The week and a half I spent with my parents only renewed the love/hate relationship I have with the show "Bones." I hate the fact that I watch such a terrible show, but I still love it in spite of myself. The good news is that my father told me that the simmering yet unresolved lust between Bones and Booth is supposed to spill over this season. Preparations for the viewing party have already begun.
More to the point, and the reason why I am writing right now, is that last night I watched the final episode of ER. I used to watch this show in grade school. Since then I have graduated grade school, high school and college, started a career, had a career, retired, and taken up inconsistent blogging. Through all of this, the show has kept a steady beat. Remarkable. While the cast has turned over at least twice on this show, the character I immediately associate with ER is that of Doug Ross, played by George Clooney in the show's first several seasons. Within months of the show's premier he was holding the world hostage with his good looks. When he buzzed his hair--probably the most basic and popular male hair cut ever--it immediately became known as the "George Clooney cut." So instrumental was he in the popularity of the show that when he announced he was leaving ER to embark on a film career I immediately forecasted the final season of the show. I was off by about a decade.
Impressively, Clooney's only role of note before the show was Jackie's love interest "Booker Brooks," on the television show "Roseanne." (I used to watch a lot of Roseanne when I was younger). ER launched his career and for that we should always be grateful. We rely on understatedly handsome, middle-aged white men to serve as the bedrock of pop culture. Without an alpha male, chaos would ensue. Think of American history without Bogart, Newman, Redford, Harrison Ford or Sean Connery. Who would have stepped into the breach if not Clooney? Brad Pitt is too pretty. Matt Damon's friendship with Ben Affleck has always dimmed his attractiveness. Eric Bana's career had yet to take off. We would have been leaderless throughout most of the 90s. I don't even want to think about the possibilities.
It should also be pointed out that George Clooney, from his television parts as Booker and Doug Ross, to every character he has played in film, has always had the role of a self-assured, roguishly attractive bachelor, i.e., himself. I say that without bitterness. I know there aren't a lot of roles for snarky, 20-something oafs without ambition, and I am ok with that. But this just goes to show you how powerfully attractive he is. Movie people just film him being him and we pay to watch. The allure is almost biblical, like we should turn into a pillar of salt if we turn our eyes to him. I have gotten way too sidetracked talking about Clooney, as tends to happen. Back to ER.
"Close your eyes when you look at me!"
While watching ER last night I did manage to note a few things. The first is that whenever it's raining, they always bring the patient out of the ambulance and then discuss the patient's condition while rain just pelts the injured person. Somehow this is the only hospital in the country without a covered ER dock and despite constant practice of offloading patients in thunderstorms, the staff still hasn't figured out that they can move the patient inside while asking if they're still alive or not.
Secondly, in case you missed it, Ernest Borgnine had a part. I thought he was long-since dead. The man is 92 and is still acting. He was actually born during World War 1. This is incredible. Somewhat heartbreaking, is the fact that he had to play a man whose very old wife was dying. Clearly there is a need for old actors to play old people near death, but at what point do you throw your hands up and say, "I get it. I'm going to die soon. Could I get a role where I am old and not dying....please?" And what sort of direction can you give in those scenes? "Mr. Borgnine, that take was good, but you seemed a little too coherent. Remember, you're almost dead. This take, try to look a little more confused, like your brain is turning to mush. But do keep in the back of your mind that all of your years on the Earth are soon coming to an end and everyone you've known or loved is long gone. But don't overdo it, because your character's brain at this age probably can't process deep thought. And....action!"
Also, Angela Bassett is a smoke show and she's over 50. I'm contemplating putting her on my Top 5 list, which would mean that 60% of my Top 5 would be over 40. (Maria Bello and Diane Lane being the other two mature women). In so doing I would be opening up a Pandora's Box of psychoanalysis that I don't think I am ready for. Anyhoo, it's Friday and I have to get off the couch, but I'll be back soon. I have 10 hours of West Wing coming through Netflix this weekend so I should have some thoughts on how to run a country for Monday.
