Random comment: WSJ on upcoming summer movies
Published by Panda on Friday, April 25, 2008 at 7:51 AMI'm not sure why I find this amusing. Actually, I do. It's because I think it's stupid. From the WSJ:
The summer of 2008 will feature an unusually deep bench of comic-book characters, including "Iron Man," "Hellboy II," "The Incredible Hulk" and the return of Batman in "The Dark Knight." The season also has heroic figures aimed at baby boomers ("Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"); outsiders (Will Smith as a down-and-out guy infused with super powers in "Hancock"); conspiracy theorists (a new "X-Files" movie); and fantasy lovers ("The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian"). And moviegoers looking for heroines without special powers (but with outfits as stylish as those of any superhero) can check out the movie version of "Sex and the City."
..."Sex and the City" from Time Warner Inc.'s New Line unit, also hopes to tap into the heroic spirit of the summer. "These women are the ultimate female superheroes," says Michael Patrick King, who executive produced the HBO hit from which the movie sprang. " 'Sex and The City' was made to correct the myth that if you were single at a certain age, you were a leper. Its four characters are heroes to a lot of women; they run around New York, or Gotham -- but they have fancy shoes instead of capes."
I get what they're saying, but this is a stretch of pretty farcical proportions. If they had phrased it in any other way, e.g. females are also being given self-empowering fantasy schlock, then I wouldn't have given this passage a second thought. But trying to shoehorn characters that are almost exclusively concerned with sex and fashion (i.e. themselves) as heroes? Give me a break.
P.S. I happily admit to not being a fan of Sex and the City, and have only watched a bare handful of shows. If some avid fan happens to have evidence that disputes my view, I'm more than happy to be corrected.The summer of 2008 will feature an unusually deep bench of comic-book characters, including "Iron Man," "Hellboy II," "The Incredible Hulk" and the return of Batman in "The Dark Knight." The season also has heroic figures aimed at baby boomers ("Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"); outsiders (Will Smith as a down-and-out guy infused with super powers in "Hancock"); conspiracy theorists (a new "X-Files" movie); and fantasy lovers ("The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian"). And moviegoers looking for heroines without special powers (but with outfits as stylish as those of any superhero) can check out the movie version of "Sex and the City."
..."Sex and the City" from Time Warner Inc.'s New Line unit, also hopes to tap into the heroic spirit of the summer. "These women are the ultimate female superheroes," says Michael Patrick King, who executive produced the HBO hit from which the movie sprang. " 'Sex and The City' was made to correct the myth that if you were single at a certain age, you were a leper. Its four characters are heroes to a lot of women; they run around New York, or Gotham -- but they have fancy shoes instead of capes."
I get what they're saying, but this is a stretch of pretty farcical proportions. If they had phrased it in any other way, e.g. females are also being given self-empowering fantasy schlock, then I wouldn't have given this passage a second thought. But trying to shoehorn characters that are almost exclusively concerned with sex and fashion (i.e. themselves) as heroes? Give me a break.
P.S. I happily admit to not being a fan of Sex and the City, and have only watched a bare handful of shows. If some avid fan happens to have evidence that disputes my view, I'm more than happy to be corrected.
