“As I don’t know about tomorrow… I never save the best for later.”
- Paulo Coelho
Monday 2 September 2013
"Everyone wants to be young and skinny. This is awful. Curves are marvelous. Wrinkles are hypnotizing. Why not just be happy with who you are?" - Alber Elbaz
The original cast shot a movie this summer, six years after the television series was cancelled.
Here's why I care:
1. Veronica, herself: She's such a smart, funny, badass female character, played with charm and nuance by Kristen Bell. Plenty of smart, funny, badass females exist in the world, but we're totally under-represented in mass media. (ha!)
2. The production: The upcoming movie was funded entirely by fans through Kickstarter, and set a record for the largest amount of money raised in the shortest amount of time for a film project. Is this is a spark of hope that discriminating audiences may soon have more of a say in what their entertainment options are? That would be a significant triumph in the eternal battle between art and commerce. If Twitter is the democratization of news, Kickstarter might be the democratization of culture.
3. The strength of the series: The writing, dark humor, and character development on the show are kickass. You're instantly drawn into the wacky, gritty world of Neptune, California with its dirty secrets and its simmering tensions between ethnic groups and economic classes. In the wake of widespread economic recession, the Occupy movement, and the high-profile Trayvon Martin murder case, these issues seem just as simmering and relevant now as ever. The 'have-nots' can't escape the constant reminders that life surely isn't fair, and must work much harder (Veronica) or turn to crime (Eli) to cultivate opportunities. Alternatively, the 'haves' enjoy privilege through no achievement of their own, which can lead to ennui or identity crisis - a struggle to step out from under their parents' long shadows (Duncan), and maybe the frightening realization that status does not ascribe meaning (Logan). All sides naturally feel threatened by, and express disdain for the others. And of course, rounding things out, we've got the smart (Mac), the sweet (Wallace), the comically ditzy (Dick), the psychotic (Aaron), the lazy (Don), the wise (Keith), and the delightfully sleazy (Vinnie). (No, they're not Disney Dwarves. ha ha!) Basically, the writers skillfully illustrate that everyone's coming from somewhere. And when it's very different from what you're used to, it's easy to be suspicious and make snap judgments...
The characters and the mysteries have many layers, but the continuity rocks. I think it's a testament to the writing and acting that the show can stay fresh through its dramatic plot twists, without resorting to inauthentic emotions, or implausible mysteries. (When Veronica investigates cases, she often has to briefly assume some sort of alternate identity. So you get some of the fun of that kind of device (like on say, Alias), but the episodic cases are more richly developed and require less of a suspension of disbelief. I think it's a strength of the show that you really could imagine the cases she investigates happening to your friends and neighbours.) In some ways it's quite ambitious - attempting comedy, drama, mystery, romance, and action. (Yes, there are plenty of fight scenes.) Plus, the noir mood gives it more texture than many of its contemporaries (like, say, The O.C.). It manages to successfully mashup a sarcastic, modern vibe with a throwback, hard-boiled Dashiell Hammett/Raymond Chandler vibe. Overall, the best thing about the show is the tone - despite its dark themes, it somehow never seems to take itself too seriously. The jokes are bawdy and the repartée is deliciously witty. I don't know if Mr. Joss Whedon (king of snappy dialogue) is an influence, but he does make a brief appearance in the series...
Technology, with its positive and negative contributions to society, is almost a character in the series as well. One thing has changed, though... I used to find it slightly far fetched that Veronica had a password to a web portal that could identify people by seemingly random details about them... because it would have to be linked to such a large aggregate of databases. Er, unfortunately, I no longer feel that way. (Hello, PRISM!)
4. The unresolved relationship between Veronica Mars and Logan Echolls: After three seasons, the series got cancelled and viewers were left in limbo.
Logan and Veronica start the series as antagonists. They represent two of the opposing factions - he comes from wealth, fame, and privilege, and she comes from working class infamy. His dad's a movie star, her private investigator father has just been disgraced and removed from his sheriff position - and at first glance they appear to be opposites. But this is not your typical stock "opposites attract" plot. As they get to know each other (and as we get to know them) it becomes clear that they have a dark history, and a surprising amount in common. Both are cursed with blessed with razor sharp intelligence, curiosity, and a near-constant drive for honesty about issues that many in their lives and community prefer not to face. These qualities manifest in near-obsessive detective digging from Veronica, and in smart-ass, aggressive boundary-pushing from Logan. Their characters are conflicted, morally ambiguous, and complex - neither are above using other people to meet their needs, but both also demonstrate a surprising capacity for loyalty.
And when these two smart-alecks interact, sparks fly - sometimes positively, and sometimes negatively. They have crazy chemistry! (Word is that the characters were originally intended to remain enemies, but the chemistry between actors Kristen Bell and Jason Dohring led to plot revisions. It's the viewers' good fortune that the writers recognized what they had and capitalized on it.) Fans love their chemistry and also obviously identify with the show's truth that being an intelligent, honest, passionate person in the world young adult in high school & college can in itself be a recipe for pain.
Pain is of course one of the things Logan and Veronica share. They're both highly self-reliant, in part because of their self-absorbed, negligent mothers. Consequently both end up feeling abandoned, but without the true closure and freedom to grieve that normally accompany the death of a parent. Both are more impacted by their fathers' life choices than your average student. And both have lost friends to murder, have had their hearts broken, and their young lives violently threatened. Through his family, and through her work, they have both seen enough of the worst of people to prematurely age and jade them. Perhaps because of this, both also have an underlying intensity that doesn't allow them to chill out and just be kids. Recognizing this in each other is certainly one source of the magnetic attraction between them.
Veronica's charm comes from the three R's: her resourcefulness, relatability, and resilience. What Dashiell Hammett might've called "pluck". It's awesome to have a female character that demonstrates such initiative and confidence. And there's genuine compassion and generosity in her efforts to help others (with each detective case that she manages to juggle alongside classes and a part-time job). But there's another reason she does it: to comfort herself by feeling that she can restore some sense of order and justice to her world. It's like she's compelled to run straight at what she's afraid of, often putting herself in harm's way in the process, in order to keep her fears at bay. In those dramatic moments she gives me a bit of a Clarice Starling vibe.
Though he's shockingly rude at times, Logan is riveting because he always tells the truth. Veronica's sarcastic quips are funny, but Logan's knack for pushing people's buttons is downright hilarious. (ie: "How much easier would your life be if you were indifferent to me?") He can be unnerving or even plain mean, but there's plenty of insight and self-flagellation going on as well. At times he's like a younger, more-redeemable Gregory House. Aside from his casual frankness, Logan's appeal comes from his smoldering, accessible form of brooding, and from his surprising vulnerability. His charm increases with his demonstrated ability to grow in response to Veronica's kindness, and his development of chivalrous, protective instincts toward her. His character progresses in depth in a really authentic arc that's so much more interesting to watch than if he had started out good, or remained evil.
We were left at just that crossroad when the series ended. The societal forces pulling our heroes apart pale in comparison to the internal forces (pride, fear, desire for vengeance) that Veronica and Logan are grappling with. It's much more interesting and relatable to watch a couple struggle with character and ego and trust, rather than just external circumstance, as we often see on TV. Viewers can enjoy the show on both levels - as simple pulpy entertainment, or as a philosophical study in questions of identity and control... How much control do we really have (or need) over the events that shape our lives? What coping mechanisms do we rely on to manage uncertainty? She soothes her gnawing doubts with (metaphorical) scab-picking and indulges in illusions of control by taking charge with a white-knuckle vigilance, and a reckless amount of bravado. He goes the other way, and embraces anarchy and fatalism, attempting to numb his loneliness and doubt with less noble reckless indulgences. (Think fisticuffs and floozies.) She appears to believe that her relentless methods are just exposing truth. But what he seems to recognize better than she does, is that you alter anything by interacting with it.
Relationships like Veronica & Logan's are the reason Facebook's "it's complicated" status was invented. Will these two misanthropes-in-the-making ever admit that they are secretly idealists, and find the courage to risk the vulnerability required to actively pursue love and happiness? Having lived through such trying circumstances, are they even capable of recognizing happiness? Chaos has almost become their "normal" - would greater stability seem boring by comparison? Though they're both survivors - each, in his or her own way, veers across the line toward self-destruction through their (sometimes misguided) efforts at self-preservation. Surely we can all recognize something of ourselves in that.
Watching them is cathartic, as their adventures really are pretty "epic." (The word a drunk Logan uses to describe their relationship in Season 2, Episode 20.)
As in this clip, each also bravely sets aside their ego for the other, on occasion. But the timing of those occasions doesn't often align. (Think 'Pride and Prejudice' rather than 'Romeo and Juliet'.) And because of the intensity of the feelings involved, any emotional risk that ends badly results in humiliation. A viewer is left wondering what they might achieve if only they could build enough trust to stop using up all of their energy just dancing around each other. Will these two crazy kids ever get over themselves long enough to connect to each other's humanity? Or will their personal coping mechanisms form the walls that keep them apart?
Their experiences bind them, almost like they've been through a war together. And this sense of 'intertwined fates' is what makes viewers crave more resolution with respect to their relationship. But being truly understood by another person can be both comforting and intimidating. They challenge each other in a way that's invigorating, but also exhausting. Does this mean they're better off together or apart? Can they find their equilibrium? I, for one, am interested to find out. I'm pulling for them! But either way, I love that theirs is an intense, roller-coaster of a dance, infused with poignance and crackling with chemistry.
...
Creator Rob Thomas (no, not that Rob Thomas) really got it right with the series - every little detail is tight and the cast really gels - and that doesn't happen by accident. I trust that he can do it again with the same players in the film. And how fitting is it that they found an innovative way to use technology to collaborate with fans to make the movie happen? Interestingly, with respect to Hollywood, I find it's sometimes the restrictions of a low budget that necessitate the creativity required to make a passion project that resonates. I join close to 100,000 Kickstarter backers in hoping that's the case with this one. Until then, seems like a good time to show the series some love on DVD.
(I don't own any of the clips - copyright belongs to their respective owners.)
I really dislike it when people say, "Everything happens for a reason."
They're usually trying to be profound (or smug, or lazy), but that's like saying, "Everything is composed of matter."
So what?! How is that supposed to be of any real comfort or significance at this moment?
When someone says that, all I hear is a less honest variation of, "I have no idea what the possible explanation could be for why this happened." And also possibly, "I'm actually just comforting myself that this recent traumatic event is not a sign that life is more unpredictable than I would like to admit. So let's turn off our brains now, as insurance." Or maybe even, "You must somehow deserve whatever happened."
My intention is not to be negative or fatalistic - it's simply to be realistic, awake. Because life is unpredictable and unfair, so pretending it's not seems like ignoring half of what the experience of living is about! Like walking through life without peripheral vision, or something... wouldn't you miss a lot? A dismissive, "Everything happens for a reason," seems to chalk adversity up to some whim of the gods that we don't need to concern our little selves about. It absolves us of any responsibility (or opportunity) to recognize the significance of this experience for ourselves, personally.
No, we can't necessarily divine the cause of any particular event, but we do have the opportunity to choose to define what it means for us. And if we don't do that, we're just sleepwalking, aren't we? Nobody wants to experience pain, but we know that from time to time it's unavoidable. So if, from time to time, experiencing pain is part of what it means to be alive - why not try to get something out of it? Because, dammit, if I have to suffer, I might as well look for some kind of bloody value in the experience...
I vastly prefer how the heroic Augusten Burroughs looks at it.
His wise words (possibly because they are hard-won?) really are comforting.
[Emphasis mine.]
"Heal is a television word. It's satisfying to see somebody who has gone through adversity and come out the other side, healed. That's almost word for word, how they might introduce a segment on healing on a talk show. 'Come out the other side.' Like a tunnel. But here's the thing: there are some things in life from which you do not heal. The tunnel never ends. There is no other side of it.
...
This is among the oldest, deepest, most primal truths: the facts of life may be, at times, unbearably painful. But the core, the bones of life are generous beyond all reason or belief. Those things that ought to kill us do not. This should be taken as encouragement to continue.
...
Because all of us are made not only of what we have but of what we lost. And loss is not a subtraction. As an experience, it is an addition. Even when we lose a leg or an arm, there's not less of us but more. Human experience weighs more than human tissue."
- Augusten Burroughs / 'How to Be'
Craig Cutler
Saturday 16 March 2013
Si vous demandez à une femme, "Comment vas-tu?" Elle dira, "Triste à propos de x, heureux à propos dey, et un peu frustré à propos de z. Comment vas-tu?" Si vous demandez à un homme, "Comment vas-tu?" Il dira, "Soif."
I think this insightful quote applies just as accurately to life as to acting... My friend B and I had this conversation once about how we screw things up when we care about them too much. It's cringe-worthy and funny, 'cuz it's true. I think there's definite credence to the notion that self-consciousness infects the purity of the creative process, or even the natural fluidity of relationships. I myself am certainly most poised, most zen, when my focus is entirely on an activity or another person. When self awareness creeps in, part of your attention naturally splits off, and then your focus/poise/creativity (whatever you want to call it) fragments, and your ability be a vessel for greatness is radically diminished.
I've mentioned photographer Christian Kettiger's great work beforehere.
I'm smitten with German-Italian artist Willy Verginer's life-size wood sculptures. (It's hard to believe they're made of wood, when you're looking at them.)
When I first saw this one it reminded me of a Belly lyric that I've always liked:
I've had bad dreams / So bad I threw my pillow away
Cariatidi via booooooom.com
Cecità Voluta (Deliberate Blindness) via booooooom.com
I'm not typically drawn to hyperrealistic art, because art for me is a portal to other worlds, and I want to be asked to use my imagination. But Verginer's use of colour, texture, and juxtaposition adds enough quirk, whimsy, and darkness to deliciously hint at the surreal.
detail from Cecità Voluta via booooooom.com
The artist at work via tenwordsandoneshot.com
I think he's incredibly talented. Among my favorites is another collection of his, called Bergluft, which depicts a cast of colourful characters atop beautifully carved, man-sized craggy mountain peaks.
“It's much easier to not know things sometimes. Things change and friends leave. And life doesn't stop for anybody.
...Maybe it's good to put things in perspective, but sometimes, I think that the only perspective is to really be there. Because it's okay to feel things. I was really there. And that was enough...”
"A friend who dies, it's something of you who dies..." - Gustav Flaubert
Jenna Adams
I just lost a dear friend. And Flaubert's was the quote that most closely expressed how I feel. It seems unjust for his life to end so young, there's just no making sense of it. My heart hurts for his family. I still can't truly reconcile it - the idea that he's no longer physically here with us; that our wish for longer with him can't make it so.
He was warm, protective, smart, and really generous - with a hilariously dark sense of humour. He somehow managed to be silly and quietly dignified at the same time. Our friendship got off to an amusing start when we met at a party where (after a few drinks) I accidentally tried to introduce him to his sister. He was one of those rare souls with whom you could have fun while doing absolutely nothing. I felt understood by him, and it's very hard to accept that he is gone.
As soon as he told me his diagnosis (esophageal cancer), it seemed like I instantly knew his time was very short (because deep down he knew, I think), but it's still hard to believe it could happen this quickly. It was a beautiful sunny morning a week ago when the news came that he had died - the last day of summer, in fact. For a second the cheery weather seemed at odds with the knot of grief in my throat. But after I cried for a few minutes, I had the sensation that the weather was warm... like him. I had a little thought, like, "Maybe his spirit is in the sunbeams now?" and that seemed fitting.
His self-deprecating sense of humour was still present in his emails from the hospital at the beginning of summer when he first received his diagnosis - he said, "...as you can tell there is plenty of feeling sorry for myself, but the idea will be that if my time is limited to enjoy it as much as I can." And... "I'm not a maudlin person, but sometimes you have to let go. I just want you to know how important you've been to me, I've enjoyed every moment I've spent with you."
Those words of his are a gift, and I want to keep them in mind, and honour them moving forward.
And think happily of the memories...
So, I've been thinking... Platitudes like "everything happens for a reason" don't seem comforting, they seem vague and reductive and trite. I don't know if I'll ever see a reason for Steve to suffer and leave us so young. Instead, I prefer the matter-of-fact way that novelist Kurt Vonnegut describes the difficult things we mortals wrestle with. He doesn't try to explain the inexplicable, he simply says, "...And so it goes."(Slaughterhouse-Five) That feels more right to me. Sometimes being alive means hurting an awful lot, and there's just no pretty way of saying it.
But... my friend was brave. So I will try to be, too. Rather than be maudlin, I can try to think about the last lessons he leaves with me...
And I guess it's this: for all of us, our time is limited. We don't know what that limit is, but we do know our time on this Earthly playground is finite. I don't want to lose focus on what really matters - which is, in fact, very little. Our relationships with other people are important, and not a lot else. Not our egos, or our reputations, or our accomplishments. I want to try to do right by the people and situations that are entrusted to my temporary care, and to try to leave more of a positive trail than a negative one in my wake. When dealing with people, I will ask myself, as Suze Orman suggests, not only 'is it true?', but also 'is it kind?', and 'is it necessary?'
There's no making sense of his passing. But I can accept that a lot of things are out of my control, and moving forward, I will try to sweat them far, far less...
And of those things that are in my control, my goal will be simply to leave anything in at least as good a condition as I inherited it. To realize that whatever small gifts or talents I have are not mine, but mine to share.
Most of all, I want to savour the present moment and have more fun with it. I want to really suck the juice out of this lemon while I can - and then leave with no regrets.
Jenna Adams
I can aim for less anxiety and distraction and fear, and more curiosity and engagement and kindness. And I intend to keep laughing. A lot. Laughter is like a little portal to heaven, where my friend doesn't seem so far away.
On that note, this traditional Scottish & Irish folk song sung by Ed Sheeran feels like a suitable tribute... (An early version of the poem is sometimes attributed to Sir Alex Boswell.)
The Parting Glass
Of all the money that e'er I had I've spent it in good company And all the harm that e'er I've done Alas it was to none but me And all I've done for want of wit To memory now I can't recall So fill to me the parting glass Good night and joy be with you all
Of all the comrades that e'er I had They are sorry for my going away And all the sweethearts that e'er I had They would wish me one more day to stay But since it falls unto my lot That I should rise and you should not I'll gently rise and I'll softly call Good night and joy be with you all
A man may drink and not be drunk A man may fight and not be slain A man may court a pretty girl And perhaps be welcomed back again But since it has so ordered been By a time to rise and a time to fall Come fill to me the parting glass Goodnight and joy be with you all Goodnight and joy be with you all
Jenna Adams
Cheers to you, Steve. You were important to me too.
"What we have once enjoyed, we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us." - Helen Keller
Even though the Spring shows are currently happening, I can't get my head to stay there. When the leaves are changing, and the air is bracing, I want to think about layering up - the boots, the hats, the wooly socks...
I have to admit, I never expected that I'd fancy Victoria Beckham's designs... Victoria herself often looks a bit too severe for my personal taste. But I want to wear literally every single piece in her Autumn/Winter 2012 RTW collection! Which is not something I'd say lightly...
Marcio Madeira/firstVIEW
It's just a brilliant little capsule collection of dresses and coats, with beautiful finishes and accessories.
Marcio Madeira/firstVIEW
Marcio Madeira/firstVIEW
From the dresses, to the coats, to the clean, rich-looking leather accessories, it's all timeless and really wearable.
Olivier Claisse/firstVIEW
Olivier Claisse/firstVIEW
Olivier Claisse/firstVIEW
Marcio Madeira/firstVIEW
The tailoring is razor-sharp, and every detail about the cut-outs and colour-blocking is designed to flatter.
Marcio Madeira/firstVIEW
Marcio Madeira/firstVIEW
Olivier Claisse/firstVIEW
The well-considered embellishments - exposed zippers, brass buttons, flap pockets, and epaulets are military inspired, but not in a costumey way. Just enough to provide the perfect masculine/feminine tension. Everything's streamlined and chic.
Marcio Madeira/firstVIEW
Olivier Claisse/firstVIEW
Olivier Claisse/firstVIEW
And I adore the slouchy layered socks with the boots, which is something I already do anyway.
Marcio Madeira/firstVIEW
I am one smitten kitten. If she keeps this up, she'll be joining the Michael Kors and Christopher Bailey (masters of classic, wearable luxe) club.
