THE STAND..is 'eh'

I'm already on Disc 2 of The Stand and so far I'm a little disappointed, actually I think I'm way more than a little but less than totally bored. Does that make sense?

Anyway, as I mentioned before The Stand is one of my all-time favorite books. Not just because it deals with a form of post-apocalyptic America, but also because I think that the characters are incredibly real feeling. Stephen King may not be the most high-brow or literary writer, but I think he writes characters who seem like people you know, or people you might like to meet. I knew going in that watching the mini-series was most likely going to be a let-down, but sometimes SEEING your favorite characters come to life is worth the inevitable plot botching etc.

Sadly, the film version of The Stand is seriously lacking..something. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it's almost like this is a watered down, watching from far away version of a story that I love. The book follows a handful of characters closely, but also interweaves TONS of other people and details into the larger plotlines. Somehow the film loses the magic of all of these interactions. It dutifully follows several of the main people (Stu, Frannie, Trashcan man, Lloyd, Nick etc), but it doesn't spend enough time with any one person or story. I know that there was a lot of material to work with, but since they knew it was going to be a mini-series why didn't they just go all out and really work with each character? Instead it feels rushed, which is pretty crazy when you consider I've already watched about 3+ hours!

In addition to the rushed pace, I HATE some of the casting choices. I'm sure he's a nice guy and a great actor, but the guy playing Larry Underwood is awful. He's not believable, he doesn't have any of the rock & roll meets sleazy edge, and he isn't likable even as he's trying to redeem himself and grow up post-flu. I also really dislike the woman playing Nadine, mostly because she's not at all how I imagined the character. That's not really the fault of the actor, just a bad casting choice in my opinion.

I could go on and on about what I don't like.. but I will at least finish the mini-series before ranting too much!

Can I give back my Wash U degree?

One of my friends is interning at MORCRC this spring and it's nice to have her in the office, especially when she can fill me in on the Wash U gossip. I'll also be attending Wash U's graduation in May because lots of wonderful people are finishing up various degrees and deserve me getting overheated in the quad for a 3 hour ceremony. It seems like the ceremony this year will at least be interesting, because Wash U has decided to give Phyllis Schlafly an honorary degree. For those of you unfamiliar with Ms. Schlafly, she is an anti-feminist who has argued that feminism "is incompatible with marriage and motherhood." A St Louis native and graduate of the law school, she tours the country telling women that they can't be both mothers and professionals. Disregarding this mind-numbingly offensive statement in terms of female autonomy, I would love to ask Ms. Schlafly how she would respond to a woman who does not want children. Are childless women abnormal freaks?
I couldn't help pulling an entire paragraph from a Florida newspaper article, because I think it sums up her position so neatly:

"Schlafly asserted women should not be permitted to do jobs traditionally held by men, such as firefighter, soldier or construction worker, because of their "inherent physical inferiority."

At one point, Schlafly also contended that married women cannot be sexually assaulted by their husbands. "By getting married, the woman has consented to sex, and I don't think you can call it rape," she said.


She clearly believes that as the weaker sex, women should not dare to put themselves or others in danger by engaging in 'manly jobs.' Of course this ignores that any women who could not pass the mandatory fire fighter tests, or boot camp requirements would not be allowed to work as a firefighter or soldier--the same as any man! Who died and made Phyllis Schlafly better able to identify what makes a good firefighter than say a fire chief or army commander??

I also think her views on marital rape are patriarchal and insulting. Getting married is a way of expressing your love and devotion to your partner. It does not give them the pink slip to your body,and to treat it the same way they would a piece of property.

Although Schlafly will not be speaking at graduation, it should definitely be interesting because I will be gladly participating in a protest. Some people created a facebook group explaining their dismay over Wash U's choice of an honorary degree recipient and the anticipated response. I will be proudly standing up and turning my back (or whatever the group ends up deciding to do) on a woman whose views I find utterly appalling.

Looking forward to..

I'm really excited because I just added some neat things to my queue on blockbuster, and 'ordered' a half dozen books from the library! So, here's what you have to look forward to in terms of disaster movie/book blogging:

Books--
Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank (I've read this before.. but it was a long time ago!)
The Beach
&
The House with a Clock in its Walls

Movies--
The Stand (parts 1 & 2)
Megaladon
&
TMNT

I'm actually a little scared to watch The Stand because it is one of my all-time favorite books. I am a little dubious about Rob Lowe as Nick, and definitely would not have cast Molly Ringwald as Fran. I am going to reserve judgment until after I watch, but then I might have to post my theoretical re-casting ideas!

Article on women breastfeeding..

According to a New York Times article "More Mother Breast-Feed, in first months at least." I thought the article was worth noting for a few reasons. First of all, I think it's great that people are breast-feeding their babies more! It passes along natural immunities and (in my mind) has to be more natural and healthy than something chemically. The only problem with the article, is that it follows the all too-standard medical practice of shaming women who don't breast-feed. While this may seem like such a little issue, when an articles says "studies have shown that children who are fed formula have increased risks of ear and respiratory infections, obesity, diabetes and even cancer," they're yet again placing women in an impossible situation. If they breast-feed they are doing the "right thing" according to medical advice, but if they can't or choose not to, they are somehow responsible for their child's possible propensity for obesity or ability to develop diabetes. Women are already told that if they don't eat the 'right' things or follow all the rules for childbearing and childbirth, their lax behavior or unwillingness to follow the advice of doctors is going to put their babies at risk. Think about childbirth--women who choose to have home deliveries or seek the services of a midwife (versus a hospital and doctor attended birth) are harassed and castigated by the media and medical associations for daring to work outside of the system. Instead of allowing them to make decisions about their own bodies, hospitals have medicalized a totally natural process. While I'm certainly all for breast-feeding when possible, I think it's important to recognize that it's not always possible and that scaring women into complying with conventional medical wisdom is NOT a good tactic.

The Birds!

I don't know if The Birds counts as a disaster movie, but as of now it does.. because I'm only 1/2 hour in but I think there is definitely some bird-induced carnage in the future! Also, I need a movie that is actually GOOD to counteract I am Legend..

Thoughts so far:
1) Tippi Hendren is pretty bad ass. A gull attacked her while she was out on the bay and she didn't faint or become hysterical (thank you!). Pretty blase in fact while blood dripped down her forehead.

2) Suzanne Pleshette is also pretty awesome. She manages to look sultry and angry at the same time, and even though she likes the same man as Tippi's character she lets her rent a room in her house.

3) I think it's weird that Mitch (Rod Taylor) calls his mother dear and darling a lot.. just because.