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Opinion |
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The
Buffalo News |
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Feeding the fantasy for escape |
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"I would rather try my luck at a horde of orcs
(Tolkien's evil warriors) with a broad sword than pay the Visa bill
and look for parking," said a friend who works as a technology
teacher for an inner-city school in San Francisco. Once
upon a time it was possible to build one's life around deeds, not
mundane details. Alas, in the realm of strip malls and ATM machines,
the hack-and-slash facets of our characters are no longer required.
Reality is alternately dull or stressful. We yearn for escape. Of course,
wanting to transcend one's material existence is as old as religion,
spiritualism, literature, art and sex. Wanting to run away after the
arrival of the in-laws is at least as old as Thanksgiving. Is it any
wonder Hollywood rolls out its most spectacular escapes for the holiday
season? Now,
a quarter-century after "Star Wars," the entertainment industry
efficiently meets our need for alternative realities. Technology delivers
seamless special effects, while marketing drives the identical fantasy
en-masse. The same opening weekend, millions of us slip out of ourselves
and into experiences like this season's "The Matrix Revolutions"
or the final installment of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy,
"The Return of the King." But is
it merely mind-numbing escape we seek in these works of reverie, or
do we crave something more? Sci-fi/fantasy
as most people understand it - swords-and-sorcery, spaceships and
their offshoots - makes the public nervous. Some of the charges levied
against the genre include "anti-social," "adolescent"
and "silly." Recovered
Dungeons and Dragons nerds like me have been despised ever since high
school. There was something deviant about all that dice rolling, time
travel and rule books we poured over like religious texts as we snarfed
generic brand pizza and guzzled Jolt cola. In fact,
anything anachronistic or hopelessly out of step - even the refusal
to own a microwave or SUV - makes your neighbor uncomfortable. Because
as with pagan worshippers and Morris dancers, hobbits and Skywalkers
seek to refute the modern world. Or, at least, to view it askance.
And therein lies the genre's imaginative appeal. But nothing
in denying the present is inherently dangerous. Let's face it, sometimes
we need a break. And it's unfair to blame the scourge of escape specifically
on J.R.R. Tolkien and George Lucas. Everywhere
you look there are endless ways to distract yourself. Yet, voracious
consumption of pop music and legal thrillers are considered a healthy
celebration of the here-and-now. No one ostracizes John Grisham readers
and Britney Spears listeners, who equally tune out, just to different
frequencies than computer geeks. Civic
leaders will qualify, claiming some kinds of escape are ostensibly
better for you than others. Take Harry Potter, which has been charged
by the Christian right as promoting devil worship. Or light saber
duels, which surely inspire violence. Other complainers try to rank
each media's supposed benefits. At least books use the imagination,
they say. As opposed to comic books, TV or video games, which supplants
it. But for
those who say "The Lord of the Rings" is a whimsical diversion,
remember that its characters are burdened and world-weary, just like
you and me. They make impressive sacrifices to do the right thing
(i.e., to stop the apocalypse). A cloak of foreboding hangs over Middle-earth
(Tolkien's imaginary kingdom) and the grimy mother board corridors
of "The Matrix," just as it continues to blot out this planet.
Besides,
much of what we take for reality has a fantastic element, mediated
by the media and without consequence to the viewer, and that includes
TV coverage of the Iraq war. If by fantasy we also mean "unbelievable,"
then the horrors of the evening news compete with the current events
of any parallel dimension. The pressing
question isn't, "Is escapism bad?" Standing in line for
movie tickets, we should ask ourselves: "Are flights to realms
like Middle-earth more frequent? Are we staying longer than before?"
And also
this: "If our doomed earth demands escape, how can we stem the
annual Hollywood-engineered season of migration?" Action
is what us Tolkienites crave. We want to flex our Dark Age muscle.
I'm no Han Solo, but bring on the corporate storm troopers. I'm picturing
a battle between me and several chairmen of the board. CEOs,
meet me at quitting time, Wal-Mart loading dock. Choose your weapon:
crossbows or staple guns at 50 paces.
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