The soldiers of currency obeyed their master
And fought until the last man was dead
Victorious in a field of blood they looked at one another
“We are now the richest in the world
For there is nobody left to compete against us”
Friday 29 April 2011
Tuesday 5 April 2011
5 Reasons to love Doctor Who
Potential
All of time and space, let's face it, that's pretty big. What this show has is absolutely limitless potential, restricted only by the limits of the writer's imagination. You only have to look at what Steven Moffat has so far done with the series to realise how limitless it really is.
Of course, with limitless potential comes limitless ways to go wrong (the Doctor's meeting with The Kandy Man in The Happiness Patrol springs to mind here), and so the limitless becomes limited by the show's own rules. The Doctor is essentially a man of science and the show sticks to this concept. Even the Carrionites' "witch-craft" is explained simply as a 'word based science'. Yet within these rules there is plenty room to manoeuvre; from endless timeloops and spacial paradoxes (thank you Mr Moffat), mysterious and epic time wars (thank you Mr Davies) and robots that happen to be racial purists (thank you Misters Nation, Davis and Pedler). The survival of any show depends on its ability to change and unlike almost any other show Doctor Who has the freedom to go in almost any direction it wants.
Regeneration
Carrying on from my previous sentence ('the survival of any show depends on its ability to change', in case you've forgotten) we have the concept of regeneration. There is no bigger and bolder change that you can possibly make than to periodically change the actor playing the leading man. A bold move but one that has ensured the show's survival. Each actor has brought his own idiosyncrasies to the role, and yet remained faithful to the essential character of the Doctor (see below).The joy of it is though, is that you can watch one episode of Doctor Who after another, each with a different actor playing the Doctor, and yet happily accept each of those men as The Doctor. How brilliant is that?! Two minutes into The Eleventh Hour Matt Smith was the Doctor, finish watching that episode and watch, say, Castrovalva and Peter Davison is also the Doctor, as if no change has taken place. Equally impressive, is that when you watch an episode such as The Five Doctors each actor completely inhabits the role, whilst at no point stepping on the toes of his fellow actors. Now you have to admit, that is an impressive and pretty much unique trait.
The Sad Clown
The Doctor is the archetypal sad clown, moving from a cheesy grin to the darkest melancholy with an almost effortless ease. It takes a very special lead character to be at once an excited little boy and a lonely old man. Yet it is this divide that gives the Doctor such depth. In the latest trailer for Doctor Who series 6 (which can be viewed here) there is one line that demonstrates this perfectly:
Unknown monster: Fear me, I've killed hundreds of Time Lords
Doctor: Fear me, I've killed all of them
This is a brilliant line, wonderful in it's comic timing (Matt Smith never fails to impress), and a brutal reminder of the tragedy of the man. The inclusion of the Time War into the Doctor Who mythology was a bold move by Russell T. Davies, and the revelation of the Doctor's act of genocide, and the guilt he carries because of it, add a vital emotional depth that was lacking pre 2005. That being said, the hints of the Doctor's dark half were still present in earlier series, with characters such as the Valeyard becoming a prominent foe of the Sixth Doctor, or Tom Baker's precursor to the Time War with his attempted genocide in Genesis of the Daleks, and the dark, mysterious and conniving nature in the First Doctor's early serials. The emotional depth and the comic ability of the Doctor is what keeps us watching, we laugh with him and we cry with him, but whatever happens, we stick with him until the end.Eternal Optimism
Despite its darkness the real nature of Doctor Who is its optimism. If the Doctor had a motto it would be 'fight the good fight'. This is the key theme of the show; when all else fails, whatever the consequence, the Doctor still fights. This makes the Doctor a fantastic role model for the younger viewers of the show; the Doctor embodies the virtues of kindness, intelligence and bravery. He may be a flawed character, but he is essentially a good one. More than this though, the show's entire ethos is based around the ideas of tolerance and kindness, the Doctor never fails to show compassion when it is needed (Revelation of the Daleks and New Earth, to name but two), and never fails to do the right thing (Doctor Who, 1963 - present). This optimism is what keeps us Doctor Who fans coming back for more. In today's world of gritty reality and doom and gloom, a bit of optimism is just what the doctor ordered.
The Doctor
Ok, this last one is definitely a bit of a cheat. This whole blog post has been about the Doctor, because, essentially he is the show. Everything else revolves around the Doctor, friends and foes fly around in an endless vortex and in the middle is that funny man in his little blue box. The show, now in its 47th year, would not have lasted anywhere near that long if that man hadn't been exactly what his audience needed him to be. He is universal, everyone can find something in the Doctor to relate to. He is old and young, happy and sad, silly and smart and everything in between. He is everything we would like to be and everything we should strive for. What more could you ask for on a Saturday night?
So there you have it. Five reasons to love Doctor Who which for the most part boils down to the sentence 'I love the Doctor' (he is, after all, the mother of all man crushes). If you're not a fan, and have found yourself reading this I really hope it motivates you to go away and find reasons of your own to love this show. If you already love it, well then, it's time we go back and watch it all again!
Monday 14 March 2011
All good things... Part 2
Part 2 of this frankly epic countdown has finally arrived so here we go!
5. Frasier - 'Goodnight Seattle'
Frasier was part of a large sitcom movement in the 1990s with Friends becoming the most prominent, and others such as Seinfeld and Third Rock from the Sun coming closely behind. For my money, however, Frasier was the best show to emerge from this era. Wittier than most, very clever and it didn't fall into decline as much as other long running series do. For the most part this finale does nothing different from other sitcom finales. There's moves, marriages, births and promotions to keep everyone satisfied, but there are two things that really makes this a good finale. Firstly the final scenes; Frasier's goodbye to his family is plenty emotional and not overdone, and after 11 years of tension Martin's 'thank you Frasier' is enough to bring a tear to the eye of the most cold hearted of viewers. Following this, Frasier's recitation of Tennyson's 'Ulysses' just works, there's no other way to describe it, it is a great scene that can be viewed here. Secondly, what makes this a good finale is the sense of a completed circle that is very satisfying. We leave Frasier in much the same place as we found him, moving on, making a change in his life, and the small twist in the end adds the final delicate touch.
4. Scrubs - 'My Finale'
I'm not sure how strictly correct this is as a finale considering that they did make a ninth series of Scrubs that was later cancelled, but this, for many fans was the end of JD's story, and a grand ending it was too! Again another sitcom finale that does a lot of box ticking, and is most notable really for the last couple of scenes in which JD leaves Sacred Heart. I don't want to give too much away here, and I'm sure you can find a clip of these scenes on YouTube if you're really curious, but I would argue that it is one of the most beautifully shot scenes in television history. Never before have comedy and catharsis been so beautifully intertwined, and played out to Peter Gabriel's 'The Book of Love' (see video), which adds the perfect finishing touch. Stunning.
3 The Office (UK) - Christmas Special
Never before has there been a more frustrating character than David Brent, a simple happy ending was never going to cut it for this character. No, the office finale needed something else for David Brent and I can't think of a better way to end Brent's story than to see the beginnings of a real turn around in his character. If you would watch this video from 7:13 (or the whole lot if you fancy it) and witness two brilliantly telling moments for the David Brent. The first moment sees Brent becoming less of the image orientated man that he has been, finally he is able to stand up for himself, and someone that we presume he cares for, with the brilliantly simple line 'why don't you fuck off' (7:42), a line that pretty much had me jumping for joy. The second, and much more subtle moment and comes at 9:08 when Tim and Dawn finally kiss (I should confess here that I found the Tim and Dawn storyline a less satisfying part of the finale than David Brent's) but the expression on Brent's face at this moment is simply fantastic. It shows a man that is more caring and kinder than we have ever previously seen. Much like the finale of Extras, The Office doesn't necessarily give us a happy ending (except in the case of Tim and Dawn), but leaves us with a hopeful one. This was the ending that we all wanted without even knowing it.
2. Lost - 'The End'
If there were ever two men under more pressure to write a good finale than Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof then I have never heard of them. Possibly one of the most anticipated finales on television, and also one of the most divisive. This episode's lack of definite answers left a lot of people unsatisfied, but as far as sheer resolution goes this story is wrapped up perfectly. All of the explanatory dialogue in this episode is spot on, beautifully written and just the right touches in just the right places, so that you never feel like you are being beaten over the head with information. More than this though Cuse and Lindelof create an ending that is as poignant as it is satisfying. I watched this finale with my flatmate at the time and I will never forget the air of contented silence as the final scene faded out, creating a magnificent story arc. The criticism often aimed at this finale is that it did not provide the answers everyone was waiting for, and this is true to some extent. However, I would also argue that we are provided enough answers and clues to at least speculatively fill in the gaps ourselves. A series, then, that keeps us discussing it long after it ends. What more could you ask for?
1. Blackadder - 'Goodbyeee'
I honestly believe that there is very little to say about this finale, it neatly displays the horror of the trenches, and is made even more poignant because of the comedy that comes before it. There is not much left to say except watch this series. When the laughter stops and the guns begin, you will not be left unmoved.
Thanks,
X
5. Frasier - 'Goodnight Seattle'
Frasier was part of a large sitcom movement in the 1990s with Friends becoming the most prominent, and others such as Seinfeld and Third Rock from the Sun coming closely behind. For my money, however, Frasier was the best show to emerge from this era. Wittier than most, very clever and it didn't fall into decline as much as other long running series do. For the most part this finale does nothing different from other sitcom finales. There's moves, marriages, births and promotions to keep everyone satisfied, but there are two things that really makes this a good finale. Firstly the final scenes; Frasier's goodbye to his family is plenty emotional and not overdone, and after 11 years of tension Martin's 'thank you Frasier' is enough to bring a tear to the eye of the most cold hearted of viewers. Following this, Frasier's recitation of Tennyson's 'Ulysses' just works, there's no other way to describe it, it is a great scene that can be viewed here. Secondly, what makes this a good finale is the sense of a completed circle that is very satisfying. We leave Frasier in much the same place as we found him, moving on, making a change in his life, and the small twist in the end adds the final delicate touch.
4. Scrubs - 'My Finale'
I'm not sure how strictly correct this is as a finale considering that they did make a ninth series of Scrubs that was later cancelled, but this, for many fans was the end of JD's story, and a grand ending it was too! Again another sitcom finale that does a lot of box ticking, and is most notable really for the last couple of scenes in which JD leaves Sacred Heart. I don't want to give too much away here, and I'm sure you can find a clip of these scenes on YouTube if you're really curious, but I would argue that it is one of the most beautifully shot scenes in television history. Never before have comedy and catharsis been so beautifully intertwined, and played out to Peter Gabriel's 'The Book of Love' (see video), which adds the perfect finishing touch. Stunning.
3 The Office (UK) - Christmas Special
Never before has there been a more frustrating character than David Brent, a simple happy ending was never going to cut it for this character. No, the office finale needed something else for David Brent and I can't think of a better way to end Brent's story than to see the beginnings of a real turn around in his character. If you would watch this video from 7:13 (or the whole lot if you fancy it) and witness two brilliantly telling moments for the David Brent. The first moment sees Brent becoming less of the image orientated man that he has been, finally he is able to stand up for himself, and someone that we presume he cares for, with the brilliantly simple line 'why don't you fuck off' (7:42), a line that pretty much had me jumping for joy. The second, and much more subtle moment and comes at 9:08 when Tim and Dawn finally kiss (I should confess here that I found the Tim and Dawn storyline a less satisfying part of the finale than David Brent's) but the expression on Brent's face at this moment is simply fantastic. It shows a man that is more caring and kinder than we have ever previously seen. Much like the finale of Extras, The Office doesn't necessarily give us a happy ending (except in the case of Tim and Dawn), but leaves us with a hopeful one. This was the ending that we all wanted without even knowing it.
2. Lost - 'The End'
1. Blackadder - 'Goodbyeee'
I honestly believe that there is very little to say about this finale, it neatly displays the horror of the trenches, and is made even more poignant because of the comedy that comes before it. There is not much left to say except watch this series. When the laughter stops and the guns begin, you will not be left unmoved.
X
Thursday 10 March 2011
All good things... Part 1
I've talked before about the journey being more important than the ending, that the ending is only ever defined by the journey etc, but I have to say, I am a sucker for a good ending, not necessarily a happy one, but a good one. Especially with television programmes (the more observant of you may recognise the title of this blog post as being the same as the title of the finale of Star Trek TNG). So, without further ado I present part one of my top 10 favourite television finales:
(Ok, here's some further ado, this blog post will contain spoilers please do not read if you don't want to know the ending, if you're not that fussed, or you already know, then I would be happy if you'd read on)
10. Freaks and Geeks - 'Discos and Dragons'
The English readers of this blog entry may never have heard of this very charming and frankly lovely programme. Another victim of the great television networks of America's lack of vision and their fearful assumption that their audience is stupider than they actually are. In the same way that a scared idiot with a gun is a danger to other people's lives, so television networks are a danger to intelligent and funny shows. This show was cancelled after it's first series and never really allowed a formal finale, however an informal one was more than sufficient! This writers of this show oversaw some wonderful character arcs and the final episode was no exception, the 'Freak' character of Daniel finds an acceptance amongst the eponymous 'Geeks' playing Dungeons and Dragons and Lindsay, the 'Freak' who never really fitted in anyway finds potential acceptance elsewhere. Not so much a happy ending but an optimistic one for a brilliantly fashioned and realised series that, as a friend pointed out, was cancelled before anyone could ruin it.
9. Firefly - Serenity
Not so much a series finale than one final push to finish telling a story. If for no better reason, this film deserves a place on the list because of the circumstances from which it arose. Rather than explain I'll let Joss Whedon do it in a manner better than I ever could, here. Cool, get the gist? The thing is, Serenity did not provide what many would call a brilliant ending, many fans of Firefly that I know do not like Serenity at all. Some plot lines are wrapped up as badly as a last minute Christmas present and Shepherd Book's story, one of the biggest mysteries in the Firefly 'verse, is skated over altogether. However, there is plenty in this film to really enjoy, the action and effects alone are worthy of note, but of course these are not where Whedon is at his best. The dialogue is as quick and as witty as we have come to expect, the losses are heartbreaking and the final scene as funny as it is moving. For all its rushed quality Serenity contains everything that fans have come to expect from Joss Whedon, that makes a potent combination and is more than deserving of a place on this list.
8. Extras - 'The Christmas Special'
Ricky Gervais never fails to provide, his career to date has shown him to be a talented writer, director, actor and comedian, and the Christmas special that double as the Extras finale provides the end to the perfect character arc for the character of Andy Millman.
In truth this 90 minute episode can be hard work at times, parts of it are very depressing and the decline in Millman's career can be simultaneously saddening, humiliating and irritating, but it is worth it for the great cathartic moment of his speech about so called 'celebrity', which you can watch here. Like so many episodes on this list, Extras does not provide a real 'ending' (there is only one true ending in life anyway), it just demonstrates a change, a change for the better in the life and attitude of Andy Millman. It is no so much that the story ends here, but that this is where we will leave the story, grateful at least that we leave these characters in happy circumstances.
7. Star Trek The Next Generation - 'All Good Things...'
Let's ignore the films for now, I like the films, I really do (yes, even Nemesis), the final episode 'All Good Things...' is what concerns us here. The writers of Star Trek TNG did what many writers have done when faced with the daunting task of writing a finale, they went back to the beginning. In the case of this story it is the continuation of the trial of humanity that the mischievous Q (see left) challenged Picard with in the very first episode 'Encounter at Farpoint'. Q tells Picard that the 'trial never ended' and that alone is enough to put this episode in this list. This episode neatly encapsulates the core of the Star Trek message. It is a show that continually questions what it is to be human, and demonstrates the almost limitless potential of human beings. Over the course of seven seasons this was done repeatly, the character of Data continually questions the meaning of humanity in his quest to become human, the Human society of the Star Trek universe is a kind of Utopia, and the journey of the Enterprise (boldly going 'where no one has gone before') becomes a metaphor for this journey of human civilisation. So when Q tells Picard that the trial never stops he is essentially showing us what the whole damn thing has been about. Never before has a finale so neatly presented a theme without treading on the toes of those other important factors, plot and entertainment. Picard perhaps tells it best by reminding us all that in the end, 'the sky's the limit'.
6. Angel - 'Not Fade Away'
Ah, haha! A very special finale I think we can all agree. This was a cracker of an episode that provoked the same reaction from me, my mum and my best friend, quite simply 'what. the. fuck???' I'm not going to reveal anything about this ending that I don't have to because the surprise really does make it in many ways. An ending that is at once unexpected and ideal for the main themes of the show. Once again I'm going to just hand over to the masterful Joss Whedon the sum up here, 'the point of the show is that you're never done; no matter who goes down, the fight goes on', much like Star Trek this is an ending that perfectly encapsulates the themes of the show with all the wit and charm that Angel demonstates all along. One warning though, there'll be tears before bedtime...
(Ok, here's some further ado, this blog post will contain spoilers please do not read if you don't want to know the ending, if you're not that fussed, or you already know, then I would be happy if you'd read on)
10. Freaks and Geeks - 'Discos and Dragons'
The English readers of this blog entry may never have heard of this very charming and frankly lovely programme. Another victim of the great television networks of America's lack of vision and their fearful assumption that their audience is stupider than they actually are. In the same way that a scared idiot with a gun is a danger to other people's lives, so television networks are a danger to intelligent and funny shows. This show was cancelled after it's first series and never really allowed a formal finale, however an informal one was more than sufficient! This writers of this show oversaw some wonderful character arcs and the final episode was no exception, the 'Freak' character of Daniel finds an acceptance amongst the eponymous 'Geeks' playing Dungeons and Dragons and Lindsay, the 'Freak' who never really fitted in anyway finds potential acceptance elsewhere. Not so much a happy ending but an optimistic one for a brilliantly fashioned and realised series that, as a friend pointed out, was cancelled before anyone could ruin it.9. Firefly - Serenity
Not so much a series finale than one final push to finish telling a story. If for no better reason, this film deserves a place on the list because of the circumstances from which it arose. Rather than explain I'll let Joss Whedon do it in a manner better than I ever could, here. Cool, get the gist? The thing is, Serenity did not provide what many would call a brilliant ending, many fans of Firefly that I know do not like Serenity at all. Some plot lines are wrapped up as badly as a last minute Christmas present and Shepherd Book's story, one of the biggest mysteries in the Firefly 'verse, is skated over altogether. However, there is plenty in this film to really enjoy, the action and effects alone are worthy of note, but of course these are not where Whedon is at his best. The dialogue is as quick and as witty as we have come to expect, the losses are heartbreaking and the final scene as funny as it is moving. For all its rushed quality Serenity contains everything that fans have come to expect from Joss Whedon, that makes a potent combination and is more than deserving of a place on this list.
8. Extras - 'The Christmas Special'
Ricky Gervais never fails to provide, his career to date has shown him to be a talented writer, director, actor and comedian, and the Christmas special that double as the Extras finale provides the end to the perfect character arc for the character of Andy Millman.
In truth this 90 minute episode can be hard work at times, parts of it are very depressing and the decline in Millman's career can be simultaneously saddening, humiliating and irritating, but it is worth it for the great cathartic moment of his speech about so called 'celebrity', which you can watch here. Like so many episodes on this list, Extras does not provide a real 'ending' (there is only one true ending in life anyway), it just demonstrates a change, a change for the better in the life and attitude of Andy Millman. It is no so much that the story ends here, but that this is where we will leave the story, grateful at least that we leave these characters in happy circumstances.
7. Star Trek The Next Generation - 'All Good Things...'
6. Angel - 'Not Fade Away'
Ah, haha! A very special finale I think we can all agree. This was a cracker of an episode that provoked the same reaction from me, my mum and my best friend, quite simply 'what. the. fuck???' I'm not going to reveal anything about this ending that I don't have to because the surprise really does make it in many ways. An ending that is at once unexpected and ideal for the main themes of the show. Once again I'm going to just hand over to the masterful Joss Whedon the sum up here, 'the point of the show is that you're never done; no matter who goes down, the fight goes on', much like Star Trek this is an ending that perfectly encapsulates the themes of the show with all the wit and charm that Angel demonstates all along. One warning though, there'll be tears before bedtime...
Sunday 6 March 2011
A 'spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings'
I can only apologise for this blog post, because it's entirely likely that it's going to come across as a bit of a rant. I promised myself that I wouldn't make my blog posts too ranty, and this is the second out of four that I reckon is going to come across that way. So, with a deep breath I say sorry and neatly sidestep the issue moving in to my chosen subject for today's sermon, poetry.
I've read a fair bit of poetry in my time, enough to know that some of it I love, and some of it I most certainly don't. Tennyson's 'Ulysses' is perhaps my favourite poem of all time along with Eliot's 'The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock', along with almost anything else by Eliot. I also enjoy the works of Carol Ann Duffy, and the last collection that I read and absolutely loved was Daljit Nagra's Look We Have Coming to Dover, if you get a chance to read it I highly recommend that you do. If you're curious about my dislikes in this field, I don't have much time for the poets of the mid 20th Century, well received though they generally are Plath and Larkin have a way of getting under my skin and irritating me.
I also love the satiric poetry of the early Eighteenth century, and the bawdy jokiness that turns up in many Renaissance works.
So, I hear you cry (nay, plead), when is the rant going to being, so far this has been a veritable love fest of poetry, please oh please, give us some hate.
Well, since you asked so nicely I have to say that my number one pet peeve, as far as poetry is concerned, is the amateur poetry that people post on Facebook. Let's start with the positive, it is good that these people clearly have a creative instinct, that they want to write, that they feel comfortable enough with their friends to post these things containing often quite revealing emotions. These are all good things and should certainly not be discouraged, but I can't help but get the feeling that these people do not proof read their writing, that they can put into words what Wordsworth described as a 'spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings' and that will be sufficient to create poetry. I'm sorry but it's not.
And, I hate to say it, it is the Romantics' fault, Wordsworth and Coleridge in particular, in creating this idea of the spontaneous overflow, the image of the lonely poet communing with nature (see the picture below) they
created an image that has stuck in public consciousness for over 160 years, and yet to think of poetry as such is still an huge misreading of the Romantic manifesto.
My point is that one does not do a preliminary sketch and call it a painting, nor come up with a melody and call it a song, we don't write our first draft and call it an essay and only a fool would write a blog entry and publish as soon as he's finished (yeah, sorry about that). So why write a poem and spend no time on editing, on creating any rhythm or meter if that's what you want (or painstakingly removing it if you don't), poetry is still an art form, and I don't mean that in any exclusive way, art should be for everybody, I don't approve of art that excludes people (good old Modernism!) but it still should be treated with respect. If you want to write a poem that's grand but write as if you were writing a symphony, feel what works and what goes together, what feelings they convey. Don't just sit on the piano keys playing a triangle, whilst conducting the brass section with you feet and call it a symphony.
Thank you for reading, with a bit of luck the next one won't be a rant, but here's some amazing poetry:
'Come, my friends,
'Tis not too late to seek a newer world.
Push off, and sitting well in order smite
The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars, until I die.
It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.
Though much is taken, much abides; and though
We are not now that strength which in the old days
Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are,
One equal-temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.'
'Tis not too late to seek a newer world.
Push off, and sitting well in order smite
The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars, until I die.
It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.
Though much is taken, much abides; and though
We are not now that strength which in the old days
Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are,
One equal-temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.'
'Ulysses', by Alfred Lord Tennyson
Thursday 3 March 2011
Unconstructive Criticism
What is the number one way of irritating yourself beyond belief? Sand in the underwear? Driving on the M25 during rush hour? Reading the Twilight books? All good candidates but none claim the honour of the number one spot, which is taken, drum roll please..... by reading the comments on a YouTube video!
Oh yes, I think we can all agree that the comments on a YouTube video usually contain more spite, anger and outright hatred than the BNP's Christmas party at the local takeway. So let's take a look an example, a YouTube video of a song that is fast becoming one of my favourites, and can be viewed here. 'New Slang' by The Shins, a great song which is associated in my head with purely good times. In truth though my opinion of the song is irrelevant, but it is worth mentioning that there is nothing in the lyrics or the video that is overtly offensive or controversial. Anyway, let's have a look at a few comments that sit hidden on this (mostly positive) page.
'Hate this fucking band. Hate this album. Hate fucking indie music. Hate subpop records. Why the fuck am I here and commenting on this ??'
A pertinent point at the end there, why the fuck are they commenting on this? Look at what they say, they 'hate this album', if they hate the album as a whole then they must have heard this song before they watched it on YouTube, so why are they watching it in the first place? If they hate it that much and it annoys them enough to comment on, then why go out of their way to make themselves angry? That's just perverse.
I've decided to describe this kind of comment as a 'Type One' comment, it is entirely in the negative, it is a straight out dislike of the video content. Which leads to what I now choose to describe as a 'Type Two' comment which goes something like:
Oh yes, I think we can all agree that the comments on a YouTube video usually contain more spite, anger and outright hatred than the BNP's Christmas party at the local takeway. So let's take a look an example, a YouTube video of a song that is fast becoming one of my favourites, and can be viewed here. 'New Slang' by The Shins, a great song which is associated in my head with purely good times. In truth though my opinion of the song is irrelevant, but it is worth mentioning that there is nothing in the lyrics or the video that is overtly offensive or controversial. Anyway, let's have a look at a few comments that sit hidden on this (mostly positive) page.
'Hate this fucking band. Hate this album. Hate fucking indie music. Hate subpop records. Why the fuck am I here and commenting on this ??'
A pertinent point at the end there, why the fuck are they commenting on this? Look at what they say, they 'hate this album', if they hate the album as a whole then they must have heard this song before they watched it on YouTube, so why are they watching it in the first place? If they hate it that much and it annoys them enough to comment on, then why go out of their way to make themselves angry? That's just perverse.
I've decided to describe this kind of comment as a 'Type One' comment, it is entirely in the negative, it is a straight out dislike of the video content. Which leads to what I now choose to describe as a 'Type Two' comment which goes something like:
'i mean this is no waka flaka, drake, or dub-step so I can understand why the kids nowa days don't 'get it.' It's about the LYRICS as much the music. It's hard to realize when you're used to such shitty lyrics'
A comment that defends the video, a good intention that all too often turns awry, you can't win an argument by patronising the person ('It's about the LYRICS as much as the music') and then simply criticising their taste in music in return ('when you're used to such shitty lyrics'), so this is not the sophisticated debate that we could hope for, one that calmly listens to one person's perspective and politely disagrees by stating clearly another perspective. No, this is something much more angry and vitriolic, it is reactive and emotional and therefore useless in any real debate.
So, Types One and Two boil down to bickering, a childlike 'your video is shit', 'yeah well, your videos are even shittier'. Type three, however, purports to take a much higher ground, a typical example being:
'who the fuck cares if people dislike a video I don't even pay attention to that shit'
The gist of this comment makes sense, why should we worry who dislikes this video, for that matter we shouldn't worry about who likes this video, we should just enjoy it, or not, and if we don't then we can always switch off. But this comment fails as a valid criticism for two reasons, firstly it's too angry, the tone does not invite agreement even if you happen to agree with it; the writer not only alienates themselves from the people they are arguing with, but also the other views of the video. This is compounded by the second part of the sentence, 'I don't even pay attention to that shit', the 'I' singles the writer out and the rest of the sentence displays an attempt to elevate themselves above the rest. The end result of this is just more alienation, but I think it also displays an ego that I secretly suspect is behind the writing of the comment in the first place.
Ego, essentially this is what is behind all of these comments, a desperation to be heard and to find validation in being so (trust me, I know about these things, I write a blog for Christ's sake!) and this always comes from insecurity. The problem is made worse by the fact that there is no real accountability for what you write on YouTube or any other forum. It's easy to forget, or underestimate, the power of face to face, or at least vocal, communication. It forces amongst most people a degree of civility that should not be underestimated or dismissed as a vital part of human communication (I may go into the importance if good manners some other time, as for now I've gone on for long enough). In future generations I am sure that historians and sociologists will talk of a 'technological revolution' that changed how humans interacted, debated and related with each, how certain boundaries were torn down and different ones were put in their place, and they will do all this much more knowledgeably, effectively and succinctly than I could ever possibly hope to , but I do believe that the sheer vitriolic nature of the comments that can be seen on YouTube (against which the ones I have used seem positively Edwardian in their manners) are a sign of a negative consequence from this technological revolution. For all its benefits, and there are thousands, this complication of basic human interaction will certainly have unforeseen circumstances.
Anyways, thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it. To rest your eyes here's a picture of a puppy:
Much love,
X
Tuesday 1 March 2011
'Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came'
A quote from both Shakespeare and Robert Browning for the title of today's blog, Shakespeare used this sentence is King Lear (Act 3, Scene 4 if you're interested), and in 1855 became the title of a relatively long poem by Robert Browning. What is also interesting is that this quote became the foundation of a series of books by Stephen King called The Dark Tower (ah intertexuality my old friend, we meet again), and it is this series that I am currently reading for the second time.
Now, this is a piece of information that I rather doubt has dragged you relentlessly to the edge of your seats, but there is a point. The plot of this epic series (I use the word epic to stand for both the literary meaning and the vernacular here) follows the character of Roland in his quest for the Dark Tower, a sinister yet unifying force at the centre of all universes. Roland's obsession with the Tower is almost all encompassing, to the extent that he is willing sacrifice almost everything to reach it. When reading this series for the first time it is easy to fall into exactly the same trap that Roland does, the mystery of the Tower over a long series of seven books dominates our reading (I say 'our', but I mean 'my'), to the extent that it is all too easy to sacrifice the detail and brilliant plot and characterisation that this series offers. King himself urges readers not to completely finish the book, to stop just before we see inside the Dark Tower, he writes:
'I hope you came to hear the tale, and not just munch your way through the pages to the ending'
A stern message from the author, but an entirely correct one, what King reminds us of at the end of this epic series is that the journey is always more important than the destination, and on reading this series a second time (I'm on the final book at the moment if you'd like to know) I see just how correct that is. This is a series that contains fantastically realised characters and an engaging plot, to sacrifice the enjoyment of that for the sake of one ending is madness (although the ending is brilliant!).
The point, however long it took me to get there, is this, an ending is only that, an ending. Life's way of saying that we're done for now, time to move on, time to try something else, to advance, or to quit altogether. An ending is an ending but how you get there is always, I'll underline that for emphasis always the worthier part.
My Sensei once told a story of a student of his who offered him £100 to make him a black belt, my Sensei's typically blunt reply was that black belts were cheaper in the shop. This guy could have brought himself a blackbelt, worn it, told everyone he was a blackbelt, even forged a certificate if he was that desperate, but he still would have never been a blackbelt. A certificate is only a piece of paper, a belt is just an accessory unless you have the experience, the training and understanding that goes with it, in other words not only is the journey more important than the destination, the journey is the destination.
I've rambled and I've said pretty much all I have to say, except thanks, much love and read the Dark Tower.
X
Now, this is a piece of information that I rather doubt has dragged you relentlessly to the edge of your seats, but there is a point. The plot of this epic series (I use the word epic to stand for both the literary meaning and the vernacular here) follows the character of Roland in his quest for the Dark Tower, a sinister yet unifying force at the centre of all universes. Roland's obsession with the Tower is almost all encompassing, to the extent that he is willing sacrifice almost everything to reach it. When reading this series for the first time it is easy to fall into exactly the same trap that Roland does, the mystery of the Tower over a long series of seven books dominates our reading (I say 'our', but I mean 'my'), to the extent that it is all too easy to sacrifice the detail and brilliant plot and characterisation that this series offers. King himself urges readers not to completely finish the book, to stop just before we see inside the Dark Tower, he writes:'I hope you came to hear the tale, and not just munch your way through the pages to the ending'
A stern message from the author, but an entirely correct one, what King reminds us of at the end of this epic series is that the journey is always more important than the destination, and on reading this series a second time (I'm on the final book at the moment if you'd like to know) I see just how correct that is. This is a series that contains fantastically realised characters and an engaging plot, to sacrifice the enjoyment of that for the sake of one ending is madness (although the ending is brilliant!).
The point, however long it took me to get there, is this, an ending is only that, an ending. Life's way of saying that we're done for now, time to move on, time to try something else, to advance, or to quit altogether. An ending is an ending but how you get there is always, I'll underline that for emphasis always the worthier part.
My Sensei once told a story of a student of his who offered him £100 to make him a black belt, my Sensei's typically blunt reply was that black belts were cheaper in the shop. This guy could have brought himself a blackbelt, worn it, told everyone he was a blackbelt, even forged a certificate if he was that desperate, but he still would have never been a blackbelt. A certificate is only a piece of paper, a belt is just an accessory unless you have the experience, the training and understanding that goes with it, in other words not only is the journey more important than the destination, the journey is the destination.
I've rambled and I've said pretty much all I have to say, except thanks, much love and read the Dark Tower.
X
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