The PJs

[William S. Lear]

On Thursday, February 25, 1999 at 09:53:51 (-0500) Carl Remick writes:
>Re Alex's:  "The Simpsons says more about class divisions in American
>society than any
>Marxist source."
>
>I'd like to put in a good word here again for "The PJs," which surfaced
>in discussion briefly here a few weeks ago then  disappeared without
>trace (no doubt because it airs at the same time as the apparent show of
>the century, Buffy).  At least one critic (The Village Voice's Tom
>Carson, as I recall) has recoiled in horror from "The PJs," virtually
>deeming it a latter-day "Amos 'n Andy."  IMO, that view is all wrong.
>"The PJs" has had some very sly things to say about HUD bureaucracy,
>police brutality, etc., and I don't believe it patronizes its characters
>but presents them in an empathic way.

I entirely agree with you.  As I wrote on Jan. 11:


>What struck me about this show was the fact that the ghetto depicted
>is quite stark, seemingly realistic, not romanticized.  The activities
>of the people within this ghetto are however "normal", that is they
>are depicted as possessing inherent dignity (largely revealed through
>humor) and not somehow pathological, which is usually the norm for
>shows set in or touching upon the urban ghetto --- the people there
>are usually depicted as either criminal or drug addicted, or both.

Those with a TV are strongly urged to watch this show.

Bill