Dynastical Journal Entry

[commonpeople1]

DYNASTY
Originally uploaded by PEPE CARDOSO

I went for a drink with etre_moral on Monday in a lovely pub near Hampstead Heath and he turned to me to ask: "So how are you? I know plenty about your cultural life, but how are things with you?" And that was a good question: I know I haven't been sharing much here or when I see people in real life; I know I've been feeling like nothing is going on, that life is just pottering on as wink_martindale visits his family in Canada and I live for Fridays.

So what's going on? Well, I'm currently watching Dynasty[1] on YouTube (from a channel pointed at by fj many moons ago that has every single episode uploaded to it) and downloading episodes of the brasilian soap Passione. I've been reading four books at the same time. I've been playing the Wii for the first time after my landlady lent me hers while she goes on holiday for two weeks. I've been listening to podcasts on my bus rides to work. I've been going to the gym on my way back.

I'm still on that temp job - feeling grateful for the money but at the same time getting slightly tired with the admin and thinking it's time to get my ass in gear with the job search. Two weeks ago, I went for work drinks and ended up staying late with my line manager. She offered me 4 days a week, perm, so I can use my 5th day to take a horticulture certificate at Regent's Park. I spoke to Wink today on Skype and he thinks it's a good idea but... I don't know if I can handle the mind-numbing admin for a whole year - no matter what my long term goals are for afterwards.

On Saturdays, I'm still going to that community garden. It just gets better and better. Last week I brought home potatoes, onions, spinach and green beans. It's been good for quite a few meals. And as I get to know the other gardners better, the conversations get more interesting, the jokes better and the plans for the future more exciting. It's a special place and I'm so glad I found it. I must remind myself of this feeling every Saturday morning when I feel lazy and just want to laze around with the Guardian and my Spotify playlists.

[1] petercampbell recently wrote a great post on kitsch and its definition - a far better explanation than the one I carried with me from Milan Kundera. It coincided with millionreasons pointing at a Milan Kundera quote on kitsch with an image from Dynasty that got me thinking... was Dynasty kitsch? The first season certainly is (I'm on the first episode and it's so laughable I want to smoke a joint) but I get the feeling that the appearance of Joan Collins in the second season tilted it towards camp (and therefore, as by Peter Campbell's definitions, instantly removing the kitsch from the series.) I guess there's only way for me to find out if that's the case: FIGHT!

Comments

[moral-vacuum.livejournal.com]

Dynasty is marvellous. The olnly soap I've ever had any time for. The campest thing EVAH.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Did you watch all the episodes from beginning to end? There are 220 (or so) of them... I'm tempted!

[moral-vacuum.livejournal.com]

Not the first time round. But when it was repeated about 14 years ago (5 nights a week on UK Gold), yes I watched the lot. However it only becomes good once Alexis turns up.

I also watched The Colbys.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

And what was The Colbys like? I remember watching a scene in the 80s while visiting my grandma where someone's car was out of control because someone had clipped the brakes.

[(Anonymous)]

The Colbys was an even more ludicrous and camp version of Dynasty. It had characters called Bliss and Sable. Jeff and Fallon move to LA, where we meet his extended family who include Charlton Heston, Charlton Heston's Toupee, Barbara Stanwyck, and of course STEPHANIE BEACHAM! See what I mean about camp? It also included Ricardo Montalban as a sinister greek shipping magnate and a deeply awful Maxwell Caulfield.

I remember absolutely nothing about any of the storylines, though. Well apart from the alien abduction, of course.

[moral-vacuum.livejournal.com]

I think I accidentally did an anonymous comment here that got filtered.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Unscreened! It's good to know I'll have something to watch once I'm done with my mega Dynasty marathon. ;-)

[odetothepillow.livejournal.com]

Dynasty has the best theme song ever. It's all that trumpet.

Apparently the show was big in Iceland last year.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Was that before or after the Icelandic economy crashed?

Dynasty is one of those shows that should be rebooted. We are, after all, back in conservative times.

[odetothepillow.livejournal.com]

I think after. That does explain it.

Yay!

[etre-moral.livejournal.com]

Wow, I am famous, Ollie blogged about me :)

Re: Yay!

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Fame is for those mentioned in your blog and read about all over Russia. ;-)

[millionreasons.livejournal.com]

OMG I've got to check out that Dynasty youtube thing. One of my earliest TV memories is Krystal and Alexis's catfight. Is Passione the same programme as Passions (i.e. Timmy's down the well again)? Pse inform us of your decision camp v kitsch.

Is your temp place going to pay for the horticultural course or is that off yr own bat? I can send you details of the (unpaid) apprentice scheme at my work if you want - but it won't be until next year (March, usually)

I am reading 6 books at present ;-). Only one fiction book; I must be getting old.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Yes, you must check out the Dynasty youtube channel. Now that Lost is gone, what is going to fill that hole in your heart?

Passione is a new soap in Brasil. All soaps there run for 200 episodes, screened six times a week (they last about 8 months). This one revolves around a rich family who have a factory that makes bikes (?!) and the matriarch has discovered that her first child (from another man) was not dead but had actually been given away by her husband to a pair of italian couple who took him to Italy and raised him there (she finds this out on her husband's death bed.) The dead husband leaves tons of money to the lost son out of guilt but a pair of con artists (one of whom is the nurse of the brasilian family's grandparents) fly to Italy before the matriarch to fool him into signing a document giving them control of the money. There's also a subplot about the eldest son's wife having an affair with her italian nephew without realising he's family... and I"m only on episode 30! :-)

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

I did see that apprentice scheme info on your website but I got the impression it was quite tough to get in? (competitive?) I'd love to do something like that, so please let me know more details if I have a chance.

[millionreasons.livejournal.com]

Well, there's an application process and an interview. Most of the apprentices were already volunteers, but it's not a requirement. I think the main thing is the willingness to grow food for a living. Anyway, if you're not a millionaire by next March, I'll send you an application pack.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Awesome, thank you!

[petercampbell.livejournal.com]

Didn't Dynasty have that infamous opening of the gay son, coupled with the cork popping off a foaming bottle of champagne? I used to love watching that series when it was first shown, though it's really only the cat fight scene that sticks in my mind today. Was it that series or one of its imitators that had one of the characters abducted by a UFO?

[moral-vacuum.livejournal.com]

Dynasty had extremely Freudian credits. All the men were set against phallic symbols - big cars, gushing champagne bottles or oil wells, skyscrapers etc. All the women (except Alexis) were set against doorways.

Fallon was kidnapped by aliens (an alien, actually, with a huge package IIRC) in the final episode of The Colbys. When she reappeared in Dynasty no-one said a WORD, except about 6 months later when Sammy Jo smirked "at least I don't get taken away by space ships".

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Were the writers the same ones as Twin Peaks' second season?

vuitton bags

[(Anonymous)]

It is good idea.

louis vuitton shoulder bag

[(Anonymous)]

I apologise, but you could not paint little bit more in detail.