The second part of a two-part series, this will attempt to explain why the 2010 Christopher Nolan film Inception is amazing, with specific plot, scene, and character details.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Why Inception is Awesome (Sans Spoilers Edition)
The first in a two-part blog series, this will attempt the explain why the 2010 Christopher Nolan film Inception is amazing, leaving out any plot/scene/character spoilers.
But let's clear one this up first. If you haven't seen Inception yet, it's because:
a) You don't normally see movies until they come out on DVD (This I can understand - only recently have I actually been making it out to theaters to see movies on the big screen more than once a year), or you don't have time to see movies very often,
b) You don't find sci-fi/mind-bender/paranormal/heist and/or action movies interesting,
c) You're put off by how much everyone seems to love the movie and the high expectations,
d) You're crazy.
All of these reasons (sans d) are acceptable, but I'm telling you right now - you need to drive to Blockbuster the day the DVD is released to rent it. Don't wait for Netflix to get it, go to Blockbuster and get it for yourself. If you really don't like going to blockbuster, drive to Target or wherever and buy the movie. Buy it.
And to clear something else up; I'm only writing this review so I wont feel guilty when I write the Spoiler Edition review. Because everything I love about Inception is more easily explainable when I can reference specific scenes or moments. The goal of this review is to get you to watch the movie, love it or not, then read my Spoiler Edition review and understand what I saw in the movie, intended or not.
Now that this is out of the way, I can begin my convincing.
In case you didn't realize, Inception is a science-fiction heist movie - heist, like The Italian Job or Ocean's 11. I know the trailers didn't really help to explain the plot, but it should have given you the idea that this film deals primarily with the idea of dreams - not the kind where you see yourself in the future, but the kind where you fall asleep and sky-dive or are chased by masked men or whatever you dream about in the wee hours of the morning.
Leonardo DiCaprio plays Dominic Cobb, a thief hired by corporations to steal secrets from rivals by entering their dreams, the unprotected subconscious. Towards the beginning of the movie, he is hired to preform an Inception - the opposite of their usual Extractions - that is, planting a foreign idea into someone's mind so they believe it is their own.
This, however, is more than I knew before going in to see the film. When deciding to force my parents to the theater one Monday night, all I knew was that everyone whose opinion mattered loved it, it had something to do with Dream Theory, and it was directed by the guy who did Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Prestige (all movies I loved).
Dream Theory, in case anyone's wondering, is really just exploration into the purpose, meaning, and reason for dreams. When I say 'dream theory', though, I'm specifically thinking about Zhuangzi, a famous Chinese philosopher who wrote in his philosophy that he once dreamed he was a butterfly, flying in a field. When he awoke, he recalled the dream and thought "Am I a man dreaming I am a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming I am a man?" (for indeed, who are we to say one of the other?)
Dream Theory really isn't the plot of the movie, though it undoubtedly shows up, much to some people's displeasure (I refer to Orson Scott Card's review of the movie, though I don't entirely agree with him). The real plot of the movie is Cobb, DiCaprio's character, trying to return to his family. We're told during the course of the movie why he can't go back home, and what happened to Mal, his wife, so I wont spoil any of that. Instead, I'll say that anyone who isn't caught up in the magical realism of the sci-fi plot (stealing into someone's dream to plant an idea), will still enjoy the human emotion side of the plot (Cobb coming to terms with his own demons), and anyone will enjoy the inescapable stab at the fourth wall that all good films make.
One thing I particularly enjoyed about Inception was the simple, straight-forwardness of it. Yes, the movie is complex and multi-layered (both literally and figuratively), but Nolan keeps the story flowing so smoothly that, in my opinion, the audience doesn't have to think too deeply to understand what is going on. Of course, this movie does require the audience to use their brains, and you're going to spend a few hours in contemplation if you want to understand every point made in the movie, but during the movie I never once found myself wondering why something was working a certain way, how this or that worked, or deciding to ignore a seeming plot hole for the sake of suspending disbelief.
If you find the movie to be too complicated, you may be trying to read too much into it on the first go. That's one thing that makes this movie so great - multiple views give multiple impressions, insights, and so forth. I bought the script for the movie at Barnes and Noble a couple days ago, unable to purchase the actual movie yet (Hasn't come out yet), and saw some things reading through it that I hadn't noticed before. This makes it definitely a movie worth owning.
While multi-layered, insightful, and complex, Inception is, in essence, a fun movie. It's a action sci-fi, with gun-scenes and chase-scenes and unnecessary but totally cool special effects. Don't go to the movie expecting to have your mind blown - let that happen as a side effect.
There is possibly one bad thing I can say about the movie, and it's this: Cobb is, truly, the only real character. Walking away from the film, I was a bit perturbed to realize that I couldn't even remember anybody else's names (except for a few, which were repeated often). This annoyed me, because it meant that Nolan spent too much time giving us Cobb's story and the plot revolving around him and not enough making the other characters fleshed out and real. Good movies try not to let anyone, even a secondary, become too flat, and yet only one character (maybe two) in this film is truly three-dimensional.
This problem, in my opinion, didn't detract from the film (it's kind of fun to fill characters in on your own, isn't it?), and, in fact, is completely excusable given my theory on the movie as presented in my Spoiler Edition review. So watch the movie, try not to be too disturbed that Cobb seems to be stealing the show, then read that review to understand why it's totally OK.
The directing, in my opinion, is spot on in Inception, with Nolan showing us just enough to get the desired effect without giving us too much to have the effect wasted. No matter what you go to the movie to find, I promise you'll be pleasantly surprised.
And if this doesn't convince you to go rent Inception when it comes out, I don't know what will.
But let's clear one this up first. If you haven't seen Inception yet, it's because:
a) You don't normally see movies until they come out on DVD (This I can understand - only recently have I actually been making it out to theaters to see movies on the big screen more than once a year), or you don't have time to see movies very often,
b) You don't find sci-fi/mind-bender/paranormal/heist and/or action movies interesting,
c) You're put off by how much everyone seems to love the movie and the high expectations,
d) You're crazy.
All of these reasons (sans d) are acceptable, but I'm telling you right now - you need to drive to Blockbuster the day the DVD is released to rent it. Don't wait for Netflix to get it, go to Blockbuster and get it for yourself. If you really don't like going to blockbuster, drive to Target or wherever and buy the movie. Buy it.
And to clear something else up; I'm only writing this review so I wont feel guilty when I write the Spoiler Edition review. Because everything I love about Inception is more easily explainable when I can reference specific scenes or moments. The goal of this review is to get you to watch the movie, love it or not, then read my Spoiler Edition review and understand what I saw in the movie, intended or not.
Now that this is out of the way, I can begin my convincing.
In case you didn't realize, Inception is a science-fiction heist movie - heist, like The Italian Job or Ocean's 11. I know the trailers didn't really help to explain the plot, but it should have given you the idea that this film deals primarily with the idea of dreams - not the kind where you see yourself in the future, but the kind where you fall asleep and sky-dive or are chased by masked men or whatever you dream about in the wee hours of the morning.
Leonardo DiCaprio plays Dominic Cobb, a thief hired by corporations to steal secrets from rivals by entering their dreams, the unprotected subconscious. Towards the beginning of the movie, he is hired to preform an Inception - the opposite of their usual Extractions - that is, planting a foreign idea into someone's mind so they believe it is their own.
This, however, is more than I knew before going in to see the film. When deciding to force my parents to the theater one Monday night, all I knew was that everyone whose opinion mattered loved it, it had something to do with Dream Theory, and it was directed by the guy who did Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Prestige (all movies I loved).
Dream Theory, in case anyone's wondering, is really just exploration into the purpose, meaning, and reason for dreams. When I say 'dream theory', though, I'm specifically thinking about Zhuangzi, a famous Chinese philosopher who wrote in his philosophy that he once dreamed he was a butterfly, flying in a field. When he awoke, he recalled the dream and thought "Am I a man dreaming I am a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming I am a man?" (for indeed, who are we to say one of the other?)
Dream Theory really isn't the plot of the movie, though it undoubtedly shows up, much to some people's displeasure (I refer to Orson Scott Card's review of the movie, though I don't entirely agree with him). The real plot of the movie is Cobb, DiCaprio's character, trying to return to his family. We're told during the course of the movie why he can't go back home, and what happened to Mal, his wife, so I wont spoil any of that. Instead, I'll say that anyone who isn't caught up in the magical realism of the sci-fi plot (stealing into someone's dream to plant an idea), will still enjoy the human emotion side of the plot (Cobb coming to terms with his own demons), and anyone will enjoy the inescapable stab at the fourth wall that all good films make.
One thing I particularly enjoyed about Inception was the simple, straight-forwardness of it. Yes, the movie is complex and multi-layered (both literally and figuratively), but Nolan keeps the story flowing so smoothly that, in my opinion, the audience doesn't have to think too deeply to understand what is going on. Of course, this movie does require the audience to use their brains, and you're going to spend a few hours in contemplation if you want to understand every point made in the movie, but during the movie I never once found myself wondering why something was working a certain way, how this or that worked, or deciding to ignore a seeming plot hole for the sake of suspending disbelief.
If you find the movie to be too complicated, you may be trying to read too much into it on the first go. That's one thing that makes this movie so great - multiple views give multiple impressions, insights, and so forth. I bought the script for the movie at Barnes and Noble a couple days ago, unable to purchase the actual movie yet (Hasn't come out yet), and saw some things reading through it that I hadn't noticed before. This makes it definitely a movie worth owning.
While multi-layered, insightful, and complex, Inception is, in essence, a fun movie. It's a action sci-fi, with gun-scenes and chase-scenes and unnecessary but totally cool special effects. Don't go to the movie expecting to have your mind blown - let that happen as a side effect.
There is possibly one bad thing I can say about the movie, and it's this: Cobb is, truly, the only real character. Walking away from the film, I was a bit perturbed to realize that I couldn't even remember anybody else's names (except for a few, which were repeated often). This annoyed me, because it meant that Nolan spent too much time giving us Cobb's story and the plot revolving around him and not enough making the other characters fleshed out and real. Good movies try not to let anyone, even a secondary, become too flat, and yet only one character (maybe two) in this film is truly three-dimensional.
This problem, in my opinion, didn't detract from the film (it's kind of fun to fill characters in on your own, isn't it?), and, in fact, is completely excusable given my theory on the movie as presented in my Spoiler Edition review. So watch the movie, try not to be too disturbed that Cobb seems to be stealing the show, then read that review to understand why it's totally OK.
The directing, in my opinion, is spot on in Inception, with Nolan showing us just enough to get the desired effect without giving us too much to have the effect wasted. No matter what you go to the movie to find, I promise you'll be pleasantly surprised.
And if this doesn't convince you to go rent Inception when it comes out, I don't know what will.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
My NaNoWriMo Stats
This is my current condition in NaNoWriMo.
This year, my personal word-count goal is 100k. The default goal is 50k, but because I have no job, no life, no money, only four classes at the local community college, and still living at home, I felt I owed it to myself and my parents to write an extra 50k in my spare time.
By publishing my stats in a locale where everyone can see, I hope to increase the likelihood of encouragement, and retribution and mockery if I fail. Consider this my signed permission to mock me if I fail, please.
Monday, November 1, 2010
A Note to my Friends
Dear Twenty-First Century,
I LOVE YOU. (Don't tell Ninteenth Century - he'll be jealous.) I just thought you should know, Twenty-First, because I don't tell you I love you often enough. I know a lot of your old friends don't really like you anymore, and some of the new people you hang out with are pretty low and trashy, and that can't be good for your self-esteem. I want you to know, Twenty-First Century, that I am on your side, I do love you. Keep it up!
Hugs and Kisses,
Kenna
Dear National Novel Writing Month,
We're totally BFFs, right? I know I don't always seem the nicest to you, but you got to face it - you're kinda clingy. I mean, I love you and all, and when we're together I have so much fun! But then when I'm hanging out with Christmas or New Years or even College, you're always emailing me and texting me, 'checking up' or whatever, and that's cool, but I want to make sure you're not getting too dependent on me. You have other friends, you know, and we;re still BFFs, I just have other friends too that I need to hang out with (y'know, give them fair time). Anyway, I'll be seeing you a lot this month - it'll be fun! - so we can talk more later, if you need to.
With lots of love,
Kenna
Dear Netflix,
I'm writing to make sure you don't have the wrong impression. We are NOT going out. I'm sorry if you thought differently, but sorry, we're not. I'd give you the whole 'it's not you, it's me' talk, but I'd be lying - it is you. You're sweet enough, Netflix, and I love hanging out, but we're always talking about YOU, never what I like or what I want, and sometimes it takes you way too long to get back to me on something, and let's face it - you're not very helpful. I certainly don't want to end our relationship, I just want to make sure you understand where I'm coming from.
Sincerely,
Kenna
Dear Halloween,
I was writing to all my other friends, and I thought of you, and I have something to get off my chest - you are NOT as cool as you think you are. Or, at least, as you appear to think you are. I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be rude or anything, but seriously, you were so much cooler when we were younger. What's with the whole "Halloween Lights" thing? It's like you're trying to be Christmas, just with dressing up - and don't worry, I LOVE the dressing up, because it's so YOU, whereas the lights and the parties and everything are like you trying to be someone you're not. Halloween, you are awesome the way you are, don't try to pretend to be cooler, because really, you can't get any cooler than Halloween :)
Well wishes,
Kenna
Dear College,
I'm on to you, you know. As much as you seem to really hate High School (And, just a note, High School really seems to look up to you, so you should be nicer to her), you're really just a legalized version of her. All the stupid things High School does, you do with authority. Sure, there are smart moment, on both your parts, but it's like High School is the Prohibition, and what does that make you, the Great Depression? Just something to think about.
Sincerely,
Kenna
Dear Alarm Clock,
I don't hate you. I know it seems that way, you just catch me at a bad time most days. Seriously, though, I don't hate you - you're so cute and adorable and I love you to pieces, so please don't feel bad because I'm not always very nice to you.
With lots of love,
Kenna
EDIT: New notes
Dear Puffs Plus Lotion,
I'm writing on behalf of my nose, who, sadly, can not write for himself. He wants me to tell you that he had a really great time last night, and he'd like to hang out again, if you feel up to it. He thinks you're really nice and sweet, much better than the other girls he's gone out with, and there might be something real to this relationship.
Hoping to see you again,
Kenna (and her nose)
Dear Facebook,
I don't really think I need to explain very much to you. I mean, we're certainly not best friends or anything, but I do admittedly tell you a lot, and I think we're pretty close. I understand that you're still growing and like to change things up, and while you can be a bit annoying, I generally get used to your antics, so... yeah. This is just a note to let you know that we're still good friends. Don't be worried if I don't always spend all day with you, or if I seem to be going back to old friends, because I don't really think we'll ever, y'know, "break up." Not that we're, y'know, going out or anything.
(Are we?)
-Kenna
I LOVE YOU. (Don't tell Ninteenth Century - he'll be jealous.) I just thought you should know, Twenty-First, because I don't tell you I love you often enough. I know a lot of your old friends don't really like you anymore, and some of the new people you hang out with are pretty low and trashy, and that can't be good for your self-esteem. I want you to know, Twenty-First Century, that I am on your side, I do love you. Keep it up!
Hugs and Kisses,
Kenna
Dear National Novel Writing Month,
We're totally BFFs, right? I know I don't always seem the nicest to you, but you got to face it - you're kinda clingy. I mean, I love you and all, and when we're together I have so much fun! But then when I'm hanging out with Christmas or New Years or even College, you're always emailing me and texting me, 'checking up' or whatever, and that's cool, but I want to make sure you're not getting too dependent on me. You have other friends, you know, and we;re still BFFs, I just have other friends too that I need to hang out with (y'know, give them fair time). Anyway, I'll be seeing you a lot this month - it'll be fun! - so we can talk more later, if you need to.
With lots of love,
Kenna
Dear Netflix,
I'm writing to make sure you don't have the wrong impression. We are NOT going out. I'm sorry if you thought differently, but sorry, we're not. I'd give you the whole 'it's not you, it's me' talk, but I'd be lying - it is you. You're sweet enough, Netflix, and I love hanging out, but we're always talking about YOU, never what I like or what I want, and sometimes it takes you way too long to get back to me on something, and let's face it - you're not very helpful. I certainly don't want to end our relationship, I just want to make sure you understand where I'm coming from.
Sincerely,
Kenna
Dear Halloween,
I was writing to all my other friends, and I thought of you, and I have something to get off my chest - you are NOT as cool as you think you are. Or, at least, as you appear to think you are. I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be rude or anything, but seriously, you were so much cooler when we were younger. What's with the whole "Halloween Lights" thing? It's like you're trying to be Christmas, just with dressing up - and don't worry, I LOVE the dressing up, because it's so YOU, whereas the lights and the parties and everything are like you trying to be someone you're not. Halloween, you are awesome the way you are, don't try to pretend to be cooler, because really, you can't get any cooler than Halloween :)
Well wishes,
Kenna
Dear College,
I'm on to you, you know. As much as you seem to really hate High School (And, just a note, High School really seems to look up to you, so you should be nicer to her), you're really just a legalized version of her. All the stupid things High School does, you do with authority. Sure, there are smart moment, on both your parts, but it's like High School is the Prohibition, and what does that make you, the Great Depression? Just something to think about.
Sincerely,
Kenna
Dear Alarm Clock,
I don't hate you. I know it seems that way, you just catch me at a bad time most days. Seriously, though, I don't hate you - you're so cute and adorable and I love you to pieces, so please don't feel bad because I'm not always very nice to you.
With lots of love,
Kenna
EDIT: New notes
Dear Puffs Plus Lotion,
I'm writing on behalf of my nose, who, sadly, can not write for himself. He wants me to tell you that he had a really great time last night, and he'd like to hang out again, if you feel up to it. He thinks you're really nice and sweet, much better than the other girls he's gone out with, and there might be something real to this relationship.
Hoping to see you again,
Kenna (and her nose)
Dear Facebook,
I don't really think I need to explain very much to you. I mean, we're certainly not best friends or anything, but I do admittedly tell you a lot, and I think we're pretty close. I understand that you're still growing and like to change things up, and while you can be a bit annoying, I generally get used to your antics, so... yeah. This is just a note to let you know that we're still good friends. Don't be worried if I don't always spend all day with you, or if I seem to be going back to old friends, because I don't really think we'll ever, y'know, "break up." Not that we're, y'know, going out or anything.
(Are we?)
-Kenna
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Literary Genre Selection
As you all should know, November marks the start of National Novel Writing Month - 30 days and nights of literary abandon. The goal is to write a 50.000 word novel before December, without editing or slowing.
This will be my 3rd year participating. In 2008, I completed a novel titled "Princess Kate," inspired by a dream I had dreamt a while earlier. It took place in an alternate-world I already created for a fantasy story, but Princess Kate ended up with no fantasy elements, despite my intention to include magic. In 2009, I wrote about 60% of a novel titled "The Burden of Proof," a modern-day courtroom drama inspired by a Japanese drama I had watched earlier that year. I reached the 50K goal, both times, but the second story had more going on that couldn't be covered in a 120-page book.
In writing Princess Kate, I was surprised by how hard it was to keep the story moving. I had the basic plot outline in my head, and I knew what I wanted characters to do at certain points in the book, but there was so much space and time between those points that I had not accounted for (My initial idea for the book could could be easily fleshed out in about 20 pages). For Burden of Proof, I decided to flesh out the entire story ahead of time, doing everything but putting words on paper until November hit. It was fun both times, but the experience definitely changed, not having to make up subplot as I went.
For this year, I have decided to dive in without a specific story-goal. I plan to come up with a cast of characters, character-goals, and an overall plot before-hand, but I wont know how the story ends until it does. This is a bit daring, but I'm hoping it my increase the story's realism, or something that.
Anyway, step one is to come up with a genre/setting for the story. After a bit of research and serious consideration, I have compiled a list of possible genre/settings, and I want YOU, dear reader, and probably friend, to help me pick one. The list is as follows:
Steampunk - a sub-genre of the sci-fi genre, Steampunk is a mix of industrial-age, steam-powered technology and futuristic science fiction. It's pretty fun, a period-piece sci-fi. Notable examples include the manga/anime Fullmetal Alchemist, the novel/animated movie Howl's Moving Castle (and some other works by Miyazaki), and most works by Jules Verne, which I consider steampunk even though he wasn't attempting it. My Halloween costume this year is Steampunk, so it would make sense to continue the theme; however I'm also wary of this choice because Steampunk has grown in popularity lately, almost becoming a fad, and I don't want to write what everyone else writes.
Fantasy Alternate World - is a fantasy sub-genre, specifically taking place in another world or universe. Notable examples include the His Dark Materiel's trilogy, the Oz books, and the Chronicles of Narnia. This genre crosses over with Period Fantasy and Modern fantasy, and, as seen in all three of my examples, sometimes includes the ability to cross between the real world and the fantasy world. I could do this pretty easily, as I already have a fantasy alternate world to work with, along with fantasy magic rules.
Realistic Alternate World - is essentially what Princess Kate could be defined as, since it took place not on earth but had no fantasy or sci-fi elements. I can't find any notable examples, however, besides possibly the Series of Unfortunate Events, because most alt. world stories employ fantasy elements. I've done this before, which means it's both easy for me to do and doesn't provide new experience. As mentioned before, I have an alternate world ready to use.
Period Fantasy - includes any fantasy taking place in a period-piece timeline, taking place on earth or not. Notable examples include the Lord of the Rings books (and others by Tolkien), the Eragon trilogy, and pretty much every ancient, classic writings, starting from Beowulf (though, at the time, they probably would have been considered modern). This is where we get epic fantasies from, and most video games (Zelda, anyone? Most Final fantasy?) so it would definitely be fun to write. Though I've often wanted to, I don't think I've ever written anything to fit this genre, so it would be something new to experience. I'd also have to decide whether to use an alternate world or find a time from earth.
Modern Fantasy - is a bit self explanatory. Also known as Urban Fiction. Notable examples include the Lightning Thief (and series), the Harry Potter books (I think... they never really get into when, exactly, they take place, and the alternate world sections of the books seem a bit period), and a number of movies, such as Stranger than Fiction or the Sorcerer's Apprentice. It's an interesting genre, as you have to balance the modern realistic aspect with the fantasy, unrealistic aspect without being too cheesy. It would be a fun challenge if I chose this genre, and most likely I would have it take place on earth, instead of using an alternate world.
Modern Realistic Fiction - is also pretty self explanatory. There are no notable examples, other than every other movie released in the last decade, and most adult fiction books today. Most works under this genre are either mystery, romance, or life dramas, so I would have to choose which kind of story I wanted to tell if I chose this genre/setting, along with where I wanted to tell it (on earth, of course, but where on earth?) Last year's novel technically falls under this genre, too.
Futuristic Sci-Fi - is last of certainly not least. Notable examples include the Ender's Game series, the Hunger Games trilogy, and a number of movies, such as I Robot or Star Wars (and Firefly!) I love writing in this genre, even if I feel I'm not particularly inclined to the movies or books. I don't really have a world set up for a sci-fi story already, though it wouldn't be that hard to expand something I'd already written. This is kind of neither an alternate world or earth setting, as it could be far enough into the future that there are little similarities to modern day.
After I choose a setting/genre, I begin work on creating a plot and cast of characters.
This will be my 3rd year participating. In 2008, I completed a novel titled "Princess Kate," inspired by a dream I had dreamt a while earlier. It took place in an alternate-world I already created for a fantasy story, but Princess Kate ended up with no fantasy elements, despite my intention to include magic. In 2009, I wrote about 60% of a novel titled "The Burden of Proof," a modern-day courtroom drama inspired by a Japanese drama I had watched earlier that year. I reached the 50K goal, both times, but the second story had more going on that couldn't be covered in a 120-page book.
In writing Princess Kate, I was surprised by how hard it was to keep the story moving. I had the basic plot outline in my head, and I knew what I wanted characters to do at certain points in the book, but there was so much space and time between those points that I had not accounted for (My initial idea for the book could could be easily fleshed out in about 20 pages). For Burden of Proof, I decided to flesh out the entire story ahead of time, doing everything but putting words on paper until November hit. It was fun both times, but the experience definitely changed, not having to make up subplot as I went.
For this year, I have decided to dive in without a specific story-goal. I plan to come up with a cast of characters, character-goals, and an overall plot before-hand, but I wont know how the story ends until it does. This is a bit daring, but I'm hoping it my increase the story's realism, or something that.
Anyway, step one is to come up with a genre/setting for the story. After a bit of research and serious consideration, I have compiled a list of possible genre/settings, and I want YOU, dear reader, and probably friend, to help me pick one. The list is as follows:
Steampunk - a sub-genre of the sci-fi genre, Steampunk is a mix of industrial-age, steam-powered technology and futuristic science fiction. It's pretty fun, a period-piece sci-fi. Notable examples include the manga/anime Fullmetal Alchemist, the novel/animated movie Howl's Moving Castle (and some other works by Miyazaki), and most works by Jules Verne, which I consider steampunk even though he wasn't attempting it. My Halloween costume this year is Steampunk, so it would make sense to continue the theme; however I'm also wary of this choice because Steampunk has grown in popularity lately, almost becoming a fad, and I don't want to write what everyone else writes.
Fantasy Alternate World - is a fantasy sub-genre, specifically taking place in another world or universe. Notable examples include the His Dark Materiel's trilogy, the Oz books, and the Chronicles of Narnia. This genre crosses over with Period Fantasy and Modern fantasy, and, as seen in all three of my examples, sometimes includes the ability to cross between the real world and the fantasy world. I could do this pretty easily, as I already have a fantasy alternate world to work with, along with fantasy magic rules.
Realistic Alternate World - is essentially what Princess Kate could be defined as, since it took place not on earth but had no fantasy or sci-fi elements. I can't find any notable examples, however, besides possibly the Series of Unfortunate Events, because most alt. world stories employ fantasy elements. I've done this before, which means it's both easy for me to do and doesn't provide new experience. As mentioned before, I have an alternate world ready to use.
Period Fantasy - includes any fantasy taking place in a period-piece timeline, taking place on earth or not. Notable examples include the Lord of the Rings books (and others by Tolkien), the Eragon trilogy, and pretty much every ancient, classic writings, starting from Beowulf (though, at the time, they probably would have been considered modern). This is where we get epic fantasies from, and most video games (Zelda, anyone? Most Final fantasy?) so it would definitely be fun to write. Though I've often wanted to, I don't think I've ever written anything to fit this genre, so it would be something new to experience. I'd also have to decide whether to use an alternate world or find a time from earth.
Modern Fantasy - is a bit self explanatory. Also known as Urban Fiction. Notable examples include the Lightning Thief (and series), the Harry Potter books (I think... they never really get into when, exactly, they take place, and the alternate world sections of the books seem a bit period), and a number of movies, such as Stranger than Fiction or the Sorcerer's Apprentice. It's an interesting genre, as you have to balance the modern realistic aspect with the fantasy, unrealistic aspect without being too cheesy. It would be a fun challenge if I chose this genre, and most likely I would have it take place on earth, instead of using an alternate world.
Modern Realistic Fiction - is also pretty self explanatory. There are no notable examples, other than every other movie released in the last decade, and most adult fiction books today. Most works under this genre are either mystery, romance, or life dramas, so I would have to choose which kind of story I wanted to tell if I chose this genre/setting, along with where I wanted to tell it (on earth, of course, but where on earth?) Last year's novel technically falls under this genre, too.
Futuristic Sci-Fi - is last of certainly not least. Notable examples include the Ender's Game series, the Hunger Games trilogy, and a number of movies, such as I Robot or Star Wars (and Firefly!) I love writing in this genre, even if I feel I'm not particularly inclined to the movies or books. I don't really have a world set up for a sci-fi story already, though it wouldn't be that hard to expand something I'd already written. This is kind of neither an alternate world or earth setting, as it could be far enough into the future that there are little similarities to modern day.
After I choose a setting/genre, I begin work on creating a plot and cast of characters.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
What's up with the Playstation Move?
(Intro)
I was in the college Language Lab today, for French class. I had never been there before, didn't really know what to do, and instead of figuring out their silly programs, I decided to look thinks up on Wikipedia.fr, because that's what I do.
After looking up foreign alphabets for a while (Namely Greek and Cyrillic), I decided to look at something a little more interesting - the latest news on Skyward Sword, the newest game in the Legend of Zelda franchise. I am anxiously awaiting its release, so I decided to see if there was any news (in French, of course). Eventually, I made my way to the French Wiki page for this last Electronic Entertainment Expo - I really only saw Nintendo's presentation, so I wanted to finally, in Language lab, find out what was going on with the other major gaming companies.
I spent a few minutes going over which new games were slated for release, and what the 'big names' were for each major system, when I finally read about something called the Playstation Move. In French.
(Main Body)
Why have I never heard about the PlayStation Move before? Granted, I don't really follow Playstation's new releases (only Nintendo), but I like Xbox even less (If it's PS versus Xbox, PS is definitely my preferred platform), and even I know about the Kinect thing coming out (Which I'm not entirely trustful of, anyway). From what I can tell, the PlayStation Move is Sony's new 'Big Name Item', so why have I heard no mention of it in my limited gaming community? Beyond that, the PlayStation Move is an obvious rival to the Nintendo Wii, which first released user-movement controlled gaming to the industry (Nintendo tends to do that). Kinect, Microsoft's new improvement to user-movement controlled gaming, is probably overshadowing Sony because of its "hands free" control system, but as a direct rival to the Wii, PlayStation should still be mentioned, too, right?
I spent a few minutes wondering why I had never heard of the PlayStation Move, and then I saw this:
This, my dear friends, is the Move remote. One look at it makes me giggle. Stare too long and I'm laughing.
For Serious? Playstation? Really? Sony, I thought you could do better. (Click the hyperlinks below for pictures and moar lolz)
1 - It's a wiimote (some people hate 'wiimote' and really prefer 'wii remote' but I speak English and I hate saying the same thing twice in a row in a row). It's black, it doesn't have the Nintendo logo, it has a wireless nunchuck, and it has a stupid shiny orb at the top, but essentially it's a wiimote. You couldn't be, I don't know, more creative? Sony?
2 - OH WAIT. It's not a wiimote - it's got a stupid shiny orb at the top! It's TOTALLY different. T_T Uh huh. See, the reason I respect Playstation (even if I prefer Nintendo) is because Playstation games tend to be less cartoony and more serious. There are dark Playstation games, and even the most lighthearted are at least more realistic than Wii. That's why seeing this giant cartoon bubble at the end of the PS wiimote makes me think this is more appropriate for a wii, not a Sony machine. Not only does it LOOK like a 6-year-old's toy magic wand (or, in this case, fantasy priestess staff), it lights up, makes different colors, and I'm sure is leaves a trail of pixie-dust, too.
3 - Maybe this isn't totally nonsensical, but the PS wiimote uses the PS camera accessory like a sensor-bar, to pick up the magic light of the PS wiimote. Now, understanding that most PLaystation users already own the Camera accessory, I can understand why they'd prefer not to make new hardware - however, an entire camera when a strip of black plastic would work instead seems a bit to much. Compound that with the fact that most webcams can be remotely accessed, giving anyone with the right skills the ability to watch what you do in your living room, and the PS camera seems a bit... overrated. (Quick note - never dress in front of a webcam.) Sensor bars can't spy on you, can they? Maybe that sounds paranoid, but I'm still preferring the old fashion wiimote to the new one with the sparkly orb.
Now, yes, all you super-loyal PlayStation gamers, the PS wiimote IS a bet better than the original wiimote. The PS wiimote comes with a rechargable battery pack, like the old PS controllers. I've always disliked the AA batteries in the original wiimotes, so I would say that this is an improvement. As previously mentioned, there is no wire connecting the two controllers, and the computer in the PS wiimote definitely has more capabilities.
However, there are significantly more buttons on the PS wiimote that were on the original wiimote. Loyal Play Station fans may tote that the new PlayStation magic wand wiimote has less buttons and a more streamlined feel, but I've counted them - The Nintendo wiimote has 11 buttons (neatly organized and clearly labeled, might I add), including all for directional buttons, and the Nunchuck attachment has 3, including the analog joystick and two buttons at your trigger finger. The Playstation wiimote has only 9 buttons (though Playstation has always used shapes for labels, which I find odd, and two of the buttons seem hidden on the side), but the nunchuck (actually, it's called the navigation remote), has exactly 11 buttons, the same as the original wiimote. ELEVEN. I counted them. This is including the four directionals, and the two hidden on the back that I can't see very well.
WHAT THE HECK, Sony? If you're going to flat out copy Nintendo's system, at least do it with some style. Who authorized you to put a sum total of TWENTY BUTTONS on your double-remotes? Nintedno beat you by SIX. Streamlined, yeah right.
(Conclusion)
I can understand the draws for buying and using the new Playstation Move system - all your favorite games now with motion-sensing capabilities? I liked Playstation for sticking with a hand remote, because honestly, sometimes pointing at my TV screen gets annoying, but I also like the new technology, and I'm glad Sony's finally dabbling in it. However, if the Wii console and remotes (with updated technology) only cost $200, I don't see Sony making beating them out, seeing as they're practically the same thing. Serious gamers, go ahead and buy the thing - as an avid Nintendo fan, even I agree that generally the younger systems improve upon Nintendo's introduction. However, I'm not expecting anything earth-shattering.
I was in the college Language Lab today, for French class. I had never been there before, didn't really know what to do, and instead of figuring out their silly programs, I decided to look thinks up on Wikipedia.fr, because that's what I do.
After looking up foreign alphabets for a while (Namely Greek and Cyrillic), I decided to look at something a little more interesting - the latest news on Skyward Sword, the newest game in the Legend of Zelda franchise. I am anxiously awaiting its release, so I decided to see if there was any news (in French, of course). Eventually, I made my way to the French Wiki page for this last Electronic Entertainment Expo - I really only saw Nintendo's presentation, so I wanted to finally, in Language lab, find out what was going on with the other major gaming companies.
I spent a few minutes going over which new games were slated for release, and what the 'big names' were for each major system, when I finally read about something called the Playstation Move. In French.
(Main Body)
Why have I never heard about the PlayStation Move before? Granted, I don't really follow Playstation's new releases (only Nintendo), but I like Xbox even less (If it's PS versus Xbox, PS is definitely my preferred platform), and even I know about the Kinect thing coming out (Which I'm not entirely trustful of, anyway). From what I can tell, the PlayStation Move is Sony's new 'Big Name Item', so why have I heard no mention of it in my limited gaming community? Beyond that, the PlayStation Move is an obvious rival to the Nintendo Wii, which first released user-movement controlled gaming to the industry (Nintendo tends to do that). Kinect, Microsoft's new improvement to user-movement controlled gaming, is probably overshadowing Sony because of its "hands free" control system, but as a direct rival to the Wii, PlayStation should still be mentioned, too, right?
I spent a few minutes wondering why I had never heard of the PlayStation Move, and then I saw this:
This, my dear friends, is the Move remote. One look at it makes me giggle. Stare too long and I'm laughing.
For Serious? Playstation? Really? Sony, I thought you could do better. (Click the hyperlinks below for pictures and moar lolz)
1 - It's a wiimote (some people hate 'wiimote' and really prefer 'wii remote' but I speak English and I hate saying the same thing twice in a row in a row). It's black, it doesn't have the Nintendo logo, it has a wireless nunchuck, and it has a stupid shiny orb at the top, but essentially it's a wiimote. You couldn't be, I don't know, more creative? Sony?
2 - OH WAIT. It's not a wiimote - it's got a stupid shiny orb at the top! It's TOTALLY different. T_T Uh huh. See, the reason I respect Playstation (even if I prefer Nintendo) is because Playstation games tend to be less cartoony and more serious. There are dark Playstation games, and even the most lighthearted are at least more realistic than Wii. That's why seeing this giant cartoon bubble at the end of the PS wiimote makes me think this is more appropriate for a wii, not a Sony machine. Not only does it LOOK like a 6-year-old's toy magic wand (or, in this case, fantasy priestess staff), it lights up, makes different colors, and I'm sure is leaves a trail of pixie-dust, too.
3 - Maybe this isn't totally nonsensical, but the PS wiimote uses the PS camera accessory like a sensor-bar, to pick up the magic light of the PS wiimote. Now, understanding that most PLaystation users already own the Camera accessory, I can understand why they'd prefer not to make new hardware - however, an entire camera when a strip of black plastic would work instead seems a bit to much. Compound that with the fact that most webcams can be remotely accessed, giving anyone with the right skills the ability to watch what you do in your living room, and the PS camera seems a bit... overrated. (Quick note - never dress in front of a webcam.) Sensor bars can't spy on you, can they? Maybe that sounds paranoid, but I'm still preferring the old fashion wiimote to the new one with the sparkly orb.
Now, yes, all you super-loyal PlayStation gamers, the PS wiimote IS a bet better than the original wiimote. The PS wiimote comes with a rechargable battery pack, like the old PS controllers. I've always disliked the AA batteries in the original wiimotes, so I would say that this is an improvement. As previously mentioned, there is no wire connecting the two controllers, and the computer in the PS wiimote definitely has more capabilities.
However, there are significantly more buttons on the PS wiimote that were on the original wiimote. Loyal Play Station fans may tote that the new PlayStation magic wand wiimote has less buttons and a more streamlined feel, but I've counted them - The Nintendo wiimote has 11 buttons (neatly organized and clearly labeled, might I add), including all for directional buttons, and the Nunchuck attachment has 3, including the analog joystick and two buttons at your trigger finger. The Playstation wiimote has only 9 buttons (though Playstation has always used shapes for labels, which I find odd, and two of the buttons seem hidden on the side), but the nunchuck (actually, it's called the navigation remote), has exactly 11 buttons, the same as the original wiimote. ELEVEN. I counted them. This is including the four directionals, and the two hidden on the back that I can't see very well.
WHAT THE HECK, Sony? If you're going to flat out copy Nintendo's system, at least do it with some style. Who authorized you to put a sum total of TWENTY BUTTONS on your double-remotes? Nintedno beat you by SIX. Streamlined, yeah right.
(Conclusion)
I can understand the draws for buying and using the new Playstation Move system - all your favorite games now with motion-sensing capabilities? I liked Playstation for sticking with a hand remote, because honestly, sometimes pointing at my TV screen gets annoying, but I also like the new technology, and I'm glad Sony's finally dabbling in it. However, if the Wii console and remotes (with updated technology) only cost $200, I don't see Sony making beating them out, seeing as they're practically the same thing. Serious gamers, go ahead and buy the thing - as an avid Nintendo fan, even I agree that generally the younger systems improve upon Nintendo's introduction. However, I'm not expecting anything earth-shattering.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
The Father Complex
This is a little late for Father's Day, but seeing as I haven't written in months, and I've had this idea for at least a year, better late than never.
I noticed last year, when I was watching at least six 1-hour TV dramas a week, that almost every story you run across has a character with background problem's with their father. Occasionally you'll see characters with mother-problems, but more often, if a character doesn't have father-problems, they have a bad relationship with both parents. When I tried to explain my findings, people just asked what strange shows I watch, so I've decided to prove it. This next bit is quite long, so feel free to just skim.
FOX
24 - I stopped watching this on Day/Season four or five, I think, because it was getting way too violent, and up to that point we didn't know anything about Jack Bauer's parents. However (spoilers) according to my research, in the later seasons we meet Phillip Bauer, Jack's father. Jack apparently left his father and father's company to make a life for himself - and in Season 6, Jack learns that there is a connection between some terrorist bad guys and Phillip Bauer's company. Phillip ends up killing Jack's brother, Graem, and kidnapping Graem's son, Josh, before threatening to kill Jack. I'm not the only one to see a problem in this, am I? But, true, this IS 24...
Bones - I follow this religiously, so I don't even have to look up the plot. At the start of the show, we learn that protagonist Dr. Brennan's parents left her and her brother at Christmastime and have been missing ever since.(Spoilers) At the end of season 1, Brennan (Nicknamed 'Bones') finds the skeletal remains of her mother. They soon find her father, who explains that he and his wife were bank robbers who frequently changed identities before settling down with a family, where they were again chased away, leaving their children behind. Most of season 2 is spent trying to find the elusive father, who eventually allows himself to be caught so he can regain some time with his daughter. While their relationship eventually improves, it starts off rocky and the history is part of what makes up her character. Agent Booth, her FBI counterpart, also reveals over the course of the show that his father was abusive.
Fringe - I started watching this recently. It's about a woman (whose father is never mentioned and whose stepfather was abusive) investigating sci-fi level occurrences in New England, who attempts to enlist the help of a "Fringe Scientist" Dr. Walter Bishop. Unfortunately, he's in a Psych Ward, and can only be called out by family. His wife is dead, and his son, Peter, kinda hates his guts. She talks/blackmails Peter into getting Walter out, and he spends a few episodes complaining about how stupid and unrealistic everything they're doing is (I don't mean to sound like I dislike his character - there were times when he was the only realistic person in the cast). And while Peter eventually learns to get along with Walter, he still has to cope with the fact that Walter's a psycho who preformed experiments on kids. (Spoilers) Not to mention the fact that Peter's not really his son - he's the son of Walternate, Walter's other-universe parallel. Walter's Peter died, and in an attempt to save Walternate's Peter, he ended up kidnapping him. Hmm. Turns out Walternate is a real jerk too, however, soo....
Glee - I don't watch this, but I hear it's popular. Here are the important ones: Rachael (That front row chick) has two dads, a married gay couple who mixed their sperm so she doesn't know which one is biological or not. Finn (The singing jock)'s dad died is Operation Desert Storm. Tina (The goth) describes her dad briefly as an Asian Vampire. Kurt (The gay kid) is pressured by his dad to act masculine, but the dad eventually sticks up for his sexual orientation (Go, dad!) There are more fathers in this drama, but none that I see any reason to note.
House - An interesting medical drama that I just never got around to watching much of. According to wikipedia, however (spoilers) House reveals that his father abused him as a child, and as he got older he decided his father wasn't his biological father, seeing a birthmark on a family friend that matched his own. Later, after ordering a DNA test, this childish assumption turns out to be true. Huh, who'da thunk? At least it wasn't lupus.
Lie to Me - Another show I used to watch. The protagonist's father hasn't really been mentioned yet, though his mother committed suicide. However, he does have a daughter who takes a disliking to her dad's abilities to read people's emotions.
ABC
Better Off Ted - A comedy that I never watched, though it looks mildly appealing. This is similar to Lie to Me in that, as far as I can see, the only father issues are between the protagonist and his daughter.
Brothers and Sisters - I never watched this show, so I can't give any spoilers, but according to my research this show starts with the death of the family patriarch, William Walker. His death reveals some secrets he has been hiding and sheds light on other family secrets, and kickstarts the plot of the show. Obviously there are problems around him, most notably his affair.
Castle - A relatively new show that I watch because of the witty writing and literary allusions. The protagonist, mystery writer Richard Castle, doesn't even know who his father is because his mother... well... Anyway, he has a good relationship with his daughter, though she tends to be the responsible parent a lot of the times.
Grey's Anatomy - Never really got into this show, but apparently people like it. From what I can tell, (spoilers) the protagonist's parents divorced because of the wife's infidelity, and the father wasn't allowed to have a relationship with his daughter for about twenty years. His second wife dies while the protagonist works at the hospital, and he ends up blaming her for the woman's death. The audience later learns that he is a drunkard, has mood swings, and the protagonist decides to give up on a relationship. Another character, Alex, recalls defending his mother from an abusive father, and Christina watched her father bleed to death in a car accident when she was young.
Lost - I'm not even going to touch all the characters here, because there are soo many. Here are the top three protagonists, however: (spoilers) Jack, the spinal surgeon, has issues with drinking because his father was a chronic drunk, and at one time killed someone during surgery. The father then dies in Australia, and Jack picks his body up. We later learn that another crash survivor is Jack's half sister, through his father. Kate, the fugitive, recalls killing her abusive stepfather to free her mother from him. Her real father, however, reveals that the dead man actually WAS her father. Dang. James 'Sawyer', the con-man, keeps his past hidden for a while, but eventually the audience learns that his mother was conned by a man named 'Sawyer' and his father killed her and himself after learning this. James takes on the man's identity to take revenge on him. Oh, and the original 'Sawyer' turns out to be another protagonist's father, who was tricked into giving a kidney and then crippled.
Private Practice - A spin-off of Grey's anatomy. The protagonist here reveals to the audience that her father was adulterous and spent time with her only as a pretense.
NBC
Chuck - A relatively under-appreciated show that we started watching because they advertised at the store my brother was working at. In this show, the protagonist, Chuck, is kind of a loser, working a dead-end job and living with his older sister and her fiance, until he gets government secrets programed into his head. He explains first season that their mother died when he was young and their father disappeared soon afterwards. We have a negative view of the father here, who left his children, (spoilers) until it is revealed that his father is actually the man who created the device that was inadvertently sent to Chuck and kick-started the plot, and that he left his children to protect them from his government job. While the audience still doesn't like him very much because he is quite flaky, we grow to appreciate what he has attempted to do.
Friday Night Lights - Apparently a pretty good show that never really appealed to me. From what I can see, the protagonist, the football coach, takes on the role of surrogate father for his team players. I could probably go down the entire team line-up, but they're basically all similar, boys with unsupportive parents or fathers who abandoned them (not all, of course, but a significant amount).
Heroes - I watched this for a few seasons until I realized that I really didn't care anymore. The enormous cast frequently flip-flops between good-guys and bad-guys, but here are some of the headliners: Claire, the 'cheerleader', is adopted. Her adoptive father is made out to be a bad guy for quite a while, though he then becomes a good buy who does some bad stuff. Her real father (spoilers) is revealed to be one of the other protagonists, Nathan Patrelli. Nathan and his brother Peter believe their father to be dead until Season 3 (more spoilers) when he is revealed to be a short-term bad guy. Hiro, the Japanese guy, works for his father's company but isn't on good terms with him. Later (even more spoilers) he learns that his father, played by that Asian guy on Star Trek, is some sort of high up in the sci-fi world. Sylar, the primary antagonist of the story until even he decides to dabble in good-guy-ness, begins a search for his biological parents during season [3? 4?], after having accidentally killed his adoptive mother. He plans to kill his father for the bad-guy type stuff he's been involved with, though ultimately feels pity for him because they are in the same situation.
Law and Order - An enormous franchise that I never got into. Minimal research on the main characters reveals that Jell Goldblum's character shuns his parents' profession, refusing to speak to his father though they live in the same city. Another protagonist, Elliot, implies that his father is abusive, and his partner Olivia was born after her mother was raped. I'm sure there are more, but the franchise is so wide that it might take a while to track them down.
The Office - The US version of this show always looked good, but we never get around to watching comedies in my house. Though comedies tend to shy away from serious childhood backstories, Steve Carell's character mentions coming from a broken home.
If you managed to read through all of that, I commend you.
I might have seemed to be making a negative statement about fathers, but quite the opposite. When I realized that fathers, and particularly the bad father-child relationships, were so prominent in modern fiction, I tried to reason why this might be, and this is what I've come up with.
Approximately 50% of American children live in a home without a father. While the divorce rate has decreased in the past few years, the percentage of women giving birth outside of marriage has increased. Couple that with statistics that show that the majority of children who drop out of school, run away from home, join gangs, participate in violent crime, and/or end up in Juvenile Hall come from homes without a father, we can see how this may be a problem. Of course not every kid with a deceased father is going to end up failing at life, but denying a child a father certainly doesn't do anything to help them.
I'm not trying to make some political statement, I'm trying to restate what I've noticed. The father complex is popping up more often in fiction (Shown here through TV dramas, but this also includes movies, books, and anything else), and I believe this is a reflection on the person experiences of the producers making our fiction. More writers grow up without fathers, and subsequently more characters do, too. I find it fascinating that this subtle niche of society has made its way into storytelling - not that it's anything new. Stories attempt to tell truths, and if it's true that this occurs frequently, then it will wind up in stories.
I noticed last year, when I was watching at least six 1-hour TV dramas a week, that almost every story you run across has a character with background problem's with their father. Occasionally you'll see characters with mother-problems, but more often, if a character doesn't have father-problems, they have a bad relationship with both parents. When I tried to explain my findings, people just asked what strange shows I watch, so I've decided to prove it. This next bit is quite long, so feel free to just skim.
FOX
24 - I stopped watching this on Day/Season four or five, I think, because it was getting way too violent, and up to that point we didn't know anything about Jack Bauer's parents. However (spoilers
Bones - I follow this religiously, so I don't even have to look up the plot. At the start of the show, we learn that protagonist Dr. Brennan's parents left her and her brother at Christmastime and have been missing ever since.(Spoilers
Fringe - I started watching this recently. It's about a woman (whose father is never mentioned and whose stepfather was abusive) investigating sci-fi level occurrences in New England, who attempts to enlist the help of a "Fringe Scientist" Dr. Walter Bishop. Unfortunately, he's in a Psych Ward, and can only be called out by family. His wife is dead, and his son, Peter, kinda hates his guts. She talks/blackmails Peter into getting Walter out, and he spends a few episodes complaining about how stupid and unrealistic everything they're doing is (I don't mean to sound like I dislike his character - there were times when he was the only realistic person in the cast). And while Peter eventually learns to get along with Walter, he still has to cope with the fact that Walter's a psycho who preformed experiments on kids. (Spoilers
Glee - I don't watch this, but I hear it's popular. Here are the important ones: Rachael (That front row chick) has two dads, a married gay couple who mixed their sperm so she doesn't know which one is biological or not. Finn (The singing jock)'s dad died is Operation Desert Storm. Tina (The goth) describes her dad briefly as an Asian Vampire. Kurt (The gay kid) is pressured by his dad to act masculine, but the dad eventually sticks up for his sexual orientation (Go, dad!) There are more fathers in this drama, but none that I see any reason to note.
House - An interesting medical drama that I just never got around to watching much of. According to wikipedia, however (spoilers
Lie to Me - Another show I used to watch. The protagonist's father hasn't really been mentioned yet, though his mother committed suicide. However, he does have a daughter who takes a disliking to her dad's abilities to read people's emotions.
ABC
Better Off Ted - A comedy that I never watched, though it looks mildly appealing. This is similar to Lie to Me in that, as far as I can see, the only father issues are between the protagonist and his daughter.
Brothers and Sisters - I never watched this show, so I can't give any spoilers, but according to my research this show starts with the death of the family patriarch, William Walker. His death reveals some secrets he has been hiding and sheds light on other family secrets, and kickstarts the plot of the show. Obviously there are problems around him, most notably his affair.
Castle - A relatively new show that I watch because of the witty writing and literary allusions. The protagonist, mystery writer Richard Castle, doesn't even know who his father is because his mother... well... Anyway, he has a good relationship with his daughter, though she tends to be the responsible parent a lot of the times.
Grey's Anatomy - Never really got into this show, but apparently people like it. From what I can tell, (spoilers
Lost - I'm not even going to touch all the characters here, because there are soo many. Here are the top three protagonists, however: (spoilers
Private Practice - A spin-off of Grey's anatomy. The protagonist here reveals to the audience that her father was adulterous and spent time with her only as a pretense.
NBC
Chuck - A relatively under-appreciated show that we started watching because they advertised at the store my brother was working at. In this show, the protagonist, Chuck, is kind of a loser, working a dead-end job and living with his older sister and her fiance, until he gets government secrets programed into his head. He explains first season that their mother died when he was young and their father disappeared soon afterwards. We have a negative view of the father here, who left his children, (spoilers
Friday Night Lights - Apparently a pretty good show that never really appealed to me. From what I can see, the protagonist, the football coach, takes on the role of surrogate father for his team players. I could probably go down the entire team line-up, but they're basically all similar, boys with unsupportive parents or fathers who abandoned them (not all, of course, but a significant amount).
Heroes - I watched this for a few seasons until I realized that I really didn't care anymore. The enormous cast frequently flip-flops between good-guys and bad-guys, but here are some of the headliners: Claire, the 'cheerleader', is adopted. Her adoptive father is made out to be a bad guy for quite a while, though he then becomes a good buy who does some bad stuff. Her real father (spoilers
Law and Order - An enormous franchise that I never got into. Minimal research on the main characters reveals that Jell Goldblum's character shuns his parents' profession, refusing to speak to his father though they live in the same city. Another protagonist, Elliot, implies that his father is abusive, and his partner Olivia was born after her mother was raped. I'm sure there are more, but the franchise is so wide that it might take a while to track them down.
The Office - The US version of this show always looked good, but we never get around to watching comedies in my house. Though comedies tend to shy away from serious childhood backstories, Steve Carell's character mentions coming from a broken home.
If you managed to read through all of that, I commend you.
I might have seemed to be making a negative statement about fathers, but quite the opposite. When I realized that fathers, and particularly the bad father-child relationships, were so prominent in modern fiction, I tried to reason why this might be, and this is what I've come up with.
Approximately 50% of American children live in a home without a father. While the divorce rate has decreased in the past few years, the percentage of women giving birth outside of marriage has increased. Couple that with statistics that show that the majority of children who drop out of school, run away from home, join gangs, participate in violent crime, and/or end up in Juvenile Hall come from homes without a father, we can see how this may be a problem. Of course not every kid with a deceased father is going to end up failing at life, but denying a child a father certainly doesn't do anything to help them.
I'm not trying to make some political statement, I'm trying to restate what I've noticed. The father complex is popping up more often in fiction (Shown here through TV dramas, but this also includes movies, books, and anything else), and I believe this is a reflection on the person experiences of the producers making our fiction. More writers grow up without fathers, and subsequently more characters do, too. I find it fascinating that this subtle niche of society has made its way into storytelling - not that it's anything new. Stories attempt to tell truths, and if it's true that this occurs frequently, then it will wind up in stories.
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