Hair, Adventure Time, and Dr. Who

The last couple of years have been a vast image experiment for myself.  I’ve had my hair short and to my shoulders, worn a beard, goatee, mustache, and clean shaven, with never a rhyme or reason for it.  And despite opinions I’m sure to the contrary, none of my image decisions had anything to do with my moods, to make a statement, or to impress anybody.  Any decision of whether or not to get a haircut or shave came from the thought, I wonder what’ll happen if I do this.

The most important discovery I made: no matter what, I like how I look in the mirror.  I got razzed several times; people judge based on appearance and can be brutally honest about it.  One of my favorites was in the winter of last year.  I walked up to the front door in my dirty jacket, ski cap, my hair sticking out from the edges and beard thick as a wolf’s hide, and when I walked in, my roommate didn’t recognize me.  He thought I was a hobo going door-to-door for something or other.  I can’t tell you how hard I laughed over that one.

None of it ever bothered me, which was a valuable lesson.  I wasn’t sure whether I would always be comfortable in my own skin and as it goes, knowing that I’m happy with the body I have is a treasure.

Of lesser importance but something I found interesting: nobody comments on my appearance until I change it.  And I mean nobody.

                        ***

I could rave forever about Adventure Time.  Finally, a modern cartoon show that is as funny as anything Looney Toons did, set in a magical world that is so developed it has become its own character, and is a brilliant parody on Dungeons and Dragons and much of the gaming and television that has populated our society.

It looks like it’s for kids and kids watch it, but they are not the true audience.  This is a show for grownups.  Well, grownups who like cartoons, which isn’t a huge population but… whatever.

I could go on, but I’ll just say, this one is awesome.  Best discovery I’ve made all year and it looks like the show could go on for a while.

                        ***

On the subject of good shows, I’ve been watching Dr. Who off and on for a few months whenever my roommates had it on.  It was cute enough, but as much as I like the science-fiction genre, I’m not devout to TV sci-fi.  A lot of it just feels fake and looking at a lot of the monsters and villains Dr. Who was always battling, they just looked too dorky for belief.

Boy, was I mistaken.  There is a lot of silliness, but what I mistook for lack of caring is actually part of the charm.  Dr. Who is about having fun and throwing you into the craziness of the universe we live in.  Dr. Who is an energetic figure with a TARDIS, or his machine that travels in both time and space.  He’s seen a lot that’s in the universe and wants to catch it all, and he brings along companions to share in his joy and fascination.

Dr. Who can also be one of the scariest shows ever.  Seriously, there are some bone-chillingly freaky episodes, ones that make you wonder how they pulled off something that crazy.

Then there are stories that go straight for the heart and make you fall in love with the Doctor and the sacrifices all of his friends make for him.  I watched the season finale, “The Name of the Doctor,” with my roommates a few weeks ago, and it blew my mind.  That was the coolest use of time travel I’ve ever seen and Clara, the Doctor’s current companion, got to do one of the most selfless acts in any sci-fi story, and possibly in all television history.

Needless, since then, I decided to start this series from the beginning.

Okay, not the beginning beginning.  Most of those aren’t available and frankly, would take up way too much of my life.  I’ve started with the reboot, where Christopher Eccleston plays the Doctor’s ninth incarnation.  He is one tough s.o.b. and I love his attitude and how he handles any crisis that comes his way.  This is a show that is hard to keep away from.  I love it.