The Next Big Thing on Showtime

Stayed up almost all night watching Weeds.

Weeds is an American comedy television series revolving around a young, recently widowed, single mother trying to cope with her troublesome two sons and trying to make a living by selling ganja to the affluent – including the city councilman. Funny, witty, insightful and very well written; its just beautiful to watch.

Currently in its fourth season, Weeds attracted 1.3 million viewers to Showtime, the highest ever for the channel.

Sri Lanka needs to break-away from the crap that’s on tv and offer the viewers something that’s worth watching and something that’s stimulating. Meaningful entertainment, brain-food perhaps. Definitely not a daily dose of imported Indian crap: rapists and child-molesters making love to each other. Maha-gedara is a good title and bad content. Weeds on the other hand, is a bad (?) title, but good content.

Going back to Weeds here’s a bit of dialogue that stuck in my head. Andy, the young-US-Army-volunteer, is having a conversation with Doug, the city councilman – seeking his help to withdraw from the call-of-duty.

Andy: “I’m not going to Iraq to fight in some bullshit war about oil money..!”

Doug: “Bullshit war?? What about 9/11? Didn’t Iran hide the terrorists?”

A: “We are fighting a war in I-R-A-Q Doug, and neither country has anything to do with blowing up the World Trade Centre..!”

D: “Well... they both have SAND...”

A: ”Bush invaded a sovereign nation in defiance of the UN. He’s a war criminal, and now I’m supposed to be one of his disposable thugs with a f**king target on my head in the middle of the desert, waiting to be blown up by a car bomb rigged by a 12 year old who loved Friends and Metallica until one of our missiles blew up his house..? I don’t think so!”

D: “Well... whatever...” [grabs a key from the drawer and stands up]

D: “Look, I’ve got a lotta’ shit to do...”

A: “You name me one thing you have to do that’s more important than the corporate takeover of our democracy..!”

[Doug holding up the bathroom key]
“I’ve gotta take a shit...”