I've been told I think too much, which, like the vast majority of things that are said about me, is true. My brain does have a tendency to over-analyze a situation or an important choice, which in turn actually leads to me being more indecisive. Rather than acting on impulse, I see both sides to a story and come out the other end uncertain as to with which option I disagree more.
This blog, for example...less than a week in, and I'm already worrying about the kind of things that I post. I need to constantly remind myself of three crucial points: 1) Blogs are meant to be extemporaneous, showing the real you (more on that in a future post), 2) As long as I don't put too many inflammatory or offensive statements in here, I won't get in trouble for it, and 3) No one cares anyway, because no one probably reads it.
Still, the same mind that enhances my academic performance and verbal skills is also the one that keeps me up all night analyzing the events of the day and trying to figure out what I should have said/done/eaten in lieu of what actually happened. It is possible to shut our eyes and close our mouth; turning off the mind is a trickier task.
It's interesting to note that, just as human beings begin to reach the age of reason and interior thought (that is, as soon as we begin to discover the wonders of our own minds) we immediately start looking for ways to shut that mind off. The things people do to numb their own thought processes is, frankly, frightening. Be it the doping effects of narcotics or alcohol, the euphoria of sexual release, the slow decay of a video screen, or the testosterone-fuelled mob-mentality of professional wrestling matches, everyone is looking for that "perfect high"...that is, a way to stop their brains from thinking so much.
Is intellect a gift or a curse? If we weren't intelligent beings we couldn't have developed the wonders of the world, things like medicine, air travel, and slap-chops. On the other hand, as Neil Innes (composer for the Monty Python troupe) puts it, "How sweet to be an idiot...as harmless as a cloud." Time seems to go faster when you're not thinking about it, which is probably why more intelligent people tend to also be naturally more impatient; they feel the seconds tick past.
Tick, tick, tick...
Oh, well. Just something to think about, I guess.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Shakespeare, Part I
There's an interesting segment in Act III, Scene 1 of one of the only Shakepeare plays that pretty much everybody is familiar with, A Midsummer Night's Dream. It reinforces the idea that Shakespeare's work is cross-generational, that his themes and concepts apply to humankind in general and not to any particular time.
A troupe of amateur dramatists are rehearsing a play they intend to perform at the Duke's wedding feast. It is a poorly-written rip-off of Romeo and Juliet, where the hero kills himself after mistakenly believing that his love has been eaten by a lion. Side note: Shakespeare wrote this one BEFORE the famous teen-romance tear-jerker.
The actors are concerned, however, that despite their cheap special effects (the 'moon' is a guy holding a lantern, the 'wall' another guy holding his hands out) and lack of performance skills (the star player, by trade a weaver, fancies himself the next Athenian Idol), the audience may still actually believe that what they are doing onstage is real. The performers fear they will be criticized for 'too realistic' a death scene, and that their 'lion' might scare some women.
The solution, then, is to write little prologues for the various characters to say before their parts begin. The hero will explain to the audience (in great Shakespearean detail) that he is only an actor playing a role, and not actually committing suicide, in case this didn't realize it. The man in the fake lion-head will remove said mantle and note to the ladies present that he is just a man, and not really a vicious beast.
The humour, of course, comes from the ridiculously low opinion that the actors have of their audience. They really believe that the people watching the show think it's real. Are people so dumb that they can't distinguish between fantasy and reality, they don't know that these are only mimes and there is no real violence taking place?
All I can say is, thank goodness we live in the progressive modern age where people are far more educated and intelligent. Think what it would be like if, before a movie started, a prologue came up to say "This is only a movie; the events you see are put on by actors with special effects and are not really happening" It would be insulting and pointless. Modern audiences know the difference between violence in performance and violence in real life. Otherwise, movies would constantly be criticized for being "too violent", with encouraging "aggressive behaviour" and with "setting a bad example."
On the other hand, maybe Shakespeare was onto something after all...
A troupe of amateur dramatists are rehearsing a play they intend to perform at the Duke's wedding feast. It is a poorly-written rip-off of Romeo and Juliet, where the hero kills himself after mistakenly believing that his love has been eaten by a lion. Side note: Shakespeare wrote this one BEFORE the famous teen-romance tear-jerker.
The actors are concerned, however, that despite their cheap special effects (the 'moon' is a guy holding a lantern, the 'wall' another guy holding his hands out) and lack of performance skills (the star player, by trade a weaver, fancies himself the next Athenian Idol), the audience may still actually believe that what they are doing onstage is real. The performers fear they will be criticized for 'too realistic' a death scene, and that their 'lion' might scare some women.
The solution, then, is to write little prologues for the various characters to say before their parts begin. The hero will explain to the audience (in great Shakespearean detail) that he is only an actor playing a role, and not actually committing suicide, in case this didn't realize it. The man in the fake lion-head will remove said mantle and note to the ladies present that he is just a man, and not really a vicious beast.
The humour, of course, comes from the ridiculously low opinion that the actors have of their audience. They really believe that the people watching the show think it's real. Are people so dumb that they can't distinguish between fantasy and reality, they don't know that these are only mimes and there is no real violence taking place?
All I can say is, thank goodness we live in the progressive modern age where people are far more educated and intelligent. Think what it would be like if, before a movie started, a prologue came up to say "This is only a movie; the events you see are put on by actors with special effects and are not really happening" It would be insulting and pointless. Modern audiences know the difference between violence in performance and violence in real life. Otherwise, movies would constantly be criticized for being "too violent", with encouraging "aggressive behaviour" and with "setting a bad example."
On the other hand, maybe Shakespeare was onto something after all...
Sunday, July 25, 2010
The Simpsons: Season 4
Some of you may be wondering about the strangely misspelled title of my blog, though I'm betting that more than a few may catch it as an early Simpsons reference. Homer, listening to the radio one Sunday morning, enters a contest to name the right-wing Johnny Calhoun spoken-word album that killed said singer's career; for whatever reason, the Simpsons happen to own it. The actual title is "These Things I Believe". The partially-illiterate Homer misspeaks the first word, but wins the contest anyway.
Homer the Heretic: third episode, fourth season. I wonder, in fact, how long it will be before TV shows begin taking on a type of biblical (or at least classical-musical) numerology.
But Season 4 of the Simpsons is by far my favourite. Not only is it the series' finest, it is one of the best seasons of television ever to be released. Out of twenty-two episodes there is not one single weak link. The show had hit its stride by this point; the animation was cleaner and more visual gags were possible, while the writing team (including soon-to-be talk show host Conan O'Brian) was cranking out one classic after another.
Season 4 includes Bart's takeover of the sadistic Kamp Krusty and adoption by a Big Brother, Marge performing in the musical version of Streetcar Named Desire and going to prison, Homer heading the union and having a heart attack, Lisa running for beauty queen and misleading poor little Ralph Wiggum, Mr. Plow, Whacking Day, the Itchy & Scratchy Movie (over 63% new footage!) and of course the Monorail. This last contains one my all-time favourite exchanges:
"Homer, there's a man who thinks he can help you."
"Batman?"
"No, he's a scientist."
"Batman's a scientist."
"IT'S NOT BATMAN!"
The season closes with Krusty's famous Comeback Special, along with a host of guest stars. Another classic moment is the entrance of Red Hot Chili Peppers (in their underwear) into the bar, where Flea lets loose with a microphone-shattering "HEY, MOE!" The episode also includes the Eastern European cartoon "Worker and Parasite", one of the few times I have actually laughed until I made myself sick.
Seasons 5 and 6 are almost equally strong, making this period the real heyday of the show. I don't watch new episodes anymore (though to be fair I've also given up on Family Guy, Robot Chicken, and pretty much all TV in general) but I frequently pop my Season 4 DVDs into the player whenever I need a good laugh.
I started watching the show regularly when this Season was first aired, though I had to watch in secret as my father would not allow me (then aged 10) to see the show due to its violence and adult content. It's almost funny to see the show now aired on network channels in the early afternoon, and even funnier to see how much MORE inappropriate television in general has become. The Simpsons' early seasons seem almost conservative by today's standards.
Homer the Heretic: third episode, fourth season. I wonder, in fact, how long it will be before TV shows begin taking on a type of biblical (or at least classical-musical) numerology.
But Season 4 of the Simpsons is by far my favourite. Not only is it the series' finest, it is one of the best seasons of television ever to be released. Out of twenty-two episodes there is not one single weak link. The show had hit its stride by this point; the animation was cleaner and more visual gags were possible, while the writing team (including soon-to-be talk show host Conan O'Brian) was cranking out one classic after another.
Season 4 includes Bart's takeover of the sadistic Kamp Krusty and adoption by a Big Brother, Marge performing in the musical version of Streetcar Named Desire and going to prison, Homer heading the union and having a heart attack, Lisa running for beauty queen and misleading poor little Ralph Wiggum, Mr. Plow, Whacking Day, the Itchy & Scratchy Movie (over 63% new footage!) and of course the Monorail. This last contains one my all-time favourite exchanges:
"Homer, there's a man who thinks he can help you."
"Batman?"
"No, he's a scientist."
"Batman's a scientist."
"IT'S NOT BATMAN!"
The season closes with Krusty's famous Comeback Special, along with a host of guest stars. Another classic moment is the entrance of Red Hot Chili Peppers (in their underwear) into the bar, where Flea lets loose with a microphone-shattering "HEY, MOE!" The episode also includes the Eastern European cartoon "Worker and Parasite", one of the few times I have actually laughed until I made myself sick.
Seasons 5 and 6 are almost equally strong, making this period the real heyday of the show. I don't watch new episodes anymore (though to be fair I've also given up on Family Guy, Robot Chicken, and pretty much all TV in general) but I frequently pop my Season 4 DVDs into the player whenever I need a good laugh.
I started watching the show regularly when this Season was first aired, though I had to watch in secret as my father would not allow me (then aged 10) to see the show due to its violence and adult content. It's almost funny to see the show now aired on network channels in the early afternoon, and even funnier to see how much MORE inappropriate television in general has become. The Simpsons' early seasons seem almost conservative by today's standards.
Down the Rabbit Hole...of my MIND
Good day, all.
Yes, I have finally decided to get myself a blog.
Those of you who know me (and I'll be very surprised if anyone who DOESN'T know me is actually bothering to read this) will probably less amazed by this than by the fact that I didn't start one long ago.
I will freely admit that I have extensive opinions about things, often formulated over long walks through the ravine near my house or else while stuck in traffic leaving the grocery store out on Dufferin Street. Wherever they may spawn, whatever they may be, they all have one thing in common...up until now they've had no outlet.
So I am going to write things down. They may be opinions on life or love, drama or decor...they may be movie reviews or restaurant critiques, political leanings or (say it ain't so!) religious discourses. They will never be as clearly formulated as they are in my head when I'm nowhere near a computer, but I promise to do my best.
Who knows? Perhaps giving vent to my emotional outbursts digitally will act as a form of therapy, reducing the pent-up rage that otherwise governs many aspects of my life. And assuming someone on earth actually reads this (which, again, I would not consider likely), perhaps more than a few of you out there may turn out to agree with me.
Don't worry...you don't have to admit it. But please feel free to comment...or make rude jokes, whatever floats your boat. I have an awful lot of opinions, so there'll be a lot of room for posting underneath them.
Onward to diatribes!
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