马男波杰克 第五季

没错，大热的美剧《马男波杰克》于上周五回归了，Netflix还是豪爽的一次性放出了十二集，相信不少小伙伴把周末的时间都用在了上面。豆瓣上的评分目前停留在9.3，IMDB本季平均分8.89，高于全集平均分8.5，口碑热度都在持续上涨中。

马男系列，一直以来都以独特的‘丧’闻名海内外。出自马男波杰克的截图不知道养活了多少朋友圈鸡汤和微博段子手。在这个时代大多数的影视作品都追求爽快刺激，间或满足一下人们的英雄梦想，从前段时间大热的碟中谍到漫威十年布局的复仇者联盟，走的都是这个路数。也有一些片子幽默搞怪，吐槽辛辣，让人在轻松中逃避现实，美国动画常青树南方公园和著名美剧生活大爆炸都是此中好手。但所有这些片子来来回回都只在讲述一个主题，看久了未免审美疲劳。马男偏偏逆其道行之，讲述的故事却是生活。

马男故事的结构并不复杂，故事的主角马男波杰克是一个过气的好莱坞电视剧演员，自从二十多岁时出演了著名连续剧Horsing Around以后就再也没有能够在事业上取得巅峰。随着岁月的消逝和经纪人不断的催促打气，他终于决定停止自己的恶性循环，开始找代笔出版自己的自传。但是伴随了一个人二十多年的酗酒，拖延和消极对待，是不会那么轻易的改变。于是我们跟着马男一起，看了五年他和他身边的人在各自的性格阴影下挣扎，对抗自己身上的坏习惯。

马男故事的精髓是，每个人身上都有着或多或少的性格缺陷，这些缺陷在不同程度上影响了我们的生活。我们经常可以看到身边的人甚至是我们自己，有更好的机会在面前，却不抓住，眼睁睁看着机会溜走。更加痛苦的是，往往我们意识的到究竟是什么在阻碍着自己，但是却没有办法改变。我们也或许知道改变的办法，但是却缺乏动力的躲回了自我舒适区的小巢，闭起眼睛祈祷黑暗过去。而黑暗，不会过去。

这一季，波杰克终于（不那么）老老实实的去拍了一部会让他重新火起来的连续剧，他有了一段贯穿全季的异性关系，他终于能够反省自己和妹妹以及母亲的关系，在面对巨大压力时终于没有像悲伤的第三季一样走向完全的自我毁灭，而是成长了，虽然这改变渺小而卑微，虽然这匹54岁的老马恐怕很难改变了，但是这仍然是属于他自己的成长。

比如第五季第一集，波杰克不断的向导演抱怨自己出演的人物台词和剧情不合常理。导演认为他只是在求关注，并借助这样的方式增强自己的影响力，听起来是不是很丧。波杰克喜欢上了剧中的女主角，发现她有很多的无意义裸露镜头，便扮演白骑士向导演抗议遮掩的行为物化女性。导演气急败坏的提出那我们来物化一下男性吧，于是要求拍摄一个54岁老男人波杰克正面全裸的镜头，并给了他两个选择，要么承认自己只是在求关注，导演可以回到原来的方案，波杰克将不会面临一场公关危机；要么波杰克可以死撑下去，拍自己全裸的镜头，但是女主角得以幸免。波杰克在痛苦中选择了后者，向世界展现了他的无助。

戴安呢？她终于离了婚，自己踏上了漫长的自我恢复的道路，距离上和工作上都是。令人惊喜的是她没有在片场与花生酱先生有过多的交际，对于她的历史和她在本剧中作为波杰克镜像的标签来说，都是很惊喜的。她的成长更加明显，虽然她会被激情带走，但她显然是更加理性的自己。这一点小小的分化让她终于不再是女性版不知如何是好只知道自我毁灭的波杰克。她也终于不是任何人的附属品，甚至有一点点准备跟世界讲和的味道。

除此之外，还有波杰克的经纪人卡洛琳公主，她依然是我心中的太阳，是本作中最坚定的正能量。在上一季中她最终选择和彬彬有礼的爱人分手，准备一个人领养孩子。在不断的尝试后她终于认清了自己身上的不断燃烧的力量，而当爱人没有办法和自己一起满足自己的梦想时，她必须决定，似乎要选择完美的爱人，还是完美的自己。

当我们长大后，我们终将懂得，每一个选择背后其实并没有那么多的对与错，有的只是选择和适合。有的时候哪怕自己的选择，要割舍掉手边最美好的事物，这也是不得不做的。因为你必须屈膝才能跳得更高，必须清空手上的东西才能扛起更重的奖杯。有舍，才有得。

卡洛琳公主就是这样，回到一个人的生活后她决定完成自己做一个母亲的梦想，做一个母亲，一个爱人，一个女强人，三者兼备她做不到，于是只能割舍。工作依然不停的撕扯着她的时间，现实中的她在一天的败仗打完后露出的疲惫就是她身上的丧，但这仅仅是表象。就像她的角色动物---一只猫一样，她骨子是高傲独立绝不臣服。第五季中我们跟着她回到了出生地，看到了她在少女时代怀孕又流产后是怎么毅然决然的选择离开去追求自己的梦想。她始终正视着命运的难题却永远都没有被命运击倒，这和她所喜爱的女飞行员Amelia Earheart 一样，勇敢的飞向太阳。

而花生酱先生呢？看起来是个男版的卡洛琳公主，但是他那明媚的太阳上也有耀斑。本季用非常精彩的四条时间线交织映射的方式回顾了他四次带着女友去万圣节派对的故事，在时时热情万丈的外表下，我们看到的却是用一个用热情在逃避问题的人，一如用酒精麻醉自己的波杰克。第三季中，我们跟着花生酱先生和他的妻子戴安回到了他出生的地方，跟着戴安的视角我们理解到花生酱先生是一个始终热情四射的人，他的天性是那样的乐观，似乎什么样的苦难都无法影响他。如果我们往人物的背景故事里走，会知道他截止第四季结束一共离了三次婚，看起来他那明媚的太阳上也有耀斑。本季用非常精彩的四条时间线交织映射的方式回顾了他四次带着女友去万圣节派对的故事，每一次他都爱上一个20岁出头的姑娘，却每一次都没能把握住跟她们一起获得幸福的机会，好似在派对上跟她分别半个小时，再找到的就已经不是自己原先认识的那个人了。他的问题随着故事的发展愈演愈烈，放纵着别人用童话来麻痹自己，但其实他拥有这种理性能力，却不愿意使用。这恰恰就是他的伪装，也是他的丧。

说完了人物，便不得不提一下本季讲故事的能力。就单集而言，本季的第六集应该说是夜空中最闪亮的一颗星，在IMDB上单集评分9.9，无限接近满分。这一成就即使是神剧《瑞克和莫迪》也没有做到过，实在是惊为天人。更加伟大的是，从片头曲到片尾曲之间，整个故事都只是波杰克在母亲的葬礼上独白，4个不同的镜头角度始终对着波杰克，仅此而已。

故事一开始，是小时候的波杰克一个人在学校操场等待家人接他回家，所有小伙伴都走光了，父亲才姗姗来迟。上车后父亲就开始不断的责怪波杰克的母亲没给自己做饭，躲在浴室里哭泣就是为了取得自己的注意，全然不顾这是情绪崩溃的表现。然后父亲开始责怪由于母亲没来接波杰克，自己只能中断状态正好的写作过程，来接波杰克放学，还说这是母亲以身作则教给波杰克的道理，那就是不能依靠女人。镜头一转，来到波杰克在母亲的葬礼上发言，他讲述了早上来葬礼之前买早饭的故事，店员日常的问他今天如何，他却觉得这样的问法实在是逼着别人说好，将给出坏消息的责任转嫁给了他人，全然不顾这只是一句如同‘吃了吗’一样的打招呼。

接下来，波杰克开始讲自己和母亲的关系，说到自己从小父母不太管，自己只能从电视剧中学习如何与人沟通。电视剧中，有缺陷的角色总是用夸张的方式来表达他们对爱的理解，但是这不是社会要求我们度过每一天的方式。社会要求我们每一天都做一个完美的人，认真工作学习，和同事朋友友好相处，碰到问题不能撂挑子不干而是要用于承担……总而言之，就是一般鸡汤里所讲述的种种，但是要做到所有这些，真的很难。

由于父母关系不好，两人都将波杰克当成阻碍自己寻求美好生活的原因，于是对他异常冷漠。波杰克似乎寻找着特别是母亲的关注和认可，但是每每无法获得，甚至到了在葬礼现场他都无法想到一个母亲在一生中给他关注的例子。这种对关注的渴望，潜意识的反映在他在葬礼现场为了打破沉默的现场，就假装在跟母亲对话要求母亲回复，玩‘你不说话就当成默认’的游戏。唯一能想起的关注，只有母亲在临终前，她对波杰克说了一句，’I see you’. 于是波杰克不断的解释自己对于这句话的解释，拼命的想把这句话合理化，想证明母亲在某种程度上还是爱自己的。自己母亲对自己的关怀和善意，至少应该比早上卖早饭的女孩在知道波杰克母亲去世后给他的一根免费的西班牙油条中蕴含的善意要多。

最后，他终于反应过来，这只是由于母亲看到自己在ICU重症监护室，所以读出了’ICU’三个字而已。他也终于认识到了残酷的现实，自己终生在追求的母亲的关注，自己从来没有得到过，之后也再也不会得到了。但正是这样痛彻骨髓的认知，让他终于认识到了自己最深的懦弱，在最深的黑暗中，黑暗也会发光。这也最终促使他在本季最后，做出了与自己以往都不同的改变。

必须承认，这一季的马男波杰克给了我惊喜。很多的时候编剧为了省事，不断的给出新角色创造新事件来人为创造冲突，或者挖掘老角色背后的故事来增强人物背后的复杂度，但是这些动作都只是从不同侧面来描写静态的人物。但是第五季越看越令人觉得有趣，剧组在创作的时候有意识的让人物跟之前有些微的不同，他们不再机械式的重复自己的选择，而是成长了，进化了，而且成长的原因我们都看在眼里。这是一种绝妙的体验，仿佛看到了灵魂深处的可能。

跟着马男波杰克看了这么久，观众们也随之成长了，我们藉由这个镜子，看到了自己身上的丧，有些人已经成功脱离了不良的状态，大部分人都还在努力挣扎，但是波杰克都能够做出改变，在那样悲惨的家族命运和成长环境下，那么我们呢？是不是也应该成长呢？

1 凝视理论和性别平权

在第一集中，吉娜批评菲尔伯特中的女性裸体戏和萨茜无脑人设为“男性凝视”（male-gazing），于是马男用学会的新词，用来跟编剧叫板，却适得其反，也被拍了裸戏。

此处字幕将male gaze(y) 译成“物化女性”

let's give women something to gaze

那么，什么是男性凝视？

男性凝视的概念最初是由女权主义电影评论家劳拉·马尔维（Laura Mulvey）在文章“视觉快乐和叙事电影”（1975）中提出的，其中她提出性别之间的权力不对称是电影中的控制力量;男性凝视是为了男性观众的快乐而构建的，这种观点深深植根于父权制的意识形态和话语中。

在相机将观察者置于异性恋男人的视角中时，他的视线徘徊在女人身体的曲线上，女性成为为电影故事中角色或电影的男性观众的色情对象。通过在男性凝视中，男性成为电影幻想中的主导力量，其中女性是男性观众主动凝视的被动对象。男性凝视优先于女性凝视反映了两性之间社会和政治权力的潜在不对称。”

而与男性凝视对立的是女性凝视。在此类电影中女性成为一个叙事故事讲述者，而不是一个对象。这些电影旨在代表女性主角的欲望，因此，代表女性电影观众的欲望。

但是女性凝视是不正常的，只要想象把文艺复兴时期绘画里面的绘画中女性换成男性就能明白。

自行脑补三秒……

然而这个正常的正是男性凝视不正常之处：无论是男性个体还是由这些个体创造的机构，都有能力决定什么是“自然的”。 随着时间的推移，这些构建的信念开始显得“自然”或“正常”，因为它们是流行的并且没有受到挑战。

那么，当波杰克拍裸戏时，就是对性别的“正常”一种挑战与抗争。

果真如此吗？

戴安不这么想。即使影视作品将女性作为欲望主体，究竟能改变什么？为什么必须是女性来对抗这一切？抗争是否一种精力的浪费？

女性凝视的电影给了女性自己是主体的幻像，而当幕布落下，她依然必须面对现实世界中的种种不公。

（戴安新发型好评）

波杰克并不理解女权，但是在第四集中，他却成了人人喜爱的女权主义者。让戴安不能理解的是，当她为女权发声时，没有人会听，而当马男说出同样的话，所有人都称赞他的勇敢。当名人说自己不反对女权主义时，又多少是出于政治正确，而不是真正的共情和理解？

这种双重标准让我不禁联想到国内对“田园女权”的指责：不知多少男性指责者真的就比所谓田园女权了解更多女权理论呢？

“谁在乎你怎么想，我说我是女权主义者那我TM就是！”

性别平权运动本质上是极其复杂的。

性侵或家暴受害者即使发声，也未必就能解决问题。比如，吉娜就是这样。

当马男发现自己对吉娜施暴后，他本来想坦白一切，说出自己做了什么，但是吉娜阻止了他。“人们终于通过我的表演认识了我，我不想成为那个被波杰克掐过脖子的女孩。我不想让你成为发生在我身上的最广为人知的事情。我不想让你成为人们在采访我时所有问题的焦点。我想让这事快快结束。”

她恨极了波杰克，但是她不想在公众眼中永远做一个受害者，而非一个演员，一个独立的人。于是她选择了沉默。

编剧曾被问及：很多在温斯坦之后发声的人并不一定那么有名，现在所有人关注的就是她们的被虐待经历，吉娜这个角色是否与这类事情有关？

他的回答是：

这非常可怕。我厌恶那些人，他们以为这些女性讲述关于虐待的故事是为了能够成名。没有一个例子可以证明那是可行的。我不认为这就是为什么有人会这样做的原因。事实上，完全相反，这是她们不这样做的原因。我明白为什么一个女人会想要对她的故事保持沉默，这是非常悲伤的。”

的确是悲伤的。她们生活在要么隐忍着痛苦，要么职业受挫还被人误解污蔑的困境中。

而从性侵者的角度来看，问题变得更加复杂。

作为一个马男波杰克的万年粉，我是喜欢他的，虽然他做过让人讨厌的事情，但是他毕竟是一匹丧得可爱的马。

这并不能掩盖他是一个施暴者的事实。

在第五季中，戴安对费尔伯特的批评也是我一直以来对马男波杰克这部剧的疑问：难道施暴者的内心痛苦就能减轻他的罪行吗？用这一点为自己的糟糕行为辩护是否正当呢？他们应该成为我们同情的对象吗（比如杀人的滴滴司机）？

戴安的回答是：看看受害者。看看萨拉琳，看看那个杭州女孩，她们已经死了。

这句话是残忍的，无论是对戴安还是观众。但是这是看马男时不能忘记的一点。

相比之下，陶德的支线故事就轻松愉快多了。但是他作为无性恋人群的故事，也提出了很严肃的问题：社会倾向于把少数群体无差别地带着刻板印象去看待，忽略了TA们也是立体的有个性的人。

陶德和尤兰达虽然同样是无性恋者，却除此之外并无任何共同点：一个充满不切实际的梦想，一个理性而实际，最后两人和平分手。

陶德提出分手

这就引出了交互性（intersectionality）的问题。

社会的压力来自各个方面，每一个边缘人的处境也不尽相同，所以，我们应该综合地考虑这些因素，毕竟少数群体也是普通人。

说句题外话，我也认识一位无性恋者。

我们在一个纽约州的小镇散步，偶然看到一户门上挂着彩虹旗的人家。她说：“看，gay flag！” 我随口说：“也说不定是女同呢。”

于是她问我：“这个问题可能有些私人，但是你是直女吗？”

“应该是吧，不过我还在questioning……” 我很惊讶，一是发现自己从来没仔细想过这个问题，二是好奇她为什么会问这个问题。（不过两年后的今天，如果有人问我这个问题，我可以很肯定地说我不是。）

“唔，我是无性恋。我从来没有对任何人产生过性欲。” 她平静地说。

我们从此之后不再那么频繁地见面了，尽管我非常喜欢她：她是我见过最喜欢猫和狗的人，管狗叫pupper，她还喜欢玩电子游戏和画画。她母亲是杭州人，父亲是德国人。她很可爱。

想到这些，我总是觉得很可惜：如果我放下那点可悲的矜持，如果我能更了解全部的她，那该多好。

2 美国的鸦片类药物危机（opioid cricis）

注意床头柜上的药瓶

波杰克此次的药物成瘾与此前纯粹的娱乐不同。第五集中PC在老家无法照顾片场，导致波杰克发生了事故，从楼顶摔下，摔伤背部。从在医院接受治疗时起，他才开始服用一种棕色小瓶里的止痛片。

疑似波杰克服用的止痛片oxycodone

如果不是参加过一次关于止痛片滥用的辩论并做过这方面的研究（当时的辩题是：是否应该像对待毒贩一样严罚开过量阿片类药物处方的医生），如果不是在夏校时宿舍楼里有人吸毒昏迷被送去医院，我也不会注意到这个细节。

在我们指责波杰克的种种不堪时，也不要忽略了这个（在美国）由来已久的严重社会问题：鸦片类药物泛滥（opioid epidemic）。

合成类鸦片类药物如芬太尼（fentanyl）和羟二氢可待因酮（oxycodone）属于针对慢性疼痛的合法药物，比如波杰克的背痛。这些药的成瘾率相当于海洛因，高于吗啡，但是却被广泛地通过正规渠道贩卖给病人。

“正规药物”

早在1996年，制药公司Purdue Pharma声称OxyContin虽然比其他止痛药强大得多，但由于其缓释化学配方而不那么容易上瘾。许多医生相信了OxyContin神话并受到制药公司提供的津贴的鼓舞（这些制药公司在2000年花费了令人难以置信的40.4亿美元的直接营销。）

在服用这些药物的人群中，百分之二十七误用药物，百分之八到十二产生了神经紊乱。药物滥用的症状包括：将阿片类药物与酒精或某些其他药物相结合，每日服用高剂量的阿片类药物，服用非法的阿片类药物，如海洛因或非法制造的芬太尼。这些症状波杰克都有了。

合理用量大约在三小时一粒，波杰克是整瓶往嘴里倒……

受害的不只波杰克一人。

根据美国疾病控制中心的数据，去年美国毒品过量导致超过72,000人死亡 - 这是由致命的阿片类药物流行引起的新记录。 疾病预防控制中心估计，2017年有72,287人因过量服用而死亡，比前一年增加了约10％。

根据新数据，大部分死亡人数 - 近49,000人 - 是由阿片类药物引起的。 最大的驱动因素是合成阿片类芬太尼，它杀死了超过29,000人，其次是海洛因和其他毒品。 越来越多的过量药物使得这种药物大流行比枪支暴力，汽车碰撞或艾滋病更致命，这些暴力事件在一年内从未杀死过多少人。2017年，每天有近200人因过量服用而死亡。

波杰克已经在尝试着戒酒，他却深陷于这些药丸中，如果没有那个事故，他本可以开始新的生活。

——真的吗？

自然，有他自己的问题。

他需要麻醉自己，这样内心才能稍微好受一些，但是无论是靠酒精，海洛因还是止痛片，他永远逃不脱的唯有自己。

"It's you."

他唯一能改变的，只有承认自己需要帮助。于是在全剧结尾，他去戒毒所寻求帮助。他终于做到了这件几十年都没有完成的事。虽然他自己也担心也许一切依然不会好起来，但是这小小的努力意味着他至少有可能恢复。

因为如果不能改变自己，至少也要直面。这是改变的第一步。

这一点适用于所有的瘾君子。

3 荒诞/符号学

想必大多数观众都对第六集中波杰的独白佩服得五体投地。

当马男平静地讲述自己在汉堡店的日常经历时，没人能猜到他此时是在母亲的葬礼上致悼词。他这种平静，不禁让人马上想起《局外人》的开头：“母亲死了，也许是昨天，我不知道。”

同样与加缪的《局外人》暗合的，还有这一集中数不清的让人心碎的荒诞：

母亲死了，波杰克的生活却一如既往，唯一不同的是他有理由对陌生人的客套说出自己的真实感受，还有汉堡店送的一份免费油条。

更讽刺的是，棺材里甚至都不是碧翠丝真正的身体，波杰克走错了葬礼厅。

一切都如梦一般荒谬，连葬礼是一场闹剧。而在马男充满闹剧的生命终点，又有谁会缅怀真正的他呢？死者已逝，生者也终有一死。母亲的死提醒了波杰克：人都是要死的，你是下一个。死亡就是生命无意义的最好的证明。

马男在讲台上对棺材说话：“妈妈，你有什么想说的吗？如果你为我骄傲，请敲一下棺材板。”他习惯了母亲的喋喋不休，仍然等待着回答——即使现在，他还在等待，等待着迟来的哪怕一点点母爱。意识到这一点，他愤怒对母亲喊道：我是你儿子啊，我只有你了！

然而所有这些痛苦与期待随着妈妈的死戛然而止，一切都突如其来，毫无道理。

这一刻的寂静是可怕的。

如加缪所说：

世界逃脱了我们，再次显现出自己的本色。那些惯于蒙面的背景又恢复了本来面目，远离我们而去。”

面对像我们所有人一样，马男想给每件微小的细节赋予意义。他的悼词围绕对母亲遗言的阐释展开：“有那么一刻，当一切突然陷入诡异的平静，她望向我说：我看见你了(I see you)。没有批评，没有失望，只有接受。”

这话既可能是对波杰克的认可，也可能是对空中马男父亲幻影所说的，更有可能的，是她在读重症监护室里ICU三个字母。

但最绝望的是，她已经死了，没有人会知道她到底说的是什么。

索绪尔的符号学提出，语言与由所指和能指组成。声音是能指（signifier），而其代表的事物则是所指（signified）。词语可以映射物体，就像当你说到苹果这个词语，我们自然就能想到苹果这一事物，因此一切都存在普遍的映射关系。

索绪尔理论

伊丽莎白一世在临终之时摸了摸自己的头，她这是在表达什么意思呢？她希望传达什么样的信息呢？这到底意味着她在指定詹姆斯一世作为自己的继承人，还是说这仅仅只是代表她死前正在头疼？

在这里，伊丽莎白一世的手势，就成为了一个典型的空洞的能指。它意味着某种东西，它生成了某种意义，我们认为，它应该在对应一个所指，它一定是有其内在的深刻含义的。但是，伊丽莎白已经死了，我们要怎么询问她呢？这个能指的意义又到底是什么呢？

意义，总是要经由能指链条的运动而得到的，或者简单来说，我们对意义的感觉，总是通过“解释”而生产的，因此当你提到一个能指，它其实并不会真正对应所指，它只会让你解释它自己，这个过程中你不断召唤出更多的能指，并形成了一个动态的能指链条。是能指链条带给我们意义的感受。

不过，能指链条也会存在扭曲和断裂的时候，比如那个死掉的伊丽莎白，在我们看来，死亡导致了她一生能指链条的断裂，让我们不能了解到她摸头的动作究竟在表达什么意思……每个人的死亡都是一个能指链条的断裂。”

碧翠丝的遗言也像伊丽莎白的手势一般，是这样一个所指链断裂。她的存在产生了缺口，她不再能解释自己的话，于是没有人能知道她在生命的结束时的所思所想。她是真的在读ICU的牌子吗？

在这个荒凉的世界上，人与人之间唯一的联系——语言，本质上也如此脆弱，如此不可靠，如此不堪一击。

从这个意义上讲，人注定孤独。

即使母亲没有死，马男也是无依无靠的。

费尔伯特编剧的办公室（E4），注意上图中红圈中的英文“尼采”和左侧白板上对尼采的引用：“你若长久地看着深渊，深渊也会凝视你。”以及下面的恶搞：“你若趁深渊心不在焉时足够快地瞟一眼，你就能将其尽收眼底。”

Credit:

1《谈谈女权和自由等问题》，来自公众号“后现代主义哲学”，作者阿月

2 维基词条”male gaze”(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Male_gaze#cite_ref-mulvey1975_8-0)

3 编剧访谈http://variety.com/2018/tv/news/bojack-horseman-season-5-interview-metoo-netflix-1202941206/3

4 卫报关于opioid crisis 的报道：

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/aug/19/dopesick-dealers-doctors-drug-company-addicted-america-by-beth-macy-review

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/aug/16/us-drug-overdose-deaths-opioids-fentanyl-cdc

5 美国毒品监管中心官网：http://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/opioids/opioid-overdose-crisis

6 加缪《局外人》《西西弗神话》

我不是个苛责的人，但是这一季有些许失望。

人物间联系的紧密性和关联性都降低了，而且还是在探讨一些前几季的老梗，缺乏那种感动和纠结。

波杰克，我们已经陪伴他很久，我觉得他应该学会担当和改变，没人会对一个死不悔改的渣男有太多的耐心。

相比于过去总能截图作为金句保存的前几季，这一季有点小失望。

纠结了许久，给3星，期待提高。

老婆和她的玩伴总在看剧，我也耳濡目染了一些。经过我的询问和她的解答，我发现特别丧的剧都是美国人的。我很奇怪美国人的品味，难道真的是过得太好了吗？也许是爱看这些丧剧的美国人过得太好了，而过得不好的人并不喜欢看？也许是过得的确不好的人才喜欢，而过得好的人并不热捧吧。我觉得事情的真相很可能是这样：过得不错，但总要给自己找点麻烦的人，更可能觉得这个剧好。

其实这个剧给我最突出的感受，是它很像卡佛的小说风格。它介于两个卡佛之间。最初出版并走红的卡佛，是那个被编辑改过的卡佛，可以称作“编辑卡佛”，后来又出版了未编辑的卡佛，我们称它为“真卡佛”。这个动画剧的风格和品味，恰好处在编辑卡佛和真卡佛之间。灰色得没有编辑卡佛彻底，诙谐多过真卡佛，但比真卡佛沉重。它们的核心气质是一样的，就是美国人陷于生计的内容贫乏的生活泥潭，还有没人帮助的糟糕的两性关系和亲子关系。

先说两性关系和情感方面。在所有的美剧和卡佛的小说里，美国人的家庭关系的确和我们很不一样。一个人从他父母身边长大，一般就会脱离出来，所有的伤害都没有解决，只是掐断，然后他就组建他自己的两性关系，而且往往没能比他的父母高明。简直毫无提高，就是按照烂摊子的样子制造新的烂摊子。这种剧也是一样。

还有就是美国人的物质生活。之前读了一本考试用书，工程经济，里面讲了一些公司运作、财务管理方面的原理。我不得不注意到，公司管理的所有原则最终都会产生同一个后果，就是争分夺秒，把人的精力榨干、逼死。想到这些知识经验都该源自伟大富强的美利坚，美国人民的生活状况可见一斑。这个剧里表现得毫无差异。

但是我很不喜欢这个剧。角色在剧里根本没有尝试解决问题。有些人说角色在成长，在逐渐地改善自己的处境。在我看来，那些改进之处都是不痛不痒的。说他们有改善的人，好像忘了一个事实：如果角色的内涵和定位变了，就没法继续往下编了，就没法连载了，之前爱看的人就不会爱看，这可是商业规律啊。而且我要说，肯定他们的进步的人，同样也不能改进自己的生活。可能他们就搞不清楚什么才叫改进。

翻开两个卡佛的小说，我们读到的都是烂摊子，主人公收拾不了的烂摊子。那是一种沉溺，彻底的失败。这个马人也毫无指望。爱看马人的，觉得感同身受的，可能也毫无指望。何以爱看？自己的苦恼被搬上了银幕，想象着它能被很多人看到甚至理解，就获得了一种安慰。我不否定这种安慰的积极，但是，然后呢？无所谓了，继续上班赚钱、然后游荡、喝酒、聊天、回家在床上翻来覆去睡不着呗。

So I stopped at a Jack in the Box on the way here, and the girl behind the counter said, “Hiya! Are you having an awesome day?” Not, “How are you doing today?” No. “Are you having an awesome day?” Which is pretty… shitty, because it puts the onus on me to disagree with her, like if I’m not having an “awesome day,” suddenly I’m the negative one.

Usually when people ask how I’m doing, the real answer is I’m doing shitty, but I can’t say I’m doing shitty because I don’t even have a good reason to be doing shitty. So if I say, “I’m doing shitty,” then they say, “Why? What’s wrong?” And I have to be like, “I don’t know, all of it?” So instead, when people ask how I’m doing, I usually say, “I am doing so great.”

But when this girl at the Jack in the Box asked me if I was having an awesome day, I thought, “Well, today I’m actually allowed to feel shitty.” Today I have a good reason, so I said to her, “Well, my mom died,” and she immediately burst into tears. So now I have to comfort her, which is annoying, and meanwhile, there’s a line of people forming behind me who are all giving me these real judgy looks because I made the Jack in the Box girl cry. And she’s bawling, and she’s saying, “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” and I’m like, “It’s fine. It’s fine.” I mean, it’s not fine but, you know, it’s… fine. And I would like to order a Double Jack Meal, and I’ve kinda got somewhere to be, so maybe less with the crying and more with the frying, huh? [inhales] And the girl apologizes again and she offers me a free churro with my meal. And as I’m leaving, I think, “I just got a free churro because my mom died.” No one ever tells you that when your mom dies, you get a free churro.

[people murmuring]

[clears throat]

Anyway, I’m sorry, that’s not part of the… [clears throat] All right. Okay, here we go. Let’s do this. Here I am, BoJack Horseman, doing a eulogy, let’s go. Hey, piano man, can I get a, like an organ flourish? [organ plays] Nicely done. You know, I was a little worried I wouldn’t have the right accompaniment today. I guess it’s a good thing my mom was an organ donor! [rimshot plays] What happened to the organ? [horn ‘oogahs’] Okay, why just leave the comedy to the professionals? Okay? This is a funeral, sir, for my mother. Can you show a little respect? [trumpet whines] I’ll take it.

Beatrice Horseman, who was she? What was her deal? Well, she was a horse. Uh, she was born in 1938. She died in 2018. One time, she went to a parade, and one time, she smoked an entire cigarette in one long inhale. I watched her do it. Truly a remarkable woman.

[rustling]

Lived a full life, that lady. Just, all the way to the end, which is, uh, now I guess. Really makes you think, though, huh? Life, right? Goes by, stuff happens. Then you die. Okay, well that’s my time, you’ve been great! Tip your waitress! No, I’m just kidding around, there’s no waitress. But seriously, that’s all I have to say about my mother. No point beating a dead horse, right? So…

[inhales] Now what? I don’t know. Mom, you got any ideas? Anything? Mom? No? Nothing to contribute? Knock once if you’re proud of me.

Can I just say how amazing it is to be in a room with my mother, and I can just talk and talk without her telling me to shut up and make her a drink? Hey, Mom, knock once if you think I should shut up. No? You sure? I mean, I don’t want to embarrass you by making this eulogy into a me-logy, so, seriously, if you wanted me to sit down and let someone else talk, just knock. I will not be offended. No? Your funeral.

Sorry about the closed casket, by the way. She wanted an open casket, but uh, you know, she’s dead now, so who cares what she wanted? No, that sounds bad. I’m sorry. I-I think that if she could’ve seen what she looked like dead, she’d agree it’s better this way. She looked like this.

[groaning]

[mourners gasping]

Kinda like a pissed-off toy dinosaur. The coroner couldn’t get her eyes closed, so now her face is forever frozen in a mask of tremendous horror and anguish. Or as my mom called it, Tuesday! Tuesday! My mom called it Tuesday.

[woman coughs]

Hey, Mom, what did you think of that joke? You like that? You never did care for my comedy.

[clears throat]

Here’s a story. When I was a teenager, I performed a comedy routine for my high school talent show. There was this, uh, cool jacket that I wanted to wear because I thought it would make me look like Albert Brooks. For months, I saved up for this jacket. But when I finally had enough, I went to the store and it was gone. They had just sold it to someone else. So, I went home and I told my mother, and she said, “Let that be a lesson. That’s the good that comes from wanting things.” She was really good at dispensing life lessons that always seemed to circle back to everything being my fault.

But then, on the day of the talent show, my mother had a surprise for me. She had bought me the jacket. Even though she didn’t know how to say it, I know this meant that she loved me.

Now that’s a good story about my mother. It’s not true, but it’s a good story, right? I stole it from an episode of Maude I saw when I was a kid, where she talks about her father. I remember when I saw it, thinking, “That’s the kind of story I want to tell about my parents when they die.” But I don’t have any stories like that. All I know about being good, I learned from TV. And in TV, flawed characters are constantly showing people they care with these surprising grand gestures. And I think that part of me still believes that’s what love is. But in real life, the big gesture isn’t enough. You need to be consistent, you need to be dependably good. You can’t just screw everything up and then take a boat out into the ocean to save your best friend, or solve a mystery, and fly to Kansas. You need to do it every day, which is so… hard.

When you’re a kid, you convince yourself that maybe the grand gesture could be enough, that even though your parents aren’t what you need them to be over and over and over again, at any moment, they might surprise you with something… wonderful. I kept waiting for that, the proof that even though my mother was a hard woman, deep down, she loved me and cared about me and wanted me to know that I made her life a little bit brighter. Even now, I find myself waiting.

Hey, Mom, knock once if you love me and care about me and want me to know I made your life a little bit brighter.

[owl chirping]

My mother did not go gentle into that good night. She went clawing and fighting and thrashing, hence the face.

[groaning]

[mourners gasping]

If you’d seen her, I swear to God the only thing you’d be thinking about right now is that I am nailing this impression.

[woman clears her throat]

[chairs squeak]

I was in the hospital with her those last moments, and they were truly horrifying, full of nonsencial screams and cries, but there was this moment, this one instant of strange calm, where she looked in my direction and said, “I see you.” That’s the last thing she said to me. “I see you.” Not a statement of judgment or disappointment, just acceptance and the simple recognition of another person in a room. “Hello there. You are a person. And I see you.”

Let me tell you, it’s a weird thing to feel at 54 years old, that for the first time in your life your mother sees you. It’s an odd realization that that’s the thing you’ve been missing, the only thing you wanted all along, to be seen. And it doesn’t feel like a relief, to finally be seen. It feels mean, like, “Oh, it turns out that you knew what I wanted, and you waited until the very last moment to give it to me.” I was prepared for more cruelty. I was sure that she would get in one final zinger about how I let her down, and about how I was fat and stupid and too tall to be an effective Lindy-hopper. How I was needy and a burden and an embarrassment—all that I was ready for. I was not ready for “I see you.” Only my mother would be lousy enough to swipe me with a moment of connection on her way out. But maybe I’m giving her too much credit. Maybe it wasn’t about connection. Maybe it was a… maybe it was an “I see you,” like, uh, “I see you.” Like, “You might have the rest of the world fooled, but I know exactly who you are.” That’s more my mom’s speed.

Or maybe she just literally meant “I see you. You are an object that has entered my field of vision.” She was pretty out of it at the end, so maybe it’s dumb to try to attribute it to anything.

[woman sighs]

Back in the 90s, I was in a very famous TV show called Horsin’ Around.

[man coughs]

Please hold your applause. And I remember one time, a fan asked me, “Hey, um, you know that episode where the horse has to give Ethan a pep talk after Ethan finds out his crush only asked him to the dance because her friends were having a dorkiest date contest? In all the shots of the horse, you can see a paper coffee cup on the kitchen counter, but in the shots of Ethan, the coffee cup’s missing. Was that because the show was making a statement about the fluctuant subjectivity of memory and how even two people can experience the same moment in entirely different ways?” And I didn’t have the heart to be, like, “No, man, some crew guy just left their coffee cup in the shot.” So instead, I was, like… “Yeah.”

And maybe this is like that coffee cup. Maybe we’re dumb to try to pin significance onto every little thing. Maybe when someone says, “I see you,” it just means, “I see you.” Then again, it’s possible she wasn’t even talking to me because, if I’m being honest, she wasn’t really looking at me. She was looking just past me. There was nobody else in the room, so I want to think she was talking to me, but, honestly, she was so far gone at that point, who knows what she was seeing? Who were you talking to, Mom? [sighs] Not saying, huh? Staying mum? No rimshot there? God, whatever I’m paying you, it’s too much.

Maybe she saw my dad. My dad died about ten years ago of injuries he sustained during a duel. When your father dies, you ask yourself a lot of questions. Questions like, “Wait, did you say he died in a duel?” and “Who dies in a duel?” The whole thing was so stupid. Dad spent his entire life writing this book, but he couldn’t get any stores to carry it or any newspapers to review it. Finally, I guess this one newspaper thought he was pretty hilarious, because they ran a review and tore him to shreds. So my father, ever the proud Mary, decided he would not stand for this besmirchment of his honor. He claimed the critic didn’t understand what it meant to be a man, so he demanded satisfaction in the form of pistols at dawn. He wrote the paper this letter, saying anyone who didn’t like his book, he would challenge to a duel, anyone in the world. He’d even pay for airfare to San Francisco and a night in a hotel. Well, eventually this found its way to some kook in Montana, who was as batshit as he was and took him up on the offer. They met at Golden Gate Park and agreed: ten paces, then shoot. But in the middle of the ten paces, Dad turned to ask the guy if he’d actually read the book and what he thought, but, not looking where he was going, tripped over an exposed root and bashed his head on a rock.

[murmur]

I wish I’d known to go to Jack in the Box then. Maybe I could have gotten a free churro. It would’ve been nice to have something to show for being the son of Butterscotch Horseman. My darling mother gave the eulogy. My entire life I never heard her say a kind word to or about my father, but at his funeral she said, “My husband is dead, and everything is worse now.”

“My husband is dead, and everything is worse now.” I don’t know why she said that. Maybe she felt like that’s the kind of thing you’re supposed to say at a funeral. Maybe she hoped one day someone would say that about her. “My mother is dead, and everything is worse now.” Or maybe she knew that he had frittered away all her inheritance, and replaced it with crippling debt, which is a pretty shitty thing to leave your widow with. “Bad news, you lost a husband, but don’t worry, you also lost the house!” Maybe Mom knew she’d have to sell all her fancy jewelry and move into a home. Maybe that’s what she meant by “everything is worse now.” Is that what you meant, Mom?

I gotta say, I’m really carrying this double act. At least with Penn and Teller, the quiet one does card tricks. Hey, piano man, when I say something funny to my mom, how about you give me one of those rimshots?

[rimshot plays]

Yeah, but not now. When I say something funny. Like, okay. What’s the difference between my mother and a disruptive expulsion of germs? One’s a coughin’ fit and the other fits a coffin! That’s an example of a funny thing.

[rimshot plays]

Thank you. Let’s try again. Hey, Mom. What’s the difference between my mother and a bunch of Easter eggs? One gets carried in a basket, the other gets buried in a casket!

[rimshot plays]

Ready for one more? Last one. What’s the difference between a first-year lit major and my mother, Beatrice Horseman? One is decently read, and the other’s a huge bitch!

[woman gasps]

[murmurs]

Yeah, might have gone a little too far with that one. That one might’ve been a little too “my mom’s a huge bitch” for the room. I’m sorry, Mother. You’re not a huge bitch. You were a huge bitch… and now you’re dead.

[woman sighs]

You know, the first time I ever performed in front of an audience, it actually was, uh, with my mom. She used to put on these shows with her supper club in the living room and she used to make… [inhales] She used to make me sing “The Lollipop Song.”

[organ playing tune]

Those parties, they were really something. There were skits and magic acts, and ethnically insensitive vaudeville routines, and the big finale was always a dance my mother did. She had this beautiful dress that she only brought out for these parties, and she did this incredible number. It was so beautiful and sad. Dad hated the parties. He’d lock himself in the study, and bang on the walls for us to keep it down, but he always came out to see Mom dance. He’d linger in the doorway, scotch in hand, and watch in awe, as this cynical, despicable woman he married… took flight. And as a child who was completely terrified of both my parents, I was always aware that this moment of grace, it meant something. We understood each other in a way. Me and my mom and my dad, as screwed up as we all were, we did understand each other. My mother, she knew what it’s like to feel your entire life like you’re drowning, with the exception of these moments, these very rare, brief instances, in which you suddenly remember… you can swim.

[flashback]

[partygoers laughing]

[classical music playing]

But then again, mostly not. Mostly you’re drowning. She understood that, too. And she recognized that I understood it. And Dad. All three of us were drowning, and we didn’t know how to save each other, but there was an understanding that we were all drowning together. And I would like to think that that’s what she meant when we were in the hospital and she said, “I see you.”

You know, the weird thing about both your parents being dead is it means that you’re next. I mean, you know, obviously it’s not like there’s a waitlist for dying. Any one of us could get run over by a Snapchatting teen at any moment. And you would think that knowing that would make us more adventurous, and kind, and forgiving. But it makes us small, and stupid, and petty.

I actually had a near-death experience recently. A stunt went bad and I fell off a building. I’m an actor, I do my own stunts. I’m on this new show Philbert. I’m Philbert. Star of the show. It hasn’t come out yet, but it’s already getting Emmy buzz. Oh, speaking of buzz… [inhales] I’m supposed to take two of these every morning, but my days are so screwed up ‘cause of the shooting schedule, I don’t even know what morning means anymore. There’s a joke in there somewhere, about a guy who’s been to so many funerals, he doesn’t even know what mourning means anymore. Let you guys figure that one out for yourselves. [gulps]

Anyway, you know what I thought, when I was falling off the building and I went into panic mode? The last thing that my stupid brain could come up with before I died? “Won’t they be sorry.” Cool thought, brain.

[rimshot plays]

No, that wasn’t… would you just… dial it back, all right?

I don’t even know what “they” I wanted to be sorry. My mom, even before she died, could barely remember who I was. And of course, my dad’s dead. The last conversation I ever had with him was about his novel. He was so certain this book was his legacy. Maybe he thought it would vindicate him for all the shitty things he ever did in his stupid worthless life. Maybe it did, I don’t know. I never read it, because why would I give him that?

I used to be on this TV show called Horsin’ Around. Seriously, though, hold your applause.

[man coughs]

Well held. It was written by my friend Herb Kazzaz, who’s also dead now, and it starred this little girl named Sarah Lynn. And it was about these orphans. And early on, the network had a note, “Maybe don’t mention they’re orphans so much, because audiences tend to find orphans sad and not relatable.” But I never thought that the orphans were sad. I-I always thought they were lucky, because they could imagine their parents to be anything they wanted. They had something to long for.

Anyway, we did this one season finale, where Olivia’s birth mother comes to town. And she was a junkie, but she’s gotten herself cleaned up, and she wants to be in Olivia’s life again. And of course, she’s like a perfect grown-up version of Olivia, and they go to the mall together and get her ears pierced like she’s always wanted and—sorry, spoiler alert for the season six finale of Horsin’ Around, if you’re still working your way through it. Anyway, the horse tries to warn her, “Be careful, moms have a way of letting you down.” But Olivia just thinks the horse is jealous, and when the mom says she’s moving to California, Olivia decides to go with her. And the network really juiced the cliffhanger: “Is Olivia gone for good?” But of course, because it’s a TV show, she was not gone for good. Of course, because it’s a TV show, Olivia’s mother had a relapse and had to go back to rehab, so Olivia had to hitchhike all the way home, getting rides from Mr. T, Alf, and the cast of Stomp. Of course, that’s what happened. Because, what are you gonna do, just not have Olivia on the show? You can’t have happy endings in sitcoms, not really, because, if everyone’s happy, the show would be over, and above all else, the show… has to keep going. There’s always more show. And you can call Horsin’ Around dumb, or bad, or unrealistic, but there is nothing more realistic than that. You never get a happy ending, ‘cause there’s always more show.

I guess until there isn’t.

[chuckles]

My mom would hate it if she knew that I spent so much time at her funeral talking about my old TV show. Or maybe she’d think it was funny that her idiot son couldn’t even do this right. Who knows? She left no instructions for what she wanted me to say. All I know is she wanted an open casket, and her idiot son couldn’t even do that right. I’m not gonna stand up here and pretend I ever understood how to please that woman, even though so much of my life has been wasted in vain attempts to figure it out. But I keep going back to that moment in the ICU when she looked at me, and… “I-C-U.”

“I… see… you.” Jesus Christ, we were in the intensive care unit. She was just reading a sign. My mom died and all I got was this free churro.

You know the shittiest thing about all of this? Is when that stranger behind the counter gave me that free churro, that small act of kindness showed more compassion than my mother gave me her entire goddamn life. Like, how hard is it to do something nice for a person? This woman at the Jack in the Box didn’t even know me. I’m your son! All I had was you! [inhales]

I have this friend. And right around when I first met her, her dad died, and I actually went with her to the funeral. And months later, she told me that she didn’t understand why she was still upset, because she never even liked her father. It made sense to me, because I went through the same thing when my dad died. And I’m going through the same thing now. You know what it’s like? It’s like that show Becker, you know, with Ted Danson? I watched the entire run of that show, hoping that it would get better, and it never did. It had all the right pieces, but it just—it couldn’t put them together. And when it got canceled, I was really bummed out, not because I liked the show, but because I knew it could be so much better, and now it never would be. And that’s what losing a parent is like. It’s like Becker.

Suddenly, you realize you’ll never have the good relationship you wanted, and as long as they were alive, even though you’d never admit it, part of you, the stupidest goddamn part of you, was still holding on to that chance. And you didn’t even realize it until that chance went away.

My mother is dead, and everything is worse now, because now I know I will never have a mother who looks at me from across a room and says, “BoJack Horseman, I see you.” But I guess it’s good to know. It’s good to know that there is nobody looking out for me, that there never was, and there never will be. No, it’s good to know that I am the only one that I can depend on. And I know that now and it’s good. It’s good that I know that. So… it’s good my mother is dead.

[gulps, sighs]

Well. No point beating a dead horse. Beatrice Horseman was born in 1938, and she died in 2018, and I have no idea… what she wanted. Unless she just wanted what we all want… to be seen.

Is this Funeral Parlor B?

—— from Reddit

前几季人物立住了 这一季终于开始放肆探索讲剧情了 之前总有一种为了丧而丧的嫌疑 看完感觉像一拳打在心上 软绵绵的但是胸闷 一段时间就没什么感觉了 这季打完这拳还会在心里拧几下 而且台词也不再是大段的毒鸡汤说教了 正常真实了很多

以前看完只有一种情感就是同情马男——他也没办法吧这样想 这季是真的为之生气 尤其是他们跟记者解释掐人事件时马男为了自己心里舒坦非要说出真相 马男活得痛苦就理所当然地脆弱发疯不承担责任 可是还有比他活得更艰难的人 他们在不得不坚强活着承受自己的痛苦的同时还要无端端地再加上 因为马男的任性所带来的 本不用承担的痛苦 而且他们甚至没有资本去使用酒精毒品来逃避 即便如此 正因为他们遭受了更多的苦难所以他们又都知道马男也不是故意的 就像我前几季感受到的 他们知道对于马男这个人来说 他做出这样的事也是没办法的结果 马男没办法不这样 于是他们包括我虽然又气又恨 可还是怪罪不了他 不过我产生这样的感受也可能是等第五季期间看事物的角度变化了 之前也有只是我没感受到

最让人震惊的是花生酱和黛安居然已经结婚十年了 原来马男的世界里时间活得这么快 轰隆隆 人生几十年就这么过去了 看那些人物谈到的记得的对于他们人生有着影响的事也就那么几件 连起来不过是几季电视剧 时间一直在给我们机会 重新站起来的机会 只是我们从来没成功过罢了

I have never been at the top of the world ever since.

最后黛安送马男去戒毒所 这是第一次季终是带有希望的结局吧 马男加油哇 黛安加油哇

另外看到有人说这季前面不错后面一般 其实我倒觉得每一集都各有特点 越看到后面越觉得叙事方式多变新奇到这个程度 太牛逼了吧！而且片头片尾都好用心 配乐太好听了 希望能出原声带！