Jugensünde

Es gibt jetzt in Deutschland eine Debatte darüber, wie manche Prominenten (heutzutage vielen von denen tot), sind in Mitgliedskarten der Nazi Partei erschienen. Angeblich haben sie, als sie nur 16 oder 17 Jahre alt waren, Aufnahmeanträge ausgefüllt und, in viellen Fälle, auch unterschrieben.
Die Sache ist ein heiss umstrittenes Problem geworden, besonders seit Günter Grass seine jugendliche Angehörigkeit zur Waffen SS gestanden hatte.

Wie solche nebensächliche Details so viele Achtung bekommen haben, ist mir rätselhaft, wenn nicht ausgesprochen lächerlich. Was treibt Leute dazu, die anderen so oberflächlich zu beurteilen? Wollen sie dann nur aus Spass grundlos beleiden? Menschen tun das immer, das weisse ich, doch würde man vielleicht mehr Analyse-Fähigkeit in diesen Kreise der Akademiker erwarten.

Transformers

The other day I saw Transformers. Apart from proving yet again that the special effects technology is getting better by the minute, there was something about the film that struck me as odd. It was unusually choral for a film of this genre, although I am no expert. Could it be Spielberg's hand? Whatever the case may be, I found it intriguing that so many characters had so much to say and do in such an action-packed film of robots crushing each other into metal pulp.

Somehow, among all the noise and fury, everybody manages to do their bit towards saving the world, from the nerdy male lead to the all-American soldier to the black fat-assed slightly queer computer hack. Females also join forces to play clearly leading roles which smack in no way of the traditional subordinate niche where they used to be confined.

It's a kids' film and I am nearly 40, so, predictably, even though I like to think of myself as a sci-fi fan, the film started to grow old on me after the first 60 minutes or so. Maybe that's why I used my viewing time to analyse it like that. ANYWAY, still undeterred, I am now looking forward to Fantastic Four.

My top 10 TV shows

I have just put up my top 10 favourite tv shows of all time (scroll down). I may change my mind about some of them, but right now I feel grateful for all the good times, sense of language and, yes, insight, which they have given me. I suppose it all depends on what your approach is.
To me, viewing these is, as Sinatra would put it, a many-splendored thing. One single episode can offer several readings: you can focus on what they say, how they say it, body language, let alone different cultural assumptions and expectations. I think one of these days I'll expand on this.