We have to talk about Ryan...

Murphy, specifically, and his "straight to TV" borderline snuff writing.

Where to start?

Well, trigger warnings for one. It’s no secret this man is contentious. So the warnings are the following: ED, SA, and r*pe. From here on out, there will be no abbreviations of these words. Please take care.

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In brief overview, Ryan Murphy is a prominent TV writer, director and producer. He is known for the following: American Horror Story; American Crime Story; Glee; Ratched; POSE, and recently Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffery Dahmer Story.

What we will be diving into, however, is Nip/Tuck, a 2003 monstrosity of ham-fisted “progressive” language while still serving the status quo of badly behaved, prominent white men.

When I say this is a hard series to revisit, I mean that we could draw a direct line from a young person to an eating disorder in mere moments. I’m saying that this series does some work in tongue-in-cheek humor, making-fun-of, “oh, the lengths they will go to…teehee,” while at the same time still promoting and profiting off of it.

Exploitation, is the word. On one hand, specifically dealing in the not-so-subtle privilege of it all, and the other by bastardizing experiences of marginalized peoples.

Basically, you don’t get brownie-points for including trans women in the storyline while simultaneously degrading them. You don’t get a pat on the back for pointing out the elephant in the room of: beauty standards, double standards, and impossible standards. Not while you focus on it, sensationalize it, and offer no recourse in the harm displayed, for the characters. Style over substance, as it were. I believe Mr. Murphy is hiding behind spectacle, a sense of provocation, while not understanding how to use it and when to use it. I do not believe his work in POSE saves him from the harm caused across multiple shows. And believe me, I loved POSE. At the end of the day: the man canNOT write a script without shitting on someone with entirely too much…#glee. I feel gross.

Now, let’s start at the basics. His style:

It’s certainly flashy. He has a specific set of, truly, stellar actors that provide a wonderful standard of diving into #difficult work. Though one wonders what made them take job in the first place, if they knew what would be happening to their characters, and if they were informed of any potential harm. Now, I’m not going to shit on anyone for doing their job, grabbing a check, and moving on with their lives. Sarah Paulson remains a queen. Evan Peters is adorable, if not a bit naive. WHY DID YOU DO DAHMER?

More specifically, how in the world do you manage to back-burner Angela fucking Bassett—are you insane? Kathy Bates? Bahhhhh, why?!

Jessica Lange LEFT, my dude. What were you even doing with her character in American Horror Story: Freak Show?

Ugh, I digress.

The real shit of it is that it isn’t all bad. There is a sense of flair, but no finesse. The sets are beautifully done, the costuming (albeit often inaccurate) and at the end of the day the production proves to be dynamic. The visual through lines make sense for the most part. Hollywood is meant to be a proverbial baseball bat of satire, being sexy and fun at first with a huge punch of reality.

And yet,…

…the fun stops pretty fast with the vehicle of the show becoming increasingly clear: sexual assault and rape. I don’t think we needed the particularly clear reminder of the practices of “casting couches.” Granted, we are speaking on gay men here of a bygone age. This certainly looks different through the lens of the time where most men were closeted and the world is firmly set in its racism. Is he revealing the underbelly? No, this show was made in fucking 2020. My dude, we know. We are aware. So, what are you doing with these trauma dumps? Or is this another half-assed justification for being provocative? When it’s blown up on your home TV, one questions the point Murphy is trying to make. What is this avenue for?

Neat. So, just spectacle then...? Again.

Ryan, you do know that you have actual people on set, right? You do know the ethics of what you’re job is, right? You do understand the responsibility you have to your actors, right?

Or…no? Am I getting that wrong somehow?

Season 5 of American Horror Story opens with a metal drill of a “dildo” for fuck’s sake. WHY. What representation of queer culture, kink, BDSM, or sexual liberation is this, exactly? Or are we only using these things to cause shock and awe for a view? Why? Because we can’t stop looking, thereby, bringing more harm for the communities of people that have pain-stakingly sussed out their boundaries and desires, then bastardizing it into an FX snuff film?

You can’t take care of your characters, Murph. That much is clear.

And apparently, like most white gay men of a certain age, your growth stopped after your first sexual liberation. So, what? Do you not care about anyone else? You’re good so…like, now it’s just for funsies? Do you wish to add more fuel to the fire for the peeps that still haven’t woken up out of their white supremacist coma? Thereby, letting your lack of knowledge permeate my TV screen, my ears, and my soul for a 2nd, 3rd, and 5th time as I give you chance after chance of showing me something worth my damn time. While at the same time doing nothing to add to the queer conversation as we all tip-toe in this shit storm of pop-culture and politics?

Nope? K.

What is this for? Contention?

What is this conversation being started?

There isn’t one. It’s just to talk. And that is not enough of a reason. That’s no where near enough of a reason.

Who is your audience? It sounds like it’s just you. And you, my dude, are fucked.

But I’m not unreasonable, dear readers. I am of the people, we can talk. I promise.

I just…want to talk.

This is what we are discussing. We are exploring whether or not there is evidence of justifiable violence within Mr. Murphy’s work. Because, at this point, all I see are abused bodies of people stacked up for views and the pleasure of a man that has no idea how to empathize, let alone write.

So, we dive into the horror inside of the horror: writing that harms.

Welcome to this retrospective of Nip/Tuck. We start on the first episodes this week.

Stay tuned, stay diligent.

and…ugh, wish me luck.

Also, feel free to disagree. I’m here for it. Give me discourse. Prove. Me. Wrong. I would love to be wrong on this: