February 27, 2005
The serpent eats its own tail
I am fighting off a cold, and so decided to watch the full line-up of cartoons this Saturday morning. Usually I only watch Yu-Gi-Oh!, which is your average Japanese-card-game-dropped-into-the-world-of-a-Tim-Powers-novel anime. (Last Call or The Anubis Gates, either.) It's like the old Steven Wright joke: "I stayed up all night playing poker with Tarot cards. I got a full house and four people died." Weird, occult subplots about Atlantis and deranged geniuses who build their own amusement parks filled with killer traps! And the voice actors manage to be both campy and earnest at the same time, which is rather hard to do. (The US voice actors on the WB network are different from the ones I've heard used for English language, American dialect dubbing on Yu-gi-oh elsewhere, and in my opinion much more professional.)
But today, I decided to watch the earlier shows. The DC properties, the new Batman animated series -- yes, there's another one -- and the Teen Titans, were amusing but not striking. (No, Doug, Speedy does not deal with his heroin problem in this version.) Pokemon continued to prove that the Japanese are at least a generation ahead of the rest of the world at the cutting edge of cute. And I didn't realize that cartoon Standards and Practices had shifted enough for the bathroom humor of Mucha Lucha Gigante.
The really weird one, however, was Xiaolin Showdown. First off, its theme song. If I'm not mistaken, it's a direct riff on the old Captain Beefheart song, Electricity. Do we really have a cartoon on American television with a Captain Beefheart theme song? I'm still not sure I believe it, and I've played both versions a half-dozen times now.
Secondly, its villain is an evil boy genius named Jack Spicer. That's an unusual name, no? It was also the name of a leading figure in the San Francisco poetry scene. I feel this is unlikely to be a coincidence.
So I am wondering: has some superannuated beatnik turned his or her hand to the production of an entertaining half-hour of cartoon choppy-sock with a subversive subtext? Or what?
Posted by coyu at February 27, 2005 05:27 AMOh, Carlos. Speedy got clean before he joined the Titans -- everybody knows /that/.
The Titans are interesting IMO because they combine American comics, and American-style storytelling, with Japanese animation. Not Japanese-inspired (which is almost everything these day): Japanese. Weird facial expressions, exaggerated gestures of delight or despair, sudden shifts between being (relatively) realistic and more "cartoony" -- all that stuff. It's quite odd. And occasionally a little disturbing. When Cyborg doe that cartoony wide-open-mouth, show-all-the-white-teeth grin? I know it's a standard trope of Japanese animation, but it's a little on the minstrel show side.
Mucha lucha is weird, no question. The bathroom humor is the least of it. A world where everyone is a costumed wrestler? Little boys in wrestling school? The animated doll -- no, /action figure/ -- in his school backpack, that periodically comes to life and instructs him in the Code of Lucha?
I don't much like Xiaolin Showdown, mostly because of the creepy social and gender role stuff. The girlfriend is clingy, cute, sweet, stupid, and gets rescued a lot. The dull sidekick, not as handsome as the hero, exists to provide comment on the obvious, and get rescued. And so on. The fact that the whole thing is an extended marketing exercise doesn't make me like it any more. But I totally missed the beatnik stuff. Wow. Makes you wonder.
For occasional moments of sheer damn brilliance, watch PowerPuff Girls. Most of their episodes are pretty standard stuff, but a few are... really something. Anything with Him in it is going to be at least interesting. The Beatles parody episode and the one with Phyllis Diller as guest villain are also worth your time.
And then of course there's Samurai Jack...
Doug M.
Well, to start off, I appologize for commenting here. I started out with a search on Gara de Nord, and ended up on your BLOG. I will be coming to Bucharest for the third time, enroute to Constanta to spend time with my fiancee, and her financial situation is not great at best, and I'm frantically searching for alternatives for her so that she will not spend so much money to come meet me at the airport.
I will be arriving just before midnight, and was curiuos how safe the subway and express from the trainstation are for a very beautiful 22 year YOUNG lady?
Then next question is, since I saw somewhere that the express stops at midnight, if the only alternative for travel back to Constanta is a night stay in a hotel to wait for the train, or bus that travels back and forth between Buc and Cta?
And by-the-way, I have truly enjoyed reading some of BLOG. I do hope you don't mind my invasion into your world.
Posted by: Kenn M at February 27, 2005 12:24 PMHi Kenn M! Dunno about the safety of the subway, but I never had a problem walking through even the Cabrini Green sections of Bucharest. Doug, Claudia?
Doug, from the episode I saw of XS, the gender stereotypes have been completely subverted. The little hero monk, Omi, is the not-too-with-it character, while Kimiko is the smart and angry one (although she is obviously a J-fashion plate). The dull sidekick Clay has a sister Jessie, as big and stocky and non-demure as he is -- rare seeing a large girl on television at all, frankly -- and she's the leader of a girl biker gang which kicks the monks' butts into next week.
And Jack Spicer wears eyeliner as part of his evil Goth get-up.
Incidentally, this is why I don't have cable. I'd spend all day analyzing this stuff.
C.
Posted by: Carlos at February 27, 2005 09:07 PMHmm. I may have XS confused with some other card-battle cartoon?
If you want successful referentiality, check out... ohhh... the Samurai Jack episode where he fights Robot X-9. X-9 is a Terminator-like killer robot who wears a trenchcoat and a fedora. A former assassin for Aku's secret police, he grows disillusioned (a faulty emotion chip) and retires, until Aku blackmails him into a final hunt after Jack.
Works perfectly well as a dark but straightforward noir adventure. But also has so many understated textual and visual references -- to movies, pop music, poetry, other cartoons -- that it could be footnoted like something by Joyce or Eliot.
Easter eggs: trope of the future? Discuss.
Doug M.
Hmm. I may have XS confused with some other card-battle cartoon?
I think so. No cards on XS, just choppy-sock, robots, and magic items.
Easter eggs: trope of the future? Discuss.
We've had this conversation, no? After classicism, mannerism.
Posted by: Carlos at February 28, 2005 04:50 PM"For occasional moments of sheer damn brilliance, watch PowerPuff Girls. Most of their episodes are pretty standard stuff, but a few are... really something. Anything with Him in it is going to be at least interesting."
Too true. We have to limit Alex's exposure, tho'. She gets...odd.
Posted by: Bernard Guerrero at February 28, 2005 07:07 PMI remember the first time I saw the Powerpuff Girls. I was in a bar, drinking with a (non-Onion) writer friend. We look up, and there's a shot of Professor Utonium. Friend says, that's you!
Yes, it was.
I now know that this episode was Mommy Fearest. The one where the good Prof dates a supervillainess in disguise.
For the next 15 minutes we'd look up and my friend would start laughing again.
But he bought the next round, so I forgave him.
C.
Posted by: Carlos at March 1, 2005 12:58 AMKimiko shud get wiv Rai in Xiaolin Showdown and she shud give omi a hug in every episode.
Posted by: Raffaella at May 20, 2005 01:30 AMWe love Xiaolin Showdown!! You all analyze too much, cartoons arn't mean to be discussed in every detail! It ruins it! just watch, and then think nothing more of it.
Posted by: HAZ at May 22, 2005 04:56 PMDude, that's zen, not xiaolin kungfu. (cue voice/lip disconnect) "My philosophy is more powerful than your philosophy!"
Posted by: Bernard Guerrero at May 23, 2005 02:40 PMRaffaella, you know, I missed the whole Rai-Kimiko thing. D'oh!
Cartoon characters do need more hugs! In fact, everyone does! Well, almost everyone.
HAZ, it's a difference in tastes. The great thing about Xiaolin Showdown is that it can be watched and enjoyed, or analyzed and enjoyed. It's not only one or the other.
Bernard, that's an interesting meta point you bring up. But my philosophy is superior!
Posted by: Carlos at May 23, 2005 08:45 PM"We love Xiaolin Showdown!! You all analyze too much, cartoons arn't mean to be discussed in every detail! It ruins it! just watch, and then think nothing more of it."
Cartoon is a form of art, art is meant to imitate life, and life is to be analyzed, because we're humans and we do that.
Coyu, the observations made by people who only see something once vs. the observations by people who watch it all the time are always interesting to compare. I like yours. Oddly enough, I watch it a lot (because... I don't have cable... and I'm lame) and I share some of your views on it. I /wondered/ where I'd heard that song before...hmm...
Posted by: DarkPhoenixBC at September 16, 2005 04:03 AMHOW DARE YOU CRITCIZE XAOLIN SHOWDOWN!?!?!?!!? It is the greatest cartoon that ever aired on WB!!!
Posted by: Tigerlilly at September 18, 2005 12:16 AMXiaolin Showdown RULES, man!!!!!!! whoever doesn't like it, well, I think VERY differently!
Posted by: Alora at October 24, 2005 03:46 AMXiaolin Showdown RULES, man!!!!!!! whoever doesn't like it, well, I think VERY differently!
Posted by: Alora at October 24, 2005 03:47 AMXiaolin Showdown RULES, man!!!!!!!I'm just sad cuz I have no one in my family who cares about XS
Posted by: Alora at October 24, 2005 03:49 AMWhoops didn't mean to post that many times :)
Posted by: Alora at October 24, 2005 03:53 AMMy favorite character is Chase Young cuz he's COOL... plus, I'll bet he's gonna turn good just when Omi, Raimundo, Kimiko, and Clay need it most. I also think that Hannable Bean will get mistaken as a baked bean and get eaten for lunch... Just kidding bout the bean!
Posted by: Alora at October 24, 2005 04:00 AM"Cartoon is a form of art, art is meant to imitate life, and life is to be analyzed, because we're humans and we do that."
Cartoons aren't imitating life in EVERY detail, I see no guy in a superhero costume rescuing people in emergencies, and art doesn't imitate life in EVERY detail, abstract art...
Xiaolin Showdown ROCKS!!!
Dude, you guys have got to pay more attention to Wuya in Xiaolin Showdown! She's freaky and MY FAVORITE CHARACTER! I'M OBSESSED! That's why I have my name as 'Wuya Rocks!' cause she does YO!
XS can sometimes be GROSS though. One time, Jack Spicer throws up in Clay's hat! I wouldn't get it very well though about what you guys are talking about. I'm only TEN!
I don't like Xiaolin Showdown much but the theme song (first season anyway?) always reminded me of this old breakbeat track by Depth Charge, 'Shaolin Buddha Finger', heh.
Xiaolin showdown is the best !!!!!!!!!!! Who ever said they didn`t like it retarded!! I wrote this again becase Kevin isn`t my name
Posted by: Rai is best at May 28, 2006 07:27 PMXiaolin showdown is the best !!!!!!!!!!! Who ever said they didn`t like it retarded!! I wrote this again becase Kevin isn`t my name
Posted by: Rai is best at May 28, 2006 07:29 PMSorry for writing it too many times.
Posted by: Rai is best at May 28, 2006 07:32 PMi absolutely love Xiaolin Showdown, but the only thing i got that you mentioned about weird things that get put into that show was Jack Spicer.
as far as cartoons that are sometimes brilliant, i really like the Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy. the only example that i can come up with is this one episode where the villain is cathulu (spelled right? i doubt it...but, you know, the H.P. Lovecraft character).
i watch a whole lot of cartoons. :]
Posted by: brittany at June 8, 2006 02:47 AMThe Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy also had a pitch-perfect parody of God Emperor of Dune. My jaw dropped.
Posted by: Carlos at June 8, 2006 07:03 AMwhere is everybody? EVERYONE'S A PERVERT!
Posted by: Wuya Rocks! at July 1, 2006 11:01 PMHey WR, I'm around, just been busy.
I might be closing off this thread though, because discussion has kinda died down.
C.
Posted by: Carlos at July 3, 2006 12:51 AMI LOVE JACK SPICER!!!!!!
Posted by: i love jack spicer at August 17, 2006 09:18 PMI never noticed the theme song's connection to beatnik. Then again, cartoons through the ages have hidden connections with music all the time. For example, Sonic the hedgehog's enemy is Dr. Robotnik A.K.A "Dr. Eggman". A clear reference to the Beatles song (you know the one I'm talking about). He even wears the coat on the album...I think, my memory's a little fuzzy. Oh, and I have to agree, Jack Spicer is awesome. As much as everyone ridicules his inventions, how often do you see those Xiaolin dragons messing around with quarks or nanotechnology?
Posted by: Sparky The Hunter at August 21, 2006 05:02 AMI never noticed the theme song's connection to beatnik. Then again, cartoons through the ages have hidden connections with music all the time. For example, Sonic the hedgehog's enemy is Dr. Robotnik A.K.A "Dr. Eggman". A clear reference to the Beatles song (you know the one I'm talking about). He even wears the coat on the album...I think, my memory's a little fuzzy. Oh, and I have to agree, Jack Spicer is awesome. As much as everyone ridicules his inventions, how often do you see those Xiaolin dragons messing around with quarks or nanotechnology?
Posted by: Sparky The Hunter at August 21, 2006 05:02 AM