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Essays on MST3K “In the Peanut Gallery with Mystery Science Theater 3000, Essays on Film, Fandom, Technology and the Culture of Riffing,” Edited by Robert G. Weiner and Shelley E. Barba is now available. More info on what’s in it here. 32 Replies to “Essays on MST3K”Commenting at Satellite News
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You know when you’ve reached greatness when academics take a serious interest in you.
Hmmmm……..looks promising, but can’t quite tell from the description if it will be a ‘fun’, informative read, or one that takes its subject just a bit too seriously, and in the process forgets to make it entertaining.
Oh well, I have a feeling I’ll probably end up with it sooner or later, given the absolute dearth of books related (directly or indirectly) to MST….. :-|
A call for papers for this book was put out last year and a plug was put on the MST3Kinfo website asking for submissions, but some seemed to bleh the idea, or think it was too fanboyish.
My girlfriend and I each put forth a submission. I didn’t get accepted, but she did for her chapter “Robot Roll Call – Gypsy! (Hi Girls!”).
I am going to get my copy, turn around and say “babe, can you autograph it for me”.
My proposed chapter was on “Overdrawn at the Memory Bank” and the role of actors in the series. Maybe I’ll put it online sometime.
This looks interesting. Now what we need is a book about the show’s history, complete with interviews of all the cast members, production people, etc., their history before being part of MST3K, some archival documents like letters, copies of contracts, etc., you know… a nice, big, thick, richly written and packed with photographs and such.
We need a biography about Mystery Science Theater 3000. So…. who’s going to write it for me? :-)
I’ve been looking at this book for days on Amazon and other sites and still have not been able to find a good description of the overall idea and tone of the book. The list at the McFarland website is a lot more than is available on other sites I’ve found, but I’d love a good, simple description of the book as a whole. An excerpt from the foreword might be helpful.
I guess I found what I was seeking here on the main product page:
http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-4532-5
“About the Book
The award-winning television series Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988-1999) has been described as “the smartest, funniest show in America,” and forever changed the way we watch movies. The series featured a human host and a pair of robotic puppets who, while being subjected to some of the worst films ever made, provided ongoing hilarious and insightful commentary in a style popularly known as “riffing.” These essays represent the first full-length scholarly analysis of Mystery Science Theater 3000–MST3K–which blossomed from humble beginnings as a Minnesota public-access television show into a cultural phenomenon on two major cable networks. The book includes interviews with series creator Joel Hodgson and cast members Kevin Murphy and Trace Beaulieu.”
Daaaaaaaaaamn! The book is almost as ‘spensive as one of the dvd boxed sets! Of course I have to get it anyway.
@Save Ferris- judging by the essay titles, I’m gonna go with both.
At that price I think i will waite a bit.
It is bound to come down in price soon enough.
I know tht these types of books have to be expensive,
but in today’s economy they must be kidding.
I will buy this book.
I remember the call for essays. Although not my specific area of expertise, I am conversant in a lot of this academic-ese (semiotics, intersubjectivity, etc.). I thought about writing something, but I was occupied with my dissertation and the articles I had to write as part of my job. (By the way, I successfully defended my dissertation on Feb. 28. I’m now “Doctor Creeping Terror.”)
As for the entertainment value of this book, some of the essay titles look interesting, but others are likely straight-up academic naval gazing. (Actually, the technical term is “narrative criticism” or “narrative deconstruction,” but it’s basically a fancy name for talking a long time about nothing in particular.) I might request some of the more interesting sounding chapters from my university’s interlibrary loan, but I won’t buy the book.
@Richard–In my experience academic books like this usually don’t come down in price much. There’s a pretty low print run and they’re aiming at a specialized audience, namely academics and libraries. That said, there are occasioanal exceptions if they decide to clear out backstock or something, and you can always hope to find a cheap copy on Ebay.
It’s always fun seeing my name on a table of contents. I hope anybody who reads my piece (chapter 22) won’t find it to be too excessively navel-gazing in nature; it’s basically a discussion of how collecting the series has changed over time, with some speculation about the meaning of all-digital “collections.” I’m looking forward to reading the other pieces.
Congratulations, Dr. Creeping Terror!
Must. Own. This. Book.
@Ralph #4, Now THERE’S a book that’s seriously overdue. I think the first one out of the gate will make somebody quite wealthy. Sampo, you’re a journalist with all the connections to be THE authoritative source – what’s taking you so long to get fabulously steenkin’ rich? Don’t you want to roll around naked in Italian money with a hot blond, singing “deep, deep, down”? Sure, we ALL do!
Aaaagghhhh! Is nothing safe from those pesky academics? :shock:
This is great. I’ve been waiting for something like this, some intellectual dissection and discourse of my favorite show. Unlike some (most?) I enjoy theory and analysis of film and TV. I don’t see it as overly important or even necessary to enjoy the films/shows, but I do often find it enriching and rewarding. It really depends on the author, what they bring to it. As someone mentioned above, they got to remember to be entertaining.
As for this MST book, judging from the chapter titles, it seems like it’s a mix of both. Also, the chapters seem to run between 5 and 13 pages long, so I’d consider those mostly shortish chapters, but there are 25 of them, and at 277 pages, it seems pretty jam packed. Only 14 photos though, that’s a bummer. But an interview with Rick Sloane. . .NEAT! I am looking forward to reading “Resurrecting the Dead: Revival of Forgotten Films through Appropriation,” “Becoming “The Right People”: Fan-Generated Knowledge Building,” and “Fishing with Cheese on a Blood Hook: MST3K’s Unlikely Origins on a Lake in the Woods of Wisconsin.” That last one seems real illuminating and interesting. I love low budget horror, circa 1966-89, and while I’ve never seen Blood Hook, I’ve always been interested in it’s connections to MST.
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@#4 Ralph C. and #14 Barth Gimble — I really, really, REALLY want to write that book. I’ve gone so far as to make mock chapter plans and page layouts. Unfortunately, I suffer from severe procrastination and that project is on the backburner. Of course, the show’s 30 year anniversary is coming in 2018, so. . .
. . .
@13: Thanks for the congrats. Now if I can just get a job…
I hope nobody’s offended by my “academic navel gazing” comment. I’m from a very statistically-minded social science discipline and I was forced as an undergraduate and a graduate student to take some of these philosophy, humanities, and cultural/narrative criticism courses over the years. When all you want to do is collect and analyze data, you get sick of discussions of “hegemonic culture,” semiotics, “joint attention,” etc. pretty fast. It’s especially frustrating when you read 10 pages of dense text that could be summed up equally well in 1 paragraph. (Are you listening to me Jacques Derrida?!?!)
But there are some chapters that sound good there. I’m especially intrigued by #23 (“Hamlet will return in ‘Thunderball'”). And I’m pleased that some of it is written by normal fans like me.
#17 –
ZUH?
Just looked and it’s a little cheaper on Amazon, though listed as “not yet released.” I remember that call for entries here and am very excited to read this. Barring a revised/expanded Episode Guide, this seems to be a book all MSTies should own.
Amazon is saying the book is “Out of Stock”. Does this mean the book is so popular that they sold out their supply before their own release date of March 19th?
I’d buy this if it wasn’t so expensive. I know it’s a limited press run, aimed at a limited audience kind of thing, but $40 just seems like too much for a 277 page soft cover book written by people unrelated to the show. I mean it would be nice to read what these people (who basically just amount to being “other fans”) might have to say about the show, but not $40 nice. Especially not right now when money’s pretty tight and I just laid out $40 to get Volume XX. Maybe I’ll request it as a possible Christmas present, if it hasn’t sold out by then.
I’m a contributing author to the book and just wanted to thank Sampo for posting the call for submissions last year, otherwise I probably wouldn’t have known about it. In answer to #2 – will it be fun? Although I have an academic background, I’m currently a professional humor writer and entertainment was foremost on my mind. Hopefully the only “dry bones” related to my essay were my fingers at the keyboard! Hope everyone likes the book.
As another one of the authors included in the book (and one whose essay no one has yet name-checked – I’m going nuts with jealousy here! :-) ), I have to say that the hostility that academic writing on the subject of popular culture sometimes receives puzzles me. After all, these books ultimately exist for those who are interested in academic analysis; those who are not are under no obligation to read them. Of course, everyone on this board is pretty reasonable about it, but the sentiment still seems to be an undercurrent, and I’m curious as to why. One reason some people cite is the existence of terrible, naval-gazey academic writing, but those are just examples of bad writing; no one says that films as a whole are bad just because Manos is both bad and a movie. This is complicated by certain theorists (I’m not gonna name names here) who contribute important work but have trouble writing engagingly; of course, this is true in books on many other disciplines as well, and simply reflects the fact that understanding of a subject does not necessarily impart the ability to write well about it.
@Creeping Terror: First, congats on the doctorate. As a future hopeful PhD candidate, I recognize the ridiculous amount of work that goes into that process. Secondly, I understand what you are saying in comment 17, but from the other direction; some of us just want to discuss hegemonic discourse and get sick of having to learn about all the data analysis stuff, you know. :-)
The thing about McFarland publishing is that they will publish pretty much anyone. A lot of their film books are very good, but some of them are little more than lists of films and plot synopsis, etc. They’re overpriced as well. Still, this looks like an interesting read.
We all Love the Show. Since the show went off the air in 1999 we have all left posts that makes my case. But to spend $40 to see these same posts in printed book form from people who have nothing to do with the show just seems like a lackluster purchase. It seems to me I will enjoy my $40 more than this book. Sorry folks, but I already know how everybody feels about the show, so you can count me out. There comes a time when you have to ask yourself, “When are the DVDs enough?” Did I say 1999, VEERRYY timely release.
This could be sooo nostalgic. I mean, spending $40 on a single book will take me back to my college days! Oh oh oh…
@25 Bubbacow: Pretty sure it’s not a book of website posts from discussion threads. Not sure what the problem is that it is written by fans and academics (and academic fans) and not the Brains themselves (if you’re waiting on a tell-all MST book written by one of the Brains, you will be waiting a long, long, long, long time, my friend, for that timely release)…… There are numerous books on Alfred Hitchcock, and only a few that he actively participated in. Does that de-validate the other texts devoted to the master? I’d think not. This new MST3k book seems to not be about finding out how somebody “feels” about the show, I mean, after all, if you wrote a paper on MST3k, odds are, you love the show, that’s a given. Seems to me the book is more about EXPLORING the idea of WHAT MAKES MST3K SO POPULAR and possibly WHY IT WORKS AS VIEWABLE ENTERTAINMENT, beyond the generic, no thought put into it, “i think it’s funny, it makes me laugh” type of response.
I mean, it’s okay if you enjoy the show, laugh at the jokes, and your involvement ends there. I just want to make a case for those that enjoy digging deeper into the programs and entertainment that are parts of our lives. Personally, I can’t help but think about things like the sociological aspect of the show (the “right people will get this” quote from Joel), or the theory of expanded knowledge base through scattergorical comedy. That’s just how I’m wired (thanks film school!) and I agree that, yes, it is ENTERTAINMENT first and foremost, but personally, after something impacts me and hits me on a deep, personal level of enjoyment (like MST3k does), I can’t help but want to EXPLORE the “why’s” as to why that is.
And am I the only one not phased by $40 for a book? I mean, I’m not loaded or anything, money’s tight, but still. . . .seems reasonable to me.
@Watch-out-for-snakes #27… If this were a new updated and complete “The Amazing Colossal Episode Guide” in full color, with all new sections written by everyone ever involved in the show then $40 would be a steal, but sadly this is not that (and I don’t think anyone is saying that they don’t want to buy this book because they are waiting for something like that to happen).
Also, yes I think $40 is expensive for anything but a very special book (such as that fantasy “Amazing Colossal Episode Guide Second Edition” I mentioned above would be). The last book I purchased was Chris Ware’s “Acme Novelty Library number 20”, and I feel safe in saying that it is no doubt of much higher quality than this one in both production values and content (yes, I’ll say that sight unseen because I can’t imagine this book even approaching the heights of anything Chris Ware has ever touched). That book is a hardcover (which is also beautifully designed and decorated with gold embossing and layers of cloth wraping), full color, limited press run, aimed at a limited audience, and self published to boot, and it has a cover price of $23.95. But THAT is a book I would pay $40 for. This simply is not. But if you are willing to pay $40 then that’s great. Enjoy.
Anyway why does this always happen when people express some kind of problem they have with whatever is being discussed? They inevitably get treated like their questioning of anything to do with it is somehow a criticism of all the people who don’t have the same problem, or want to buy it, etc. I don’t think anyone here has said anything to even imply that no one should buy this book, or acted like there was something wrong with anyone who was going to buy it, yet anyone who has said that they weren’t going to buy it for whatever reason (mine being that even though I am somewhat interested in it I just think it is far too over-priced for what is essentially a collection of essays written by fans) has been challenged and treated like there is something wrong with them and/or their reasons for not wanting to buy it.
In short, if you want this book, and think it’s worth $40, then buy it and have fun. I would be interested in the book at a more reasonable price, but I don’t think it would be worth $40, and so I won’t be buying it. But that is not a personal attack on you or anyone else who sees $40 worth of value in it, and so I think we can all get along. Ebony and ivory, I’d like to buy the world a Coke, tralala, etc.
Moonshot : Thanks for having everybodys back who go off the board. I dont know why when someone goes the other way, someone else must rise up and defend the “Honor” of the show. Just cause I love the show, doesnt mean I love everything sold about the show.
Snakes : Thanks for proving my point with your essa….post.
@Cronkite Moonshot – I really didn’t think I was getting on anybody’s case or trying to assert my opinions over anybody else. I simply was trying to express my personal opinion and have a discussion where differences are shared and understandings are reached. Guess I fudged it. Big whiff. :-(
Also I have to say, Chris Ware is excellent, I’ve only read a handful of Acme Novelty Library’s, but they are all of the utmost quality. The detail put into those things is phenomenal. Money well spent, sir.
@Bubbacow – Glad you liked my essay, er post. I’m thinking of expanding it and submitting it to the next MST3K Book Of Essays That Nobody Will Want to Read. – – -And to make sure everyone understands the sarcasm in this, I will put a smiley face. :-))
Snakes: Dont you dare change one touchy-feely word. Unless your going to tell everyone how the show got you through the death of your goldfish,than do tell!
Hey, here’s another author of an article from the book, and pleased that someone at least found my title interesting. Sorry I can’t do much about the price of a limited run book aimed at college libraries. Be assured that as authors we got paid with a single contributor’s copy. For another book, on James Bond, for which I wrote about the Bond movie theme songs, we get the privilege of a slight discount when we buy the book from its British publisher.
The paucity of photos is a common problem in academic books. Basically the author or publisher just doesn’t have the resources to hunt down the owner of a photo or frame grabbed movie and secure all the clearances needed to print it. Sure, we think we’re protected by the doctrine of “fair use,” but if some corporate studio complains about it, we need the funds to lawyer up just to write them a letter back. That the book has any photos at all is a tribute to the tenacity of the articles’ authors.
As an academic dilettante long past grad school, I can recall taking breaks from conferences where these dusty articles are presented live and finding a campus TV room, where I was first exposed to the wonders of “Catalina Caper.” That I can come back many years later and trace the heritage of “riffing” back to Shakespeare, Aristophanes and Daffy Duck makes me proud. And I got away with mentioning “Ponsonby Britt” as one of the authors of the Jay Ward series “Fractured Flickers” in my reference list (he’s the Executive Producer on all Ward’s shows! IMDB.com backs me up on this!).