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 Post subject: SF Chronicle article: 'Buffy' versus 'Alias'
PostPosted: Mon Mar 25, 2002 12:46 pm 
Complimentary about Buffy, not so nice about Alias. Original article here.
quote:
Oh, for the '90s, when women played electric guitar, Ridley Scott's "Thelma and Louise" flew high at the box office and Lara Croft shook her booty without losing her cool. With "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and Xena kickboxing their way into monumental cult status, even television was busting with feminine moxie.

Fast-forward to century 21, when women have vanished from the rock scene, Scott has returned to his blood-and-guts epics, Xena died and retired (in that order), Croft had a disappointing film debut and Buffy ... well, Buffy is still Buffy, thank God. But she's a lone gun, and, to contradict Tina Turner, right now we do need another hero. Preferably a female one.

Enter this year's model, college student-turned-secret agent Sydney Bristow, played by Jennifer Garner in ABC's spy show, "Alias." At first glance, Syd looked promising: a lethal vixen with Day-Glo hair lifted from "Run Lola Run" and "Matrix"-style moves flexed to urban electro beats.

Then came the first episode. And the second. Then more and more episodes, each making it clearer than the last that Syd is in fact more kitten than vixen. Where Buffy and Xena casually rewrote the book on girl power through pithy dialogue, creative angst and ambisexual escapades, Sydney merely dons this week's fetish gear to grump and hiss her way through a series of hackneyed scripts (all the way, alas, to an inexplicable Golden Globe award for Garner).

The plot, such as it is: In "Alias"' preamble, we are told Sydney thinks she's "working for the good guys" (um, that would be the CIA) when she decides to garnish her studies with a little espionage extra credit. Too late, she discovers that she is in fact employed by SD-6, a renegade agency bent on sowing international mischief. Having trained Syd to be a lethal weapon in spandex, SD-6 then rudely turns around and assassinates her fiancé.

Sydney is vexed. "They made me think I was giving my life to God and country, but it was all a lie!" she fumes before turning double agent for the real CIA, which of course never lies about anything, and devoting herself to the downfall of SD-6.

So it begins. Bad techno now supplies the weekly soundtrack as Sydney, dressed like a grim transvestite hooker, battles Evil through a combination of high kicks, long wigs and improbably skimpy ensembles.

While I smirk at the sight of Syd performing martial arts in a latex dress, other women are embracing her as an icon of feminist chic. "We love her wigs, her clothes, her accessories, her walk," says writer J.G. on the Elite TV Web site. "She's competent, feminine and independent."

OK, I must interject. Independent? Sydney's life is run by a posse of male handlers that includes her estranged father. As for competence ... well, it's safe to assume that if loose-lipped Syd hadn't told her fiancé about her espionage hobby, SD-6 wouldn't have felt the need to kill him.

Face it: Syd is hopeless. She whines too much, and she lacks style: Trying to fuse Buffy's attitude with Emma Peel's cool, she achieves only petulant frigidity. Her deadpan voice is flatter than an ice floe; her face, a tabla rasa frozen in what Karen (a.k.a. Manimal) from the review site Television Without Pity calls "a Baywatch look of concentration -- you know, look like you're thinking, but don't deflate your Botox injection."

Of course, "Alias"' inanity isn't all Sydney's fault. Selling the idea of a spy who wears a black leather ensemble to go undercover in a corporate office requires wit and a campy sensibility. "Alias"' writers have neither. While Buffy subjects notions of Good, Evil and heroism to nuance and spot-on parody, "Alias" guilelessly offers villains with names like Mr. Strange and government-funded good guys mouthing lines like, "They've turned Patel into a human bomb, which is not good." Even if Syd lost the Botox and latex, the dialogue would trip her every time.

What makes "Alias" and Sydney's failings extra-special disappointing -- though someday "Alias" might achieve "Showgirls"-like cult status, whereupon it will be extra-special funny -- is that, in an era of Britney and Bush, we need all the smart heroines we can get. As J.G. notes on the Elite TV site, women "want to see women with integrity kicking ass." You betcha. If only we could only get Buffy to kick Sydney's.


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I don't watch pornography. I just write it. - Joss
Tara: Nice baffroom.
Anya: (noddin') Like the bleedin' tile.
- 'The Yoko Factor' in Cockney
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 Post subject: SF Chronicle article: 'Buffy' versus 'Alias'
PostPosted: Mon Mar 25, 2002 1:01 pm 
Oh pfft.
(Not to you Tyche, thanks for posting)

Alias is not brilliant television exactly, but I think its harmless fun. The writer here is so blatant in her axe grinding, it sucks the value out of her commentary and reduces it to a generalized rant. Why pretend it's because of disappointment with Alias's action-feminism cred when she's clearly attacking pretty much every other element as well?

There are some really interesting critical things to be said about the portrayal of "butt kicking" women in the media right now, Buffy, Syd on Alias, Max on Dark Angel, Sarah on Witchblade, etc. but this writer just went for lazy flaming.

-len

[This message has been edited by Hugin (edited March 25, 2002).]



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 Post subject: SF Chronicle article: 'Buffy' versus 'Alias'
PostPosted: Mon Mar 25, 2002 1:10 pm 
Agreed, Len. I actually really like Alias and while Sydney sometimes makes me grind my teeth in frustration (blame the writing at times), the show is fun, harmless and at times shows some promise of wit.

Witchblade has disappointed me for a plethora of reasons but there are some eps that really give Sara Pezzini something to cut her chops on (ummmm....maybe I'll rephrase that at some point).

But overall, I think it's kind of unfair to compare Alias to Buffy....BTVS came into it's own and has taken its hard knocks like a trooper to become a quality show....Alias needs that similar chance IMHO.

T.

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"Sometimes, we just can't make it on our own. We all need someone to love us, to help remind us that there's good in the world, to keep us from going crazy."

Willow from Dacia's The Dreamer Awakes



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 Post subject: SF Chronicle article: 'Buffy' versus 'Alias'
PostPosted: Mon Mar 25, 2002 1:30 pm 
I agree kieli. I don't watch Alias (well actually I've watched it twice) so I can't really comment on that, but Buffy's had six years to become the program it is. I think there's a common feeling that people want success immediately from these programs, or nothing. It's impatience of the highest order.

Speaking of which though, I did see Dark Angel the other week and god, it was crap. I was watching it with my face screwed up all the way through. Jessica Alba and acting...dear lord. Poor girl. Or perhaps I'm just used to quality tv.

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You know I've been through hell...Joss can't you see, there'll be nothing left of me. You made me believe...



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 Post subject: SF Chronicle article: 'Buffy' versus 'Alias'
PostPosted: Mon Mar 25, 2002 1:34 pm 
I've really taken to Alias. I like Jennifer Garner and the show. Ok to be fair some of the dialog isn't the greatest, but I think its an entertaining show. And either way it shows a hot girl kicking ass, and thats always good. I really liked the comments made about Buffy though. Good Buffy comments are always welcome.

------------------
"But with Tara, I just know she likes Willow, and she already has one of those" – "Family"

"Honey, in case you didn’t hear me the first six-thousand times, no more teleportation spells." – "Crush"

Willow: "I figured, life goes by so fast, if you don’t write stuff down it just gets…lost."
Tara: "Down to every last bagel"
Willow: "Down to every last everything I do with you" – "Forever"



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 Post subject: SF Chronicle article: 'Buffy' versus 'Alias'
PostPosted: Mon Mar 25, 2002 1:58 pm 
quote:
Originally posted by tommo:
Speaking of which though, I did see Dark Angel the other week and god, it was crap. I was watching it with my face screwed up all the way through. Jessica Alba and acting...dear lord. Poor girl. Or perhaps I'm just used to quality tv.

LMAO....it was rather painful, wasn't it? IT actually started out rather well and somehow, with the inclusion of all these new characters that they don't have a damned clue as to what to do with (personally, I think Oriiginal Cindy is underused..but eh, oh well.) Jessica Alba is a pretty face trying to play Xena and unfortunately is not quite up for the job. Thank god we still have Buffy or I'd be completely out of my head.

------------------
"Sometimes, we just can't make it on our own. We all need someone to love us, to help remind us that there's good in the world, to keep us from going crazy."

Willow from Dacia's The Dreamer Awakes

[This message has been edited by Kieli (edited March 25, 2002).]quote:



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 Post subject: SF Chronicle article: 'Buffy' versus 'Alias'
PostPosted: Mon Mar 25, 2002 3:43 pm 
quote:
Originally posted by shellybean:
I've really taken to Alias. I like Jennifer Garner and the show. Ok to be fair some of the dialog isn't the greatest, but I think its an entertaining show. And either way it shows a hot girl kicking ass, and thats always good. I really liked the comments made about Buffy though. Good Buffy comments are always welcome.



I agree totally...Alias may not have the best dialog, but who hasn't dreamed of having that kind of a job...or being able to do that stuff!!! Or maybe its just me...

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A dream is a wish the heart makes.

Willow: "You had two eggs, sunny-side-up. I remember because they were wiggling at me like little boobs."
Tara: Sassy Eggs.
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 Post subject: SF Chronicle article: 'Buffy' versus 'Alias'
PostPosted: Mon Mar 25, 2002 4:24 pm 
I know its ot, but does anyone like 24? Were only on the 4th ep in the uk but its just soo good.


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 Post subject: SF Chronicle article: 'Buffy' versus 'Alias'
PostPosted: Mon Mar 25, 2002 8:46 pm 
My wife loves Alias, I personally prefer The X-Files. I liked the first episode of Alias but then it seemed to get mundane and repetitive. My wife says I have poor taste, yet I pursued her-go figure.

------------------
Sugarloaf
"Due to the recent presidential elections, the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off."



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 Post subject: SF Chronicle article: 'Buffy' versus 'Alias'
PostPosted: Mon Mar 25, 2002 9:09 pm 
quote:
Originally posted by Hugin:

There are some really interesting critical things to be said about the portrayal of "butt kicking" women in the media right now, Buffy, Syd on Alias, Max on Dark Angel, Sarah on Witchblade, etc. but this writer just went for lazy flaming.

-len



There better be, I'm writing a 27 page essay about modern butt kicking women in the media. Hopefully all my flaming will be unlazy Actually, i really do want to make sure nothing i write comes across as flaming, i want to be critical but not in a snark, cheap shot sort of way.
quote:


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 Post subject: SF Chronicle article: 'Buffy' versus 'Alias'
PostPosted: Tue Mar 26, 2002 7:36 am 
I agree that the author is a little too harsh with Alias as a show; I haven't noticed the dialogue being all that bad, and as far as basic action entertainment goes, it's really one of the best out there (I dont consider BTVS to be an action show as much as a drama these days). I think the cast is very good as well, with Jennifer Garner being not so undeserving of Golden Globe attention.

But I do agree with the article's sentiment of the 1990's promise of better female role models being deflated somewhat in the new conservative climate. Syd is definately no replacement for Xena as far as feminist heroism goes. She is much too unsure of herself, and lacks the kind of defiant independence seen in both Xena and Buffy. Hopefully her character will progess through future episodes and eventually gain confidence and power beyond simply excellent martial arts skills.



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 Post subject: SF Chronicle article: 'Buffy' versus 'Alias'
PostPosted: Tue Mar 26, 2002 7:59 am 
Alias started over this side of the Lantic a few weeks ago. Its not the worst show. I think its like the Bond films. A bit of fluff, with some cool toys.

And I think that guy Marshall should join the lame gunmen!

------------------
"I could paint you in the dark cause I've studied you with hunger as a work of art"
Collecting You - Indigo Girls



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 Post subject: SF Chronicle article: 'Buffy' versus 'Alias'
PostPosted: Tue Mar 26, 2002 4:55 pm 
While there is a little bit of truth to the author's criticisms of Alias, she(?) is being way too harsh and somewhat unfair to the show. Compared to other shows in general Alias is pretty darn good. Compared to an all-around awesome show like Buffy, it's not really at that level. But what else is? It isn't really fair to dump on a show just because Buffy is better.

What bothers me a little about Alias is that after a rather real-world premise (as opposed to the supernatural premise of Buffy or Witchblade or Xena) they have taken a distinct turn into the paranormal (though it's not clear in the end whether the explanation will turn out to be more ordinary or left unexplained). Fortunately the paranormal elements are limited to the mysterious Rambaldi(sp?) from the past who had some impossible knowledge of the future (early on there is mention that his creations reference part numbers for computer chips that could not possibly have been predicted centuries ago; other things were just revealed recently but I don't want to spoil those overseas who are just starting the season), so the basic realism of the modern world is maintained (unlike X-Files).

But other than some personal disappointment that they seem to have turned to psychic prophesy by a mysterious past figure (which others might not find at all off-putting; it just bugs me to see it in a basically non-fantasy show), I like how they appear to have woven several together separate threads you would think have nothing to do with each other but are all tied into the arc-driving mystery about Rambaldi and his creations. I think I'm more impressed with how this mystery has unfolded than with the unfolding on Witchblade (which was also interesting and a good show; I'm looking forward to season 2 of Witchblade which I think starts in June). That (and Jennifer Garner ) is enough for me to forgive the disbelief-inducing elements of the mystery and continue enjoying the show.

shellybean, I'm not sure I'd agree that the vague pro-Buffy statements made by the author of that article who was so harsh and somewhat unfair to Alias are going to improve anyone's impression of Buffy. An article focusing more postively on what is right with Buffy rather than what is wrong with some other show would have been a lot more welcome.


I almost missed 24 because they put it on Tuesday night up against a ton of other shows I already watch. I managed to catch the rebroadcasts they ran on Fridays and when they stopped those I've kept up with the rebroadcasts on FX, though sometimes it's been hard because they sometimes move around the day or time they have it. So far I haven't missed one, though there have been a couple occasions that I thought I did (but there hadn't been a new episode). It's over half-way through in the US, and it's been quite good. I'm disappointed that when they get into the PM half they are using a 12-hour clock (without even AM/PM) instead of a 24-hour clock (they probably did 12:00:00 rather than 00:00:00 for the first hour, too, but I forget). The show is called 24, after all, they should use unique time labels for each hour!

It's very cool how they put together compelling episodes for each hour of the 24-hour overall plot. I don't know if they plan to have a second season, and if they do I don't know if they could have the same cast (good guys anyway) and write a whole new one-day plot or if they'd have to write a completely unrelated plot with all new characters (almost like a different series, but with the same 24-hour gimmick produced by the same folks who know how to do it well).

And while I'm on an off-topic tangent about show gimmicks, I'm reminded again of that backwards Seinfeld episode (one of few that I watched after I got sick of the characters' stupidity) and the movie Memento (which I finally got to see just recently). I'd like to see a TV series seriously try to tackle that gimick, but only if they could do a good job consistently of course. Perhaps a private investigator with Memento's memory problem, though it isn't obvious how to invert a mystery investigation and create a compelling plot time and again without getting repetitive. That Seinfeld episode showed that a sitcom can work that way, but doing so time and again while continuing to work well week after week could be difficult to pull off.

And to bring it back remotely on-topic again, I would bet that Joss would be capable of puling off a reverse episode (scenes shown in reverse order) on Buffy (or maybe Angel). The question is whether one could find a premise for an episode that would justify the gimmick and still be true to the show and not just be a gimmick or stunt. But if anyone could do it, Joss probably could!



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 Post subject: SF Chronicle article: 'Buffy' versus 'Alias'
PostPosted: Tue Mar 26, 2002 7:02 pm 
I can't think of any show that compares all that well to Buffy. A better comparison might be between Alias and Dark Angel; they're both often entertaining though neither rises above the level of flawed mediocrity one expects from TV.

24, OTOH, can be really gripping. Like Buffy, it's kind of different from anything else on. What sets them apart the most is the writing. I don't know if 24 has even been picked up for another season but it shows a lot of promise.



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