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viewsDesensitized by Dexter
By terryallen, Sunday, March 21, 2010, 11 commentsI went to see a movie today with my daughter and her boyfriend. That's an awesome thing in itself, because we all love each other and have fun doing things together, but that's not the point of my blog today. The point is that Daughter and I were delighted by "Repo Men," with its over-the-top premise and loving, lingering shots of spurting blood and human organ removal. (Let us not forget the loving, lingering shots of Jude Law's face, but that's also not the point of this blog.) Daughter's Boyfriend was a little less sure of his reaction, because of the surprise ending which I will not spoil for you. His view is certainly valid, especially for those of us who remember "Vanilla Sky." Personally, I don't mind a twisty ending, as I was raised on O. Henry stories, but I did experience a nagging feeling I couldn't quite articulate after the show was over. Several hours later, after much reflection, I think I've got it. While I was trying to decide whether or not to go, Daughter warned me that the film was likely to be extremely violent and gory. I waffled about it for an hour or so--lots of gore vs. Jude Law, and so forth. Then I came out with a justification for seeing it: I've been watching "Dexter" with no problems, no ethical quibbles, no bad dreams. What's the diff? No difference at all, as it turns out. I barely flinched during some truly appalling scenes of butchery and intrusive medical procedures. One time, I even laughed. Have I learned to keep fiction in perspective? Is my dispassionate viewing of mutilation my very own personality quirk, to have and to hold? Should I have been allowed, in my childhood, to watch the "Alfred Hitchcock Hour"? Is it okay to go along for the ride in the afteroon and simply let it go by evening? I don't have a firm sense of yes or no here, but somewhere, deep in the heart of me, I blame Dexter.
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11 Comments
dexter gore
i'm a casual fan of dexter, though i've never acclimated to the gore on that show...i suspect that repo men will be one to watch through fingers-over-eyes...like i do with medical shows on tv.
fingers over eyes
so good to see you here, alien one.
i'm finding tv and movie gore to be less and less troublesome all the time. this makes me wonder whether i'm totally jaded or at last able to take a joke. i don't spend a lot of time fretting over the issue, but it is a puzzler.
thank you for not even mentioning the jude law thing. i know he doesn't move you in the slightest, while i continue to find his perfect facial symmetry a pleasant thing to behold. my favorite dexter character: his incredibly tall and thin sister. she doesn't remind me of anyone i know in real life, and that's nice.
can't wait to hear your response to "repo men."
~~I am hooked on "Dexter." In
~~I am hooked on "Dexter." In fact, I feel a bit weird admitting this...but I'd probably go out with him if he asked me!! lol
Did you see the part with Jimmy Smits? Now that's a real Killer!
I watched all 3 seasons this month and I'm HOOKED on Dex. I can't help myself! ~~K.
haven't seen Jimmy Smits yet
I'm only partway into the second season, so I have that to look forward to.
Dexter appeals to me too, on a certain level--but that I've-got-a-secret thing tends to make men emotionally inaccessible. Don't ask me how I know!
jude
yeah, jude law. yep, i get it.
dexter i avoid, because sister told me that i'd regret it if i watch. even thinking about "spurting blood" or god-forbid, "human organ removal" makes me feel like i'm going to pass out, so i suppose she was right.
i forbid you to watch dexter
your sister and i marvel over our ability to watch creepiness and gore, and i feel positive this is not a trait you're going to develop any time soon. just say no!
Addicted to Dexter
Hi Terry. It's Jennifer here. Shelly directed me to this post after she found out about my latest obsession - Dexter. Thanks to the "watch instantly" feature on Netflix, I have watched Dexter and accomplished little else during my spare time for the last week. My house is even filthier than usual, but I am almost finished with season one! I too wonder how I became so desensitized to the gore. It disturbs me slightly, but not enough to stop watching! Like krrobi, I think that Dexter is smokin' and I too have a bit of a crush on him. If that makes me a sicko, so be it! But unlike you, my LEAST favorite part of the show is the sister. I find her vaguely annoying and think her acting kinda sucks. I heard that she is Dexter's wife in real life. I think that she is miscast. Oh well, just my two cents for now. We'll have to discuss the show more some time....
it's his eyebrows, right?
I noticed you were loving "Weeds" a while back too--that was my gateway into non-stop Netflix viewing, along with Indy. When we started watching "Dexter," any time it started to get spooky, she'd remind me that we lived through lots and lots of sex scenes in "Weeds," so how bad could it be? She's got her priorities straight.
I also heard that Deb is Dexter's real life wife, and that gave me comfort, because I thought there was way too much chemistry between them. I predict you'll like her more, as you get further into it.
i think the world is divided
i think the world is divided into people who go nutty for jude and those who just dont get it
im of the just dont get
im of the just dont get variety
for the record
the first time i saw him in a film ("midnight in the garden of good and evil"), i thought he was unappealing. i changed my mind later, around the time of "talented mr. ripley," but i can't say why. one of those things i'll never understand myself, probably rooted in a pre-memory experience.
personally, i think the world is divided into two camps: coffee or tea. not really--i mean cry or not cry.
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