Stars Hollow vs. Basin City

Dear Avid Reader,

Do you know the two places in the title of this post? Both are fictional places. Both are involved with recent popular events in entertainment.

Let me see if I can help with Stars Hollow...

"Of course Lorelai didn't tell Luke she was eating dinner with Christopher. Rory was wrong about who called who, but was right to tell Christopher not to call. I wonder what Emily and Richard will have to say about all of this?"

Do you understand that? If so, then you and I have a TV show in common.

The Gilmore Girls.

Yeah, I watch Gilmore Girls.

I'll Be There On The Next Train

My manhood, it seems, is just another tragic casualty incurred during my marriage.

Now I could try and convince you that this show is good, just like my wife tricked, er, convinced me. I could tell you about the awesome, obscure pop-culture references peppered throughout the show. I could tell you about the sly wit. I could tell you how Sebastian Bach from Skid Row has a recurring role. But I know that doesn't matter...

...it's the Gilmore Girls. I should know better.

I expect that a pack of cowboys and ninjas will come to my house any day now and demand that I hand over any tools, duct tape, hole covered socks, and grill equipment that I own. My days as a true man are indeed numbered. I am preparing myself for a life of asking directions, having someone else change my oil, and wearing a coat when it's only 60 outside. Or maybe a giant Milwaukee's Best beer can will land on my head.

(sigh) I had a good run there.

Digging The Hole Deeper

Was it my fault that it happened? Maybe. I could have resisted more. I could have told Robyn that I am just not interested in "those shows" and refused to watch. But I accepted her offer. "Just watch it once with me," she said sinisterly, er innocently, "I think you'll really like it. The main character likes the Clash. If you hate it I'll never ask you to watch it again."

"Alright," I surrendered, "I'll watch your dumb show. But I'm not going to like it."

And then I said I didn't like it, but I allowed her to have reign over the controller when it came on. It made her happy, and in reality, it wasn't that bad of a show. Skip a few months into the future and here we are. Waiting in my house. Looking at my tools for the last time.

Good-bye crescent wrench. I knew him well Horatio.

What I Learned During My Checkered TV Viewing Habit

But let me tell you something about that show and why it's so popular amongst women (and emasculated men). It's the thing you notice during your first viewing. It's that pace. I was watching it the first time and within the first two segments I said out loud to Robyn, "No one talks like this!" She responded, "I know. It's awesome."

"Slow the freak down!" I screamed at the TV. "Shhhh," she scolded, "You're gonna miss something."

And indeed I did miss something. So now I have to watch this whole episode again, which is exactly what Robyn wants.

I see what is going on here!

Anyway, you can't turn away from the show. If you blink you miss half a conversation. Dialogue is flashing by at a trillion miles a second.

Then it hit me...Marketing Class.

Shopping...I Still Hate That, Can I Keep The Crescent Wrench?

I learned in my marketing class that women shoppers are always gathering information. They ask their friends what they buy, they look on the internet, they look in magazines, and when they arrive at the store to shop, they keep on gathering. The service, the layout, the other customers, everything.

For men, when they reach the store, information gathering has stopped and buying has begun. That is where the whole "shopping conflict" cliche comes from. Women are still looking for information, men have stopped.

And so we return to the Gilmore Girls. The whole show is a barrage of information. The words are coming fast. I mean FAST. Watch one episode and you'll see what I mean.

During this assault, women are actually being stimulated. Men, on the other hand, are being beaten to death with all of the words. It took me a few episodes to become acclimated to the environment. I mean, with all of that hostile enemy fire, er talking coming at me, it was a wonder that I survived.

So, let's try something that's more focused. Something a man can appreciate.

Good For The Goose

Have you recognized the second town yet? Basin City the setting for the comic book, and the movie based on the comic book, Sin City.

If you have seen it, I won't ruin it. But I will say that the comic and movie are very similar and it is worth a look even if you aren't a comic guy.

I mean I watch Gilmore Girls and I liked it.

Sin City is a Noir piece. The pace is very slow, foreboding. It gives the viewer time to consider the action, to take it all in. The visuals are as much a part of the story as the dialogue. And I found that I was having a familiar feeling with the movie. The men all have strong sense of pride. They feel duty, honor, and a need to protect.

These feelings are par for the course for men. So I took these "rules" for granted, but I wonder if Robyn missed out. She may not have fully understood the sacrifice of the men in the movie. It's not something I can explain really, just something that I understand. A philosophy. A biological imperative if you will.

Actually, I'm sure she doesn't get it. She didn't like Gladiator and that moving is swimming in all of this "male-psyche mythology".

But now I wonder if it's the same for me. Is there something that I am not fully appreciating about Gilmore Girls? I know these differences are self-evident and they have been stated before. But still I wonder, can men and women ever fully understand each other, or does something always get lost in the translation?

And why is it OK for her to watch Sin City and it's not OK for me to watch Gilmore Girls?

How is that fair?

The Next Post Promises To Be Better,

James