Sing Along Et Cetera

[toysdream]

Since monkey-junkey recommended it, and since I have a weird affection for Neil Patrick Harris, I finally got around to checking out Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. (I had to do it on The Hook's laptop, since my antique iMac can't keep up with the video format they're using, but you're not here to hear about me and my computer woes

Comments

[likeadeuce]

Really nice analysis -- and as for this:

In an entertainment landscape that routinely uses female characters as disposable mechanisms to drive the actions of the their male compatriots, comic books are the one medium in which people noticed.

Yes, seriously -- I have to say I came to comics after a background in a lot of crime fiction and noir films and it took me a long time to figure out what people were on about, since comics seemed so much better than so many other media I'd experienced.

[toysdream]

Thanks for the seconding opinion. It sounds like there's already a standard party line taking shape among Joss Whedon's fanbase to the effect of Well, what did you expect, it's a comic book parody and that's a comic book cliche. And that kind of annoys me since it smells of people demonizing superhero comics - which, as you note, are no worse on this score than most other entertainment genres - to excuse the shortcomings of their favorite creator.

I guess comic book fandom may have opened itself to this kind of criticism by openly acknowledging the "women in refrigerators" cliche, rather than calling it "raising the stakes" and "good drama" as Hollywood does. But if the result is that comic book writers think about this stuff a little harder, and try to use this gimmick a little less, then it's definitely worth it. In the meantime, maybe we should start taking Hollywood to task over its own fondness for Se7en-style "head in a box" schlock.

[likeadeuce]

I didn't actually mind it in this case, because I saw it as using and acknowledging the trope -- especially the 'whatsername dies' headline indicated he knew there was something WRONG with it. I would not go so far as to say that he actually subverted the cliche, nor do I think he was really trying to -- and I have to say I don't think the whole effort was particularly successful, anyway. But I do like the points that you mentioned and I appreciate that you're both acknowledging the refrigerator problem here, and still discussing other elements of the story. Because that's a potentially unsettling one, but not the only interesting aspect.

[ponygirl2000]

Best analysis I've read so far!

[toysdream]

Thanks! I hope I was able to find some kind of slightly fresh angle on it. :-)

[londonkds]

The Angel After the Fall comics do, happily, seem to be working on the nihilism and the species-based morality of S5 as Angel making really bad decisions for himself and everyone else as usual, rather than endorsing them. Although as far as the credits go Whedon's only co-plotting them.

[toysdream]

I'm reluctant to give Whedon credit for that since, as you note, it's not clear how much of this is him and how much is Lynch. A cynic could just as easily credit Lynch with all the good stuff and Whedon with the not-so-good bits.

Then again, I'm a little uneasy assessing Dr. Horrible solely in terms of Joss Whedon's creative development, considering that he seems to have roped in a bunch of previously unheard-of Whedon Bros. to contribute to this project. For all I know, this could be some kind of family intervention. :-)

[resolute]

linked here by likeadeuce -- this is really great meta, thank you!

[toysdream]

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it. :-)

[monkey_junkey]

Oooh, I like your interpretation there. I found it interesting that it was in fact Captain Hammer, the hero-type character, who killed Penny by pulling the trigger on the death ray. By the same action he kills Billy and gives rise to a fully evil Dr. Horrible. The status is not quo, indeed!

Whedon still has some wank issues to iron out but I still enjoyed Dr. Horrible as a whole, as the man does have a knack for penning catchy musicals. It's hard to not giggle at a supervillain referred to as "The Thoroughbred of Sin".

Neil Patrick Harris definitely carried the piece though, I don't know if it would have been as enjoyable with another actor.