>Remember in the world of television there are 2 ways of dealing with
things:
>the way that the network/sponsors/focus groups/test audiences think
everyone
>will want to see it played out, and the way everyone actually wants to
see
>it played out. There will probably be concerns about offending people on
>either side of the issue, looking credible and "cool" at the same time,
not
>sending clear message for the above mentioned "preachiness" or "bland
>approval" fears - most shows that would take this issue head on with all
>that would end up saying a whole lot of nothing, just echoing the status
quo
>about the issue that exists in real life. MITM has largely been immune
to
>all these constraints, yet once a show gets burdened with holding its
>ratings even it could get bogged down.
I wonder how much pressure there is on the ratings this season. I
understood they had been falling, but if they expect this to be the
final season would try to go out on a quality high rather than a
rating chasing high?
I also wonder what influence Fox 'standards and practises' people, or
whatever they were called on the DVD, have - the ones that make them
wear safety belts in the car they just jacked. Would drinking be
covered by them?
On the whole though, Fox never struck me as a network worried about
offending people... if it makes money.
>
>That was in the Thanksgiving episode, and I don't think "Teenage Lois" is
>slated for that one.
>
True. I just wonder what aspect of Lois' teenage behavior they plan to
show us.
>That's because the kids have actually been raised to be self centered.
They
>haven't been raised to think of others or the consequences of their
actions
>because no one thinks of theirs or actually takes the time to teach them,
so
>all they have with them is the need to outdo the system.
Totally. Malcolm, with his genius IQ, just about borders on almost
working this out at times. Said to camera, and admittedly with irony,
about their problems hiring baby sitters - 'I'm starting to think it
might be us.'
>Come to think of it, the "Flashback" episode sort of gave a few clues to
>this - remember when they had the microwave right up against Lois's
stomach
>when she was pregnant with Dewey?
I had forgotten that joke ... Of course by season 4 they are starting
to make Dewey out to be as clever as Malcolm, even if he is mildly
sociopathic.
>That comes from taking a very short term view to make it easier as stated
>above. Good parenting, OTOH, comes from doing the more patience
requiring
>job of waiting beyond that three minutes or teaching the kids to think
>beyond it. Of course Lois probably sees the word "patience" as a foreign
>word so there you go.
But by making the world crash down in the time limit, she just
reinforces the problem. But like you said, this show is so much about
how NOT to raise kids!
>> The kid is
>> traumatized and will think of mom every time he thinks of ***... at
>> least I think that was her plan.
>
>I believe it was, and it is a quote that parents of adult
>development-arrested children have lived and died by.
Hmmm. Dabney??? There are mothers worse than Lois...
>Malcolm: But Mom, Cynthia and I are supposed to be married in 6 months!"
Kind of off the subject, but with her other show being cancelled, I am
kind of hoping Cynthia returns this season. I figure if Malcolm is
ever to stand a chance, it has to be with someone like Cynthia. I
never get why exactly Lois seems to approve of Cynthia, But in a
frightening way I could see Malcolm and Cynthia turning into Hal and
Lois...
>Dewey would probably want to the most, being the good guy that he is -
And
>the most resourceful at scaring it up too.
>> Oddly enough that kind of happened to my best bud. Cured him of
>He had a misfit and socially needy neighbor show his hidden dark side?
;)
>
Actually a Reese-like friend who tied him to a flag pole by the school
parking lot in his underwear after he got drunk... I figure something
along those lines might work in the context of the show.
>> Yeah, I think I would favor that approach to teaching Malcolm (or I
>> guess it could equally be Reese the one they ****tray underage
>> drinking) a lesson.
>
>Given that Reese is so hated and self isolated, he actually has one
>advantage in that department - he may not be as tempted or exposed to
peer
>pressure.
>
Right, Reese wouldn't need to drink to prove a point. Malcolm on the
other hand freely admits to being shallow, that he just wants people
to like him.
And Reese didn't drink... The one party he went to he knew he wasn't
likely to be caught with Lois at her sisters, and with alcohol
everywhere to tempt him, they got Hal drunk and kept Reese sober.
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