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Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery: Science Fiction Parody and Humor TV Shows

23 Jan

Ghosted and the Orville both debuted last year and the Hoboken Public Library recently got their first seasons on DVD.  They parody popular classic Science Fiction TV shows, but even while they skewer conventions and plot lines, they still manage to send lots of love to the shows they are poking fun at.  I’ve also listed a few of my older comedy science fiction favorites that are worth checking out.

Ghosted
ghosted
I was a fan of the The X-Files as a teen, so I was interested to check out Ghosted.  Ghosted stars Craig Robinson and Adam Scott in a half hour comedy about a skeptical former security guard and a brilliant true believer who must solve paranormal incidents involving aliens, ghosts, and other supernatural creatures for a secret Government Agency.  Having been cancelled after its first season, it didn’t find the audience of the long running X-Files which it parodied, but it is still a fun way to spend some time binging on a snowy winter day.

The Orville
orville
The Orville, according to my husband, feels like every episode is one of the funny episodes you would get each season of a Star Trek series and considering the hilarious “The Trouble with Tribbles” often gets ranked as one Trek fan’s favorite episodes of all times, this could mean it is definitely worth checking out if you are a Trekie.  I thought it captured more of the feel of the old TV shows than the new streaming series which has more in common with the recent Star Trek movie reboots.  The great banter between Captain Ed Mercer and his first officer and ex-wife are just one of the reasons to tune in.  I recommend this highly, even if like me you are not usually a fan of star and creator Seth MacFarlane’s work.

Red Dwarf
red dwarf
My father, who is a Science Fiction fan, encouraged me to check out the BBC show Red Dwarf , which centers around a motley starship crew including the last living human who wakes from stasis in the far future, a hologram of his former bunkmate, a humanoid creature who evolved from his pet cat, and the ship’s computer AI.  The series first aired in 1988 and has evolved over the years.  Lister and Rimmer are the Odd Couple in Space.  Check it out and see why the show has developed a cult following.

Lexx
lexx
Lexx is a Canadian series focusing on the powerful starship Lexx, which can destroy worlds, and its crew.  The story takes them to a number of unusual planets and even an alternative version of our own.  Lexx moves between a more serious tone and at times has broader farce towards the end of its run, but on the whole the humor is much darker than the others on this list.

Mystery Science Theater 3000
mst3k
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is based on the idea that some movies are so bad they are good.  This cult classic stars a man trapped in space with only his robot companions to keep to keep him company while they watch horrible movies as part of mad scientists’ nefarious experiments.  The funny dialogue between the actors adds laughs to some truly bad films.  Definitely worth revisiting older episodes or checking out the new reboot.  Hoopla lets you decide who you think is funniest Joel, Mike, or the newest star Jonah.  You can also borrow episodes from BCCLS libraries including HPL.

If you are a fan of Science Fiction and Fantasy, you can join me for screenings of Science Fiction and Fantasy movies we show one Monday each month at 4 PM; in February our screening will be on February 25.  At 6:15 PM on Feb 25, there will also be a discussion of  the magical novel, A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab; it was suggested by one of our group members and though I’m only a third of the way through I already want to read the other two in the series.  You can stop by the reference desk for a print copy. Borrow an ebook copy from eLibraryNJ or digital audiobook copy from Hoopla, who also has the comic series.  Don’t have an ereader of your own; HPL residents can check out ereaders with all of our book discussion books and more downloaded on them.  Email hplwriters @ gmal.com for more information about the group.  You can sign up for the library’s enewsletter to stay up to date on all the library’s fun and informative programs.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Head of Reference

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She’s the Man on the Twelfth Night: A Modern Movie and a Classic Play

24 Oct

In the comedy of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night it is ironic how there is a romantic happy ending but only tragedy is his romances – but that is the irony and beauty and also frustration of Shakespeare’s genres.

Now, although I’m sure while Shakespeare may have seemed ahead of his time, he would thoroughly appreciate being labeled as one of the original Rom-Com artists there were. And in this label of rom-com comes a modern twist on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night called She’s the Man. In case some were not aware – yes, Amanda Bynes’s She’s the Man was based on Shakespeare’s comedy Twelfth Night.

Now, while some of the originality of the comedic twists and satire may be lost in this modern day version, what shocked me the most was the accuracy in its depiction – while I’m aware of this contradiction this portrays, let me elucidate.

Shakespeare was very direct in his meanings – even if they seemed hidden within his plays – about sexuality, gender and love. He always found a way to get across how blurry all the lines can seem when it came to one’s identity in romance and attraction and even personality. Twelfth Night was one of those plays that all the lines were so blurred that they almost came across as very clear. It was evident that his plays were meant to entertain – just as the modern day rom-com movie interpretation – but what it also revealed was the reality of mixed identity in all of us.

What the performance reveals by way of concealing in Twelfth Night as a text, is how the way one dresses suggests the existence of a sense of “truth.” It is with this suggestion that we are presented within this “truth,” “true” identity. On the same note, it elaborates on having more than one “true” identity. It is suggested that if the true self is a performed self, then this justifies moreover that the many layers of clothing one can put on, allows them to perform – reveal – many “true selves”.

In turn, in “She’s the Man” Viola of course changes her attire to match that of Sebastian’s, but in actuality she is only putting on another layer of her true self in order to fit in and succeed in love, in identity and in life. It’s not that her true layer is a man, it’s what her true layer as a man represents within the movie, and within the play.

More so, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, or, What You Will alludes this within the second title What You Will. This suggests that what you will – will power – yourself to do is who you are at that moment. The Oxford English Dictionary defines “will” as “desire, longing, and disposition” (OED). It is in this very definition of “will” meaning “disposition” that we see another suggested implication of the title meaning. So, What You Will could possibly translate into “What You Control”, and what one controls within this play are the clothes they put on. It is the tangible covering of the different layers of clothes that each character puts on that only reveals another “costume” or performance of themselves.

It is in this act of “will” that we see Viola try to take control of her identity, of her disposition. But all this is hidden in a comedic plot line with witty quips, satiric innuendos, and “happy endings.”  Having read the play, it is interesting to see the deeper development within each scene in the film adaptation. It’s also strange to feel a sense of relation to Disney’s classic Cinderella, whom also identified and changes her future in love and personality by what she wore only for it to be stripped away at the stroke of midnight. It’s strange to see how powerfully Shakespeare was onto something way ahead of his time – and the shear fact of how one can be identified by the layer they put on, both metaphorically and literally.

If you often find Shakespeare intimidating, you can borrow a variety of accessible versions of Twelfth Night from BCCLS Libraries including the original text with a modern version side by side, a retelling in rhymed couplets for kids,  a filmed version starring Helena Bonham Carter, and even a comic Manga adaptation.  Also check out our previous post on how to stop hating Shakespeare!

Written by:
Sherissa Hernandez
Adult Programming Assistant

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