In case anyone didn’t see it, here’s an addendum I made to my previous blog:
EDIT: This blog has been edited since it was first posted. After some discussions on social media and a little more research, I realized it had some inaccuracies. The blog was also meant to be a bit tongue-in-cheek, and once again I’ve learned that doesn’t always communicate on the internet. The biggest deletion pertained to the hysteria being manufactured to hurt the Trump Administration going into the election. I had no idea this was something started by President Trump on Twitter. It was a conclusion I came to on my own. I am a self-proclaimed “Trump agnostic,” meaning I’m not part of either the Never Trumpers or the president’s cult of personality, which is why I tick everyone off. (I do think someone needs to take Twitter away from him, though). However, I do stand by my assertion that the media is stoking the hysteria because, as Tim Constantine wrote for The Washington Times, “fear sells.” Since this is new (“novel,” which means “new,” is part of the disease’s name, after all) and relatively unknown, people fear it even though there are diseases out there that are far more common and far more likely to kill someone. Humans fear the unknown. However, I also know human nature well enough to know that there will be those who will try to take advantage of the situation for their own benefit, and that’s especially true for those in power. That’s the big reason why I think the hysteria needs to stop, which is the point I wanted to make with this blog. We need to be safe and watch out for those who are the most vulnerable among us (my younger brother has a form of asthma, so I know), but turning the world upside down like the Black Plague has suddenly returned is an overreaction. My apologies for not making that clear in the first published draft of this blog. (EDIT ENDS)
EDIT: This blog has been edited since it was first posted. After some discussions on social media and a little more research, I realized it had some inaccuracies. The blog was also meant to be a bit tongue-in-cheek, and once again I’ve learned that doesn’t always communicate on the internet. The biggest deletion pertained to the hysteria being manufactured to hurt the Trump Administration going into the election. I had no idea this was something started by President Trump on Twitter. It was a conclusion I came to on my own. I am a self-proclaimed “Trump agnostic,” meaning I’m not part of either the Never Trumpers or the president’s cult of personality, which is why I tick everyone off. (I do think someone needs to take Twitter away from him, though). However, I do stand by my assertion that the media is stoking the hysteria because, as Tim Constantine wrote for The Washington Times, “fear sells.” Since this is new (“novel,” which means “new,” is part of the disease’s name, after all) and relatively unknown, people fear it even though there are diseases out there that are far more common and far more likely to kill someone. Humans fear the unknown. However, I also know human nature well enough to know that there will be those who will try to take advantage of the situation for their own benefit, and that’s especially true for those in power. That’s the big reason why I think the hysteria needs to stop, which is the point I wanted to make with this blog. We need to be safe and watch out for those who are the most vulnerable among us (my younger brother has a form of asthma, so I know), but turning the world upside down like the Black Plague has suddenly returned is an overreaction. My apologies for not making that clear in the first published draft of this blog. (EDIT ENDS)
For the first few months of 2020, the coronavirus (or Covid-19 as the media is now calling it) was China’s problem. It was nasty, but it was “over there,” to quote a goofy Superman comic. It was an issue for the elderly and immunodeficient (spellcheck doesn’t like that word for some reason), but so was the flu.
But like black mold
creeping along your floor, the disease kept spreading until it hit the U.S.
California, if I remember correctly. Then Washington State. I figured it would
be contained. The CDC reacted quickly. But then it cropped up in other states.
Again, I didn’t think much of it. Until a man in Indianapolis was diagnosed
with it. Within a few days, another man in the county next door to me was
infected.
By that point, as the old
saying goes, all hell broke loose.
State and local
governments started mandating that large gatherings be postponed. Restaurants and
schools closed. Movies had their releases or productions delayed. Sporting
events were canceled. People were told to stay home in self-quarantine.
Businesses are losing
gobs of money—unless you’re Clorox or Netflix. They’re swimming in money. Hand
sanitizer is liquid gold now. I saw a listing on eBay where someone was selling
four 30-ounce bottles of the stuff for $500. If I’d known, I’d have stockpiled
it and started a black market.
At least The
Babylon Bee has had a heyday with this pandemic panic.
Not only am I going to
Walmart and grocery stores and finding the shelves empty (thankfully, I have
enough toilet paper to last a while), but it has affected my schooling and my
job. My university has decided to extend its spring break a week and make all
classes totally online for the rest of the semester. I’m taking two as a grad
student and teaching two as a graduate teaching assistant. I’ve taken a few
online classes before (and didn’t like it), but I’ve never taught one. Now I
have to find a way to adapt for the last six weeks or so of the semester. And I’d
just started to get to know my students and looked forward to seeing them. So,
my extended spring break has become an extended working spring break since I
now have to figure out how to re-jigger my classes. Meanwhile, I don’t know
what the classes I’m taking will look like. One professor is totally old
school, with the only online stuff he does being e-mail. The other professor
has one foot in old school and one in new school. I’m more confused than a dog
after he catches a car.
Elsewhere, the ballroom
dance studio I attend has started making students not touch each other in group
classes and has canceled their Friday night parties until further notice.
Now I don’t know if I’ll
make it to G-Fest or Gen-Con this summer.
I thought my small church
would be fine, but Gov. Holcomb has decreased the size of allowed public gatherings
from 250 to 50. Now President
Trump is recommending it be limited to 10. Even my church wouldn’t be able
to meet if that was in place.
With all this mandated “social
distancing,” I’ve joked this is introverts trying to get revenge on extroverts.
Or its social engineering to wipe out extroverts.
You’d think I’d revel in
that, but I’m a freak among the freaks: I’m an extrovert. I drive my fellow
nerds and writers crazy.
Now when I make jokes about this or point out the hysteria, I get pushback on social media. Someone even said I was being flippant. All I could do was shake my head.
I’m not saying people
shouldn’t be concerned. I’m not saying they shouldn’t take precautions. But
this is a disease that, at most, has a 3% fatality rate (and that’s if you’re
old or have an outstanding medical condition). If this was something both highly
contagious and truly deadly, I could understand the fear, but people are
treating Covid-19 like it’s the T-virus. I get it: hospitals
could be overwhelmed with an influx of patients. However, I’ve heard most
people who get it don’t show symptoms. That being said, it doesn’t justify all
the freaking out.
Well, that’s enough of me complaining about my unimportant first world problems.
In the meantime, if you
want some new books to binge read while in self-quarantine, I have plenty. They’re
all on Amazon, which means they can be delivered to your door so you won’t have
to go out. (Although, one features a bio-weapon plague, but maybe it will be
cathartic for you).
Also, I have 12 episodes
of a kaiju (giant monster) podcast you could binge listen. It’s called The
Monster Island Film Vault.
Yes, I’m not beyond using this for shameless self-promotion. That’s why it’s shameless. 😛
What do you think of the whole situation? Is it legitimate or is it hysteria?
It’s been so long since I posted here that I haven’t even shared the latest episodes of my podcast, The Monster Island Film Vault. In which case, here are the YouTube versions of episodes 8-11.
This week I begin my
penultimate semester of grad school. Part of that will be writing a brand new
standalone novel as my creative writing thesis. Amidst all of that, though, I
am also producing a twice-monthly podcast, The Monster Island Film Vault.
The irony is I’ve noticed for a while that it’s become easier for me to do
anything related to the podcast than my writing.
I’m annoyed by this. Some
of it is a time management issue, but I think it goes deeper than that. It certainly
isn’t a lack of passion or ideas (heck, both of my grad school classes this
semester are writing classes). I’ve long joked that I have more ideas than I
have years left to write. I think this shift happened for two reasons: imminent
deadlines and immediate praise.
My podcast’s episodes
drop on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month. Yes, that’s a
self-imposed schedule, but from what I’ve read, the audience comes to expect one
to keep his schedule. This keeps me on my toes and makes me carve out time for
research, recording, and editing. Do I perhaps try to get each episode finished
sooner than it needs to be? Oftentimes. Part of that comes from overestimating
how long it will take. Other times I make excuses like, “I can get more done
editing an episode for 30 minutes than I will writing for 30 minutes.” It’s
illogical, but humans aren’t always logical. (Sorry, Spock!). It simply feels
easier at points to podcast than write (despite the podcast requiring a lot of
writing). I’ve found myself worried that I’ve lost my first love as a creative.
The second reason is
harder to shake off: immediate praise. That isn’t to say that glowing reviews
started coming in within an hour of my first episode dropping or whatnot. However,
as more episodes were posted and I promoted the show, more people listened and
told me they loved it. The positive reviews came faster and more frequently for
the podcast than for any of my books (and it’s not like I don’t promote the
heck out of my books and don’t have readers wanting more of them). There’s a
lot I could say about why my podcast seems to be making a splash in the
kaiju/Godzilla fandom, but those ultimately feed into my need for affirmation.
I don’t consider this a weakness; no, it’s one of the famous “5 Love Languages.” Hearing and
reading positive feedback with every episode incentivizes me to continue. I
think this is why I eventually burned out with my YouTube
channel: I wasn’t getting that feedback as fast or frequently. The
challenge now becomes making sure the praise doesn’t become like a drug. I want
to make this podcast because it’s fun and because I want to be a positive and
unique voice in the kaiju fandom. I can’t let this—or anything, for that
matter—become a crutch for my ego.
Aye, there’s the rub.
All of these combine to
make something that’s new and exciting, so I’m still in the thick of the
novelty of this project. That amplifies the excitement: it’s my “shiny new
thing” right now. Lord help me when I come off that high!
Between grad school, my podcast, and writing, it’s
been a challenge to blog consistently. I’m still endeavoring to amend that.
Regardless, I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about a certain little movie called Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Perhaps you’ve heard of it? This won’t be a review, though.
Did I hate it? No, I
didn’t. I was thrilled seeing it the first time despite some concerns it would
retcon The Last Jedi, but after
seeing it a second time, the luster has faded. It has its problems, for sure,
and while I don’t think it undoes The
Last Jedi, I can see what Abrams and Disney did to placate the Star Wars mob.
(WARNING: SPOILERS
AHEAD!)
Emperor Mastermind: Palpatine
did it. Yep. He was behind the First Order. He created Snoke in a vat and used
him as a puppet ruler, I guess. Most likely he used the same technology to keep
himself alive by cloning bodies. Maybe. It’s more implied than explained. As
has been common with this trilogy, this is similar to the original Expanded
Universe (now Legends), wherein the Emperor transferred his soul into cloned
bodies using the Force. The problem is, while I knew going in that Palpatine
would be back, he appears within five minutes instead of building toward the
reveal. Giving that time to develop would’ve helped to make his involvement
more natural. As it stands, he seems to come out of nowhere despite the opening
crawl telling the audience his voice was heard a year before. It could be
argued his inclusion was an appeal to nostalgia.
Rey (Skywalker): I
said before that I liked that Rey’s parents were nobodies. Rise doesn’t walk that back, per se, but it clumsily qualifies it.
They chose to be nobodies. Rey’s
father was Palpatine’s son (which raises a slew of questions about what woman
would be crazy enough to have his child), and they hid Rey to protect her from the
Emperor. While it isn’t one of the theories many fans espoused—like that she
was Luke’s daughter, Han and Leia’s daughter, or Obi-Wan Kenobi’s
granddaughter—it could still be argued that it plays into the old attitude that
one must have a special lineage to be special. Admittedly, the same could be
said of Anakin Skywalker and Luke Skywalker, who were a slave and a farmboy,
respectively, and learned later of their special heritage. This trope is also
used in other fantasy stories. That being said, it almost seems like a
concession to fans who didn’t want to accept the fact that their theories about
her parentage were wrong, and that the Force chose her and empowered her. It
sounds a bit elitist, honestly, for them to think only certain families can use
the Force. If anything, this may have been done in response to the criticisms
that Rey is a Mary Sue (which I will admit is a bit difficult to refute).
However, it does work as a character arc for Rey because she is trying to form
her own identity throughout the Sequel Trilogy, so I’ll give Abrams and company
credit for that.
These were a few things
that came to mind. I may think of others later. It doesn’t ruin the film for
me, but honestly, my favorite of this trilogy is still The Last Jedi for its boldness. (You can stone me later).
Admittedly, Abrams was in an unenviable position with the end of the previous
movie. Maybe he was trying to do the best he could. Much like George Lucas,
they made it up as they went. There are famous writers who’ve made careers out
of that (like Stephen King), but it does come with its own perils.
Unfortunately, the
reactions to this is yet another sign that no one hates Star Wars like Star Wars
fans. Any new media in the franchise is automatically divisive.
(Unless it’s The Mandalorian, for whatever reason. I
guess Baby Yoda fixes everything).
I get it: it’s Star Wars. It’s a big deal to many
people. Some even say it’s modern mythology, and by messing with it, it’s doing
harm to the culture psyche. But perhaps we’ve elevated this franchise a bit too
high. It really is to the point of being a religion. Given that ancient
mythologies were originally religious tales, that’s not surprising. Perhaps
this is a sign that people need to find their meaning in something that isn’t
controlled by the whims of a corporate entertainment empire. Just sayin’.
What did you think of The Rise of Skywalker? Did it continue
the ruination of Star Wars, or is it
a case study in people pleasing? Why or why not?
I was making so merry for Christmas I forgot to share the latest episode of my podcast here! That will be amended! Enjoy!
Merry Christmas, kaiju lovers!
As part of Nathan’s continuing series on films covered in his absence on Kaijuvision Radio, this mini-sode examines Ishiro Honda’s 1955 film Half Human, which is infamous for being banned by Toho. Heck, it was stashed so far back in the Island’s film vault, it took Goji-kun and Bro Kong (the podcast mascots and possibly Godzilla and Kong’s “little” brothers) a long time to find it for Nathan to watch. Strange as it may sound, it’s serendipitous that this episode was released on Christmas Day because the film takes place partly on New Year’s Day. It follows a group of scientists and students investigating the appearance of the Abominable Snowman in the Japanese Alps, where they encounter a savage tribe who worships the Snowman. Nathan’s analysis focuses on the natives, their parallels to the Ainu (Japan’s indigenous people), and how this portrayal got the film banned. He argues that, despite possible insensitivities, Half Human is unfairly censored and deserves to be viewed by a wider audience.
All this plus our first listener feedback letters and the Monster Island Christmas party—wherein Nathan learns that kaiju can sing Christmas carols (or so his intrepid producer, Jimmy From NASA, tells him even though he hasn’t fixed the ORCA yet).
Check out the latest episode of my podcast, where I’m joined by my friend and fellow writer Nick Hayden. Enjoy!
Hello, kaiju lovers!
In the latest episode of the “Kong Quest” (which is finally mentioned by name on the air!), Nathan is joined once again by author and “Golden Ticket Tourist” Nick Hayden of the Derailed Trains of Thought podcast to discuss the wacky but fun King Kong Escapes. Like with the 1933 film, this is Nick’s first time seeing this 1967 Toho classic, which was the second (and sadly last) of Toho’s Kong films, as it was made in the last year they held the rights to the Eighth Wonder. This is a first for the show as it’s the first tokusatsu film directed by the great Ishiro Honda covered on the podcast. It’s a crazy nexus of ideas borrowed from other productions and some that seemed to anticipate others. For one thing, its villain, Dr. Who, is both a derivation and a precursor to the famous British TV series! Nathan and Nick also note some funny connections to Rankin-Bass’ classic holiday special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer given that they collaborated with Toho on this live-action cartoon.
The Toku Topic is how Toho’s Japanese-American co-productions paralleled Japan-America relations.
Stay tuned after the credits for a Marvel-style stinger and an important announcement.
Timestamps: Intro: 0:00-3:25 Entertaining Info Dump: 3:25-11:25 Toku Talk: 11:25-52:57 Toku Topic: 52:57-1:19:25 Outro: 1:19:25-1:24:50 Stinger: 1:24:50-end
Kong Unmade: The Lost Films of Skull Island by John LeMay
“The Myth Goes Ever Downward” by Paul di Fillipo (Kong Unbound: The Cultural Impact, Pop Mythos, and Scientific Plausibility of a Cinematic Legend [edited by Karen Haber])
“Reflections on the History of U.S.-Japanese Relations” by Tadashi Aruda
I neglected to post my annual “thankfulness” blog last year for Thanksgiving. It wasn’t because I wasn’t thankful; I just forgot to do it. I’m remedying that this year. So, here are 100 things I’m thankful for in 2019.
God
the Father
Jesus
Christ
The
Holy Spirit
My
salvation
The
Bible
My
wonderful family
My
two nephews
My
amazing friends
My
equally amazing writer friends
The Fort Wayne
Ballroom Company (FWBC)
My “dance family”
at FWBC
That I continue to
perform at FWBC’s showcases and other events with wonderful
instructors/partners
I know I haven’t been blogging much lately, but here’s the latest episode of my podcast to tide you over. I’ll write more about the lack of posts later.
Hello, kaiju lovers!
After Jimmy From NASA flies him back to Indiana to get his microphone, Timothy Deal of the Derailed Trains of Thought podcast returns to Monster Island to continue the “Kong Quest” with Son of Kong, the almost forgotten sequel to King Kong. If the 1933 masterpiece is a grand myth, the sequel is a pleasant bedtime story. Screenwriter Ruth Rose, when talking about writing this film, said, “If you can’t go bigger, go funnier,” which is an apt statement about this film and sequels in general. Nathan and Tim’s lively discussion connects Son of Kong to the Russian film Battleship Potemkin, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Terminator 2: Judgment Day—and gives Jimmy a lot of work for “Jimmy’s Notes.” They also theorize about what happened to “Mrs. Kong”/Kiko’s mother, which actually puts this and the first film into perspective…sorta. The Toku Topic builds off of the previous one with a philosophical discussion of how 1930s filmmakers addressed the Depression in their movies, touching on themes like escapism and collective rage.
Enjoy the latest episode of my kaiju/tokusatsu podcast! In this one, I discuss the divisive Godzilla anime trilogy from netflix.
Hello, kaiju lovers!
Welcome to our first minisode! (Well, our second, according to my intrepid producer, Jimmy From NASA). This is the first of a series of episodes where I’ll be analyzing films I was unable to cover on my previous podcast. In this one, I’m discussing the divisive Godzilla Anime Trilogy. Fans either love it or hate it. Me? I like it—a lot. I debunk some of the unfair criticisms of the trilogy, but the meat of my analysis is focused on how each of the four races in the trilogy—the Humans, the Bilusaludo, the Exif, and the Houtua—each exemplify different philosophies and how most of them take their worldviews to the extreme.
There’s a lot of material here—so much that Monster Island’s Board of Directors calls to say I violated my contract! Listen as Jimmy acts as my agent to keep me from being shot into space (he deserves a bonus for practically being my agent).
Here are the podcast episodes I mentioned in the episode. I recommend listening to them—especially the Redeemed Otaku episodes—if you want to hear a review of this trilogy from me.
