#robinwilliamsgate

[nightnut]

Conformitygate, Robin Williams and Peter Weir:

not only “The Truman’s Show” — but also “Dead Poet Society” with queer icon Robin Williams

So, I’ve been thinking whether Dead Poet Society was the DB’s inspiration and, well, Mike’s a writer, “society” is Dead Poet, and DPS is heavily queer subtexted film, exploring non-conformity.

Thinking about Rockin’ Robin, I’ve been also wondering if our Robin has any connections to Robin Williams who, as I recalled, played the DJ for the Armed Forces Radio Service in “Good Morning, Vietnam”, where his program consisted of “strictly censored news and irreverent humor segments, mixed with rock and roll music”.

Ironically I haven’t thought of the very fact that Robin Williams actually is the lead actor in DPS based on the non-conforming values. (Starring also Ethan Hawk, Maya Hawk’s father). So welp. Obvious but I had my “ahh, rright!” moment here.

Besides, his name contains even two names of the Stranger things characters (sudden info, I know) but still: Robin + William, and he’s been a queer icon for ages for his parts in Mrs.Doubtfire (“man in a dress” comedy, criticising gender roles) and The Birdcage (playing an iconic gay character).

Getting back to Dead Poet Society, I want to drag your attention to the fact that this movie was directed by Peter Weir — an author of “The Truman’s Show”❗️who aside from it directed:

And now, getting back to the Truman Show: we all know that it’s about a play and, again, conformity vs individuality. That’s why I’m not gonna speak of this, I want just to specify, that Jim Carrey, the main lead, performed also a gay character in another movie, “a role that led him to speak out against homophobic bullying and embrace the queer community”, — “I love you, Philip Morris”…

who also, as we know, plays in “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”, another movie reference for season 5, but that’s also another story:)

Back to Robin Williams, he had also lead parts in:

“Awakenings”, he played a doctor who tested an experimental drug on a man in an unresponsive state. (Mike, wake up!)

“What dreams may come”, he plays a character trying to reunite with his wife in an afterlife after she k*lled herself after his de*th. (Reunion after being separated in different realities and not being able to reach each other).

Of course, “Jumanji” — literally D&D becoming a reality.

Annnnd “Hook”, based on Peter Pan. I’ll attach the 1st screen about the movie and the 2nd regarding the character and queerness in general.

So, kidnapped children, forgotten childhood (which for Mike is connected to Will, so forgotten Will), Neverland as another dimension, outsider’s experience and queer empowerment fantasy? Sounds like Stranger Things to me:)

[ check other conformitygate’s cues ]

[nightnut]

in regards to your startrekgate posts, i've never seen the og show but next gen reruns were always on tv as a kid. these posts made me remember the moriarty episodes, a sentient holodeck character who became self-aware and wanted to exist in the real world.

a lot of the plot consists of converging the holodeck world with the real one. the major theme being trapped in illusions within illusions.

makes me think about a different interpretation of stranger things' ending. perhaps how the character vecna in mike's campaign could've become self-aware and wanted to exist in the real world.

with all the mr. whatzit/one/vecna items around the room, that would be an interesting thought that his plan to converge worlds was in pursuit of this and he became real. those photos comparing mike's epilogue look to henry ties into this. similar train of thought to d&dgate or campaigngate.

bigger star trek fans might be better at drawing parallels to this plot line, especially the episode "ship in a bottle." (there's ship artwork hanging in the basement, right? then the 'curiosity voyage' quote).

You’re very much in time! As we’ve literally just started discussing TNG references too! @forever-hyperfixating has a lot of points about it, and I added some from myself in that thread, including the holodeck!

Your point of making Vecna alive through the game is very valid, although it is questionable in the matter of who the author is, if it is Mike The Storyteller, or if it is Will who created the UD in the first place — given that the UD is also a metaphor of internalised homophobia, and it “suits” both. (But also Mike is a self-insert, and the DB are writers, so maybe it’s still him who did all that…)

But I must say that campaigngate obviously makes sense at least when you consider Jumanji being put in its base. So ig, this all revolves around pretty much similar ideas and may be the actual case.

And well, Will and/or Mike did create Vecna as an opposing figure of their love, which means they will defeat him when they are both ready to love openly and freely. This “creation” being mirrored by TNG as much as by Jumanji somehow tells me, that yes, it was one of the ideas behind this show, and Vecna, wishing to become the real deal, is somehow a part of these consequences. But ST is a fairytale, which means we’ll win:)