[QUOTE=Annie]
People make real life decisions based on what they know, and if all they ever see on TV is the miracle cure, are we setting them up for unrealistic expectations?
[/QUOTE]
If this is your objection, which episodes of House do you approve of? Almost all of them involve miracle cures. Why is this particular miracle cure offensive?
[QUOTE=Loach]
No that is their doctor’s job to give them realistic expectations. As I said earlier if you want a message watch an after school special. This is a totally unrealistic show. I read there is no Department of Diagnostic Medicine like this anywhere in the country. If there was it would be the Department of Where Most People Die After They Give Them the Most Expensive Tests in the World. If you are looking for realism go elsewhere.
[/QUOTE]
You are absolutely right, but when an average person’s only exposure to these matters is through idealized fiction,and they have a medical crisis, that fiction can fuck up their perception of what is normal and realistic. The medical community has to smack down a lifetime’s exposure to idealizations in order to give the patient realistic expectations. I require enough realism in my non-science fiction entertainment so that I’m not yelling, "oh, bullshit! at the screen.
Really, I used to like this show, but the elements I liked (minimal dwelling on the characters lives and loves, the occasional negative medical consequence) are falling away and all I’m left with is fabulous House sarcasm and wit. Maybe one day they’ll address his probable Borderline Personality Disorder.
I agree with Bricker, too. The final diagnosis is always like the last ten seconds of a time bomb on other shows. Something is going to happen that makes House go hmm…, a bulb will light over his head, and he will bark out all the right orders to get all the right things done just in the nick of time. I don’t know how many variations of “She’s gonna die if we don’t do something right now,” I’ve heard.
[QUOTE=Bricker]
If this is your objection, which episodes of House do you approve of? Almost all of them involve miracle cures. Why is this particular miracle cure offensive?
[/QUOTE]
I scarcely watch the show anymore, so I really can’t give a valid answer. And ‘offensive’ isn’t the term I’d use. Annoying works for me. But now I’m realizing why I scarcely watch anymore-too predictable, and the increasing soap-opera amongst characters. I’ll stick to Heroes and Lost for my fantasy viewing needs.
(Shit-at least those shows kill people off!)
[QUOTE=Annie]
You are absolutely right, but when an average person’s only exposure to these matters is through idealized fiction,and they have a medical crisis, that fiction can fuck up their perception of what is normal and realistic. The medical community has to smack down a lifetime’s exposure to idealizations in order to give the patient realistic expectations. I require enough realism in my non-science fiction entertainment so that I’m not yelling, "oh, bullshit! at the screen.
[/QUOTE]
It’s a shame, especially considering this flaw is limited to medical shows. The legal world, in contrast, is portrayed remarkably realistically on the TV screen.
[/sarcasm]
The truth, of course, is that the medical world has ALWAYS been portrayed unrealistically, and full of miracle cures, in pretty much every medical TV show since the dawn of the TV era.
Again: what is so annoying (changed from “offensive”) about this particular deviation from reality that did not equally exist in last week’s House, last season’s House, the last year of St Elsewhere, the last season of Marcus Welby, MD, and the assorted adventures of Dr. James Kildare?
[QUOTE=Bricker]
It’s a shame, especially considering this flaw is limited to medical shows. The legal world, in contrast, is portrayed remarkably realistically on the TV screen.
[/sarcasm]
The truth, of course, is that the medical world has ALWAYS been portrayed unrealistically, and full of miracle cures, in pretty much every medical TV show since the dawn of the TV era.
Again: what is so annoying (changed from “offensive”) about this particular deviation from reality that did not equally exist in last week’s House, last season’s House, the last year of St Elsewhere, the last season of Marcus Welby, MD, and the assorted adventures of Dr. James Kildare?
[/QUOTE]
Ultimately, it is annoying because it pulls me out of the drama and makes me not care about the resolution of the story when the ending is the same as the week before, and the week before that, and the season before that, and the medical show broadcast 20 years before that. Which is why I haven’t watched medical dramas since adolescence. The first season of House was a refreshing change-I channel surfed on the first episode and went “Whoa! That guy looks like Hugh Laurie” and was pleased with what I saw. The lead was an unrepentant asshole, the medical ending was not always successful. I hoped it could rise above the conventions of the genre you noted. Ultimately, I was disappointed. I watch the odd ep if it looks like it will be decent or House-trauma based, but I’m not going out of my way to tape it if I’m out. But still, if I could get a DVD of House’s Best Snarkage of Season 3, I’d pay $20.
Legal dramas-how the hell did Ally McBeal get court time for their stupid lawsuits within days, as opposed to the years it would normally take? Don’t get me started…
[QUOTE=Bricker]
It’s a shame, especially considering this flaw is limited to medical shows. The legal world, in contrast, is portrayed remarkably realistically on the TV screen.
[/sarcasm]
The truth, of course, is that the medical world has ALWAYS been portrayed unrealistically, and full of miracle cures, in pretty much every medical TV show since the dawn of the TV era.
Again: what is so annoying (changed from “offensive”) about this particular deviation from reality that did not equally exist in last week’s House, last season’s House, the last year of St Elsewhere, the last season of Marcus Welby, MD, and the assorted adventures of Dr. James Kildare?
[/QUOTE]
Ultimately, it is annoying because it pulls me out of the drama and makes me not care about the resolution of the story when the ending is the same as the week before, and the week before that, and the season before that, and the medical show broadcast 20 years before that. Which is why I haven’t watched medical dramas since adolescence. The first season of House was a refreshing change-I channel surfed on the first episode and went “Whoa! That guy looks like Hugh Laurie” and was pleased with what I saw. The lead was an unrepentant asshole, the medical ending was not always successful. I hoped it could rise above the conventions of the genre you noted. Ultimately, I was disappointed. I watch the odd ep if it looks like it will be decent or House-trauma based, but I’m not going out of my way to tape it if I’m out. But still, if I could get a DVD of House’s Best Snarkage of Season 3, I’d pay $20. I think what pissed me off about fetal hands reaching out is that it’s the sort of maudlin pap that usually shows up on posters.
Legal dramas-how the hell did Ally McBeal get court time for their stupid lawsuits within days, as opposed to the years it would normally take? Don’t get me started…
[QUOTE=Loach]
It missed.
I have no objections to sarcastic digs aimed at me or anyone else, it just didn’t work.
[/QUOTE]
Yes, mea culpa. That’s why I didn’t dare say “whoosh”.
[QUOTE=DanBlather]
Sorry, I was taking a sarcastic dig at Liberal.
[/QUOTE]
I got it.
I don’t know if I like this one or not, really. I kept thinking of WhyBaby and how lucky she was to make it, and how WhyNot was totally stressed about her early birth (only a little older than the fetus in the show).
I’m pro-choice, and definitely thought they were playing the pro-life, it’s a baby cuz it has a heartbeat thing. I don’t agree with that stance or with the emotional arguement. However, I think that people should be allowed to make any choice they want, so the patient’s choice to carry the baby as long as possible or die trying is totally exceptable in my worldview, if also a bit short-sighted.
Chase and Cameron–I don’t care for the storyline.
And DanBlather, I got it too.
[QUOTE=kelly5078]
A real woman could make the same choice, but she and her baby would both be dead.
[/QUOTE]
Sure, 999 out of 1000 times. But this is House and crew were dealing with. They face those odds every week.
Ever wonder how they come up with those odds? Every once in a while someone actually survives insurmountable odds…
And since House had the last word in the episode (being a pro-abortion line) I’m not going with the crowd that claims the show was pro-life. They made it clear that it was the wrong choice (except for Cuddy, who was biased for personal reasons) to try to save both the baby and the mother. And since it’s a show based on miracle cures, this time they let the mother live. Makes for better viewing. It was more about “what other neat medical tricks can we try” than pro-life/pro-abortion.
I didn’t read it as an abortion stance one way or the other, actually.
I did think the whole “little grasping hands” thing was a little … schmaltzy, but hey, it’s a TV show. I rolled my eyes and that’s about it.
I particularly didn’t view it as a pro-life stance. Possibly because during the operation scene, my husband turned to me and said “You know you’d better have had the abortion like 20 minutes ago, right?”
I thought it was fairly clearly disapproving of the mother’s call to persist with the pregnancy against all odds and pretty clear on the “they survived only because they got win-the-Lotto-lucky, in fact they should buy them some tickets right now!” stance.
I, personally, like the Chase/Cameron thing - mostly because it’s vaguely entertaining watching Little Miss Emotionally Connected and Aware there totally miss Chase’s growing attachment to her. Also, I’m liking watching Chase get in over his pointy little head.
[QUOTE=Aangelica]
I didn’t read it as an abortion stance one way or the other, actually.
I did think the whole “little grasping hands” thing was a little … schmaltzy, but hey, it’s a TV show. I rolled my eyes and that’s about it.
I particularly didn’t view it as a pro-life stance. Possibly because during the operation scene, my husband turned to me and said “You know you’d better have had the abortion like 20 minutes ago, right?”
I thought it was fairly clearly disapproving of the mother’s call to persist with the pregnancy against all odds and pretty clear on the “they survived only because they got win-the-Lotto-lucky, in fact they should buy them some tickets right now!” stance.
I, personally, like the Chase/Cameron thing - mostly because it’s vaguely entertaining watching Little Miss Emotionally Connected and Aware there totally miss Chase’s growing attachment to her. Also, I’m liking watching Chase get in over his pointy little head.
[/QUOTE]
I would have agreed with you except for the very last scene in House’s apartment. Specifically, after he laid down on the couch and looked at his hand (presumably the same hand the fetus “grabbed”). I honestly believe the purpose of that was not to hit people over the head with a pro-life message, but to plant a seed of doubt in the fence-sitters on this issue.
Earlier in the episode, the mom-to-be was saying, “maybe it wasn’t meant to be.” Suddenly, she’s all, “DON"T KILL MY BABY!!!” I’m not sure if we’re talking a full-blown agenda here, but if the intent was to foster discussion on the subject, it certainly seems to have worked.
Re Cameron and Chase: This better go somewhere real soon, because right now it’s just getting in the way of the storylines (which lately haven’t been much to write home about anyway.) Two wet pieces of wood don’t generate much in the way of sparks, ya know?
I’d have enjoyed this episode more if they didn’t blow a major plot point. They hammered home that at 21 weeks, the baby was not yet developed enough to be delivered. I’m hoping that this was just a matter of that being the case when this episode was filmed, because it’s not the case anymore.
[QUOTE=amarinth]
Biggest problem was that they did it on Scrubs a week or so ago, and I assume the shows have more than just me as a crossover audience.
[/QUOTE]
That’s what jarred me. I thought, fetal surgery for a urinal tract obstruction? Why does that sound so familiar? And then the hand–and I remembered the photo having been shown during our thread on that Scrubs.
[QUOTE=Bricker]
Deadly for your theory is that SUBSEQUENT to the finger grab, when the patient when into v-tach, House clamped off the umbilical cord and was preparing to cut it when Cuddy threatened to shock him.
Did you forget this?
[/QUOTE]
Dang I was going to bring that up. House was still going to abort to save teh patient.
Truth is that everyone is viewing the show through their own filters. I saw Cuddy acting like a fool who just got lucky. I thought House was right.
Still the mother had the right to grasp at straws and possibly die for that choice. She wanted to either have the baby or die with it. Seems odd to some but hey people can be irrational.
My favorite little touch was that in the end as she was hanging up the pictures House’s was not among them.
He probably stole his. 
I liked the pictures, but was wondering how she got them developed from her hospital bed to show House and the rest. Portable digital printer, or one of those passport photo cameras where you yank the print out and it develops under your nose? That would rock on my next trip to wherever.
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic]
I hated this episode too. I found it to be an overbearing, anti-abortion propaganda piece, I couldn’t stand the guest actress (I found her character smug, sanctimonious, irresponsible and self-absorbed). I though Cuddy’s behavior was unethical. The scene with the hand was disgusting and manipulative. I thought it sent a bunch of messages that were dishonest and irresponsible and misogynist as hell (“Don’t terminate a pregnancy to save your own life. You’ll be the miraculous execption. And remember, women exist only to be incubators for babies. A fetus is more important than any woman. It’s immoral to terminate a pregnancy to save your own life and of course…a fetus is a BAAAAAAAAABY.”
Bah.
[/QUOTE]
I don’t see why it’s particularly unfair to call it a baby. In two more weeks, you could put it in a respirator where it could survive, and it would definitely be a baby. That still doesnt mean that fetuses a few month old can be called babies.
Annie - Since she was picking up her (presumably) full-term baby, I’d say that there was a gap of several months between the time the pictures were taken and the time they were hung. And yes, I noticed the lack of a House picture, too.
How do you suppose House always has that 3-day growth of beard?
StG
