Notes, Notings, and Common Refrains

• I realized something as I woke up this morning (a thought on generational divides)
  
• On Being an “Internet Grandma” (or In Praise of Millennials and Generation Z)

So -- I learned, the other day, that “Spongebob: The Musical” is a thing that exists. And I have thoughts.

I’ve never had cable, so although I know of Spongebob through Internet memes (thank you, Internets!), I’ve never actually seen the show. I used to live inside the NYC economic/cultural radius, and see commercials for currently running Broadway productions on the regular. But I have been living over 400 miles away for over 20 years, now.

But I do watch a lot of literary analysis video essays on YouTube. And the other day, the algorithm recommended: What Went Right? The Unexpected Success of Spongebob the Musical. On the strength of that review, I went looking for it online, and found someone had uploaded the telecast adaptation Nickelodeon broadcast. I'm glad I did. It was time well spent. I grew up in a house well stocked with Broadway Musical cast albums, mostly from the classic era of Rogers and Hart, and Irving Berlin, and watching this musical brought back those feels.

My thoughts are:

• This is a perfect parable for capitalism going unquestioned while the scientist is warning that the world is going to be destroyed by natural forces unless we do something.
  
  • But the text of the play pulls back from that potential criticism, and contradicts the narrative's emotional arc.
  
  
• it's one Tony win for set design was well deserved. Even through the flat computer monitor, I was awed by the way a real sense of scale and depth was created on the confined space of the stage.
  
• And the song "I'm not a loser" (by They Might be Giants) is a great example (if you need one) why framing self-'affirmations' with 'not' statements only reinforce the negativity, because the subconscious brain filters out the 'Not's.

Dear Congressman Donald McEachin:

I am writing today to urge you to vote “No” on H.R. 620 (“ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017) when it comes up for a vote (Scheduled for Febuary [sic – oops] 15, 2018), filed under Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, 56.7 million, or 19% of Americans, are disabled and living outside of institutions (source: https://www.disabled-world.com/disability/statistics/cbfff.php), and thus, would be directly and adversely affected by this proposed legislation, not to mention the negative impact it would have on their family members.

The following is an excerpt from a summary of the bill, as written on Congress.gov:

"The bill prohibits civil actions based on the failure to remove an architectural barrier to access into an existing public accommodation unless: (1) the aggrieved person has provided to the owners or operators a written notice specific enough to identify the barrier, and (2) the owners or operators fail to provide the person with a written description outlining improvements that will be made to improve the barrier or they fail to remove the barrier or make substantial progress after providing such a description. The aggrieved person’s notice must specify: (1) the address of the property, (2) the specific ADA sections alleged to have been violated, (3) whether a request for assistance in removing an architectural barrier was made, and (4) whether the barrier was permanent or temporary. ”

The Americans with Disabilities Act was passed into law over 27 years ago, and even at the time, a grace period of 18 months was already written into the law in order to give businesses a chance to come into compliance.

The only legal protection that the Americans with Disabilities Act gives to citizens was the right to seek redress in court, if a business or employer denies them equal access to goods, services or jobs that are available to every other citizen. If The ADA Education and Reform Act were to become law, it would hobble these protections even further. In no other domain of public life is ignorance of the law a valid defense. And to ask the victims of discrimination to bear the sole responsibility for enforcement of the laws meant to protect them is a travesty.

Therefore, I urge you again to vote “no” on this bill. Thank you for your continued support of minorities in your district.

Sincerely,
[My name]

(quote) So here's to Darius Rucker, here's to song writers Brett James and Chris Young who worked with people with disabilities in writing the song, here's to CMA [Country Music Accademy] for making space for people with disabilities to shine. (unquote)

1. ( He had Gary Sinise on first (this is a ranty-McRant-rant tangeant). )

2. I disagree with the lyric: "He is a force for good
   in an otherwise uncertain universe."
   
   The Doctor is not a "force." He's an individual, endowed (blessed, cursed, what-have-you) with an immense intellect, an equal capacity for imagination, and a profoundly strong moral compass (and a kindness that he has grown into). But he is also flawed, and often mistaken, and that moral compass and intellect can sometimes get in the way, and his actions, as often as not, have unforseen consequences that unleash evil as well as good.
   
   He's not a superhero, to my mind, but he is a hero -- in the Joseph Campbell sense of the word. And if you're looking for a fictional character to be your role model, it would be hard to find a better one.
   
   
3. More lyrics: "One thing is consistent, though, / And this is why the show / Remains beloved by geeks and nerds: / It's all about the triumph of Intellect and Romance / Over Brute force and Cynicism."
   
   Yes. THIS. ...And, sadly, I think this is one reason why Doctor Who has never really caught on in America, and remains a relatively small fandom even among the geeks (compared to Star Trek, mainly): there's always been a part of American culture that has embraced Brute Force and Cynicism, and looked askance at Intellect and Romance as "sissy."
   
   If you want to get an idea of how far back into our culture this goes, just take a look at how Benjamin Franklin was treated, at the end of his life, and how low he is in the hierarchy of Heroic Founding Fathers, compared to the soldiers and generals.
   
   
4. I guessed right! re: which River Song clip they'd show before she came out, to introduce the character to first timers (It was the Fez killing scene on the rooftop). It was a brilliant choice: it showed all the main characters in a single shot (Amy, Rory, River and the Doctor), and it hinted at the wit of the dialog and the relationships between them. And it had a big shooty-gun bit, too (see above).
   
   I think they made a really bad choice for a clip for Matt Smith's interview, btw (The one where he first encounters the vampire ladies in Venice). That's a great scene for those who already know the essence of the Doctor. But it's kind of hard to sell him as a main character-Hero, if your first impression of him is gleefully running away (I'd have loved it if they'd shown the clip of him riding a galloping horse, or [but it's too spoilery] when he introduces himself to the "Deathy aliens... of Death!" at the end of "Eleventh Hour").
   
   
5. I was bemused / amused when Alex Kingston compared American Who fans to the Zombie!Apocolypse. Do you think American fans really are more that much crazier than their British counterparts, or is it just that much harder to camouflage a television shoot in the open plains than it is in the hidey-holes and alleyways of Cardiff?
   
   
6. I've seen (via "Confidential" clips on YouTube) that this next season will reveal who River Song is. Do you think, if RTD were still in charge, he'd have the same answer as Stephen Moffat is dreaming (or has dreamt) up?