Meanwhile Over At Pajamas Media…
Posted by Dirty Harry on Monday, August 4th, 2008
My latest Pajamas Media piece is up taking a look at the return of the working class television hero:
While the cultural divide grew as wide as flyover country between those who create television and those who watch it, we’ve seen the working class pretty much relegated to buffoonish sitcom husbands; balding, heavyset men, married to impossibly lovely wives who bubble with love but also deliver sharp zingers that manifest the contempt she (and the show’s creators) have for their mate’s humble station in life. Gone are the lunch bucket heroes. They’ve long been replaced by lawyers, doctors, perfectly tailored detectives, and Manhattan lofted friends.
But something good is happening on the higher-numbered channels where the nobility of hard work plays out in such a fascinating way that The Deadliest Catch has been “synergized” into a video game and a family of motorcycle builders are treated like movie stars by movie stars. Somewhere along the line, narcissism on parade took a back seat to the virtues of the men in flannel. Yes, it’s our dads, uncles, and neighbors.
The first time I watched “Dirty Jobs” I kept waiting for Mike Rowe to pull that Hollywood elitist crap and make fun of the people he covered. Never happened. Never has. I’ve been a fan since. What a breath of fresh air.
Filed in General |
Stephanieon 04 Aug 2008 at 7:47 am 1Mike Rowe is not Hollywood. He is from Baltimore MD and was working in San Francisco I believe on a News show before Discovery took him. He is just a really cool, down to earth guy. I think he has done some acting but I would have to check his IMDB page to make sure. But rest assured he is not an elitist. I don’t think Captain Sig and Captain Phill would have tolerated him and his crew if he was. He relates to the Deadliest Catch guys and the people he works with on his own show Dirty Jobs because he understands he is just one of them, an equal. Really just a special guy all in all.
Il Padrinoon 04 Aug 2008 at 7:51 am 2My mom actually met Mike Rowe. She was the one who had to decide whether or not to let him film the segment where they cleaned the pigeon crap off the roof of the hospital (she allowed it, but under the condition he not reveal the name of her hospital). She said he joked around a lot but was ultimately very down to earth and extremely nice. It’s good to see someone like that succeed as much as he has.
On a related note, has anyone ever noticed how many, many, MANY episodes of Dirty Jobs focus on businesses that butcher animals or otherwise “exploit” them? My heart does a little pit-a-pat whenever I think how apoplectic this show must make PETA.
Full Metal Deer Platoonon 04 Aug 2008 at 7:53 am 3I love Dirty Jobs - Mike Rowe is just an awesome guy who respects people who do the “dirty jobs that make civilized life possible.”
Along the same lines, I caught a few episodes of “Black Gold” on TruTV (formerly Court TV) over the weekend. About 3 Texas drilling crews competing for an oil stake. Pretty good stuff - I thought I’d never see the day when anyone involved in oil would be the hero of a TV show.
memomachineon 04 Aug 2008 at 8:10 am 4Hmmmm.
“I’ve been a fan since. What a breath of fresh air.”
Figuratively speaking of course.
Man I thought I had some lousy jobs in my life. Whew!
Puts the nail in the coffin of that ridiculous meme “jobs Americans won’t do”.
gzirraon 04 Aug 2008 at 8:16 am 5Rowe really won me over when he worked as a groundspersonman for a minor league baseball team.
He was asked to sing the National Anthem before the game, and MAN what a voice. Besides his usual situational self-deprecation, he was extremely humble and honored to be allowed the opportunity.
If you’ve never heard a bass voice like his sing the anthem, you need to.
He was also a great guest on the Dennis Prager show a while back, and you could hear what a regular guy he was.
HARRY HERE: Thanks for the reminder. Just added.
Full Metal Deer Platoonon 04 Aug 2008 at 8:16 am 6Will you people get out of my head?!?! I was just going to post that! And I was just going to link this article over at Chuck Dixon’s website, and someone else beat me to it by a minute.
Tommy Von 04 Aug 2008 at 8:18 am 7I had not thought of that, Memo. Very, very good point.
Gina Dalfonzoon 04 Aug 2008 at 8:20 am 8That was a great article. I would add just one more class of “new reality show heroes”: stay-at-home moms and involved dads (okay, maybe that was two). Look at the popularity of “Jon & Kate Plus Eight.” Talk about your dirty jobs!
Vincent Wongon 04 Aug 2008 at 8:43 am 9Are there any particular episodes y’all can recommend? My neigbourhood DVD rental has the DVDs but I don’t think I have the time to watch all the eps in each DVD set.
PattyAnnon 04 Aug 2008 at 9:04 am 10Thanks for pointing me to Mike Rowe singing the National Anthem.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xhSBniwGbM
Was enjoyable.
blainemonoon 04 Aug 2008 at 9:08 am 11His show has done a great service for real working men and the respect they deserve for the hard jobs they do on a daily basis.
As I have said here before, I have been miffed at how hollywood has portrayed the husband’s role in sitcoms and commercials as buffoonish and inept. Now when you watch Hardware store commercials they show women using power tools more so. Im not saying women don’t use them, But you buy me a powertool for my birthday or Christmas and im as happy as can be. Buy your wife a powertool and 9 times out of 10 your in the doghouse.
Stickwick Staperson 04 Aug 2008 at 9:11 am 12…we’ve seen the working class pretty much relegated to buffoonish sitcom husbands…
The reason for this is that the TV audience is primarily women. It’s either a sad commentary on women in this country or the laziness of TV execs that there is this appeal by denigration.
In any case, it was a major factor in my decision to stay away from TV for more than a decade. None of the men in my life are buffoons, so it doesn’t ring true; and it’s not even a satisfying fantasy. But it’s fascinating to witness the disconnect that’s evident with Sitcom America. As someone once told me, Homer Simpson is America. I tried to point out that this makes America utterly inexplicable — how could any country acquire and maintain its status as economic and military superpower if it’s populated by dimwitted, incompetent men and oppressed, devalued women? This is proof that TV makes people stupid.
Biffon 04 Aug 2008 at 9:12 am 13The Hot Little Number I Call Lady Biff long ago decreed that she would not leave me for the likes of Brad Pitt or George Clooney, but if Mike Rowe came a knockin,’ I just might have to go hang my hat elsewhere.
rightwingprofon 04 Aug 2008 at 9:45 am 14Then there’s the anti-Rowe, Mark DeCarlo on some food show on the Travel Channel. He takes every opportunity he can to sneer at the people who are the topic of his show.
Full Metal Deer Platoonon 04 Aug 2008 at 10:09 am 15Vincent:
I guess you don’t get The Discovery Channel? All the episodes are good in one way or another. Try renting them out from Netflix - you can watch at your lesiure.
Jaredon 04 Aug 2008 at 10:13 am 16I’m sorry… I have to say it. Homer Simpson is America.
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shire/9457/democrats.wav
“Son, if you really want something in this life, you have to work for it. Now quiet! They’re about to announce the lottery numbers”
“You know, boys, a nuclear reactor is a lot like a woman. You just have to read the manual and press the right buttons.”
“Kill my boss? Do I dare live out the American dream?”
“The whole reason we have elected officials is so we don’t have to think all the time” -See, natural Obama supporter too.
Stephanieon 04 Aug 2008 at 10:44 am 17Oh that Mike Rowe he is one of my crushes to. He comes after um to actors though..one a Scot, and one an Aussie/Kiwi.
Yeah Mike is not only a cool dude he is also a hottie who sings Opera.
Stickwick Staperson 04 Aug 2008 at 11:57 am 18Jared — So you think America’s great by accident, too?
GMKon 04 Aug 2008 at 1:21 pm 19Homer Simpson isn’t America, but the French agree with you 100%. And everybody else who wants to put a box around America and feel like they can take the measure of it and consider their own culture above it. America is the yardstick by which other countries measure their own failure, after all– imagining America is full of buffoons helps take the sting out, I’m sure.
I think Homer, if he’s anything, is what we laugh about in ourselves. When Homer says “Bring me my ranch dressing hose!!” it can pretty much make all of us laugh at ourselves. We do, as a group, use a comically enormous amount of ranch dressing, and that’s not really a good thing. But we are far more than a caricature of our faults. We’re also the greatest bunch of inimitable badasses to ever walk the face of this planet, and we own the shit out of everyone, everywhere, 24 hours a day. That’s a flat fact. That fact chaps a lot of vaginas, both internationally and domestically. Oh well.
You know what IS very America about the Simpsons? The fact Americans can look squarely at their faults and laugh about them, and aspire to fix them. That’s not how it works in the old world. You either do whatever you have to do to preserve the grandeur of France (for example) which could mean lying, suppressing information, or just keeping your mouth shut as a regular citizen– but self-criticism and laughing at themselves is NOT part of the equation.
GMKon 04 Aug 2008 at 1:33 pm 20I dated, for a few weeks a couple months ago, a very beautiful young lady whose father is a lawn sprinkler contractor and whose mother works at a dry cleaners. I met her when I was out at a local family bar/restaurant watching the game. She was recently divorced and living in her parents trailer. Anyway, she was very nice, but we didn’t really end up hitting it off. I do remember, though, calling over to her place and her telling me that she was watching Ice Road Truckers and couldn’t go out until it was over because it was her favorite show. I approved of this so strongly I cannot really relate it. Everything I need to know about her attitude towards men was encapsulated in that one statement.
Kiton 04 Aug 2008 at 3:17 pm 21My favourite episode was the one about septic tank cleaners.
Mike Rowe’s misery -and humor- were very evident when he was walking around INSIDE a septic tank.
Dirty Jobs: The Best Reality TV Show In History (Along With Deadliest Catch)
Kiton 04 Aug 2008 at 3:21 pm 22Here is Mike Rowe singing a song about Dirty Jobs in a special Music Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do1g5bLL4Wk
Here are the Lyrics:
“Dedicate it to all the hard working folks who invited us into their homes last year”
“They rolled out the welcome mat, even if it was brown & dirty & poo covered, were greatful”
Now everyone whos got a job has got his dues to pay,
Working for a paycheck & getting through the day,
But if youre bored or otherwise inclined to be a slob,
Grab some boots & lose that suit & get a DIRTY JOB,
Fight a FIRE or Tread a TYRE or Ride a garbage TRUCK,
Save a SEAL or Make some MEAL or Manage miles of MUCK,
Misbehave Inside a CAVE, with 40 million BATS,
Find some Friendly ROACHES in a SEWER Filled with RATS,
DiDIRTY JOBS they’re EVERYWHERE, just take a look around,
Down the Street or Up the Stairs or even UNDERGROUND,
You Dont need to Borrow, Beg & you don’t need to Rob,
All you’ve got to do is get yourself a DIRTY JOB,
All you’ve got to do is get yourself a DIRTY JOB.
-
“Dirty jobs arent hide to find”
“Theyre pretty much everywhere”
-
Smelly Loads & Foul COMODES, all need to be addressed,
CHIMNEY Sweeps & CHICKS that Peep can make an awful MESS,
Wrangle herds of CRANKY BIRDS that BITE & KICK & STOMP,
Mine for COAL or Dig a HOLE or Navigate a SWAMP,
Dig for CLAMS or Handle HAM or work with Stinging BEES,
Clean a DUMP or Lift a PUMP or Labor out at SEA,
Run a RIG or Chase a PIG, Find VOMIT from a OWL,
Change your course & Shoe a HORSE or Reach Inside a COW,
DIRTY JOBS they’re EVERYWHERE, just take a look around,
DOWN the street or up the stairs or even UNDERGROUND,
You Dont need to borrow, beg & you don’t need to rob,
All you’ve got to do is get yourself a DIRTY JOB,
All you’ve got to do is get yourself a DIRTY JOB.
Cleaning SKULLS, Collecting BALLS or Working Down a DRAIN,
Killing BUGS or Picking SPUDS or Separating GRAIN,
SWEAT & TOIL or DRILL for OIL or TEAR Apart a FLOAT,
Pull a TEET or CHIP CONCRETE or SHAVE an honoray GOAT,
Drive a NAIL, Replace a RAIL or DISEMBOWEL a FISH,
Tackle GRIME or Grow some SLIME inside a petri dish,
TAR a ROOF or Clean a HOOF or handle POISON TOADS,
Brew some BEER or Drag a DEER across a busy ROAD,
DIRTY JOBS they’re everywhere, just take a look around,
DOWN the street or up the stairs or even UNDERGROUND,
You dont need to borry, beg & you don’t need to rob,
All you’ve got to do is get yourself a DIRTY JOB,
All you’ve got to do is get yourself a DIRTY JOB.
Now Dirty Jobs don’t gaurantee no great big pile of loot,
There aint no perks with fancy cars or golden parachutes,
The pension plan is also ran, the pay is far from rich,
But dirty jobs will KEEP YOU FAR FROM OFFICE POLITICS,
So DONT be SCARED or UNPREPARED to tackle something RANK,
Pick up GUM or have some Fun inside a SEPTIC TANK,
Dont Begrudge a little SLUDGE or working in a PIT,
But always ask to wear your MASK when Cleaning PIDGEON SH..
DIRTY JOBS they’re everywhere, just take a look around,
DOWN the street or up the stairs or even UNDERGROUND,
You dont need to borrow, beg & you don’t need to rob,
All you’ve got to do is get yourself a DIRTY JOB,
All you’ve got to do is get yourself a DIRTY JOB,
All you’ve got to do is get yourself a DIRTY JOB.
Stephanieon 04 Aug 2008 at 3:22 pm 23Dude you never saw teh one where the toilet blew up in Brooklyn and one of the guys working with mike was eating some sort of energy while working in a basement that was totally encapsulated with excrement. OMG the look on Mikes face…he just so grossed out. Heh.
whiskeyon 04 Aug 2008 at 3:36 pm 24Part of the blue-collar reality stuff is the natural drama inherent in dangerous blue collar jobs. So that’s not unexpected.
What *IS* more interesting is the few new scripted shows with more working-class heroes up against class issues: “Chuck,” “Life,” and “the Unit.”
Part of TV’s problem is that it is a female-gay ghetto for the most part, men depicted as hunky, upper-class status gods (Big in Sex and the City, anything on the CW/WB, the canceled “Moonlight,” and so on).
CBS is an interesting exception: it has a lot of workaholic, middle-working class plus 40 men. Gary Sinise, William Peterson, Mark Harmon, Dennis Haysbert, Rob Morrow, and so on. This appeals to older men, and has been the CBS “formula” for a while.
With the exception of NBC’s “Chuck” however there is little to interest young men on TV. The effect of the lack of any real young male role models in today’s world of single mothers as the default is going to be, IMHO, “interesting.” As in a Chinese curse.
Jaredon 04 Aug 2008 at 8:02 pm 25No Stickwick. GMK said it far better then I could. Homer Simpson is our ability to look at ourselves, good and bad, and make reason of it all. Sort of how the country that could produce the Founders could also produce Jay Walking. How the country that produced the F-22 Raptor could still produce Paris Hilton, etc. etc.
Jaredon 04 Aug 2008 at 8:04 pm 26The other part is that Homer in some ways really does reflect the views & ideas of many Americans I know. Look at the last quote that I put above, and then look at Obama’s supporters and tell me there isn’t a correlation.
boarwildon 04 Aug 2008 at 9:12 pm 27before i get to my point, hey whiskey - go post some more. i love your site!!!
Deadliest Catch is my addiction. having done that kind of work growing up - i’m from maryland and my dad had a boat rigged for longlining and then red crabbing - i know the sight, smell, and feel of that kind of work. do i miss it? yes and no. it’s a backbreaking, often miserable out-in-the-elements grind, but in a way it makes you feel like a combat Marine. staying awake for long stretches isn’t easy, especially when the ocean constantly punches you in the face. i can tell you from experience you can fall asleep standing up with a boat rolling underneath you. the north atlantic - where i was - is just about as bad as the bering sea. when you’re forty, fifty, or a hundred miles offshore, everything turns prehistoric. we used to call the north atlantic an “old witch” since she was always brewin’ something. squalls come up out of nowhere. if i never see another forty foot sea that’s good enough for me.
i think the show though classifies as more of a documentary than a reality show.
on another note, you all missed a terrific show. just finished doing Richard III at the Raven in NoHo.
and production note for www.gentlemanscorner.net : working up production capital to get back into production.
fyi.
Vincent Wongon 04 Aug 2008 at 9:53 pm 28@ Full Metal Deer Platoon
“I guess you don’t get The Discovery Channel? All the episodes are good in one way or another. Try renting them out from Netflix - you can watch at your lesiure.”
– Will do.
Stickwick Staperson 04 Aug 2008 at 9:54 pm 29Jared — For the record, I love The Simpsons, and agree with GMK. Glad that you see it that way, too.
Flexoon 05 Aug 2008 at 12:34 am 30Great article DH. Just one question. You have grandkids!?