Let me start out by saying that I believe Home Box Office (henceforth referred to as HBO) has made some of the most definitive and original television in the last thirty years. Shows like Sex and the City, Six Feet Under, and the Sopranos, cables most infamous and profitable show to date, are synonymous with great television, and in turn are synonymous with HBO.
One particular facet of HBO that I’m fond of is that it seems to have this way of fostering creativity. HBO doesn’t cancel stuff right away, instead they let programming evolve at it’s own pace till it is either a cultural phenomenon or an un-renewable disaster. I remember a few years ago when Big Love premiered and people considered it gimmicky at best. I can’t exactly blame them though, because polygamy for polygamies sake is very, very gimmicky. But four years later the show is being called one of the best of the decade and I think that credit should be given to HBO for allowing the show to expand on its own.
It is because of there desire to foster creativity that their shows have meticulously blossomed and made a name for the network. In short, HBO has an amazing crop of television and I have the utmost respect for the art that they have produced. But I have been noticing something about this station and the media in general, that worries me. My observation is this: the modern day art house that is television is becoming more and more biased. To further desecrate the matter, this bias is not so much in the shadows, its out for everyone to see.
When the Sopranos premiered in 1998 its tagline was ‘Family, Redefined’. This not only describes that particular show, it describes television in particular. It seems every other show HBO produces is trying, in one way or another, to redefine the family unit. Immeasurable amounts of critical praise are following this ‘redefinition’. Lately works of art have been receiving critical accolades for pushing boundaries, not necessarily for showcasing artistic merit.
As a creative person, I have a problem with something be critically acclaimed merely because it seeks to be amoral. Edgy is ok, but it is not the end-all by any means. Bottom line: Art should not be praised merely because of its message.
Whether it is a collection of monologues by Eve Ensler or a Broadway play by Tony Kushner, a piece of art should not be exalted because it seeks to undermine certain values. Yes, art usually has a pretty clear message, but sometimes that message can overpower the art to the point where the artistic value is lost and nothing remains but propaganda. Whether it is a religious or political message, all art can be overpowered by a particular message but unfortunately, it seems critics are reviewing the message more than the art.
Looking at the lineup of weekly programming, I can logically see a mass-media revolution taking place. Networks are actively working against traditional values one primetime block at a time, and while it may be just reflecting changes in our society, it may just as well be making those changes. If you’re trying to spark a revolution, just say so don’t masquerades as only reflecting a revolution.
As you can tell, my creative ego is worried that much of the critically-praised media feels much more like a political message, instead of just plain art. This worries me because lately, media with a specific political leaning have been garnering much applause. Mad Men is one example, while the writing it good, I sense that many people embrace it because it justifies our moral sins through historical re-writing. Obviously, it is just a story, but it’s also much more than that….it’s propaganda masquerading as art.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
The Beginning of the End: The Final Season of ABC's LOST
A plane crash, a monster, and countless hours of suspense later…Lost is coming to an end. It has been a wild ride, a ride that I’m beginning to see not every television show allows you to take. I mean this show is a rarity; for starters the ending was planned from the beginning and the writers have somehow maintained a consistent narrative that has yet to contradict itself.
Then there was that glorious cinematography, especially the first season with all of its gorgeous beach sunsets. It set the bar for network television, the same way HBO shows did for cable. The writing was good (not as good in the fifth season, but good enough), the acting has always been phenomenal (excluding that fifth season again, in my opinion), and it incorporated literature like no other show ever has. It has always been intellectual than other shows (think a sci-fi Frasier.... but really not at all) Example: some of its characters were named after famed philosophers (Locke, Rousseau, and Alpert to name a few). In short, Lost dared to be complex, dared to test the intellect of its audience, and in return became a pop culture phenomenon with a devoted cult.
Now pop culture phenomenon’s are something I’m no stranger to, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and thirtysomething have all have caught my ‘creative interest’ at some point but it was years, sometimes decades (in Star Wars case) after they originally came out. But for once, I’m part of a pop culture phenomenon during its original run and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. With Harry Potter, I wasn’t allowed to read it during its first printing and with Star Wars I was not even out of the womb when it hit theaters in 1960-something. But I’ve watched Lost since day one! Now you see, the show’s main topic is fate and when I think about it, you could argue that fate brought me to the show. I should not have been home the night in premiered, but I was sick and had the TV all to myself…who’s to say it wasn’t fate?
One reason I’ve always adored Lost is because of its spiritual topics: fate/destiny, science versus faith and the influence our decisions have on others lives. The show encapsulated so many ideas for me, in one single hour almost every topic I’ve ever been interested was presented in a wide-screen format…and I as well as the world, ate it up.
Now after five seasons, it is coming to an end. The creators behind the show, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, have stated that they have planned the ending from the very beginning…thus I expect a certain amount of closure and conclusive answers. One reason people have been giving up on the show (viewership has actually steadily declined over its five years) is because it has given very few answers. Mysteries that were presented in season one (those skeletons in the cave for instance) have yet to be answered and it seems some mysteries may never be answered, due to contract disputes and such. But I love the mystery, but only because they say they have answers. If they had mysteries but were making up it as they go, I’d hate it…but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
So on this Saturday afternoon I wait in anticipation for the season to begin and to have my countless questions answered. What is the Monster, why is Richard Alpert seemingly immortal, what are those darn numbers (4 8 15 16 23 42), and what is going to happen to Locke? To say I’m excited is an unholy understatement
Now to end on a less-than-happy note, my friend John said that when he finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (the finale of the series), he asked himself, “Ok, what next?” Sadly, this is what I will ask myself as well, when that finale fades to black and the Lost logo comes on screen one last time: What next? It’s corny but true, but television-wise I’ll be lost without it.
Then there was that glorious cinematography, especially the first season with all of its gorgeous beach sunsets. It set the bar for network television, the same way HBO shows did for cable. The writing was good (not as good in the fifth season, but good enough), the acting has always been phenomenal (excluding that fifth season again, in my opinion), and it incorporated literature like no other show ever has. It has always been intellectual than other shows (think a sci-fi Frasier.... but really not at all) Example: some of its characters were named after famed philosophers (Locke, Rousseau, and Alpert to name a few). In short, Lost dared to be complex, dared to test the intellect of its audience, and in return became a pop culture phenomenon with a devoted cult.
Now pop culture phenomenon’s are something I’m no stranger to, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and thirtysomething have all have caught my ‘creative interest’ at some point but it was years, sometimes decades (in Star Wars case) after they originally came out. But for once, I’m part of a pop culture phenomenon during its original run and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. With Harry Potter, I wasn’t allowed to read it during its first printing and with Star Wars I was not even out of the womb when it hit theaters in 1960-something. But I’ve watched Lost since day one! Now you see, the show’s main topic is fate and when I think about it, you could argue that fate brought me to the show. I should not have been home the night in premiered, but I was sick and had the TV all to myself…who’s to say it wasn’t fate?
One reason I’ve always adored Lost is because of its spiritual topics: fate/destiny, science versus faith and the influence our decisions have on others lives. The show encapsulated so many ideas for me, in one single hour almost every topic I’ve ever been interested was presented in a wide-screen format…and I as well as the world, ate it up.
Now after five seasons, it is coming to an end. The creators behind the show, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, have stated that they have planned the ending from the very beginning…thus I expect a certain amount of closure and conclusive answers. One reason people have been giving up on the show (viewership has actually steadily declined over its five years) is because it has given very few answers. Mysteries that were presented in season one (those skeletons in the cave for instance) have yet to be answered and it seems some mysteries may never be answered, due to contract disputes and such. But I love the mystery, but only because they say they have answers. If they had mysteries but were making up it as they go, I’d hate it…but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
So on this Saturday afternoon I wait in anticipation for the season to begin and to have my countless questions answered. What is the Monster, why is Richard Alpert seemingly immortal, what are those darn numbers (4 8 15 16 23 42), and what is going to happen to Locke? To say I’m excited is an unholy understatement
Now to end on a less-than-happy note, my friend John said that when he finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (the finale of the series), he asked himself, “Ok, what next?” Sadly, this is what I will ask myself as well, when that finale fades to black and the Lost logo comes on screen one last time: What next? It’s corny but true, but television-wise I’ll be lost without it.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
St. Arbucks: The Third Place Sanctuary
My first week in California was absolutely awful. Really, I guess the first month was pretty terrible but in the midst of all that unbearable chaos there was a moment of serenity. On my way to church, we stopped by our local Starbucks and when I walked in, all my homesickness and anxiety left. As the smell of roasted coffee beans filled my senses and the ambience of the lighting shown upon me, I said to myself, “I’m home.”
There’s this theory going around about something called “the third place”. I give props to Nora Ephron (director of such films as Julie and Julia and Sleepless in Seattle), who introduced me to this theory during some special features on one of her movies. The theory goes something like this: everyone has a home (hopefully at least haha) and your home is your “first place”. Everyone also has a job and the location of their chosen occupation is their “second place”. Between these two places, much time is spent and many peoples (leaders in the relaxation movement and no doubt some Starbucks execs) think that besides these two all-consuming places, we as humans need a “third place”. My third place and I’ve heard many others as well, is Starbucks.
This third place is extremely important to me. Starbucks is my escape, my home away from home away from home. It is my sanctuary, a place to write, read, and lollygag by myself, or sometimes with my posse. In fact, in many ways Starbucks is like a church: eternally devoted followers (like you and me), its own lingo (double shot grande non-fat macchiato means nothing to non-Starbuckers), and its own “sacred” icons (that half-naked maiden on the logo). Not to mention that it has locations/chapels EVERYWHERE (sometimes ten and eleven in one city). Starbucks is a home away from home because in many ways what you do there resembles a spiritual experience (maybe I’m confusing spirituality with that feeling of being cultured haha, wouldn’t put it past me). Whether you are sitting in those red armchairs or chilling with your head against those plushy headboards behind the benches with the angelic lighting fixtures creating a halo effect around all you do……Starbucks is a sacred place and don’t argue otherwise.
Very few places could keep me for more than two hours, but Starbucks can easily possess my entire caffeinated being for three and a half hours straight. One white chocolate mocha with a copy of Pride and Prejudice and BAM…it’s been four hours! But it isn’t a sad shock when you find out how long you’ve been there; it’s actually really comforting to know that there is a place you can lounge at for so long and not feel lazy or intrusive. But upon further consideration I’d say that I also can feel that same way at church. So I guess that my church is really my third place and in turn that would make Starbucks my fourth place. Hmm, well that’s interesting….but that’s also an entirely other cup of Joe :)
There’s this theory going around about something called “the third place”. I give props to Nora Ephron (director of such films as Julie and Julia and Sleepless in Seattle), who introduced me to this theory during some special features on one of her movies. The theory goes something like this: everyone has a home (hopefully at least haha) and your home is your “first place”. Everyone also has a job and the location of their chosen occupation is their “second place”. Between these two places, much time is spent and many peoples (leaders in the relaxation movement and no doubt some Starbucks execs) think that besides these two all-consuming places, we as humans need a “third place”. My third place and I’ve heard many others as well, is Starbucks.
This third place is extremely important to me. Starbucks is my escape, my home away from home away from home. It is my sanctuary, a place to write, read, and lollygag by myself, or sometimes with my posse. In fact, in many ways Starbucks is like a church: eternally devoted followers (like you and me), its own lingo (double shot grande non-fat macchiato means nothing to non-Starbuckers), and its own “sacred” icons (that half-naked maiden on the logo). Not to mention that it has locations/chapels EVERYWHERE (sometimes ten and eleven in one city). Starbucks is a home away from home because in many ways what you do there resembles a spiritual experience (maybe I’m confusing spirituality with that feeling of being cultured haha, wouldn’t put it past me). Whether you are sitting in those red armchairs or chilling with your head against those plushy headboards behind the benches with the angelic lighting fixtures creating a halo effect around all you do……Starbucks is a sacred place and don’t argue otherwise.
Very few places could keep me for more than two hours, but Starbucks can easily possess my entire caffeinated being for three and a half hours straight. One white chocolate mocha with a copy of Pride and Prejudice and BAM…it’s been four hours! But it isn’t a sad shock when you find out how long you’ve been there; it’s actually really comforting to know that there is a place you can lounge at for so long and not feel lazy or intrusive. But upon further consideration I’d say that I also can feel that same way at church. So I guess that my church is really my third place and in turn that would make Starbucks my fourth place. Hmm, well that’s interesting….but that’s also an entirely other cup of Joe :)
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