From: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org (fegmaniax-digest) To: fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Subject: fegmaniax-digest V16 #86 Reply-To: fegmaniax@smoe.org Sender: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk fegmaniax-digest Tuesday, March 6 2007 Volume 16 : Number 086 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: My name is "Bob Seger", and I have it on very good authority that Jesus Christ was never circumcised (not even *once*!)! [] Re: and even more [Capuchin ] Re: Interim Report from the Broomewars Truth Commission now available [T] Re: Interim Report from the Broomewars Truth Commission now available [m] Re: and even more [Rex ] Re: and even more [2fs ] Re: and even more [Rex ] re: fellow fegs ! [ken ostrander ] Re: Surfin' Stevens [ken ostrander ] re: movie talk [ken ostrander ] Sweet! [2fs ] Re: Liechtenstein/Lynch [craigie* ] Re: Liechtenstein/Lynch [grutness@slingshot.co.nz] Re: My name is "Bob Seger", and I have it on very good authority that Jesus Christ was never circumcised (not even *once*!)! [] Re: Interim Report from the Broomewars Truth Commission now available [ke] RE: Sarah Silverman [kevin ] Reap [Jeff Dwarf ] Britney Spears is a mammal [Jeff Dwarf ] not quite done yet [Christopher Gross ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2007 17:35:02 -0800 From: Tom Clark Subject: Re: My name is "Bob Seger", and I have it on very good authority that Jesus Christ was never circumcised (not even *once*!)! On Mar 5, 2007, at 11:05 AM, Jeff Dwarf wrote: > Sarah Silverman is a great idea, poorly executed. Like pretty much > everything Jimmy Kimmel or Adam Carrolla touches. Man, that's a quote for the ages! I have conflicting feelings about her. My formative years around the Jewish girls in Long Island cause me to believe she's super hot (although I actually like her sister more), but her humor is hit or miss. I still enjoy her show though. Never followed Family Guy, but its ok for a chuckle if I happen to come across it. Of course nothing comes close to NHL hockey in high definition. Enjoying the Rangers / Islanders at the moment. - -tc ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2007 17:41:18 -0800 (PST) From: Capuchin Subject: Re: and even more On Mon, 5 Mar 2007, Christopher Gross wrote: > Buffy is kind of like the Bible and the Hitchhiker's Guide to the > Galaxy, in that you can find something in it to relate to almost any > situation in life. True dat. > Yeah. I know as many people hate it as love it; at least, I've seen it > in as many "10 worst" lists as "top 10" lists. IMO it's one of the > better teen trauma allegories, and it's one of the early hints of just > how dark the show could get. I also like Nicholas Brendon's performance > as a villain; I think he had some real talent in that direction that has > never been adequately explored. In that light, I would agree that it's quite good. And as a matter of placing it in its time and place, sure, it's an early example of something that got really interesting. But I wouldn't put it anywhere near a top or bottom 10 list. That's the part that doesn't make sense to me. But I get it. I do. > So let the record note that I'm not uncritical in my fandom! Oh, neither am I. But it does depend on those with whom I'm speaking. > But on the other hand, I think even the very worst episodes of Buffy > have at least one or two redeeming moments. Beer Bad, for example, had > that great scene where Willow pretends to fall for Parker's seduction > line, then merrilly shoots him down. I'll give you that. Now find something worthwhile about Teacher's Pet or I Robot, You Jane. > Unless they're actually Leninists, I'd take it as the metaphor of people > who don't usually think about politics very much. The hammer and sickle > symbol was invented by the Bolsheviks after their coup d'etat. It bears > roughly the same relationship to working-class movements for justice > that the swastika bears to German nationhood. Historically, yes, but we're talking about these easy metaphors made real. Bolshevism isn't the easy metaphor. I think it was a symbol to the writers even if they are not particularly well-educated in political history. > That's certainly a valid and interesting interpretation, and while I > could debate this point or that, I certainly won't call it "wrong." I > just don't think that Joss and the other writers and producers were > consciously aiming for an anarchist political statement. Aside from a > broadly feminist attitude, I don't see much sign that had *any* > political goals in the strict sense. Well, according to Joss Whedon, there was a very specific philosophical perspective being espoused throughout (though he hasn't been super explicit about it -- which is probably for the best because big ideas usually require roundabout definitions). And my argument is just that there is only one political perspective consistent with that philosophy. So while the politics weren't the intended message, they are an inextricable part of the message. I don't really care much about intention these days, anyway. J. - -- _______________________________________________ Capuchin capuchin@bitmine.net Jeme A Brelin _______________________________________________ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2007 17:47:44 -0800 From: Tom Clark Subject: Re: Interim Report from the Broomewars Truth Commission now available On Mar 5, 2007, at 11:29 AM, Lauren Elizabeth wrote: > Click and Clack (the "Car Talk" guys) did a bit on the show yesterday > about how much more appreciative you were of music back in the days of > the 8-track, as you never knew if it would be the last time you would > hear the song. They gave the failure rate of 8-tracks as 50% and even > funnier "per month." Hey, I had an 8-track in my 1969 Cutlass. While none of the tapes failed, I did experience a sudden loss. My kinda deranged girlfriend at the time never informed me of her hatred for my repeatedly playing Led Zeppelin III, and one day she just pulled it out of the player and tossed it out the window. I still think about that car from time to time. Her, not so much. - -tc ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 06 Mar 2007 03:07:49 +0000 From: michaeljbachman@comcast.net Subject: Re: Interim Report from the Broomewars Truth Commission now available - -------------- Original message -------------- From: Tom Clark > On Mar 5, 2007, at 11:29 AM, Lauren Elizabeth wrote: > > > Click and Clack (the "Car Talk" guys) did a bit on the show yesterday > > about how much more appreciative you were of music back in the days of > > the 8-track, as you never knew if it would be the last time you would > > hear the song. They gave the failure rate of 8-tracks as 50% and even > > funnier "per month." > > Hey, I had an 8-track in my 1969 Cutlass. While none of the tapes > failed, I did experience a sudden loss. My kinda deranged girlfriend > at the time never informed me of her hatred for my repeatedly playing > Led Zeppelin III, and one day she just pulled it out of the player > and tossed it out the window. I still think about that car from time > to time. Her, not so much. > I had a 1970 Mustang Mach 1 with a 351 Cleveland engine that was real potent, full length headers and minimal exhaust. I had to turn up the volume on my 8-track about half way just to hear the music unless I was just cruising on the interstate. It was broken into the first year I had it and the 8-track was stolen. Four years after that the car was stolen and stripped. There wasn't much left to it when it was recovered and they got a tired engine for there effort that had almost 120,000 miles on it. The main engine bearings were not in the best of shape due to me jumping a curb and holing the oil pan after a night of too much Jack Daniels. After that I bought a used 1976 Datsun 280Z, no 8-track in it though. These days it's a sedate 2001 Taurus with a 6 disc changer and decent speakers. ipod docking station is on the horizon for it though. MJ Bachman ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2007 19:39:05 -0800 From: Rex Subject: Re: and even more On 3/5/07, Capuchin wrote: > > > Well, according to Joss Whedon, there was a very specific philosophical > perspective being espoused throughout (though he hasn't been super > explicit about it -- which is probably for the best because big ideas > usually require roundabout definitions). And my argument is just that > there is only one political perspective consistent with that philosophy. > > So while the politics weren't the intended message, they are an > inextricable part of the message. So are all y'all really psyched up about this Whedon-authored Buffy comic book thing? - -Rex, still not able to get all het up about some super-cheerleader ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2007 22:06:48 -0600 From: 2fs Subject: Re: and even more On 3/5/07, Rex wrote: > > > > So are all y'all really psyched up about this Whedon-authored Buffy comic > book thing? > > -Rex, still not able to get all het up about some super-cheerleader I know what you mean - it's what I used to think when I knew the series only by reputation and, really, mostly by name (intentionally dumb, actually) - but really, there's a hell of a lot more going on than "super-cheerleader." (My usual way of proceeding from here is to suggest four episodes: one relatively conventional dramatic one - suggestions? - and the troika of "Hush," "The Body," and "Once More with Feeling," which demonstrates how impressive the show's range is, technically and emotionally. I think everyone I've shown those to has ended up, if not watching the show regularly (when it was on) or renting DVDs, at least granting it due respect.) - -- ...Jeff Norman The Architectural Dance Society http://spanghew.blogspot.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2007 20:24:20 -0800 From: Rex Subject: Re: and even more On 3/5/07, 2fs wrote: > > > I know what you mean - it's what I used to think when I knew the series > only > by reputation and, really, mostly by name (intentionally dumb, > actually) - > but really, there's a hell of a lot more going on than > "super-cheerleader." > (My usual way of proceeding from here is to suggest four episodes: one > relatively conventional dramatic one - suggestions? - and the troika of > "Hush," "The Body," and "Once More with Feeling," which demonstrates how > impressive the show's range is, technically and emotionally. I think > everyone I've shown those to has ended up, if not watching the show > regularly (when it was on) or renting DVDs, at least granting it due > respect.) I'm pretty much just kidding; I do grant the show respect-- too many people I respect like/love it for me to dismiss it outright. I did love Firefly, after all. But the cheerleader thing, it's just a block for me. Any time spent reliving high school, however subversively, is usually too much for me.... a snarky two-hour film at a time, sure; seven seasons that have just today been compared to the Bible, too rich for my blood... at this point, at least. - -Rex ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2007 20:41:52 -0800 (PST) From: ken ostrander Subject: re: fellow fegs ! >>wow, forgot to send him a card; but i did play 'alright, yeah' on guitar for my daughter. her >>birthday is coming up next week. maybe she'll get electric bulbs on her cake. > >Dare I ask what day? My oldest is a St. Patrick's baby. she was c-sectioned on the ides of march. we'll be visiting her grandparents down florida way. maybe i'll bowl me a perfect game. - --------------------------------- Food fight? Enjoy some healthy debate in the Yahoo! Answers Food & Drink Q&A. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2007 20:44:44 -0800 (PST) From: ken ostrander Subject: Re: Surfin' Stevens >>i really hate it when the academy doesn't spread the love around. > >??? THE DEPARTED won four, but it was hardly a GONE WITH THE >WIND-style sweep... THE DEPARTED got Picture, Director, Editing (yay >Thelma!), and Adapted Screenplay, and that's it. Lots of other places >for other pictures to win.< i guess that it was all different individuals getting their statue; so much the better. >In other words, I think I did the equivalent of a blind test, and both >times, what turned out to be Mr. Stevens' music got on my last nerve.< well that makes me feel better. hype is like hooch. it can make a new album seem beyond belief; but when you wake up with it in the morning, it's hungover buyers remorse. that's why napster is so wonderful for me. i guess if you don't like "chicago" (such a pithy title spells single), then you won't like any of the less catchy ruminations. you might want to check out 'seven swans' for a more heartfelt less pretentious (if not precious) approach. - --------------------------------- Have a burning question? Go to Yahoo! Answers and get answers from real people who know. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2007 22:01:32 -0800 (PST) From: ken ostrander Subject: re: movie talk >>>I hate to say it, but there's a gold standard for this kind of thing and anything less is just not worth my time.<<< lots of things aren't worth my time these days. most of what i actually watch is part of down time with amy when the baby's asleep; so it has to be something we both love. there is a lot more stuff out there than we can fit into that little window. all things feg happen after (or between) hours. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > > "Black Snake Moan" - is it wrong that I want to see this? >> > Christina Ricci chained to a radiator - what could be wrong with that?< for me it's the fact that she looks like a radiator. is anyone else at all disturbed by how thin she has become? >>>I'd hate to think that the racial dynamic is still what gets people all hot and bothered... so I'll just hope that the part that's got folks tripping is that the captor is portrayed sympathetically.<<< i'd say that everyone is turned on. the folks that are scandalized are the ones too ashamed to admit it. now, just what about it yanks your crank is between you and your therapist/priest/mistress. >>>>It's also interesting that Ricci seems to have earlier avoided the sexpot ingenue tag-- despite quite a few explicit-ish indie roles, she was never that much of a conventional much-lusted-after-by-average-guys hottie, considering that here contemporaries were, like, Party of Five stars and the kids in the Scream or American Pie films, right? So it's interesting that she's being sold that way now. I know that hipster-guys have long had a thing for her. (She was a college friend's younger sister, and I never really quite got past that, although I like a lot of her work).<<<< well, the most watched movies she was in were probably 'monster' and 'addams family'. not-seen-by-average-guys for the most part. i guess for you the one degree of separation was too much? there must be a story behind that. call me hip the hipster. >>> > As far as the evolution of Star Trek, I tend not to care about whether > the computers look metal or cardboard. The episodes I like most are >usually the personal ones about the characters, philosophical, or sort >of dream-within-a-dream <<< >> I think a number of the episodes hold up from TOS for me. "City on The Edge of Forever", "The Trouble With Tribbles" and "Amok Time" and the one with the over populated planet to name a few. Like Lauren mentioned, the computers can be made of cardboard, or the town may only be half constructed, but it's the story line that counts. Granted there are a lot of campy episodes though. Some of the campy ones can be funny though, "Piece Of The Action" and the second one with Harcourt Fenton Mudd are good for some yukes. << > Even though I grew up with TOS, I just can't watch that anymore. It's just camp to me now. < yet, you throw around the retronym. sounds like denial to me. i prefer "classic trek". camp or not, it's part of my subconscious. kirk and spock are archetypes swirling in the back of my mind. fighting for control. there are so many episodes that i will sit and watch (as much as my wife's patience will allow) even though i've seen them countless times. 'spock's brain' is painful, though. i like when j tiberius casts the prime directive to the winds (just about every episode) and shows the struggling peoples how their whole existance is a lie. or how he convinces the central computer that it has betrayed its programming. spock's ongoing repression of emotion was always intriguing. the real kicker is that just as spock was transcending his struggle between his human and vulcan aspects, he sacrificed himself (for real) and came back only to start again, mixing metaphors and making for more comedy to come. i'm a little scared to see what they hell they are doing to the 'documentary' footage. > And before someone asks: Kevin Smith is the Bret Saberhagen of > moviemakers. Every other one's good. So: CLERKS yay; MALLRATS nay; > CHASING AMY yay; DOGMA yeech; JAY & SILENT BOB yay (minority opinion I > know); JERSEY GIRL nay. I haven't seen CLERKS II yet, but it should > be a "yay" based on this theory.< yow. i liked 'mallrats' and 'dogma' (especially the part where the christians were picketing outside our theatre). still haven't seen the last two. >>Don't dismiss Clerks II; it's a pretty good movie, and the dialogue is as sharp as ever. The Battle of the Intergenerational Trilogies (basically, Star Wars vs LOTR) is a hoot.<< that peaks my interest. reminds me of the whole star wars vs. star trek thingie. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNxhrPaaCA4 >Still attempting those Jedi mind tricks...< do; or do not do. there is no try. ken "i'm a doctor not an escalator" the kenster liked 'metropolitan' and 'barcelona', 'last days of disco' not so much. liked 'school of rock' np yo la tengo 'i am not afraid of you and i will beat your ass' (because it does) - --------------------------------- Don't get soaked. Take a quick peak at the forecast with theYahoo! Search weather shortcut. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 Mar 2007 00:02:52 -0600 From: 2fs Subject: Sweet! I just picked up a copy of Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs' _Under the Covers Vol. 1_ - haven't had a chance to listen to it yet (although I've heard a couple of tracks), but - good god is Susanna Hoffs hot. I mean, that sounds obvious - but frankly, the '80s pictures of her are so covered in '80s-ness that it's hard to even see what she looked like. But damn - it's hard to believe the woman's in her late 40s... I'll be in my bunk. - -- ...Jeff Norman The Architectural Dance Society http://spanghew.blogspot.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 Mar 2007 08:59:34 +0000 From: craigie* Subject: Re: Liechtenstein/Lynch The same Mysterex as covered by your very own D4, IIRC... another great NZ band... c* On 03/03/07, grutness@slingshot.co.nz wrote: > > What a weird career path that guy has had. Perry, for those of you > who don't know, first came to public musical attention under the name > Ronnie Recent, as a member of NZ's (IMO) best punk rock band The > Scavengers. Their song "Mysterex" is as good as anything the > Buzzcocks ever did and in very similar vein ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 7 Mar 2007 00:43:26 +1300 From: grutness@slingshot.co.nz Subject: Re: Liechtenstein/Lynch >The same Mysterex as covered by your very own D4, IIRC... > >another great NZ band... > >c* > > >On 03/03/07, >grutness@slingshot.co.nz ><grutness@slingshot.co.nz > wrote: > >What a weird career path that guy has had. Perry, for those of you >who don't know, first came to public musical attention under the name >Ronnie Recent, as a member of NZ's (IMO) best punk rock band The >Scavengers. Their song "Mysterex" is as good as anything the >Buzzcocks ever did and in very similar vein I haven't heard D4's version... I'll have to hunt for that! James - -- James Dignan, Dunedin, New Zealand -.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.- =-.-=-.-=-.- You talk to me as if from a distance .-=-.-=-.-=-. -=-. And I reply with impressions chosen from another time .-=- .-=-.-=-.-=-.-=- (Brian Eno - "By this River") -.-=-.-=-.-=-.-= ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 Mar 2007 14:14:34 +0000 From: craigie* Subject: Re: My name is "Bob Seger", and I have it on very good authority that Jesus Christ was never circumcised (not even *once*!)! I'm keeping out of this. Having just had my mind blown by Firefly and Serenity, I'm reassessing all the BtVS and Angel episodes in line with this new revelation... c* On 05/03/07, 2fs wrote: > > On 3/5/07, Christopher Gross wrote: > > > > On Mon, 5 Mar 2007, Capuchin wrote: > > > > > Buffy must be taken as a piece (preferably with Angel, the last > episode > > of > > > which is so good that the other 109 episodes could have been half as > > good > > > and still would be required viewing just to give the context for that > > > final forty minutes). There are almost a dozen perfect episodes > > (Prophecy > > > Girl, Innocence, Lover's Walk, The Zeppo, Hush, Restless, The Body, > Once > > > More With Feeling, Selfless, Conversations With Dead People) > > > > Now, I don't want to start an extended Buffy discussion. > > > > Yes, you do. > > Anyway, it's this kind of discussion that reveals the shallowness of my > geekiness: I recognize only a handful of episode titles. True, if you were > to have said, "that one where the principal turns into a giant snake" or > something, I'd probably recognize most of them. > > As far as Angel goes, I love the final episode, but season 5 as a whole > > doesn't thrill me as much as it seems to thrill most fans. (I've just > > been rewatching it recently.) On the whole season 3 is probably my > > favorite. It's angsterrific! > > > Currently being re-watched over at the 2fs household. > > > > > Hell), the over-arching story is about how anarchic collectives are > the > > > only force of good against the evil of imposed authority. > > > > Hmmm.... You could actually make a good argument for that. I don't > think > > the show's creators had a political message in mind, of course. They > > approached it strictly from a personal angle. The heart of the show is > > Buffy's personal journey to maturity and the "created family" she formed > > with her friends, so outside authority figures were natural and > inevitable > > antagonists. > > > That's true - but "anarchic collective" is pretty much a translation into > the political of "created family." I don't think Whedon et al. would > reject > the more political reading - certainly, the notion of what one has to do > to > get along in the world focuses more on personal and emotional issues in > the > show - but I think one point of any radical political view I'd even > consider > sympathizing with is the recognition that those things are intimately > connected with the extent we feel our lives are ours to give meaning to, > as > opposed to having no control, being cog in machine, etc etc etc. > > Actually, I think the antagonists in Buffy were quite as often the > characters themselves and their limitations and preconceptions: literally > in > some cases, symbolically in others. But that's true of political > situations > as well: learned helplessness is a powerful enemy. > > At their best, Buffy (and Angel particularly) were astonishingly good at > examining some fairly heavy-duty moral and ethical questions through the > unlikely lens of various genre tropes. Even that approach could have > fallen > dead-flat if it weren't for the fact that even at both shows' darkest > (which > was pretty dark), they were still damned funny. > > -- > > ...Jeff Norman > > The Architectural Dance Society > http://spanghew.blogspot.com > - -- first things first, but not necessarily in that order... ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 Mar 2007 08:47:14 -0800 (GMT-08:00) From: kevin Subject: Re: Interim Report from the Broomewars Truth Commission now available >My Dad brought up Iggy Pop in conversation the other night. That's >just Not Right. But he *is* the one who informed me that Jerry Garcia >had died so I can't deny that occasionally he's got his finger on the >pulse. I don't know where he gets this stuff - 80% of what he reads >is Thomas Pynchon, French history, or The New York Review of Books. Tragically, this could be a description of me. It's just not easy to be of what they used to call "a certain age" (and still arguing with my wife about why comics are Art - and this is a woman who laughs at Sarah Silverman even harder than I do). ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 Mar 2007 09:06:56 -0800 (GMT-08:00) From: kevin Subject: RE: Sarah Silverman >I've watched her show and I don't find her funny at all. She reminds me of >the guys in my 11th grade English class who kept making inappropriate noises >to try to throw the teacher off guard. They weren't funny, they were just >annoying but they found themselves so funny that they set each other off into >fits of laughter they couldn't control. Punishment was useless, they just >fed off each other. For my part, I spent 11th grade English sitting in the back of the class reading RD Laing and Nietzsche and writing terrible poems, mostly inspired by the substances I was consuming in the parking lot before school with the wisasses who were making the fart noises in class - but they cracked me up then, and I thoroughly enjoy Sarah Silverman now that I'm out here on the far side of 50...some modes of cultural production are best regarded with your critical faculties locked in the OFF position, is what I've concluded. Otherwise you just wind up like the Sex Pistols in the out-choruses of "No Fun," with Johhny screaming NO FUCKING FUN at the top of his ragged little voice... ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 Mar 2007 09:56:44 -0800 (PST) From: Jeff Dwarf Subject: Reap The dearth of guys named Scooter in whatever prison he goes to.... "I believe in the marketplace of ideas even if the other guy doesn't have any." -- Keith Olbermann "So this is what it's come to, these millions of years of evolution, warfare, community-building, women dying in childbirth with hope because their children might achieve more: a video on the Internet of a cat watching a video of a cat on the Internet." -- "Sylvar" . ____________________________________________________________________________________ Looking for earth-friendly autos? Browse Top Cars by "Green Rating" at Yahoo! Autos' Green Center. http://autos.yahoo.com/green_center/ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 Mar 2007 10:30:57 -0800 (PST) From: Jeff Dwarf Subject: Britney Spears is a mammal http://seanbonner.com/realultimatebritney/ "I believe in the marketplace of ideas even if the other guy doesn't have any." -- Keith Olbermann "So this is what it's come to, these millions of years of evolution, warfare, community-building, women dying in childbirth with hope because their children might achieve more: a video on the Internet of a cat watching a video of a cat on the Internet." -- "Sylvar" . ____________________________________________________________________________________ Expecting? Get great news right away with email Auto-Check. Try the Yahoo! Mail Beta. http://advision.webevents.yahoo.com/mailbeta/newmail_tools.html ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 Mar 2007 13:31:13 -0500 (EST) From: Christopher Gross Subject: not quite done yet Capuchin: > > But on the other hand, I think even the very worst episodes of Buffy > > have at least one or two redeeming moments. Beer Bad, for example, had > > that great scene where Willow pretends to fall for Parker's seduction > > line, then merrilly shoots him down. > > I'll give you that. Now find something worthwhile about Teacher's Pet or > I Robot, You Jane. Ugh, that's a tough one. Fortunately I just said redeeming *moments*, rather than entire scenes or acts, so I think I can manage it. (Exact quotes courtesy of The Internet.) Teacher's Pet: - -The science teacher's pep talk to Buffy, and her quiet delight that at least one teacher hasn't given up on her. (Of course he immediately gets killed.) - -Principal Flutie trying to comfort the students. "I'm always here if you need a hug-- But not a real hug! Because there's no touching, this school is sensitive to wrong touching." - -a few funny lines, like "Call me old-fashioned, I don't want any more surprises in my hot dogs" and "It's funny how the Earth never opens up and swallows you when you want it to." I Robot, You Jane (this one's slightly easier): - -The introduction of Ms. Calendar! - -"That's not where I dangle it." - -The final scene, where Buffy and Xander try to cheer up Willow by recalling their own bad love experiences. "Let's face it: none of us are ever gonna have a happy, normal relationship." "We're doomed!" They all laugh. Then the laughter fades away and they just sit there looking really depressed. > I don't really care much about intention these days, anyway. As Foucault said, "The Executive Producer is dead." A quick word about Battlestar Galactica: I don't find the characters at all bland or unbelievable, but if they don't interest you then they don't interest you. It's not something that can be proven or disproven. The individual episode scripts are a mixed bag, with some great ones and some clunkers, but I don't think there are as *many* clunkers as the average TV show. Same goes for the multi-episode plot arcs. But I do have a problem with the overall story arc of the show: I just don't think the writers know where they're going. I'm plagued by the fear that the fleet will just keep wandering around as they're doing now, meeting and overcoming various problems while the essential situation remains static. Hopefully I'm wrong. At any rate, that fear certainly isn't enough to ruin the show for me. Rex: > So are all y'all really psyched up about this Whedon-authored Buffy > comic book thing? I'm reasonably psyched up, yeah. Though the pessimistic side of me is fully aware that this is just another opportunity for Joss Whedon to kill people I love. Anyway, the first issue hits the stores tomorrow! More info here: . - -Rex, still not able to get all het up about some super-cheerleader As Jeff said (and Rex has already acknowledged), Buffy is much more than a super-cheerleader. I'll add that for most of the series she's a *former* cheerleader. Buffy started out as a normal, good-natured but mostly empty-headed teenager who was forced by her (very much undesired) destiny as Slayer to develop into something more. When the series starts this transformation is already under way, so the purely cheerleader Buffy is mostly just seen in a few flashbacks. And those who are put off by teen dramas can take heart: she does graduate eventually, and while high schools still sometimes appear, the later seasons are more concerned with young adulthood. Jeff: > (My usual way of proceeding from here is to suggest four episodes: one > relatively conventional dramatic one - suggestions? - and the troika of > "Hush," "The Body," and "Once More with Feeling," which demonstrates how > impressive the show's range is, technically and emotionally. Suggestions: Prophecy Girl might be a good fourth, at least for people who can get past the big rubber demon, or maybe When She Was Bad. Both display some of the best features of the early years. Or maybe you could balance the troika out with a more humorous episode? Doppelgangland would lost on viewers who don't already know Willow, but maybe Earshot or Something Blue would work. Okay, I'll shut up now. For a while. - --Chris ______________________________________________________________________ Christopher Gross On the Internet, nobody knows I'm a dog. chrisg@gwu.edu ------------------------------ End of fegmaniax-digest V16 #86 *******************************