Filed under: comedy, documentary, drama, entertainment, film, movies, politics, science fiction, television
So I constantly flip flop between whether I need TV in my life or not. In the end, it doesn’t matter. It is such a constant in today’s society. I would have to escape to a deserted island to get away from it. Now I will always recommend a good book before I recommend a movie or television show to Netflix. But it doesn’t mean that I don’t think that television or film can’t offer you the same sort of life lessons. I just think that there is something special about spending time with a book. The touch, the smell, the sound, and of course–the weight of a good book in your hands. When you flip through the pages letting that all too familiar aroma of prose drift gently into the air. I think that television has yet to supplant the reading experience, between touch and imagination. But there have been some advancements in storytelling in the last ten–fifteen years of television that have in a way created a new sensation of the mind. A way to be entertained and still get your food for thought. Now indeed, there are classic shows that have touched millions since the beginning of the first television sets. But more to the point, I’m talking about the television shows that I would like to call literary programs. They are almost as much affected by the great classic prose and the authors who wrote them, as they are by previous shows and films that have always inspired the next generation of storytellers.
Some of the first, I believe we are all familiar with. Shows like The X-Files, The Simpson’s, shows that pushed the fourth wall of entertainment, like The Larry Sanders Show, and Seinfeld. Comedies, dramas, science fiction. All of these shows worked within their genres in a new and unparalled way. But even more important was that they helped insight social change, new avenues of thought, and just plane good conversation, whether it took place around the water cooler, or at the dinner table. I think in the past, I haven’t received a more unbiased education in bi-partisan politics than I did from the residents of Springfield. A more intuitive look at science, politics, and religion, than through the looking glass of the dramatic and at times campy X-Files. It was something to discuss, laugh about, and yes, even at times, cry about.
What came next is what I really want to talk about. When shows like Six Feet Under and the Soprano’s first arrived. A new epoch in television drama began. Shows that blurred the lines of not only the genres that they were working within, but also all the genres in general. Taking on questions and answering them in the best way that they saw fit. They didn’t shy away from the giving of their opinion on a hot issue, and for the most part led the way by applying creative storytelling as a tool, that was as courageous as it was innovative.
In the beginning of this entertainment movement, the cable television shows were able to do this better because they decided to do away with the censorship of their programs. Opening up for us as viewers, realistic characters, in a way creating a more voyeuristic peep hole into the daily goings on of our favorite protagonists. Always trying to thin the barrier between both viewer and character to where we sometimes eventually were unable to recognize who was on which side of the glass. Just because Tony Soprano was a gangster, didn’t mean that he wasn’t facing the same type of existential dilemmas and heartaches as the next guy. We were all the same, in need of some therapy, and maybe just a good listener. And that’s what I think a great television, or a good book does best. It makes us all listen. Not just to the story, but to ourselves. The inner dialogue that is constantly being interrupted by all the static of the outside world. And I promise you, that static is just going to get louder. So its nice that these television shows have found new ways to resonate with that inner dialogue.
There have been newer Network shows that have taken what was first crafted on the cable television scale, and have now formatted their content for the censored audience, but are still no less pushing the boundaries. Never shying away from the opportunity to entertain courageously. Shows like LOST and Battlestar Galactica. Although these shows are in someway campy or over sensationalized. They have delved into the inner demons of our current political and social zeitgeists, digging through the mud and filth, and have come back up with gold. Each story premise is underlined with a current event, the writers holding up a mirror to our society and asking, is this what we want to be? Are we ok with this? Are we aware, do we even understand? I think its great that there are television shows that can send me on a research finding frenzy, wanting to know what was their intention in naming a main character after a great 19th century philosopher. And when in a show like Battlestar Galactica, they take the main characters, and place them in a disturbingly similar situation as the insurgents in Iraq. But they are the insurgents. Whether they have already won my loyalty or not, I am forced to take stock of what I think when I empathize with the very people I have been told are my unquestioned enemies. Its moments like this, where in modern television, they make me think, these writers, although not always successful, that they are reaching for the stars, in much the same way as the great poets and writers of the past once did.
There are also a large number of educational programs that have made there way to the surface recently, programs like The Blue Planet, and Planet Earth, produced by the BBC. Also the Discovery Channel, with their high definition production of the Discovery Atlas programs, such as Australia Revealed or China Revealed, which I highly recommend. I believe we are just beginning to see what potential a television show has. As an educator as much as an entertainer.
A list of some other great programs that I recommend, are:
Deadwood: The dialogue is actually written reminiscent of the Iambic Pentameter used during the Elizabethan Age. The characters are as refreshing as the style that they use in their plot devices, the archetypes as true to their actions as they are to their tragic flaws, but then they change in the most complex and interesting ways.
Rome: A stylistic achievement in its production as well as its storytelling. The characters are of course doomed to live out the history that we all think we know. Although they do at times take creative license, they are careful not to rewrite the past, yet make us feel like we have never heard the story of Brutus or Julius Caesar, as if we are just meeting them for the first time.
The Wire: Its like Law and Order on crack. The emotional and social depths that this show travels to are astounding. Its use of subtlety and nuances are unmatched. Where a show would lean hard on an issue, they let the truth float to the surface, sometimes revealing a completely different plot. But you never feel cheated. This is one of the best shows that takes an unyielding stance on our modern criminal and law enforcement situation, and show us how intrinsic one is to the other.
And just for fun:
If your one of the many people that doesn’t feel that they can get past the name, here is a funny overview of the last three seasons of Battlestar Galactica in 8 minutes. Although I highly recommend watching this show. Plus this Battlestar rap:
LOST Season 1-3 in 8 minutes:
There’s been a lot of talk about idealism since the run for the presidency kicked off. And it brings up an interesting point. Does idealism have a place in today’s politics? Now I know that what some of you might be thinking is, “of course it does!” And why not? Don’t get me wrong; I know it’s a nice break from the humdrum neo conservative answers. That don’t stray that far from the same lies that have been recycled for the past eight years. Only to hide an even more un-imaginative motive. Greed, control of resources, and a tireless battle to indoctrinate the Middle East through Western Imperialism. But what we want in its place–is it also able to stand up to the test of time? Not just our willingness to believe in the betterment of ourselves, but to stand tall in the face of adversity. Violent recriminations for years of meddling in foreign affairs. And a growing populace of hatred for current administration led wars and infractions? Because ‘thinking positively’ isn’t going to make everything better, just because we believe it will.
The ‘Right’ wants us to think of what they are saying as pragmatism. That we need to deal with the harsh realities of the world around us, and that no amount of idealism is going to stop the ‘Islamafascism’ that is apparently running most of the Middle Eastern World. Now there’s an idealistic line of thinking in its own right. Because I know if I’m any kind of appreciator of history, especially one that is near on two thousand years old. We aren’t the first to come along and tell those people what to do, and sadly I fear we won’t be the last. But getting rid of weeds, and getting rid of a movement, is far from the same thing. And a culture that is far older than we are, even as a nation–It doesn’t seem very practical to tell them that they have been doing it wrong all along.
Now there has been much debate as to the relevancy of the word Islamafacsism in itself. And it is a term that I think illustrates this point even more. That it is just as much fundamentally flawed as the liberal’s idealistic view on how to handle the current state of affairs. The conservatives have been trying to force feed the American public–to ‘take our medicine’ as it were–to adopt this term as an American colloquialism. And at the forefront, people like David Horowitz, state that it is a term that they have taken from the Muslims that had many of their family members killed by the Al Qaeda terrorists in Afghanistan. And this maybe true, but by what means do they seek to stretch its relevancy, as to justify yet another war, now a war with Iran, does this make sense either? In the end it seems that both sides have just found new ways to hide old imaginary worlds in new reactionary clothing. What I’m trying to get at is–in a political world of polarized states, extremist talk radio stations, and rising potential for even more political and social unrest. We need to see past the old party politics and get to the heart of the matter. Real discussion, real action. Now I know that it doesn’t hurt to be inspired by a nice speech every once in awhile, and to this I salute the astounding work that the speech writers, not the candidates are doing in this area. It is happening. Even amidst the circus for the run for the candidacy. Organic pockets of activists. More and more the awareness is growing. The race has just begun. Where the presidency ends, so it begins for a nation of citizens and a two hundred and thirty year old call to the people of this country to lead by example. Let the leaders of this world not just be the best of us, but let them recognize and be inspired by us. Obama isn’t the savior. McCain isn’t going to fix a people or a culture that doesn’t think they are broken, and Hillary…well Hillary needs to dust off her material.
All of the candidates I find I relate to in some way. Agree and disagree with. We are a growing culture of complex and changing individuals. And as the world gets smaller, and the information begins to move faster. It is up to us to realize, that no man or woman is ever going to embody all that we believe in. We need to look to ourselves, our communities, and our leaders that are elected by some of us, (cause lets be honest, there is only one winner in the end.) Keep them honest, stop wasting energy on pointing fingers, and always try to let our actions speak louder than our words. Don’t teach a child to share their toys and then tell a homosexual man or woman that they can’t have the same rights as heterosexuals. Don’t argue that its not wrong to let children pray in school, and then tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her body. And don’t preach about a message of love and forget the fundamental moment when Peter reached for his sword in the Garden of Gethsemane and cut the ear off one of the high priests soldiers, and Jesus reached down and placed the ear back on the mans head, then said, “that if you live by the sword, you die by the sword.” Don’t forget that lesson. You don’t slough off your religion when your politics don’t coincide. Striving to treat each other with decency isn’t idealistic; it’s the right thing to do. Lets be practical in how we treat each other. Because when it comes down to the question of whether we can treat each other with respect or not, I believe the answer is, “Yes we can.”
Check out this interesting video from Slate.com: Haven’t I Seen This One Before?
Check out this short-short documentary. An interesting look into the world of designer clothing and how some designers are taking a green approach.
Clothes to help the world – Clothes for NAU
Also, here’s a link to the NAU clothing company website:
Now I’m sure that you’re all familiar with Seth Rogen and James Franco. The two stars of this exciting new comedy set to come out on August 8, 2008. But even more promising, is the dubious director David Gordon Green, better known for his serious coming of age tales. Both his films, George Washington and All the Real Girls, met with critical success, and have spurred him into the limelight being recognized as a filmmaker of the Southern Gothic variety. Also with a story by Judd Apatow, the mind behind the beloved show Freaks and Geeks, and the highly successful films 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and Superbad. It appears to be another hit in waiting, with a script from both Seth Rogen and Judd Apatow. Here’s a link to the unedited trailer:The Pineapple Express Here’s the official trailer:
Filed under: environment
That’s right ladies and gentlemen we have actually brought upon ourselves an entirely new epoch! What is an epoch you ask? Well let me freak you out a little–
epoch | epək | noun
• In Geology its a division of time that is a subdivision of a period and is itself subdivided into ages, corresponding to a series in chronostratigraphy.
Which means to say, through our overuse of natural resources, continued pollution of the earth’s ecosystems, and our irrisponsable release of harmful toxins into the air everyday, we have literally changed the current geological and environmental state of the planet. Causing a shift of Dinosaur Killing Proportions!
At least the dinosaurs didn’t have a choice. Were actually doing this to ourselves. Whether an asteroid or a flood, whatever it was–its not like the dinosaurs loaded a bullet in the chamber, kissed their loved ones goodbye, and went–click. At least I don’t remember seeing that in The Land Before Time.
First proposed by the Nobel Prize Winner Paul J. Crutzen from the Max-Planck-Institute for Chemistry. He and his colleagues believe the end of the Holocene epoch has been marked by the interactions between ‘Man and Nature’ bringing about a new epoch, the Anthropocene epoch. On his website he explains more.
“…During the Holocene mankind’s activities gradually grew into a significant geological, morphological force, as recognized early on by a number of scientists…”
“…Without major catastrophes like an enormous volcanic eruption, an unexpected epidemic, a large-scale nuclear war, an asteroid impact, a new ice age, or continued plundering of Earth’s resources by partially still primitive technology (the last four dangers can, however, be prevented in a real functioning no6sphere) mankind will remain a major geological force for many millennia, maybe millions of years, to come. To develop a world-wide accepted strategy leading to sustainability of ecosystems against human induced stresses will be one of the great future tasks of mankind, requiring intensive research efforts and wise application of the knowledge thus acquired in the noösphere, better known as knowledge or information society. An exciting, but also difficult and daunting task lies ahead of the global research and engineering community to guide mankind towards global, sustainable, environmental management…”
That’s cool! By all means guide. I’m not going out like a punk, no matter how badass I think my new MacBook is. In the end it’s all refuse, trash, waste, you get the picture.
A good friend of mine turned me onto a great website that I think illustrates this current state of Epochian unsettlement. Check it out!
Also, its time we really stopped and looked at what we are doing as a ‘force of human nature’ as an integral part of our environment, and realize that we aren’t outside of nature, but just as much a part of it like the trees, the snails, and all those buried fossilizing dinosaur bones (poor dinosaurs).
Lets stop the destructive habits we have bred into our society, stop what we know we can stop. Learn more about sustainability and green energy. Also make sure to listen to a good song every once in awhile, read a good book, look at a tree, kiss a loved one, and whatever you do…
