Tuesday, February 26, 2008

TV Back to......Normal?

Well, the TV writers' strike is over. Some shows are back on the TV now with fresh material. Other shows will take longer, some even not coming back until the fall.
1. Did the absence of new television shows affect your daily lives at all. Did you still watch the same amount of TV or less? If you watched less, what did you do instead?

Also, one of my favorites, Saturday Night Live, returned this week. And guest host's Tina Fey's comments are generating some buzz. Tell me what you think of her comments, in which she claims "bitch is the new black." You can find them at http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/#mea=221773.

Remember two paragraphs.

24 comments:

EThompson said...

I really didn't feel that the my schedule changed too much as far as television watching. But I am glad that the strike is over so that everything can get back to normal there are maybe one or two shows that I like to tape and watch whenever I get a chance at a later date. I really don't think that bitch is the new black but I can see how some people would compare them because of the meaning of the word bitch and the color black really have similar meanings when you think about it, but I don't think that bitch is the new black!!!

NancyH said...

The writers’ strike did not have a great effect on me. I do not watch much television. When I do have time, which is rare, I watch movies or educational channels. While the strike was on, I was overly busy with work and studying. I probably watched less during that period. I am glad it is over because I was getting a little tired of hearing about it day in and day out. There are people in the world with no food or water and I think it is petty for the writers, who ARE working (if you can call it that- it is mostly crap they write anyway,) to cry about their jobs.

When it comes down to it, Tina Fey, for many, is only a comedian/writer. However, I think her audience is an intricate mix and her comments may have had more of an impact on this country than one might assume. I am not a huge fan of Senator Clinton or Tina Fey but I have to commend them for their attempts to explain a little something to the American sheep!
I do not approve of the B word. That is a terrible insult and is in no way something I would stand behind. I think it is hugely disrespecful that this is the way society labels a person for being a strong woman.

Leeanna McVay said...

The writer' strike had no effect on my schedule at all. As a matter of fact, I wasn't even aware that there was a writer's strike until it had been underway for awhile. The only shows that I ever watch is reality shows such as "American Idol" and occasionally "Biggest Loser."

As far as Tina Fey's comments, for entertainment purposes, it was funny. For all other reason, I don't necessarily agree. I think you can be a woman and be head strong enough to get the job done without being labeled as a "bitch."

Roslyn W. said...

Since I enjoy watching t.v., I really haven't noticed that there was a problem because I love to watch re-runs anyway. A lot of the shows that I like are shows that I enjoy watching again and again. There are so many networks out there so who would notice unless you are really stuck on one particular network. Personally, I couldn't tell if some shows were new episodes or re-runs. Although the writer strike is over, I still look forward to watching my re-runs and enjoying a good bootleg movie.

If Tina Fey wants to be known as a bitch let her but this is why so many rap groups and our youth are using these terms. The term bitch is so disrespectful and degrading to woman whether white or black. For her to use the word bitch and black in the same sentence is not good for black women that don't consider themselves to be a bitch and won't allow anyone else to address them as so. Why she couldn't say bitch is the new white or this is the year for the white bitch. The word bitch is a female dog and people should use that term for just that.

Tessa Horn said...

I do not watch television very much, but I do watch Desperate Housewives, which was effected by the writers strike. Other than this one show, the writers strike did not effect my television watching.

As for Tina Fey and her comment, I think that she was a bit out of line. However, her job is to make people laugh, and their was laughter after her commment. As a woman, I do not like to be called a bitch or do I refer to other women as bitches. I think that when this word is used out of context (name for female dog), it is very disrespectful.

elizabeth bowling said...

I actually did not miss the tv shows at all. I don't watch too much tv anyway since I have a young son most of my time is spent with him, and the other time I have is spent doing classwork. I do not think I would have even noticed anything was differetn if the writers strike had not been all over the news and talked about constantly.
As for SNL, I do like that show a lot and I also like Tina Fey because she is very funny. I do not like what she said about bitch being the new black though. I think when women degrade themselves it is just opening us up to other people degrading us, and then where does it stop? But I also think that since she is a comedian that her coment was mostly said just to get laughs so it dosen't bother me that much.

Rebecca said...

I really didn't feel that my schedule changed too much as far as watching television. I haven't had the time to watch television very much this semester. I am a full-time student, working full-time, full-time mother/wife and the time in not there this semester. I spent most of my time writing papers for my Element of Persuasion class and taking quizzes for the other classes. I am glad the strike is over and everything is back to normal.

The comment made by Tina Fey, growing up, calling someone a Bitch gave the cause to throw down. It was fighting word. There is nothing funny or friendly about the "B" word. The term for female in general, it is also frequently used as an offensive term for a women, taken to mean that she is malicious, spitful domineering intrusive or unpleasant. Some women also use the word Bitch in a joking way, which is also found a lot on television and movies. I personally don't call my friends bitches--------it's just not classy.

Toni said...

The writers' strike didn't affect my television watching. I don't watch a lot of tv. I have a full-time job, two teenage girls, a wonderful husband and a full load of classes. My time is pretty occupied.

I agree with nancyh and have the same feelings regarding Senator Clinton and Tina Fey. I don't agree with the B word either and it is used as nothing but an insult or derrogatory term that does not fit the issue. Women should not be labeled with such a term for being strong.

Gunner said...

I do not have cable so therefore I do not watch television that much. The only shows that I can get locally that I can watch are on channels 4, 9 and 27. I rarely watch those. My schedule stays busy and is always changing but television doesn't effect it. I probably could live without a television even being in my home. That is how much I actually get to sit and watch it. I am glad that the strike is over because when my mom doesn't get to sit and watch all the crap she watches at night she gets in a bad mood and I hate listening to it. I don't live with her but I do talk to her on a day to day basis.

As for what Tina Fey she needs to think about what she said. I hate the word bitch used in any way. My ex-husband called me that and it really just pisses me off to hear anybody call someone that. I think that it should just be limited to a female dog. I bet that she wouldn't like being called a bitch! She needs to think about how that would feel.

Gunner said...

Yes, I know I forgot to put Heather F. at the bottom of Gunner's blog. Sorry.

Heather Noble said...

I don't think that my TV schedule changed all that much during the writers' strike. I enjoy watching TV as a way to unwind after a crazy day but most stations that I watch weren't really affected by the strike. I am glad that all of the employees outside of the writers are able to go back to work because the strike is over.

As for Tina Fey's comments that bitch is the new black, I am not sure that I agree with her. I think that any time a woman is strong and independent she is automatically considered a bitch which is unfortunate. Whether or not you like Senator Clinton you have to respect the fact that she is willing to pave the way for women in the future. It takes a lot of courage to put herself in a position that leaves her vulnerable to much criticism just for being ambitious.

krc said...

As far as the strike, it didn't really affect me too much. I don't watch a lot of TV in the first place. Honestly, I have so much homework in all my classes, and being a single parent taking care of 2 kids, I just don't have the time.

Tina Fey is a comedian. While she was trying to convey a message, she was also trying to do it in a funny way to attract more viewers. I believe women are given more credit today that they have in the past. I do not think she needed to use the word "bitch" though. With the saying, "bitch is the new black", it's almost like she was trying to mix the two. I believe that although she was trying to be funny, she could have done it in a more positive way.

Kimberly Cook

Rosie said...

I didn't miss anything with the writers strike. I watch lifeteime movie network and the scifi channel. I have not watched snl since Eddie Murphy.

As for her using bitch as the new black. That should be offensive to all black females.

Mari said...

TV Back to Normal

The absence of television shows has not affected my daily life; because I watch the news most of the time. Plus, most of the shows are boring and it’s the same storyline. I’m up for work at 4:30a.m., I return home around 7:00 p.m., and after helping my son with his homework, it’s time for bed. Especially, with the upcoming Presidential election, I find myself watching the last news about the candidates. Even if there wasn’t an election; I always watch the news or gospel programming all day.

As for Tina Fey’s comments on Saturday Night Live, I wasn’t sure how to take her remark. This is an out of the blue guess, but was she believing the rumor that black women are bitches because society says we are angry and don’t mess with a black woman. “Saturday Night Live” is a comedy show that has walked a thin line between funny and controversial. Tina Fey is funny and I’m going to believe that her remark was not meant in a negative way.

Deanna Wilson said...

The writer's strike did not really effect how much TV I watched. I had already gotten used to not having back to back new episodes of Grey's Anatomy anyway. During the evening hours, I found myself watching shows that I had never watched before; many on the Bravo channel. I'm officially obsessed with Project Runway! I am glad that the strike is over though, maybe I will actually get to see a new episode of Grey's before summer starts.

As for Tina Fey, I guess I am the only one who thought it was humorous. That doesn't mean I like the word bitch or want anyone to call me a bitch, but I did think it was funny. I don't think she meant it in a negative way. It is Saturday Night Live; you can't take this stuff so seriously.

R. Wickersham said...

The writers' strike had no effect on me whatsoever. I think that is because I watch reruns anyway. I prefer them to what is being run now. I have enough commitments in my real life and that leaves little time to commit to a television show from week to week. I have tried before, but I just never remember to watch the same show at the same time on the same station week after week. Lucky for me, I suffered no television withdrawal due to this mini-crisis.

As for Tina Fey and her silly little commercial for the Clinton campaign, I have to say that I now must boycott SNL. I know that NBC will eventually grind to a halt and my personal actions will end the SNL dynasty for good. (If only!) The funny thing is, I now know why this show has hit an all-time ratings low. My boycott is likely to have little effect since I didn't watch this show before this political ad ran either, but perhaps I will start watching this week and then quit next week. That'll show 'em!!

You see, I have a simple rule. I watch movies, television and read books for my entertainment, not for my agitation. I barely found Tina Fey humorous before this tirade, and now I just wrote her and her show off completely. I am so tired of Hollywood using their access to my living room as a stump for their political crap. Robert Redford, Tom Cruise, Susan Serandon, Tim Robbins, The Dixie Chicks and now Tina Fey can all just keep whatever they are pushing this week. I just want my laughs to be spin free since nothing else is. I want my ever-increasing movie ticket price to pay for entertaining shows that don't hide some anti-whatever propaganda in their message. Hell, I don't even think I want them to have a message at all! For God's sake, keep your political, ethical, religious and other opinions to yourselves!! I DON'T CARE!!! I NEVER DID!!! Does anyone else get this agitated over being force fed some high school-dropout-turned-movie-star-turned political analyst's opinion?!?! It is a major turn off for me, literally. I see it and I turn it off. Maybe losing my money won't hurt them, but I won't subject myself to someone else's crappy propaganda anymore.

Vixen1922 said...

Jessica Hunter
I never have watched a lot of television but there is one show that I have watched religiously! Desperate Housewives has been off the air for about 3 weeks I think and it is driving me CRAZY! Its the one show that I cannot live without! Other than that, I never really noticed the strike. My husband was upset because Avatar was not playing, but we both watch a lot of anime that you can just download online, and as far as we know there have been no writers strikes in Japan lol.

As far as Saturday Night Live goes, I must say that "bitch is the new black" is a wonderful term for me. Being a self-proclaimed bitch myself...when the situation calls for it, means that this is getting to be an acceptable term. I have always had a problem with the fact that when men are agressive and dont take any crap they are called powerful and cut throat. When a woman is being agressive she is called a bitch. Double standards are perhaps one of the biggest injustices that women have to endure. I am very agressive in almost everything that I do, so this is a welcoming statement. Is Hillary a bitch, yes, but do I like her..no, but its not because she is a bitch, its because she is running an awful campaign in my opinion, and no I dont think that Bill should be president again, he had his chance and now its time for someone new!

Lauren said...

I am so glad the writers' strike is over. I hated going without Grey's Anatomy and Desperate Housewives. My schedule didn't change that much because those are really the only shows i keep up with. I probably got some homework done a little sooner but that's about it. I also rented more movies than I used to on Sundays since Desperate Housewives wasn't coming on.

I think that Tina Fey's comments were funny. Saturday Night Live is meant to be a funny show so that's what you get when you watch it. Her comments were things that most people probably think but don't ever say. That's what makes it even funnier. I think that someone who got mad about it should lighten up and not take things so seriously.

Anonymous said...

I am really glad that the writers strike is over. The only show that I really watched was Grey's Anatomy, but it was a crying shame when it was over. My friends and I had nothing to do on Thursday nights. I must say that I didnt like how the direction the show was going so I wasnt too upset when the show ended to save myself some heartache. But now that it is coming back in APril I need to get caught back up.
I am going to have to agree with leeanna when she says that a women can be head strong without being titled a bitch. If that is the case I no I have been called one quite frequently. So no I do not think that Bitch is the new Black!

Anonymous said...

I do not think that the writer's strike affected me in anyway. I usually watch programs that are old anyway (MASH, Home Improvement, etc...). I do not care too much for the new programs coming out.
On the SNL note, I think Tina Fey brought up some interesting points, but I am not sure that I would have made the comparison she did. I am not sure why. It just did not sound all that great.

c.mcnair said...

The writer’s strike had little effect on my television. I think it’s good when writers do strike. As Americans, we sometimes take democracy for granted, and people who strike do so for several reasons but mostly, those such as the writer’s say “we want better treatment” and secondly they say “hey, we still got a democracy here, give us what we want!”
Maybe we should name the month of March “Bitch Awareness Month” in Tina Fey’s honor. She doesn’t seem to mind. But, its already old language in other ears, I’m sure, and neither am I positive that it flatters black folks to be as sarcastic as Fey was in a comparative manner. But, I guess that’s her job.

Barbara said...

The absence of the new revulsion shows did not affect my daily lives at, because I don not watch a lots of TV. I watch the news after that I hardly watch any thing else on TV. I most watch TV if there is a special show or a movie I want to see. To be honest I did not know the TV writer was on strike. I don’t like the word bitch. This is an ugly word, and I don’t like to hear people use it.

R. Wickersham said...

I was reading some of the comments here and realized that there are a lot of people who didn't get the Tina Fey joke. When she said "bitch is the new black" she was making a style reference, not a racial one. Whenever something is called "the new black" it means that it is stylish or hip. Black is a classic fashion and will never go out of style, but people often use this to make a statement about what is "in" for this year or season.

Tina Fey was saying that it is stylish or "in" to be a bitch. She was proclaiming that it is time for women to get more active and be more agressive. I have no issue with that portion of her joke. I just get tired of political agendas being pushed into my entertainment.

S. McElfish said...

The writier's strike really did not affect my life, but I did start to watch the unscripted late night talk shows when they came back on air Jan. 3 2008. More specically, I enjoyed watching Conan O'brian more than any of the other shows. The unwritten shows with their off-the-wall jokes and video dairy gags reminded me of the episodes of Conan that I enjoyed as a youngester.

Therefore, the does scripted matter sense the unscripted material reminded me of my own childish viewing habits of my youth, or does the real question arise as what is truly adult. Unscripted like Conan or scripted like Tina Fey, the question may reveal more the the answer.