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[Have a lot to say in a limited amount of time, no time to edit or proof, so you will have to bear with me. And have two things, which may seem to be completely unconnected.]
1. Have you ever been a fan? Been so emotionally invested in something that you actually bought season tickets to every game, stood line for hours, dressed up in the colors, and skipped work for the ticker-taper parade when they won? Or have fallen so deeply in love with a tv show that you taped every single episode, rescheduled your life around it, and even read heaven forbid a fanmagazine? Or followed a band across the country, no matter where they went, and collected every single version of their song? If you have -- do you know what it feels like when that team loses, not just loses, but loses sooo badly, that you want to throw rotten tomatoes at the coach? (I think they wrote a poem about this entitled Casey at the Bat.) Or you may know what it feels like when your favorite tv series or books serial or say comic serial or just a story flitting across the mediums does something sooo offensive to you, pushes your buttons so badly, that you want to well send hate mail to writer who did it or burn everything you bought? Or you may know what if feels likes when that band you loved to death, gets drunk and lip-synch's the lyrics at a live performance, sucks sooo bad, and you spent your entire paycheck to hear them. That they aren't who you thought. Disappointment is a bitch when you are emotionally invested, when you are a fan. It feels a bit like someone has pulled off a layer of skin.
2. The Rorschach Picture Test
I've been reading Buffy issue 34 reviews - okay, scanning them. Including, unfortunately some of the writers and artist's comments which pushed my buttons. (see item #1 above). I won't tell what they said or link you to them. Seriously, do you care? I thought not. As I was reading them - two comments to rather snarky previous posts I'd made on the subject of the comics, comments that I did not necessarily agree with - stuck in my head. Why is it that it is always the comments you don't agree with - that stick with you? (or maybe that's just me). At any rate one mentioned "The Rorsache Picture Test" and the other mentioned "Pattern analysis" or rather how they liked to pick up the patterns in things and did not really get emotionally involved in the story, per se. They appeared to assume that no one else saw patterns in things or was into that sort of thing. And I felt myself bristle, thinking, you idiot, have you been reading my blog? All I do is pattern analysis. But..during a rather lengthy chat on the phone last night, it occurred to me - we all see patterns in things, it's not the fact that we don't see patterns, that's human nature, no what is the distinguishing factor here is well how we each interpret the patterns that we see.
Rorschach Picture Test involves an inkblot. That's all it is an inkblot. Randomly stamped on a piece of paper. In tv shows from M*A*S*H to House, writers have used the Rorsach inkblot test. Often a psychiatrist will show the inkblot to the patient and ask what do you see. The character/patient often states nothing, or an inkblot, or something else - when pushed. It's a test that permeates our literature and pop landscape. To the point in which you may well groan or roll your eyes when it appears.
( cut for length and spoilers on the Buffy comics..although I doubt anyone cares at this point. )
1. Have you ever been a fan? Been so emotionally invested in something that you actually bought season tickets to every game, stood line for hours, dressed up in the colors, and skipped work for the ticker-taper parade when they won? Or have fallen so deeply in love with a tv show that you taped every single episode, rescheduled your life around it, and even read heaven forbid a fanmagazine? Or followed a band across the country, no matter where they went, and collected every single version of their song? If you have -- do you know what it feels like when that team loses, not just loses, but loses sooo badly, that you want to throw rotten tomatoes at the coach? (I think they wrote a poem about this entitled Casey at the Bat.) Or you may know what it feels like when your favorite tv series or books serial or say comic serial or just a story flitting across the mediums does something sooo offensive to you, pushes your buttons so badly, that you want to well send hate mail to writer who did it or burn everything you bought? Or you may know what if feels likes when that band you loved to death, gets drunk and lip-synch's the lyrics at a live performance, sucks sooo bad, and you spent your entire paycheck to hear them. That they aren't who you thought. Disappointment is a bitch when you are emotionally invested, when you are a fan. It feels a bit like someone has pulled off a layer of skin.
2. The Rorschach Picture Test
I've been reading Buffy issue 34 reviews - okay, scanning them. Including, unfortunately some of the writers and artist's comments which pushed my buttons. (see item #1 above). I won't tell what they said or link you to them. Seriously, do you care? I thought not. As I was reading them - two comments to rather snarky previous posts I'd made on the subject of the comics, comments that I did not necessarily agree with - stuck in my head. Why is it that it is always the comments you don't agree with - that stick with you? (or maybe that's just me). At any rate one mentioned "The Rorsache Picture Test" and the other mentioned "Pattern analysis" or rather how they liked to pick up the patterns in things and did not really get emotionally involved in the story, per se. They appeared to assume that no one else saw patterns in things or was into that sort of thing. And I felt myself bristle, thinking, you idiot, have you been reading my blog? All I do is pattern analysis. But..during a rather lengthy chat on the phone last night, it occurred to me - we all see patterns in things, it's not the fact that we don't see patterns, that's human nature, no what is the distinguishing factor here is well how we each interpret the patterns that we see.
Rorschach Picture Test involves an inkblot. That's all it is an inkblot. Randomly stamped on a piece of paper. In tv shows from M*A*S*H to House, writers have used the Rorsach inkblot test. Often a psychiatrist will show the inkblot to the patient and ask what do you see. The character/patient often states nothing, or an inkblot, or something else - when pushed. It's a test that permeates our literature and pop landscape. To the point in which you may well groan or roll your eyes when it appears.
( cut for length and spoilers on the Buffy comics..although I doubt anyone cares at this point. )
