Dirt - The Complete First Season (2007)

Shock Smart

Do people realize how bitingly smart this show is? I don't think they do, judging by the disparaging comments on how gratuitous, lurid, tasteless, and unfunny the show is. Guess what? It's a show about sensationalist TABLOIDISM. ...I hope that's all that's needed to be said on that front.

And the show IS funny: all sharp, bleeding wit--and it's a good thing Lucy Spiller's first instinct is to tear into the first hint of blood in the water. It's amazing to watch the Devil work the room, spinning her wheels and making deals.

But more than that, the show is about showing what's human behind the celeb, the humanity behind the monstrous tabloids, like Lucy and Don's genuine friendship. Don truly is the "heart and voice" of the show, because it's through him that the show questions its actions: Why the hell is everyone acting so horribly to each other?

The answer: Because you want them to.

Dirt makes a statement and makes it profoundly--and not by beating you in the head with a soapbox. The show opens up into the hyper-real world that exemplifies the consumers' crushing need for the kind of entertainment that deals exclusively in sex, shame, blood, violence, and betrayal: the weekly tabloids. Do you hate what you see on-screen? Look around. If there's a magazine featuring TomKat's tortured wedded life on your desk, in your hands, hell--if you even know what I'm talking about--you're a part of it.

You can't watch Dirt thinking it's just "trashy fun." You won't get it. You won't get nearly what it's worth out of it.

But if you THINK while watching the beautiful art direction, acting, music, setting, plot, character development--it's definitely worth it. June 11, 2008

Gutsy

As for the content, this show deals with the tawdry side of life, particularly Hollywood; so we should expect an expose of the immorality that may come from a life in pursuit of hedonism. But artistically, the acting and film-making is great. May 5, 2008

Worth Giving A Chance

I stayed away from this show for far too long because it got slammed by so many critics but when Hulu launched I figured what the heck, it's free so I'll give it a shot and I'm SO GLAD I did.

For all of those who slam it I say: this isn't Masterpiece Theatre kids and it isn't supposed to be.

What it is is a highly enjoyable guilty pleasure and it's fantastic to see Courtney Cox in this as it is clear she is having a blast playing the over the top Lucy Spiller. April 27, 2008

Not that good

This was quite a disappointment. The idea of a series about a thrashy Hollywood celebrity magazine was good but it does not succeed. On the one hand it has a way too hard edge without being really realistic. It dwells on the lives of not that interesting and unsympathetic actors thourgh the eyes of an extremely hardened editor played by Courteney Cox. The role of this aggressive, foul-mouthes and ambitious editor does not suit her. The problem is that after a pilot episode that was dreadful it does get somewhat better with the exception of her schizophrenic photographer friend. This could and should have been thrasy fun instead. April 18, 2008

dirt

okay, so it's trashy, and it lays bare all the tabloid nonsense we like to pretend we despise. but hey, isn't that the point of TV? personally, i find the show completely addictive. this show entertains in rich color and witty dialog. i think the cast is amazing- courtney cox is a cold and compelling star, and don is totally endearing as a co. willa is wonderfully wicked, holt gorgeously indecisive, julia, ah how you'll love to hate her. and hey, if you don't want to watch a show about a tabloid, don't watch it! but if you do, i think you'll agree you're hooked after one episode. it's just good entertainment! April 18, 2008

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