Spirit Week: Gender Bender Day

I honestly wonder if at some point we'll have a full-out, openly declared Cross-Dressing Day in Spirit Week. Sadly, it'll probably still be considered a bigger social risk for guys than girls. Today's Spirit Week gender bending was for girls to wear blue and boys to wear pink. 

With the growing recognition of Pink Shirt Day, observed on the last Wednesday of February (at least it is in Canada), which makes a stand against bullying in all its forms, you'd think (hope) that the colour pink would've be de-listed as an stereotyped indication of femininity. As a (female) child, I remember having a distinct dislike for pink myself. And I don't think I was the only girl to feel that way. Of course, being a girl, gender bending was, to a point, acceptable. I was a tomboy of a child for much of my school career to the point that my mother was once congratulated on having two healthy and strong sons AND I was once stopped from going into a ladies washroom at a restaurant. As a teen, I still preferred practical clothing to the fussiness of fashion-awareness.

The gender-fying of clothing has an interesting history. Like Coca-Cola's role in our modern day North American visual of Santa Claus (my favourite snippet from the Wiki entry: "Images of Santa Claus were further cemented through Haddon Sundblom's depiction of him for The Coca-Cola Company's Christmas advertising. The popularity of the image spawned urban legends that Santa Claus was in fact invented by Coca-Cola. Nevertheless, Santa Claus and Coca-Cola have been closely associated, except for 2005 when Santa was replaced in advertising by Coca-Cola's polar bears."), advertisers and marketers had a direct influence on assigning specific colours to girls and boys. The linked article from the Smithsonian is fascinating. I especially like the comment on the rising consumerism of children.

So my bluest shirt (that hasn't already been on this blog) is not only blue but features characters known specifically for being blue, yet happy, The Smurfs. The tee is a Kerri-gift and more than just retro thanks to a film reboot in 2011. Also, a tangential point on the theme of gender-fying, Smurfette is one of those anomalies in children's programming that few people think about unless it's in hindsight. (Mind you, I vaguely remember an episode where Smurfette's origin was revealed that she was a Pandora-like trap made by villain Gargamel to ensnare/corrupt the Smurfs. I could be making it up completely but if she was a Mark 1.0 Cylon Fembot reprogrammed by Brainy Smurf and assimilated into Smurf society, it does kind of explain a few things.)

Finally, because any discussion of gender needs a Whedon connection, and because this video fell out of the sky and onto my Facebook newsfeed just yesterday, (and because he really is my Big Damn Wordsmithing Hero), here is Joss Whedon addressing the 2013 commencement class of Wesleyan University from last Sunday. He doesn't exactly address gender issues but I'd like to think that in "accepting duality to earn identity" on a macro-level, we would all recognize the inherent strength and value in every member of society - no matter their gender, age, race or creed - and, instead, work to grow the connections that really define us as individuals, collectives and communities. Wouldn't that be Smurf-tastic?

Upstaging the Hero

Pity the brave heroes. Yes, they may overcome and triumph over villains and personal demons. Yes, their names may ring golden throughout history. Yes, they may fulfill prophecy, outwit Fate, undo curses, complete quests, ascend thrones, and get the happily ever after. But at what cost? The Hero's Quest is an archetypal path. Details vary but the elements remain the same whether you're discussing Superman, Katniss or Harry Potter. No matter the heights they scale or the foes they vanquish, heroes are trapped by the very role they play.

And the modern day hero is flawed. Whether they are flaws that need besting like Indiana Jones' fear of snakes or flaws that can be turned into strengths like the ADHD and dyslexia inherent in all the demigods in Rick Riordan's Olympus series, they are flaws that are laid out in a public vetting as thorough as any an American vice-president may undergo.  It's downright embarrassing if you consider that, as a hero, every aspect of your life is considered general knowledge. Forget paparazzi, teenage fanboys and girls are suddenly experts in every like, dislike or neuroses you ever experienced. And beyond the hysteria, there are the EXPECTATIONS. Sure, you killed that baddie and saved the world from that meteor but what have you done lately? Being a hero is downright exhausting.

Today's shirt courtesy of ThinkGeek

And where does this leave the happy sidekicks? Free to excel in any field they like without qualms of having a hero standard to live up to. Liberated from public scrutiny and permitted to be as quirky and edgy as they like. They can be endearing or sarcastic or endearingly sarcastic even. They can provide solutions without feigning angst or agony. Yeah, okay, they occasionally end up catching a bullet or a plague for dramatic effect (Whedon has been quoted as saying,"If you want an emotional response from the audience, hurt Willow.") but at least they are not forced to dance the morality/ethical cha-cha for the audience. They can have the occasional heroic moment, that spark of awesome to qualify them for important Girl/Boy Friday status, but there are no expectations placed upon their shoulders. Which is why they are, so often, able to shine brighter in our minds than the "hero".

On TV, these are our Willows, our Monroes, our Kenzies. In the movies, these are our Short Rounds, our droids, our Mr. Universes. In literature, these are our Nevilles, our Mr. Bingleys, our Diana Barrys. These are the individuals we'd like to hang out with, go see a movie with, take out for a smoothie, the heroes being too busy with their junkets and drama. 

I've always been slightly outraged by the disregard for Neville's backstory shown by the films. In the literature, it was pure chance that put Harry on the hero's path. If Voldemort and Bellatrix had traded chores, it would've been Neville's mother's love that wounded Voldemort and Neville would've been all scarred and tragic. And in that line of reasoning, based on everything we know...

Smarter, kinder, surviving a lifetime of visits to St. Mungo's and with a grandma that made him toe the line, Neville was made of such stuff as heroes are made of. Sure, he might not be as talented with a broom but in the greater scheme of things, Herbology expertise trumps Quidditch skillz wands down. And the dude knows how to swing a sword.

Years ago, I heard an anecdote about the casting of the 1985 TV film adaptation of "Anne of Green Gables" wherein actress Schuyler Grant had been cast in the title role only to have a visually ideal Megan Follows swoop in in the eleventh hour to steal the role. As Schuyler went on to portray Anne's bestie, Diana, this anecdote lent a new layer to a scene in the sequel movie (1987) where Anne discovers that Diana has always loved Gilbert but had never made it known because he was "always meant to be" with Anne. After hearing about how the casting fell out, I always thought that there was a note in Schuyler's voice and a glint in her eye that had nothing to do with a fictional infatuation. Some do not embrace the loss of hero status as easily as others.

The most clever recent sidekick/hero play on roles was in the generally panned film Sucker Punch, which I'm gonna have to admit I liked. Possibly specifically for the fact that Zack Snyder pulled a switcheroo at the end, the moment when Babydoll realizes that she is not, in fact, the hero of the story and that she was really just the means to someone else's happy ending.

So, it's been a while since I asked for reader participation. Anyone out there have an example of the series/film/book where the side characters are more interesting than the protagonist? Who preferred Jack over Will in "Will and Grace"? Honeycutt over Hawkeye on "M*A*S*H"? Buddy over Charles in "Charles in Charge"? Why are sitcoms the easiest to draw examples from? Ok, a book reference: who else looks forward to Bob the Skull scenes in the Dresden Files and could do with fewer Harry-preparing-another-spell scenes?

Building Vocab, Creating 'Verses

I think the first phrase I ever adopted from watching a show or reading a book was "Geez Louise". I was about nine and can't remember now where I picked it up from. I do remember being reprimanded by a schoolmate at our Catholic private school for taking the Lord's name in vain. I was shocked. I was? Nine-year-old me had never made the connection between "Geez" and "Jesus".

Joss Whedon's use of "shiny" as a blanket positive term in his Firefly/Serenity universe has been adopted globally by Browncoats everywhere as has the slang abbreviation " 'verse " to denote both real and fictional uni- and multi- verses.

Today's shirt is a Teefury buy and I'm almost absolutely sure that Mitch and J also ordered their own when they bought this gift for me. Jayne, after all, is Mitch's favourite character from Firefly/Serenity.

Like Shakespeare, the truly creative minds of contemporary times use language itself as a power device that sets their world-building apart from other endeavours. BSG's "frak". Star Wars' "nerf herder". Star Trek's "make it so". And Big Bang Theory's "Bazinga". Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series is another example, this time in the literary forum, where the slang is an intrinsic part of the characters and society in his post-apocalyptic California. In fact, it was such a major part, he co-wrote an entire companion book to the series, glossing the slang. 

In high school, my social circle headed out to see Mad Love, starring Chris O'Donnell and Drew Barrymore. Not actually sure why we picked it in the first place. We didn't love the movie after seeing it but the title tickled us as a pun-ny sort of euphemism for movies in general. For at least a few months afterwards, we referred to movie night as Mad Love Night. We thought it was fun-ny.

Language is a huge part of our world and what we adopt from our media reflects our interests and appreciation for the effort that goes into that which entertains us. Have any other words/phrases learned from shows or books worked their way into your vernacular?

In Joss I Trust

Those who know me knew this was coming. A large segment of my t-shirt collection is Joss-Whedon-related. And whether that is because he writes in a manner both witty and thoughtful; because he is a master of metaphor and clever innuendo; or because his brain seems to operate on a level that simultaneously awes and frightens his cast and crew ... I couldn't really say. He writes female heroes who are actually heroic and self-aware, something rare and beautiful to see in a media 'verse that often beatifies the victimized (and canonizes the martyred) woman and vilifies the strong. He actively turns the expected on its head and pulls the curtain on the ridiculous stereotype. He mixes his genres, humanizes his superheroes, kills off beloved central characters, and adapts freakin' SHAKESPEARE in his "down" time.

Today's shirt was a (Teefury) gift from good friends, J and Mitch, and graphically represents another reason I *heart* Whedon. The man wrote a super-villain MUSICAL (in three acts), where the "hero" is a pompous dick, the "villain" is a love-struck genius scientist, and the Big Bad is a horse with his own set of chorus boys. (Seriously, what's not to *heart*?) I write, of course, of "Dr. Horrible's Singalong Blog" spawned from the pit of the writer's strike, intelligently designed by many cooks, and full of classic revolutionary joie de vivre (as outlined in the Master Plan)

From its free-share, age-of-the-Internet beginnings, it has taken on the trappings of modern America with merchandising, publicity, some mainstreaming, and spin-offs without losing the core essence of challenge to expected norms. The highly recognizable cast - with actors from current television hits The Big Bang Theory, Castle, and How I Met Your Mother - is apparently committed to a sequel in the works for next year. Considering the projects Joss reportedly has on the go, I think back to one of my favourite Whedon lines in Firefly:

We have done the impossible, and that makes us mighty.

and figure that being Mighty is a constant state of mightiness and an active pursuit of the impossible. There are many who aspire to this. There are some who maintain this... for a while. There are those who inspire others to seek it with their words, their deeds, their creations... and that is the only way to assure a legacy of mightiness. Joss Whedon is one of those Mighty and man, I get mighty tired just thinking about it all.

In 2005, before a premiere screening of Serenity, I stood in a movie cinema in London next to Summer Glau, facing Nathan Fillion, less than two feet away from Joss Whedon. I was able to converse in a somewhat natural manner with Summer whom I had met briefly the weekend before at an autograph fair and who is an incredibly warm individual, generous with her attention and genuinely kind and sincere. When she introduced me to "Nate", he was very friendly and happy and TALL as he signed an autograph for me and I was able to thank him without sounding too ridiculous. Then, just as the cinema manager indicated that it was time for the important people to do important things in the theatre, I made eye contact with Joss Whedon. And I had no words. Me. No. Words. Done the impossible, indeed. In the interests of full disclosure, I think I emitted an audible "eep" and ran to my seat in the theatre.

The "Can't Stop the Signal" campaign to make Serenity a success was my gateway to the world of the Browncoats, first in the UK and then here in Vancouver. Whedon's interaction with fans and supporters cemented my admiration for his talent with real respect for his causes and projects. Before the early screenings of Serenity, the following message from Joss was played:

So whether it's Shakespeare, or musicals, or mega-budget superhero movies, or even another Fox network television show that'll be cut down in its prime, I stand at the ready with my compatriots, armed with wit and optimism and all the #hashtags and broadcast ability that social media imbues us media foot soldiers with. Bring on the space war versus an ancient evil; a cabin built in a Hellsmouth in a law office; a rocket launcher to fight a killer unicorn for a dollhouse; or superheroes who need shawarma. We're loud. We're proud. We're Big Damn Heroes. And we sing about mustard stains when the moment calls for it.