TV’s New Grunt Work

The gritty realism of the show is definitely worth watching, and the directors sprinkle some humor (if not sugar) throughout the series. One of the directors of Generation Kill, Susanna White, talks about that a bit in an interview I just published on Utne Reader. Here???s the link:

http://www.utne.com/2008-07-10/Arts/UtneCast-Generation-Kill-Director-Susanna-White.aspx?blogid=32

The gritty realism of the show is definitely worth watching, and the directors sprinkle some humor (if not sugar) throughout the series. One of the directors of Generation Kill, Susanna White, talks about that a bit in an interview I just published on Utne Reader. Here???s the link:

http://www.utne.com/2008-07-10/Arts/UtneCast-Generation-Kill-Director-Susanna-White.aspx?blogid=32

Again, you underestimate us. We Americans are really smart and capable of doing whatever it takes to read challenging books, think hard things, and watch a masterpiece such as Generation Kill. Did you watch the series or worry about guiding your readers to something too hard "for them." Did it ever occur to you that many of your readers have lost friends and families in this war? That is hard, isn't it? Generation Kill is demanding, yes, thank God,. Its creators believe the audience has faith, intelligence, and the ability to endure. For once, we won't feel compelled to flick the remote. PS: spellcheck can't do everything. It is real-life author Evan Wright, not Evan Ross, who is portrayed with tightly held awe by the fine actor Lee Tergesen. Many Americans including the Columbia/Harvard School of Journalism judges actually read Evan Wright's book. It wasn't too hard for them; why don't you give it a shot? You are correct about one thing only: there is every reason for us in a time of war to be "baffled, revolted, and depressed" because to be anything else in a time of war reflects a true failure at the heart. If Americans have anything in common, it is their bravery and their heart -- something Generation Kill portrays unflinchingly and with mega-doses of profane humor in the spirit of great faith and hope that puts real lives at risk. The drama of the series is deep within us: we want the grail unveiled and will pursue it even if it alludes us. Percival when lost in the forest, lets go of his reins. But then you seem to have your hands on the remote -- reins the rest of us are willing to give up for the sake of the truth. Feel better in your fictions and weigh-loss fantasies that claim precious hours of our hard-won free time in a failing economy on TV. Flick if you want to the feel good stuff that makes your reviewing a little less risky for your career. We Americans want something else and we can handle it, and hang on. A 7-part series really isn't too much to ask of citizens and warriors like us.