What Happens When WWF Invade “Pleasantville”

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What Happens When WWF Invade “Pleasantville”

June 30, 2008 by Cally Tyrol

This trailer for “Pleasantville” made me think of Lady Lydia. Now, I hate the message of “Pleasantville” so please don’t take this post as an endorsement of the movie. Try to take this in the spirit in which it is intended- to make you laugh.

Posted in IMHO | 16 Comments

16 Responses

on June 30, 2008 at 11:56 pm Katherine Gunn

THANK YOU! I needed a laugh. The final line in the trailer… “Well, we’re safe for now. Thank goodness we’re in a bowling alley.” LOL! The church I grew up in – when we signed membership cards, we had to agree that we would not go into bowling alleys (among other things).
on July 1, 2008 at 3:32 am Cindy K

You know, if they hadn’t used sex as a device to wake the static people in Pleasantville up to a dynamic life in a real world, this movie would be great to use to describe the patriocentric experience. Even without the color device, the cinematography is fantastic (so glad I chose to take an easy English course during a heavy science semester during my junior year). They even throw in the controversial Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” (with a measures of five beats which was the biggest scandal in music since the three-beat waltz — Perverse!). It certainly communicates the point well that life gets very messy when you take off your tinted lenses. This is an entirely different experience from being innocent of evil and having knowledge of that which is good. Life in black-and-white only may keep you shielded from evil, but it doesn’t make you innocent of it by any stretch. The discipline required in real life in full “living”color is far more demanding than looking through the sunglasses of the Prairie Muffin, (complete with piety blinders on the side).
on July 1, 2008 at 3:41 am Cally Tyrol

I totally agree Cindy. The idea behind the “colored” people is that they had all embraced whatever it was that made them different then their stereotype. For Jennifer, it was bookworm instead of teen rebel. For the mom, it was, actually enjoying sex. For David, it was defending his mom by popping the guys trying to assault her. For the dad, it was admitting that he actually passionately loved his wife.

You are totally right about the use of sex as a device in this film. Cut that out and you have a really interesting message.
on July 1, 2008 at 6:07 am Light

I’ll admit it – I’ve always loved this movie. I agree with Cindy, it would’ve been nice if they used something other than sex as the “wake up device,” but I’ve just considered it a metaphor. It breaks my heart to see people who consign themselves to a dreary black and white world when there is so much out there for them in living technicolor.
on July 1, 2008 at 7:38 am normalmiddle

I think it is quite the perfect allegory, really I do. And, I don’t even have that big of an issue with the sex thing. After all, patrio’s use sex as the way to jump the bridge from Daddy’s Little Helper to Hubby’s Sex Kitten, right?
on July 1, 2008 at 8:35 am Joy

“But what are we going to do Bob?”
*laughs*

It’s been forever since I’ve seen this, but oh definitely, can I see the connections. James and I were talking last night about the whole patriocentric “living in a dreary black and white world” when Jesus came to give us life and life more abundantly…

And I think that Normal has got a point…the whole Daddy’s Little Helpmeet is emotional incest, even if it’s not physical…it’s still wrong. And it does mess up these girls s*x lives for years, even within the comparative safety of a marriage.
on July 1, 2008 at 9:05 am Cindy K

Sex is a God-given need that God built into adults. Plain and simple. It is a tempest to be disciplined and controlled, and it’s naive to believe or act otherwise. The film certainly captures that concept, but rightly so.

Not to say that we should all be making trees spontaneously combust or anything.
on July 1, 2008 at 9:44 am One who has been burned

Thank you soooooooooooooooo much for that snippet! I really needed it today! I’ve never heard of this movie. Can it be rented? Or is it on at the movie theaters? (I haven’t seen any advertisements for it).

CindyK wrote: “Life in black-and-white only may keep you shielded from evil, but it doesn’t make you innocent of it by any stretch. The discipline required in real life in full “living”color is far more demanding than looking through the sunglasses of the Prairie Muffin, (complete with piety blinders on the side).”

Well put and ditto!

normalmiddle wrote: “fter all, patrio’s use sex as the way to jump the bridge from Daddy’s Little Helper to Hubby’s Sex Kitten, right?”

LOL! excellent point!
on July 1, 2008 at 9:58 am Cally Tyrol

Burned- you can rent it today Its a few years old.
on July 1, 2008 at 10:51 am Anne

The sex thing didn’t bother me so much either. I believe whole-heartedly that our society has some very unhealthy ideas about sex. But there are unhealthy ideas at both ends of the spectrum. The rebel girl getting “pinned” in the car is as sad to me as the wife not allowing herself to enjoy being with her husband.

I loved this movie.
on July 1, 2008 at 11:09 am One who has been burned

thank you Cally … I’m gunna see if we can rent this movie this weekend …
on July 1, 2008 at 11:20 am Cally Tyrol

Okay, now I kinda want to rent it. Anne, come up this weekend and we can watch it!!
on July 1, 2008 at 12:44 pm JohannaS

I’ve actually never seen this movie. But, seeing the preview again and looking at it through this light, I think I’m off to put in on my Netflix list! lol
on July 1, 2008 at 1:15 pm justjuls

Golly jeepers – the world doesn’t seem so safe in color does it? It’s also safe, predictable, and contrived. I’ll take color – thanks.

This was a great illustration!
on November 7, 2008 at 9:12 pm Jennifer

“Daddy’s Little Helper to Hubby’s Sex Kitten, right?”

*sputters laughing* Lindsay, I love you! Where have you been, btw?
on March 4, 2009 at 9:43 am What others have to say about Lady Lydia! « Lady Lydia’s Blog

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