Laziness and egotism
A while ago, I read these two blog posts. They are about why so many films don't pass the Bechdel Test. They are awesome, awesome posts. You should read them.
Also, I think the author's central thesis - that the reason why people discriminate even if there is no profit in it boils down to "laziness and egotism" just explains so much in general about life.
quizcustodet and I just watched series 1 of The Killing (which is amazing) and it got me annoyed anew at the fact that American TV execs insist on remaking everything that's good in European TV rather than just broadcasting it as is. I know the arguments, oh, European TV isn't made in long enough serieses, it's difficult for Americans to understand, the episode lengths aren't the same. But, really, that's bollocks, isn't it? The Killing series 1, for instance, is 20 episodes long, while there are references to the Danish political system that are a little confusing, they don't detract from the story, and if US TV execs really wanted to show the series, they'd make it work with the episode lengths. After all, American shows aren't the "right" length for British TV and yet we somehow manage to make it work. It's got to be easier and cheaper to make it work than to remake the WHOLE SHOW. When American TV execs really want to broadcast a European show, they somehow manage to make it work - e.g. Downton Abbey, Doctor Who.
And, despite the ridiculous number of American remakes of European shows - how many of these are actually successful? Looking down that list, the only significant success that I can see is The Office. In a sense, it is obvious that they aren't likely to be successful - what do they THINK is going to be the result if they give a set of scripts to a bunch of American TV writers and basically say, "your efforts are woeful but this British set of scripts is great, just remake this", do they really think they're going to get those writers' best work? Do they think they'll manage to capture the spirit of the original? Particularly egregious in this department is the American remake of Sherlock. Sherlock Holmes set in New York. With Watson played by Lucy Liu. I just don't have enough bile to do that rant justice.
Whereas, if you think about the (much shorter) list of shows shown in the original in the US, you see some success stories - Downton Abbey, Doctor Who. So, why don't American TV execs at least try more of that, rather than wasting their time and money on dismal failures like remaking Sherlock, Ab Fab, Dad's Army, Cold Feet, Fawlty Towers, The Vicar of Dibley, LITTLE BRITAIN.. I mean, really, it was pretty damn obvious that lots of these were just NEVER going to work. The answer, I reckon, is pretty much summed up as: laziness and egotism. Laziness in not wanting to bother making changes to episode lengths, ad break lengths, egotism in refusing to think that anything non-American could possibly be a success in the US.
It's irritating.
Also, I think the author's central thesis - that the reason why people discriminate even if there is no profit in it boils down to "laziness and egotism" just explains so much in general about life.
quizcustodet and I just watched series 1 of The Killing (which is amazing) and it got me annoyed anew at the fact that American TV execs insist on remaking everything that's good in European TV rather than just broadcasting it as is. I know the arguments, oh, European TV isn't made in long enough serieses, it's difficult for Americans to understand, the episode lengths aren't the same. But, really, that's bollocks, isn't it? The Killing series 1, for instance, is 20 episodes long, while there are references to the Danish political system that are a little confusing, they don't detract from the story, and if US TV execs really wanted to show the series, they'd make it work with the episode lengths. After all, American shows aren't the "right" length for British TV and yet we somehow manage to make it work. It's got to be easier and cheaper to make it work than to remake the WHOLE SHOW. When American TV execs really want to broadcast a European show, they somehow manage to make it work - e.g. Downton Abbey, Doctor Who.
And, despite the ridiculous number of American remakes of European shows - how many of these are actually successful? Looking down that list, the only significant success that I can see is The Office. In a sense, it is obvious that they aren't likely to be successful - what do they THINK is going to be the result if they give a set of scripts to a bunch of American TV writers and basically say, "your efforts are woeful but this British set of scripts is great, just remake this", do they really think they're going to get those writers' best work? Do they think they'll manage to capture the spirit of the original? Particularly egregious in this department is the American remake of Sherlock. Sherlock Holmes set in New York. With Watson played by Lucy Liu. I just don't have enough bile to do that rant justice.
Whereas, if you think about the (much shorter) list of shows shown in the original in the US, you see some success stories - Downton Abbey, Doctor Who. So, why don't American TV execs at least try more of that, rather than wasting their time and money on dismal failures like remaking Sherlock, Ab Fab, Dad's Army, Cold Feet, Fawlty Towers, The Vicar of Dibley, LITTLE BRITAIN.. I mean, really, it was pretty damn obvious that lots of these were just NEVER going to work. The answer, I reckon, is pretty much summed up as: laziness and egotism. Laziness in not wanting to bother making changes to episode lengths, ad break lengths, egotism in refusing to think that anything non-American could possibly be a success in the US.
It's irritating.