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Drama:
A composition in verse or prose intended to portray life or character or to tell a story usually involving conflicts and emotions through action and dialogue.
Angst:
A feeling of anxiety, apprehension, or insecurity.
This instalment is not about relationships but about language. All you fans that are poised and ready to pounce with posts of passion. Stand down! Take a couple of deep breaths and let your entire body relax. That’s it. Let it flow up from the keyboard, through your fingertips, up your arms, and spread outwards to your extremities. Feel the calm. Take a deep breathe in. Hold it. Now slowly, let it go. Relaxed? Great! Let us forge ahead.
Language is a wonderful tool. It is able to communicate vast arrays of ideas, concepts, and emotions. The more masterful the artisan that wields the tool, the more compelling the message can be. Language is malleable. It can be changed and melded and shaped so that words can take on different meanings depending upon their context.
Words turn into labels to express common concepts when discussions amongst groups of people take place. When someone uses the term, ‘Red Herring,’ we all know that is a euphemism for a deliberately misleading false bit of information. If a character is labelled a Judas or a Benedict Arnold, everyone knows that character is a traitor. Oft time’s labels are clear and fairly accurate in their meaning. Sometimes they are inaccurate or misleading in their intent. This brings us to the use of the term, ‘Angst.’
At the top of this article are the definitions for drama and angst. On first read their definitions are very similar. Within discussion groups where the subject is dealing with entertainment that has relationships in them, angst is used to describe those components. Components which are a subset of drama. Angst components are found in the best of dramas and are a powerful dramatic tool.
Unfortunately in the Chuckverse the use of the word angst has morphed into something else. It has become a term of negativity. Angst has become a bucket to gather up any of the relationship components that the fans dislike or are not in agreement with. If used poorly angst, is indeed an artificial and negative story device.
Any story told poorly or dishonestly is just as negative as artificially constructed angst. A story told well can use angst as a powerful and excellent story telling device. If you read the web and forums it can be seen that angst is being used improperly. This is the downside of labelling. Much like the recent advent of relationship labels i.e. the use of Charah as shorthand for the Chuck and Sarah relationship inadvertently diminishes the complexity of all the dynamics that go into that relationship, which is why I never use relationship tags myself*, so does the use of angst on the Internet cause a diminishment in the valuable properties that exist in stories with dramatic relational obstacles. **
Not all Angst is bad. It is a story telling device and like any tool it can be used well or poorly. Please bear this in mind when you see use of the word angst. Try not to assume the discussion is about something bad. Examine what is being discussed and then decide if it the angst in question is good or bad.
However I fear this is a lost cause already. In today’s world, angst has become the newest four letter word.
Angst it!
* – my one exception is the use of Chill for Chuck and Jill because that label is so apt describing the effect it had on the show and fans.
**– another pet peeve of mine is the use of the word reset, as in relationship reset. One cannot reset a relationship. It is impossible to put a relationship back at the start. The memories and actions still exist. Relationship pullback is a better term.
Hey There Lou.
Let me just a quote my Eng.Lit Professor “angst is the cheapest, most worn-out tool in a writer’s utility belt”.
Alex
If you’re okay with the way that they’re using angst to deal with the “complexities of the relationships”, that’s fine. The point remains that they have used angst before on this show, and it came across and frustrating and — worse — artificial.
If they use it again in the same fashion, we can’t be blamed for throwing around the words “contrived” and “annoying.”
My article is about the true defintion of the word not how fans feel it is being applied on the show.
My problem is that you imply that because people don’t see or define “angst” in drama the same way you do, they understand/use it improperly and thus “don’t get it.”
And furthermore, this sentence, “…you read the web and forums it can be seen that angst is being used improperly. This is the downside of labelling.” You go on to say w”the use of angst on the Internet cause a diminishment in the valuable properties that exist in stories with dramatic relational obstacles.”
This directly belies these sentences: “[Angst] is a story telling device and like any tool it can be used well or poorly. Please bear this in mind when you see use of the word angst. Try not to assume the discussion is about something bad. Examine what is being discussed and then decide if it the angst in question is good or bad.”
In the latter portion, you’re telling people to form their own opinions based on what they read, which directly contradicts the former, where you say that it “can be seen” that people are mislabeling or misinterpreting the word.
How do you know that these people aren’t using your suggested template of examining the evidence at hand to form their opinions and deciding to give “angst” a negative connotation?
You don’t You’re assuming. And you’re doing so in a condescending way.
Take your own advice and “try not to assume” people who are against angst don’t understand what it is.
Its an opinion piece based on reading literally thousands of posts so I am confident in my observations.
Thanks for the feedback.
English Literature professors turn their noses up at genre or popular fiction as a matter of course. No surprise there.
Does not negate the fact that angst is a tool that can be used effectively or poorly like any other writing tool.
Lou- Amen! Angst has become verboten around here, but it’s not always an omen of doom. Thanks for the great read.
JS & CF started it…. 🙁 Also spellcheck. “installment”. Insightful article Lou.
Instalment is the British spelling.
Oh Yeah, I forgot you are our neighbor from the North. (Colour , Centre etc.)
Damn Canadians 🙂
Beauty eh? So like, great article. I’m Bob McKenzie and this is my brother Doug. We like angst eh? Cause it like, goes well with back bacon.
Hahaha! OMG – I cannot believe that you just quoted ‘Strange Brew’! And to that I say…Steamroller!
Lou – Nice article.
I guess my biggest concern is that the speculation and unhappiness that’s being bred by many fans perception of what is going to happen in S3 is damaging to the existing fan base and errodes our potential to pick up new viewers, without whom I doubt we’ll see a 4th season of Chuck. We don’t have context for the leaks, hints, and casting calls that are coming out…even if you know how a story line is going to go, execution of those storylines is what really defines the work. Think of how many times you’ve heard about a movie or seen the trailer and it looks great based on concept but is total crap when you see the finished product. Right now the only ANGST I’m worried about is the frenzy fans are working themselves into without having seen a single episode. Context matters, so I’ll reserve judgement until I see S3 and I hope those fans that are concerned about it’s direction, at least watch the show when it returns to how the drama, action, comedy, and heroe’s jouney unfold.
Conflict is inevitable in any relationship. Artificial (anxiety, apprehension, or insecurity) is and will always be a cheap plot device.
Is there ANGST on “CHUCK” the show and in Chuck the character? Sure there is. All kinds of it. If I’m understanding the term the way Lou’s article has defined it, you could say that over S1 & S2, Chuck (the character) has experienced angst (apprehension, anxiety, insecurity) over things like (in no logical order):
1. Actually getting the intersect downloaded into his head.
2. Having to live a double life (which includes lying to his loved ones).
3. Believing that his college roommate and friend betrayed him.
4. Coming to terms with the fact that his father (and mother) abandoned he and his sister.
5. Being “stuck” at the Buymore because of the Standford incident.
etc., etc., etc.
The question is, then, if I’m understanding the point of the article correctly (and I might NOT be), can the term ANGST be applied appropriately/accurately to Chuck’s relationship with Sarah? IMHO, it can. Has Chuck experienced anxiety, apprehension and/or insecurity over the relationship status with Sarah? I would say so. Have “other love interests/rivals for affection” contributed to this anxiety, apprehension and insecurity – and therefore ANGST? Yes.
So please, Lou – and whoever else can clarify this for me – was the point of the article trying to say that “angst” (or “angsty”) ISN’T an applicable way to describe the relationship between Chuck and Sarah? If that’s the case, then I would beg to differ. If the point of the article is something else – like perhaps maybe the word ANGST is being misused or overused, then help me out, because even though it may be obvious to some, apparently I’m missing it.
It seems to me that when certain things come into play regarding the Chuck and Sarah relationship, some (and who knows what percentage) of the devoted fan base – including myself – will say, “Angst,” because these things HAVE and seemingly WILL CONTNUE (if the spoilers are to be believed and taken at face value) to continue (as in S1 & S2) resulting in anxiety, apprehension and insecurity in Chuck and/or Sarah [and in some of the fans, too! 😉 ].
If I’m off track here, or am missing the point of the article, then help me out. Thanks!! 🙂
Rick in a nut shell:
Angst is a writing tool – it can be used with good or poor results.
Forum postings have relegated angst as a wastebasket for negative usage only.
Hope that clarifies.
Thanks
Lou
The point of this article was to encourage debate by dropping a lit match into a puddle of gasoline. It seems to have succeeded very well.
Lou
You are right about this. Angst has been turned into a negative term, when it doesn’t necessarily have to be negative.
But when shippers hear the term angst with respect to Chuck and Sarah, you best keep your head down. Angst has been used in good ways and bad ways in this series.
If you think about the definition of angst, some of our favourite episodes have been full of it.
For Example by definition (full of anxiety, insecurity)In Cougars Sarah was full of angst over her high school reunion. This allowed Chuck to be reassuring, which brought them closer together.
I also thought angst was used well in Best Friend and Broken Heart. There are many other examples throughout the series where angst was used very well.
Lets not confuse angst with love geometric shapes, which in my mind can be a very bad way to use angst, depending on when these relationships occur.
I was fine with the Lou story line in S1, which was one of those rare times in my opinion that using the love geometric shape worked.
I think your observation that ‘angst’ has become a banner around which fans with Charah relationship issues have rallied has merit. It’s a human behavior that’s been solicited throughout history, most visible in recent times within political and advertising campaigns. Get the public behind an easy to remember phrase and you can use it as an umbrella to cover all manner of tenuously related items.
It’s not that angst itself is bad. Adopting the analogy you and Alex used, it’s just one tool in a writer’s toolbox. The reason we’ve ended up in the situation we’re in now is that people have come to believe that within that toolbox, the angst hammer is being disproportionately favored and indiscriminately wielded.
Interesting subject for an article. Thanks for sharing!
Most kind. Thanks for the feedback Aardy.
I absolutely agree with Aardie’s conclusion, as a tool , the angst has been overused and worst, badly used .
Most of the times THAT Hammer(as Aardie irrevocably defined it)was utilized, it was in a contrived and obvious manner, which did nothing to illustrate the fact that the Angst is just a too common a tool, and instead highlighted it as a main plot device(at least in the context of Chuck and Sarah’s relations)
which caused all the negative milieu that term has been associated with.
Alex
NO! JILL! THE PHOTO!
May I then pose this for the purpose of continued discussion. I see different points/persepctives in response to the article. I understand the definition and that it’s a writer’s tool and that it can be used well or used poorly, and that some can ALWAYS see it in a negative light when it’s not always necessarily negative.
Sooooo ……….. Is another possible question to be considered this: Is “ANGST” being OVER-used as a writer’s tool in CHUCK?
For example, I’m not a writer (in the strict sense). I didn’t study English Lit. or anything like that extensively in college, so I’m not going to pretend to know about certain things of which I have NO knowledge. But I do write homilies for Sundays, funerals, weddings, and even weekday Masses. So in a sense, I am a “writer,” though not one trained in all of the techniques, etc., like I would assume book, play, and TV writers have been trained in.
But let’s say that I used the same angle/approach – or whatever term you who know more about the art of writing may be able to substitute for me – not ALL the time, but pretty darn close to it. (For example, the “threatening with eternal hellfire angle/approach). 😉 If my parishioners come in, see that it’s going to be ME as the presider at the Mass, going to say to themselves, “Oh boy, here comes more threats of hell and damnation. YUCK!!”
Could it then be said that I’m “over-using” that particular tool if that’s the response that is elicited from my parishioners?
So, back to my question for consideration.
Is ANGST – whether its viewed positively or negatively; whether it’s used well or poorly – being OVER-used as a writer’s tool in CHUCK?
Is it time to reach into the toolbox and pull out the screwdriver or the needle nosed pliers a little more often and the hammer a little less often??
Thangst!!! 🙂
Great post, Lou.
Today especially, I feel like I’ve been fighting the “angst wars” on the forums forever. I’ve asked many times what posters have meant by that dreaded five letter word, fearing that they were talking about some aspect that I really liked. Never got a real answer, though.
So I focus like a laser on your statement Angst has become a bucket to gather up any of the relationship components that the fans dislike or are not in agreement with.
I can’t think of anything else that it might be.
The good news is that it also means that they (the fans who post) are passionate about the show. Something has made them care about this issue. I’ve no doubt that if they had real friends going through a relationship as intense as the fictional Chuck and Sarah, they’d be saying the same things to them.
– as in “Why are you even considering messing around with [Jill/Cole/Lou/Bryce] you fool!”
Great topic, Lou.
“Not all Angst is bad. It is a story telling device and like any tool it can be used well or poorly. Please bear this in mind when you see use of the word angst. Try not to assume the discussion is about something bad. Examine what is being discussed and then decide if it the angst in question is good or bad.”
EXAAACTLY. Thanks.
As a newbie in the chuckverse (one month in), I think the writers are doing a fine job so far overall. I’m satisfied. I love the Sarah/Chuck pairing. They are in love with each other. No doubt. But I’m of the opinion that their relationship should continue to face some difficulties and obstacles here and there. Certainly their professions make it even more so.
I definitely WANT them to end up together and married. Please! But NOT JUST YET (more like near the end of the series. Hopefully we’ll get at least two more seasons. Please!). It’s a little too soon. There should still be some more tension, and also some more obstacles for these two lovers to overcome. It’s part of the fun. Just make them interesting and more grown up than the relatioship Chuck had with Jill in “Chuck VS. the Ex”.
Thanks for reading.
Angst as interpreted by most fans is a negative thing and should it cost viewers it is the fault of F&S not the viewers themselves. Most viewers consider it a negative. I think season 3 should be used as a source of positive, uplifting entertainment. If that is not accomplished I doubt a season 4 is in the cards-hope I am wrong. The only way to do that is to resolve the angst, put Sarah and Chuck together and then concentrate more time to the comedy and action. I think this could be aided by expanding the roles of some of the existing regulars. With only 13 episodes I do not see how they can accomplish that goal with Routh taking up so many episodes. One or two episodes for a visiting actor are plenty, there are just too many great story lines that will not be addressed. Sarah and Chuck have been working together for almost 2 years, they should know their feelings by now. I would like to see them get together asap and then concentrate on the fun and games. If this is not accomplished soon then I fear the show for many will become more of a soap opera and I certainly do not want the challenges of seasons 1 and 2 to be rehashed in season 3. Right now Chuck is primarily a tragic love story, which I do not necessarily care for and think it will guarantee no season 4. The biggest thing we have going for a season 4 right now are the poor ratings of many of the NBC shows. In fact I wonder if that will not bring us Chuck episodes faster than presently scheduled. I realize these views are my own but many posts I have seen over the last few months agree with me. Some posters ask about the website surveys that may differ with my feelings. I think the surveys are pretty worthless because such a minute number of viewers post on any website and we are talking about needing what-7 or 8 million viewers at a minimum. I hope things do not get so bad that apathy sets in and a lot of viewers reach for the remote control to change to another show. I think we all can agree on one thing–we would like Chuck to have a season 4.
Angst may in some circumstances be considered good or bad however, there is no mystery in how the vast majority of posters are using the word. How it impacts viewership will probably be decided in the first 4 or 5 episodes of season 3. Although some surveys may indicate a minimum effect I would disagree with that conclusion. As I have stated previously a very small number of viewers post on any website especially when considering we will probably need to pull 7 or 8 million viewers to have any chance at a season 4. Any loss of viewers due to negatives taking place with the Sarah/Chuck relationship are desired by F&S the creators of the show and its success is is based on their judgement. Right now I consider Chuck primarily a tragic love story. I say get the angst overwith and concentrate on the action and the comedy. The comedy has to be better than pouring a couple of bottles of wine on someone’s lap or listening to Jeff tell Lester he wished he could be at Lester’s birth so he could see Lester’s head come out of the vaginal canal. I consider the overall writing to be okay unless compared to a top notch show like “The Closer”. Comedy is difficul under the best of circumstances, it does not have to be trashy.
Please excuse the double post–my first post did not show up on my computer until after I posted a second time-perhaps the post police will be kind enough to remove one of them. Computers will rule the world!!!