Sunday, January 5, 2014

Sunday Salon: No More Looking Back

Well, the last Christmas cookie has been eaten and the tree and the decorations will soon go away, probably by the next Sunday Salon. For today we're still relaxing amid the chaos of it all and savoring the last days of the holiday season. But it is definitely the new year, both on the calendar and in my state of mind. Last week's blizzard certainly knocked us into the present! We got about a foot of snow and stayed in for about 24 hours to let it settle out. I didn't end up missing work, which was good, and my Friday night shift was actually a little busy as folks ventured out.

This week I have some fun stuff to look forward to, first and foremost being a visit to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston for the John Sargeant exhibit. I really love the MFA but don't go often at all because it's so expensive these days- $25 a pop. Ouch!

I read an article about the likeability factor when it comes to characters in fiction, particularly women, Not Here to Make Friends. Last night my husband and I watched "World's End," the latest Simon Pegg movie, about a group of middle-aged friends who get together for the pub crawl of a lifetime only to have it derailed by an alien robot invasion and it occurred to me that Pegg's character, a highly dysfunctional loser, could never be portrayed by a woman, and yet how interesting it would be if he were. For one thing she would have to end the movie married and pregnant, not simply sobered up and content. But maybe that's not a conversation for today. Or is it? What do you think?

Sunday Salon is over on Facebook nowadays. Happy Sunday!

6 comments:

Bryan G. Robinson said...

So did you like World's End? We want to see that, but haven't gotten to it yet. So thanks for the spoiler. ;)

You're probably right on his character being portrayed by a woman as being married and pregnant. I'm not saying I think that's right, but Hollywood would latch on to that idea, I'm guessing.

Alex in Leeds said...

Thanks for linking to that article, though I've seen the point made elsewhere before I liked the example included. I'm sick of being told to study male characters' details and complexities and make surface judgements of the female ones. It's one of the reasons I can't go near Amazon reviews these days. :)

Athira said...

I like your thought about how a woman could probably not portray Simon Pegg's character as well and it makes sense. I can see a woman do it but I can't see it winning fans.

Frances said...

Love the MFA too, and my children needed to be dragged from the building last visit after hours there. Lucky you! That should be an interesting exhibit. Try not to miss the decorations too much. Taking them down is always a little sad for me.

bermudaonion said...

We're expecting some cold weather and possibly a dusting of snow. I really wish we'd get neither. Stay warm!

Sandy Nawrot said...

OK it was 80 degrees today, but I guess on Tuesday it might close to freezing. Our news stations are totally freaking out, but I'm not complaining. As far as female characters in the movies, I rarely see one that I find interesting. They don't need to be likable. I really hate Hollywood. Give me a Lisbeth Salander any day.