Dillards 94: After Counting the Cost

[Maggie Mae]

9 hours ago, Smee said:

Haha fair, I suppose 10 years ago is not that old. Still, ask a Gen Z kid how they feel about Barney Stinson. And Glee... well, Glee aged badly as it was airing! It may have just been a terrible show all along. But I love it.

Glee was supposed to be a satire, and the first few episodes are way more enjoyable for me because of that. But it morphed into something that I stopped watching at some point. Mr Shue was ridiculous and had no boundaries with his students. The slushy thing was so weird.

I really love the community episode that shows tribute to glee

[Maggie Mae]

3 hours ago, Sullie06 said:

I'm re-watching Dawson's Creek. It's so bad. For 1, the series just jumped right into the student/teacher relationship episode 1. And not in a blatantly "this is wrong kind of way." Also nobody talked like they did. Dawson is the worst and Joey is a whiny brat. I'm still enjoying this nostalgia though. Just for record, I'm 41 so this was prime teenage years for me.

Did you find it with the original music? I haven't rewatched it since DVD days as I found the streaming music too weird. 

[Cam]

I never watched The Notebook or Love Actually.

I did love Glee in its heyday: Miss Pillsbury’s pamphlets, Jane Lynch’s over the top character; I liked that I hadn’t seen these kinds of personalities on a show before. I also thought Idina Menzel was the perfect person to play Leah Michele's mom and loved how that was worked into the storyline. I could not watch the show now. Sadly, three main cast members have died young.

A sitcom which I think has aged somewhat better than others is “Frasier”. (Odd thing is, it never interested me when it was on Prime Time TV, have only seen it in the past seven years or so.) The men wore a lot of classic suits which stand up over time, and the women wore a lot of classic clothing pieces instead of gimmicky trends. Honestly, I would wear so many of the outfits today that Daphne wore in the show in the 1990s! Most of the women’s hairstyles still look like what you might see today. And Frasier’s apartment had timeless decor. 

Yes, in retrospect, the show has some issues, (lack of diversity, slut shaming, etc.) but its main humor is at poking fun of the main characters’ flaws. I’ve seen all episodes numerous times and still laugh out loud at some of the jokes. There are classic episodes like when Daphne abandons her fiance at the alter and drives off in a Winnebago with Niles, and another when Martin marries Ronnie and Daphne has a baby, all of which happens at the veterinarian’s office. Fraiser has won the most Emmys of any sit com. 
 

[Father Son Holy Goat]

I used to love Gilmore Girls but watching it as an adult who’s had some (a lot) of therapy the Lorelei- Rory relationship is not healthy. Girlfriends need some boundaries 

[libgirl2]

5 hours ago, HeartsAFundie said:

In the late 70s a show called "James At 15" aired on NBC.  It was about a young man who moved from Oregon to Boston with his family, and how he was adjusting to life in a major East Coast city.  The show was actually an inspiration for "Dawson's Creek" per Dawson's creator, Kevin Williamson.

I recently rewatched the show on YouTube after its star, Lance Kerwin, passed away.  One episode that particularly stood out to me as not aging well was when James' shy, bespectacled friend, 15-year-old Marlene, falls in love with a 20-something handsome guitar-playing street busker who lives in an apartment with multiple fellow street musicians on the other side of Boston.  James and his pals are taking the "T" (Boston subway) at all hours of the night to see these folks and crashing at the apartment all night with these much older people.  Marlene sort of begins a relationship with the busker-mostly kissing and making out-and then proceeds to transform herself a la Sandy in Grease.  Of course, the busker has older women hanging around him and Marlene is jealous.  The high point of the episode is when 15-year-old Marlene, professing her love to the 20-something handsome busker, offers her virginity to him.   Thankfully the busker has some moral code because he politely declines, causing Marlene to storm out in anger. 

As I was 12-13 when this show actually aired in primetime, I know firsthand there was more freedom to be had in the 70s.  But watching it through a 21st century lens put a completely icky perspective on the entire episode.   

 

I loved James at 15/16! Had such a crush on Lance Kerwin. I had to have been about 12 or 13. I don't exactly remember that episode but I remember the show never bothering me. It probably was my age, kind of like the whole Dirty Dancing thing, which actually did kind of bother me as I was older. 

[JermajestyDuggar]

18 minutes ago, Father Son Holy Goat said:

I used to love Gilmore Girls but watching it as an adult who’s had some (a lot) of therapy the Lorelei- Rory relationship is not healthy. Girlfriends need some boundaries 

When I first started watching GG, I liked Rory and Lorelei. But after awhile, I started getting really annoyed with Rory and Lorelei. And I just watched for all the other characters later on. Emily is probably my favorite. I know she’s a blunt snob. But at least she owns who she is. Unlike Rory and Lorelei.

[Maggie Mae]

22 minutes ago, Father Son Holy Goat said:

I used to love Gilmore Girls but watching it as an adult who’s had some (a lot) of therapy the Lorelei- Rory relationship is not healthy. Girlfriends need some boundaries 

Every time I watch Gilmore Girls I have a different opinion of the characters. Like Lorelai was a "cool mom" and awesome for running away and doing it on her own, and Emily/Richard were so mean. But now I'm like "meh, Lorelai is kind of the worst." She's not a great parent, she's horrible to her parents, and the worst is this idea that she totally did everything on her own, with no help. Other than the woman who owned the inn and let her work for housing, and the very privileged and high-end education that she received from her parents, and the support of the entire town when it came to Rory.  Like, no, Lorelai, you did not raise Rory without any help.  And it was INCREDBLY inappropriate for her to turn down a Chilton dad but then date a Chilton teacher. 

And honestly, Emily and Richard weren't that bad .  They, like Lorelai, had an idea of what they wanted their kid to be/do, and flipped out when they found out that their daughters were actual people with their own ideas on a "good life."  Emily is probably my favorite, even when she's super snobby.  Maybe because she's snobby, IDK. I like her quips. 

And Luke is so inconsistently written, and I hate the narrative from shows at that time that women in a healthy stable relationship are "boring" so they have to add in dumb drama where people don't communicate. 

[Antipatriarch]

I haven't watched Glee, but I will just say that Grant Gustin (The Flash) and Melissa Benoist (Supergirl) are two of the cutest people on the planet, and when they did crossover episodes together it was like cuteness overload. They did one that was a musical and it was so sweet.

[HeartsAFundie]

19 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

I loved James at 15/16! Had such a crush on Lance Kerwin. I had to have been about 12 or 13. I don't exactly remember that episode but I remember the show never bothering me. It probably was my age, kind of like the whole Dirty Dancing thing, which actually did kind of bother me as I was older. 

I loved the show too!  Never bothered me as a kid and still doesn't.  And honestly, at 12/13 in 1977-78 I would have thought nothing about 15–16-year-old kids riding subways at night all over Boston or even crashing at 20-somethings' communal apartments because they were older than me anyway.  It's just that when you think about it in today's terms, and as a middle aged adult/parent, it's kind of cringey. 

My favorite episode was the one where James meets a spoiled preppy kid from California, and they fly to Los Angeles for the weekend and attempt to steal a canoe.  Walked right out of Robinson's Department Store with it and then turned around and put the canoe back from where they took it.  "Carpe diem, James.  Are you gonna seize the day?" was the kid's catchphrase.   

Lance Kerwin was so perfect for that role too.  And the guest stars!  Debra Winger and Rosanna Arquette both played love interests.     

[libgirl2]

3 hours ago, Cam said:

I never watched The Notebook or Love Actually.

I did love Glee in its heyday: Miss Pillsbury’s pamphlets, Jane Lynch’s over the top character; I liked that I hadn’t seen these kinds of personalities on a show before. I also thought Idina Menzel was the perfect person to play Leah Michele's mom and loved how that was worked into the storyline. I could not watch the show now. Sadly, three main cast members have died young.

A sitcom which I think has aged somewhat better than others is “Frasier”. (Odd thing is, it never interested me when it was on Prime Time TV, have only seen it in the past seven years or so.) The men wore a lot of classic suits which stand up over time, and the women wore a lot of classic clothing pieces instead of gimmicky trends. Honestly, I would wear so many of the outfits today that Daphne wore in the show in the 1990s! Most of the women’s hairstyles still look like what you might see today. And Frasier’s apartment had timeless decor. 

Yes, in retrospect, the show has some issues, (lack of diversity, slut shaming, etc.) but its main humor is at poking fun of the main characters’ flaws. I’ve seen all episodes numerous times and still laugh out loud at some of the jokes. There are classic episodes like when Daphne abandons her fiance at the alter and drives off in a Winnebago with Niles, and another when Martin marries Ronnie and Daphne has a baby, all of which happens at the veterinarian’s office. Fraiser has won the most Emmys of any sit com. 
 

I adore Frasier and agree, it has aged quite well. The show seemed to avoid pop culture that can age a show in just a few years. There was no "Rachel" haircut and it didn't allude to issues of the time. And I would happily live in his apartment, it is gorgeous and clean. 

Another show I can watch over and over is King of Queens. ITs another show where the humor is coming from the characters and the situations they find themselves in, no so much what is going on around in the world. And Lou Ferrigno was their neighbor! Its funny if you watch the early episodes, it felt like an ordinary sitcom it changed and the actors had great chemistry. Loved Jerry Stiller. 

5 minutes ago, HeartsAFundie said:

I loved the show too!  Never bothered me as a kid and still doesn't.  And honestly, at 12/13 in 1977-78 I would have thought nothing about 15–16-year-old kids riding subways at night all over Boston or even crashing at 20-somethings' communal apartments because they were older than me anyway.  It's just that when you think about it in today's terms, and as a middle aged adult/parent, it's kind of cringey. 

My favorite episode was the one where James meets a spoiled preppy kid from California, and they fly to Los Angeles for the weekend and attempt to steal a canoe.  Walked right out of Robinson's Department Store with it and then turned around and put the canoe back from where they took it.  "Carpe diem, James.  Are you gonna seize the day?" was the kid's catchphrase.   

Lance Kerwin was so perfect for that role too.  And the guest stars!  Debra Winger and Rosanna Arquette both played love interests.     

I remember the canoe and that kid. Did you ever watch the original movie with Melissa Sue Anderson? 

Edited February 15 by libgirl2

[Smee]

1 hour ago, Antipatriarch said:

I haven't watched Glee, but I will just say that Grant Gustin (The Flash) and Melissa Benoist (Supergirl) are two of the cutest people on the planet, and when they did crossover episodes together it was like cuteness overload. They did one that was a musical and it was so sweet.

Ha yes, I did not watch the Flash or Supergirl but I did watch the musical crossover episode. With Darren Criss as the villain, because why not just make the whole thing a Glee reunion?

1 hour ago, Maggie Mae said:

Every time I watch Gilmore Girls I have a different opinion of the characters. Like Lorelai was a "cool mom" and awesome for running away and doing it on her own, and Emily/Richard were so mean. But now I'm like "meh, Lorelai is kind of the worst." She's not a great parent, she's horrible to her parents, and the worst is this idea that she totally did everything on her own, with no help. Other than the woman who owned the inn and let her work for housing, and the very privileged and high-end education that she received from her parents, and the support of the entire town when it came to Rory.  Like, no, Lorelai, you did not raise Rory without any help.  And it was INCREDBLY inappropriate for her to turn down a Chilton dad but then date a Chilton teacher. 

And honestly, Emily and Richard weren't that bad .  They, like Lorelai, had an idea of what they wanted their kid to be/do, and flipped out when they found out that their daughters were actual people with their own ideas on a "good life."  Emily is probably my favorite, even when she's super snobby.  Maybe because she's snobby, IDK. I like her quips. 

And Luke is so inconsistently written, and I hate the narrative from shows at that time that women in a healthy stable relationship are "boring" so they have to add in dumb drama where people don't communicate. 

Yeah, the last two seasons where they brought in April and sent the Luke/Lorelai relationship totally haywire were so badly written. As a teen, I watched it loving the "perfect" (not) mother/daughter relationship between Rory and Lorelai. As an adult, I find the mother/daughter relationship between Lorelai and Emily far more interesting and real, exploring both characters' flaws. Emily's rigid traditional "this is what a wife does" vs Lorelai's "I am an independent woman... who needs my 16yr old's boyfriend to change the water for me" are both interesting explorations of the-misogyny-is-coming-from-inside-the-house, although I'm fairly sure that was not the writers' intent.

[HeartsAFundie]

1 hour ago, libgirl2 said:

I remember the canoe and that kid. Did you ever watch the original movie with Melissa Sue Anderson? 

I most certainly did!  That TV movie was the pilot for the show.  Kate Jackson was also in it and guest starred as a hitchhiker who took James under her wing. I had the paperback book of the pilot story too. 

And the ever 70s ubiquitous Kim Richards played James' tomboy and smart-ass little sister Sandy.  Who was usually the voice of reason and the sanest one in the bunch. 

That show had the most kick-ass soundtrack in its episodes too.  Foreigner, Shaun Cassidy, Eric Clapton....that's probably why the show never got released on DVD.  They couldn't get the rights to all the music. 

[Sullie06]

On 2/15/2024 at 12:35 PM, Maggie Mae said:

Did you find it with the original music? I haven't rewatched it since DVD days as I found the streaming music too weird. 

I’m only like 5 episodes in because my husband absolutely won’t watch it so I watch it on my lunch break at work when it’s too cold to walk. I haven’t really paid attention to the music. I’m watching it on Hulu. I know the theme song is the original 

On 2/15/2024 at 4:12 PM, Antipatriarch said:

I haven't watched Glee, but I will just say that Grant Gustin (The Flash) and Melissa Benoist (Supergirl) are two of the cutest people on the planet, and when they did crossover episodes together it was like cuteness overload. They did one that was a musical and it was so sweet.

I have so much respect for her sharing her story about getting out of her abusive marriage to Blake Jenner. Im glad she found happiness. 

Edited February 17 by Sullie06

[Maggie Mae]

1 hour ago, Sullie06 said:

I’m only like 5 episodes in because my husband absolutely won’t watch it so I watch it on my lunch break at work when it’s too cold to walk. I haven’t really paid attention to the music. I’m watching it on Hulu. I know the theme song is the original . 

Are you in the US? I just pulled it up on Hulu and it's not the original theme song. I know it's weird but the music (for me) really changes shows. Dawson's Creek was never something I watched growing up but my college roommate and I did so briefly and singing along to the songs was a "thing." 

 

[ModestisHottest]

On 2/17/2024 at 10:09 AM, Maggie Mae said:

Are you in the US? I just pulled it up on Hulu and it's not the original theme song. I know it's weird but the music (for me) really changes shows. Dawson's Creek was never something I watched growing up but my college roommate and I did so briefly and singing along to the songs was a "thing." 

 

My husband and I were watching it last night on Amazon Prime in the US and it was the original Paula Cole theme song.  I wonder what's going on on Hulu?

[Maggie Mae]

5 hours ago, ModestisHottest said:

My husband and I were watching it last night on Amazon Prime in the US and it was the original Paula Cole theme song.  I wonder what's going on on Hulu?

The Hulu theme store is a paula cole song, it's just a different Paula Cole song. 

[Sullie06]

18 hours ago, Maggie Mae said:

The Hulu theme store is a paula cole song, it's just a different Paula Cole song. 

Correct. I knew I heard IDWW though. I was watching it on Amazon Prime on my phone from work apparently. I was watching it on Hulu at home on the TV when I first started. Prime has the OG "I don't wanna wait" theme song. 

Edited February 20 by Sullie06

[Antipatriarch]

On 2/17/2024 at 8:40 AM, Sullie06 said:

I have so much respect for her sharing her story about getting out of her abusive marriage to Blake Jenner. Im glad she found happiness. 

Oh wow, I did not know this story. TY

[AprilQuilt]

On 2/15/2024 at 5:21 PM, Maggie Mae said:

I really love the community episode that shows tribute to glee

In a crowded field, that is definitely one of my top 5 favourite Community episodes. It's so good.

[Honey Beach]

On 1/30/2024 at 4:26 PM, JermajestyDuggar said:

This probably ages me by I remember when they named their daughter Mabel on “Mad About You” over 2 decades ago. Of course it sounded very weird to most folks back then. No resurgence. But so did Emma on Friends. Yet that became quite popular. 

Mothers And Babies Equals Love. I thought the name was hideous and couldn't believe they used it. Recently my nephew & wife named their little girl Emilia, which I thought was awful and old ladyish. But, it's grown on me and we just call her Emmy.

[Meggo]

I always thought it was Mothers Always Bring Extra Love. Which I always loved the idea behind (but hated the name). 

 

[Bassett Lady]

A little girl in our neighborhood is named Maple 🍁 and she says it is because she is as sweet as maple syrup. 
 

Her mom says it was the only name they could agree on over the entire pregnancy. 
 

Maple loves her name and has an entire collection of Canadian 🇨🇦 swag because it features a maple leaf. 
 

At first the name seemed a bit odd, but now I think it is adorable 🥰 probably because little Maple is such a delightful kid. 

[WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?]

59 minutes ago, Meggo said:

I always thought it was Mothers Always Bring Extra Love. Which I always loved the idea behind (but hated the name). 

 

That's what this article from Deadline says, too.

Quote

On the original sitcom, Mabel — whose name was an acronym derived from a saying that Jamie’s mother liked: “Mothers Always Bring Extra Love” 

The name Mabel is kind of pretty, in an old-fashioned way. It just reminds me of my eccentric great aunt. She was a real character. 😏 

Edited February 21 by WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?
Clarify

[TuringMachine]

To me Mabel is a character from Gravity Falls.

[Cam]

I’m watching season two of Only Murders in the Building, and in one scene, main characters Charles and Oliver can’t find Mabel (who's played Selena Gomez, age 31). Charles says he called all the hospitals and only found one patient named Mabel who was 95 years old. He kind of rolls his eyes as he says it. So it’s a subtle joke about her name which is the kind of humor that runs through the series and I love it. 
 

Last night on “Abbot Elementary”, a young substitute teacher with an unorthodox style of teaching tells main character Janine (Qinta Brunson) her name. When Janine says “Nice to meet you, Jessica” she’s told firmly, “No, it’s Jessca. There’s no ‘i’. It’s just Jess-ca.” It was hilarious. “Jessca” was played by Sabrina Brier who isn’t someone I knew but omg, she was fabulous! 

Edited February 22 by Cam