Podcast: The United States of Tara

Below you can see me discuss the Showtime Series The United States of Tara. I am making my podcasts available over YouTube and will be posting and linking them here from the YouTube channel.

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Red Hot Chili Peppers Sue Showtime over TV Show Name

The rock band, Red Hot Chili Peppers, have just sued Showtime for calling their David Duchovny show "Californication."

When I first started watching the show, I was reminded of the Peppers' project by the same title which came out in 1999.

Now, since the Peppers' album came out in 1999 and the Duchovny show was produced and aired in 2007 one could perhaps assume that the first user of the term needs to be the 'sole' user. At least, that's how I'm understanding the Peppers' current annoyance over the use of 'californication.'

At the same time, however, the rock band was not the first one to use the term "Californication."

As per the show's executive producing team, there used to be bumper stickers in the '70's with the logo 'Don't Californicate Oregon,' because Californians were moving up North to Oregon.

Ergo, there is pre-Peppers use of the lexeme.

Let's see how the judge will settle this one.



graphs per wikipedia

Showtime's Californication

Showtime's new series "Californication" appears to be more interesting than it is, de facto. However, it is successfully imitative of the already much researched cinematic concept of the 'tortured writer.'

The story takes place, well, in Los Angeles, or rather that improbable land of tortured, but-oh-so-talented writers who don Diesel Jeans and form-fitting t-shirts and who still manage to look 'David Duchovny'-hot even though they consume exorbitant amounts of booze and grass.

But the improbability of the setting is not the reason why I think the show doesn't quite deliver. It simply seems to try too hard not to conform and yet it turns out to be nothing short of a replica of a good precursor.

But it's only 28 minutes and it could be worth watching when in-between chores, assignments, or whatever.

I have watched a couple of episode simply because I'm a junkie for quotes and this show, other than Duchovny's admirable hair styles and vintage t-shirts, comes with a healthy supply of sharp one-liners. And perhaps for that reason it could be watchable.



as per Showtime