David Simon is Ruining The Wire
How the creator of The Best Show Ever is slowly eroding his masterpiece.
By Rick Paulas
A disclaimer before we start — and I know I'm going to sound like one of those terrible people who start sentences with "I'm not racist, but" before complaining about Mexicans not speaking American. But that's the way it's going to be: I love The Wire. I think it's great. I've seen it multiple times, lent out my DVDs to so many people that I've forgotten who to bug to get them back, still have the vital Heaven and Here blog book-marked, and was this close to sticking out a failed relationship with someone just because I was in the middle of introducing her to the show.
But.
David Simon. Let's talk about him for a second. Actually, you can't really talk about The Wire anymore without him being the center of the conversation. Which makes sense seeing as it's "his vision" and all, but there's a price to be paid when dealing with work by such a heavy-handed, fiercely political auteur as Simon. Namely, you can't trust the show anymore. It's starting to feel like propaganda. (Yes, present tense — probably as many people are watching The Wire now as did when it was on the air.)
There's that theory that an artist should keep his or her own fat mouth shut, that every piece of commentary ruins what came before, that nothing can be so eloquent as the art itself. So every explanation distracts and detracts from the original message. It's why Breaking Bad's Vince Gilligan is careful not to tread on the fans' interpretation of plot points. And why David Chase took a sabbatical after The Sopranos' cut to black. And why David Milch made the incoherent John From Cincinnati, presumably so people would think he was fucking crazy and leave him alone.
But David Simon? Dude can't keep his mouth shut.
Here he is this summer, responding to attorney general Eric Holder's light-hearted suggestion that Simon bring back the show for a sixth season. And here he is, a few months ago, commenting on Baltimore Police Chief Frederick Bealefeld criticizing The Wire. Simon's an eloquent and righteous asshole, for sure. And we love him for it. But his presence is slowly eroding the grand aesthetic of the show. He's diminishing the scope of The Wire with every ranting letter-to-the-editor or blog-post response.
Since the sole reason for the show's existence is its ultimate Grand Message of Social Reform, and every comment out of Simon's mouth is in service of that same Message, there's no more nuance in the show, no more conversation. In retrospect, it's become a lecture — a grand and important one, sure — that loses its impact once you feel lectured at. Simon isn't quite there yet, but he's slowly morphing into that long-winded blowhard who stands drunkenly in front of his painting, waiting for onlookers to suggest that the tulip represents "family," just so he can yell, "It represents death, you piece of shit!"
Here's a very short snippet of a very long interview with Simon by Bill Moyers from this past April:
"When you tell a story with characters, people jump out of their seats, and part of that's the delivery system of television."
But it's these characters who are fading. Carcetti is no longer Carcetti — he's any idealist politician whose goals slowly erode because that's how it works in our shitty political system. Frank Sobotka is no longer a dockworker — he's any blue-collar worker forced into illicit activity because of the failing economy. The characters are no longer characters. They're symbols, chess pieces.
Deadwood's Al Swearengen, meanwhile, is still motherfucking Al Swearengen.
What I'm saying is: it's getting harder to re-watch the show and not continually ask, "What's David Simon trying to say here?" rather than worrying about the characters themselves. You start to feel him hovering over every plot point, Peter Venkman on the dials, zapping you if you don't guess the right card. That makes The Wire seem like a high-school-lit symbolism quiz, rather than a grand piece of art — and maybe forces us to reconsider what the show actually is, instead of just simply quoting Pop Culture High Scripture that The Wire is the greatest show of all time.
Commentarium (50 Comments)
What I'm saying is: it's getting harder to re-watch the show and not continually ask, "What's David Simon trying to say here?"
no it's not
i got advice for you. don't watch the show anymore or read david simon interviews. will your life be worse because of it? no. the wire is propaganda and art. and the wire now is history. most people still just see it as some obscure tv show, the fact that eric holder just wants to see his favorite character on the big screen is testament that nothing went through his fuckin head about the wire's statement on 'war on drugs' he wants entertainment and so do you. cheers to david simon for speaking his entitled mind.
this comment was meant for the author of the article. btw.
Amen to that.
I think all 356 people in the USA who ever watched this show manage to talk or blog about it at least once a week.
while playing the velvet underground's first album
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Yeah man, Ghostbusters was cool!
Look, I don't know if Simon's bouts of pontification make the show any less amazing; All I know is that I just spent 14 days watching like 55 episodes of this show. It's a top 5 greatest show, and anybody who hasn't seen it probably should. Solid article, though.
an artist isn't supposed to actually engage? what kind of BS aesthete picnic are you eating?
No kidding.
Dear Rick you don't like Simon's take on his own work? Then don't fucking read it. Ignore it. Pretend it doesn't exist. Just because he tells you what he was going for doesn't mean that's where the show ends. Jesus, what are you, fifteen years old?
I am SO grateful to David Simon for living in the REAL WORLD and continuing to give a hoot about it after becoming a rich tv auteur. I mean he is a journalist and a gadfly, first and foremost. It is perverted and SO SO myopic to think that protecting the aura around his work matters 1/100th as much as engaging real world concerns that inspired it. What a piggy greedy little-minded attitude to have. Your pleasure at consuming and admiring an epic work of social realism is nice but it is not important, and it sure as hell doesn't need to be protected. Mr Simons ego may be huge, but it is harnessed to higher ideals than yours.
Well fucking said!
"it sure as hell doesn't need to be protected" is the best possible response to this flippant and misguided article. I'm not even sure if the author of this article knows what he's saying
I can separate the show from the show's creators. I let the work stand on it's own.
I really can't agree with this and can't help but think it is fundamentally mistaken.
Art and artist are always separate. Their intentions don't really matter, since the work stands on its own. Simon could wish his show would have some sort of message or serve this or that purpose. But the show will be judged on its merits. If it came off as propagandistic, it would simply be weak. Fortunately, it does not. Bottomline: What he says simply doesn't matter -- it can't make the show better or worse in any way.
Interestingly, the Wire portray's cops, teachers, drug dealers in very compelx human terms. His only simplistic moment is the last season with the reporters. There you very much have good guys and bad guys. Unlike with cops and gangsters where it is sometimes hard to tell.
A headline that trolls so hard, you might actually click through to hooksexup.com!
So true.
I think Rick Paulas should stop writing commentary so as to avoid diminishing the work we all know and love from the classic Rick Paulas.
lol.
A tiny handful of interviews and commentary expressing his opinions really should have no influence on anyone's appreciation or lack thereof for his work.
That new show Treme is so god-danged preachy that you'd think it'd be out of his system by now.
Yeah, because the stuff he's preachy about has, like, totally disappeared.
I disagree with the author. In the last sentence he claims that the show is one of the greatest of all time and I suspect he feels that way for the same reason that everyone I have talked to about it loves it - the honesty. The Wire was never intended to be a drama series sensationalizing life and politics in Baltimore. It didn't throw money at big-name actors and actresses or elaborate sets and costumes. In fact, they openly hired people from the streets with no acting experience and filmed scenes in some of the worst neighborhoods in Baltimore. This contributed to the show's ability to captivate audiences by authentically depicting the drama of mundane injustices we have all experienced at some point in our lives. Commissioner Burrell elicits emotions of disdain within us not because of Frankie Faison's exceptional acting skills, but rather because we are frustrated by what that character represents - a person who climbed the ranks within a system due to his ability to "play the game." The same logic hold true for rest. We are not disheartened by Carcetti because of Aiden Gillen as much as we are distressed by the unfortunate truth that idealist politicians don't exist. I would argue that those who watch the show for the first time today will probably feel stronger sense of disappointment in Carcetti than those who were avid followers of it when it was on air given the failure of President Obama to "bring change" to Washington.
The beauty in The Wire is that it's characters allows us to apply, confront, and realize our biases, frustrations, and feelings of helplessness; and I don't believe David Simon's comments erode at this process.
Rick,
Did you just tell David Simon to "Shut Up And Sing?"
Shit ain't seemly, man.
This is seriously moronic. the show is political art. That is obvious. If you don't get the message of the show, you really aren't competent to view it. So the fact that the creator has similar political views, and sometimes expresses those has no impact on the show at all. The idea that he should not speak out on the huge social problems he is making important contributions to is morally bankrupt. Let's all just hide in a hole, enjoy our art for art's sake, and let the world go to hell? I'll take Simon over that attitude any day.
The social messages on the show are very obvious and if they are not apparent you should watch CSI programs. The series explored the bureaucracy and moral ambiguity on both sides on the war on drugs, among many other institutions. The creator has the right and obligation to talk about his work anyway he sees fit.
How can David Simon RETROACTIVELY change the quality of a show that is finished by doing interviews? The answer is, he can't. That's ridiculous. He could decide tomorrow to become the next Nancy Reagan and dedicate the rest of his life to the War on Drugs and it still wouldn't change a single thing about what a good show it is. You can calm down because if The Wire had been nothing but pure political message, without the dedication to story and character that it has, it would have sucked and never would have been judged to be the great show that it is.
...to reiterate my points:
A: The Wire has not "become a lecture," as you claim, because you can't retroactively change anything about it once it's finished.
B: If the show had always been "a lecture," it would have come off as an after-school special and never would have garnered the praise that it has. The fact that it is so much more than pure political message is what makes it great.
Guess what? It's not "quoting Pop Culture High Scripture" to say that The Wire is the greatest show of all time. The Wire really is the greatest show of all time. Why are Hooksexup critics always so jaded and cynical?
The author of this article is an idiot. Simon was the showrunner and the main creative force but both Ed Burns and George Pelecanos (especially Burns) were hugely influential in the writing of the series. This guy has a pretty simple-minded view of the show if he's thinks its only reflective of Simon's views.
Big news, everyone! Art sometimes reflects life! That reflection doesn't make it "preachy," unless it's poorly done. Also, it doesn't make it necessarily propaganda, unless it espouses only one simplistic view. If people want art that will not be "tainted" by the real world, well, I don't know where they can look. I was initially going to say sci-fi, but great sci-fi has always been a mirror or contemporary issues and concerns. Maybe the Star Wars prequels? That was only about cool effects.
Yeah, not sure how you missed Simon's message when watching the show...yes, the show is complex and character driven, but it was never ever subtle about its message. " Carcetti is no longer Carcetti — he's any idealist politician whose goals slowly erode because that's how it works in our shitty political system. Frank Sobotka is no longer a dockworker — he's any blue-collar worker forced into illicit activity because of the failing economy"--uh, yes, that's the whole point? I would actually argue that the message is integral to the show. If you have any doubts, re-watch the last five minutes of the season two finale.
Swearengen is still Swearengen. Slim Charles still Slim Charles.
I've seen the series multiple times, as well as heard Simon's commentary in a number of venues. I also tend to agree that most good artwork remains good right up until the artist starts to open his/her mouth about it. However, in the case of the wire it seems to me that there are layers of meaning and understanding that evade any and all "grand narrative" summaries, and that's also precisely the reason why the show is so good. As one example, think about the work/life issues featured in the show: how the characters, McNulty in particular, find meaning in their lives outside of their obsessive devotion to their work--Bodie and Poot fit are two more examples. Meanwhile, I don't see Simon saying much, if anything about this. If the only interesting narrative is one of social reform or the battle between law/order and crime, then it would hardly be a show worth watching more than once.
Are you kidding me? If you weren´t able to understand the show after multiple viewings it´s your ignorance to the message that was written all over The Wire - and not Simon´s fault. Anyone watching and understanding the show always knew that it was about a broken society. The characters and the choice if the characters reflected it. Of course The Wire remains a great piece of art. Not the least for the consistency of the creator´s vision.
Aw man, this article really comes off as a transparent attempt to get people clicking and commenting by touting an illogical and controversial viewpoint on a very popular (within the Hooksexup demographic, at least) show.
It's not designed to contribute anything meaningful or informative to your life. Even commenting that the article is shit is playing into the page impressions for dollars game. Like I am doing, wasting my life here right now. Depressing.
thinkin the same after trollin the comment section and seeing that not one person here agrees with the writer and we all somewhat feel passionate in defending david simon. ha. waste of time indeed. hey Hooksexup. why don't you do a 'talking with strangers' in westside b'more? the sex lives of baltimore corners.
Last!
Just when I think I have some internet-savvy, I click on an article like this.
aa, dude, I'd actually read that...it'd be like when Simon put a couple he knew on the NYT Vows page.
Rick, how does it feel to blog for a website that was cool ten years ago?
i just got it. the writer was hoping david simon would write a letter in response to this article.
Full disclosure: I couldn't be bothered to click on the links or even read all the comments. All I can think of is that it's like the guy loved The Joshua Tree for a decade and just found out that it's got serious Christian undertones and suddenly can't enjoy it anymore.
Sobotka was FORCED into illicit activity because of the failing economy? Forced? Even allowing for hyperbole, that's mildly insulting to all of the blue collar workers - and everyone else - that manages to stay honest regardless of the economy.
If Simon is so smart, he never would have had that stupid fake serial killer plot line in season 5. After that, I don't listen to a word he says.
in the many post-Wire interviews of which the author here complains, Simon has never been anything but upfront about the fact that the show was always intended as an argument against the drug war and illustrative of the end of America's empire. it was never just a "cop show."
the impression I got after reading this article is that the author is having real fears of having his opinions somehow changed after being confronted with someone else's opinion, which he hasn't really at all countered, but instead throws out words like "propaganda" like they still mean something.
It's not racist to want Mexican-Americans to speak English, no matter how liberal you are. I moved to Germany for 3 years for business, and I took the time to learn the language - as all mexicans who want to live in the USA should. To Hell with being politicly correct, thats about being a respectful member of society.
Nonsense. What you're saying is that you have a problem with David Simon. Are you actually expecting anyone else to nod their heads and cluck their tongues and say 'You're right! Simon needs to shut up'. That's not going to happen because A) most people have no problem separating Art from Artists B) He has every right to speak about his Art C) He has most likely been ASKED to speak about it in the context of today's political climate (interviews etc.). What you are doing is taking a personal experience with this show and it's creator and assuming that if it's happening to you it must be happening to everyone else. It's not. I think the comments prove that. You're the only one who's feeling put upon by Simon's vociferousness. How arrogant of you to think you can expect him to withold his opinions because they bug you. Grow up.
John from Cinncinati was excellent. You just didn't get it you shallow fuck.
Now you say something