A sudden conclusion I have come to...

While discussing my recent rewatch of Mean Girls, I found myself accidentally stumbling on a major pop culture debate that I think is worth having, and may be a future theme in American comedy:

Who's recent projects are funnier, Tiny Fey or Judd Apatow?

Both of these talented indivduals slaved away behind the scenes of funny/doomed or under-appreciated projects. Both had major influence on American comedy before they had even reached their personal breakthrough successes.


Fey was the head writer on Saturday Night Live for years, and if 30 Rock is any indication, I think we can attribute almost all of the show's best moments from 2000 to 2004 to her. She didn't really get the attention she deserved until she worked on weekend update with Jimmy Fallon, but Fallon still seemed to get the credit for the chemistry between the two. Mean Girls was Fey's first noteable non-SNL success, and I am willing to call it the best teen comedy since Clueless, without much hesitation. And that is an enormous compliment from a Clueless fan such as myself. Her next major sucess was 30 Rock, which started shakey, but is now an Emmy winning success, and has cemented her position as a major voice in American comedy. The best part about Fey's success and public embrace is that her humor is unapologetically "female." Her self-guided projects feature female leads and diverse female characters, which is a rare site in the modern, male-centric world of comedy. Fey often seems to make an effort to provide opportunities and roles to gifted comediennes who suffer from the unfortnate lack of funny females in American comedies. Not only are Fey's characters mostly female, but many are also funnier and smarter then the men who surround them. Fey's character Lemon on 30 Rock is a wonderfully full person, with insecurities, humor, and subtle depth; she is perhaps the most well-rounded protagonist in modern comedic television, gender aside.


Judd Apatow is also a talented writer/director, but his projects seem to stand as the phalocentric counterpoint to Fey's. I have deep love for Apatow, stemming from the incredible Freaks and Geeks (still some of the best shit I've ever seen, anywhere) and the sweet and well-meaning 40-Year-Old Virgin, but I have begun to wonder about the effects of his particular brand of humor on the advancement of female comediennes and actresses. Like Fey, Apatow did not have his fame and influence handed to him. His early labors of love were critical successes, but were treated poorly by studios and networks. But while Apatow may have suffered more early industry humiliation than Fey, his penis helped him out a bit more in the end. Apatow's most successful attribute may be his bevy of famous and hilarious friends, who are both peers and disciples. Apatow was credited as writer, producer, or director on the following titles: Anchorman, Talladega Nights, Knocked Up, Superbad, Underclared (TV), Heavyweights (yeah, he wrote THAT Heavyweights), Kicking and Screaming, The Cable Guy, Fun With Dick and Jane, Celtic Pride, The TV Set, Walk Hard, Drillbit Taylor, Pineapple Express, Don't Mess With the Zohan, The Ben Stiller Show, The Larry Sanders Show, and The Critic (yeah, the cartoon TV show). So this guy has some influence, and some connections. His cast from both Freaks and Geeks are a virtual who's who of young Hollywood...dramatic and comedic, TV and movies.

So, Fey or Apatow?

Female-centric or phallocentric?

Phoeler or Ferrell?

I'm a fan of both of these individuals, and Freaks and Geeks is my favorite thing that either of them has produced, but while I was watching Mean Girls today, I couldn't help but notice that Fey's film (made in 2004) was somehow fresher, funnier, and more insightful than ever. It has aged beautifully, and I'm fairly certain that is is considerably funnier as a whole than Superbad.

There. I said it. I think Tina Fey's recent stuff kicks Judd Apatow's recent films' (other than 40YOV) asses.

Agree? Disagree?

Nathaniel

Danny DeVito! I love your work!

I rewatched Mean Girls this afternoon, and I am definitely happy to have returned to the world of the Plastics after a few years time. I'm happy to report that Mean Girls not only holds up nicely, but seems to have gotten more approprate with age. The ultitimate message of the film (that the only thing worth spending your energy on is being an "actual human being") is not just universally positive, but also a very topical message for this decade of gossip websites and willful hihilism and superficiality.
I miss Lindsay from the pre-going crazy movies, like this. She was a damn fine actress.



I also recently watched Southland Tales, Richard Kelly's oft-delayed and maligned follow-up to Donnie Darko, and I'm confused as to why it has gotten such vehemently negative reviews so far. The film is a mess, clearly, but the worst aspects of it [the overlong prologue, the under-developed plotlines, and Cindy's truncated character arc] were obviously forced upon Kelly by the studio (see a partial history of the troubled making and editing of the film here). Otherwise, the film is a fascinatng,jumbled sci-fi comedy that bit off just a bit more than any film could possibly chew. The cast is uneven, but in a wonderfully silly way that doesn't distract from the film's hodge-podge aesthetic. Sean William Scott is the stand-out, but Dwayne Johnson, Justin Timberlake, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Mandy Moore are all given chances to stretch and play around with their public and screen personas.
The plot of the film is purposefully convoluted and frustrating, but it is nowhere near as obtuse as Darko's vague, ominous portentousness. But, truthfully, I miss the consistency of Darko, which was an extraordinarily well-orchestrated debut.
I need to watch the film again and write something a little longer than this.

Nathaniel Tyson

Meet Laura Bush...

This is Elizabeth banks. She was the slutty hoodrat in 40-Year Old Virgin.

She will be playing Laura Bush in Oliver Stone's forthcoming movie, W.

Sit and spin.

Nate

Best Single of 2008

Those Dancing Days - "Hitten"

So, this video just got a release as a single, officially. It was on Those Dancing Days' s/t EP from last year, but now it's getting an actual release.

It's genius. Listen to it. Please.

Nathaniel Tyson

Wonderfully written scene

Brilliant shit.

Nathaniel

collected observation

Today, I present to you, a brief glimpse into the truly disjointed mind of one, Nate Tyson.

whole lotta nonsense. 1st ed.

I just read that Laura Linney is playing Abigail Adams in the John Adams TV movie that I was completely unaware of until five minutes ago. Paul Giammati is evidently playing John Adams. Good casting, but I wish Ian Holm had been given the role at some point before he was ancient. He woulda tore that up. Or Terrance Stamp. (By the way, my favorite portrayal of John Adams is Mr. Feeney's [William Daniels] in the film version of 1776, which was a musical.) Point being, that Laura Linney is a funny duck, because I think that she is one of the last of the old school female movie stars. She only takes somewhat pedigree roles, she is usually offered almost every serious female role that fits her age (I'm sure), she is classy and private, and she almost always plays the famous wife. She is the master of being the famous dude's wife. She is the go-to gal for that.

++++

There is a British website that will give you music festival tickets for sperm donations. I shit you not. It is called Sperm for Tickets, which shows a frankness I respect. I wish I lived in Europe. But only for this purpose. Otherwise? Screw you guys.

++++

White people like me like The Wire a lot. And now it's over. But Lost has started kicking extra butt to make up for it.

Sometime soon, I will have a retrospective on The Wire (I would just do a review of the final episode, but I want to put some larger effort into this). I'm considering of doing a brief piece on the closing montage, but other than that, no Wire until I do a larger piece. I ahve to keep myself to this.

I just can't accept that it's over. Oh...Bubbles...Michael...

++++

...speaking of Michael, Lost's big boat-oriented reveal last night was somewhat anti-climactic just because everyone and their mother had predicted it. But the show still manages to reel you in, doesn't it?

This season has had a noticeable effect on people who watch Lost in my room. Some have never seen the show, some stopped watching half-way through Season 1, some gave up as recently as the end of last season. But all of them are completely (re)hooked after watching the recent stuff in my room. That kinda says something.

++++

That Dodos album is pretty great the more I listen to it. This, Earth, and Times New Viking are a pretty strong trio. There are tons of other good albums so far this year, but those three are special.

I'm also really digging the recent albums from Ocrilim, Natural Snow Buildings, the Teenagers, Boxcutter, and the Fleet Foxes.

++++

Animal Collective had a new EP released this week. It's called Water Curses, and it's pretty great. The tempo is definitely toned down, and the sound is thicker and spacier than most of the material on Strawberry Jam. Both those things are good indicators for the future, if you ask me. This may be my favorite thing I've heard so far this year.

Am I becoming predictable? I love Animal Collective, but I'm not a fanboy. I mean, Sung Tongs is one of my top five records of the decade probably, and Panda Bear was my #1 last year...and I just talked about the Dodos, who sound a little like 'em.

Whatever. Great band.

++++

I had a piece in The Climax this week. It featured excerpts from this post.

The only editing that upset me was the disappearance of the quotation marks around the phrase "get relaxed" (which had replaced "get high" in my draft for the paper) in the Earth review. They didn't remove the quotes from "the law" earlier in the article, so it was obviously a moral decision to not include a gentle, non-explicit weed joke in the student newspaper.

Sigh. It wouldn't matter, except that a somewhat tongue-in-cheek joke now reads like a banal observation.

++++

I love you all. Thelma Ritter is amazing in Pickup on South Street, and Paul Reuben's performance in Pee Wee's Big Adventure is an overlooked comedic masterpiece.

Nathaniel

It's time for Ask Ashley...why her parents coined this term

The term "pillow angels" creeps me the fuck out. Just for the record.

As does this whole story. I'm certain that we're gonna start hearing more about this around campus. I'm going to not think about it anymore until all fucking hell breaks loose round here.

Nathaniel

Burritos, waging the War on the Middle [class] of Lou Dobb's body

I was thinkin' about how a few months ago, CNN.com ran a piece about how Lou Dobb's should run for President. I read the piece, only to discover, to my shock and awe, that Lou had not written the op-ed himself.

This got me thinking about The Good Ol' People's Champion in detail. Today, you are subject to a Lou Dobb's oriented HollowChatter. Previous promised material will just have to wait.

++++

John O'Bryan has written the very funny What More Does Lou Dobbs Have to Do to Prove He's Not Racist over at 23/6. Lou Dobbs can never be made fun of enough. I really would like to take him and Glen Beck out to a desert island and leave them there to battle to the death. Then I would nuke the island to make sure there were no survivors.

23/6 also has the best headline I've seen in quite some time:

"Eliot Spitzer Leaves his Resignation on the Dresser"

Mercy.

++++

Here's a little bit of weird, Lou Dobbs related irony for you.

Lou Dobbs is obviously racist, but he, like many famous racists, makes the argument that because his wife is Mexican-American, he cannot possibly be prejudiced. Now, Dobbs loves to talk about the crime, poverty, disease (?), and the general dirt and mud that will be spread by "illegals", but this isn't racism...clearly.

It's just journa-...no, it's not that. It's good, old fashioned public polic-...no, not that either.

Xenophobia! That's it.

So, the irony? Debi, Dobbs' wife, was arrested for trying to board a plane with a LOADED GUN in 2006.

Fuckin Mexicans, right Lou? It was brave of you to marry her, even though you knew that, as a Mexican, she would bring crime, poverty, and disease into your marriage. Self fulfilling prophecy, right, Lou?

I don't mean to beat up on Debbi...oh, wait, yeah I do. She totally deserves it. She married a racist prick who's trying to incite political violence and oppression against impoverished immigrants. She can burn in Hell.

Sorry about that.

++++

Another strange fact? Lou Dobbs won a Peabody for journalistic excellence in the 80s for covering the crash of 1987.

Hmmm.

Nathaniel Tyson

myeah, you see, myeah

Something I'll bet you'd never find yourself thinking about (unless you are a Berkley film major, or me, or probably two of my professors):

What exactly were the subversive social codes incorporated into film noir movies of the 1940's & 50's?

Well, I'm not exactly thinking about that either, but I am prepping for a final paper on the modern femme fatale of neo noir, so I have film noir on the brain.

(I'm thinking about looking at Julianne Moore in The Big Lebowski, Carrie Anne Moss in Memento...any others?)

My teacher sent me a huge listing of academic articles on film noir, and I just feel that I need to share a few of the titles and authors that sounded awesome. You know, just in case you ever get the urge to find out more about this very specific genre of crime/detective film for some reason. Seems likely, non?

Really, check it out if you like film studies at all. Or American studies, ya know? Great resource, etc.

Some articles/essays that sound pretty neat:

Lott, Eric. "The Whiteness of Film Noir." In: National imaginaries, American identities: the cultural work of American iconography / edited by Larry J. Reynolds and Gordon Hutner. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, c2000.

Telotte, J. P. "The woman in the door: framing presence in film noir." In: In the eye of the beholder: critical perspectives in popular film and television / edited by Gary R. Edgerton, et al. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State University Popular Press, c1997.

Thompson, Peggy. Hard-boiled: Great Lines From Classic Noir Films San Francisco: Chronicle Books, c1995.

Avila, E. "Popular culture in the age of white flight: Film noir, Disneyland, and the cold war (sub)urban imaginary." Journal of Urban History, vol. 31, no. 1, pp. 3-22, 2004

Broe, Dennis. "Class, crime, and film noir: labor, the fugitive outsider, and the anti-authoritarian tradition." Social Justice Spring 2003 v30 i1 p22(20)

Davidson, Michael. "Phantom Limbs: Film Noir and the Disabled Body." GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies 9, no. 1 (2003): 57-77

Jensen, Paul. "The Return of Dr. Caligari: Paranoia in Hollywood." Film Comment 7:4 (1971) pp:36-45

Kotsopoulos, A. and Mills, J. "Gender, Genre, and Post-Feminism." Jump Cut, June 1994, 39: 15-24

Lenz, Kimberly. "Put the Blame on Gilda: Dyke-Noir Vesus Film-Noir" Theatre Studies, 1995, N40:17-26.

Lott, Eric. "The Whiteness of Film Noir." American Literary History v9, n3 (Fall, 1997):542 (25 pages).

Smith, S. "Godard and Film Noir: A Reading of 'A Bout de Souffle'" Nottingham French Studies, 1993 Spring, V32 N1:65-73.

Walker, Deborah. "From Honest Thief to Media Sociopath: American Culture Through French Film Noir."

Willson, Robert F., Jr. "A double life: Othello as film noir thriller." Shakespeare on Film Newsletter (11:1) 3, 10.

Younger, Richard. "Song in Contemporary Film Noir." Films in Review v45, n7-8 (July-August, 1994):48 (3 pages).

and, my favorite:

Covey, W. "The Genre Don't Know Where It Came From: African American Neo-Noir Since the 1960s" [With Films Cited]. Journal of Film and Video v. 55 no. 2/3 (Summer/Fall 2003) p. 59-72

("African-American neo-noir discourse is a vital part of neo-noir studies, not just a marginalized addition. Born in the late 1960s and revised starting in the 1990s, black neo-noir, a series of mystery thrillers focusing on African-American detectives and police officers, has helped to revitalize the popular filmmaking discourse of film noir. Critical work on black neo-noir is both recent and sparse, resulting in, at best, a gap in noir criticism, and, at worst, indicating confusion about the significance of these films. As conceptual metaphors, African-American neo-noirs help represent and illustrate black experience, and constitute a semiotic terrain that merits the critical attention of the academy. By establishing where today's loose-knit genre of the African-American neo-noir comes from, critics can recognize that African-American films raise a host of complex political, social, and cultural questions in relation to film-noir discourse." [Art Index])

++++

Also, one of my favorite jams of 2008 has evidently pricked some other ears; Holy Fuck's "Lovely Allen" (both the original and a new No Age remix) got some press and airplay from Pitchfork recently.

I'm torn here.

It's great, because the song rules, and I'm happy it's catching on. But it sucks, because it is one of my favorite jams of the year, and now, w/ Pitchfork's polarizing stamp of approval, some degree of backlash against the song is inevitable. The fact that the remix isn't immediately grabbing doesn't help. In fact, I've only bothered with it once.

Whatever. It's silly to worry about these things. I know that. The internet sucks. Not actively, all the time, but kind of inherently...s'only natural.

I really have no right to even bring this whole thing up; it's not like I'm doing much to distance myself from that whole internet journalism scene, right?

Nate Thaniel

in three minutes...

goodbye.

Nate