i don't follow TV shows much. most shows on TV are relatively boring. i do like some political satires, comedies. not a big fan of reality TV shows. i would watch an odd ep of the Amazing Race but the dynamics does not seem to change from one season to another. i don't usually follow any series either. mostly because i always forget to watch it and the networks move shows around and put re-runs on all the time. in the past, i have ended up watching some shows on DVD when they come out. i like a lot of HBO shows. most of them i will watch when the DVD comes out. lately i have been watching the comedy Ugly Betty. i don't watch it every week but once in a while it's funny and seems better than most sitcoms that are around.

 

the last one i saw (must be last week's) concerning the flamboyant gay character Mark. although he is out to everyone (and really no one can miss his flamboyant walk and talk and mistake him for something else....), he is in the closet when it comes to his mother. the episode was about a visit from his mom and how he tried to continue hiding his sexuality from his mom. lots of good jokes involved. in the end, he came out but was rejected by his mother.

 

the show did not go for the typical happy ending. even though Mark has the courage to accept himself and revealed the truth to his mother, he was not rewarded by his mother's acceptance of him. she left saying she'd rather not know the real him.

 

sadly, reality is like that. sometimes family does not necessarily love you unconditionally. whether they disapprove of one's choice of spouse, one's choice in career, or one's sexuality, it's sad to see that family drifts apart because of it. unlike in nearly all sitcoms, family does not always offer unconditional love and there is always a happy ending. some people might think that by strongly disapproving they can influence these "choices". maybe love in some misguided form. in some cases, they might do it because they are trying to protect the person from the "wrong choice". in some cases, they just don't think it's right because of racial or religious biases. but how many Romeos and Juliets have to die because of family pressure? how many gay teens might have committed suicide because they did not have support when they needed it most? how much good will "tough love" do to a depressed person?

 

the episode reminds me of the reality in some family and it saddens me. hope that people who are left behind can find strength and comfort in friends and lovers.

When someone promises you something you expect that promise to be kept. Strangely, to some people promises are mere saying that do not mean too much to them. Someone has made many a promise and has failed to keep them again and again. at one point in the time, i would be hurt by these false promises. little ones like "i will call you later" to bigger ones that bear more significance. one after another these would be broken. after a while, when these false promises did not come true, one gets used to not expecting too much from that person anymore. maybe i have already lost all faith in the person's words. i no longer harbour hope that anything will happen or amount to much. i know i have really lost faith in that person when he promised to call, failed to and i did not feel anything at all. maybe it is for the better. learn not to care so i will not get hurt anymore. i just hope that this experience does not make me lose trust in people. people and their promises.