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Episode 462: Beauty is a Beast - the Problem with Ugly Characters in Speculative Fiction

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Manage episode 522844339 series 2365880
Content provided by J.A. Ironside & M.E. Vaughan, J.A. Ironside, and M.E. Vaughan. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by J.A. Ironside & M.E. Vaughan, J.A. Ironside, and M.E. Vaughan or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://player.fm/legal.

'Ugly' is a subjective term, of course. Tastes vary and opinions are heavily influenced by how we perceive someone or how much we like them. However, there are plenty of characters in speculative fiction who even on the page do not fit the parameters of being conventionally physically attractive. When those books are translated to the screen, often the 'it' actors of the moment are cast in these roles because they are often great characters. And this is where the cognitive dissonance sets in. Social media and the drive towards a physical ideal which can only be attained through wealth and extreme intervention adds another, somewhat more troubling dimension as platforms like Instagram directly influence beauty standards and celebrity popularity. Have we lost the ability to see a normal human as attractive? Find out in this week's episode. On the slab this week - Bridget Jones' Diary, Harker & Blackthorn, Game of Thrones, Howl's Moving Castle and many more.

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

  continue reading

113 episodes

Artwork
iconShare
 
Manage episode 522844339 series 2365880
Content provided by J.A. Ironside & M.E. Vaughan, J.A. Ironside, and M.E. Vaughan. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by J.A. Ironside & M.E. Vaughan, J.A. Ironside, and M.E. Vaughan or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://player.fm/legal.

'Ugly' is a subjective term, of course. Tastes vary and opinions are heavily influenced by how we perceive someone or how much we like them. However, there are plenty of characters in speculative fiction who even on the page do not fit the parameters of being conventionally physically attractive. When those books are translated to the screen, often the 'it' actors of the moment are cast in these roles because they are often great characters. And this is where the cognitive dissonance sets in. Social media and the drive towards a physical ideal which can only be attained through wealth and extreme intervention adds another, somewhat more troubling dimension as platforms like Instagram directly influence beauty standards and celebrity popularity. Have we lost the ability to see a normal human as attractive? Find out in this week's episode. On the slab this week - Bridget Jones' Diary, Harker & Blackthorn, Game of Thrones, Howl's Moving Castle and many more.

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

  continue reading

113 episodes

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