Trope

Herself speaks.

I've been trying to find something mildly entertaining on Netflix to pass the time while using the elliptical trainer at the gym. Recently I selected a movie, and though it was indeed mildly entertaining, it contained a trope that I find extremely problematic: that of the young woman who willingly participates in a mutually desired sexual encounter -- who then promptly dies/is abducted by aliens/eaten by a bear/otherwise meets a grisly and untimely demise. (To be fair, the young man sometimes perishes as well. Still, I'm more concerned with the prevalence of young women who meet this fate.)

Can we not do this any more? Please?

Let's just let young women enjoy sex without suggesting that the price for doing so is death.

Let's just let everyone enjoy sex.

Let's just mind our own business and pay no heed to the carnal activities of consenting adults. It is none of our business, anyway.

::: stepping off soapbox :::

Illustration from another trope: Death and the Maiden, found here:

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DeathAndTheMaiden

In The Neighborhood

Herself speaks.

I saw a trailer for a documentary about Mr. Rogers today. And though I don't much enjoy documentaries, this is one that I will be happy to watch. 

You can find all sorts of clips of Mr. Rogers all over YouTube. They are delightful. Look at him: his all-encompassing kindness, his thoughtful acknowledgment of feelings of all shapes and sizes. He seems almost too good to be true -- and I watch him, nearly fearful, half-expecting a piece of sarcasm or of dismissal or of anger to come from him. Yet it never does. He speaks soothingly and lovingly to all people, regardless of their age, color, abilities. It is beautiful -- almost as if a conversation with Mr. Rogers could somehow put the whole world right again. 

Thank you, Mr. Rogers, for making the world a better place. 

Je Souhaite

The other morning, I watched the episode, Je Souhaite, in season 7 of X Files. which involves a jinni who grants three wishes (usually, with disastrous consequences) to each possessor of her magic carpet. And my coincidence, later that same day, I was asked: if I had three wishes, what would they be?

That's a much more difficult question than one might think.

The temptation is, first of all, to be altruistic -- to wish for good health and success of the people I love. When allowed to be self-centered, though, it is much harder to determine what I might want.

I did, ultimately, come up with three wishes. They seemed rather mundane. Before I tell you, though, I ask you:

What are your three wishes for yourself?

A LIttle Firefly

Ah, Firefly. Some of the very best dialog ever to appear on television. 

Kaylee: (wistfully) “Wash, tell me I’m pretty.”
Wash: “Were I unwed, I would take you in a manly fashion.”
Kaylee: ” ‘Cause I’m pretty?”
Wash: ” ‘Cause you’re pretty.”
Kaylee: “Thank you. That was very restorative.”

Cast photo found here: 

http://www.tv.com/news/news-briefs-comic-con-will-honor-the-10th-anniversary-of-firefly-28984/

Pulse

"The deadliest mass shooting in US history," it is said.

Unfathomable.

Targeted for being gay -- for biology; for the way they were knit together in their mothers' wombs.

Imagine the mother on the other side of this text exchange -- her child asking her to call the police; telling her that the gunman was coming; "I'm gonna die."

And die he did.

Godspeed, souls of Pulse.

(Found here: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/mom-shares-tragic-texts-missing-son-mass-shooting-article-1.2671082)

X 6

Herself speaks.

I've been slowly plowing through episodes of The X Files as I use my elliptical trainer, and am now in the midst of Season 6. For the first time since I began watching the series, I skipped over an episode. (Actually, I skipped over two episodes, since it was a two-part story line.)

I'd just finished a "transported back in history" episode; I have plenty of trouble with such storylines, since I am always reminded of that Ray Bradbury short story, A Sound of Thunder, where the demise of a butterfly in the past changes the course of events in the future. The next two episodes were "body switching" episodes. And I just couldn't. The idea of two people exchanging bodies and having to pretend to be someone else, knowing what they know and behaving as they would behave, causes a level of squeamishness that I just cannot tolerate. I'm not sure why that is. It just is.

I've moved on to the next episodes, and am pleased that Scully and Mulder (and occasionally Skinner) are back to their usual, correct-time-period-and-body goings-on.

A few thoughts:

Will Scully and Mulder ever become romantically entangled? Part of me genuinely hopes not; they have such a lovely, intellectual, heartfelt companionship, that I can't help but think that romance would alter that somehow. On the other hand, perhaps being romantically involved is a natural progression, since they have been through so much together and understand one another so well. We shall see.

Could the show please weave Skinner into more episodes? He is a marvelous character: complex, carefully walking the line between duty to the bureau and support for Mulder and Scully's more bizarre cases. Conflicted, stern yet obviously caring, and intelligent (and, it must be said, quite attractive) -- more Skinner, please.

I am tired of Krychek.

I am also tired of the theme of "shutting down the X Files". Let's just let Mulder and Scully get back to work, shall we?

Also: I am not sure who is more attractive, Mulder or Scully. How did they manage to populate this show with such good-looking individuals? And their costuming is outstanding. I wish I could carry off Scully's crisply tailored pantsuits.

On the other hand, why are they so frequently wearing trenchcoats? Don't they get hot?

Do they carry flashlights in their pockets? They always seem to have one when they need one.

Could they please TURN ON THE LIGHTS in more episodes? Everything is so dark. Perhaps that explains the omnipresent flashlights, though.

What will happen next, I wonder?

The trio, found here: http://www.xfilesuniverse.com/news/tag/lone-gunmen/

Flap Your Hands

Herself speaks.

Yesterday, I watched the X-Files episode, Elegy, while exercising. Without divulging too many plot details, the episode centered around an individual with autism, Harold Spuller, who appears to have a particular psychic link to several other people. At several points during the episode, Harold Spuller becomes upset, and uses his various methods of self-soothing to try to cope -- for example, he recites bowling scores that he has memorized. He also flaps one hand in his lap or at his side, opening and closing it repetitively, as if trying to release the hold of his emotion by shaking it out of his hand.

And with a start of recognition, I realized: I do that.

What does it mean, that I'm a hand flapper? I do not know. I do know, though, that I will be particularly sensitive to hand-flapping in other people when I see it, because I understand exactly how it is used to try to cope with emotion. Flap away, people -- and I'll flap with you.

(I found this great image here: 

https://nickspecialneeds.wordpress.com/tag/school-pictures-and-a-special-needs/)

X Thoughts

Herself speaks.

Eons ago, it seems, Beloved Husband and I used to watch X Files. Science-y, science fiction-y, creepy awesomeness. And it's now on Netflix! HUZZAH. I've started fresh from season one, to see if it's as good as I remember. I've now watched the first few episodes, and have had the following thoughts:

Scully's complexion is flawless. And she always looks so well-coiffed.

Ah, Mulder. I had such a thing for you, back in the day.

Scully is supposed to be a medical school graduate? And teaching at the FBI Academy? She's not old enough. SO YOUNG.

And Mulder is supposed to be 33. Really? He looks SO YOUNG too.

I must be really old.

Equal opportunity gratuitous flesh: Scully in a bra, Mulder shirtless. (Not together, mind you.) 
Something for everyone.

How does Scully manage not to look ginormous in all those boxy oversized shoulder-padded blazers? I would have loved her wardrobe back in the late 80s-early 90s. Except if would never have worked on me, because Boobs. I wonder what it's like to be a tiny woman? Sigh.

Mulder's dialog is a bit hackneyed. Why does he always sound like he's enunciating profound truths in every sentence?

Oooh, Scully's apartment. She has a bathtub with feet. I would love a bathtub with feet.

Mulder has Very Poofy Hair. In the shot in which he's supposed to have just woken up, he has extremely realistic bedhead. Oh, dear.

They both have big round glasses. I had those! Awesome.

Scully is very careless with her firearm. She tucked it into her waistband to climb down a ladder (NO), and in two consecutive episodes, she left it in a place where she'd have to run to it or scrabble to get it -- the wrong nightstand in a hotel, and on the back of her living room couch. She really needs to be more responsible.

Oh, Mulder. WHY did I have such a thing for you back in the day?

They have a very pleasant rapport. They can question one another's point of view and beliefs without making it personal or taking offense. Well done, you two.

So many of their problems could be solved with cell phones.

Good times.

Mulder and Scully were found here: 

http://s017.radikal.ru/i418/1208/72/518bd295735a.jpg

Zhaan

I've been watching Farscape. It's entertaining; the characters are well-developed and interesting, the special effects are decent, and I'm invested enough (at just halfway through the first season) to want to continue watching.

I am particularly fond of one charater -- Zhaan.  She is blue and bald, and exceptionally beautiful in her blue- and bald-ness. Much of the character's beauty comes from within: she serene, capable, nonjudgmental. and patient. She exudes warmth and intelligence and sensuality.  Because of her training, she can literally share others' pain to help them. And yet, she recognizes her flaws, acknowledging that she has a ruthless and savage side deep within.

I'll be interested to see how her character develops. Perhaps I can seek to be a little more like her, too.

Zhaan was found here: 

http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/farscape/images/21175212/title/zhaan-photo

Buffy

We've been watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It's pleasant and not terribly draining, with the plotlines generally wrapped up neatly at the end of each 40-odd-minute episode -- perfect for entertainment while using the elliptical trainer.

The costumer for the show must have had a fabulous time dressing the actors; Buffy in particular always looks fabulous and effortlessly stylish. Herself might envy the actress's petite and lithe frame just a bit; there's no way a more substantial woman could look nearly as marvelous in that wardrobe.

More than the clothes, though, Herself admires the way Buffy, Willow and Xander are portrayed as friends. They look after each other, hug each other freely, admit their failings and receive sympathy in return, and unquestioningly support one another.  In one episode Herself watched recently, the three are shown watching television together, and Xander and Buffy each are braiding/playing with a small section of Willow's hair while Willow explains the complex and perplexing plot of the Indian movie they are watching. It's a lovely sort of quiet intimacy among the three of them.

It's completely unrealistic, I think.  And yet, it's something that I would very much enjoy having.

(Picture found here: http://buffythevampireslayerultimate.wikia.com/wiki/Xander_Harris)

Broadchurch

Yesterday we finished watching the first season of the BBC show, Broadchurch.  It really was outstanding. Beautifully acted and suspenseful, it is a well-wrought description of the intertwining of the lives of the residents of a small community, and a wrenching display of how things unravel in the face of a terrible crime.  Nearly all of the characters have their own hidden sorrows and mistakes which are slowly and painfully dragged into the light by the investigation. While at times the tiny details are nearly overwhelming, in the overall arch of the story, they all eventually fall into place quietly and naturally. In the end, we are heartbroken for so many of the characters, and yet we see how the characters manage to move forward even in the face of betrayal and loss and terrible heartache.  It is the most human of shows we have watched in a long time. Well done. 

This photograph was found here: 

http://www.bbcamerica.com/broadchurch/guide/season-1/episode-1/

Live Long and Prosper

Leonard Nimoy passed away today.  His iconic Mr. Spock -- he of arched eyebrow, "fascinating," and impeccable logic -- was near and dear to generations of Star Trek fans.  Herself was always partial to Spock: his science, his wry and patient tolerance for the foibles of human nature, his effortless intelligence, were all so appealing. She suspects that many of these characteristics were shared by Leonard Nimoy himself.  He was so much more than Spock, too: he was photographer, director, and poet; he was a million other little things, including the narrator of bits of the planetarium shows at the Boston Museum of Science. And thus in a way, he was a piece of our childhoods, our young adulthoods, our Star Trek-loving selves.  He enriched our imaginations and our lives. And the planet is better for him.

Godspeed, Mr. Nimoy.  You lived long, and you prospered. 

From the Inside Looking Out

Sometimes I wonder
Whether I might disappear - 
Immediately
Forgotten when out of sight,
I am The Silence
(like the Doctor Who creature, 
only not evil),
Or a house elf, unobserved.
Would they draw a mark
To remember I exist?
Would they knit a hat
For me, so I could be free?
What would I do then?
I don't want to change the world
I just want to know
That yes, I matter. 

Turn Left

Herself is slowly making her way through Dr. Who episodes as she uses her elliptical trainer. (She finds it difficult to justify solely watching television without simultaneously accomplishing something else, and so she only sees as many shows during which she has the patience and time to exercise.)  This morning's episode was: Turn Left, which centers around companion Donna Noble, painting a picture of how the universe would be if she had never met the Doctor.

Without going into details (say it with me: "Spoilers!"), suffice it to say, Donna seems to have a tremendous effect. It's a lovely sentiment/realization for a character such as Donna, who frequently seems to feel like a tremendous disappointment and failure to those around her.

Perhaps part of the mystique -- and popularity -- of Dr. Who lies in the message that any person can be extraordinary. As Rose and Donna discuss:

Rose: He was a Time Lord. Last of his kind.
Donna: But if he was so special, what was he doing with me?
Rose: He thought you were brilliant.
Donna: Don't be stupid.
Rose: But you are. It just took the Doctor to show you that, simply by being with him. He did the same to me. To everyone he touches.

I think we would all like to be brilliant, especially to someone as brilliant as the Doctor.

Perhaps, in some way, we all are.

"You may not see it now," said the Princess of Pure Reason, looking knowingly at Milo's puzzled face, "but whatever we learn has a purpose and whatever we do affects everything and everyone else, if even in the tiniest way. Why, when a housefly flaps his wings, a breeze goes round the world; when a speck of dust falls to the ground, the entire planet weighs a little more; and when you stamp your foot, the earth moves slightly off its course. Whenever you laugh, gladness spreads like the ripples in the pond; and whenever you're sad, no one anywhere can be really happy. And it's much the same thing with knowledge, for whenever you learn something new, the whole world becomes that much richer. - Norton Juster, The Phantom Tollbooth

Donna and the Doctor were found here: 

http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2014/jul/28/flirting-tardis-peter-capaldi-doctor-who-interview

Mad Women

We don't typically watch much television around here -- there is no cable television or satellite connection; any shows we select are either on DVD or available streaming online.  We still try to keep an eye on what shows are most popular, though, so that we can try them out when the occasion arises and see what the fuss is about.  Beloved Husband has slowly worked his way through the show, Breaking Bad, and has now started upon Mad Men.  Herself is busy with other activities, but cannot help but overhear the dialog from the first episode of Mad Men.

We understand that the show is set in a particular time period when interactions between men and women in the work force were different than how they are now. Still:  the blatant sexism.  So. Very. Uncomfortable.

Herself is pleased -- and relieved -- never to have encountered anything other than egalitarian behavior in her professional career. Sometimes it's surprising to think that relatively recently, things were very different -- and that perhaps in some situations, that kind of disparate treatment still occurs. Herself cannot imagine how to handle sexist or suggestive or inappropriate commentary in the workplace (other than with perhaps a withering stare).  With a bit of luck, she never will have to do so.

Crumpet

We have been watching Sherlock. It's quite an enjoyable show. While discussing the series with a friend, we looked up actor Benedict Cumberbatch  and were quite amused to find that he is occasionally known as "the thinking woman's crumpet."  While he's not Herself's particular cup of tea physical-wise, his apparent intelligence and good humor do render him appealing. We think we'll investigate his other works when we're done with Sherlock.