Why We Keep Retelling the Classics (Feat. Princess Weekes) | It's Lit
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- čas přidán 16. 11. 2021
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From James Joyce’s Ulysses to Bridget Jones’s Diary, you’ve probably read a book that was just a modern retelling of a well-established story. Which is to say nothing of other forms of media and their own obsessions with retellings.
And despite what your Writing 101 instincts might tell you, this is neither bad nor lazy writing-or even a new concept. Because let’s be honest: sometimes a story is just so dang good, it bears repeating. Sometimes more than once. Sometimes multiple times. I’m looking at you, Jane Austen.
Hosted by Lindsay Ellis and Princess Weekes, It’s Lit! is a show about our favorite books, genres and why we love to read. It’s Lit has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor.
Hosted by: Princess Weekes
Written by: Angelina Meehan
Director: David Schulte
Executive Producer: Amanda Fox
Producer: Stephanie Noone
Editor: Steven Simone
Writing Consultants: Maia Krause, PhD
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Executives in Charge (PBS): Adam Dylewski, Jess Kasza
Produced by Spotzen for PBS Digital Studios.
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The Divine Comedy was self-insert fanfiction where Dante got to chat with his historical hero and love interest. I will die on this hill.
Also he depicted his political enemies being tormented in hell for eternity. Checks out.
fun fact: some stuff from the divine comedy (like dante himself being the protagonist and having virgil as his guide) come from the use of the literary device of dream vision
Denigrates people he dislikes by labelling them as 'objectively evil' (sinners) whom deserve no mercy, moves goalposts for people he likes/respects (Virgil is only _sort of_ in hell and only temporarily 'cause _he's_ not evil despite his heathenism), processed of a stunning lack of self reflection despite shallow gestures toward such (in Dante's eyes there's apparently nothing wrathful or vindictive about writing a hit piece targeting those he felt had wronged him or attacking their reputations from exile), displays a character arc that sums to "don't feel empathy for the sinners (whom have I mentioned conveniently happen to mostly be his enemies?), cause they deserve bad things happening to them"... carry the one, multiply by the use of his real name...
Ya; the math checks out. Do you have a flag to plant on that hill or should we all rally around whomever's wearing the loudest Divine Comedy graphic T?
No need. You’re correct.
No argument from me lol
Drop that Inuyasha modern AU self-insert heroine fanfic, Princess. The people need to read it.
Ditto! Ha ha ha... Am willing to give it a read.
I really want to read about Lord Sesshomaru as a love interest. He was always my favorite character.
I'd take it over the disaster they call a "sequel" in a heartbeat!
Facts!!!
Yes girl!
PBS you guys are killing it. Anything by Madame Weekes or queen of spookiness Zarka is an insta watch for me!
Lindsey Ellis, too.
Same insta watch, insta like.
@@TheSuzberry Was just about to mention her as well, yeah! They have an amazing lineup of scholarly speakers!
I love how Princess talks about her Inu Yasha fanfic while whoever made the CC wrote about a Game of Thrones Coffee shop AU
I just caught that and I'm very confused.
As someone who has written literally hundreds of fan fics since I was a tweeny back in 81, THANK YOU. No matter other's opinions, it's hard work and so rewarding. 💗
For the longest time, I thought that being “original” meant deviating away from common tropes found in all types of creative media. But as I later learned from watching the video, I now know that it can also mean giving new life to something that already exists. Ex. “West Side Story” showcasing race relations between Hispanics and white Americans during the 1950s and elaborating on how women are more than hopelessly devoted caretakers in its “retelling” of “Romeo and Juliet.” That also explains why “West Side Story” is regarded as a modern classic despite the fact that it utilizes the typical “boy meets girl from another world” trope commonly found in stories like “Romeo and Juliet.” Thank you for sharing this insight, Storied!
This is why "it's derivative" is lazy criticism. No art is created in a vacuum, but is always made in the context of the culture that proceeded it. We should be looking for what a "derivative" work brings to the table or how it's crafted, not looking for parallels as an easy way to dismiss it.
Another way to describe it; "Originality consists in returning to the origin." Antoni Gaudi. I actually thought of this, but had found it on an Honest tea lid and I agree with the idea. I already knew about the "Romeo and Juliet" being essentially Shakespeare writing it as a "fix-it fic" when mentioned in the fan fiction video
growing up in Brazil we had Monteiro Lobato's "Sitio do Pica Pau Amarelo" series that upon reflection was really just self insert fanfiction turning all mythology and fairy tales into a single, connected literary universe
Good to see a fellow countryman here!
Also, there are lots of stories on singular fictional universes where all the fairy tales took place. For instance, Shrek and Once Upon a Time
It's an old song! It's an old tale from wayback when! It's an old song! And we're gonna sing it again!
It's a hand-me-down, the thoughts are broken
Perhaps they're better left unsung
I don't know, don't really care
Let there be songs to fill the air
Stories are only repeated if they are reduced to the narrative structure or genre and vaguely classified because they have the same themes or arcs. All stories, like all characters, are a tangle of tropes stacked and intertwined like headphone wires; the execution or chemistry of a story is defined by how those bundles of tropes interact. A good story can thrive in a sci-fi, realistic, or fantastical setting because stories are about relationships and characters, and the world building around the characters is just pretty flavouring that grounds a story in a setting, the world gauges and applies stakes or tension to the events, and the world humanizes the characters. The mcguffin or threat can change to suit the setting but the story still stands.
Times might change but human nature never does. The most enduring stories will always been the ones that take an old universal formula and add something new to it but still tell a story that will be just as relevant in a thousand years.
P.S. I didn't realize Weekes was so jacked.
Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella are stories that have been retold hundreds of different times in hundreds of different ways. I came across an Author when I was in my teens that had redone several of the classics but in such a unique way I wound up buying each of her books. She even did 2 different versions of Beauty and the Beast and both were unique unto themselves while still holding true to the tale. I'm fairly sure the first name was Robyn but I can't remember the last. I still own those books but their packed up.
Err I ran out of room in my bookshelves, so I have several boxes of books that I periodically cycle through my shelves so that I can enjoy re-reading them.
PS. My grandmother helped me fall in love with writing when she was tutoring me. I had difficulties reading as I was illiterate until I was 12 (moved around a ton so school system never caught on) so once when I really hated how a story ended she told me to re-write it. She told me it had to be at least 2 pages and I would have to refine it at least twice. I wound up writing close to 5 pages and re-did it too many times to count. After that I was hooked on writing. Writing an AE fan fic made me fall in love with writing, go-figure.
Thank you Grandma, RIP.
I think you're thinking of Robin McKinley, and her two books "Rose Daughter" and "Beauty: a Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast". I've only ever read "Rose Daughter" but in the forward (afterward?) the author talks about how she didn't put nearly enough roses in the first one.
@@margotmolander5083 YEs! Now I remember, I really enjoyed those books, but she also had a couple originals that I enjoyed as well. I'll probably dig through my boxes and rotate her books in to re-read, its been a few years, lol.
the GoT reference in the subtitles made the fact that Angie wrote this SO obvious
love it!!!
thank you Princess :)
everything is fanfiction. Fanfiction is everything.
And since women love it , it’s not taken seriously.
Good is good. And putting new twists on old tales is perfectly fine.
Everything I draw and paint is based (consciously and unconsciously) on other work I've seen and loved.
It seems like this could go back to the days of oral storytelling, when every story was retold by the speaker. Just because someone else wrote it down first doesn't mean the author shouldn't put their creative imprint into it.
The evolution of literature is truly fascinating. There's a great documentary on the phenomenon called Everything is a Remix, and Dr. Susan Blackmore has some wonderful books and lectures on the subject.
"Lord Sesshomaru needs to be with me." I feel your pain. He was one of my first anime crushes
That is selfish! He loves Rin
I love how the CC talks about Game of Thrones fanfic while the audio and visual is about Inuyasha.
The Graveyard Book is a perfect example for a retelling of The Jungle Book, but without the racism and colonialism.
Thanks 👍
Yes!!!
Also, if you get the audiobook it’s read by Gaiman himself, who happens to be one of the better audiobook narrators in the business.
I didn't know that it was a retelling. I'm even more intrigued by the book (big Gaiman fan). I was trying to get my 10 yr old to read it but she thought it'd be too scary.
What? I did not notice. Thank ylu for the insight, I will have to read it again!
it reminds me of the moment i cringed in university in a class on germanic fairytales when our professor asked the room if anyone had written fanfic, making a point that much of literature is fanfic but at what cost
I think a point that was missed is that familiarity is useful and people like it! I know a lot of my friends who read fa fiction do so because they like the familiar characters and settings. Its also so useful- especially in short fiction. I’m a One Act Writer, and it is SO much easier and saves so much more time to introduce Reinterpretations of Characters/Stories to to fully explain your own unique creation in 10 minutes. I just wanted to throw those bits out there.
Euripides wrote Iliad fanfiction: The Trojan Women is told from an outside point of view about minor characters and the impact of the "heroes" on them.
I love watching adaptations of previously adapted stories to see how they do certain scenes. Case in point: The gruel scene from Oliver Twist.
Food glorious food!
I read a modern version of the great Gatsby where Gatsby was a highschool quarter back come back to find his middle school love.
Dare I raise the spectre of how modern copyright has been mobilized as a weapon in defense of "originality", even though no artistic work is created in a vacuum?
If modern copyrights had been in effect, Shakespeare's Hamlet would never have seen the light of day. (I know Crowley was only trying to wheedle Aziraphale, but really....)
Why, it’s drama; whatever the era, the human struggle is the same, and retellings (happening automatically as if bubbling up from the subconscious itself) preserve the core wisdom, translated automatically into a language current generations can relate to.
“Recombination of thematic elements“ is the basic game; just as living beings are recombinations of elements that existed in other forms. And this is why I think it is so intuitive; thematic storytelling creativity itself is a timeless basic force that is always there to be drunk from, once found.
This series is SO GOOD! it's always entertaining and I always get a lot to reflect on. Much love!😘
Whenever a Storied video pops up it makes my day and inspires me to write more.
Big thanks, PBS.
Oooh, love that Wilde quote, like I kind of want to make something to keep permanently with that. [Not saying the dreaded word that might get a bot to try to put...uh, something? on redbubble lmao. They probably aren't as common on yt as they are on Twitter, but... still. Lol.]
Anyway. Love that quote. It's kinda long to frame but I think I wanna try, bc remixing concepts & baking my own moral/ emotional lesson into the story is how I write, to the point where I've become disenchanted with the idea of copyright in almost all cases-- not just for the obvious evils Disney has wrought, and will continue to, but also medium and small creators. Maybe I'll have a different opinion when I actually manage to publish something, but for now... I've been reading a lot of 19th & early 20th century fiction, and how a lot of works from the time period carelessly borrowed places, names, etc from other authors' works-- not brand displacement where the reference is obvious to viewers but technically not covered by copyright, but just wholesale used the same ass name. HP Lovecraft borrowed names from The King In Yellow, and the technique of horror by not actually showing what the terrible thing was; TKIY itself took names and ideas from Ambrose Bierce. And it feels like a shame that everyone is so precious with their IP these days-- I know it's at least partially necessary, bc the widespread theft that goes on. But idk... it's all just a shame, and I wish more leeway with ideas was acceptable.
Every episode of It’s Lit is so good and delightful. I learned a lot and smile/lol a lot as well. Thanks for creating such a gem of a series. And Princess is the best, really seriously!!! If I could have Princess as my literature professor in college, I’d be so happy (and will take all of her classes, that is if Princess wants to be a literature professor). Thanks again PBS
Honestly, how everything this channel makes can be so informative, unique and visually interesting is a mystery but I won't look a gift mlp au in the mouth
I'd say Romeo and Juliet is actually based on an even older story: Ovid's Pyramus and Thisbe.
It most definitely is.
Absolutely spectacular.
Because they never get old.
i always drop everything i do to watch these! especially those by princess, lindsay and dr. zarko :D they are so inspiring to me as a baby-writer lmao
These videos are amazing, you learn so much in such little time💙💙💙
This episode really got my attention and not just because of the inuyasha reference. In the back my mind i was aware of some of this but to add the fan fiction label to later authors moderning stories to their own period brought a lot of what i am getting wrong about writing. Thank you.
Good morning 🌅
Oh, wow! You're good! Thanks. I will use this in teaching. With deep appreciation, sincerely,
John Peter Creighton II Algonquin Illinois
I finally read Jane Eyre thanks to the 'fan fic' that is the delightful novel The Eyre Affair
Thanks for sharing the analysis of the books.
Y’all are amazing I look forward to your videos!!
Sansa Stark finding agency through her day shift at a Starbucks has meaning, damn it! [cc: 07:25]. This made me laugh 😂 both good examples and hilarious
so glad I caught this one! for some reason it didn't show up in my sub feed but I really enjoyed this one and am looking forward to the next one
Okay, but we need the self-insert InuYasha fanfic now!!! 🤣 And also, yes. ALLLLLLL of this.
as an avid reader of fanfic, thank you so much princess!
Retelling and the such always bring my mind to Disney Princesses.
this was really fascinating thanks 😊
I loved this and Pride and so many Austen retellings are masterful
Excellent episode. Too many truths.
Hey, I like rehashing the classics, mythologies, historical events, and fairy tales from around the world. I enjoyed the video
very nice episode!
YES! i LOVE THE SURVEY : )
(also the videos. and jane austen)
Ah, yes, Sansa Stark, the white haired fox oni... (ie, I think you forgot to change your closed captioning to fit the ad lib/ script change.)
I was about to say this 😂
they do do that, this is publicly funded after all
Considering that the book "How to Read Literature Like a Professor" destroyed my love for literature, this video had me weeping from the Byron quote tbh
I saw a hiphop ensemble version of Othello at the Globe back in 2012 which was actually fantastic. In the first song the troop talked about the way in which Shakespeare remade and remixed in his writing and placing themselves in that tradition.
I love these videos! How can we help so you keep making them besides watching?
Yes The Princess 💞
Love it.
I'm a huge sucker for a fairy tale adaptation, because by their nature, fairy tales are short, laconic, and leave a lot of room for the imagination to fill in the gaps. I'm fascinated to see what shapes they take in the hands of different creators.
Ulysses is like if a fanfic author had to put a reference to every other fandom they were in
@Storied, have you seen Gail Carriger's essay on the Heroine's Journey? It compares and contrasts the classic Hero's Journey with what has become the standard/typical path for *female* protagonists, including gathering friends and allies rather than ultimately confronting the enemy all alone. It's fascinating and rings true for almost every good female protagonist I can think of. Whether you do an episode about it or not, I think you'd enjoy reading it!
Sansa workin for St4rbucks, Inuyasha in modern day for an excellent reason. I can't help but love you.
It would be awesome to be friends with Princess. I can only imagine the conversations we could have.
Wonderful video! 🤩
My headcanon is that all the hijinks the greek, roman and norse gods (among other mythologies gods and beasties) got up to, began as fanfiction but became genuine mythology after being retold over and over again.
Marketing likes to tell people what they want instead of asking them what they want and giving it to them.
Omg I'm reading Ulysses now and it's the first time I've ever gotten past "Stately, plump, Buck Mulligan" on page 623 now 😳
Disney should definitely be watching this video ... and taking NOTES!
Anyone else notice the Game of Thrones coffee shop AU easter egg 👀
I was watching this while on a bus with an Inuyasha blanket on my lap😄
Me encanto.
A new Jane Austen retelling worth reading is Where the Rhythm Takes You by Sarah Dass. It's set in Tobago and is an impactful romance/coming of a story.
Very interesting! Especially enjoy the segment on "women's fiction." It's really amazing how many "original" popular-known stories are such blatant adaptations. I wonder if the attitude towards adaptations and retellings was different back then - like, how did people think of The Divine Comedy? Is there any evidence suggesting that the modern distaste for fanfics comes from the rise of copyright law? Definitely some of the distaste has to do with its association with women but I wonder if that's the end of the story.
Also - and the following is not in disagreement with anything being said here, but in addition to it, for funsies - the biologist's perspective of this question is that stories evolved to be told. The instinctual human draw towards stories is rooted in passing information down, and came after (and as a result of) passing less complex information with the advent of language. Of course we retell them; they were told to be retold. That's why we evolved the capacity.
Also thank you so much for subtitles but please subtitle the jokey between-bits too. Given10:46 it seems like you dumped the script and forgot to edit it to add ad-libbed parts which is a disservice to people like me who need the subtitles.
Yes to modern-day Sesshomaru! Given how slowly yokai age in Inuyasha, there is ZERO reason why he shouldn’t be alive and still in his prime in modern day!
Mrs Rumiko Takahashi and her editors are definitely writing on the fly, for the most part. So are many other mangaka committees.
Not only are their schedules incredibly hectic, said schedules are amongst the most ridiculous in the publishing world.
I don't mind Princess Weeks, but I miss Lindsay. Is she coming back anytime soon?
Princess Weekes is an Inu-Yasha fan girl? I've never felt more validated in my life!!
The line between cliche and classic is...well less a line and more like a hopscotch where the pebble drops randomly and if you hit the wrong box you're out.
Not a bad breakdown! For a more general take on this subject, I highly recommend Kirby Ferguson's "Everything is a Remix" series (all versions, they all have different deep dives). To summarize his core thesis, all media is remixed having gone through three main steps during creation: Copying, Transforming, and Combining.
Fanfiction does follow this formula. First, existing media is copied either in fictional history, characters, settings, things, etc. Secondly, the author transforms it by creating variations, adding their own material, and their own ideas. Finally, by combining these new ideas and variations based on the original, a new expression is made.
This isn't to say nothing is original - far from it. While "Star Wars" was ultimately Lucas going for a Flash Gordon-style spinoff it has unique characters, settings, and expressions. Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai" was meant as a sort of Old Western film but brought in his native culture and tropes. Umami's "Interface" literally starts with a retelling of the Philadelphia Experiment as backstory for a main character.
Oh child I'm starting to like channels like tis since I watched 5th kind 😳😁
Get your wolf boy Princess. You deserve him
Love how It's Lit continue to advocate for the legitimacy of fanfiction. Now let's stop looking down at "chick lit" in the same way.
I'm not so much against redoing a classic. It was interesting seeing Joel Coen and Denzel Washington's take on Macbeth. I can't stand that they keep remaking things that were brand new less than 100 years ago.
I think the lack of copyright on old stories is a big factor as to why they’re retold so often. They’re in the public domain and can be used by anyone for free. Nowadays, the vast majority of stories are in copyright jail and might never see new interpretations outside of fanfiction, which cannot be published.
So, a lot of the brands in trademark jail may never have seen a bunch of indirect retellings for a long while.
A copyright is limited but a trademark is forever, never mind.
wasn't expecting that bts cameo 💜
I would totally pre-order Gerbil and Hamster if that was a thing.
Tolkien was way into this. His works borrow plots, themes, and even character names from Beowulf, the Kalevala, the Prose Edda, and plenty of other established stories.
The story of Kullervo
I'm appreciating the post-writing-the-captions sub of Inu-Yasha for Game of Thrones as the exemplar for AU fan fiction. 90s weebs represent.
As a fanfiction author myself, drop that title over here sis. 🥰😘😍🤩
The death of Sauron was inspired by the way that Tolkien expected Macbeth to end. Fanfiction is EVERYWHERE
Please elaborate. Thanks in advance.
Classics are classics for a reason. They are timeless because they encapsulate the ring of truth about the human condition that is relatable to most if not all people. I suspect people will be reading Shakespeare for hundred's more years as with Dickens, Milton, and Homer and also the first original epic - Gilgamesh.
A bunch of dirty jokes certainly don’t hurt as well.
The fart jokes in The Canterbury Tales anyone?
Nothing bawdier than the classics
Growing up is really understanding the fact that Shakespeare was the Michael Bay of his era. And this makes me hilariously uneasy.
Sandington (which I watched bc Princess recommended in another video) is amazing...even if they may not have stuck the landing?
its a sad song but we gotta sing it anyway
Watch at 7:22 with subtitles! It has meaning, damn it!
Great video, but the captions got messed up during the Inuyasha fanfiction mention. The captions were all about a GOT AU.
Please do a video about Ducks, Newburyport
Engagement for the engagement god!
This just in: our holy book is now the Tonka. XD