ThinkProgress: In last week’s episode of Homeland, I thought the real standout of an episode that otherwise was a retread of the show’s Carrie-Brody obsession was Erik Todd Dellums’ performance as Dr. Graham, the surgeon who runs a crude hospital in the Tower of David, and who lives and works for a criminal gang there in part because he’s a pedophile. As he puts it to Brody, “We’re here because the world outside can be judgmental and cruel. We’re here because this is the place that accepts us. We’re here because we belong here.” As I wrote in my Vulture review of the episode, “He’s such an upsetting, specific creation that I was almost tempted to up my rating of this episode by a star.”
6 comments:
I found this article to be really interesting. I agree with the main point of the article, that characters like this should exist, but not just for instructional purposes. Media, whether that be television, theater, literature or the like, is supposed to be an imitation of reality. It shouldn't cut out the unsettling parts of society for the simple fact that they exist in our world and call for just as much public attention and discussion, if not more. Characters and situations portrayed in fictional media start conversations that reach into the grey areas of very real evils, and without that avenue for discourse, I think media would be sorely lacking.
This article brings up some good point about the image of reality portrayed by the media. Often some of the most disturbing parts of reality, the parts that we like to ignore are the ones that society needs to be reminded off. Sabria makes a good point, these characters need to exist as a call for public discussion and attention. Society has no problem making TV and movies about murderers and serial killers because they tend to focus on the cops solving the crime. It's a polite entrance into the conversation. A topic like pedophilia is much harder to cover in media because there is no "nice" side to the discussion. The Film "Mysterious skin" also tried to cover this topic and its outcomes (and did a very good job at it). But even that was not a movie most people were willing to go out and see. If film truly is to be mirror of the reality we live in then society need to stop and examine it's self rather than imaging what they desire to see reflected back at them. Otherwise, we as a people, will never grow.
I found this article really interesting. I have always found the villains of movies often times far more interesting than the hero. I think this is because I always wonder what was it that made them become that way. We have stories like Wicked (both the musical and the book) that turn a story on it's head and make you see a well known narrative from a completely different view. Disney is releasing a live action story called Maleficent. This is the story behind Sleeping Beauty and what caused the vendetta between Aurora and the green skinned villain. While the hero always has a multitude of layers to his character, only a few of the villains have the same treatment. Only the best villains do. Take for example the difference between a character like Dr. Evil from Austin Powers and Mr. Freeze from Batman. Dr. Evil is just evil to be evil. Mr. Freeze does evil things for a good intended reason (to save his wife). These complex villains are what make amazing stories even better.
This article was really interesting, and something we don't often read about on the green page. I'm torn, because obviously depictions of people like pedophiles or murderers are very disturbing, but I think the article makes a good point with the "Depiction is not endorsement" quip at the beginning. It's true that some depictions in the media drift very quickly into stereotypes, and this article brings up a good point that in real life, people are not so clearly defined. Depicting all evil people with the same characteristics and qualities is not at all true to life, and so can actually do damage to people, possibly the victims, if they aren't as aware that anyone can be evil and there aren't always clearly-defined tell-tale signs that sometimes movies and tv want to say are always there.
I need to begin this comment by saying that I have never seen Homeland, but I thoroughly enjoy the debate that this article presents. Andy Warhol was once quoted as saying “Art is what you can Get Away with.” Personally, I believe it is more than just a privilege, but a duty of art to challenge, confront, question, dare, provoke, and disturb. Failing to do so is missing a profound opportunity. Censoring or limiting art because we don’t agree with a character, or find their actions disturbing will ultimately lead to some very bland art. Instead, art offers the opportunity to safely witness and experience that which is (hopefully) beyond the scope of daily interaction. Similarly, it connects us to a reality we may not have any previous knowledge of. First and foremost, I am in no way suggesting that pedophilia, rape, sexual assault, assault, or any similar activities are in any way justified. On the contrary, I seek to create a world free of them. However, it becomes both easy and convenient to label perpetrators with their crime, and neglect the person and history that brought them to that point. As a society, it is a relatively simple fix, pedophilia is wrong, so don’t touch children. Yet this treats the surface injury, which while an atrocity, is not at all reflective of the much bigger issues going on. Similarly, many times these activities are often tied to family, friends, or power differentials, making the issues immensely more complicated. Art offers us a unique way of diving into these issues and discovering and discussing that which is beneath the surface.
I want to start out this comment by stating that EVERYONE should watch Homeland. okay, now, I watched this episode before seeing this article and i thought his character was incredibly intriguing. I didnt get that he was a pedophile however now that i do the episode is so much more interesting! He seems to be mentoring a little boy and i did notice the relationship seemed a little disconcerting but i still missed the pedophile thing. I think that it seems controversial to us and makes us uncomfortable is because it is extremely real. This is a man who is extremely educated and smart who was cast out of society because he is a criminal. he is portrayed in a hellish like state however he accepts this and he is content. I think we as the audience resent this because he isn't suffering and he escaped. But i think the character is completely justified and added a great contrast to brody.
Post a Comment