Transparently Lame
Amazon comedy aims for cultural acceptance but forgets to bring the laughs.
The only likeable male character in the show is the father who wants to be a woman.
Despite its best attempts to make you think differently, there is no morality at play in Transparent, save that of the most strident, progressive-minded type (where there is only one right answer). This means that there is no drama to speak of in Transparent. It plays more like the dramatization of a Gender Studies lecture at Berkley (or Madison, where the show’s creator went to college) than a compelling narrative.
Putting all politics and cultural issues aside, to see such reckless, self-focused behavior in the midst of broken (or breaking) homes and vulnerable young kids is heartbreaking. At one point, Mort/Maura lectures another character who is uncomfortable with the way the family is publicly handling the situation by saying, “You can either get in this whirlpool that we’re all in, or you can get out.” I wanted out. And I wanted to take the children with me.
In a departure from family-comedy series of the past, the first season of Transparent does not depict much in the way of familial love. This is because love requires sacrifice and putting others before yourself. Here, self-indulgence masquerades as cultural progress (all while wagging a finger at anyone who isn’t wholeheartedly on board).
You’re better off keeping up with the Kardashians than the Pfeffermans
Amazon comedy aims for cultural acceptance but forgets to bring the laughs.
The only likeable male character in the show is the father who wants to be a woman.
Despite its best attempts to make you think differently, there is no morality at play in Transparent, save that of the most strident, progressive-minded type (where there is only one right answer). This means that there is no drama to speak of in Transparent. It plays more like the dramatization of a Gender Studies lecture at Berkley (or Madison, where the show’s creator went to college) than a compelling narrative.
Putting all politics and cultural issues aside, to see such reckless, self-focused behavior in the midst of broken (or breaking) homes and vulnerable young kids is heartbreaking. At one point, Mort/Maura lectures another character who is uncomfortable with the way the family is publicly handling the situation by saying, “You can either get in this whirlpool that we’re all in, or you can get out.” I wanted out. And I wanted to take the children with me.
In a departure from family-comedy series of the past, the first season of Transparent does not depict much in the way of familial love. This is because love requires sacrifice and putting others before yourself. Here, self-indulgence masquerades as cultural progress (all while wagging a finger at anyone who isn’t wholeheartedly on board).
You’re better off keeping up with the Kardashians than the Pfeffermans