#negativeopinions

[zenwords]

If you notice a negative opinion that upon closer inspection still appears to be valid, then you can limit the suffering by feeling compassion. Where there is suffering there is always an opportunity for compassion. 

— zenmister Extract from Suffering Opinions 

[zenwords]

— zenmister Extract from Suffering Opinions 

[talestoenrage]

StrexCorp issues.

I know we're still in the middle of a two parter for Night Vale (for the vast majority of listeners who couldn't attend the live show), but at this point my issues with the show are no longer about how the StrexCorp plot might conclude, and with the fact that it's been the main plot at all.

In a show where every conspiracy is true at once, of course the evil corporation was going to show up at some point. But I was uneasy with their more dedicated introduction, where they became owners in the Night Vale radio station. It immediately defanged the original station owners, and meant this would probably come up again as a direct plot, rather than a passing reference or vignette. And every time they've shown up since, it's involved taking over more of the town, enforcing a corporate hegemony. And to an extent you could argue this is the point-driving out the strangeness and menace of Night Vale with boring, bureaucratic bullshit can be a potent narrative.

Instead they tried to make StrexCorp themselves menacing and strange, and it falls flat for me. In effect, it makes the town of Night Vale less interesting not by draining the weirdness out of the town within the plot, but making them less exceptional, because there's something similar out there to buy them up. Combined with how long it's been strung out, it has made the show itself less interesting.

Was this just a pothole that the show got stuck in and is now getting out of? Or is it a sign of a more lasting decline? I'm hoping it's the former, especially since Night Vale seems like a concept with a lot of potential mileage. Besides, I'd much rather see it continue as a show I enjoy, since even in the middle of StrexCorp heavy episodes, there have been good things; The 'adorable' visitor that attacked Cecil, Lauren not-so-subtly threatening Cecil's extended family, and Kevin all around. And to be fair, I can't argue every episode beforehand was unalloyed gold; there was definitely a formula that was getting stale. Still, the sooner StrexCorp is done and dusted in Night Vale, the more I'll look forward to new episodes rather than being ambivalent.

[ultrasoft-like-2-ply]

"Expensive things aren't for you because you can't take care of them. You destroy everything you touch."