Nerdy TV from our Formidable Years: #1: "The X-Files"

This next post is the first in a series, based on nerdy or semi-nerdy TV from our childhood, teenage-hood, or college-age...hood. As with many other pop culture avenues, my knowledge is pretty limiting, and I feel as if I could only comment accurately on a selective amount of shows or topics. That being said...if there is anyone who would like to contribute, now is the time! If you were a big fan of some TV show that has either had a cultural impact or has sustained the test of time, send your thoughts on over!

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It was late May in 1998, and I was flipping through the channels. I came across a promo for a show that I knew existed, but never really watched with any consistency:

"Tonight: A special Friday X-Files....Mulder and Scully fight vampires in a small Texas town...(cut to Mulder, putting his arm around Scully), 'Don't say I never did nothin' for ye!!' "

I remember thinking, hmm...that sounds interesting. Plus I've always been a fan of shows with either, A: a funny or clever storyline, B: high production value, and C: unresolved sexual tension between two main characters. So I checked out the episode in question - "Bad Blood" - and I was instantly hooked. The best scene? Mulder, doped up on knockout pills, sings the theme song to "Shaft:"

It turned out that I came in at the exact right time, because that summer, something very rare happened: a TV series, while it was still on the air, was being turned into a movie! The X-Files: Fight the Future was coming out on June 19, and I decided to drag three of my friends to the premiere. The film only helped to solidify my mild obsession with the show, despite the fact I didn't dress up like many of my contemporaries at the theater. Both the stars of the show, David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson were knee-deep in the media frenzy surrounding the film, appearing on such quality shows like Saturday Night Live and the Rosie O'Donnell show. Then, of course, there's stuff like this:

Apparently, I'm not alone here. There has been a very vibrant, enthusiastic and spirited fan base ever since the show's inception in 1993. Fans lovingly call themselves "X-Philes," and there is even a distinction between philosophies. For example:

-A "Shipper:" someone who believes that Mulder and Scully belong together and wanted them to get together at some point in the series. A typical fan website would look something like this. Notice the many "collages," which are screen shots of some tender moments throughout the series. There are also a lot of cheesy fan-produced YouTube videos out there these days; this one is my favorite.

Since I pretty much identified myself as a "shipper," I can tell you from experience that people in this category live and die by every interaction between the two main characters. Every touch, look, and word is scrutinized, analyzed and expounded upon. When the show was still on the air, the "scenes from next week's show" usually got a feverish, screaming response ("did you SEE that?!?! What the hell does THAT mean??!"). Then we'd have to wait AN ENTIRE WEEK for the resolution, where we would either be pleasantly surprised or horribly disappointed.

-A "NoRoMo:" Title says it all. These are the REAL nerds of the X-Files subculture (as if the rest of us weren't nerdy already). These are the folks who don't believe in ANY romantic interaction between Mulder and Scully. They are the folks that spend their weekends at X-Files conventions, dress up like/identify themselves with their favorite characters, and tell others that it would "ruin the show" if they got together. They are also the people who know the most about the so-called "mythology" plot line (if you need an explanation of said "mythology," I might not be the person to do it. All you need to know is, there was this alien race, this virus in the form of a "black oil," and a group of men in the U.S. government who wanted to keep all of it a secret, whilst getting ready for the impending "alien colonization of Earth." I'm tapped after that unfortunately). I won't include an example of their websites, because they are usually boring and whiney. But, I digress...

And now, us "X-Philes" find ourselves coming out of the woodwork yet again, for the latest big-screen installment: "The X-Files: I Want to Believe" (which, if you ask me is a bit of a cop-out. That was a blatant rip-off of this, plus one of the most quoted lines in the show):

A good childhood friend of mine, who has been more vigilant about keeping up with the X-Phile community, sends me updates, links and pictures from time to time. Here are some of the greatest hits:

Jan. 16: 

"THEY'RE BACK, BABY!" http://i.usatoday.net/life/_photos/2008/01/17/xfilesx-large.jpg

"PS--What is with her coat?!  And those pants!? Scully wouldn't be caught dead in those pants.  Where are the sexy outfits of S7?!"

Feb. 24: 

X-Phile friend: did you ever see the warewolf pictures that were going around?

Me: No!!!

X-Phile friend: ok well there was this picture of CC and this giant wolf head thing, i dunno. but anyway, so it was like "this has been leaked! it's the monster!" but then it was like "oh jk they leaked that on purpose, it's fake" "no, it's not!" so who knows

March 5:

X-Phile Friend:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v330/angeldarkness99/25419_X_FilesKiss_018_122_1152lo-1.jpg

RING. TOTALLY.

March 7: 

OMGAAAHHHHHHHHH STALKER KISSING VIDEO! http://www.flynetonline.com/2008/03/mulder-scully-kiss/

Now that we've both come back to our late 90's obsession, I'm realizing one very important fact from all of this: This wasn't just a TV show to a lot of people - it was our generation's version of  "Star Trek." The series has been off the air for the better part of 7 years, and it is STILL drawing a large cult audience. My friend once told me about a conversation she had with a co-worker..and without prompting, she made an obscure Mulder and Scully reference. Despite the objections about the final season, David Duchovny's Prima Donna tendencies and the way the series ended, people are still getting behind this show and the upcoming film. Yes, maybe I'm biased, but it certainly qualifies as a TV show from our formidable years.

Even Bree Sharp agrees. David Duchovny, why won't you love me?

The "Eye Acting" of Raven Symone and other "Tween" phenomenon

There comes a point in anyone's life when he/she is characterized as "out of touch." What I want to know is, when exactly does that happen?

My friend from high school and I talk about this all the time. About 2 years ago she said, "Do you realize that people who were born in the '90s will be starting COLLEGE??" I nearly fell off my chair back then, and it still boggles my mind to this day. I was definitely alive and kickin' it back in the early '90s, so the thought of these younger people maturing before my eyes is a concept that I'm not quite sure I want to accept.

Case in point: today's trends for the "Tweens" - roughly the 9-to-15-year-old demographic. Networks like Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel have blocks of programming dedicated to this audience, and some of these stars have really hit it big (despite some marginal talent). Like Raven Symone, "Cosby Show" alum and star of the show "That's So Raven" on the Disney Channel. Here she is in her earlier years:

After an observant comment from a co-worker, I noticed something - she definitely tends to overact a little on her new show, and it usually comes in the form of wide-eyed reactions or extreme facial expressions:

Before writing it off as an isolated incident, I "dug" a little deeper. Another culprit of this kitschy school of acting is "Drake and Josh" on Nickelodeon:

(ED's Note: "Josh" on this show - whose real name is Josh Peck - was a childhood friend of mine...up until he became the amazing Thespian that he is today).

The "pies de resistance?" Hillary Duff and Miley Cyrus, who have both made a fortune from their music-inspired TV shows, "Lizzie Maguire" and "Hanna Montana:"



(I'd also like some clarification on something: Is Hannah Montana the name of Miley's character on TV, or is that just her alter-ego on stage? If so, what's the name of her actual character on the show? Is it Miley Cyrus? Is it Miley-something else? Is there another Hannah involved? I'd really like to know).

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't remember any shows that we grew up with being this contrived. Now, there are the occasional exceptions, but generally speaking, it would be tough to characterize "Ren and Stimpy," "The Adventures of Pete and Pete," or "Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers" that way. Another show that often gets overlooked is "Garfield and Friends."

It was written by Mark Evanier, and his writing style inspired other great shows like "Animaniacs" and "Pinky and the Brain." Some of the best ones feature John Arbuckle's exploits with the opposite sex.

The humor was dry, sarcastic and sophisticated to the point where even adults could watch these shows and get a lot out of them. The only things I can remotely compare them to are the slew of Pixar movies (Toy Story being the first), and other similar movies like Shrek. They are aimed at kids, but oftentimes the adults walk away liking the movie more. For the "Tween" demographic, this is a little less common - just watch TEEENick, the Disney Channel, or ABC Family. I mean, "America's Prom Queen?" Seriously?

So the younger generations are now required to either sit through or sift through some really bad stuff. Unfortunately, the standard has been lowered - even since we were their age - and it's just one sign of our impending maturity. Are we ready for this disconnect? In some ways, yes. But as with a lot of things, we're straddling this gray area between complete maturity and college-age sensibility.

Well, at least we don't over emote. Much. 

Have a Talk with God

DISCLAIMER: The following is pretty subjective and extremely one-sided. It's based on general observations and personal experience. Any comments, questions, etc. are fully appreciated.

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I did something that I haven't done in years. I went to church.

I actually showered, dressed nicely, and found my way to St. Partick-St. Anthony church in downtown Hartford. When I was growing up, the prospect of going to Sunday mass was tedious and boring. But for a host of reasons, I was actually looking forward to it this time.

If you're Catholic/Christian (as I am), you are probably aware that this time in the calendar is Lent (or, the 40 days before Easter, culminating with Holy Week). Technically it is the most important time on the calendar - despite the fact that Christmas is filled with cookies, presents, Santa, and...stuff like this.

Now, I'm not dissing Christmas, because it's the one time a year that people have to really spend time with their families (whether that's good, bad or neutral is up to you). But Lent, Easter and the like are, at least for Christians, a rebirth of sorts. Jesus was betrayed, crucified, buried, and rose from the dead miraculously. He was able to start over, so what's stopping us from at least trying to do the same?

This weekend, however, Father Steve mentioned something eerily familiar to not only our 20-something generation, but to the Baby Boomers - the generation who coddled and raised most of us.

"As Catholics we've been raised in this negative view of our faith," he said. "We keep forgetting the blessings God gives us, and instead we think, 'oh, well if I tell more than 6 lies, I'm going to hell.'"

And it makes sense, at least for our parents' generation. The Catholic Church was even more stodgy and rigid than it already is. Traditionalists who grew up in that time remember hearing about the differences between "venal" and "mortal" sins. Venal sins are somewhat minor - like forgetting to say your prayers every night or something. But a mortal sin? Forget it. If you skip mass one week, tell a white lie another week, and then steal a candy bar from the local drug store, you, my friend, are on an express elevator to H-E-double hockey sticks. And since our parents were listening to mass in Latin (this was before the Vatican II Conference), the chances of them actually building some sort of positive relationship with God was slim. A lot of people bought into it and accepted their faith, thanks to outside forces like the Vietnam War, gas prices and the Sexual Revolution (although I always thought it could have been the popularity of "Joanie Loves Chachi"). But the majority? They just couldn't connect, and they couldn't relate to any of it. So, they left.

So, us 20-somethings, the offspring of the original "lost" generation, are faced with the same challenges. It seems as though there is no gray area when it comes to spirituality - either you are a "holy roller" or you classify yourself as agnostic/atheist. Even if someone still identifies him or herself as a certain denomination, does it necessarily mean that he/she attends church? Is it possible to attend church on a semi-regular basis without being branded as an Evangelist? I suppose that's something our generation might have to define. Additionally (just like Father Steve said), it's important to think of spirituality as something "positive" - especially if you come from a traditional Judeo-Christian background. All my life, thanks to the Baby Boomer influences around me, I was told to ask God for forgiveness for everything that I may or may not have done. Forgot to clean your room? Better pray about it. Talked back to your parents? That'll cost you. Skipped a class or two? Time to go to confession. Now, I'm not sitting here saying that people shouldn't be accountable for their actions, but after a while, it does put an emphasis on the wrong things.

So here's the challenge to my fellow 20-somethings: gaining perspective is never a bad thing. If you choose to do it through religion (whether it be the one you were raised with or another, completely different one), that's good too. Then maybe we can fight this trend of religious negativity - or at least learn to believe in something outside ourselves.

"Your 20's are a blur"

Greetings and salutations!

So, I was sitting in my cube today, thinking about things (as I usually do from time to time). All of a sudden, it occurred to me: I spend an inordinate amount of time talking, discussing, lamenting, and pontificating about this time -  this transient, 20-something, post-college period. Now, most of us still need to "figure it all out," despite the fact that college was supposed to offer us enlightenment, stability, Buddha-esque clarity, etc. Well, for most of us, that didn't happen. Why? We were still under the thumbs of our parents. A good number of us were still on their bank accounts. Is that really the best way to "find yourself?" Not hardly. Not when you still have no responsibilities.

So, with that being said, I'd like to think that this blog is for all of those fellow 20-somethings, who are being as introspective as I have seemed to become. Here, we can discuss, and debate, and lament about the state of our lives, and the plight of our generation. Or, we can just post ridiculous YouTube clips. :P The sky is truly the limit! Since I am a big TV nerd, I probably will talk about that industry. Have any funny stories about your job? Send them along/comment here!

So, Twentysomethings, I believe it's time to light this candle. I leave you with this - words of wisdom from Mr. Billy Crystal: