Fiction is better than reality in The Wire
by With all of the reality shows cropping up on the set these days, I rarely get sucked into anything. But when I saw the first season of David Simon’s The Wire, I realized there may be hope for TV yet — mostly because I forgot I was even watching a show. Tackling every urban institution, from schools to police to news media and cops, there are truly no ‘good guys’, and after having lived in Baltimore myself on and off for ten years, it broadened my perspective on this city’s and other cities’ issues that lie beyond the newsfeed. In my opinion, it is hands-down the best-scripted and acted show I have ever seen. And now all seasons are available on DVD.
Tagged: tv shows
RELATED
Our friends over at Urlesque have posted a series of videos of epic Wheel Of Fortune fails, with the disclaimer that they know from first experience that ‘losing on Wheel of Fortune is never easy. Sure, some may claim the game show is a glorified, glittery version of Hangman, but there are, indeed, specific strategies to make it or break it. You blow your dough on vowels just to win a prize; you choose an unusually-placed consonant to throw off the competition; you throw Vanna a wink in the hope that she’ll turn that one extra letter’.
From the what will they stink of next universe comes this gimmick from Mattel to capatlise on the unwavering fandom around the Madman TV series and release an exclusive range of customised Ken and Barbie dolls, styled after four characters in the show. With a recommended retail price of $74.95 each, these will be for hardy collectors — and the absurdly curious — only.
This guy is a legend in my eyes; up there with the Tom Waits’ and Dr Johns’ of the zimmer-frame generation. My only hope when I hit my late 60s is to still be rocking it as convincingly as Mr Steve, perhaps strutting a pair of denim dungarees and having perfected that deep, deep Southern drawl. He’s still giving as good as ever, make no bones about that. Watch him laying waste to a whole history of one-man band performances with this little rendition on his Three String Trance Wonder and the Mississippi Drum Machine (or MDM for those in the know).
Also by JOHN MALLOY
Another Dimension show riffs on The Twilight Zone
If you happen to find yourself in LA over the next few weeks, be sure to check out this amazing show at Gallery 1988, opening May 20. The show, aptly titled, Another Dimension, showcases 50 artists’ works based on the original Rod Serling TV masterpiece, The Twilight Zone. My piece, Like A Tiny Doll Cut From A Shell And Brought To Life, is based on the episode, Stopover In A Quiet Town, where a married couple wakes up in a dollhouse after a long night of partying, only to find they are captives, and new toys, for a giant alien little girl.
Hitting supermarket shelves everywhere soon, I just wrapped up a logo design and four illustrations for Hansen’s Beverage Co (parent company of Monster Energy) and their new line of all-natural iced teas. Flavors include Razzleberry, Sweet Lemon, Imorted Ceylon, and Green. You can collect all four for 99 cents each. [See more of John Malloy's work]
After hearing a year’s worth of speculation that this film might not see the light of day, the new Dave Eggers [McSweeney's] and Spike Jonze adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s vividly imaginative story Where The Wild Things Are is finally hitting the big screen. And I can’t wait! The subtle use of CGI on the faces makes the creatures even more eerily believable. Read more
YOU'RE SAYING (2)
Rob said | 31 August, 2008
I’m totally with you on this. I’m loving this series. All the HBO shows ive seen Sopranos, OZ and Big Love are good but I have to say The Wire stands out above these and in comparison to the other mediocre dramas that pass for standard television these days it comes accross as really clever yet entertaining. Gota love Omar and McNulty the perfect examples of the flawed hero.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Beijing-based electronic music duo FM3 have gone a long way with their Buddha Machine, a loop-playing box inspired by similar machines found in buddhist temples across China. They recently rolled out a new line with translucent colors as well as an app for your iPhone or iPad.
Sure, President Obama is just as human as the rest of us, and there is a certain excessiveness to the extent to which he’s been idealized, but I’d rather have a President the world views as a secret agent ninja than one the world views as a bumbling, ignorant fool. Can you imagine an action figure like this one by Hong Kong-based DID Corporation made of Dubya? If they did make one, it’d probably be along the lines of Maxwell Smart.
Back in the day, New Zealand pop absurdists, Split Enz were the finest damn Australasian band around. This track, I Walk Away, off their final album — Spellbound — is their ultimate moment: a hefty dose of pure melodic majestry, wrapped around the aching lyrics and quirky arrangements of genius frontman, Neil Finn.
Italian architect Antonio Cardillo is of the opinion that architecture is only still in pictures, as in its real life it is in a state of transition with man and light moving through it. Read more
In the grand tradition of Funny Exam Answers, comes Passive Aggressive Notes. Read more
Despite their jarring name, British noise duo Fuck Buttons are surprisingly palatable. The band’s long, droning tracks are infused with sweet twinkles and sunny synth, but dark shards of ominous guitar overdrive and distorted screeches pierce the shimmering surface just when you’re ready to zone out. Danceable beats occasionally draw everything back together, creating a stormy, pulsing, and disorienting atmosphere.
We know these aren’t exactly sold as ‘cooking’ aprons but we couldn’t resist. Some of our design savvy readers will recognize Core 77’s Hand and Eye Supply shop, which sells artist supplies, shop tools, and workwear for ‘creative laborers of all stripes’. Read more
WE'RE POSTING / SOME OF THE BEST
Matthew Dear’s Black City album totem
Our friends at Ghostly International are releasing Matthew Dear’s Black City album as a limited edition ‘totem’. A what? A totem – a limited edition metal bar used to access a private music chamber. Cool! Read more
Cookie Boy’s creative cookie designs
I don’t eat cookies, so good thing Cookie Boy’s cookies are little pieces of art too pretty and cute to eat. Read more
Pitched as ‘Ulterior Motives in Contemporary Art’, Disorder Disorder is running until November 14 at Penrith Regional Gallery. It’ll be well worth the trip out west of Sydney: the Australian, Japanese, American and European cast reads like a warriors of street art roundup and includes Mike Giant, Ed Templeton, Anthony Lister [artwork above], Ozzie Wright, and Jonathan Zawada. Read more
Nerd-attack! Man, this TARDIS zipper robe is so much cooler than any Star Wars crap people are hawking this days. This is for the true gangsta nerd.
Get lost in a daydream or a craving for something sweet while gazing at these cool sculptures by Brooklyn-based WiNK WiNK PONY. Made using clay, tree bark, wood, and mossy moss.
Made from 100 percent organic cotton and eco-friendly, this super soft tee celebrates a sinister world of kaleidoscopic colours and ripples of psychedelia, of serenading Queens, of dancing flamingos, of unimaginable euphoria. It’s all the work of Sydney label, Das Monk and it’s available through the Lost At E Minor online store for just US$40. Now, there’s one hell of a Christmas present, even if we do say so ourselves!
If you have a Twitter feed that focuses on cool pop cultural things and you’d like to swap Tweets with Lost At E Minor and other like-minded Twitterers, drop us a note (with Tweet Swap in the title). We have a system in place and we’d like to have you in on it! [illustration by Brad Fitzpatrick]
FOLLOW US
DISCOVER MORE
SO...
SEARCH: Can't find what you're looking for? Do a search..
IS IT GOOD FOR YOU TOO?
We hope you're enjoying your time on Lost At E Minor, but it's not over yet. Got something to share? Tell us about it and we'll look to publish it. If you want to have your work featured on the site, we'd love to hear from you. Pssst, we also have an online store stocking some of the goodies we feature on the site.
If you're a media agency and want to use this platform to connect with our readership, then drop us a line and tell us about it. Oh yeah, and we do digital consulting for cool brands that want to reach the sort of demographic that visits this site.
Paul Ryan said | 29 August, 2008
Couldn’t agree more. The Wire is right up there with The Sopranos in terms of plot/character development and multi-layered nuance. In many ways, it’s more rewarding. I’m half way through the third season and it just keeps getting better.
HBO shows are a great example of the kind of sophisticated art that can be created when mainstream advertisers are denied deity status by networks.