Martha's biggest mistake (not counting that whole jail thing) was in not reviving her old show when she got out. Instead she settled for yet another talk show.

The old show was really in a class by itself, chock full of interesting segments, well-produced. It showcased everything she excelled at, turning the humblest domestic task into something women could take pride in doing well. It fit in perfectly with the whole post-feminist "choice" scenario. Maybe there was a dimension of fantasy involved, but it was a healthy fantasy.

OK, so as a guy, maybe I'm not the best person to judge. But where am I going to go now to learn how to can fruit or mend a frayed blanket? Or just to enjoy watching somebody else doing it...

No doubt the show was a lot of work, and expensive to produce, but it must have been a huge stimulus to Martha's empire. Every time she turned over a spadeful of dirt, thousands of loyal fans rushed out to buy Martha brand spades.

I think this is a really great point. I would also say that her talk show magnifies Martha's weakness - namely she's not very personable. Doing a show off-the-cuff with guests and a live studio audience frequently makes her seem stiff and awkward.

Also the talk show lacks the polish of her previous show. Her food and homemade tchotchkes don't look as fancy under the harsh studio lights, and she doesn't make it look as easy as she did when she could fine-tune or edit her performance over several takes. The effect detracts from her image as the ultimate domestic goddess.

Although I doubt they did many takes in the old show -- there wasn't time. But you're right, they had more control over camera positioning, lighting etc. And she no doubt had a much larger staff to make sure everything was ready for her when she walked onto the set.

slobone says:

OK, so as a guy, maybe I'm not the best person to judge. But where am I going to go now to learn how to can fruit or mend a frayed blanket? Or just to enjoy watching somebody else doing it...

Man, slobone. That sounds so gay! Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course.

Ya got me there... :)