THE SHAKESPEARE OF OUR TIME: ALAN BALL

I think a lot about who writing today might be regarded as highly as Shakespeare in say 500 years. I used to consider traditional writers, but now I think that "our" Shakespeare will be a TV or film writer. Though nowhere near as prolific, I think Alan Ball currently has my vote for the title. He's the man behind American Beauty, Six Feet Under, and True Blood. To be Shakespeare, your work has to appeal to the masses, but also have rich layers of subtext that appeal to slightly more discerning eyes. If you can create a show that is enjoyed by both a cowboy from Wyoming and a critic for the New York Times, you are walking the line that very few people can. I believe that writers who can have this mass appeal and also have something to say are the ones who change our world. For people who aren't ready for subtext, a show like True Blood offers great passive entertainment: lots of sex, clever dialog, and creative cinematography. But later, when those passive viewers are exposed to something that challenges them in the show, it becomes like a gateway drug toward critical thinking. And when people are ready, True Blood is waiting with its thinly veiled critiques of racism, sexuality, and religion. It is spoon-fed transformational ideology cleverly disguised by Anna Paquin's tits. Stare at those tits long enough and soon you'll be a vampire sympathizer. Next, you'll be marching in gay pride parades, and soon you'll be writing your own TV show. It may sound like a joke, but this is how the evolution of creativity works. And from True Blood (A Midsummer Night's Dream) you can move on to deeper viewing, like Six Feet Under (Hamlet) or American Beauty (The Tempest). If you want to get sidetracked from your mental transformation watch Towelhead (The Merchant of Venice).