Here's the Television Without Pity forum for discussing the show. I love the stern moderator's rules:
What’s on topic in this thread?Good rules!
What’s not on topic here?
- Things you saw on the show.
In other words, this isn’t a thread to snark on Palin at will. Please take extra care to follow the rules of the board and the special rules for this thread. If you don’t pay attention to the rules, and treat this as a general thread given to you to bash or praise Palin or your fellow posters, you will be warned. Thanks.
- Politics
- Bristol's appearance on DWTS
- Politics
- Your personal judgements about Palin's fame/family/career
- Politics
- Posting to tell us that you're not going to watch.
- Politics.
Posts
74 comments:
I won't be watching -- no cable, and I won't hulu at work, but I think if there is lots of scenery, then it would be a good show. You can't beat Alaska for jaw-dropping natural beauty.
Re: Palin talking all the time, that would bug me, as her accent grates. Too many TV narrators are afraid to let the pictures do the talking. It's not radio!
Those should be the rules for every comment section!
wv: imorin Isaac Asimov's lesser known work.
"...you will be warned. "
This reminds me of the bit on unarmed British police. "Stop, or I shall be forced to say stop again."
Is the question posed by the thread topic in opposition to the Not On Topic sub-catagory "posting to tell us that you're not going to watch" if I forgo mentioning my future plans and simply answer the question posed by said thread topic?
If no, than no.
I am interested, though, in the pseudo-controversial hay being made about them getting too close to "protected" bears. There appears to be some contention about that "protection".
It's interesting how accent prejudice is one of the last acceptable prejudices. Well -- some kind of accents are okay to say you dislike. I'll bet if I said I didn't like the way black people in America spoke I'd get slammed up and down and sideways. (Just for the record, I have no objection to any of the various black American accents. But say I did. You know what the reaction would be. "You racist!" Well, I'm already a racist for not voting for Obama. But still.)
I have no objection to any of the various black American accents.
I do. If I were hiring people, I'd want them to present a professional demeanor, and IMO ghetto accents -- note that I don't restrict that to black -- just are not professional.
Racist!
I won't watch unless she takes a gun and shoots something.
I saw the show. It's cute, when they show the kids, and the family goes on the fishing trip, or to Denali. Also, when Willow is trying to have some time alone with her boyfriend, and Sarah calls them out.
Also, didn't some commentators here say Sarah didn't know one end of a gun from another? There were clips from next week showing Sarah firing a shotgun, skeet shooting.
I'll also say this show doesn't really help her in a Presidential run, if she runs. And for those who think her folksiness is faked, in the show her Alaskan accent and mannerisms are fully realized. For those for whom this grates on your nerves, you won't be disappointed.
We watched it and enjoyed it. If the show-biz motto is "leave 'em wanting more," then the show succeeded, because we'll be watching it next week, too.
I thought the fishing and mountain-climbing sequences went on too long, particularly after being endlessly teased as they went into commercial breaks. As a result, the show seemed to have far less content than you expect from an hour's program. But that's a typical TLC thing, not unique to this show.
I flipped back and forth between Sarah and Dexter. But what I saw of the show was okay, not great.
She's a real person, not fake at all, but anyone remotely objective already knew that.
Past that, I can't say much considering the rules.
No
(and this thread will probably still get over 200 comments)
The last 20 minutes were rock climbing. That was a drama; at least it was for the Seven Dwarves hoping Snow White Sarah falls and kills herself. It seems that every thing locals do in Alaska is risky, and the first rule there is not to be afraid . The Seven Dwarves had better quit counting on Palin dropping out from fear of a Rovian Reputation Trashing.
Nah, not my kind of entertainment.
Whatever Sarah Palin decides to do, one thing that she should avoid, would be to go hunting with Dick Cheney.
Meh. The problem is the Reality Show audiences have become addicted to the Drama.
Take the 1st season of Project Runway or Desperate Housewives as an example. It became obvious that the cast was *creating* false drama for ratings, like the guests on Jerry Springer who are advised to go over the top, throw chairs, fight.
So this so either tanks because the audience loses patience, or the Palin's start creating false drama to keep the ratings. Either way, not good for anyone wanting to "remain politically viable for the future".
Best case scenario: I hope its a one-shot season. At least it will show the rest of America that the Palin's and the people Sara represents are not the "bitter clinging racist rednecks" that the MSM tries to portray them as.
But bonus points if Sara shoots any "journolists" lurking in the woods. :)
I think Dexter is more real than Sarah is. And more compelling. You want something great, watch "Boardwalk Empire" or "Luther" on BBCAM. Awesome
Vicki
Vicki said:
I think Dexter is more real than Sarah is
Yes, I agree, Sarah would have to pretend to be a serial killer.
I wanted more Alaska and less Palin Family. She's right--they are normal and t/4 not great TV. Finally heard Todd talk--hunky voice too.
I think she has lowered her profile by doing this. She's been Osbourned.
The state is incredible and I will watch, tho.
Almost missed it, but saw a little of the rock climbing bit. Kept imagining Andrea Mitchell in Sarah's place.
Sounds like a typical outdoors show, a genre I happen to like, but which bores many to tears.
"The last 20 minutes were rock climbing."
Rock climbing, Joel. Crow, rock climbing.
Whatever Sarah Palin decides to do, one thing that she should avoid, would be to go hunting with Dick Cheney.
It wouldn't be a problem. Palin would have enough sense to NOT stand in front of the line of fire.
First rule of hunting, especially upland game. Be aware of exactly where everyone one is and notify everyone of where you are going to be located. Also don't stand in the range of fire of the other hunters.
"Sarah Palin talking almost constantly"
That was my issue too. Some quiet time would have been nice, to take in the scenery. I've been to Alaska many times, in both summer and winter. Heed my advice: go in summer. :)
I laughed out loud when she called her patio the concrete slab. But then I was primed to, wasn't I.
I watched it.
Sarah's new next door neighbor, Joe McGinniss was shown several times, sitting on his deck overlooking the Palin slab, face blurred out.
Creepy, he is.
Palin said, "“it's just none of his flippin' business." Awesome, she is.
I watched Tina Fey getting her award at the Kennedy Center, and I watched the special on bears. Do those get me partial credit?
I didn't see the premier episode, and probably won't until it's available online, therefore I was obliged to visit that sans mercy forum where I hoped to gather at least an idea of the show's premise, content, structure, etc. second hand as it were. However beyond the oft repeated "Alaska is beautiful" (knew that anyway) and comments on Palin's manner of speaking I learned nothing of interest from the forum contributors.
In spite of the moderator's statutes there were plenty of oblique snarks against Palin, grouping mostly on her vocal mannerisms, which given the zeitgeist cannot be seen as lacking a political tinge. Yet I read no warnings or interventions. Why bother with the University of Walamalaya rules?
Palin's accent has been described here as Alaskan -- it may be so, but was she not born and bred in Idaho? Thus is her accent more likely Idahoan? (That my be the first time I've ever used that adjective in a non-potato context)
If Palin's accent is typically Alaskan or Idahoan it is indistinguishable to my ears from a rural Minnesota accent, except perhaps for the Scandinavian ja's one occasionally hears -- basically attenuated Yooper. Is this because the settlers of Idaho were mostly Minnesota Nordics who just continued westward? Was Alaska settled by the same peripatetic Minnesotans? (Greta: We're already used to brutal winters, Ollie, we might as well have some scenery. Ollie: You betcha! Pass the lutefisk.)
Almost missed it, but saw a little of the rock climbing bit. Kept imagining Andrea Mitchell in Sarah's place.
Here's a great episode: Kattie Couric goes climbing with them. Then tease the audience with instances where Sara could push her off.
Do it do it do it push her now!
@ Quaestor
Another aspect of the study was focused on the origin of Palin’s speech patterns, particularly the upper-Midwestern undertones in her speech.
Palin’s hometown of Wasilla, Alaska, was settled during the Great Depression by families from northern Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.
Apparantly this is the typical accent for people in the geographic area. Nothing out of the ordinary. You take on the accent of the locality where you are raised.
We can be thankful that Palin wasn't raised in L.A. ...fur shure, oh my gawd, gag me with a spoon.
"The last 20 minutes were rock climbing."
Rock climbing, Joel. Crow, rock climbing.
The thought did cross my mind.
The Palin home seems vulnerable from the lake side. I remember the crazy guy that got Lindbergh's baby just like Raising Arizona got a baby. Stealing her kid might be Palin's most vulnerable pressure point. I would hope Rove arranges plenty of cut outs so that it would appear to be one more sole crazy loner that has no contacts with anyone. But it is no wonder she is so alert and reactive to the jerk casing the joint from next door for his "Hit Piece".
I think there was a Minnesotan in her lineage, but being a native of Idaho I must say that she doesn't talk like an Idahoan. She talks exactly like my best friend, a native Alaskan, born there before Statehood.
Even my son, when he first heard Palin speak, said, "She sounds like Dixie!"
Gotta say, though, that I've said "you betcha" all my life. That must come from Idaho.
And, yes, I watched. I returned from Alaska on Saturday, and was happy I was home to catch it.
Realtors in Alaska are expecting a spike in interest in the state after this. I agree.
Television Without Pity is a Stalinist organizatin. It is run by Bravo as though they were 1950's
commies.
I was banned from commenting when all that I did was legitimate talk about an issue on the Housewifes of DC. In the show one of the housewives who talks about how she has been the victim of discrimination made stupid remarks about gay marriage. Although I am far from an adovocate of gay marriage I did point out the total bullshit hypocrisy. I got a "warning" email from one of their so called moderators. Several emails went back and forth and I was banned from posting.
Although the evil blogger lady and I have our issuse, I have to compliment her as she does not delete comments or ban commenters like those commie bitchs.
I saw the show and it was fun. At least as interesting as "Sister-Wifes" or "Kate plus eight little bastards."
Enjoy and pay attention. Soon everyone in America is going to have their own reality show.
At least there weren't any midgets.
Television Without Pity is a Stalinist organizatin. It is run by Bravo as though they were 1950's
commies.
Their rules are ridiculous. You can be warned for starting a sentence with "um," because it's supposedly "dismissive" of other members.
I proudly wear two warnings from TWOP for violations almost as ridiculous as "um."
Yeah but were you banned after commenting for one day.
That takes talent.
TWOP is strict. That's both good and bad...I think they were less strict before the bravo takeover, though. Also, there wasn't so much crap on the website and they didn't constantly have popups.
Ann, you're so funny! Really, you didn't finish watching the episode? Don't be so lame. Sarah Palin rock climbing is the same as YOU going out of your comfort zone on a camping trip with Meade.
How about this for a new TLC reality show:
Ann Althouse's Wisconsin
Older, artsy, non-outdoorsy, opinionated, bringing home the bacon law professor (who sometimes writes about the law) goes Honda-CRV camping (in a skirt) with strong, silent-type, outdoorsy husband while son complains on blog that step-father is stealing all the good coffee mugs! The host talks too much, but her photography is excellent. Audience gets a really good "wow" and "oh my gosh" idea of the natural beauty that is Wisconsin.
I saw the show and it was fun.
Was it on at the same time as the Cowboys game?
If you can't beat the Cowboys this year, I don't see how you can win the Super Bowl.
Well it is my goal to make TWOP suffer and I have some ideas in that direction.
Nobody bans me and gets away with it.
Ann Althouse's Wisconsin
Fishing, rock climbing, even bears: Devil's Lake has it all!
May 27, 2010 10:17 AM PDT
DEVILS LAKE (WKOW) -- If your Memorial Day plans include camping near Wisconsin Dells, there are a few things you should know, because the smell of hotdogs on a grill could attract more than your family and friends.
There are as many as five bears roaming the area, according to the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The bears are in the Wisconsin Dells area, moving south along the Wisconsin River and closer to Devils Lake State Park.
Only two bears have been spotted at Devils Lake in the last 60 years, but that doesn't mean the risk isn't there.
"If I was in a tent, I'd be very nervous. I don't think I'd come!" said Sally Geiger, who is spending her Memorial Day weekend camping at Devils Lake with her husband, Robert.
I haven't seen the show yet, but I will give it a look if I happen to be in the den when it comes on. I like Sarah and think her family's adorable. As for people picking on the way she talks, I take personal offense at that because I'm southern and we are frequently maligned by the media and entertainment industries as being stupid because of the cadence of our speech. I find some speech annoying too, but it doesn't mean the person who sounds that way is stupid. Fran Drescher, for instance: the nasally honkish speech grates on me like nails on a blackboard, but I think she's sort of cute and good person.
Hey MadMan everybody has a trap game during the season. It was a bad loss but it was only one game. It is a wake up call.
I DVR'd the show as I do all shows and watched it when I had time.
Sandwiched between reruns of Bewitched and I Dream of Jeanie.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.An Elizabeth Montgomery and Barbara Eden sandwich. Tasty!
Ann Althouse's Wisconsin
I'd watch it.
But only two bears in Devil's Lake State Park? Really? What's with the scarcity down there?
If there had been camcorders in Teddy Roosevelt's time, he certainly wouls have had a few of them along.
The show made me appreciate Sarah Palin a lot more. She's one of the few political women who'd be fun to pal around with.
And the rock climbing! I know women with fingernails so long they can't even take off a tupperware lid, much less pull themselves up by fingers stuck in rock cracks.
Constantly hearing her high-pitched nasal voice did grate on me, much more than her accent. I kept wishing Susan Stanberg or Nina Totenberg were doing the narration; then I imagined them jumping over crevasses.
Then I imagined Oprah doing it, until I realized that Black Americans never go to the National Parks or National Forests they pay for, unless they had a White mother, like Obama had, to introduce them to the experience.
Fun and thought-provoking.
I watch the Tina Fey show, 30 Rock, all the time. This despite the fact that there are frequent product placement ads for Democratic talking points. I wonder if there are any who object to Sarah Palin's politics who watched her show with enjoyment.....Sarah to Katie: "Those Ugg boots are just so adorable, but you know they really aren't made for Alaskan winters. I was so sorry to hear about your toes. For our next interview on the north slope oil rig, you be sure to dress real warm. I'm just so glad to be able to give you all these exclusive interviews."
I watched and enjoyed Sarah Palin's Alaska.
It was advertised as a "love letter to Alaska", and it was all that and more.
I've been to Alaska. It is a place like no other, huge, wild, primitive in many areas, dangerous nearly everywhere.
It is also breathtakingly beautiful and that is why I watched, tears on my cheeks, as I once again saw things seen a few years ago.
If you don't or can't understand Alaska you should go there. Not on a tour ship, but on land, by car or truck. It will change you.
I saw advertisements for that show 'Undercover Boss' and my immediate question was don't the employees wonder why a camera crew is following them around?
I also don't think Palin is going to run for President. I think she's having way too much fun and making money to take on that job.
Ditto, Hoosier.
The cover story for "Undercover Boss" is that the camera crew is filming a reality show of people who have changed careers. Either laid off in the recession or changing from one career to another.
Of course, since it's now the 2nd season of the show, you'd figure that people would be on to it.
Did Palin take the TV crews to the Portage Glacier visitors center they built to have a gorgeous view of the glacier.....that has disappeared... that you now have to take a one hour boat ride several miles to see the glacier face? No? Probably not.
Wow. Who could have thought Palin's powers included making glaciers disappear.
The abilities of this woman are boundless...
garage, Palin should take you to Glacier Bay, where the glaciers have been retreating at an alarming rate ever since 1760. Undoubtedly the result of some non-eco friendly actions taken by the British forces during the French and Indian War.
Am completely ambivalent about Sarah Palin, but watched and really enjoyed her show. I like her a lot more than I did! And absolutely HAVE to visit Alaska!
Trooper, I am also BANNED from TWOP. I think my situation was worse, however, since I was a longtime regular who was banned suddenly for supposedly "being repetitive" in a particularly nasty Season 5 Buffy thread.
that was around the time where we all felt that TWOP wanted us all to stop being too "critical" of the shows; shortly after I was banned, Bravo bought the site! so there you go. There is an alternate site for us Banned Ones. I forget where it is now tho! lots of fun stuff about the ol' Nazi-esque Mods of TWOP.
Yeah Bravo is a bunch of pussies.
I might have to start my own TV review site.
Maybe when I become a full time blogger I will and drive them into the freakin' ground.
The only problem is where am I gonna find enough people who want to talk about the TV shows of the 1960's and 1970's.
In 1598 Sir Francis Drake was stopped from going farther north by icebergs in the inland passage somewhere around Vancouver Island.
I was banned from TWoP for suggesting that the title of one recaps "The Hardy Boys meet Bristol Palin" was offensive.
The character was a child who lived walls after getting pregnant by her father. A tad offensive to compare that character to Bristol.
I'm pleasantly surprised by those rules.
That being said I do in general like TWoP.
And getting banned is like a rite of passage.
I did not watch it. To be honest, I was so burned out on the commercials for the show that I just kind of lost interest in watching.
I don't really like shows that follow people around. And I like and respect Palin, but I have to admit I am getting kind of tired of some of this stuff. All the time. Everywhere.
But Alaska is a very special place.
The only problem is where am I gonna find enough people who want to talk about the TV shows of the 1960's and 1970's.
My parents were really strict about TV in my household, so we watched a lot of Nick at Nite. I'd hang out on your site and talk about shows from the 60's and 70's.
"And getting banned is like a rite of passage."
Seriously. You have to be kidding. I mean they are just totally contradicting what their site is supposed to be all about. Snarking on TV shows.
Bravo has no balls. They totally shut down the Real Housewives of New York thread because it became a Jill Zarin hate fest. But so what? If that was what people wanted to say they should let them say it. It was certainly interesting and brought traffic. They are just control freaks.
Keep lookin' over your shoulder Kay
because I am coming for you.
You have to watch TVland this week lyssa. They are doing a lot of reruns of Bewitched and I Dream of Jeanie.
I just saw one where Darren was being hit on by a very very young Raquel Welch. Of course he didn't do anythng about it. I mean he was way gay.
It seemed like she was the only one micced when they were outside, but they turned up the volume trying to pick up the others' voices.
Willow and Piper will pay for Bristol's sins.
Best line of the night was Todd's.
Sarah: I'm scared!
Todd: Jess DEW it!
Also, he called her "Juicy." Must be a pet name, and one that people will probably misunderstand.
Evidently Garage hasn't researched the history of Portage Glacier beyond his regular visits to one or more ill-informed global warming, climate change, or whatever the warmist term of the week is. The visitor center is where it is because that's where the road ended when it was built.
Alaska is a beautiful state and I've only been up the Inside Passage from Juneau to Skagway.
"Ann Althouse's Wisconsin"
LOL. That's what I said. Sarah and Todd were summering all over their home state, just like me and Meade.
Fen said...So this so either tanks because the audience loses patience, or the Palin's start creating false drama to keep the ratings.
Sarah and Todd divorce scare?
To me, Palin's voice is like fingernails on a chalkboard, especially when she's speaking loudly in front of an audience. I finally realized who she sounds like: Deputy Trudy Wiegel on "Reno 911."
The reason I liked the moderator's rules is that otherwise the thread would have been ruined for people who are actually interested in the show. It would not have worked for people who wanted to talk more specifically and substantively. It would be a lot of people jamming the airwaves saying they hate Palin.
I watched the rerun last night and thought it was great. The editing was standard TLC/reality show. That Sarah's voice was to be heard so much was their job. Her job was to provide commentary and quotes so they would have something to work with. Alaska looked beautiful, how could it otherwise? Now I want to go there. Mission accomplished.
Sarah and the Palins are allowed to get their licks in, they are the draw for the show so if TLC gets to film in the house then a few shots across the bow for those who have harassed them are certainly fair play. Sarah brings out the bigot in people who don't like her accent, way of living, political and religious beliefs, and even her beauty. It's her gift! Seven episodes left...
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