Addams Family Values: The Crazy and the Kooky of the Satirical The Addams Family was an unusual sitcom about an outlandish family of hellish outcasts homed in the center of suburban life. The 1964 television show was originally based off of a comic strip by a cartoonist, Charles Addams. It was a surreal show that was based one running joke. The Addams Family was “mysterious and kooky” and did not fit into comptempary life of modern suburban culture. Adaption of nostalgic popular culture allows for new interpretation of characters, plot and reimagining of the narrative arc that are beloved both by older audiences and discovered by younger generations. As Glover expresses, “the remaking of popular fiction not only brings into new sorts of …show more content…
The narrative of the movie does not solely compare to the strange family values of the Addams family, but translates their odd behavior into the humour to illustrate how crazy their actions are in the regular world. When Fester Addams falls for Debbie’s ploy and begins to fall in love, he attempts to mimic the way Gomez worships and adores his beloved Morticia by showering her in love, calling her names like “Cara Mia”, “Mon Cher” and “Pumpkin”. Yet, in response she does not understand what he is attempting to achieve with over exaggerated gestures of adoration. This lack of understanding is satirizing the sitcom’s strangeness in the way that the characters form relationships. Secondly, the juxtaposition of weird characters in an environment that the audience is familiar with, makes the archetype of the outcast, humourous. The everyday situations that the characters involve themselves in seem normal to the common person, but to the Addams family it is a strange clash of ideals, behavior and even appearance. Wednesday and Pugsley are sent to camp which is used as a tool of self-awareness, making fun of the privileged society of upper class white people. It is ironic that it takes the out-of-place characters to notice the surreal strangeness that exists in our
Film analysis with a critical eye can give the viewer how animation giant Disney uses literary element to relay key messages to the audience. Walt Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog” is a perfect example how different literary theories like ‘the Marxist theory’ and ‘Archetypal theory’ can be embedded in the simplest of the fairy tales. The different literary elements in the movie, shows a person how characters like ‘the banker’ and the setting of the houses helps to portray the socio-economic differences in New Orleans at that time. Applying ‘the Marxist theory’ and ‘the Archetypal theory’ to the plot, characters and the setting, shows how movies can be a medium to confront social issues and to prove that all fairy tales are of the same base.
Welty’s use of physical description, action, and dialogue enables Old Phoenix to become animated in the mind of the reader. By using physical description Old Phoenix becomes a dimensional figure that manifests out of the pages into ingraining herself into the reader’s mind. Pairing her physical description with Phoenix’s actions causes the reader to become emotionally invested in the character, creating a certain bond that makes Phoenix more than just a character in a story. Furthermore, with dialogue the reader is given a better understanding of Phoenix’s life, be it her present or past, making Phoenix more than just words on a page. Due to the use of these techniques Welty is able to build a relationship between the reader and the main character using understanding and emotions.
Family comedies have evolved throughout the past century. What was once revered as classic has completely changed forms and turned into the comedic experience we witness today. Family sitcoms in particular have been converted to show a broader picture of how family’s interact in today’s world. This greatly appeals to today’s audiences and is what people want to see. Modern family specifically has tapped into what nontraditional families are all about and even with being so alternative has resonated with every type of family, making it one of the most popular shows on TV at the present moment. The pilot episode of Modern Family uses hyper-irony, allusions and uses references to technology to enforce comedic impact.
Frank Baums, The Wizard of Oz is arguably one of the most popular films made. Even though it was released in 1939, nearly three-quarters of a century ago, the film continues to entertain audiences and speak to them in a personal way. The question that comes to the mind when analyzing this film is: What is it about this film that gives it such timelessness? When reflecting on the film’s timeless qualities, it seems clear the plot is one of the things that enable it to maintain its relevance. Primarily, the plot of The Wizard of Oz is timeless because it is such an excellent example of the heroic journey, both in literally and cinematically. This journey of self-awareness is a metaphor for growth, which is something we all search to discover at some time in our lives.
The Simpsons first aired in 1980 as a hilarious, sarcastic, and exaggerated satire of everyday life. With depictions of politics and politicians, bad parenting, greedy industry owners, and the faults in everyday society. The show really brings to life the thoughts and sometimes unrealistic views we have of everyday people.
Every time the family comes to a confrontation someone retreats to the past and reflects on life as it was back then, not dealing with life as it is for them today. Tom, assuming the macho role of the man of the house, babies and shelters Laura from the outside world. His mother reminds him that he is to feel a responsibility for his sister. He carries this burden throughout the play. His mother knows if it were not for his sisters needs he would have been long gone. Laura must pickup on some of this, she is so sensitive she must sense Toms feeling of being trapped. Tom dreams of going away to learn of the world, Laura is aware of this and she is frightened of what may become of them if he were to leave.
Whenever books are adapted for film, changes inevitably have to be made. The medium of film offers several advantages and disadvantages over the book: it is not as adept at exploring the inner workings of people - it cannot explore their minds so easily; however, the added visual and audio capabilities of film open whole new areas of the imagination which, in the hands of a competent writer-director, can more than compensate.
As the case with most “Novel to Movie” adaptations, screenwriters for films will make minor, and sometimes drastic, adjustments to the original text in order to increase drama and to reach modern audiences. Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 film interpretation of The Great Gatsby followed the 1925 classic great plot quite accurately, with minor deviations. However, Luhrmann made some notable differences to the characters and settings of The Great Gatsby in order for the story to relate to the current generation and to intensity the plot
The article Hop on Pop (2002) explains how culture is influenced, especially by the tactics of mass media and popular culture. This aspect is one that Walt Disney and his company used and did very well. This article opened me up to think about how the media is trying to influence society through what they are portraying. The feeling of nostalgia is a strong feeling that most popular culture makes viewers want to experience films like they did in their past.
... time retain one outstanding quality---they are empowering, first in how much power they give to the youth of that time. These are films for them and about them. They reflect their everyday experiences or those they long to have, with the best films knowing exactly what their young audiences want to see on screen and never judging them for it because the mistakes, struggles, and imperfections of young adulthood are timeless too. Second, coming-of-age films also give so much back to young audiences and empower them. These films’ characters have taught audiences what to do, how to feel, and essentially given them the tools by which to navigate the transition from childhood to adulthood and how to make it as painless as possible. As ‘coming-of-age’ changes or stays the same in meaning over time, youth culture, as a genre and subject, will remain a necessity in film.
The funniest part of this was when Aunt Bella fiancé wanted to open a restaurant and Aunt Bella did not think twice about the idea. It did not bother her at all, what so ever. Although, these moments were funny, it enhanced so much drama within the play. Another part was when Arty the youngest were trying to imitate the grandmother on pg. 44, saying “ya, ya,ya,ya”. By saying this, Arty was making fun of his grandmother in a playful but dramatic while jumping on her couch.
The only real way to truly understand a story is to understand all aspects of a story and their meanings. The same goes for movies, as they are all just stories being acted out. In Thomas Foster's book, “How to Read Literature Like a Professor”, Foster explains in detail the numerous ingredients of a story. He discusses almost everything that can be found in any given piece of literature. The devices discussed in Foster's book can be found in most movies as well, including in Quentin Tarantino’s cult classic, “Pulp Fiction”. This movie is a complicated tale that follows numerous characters involved in intertwining stories. Tarantino utilizes many devices to make “Pulp Fiction” into an excellent film. In this essay, I will demonstrate how several literary devices described in Foster's book are put to use in Tarantino’s film, “Pulp Fiction”, including quests, archetypes, food, and violence.
Literature is an outlet for imagination without restrictions, a platform for expression, and a form of art that outlives its author. Most importantly, it can be a way to help one truly discover themselves. As audiences are exposed to more literature throughout their lives, they not only learn about their true potential, but are also made aware of their flaws and faults in character. Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird and Alexander Hamilton in Hamilton are both remarkable characters, but from various events that reveal their shortcomings, the audience receives the opportunity to learn from their mistakes. By appreciating literature, one not only receives a wonderful story, but is also given the chance to grow with the characters and learn lessons from the character’s experiences.
To begin with, Miss Moore, Sylvia, and the other children are from the “slums”. However, what differentiate Miss Moore and everyone else in the neighborhood is that she has a college education, and speaks Standard English. As a result, Miss Moore plays the role as teacher to the neighborhood children. Most of the children from the neighborhood were poverty stricken and had a ghetto vernacular. Especially, Sylvia, who mouth is atrocious and has a strong animosity towards Miss Moore. For instance,“Miss Moore was her name. The only woman on the block with no first name. And she was black as hell, cept for her feet, which were fish-white and spooky.” Moreover, Miss Moore has high expectations of the children, so she takes them on a trip outside the hood to unveil the real world. Before going on the trip to the toy store Miss Moore tried to explain the value of money to the children. For example, “So we heading down the street and she’s boring us silly about what things cost and what our parents make and how much goes for rent and how money ain’t divided up right in this country.” At first, Sylvia is t...
...ch as time, dates, and the exact relationships between the different characters are is not spelled out. This active involvement of the viewer is necessary for the work of art to stand on its own. This takes the challenge thrown out by modernists to reject easy conventions and make new ones, and pushes it further to the point where conventions become a joke. Those who understand the references get the joke, and this creates a new kind of meaning beyond the surface meaning of the narrative.