Foreshadowings in the media?
Terry McCombs
are distinct enough to be noticeable, but not distinct enough to be
called a full genre or even a sub genre, they usually show up in dribs
and drabs, something going for years with no examples of them turn up.
Then, like say the giant insect movies of the 50's they show up in
bunches and in more than one media that some say was brought about by
fear of the bomb.
Coincidence? Perhaps, probably in most cases.... and yet. If everything
mean something and on some level everything is connected then might it
tell us something about what is stirring in our collective unconscious
when such minor things pop up in droves.
Mind you, the media, particularly film is the only place where there are
people who's main goal in life is to be the first person to be the
second person to do something.
I'm not talking about people jumping on the bandwagon after something
has made a lot of money. I'm saying when these things just seem to come
about in droves with no noticeable stimulus.
Why would three films and at least as many novels show up with in months
of each dealing with big spiders?
Could be nothing, might be a symbol dashing across our group dreamscape
radar that tells us some of what is taking place below the surface. I
mean if there are no coincidences......
And if the images show up with no discernible major inspiration might
they be a modern myth being formed?
With that in mind I want to bring notice to a trend that I think
experienced an unusual serge starting around 2000.
There have been stories where people change their sex from time time of
the old myths; it's an interesting and/or amusing idea depending on how
you look at it. It has shown up over time every now and then, but not
really very often.
In 2000 it seems an up-swing in such stories appeared in a number of
media, A brief search I did uncovered...
Film:
1. Sorority Boys. The misshapen off spring of Animal House & Some Like
it Hot.... let to go luke warm.
2. Juwanna Mann.
3. Ice Angel. Think _Here Comes Mister Jordan, only with a prematurely
dead hockey player being returned to life in the body of a girl
figure skater in a coma.
4. Trancers VI. The old Full Moon series about a time travelling tough
guy returns with a twist.
http://us.imdb.com/Details?0295732
5. Mr. Headmistress. I said there were more of these things.... not
better.
6. The Hot Chic. In theaters even as I type.
Books:
1. The Jessica Project. An assassin disguise himself as a woman to sneak
into a women's prison where he finds true love (roll eyes here)
2. Moonsword by Diana Hignutt. Sword & Sorcery epic in which the valiant
prince finds that in order to save the world he has to let some Druids
turn him into a princess. (Those daffy Druids.)
3. The Sex Gates by Darrell Bain & Jeanine Berry. Thousands of
mysterious gates appear on the earth overnight, anyone who walks though
on finds they have all there ills cured and they are seemingly around 16
again, only catch is they also change your sex and some people just
disappear. Is it a precursor for an alien invasion? A message from
God? Human kind has to deal with them.
4. The Impressionist by Hari Kunzru. Which tells the story of a man, who
during the time of the change over in India from British rule to
nationhood, changes his identity time and again, to be sure a major
period of his life deals with his time disguised as a woman.
5. And then there are a whole sub group of such books aimed at
youngsters. Help, I'm Trapped in a Supermodels Body! Lunch Ladies
Body etc... Also _Is He a Girl which was part of a long running
series of adventures of a pre-teen boy. Different authors, different
artists
strangely similar.....
Help! I'm Trapped in My Sisters Body
http://www.sosu.edu/talentsearch/images/book1.jpg
Is He A Girl?
http://images-jp.amazon.com/images/P/0679819487.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
And one very popular stage musical has just opened in Japan called ether
Liar Girl or Rare Girl that tells the story of a 40 year old salaryman
who drinks a rejuvenation potion and turns into a 20 year old woman,
later he and the potion raises heck at the company where he works.
And I am sure there are many other examples in the above and other media
that I have missed.
I don't know, more than 11 in just 3 years or less seems to be more than
the average for this theme to me.
If popular culture is what stands in for myth these days then what do
these images mean?
Sure, most of these images, at least in the case of the films, are
played for sniggers.
But like an attorney who brings something up
knowing it will be objected to and the judge will instruct the jury not
to consider it, the thought is still there, and that's the point.
I wonder if there have been any noticeable trends along these lines in
peoples dreams?
What might, if anything, this mean?
Yin & Yang astir in our psyches?
The animas of men bucking up?
A harbinger of the blending of our psyches?
Something else?
What do you think?
Terry