(The bright side of life?)
Starz are busily promoting their new cable series Spartacus: Blood and Sand. It seems heavy on sweaty Roman sex orgies and gladiator violence. Promo releases read as follows…
“Betrayed by the Romans. Forced into slavery. Reborn as a Gladiator. The classic tale of the Republic’s most infamous rebel comes alive in the graphic and visceral new series, Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Torn from his homeland and the woman he loves, Spartacus is condemned to the brutal world of the arena where blood and death are primetime entertainment. But not all battles are fought upon the sands. Treachery, corruption, and the allure of sensual pleasures will constantly test Spartacus. To survive, he must become more than a man. More than a gladiator. He must become a legend.”
Nowhere, however, in all of the fevered swashbuckling hype that’s posted on the net and pouring from my TV, is there any mention of the slave revolt that Spartacus supposedly inspired and no character that resembles the Spartacus described in this Wikipedia entry…
“Spartacus (c. 109–71 BCE) was the most notable leader of the slaves in the Third Servile War, a major slave uprising against the Roman Republic. Little is known about Spartacus beyond the events of the war, and surviving historical accounts are sometimes contradictory and may not always be reliable. Spartacus's struggle, often seen as the fight of an oppressed people fighting for their freedom against a slave-owning aristocracy, has found new meaning for modern writers since the 19th century. The rebellion of Spartacus has proven inspirational to many modern literary and political writers, making Spartacus a folk hero among cultures both ancient and modern.”
According to the Starz version, the uprising never happened, or the hideous retribution (above) and Spartacus just wanted to get home to his wife. If this is indeed the case, I suggest we boycott the shit out of this pernicious program, and demonstrate to corporate media that it can’t mess with the icons of the left and get away with it totally unscathed.
The secret word is Liberty
Starz are busily promoting their new cable series Spartacus: Blood and Sand. It seems heavy on sweaty Roman sex orgies and gladiator violence. Promo releases read as follows…
“Betrayed by the Romans. Forced into slavery. Reborn as a Gladiator. The classic tale of the Republic’s most infamous rebel comes alive in the graphic and visceral new series, Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Torn from his homeland and the woman he loves, Spartacus is condemned to the brutal world of the arena where blood and death are primetime entertainment. But not all battles are fought upon the sands. Treachery, corruption, and the allure of sensual pleasures will constantly test Spartacus. To survive, he must become more than a man. More than a gladiator. He must become a legend.”
Nowhere, however, in all of the fevered swashbuckling hype that’s posted on the net and pouring from my TV, is there any mention of the slave revolt that Spartacus supposedly inspired and no character that resembles the Spartacus described in this Wikipedia entry…
“Spartacus (c. 109–71 BCE) was the most notable leader of the slaves in the Third Servile War, a major slave uprising against the Roman Republic. Little is known about Spartacus beyond the events of the war, and surviving historical accounts are sometimes contradictory and may not always be reliable. Spartacus's struggle, often seen as the fight of an oppressed people fighting for their freedom against a slave-owning aristocracy, has found new meaning for modern writers since the 19th century. The rebellion of Spartacus has proven inspirational to many modern literary and political writers, making Spartacus a folk hero among cultures both ancient and modern.”
According to the Starz version, the uprising never happened, or the hideous retribution (above) and Spartacus just wanted to get home to his wife. If this is indeed the case, I suggest we boycott the shit out of this pernicious program, and demonstrate to corporate media that it can’t mess with the icons of the left and get away with it totally unscathed.
The secret word is Liberty
It may be just as well they don't get to the "revolutionary" aspects.
ReplyDeleteWe don't need the Tea Baggers appropriating Spartacus for their counter-revolution.
Promises to be even worse than the excruciating bastardisation of Robinson Crusoe" that's currently soiling TV screens. Here in Oz, anyway…
ReplyDeleteWhat next? Ben-Hulk! perhaps…
Is it wrong that I want to both kill & sexually assault my art professor? Or are these urges only natural?
ReplyDeleteWhich do you plan to do first? Assault or kill?
ReplyDeleteI don't plan on doing either, I understand the consequences such actions would result in & don't wish to partake in that sort of experience.
ReplyDeleteI think it's just an infatuation with the concepts that arose after having been told, "anything is acceptable in your sketch-journal, nothing is taboo." & I knew that was bullshit. The depiction of either or both instances wouldn't be treated with the professional indifference I've been promised. I don't think I actually want to do those things so much as depict them in graphic detail... I also have the urge to describe & depict a massacre in the studio, standard school-shooting, only in the isolated context involving my classmates & instructor. Granted, I might work on the art privately, just to get it off my mind... but I'm not stupid enough to hand anything in & jeopardise my position by getting forced into a psychiatric evaluation because I have a problem with pushing buttons when people tell me bullshit about nothing being taboo, I know better.
Sometimes I like to just vent here, you people don't give a fuck, especially when I'm anonymous, you'll talk to me about anything & use the same standards everytime, no matter who I am.
They may still get to the revolt at some point, maybe season three if it lasts that long. From the previews I've seen it looks like they are trying to mine the same territory as 300 so big battle scenes may figure in at some point. Just don't expect anything even vaguely historic about it. Also expect any class issues to be thoroughly whitewashed.
ReplyDeleteanon,it`s perfectly natural to feel like this,don`t feel ashamed,give in to these reasonable desires.eat the evidence.
ReplyDeleteA psychiatric evaluation of art? This is what we've come to?
ReplyDeleteUmm...is this anonymous cry of someone looking for help?
ReplyDeleteUmm...is this anonymous cry of someone looking for help?
ReplyDeleteOr medication.
We're all looking for medication, dear.
ReplyDeleteLet me guess. Lots of warrior princesses. Spartacus is the sensitive type.
ReplyDelete