Interpret Current World Events As If They Were Westerns (or other narrative genres)

on the thread linked, there wz argt abt whether law follows morality or morality follows law

well, i think at our unconscious levels morality is (somewhat) shaped — or shd that be revealed — by what we consider a satisfactory outcome in a story (which is i shd stress a good deal more subtle than Man In White Hat Wins, Baddies Defeated Hurrah!!) (eg a satisfactory non-obvious outcome may actually be "clear room left for sequel so we get to see more of revenant baddie who we secretly prefer to wooden white-hat")

morality IS our "sense of an ending", and books and films and TV which are narrative-based are (among other things) on-going arguments abt what constitutes a "happy" ending

What would Holmes do with the Kelly case? (Problem with Holmes is that the cops were thick but reliable - are there any Holmes stories about "corruption"?)

Problem with fictional detectives is that it all about motive. In reality, motive comes way down the line - since police know that
a) Anything can be a motive
b) Commiting a crime in itself can be a motive
c) Motiveless crimes also exist.

Forensics do not care for motive.

Hmm, I need much thought on this grand theory Mark - I'm not sure it takes into account escapism or the fact that we are aware thatthe fictional world does not operate like the real world hence and pleasure at watching morality playing itself out are themselves couched in this unreality. Whilst I'd agree fiction has a role in helping provide our moral framework, observation of real life - immersion in actual situations inform it a lot more.

Holmes several times break the law to conform to a "higher morality", absed on the fact that his explication of the truth to the reader wd not survive if thrown into the "real world" of Victorian public discussion and legal process. (Watson operates as the Spokesman of the Jury of the Readership: he says eg "I can't believe you just turned me into a common burglar Holmes BUT YOU WERE RIGHT!!")

Escapism = reaching towards the realm of what should be, so as to convict what is.

Grand Theory = as usual the "Buffy Theory of Everything" btw except I am right THIS SECOND in the miggle of finishing the first draft of my mini-essay on Tolkien's "On Fairy-Stories", so am channeling Tolk a bit more directly and unquestioningly than usual possibly.

Hardly current... BUT:

20th Century Fox presents... a Robin Carmody production:

MAJOR: THE MOVIE - an all action blockbuster!

Starring:

BRAD PITT as John
JENNIFER LOPEZ as Norma
TINA TURNER as the ghost of Empress Thatcher
ALAN RICKMAN as the Bastard Portillo
JACK NICHOLSON as the Evil Senator Blair
MARK WALHBERG as Bill 'Dirk Diggler' Clinton
and of course, LEONARDO DiCAPRIO as John's hapless sidekick 'Norm' LaMonte.

As the opening scene begins with the funeral pyre of the late Empress Thatcher being blasted off into space, the new Emporer Major already faces a stiff military challenge to his leadership from the Evil Senator Blair.

When Blair (Nicholson) crashes through the door of the palace of Number 10, cackling "heeeeeeere's Tony!", can the valiant Major rouse his battered and treacherous forces to victory?

Director Carmody, fresh from the triple-Oscar-winning 'Scargill: The Musical' lends his typical directorial hand, so expect plenty of car chases, spectacular explosions and endless references to the Conservative Party in 1912, the post-war decline of the Liberals, the electoral constituency of Chipping Sodbury and many other priceless nuggets of political knowledge.

"Outstanding! I loved every minute of it!" - Paul Ross, News of the World.

(Apologies for derailment, will answer properly shortly!)

Actually, the closest fictional parallel is obviously the soap opera rather than any book or genre of film, in that there is an endless amount of ambiguity, certainty, secrets that could emerge at any time, double-crossing, rivalry, espionage and, crucially it is the only type of fiction in which there is no narrative end in sight.

I think Kenneth Clarke would run the local pub.

I think Kenneth Clarke should run the local pub, but is constantly being usurped by johnny come lately rubbish barmen (or even worse IDS as Wlimot-Brown).

Of course if we use a soap opera model then there is no grand resolution (explain the pop of soap operas?) End of fiction as death.

(If this is the same old Buffy Theory of everythign I think seasons 6 and 7 have undermined it. My Xander theory of Buffy I fear no longer holds).

it is the new buffy theory of everything (ie it includes everying inc.new things)

I look forward to hearing more.
(Especially if you join the staff for Do You See).