First off, a hearty L'Shana Tovah, happy new year, to all my Jewish friends out there.
Inspired by
Masqthephlsphr, I'd been thinking more and more about themes of power in BtVS S7, in terms of Realist political theory. Because one could certainly analyze S7 along those lines - the group's behavior and Buffy's leadership style is like unto a D-grade reading on Hobbes' The Leviathan.
However, I've recently returned to thinking of a different parallel for Buffy Summers. Namely, the career of one Michael Jeffrey Jordan, basketball star extroardinaire. If you don't follow basketball, or don't know much about MJ, I suspect it would take too long for me to explain, and maybe I'll go more in depth with it later, but it's eerily accurate. So, if there's a sports fan reading my LJ, please feel free to comment and I'll actually draw something more up.
Also, watched the NBC broadcast of the "American" version of "Coupling". Had I never seen the BBC episodes, it might have been okay for me. Not that it was particularly great or anything. But this version is just...poor. It's like seeing a Junior High production of my favorite play. First of all, NBC's basically done a shot-for-shot remake. And the acting seems too focused on hitting all the same marks as the original - instead of developing an interpretation of their own. (Although I really do like Rena Sofer as Susan.) As a result it seems like the characters are reading lines of dialogue instead of engaging in conversation. The cast doesn't seem to have the same chemistry, the "Sally" has no personality, and this "Jeff" has nothing on Richard Coyle.
Good thing I have the original episodes on my Hard Drive.
Inspired by
However, I've recently returned to thinking of a different parallel for Buffy Summers. Namely, the career of one Michael Jeffrey Jordan, basketball star extroardinaire. If you don't follow basketball, or don't know much about MJ, I suspect it would take too long for me to explain, and maybe I'll go more in depth with it later, but it's eerily accurate. So, if there's a sports fan reading my LJ, please feel free to comment and I'll actually draw something more up.
Also, watched the NBC broadcast of the "American" version of "Coupling". Had I never seen the BBC episodes, it might have been okay for me. Not that it was particularly great or anything. But this version is just...poor. It's like seeing a Junior High production of my favorite play. First of all, NBC's basically done a shot-for-shot remake. And the acting seems too focused on hitting all the same marks as the original - instead of developing an interpretation of their own. (Although I really do like Rena Sofer as Susan.) As a result it seems like the characters are reading lines of dialogue instead of engaging in conversation. The cast doesn't seem to have the same chemistry, the "Sally" has no personality, and this "Jeff" has nothing on Richard Coyle.
Good thing I have the original episodes on my Hard Drive.
Re: Rena Sofer? Really? Haven't seen her in years....
And sorry. Should go with the big R in Realist. BTW, did you ever recieve that semi-coherent ramble on that topic that I sent to the e-mail in your profile?
My nefariously evil scheme to take over popular culture with philosophical analysis is working!
A small part of me occaisionally thinks about how humorous, but fascinating, a panel review of S6-7 consisting of Henry Kissinger, Joe Nye, and Kenneth Waltz could be. Oh, and coach Phil Jackson.
Re: Rena Sofer? Really? Haven't seen her in years....
Oh, to crawl around for a day in your brain....
BTW, did you ever recieve that semi-coherent ramble on that topic that I sent to the e-mail in your profile?
Yep, I got it. Still sorting it out....
Re: Rena Sofer? Really? Haven't seen her in years....
Well there's plenty of empty space... Still another small part of me would like to lock Marti Noxon in a little room with Catherine MacKinnon and watch the fallout, but that would be evil and mean...
And, just checking on that e-mail. In retrospect, I suspect it's pretty messy and poorly written. I suspect if I were still writing papers on the topic, and had my old notes in front of me, I could come up with something a bit better. I would have loved to have gotten some of my old Profs. input...
Re: Rena Sofer? Really? Haven't seen her in years....
Ouch.