Songs like "Tubthumping" by "Chubawamba" remind us all that no one gets pissed off like the British working class. And that's just a fact.
The truth is that art has less to do with thought and more to do with libido. That's the energy everyone's always talking about.
But ever since manufacturing hits became a science the libidinal effort is no longer necessary. Unfortunately, no matter what you do, if it's not put in at the front of the equation, it's not there at the end of the equation. That's why pop songs these days have a very predictable shelf -life.
But it's also why things explode with popularity from the most unlikely places. Something new must be coming.
My friend says that this is what it was like in the 1850's & 1860's, that's why everything good is underground. I would trust him. If you knew him, you'd be able to tell that he knows because he was probably there.
Block head
I do check my head, every night before bed
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Undead
Writing about zombies can be a real pill.
I know they're insanely popular these days, so everyone's doing it. I was asked to do it, and in my current position, I can't say no to any potential gig.
Zizek says 'there are two kinds of undead in the world of pop-culture; the vampire and the zombie. The vampire is the upper class undead; aristocratic, refined, well spoken. Whereas the zombie is the working class undead; disheveled, always hungry, and silent.
As someone writing currently, I will say that this dynamic was deliberately true in previous decades. But now, the dead and the undead have no meaning at all...
If you watch any of the new zombie or vampire movies; you'll notice the most important things in them is the stuff. Material goods. Materialism has become the real horror of media and we didn't even notice.
So, writing about zombies, and pretending there is any meaning in the new stories about them can be really depressing...
I know they're insanely popular these days, so everyone's doing it. I was asked to do it, and in my current position, I can't say no to any potential gig.
Zizek says 'there are two kinds of undead in the world of pop-culture; the vampire and the zombie. The vampire is the upper class undead; aristocratic, refined, well spoken. Whereas the zombie is the working class undead; disheveled, always hungry, and silent.
As someone writing currently, I will say that this dynamic was deliberately true in previous decades. But now, the dead and the undead have no meaning at all...
If you watch any of the new zombie or vampire movies; you'll notice the most important things in them is the stuff. Material goods. Materialism has become the real horror of media and we didn't even notice.
So, writing about zombies, and pretending there is any meaning in the new stories about them can be really depressing...
Monday, February 1, 2016
Iowa II
So disappointing, Cruz is boring,
Had Trump won it would have been American political history. Maybe he can come back, but it's a blow and he'll have to move big and strong or we'll end up with a candidate like Rubio.
Glad Bernie had a good showing.
Had Trump won it would have been American political history. Maybe he can come back, but it's a blow and he'll have to move big and strong or we'll end up with a candidate like Rubio.
Glad Bernie had a good showing.
Iowa
Iowa tonight!
Want to see a Trump win so bad.
Wipe the smug look off all those goonie-beard-wearing-poli-sci-hipster-bastards that said it was impossible.
All the pundits will have to eat shit.
And all the data journalist will look like fools!
Go Trump!
On the other side of things... GO BERNIE!
Want to see a Trump win so bad.
Wipe the smug look off all those goonie-beard-wearing-poli-sci-hipster-bastards that said it was impossible.
All the pundits will have to eat shit.
And all the data journalist will look like fools!
Go Trump!
On the other side of things... GO BERNIE!
Badness.
It's an interesting thing, struggling with badness.
Most people are always trying to tackle goodness. See little situation where they can do some 'good' or whatever. Giving the extra couple bucks at Whole Foods or CVS for the starving children, or whatever cause celeb is current wherever they are.
Some people even take it another step, go to marches or protests, and all that nonsense. PETA people yelling about how we treat animals, solidarity vigils, all kinds of crap that makes people feel good about doing 'good'.
Those people are fine. But wrestling with badness is different. People know you're bad. You're always stuffing down bad habits; from snaky remarks to hard drink.
Badness. It's a fight worth having, I think. But it's a hard one. And it's one that comes with the understanding that you are a bad person. I haven't done too much evil in this world. But I may be a bad person. I fear that I am.
I'm definitely weak. Which is bad.
Pure evidence of weakness is how bad this post is.
Better and better, right Norman?
Most people are always trying to tackle goodness. See little situation where they can do some 'good' or whatever. Giving the extra couple bucks at Whole Foods or CVS for the starving children, or whatever cause celeb is current wherever they are.
Some people even take it another step, go to marches or protests, and all that nonsense. PETA people yelling about how we treat animals, solidarity vigils, all kinds of crap that makes people feel good about doing 'good'.
Those people are fine. But wrestling with badness is different. People know you're bad. You're always stuffing down bad habits; from snaky remarks to hard drink.
Badness. It's a fight worth having, I think. But it's a hard one. And it's one that comes with the understanding that you are a bad person. I haven't done too much evil in this world. But I may be a bad person. I fear that I am.
I'm definitely weak. Which is bad.
Pure evidence of weakness is how bad this post is.
Better and better, right Norman?
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Devil in details.
I actually find it easy to conceptualize an idea, I've been told I'm an abstract thinker.
When it's time to make a narrative project, I can very often see start to finish, in broad strokes, in my head right away. I also give people a lot of credit for their feelings. That is to say; I'm not one of those people that believe that there needs to be a material element driving the emotion. I'm perfectly aware that more often than not; the emotional logic comes first and is then intellectually justified in material terms.
This attitude is not always great for writing TV. In TV-land everything needs to be materially based, because the audience has a tenancy to be big (if you're luck) and different people have totally different fields of reality. We actually live in a world where the other people living in that world, live in a completely different world. It's an unsettling thought and there's no standard for objectivity (sorry, I know some people think there is, but that's just actually a part of their skewed field of reality). It's actually that very gap in understanding that makes us individuals.
All this makes formulaic approaches to narrative difficult for someone like me, who finds the logi of materialism to be false anyway.
Point is; it really made me think about that phrase; the devil's in the details.
When it's time to make a narrative project, I can very often see start to finish, in broad strokes, in my head right away. I also give people a lot of credit for their feelings. That is to say; I'm not one of those people that believe that there needs to be a material element driving the emotion. I'm perfectly aware that more often than not; the emotional logic comes first and is then intellectually justified in material terms.
This attitude is not always great for writing TV. In TV-land everything needs to be materially based, because the audience has a tenancy to be big (if you're luck) and different people have totally different fields of reality. We actually live in a world where the other people living in that world, live in a completely different world. It's an unsettling thought and there's no standard for objectivity (sorry, I know some people think there is, but that's just actually a part of their skewed field of reality). It's actually that very gap in understanding that makes us individuals.
All this makes formulaic approaches to narrative difficult for someone like me, who finds the logi of materialism to be false anyway.
Point is; it really made me think about that phrase; the devil's in the details.
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Rejection.
Rejection is one thing. Everyone has to deal with rejection. In many way; life is rejection. It's failing and failing and failing again until you hit your success. Then all those past failures are just cute little anecdotes about what made you what you are.
That said, I don't take rejection well.
Personal rejection (someone not liking me or something) is no big deal. I don't love it, but whatever; who are they, right?
Professional rejection stings more, and that really because my endeavors are creative. I really do leave a piece of myself on the page. But I can handle it. Like I said; I'm over 30... I can buy whiskey.
But there's a very special kind of rejection that's part-in-parcel of trying to make it in a subjective industry. That's the 'do it again' rejection.
You find yourself doing hard work, and very often good work, for no money or even necessarily credit. You do this to get yourself into a position where you're able to do work for both money and credit. Basically; to get yourself to the place where a rejection is just a rejection. But when you're trying to make it, the people you're submitting to own you. They not only reject your work, they send you back to the drawing board on the vaguest of premises. You're not being paid, and your previous efforts get flushed.
You have to take it. Lost of people don't even have the opportunity to be dicked around like this. In this sense, I am lucky. But it's harsh every time. Because this rejection means you have to make your piece all over again, totally differently, for free, and with no garuntee of anything.
Working on SPEC, not even once... (Just kidding, working on spec is all you can do, must try to enjoy it.)
That said, I don't take rejection well.
Personal rejection (someone not liking me or something) is no big deal. I don't love it, but whatever; who are they, right?
Professional rejection stings more, and that really because my endeavors are creative. I really do leave a piece of myself on the page. But I can handle it. Like I said; I'm over 30... I can buy whiskey.
But there's a very special kind of rejection that's part-in-parcel of trying to make it in a subjective industry. That's the 'do it again' rejection.
You find yourself doing hard work, and very often good work, for no money or even necessarily credit. You do this to get yourself into a position where you're able to do work for both money and credit. Basically; to get yourself to the place where a rejection is just a rejection. But when you're trying to make it, the people you're submitting to own you. They not only reject your work, they send you back to the drawing board on the vaguest of premises. You're not being paid, and your previous efforts get flushed.
You have to take it. Lost of people don't even have the opportunity to be dicked around like this. In this sense, I am lucky. But it's harsh every time. Because this rejection means you have to make your piece all over again, totally differently, for free, and with no garuntee of anything.
Working on SPEC, not even once... (Just kidding, working on spec is all you can do, must try to enjoy it.)
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