Hugs & Shades of Blue

I’m a great believer in the emotional value of a hug. A kiss is good, but it’s not as true a gauge of real love as an embrace. A kiss can be a peck on the lips or cheek, or it can be a lengthy spit-exchange. But the latter is more an expression of lust than love. A hug, on the other hand, can offer comfort, affection, solace, peace, satisfaction, security. You’ve seen that empty Continental double air-kiss that’s considered good manners in some parts of the world, but it isn’t an expression of love. You’ve seen that false embrace of contestants and caddies on the LPGA tour at the end of a round. You know, the bend at the waist, shoulders forward, and the double pat on the back, maybe even a quick smile just before or just after the fake embrace, but it isn’t an expression of love. A love-hug is non-discriminatory and can involve any combination of people (even an occasional animal), any race or religious preference, any political persuasion. A love-hug is full-bodied with arms tight around each other’s back, words of advice or support or affection or comfort into the neck, a hidden communication between hugger and huggee. And the hug lasts an appropriate amount of time, usually five to ten seconds. Any longer and it becomes embarrassing. Any less and it isn’t even a hug. Next time a friend is standing there in front of you, teary-eyed, lips quivering, you’ll know what to do. Right. Arms extended in invitation. A hug begins.

We’ve had a slew of tv cop shows with the word “blue” in the title—Blue Bloods, Hillstreet Blues, Rookie Blue, NYPD Blue, Dark Blue, and the oldie The Blue Knight. And now we have the latest: Shades of Blue with Jennifer Lopez and Ray Liotta. Lopez plays a Brooklyn detective named Harlee Santos, Liotta as her boss Lt. Bill Wozniak. Although I like both Lopez and Liotta as actors, this time I just didn’t want to see another show depicting cops on the take. I realize the temptations of extra money would be great for some cops and is probably true too often on major city police forces, but I don’t need it in my televised versions of those police forces. Give me the admirable (although unlikely) Reagan family in Blue Bloods. We won’t be watching any more Shades of Blue. Sorry about that, JLo and Ray.