dagblog - Comments for "Fifty Shades of Mr. D.: The Unwritten Rules of Romance Fiction"

One of my favorite Theater

Michael Maiello — Sat, 21 Feb 2015 21:50:53 +0000

One of my favorite Theater History professors, a man named Brian Hansen, believed that theatrical storytelling (fiction obviously started as an oral tradition) was an evolutionary response to shaping people's views of reality in ways that would help them survive. Early plays were, "How not to get eaten by a tiger."

I wonder how that functions now. We tell ourselves "it's only a story," but why are we getting involved in it? One answer is "escape." That's a good answer. But it seems more compelling to me to believe that we indulge stories because we believe they are showing us life as it is.

My problem has been that I think life is a 70s era Woody Allen comedy.

Thanks, Lulu. Good article.

Oxy Mora — Thu, 19 Feb 2015 22:10:36 +0000

In reply to Here is a timely comment

Thanks, Lulu. Good article. Great reference on War Porn.

The part about Ron Kovic (on some days he elected to think of himself as---John Wayne in a movie--when he went on patrol) gets at what I thought Doc's direction was---that is, the elective part of acceptance of fiction as reality. (Not that the rest of the article wasn't)

(And it was interesting in light of this tangent to think about Brian Williams. Now he created his own myth and I'm not ready yet to say that it was entirely a conscious act to gild his own lily---so to speak. In any case he's was in his own movie, and that movie is now in a movie. )

Perhaps the "election" is as simple as saying one is predisposed to the fiction, but it seems like there are other electives involved---and wheels within wheels, including the strength of the fiction itself.

I'm on the fourth episode of Honorable Woman, a six part pretty good BBC fiction series aimed at the Palestinian/Israeli situation and I can feel myself resisting immersion in it---partly it's pretty graphic---pending the political messaging at the end which I may or may not want to agree with.

Here is a timely comment

A Guy Called LULU — Thu, 19 Feb 2015 19:38:04 +0000

In reply to I'm still struck by your

Here is a timely comment regarding your interest. It is obviously not all that can be said about the subject.

Peter Van Buren, Watching the Same Movie About American War for 75 Years.

War Porn
Hollywood and War from World War II to American Sniper

http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175958/tomgram%3A_peter_van_buren%2C_wat...

I'm still struck by your

Oxy Mora — Thu, 19 Feb 2015 18:12:22 +0000

In reply to Sure. And now we get into the

I'm still struck by your comment that " people do let fiction shape their view of reality" and I wonder if you would delve into this more at some point. My understanding is that we extract the myth and integrate it in some way---individually,intentionally, societally, I'm not sure. Seems awfully important to understand this process better when. e.g., movies like Sniper create a reality that we invaded IRAQ because of 9/11, the myth already having been created that there were WMD there---not to mention what a fine strategist Bush was. Or in just dealing with the effects of this movie---which continues to disturb my latent Baptist upbringing concerning its ill effects on society.

My favorite Jane Austen novel

moat — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 01:03:22 +0000

In reply to Fifty Shades of Mr. D.: The Unwritten Rules of Romance Fiction

My favorite Jane Austen novel is Persuasion. The story is based upon the fact Captain Wentworth's proposal to wed Anne Elliot was turned down by her, years before the events described in the novel took place. This does fit the model you put forward of a woman not being seen to pursue the man she wants. While satisfying the romantic requirement of them getting together despite Anne's initial rejection, the story has other agendas that argue with the item so nicely provided.

There is the process of punishment. Anne did not reject the Captain because of her lack of feelings for him but out of respect for Lady Russell and the prospect of the marriage upon the fortunes of her family. This very unromantic criteria for rejection was misunderstood by the Captain to be a rejection of himself on the most personal of terms. The story plays out with both of the lovers hurting each other more and more as the initial misunderstanding is compounded by new ones. The element that saves both of them from the punishment consuming them altogether is that they started admiring the decisions the other person made without reference to each other. The social restrictions that conditioned their communications also provided a different perspective from their personal suffering. The model of the good marriage presented here is simple and yet quite difficult to bring about in life:

Establish a place beyond hurting each other while also not pretending to be what you are not.

It is hard for me to imagine an ideal located further from the ideas of role playing. It is ironic how the structure of this ideal is sketched out by an author so handy at describing people playing out their roles.

I looked at it when it at the

trkingmomoe — Tue, 17 Feb 2015 23:23:58 +0000

In reply to Lol, Doc. I have a feeling

I looked at it at the book store and it didn't grab my interest. The big kids told me they could get a e-book copy if I wanted it. I told them not to bother. They gave me Elisabeth Warren's book instead.

Why, thanks, Doc. Some days I

Oxy Mora — Tue, 17 Feb 2015 22:44:12 +0000

In reply to I liked your comment, oxy.

Why, thanks, Doc. Some days I think I just don't get things at all.

If you're looking for

Michael Maiello — Tue, 17 Feb 2015 22:11:26 +0000

In reply to Sure. And now we get into the

If you're looking for Christian Grey, you're more likely to meet Patrick Bateman.

Lol, Doc. I have a feeling

Ramona — Tue, 17 Feb 2015 21:34:21 +0000

In reply to Thanks, Mona.

Lol, Doc. I have a feeling the author is as silly as the female character. She would have to have some depth in order to give Mr. Grey some depth.

I liked your comment, oxy.

Doctor Cleveland — Tue, 17 Feb 2015 21:00:24 +0000

In reply to Now you have me curious about

I liked your comment, oxy.

dagblog - Comments for "Fifty Shades of Mr. D.: The Unwritten Rules of Romance Fiction"

One of my favorite Theater

Thanks, Lulu. Good article.

﻿Here is a timely comment

I'm still struck by your

My favorite Jane Austen novel

I looked at it when it at the

Why, thanks, Doc. Some days I

If you're looking for

Lol, Doc. I have a feeling

I liked your comment, oxy.

Here is a timely comment