Re: Realism is key

I agree with what Emily had to say. I can't help but think of the Wire in terms of an antithesis to every cop show ever made, but the one show that really sticks out in my mind is CSI. Edgar articulated on Tuesday exactly what I've been thinking. CSI is so popular, I think, because it's essentially white had/black hat every episode. There are never any disturbing moral issues raised, and the bad guys are sure as hell never painted as anything but the bad guys. As Emily pointed out, CSI presents and resolves a problem in 55 minutes every episode, and the "good" guys always win. The Wire is special because nothing is ever resolved fully. 

If you aren't familiar with CSI, watch this YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeeyWvo1rNg

It's by far the corniest thing on television, and one of the most popular. I watch it sometimes just because of how stupid it is.

On a different note, as we talked about the language used in the Wire in class, one scene popped into my mind: the one in episode 4 or 5 where Bunk and McNulty are at the apartment investigating the murder of that chic that D'Angelo iced. What's interesting is that they only say "fuck" and variations on "fuck" throughout the whole seen, and yet we get it. I think that pretty much demonstrates how irrelevant language can be. Mcnulty and Bunk don't have to use a broad vocabulary to make points and do their job, they are capable because of their intelligence, not because of the words they use.