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Weeds

Aikouka

Aikouka

Lifer
Note that there may be possible spoilers in the following paragraphs. I recommend that you've seen at least up to the beginning of season 3, but I doubt there will be any serious plot twist reveals in here.




I started watching Weeds a couple weeks ago (I'm a bit late to the game 😛) and I can't help but wonder what exactly the show is trying to push with its constant political messages that it has.

It's obvious that the creator/writers do not like Bush or the "War" (there was a whole scene over the use of that word) in Iraq. But one thing I haven't been able to definitively put down is the stuff involving global warming and hybrid cars. At one point, the main character Nancy purchases a hybrid car where she returned her old lease vehicle, a SUV. Then they talked about going to see Al Gore's (at that time) new movie. At this point, I assumed they were just more tree hugging hippies.

Then, if I remember correctly, near the end of season 2 there was a comment made by Helia about killing the planet which Nancy's comeback is, "No, I drive a hybrid!" This made me wonder more about the "push." It's almost like the South Park episode where the use of hybrids is to show that they're someone's "green crutch."

Then in season 3, you have the part where U-Turn buys his goons a fleet of Toyota Prius cars and describes them as great because they're so silent and you can sneak up on "bitches." This possibly has nothing to do with pushing an agenda and is more of a joke on how people think they're too quiet. Although, I think they need to watch Top Gear a bit and realize how they don't make such a great get away car :laugh:.

So, I guess it comes down to... is this show just pushing a hippy-laden agenda? Personally, I hate agendas being so obvious in shows. I don't mind if it's subtle, but Weeds is definitely not subtle.

EDIT:

Since we're talking about the show more now, I thought I'd just change the overall idea to just... well, talking. I personally still watch the show even with what you may read in the text above. If you still wish to agree, disagree, call me an idiot, rally the troops for my stoning (how appropriate an execution for a thread about Weed) for what I wrote, go ahead... or just talk about the latest episode 🙂.
 
It's subtle sarcasm. The entire point of the car exercise was to show that Nancy's SUV was an example of her refusing to own up to the fact that she was (and still is) living beyond her means. That her Prius is the butt of a couple more jokes is just icing on the cake.

You know, if Weeds pushes any political agenda at all, it's at how unglamorous drug usage/sale really is. Look at the morons she associates with who are practically addicts. It's anything but pro-hippie weed smoker.
 
I just watched the first three seasons in pretty rapid succession (love the show), but I don't really feel as if any particular agenda was being pushed down my throat. I suppose, in hindsight after reading the OP, I could see how it would be interpreted that way, but when I actually watch the show it just seems they are poking fun at myriad political and social groups rather than pushing a particular agenda.

KT
 
It is possible that my use of the term "pushing an agenda" is not how you'd expect it. Typically, if I see someone constantly using a political theme in a show where it's not necessarily politically-based, I consider it the writers/creator/director trying to push their agenda in the show. You see similar things in music... kind of like how I can't stand some of the songs on Muse's Black Holes and Revelations album because I don't give a flying fuck if they like war or not nor do I care about their opinion.

The reason I was a bit bewildered is because of the typical left slant I saw in the show with the anti-war segments (dealing with Andy having to go to Iraq, what happened when Andy was at Fort Irwin), the obviously Anti-Bush parts ( like Shane's reason for having the popular vote :laugh: ). Then you get comments on global warming and such, so it simply fell in line with your stereotypical "lefty." But then with the conversation between Nancy and Helia, you got that bit of "green crutch" in there, which points the other way.

As for the show and my opinion it, I thought season 1 started to get a bit monotonous near the end and kind of dry on the humor. Season 2 picked up the humor a bit more, but I swear the writers are literally grabbing for straws (or should I said "weed"?) with how many twists they can throw into the story.

EDIT:

I should probably also add that subtle political tones don't usually bother me, but when it's blatant and constant like how Andy always rants about oil and such, it's just annoying after awhile. Hopefully after the Irwin thing, we won't hear that anymore 🙂. I think I'm on episode 4 of season 3 for reference.
 
Originally posted by: yllus
It's subtle sarcasm. The entire point of the car exercise was to show that Nancy's SUV was an example of her refusing to own up to the fact that she was (and still is) living beyond her means. That her Prius is the butt of a couple more jokes is just icing on the cake.

You know, if Weeds pushes any political agenda at all, it's at how unglamorous drug usage/sale really is. Look at the morons she associates with who are practically addicts. It's anything but pro-hippie weed smoker.
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I agree. I liked Nancy a lot when the show started, but at this point I think she is pretty pathetic. BTW, I'm not really sure where they are going with this show.
 
Originally posted by: yllus
It's subtle sarcasm. The entire point of the car exercise was to show that Nancy's SUV was an example of her refusing to own up to the fact that she was (and still is) living beyond her means. That her Prius is the butt of a couple more jokes is just icing on the cake.

You know, if Weeds pushes any political agenda at all, it's at how unglamorous drug usage/sale really is. Look at the morons she associates with who are practically addicts. It's anything but pro-hippie weed smoker.
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No, no, no, yllus, the show is pushing a big fat leftist agenda, right down the OP's undefended throat. Just ask him!

OP, you sound like one sour, paranoid, miserable fuck. Just knowing that the Teletubbies was on TV in another country must have kept you furiously awake at nights, hyper-vigilantly guarding your precious bodily fluids while teetering on the edge of an apoplectic fit.

Have you found that people edge away from you at parties? 😉

 
Gimme a fucking break w/ your agenda shit and crawl to back to P&N already. Nobody's forcing you to watch the fucking show, it's on a fucking premium channel for christ sake, which means joe 6 pack probably ain't watching it.

I love the show for obvious reasons. It doesn't take things seriously, Nancy is a totally hot MILF, and people are stoned half of the time, and it's funny!
 
Originally posted by: Aikouka
It is possible that my use of the term "pushing an agenda" is not how you'd expect it. Typically, if I see someone constantly using a political theme in a show where it's not necessarily politically-based, I consider it the writers/creator/director trying to push their agenda in the show. You see similar things in music... kind of like how I can't stand some of the songs on Muse's Black Holes and Revelations album because I don't give a flying fuck if they like war or not nor do I care about their opinion.

The reason I was a bit bewildered is because of the typical left slant I saw in the show with the anti-war segments (dealing with Andy having to go to Iraq, what happened when Andy was at Fort Irwin), the obviously Anti-Bush parts ( like Shane's reason for having the popular vote :laugh: ). Then you get comments on global warming and such, so it simply fell in line with your stereotypical "lefty." But then with the conversation between Nancy and Helia, you got that bit of "green crutch" in there, which points the other way.

As for the show and my opinion it, I thought season 1 started to get a bit monotonous near the end and kind of dry on the humor. Season 2 picked up the humor a bit more, but I swear the writers are literally grabbing for straws (or should I said "weed"?) with how many twists they can throw into the story.

EDIT:

I should probably also add that subtle political tones don't usually bother me, but when it's blatant and constant like how Andy always rants about oil and such, it's just annoying after awhile. Hopefully after the Irwin thing, we won't hear that anymore 🙂. I think I'm on episode 4 of season 3 for reference.
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Wait, Muse has lyrics? I've listened to the album a dozen times at least and I can't understand a fucking thing they're saying.
 
Originally posted by: DangerAardvark
Wait, Muse has lyrics? I've listened to the album a dozen times at least and I can't understand a fucking thing they're saying.
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hahahaha

 
Originally posted by: Perknose
OP, you sound like one sour, paranoid, miserable fuck. Just knowing that the Teletubbies was on TV in another country must have kept you furiously awake at nights, hyper-vigilantly guarding your precious bodily fluids while teetering on the edge of an apoplectic fit.

Have you found that people edge away from you at parties? 😉
Click to expand...

Sour... maybe. Paranoid... nah. Miserable... only because I read your shitty posts 😉. I just don't like constant references to politically-charged crap. There are two things I prefer to keep out of my entertainment... religion and politics, because everyone's got an opinion on them and you tend to see it in their work. I can put up with it for a bit... kind of like that Muse referenced I mentioned earlier. Most of that album is fine, but there's a song or two that are 100% anti-war that I just can't stand to listen to because I honestly don't care what Muse thinks politically. You can have your opinion, but when you attempt to force it down my throat through something that I enjoy (a TV show, music, etc), I don't like it. You can only mention so much "war for oil" banter before it gets old.

Oh and puh-lease, nub... we all know The Wiggles > Teletubbies.

Originally posted by: Baked
Gimme a fucking break w/ your agenda shit and crawl to back to P&N already. Nobody's forcing you to watch the fucking show, it's on a fucking premium channel for christ sake, which means joe 6 pack probably ain't watching it.
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I've been here for about six and a half years and I think I've posted in P&N less than half a dozen times... I think everyone visits there once and maybe posts a couple times before realizing what it is 😛.

Originally posted by: Shawn
I agree. I liked Nancy a lot when the show started, but at this point I think she is pretty pathetic. BTW, I'm not really sure where they are going with this show.
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You could rename the show "How Nancy Fucks Things Up Worse" and that'd pretty much be an accurate depiction of the show 😛.

Nancy: Hey, I fixed the problem.
Helia: No, barbie doll white bitch, you just made it worse.
Nancy: Aww 🙁 *sips on "Starbucks" and goes to fuck a random guy*

Originally posted by: KeithTalent
when I actually watch the show it just seems they are poking fun at myriad political and social groups rather than pushing a particular agenda.
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I see some of the things as poking fun but others I have a hard time seeing as any bit of humor. The stuff with Andy at Irwin was a bit of social humor (the guy obsessed with killin' "terrists", the stuff about the phone later on), but I don't see how the developments up to that where he's constantly going on verbal tirades about how they're pawns and crap can be taken as poking fun (especially since it's mentioned in numerous episodes).
 
I definitely agree with the OP.

It is a very heavily liberal show, and they try to mix in political humor whenever they can, which I find to be ultimately unfunny or in poor taste. Though this is as to be expected from a show about a widowed mother who sells drugs and drives a Prius.

They constantly take jabs at the conservative right and the upper-middle class suburbanites throughout. The addition of the "crazy religious people" who prayed during the fires and were cookie cutout stereotypes was icing on the cake. I don't mind these things, really, but the problem was they weren't even funny. It wasn't done tongue-in-cheek or ironically. Hell it wasn't even written well or witty. It was just blunt stereotypes thrown in your face, and the writers basically say, "Here - you're liberal, right? Let's make fun of the conservatives".

Thing is, I think as the show progresses, we aren't supposed to sympathize with Nancy. We're supposed to start to realize she's an idiot who is constantly making bad decisions (buying a brand new Prius to replace her Range Rover is one of them). In fact, one could actually argue that she is the liberal stereotype - though portrayed more subtly than her conservative counterparts (her youngest son is actually the most blunt liberal voice - which I find to be both ironic and humorous - definitely intended by the writers).

The notion of her turning to selling drugs to maintain her ridiculously luxurious lifestyle instead of working a legal job and sacrificing said luxuries is the whole point of the show. She's been negligent toward her children, put their lives in danger, and ultimately ends up with nothing to show for it.

But what bothers me about this show is that it is obvious the writers have no direction. People complain that Lost is all over the place - Weeds is worse - and honestly, the story isn't even half as intriguing. Season 1 of Weeds was great - we were presented with interesting characters, interesting stories, and finished with a nice twist. Then it all went to shit, and instead of a character-driven dark comedy, the show somehow devolved into a show about a stupid (but tall) chick who constantly gets into new, wacky scenarios.
 
My girlfriend loves this show. I can't stand it. For one, I don't like it because of the drug overtones. I just don't condone programming that is about glorifying drugs, which from what I've seen of the show it does.
But I guess that's because I really don't have a show of my own to watch. Nothing on TV interests me that much anymore. I'd rather through in a Stargate SG-1 DVD or a Star Trek DVD before watching tv.
 
Originally posted by: JeffreyLebowski
My girlfriend loves this show. I can't stand it. For one, I don't like it because of the drug overtones. I just don't condone programming that is about glorifying drugs, which from what I've seen of the show it does.
But I guess that's because I really don't have a show of my own to watch. Nothing on TV interests me that much anymore. I'd rather through in a Stargate SG-1 DVD or a Star Trek DVD before watching tv.
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I guess we know which Lebowski you are, then 😛
 
Kevin Nealon is a frigging riot, he's my favorite character. I wish there was more of him.

I love adult programming, it's the only thing that keeps TV alive in my mind. That and pro football.
 
Between Weeds and Dexter, Showtime has two amazing shows. I love them both and could care less about subtle political messages.
 
nealon is f'n hilarious. shane is hilarious. i miss silas' deaf girlfriend. i'm glad nancy stripped in the beginning of season 3. andy is getting old and not funny anymore.
 
Originally posted by: Aikouka
. . . kind of like that Muse referenced I mentioned earlier. Most of that album is fine, but there's a song or two that are 100% anti-war that I just can't stand to listen to because I honestly don't care what Muse thinks politically.
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See? You're lying to yourself. If you really didn't care what Muse thinks politically the songs wouldn't bother you. At most, you'd be indifferent. But no, THEY BOTHER YOU so much that you have to come here and post about it.

Wake up and smell your all pervasive politics.

The big political agenda that gets in the way of you enjoying Muse or Weeds is your own!

You are your own angry buzzkill.
 
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