I just walked in the door from (one of my three) English class(es), and my professor had some very interesting things to say that, I think, are important to K&Kers, B&Bers and everyone else who interprets TaleSpin to be different from what Jymn Magnon, et al, say about the show.

My professor (a worldly gentleman from Arkansas) was referring to a novella by Flannery O'Connor. The name of the book escapes me at the moment. The plot is basically this: A boy is being raised on a farm by an older man who's a religious fanatic. An atheist social worker tries to take the boy away into a "better" living environment. The boy ends up snapping, and burns down a barn or something.

My professor says his interpretation of this story is that the boy was ruined by the tension between the two opposing worldviews. However, he has read statements by author O'Connon explicitly stating that the message she intended was that the boy finally decided to side with the man who was raising him, and his fanatically religious worldview. In other words, the custody struggle made him come of age and realize where he stood in the world. While my professor believes the stuggle tore him apart and made him essentially lose his mind.

Now I'm sure you're saying, "What the hell does this have to do with TaleSpin?" Or maybe you see where I'm going with this. In either case, read on.

My professor went on to say that regardless of the intent of the author, his interpretation of the novella is just as valid as hers. Text is interactive. (His definition of text is basically anything created with the intent to tell a story or message; i.e. movies, radio, maps, music, photographs, art, TV, e-mail, cave paintings, etc.) I reiterate, what my college English professor said was that even though the sole author of the work clearly and explicitly said that the message she intended was "A", he is 100% justified in saying the message is "B". Neither "A" nor "B" is "wrong". This is a fundamental tenet of the study of literature.

If you're still asking me what the heck this has to do with TaleSpin, you need to be hit with a blunt object. =)

Translation into TS language: Despite the fact that Jymn Magon, et al, say that K&K and B&B were not intended to be in the show, it is absolutely okay for us fans to read entirely different things into the story. A text (television or literature) takes on a life of its own once the author is done with it, and anyone can interpret it their own way.

I hope this doesn't embroil us in a tense K&K vs K&B debate again, but I just had to share. I thought it was very interesting, coming from a distinguished college professor.

Interpret what I wrote as you will. :-)



The Webmaster would like to add:
If you're unsure, the term "B&B" stands for Baloo & Becky, as in a romantic relationship between the two.