Both episodes we watched today are named after music: "It's Different for Girls" for a 70's new wave song by Joe Jackson, and "Nevermind," the CD Jason wheeled himself four miles for, of course being Nirvana's zillion selling album.
For me, the weakest part of the series is the Lyla-Street conflict. Is it because Minka Kelly isn't much of an actor here? Is it the way the conflict has been written? Is it because rich girl Lyla has so little at stake? Is it because it is the most "high school" of the conflicts? Is it because Lyla's a cheerleader and who can take a cheerleader seriously? (Julie certainly doesn't) This said, the series affords Lyla and her love of cheering the same kind of respect and lack of judgement that it gives to everything else in the show, from high school football to the cute burgeoning romance of Matt and Julie to a blowhard like Buddy Gerrity. Lyla loves cheering—she's been prepped for it since she was five years old, in the same way the boys have been prepped for football for just as long. And if there's a problem with this–and the show implies there is, as Lyla begins to recognize the limitations of being a cheerleader—it also lets her have her feelings for it. If Matt or Riggins or Smash is allowed his moments of football glory, then Lyla gets her moment of glory too.
1. If there is an overt theme to these two episodes, as well as to the whole series, it's stated by Herc, Street's no-nonsense, unsentimental paraplegic buddy. "Whatever worked for you before may not work now," he tells Street at the bar. "Nothing's like it was before." So, how do we see this played out in one or both of these episodes you watched today? Don't try to repeat what's been said by others—spread your net far and wide. And don't go for the obvious either—we get that sex for Jason and Lyla is not what it used to be.
2. I have to ask as the middle-aged teacher watching a show about high school. Is the treatment Lyla gets from her classmates at all realistic? In what ways is it, and in what ways is it not, in your opinion?
3. I asked last week what the show got right about the life and lives of teenagers. So what does the show get right about parents and their children? Give a couple examples in your answer.
4. Finally, we get into a classroom! And they're talking about a book many of you have read, and will read if you haven't so far, "The Odyssey."And what a class—Smash, Julie, Tim Riggins, and the new girl, Waverly. So how realistic did you find this class to be? In fact, to go along with this, aside from the absence of classroom scenes, how realistic do you find the depiction of school to be in the series?
5. Finally: what scene or moment in today's viewing stayed with you—and why?
I think this theme is implemented in the return of Matt's father, and how it affects both Matt and his grandmother. His arguably naive expectations of how quickly his father would adjust to life at home have been harshly contradicted, in that he treats his grandmother quite acrimoniously, and his indifference towards Matt's playing blisters Matt's confidence. His father's sudden arrival and belligerent behavior has interrupted the fatiguing, yet loving household that has developed during his absence. Thus, the "Nothing's like it was before" theme is blatant in Matt's current case.
ReplyDeleteThe treatment that Lyla receives may be common in other schools, but at Paideia, that kind of brazenness tends not to happen. So, speaking solely as a Paideia student, the realistic aspect about it is that she is indeed gossiped about among her classmates, which definitely happens at Paideia. The point at which it becomes unrealistic is when she is directly confronted at various times, specifically when her cheerleading teammates make no effort to mitigate their comments when they are around her.
The protection that is displayed by Eric and Tami of Julie is nothing out of the ordinary. Eric is not only Julie's parent, but he is her father, and in his eyes, she is as old as she was eight or ten years ago. He preserves her innocence, and seeing her emerge from her youth rattles his (irrational) wishes of containing her. Buddy and Pam merely want what is best for Lyla, which is neither wrong nor unusual for parents. With the storm of Lyla's unfaithfulness and what it has done to her socially, Buddy and Pam relentlessly assure her that mistakes are a painful and inevitable part of growing up.
The classroom scene was such a classic one, in my opinion - one kid, in this case, Smash, makes it clear that he thinks he knows anything and everything about a subject. Another kid, Waverly, is the unassuming smart one of the class, who provides an insightful and astute perspective to the issue being discussed. It could happen, sure, but again, at Paideia, that keenness is arguably common.
The scene where Matt's house almost burned down was striking to me, mostly because of the contrast between Matt and his father's characters. His father's condemnation of his grandmother and Matt's patience with her truly marked the dissimilarity between the two.
1. This theme is shown in the repercussions of Lyla’s action. Lyla is no longer the good girl; She is no longer the girl who people look up. In previous episodes Lyla was the it girl. She stood by her boyfriend when he was in the hospital, kept up her schoolwork, and cheerleading. Now that has all fallen apart. Lyla cannot keep up her perfect appearance anymore. She made a mistake and has to deal with the consequences. Running back to Jason asking forgiveness or batting her eyelashes just won’t work any more. Lyla is going to have make her own path instead of following what was spoon-fed to her.
ReplyDelete2. I think the treatment Lyla gets from her peers is incredibly realistic (maybe not at Paideia but among other schools). Teenagers can be incredibly cruel. Any drama they can find, they enjoy. The consistent chatter about Lyla in the halls and in the lunchroom is definitely an accurate depiction of the torment Lyla would endure. The graffiti on her locker might have been taking it to another level (the t.v. level). I don’t think teenagers like to be openly aggressive and would write on her locker. The Internet bullying is definitely realistic. Especially now a day with social media websites, I think the Internet is the place where majority of kids get bullied. It is definitely realistic that kids would post horrible things about her on the Internet and get other kids to join. I think the show does a very good job of showing what Lyla has to go through.
3. I think the series does a very good job of showing the protective nature of parents. It is a very comical scene when Eric goes to “check on” Matt and Julie while they are watching tv and freaks out over a blanket, the scene shows just how protective Eric is over Julie. I think many fathers are this protective over their first daughter starting to date. And although I laughed when I watched it, I don’t think the scene is unrealistic. Another example of protective is parents, is Jason parents. When his mother leaves for work on Jason’s first day home by himself she keeps telling him to call her. Jason’s parents do not stop here in trying to protect and defend Jason. They bring forward a lawsuit because they think it is what is best for him even though he may not want it.
4. I don’t think the classroom scene was very realistic. In my opinion it seemed like a way for the show writers to fit in a slightly flirty part between Smash and Waverly. The scene seemed like its intended purpose was to show that Smash and Waverly had a connection. As for the rest of the scenes in school, I’m not sure if I can say whether or not they are realistic. Paideia differs from Dillon immensely so the school atmosphere shown in the series is nothing like Paideia. I know nothing else but Paideia. So maybe huge schools with cafeterias and long hallways filled with lockers look and act like Dillon but to me it’s completely foreign.
5. The scene that stuck with me the most was the scene of Tyra and Riggins. At first it seems like Tyra cares about Lyla because she tells Riggins he is making it worse for Lyla. I’m not sure if this is because she is jealous or doesn’t want to see Lyla get hurt anymore than she already has. Also this scene shows part of Tyra’s softer side. It is clear she is hurt that Riggins is in love with Lyla. I think Tyra, even though her relationship with Riggins was a poor one, really cared for Riggins. She is hurt that he doesn’t share the feeling.
This theme exists in the new attention payed to Riggins' academics. Having rally girls do his schoolwork worked before, but now will not because Coach's wife realizes what Tim has been doing. Before now, the school turned a blind eye to Tim's questionable academic record. However, now both Taylors are watching him closely and coach tells him clearly that if he does not pass he will not play. Although this change adheres to the theme "Whatever worked for you before may not work now," it is arguably a good change. Tim RIggins gets a better education and a sense of pride as we see at the end of the episode when he sees Landry's performance.
ReplyDeleteLike Adria said, as a Paideia student I can only speak from my experience here, and from that experience I can say that Lyla's severe treatment would not happer at Paideia. I think the media likes to portray schools as a ridiculously harsh environment; the way Lyla was treated reminded me of the movie "Cyber Bully," in which a girl is bullied through a website. That kind of bullying is unrealistic here. The only part that would happen is the spread of rumors and nasty things being said behind her back.
One aspect of parent child relations the show gets right is there is sometimes a lack of understanding on the parent's side. Matt's dad does not get that Matt would prefer to have the responsibility of looking after his grandma and be able to live in Odessa than move to Oklahoma and have a more normal teenage life with less obligations. The show also shows how parents don't know everything about their children. Smash's mom doesn't realize what he spent the church's money on, and Waverly's dad thinks that she went to Africa when she probably did not.
I think that this classroom scene is realistic. Smash tries to make a funny comment on the book, which happens often during class here. However, I don't find the depiction of highschool in the show very realistic. If someone was caught cheating at Paideia like Tim Riggins was, he'd be in big trouble, however, Tim's only punishment is to stop cheating. I feel the attitude at Dillon is not focussed on education as much as a normal school would be.
The moment that stuck with me the most today is at the end of the second episode when TIm goes to see Landry's band play. It's a sweet moment because Tim's a popular football player going to a lame kid's concert where less than ten people are there to watch them play. This moment foreshadows a friendship between the two, who are unlikely candidates to be friends.
I think the statement of, "whatever worked before may not work now" is played out in these two episodes in a few ways. To start, there is the obvious answer of life not being the same for Jason physically, now that he is crippled. He has a lot of trouble doing simple tasks that he would not even think about before. I think a powerful scene in the second episode we watched is when they show Street trying his hardest to get dressed, and having a whole bunch of trouble with it. He struggles with dealing with the way he will have to live the remainder of is life, and it causes frustration. In a lot of cases, it causes him to change his attitude towards many of the characters. It could be labeled as self pity that causes his bitterness, but Jason does not come off as that type of character. And then, I think the this statement plays out in these two episodes through Jason and Lyla's relationship. Throughout the shows, they both try their hardest to forgive and move on from their struggles. In some ways, they try to act like it didn't happen. But nothing's like it was before, and their relationship is just not the same. What happened between Tim and Lyla is too much for Jason to just forget, and their relationship ultimately struggles from this. It is not the same between them and both of them know it.
ReplyDeleteI think that the treatment Lyla gets is both realistic and not so realistic. It is realistic because if this situation was to happen in a high school, people would indeed have the same thoughts that they have in the show. People would think of her as a slut and as a whore, and the rumors would most definitely fly. It would get around to the whole school and, eventually, the teachers and staff would hear about it as they do in the show. What is not realistic I don't think about Lyla's treatment in the show is the blatant bashing that she receives. If it were to happen at a regular high school, people would think poorly of her and it would be clear, but people wouldn't be calling her a slut in tandem from across the hall. I think it is very exaggerated as well, and there would not be as much attention paid to it.
I think the show gets the idea of the relationship between parents and kids correct, but exaggerates a whole heck of a lot. The Taylor's protectiveness and disapproval of Julie and Matt's relationship is funny and to an extent it is true for most parents. When Matt goes to Julie's to watch TV and Mr. Taylor storms in and interrupts, causing Matt to leave, is a perfect example of what any parent might do. Parents are very cautious and protective when it comes to dating. The show makes clear the care they have for their children, and also how children might want to be rebellious, and how they do not agree always with their parent's choices in protecting them. But, at the same time it is exaggerated as most parents would not go to the extent that Eric does, and most would not make their disapproval so clear. The show also shows how relationships with parents are not always perfect and there are problems. It shows that children and their parents are not always on the same level. A perfect example of this is the relationship between Matt and Mr. Seracen. They do not see eye to eye, and it finally blows up after the football game when they have a fight in the parking lot. But again, the show exaggerates as most parents who do not see eye to eye with their kids do not experience situations like that.
I feel like this school scene was not very realistic. For one, it comes out of nowhere, and the conversation did not seem very realistic for a school environment. And, it seemed to fit perfectly with the theme of the episode, which is obviously done on purpose, but took away from the realistic feel of the class. Also, the class seems too into the class and the reading for a public school. The scene is random and comes out of nowhere, and it is the only school scene in the whole show. Personally, I just do not see the class depicted the way a regular class would be.
ReplyDeleteThe scene in today's episodes that stuck with me was the scene where Jason races the little boy on his bike. For me, it provides a positive look on Street and his recovery in all that has happened to him in the past few months. We see him laughing and smiling, making the best of his situation as a cripple. It shows the progress he has made in mentally and physically overcoming his disability, as well as the progress in recovering from his situation with Lyla.
The theme of “nothing is like what is was before” can be found in the relationship between Jason and Lyla. Prior to Jason’s injury, they’re relationship was as strong as it could be. Now, it’s pretty messed up. Jason loves Lyla and Lyla loves Jason, but the fact that Lyla cheated on him can’t escape him. Jason wants to get back together with Lyla, but there is a part of him that knows he shouldn’t forgive her.
ReplyDeleteAt a large public school, what Lyla is going through is realistic. I’m sure hate websites have been created before. This wouldn’t happen with every girl that cheats on her boyfriend, but if the girl is the cheerleading captain, her boyfriend was the star quarterback, and the guy she cheated with is also a football captain, then it is very plausible. Girls probably try to make her feel as bad as possible because they were jealous of her perfect life before all this.
I am not completely sure if the show depicts Eric and Tammie’s protectiveness accurately, because I am not a girl. Girls’ fathers are supposedly overly protective. A part they do get right is when Eric goes to check on Matt and Julie. Parents are always interested in what their kids are doing, so that is very realistic. When the girl who created the website’s father goes to Buddy to apologize for what she did, I think that is also realistic. Parents think they are semi-responsible for their kid’s actions.
I think the classroom scene is realistic. Smash is trying to impress Waverly by attempting to act smart and making jokes, and Waverly ends up giving all of the good answers. It is realistic how Smash tried to be the class clown and make a lot of jokes. Most classes have a class clown. The emphasis on learning is very different at Dillon. When Tim is in the weight room and Landry is reading the book to him, an assistant coach asks Eric what they’re doing. When Eric says studying, the coach act like they have no idea what that word means.
The moment that stays with me is when Matt and his dad start to yell at each other in the school parking lot. I understand where Matt’s anger is coming from with how his father has been acting, but I also think his performance in the game is the cause for a large portion of the anger. The faces of Julie and her parents stayed with me, because nobody has seen this side of Matt before.
I think the most difficult aspect of Street’s new life is not being in command of everything and having to rely on others sometimes. In his former life, he was QB 1. He always knew what was going on and he was always the one telling others what they needed to do and where they needed to be; however, he now has to rely on others to get him places, to go forth and get a “W” on Friday night, and to try to represent everything he was. I think that Street has done a great job of adjusting to his new life, better than most real people could probably do (this is a tv show after all). He knows when to fight his disability and push it to the limit, like when he participated in the sporting event (forgot the name) and when he wheeled himself to the record store. But he has also began to be able to recognize when he must accept help.
ReplyDeleteThe treatment that Lyla gets from her classmates is definitely magnified and unrealistic, but its effects are as real as the tears she cries. I think that the producers of the show portray Dillon as an unrealistically high-schooly high school, but it serves to get their point across. The exact things that are happening to Lyla may be slightly unrealistic, but what she is going through is not unfamiliar to the real high school student.
I think the relationships between the children and their parents on the show are realistic in some senses, and exaggerated in other senses. The relationship between Street and his parents is what most strikes me, especially in the past couple of episodes. Before the injury, Streets parents were so proud and lovingly supportive of their son, but now they have been thrust into the role of the parents of a paraplegic. It’s interesting to watch them as they attempt to help him cope with something that they can’t even come to terms with, which is a great look at parenthood in general. One doesn’t always consider the challenges of helping a child cope with something so abstract and never-ending. Street’s parents have handled the injury fairly well (considering its magnitude), but of course there are slip-ups, because everyone is learning together. The best part about the depiction of the parent-child relationships is the idea that the kids are realizing that their parents don’t have all the answers, and that they must begin to solve their own problems.
As I said in the paragraph about Lyla, I believe that this school is a realistic high school on steroids (shout out to Smash). The entire setup of the school, in my opinion, is magnified; however, this could also be true to the social landscape of the average American high school, or at least Permian. I find the class to be unrealistic not only in that everyone in there is either a football player or his potential love interest, but also in their supposed engagement in the conversation. From what we saw in the movie and read in the book, it seems as though the football players were not too engaged in the classroom setting.
The scene that stayed with me from today’s episode was that in which Riggins shows up at Lyla’s door in the pouring rain and begs her to go to the cheering competition. The Garritys’ parenting was in nice contrast to that of the Taylors, who will barely even let their daughter ride in a car with Matt, even when someone else is there. But even more, this shows another side of Riggins. He wants Lyla to succeed even if it means her getting back with Street, because he is in love with her. This is interesting coming from Riggins, because it doesn’t even seem like he cares at all about his own success or commitments.
1. I think that the theme is best shown by Matt’s situation. As his dad said, he used to call his dad and try and depend on him to fix his problems. Once his dad actually got back he realizes that he doesn’t necessarily need it. Matt has been extremely independent, not only does he take care of himself, but he takes care of his grandma as well. I think that he is realizing his independence. Also His dad’s return actually caused more problems then it solved. Now Matt has to worry about moving and his grandma being put in a home. These are big changes that are suddenly added to his life. If he does have to move then his whole life will change.
ReplyDelete2. I think that the treatment Lyla get is a little bit unrealistic compared to Paideia. Quite honestly I don’t know what it is like at other schools, but at Paideia I don’t think that it would have gotten as out of control. Parts of it are dead on the rumors and talking behind her back are definitely realistic. Also how quickly the rumors spread sounds a lot like Paideia actually. If anything happens here everybody knows it within a short period of time. But the graffiti and website take it further then I think is realistic.
3. I think that the scenes with Buddy trying to consol Lyla are pretty realistic. It is obvious that he isn’t exactly sure what to do. He even asks Mrs. Taylor what to do at one point in one of the previous episodes. But I think that he gets it right. He really cares about her and even though it is a little awkward, he shows that he is there for her. It shows another side of Buddy that we don’t see much of. Most of the time we see him being part of the behind the scenes football meetings. This shows a new and sweet side of him.
4. I think that school is represented realistically in the series. The lit class that we saw today seems to be about like a regular class. The class discussion had some depth and seemed to be lead by the students for the most part, and some students take it more seriously then others which seems realistic to me. But other then that scene school just isn’t really important in Dillon, which is obviously not the case here. As we talked about in class the focus in Dillon is on football and athletics, while at Paideia that same pressure can be found in academics. I think that we just haven’t seen much of the school in the series. It is kind of hard to say whether it is realistic or not when we don’t see very much of it.
5. The scene at the cheering competition, where Lyla looks over to the stands and waves to Jason, stuck with me. It was a dramatic moment. Riggins had just convinced Lyla to compete and she seems to have started to get her life back together, and then she waves to Jason. I think that Lyla will always love Jason, no matter what and Riggins seems to be figuring that out too. They have a very dramatic and complicated love triangle, because they are all friends it makes everything harder.
I think the theme of "whatever worked for you before may not work now" goes beyond just Jason's character but instead applies to many of the characters in the show. For Jason, his injury changes everything and he has to adjust to his lonely life back at home. He has to come to terms with the fact that his body and what he can do will never be the same. Then there's also Matt whose father returns from Iraq. Matt is so excited his father is back yet his father isn't the man Matt expects and wants him to be. Matt has to realize that his whole dream of his perfect father who can make everything better once he returns to be the man of the house in reality isn't very proud of Matt's football and Matt and he has a hard time dealing with Matt's grandmother. Smash discovers that he usual techniques at getting girls won't work with the new pastor's daughter that he has seemed to develop a crush on. Instead of the girl chasing Smash, Smash must chase the girl and get her to like the real Brian, not just the football persona Smash. Lyla has changed from being the goody-two-shoes cheerleader captain to a real, struggling high school teen. She sees the whole depth, or rather lack there of, to Permian high school and the social structure and how shallow the importance of football in the town really is. She realizes that just because you're at the top one day and the most popular cheerleader in school doesn't mean who won't get hurt and thrown away by your friends after cheating on your boyfriend. She realizes how naive she was about her life and her future.
ReplyDeleteI think it's could be somewhat realistic at a school in that same situation: small town rural Texas where everyone knows everyone's lives and secrets. I think Lyla made a valid point that the repercussions of cheating are different for boys and girls. She loses all her friends and has to sit alone in the cafeteria while Riggins is just thought as a typical football player. I think that whole website thing could be realistic in a time when everything is now by the internet. Cyber bullying seems pretty widespread because you nowadays hear stories about it on the news a lot. I don't think kids would go as far as paint her locker with slut though.
I think the show captures the bond or lack of one between high schoolers and their parents. Lyla and her father have a close bond and you see how much they care about one another. Lyla is her daddy's little girl, he'll even miss a football game for her. And Lyla loves her dad and doesn't want to disapoint him by telling him all that the school has been putting her through, for example when she lies about seeing the mean website. In addition, the lack of a bond between some teens and their parents is exemplified, such as Matt and his dad. His dad just can't seem to be the father figure Matt was expecting him to be, like when his dad flips out about his grandmother acting so nervous and setting the stove on fire. The show does a good job of showing all the different types of relationships kids have with their parents.
I didn't find the class very realistic, I know how bad the school system is supposed to be but the show barely shows any teaching or required learning at all. Also, we rarely see inside classrooms during classes. And the whole thing with Riggins being tutored seemed very unbelievable. So I think the show doesn't do such a great job of realistically depicting the school in the series.
The moment when Lyla goes to Mrs. Taylor's office and cries because I think she finally understands what the town, it's football culture is about, how trivial it really is, how apart of it she was, and how she's still stuck in it. She really has matured and grown as a person. She's not the perfect little Lyla Garidy we used to know.
What stood out to me most a parallel to “nothing’s like it was before” is Saracen’s situation. When his father returns, things become complicated and his life turns completely upside down. I think with the idea of everything changing fits perfectly with Saracen’s situation. His life was down to a routine, it was difficult but manageable. His father was always someone that he looked up to, so to find him a different man makes Matt almost lose faith in everything: football, exemplified by his performance at the game, Julie, by the way he is pulling away from her, and family, and the role that they are supposed to have as caretakers and supporters. For me, Matt’s situation shows how suddenly things turn from simple to complicated, and there is no turning back once the damage is done. He even says he hates his father, a feeling that is hard to overcome.
ReplyDeleteI would say that the way Lyla’s classmates treat her after her incident with Tim is unrealistic. Of course it is a shock that such a “good girl” makes such a drastic decision, but I feel like the students would not care that much in the scheme of things. This is not the first time that it has happened in their high school, and it will not be the last. I think the idea that people spread rumors is realistic and how people may see Lyla differently now, but at a big public high school, there are way more people to be caring about than just Lyla and who she decides to sleep with. Although the idea of high school drama is realistic, the overdramatized version in the show is overblown.
The show nails the way parents are protective of their children, like Coach Taylor and Tammy are about Julie. I also think the show shows a lot about relationships between fathers to kids, both in Matt’s case and in Lyla’s. Lyla’s dad is shown as the supportive father who does not know what to do or how to help his daughter, but he senses that he needs to be there are a support system for her which I think is very realistic. When her father misses the last half of the game to be with Lyla, I think that is a very telling moment about parenting. I think the show also does the scenes with Matt’s father well, which show what can happen if a parent is absent for a while and has to come in and readjust to being a parent again. When Matt’s dad walks onto the field to meet the coach and he shows his lack of faith in his son, it really exemplifies how he has forgotten what his role is in the family. Matt’s father has forgotten how to be a dad, how to be supportive of his son, and how to be nurturing.
I think the classroom scene is pretty realistic, but much like above, it is overly exaggerated to make a point. Waverly is totally dominating the academic scene and Smash is stumbling for words, which really shows how the football players have been coddled all of their way through school. I don’t think that Waverly’s speech would be that dramatic, but I think the show does that to illustrate the contrast between the football players and the actual students at Dillon.
The scene when Matt’s father yells at the grandmother for catching the stove on fire really stuck with me. It really shows what an amazing kid Matt is, how he is more of an adult than his father, with his extreme patience and love for his grandmother. I think the scene shows a lot about what war can do to a person, what absence can do to a parent and a kid, and the true good-hearted nature of Saracen’s character.
In my opinion, Tami’s employment at Dillon High School allows for an intersection of Coach Taylor’s intimate, secluded personal life and what was predominantly, preceding Tami’s employment at the school, an emotionally devoid role as the head football coach, yielding palpable effects on the near entirety of the football team. Coach Taylor is unwillingly placed in a situation in which he must maintain and promote synergy between his personal life and life as a coach, a synergy that often manifests itself in Eric’s adamant compliance with Tami’s decisions and opinions regarding the team, decisions that often have the potential to mitigate the team’s campaign for the state championship. In my mind, Tami’s discovery and revulsion regarding Tim’s persistent and nonchalant cheating best exemplifies Coach Taylor’s metamorphosis. While Taylor vehemently denies possessing any knowledge of Riggins’ cheating when speaking to Tami and informed of her allegations, it is almost a near certainty that Coach Taylor had at the least a minute amount of knowledge concerning academic cheating and dishonesty amongst the members of the football team. While Tim wholly expects that his cheating will be allowed to continue due to his position on the football team, Coach Taylor was barred from making his decision based solely on what would prove to be the most beneficial for the football team, and thus Tim was placed in what initially appeared to be a harrowing position due to the intersection of Coach Taylor’s personal and professional lives.
ReplyDeleteI believe that, in accordance with the effect on the vast majority of emotions in Dillon, the unbearable amount of malevolence directed towards Lyla is inflated to such a degree that I would find it difficult to believe that such poignant malicious attacks could exist at Paideia (which I know is nearly unitarily used as the response for questions such as this) for a prolonged period of time. While the persistent and vicious verbal attacks are for the most part realistic, the perpetual attempts to bring physical harm to Lyla during practice accompanied by the website strip Lyla’s predicament of some of its believability, as well as its applicability to real life scenarios.
I do believe that the show accurately portrays the lives and interactions of parents and their children, as opposed to its somewhat hyperbolic portrayal of teenage anxiety and interactions. The show is able to display numerous examples of issues that have become commonplace in our society, including a parent’s desire to protect their child to the fullest extent possible without being intrusive (as in Julie’s case, although unlike Tami, Eric appears strive to be intrusive on his daughter’s relationship), and the persistent and dogged desire to garner the respect and admiration of one’s parents (as in Saracen’s case), with believability and relevance to society as a whole.
I found the classroom scene to be both humorous and believable, although it was presented in a manner in which the intellectual disparity in the class was, to an extent, inflated, which is in accordance with the inner workings of the near entirety of the school. While I have not personally witnessed any individual voice an ambiguous and disjointed opinion, only to have it immediately woven into an eloquent statement by another, I am certain that it has happened before. I know it sounds impossible, but from the brief glimpse we saw of the classroom, I feel as if Dillon is either too nonchalant or high strung at any given time, with no apparent equilibrium.
ReplyDeleteThe jarring moment Saracen and his father shared in the parking lot following Matt’s lackluster performance left the largest impression on me from the two episodes we watched today. Not only did it exemplify his father’s arguable failings as a parent, but in addition the seemingly unbearable amount of responsibility placed upon Matt, which only seems to be heightened following his father’s return. The marked and pronounced incompatibility between the two individuals is displayed in the scene as well, as Saracen’s father, who from what we’ve seen appears to be a near psychopath, cannot find mutual agreement or compatability with his son, who possesses a starkly differentiated persona.
The theme of "nothing's like it was before" is shown when Coach Taylor receives a phone call from the University of Texas, offering him a position as a quarterback coach. Tami hears the news and instantly embraces Eric, even though she was mad at him seconds earlier. Now, instead of Coach Taylor clinging onto a position as a highschool football coach, a whole new world has opened before his eyes into the college coaching arena, which will no doubt affect his and his family's decisions for the future.
ReplyDeleteI think the scene with Lyla getting bullied was a little escalated. The physical vandalism of her locker was unrealistic, but the glares and whispering of the students around her was very realistic. Also, the two guys who hardly knew her that suddenly showed interest in her because of the rumors seemed very realistic.
How Eric Taylor is so protective of Julie seems very realistic to me. The fathers of teenage girls tend to be very restrictive and careful with their daughters, so the relationship between Eric and Matt outside of football is spot on. However, the show also highlights the caring side of a father in the relationship between Buddy and Lyla. Buddy loves football so much that he never missed a Dillon game in years, but he left one to comfort Lyla. Also, he expressed true pain when he saw the website created for his daughter, which only a very caring father could do.
I think the depiction of school is very realistic. While the classroom scene is not so similar to a Paideia classroom, it is very similar to a public classroom scene. There's always one or two kids in the class who constantly try to make everybody laugh, and the show did a good job of highlighting that.
A scene that really stuck with me was when Matt comes home after staying at the Taylor's house, hiding away from his father. He discovers his father carefully and affectionately tucking his grandmother into bed. This makes the viewer rethink his or her judgement of Matt's dad. While he appears to not care for the presence of his mother, inside he loves her and cares about her possibly as much as Matt does.
A perfect example of Herc's statement is for Lyla and her popularity. When Jason was still the star football player, Lyla had everything going for her. She had a boyfriend, popularity, friends, and cheer. Once Jason had his accident, everything started to fall apart for her, leading to her unfaithfulness. She lost the boyfriend, who she hurt very much. She lost popularity, because of the whole Riggins scandal, the whole school turned their back on her, calling her a slut and whore leading to her having to sit by herself at lunch. She threatened to give up cheer because she just couldn't take it anymore. Lyla had the perfect life before the accident, but now nothing's like it was before.
ReplyDeleteI believe it is true, but maybe a little unrealistic. At Paideia, I think there is absolutely no way that something like this would happen. I think it is boosted so much because they're at a big public school in a small town, where everything will be known. I think that everyone would find out at Paideia, a small school in a big town, but people are much more nicer at our school. Rumors would be spread, as they are naturally, and Lyla would be as hurt as she is at Dillon.
The show nails the relationship between some parents and their children dealing with boyfriends. Fathers are normally very overprotective of their daughters, so Coach Taylor not liking the idea of his daughter dating his QB 1 is very realistic. No parent really wants to see their 15/16 year old daughter drive off in a car with their boyfriend, questioning where are they going, and what could they be doing. But the parents have to learn to cope with the new idea of dating and will have to later on accept.
I guess I find the class realistic, in the way that it is a literature classroom and there is discussion. Since all they did was discuss the book, there isn't much to base my decision on. But with school, I find it very realistic. The way kids react with each other is realistic, name calling and bullying, which is a huge problem in schools today. The relationships and raging hormone scenes that occur throughout the day happen. And although I've never been to a public school guidance counselor, i'm sure the relationships that Ms. Taylor has with some of the students can be real.
The moment that stuck with me is the scene when Matt snaps at his dad after his horrendous game. I think that although Matt's dad hadn't been home in a while, Matt had all these bottled feelings towards his dad that he needed to let go. He felt he was the only one caring about his grandmother, and that his dad had absolutely no confidence in his son. Obviously, Matt's bad game added to his anger, but when his dad ticked him off, he snapped. And when anybody lets go of those feelings, it feels good. So it was good for Matt to release the anger, to let his father know what's up.
What i think really embodies the theme of "Nothing's like it was before," theme really applies to Mat Saracen and his dad coming home from Iraq. When he first sees his dad he is so exited and runs out to meet him. He thinks that his dad can now solve all of his problems and help him with taking care of his grandmother. But things don't turn out how he wanted it. His dad makes it worse, and says that Matt can't live with his Grandmother anymore and is going to make Matt move to a new home.
ReplyDeleteI think that Lylas treatment is unrealistic because the whole school wouldn't suddenly turn it's back on Lyla. Shes a smart pretty girl and is the captain of the cheer leading squad means means that she probably has a lot of friends. She probably would have gotten some bullying from other kids but not total isolation by all of her friends.
i think the way the show portrays the Taylor's over protectiveness over Julia is pretty realistic. Most parents start to worry about there kid when they start dating and don't want to think of there child with a person of the opposite sex. Fro most parents the idea scares them at first and then they get over it.
I think the classroom scene is realistic. Smash is the funny confident guy who makes a funny comment and Waverly is the smart girl who really understands the subject. We don't see enough of the classroom to see what there school is really like but the little bit we see is realistic.
1) This theme is emphasized in a lot of ways. Lyla and Street's sexual situation is the most obvious, but there is also the fast of Lyla's relationship with her fellow cheerleaders to consider. She allows them to throw her up into the air and catch her, but because of the "mistake" she made with Riggins, her physical health may be put in danger. The show only touched on this a little, but I think it's a really important aspect of that episode. Lyla is a flyer, and it's her responsibility to execute her position properly so that the spotters may catch her. When her reputation is muddled by her affiar with Riggins, the team appears to turn on her. While this may appear merely to be girls being mean, it's a potentially very dangerous situation. I think the show should've put a bigger emphasis on this. Lyla is being put in a position where she could be injured in a way that somewhat resembles how Street was injured; Street was doing what he loved, with teammates he trusted, and he got hurt.
ReplyDelete2) It is and it isn't. Girls are really mean, and no one can honestly deny that. I don't doubt that people would write degrading notes on her locker and online, but I'm not sure they'd ever really confront her. Tyra is the only one who has a "right" to confront Lyla anyway since she is Riggins' semi-girlfriend. The scene where Lyla has water thrown on her seems a little exaggerated. Girls are more passive, not that that in any way makes the things they do less hurtful. Other than the overly confrontational scenes where the guys come up in the cafeteria and the girls say things as they walk past, I think this was a pretty accurate presentation of what would happen to a girl in this situation.
3) The relationship Lyla has with her parents seems odd to me. I tend keep my social life and my home life as separate as I can. I've never experienced something quite like what Lyla is dealing with, but I still don't think that a high-school girl would be willing to admit to her father that she cheated on her boyfriend. Street's relationship with his parents seems more realistic to me. His parents disagree in front of him, which is not something we see a whole lot of outside of the Taylor residence. Additionally, Street is continually frustrated by all of the kind things his parents are doing for him because he feels as though they'll never understand. This is something that I imagine most kids go through at one point or another with their parents.
4) I like Dillion High a lot more than I like Permian. The athletes are still given somewhat of a free ride until Mrs. Taylor steps in. That, I think, is the main difference. The sense I get from Permian is that even the teachers who want to help don't. In addition, I'm fairly certain that if the coaches wife at Permian High School did something that could jeopardize the football team, the entire family would be feeling the town's wrath.
5) The scene that really stayed with was when Smash was taking care of a nosebleed in the bathroom and Coach Taylor walks in. There was a brief moment of fear where I thought that maybe Taylor would automatically know what was happening and go off on Smash right then and there. I understand the pressure that Smash is under, but I fear for his relationship with the Coach. I feel like Taylor really puts himself out there with his players, and they are constantly going behind his back. I find it odd that this scene made me care more about Smash and Taylor's relationship than the possibility that Smash may not have a future.