As for Dr. Horrible, I have seen it before because I LOVE Nathan Fillion & NPH. Like, a lot. I didn't really like it the first time I saw it, but I couldn't really hear it. I definitely liked it better this time. Also, Joss Whedon's the bomb. Never watched Buffy (don't like vampires) but I'm in love with Dollhouse and Firefly. Dollhouse is another show that brings up technological advancements and how they might affect us as people. So yeah.
I don't know that these would have made it on TV. Part of their allure, particularly Dr. Horrible, is that it's kind of a secret, almost a cult. It's something you see in the music world too--the consumer likes something they feel is kind of a secret. If it had been commercialized, I don't think it would have been the same.
You're right, Dr. Horrible is like a cult following. I couldn't pinpoint exactly what makes it so alluring. I'm not the most new media inclined, but I hadn't heard of before our class, so it definitely was on the low-down. Anytime something niche becomes commercialized it's deemed a "sell out" and any exclusivity it may have had previously is lost (along with its future).
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Definitely see what you're saying about the allure of Dr. Horrible. I'm not sure if that makes me like it more or less - although, if Dr. Horrible gathered a large fan base I could see it becoming more popular/spread around the Internet rapidly (considering I hadn't seen it yet).
ReplyDeleteIt's sort of contradictory to think of a web series created and directed by an established director and a big production budget as not being commercial. To me the whole notion of using the internet as a platform for user generated video implies not having the resources to create something commercial.
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting that you brought up Dollhouse. In my Future of Imaging class we are reading a book called Second Self: Computers and the Human Spirit and I just finished a section where kids in the 80's were discussing whether computers were "alive" or not. One argument was that no, computers can be programmed. But the counter-argument was that people can be programmed too. This is perfectly illustrated by Dollhouse...in their case, what's the difference?
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on vampires, I just don't get the appeal. I feel as if I'm really missing out on a really important piece of culture by resisting. At least I know there's someone else out there!
ReplyDeleteThe cool thing about The Guild is that you don't have to really play any rpgs to get the humor--maybe that's because nerd-core has become a prevalent enough part of culture that people understand the tags already (like gamer handles and awkward humor). But really Felicia Day just makes it accesible, which is cool.
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