Gongol.com Archives: May 2025
May 20, 2025
The emotional outpouring upon the news that actor George Wendt had passed away should have come as little surprise to anyone familiar with popular culture. Wendt's portrayal of a lovable character in one of the most popular television programs of all time set him up to be beloved. And nobody likes to see the cruel reality of mortality come for the people (or characters) we like. ■ The reaction is also a reminder that writers of television, film, stage, audio, and novels always face an important choice: Whether or not to care about the characters they create. ■ It is far from a foregone conclusion that writers like their own characters. "Reality" programs are often framed to create conflict and hostility where none actually existed. Hollow characters are often scripted merely to tick a demographic box or to fit into a formula about what a story should be. Semi-dramatic procedurals like the panoply of "murder shows" found on network TV often appear to exist strictly for the purpose of putting special effects on the screen, without any regard for quality of plot. ■ "Cheers" had the remarkable characteristic of taking place mostly within the confines of the same old set -- the familiar bar. Since familiarity was the touchstone, it wasn't much of a site for explosions or chase scenes; the characters supplied the dramatic tension. But it's impossible to argue against the plain fact that the writers thoroughly cared about the fictional characters they created. "Norm" had a heart of gold, and he wasn't the only one. ■ Lots of stories can fill time. Artificial intelligence can even write those tales. But when real human writers actually choose to care about the products of their imagination, that affection radiates through. And when embodied by talented actors, the result can be a form of high art, even when it's pop culture.
