Our American Apocalypse: The Wire

I just finished watching the TV show, "The Wire" and it blew my socks off.

It's a series about cops, drug dealers, students, politicians, crack heads, journalists, homeless, teachers and everyone in between caught up in the turmoil that is Baltimore, Maryland. The writing is so flawless and the and acting is so good it transcends the plane of what ordinary shows hope to achieve. This show goes further, reaches deeper and probes issues most people don't want to talk about.

It asks hard questions and challenges the viewer to take a second look at what's going on in our country. In short, like a great novel or literary work, "The Wire" maximizes the potential of its medium and does something important, it educates.

David Simon, the writer and creator of the show, shoves the decay of Americana in the audiences' face like a pet owner rubbing a naughty puppy's snout in its own pungent feces.

Simon, a former police reporter, understands people. You can tell he knows what makes them tick and more importantly, he knows how they speak.

For instance, there will often be a scene with the mayor, his chief-of-staff, the police commissioner and other mucky-mucks discussing how to deal with crime. Then directly following will be a scene with the drug dealers, the captains of the streets, conducting a meeting to decide an issue concerning their coke supply and how to more effectively and profitably get their product to the consumer.

Not only does the show tell the tale of the powers-that-be wrestling for control of an American city, but it highlights the plight of the helpless majority caught up in the maw of corruption, greed and ambition.

Simon creates characters from the homeless people and drug addicts on whose backs society shifts its weighty girth daily. He shows the middle class workingmen and women who pay the taxes but never see progress or never see the crime rate drop or the schools educate.

It's just another reminder that this country isn't what it once was. It's a reminder that being black still sucks and being white still has it's privilege. But most of all, it's a reminder that, as Daniels says, we've been, "shining shit and calling it gold" for way too long.