Please enjoy the first of what we hope are many episodes. Today we look at the idea of the Created Family in various pop cultural surroundings.
Topics discussed and/or spoiled:
Buffy, Farscape, Community, The Office (UK), Gaming, Lasers, Archbishops, Muppet Babies
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Lovely start to what will no doubt be a lovely project. Mazel Tov to the both of you.
2 comments, one on production, and one on content.
First: it’s called dynamic range compression and you need to use it. Everyone who records spoken word things needs to use it and you’re no exception.
Second: Talking about Whedon’s perception of the nuclear family without talking about feminism is a little like talking about Brecht’s perception of wealth without talking about Marxism. It’s not nearly so much that he’s saying “grr traditional family bad” as it is that extra-“normal” nontraditional family structures (both of a biological and created sort) tend not to get as much of a voice in popular culture and so therefore he’s making a particular point to say “I’m not telling the patriarchy’s story. I’m not using my megaphone to blast out the same tired tale that’s been told since the Bible and Homer, I’m going to do something different”. ESPECIALLY in Buffy, where the notion of a Father Figure™ is kicked around more than a rodeo clown.
Good stuff overall though! A+, would download again.
Also, I think Whedon’s depiction of the biological family veers sharply on whether the protagonist is a “child” or the “parent” figure. When the protagonist is the “child” the created family is usually stronger and richer and more meaningful then the biological, especially if the bio in question is a biological father- something I think speaks to where Whedon is coming from, on this issue. However, in both Buffy and Angel, when the protagonist is a parent or parent figure (Buffy/Dawn), blood is thinker than water or created family. Once again, I think it’s because in those characters, Whedon is drawing on his own experiences as a parent, not a child with an almost certainly difficult relationship with his father.
This is Rachel again–I’m not sure if I totally agree with your breakdown Tom. Yes, I agree in the case of Angel, Holtz and Connor, there is a definite prioritizing of the biological father. But I think one could make the case that the Buffy/Dawn relationship is very much a case of created family (“it doesn’t matter how you got here, you are my sister”). At the same time, Buffy does have a very strong relationship with her biological mother. At the very least, we can all agree–Whedon must have had an difficult relationship with his father.
And, Jack–I’m sure we will get around to Buffy and feminism before too long. You can’t do everything all at once!
Hey guys, nice podcast. I just spent the day with you, metaphorically speaking, listening to your podcasts while I worked today.
Nice podcast, I’m enjoying it!
Hey Ben! Mother Rachel has been listening to your show as well and we’re very happy to be spending the day with you in any fashion, metaphorically or otherwise. Thank you so much for the kind words! -leeman