posted by fenzel on Wednesday, August 12th, 2009 at 7:16am
As we’ve established in parts #1 and #2 of this 48 part series, there are a lot of things I love about Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball. The disheartening arrival of the abomination Dragonball Evolution dulled my enthusiasm for a time, but I feel it flowing back into me, raisin’ the ol’ power level back up to arbitrary numbers.
Anyhoo, one of these things I really love about Dragon Ball is that its elegant, elemental narrative style and clear characterization make it easy to notice the wide variety of tropes, motifs and other devices that Toriyama uses to guide and develop his storylines. It has the epic Brechtian quality of a theatrical production where you can see the wires and the lighting equipment, without breaking the emotional identification and welcoming effortlessness of Stanislavski’s “Magic If.”
So, taking a bit of a break from using everything else I know to try to explain Dragon Ball, today I will use what I know about Dragon Ball to explain something else. Namely, one of the most useful and interesting distinction in parts of speech across poetical and literary systems, and also one of the most neglected in the casual enjoyment of art.
Today’s battle in the expansive desert, full of its elaborate rock formations that all produce prodigious dust clouds upon their destruction?
Metonymy and Metaphor. If these are things you’re not 100% solid on, read on, increase your literary power level, and actually learn something pretty simple that will help you enjoy art and lesser things you already like all the more. Because they’re certainly using it . . .
(Oh, and if you’re 100% solid on them, you’re clearly an enthusiast, so that is no excuse to turn away from the “Read More” button)
posted by Matthew Wrather on Monday, June 15th, 2009 at 12:01am
For the 50th episode, Matthew Wrather hosts as he, Mark Lee, John Perich, and Jordan Stokes dispense more advice (at the request of a listener’s mom, no less), pimp our listeners, and take the guilt out of guilty pleasures (or put the “ear” in “irony,” depending on how you see it.)
Tell us what you think (and tell us your ideas for the 50th episode)! Email us or have your mom call 20-EAT-LOG-01—that’s (203) 285-6401. If you haven’t yet, take the very short survey! And… spread the overthinking by forwarding this episode to a friend!
posted by Matthew Wrather on Sunday, March 29th, 2009 at 11:21pm
Matthew Wrather hosts as Matthew Belinkie, Peter Fenzel, and Ryan Sheely overthink guilty pop cultural pleasures, Dante’s Inferno (the movie based on the video game), the Jack Bauer cowboy/superhero myth, sexting, the Home Alone Syndrome, improbable sequels, and movie songs that tell you the plot of the movie.
Listeners from North Dakota: Please visit Paradiso restaurant (www.paradiso.com) and send us some pictures.
Tell us what you think! Email podcast AT overthinkingit DOT com or call 20-EAT-LOG-01—that’s (203) 285-6401. If you haven’t yet, take the very short survey! And… spread the overthinking by forwarding this episode to a friend. (It’s not chain main, but we promise something good will happen if you do.)
