Writing Dynamic I Love: Parental Figure and Child

I'm a tad bit late on the write-up this time around because of some life stuff. But in that time, I was able to kind of mull over some things that I wanted to do. The main reason for that is my indecisiveness on this post. So, I kind of just went with this topic. The Parental Figure and Child dynamic. And I am going to focus on positive examples. I don't need to delve into the myriad of people that weren't lucky enough to get loving parents. That's not me, or my place. But the main reason for this, is because I miss my Dad. 

I've been reading books and comics, watching television and movies, and playing games for so many years. But, one of the events that made me reflect heavier, think more on the media I engage with, was when my Dad died. It happened slowly, for months that felt like years. Even though I went through it with my family. It felt like I was fighting on my own. 

Dealing with the pressure of going through my Senior year in College was immense. Any bump felt like I was going to fail the promise that I made my Dad. The promise to finish College, the promise to finish personal projects, even getting the strength to do this blog. Yet, I did it. The massive weight of the expectations that I had laid upon myself were gone. And that sense of relief was better than anything that I had felt before. I accomplished what I had set out to do, and it made me feel fantastic. 

While I can attribute my passion for writing to my Mom, my love for entertainment comes from doing things with my Dad. He loved watching movies. Most of the time we were watching Action films. He loved excessive violence, so Rob Zombie was a favorite. 

In recent years, I get it. Rob Zombie knows how to make an impact with the crews that work on his films. House of 1000 Corpses and Halloween (2007) are two of my favorites. The way that House of 1000 Corpses takes after Texas Chainsaw Massacre is quite fun. The style and lasting impact that movie had on Horror was definitely noticeable in his own movies and especially in others that subscribed to that style. 

As for Halloween (2007), I really like it for what it is. Michael Myers is brutal and menacing. And I think that he embodies the idea of what Carpenter wanted. He is Evil Incarnate. Not by choice, but by circumstance. And the only thread holding him together, his Mother, dies. Without that limiter, he fully becomes that Evil Being hellbent on removing his family from this mortal coil. 

But to get back to the point of this post, I have come to appreciate the writing of Family relationships. In games, film, TV, and even music. I had been susceptible to the dynamic before. But I think that I became softer and more open with emotions in the years after my Dad's death. So, I am going to highlight some of the things before and after his death that have enacted strong emotions out of me in relation to this topic. 

First, we have Final Shot: The Hank Gathers Story. I watched this movie for a Sports Writing class I took in High School. While I don't remember much of the film, I'll always remember the climax of the movie. The way that Gathers was trending upwards alongside Bo Kimble at Loyola Marymount. With the increases in activity and overwork in order to achieve the dreams that Gathers had felt he deserved. Which, in the case of the movie, made sense to me. I was convinced that Gathers would've been the next Jordan-Type. But the punch for me comes when Gathers collapsed and we go to the hospital. 

The movie makes you wait for a bit before his brother, I believe, comes out and says, " THEY SAY HE'S NOT GONNA MAKE IT!" It's been a minute, but I think that's the close enough to the line as I can remember. So, this is like one of the last parts before the credits. And I'm just sitting there trying not to cry in front of a bunch of my classmates. That scene hit hard for me. Not just as an athlete, but as a brother. I became pretty annoying towards my older brother for a while because I didn't want him to end up like Hank Gathers. It was a mix of me seeing myself in the film a bit and the delivery from the actor playing Hank Gathers's brother. This was eye-opening to me because I struggled to express emotions and cry at things for a long time. I was always fighting myself on this. 

So, this brings me to my next example, Spider-Man PS4 or Marvel's Spider-Man. I played this game on release and loved it. I enjoyed Peter and Doc Ock's dynamic a lot. But what got me was Peter and Aunt May. Aunt May was his Parental Figure in the game, something pretty normal for Spider-Man media. Yet, the lead up to her death was something I didn't want to happen. The disdain I have for hospitals is immense. They have an air of death about them. I never feel comfortable when I go there. Especially now after everything I've been through. I could do without them for as long as I live. Regardless, I broke when Peter was pleading with May. Scenes like these are common, especially in comics, but I just felt it a bit more. I had been in that position with other family members and loved ones. It sucks. 

But what made it more pungent was the authenticity. I believed in the idea that Peter Parker and Aunt May were family. I loved how they would go to bat for each other. That's how I was able to resonate so much with the game's writing. I bought in, and it made me feel better for it. 

These first two examples had come before my Dad's death. So now, I'm going to talk about some things that are I experienced after his death. The first one being from my favorite series, One Piece. There are a myriad of examples within One Piece that fall under this dynamic. It is one of the core elements within the series. Strong parental figures amongst the Straw Hat Crew that have passed on is very consistent. However, I am going to focus on a  lesser-notable character that really hit home for me. 

Shimotsuki Yasuie is introduced to the audience as a clown. Looked down upon by everyone outside of Ebisu Town. Throughout the section of the Wano Arc that Yasuie is attached to, we are drip-fed little segments of the man that he is. A man that is making sure that the residents are comfortable enough. The things that harm them are the forces out of their control. Amidst this characterization, we see his daughter, O-Toko. A child that was working in the Flower Capital with Courtesans. 

What makes Yasuie and O-Toko stand out for me is that I just started to get it. After going through so many character deaths and tragic moments in One Piece. I finally knew what it was like to be O-Toko. Being helpless to the forces that be. I had to just sit there and succumb to the tragedy that befell me. And what makes the death of Yasuie so much more heart-wrenching is the fact that many of the poor residents in Wano, especially Ebisu Town, had eaten SMILE Fruits. A Fruit that leaves you without the ability to swim and without the ability to stop smiling or laughing. 

Even in the saddest moments, these characters are forced to put on a mask. That's where O-Toko, Yasuie, and the residents of Ebisy Town found themselves. Having to watch as Yasuie was executed, but not be able to mourn him properly. Instead they are forced to smile and laugh through the pain. When I read the chapter, it didn't quite get me. But once I watched it animated, it hit me. I was reminded of my Dad, and how helpless I felt in those final moments. 

Some other pieces of media that exemplify this aspect for me are the songs Dear Mama by Tupac Shakur, Claudine by the Wu-Tang Clan featuring: Method Man, Ghostface Killah, Mathematics, and Nicole Bus, and Dear Father, a song composed by Tomoya Ohtani and Takahito Eguchi with vocals from Quinn Barnitt. 

I decided to group all of these songs together because they all hit on the same beats. With Dear Mama and Claudine being an appreciation for Mothers and the Women in their lives, Dear Father focuses on the character Sage's appreciation for Dr. Eggman's love as her father. All pieces of music that moved me emotionally. Especially with Dear Mama.

I have always appreciated Tupac the artist, seeing the way that he blended his writing in with the musical stylings is otherworldly. Dear Mama is just one of those songs that I can't get enough of, it's perfect. 

Those similar sections in Claudine hit the same. Like, my Mom is still alive, and it makes me want to appreciate her even more than I already do. I remember listening to it for the first time and just vibing. Not really looking too deep into it. But on those repeated listens, I just became even more enamored. A song dropping from the Wu-Tang Clan after so many years was wild enough. And they ended up nailing it through and through. 

While the previous two songs are very different genre wise, I felt the need to put Dear Father on here. It is one of the ending credit songs for Sonic Frontiers. And the mix-up that this pulled on me was insane. I was expecting more of that rock, pop-punk feel that the other vocal themes in the game were already doing. But no, I got a very bittersweet song about someone loving their Dad. This hole was made for me, and I fell right in. I already loved the soundtrack, and this was just the icing on the cake. 

A sentiment that I had felt for a while, yet never expressed as much in my own words. So, I quite enjoyed that the game went in this direction. Sonic Team have went in similar directions before, yet this was the one for me. Not to mention that this game revitalized the franchise, so it gets a lot of props from me. 

I have many other examples left in the tank, however I think I have gotten my point across. I love my parents. I love my media with good parents. I love when parents are good to their kids. This is not always the case, but I feel like there's a figure out there for everyone. But not everyone gets that chance. 

If you love your family, let them know. You only got so much time to let them know. The world takes people away without warning. I miss my Dad everyday. My love for entertainment is bathed in the appreciation he had for creators of all kinds. I just hope I can make something that my Dad would have wanted to see one day.  And that day will come, I'm counting on it. 

And remember to Free Palestine, Free Congo, Free Sudan, Free Venezuela and to Free Lebanon from the onslaught of their oppressors. Never stop talking about them. They think that we don't care, but we see everything. Never forget that. They are trying to suppress our voices because they matter, remember that.