Tone Deaf in 2023…Well, that didn’t age well.
Today’s post is going to be slightly different. I feel, however, I’ve been saying that a lot lately. Yet, this post truly is an area I’ve not breached and am definitely wading into new territory. So, as per usual, I’ll briefly explain what led me down this current unhinged rabbit.
DISCLAIMER: This article is not a political statement or stance. It is not asserting any position as being “right” or “wrong,” “correct” or “incorrect.” Not all readers will agree with statements made, and disagreements are perfectly acceptable as everyone has a right to his/her opinion. This post contains slang terms that some may find offensive or triggering. These terms are used for identifying examples only. They do not reflect the author’s views. Additionally, this post discusses current events making headlines which also may be triggering for some readers.
Lately, there’s been so much negativity in the news, and I found myself in a social media algorithm negativity vortex hole that even prompted a coworker to question how I don’t have nightmares. It began several weeks ago with the Lori Vallow Daybell trial. I took an interest in the case because to me it screamed a case that could change how mental health issues are handled by the courts. Much of Creole Bayou deals with mental health issues. Therefore, I was intrigued. My belief stemmed from Daybell having spent ten months in a mental facility to determine her competency to stand trial. According to news reports, it was her decision not to use her mental health issues as a defense and also the reason for rushing her trial. Reportedly, (and I have no idea if there is any truth to this next statement), the prosecution pushed her trial on the docket because they did not want to risk her mental health declining to a point that would prevent her from going to trial. To me (if true), this indicates that the prosecution acknowledged that Daybell has significant mental issues. My question was that since each defendant has a given right to participate in his/her own defense, can a person who isn’t insane but with severe mental health struggles reasonably make appropriate decisions in his/her defense? For example, considered battered women syndrome. A woman who is being abused may cognitively be fully aware that the abuse is wrong, yet, unable to remove herself emotionally and physically from her abuser. Many people would label her decision to stay as being “irrational” but would not go as far as to label her insane.
Now, I’m not attempting in any way to diagnose Daybell or throw shade at the prosecution. This was just the question that piqued my interest. What if five years from now, some defense or advocacy group decides to make the argument that just because she met the legal definition of competent did not mean she could make effective decisions? Ever had a friend who could give great advice to everyone else but seemed to have little to no insight into his/her own situation? My curiosity was if the Daybell case affect how mental health cases are handled and conducted. So, like much of the nation, I followed the case. I even watched parts of the trial, and this is where the black hole opened. See, once I clicked to watch the trial, my newsfeed began filling with other cases: Letecia Stauch, Megan Imirowicz, Kouri Richins, Bryan Christopher Kohberger, Chad Doerman, etc. It was a trainwreck that I couldn’t turn away from watching because one question kept hounding me: how? How could anyone do these horrible things—brutal acts against innocent, defenseless people? My mind wanted it to make sense when clearly it never would. Then, the OceanGate accident occurred, and this was another layer of tragedy and negativity. I needed relief from all this darkness.
I resorted to watching a documentary about Cleopatra. Uh, bad idea. Wasn’t anything happy about that. However, again, I fell victim to newsfeed algorithm hell. Sure, these were historical and informative, but they were filled with stories of abuse, violence, slavery, and people being buried alive. The fact that these events took place thousands of years ago wasn’t any comfort considering all the current darkness.
Somehow, I ended up watching a docuseries on the excavation of dinosaurs. Honestly, I don’t know how I got there. But this series did little to pull me out of my funk. It was just more death and sorrowful tales of their slow and painful extinction—the theory was starvation. I needed a break, a safe space to enjoy mindless humor. Unfortunately, that is not what I found.
There’s a saying that “You can never go home.” There just may be some truth to that. When revisiting the past, it’s often not how we remember it. I remembered The Love Boat as basically a romcom with some drama sprinkled here and there. But oh, that show hasn’t aged well at all. Or it could be that I’ve matured and see it for what it always was. It certainly wasn’t a pleasant experience to rewatch. Initially, I thought it was an isolated episode that was problematic. Uh-uh. So, let’s get into it.
Season 2, Episode 1 was basically a textbook on Stockholm syndrome. The captain decides to take a few passengers and crew to a secluded island for a day tour. Unbeknownst to him (due to an inept guest captain) that a hurricane is moving their way. Additionally, there is a deranged man played by John Astin residing on this island, and he holds the captain and the rest of the party hostage at gunpoint. By the end of the episode, one of the passengers (Audra Lindley) decides she’s fallen in love and is going to remain on the island with the former kidnapper because, of course, he’s really a good guy who’s just misunderstood and everyone agrees not to press any criminal charges against. Whatever! Next.
Season 4, Episode 4. Oh boy! So, the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders (DCC) are in this episode. Pat Harrington Jr. was cast to play a Middle Eastern prince. To me, he looked to be in brownface, but that’s my opinion. I get back in the day this wasn’t viewed as offensive. However, it was supposed to be funny that he gambled away one of his many wives in a poker game like she was a piece of property. He remarked a couple of times during the episode how sad it was that he’d lost his “best” wife. The premise of his storyline was aboard the ship to negotiate a business transaction. The person he’s negotiating with wants to butter him up to the deal and decides the give him a gift. He’s heard that the prince enjoys playing chess, and purchases what is at the time a state-of-the-art electronic chess game. Basically, it looks like a large calculator. This man is dating a DCC and asks her to present it to the prince. Of course, the prince is overcome by the cheerleader’s beauty and misinterprets her as being gifted as his next wife. Instead of clearing up the misunderstanding with a conversation, the two have a poker game where all the DCC and the prince’s wives are used as poker stakes.
In the same episode, one of the owners, investors, or whatever…a man in a position of power over the DCC thinks repeatedly makes advances towards one of the cheerleaders. She politely turns him down, but he won’t take no for an answer. Gopher also flirted with this cheerleader, when she’d declined, he’d went on his merry way. However, she later sends Gopher mixed signals when she publicly throws her arms around him and begins treating him like a lover. She does this to discourage any further advancements by the owner, but she neglects (at least initially) to inform Gopher this is her scheme. Gopher ultimately agrees to be a part of her scheme, but the owner isn’t really phased. Instead, he threatens Gopher’s job and eventually gets him suspended. In order to get Gopher reinstated, the DCC stage a strike not to perform which works. The problem is (and I realize this is a sitcom) that the sexual harassment that occurs in this episode is never taken seriously. It’s more like, “Oops, my bad.” Come on. This is the woman’s job, and clearly, he has made her very uncomfortable and actively taken steps to dissuade any other men from becoming involved with her.
Finally, in the same episode, there is a newlywed couple that the bride is Korean. She embraces her Korean heritage. But she’s portrayed as so meek and traditional that she doesn’t recognize the “modern” American woman going full-throttle for her husband. Naturally, the way she must rectify the situation is to cut up her handmade kimono and transform it into a one-shouldered disco dress—the tired, superficial makeover cliché that can reinforce harmful stereotypes that everyone is so over in 2023. Honestly, I’d allow the makeover to slide if everything else about it wasn’t so doggone lame. Any woman, regardless of nationality, knows when another woman is gunning for her man. And any man who plays into it is equally as responsible if not more. This was a married couple. The groom made vows to his wife. His ex-lover didn’t make any promises to anyone. So, when the groom saw his ex crapping on his marriage vows, he should have immediately stepped to the plate and hollered, “Whoa, Nellie!” Instead, this guy hands out with his ex and leaves his wife to read a book alone on the deck. And before anyone comes at me with perhaps reading is what his wife wanted to do, I would think a newlywed groom knew his wife was extremely introverted and shy, he would not plan a honeymoon that would constantly have her outside of her comfort zone. I would dare argue that 90% of the time this couple was shown, the bride was unhappy. Add to boot, a cruise director whose only advice was for the bride to update her look and behavior to compete for her husband’s attention. Get out! Shut the front, back, side, basement, balcony, and attic doors.
I won’t even touch on all the episodes where the characters were one-note racial/ethnic stereotypes.
All that being said, there are plenty of people who disagree with this outlook. They look back with fondness and nostalgia and wonder why television programs like this are upsetting or triggering to some. They use words like “libtards,” “snowflakes,” and “too woke” to describe people who take issue with these sorts of episodes. They claim that people are too “soft” or “overly sensitive” and are out to ruin people’s childhoods. As far as I know, no one is attempting to vanquish these shows from history. Rather, it is people displaying a desire for more diversity, inclusion, empathy, and progressive ideals. Was I upset by the content of The Love Boat episodes? When I put it into perspective for the time and era, no. Is it the worst that I’ve ever seen? Not at all. But is it something that currently would bring a smile to my face? No. And that is the point of today’s article. It wasn’t to badmouth The Love Boat (or shows like it). Plenty of people continue to love it, and what I watched was just a handful of episodes out of who knows how many were created. Not all of them had these types of plots.
This was an eye-opener of how time can change what we remember and how we view issues. It can show us how we’ve grown and changed even if we think we haven’t. I began streaming this program to draw my attention away from all the horrible current events that are impossible to ignore. It seems as soon as one horrendous story runs the length of its news cycle; it is replaced by something worse. The social media algorithm is relentless in this regard. What I thought and hoped would pull me out of a funk merely drew me into another kind. It’s made me realize I need to put more thought into revisiting the past before I click on a view button.
And that’s all that I have. Now, it’s your turn to sound off. What did you think? What is your take on the subject? Do you agree or disagree? Did you find this information helpful or informative? Did you learn anything new, or did it change your opinion? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section. Also, let me know if you would like me to cover more of these types of topics or dive deeper into this one. If you like this post, please click the like button and share it. Your feedback allows me to know the content that you want to read. If you’re not following me on Creole Bayou blog, what are you waiting for? There’s always room at the bayou.
Get ready. It’s time to hit the ice again. Future Goals has arrived and is available.
When a college hockey player needs the help of an attractive older attorney, he gets more than he bargained for when trying to sort out the troubles in his career. Falling in love was never part of either man’s plan, especially as Corrigan’s and Sacha’s lives should never have collided. Now they’re left questioning if they’re standing in the way of the other’s future goals, or if there’s room for redirection.
Order your copy at:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3RjPYb9
Other booksellers: https://bit.ly/3CI8d5W
Missed the first four books in my hockey romance series? No frets.
Out of the Penalty Box (book #1), where it is one minute in the box or a lifetime out, is available at http://amzn.to/2Bhnngw. It also can be ordered on iTunes, Nook, or Kobo. For more links on where to purchase or to read the blurb, please visit http://bit.ly/2i9SqpH.
Defending the Net (book #2) can be ordered at https://amzn.to/2N7fj8q or www.books2read.com/defending. Crossing the line could cost the game.
Ice Gladiators (book #3) is the third book in my Locker Room Love series. When the gloves come off, the games begin. Available at https://amzn.to/2TGFsyD or www.books2read.com/icegladiators.
Penalty Kill (book #4) retakes the ice. Get a copy at https://amzn.to/3ex0N9p or https://amzn.to/3ex0N9p and let the pucker begin.
For more of my stories, shenanigans, giveaways, and more, check out my blog, Creole Bayou, www.genevivechambleeconnect.wordpress.com. New posts are made on Wednesdays, and everything is raw and unscathed. Climb on in a pirogue and join me on the bayou.
If you have any questions or suggestions about this post or any others, feel free to comment below or tweet me at @dolynesaidso. You also can follow me on Instagram at genevivechambleeauthor or for search me on Goodreads or Amazon Authors or BookBub or TikTok.
NEWSLETTER! Want to get the latest information and updates about my writing projects, giveaways, contests, and reveals first? Click https://genevivechambleeconnect.wordpress.com/newsletter/ and signup today.
Until next time, happy reading and much romance. Laissez le bon temps rouler.
Author Bio
Genevive Chamblee resides in the bayou country where sweet tea and SEC football reign supreme. She is known for being witty (or so she thinks), getting lost anywhere beyond her front yard (the back is pushing it as she’s very geographically challenged), falling in love with shelter animals (and she adopts them), asking off-the-beaten-path questions that make one go “hmm”, and preparing home-cooked Creole meals that are as spicy as her writing. Genevive specializes in spinning steamy, romantic tales with humorous flair, diverse characters, and quirky views of love and human behavior. She also is not afraid to delve into darker romances as well.
