Directed by Joe Chappelle.
First telecast 10 September 2006.
The Wire, which has just begun its fourth season on HBO, is surely the best TV show ever broadcast in America. This claim isn't based on my having seen all the possible rivals for the title, but on the premise that no other program has ever done anything remotely like what this one does, namely to portray the social, political, and economic life of an American city with the scope, observational precision, and moral vision of great literature.
—Jacob Weisberg, "The Wire on Fire: Analyzing the Best Show on Television." Slate, 13 September 2006.
When I did The Corner, and later The Wire, I was trying to replicate Baltimore. I’ve always been fascinated that some people thought The Wire was about race. Race comes up for the characters. They talk about it. But the show was about how power and money route themselves and why we’re no longer able to solve our problems as a society. It’s a critique of that.
—David Simon, "The Guy Who Wouldn't Write a Hit: An Interview with David Simon." The New York Review of Books, 22 August 2018.
Lots to get you up to speed here about what happened in the previous three seasons of the show: watch the recaps below.
Season One.
Season Two.
Season Three.
Here are the main players—and there are a lot of them.
The Police:
Officer Jimmy McNulty
The Middle School:
Michael Lee
Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski
Marlo Stanfield
City Hall:
Councilman Tommy Carcetti and Deputy Campaign Manager Norman Wilson
And here's the opening of season 4. You need to watch it to address the blog questions.
1. At the end of class today we looked—briefly—at what David Simon says about two American stories, maybe myths, one true and one a lie. From The Wire: Truth be Told (Rafael Alvarez, Grove Press, 2009):
To state our case, The Wire began as a story wedged between two American myths. The first tells us that in this country, if you are smarter than the next man, if you are shrewd or frugal or visionary, if you build a better mousetrap, if you get there first with the best idea, you will succeed beyond your wildest imaginations. And by virtue of free-market processes, it is entirely fair to say that this myth, more than ever, happens to be true. Not only is this accurate in America, but throughout the West and in many emerging nations as well. Every day, a new millionaire or three is surely christened. Or ten. Or twenty.
But a supporting myth has also presided, and it serves as ballast against the unencumbered capitalism that has emerged triumphant, asserting as it does for individual achievement to the exclusion of all societal responsibility, and thereby validating the amassed wealth of the wise and fortunate among us. In America, we once liked to tell ourselves, those who are not clever or visionary, who do not build better mousetraps, have a place held for them nonetheless. The myth holds that those who are neither slick nor cunning, yet willing to get up every day and work their asses off and come home and stay committed to their families, their communities and every institution they are asked to serve—these people have a portion for them as well. They might not drive a Lexus, or eat out every weekend; their children might not be candidates for early admission at Harvard or Brown; and come Sunday they might not see the game on a wide-screen. But they will have a place and they will not be betrayed.
In Baltimore, as in so many cities, it is no longer possible to describe this as a myth. It is no longer possible even to remain polite on the subject. It is, in a word, a lie.
So do you agree with Simon—and why? What point of his here particularly strikes you, whether or not you agree with it—and what about it makes it stick out for you? Quote that point.
2. Look at the opening of season 4, as we see Snoop enter a Home Depot-like store looking for a nail gun. This is a perfect Wire moment. What about it particularly strikes you? It could be the way it's filmed; it could be a character or the characters; it could be the dialogue; it could be what Snoop and the helpful employee says; it could be one particular moment within the whole scene. Whatever it is, talk about it and write about its striking feature. AND what does this make you think about what's to come in the next 13 episodes?
That's enough. 200 words in all. Don't repeat what others say in your responses. You can add to their points, though. Tomorrow we will watch this opening again in the context of your responses, and then watch the whole episode. Be sure to watch the recaps of the previous seasons. Have a good night.
For the most part, I agree with Simons idea that the second myth is a lie. I don’t think that everyone does have a place, or a community, and I still think hard working, honest people can be betrayed. However, like all things, I think there can be exceptions to the myth, thus it is not a total lie. But, in a world where this myth is a lie, and there are people who are subject to and commit in the act of betrayal, no one who is part of this “lower” echelon of society is guaranteed a place/safety all the time. When Simon says “in Baltimore… it is no longer possible to describe this as a myth… It is in one word, a lie”, I agree with the lie idea, however I would go as far as to say it has never been true and possible to describe this as a myth/non lie. One may think that, but in reality the lie has been around even before the obvious situation in Baltimore. Baltimore is simply the incident which made the lie more obvious to more people.
ReplyDeleteThe part that struck me the most was the contrast between the very well put together, articulate, knowledgeable, and professional salesman and the more laid back, informal Snoop. These details emphasize the probable class/status difference between the two characters. I also find it ironic how it seems as though the professional/knowledgeable salesman is at first made out to seem much smarter than Snoop, but as the scene goes on we see that Snoop actually knows what she is doing, and in fact shatters the illusion that the salesman is much smarter by easily bribing him.
I found it quite interesting of Simon to call this second idea a lie. I understand where he is coming from, seemingly believing that there are hard-working people who truly have no place, yet I find it hard to imagine a society of hard-working people who were without a place. I am not saying that this is not the case, but this idea is something that I have never seen first-hand. I would agree that this is a myth, and that while it may be the case for many, there are also exceptions, and I feel like that is what separates a myth from a lie.
ReplyDeleteI found the introduction to be pretty intriguing. We are shown Snoop looking at nail guns when she is approached by a knowledgable salesman. I found it interesting to watch as his viewpoint on Snoop seemed to shift, as it originally seemed like he assumed that she didn't know very much about nail guns, but by the end he realized that she was very knowledgable and he didn't feel the need to explain everything in simple terms. This shows how quickly someones first impression's of a person can be disproven, and I found this interesting to see.
I agree with some of what Simon says, but don’t believe that the second myth is a lie. HIs first myth is our stereotypical depiction of the American Dream. I agree with him when he says, “if you get there first with the best idea, you will succeed beyond your wildest imaginations.” He makes sure to add in “first” to add a luck aspect to this myth. All three elements have lead to cases like Bill Gates. However, when it comes to the second myth I think he makes it too black and white. I believe that you don't just have to be a benefactor of the first myth to succeed in this country. Plenty of people who are “willing to get up every day and work their asses off” can make it in this country. People are able to move up the ranks, although that isn’t always the case and the second situation can happen as written. I believe that that is why the second myth is not a lie. Society has a place for some working men, and that was necessary to address.
ReplyDeleteI was struck by the willingness of Snoop to talk about “jobs” that had been performed. To me (having watched too much Narcos recently) it seems like the cops are falling behind in the battle against the gangs and dealers on the street. Snoop doesn’t feel the need to hide the fact that she has taken part in these acts or that there have been five or six done recently. It was also interesting to me how both the salesman and Snoop were talking about the same thing, but had a completely different use for it. I think that that could be a metaphor for the way that things are handled by the cops versus the drug dealers in the show.
I agree with Simons last point the most. There is this idea of the American Dream but I do not think it’s achievable because of certain systems in place that don’t allow everyone to achieve this dream. I wrote about this when I read the Great Gatsby last year because Gatsby had gone from rags to riches and he had all the money in the world but he was an outcast and seen as less than (therefore not achieving the dream fully.) The final part of the third quote “It is, in a word, a lie” strikes me the most. People who live in poorer neighborhoods in America and who may or may not work hard will not succeed. I think that the quote really speaks to the false advertisement of what the American Dream is.
ReplyDeleteI hadn’t originally noticed in the first scene that as Snoop was walking in the other people in the store where turning around in confusion to see her. I really liked how the filming was like we where walking through the store with Snoop. Something that was interesting to me about this scene is that the store clerk seemed to be genuine in helping Snoop find a better tool. I definitely think he had made assumptions based on the way she was dressed and how she paid but I think this main goal was explaining the drills. I think this means that the show may go into a lot about image and how that may affect someone. I also think that there is going to be something illegal going on because Snoop didn’t want to pay at the register which suggests that there is something to hide.
ReplyDeleteSimon describes the hardworking people’s place in society saying, “...willing to get up every day and work their asses off and come home and stay committed to their families, their communities and every institution they are asked to serve—these people have a portion for them as well.” I like to believe that this is true as it makes moral sense for it to be. The people who dedicate their lives to hard work should have a place no matter what skills or advantages there were inherently born with. While this makes sense it is not a reality in America as millions of hard workers struggle to get by.
I agree with kayla in the sincerity of the home depot employee and his shock at the payment he receives. There is an obvious contrast between there two characters but they interact kindly and without conflict and I think it sets us up for a show about comparisons and contrasts in both positive and negative portrayals.
I also liked the filming of the very beginning of this clip as it was not only visually pleasing it also captured other shoppers in the store reacting to snoop and looking over their shoulders giving us another sense of this contrast. The home depot employee being the positive example and the judgemental shoppers as a negative.
Simon’s last sentence, “[the myth] is, in a word, a lie” stood out to me the most because of how efficient and direct it is. I also agree with him on this point. In the second paragraph, he explains a myth that states that if someone works hard, no matter who they are, they have the ability to form a stable life. The theory does admit that everyone might not be rich enough to go out every weekend or send their kids to a school like Harvard, but it still follows the idea that they can live a comfortable enough life. I, however, agree with Simon, who says that this notion “is, in a word, a lie.” There are people all over America living in low income homes who struggle to put food on the table every night, or to find jobs that will support their families. This quote quickly dispels a reader’s belief in the myth, and I thought it was a strong way to end his piece.
ReplyDeleteOne part of the scene I found particularly interesting was the final moment between Snoop and the employee. When he told her how much the nail gun cost, she handed him extra money and told him to take the extra. I still cannot figure out why she would give him over $100 extra dollars, and why she did not want to interact with the cashier. This moment stuck out to me because of how shocked and puzzled I was. I had assumed that Snoop was a person of lower income, because of how she talked and dressed, and so, looking forward to the next 13 episodes, that might imply that this show breaks stereotypes.
I agree with Simon’s first point that the first myth is true but I disagree with his second point that the second myth has become a lie. I do believe that smarter people who build the better mousetraps and come up with the best ideas first will succeed. And I know there are some cases where a person can work very hard and stay committed to their families and succeed as well. However, the success of the first group of people isn’t the same as that of the second group. As Simon says in the passage, the second group “might not drive a Lexus, or eat out every weekend; their children might not be candidates for early admission at Harvard or Brown; and come Sunday they might not see the game on a wide-screen.” This point strikes me because of how true it is. Both of these groups have succeeded but the first has privileges that the second will never get no matter how hard they work.
ReplyDeleteI found the hardware store employee’s personality the most striking part of the introduction. He seemed genuine in his advice to Snoop when he could have been short with her or refused to help her altogether. He also accepted Snoop’s cash instead of insisting she pay at the register, even though he knew she paid him more than she needed to. This indicated to me that he might need the extra cash, which he wouldn’t get if he made her pay at the register. This interaction tells me that the relationships developed between characters in the next episodes will depend on how genuine they can be with each other.
I agree with Simon’s belief that this second myth is no more than a lie. In my opinion, there is no validity in the claim that there will always be a “place at the table” for those who work hard. Perseverance and self-reliance is recognized in American society, but this does not always develop into much more. Those who achieve the first myth that Simon explained are the success stories broadcast across America, not those who have to work harder but may not receive as much. As Simon explains, “In America, we once liked to tell ourselves, those who are not clever or visionary, who do not build better mousetraps, have a place held for them nonetheless.” To me, the significance of this statement is Simon’s reveal of the claim that many Americans use to excuse their actions. When he says, “we once liked to tell ourselves,” it seems that he believes that the Americans of the first myth- those that do succeed and are not just recognized, but are also respected and acclaimed- feel some guilt at the positions they hold. There is some hesitation in their subconscious that alerts them to their privilege. This leads them to try to convince themselves that they are not the exclusion, and that everyone else, as Simon says, has, “a place held for them nonetheless.”
ReplyDeleteWhen watching this clip, I thought the use of humor was interesting. The look on the employee's face after Snoop’s dialogue expertly captures this, in my opinion. Because of this use of comedy in just the first couple of minutes, I am interested in whether or not humour will be slipped into other scenes throughout the season as well. When watching the season recaps of the earlier episodes, there seemed to be much more drama than humour- as the show is not a comedy- but the subtleness of humour in this scene elevates the conversation. It is easy to miss the body language of the characters that creates the humour, but when noticed, it reveals a lot. In the next 13 episodes, I think that the conversations and the reactions of characters to what is said and done will individualize each character from the others in such a large cast.
I mostly disagree agree with Simon’s assessment of both myths; in my opinion, both myths entirely depend on the person’s race, class, gender, etc. The assessment of the first myth is what stuck out to me the most. Success depends heavily on the cards you're dealt. You can be, as Simon says, “Shrewd or frugal or visionary,” and have grit and determination, but it doesn’t guarantee success. Therefore, the first myth, in many ways, depends entirely on luck. The same logic applies to the second myth. Once again, luck plays a key role; you can have the inability to “build a better mousetrap” but still have an immense amount of grit and determination - and succeed. In my opinion, neither myth can be certifiably true or false because of the amount of chance that is present in each scenario.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Philip in that the part that stuck out to me the most was the contrast between the salesman and Snoop, specifically regarding their dialect. The difference in their speech, in my opinion, was the largest difference between the two characters. I’m not very familiar with the show, but I think that the contrast between Snoop and the salesman in the scene is key. It introduces the stark difference between two groups of people; the salesman represents the police (more formal), and Snoop represents the street (more informal).
I agree with Simon’s beliefs, especially his sencond one. I feel like no matter how hard someone works, another person will and always be in a higher position than them based on their race, class or identity that makes them more distinguished than others. I especially feel strongly about Simon’s statement that even if you “build better mousetraps” or “stay committed to your family” you may never amount to the success that someone of a higher class than you has achieved. I feel as that is the “reality” that Americans must come to terms with and the myth that success doesn’t come from class is simply dodging it.
ReplyDeleteThe actions and expressions of the shoppers and employees at the depot store really struck me because they carried thoughts and ideas with them. The people shopping at the store turn and look back at snoop as she walks past them, wondering why she walks and dresses the way she does. The employee, however talks to snoop normally before she changes her tone and the subject of the discussion. I feel like this highlights the difference between social classes in Baltimore (Storegoers vs. Snoop) and paves the way for future episodes and what content they’ll go over.
I disagree with some aspects of what Simon is saying. While the idea of the American dream is achievable, it is not entirely based on “if you are smarter than the next man.” There are many other factors that play a part in determining success that can't be controlled. I agree more with the second part of the idea. Though you might be a hard worker, it does not necessarily mean you will be the most successful. This idea of working hard to achieve stability is often the outcome of attempting to achieve the American. Especially based solely on merit, you are more likely to gain stability rather than success. This is the more realistic version of the American dream as opposed to the rags to riches story that we think of when hearing the phrase.
ReplyDeleteSomething that stuck me during the scene was the contrast in class that was first shown, and then once the characters developed you realized along with the salesman that Snoop knew what she was talking about regarding the nail gun. I also found it interesting how the two interacted without the conflict you might expect to see when setting up a scene like this one. It made me intrigued for future encounters like this one.
David Simon talks about how the American dream is a lie to most people in America in his quote. His quote also breaks down the two separate parts of the American dream due to the fact that not everyone becomes a millionaire. He references the idea that there is a place for people who just work hard, this is where he begins to point out flaws in the American dream. For example it is impossible to get to the top in a contest without hurting people and shoving them down to the bottom of the pile on your way up. The American idea that anyone can become rich is even flawed as though thats true to a degree some people are put in much better places to start out for example in private schools or they are born into the American dream to start out with while some are born with nothing and have to work twice as hard for a fraction of what people born at the top work for. The idea of the American dream in my opinion has become or even may have always been a fantasy as the idea that anyone can become rich is false because the people at the top don't want other people getting to where they are.
ReplyDelete1) I agree with Simon because what he says is evident when you examine American society. Yes, there are those that really do make it, who have that “rags to riches story,” who start with nothing but by playing the game right, which as we discussed in class today often means taking others down to further yourself, become wildly successful. Seeing these success stories give us hope that the American dream could be a reality, but as Simon points out, this is only part of the notion of the American dream. The other part of the myth is that even if you don’t have the extreme drive that is necessary to make it really big and and aren’t particularly extraordinary, if you work hard enough and have enough drive, anyone can have a stable, good enough middle-class life. There is still a place for you. I agree with Simon in that this aspect of the American dream is a cruel lie because I have seen it personally. I see that this aspect of the American dream is a lie when I meet homeless people who are incredibly driven and would do anything do get a job but can’t escape the cycle of poverty. I see that this is a lie when I meet undocumented immigrants who never committed a crime in their life but are sitting in jail awaiting deportation because there was a raid in their neighborhood one night. The people I’ve met through social activism and service work are only one tiny part of the picture. There are so many people who work so hard every day and still don’t know where they’re next meal is coming from or where they’re going to sleep tonight. When you look at economic statistics, there is a growing gap between the rich and the poor, and the middle class is disappearing.
ReplyDeleteWhat strikes me about Simon's point is how he defines the myth that if you really are the best both at what you do and at playing the game, you might be one of the very few who become wildly successful and the myth that anyone who is hardworking can achieve a middle class lifestyle as two seperate myths. This strikes me because both aspects of the American myth make sense to me and are familiar, but I’ve never thought to define them as two separate yet intertwined ideas, and in doing this Simon explains the idea of the American Dream in a way that is clearer than any definition I’ve ever read that I can remember. Simon writes, “But a supporting myth has also presided, and it serves as ballast against the unencumbered capitalism that has emerged triumphant, asserting as it does for individual achievement to the exclusion of all societal responsibility, and thereby validating the amassed wealth of the wise and fortunate among us.” Here, Simon comments on how unregulated capitalism, which allows a small handful of people to become incredibly rich and achieve the American Dream in the grandest sense, destroys the middle-class American Dream. (This is a bit of a tangent, but one very poignant example of what Simon writes about in this quote is the private prison industry: A small handful of people at the top of the company making a profit off of making destroying the lives of Millions of people. This example is particularly powerful when you think about privately owned immigration detention centers because people are making a profit off of locking people up whose only “crime” in most situations was wanting to achieve this middle class lifestyle.)
ReplyDelete2) What strikes me about this scene is the way Snoop talks about the nail gun in contrast to how the store employee talks about the nail gun. Even though Snoop uses the nail gun for what a nail gun is designed to be used for (well kind of), she talks about the nail gun in a very violent way and talks about it as if it were an actual gun (one word she used that made me think about how Snoop talks about the nail gun like it is an actual gun is when she used the word “kickback”) and at the beginning she holds the nail gun like you might hold a large gun (you see the four customers she passes by, all white, stare at her). This shows the world that Snoop is coming from and the world that Snoop knows how to operate in, which is not the world of this Home-depot like store. This mindset that Snoop is coming from shows you the mindset that many characters in this show will coming from in the next 13 episodes.
I believe that the 1st myth is completely true, especially because of certain words used. The 2nd sentence is what proves that there are many pieces to becoming a millionaire, you have to be “shrewd”, “frugal”, “visionary”, and “build a better mousetrap”, you have to have the “best idea”, and “get there first”, which shows that with all these factors, a very few fraction of the population will become millionaires. With all of these factors on someone’s side, I believe that someone could become a millionaire, although so much is left to chance. I do not believe this second myth is true the majority of time, some people are lucky enough to “have a place and not be betrayed” by the world, but so many others are not so fortunate to have safety. There are homeless people all over the United States who have worked hard in their life, but have ended up in their situation due to what could be called bad luck, or unfair circumstances.
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw Snoop coming in and she started talking to the salesman, I was very surprised by how the situation went. The salesman treated her fairly, which was not what I was expecting. I assumed that he was not going to treat her fairly because of the type of show this is, I know this is a provocative show and it comments on the ideas of race, class, and gender. Snoop, being African American, dressed like she was, and speaking like she was, seemed unlikely to be someone who was interested in power tools, specifically expensive power tools. The white salesman treated Snoop like any other customer but still when Snoop gave the man $800 cash, I was suspicious, and I think the man was too. Shows are meant to be entertain, and as the wire is meant to provoke, racism and a fight seemed inevitable, but since that is the obvious turn of events, the writers choose to add to the plot with this seemingly small event that sets up the rest.
I agree with David Simon that the second myth is actually a lie. The second myth that Simon talks about is basically saying that any person in America, no matter what, will have a place, as long as they are willing to work their hardest. When I read this, I immediately think of the extreme cases of poverty in our country. In no way is a place in society and an immunity to betrayal given to any blue collar, hard working American.
ReplyDelete2. The dialogue between Snoop and the employee was what struck me most.
The backgrounds of these two people seem different to me, mostly because of the difference in their dialect and the way they speak. Despite this, and any other differences they might have, the conversation they have is very productive and positive for both of them.
I believe Simon makes a strong argument about wealth in America. He states that in America, the idea that if you are exceptionally good at something you will go far in life and “succeed”. He adds that while this idea of social and financial progression is true in America, that are exceptions. Simon emphasizes how in Baltimore, a large portion of people are very hard working and are not advancing financially. The line “It is, in a word, a lie”, stood out to me because of how abrupt it was. The line is referring to what Simon called the “myth” of our system in the United States. The line makes a bold statement that could be seen as controversial by some. I do believe that he makes the absolute statement to get his point across, because there are certainly some people have succeeded coming from poverty from Baltimore. The dialogue involving the price of the nail gun in the season opener stood out to me the most. You could tell how shocked the salesman was when Snoop pulled out eight hundred in cash to pay for the power tool. I found it shocking because I thought that he would’ve written something that involved more of what he talked about in his piece that we read.
ReplyDelete