Muse: TV Review: Good Gods Almighty!
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I was very sad to miss this last night, but 9.30 is my bedtime on a school night, and I was recording something else. So I will deffo set the recorder for 10.30 on Sunday.
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I enjoyed it. It's bordering on spoof, but it's clearly going to be a social drama/commentary rather than fantasy escapism. It reminded me a fair bit of Kung Faux, but with more legs. Take the idea of the Norse gods, and work with how they might play out as New Zealanders. Can we end up caring about these people? I think so, I already recognize all of them.
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Craig Ranapia, in reply to
It's bordering on spoof, but it's clearly going to be a social drama/commentary rather than fantasy escapism.
Does it have to be an either/or deal, though? I always liked Neil Gaiman's take on the idea of godhood in The Sandman and his novel American Gods: We take our gods with us - they change, wax and wane as we do. And what happens to a God when nobody believes in him any more?
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You're channelling Terry Pratchett in 'Small Gods', shurely, Craig?
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PS - Why this fixation in the present-day West for Norse gods, anyway? Why not Celtic gods ,Manaan , Brigda et al. Or Hindu pantheon - Hindu epics have already shown the way there - Egyptian ones - the illustrators could go to town on the heads! - Or even Vudun gods (Greek and Roman ones may be a bit too racy for young eyes?)
But no, every time gods pop up in fiction, its always blonde beasts to make Aryan/Western loins quiver...
Rant over. -
Martin Lindberg, in reply to
Why this fixation in the present-day West for Norse gods, anyway? Why not Celtic gods ,Manaan , Brigda et al. Or Hindu pantheon – Hindu epics have already shown the way there – Egyptian ones – the illustrators could go to town on the heads! – Or even Vudun gods
Apparently they can market themselves better. I'm not even sure who's handling the Celtic account.
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The celtic gods need to work on their names and pronunciations of same without the need for half a bucket of phlegm if they want to make any headway.
Lugh, Morrigan, Goibniu, Crom Cruach, Manannan, Cernunnos, Cerridwen.
They just trip off the tongue, don't they?
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Islander, in reply to
Nah, Craig R is right on the button - Gaiman's American Gods (and to a lesser extent, Ananzi Boys) has a large horde of transported deities including Egyptian, and African, and a truly terrifying Eastern European trio...
Hmm, must go reread those titles...
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recordari, in reply to
And what happens to a God when nobody believes in him any more?
He becomes Governor of California.
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Craig Ranapia, in reply to
PS – Why this fixation in the present-day West for Norse gods, anyway?
I hope James will drop by and speak for himself, but like most writers his own background (he's a real life Norsewood God) is the foundation of his work. But, of course, there are plenty of creatives whose mythopoetic kitty isn't quite so Euorcentric. Nalo Hopkinson's science fiction is wonderful, and her Jamacian heritage puts a deliciously Afro-Futurist spin on some very tired tropes.
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F. Beazley, in reply to
Sorry I have a Terry Pratchett fetish so couldn’t stop myself from commenting.
Pratchett explored many of the ideas in American Gods years before Gaiman’s book was published. His thirteenth book Small Gods especially covers that territory but the themes exist right back through the canon.
Strange that Gaiman’s book before American Gods was a collaboration with Pratchett called Good Omens.
Jokes. Not accusing him off ripping anything off. I love Gaiman.
The fact that they were working together in the first place suggests they think alike.
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Craig Ranapia, in reply to
The fact that they were working together in the first place suggests they think alike.
Certainly not - you could argue, and others have, that they both come out of a very English tradition of taking your heroes seriously enough not to take them seriously at all.
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Islander, in reply to
I love Pratchett & Gaiman both -& yes, they both worked on"The Nice & Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch" before Gaiman's American Gods came out.
Who knows which author created the new Four Horsemen? -
BenWilson, in reply to
Does it have to be an either/or deal, though?
No, but it leans away from escapism, I think. Will have to see more episodes to judge.
And what happens to a God when nobody believes in him any more?
A civilized god concedes. The Christian one sends a massive flood to kill everyone.
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recordari, in reply to
A civilized god
Omnipotent, omniscient, benevolent and civilized? Surely you jest?
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BenWilson, in reply to
I do...I was just reading about Ragnarök and realized it ends with a big flood too. Doh!
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recordari, in reply to
Always with the flood! Gods these days just don't hold water.
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In the 'acknowledgments' to American Gods Gaimon says this:
"Terry Pratchett helped unlock a knotty plot point for me on the train to Gothenburg."
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A civilized god concedes. The Christian one sends a massive flood to kill everyone.
Except the ducks
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Not accusing him off ripping anything off. I love Gaiman.
Personally I think his glorious ripping-off is a key part of Gaiman's awesome.
And I'll chip in that the old gods in Tom Robbins' Jitterbug Perfume have similar problems.
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Russell Brown, in reply to
I do…I was just reading about Ragnarök and realized it ends with a big flood too. Doh!
Because I'm like that, when I saw "Ragnarok", I thought of the New Zealand acid-rock band from the 70s. Who are actually on MySpace.
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Paul Williams, in reply to
Because I'm like that, when I saw "Ragnarok", I thought of the New Zealand acid-rock band from the 70s. Who are actually on MySpace.
Whereas I thought of Max Payne
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“Raga Caviar Queen Dream”.
Apart from the hallucinogenic name, At 16 minutes 53 seconds, I can see why they might be considered god-like.
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Craig Ranapia, in reply to
Bet Gin Wigmore’s pleased nobody saw that coming…
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Martin Lindberg, in reply to
Because I'm like that, when I saw "Ragnarok", I thought of the New Zealand acid-rock band from the 70s. Who are actually on MySpace.
LOL. You mean you didn't think of Swedish progg rock band Ragnarök from the early seventies (still going I notice)?
Or the Norwegian black metal band Ragnarok?
You're so local.
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