Write a blog post in which you defend or dismiss dramatic Comedy — as Aristotle defines it — as a meaningful art form. Whatever side you take, focus on one example of a long-form Comedic work and analyze how it enhances — or fails to enhance — our understanding of the world (the human condition, human nature, etc). You can bring up other works in order to demonstrate that your example is part of a broader trend — or an exception to the trend — but the bulk of your post should be a specific look at one work.
If you are looking for some ideas, check out this New York Times article on “Movies to Stream on Valentine’s Day, Whatever Your Mood.”
Showing posts with label Pride and Prejudice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pride and Prejudice. Show all posts
Monday, March 4, 2019
Sunday, March 4, 2018
Friday, March 2, 2018
My Fair Lady
I think that very few comedies can be considered meaningful. In fact, the meaning in comedies is not apparent or easily found. The reader or viewer must be intentional in their search. For instance, I easily enjoyed reading the "original" comedy, Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, but once I finished I just as easily forgot the novel due to its lack of obvious meaning and importance, like that found in tragedies such as King Lear.
Nevertheless, I think there is something to be said about the humor and love stories of Jane Austen's novels and some of Shakespeare's plays such as "Twelfth Night", "As You Like It", and "The Taming of the Shrew". By crafting humor with irony and contrasting it with the seriousness of love, readers can take these works seriously and not just as entertainment for women. These comedies are the exception, though, as many more modern comedies use too little irony and satire for their humor and more ridiculous or extreme circumstances to convey a love story thus making the work less meaningful.
For example, the popular romantic musical "My Fair Lady," taken from the play "Pygmalion" by George Shaw, has many situational similarities to Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" though the characters are a little different. "My Fair Lady" is clearly a comedy as Aristotle defined it. The heroine (Eliza Doolittle) is a young women clearly of a low class due to her unclean clothes and accented, harsh speech. A somewhat abusive man takes on the challenge of transforming her into a lady and the sympathetic heroine rises in fortune through her new knowledge of what it means to be proper and her relationship with the man. This musical enhances the viewers understanding of love as something that can overcome the oftentimes ridiculousness of social classes. Furthermore, it emphasizes how love develops in the wake of prejudices such as sexism and misogyny. This musical is one example of a meaningful romantic comedy that should not be dismissed as trivial.
Nevertheless, I think there is something to be said about the humor and love stories of Jane Austen's novels and some of Shakespeare's plays such as "Twelfth Night", "As You Like It", and "The Taming of the Shrew". By crafting humor with irony and contrasting it with the seriousness of love, readers can take these works seriously and not just as entertainment for women. These comedies are the exception, though, as many more modern comedies use too little irony and satire for their humor and more ridiculous or extreme circumstances to convey a love story thus making the work less meaningful.
For example, the popular romantic musical "My Fair Lady," taken from the play "Pygmalion" by George Shaw, has many situational similarities to Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" though the characters are a little different. "My Fair Lady" is clearly a comedy as Aristotle defined it. The heroine (Eliza Doolittle) is a young women clearly of a low class due to her unclean clothes and accented, harsh speech. A somewhat abusive man takes on the challenge of transforming her into a lady and the sympathetic heroine rises in fortune through her new knowledge of what it means to be proper and her relationship with the man. This musical enhances the viewers understanding of love as something that can overcome the oftentimes ridiculousness of social classes. Furthermore, it emphasizes how love develops in the wake of prejudices such as sexism and misogyny. This musical is one example of a meaningful romantic comedy that should not be dismissed as trivial.
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
22 Jump Street
The Spoken Word scene in 22 Jump Street is a satire itself, although it helps articulate the larger meaning of the movie. 22 Jump Street is a sequel to 21 Jump Street, that is making fun of other sequels and Hollywood in general. The movie is about two undercover cops trying to find a drug dealer at a university. 21 Jump Street was the high school version.
The movie, as shown in the clip above, makes fun of lack of creativity in art forms, especially Hollywood movies. Throughout 22 Jump Street , there are many jokes about "doing things the same way a second time" while also being a parody of other action and comedy sequels.
The movie not only satirizes Hollywood, a huge entertainment business in America, but other issues in the country as well. The movie satirizes the police force in America, and American college party and hookup culture.
There are many jokes throughout 22 Jump Street, making fun of college football players and fraternities, a lack of creativity in a variety of art forms, and seemingly silly, everyday jobs that police officers have to take on. 22 Jump Street is a funny movie, especially in moments where their jokes are so spot on and "true" (like the parody of spoken word), it brings up many issues in American society. The lack of creativity is not the only, or biggest, problem in Hollywood. However, bringing light to any issues in such a huge business opens the door to questioning society. The other parts of society questioned, like culture in American colleges, make fun of more "every day" people. Either way, 22 Jump Street causes viewers to question systems that are a huge part of American culture, by showing how easy it is to make fun of ,and laugh at, them.
Friday, February 16, 2018
No Joke! Analyzing or Creating Satire
Option #1: Complete two blog posts over the course of the unit, analyzing satire and Comedy in contemporary culture
Option #2: Write an original satire (due by the deadline of second blog post -- 3/2)
Option #2: Write an original satire (due by the deadline of second blog post -- 3/2)
Thursday, February 15, 2018
What it takes to be a True Lady
Jane Austen's famed satire Pride and Prejudice is known for being littered with humor and complex binaries which were common place in 18th and 19th century England, when the novel was written and takes place. One particularly fascinating dichotomy pointed out by the passage below is the binary between a true lady and an ordinary woman.
The first section of this passage describes the general definition of a true or accomplished woman during the time period. The description demonstrates how the quality of being a true lady has little to do with character and is instead dependent on one's upbringing and familial wealth. The distinction between a true lady and an ordinary woman is just a more specific version of the wealth dichotomy as only a wealthy family could afford the numerous tutor's required for a young girl to master the myriad of skills necessary to become "accomplished". Additionally this binary allows for a differentiation between old and new money, as even in the unlikely case that a woman's family were to get wealthy later in her life or if she were to marry a richer man and master these innumerable qualities, she would still seem like an outsider to a ground of true ladies as she would not possess the specific 'air and manner of walking' required by this elite class of women.
Mr. Darcy makes the classification of "accomplished" even more difficult to acquire by stating that on top of these skills, a true lady must also improve her mind through reading. This final requirement provides numerous challenges to any woman attempting to be a true lady, as reading is a time consuming activity that one must immerse themselves in to completely appreciate. Additionally, if one is trying to improve their mind through reading, the activity becomes even more time consuming and tiring. This penultimate requirement also implies that Victorian men, or at least Mr. Darcy, search for a wife with a captivating mind, an idea which seems to disregard the common notion that upper class men exclusively look for the qualities of beauty, wealth, and ability to look after an estate in a wife. The final layer of complexity in Mr. Darcy's comment is a jab towards Miss Bingley, who is obviously enamored by Mr. Darcy and demonstrates all the qualities of being a true lady, but who has previously demonstrated is incapable of submerging herself in reading. Mr. Darcy's final prerequisite allows Elizabeth to be put above Miss Bingley, where in conventional regards Miss Bingley seems to be a much more favorable wife.
"A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, dancing, and the modern languages, to deserve the word [accomplished]; and besides all this, she must possess a certain something in her air and manner of walking, the tone of her voice, her address and expressions, or the word will be but half deserved."
"All this she must possess," added Darcy, "and to all this she must yet add something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading." (39)
The first section of this passage describes the general definition of a true or accomplished woman during the time period. The description demonstrates how the quality of being a true lady has little to do with character and is instead dependent on one's upbringing and familial wealth. The distinction between a true lady and an ordinary woman is just a more specific version of the wealth dichotomy as only a wealthy family could afford the numerous tutor's required for a young girl to master the myriad of skills necessary to become "accomplished". Additionally this binary allows for a differentiation between old and new money, as even in the unlikely case that a woman's family were to get wealthy later in her life or if she were to marry a richer man and master these innumerable qualities, she would still seem like an outsider to a ground of true ladies as she would not possess the specific 'air and manner of walking' required by this elite class of women.
Mr. Darcy makes the classification of "accomplished" even more difficult to acquire by stating that on top of these skills, a true lady must also improve her mind through reading. This final requirement provides numerous challenges to any woman attempting to be a true lady, as reading is a time consuming activity that one must immerse themselves in to completely appreciate. Additionally, if one is trying to improve their mind through reading, the activity becomes even more time consuming and tiring. This penultimate requirement also implies that Victorian men, or at least Mr. Darcy, search for a wife with a captivating mind, an idea which seems to disregard the common notion that upper class men exclusively look for the qualities of beauty, wealth, and ability to look after an estate in a wife. The final layer of complexity in Mr. Darcy's comment is a jab towards Miss Bingley, who is obviously enamored by Mr. Darcy and demonstrates all the qualities of being a true lady, but who has previously demonstrated is incapable of submerging herself in reading. Mr. Darcy's final prerequisite allows Elizabeth to be put above Miss Bingley, where in conventional regards Miss Bingley seems to be a much more favorable wife.
Thursday, February 16, 2017
How I Met Comedy... Or Didn't
Four years ago, How I Met Your Mother released its final episode which left many viewers in shock. The moment we have all been waiting for was quickly taken away. Ted, the narrator who we waited nine years for to find his wife, found her, but then she seemed to have died much more quickly. In the final moments, we see Ted and Robin (his girlfriend from the very beginning of the show) leave for a date without ever getting to see the long term romance between Ted and his wife.
The show, at the time, definitely satisfied my conception of comedy. It had hilarious jokes alongside random and silly events that just made it funny. It was the funniest (and, really, the only comedy) I had seen. However, if comedy, according to Aristotle, demonstrated the rise in fortune of a sympathetic character, then How I Met Your Mother wasn't cutting it for me.
Sure, we see Ted advance in his career and eventually find love with his wife (who's name I don't even remember because that's how insignificant they made her seem to me). But then she dies. This part seems more tragic than comedic. I suppose we can account for his rekindling his romance with Robin as the ultimate rise, but the rise at the expense of the titled Mother didn't seem comedic.
Throughout the nine seasons we get to see Ted and Robin act as a couple, but we were lead to believe they didn't work together. If we group this show into the romantic comedy, then Ted and Robin would apparently have to be meant for each other. Are we supposed to just ignore all the other times their relationship didn't work out? Are we supposed to believe there was love all along when we didn't get the chance to see it develop in the final season? Maybe I am wrong and there was love all along; I was just blind to it.
Additionally, Ted may have passed the ordinary person role of comedy, but as for a sympathetic central character- that is debatable. I never really had the biggest appreciation for him. Yes, he was a reasonable guy, but he was never my favorite. In fact, I found him as one of the more annoying characters of the central group. I feel like the other characters could have been more sympathetic than Ted for many viewers.
Maybe the whole show was a satire for how, in this day and age, people don't marry the right person all the time; or maybe the message in the end was that a person will always find their true love regardless of the path it takes to get there. But, I cannot group it into Aristotle's definition of comedy.
Regardless of Aristotle's definition, How I Met Your Mother is still a fantastic show, and by far, funnier than Pride and Prejudice.
The show, at the time, definitely satisfied my conception of comedy. It had hilarious jokes alongside random and silly events that just made it funny. It was the funniest (and, really, the only comedy) I had seen. However, if comedy, according to Aristotle, demonstrated the rise in fortune of a sympathetic character, then How I Met Your Mother wasn't cutting it for me.
Sure, we see Ted advance in his career and eventually find love with his wife (who's name I don't even remember because that's how insignificant they made her seem to me). But then she dies. This part seems more tragic than comedic. I suppose we can account for his rekindling his romance with Robin as the ultimate rise, but the rise at the expense of the titled Mother didn't seem comedic.
Throughout the nine seasons we get to see Ted and Robin act as a couple, but we were lead to believe they didn't work together. If we group this show into the romantic comedy, then Ted and Robin would apparently have to be meant for each other. Are we supposed to just ignore all the other times their relationship didn't work out? Are we supposed to believe there was love all along when we didn't get the chance to see it develop in the final season? Maybe I am wrong and there was love all along; I was just blind to it.
Additionally, Ted may have passed the ordinary person role of comedy, but as for a sympathetic central character- that is debatable. I never really had the biggest appreciation for him. Yes, he was a reasonable guy, but he was never my favorite. In fact, I found him as one of the more annoying characters of the central group. I feel like the other characters could have been more sympathetic than Ted for many viewers.
Maybe the whole show was a satire for how, in this day and age, people don't marry the right person all the time; or maybe the message in the end was that a person will always find their true love regardless of the path it takes to get there. But, I cannot group it into Aristotle's definition of comedy.
Regardless of Aristotle's definition, How I Met Your Mother is still a fantastic show, and by far, funnier than Pride and Prejudice.
Thursday, October 20, 2016
M&M
The movie Trust is a very peculiar movie. Throughout the film there are many interesting aspects of each character and how their interactions express a unique way of life. What I found most interesting in the film was the relationship between Maria and Matthew.
Maria seems almost the opposite of Matthew in the beginning. Her careless and spoiled attitude to others is what brings her to realize that she knows nothing of what life is, and how to live it. Having a baby with a football player that doesn't actually love her also pushes Maria to this realization. After the death of her father, her mother became strict and dominated over her. Throughout this whole process she changes into a new character with the help of Matthew. Matthew is ill tempered and very discrete individual who has a negative reputation. Also like Maria, he is dominated by a parent figure. He is constantly obeying his father by cleaning the house, particularly the bathroom. Maria and Matthew's relationship is unique and interesting in different parts of the film.
One part in the film that is unique is the conversions between Maria and Matthew. When they talk to each other, you can feel little emotions and meaning to what they are saying, They sound robotic and speak fast with each other, which is amusing. They don't respond like this to others, its just them.
Another particular part was when Matthew invites Maria to sleep in his house. After Matthew leaves, Maria gets comfortable, she makes a mess with the food and the milk. She leaves it there almost knowing that someone might clean it up. Matthew's father arrives and sees this mess, and shortly after Matthew arrives as well . Then there's this tension building up between father and son. Father abusing his son because of the mess, because of Maria. What stuck out to me was when Maria invited Matthew to stay with her, to get away from his father. She is saving Matthew from this dominating parent figure and later on Matthew tries to do the same. Maria's mother dominates her by making her do all these chores and also taking care of her by combing her hair and fixing her food. Matthew sees how controlling Maria's mother is and wants Maria to leave with him and drinks for it. This part shows the similarities of parent aggression and how both rescues one another from it. Also just to mention in both cases the parents needs the child to be under them and would fight to keep it that way.
Matthews and Maria relationship is very odd that I have never seen before. The film Trust truly brings out a new perspective on human relationships to its audience.
Maria seems almost the opposite of Matthew in the beginning. Her careless and spoiled attitude to others is what brings her to realize that she knows nothing of what life is, and how to live it. Having a baby with a football player that doesn't actually love her also pushes Maria to this realization. After the death of her father, her mother became strict and dominated over her. Throughout this whole process she changes into a new character with the help of Matthew. Matthew is ill tempered and very discrete individual who has a negative reputation. Also like Maria, he is dominated by a parent figure. He is constantly obeying his father by cleaning the house, particularly the bathroom. Maria and Matthew's relationship is unique and interesting in different parts of the film.
One part in the film that is unique is the conversions between Maria and Matthew. When they talk to each other, you can feel little emotions and meaning to what they are saying, They sound robotic and speak fast with each other, which is amusing. They don't respond like this to others, its just them.
Another particular part was when Matthew invites Maria to sleep in his house. After Matthew leaves, Maria gets comfortable, she makes a mess with the food and the milk. She leaves it there almost knowing that someone might clean it up. Matthew's father arrives and sees this mess, and shortly after Matthew arrives as well . Then there's this tension building up between father and son. Father abusing his son because of the mess, because of Maria. What stuck out to me was when Maria invited Matthew to stay with her, to get away from his father. She is saving Matthew from this dominating parent figure and later on Matthew tries to do the same. Maria's mother dominates her by making her do all these chores and also taking care of her by combing her hair and fixing her food. Matthew sees how controlling Maria's mother is and wants Maria to leave with him and drinks for it. This part shows the similarities of parent aggression and how both rescues one another from it. Also just to mention in both cases the parents needs the child to be under them and would fight to keep it that way.
Matthews and Maria relationship is very odd that I have never seen before. The film Trust truly brings out a new perspective on human relationships to its audience.
Thursday, February 11, 2016
Crazy, Stupid, Comedy
Comedies are definitely just as meaningful as tragedies. As a future (hopefully) screenwriter with comedy as the preferred genre this is a topic I care a lot about. Through comedy people are able to view and criticize human nature and society without the weight of death associated with tragedy. Comedies inspire hope and change unlike tragedies which serve as a terrifying warning.
As a comedy enthusiast, lots of television shows and movies come to mind when thinking about comedies that serve to enhance the understanding of the world but, keeping in the theme of our current novel "Pride and Prejudice" by the mother of modern romantic comedies, Jane Austen, I chose a romantic comedy. "Crazy, Stupid, Love" is a movie that explores the complexity of relationships, especially long term ones, time and ageing, and what dating in today's society looks like. The movie centers around a man whose wife asks for a divorce. The problems that arise before and after the divorce and the relationships between the characters operate as a mirror. Viewers are encouraged to feel as the characters do and to realize some growth along with the characters.
It's hard to do a summary on how a work is meaningful without spoiling it. I highly suggest watching the movie if you have given up on comedies actually meaning something. I also suggest watching it if you are a true fan of romantic comedies. I even suggest you watch it if you don't have anything to do right now.
As a comedy enthusiast, lots of television shows and movies come to mind when thinking about comedies that serve to enhance the understanding of the world but, keeping in the theme of our current novel "Pride and Prejudice" by the mother of modern romantic comedies, Jane Austen, I chose a romantic comedy. "Crazy, Stupid, Love" is a movie that explores the complexity of relationships, especially long term ones, time and ageing, and what dating in today's society looks like. The movie centers around a man whose wife asks for a divorce. The problems that arise before and after the divorce and the relationships between the characters operate as a mirror. Viewers are encouraged to feel as the characters do and to realize some growth along with the characters.
It's hard to do a summary on how a work is meaningful without spoiling it. I highly suggest watching the movie if you have given up on comedies actually meaning something. I also suggest watching it if you are a true fan of romantic comedies. I even suggest you watch it if you don't have anything to do right now.
Creed
SPOILERS for Creed ahead. You have been warned.
One of the biggest movies from last year was Creed, a movie that continued the famous Rocky franchise. It followed Adonis Creed, the son of Rocky's friend Apollo, as he tried to become a boxer. At the beginning of the movie his mother won't allow him to, and as a result no trainer in his hometown of Los Angeles will train him. He decides to move across the country to Philadelphia, where his aim is to enlist his father's friend Rocky to train him. He is very brash and undisciplined, and as a result is not a very good boxer. Adonis can't any fights without a trainer, and Rocky refuses to train him. But after weeks of Adonis training alone, Rocky changes his mind and agrees to help. Though Adonis isn't receptive of Rocky's methods, he learns to trust Rocky and begins to improve.
All this time Adonis has been going by his mother's last name, Johnson. He is feels that using his father's name will prevent him from making his own legacy. However when heavyweight champion "Pretty Ricky" Conlan offers to fight him with the caveat that Adonis takes his father's last name, Adonis hesitantly agrees. In the fight for the title, Adonis does better than anyone expects, but loses to Conlan by decision. However the impressive showing teaches everyone that Adonis Creed is for real, and it appears he has a bright future ahead of him.
Creed clearly fits Aristotle's definition of a comedy. It doesn't use crude humor, or even much humor at all. But Adonis fits the role of the comic hero. He begins unhappy, not a talented boxer, and resenting his father. However by the end he clearly has a great future in boxing and has come to accept his father's legacy as a part of who he is. He is the most ordinary of ordinary people, found by his mother in the foster system, and the audience cheers his rise to stardom. It is these qualities that make Creed a comedy, with Adonis as the hero.
One of the biggest movies from last year was Creed, a movie that continued the famous Rocky franchise. It followed Adonis Creed, the son of Rocky's friend Apollo, as he tried to become a boxer. At the beginning of the movie his mother won't allow him to, and as a result no trainer in his hometown of Los Angeles will train him. He decides to move across the country to Philadelphia, where his aim is to enlist his father's friend Rocky to train him. He is very brash and undisciplined, and as a result is not a very good boxer. Adonis can't any fights without a trainer, and Rocky refuses to train him. But after weeks of Adonis training alone, Rocky changes his mind and agrees to help. Though Adonis isn't receptive of Rocky's methods, he learns to trust Rocky and begins to improve.
All this time Adonis has been going by his mother's last name, Johnson. He is feels that using his father's name will prevent him from making his own legacy. However when heavyweight champion "Pretty Ricky" Conlan offers to fight him with the caveat that Adonis takes his father's last name, Adonis hesitantly agrees. In the fight for the title, Adonis does better than anyone expects, but loses to Conlan by decision. However the impressive showing teaches everyone that Adonis Creed is for real, and it appears he has a bright future ahead of him.
Creed clearly fits Aristotle's definition of a comedy. It doesn't use crude humor, or even much humor at all. But Adonis fits the role of the comic hero. He begins unhappy, not a talented boxer, and resenting his father. However by the end he clearly has a great future in boxing and has come to accept his father's legacy as a part of who he is. He is the most ordinary of ordinary people, found by his mother in the foster system, and the audience cheers his rise to stardom. It is these qualities that make Creed a comedy, with Adonis as the hero.
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Is Matthew an Existentialist?
Throughout the movie Trust, one of the main characters Matthew demonstrates being an existentialist despite encountering different struggles in his life. He has trouble finding stability in his social life. He has no close relationships with anyone until he meets Maria, a woman version of him. His dad abuses him and Matthew has no job or anywhere to go. The interesting part is that he doesn't try to be an existentialist and he doesn't choose to be one. He just so happens to be viewed as one because of his internal circumstances and his response to the situation as a whole.
Even though his father treats him horribly and he doesn't have much, Matthew is an individual and he has freedom. One quote that reveals this is when he says, "Life is one big experiment, and your the subject." He makes his own choices and he says what he feels regardless if it's right or wrong. He accepts the craziness of the world and this leads him to his discovery of Maria. Through his relationship with Maria, he develops. He has more passion for life than ever before in his interactions with others. Not that he's more passionate about living but rather he wants to make the most of his time with Maria. Because of his ability to express himself and be independent, he's living an authentic life.
In the big picture, he is very similar to Meursault from The Stranger. Both characters don't show much emotion and even though they're both separated from society, they accept being indifferent. Another similarity between them is they both don't know what love is and whether or not they have it. Meursault is in a complicated situation with Marie and Matthew and Maria don't know if they really love each other. Ultimately, they both are aware of the issues with not only their world, but also actual society. All the struggles add up, they don't have stable relationships with others, they don't know their status in life, but in the end they both keep moving, recognize the issues and accept death. These two existentialists use their time wisely in life by making choices based on how they feel. They are two interesting characters. Without necessarily realizing it, they aim to discover the meaning of life, themselves, and the concept of living through others and their own battles.
Even though his father treats him horribly and he doesn't have much, Matthew is an individual and he has freedom. One quote that reveals this is when he says, "Life is one big experiment, and your the subject." He makes his own choices and he says what he feels regardless if it's right or wrong. He accepts the craziness of the world and this leads him to his discovery of Maria. Through his relationship with Maria, he develops. He has more passion for life than ever before in his interactions with others. Not that he's more passionate about living but rather he wants to make the most of his time with Maria. Because of his ability to express himself and be independent, he's living an authentic life.
In the big picture, he is very similar to Meursault from The Stranger. Both characters don't show much emotion and even though they're both separated from society, they accept being indifferent. Another similarity between them is they both don't know what love is and whether or not they have it. Meursault is in a complicated situation with Marie and Matthew and Maria don't know if they really love each other. Ultimately, they both are aware of the issues with not only their world, but also actual society. All the struggles add up, they don't have stable relationships with others, they don't know their status in life, but in the end they both keep moving, recognize the issues and accept death. These two existentialists use their time wisely in life by making choices based on how they feel. They are two interesting characters. Without necessarily realizing it, they aim to discover the meaning of life, themselves, and the concept of living through others and their own battles.
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Pride and Prejudice in the Facebook Era
Visit the Facebook pages for the following characters from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice:
Darcy
Mrs. Bennett
Elizabeth
Miss Bingley
Charlotte
Mary
Lydia
Darcy
Mrs. Bennett
Elizabeth
Miss Bingley
Charlotte
Mary
Lydia
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
"Once Upon a Romantic Comedy:" Coming Soon to Theaters Near You
In her blog post, Megan mentioned that clichés, although somewhat bland, can connect people on the basis of shared experience. I completely agree with her argument, and it really got me thinking: why else do we use clichés?
For many people, familiarity equals comfort, and comfort equals happiness. I’ve been in my best friend's basement probably over 500 times over the years, so I’m familiar with the surroundings. Thus, I feel comfortable when I walk in- I know where everything is and I’m prepared for her cat to pop out from behind the couch any minute. Due to this strong sense of security, I’m happy when I’m there.
In my opinion, watching and reading romantic comedies processes in the mind in a similar manner. These types of texts have long been criticized for being giant clichés- the characters, the plot, and even the setting seem almost exactly the same in each one, compared with others made around the same time. Many Americans (men especially) ridicule these works, calling them “dumb,” “boring,” etc.
But why, then, are these books and movies so popular in America? Why did almost every girl at my summer camp in sixth grade say that 27 Dresses was her favorite movie? Why did my friends and I describe the young adult fiction novels we picked up at Borders as “the best book, like, ever?” Here’s my best answer: they’re familiar. We’ve been exposed to those cliché plots, characters, and settings so many times that they become permanently familiar to us. Then, exactly like stepping into your best friend’s basement the 478th time, we begin to feel comfortable with what we’re watching. We’ll know exactly what to expect and we can pretty much predict the ending within the first five minutes of the movie or five pages of the book. Thus, we’re happy while watching it or reading it- we can sit back, relax, and enjoy the dullness dancing in front of our faces, knowing that we’re not in for any surprises.
My guess is that filmmakers and authors know that our brains tend to work this way, and that’s why they continue to make so many darn movies and books that are laughably similar. They know making something familiar will make them money.
$$$$$$$
Feel free to disagree with me if you’d like, but it’s just my opinion. Also, I’m sorry if I insulted anyone’s taste in books or movies.
For many people, familiarity equals comfort, and comfort equals happiness. I’ve been in my best friend's basement probably over 500 times over the years, so I’m familiar with the surroundings. Thus, I feel comfortable when I walk in- I know where everything is and I’m prepared for her cat to pop out from behind the couch any minute. Due to this strong sense of security, I’m happy when I’m there.
In my opinion, watching and reading romantic comedies processes in the mind in a similar manner. These types of texts have long been criticized for being giant clichés- the characters, the plot, and even the setting seem almost exactly the same in each one, compared with others made around the same time. Many Americans (men especially) ridicule these works, calling them “dumb,” “boring,” etc.
But why, then, are these books and movies so popular in America? Why did almost every girl at my summer camp in sixth grade say that 27 Dresses was her favorite movie? Why did my friends and I describe the young adult fiction novels we picked up at Borders as “the best book, like, ever?” Here’s my best answer: they’re familiar. We’ve been exposed to those cliché plots, characters, and settings so many times that they become permanently familiar to us. Then, exactly like stepping into your best friend’s basement the 478th time, we begin to feel comfortable with what we’re watching. We’ll know exactly what to expect and we can pretty much predict the ending within the first five minutes of the movie or five pages of the book. Thus, we’re happy while watching it or reading it- we can sit back, relax, and enjoy the dullness dancing in front of our faces, knowing that we’re not in for any surprises.
My guess is that filmmakers and authors know that our brains tend to work this way, and that’s why they continue to make so many darn movies and books that are laughably similar. They know making something familiar will make them money.
$$$$$$$
Feel free to disagree with me if you’d like, but it’s just my opinion. Also, I’m sorry if I insulted anyone’s taste in books or movies.
Friday, August 1, 2014
Blogging College English Since 2004!
Yep, it is the 10th Anniversary Blogging Year for College English.
This year, because of the school's adoption of all things Google, I converted the blog into Google's Blogger platform -- so it's all shiny and new. But if you are curious about what it's looked like in year's past ....
For the past five years we've had a continuous blog running: Word Choices.
To find the first five years -- and maybe some older siblings -- check out the Blog Archives.
This year, because of the school's adoption of all things Google, I converted the blog into Google's Blogger platform -- so it's all shiny and new. But if you are curious about what it's looked like in year's past ....
For the past five years we've had a continuous blog running: Word Choices.
To find the first five years -- and maybe some older siblings -- check out the Blog Archives.
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