152 insights into my soul

So a few weeks ago, I was talking with someone about representation on TV and Friends was mentioned and how even though it was set in NYC, the show was ultra white. I mean, the only black recurring character of note they had was Aisha Tyler. Well, and Mr. Moseby from Suite Life/Hooch from Scrubs was Chandler's boss when he was an advertising intern. But I was thinking about if I could name 10 black characters on the show:

1) Aisha Tyler's character, Charlie
2) Mr. Moseby/Hooch as the aforementioned ad guy
3) The Morning's Here guy
4) The episode where Monica was making Christmas candy and hanging it on a basket for the neighbors in the hopes of getting to know the people in the building, the guy who knocked in the middle of the night and said it was candy time when Chandler was all, "Do you know what time it is?"
5) Miles Dyson's second wife on Eureka/Wade's replacement on Sliders (Kari Wuhrer wasn't Wade's replacement, as they were on the show simultaneously, she was actually the Professor's replacement), she and two of her white friends were having a discussion about whether Ross was date-able.
6) The ep where Joey got a part time job at Ross' museum, the one tour guide lady who said her breasts weren't real (or maybe that they were real, something about how big her breasts were either naturally or unnaturally)
7) one of Ross' fellow professors at university
8) The ep where Chandler was interviewing for a new job and Phoebe was helping him to not be so jokey, the interviewer was played by that one that guy, though the only role springing to mind is playing god on the Sarah Silverman show. But I recall him playing military guys a lot.
9) The ep where Chandler falls asleep and accidentally volunteers to work in Tulsa, the boss lady at that meeting.
10) ????

So I can't even name 10. Also, is it weird that I can remember the specifics of that many Friends episodes? Of course, could it be such characters were so rare that of course I can remember the circumstances of their appearance, as opposed to the plethora of white guest stars they've had on the show?

TV commentary:

NCIS:LA- Interesting ep, and sad ending! ( spoiler cut )

What the hell? When did they start calling sneakers kicks? Well, apparently as far back as like 2003 or something, because this re-run of Friends is on (the one where Chandler gets the internship and Phoebe learns she mugged Ross when they were kids and Joey pisses on Jeff Goldblum), where Chandler refers to sneakers now (well, then) being called kicks, which I apparently missed the first time I saw the ep several years ago.

I mean, I know in Party in the USA Miley Cyrus refers to "rockin kicks" (or I thought possibly "kix") at the club, but I figured she was referring to a shoe brand, not that it was just another word for sneakers!

Wait, and now an ep of Seinfeld is on, and Bizarro Jerry was Peter on White Collar?! Also, Charice is apparently reprising her role on Glee, so she took some pics on set with the rest of the cast, and she took one of her and Blaine, and tweeted it with the caption, "Filipino Power!" So I looked it up, and apparently Darren Criss is half-flip?! My mind has been thrice blown!

TV Commentary:

OTH- You know, I don't if its this show or Secret Life that's more of a train wreck. Heh, I remember the British record lady showing up, but who the hell is the scruffy looking bartender dude? And why are he and her getting like actual plot lines?! This show has enough characters, and they're wasting time on folks who are beyond tertiary? Mia, Chase, Sam, they were kinda relevant, unless I'm missing some vital part of his bio, what the hell does he have to do with anything? Like Mia and Chase stuff, Mia is Haley and Peyton's protege, and Chase used to go out with Brooke, something just them isn't too weird. Even Sam and Kick-Ass' friend who was not Clark Duke, her thing with him would affect her relationship with Brooke. But British record company chick seemed to be barely more than a plot device, and she gets a significant storyline alongside some random? What in the world?!

HIMYM- Seriously, I could give Don a chance if they actually showed Robin and him doing stuff that would make you buy them as a couple. Show, not tell! I mean, the show can say they're a really great couple, but as it is, I only have their word for it. I understand its hard to do a relationship the audience can get behind when one half is only a guest star. But look at Phoebe and Mike on Friends (I don't know if they're gonna have Robin end up with Don in the end, I wouldn't think so, but some of the ways they've phrased things on the show they might be heading that way, which would be a terrible idea), they established him and the relationship well that her ending up with him worked and didn't feel forced. Or going the other way, where it doesn't last. Amy Ryan wasn't on too many eps of the Office, but you feel for Michael when Holly leaves. I guess you don't want to make some guest star one of your main characters falls for too likable, because if it is a passing fling, you don't want the audience to get to attached to the pair. (Even though it seems Jesse might have some nefarious plot going on given the look he gave Shelby when he first hooked up with Rachel in Glee, it seems a lot of the audience actually likes the two of them together) But HIMYM doesn't have to worry about that, because Don's such a boring non-entity. I think of that scene in that movie where Bobcat Goldwaith gets a talking horse (played by John Candy), and in the final horse race in the end, when people hear the horse is named Don, people are all "Don?" since racehorses have weird names like "middle aged housewife" and "there's a crazy woman on the tracks". Well, the other thing about his character I think of, is my favorite line from High Fidelity, "What effin' Ian guy?" I mean, I know who this character is, but since he's such a non-entity on the show, its like "who the eff is Don?" sometimes.

24- Oh, I forgot to complain last week, when Jack asked Michael Madsen for "two MP-5s", but they never show any amongst the arsenal he gets. He gets a couple of MP-7s, which while also made by H&K is a totally different weapon used for a radically different sitch. While the MP-5 was a good weapon in its hey-day, a very accurate and handy 9mm submachine gun, its kinda defunct nowadays since its only a 9mm submachine gun. Cut down carbines are where its at, and for CQB work, the MP5 has been all but replaced by compact assault rifles like the M4 since they provide for more stopping power and longer ranges. And while the MP5K-PDW version of the MP-5 is quite the compact little weapon when folded up, again, its obsolete compared to the MP-7. The MP7 is more compact, and its 4.7mm round is more effective against targets wearing body armor. That is prolly what Jack wanted, since it is easily concealable under his jacket, and was gonna use it against guys who were most likely wearing bulletproof vests. Get your weapons straight, show!

Speaking of weapon choices, Jack bringing a Taurus Judge was kinda a weird weapon choice. I mean, its somewhat compact, but I think in that sitch, there's a better backup weapon to take besides a huge revolver chambered for .410 shotgun rounds. I mean, it seems more a choice for style than actual usefulness. Like, why transition from his handgun to it to hold the other guys off? Its not like he was fighting off huge gorillas hopped up on PCP, with his training, he could put the guys coming down just as quick with his pistol. Or bring the aforementioned MP7? The automatic fire capability would be more useful in holding the guys off than firing a couple of .410 shotshells their direction, plus, since it did look like the PMCs wear wearing armor, the armor-piercing rounds would be more effective than the cluster of pellets from the judge!

Like the real usefulness of the Judge is to have a very compact and relatively concealable mini-shotgun to bring to bear in really close ranges- someone tries to jack your car or sneaks in your bedroom or some deal you have going with someone across the table with you goes bad. Within 5-10 feet, you pull fast, and you're not gonna miss, and unlike a pistol round, that's gonna put the guy down quick. But Jack had a tactical advantage, his pistol already drawn, using aimed fire to take out guys from 15-20 feet, there was no reason to switch to another weapon. Again, it seems more like a stylistic choice than a tactical one.

Oh, and the whole Starbuck being the mole thing still makes no sense. So of all the people the Ruskies would pick to infiltrate CTU, they decide to pick some random white trash girl fresh out of jail to laud a very good cover on? I mean, its not like they used any of her actual past, since that part was hidden from CTU, so why not pick someone more useful to place in there?

( spoiler cut )

Glee- Heh, so they just released versions of "Ice Ice Baby" and "U Can't Touch This", but seriously, how awesome does Lea Michele sound on "Total Eclipse of the Heart".

(And is there any other blog in the world where someone will be all giddy for some musical show version of TEoTH, complain about ships portrayed on TV shows, and rant about firearms choices? Sometimes I feel my interests don't line up)