Strangling the Life Out of Your Obsessions - One Encore Too Many
Last week’s Seinfeld presented the self-referential concept of leaving on a high note. The joke centered around George sharing one good sarcastic comment at a meeting and then extinguishing its good humor with a descent into tastelessness. Jerry suggests he go out on a high note, like the great showmen of years past. This plan succeeds to a point. It is an idea that more franchises in the entertainment industry should take to heart. It happens all too often that a once grandly marketable entertainment giant gets overexposed and watered down to the point of self-destruction.
Every once in a while I think that it would be great to see a sequel to Bladerunner. I try and imagine who would be cast, David Dochuvny in the lead role, what the plot would involve, and how much cooler the sets and effects would be. Then I remember how easy it is to taint and spoil the resurrected. With the fan’s luck Hollywood would cast Sly Stallone in the lead, and adapt one of those unforgivable sequel novels of late that I keep buying against my best judgement. There can never be a sequel to Akira, or Ghost in the Shell. Such masterpieces will only be cheapened by over-marketing. They are spared the insult of descent into embarrassment because of the integrity of their creators. The singular visions of Seinfeld, R. Scott, Otomo and Oshii protect their properties from the jaws of market pleasing studios.
The Gundam series is a towel rung dry years ago. Though it has never found exposure in the west, except among fansubbers and modeling geeks, this series has a new show or two every season, and from what I can tell Gundum W is the only worthwhile series of all of the overplayed mecha space operas. Gundam can’t go out on a high note because it hasn’t hit one yet. Every series is just another excuse to release the season’s new selection of Bandai toys and models. The commercial exposure of the products outweighs the importance of characterization and story. The funny thing is, if you are a Gundam otaku all this sly marketing and worthless rehashes become hope and a chance to get your hands on more merchandise to fill your display shelves that no one ever asks about because you never have any guests over.
One major difference between Japanese and American sequels is that the eastern genres completely reinvent the shows every season to keep it "fresh." It grows the show on diversity of character, mecha and environment. This is most easily recognized in the Power Rangers reincarnations, the latest "Space." In American entertainment we are thought to want consistency or more of the same. We’re pissed when Barney’s voice actor changes on the Flintstones (I noticed this when I was 8 years old). Warring camps of fans argue about the better Batman actor, because the last two make the ridiculous Michael Keaton look good.
It’s always hard to let go. The glutton in all of us is always craving more of the same but different entertainment over and over again. We have to learn to encourage new originalities instead of allowing David Hasselhof to believe that another season of Baywatch is a good idea, this could put enough money and power in his pocket to launch Knight Rider 2001. Let your loves rest in their singularity, accept them for the high note they went out on in the first place.
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