THIS WEEK IN XENA NEWS.... TWXN 38 10/18/96 Brought to you by Xena: Media Review (XMR): http://www.teleport.com/~gater/IAXS/IAXS.html XMR is a periodic annotated world press review of reports regarding the internationally syndicated television show XENA: Warrior Princess (1995 - ) and the castmembers, Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor. For a free e-mail subscription send "subscribe XMR" to ktaborn@lightspeed.net. Excerpts from the following cites will appear in future issues of XMR. EDITOR APOLOGY: Sorry about overloading you on TWXNs, but #37 and #38 were supposed to be one issue, but the intro to #37 and the last annotation of #38 grew to be too large for one issue. [ ] 10-15-96 THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE. Tuesday. Page E-3. 1213 words. "Xena Allure Makes Her Legend in His Own Mind" By Welton Jones (welton.jones@uniontrib.com) COMMENTARY: This item was Welton Jones first substantial XWP article. Previously Mr. Jones had mentioned XWP in an aside using it as an example of a quality show (he mentioned it along with NYPD Blue) (San Diego Union-Tribune, 10-01-96, page E-1, "The Current Cosby Creation Leaves Him Cold"). This time up to bat, Mr. Jones devoted 1213 words to XWP. After comparing the birth of Xena to the birth of Venus, he made the observation that Xena, as a character, was "the most likely new candidate since Mr. Spock and Darth Vader" to become a new folk hero. Mr. Jones opined on what aided XWP's rise to the top: that it's syndicated ("Could be this floating schedule exposed her to a wider audience than a fixed weekly spot") and the title of the show ("Maybe the lurid, comic strip title snagged a few more viewers"). Mr. Jones continued with a personal story of his discovery of XWP ("I stumbled across Xena last season, while looking for something mindless to accompany Saturday night dinner."), and concluded that "Right away I got hooked and, all things being equal, there are few current television shows I prefer now more than this pungent stew of Classic Comics mythology, kung fu flicks, computer tricks, science fiction, fairy tales, arcade games, cheesecake, slapstick, campy romp and buddy epic that all blends so smoothly together." This article, perhaps, is the best example so far of a trend I having been noting in news coverage of XWP. At last, professional tv-watchers are coming out of the closet to defend and extol XWP. They are not afraid to admit their bias towards the show and use an almost proselytizing demeanor in their writing. For example, Mr. Jones then justified his interest in XWP by listing what he believed to be what made XWP so compelling. He listed them in order of importance: (1) Heroism. Mr. Jones alluded to the battle between Xena's quest for morality and redemption and the curse and pull of her past. (2) Atmosphere. Citing New Zealand landscapes as compelling, he also stated "The large and vivid crowds, the complex special effects, the rich textures of the decor, the vast outdoor panoramas and even the broad overacting of the supporting players all contribute to an accumulated sense of importance." (3) Attitude. In a reference to the producers purposefulness in ignoring inconsistencies, Mr. Jones noted "A gee-whiz sense of wonder balances precisely with the casual hangout humor to solve deftly the problem of access between eras." He also brought up the "shared conspiracy" which was created between the show and the viewers regarding such "inconsistencies". (4) Casting. Mr. Jones was clearly impressed with Lucy Lawless. He wrote, "Her presence is commanding and her athleticism is formidable, but her real secret is the intelligent sensitivity she brings to her acting. While Xena certainly is what the Irish call 'a fine broth of a girl,' careful study reveals the sophistication of Lawless' technique." (5) Stories. Citing the rich repository of ancient Greek mythology, Mr. Jones recognized that the creators of XWP did not limit themselves to that. He cited Goliath appearing in a show (playing this week!) and Bacchus as a bad guy. Mr. Jones observed, "By remaining vague about the show's dates (roughly 1000 B.C.) and background (something about a wronged girl who learns martial arts to seek revenge), the producers provide themselves limitless opportunities for borrowing legends to retool." After listing these aspects of the show, Mr. Jones then compared XWP to HTLJ and HTLJ came up short. "They both handle the action with a hero's aplomb but she [Xena] gleams with the added glow of the unexpected, a fictional hero both resourceful and efficient who also happens to be a major babe." He then criticized the first two episodes of HTLJ stating that "The villains are mere cartoons, the plots are clumsy (a female scribe does a tiresome enterprising reporter bit) and Sorbo seems bemused to find himself, as the greatest hero in history, helping jolly peasants with their yardwork." Mr. Jones then stated, "No such drift with Xena". To be fair, he did criticize XWP by stating, "her season premiere does labor through enough alternate universe gibberish to stir interest aboard the starship Enterprise." [Apparently, Mr. Jones was confused and actually referred to the second show of the new season REMEMBER ME, and not the first show, ORPHAN OF WAR]. On the debate of which show was better, Mr. Jones concluded with the observation, "There's a temptation to see these two series as interchangeable. But Xena is pulling away in the subtlety stakes, thanks to the little mysteries that surround her past and her future." Mr. Jones obviously prided himself in his knowledge of both shows and felt he knew them well enough to compare them. This is not a review of a casual viewer or of a reviewer who just watched a couple tapes in order to make copy. Mr. Jones continued to reveal his personal interest in the show by making a comparison between the side kicks of Hercules and Xena: Iolaus and Gabrielle, respectively. Mr. Jones concluded that Gabrielle was more interesting than Iolaus because "Sorbo and Michael Hurst (as Iolaus) do a lot of guy stuff to compensate. But Xena and Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) are another matter. When they cuddle, the air is charged with romance. And, believe me, the Internet is buzzing." Cuddle? [Sorry, couldn't help it]. My favorite line in the article was "Unless you're really obsessed with metaphors, both shows are, finally, just well-crafted escapist nonsense." THERE'S THE RUB: "Unless you are really obsessed with metaphors..." Well, about three quarters of Xena fandom are OBSESSED with metaphors. The charm of the show is that it's jam-packed with metaphors, symbolism, references, nuances, double-entendres, dumb jokes, corny situations, etc. That is why Craig Miller in his SPECTRUM, No. 5, May 1995, review of XWP episode THE RECKONING (XMR262) was wrong when he wrote "Xena is certainly not an allegory, and we doubt that it employs, or even attempts, symbolism." [This statement was discussed in more detail in "Xena as Allegory", my editorial in XENA MEDIA REVIEW (XMR #12).] Mr. Jones has clearly grasped a fundamental understanding about XWP and its meaning to many in fandom. In concluding the article, Mr. Jones returned to the theme that he believed that XWP was here to stay. He wrote, "Other than the obvious opportunity for women to identify with a hero as assertive, confident, daring and crafty as any man, the creators of Xena also offer a vivid central character at home in a timeless universe and just waiting for an entire history of her own. It isn't often that we can watch the birth of a new legend." This article is easily the non-intellectual counterpart of the most seminal articles on XWP published to date. The "seminal" articles being, THE VILLAGE VOICE, (XMR115) 12-26-95, page 47, "Xenaphilia" by Stacey D'Erasmo; MS MAGAZINE, (XMR322), Vol 7, No. 1, July/August 1996, page 74, "Xena. She's Big, Tall, Strong--and Popular" by Donna Minkowitz; and THE WASHINGTON POST, (XMR pending) 09-21-96, page C01, "Woman of Steel; Television's Warrior Xena Is a Superheroine With Broad Appeal" by Elizabeth Kastor.