#wisdomfromamadman

I found out something about myself and that is: it is hard for me to take anyone seriously when they do not respect what they do/ what they make, I am not saying you have to like it but respect it aka don;t do something to overshadow it and then bitch and moan that it is being overshadowed (sorry I’m “subtweeting” my Bug)

Ummmm...People lie

Short and sweet, happy week all 

What is art? The age old question asked by everyone, who wants to feel smarter than they are. Art as you know is a form of expression either in painting, film, writing, drawing, cartoons, comic books etc. It is an idea that one person (or a group of people) want to tell to another person (or a group of people). It can be more than one idea and good art should be open to interruption or have a clear message to it. This is contradiction I know but good art is just good art that can fall in different definitions.

And I do think cartoons and comics are art. They combine the drawing/ designing of portraits (the characters) and landscapes (the background or world) with storytelling. Cartoons are modern day moving paintings while comics are modern day moving story boards. I grew up watching cartoons and drawing them and I still do today. I look up to my Brother who was into comic books and that is where I got introduced to them (too bad we had to leave some behind because of the move) so they are a major part of who I am (mostly cartoons) so I see the value in them even when some older generations or even my own generation do not. It is there last, it is like going to Paris and only seeing the Mona Lisa and nothing else. Don’t get me wrong the Mona Lisa is a fantastic work of art but there is more to the world than just that one.

(Going to Paris is expensive, don’t worry I got your back, here is a picture of her, just pretend you’re there)

Cartoons tell story (obvious) but the newer ones like “Adventure Time”, “Steven Universe” etc. do more than that. They make us think and analysis, we can bond over theories and ideas certainly on the internet. And I don’t think that, that trend is going to go away soon, I mean one of the most ‘talked’ about pilot in terms of analyzing is “Infinity Train” and that is because it rises questions which people want to guess the answers.

These types of cartoons not only make us think but they also use the internet in the best way possible. We advertise the shows by questioning and analyzing them with our tweets, videos and blogs etc. The producers don’t have to lift a dollar to get marketing done because we do it for them, in a way, but only if the show is worth it and good. This is the tricky part.

Plus cartoons do not only have to be intellectual, they can also be random and episodic (one story per an episode without an overall arc for the season) like “Teen Titans GO” (hey, I enjoy that one, okay? Please don’t hate me but they can also be quite smart) and “Uncle Grandpa” etc. Overall arcs are great and are used in many TV series but sometimes we need a break from thinking and that is where the more random shows fit in.

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT A REVIEW

I have recently got into the work of art known as “Legion”. It is a TV series that is inspired and influence by a character (Legion, because he has a legion of characters in his head) from X-Men comic books (please note that it has been said that this adaptation is not linked to the cinematic universe of the X-Men). Although, the series is different to that of the comic books they do share a few similarities or so I think. I have never gotten into the Legion story line in the comics and if I have read them, it was like decades ago and did not really make an impact on me (sorry that is the truth). But I am loving “Legion” on TV.

I am only three episodes in and the camera work, set designs, acting and overall story is really grabbing me to continue my journey with this unhinging character.  David Haller (performed by Dan Stevens) is a man in his early 30s and has been through many mental hospitals because of his schizophrenia (hearing voices and seeing images). He escapes one hospital with a help of his friend and is taken to a place where they explain to him that his schizophrenia is not a mental illness but his powers manifesting and being uncontrolled. That he is the most powerful mutant ever.

This is the part that interests me the most and is the subject I want to talk about. Does David have schizophrenia and may be even DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder, used to be called multiple personality disorder, which is a mental illness where a person can have different personalities (alters) taking over one body at a time.) like his comic book counter-part? A part of me is hoping he does (that sounds bad but), hear me out.

Films/ books/ TV series etc. that deal with the idea of mutants often make the mental illness or issue a result of the mutation as in if the person was not a mutant than they would not have their mental illness or issue. An example I can think of is ‘non-sugar’ Rogue from the X-Men original movies. Her power is that she sucks the life out of people at first touch. This lack of human interaction and fear of being an accidental murder could lead her to depression which is a mental illness. If she was not a mutant she may not suffer depression. This may be a long shot and it is only MY theory but I am trying to link it to the idea that in many cases mutations could cause mental illnesses.

David could be different in that his mutation does not cause his schizophrenia but his schizophrenia can influence his powers.  Melanie (Jean Smart, smart lady who plays a smart character and her name is Jean like Jean Grey no wonder she was cast) has a hard time getting to know the inner working of his mind because she whole hearty believes that he is not mental ill and is just resisting treatment but that is not the case. He seems to want to get better and have control over his powers but something is stopping him and making it difficult for Melanie to help him. That something could be his mental illness that is there and real. She has mentioned that his mind is one that she has not seen before and that makes sense in that it is a combination with mutation and mental illness (which I think she doesn’t get).

This would make the series so much more interesting because it is a different take on mutants. We see them as people that have powers and outcasts but never as being mentally ill. The mind is a complex map of electricity and exploring the idea of mental illness in the mind of a mutant (like David) is a whole new spin. I’m not saying people who have mental illnesses (generally sorry if you do) are mutants I am saying that David is a mutant with a mental illness but if he was not a mutant he would still be mentally ill.

This is only my theory and I am not at all a specialist, or a doctor, heck for all you know I may not even be a person but my idea is something I like to ponder about and I hope they do not take a way his illness in the later episodes. Guess that makes me a sadist but it makes for a more interesting, fictional (important word) character. IMO.