Dear Crabby,
With President Trump visiting Michigan next week, it got me thinking about the Roseanne reboot and how people are saying it’s a pro-Trump show. What do you think?
Thanks,
Michele T. Vee
Dear Michele T. Vee,
Let me first start off by telling you what I think about reboots in general: “Pfffft!” And you can quote me on that. Yep. It’s official … Hollywood has run out of new ideas. Oh sure, in the beginning it was a cute idea to bring back some beloved shows from the ‘80s and ‘90s and such, but now it’s starting to get out of hand. I spent some time on the Google and there are OVER FIFTY reboots/remakes on the air or coming to a TV screen near you. That’s a whole lot of nostalgia. Back in my day you had a handful of programs (if that) and you were grateful. It gave us something to look forward to. I can still vividly remember the very last M*A*S*H episode. It wasn’t just the end of a show, it was an event – something that brought everyone together. I read somewhere that special television sets were brought in so that U.S. military personnel in Korea could watch. There’s even an urban legend that folks were so caught up with the finale that they waited until it was over to take care of their business and New York City Sanitation workers saw a spike in water use. Let’s just hope there’s not someone out there dumb enough to try and reboot a show like M*A*S*H. It’s an institution and should never be touched. Do you hear me Hollywood bigwigs?
But you asked about Roseanne. I honestly never watched the show much when it was on the first time around. But when I did happen to catch an episode, Roseanne Conner reminded me a lot of Archie Bunker from All in the Family in the ‘70s. Just like Archie, Roseanne was loud and spoke her mind. The show also tackled taboo topics. From what I gathered from the reboot not much has changed, which is why I’m not too surprised her character is pro-Trump (I understand the actress is buddy-buddy with him in real-life too). Think about it. The show was always about the little guy – the working class. And who did Trump say he was going to take care of? You guessed it. So, it’s not as political as some have tried to make it out to be. The show first aired over 20 years ago, and the world has changed. It seems like this reboot is staying true to its roots while capitalizing on what’s happening in today’s society. But for those of you who don’t agree with the shows tone, direction, or what have you, take heart. Later this year there’s a Murphy Brown reboot headed our way. And as you may remember, that show always leaned a little more to the left … and it’s about journalism, so the President is sure to hate it. Television for both sides of the aisle. Ya gotta love the symmetry. Actually, my biggest gripe with the Roseanne reboot is trying to undo the ending of the original show. If you need help remembering, in the final episode it’s revealed by Roseanne that the entire series really didn’t happen, but rather it’s a story she’s been writing about how she wishes life had gone. Perhaps the biggest shock is that Dan (played by John Goodman) is dead. If you’ve been paying attention John Goodman is in the reboot. How? Well, they took a page out of the Dallas and Newhart playbooks – it was all a dream. Dan never died. Ain’t that convenient? And people wonder why I think reboots are a waste of time. “Pfffft!”
Hope that answers your question.
Dear Crabby