The Spider and the Fly- Todd Manning Slithers as Carly Shivers

I’ve been so disengaged, I haven’t been interested enough to write anything.  However, Wednesday’s GH episode did inspire me. It was truly chilling shit.  I haven’t seen that Todd since 1993…and I didn’t miss him.

If I were a Carly fan, I’d be furious. And disgusted. How anyone can think "Tarly" or, more appropriately "Codd", are anything but abusive eludes me.

I’m busy with real life and real issues. Nursing homes, impending death, moving, fiscal cliffs, gay marriage, right to work laws, oh, the fun to be had. I’ve been more interested in dealing with real life dramas than the crap I’ve seen on screen, or haven’t seen for that matter. I'm running home to see Hardball, not GH.

But I’m off work, for the most part, so I watched GH live. I had seen the Blair/Tea/Fatmas crap and loved it all. It was fun and sweet and I loved watching Todd basically trip all over himself at the prospect of getting his life back. I think I saw him do an actual jig at one point.  It was typical Todd and Blair and I enjoyed it. I missed them. They’re demented fun. 

But I wasn’t inspired to write about it as it was typical-  nothing new here. Blair refusing to admit she’s wrong and being intentionally hurtful. Todd being petty and sanctimonious and cocky as he knows she is Blair Kramer,  Tower of Jell-O. I even missed Skye and loved the references to the swirlies and such.   It was vintage OLTL, in my mind, so I didn’t feel inspired.

However, there was something notable today. If I were not a Todd Manning fan from way back, I’d be calling for his head right now. His behavior is thoroughly reprehensible and disgusting. If it weren’t against Carly, I’d be railing. But, because she’s reprehensible, it’s not so bad. But it’s interesting to watch. And I forgive him.

I see people are confused with this turn of events. It’s quite clear to me and it should be to anyone who’s watched critically and knows this character, as well as the actor, writers, and show.  Todd Manning is manipulating Carly Jax. I’ve said it before but it was disgustingly obvious in one moment on Wednesday afternoon.  When he told her he agreed it was time to move forward and not look back, he slithered up to her and smiled as if he’d gotten his prey in his sights. He was nauseating.

How do I come to this conclusion? It’s obvious. I watched the show.  Todd was just falling all over himself to get to Blair to stop her wedding- a move I called long ago, BTW. Then, I watched them poke and prod one another when he arrived after she got all starry eyed over one of those not so appealing pictures from their very hairy wedding. 

Next up, she heads out to “find” “Tomas”, which she won’t and he’s not Tomas as Todd waits back in PC for the PP deal to end, telling Starr he has every confidence he’s getting her back but is going to “back off” for a bit, as that’s what he thought she was requesting via Starr.

He then had to deal with the mess he’s made with Carly as she confronted him about his “feelings” for her. When she mentioned the almost sex, he looked as if he’d forgotten the whole thing and then had to deal with it as she knew he was “using her as a fall back”.  As she got teary, he gave her the old “You’re my friend” line- which is painful to say or hear- and she didn’t let him finish but his discussion with Starr as well as earlier and subsequent mooning over Blair should have been enough. 

As Carly put it, “you’d do anything to get her back, wouldn’t you”….the answer was not given.

He then lets her run away crying and doesn’t follow her to make her feel better. He gives her terrible advice about Michael, doing what I considered a terrible Viki imitation, and then sends her on her merry way. He threatens Johnny twice in this post-wedding period- once to stay away from Starr, next to keep his trap shut or he’s going to jail. Never does he mention Carly. 

On Wednesday, Todd sees Johnny about to spill his guts to Carly in a touching scene with soft music and a loving embrace from a child for Johnny, so he swoops in and makes it clear he’s in control. He puts his hand on her shoulder as she looks at Johnny longingly, waiting for his confession.  He butts into the conversation, making Johnny nervous, and then threatens him as she takes care of her daughter. When Johnny leaves, he questions her, making it clear he’s only her friend, about whether she’d take Johnny back if he explained himself.  She hesitates, clearly upset, and makes the statement that she needs to move forward. He agrees, using his Frat  Boy #2 voice for the first time in weeks.

Now, what he said could be interpreted many ways, and that’s point. You could see him expressing interest in her and saying he, too, wants to move forward, and with her. You could see him being happy for his friend as Johnny’s a snake and he wants better for her. But I saw something else. 

It was the way he said it and I applaud Howarth for this moment as he’s so good at them. I saw the spider and the fly. I saw him be soft in his voice, lean forward as she backed off a bit, and smile as if he had her where he wanted her. Away from Johnny. Forever.  Is it because he’s in love with her? No, he said just days ago he’s in love with Blair and has every intention of getting her back. Is it for her interests? No, he’s not protecting her or he’d be warning Johnny to leave his friend alone or face his wrath. 

Know why it is? It’s because he hates Johnny and she’s his tool for revenge. He has no intention toward Carly but nefarious ones. He began hitting on her when he found out about Johnny having info on him. He told her sleeping with him would be great revenge on Johnny. He now wants her to stay away from Johnny as it’s obvious Johnny is coming unhinged and he’ll spill his guts, implicating Todd. Then he’ll maybe go to jail and lose Starr. And his current chance with Blair.

This is all about Starr, if you haven’t noticed. The anvils have been flying. And it’s a given he’ll lose her. And losing her is losing everything. She’s all he  has left of his family. But, don’t worry, he’s sure he’ll get Blair. And, come on, except for blind, stubborn Codd fans, it’s obvious he will once the PP deal is over in about a month.

But that’s what this is about. He doesn’t want Carly. Hell, he seems to forget she exists except when it comes to Johnny. She barrels in the door constantly seeking him out. She gets brushed aside at the simple mention of Blair. It was hysterical how he knocked her out of the way to get in to the house and tell Blair his “news”. He seemed to hardly notice she’s there unless she’s yelling or crying or talking to Johnny.

That’s it. He’s using her. She’s his stooge but also his weapon. And, for a brief moment, I felt bad for her. It’s so obvious. They are doing a great job making her and Johnny sympathetic.  They’re both being manipulated by Todd and Connie. Granted, Johnny’s no saint but this show is clearly making him the sympathetic figure here. Todd is nasty, mean, and manipulative. One minute, he’s smarmy Eddie Haskell. The next, he’s sleazy Frat Boy #2 trying to make a crying woman have sex with him or thinking about doing a stranger. Then another moment, he’s stealing babies and lying to grieving mothers. Lastly, he’s caring father who loves his kid and misses his wife…………

Oh yeah, that’s it. That’s why I’m a Todd Manning fan. They keep reminding me.  That’s good because from what I’ve seen on GH for the most part, makes me want to join Team Hatred and get my ceremonial pitchfork. But I’m glad for it. At least he’s not Paul Ryan. YUCK!!!There’s a reason that character shared the name with the Republican Loser.  They both SUCK ASS!!! And should never be heard from again.

So, my friend Todd is playing a really sick revenge game and every Feminist bone in my body is yelling. But, there’s a problem. He’s manipulating and destroying Carly, who I hate, so I don’t care much. It’s horrifying to see but sort of okay as, well, SHE SHOULDN’T HAVE SLEPT WITH TONY!!! And I know this is her penance for a lot of misdeeds. It will get worse and, thankfully, it will be over momentarily.  She’ll pay. Good.

Will Todd pay? HHMMMM, now that’s a gray area. I argue he’s doing the audience a service by destroying her. However, I think he’ll lose Starr, for a moment, and know he’ll get Blair back in the process as she is Blair Kramer, Tower of Jell-O.  And the only woman truly crazy enough to love him for what he is- a psycho manipulator with sexual issues. But, hey, whackjobs need love, too.

I also know, in the end, they’ll find that loser SNV and he’ll get Jack and Viki, as well. Which I truly hope for. I miss Viki. The world I live in needs her.  Hilary has a 66% approval rating for the 2016 Election.  That’s good but I think Viki could kick her ass.   

But first, let’s get 2013 here already. I’m losing my patience. And my interest.

Is Ron Carlivati the Mitt Romney of the Soap World? Wake Up!! You're Losing the Election...

Okay, I have to say I love Carlivati on Twitter. He's the definition of "snark-alicious", but, God, WTH is happening here?  I tuned out as I was more interested in the fate of the country and the free world.  But, now that I can breath and get some sleep, I can't believe my eyes.

Wake up!! You're headed down the wrong path. Your polls are wrong.  You've misjudged the electorate. And, no, I'm not talking about Republicans. I'm talking about the creative team of GH.  You're losing and that should be obvious. 

Re-trench and re-gain your focus. This crap is backfiring and it may mean soon you'll be as relevant as Mitt Romney- someone who had a chance once but squandered it with a bad message and misreading the public.  Soon enough, Carlivati and Valentini, you'll only be discussed in a postmortem of what went wrong.  This crap is embarrassing.  I'd say at least 47% of the viewers aren't liking it or interested.  And the numbers back me up.

Now, I'm not saying I'm the Plouffe or Messina of soaps, but Axelrod was friends with my uncle and I am from Chicago- and we're both Jews.  So, draw your own conclusions.  Just in case you don't know, those three men won the election for the President.  All Hail Them!!!!

At any rate, I did have some time and tuned in Friday. I always liked AJ, found him infinitely more interesting than the initially sweet and drab Jason, and Sean Kanan's the only AJ I knew. I still like him and as I detest Carly, I'm obviously Team AJ.  But WTH was that crap at the end?  A mask?  No kidding, are you joking? A mask???????  That's moronic, even for a soap, and that's saying a lot.  I was appalled. And I sat through a lot of Carlivati crap before. But this was beyond the pale.  It was, for lack of a better term, lazy.

Look, we're soap fans. We know the gig and we're on board with it. We accept not-dead dead people, we accept face and body changes, we accept evil twins. Hell, we even accepted Erica's not abortion. That was pushing it, but we accepted it. But a mask??? That's so unimaginative, it's trite. It's not pithy and campy, it's stupid.

When we get over the top crap, we expect a little bit of effort at least.  The "Johnny Knowing Todd's Secret" rewrite was pushing it yet it was okay.  The "CIA Program for Unmarried Mothers" was pushing it but amusing in it's stupidity. We shook our heads but let it go. We all knew it was dumb but at least it took a minute to think of it and a chuckle, I'm sure, was had by all.  But a mask?? Come on, Guys, this is beneath you. It's a cop-out for a cop-out. 

What about the Evil Twin- the old soap standby?  What about Face Change Surgery? What about, well, anything, but this?  It's beyond lazy into the world of, well, I don't know what. Sloth, maybe.  If you want to keep the audience on board, you have to at least pretend to care.  This shows that you don't.

I can hardly comment on the Ickification of Todd Manning. It's gross and I know I tuned out. I don't plan to tune back in to see that. It's nauseating to see a convicted sex offender try to manipulate a dumb woman with a massive ass into bed as she's upset and weeping a little. That's not hot. It's disgusting.  Here's a question, Guys, was the Marty rape a "Legitimate Rape" and this one isn't? Did Carly's body "shut that down", as the Fucking Pig Non-Senator Akin said?

Remember how white washing rape did for Republicans this time around.  I'm ashamed of you all. I have more faith in you but maybe you're the type of Gay Men who vote Republican.  It's nice to see the numbers support me.  Good number for your rape scene on that Friday....only not. 

I don't care if Todd's wearing a mask or brain damaged, as I'm sure he is, I'm not watching that.  Todd reverting back to Frat Boy #2 isn't interesting to me.  I hated Frat Boy #2 and seeing anyone think it's hot makes me afraid. I find this disgusting and worry for their real world relationships.  They're sick. I can't abide Carly but even I feel sorry for her.

Bad stuff here, Guys.  Bad stuff. Keep going and soon we'll be discussing "what went wrong" with you all.  Remember, there are things that work and things that don't.  This ain't working.  Now, fix it. Get your heads out of the sand or you'll see how it feels to lose.  Everything. 

Someone let me know when Viki's back.  This stuff is not for me. 

Was It All Real?: Ideology, Legitimacy, and Change in Chicago

I really am a sucker at heart.  I really believe in all the things I claim to be too cool for when, in fact, it’s all the shit I hold onto on cold nights.  

I believe in this dumbass country, as much as I whine about it. I believe in love and friendship and family and loyalty.  I find that it’s often an illusion but I do hold onto those ideals, no matter how that kicks my ass and sends me into deep depressions when I find I’m let down.  But, if I’m honest, I’m really a sappy fangurl for the ideology of my childhood.  That this is a great country where anything is possible. 

I know I’m rolling my eyes at myself.  I’m a John Mellencamp, Bruce Springsteen listening Midwestern sap who grew up in the ‘80’s and believes in the inherent good of man.  Damnit, I hate me sometimes. I'm such a loser.......

But I wasn’t on Tuesday.  Man, I loved me on Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning. I loved being me as I sat and cried and held my head in my hands as my friend,  Barack, was announced as the President…again.  I found myself whispering “Thank God” over and over as I cried like a moron. Ya see, this wasn’t about who won. It was about what it meant.  Just ask our top dude!

To me, this election was about legitimacy. This time, our guy won and no one can say “It’s a fluke” or “People just got caught up in the movement”.  None of that is true. What this election meant was that there was no turning back.  The past was over.  There is nothing but Forward…..Finally, after our whole lives, we’re being released from the hold of the Conservative Movement.  We can finally prove that we DON’T live in a right leaning country.  We live in a left-leaning nation of diverse people.

We are a group of various people, of various colors, of various ages, of various genders, of various sexual orientations, but we all have one thing in common.  We’re tired of being ignored and sidelined.  We’re ready to stand up and demand what’s ours. It’s not “things”, like that moron O’Reilly said. We don’t want stuff. We want what everyone wants…respect, basic human rights, and what we deserve- our part in the process.

I find that often I look back on my life as a series of competing forces all crashing together in one spectacular moment- the ‘80’s.  And, although some may argue it, the ‘80’s were unfortunately defined by Ronald Reagan.  The ultimate vision of the Postmodern President. He was the brave cowboy, riding in to save the day as Carter was banished.  I found the Reagan Years were defining moments for me as it was when I went through high school and college. My politics were forming, as well as my identity- if you can distinguish them- and I was all about Reagan….and hating his fucking guts.

It is from this moment that I finally feel I’ve been liberated.  It’s finally over.  Finally, at long last, the reign of terror is over.  The King is finally dead.  For reals this time.  At long last, we’re free.

Most people in my generation will agree that the Conservative Movement has had a stranglehold on us from birth. We were taught to pay attention and make money and look good and that’s about it.  We were there to make the most cash and have the best cars and the biggest house. We were defined by our material possessions, not the quality of our character, as that’s part of the Postmodern condition.  

I’m a member of the first breed of Generation X.  We were so poorly defined we didn’t have a name, just a letter, and a vague one at that.  Remember, almost nothing begins with an “X”.  Only X-rays, which are not really real anyway.  We can touch them and see them but they aren't really anything, only representations of what's real.  That's what Postmodernism is all about.  The image of reality with nothing behind it. 

So, as a Bret Ellis reading member of Gen X, the First, I’ve waited on the sidelines for my turn.  I voted for Clinton, but he wasn’t really my President. He was my older brother or my professor. He wasn’t one of us.  He was the Baby Boomer. He wasn’t an Elvis Costello fan.  He invited Fleetwood Mac to the White House.  Now, that was great and I worshiped him and my girl, Hill, but they weren’t like me.  They were the older crowd who had a name.

Before this, so many of us stood and watched as we were bulldozed and steamrolled over. Many of us felt as if we were not part of the process, so we created our own or opted out.  Now, that’s not the case.  Finally, we stood up and told the white, male, wealthy, heterosexual, conservative power structure that enough is enough. We’re here, we’re staying, and we’re taking what’s ours.  And now it’s the place in the system.

That’s what Barack Obama represents. It’s not about him. It’s about what he means. It’s about those people waiting in line for hours to vote for the first time in their lives. It’s about the kid at home, seeing a man of color who is leading the free world and realizing that it doesn’t matter that he’s of color.  He’s just a man.  And even that doesn’t matter. He’s a human. It's about the idea that we are a country of people who can make a difference when we want to get up off the couch to do so. 

See, that’s what it’s about. It’s about basic human dignity. It’s about the Union Workers who want respect and a voice in the process. It’s about the Auto Worker who wants to feed children and have a say in the future without worry of  jobs being shipped offshore.  It’s about Teachers wanting to make a difference in the life of people and know they’re not lying when they tell the students they can be whoever they want…even President. That’s what this was about.  Freedom from oppression.  That was it.

My whole life, I looked at politicians as people who there to make things worse, not better. They were there to get theirs and screw everyone who cared.   Of course, there were exceptions. Paul Simon of Illinois, Dick Durbin, Teddy Kennedy, and, of course, my ultimate boyfriend, King of the Universe, Bill Clinton, who may have been too many people’s boyfriend, but that wasn’t my concern.  But these heroes were too few and too gone as we barely made it out alive from the disastrous Bush years.

I know that I’ve still never recovered from that nightmare. I went to sleep that first Tuesday night in November, 2000, sure that my friend, Al Gore, was president and awoke to the worse possible scenario.  It was wrong. It had to be a nightmare.  How could this moron have stolen the election?

It would only get worse. I laughed yesterday when I read an account in the Chicago Tribune of a woman who refused to sleep Tuesday night until we knew for sure it was done. She didn't want to relive that night in 2000.  I think many of us were in the same boat.  I had to know, for sure, that this was a done deal.  Like Peter Townshend said, I won't get fooled again. Widespread PTSD from that trauma. We’re only now recovering.  And it’s something we may never truly get over. 

Everything changed on Tuesday and I can feel it.  Now, don’t get me wrong. I loved the Clinton Years but it was always so hard. It was such a battle. It was always uphill. People were voting their pocketbooks really,  not because they believed in his ideals, if you ask me.  Many of us did, but he didn’t have the moment. He was great at his job but it was a struggle.  Now, it seems, it’s finally a battle that’s won.  I give Bill Clinton nothing but credit for everything. He not only helped this effort, he made it possible.  He really is my hero in every way, no matter how many blow jobs he got.  That’s not my concern.  If my girl Hill can deal with it, that’s their issue. I don’t care.

So, that’s why it was so important. It wasn’t about the President. It was about us. It was about the Latinos and the African Americans and the LGBT Community and the Unions and the Youth Movement and my people- the Gen X Liberals who have been waiting for our moment.  It was about the future. It was about what it NOW means to be an American. 

I as I sat in a bar in the Chicago Loop with my friend, the reluctant and ambivalent ex-patriot, we held our breath while watching returns.  It wasn’t like last time. It was quieter in the Loop. There wasn’t the jubilation or the excitement. It was rainy and cold, not abnormally hot and sunny as it was last time.  It was somber and quiet.  Maybe because we were afraid. I know I was.

But I mistakenly took the quiet for apathy. It wasn’t.  It was just…quiet.  That’s what I realized when I saw the voting numbers were almost the same as they were last time. We don’t need to rally or work ourselves into a frenzy.  Know why? It’s the new normal.  It’s not a moment to remember. It is what it is. 

I know now that quiet is not silence. It’s peace.  But there’s no going back. From here on in, it’s all new terrain. It’s finally our turn. Now, what that means I don’t know.  But on Tuesday night, I think I finally grew up. 

Oh, and one more thing-

Hillary Clinton in 2016!!!

'Nuff said!

Yeah, Todd's a Freak: What Really Matters, #3

Yeah, Todd Manning is regressing to Frat Boy #2.  It was gross.  But, guess what- I'm more concerned about this because, well, it matters.

Get your ass up off the couch, stop worrying about a TV show, and VOTE!!! I prefer you vote for my friend, Barack, but if you don't, I forgive you. You're just misguided.

That's all I care about right now.  Todd being a pig can wait.  This can't.  VOTE!!! And vote right.  Remember Big Bird and the Constitution and Medicare and Social Security.  And BUSH!!!

Yeah, I said it.  Katrina and Wars and Economic Devastation and the real "Evil Doers"- the ones in the White House.   

I'll see you on the other side of this election.  Maybe. As I told my classes, we may not have class on Wednesday as I may go back to France with my friend who came in to vote....or take a header off the Madison Street Bridge on the way back to the train station Tuesday Night after the rally. It's supposed to rain here in Chicago and that makes me nervous.

If you thought I was vicious and ranted now, just wait and see what venom will be spewing if I have to live through another Republican Administration.  Calling someone fat or Nimnuts is nothing....believe me.

So, here we go again:

http://www.barackobama.com/news/entry/inside-the-early-vote-numbers-new-voters?source=read-more

Inside the early vote numbers: New voters

By Jeremy Bird, National Field Director on November 1, 2012 Early voting numbers

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We started this campaign with the fundamental belief that the electorate isn’t something that’s set in stone, and that we could change and expand it. Americans decided a long time ago that our democracy works better when more people participate in it. So our campaign has made a priority of bringing more citizens into the process and helping millions of new voters exercise their rights.
The variety of voting habits is nearly as diverse as the political spectrum. Some voters come out every time, no matter what. Others voted in 2008, but not in 2010. Then there are new voters who weren’t registered till this year and are excited to cast their first ballots for President Obama’s final campaign. Of course, there are also citizens who’ve been registered forever but never make it out to the polls.
Our campaign strategy in 2012 was based, in part, on registering new voters and turning them out for early vote and on Election Day—and that’s happening. To borrow a phrase from a nervous Republican consultant talking in Florida this week about our turnout success, we’re cleaning the other guys’ clock. Here’s what we’re seeing in the states:

• Colorado: Since July, Democrats have gained 64,768 net new registrants vs. 38,848 for Republicans. Democrats now have a better registration margin than we did in November 2008, when we won the state by 9 points.
• Florida: Since June, Democrats have gained 227,991 net new registrants vs. 126,643 for Republicans. Since November 2008, more than 80% of all new Florida registrations—455,000 of them—have been from Latinos and African Americans, and these voters have chosen to register as Democrats rather than Republicans by a 90/10 margin.
• Iowa: Since August, Democrats have gained 16,257 net new registrants vs. 2,428 for Republicans.
• North Carolina: Since July, Democrats have gained 125,459 net new registrants vs. 71,311 for Republicans. Since November 2008, nearly half have been African American or Latino. Better still, voter registration in North Carolina isn’t even over yet. It continues until Saturday, and Democrats have out-registered Republicans every single day for the past two months by an average margin of nearly 2:1.
• New Hampshire: Since September, while Democrats have added new registrants, Republicans have actually lost more than 1,400 of them.
• Nevada: Since February, Democrats have gained 68,427 net new registrants vs. 32,428 for Republicans—largely thanks to new African American and Latino voters. Our registration advantage is now at an all-time high in Nevada, even bigger than when we won the state by more than 12 percentage points in 2008.
• Pennsylvania: Since May, Democrats have gained 117,786 net new registrants vs. 62,500 for Republicans, building on our million-voter-plus registration advantage there.

And among the folks in battleground states with party registration, among what are considered “sporadic voters”—those who didn’t vote in the midterm elections two years ago—Democrats have a 19-point advantage in ballots cast. Nearly half (46%) of non-midterm voters who have voted already in these states are Democrats, while 27% are Republicans.
Behind each of these numbers are incredible stories of citizens excited to exercise their franchise for the first time.
Just listen to Kyree, a fall fellow and freshman at Central State University in Ohio, who told us:

“Voting is a lot more important than just choosing a candidate. It’s making a decision to better your community, your society, your nation. It is one of the things in this world that shows that you can truly make a difference. … When I finally had the opportunity to vote, I almost cried. It made me feel that I could impact my life and the lives of others."

Or young adults like Bailey, who’s also from Ohio. She turned 18 this year and registered and committed to early vote with the encouragement of one of our neighborhood team leaders who was going door to door. Now Bailey and her mother are not just registered voters—they’re also volunteers, canvassing for President Obama and getting their neighbors to join them at the polls.
These stories belong to students like Mark, a freshman at East Carolina University who said he knows every vote counts because the President’s margin in North Carolina four years ago—just 14,000 votes—is nearly half his school’s population. And they belong to people like Maui, a UNLV student who recently registered and early voted on campus, then went classroom by classroom to bring others to the polls.
In 2008, President Obama was elected with the help of energized and organized first-time voters like these. In the 2010 midterms, we saw a lot of folks stay home, and the results weren’t pretty. Next Tuesday’s outcome—and the path our country will take for many years to come—will depend on whether we see new voters turning out or sitting out. We like what we’re seeing.


And one more time- Best Commercial Ever:

 

 

You know Morgan Freeman isn't wrong. He played God for a reason.

Do the Right Thing...................