"30 Days" Season 3, Episode 5 - "Gun Nation"

[Snake Doctor]

If you're not familiar with FX's "30 Days" from Morgan Spurlock ("Super Size Me"), this is the nutshell description: An unscripted, documentary-style program where an individual is inserted into a lifestyle that is completely different from his or her upbringing, beliefs, religion or profession for 30 days.

This week, Spurlock sets a Mass. gun-control nut up in the home of a father/son pair of Ohio gun enthusiasts. I'll leave the rest of the details to you're viewing, but I really, really encourage you all to watch this. Gather the family; it is something everyone--especially we who believe in the 2A--to watch and to think about. If you try to bite your tongue and watch the transition that the woman makes, I think you'll really be surprised.

It was new tonight, but the next showings are at 10:00 PM on July 4th and 6th. Anyone with basic cable should have FX (68 in the Austin/Travis Co. area).

Trailer

[Pinkycatcher]

Can I write spoilers? It was a pretty good episode, a lot of things are missed, but y'all should catch em.

[retrieverman]

I have never watched that show until tonight, and I had a preconceived idea of how this situation would turn out. Wow! Was I wrong!

[KBCraig]

I set the tivo for this one. I checked just now, and it didn't record.

The 18 year old daughter and I will be having a conversation that wouldn't pass the 10 year old daughter rule.

[HerbM]

I set the tivo for this one. I checked just now, and it didn't record.

The 18 year old daughter and I will be having a conversation that wouldn't pass the 10 year old daughter rule.

I posted a similar thread -- not seeing this one -- at about the same time, with the times this will repeat this week.

[killerfly128]

I will be posting a link to the episode as soon as it is uploaded

[lagomorph]

I think it was really pretty fair. The father was well spoken for somebody that owns a lazy chair like that.

[HerbM]

I think it was really pretty fair. The father was well spoken for somebody that owns a lazy chair like that.

Yes, and he was knowledgeable -- leading me to guess that they didn't include his answers to many of the unanswered points. He was a respectful listener too, so it was common for them to show him just listening in an understanding fashion, without the rebutting the misunderstanding or repeated propaganda. My guess is he did have and then offered those answers but they didn't make the cut.

[jimlongley]

I think it was really pretty fair. The father was well spoken for somebody that owns a lazy chair like that.

Yes, and he was knowledgeable -- leading me to guess that they didn't include his answers to many of the unanswered points. He was a respectful listener too, so it was common for them to show him just listening in an understanding fashion, without the rebutting the misunderstanding or repeated propaganda. My guess is he did have and then offered those answers but they didn't make the cut.

My guess is that they didn't make the cut because they didn't serve the producers' political agenda.

[Pinkycatcher]

I don't think I could watch it. It would make my blood pressure rise too much, honestly.

No, not at all, the beginning is rough, and what's funny is she's stereotyping at first, but the only problems I could find was that they showed us no facts, no logic, and very little safety protocol, only the golden rule and that's it. It's a start but they could have at least gone through the never point a gun at anyone ever, and always check to make sure it's unloaded. And they could have started her on a .22 rather than skeet shooting, she would have been surprised by the sound of a .22 compared to what she's used to when she thinks of guns.

[DParker]

My guess is that they didn't make the cut because they didn't serve the producers' political agenda.

Actually, given Spurlock's obvious slant in most things (I think he sucks as a documentarian, but he occasionally covers interesting things on 30 Days, like this one) I found this episode to be remarkably unbiased in its presentation. He could easily have picked some dumb inbred bubba as the head of the "gun family", but the guy he went with...albeit not the most compelling and eloquent representative for our side, was a personable, rational, reasonably intelligent guy who made a good showing. In fact, all personal bias aside, I thought he made a far better rep for our side then she did for the anti-gunners. At least, until she began to soften up her stance and be more open-minded at the end.

And, as much as I feel bad for their losses, the two older female activists at the park bench came across as the typical arrogant, condescending and emotion-driven antis they were.

Of course, the arguments presented by both sides were not well-constructed and were very, very simplistic. But, all-in-all, not a bad episode as far as the over all impression given.

[Pinkycatcher]

Noone offered up any facts, they just told stories of how people got shot, then they demonized the gun instead of the criminal.

[gregthehand]

I thought it was a pretty good show. Honestly when I watched it I was thinking that it was really going to be slanted towards the anti's side. So I'll admit that there was some stereotyping from the start on both sides I guess. I don't think they completely convereted but I think she did come around a lot more than she was. She obviously still believes that heavy sreening is needed but like both of them agreed it's going to be very hard to find some middle ground. I think the guys son does need to get out a little more and I thought it was great that she helped him with that. Other than that I think some good middle gound was obtained by her even though she started out on the way otherside of the issue.

Oh yeah she was pretty easy to look at too. You just had to mute when she talked in the beginning and it made it more pleasent to watch!

[Rugrash]

I've been a fan of the show since its first season and thanks to TIVO I haven't missed an episode. Every time Pia opened her mouth though, I had to hit the pause button and laugh or yell at her through the TV. Her father the Marine sharpshooter, I think they labeled him, said something along the lines that he's fired just about every automatic weapon out there and that people shouldn't be allowed to have them. I wish Morgan would have gone into more detail on the gun laws and mentioned that full-autos are highly regulated and not easily attainable.
The gun enthusiast father and son relationship seemed a bit weird to me. The kid didn't seem to have any other interests other than guns and video games. Towards the end though the father did seem supportive of his son possibly going to college as a result of Pia's urging him to look towards his own future. I also liked the gun store owner. His place was nice, clean and he seemed to be a very reputable dealer. I think they should've focused more on him, as Pia's stereotypes were immediately shattered when she walked in for her first day at work. I also agree with another poster that they should've started her on a .22 instead of a 12ga...that was just plain stupid. My wife has been around guns for about the past 5 years now and she still is a bit frightened of the shotty. All in all it was a decently balanced episode and once again the fish out of water starts to see things in a new way which is the point of the show.

-Rug