Random Stuff I've Been Linked Too (Part 2)

I know I've done this before, since I've checked, and now I'm doing it again. It was two posts ago which brought my unfathomable rage eariler, so let's see what can give me unbridled joy....just without all the death.

First, I'm still watching White Collar. This is one of the best shows-alongside the generous opinion and outward awesome that is Burn Notice-with some of the best character development I've seen in a long time for men and women involved. No one is a liability, everyone has their awesome, funny,and incredibly heartwarming moments which are easy to spot, and it depicts a relationship between rivals that I haven't seen before in such a capacity..ever.

Now, while I'm getting ready to watch this show again and I'm doing some research, I get linked to this lovely little blog post.

Let me break it down for you: The male cultural perception is incredibly broken. We're supposed to be strong, unfeeling types who simply cast off to greatness because we can feel good about having those weak, piddling emotions and understandings to hold us back.

This is wrong. We need to be able to express and not be ashamed for it. We need to be able to say that we're men because we're human beings-just as women should-and the world would be better for it.

This was to be my response post for Ms.Kesler, but I couldn't get it on there somehow. I was impressed with her feature and felt the need to congratulate:

'Thank you for this feature and your feelings upon it. I agree with your analysis and idea of feminism wholeheartedly. The perception of the male cultural stigma pervading other men has gone on far enough. It has been said best by many others and it shall be repeated here: The Patriarchy Hurts Men Too.

What I found particularly drawing about Fight Club as a movie was not only the Mental Illness angle perpetuating the idea of a culturally-supermale society, but also the complete and total persecution of lesser males-and females by the second half-for being incapable of reaching their goals. One of the many reason the 'Calvin and Hobbes' theory was postulated was that Jack (In this situation, Calvin) was someone who completely saw fantasy as an escape towards a society where he was a superman who could do literally anything he set his mind to. Tyler (being Hobbes) facilitated that need and gave Jack everything he ever desired all with the context of a completely fabricated pseudo-reality.

When he gets thrown into reality once more, where does Jack stand? A normal human being without that world to reside within, but also a free man who cast off the shackles.'

Take that to the bank.

I am a Man...

And I watch a lovely little cartoon called "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic."



No. I'm completely serious. This is probably one of the funniest new animations I've seen in recent memory outside Adventure Time with Finn and Jake and Regular Show. This little gem was developed and produced by Lauren Faust, an artist and animator well known for her work on Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends alongside her husband, Craig McCracken. Her work clearly takes inspiration from other sources and the initial commercial roots of the original Hasbro franchise, but it goes beyond that altogether (and far beyond the Memes, let me tell you) in order to become something wholly original. The main characters are exceptionally well-defined as females in almost every archetypal role possible for a protagonist with visible motivations and flaws, the animation is flawless and the comedy-while sometimes gendered because of their primary demographic-is side-splitting.

I was introduced to this series by people on Skype, and as with nearly everything I'm recommended to see, I was skeptical not only by the nature of the story by the title and what people had said, but also because of MLP's history. The original "My Little Pony and Friends" was I show I watched with rose-tinted glasses back in my childhood years. The rotating cast and conventional "pink, pretty and hooved" mentality was bought in for girls, but there wasn't really any conflicting storylines with depth; it was meant to be marketable and we were dumb children. Who were we to care?

Also, for the record-since I don't want this brought up here: I am a heterosexual and a man, and I am proud of being such. I watch this show because I am a fan of a good storyline. Despite the demographic or lack thereof, I watch this series because I found something well-made to be entertained by, and I will continue to do so.

But this Pony show blew my mind just in the pilot. Cutsey names, but with strong humor. Traditional lessons for children, but presented without pandering. Action and conflict without dumbing down to the primary demographic without glorifying or detracting from narrative tropes. And the potential for something greater waiting in the wings in an arc storyline of magic, friendship and harmony. I am as hooked to this as I am hooked to Burn Notice, White Collar, and the Friday Action Block plus One on Cartoon Network.

And one of the reasons I'm hooked to this series is the fact that the author is defending her own work in the greatest Take That I think I've seen in media thus far. Kathleen Richter, an graduate from the University from California and an outspoken feminist on Ms.Blog, decided to deride the show for not displaying values to girls that spoke to things outside the pony-girl-princess archetype, as well what she claimed as 'pony racism.' Lauren Faust responded...and did she ever respond.

I think I can say this with absolute honesty and without a shred of doubt or misplaced conviction:

YOU GO GIRL! WHOOOOOOOOO!