The Secret

[oselle]

After last night's riveting season finale of The Walking Dead, I found myself wondering what is the secret to creating great entertainment in the sci-fi/fantasy/horror genre. I think it comes down to two things --

1) Taking the subject matter seriously.

2) Respecting the audience.

Which frankly, are interrelated. If you take your subject matter seriously, you'll respect the audience because you know they take it seriously too. In contrast, if you think your story is kind of silly, then you'll no doubt think your audience is silly for liking it so much. And because it's a vicious cycle, once you start thinking your audience is silly, you'll take your story even less seriously because its biggest fans are losers who probably have nothing better to do than watch your silly show. See how that works?

Comments

[octavius-x.livejournal.com]

Haven't seen Walking dead (have heard good things) but I know SPN is lurking in the backshadow of these 2 things and just want to say WORD esp. to thing 1. This hasn't happened in a lonng time, especially in comparison to those early seasons and look at just how dark and vast the fantasy world was then, now it's more narrowed and strained. As for #2 I feel like the writers are confusing the words "respect" and "masturbate" and as audience members we're too busy enjoying the cheap thrills to realize that eventually we're going get to the grim morning after and be like "WTF happened and how did we end up here?"

Also hello&sorry. Stumbled on this while reading All Saints. Hope you don't mind.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

This hasn't happened in a lonng time, especially in comparison to those early seasons and look at just how dark and vast the fantasy world was then, now it's more narrowed and strained.

I never thought those first few seasons were masterpieces of gripping television but they were positively brilliant compared to what the show's doing now. I don't know if the fantasy world has gotten narrow -- if anything, it should be even richer now that there's a whole tableau of angels and demons and prophecies etc. I think the big difference between then and now is that back then, there was at least a feeling that the writers were fully invested in what they were doing. For quite some time now, I've just gotten the feeling that they think it's all one big joke -- and I don't know if they think the audience is in on the joke with them, if they think we're too stupid to notice, or if they've just decided (like Chuck said in the season finale) that the audience "will bitch" no matter what, so our criticism doesn't have any merit.

I feel like the writers are confusing the words "respect" and "masturbate"

Personally, I think the people behind the show have developed a very real disdain for the audience. This meta-masturbation is strictly for themselves -- an episode like "The Real Ghostbusters" seemed to have been written entirely as their own inside joke and this season's upcoming meta laff-riot does not sound any different. I know that there are still some viewers who see these sorts of episodes as affectionate nods to the audience. I don't at all agree on the "affectionate" part -- but even if these meta episodes were humorously well-meant, they just don't contribute anything to a show that, by now, is desperately in need of some good, cohesive, serious storytelling. Somebody needs to crack the whip on these folks, and there just isn't anyone to do it.

[octavius-x.livejournal.com]

I don't know if the fantasy world has gotten narrow -- if anything, it should be even richer now that there's a whole tableau of angels and demons and prophecies etc.

It should be richer. There's the problem you see with a world expanding is that all the character hierarchy becomes clear, and what you can do with each of them becomes...more narrow, because there are certain expectations as to what they are capable of. Instead of character or story growth for the show I feel more like things are just being rearranged(the sam&dean role reversal at the beginning of the current season) And as you said why contribute when they have a formula that works.

UGH "the real ghostbusters". Cringeworthy. I actually didn't make it through the whole episode because I was so ashamed that that's how they view us.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

I actually didn't make it through the whole episode because I was so ashamed that that's how they view us.

I wasn't ashamed, I was just...appalled that they would make their views so plain. I felt like the show deserved a unanimous FUCK YOU from the audience for that episode.

I remember hearing someone say that well, we write fanfic about them so why shouldn't they get to write "fanfic" about us, LOL. Talk about a false equivalency. Our fanfic depicts them as smart and brave and funny and sexy and passionate. Their version depicted us as homely losers with boring jobs and pathetic hobbies...like being into Supernatural, apparently.