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Why is the character trying so hard to be considered young?

posted 8 years ago by yagwit
3 replies | jump to latest

I'm turned off by several moments in BT. She takes her daughter to a club. She dresses like a homeless teenager. She smokes pot and drinks too often. She lets the kids do whatever they please. She seems to have children, but not really be a mother. Who the hell makes text guy a priority, when your children need to get out the door for school? She doesn't seem to fear anyone being around her children. She is happy as long as they are involved in something other than being around her. I admire her for working, but at some point she needs to check in. I hope this show is LOOSELY based on the writer's life. I am hoping they have the character get her *beep* a little more together. She continuously states how her best isn't good enough. She isn't giving her best. She is making excuses for how hard everything is and giving 50% to her life. The entire phone call where she tells the teacher to give her a break about homework, made my eyes roll. You know when kids are in public school, homework is a daily expectation. Stop being lazy and check the backpack. Teachers are frustrated by parents not giving a *beep* about their kids. Teachers are not there to raise your child. Put in the work!
The character is absolutely horrendous to her mother. She couldn't even show kindness on her mom's birthday. If she is going to be nasty to her mom, the show needs to provide a reason for the hate.

[–] carolyncooper 8 years ago

I agree with pretty much all of your points. And it this we're real life, I'd be very concerned. But I'm seeing the character traits and behaviour as hyberbolical versions of real life people, in that they do and say things the rest of us might only think of doing and saying. And that's why, for me, anyway, the show makes me laugh. Until it makes me cry like when they all sang "Only Women Bleed". A very wistful moment, I thought. Very cool.

Hope you find more lightness in season 2. Happy New Year.

[–] carolyncooper 8 years ago

Should've reread before posting as I meant to say "If this were real life". Oops.

[–] Prelude (1443) 6 years ago

This is not your typical suburban mom of 50. Part of the point of the show is that this is an unusual mom, a Hollywood actress, a creative person/artist who is trying to have that career yet also do the normal things like make her kids' packed lunches.

There are moms and 50 year old women who are a little "different" in the ways this mom is - not everyone is cookie-cutter Stepford Wife or finally "respectable" just because they turn 50, and the show is about that mom who is not, never was and will never be the perfect Stepford wife type of woman.

And in this generation, lots of people her age ARE still doing "youthful" things like dressing like that, wearing jeans, smoking pot. You'd be surprised what people are really like these days. Our parents at 50 were "respectable" -- the people turning 50 and 60 and 70 nowadays remember the 60s and 70s cultural rebellion.