HERESY QUÉBEC: 4/12/09

The Problem with Magical Thinking:

The Rapture, currently sitting at 6.6/10 on IMDB and 72% on Rotten Tomatoes is surprisingly relevant. Maybe Mimi Rogers’ best performance? Some of the more interesting lines follow.

Angie: Have you heard the word of God? It's the greatest gift of all time. You have to trust completely in God. He'll forgive you of all your sins.
Sharon: Who forgives God?

Randy: Sharon, it's just a drug. You're in pain. Instead of doing heroin, you're doing God.

[last lines]
Sharon: Forever.

There is a fair film review by Don Willmott here at Filmcritic.com.

Another good one from, "Not coming to a theater [sic] near you":

The Rapture:
This, do know, is but one of the film’s revelations, and analogizes the film with other depictions of verified paranoia (They Live, The Matrix, Terminator), but unlike these thematic similarities, religion is The Rapture’s blatant agent of faith (it is much more ambiguous in the aforementioned films), which the film is designed ingeniously to question. Late in the film, in sudden and intense anguish, Sharon fires the remaining rounds in a revolver directly into the air; the gesture illustrates the film’s angered and unsatisfied interrogation. The film culminates in the word “Forever,” and ends with a tragic image of permanence, followed by a silent credits scroll. [ Italics mine].

News story links:
Mom's plea deal includes 'resurrection clause'

Mother Starves Son for Resurrection Experiment

"'Child-witches' of Nigeria seek refuge"
Mary is a pretty five-year-old girl with big brown eyes and a father who kicked her out onto the streets in one of the most dangerous parts of the world. Her crime: the local priest had denounced her as a witch and blamed her "evil powers" for causing her mother's death.

This Week In Holy Crimes

James Lunney, Asshat:
James Lunney v. Evolution
Nanaimo Daily News
You can send your thanks here to Mr. Lunney's very own website. Tell him what a bang-up job he's doing and his views clearly reflect the mores and values of Canada.

Comics:
Via the BBC: the Death of Dave Arneson (see also the BBC on the death of Gary Gygax).
The Order of the Stick (episode 644)
XKCD (episdoe 202)
Liō by Mark Tatulli

The discussion I had with Mr. Tatulli regarding a recent, less than stellar, issue of Liō follows. I titled it, "Thank-you for using the macron, it's just cooler that way." The link above is to the issue of Liō discussed. It was weak and kinda gay. It bugged me because I love the comic and felt something needed to be said. So I found myself an email address and sent it out to the creator and writer of Liō. And this is what I wrote:

Dear Mr. Tatulli,

Thank-you for the creation of such a wonderful surrealist, minimalist comic strip in Liō. I have heard that it has some detractors they are clearly unable to appreciate subtle, smart humour and whimsy.

I think very highly of Liō. It is my current favourite comic and I consider it in the company of other great comics like the also brilliant webcomic XKCD. And the successor to the narrative of the weird lives of a little boys as depicted in the long retired Calvin and Hobbes.

I love the surreality; love the giant squid; love the sweet creepiness of Liō himself; and his healthy relationship with his father (the instance when his father renamed his lunch items was touching). I like allusions to the world and the magical realist and science fiction plots.

So When I read the most recent issue I was just disappointed. A lame gay joke. A limp wristed, light-in-the-loafers robot singing showtunes. You can do so much better.

Sincerely a fan,

Brendan

He replied. Like hours later. I was quite surprised.

Thanks for the feedback, Brendan...

The joke to which you refer has nothing to do with "gay"...it has everything to do with showtunes. I happen to love showtunes and that is primarily the only thing I sing when it comes to karaoke night. But I always get the same reaction...much rolling of eyes and people staring dumbly with a look that says, "is he serious?"

So you see the joke is about the social-stigma attached to showtunes, and how strange it would be for LIO, who know doubt expected this robot to start marauding, to suddenly break out in "If Ever I would Leave You" from CAMELOT.

Thanks for writing!

MT

I see his point, but my critique still stands and here's why:
In sci-fi all robots are male as evidenced by the way female robots are males with breasts (and sometimes hair and/or girl colours and/or big eyes and/or curves...). The splayed fingers, tilted wrist, raised foot are the stereotypes of drag when done by a male. Because, Tatulli is working with a visual medium he must chose everything that goes into every panel. Relying on stereotypes as conventions work because they convey heavy messages with simplicity. let me use an example that is relevant and possible in the weird and wonderful world of Liō: Liō finds a giant sized mixing bowel full of what looks like meringue or whipped cream. He jumps in, has some fun and climbs out. Because of his weird cow-licked hair, he comes out covered in white, with a conical shapped head and two blinking eyes. Not a good choice of image--although entirely plausible within context--just not a good choice because of the offensive ideas that such an image would carry with it.

However, despite what he says his intention was ---satirizing the contempt people have for show tunes--- what he has created is easily read as being satirizing flaming homosexuals. I love a good gay joke, this wasn't a good gay joke.

I always suspected that Liō, being one of the freaks, would either be homophobic (conflicts between various factions of losers and outcasts can be vicious) or hang out with the gay kids (it can also bring solidarity). Panel by panel we see the following: Gay robot. Cause of gayness the wrong software (what does that imply?). Angry kid (Why is he angry?). Mocking Radio Shack employees (such things still exist?), having played a gay joke on the weird kid. Nice.