Why You Should Watch "The Lizzie Bennet Diaries" or How YouTube Changed my Opinion of Jane Austen

For the record, y'all can thank Jojo for this post. She encouraged me to write it (I mean, y'all really think we've had a one-year hiatus because we were banned from the internet or something? Come on). But moving on.


I promise to [try to] keep this short. A few days ago I was sitting in my living room, bored, when I remembered that some of my friends used to watch these videos called "The Lizzie Bennet Diaries." I refused to watch them as they came out/while they were popular with said friends because *gasp* I had yet to read Pride and Prejudice, so I didn't see the point. Also I hadn't read the book because I wasn't interested in the story, or in anything Jane Austen, for that matter.


Fast forward to last Christmas. I finally realized that, as an English major and self-proclaimed lover of literature, I really ought to read Pride and Prejudice. Besides, it's a personal philosophy of mine that you can't talk about something you don't know about (the reasoning behind my silence on Twilight, and my [lengthy] critiques of The Hunger Games). So I checked it out of the library (please hide your looks of alarm that I don't own this book. I thought we established my dislike for Austen already?) and forced myself through it over Christmas break.
Major pluses?
(1) I've finally read Pride and Prejudice, or, an Austen novel in full. . .
(2) I can now fully participate and engage in dialogue and debate about aforementioned Austen novel
(3) I love Lizzie and Darcy! I mean, I still totally don't get why they're such a great couple. Maybe that should go in the minuses?


Major Minuses?
(1) I still don't get the Lizzie-Darcy phenomenon
(2) Mrs. Bennet is possibly the most obnoxious fictional person on the planet
(3) No one DOES anything. All they do is talk. Or write letters. Or wait for visitors. Or visit the people that just left. Or wait to get married. Or talk more about their letters or visitors or [potential] impending marriages.


Fast forward to a few days ago back in my living room. As you have probably already inferred from the title of this post, I decided to watch these videos I had heard about. I'll admit, I was hooked from Episode One. Six episodes in, I decided to wait and share this viewing experience with my sister. Due to the reasonable length, colorful characters and general hilarity of each video (and the addictive nature of a YouTube playlist), we made it through 40 episodes that day!


The next day we watched about ten more episodes. Then last night we finished the series!
Yes, that's right. Finished. Done. All 100 episodes. Originally released twice a week for over a year, knocked out in less than three full-days' time. Yes, we stayed up until 1:30am to find out what happened.


But, here's the thing. My sister and I have both read Pride and Prejudice (and we've both seen the movie, albeit quite a time ago). Regardless, we know the story. We knew what was going to happen. So why were we so enthralled? Because we wanted to know how it was going to happen. This isn't a new concept (anyone seen a movie remake recently?), but it is one worth mentioning. Because, at the conclusion of our YouTube journey, I really like the story of Pride and Prejudice.


Yes, that's right. That realization shocked me too.


I've had quite a few realizations, actually.
(1) Classics are classic for a reason
(2) I was prejudiced against Pride and Prejudice, for reasons I will later explain
(3) Sometimes, a part of a story one person loves can hinder or even hurt another person's appreciation for the same story


To (hopefully) quickly conclude, I pose the following question: why do we read classic literature? People really love to write on this topic -- ranging from Sir Philip Sidney's An Apology for Poetry to those studies currently circulating the interwebs, which I would reference here, except I trust that you are capable enough to Google on your own. Some short excellent reasons include but are not limited to:
(1) we love stories because we were created by the greatest storyteller of all time
(2) we love stories because they are about people and we are inherently relational
(3) we love stories because they allow us to enter into the lives of another: to think and feel as a character thinks and feels
(4) we love stories because they show us truths about human nature


Classic literature is composed of works whose authors have accurately and artistically portrayed the lives of others, allowing us to not only read their stories, but to participate in them, resulting in us oftentimes learning as much about ourselves and our wider community of humankind as we do about anything that actually happens in the book.


So, what does this have to do with a YouTube channel? In short, "The Lizzie Bennet Diaries" took everything I don't like about Pride and Prejudice, namely, how unrealistic the time period and setting make the plausibility of the story today, and changed it. But, in some stroke of genius, they were able to exchange the dated for the modern without compromising any major events of the plot, character qualities, lessons learned or truths taught. Every character is certainly different, and, true, some are missing. Mrs. Bennet is no less bothersome. But, the modern characters are no less real, face no fewer struggles and, honestly, I feel like I know them.


Whereas some people really love early 19th century England, full of well-read and accomplished women and dashing gentlemen ready to sweep them off their feet -- literally or figuratively -- the notion of a society where women must marry, can't own property and, let's be real, never wear pants is a major turn-off for me. The historical context of Austen's novel prohibited me from fully appreciating the story within it.


But, due to a fictional 24 year old in California pursuing a Master's degree in Mass Communications, I found a Lizzie Bennet I actually like. Lizzie in the 21st century, complete with twitter and planes and texting and independent women and many other things I love, let me see the deeper parts of her story. The parts we love stories for in the first place. I love Lizzie's relationship with her (albeit fewer) sisters.  I realize the magnitude of Darcy's actions towards the Bennet family, and Lizzie's prejudice against him. I realize the difficulty in communicating effectively, even in this century, and why so much of our lives involve SO. MUCH. TALKING.


So, my little adventure with YouTube and laughs turned into something much greater. Thanks to "The Lizzie Bennet Diaries," I learned about human nature and, yes, about myself. So: I suppose Jane Austen isn't so bad after all. Her story's lasted this long, hasn't it?


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okay fine. . .I guess I do love Lizzie and Darcy now.
They're not perfect, but they're perfectly human. And, while I definitely prefer the 21st century version of them, I guess the 19th century version is alright too :)


Thanks for sticking this out, if you've made it this far! Kudos to you!


- Tana

Relative Definitions

"I'm poor."

How many times have I said this? I don't know. I said it again today. Why? In response to the news that Old Navy is having a sale this weekend. I was seriously glum because I didn't think I had enough money to go buy any $8 dresses. 

But then I realized. I am seriously sad about this? When I have a closet and a dresser full of clothes? When I just got rid of things because I thought I had too much clothing?

It made me think: how skewed is our perspective of poverty. Of what it is to be poor. "Can't, I'm poor." "Wish I could, but I'm poor." "I don't have any money, but..." these and their similarities are the refrains of college students, including myself! What do we usually mean when we say these things? 

We can't afford a trip to Scarowinds.

Or a regular priced dinner at Moe's--we should wait until Monday.

We can't go to the movie; we'll redbox it.

We're not ordering pizza tonight; PB sandwiches it is. 

etc.

But, is this really poverty? As I sit on my couch in my climate-controlled dorm, settling down to do homework for my high quality, private, liberal arts college education, in my monogrammed soccer gear with my personal laptop and smartphone within arm's reach, I say "I'm poor" in response to a friend's invite to Cookout. 

Is that what poor looks like?

I recently read Ann Voskamp's blog: A Holy Experience (check it out here). Writing about child sponsorship, she says:

"If you have any food in your fridge, any clothes in your closet, any small roof, rented or owned, over your head, you are richer than 75% of the rest of the world. We are the Esthers living inside the palace.

If you have anything saved in the bank, any bills in your wallet, any spare change in a jar, you are one of the top 8% wealthiest people in the world. We are the ones living inside the gate."

I have lots of food in my fridge, plenty of clothes in my closet, a sturdy roof over my head and money in the bank. I do not seem as poor anymore.

I have a beautiful, loving Christian family. I have too many friends to count that love and care about me deeply. Most of all, I have the perfect everlasting sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I have hope.

Christianity Today, a leading Christian magazine, published their June issue with the cover story, "Want to Change the World? Sponsor a Child" (check out the full story here). It follows the story of Bruce Wydick, a top economist, and a few of his graduate students who led a study in three different countries on three different continents, measuring the effects of child sponsorship through Compassion International (their website is here). The results were phenomenally in favor of sponsorship. To me, the most striking finding of their study was the increased level of Hope found in sponsored children over non-sponsored children. 

So, all this to say: I decided to put the 'giving' into thanksgiving. In recognizing exactly how poor I am Not, God showed me it was time to share. A few of my friends and I have partnered to sponsor a little girl named Angelique in Rwanda. We would be honored if you would pray with us for her and her family!

I can honestly say that giving Compassion a credit card number is one of the best things I have ever done. I am so happy and excited to begin this venture! I am blessed to be a part of Compassion's ministry of Releasing Children From Poverty In Jesus' Name. I am blessed to be able to share the hope and love that I have receive every day. 

So today I am poorer than I was yesterday.

But I am so much richer already. 

I guess poor is a pretty relative term.

Awkward Moments

You know that awkward moment when you zone out while holding necessary morning-wake-up coffee and don’t notice your dog drinking it?

How about that awkward moment when you watched Tangled with the kid you nanny and the next day she runs around wanting to hit everything with a frying pan?

Or that awkward moment when you change your entire introductory paragraph eight pages into the paper?

Or even that awkward moment when your roommate/blog partner posts way more than you do?

Well, I don't know those awkward moments, but I've imagined them.

 This morning two of my sisters left me. They went adventuring to Michigan and Spain and this morning I saw them off on their journey. It was 7 a.m. (I hadn't intended to be awake, but I was) and I was sitting on the floor of our front porch with the family pooch, drinking coffee. So that's the scenario that prompted my first imagined awkward moment of the day. Usually Saltena (the dog) will eat/drink whatever is within her reach. I had set my cup down on the ground and she barely looked at it. I guess she doesn't like coffee. Oh well, more for me.

This summer I have started nannying an almost-two-year-old little bunch of energy that usually answers to the name of Clare. And yes, we did watch Tangled a few days ago, but she didn't actually start hitting things with frying pans, which would have been funny and kind of awesome. I guess she's not old enough to bring Disney movies to life. I also think she's more of an animated-Godzilla TV series fan. Thank you, Hanna Barbera. 

Ok so, my third imaginary awkward moment is actually true. I've been writing a paper for my summer college course and, what do you know, I had to change the whole idea of my paper two pages before the conclusion. It actually wasn't that bad. I'd rather re-work one paragraph than eight pages, wouldn't you? I'm writing on one of my favorite books in the whole world! 

"The Tale of Despereaux" by Kate DiCamillo is a little children's novel that won the Newberry Medal award in 2004. (The movie came out in 2008. It was good. Dustin Hoffman and Matthew Broderick and Emma Watson! But the book is better. duh.) The book is about stories and knights and a desire for goodness and forgiveness and love and ...soup.

The mini-prologue of "The Tale of Despereaux"

DiCamillo incorporates a profound sense of good and evil, the value of literature, and the prize of noble virtues in this simple book. That's why I'm writing about it! Although, I did have to narrow my paper topic down to one, tiny aspect of the book because it's proved more than enough for a thorough college paper! 

I am writing on DiCamillo's portrayal of good and evil in the book and, more importantly, her portrayal of how difficult it is sometimes to determine what is truly good and what is truly evil. Have you ever read "The Tale of Despereaux"?

And...I guess I have experienced the fourth awkward moment. But it doesn't matter now! See! I'm posting! Tana isn't the only one! I do enjoy her posts, as I hope you do, reader. It sounds like she's having fun, but guess what? I'm getting ready to have fun too!

Reading Room at the Library of Congress

 In July, with two of my English-major-librarian-nerd friends, I will visit

The Library of Congress.

Cue great noises of excitement and dancing!!!! We don't have all our plans yet, but they shall soon be made!

 ......

You know, frankly, I don't know why I waste time imagining awkward moments. I'm pretty sure real ones already automatically happen in my life without my having to imagine them. Oh well!

~Jojo