Oh, don’t get me wrong, it has absolutely everything in terms of subterfugeous degeneracy. In fact, it probably outdoes almost any other series I have seen in this regard, and it does so in a most insidious manner.
The acting is not altogether as ridiculously bad as many other similar attempts at subversion.
The storyline, if you can look past the intent of the product, and most will not even become aware of it even after I point it out, which is why it is successful in its intent more than any other effort I have seen in the last few years.
So. Allow me to expose it.
By throwing you into a world of fae and humans, that is faeries, pixies as they are referred to, fauns or satyrs, magic and technology, and placing the whole thing in a Victorian England type of setting at the start, it adds enough distractions, and entertainment, and colour, to allow the underlying message to slip through.
The plot of the first series too is not too bad even stripped of the surroundings, and I’ll get to the plot of the second series in a moment.
Of course, some of the message and visuals are obvious, but they take their time to get to it, the overall theme of racism between humans and the fae is over everything, but is also coloured by class as well as race and since the humans are “all one race” the colour of skin of the humans is hardly noticed, so the diversity focus is so heavily slanted on the disparities between humans and fae that the rest of it is just assumed as perfectly harmonious.
The dance of class and acceptance between the main satyr (black, obviously) and the human female (alabaster white and blonde, prim and proper) is stretched out until the inevitable carnal imagery very reminiscent of a Boris Vallejo image, where the satyr, dark, brutish and muscular, takes the pristine white young woman who gives herself with full abandon.
Truly the subversions are so layered and multiplied they are quite interesting to note.
Allow me to list them. First the more readily apparent and obvious:
• We’re all one race: the human race
• Magicks of a certain type are treated as “evil” but useful
• Mixed race humans/fae are of course the persecuted special victims that ultimately will save us all.
• All lives are equally valuable.
• The obligatory lesbianism, homosexuality and bisexualism is, of course present.
Slightly less obvious:
• Incest – the chancellor’s son and opposition’s daughter have the same father.
• The power of incest in creating dynasties – their liaison turns to political co-operation with the explicitly stated motive of consolidating power, and reference is made as to how such pairings are the way to keep power within the family, so to speak.
• Prostitution is just a regular way to get by.
• Polyrelationships are normal – specifically referred to as a group of 5, I forget how many women and men in it.
You might miss it if you get caught up in it:
• The whole thing is really rather an apology for bestiality.
• Although not overtly stated, the imagery of rather demonic copulations is present.
So. That’s my take.
It’s not completely unwatchable, and can be mildly entertaining as fantasy period drama.
But be aware of the subtle subversion throughout. Oh. And of course the rudest and most odious personality belongs to a mutton chopped, old style British copper.
Season two has a Port Ragusa location behave as the Stalinist Soviets of the day. Complete with disappearing undesirables. So, once again, rather smartly done as: “Russians be bad commies”, but where all races of fae and human can happily intermarry.
Review – Carnival Row
This Amazon series is really quite cleverly done.
Oh, don’t get me wrong, it has absolutely everything in terms of subterfugeous degeneracy. In fact, it probably outdoes almost any other series I have seen in this regard, and it does so in a most insidious manner.
The acting is not altogether as ridiculously bad as many other similar attempts at subversion.
The storyline, if you can look past the intent of the product, and most will not even become aware of it even after I point it out, which is why it is successful in its intent more than any other effort I have seen in the last few years.
So. Allow me to expose it.
By throwing you into a world of fae and humans, that is faeries, pixies as they are referred to, fauns or satyrs, magic and technology, and placing the whole thing in a Victorian England type of setting at the start, it adds enough distractions, and entertainment, and colour, to allow the underlying message to slip through.
The plot of the first series too is not too bad even stripped of the surroundings, and I’ll get to the plot of the second series in a moment.
Of course, some of the message and visuals are obvious, but they take their time to get to it, the overall theme of racism between humans and the fae is over everything, but is also coloured by class as well as race and since the humans are “all one race” the colour of skin of the humans is hardly noticed, so the diversity focus is so heavily slanted on the disparities between humans and fae that the rest of it is just assumed as perfectly harmonious.
The dance of class and acceptance between the main satyr (black, obviously) and the human female (alabaster white and blonde, prim and proper) is stretched out until the inevitable carnal imagery very reminiscent of a Boris Vallejo image, where the satyr, dark, brutish and muscular, takes the pristine white young woman who gives herself with full abandon.
Truly the subversions are so layered and multiplied they are quite interesting to note.
Allow me to list them. First the more readily apparent and obvious:
• We’re all one race: the human race
• Magicks of a certain type are treated as “evil” but useful
• Mixed race humans/fae are of course the persecuted special victims that ultimately will save us all.
• All lives are equally valuable.
• The obligatory lesbianism, homosexuality and bisexualism is, of course present.
Slightly less obvious:
• Incest – the chancellor’s son and opposition’s daughter have the same father.
• The power of incest in creating dynasties – their liaison turns to political co-operation with the explicitly stated motive of consolidating power, and reference is made as to how such pairings are the way to keep power within the family, so to speak.
• Prostitution is just a regular way to get by.
• Polyrelationships are normal – specifically referred to as a group of 5, I forget how many women and men in it.
You might miss it if you get caught up in it:
• The whole thing is really rather an apology for bestiality.
• Although not overtly stated, the imagery of rather demonic copulations is present.
So. That’s my take.
It’s not completely unwatchable, and can be mildly entertaining as fantasy period drama.
But be aware of the subtle subversion throughout. Oh. And of course the rudest and most odious personality belongs to a mutton chopped, old style British copper.
Season two has a Port Ragusa location behave as the Stalinist Soviets of the day. Complete with disappearing undesirables. So, once again, rather smartly done as: “Russians be bad commies”, but where all races of fae and human can happily intermarry.
As I said, it is rather entertaining.
Just stay awake.
No related posts.
This entry was posted in Social Commentary. RSS 2.0 feed.