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Thursday, October 13, 2011

The Slap

So are people watching The Slap, the TV event of the year?
I just can't get interested in it. I thought the book kind of sucked. People always bang on about how great it is; the interesting propositions it raises and the well rendered characters who are just like people we all know.  I actually felt like I was watching Neighbours or something similar when I was reading the book. You know, its full of drama and the characters face dilemma after dilemma but I don't really care about any of it, and I feel like I'm on the verge of laughing at it the whole way through. And I'm just waiting for them all to go to the diner,  and for Harold to do something doddery and old fashioned which makes them all roll their eyes and laugh and realise that they'll always be friends and then have a lovely milkshake.

So why am I so drawn to that picture of Melissa George holding a child and looking distressed that you can see on the side of the 112 tram at the moment? And why did I find myself watching episode 1 on iview on the weekend, even though my internet connection at home is really slow and the video kept stopping for 5 seconds every minute or so? Why?

Of course I disliked it in all the same ways I disliked the book, but with some extra reasons because TV is a different medium with different ways of annoying me.

Um, did you guys hear that voice over? Yikes.

Like the wearing of a v neck t-shirt if you are a man, a voice over is a difficult thing to pull off.  A show has to be pretty special to be able to get away it.
Like this one.

The Slap, I am pretty sure you are not Arrested Development. Your voice over is patronising, and sounds like an add for paracetamol. It makes me think "Hey d-bags, don't tell me what to think! You're not the boss of me!" instead of "Oh yes, voice over, please tell me more!". It's unlikely that it will get better from here, right? I should just forget all about it and not watch any more, right? 


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