MiscellaneOz

[vovat]

Ozlection - A comment from speciesof1 made me wonder if I should be cross-posting my Oz posts to thelostoz, and I thought I'd put it to a vote. I ended up rejecting the Woggle-Bug's idea of everyone voting with their right shoes as impractical, but the Scarecrow helped me set up this straw poll.

[Poll #1378523]

Just Visiting - I've finally finished reading The Visitors from Oz, a collection of the Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz newspaper columns. Written not long after the second Oz book, these stories feature the main cast of Land (except for Tip, for obvious reasons) visiting the United States. Despite being the work of L. Frank Baum himself, I don't consider these stories canonical, for two main reasons. One is that they show the Ozites working all sorts of magic that they don't have access to in the main series, but more important than this is that Baum himself didn't seem to think of the stories as canonical. There's no mention of these adventures in the main Oz series, and Dorothy never acknowledges that the Ozites visited her in Kansas before the events of Ozma. Some people have also objected to artificial constructs like the Scarecrow and Jack Pumpkinhead being fully alive in the Outside World, but I'm not sure this is a problem. After all, John Dough was fully alive in an American city, as were several non-flesh-and-blood people and creatures in Ruth Plumly Thompson's Oz books. On the other hand, all of these constructs did very quickly leave the United States for a magical land, usually under very suspicious circumstances. It's almost like the mundane world is rejecting them. That might be something to address in a future post. But getting back to Visitors, the stories are very inconsistent in quality. Some are adventure or morality tales, while others have the characters just observing something or hanging around and talking. I think I can see why these stories eventually just fizzled out, with no real conclusion. Also, I rarely see how anyone could possibly have figured out what the Woggle-Bug said at the end of the early stories. Speaking of the insect, the volume also includes The Woggle-Bug Book, a tie-in to the Queer Visitors stories with a plot involving the Woggle-Bug chasing after a plaid dress, and a cast of characters jam-packed with offensive stereotypes. No wonder these tales aren't especially popular nowadays. I have no complaints about the volume itself, though, which features plenty of new illustrations by Eric Shanower.

The City Is Always Greener - In an e-mail conversation with billiedoll, the subject of the green glasses that the Wizard of Oz made everyone wear back when he ruled the Emerald City came up. I'll admit that this is something in the books that's always confused me. In Wizard, the Wizard confesses to Dorothy that the Emerald City isn't any more green than any other city, but the glasses make it look that way. This is hinted at when Dorothy's green dress fades to white upon leaving the city and the spectacles. When viewed from afar without glasses, however, the city still looks green. So is it only the wall and the buildings higher than the wall that are actually green? Did the Wizard institute the glasses because the builders ran out of green marble? As per Land, the policy of wearing spectacles continues on into the Scarecrow's reign, and the Guardian of the Gates dutifully gives glasses to Jack and the Sawhorse. Other characters enter the capital without the glasses, however, and nobody makes a comment as to how things no longer look green. Ozma apparently discontinued the use of green glasses, but there's no indication that the city didn't still look primarily green. The description in Emerald City states, "There are other jewels used in the decorations inside the houses and palaces, such as rubies, diamonds, sapphires, amethysts and turquoises. But in the streets and upon the outside of the buildings only emeralds appear, from which circumstance the place is named the Emerald City of Oz." While the green glasses fit well into the Wizard's role as humbug magician, Baum seems to have more or less forgotten about them by the time of Ozma, although the Guardian does wear a pair in Road. Any thoughts on this matter?

Confidentially Speaking - I tried out the demo of the game Emerald City Confidential, and I must say I liked it. It's sort of a noir take on the Oz series, featuring lots of characters from the books, but altering them somewhat to make them fit the style. It's obvious that the creators were familiar with the books, though, and I might just have to pay for the full download at some point. My main worry is that I'm not sure it would have any real replay value. Anyway, be sure to check it out here.

The Best of Both Rainbows - According to the director of the Hannah Montana movie, Miley Cyrus is the new Judy Garland. According to him, "Ms. Garland wasn't a hit until she was 16 as Dorothy in the overrated film, 'The Wizard of Oz'. Cyrus has been popular since she was 12 and got a role in Tim Burton's 'Big Fish' at age 6. Honestly, I believe she has more potential then Garland or even Shirley Temple." While Wizard was Judy's first real starring role, though, she was definitely acting before that. Really, while I don't have any love for Destiny Hope Cyrus, I can't say I've ever been a particular fan of Frances Ethel Gumm, either. I mean, she was a good singer, but wasn't her famous performance as Dorothy a bit overly frantic? As a fan of the Oz books, I have kind of a love-hate relationship with the 1939 MGM film anyway. On the one hand, it's pretty much impossible not to like the movie, and it IS cool that something Oz-related is such a significant part of our culture. And hey, there's a good chance I never would have heard of the books if it hadn't been for the movie. On the other hand, I do have to resent how thoroughly the film has superseded the book. But really, is referring to a beloved classic as "overrated" the best way to generate publicity for your movie? Oh, well. Probably most of the kids that the Hannah Montana film is geared toward don't even know who Judy Garland and Shirley Temple are.

They Say It's Your Birthday - Finally, happy birthday to fellow Oz fan shadarko!

Comments

[carvinkeeper12.livejournal.com]

Ooh! I have an opinion on the Emerald City thing!

I always figured that the buildings and roads had emeralds embedded every so often, but close enough together to make the city glint green in the sunlight, thus making the city appear green from far away. I don't know about the wall, perhaps it really is green. The Wizard maybe wanted to heighten it even more with the specs, but because of the emeralds in the buildings and streets nobody commented on the Emerald City not being green later.

I dunno, that's how I explained it to myself.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

I think that makes sense. It still leaves the question as to WHY the Wizard wanted the city to look greener than it was, but I suppose the tricks of a stage magician don't all have to be done for a reason.

[ozma914.livejournal.com]

Maybe, having lived through so many gray, dry summers and dead, icy winters in the USA, he just wanted to see a lot of green? That's how it works for me.

[kevenn.livejournal.com]

I figured when Ozma took the throne, she had the Emerald City done up right so that it lived up to its name.

Fuck Miley Cyrus and her director! What a fraud!

And Judy Garland was the greatest entertainer that ever lived!

[vovat.livejournal.com]

I can only figure that director is trying to stir up controversy. After all, no publicity is bad publicity, right?

[vilajunkie.livejournal.com]

I'm not really a fan of either Shirley Temple or Judy Garland, but I don't think Miley Cyrus compares. Miley wouldn't even have had a job as an actress/singer if it wasn't for her dad and his work. But I didn't know that was her in "Big Fish"! I liked that movie when I saw it, even though I'm not wild about it enough to watch it again.

STILL haven't read "Visitor from Oz" or "The Woggle-Bug Book", but they're both on my list.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

Miley wouldn't even have had a job as an actress/singer if it wasn't for her dad and his work.

For some reason, it seems to be generally accepted nowadays that the child of a celebrity should automatically become famous themselves, even if they don't actually DO anything. But what do you expect in a society where people who are only rich because of inheritance somehow think poor people are lazy?

I feel much the same way about Big Fish. I liked it, but it's not something I need to see again.

I had previously read all of The Woggle-Bug Book and some of the Visitors stories via other media, but never actually sat down and read all of the columns in book form until recently. And I've been an Oz fan for twenty years, so I guess you can say they were never really a priority for me.

[graycardinal]

A thought on the Emerald City problem:

I've postulated the idea in my Yuletide Oz stories ("The Solitary Sorceress of Oz" and "Four Views of General Jinjur") that when Mombi transformed Ozma into Tip, parts of Lurline's enchantment over Oz fell into abeyance. (Glinda says in "Solitary Sorceress" that she couldn't unlock the Great Book of Records during that period, and in "General Jinjur", two characters report that children, at least, aged normally during the period while Ozma was enspelled.)

The "fading" of the Emerald City might well be another artifact of Mombi's enchantment. While Ozma (or another legitimate ruler in Lurline's line) is in place, the Emerald City is naturally and permanently green as a natural manifestation of her fairy nature and authority. When Mombi turns her into the human Tip, the city's enhanced emerald coloration fades and disappears, requiring the Wizard to create and disseminate the green spectacles in order to sustain the city's appearance of green-ness.

There are aspects of the matter that this theory doesn't fully resolve, perhaps most notably surrounding the "Lost Princess" storyline (i.e. should Ugu's spell of imprisonment have created similar problems). But it strikes me as addressing a good many of the anomalies that "Land" introduces into Oz history.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

I think that's an interesting idea, and ties into Michael Patrick Hearn's idea that the enchantment is only in full effect when the rightful ruler is on the throne (which would let out the Wizard, the Scarecrow, and Jinjur). But why would the Emerald City, which was built by the Wizard, be affected by this? Then again, Lost King does mention that there was a palace in the area before the Wizard's arrival, and maybe materials from this palace and whatever settlements were nearby were used to construct the new city.

[ozma914.livejournal.com]

I think that idea makes more sense than anything else we've heard in pulling it all together ... plus, it leaves us with a plot bunny of Ozite archeologists uncoverinig the old castle!

[rockinlibrarian.livejournal.com]

I think the posting-a-post-one-place-and-linking-to-it-other places thing is a good idea-- it saves people who read both/all those places from getting their friends' page clogged, but allows people who only read one or the other access. I don't know where would be the best place to post the originals-- on one hand, on a community/list/whatever devoted to the subject gives immediate access to the people who are most likely to be interested; on the other, having the main post be at your own journal personalizes it more-- gives you more ownership and is part of the flavor of your journal.

I don't get Miley Cyrus's director. How does her becoming a star a few years in age before Judy Garland make her poised to take over the crown? Couldn't she just as easily crash and burn like most of the other child/teen stars over the course of history?

[rockinlibrarian.livejournal.com]

Also, I cheated on the "Oz Authors Whose Works You HAve Read" question. I in fact have read at least one book by Eloise McGraw. It just didn't happen to be an Oz book.

I've read bits and pieces of the original Wonderful Wizard of Oz, but not enough to justify saying that I've actually read it.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

Which McGraw book did you read? The only non-Oz book of hers that I've read was The Moorchild, which I liked.

As for Miley and young stars in general, Beth and I were just talking the other day about how young male celebrities usually tend to have more staying power. Miley might well continue to have a career of some sort, but it's unlikely that her current wave of popularity will last into her adult years.

[rockinlibrarian.livejournal.com]

The Moorchild is the one I definitely remember, but I'm not sure if I've read more-- not on my List of Books I've Read, but I have the idea that there may be others by her I read or started to read or something but forgot to write down.

[speciesof1.livejournal.com]

I wonder why Baum made QUEER VISITORS non-canonical? It might have had inconsistencies, but it's not like the books themselves don't.

Regarding the Emerald City, I've entertained the notion that it's a "power of belief" thing. So many people believed the Emerald City was green that the City eventually started buying into its own hype and thinking of itself as green. The complete lack of any evidence that the Emerald City is alive puts the kibosh on that half-formed theory, though.

"And hey, there's a good chance I never would have heard of the books if it hadn't been for the movie."

Yeah, for that reason, I'll always be thankful for the movie. In fact, I used to be a huge fan of the movie until the books superseded that place in my heart.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

I wonder why Baum made QUEER VISITORS non-canonical?

Not entirely sure, but maybe he just thought the idea of some of the main Oz characters having visited the United States didn't fit with what he was trying to do with the later books.

The complete lack of any evidence that the Emerald City is alive puts the kibosh on that half-formed theory, though.

Actually, there's plenty of evidence in the Neill books for the city being alive.

[speciesof1.livejournal.com]

"Not entirely sure, but maybe he just thought the idea of some of the main Oz characters having visited the United States didn't fit with what he was trying to do with the later books."

That makes sense.

"Actually, there's plenty of evidence in the Neill books for the city being alive."

Really? Cool! I knew Neill tended to make lots of objects and things in his stories alive, but I didn't know the Emerald City was one of them.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

Yeah, there's a scene in Wonder City with the houses of the Emerald City fighting each other. Kind of disturbing, really.

[ozma914.livejournal.com]

My conclusion is that the Emerald City isn't purely green, but is decorated heavily with the color ... it could be the Wizard liked the idea of his city being entirely green, so he came up with the glasses idea; and by the time he left people were so used to them that they'd become a tradition that took awhile to fade.

That director sure managed to piss a lot of people off in one statement, didn't he? Miley Cyrus isn't a bad singer or actor, but she's hardly of classic caliber. As for Judy Garland's performance, I'd imagine that was the way she was directed, and her scenery chewing was normal of young actors of the time. Meanwhile, much as I prefer the books, I take great exception to calling "Wizard" overrated.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

Admittedly, I've never watched an episode of Hannah Montana, so I can't say for sure how Miley is as an actress. I do think what I've heard of her music is pretty cloying, but obviously some Disney producer thinks that's what kids want (and, judging by their financial success, they might be right).

As for Judy Garland's performance, I'd imagine that was the way she was directed, and her scenery chewing was normal of young actors of the time.

And of young actors in Disney Channel original programming, for that matter. {g}

Meanwhile, much as I prefer the books, I take great exception to calling "Wizard" overrated.

But don't you know that dissing something everyone loves automatically makes you a cool, rebellious type? :P

[ozma914.livejournal.com]

I don't know; unlike a lot of my flisters (and my girlfriend) I *like* pop music; I don't worry about whether it's "art" or not, I either like it or I don't. I can say with confidence that Miley is a better actress and singer than 90% of everyone else out there, but anyone who's suffered through early eps of American Idol knows that's not saying much.

Anyway, even when I was younger I was never cool, and certainly not rebellious! Truth is, it bugs the heck out of me when someone attacks anyone else just because they don't personally like that person's music/show/book/whatever. Not that there isn't awful entertainment out there (see: American Idol), but I was brought up in the "if you don't like it, keep your mouth shut" camp.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

Well, it's not like I dislike all pop music, or even all cheesy pop. I just think a lot of children's music is kind of talking down (musically) to the kids. I guess I haven't really heard enough of Miley's music to tell you whether it's true in her case, but I kind of get that impression.

Not that there isn't awful entertainment out there (see: American Idol), but I was brought up in the "if you don't like it, keep your mouth shut" camp.

I try not to discriminate on the basis of taste, but I don't keep my mouth shut about what I like and dislike, either. I generally don't begrudge anyone for being enthusiastic about something, though. What bothers me is when people listen to something just because it's popular, without putting any actual thought into the matter.

[ozma914.livejournal.com]

I used to hear a lot of her music, and it didn't seem to me as if it talked down to kids. My impression was that a lot of adults hate it because they don't get that it's *for* kids, just like some adults hate Barney the Dinosaur or Mister Rogers because they can't see them from a kid's standpoint. Now we're getting the same reaction to a lot of the "tween" shows, because tweens love them but they're boring to adults -- so the adults naturally think they must be terrible shows.

I'm with you on not watching or listening to something just because it's popular. I've heard songs in every genre (even rap!) that I loved, and songs in every genre that I hated; I either like 'em or not, and that includes kids tunes, Christmas carols, pop, and opera. But, as I'm sure you know, there are far too many that will always be unwilling to give a song a chance from the instant they hear what title has been affixed to it. I also suspect there's a certain amount of jealousy involved: "I can't get famous singing, and I'm 34, so not 15 year old has the right to get famous singing!"

I know *I'm* jealous. I'd sing whatever they wanted me to, if it would get me a recording contract.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

My impression was that a lot of adults hate it because they don't get that it's *for* kids, just like some adults hate Barney the Dinosaur or Mister Rogers because they can't see them from a kid's standpoint.

While some of Mr. Rogers' songs do sound a bit crazy to an adult's ears, I don't see how it could even be possible to hate the guy. Barney, on the other hand...I'm not sure how even a little kid could stand that voice. And, of course, I much prefer music that both adults AND kids can enjoy.

I'd sing whatever they wanted me to, if it would get me a recording contract.

Even though it might result in your being referred to for the rest of your life (and beyond) as "the guy who sang that crappy song about rutabagas"?

[ozma914.livejournal.com]

Oh, sure, I'll be the rutabagas buy. The thing about people who become popular at singing children's songs is that most of them truly love what they're doing, and there are a lot worse ways to spend your life than that!

Don't get me wrong -- I'd still rather write novels.