www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Everybody Loves Raymond

No, I think the main reason they don't like Raymond is because they identify with Robert Barone.

Alex,

Did you think that it is possible that we just don't like it? Or that we have a legitimate difference of opinion?

P.S. - I'm not a 'guy.' I'm a woman who finds the idea that you can do a sitcom about a family without including the children as an integral part of the show to be puzzling and the idea that men should be portrayed as hopeless, helpless, dolts who can't care for the most basic needs of their own children to be a pathetic and insulting portrayal of men.

I would hope that if I ever treated my husband the way Debra treats Ray that he would get up and leave the room. It is shameful, in my opinion.

That isn't a lack of giving the show a chance. I watched it for years with a nagging feeling that while funny, something was "off." I gave it a chance. Now that I know what was bugging me ... I don't like it as much.

The show doesn't need to "talk like bishops all the time" it just needs to degrade men less.

One need not agree with you in order to have a valid opinion.

Shhh! Don't tell him. We've been trying to keep that from him.

I have never seen that show so in practice, I must not love it either. Is it still being produced, or is it no longer on TV?

My wife and I really like this show -- to be honest, it is one of my absolutely favorites. I really enjoy a show that allows a husband and wife to struggle through problems and yet never stop loving each other. Like all comedy, everything is exaggerated, but it is quite funny very often (at least to me).

Touche!

Dear Carole,

OK, since you've seen it for such a long time, you really do have a valid view on it!

I sensed from previous critiques that the problem was lack of exposure to it - not that when people saw a lot of it they would automatically like it, but from more of a "methodological" perspective that lack of exposure to it is no basis on which to ground any "valid" view of it.

This is a subjective thing, to be sure. They cannot possibly portray marriage other than they did, which is a particular view of Ray's comedy. It is his "comedic genre" and he never suggested that we swallow his view of the world. There are things that are not believable, that are contrary and others that are just silly and finally, truly funny. But in my view, of course.

Debra treated her husband in response to how he and his family treated her, they were from two different worlds, mainstream society and an ethnic cultural world. My family appreciated that tension because we continue to live it in our own lives.

Ultimately, such things are valid, as Fr. Deacon said above, because we see ourselves in them.

At no time did I say you didn't have a valid view. Like mine, it is subjective. There is no objective view here.

That doesn't prevent me from saying it's a great show and "what's the matter with you guys." Even that is subjective. And I won't stop presenting things in black and white for that precise reason.

Up here, "guys" is a term that is often used by men and women to refer to groups of others including both genders.

I apologise in any event.

Again, I simply felt that those who criticized the show, and you are obviously not in that camp, didn't give it much time (like Charles here who keeps maintaining that it is I who concocted the view that the rosary is a valid Eastern devotional enterprise on the basis of his inability to read Russian . . . )

There are those who don't like Baroque. I think they're wrong. If that means that I think they don't have a valid opinion - again, not saying that.

But if people don't like Baroque simply because they don't like the sound of the name - then, as I believe you will agree with me, that is wrong and no basis on which to form a valid opinion.

I didn't know how much of the show you watched and I apologise to you - my comments were directed solely to those who formed opinions based on little or no exposure to Raymond.

Alex

Dear Charles,

Since you've never seen the show, then you cannot possibly have an opinion about it, valid or otherwise.

And it matters not to anything important in one's life if one sees episodes of Raymond or this or that movie or Mother Angelica Live for that matter.

I am not a promoter of TV period. Not that you don't have a valid contrary view on that, if you do.

See, I can speak to you peaceably without even once bringing up that issue about the Rosary . . .

A good night to both you and Carole!

Alex

So who said a thing about the rosary and what on earth does it have to do with a TV series? As hard to believe as it likely is, some of us go all day without even thinking about rosaries. However, my question remains. Is it a current show or something that is no longer in production?

I too like "Everybody Loves Raymond", and think it is hilarious.

dwight; "I think it shows an accurate picture of family life. It is just easier to laugh at it on television than when you are living it".
*so true*


Dandelion

It ran 9 years (1996-2005) before being discontinued -- see http://www.everybodylovesray.com/ for details.

Holy crap! (Those who know the show will understand...) So do my wife and I.

Even though we do not possess a TV, we watch the reruns on the internet. It is a family favorite.

BTW, "Debra" (Patricia Heaton) in real life is also the honorary chair of Feminsts for Life and a very strong pro-life advocate. She was raised Catholic, but is today a very committed Evangelical Presbyterian.

http://www.feministsforlife.org/

In ICXC,

Gordo

Dear Charles,

It is now in syndication after nine (?) seasons.

Alex

I hope I did not start something bad on the Forum by mentioning Everybody Loves Raymond. I only mentioned it because of my liking of Georgia Engel. Although I think Doris Roberts is a good actress.

I do apologize if I offended anyone.

Slava Isusu Khrystu!

John Doucette

Thanks. I will check the cable channels that carry those older shows. Maybe I can see an episode to see what the discussion here is about.

I know this is way, way off topic, (and i am not asking anyone to respond) but I pose this for consideration. Given all the discussion on this forum regarding the use of inclusive language in the DL, why should Carole take offense to Alex's use of the term, "guys?" ("I'm not a 'guy.' I'm a woman...") According to the dictionary, "guys" is an informal term to include both men and women just as Alex notes. Was it not evident from the context that both sexes where included?