Week 15: David Simon
by StephanieMayne on Apr.29, 2011, under Weekly Guests
David Simon, is a Baltimore-based journalist, author and television producer. Born in Washington, he came to Baltimore in 1983 to work as a crime reporter at The Baltimore Sun. While at the paper, he reported and wrote two works of narrative non-fiction, Homicide: A Year On The Killing Streets and The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood, the former an account of a year spent with the city homicide squad and the latter, a year spent on a West Baltimore drug corner. Homicide became the basis for the NBC drama which aired from 1993 to 1999 and for which Simon worked as a writer and producer after leaving The Sun in 1995. The Corner became an HBO miniseries and won three Emmy Awards in 2000. The Wire, a subsequent HBO drama, aired from 2002 to 2008 and depicted a dystopic American city contending with a fraudulent drug war, the loss of its industrial base, political and educational systems incapable of reform and a media culture oblivious to all of the above.
May 4th, 2011 on 6:44 pm
David Simon was a great guest to close out our semester. He began his career as a reporter for The Baltimore Sun, after essentially being conditioned to do so by his father. He instilled a mindfulness in Mr. Simon that allows him to not only see through to the truth in events, but also to articulate them clearly and accurately. Although he loved his job as a reporter, he went on to pursue a career in television writing after one of his books was adapted into the series Homicide that ran on NBC in the 90’s. Since then, he has gone on to direct two especially popular television shows for HBO, The Wire and Treme. The Wire is based on the reporting he did in Baltimore and shows the grittiness of a city ridden with crime and urban blight. Treme, his latest project, has been hailed as one of the most accurate, fictional depictions of New Orleans. Although I have never seen either show, after our interview with Mr. Simon I am certainly interested in both. He was a very well-spoken and educated man, who delivered his arguments and ideas in a way that was both forceful and respectful, a skill he claimed to have learned from his family’s dynamic when he was young. I really enjoyed his interview, and am excited to follow the work he does in the future.
May 4th, 2011 on 8:16 pm
Today’s guest was David Simon. He has experience as a journalist, author, and television producer. He was certainly a strong minded opinionated person. In a way, I found him to be very similar to our guest for week 8, Lolis Eric Elie. They both are people who are working contributors to HBO’s Treme television show. Mr. Simon was interested in the culture of New Orleans wanted to do a show pre Katrina, but didn’t pitch the idea until after Katrina. In fact, He says that in many ways Baltimore is like New Orleans such as in terms of demographics. I remember that our week 13 guest Nolan Rollins also compared New Orleans to Baltimore. They both admitted that the culture of New Orleans is different. He said Treme is a show that portrays New Orleans’ culture and was shocked it was able to get on the air. I still haven’t seen the show because I don’t have HBO. I’m going to have to see if it’s on DVD yet. He believes HBO is able to show unique shows that aren’t like broadcast shows. Mr. Simon described that he loved reporting before he loved writing. Growing up, reading and aggressively discussing the Newspaper events was common among his family. He described that discussions could sometimes be aggressive. I think that this was a healthy event that he engaged in with his family because it probably helped his critical thinking skills. I wonder if he was on the debate team in high school.
May 4th, 2011 on 8:17 pm
David Simon was a great person to end the semester with. He had some interesting stories to tell. He told a story about how the preservationists asked him and other Treme associates to write a letter to the mayor to protest the demolition of some shotgun houses in the city. The preservationist made it seem like it was Treme’s idea to oppose the mayor’s decision publicly. David tried to explain the situation to the mayor and tempers were lost by both sides. Mr. Simon says that the mayor distorted the situation in a press conference. The mayor criticized Treme by saying “if you don’t come with some money… Talk is cheap.” Mr. Simon said he wanted to retaliate publicly but he had to tone down his decision. This is due to the shooting of Treme and the need to maintain good relations. Mr. David told the story with much more details and it was interesting to hear how good intentions can get out of control. It also presented an interesting story about Mitch Landrieu and how politicians take things out of context in order to look good politically. Another controversial about him was his non faith in religion. He said that the Idea of faith is the most overrated theological concept. He made his point by posing the following situations: A guy who lives a very bad life, but accept god before dying gets to go to heaven and guy who lives a very moral life, but has no faith doesn’t get in. I think he trying to show that using faith as a method of choosing who will be rewarded in the afterlife doesn’t seem rational or fair. I don’t know what to think, but I do know that this interview had my attention the whole time.
May 4th, 2011 on 10:10 pm
David Simon was born to a Jewish family in Washington, D.C. He attended Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in Bethesda, Maryland and wrote for the school newspaper, The Tattler. He graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park. David Simon is a journalist and a writer/producer. He is best known as the creator of the HBO series The Wire. He worked for the Baltimore Sun City Desk for twelve years. He wrote Homicide: A Year On The Killing Streets and co-wrote The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood with Ed Burns. David Simon is our last guest for this semester in our Discourse class and he was definitely a character. He was casually dressed sporting a cap that indicated his cool personality and style. He appeared to me to be a no nonsense type of guy. He was very outspoken and at times he used a few vulgar words to express his point. His honesty certainly impressed me because he never bit his tongue about matters of his heart. During the interview he kept stressing how much he was interested in telling an honest story that has meaning rather than making a television show for entertainment. This is one of the reasons why I believe that he paints such an authentic picture of New Orleans on the Treme series each week. He believes that the method of storytelling should exemplify the most pure forms of real people in life by never misrepresenting a person’s true identity or lifestyle in a derogatory way. He was very dissatisfied with the way that network television exaggerates characters just for the sake of making money and drawing people’s interest through wild stories. To stress his point he declared, “I am always after reality not fiction.” I can certainly respect a man with this kind of attitude because I don’t like sensationalized stories myself. Keep it real is always my motto. He is a genuinely sincere professional.
May 5th, 2011 on 6:30 am
I agree with the blogger Jessica D. when she says that David Simon was a great guest to close out our semester because he a very interesting personality. I also agree with the blogger Alex when he says that he was certainly a strong minded opinionated person. I also found him to be very similar to our past guest, Lolis Eric Elie, because he was very opinionated about certain issues. However, he definitely contrasted with our past guest, Chef Rick Tramonto, because he was a born again Christian filled with the love of God and faith, and he was glowing all over with the joy of the Lord. Mr. Simon appeared to be a more intense person to me. I am a Christian woman myself and I definitely was not impressed with his lack of faith in God, even though I respect him as a person. He certainly is entitled to have his own beliefs because everyone is different. I definitely am not judging him as a bad person because he does not believe in God; I believe that he is a good person, even though he doesn’t have faith. However, it is impossible for me to understand how someone so intelligent and educated filled with so much worldly knowledge cannot obviously see through the visible things in this world not created by mankind that there is a supernatural power that created the moon, stars, seas, birds, day, night, rain, and the seasons of the year. These visible attributes are not created by man or Science, but Almighty God. As a mature woman over forty, I do understand that there is a difference between worldly knowledge and Godly wisdom, which some many people lack. I agree with him that a person can live a moral life without God. This is a true statement because I know many non believers who live moral lifestyles better than some professing Christians. Some professing christians are the worst devils because they live hypocritical lifestyles that disgrace God’s name and set a bad example. To live a moral lifestyle without God is one thing, but to live a holy life style encompasses a relationship with God through faith. I believe that a person should live what they believe. I admire him because he is not a hypocritical person who pretends to be something that he is not. He is blessed by God whether he believes it or not because of his success.
May 5th, 2011 on 12:05 pm
David Simon is a Baltimore journalist and executive producer. He is currently creating the series Treme. It all started when he tried to create a show about New Orleans like it was Baltimore in the 90’s. After Katrina happened, he had the chance to talk to TV producers and convince them about doing a series of New Orleans culture. It was the chance and the perfect moment to do it, so he convinced them.
Treme is in the second season and he is truly excited about it. He has loved reporting all his life; his father was inspirational because he always loved newspapers. His family used to carry arguments in a friendly way about news. Baltimore and New Orleans have the same banalities, according to him.
David Simon is a person that likes to tell real stories; he does not realize shows for entertaining but for tell a story. He is a person that not only understands his duty but tries to help people. According to him everything is a learning curve and you have to learn.
It all started when he wrote a book, and he entered to television by chance. His first book was to create a series drama and entertainment. When he entered television 15 years ago the model to do television was different, the economic model came from advertising campaigns, but cable television was created and people have the free will to choose to see whatever they want.
May 5th, 2011 on 3:35 pm
The last guest of the semester was David Simon, who is the creator of the HBO program Treme. Mr. Simon has also worked on numerous other television shows such as The Wire and Homicide: Life on the Street, as well as being an author and journalist. His journalistic career began in the city of Baltimore working for the The Baltimore Sun, subsequently making Baltimore the setting of most of his work. He began the class by explaining that he wanted to do a show about New Orleans for a long time but could not figure out how to pitch the show to the network executives because he wanted to show the world the unique culture of the city instead of just making a show about sex and violence. Treme is a very unique show that explores the music and people of New Orleans, and Mr. Simon expressed his feelings of surprise that it is still on the air and acknowledged that only a subscription based cable service like HBO is able to produce such a show. He then disclosed how his initial passion was journalism and current events, and that he unintentionally got involved in the entertainment industry when one of his books was chosen as the basis for Homicide: Life on the Street, which I used to watch all the time when I was growing up. His most notable quality would have to be his preference for a good story with depth and quality character development, as opposed to making his shows appealing to the entire country just for the sake of making money. I have watched just about every show David Simon has been a part of, and I agree that a good story is by far more entertaining and rewarding than the same old garbage that is flooding our airwaves as of late.
May 5th, 2011 on 10:00 pm
One of the most interesting things about David Simon is the unorthodox journey he took in the process of becoming a filmmaker. He began work as a crime reporter in Baltimore, a city that, like Nolan Rollins, Simon believes is very similar to New Orleans. Unlike many filmmakers, he never attended film school. Instead, he believes that perception and life experiences have major effects on writing, especially in the genre of drama. He believes that the best writers of drama have undergone loss, not particularly the loss of loved ones but rather loss as having experienced closed doors and having failed to make particular decisions. Simon believes that through this loss, one can understand that life can be tragic at times. He says that without this understanding, one probably should not write drama. Simon feels that this understanding is as important as any technical abilities that one can learn in film school.
Simon’s unorthodox journey into film surprises him as well. He sees a stark contrast between the fields of journalism and the filmmaking field that he later entered into. He feels as though journalism centers around reality, whereas filmmaking is completely artificial and make-believe. Simon even went as far as saying that he is the last person to advise someone who is seeking to enter into the field of filmmaking because his journey was so absurd and unlikely that he hardly created the blueprint. Regardless of how unlikely his entrance into the field was, considering the cult-like following of “The Wire” and the adoration of “Treme” by many, particularly locals, we’re fortunate that he did take that journey.
May 5th, 2011 on 10:43 pm
The interview with David Simon turned me into a fan of his. Not only does he value art and creativity over success, he really seems to be brilliant. I recall a few years ago, I was reading either an Esquire Magazine or GQ, and Simon’s show, “The Wire”, which was in its last season at the time, was one of the major subjects of that issue. The writer for the magazine hailed “The Wire” as perhaps the best drama of all-time. That is obviously a very strong statement, but after hearing Simon’s feelings regarding story and the value of preserving creativity, the statement is very believable. Perhaps my favorite thing about Simon is his refusal to sacrifice story to appeal to the tasteless masses. He says that network television uses sex and violence to sustain viewers. He says that due to the enormous amount of money in the television industry, shows, mainly those that had previous success but are now on the decline, cater every move to the audience in order to keep the show running for extra seasons. Simon instead believes in art for art’s sake and refuses to do so even if that means that one of his shows will last two or three seasons. That is incredibly admirable and assures that his art will have that much more substance. What’s funny is how dead on he is in regards to shows having those same generic plots. After the interview I was waiting for the pre-game show of a basketball game and caught the last few minutes of a TV show that preceded it. Sure enough, it involved the plot lines that Simon spoke of. Later that night, I even saw a commercial that parodies the fact that many shows do this, which I found hilarious. Thankfully, we have filmmakers like Simon who refuse to make shows with generic content. Hopefully, this becomes a trend, as this mind-frame would resurrect the quality of TV and popular music, as well.
May 6th, 2011 on 8:39 am
David Simon. I want to start this blog by stating that I have never watched an episode of Treme, nor do I plan to do so. It’s not that I have anything against the show, but there is just no time for TV anytime soon.
So the only information I have to go off of is what David was talking about during the interview. First, Simon said that he “fell in love with New Orleans culture BEFORE Katrina”. To me this supports his views on the show. He wanted to make the show about regular people, the culture of the city, and always keep it as true to the facts as he can. Also, the first thing that the students did when asking question was to congratulate David Simon on his work with the show and sticking to the story that is New Orleans. I believe that one lady said “The show is so New Orleans that I don’t even get some things”.
With regards to Simon sticking to New Orleans as a story and not entertainment, he said something quite interesting. “Hollywood is high school with money.” When you break it down and reflect, it’s true. Every channel you turn to is either sex, drugs, shooting, or crappy reality shows about rich women who complain about having to convert oxygen into carbon dioxide; extremely hard work. Hollywood is there to make money, I completely understand, but once in a while it is nice to have something different. Personally I am tired of the TV and try to find better things to do with what little free time I have. If more directors were like David Simon and focused on creating a story that had meaning, a start and an end, then perhaps there would be more intellectual shows on TV.
At the same time, this could be a bad thing because there might t be an audience to follow these types of shows. Once again it’s tit for tat, and doing one thing means doing less of another. Hollywood will probably never change, but at least Simon takes it one episode at a time. If he can reach a few people outside of New Orleans with Treme, then that’s a great start and will, in the long run, help people to understand New Orleans culture.
May 6th, 2011 on 3:12 pm
David Simon had many interesting things to say; and so did the rest of the class. Some had not seen any of his work, but were so impressed by his interview, that they want to see everything he has been a part of. One blogger compared Mr. Simon to one of our previous guests, Lolis Eric Elie. The fact that they are both strong-minded and extremely opinionated compounded the fact that they are both working on the HBO program Treme. Maybe their like-mindedness is what brought them together, even though they have had drastically different pasts. Another topic expressed by a classmate was Mr. Simon’s comparison of New Orleans and Baltimore. He demonstrated that Baltimore has a high rate of poverty and crime just like New Orleans, as well as having very similar demographics. One of the most detailed topics that was discussed in the blogs was about Mr. Simon’s thoughts on God and faith. I knew this subject would be talked about at great lengths, and it was. I was glad to see that even though he is not a religious person, the class still had respect for his opinions. Many people who are devoted to God do not take too kindly to those that are non-believers. Finally, his desire to tell a great story instead of just entertaining people was appreciated by most of us. This is what makes the show Treme so great. He has decided to focus on depicting the city, and people, of New Orleans as accurately as possible. I do not believe any other show or movie has shown the world what New Orleans is actually like. David Simon was a great guest to end the semester and I hope Treme can have the success that it deserves.
May 7th, 2011 on 6:24 am
Story, realism, and living seem to be the common thread in the blogs this week. David Simon, indeed, loves a good story. Look at Treme, from what he described it’s not a TV show, it is a story. People, especially here, really seem to latch on to that and appreciate it for what it is trying to show; Culture. With culture being a huge topic, we have all noticed the realism that Simon brings to the table, with regards to culture. He seems to have dedication to the story that is New Orleans. Entertaining or not, our story is, well, our story. Unique to this city and the people that walk its streets every day, our culture and the build up behind it is like a one-off work of art.
The blogs also have an underlying theme this week, living. I say living in the sense that Simon is a person who tries to live his life as honest and true as he can. (Hence the part of the interview about not needing faith to be accepted into heaven) This is good, although everyone did not agree with his statement; I think that he shines this trait through into his directing.
So the interview this week was interesting and for the few bloggers that have contributed, up to this point, I think that everyone enjoyed it. Simon gave us all something to think about and perhaps take a step back from normal TV and search for shows out there with meaning.
May 7th, 2011 on 11:19 am
David Simon gave comments to people that want to go to television, you have to start as an assistant, then higher assistant and then assistant director. The other way is to do in films, learn as much as you can and then take it to the festival, and have something to say. He does not know someone inside the 40’s that wrote a successful drama series. I truly share the point of view of life with Simon, sometimes life is tragic and someone that lived tragic can write about that. He is a person that does not believe in God, but his point of view in a sense is also rational. Sometimes there are good people that suffer and other times there are people who do badly things and get away. Simon is a character that I enjoyed listening. He speaks from his heart and his emotion can be expressed in his manner and actions. He is a down to earth person that likes to share details and gives advices to people. David Simon knows his craft.
May 7th, 2011 on 8:11 pm
When I took a creative writing course in high school, the first piece of advice my teacher gave us was to, “write what you know.” It sounded simple enough of a rule for any writer to abide by; however, I quickly learned that this rule is rarely followed religiously. When someone uses their surroundings to their advantage and proceeds to fix it into their work, the result is astonishing. David Simon is a prime example of someone who has mastered this art.
Mr. Simon’s career started off in Baltimore where he was a journalist for The Baltimore Sun. He mainly reported the crime for the newspaper; however, he eventually took his talents to television in the mid 90s. After a brief run for writing scripts for shows on NBC, David Simon continued to do the same for HBO when he made the extremely successful The Wire, a show based on the crime he once reported on in Baltimore.
Being a huge fan of this series, I immediately knew it was based on the actually crime in Baltimore despite not knowing of David Simon’s career as a crime journalist in the same city where The Wire takes place. The series was too great and prolific to be completely fictional. It is impossible to portray reality in a series that is supposed to be fundamentally real without first hand experience on the subject.
Around ten years after the final season of The Wire, Simon came back strong with another HBO series called Treme. Again, I could immediately tell the-already-established-as-brilliant creator took his time to really get to know the subject the series is based on—the city of New Orleans following the storm. Like almost everyone else I know, I was a somewhat exhausted on the Katrina subject. However, David Simon did an excellent job at portraying the human emotions of the storm. He used Hollywood stars like Steve Zahn and New Orleans resident John Goodman and surrounded them with an overwhelming emotional atmosphere of our city. Even in the second season being aired right now, the portrayal of our city’s struggle at that time gives me déjà vu. Not everyone likes the series, but no one can argue the passion of it.
David Simon is among the best series writers and creators of our day. His awareness of his experiences and unique perspective on them are truly the essence of his brilliance. He is a pioneer as a script-writer, creating masterpieces that can only be compared to a beautiful oak tree that was seeded from the golden rule of “write what you know.”
May 7th, 2011 on 9:11 pm
The class’s opinions of David Simon was spot-on accurate. I noticed everyone recognized the brilliance of his work. David Simon is a perfect example of why film is considered art. I recall a few people focusing a lot on The Wire’s prolific success. I forget whom, but someone said he read in a magazine that The Wire is one of the best dramas to ever be on television. I agree with that statement 100%. The Wire will be remembered for a long time to come. It set the bar for future crime dramas. However, I truly believe his best work is Treme. When I think of the series Treme in regards to David Simon’s other works, I think its success will resemble that of the album Revolver by The Beatles. Forever it will live in the shadows of the popularity of his past creations, but eventually its legacy will be seen as influential to future generations in the respected fields.
Another point I noticed a lot of other people commented on was his artistic vision, mainly putting art before success. Again, this is a quality that makes him a true artist. The main goal for an artist while he or she is creating a work is to really portray the subject at hand to his or her audience. A good piece of art will speak to a person. An excellent piece of art will speak to a person’s subconscious while touching his or her soul. The latter is exactly what David Simon creates. His work connects with his audience on a deep level through the reality of the actual subject. I don’t think acting is easy, but the realistic atmosphere Simon creates through the plot and script probably makes it even more difficult for the audience because it really challenges them to really sell the character to the audience.
The bottom line is David Simon is not just writing scripts. He is writing fiction based on nonfiction. He is creating extremely realistic characters based on real people. He is creating plots based on real-life. He is creating art.
May 8th, 2011 on 10:18 pm
You know what I like about David Simon? His philosophy on writing and television. He believes strongly in the story, not the explosions, the hot women, and the violence that supposedly gets ratings for primetime. HBO is more of an independent company so one could push the stakes when it comes to drama, in other words more explicit content is tolerated. I really like how Simon isn’t concerned with entertain people with another mundane drama, but trying to appeal to people with a hunger for a good story. People like me. Formerly a reporter for The Baltimore Sun, he tried his luck at television writing, and through a rollercoaster of circumstances got to where he is today which is a writer of a great drama, Treme. Simon, like most of the bloggers already noted, is a strong-minded, opinionated person. I usually come across many people like him, the ones who are bright and well-rounded, but sometimes their intellect overpowers their personality. I like Simon because he has a great personality for television and knows how to get things done. I have never seen Treme, hopefully I will soon, but hearing that it’s luck that kept the show alive for a second season sounds sketchy. I thought that Treme would be going strong into the future, I could be wrong. This goes back to what Simon was saying about the people wanting to be entertained by meaningless content, instead of coming back for more story. The same problem arises in film, most audiences are blind to the fact that making a movie is simply telling a story, a story that doesn’t have to be filled eight sex, violence, and profanity. My favorite part of the interview was when he talked about the filming of the second line and how they cut and re-shot over and over, and it made it look and before he tried something new. I’ve been there. You have to try to make things work in those situation. “Hollywood is high school with money,” was the best and most profound statement that came out of his mouth; the truth hurts though. Entertainment isn’t an art anymore because of the crap that’s put into it.
May 9th, 2011 on 7:30 am
I’ve never seen The Wire, neither, yet I remember the old commercials for it back in the day. I thought it looked kind of cheesy back then, but now I want to see what it’s really like. Bloggers RusselL and JustinF refreshed my memory of his discussion about “writing what you know,” and it works every time. David Simon more than like experienced crime on the streets and some sort of loss from a door in his life being shut on him. Loss does bring out the best in writers, there’s nothing like putting your feelings on paper. Simon has a degenerate view of God, and as much as the class respected his beliefs and stayed silent, an anger was bubbling up inside of me. I don’t mean to come off as judgmental, but I have a problem when people try to analyze God and try and use their intellect to “outsmart” Him. Of course I use to be their so again I’m not judging him.
May 9th, 2011 on 4:26 pm
David Simon is a writer and director on Treme. Treme is a series about New Orleans after Katrina and follows musicians, lawyers, bar owners, etc. in how they each survive and struggle to return to their old lives. It follows the drama that surrounds them. Simon got his start as a crime reporter at the Baltimore Sun. He then moved into writing with Homicide:A Year on the Killing Streets and co-wrote The Corner:A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood with Ed Burns.
Homicide actually turned into a television series. Simon moved on to create The Wire which gained much popularity after it was off air. He then turned The Corner into a TV series which he was the executive producer, head writer and show runner.
He got the idea of doing Treme with his partner Eric Overmeyer in the 1990s because they always wanted to do a TV show on the culture of New Orleans. They both were sneaking New Orleans music into the soundtrack of the Homocide series. Simon pitched the show thinking that it wouldn’t get received by HBO.
One interesting aspect Simon mentioned was about how he shot a “second line” in Treme. His first second line shot was kind of distraught and from a distance which didn’t really capture the essence of a second line. The second time he had it shot, he had the camera go into the second line and follow it all the way through. This was interesting because second lines have a certain energy, and you can only catch that if you’re actually in it.
May 9th, 2011 on 4:27 pm
Everyone agreed that David Simon was a great guest to close the semester. He certainly knows New Orleans and does an excellent job showing that with his work on “Treme”. His love for the city certainly did show throughout his interview. It definitely is displayed throughout the show also, even if it doesn’t make it for a third season.
People also found it interesting how he got his start in crime reporting and then turned to writing dramas. It seems like he’s better with writing and having control over the drama. Everyone also seems interested in checking out his earlier work “The Wire.” This series has truly gained popularity everywhere, Hopefully, “Treme” will do the same.
It seems those that haven’t watched it at all are definitely interested in it now. It is very hard to capture the culture of New Orleans, and so many writers have tried and failed. No one seems to get the picture like Simon did with his show. Hopefully, we will get to see another season.
Some people did get to seem heated up about his beliefs with Christianity. Mr. Simon talked about faith and how he thinks its made up and fabricated. Many in class are strong believers in it so they were slightly thrown off by this comment.”I am a Christian woman myself and I definitely was not impressed with his lack of faith in God, even though I respect him as a person,” Cynthia S said.
Overall, it went very well and people definitely thought there was no one better to close out the class with. Mr. Simons did a great interview and definitely showed his passion for writing. Hopefully, HBO will keep him around even if “Treme” doesn’t last a third season.
May 9th, 2011 on 7:36 pm
David Simon was the final guest, and the only guest that worked primarily in film. I noticed a lot of people in the class are film majors, and a lot of people seemed very glued to what he had to say.
Simon worked on The Wire. I loved the show The Wire but it seems the class was most interested in his work on Treme which is a current series on HBO. Not only is it a current series, but it is based on our home city New Orleans. I must say, being from New Orleans, it is an incredibly intriguing series.
It’s odd to me he wanted to do Treme in the 90’s before Katrina happened. After Katrina, it sealed the deal for Hollywood to explore New Orleans with series like K-Ville and now Treme.
I like hearing him talk about going through the second line and shooting within the second line, rather than the outside of it. He makes bold choices like that to better capture the vibe of New Orleans.
This guy was an impressive guest. I sincerely hope Treme gets picked up for a third season. And after that, it deserves a 4th season. New Orleans is full of good stories.
May 9th, 2011 on 7:43 pm
Looking at some of the other blogs, it’s amusing to me to see the subject of religion strike a chord with some of the people in the class. There are successful people that are religious, there are successful people that are athiest. There are successful people that are agnostic like me.
I feel like religion is a great topic for discussion. As an agnostic, I feel like a free agent. I don’t take sides. But it delights me to see athiests like David Simon point of the hypocrisy of religion. It also delights me to see religious people stand up for what they believe in their hearts. The unfiltered teachings of religion can establish a great moral foundation in many. I too, want to believe that one day I will go to a better place than Earth.
I like the attitude of Cynthia S, who said, “He is blessed by God whether he believes it or not because of his success.” She gave him his props for the aspects of his life outside of his religion. I thought Theodore R was a little harsh when he said he felt an “anger bubbling up inside of him.” I mean you can’t help how you feel, but if I was religious, I couldn’t be mad at someone who wasn’t religion. I like it how Theodore said “I’m not going to judge him because I was there once.” Maybe one day I’ll be in the same boat as Theodore. But for now, I am a free agent.
May 9th, 2011 on 7:47 pm
It is interesting that someone so opposed to the standard methods of television production has found such great success doing just that. As a journalist turned TV producer, David Simon is all about the story. He is able to find and share the interesting (and sometimes dark) stories a place has to offer. A native of Baltimore, David Simon has shown this investigative talent by depicting New Orleans, a city that is relatively new to him, as truthfully as television could. However, the link he drew between his hometown of Baltimore and New Orleans, and he is interestingly not the first to have made this connection this semester, possibly helped him to understand the unique dynamic of this city. I personally have only seen a few episodes of Treme, and although the feeling is sometimes a bit contrived due only to the medium he has to work with, I found a genuine familiarity with the set of the show. He even mentioned the learning process the show had to deal with as they tried to recreate a second line shot by shot and, in turn, lost some of the truth and passion that embodies this tradition. I also love that David Simon refused to create a show that offered an easy, mass appeal. New Orleans is a hard place to swallow and understand, even when you live here. However, he feels that showcasing incredible anomalies, like the Mardi Gras Indians, is a necessary part of this city’s story. I’m curious to catch up on the show and see how the second season continues David Simon’s latest project.
May 9th, 2011 on 10:30 pm
The term “saving the best for last” may be proven to be right once again. David Simon has gotten the attention of millions through writing, more specifically for television. Simon grabbed my attention for a different reason. It was not because of HBO shows “Homicide” or even “Treme”, it was because of the simple word “story.” He has always wanted reality for his show plots; he wanted to portray the realism to things, which is why “Treme” is a success in New Orleans. He says he always wanted to write for newspapers, him and his father would always read and then have heavy discussions on what they have read, and this has an obvious affect on him. Just like a previous guest, he says that his home town Baltimore is a lot like New Orleans. They hold to culture, and we have the same problems. One interesting story that caught my attention was when he was asked to write a letter to help preserve the houses that were on the first season’s poster. Things got out of hand, things were said that were not true, and yet I enjoy how he handled the situation. He was not afraid to speak what was on his mind, and he spoke it in an admiral way. This would be perfect for a newspaper writer, just putting that out there. I liked how he said “I’m holding fire” when he was speaking of how HBO would have helped if there was actually a plan. One thing that struck me was his view on God. I am not being judgmental; I am only pointing this out because of some people’s responses. I said this in another blog, and I will say it again, people are titled to their own opinion. The point of this class is to say what people and what they saw or do mean, and what you think about it, and that gives the right for them to say what they view. This includes religion, and I know it has been a big controversy to society for decades. Also, I guess people do not realize that writers, especially those that have what it takes to enter journalism, have a way to voice their opinion, and they do it in a very strong way. You have to love free speech!
May 9th, 2011 on 10:34 pm
My last blog pretty much summed up what I think of everyone’s responses. As I read them, I notice they say nice things up until the religion thing. I am religious, so it is not about me being Atheist or anything that makes this my opinion, I just feel very strongly about having your own beliefs. Yes, it is sad that someone wonders why God can let one cancer patient live, and one die, but they can believe what they believe. This is the right to every human being, and that can go along with anything in everyone’s lives.
May 9th, 2011 on 11:14 pm
David Simon, creator of Treme, was this week’s guest. First off, I’d like to say how refreshing his honesty was; I never once got the feeling he was censoring himself in any way. He grew up in a home where ‘newspapering’ was huge. Having 3 or more newspapers with which to use for debate material was normal in his house. Initially, Simon didn’t aspire to become a writer. He wanted to be a reporter and writing just so happens to be part of the skill set of reporters. As he puts it, he just “stumbled into writing.” Simon began his career as a crime reporter in Baltimore. This work provided the groundwork and material for a couple of books and highly acclaimed television shows. Even now, he is surprised that he made the transition from journalism (reality) to film (artificial). Despite his great success, Simon never intended to become an entertainer via his writing. He is more interested in telling a story for the sake of the story itself; if it turns out to also be entertaining, so be it. While writing for network TV he was constantly faced with the difficulty of having to write for the people. Low viewer turnout resulted in a canceled show. To that he said, “F**k the people!” Working with HBO gives Simon the freedom to do what he loves, to write an interesting story, a story he believes in without having to consider what the people want. This has proven to be very successful for him.
The inspiration for Treme stemmed from his many visits to the city and his deep love and appreciation of our culture. Unfortunately, pitching the show in just the right way remained elusive until after Katrina struck. With the nation’s eyes on New Orleans; he felt the time was right. And, it was. The pilot was picked up and Treme is now in its second season. When asked if he thinks it will be picked up for a third, he answered much the same way I’ve heard other locals answer the same question. He is aware that there is probably no other audience than New Orleans, or those in Louisiana, who can truly relate to and appreciate the uniqueness of life in N.O.LA. that Treme portrays. I can only speculate that part of the appeal to locals has something to do with the fact that Simon placed higher value and importance on hiring local writers, than hiring TV writers out of L.A. In addition, many local notables appear on the show on a regular basis. To Simon, Treme is a project he is passionate about and proud of. His happiness is not dependent upon public acceptance, notoriety, or accolades.
Simon, along with H.B.O. are currently involved in contributing to the betterment of New Orleans. As a born and bred local, I am normally suspicious of an “outsider” and their opinions of what’s best for New Orleans and how to accomplish that. This suspicion disappeared following Simon’s interview. After sharing his views on the upcoming (?) LSU facility and regarding the razing of historic homes; I believe he ‘gets us’ and what we are about.
Probably, the most refreshing part of his interview was his views on organized religion and blind faith. From a young child I was able to recognize the hypocrisy in religion and distanced myself from it. Like Simon, I live my life following basic tenets such as to treat others as you would have them treat you. How interesting if we all held ourselves accountable for our actions rather than relying on the once/week absolving of sins in church? What a different world it would be.
May 10th, 2011 on 1:32 am
David Simon was very interesting. He was a Baltimore based reporter who subsequently wrote a book on which the HBO series Treme is based. As a true life character who happens to be a reporter turned TV writer he communicates a genuine love for New Orleans. He visited Jazz Fest early in his writing career and fell in love with New Orleans. He is passionate about his craft most particularly how closely he adheres to the fidelity of the story. For Simon there is no more important perspective than that of the actual story. He says it is not about the individual characters, but it is only about the story. The story takes precedence over the individual characters.
Simon shared with the class a recent experience involving the preservation of some historic buildings where he ended up on the opposite side of Mayor Mitch Landrieu. He recounted the details with a reporter’s objectivity and his dry wit. He used this phrase several times, “I am holding fire” to indicate his anger about not responding to the fullest extent possible regarding the preservation “debacle.” He is a colorful character with a keen insight and perspective.
He explained the value of Treme from a New Orleans and musical perspective. He speaks very rationally and objectively about the business of television. It is apparent that it is his mission that New Orleans and her characters be portrayed honestly. The city’s vulnerability and the characters’ sensitivity are critical to the realistic portrayal of New Orleans in Treme. Simon communicated that it is his goal to tell a story that matters even though in film and television everything is artifice. Everything is made up and that television should be an honest storytelling medium. TV should not be about making the story simple or giving the people what they want. He said he is worried about getting the call that they have to take the instrument out of a character’s hands and put in a gun.
He believes the realism of Treme is one reason why customers are not canceling their HBO. Simon speaks philosophically about the whole picture and making sure that Treme and its characters are more complex. He comments on the importance of restoring and nurturing a city’s personality. He states that each city has a personality and that continuity is important. Simon believes when continuity is gone you are left with “dope on the table.”
Simon offers advice about “getting” into television through writing and/or directing. He spends more time on the writing aspect as that is what he knows. He talks about writers needing to have experienced “loss” in their lives to be able to write truly heartfelt and real drama. He says that loss is not just that you have physically lost a loved one through death, but involves the “doors” you did not walk through in your life. He states that we all experience loss as we live our lives. Simon simplifies the concept of television drama and simultaneously touches the vulnerable underbelly of humankind. He summed up life, drama, and television very succinctly when he said, “Everybody makes mistakes and life is tragic and you can’t write a drama without tragedy.”
May 10th, 2011 on 6:36 am
David Simon really seemed to want to make a show about the side of New Orleans and the counter culture that no one really sees. I think this is every important to the survival of New Orleans and to get people outside of New Orleans to see that there is more to New Orleans that just Bourbon Street and drinking. It is very interesting that Mr. Simon used his background in journalism that bring entertainment but also awareness to issues that are unique to New Orleans and the Treme area. He like other people we have met with seems to believe in taking a stand in what we believe in and doing what is right and taking time to fight for what you believe in and what makes New Orleans distinct and special place. Mr. Mayfield also made an interesting point that often different truths may come together to form what many people constitute as the “truth” and that is often up to us to discover what the real issue is.
May 10th, 2011 on 6:53 am
In response to my classmate’s blogs I was very shocked to see that so many people had commented about Mr. Simon’s view on God. I think that some people in our class were shocked to hear that he does not believe in God. I know that everyone has their own personal beliefs but found that one or two classmates seemed to almost take a “Shame on you Mr. Simon” stance on this one thing that he commented on. I think that everyone in class does agree that they admire Mr. Simon’s for his attempt to incorporate as much reality into a fictional show as possible. He doesn’t gloss over and sugar coat but seems to want to show the true gritty side of New Orleans and the people of Treme for better or worse. He also seems to want to leave things as authentic as possible and have them come across in television as they would in real life. I think that all of my classmates have shown a definite appreciation for this in their blogs about the interview with Mr. Simon.
May 10th, 2011 on 10:44 am
This week’s guest was David Simon. He is a Baltimore journalist, and came into his current role with HBO’s Treme by way of a very twisted road. He didn’t start out wanting to write or create for TV, he wrote a book about his years on the homicide beat in Baltimore. His passion was always writing, he always wanted to be in newspaper.
He described the process of trying to get Treme started, and said that Hollywood is like high school, with money. He said that he had wanted to do a show about New Orleans for years, but after Katrina hit, the environment was ripe for it. He also said that he would rather have the show be authentic and not get picked up for another season, than make it commercial and let it run for years. I have found in watching Treme that spends a lot of time developing the story lines, and sometimes seems like someone not from here would have a hard time following them.
He really expressed his committment to New Orleans, and the accurate portrayal of the city in the show. He said you can’t hire people from LA (Los Angeles, not Louisiana) and expect them to “get” New Orleans. He has utilized many local writers and actors to keep the show real.
I appreciated his story about the “battle” he had with Mayor Morial. I had heard about it on the news, and had no idea there was another side of the story. He genuinely had New Orleans best interest at heart, and was really blindsided by the Mayor’s press conference announcement just minutes after their conversation. It highlights something those of us who live here are well aware of, it’s always political! That makes it hard to bring about change.
I also was a bit taken aback by his honest comments about his beliefs. I’m sure there are many peole who don’t believe in God, but most of them don’t talk about it often. When Irvin asked him the standard question “If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say?”, Mr. Simon said he hoped God wouldn’t hold his lack of believing in God against him.
It was very informative to learn a little bit about the process it takes to film one scene, let alone a whole show.
May 10th, 2011 on 11:06 am
David Simon’s interview was fun and insightful. I liked his personality a lot. He is a very honest man who gave us a good look on the inside of a few issues (like “Dope on the Table”). It’s good to know that he is someone that I, a local New Orlean’ian, can trust with telling the story of my heritage. Through “Treme” he is not tryng to sell New Orleans to anyone, he just simply wants to present it to the world as it is, the true New Orleans. Its refreshing to know that he doesn’t care if people are insulted, he will not distort the truth. New Orleans is unique and without a doubt hard to understand from the outside-in, but at least he is striving to get that understanding out there. After Katrina I’m sure that people have a misinterpretation of our city and i feel like having someone like David telling our story is like having a good lawyer defend us.
May 10th, 2011 on 2:16 pm
I like that so many people commented on how authentic Simon has tried to keep Treme. There were many posts with comments about him keeping New Orleans real, instead of trying to commercialize the show just to ensure another season.
Also, there were a lot of comments about his faith, or rather the lack thereof. I commented on it, but it clearly got stronger remarks from several people! I am passionate about my faith, but there are people who I now have great respect for after reading how strongly they feel.
Most people also commented on how much he seems to care about New Orleans, considering he’s so new to our city.
I will have to say that he was a popular, yet a bit controversial guest.
May 11th, 2011 on 1:33 pm
I really admire the conviction and determination of David Simon to give such an honest portrayal of the events and lives of some of the people in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina in his HBO series “Treme.” I can only speak for myself, but as a New Orleanian, certain episodes and vignettes of Treme are as real to me as to have be able to say they could have come out of my own actual life stories in the days and months after the Storm. As he speaks about his time in New Orleans, you can see how personal it is, and how important it is for him to get it right, down to every nitty-gritty detail! You could say he is rather obsessive, compulsive about every New Orleans detail, and I just love that about the man! The fact that so many New Orleanians love the show so much, getting together to watch it, almost (now, I said almost) as passionately as we would watch a Saints game, and like me are true Treme junkies is a testament to the art and craft of David Simon, and I hope he will take as being the greatest compliment, us New Orleanians could bestow………I would also like to say and concur, agreeing whole heartedly with his views on God and religion, they are like my own to a tee! Ditto…
I also would like to thank Mr. Simon personally for agreeing to give me an opportunity to get his personal thoughts on the Mother-In-Law Lounge in the near future for inclusion in my book on the subject of the MIL.
May 13th, 2011 on 5:02 am
David Simon was hands down my favorite guest, aside from Carville. What makes Simon so great is his dedication to his craft. He isn’t looking to establish a franchise and milk the cash cow, he wants coherent stories with a beginning, middle, and end. Unfortunately, I have yet to see Treme and I’ve only seen a couple of episodes of The Wire, but I respect the man greatly. In a way, me not having any previous bias made the interview all the more interesting. I wasn’t there to here about the show and kiss his ass. I was there to hear the man speak about doing what he loves. While I’m a musician at heart, I have a very strong passion for film. Every single thing he said rang true, from “fuck the people” to his disapproval of religion. That was a very unfortunate pairing of quotes, but it’s true. One can’t approach things just to try and sell. That mentality that he has, the DIY ethic, has always been a major component of my own pursuits. As a self-taught musician, I don’t believe in the constraints that are a byproduct of formal training. For some it works, but that’s not my thing.
To hear a well-respected, successful individual echo my sentiments (in an established place of learning, no less) was extremely inspiring. It’s something that I’ll always have with me, and another source of inspiration. His drive is infectious. He’s the real deal. No bullshit, no cutting corners, just someone doing what they do the way that only they can do it.
Simon’s story is one of art imitating life. His work as a journalist in Baltimore led him to create one of the most critically-acclaimed television series in recent history. Just the other day, a completely chance encounter with an older woman led to Simon’s name being brought up. She told me how much she had loved his writing as a journalist. It’s interesting to see how everyone knows or enjoys him for there own reason. While she acknowledged and enjoyed his television work, what seemed most compelling to her was his journalism. I’m sure Simon would greatly appreciate that.
It seems that aside from the unanimous praise put on Treme and the enjoyment of the interview as a whole, the main topic going around here is the issue of religion. It was nice to hear him speak up. Most people in that position feel like that they have to remain quiet because it’s not considered the norm. I personally do not believe in religion at all and took solace in his statements. Not that I’m athiest, I do believe that there is something out there, just not in the confines of any sort of religion. I don’t want people to get the wrong idea, though. I’m in pretty much the same boat as David R and in the exact opposite position of Theodore R. I used to be a devout Catholic, not in a blindly following way, but in a respectful way. It wasn’t so much about the religion as it was about being a good person. I now no longer believe in Catholicism at all, but I still take pride in being a respectful individual. Most of my family is religious and I have no problem at all with any of them. An upstanding person is an upstanding person, regardless of their beliefs. I just wish for others to be able to respect someone’s beliefs even if it doesn’t coincide with their own. I could go on about religion all day, but I digress…
Simon’s interview was, as I mentioned earlier, extremely inspiring. It’s a moment that I know I won’t forget and one that I feel will continue to help me push myself in the right direction with my art.