CMI on TV

Modern Family Hits a Century in Style
by: Evan Mantel | Friday, October 11, 2013 - 4:49am

If you've tracked my work on this site (and I know you have), then it will come as no surprise to you when I admit that I've been a bit harsh on this season of Modern Family. In my defense,  there's a not-so-fine line between art and propaganda that they've obliterated this year, but I don't want to dwell on that in this post.

Instead, I'd like to focus on what makes Modern Family great: the subtle things. One scene from this episode illustrates the subtlety superbly. Phil is cleaning out a gutter with some robot gizmo and kills a nest of birds...

Agents of SHIELD Take Shot at GOP
by: Evan Mantel | Wednesday, October 9, 2013 - 4:16am


I know I've said it before, and while I don't want to be the boy who cried propaganda, this most recent episode of SHIELD reeked of it. 

  • Wealthy businessman villian? check (bonus points for him being white.)
  • Did he exploit the earth? Check (at least allegedly. I don't buy that mining for minerals necessarily exploits the earth.).
  • Did he dislike regulations? Check.
  • Did he care about destroying ecosystems? No.
  • Did he care about future generations? No.
  • Was he motivated by profit? Yes
  • Did he have an offshore haven that was tax friendly? Yes

If this was a radio...

Can The Blacklist Keep the Mystery?
by: Evan Mantel | Tuesday, October 8, 2013 - 4:08am

There are two things that I love about The Blacklist: the twists and turns and the killer one liners that Red delivers.  The second is not in any danger of disappearing--unless the writers develop some mysterious illness or NBC gets stupid and cancels the show. Wait! Crap! I jinxed it. Dammit.

NBC's stupidity aside, the continuing of the twists and turns concern me. It is very difficult to keep plot twists coming and to constantly have people on the edge of their seats. My biggest fear is that Red gets too predictable. I like rooting for Red as one of the good guys, but if he is going to maintain his credentials I would like to see him sabotage a case or too. If he is always good, he becomes much less interesting of a character.

With that...

'Revenge' Deals Fairly with Religion
by: Evan Mantel | Monday, October 7, 2013 - 7:17pm

I always cringe when I see that a tv show will deal heavily with religion, like Revenge did last night. I know that 9 times out of 10 I will wind up screaming at the tv for the horrid portrayal of religion in whatever show I am watching. Fortunately, Revenge happened to be that tenth time that didn't make me want to tear my eyes out of their sockets.

Of course, the show wasn't perfect in dealing with religion, but the bad moments were rare (I'll address the worst culprits in a second). Impressively, this episode, which started out looking like the priest would be the bad guy, actually made the priest the good guy and Emily the bad guy. The priest seemed repentant of his past sins ("I asked for forgiveness.") and was trying to atone with good deeds...

Two Takes on Teen Pregnancy: ‘Mom’ vs. ‘Welcome to the Family’
by: Kaitlin Hamer | Monday, October 7, 2013 - 4:48pm

What the heck is so entertaining about teenagers having children outside of marriage? Where is the comic value in seeing kids raised in less than ideal environments? Yet it’s something of a trend.

But if we’re going to have TV plots revolve around teen pregnancy, there’s a right way (“Welcome to the Family”) and a wrong way, (“Mom.”) In “Mom,” three generations of pregnant teens are the dysfunctional norm, while “Welcome to the Family” (WTTF) takes a more classy approach.

In WTTF) the pregnancy of the young girl Molly was condemned by both families who seem fairly traditional in nature. Even though the teens’ overly excited reaction to the fact that they made a child was a bit off putting, the treatment of the situation including looking towards marriage, starting a family, and maybe even a hidden lesson on not having premarital sex...

What a Twerk: Al Roker Applauds Kids Skipping School for ‘Education on Miley Cyrus’
by: Katie Yoder | Monday, October 7, 2013 - 2:32pm

According to NBC’s Al Roker. there’s at least one good reason to skip school, and her name is Miley Cyrus. All twerk and no play, eh, Al?

After the shameless VMAs and SNL skits, NBC’s “Today” wanted a piece of Cyrus too, and hosted a concert for the former Disney darling. Co-host Al Roker introduced the event, noting the audience: “A lot of these kids are missing school right now, but they're going to get an education on Miley Cyrus.” Roker advertized Cyrus as “part of our fantastic concert series” and recognized the October 7...

Modern Family: From Art to Propaganda
by: Evan Mantel | Wednesday, October 2, 2013 - 11:01pm

“I feel like there are a lot of people who still aren’t comfortable with gay characters on television... [Modern Family is] kind of like a Trojan horse. We sneak into a lot of people’s living rooms when they aren’t expecting it and maybe change some minds through the back door.”

The above quote is from actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson in an interview with homosexual issues activists Advocate back in May. At the time he said it,  I wouldn't disagree with Mr. Ferguson, who plays Mitchell in the show. Modern Family was funny, clever, and only subtly pro-homosexual...

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Jellin' like a Felon
by: Evan Mantel | Tuesday, October 1, 2013 - 11:52pm

Sometimes  things work well right from the start. Then there is agent Coulson's team. Such a squabbling, contentious, and poorly jelled team hasn't been seen since, well, Congress.

Unlike Congress, however, this team eventually starts to get things done. Sure, it took the hijacking of their plane, but if a common enemy is the only way to lay aside ego and rivalry, then so be it. Even the Colonies needed a common enemy to realize they were better off working together.

Still, Coulson's team has a ways to go. Skye is still not fully committed to the team. The scientists are raw. Ward has the experience but struggles to relate to the others. And Coulson seems off, like he isn't sharp after his time in Tahiti (it's a magical place, or...

‘Mom’ and the Lighter Side of Teen Pregnancy
by: Kaitlin Hamer | Tuesday, October 1, 2013 - 10:38am

Episode two and “Mom” is already too raunchy for its own good. The episode started with a positive teen pregnancy test and continued with multiple uncalled for sexual references that did not advance the plot whatsoever. It included uncomfortable references to an older man having sex with a teenage girl, casual conversation about the intimate parts of a sexual relationship, and a young boy using language that can only be described as wildly inappropriate for his age.

In the world of “Mom,” getting pregnant as a teen is okay, normal, and happens all the time. Three generations of this family have now gotten pregnant as teens. Having sex and children outside of marriage is without explicit consequences.

Raising a family is no walk in the park, but “Mom” works to make...

‘We Are [Not Really] Men’
by: Lauren Laster | Tuesday, October 1, 2013 - 10:18am

The title suggests masculinity and possibly a caveman quality. Instead we get what’s “more like a way station for guys who just got divorced, dumped, or are otherwise incapable of buying their own couch.”

Frank (Tony Shalhaub) is the four-time divorcee. “Frank vowed the next time he found true happiness he was just going to sleep with it for a few weeks.” Stuart (Jerry O’Connell) is the womanizing, often shirtless, divorcee still fighting over a settlement with his most recent ex-wife. Gil (Kal Penn) was kicked out by his wife a year-and-a-half ago after she caught him in the “world’s worst affair.” Finally, Carter (Chris Smith) is the recently jilted newbie who fits into the group more than he wants to admit.

At one point, Frank tells Carter, “You're living in...