Monday various

  • I’m not afraid of clowns — sometimes I think I’m maybe in the minority on this — but how can an evil clown who stalks children possibly be a good idea for a birthday present? [via]
  • Doctor Who regeneration was ‘modelled on LSD trips’ [via]
  • Meanwhile, I think I like Stephen Moffat’s definition of the show:

    It’s about a man who can travel in time. It’s a television show set at every point in history at every place in the universe. It’s not bound by logic or genre.

    How could that not be fun?

  • Don’t you forget about me. A.O. Scott on The Breakfast Club.
  • And finally, David Simon on Treme [via]:

    Well, Pablo Picasso famously said that art is the lie that shows us the truth. Such might be the case of a celebrated artist claiming more for himself and his work than he ought, or perhaps, this Picasso fella was on to something.

    By referencing what is real, or historical, a fictional narrative can speak in a powerful, full-throated way to the problems and issues of our time. And a wholly imagined tale, set amid the intricate and accurate details of a real place and time, can resonate with readers in profound ways. In short, drama is its own argument.