New Vid: "It Depends On What You Pay" (Dollhouse)

[giandujakiss]

Song: It Depends On What You Pay from The Fantasticks
Artist: Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones

Fandom: Dollhouse

Summary: You've come a long way, baby.

Spoilers: Through "Haunted"

Sizes: 30.8 MB (540 x 360 .avi), 13.3 MB (420 x 280 .wmv)
Length: 2:48

Download from Sendspace: The .avi file is here and the .wmv file is here.

Notes and Warnings:

I'm really not sure if a warning is necessary here, but I'd rather err on the side of caution and say that the song may be a bit ... triggery? Possibly.

It Depends On What You Pay is from the 1960 off-Broadway musical The Fantasticks. The original production of The Fantasticks ran continuously for 42 years, making it the world's longest running musical. By 1990, however, for reasons that will be obvious when you see the vid, It Depends On What You Pay had been largely excised from the show. Recent productions of The Fantasticks either include the song with a different set of lyrics, or delete it entirely and substitute a new song in its place.

The version used in the vid is from the original cast recording, and is performed by Jerry Orbach. It has been edited for length.

Watch on Vimeo

Password: omega


Thanks so much to cathexys, danegen, sol_se, and Thuvia Ptarth for their comments. Any flaws are entirely my own.

Comments would be appreciated. Cross-posted to LJ.

Comments

[hammerxsword.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen Dollhouse so I can't comment on the very important issues clearly raised here, but wow, what a vid. Of the 'omg watching a rather brilliant executed car crash' kind of way, so well done for making me twitch and wince. Kudos for the execution.

[giandujakiss]

Yeah, I don't have a lot of faith either. Between what I gather Fox demanded, and Joss's comments in interviews, I'm not convinced he fully understands the problems and/or is motivated to deal with them so ... yeah.

But I'm delighted you liked the vid - thank you so much!

[giandujakiss]

Thanks! I'm really glad it had such an effect on you, even without knowing the source!

Re: The video

[(Anonymous)]

Right, because no one could have personal issues with rape. How abnormal.

Seriously, this vid was killer. Blackly funny and very biting. Good work!

Re: The video

[giandujakiss]

Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it :-).

[jesse_the_k]

Thank you for eloquently explaining why I just couldn't stomach the show. I kept hearing "just wait 'til #6" and like its earlier iterations I was watching through my fingers until I threw the remote across the room.

*shiver* that song! yay you!

[lady_ganesh]

This is amazing. And depressing. Thank you.

Re: No rape

[lady_ganesh]

That's interesting, because when Sierra's handler was fucking her between assignments, I believe they actually did call it rape, and she certainly didn't want to. Not to mention the man Sierra did not want to have sex with who sold her to the Dollhouse. If anything, we have no proof they're consenting ever, at all.

[giandujakiss]

Yeah, Episode 6 didn't fix it for me either. I think the show got better and more interesting, but the fundamental problems remain and in some ways got worse for me. I'm glad the vid spoke to you - thanks!

[giandujakiss]

You're welcome! I'm glad you thought it worked, even if it was depressing. It was depressing for me, too.

[lady_ganesh]

Yeah, I don't envy all the work and re-watching that must've gone into it!

[wembley]

Oh, wow, you edited the song, too? I've never heard the song before this vid and I had no idea it was even edited. Flawless, dude!

[giandujakiss]

Hee - yeah, it's much longer. There's like a whole 'nother deeply offensive verse in there. It pained me to leave it out.

[mswyrr]

They're having a discussion of Dollhouse over on Hathor Legacy and I was about to cite your vid until I saw that somebody else had: it's just perfect. You've used your amazing skill to tenderly and ruthlessly dissect every vicious note hiding not so far beneath the surface of the show, and because it's visual, you can use the images the PTB themselves put together to make your point. Marvelously effective, and I'm so glad you took the time and effort to do it. Bravo!

Now, for the purposes of my own mental health, I'm gonna go watch your Mulder & Scully vid, because it makes me so happy.

[giandujakiss]

Oh, thank you so much! I'm so happy that you liked both vids - and heh yeah, it was a very different experience to work on them :-). I'm really glad It Depends On What You Pay worked for you; I was very uncertain about it while I was making it, but I've since been very gratified by the response. So thank you!

[ktempest.livejournal.com]

I'd like to post this on Fantasy Magazine along with a discussion, is that all right with you?

[giandujakiss]

Whoops! Wasn't logged in - Sure, you can post. I'm flattered you like it so much. Thank you!

[eisen]

I never managed to make it past episode 2 of DOLLHOUSE; thank you for explaining why in visual form, because I was a bit confused about why I wasn't giving it more of a chance myself, given how many people I knew who were, and given that I'd said I would try.

But, you know, this makes it perfectly clear! I have enough series I follow with dubious consent issues and faily bits, I don't need another one. Especially not one where the writing is bad (or untrustworthy), too. My initial reaction after watching this was, in fact, to rear back in horror and go AUGH! really loudly and console myself with the fact that I'll never, ever actually have to watch DOLLHOUSE again. (This vid, if anything, reminds me most strongly of "Handlebars" for DOCTOR WHO (new series) and "Women's Work" for SPN as vids that so utterly rearranged the way I looked at the canon that I was glad when I realized I no longer had the time or interest in watching the series they were made about because the vids had squicked me out so effectively I'd never be able to shake the nausea in my gut while watching the shows ever again.)

Also, dear God, I've never actually seen THE FANTASTICKS, but that song, aaaah. Is the rest of the play that mercilessly vicious?

[giandujakiss]

Oh, it's such an incredible compliment to be put in the same category as Handlebars and Women's Work, so thank you so much! And if your initial reaction was to rear back then - that's great, it's pretty much what I was going for :-).

As for the play - it's more, umm, bittersweet? I'm not really sure how to describe it, but it's hilarious and bittersweet and sort of wistful. It's really a wonderful musical - there's a reason it ran 42 years and then was revived just 4 years later. It Depends On What You Pay just sort of ... stood out, more and more over time.

[acari]

It's finally a new month so I can watch this vid without blowing my download cap.

I watched the last two episodes after I had reached a breaking point early on with a scene your vid only featured briefly. The one where "Echo" is a thief and pretends to have been assaulted to gain access to security. That scene pissed me off so much. Shows which have built a relationship of trust with me can do that, Dollhouse had no right to expect me to swallow that without wanting to break things. It seems like Dollhouse recovered from the 'omg so boring' issues I had with it, but I still find it hugely problematic how it wants to have its cake and eat it too.

I find it funny that of all the Dollhouse staff, the one I find most icky both on the show and in your vid is Topher. The clips of him you chose were perfect. I want the little artiste to die in a fire.

Dollhouse deserves all the critique it gets and this vid works very well to illustrate its skeeviness. The cheery song makes the lyrics and visuals extra creepy.

[giandujakiss]

I'm glad you liked it! Yeah, it bugs me that as the show goes on, we get more and more signals that we're supposed to like Topher, that we're supposed to feel sorry for him - and it's just ... among the many issues I have. I'm so happy you thought the vid illustrated the problems with the show - and with Topher specifically. Thanks!

[theboozetube.wordpress.com]

I linked to your AWESOME video on this post:

http://theboozetube.wordpress.com/2009/05/05/we-have-to-rape-this-village-to-save-it/

[giandujakiss]

Hey - thanks! I'm delighted you enjoyed the video, and that the point came through :-).

Manual trackback

[susanreads]

I also linked to your awesome video: On not watching Dollhouse.
Thank you for watching the show so I don't have to.

Re: Manual trackback

[giandujakiss]

Oh, thanks - I'm delighted you liked the vid!