tag:dreamwidth.org,2010-09-15:632680Whaddaya MEAN You've Never Heard of Me?!?I'm totally famous...in my own cavernous mind.wednes2015-08-13T03:40:00Ztag:dreamwidth.org,2010-09-15:632680:880636Brooding Male Lead2015-08-02T20:55:37Z2015-08-13T03:40:00Zdorkypublic0I was watching Hannibal (the show) recently and was quite taken with the brooding sexiness of Will Graham. That Hugh Dancy is an attractive guy. But when he's clean shaven and smiling, eh? Not as good IMO. <br /><br />This got me thinking about the popular archetype of the attractive broken guy all the ladies want to fix (or gay men, whatevs). There are plenty of guys like this on TV: Jon Snow, Sawyer from LOST, every other TV cop (Stabler, Mike Logan, Tim Bayliss, etc). I was trying to figure out how far back that goes and who started it. <br /><br />I'm not super old--but as far as I can tell it goes back to James Dean. The sad kid who nobody understood, was sexy and needed a nice lady to hold him and stay with him and tell him that he's good. What is it about us that attracts us to such men? Is it that we're also damaged and want to be around someone as damaged as us--if not moreso? I mean, hanging out with a broken guy allows us to put our energy into "fixing" him (which we probably call "helping him") instead of looking inward and dealing with our own shit.<br /><br />Uh oh, I just became aware of a RL parallel in my early years of dating. Almost exclusively, I dated broken men all through my teens and 20's. Life-wise, I can't be the responsible sane one in any relationship. Objectively, I am neither of those things.<br /><br />And yet...this brooding male archetype is wildly popular. So it can't be just me. How much further back does it go? Did people look at Caligula and say "Aw, he just needs to find the right girl?" I mean, even Hitler had a girlfriend--one who suicided herself right along with him. People love Severus Snape even though he's a complete prick--it can only be because he's so dark...and so sad. <br /><br />As Rod Serling would say--there's not a lesson here. We're just taking a look into a broken thing in our world and wondering WTF.<br /><br />EDIT: Sarah pointed out a glaring error in my thinking here. I'm embarrassed to have not thought of Edward Rochester. That's one of my fave roles for dudes, and can reveal intense acting chops a'la Orson Welles, Ciaran Hinds, Michael Fassbender et al. My bad.<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=wednes&ditemid=880636" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2010-09-15:632680:752380Another decade comes to a close.2010-12-31T23:16:05Z2010-12-31T23:17:59ZJMBerryfrustratedpublic3Ah yes, the Gregorian calendar year. Makes basically no sense, has to be adjusted ever four years, and puts the new year in the silliest place imaginable. Anyway, let's reflect on the year, shall we?<br /><br /><span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://wednes.dreamwidth.org/752380.html#cutid1">Resolutions, how we did last year; and looking ahead</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div><br /><br />The year in TV had a few highlights. Unlike a lot of people, I loved the <b>LOST</b> finale. Still haven't bought the last season. I need to though, not like I have time to watch it. <br />Season 3 of <b>True Blood</b> was delightful. I adored seeing Denis O'Hare all flamboyantly jazzed up and creating discord. Even more fun than the fantastic Michelle Forbes last season.<br /><b>The Walking Dead</b> has lots to like about it. But not a whole lot that's new. Really, the most unique thing about it is that it focuses on the drama rather than the horror. <br /><b>Caprica</b> was well written and acted, not really sure why it was cancelled except that SyFy is probably trying to save up to buy more wrestling shows. Jackasses. That they have the nerve to show CGI crapfests all weekend long and then cancel the smartest show they had does not bode well for their future as a nerd approved network. Then again, neither did spelling their name with 2 Y's.<br />I discovered <b>Criminal Minds</b> this year, bidding Law & Order a fond farewell; and <b>Dexter</b> which made me realize that KMLYLM is darker than I realized.<br />The year's low lights include season 2 of <b>Hung</b>, <b>V</b>, <b>The Event</b>, and anything FOX plays on Sundays that is not a cartoon. <br /><br />In movies, I really enjoyed The following new movies:<br />Inception<br />Harry Potter 7.1<br />Piranha 3D<br />Iron Man 2<br />Shutter Island<br />I also dug a few movies I'd been meaning to watch:<br />Let the Right One In<br />REC<br />Martyrs<br />Home Movie<br />The Road<br />No Country for Old Men<br />Inglourious Basterds<br /><br />I also discovered <b>Jack Ketchum</b> this year. God damn, he is like the find of a lifetime. He has altered the way I look at horror and the writing of it, the creation of fear, boundaries, how to take people along for the ride, how to build suspense without the reader even realizing. He is just fucking incredible. Not being him, I just don't have the words to fully express the profundity with which I adore his work. I was also reminded that some fantastic novels have been turned into some bland, awful films. Sadly, <u>The Girl Next Door</u> is one such instance. I still don't think the people who made that movie understand why the book is good. <br /><br />As for me, I turned 40 this year without incident. I had a tiny cancer scare and learned that all my friends are wonderful people. My third horror (and best to date, if I may say so) novel was published. I produced my very first audiobook CD which a great many amazing talents supported and participated in. I appeared in my third published anthology and my first hardcover. I had my first classy book release party, and got my first bit of hate mail based solely on one of my books.<br /><br />Happy Pretend New Year, Everyone!<br />As the late, great Carlin would say "Bye Bye! Don't let self doubt interfere with your plans to improve your life!" Well, some people need practical advice.<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=wednes&ditemid=752380" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> comments