Am I the only one who has developed a vibrant hatred for “Boston Public” without ever watching an episode? During football season, I noticed that every week Fox was advertising an even more sensationalistic episode than the week before. From “He Pretended to Have a Gun” to “Teacher in a Fistfight” to “He Impregnated His Daughter”. What’s next? “A Teacher Engages in Terrorism” or “When Principals Commit Genocide”?
I thought this type of over-the-top stuff was for mature shows in “Jump the Shark” mode, like latter day LA Law or ER. Has Boston Public earned the right to these plots? Or are they just trying to stay one step ahead of the (seemingly) increasing weirdness of real life?
I’ve seen it a few times and your hatred is not unfounded at all. I know plenty of people who will not watch the show thanks to the advertisements. Which leads me to believe that they are infact public service anouncements to prevent people from accidently giving the show a chance.
So highly stupid that even I am going “please someone actually have a good time” its just one thng after another with this bunch of utterly goofball teaching types and where the hell did they get these students, Mars?
I mean half the faculty you just want to bitch slap (cept Jeri Ryan…a good firm spanking bare bottom both to her and from her is in order - Where the HELL were the teachers that looked like her at my school?).
I REALLY want someone to beat the hell out of the lil Napoleonesque Asst Principal and the mouthy fat social studies teacher needs someone to take her down a freakin peg or 8.
And CMON…exactly how many kids have these types of problems? I wasn’t paying attention but apparently this dumb hoochie chick wanted to do nudie layouts for some spank mag and thought ‘they would advance my career in acting’. Look who fell off the Turnip Truck this week! Its like the dumbass factor went through the roof.
And dont get me started on psycho mom and her creep ass son.
The problem is my girlfriend adores it. I told her why doesn’t it have real problems like the faculty trying to discover which student is “The Phantom Shitter” - based on a true story (unfortunatly)!
No my friend, you are far from being alone. People on this message board would create a Boston Public thread discussing the last weeks episode, and once I posted a: “What Is WRONG You people” message. People weren’t happy with that. I find myself being one of least intelligent on these boards, however, I don’t think I am when it comes to this.
If you’ve seen the show, you would know it’s absurd. Certain types of shows/movies have a certain amounts of “poetic license” in my mind. I can’t put into words which story ideas work with which forms absurdities. The X-Files for example… if a car runs off a small cliff and explodes right on impact with a HUGE fire ball spewing debris… that pisses me off. But if we are talking about aliens with less-than-likely abilities, it’s different for me… I might buy that. It’s comicbook-like mixed with real life drama. So deserves a little leeway in some area’s, not in others. Boston Public crosses that line for me, big time. Ally McBeal, (STILL NOT A FAVORITE), has earned the right to be kooky. It’s surreal, but it intends to be, and I don’t TOTALLY want to ‘arf’ every time the judge makes a stupid ruling. That’s how they set up the show. Boston Public is just ridiculous, but says it with a straight face.
Like you said, each one claims to be more “chilling” then the next… this seasons highlight seemed to be a teacher teaching his students about the “N” word because it started a fight when a white kid said it to his black friend in a friendly way, “What up my N…”, (or something like that). And another black student got mad. The problem was… the teacher teaching ABOUT the word, using it only in reference was… WHITE". Because, you know… we all have the right to say what our neighbors say in the same context, unless you’re a white male. However words like “Cracker” are universal. To be honest, it was one of the few better episodes I’ve seen… even though I don’t agree with the message, they didn’t act as if it’s the only “right” message. Most of the messages are moronic. A guy with a gun he fires off in school keeps his job, but a woman who MIGHT have hit another student (not enough to leave a mark) is fired. Nothing makes sense, and David E. Kelly is an idiot if you ask me. Watch “24”.
I watch with my father because he likes that 2hr David E. Kelly crapfest. I like spending time with him, and he watches stuff that I like, so. I hate watching TV alone, who do you talk about it with?
Ahem. People used to make Boston Public threads? “People”?
I think I know to whom you are referring.
But that’s okay. I agree, it’s crazy and wild, and we kind of knew that from day 1. Or day 2. But once you accept that it’s simply sensationalistic stuff, it’s just fun. You know? it had the potential to be a “real” show, and the acting is IMO, good enough, but I’ll watch it no matter what. I am hooked. Guilty pleasure and all that.
Yeah the messages are way skewered. In real life, Harry Senate’s ass would have been fired on day 1, Cheryl Holt would have been expelled, and singing? I don’t think so. (Though you gotta love David’s obsession w/ the singing.)
I’ve watched twice, while visiting my mom. A non-speaking character is the son of someone from my small town, so she watches for a glimpse of Madylin’s son. Moms!?
But the entertainment factor is totally outwieghed by the sensationalism, and the harm it does. About a month ago, they had a show about a kid with a disability. The show ignored all federal and state law to make an “example”. That stuff hurts all kids with disabilities and their parents.
the principal on the show reminds me immensely of george w. bush. this bothers me, even though i am not usually bothered by the sight of dubya (which is another topic entirely). but yeah. i don’t like the show because that principal guy bothers me. and also, the one where the hot teacher kissed dana poole?! that freakin pissed me off. i think that it’s annoying because they’re trying so hard. not really trying to be controversial, exactly, or shock value, but what’s the word i’m looking for? i don’t know, scandalous? it tries so hard not to be another boring school about high school that that’s exactly what it is. to me.
sorry, i meant to say that it tries so hard not to be another boring SHOW about high school, not school about high school. i finally get to the point of my rambling post and i mess up. jeez.
I am not defending as a good show, although I admit to watching it. But just for the record, I’m a high school teacher (alas, I don’t look like Jeri Ryan), and yes, students are every bit as stupid as protrayed on this show. Sometimes more so.
I even knew a student who was hoping to appear in Playboy, because she thought it would be ‘cool,’ and couldn’t be persuaded that there might be a down side.
That sounds like a comment a friend of mine made. He used to think Beavis and Butthead was funny until he started teaching. Then he found out kids really are that stupid.
I might watch an episode where a female teacher dated a former male student. I love the idea of older women with power and younger men.
I’ve had my share of female teacher crushes… just one really, but I would say that’s my share. She was my drawing and sketching college art teacher.
She was… beautiful, but really not traditionally appearance wise. Men would think she’s cute, but he personality was great and made her ‘perfect’. No makeup. She would put her hand on my shoulder and make fun of me in class because whenever I was touched I jumped in startlement. This happend with everyone, not just her. It’s how I am, I jump when touched unanounced… don’t know why, my parents hugged me!? though I jumped, she never stopped doing it, oh… MAN, I loved that. I told everyone in class about my crush, and I hope it got back to her. She was special! What were we talking about again…
Oh yeah, Sleep overs ARE slumber parties only one involved video games and the other kissing your hands pretending it was a boy… Which doesn’t work because despite all my practicing, I have yet to kiss a boy!? I’m going to practice a little harder…
-WAIT! I don’t want that! Hmm… I guess I have to apply the practicing to women. Man, I wish I had a great woman to replace my hand! Did I ever tell you good people about this teacher I had…?
The entire Guber-Meredith thing was getting out of hand.
I also find Mr. Hansen annoying, if we talked the way he does to Chi McBride to our boss, we would be canned on the spot. And no way he would last one second after pulling that N-word stunt.
I guess that is the other annoying thing about the show- 1/2 the teachers would have been drummed out the entire educational system, possibly be thrown in jail, for a lot of the stuff that McBride let’s fly. Also, I have been out of teaching for ten years- do teachers really go to work wearing jeans?
I found this week’s eposide with the chick taking naked photos for the magazine annoying, especially when 7 of 9 Ryan admitted that she had some taken when she was at Brown, and Harry Senate (you know the nutcase teacher who shot a gun in his class, held a boxing match, and decked a student) of course told her “the past is the past”. Yeah right, slut.
Overall, though, I still make a point to watch the show. I love Harvey Lipshitz. The speech he gave a few weeks back about bombing terorists made me laugh so hard I cried. The big ugly fat black lady is very funny too.
I can handle a little over the top melodrama because it is a TV show, and it is FOX of course, the network that dropped America’s average IQ an extra 10 points.
Hahahaha! The thing that kills ME about the singing is that:
a) it’s ONLY the Black faculty members who get to do it, and
b) Louisa (the principal’s assistant) always gets to join in, despite the fact that she’s not (IMO) a very good singer (apparently either race is the only qualifier you need to earn a microphone on that show, or else her legacy led the producers to assume she had talent)… Ironically, during the “N-wowrd” episode, I noticed that she was the ONE Black teacher who was NOT consulted by the principal for an opinion on the matter. :rolleyes:
One of the many problems I have with this show (based on the few episodes I’ve caught this past season) is this recurring theme:
[ul]
[1]Teacher learns about student’s incredibly self-destructive behaviour
[2]Teacher engages in hand-wringing for ten minutes, possibly remembering engaging in similar behaviour when Teacher was young
[3]Teacher asks Principal what to do
[4]Principal says “Get student in my office, NOW”
[5]Student says “But I learned about it on another student’s website!”
[6]Teacher and Principal are shocked, shocked!, and the First Amendment is tossed around for a while.
[/ul]
Point 5 really bugs me. It just tries to reinforce the belief that the internet is this big scary evil place that adults don’t have a chance of understanding. Isn’t anybody monitoring these school-sponsored student-run websites? Haven’t they already exposed themselves to massive liability suits? It’s happened at least three times that I know of, and I’m not even a regular viewer.
