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satori001
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The language has been toned down slightly from the pilot, where I think there were over a hundred utterances of the "f-word" in a one-hour show.

I think the closest comparison to Deadwood would be Clint Eastwood's film Unforgiven. In that film, absolutely none of the characters was particularly honorable or "good". The sheriff was crooked, the hero was a murderer, etc.

The only character I can think of that hasn't been tarred as hopelessly flawed is Sol Starr, but he usually winds up only a spectator to Bullock's peccadilloes anyway.

Granted, the show can be VERY painful to watch at times (especially during the first half of the second season) but it is quite compelling nonetheless. Usually television drama is of the situational variety--"normal" people getting screwed over by unforeseen circumstances. Deadwood takes a different approach. Here, the circumstances are "normal" (building businesses, running for office, family matters) but the characters are dysfunctional addicts to their own particular drugs. Swearengen lusts for power, Bullock lusts for control (and Mrs. Garrett), Farnum lusts for money, Jane lusts for alcohol, and so on. How they cope with life given the competition from the others in their microcosm drives the entire series.

(On a slightly-related historical note, the female slur "c" word that people find so objectionable is actually derived from the Latin medical term for the female genitalia. It's the "v" word that's really the Latin derogatory slang for it. It meant "the sheath(scabbard) for a sword". Go figure.)

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If there is any value in this topic, it may be lost if we can't keep the discussion appropriate to this "open" forum. With all due respect to Seth, I'd appreciate it if the moderators would @#$ out the "cussin." We should be able to discuss it, and even refer to it, if not quote it - with discretion, but without resorting to using it, even for effect, for humor, or worst of all, for f'n emphasis.

Sorry I soiled your thread.

Seth

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The difference, Jonny, is that you were quoting Deadwood dialogue. To quote myself, "We should be able to discuss it, and even refer to it, if not quote it - with discretion, but without resorting to using it, even for effect, for humor, or worst of all, for f'n emphasis."

--

I used "f'n" to illustrate a couple of things. First, "f'n" is not profane, and second, it is perfectly clear.

The thread's own dialogue can talk about profanity without becoming itself profane. Might seem kind of a pointless distinction on your average union construction site, but probably worthwhile for a public forum such as GS.

Edited by satori001
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Jonny: Yes, that was the "V" word to which I referred. It's a Latin slang term. The Latin word used anatomically was cunnus, which, obviously, is where the Old English vulgarity we use today came from.

And while we're being ridiculously technical, neither the "f'n", "C---s---ing" or "c--t" words are profanity. They're obscenity. Profane terms deal with impiety or blasphemy, like "G-dd---it".

But, hey, back to Deadwood...it's about time they showed Hearst's true colors, eh? And it looks like Doc Cochran has himself a case of TB...

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But, hey, back to Deadwood...it's about time they showed Hearst's true colors, eh? And it looks like Doc Cochran has himself a case of TB...

I was thinking the same thing about the doc... I love the presentation though and they do an absolutely great job of casting don't you think?

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If the phone rings when Deadwood is on - I won't answer!

Haven't read the entire thread, but my feeling about the language is the same as it is regarding The Sopranos or some punk rock groups ---- sometimes the "f" word is the right word in the context of the dialog. I can't imagine Tony Soprano saying "friggin" or "shoot" any more than I can imagine Al Swearengen saying "oh my goodness, gracious me!"

Deadwood has some of the best acting I've ever seen - movies or TV. Robin Weigart (aka Calamity Jane) amazes me every week. Even the smaller roles are well done. William Sanderson ("hi, I'm Larry, and this is my brother Darryl, and this is my other brother Darryl"), who plays EB Farnum is as sleazy and gritty as the rest of them. All that wonderful acting makes me believe that the language used in the show probably was used in the real Deadwood - though maybe not to the same extent.

Here's a link to a recent interview with David Milch: (click here). He answers a couple of questions about why he feels the language is appropriate in the show.

Anyway - I'm sad that this is the last season of episodes, but glad they're not pulling the plug completely. Without The Sopranos or Deadwood, I'm going to have to survive on Big Love and The 4400!!

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Hope! What's with the grenade? Don't ruin my mind picture of you as the gal with most beautiful voice singing that beautiful song "I Love You So- You're My Family"". It was such a fine and beautiful "hippy kinda tune" back in the Day.... Maybe you should have an avatar that looks like this? :

http://www.candicenight.com/images/photos/woodwind_beach.htm

I would have posted the picture, but I don't know how to. But I have always pictured you as a "pretty hippy chick" :)

But, yeah, I like the show too, although, I have only seen a coupla episodes. My wife and I are going to rent the first season and catch up on it. We did that with the Sopranos and "24". We just started "Lost", but we have not gotten hooked on it at all. And it's fun to watch, but, it just hasn't really hooked us like the Sopranos and 24 did...

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Hope,

I know you haven't read the entire thread so in a nutshell, here is my beef. The language is NOT the way they talked in Deadwood in the 1800's. The writers either did no research into how they really spoke.. or just ignored what they found. Its gratuitous vile language for the sake of gratuitous vile language. The more 'F' words the better BUT!! They didn't TALK like that back then!!! See my link!

If that's the way they really talked, then fine. Like you said.. Tony Soprano would have used that language and that's understandable. But does it bother you to know that the language actually used back then was mild by today's standards and that the writers have written it to be as offensive as possible?

sudo
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ya know, I'm with Sudo on that whole thing about the language. Like I said before, if it really was that way, then so be it. But it bugs me to have skewed mindset of that glorious rip roaring day and time of The Old West if it really wasn't that way. But I do like the show, and the "gratuitous bad language" isn't enough to keep me away. It's still fun to watch. And, at least it's not that "Bonanza" mindset either, which is like totally "squeeky clean".

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Whether they "really" talked like that or not doesn't bother me at all... seriously, I find myself sort of glossing over the profanity and listening to all of the other wonderful words they speak... sometimes even pausing, rewinding and listening to the dialogue again... to get hung up on the "bad" language is missing the bigger picture painted with the wonderful acting and dialogue... but to each his or her own.

Lingo, as you're catching up on "Lost" play along on all of the internet games they have... they've really taken a multi-media saturation approach... fake books (or at least a book written by an author just before he went down on the flight that sell on Amazon and in bookstores), fake websites, fake commercials... all sorts of stuff that make being a fan of the show fun...

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Jonny -

We did the same thing with The Sopranos. We were tired of hearing all the fuss about it - seeing magazine articles and listening to those who had HBO. We rented the first season and got HOOKED. Then we rented Season 2 and gave in and got HBO after about 4 episodes of Season 3. (Zixar was kind enough to send me a video tape of the first couple of episodes that year :) )

Okay - back to Deadwood. After tonight - I think Ian McShane should win every acting award that exists. The last scene was just amazing. I rewound it and watched it again because, like Tom said - the dialog is truly wonderful. I am so damn sad that this show is going away after this season. I know there are 4 more hours next summer - but it won't be enough. I think I'm going to go watch it again.

Hope

PS The grenade is in homage to my favorite band (next to The Beatles). I'm a recently inducted Green Day fan (since the "American Idiot" album), but have since become addicted to all their music. I thought it was just a phase, but I'm still not tired of listening to them.

Jonny - beautiful pic. I never looked like that! :(

Edited by Hope R.
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I agree, Hope. Ian McShane has made Al Swearengen a piece of television history. That final scene of last night's episode, where we finally discover Swearengen's origin, should net him every award he's eligible for.

More TV shows worth renting the seasons and catching up on:

The Shield - I believe last year Michael Chiklis and Ian McShane were both up for the same awards. Tough call last year--but McShane should easily win this year. (5 seasons)

nip/tuck - Beauty has its price. So does ugly. nip/tuck finds new ways to be a human trainwreck every week. (3 seasons, new season starts in September)

Rescue Me - The third of the F/X Tuesday trio, and currently in the middle of its third season. It's the only one of this new wave of TV drama that actually has humor mixed in with all the pathos. (2 seasons on DVD, third underway)

House - Although the first season suffered early on from extremely repetitive plots, the show has evolved away from the mystery-disease-of-the-week. Hugh Laurie shows (as does Denis Leary from Rescue Me) that comedians can actually do drama. (For a real shock, watch several episodes of House, then watch Hugh in the "Private Plane" episode of Blackadder Goes Forth. :) ) (2 seasons)

Battlestar Galactica - Forget the cheesy 1979 version with its 7 repeated special effects shots, Ron Moore has managed to re-tell the story with a much more adult theme, digging into morality issues not usually explored in space opera. Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell (from Dances With Wolves) star. (1.5 seasons out on DVD, the second half of Season 2 coming shortly to DVD.)

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Speaking of last night's episode, I got one of the few laughs I've gotten from the series from the exchange between Charlie Utter and Sheriff Bullock about Joanie Stubbs selling the old Chez Ami building.

"You call that quick?"

I just wonder if Timothy Olyphant wears boots two sizes too small just to help him stay perpetually p1ssed off...

Edited by Zixar
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Its almost like trying to imagine 'Leave it to Beaver' as how folks in the 50's really lived huh? <_<

Of course, the movie/TV censors up until the early 70s were under rather strict 'guidelines' on what, and what not, to show.

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Well, last night's episode certainly had some shock value for the fight between Dority and the Captain. It really is a shame that this is the last season, because they've improved so much over last season--and last season was pretty darn good, pardner.*

translated from the RealWestSpeak "pretty f'n good, c'sucker."

I don't recognize the actor from the picture, but I'm sure he'd show up in the IMDB entry for Deadwood.

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