My love for Showtime's Weeds knows no bounds. When I first heard the premise -- suburban mom deals pot to support upper-middle-class lifestyle after the death of her husband -- my interest was piqued, but just. And then I caught an episode of the show while staying in a hotel and I was HOOKED. It's got a cast full of faces you just can't turn away from -- the familiar, in Mary Louise Parker as the Stacy's Mom-esque dealer Nancy and Kevin Nealon as Doug, the ditzy CPA with a habit; and the vaguely familiar, and even more compelling Romany Malco as Conrad, Nancy's partner, and Tonye Patano as Heylia, Nancy's original hook-up. This is just the tip of the iceberg -- Nancy's kids, Silas and Shane, brother-in-law Andy, and on-again off-again BFF Celia and her family could fill another blog entry, not to mention guest stars like Zooey Deschanel, "Agent Wonderbread," and soon... Mary-Kate Olsen. Seriously, you have to see it, and if I haven't talked you into it yet, check out what creator Jenji Kohan has to say... I personally want to ask her if she thinks Heylia will adopt me!
When 20% of 8th graders are experimenting with illegal substances, according to a recent Florida poll, and seeing what happened to my own son, I can't buy into a show that undermines what we as a society are supposed to teach our young people...who are making choices without the physical and mental maturity that adults supposedly have.
I have not seen Weeds, but after hearing the interview with the writer today, I am reminded of a film from 2000 called Saving Grace. One of my favorite comedy films. In the film, the main character finds herself pennyless after her husband dies and she decides to grow and sell marijuana in order to keep her house. I wonder if this film had any influence on Jenji Kohan? Also, if any of you bloggers want a film recommendation with the same theme as Weeds, check out Saving Grace. I'll be sure to check out Weeds... as soon as I get cable TV.
Weeds is a fantastic show. I actually dressed up as Nancy for Halloween last year. Wearing my hair wavy with a lacey sleeveless top, I carried an ice coffee cup with straw and placed a sticker of the Weeds logo on the front. I handed out little ziploc baggies of oregano. It was a lot of fun being her. How about planning an interview with Michael C. Hall of Showtime's Dexter after the season premiere on September 30th. It's the best show on television.
Soprano's - glorifying violence and crime.
Weeds - glorifying drug use and dealing drugs
Californication - glorifying casual sex
what's next? a sitcom about high school shooters? a drama with a pedophile as a protagonist?
Weeds doesn't glorify drug use and dealing drugs. C'mon, have you seen it? I must say though, I am totally addicted to Weeds. I need to go to Weeds rehab. I'm getting the shakes because I have not yet been able to see any of the episodes from the third season.
Anyway, it doesn't glorify drug use/dealing. We the watch Nancy (the protagonist) struggle in her new role as a single mother and with her grief, make seemingly endless mistakes and vainly try to keep her family together. We simultaneously root for her and think, "No, Nancy! Don't do that!" Besides, there is an absurd quality about the writing that is just wonderful.
We definitely need modesty movement right now more than ever.






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