Growing up, I had favorite TV shows that I would watch every night. One of those programs was The Honeymooners (in reruns) on WPIX. Though I may not have been conscious of it at the time, I now realize that there was one character on the show who stood out as a positive role model for women of her generation.
The Honeymooners was a situation comedy that aired in the mid 1950's. It revolved around the lives of a New York City bus driver (Ralph Kramden, played by Jackie Gleason) and his wife (Alice Kramden, played by Audrey Meadows). They lived in a small apartment in Brooklyn, and would most often just scrape by financially.
Alice was a strong female character who spoke her mind and challenged her husband, and argued with him about who was "head of the household." At a time when other "TV wives" were drifting around in pearls and staying in their traditional roles as the behind the scenes, have-it-all-together homemaker, Alice represented a more realistic and progressive woman, one who was not content to stay quiet and to do as her husband said without questioning it, and one whose mission in life was not solely to keep the house looking perfect and the husband happy.
Alice spoke her mind with regard to finances and business decisions, and expressed her unhappiness with her abode at times; whenever Ralph had a get-rich-quick idea, Alice was sure to shoot it down with practicality. But also, she was always there in the end to forgive him and help put their lives back in arrears when things did not go as planned. Alice did not need rescuing; in fact, it was often she who came to Ralph's rescue.
Obviously, this show aired before the cultural revolution of the 1960's; for this reason, I think Alice Kramden's character could be seen as something of a brave trend-setter.
What television shows/movies have you seen, or what books have you read, that have featured characters who were ahead of their time, or who acted outside of their traditional societal roles?
Bad Movie Review: Hollywood Homicide kills my evening...
Tonight, I was flipping through the stations on TV, and caught a glimpse of a Harrison Ford movie. I did not know what it was, but since Harrison Ford was starring in it, I thought, well, there is probably some merit to it....
An hour and a half later, I sit on my couch, shocked that Ford would choose to act in such a lame movie, shocked further still, that I have continued to watch it, like the scene of a bad car accident that one cannot turn away from (which is actually in the movie). Here is my interpretation: Ford plays a LAPD cop who moonlights as a real estate agent. Or, rather than moonlighting, he seems to conduct his real estate duties alternately during his police shift. His partner, Josh Hartnett, moonlights as a yoga instructor, but is also an aspiring actor who rehearses his lines while on duty. The dialogue is peppered with lines that I can only guess are supposed to be funny, but are actually trite and unoriginal.
During the "chase scene" which dominates the last thirty minutes or so of the movie, Ford is actually on his cell phone trying to broker a high-end real estate deal between two clients, and continues to take calls while shooting at suspects. After Ford crashes the car during the chase, Hartnett commendeers an SUV with a family still inside of it, and tells the children horror stories as he drives. Later, the chase continues on foot, and Ford ends up in a subway station in pursuit of the criminals. This is odd, because I do not think Los Angeles even has subways?!! In any case, they end up catching the criminals and Ford closes his real estate deal.
The movie wraps up with a scene from a play that Hartnett is starring in (A Streetcar Named Desire). During the play, both Hartnett and Ford (who is attending the play) get calls from the LAPD and off they go.
Have you seen this movie? If so, why did you watch it?;)
Has there been a movie that you have watched simply because it starred an actor you favored, only to leave you feeling disappointed?
An hour and a half later, I sit on my couch, shocked that Ford would choose to act in such a lame movie, shocked further still, that I have continued to watch it, like the scene of a bad car accident that one cannot turn away from (which is actually in the movie). Here is my interpretation: Ford plays a LAPD cop who moonlights as a real estate agent. Or, rather than moonlighting, he seems to conduct his real estate duties alternately during his police shift. His partner, Josh Hartnett, moonlights as a yoga instructor, but is also an aspiring actor who rehearses his lines while on duty. The dialogue is peppered with lines that I can only guess are supposed to be funny, but are actually trite and unoriginal.
During the "chase scene" which dominates the last thirty minutes or so of the movie, Ford is actually on his cell phone trying to broker a high-end real estate deal between two clients, and continues to take calls while shooting at suspects. After Ford crashes the car during the chase, Hartnett commendeers an SUV with a family still inside of it, and tells the children horror stories as he drives. Later, the chase continues on foot, and Ford ends up in a subway station in pursuit of the criminals. This is odd, because I do not think Los Angeles even has subways?!! In any case, they end up catching the criminals and Ford closes his real estate deal.
The movie wraps up with a scene from a play that Hartnett is starring in (A Streetcar Named Desire). During the play, both Hartnett and Ford (who is attending the play) get calls from the LAPD and off they go.
Have you seen this movie? If so, why did you watch it?;)
Has there been a movie that you have watched simply because it starred an actor you favored, only to leave you feeling disappointed?
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