Report from the Trenches!

Okay, I don't think Gardner-Webb University counts as the trenches, but it sounds more dramatic than "report from the nicely appointed auditorium populated by helpful and friendly people," doesn't it?

What am I blathering about, you ask? Good question - let me answer it by directing you to here. Despite it being a dark and (even) stormy night, turnout was quite gratifying for this talk. The organizer thought so, and that's probably a better gauge than I am. After all, I'm willing to stand on a milk crate in the town square to pontificate about Whedon. Having people sit and listen (occasionally even taking notes!) is a candle on the cake!

Seriously, the talk was well-received and I met some wonderful people - both fans and scholars. I so enjoy getting to do this sort of thing and it proves that yes, you can turn your passion into a vocation. Or at least an avocation. (Probably not an avocado, though. Lines simply must be drawn somewhere.)

Now that the talk's done, it's time to catch up on some Dollhouse viewing! I had several people tell me, "Hang on - watch episode six." And it's waiting for me.

Back soon with thoughts.

We Interrupt This Blog . . .

I'm behind on my Dollhouse viewing. I plan to catch up and blog about both episodes 5 and 6 by the end of the weekend. (Episode 6 is rumored to be a real game-changer! If you don't mind spoilers, see here. And here!) Already a few academics (not just fans, although I'm one of those too, so don't gripe at me) have weighed in on the show - if you want to get a taste of that point of view, try here! (My friend Alyson has a specialty in French feminism and she's one heck of a Whedonian, so here's a long overdue shout-out.)

Until I can get caught up myself, please consider the following:

I'll be speaking at Gardner-Webb University next Wednesday (March 25). My talk is part of the Joyce Compton Brown Lecture Series and I'm very pleased to be associated with this. The presentation (notice how I'm avoiding the word "lecture"?) will begin at 7 pm in the Blanton Auditorium. (That's #56 on this map.) I'll discuss popular culture as a subject for serious study and touch on what the character of Faith (now there's a named drenched in irony for you!) has in common with the Prodigal Son. And Hansel & Gretel.

Should be a blast!

Hope to see you there!

At Home in the Dollhouse

Thank heaven for snow days! I was finally able to catch up on the last two episodes of Dollhouse. I'm not exactly sure why or how I got behind, but thanks to DVR technology, I'm caught up now.

And I'm happy for a variety of reasons.

1. The wry, snap-kick fast humor I associate with Whedon was back. As you recall, that was one of my concerns from the pilot. Only I hear that wasn't the pilot. Ah, Fox. You change, yet you remain the same.

2. Echo is developing nicely. Now, I understand that for many people, Dollhouse is proving problematic. And I'm with the whole "how can Joss Whedon, male feminist icon galore, have a girl be hunted through the woods?" Well, let me explain something here, Drake. It's good to set up expectations before you start knocking them down. And just maybe Whedon wanted to do something a little different here. We've come to expect strong female characters from him. This is true, but we never saw how Buffy got that way; she just always was strong and definite and wise-cracking. (Sure, there were cracks in that from time to time and we loved her vulnerability, in part because we knew that deep down, she was strong. See? Knocking over expectations.) Here, we're going to have the delight of seeing Echo become strong.

3. The attention to detail is a marvel to watch. As I've said before, pay attention to the names. The pop singer was Rayna, which is a derivative of "queen." (She even wears royal purple in one scene.) She's a bird in a gilded cage, literally. And, oh yeah - her costuming for her opening number bears a striking resemblance to a jingly chastity belt. This queen is trapped by her own image and is willing to go to extreme lengths to get out.

I was of the "meh" school with the first episode. Now, I'm on board. And I really want to know what worn-out toys are up in the Attic. I'm beginning to think they may have a Skin Horse up there.

You remember the Skin Horse, don't you? Go re-read The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams. The Skin Horse knows a thing or two about the difference between just being a toy and being Real:

"You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

Welcome to the Dollhouse

It's been quite a while since I've posted here - I devote this blog strictly to Whedon issues and primarily use it as an update site for my classes. Since I haven't had a Whedon class in a while (blasted global economic meltdown!), I've been focusing my energies elsewhere.

But now there's a new show. Have you checked out Dollhouse yet? If you missed the first episode, you can see the whole thing on Hulu for free. Just click here.

What do I think? Actually, the jury's still out on this one. I want to love it. Really, I do. It warmed my heart to see the stick-monster lurch across the screen and hear "Grr. Arrgh." again. (By the way, Dollhouse premiered five years to the day that the announcement broke that Angel had been cancelled. I'm just sayin'.)

The show has a fine cast and crew (look at the credits carefully - there are a host of producers [DeKnight, Fain, Craft, etc.] who have Whedon connections) - it's got quite the pedigree. Yet I must admit to being a wee bit disappointed at the ratio of dark action to quippy dialogue. Then again, it's a first episode, and much must be set up for later. I can be patient.

Names are always important and so far we have Echo, who has allowed herself to waste away from being a real person to a mere projected fantasy. Interestingly enough, the first "engagement" we see her on involves a self-centered rich boy who bought her as a "perfect date" for his party but is fine with her having to go; he has enough else to entertain him. Narcissus, party of one. Your table's ready. We also have Paul, who is apparently the only one who sees things as they truly are. No scales on this boy's eyes!

And watch for more references to eyes and vision. "Things are never what they appear to be." "That's because you're only seeing part of it." "Ms. Penn" being near-sighted. Nothing wanders into a Whedon-written script by happenstance and this could easily be a recurring theme.

This is a show that has great potential. I'll also admit to being troubled by parts of it. The "Actives" have apparently agreed to a five-year "term" with the Dollhouse, so it's not slavery. Yet what else can you reasonably call it when your memories and personality is stripped away and you are re-programmed to be someone else's fantasy? All sorts of interesting places to go here - identity is only one. There are also power issues to be explored - the Dollhouse is run by a woman; I thought of the Guild rule laid down in Whedon's Firefly that only women could run a House. Is prostitution better if it's female-led? If it's high-class and expensive? What will this show say about choice? Exploitation? And consequences? And it's just eerie to see the "dolls" being put up after everyone's done playing with them for the day.

So we'll have to see.

And please, make with the funny!

Once More, With Feeling!

No, it's not going to be a post about the Buffy musical episode, as much as I enjoy that! Rather, this is a post to remind everyone out there that the next class is quickly approaching! This one will expand beyond just Whedon (yes, I feel an ever-so-faint sense of betrayal) to use other shows as well in order to explore what it means to be human.

Large topic, so many shows will be used to provide examples. One area that science fiction does such a nice job of exploring is really looking hard at the question, "What does it mean to be human?" In addition, some of the best explorations of that question have come through non-human characters. (Interestingly enough, Whedon's most "sci-fic" show, Firefly, contains no non-human characters - it's a 'verse without aliens.) We'll take a look at shows such as Star Trek, Doctor Who, Battlestar Galactica, as well as some Whedon offerings.

The local paper just ran an article about the class - thanks for commenting, Tucker! - with information about joining the class. You can read it here. The cost is low ($40 gets you six weeks), the class will be a blast (based on past performances; your actual experience may vary) and I look forward to seeing you there! Please - right now, I've been told that enrollment is very low, so if you are itnerested, please call the continuing education department at (704) 484-4015 and sign up. Tell your friends and bring 'em along!

Grr. Arrgh.