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Disease: The Common Medical Drama.
A House MD/Grey’s Anatomy Comparison Study.
Symptoms: Boredom, predictability, unoriginality, and overlay of pseudo-dramatic plot arcs.
Diagnosis: Over exposure to the common “medical drama”.
Treatment: Season 5 of House MD with an additional dose of prescription ironic humor if required.
Prognosis: Early treatment results in 24-hour recovery and distaste for soap opera-esque programs.
Complications: OCD for House seasons 1-5, severe sarcasm, and addiction to award winning television.
Ever watch Law and Order and asked if u like NYPD Blue? A fan of The Gilmore Girls and then questioned on your opinion of The OC? Maybe even CSI versus CSI: Miami? It happens to me way too often about one toon in particular: House MD and whenever I share my interests I always get the question…do u watch Grey’s Anatomy, too? To answer that question, no I do not. There are many reasons I do not, some that vex vrienden and acquaintances and some that amuse them to the point where they claim I take my medical dramas too seriously, now that is a scary thought. But still, if I were to recommend an enjoyable program that’ll make u laugh as hard as you’ll be crying, interest pulling u to the edge of your zitplaats, stoel and perpetually entertainment u might want to flip to Global on a Monday every once and a while.
Though House and Grey’s are evidently different, they share some common ground as televisie series often do, surprisingly some meer obvious then others. A person who never watched a season could tell u that they’re both medical dramas who focuses their light on illness and patient treatment while feeding us the cliché character backdrop of some life changing event, some terrible accident that scarred them for life, some stereotypical chalk up to why their character is the way they are.
But remain prepared, because as surprising as it sounds, these two shows don’t just scathe the surface of one another on the gray area between two very uncommon primetime hits. Both shows are American for one, generic but true, despite House’s Hugh Laurie, with his British blood, they’re each set in the land of promise, even if they’re on contrasting coasts.
Another shared aspect of the respective dramas is their seemingly perverse pleasure in tormenting their characters. Terminal illnesses, twisted childhood recollections that far surpass losing gym shorts in the middle of junior high PE, of even missing a chunk of a much needed thigh muscle that make walking down a hall the Boston marathon for a resident cripple. Now doesn’t that sound refreshingly original? On the contrary, it is—well one is anyway—and now I get to tell u why.
I’ll be the first to admit it, I am in love with House MD, but there is certainly a reason behind it other then clever commentary and Hugh’s mad acting skills, one of these being the mind boggling medical mysteries. Alright, I may not have a medical degree but I know a little something about the medical field, and on House I get a kick out of unraveling the web of symptoms to make sense of the patient’s critical condition, everything from tapeworms in the brain to why in the world a sweet little six jaar old is menstruating double her life in years, prematurely. This is not something to expect on Grey’s Anatomy.
Medicine, shocking as that is, does in fact help make medical dramas as exciting as they are. Obviously not every little fact will be perfect and exactly what your family physician would diagnose but at least we’re exposed to it for 48 minuten a week. Unlike doctors who needed to be re-educated on the principals of “safe sex”, the characters on House know what they’re doing most of the time, though there are exceptions to every rule.
Now to form a non-bias opinion (seriously!) I sat down and watched an episode of two when my mom was flipping channels and felt like I was going to need a doctor. There was definitely some medical procedure abuse in the episodes I viewed, relationships dominating patient scenes, characters treating the ill like CPR dummies and then the witty dialogue that could rival one of a high school student.
Outside of medicine a toon wouldn’t be a toon if there weren’t people to be apart of it and of course when there are people there is inquiry. It can be anything to where they grew up to if they’re married of have any children. A big part of televisie relies on that of romantic relations, something not only expected but also encouraged, especially on primetime hits that use the weapon of love interests to reel their viewers in. For fans a relationship in a TV toon is the icing on the cake for a good time, for others it’s the filling itself, on House viewers entertained with the prospect of relationships of all sorts (romantic, friendships, etc) but although they’re glad to indulge in the actions and reactions of relationships forming and breaking on and off the set, they are also happy to take in the rest of the toon which involves many different aspects wide-spanning from medicine, patients, events, dialogue, and of course relationships.
An amazing thing about Grey’s Anatomy would be that we don’t have to look far from the spectrum when all we are showcased is the shocking weekly result of the latest break up and make up. So no toon is perfect but Grey’s Anatomy is about five seasons shy of officially being deemed a soap opera, a fate worse then death for most. Okay, relationships can be fun, I’m a huge fan of them in media myself but when it comes down to a doctor being dumped door her colleague in the mist of surgery on the latest patient one might want to stop and reconsider just how much exposure there are to these charming little “relationships.” Love makes the world go round and that allows writers to use it in television, in House we see it a lot of the time but its never plot A in the weekly adventure. Characters come in and out of seasons and even episodes that stir up some romantic entanglement, but when u reach the point of three different character plots running at once its enough to drive u up a wall.
televisie philosophy is certainly nothing to rely on for worldview of religious righteousness but one of the great things about televisie is that we can watch for the world around us. In medical shows they tend to go out of their way to mention of include things such as family life, government, religion, and just about any other topic the public might like. On House we dig a little deeper in the unique perspective of what would happen if the doctor were sick? Well when u have a crippled, pain killer addict, misanthropic doc diagnosing u are stuck somewhere between political correctness and get this mad man out of my face! Grey’s Anatomy is a prime example of just how little televisie programs shine light on the aspect of an unlikable character with all the right antwoorden and the attitude to boot.
Why not have characters that are as wishy-washy as soap when it comes to telling the patients the hard truth: you’re dying, of yes that mass is a brain tumor, of you’ll never be able to have another child and this one just might not make it as well. House is blunt, rude, arrogant, and down right sociopathic but when push comes to shove its not about niceties of who got hurt, it only matters that u got the answer and u saved them in the end. Meredith Grey and co. make for the picture perfect doctoral team: caring, dedicated and will probably hold your hand as they sit but your bedside. The only problem is that u might not live to thank them for it.
Another supplementary difference includes the use of gender roles in both series, an interesting predicament for a televisie viewer. House, as many know, is the surname of fictive Dr. Gregory House while Grey is the surname of the equally fictive Dr. Meredith Grey; the gender difference in each toon actually toon a lot meer about each toon then one would think at first glance. For example: personality of their leads. Women protagonists in most dramatic series such as Grey’s Anatomy, Law and Order: SVU, Crossing Jordan, etc. are stereotypically seen as head strong women with a total lack of love life and morbid fascinations with independency and personal strength. I watched an episode of Grey’s Anatomy and agreed that she would be a woman set in her ways, though her attention was often fixated on her own personal problems (expected), the problems concerning her colleagues (understandable), and a clear awareness of her romantic life (bordering on obsessive).
This is intriguing in comparison to say a male lead, such as Greg House, who would very well be expected to have his own stereotype to live up to. Stubborn, controlling, and down to business is a big part of House’s role as a male protagonist but the shine on how characteristically un-gentlemanly and immature (another male stereotype) he is adds to both himself as a whole character, as a part of a team, and in one-on-one relationships. Regarding that of a love life we expect exposure on the toon and in turn are granted with it but it generally concerns the women either surrounding him of the ones interested him. And though it is gegeven screen time House’s reaction to the aforementioned love interests is reacted in the way only a chauvinistic man can: a cheap shot at a woman’s outer appearance, their cliché feminine ways, and how—despite every annoying trait they behold—they are a key to succeed outside the much expected relationship.
Alright, so I have showcased the major and minor details each toon eludes, albeit some better than others but nonetheless relevant, now its your turn to choose which to tune into: epic romantic-comedy-drama-plot arc at best of controversy with a limp. The ladder may save u 48 precious minuten of your life, otherwise spent watching the OC with a medical degree.
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Hope everyone enjoyed it! And I hope no one is offended since I really don't want anyone to be, it was simply an opinion and I thought some people might find some humor in this. Tell me what u think in a commentaar please: constructive critism, favourite parts, etc. Have a great day! :D
