(no subject)
It's one thing to have lofty ideals about what we ought to value. It's another to see one proved true. Two things that my nephew was really excited about on a recent trip? My seven-year-old nephew who has Lego Mindstorms to play with, among other technological wonders? A crayon that had been made right in front of him that he got to keep, and the opportunity to (sort of) drive a horse-drawn carriage.
Am neck-deep in my mom's geneology. It's quite the challenge. On one hand, you can spot relatives because they all tell the same story about their ancestors. On the other hand, it'd be really nice if they were slightly more creative about first names.
It sounds like us Geek Girls are gonna watch the latest Torchwood. I have no illusions on how the season will end. There will be many moments of "ARGH, NO!" I'm sure. But I'm interested. Because whenever American shows have anything to do with the United Kingdom, they get it wrong. And British shows always get the United States wrong. Not in a "we did no research whatsoever" kind of "wrong". More of an inability to capture the mood of the culture. American shows can never get a handle on "Britishness", and British shows never quite manage "Americanness."
Even the season opener to Doctor Who this year, shot as it was in Utah. Lots of American elements, a couple genuine American accents, some lovely American mythology (is it just me, or does Who favor a 'mythological' United States?), truly stunning American filming... but it felt thoroughly British.
And any time--any time-- I watch something American-made that touches on Britain, it doesn't feel right. It's probably presumptuous of me to say that being raised on British literature and watching days' worth of British TV would give me any kind of feel for that. I've never set foot there. But even when they have British actors, the writers are American, and you can hear it. It's off. It's American.
But Miracle Day was written by a team of British and American writers and features British and American actors. It was filmed in California and Wales. I am very interested to see what that does.
(For the record, I get this way about things about/set in anyplace that isn't The Coast. We are not California. We're not New York. GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEADS, HOLLYWOOD! We are not hicks, but neither is your culture, our culture. And that's something I am qualified to say. *g*)
Am neck-deep in my mom's geneology. It's quite the challenge. On one hand, you can spot relatives because they all tell the same story about their ancestors. On the other hand, it'd be really nice if they were slightly more creative about first names.
It sounds like us Geek Girls are gonna watch the latest Torchwood. I have no illusions on how the season will end. There will be many moments of "ARGH, NO!" I'm sure. But I'm interested. Because whenever American shows have anything to do with the United Kingdom, they get it wrong. And British shows always get the United States wrong. Not in a "we did no research whatsoever" kind of "wrong". More of an inability to capture the mood of the culture. American shows can never get a handle on "Britishness", and British shows never quite manage "Americanness."
Even the season opener to Doctor Who this year, shot as it was in Utah. Lots of American elements, a couple genuine American accents, some lovely American mythology (is it just me, or does Who favor a 'mythological' United States?), truly stunning American filming... but it felt thoroughly British.
And any time--any time-- I watch something American-made that touches on Britain, it doesn't feel right. It's probably presumptuous of me to say that being raised on British literature and watching days' worth of British TV would give me any kind of feel for that. I've never set foot there. But even when they have British actors, the writers are American, and you can hear it. It's off. It's American.
But Miracle Day was written by a team of British and American writers and features British and American actors. It was filmed in California and Wales. I am very interested to see what that does.
(For the record, I get this way about things about/set in anyplace that isn't The Coast. We are not California. We're not New York. GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEADS, HOLLYWOOD! We are not hicks, but neither is your culture, our culture. And that's something I am qualified to say. *g*)