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by The Starlight » Thu May 04, 2017 2:30 pm
TriStates wrote:Also, I love the logo. Whoever made it, you're awesome.
by Giovenith » Thu May 04, 2017 2:32 pm
Why The Gun In E.T. Matters
Few people are not familiar with Steven Spielberg's "E.T." and the epic ending scene of the children thwarting the police by flying over the neighborhood on their bikes. It is largely and rightfully considered one of the most iconic movie scenes in cinematic history. Fewer people might know, however, that this gorgeous scene was partially ruined by modern day censors upon rerelease in the 2000's as part of its anniversary.
In the original 1982 release of the movie, Elliot and the other bikers are riding from pursuers down the street when several cars pull up, blocking their path. We get a shot of Elliot's horrified face before the camera cuts to the logo on the car, "U.S. Government," and pans up alongside a large gun wielded by a darkly dressed and faceless figure. It is at this point that E.T. performs his miracle and sends the kids flying over the car barricade and out of the reach of the firearms. In the rerelease however, this scene was edited so that the shot of the car and gun was missing, and two other officers who were wielding guns were instead given walkie-talkies, as showing guns in children's media was, by in large, no longer considered appropriate. Some people consider this a small and forgivable change.
I, on the other hand, think it completely ruins the whole scene.
Your initial assumption might be to think that it's some anti-PC principle inside of me that dislikes this scene, the often railed against "pussification" of American children. And while there definitely is something to be said about our modern paranoia about what is and isn't appropriate for kids to see, this isn't really my main problem with the change. I myself am actually not that big of a fan of guns, so I don't take offense to the absence of them in itself. Rather, my issue comes from what the gun represents.
"E.T." as a movie is all about the innocence and empathy of childhood fighting back against the uncompromising and often cold nature of adulthood. The adult world is presented as often without humanity, as the faces of the agents and scientists tracking down E.T. are often obscured by shot framing, shadows, or biohazard suits. They act without regard for the privacy or wellbeing of E.T. or Elliot's family, by spying on them, putting their home under quarantine, and chasing them down in cars like wanted criminals. We as an adult audience can understand the necessity of their behavior: the discovery of advanced alien life isn't something we can just slip by. However, the movie also shows that with the adult understanding of "the bigger picture," we can become blinded to the delicate and equally important parts of "the little picture," namely understanding other's feelings and the importance of one's right to dignity, something that children on the other hand are much better at keeping in mind, mostly because they so often are the ones who have their feelings and dignity violated. Adults see E.T. as something to fear and control, but children recognize him as a person who needs to be taken care of and helped.
Thus from the beginning, the basic lines between the age groups are drawn. Adults chase E.T. down, children take him in. From there, the imposition of adulthood continues, even via adults close to Elliot and the other kids, and it steadily escalates throughout the film. It starts off small: Adulthood expects honesty from children. The children withhold their knowledge of E.T. Adulthood expects children to go to school. The children fake being sick or cause trouble in school. Adulthood expects children to be home on time. The children stay out late to help E.T. build his communication device. For every hurdle the kids jump through, adulthood responds by sending a bigger, more powerful (and more terrifying) manifestation of itself, until the characters are no longer facing off against their parents and teachers, but against the police and the government.
As the manifestations grow stronger, so too does the possibility of danger. It's one thing to get grounded by your parents, it's another to directly disobey the law enforcement and secret services of your land, which are essentially, "your parents' parents." Soon the characters aren't merely being yelled at, they're in active danger of being imprisoned or harmed. Elliot's home is broken into by strange men in white suits and has himself and his friend experimented on. He watches the wishes of his mother be instantly overturned. He doesn't know what could happen if he tries to cross this branch of adult power. Yet like all the other challenges he faced, he trudges on for the sake of doing right by the feelings of E.T. He does the unthinkable and disobeys the government, hops on his bike (an apt childhood symbol), and essentially becomes treated like an adult criminal as he is hunted down in police cruisers.
So that brings us back to our initial question: Why is the gun in E.T. so important?
Because in the eyes of a child, a gun is the final and ultimate symbol of adult authority. Even if a child tacitly understands the unliklihood of an adult using a gun on them, just the fact the possibility is still there is overwhelming. Guns are the first way children learn that the adults around them possess a power that no amount of disobedience or arguing back could ever beat nor could they ever claim for themselves: the power over life and death. There is no stronger form of control over someone than to be able to take their life.
Perhaps without the gun the literal climax is still in effect, the children are hopelessly cornered and the only way to escape is through a miracle. But without the gun, the emotional climax is missing, and thus the scene is robbed of its potency. Even if the viewers, adult or child, are unable to properly analyze the symbolism at play, the emotional reactions that those symbols evoke are still there. Throughout the movie the viceral reaction to the children's struggle against the increasingly powerful adult world is clear, and to top it all off with a gun, with the clear indication that the antagonists are possibly willing to go all the way and actually kill Elliot and his friends, takes the child in all of us to the highest point of fear and helplessness achievable - and then, it fucking smashes it. Not only do E.T., Elliot, and his friends escape, but they escape by defeating the ultimate symbol of adulthood with the ultimate symbol of childhood: the impossible dream of being able to fly, the power of imagination. And your imagination is something no one else can ever control.
This triumph heavily aids the film's spiritual/religous symbolism as well. By overcoming the gun, the characters are defeating death itself. Not long before it was believed that E.T. was dead until he came back to life while sporting some very Christ-like imagery, and in putting their faith in him against the all the odds and persecution, the children are able to use a miracle to also cheat death (flying away to eternal life in Heaven). Even for a non-religious person, it's hard not to be moved by this at least on a culturally instinctive level.
Without the gun... it's just not there.
Sure the flying away and impossible odds are still there, but without that final deadly escalation of the gun, the moment falls flat and your mind begins to wonder whether or not being cornered by a couple of cars was really worth all that drama. We've been seeing them out manuever the cars this whole scene, it feels hard to believe that they couldn't just do it again unless something else was there that they had to worry about. The escalation has not reach its climax but has actually been dialed back a few pegs, leaving the final triumph underwhelming since we've already seen our characters beat those odds before.
When the gun was removed from the scene, it was probably done with the philosophy that even implying a certain amount of violence in a piece of children's media will somehow encourage violence in children, but it quickly becomes how ridiculous this idea can be once you start taking context into account. "E.T." isn't a movie that encourages violence, quite the opposite. It's a movie about caring for others despite your differences and doing the right thing even when it seems like the world is against you. It glorifies life and healing, and teaches that love is a bond that can't be broken by even lightyears of distance. Symbols of death and violence are present, yes, but they are present so that the heroes can eschew and overcome them. Thus, "E.T." and the attempt at censoring one of its best scenes teaches us as writers and artists that it really isn't whether or not a symbol is present that is important, but how it is used.
So if you're ever inclined to share this timeless masterpiece with the children in your life, I wholly encourage you to make sure they're getting the best version possible. Let them see the gun, and let them see the power of courage, imagination, and love.
by Chedastan » Thu May 04, 2017 2:53 pm
by TriStates » Fri May 05, 2017 11:30 am
by Grenartia » Fri May 05, 2017 11:34 am
Chedastan wrote:That was an incredibly well thought out and written point, Gio. I myself have never really thought of the significance of that one shot in the scene, my mind had simply glossed over it. But thinking it through now with what you've written, I can now tell that the menacing presence of the gun added way more weight to the chase sequence than it were abruptly absent.
by Giovenith » Fri May 05, 2017 11:55 am
Chedastan wrote:That was an incredibly well thought out and written point, Gio. I myself have never really thought of the significance of that one shot in the scene, my mind had simply glossed over it. But thinking it through now with what you've written, I can now tell that the menacing presence of the gun added way more weight to the chase sequence than it were abruptly absent.
Grenartia wrote:Chedastan wrote:That was an incredibly well thought out and written point, Gio. I myself have never really thought of the significance of that one shot in the scene, my mind had simply glossed over it. But thinking it through now with what you've written, I can now tell that the menacing presence of the gun added way more weight to the chase sequence than it were abruptly absent.
I only saw the censored version, but as a kid, I was pretty confused about why government agents wouldn't be carrying guns.
by Swith Witherward » Fri May 05, 2017 9:07 pm
by Swith Witherward » Fri May 05, 2017 9:43 pm
by Cylarn » Sat May 06, 2017 8:26 am
by Mincaldenteans » Sat May 06, 2017 9:53 am
by TriStates » Sat May 06, 2017 11:32 am
Swith Witherward wrote:Gio, that was awesome!
TriStates, sorry for the delay. We're down by two Founders due to real life heck. That doesn't mean you can't post here! A question for you: what's your goal as a player? For some, it's to have a well-rounded character. For others, it's all about fostering a sense of teamwork in an RP. There's no wrong answer (unless your goal is to somehow troll the world with mindless peanutbutter anchovies).
by Giovenith » Sun May 07, 2017 8:28 am
TriStates wrote:Swith Witherward wrote:Gio, that was awesome!
TriStates, sorry for the delay. We're down by two Founders due to real life heck. That doesn't mean you can't post here! A question for you: what's your goal as a player? For some, it's to have a well-rounded character. For others, it's all about fostering a sense of teamwork in an RP. There's no wrong answer (unless your goal is to somehow troll the world with mindless peanutbutter anchovies).
Have no fear. I find that the world manages to troll itself into anchovies, without needing me to supply the peanut butter. So, I end up only using my powers for good, while chuckling from afar. My primary goal is kind of like why Monty Pyton went after the Holy Grail: it gets me out of Camelot to have fun with lads and coconuts.
I like to think I bring an extra injection of it to any group I join. Making inspiring characters and helping others in questing for The Perfect PlotTM are enjoyable distractions for me in the overarching story of my being in NSl. And if I manage to become a better writer and story-crafter along the way, all the better!
by Imperial Idaho » Mon May 08, 2017 4:35 pm
Banner by New Grestin
An American Caesar
A Divided America RP
[url]IC[/url]
Pub
[url]Theme Song[/url]
[url]Map[/url]
Op: Imperial Idaho
Co-ops: Anowa
Mapmaker: Anowa
Introduction:
The American Experiment, according to the European Powers of the 1800s, was doomed to fail. And while it outlasted their doomed empires, it did fail. In June of 2016, Marine Commandant Robert Stull seized control of the United States Federal Government in a Coup with support of the marines, in order to "preserve democracy". From sea to sea secession began, and new nations were born from the remains of the United States, not willing to live under the Marine Regime. Whether their intent is to rebuild the United States, or to keep their newfound independence, we have yet to see.
For two weeks now, generals, senators, governors, many, have come to Stull asking him to step down as de facto Ruler of the United States. All were sent out the door. Many senators, representatives, and even the United States President are either MIA or KIA during the chaos of the takeover. Major cities resembled New Orleans after Katrina, with elements of Chicago during it's infamous fire swirled together, but after two weeks the anarchy has ended. The rebellious states that did not bend knee to Stull have been labeled as "Active Domestic Threats" by the Department of Defense. Despite this, no shots have been fired as of yet, and the question is, who will fire the shot that turns North America into a blood bowl?
In effect, this RP is about what would happen if the Federal Government would fall to a Coup, and if everyone else said how about no. You don't need to have the same borders as the states IRL, do whatever really! Just please no insane border gore. Nukes are pretty much out the door, so no hydrogen bombs on Gary, Indiana please. For sake of ease if you own a base that a unit is stationed at you get the unit, only exceptions are for the Marines, who have defected to Stull, and troops stationed overseas. To remove any bias and to make things more flexible, any politician after Reagan didn't exist, however all bills, laws, and whatever other reforms have still passed by politicians under different names.
Rules:
1. Don't be an ass.
2. Op is Tzar.
3. No godmodding/metagaming.
4. I reserve the right to appoint Co-Ops, deny apps, and kick players from the RP if need be.
5. The Op and Co-Ops will resolve IC disputes if need be.
6. At least a paragraph per post, for dialogue you can bypass this rule though.
7. No One liners, not even for dialogue.
8. Stay active, inactive nations may suffer a case of partitioning or even annexation.
9. If your going to be inactive for a while but wish to come back (say your going on vacation or just got really busy) please tell an OP or Co-op so we don't purge your nation.
10. Nations outside North America aren't allowed to be interacted with, and any nation without a leader will be RPed by the OP or a Co-op.
Application:
- Code: Select all
[b]NS Nation Name:[/b]
[b]Nation Name:[/b]
[b]Character Position:[/b]
[b]Character Name[/b]
[b]Flag of your nation:[/b]
[b]Brief history of your country:[/b]
[b]Government Form:[/b]
[b]Army Size:[/b]
[b]Army Technology:[/b] (Do they have a lot of military gear? Or mainly just civilian?)
[b]Navy Size:[/b] (Ignore if landlocked)
[b]Air Force:[/b] (Just state what airbases you control at minimum)
[b]Territory of country:[/b]
[b]One paragraph history of your leader:[/b]
1801 - DO NOT REMOVE
Roster:
Provisional Government:
States in Rebellion:
by Imperial Idaho » Mon May 08, 2017 6:56 pm
by The Madhouse Role Play Group » Wed May 10, 2017 5:23 pm
by Vacif » Wed May 10, 2017 5:49 pm
by TriStates » Wed May 10, 2017 6:15 pm
Giovenith wrote:
Good answer!
The inspiring characters bit got me thinking though: How would you describe the process by which characters become inspiring?
For me, all my characters kind of go through a "reverse Flanderization," starting off as a bit caricature-like and then slowly gaining more complex thoughts and personalities as I further consider them while in play. This is more my natural process than a deliberate progress, but I think it works because readers don't like to be dumped with a whole lot of information about a character upon introduction, they'd rather see their complexity escalate with the plot itself.
What about you, how do you see the whole thing?
by New Grestin » Wed May 10, 2017 6:23 pm
Vacif wrote:I personally feel there needs to be a coding workshop.
Let’s not dwell on our corpse strewn past. Let’s celebrate our corpse strewn future!
Head Bartender for The Pub | The Para-Verse | Writing Advice from a Pretentious Jerk | I write stuff | Arbitrary Political Numbers
by Zanera » Wed May 10, 2017 6:31 pm
by Stormwrath » Wed May 10, 2017 8:55 pm
by Anowa » Wed May 10, 2017 8:59 pm
by Zanera » Wed May 10, 2017 9:09 pm
Anowa wrote:I chose writing, because nothing's more agitating to me than poorly written one liners, or just poorly written and cobbled together posts with little cohesion And if I'm honest there's a distinct presence of both during NS summer.
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