Regarding my last post, there is the occasional exception to the rule. The bonus materials on the DVD "The Princess Bride", having been created in the days before people started deliberately filming bonus materials for DVDs, is rather fresh and charming.
But that's not why I bring it up. The first time I saw "The Princess Bride" I loved it so much I determined not to see it again for a long time, so greatly did I not want to get tired of it. I succeeded -- watching it again the other night, for maybe only the third/fourth time and many years after the first, it was as delightful as the first time. Part of the repeat charm, though, may have been due to our daughter's watching it with us and declaring that she "loved that movie!" (Smart girl!)
In his book "Perelandra", C.S. Lewis once had his main character, Ransom, about to have a second helping of something that had given him a great deal of pleasure the first time, when an inner prompting bade him stop. He realized he was no longer hungry, and therefore, as the character muses,"Perhaps the experience had been so complete that repetition would be a vulgarity--like asking to hear the same symphony twice in a day.
"As he stood pondering over this and wondering how often in his life on earth he had reiterated pleasures not through desire, but in the teeth of desire and in obedience to a spurious rationalism..."
In other words, a sort of gluttony, perhaps? How much have DVDs lessened viewing pleasure? When "Star Wars" first came out, some people went so nuts as to see it 17 times in the theatre. Naturally no one would do that today. How much more pleasure I used to receive from hearing that great new song on the radio again than being able to pick up a record and play it any old time. I won't even start on iPods and the like. Availability and repetition have all but obliterated the elusiveness of music; no longer does one have to wait in hope.
I'm not advocating selling entire DVD or CD collections (although that's quite an idea to ponder), but I do wonder how much all this repetition is spurring people on to more and more new things, seeking yet again that first thrill of discovery that today so quickly evaporates with its easy re-discovery, or by no longer needing to pursue that resonating kindred note you used to only chance upon.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Please, Sir....could I have some more?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
7 comments:
Interesting thoughts... I'll have to ponder more fully before a better comment. In short, though, I often find that I can listen to a song repeatedly without losing the enjoyment of it (at least a hundred times or so), while my daughter can't listen to a song more than probably ten times before it loses its attraction to her.
I guess my "short answer" is that it depends on the person... for instance, I've watched "A Christmas Story" every year (at least once) around Christmas time since it came out. And I never get bored of watching "Raising Arizona." Or "The Princess Bride." But, then again, I don't necessarily watch them too often.
Ok, movie's on (a new one we just rented from Blockbuster using my Blockbuster gift card we got from My Coke Rewards - see my posts for my frustrations on that).
What movie did you see?
I know, I'm just musing. There are lots of movies I watch over and over again, and some songs that grow more dear the more I hear them. That remark of Lewis' (okay, you can tell me--I've read that when there's an 's' on the end, it's proper to do "Lewis's" but I can't remember if that was in a grammar book or just something I heard so never know which to do) always sort of haunts me. Besides, I was doing tedious fixer-upper work and needed something to chew on during it.
I think "Lewis'" is correct (and "Lewis's" is acceptable, although not preferred) - I think you have it right.
Interesting... I know I enjoy listening to the radio more than listening to CD's because of that excitement of hearing a song I may not have heard for a long time, and also knowing that others are listening to the song at the same time as I am, so I'm sharing the experience even though I don't know who the people are who are listening to it.
I remember when a good movie was going to be on TV when we were young and we would make plans to stay home and watch it since we would not get a chance to watch it again later if we missed it. Then everyone would talk about it at school the next day. Things like The Wizard of Oz and Christmas specials, or even new movies that were shown on TV for the first time after being in the theaters. I remember in college there were a whole group of students who got together and put a TV in the lobby so they could watch "Roots" together when it first aired, since college students didn't have TV's in their rooms at that time.
So I think the joy is not only in keeping something fresh and new, but in sharing the experience with others.
Exactly! I could have guessed you might say something like that. :)
Or the joy of the unexpected, like finding a card that is so exactly want you want to say. You feel a connection with someone unknown because they had that same thought as you (even if you couldn't articulate it yourself).
"Help!" The 3:30 movie.
Or hearing a song you'd forgotten about but still like.
Ooh, I missed the "what movie" thing - it was either "The Simpsons Movie" or "Balls of Fury" (yeah, real inspirational stuff for the family...).
clstar88: "knowing that others are listening to the song at the same time as I am, so I'm sharing the experience" - cool, I never really thought about that before. At least I don't remember thinking about that before. And I do enjoy the radio, but it's often hit-or-miss, and too many commercials (even on our "non-profit, listener-supported" Christian radio station (where, it seems, they play as much in "commercials" as they do in music, even though they're technically not supposed to be playing commercials as a non-profit station, I think).
Unfortunately, the CD changer in my car doesn't like to play CDs. The tape player works, but I don't have much in tape format anymore.
About to watch Phantom of the Opera (or perhaps something else if the complaining younger boys get their way :).
"...I'm not advocating selling entire DVD or CD collections (although that's quite an idea to ponder)..."
With well over 200 in our theater cabinet, t'would be quite the financial gain.
Post a Comment