Would this be a Geek Social Heresy?

[cmdr_zoom]

I don't like Joss Whedon's new project, Dr. Horrible.
There, I said it.
I also said so on someone else' journal, and an anonymous commenter asked "So... what's your point?"


My point is that whether this is a straight and honest expression of Whedon's own Oppressed Nerd rage, or a carefully-calculated media offering, it seems designed to appeal to a very specific demographic. Guys (and girls) who are intelligent but socially awkward, who have unusual hobbies (like reading comic books, the source of the roles and dramatic conventions here), who experienced bullying and rejection in school, and who mostly or exclusively associate with other misfits like themselves. In short, nerds. Guys like me.

You might think that I would embrace this, as many others have. "Finally, something for us! It's our turn!" Revenge of the Nerds for a new millenium. But I don't... in part because Whedon himself has taught me to question and deconstruct such things. Looking at what there is to see so far - the first episode and the comic tie-in - I feel pandered to. Fan-serviced. Targeted.

My point is that I expect this to end one of two ways:

• The "wish-fulfillment" ending - the viewer-surrogate manages to overturn the status quo, defeat the handsome but conceited jock jerk, and get the girl. (Maybe Charlie Brown will get to kick the football too.) A victory on behalf of all nerd-kind! And then, because this is Joss Whedon, one of them will probably die. Sorry.



• The "realistic" ending - through a different set of narrative contrivances, the lonely protagonist is defeated, the "hero" swaggers off into the sunset with a goddess he doesn't deserve, and legions of fans shake their heads in sad sympathy but murmur amongst themselves that Joss knows how it Really Is. "Maybe next year."

If we actually get a more nuanced ending that doesn't fit into either of these categories, both of which feed the self-image of geeky Nice Guys - an identity which, as many critics have pointed out, can conceal a lot of passive-aggressive and toxic behaviors which are not at all actually "nice" - I will be shocked. SHOCKED. Which is sad, because...

My point is that we as a subculture or demographic need more nuanced stories, if we are ever to throw off the chains we've placed on ourselves and emerge from our basements and comic book stores and the shadow of four years that should become almost totally irrelevant as we grow into adults. Should, but often don't; forming a new identity can be very difficult, requiring rigorous self-examination (to determine what is essential and worth keeping and what is not), learning new skills (social and otherwise), and pushing one's boundaries. It's easier to keep defining ourselves by a familiar, comfortable (and demeaning and limiting) role: the one who gets passed over, turned down, and stuffed into lockers. The one who can build a freeze ray, but can't get a date.

My point is that, in my opinion and based on what little I've seen so far, Dr. Horrible looks like a victim story. I believe that we need to stop telling ourselves victim stories and take some responsibility for our own success and happiness, or lack thereof.

P.S. - It would also be nice if more guys would stop treating their objects of desire as unapproachable goddesses or prizes to be won and started relating to them as other human beings.

Comments

[karjack.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen it yet, so I don't have an opinion at this time, but!

P.S. - It would also be nice if more guys would stop treating their objects of desire as unapproachable goddesses or prizes to be won and started relating to them as other human beings.

Yes, yes, yes, heavens yes!

I like Joss. I do. But when people talk about what a great feminist he is, I snort because, while I believe he honestly means well, I don't think he gets that fetishizing the strong woman is just another brand of objectification.

Yeah, yeah. We're hot. Thanks for noticing.

However! We're also human, with good points and bad, wonderfully flawed in all our humanity. We're not all perky teens or dropdead gorgeous prostitutes. In fact, very few of us are. We're mothers, sisters, grandmothers, friends. We're fat, we're thin, we've got odd noses and bad teeth. Some of us are sick, and the demons we fight are pain, not vampires.

We're not prizes. You don't win us like a kewpie doll. If I recall correctly, pjack used uncanny persistence and the artful application of pizza and mix tapes. Poor bastard had no idea what he was in for.

Anyway, good rant. Thanks for posting it. :)

[hit-people-guy.livejournal.com]

oh man...

mix tapes /work/?!?!

my world is shattered! I shall have to ponder this.. along with my Sony Boombox and Maxwell tapes.

[karjack.livejournal.com]

Well, I was going to do him anyway, but don't tell him that.

[gwyd.livejournal.com]

Well, it's worked on me occasionally.

[gwyd.livejournal.com]

What do you think of the portrayal of Kayleigh in Firefly/Ser4enity?

[karjack.livejournal.com]

I think most of the female characters in Firefly were a gallery of archetypes Joss thinks are hot. You've got the asskicker, the gorgeous woman in complete sexual control, the perky cutie, and scary-weird crazy girl who can bend in ways you can't even imagine. Scratch the surface, and there isn't much more to them. Maybe glimpses of backstory here and there but even Jayne had more depth than the lot once you found out he squirreled away all the ill-gotten money he made to send back to his ma.

But I don't watch Firefly for positive female role models. I watch it to see shit get shot at and blown up. It's very good at that.

You know, for all that I rag on Joss, I like his stuff. That's why I rip it to shreds. Crap TV that's crap through and through isn't worth the effort.

[brianrogers.livejournal.com]

I dunno, I'm enjoying it for what it is - a musical comedy about the mad scientist vs strong hero - rather than analyzing it as a metaphor for geek kind. But you're also leaving out a very likely third ending:

* The girl tells them both that she's not property or a victory point and leaves. Hammer's an asshole, Horrible is 'evil' (or at least a seething bundle of neuroses): why should she end up with either of them?

[z-gryphon.livejournal.com]

Well, if it were by Russell T Davies, there'd be a fourth option where the two guys realize they're only fighting because they know no other way of expressing their desire, and the girl ends up getting left by the side of the road, probably confused as hell. :)

[gwyd.livejournal.com]

I would have been much happier with either of those endings. Sigh.

[newroticgirl.livejournal.com]

Would an ending where the girl turns out to be Ebil! too be a wish fulfillment ending? ;) Because that's my guess of where it's going.

[wolfbaneshybrid.livejournal.com]

You seem like a really smart and cool guy. I was wondering if I could add you as an lj friend?

(I never would have thought to look deeper into the video until you mentioned it. You made some /really/ excellent points! I hope that it ends like some of the other people have suggested--those endings are way better than the 'he gets the girl and wins for once or he doesn't and learns a life-lesson' endings. A pyrrhic victory would be really interesting and unusual--don't see too many of those in romantic comedies.)