For those of you who aren't following my Facebook page 'Joel Mole' (Which you should if you haven't done already) you'll know that I've been reviewing Christmas adverts from the 1st to the 25th December. I did these in no particular order but I knew that I had to do one advert on Christmas Day. That is Sainsbury's '1914' advert released in 2014.
For those of you who don't know, on Christmas Day in 1914, soldiers on both sides decided to stop fighting and greet each other as friends. They sang carols and even played football together. Nothing like that has ever happened before or since but it stuck in our memories. There's a film all about it called Joyeux Noel that details the event as well as what happened after, it was made into a song called 'Snoopy's Christmas,' it has been referenced in TV (most notably, the 2017 Doctor Who Christmas special 'Twice Upon a Time') and of course, 100 years later, Sainsbury's honoured the event in their 2014 Christmas advert.
In my opinion, this is one of the greatest moments of humanity. Despite the fact that the world was at war with each other, everybody decided to stop for one day because it was right. And to be honest, it's a real shame that nothing like that has happened since. Granted, I get why it hasn't happened since. The soldiers got into major trouble with their superiors and I'd imagine things haven't changed in that respect.
But still, I think we can learn from this, even if we're not soldiers. What saddens me this year is that people have gotten a lot more hostile towards each other. Fandoms are ripping each other apart because of differing opinions, racism and homophobia are sadly still a thing, the white supremacist movement is worryingly getting noticed and whenever politics even gets mentioned, even the sanest person gets angry (even I've gotten righteously angry at times).
And yet soldiers who were forced to kill each other by squabbling politicians and commanders decided against that, even if it was for one day. I feel like we need to stop fighting and show some flipping human decency for once. Especially at Christmas. And we shouldn't have to get into trouble for doing so.
So what I want you guys to remember for this Christmas as well as 2019 onwards is this: no matter how bad things get, always try to be nice and never fail to be kind to each other. It'll make a world of difference. And I don't just mean on Christmas Day either. Because if soldiers from one of the biggest wars in history could do it, why can't we?
That concludes this festive thought from an autistic mind. What do you think about this matter? Should we follow the example of the soldiers who took part of the WW1 Christmas Truce? Why/why not? Leave your thoughts below and be sure to follow my Facebook page 'Joel Mole' for more stuffs. Until the next time, fair thee well good people of the internet!
For those of you who don't know, The Big Bang Theory is an American sitcom focusing on four scientists/geeks (Sheldon Cooper, Leonard Hofstadter, Raj Koothrapali and Howard Wolowitz) who gradually open up to relationships and street smarts as soon as women (Amy Farrah Fowler and Bernadette Rostenkowski) enter their lives, in particular, Sheldon and Leonard's new neighbour, Penny.
I like The Big Bang Theory despite its problems. Yes, the laugh track is obnoxious, there aren't that many jokes and it's clearly running on fumes at this point but when the jokes land, they do land, seasons 1-6 were genuinely fun and I'm invested in the characters (when the writers know what to do with them that is).
However, I do know that I am way more lenient to the show than most people who criticise it for being unfunny and a stereotypical portrayal of geek culture (failing to realise that people like the male characters on The Big Bang Theory do exist). One of the biggest points of contention centres around show's breakout character, Sheldon.
Sheldon has joined the ranks of Barney Stinson (How I Met Your Mother), Arnold Rimmer (Red Dwarf) and Maurice Moss (The IT Crowd) among the supporting characters in sitcoms that are more popular than the main protagonists. To be fair, it's hard not to see why. Jim Parsons puts on a great performance, the character is central to the funniest moments of the show and he's far more interesting than all the other characters.
Nevertheless, the character has faced criticism for being an at best stereotypical and at worst offensive portrayal of someone with autism/Asperger's syndrome. There is some validity to that particular criticism. The other characters are openly spiteful towards him, making many mean comments about his quirky behaviour and Sheldon himself is presented as rude and obnoxious (almost justifying the mean comments). Other than that though, I fail to see what is wrong with Sheldon as a representative of people in the spectrum.
Before I start my argument, I should probably mention that the writers never confirmed that Sheldon was autistic or had Asperger's, claiming that he was simply conceived with a unique personality. However, the actors have admitted that Sheldon exhibits some traits of the syndrome. For example, Sheldon has a strict adherence to routine, he hates change, he has savant syndrome (meaning that he is a prodigy in his particular topic, in this case, physics), he is immensely passionate about trivial things such as Star Trek, he (initially) has an aversion to physical contactand he struggles with social conventions. It's clear that, despite what the writers say, Sheldon does have something akin to autism/Asperger's so it's not like the critics are basing their complaints on nothing. However, I may have to respectfully disagree and say that while Sheldon may not be the best autistic character to be put on screen, he's still a decent portrayal.
For one thing, he's presented as a man with a successful life. He has a well-paying job as a respected theoretical physicist (even the late Stephen Hawking respected him), he has a lovely apartment, his friends, despite being frequently at odds with him, do appreciate and love him (especially Penny and Leonard), and he has a loving girlfriend who he eventually marries in the season 11 finale. He's not someone who is down on his luck nor is he someone we are manipulated into feeling sorry for. In fact, despite his unusual education (he went to college when he was 11), he had a pretty normal life.
He also has an affectionate side. He loves his mother and 'Meemaw' and he truly loves his girlfriend/wife Amy. In fact, one of the only good aspects of the current run of the show is how healthy and affectionate his relationship with Amy it's clear they made each other better. Amy has matured and Sheldon is less cold and more emotional. He even has affection for his friends as he has difficulty leaving behind Leonard because of how much the latter means to him. There's a brilliant scene in the season 8 episode 'The Space Probe Disintegration' where Sheldon and Leonard open up about how difficult it is to live with the former and Sheldon even thanks Leonard for putting up with him. Here's the clip (note, the title of the video is very misleading):
It's also clear that the likes of Leonard and Penny do care for him in times of trouble, such as when Sheldon loses one of his childhood icons, Professor Proton, or even in general, such as the episode where Sheldon and Penny try a test designed to make each other fall in love (it doesn't work but they do grow closer as friends). Howard and Raj are less close to him but they stick around and have their moments of caring (e.g. Sheldon and Howard going to Texas together or Sheldon and Raj naming an asteroid together). Amy, of course, loves him dearly and even Bernadette starts to like him after he treats her pregnancy with respect. However, they don't simply put up with his shenanigans. They do tell him that he is being rude and condescending and he does stop after he understands what he's doing is wrong. Of course, he does still act condescending for comedic purposes (it is a sitcom after all) but it's clear that he never means to hurt anyone and the other characters put their foot down when he goes too far.
And honestly, that's happening less and less which leads me to my biggest reason as to why I think Sheldon is a decent portrayal of autism/Asperger's: he evolves. Granted he doesn't turn into a space fetus a la 2001: A Space Odyssey but he changes and evolves. He becomes more affectionate, he becomes more open to physical contact, he improves his relationships and the episodes where he acts completely off the rails happen less frequently. Granted his quirks are still there but even they are given legitimate reasons. For example, his 'knock, knock, knock, Penny' (x3) routine is seen as a funny quirk at first but is then given a tragic reason as it's revealed it was the result of Sheldon discovering his father's infidelity. That scene is taken seriously and it's a realistic portrayal of how an autistic child would deal with a traumatic incident.
The point is, he gradually matures over the course of the show and it's treated as a good thing. The episodes where Sheldon takes the next step with Amy are treated like events are usually the only interesting episodes in the show's current run. It's intentionally frustrating when Sheldon doesn't pay her much romantic attention but it is equally rewarding when he finally steps up and becomes a better boyfriend after she dumps him. The episode where Sheldon finally decides to lose his virginity to Amy is regarded as one of the best episodes of the show (to the point where it has become an annual event), Sheldon's engagement to Amy is treated as a massive cliffhanger and his marriage to Amy is given a much bigger fanfare than Leonard and Penny's relationship (which is the central relationship of the show). When Sheldon makes these decisions, the studio audience cheers and the other characters act delighted. And it's only when Sheldon realises that he makes mistakes does he decide to improve on them.
And honestly, that's a healthy way to approach people with autism. We are capable of learning social cues and changing our callous attitudes but we do need to be taught how. Now changes like that can't happen instantaneously so you have to be patient with us but it can be done. I know I changed to adapt to society better because my mum raised me to be a gentleman and a good man. But at the same time, autism can't be completely stopped. There are some symptoms or quirks that can't be changed and that's okay. They're what made Sheldon a popular character and it's what made us, us. But it's nice to see a show that says that you can change people for the better, even people with autism.
And to those people who criticise the depiction of autism/Asperger's in the show, I get it. Because the writers won't admit that Sheldon is autistic, the condition isn't explored as strongly (I'd recommend the Netflix show Atypical for that) but for what they do explore, it's not half bad. They make sure that Sheldon is likeable and interesting, they show that he does care about his friends and loved ones and they show a bold but important message in that just because someone is autistic, doesn't mean you have to take it when they act rude or condescending and that it is possible to teach them to be better people. Think of him as 'Autism for Beginners,' if you will.
So I implore you to give Sheldon Cooper and indeed The Big Bang Theory another shot, this time watching the show from beginning to end. There is a clear progression in the show, even if it does slow down in the later seasons and who knows? You might actually have fun watching it. And if you still don't like it, there's always The IT Crowd.
And that concludes this thought from an autistic mind. Did you agree? Disagree? What do you think of The Big Bang Theory? Is Sheldon a good character? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to share this around and like my Facebook page 'Joel Mole.' I'll see you next time but until then, fare thee well good people of the internet!
For those of you who think Sheldon isn't funny. He is... he really is... (from the season 2 episode 'The Griffin Equivalency')
WARNING! THIS POST CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE BLACK MIRROR EPISODE 'WHITE BEAR.' IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED IT AND YOU CARE ABOUT SPOILERS, CLOSE THIS TAB AND WATCH THE EPISODE NOW! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! THE SPOILERS WILL BEGIN AFTER THIS PICTURE!
Introduction and Synopsis
In my time watching Black Mirror, I don't think I've ever been so stumped by an episode's message. Not because I didn't get it but because I had no idea who to side with. It really asks questions about whether the punishment fits the crime and whether or not criminals deserve a punishment that severe. I'm gonna attempt to find out who was the true villain in 'White Bear' by balancing their horrendous actions with what they're going through.
I should probably do a recap first to lay out the moral dilemma first. In the episode, a woman called Victoria Skillane (Lenora Crichlow) wakes up in a house with amnesia. She is being hunted by people in masks and everyone else is simply filming her via their phones. Another woman called Jem Tuppence Middleton) saves her and reveals that there was a signal known as 'white bear' that made most of the population 'observers' and the rest into homicidal maniacs. Only Victoria, Jem and another man called Damien (Ian Bonar) (who is killed by the masked people early on) are unaffected. Victoria and Jem soon meet another man called Baxter (Michael Smiley) who turns out to be a maniac to tries to torture and kill Victoria only for Jem to save her.
They get to the white bear tower only to be attacked again. Victoria tries to shoot one of the maniacs only for the gun to be made of confetti. The walls part to reveal an audience and Baxter and Jem strap her to a chair. It turns out that Victoria was an accomplice to the abduction, torture and murder of a young girl. Her boyfriend carried out the murder but he committed suicide in prison. She filmed it so she is still guilty. The 'white bear' was actually a teddy the girl owned and it has become the name of a theme park. The park in question is Victoria's punishment: She is to have her memories wiped every day and she is put through a fictional scenario designed to terrify and traumatise her. Baxter, Jem and Damien (who is still alive) are a part of it whilst the onlookers are simply visitors to the park who are allowed to film the scenario without being allowed to interfere.
Victoria is then paraded back to her house where her memories are wiped again as she is forced to watch the video of the girl's murder that she herself filmed. The episode ends with the routine starting again, this time from Baxter's point of view as he treats this as an amusement park designed for the enjoyment of men, women and children.
So yeah... I'm in a bit of a pickle here. On the one hand, Victoria deserves some punishment for her heinous actions but on the other hand, the punishment itself seems too harsh. Gahhh my brain! I might as well look at it from two sides: Victoria and Baxter.
The Case for Victoria Skillane
The majority of the episode is from her point of view and thus we are as confused as she is. The reveal that she is a criminal is a plot twist and she is terrified for the entire time. She is, after all, a human being subjected to terrible things. Granted for a good reason (I'll get to that later) but she is helpless and afraid the whole time.
As for the punishment itself. I can see it being justified for one day but this has been going on for a while and will continue to go on after the episode is over. At some point, it becomes overkill. The other characters are just outright cruel to her and she is clearly remorseful for her actions... granted that's because she doesn't remember them but the constant memory wiping is perhaps the cruellest part of the punishment as the procedure is shown to be painful. The part that stuck to me the most were Victoria's screams as she was being tortured. She deserves punishment but nothing this severe. Especially as her boyfriend, who actually committed the murder, didn't suffer the same fate as he ended up in jail. At some point, she just becomes the victim.
The Case for Baxter and the White Bear Justice Park
Victoria Skillane aided and abetted a murder. She filmed the murder without doing anything to intervene and she is guilty of a serious crime. She deserves to be punished in some way and given how high profile this case was, it was likely that the people demanded justice for Victoria's actions, especially as the murderer took the coward's way out. The White Bear Justice Park is a chance for the people to exact justice for the girl's murder.
Baxter set this up presumably because he was especially angry at the girl's murder. This was opportunity for him to get closure and justice whilst also making a profit out of it for good measure. He set up White Bear as a memorial of sorts to the victim and punishing Victoria is a good way to honor her memory. His methods may have been extreme but he believes that he is justified because he was punishing the wicked. Plus, he never caused serious harm to her as the guns never actually killed or hurt anyone. The only harm he caused her was the memory wipes and even then that was to stop her suspecting.
In his eyes, he is doing the right thing.
Verdict
I think what the episode is saying is that nobody's truly right in this scenario. Baxter may be punishing a criminal but he is doing so for his own enjoyment and is using a needlessly extreme scenario to do so. Victoria may be a victim but she deserved some form of punishment for doing a truly evil crime. They're both doing terrible things but at the same time, you understand their points of view.
I guess the biggest question 'White Bear' poses is this: At what point is this punishment enough?
And that concludes this thought from an autistic mind. Where do you stand on the debate? Do you side with Victoria or Baxter? And is there really a right answer? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to like my Facebook page 'Joel Mole' for more content! Until the next time, fair thee well good people of the internet!
WARNING! THIS POST CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE BLACK MIRROR EPISODE 'HANG THE DJ.' IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED IT AND YOU CARE ABOUT SPOILERS, CLOSE THIS TAB AND WATCH THE EPISODE NOW! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! THE SPOILERS WILL BEGIN AFTER THIS PICTURE!
I'm going to
keep writing blogs about the sci-fi anthology thriller series Black
Mirror but only when the themes and messages are strong and
interesting enough to talk about. I'm not going to look at episodes such as
'San Junipero' because that's more of a straightforward love story set in a
fascinating world with a simple message of 'love transcends everything.' 'Hang
the DJ' on the other hand provides a more complex and detailed look on love. In
particular, 'Hang the DJ' focuses on the search for 'the one' and how difficult
that can be despite a system seemingly primed to solve that very problem.
In the episode, we are introduced to a world dominated by a
matchmaking device known as COACH that puts people in relationships and decides
how long it will last. No matter how much or how little chemistry you have, you
have to stay with them for as long as COACH deems necessary. Through analysing different
relationships and one-night stands, COACH eventually finds the 'perfect match.'
As the motto for COACH says: 'Everything happens for a reason.'
The episode focuses on Frank (Joe Cole) and Amy (Georgina
Campbell) as they are matched for 12 hours despite clearly falling in love with
each other. They go their separate ways and get put into longer relationships
with people they're clearly not meant for. Eventually COACH reunites them and
they agree to not look at their expiry dates but Frank does so anyway without
Amy and his relationship suffers as a result. Despite this, they still love
each other even as they get paired with their perfect matches, they decide to
defy the system and escape only to learn that they were a part of a simulation
all along.
The simulation itself presents 1000 scenarios where the
potential matches are put in a scenario where they would either rebel or accept
an illogical system. The more times they rebel, the higher the compatibility
rating of their real-life counterpart. The episode ends with the real Frank and
Amy meeting for the first time after the dating app the simulation was a part
of matches them with a 99.8% compatibility rating.
So, wouldn't it be nice to have a system like COACH? I'm
serious! A system that guarantees perfect love sounds like a dream come true to
those like me who are struggling to even find a date, let alone 'the one.'
Ideally the search for 'the one' should be a piece of cake (see every Disney
princess film ever except for Moana and Brave but
even then, that's because they're strong independent women). But real life
isn't like that. We are not made to have dates that give us a fair chance to
get to know each other. Those we consider 'the one' may not even be for us
because of either work commitments, long distances and/or third parties who
beat us to it. Dating apps aren't even reliable because those considered
compatible make the choice not to do anything (or act like complete smegheads).
In 'Hang the DJ,' there are less obstacles since the
characters aren't shown to have any jobs and they all live in a single space
meaning that they only have to worry about who COACH pairs them up with and
they are free to spend time with their significant others.
Though to 'Hang the DJ's' credit, the 'system' isn't
presented as perfect either. Frank and Amy go through several terrible
relationships and one-night stands before they are given their perfect match
(or in this case, before they find each other). Frank in particular has to
endure a year long relationship with a bitter and rude woman whilst Amy goes
through several one-night stands to the point where it burns her out. Even the
dating app itself which the entire episode takes place in has to create
simulations where the simulacra go through several difficult scenarios before
it is ready to match their real-life counterparts. Heck, because it's real
life, I doubt the road for Frank and Amy will be smooth sailing either. Love is
complicated no matter what.
I also think that this episode has some interesting
commentary on what constitutes 'true love.' There's a memorable scene in the
middle of the episode where Frank and Amy witness what COACH deemed a 'perfect
couple' and they are rather put off by what they see because the relationship
itself feels unnatural. I've never been in a relationship myself but I know
enough about them to know that they're not perfect. Every couple fights, it's
inevitable when two people stay together for so long. Even Frank and Amy have
their fights but their love is still true because their love overpowers any
differences. That, to me, is true love. True love isn't perfect but true lovers
love each other despite their differences. In other words, they don't always get
on but they love each other unconditionally.
I think that's the ultimate message of 'Hang the DJ.' Love
isn't perfect and it takes a while to find your true love but you'll find them
eventually. There's even merit to the difficult experiences because they enable
you to learn from the pros and cons of previous relationships to prepare you
for 'the one.' As COACH says in the episode, 'everything happens for a reason.'
That concludes this thought from an autistic mind. What
are your thoughts on true love and 'Hang the DJ?' Do you agree/disagree?
Discuss in the comments below and be sure to like my Facebook page 'Joel Mole.'
Thank you for taking your time to read this and thank you for your patience.
Until the next time, fair thee well good people of the internet!
WARNING! THIS POST CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE BLACK MIRROR EPISODE 'NOSEDIVE.' IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED IT AND YOU CARE ABOUT SPOILERS, CLOSE THIS TAB AND WATCH THE EPISODE NOW! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
As of writing this post, I am easing myself into Charlie Brooker's sci-fi anthology series, Black Mirror. For those of you who don't know, Black Mirror, tells different stories in different settings, usually about how humanity would react to cutting edge technology. Usually, but not always, the show would get into some dark territories, hence why I'm easing myself into the series and I will say that it is NOT for everyone. From what I have seen though, the show is marvelous with its relevant themes, biting satire, clever writing and amazing actors. However, there was one episode that really stood out to me, that being the Season 3 premiere: 'Nosedive.'
'Nosedive' tells the story of Lacie Pound (played by Bryce Dallas Howard), a woman living in a society where people are constantly rated out of 5 stars. The higher the average score, the more privileges you get. Lacie, who averages at 4.2, is invited to a wedding attended by high fours, something which could boost her own rating big enough to get a new house. However, as the title suggests, her life takes a gigantic nosedive as one bad situation after another decreases her average score until she hits zero.
The opening 10 minutes of this episode is honestly terrifying to watch. We see Lacie's day-to-day life as she puts on a fake smile, which she practices in front of a mirror, in order to be liked by everyone. Everything about this sequence seems fake from the light colours (notice the pink tint) to the overly cheery attitudes which makes the whole thing seem off. Throughout the episode, Lacie tries very hard to be liked and nothing seems authentic. Even her own brother, a 3.8, claims not to recognise her anymore as she is always putting on a front. The only characters who feel natural are characters with a low rating because they generally don't care about their image and are happy with their lives.
There's a scene in the middle where Lacie meets the 1.4 truck driver and this is where the episode's moral comes front and centre. The driver is only like this because her cancer-ridden husband was denied access to a high-end hospital because his rating wasn't high enough. After his death, she decided to be honest with herself and though it made her a social pariah, she's the only character who's truly happy because she no longer cares what people think of her.
Then, at the end, Lacie gets a zero and sent to jail for causing a scene. She is deeply upset at first but then gets into an insult match with a fellow inmate and even though she is imprisoned, she is truly free to say what she wants without fear of backlash.
This got me thinking about the idea external social validation. In 'Nosedive's' society, your external image can change how you are able to live your life. You can only live in certain places if you're a 3.8 or higher, for example, and you can only board flights if you're a 4.2 or higher. It speaks a lot about how others' perception of you can change your lifestyle.
In a world dominated by social media, it seems as if people go out of the way to get likes by painting their lives as picturesque as possible. I see this often in Facebook and I presume that it's especially the case with Instagram (I don't have the latter so I wouldn't know). I'm a victim of this too. I constantly worry that my life doesn't seem that interesting since I don't have enough pictures of it and I often compare other people's profile pictures against my own to see who has more likes. It's always the worst seeing my Facebook friends go off on adventures and bragging about them when I have less to brag about. But at the same time, I'm probably the same as I often display my greater achievements on Facebook. Heck, I share my blogs around to get as many views as possible. I know I shouldn't worry about it but I do. I'm like Lacie, I care about what people think of me and I try presenting myself as a good man (which I believe I am) to get people to like me.
Because to be honest, external validation feels good. It feels great when someone tells you you're great and awesome. But if, like me, you're almost dependent on it to feel good about yourself, then it's honestly damaging because you're constantly worrying that people don't like you and cast you aside. This is especially true in competitive scenarios like competitions and pretty much everything to do with theatre. When I lose competitions or I don't get into plays I audition for, it makes me feel like I'm not good enough which is a really unhealthy way of thinking and probably untrue. It drives me to push my image into higher standards and if I end up like Lacie, that can do more harm to me than good.
I think that's why 'Nosedive' struck a chord with me more than any other Black Mirror episode I've seen (well except maybe 'Hang the DJ' but that's a whole other blog post) because we're dangerously close to that society. We do rate each other for our online activities and we maybe even subconsciously do the same with everyday life. If we all stop worrying about what people think of us then we would probably feel better about ourselves.
That concludes this thought from an autistic mind. Sorry I've been gone for so long but I tried to move this to a new site only to realise that the old format was fine. What are your thoughts on the matter? Do you agree/disagree? Discuss in the comments below and be sure to like my Facebook page 'Joel Mole.' Thank you for taking your time to read this and thank you for your patience. Until the next time, fair thee well good people of the internet!
