Jack, or, Adventures in Reading Against the Text

2007-11-28T22:51:02Z

98.198.38.151:

'''"Jack, or, Adventures in Reading Against the Text"''' ([[2007]]) is a [[fanvid]] created by LC, based on the television series ''[[Heroes (TV series)|Heroes]]''.

It focuses on the characters of [[Niki Sanders]], [[Claire Bennett]] and [[Monica Dawson]].

The song used for this vid is "Jack The Giant Killer" by the band The Nields.

== Overview ==
In "Jack", LC recontextualises key moments from the series ''Heroes'' in order to change their meaning, because she "wanted to make THIS vid, the happy vid, the triumphant vid." And the only way that she could do that, using the source material, was to lie.

The vid shows the three female characters, Niki, Claire and Monica, overcoming threats, violence, grief, lies, overprotection, sexual assault, fear ("yesterday I was afraid, but that's over") and other obstacles, then each of them emerging triumphant as the music reaches the lyrics, "'cause I'm Jack, the Giant killer".

But, LC writes:
:In context, when Niki kills her rapists, she experiences it as another violation, as things done to/with her body without her knowledge or consent. In context, she's only allowed to exercise any self-protective power by re-violating herself over and over. In context, she beats up the man who threatens her in the elevator...and then goes and submits to another rape, as ordered. In context, Niki's glorious culminating moment of finally being able to integrate her mind and access her strength willingly to take part in the Final Battle is followed less than a second later by: ''Dad needs you. Go take care of your family.'' In context, Niki's integration doesn't mean a damn thing, because next season she gets the exact same plot over again.

This is a profoundly feminist critique of the [[Heroes (TV series)|show]] that her vid is based on.

== External Links ==
* [http://lcsbanana.livejournal.com/1772043.html LC's LiveJournal entry announcing her vid]
* [http://profile.imeem.com/HkLpVWE/video/pxxsdQnx Streaming video of "Jack" at Imeem]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbUwYmwub9Q Video of "Jack" on YouTube]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nields Wikipedia entry for The Nields]

[[Category:2007 publications]]
[[Category:Fanvids]]
[[Category:Reinterpretive works]]
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Jack, or, Adventures in Reading Against the Text