Well, to put it as simply as I can -- Good and evil are so close as to be chained together in the soul. Man isn't truly one, but two. Now what if we could break that chain -- separate those two selves -- (his face alight, lost in his subject) To free the good in man, and let it go on to its higher destiny... to segregate the bad in man -- and let it destroy itself in its own degradation!
Spencer Tracey said it so eloquently in the 1941 film version of Jekyll & Hyde, the story of a brilliant scientist — Dr Jekyll — trying to separate good from evil. While the book itself isn’t considered a ‘classic’ it has created a massive amount of spin-off works — other books, films, TV shows and, most importantly, a musical! The story looks at the duality of the human psyche: good and evil. It actually seems to be very close to the Freudian theory that evil thoughts banished to your unconscious mind impact on your conscious (‘good’) mind, ultimately resulting in an the eruption of your very own Mr Hyde.
We should embrace and nurture both our naughty and nice sides, basically, lest we turn into weird and depraved creatures of the night.
Regarding the musical (which many people consider to be overly dramatic and a bit lacking in substance), it’s well worth watching just to marvel at a single actor performing a duet on his own, both as Dr Jekyll and the beast Hyde. Lots of frantic head turning and make-up is required! It’s actually one of my favourite musicals, and I have my first girlfriend at university to thank for introducing me to it (she’s the one I turned gay, for those of you trying to keep up…)
Anyway, that attempt at intelligent discourse brings me neatly onto the topic of the split personality that I developed in Chapter 3 of Day 37, my epic video diary of a poor guy slowly (well, not so slowly it seems…) going insane in a bunker. It occured ot me that you probably couldn’t quite appreciate my good and evil ‘duality’ with the poor quality of my video camera. So, not wanting to disappoint, I prepared this lovely composite showing both my good and evil sides.
Have a nice weekend! I’m off now to go and terrorise some local grocery stores. I’m going to walk in once, only displaying my evil side and ask for booze and cigarettes. Then I’m going to walk in again, this time displaying my scarily-young-and-pretty side, asking the shop attendant with a straight face ‘Have you seen my evil twin brother?’ I’ll let you know of the results…
pinkjellybaby
Mar 7, 2009
I’d like a bit of Mr Nasty please….
I think I personally have a Nice side and a Naughty side…. I don’t think I have a Nasty.
sebastian
Mar 7, 2009
Well, our nasty side doesn’t necessarily make itself known in the physical world… it might just be fleeting thoughts!
It’s an antiquated view of things anyway…
But thinking we have a naughty and nice side is somehow pleasing to know… right?
pinkjellybaby
Mar 7, 2009
Well I don’t think there’s anyone who is 100% nice!
Zat
Mar 7, 2009
heh, this blog is great entertainment to read and its often spiced up with some fun so thumbs up Seb
sebastian
Mar 7, 2009
Thanks Zat!
Awesome monster you got assigned…
Daniel Cassidy
Mar 7, 2009
I’m not sure you really nailed the good/evil duality there. The shaved side just looks ten years younger (i.e. your actual age :P).
floreta
Mar 7, 2009
the good side looks rather dashing!
sebastian
Mar 7, 2009
Why thank you, fair maiden!
I look 34, eh, Dan? I’ve had worse…
andhari
Mar 7, 2009
You shaved? Should I start writing thank you speech?
sebastian
Mar 7, 2009
Sheesh, I had no idea that people felt so strongly about it…
All these years…
Daniel Cassidy
Mar 7, 2009
Not sure that’s a bad thing. 24 year olds are generally both dull and stupid, so if you’re going to buck the trend, it helps to look the part.
sebastian
Mar 7, 2009
You’re not that dull, Dan!
Daniel Cassidy
Mar 7, 2009
touché
Maddie
Mar 7, 2009
haha, the half beard cracks me up. the shaved side looked very young and innocent. the beard side looks very brooding though. i like it. pretty sure you shouldn’t go out in public like that though.
sebastian
Mar 7, 2009
I did go out… and the results were… interesting!
Sarcastically Bitter
Mar 8, 2009
Both sides are appealing but shaven is just sexier! Maybe I just want to be a cougar and have a boytoy!
sebastian
Mar 8, 2009
Hah, a cougar, eh…
Well, in a day or two I’ll trim the left side, and we’ll see how it looks…
Ambles
Mar 8, 2009
Um, what the fuck Sebastian? No offense to your “bad side” but the clean-shaven version is what keeps good girls up at night. Maybe when I get around to making movies I can put you in one… as long as you don’t mind sleeping with the director.
Jo
Mar 8, 2009
The votes are in Seb….. it has to come off!
Onur
Mar 8, 2009
omg “sleeping with the director” this goes to gchat man!
Onur
Mar 8, 2009
my fancy avatar says; evil is part of good and not the opposite!
-used to love this green monster, he’s like “going crazy while he’s trying to explain something”