Did anyone see the new show on NBC - The Medium

[soleft]

It had some really disturbing undercurrents in the first episode that I saw -

1. Show's heroine - Alison, goes to Texas where she hooks up with Cowboy hat wearing good guy Texas Ranger to find body of six year old victim of pedofile.

2. At one point accused's attorney runs up against the Texas Ranger and says - Don't make me call the NY Times. To me there was an implication that NY Times would naturally come to the aid of killer/pedofile.

3. At the end of the show, Alison gets word from the other side that the killer/pedofile confessed all to the guy in the next cell. When the cellmate won't give any info, Alison tells the Texas Ranger to tell the prisoner, tell him you know about "The Kiss". The Texas Rangers does so and the cellmate begins to pony up information.

4. As it turns out, ALison has no psychic help in suggesting "The Kiss" - she just figured the cellmate would either be outraged or embarrassed and either way would spill his guts. So with all her psychic abilities - she ends up using homophobia to crack the case - plus making the horribly erroneous linkage between homesexuality and pedofilia.

So I'm left wondering - what's going on with this show. I think we need to look out for crap like this flying under the radar.

[sam sarrha]

1. very good deduction..or induction as the case may be....

[Warpy]

2. Thanks for the warning

The promos for that one convinced me it's a great show to avoid like the plague of relying on supernatural bullshit it represents.

I'm not surprised it is poorly written and relies on stupid stereotype. That's how people obsessed on having the supernatural solve all their problems operate. I have a wonderful picture in my head of stiffly dressed thirtysomethings writing it by committee in between prayer breaks.

Let's hope its life is short and that it's relegated to reruns on Pax quickly.

[Stepup2]

3. I "predict"

we will see more and more of this type of insidious under the radar telegraphing of hate direct at us. It has proven time and again to be THE divisive political issue. More the better if it becomes ingrained in mass culture images.

Can modern day witch hunts be far off?

[terrya]

4. GLAAD may want to hear about this show.

I haven't seen it. But I think the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (or GLAAD), a good group that monitors gay and lesbian portrayals in the media, would be interested in contacting the producers and the network as to what is going on here.

www.glaad.org

T

[Behind the Aegis]

5. I liked the show, but...

I told my partner I was not thrilled that the 'first' case was a "homosexual" pedophile case. Why not a "plain ol'" murder? Or, better yet, a killer on death row, who was innocent and the ghost of the murder victim clears him. I agree with your assessment of the "kiss" issue. That was just tacky! "He will either be too embarrassed (being gay is something to be ashamed of) or angry (hey man, I ain't no fag), and give away the secret." It also implies that gays are not trustworthy and the fear of exposure will unseal their loose lips!! That really pissed me off.

The comment about the NY Times cracked my shit up! I turned to my baby and said..."Like another execution in Texas would warrant a story in the NY Times!? Puh-leaze!"

It is an interesting concept. I like things like this, but this was not a gay positive episode at all! We shall see where it goes from here!

[election_2004]

6. Actually, there was one pro-gay undercurrent in the episode...

In one scene, Alison, the psychic medium, is taken to eight different "crime scenes" by a Texas Ranger, in order to prove to him that she is really psychic. Seven of these eight locations are fake, and the Texas Ranger wants her to identity which of the crime scenes is "real."

At the first decoy crime scene, the Texas Ranger takes her to an empty hotel room.

Alison, receiving an off-screen psychic vision, insinuates that a gay romance took place in the hotel room earlier.

She says to the Texas Ranger something to the effect of, "Something went on here last night, but it was nothing illegal...at least, not where I come from."

OBVIOUSLY taking a dig at the invasive Texas sodomy laws that had to ultimately be overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.