Entertainment.LoveWhat.com

In Africa, the chieftains of many tribal groups maintain wooden sculptures depicting the power of their male aggression. These carvings are grimacing beasts out of whose penises sprout leering faces. The faces in turn often issue forth many more faces.

These heads spring out of every orifice and with bared teeth, threaten in every direction. These forms are highly prized and fiercely protected. They are given offerings of food, millet beer, milk and even blood to ensure that their power remains intact and strong. It strikes me that this externalized embodiment of male energy and sexuality has many parallels in our own culture.

Consider the SUV. These massive, barge-like vehicles are treated with the same deference and passion shown by the African chieftains towards their sculptures. We rub them and shine them. We feed them massive offerings of gasoline and accessorize them with everything from custom license plates to spinning rims. These vehicles have gone from being a conveyance to transport one from point A to point B into another type of conveyance altogether.

These vehicles transport and transmit our status, energy and power to the outside world. From within their fortress-like environs we gaze out upon an inferior and diminished world. The message is clear, “I have power! I have money! Look upon my mightiness and fear me!” I suppose that men have always fetishized vehicles.

While it’s an old joke that a large vehicle is a type of compensation for some lack in masculinity, I think that the opposite is actually the truth. Men love these outsized vehicles because they project and embody the power men have enjoyed and enforced throughout most of human history. The aggressive spirit of male energy is often Siamese-twinned with male sexuality. Rape is a male crime. Its prevalence in all societies, throughout all time is emblematic of the underlying frustration that males experience in trying to assert control and dominance over others. Of course we are speaking in generalities here. We’re looking at a big picture scenario and trying to make sense of the symbols of male power and aggression so common in our world. By no means is every man a rapist. Not even owners of Hummers!

Another vehicle for this same energy is music. One only needs to check out the lyrics of certain rap and metal artists or view the imagery of most videos to have a vivid experience of the same paradigm being played out. A particular genre of music that seems to combine the various threads of male aggression, control, sexuality and power is “Nu-Metal”.

Nu-Metal was born, flourished and died between the mid 90’s to the early 00’s. During these years groups such as Limp Bizkit, Korn and Papa Roach seemed both ubiquitous and inescapable. Perhaps it’s just a coincidence that this same era saw the ascendancy of the SUV. The big beats and distorted guitars were overlayed with minimal DJ scratching and singers who used the cadence and rhythm of rap to scream their lyrics.

One of the B-list bands to emerge from this same scene was Alien Ant Farm. While at times showcasing a wry and wacky humor, they were also purveyors of the worst tendencies of the genre. After overcoming a few years of personal tragedy (a tour bus accident) they are back with the new album, “Up in the Attic” (Universal Music Group). In the press release drummer Mike Cosgrove speaks of their band’s sound undergoing a de-evolution.

“We needed someone to give us the greenlight to quit trying to showcase our musical prowess and get back to what we liked as kids when we’d rock out in our bedrooms. Being typical artists we wanted to ‘mature and grow.’ We wanted to say, ‘See, we can play jazz chords or Latin.’”.

I suppose this back to basics statement is meant to be a positive development. But what is so noble about rejecting your hard won musical prowess? It strikes me as a cop-out, this musical pandering to the lowest common denominator. Perhaps the members of Alien Ant Farm feel that by dumbing down their music they can return to the glory days of Nu-Metal and make another run of it. The sad face of this retreat brings to mind the lyrics of a song by punk rock stalwarts Youth Brigade.

“Turn back, turn back! We must turn back to find the life we once lead, it can not be dead. We’re men of a different time!”

Although I question the need in the year 2006 for another Alien Ant Farm release, I suppose I should give some consideration to the music. While there is nothing particularly bad about the tunes, there is also nothing particularly good either. The problem is that nothing seems to stand out. Despite a few acoustic forays and a bit of ska here and there, it’s all one big sound-alike. The monotony is so pervasive that listening to a minute of any of the songs is as good as listening to all of them. Essentially there are no big surprises and not much in the way of originality. One bright note is that Alien Ant Farm has toned down some of the aforementioned aspects of male aggression. Perhaps for their next outing they’ll also make some good music.

Share This

Nominated for 52 Emmys since its 1990 premiere, including 11 for Outstanding Drama Series, Law & Order is one of the most popular television shows in modern day history. With an additional 4 Golden Globe nominations for Best TV Series (Drama), Law & Order is more than a TV show, it’s a lucrative franchise for host network NBC, spawning popular spin-offs Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999), Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001), and (the now cancelled) Law & Order: Trial By Jury (2005). Filmed on location in New York City, the show is the brainchild of creator Dick Wolf, a longtime writer for successful TV series such as Hill Street Blues and Miami Vice. With sixteen successful seasons already on the books, and more on the way, Law & Order remains one of the best drama series available on any network

Law & Order centers around the New York City criminal justice system, where “the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups - the police who investigate crime, and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders”. The first half of each one-hour episode is dedicated to the initial revelation of a crime and the police investigation that subsequently takes place. This usually involves interviewing witnesses, following leads, testing evidence, and/or hammering out a confession. Once sufficient evidence has been gathered to charge a suspect, the remainder of the show revolves around the district attorney’s office and their attempts to prosecute the offenders. Oftentimes, the audience will be witness to unexpected plot twists, unorthodox media-driven cases, or last minute, Perry Mason-like confessions or brokered deals. Given its long TV run, the cast of Law & Order has frequently changed over the years - with only a handful of characters experiencing lengthy runs, characters such as Det. Lennie Briscoe (Jerry Orbach), Lt. Anita Van Buren (S. Epatha Merkerson), and EADA John “Jack” McCoy (Sam Waterston)

The Law & Order (Season 3) DVD features a number of dramatic episodes including the season premiere “Skin Deep” in which the murder of a sleazy photographer is the main subject of investigation. But as the investigation proceeds, it seems more and more likely that the prime suspects are the models he often photographed Other notable episodes from Season 3 include “Self Defense” in which the prosecution is divided when a store owner shoots two robbers and claims self-defense as justification, and “Conduct Unbecoming” in which the NYPD is forced to investigate on the closed turf of the Navy in order to solve the death of a female Naval officer during a party at a Manhattan hotel

Below is a list of episodes included on the Law & Order (Season 3) DVD:

Episode 45 (Skin Deep) Air Date: 09-23-1992
Episode 46 (Conspiracy) Air Date: 09-30-1992
Episode 47 (Forgiveness) Air Date: 10-07-1992
Episode 48 (The Corporate Veil) Air Date: 10-14-1992
Episode 49 (Wedded Bliss) Air Date: 10-21-1992
Episode 50 (Helpless) Air Date: 11-04-1992
Episode 51 (Self Defense) Air Date: 11-11-1992
Episode 52 (Prince of Darkness) Air Date: 11-18-1992
Episode 53 (Point of View) Air Date: 11-25-1992
Episode 54 (Consultation) Air Date: 12-09-1992
Episode 55 (Extended Family) Air Date: 01-06-1993
Episode 56 (Right to Counsel) Air Date: 01-13-1993
Episode 57 (Night and Fog) Air Date: 02-03-1993
Episode 58 (Promises to Keep) Air Date: 02-10-1993
Episode 59 (Mother Love) Air Date: 02-24-1993
Episode 60 (Jurisdiction) Air Date: 03-03-1993
Episode 61 (Conduct Unbecoming) Air Date: 03-10-1993
Episode 62 (Animal Instinct) Air Date: 03-17-1993
Episode 63 (Virus) Air Date: 04-21-1993
Episode 64 (Securitate) Air Date: 05-05-1993
Episode 65 (Manhood) Air Date: 05-12-1993
Episode 66 (Benevolence) Air Date: 05-19-1993

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the Law & Order (Season 3) DVD.

Share This

Nominated for 12 Golden Globes and 61 Emmys, including 4 for Outstanding Drama Series, The X-Files is one of the world’s most popular science-fiction drama shows. Premiering in the Fall of 1993 on the Fox Network, home of popular programs such as The Simpsons (1989) and King Of The Hill (1997), The X-Files created an entire fictional world of conspiracies and secret organizations, building a legion of fanatic followers as devoted to the series as Trekkies are to Star Trek. Creator Cris Carter, a former writer for numerous TV shows in the late-80s/early-90s - The Nanny (1993) is one example - brings together the finest aspects of suspense-laden spy novels and alien science fiction. The result is one of the top sci-fi franchises ever produced, spawning its own line of merchandise and even a full length feature film - The X-Files: Fight The Future (1998). With nine successful seasons to its credit, The X-Files is one of the longest-running sci-fi series in television history

The X-Files follows the exploits of four FBI agents assigned to investigate a series of unsolved and mysterious cases known only as “The X-Files”. FBI special agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny), Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), John Doggett (Robert Patrick), and Monica Reyes (Annabeth Gish) are the primary agents investigating these unusual cases which could never be solved by conventional investigatory methods. But Mulder and Scully in particular play prominent roles in the series. The partnership and friendship the two develop during the course of the series sets the tone for their investigations into the paranormal with Scully, a medical doctor, playing the skeptic to Mulder’s deeply held beliefs in widespread government conspiracies and alien abductions. Through the course of the series, The X-Files covers a wide-range of frightening and mysterious subjects from killer insects and secret world government organizations to the colonization of Earth by parasitic aliens. In so doing, it adds its own unique brand of humor and an original blend of creativity that fans of the genre will certainly appreciate

The X-Files (Season 2) DVD features a number of suspense riddled episodes including the season premiere “Little Green Men” in which we learn the fate of our heroes in the aftermath of the closing of The X-Files. Scully is working as an FBI instructor at Quantico while Mulder is tasked with an endless array of mundane “busy-work”. But Mulder refuses to quit. He meets with one his supporters in regard to The X-File project - Senator Matheson, and the meeting prompts him to investigate an abandoned SETI site in New Mexico which might hold clues to the existence of alien life-forms Other notable episodes from Season 2 include “One Breath” in which Scully ends up in a coma for reasons unknown and Mulder must find out the truth about what happened to her, and “Fearful Symmetry” in which Scully and Mulder investigate a series of attacks at a zoo perpendicular to a tract of land notorious for its UFO sightings

Below is a list of episodes included on The X-Files (Season 2) DVD:

Episode 25 (Little Green Men) Air Date: 09-16-1994
Episode 26 (The Host) Air Date: 09-23-1994
Episode 27 (Blood) Air Date: 09-30-1994
Episode 28 (Sleepless) Air Date: 10-07-1994
Episode 29 (Duane Berry) Air Date: 10-14-1994
Episode 30 (Ascension) Air Date: 10-21-1994
Episode 31 (3) Air Date: 11-04-1994
Episode 32 (One Breath) Air Date: 11-11-1994
Episode 33 (Firewalker) Air Date: 11-18-1994
Episode 34 (Red Museum) Air Date: 12-09-1994
Episode 35 (Excelsis Dei) Air Date: 12-16-1994
Episode 36 (Aubrey) Air Date: 01-06-1995
Episode 37 (Irresistible) Air Date: 01-13-1995
Episode 38 (Die Hand Die Verletzt) Air Date: 01-27-1995
Episode 39 (Fresh Bones) Air Date: 02-03-1995
Episode 40 (Colony) Air Date: 02-10-1995
Episode 41 (End Game) Air Date: 02-17-1995
Episode 42 (Fearful Symmetry) Air Date: 02-24-1995
Episode 43 (Dod Kalm) Air Date: 03-10-1995
Episode 44 (Humbug) Air Date: 03-31-1995
Episode 45 (The Calusari) Air Date: 04-14-1995
Episode 46 (F. Emasculata) Air Date: 04-28-1995
Episode 47 (Soft Light) Air Date: 05-05-1995
Episode 48 (Our Town) Air Date: 05-12-1995
Episode 49 (Anasazi) Air Date: 05-19-1995

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of The X-Files (Season 2) DVD.

Share This