I refuse to watch CBS's sappy Christmas flick, even if Eric is in it. Hmph.
I did, however, just finish watching The Outsiders: The Complete Novel, and I have to say that watching this new and improved version...I see the movie completely differently now. I read the book (by S.E. Hinton) during my pre-middle-school-I'm-going-to-read-all-these-so-called-bad-books phase, and saw the "original" movie in 8th grade. 'Kay, so maybe I didn't read it because of that particular phase, it just looked interesting when I was wandering around the used book store, so I bought, read and loved it.
The reason the movie seems new and fresh and fucking relevant right now is simply the relationship between Ponyboy and Johnny. I wouldn't classify it as a sexual relationship, but it most certainly goes beyond "friends." I remember when I first saw the film, my main thought was "Damn. These boys sure cry a whole lot. Weird." (Weird, because I. Don't. Cry. At least not as often as women are supposed to.)
The crying boys make me a little sad, though. Sad because boys aren't supposed to show their emotions, let alone feel anything other than anger and masculinity and sexual excitement. Unless they want to be considered "gay," and God forbid even the faintest breath of that touching them. Sad because I think boys (or men. Whatever.) shouldn't have to be "strong," whatever the fuck that means. Sad because the way men are socialized and then marginalized in Western culture (read = North America, and to somewhat of a lesser extent regarding the marginalization, Latin and South America as well). Sad because it doesn't make a man "soft" or "feminine" or "faggotty" to be sensitive. Sad because it's considered a bad thing if he is, regardless of sexual preference and orientation. Sad because women hold men up to a double standard, just as they do us. Sad that we need to label people as "x" or "y," and that we see only linearly.
I should not watch 80s movies when I am tired and PMS-y. I should just focus on the hot boys and girls and not think too deeply about sociocultural problems. I need some tea.
The reason the movie seems new and fresh and fucking relevant right now is simply the relationship between Ponyboy and Johnny. I wouldn't classify it as a sexual relationship, but it most certainly goes beyond "friends." I remember when I first saw the film, my main thought was "Damn. These boys sure cry a whole lot. Weird." (Weird, because I. Don't. Cry. At least not as often as women are supposed to.)
The crying boys make me a little sad, though. Sad because boys aren't supposed to show their emotions, let alone feel anything other than anger and masculinity and sexual excitement. Unless they want to be considered "gay," and God forbid even the faintest breath of that touching them. Sad because I think boys (or men. Whatever.) shouldn't have to be "strong," whatever the fuck that means. Sad because the way men are socialized and then marginalized in Western culture (read = North America, and to somewhat of a lesser extent regarding the marginalization, Latin and South America as well). Sad because it doesn't make a man "soft" or "feminine" or "faggotty" to be sensitive. Sad because it's considered a bad thing if he is, regardless of sexual preference and orientation. Sad because women hold men up to a double standard, just as they do us. Sad that we need to label people as "x" or "y," and that we see only linearly.
I should not watch 80s movies when I am tired and PMS-y. I should just focus on the hot boys and girls and not think too deeply about sociocultural problems. I need some tea.