Loneliness in the mainstream...

[Vic Sage]

I know I just posted a thread on The 40-Year-Old Virgin, but that got me thinking of other depictions of loneliness in the mainstream media.

Saul, the drug dealer played by James Franco in Pineapple Express is quite lonely. You get the impression he never leaves his house save to hang out with his Bubbe. This is exemplified when he pathetically asks Seth Rogen's character to hang around and that they can even "look up weird stuff on the internet."

Obviously Michael Scott is a great example. He's mentioned eating meals alone. There was the episode where he goes home alone on Halloween and only comes alive when passing out treats to children. Hell, the whole series is an examination of his loneliness. Even the somewhat handsome Ryan is seen as outmatched and lonely when he goes to New York and his only friend is a short weirdo, and he's actually happy to see Michael and Dwight.

 

[bbqsquirrel]

well movies about psychopaths are pretty lonely....alfred hitchcock's psycho,american psycho,citizen kane,mr bean etc

 

[Vic Sage]

well movies about psychopaths are pretty lonely....alfred hitchcock's psycho,american psycho,citizen kane,mr bean etc

You know... you have a point, although I don't really know what's so encouraging about loneliness and psychopaths. Besides, the guy in American Psycho had tons of friends and lovers. He wasn't lonely. Just psycho. And American.

 

[EveWasFramed]

well movies about psychopaths are pretty lonely....alfred hitchcock's psycho,american psycho,citizen kane,mr bean etc

You know... you have a point, although I don't really know what's so encouraging about loneliness and psychopaths. Besides, the guy in American Psycho had tons of friends and lovers. He wasn't lonely. Just psycho. And American.

:club: lol, leave Mr Bean out of this!!!!

 

[Vic Sage]

SPOILERS



Fight Club could be seen as another good movie about loneliness. In the beginning, the narrator is so depressed that he spends all of his time going to recovery groups and on the couch watching infomercials. He eventually becomes so lonely, in fact, that he develops a split personality. It's uplifting, in a way, that he finds out there's a lot of people out there like him.

 

[edgecrusher]

i recently watched the first 3 season of dexter and the show starts off with him kind of like that. there are quite a few narrated parts that are sarcastic and it kind of reminds me of the narrator in fight club at times. he has kind of accepted it and likes his alone time most of the time though. he is a serial killer though, but a different kind of that type of person. by season 3 though he is changing and getting married... still killing the bad people though.

 

[Vic Sage]

Actually, isn't a lot of Chuck Pahlaniuk's books dealing with loneliness and alienation? And the best part is that in the films they're portrayed by normal, good-looking people, putting a somewhat positive, accepting spin on mental health. Sam Rockwell? Edward Norton? I'd take these guys as my stand-in any day.

 

[bbm662]

Stranger Than Fiction - Harold Crick
Dexter - Dexter Morgan
CSI - Gill Grissom & Sarah Sidle
House - Greg House
The Number 23 - Walter Sparrow

 

[Lawrens]

Vanilla Sky - David Aames

Usually the lead characters from the Wong Kar-Wai films are lonely people in many ways, it's usually stories of their inability to get over their past, lost chances and regrets, even when they try to act extremely social, and starting many relationships with others, they're "stuck" in a moment of time and usually are unable to move on:
2046
Ashes of time
Happy Together

They're usually films conveying similar messages, only differences are the sparks of hope and optimism some characters in his film might have as a result towards the end (happy together), some stayed depressed and unable to move on (2046), while observing other characters in their lives being projections of their lonely self, I find them to be interesting films, and have watched them a dozen times.

 

[Vic Sage]

Stranger Than Fiction - Harold Crick
Dexter - Dexter Morgan
CSI - Gill Grissom & Sarah Sidle
House - Greg House
The Number 23 - Walter Sparrow

I haven't seen too many of these, but the weird thing about Stranger Than Fiction is how seemingly alright Harold is with his life. Probably a case of not knowing what he's missing, but I don't really remember him expressing any longing or anything like that.

 

[Shogun]

There was a British sitcom in the 90s called Game On. It was about these three flatmates that were all somewhat lonely, but one (played by Ben Chaplin) was Agoraphobic too. He was too proud to admit it, but he epitomized loneliness. He'd be stuck in the flat (apartment) all day on his own while the other two flatmates went to work. Here's a small clip of an episode...



It was a very real and hilarious sitcom that I used to be addicted to.

 

[Vic Sage]

There was a British sitcom in the 90s called Game On. It was about these three flatmates that were all somewhat lonely, but one (played by Ben Chaplin) was Agoraphobic too. He was too proud to admit it, but he epitomized loneliness. He'd be stuck in the flat (apartment) all day on his own while the other two flatmates went to work. Here's a small clip of an episode...



It was a very real and hilarious sitcom that I used to be addicted to.

I saw that clip and checked up on that show and it looks really interesting.

Ironically, I should put Lars And The Real Girl in here. It's ironic because it was the last movie I watched with my most recent ex. Now if you excuse me, I'm off to buy a Real Doll...

 

[An archist]

The best literary loner of all time was Raskolnikov from Crime and Punishment. He's a killer, but also the most righteous dude in the whole book. He was my hero for a while.

 

[Vic Sage]

I was watching Party Down yesterday, and while so far I can't comment on the lonely aspects of it, the main character played by Adam Scott is kind of miserable and searching for something.

 

[Brian]

Not quite 'mainstream', but the anime 'Welcome to the NHK' is an incredible, relatable look at severe loneliness and seclusion. That honeysuckle made me cry.

 

[Chair]

Eminem is lonely and raps about being a recluse in many of his songs.

 

[Vic Sage]

Not quite 'mainstream', but the anime 'Welcome to the NHK' is an incredible, relatable look at severe loneliness and seclusion. That honeysuckle made me cry.

You know, I've read numerous things about Japan and Japanese culture where loneliness and seclusion is a far more regular occurrence there. Obviously I don't want to stereotype, but a lot of stereotypes have some basis in reality. This is an island that seems majority urban-based, and it's easy to get lonely in cities, ironically enough. It also seems to thrive on "geekier" culture and produces things like otakus and hentais. They even invented a pillow that mimics someone's shoulder to sleep next to. This website might do very well over there.

 

[Brian]

This particular series is actually based on that, a phenomenon referred to as 'hikikomori'. And interestingly enough it was based off of a novel written by one such individual.

 

[Vic Sage]

This particular series is actually based on that, a phenomenon referred to as 'hikikomori'. And interestingly enough it was based off of a novel written by one such individual.

I looked up the anime after you recommended it on the handy-dandy Wikipedia and saw the entry on hikikomoris as well. Apparently they're helping to contribute to the current economic crisis, so they've been on the news lately!

Japan is an interesting country. Very modern and focused on the future and now on the one hand, rooted in a very old culture and tradition on the other. I saw a documentary on this dying rural village, and how the school had literally one student. I remember being in school and hearing about students committing suicide because of pressure. I would love to watch a good documentary on Japan and Japanese culture.

Incidentally, I remember reading somewhere about a phenomenon on how Western guys, almost any and all Western guys, do very well in dating over there. Might be something to think about, fellas...

 

[Oscillate_Wildly]

Kes
Garden State

and if we're talking music, there is of course Morrissey.