CNN and European politics - How NOT to cover the situation in Ukraine

Lately I have been following closely the situation in Ukraine in the media. It has as much been a lesson in Eastern-European/European politics as it has been a lesson in media criticism. I am a news junkie and typically when I read news I read newspapers and websites in both English and in my native language. I also read from various web resources as I find it important to get the news from several perspectives. I mostly read BBC, CNN and NBC and Al-Jazeera in English. However, lately I have found that CNN's coverage of the situation is Ukraine has been incredibly bad. It has been vastly historically inaccurate, overly simplified, ignorant of historical and cultural factors at play and very diminishing towards Ukraine. It has been woefully unprofessional and badly done.

There are several things which I would like to make clear about how wrong they are, especially in regards to a certain article - this opinion on CNN - which is absolutely terrible. So settle in because I am about to go politically European on y'all.

1)First of all, Europe is not an unknowable mass or the same country - it is an entire continent with many complicated factors involved. 

Europe is not a single mass of countries, it is an entire and vibrant continent of around 50 countries - each of them different from each other and each with their own culture, history, language, geography and feelings towards Europe/EU. There are a lot of cultural and historical factors at play in Europe and European culture. There is an uneasy balance as some countries share more common history and heritage than others, some countries are more at odds with each other and the relationships between countries are different. Each country has a different perception of Europe and what it means to be a European. It is not a simple black/white picture but instead a very complicated one. It is not the benevolent West versus the Evil East. There is no evil Russian/old Soviet Union versus the good EU/EFTA/Any country west of Poland. It is so much more complicated than that. Believe me, I am a staunch European that has lived here my whole life and there are still so many things I am learning.

2)The situation in Ukraine does not in any way threaten the independence of other European countries and certainly not the independence of the USA.

Anyone who gets this idea knows nothing about European politics. To begin with, European countries are masters at being empires and colonizing others - Italy, Spain, Germany, France, Belgium, Portugal and Britain being the biggest culprits. All of these countries have throughout history been independent. In fact, they have all at one point or the other dominated European culture and still do. These are European powers that have never been threatened by Russia (instead they threaten others... ) And, none of them were a part of the Soviet Union. So their independence is not in any way threatened by the situation right now. The same goes for the Nordic countries. Aside from Finland. Some were independent from the beginning and others were under the rule of other Nordic countries but have been independent since the early 20th century. None of the Nordic countries has ever been threatened by the Soviet Union/Russia and it continues to this day. To suggest otherwise is mad.

Russia does not rule the roost in Europe - if anything the European Union does and trust me, they are strong and will not go down. Many countries in Europe have never been under the threat from Russia and that isn't going to change. There are so many factors at play and considering the control and power the EU has, no one dares go against it. So no, in no way is the independence of my own Nordic country threatened by this. Neither is the independence of Portugal, Spain, The Netherlands et cetera.

And let's not even begin with the US. Who in the world gets the idea that USA's independence is being threatened? I mean, USA is the most domineering and leading country of power in the world today. There is no possible way that Russia will go against it like the article assumes. Not when USA is the world's leading military power as well.

3)It's about Ukraine and the people's rights for a better future, not about the USA.

I am going to be honest - I am so bugged and annoyed that the author of the article turned it into a simpering article about the USA, how everything is at stake for the USA in this. Therefore, they should care about it, not because Ukrainians are fellow human beings but NO - because it potentially (in some arbitrary and strange sense) harm USA. I mean seriously! 

USA has done a lot for Europe - no argument there. As a country is has done a lot for European countries and sacrificed a lot and believe me, we are thankful for it. I mean, really thankful. But the fight in Ukraine right now is not about the USA, it is not about the independence of other European countries - it is about the fight of a nation that has been to hell and back and suffered a lot. It is about people claiming their rights to live in more safety, better economic prosperity and the right to belong to Europe in more ways than geographically. It is about Ukraine, through and through. And let's keep the focus on that.

Having said all this I urge whoever comes across this blog to ignore CNN and their coverage on the topic and instead read BBC. I find it provides by far the best coverage. Read about Ukraine, read about the subject and keep yourself educated. But most importantly, ignore CNN!

Appreciating the NCIS franchise: Ellie Bishop continues to be awesome and a new record for NCIS:LA

Can we take a moment to appreciate how wonderfully entertaining and lovely Ellie Bishop is! Today was her second episode with NCIS and I absolutely loved her character. She is very refreshing and unusual and so different from the other characters. I was grinning from ear to ear at so many of her scenes. It is hard to find a favorite, whether it was her 'getting acquainted' with the dead bodies and saying hello to them, learning whether to warn Tony and McGee or not and learning the ropes. I was delighted to see how well she has been established and how well she fits in with the team. I also enjoy how they have incorporated her working style into the show, taking a moment to focus and talking it out loud to herself. Ellie as a character feels realistic and fun and I can't wait to see more of her. The actress that plays her does a fabulous job it bringing the character to life and giving her nuances and her own strong personality. As an NCIS fan I am more than thrilled with everything concerning the character, absolutely thrilled, and I am looking forward to seeing more of her.

I am also going to say how much I loved last episode. Everything was fabulous regarding the humor. I was enjoying myself so much while watching it and it got me laughing more than once.

NCIS has been on a roll lately and it's been a pure pleasure to watch. Absolute pleasure. I am reminded once and again of how much I love watching the show and what it is I love about it: the combination of incredible characters, humour and interesting storylines. So consider me one very happy NCIS fan!

I was also watching the American edition of the show 'The Bridge' and it is sooo good. I am so thrilled with it. But I realized quickly after watching it that Sonya Cross reminded me quite a lot of Ellie Bishop and the character in the danish/swedish version, Saga Norén, did as well. Both Sonya and Saga are exceptionally well created characters and Ellie as a character is in a similar vein. 

I am also going to take a moment to appreciate the fact that NCIS:LA has now made it 3 episodes without mention Russia. That must surely be a record for them!They did mention Communism but only for historical background.  In fact, NCIS:LA has also been on a roll this season. Á la NCIS:LA, there have been some major mishaps this season but it's largely been highly enjoyable. I have been loving how they've been crafting the characters and transforming them. Nell is going through some great developments as a character and I love watching how they continue to mold her and how she changes. I really appreciate how well they do it. I have also been enjoying Sam Hanna a lot this season, he has been on a roll as well and I've been surprised with how much I have enjoyed him. 

And let's not even begin with Densi. They are truly making fans squirm but it's a good squirm. They are developing the characters and their relationship with care and it feels both realistic and well crafted. It's pure pleasure to watch, it's so good it's even á la Caskett. I am also getting completely caught up in the latest story line. What on earth is Kensi doing in Afghanistan with Granger and how will this develop? Who is she meant to kill? One of the things I enjoy about this story line is that it is placing Kensi in different circumstances where she is not in control and where she is more vulnerable and insecure than usually. It's a shift for the character and it'll be interesting to see how they play around with it. It also adds strength to the characterization to have her in such different circumstances which reveal another side of her. I am looking forward to seeing how it'll develop.

And before I go. I am looking forward to seeing agent Sabatino again. I really like his character. I also discovered recently that the actor that portrays him was also a part of ER. I was a devoted ER fan in my younger years and still am at heart, purely for the nostalgia. For years, I nursed a secret crush on Dr. Green and my sister on Dr. Kovac and we both loved the character Abby. So, I am reminded of me ER fan years :) Just like I was swept back to my 'Without a trace' fan years when I watched NCIS season 9 and Ray Cruz was dating Ziva. I loved that show so much and it's such fun to be reminded of my infatuation with it. So TV can bring back nostalgia. 

The Soviet union, Ukraine and NCIS:LA

This post will be political. I have been following closely the political situation in the beautiful country of Ukraine over the past few days and I've discusses both with friends and family. It has given me much to think about, especially in terms of European politics and what the political situation in Ukraine means for Europe in general. And as I've thought this through, my mind inevitably passed to NCIS:LA and their treatment of the USSR.

I'll attempt to provide some background for those that read this blog but have not followed the political situation in the news. Ukraine is a European country situated in Eastern-Europe. Geographically it belongs to Europe but culturally and politically the situation is more complicated. Ukraine has been through a lot as a country over the centuries but the 20th century was exceptionally bad.  It was a part of the USSR during the 20th century and was during that time like other Eastern-European countries in terrible circumstances. The USSR did not treat anyone kindly.It has only been truly independent since 1991, ever since the USSR dissolved. Due to the close proximity to Russia and having been a part of it for a long time, Ukraine shares a lot of political, historical and cultural ties with it and more so than with Western-Europe. As a country, Russia has always been in many ways the antithesis to Western-Europe, both in terms of culture, politics and history, and it continuous to be so to an extent today. And it seems it that even if the USSR has dissolved, Russia still tries to exert control over it's former countries. And that is what has happened in Ukraine.

In Ukraine, many people are now looking towards Western-Europe and in particular the European Union for collaboration. The Soviet Union exists no longer and they want to move from it and establish a different Ukraine. And a part of that is moving away from Russia and its influences. One German official said that (paraphrased): 'The hearts of the demonstrators beat with a European beat' - what he is referencing is that many Ukrainians now want to move away from the Russian influence and belong to Europe not only geographically but also gain more proximity culturally and economically. That does not mean cutting all ties with Russia but it means a change and the right for Ukraine to carve out its own niche in Europe as a country. Ukraine was going to sign a collaboration agreement with the EU that would benefit them economically. However, the president backed out at the last moment, many believe due to influence from the Russian government. Russia was not keen on Ukraine signing the agreement and was encouraging them to sign an agreement with Russia and Kazakhstan instead. 

This rightfully angered many people and they have been protesting ever since. They protest that Ukraine is no longer a part of the USSR and they should not be coerced by Russia and kept away from making their own decisions on what would best benefit their country. They want to become a part Europe. I want to make it clear that Ukraine has always been a part of Europe geographically but the cultural and historical factors at play have in many ways isolated it from Western-Europe and the European Union. There are plenty of countries in Western and Northern Europe that do not belong to the EU but they still enjoy the benefits of the collaborations it offers and take advantage of it. Belonging to the EU is not a prerequisite of belonging to Europe in more ways than geographically in Western-Europe. But it seems to be in Eastern-Europe. I know people want this to change. I as well as everyone I know want this to change for Ukraine and we support them in their protests. We want them to have the chance to decide what is best for themselves on their own and we want them to be able to participate in the many things Europe and the EU offers. As I follow the protests, I truly hope they can get what they want and rightfully deserve.

And how does this tie all in wit NCIS:LA?

I have covered here so many times how strangely NCIS:LA deals with the USSR and Russia and how the wrong the image they present is. One would think from their coverage that the only thing the USSR ever did was to produce nuclear weapons and threaten America. But what history shows and the political events that are taking place right now is that the reality is so much more complicated than that. The USSR first and foremost affected and hurt countries within Europe. What happened after it dissolved and how the situation has played out has happened strictly within Eastern-Europe. It are Eastern-European countries that suffered the most and have had the most to deal with and work out. I encourage all readers to look into the fight for independence in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia and read about how the USSR changed their countries and how they shape their identity and culture now. It is fascinating and sobering to learn about.

My point is this: I am well aware of that TV is not meant to be a political commentary and that the way in which it presents reality is skewed. NCIS:LA is a prime example of a show that changes and plays around with reality. I am well aware of the fact that what NCIS:LA presents is not meant to be an accurate view of reality and that they expect their viewers and allude to them the sense of knowing so. But that does not change the fact that history, reality, culture, politics are always so much more complicated than TV makes them out to be and it is important that people know that. I encourage all that read this blog to look beyond the simple, superficial way in which things are presented  on TV and instead look into reality. Granted, it is challenging and it may change the way you think but I find it to be more than worth the while. It makes you view media in a different way and value things differently.

(And never to trust NCIS:LA's opinion of Russia/Eastern-Europe)

The endless Densi jig and the woes of being a clandestine fan

Last episode of NCIS:LA 'Frozen Lake' goes down as being one of my most favorite NCIS:LA episode of all time. I was initially wary of watching it as I hate being emotionally manipulated by TV shows and to be honest, I was not too optimistic about how things would turn out. NCIS:LA does have an impressive track-record of messing things up after all. But this episode they did very right. I needn't have worried - and after all the script writer was Mr. Kalstein. I always love the episodes he writes and this one did not disappoint at all.

Good things

-The frozen lake metaphor! I was all over that one - it was such a well crafted and incredible metaphor. It was very well applied during the episode and well woven into it. And realistic, I can't imagine how many times people have experienced something like that - always waiting for the one thing they think will make everything right. And it was a pure dream for an English nerd like me.

-The Ghurka. I really liked the character and the way they incorporated him into the show. They manage to give him a back-story and motive and you get a really good feel of him. He was very well developed as a character. I was straightaway caught up in him and interested in knowing more. And the actor who played him was incredibly good. It is not often I get so caught up extra characters on NCIS:LA. 

-The acting was absolutely incredible. Just brilliant! NCIS:LA despite its many mishaps always delivers incredibly good, spot-on acting which is certainly not always a component of tv shows (CSI being a good example...). It is one of the reasons I watch the show. I got completely caught up with the characters and watching their journey and I was very impressed!

-Sam noticed Kensi was wearing the same shirt. Considering Sam's track record with always wearing the same clothes (I imagine he is meant to owe like 15 pieces of the same clothing in the same style) I was surprised but it was amusing.

-NCIS:LA did not mention Russia for the first time in forever. It was a definite plus. Instead they futured India and Nepal and did it quite well and were accurate with the information they used. It was a definite plus for them and yes, this does show that they can do absolutely fine with material that does not involve Russia.

And there was movement on the jig. Something did happen between them and they acknowledged it. Yes, NCIS:LA did pump it for all it was worth but it didn't feel manipulative or drawn out. It felt realistic and I highly appreciated that. There are ways to go but with luck this will turn out well. It reminded me of the last episodes of season 4 of Castle before C and B got together. It was so heart-wrenching to watch but so well done.  

In any case I highly enjoyed the episode 'Frozen Lake' 

Bad things (yes I am mean)

-Deeks walked around as if nothing was going on wearing a shirt with a bloodstain on it! And he was completely calm. I did not get that. This is the second time NCIS:LA has had a mistake like this - the best example being when they had a person with PTSD who had been in a gunfight and yet he wore the same blood-stained t-shirt for most of the episode. Who does something like that?! I imagine had this happened in the NCIS world Abby Sciuto would have thrown a fit had she seen it. I know I would be screaming my head off in fright. But then again, NCIS:LA characters are not exactly the definition of normal, rather the very definition of dysfunctional and I expect this was part of it. 

-Nuclear weapons again - not exactly working the creative front but at least it did not have Russia so there is hope.
-The use of intensive dramatic close ups. This was a very dramatic episode and whenever something important was going on emotionally with the characters, they used very dramatic close-up frames. Every single time. With me being the terrible fan I am I was laughing every time it happened. It felt like: "Ok, dramatic scene. Cue to close-up, the more the better". 

And before I go: I am a terrible NCIS:LA fan. I am happy to discuss NCIS with people but NCIS:LA, that's another thing. I instead sneak into conversations lightly that I watch it as well as NCIS, that it's not the best show but I like it and watching it is an excellent way to forget studying and then I do not comment more on it. I have been watching it for over two years now and only last week was the first time I ever discussed the show with someone. The first time and incidentally it was a fellow NCIS fan and friend that has seen some episodes of NCIS:LA (our convo included a 'Yay Nell'). So I am an absolute clandestine fan of NCIS:LA that likes watching it (hell, I write about it) but feels embarrassed about it at the same time. 

I am however quite happy to let everyone know I am a devoted Castle fan :) And I love the word 'clandestine'

The anthems of my studying and of my youth - a musical geek speaking

I have before written about my intense love for musicals, in fact I dedicated an entire post to a single song I have been loving for the past year and still do. Exam season is almost upon me and as I do a lot of my studying on the computer at my Uni I typically listen to music on youtube while doing so. I love music more than anything (except literature) and it helps me have fun when studying. I scroll through an alarming amount of my favorite Irish music, Disney songs and songs from musicals - yes I do happen to have an awful taste in music :)

And how does this tie in with TV?

One of my most favorite lines ever from NCIS:LA is when Deeks says: "This was the anthem of my youth" in season 4 in reference to his past as a member of rock band when in high-school. It made me grin as the line brought back a flood of memories from my own teenage years and the music I listened to then. I have so many songs that are the anthems of my youth.
Until the age of 16, like the typical European I am, I coveted British boy band. Busted, McFly, Blue; I loved them all. It was so simple during my teenage years - anything British with cute boys and corny music was enough to have me swooning. It was pretty much a rite of passage for every girl to covet British bands. I listened to some of the songs so many times that now many years on I can still sing 'I've been to the year 3000' and 'Five colours in her hair' quite accurately.

As I am now a somewhat more mature Uni student I still retain my love for music but have stopped listening to boy bands. Instead my nerdy love for musicals and Irish music has grown by epic proportions. And things brings me to the two anthems of my studying that I have had for the past year - both incidentally featuring actors from two of my favorite shows. These are songs I have listened to so many times I know them by heart and can sing them if needed. I love these songs to bits. What better to study with than music dedicated to a)one of the best couples on TV and reminds me of my boy band years and b)a musical number that's political satire?
To the music geek in me it equals music paradise.

So without further ado, here are the anthems of my studying (well two of them). I have listened to them so many times it's practically indecent but the way I see it - any music that gets me happy and makes studying fun is worth listening to a thousand times and more.

The lovely song 'Ledge of Love'

Click here for 'I believe' - the music number for the musical geek in me.

And if needed for an extra boost I blast Defying Gravity over and over again. I've known that song by heart for over two years now. It is the anthem of my studying/kicking-ass. Idina Menzel is one of my most favorite singers and I love listening to her songs.

In any case it is quite funny how many memories a single line on a TV show brought me but I liked it.

Exploring Names - the NCIS franchise and Criminal Minds

I am a nerd in many ways and have a strange fascination for all sorts of things. If there is one thing I love it is names. I have loved names ever since I was little and discovering new names, reading about names, debating names has always been an interest of mine. I am such a nerd I even have special lists containing my favorite names from various cultures. So far I have Chinese, Russian, English, Spanish, Indian and Nordic. I love names and I enjoy writing a lot so I employ the names I've discovered and love on the characters I create and use.

I also come from a culture where names are regulated by the authorities and people cannot name their child anything they want. This is very much a European thing and nobody questions it. Names are regulated in all the Nordic countries, Portugal, Italy, France, Germany and many other countries. This is both a good and a bad thing but personally I support it. Not to mention I find it hilarious that it's like: "Congratulations, a child is born, here is a long winded booklet/statue of laws that tell you what you can name your child and what not. Enjoy!" It is so incredibly European. Up here in the north we view Western cultures, where the custom is that names are not regulated, as being as being a practically uncivilized in that regard. For us, hearing stories about unusual, unregulated names equals hearing a horror story

This article explains this culture well

So as a name fanatic, I naturally have formed opinions on some of the names employed in the shows I write about here. So with further ado, here is the TV matters and me official name column detailing my favorite names, the curious one's and the one's I took some time accepting, all with the personal opinions of a Nordic nerd.

NCIS:LA - Their names are a mix of good and bad

Kensi Blye - When I first heard the name Kensi I loathed it. I thought it was such a bad name, much too preppy and modern. To me it sounded like the name of an overly cheerful fitness coach or Zumba teacher. It took me months to actually start liking the name but I admit it has grown on me and I kind of like it now. It has a lovely meaning and at least they didn't inventive with the spelling like they could have. I however love the name Blye. It sounds very similar to a word that means 'light breeze' in one Nordic language and I love the sound of it.

Martin Deeks - I like the name Martin a lot but the character is always called Marty. Whenever I hear that nickname I associate it with someone overly happy and cheerful but I kind of like the name. It means 'warlike' which is cool. An alarming amount of Nordic names have meanings that have something to do with war - remnants of Viking heritage I guess. I can however not possibly take the last name Deeks seriously. Marty Deeks is meant to be Norwegian-American and his last name is the least Norwegian name ever. I am well aware of the fact that the character was not originally meant to be Norwegian-American, rather it evolved as the actor came in, and hence the name. I am also aware of the changes in last names that occurred when people emigrated to America so this does not surprise me, I just find it funny - bit like when NCIS had a Russian named Viggo. I think of Deeks as the Norwegian-American with the least Norwegian name ever.

The actor Mr. Olsen has a very Nordic last name however. In fact it's so Nordic it's one of the most common last names here, it's also the name of a popular candy bar, the name of a famous Danish comedy trio and the name of a classic card game everyone knows. You can't go much more Nordic than Olsen

And I can't go without mention the Olsen brothers, the winners of Eurovision 2001 with their lovely song 'fly on the wings of love'. The Danish version is called 'smuk som et stjerneskud' which means 'beautiful like starry night' and the lyrics are actually really sensual. Leave it to the Nordics to be rude in their own language but polite in English :)

Nell Jones - Nell has to be my most favorite TV name. It comes from  my most favorite name Eleanor and it means light. I love the soft and unusual sound of it and how similar it sounds to Nellica which is a flower I love. It's unusual and uncommon but also classic.

NCIS - an absolute name jackpot! All the names are lovely and classical.

Ziva David - I absolutely adore the name Ziva. It is such an unusual but beautiful Hebrew name. It means 'brightness'; I happen to love all names that mean something having to do with light. And I am going to explain further about the last name David. In English the name is pronounced phonetically 'Dayvid' whereas Ziva's last name is pronounced phonetically 'Dahveed'. Not to mention, I loved how they played around with this on NCIS. In my country we pronounce the name according to the Hebrew version (except with a soft 'd' at the end) and I find it far more beautiful. We always go for the European pronunciation and spelling of names instead of the English. Consequently it is very easy for us to adapt European names into our culture but it's more troublesome with English names.

Eleanor Bishop - I have loved the name Eleanor ever since I saw Sense and Sensibility 1995 movie and was fascinated with the character Elinor in that film. And just like 'Nell' and 'Ziva' the name means light. I typically end up falling for names whose meaning is 'light' for some reason. Not to mention I also like the nickname Ellie. NCIS has an incredible knack for choosing beautiful, classic names.

Donald Mallard 'Ducky' - It wasn't until this year I finally learned the reason for Ducky's nickname. I was looking at a video from a friend featuring 'mallard ducks' - we refer to them by a completely different name in my dialect. So the moment I saw the name something clicked for me. Finally, after having been a fan of NCIS for over two years I figured it out. Oh the many joys of being an EFL speaker.

Criminal Minds - they have such beautiful names

Spencer Reed - I love both names; Spencer is an old English name and I saw it written on a gravestone from the 1600's when I was in England last year. It brought Spencer Reed to mind instantly. It also brings to mind the old English play 'The Faerie Queen'. The name Reed I associate with trees (which I love) and I just love the sound of it.

Alex Blake - I love that name. Alex is a diminutive of Alexander/Alexandra which means 'defender of mankind'. It's a strong name and classic. William Blake happens to be one of my most favorite poems of all time and I really like the name Blake. So for me, the CM producers couldn't have figured out a better name than Alex Blake. I do wonder thought whether her name is Alexandra or Alex. Either way it is an awesome name.

Derek Morgan - Such a bad-ass and cool name. Derek means 'peaceful ruler' and Morgan 'from the sea'. I love both the names and the meanings of them and the character is awesome. Basically a win-win in every way.

Aaron - That name is a thorn in my eye. I mean the name is spelled 'Aaron' yet it is pronounced like 'Erin'. And if I do not see the names in writing I cannot for the life of me fathom whether the phoentic sounds 'Eerin' are the names Erin or Aaron. It is one of these things I do NOT like about English. In Nordic countries we pronounce the name phonetically 'Ahrohn' which makes far more sense in my humble opinion.

Penelope - I absolutely love that name. It is so beautiful and has such a nice meaning 'weaver'. Yet again, I will add we pronounce it differently here. We go according to the Spanish pronunciation here which is 'Pehnelopeh'. Except I in my infinite wisdom have been pronouncing it like 'Pehnelop' for years and have gotten to use to it. I am bad-ass like that (and have a reasonably wonky pronunciation)

All in all TV has a mix of both good and bad names but I love exploring them.

NCIS and NCIS:LA - Ellie Bishop is so lovely and is Densi finally happening?

Today I had the honour of watching the new character Eleanor 'Ellie' Bishop enter the NCIS scene. And is she ever a lovely character?! I absolutely loved her. She was unique and fun from the start of the episode. She has a quirky and curious aura about her and she seems like a unique and dynamic character. I was instantly very happy with her. I was over the moon that not only did she reference a musical (Oklahoma) but she food associates and was motivated by a box of Cocoa Puffs. I could imagine her straightaway bouncing up and down sugar high while writing the report. As a devoted foodie I loved that. She feels so realistic as well and I loved the slightly awkward aura around her. And her style is amazing! I loved the way the actress Emily Wickersham played her, this odd mix of pure professionalism, introversion, idiosyncrasies and wit. She did such a wonderful job! She's going to be a great addition to the show and I cannot wait to see more of her.

And something finally happened with Densi. I know next episode will explode and they'll be split up as partners but I don't care a fig. There is an incredibly good (and delightful) reason for why Kensi will disappear of the scene for a while. She should actually disappear longer! The Densi ball has started rolling and I am looking forward to seeing what comes next but I'm also wary of  that the show might emotionally manipulate the audience in this regard and play it like a fiddle. I know Castle did. I cannot bear to watch some of the last episodes of season 4 because they are so difficult to see emotionally when Beckett wants Castle but he's given up. I know it's a television show but it had me in an emotional puddle. But the payoff when they got together was even sweeter. It was soooo good. Considering how similar Densi is to Caskett I expect them to follow a similar timeline. This means that NCIS:LA has until the end of season 6 to get them together. And I expect the payoff to be as good as Castle. In any case their jig will pay off someday.

On the bright side Nell will most likely get a chance to shine and I'm looking forward to that. Nell has been on a roll this season and it'll be great to see how she will continue to be developed.
We'll also see more of Agent Sabatino who I really like as a character. Hints have been dropped he'll be involved with Kensi somehow doing something work related- what it is remains to be seen. In any case, I like his character and am happy he's back.
On the up/down side a recurring tech analyst will be introduced soon. The up-side is that it's part of a new and upcoming plot (if it involves Russian I don't know what I'll do!) and I like the actor who'll be playing him - he is really good. The downside is that he's male. This will make for effectively 6 male characters (Callen, Sam, Deeks, Eric, Granger, Booker) and only two female characters Nell and Hetty while Kensi is away. That makes 3/4 male and 1/4 female. Not exactly cool but hopefully they'll work well around it. And keep the bro-syndrome at bay.

 And NCIS took some time to comment on the NSA scandal that's been shaking Europe/America. Apparently they need court orders to listen in on people so that clears it. I do hope NCIS will dig more into this issue as well - I would like to see their take on it. I know it has ruffled a lot of feathers over here, especially in Germany and Spain. NCIS:LA also worked so well with the issue of addiction on last show. I was very impressed with how well and sympathetically they covered it. It had some wonderfully sweet scenes. After last week's debacle, I was very happy about this. In any case - things are looking up on both shows and I am enjoying the ride.

Dear NCIS:LA - there is nothing fascinating about force-feeding and gulags are not lovely

NCIS:LA has managed it again. I am pretty much speechless with what's been said in the past two episodes. In my opinion it goes well beyond all boundaries of decency into being despicable.

In the last episode 5x08 the NCIS:LA characters threatened a suspect with possibly sending him to Guantanamo. They speculated they would need to send him there for his own protection. And then there came the ultimate kicker line: "I hear force feeding is fascinating!" in a sarcastic tone

I am at a loss here. Guantanamo bay as a prison is a serious human rights violations. Deathly, utterly serious violation. Force feeding is a form of despicable torture.
These are serious matters that need to be discussed, people need to be aware of. Many people are campaigning against Gitmo and this use of torture and actively fighting against it.
So why on earth did NCIS:LA decide it was okay to reference it in this way? No one would dream of calling the gas chambers in Bergen-Belsen 'fascinating' or slavery 'an interesting experience'. Because doing so is highly disrespectful, indecent and insensitive. It would be beyond any boundaries of civility. So why on earth is it then okay that force feeding referred to as fascinating, even if it is in a sarcastic tone?
I love sarcasm, I really do but there are boundaries to the ways in which it can be used - and in this case it did not work. It was just despicable and a low for the show.

And today's episode did not improve on anything. Russia was yet again the enemy and they breezily broke into the house of a Russian consulate as if it's the easiest thing in the world to do and even if, according to Granger, it damaged the already precarious relationship between US and Russia. And there was of course a reference to the Cold War being far from over apparently. And it seems Russians are still obsessed with using nuclear weapons on USA. And NCIS:LA gets less than zero points in managing international relations.
I am starting to debate whether the NCIS:LA universe is still stuck in the eighties while the rest of the world (Europe at least) has long since moved on. The Cold War ended in 1989, there was a historic meeting in the 1980's in Reykjavik between Reagan and Gorbachev which change the course of the war. It's been 24 years since it ended and yet, the powers that be NCIS:LA continue using it as a plot point, recycling over and over again the plot of Russians trying to get their hands on nuclear weapons and wanting to attack USA. It gets old, stereotypical and displays a serious lack of creativity.

And the kicker was that when they decided to infiltrate the Russian consulate they discussed they might face criminal charges or be expedited. And then there came two of the quite possibly worst lines ever to be heard on the show:

"I have never been to Russia"
"I hear the gulags are lovely this time of year"

Gulags are not something to joke about. Never ever. They were prison labour camps during Stalin's reign. These were terrible, horrible camps akin to the Holocaust camps were people were systematically tortured and killed. Millions of people were wiped out in these camps, millions were sent to them for no other cause than being Jewish, being educated, being from the Baltic country, even just being alive was a sin. They were used as a serious form of political oppression. I have read stories from these camps on my own and it left me shivering, sad, terrified. It is a tragic and horrible part of Russian and Eastern-European history.

So I have to ask? Why on earth does NCIS:LA then think it's okay to reference those things as being lovely, even if it's sarcastic. I've said it once and I am saying it again: No one refers to the Holocaust in this way, or slavery, or genocide. So why is it then okay to refer to the Gulags? There was practiced a form of genocide, systematic killing of people. It is estimated that over 20 million people were killed there. Let it sink in, over 20 million. And yet it is used flippantly.

What I am questioning here is the way in which serious human rights violations both contemporary and historical are treated and referenced on TV. There have got to be some boundaries to this and in my opinion NCIS:LA as a show has overstepped it. I firmly believe that historical events such as the gulags need to be dealt with, discussed, taught about, learned from. But they should never ever be referenced lightly or be joked about. Never. It is as simple as that.

And I hope I'll never hear things like this on NCIS:LA again.

(If people want to learn about the gulags, my favorite fictional book about is 'Between shades of grey' - it's a book that changed my life.)

The token linguists - English language and the rest of the world

As I've made explicitly clear I am an EFL speaker. I spend all my day dealing with English as it's my major at Uni and I've been functioning in two languages for years, since childhood actually. English feels natural to me and I feel more than comfortable with it. But that does not change the fact that it challenges me on a daily basis and I must keep up. And a part of that is watching TV shows to help my auditory skills. I can read English as well as any native speaker but my auditory skills are not as good. So hence, TV is a great resource to train.

I also read a fascinating statistic recently that 1/4 of the people of the world speak English, ranging from a native level to rudimentary. That's a lot. But that also means that 3/4 of the world speak no English at all. So even if English has become a global language, it is still imperative to study and know other languages. And this is reflected in the TV shows I deal with here. They are all American and use English as a primary language but still every single show has a character that can speak more than one language. I find it interesting how they deal with language and I listen intently to all language related things on TV. It's my bread and butter really when it comes to TV.
And today's topic is presenting an overview of those token linguistics

NCIS
Ziva is the multilingual wonder there - She speaks French, Spanish, German, Turkish, Arabic, Hebrew and English. That is quite a lot but it is fully possible in the real world. I have always loved this aspect of Ziva's character and enjoyed a lot how they have dealt with her journey of discovering English. As an EFL speaker it has taught me a lot and given me great enjoyment.

Abby speaks ASL and uses it regularly which I really like. I can finger-spell in ASL and I highly enjoy seeing how NCIS has incorporated ASL easily into the show.

NCIS has always provided me with the most language jokes and it's an aspect of the show I absolutely love. Plus, I never run into trouble understanding what the characters are saying which is nice. The show challenges my English abilities but in a good way.

NCIS:LA

Sam speaks Arabic, Japanese and Spanish - Japanese and Arabic are two extremely different languages with two different alphabets, systems of writing, pronunciation, vocabulary. It's not like French and Spanish which are derived from a similar source. These languages share no similarity. And apparently Sam is comfortable with them both! And they have never bothered to explain how on earth he learned them which I find annoying.

Callen - He is a fluent Russian speaker. It's been implied he learned it from a foster sister of his for a few months but that does not account for his remarkable skills. Yet again, NCIS:LA does not bother with explaining! His pronouncation seems good though.

Nell - She is meant to be fluent in Spanish but I have yet to hear her say a single word in Spanish.

Kensi - She speaks French, Spanish and German, basically she takes care of all the main European languages. She is by far the one most comfortable with dealing with languages and I enjoy it when she deals with them. But, to be nit picky, it has never been explained why she has an extremely good command of French, well beyond any general school level (I say this as a former French student and sufferer). My personal guess is at that Kensi grew up as bilingual with French and English.

Hetty - apparently she speaks German but it feels really forced every time she uses it. I'd rather listen to Deeks and Eric gleefully butcher German.

NCIS:LA contains by far the biggest number of linguists but it goes way overboard with it. I mean way overboard. It supplies a good number of language jokes but also the biggest challenge for me as an EFL speaker. It sometimes takes all my concentration to keep up with what the characters are saying so I regularly run into trouble. I notice pronunciation differences between my own English and theirs which helps me evaluate my skills and learn words properly. And whenever I run into words I am not completely familiar with I mentally spell them. The latest was 'thingamajig' and noticing how they say the words 'vehemently' and 'awry'. I apparently go British with these words. Watching NCIS:LA helps me improve but it can get vastly frustrating not being able to catch properly what the character say. Sometimes I don't get it at all, it just becomes a bunch of meaningless syllables and consonants thrown together in my ears - something I heartily dislike and to be honest, I feel super annoyed by it. I have great pride in my English abilities and being caught off guard like that when I feel I should be able to catch everything makes me frustrated.
I am typically on my toes the entire time I watch: listening, processing, spelling, concentrating. It really challenges me but it pays off sometimes like feeling a bit proud when I get things right (like managing to understand all the acronyms and slang). I'll never associate NCIS:LA with relaxing my English abilities in any case.

Criminal Minds

This show contains my two favorite linguists, Alex Blake and Reed.

Alex Blake - she has a PHD in linguistics and teaches them. I love how they've incorporated this fascinating aspect into her character and I really enjoy all the scenes she has dealing with language. I am a sucker for anything linguistic related and I love how CM works with it. Plus, all interactions between Blake and Reed involving linguistics are great. Two people fascinated with language is absolute heaven for someone like me to listen to.

Spencer Reed - quite possibly my most favorite nerd on TV. He speaks Russian, Spanish, French and I think German. And best of all, his linguistic abilities have been explained (NCIS:LA might take note!). I love how he is enthusiastic and passionate about language and how it's been used to help solve crimes and evolve his character. Linguistics are a fascinating field and I love exploring it. CM has done a fabulous job incorporating it into their show and showing a different and wonderful side of English

I have no trouble understanding CM which I love. It instead keeps me enthusiastic and interested as I pick up new things about language and its usage and I don't need to concentrate all the time. It is instead vastly enjoyable.

Cultural references and a clueless Nordic

One of the topics I cover here is my inability to grasp language and cultural references. And today's topic is dedicated to my complete and utter inability to understand certain cultural references and traditions.

Entering houses and apartments while wearing shoes and walking straight into the living room
Here where I live, people always take their shoes of before entering any house or apartment. Not doing so is considered is considered to be the height of rudeness. I would  personally never ever do it. And when entering any house or apartment, there is always a space or a room for leaving once clothes a shoes before entering.

So you can imagine my look of terror every single time I see people enter /burst into houses and apartments in shows while wearing their shoes. I get that agents/cops cannot be bothered with moving their shoes (it'd just be weird) when taking a suspect down but not once have I seen any of the characters on the shows I cover here take their shoes off. Not once. Not even when visiting houses. It seems normal in the context of the shows but I can say that here in the North, the characters would be considered absolute brutes for not taking off their shoes.

Weird food

I personally come from a culture that is filled with weird food. Our national cuisine literally reads like something out of a horror magazine. So I do have a lot of experience with strange food but there is one instance in which I was ready to throw up when watching NCIS:LA.

Deep-fried bacon. They had deep-fried bacon and what was worse, the characters were eating it! I am no bacon lover but I can eat it if necessary (like say in a full English breakfast) but combining deep-fried and bacon just sounds like a recipe for a heart attack.

But they did score a definite point with me when Deeks said he loved liver. Liver is a part of the national Nordic cuisine and I eat it regularly. It is the cheapest kind of meat you can get and in the past it was known as poor man's food as it was so cheap. Plus, it can be cooked in some really good ways. So I was very surprised to hear Deeks express his love for liver and counting the many ways in which it can be cooked but it made me grin my ears off. Nordic food references for the win!

Sports

Nordics love football and handball. We take it so seriously that you'd think the national happiness of the Nordic countries depends solely on our achievements in sports. If one Nordic country does well, we all feel proud. If the Nordic countries are competing against each other, things go dark for a while. Currently Sweden and Iceland can potentially go the World Cup in football in Brazil in 2014 and let me tell you, even if it's only two countries out of five we are behind them. One Nordic country typically means all.

But aside from that - two sports I will never ever get are American football and baseball. These sports are not practiced here and I have less that zero knowledge of them. Not that I have absolutely no interest in sport but I can at least talk about football a bit. So any and all times these sports are mentioned and referenced, there is one Nordic that sits with glazed over eyes and shakes her head. NCIS:LA, NCIS and Castle have all had extensive references to these sports and I have never gotten them. The only one I have gotten was when NCIS:LA mentioned the football team 'The Vikings', I know they come from Minnesota - that's it.

Monster trucks and cronuts

These have been mentioned on NCIS:LA and I was completely lost what on earth they meant. I had a vague idea of what monster trucks are but didn't bother looking them up. So imagine my surprise while I was rolling through TV channels and saw a promo for a Monster truck show. And my first thought was: "Ah, so that's what they were talking about on NCIS:LA".

And cronuts - It looked to me like a weird kind of donut and I knew it somehow mixed together French and American cuisine but more than that was beyond me. So I was yet again mightily surprised to be flipping through an advertisement from a local boutique showing what they were offering on 'American theme days' (my country mostly imports from Europe so there are regular themes days in shops that offer more specialty items from countries) and I came across a cronut. Turns out it's a mix of a donut and croissant. And yet again I thought: "Ah, now I get the reference".

So my inability of grasping cultural references continues but I enjoy the ride.

Having Iceland on the map - Maps on TV

This has to be the geekiest post I will ever write on here but here it goes.

I am randomly fascinated by many things and if there is one thing I like it is maps. I have a beautiful Atlas and if I need to unwind after exams I pull it out and immerse myself in maps. I grew up with maps all around me in school and it has always fascinated me.
Maps are integral part of education here and every single person is expected to know their way around a map of Northern and Western Europe and being able to point out countries. I cannot say how many times I learned the following: "Italy looks like a high heeled boot, Germany borders Denmark, Russa is the biggest European country, Spain sticks out of France and Portugal is sandwiched into Spain, Britain and Ireland are islands, Greece is close to Italy, Turkey links the East and the West , Norway is thin while Swedish is fat, Iceland is a massive island...". I could point out the European countries in my sleep.

But early on I noticed that on many of the world map I looked at school Iceland was missing. Iceland has a small population but the island itself is massive (the size of Kentucky, bigger than Denmark...) and it serves a bridge between the American continent and Europe, so seeing it missing is strange. I noticed this very early on and it fascinated me and ever since I have developed the habit of checking every single world map I look at to see if Iceland is there. And it's honestly amazing how often it is missing from maps. There is just a giant gap between Greenland and Norway where there should be a massive island. I find it so strange that the country so regularly goes missing.

Another map habit I developed in school was getting used to one specific kind of map where Iceland and Greenland are in the top middle with Europe and then Africa below, Asia on the left side and both American continents on the right side. So when in high school when my teacher pulled out a world map where America was in the centre I was completely confused and it took me some time to adjust. I was so used to the other style that this threw me completely off game.

And these habits has of course followed me into the realm of TV and I am not kidding when I say that every single time a map appears on the screen I automatically check for Iceland, it never ever fails. Castle, Parks and Rec and Criminal Minds have never ever featured world maps but Parks and Rec has mentioned Iceland several times so I am certain they locate it on a map :)

My darling NCIS franchise has however proved to be a goldmine in this regard. NCIS regularly has up a world map and I am happy to say that Iceland is always on the map. But sometimes they do show a map of the world which has random X's all over the world, including in Iceland and I have never understood why.
And once when I was doing my regular map checking I was thrown for a loop when I noticed they had a USA central world map in episode 8x16. I was confused when I saw it and it took me by surprise. So my advice for TV producers that want to confuse their audience is throwing in subtle visual clues like this.
And in episode 11x02, there was on Ziva's list very clearly written "Visit Iceland and America" and it was shown very clearly several times yet it was never said out loud! I am still trying to figure out why they randomly threw in Iceland. If it was a shout out to the Nordic NCIS fans I am very happy with it but my guess is that they were randomly throwing ideas around for an exotic place Ziva would want to visit and felt Iceland would be obscure and strange enough.

And I cannot go without picking NCIS:LA apart. I am happy to report that not once have they had a map that hasn't featured Iceland. And believe when I say, I check every single time a map is shown on the show but so far they have not failed. So there's one thing they do right. But on the other hand they have made one major faux pas when it comes to Iceland. In episode 3x21 they were showing the potential outbreak of a dangerous virus. It'd would have effectively wiped out much of Europe and it did look very creepy to see the color red spreading all over Europe and the characters looked very serious and sombre when looking at it. But I, the ever nerdy Nordic, noticed that while Europe got red, Iceland remained nicely green. In other words, they completely forgot to include it which makes no sense since it serves as a bridge between Europe and America. So a scene that was meant to be very serious has me snickering every single time I see it. I will never be able to look at that scene without laughing.

So my advice is - make sure you cover Iceland and feature it on maps. Because believe me, some of it look for it every single time.

NCIS:LA - The grand Europe edition

I have frequently written about NCIS:LA's seeming obsession with European bad guys, particularly Russian, French and German with a good dash of Eastern-European thrown in like Serbia, Romania, Ukraine, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Chechnya and other countries. I have also covered how their less than smooth approach to German and Russian history and the cultural and historical factors at play in Europe. Watching NCIS:LA is sometimes equal part fascinating and horrifying in this regard.
As I have thought this through, many things have crossed my mind so I've decided to do a one massive post dedicated to NCIS:LA and their strange fascination with Central and Eastern Europe.

What about the North and South?
The thing is this: Northern and Southern Europe have been been left out of the picture pretty much entirely. They have made passing mentions about Iceland, Sweden and Norway but Finland and Denmark have never been mentioned. And the times they've mention Nordic countries it has been in good jest - Something called the Swedish handoff (what it is is beyond me), Sam's determination to visit Iceland and Deeks's Norwegian ancestry.
I do not remember a single mention of Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Malta or any of the other Mediterranean countries in the series, except perhaps naming their main cities in passing.
My guess as to why these areas are left out is at that none of these countries have ever engaged in negative communication with America so it'd be really difficult to come up with and justify a believable plot involving these countries and the question of national security.

What makes Central Europe so interesting?
NCIS:LA has this weird obsession with French and German bad guys, Janvier and the evil guy from the season 2, two-parter being the most notable one's. And I have yet to figure out a plausible reason for why they are so obsessed with these two countries. I get having a French and German villain every once in a while but NCIS:LA includes it so often it has stopped being a coincidence, rather it seems they like the idea of Central European bad guys. France and Germany both have terrible and bad things in their past in regards to oppressing other people, colonizing, Nazi, WWI and WWII , the cold war and many other things. But their activities have generally been concentrated on Europe and Africa, not America. So I find it rather strange that the French/German villains would always be aiming for America in the show when it is far more likely they'd be concentrating their efforts within Europe or Africa. I wouldn't mind if NCIS:LA would one day explain the motivation of their French and German evil guys.

What is up with the obsession of Eastern-Europe?
NCIS:LA has a mad love for Eastern-European villains. Practically every single episode involves a least one Eastern-European villain and there is almost always a Russian involved. One can always count one NCIS:LA delivering more than enough Eastern-Europeans plotting evil deeds and attempting to do one scandal or the other. Yet, their motivation is never explained and only once have they featured a normal Eastern-European and shown the team working with someone from Eastern-Europe that is on their side, even then said character was Chechen and a former soldier. NCIS:LA seems to me to be so sold on the idea of the evil Russian/Eastern-European person that it leaves little room for actual character development for such characters, explaining their motivation or even attempting to feature them as more than evil villains set on threatening national security.

It seems to me that for a show like NCIS:LA which is often bursting at the seams with creativity, always going for the same kind of villain gets boring and dull and diminishes what the show is capable of, not to mention employing outdated and unfair stereotypes of people which serve no purpose.

New and fresh ideas involving Europe!
In order to take the focus from Eastern-Europe I propose two ideas that involve different European countries than NCIS:LA has used before and I have never come across plots like that in other shows. Can you say Jackpot?

Why not future Scandinavian enemies? Or better yet, have a band on European villains that all come from tiny European countries, that have the common goal to prove to America that little countries can hold power as well. I am thinking along the lines of having Malta, Iceland, Faroese Islands, Luxemburg, Lichtenstein, San Marino and all other small European countries unite to create a bigger European power

Current issues NCIS:LA could deal with concerning Europe - that is if they want to go down the road of political commentary
-Spain and Britain are fighting over to whom the country Gibraltar belongs, it is a part of Spain geographically but belongs to Britain as a colony and the issue is causing friction at the moment.
-The situation of Roma people in Europe - the biggest disgrace here at the moment and a very complex and sensitive matter but one that needs to be discussed
-Economic crisis - take your pick, most countries are suffering terribly
-The Golden Dawn party in Greece and the effects of the economic crisis there and the rise of Neo-Nazism there.

The biggest issue at the moment is the fact that NSA likely spied on many European leaders and on the public in countries like Spain and Germany. To say people are mad here would be the understatement of the century. Try something more along the lines of absolutely furious. This issue is highly complex and does not help relation between European countries or America. NCIS:LA is notorious for how easily it spies on people so I am honestly very interested in seeing how they would deal with this issue. NCIS:LA regularly takes on issues that concern spying and the battle against terrorism with varying degrees of success but I would like to see their take on this. I do hope they will cover it.

My best posts concerning the issue for those too lazy to scroll through the blog

NCIS:LA - look on foreign policy
Implications of the focus on Russia in NCIS:LA
Implicating history - sensitivity is needed
European stereotypes on TV
The continent syndrome - European edition

And with this long and enjoyable post I hope I've covered all bases. If not I will strike back with a vengeance. 

Measuring everything with Hiroshima-Nagasaki

Today's topic is on the heavy side but it has been weighing on my mind lately and I felt I needed to share my thoughts on it.

Everyone is aware of the tragic events of Hiroshima-Nagasaki at the end of WWII in August 1945. When America hit the cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki with nuclear weapons that devastated the area permanently and killed over 300.000 people. It is one of the most tragic events of the 20th century and is the only known instant of nuclear weapons having been used in warfare in the world. It is an extremely complicated, controversial and difficult event to explain and come to terms with and it's my feeling that it can never be explained properly. But that does not mean we shouldn't try.

Earlier this year, my local library held an exhibition about the events which featured stories of the events, real items from it like singed shirts, shoes and books, pictures and an explanation of the effects this has had upon the area, the Japanese nation and how it is being dealt with today. It was a very well received exhibition and it affected everyone that went there. I know that for me personally, it was devastating to see it. Devastating but necessary. I know many teachers brought high-school students to the exhibition and it affected them a lot, many parents took their children as well to teach them about this difficult history and raise awareness of the issue.

And how does this relate to the TV world?

It seems to me that every single time my favorite TV shows deal with nuclear weapons and distribution of them (or just bombs in general) they always reference Hiroshima-Nagasaki. But not to acknowledge these events or attempt to deal with them. No, it is used as a measuring device. I cannot count how many times I've hear something along the lines of: "The nuclear device is so big it can kill up to 3 million people, that is ten times as much as Hiroshima-Nagasaki". And then all the characters nod seriously. Am I the only one that feels that people are trying to upstage the death toll of Hiroshima-Nagasaki when they do this? It's like: "Yeah sure, those bombs killed 300.000 people but our fictional bombs, they are much deadlier. Take that Hiroshima-Nagasaki!"

NCIS has had this, Castle and NCIS:LA. And for the life of me I cannot understand why. Hiroshima-Nagasaki is what it is - a devastating and terrorizing event with immense political controversy attached to it. It should never be used as a measuring stick for fictional death toll on television. 

It crossed my mind that when measuring death toll I have never heard certain things. I have never heard people comparing death tolls to the lives lost in the Holocaust, the tsunami in 2005, the earthquake in Haiti, The Armenian genocide, the Boznian and Serbian civil war in the early 90's, the civil war in America in the 1860's, the number of people killed by Stalin and so many other events. And it is obvious why, to use those events as a measuring stick for fictional death toll would be highly disrespectful and ignorant. 

So why then is it fair-game to use Hiroshima-Nagasaki as a measuring stick? Devastating events when masses of people die, be it due to war or natural causes should never be used flippantly on TV and never ever as measuring sticks. They should and can be dealt with deftly and with respect. But never ever for the sake of pure entertainment.

I have sometimes written about here my worries on how TV shows approach reality and how it can shift our perception of it. TV represents heightened and freaky reality and should always be taken at a surface level. But when TV reality starts treating the real reality flippantly and without caution and respect, we are on a dangerous path. It seems to me that the TV world is partly on that path already but it can be changed and it should. Otherwise, we are in dangers of starting to approach historical events as if they do not matter, as if history and it's effect isn't real. And that is something we cannot allow to happen. 

(And in case people need a measuring stick instead of Hiroshima-Nagasaki. Iceland has a population of roughly 320.000 people, similar to the death toll of Hiroshima-Nagasaki. So just reference the Icelandic population instead. Much easier, inoffensive and will make a lot of Icelanders happy)

Taking things apart - The dangers of cultural approbation, perceived white privilege and the Aryan myth

I have thought this topic through many times, over and over again and decided to write about it here. It is not TV related strictly but it's related to culture and racism. The opinions expressed here belong solely to me and are 100% my own.

I am a Nordic and one of the things I love about it is my the culture that comes with it, especially the Nordic Mythology. The mythology is an integral part of the societal fabric here, it permeates every part of my society and culture and it is very important to us, historically and culturally. It is heritage that we are proud of and work hard to cherish and teach children about as a part of our national identity and culture.
That is why, simply put, a movie like Thor annoys me to the ends of earth.

I mean, isn't a good idea to take a god from Nordic mythology, which has been written about preserved and is a very important cultural icon, and do a little Hollywood magic and Americanizing him in order to serve him to the public? I mean why go for the original sources, when Marvel has provided an "excellent" source of historically inaccurate and demeaning information and misrepresenting and entire Northern-European culture? The answer should be pretty clear!

That's why, Scandinavia raised its collective eyebrow while we stood by and watched Hollywood eagerly taking Thor apart and putting it together - making sure it was as sickly American stereotypical as possible. I mean of course, a Nordic God will return to America, right, speak English, wear metallic clothes and be an American? Assuming that somehow overnight a Nordic god that has 'existed' (been written about) for thousands of years and comes from a very influential mythology will somehow become American overnight of course.

So, yeah - I was pretty annoyed by the movie and I have yet to meet a Nordic person that took it seriously. It felt like an approbation and diminishing view of our culture. Nordic Mythology provides many beautiful and extraordinary things to work with in a creative manner. It is absolute dream material to work with if it is done right. Going for the Marvel version therefore just seemed awfully naive to me. To somehow make the entire mythology a Hollywood glamour package, entirely ignoring the cultural factors beneath it and the fact that this mythology is extremely important to Northern-Europeans is just so bad.

But what scared me most about this was one thing. I found news online that a conservative white supremacist group was boycotting the movie and making a fuss as a British black actor was playing Heimdallr. Heimdallr is described as having been 'the whitest of white' among the gods and in the middle-ages it would have meant he was white. Nordics are by origin ethnically white. As simple as that, much as any god in an Ethiopia for example would have had black skin. But that is not the point.
The point is at that the white supremacist group was working under an extremely dangerous assumption which originated with Hitler. That somehow white people were above other races, Nordic people were seen to be a prime example of the perfect Aryan. It is ironic and terrible at that was what saved the Nordic countries from suffering too much loss. This highly dangerous assumption that we were somehow above others because of our heritage and skin. That our culture was better and more prestigious. This is a legend that still haunts us to day, it makes people queasy just thinking about it. This thinking is what caused the terrorist attack in Utoya in 2011.
Nordic people are no better or worse than anyone else and our skin color should never make us privy to others or above them. To assume otherwise is extremely dangerous.

What I want to say is this: Nordic mythology does not belong to Hollywood or Marvel. That much is certain. But more importantly, Nordic mythology does not belong to white supremacist group that want to claim is as their own, claim as cut above other cultures and inaccessible to people based on their skin color and race. Because it is not theirs. Nordic mythology and culture is open to the interpretation and love of anyone, anywhere in the world  irrespective of race or origin- as long as the person approaches it with respect and care, just like one should approach any culture. Nordic mythology originated in the Nordic countries and is our heritage, culture and history. But anyone can fall in love with it and anyone should.
Just not the Hollywood/Marvel version and not the dangerous perceived idea that wrecked Europe.

Love of English and Literature and providing an EFL view on English - NCIS style

I have said it so many times but it is worth repeating: One of the things I like the most about the NCIS franchise is it's commitment to language jokes and making use of the intricacies and beauty of English and foreign languages and literature. As an English major and language enthusiast it makes me so happy. It is one of the things that keeps me watching.

I have been re-watching NCIS season 8 as of late and is has been a lot of fun. Season 8 is my favorite season of NCIS and I love all the episodes. But recently I watched an episode that was an absolute gem. It was on fire linguistically and I grinned like an idiot while watching it.

It began with the following conversation (source from IMDB)

Special Agent Timothy McGee: Time to hit the showers.

Ziva David: Is your shower not working?

Special Agent Timothy McGee: Why? Do I smell?

Ziva David: I cannot smell you from there.

Special Agent Timothy McGee: And you're part bloodhound.

I was howling with laughter at that point. I know what the idiom 'hit the showers' means for but what Ziva got out of it was hilarious and it made perfect sense. You hit something when it's broken and in this case it was the shower. And then McGee completely misunderstood her back. It was such a lovely and funny scene and I loved the way they played around with language and what words can mean.

And then there is one scene which is now officially my most favorite scene of NCIS ever. Ziva finds a desk that once belonged to William Faulkner and she completely freaks out and fangirls. She starts talking about his writing and references his book 'As I lay dying' when the main character says the sentence 'My mother is a fish'. And then she says the best line of all: "It was worth learning English just to be able to read those words" (paraphrased).

As someone that loves English dearly and English literature I cannot express how true that sentence feels to me. Learning English has given me a great advantage in many areas but the best gift it has given me is the ability to understand, appreciate and access amazing, incredible literature. English has been worth all the hassle and more, to be able to experience and fall in love with novels like Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Kate Chopin's short stories, William Blake's poems and so many other books, novels, plays and poetry that have transformed my life. Truly transformed it and given me something incredible.

I was nodding along with Ziva the entire time.

I have sometimes discussed how much I enjoy the language play they have with Ziva and how much it has taught me. The aspect I have enjoyed the most is the fact that they emphasize that Ziva is approaching English as an outsider. She is fluent in the language but because of her roots and the fact the she is a native speaker of another language, her view of English will always be different. She will always be an outsider to the language and approach it from a different perspective. I am so happy with how NCIS has dealt with this and how they have used it as a vehicle of humor and English teaching. As an EFL learner I an say this is not an aspect you see explored on TV so often so I love it. Now Ziva has quit and I admit I'll miss the extra English lessons and humour she brought that made the series so good.

But NCIS has never seized to amaze me and I have no other reason but to expect them to continue delivering language jokes and keeping language enthusiasts like me on our toes, and keeping me laughing and learning more. 

'Welcome to Sweden' comedy coming up - 'TV matters and me' approved!

I just found this out and I am so excited I am grinning from ear to ear.

NBC acquires comedy 'Welcome to Sweden'

I mean it is a combination of some of my favorite things: Nordic countries and culture, good humour, cross-cultural communication and international cooperation. The series will be shot in New York, Los Angeles and Sweden and will be based on Greg Poehler's real life experience of falling in love with a Swedish woman and moving to Sweden. The cast and crew will be both American and Swedish.

I am honestly very excited about this - it'll be so interesting to see how they will work out the dynamics of the show and how the cross-cultural communication and adjusting will go. And it'll be interesting to see how Sweden and Swedish culture will be represented - the language, the health care, the literature, the beautiful countryside and everything else. And of course, they're gonna have to poke in some other Nordic references as well. I am also looking forward to seeing how they will deal with the main character's cultural adjustment to Swedish society. I have a feeling it'll be a blast.

But most of all, I am more than excited to see how the cooperation between the American and Swedish producers, actors, cast and crew will go. I think it'll create a very interesting and creative dynamic. I am all in for international cooperation and I got a feeling this production will be in good hands. TV is a very creative medium and so much is happening in the TV world right now, on both sides of the Atlantic. Nordic TV industry is booming at the moment. It seems that TV shows can get very narcissistic and focused on their own cultural area. So this will provide some great creative opportunity and bring together two very different but equally invigorating TV worlds.

I am well aware off that this can go wrong. Believe me, I have enough distrust as it is towards anything Hollywood attempts to recreate that is European in origin. In fact I distrust anything that includes remotely European elements when it is in the hands of Hollywood. Yes, I am the cynical European but honestly, generally those things go down the drain. The vast amount of historical and cultural inaccuracies, cultural approbation and what not that have the potential of being made.

However I believe this will be different. It will be based on cooperation between two countries and will be based on real-life experience. So I am feeling quite optimistic about it. One can never get enough of good humour and all and anything Nordic.

So I am looking forward to seeing how this will develop! So consider it 'TV matters and me' approved by a highly egotistical and overly proud Nordic.

PS. - I'll be waiting eagerly for the day they introduce Eurovision and Abba - two of Sweden's favorite things.

What women would make it to Leslie's list of awesome women? International style

One of the chief components I adore about Parks and Rec is the emphasis it has on feminism and women's issues. Watching it is like getting your daily dose of necessary feminism. I gladly admit that watching the show has inspired me. Ever since they mentioned Leslie has a list of awesome woman, it has crossed my mind sometimes what women could be on that list. I have thought it through sometimes and some names have come into my mind. So here is the 'TV matters and me' version of some women that would be on her list.

1)Vigdis Finnbogadottir - The name is not familiar to most people but she was the first democratically elected president in the world, elected in Iceland in 1980 and was president for 16 years. She is recognized as having been a major force in changing things for women in politics and she champions women's rights all over the world.

2)Malala Youzafsai - The amazing Pakistani girl that has be become a spokesperson for education women and children alike in Pakistan and in developing countries. She has been through a lot but has emerged as one of the most dynamic and inspirational women of today.

3)Marie Curie - The amazing French/Polish scientist that pioneered research on radioactivity and was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize.

4)Emily Bronte - She wrote of of the most astounding and controversial books of all time. She grew up in isolation and lived her life in isolation but yet managed to produce such an astounding and amazing work. She was a literary force to be reckoned with.

5)Jane Eyre - Jane Eyre can be seen as being a very feminist and daring character that defied traditional notion of women but followed her own heart and created her own way in the world. She was a feminist in every sense of the word. I personally love that book to pieces.

6)Elizabeth I - The most bad ass queen ever to have reigned over England. She managed an entire kingdom with aplomb, was dedicated to education and was her own master. A true 16th century feminist that lived through some astounding things.

7)Benazir Bhutto - an amazing politician

8)Kate Chopin - The 19th century American author whose books and stories shocked everyone when they were first published. Her publications can now be seen as being real feminist work. She rocked the world around her and changed perceptions. She broke down barriers as an author.

There are so many amazing women out their in the world that are doing and have done such amazing things. I gladly admit I had fun figuring out this list and it made me proud to see how many women have done such incredible things. I am also so happy that Parks and Rec is honoring that. Obviously, they cannot mention certain names out of political and privacy reasons (as well as because of context) but the fact that the show is so dedicated to women is just so good.

So a million thumbs up for Parks and Rec - a daily dose of feminism that I love!

This post is 'Tv matters and me' approved!

Placing barriers on fictional women - what it reveals about the position of women in today's society

Lately I have noticed a rather alarming trend in comments online, as a reaction to what has been happening lately on Castle and NCIS:LA with Kensi and Beckett in regards to their behaviour towards their respective partners, Deeks and Castle.

To backtrack - it was hinted at in last episode of NCIS:LA that Kensi went on a group hang-out with 3 guys and also with Nell and Rose. An unofficial, fun, group date. It was also clearly hinted she did not enjoy herself; in frank they couldn't have been more obvious with her reference to fairy tales and claiming that destruction follows people in groups of three's. And a very, very obvious shot of Deeks' empty chair (not exactly being subtle are we?).
And it seemed people went haywire. I saw comments upon comments on how Kensi could possibly dare to go on dates when Deeks was sick, he had just kissed her and she wasn't responding to him, why hadn't she been to his house, she wasn't trying hard enough, she was hurting Deeks et cetera.

Then there is Beckett. Beckett got an amazing job offer last season to become a federal agent, went to an interview in Washington without telling Castle and seriously contemplated taking the job. Meanwhile, Castle behaved in quite a bratty way in my opinion and it seemed this was threatening their relationship even if it seemed perfectly obvious Beckett wanted their relationship to work. She loves Castle. But she also had a duty to her heart. If Beckett had not taken the job because of her relationship with Castle it wouldn't have been who she is as a character. Castle saw reason and asked her to marry him, saying they would make this work. I was happy to see she took the job. It is Beckett.
And yet again the internet went haywire. I saw comments claiming that Beckett shouldn't take the job because it'd threaten her relationship with Castle - she should be with her man, how could she go behind him like that and threaten what they had, she was not thinking of him et cetera.

I was completely surprised by this reaction. I mean, it is a fictional characters we're talking about here. But what surprised me even more was the hostile reaction to their actions.

Last time I checked, one of the main features of Kensi and Beckett as characters are that they are strong women who are independent. They make their own lives and take responsibility for their own actions and follow their hearts. I genuinely enjoy that in them as characters. These are quite clearly not women that wait around for their man or let their own happiness become secondary to what their man wants and needs.
And isn't that okay?

Instead it seems, that because of their actions towards their partners, i.e. Beckett followed her own heart and Kensi went out - they are somehow terrible as women. They are not behaving like a proper woman should, putting her partner ahead of herself and letting his needs dictate their lives.
Did I somehow miss the memo that we're in the 1950's here?

As incredulous as I was at this reaction it got me thinking - If these are the parameters we place on fictional women, what does it say about the parameters we place on woman in the real world? I am of the belief that people can reveal a lot about themselves unconsciously through their opinions without meaning to. And it seems, that despite the fact that in the Western World women are meant to be progressing, it is a facade.

If people spend their time berating fictional women (emphasis on fictional!) for not following their men or putting their needs ahead of their own, what do they say about women in the real world that behave in the same way and follow their hearts?

Perhaps, we're still in the 1950's after all.... 

Seasons Premiers - TV Matters and Me Opinion Column 102

After seeing that my post about the NCIS:LA finale last season has become my most read post for some odd reason I decided I needed to cover the season premieres - so settle in!

NCIS:LA - Well.. I am happy to report that they managed to redeem themselves. The season premiere was certainly not without its faults but it was a definite improvement on the finale. It was amped up NCIS:LA but it was not on steroids thankfully. All in all I was impressed. What I enjoyed by far the most was how vulnerable everyone was and the way the feelings came across the scene. Rarely, if ever, have I seen the characters so jarred and pained. I have to hand it to the actors that they all did a frigging amazing job - especially portraying emotional vulnerability and difficult feelings. But what surprised me most was the depth by which Sam Hanna was portrayed and how he behaved throughout the episode. I did not expect it to be honest and getting such a good exposure of the character' vulnerable side was wonderful. Never has Sam been so human. For me, the star of that episode was LL Cool J hands down - he did an incredible job with Sam. If this continues, the series will be on a roll. 

I do have a special post coming up however covering how spectacularly badly they portrayed Deeks's oral trauma. As someone that has been through oral trauma after surgery I am well versed on the subject. 

NCIS - All in all the premiere was excellent. It wasn't particularly exciting but the story line had some crazy twists and turns I was all over trying to discover. Most of all it was pure NCIS and I loved that. I do admit it was strange not to see Ziva there though. All the characters returned in their glory but I most enjoyed seeing Palmer and Ducky interact. These two are such a wonderful pair and keep me laughing all the time. It seems this season will be taking some good twists and turns and I am looking forward to seeing the new agent Emily Bishop, I've got a feeling she will be lovely. And of course the actors were good - I mean it's NCIS!

Castle - The best premiere hands down. It was sooooo good. I was glued to the screen the second it started and stayed glued till the end. The plot was tight and controlled and superbly exciting. I mean it was the perfect Castle - wit, humor, nail-biting action, tension and incredible character interactions. And I absolutely enjoyed the twist of Beckett being a federal agent. It felt quite natural and it displayed a new side of the character. I honestly really liked that part in the episode. It will be good to see Beckett at the precinct again but they did this bit incredibly well. I instantly liked all the agent characters. And I have to mention Lisa Edelstein as Rachel McCord - she was amazing! I enjoyed the character so much. She was a nice mix of spunk and professionalism. She reminded me of Alex Blake on Criminal Minds who is a character I really enjoy and I enjoyed her and Beckett's interaction. So nice to see two professional women working together.

And yes, I grinned like an idiot when Beckett got engaged to Castle. I mean!!!!!

Parks and Recreation - To be honest - this was not a good episode. Considering the incredibly high standards Parks and Rec has set for itself, the premiere fell really short of it. I do not think I've ever before been bored before while watching or even offended. But I was both. I mean, the premiere had some good points but mostly it was just really thin - the only interactions I liked were Andy and the British gentleman and Leslie interacting with Ulee. Leslie somehow did not feel like Leslie in the episode. I personally found it incredulous she would stoop so low as to help a woman remove slugs from her lawn. Leslie has always been portrayed as being a woman of great self-respect and dignity and responding to people's petty demands did not feel like the character at all. Doing this just to stay in office just did not feel right. Leslie as a character is not a doormat in the slightest so I found this strange. 

Somehow all the characters felt off in one way or the other. Even Gerry and Donna.

But the worst example was Ron. It is common knowledge that Ron dislikes Europe and I have enjoyed that tidbit about him. When praise of Europe can often be so senseless it is a refreshing thing. But what I did not expect was Ron's behavior in the episode. I was honestly surprised at how disrespectful they portrayed him to be towards Britain and European culture. I mean, he refused to use pounds and insisted on using dollars as the finest money there was, talked about the 'stench of European socialism' and referred regularly to 'the godforsaken continent' and referring to everything before 1776 as rough draft instead of history - to me, this is not funny at all, instead it played really badly on a stereotype of the American traveler that can not handle anything European and insists on everything being like in America. Something which really frustrates Europeans. I get the point that Ron Swanson does not like Europe and I am fine with that - I enjoy how they poke fun at Europe regularly. But what irked me was how disrespectful Ron came across. He has been portrayed as someone that values education and is respectful towards people so this shift in his character was not something I enjoyed.

Parks and Rec has never before relied on stereotypes and it is something I really enjoy about the show. So I hope this is just a hiccup and that Parks and Rec will return in all its glory this week. 

So all in all - I enjoyed the majority of the premieres. There were some bad moments but on the whole, they returned with a bang. 

So stay tuned!