FORKNI-L

FORKNI-L Digest - 2 May 2005 to 3 May 2005 (#2005-118)

Tue, 3 May 2005

There are 10 messages totalling 358 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

  1. Ethics and Redemption (2)
  2. Birthday Info Needed
  3. FK Moment (3)
  4. redemption
  5. Another FK Moment
  6. P.O.V.
  7. Greek tragedy

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Date:    Mon, 2 May 2005 17:46:35 -0500
From:    eowyn23@j.......
Subject: Ethics and Redemption

Hi Y'all!

Greer wrote:
> long after the vampires moved on, some perfectly
innocent human might be accused of murder -- that they never looked at
in any episode of Forever Knight.<

Wasn't a young man in "False Witness" accused of killing a young woman
that had been drained by one of the vampires?  True, the vampires had not
yet moved on but the fellow was convicted of murdering the girl even
though she was his fiance(?).  I will say though that the solution to the
problem of the fellow being falsely accused (Nick sprung him from jail)
didn't explore all the ramifications to the other humans involved (the
girl's family, his family).

Terri
eowyn23@j....... or eowyn@w.......
GWDFC, FK X-Stitcher, Proud Survivor of FK Fic Wars 8-12, Texas Knight
Dreamers,
Knighties List Owner, Keeper of the FK Birthday List

------------------------------

Date:    Tue, 3 May 2005 00:00:06 +0100
From:    Luicia <luicia1705@y.......>
Subject: Re: Ethics and Redemption

FK is a television show based on the quest for
redemption of an 800 yr old immortal who need to feed
on blood to function... once again, it's a fantasy, we
are full aware as we watch that it is so and the
emotional attatchment that we are able to give to the
characters of the show are the result of excellent
story plots and deliverance from extremely talented
actors.

--- Libratsie@a....... wrote:
> >   Surely we should recognize a serious ethical
> problem when we find ourselves rooting for the
> killer!  Yet we don't,
> do we?

As a viewing audience ( and a well experienced one
too), we are (un)consciously aware of what we watch
and how we should perceive it. This show is based
around the trials and tribulations of Nick and as such
he is shown in the flawed hero light - as modern
consumers of media, we would have a hard time relating
to a modernday knight in shining armour... we couldn't
identify and therefore we couldn't gain the emotional
connection that we do with these characters.

We are all aware of our own flaws and as Nick is not
only a fictional person but a fictional being (a
vampire) we assign different standards to them for
certain aspects of their everyday reality ( drinking
of blood- any blood whatsoever is not praised but it
is accepted)

>... the  irony in me rooting for Nick and often LaCroix (no
> matter what he's up to), it isn't real life so I don't have an ethical
>problem with it. If it were real  life, my "rooting" would be otherwise
>directed.

I could mention other media products that cause the
same 'conflict' and they can range from the likes of
Chuck Jones cartoons to George Lucas films. WE as
consumers are shown as much of a character as THE
PRODUCERS allow us to see and so we draw our
connection to them through that. If the producer
wishes us to be sympathetic to a character they will
enable to story to encourage that. Whether we would
draw the same connection to a like person in reality
is up to your own beliefs and ethics yet just because
those types are the villians of reality doesn't mean
to say that we can not explore the facets of such
types in the safe confines of TV land.

Human nature is a mysterious thing and if such shows
allow us to experience it in ficticious realms how can
it truly be an ethical problem as we are fully aware
that this is a ficticious world we are participating
in.

my ranting on the subject... apologies for the intro
of OT matter




"Writing is easy. You just sit staring at a blank page until the drops of blood
form on your forehead."
- Gene Fowler



------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 2 May 2005 21:07:43 -0500
From:    eowyn23@j.......
Subject: Birthday Info Needed

Hi Y'all!

I need the following people to contact me, eowyn23@j.......,  with the
correct email addresses so that I can get their birthday announcements
out on time.  These addresses bounced back to me.

Cindy        cbcsi7@a....... and Cousin Michelle        mlp9@d.......


Terri
eowyn23@j....... or eowyn@w.......
GWDFC, FK X-Stitcher, Proud Survivor of FK Fic Wars 8-12, Texas Knight
Dreamers,
Knighties List Owner, Keeper of the FK Birthday List

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 2 May 2005 21:02:45 -0700
From:    phylis sullivan <phylis_s_2000_2001@y......>
Subject: FK Moment

Our local paper puts out a weekly tv guide in the Sunday issue.  Under Tube
Talk there was an article titled "I'm getting nostalgic for old cult tv shows."
Imagine my suprise and delight to find second on her list Forever Knight.  She
devotes 3 paragraphs to FK and declares it a cool show as well as weird, and
cheesy but that was its charm.  At the end of the article she states she is going
to order "Forever Knight" on DVD.   Phylis




Phylis (Knightfilli) N&NPacker, Knightie, Dark Knightie
phylis_s_2000_2001@y......
http://www.geocities.com/phylis_s_2000_2001/phylis_poetry_homepage.html

------------------------------

Date:    Tue, 3 May 2005 06:06:29 -0700
From:    debbi henson <debbub@h.......>
Subject: Re: FK Moment

Phylis wrote: "Our local paper puts out a weekly tv guide in the Sunday
issue. She devotes 3 paragraphs to FK. "

Is there anyway that the article is available on line? I would love to read
it.
Deb


"I swear by my life and my love of it that I will never live for the sake of
another man, nor ask another man to live for mine." ~ John Galt

------------------------------

Date:    Tue, 3 May 2005 08:50:44 -0700
From:    phylis sullivan <phylis_s_2000_2001@y......>
Subject: Re: FK Moment

I tried to find it, but couldn't.  But I will post the papers website and maybe
someone else can find it.  www.theindependent.com Good luck!  Phylis

debbi henson <debbub@h.......> wrote:
Is there anyway that the article is available on line? I would love to read
it.
Deb




Phylis (Knightfilli) N&NPacker, Knightie, Dark Knightie
phylis_s_2000_2001@y......
http://www.geocities.com/phylis_s_2000_2001/phylis_poetry_homepage.html

------------------------------

Date:    Tue, 3 May 2005 11:36:35 -0700
From:    Karen Reincke <kaylagaylestories@y......>
Subject: Re: redemption

FK characters are vampires.  Vampires have the belief that they are higher up
on the food chain than we are, so they kill to eat and survive.  For this reason
I don't think they really give any real thought about their actions or deeds.

Nick, though, got a little tired of this and gained a bit of a conscience and
so he does feel for those he killed in the past.

However, one also has to remember that a hour tv series does not give a lot of
time to devote to such persuits as background stories for the victims.

<smile> That's what fan fiction is for.


------------------------------

Date:    Tue, 3 May 2005 21:05:30 +0200
From:    lucilla <cousinlucilla@f.......>
Subject: Another FK Moment

It may sound a bit far-fetched but it reminded me of the second season
episode "Bad Blood" (the one in which Lacroix brings The Barber aka Jack
the Ripper across).
In today's Guardian there was an article on how new evidence/ theories
suggest that JtR might actually have continued his killing spree abroad,
which strangely coincides with FK's take on the JtR myth.
Anyone interested in the article can find it here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1475045,00.html

Doris
www.come-undone.net

------------------------------

Date:    Tue, 3 May 2005 13:27:30 -0700
From:    chris thatcher <mb_the_spy@y......>
Subject: P.O.V.

--- Greer Watson <gwatson2@r.......> wrote:
> if there were vampires in real life, we'd be in the
> victim's position,
> not Nick's.  We're humans, after all.

Yes, we're humans in "real life," but because the show
is told from Nick's point of view, for purposes of the
 show, we *are* Nick.  We don't immediately consider
the numerous ethical repercussions because Nick
doesn't.  The one-sidedness of the show could simply
regarded as the one-sidedness we all have...for
ourselves.  (Take Napoleon Dynamite: a character we
would find insufferable were we actually to meet him,
but because it's his movie, we like him.) that said,
it's good that once out of the show, once back to our
own PsOV, we can stop to analyse our own responses to
it.

but why make a show about a traditionally feared
creature (or a total dweeb) and make him sympathetic?
How do we identify at all? IMHO, most everyone on some
level fears that s/he is irredeemable (or is a total
dweeb) and watching Nick (or Napoleon) work through
the conundrum provides that vicarious catharsis
Aristotle talks about. However, if you do not feel
this is true for you, please disregard.

Also, I agree with Libby.  It's fiction, not "real
life".

chris ;? who decided to join the ratpackers not out of
sympathy for Screed per se, but because the ratpack
is--well--silly. big<G>

P.S. someone mentioned BtVS which got me to thinking
about its spinoff series.  Thoughts on how the issues
we've been discussing apply to Angel? I acknowledge
that it is a borderline OT ?, so try to make responses
on T, Lisa and Don permitting, or send them to me
offlist.  cheers!





"I don't bite.... Well, that's wrong; I do bite."
       ~K'Ehleyr


------------------------------

Date:    Tue, 3 May 2005 13:48:36 -0700
From:    chris thatcher <mb_the_spy@y......>
Subject: Greek tragedy

luicia said:
 This show is based
> around the trials and tribulations of Nick and as
> such
> he is shown in the flawed hero light

He's the classical image of the Tragic Hero!
1) Nick is noble "born"--of the General if not of his
mother
2) he has one tragic flaw: IMO his tendency to
wallowing in guilt
3) he is essentially, when we meet him, trying to be
good, but he's not too good
4) not only does he fall from happiness, he knows
exactly how he brought it about (the second might
could be debated)

see how classical literature *still* informs the
cultural productions of our day often w/o us realizing
it!

chris ;? <figuratively bouncing in seat>


> "Writing is easy. You just sit staring at a blank
> page until the drops of blood form on your
> forehead."
> - Gene Fowler

so that's who said it.  i love that quote.


"I don't bite.... Well, that's wrong; I do bite."
       ~K'Ehleyr


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End of FORKNI-L Digest - 2 May 2005 to 3 May 2005 (#2005-118)
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