Mourning Smash: Here's Why We Should

[mamaleh]

Posted: 5/17/13 at 12:54pm

http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-arts-and-culture/132353/sitting-shiva-for-smash?utm_source=tabletmagazinelist&utm_campaign=bea8a8867e-5_17_2013&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c308bf8edb-bea8a8867e-206795393#

[John Adams]

Posted: 5/17/13 at 1:59pm

Well...

That's an interesting article on why "musical theater" is great, but doesn't really have anything to do with SMASH (other than superficial connections).

"Smash realized it wasn’t just about the problems facing its fictional productions of Bombshell or Hit List; it was about the very real problems of making a real television show about them."

If the showrunners of SMASH took that idea seriously, the show might not have tanked. Updated On: 5/17/13 at 01:59 PM

[Kad]

Posted: 5/17/13 at 2:11pm

Yeah. What Shukert neglects to mention is that the show was terrible- and, her pointing out the awfulness is what got her attention.

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 5/17/13 at 2:16pm

Kad, I think that's a slightly unfair characterization of what she was doing. She was certainly dishing the snark, but, to me at least, I always felt like it was done with a loving hand and a deep knowledge of musicals. It's why I enjoyed reading her.

SMASH is terrible...but in a fascinating way that makes me root for it, and I will genuinely miss it.

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 5/18/13 at 11:19am

I might be in the minority here, but I adored Shukert's phantasmagorias masquerading as Smash recaps. Maybe it was the virtual pat on the head I got by recognizing all her musical theater allusions; maybe it was the feeling that I was part of a super-elite club that actually loved the lovable parts of Smash unreservedly. But now I have 2 parts of my week to mourn-- the hour I spent watching an episode of Smash, and the anticipation of opening Vulture the next day when I'd read another Rachel Shukert recap.