'Tell Me You Love Me' - that new show on HBO. What does anyone think of it?

[devilgrrl]

I need to ask this because so far after three episodes I think it's basically 'Thirty-Something' with explicit sex scenes. Where do these whiny people come from? Are your relationships as miserable as the people in the show?

Please discuss.

[Shakespeare]

1. ugh...at least Thirtysomething had likeable characters and comic relief

It may be the single most depressing series I've ever watched. And I know this is the intention, but the sex scenes are icky and depressing (surpassed only by the sex scenes in a couple of French films I've seen).

Do. Not. Like.

[devilgrrl]

2. How about the gift the daugher picked out for her mother????

Yeah, that would so happen in reality! :sarcasm::eyes:

How would someone of that age find a gift like that appropriate?

What a joke!

:nuke:

[Radio_Lady]

3. Don't tell us Left Coasters the story, please. We have to wait until 9 PM Pacific.

[devilgrrl]

4. I'll keep it as vague as possible.

Say, let me know what you think after you see it. I always enjoy reading your reviews. :-)

[Radio_Lady]

6. Thanks so much for your comments. My husband and I are going to watch it again.

At the end of the second show, I became very tearful because there were echoes of many things that have actually happened in my life. I'm almost 70 years old now, and a lot of relationships have come and gone. I can see myself dealing with many parts of the essential issues. Trust. Security. Freedom. Privacy. Children.

I'll try to locate last week's thread. It was very interesting.

[Tian Zhuangzhuang]

30. More Depressing than six feet under?

[Radio_Lady]

36. Tian, I never saw that show. We had a different cable package without HBO when it was on.

Maybe somebody else has an opinion?

[WorseBeforeBetter]

81. You found Six Feet Under depressing?

Despite the subject matter, I found it spiritual, uplifting, and at times, breathtakingly beautiful.

To each his/her own...

[Radio_Lady]

5. Hi devilgrrl. Some of the themes are very intriguing and we talked about it last week.

I think a lot of people are trying to decide whether to commit to the show.

IMHO, Jane Alexander is terrific in the therapist character. I'm hoping to learn who called her at the end of the second show -- "John" -- ???

[devilgrrl]

7. I haven't figured out that one either and won't state what happened tonight.

I find the show somewhat intriguing but I find the characters to be nothing more than whiny white people who have everything and are still miserable. It's steadily losing me and making me feel very happy about being single.

[Radio_Lady]

8. Last week's archived thread is linked here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=6933685

[Radio_Lady]

9. There's quite a bit of discussion at the HBO site.

http://www.hbo.com/tellme/

Click on "Community" to join in and read the responses.

Here's just one:

mrjay11 Says...

"...I can completely relate to the marital strife shown by the characters, and I enjoy seeing the way the couples endure marriage in "quiet desperation," quoting Henry Thoreau, as absolutely accurate and compelling..."

What do you think? Post your message.

[devilgrrl]

10. kick. Looking to read Radio_Lady's review.

:-)

[devilgrrl]

11. So, no one watches this show then?

They canceled 'John from Cincinnati' for this :eyes:

[Parche]

12. I Still Love You

I have never seen the show tho.........

:hi:

[devilgrrl]

14. you're not missing anything.

Unless you're in a miserable relationship. :shrug:

[Minimus]

13. Too much sex!

;)

[Radio_Lady]

24. Just curious -- you're smiling, Minimus. Are you serious about your comment?

Or just pulling my Internet leg???

Peace, Love and Happiness

Radio Lady in Oregon

[Radio_Lady]

15. Hi DevilGrrl. My husband and I watched the show together.

Background: My husband watches (or watched) the HBO shows Rome, Deadwood, and Big Love. He was also watching John From Cincinnati. He also liked The Sopranos and an occasion episode of Sex in the City.

So he's a more devoted HBO TV viewer than I am. I am mostly involved in the myriad household details most evenings (cooking, doing the laundry, on the computer setting up my radio shows and talking to all of you).

I do kind of follow Big Love (which is about a polygamous Mormon who has three wives. That show is on hiatus) Maybe I watch it because we have a Mormon son who is definitely not polygamous -- just a regular guy married to a beautiful tall blond, and they have produced two gorgeous grandkids!

The one HBO show that we enjoy because it's looney crazy in a Jewish sort of way -- it's Curb Your Enthusiasm. Oh, we also watch Real Time with Bill Maher.

Neither of us are devotees of soap operas or romance novels. I have read non-fiction all my life.

So, even though Tell Me You Love Me seems kind of like a soap opera, perhaps it's an overture to open discussion of many of the relationship issues that we have confronted since our marriage on February 4, 1973 with five children from two previous relationships. When you look at the show from this vantage point -- almost three score and ten years -- near or in our 70s, perhaps we get a somewhat different view from all those decades?

Another reason to watch is the amazing performances of these young actors. I think they do a wonderful job with their characters. Of course, you have to imagine the bravado of Jane Alexander to do this show in her maturity and literally let everything hang out in a very tasteful way. I don't know the actor who plays Arthur, but he has a nice backside.

Will this show succeed? I have no idea, but I'm going to keep watching.

Peace, Love, and Happiness (It's a motto used on my children's show in the 1950s)

Radio Lady in Oregon

[devilgrrl]

16. Jane Alexander is wonderful but do you buy a 11 year girl picking out a gift like that?

What a contrived scene that was. :eyes:

Anybody?

[Radio_Lady]

23. Well, I think the previous episode involved a young daughter who is on the edge of puberty.

We learned that she got her period at age 11, is that correct?

So her biology is signaling her into adolescence, a time when she is destined to pull away from both her mother and father, and become her own person. That's the real job of adolescence, and with it comes turmoil and mixed feelings. Daughters cling to their fathers before puberty. Now comes a time of total biological upset when she must drive him away and find her own mate.

Also, she has seen her parents distress and it may be unconscious, but she knows that their union is in trouble. You can't hide things from children. They find out in all kinds of ways what's really going on.

On a lark, she sees the brightly colored teddy suit and convinces her father to buy it. He is clueless on almost everything else... would he have picked a different present? Sure, with difficulty. But he didn't.

Another motivator might be that children of completely divorced parents ALMOST always want the parents to make up and get together again. Trust me.. it is universal.

Or, maybe the kid just liked purple and black! (LAUGHTER)

Peace, Love and Happiness (Lest anyone think I just made this up -- this is the motto we used on my children's show in Florida in the 1950s.)

Radio Lady Ellen in Oregon

[devilgrrl]

32. I don't know about you but we cringed when we thought about our parents' sex life.

My mother would have scratched her head if I picked out such a gift when I was in 7th grade. Nevermind that the daughter in the show is as miserable as her parents.

[Radio_Lady]

68. I was an only child. I heard muffled noises through the walls of their bedroom.

Their lovemaking took place quietly, I guess. It was the yelling and screaming and the throwing of things that I heard.

My mother was beautiful, but reserved. We never discussed sex in any way that I can remember. I had cats and dogs and learned about sexual matters on my own. I remember ordering a booklet called "The Art of Kissing." There were descriptions and diagrams. The one I really recall was The Vacuum Kiss. You put your mouth on your partner's mouth and sucked out the air. Tested it on my hand but didn't use it on boys!

I also had a wonderful science teacher, a woman, Margaret Johnson, who was saucy and randy. I fell in love with her deeply in sixth grade. The crush lasted for a couple of years.

[Pale Blue Dot]

17. I don't like it,

Mostly for the reasons already stated. I agree that this is more or less an accurate depiction of certain types of relationships, but without having any background on the characters, without knowing why they fell in love in the first place, it's impossible to sympathize with any of them. I think the show is particularly hard on women, as every one of the young women on the show seem to be irredeemable jerks.

Had the show given me any reason to care about these people, some of the issues raised are provocative and interesting. However, you can't just throw issues up in a void.

[devilgrrl]

18. The show also seems like an hour long commercial for IKEA.

Do you know anybody in their 20's with such streamlined furniture?

The more I think of the show - the more annoyed I get.

[Pale Blue Dot]

19. The trials and tribulations of wealthy white people.

I know what you mean. :eyes:

[devilgrrl]

20. Exactly! Someone was lamenting that people of color weren't included...

I don't think people of color are THAT self-absorbed and miserable.

[Radio_Lady]

27. DevilGrrl, here's my advice. Don't ever watch that show again... ever.

I once walked out of a movie called "Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia" when it was previewed in the 1970s. I hated that movie. It was stupid, ugly, and boring. I wrote a review and read it on the air on an all-news station. I have no idea whether or not the film made any money, and at that time, there was no backtalk from any audience.

Fast Forward about 30 years. The movie came up on television late one night. My husband, who likes a lot of movie genres that I can't abide -- watched it with me and "enjoyed" it.

Know what? I still hated it.

As my mother used to say, "Let that be a lesson to you." I don't know what she meant by that, but she used it pretty frequently as I was growing up. I guess the lesson is CHOOSE MORE PLEASURE AND LESS PAIN. I have no idea whether I learned all of the lessons my mother taught, but I have learned a few more in the past almost-three-score-and-ten years.

Peace, Love and Happiness

Radio Lady in Oregon

[devilgrrl]

28. Well, it started off promising.

Besides, what's wrong with being annoying with a shallow show such as this?

[CBHagman]

38. I like your philosophy.

One of the great issues of life is knowing yourself and your desires, but also knowing when to push yourself out of the comfort zone. I'm still trying to work that one out, and if you have any thoughts on that, Radio Lady, clue me in.

I taped TMYLM last night and still haven't watched it. I was at a preview of -- wait for it -- The Taming of the Shrew. Notice a theme?

[Radio_Lady]

25. Finnfan, you're a male, I don't know what age, or marital status, living in the NE.

Perhaps you are not the target audience for this show.

I know I'm not. Female, white, married three times, and age 68, formerly from New England, but now a permanent resident of the Pacific Northwest.

My husband cracked, "You're making me watch a 'chick flick'!" the second night. He had watched about 10 minutes of Episode 1 in another preview, got to the first sex scene and turned it off. My impression is that women might be more prone to watch this series.

Thanks for your interesting comments.

Peace, Love and Happiness

Radio Lady in Oregon

[huskerlaw]

21. My roomie and I were just discussing this show...

we both decided that none of the characters are particularly likable. We also feel that we don't have enough character background to care what happens to them, one way or the other. And while the relationship issues may be realistic, were annoyed by the fact that EVERYBODY is completely devoid of happiness.

Also, the show drags.

Both of us have already taken it off the TiVo.

[Radio_Lady]

26. Hey, I feel that way about a bunch of TV shows and movies.

There is always the problem of competing with -- how many? -- other entertainment features in any particular day! It's mind boggling! I missed the first episode of Ken Burns' war documentary last night -- and dozens of other things that might have captured my attention.

Judging from the various posts on this thread, this show might not make it. So be it. The public decides, eventually, whether it will be a HIT or a MISS. I have no access to HBO's ratings or to their management decisions.

Thank you for your comments.

Radio Lady (taking an unpaid job on the DU Comments Team)

[huskerlaw]

39. That's exactly it...

the show isn't awful, but it's competing with a large lineup of new and returning TV shows. And only so many hours in a day. The TiVo helps, but in order to maintain a busy life and keep TV entertaining, rather than a chore, I have to be brutal.

My rule for this season is, if I don't actually ENJOY watching it by the 3rd episode, it's gone. My roomie is adopting much the same strategy, though she works in the entertainment business, so there are some shows she has to watch regardless.

I'm certainly not saying that 'Tell Me You Love Me' is a horrible show. Honestly, I can see why some people are drawn to it. For me personally though, it didn't make the cut.

[Radio_Lady]

43. "My rule for this season is, if I don't actually ENJOY watching it by the 3rd episode, it's gone."

Excellent response! Your explanation is spot-on.

OT: Are you a moviegoer, HuskerLaw? We saw a preview of the new movie "Into The Wild" tonight. I'll be reviewing it on Thursday night posting around 12AM ET Friday /9PM PT Thursday PT.

Thanks for your comments -- always interesting and well expressed.

Peace, Love and Happiness

Radio Lady in Oregon

[huskerlaw]

52. Thanks.

I am a moviegoer. Or, well...I used to be. It seems that life's gotten a bit in the way recently. I only saw 2 movies in the theater all summer!

I do look forward to your reviews though. If nothing else, they help me fill in my Netflix queue. ;)

[Radio_Lady]

57. My review for "Into The Wild" is embargoed until Friday, Oct. 5.

We did see it last night. For me, it brought up some of the same relationship issues -- lover to lover, parent to child, sibling to sibling, grown children to other people in their lives, plus commitment, happiness, security, and freedom -- that TMYLM does. Look for my review posted Friday 12 Midnight ET/Thursday 9 PM PT.

Thank you for your kind compliments. We don't have Showtime and I'm usually swamped with movies to see and publicists to contact (I preview books and movies on my hour-long show at Oregon Public Broadcasting's Accessible Information Network.

PS. Our cleaning guy recommended a movie with Andy Garcia called (I think...) Night Falls in Manhattan. Ever seen it?

Peace, Love and Happiness -- Radio Lady in Oregon

[MrScorpio]

22. Who cares about the sterile sex scenes? I've seen better in a Skinemax movie

The interest part of the show is watching a bunch of clueless yuppies emotionally disintegrate.

[Radio_Lady]

29. Hi Mr. Scorpio. Does that mean you will watch it... or not? Sometimes we watch things

we hate to see if we still hate them.

That's OK.

Peace, Love and Happiness

PS. And yes, I think they could have easily included some African Americans or Asians, or Latinos.

However, that might have brought its own anguish within those communities.

[MrScorpio]

37. I watch it

The most interesting thing about this show is that its supposed to be about relationships from a woman's perspective, which has always fascinated me.

[Radio_Lady]

45. Ah, HA! Peeking in the door of the ladies' room, are you?

Very sensitive and thoughtful response.

The couples are trying to confront:

Infertility -- possibly wanting a baby and not having one
Weighing marriage and the commitment to monogamy with one person forever
Keeping love alive after the children are born and the heat has cooled
Retirement of one member of the older couple, while the other is still working
Staying together for 43 years with one man and keeping love alive even in the senior years

And, by God, we get just a fleeting glimpse of older people making love! Horror of horrors!

Cover your eyes! By the grace of God, the geezers are doing it right there on my TV! :sarcasm:

Also, Jane Alexander's left (?) nipple and breast are seen in frame for just a few seconds. How sweet! It's nice to know the Janet Jackson moment can be so tender and loving.

[Missy Vixen]

31. I'm watching to see what happens to the couple with kids

If it weren't for them, I wouldn't have watched another episode. This show is dark. It's depressing. It may be the writer's view of "reality", but "reality" is not perfectly coiffed, young, wealthy buff actors and actresses, and problems that would be almost laughable to those in a lower income bracket. I have to agree with Mr.Scorpio -- the sex potrayed is supposed to be hot, but it's actually antiseptic. To quote a commmenter on www.televisionwithoutpity.com, it's like watching paint f*ck.

I'm disappointed with the writer for taking the easy way out re: the infertility storyline. Instead of truthfully portraying what happens in a marriage in which one or both partners desperately want a child and can't seem to conceive, the writers have made the character in question a controlling, cold as ice, and unlovable shell. I write romance novels. One of the things I learned early on is if the reader doesn't bond with your characters for whatever reason, they can't enjoy the book that ensues. This isn't enjoyable.

HBO is going to have to go back to the drawing board to come up with anything that will take the place of other series I don't need to name. This isn't up to their standard. At all.

Julie

[devilgrrl]

33. What a great summary!

The show may have it's issues but I think Jane Alexander's brilliance has been established - the show should really be about her and her husband.

[Missy Vixen]

34. devilgrrl, I'm probably in the extreme minority

but I thought it was refreshing to see Jane Alexander's character and her husband having a compelling physical relationship on the show. There are so many people who believe that women over 40 are untouchable, unattractive, and too old to enjoy themselves and their partners. I was relieved to see that the writers actually are doing something right.

IMHO, YMMV,
Julie

[devilgrrl]

35. No, I don't think you're in the minority, they're the only likeable characters.

And the least annoying.

[Missy Vixen]

40. devilgrrl, I think I know what's up with Dave and Katie, the couple with the kids.

I just watched the third episode rebroadcast. At this point, I'd put money on the fact that his character is about to come out of the closet.

IMHO, YMMV,
Julie

[devilgrrl]

42. I was thinking that too.

That'll make an interesting storyline.

[Radio_Lady]

46. My husband agrees with you. He says, "I've been wondering about that character. He is acting so...

strangely."

I pass the romance novels along to other volunteers to read and preview at our radio station. Avon supplies them to Oregon Public Broadcasting's Accessible Information Network, an SAP subchannel of KOPB-TV, and also heard on HD Radio and the Internet.

Avon does have some cover artists who do exceptionally realistic work. I'd love to know who your publisher is -- we're trying to find new authors all the time. PM me if you wish.

BTW, we lived in Sudbury, Massachusetts, and there was another romance writer who lived in our town. I met her once, but don't remember her name.

Peace, Love and Happiness

Radio Lady in Oregon

[Missy Vixen]

50. Radio Lady, there are some fairly interesting women writing romance novels

I don't listen to NPR anywhere near as much as I should (I'm usually listening to music,) but the vast majority of romance authors are women with at least a college degree. Many hold post-grad degrees as well. One of the more famous contemporary authors, Jennifer Crusie, is a former prof at Ohio State. She's going back to finish her doctoral dissertation in Women's Literature, if I remember correctly. There are TONS of attorneys who are published. Julia Quinn writes historicals, lives in the Seattle area, and went to Harvard. http://www.juliaquinn.com/about.htm One of the more interesting romance novelists I've ever met is Bob Mayer. He's a former Green Beret.

Romance novels comprise over 50% of mass market sales of fiction in the United States. I think NPR listeners would be very surprised to learn that the authors aren't the stereotypical housewife in curlers, tapping away at a Selectric...

Julie

[Mythsaje]

53. Then there's one who's a former FBI agent and now a P.I.

Can't dredge up her name at the moment but she posts on some of the same lists as I do.

[Missy Vixen]

55. A woman in my RWA chapter is a Special Agent with the BATF

She taught a class on who does what in government agencies at a writers' conference over the summer.

Let's face it, the books these authors are coming up with reflect the additional life experience and education as well!

Julie

[Radio_Lady]

58. Your insights are very interesting. Somehow, I got sidetracked into non-fiction

early in my career. Then I went plunging into drama and short stories. When I married my husband, he finally got me to sit down and read Brave New World and Call of the Wild. I read all of the short stories of Guy de Maupassant, largely in French.

I did listen to radio soap operas with the black maid who did the ironing and watched me until my working mother got home. They were what I call the theater of the mind. My first TV show was from 5 PM to 6 PM on CBS and came on after "Day of Our Lives". "Like sand through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives..." Cue to Studio B for Skipper Chuck and First Mate Ellen LIVE on Popeye Playhouse.

I hasten to add that other volunteers do devour romance books and at least three other women do interviews of authors on their own.

Interesting that you listen to mostly music, because it calms me while driving. I must admit that the classical music station, also PBS affiliated and non-commercial -- is my favorite. They've just hired a woman announcer in morning drive who is dynamite. My other favorite is the college station that plays jazz and blues.

Tapping away at a Selectric... LOL! I did see a Smith Corona at a yard sale last weekend. Typewriters are dinosaurs -- even Andy Rooney let his go (at least on set at 60 Minutes) and he sometimes has a sleek laptop behind him. I don't think he really uses it, but I could be wrong.

Thank you so much for your imaginative and illuminating post!

Peace, Love and Happiness (sign-off and motto of the Popeye Show in 1957 and beyond.)

[Missy Vixen]

64. Radio Lady, I read nothing but non-fiction for years

I wouldn't even venture into the "fiction" area of the bookstore. After all, it wasn't True. I still read a lot of non-fiction, but I do enjoy any book that can take me away from every day life for a few hours!

I'm hunting around for some romance authors I know publish with Avon to recommend, since you're all getting the books for free. If you decide to check out a modern romance novel, I'd recommend Suzanne Enoch. "A Touch of Minx" is being released next week; it's part of a series, but I think the books stand on their own. Suzanne is a VERY good storyteller, not to mention being pretty dang funny IRL. You might also enjoy Julia Quinn's books; she's been called a "modern-day Jane Austen," and I have to agree.

I'd love to know what your romance-reading co-workers think of the new trends in the industry -- there was a VERY controversial book I'm sure you all got that came out earlier this year called "Claiming the Courtesan"; we're all waiting to see if upcoming novels change as a result.

Julie

[Mythsaje]

62. One of my favorite sub-genres is romantic suspense...

Really like Ann Coulter and JD Robb (Nora Roberts). Then there's Tami Hoag and Kay Hooper. Jaycee Clark is another wonder as well.

If you like futuristic romance, I recommend the books of my good friend Angela Verdenius...she's a nurse in Australia. My books are published as cross-genre stuff that could be romance, could be futuristic, or could be fantasy, depending on your p.o.v.

I just consider myself a fantasy author.

[LostInAnomie]

41. I always manage to miss the "explict sex scenes"

I would probably like it A LOT more if I would ever get to see those. :evilgrin:

[Mythsaje]

44. HBO shows suck...

I'm hoping True Blood turns that around... We'll see. Of course, it's funny that they'd cast the same female lead who didn't sound like rogue as another southern girl who probably won't sound right.

[Radio_Lady]

47. Sorry you feel that way, but I visited your website. You're an imaginative person, to say the least!

Mythsaje, there is a lot of interesting material on your site.

[Mythsaje]

49. Thanks...I try. :)

I've tried very hard to take fantasy in a direction that's never (or rarely) been done before. I like the idea of humanizing "monsters." I have a lot of fun writing my novels. Hopefully people have just as much fun reading them. I know that some of my biggest fans are reviewers, editors, and other authors, which I suppose says something. :)


As far as HBO goes, I've never been able to get into a single one of the shows HBO has put out. I watched that prison one at first, but it gave me a serious case of the creeps. My wife (who's a former C.O. herself) introduced me to it and said it was fairly accurate in a lot of ways. Their flagship series, The Sopranos, didn't do it for me because I'm totally turned off by anything to do with the mob--always have been, Deadwood I never caught, but from what I understood it was really hard to tell the good guys from the bad guys. And Big Love? Ick.


On the other hand, my wife and I really tend to like a lot of the SHO series...Queer As Folk, The L Word, Dexter, Dead Like Me, Weeds... They're edgy without being dark and that suits me better, I think. Not that there aren't things to criticize about their shows as well. Dead Like Me died from lack of imagination on the part of the writers. In my opinion. Weeds is too much like a sitcom for my taste, and I LOATHE sitcoms as a general rule.

I'm really hoping they do True Blood justice. I'm a fan of Charlene Harris's Sookie Stackhouse books, on which the series is based. The girl who played Rogue in the X-Men movies will be playing Sookie, which strikes me as a bit ironic, considering one of my favorite aspects of that particular character was her accent...absent in the movies. Sookie, being from small town Louisana (a little town called Bon Temps) should also have an accent.

Rumor has it that Starz is negotiating a contract to do a mini-series of Mercedes Lackey's "Heralds of Valdemar," which could either be very good or very bad.

[Skittles]

48. I need to ask this

why do you watch such crap?

[devilgrrl]

51. So you're saying that you don't like the show either?

eom

[Radio_Lady]

59. "You do your thing, and I do my thing. I am not in this world to live up to your expectations,

and I am not in this world to live up to yours.

You are you and I am I, and if, by chance, we meet? It's beautiful."

-- Dr. Fritz Perls

********************************************************************

I guess on a more tawdry level, your crap may not be my crap.

Peace, Love and Happiness

Radio Lady

[devilgrrl]

66. Well, I guess we have differing views on this show. That doesn't mean that I don't enjoy your...

feedback.

[Radio_Lady]

79. Thanks for your ever-so-kind response, DevilGrrl.

It gets lonesome out here -- without you and other rational DUers who have been so kind.

I do appreciate it very much.

Peace, Love and Happiness,

Radio Lady in Oregon

[Joey Liberal]

54. Good sex scenes, but it's not the Sopranos....n/t

[Radio_Lady]

60. The Sopranos were way too violent for me. I usually put on my mp3 player while my husband was

watching it.

[Generator]

56. It's on par with sticking a fork in the eyeball

It's really kinda painful. My husband REALLY hated it. I can watch it but only because there is nothing fucking else on.

AND DAMN IT Penny! Desmond needs you. (actually I'm LOST on the last thing that happened there)

[Radio_Lady]

61. Ouch! I'm putting you in the "It stinks" column.

Naw, I'm not keeping score and this isn't a survey.

Thanks for the post.

Peace, Love and Happiness

Radio Lady in Oregon

[orleans]

63. haven't seen it but i'm offering this up:

Tell Me You Love Me Lyrics (Frank Zappa)

Frank Zappa - Tell Me You Love Me Lyrics

Tell me you love me, tell me you love me
Like I want you to
Tell me you love me, tell me you love me
Girl... Girl... Girl...
I love you so hard now, I'm cryin' for you
Don't make me lose my pride
I want to come inside
And grab ahold of you, thank you
Grab ahold of you
Tell me you love me, tell me you love me
Like I want you to
Tell me you love me, tell me you love me
Girl... Girl... Girl...
I want to feel it, give me your love now
Don't make me steal it, don't make me steal it
Tell me you love me, tell me you love me
Tell me you love me, tell me you love me
Tell me you love me, tell me you love me
Tell me you love me, tell me you love me
Tell me you love me, tell me you love me
Like I want you to
Tell me you love me, tell me you love me
Girl. .. Girl.. . Girl...
I love you so hard now,
I'm cryin' for you
Burnin'with fire,
I gotta hot desire
'Cause I gotta make love with you
'Cause I gotta make love with you
I gotta make love with you
'Cause I gotta make love with you
Tell me you love me, like I want you to
Tell me you love me, like I want you to
Tell me you love me, like I want you to

[Radio_Lady]

71. Wish he could have lived longer. I forgot the tune, but the lyrics are great!

Whatever happened to Dweezel (sp?) and Moon Unit?

[Carrieyazel]

65. Watched the first two eps, CANNOT stand it.

Bad character development, unlikable everything, HBO is in a slump. Their current original programming sucks.

[Radio_Lady]

67. Anyone have any links to program ratings for HBO?

I used to be in touch with local people who had radio ratings books -- at least for Portland -- when I was involved with www.pdxradio.com

[Radio_Lady]

69. Answering my own question. Go here. TMTYLM isn't doing that well...

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6477661.html

Little Ratings Love for HBO’s Tell Me You Love Me

Premiere of Premium Network’s Relationship Drama Series Draws Just 910K Viewers
By Anne Becker -- Broadcasting & Cable, 9/11/2007 4:10:00 PM
HBO's Tell Me You Love Me was off to a slow start Sunday night. The relationship drama's series premiere drew just 910,000 viewers at 9 p.m.

The show didn't have the benefit of a Sopranos lead-in, like HBO's other recent originals, including John from Cincinnati and Big Love, but the number is still not great for the pay cable network.

By comparison, John, which HBO recently canceled after one season, drew more viewers (987,000) to its least-watched episode of the season than Tell Me's premiere. HBO premieres are typically series' most-viewed episode, so this doesn't bode well for the new show.

In addition to its lack of a lead-in, Tell Me also debuted on a competitive night, with rivals including NBC's premiere of Sunday Night Football and MTV's 2007 Video Music Awards, the latter of which was up 23% over last year to an average of 7.1 million viewers from 9 p.m.-11 p.m.

[Radio_Lady]

70. Four representative viewpoints:

From: http://www.us.imdb.com

Intimacy, 12 September 2007

Author: nineteennineteens from United Kingdom

Some people will have heard about this show because of its controversy. I did myself. Admittedly, I was intrigued because of the promise of sexual content on TV - HBO, nonetheless. Having now seen the first episode of "Tell Me You Love Me", I know what the show is actually about.

If you're expecting "porn TV", think again. Yes, the show does have several moments of sexual contact, both oral and intercourse, but when they occur it is anything but arousing - instead it's uncomfortably realistic - down to moments of climax, the show does not flinch from showing the explicit.

But soon enough, if you actually watch the show, you'll realise that this isn't what the show is about. Many people will make the mistake of thinking this show is about sex, but it's about relationships, and how sex is used to shield us from the problems of our relationships.

Three different couples are the focus each dealing with different problems; one tries desperately for a baby, one's physical relationship is intense but unreliable in terms of commitment, and one married couple struggles to deal with the lack of sex in their lives. Both the issues raised in the show and the dialogue are uncannily realistic, to the point that you can't help but compare the relationships in the show with your own, and this can sometimes make for uncomfortable viewing - I'd strongly advise against watching this with your partner.

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Ground-breaking - and ABOUT TIME!, 11 September 2007

Author: Mark (nyrunner10) from Beacon, NY


*** This comment may contain spoilers ***


Finally, an American show that deals realistically (and, yes, explicitly) with sex as an important part of a relationship. This series is ground-breaking. The main characters are four couples, two of them married, one of them engaged, and the fourth, a therapist and her partner (played by Jane Alexander and David Selby), have a relationship that is so far undefined. The first show introduced the characters and their conflicts. One married couple seems to be very much in love with each other but they have not been intimate in over a year. The second are very hot for each other but the husband is tired of having sex just to get his wife pregnant. The third, unmarried but engaged couple, have a problem because the female half overheard her fiancé telling his friend that he does not think anyone can be faithful to anyone for sixty years of marriage. The therapist's relationship is still unclear. During the course of the show there are several sex scenes, spontaneous, hot, unexpected. And, yes, they are sexy. These are good-looking people coming as close to having sex than any mainstream movie or television show in United States history. But the sex does not seem forced or for exploitation. It totally seems in character, the actions of the actors being yet another facet of the characters they are creating. I totally disagree with both of the reviews posted here. The producers should not tone down the sex. They should actually ratchet it up. It is time that American films grew up. As a serious moviegoer who has sat through some of the most violent films imaginable (Kill Bill, Sin City) in which character development was nonexistent, I consider it a positive development that HBO has produced a series like this. I have never understood how people can be complacent about movie violence but so avidly disgusted by movie sex. But they are and, perhaps, this series will start to reverse that trend.

It is too early to tell how well this series will develop. The characters are interesting and their relationships compelling. More important these people are experiencing problems that the rest of us face. They are real. The pilot is a good start.

On a personal note I will say that I have waited thirty-nine years for this series. In 1968 the movie industry came up with the rating system that was supposed to make films like this, sexually explicit, yet intellectually compelling, easier to make. And for a few years it looked like it was going to happen. But prudes and Christians have always been more horrified by people having sex than with people killing each other and the ratings system systematically slapped restrictive ratings on sexually mature films while turning a blind eye to the most hideous of violence. Let us hope that this series is the start of a reversal of that disgusting trend. So I say to HBO, thank you. BRAVO!

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This show misses the boat, 12 September 2007

Author: trimby99 from United States


People who want to watch soft porn (read: men) are going to be annoyed by the arguing especially when it short circuits an otherwise hot sex scene. The people who like watching dramas about relationship problems (read: women) are going to be turned off by the graphic nature of the sex. The people who like to watch old people having sex (read: no one) are going to love some parts.

The show does exhibit a high level of realism in the sex scenes and the dialogue and obviously has good writers. The arguments seem to flow naturally and you can see how they evolve into pettiness or futility or resolution. However I've had these arguments and derive no voyeuristic thrill from watching someone else have them except to fleetingly admire the writers' craft as I change the channel.

Add to all of this the most unrealistic and smug characters - the therapist and her husband - and I feel as if I'll gain no insights by watching the couples resolve their issues through therapy. Perhaps the writers are too young to write an older couple as realistically, but it is jarring to cut to them after watching an otherwise meticulously realistic show.

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Ultimately fails to hold one's interest, 19 September 2007

Author: Robert B. Marks from Kingston, Ontario


*** This comment may contain spoilers ***


This is a review of the pilot only, and I think that it can be a worthy review because of that - the point of any pilot is to make you want to watch the rest of the series, and in that this pilot failed rather badly.

And that is a shame, considering that the show is filled with potential. It's about time that a frank, European-style depiction of sex appeared on North American television, and it is even a breath of fresh air. And, from the beginning, the show gives the sense that there are immense depths for it to explore. Unfortunately, while the concept is very good, it is in the execution that the show fails.

The greatest weakness is in character development. The characters simply aren't developed beyond their genitalia, or more specifically, their problems regarding said genitalia. By the end of the first hour, in the three main couples, I only knew what two people did for a living, and the show only gives you the occasional flash that these characters have any sort of life beyond their sex (or lack thereof). The only subplot of the pilot was about a 10 year old girl getting a period - so even the kids are defined by their genitalia.

And, ultimately, at the end of the episode I couldn't care less about what happened to any of these people. A realistic depiction of relationship problems is a good thing, but you have to have some emotional investment in the characters for said depiction to actually be meaningful, and the show just doesn't show you enough to allow for that. We are introduced to these characters through their problems, we see their problems throughout, but we never explore any of the good things in their lives, or the interaction between the positive and negatives in said lives. With character development that poor, it renders what could be a wonderfully deep series very shallow indeed.

[Radio_Lady]

72. Is anyone planning to watch the next this on Sunday?

[Radio_Lady]

73. UPDATE: Did anyone watch on Sunday 9/30.. or were we the only viewers...

in the whole world?

Peace, Love and Happiness,

Radio Lady in Oregon

[CBHagman]

74. I took a break from "The War" to watch...

...and I am NEVER going to eat at that restaurant.

[Missy Vixen]

76. LMAO!

You know, I felt the same way. I said to DH: "Just makes you want to go out to eat, doesn't it?"

In the meantime, the only couple I care about on this show are the fortysomethings with the kids. At the same time, the show itself is so depressing that I wonder why I'm still watching.

Julie

[Radio_Lady]

80. I saw part of "The War" replaying on PBS a couple of nights ago.

Ken Burns did a great job with this series. However, the history of WWII is so grim that I can't watch too much of it at a time.

His inventive use of archived movie scenes proves to be just an amazing treasure trove -- a visual masterpiece, even in its sadness.

[zanne]

75. Anybody watch the new show about the geeks last night?

I was surprised. I thought it was actually funny.

[HuskerDU]

77. I haven't seen that show, but my buddy burned some episodes

of another HBO show, 'Flight of the Conchords' for me. That show is hilarious and instantly became my new fave.

[Radio_Lady]

78. I watched "Flight of the Conchords" and sorry to tell you...

I thought it was awful. But that's just my opinion!

Thanks for posting.

Radio Lady Ellen in Oregon

[CBHagman]

82. Okay, I am officially annoyed.

I watched last night's episode from beginning to end and still was left with a lot of empathy for Katie and David and of course May and Arthur.

But the rest was Obsessive Behavior on Parade, with even Katie getting a bit wearing due to the no plastics/no sugar obsessions. It's like Mommie Dearest for helicopter parents.

And Carolyn annoys me beyond belief. That's all I'm going to say.

I did like the way the characters are interconnected almost in the manner of a Kieslowski film.

[Radio_Lady]

83. Hi, CBHagman. I didn't get to see the show last night... too busy packing.

We'll pick it up on demand from Comcast.

Thanks for your inciteful comments.

Peace, Love and Happiness,

Radio Lady in Oregon

[SarahB]

84. People who don't communicate.

Not enough foreplay.

[Radio_Lady]

85. Another thing...

they don't seem to ever have to "wash up" after they engage in their private activities.

Did you get this from any of the episodes?

Kind of funny...

Peace, Love and Happiness,

Radio Lady in Oregon