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baleanopteraThoughts in the aftermath of an art historical conference:
-Most young male associate professors use way too many complicated words. This makes their lectures almost impossible to understand, and it makes the debate following the lectures slightly ridiculous. This is especially true if the person asking the question is another young male associate professor – then the communication breakdown is complete. So note to self – go to lectures held by older, female professors. They call a painting a painting, and not a two-dimensional, visual object whose content must be seen in the context of the visual tradition.
-Also avoid lectures that consist completely of theory, as they have no connection to the real world. Okay, this is a pet peeve – but I feel that if theory isn’t connected to one or several examples its use is kind of limited. As any action flick will tell you – it was a good plan, in theory…
-How come on a conference spanning several days, with almost 70 lectures, no one talks about art outside Western Europe? Fine, I’m guilty of this my self, but the fact still worries me.
-Watching BSG and LOTR is a good way to relax when you head is still buzzing with visual theory. I’m still not sure of BSG S2 though – the story keeps telling me that Starbuck is so, so special – and I can’t see it. She shows up in each episode and behaves with the maturity of a five year old, and sulks her way through storyline after storyline. She is really starting to annoy me. And why do all the storylines in the later part of the season depend on the incompetence of the characters? The Pegasus is having trouble – their leader is incompetent. Or there is a hostage situation – Starbuck is incompetent. It just seems sloppy.
-As for LOTR – I still get emotional when Boromir dies. It might be the Sean Bean factor, but still.
-Most young male associate professors use way too many complicated words. This makes their lectures almost impossible to understand, and it makes the debate following the lectures slightly ridiculous. This is especially true if the person asking the question is another young male associate professor – then the communication breakdown is complete. So note to self – go to lectures held by older, female professors. They call a painting a painting, and not a two-dimensional, visual object whose content must be seen in the context of the visual tradition.
-Also avoid lectures that consist completely of theory, as they have no connection to the real world. Okay, this is a pet peeve – but I feel that if theory isn’t connected to one or several examples its use is kind of limited. As any action flick will tell you – it was a good plan, in theory…
-How come on a conference spanning several days, with almost 70 lectures, no one talks about art outside Western Europe? Fine, I’m guilty of this my self, but the fact still worries me.
-Watching BSG and LOTR is a good way to relax when you head is still buzzing with visual theory. I’m still not sure of BSG S2 though – the story keeps telling me that Starbuck is so, so special – and I can’t see it. She shows up in each episode and behaves with the maturity of a five year old, and sulks her way through storyline after storyline. She is really starting to annoy me. And why do all the storylines in the later part of the season depend on the incompetence of the characters? The Pegasus is having trouble – their leader is incompetent. Or there is a hostage situation – Starbuck is incompetent. It just seems sloppy.
-As for LOTR – I still get emotional when Boromir dies. It might be the Sean Bean factor, but still.
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no subject
Date: 2006-09-27 04:05 pm (UTC)I don't think I've ever managed to watch the last 20 minutes of FOTR without crying (definitely at least 90% Sean Bean, although I think the writing for his final scenes was a huge improvement on the books ;))
And man, I don't think I could agree with you more on Starbuck - I loved her so much in Season 1, and then they had to make her all specialdestinywoundedinnerchild blahblahblah and I just ... I have no interest in that kind of character at all. And I also resent that somehow HER pain at her childhood abuse is supposed to be more special and riveting than the fact that EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER ON THE SHOW LOST THEIR HOMES AND FAMILIES IN THE NUCLEAR GENOCIDE.
no subject
Date: 2006-09-27 04:49 pm (UTC)I think there a two moments in LOTR that gets to me each and every time - and that is Boromir dying and Theoden dying. When I read the book I handle the deaths fine, but when I see the films? I sniff and cry almost each and every time.
So I definitely agree with you on Boromir's final scenes being an improvement. And those arrows just look so ridiculously painful, which really drives the point home (hmm..not sure that pun was intended.)
There is also this little trick with muting the sound that Jackson does when somebody dies. He does it with Gandalf and with Boromir,and thereby you get these really quiet moments when grief and desperation just shines through.
I loved her so much in Season 1, and then they had to make her all specialdestinywoundedinnerchild blahblahblah and I just ...
And that is the really sad thing - in S1 she is this great character, and her and Lee have this interesting dynamic - and in season 2 everything gets pushed aside to "Special-Starbuck OMG!". And not only do I, like you, have no interest in that sort of character - but I don't see any evidence that she is so special. Sure - she is very good at what she does, but so is Gaeta or Admiral Adama.
And I also resent that somehow HER pain at her childhood abuse is supposed to be more special and riveting than the fact that EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER ON THE SHOW LOST THEIR HOMES AND FAMILIES IN THE NUCLEAR GENOCIDE.
*grin* so very true. I'm hoping S3 will be a little bit more focused story-wise, and that they will be able to handle the whole jumping-a-year-ahead thing.
no subject
Date: 2006-09-27 11:33 pm (UTC)Oh, yes, I love that all you can really hear is Boromir breathing - in one of the commentaries someone (perhaps Sean Bean?) mentions that it's almost like Boromir is drowning (which I guess technically he is, since the arrows went in to his lungs). It's just an absolutely perfect scene.
The moment in the MOVIES that gets me with Theoden is actually when he breaks down after Theodred's funeral and his voice cracks and I can't watch that without weeping. (And you know, Boromir and Theoden are my two favorite characters in the films!)
I agree that in Season 1, there's nothing to suggest that Starbuck is somehow set apart from the others. Even her special pain about Zach is tied into her relationships with Adama and with Lee. I don't know if this is really, objectively true, but I felt like so much of Season 2 became less "Battlestar Galactica" with ensemble cast, and more "The Life and Times of Starbuck, Coolest Ever Person" and I HATED that.