Hello,
Note: I realize "The Affair" is fictional, I'm using these characters lives as an example of the possible things that can happen to those without some kind of a moral code. After having a moral code the next most important thing is actually living it. I have thought a lot about this blog the last several days and will probably revisit it from time to time. I'm not very eloquent, but I can make each of my blogs better. This blog entry is a long way from what I want it to be, but I'm not sure how to get it where I want it to be.
Recently I binged the Showtime series "The Affair". It started out strongly, but faded over the last couple of episodes. There's some amazing storytelling, especially with Cole and Alison (Ruth Wilson) dealing with the death of their son Gabriel. Some truly impressive storytelling and acting. Even after it being several days since watching this series, that's the storyline that still sticks with me.
Despite some great storytelling I was distressed by the show's complete lack of morals. First of all the overuse of the f-bomb with specific reference to the intimate act. Using the f-bomb as a verb and with the focus more on the actual act rather than actual intimacy. Sometimes the f-bomb has a place, it was used to great effect in "Bloodline". But like anything else it loses it's power when overused.
In the moral dumpster fire of "The Affair" sex usually tears apart rather than build up. There's a lot of sex happening, but hardly any intimacy. Usually the sex just fills a temporary hole, temporarily satisfy's a desire. But the hole only grows larger. Each conquest only builds the desire for the next conquest. Especially with the man who claims he's trying to "do the right thing" Mr. Noah Solloway. With the dissolution of his marriage and in an unsure place with Alison, Noah seduces anything he can.
It seems being engaged or separated doesn't mean anything. Noah is Id personified, he's only concerned about his own desires. He says one thing, but his actions indicate what he's really about.
Also the extended sex scenes are too much. Honestly the least interesting thing about "The Affair" was the affair. Especially because the sex they had was very ugly- but later I realized that might the point? I find it interesting that Noah and Alison actually end up together at the end of Season 1. That's not usually what happens.
The characters of "The Affair" are the most unhappy/ miserable people. Even the people that seem to have it all, don't. Example: Bruce Butler is a famous author, but has a contentious relationship with his family. His life is a facade. Who do you cheer for in this show? These people do any thing to make a buck or satisfy a desire. They don't have a moral code, more like an immoral code. Ironically the selfish things they do ends up making them emptier.
The only character I like after Season 1 is Cole Lockhart (Joshua Jackson). At first I thought I was going to dislike him. As with everyone else in the cast he made a bunch of dumb decisions, but he seemed to have some moral fiber. Although misguided most of the time, he truly seemed to be trying to do the right thing. Whereas I thought Noah Solloway would be the most likable character, he claimed to live by a moral code.
Alison cutting herself. I don't even know how to consider that. Another attempt of gaining relief, but it only makes things worse in the long run. These people act like their choices don't have consequences.
How often do two people who have an affair actually end up together for an extended duration? And once you cheat with someone, how do you know that person won't cheat on you? Why would you trust that person ever? How could you trust that person ever? Wouldn't you wonder what that person is doing every second they aren't with you? Again the focus is on sex, not on intimacy.
As for the show it should have been so much better. I wondered if the constant and extended sex scenes was a sign of lack of ideas. Because truly each time a sex scene was on TV, it completely slowed down the show. The audience can know that two people had sex with seeing graphic scenes of it.
And that last scene of Detective Jeffries coming to arrest Solloway. Jeffries based the decision to arrest Solloway on the turning radius of Solloway's car? I'm not sure what Solloway lying about not being at The End indicated that he was guilty of murder. Does anyone not understand him assaulting the man that slept with his underage daughter.
Back to the having a moral code and living by it. In my experience it's been very important to have a moral code. On the other hand I don't want to come off as a complete prude. But I do think one of this world's greatest downfalls is having a lack of morals. Religion should help us with morals, sadly it doesn't all the time though. Sometimes people use their religion to justify truly horrendous acts.
We all have desires, temptations and the like. But I also believe we have a sense of what is truly right and wrong. Some people call it a conscience, the light of Christ, intuition etc. No matter what you call it I believe we are all born with that. However many of us have lost that by some truly horrible decisions. The good news is through a lot of hard work, I believe any of us can get that guidance back.
One of the greatest things about getting older is the ability to wait, sometimes the waiting will save us from mistakes that we'll have a hard time recovering from. The old saying "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread." is a good standard to live by.
This is a music blog, not a morality blog and I'm not trying to preach to you. Sometimes I don't know where to draw the line in mentioning morals. But if a character is amoral or stupid, that does lessen my enjoyment of whatever the entertainment is. I don't always know where to draw that line. And yes I acknowledge up front that makes me a hypocrite, but it is what it is. As with Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart's famous comment "I know it when I see it", for things that cross that proverbial line I know it when I see it.
Two examples of this: 1) Liz Phair's song "H.W.C.", it's needlessly descriptive. Although it's a decent song, I won't be adding it to my Greatest Songs of All-Time blog. The sexually graphic lyrics make it no longer a Greatest Song of All-Time.
Another example is "Basic Instinct", a movie so debased that I couldn't even watch the whole thing. I wouldn't even say that movie has any artistic value. Not only is the movie amoral, but it's just a bad movie all around.
I hate so much when creative people resort to lowest common denominator storytelling. Not only is it frustrating, but I also suggest it's lazy. As with our lives, and creative endeavors, we should try to be better.
themusicaddict
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