The Dollhouse
Let me preference this by saying, I haven't seen a single episode of the Dollhouse. I have it on tivo to get it when it comes out -- solely because it's by Joss Whedon, and I've loved pretty much all his other efforts.
But to be totally honest, I'm very lukewarm to the concept, because I can't imagine how it can be done well. And I fully realize how hypocritical it is for me to feel this way, because dude, this is my schtick! I write the concept that can't be written well and I make it work. And I'm just a hack fanfic writer. If I can pull off crack, I shouldn't have any worries that one of my favorite TV producers can do it.
The concept, for those who don't already know, is that a woman has signed a contract to let some company called "The Dollhouse" erase her personality and reprogram it so that she can be a better fantasy companion to a number of rich men. Each episode she is a the same body, but a different personality -- and no memory of anything but what she currently is playing.
Yeah.
My first thought is what possible motivation would she have for agreeing to that?. It better be a damn good one -- maybe to save her family from a fate worse than death?
Because to me, to lose your personality, that is death. A kind of a living death. Each personality that is breifly made then erased is a new death. Each personality also is an untried and unknowable quantity -- what if you become psychopathic? What if you destroy the things you are working for? What if you become something you hate? And to take 5 years out of a very very limited prime-of-life and essentially have it be totally lost to you -- what possible reward is worth that?
To me this is essentially a rape of a persons essence. I can see why a man would want to purchase such a thing, but shy of it being complete non-con, I just can't see why anyone (at least anyone I'd care to sympathize with) would subject herself to it.
I'll watch this... but I'm not very excited about it.
But to be totally honest, I'm very lukewarm to the concept, because I can't imagine how it can be done well. And I fully realize how hypocritical it is for me to feel this way, because dude, this is my schtick! I write the concept that can't be written well and I make it work. And I'm just a hack fanfic writer. If I can pull off crack, I shouldn't have any worries that one of my favorite TV producers can do it.
The concept, for those who don't already know, is that a woman has signed a contract to let some company called "The Dollhouse" erase her personality and reprogram it so that she can be a better fantasy companion to a number of rich men. Each episode she is a the same body, but a different personality -- and no memory of anything but what she currently is playing.
Yeah.
My first thought is what possible motivation would she have for agreeing to that?. It better be a damn good one -- maybe to save her family from a fate worse than death?
Because to me, to lose your personality, that is death. A kind of a living death. Each personality that is breifly made then erased is a new death. Each personality also is an untried and unknowable quantity -- what if you become psychopathic? What if you destroy the things you are working for? What if you become something you hate? And to take 5 years out of a very very limited prime-of-life and essentially have it be totally lost to you -- what possible reward is worth that?
To me this is essentially a rape of a persons essence. I can see why a man would want to purchase such a thing, but shy of it being complete non-con, I just can't see why anyone (at least anyone I'd care to sympathize with) would subject herself to it.
I'll watch this... but I'm not very excited about it.