The Wire

[FuzzyDunlop]

After watching the last four seasons in 3 weeks I have began to wonder...
is it really this bad in Baltimore?
Are any other cities like this, or worse?

 

[Descartes]

In areas like that, sure. In most of the areas, of course not. That's like asking if all of the middle east is like Iraq. All cities have their contentious areas where crime is just a normal part of life, and in some cities those areas are sometimes mixed together.

 

[upsciLLion]

TV is not known for realistic portrayals of anything.

 

[Pocatello]

Originally posted by: upsciLLion
TV is not known for realistic portrayals of anything.

Surely not!

 

[Darkstar757]

Well I can tell you that SE Washington DC is just as bad if not worse. The wire isnt even close to how bad it is in SE DC.

 

[shocksyde]

Originally posted by: Darkstar757
Well I can tell you that SE Washington DC is just as bad if not worse. The wire isnt even close to how bad it is in SE DC.

My city is worse than yours! Nuh-uh! No way! Mine is worse!

 

[Slick5150]

Originally posted by: upsciLLion
TV is not known for realistic portrayals of anything.

The Wire is actually.

 

[1sikbITCH]

I live in Baltimore City and in past years spent a lot of time in the neighborhoods portrayed on the Wire. The portrayal of street life in the ghetto here is very realistic. Remember that there are many other neighborhoods in Baltimore that are not rundown ghetto neighborhoods.

Sure the show will over-emphasize things here and there because they have only one scene to get a point across, but all in all it is very accurate. There are people such as Omar (called "stickup boys") who hold up the drug dealers, there are plenty of open air drug markets, and the body count hits 300 nearly every year and most of them are young black males killing each other just like on The Wire.

I have scrounged for copper and metal and anything else we could take to the junk man with people like Bubbles, I have been up in the back alley copping dope while armed muscle kept everyone in line and watched the street for the police, and I have been smacked around by the police as well. I have been beat down and seen other people beat down. Chris and Snoop are a little over the top but there is definitely a lack of respect for life amongst the hoppers.
In general city life sucks and Baltimore is a prime example of that.

 

[upsciLLion]

Originally posted by: Slick5150

Originally posted by: upsciLLion
TV is not known for realistic portrayals of anything.

The Wire is actually.

I've never seen it. Is it any good?

 

[HannibalX]

Black Avatar? Check.
First Post? Check.
Registered Today? Check.
Casually talking about some : product, service, form of media? Check.

 

[Slick5150]

Originally posted by: upsciLLion

Originally posted by: Slick5150

Originally posted by: upsciLLion
TV is not known for realistic portrayals of anything.

The Wire is actually.

I've never seen it. Is it any good?

Best show on TV. Seriously. Its a shame it doesn't get more attention.

But do yourself a favor and rent the 1st season on DVD. Its currently half-way through its 5th (and final) season.

 

[HannibalX]

Originally posted by: Slick5150

Originally posted by: upsciLLion

Originally posted by: Slick5150

Originally posted by: upsciLLion
TV is not known for realistic portrayals of anything.

The Wire is actually.

I've never seen it. Is it any good?

Best show on TV. Seriously. Its a shame it doesn't get more attention.

But do yourself a favor and rent the 1st season on DVD. Its currently half-way through its 5th (and final) season.

That is what the OP is here for, silly.

 

[BurnItDwn]

One time, I heard a police siren where I live!

 

[purbeast0]

Originally posted by: Pale Rider
Black Avatar? Check.
First Post? Check.
Registered Today? Check.
Casually talking about some : product, service, form of media? Check.

yes i'm sure the OP is an actor on the show or works for HBO and is posting on ATOT to get more viewers.

 

[IGBT]

..hip hop culture in big cities has led to dramatic increases in meth/violence and overall crime. Polite society is long gone.

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: upsciLLion

Originally posted by: Slick5150

Originally posted by: upsciLLion
TV is not known for realistic portrayals of anything.

The Wire is actually.

I've never seen it. Is it any good?

Fantastic. It took a little bit of effort to make sure I kept watching the first 3-4 episodes, but after that I was hooked. Definitely watch them in order though. While it may make sense if you started out with season 4, you get a much better appreciation for the characters if you start from the beginning.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

I would say it is much much worse than the show portrays. It has its gritty moments but it has nothing on reality. The 80's crack epidemic has permanently crippled many urban areas.

 

[shocksyde]

the guy who plays McNolty (Sp?) plays the best drunk, ever!

Oh, and: "Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit."

 

[QueBert]

Originally posted by: IGBT
..hip hop culture in big cities has led to dramatic increases in meth/violence and overall crime. Polite society is long gone.

are you bring sarcastic? I lived in the ghetto for awhile, and went to high school in the ghetto and never once saw Meth or even heard it talked about. Ghetto areas are probably the last place you'll find meth in fact, it's not a drug minorities do. I'm talking ghetto places like on the Wire, you'll find plenty of Meth in the trailer park ghettos.

 

[sonambulo]

Originally posted by: purbeast0

Originally posted by: Pale Rider
Black Avatar? Check.
First Post? Check.
Registered Today? Check.
Casually talking about some : product, service, form of media? Check.

yes i'm sure the OP is an actor on the show or works for HBO and is posting on ATOT to get more viewers.

Stranger things have happened. I out plants on CAG constantly.

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

Thats crazy! I've heard that DC is bad, but worse than the Wire... geeze. About the black guy avatar... i didnt know how to change that till today. Im a long time viewer of these forums, but first time poster.

 

[Superself]

Originally posted by: shocksyde
the guy who plays McNolty (Sp?) plays the best drunk, ever!

Oh, and: "Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit."

:laugh:

 

[manowar821]

oh lawdy is dis sum spamz? In my ATOT?

 

[jandrews]

I have been to baltimore, by far the most ghetto city I have ever visited in my travels, would not go there again.

 

[torpid]

The parts of the city portrayed are worse than they are portrayed in many ways. The city overall is obviously better on the whole, since they intentionally focus on the problem areas. David Simon directly stated both of these things in "Truth Be Told," a book about The Wire.

The Wire is, however, as realistic as any fictional show has been on the topics it discusses. In fact, many of my favorite characters and scenes were based on real situations. There was a real life Bubbles, Bunk, etc. And Melvin Williams, who plays the deacon seen from time to time, was an infamous drug kingpin in Baltimore before serving a long sentence in prison. He was also among the best pool players in the region, which is why you sometimes see him playing pool.