This article is a commentary on the powers of the legislative branch of our government. It describes the process through which Congress passed a certain law. This law stated that it was allowed to award the Congressional Medal of Honor not only to soldiers, but also to – surprise - congressmen. It then utilized this law and awarded the medal to its five-hundred-and-thirty-five members. The reason? It felt that they had done a good job legislating.
This article brings attention to the fact that congressmen can and do abuse their powers for their own benefit. They vote for the laws which improve their own situations. It was noted in the article that the aforementioned law was passed with an “overwhelming majority.”
This article also shows the nonchalance of the congressmen in regards to their actions. One of them responds to the claim that the Medal of Honor was not intended to be given to so many individuals at once with, “How does honoring more people cheapen the medal? I'm honored to be counted among so many other brave and patriotic Americans, past and present.” Another congressman goes on a rant as to which type of medal he would prefer – an Army, a Navy, or Air Force Medal of Honor – and pouts that there is no Marine Medal of Honor.
Overall, this article shows how politicians tend to put a slant on things. Although the actions of the congressmen are clearly wrong, they are unaffected as they calmly attempt to give reason and rationalize those actions.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Book vs. Graphic Novel vs. Movie
As we go from reading a book, to perusing a graphic novel, to watching a movie, we progress from a slow paced, detailed depiction of a story to a faster, more wide-ranging one.
In a book, a single event may span a few paragraphs, or the length of a chapter, or even the entire length of the book itself. The thoughts, emotions, and actions of the characters have to be spelled out. A reader knows only what he or she is told. Although they might be able to make connections and draw inferences on their own, they can’t draw conclusions without first being presented with some sort of information.
In a graphic novel, a number of different events can be presented on the same page. The way in which these events are presented – their order, their tone, their emphasis – determines how the story is viewed. The reader can draw conclusions not only from the text – the narration and the dialogue – but also from the images that are in front of them. This result in a sort of paradox: while the reader is presented with a more vivid, detailed view of the story, he or she is less likely to note the details. This is because a graphic novel provides details, but does not focus in on them. The reader is shown the décor of a room and the colors of a character’s outfit, but they are rarely ever drawn to pay close attention to them through the text.
In a movie, the story is often cut down to its bare essentials and crammed into a single, two hour sitting. The amount of detail is far greater than in a book or a graphic novel – the reactions of characters can be seen, and the tones of their voices can be heard – but the amount that the viewer actually remembers is far less.
In a book, a single event may span a few paragraphs, or the length of a chapter, or even the entire length of the book itself. The thoughts, emotions, and actions of the characters have to be spelled out. A reader knows only what he or she is told. Although they might be able to make connections and draw inferences on their own, they can’t draw conclusions without first being presented with some sort of information.
In a graphic novel, a number of different events can be presented on the same page. The way in which these events are presented – their order, their tone, their emphasis – determines how the story is viewed. The reader can draw conclusions not only from the text – the narration and the dialogue – but also from the images that are in front of them. This result in a sort of paradox: while the reader is presented with a more vivid, detailed view of the story, he or she is less likely to note the details. This is because a graphic novel provides details, but does not focus in on them. The reader is shown the décor of a room and the colors of a character’s outfit, but they are rarely ever drawn to pay close attention to them through the text.
In a movie, the story is often cut down to its bare essentials and crammed into a single, two hour sitting. The amount of detail is far greater than in a book or a graphic novel – the reactions of characters can be seen, and the tones of their voices can be heard – but the amount that the viewer actually remembers is far less.
I Hate Writing Titles!
Any time you have something written by a follower of Glycon, a roman fertility puppet, you are going to have controversy. Alan Moore is, in addition to a worshiper of Glycon, an anarchist who has fought for council housing to stay under government control. It is interesting to note that V for Vendetta was written as a mainstream work to make money and was not written during one of his forays into the extremely controversial. V for Vendetta is nevertheless a controversial work for its views on government, religion and society. Alan Moore is a believer in the "reality" of ideas; this is epitomized in his worship of Glycon, a god who he admits to be a probable hoax. This belief, which includes fiction, really ups the controversy of everything he writes as his writings become fact. In his introduction for the novel he shows his belief that England is reaching that state and he writes "It's cold and it's mean spirited and I don't like it here anymore." Many of his social views differ from the norm here in America, his views on sexuality especially (In conjunction with his wife and their mutual love he set up Mad Love Publishing which published such works as AARGH, Artists Against Rampant Government Homophobia, and Lost Girls, which explored the hidden sexuality in works such as Peter Pan; the publishing company dissolved when his wife and Deborah Delano, their mutual lover, left him and took his children [this was after he wrote that he was going to move his family out of England, he still lives in England]). The themes of his life carry over to V for Vendetta and it is easy to see how a man with such controversial views and lifestyle choices could write something that is controversial in an extremely partisan country.
(This blog has been written without mentioning terrorism or the main character because everyone else wrote about that)
(This blog has been written without mentioning terrorism or the main character because everyone else wrote about that)
War on Terror = Vendetta?
V for Vendetta is controversial in the United States for many reasons, including the glorification of murder, violence, terrorism and the overthrow of government. One very intriguing, and of course controversial aspect of V for Vendetta is the positive portrayal of the villain, V. While one could argue that V is fighting for all of the right reasons, his methods may be deemed disdainful. The people he kills are not all necessarily evil, but as he sees it, the ends justify the means.
The main reason V for Vendetta is controversial in the United States is the parallelism between the fascist government in dystopic London and our own Government. While the relations are small, they are enough to make people wonder: How far away are we from being controlled to the extent that those in the graphic novel are? While one would argue that our government is not based upon prejudice and hatred like that of the novel, one can see the similarities between regulations and safety protocols in a post 9/11 world.
The film of course, drew much more controversy than the graphic novel. Graphic novels have a much smaller and more select audience than Hollywood. Not to mention the world has changed over the past two decades. The movie reached a large audience and of course the reaction would be magnified. Is it possible that something as catastrophic as a nuclear war could result in such conditions? What parallels can be drawn between the fallout of the nuclear war in the novel and the reaction by the United States to the 9/11 terrorist attacks? We've all heard how Muslims and people of Arab descent are targeted by security at airports, or even hated by ignorant Americans. How close is this prejudice to the rounding up of every minority into concentration camps? Not very close, not by a long shot, but it does make one wonder where fear and bigotry can lead. We've made long strides as a society since the inception of this nation, and it is worrisome to think that something similar to 9/11, but on an altogether larger scale, could reverse our advancements as a society.
The main reason V for Vendetta is controversial in the United States is the parallelism between the fascist government in dystopic London and our own Government. While the relations are small, they are enough to make people wonder: How far away are we from being controlled to the extent that those in the graphic novel are? While one would argue that our government is not based upon prejudice and hatred like that of the novel, one can see the similarities between regulations and safety protocols in a post 9/11 world.
The film of course, drew much more controversy than the graphic novel. Graphic novels have a much smaller and more select audience than Hollywood. Not to mention the world has changed over the past two decades. The movie reached a large audience and of course the reaction would be magnified. Is it possible that something as catastrophic as a nuclear war could result in such conditions? What parallels can be drawn between the fallout of the nuclear war in the novel and the reaction by the United States to the 9/11 terrorist attacks? We've all heard how Muslims and people of Arab descent are targeted by security at airports, or even hated by ignorant Americans. How close is this prejudice to the rounding up of every minority into concentration camps? Not very close, not by a long shot, but it does make one wonder where fear and bigotry can lead. We've made long strides as a society since the inception of this nation, and it is worrisome to think that something similar to 9/11, but on an altogether larger scale, could reverse our advancements as a society.
"C" for Controversial
V for Vendetta is obviously a controversial book. Topics regarding homosexuality, racism, genocide, human experimentation, and nuclear warfare are all prevalent within. Even today, almost 20 years since V for Vendetta was published, these topics are still hotly debated. However, for me, the main reason this graphic novel is so controversial is the fact that Alan Moore wrote this negative utopian future almost as a warning to humanity. He is essentially calling out the British government to reform.
You can see Moore's viewpoint from the very beginning from his introduction. He calls England "cold and mean spirited" after citing many policies he disagrees with such as the government's stance to abolish homosexuality and an idea to create concentration camps for people with AIDS. His disappointment with his country is so great, he even says he may move his family somewhere else in the next couple of years. Moore writes V for Vendetta to illustrate his viewpoint that our personal freedoms are continuing to be taken away at an alarming rate. Although in V for Vendetta personal liberties are taken away to an extreme degree, Moore is trying to show that over time a totalitarian government can gain power and things could get worse. Moore is using a hypothetical situation as a warning to us all. It's because of this attack on the government that I find the book to be so controversial. Anybody affiliated with the government or who supports the government and thinks it is doing a good job would obviously disagree with Moore's opinions. However, whether you agree or disagree with Moore's opinion, it should make you think about the people you are electing into power, because their decisions will ultimately effect your life.
You can see Moore's viewpoint from the very beginning from his introduction. He calls England "cold and mean spirited" after citing many policies he disagrees with such as the government's stance to abolish homosexuality and an idea to create concentration camps for people with AIDS. His disappointment with his country is so great, he even says he may move his family somewhere else in the next couple of years. Moore writes V for Vendetta to illustrate his viewpoint that our personal freedoms are continuing to be taken away at an alarming rate. Although in V for Vendetta personal liberties are taken away to an extreme degree, Moore is trying to show that over time a totalitarian government can gain power and things could get worse. Moore is using a hypothetical situation as a warning to us all. It's because of this attack on the government that I find the book to be so controversial. Anybody affiliated with the government or who supports the government and thinks it is doing a good job would obviously disagree with Moore's opinions. However, whether you agree or disagree with Moore's opinion, it should make you think about the people you are electing into power, because their decisions will ultimately effect your life.
Psychological and Social Perspectives on Terror, Violence, and a Vulgar Display of Fashion Sense
There is no reason that “V for Vendetta” should be considered controversial. The United States is, I believe, the one place in the world that would be most willing to embrace a masked, middle aged man with a partiality towards explosives and a flair for theatrics as a hero. It’s been done before, and I’d argue that V is, in comparison to Spiderman and Daredevil, much better dressed. Plus he has a wig. And Evey is a half decent sidekick.
There is, of course, the issue of V being a terrorist. That may irk some, but, in all honesty, so might the respective characters Peter Parker and Matt Murdock. One’s a nerd and reject, responsible for the death of his grandfather, and the other is, well, a lawyer. Out of the three, I’d definitely pick the last as the most dangerous. (Have you heard of the McDonald’s worker being sued for putting too much salt in a man’s burger? It's almost as if we're making negative social progress nowadays.)
Then there is the issue of violence. V uses violence, but, then again, Rambo didn’t exactly go around picking flowers and helping senior citizens cross the street either, did he?
The ideals of diversity and individuality are, generally speaking, encouraged in the United States. There is also the notion that “you can accomplish anything you want” and that “one person can make a difference.” These themes can be seen in “V for Vendetta.” V is a man that has had his life ruined, that is different as a result, and that is fighting for the general good of the world. He embodies, although in a roundabout sort of way, all that which we admire.
There is, of course, the issue of V being a terrorist. That may irk some, but, in all honesty, so might the respective characters Peter Parker and Matt Murdock. One’s a nerd and reject, responsible for the death of his grandfather, and the other is, well, a lawyer. Out of the three, I’d definitely pick the last as the most dangerous. (Have you heard of the McDonald’s worker being sued for putting too much salt in a man’s burger? It's almost as if we're making negative social progress nowadays.)
Then there is the issue of violence. V uses violence, but, then again, Rambo didn’t exactly go around picking flowers and helping senior citizens cross the street either, did he?
The ideals of diversity and individuality are, generally speaking, encouraged in the United States. There is also the notion that “you can accomplish anything you want” and that “one person can make a difference.” These themes can be seen in “V for Vendetta.” V is a man that has had his life ruined, that is different as a result, and that is fighting for the general good of the world. He embodies, although in a roundabout sort of way, all that which we admire.
controVersy
Before seeing V for Vendetta I was told that it was a controversial movie, due to the fact that the government was to represent our own, under Bush’s rule. In some ways I can see how our government may go overboard, but it does not go to the extremes like the fascist government in the graphic novel or the movie. An example of our government becoming controlling would have to be the patriot act. Its purpose is to stop any terrorist plot that is talked about via phone conversation; it is here to help the people of America from a terrorist attack, while also invading our privacy by being able to list to our own personal phone conversations. In the graphic novel it is said many of times that the reason the government is doing these various curfews, restrictions and ect. Is to protect the people they govern. The idea of terrorism to change a government is a very controversial topic. It conveyed the point that if one does not agree with their government they can easily tear it apart with distinctive terrorist plots and cause a entire many to rise up with them and revolt against the government. In the movie and the graphic novel, there are things that some may relate to the society we live in. The big television network that V takes over can be a symbol as the FOX news network, with its conservative and way right news. Some have also said that they relate the Leader in V for Vendetta to George Bush.
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