Could "Entourage" be made in the #MeToo era?

[Steve Timko]

I didn’t watch “Entourage” during its original HBO run, except to catch an episode here or there. It did not seem like something I wanted to watch. Last week I decided to watch the pilot and within two days I had watched the first season and was one episode into the second season. It’s an interesting mix of characters, loutish but likeable in their own ways. Well maybe not Jeremy Piven’s agent, but maybe I’m holding the real Jeremy Piven against him.

Watching it, though, with its emphasis on women as sex objects, I wonder how that would play today with the #metoo movement. Women are not always the victims in the show, such as when one gal lures the two buddies into a three-way. But for the most part its men pursuing women, almost relentlessly. Piven’s agent talks openly about having sex with subordinates.  And the show takes a casual attitude towards prostitution.

I remember the show got some grief when it aired and people really took aim at the “Entourage” movie.  It seems like there would be #metoo suicide bombers ready to take out the show creators now if it was being shown. 

I don’t know if the quality will keep up through all the seasons, but so far I’m happy with the episodes I’ve watched and I’m glad the show got made. I don’t think the same show could be made today.

[Mark Jeffries]

As you get farther into the series, you'll come across the agent characters played by Carla Gugino and Constance Zimmer that won't let Ari steamroll them.  As for Vince and the boys, not really (even if women were intellectually superior to them, which wouldn't take much).

Mark Jeffries
Saints Spotlight Editor
spotl...@gmail.com

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[Steve Timko]

Yeah, I was just getting through the Carla Gugino episodes. But even then, as a strong female character, they made a point of showing her in her nighty. I haven't seen that with the boys or Ari. I'm not complaining. Every show should have Carl Gugino in her underwear. I don't know if it quite rates as hypersexualized, but there's a lot more female skin showing than male skin.

It's also interesting how the show ramped up from eight shows the first season to 14 the second, 20 the third and back down to 12 the fourth season. The third season seemed to have some abrupt plot changes. Not so much that they were trying to stretch it out, but maybe they were cutting back from 24 episodes to 20 so they had to wrap it up.

It is still going well. A co-worker tells me the last couple of seasons suck.
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