Date: Fri, 31 May 2002 16:50:18 -0400
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>
From: Candy Madigan <candymadigan at mindspring.com>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: MASH (Was: Grit and Punk)
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

With the cancellation of Dark Angel, I have given up TV.

At 11:13 AM 05/21/2002 -0400, you wrote:
>"Strong, Lee" wrote:
> >
> >         Ted White provided histories of "grit" and "punk" in response to my
> > question What realities do "grit" and "punk" reveal.  He asked if I would
> > consider "M*A*S*H" noir?  Answer:  Based on my extremely limited viewing of
> > the program, and Ted's definition of "noir", No.
>
>Hmm.  My understanding was that "noir" was a visual description, as
>opposed to a matter of plot or theme.  I think of "Casablanca" as the
>prototype "noir" film -- black & white, lots of dark (as in low-light)
>scenes, with large masses of undiffereintiatd single shades. [1]
>
>MASH (the movie) was a very dark (not noir) comedy.  One of the best
>ever, IMHO.  The TV show was Yet Another Sitcom.  I can't watch sitcoms
>-- I haven't watched them in so long that I no longer understand the
>conventions.  To me, sitcoms are kabuki -- it's obvious that the actors
>are doing something purposeful with a great deal of skill.  It's not at
>all apparent what it's supposed to mean.
>
> >         My father ran a real MASH unit in the real Korean War, and he said
> > that both Korea and MASH were a hell of a lot more fun on TV than in real
> > life.  If the TV show "M*A*S*H" was supposed to be realistic, it failed.
>
>The movie tries to be more realistic, but often, it's not really clear
>what's supposed to be going on.  I'd be interested in hearing your
>father's opinion of the book, which *was* intended to be realistic as
>well as funny.
>
>[1] May Ted Turner be nibbled to death by parakeets if he follows
>through on his plan to colorize it.
>
>--
>Steve Smith                                           sgs at aginc.net
>Agincourt Computing                            http://www.aginc.net
>"Truth is stranger than fiction because fiction has to make sense."

Candy