When trying to describe this play to some of my friends not in our esteemed lit class they asked me to describe the plot in five words or less. Though difficult, I managed to get it done: Murdering little children. What happened? After the look of shock on their faces (which was both amusing and gratifying) I told them that they all have to run out to buy and read this play.
And I meant it. This is a fantastically interesting and quirky play, a Little Green Pig in and of itself. I enjoyed it thoroughly. It's easy to see that certain forms of censorship taken by our government are played out to dangerous extremes in this play as well as a serious look at the responsibility of authors in producing their work.
The responsibility issue comes up often in the 21st century with regard to video games. Every time a new GTA is released, senators and governmental figures clambor to have Rockstar Games offices closed. Although I see the arguement that enacting violent behavior may lead one to enact it in real life (a la Mikhail) I don't see much substantiation for it. However, I do see the author/programmer/artist/filmmaker etc. sharing some of the blame. I think they must also share that blame with the environment of the person acting it out. For the majority of responsibility for a what a person does, or believes, or acts upon, is the society and background of what they grew up with. The creative things we see may give us ideas, but it is up to us whether we act on it or not.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Little Green Pig
My favorite story in The Pillowman is The Little Green Pig. Parallels between this story and book burnings in Alaska came to mind. I like this story because it reminds us that those who are truly different will always be different; this, in turn, reminds me that we don't change unless we truly wish too. We can be painted over, we can be covered, we can even be silenced for a time, but eventually we will come forth. As quirky, and different as ever. This story is fantastic allegory and I love that in a story full of death, this little bit of novelty comes through.
P.S. Read that Time article in my Alaska link. Especially the bits about dear old mom...Hehehe when family doesn't support you it's a sad day indeed.
P.S. Read that Time article in my Alaska link. Especially the bits about dear old mom...Hehehe when family doesn't support you it's a sad day indeed.
Monday, November 3, 2008
A Story To Remember the Dead
A Eulogy is defined as a speech or writing in praise of a person or thing, especially a set oration in honor of a deceased person. The very best eulogies often contain stories about the dead. In this way we tell their stories to keep them alive inside of us through our memories of them. In The Pillowman I have difficulty coming to terms with Katurians final story. In thinking about Eulogies, I find perhaps a meaning in his final story. Could his last tale be his attempt to eulogize himself? Could his last story be his last attempt to be remembered before his stories are locked away?
Is this McDonagh attempt to tell us that we are all authors? Authors of our lives and our own stories. Every time we relate something of ourselves to someone else we are giving a narrative. And in changing the way that Katurian views his death is he reminding us that we can change our own story? This play brought a lot of questions and some of them I just can't answer.
P.S. Tomorrow PAH-LEEZE get out and vote.
Is this McDonagh attempt to tell us that we are all authors? Authors of our lives and our own stories. Every time we relate something of ourselves to someone else we are giving a narrative. And in changing the way that Katurian views his death is he reminding us that we can change our own story? This play brought a lot of questions and some of them I just can't answer.
P.S. Tomorrow PAH-LEEZE get out and vote.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
All War-n out
I have read Black Watch, Jarhead, and Shooting War, and I must say I am warn out. I don't want to see, hear, think, or even associate myself with another conflict unless one of my friends in the military actually wants to talk about it. I have turned my TV off, I have blocked myself from accessing news websites, I can't get internet on my phone, I am done with war.
It's not that I don't appreciate who is fighting the war, as I said I have friends in Afghanistan and Iraq and I hope that they are safe and protected every day; but I cannot watch or listen to anyone talk about spilling blood. In Black Watch we find again our Jarheads who fight "their war" and are looking for men to kill. This does not equate to my version of manhood. The ideal soldier is not the one who kills the most, but the one that regrets the most that he kills. However I think Swoffard would agree that the soldiers of Black Watch were part of his "Fucked situation." Stranded in the desert after an IED attack waiting for rescue certainly qualifies.
It's not that I don't appreciate who is fighting the war, as I said I have friends in Afghanistan and Iraq and I hope that they are safe and protected every day; but I cannot watch or listen to anyone talk about spilling blood. In Black Watch we find again our Jarheads who fight "their war" and are looking for men to kill. This does not equate to my version of manhood. The ideal soldier is not the one who kills the most, but the one that regrets the most that he kills. However I think Swoffard would agree that the soldiers of Black Watch were part of his "Fucked situation." Stranded in the desert after an IED attack waiting for rescue certainly qualifies.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
The Medium of Media
The satire of the Media in Shooting War is very interesting to me. I get hot and bothered whenever a Republican utters the words "Liberal Media" because for so much of this presidency the Media has been an unfunded branch of the state department. I acknowledge that this is how war time Media has traditionally been; Keep the morale up, support the troops, and show how we're winning. I, maybe somewhat naively, believe that media should be unbiased and show the truth and not what the government wants us to see. The Global News Network in Shooting War reminds me of a Fox-like news network all the time. It switches tack fast and is terrifying all day every day. Jessica's mock conversation of a Mid-West family on her blog is so frightening because I could easily imagine it happening.
Where are the voices asking honest questions? Where are the real answers instead of the language crutches and skirting the fence dodging that we've come to expect? Where is our accountability? Ultimately, it comes down to whether we can handle the questions, and even worse the answers. Because we are a frightened people. Because whereas before we could just turn off the TV and gather our thoughts and respond to our fear with determination, now we must turn off the TV, the computer, the radio, the cell phone, and all of our lights, and sit in our homes in silence just to gather enough peace and quiet to face the challenges of a brand new day with enough courage to even open our eyes. The problem of course being that most American's can't turn off their electronics and therefore can't open their eyes.
Where are the voices asking honest questions? Where are the real answers instead of the language crutches and skirting the fence dodging that we've come to expect? Where is our accountability? Ultimately, it comes down to whether we can handle the questions, and even worse the answers. Because we are a frightened people. Because whereas before we could just turn off the TV and gather our thoughts and respond to our fear with determination, now we must turn off the TV, the computer, the radio, the cell phone, and all of our lights, and sit in our homes in silence just to gather enough peace and quiet to face the challenges of a brand new day with enough courage to even open our eyes. The problem of course being that most American's can't turn off their electronics and therefore can't open their eyes.
The Scariest Thing
The art in Shooting War is both beautiful and provacative. The subtle underlay of real photos in with the graphic style is both intense and wonderful. Some of the images are just pretty, others are pretty disturbing. One of the greatest, and scariest is the large hanger looking structure filled with soldiers controlling war machines with PS3's.
We've all heard comedians talk about our "Nintendo Pilot's," George Carlin has a famous bit about the nations hobby of bombing brown people. He says we bomb because it's more fun for our "Nintendo Pilots." We have that concept carried through to a horrible extreme. It is true that every day military scientists are working to unman the frontlines, the sheer brutality of what the soldiers do to a hospital full of sick and injured Iraqi's draws us out of our egocentrism and forces us to consider that not only are U.S. soldiers being hurt in this war, but Iraqi civilians are too. Even though we are not using robotic tanks there is still going to be a lot of collateral damage. Pulling back from the soldier's perspective and forcing us to consider the hospital brings compassion to the fore.
The truth of this book may be that even though we are at war, we should always strive for compassion and most of all understanding.
We've all heard comedians talk about our "Nintendo Pilot's," George Carlin has a famous bit about the nations hobby of bombing brown people. He says we bomb because it's more fun for our "Nintendo Pilots." We have that concept carried through to a horrible extreme. It is true that every day military scientists are working to unman the frontlines, the sheer brutality of what the soldiers do to a hospital full of sick and injured Iraqi's draws us out of our egocentrism and forces us to consider that not only are U.S. soldiers being hurt in this war, but Iraqi civilians are too. Even though we are not using robotic tanks there is still going to be a lot of collateral damage. Pulling back from the soldier's perspective and forcing us to consider the hospital brings compassion to the fore.
The truth of this book may be that even though we are at war, we should always strive for compassion and most of all understanding.
The Frequency Is Courage
I read Shooting War as we were finishing The Mercy Seat because it looked so intriguing I just couldn't wait. I was not disappointed. This book is such a flaming criticism I nearly choked with joy while I read it. One of my favorite parts is the exchange between Dan Rather and Jimmy Burns. "The Frequency is Courage."
This day and age is a time when our country has lost its courage. But we didn't really lose it; it was stolen from us. On monday when the stock market did its impression of Tony Danza's career, on the way home on the ferry you could almost feel the panic hushed over the city like a crouched predator. Now the politicians are reaping what they have sowed. What do you get when you have an entire population overkeyed to the sensation of fear? A population that starts at the slightest word and all you have to do to get the frightened sheep to agree is say the word terrorism or attack. Hell's bells! On September 11th every soul in New York looked up when the heard a plane and the same look of panic crossed our faces. Even politicians aren't safe. When calling for support of a national defense bill, no matter how draconian or wrong it may be, simply mention that it's unpatriotic or not approving it will provoke an attack and you'll have the whole of Washington D.C. goosestepping behind you.
Where is the brave nation that rode forth to stop the Nazi's? Where is the nation that fostered leaders who weren't afraid of dissent? Did it ever exist?
"The Frequency Is Courage." Unfortunately we're on the wrong channel.
This day and age is a time when our country has lost its courage. But we didn't really lose it; it was stolen from us. On monday when the stock market did its impression of Tony Danza's career, on the way home on the ferry you could almost feel the panic hushed over the city like a crouched predator. Now the politicians are reaping what they have sowed. What do you get when you have an entire population overkeyed to the sensation of fear? A population that starts at the slightest word and all you have to do to get the frightened sheep to agree is say the word terrorism or attack. Hell's bells! On September 11th every soul in New York looked up when the heard a plane and the same look of panic crossed our faces. Even politicians aren't safe. When calling for support of a national defense bill, no matter how draconian or wrong it may be, simply mention that it's unpatriotic or not approving it will provoke an attack and you'll have the whole of Washington D.C. goosestepping behind you.
Where is the brave nation that rode forth to stop the Nazi's? Where is the nation that fostered leaders who weren't afraid of dissent? Did it ever exist?
"The Frequency Is Courage." Unfortunately we're on the wrong channel.
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