Rabid Lit Major
Mood - about to keel over
Watching - "Radamisto"
Excerpt - None...I haven't seen it yet. If you live anywhere near Liberty, Missouri (That would be most of you. My followers as yet do not extend much beyond my immediate circle of friends and family.) you should all come up to William Jewell tonight at 7:30 to see it with me. I'm good friends with many of the players, and I can tell you now that they are extremely talented. It promises to be a great show. If you are one of those players, I will see you there: break a leg!
Honestly, everyone, I don't know that I'm up to creating a post to my usual standards for length and in-depth-ness. I'm not even capable of coming up with a better word than "in-depth-ness". I had a hard-core week: a lovely combination of a broken-down car necessitating a lot of driving back and forth to give/receive rides, a rather large paper being due, my normal load of payed work and school work, and a host of other small duties.
I will, therefore, be brief...and I apologize for any lack you feel.
The use of symbolism is important in literature. In some cases, it can add layers of meaning. In others, it can create a subconscious feeling. Whedon uses all forms of symbolism. One of the best examples I can offer is in the color schemes. If you watch the DVD extra that gives you a tour of the ship, you'll hear how he purposefully made the colors of the rooms transition from cool blues and greys to warm oranges and reds. Colors carry a lot of subconscious weight. In advertisement, color theory is heavily used to evoke certain feelings from us. Yellow, for example, evokes hunger. Now think of how many fast food chains utilize yellow in their color schemes. To prove the subconscious impact, now think of how many kitchens you've seen that use yellow.
The costumes of the characters follow this pattern. Inara wears sensuous silks in reds, peach, copper etc. Kaylee's look is similarly warm in color, but has a more bright tone - evoking sensuality and cheer. Jayne's clothes are reminiscent of camouflage colors but shot with bright oranges and reds: militaristic and violent. Mal and Zoe wear brown shades, not only to honor their cause but as a symbol of humility and simplicity...and note! Zoe's shades tend to be slightly more lustrous and sensual. River typically wears busy patterns and floaty fabrics, indicative of her scattered mind.
Etc. etc. etc.
Did I mention this post wasn't going to be very thorough? I think I've given you an idea.
So! Conclusions for Firefly week: It's a brilliantly written show. Give it a chance if you haven't yet, I promise you you will not be disappointed.
Aaaaand I think I promised a preview in the title. So here we go:
In the next couple of weeks, look forward to some nice random posts. I plan to do a film review. I may explain to you all why sometimes I root for the villain no matter how evil he is. If I can convince him, I'd like to do a he said/she said style post with my brother on what comedy entails, (which in a very meta way will probably be pretty funny). Who knows, I may even post a bit of my original writing.
I hope you're looking forward to it. Once again, best wishes to the "Radamisto" cast. And that's it. I give up. I'm hungry and tired and I still have so much to do tonight. Wish me luck!
*Note - I apologize for any careless errors. I will regret it if my writing is less than clear...but not enough to change it. Too tired.
Oh! And a Happy April Fool's Day. Watch out for pranks.
Showing posts with label firefly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label firefly. Show all posts
Friday, 1 April 2011
Thursday, 31 March 2011
Firefly Week - I like "quirky"...quirky's cool.
Rabid Lit Major
Mood - geekier than usual
Watching - Firefly, of course
Excerpt - "I aim to misbehave."
Reason - Today is "Unification Day", a Facebook-organized protest in which Browncoats wear brown coats to show their support of the show...as well as their general displeasure at its cancellation. See my previous post for a picture of my own coat. :)
Alrighty then...on to today's reason that this is one of the greatest shows ever.
From the very beginning, "Firefly" shows that it is not a cliche. I mean, come on...it's a space western. That's not a very big group...I can only think of "Cowboy Bebop" and Steve Miller Band's "The Joker" ...some people call me the space cowboy...when I try to come up with others.
There's the utter lack of a classic sci-fi future look. The costuming remains fairly traditional and practical, in both the rich core-bred and poor rim-bred. Joss seems to have taken into account that fashion tends to work in a cyclical fashion...things come back into style all the time. You see little details are different. Odd fabrics or combinations...yet, at the core, the clothing remains logical and there isn't an inch of shiny plastic or neon color pallets to be found. The weaponry is a mixture of classic gunpowder and futuristic lasers...and the lasers function logically. (I love that one episode features a laser-gun running out of batteries and that even high-tech weaponry require oxygen to function properly.)
Futuristic technology exists, but it is taken into account that people wouldn't necessarily afford it. There's clear evidence of slowly progressing social norms...both positive and negative: a higher view of homosexuality and sexuality in general as normal, an increase in social class prejudice...you even see that indications that some are more conservative than others, such as Mal's disdain for Inara's otherwise respected profession.
It's also refreshing that a show taking place entirely in space...an entirely different galaxy even...shows no indication of their being alien life. Not that I mind aliens or think they're impossible...it's just different.
The characters defy cliche as well. No one character can be boiled down to one stereotype. They are entirely complex and more like real people. Kaylee is a prime example. In spite of acting innocent and being the bright-and-sunshiny character she is anything but naive. She's incredibly socially adept, very self-confident and is not shy at all when it comes to sex. I still die laughing at her cheerful call out to Inara to "Have good sex!", using the same tone as "Have a nice day!" She's also a female mechanic...who is NOT Asian.
Let's also note that neither of the black characters is the comic relief, have a background that involves race-specific enslavement or prejudice, or indeed have their race mentioned at all. Simon, the rich boy on the run, does not look down on his privileged life or present rebellious attitudes...but instead displays a logical amount of prejudice for a theoretically open-minded character who had never truly been exposed to those in a different social class.
Of course there are some classic elements...especially the dystopian ones. (Evil, corporate government, illegal and immoral experimentation for money and power etc. etc.) However, the details that go into the writing defy the cliche at every turn...and I love it.
Today wraps up Firefly month, tomorrow wraps up Firefly week...if you haven't seen the show I hope you will and that I had a small part in that. You can't stop the signal...even if the show never returns the fans will forever hope: what better testament to good writing is there?
Mood - geekier than usual
Watching - Firefly, of course
Excerpt - "I aim to misbehave."
Reason - Today is "Unification Day", a Facebook-organized protest in which Browncoats wear brown coats to show their support of the show...as well as their general displeasure at its cancellation. See my previous post for a picture of my own coat. :)
Alrighty then...on to today's reason that this is one of the greatest shows ever.
From the very beginning, "Firefly" shows that it is not a cliche. I mean, come on...it's a space western. That's not a very big group...I can only think of "Cowboy Bebop" and Steve Miller Band's "The Joker" ...some people call me the space cowboy...when I try to come up with others.
There's the utter lack of a classic sci-fi future look. The costuming remains fairly traditional and practical, in both the rich core-bred and poor rim-bred. Joss seems to have taken into account that fashion tends to work in a cyclical fashion...things come back into style all the time. You see little details are different. Odd fabrics or combinations...yet, at the core, the clothing remains logical and there isn't an inch of shiny plastic or neon color pallets to be found. The weaponry is a mixture of classic gunpowder and futuristic lasers...and the lasers function logically. (I love that one episode features a laser-gun running out of batteries and that even high-tech weaponry require oxygen to function properly.)
Futuristic technology exists, but it is taken into account that people wouldn't necessarily afford it. There's clear evidence of slowly progressing social norms...both positive and negative: a higher view of homosexuality and sexuality in general as normal, an increase in social class prejudice...you even see that indications that some are more conservative than others, such as Mal's disdain for Inara's otherwise respected profession.
It's also refreshing that a show taking place entirely in space...an entirely different galaxy even...shows no indication of their being alien life. Not that I mind aliens or think they're impossible...it's just different.
The characters defy cliche as well. No one character can be boiled down to one stereotype. They are entirely complex and more like real people. Kaylee is a prime example. In spite of acting innocent and being the bright-and-sunshiny character she is anything but naive. She's incredibly socially adept, very self-confident and is not shy at all when it comes to sex. I still die laughing at her cheerful call out to Inara to "Have good sex!", using the same tone as "Have a nice day!" She's also a female mechanic...who is NOT Asian.
Let's also note that neither of the black characters is the comic relief, have a background that involves race-specific enslavement or prejudice, or indeed have their race mentioned at all. Simon, the rich boy on the run, does not look down on his privileged life or present rebellious attitudes...but instead displays a logical amount of prejudice for a theoretically open-minded character who had never truly been exposed to those in a different social class.
Of course there are some classic elements...especially the dystopian ones. (Evil, corporate government, illegal and immoral experimentation for money and power etc. etc.) However, the details that go into the writing defy the cliche at every turn...and I love it.
Today wraps up Firefly month, tomorrow wraps up Firefly week...if you haven't seen the show I hope you will and that I had a small part in that. You can't stop the signal...even if the show never returns the fans will forever hope: what better testament to good writing is there?
Monday, 28 March 2011
Browncoat Love
Before I launch into the post I have a few quick notes.
First, I am very sorry for the intermittent posting. As stated before, I have less computer access than I am accustomed to. I will do my best to post at least two or three times a week.
Second, I have decided that, as this is a literature blog, I should start posting a bit about what I'm reading currently. This is also because it is my literature blog, and therefore it should center around me anyway.
So! Here we go.
Rabid Lit Major:
Mood - sleepy but cheerful
Current book - "The Fry Chronicles - an autobiography" by Stephen Fry
Book excerpt -
Additional note - I don't care if that excerpt was ridiculously long...I love words too.
Additional additional note - Thanks to my wonderful boyfriend for buying me this book. <3 Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming. Those of you who are facebook friends with me have likely already realized that I am a huge browncoat. Browncoat - n. - 1. Slang term for the rebel army in the short-lived television show Firefly, in reference to the brown coats worn by members of the army. 2. A person who is a fan/obsessive of said short-lived science-fiction show.
(Hint: I fall in the realm of the second definition.)
If you are already a browncoat, you can skip this part. If you're confused…here's an explanation.
Joss Whedon's space-western epic aired in 2002 on Fox. It lasted one season before it was cancelled due, according to Fox, to low ratings. Fans contend that had the episodes been aired in a regular time slot, and in order, the ratings would have been much higher. Regardless of whether this is true, when the show came out on DVD it sparked a huge fan following. Enough interest was generated that a feature film sequel, Serenity, was successfully pitched, produced and hit theaters. However, rather than satisfy fans, the sequel merely sparked hope that the show could be resuscitated…and nine years later the hope remains strong.
The reason my obsession has been particularly visible lately is part of a giant awareness-raising campaign sparked by the show's lead actor - Nathan Fillion. In an interview, the actor made an offhand comment about wishing he could just buy the rights and start the show up again. The fans immediately rallied behind the idea, pledging money and creating press-garnering stunts.
Now…I suspect that Fillion was not 100% serious. (Although, having been a geek icon so long he really ought to know better.) It does not change the fact that this simple statement had…impressive results.
At time of writing, the group helpnathanbuyfirefly.com has ceased collecting pledges from hopeful fans due to a request by Fillion. However, its supporting facebook group still holds an astounding 117,000+ members (including myself), people all over the world have changed their facebook profile pictures to firefly characters for the month (including myself), and many plan to end this month by wearing a brown coat to show their loyalty (including myself).
By the way, if you are interested, the group is now collecting donations for various charities supported by Fillion. The pledges were discontinued because Fillion didn't want to create a ruckus without promise of results. However, the fundraising continues in hopes that we can raise awareness of the show and support some good causes along the way. You can reach their facebook page here:
Help Nathan Buy Firefly
So why the hubbub? What's so impressive about this specific show that the followers are…dare I say…rabid?
Who better than the Rabid Lit Major to analyze the show's literary merits to solve the mystery of Firefly's appeal?
(That was rhetorical. Please keep your answers to yourself.)
All this week, I will be analyzing the show, explaining what makes it so great, and hopefully I'll win a few converts to the Browncoat ranks. Will it help Nathan to buy Firefly? Likely not. But if I can introduce more people to one of the best written shows of all time, drum up a little bit of press, and talk about a subject dear to my heart…then I'll be happy.
So what literary areas does the show excel in?
1. Realistic fiction in a fictional reality
2. A masterful grasp of foreshadowing
3. Avoidance of cliches
4. Symbolism
It also has a wickedly excellent, and largely attractive, cast.
See?
First, I am very sorry for the intermittent posting. As stated before, I have less computer access than I am accustomed to. I will do my best to post at least two or three times a week.
Second, I have decided that, as this is a literature blog, I should start posting a bit about what I'm reading currently. This is also because it is my literature blog, and therefore it should center around me anyway.
So! Here we go.
Rabid Lit Major:
Mood - sleepy but cheerful
Current book - "The Fry Chronicles - an autobiography" by Stephen Fry
Book excerpt -
"If a thing can be said in ten words, I may be relied upon to take a hundred to say it. I ought to apologize for that. I ought to go back and ruthlessly prune, pare and extirpate excess growth, but I will not. I like words - strike that, I love words - and while I am fond of the condensed and economical use of them in poetry, song lyrics, in Twitter, in good journalism and smart advertising, I love the luxuriant profusion and mad scatter of them too. After all, as you will already have noticed, I am the kind of person who writes things like 'I shall append a superscribed obelus thus'. If my manner of writing is a self-indulgence that has you grinding your teeth then I am sorry, but I am too old a dog to be taught to bark new tunes."
Additional note - I don't care if that excerpt was ridiculously long...I love words too.
Additional additional note - Thanks to my wonderful boyfriend for buying me this book. <3 Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming. Those of you who are facebook friends with me have likely already realized that I am a huge browncoat. Browncoat - n. - 1. Slang term for the rebel army in the short-lived television show Firefly, in reference to the brown coats worn by members of the army. 2. A person who is a fan/obsessive of said short-lived science-fiction show.
(Hint: I fall in the realm of the second definition.)
If you are already a browncoat, you can skip this part. If you're confused…here's an explanation.
Joss Whedon's space-western epic aired in 2002 on Fox. It lasted one season before it was cancelled due, according to Fox, to low ratings. Fans contend that had the episodes been aired in a regular time slot, and in order, the ratings would have been much higher. Regardless of whether this is true, when the show came out on DVD it sparked a huge fan following. Enough interest was generated that a feature film sequel, Serenity, was successfully pitched, produced and hit theaters. However, rather than satisfy fans, the sequel merely sparked hope that the show could be resuscitated…and nine years later the hope remains strong.
The reason my obsession has been particularly visible lately is part of a giant awareness-raising campaign sparked by the show's lead actor - Nathan Fillion. In an interview, the actor made an offhand comment about wishing he could just buy the rights and start the show up again. The fans immediately rallied behind the idea, pledging money and creating press-garnering stunts.
Now…I suspect that Fillion was not 100% serious. (Although, having been a geek icon so long he really ought to know better.) It does not change the fact that this simple statement had…impressive results.
At time of writing, the group helpnathanbuyfirefly.com has ceased collecting pledges from hopeful fans due to a request by Fillion. However, its supporting facebook group still holds an astounding 117,000+ members (including myself), people all over the world have changed their facebook profile pictures to firefly characters for the month (including myself), and many plan to end this month by wearing a brown coat to show their loyalty (including myself).
By the way, if you are interested, the group is now collecting donations for various charities supported by Fillion. The pledges were discontinued because Fillion didn't want to create a ruckus without promise of results. However, the fundraising continues in hopes that we can raise awareness of the show and support some good causes along the way. You can reach their facebook page here:
Help Nathan Buy Firefly
So why the hubbub? What's so impressive about this specific show that the followers are…dare I say…rabid?
Who better than the Rabid Lit Major to analyze the show's literary merits to solve the mystery of Firefly's appeal?
(That was rhetorical. Please keep your answers to yourself.)
All this week, I will be analyzing the show, explaining what makes it so great, and hopefully I'll win a few converts to the Browncoat ranks. Will it help Nathan to buy Firefly? Likely not. But if I can introduce more people to one of the best written shows of all time, drum up a little bit of press, and talk about a subject dear to my heart…then I'll be happy.
So what literary areas does the show excel in?
1. Realistic fiction in a fictional reality
2. A masterful grasp of foreshadowing
3. Avoidance of cliches
4. Symbolism
It also has a wickedly excellent, and largely attractive, cast.
See?
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