Thursday, April 28, 2005

More fanboy rantings...

Another one of those nights where things just seem to be completely out of sorts. This is what happens when they postpone Survivor just because the president is speaking. From a ratings perspective that has to be a horrible decision. Don’t have any comments on the press conference itself because after watching it for five minutes I was looking up the number for the Australian embassy to continue with my efforts to be granted political asylum. You know it’s bad when you are watching a presidential news conference and wishing for the good old days of Warren G. Harding.

Anyway, on to a much more important subject. Ok, so Ewan McGregor shouldn’t be playing Obi-Wan right now. If it was Liam Neeson then the timeline would be a lot more sensible (or they show Ewan going into trainspotting mode, which would probably cause the appropriate early aging). But I still need someone to explain for me how in twenty odd years Yoda goes from kick ass fighting machine to a decrepit muppet. And why does my Star Wars DVD have Greedo shooting first? I’m damn sure that wasn’t how it was the first hundred times I watched the film.

Oh, and in the big pop culture news of the day, Tom Cruise is dating Katie Holmes. Gotta be happy for Tom, as he is at least dating someone his own height. Ten bucks says he gets into a parking lot throwdown with Dawson over her. For the record, Tom Cruise has been married to Mimi Rogers and Nicole Kidman and dated Penelope Cruz. And with a resume like that one has to start thinking that maybe there is something to Scientology after all.

Ok, I’m really short on ideas and since I just glanced at my reading list for the year I’ve decided to share something from Richard Roeper’s “Hollywood Urban Legends.” Use the following tidbit to impress your friends.

Everyone thinks that Gilligan’s Island is a stupid old sitcom. I mean, why did they bring so many changes of clothes for a three hour tour? Why couldn’t the professor make a damn boat (I mean, other than he saw that being on an island with Ginger and Mary Ann was a pretty sweet deal)? How far out to sea do you end up on a three hour tour? But in reality, Gilligan’s Island is an allegory on the human condition.

See, each character represents one of the seven deadly sins. Ginger is lust. Mr. Howell is greed. Mrs. Howell is sloth. The professor is pride. Mary Ann is envy (because all she wants is to be Ginger). And the Skipper is gluttony and anger. So what does that leave Gilligan as? He’s the devil. And the island is hell. It’s why they can never leave and why Gilligan always seems to find a way to keep them on the island.

After a couple of beers you can find the symbolism in anything if you think about it for long enough. Have a good weekend everybody.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Katie Holes is probably an inch or tw otaller than Tom Cruise.

It won't last though, inter alia Tom Cruise insist his girlfriend/spouse appreciate the brilliance of L. Ron Hubbard, but I just don't see that happening with a nice Catholic girl from Ohio.