I've always, as a general rule of thumb, disliked self-referential art. You know, movies about making movies, or books about writing. I always found it especially annoying when writers with writers block decided it would be very interesting for their audience to read a story about a writer with writers block.
There's a short list on The Onion AV Club that highlights some examples of writers who actually make the format work for them.
So I thought I'd see if anyone here can think of any good ones that they left out. Again, it doesn't have to just be books about writers. A screenplay about writing a screenplay, a song about a singer, a painting of a painter, or any other meta-art you can think of will fit just as well.
Posted by SC Carver (Member # 8173) on :
I'm kind of digging Studio 60 on NBC. It's not a book, but is a TV show about making a TV show.
I thought "Adaptation" was one of the worst movies ever made, a movie about a screen writer with writers block.
Posted by Tarrsk (Member # 332) on :
I like self-referential art. "Adaptation," "Stranger Than Fiction," those episodes of Buffy and DS9 in which the main characters are pulled out of their "fantasies" (i.e. the shows) into the "real world"- love 'em.
That said, the Colbert portraits trump 'em all. Especially the new one.
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
Anytime a song genre has songs about how great the genre is, it is do for a downturn. (Kind of like any pop figure who becomes a cartoon, is out)
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
quote:Originally posted by Dan_raven: Anytime a song genre has songs about how great the genre is, it is do for a downturn. (Kind of like any pop figure who becomes a cartoon, is out)
No way man, MC Hammer still tops the ratings with his cartoon doesn't he!?
Those talking shoes never get old!
Posted by lem (Member # 6914) on :
I really enjoyed "She's Having a Baby" as a teen. I thought it was very funny. I used to be a big Bacon fan.
I am not sure if I would like it now. I have ruined too many childhood shows by watching them as an adult to put this jewel at risk.
*Spoiler*
At the end he becomes successful by writing a book that turns out to be the movie we just watched.
EDIT: Hollow Man cured me of my Baconism.
Posted by Baron Samedi (Member # 9175) on :
You know, I generally think those quick self-referential gags work better than full works of art.
Like in Holy Grail when the knights are being chased down by a great animated beast, and just as it's about to eat them, Terry Gilliam has a heart attack and they are saved.
Or South Park when Stan and Kenny are so mad at wasting their money on The Passion of the Christ that they go hunt down Mel Gibson to get their $18 back, and on the way out the door, Stan says, "this will be like the time we got our money back for Baseketball".
I don't know why, but I tend to like things of that nature as much as I usually dislike full works of meta-art.