MovieChat Forums > This American Life (2007) Discussion > guy who wouldn't mow the lawn clip confu...

guy who wouldn't mow the lawn clip confused me

posted 14 years ago by yojimboy
4 replies | jump to latest

Why was that segment supposed to be interesting, and how did this couple come to the attention of the makers of the TV show? I'm assuming that since the husband was a writer, he probably knew someone connected to the show who thought the story was cute. How it made it to the stage of filming it for television I can't fathom. Seemed like such a trivial story, a husband making excuses why he shouldn't have to mow the lawn. The eastern Europe government repression angle was weak and basically irrelevant and the story had no conclusion. Seemed utterly pointless.

[–] Spider42 14 years ago

That was one of my favorite parts of one of my favorite episodes. Its lighthearted triviality helped balance the life-changing, generation-defining "WAR" part of the first story. To me the point was that it's a different kind of war, one that doesn't matter at all yet we take pretty seriously when we're in the middle of it. It's the everyday things that really make up a lot of the struggle in most American's lives.

Maybe it felt more meaningful to me because I too have a very strong opinion on lawns. I felt like cheering for the guy while I was watching.

to light a candle is to cast a shadow

[–] yojimboy 14 years ago

Thanks for taking the time to explain why you thought differently of it, and doing so in non-judgmental terms regarding my own statement. Helped me see another perspective.

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] 14 years ago

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