The Simpsons Critique.
The Simpsons may be seemingly about humor or simply is a parity of a middle-class American family. However, when you look between the lines it may become apparent that The Simpsons is lampooning some much more deeper issues. The prominent ones appear to be capitalism enslaving the middle class, consumer culture and men’s supposed disrespect for their wives and women. More examples lie with the characters Bart and Lisa. Bart is supposedly the embodiment of the failures of the American school system, and Lisa is meant to be the embodiment of reason. What is important to note about this is that although her statements are normally voiced as reason, they are more often than not simply ignored. Normally, a television show doing this would not have a chance getting airtime, however, The Simpsons were aired by the relatively new network, Fox, whom was willing to take the risk. The result was a television program that gained enormous popularity in an environment where this should not have happened.
Response
Some points I can see, however, others I believe are stretching logic. For example, it is clear that the Simpsons is in many ways meant to ridicule the American life, arguably the mundane aspects of it. For example, the fact that Homer must got to his job that he hates everyday. The author argues, however, that the story shows some cases where Homer leaves his job, but always has to return to it for some reason. One example is that he left work for a bowling alley, but then has to return to the power plant because of a new baby. I fail to see how this is demonstrative of capitalism’s control over our life. All in all, Homer leaving a dream job to return to a better paying miserable job can also be demonstrative of bad luck as well. The bottom line is that there is probably a lot of truth to the statements, but I seriously doubt that The Simpsons creators had anything so deep in mind when writing the cartoon.
Reflection
It seems that cartoons are a popular medium for critique of society in some way. Simpsons, as it was demonstrated definitely directs satire towards certain aspects of a middle class family. But there are other shows out there as well. We are all familiar with South Park, which seems to ridicule really anything. For example, there was certainly an episode meant to demonstrate the writer’s opinion of the new Indiana Jones movie because in this episode one of the characters has dreams about George Lucas and Stephen Spielberg raping the character Indiana Jones. Also, the show seems to point at the masses (meaning general population) having a tendency to be jumpy and terrified. There was an episode about Family Guy planning on showing an animation of Mohammed. In the episode, the Muslim world sent threats and such to America and the public decided to bury their heads in the dirt so they did not see it, thereby doing what the terrorists wanted.
Questions
1.) How is the nuclear power plant meant to represent capitalism especially consumerism? It is not explained well, there should be more evidence of this rather than the author’s speculation.
2.) Bart may explain the failure of the school system, but how is Lisa explained as she went to the same school as Bart?
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Free Rice (Xtra Credit)
Notice of donation of 1000 grains of rice. 12:58 PM 4/11/2009
Many strange words..... much use of dictionary required.
Many strange words..... much use of dictionary required.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Themes from "The Bell Jar"
1.) By being in an institution it may show you as being "defective", however, perhaps madness is a good thing.
"A Mad Desire to Dance," by Elie Wiesel or really any of his novels where he does try to bring appreciation upon the madmen that are in his stories.
2.) Maybe the institutions themselves are not places where awful things happen and perhaps the staff at these places may genuinely wish to help.
3.) Perhaps the things that you build up in your mind that are supposed to be big special moments, are actually just part of the everyday drudge of things.
Mad World, Gary Jules
"A Mad Desire to Dance," by Elie Wiesel or really any of his novels where he does try to bring appreciation upon the madmen that are in his stories.
2.) Maybe the institutions themselves are not places where awful things happen and perhaps the staff at these places may genuinely wish to help.
3.) Perhaps the things that you build up in your mind that are supposed to be big special moments, are actually just part of the everyday drudge of things.
Mad World, Gary Jules
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
The Approach and The Ordeal
Summary
This section of Vogler dealt with The Approach and The Ordeal parts of the Hero’s Journey. The Approach is the preparations a hero undertakes before entering the deepest darkest lair of his journey. This is the point of the journey where he stocks up on resources and resolve and prepares to enter The Cave (which is representative of the deepest darkest part of the Journey). The Cave is kind of a special world within the special world, with its own rules and environment to it, usually one that is quite foreboding. Within this cave is where the next part of the story, The Ordeal occurs. The Ordeal is very important part of the story and certainly needs to be the climax of at least the second act. The heart of The Ordeal is the hero’s death (or seeming death) and his rebirth. It is also where he faces the Shadow, but it is important to note that he does not always destroy the shadow here; it is just as likely to escape so that there may be a final showdown later. Theatrically, this is meant to build the tension and allow the audience to feel some sort of emotion for the hero, especially sadness when he is seemingly dead, but this turns quickly to happiness or hope when he suddenly springs back to life.
Reaction
As usual, Vogler describes the importance of the audience’s human emotions during these stages, in particular the Ordeal. The reference how humans pay good money to experience a taste of death is spot on. The experience of tasting death does make you feel more alive and therefore makes sense that it should belong in a good story. A good story does indeed have moments that make you feel emotions; this is proof that the story has succeeded in drawing you into it. Moreover, a story needs to contain tension. If everything is just easy, predictable and you draw no connection to it you will be bored. Therefore successfully delivering tension in a story is another key aspect of making it successful.
Reflection
This is an easy one to draw connections with. I do not believe The Ordeal is lacking from any story that I can think of. Even The Metamorphosis is riddled with Ordeals. For example, when Gregor first leaves the room and his father tries to harm him and Gregor ends up harming himself in the struggle to get back into his room (though on a note I would say the emotional aspect is missing here, for some reason Kafka always creates characters that you do not really feel sorry for). Sometimes it seems that a story can end with the ordeal. For example, in A Good Man is Hard to Find, there is a slight build up to he meeting with the misfit, which does end with the families actual death and that is also where the story ends.
Questions
1.) Is it possible for a story to not have an ordeal? Can you think of any?
2.) Can an ordeal suddenly appear without the buildup that Vogler describes?
This section of Vogler dealt with The Approach and The Ordeal parts of the Hero’s Journey. The Approach is the preparations a hero undertakes before entering the deepest darkest lair of his journey. This is the point of the journey where he stocks up on resources and resolve and prepares to enter The Cave (which is representative of the deepest darkest part of the Journey). The Cave is kind of a special world within the special world, with its own rules and environment to it, usually one that is quite foreboding. Within this cave is where the next part of the story, The Ordeal occurs. The Ordeal is very important part of the story and certainly needs to be the climax of at least the second act. The heart of The Ordeal is the hero’s death (or seeming death) and his rebirth. It is also where he faces the Shadow, but it is important to note that he does not always destroy the shadow here; it is just as likely to escape so that there may be a final showdown later. Theatrically, this is meant to build the tension and allow the audience to feel some sort of emotion for the hero, especially sadness when he is seemingly dead, but this turns quickly to happiness or hope when he suddenly springs back to life.
Reaction
As usual, Vogler describes the importance of the audience’s human emotions during these stages, in particular the Ordeal. The reference how humans pay good money to experience a taste of death is spot on. The experience of tasting death does make you feel more alive and therefore makes sense that it should belong in a good story. A good story does indeed have moments that make you feel emotions; this is proof that the story has succeeded in drawing you into it. Moreover, a story needs to contain tension. If everything is just easy, predictable and you draw no connection to it you will be bored. Therefore successfully delivering tension in a story is another key aspect of making it successful.
Reflection
This is an easy one to draw connections with. I do not believe The Ordeal is lacking from any story that I can think of. Even The Metamorphosis is riddled with Ordeals. For example, when Gregor first leaves the room and his father tries to harm him and Gregor ends up harming himself in the struggle to get back into his room (though on a note I would say the emotional aspect is missing here, for some reason Kafka always creates characters that you do not really feel sorry for). Sometimes it seems that a story can end with the ordeal. For example, in A Good Man is Hard to Find, there is a slight build up to he meeting with the misfit, which does end with the families actual death and that is also where the story ends.
Questions
1.) Is it possible for a story to not have an ordeal? Can you think of any?
2.) Can an ordeal suddenly appear without the buildup that Vogler describes?
Monday, March 9, 2009
Annotation 6
Crossing the Threshold and Tests, Allies, Enemies
Summary
Crossing the threshold is the ultimate crossing into the special world. The threshold symbolizes the point of no return, kind of like the moment when you are on a rollercoaster and it begins to move. Typically, the hero requires some sort of shove to cross the threshold, for example a person that is very close to him may be murdered, captured or hurt in some way. Just before crossing the threshold there is often a threshold guardian the hero must deal with. Once the hero has crossed the threshold, we are finally immersed and introduced to the special world. In the beginning, the parameters of the special world need to be established quickly and this is the use of the “Tests, Allies, Enemies” section of a story. The tests work to establish the rules of the world and hone the hero’s skills towards being in the special world. Also, in the beginning, the hero will meet some allies that will aid him/her in the special world and will surely encounter their enemies as well.
Reaction
Because every story does indeed need the “special world”, “crossing the threshold” I would argue is a necessity in every story. In the “Tests, Allies, Enemies” section Vogler brings up the bar or saloon. This is another recurring theme throughout his books, is that a bar seems to be a very useful dramatic element and his arguments for this make sense. They can be representative of the “watering hole” where creatures naturally congregate; therefore they are an excellent location to learn the parameters and circumstances of the special world.
Reflection
I can think of no story where “Crossing the Threshold” does not exist. Even in my own “making sense” piece used an exact type of threshold that Vogler describes in the book, “Do I go on living my life as I always have, or will I risk everything in the effort to grow and change?”. Although my wording in my story was not this exactly, the situation was exactly the same. Even in “The Metamorphisis,” this is evident. The crossing happens in the beginning of the story, when Gregor realizes that he is no longer the same form as he once was and chooses to accept it and make do with his new situation.
Summary
Crossing the threshold is the ultimate crossing into the special world. The threshold symbolizes the point of no return, kind of like the moment when you are on a rollercoaster and it begins to move. Typically, the hero requires some sort of shove to cross the threshold, for example a person that is very close to him may be murdered, captured or hurt in some way. Just before crossing the threshold there is often a threshold guardian the hero must deal with. Once the hero has crossed the threshold, we are finally immersed and introduced to the special world. In the beginning, the parameters of the special world need to be established quickly and this is the use of the “Tests, Allies, Enemies” section of a story. The tests work to establish the rules of the world and hone the hero’s skills towards being in the special world. Also, in the beginning, the hero will meet some allies that will aid him/her in the special world and will surely encounter their enemies as well.
Reaction
Because every story does indeed need the “special world”, “crossing the threshold” I would argue is a necessity in every story. In the “Tests, Allies, Enemies” section Vogler brings up the bar or saloon. This is another recurring theme throughout his books, is that a bar seems to be a very useful dramatic element and his arguments for this make sense. They can be representative of the “watering hole” where creatures naturally congregate; therefore they are an excellent location to learn the parameters and circumstances of the special world.
Reflection
I can think of no story where “Crossing the Threshold” does not exist. Even in my own “making sense” piece used an exact type of threshold that Vogler describes in the book, “Do I go on living my life as I always have, or will I risk everything in the effort to grow and change?”. Although my wording in my story was not this exactly, the situation was exactly the same. Even in “The Metamorphisis,” this is evident. The crossing happens in the beginning of the story, when Gregor realizes that he is no longer the same form as he once was and chooses to accept it and make do with his new situation.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Annotation 5
Summary
After the Normal World and the Call to Adventure we come to two more related points in the hero’s journey, those being The Refusal of the Call and the Meeting with the Mentor. The Refusal is meant to set a point in the journey that sets up the dangers involved with continuing on the journey. There are several types of refusals, for example the hero can give weak excuses, avoid, be willing, refuses persistently or there can be conflicting calls to adventure. Immediately after the refusal, sometimes during it, is the point in the journey when the hero will meet with the mentor. Probably the most important occurrence here is that the mentor usually gives the hero some sort of gift that will help the hero on their journey.
Reaction
There was one category that Vogler mentioned which is the persistent refusal of the call and how this always has to end in tragedy. This makes sense and it seems that it could be the entire story in itself. For example, the result if you are always too cowardly to take a risk. Another interesting aspect from this section was the fact the mentor has to always give something useful. Perhaps in dramatic stories this has to always be true, however, I do not think it has to be in every good story. Although, Vogler had made it clear quite a few times that every aspect of the Hero’s Journey does not have to be present.
Reflection
These two parts of the journey are very easy to spot in famous stories. For example in Star Wars, when Obi Wan initially tries to convince Luke he is met with refusal, even after giving him the gift. Only after the murder of his caretakers did he embark on the journey. In the stories that we have read for class these are not so apparent. In “The Metamorphosis” I would say the hero was willing and therefore did not experience the typical Refusal. He awoke in his strange state and decided that he was going to make do with it and continue about his normal day with this strange state that he was now in.
After the Normal World and the Call to Adventure we come to two more related points in the hero’s journey, those being The Refusal of the Call and the Meeting with the Mentor. The Refusal is meant to set a point in the journey that sets up the dangers involved with continuing on the journey. There are several types of refusals, for example the hero can give weak excuses, avoid, be willing, refuses persistently or there can be conflicting calls to adventure. Immediately after the refusal, sometimes during it, is the point in the journey when the hero will meet with the mentor. Probably the most important occurrence here is that the mentor usually gives the hero some sort of gift that will help the hero on their journey.
Reaction
There was one category that Vogler mentioned which is the persistent refusal of the call and how this always has to end in tragedy. This makes sense and it seems that it could be the entire story in itself. For example, the result if you are always too cowardly to take a risk. Another interesting aspect from this section was the fact the mentor has to always give something useful. Perhaps in dramatic stories this has to always be true, however, I do not think it has to be in every good story. Although, Vogler had made it clear quite a few times that every aspect of the Hero’s Journey does not have to be present.
Reflection
These two parts of the journey are very easy to spot in famous stories. For example in Star Wars, when Obi Wan initially tries to convince Luke he is met with refusal, even after giving him the gift. Only after the murder of his caretakers did he embark on the journey. In the stories that we have read for class these are not so apparent. In “The Metamorphosis” I would say the hero was willing and therefore did not experience the typical Refusal. He awoke in his strange state and decided that he was going to make do with it and continue about his normal day with this strange state that he was now in.
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