Spider Man 4

News of Spider Man 4 has recently been released.  Reading about it I remembered that a few posts ago I wrote about Toy Story 3 and cited the Spider Man franchise as an example of why not to make trilogies.  I don’t think anyone out there would argue that Spider Man 3 was in any way comparable to the first two installments, which leads me to believe that there are two possible reasons that this fourth movie is going to be made. 

 

First, it may simply be a way to rake in more cash.  Even with its negative critical response Spider Man 3 still made money and the studio knows that regardless of quality, a fourth film will probably do the same.  Add to that the fact that director Sam Raimi’s recent film Drag Me To Hell (which I haven’t seen yet but am planning to) was well received but underperforming at the box office, and it may be that cast and crew are hoping to prove their financial viability. 

 

On the other hand, Raimi is a capable director and more often than not his films succeed in telling compelling stories.  If the Spider Man franchise has a two-for-one track record it seems likely that the next one will make up for previous problems.  So, the second reason this film might be moving forward may be a desire to correct the errors of Spider Man 3 and avoid ending the saga on such a sour note.  Lets hope that this is the case; its likely to be a blockbuster in either scenario, but Raimi’s Spider Man universe has so much potential that it’ll be painful to see anything less than a return to full form.  

Electron Deception Casserole

Today in band practice I realized that Electron Deception is very much like a casserole.  Specifically, we’re a lasagna. This metaphor emerged while we were trying to pare down one of our songs to make it more interesting.  Thus, Ryan’s keyboard parts are similar to noodles before they go into the lasagna; though they make up large part of the finished product, they’re not so great uncook and/or on their own.  Laura’s vocals are kind of like sauce: not the biggest part in terms of volume (I mean space, not decibels), but perhaps the most responsible for the lasagna’s flavor.  My drumming is similar to the hamburger (it’s a ground-beef lasagna).  Its kind of rough but punctuates the dish with different textures.  This leaves the bass as the cheese.  Unfortunately we’re without a bass player, but when Chris gets here, we’ll hopefully be a delicious band.  

Suburban Smackdown: Two Images of Domestic American Life?

[Spoiler Alert: I reveal the end of both films I discuss]

This weekend I watched two films: Marley and Me and Revolutionary Road.  While these two films were both entertaining in their own respective ways, they also portrayed two opposing views of American family life.  Marley and Me represents suburban American life as challenging but ultimately rewarding, while Revolutionary Road conveys suburban ennui to its ultimate catastrophic end.  However, while they clearly argue from different positions, they also tell strikingly similar stories that each culminate in the death of the hero. 

 

Between the two films, Revolutionary Road is far and away the better work, though that shouldn’t surprise anyone.  It’s a beautiful, well acted, and insightful film that (though some facetiously referred it as the sequel to Titanic, for obvious reasons) might be considered a follow-up to Mendes’ earlier American Beauty.  It’s so much of a follow-up, in fact, that I kept wondering how its thesis was really different from that of American Beauty, or a number of other earlier films for that matter.  For example, the original Stepford Wives is an interesting and entertaining, if heavy-handed, exploration of similar themes.  The problem with Revolutionary Road, however, is that its only slightly less heavy-handed and comes thirty years later.  So if it’s a great film it also seems to be beating a dead horse.

 

On the opposite side of the spectrum we find Marley and Me.  My expectations for this movie were about as low as they go.  Though Owen Wilson has been in some decent films (think Wes Anderson’s), Jennifer Aniston lives on the bottom of the A-List barrel.  Plus, the film had a dog, which usually means a gimmicky family film that insults the intelligence of families.  Going in thusly prepared, I was pleasantly surprised.  Yes the film was overly sentimental.  Yes it was clearly promoting a problematic ideology.  Yes it had the usual mix of unrealistically beautiful people in unrealistic situations.  But despite these features, it at least attempted to give some complexity to a cliché story.  Like the Wheelers in Revolutionary Road, the Grogans in Marley and Me have their fair share of challenges.  If the film posits a stereotypical happy ending, it at least punctuates that ending with surprisingly convincing acting and slice-of-life detail. 

 

While these two films have a number of superficial similarities, what I found to be most fascinating was the fact they both end with the death of a major character: in Revolutionary Road April Wheeler dies after trying to give herself an abortion, while in Marley and Me the dog, Marley, dies of a twisted stomach.  Thus, while the two films clearly argue different theses, they’re both explorations of (underlying foundational) violence embedded in American middle-class life.  Maybe it was because I had just watched Revolutionary Road, but just after half way through Marley and Me I realized the dog was going to die.  He had to die, because in any decent story about this topic someone has to die.  This plot device, in turn, seems to characterize a difference that these two films epitomize: a negative critique of middle class, suburban life ends in the death of a major player, while a positive critique of the same provides an expiating character.  Neither of the Grogans have to die because Marley, as a savior, did it for them.  Revolutionary Road, on the other hand, doesn’t let its characters off so easily.  It holds them accountable for their actions and when the story concludes everyone pays.

 

I’m not sure why the story about the American dream is told this way.  Perhaps it’s the influence if Christian mythology on American mythology.  Perhaps those two things are too intertwined to be separated.  What always surprises me, however, is what films like these want characters to be held accountable for.  Of course the suburbs are an emotionally and culturally vapid place.  But is that really the worst of it?  Sure, a lot of people in the suburbs are sad and boring, but what about the environmental, political, and economic problems created by this kind of living?  What about the smog and pollution caused by commuting?  What about educational disparity between suburban and urban schools?  What about racial profiling?  What about a whole bunch of issues that are so frequently absent from films like Marley and Me and Revolutionary Road.  Though both films skim the surface of these issues (which surprised me in Marley and Me), they also relegate them to the backseat and instead choose to focus on the tragedy or triumph of the American family.  Thus, they both boil things down to overly simplistic binaries, which binaries don’t even begin to address the actual problems or opportunities inherent in the lifestyle they portray.  

Service

A particularly potent lesson that I’ve learned in recent years is that I don’t hate doing service.  As a child and teenager it seemed like I was constantly being forced to do service projects.  When I was a kid I had to help clean up little league baseball fields; as a teenager I helped with numerous Eagle Scout projects (which were so often building trails); my church youth groups were always cooking up some scheme to go to a rest home or fix up someone’s yard; during my first year in college I was part of a “service learning” course, which was a disaster.   

 

As an adult, I still strongly dislike doing most of these “service project” activities.  Let me be clear: I am not opposed to doing them.  I think that there will always be elderly people to talk to, local trails to clean up, someone to help move, etc.  What I'm saying is that I derive no joy or satisfaction from these activities.  I can honestly say that after a hard day’s work building a trail I've never felt anything but regret for having missed out on other things I could have been doing.  When I’ve gone to rest homes I’ve been creeped out by the medical environment and never really enjoyed talking to anyone.  Ultimately, that sense of satisfaction that some people describe after having done this kinds of service has proven to be as illusory as those magic eye pictures that were so popular in the 90s; no matter how hard I try, I just can’t get it.  (Really, I’ve never seen anything in a magic eye picture except chaotic paint.)

 

Which is fine with me.  I also don’t really care if I feel good after helping someone out.  Practically speaking, I’ll do what I have to do and won't do what I don't.  However, what I've learned as an adult is that service projects don’t have to be activities that are inevitably miserable.  I remember last year when I helped out on a local, non-profit music festival.  I was sitting in a planning meeting one day and it suddenly dawned on me that I was participating in service.  And it was something that I enjoyed.  Later, I discovered that people had been volunteering at a local art gallery and counting that time as service hours for their own service learning courses.  I was amazed.  This stuff was fun and service-oriented.  As I considered more, I realized that there are all sorts of things that can be enjoyable and service at the same time.  More importantly, different people’s understanding of what is fun doesn’t mean that some will simply and inevitably enjoy service more than others.  It just means that they should be doing different kinds of service projects.

 

In the end I hope we can begin to shift our ideas about service in a couple of ways.  First, I hope that we can be more creative with what we do.  If your neighbor is moving and you help out, your task is pretty clear.  On the other hand, if you’re an educator, scout leader, religious leader, etc., be aware that there are a lot of options out there.  If you’re setting up a service learning course, for example, take into account that your students may like the idea of service learning a whole lot more if they can find service opportunities they enjoy and believe are worth doing.  While those opportunities may not be the ones that you find most rewarding, limiting their options will probably only turn them off to service generally.  Sure, if you impose your agenda they’ll have to do service to get the grade, but will they continue to do it afterward? 

 

The second thing I hope we do is change our ideas about service.  In my mind the word “service” has a strong negative connotation because it means doing things I either don’t like, don’t believe are worth while, or both.  Thus, I hope that we can broaden the definition of service to include both traditional activities, as well as other things that people might enjoy.  Though those activities will differ from person to person, learning to understand service in this way will hopefully help more people to make positive contributions to society and see service as an opportunity rather than a chore. 

 

 

Laura and Jim’s Fictional Café

One of my favorite things to do is imagine the fictional café that Laura and I could run.  Ever since I’ve known Laura she’s had a knack for making delicious food that isn’t from a cookbook.  What’s more, Laura tends to want to eat something different all the time, which has provided the impetus for many of her best dishes.  I, on the other hand, could eat the same thing indefinitely, which has ensured that we remember how to make some things more than once.  Thus, (as I imagine it) Laura would be the head chef while I’d be her sous chef.  I also figure I’d handle the business side of things and probably wash a lot of dishes, which I’d be cool with.  

 

Our ideas about the café change frequently.  For example, for a little while we decided it would be a restaurant that served only stuffing.  This decision came about because, for some reason, we had a ton of extra bread around the house.  We weren’t going to eat it before it went bad, so Laura decided to make stuffing.  At first the stuffing was pretty standard Thanksgiving-style fare.  Laura, however, wasn’t content to eat that everyday for a week or more, so she started experimenting.  By the time the bread ran out she had invented apple cinnamon stuffing, a fruity, yogurt-based stuffing, and several other kinds.  Though we both got sick of eating soggy bread after awhile, the best part was the name we came up with for the restaurant: The Good Stuff.

 

In reality, Laura and I aren’t planning on opening a café.  Personally (I can’t speak for Laura), I’d be tempted, if it didn’t seem like every café in the world closes after only a year or two in business.  However, what strikes me is just how important food is helping to understand relationships, periods of time, places, people, etc.  For example, while trying to think of descriptions for the avocado sandwich, I realized I couldn’t quite write what it was like to eat it; no matter what I said it was going to sound more or less like any other avocado sandwich.  To really understand why it’d be on the menu you’d have to eat it.  More than that, you’d have to eat it in a certain place, at a certain time, in certain company.  In other words, the reason a dish is on the menu is because it means something on all those levels.  It has a history.  It’s part of a memory.  The Fictional Café, then, is an ideal space, where food means what it’s supposed to mean and food is like a language, but deeper and more affective than ordinary language.  I imagine that most people have something like this, some dictionary of foods to say things that actual words can’t.  Wedding cakes are like this.  So are funeral potatoes.  For some people, these dishes convey meanings with a potency and robustness only accessible through food.    

 

So, this is the menu, or a dictionary, of mine and Laura’s Fictional Café.  Though I may not know what these foods mean, I do know that they are delicious!  Also, while this is a fictional café, these are real foods that either Laura invented or have come from some recipe that we have used and adapted.  Several are variations on a cookbook that Ashley Hansen has complied.

 

Breakfast Menu (served all day! Because I love breakfast!):

 

Bran Muffins: Family recipe!  These muffins are served hot and are a delicious and healthy alternative other breakfast food (including other, disgusting, bran muffins). 

 

French Toast: Specialty of the Sous Chef!  Several thickly sliced pieces of bread dipped in a special batter and fried to perfection. 

 

Pancakes: Extra sweet recipe, served with homemade maple syrup and spiced plum jam.

 

Lunch Menu:

Egg Sandwich: an innovative twist on a traditional dish, Laura’s egg sandwich combines hard-boiled eggs, mustard, pickles, a unique blend of seasonings, and more.  Be sure to grab some extra napkins!  Served on whole wheat bread. 

 

BLT: The richest, most complete BLT you’ve ever had.  Do not eat this if you have heart problems!  Served with special sauce and optional fresh produce.  Served on white bread.   

 

Avocado Sandwich: Fresh, lightly peppered avocados on whole wheat bread. 

 

Gourmet Pizza (Chef’s special of the day): Each day a different and unique recipe.  Ask at the counter for details.  Some of our most popular offerings: five-mushroom with alfredo: jalapeno, seasoned chicken, and onion; vegetarian; banana with mozzarella.     

 

Asian Stir Fry: tofu, onion, water chestnuts, and red and green peppers, sautéed in soy sauce and served on rice. (Sous Chef’s selection!)

 

Extas:

Strawberry Shortcake (seasonal):  Fresh Strawberries served in thick syrup and whipped cream served on rich, biscuit cakes.  This is not your ordinary strawberry short cake!  (One the things that always ruins strawberry shortcake for me is the cake.  Though different people use different kinds of cakes, they’re typically too airy and flavorless for my taste.  Who wants to eat their strawberries on a sponge?  Laura fixed that problem by using a modified biscuit recipe.)

 

No Bake Cookies: A Chef’s favorite, these are made from a special family recipe (Thanks Ashley!) and come in bars.  Made from the finest chocolate, peanut butter, coconut, oatmeal, and more, these cookies are served chilled and are made fresh daily.  

Wild Strawberries

Once when I was seven we found wild strawberries growing in the weeds by the back gate.  They were watery and plain but that was the least important thing.  

Trek

One more post about being Mormon: Trek.  WTF. 

 

If you aren’t familiar with Trek, it’s where people dress up as pioneers and pull handcarts across comparatively long distances.  Usually this is an activity that is foisted on the teenagers of the Mormon church, though adults and children sometimes do it too.  When I was a teenager it wasn’t called Trek, but we still had to do it.  This week, my ward (congregation) took all their teenagers out to Wyoming for Trek, so I thought it would be a good time to revisit this topic. 

 

First, Trek is just about the stupidest activity I can think of.  Now, before you write me off, keep in mind that some people enjoy Trek and others don’t.  If you are one of the people who likes it, great.  You should keep doing it.  However, when it comes to the youth of the Church, generally everyone goes, regardless of their personal preference.  For the sake people who hate it (like myself), I believe that we should stop making it a required activity.  In other words, we should stop pretending that there is some inherent value in dressing up and making-believe that we are living in the most miserable moments of Mormon history.

 

The Mormon handcart pioneers truly had a really miserable time.  I appreciate their strength and perseverance, but I don’t think they became pioneers because they loved the lifestyle.  Their activities were a result of necessity and though those activities built character, it wasn’t anyone’s favorite thing to do.  Thus, I don’t think the original pioneers would have approved of people wasting their time reenacting their experiences.  Did the pioneers reenact the most horrific moments from the Revolutionary War?  Instead, I think that the pioneers would have wanted us to move forward.  We can use our time for all sorts of things (service, spreading the gospel, being with our families, etc.), but Trek is none of those things.  Instead, Trek focuses entirely on the self and personal growth (arguably a selfish use of time).  The self and personal growth are fine, of course, but isn’t the gospel of Christ about serving others?  Shouldn’t that be our primary focus and way we use most of our time? 

 

What’s more, some people don’t even really achieve any personal growth from Trek.  The problem is that not everyone has transcendent, spiritual experiences by being outside and pulling fake handcarts.  So while one person’s off hearing angels or whatever, someone else is just really pissed off about being covered in dirt and wearing fake old-timey clothes.  For those (youth) leaders who would say that the pissed-off people just have an attitude problem, ask yourself if you really think that everyone experiences religion and transcendence in the same way.  If your answer is yes, I suppose we have more to disagree about then Trek.  On the other hand, I think that most people would acknowledge that different individuals have different tastes and ways of understanding, which would necessitate different approaches to spirituality.

 

Ultimately, some people who love Trek appear to have somehow persuaded everyone else that we should all experience religion in exactly the same way.  Unfortunately, that way is, in my opinion, a waste of time and a simulacrum of true spirituality.