The Masks We Use
I have a few thoughts on Kintypes as a creator of imaginary beings.
They may not be nice.
How To Represent
Representation is important. This is my take on how to do it good.
Re-Spec Mah Prioritah
People keep telling me to get a life. I keep wondering if there’s a place that does trade-ins.
How much extra for one where a million dollars is a “small loan”?
I've been thinking about Wonder Woman...
Wonder Woman needs the Thor treatment. She doesn’t need to be the “Hey look what we did!” second fiddle in a movie titled after two men fighting.
She needs to stand on her own. And I’ve been trying to think about how to do that.
First English Trailer for DreamWorks Animation’s Mr. Peabody & Sherman, out in theaters March 07, 2014.
( I must admit, I would have loved to have seen in english the international trailer, which gives a different angle of the film…maybe one day?)
I agree. 2nd trailer, hopefully?
Wow. This looks like almost a completely different movie to the other trailer.
Pro points:
- Looks like we’re getting a paradox. I love paradoxes :)
- They’ve expanded the world (and it would be hard not to, considering the original cartoon)
- PUNS! YAY!
- Everything has had the awesome factor pumped up
- I am definitely seeing this movie and making everyone I know see this movie.
Cons points:
- Where have all the brown people gone? [Seriously, there’s a crowd scene of suspiciously pale Egyptians and one Pharaoh in the background and that’s it]
- They’re playing up Sherman’s relationship with Penny and playing down his relationship with Mr. Peabody. Please tell me there’s not a tacked-on hack romance plot…
The good news is that I’m leaning more on the side of eager anticipation, rather than dread forebodings (NOTE: I always have been). But is anyone else worried that the English ad almost completely whitewashes the movie?
(via mrpeabodyandsherman)
Why are creative occupations looked down on?
I am an artist.
I’m a writer. I’m a sculptor. I’m a potter. I’m a knitter. I’m a papercrafter. I’m a leatherworker. I’m a florist. I’m a dancer. I’m a fibrecrafter. I’m an actor. I’m a beatboxer. I’m a musician. I’m a composer.
No matter the occupation - so long as it’s creative - if you answer the question, “What do you do?” You will inevitably hear one of the following:
“I wish I had the time to do that.”
“What’s your day job?”
“Can you give me a freebie? It’ll be great exposure.” [This one is never said that bluntly.]
“So where can I see it?” [This one varies depending on the occupation]
“I don’t always have time for [arena in which your work is most likely to be experienced]…”
Or, insultingly, some variant on, “Do you need any tips?”
Yes, random person I’ve just met. I would love your opinion on something I’ve been working my arse off on for most of my entire life. I’d really love to know something painfully obvious about my souls’ motivation to keep my body going day through endless day of toil to create something you’ll probably look at for a maximum of ten minutes and then go, “ugh.”
Sarcasm is lost on the slow of mind.
What artists need is a collection of snappy comebacks to ignorant observations on artists. Like this:
I wish I had time for that…
“I wish I had time for [their job] but I’m just soooo busy.”
“I’ve been studying fifteen ways to kill a guy for my latest work. Want a demo?”
“Well you seem to be standing around talking shit all night, how about you get cracking?”
What’s your day job?
“Murder….” [Say it with the creepiest face you can muster]
“I hunt down idiots who disrespect art and make them public examples to others.”
“I work at the large hadron collider crafting miniature black holes. Do you want one?”
Can you give me a freebie? It’ll be great exposure…
“Talk to my agent.” [Refuse to give agent details]
“Drop trou. It’ll be great exposure.”
“Only in exchange for a freebie.”
So where can I see it?
“I can’t tell you. You’re not one of the elite.”
“What’s the password?”
“You have to decode and solve a series of increasingly confusing clues to find it.”
I don’t always have time for [arena in which your work is most likely to be experienced]…
“And you’re here… why?”
Act like they don’t have time for air.
“You should try it. I’ve heard it can cure arsehole-ism.”
Do you need any tips?
“Sure. I’ve been [JARGON]ing my [JARGON] of late and I think it needs some [JARGON]. What’s your opinion?”
“Five dollars’d be nice.” [Hold out hand]
“So what would you do if you’re stuck in a conversation with an arsehole who looks down on what you do?”
Of course they won’t get the hint. Hell, odds are they won’t even be listening [because they’re arseholes] but at least these can help you feel better about being trapped in a room with an ignoramus.
Testing the media: Weighed and found wanting
I’ve told my spawn about the Bechdel Test, and come up with a comparative test of my own.
And let me tell you, it’s a hard test for most movies to pass.
I’m calling it the “Brown Test” lest egomania strike me down and I name it after myself. Who the hell would want to pass the ‘Nutter Test? But I digress.
The Bechdel Test goes thusly:
1) Does the movie/show contain at least two women?
2) Do they both have names?
3) Do they share a conversation?
4) And is that conversation about something other than men?
It’s a presence/representation test, not the measure of a good movie. There’s lots of good movies out there and many of my personal favourites completely fail this test.
Lots and pots of them fail the following one.
The Brown Test asks:
1) Does the movie/show contain at least two people of colour?
2) Do they have names?
3) Do they share a conversation?
4) Does that conversation successfully avoid a negative stereotype?
That’s a hard, hard test to follow. Ironically, I think a few “blaxploitation” films managed to pass.
The only modern film I can think of that passes both tests [though it’s a narrow squeak with the second] is Wreck-it Raplh. I kid you not. Vanellope and Calhoun exchange lines (briefly) and some of the Nicelanders are POC, named (AFIR) and avoid stereotypes in the brief scene where they all speak.
The Bechdel Test opened a lot of minds to the presence of ladies on screen. I’m almost positive that most movies at least include one we-have-to-pass-this-thing, one-line-each exchange between two named girls on the screen. That’s what I call “squeaking through on a technicality”. And given the insulting level of some of these exchanges… I’d rather the movie fail than try this badly.
I’m hoping that the Brown Test opens some minds. But really, you can apply the same rule-set with sensible adjustments to any underrepresented group. Trans* folks, LGBTIAQ, healthy fat people, the differently abled… it goes on and on and on.
And I’m already aware that you can’t make a good movie that passes every last test humankind can devise.
I just want them to try a little harder.
That’s not too much to ask, is it?
Re: Conneticut tragedy
I am a responsible firearms owner. I would NEVER in my entire life think of taking any variety of weapon into a school, gun or otherwise, and using this as a means of expressing my anger at whatever in the form of dead and injured innocents.
Guns do not cause people to do those things.
Neither does the indoctrination through media that shooting people solves problems.
If you take a look at these massacres, there is an overall trend. They’re almost always performed by white male(s) aged 16-35. As are most serial murders, rapes and many other (non/)violent crimes.
Therefore, there is only one solution:
Ban white males aged 16-35.
Lock them up. Put them somewhere they won’t hurt anyone until such time as they show evidence of being a responsible human being. Or, at the very least, provide them mental health options at vastly reduced rates because it is plainly obvious to anyone that white males aged 16-35 have some serious blippin’ problems, okay?