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Tonight I was watching Stephen King's Bag of Bones and noticed a common motif - a famous author moves to a small, remote town, and encounters X. What caught my attention wasn't the weird, small town motif [I can relate to that one!
], it is that so often the main character is a writer. Could this be because authors like to write about authors? Funny.
Another one that I've noticed over years is that, according to many popular TV shows, the average person is far more talented, and is clearly trained in song and dance to a much greater extent than one would ever find in the real world. Perhaps the most cliché abuse of this motif is the "sing around the piano". Have you ever been to a party where everyone stands around a piano and sings? Does your family do this? Do you know or have you ever met anyone who sits down, plays the piano, and sings for the crowd? Given that most struggling actors, as the adage goes, are failed rock stars, it isn't surprising to see this bias.
Funny enough, just recently I met a musically inclined family that in fact gathers around the piano and sings. I couldn’t believe it! That makes, one.
Presumably the singaround was common before we had modern devices like wire recorders and Victrolas.
Another one that I've noticed over years is that, according to many popular TV shows, the average person is far more talented, and is clearly trained in song and dance to a much greater extent than one would ever find in the real world. Perhaps the most cliché abuse of this motif is the "sing around the piano". Have you ever been to a party where everyone stands around a piano and sings? Does your family do this? Do you know or have you ever met anyone who sits down, plays the piano, and sings for the crowd? Given that most struggling actors, as the adage goes, are failed rock stars, it isn't surprising to see this bias.
Funny enough, just recently I met a musically inclined family that in fact gathers around the piano and sings. I couldn’t believe it! That makes, one.
Presumably the singaround was common before we had modern devices like wire recorders and Victrolas.
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