So Here's A Real "Get Off My Lawn" Moment

[handful_ofdust]

As somebody who's still not very interested in Avatar (the Cameron movie), I've been getting more and more annoyed by the whole "Oh, this is just Ferngully: The Last Rainforest with blue people! In space! Rippy rippy ripoff, yah boo sucks neener!" meme. Because that title means literally nothing to me--I keep looking at these references and going: "Am I supposed to know what this is? Does everybody know what this is except me? What's wrong with them? What's wrong with me?"

Well, today I looked it up...and discovered that it came out in 1992. When I was either 24 or 26, on the verge of moving/freshly moved out of my mother's house, just starting my career as a film reviewer, very self-identified as an adult, and highly unlikely to go see animated kids' films on my own recognizance. Which I suppose should make me feel sheepish, but--yeah, not so much. Not so much AT ALL. Because applying the templates of films aimed at children to films aimed at adults is...specious at best, ridiculous at worst, in this former critic's eyes. At least the whole Dances with Wolves comparison has actual merit, and--better yet--a chance of being a reference people beyond your personal age-range might recognize. Not everyone has the same set of childhood touchstones, ladies 'n' whoever; who'd'a thunk?

But then again, I guess it's true what they say about geeks, after all: We really do never grow up. And--as keeps getting ably proven and re-proven, in oh so many ways/areas--we continue to have amazing trouble understanding the idea that everyone on Earth isn't just an endless reiteration of ourselves.

This morning's rant brought to you by yet another Tuesday of run-run-running, and no coffee yet.;)

Comments

[sixteenbynine.livejournal.com]

"Deluded" in the sense that you felt like you got gypped? (I have a post about Trek, sort of, already published.)

[handful-ofdust.livejournal.com]

No, I was just labeling myself that proactively, since I don't actually feel like I got gypped, which I get the feeling you maybe think I did. How far back is that post? Were we linked up then?

[sixteenbynine.livejournal.com]

I just made it: http://www.genjipress.com/2010/01/contrarianator-dept.html

I know I feel I got ripped off; the more I think about the film, the less I like it. I'm also trying to separate that from judgments ABOUT people who watch the film, but it's trickier than I thought.

[handful-ofdust.livejournal.com]

Why trickier? Because it makes you think less of them? Yeah, that'd suck, if so. For me, when I walk into a movie theatre and the guy selling tickets has a badge which claims his favorite film is American Pie II, I really no longer feel like I have to get into it with him, because what's the point? Good on ya, guy. Now give me my ticket to Gangs, and bye bye/fly fly.

[sixteenbynine.livejournal.com]

Right, and a lot of times I don't want to think less of someone for having bad taste, because that's the greased-pig slope to unrequited snobbery. I actually have more respect for someone who "just likes" American Pie II than someone who defends crap because they don't want to be caught dead looking lowbrow.

[handful-ofdust.livejournal.com]

Aha, actually, never mind: Just saw what you just put up.

Since I certainly agree with you re Moff's law--this always having been the way I assess things, professionally and otherwise, and I can't think of anything more annoying than people who are all "but who you gotta THINK, boo? What's THAT about?"--I should probably make my position on Trek Latest really, really clear: I don't have a dog in that fight. I enjoyed it, I enjoy it, but I know what it is. It doesn't give me that cracktastic jolt of soul-affirmation that other people are ready to throw down over; subsequently, I don't feel like I have to care much, either way.

With Avatar, OTOH, I foresee so much fooferaw going in that it makes me ...not want to go in, you know? Just not bother. I'm sure there are a lot of other arguments I should probably book time to have, this year.

[handful-ofdust.livejournal.com]

Make that: "Why you gotta THINK, boo?"

[sixteenbynine.livejournal.com]

Excellent summation of your POV. I don't mind people liking Trek (or Avatar); I just resent it being defended on the grounds that there's nothing new anyway so why not turn your brain off.