Tori Amos, Sex with God, and other babblings...

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: You know, LLR, you have a point here. The whole Virgin/Whore complex is something I've noticed in all of Smith's films. But I don't think it's something he's totally unaware of, hell, the spiritual/sexual split and the consequences of making that distinction are entirely laid out in the character of Alyssa and her relationship with Holden. It's not so very surprising a theme coming from a very Catholic filmmaker. : I usually avoid mentioning this subject as its one thing that I'm a bit squeamish about with the man's work...I don't like to presume on anybody's motives. I don't know that Smitty himself has big Virgin/Whore issues (although I've never met a hetero man that didn't to some extent) and I don't really want to know. I like to think of the man as James Dean reincarnate, the social rebel, and though I know he's coming from a relatively traditional viewpoint I balk at elements in the films that smack of conservatism and status quo. : I was raised pagan, I'm not used to these kinds of things. : : Right, then. : : What is the deal with Bethany's yearnings? Even when Janeane's cameo suggests that she should "get filled," there's no indication that this poor woman is anywhere near horny. : : Is it men? Is it her uterus? Is it both of the aforementioned and more besides? : I think a great deal of it has to do with the way that Linda played the character. As written, there's significant room for Bethany to give off the do-me-baby vibe, but flirtatiousness was not a trait she chose to portray. Despite Janeane's comments, Bethany was definitely not rarin' to go. : On the other hand, we know Linda got line readings, so one must presume that she gave the performance that Smith wanted her to give. : Overt sexuality was not to be an option for Bethany apparently...but then most of his supposed followers claim that it was not an option for her great-great-great-greater uncle Yeshua ben Miriam (Jesus for you who lead towards the Grecian translation) either. Plus, had Bethany shown any sign of being a frisky lil' mama the immaculateness of her later conception would be called into question. : Not that you and I classify "non-sexual" with being "immaculate", but we're talking Catholic dogma here. Orgasms are the devil's bribes. : Could it be a coincidence that all the divine/immortal beings in "Dogma" are neutered and cannot enjoy the pleasures of the flesh? Indeed, Metatron absolutely scoffs at sex, calls it a joke...yet Rufus tells us how the dead watch the living...a bunch of celibate voyeurs in heaven peering at naked humans but never touching. Yowza! : : To say that The Metatron's (aka. God...one could opine that "DOGMA" perseveres as "women's erotica" in a way that "Chasing Amy" merely skims) gift to Bethany is a miracle is to short-change the obvious. That said, it's also the most convenient artificial insemination (actually, I know that semen is far from the point here...or is it...I mean, just because some Divine-sperm blessed her with the mystery of conception, doesn't make the gesture any less on God/Metatron's part...or myself semen-obsessed for mentioning it...) I've yet seen in a film... : There's no semen involved in creating a divine baby (not amongst this crowd, anyways...sheesh, let me not be caught in the "Dogma" universe on a Saturday night). The child has no physical father, God has other ways of getting the deed done. She's got the technology, after all. : : Janeane (what's her name?...anyone?...anyone?) tells Bethany (you see, it's just weird for me to refer to one character by the performer whilst acknowledging the performer's-fiction with the other) that she needs to go and "...ask God for a third option," and a this foreshadows a third option which is...well, a mild controversy to my mind (at least, with regards to Bethany's desires...and her malefaction, that being the loss of her uterus) : Interesting. As I said, it doesn't seem that Bethany ever really did need to "get filled" in the sense that Janeane (yeah, I know it's wierd, but ya gotta do what ya gotta) meant. She didn't need to get laid, she needed something to fill the emotional void. What she really wanted was a child...God provided the third option (to lesbianism or traditional hetero companionship): immaculate conception. : : Is Bethany frigid? : I doubt it. : : Was she quite prepared to swear off intercourse for life? : Maybe. She'd been fucked over, but frankly, I don't think anybody's going to declare permanent celibacy 'cause their husband was an arsehole. : : That said, I've noticed a trend for the odd-numbered ViewAskew films to feature women who are or were (or both) amourous to the point of amorality (as perceived by those fuckin' goateed-Catholic guys...the fuck's our prob....er, their problem?) whereas the even-numbered offerings feature women who are disgusted that they fuck their men, women who blanch at the idea of "making whoopee" (poor Brandy had to wait for the next even numbered flick before the writer decided to give her good head via Banky)... : Yeah, and even then he had her father walk in pre-denouement. Brandy forgot the cardinal rule. No matter what a licker tells you, you must remember this one thing: ALWAYS lock the door when giving or receiving head. Man, that made me mad, poor Brandy was about to get some. : And Darth *is* freakishly handsome, isn't he? Although the header picture over on his site makes him resemble Kevin Smith's rogueishly evil doppelganger. : Anyways, to summarize, the God of "Dogma" is not a sexualized God, or even a gendered God (although certainly in traditional Catholic theology He is He), thus I see it as natural that the tale not be a hot steamy one. Indeed, it must be as dry as the desert from whence the three-headed God religion(s) arose. There is no sex in the champagne room. : Had it been a tale of Pan or Krishna or Isis, things would be different. : Regarding a comment you made about our mutually-beloved redhead chaunteuse, I would LOVE to see a female protagonist in a ViewAskew film who is strong, spiritual, sexual and self-respecting. Tori would be marvelous, but I don't think she and Smith would be a good fit. : As odd as it may sound, I think this may be too conservative an operation for Tori. If sucking 37 dicks or participating in consensual menage-a-trois earns one the label of profane slut in the Askewniverse, I can't imagine what effect the woman who wrote the line "So you can make me come, that doesn't make you Jesus" would have. : -- Isis : Now have a seat while I take to the sky.

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