Change Your Image
bookreader83
Reviews
Texas Ranch House (2006)
Shows are not historically inaccurate
PBS's reality TV consists of bringing a select group of people (usually at least one or two families and several strangers) back into the past to re-live the experience of living within various historical time periods.
Texas Ranch House is the newest chapter in that series. One must keep in mind when watching these that although the participants are educated on what their roles will be, their 21st century mind-set is still affecting their ability to fully adapt to the role.
Texas Ranch House is entertaining because it reveals the hardships and day-to-day experiences of the people as they might have lived. We get to see the families adjust to their new living situations (or not) and how they cope with doing stuff as growing a garden, gathering up cattle, and living without 21st century technology.
I have become an avid fans of PBS's reality shows, but I have noticed one thing that viewers do complain about which is not inaccurate. So I hope to set it straight here.
That said, these shows are not inaccurate in their portrayals of feminism. (That said, I would not call the whiny Cooke women feminists). Feminism is not a post-1950s concept. Post Civil War (when Texas Ranch House takes place), feminists were speaking out for the right to vote, the right to own property, the right to divorce their husbands without losing custody of their child, the right to marry and keep one's last name.
It is a shame the previous viewer claims to be a feminist and history buff but doesn't know his feminist history. The "First Wave" is historically dated to 1848 when the Senaca Falls Convention took place. There, Lucy Stone and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, among others, produced the "Declaration of Sentiments." Post-Civil War, feminists broke into 2 camps--one group headed by Stanton and her comrade-in-arms, Susan B. Anthony, the other by Lucy Stone. Each group was preoccupied with getting the right to vote by but using different tactics. At the turn of the century, the two camps merged into NAWSA, of which Carrie Catt became President of. It was under Carrie Catt's second term that women got the right to vote.
One can argue all day about what constitutes feminism and whether the women portrayed in each of PBS's reality TV shows represent feminism, but people, please be aware of your feminist history before calling it 'historically inaccurate' to see it in whatever time period that the PBS show is currently set in.
Earthsea (2004)
Not based on Le Guin's books.
The making the Le Guin books into the miniseries caused me to read the books to prepare myself for the films. I might as well have not have as the filmmakers corrupted, added to, and barely followed the plot of Le Guin's books.
While I have no complaints about the costumes, special effects, or set design, all of that is overshadowed by bad dialog and an obvious disrespect for Le Guin's books.
The film seems like a cheesy attempt to reproduce Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter. (Le Guin's books were written in the late 1960s and 1970s). Rather than remain faithful to Le Guin's beloved books, the filmmakers have added an entire plot that deals with a corrupt king trying to take over Earthsea as well as distorted elements of the books (Vetch dies, Jasper is good, the Archmage dies, there is no amulet of peace although it is obviously based on the book's Ring of Erreth-Abke, Tenar isn't a orphan, and Thar dies a natural death.)
I urged viewers to read Le Guin's books so that way they can see Le Guin's true intentions.