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"I will Catch Them" - DraX

11/30/2014

I have spent the past few weeks on the blog discussing perspectives on characters from geek culture, but the purpose of this blog is more than that. The commentary on characters is useful to me and I hope to others in that these characters provide us a means to understand ourselves and others in a “safe” way. Specifically, these characters and their struggles mirror our own not always in their day to day activities (I have yet to fight zombies with a crossbow) but I have felt pain, loss, and loneliness as Daryl Dixon has.

In my work, I find that I can use these characters as a metaphor for clients. I can discuss with a client that his anxiety is akin to an overactive “Spidey sense” of his favorite character Spider-man or I can discuss the loss of a loved one through the graphic novel “I Kill Giants.” I can challenge black and white thinking through comics such as “Irredeemable” or “Incorruptible.” And I can discuss the importance of teamwork and social skills through the Avengers and each character’s unique personality traits.

Therefore, the purpose of the commentaries are to introduce the reader to characters and how their struggles may relate to their own or to that of someone they know. I will always begin to offer specific suggestions for how I and my colleagues use metaphors and themes of geek and also gamer culture in our work and in our lives.

To close this post, I would like to note that I am hopeful to soon see comments from anyone reading especially early on in this blogging adventure. Please let me know what you think or what you would like to hear more about. Be well.

-Megan

“Metaphors are going to go over his head” – Rocket

“Nothing goes over my head. My reflexes are too fast. I will catch them” – Drax

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"We Ain't Ashes" - Daryl Dixon

11/23/2014

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As a lover of the comic book series The Walking Dead, it seems ironic to me that one of my favorite characters from The Walking Dead television series, is someone who was created solely for the show. Daryl Dixon can be easily seen as one of the most popular characters on the show. Consider simply that Norman Reedus, the actor who plays him, is nearing 1.5 million followers on Twitter.
The allure of Daryl is as complex as his story. We have watched him evolve since the third episode back in 2010. Lovers of the show would not be surprised to see Daryl in the next episode emerging from the woods with his signature crossbow and a bounty of dead squirrels as he did in “Tell It to the Frogs” but the man behind that rugged façade has drastically changed.
Daryl was early on seen as an outsider, a loner, or a loose cannon (though not as much as his brother) but he is now standing side by side with Rick as a leader of the group. Daryl has shown an overall level of resourcefulness coupled with his selfless and heroic gestures such as going to find Sophia supports his reliable nature to the group and to the viewer. Initially, both the group and the viewer were likely unsure of how to “read” Daryl and questioned his motivations and role in the story. This makes his transformation even more enjoyable for the viewer as it can seem so starkly different to reflect upon Daryl between Season 1 and Season 5. We love to watch characters who are imperfect and we love to see them grow. This makes them relatable but more than that, it gives us hope for our own journeys.
For the purpose of this blog post, I will focus on the recent episode “Consumed” which aired on November 16th, 2014 which was a unique look at how Daryl is transforming. In the episode and in the entire series, fire can be considered thematic. Specifically, it seems that anywhere the group goes to find safety and security such as the CDC, the farm, the prison, Terminus, the cottage Beth and Daryl stayed at, all burned. This is even more significant for Daryl’s story as his mother died in a house fire when he was a young child. Daryl has never truly had a home or a safe space to call his own as it is also discussed in previous episodes that he spent most of his young adulthood as a drifter with Merle. Daryl likely felt that nowhere was safe long before the walkers came around and is actually somewhat more comfortable with the lack of security than most characters.
Throughout the episode, Daryl interacted with fire several times. He light paper on fire and threw it in a dumpster to lure walkers away. He created a funeral pyre for the walkers in the shelter. He lit a cigarette. These references speak to Daryl’s progress in his hero journey. He is still walking through the fire. He is still changing and exploring who he is as a person and as a member of the group.
Specifically in this episode, he can be seen seeking to understand more about himself and how to continue to grow as evidenced by his taking the book “Treating Survivors of Childhood Abuse” from the shelter. However, he still hides the book even from Carol. Daryl is seeking to understand himself, but still struggling with the juxtaposition of who he was and who he is trying to be. This is also something most viewers can relate to on some level; we often do not show our true selves even to the ones we love for fear or rejection or for fear that acknowledging our pain somehow makes it more real.
In the episode, Daryl tells Carol, “We ain’t ashes.” Daryl is not someone who has not been consumed or used up by the zombie apocalypse, but rather one is walking through the fire, negotiating and shedding his past self, and will come out changed on the other side. Daryl has always been a survivor. He was able to make it through physical abuse, the death of a parent, homelessness but it took the zombie apocalypse to teach Daryl what it truly means to live. As a lover of the show, Daryl Dixon as a character, and Norman Reedus as an actor, I am eager to continue to watch and to discuss Daryl’s transformative journey and how themes from geek culture such as Daryl can be used in growing in our own lives.

-Megan

Supportive materials for this post include The Walking Dead Wiki (http://walkingdead.wikia.com/wiki/The_Walking_Dead_Wiki) and the article 5 Things You Might Have Missed in The Walking Dead “Consumed” (http://moviepilot.com/posts/2014/11/17/5-things-you-might-have-missed-in-the-walking-dead-consumed-2441898?lt_source=external,manual).

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"When I'm around you, I kind of feel like I'm on drugs. Not that I do drugs. Unless you do drugs, in which case I do them all the time. All of them." - Scott PIlgrim

11/16/2014

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This post is meant to discuss the journey of self-discovery and relationships explored in the film: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010). Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is a throwback to everything we love about classic video games. The film demonstrates tremendous attention to detail through its graphics, music, and one liners. The viewer is taken on an adventure in which they expect to see combat akin to the fictional game Ninja Ninja Revolution. The film, however, provides the viewer with more than that through its portrayal of not only the love story between Scott Pilgrim and Ramona Flowers, but rather Scott’s journey to accept and love himself. As we meet Scott, he is reeling from his not so recent breakup with Envy. Most, if not all, viewers can relate to Scott’s feelings of depression and Scott’s experience of a rebound relationship with Knives. Scott experiences symptoms of a depressive episode including lethargy and feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. Scott’s relationship with Knives is also of interest. Knives falls deeply for Scott; however, Scott appears to only be with Knives to assuage his loneliness. Scott is desperate to disassociate from memories of his past and relationship with Envy and Knives does fill a need for him, for a time. Scott though is quick to move on to the next woman he encounters, Ramona, without thought to the significance of the relationship for Knives. This too is not an unfamiliar experience for many viewers. Scott is likely not coming from a place of mal-intent, but he, as we all do, naturally seek the security that comes from being loved by another.

Scott experiences an awakening when he meets Ramona. She is quite literally the girl of his dreams. However, Ramona is herself shrouded in mystery and haunted by her own past. As a relationship develops between Ramona and Scott, he is tasked to fight Ramona’s Seven Evil Exes. This is not unlike any new relationship. Our battles may be more figurative; however, the struggle to navigate and negotiate our partner’s baggage is a part of establishing a new relationship. An unspoken understanding evolves that we must take our partners as they are when they enter the relationship. We must understand how past relationships have shaped them as individuals, molded their expectations, and colored their approach to this thing we call “love.”

Throughout the film, Scott fights through Ramona’s past to “win” her heart. At times, Ramona seeks to run away and appears to struggle facing her past and what her future with Scott may hold. She even states to Scott that “[she] came here to get away, but the past keeps catching up.” Scott’s persistence is difficult for her to conceptualize. She has become “used to” handling her evil exes and is unsure how to be open to something new, something good. She feels especially powerless over her final Evil Ex, Gideon, who implanted a chip on the back of her neck which makes her unable to resist him. This speaks to the struggle individuals sometimes have leaving a relationship even when they know it is bad for them. We maintain old patterns of interaction because they become comfortable and we know what to expect. It takes courage to step outside of our fears and fight for our right for something better.

The League of Evil Exes is portrayed as a creation of Gideon’s; however, it can speak to the barriers any new couple must pass through as they enter into a relationship. We are all haunted in some ways by our own “evil exes” and the challenge to someone who seeks to love us it to understand and respect our individual journey.

Scott continues to fight, collect rewards, and begins combat with, Gideon, wielding a sword with the power of love. But despite his love for Ramon, Scott falls at the hands of Gideon. Scott reappears to the viewers in a limbo like state as he reflects upon what has happened to him. He is puzzled by why his love for Ramona was not enough to defeat Gideon and ultimately, he realizes that he must “get a life.” At this time, a “Pilgrim head” representing an extra life appears which allows Scott one more opportunity to fight this final battle.

Upon his resurrection, Scott is asked by Gideon, “You want to fight me for her?” Scott replies, “No…I want to fight you for me” and is suddenly overcome with a new power: self-respect. We cannot expect someone to love us if we cannot love ourselves. How can we ask another to commit themselves to us if we are not truly committed to ourselves? How can we ask for something we do not think we deserve? Scott believes that he simply must “defeat” the seven evil exes to win Ramona’s heart. But in truth, he must face himself.

With this new found self-respect, Scott is able to defeat Gideon but this is then is faced with his most feared enemy: Nega Scott. Nega Scott is a physical manifestation of every flaw, every secret, and every part of Scott which he does not like and seeks to hide. Earlier in the film, Scott and Knives had been playing Ninja Ninja Revolution in an arcade. When he is tasked to fight the Nega Ninja in the game, he shares that he can never defeat him and does not even try anymore. Gideon’s final words are a challenge to Scott: “You can defeat me…but can you defeat…yourself?” Knives and Ramona offer to help Scott to defeat Nega Scott; however, Scott realizes he must fight this battle alone. The “fight” ends in a somewhat anticlimactic fashion as Scott and Nega Scott walk outside, chatting together about plans to hang out sometime soon.

Scott’s experience of having to face his most feared parts of himself is a testament to the need to come to terms and accept ourselves. We must be comfortable with who we are if we are to be in a meaningful relationship with another. Scott did not need to defeat Nega Scott. He did not need to defeat the weaknesses he saw in himself. He needed to accept them and agree that they could all “hang out” sometime. We must believe in who we are because as Ramona and Scott find out there is no escaping the past. There is only moving forward.

Scott struggled throughout the film with messages from himself and others that Ramona was “too good” for him. Scott’s beliefs about himself were the most difficult enemy which he had to face. Scott and Ramona were able to reach a new level when they were able to be honest and see each other (and themselves) as they truly were. Scott was able to go after Ramona as she walked away. He took her hand and they entered into a doorway, their own true beginning. Scott and Ramona had both been scarred by their past and feared they were doomed to repeat it. But when they were able to commit to their own happiness and their own chance at a positive future, they found it in front of them; they found it with one another.

We may not have to head butt our enemies to death and we may not collect loot after our daily battles. We do, though, face our own defeats and victories as we seek self-actualization. Happiness comes from our acceptance of who we are and our commitment to living the life we deserve. We will always have a past. We cannot reset the console of our lives. However, we can use our actual experience to learn about ourselves and as counter ticks down “10…9…8…” we can chose to click “Continue.”

-Megan

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"The World is not in your books and maps, It's out There" - Gandalf

11/9/2014

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Since the creation of our organization (and this website), I have caught myself thinking throughout my day about the many topics we could blog about. I realized I was becoming somewhat overwhelmed with where, when, and how to start and so this post will serve as a simple introduction and a stepping stone. This blog will chronicle the development and progress geek and gamer counseling and culture and discuss topics related to games, science fiction, fantasy, comics and related books, movies, and television series. Further, we will discuss how these topics interplay with psychology, mental health, and wellness. Check back soon for our next posting and feel free to contact us (via the contact page) with ideas or for further discussion.

So as Gandalf said, there is a temptation to wait to begin until we have all the right answers or know all the right things to say, but at some point we have to step outside the door and our anxiety and begin. So today begins the journey for me as a blogger and I am happy to have you share in the journey with me.

-Megan

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"I will Catch Them" - DraX

"We Ain't Ashes" - Daryl Dixon

"When I'm around you, I kind of feel like I'm on drugs. Not that I do drugs. Unless you do drugs, in which case I do them all the time. All of them." - Scott PIlgrim

"The World is not in your books and maps, It's out There" - Gandalf

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