There is never enough chung-chunging

First of all, that Sesame Street video is hilarious! It is making a whole new generation of Law and Order addicts. However, why doesn't the female detective get to bring in her version of an "m"? Is there perhaps some patriarchy here?
Today's class was excellent as per usual. The episode was more somber than most, or at least we were all rather contemplative after watching it. Whereas I would not say that the mother was stable or should have more children, I do not believe that she had the proper amount of aid for her condition. Many people around her noticed her mental difficulties, yet no one did anything. If her husband loved her so much, why couldn't he get her help? Her in-laws and doctors both saw something amiss, yet that didn't seem to compel them to action. Were they blinded by the fact that she was having problems with motherhood, which is something all women are assumed to know how to do? Society so stigmatizes mothers who resent, even for a moment, mothering responsibilities, yet if people were honest I think a large proportion of mothers would admit to these feelings of helplessness and being overwhelmed. Part of fighting the patriarchal norms that restrict women will have to include implementing open conversations about post-pardem depression and providing communities to help new mothers to cope with their new situations. Having kids is wonderful, but it is not all roses and fun, which is normal, not something to lie to oneself about. Part of creating equality in society is embracing honesty, even when it involves something that has been demonized like the "maniacal maternal" we saw in today's episode.
How can Benton County only have had one judge until now? Judge Holcomb was really interesting and a great storyteller. I hope that she gets her purple robes soon and I really admire her work with the adult drug treatment program. However, I am a little sad that the hostile witnesses and maverick lawyers aren't such a reality. They are some of the best parts of the show!
I will so miss our class! This has been my favorite course to date in college and I loved the camaraderie we developed. All the speakers were amazing and I can't believe how much we learned from a TV show. I'm so glad to know that others appreciate L&O as much as I do. We should have a reunion during the next marathon!