Tuesday, 29 June 2010
My Ugly Betty Memoir
Finally, I have caught up with all the episodes of Ugly Betty up to the series finale, which was more of a test of my abstinence than you would imagine. For the past two week, I have been feeling like one of those race horses with a carrot just dangling out of my reach, and a very juicy carrot for that matter considering the cliff-hanger end to the penultimate episode (which the INTERNET spoiled for me! Well, maybe I had a little to do with that as well...) . But I digress. Anyways, I will not be writing a summary of the finale (for now anyways) as there are plenty abound, rather I would like to share what Ugly Betty has meant to me.
Riding off the emotions of the finale, I am currently writing this, as the title says, memoir of sorts of my Ugly Betty experience. I caught the pilot to the series way back in 2007(although I thought it was 2006, but who am I to argue with Wikipedia?) when it premiered on a local television station and ever since “Suddenly I See” played towards the credits, I have been hooked. It is even the only show I have made a label on Blogger for. For 4 years (possibly more), it has been a welcoming and much appreciated companion to my life. Man, pathetic couch potato party of one...
Maybe the show just caught me at an opportune time, but I do believe that my life would have been quite different had I not been an avid fan of the show. I strongly believe that it has given me about 85% of the confidence I have today (which is still not a lot, but it’s still much better off than before). Even though fictional, Betty has shown that showing a little gumption can drastically change your life, sometimes for the better, other times for the worse. But hey, that’s life. You will be sorely disappointed if you go through life thinking that you will succeed every step of the way. If you learn how to survive the fall, the highs just get that much better. The important thing is not to let it faze oneself out of trying. After all, (for most of us,) things just don’t get handed to us.
The show also reminds one to learn how to put all seriousness aside and let loose ever so often (, especially if you are in New York City). It’s an issue most of us struggle with. Where do we draw the line between work/studies and play, or our professional life with our personal one, especially when they intersect? How do we differentiate between hard-working employee and just plain workaholic? To truly answer that, I believe we first need to address ultimately what we want from life and that itself is a big question to answer, if you even have an answer for it. In that sense, Betty was lucky. She knew what she wanted from the get-go and although life threw some major curveballs along her way, she ultimately stayed true to her path. But I feel like I’m veering off topic here (as I usually do), so where was I?
Oh right, letting loose. I’m not saying you MUST hit the town, but going out and having fun, even if it’s way out of one’s comfort zone (as it is for Betty [and me]) can yield some pretty interesting experiences , if nothing else. Although letting my hair down and going for a night out still takes some effort (to subside the inhibition), I am at least still trying my best (emphasis on trying) to give it a go, albeit with a little reluctance and only once in a blue moon.
Another thing that I loved about Ugly Betty was how it got me thinking during certain episodes (because it is draining if they were to have one question oneself every time they watch a show). Some of my better writings have sourced inspiration from the show. Besides all the fashion, drama, and romance, Ugly Betty is also (actually, primarily) about self-development. It quite often addresses the ever-present (some may say clichéd) issues that we usually ponder with, or at least I do, or at least the Betti-fied versions of it, although it would not be much of a mental exertion to convert them to be applicable to your own personal life. I will miss this one (comedic) source of inspiration dearly.
Ugly Betty has also instilled in me an inclination towards fashion and bitch-ery, and for that (if nothing else), I am extremely grateful. It added so much colour into my life, and not just the beautiful sceneries of NYC, wardrobes of the characters and generally vibrant sets. It has given me so many different characters to love and hate (and love-hate), and broaden my perspective on so many aspects of life. It has brought me out from my little third-world-traditionalist-mentality rut every hour it was on and in doing so, encouraged me, little by little, to step out into the world by myself, as myself. Even though I am still far from my goal (whatever that is), I think I am at least heading in the right path. The Betty path, if you will.
With that, I heavy-heartedly close a chapter of my life. Au revoir.
(I do hope that a movie might be happening soon.)
And that is the “end” of the post. What follows below is merely my comments on some of the characters of Ugly Betty (and some other miscellaneous stuff) which I, by no means, urge anyone to read unless you really do not have anything better to do.
The Bad, The Good, & The Family
As I have previously mentioned in my other Ugly Betty related posts, Wilhelmina Slater (played splendidly by Vanessa Williams) is the shining star in the series for me. From her cunningness, catty one-liners and constant power-craving antics, she has given the show its bite that left us (at least me) craving for more.
Of course, no villain (actually superhero, but...) would be complete without their sidekick and for Willie, that would be poor Marc St. James (and later, somehow Amanda gets dragged along as well) who’s in charge of all the morally questionable deeds, and the bulk of the comedic relief as well as her conscience, in her quest to the top of the Mode/Meade empire.
But enough from the dark side for a while, let’s move on to the lighter side of the cast, my favourite will have to be the Mode-seamstress-turned-mother-and-big-shot-designer-with-the-Scottish-accent Christina (played by Ashley Jensen) with her sarcastic remarks, and usually funny but true advices for Betty in the early days. Christine showed us how to be good, naughty, drunk, sassy, and kooky. She was also an example of ambition, redemption and integrity. To be honest, I’m still a little peeved that she left the show in the third season, even with that guest appearance near the end of Season 4. Actually, that just made me a little more than peeved...
The Suarez family also should get a shout-out for being probably one of the best families to have. They showed that no one in the world is perfect (including the head of the family), but no love is lost when we make mistakes, or when disagreements arise. At the end of the day, they will always be there for support. They showed acceptance and appreciation for everyone, regardless of age, race, gender, sexuality, social standing and at times, criminal status. And of course, they remind us that all our families can get a little crazy at times (or all the time). Also, as an aside, a little related advice that really struck home for me: “family is not just something you are born into; it is also something you make for yourself”.
One last thing I would like to touch on is one which is very often overlooked. The music. As anyone who has tried to plan a gathering/event/party knows, music selection can be an extremely challenging task (much more for a television series spanning four seasons). Of all the television shows I am hooked to, I would have to say this one has the best music selection. All the key moments in the show are so beautifully complemented by the music that the effects of the scene(s) are so much more memorable. A few examples from the top of my head would be KT Tunstall’s “Suddenly I See” at the end of the pilot, Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah” during Bradford’s wedding/lethal heart attack, Two of Cups’ “Breathe” during Alexis’ arrest, Sarah McLachlan and Cyndi Lauper’s duet of “Time After Time” at the end of season three, Correatown’s “All the World” which played as Betty finally left Casa de Suarez (I still tear up during that scene and I have watched it roughly 5 times. Big baby me) and Macy Gray’s “Beauty in the World” for the end of the series. Also, big kudo’s to one Mr. Jeff Beal for his work on the soundtrack of Ugly Betty which definitely help set the tone of the show. Could you imagine Ugly Betty without that opening theme (among his other works on the show, I think)?
Riding off the emotions of the finale, I am currently writing this, as the title says, memoir of sorts of my Ugly Betty experience. I caught the pilot to the series way back in 2007(although I thought it was 2006, but who am I to argue with Wikipedia?) when it premiered on a local television station and ever since “Suddenly I See” played towards the credits, I have been hooked. It is even the only show I have made a label on Blogger for. For 4 years (possibly more), it has been a welcoming and much appreciated companion to my life. Man, pathetic couch potato party of one...
Maybe the show just caught me at an opportune time, but I do believe that my life would have been quite different had I not been an avid fan of the show. I strongly believe that it has given me about 85% of the confidence I have today (which is still not a lot, but it’s still much better off than before). Even though fictional, Betty has shown that showing a little gumption can drastically change your life, sometimes for the better, other times for the worse. But hey, that’s life. You will be sorely disappointed if you go through life thinking that you will succeed every step of the way. If you learn how to survive the fall, the highs just get that much better. The important thing is not to let it faze oneself out of trying. After all, (for most of us,) things just don’t get handed to us.
The show also reminds one to learn how to put all seriousness aside and let loose ever so often (, especially if you are in New York City). It’s an issue most of us struggle with. Where do we draw the line between work/studies and play, or our professional life with our personal one, especially when they intersect? How do we differentiate between hard-working employee and just plain workaholic? To truly answer that, I believe we first need to address ultimately what we want from life and that itself is a big question to answer, if you even have an answer for it. In that sense, Betty was lucky. She knew what she wanted from the get-go and although life threw some major curveballs along her way, she ultimately stayed true to her path. But I feel like I’m veering off topic here (as I usually do), so where was I?
Oh right, letting loose. I’m not saying you MUST hit the town, but going out and having fun, even if it’s way out of one’s comfort zone (as it is for Betty [and me]) can yield some pretty interesting experiences , if nothing else. Although letting my hair down and going for a night out still takes some effort (to subside the inhibition), I am at least still trying my best (emphasis on trying) to give it a go, albeit with a little reluctance and only once in a blue moon.
Another thing that I loved about Ugly Betty was how it got me thinking during certain episodes (because it is draining if they were to have one question oneself every time they watch a show). Some of my better writings have sourced inspiration from the show. Besides all the fashion, drama, and romance, Ugly Betty is also (actually, primarily) about self-development. It quite often addresses the ever-present (some may say clichéd) issues that we usually ponder with, or at least I do, or at least the Betti-fied versions of it, although it would not be much of a mental exertion to convert them to be applicable to your own personal life. I will miss this one (comedic) source of inspiration dearly.
Ugly Betty has also instilled in me an inclination towards fashion and bitch-ery, and for that (if nothing else), I am extremely grateful. It added so much colour into my life, and not just the beautiful sceneries of NYC, wardrobes of the characters and generally vibrant sets. It has given me so many different characters to love and hate (and love-hate), and broaden my perspective on so many aspects of life. It has brought me out from my little third-world-traditionalist-mentality rut every hour it was on and in doing so, encouraged me, little by little, to step out into the world by myself, as myself. Even though I am still far from my goal (whatever that is), I think I am at least heading in the right path. The Betty path, if you will.
With that, I heavy-heartedly close a chapter of my life. Au revoir.
(I do hope that a movie might be happening soon.)
And that is the “end” of the post. What follows below is merely my comments on some of the characters of Ugly Betty (and some other miscellaneous stuff) which I, by no means, urge anyone to read unless you really do not have anything better to do.
The Bad, The Good, & The Family
As I have previously mentioned in my other Ugly Betty related posts, Wilhelmina Slater (played splendidly by Vanessa Williams) is the shining star in the series for me. From her cunningness, catty one-liners and constant power-craving antics, she has given the show its bite that left us (at least me) craving for more.
Of course, no villain (actually superhero, but...) would be complete without their sidekick and for Willie, that would be poor Marc St. James (and later, somehow Amanda gets dragged along as well) who’s in charge of all the morally questionable deeds, and the bulk of the comedic relief as well as her conscience, in her quest to the top of the Mode/Meade empire.
But enough from the dark side for a while, let’s move on to the lighter side of the cast, my favourite will have to be the Mode-seamstress-turned-mother-and-big-shot-designer-with-the-Scottish-accent Christina (played by Ashley Jensen) with her sarcastic remarks, and usually funny but true advices for Betty in the early days. Christine showed us how to be good, naughty, drunk, sassy, and kooky. She was also an example of ambition, redemption and integrity. To be honest, I’m still a little peeved that she left the show in the third season, even with that guest appearance near the end of Season 4. Actually, that just made me a little more than peeved...
The Suarez family also should get a shout-out for being probably one of the best families to have. They showed that no one in the world is perfect (including the head of the family), but no love is lost when we make mistakes, or when disagreements arise. At the end of the day, they will always be there for support. They showed acceptance and appreciation for everyone, regardless of age, race, gender, sexuality, social standing and at times, criminal status. And of course, they remind us that all our families can get a little crazy at times (or all the time). Also, as an aside, a little related advice that really struck home for me: “family is not just something you are born into; it is also something you make for yourself”.
One last thing I would like to touch on is one which is very often overlooked. The music. As anyone who has tried to plan a gathering/event/party knows, music selection can be an extremely challenging task (much more for a television series spanning four seasons). Of all the television shows I am hooked to, I would have to say this one has the best music selection. All the key moments in the show are so beautifully complemented by the music that the effects of the scene(s) are so much more memorable. A few examples from the top of my head would be KT Tunstall’s “Suddenly I See” at the end of the pilot, Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah” during Bradford’s wedding/lethal heart attack, Two of Cups’ “Breathe” during Alexis’ arrest, Sarah McLachlan and Cyndi Lauper’s duet of “Time After Time” at the end of season three, Correatown’s “All the World” which played as Betty finally left Casa de Suarez (I still tear up during that scene and I have watched it roughly 5 times. Big baby me) and Macy Gray’s “Beauty in the World” for the end of the series. Also, big kudo’s to one Mr. Jeff Beal for his work on the soundtrack of Ugly Betty which definitely help set the tone of the show. Could you imagine Ugly Betty without that opening theme (among his other works on the show, I think)?
Labels: family, fashion, me, my life, ugly betty
Monkey J
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