I just watched the most recent Doctor Who Christmas special called The Doctor, The Widow, and The Wardrobe. I loved it. I cried, which is not a thing I usually do. I used to cry far more easily at things on a screen, but perhaps I've grown more cynical. Perhaps I'm growing more sentimental, I don't know. In any case, I took to the internet to see what little bits of trivia there were on IMDB about this particular episode, and I was confronted with the internet's reaction to the most recent incarnation of The Doctor, which is... extreme.
A lot of people don't like the current Doctor. Just like a lot of people don't like the current cast of SNL or George Lucas' most recent vision for Star Wars. Which is to say, vehemently.
So I have this tension. On one hand, the internet doesn't like the way things are going on Doctor Who, on the other hand, I cried for the first time in months. What does this have to do with Father's Day? I'll tell you.
My Dad likes the Star Wars Prequels. My Dad likes Doctor Who, in every incarnation. My Dad likes things. My Dad is an appreciator.
We're supposed to be discerning when it comes to media. We're supposed to like "good music" and make fun of "shitty music." We're supposed to worship Han Solo, and hate Jar Jar Binks. We're supposed to judge things as good or bad while we experience them. My Dad doesn't quite work that way.
My Dad will defend George Lucas until all the comic book guys in the universe throw up their hands in exasperation. "Worst Nerd Ever." My Dad will find something good in every silly, simple story. My Dad is determined to identify the worthwhile in everything he experiences. My Dad doesn't know much about art, how to make it, where it comes from, or why, but he sure knows how to appreciate it.
When I first realized this about my Father, I didn't know really what to think of it. Aren't we supposed to understand and critique? There's a place for that, sure, but I wonder if some things weren't just made to be appreciated. I wonder if there aren't artists, creators out there who just want someone to see the thing they made and like it, unabashed, unreserved, and unconcerned with social acceptability.
Like I said, there is a place for critics. But, there is also a place for appreciators. A place for people like my Dad and people like me.
I have discovered that my default approach to things is the same as my father's. I like things first and foremost, and I usually have to be convinced otherwise. This can lead to a certain amount of embarrassment. I like music that makes me feel something, even if it sucks. I like Doctor Who, even if the new producer is still developing a voice. I genuinely enjoy sappy movies and Sting's Christmas album.
I've had a lot of conversations with my friends about ironic detachment and automatic disdain for "inferior" art. It's something that I don't like even though I'm as guilty of it as anyone of my generation. But, as I'm more removed from my collegiate cultural cocoon I find my inner appreciator coming out more and more. Maybe this is just the way I am. I certainly hope so. I'm happy to be an appreciator. The world is a lot more beautiful when you don't feel like pointing out every zit.
In other words, thanks Dad. You made me an appreciator, and the world is prettier for it.
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