more linky

[swan_tower]

Both of these are at least tangentially writing-related.

First, the humor: "Six Writers Who Accidentally Crapped Out Masterpieces"

Second, the analysis: Daily Kos on Dollhouse. Not normally a place I look for writing about TV, but I found it an interesting post. Truth is, I haven't been watching Dollhouse, not because I think it sounds bad, but because I think it sounds like a concept that's doomed to failure given the environment of TV production, and I don't want to get attached to it only to have it pulled out from under me. But I suspect the analysis given there isn't far off the mark. It doesn't automatically negate the criticisms I've also heard -- just because Whedon is trying to do this kind of thing doesn't mean he's succeeding -- but I'm thinking of opening a betting pool as to how many papers on Dollhouse there will be at next year's ICFA.

Comments

[nekomata.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the first link! I adore some of the Cracked articles and this is almost as good as my favorite.
http://www.cracked.com/article_15231_7-reasons-21st-century-making-you-miserable.html

[mastergode.livejournal.com]

That was an interesting article, but, frankly, I don't buy it.

Whedon hasn't demonstrated that level of cleverness in any of his previous shows or movies, so I find the idea that he has suddenly become not only incredibly self-aware but also very deep to be pretty weak.

The article was well-written and thought-provoking, but the author creates an either-or fallacy when he decides that there are only two types of people, those who 'get' Dollhouse, and those who don't. There is, of course, the third option that he is entirely wrong.

I particularly feel that his analogy falls apart when one considers the numerous references in Dollhouse to the Dollhouse itself being a part of something larger, leading me to believe that the choices made for the beginning of the show were storytelling choices and not philosophical ones.

What I'm getting at is that I don't think you need to watch the show, and I'm glad it got cancelled.

[spiral-galaxyrl.livejournal.com]

BTW, there was *already* a paper on Dollhouse at this year's ICFA--Curtis went and saw it. They put the abstract in before the show even aired!