I consider myself a big believer in good stories on screen. Give me a plot that makes sense and characters that change and I’ll watch it whether it’s a film, a television show, or a web series. Put it on a shiny screen and I’ll watch it like the pop culture veal I am.
But why do I, like so many other people, enjoy the ubiquitous genre of reality TV? In reality television, there are no real plots. Often, the characters don’t change. Only occasionally do they show glimpses of vulnerability while their misanthropic leanings, Machiavellian manipulations, addictions, compulsions, flagrant greed, and general dysfunction get overexposed in a debauched light. Do I only watch because I enjoy being a spectator to the misery of others and feeling superior to those who struggle with poor life choices?
FICTION BY MATT GAJEWSKI: Part one of a new three-part series
FICTION BY LELAND CHEUK: “In my class, Oscar is the ringleader. I imagine him growing to be a morally challenged authority figure: a crime organization don, a politician on the take, or an investment bank executive – hypercompetitive and lawless like the people I used to work for”
Our friends at Cellstories will be republishing works of fiction and creative nonfiction from Is Greater Than 2-3 times a month, optimized for reading on your mobile device.
A SHORT STORY BY LELAND CHEUK: “I am doing well up here in Portland – thank you for asking. I know how much it pains you to ask me anything.”
VALUE ADDED BY PAUL M. DAVIS: A roundup of culture of note, including the Tank Riot podcast, Wormwood, Nevada, For All Mankind, and Sleigh Bells
“WELCOME TO Neil Armstrong’s Giant Leap for Mankind Pancake House. My name is Mitch and I will be your server this morning.” Fiction by Matt Gajewski
Fiction by Mike Zapata
Lewis and Clark are Miami Beach traffic cops, Lewis the curmudgeonly, by-the-book veteran, Clark the brash, hotshot rookie…
Paul M Davis