AlternateCurrent

I've seen many jokes, memes, and questions surrounding the experience of having an old relative or family friend, whom you have not seen in years, asking you if you remember them. Particularly when the last time you saw them, you were definitely too young to remember.

I wondered this too, but once I had nieces and nephews it became clear. They live far away from me, so I see them twice a year max. I treasure these times with them. They are so small yet so vibrant and brimming with personality. But I've realized that though I value this time with them, they won't remember any of it. Doesn't make it less important or valuable to me though. As the years go by, I will become the sole guardian of these memories.

I generally enjoy B99 and think it has aged relatively well. However, there’s one aspect that’s never sat right with me: the sexualization of black men in the show. 

Let’s start with Captain Holt, commander of the 99. Over the course of the show, he becomes a paternal figure to many characters. This is shown time and time again with both Detective Peralta and Chief Santiago (happy to provide receipts, didn’t think it was necessary), but befouling this cute dynamic is a strange sexual twist. Chief Santiago repeatedly indicates her romantic and sexual attraction toward Captain Holt. Detective Peralta is supportive but has mixed emotions surrounding it. (One example, though sadly there are many, is in S3E2, where Amy suggests that Jake do his Captain Holt impression “at home”. Jake agrees but calls the request “super disturbing”.) Captain Holt never acknowledges or reciprocated these sentiments in any way. To me, it was a very strange choice to sexualize the two’s relationship with Captain Holt. This could come down to the nuances of non-familial relationships but once you start throwing the word son around, you should pick a lane. 

Lieutenant Jeffords faced a similar treatment, faced with constant flirtation from Linetti in the workplace. Despite Lieutenant Jeffords’s status as a married man and his continued rebuffs, Linetti’s harassment continues, serving as running gag. This includes, but not limited to, remarks about Lieutenant Jeffords body and clothing and suggesting he cheat on his wife. In S3E10, Peralta convince Linetti to help him by agreeing to take a photo of Terry in a towel without his knowledge. This constitutes sexual harassment and criminal invasion of privacy. I also found it very creepy that Peralta agrees to this and presumably follows through with it. This is once again played for laughs. This is a perfect example of if the genders were reversed, no one would be laughing. Linetti never apologizes or becomes a better person. Nor is she villainized for such behavior. It’s gross, inappropriate, behavior toward a coworker that slides because Linetti is a woman. 

At one point in S1, Hooper mentions being friends with Benny. [au starts here] On nights Hopper's particularly lonely, he gravitates to Benny's Burgers. What if instead of calling CPS, he called Hopper and was vague on the details. Hooper has a pre-existing dislike of the government, so I think he could have been convinced to wait to call it in. Hooper and Benny bond over solving the mystery and taking care of El. Benny would actually socialize the poor girl (part of which could be low stakes interactions with customers), and teach El cooking. (IDK if she’d like or not). I think it would be fun for El to try cooking with her powers. The cover story could be something like El is a runaway foster child, and Benny decided to foster her. Benny seems stable and reliable which is the kind of person they need in their lives. At one point, Benny hits a monster with a frying pan. Thoughts?

Currently curatating a list of words of the following ? category.

a machine or a tool?

gizmo

gadget

contraption

widget

doodad

a machine or tool? forever unnamed or temporally?

doohickey

thingama(bob, jig)

what(chamacallit, sit)

mainly or completely decorative

trinket

cuiosity

knickknack

bauble

Bits I would have like to have seen played out in M*A*S*H.

A new person, upon meeting Charles, remarks how sad it is his family couldn't afford a new name. Maybe a non-American who's unfamiliar with English naming customs, like a visiting Korean Major. A hand-me-down name, how tragic. Charlies would be furious, going out of his way to convince them he's rich. A key part of this would be the person playing it 100% seriously. Even the audience is usure, until the end of episode, when it's revealed. Was it serious or comedy? If comedy, was it the visitor acting on their own or with the help of someone at camp?