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In my previous post, I tried to communicate why I like Nip/Tuck, but I left something out: its context. The show is the brainchild of Ryan Murphy: he created the series, is its chief writer and is listed as an executive producer of the show. Murphy also created, wrote and produced Popular, and this is where context and continuity come in to play.

Both shows demonstrate an ongoing interest in popularity (duh), social politics, beauty culture and are steeped in melodrama. Unfortunately, both shows tend to treat important issues in a fairly cavalier way (as Steenblogen so righteously pointed out in her comment yesterday). Both shows also treat their female characters unevenly, but again--Steeblogen said it better. Coincidentally, she's also the one who got me into both shows.

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If you haven't been visiting Twisty's glorious domain recently, you've missed some quality venom. Do yourself a favour and check out "Hatred, Compulsion and Insanity" from the 15th and "Goon Squad Beep Beep" from the 21st. As incentive (and because it's beautiful), I present an excerpt from the latter post:

In the sense that clothes are used to classify women according to their sexual availability, the veil is the Muslim equivalent of the Western miniskirt. The veil says: "I am some motherfucker's property and unavailable for your sexual excitement." The skirt says: "Please contemplate fucking me." Both lovingly embrace the same principle, albeit from different sides, and that principle is this: women are dirt. Or: Fail to strive with every fiber of your being to master the art of the local feminine drag, and you will end up in the clink.