Spiderman 2, mostly religion and business
Aug. 17th, 2004 11:02 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nancylebovIf anyone hasn't seen the movie yet, I add to the chorus of recommendations. It's an excellent movie--both for the special effects and the people--and I'm only sketchily aware of the comics. And it's definitely worth seeing on the big screen.
I'm trying to avoid spoilers, but there may be a few small ones.
Has anyone tracked in detail just how Catholic it is? It's not just Peter Parker looking crucified on the front of a train (followed by Pieta images)--imho, the "I'm doing everything right, but the whole world is spitting on me" is a Catholic saint story. (Let me know if I'm wrong about this, or if it's also a Protestant thing.) And I don't think it's a coincidence that when Oc's tentacles are tempting him, they look like snakes.
As for business, I think the pizza parlor owner has it wrong. I'm betting that your average customer will be pleased enough to get a trivially late pizza for free (and evidence of a promise kept) that they'll stay as a customer. On the other hand, it's certainly plausible enough for an business owner to get things wrong, or possibly to amp up fears when the real issue is not getting paid for the pizza.
On the other hand, the landlord is plausible enough. He just wants the rent.
Jameson is a weird case. He harks back to the time when newspapers were run by individuals, and sometimes arbitrarily. (When was the movie set, anyway? These days, I don't think Peter Parker would have been allowed to run into a burning building.) Still, I would think he'd be getting more flack--most people seem to think Spiderman is a hero, not a menace. In fact, by the second movie, I don't think there's anyone but Jameson who believes the Bugle's line.
For lots more discussion of Spiderman (including links), see Unqualified Observer. It's mostly about how the choice between virtue and happiness is played out.
I'm trying to avoid spoilers, but there may be a few small ones.
Has anyone tracked in detail just how Catholic it is? It's not just Peter Parker looking crucified on the front of a train (followed by Pieta images)--imho, the "I'm doing everything right, but the whole world is spitting on me" is a Catholic saint story. (Let me know if I'm wrong about this, or if it's also a Protestant thing.) And I don't think it's a coincidence that when Oc's tentacles are tempting him, they look like snakes.
As for business, I think the pizza parlor owner has it wrong. I'm betting that your average customer will be pleased enough to get a trivially late pizza for free (and evidence of a promise kept) that they'll stay as a customer. On the other hand, it's certainly plausible enough for an business owner to get things wrong, or possibly to amp up fears when the real issue is not getting paid for the pizza.
On the other hand, the landlord is plausible enough. He just wants the rent.
Jameson is a weird case. He harks back to the time when newspapers were run by individuals, and sometimes arbitrarily. (When was the movie set, anyway? These days, I don't think Peter Parker would have been allowed to run into a burning building.) Still, I would think he'd be getting more flack--most people seem to think Spiderman is a hero, not a menace. In fact, by the second movie, I don't think there's anyone but Jameson who believes the Bugle's line.
For lots more discussion of Spiderman (including links), see Unqualified Observer. It's mostly about how the choice between virtue and happiness is played out.
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no subject
Date: 2004-08-17 08:41 am (UTC)It still happens. See, for example, Teresa Heinz Kerry and the Tribune-Review (owned by Richard Mellon Scaife), which has pursued and attacked her for years. (This is not a comment on the veracity of the paper's accusations, but jast a note that it's maintained the same sort of apparently personal vendetta that JJJ does against Spider-Man.)
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2004-08-17 05:37 pm (UTC)Except that the pizzas wern't only late; they were smashed. I've seen customers used the "late" excuse as a reason to reject pizzas that were otherwise sub-standard. I mean, it's an easily-referenced and objective line, so it's not unusual for someone to really hate the pizza itself to the extent that s/he might: 1. reject the pizza (and/or payment), 2. not return as a customer to that particular pizza restaurant, and 3. tell the owner/manager that the reason is the pizza was late.