Tuesday, January 20, 2015

GOOD GIRL/BAD GIRL





In this post Theory Corner considers the question of nature versus nurture. Are we shaped by genetics or by culture and experience? I don't know the answer but I can relate a story I heard that might be helpful.


It begins with twins born in a peaceful little cottage, nestled in the hills. 


Both girls were cute as a button and nice to a fault. They attended Church regularly and did well in school.

On weekends they cooked brownies together. Everything went fine until one day....


...puberty struck.


Gladiola hardly noticed. She just drank a glass of milk and went on with her life.


Mildred, on the other hand, developed a disdain for milk and discovered that she preferred other drinks. Her parents didn't know what to do.


Under the influence of raging hormones Mildred became less and less interested in brownies.


One day she up and ran off to New York. She just packed up and left, without so much as a note left behind.


She never made it, though. The car she was in crashed and she was taken in by hillbillies.



Fortunately for her, the man who found her was the King of the Hillbillies. He treated her like mountain royalty but unfortunately he was fatally kicked by a mule and Mildred found herself on her own.


Without a way to make a living Mildred drifted from relationship to relationship.


Finally she made it to New York but she had no money and no friends there. Life was hard.


Years passed. One day her Dad was browsing the lurid paperback stand in his local pharmacy and he found a book about, of all things, his daughter. That's when the family finally learned what happened to her.  Later a friend of hers mailed them Mildred's pasties. That's all they had to remember her by.


So that's the story. Gladiola continued to drink milk and prospered. I guess I haven't resolved the nature vs. nurture question. Maybe no one ever will. If there's a lesson to be learned here it might be about the generative power of milk...life giving, eternally delicious...milk.
 **********

BTW: Thanks to the anonymous person who who grafted the two women together on the title card.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

This is something that's been on my mind but seeing as how more and more shows I'm seeing have had their animation production completely confined to North America, do you think that will become much more of a trend in the future if this keeps up?

Star vs the Forces of Evil is just another one of those cartoons that's followed that trend there. Sorry to get off topic but I really think it could make for a fascinating discussion to have, especially with how much animation production has been outsourced all the way to Asia during the past 50-60 years.

Eddie Fitzgerald said...

Roberto: If I ran a studio I wouldn't send anything out of the U.S., and I wish the union would negotiate compromises with employers who agree to keep the work here.

I haven't seen the Star cartoon. Is that on YouTube?

Unknown said...

The first episode is on Watch Cartoon Online and several bits of animation have been posted up on YouTube as well so you can see for yourself what the animation is like. that part of the show IMO is pretty well done though I think the characters at this point could be fleshed out much more and you might think the designs on the show are a bit too postmodern for your tastes and not really gritty either. At least the show isn't trying to copy that whole Regular Show Adventure time style visually.

http://www.watchcartoononline.com/star-vs-the-forces-of-evil-episode-1-star-comes-to-earth-party-with-a-pony (if you wanna see the full first episode)

The creator of the show also has some stuff posted on her YouTube channel if you look under Daron Nefcy. I'd like to think the show reminds me a little bit like Wander Over Yonder which doesn't surprise me mixed in with Steven Universe and Gravity Falls somewhat.

I also noticed that with new Disney Channel/Disney XD shows, they've been getting celebrities to voice a main character, though I think on Gravity Falls, it's actually worked well because of how good their performances are and how their voices are distinct enough to make the characters stand out, especially with what Kristen Schaal does.

Unknown said...

Also the show itself hasn't really officially premiered yet but the link I posted is to the sneak peek that aired on Disney XD a few days ago. I think the show will start airing regularly in March or so.

Eddie Fitzgerald said...

Roberto: Haw! I just watched some excerpts from Star on YouTube. I like the look and the high energy. I wish it were more animation/acting intensive but I have a hunch that it'll evolve that way over time, especially if Daron continues to do the show here.

Joel Brinkerhoff said...

Ha, nice post. It seems fitting to have Betty Page shown as the 'bad girl', and yet, she apparently was quite a nice,(abet naive), girl who didn't find anything wrong with taking her clothes off. Why not, we all are born naked. Why not show off a nice body? It's art right? Funny she had no distinction between art and bondage. When she found out, she became a Christian and didn't pose nude anymore. I guess there is a line you cross if you're not careful...or something.