Friday, May 14, 2010

Woody the Egoist Updated


Please look at this youtube clip. Specifically the time code @ 1:35! --- very interesting... i found this clip after i wrote this blog entry


It is undeniably evident that Woody Allen experiences his very existence through the dichotomy between his real life and those of his works. He embodies his actual self in almost every single character he plays. As a man who has gone through over 30 years of intense Freudian psychoanalysis one can only expect that the man himself is truly an egoist. It can be argued that a person who spends so much time trying to figure themselves out through therapy practices could essentially be obsessed with their own identity. Deconstructing this idea could only suggest that Allen is constantly talking or thinking about himself in both movies that he stars in and real life. It is always he, he, he and more he (and that’s not just because he is “he-he” funny). Some people use humor and an escape mechanism from living the reality of their everyday lives. However, humor is not the only avenue of escapism for individuals. Sometimes people seek relief from negative opportunities that come their way such as drugs, violence or sex. Not saying that sex is a negative avenue only that it can be looked upon in that light if you are using it as a form of extreme distraction. Most of the time Allen escapes through sex and humor throughout his films. We see these two ideas converge together to create many of his ever so famous storylines. For instance, in the 1977 motion picture Annie Hall Allen plays Alvy, an insecure Jewish comedian who completely mimics Allen’s personality. Alvy embodies all of Allen’s traits such as his personal peculiarity, occupation and even location where the movie takes place. Alvy has problems with relationships (sex/love). In fact, if I had not known better this movie could be very close to what Allen’s own documentary may look like by simply adding in a few twists and turns. In Annie Hall Alvy says, “I would never want to belong to any club that would have someone like me for a member.” It is honestly hard to distinguish the actor from the protagonist himself. After all Allen once said, “My one regret in life is that I am not someone else.” Both quotes sound very similar.

In order to completely understand the male egoist’s way of thinking one must not think outside of the box, but rather think inside of the box as this is what an egoist does naturally. Man may maximize the attempt to appeal his or her selfishness, but in actuality the motives are altruistically apparent by the goaded action. A person’s body language may make individuals unaware that he or she is egocentric, but when one gets deep underneath their external shell may see the “hidden motives” that lie burrowed in the ever-sinking hole of haughty superiority. Every person has a story even if they don’t seem they do. Some people say in life seeing is believing, but that is where an egoist can trick everyone. Nobody can ever physically see a person’s true soul, but we know it’s there. It’s the science of our genetic makeup that makes us have so many complexities and disorders, but it is also what brings us together making us individuals of originality, like Woody Allen himself. On the other hand all of those complexities can make us frightening human beings as well. Take the film American Psycho for instance. The main character Patrick Bateman is a serial killer who could make any person feel a tingle down their spine. Bateman and Allen are two different types of “into themselves personalities.” Allen is more of the warm-hearted funny egoist who is selfish but wouldn’t hurt a fly. He voluntarily motivates his personal dealings in order to desire the welfare that he craves. Then there is Bateman who is more of a narcissist than an egoist. Bateman does not only desire his own welfare, but he attains and achieves it no matter how unethical the task or atrocious its consequence it may be. Woody Allen is more of a pessimist whereas Bateman appears worry free. One of the main differences between an egoist and a narcissist is an egoist thinks highly of their own characteristics and wants to serve only the self and yet is still emotionally tied to the world in one way or another. A narcissist, like Bateman for example, is constantly in search for fulfillment and feels totally disconnected to the world around him. He acts as if he is end all be all in this world; almost as if he is an entity rather than a human. The following quote from the film explains exactly why I reached this conclusion: “There is an idea of Patrick Bateman; some kind of abstraction. But there is no real me: only an entity, something illusory. And though I can hide my cold gave, and you can shake my hand and feel the flesh gripping yours and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable… I simply am not there” (IMDB quotes).



People are known to act differently when they are not in the spotlight. For example, when individuals are being watched they are much more likely to behave then people who don’t have a vigilant eye on them. English philosopher and social theorist Jeremy Bentham designed a prison called a panopticon to cater to this very idea. Bentham believed that laws are panoptic and the specially designed jail would help to maintain order and power through citizens who control citizens. Bentham’s idea to create a controlled environment for prisoners goes beyond the walls of jail. It’s a fact of everyday life. People will always act differently when they know they are not under surveillance. It’s psychology! In Woody Allen’s 1972 film Play It Again Sam he plays Allan, a film critic who gets dumped by his wife and has a hard time building up his ego when it comes to women. Allan’s friends try to get him more comfortable in the dating world, but he still feels extremely insecure with the opposite sex. He cares how women will view him or what they will think when they see him. The idea of being watched makes Allan nervous which makes him act less confident then he usually would. So in order to fire up his game when he is home and nobody is watching he talks to his imaginary alter ego Humphrey Bogart. Allan tries to channel in his film idol’s charm in hopes it will build his confidence with the ladies. However, it seems no matter how hard he tries to be like Bogart he just ends up looking clumsy. Many believe that the Darwinian conception of the survival of the fittest provides the foundation of egoism. People try to fit into the norm and this is part of why we have egos in the first place; to be above all others or to constantly be the center of attention. Which brings up an interesting point about egoism. Just because one is an egoist doesn’t necessarily mean they are confident or have a “big ego” per say. An egoist like Allen, is extremely insecure, but is overly self reliant on what decisions will keep him safe or free from criticism. Which is ironic because Allen holds an occupation of a “critic” in most of his movies. It is almost as if he baths his ego in self-pity.



Woody Allen never seems satisfied with the path of life he chooses. Like Sigmund Freud writes in Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious “A favorite definition of joking has been the ability to find similarity between dissimilar things- that is, hidden similarities (pg.7). Allen is a master at this. He hides through his humor, yet people admire him for his genius. Just because Woody Allen is an egoist doesn’t mean he is a “bad” person. He is just human. We know him by his ego, hilarity, absurdity and his black-framed glasses. I remember talking to an ABC 7 Eyewitness News reporter about Allen and he told me the star didn’t like doing interviews in big markets like Los Angeles or Chicago because he didn’t want to be able to turn on the television and hear himself talk. Instead he would talk to smaller markets so he wouldn’t hear the interviews. To me, this makes him one of the most interesting egoists in America. A man who doesn’t like to hear himself talk, but is still self-obsessed. Allen could best be described as a piece of sushi. He is tightly wrapped, but inside he is a combination of raw talent and saucy individuality but, Mister Allen not like any other fish in the sea. Many online articles show how clearly dependent Allen was on Freudian psychoanalysis, but he may not be alone. There is speculation that there is a tie between the cinema and psychoanalysis. The term “psychoanalysis” was first seen in Freud’s “Heredity and the Neuroses” and once the cinematographers heard about this new found term they wanted to put it in their movies. The first film analysis to make use of the informational tools of Freud’s therories was “Les Cahiers du Cinema, no 223.” It has been said that some of the psychoanalysts portrayed by Woody Allen are usually the funniest characters in his films. Maybe he plays them so well, because of the egotistic relationship he has with himself. In fact, many of Hollywood’s classic films use Freudian concepts. For example , characters tend to have a neurosis of anxiety, an Oedipus complex, experience symptoms of depression or drama. Take “West Side Story” for instance. This classic movie has all the Freudian concepts mentioned. Many of the characters are anxious because of the hard lives they lead; trying to stay true to their “pack.” This is especially hard for Maria and Tony who were equally depressed because no matter how much they loved each other they couldn’t be together creating a world wind of wonder and sadness between them because they were not accepted. They were only accepted as an individual, but as a couple it was “culturally” wrong; it didn’t work with societies norms.



Allen most definitely does not fit society norms, is that why many of us look at him and think he is strange? Society is all about culture and when one does not fit the norm people feel they need to be treated by seeing a doctor to assess what is wrong with them. However, what is wrong, and what is right? You can’t have wrong without right anyhow because it’s binary. We as a nation decide on majority rules (or if you want to get really technical how the government wants us to behave) . Is Allen an egoist because he is overly confident in himself? Allen’s egoism is what makes him pure talent. If he doesn’t think like everyone else then in turn the works he produces will be of a different nature. People want to see uncanny behaviors because they themselves do not lash out irrationally. One of the main reasons why Allen is so loved and people look passed his weirdness is because is unconventional and thinks from a different perspective. He is novel, smart thinking and creative. Maybe he has such a big ego because he has to stick up for himself. If Allen doesn’t believe in himself who will? It is almost as if he is constantly campaigning himself to show the world his differences. He wants to be a quarter in a world full of nickels. Confidence is the key everything. People can manipulate other individuals to think something is accepted if they pretend nothing is wrong with the way that they are thinking. Sounds confusing, but that’s because it is. Nobody ever said that having an ego was easy. For example, one of his main quotes is "I've often said, the only thing standing between me and greatness is me."

Woody Allen is more than the man we see behind the glasses. Allen uses them to see yes, but also as a shield from the world; his protection from society. Rarely if ever is there a time you see him with out his glasses. It is his mask. He wears it to conceal his identity and yet still give forth his well-known egocentric personality. The only person who sees the “real” Allen is Woody himself. His ego is a lie because inside he is probably very insecure. An article in Psychology Today called “The Truth About Lying" states “a person will insist that he or she can be entirely truthful for three to four weeks. But no one ever succeeds… every day lies are really part of the fabric of social life.” Peter Doskoch, the doctor who wrote this, says he thinks individuals lie or give off fake egos they want to be accepted. Many psychologists say masks allow us to assume that we are different from other people. Woody Allen wears a mask and he wears it well. Allen without his glasses is like Superman without a cape; a plain and simple Clark Kent.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Why Do We Adore?





These are only a few comments left on the youtube site in relation to this video. There is a purpose of this I promise...

jerryhello100 He's so funny all around: his jokes, his face, his voice, just everything about him is funny. I love Woody Allen.

18allmychilds its a joke stupid woody allen is actually a well-known philantropist 12

COELHODEMORAESVIDEOS THE MASTER!

BethanyCharlene I ADORE him, I swear I am him, in female form. I watch his movies all the time, now my bf is even a fan lol
aznbeggerap anyone know where i could find the montage that he introduced?

MoFoPower Simply genius, makes you feel stupid really so smart he is!

JustFapped Great man. A real living legend.

Put his private life aside and appreciate his original work and pure talent

6pearlpitt well i hope he wins one more Oscar in the coming years..absolutely awesome personality n annie hall is a true gem - one of a kind.

5Sargassx I <3 Woody 6

773SleepyHollow This is the best thing Woody has done this century.

2thatgrrlvp "thank you very much-that makes up for the strip search...."

4 TrevorKingKwong so damn clever and funny, that woody. very natural, too. 7 3 months ago

-----------
When I first saw this youtube video on Woody taking home the oscar I was stunned by all of the people in the audience. Look at how they each give him a standing ovation, claps, and big smiles... all in one big room with a stage. It is so interesting to me how much we tend to idolize people without even realizing that we do so. To think that ONE MAN could stir up this much emotion in people. Which makes me pose the question... What is it that an individual has to capture adoring fans? What is a fan? Is it a person who is obsessed with the works of another? Why are they obsessed with these works? It is just so interesting to me how we look up to individuals so much that we put them in a different category. For example: When a crazed fan sees the person they are "fanning" why do they cry? What is so amazing about the person? Is it really their work or is it the pure fascination one has with someone different... someone society puts on a pedestal?


But it's not even people we just admire or put on a pedestal:
Even inanimate are deemed special and unique.


People come from all over to see the Statue of Liberty, but why? Yes, it has a history is that why we admire it... or do some people just want to go because we have been told this monument is what makes America beautiful... I am not sure, but what ever it is I still want to see it. HA!

Weird and Creepy: The Panopticon

i was thinking about the Panopticon once again... for some reason i just can't get this out of my mind. I saw this video on youtube and it sort of freaked me out... maybe it was the music... or maybe because it's the truth. I could write my own summary about what I saw, but i think you should see it for yourself. It really makes you think...


Friday, April 9, 2010

Woody the Egoist

It is undeniably evident that Woody Allen experiences his very existence through the dichotomy between his real life and those of his works. He embodies his actual self in almost every single character he plays. As a man who has gone through over 30 years of intense Freudian psychoanalysis one can only expect that the man himself is truly an egoist. It can be argued that a person who spends so much time trying to figure themselves out through therapy practices could essentially be obsessed with their own identity. Deconstructing this idea could only suggest that Allen is constantly talking or thinking about himself in both movies that he stars in and real life. It is always he, he, he and more he (and that’s not just because he is “he-he” funny). Some people use humor and an escape mechanism from living the reality of their everyday lives. However, humor is not the only avenue of escapism for individuals. Sometimes people seek relief from negative opportunities that come their way such as drugs, violence or sex. Not saying that sex is a negative avenue only that it can be looked upon in that light if you are using it as a form of extreme distraction. Most of the time Allen escapes through sex and humor throughout his films. We see these two ideas converge together to create many of his ever so famous storylines. For instance, in the 1977 motion picture Annie Hall Allen plays Alvy, an insecure Jewish comedian who completely mimics Allen’s personality. Alvy embodies all of Allen’s traits such as his personal peculiarity, occupation and even location where the movie takes place. Alvy has problems with relationships (sex/love). In fact, if I had not known better this movie could be very close to what Allen’s own documentary may look like by simply adding in a few twists and turns. In Annie Hall Alvy says, “I would never want to belong to any club that would have someone like me for a member.” It is honestly hard to distinguish the actor from the protagonist himself. After all Allen once said, “My one regret in life is that I am not someone else.” Both quotes sound very similar.
In order to completely understand the male egoist’s way of thinking one must not think outside of the box, but rather think inside of the box as this is what an egoist does naturally. Man may maximize the attempt to appeal his or her selfishness, but in actuality the motives are altruistically apparent by the goaded action. A person’s body language may make individuals unaware that he or she is egocentric, but when one gets deep underneath their external shell may see the “hidden motives” that lie burrowed in the ever-sinking hole of haughty superiority. Never in this world until now did I think Allen was this complex until reading more about his life and studying his works. Then again in a way I am just getting to know him. Every person has a story even if they don’t seem they do. Some people say in life seeing is believing, but that is where an egoist can trick everyone. Nobody can ever physically see a person’s true soul, but we know it’s there. It’s the science of our genetic makeup that makes us have so many complexities and disorders, but it is also what brings us together making us individuals of originality, like Woody Allen himself. On the other hand all of those complexities can make us frightening human beings as well. Take the film American Psycho for instance. The main character Patrick Bateman is a serial killer who could make any person feel a tingle down their spine. Bateman and Allen are two different types of “into themselves personalities.” Allen is more of the warm-hearted funny egoist who is selfish but wouldn’t hurt a fly. He voluntarily motivates his personal dealings in order to desire the welfare that he craves. Then there is Bateman who is more of a narcissist than an egoist. Bateman does not only desire his own welfare, but he attains and achieves it no matter how unethical the task or atrocious its consequence it may be. Woody Allen is more of a pessimist whereas Bateman appears worry free. One of the main differences between an egoist and a narcissist is an egoist thinks highly of their own characteristics and wants to serve only the self and yet is still emotionally tied to the world in one way or another. A narcissist, like Bateman for example, is constantly in search for fulfillment and feels totally disconnected to the world around him. He acts as if he is end all be all in this world; almost as if he is an entity rather than a human. The following quote from the film explains exactly why I reached this conclusion: “There is an idea of Patrick Bateman; some kind of abstraction. But there is no real me: only an entity, something illusory. And though I can hide my cold gave, and you can shake my hand and feel the flesh gripping yours and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable… I simply am not there” (IMDB quotes).
People are known to act differently when they are not in the spotlight. For example, when individuals are being watched they are much more likely to behave then people who don’t have a vigilant eye on them. English philosopher and social theorist Jeremy Bentham designed a prison called a panopticon to cater to this very idea. Bentham believed that laws are panoptic and the specially designed jail would help to maintain order and power through citizens who control citizens. Bentham’s idea to create a controlled environment for prisoners goes beyond the walls of jail. It’s a fact of everyday life. People will always act differently when they know they are not under surveillance. It’s psychology! In Woody Allen’s 1972 film Play It Again Sam he plays Allan, a film critic who gets dumped by his wife and has a hard time building up his ego when it comes to women. Allan’s friends try to get him more comfortable in the dating world, but he still feels extremely insecure with the opposite sex. He cares how women will view him or what they will think when they see him. The idea of being watched makes Allan nervous which makes him act less confident then he usually would. So in order to fire up his game when he is home and nobody is watching he talks to his imaginary alter ego Humphrey Bogart. Allan tries to channel in his film idol’s charm in hopes it will build his confidence with the ladies. However, it seems no matter how hard he tries to be like Bogart he just ends up looking clumsy. Many believe that the Darwinian conception of the survival of the fittest provides the foundation of egoism. People try to fit into the norm and this is part of why we have egos in the first place; to be above all others or to constantly be the center of attention. Which brings up an interesting point about egoism. Just because one is an egoist doesn’t necessarily mean they are confident or have a “big ego” per say. An egoist like Allen, is extremely insecure, but is overly self reliant on what decisions will keep him safe or free from criticism. Which is ironic because Allen holds an occupation of a “critic” in most of his movies. It is almost as if he baths his ego in self-pity.
Woody Allen never seems satisfied with the path of life he chooses. Like Sigmund Freud writes in Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious “A favorite definition of joking has been the ability to find similarity between dissimilar things- that is, hidden similarities (pg.7). Allen is a master at this. He hides through his humor, yet people admire him for his genius. Just because Woody Allen is an egoist doesn’t mean he is a “bad” person. He is just human. We know him by his ego, hilarity, absurdity and his black-framed glasses. I remember talking to an ABC 7 Eyewitness News reporter about Allen and he told me the star didn’t like doing interviews in big markets like Los Angeles or Chicago because he didn’t want to be able to turn on the television and hear himself talk. Instead he would talk to smaller markets so he wouldn’t hear the interviews. To me, this makes him one of the most interesting egoists in America. A man who doesn’t like to hear himself talk, but is still self-obsessed. Allen could best be described as a piece of sushi. He is tightly wrapped, but inside he is a combination of raw talent and saucy individuality. Mr. Allen not like any other fish in the sea.

WORKS CITED
American Psycho. Dir. Mary Harron. Perf. Christian Bale. Lion Gate Films, 2000. DVD.

"American Psycho." The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Web. 09 Apr. 2010. .

Annie Hall. Dir. Woody Allen. Perf. Woody Allen and Diane Keaton. United Artists Corporation, 1977. DVD.

Freud, Sigmund. Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious. New York: Norton, 1960. Print.

"PANOPTICON." CARTOME. Web. 09 Apr. 2010.

Play It Again, Sam. Dir. Herbert Ross. Perf. Woody Allen. 1972. DVD.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Woody (Rough Draft and Still In Progress)

Woody
(Caution! Title Still in Progress/ Rough Draft!!)


It is undeniably evident that Woody Allen experiences his very existence through the dichotomy between his real life and his those of his works. He embodies his actual self in almost every single character he plays. As a man who has gone through over 30 years of intense Freudian psychoanalysis one can only except that the man himself is truly an egoist. It can be argued that a person who spends so much time trying to figure themselves out through therapy practices could essentially be obsessed with their own identity. Think about it, Allen is constantly talking or thinking about himself in both movies that he stars in and real life whether it be to a doctor, to a loved one or through the scripts he writes. It is always he, he, he and more he (and that’s not just because “he-he” funny).

In order to completely understand the male egoist’s way of thinking one must not think outside of the box, but rather think inside of the box as this is what an egoist does naturally. Man may maximize the attempt to appeal his or her selfishness, but in actuality the motives are altruistically apparent by the goaded action. A person’s body language may make individuals unaware that he or she is egocentric, but when one gets deep underneath their external shell may see the “hidden motives” that lie burrowed in the ever-sinking hole of haughty superiority. Never in this world until now did I think Allen was this complex until reading more about his life and studying his works. Then again in a way I am just getting to know him. Every person has a story even if they don’t seem they do. Some people say in life seeing is believing, but that is where an egoist can trick everyone. Nobody can ever physically see a person’s true soul, but we know it’s there. It’s the science of our genetic makeup that makes us have so many complexities and disorders, but it is also what brings us together making us individuals of originality, like the great Woody Allen himself. On the other hand all of those complexities can make us frightening human beings as well. Take the film American Psycho for instance. The main character Patrick Bateman is a serial killer who could make any person feel a tingle down their spine. Bateman and Allen are two different types of “into themselves personalities.” Allen is more of the warm-hearted funny egoist who is selfish but doesn’t hurt a fly (physically that is). Then there is Bateman who is more of a narcissist than an egoist. One of the main differences between an egoist and a narcissist is an egoist thinks highly of their own characteristics and wants to serve only the self and yet is still emotionally tied to the world in one way or another. A narcissist, like Bateman for example, is constantly in search for fulfillment and feels totally disconnected to the world around him. He acts as if he is the be all end all in this world; almost as if he is an entity rather than a human. This quote from the film explains exactly why I was lead to this conclusion: “There is an idea of Patrick Bateman; some kind of abstraction. But there is no real me: only an entity, something illusory. And though I can hide my cold gave, and you can shake my hand and feel the flesh gripping yours and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable… I simple am not there” (IMDB quotes).

...Not quite 5 pages yet, to be continued... work in progress...will be completed after first peer assessment.
Still Hard at work on laptop :)

Thursday, March 11, 2010

This Side of Paradise by Fitzgerald

The other day in my class we looked at quotes pertaining to This Side of Paradise to be able to grasp a better understanding of the book's characters.
The quote that was given for us to analyze was on pg. 74:

"'Oh, but your missing the point, Tom.' Amory interrupted. ' You've just had your eyes open to the snobbishness of the world in a rather abrupt manner. Princeton invariably gives the thoughtful man and social sense.' (...) 'Yes,' he agreed, you're right. I wouldn't have liked it. Still it's hard to be made a cynic at twenty.' 'I was born one,' Amory murmured. 'I'm a cynical idealist.' He paused and wondered if that meant anything."

First my group thought it would be wise to define the word cynic, as this is what Amory is calling himself.
Cynic: someone who is critical of the motives of others.

As we can tell by the quote Tom looks at life in a more positive light. Amory thinks that Tom has been blinded by this outlook and wants him to be more of a cynic. Amory feels that Princeton has warped Tom and this is what has validated his positivity because he expects life will always be good for the comfortable or the wealthy. However, no matter how rich or well off a person is there will always be problems... in turn making life more like a soap opera: (i.e. the people who have everything really have nothing.) Through Amory the reader witnesses that wealth and education is fleeting and in the end everyone dies regardless of status. There is a bit of an existentialist point of view towards the characters in Fitzgerald’s book: that life is life and actions speak louder than words.

Jeremy Benthan's Panopticon

Jeremy Bentham, a designer of a jail in which each cell is visible through a guard tower (a panopticon). It is set it up this way
because people who know they are being watched are more likely to behave. Laws are panoptic and this helps to maintain order and power through citizens who control other citizens.

Michel Foucault uses Bentham's design in her studies. Foucault says it is what keeps us in order. Example: A parent spanks a child, an observer sees it and says something. Now the parent is more cautious of his or her actions because they have realized someone has been observing them. They are less likely to do spank their child in public again
because of the fear of being caught again in the act.

Here is two examples of Bentham's panopticon:





Side Note: A VISUAL OF FOUCAULT'S THEORIES
:
This is what people act like when they are NOT being observed:



This is what they look like when they FIND OUT they are being observed:



And now how they act when they are FULLY AWARE they are being observed at all times:


EITHER THAT OR THEY JUST "PULLING A WOODY ALLEN"
Definition of "PULLING A WOODY ALLEN"
Looking smart, but ACTING stupid. -no pun intended :)

HAHA.

The Two Different Types of Murders

The other day I was asked to compare Crime and Punishment's Raskolnikov to the character Patrick Bateman from the film American Psycho. These two men are different type of killers. Who knew there could be different types of killers eh?? Just like there are two kinds of nice I suppose.

American Psycho's Patrick Bateman is a very cold and complicated murderer. He has a superiority complex and is constantly obsessed with himself as if he is superhuman or not of this world. I think he thinks he a God (if he believed in religion, however I am guessing he doesn't because he thinks he is above all else). He is a narcissistic murder and he feels no remorse for any of the people that he kills. Whereas Raskolnikov would feel some sort of guilt or fear of getting caught. Raskolnikov is more of an egotistical murder. He thinks highly of himself and everyone else is inferior. His egoist role in the world is to serve himself no matter what the price is for the others around him. Both characters feel they are above the law and will commit any crimes necessary to make sure that their happiness is fulfilled. It is as if they believe the blistering fire of death in their hands will control the world counteracting anything or anyone who comes too close.

Relating Woody Allen to Crime and Punishment

At first I think it was hard for me to find a comparison between the main character in Crime and Punishment, Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, with Woody Allen. For one Woody is no cold blooded killer. In fact, I don’t picture him even hurting a fly. Dostoevsky presents a modern day man who has beliefs that rely on science rather than religon. He responds to ideologies of a utopian society. However, Raskolnikov and Woody are both a bit strange so that works in their favor when trying to find similar comparisons. They both have a tendancy when they speak to get lost rambling in and out of their own inner monologue. They are also both socially awkward. Mind you I am not calling Woody Allen himself socially awkard (even though that may be the case) just that the roles that he usually plays are. An inside source from a local news station told me he doesn’t like to speak to the media in big profile states like California and New York, but instead will talk to smaller markets because he doesn’t like to see his interviews on television. Anyways back to the point and be it short and sweet both people have a lack of faith in the fellow man and puts oneself before the other.


on a side note: Woody Allen does have a simialrity to the title of the novel. He has comitted a crime that should be punishable... however and I think we all know what I am referring 2... his EX...STEP DAUGHTER!! I yie yie.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Group Presentation: Portnoy's Complaint

The other day my English class and I had a group discussion about the novel that we had just finished reading: Portnoy’s Complaint. Each student in the class is assigned a group and will discuss (in front of the class) their close analysis of the novel and how it compares to Woody Allen movies and/or other works. Ever since the beginning of the semester I wanted to make sure that I was in the group that would talk about Portnoy’s Complaint because I knew it was a controversial book from the get go. Let me tell you, it’s a page turner! You seriously don’t know what the author is going to write next. I don’t know if I would call this tasteful literature, but is still interesting none of the less. Makes me question who Phillip Roth really is… do a lot of people think the way he does or is he weird for thinking and writing the things he does or is he just honest? Something to contemplate anyways.

Alright, back to the presentation. I think over all my group did really well!! We all planned everything we wanted to do then put it into an outline so that our presentation would run smoothly. We communicated a lot by email. There was really only one person in our group that did not participate at all or take part in any of the work, even asked to see my paper as to what I was presenting; but no idea stealing here! You don’t do the work you don’t get the slice of cake. But no crying over spilled milk, us girls stuck together!!  For my part of the presentation I decided to show clips from the movie Running With Scissors and how it related to the novel. First off I wanted to show the class the trailer of the movie so they could see the conflict between the mother, son and father relationship. In the trailer we see that the father does not understand his son and that they have nothing in common (it’s almost as if there is the same Oedipus Complex as there is in Portnoy’s Complaint. In Running with Scissors the mother gives up the son, he is still looking for the comfort of a woman and then searches for that in the doctor’s younger daughter. This is exactly like the main character was doing in Portnoy’s when he says in the first paragraph in the book “She was deeply imbedded in my consciousness that for the first year of school I seemed to have believed that each of my teachers was my mother in disguise.” (In other words, the mother abandons her son while he goes to school so he searches for another mother like substitution to replace her while she is not there.

Here's the tralier:


There is another youtube clip that I wanted to share from Running With Scissors and that was the masturbation scene. I think that this film would have made perfect Woody Allen film. It would not surprise me one bit if his name was in the credits (even though it’s not.) However, it looks like a movie that he would write and if he were younger he would have starred in it. It might have actually been even funnier if he starred in it. The doctor’s masturbation is a release for him, a way that he releases tension. That is the same reason why Alex of Portnoy does it too. Alex’s father on the other hand has problems with his bowels and is always blocked signifying the emotional disturbances in his life instead of “letting go.” This all sounds gross I know, but I was asked to analyze this stuff.

Here is the masturbation clip:


Overall, I was so happy to be in this group and the fact that we went first was even better. We could show the class how it’s done. Haha I’m just kidding. It’s nice to be in a group with hard working people. We were all team players. It was great!

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Running with Scissors:A Non-Woody Allen Film

“You can live to be a hundred if you give up all the things that make you want to be a hundred” –Woody Allen

When trying to distinguish drama and sexual comedies there is only one Jewish man who does it the best, Woody Allen. Allen incorporates humorous matters with topics such as literature, sex, religion, psychology and other popular subjects in order to create notable pieces of work for his viewer’s pleasure. He is an icon of popular culture because of his works in films, directing, acting and writing. However prevalent Allen’s film philosophies are there are more people in Hollywood that take after his witty and sharp skills. Of those talents is Ryan Murphy who directed and adapted the screenplay to the movie Running with Scissors (2006) based off the memoir written by Augustan Burroughs himself. This film produces almost every element that Woody Allen would use in his works because of its funny yet dramatic nature.
Many of the jokes in a Woody Allen film are a bit off the wall and obscene, just like in Running with Scissors. To grasp a better understanding as to why their jokes are told the way they are Sigmund Freud writes in Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious, “With all obscene jokes we are subject to glaring errors of judgment about the goodness of jokes so far as it depends on formal determinants; the technique of such jokes is often quite wretched, but they have an immense success in provoking laughter (121).” It is natural for individuals to use jokes as an escape mechanism. Jokes are a way Augustan Burroughs is able to get through life because he feels sexually repressed, like Allen acts in most of his films. Freud also states “a desire to see one’s organs peculiar to each sex exposed is one of the original components of our libido. It may itself be a substitute for something earlier and go back to a hypothetical primary desire to touch the sexual parts (pg.116).” When there are feelings of sexual repression it drives one to act depressed, do crazy things out of the norm or use humor as a way of coping. Augustan’s comedic personality is in fact different than Allen’s because it is darker and more sinister, but nonetheless many still very similar.
Running with Scissors also relates to Philip Roth’s novel Portnoy’s Complaint. In the beginning of Roth’s novel he defines Portnoy’s Complaint as “a disorder in which in which strongly felt ethical and altruistic impulses are perpetually warring with extreme sexual longings, often of a perverse nature (introduction).” The sexual intricacies in the life of Augustan relate to Alex (main character in Roth’s novel) because they look at things in an egocentric light. They both are so self-centered in the fact that they use sexual acts in order to get through the pain in their lives caused by familial situations or controversies. They tend to be selfish at times and only to do things that are sexually self-satisfying to make it through each day.
It would take a 10-page paper to discuss the many ways sexual identities control the lives of all those mentioned. It would not surprise me if Woody Allen was indeed the director of this film. Which makes me wonder if Ryan Murphy tried to channel in Allen’s expertise and use it as his own. Guess you could say great minds think a like… or perverted ones you choose.

Augustan Burroughs


He even looks like a young Woody Allen from the glasses to the side smirk on his face!!!


Friday, February 5, 2010

Portnoy's Complaint by Philp Roth

Some thoughts I have about Portnoy’s Complaint by Philip Roth

Even after reading the first few chapters to myself in Roth’s book, I immediately thought of Woody Allen. Roth’s crude sense of humor, yet ingenious storyline really intertwined with the comedic figure. I can only imagine what would happen if the two of these witty writers wrote a story together. Great minds may think alike, but so do vulgar ones (i.e. Roth and Allen).
Some may call Roth’s book “pornish” high literature. However, it is still in good taste and studied intently because of how it is presented. Really it is an example of people being honest and showing their vulnerable complexities. Many authors even put themselves in the story. So maybe Roth is really divulging the truth of who he is.

Woody Allen’s movie Play It Again Sam is a film that could be tied to Roth’s book as well. The movie is based on a play that was written by Woody Allen himself. Woody constructed a character that was clearly insecure. So much so that it seemed like he had some sort of a communication disorder when in fact he was just nervous around attractive women. In Portnoy’s Complaint we see Alex (the main character) as a boy suffering from the Oedipus complex and who has a mother that is domineering in most every aspect of his life. I believe that is the reason why Alex has so many problems with women later in life. This leads me to think maybe this is why Woody character in Play It Again Sam, Allan, might have so many problems with woman and is so socially awkward around them. Allan has to escape through his alter ego Bogart (from the movie Casablanca) in order to feel like he is really to find his future mate.

It is so interesting to me how a book and a film that are not at all related have so much in common but really that is the beauty of deconstructing literature and film.

Play it Again Sam:


Here is a short interview with Philp Roth from TheDailyBeast.com's Web Series. Roth tells reporter Tina Brown that the novel "was a big marker...I don't have any regrets about writing or publishing it."

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Woody Being Woody

This blog is dedicated to the works of Woody Allen. I will analyze and deconstruct his films through literary research and videos that give people a better understanding of who Allen actually is. In a nutshell, the best word to describe him is funny. Here's a clip: A stand up comedy about a moose:

After all according to his imdb (the internet movie database) he did break into the business at the age 15 selling jokes for the local newspaper. On average he wrote over 2,000 jokes a day. To say the least, Woody Allen is an extremely talented man. He is best known for his acting, directing and writing skills. After all he did write and direct one of my favorite movies of all time: Vicky Cristina Barcelona, which starred an amazing cast.


Let us not forget that controversy also stikes this man, weather it be for lawsuits or even having sexual relations with his wife at the time Mia Farrow’s adopted daughter etc. For example, here is an article USA TODAY posted about how American Apparel slammed Allen’s sex life in 2009. http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2009-04-15-woody-allen-lawsuit_N.htm

However, whether it be fact or fiction public figures like Woody Allen will always face criticism from the media.This blog will not focus on the negative factors of Woody’s personal life, but him as an successful artist in the movie industry.