Damn you, Showtime! Last year I cancelled your half of our HBO/Showtime subscription, because you didn't have on anything we liked to watch.
But last night we took advantage of DirecTV's offer to see Showtime premieres for free. And already we're hooked on "House of Lies."
What's not to like about cynicism, sex, money-grubbing management consultants, dysfunctional relationships, and other reflections of reality? About halfway through the first episode, my wife said "This is our kind of show."
A quick review of some early reviews, here, here, and here, indicates that our enthusiasm isn't universally shared. Well, we're used to liking TV shows that others don't have the good taste to appreciate. (We still miss "Cop Rock.")
Keep it up, Showtime. Given all the explicit sex on the show, that shouldn't be difficult.
Stick with the stop-action scenes that some find corny. Stick with the profanity that offends delicate ears. Stick with the depiction of corporate CEO's as uncaring about the public good (the most unarguably truthful aspect of the show).
My wife and I will be laughing with you. And, damn you Showtime!, paying another $13 a month, or whatever it is, for the privilege of feeding our love of cynicism.
Here's a promo that gives a feel for House of Lies; it starts after the 30 second intro.
[Update: "House of Lies" already is changing my life. Can't tell if it is for the worse, or for the better. That's the beauty of this show. Cynicism promotes a so what? moral ambiguity.
In my usual quasi-neurotic fashion, this afternoon I was mulling over the pros and cons of taking the last few pieces of a tasty tofu dish at the LifeSource Natural Foods deli area. A woman was standing beside me, spooning mashed potatoes into her container, seemingly glancing at how I was steadily depleting the tofu.
I considered leaving a few pieces for her, even though there barely was enough tofu for my wife and me to eat tonight. Then "House of Lies" came to mind. I thought, Screw it.
If it's OK for Don Cheadle to go to a strip club, pick up a dancer, persuade her to pretend that she's his wife during an important dinner meeting with a corporate client, and then get into a fight with the prospective client after the stripper gets it on with the guy's wife in the women's restroom, after which she tells her husband that sex with the stripper is way better than with him, which understandably puts the guy in a foul mood -- then damn it, I should be able to take the last few pieces of tofu at a deli without feeling like a sinner.
After I did just that, the woman said to me, "That tofu is really good. I bought some earlier today." Great decision, Brian, I told myself. It would have been stupid to sacrifice my tofu-desire when my fellow shopper didn't even want any. Plus, I enjoyed living on the edge, just like the characters in "House of Lies" do.
Today, taking the last pieces of tofu. Tomorrow, who knows how wild and even crazier I may become, spurred on by the example of "House of Lies."]
"Tasty Tofu". Isn't that an oxymoron? I always thought that Tofu had no taste at all. Now I am going to have to pick up some Tofu and put my assumption to the test.
Posted by: Willie R | January 10, 2012 at 07:20 AM
Willie R, tofu can be tasty! Just not all by itself. It needs a sauce, marinade, something additional. Last night's tofu had a sort of sweet and sour sauce.
The tofu had been oven-baked, so the saucy tofu was firm, kind of crispy, and pleasantly "toasted." Even a confirmed meat eater might have liked it, though I admit that tofu takes some getting used to by carnivores.
I've been eating tofu since my college days, over forty years, so I'm thoroughly tofu'ized.
Posted by: Brian Hines | January 10, 2012 at 10:47 AM