Thursday, July 28, 2016

Collection, With A Lot of Villainy

It’s the wrong Donald, Gromit.

Apparently (in certain others' minds, anyway) I am a ... PANK. Hm. Sounds distasteful. I'm not persuaded this is a label worth accepting - indeed, I'm not entirely persuaded by this article. Still, it's interesting to note that, invisible as I am being an old biddy aunt, I'm an impressively fast-growing demographic.

NPR did a piece today on why villains are always the interesting characters. I'd argue against the old "good guys are always boring" routine; a good writer doesn't leave the protagonist drab. As good writing goes, "good guys are boring" is lazy right there. It is right after they say villains are always the interesting ones, using Shakespeare's Iago (I am NOT linking that for you, if you don't know the reference, look it up) as a juicy example, that I immediately think of Claudius. Not Graves' Claudius (nor Derek Jacobi's), but Hamlet's. He does not steal the show. James Bond villains often don't either - Bond villains are MacGuffins, simply there to set everything in motion. Captain America: Civil War was the same - a villain we spend no time with, care about not one whit, and who in the end has nothing to do with anything at all. Surprisingly good movie, out of that.

But still. The montage of famous villains' voices at the top is worth the ride. Could use more of the Star Wars evil march music, though.

The MOST fascinating part of this story is its point regarding villains' never thinking they ARE bad guys or women. No matter your place on the political spectrum - right now, this year, there is no way around seeing that as a reference not to movies, but to this election.

3 comments:

Donnaeve said...

You were cracking me up with the PANK title. You're a great "auntie" and I only know that because you've talked about the love you have for your nieces in past posts. It's a title I'd be proud of, personally. Folks get married later and later these days. Although I assume for you, your singleness is by choice, b/c, unless it is Mr. X, you have no interest whatsoever.

My son will be 36 this coming February. The longest relationship he's ever had was six months. He's successful. Has a great job with Wells Fargo. Has a nice spiffy new car - BMW. Owns a townhouse. The latest gal he went on a date with, said, "I just don't feel a connection," which seems to be the polite way these days to say "I'm just not that into you." We visited him this past weekend. He had a book on his nightstand - MODERN ROMANCE by Aziz Ansari. He said it was good, but if my son has resorted to reading a book to help his love life along, then I know he's entered a different thought process all together. Thus, the worry.

DLM said...

Pank just sounds too much like dank! :) Childlessness has definitely been my choice, I'll say that. I never felt that urge to have a baby of my own, never heard the "biological clock", still don't feel I've missed out, and am glad to be beyond the age of arguing about procreative imperatives with people who think I do not know my own mind. Mr X-less-ness is less a choice than a "what else can you do?" (and believe me, I have asked!) - but yeah, I'll admit, he has pretty much ruined me for all the other boys. What a twerp.

Your son sounds rather like a catch - and I am stunned you have a 36-year-old. May his choices get him where he wants to be!

Donnaeve said...

Well. Not 36 yet. February - these things matter. To me, not him. :)