Saturday, January 22, 2011

Consider Joxer

Since breaking our ties with the cable company, Liv has developed a full-on obsession with Xena: Warrior Princess on Netflix streaming. This delights Tom and I, as Xena and it's companion show (from which Xena actually sprang as an unplanned spin-off), Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, were must-see TV during our courtship and newlywed years. These masterpieces of modern television, with their sharp dialogue and cutting edge special effects, had crossover episodes and shared some recurring characters. (Part of the previous sentence should have been presented in the thus far elusive sarcasm font. I'll let you figure out which part.)

One of those recurring characters was a wannabe warrior named Joxer. The character page for Joxer on IMDb describes him as a Barney Fife type character, and I suppose that fits. I always thought of him as more of a Don Quixote. Perhaps I was influenced by his helmet.



Anyway.

He was not an unpopular character. Fans of the show, Tom and I included, were always happy when we realized that an episode would be featuring Joxer. He provided comic relief with his foolishness and inflated sense of self, but he was not entirely one-dimensional. He was fun.

In small doses.

Which was precisely how he was delivered.

Sometimes I feel like that's the role I play.

Not disliked by too many, actively liked by some - but only in small doses - and never to be taken too seriously. Posing and posturing and trying to make myself seem more important than I actually am.

A joke, or perhaps just a punchline.

A secondary character in the story of my own life.

On a not unrelated note? Winter sucks.

7 comments:

Unknown said...

I love--LOVE--it when my daughters discover movies or TV shows that I loved as a child. It makes me feel both old and young (and incredibly cheesy for thinking said shows/movies were actually good ;))

Unknown said...

I agree with you that winter sucks! I disagree that you are likable only in small doses! I look forward to your posts and wish they were more frequent!

Cheryl said...

I've been feeling a bit the same myself. Winter plays a large role in my blah blues.

BTW, it's Joxer's hat. I've never watched either show and I saw Barney right away. And the Scarecrow for Oz.

Nancy/BLissed-Out Grandma said...

Yeah, great special effects, that's right. Joxer as Scarecrow is a pretty good analogy, now that I think of it. But you, Mommakin, are certainly more a combination of Xena and Glinda, no? Wizard? (When winter blues really get the best of me I turn from Glinda into the Wicked Witch of the West. )

Badass Geek said...

Yeah, I know the feeling.

Solidarity.

Rosa said...

That it does. And I know the feeling. Like I'm just playing a bit part in the bigger story that goes on around me. I totally get it. In relation to me, anyway. In relation to you? Not so much.

Swine said...

Xena just gets beautifuller and beatuifuller, ain't it? See her on Battlestar Galactica? Shit, Jack! Did I mention I've been drinking?