The review DIDN'T attack "jokes about gayness". It attack *gay panic* jokes. And those are pretty shitty. It is *not* a political statement to say we shouldn't treat just anyone like gross slime monsters.

I'll thank you to stop calling the cultural acceptance of homosexuality "a political circle jerk."

"Any unpopular opinion is shouted down"

Yeah, but (as you kinda get at) in Ghostbusters, they play with the idea of starting a new business, showing that it's hard, etc. In movies like this, the "wacky job" is just assumed, and used as a shortcut to get to the highjinx.

But of course, the Cubs have a legit shot to win the WS in the next few years. They guys who gave us the Fwar, Dips, Winshares, Gritt, Babip, Pecota and Eckstein joke surely know this.

I *think* that was kind of the joke- "No, we won't ACTUALLY have technology like that, we're just being silly! Just like how Kevin James won't actually play Jason Bourne!"

Yes. Sure, there's people who have it worse than April. Doesn't mean she shouldn't try to make her life better.

1) I hate to critique the reviews (it's like setting up two mirrors on opposite walls!), but the bit about "the overarching storyline seems to be the parkland" is off. The parkland is the MacGuffin, the point is the Ron/Leslie conflict. And OF COURSE they will get back together, but the question is how.

Yeah, it's a tough line to walk, because it's actually realistic, but 1) it's hard to believe that that was real; and 2) it's actually been portrayed enough that it sorta seems like a cliche. It kinda reminds me of what Twain said about the difference between fiction and non-fiction- "Fiction has to make sense."

I think they're trying to minimize the overt connections to the MCU.

Yes! That's what I've clearly been having trouble saying. I'm not excusing anyone, I'm just saying, there's a great big racist world out there to explore!

"That sounds like a justification"

I'll concede that "I think it's bad luck and just the economics of the industry." was an inartful phrase, but I think you have to ignore an awful lot of what I said, and make up an awful lot of stuff I didn't say, to get to a "cop out".

"It's a simple fix to open casting to actors of color but casting directors elect not to do that."

I dunno, Carey's always had that privileged-white-boy edge to his character. Maybe it just comes from Czuchry's incredibly punchable face. Plus, I think the indictment storyline works better as is; if it can happen to Carey, no one is safe, and that's the point.

I dunno, dude, if you really feel this burning desire to play "Racist/Not A Racist" with TGW, you can do whatever you want, but it's a highly reductive, juvenile, and boring way of thinking about the problem. The fact is, TGW exists in a racist industry with racist economic practices and paucity of resources…

I think you're reading an explanation as an excuse. Like I said, TGW- and every other show- should work very hard to break out of the entertainment industry's institutional racism. But that institutional racism nonetheless exists, and it permeates pretty deeply into the casting process. Couple that with the extremely…

It's weird that TGW zeroed in on the "race relations" angle of Ferguson when, had it waited for the GJ decisions, it could have run with the legal aspects that are much more in its wheelhouse (not that the two are completely disentangle-able, but still).

Sorta, and Carey has bitched about that here and there, but it's not really been developed, at least not yet.

I don't think so- I barely remembered who she was (Carey's old flame at the SAO, right?).