Long-time commenter bsgfan2003 (or Rosie, if you prefer) is back guest clacking for us today….
True Blood, Moonlight, Reaper and the upcoming Vampire Diaries: I don’t doubt that these shows have clever writing, talented actors, and engrossing stories. In the case of Buffy and Angel, I assume the writing and acting are top notch, because I’m a fan of Joss Whedon’s other work. However, I have seen enough commercials, and read enough plot explanations to know that these shows are not for me.
I have many reasons for passing on EV-TV (Evil Television). Generally speaking, EV-TV muddles truths, twists things of beauty, and profanes what I find sacred. The frightening imagery also does not sit well with me. Even during a commercial for one of these shows, the distorted evil faces make me want to jump out of my skin. Being frightened is just not a feeling I would like to subject myself to on a regular basis.
I can watch Good battle Evil when the roles are clearly defined. When the lines are blurred, and perverse creatures with fangs or horns coming out of their heads are honored and called good: I’m out.
The bummer here, especially in the case of Buffy and Angel, is Joss Whedon. Because of my sincere appreciation for Firefly, Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog, and even Dollhouse, I know that I’m missing some good writing, and it stings a bit. Especially in summer, when I could be enjoying a CliqueClack Virgin Diary. Bottom line, though:, it’s just never going to happen between EV-TV and I.
I do, however, enjoy the mystical and amazing. I don’t think I’m alone is saying I’d like to see more well written, mystical and amazing shows that shun the frightening.
I have an idea too. Far fetched and improbable that it would come to fruition, but it’s a nice thought I’ve been massaging. I’d like to see the clever and talented write — and act — the mystical and amazing for the side of good: namely, the Saints. (Don’t anyone roll your eyes, and Sebastian, I can feel you coming for me like a heat seeking missile. Cool your jets and keep reading.) Saints do radical things like pray for those who persecute them. They throw off the chains of earthly comforts and live their lives in pursuit of doing good works for others. As for the mystical and amazing, they more than have it covered. Here are two examples:
St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226)
Went from naughty, selfish party boy to kissing the hand of a leper. He wore rags and sang in the woods. When robbers beat him and took his clothes he “climbed out of a ditch” and went off singing again. He famously preached to the birds about their beautiful clothes God gave them, while they sat peacefully, not bothering to fly off until he was finished. He intervened when a wolf was preying upon the inhabitants of a village. He talked the wolf into never killing the villagers again. The wolf became a pet of the village and they all kept it fed.
St. Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio) (1887-1968)
He was granted Stigmata, Visions, and Ecstasies. There are eyewitness accounts of bilocation (the ability to be in two places at once) by Padre Pio. He also felt pains of the Passion of Christ, crowning of thorns and scourging.
In my mind’s eye, I can see their stories played out on a show, and it would be wholly absorbing.
Again, I don’t know about the feasibility of such a show. Who would/could take on such a project? What network would pick it up? But, I am entirely convinced that there is a market for the mystical and amazing, minus the overt glorification of evil.
Can I get an Amen?
Clacked by Guest Clacker
on Jul 03, 2009 @ 10:00 EST5EDT
AMEN Rosie, you go girl!
Rosie, if you put aside the evil and scary pieces of it, you might really enjoy Angel, as one of the main themes is redemption. This is a vampire who did all kinds of evil, but now has a soul and through all of his actions, is trying to make up for all the bad he’s done. There are lots of miraculous things that happen on this show because of the goodness of souls.
Absolutely. One of the best parts of Angel was the idea of blurring the lines of good and evil.
Love Angel, but I think I’ve just about beat that horse dead.
Amen
I suggest you sit down and have a go at accustoming to yourself to the complexities and tone of ‘evil’ series. Buffy and Angel don’t glorify evil. In fact, they don’t glorify anything, except perhaps entertainment; they have no ideological agenda and they exist only to provide you with a good show.
If your disposition is really as fragile as you say, then it might be difficult at first, but there are really much darker things out there than Buffy / Angel and even True Blood and most viewers, even those with religious convictions, don’t bat an eyelid. If they can do it, so can you, and the effort will be worth it.
On the other hand, nobody would pick up your proposed show about saints, and that’s because it would make for utterly feeble watching. Most people would find it unbearably preachy and schmaltzy by turns. Maybe in the 50s.
If it was feeble, I don’t think it would be because of the subject material. It would be because of what other “might have been good” shows suffer from – lack of money, poor acting, directing, writing etc.
“Maybe in the 50’s” – I watch the story of St. Bernadette at least once a year. It was made in the 40’s. https://www.excerptsofinri.com/bernadette_soubirous_iii.html
And there has been 2 fairly recent movies about Joan of Arc – here’s one that was on t.v.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0178145/
AMEN!
You make a good case. Might not make mainstream, but there is some excellent subject matter in the Saints.
Remember, it was Augustine who said, “Lord, make me chaste, just not now.”
Besides, look how interesting Disney made Hamlet with The Lion King.
Wow. I could write so many things about this but I’d rather not.
Discretion is the better part of valour. ;)
It’s the respect for your belief system that makes me mum. It’s not my place to criticize your taste nor your values.
Took me a while to understand that. :-)
Very kind of you. We move the ball forward yet again. I was reading Thomas Merton the other day and thought of you specifically when I read this:
“Do not be too quick to condemn the man who no longer believes in God: for it is perhaps your own coldness and avarice and mediocrity and materialism and selfishness that have chilled his faith.”
This reminds me to try to be a better representative of my faith to you and others.
Hehe :-)
I was raised catholic, trust me I know what I think I’m not missing. I’m a fan of Bill Maher so I guess you know where I stand ;-)
I think there’s definitely an audience for your two proposed shows but I simply didn’t like the example of Buffy and Angel.
Deb and Ivey added the right comments :-) I didn’t like Buffy at first either but because of different reasons so there’s enough reason to try it again. I don’t know your religion but as a former catholic I can wholeheartedly say if there’s something you encounter you think you shouldn’t have there’s always confession ;-)
Rosie,
I want to say I enjoy your writing.
You have a gift.
Irene
A VERY nice post bsgfan2003. I used to like “Stairway to Heaven” with the excellent Micheal Landon. I would wager you might have been a fan of that one as well.
Rosie – I agree about the evil, but as Debbie mentioned, Angel — and Buffy, too — delved into storylines of redemption and good vs. evil. True Blood might be a little dark for you. I love it and review it on TV Squad, but there are definitely things about it that bother me.
Though I write a movie blog – plug for FilmGecko.com here – I’m not a fan of horror movies and very rarely will see or review them. I just don’t need those images in my head.
Debbie and I have talked about that for TV shows, too. There are some shows I haven’t reviewed for CliqueClack because they’re too dark or sad. I watched the entire Sopranos series a few years ago, and couldn’t get enough of the show, even though the images of mobsters and knee-breaking was bothersome. I couldn’t look away.
Then again, there have been shows celebrating angels and Christianity – Touched by an Angel, Highway to Heaven. I must admit, though, both of those shows were a little too sappy for me. If they could do a show like that with the edginess and characters of Whedon, I’d be all over it.
Have you checked out Saving Grace? Holly Hunter’s Grace Hanadarko has issues, lots of issues, but her angel companion is edgy and interesting.
Same here Jane. I watch almost everything but Horror. I just don’t like to be scared. 8mm was the goriest thing I saw in my life and I won’t get near “Hostel” or “Saw” – same goes for TV Shows. I wouldn’t poke “TruBlood” with a long stick. So for me it’s not the evil, it’s the gore.
I just read a spoiler for Warehouse 13 and I may be in trouble there too. I’ll have to see.