Desparate Houswives

[clskier]

I know, this is a trashy show, that’s not the question.

In this weeks epesode, Bree’s husband’s ex-wife turned up alive. They have shown in the past that Bree is a practicing Catholic. So… her marraige to Orson is now invalid, right? While they show that Orson’s first marraige would most likely not be sacremental, Bree’s marraige to Orson would still be invalid until reviewed by the church.

 

[maternus]

First things first, Bree is Protestant, not Catholic. Gabby & Carlos are Catholic. When Bree sends Andrew to get counseling for his homosexuality he goes to Reverend Sikes.

As far as Alma turning up alive-- it COULD invalidate Bree’s marriage. Clearly Orson believed her to be dead, so he wouldn’t have filed for a divorce. But I think there may be a way to have someoen who is missing declared dead, so that he could remarry. Orson in this case could not be prosecuted for bigamy since he beleived Alma to be dead. Interesting question from a legal standpoint.

 

[Listener]

That is an interesting question. I can confirm the fact that Bree definitely has a Protestant minister on the show. I saw Desperate Housewives on Sunday, and I wondered what is going on with the writers. One of the teenage daughters on the show has apparently been to bed with her boyfriend. Her mother and another housewife (the boyfriend’s Aunt, I think) are having a talk with the daughter. They are saying things like “Condoms are only 85% effective.” and (a little sarcastically) “The only 100% effective birth control is abstinence.” After that, a remark is made that birth control pills will prevent you from getting pregnant, but they won’t prevent you from having your heart broken. I’m starting to wonder if the writers are just being sarcastic, or are they really trying to please their conservative viewers?

 

[Luke77]

What I think is interesting about Desparate Housewives is what is the agenda behind the story line. On the surface it is infact very trashy and disrespectful to Christans becasue of the behavior involved. However when one begins to examine deeper the show seems to be an comentary on how sin can devastates lives. Why are the house wives desparate, becasue they make the wrong decisions. It covers all the big ones murder, adultery, greed, jealousy, hatred ect. However I think that it indeed may have multiple agendas of which may not agree with each other. Should a Catholic be watching this show?

 

[didymus]

That is an interesting question. I can confirm the fact that Bree definitely has a Protestant minister on the show. I saw Desperate Housewives on Sunday, and I wondered what is going on with the writers. One of the teenage daughters on the show has apparently been to bed with her boyfriend. Her mother and another housewife (the boyfriend’s Aunt, I think) are having a talk with the daughter. They are saying things like “Condoms are only 85% effective.” and (a little sarcastically) “The only 100% effective birth control is abstinence.” After that, a remark is made that birth control pills will prevent you from getting pregnant, but they won’t prevent you from having your heart broken. I’m starting to wonder if the writers are just being sarcastic, or are they really trying to please their conservative viewers?

I don’t know. I’ve noticed them slipping out of politically correct mode on Law & Order: SVU a few times lately: first, when a victim sufferd a miscarriage after ebing assaulted the detectives referred to her baby !] having been killed !!]. In a rerun they had a Terry Schiavo-type scenario and Olivia advocated “letting her die with dignity” and Much said, “What’s next, giving all handicapped people a hot shot? That’s what the Nazis did.”
Only a couple examples but still a refreshing change from their usual dogmatism.

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

What I think is interesting about Desparate Housewives is what is the agenda behind the story line. On the surface it is infact very trashy and disrespectful to Christans becasue of the behavior involved. However when one begins to examine deeper the show seems to be an comentary on how sin can devastates lives. Why are the house wives desparate, becasue they make the wrong decisions. It covers all the big ones murder, adultery, greed, jealousy, hatred ect. However I think that it indeed may have multiple agendas of which may not agree with each other. Should a Catholic be watching this show?

That’s how people behave - they have affairs, commit adultery, divorce, murder, are vindictive, hold grudges: just as they do in the Bible, which includes incest, adultery, rape, murder.​

If failure to live up to the Ten Commandments meant that any narrative in which the characters failed in this way was off limits to Christians, most of the great literary classics would be off limits: including the Bible. As would every film by Alfred Hitchcock; and “Gone With The Wind” - just for a start. It may not be very edifying, but stories about perfect characters tend to be very tedious; flawed behaviour is far more interesting; probably because the reader or watcher or listener is safe from the dreadful conduct in question.

It’s possible to over-analyse a story - DH is great fun, but that’s about it. ##

 

[didymus]

That’s how people behave - they have affairs, commit adultery, divorce, murder, are vindictive, hold grudges: just as they do in the Bible, which includes incest, adultery, rape, murder.​

If failure to live up to the Ten Commandments meant that any narrative in which the characters failed in this way was off limits to Christians, most of the great literary classics would be off limits: including the Bible. As would every film by Alfred Hitchcock; and “Gone With The Wind” - just for a start. It may not be very edifying, but stories about perfect characters tend to be very tedious; flawed behaviour is far more interesting; probably because the reader or watcher or listener is safe from the dreadful conduct in question.

It’s possible to over-analyse a story - DH is great fun, but that’s about it. ##

I’ve recently gotten hooked on the show but the only characters I actually like are Lynette, Tom & their boys – they seem like the only ones with “real” lives and problems (or as “real” as things get on the show). I kind of wonder how they wound up on Wisteria Lane.

 

[February]

Should a Catholic be watching this show?

Nope.