I admit it. I like to veg out in front of the tv on Sundays and get my share of drama. I avoid suburb drama like the plague in real life but Desperate Housewives have been a Sunday-staple for years. Of course I relate to Susan the most (the artist) even though I’m a bit less clumsy about how I go through my daily life. Bree is just a smidge too together – wound up like a coil ready to SNAP at any moment… great business she has going though! I wish I had a studio the size of her kitchen… woo-wee!
Last night, they broke their contract with me.
I realize that there had been some odd, evil things going on on Wisteria Lane and they were going to have to tie up the “who tried to strangle Julie” plot line at some point… but yikes! I think they borrowed the writers from Dexter for that hour of darkness. I didn’t like it – not one bit! It was too far from what I have come to expect and if they keep it up, I’ll stop watching.
I had an inspiration while explaining the situation to a friend – there is a lesson in here for us!
Are you keeping your “contract” with your clients and end consumers?
In Paul Brent’s branding teleseminar he talks about building and being true to your brand. Not building an expectation and then going off and creating in left field. He should know, he’s built quite a brand! To my way of seeing things, Desperate Housewives did just that – they went off into evil land and they better fix it, quick! (In this loyal viewers humble opinion of course.)
Just a little food for thought I felt compelled to share… think about your art brand like a tv show and make sure your audience is getting what they expect. THAT is the key to success!
– Tara Reed
i thought last night’s episode gave the show a spark. it has been really stale lately. my fav character is lynette. can’t stand susan’s whining or angie’s story; would like to see the softer side of her; she is too tough for wisteria lane. they portray her son as a goofball and the husband is downright creepy.
Interesting… everyone reacts differently. I watch CSI & Bones for murder stuff and like the ‘figure it out’ stuff… that kid was just downright creepy. I didn’t buy all the ‘back stories’ either – too contrived for me.
Lynette is awesome when she isn’t just screaming – she’s probably the most well rounded character on there. Angie – agreed! Soften her up more and her husband is ALMOST as creepy as that kid from last night. I’m getting weird shivers just thinking about it!
Not sure what they can do – may be about to “jump the shark” – or maybe it did last season. Which again speaks to branding – how do you evolve without getting stale?
Thanks for the comments and continuing the conversation!
OK, I get where you’re going with the branding comparison. And yes, they have made their “brand” with a fairly consistent storyline, however they have gone down the creepy town tracks from time to time. (Let’s not forget that MaryAlice and her husband hacked up the body of their son’s birth mother and buried her in their swimming pool)
The consistancy is in the narration that we don’t always know what goes on behind our neighbors’ closed doors, or that when we suspect something amiss it’s easier to turn a blind eye than to step outside our comfort zone and take action – after all when MaryAlice committed suicide all her friends were able to do is talk about how they should have seen the warning signs.
So yes I think the branding comparison is great, I simply consider last night’s episode to be exploring the outer reaches of the brand.
Good points Lynn! Maybe I was in a different mood last night than some of the other creepy episodes or maybe they haven’t had one for a while – who knows. Whatever it was – it creeped me out more than normal! Thanks for your comments!