I Don't Wanna Pick A Side

A lot of times when you're clustered together in cliques, splinter groups will form and loyalty will become almost a necessity. I was lucky enough in my adolescence to never have to pick between friends, but I'm starting to get a sense of what it feels like.

Today I listened to a podcast where the obviously talented and Bohemian Joel Hodsen, creator of the immortal Mystery Science Theater 3000, talked about his career, his work on MST3K and his new project Cinematic Titanic (props for a killer name), which is a straight-to-video making fun of old bad movies type of thing. TV's Frank was along for the ride, but it was really Joel's interview (no Trace or Mary Joe). At the end of the interview, Joel was asked about Rifftrax, Mike Nelson's straight-to-video making fun of old movies type thing that he does with Bill Corbett (the second Crow) and Kevin Murphy (Tom Servo).

His response was to first avert the question, then throw a few very well natured bombs. Phrases like "tell them I say hi," and "I don't want to make a statement by not saying anything," floated around, and the impression was solid that Cinematic Titanic and Rifftrax are, indeed, in competition and don't particularly care for each other. Hodson also went on about why he left MST3K in the first place, placing the blame splintering factions that would have eventually destroyed the show, or so he remembered.

Mommy! Daddy! Quit fighting! I love you both!

It's a real shame there has to be animosity, even if it is the most white bread, well meaning beef in the history of public beefs. Part of what got under my skin, I think, was Hodsen's spot on analysis of MST3K being a touchstone for people who didn't feel like they had a voice. His creation (the show and the robots) are genius and, push me to the wall, I liked him and the bots better than Mike and the bots. Just barely.

But then I think back to the Amazing Colossal Man, where Mike donned a bald cap and rocked the Satellite of Love and the scene seemed completely genial and fun, like friends goofing around and that was the image that always stuck with me. MST3K seemed like a fun set to be on. Guess I was wrong.

How sad.