so far. It isn't exactly in the best taste to be auctioning off someone just after seeing a wrenching sex trafficking storyline.

That comment comparing Jesse Hubbard to the tragedy that was forced on Trayvon Martin, it's not worth going into except to say that I found it outrageously irresponsible. The two are in no way even comparable.

Hopefully Colby will take the credit for that idea too (on the auction) and get shut down.

[Vee]

I think the Zach and Lea stuff at the club was meant to be sexy. I don't think anything else there was. I thought they went into a pretty fair amount of detail about how that trafficking operation worked, and apparently they did so after doing quite a bit of research. I just think the story has worked - especially ever since Jesse ended up in league with Uri.

[marceline]

I understand the dislike of the sex trafficking story. I don't agree with a lot of the characterizations of it but I understand and respect that there are people bothered by it. Personally, I not only liked it, I thought it wasn't graphic enough. This is one of those topics where I think if you're going to go dark, go dark.

[Steve]

I understand the discomfort with the sex trafficking story, too, and I thought it was well handled. I'm still expecting to hear more about Cassandra's experiences when she eventually starts going to counseling, so I think it might get darker down the line, especially if she's in a support group.

Auctioning off a bachelor is cheesy and I hope it gets nicked, as well.

[Wizzerkat]

I agree generally with what you're saying(I do think they could have gone a little farther) but this isn't Law and Order: SVU. I am not sure I needed it to go too far..

[marceline]

My issue is that we've seen Cass in the throes of heroin withdrawal but saw no evidence of heroin use. They gave her pills a few times (does heroin come in pills?) and poured some booze down her throat but what we saw doesn't match where the story went. I'm glad that they handled the rape the way they did because I've seen enough soap rape scenes to last the rest of my life but I think they glossed over some important stuff.

[~bl~]

I thought when Cass was dropped off at the Hubbard house she was pumped full of heroin. That had to work its way through her system.

[marceline]

Yeah but that wouldn't cause withdrawal. Withdrawal comes from habitual use that suddenly stops.