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theticklefox-blog · 7 years

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Marc Warren non-spoilery moments from an early scene in Snatch episode 2

First off, should acknowledge Marc’s 50th birthday and thank him for being my completely unwitting (God I hope so anyhow) Muse and inspiration for the past year and a half of so.

Had thought of a more elaborate tribute earlier this morning in my full-on giddy state after watching this episode. Marc couldn’t be more entertaining, even with a somewhat limited character. (Can these writers/producers please give him a role where he’s not literally being insulted by everyone else from the moment he walks onscreen? That’s juvenile deck-stacking. You create classic protagonists and adversaries by letting audiences follow their actions and think for themselves how they’ll respond. Pet peeve in The Musketeers and this... many other shows featuring great character actors too.) But... it’s a fun show and it’s already a challenge rationing episodes out and not binging.

Every moment Marc has in episode 2 is completely GIFable (he’s not in episode 1 at all, but you need to watch that to follow the plot. Marc’s character appears immediately in episode 2.) I’m trying to avoid any plot spoilers so I’m sticking to one scene (which was shared in photo form in promos). He’s not onscreen as much as I’d like but steals his scenes without really trying, with some classic film japery I suspect is improvised. (I would love to see most of Marc’s best roles in script form just to see how much he’s added to them... from BTS footage I gather he ad-libs in character about as often as the late Robin Williams did. This project is ideal in that it’s so pop-culturally addled and flashy that he can slide these asides in much more seamlessly than he could have in the period pieces he did a couple of years ago.)

But... apart from saying Marc is a slow-burn antagonist in contrast to Ed Westwick’s more combustible Sonny (which was already revealed by the promos) I won’t say anything. I do want to fully review everything once I've watched and thought about it. I have noticed a lot of my European friends have found ways to watch this. If you don’t have access to Crackle, DM me. I’ll give you some tips.

Generally the acting is solid and the characters entertaining, though somewhat too limited to recognizable types that have been recycled in one form or another since the 1920s. This isn’t Breaking Bad or The Sopranos and isn’t trying to be that complex. It’s better at being funny and spirited than at creating riveting character drama. (I’m already bored by the “son trying to redeem his father” plot, though the actors are doing the best they can to enliven it.) Also tired of being expected to side with the young characters against the older ones. But Rupert Grint is hilarious and divides my sympathies a lot more than the overly earnest Hill clan.

I might also do a compilation post featuring my favorite GIFs of my favorite Marc characters later...

I’m still trying to find my way with this Tumblr and ID. It can be frustrating when the only thing I post that gets attention is reblogs, so I’m trying to focus more on original content, even if people don’t care. I’m also more circumspect about fandoms lately... I still derive such joy from them but they can be a double-edged sword, particularly in regard to artists who are shy or reluctant to have a public persona, like Marc seems to be lately. I made a lot of wild assumptions about him based on old or exaggerated media profiles and some things I said feel woefully ignorant or over the top in retrospect.

I don’t imagine Marc would waste time reading my stuff or generally lurking about the internet running searches on himself, but one has a responsibility to anyone one is a public fan of. So many fandoms are riven by juvenile competition and one-upsmanship. I have to be very careful not to get involved in that and have perspective.

I do wish Marc felt comfortable giving more interviews or could be comfortable engaging through social media in some way. Many artists I admire learn to do so without revealing too much about their private selves, and it puts a damper on idle speculation that can run rampant in fandoms. It’s harder to fetishize or commodify someone to suit your own whims when they’re on hand in some way and are a real presence rather than a fan projection. I have said many times that if Marc was on Twitter I would never bother him... in fact I’d probably leave the site. Give him space. But it would be comforting to know he was there.

But.. I know what a hazard social media can be to nonentities like myself, to friends who are genuinely talented but struggle to find an audience. It’s a different sort of hazard if you’re in the public eye, but most of my favorite artists, actors and musicians do a brilliant job of using it to express themselves, promote work and/or present their truth. But I don’t blame anyone for avoiding it. Half the time I feel like packing it in.

Didn’t mean to go on like this, Promised myself I’d keep in lowkey this March 20th. Sorry Marc. ;)

#marc warren #happy birthday #happy 50th birthday #snatch tv #bob fink #complicated fangirl indulgence #sorry

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thesleeplessdreams · 7 years

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Insights of The Catcher in the Rye pt. 1

“It was partly a phony kind of friendly, but at least he always said hello to Ackley and all.” (26)

Context: The reader meets Holden’s roommate Stradlater as he bursts into their room while Holden and Ackley squabble about him. Stradlater greets Ackley who makes no initiative to respond to his personal opponent.

My Extratextual Connection

I feel as though Stradlater’s courtesy towards Ackley reflects many relationships in today’s society. He seems to be aware that Ackley holds some sort of grudge and detestation towards him, and instead of butting heads back, he acts polite. Stradlater may have known to expect no reply from Ackley, but perhaps he continues to make an effort in hopes that one day Ackley will see that he is willing to build a friendship. Still, I think Ackley is too prideful to accept Stradlater’s attempts so he does not need to admit that Stradlater is possibly not as horrible as he had originally thought. Their relationship reminds me of the ones between people nowadays, including myself. We continue to make efforts to get along with others when they are not eager to do the same. Personally, I had the same conflict in the past multiple times. I was having a conversation with a peer of mine when I suddenly made a comment that had been taken in a different perspective. This is a similar situation to when the reader finds out that Stradlater had talked about Ackley and that sparked a resentment towards the other on Ackley’s part. Luckily for me, I was able to mend the relationship with my peer after starting small with a greeting, like Stradlater does, and eventually I went farther to explaining myself along with a sincere apology. From this personal experience, I can say that it is possible one day for Stradlater and Ackley to at least be on more positive terms with one another.

Synthesis:

Evident in the quote, like Stradlater, I have had trouble befriending people who simply did not want to try. However, after some time and a considerable number of attempts, I was able to successfully work it out. So, if I could do it, I question whether the two would be able to as well on their own or (*spoiler*) after the early leave of Holden from Pencey Prep.

Webtoon: How to Make Friends – Blue Chair

I think this snippet from Blue Chair perfectly states the truth about being older and befriending others. I personally believe that while growing up, a simple ‘hello’ can gain you a friend, but it gets harder when you begin to question yourself and others. That said, I think Stradlater is able to understand that too, specifically with his association with Ackley.

“I told him he didn’t even care if a girl kept all her kings in the back row or not, and the reason he didn’t care was because he was a goddam stupid moron.” (44)

Context: After Holden Caulfield waits anxiously for Stradlater to come back to the dorms from his date with Jane Gallagher, he poses questions to find out what occurred during the date.

My Intratextual Connection

Earlier in chapter 4, Holden finds out that Stradlater was going on a date with Jane, a girl who use to be his close friend and neighbour. He goes off on a tangent to his roommate’s deaf ears about the little details he knew about Jane in the time he had gotten to know her, including how she would keep her kings in the back row when playing checkers. During this time, Holden does not think to himself about his friend specifically, but rather reasons, “That kind of stuff doesn’t interest most people.” (32) In my opinion, I believe that he generalizes the truth about his roommate to not guilt himself by thinking poorly of him. He knows his roommate’s typical behaviour well, but may feel as though he should not judge him just yet in case Jane is a different case for Stradlater in comparison to how he treated past girls. However, later on when Stradlater comes back from his date, the reader can notice the jealous development in Holden as his friend confirms his fear. Stradlater says that even if he did indeed have intercourse with Jane, it is a “professional secret.” (43) I think this riles up Holden because he had not wanted his concerns about Stradlater being a player to be confirmed, but realizes that it still stands true. Stradlater is not any different than before, and sees this side of his life as a job. To him, Jane is simply another girl he can toy with to build up experience. Holden knows he could treat Jane better and lets his jealousy and fury get the best of him. He declares his thoughts about his friend being a moron to his face, earning himself a few punches and a bloody nose.

Synthesis:

As can be seen in the quote, Holden shows readers of his jealous trait that had not been entirely evident before. After seeing Holden’s character develop in this scene, I wonder if he might find Jane to show her that she deserves someone better, or if he will find her but ironically make a moron out of himself.

Poem: Jealousy by Rupert Brooke

I have admired Rupert Brooke’s work for quite some time already and upon this story, I came to realize the relation. The title “Jealousy” describes Holden in this part of the story, however Brooke’s first lines do as well and state, “When I see you, who were so wise and cool, Gazing with silly sickness on that fool.” I believe this poem reflects a bit of Holden because although it is not directly linked to the situation in the novel, Holden could be in Brooke’s position, thinking about the one he loves living unhappily in the arms of another man.

“Almost every time somebody gives me a present, it ends up making me sad.” (52)

Context: Holden plans to leave Pencey Prep earlier than his eviction date and as he packs his skates away, he imagines his mother buying them only recently and feels bad.

My Extratextural Connection

As Holden reveals his feelings when he sees his belongings, I see myself in him. This could go for many others as well, however when I not only receive gifts, but even general acts of kindness, I question whether I deserve them. Similarly, Holden is aware that people put effort into purchasing him presents, but since he has done nothing for them in return to show his thanks, he feels guilty. In the case of his skates, his only ‘gift’ to give back to his mother would be being kicked out of Pencey, and that is the reason why he feels depressed. With this, Holden may not be the best student, but he should know that he is still allowed, like anyone else, to receive love and kindness, even in the form of gifts. In our society today, and I’m sure it is also the same in the novel, people do and act the way they do for us because that is what they want to do and because they care. It personally took me a long time to acknowledge that, and it was only when my friend commented on the perspective that I had did I come to realize that truth. I still struggle with the idea even now, but I believe that someday I will fully come to terms with understanding that there may not always be other intentions in people’s hearts, and that they could truly be doing it out of kindness. With my mentality, this shows that I am a bit cynical if I were to admit it, and in a way, I think Holden is too. So, I know that if I can see another perspective about people and society that steps out from negative shadows of the world, Holden can too.

Synthesis:

A friend I cherish dearly helped me fathom that people are not so deceptive or heartless as I made them out to be. Holden battles himself with this, and so I question if he will realize on his own what I grew to learn, or if like me, he will receive the help of his loved ones to allow him to see the truth.

Song: I Know by Rap Monster and Jungkook of BTS (Have a listen here.)

Through this song, the artists bring into light that they know and appreciate how much their fans have done for them, and how they remember their roots. The song goes, “This red carpet that’s laid in front of me is the tears of blood of someone who loves me, I suppose that’s why it’s red, I know.” It expresses that where the artists stand today are because others put in effort out of love and care. It reminds me of Holden and I because while BTS may understand that people have supported them by choice, its meaning is what I hope we could say to ourselves one day.

Works Cited

Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 1991. Print.

#rebecca choi #the catcher in the rye #blue chair #rupert brooke #bts

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