I've just started watching Castle, where Nathon Fillion's famous crime author helps the police with detectiveness. It's a delight to watch, despite the premise being so old it buys second-hand clothing with its pension. Though as I say that, I can't actually think of where I've seen it before, off the top of my head. Aside from Bones, which is similar-but-not-quite - Brennan was helping the police before she wrote the book, after all. I'm certain that I've seen the author-helps-police concept floating around, though. And I'd swear I've seen another character on film or TV pinning down the secrets pasts of those around him by the way they hold their coffee. Although the releasing "Castle"'s novel on Amazon's definitely a cute idea. I have noticed that the life of the author seems stupendously glamorous in hollywood. Perhaps not quite as fairy tale as their impressions of forensics experts, but there's a great deal of super-stardom and near-savantism regarding people's history and motives, not that much doubt or handwringing or procrastinating or query-agents. Except perhaps Secret Window, which has my all-time favourite rendition of an author.

I find it particularly interesting because these shows are, of course, written by writers. People who should know what really goes on. Admittedly writing for TV is very little like writing for a novel - especially if you're on a writing team, and not freelancing. But I find it fascinating that, where tv-shows-in-film seem to appear at least fairly similarly to real life, the act of writing them has been given a stylist, a makeup artist, a choreographer and five teams of assistants.

If it's not for lack of knowledge, then it must be because the writers think that this is what audiences want to see as authors. Not the strange, bookish nerds shut away in their rooms that flinch in daylight and don't have a middle gear between "hide" and "book-gasm". Nerds aren't allowed in hollywood except as comic relief. It's not enough, it seems, to write or link DNA with evidence, or hell, lecture in archeology. You have to have be at least 25% action hero, as well. Physical prowess and achievement still wins out over mental.

It taps into our primal emotions. I just think it's interesting that, given our current relationships with science, thinking and technology, we still feel more comfortable adulating the man who walks in with the elephant carcass than the man who thought sharpened stones might be a good idea.

• Add New
• Search
• RSS

Comments (0)

Write comment

Your Contact Details:

Name:

Email: do not notifynotify

Website:

Comment:

Title:

Message:

Security

Please input the anti-spam code that you can read in the image.

Powered by !JoomlaComment 4.0 beta2