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Showtime’s inexplicably green-lighted new half-hour series, The United States Of Tara, premiered on TV last night after several weeks of online availability and massive hype. By the time the first show aired, everyone I know had seen it online and had a different angle from which to gleefully diss this show about a “normal” suburban family with a secret (can we please stop making these?). First, a summary:
Steven Spielberg called Diablo Cody with his idea for a show about a suburban mom with multiple personalities. Diablo Cody created and wrote the show. Showtime bought it and cast very talented people in the roles of Tara (Toni Collette), her JK livin’ husband (John Corbett), and Tara’s sister (Rosemarie DeWitt). Then, despite all these fine actors and Showtime executives and Spielberg and Cody and a crew being involved, the pilot episode is an unintentionally funny, totally ridiculous, 20-groans-per-second, incoherent mess, the merciful conclusion of which inspires no emotion other than ANGER at how stupid these people must think their audience is to put this crap on TV and expect us to buy it.
Here are just a few of the many things wrong with The United States Of Tara:
1. Dissociative Identity Disorder (or at least the multiple personality kind portrayed here), despite being Law And Order‘s bread and butter in the early ’90s, does not exist. But don’t worry! In the first ten minutes of the pilot, Tara’s sister utters the words “It’s not even a real disease.” Contrary to Screenwriting For Dummies or whatever, this one line does not excuse the show’s entire premise.
2. Tara’s “Alters” (besides “normal generic mom”) are:
“T”: A slutty obnoxious teenager who is more slutty and obnoxious than any teenager in history. (She fakes an orgasm in front of her kids, for example.) “T” is relegated to the shed out back, where she throws tantrums so loud that her son cranks Thelonious Monk to drown them out. I wish I was kidding.
“Buck”: Someone’s idea of a rude Southern redneck man. He calls the son a “faggot,” beats up Tara’s daughter’s abusive boyfriend, and grabs her friends asses. (In a preview of the upcoming season, “Buck” lights “his” farts! For real.)
“Alice”: A perfect 50′s-style housewife (who was not in the pilot, but is coming up.)
So, basically, your first three generic guesses when told the premise of this show. No reason to stretch or anything! it’s not HBO, it’s Showtime. Also, OF COURSE, Tara’s alters refer to her all the time. They’re so self-aware!
3. In case you were crossing your fingers and hoping for range, the signature Diablo Cody Juno dialogue is here, too:
One friend asked me if I’d seen the show and when I rolled my eyes and groaned asked “What was the exact moment when the show lost you? For me it was when the teenage daughter answered her phone “Hello sex robot!” This moment occurs approximately two minutes in, and is only the first of MANY “clever” “quips” peppered throughout. If you want to say “ugh” twenty times in half an hour, by all means, watch this show.
4. Tara’s family (teenage daughter, son, and husband) treat her fake disease like it’s normal. Her husband, Max, is particularly unworried and even amused by his wife’s condition, even though it’s clear that if a situation like this existed, Tara would be taken to a mental hospital, probably for the rest of her life. If this show were intended to be a straight-up comedy, that would be fine, but it’s not: it’s supposed to have heart, and we’re supposed to care and believe. And that’s the major issue here: this show is not a comedy. This show is sad and uncomfortable to watch — which is why everyone gets angry at the end and wants their 30 minutes and respect for Toni Collette back.
5. The worst thing about this show is the fact that the extremely talented and discerning Patton Oswalt is going to play a recurring role in upcoming episodes, which is so painful to imagine that I can’t outright dismiss The United States Of Tara, so here’s a last-ditch suggestion for fixing it that, in homage to the plot of the pilot I’ll call “Plan B”:
Put Tara’s character back on her medication, and then have a normal show with these characters and actors, simply mentioning Tara’s condition from time to time for consistency and suspense. With this kind of talent, there was never really any need for a stupid gimmick. If only somebody had told Diablo Cody that before she picked up her hamburger phone and listened to Steven’s high-dea.
(If you still want to watch this show and you don’t have Showtime, you can watch the first episode here. But WHY?)
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I wasn’t going to watch this show, but then I had a half hour before Secret Diary of a Callgirl came on so I was like “why not?”
I was actually amazed at how bad it was. Not only does the premise make no sense but it was executed so very poorly.
I didn’t think it was that bad…
and yes, I do think Juno is annoying, but I didn’t think it was dumb when I saw it the first time.
Maybe this is a case of that? I mean, yeah, it’s silly, but silly TV is fun, right?
Also, something should be said about the fun 14-year-old gay intellectual muffin-baking character. Any show with him hints at something fun going on, right?
Not that Videogum has that “gay slant” going for it or anything…
(except for Gabe’s homoeroticism)
The kid was good. I will give the show that. ONLY THAT.
I loves me some Toni Collette so I was beyond crushed when I watched this shipwreck. There’s literally NO redeeming quality to this show. Poor Toni has fallen victim to the Steven Spielberg Career Destruction Machine (see: Cystal Skull, et al) and she’s going to have to make a lot of amends for this one. I predict 6 episodes air. Max.
Also, the first 8 minutes or so was the most poorly edited thing (film or TV) I’ve ever seen.
i was wondering when someone was going to come along and fill the ‘what the fuck’ void left in the wake of john from cincinnati’s cancellation. thanks, diablo, for trying to bring back ‘hosebeast’!
Wait, since when isn’t DID real? I’m aware the variety that Tara retardedly apes from other equally dumb “hollywood” films in which the individual has multiple zany and different personalities who are comically unaware (or comically aware!) of one another is a product of bad screenwriting but its still a real diagnosis according to the DSM-IV. There’s some controversy over what it constitutes but at the very least there are those that still find it a useful diagnosis. In my experience though, individuals with it complain mostly about derealization, depressionion, a loss of sense of self and anxiety. Surprisingly, not-a-one has impromptu become a redneck (!)
What I want to know is, why wasn’t Diablo Cody’s name mentioned in any of the promotional materials? Everything just said, “from Executive Producer Stephen Spielberg.” Wouldn’t one think that having the most well-known screenwriter of the moment as the series creator would be worth mentioning somewhere? My theory is that Diablo Cody submitted a first draft that was totally unreadable and then they spent the last several months blowing through their budget while trying to fix the unfixable … but in a “Diablo Cody way”. And Spielberg was so annoyed that he refused to give her a plug in any of the publicity. I don’t know if Hollywood really works that way. But it should.
Wait…this show isn’t a comedy? It’s supposed to be a drama or something? ’cause I was laughing…like it was supposed to be a comedy…wow.
I was actually excited about this show: I thought the concept was clever enough, and might even be funny. and Toni Collete!
Too bad it was so poorly executed. Give this to Mitch Hurwitz!
They forgot the part where it is 1996 and Tara goes on the Leeza Gibbons’ show and slips between her “identies” for 30 minutes while Leeza looks concerned.
If you’re going to fake a disease at least make it interesting, geez even Leeza knew that.
I must be crazy myself, because I enjoyed the show.
I hated this show a hell of a lot, but “Buck” saying that those muffins tasting “homo-made” made me chuckle. So theres that. But thats it. Seriously.
The diagnostic criteria in DSM-IV Dissociative disorders section 300.14 require:
* The presence of two or more distinct identity or personality states, each with its own relatively enduring pattern of perceiving, relating to, and thinking about the environment and self.
* At least two of these identities or personality states recurrently take control of the person’s behavior.
* Inability to recall important personal information that is too extensive to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness.
* The disturbance is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., blackouts or chaotic behavior during alcohol intoxication) or a general medical condition (e.g., complex partial seizures). In children, the symptoms are not attributable to imaginary playmates or other fantasy play.[5] A patient history, x-rays, blood tests, and other procedures can be used to eliminate the possibility that symptoms are due to traumatic brain injury, medication, sleep deprivation, or intoxicants, all of which can mimic symptoms of DID.
I didn’t understand why the alters were so rude. Furthermore the ugly japanime obsessed dork in Dokken pants (assuming they even exist) doesn’t ever get to date the cute ballerina, much less push her around.
Still less contrived than the movie Identity
Ugh. Shit like this makes me want to rub a flu culture on my eyeball.
feel free.
I miss The Wire.
sex robot lost me too. patton oswalt?? noo
also, the kid is 14? he was talking about intro to film class and i assumed he was in college (and for some reason still living at home i guess). weird
I watch it online a few weeks ago. I am a fan of Toni and I find John Corbett hot (though he has become increasingly bland since his Northern Exposure days). I will admit to being a fan of Juno, and it seems that Diablo put a lot of that kind of teenager-esque speech into the mouth of the daughter. She’s a punk, she dates a guy with samurai knots and is into ballet! She’s unique! I liked the beginning of Diablo’s screenwriting in reference to Tara’s job and how vacuous her clients tend to be. Let’s see more of that!
I found the son amusing but almost too unbelievable. Although you might catch me using the phrase “Muffins of Triumph” soon.
That sister of hers totally wants to jump on John Corbett.
I wonder if her personalities are based on her family, her father could be Buck, her mom or the idealized version of her mom could be Alice …
It sounds like the worst idea for any show in the history of Television. I have to turn the tube off as soon as the ads come on. Maybe it will be a hit.
DID isn’t real. Multiples have been trying to get that ‘medical disgnosis’ removied for a while (rather offensive to be told you’re a fragment of someone elses mind, after all) What -is- real is that anyone in a situation like Tara’s is disordered, and needs help. In an orderly system there is cooperation and group accountability. A good many multiples do not have any sort of amnesia either, and those that do work towards communication with each other. ‘Disorder’ comes from irresponsibility among the members, selfishness, lack of communication, or any one person trying to seize control, etc. Shows like this which show a crazy stereotype of ‘DID’ drive me nuts. An amnesiac women with wacky alters who come out for large periods of time when she is stressed because she can’t handle real life? She definately needs to work on some issues, certainly. We have no loss of memory, and can share fronting when needed or when we want to, and primarily switch by request or interest or what is best for the social situation. (As its best not to wierd people out, after all. Only one person has ever ‘guessed’ we were a multiple, without us telling them.) Because we are all so involved in day to day life, large blocks of time for any individual are actually strange to maintain, (Not that anyone is ever completely shut out, but usually just one person is ‘fronting’, or in control of most or all actions and directly experiencing things) Within the multiple community people tend to report differing experineces…but rarely do they fall under the DID pattern – and when they do, it is seen as something to work towards correcting. -Not- that we are multiple, but the lack of communication. (Although, I do hold out a subsection for people who actually might just be delusional or have other issues. But in the majority of cases, I do not think multiplicity is the problem.)
But shows like this and the continued media and medical bias make it very hard to approach the subject to some friends. Our culture has turned from ‘I think, therefore I am’ to a culture of ‘You must think within these bounds, our you are not acceptable’ – even our quest for ‘tolerance’ is intolerant 98% of the time.
I am all for people saying ‘its not a real disease!’ (Although, not so much for people thinking people are faking. Thoguh I do think there is a dangerous social effect where having multiple personalities cqan be ‘popular’ so then others ‘want to get in on it’ and so can delude themselves for a time, or fake it to fit in…but those are different stories) Because none of us think we are delusions of our own mind. Some of us were disorderly, a while back, but we have worked to get along as a group and are rather like a family now. We have ups and downs, but act as a unit with individual interests but group responsibility and goals.
Apparently Showtime doesn’t want to know the REAL facts about DID, and what a person who has DID struggles with on an hourly basis. I feel insulted to have received an obvious “form email letter” in response to my heartfelt email to Showtime. What I saw in the first episode, is that Mr. Spielberg is using “sex, sex, and more sex”, to sell a series.
At least with the massive number of anti-Tara emails that Showtime obviously has received from DID sufferers, they have included an “informative” video from Dr. Kluft; however, even in his short documentary, he did not address the magnitude of the horrific childhood sexual abuse that causes Dissociative Identity Disorder. The so called “consultant” that the writer, Diablo Cody is conferring with, had DDNOS, not DID. Apples and oranges… sigh.
Imagine for a moment, if you can: A new Showtime series called, “The Deformed State of Tara” – a COMEDY about a girl who confronts comedic situations in her every day life revolving around her dealing with her inability to climb stairs, her sexual encounters, and her comedic experiences with people staring at her scarred and deformed face and arms. (As a child, her parents had physically abused her so intensely, that her repeatedly broken bones resulted in a leg amputation, and the repeated burns the parents inflicted on her arms and face resulted in grotesque scarring which made her face appear as almost inhuman.)
This scenario is NO DIFFERENT than creating a “COMEDY” about a person who suffers from a disorder caused by repeated, early childhood RAPE AND INCEST. One might say that the results of childhood physical abuse are apparent to outsiders, but the results of childhood sexual abuse resulting in Dissociative Identity Disorder are also readily apparent to others in public. Raping young children is NOT comedic.
Does this life seem like a comedy?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JZcEsOQFXc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5DEV6OqPJk
I think you need to get off your high horse and get a life…I came across this page trying to find the name of a song and came across your little rant. If you are so naive to believe everything you see on tv is real then you need to change the channel. You see spaceships the size of planets do you question their realism NO…Your opinion is your opinion and no one can take that from you but if you are just going to rant on about a show that is about stuff you dont believe THEN DONT WATCH IT…I thought slumdog millionaire was a waste of 6 academy awards but do i go post a whole page on it NO…Heath Ledger only won because he died…(Phenomenal Performance believe me i could watch dark night over and over) But honestly if he were still alive do you think hee would have even been nominated! But i dont go making a whole page and wasting my time with it i have the power to just not see slumdog again or get over the awards… I just am in awe of all you PEOPLE on here trying to correct the shows story lines because they arent truly Factual, and yet half of you are going to see Startrek and have the entire collection of harry potter and are addicted to TWILIGHT! non of thats real….YOU write a better show or movie! Non of that is easy….
OH AND WITH THESE COMMENTS:
(“the pilot episode is an unintentionally funny, totally ridiculous, 20-groans-per-second, incoherent mess, the merciful conclusion of which inspires no emotion other than ANGER at how stupid these people must think their audience is to put this crap on TV and expect us to buy it.”)
(“show about a “normal” suburban family with a secret (can we please stop making these?)”)
HAAHAHAHAHA You watched it didnt you….! You aparently know everything about the show for someone who hates it so much!!!!
I have to say your an idiot Not for voiceing your opinion…but for completely wasting time on this MINE INCLUDED…
cheers
You dislike this show only because of your refusal to “believe in” DID; then why did you tune in to watch in the first place, knowing that this was a sitcom about a woman with DID? Just because this disorder is controversial doesn’t mean there isn’t a huge amount of research and documented cases. But a review of a show is not the place to critique the disorder, but rather the quality of the show. You’re too busy grumbling to notice how brilliant, well-written, -acted, funny, and touching the show is. It’s essentially about a woman living and struggling to cope and understand her mental disorder; certainly an original premise. If you have something against originality, turn on “Real Housewives,” “Two and a Half Men,” or “The Bachelor,” which I’m sure you already watch anyway. USOT is a brilliant show.
This is absolutly STUPID, U.S of Tara is my all time favorite show.
D.I.D is in fact real, yes many people have faked it but there are few that have actually gone through this, ever try reading Sybil? Or is it too big and intulectual of a book for your small brain to compromise?
The family is SUPPOSED to be weird, that is just one of the things that make it more interesting, and it’s very original because i have never seen a show about D.I.D (the very real and facinating diagnosis) and if you have please inform me, i’d love to know. Many people don’t know much about D.I.D and this show helps people who have never heard of it understand a bit better and see all the difficulties that the person going through it and their familes have.
great show . shame its been cancelled
I can’t believe that someone would actually write something like that.
I think the show is great, and you simply can’t judge a book by its cover.
There are so many intresting issues that are taken in consideration during the three season.
The shows talks about a family trying to get through day by day, with good days and bad days.
Their mom is crazy, true, she has a disease which is really stressing not only for her but for whoever is by her side and it does show how hard it can be.
And just to be fair, yes Tara’s sister says that is not a real disease but that is because they are trying to show both sides of the story. The people that believe in it and those that istead think of it as a facade to get through life.
I find it so stupid and superficial to read an article of this type.
Before you write you should do your homework, be a little more open minded and try to understand not only your point of view but also what the other party is trying to do.
The United States of Tara was really one of the most amazing shows out there, I’m sick and tired of te same shit, this show was actually real good. You see the characters grow and became more mature, you see them understading their mistake when they make one and try to find a way to fix it, like it happens in all families. It meant something, it made you think because it was stimulating, it is actually really a shame that it was cancelled.
Well, for whoever out there that thinks the show is shit I believe that if you go through the first season you will really fall in love with it.
That’s all I gotta say, I guess.