Since I have been alone, I have filled my days with errands and goals and now come to the end of the list. The next list is holiday shopping and I have no immediate desire to work on that right away. I will not be entertaining as my daughter has insisted she be the center for that. It is OK as it saves me a lot of work and I figure in years she will have reached my time in life and have a better perspective.
Today and yesterday I stumbled across an old Netflix e-mark that I had on that popular series "House of Cards." We had watched the first and second year and then for some reason forgot to continue to watch..actually I thought it had been on another pay-per-view site. I am old, what can I say?
Anyway I spend about three hours each evening catching up. At first I felt guilty. I had concerns about watching a show that has a star with a recently exposed despicable background. There is that important question. Can you admire the art of someone who has been revealed to be evil? This post is not about answering that question, although I would really appreciated your opinions on that. The show involves many people who will be paid residuals and who are talented, and therefore, I do not feel guilt. The writers, the directors, the co-actors all deserve admiration of their work. I also have realized with this Congress and this President, the story is not that far fetched. The headlines of today are pretty good in melding with plot points on this series.
I got a Skype call just an hour ago, from my husband who is on the other side of the world. You remember that, right? Anyway, they were just evacuated from their hotel due to an earthquake. Do you realize there have been at least two major and many minor earthquakes recently? No? Well, he is safe and he sounded very calm. His good friend, who is in his 80's, is with him on this adventure. See? Life is not over unless you throw in the towel. I hope that I am that interested in adventures in my 80's. Even if you find you do not get to see your 80's due to some crappy quirk of fate, let us hope your warrior side kicks in and you squeeze out the juice of the life you have been given.
Hope your husband and his friend stays safe! I did see the word "earthquake" somewhere in the news today (I am great at reading headlines but not the stories!) As far as actors, I prefer not to know of their personal lives. It doesn't affect what I choose to watch. I mostly watch re-runs of old shows; maybe that is why it makes no difference! Andrea
ReplyDeleteIf we had to do a background check on everyone with whom we do any type of business, i think we would do no buisiness. We all have skeletons, some worse than others. My bigger concern is has this person been brought to a point where s/he realizes the actions were wrong and has truly repented and wants to make amends and do better.
ReplyDeleteIt is nice to be adventurous, and i hope your husband and friend remain safe.
The series/workers shouldn’t suffer because of one of the actors. Many have already suffered enough. What I find infuriating about these situations is how many people were complicit in the whole mess. These men who have been named were well known for their behaviour and the victims weren’t protected. Money is a powerful silencer!
ReplyDeleteWe watched the first two seasons of H of C. But when season three came out, we just decided we'd had enough. I think B and I have short attention spans! Anyway, glad your husband is okay and that he is powering on.
ReplyDeleteI watched a few episodes of the last season of House of Cards and couldn't get enthused about it, partly because it's too close to what's happening in reality. And now I've stopped caring whether I see the rest of it or not. I'm glad to learn your hubby is all right after experiencing an earthquake. There seem to be quite a lot of them these days. :-(
ReplyDeleteIt's sad about Kevin Spacey; I really liked House of Cards. Can we admire the work of an artist who is evil? Many great people were not nice individuals, and that includes Rembrandt and Picasso. They might not have been evil, but they certainly engaged in evil things. This is a good topic for further exploration.
ReplyDeleteIt is quite an extraordinary turn of events when the tables are turned on the people who have been less than decent. Spacey and others are expelled from their trade and publicly humiliated, so do we not show their work? the answer is definitely no, their work is separate from the personal part of their lives. What is being enacted in society, is that women are having a say on being humilitated by more powerful men, this has to run till we find equilibrium between men and women. Glad your husband is safe from the earthquake what a worry for you. X
ReplyDeleteYour hubby's friend is doing well still travelling at 80. These sexual predators give me the creeps. I doubt very much that they can be rehabilitated. They should have a life long punishment just like their victims have life long damage.
ReplyDeleteI think that creative products should be judged on their merits, not the merits of the individuals behind them. Individuals should be judged/held accountable separately. Someone recently asked me why I thought all these allegations of previous sexual misconduct are coming out in torrents now. I think it happens way more than we realize. My sister and I were molested by our family dentist. We never told our parents because my father either would not have believed it OR (far worse) he would have killed the dentist and we would have been responsible for him being in jail and my mother and four kid being without means of support. We learned early to take care of ourselves and to recognize jerks and sleasebags and take evasive actions.
ReplyDeleteFor me, whether their 'real lives' would ruin their character feeling real in a movie, would depend on how good an actor they were. Kevin Spacey played the same sort of character a lot. He'll probably get back in the graces of the powers that be in that world but they'll give it some time.
ReplyDeleteWhat gets me with people like Spacey and Weinstein is going to sex rehab to learn how it's appropriate to behave toward the opposite or same sex. Seriously, it had never dawned on them that what they were doing was wrong? To me, sex rehab is for someone who has to do it all the time and has let sex dominate their lives. Is it really the only way Spacey can figure out it's not okay to grab a man's genitals? My cynical side says they do it only to get back in the good graces of the fans or money people. Surely they did know...
when you stop living, you start dying.
ReplyDeleteas for sexual aggressors, they have to know it's wrong but they do it anyway because they can get away with it. what's worse is that when they get caught they lie and/or attack their accusers. that makes them even more evil as far as I'm concerned. will I not watch entertainment that is connected to known sexual predators? well, I don't watch much TV anyway but why punish all the other actors and behind the scenes by not watching if you want. hopefully we will reach a day soon when women will be empowered to come forward when it happens and they will be believed and appropriate action taken. I don't expect it though considering this country elected a man to the presidency who bragged about being a sexual predator and the republican party turns a blind eye or excuses all the predators in their party and there are many. the democrats threw Weiner to the dogs but republicans want to elect them to the senate. that's a sad statement on the moral fiber of the population of this country.
I watched one season of the American House of Cards. I found it sleazy. Have you watched the older British version. Much better IMO although I am still now the hugest of fans.
ReplyDeleteI did the British version. More stylized and very good. I guess I like watching HOC because it seems to scary and close to reality.
DeleteApplause for Ellen Abbott!! My thoughts exactly! I have never seen any of the House of Cards series, but I am sure I watch a lot of shows who have excellent actors/actresses in them who are as corrupt and morally bankrupt as they come. :/
ReplyDelete(evening news comes to mind LOL). I have total admiration for those who make it into their 80s and beyond, and still live every day with zest and a sense of adventure. :)
This must be a very frightening time for men in every walk of life who may have used their power to take sexual advantage of another person. It has always been around and was never spoken about. I just heard about Senator Al Franklin and I am so disappointed because I thought he was a possibility for 2020. Most of congress must be shaking in their boots.
ReplyDeleteI am so sad about Franken. Then again, for many years he was a part of a culture where it was accepted.
ReplyDeleteMy first husband was a bottom of the barrel sort of guy. I blew off those sordid sort of details before we were married...owning and running a whore house in Seoul Korea. After ten years of marriage, I couldn't keep my blinders on to all his affairs. For some reason, I never wanted to leave him...silly me.
What a rich tapestry our lives become. Do we blame ourselves for the missed stitches when we were not the total weavers?
DeleteReading the comments here, I also was surprised by Franken. He used to talk so lovingly of his wife on his radio show. That often though is how it is-- the louder they talk, the more likely they are hiding something. Women have been saying some members of Congress have behaved badly to them, but they haven't named names. Maybe they will now. Mary Bono, widow of Sonny, was one who said a member of Congress had gotten out of line with her. I hope names are brought out. For those who say times have changed and once upon a time, it was all right-- they'd have to be really really old as at 74, I knew the rules of good behavior and so did the guys i dated. Those who abuse are not new but it's long been wrong.
ReplyDeleteI think this is the crux of the issue. We all knew it was wrong. Some were powerful and moved away and some were intimidated and had their lives permanently misdirected.
DeleteI would have, and still would enjoy some travel adventures since my husband’s death and especially since I finally retired, but thought it the better part of wisdom to have a friend with me — could never find a contemporary up for any adventure. So, good for your husband’s friend, I say.
ReplyDeleteMeant to address the celebrity as dispicable characters issue — not limited to just men, you know. I suppose a case can be made for boycotting the performers, but they’re mostly part of a company of actors, other supporting workers. I don’t know that I would reject previous productions. In fact I recall having seen several seasons in years past and thought it quite good, but haven’t seen the show to which you refer, since the new govt in power. I might well choose to not support any new work the offender might do, but think it’s not likely he’ll get work. Is truly a shame to lose such a great talent, but hardly the first.
ReplyDeleteThe #metoo movement is long over do. I believe it is an iceberg, majority won't be surfacing. What does it say about the world when attention to serious issues are side lined until a celebrity captures attention of the media? I find it disturbing the value of life is determined by wealth/popularity. Raise hand...don't care if the tree makes a sound in the woods...you just like seeing it fall?
ReplyDeleteGlad Husband is safe