Fairy Tale in Baltimore

[LeeVanCleef]

Ya know, Nic, a few years ago on Xmas, I posted the Pogues "Fairy Tale in New York" on my Facebook page and you responded... well, I don't know... you responded... I know that much. I could look it up on my time line, but I'm far too drunk and stoned to do it. Anyways, while I was writing that review of Fruitvale Station and reminded of Michael B. Jordan's role in The Wire, my mind could not escape how they always played the Pogues "Body of an American" when they had a cop's funeral on The Wire. I listened to the song, but it really didn't carry the emotional weight that it did when they played it on The Wire, so I thought I'd include it here. (BTW, for those uninitiated, the guy who played the cop whose funeral they're celebrating actually was a cop on the Baltimore PD. He became both a creative consultant and an actor on the series when he died during production, so this really is a funeral for a Baltimore POlice! Be prepared to drink (and throw up) while watching this clip: The Body of an American (The Pogues, The Wire) - YouTube

While we're on the subject, there are those who would claim that The Wire was the greatest series ever produced... a series that started with the death of an American city and, for five years, produced one of the most equally poignant and stinging eulogies ever presented. I went into the first episode with high expectations. I was a huge fan of creator David Simon's Homicide series on NBC, as well as the book it was based on Homicide: A Year On the Killing Streets. I watched the first episode and thought "Oh, a pale copy of Homicide with more cursing, because it's HBO." And now, I find I'm thoroughly wrong. It truly is the best series ever produced that documents the life, and decline, of an urban American city in the 21st century. To all those reading, give it a shot. Here's an example of the series' greatness. This is the season 5 cold opener. Just sublime. Special credit to Wendell Pierce as Detective "Bunk" Moreland, who should have received at least a couple of Emmys in a rightful world. Then again... Bodymore, Murderland POlice never expect a rightful world. The Wire - Bunk's interrogation techniques - YouTube

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

ahh, billy... i guess i was a bit stunk and droned meself last night to have missed this!

i think what i might have responded on re: "fairytale," is that at one point i thought there was a different pogues song with a xmas theme, and was agitatin' ye to help me remember it if ye could. on due consideration, i think it was must have been some other irish band (or maybe shane singing solo??) doing the number. ah well, so many great songs to get to, so short is life...

anyway, that was a cool tribute speech in the clip. i believe my mom was in to the wire, although that would have been almost six years ago. crikey, does tempus fugit(!) okay, i still have to get to mad men, but i will duly add the wire to the check out list.

oh, and interesting clip. does that stuff jibe with your time with the dept? of course i've read about all manipulative stuff plenty of times, but can't say i've ever experienced it.

 

[LeeVanCleef]

Oh, very much so! I got to see some video of our late Lt. Landwehr interviewing Dennis "BTK" Rader, in which Master Rader pointed to a CD-ROM he sent to the cops and said "You lied to me." In some secret correspondence, the WPD promised not to try to trace any info ol' Dennis sent them. For the frightening booger-man who haunted Wichita for some 30 years, he turned out to be a bit of a dimwit.