Personality & Paradox (Chris)
A great contradiction of my personality just became evident to me, while I sat here in the Creative Arts computer lab, taking advantage of a broadband internet connection (as I do).
On the weekend, I purchased a DVD boxset which I have literally been waiting, hanging, more than a year for. It was Season 5 of my favourite television series of all time: Six Feet Under. In all their morbidity, their neuroses and nuances, their humour, their highs and lows, I had come to grow so exceptionally fond of the Fisher family and their funeral home. As I watched the 12 episodes over two days, I can honestly say that I was entirely psychologically transfixed, and as the final episode ended, I was an emotional wreck. It was a beautiful, stunning, and yet somberly appropriate ending to an intelligent and revolutionary show. It reassured me that one day, I wanted to be able to create a work that was as powerful and resonating.
Minutes ago, I went onto YouTube and watched clips of the Yip Yip monsters from Sesame Street. I was in absolute hysterics; I don’t think that I have laughed so hard in months. Their crazy detached jaws and attempts to moo and meow at a telephone were comic genius. I had to rub my eyes and ribs; it was painful.
And then I sat back and wondered, what kind of person cries at the conclusion of a dark television series, and at the antics of two puppets on Sesame Street? It’s a little bizarre, isn’t it? I think the contradictions in our personalities is perhaps what makes us more interesting.
Oh. Yeah. Um. Relevance. In first year, you find out about people’s personalities. And their contradictions. And thus are interested. Yes.
“As I watched the 12 episodes over two days, I can honestly say that I was entirely psychologically transfixed, and as the final episode ended, I was an emotional wreck.”
It might be akin to the scenario where many years ago a bunch of friends and I organised a weekend of Starcraft and waged an epic war against each other on our networked computers. After the weekend of relentless battle, pizza and coke, we collapsed and slept where our butt prints had solidified on our seats.
I can practically adopt your own words (with some minor alterations) to describe that weekend: “I can honestly say that I was entirely psychologically transfixed, and as the final battle ended, I was an emotional wreck. It was a beautiful, stunning, and yet somberly appropriate ending to an intelligent and revolutionary game. It reassured me that one day, I wanted to be able to create a work that was as powerful and resonating.”
For days after that intense weekend, everything around me (and my friends too, I discovered later) was Starcraft. For example as I was driving down the freeway the cars around me were Terran SCVs awaiting my command. The trucks thundering past were Protoss Probes. Motorcyclists passing by were Zerglings on full offensive. If Freud was allowed to consult the DSM-IV, he would say I was exhibiting symptoms of post-traumatic stress (but then he’d probably say my id was subconsciously conspiring with my superego in a sexual conquest over my conscious mind).
And then all of a sudden, life was back to its monotonous complacency again. That is bizarre isn’t it? But when you think about it, life has a funny way of maintaining its balance. Where there is a yin, there is also a yang. Where there is a picnic basket, there is always a sandwich short of a picnic.
Where am I going with this? I don’t know, I lost my train of thought three paragraphs ago.
PS. No drugs were consumed at any time.
I laughed so much at both the entry and the comments! And yes.. I can relate. Boy, can I relate.
When I saw Howl’s Moving Castle for the first time, there was such incredible anticipation that I burst into tears at the opening scene. I am a bit of a freak for Hayao Miyazaki films, and I had just been looking forward to it for such a long time… I couldn’t contain myself!
But in terms of the absolute paradoxical nature of our personalities, think of Mozart. I suppose we can only trust modern accounts of what he was like, but it seems that despite his ability to create some of the most heavenly music ever written, he was an obscene brat. Go figure.
It can be a bit paradoxical to the image I put out sometimes, but I LOVE Miyazaki’s work, and so does my little sister. It’s AMAZING stuff – I was first introduced to it in China where they all went ga-ga over Spirited Away (and with reason) but my favourites would have to be Princess Mononoke and insanely badly-titled and out-of-date but still wonderful Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.
Sounds nerdy? Who cares! Great films, all of them.
*chokes* Johanna, I love you. Please don’t start me off on a fangirl rant about Miyazaki…
Chris, if you’re intrigued by paradoxes, why not come by the MUMS room and pick up a copy of the Paradox that came out Monday?
… there’s no bad time to sneak in a MUMS plug, is there? 🙂
Jez: Nausicaa is my favourite of all the Miyazaki films. I still haven’t gotten around to watching the non-Miyazaki Ghibli films yet.
Miyazaki is cool. I’ve watched some of his, and plenty of other Ghibli films, one which was made even exceptionally cooler when I was slightly inebriated. I have a friend back in Sydney who is obsessed with them. Also, in similar Japanese coolness, has anyone played the PS2 game Katamari Damacy? It’s absolutely nuts and has a cool theme song.
mothgod, your comments never cease to amaze me. Consider myself amazed by your amazing comments.
I’ve still got to pick up the new Paradox, new it was out, but said to myself I’d grab it another time.
It will be nice in a way to go wild watching some videos and some articles and books I want to read. And also make some music with my bro.
Now what I really want to see again is the cartoon comedy Dr. Katz, I absolutely loved it, but the only problem is I can’t get it here! (and imports will have region issues.)
Now my paradox would be that I can be so geeky but have nothing to do with Star Trek, or many other similar Sci-Fi series. I’m just not so much of a fan of far-out fiction, (excluding comedies), but rather books and movies based on real stories and more everyday issues.
I’ve played Katamari Damacy 2 (“We ♥ Katamari” here) – the first one wasn’t released in English, I believe. It is t3h pwnage. I was at Manifest (the anime festival) during mid-semester break and there was someone cosplaying the Prince of All Cosmos.
pretty entertaining and relaxing to read ur blog, Chris.
Thanks for that.