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Thursday, January 22, 2015
OverKill
***Note: Spoilers from last nights season finale of AHS Freak Show below***
I am hard on Ryan Murphy and his work, I know this. It is in part because, as an artist, he sets up some of televisions most brilliant premises, yet far too often fails to sustain momentum and even worse, often manages to corrupt his original concept by the time the curtain falls. There are so many examples of this, one of the most obvious examples being Glee. One of the most original and creative pilots in years totally reversed it's original message by the show's second season. Few seem to have realized all those bullied outsiders introduced in the show pilot, quietly but quickly turned into bully's themselves. The show, once about acceptance, turned most of the characters, (those lonely outsiders who bounded together through their love of music) into self involved hypocrite's who plow through anyone who who gets in their way, not able to see beyond self and ego. This could have been done with some intent or for story, but it clearly...was not.
American Horror Story Freak Show certainly didn't go as far as Glee, but then again, it only had one season. Like most seasons of the show, the first episode introduced a concept and set of characters I couldn't wait to spend the winter involved with. Sadly, Murphy and company again forgot what they they set out to do. Last night's finale capped off an overly violent 13 hours of television where only the computer generated freaks remained still breathing by the end. I love Evan Peters, Angela Bassett and Sarah Paulson, but none of their characters were written with the heart and heroism of those in the troupe, who were actually born into the label that they so beautifully and respectfully wore.
I can forgive Murphy his improvisational story telling, (Neil Patrick Harris...) I can forgive him his erratic writing style, and all the over blown and overdrawn soliloquy anchored scenes for Jessica Lange. I can't however, forgive him for brutally murdering every freak within the show except those created by camera magic and cgi. I get that horror and violence are core to AHS, I also can see when it is overused, abused and sensationalized.
The heart and soul of Freak Show lay in Ma Petite, Meep, Pepper and especially the powerful trio of Paul (Mat Fraser) , Suzi (Rose Siggins) and Amazon Eve (Erika Ervin) By the end, all were butchered, tortured or brutally shot. I turned away after Paul's death, only looking up again when I hoped Eve might win her battle. I am sure in some writing room there was great excitement at the prospect of shooting all the freaks in such an operatic, Godfather like way. I am sure there were discussions about how it was not those being born with physical challenges which defines what a freak is, but the behaviour, bigotry, hate and horror of the human condition that is truly terrifying. I get that, I got that in the first episode. By killing though, and so brutally, each an every beacon of hope, every last one of them... you sort of shot your concept right in the third nipple.
On the plus side, having Dandy (Finn Wittrock) get his comeuppance in his tighty whities, was a nice full circle storytelling.
Joel Swanner: Getting Off Easy
'I'm just easy going and looking to see how far I can go in the modeling world.'
Sometimes the appeal of a model or an image isn't just what you see, but what you think you don't. The first image I saw of 23 year old Phoenix model Joel Swanner was the image directly below from photographer Lucas Ferrier. I have always loved how sophisticated and sexy Ferrier's work is weaving form and fashion, skin and style.
Having shot for most of the major agencies in around the globe, Ferrier is keenly aware of what agencies are looking for and knows how to style his images so that every man in front of his camera looks as a model should. That doesn't mean however, the man behind the model exterior isn't peeking out somewhere. One of the markers of skilled photographer is their ability to capture a piece of that man, regardless of what look or theme they are shooting.
As sophisticated and clean as these images of Joel are, there is something a bit more beaming through his incredible green eyes. Although the photographs may look like the should be gracing the cover of GQ, I couldn't help but feeling there was another magazine, one a bit wilder, and with more of an edge that might better suit Joel...
Images of Joel above from Lucas Ferrier
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Images of Joel below from Bobby Shahideh
When Joel let me know that he supported me profiling him on FH, he didn't have much more to say only that he was just an easy going kind of guy. Easy going to many might mean relaxed, but to me it is more about a freedom and confidence about who you are and what you want. This comes through clearly in Joel's work, maybe especially in this second set of images from photographer Bobby Shahideh.
Bobby's images have an erotic edge and directness which compliment and balance out Joel's portfolio and provide a perfect contrast for Joel's work with Lucas. The hair a little less perfect, the body hair a little less manscaped, Joel's poses and facial expressions a bit more raw and intense. I am not sure either set of images totally sum up who the easy going man is behind those green eyes, but they both do capture many enticing sides.
Quaternate: Frisky Frolic
Favorite Four:
If you scan the titles of the close to 20 pieces I have done featuring the work of Frisky Frolic, it is clear holidays are an important theme within his imagery. Photographer JayBee's love of the colorful and celebratory is a perfect fit for my own passion for visually honoring holidays on FH. It was appropriate, that it was a search on Flickr in October of 2012 that first drew me to Frisky Frolics work.
Thinking up themes to feature on the blog has led to some interesting searches, but this October, my search was for 'Naked Ghosts' for an upcoming Halloween piece that I was writing. This search led me to JayBee's work and my piece on sexy historical ghosts changed (thankfully) to my first piece featuring JayBee's work, The Phantom Phallus. I feel lucky to stumbled upon FF's page, and am thankful for how generous and supportive JayBee has been ever since.
Frisky Frolic on FH:
2018-2019
Entering 2020 In Style
Tree Toppers: Jay & Carl
F-Bomb
Laundry Day
Ghost Stories
Taking Tatters Into Your Own Hands
Purple State
2017
Come As You Aren't
Spine-Tingling Seasonals
The Bottom Line
Two of Hearts
2016
Shy
Up Top
Sea Green Nails and Baby Blue Undies
Back to School
Frontal Window
Summer Sightings
Lance: Dear Andrew
Orange Peeled
Smooth Moves
Another Snow Day:
Roses are Red
Resolute
2015
And He stuffed them in bags...
Thrilled to Death
Of Young Mice & Older Men
Imaginary Heroes
Emulation: Cody
Festival of Colors
Heartthrob
2014
2012-2013
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