The Original Motherfucker: Adapting Oedipus for a Modern Audience Oedipus is a cultural institution- pseudo-psychologists and the general

public each have a point of reference for the work, whether it is an image of Greek classicism or incest or gauged eyes. However, for such a well-known (at least on the surface that it) work, there hasnt been a truly successful adaptation for modern audiences. While films have been made and havent been critically reviled, they also havent had much commercial victory. The time seems right for a modern adaptation, with our society becoming increasingly accepting of or even hungry for narratives with darker tones. There is a four-pronged manner in which the adaptation could reach mainstream success- correct format, correct forum, correct marketing and correct tonality. First, correct format- the original text of Oedipus, in its three segments, lends itself particularly well to a mini-series. Film allows for only a fraction of the detail that this work deserves, and tends to focus almost solely on the events of Oedipus the King. By making the work episodic, more detail can be rendered and in fact could successfully span both Oedipus the King and Oedipus at Colonus (Colonus would of course serve as the final act. Antigone would probably be better suited as its own, slightly shorter mini-series or abridged television series, pulling a single season). In addition, the trend in television as of late has made individuals far more accepting of flawed characters- prominent examples include Dexter, Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Game of Thrones, The Killing, the list goes on for eons. Part of this acceptance can be traced to the prolonged exposure to the characters- episodic formats allow for long-term character development in a way that film does not. With movies, you have a single shot within a three hour (maximum) time limit to make the audience connect and sympathize with the characters presented on screen, the success of which can be attributed to selecting the correct actor, the quality of the writing, etc. In the case of Oedipus, the characters are at the outset fundamentally flawed by the connotation the work already has; apart from a very selective group of individuals with divergent sexual preference, incest is a big no-no. The mere suggestion that the protagonist of the piece engages in it is enough to send people squeamishly away from the box office. Allowing the audience to see Oedipus from his origins, familiarize them with him as a boy, then an adolescent, then as the flawed man makes it more likely that they will take the incest caveat in stride- perhaps even embrace it (the public has embraced serial killers, why not familial fornication? Game of Thrones has done it with mixed success, though its spare presence in the on-screen adaptation honestly doesnt garner much attention from the audience in any meaningful sort of way). The second pillar of success is correct forum, or where the work will be displayed. Obviously, the Disney Channel wont be chomping at the bit to pick up a mini-series that involves this caliber of incest and murder. However, premium cable channels as of late have had a sizable amount of success with just that nature of programming (the aforementioned Game of Thrones and Dexter, of Showtime and HBO respectively, serving as two of the primary examples). Following the third season,Game of Thrones on HBO had an average gross audience of 11.6 million viewers, incredibly impressive for a non-network show and second only to The Sopranos, which managed to obtain 14.4 million viewers after their fifth season in 2004 (Thompson). The motif of the show- fantasy with a historical rather than futuristic bend- has some striking similarities to Oedipus typically difficult to market style, and thus suggests that similar programming could have the potential to be successful on this or a similar network. Networks that Oedipus could potentially call home would be (as mentioned) HBO, Showtime, Starz (which aired the most recent adaptation of Spartacus), and

Cinemax (which currently airs the on-screen adaptation of Banshee, a dark comic book centered around an ex-con). Another venue for the mini-series would be through Netflix, which has started to release original programming with the introduction of House of Cards and other episodic programs set to air in the near future. One potential downside to utilizing the online approach would be initially smaller numbers, however an upside could be more eventual viewers based purely on the fact that viewing something on your laptop is substantially more private (theoretically) than watching a television program containing eye gauging with your immediate friends and family. If there is any caveat due to potential shame or embarrassment, having an internet centered method of purveying the program allows for a certain amount of anonymity and an ability to watch without fear of judgement (much like pornography, in many regards). In this day and age, the marketing a show utilizes is nearly as important as the content- a lackluster plan can send a series into the ground before it even starts. One of the key tenets of successful marketing is promotion, promotion and more promotion. Advertising the series both on the network that will air it, as well as others with similar demographics is crucial (Shimmel)- as is advertising off the networks on either the internet through promotional extras (a successful example can be seen in the increasing number of television shows with either Tumblrs or Twitters, allowing them to interact with a potential fan base) or posters in major metropolitan areas. However it isnt enough to be visible, you have to be exceptional. The best marketing campaigns are unique, and fully utilize the tone and nuances of the series they bolster. In the case of Oedipus, my suggestion would be large scale posters in urban areas as well as banners and viral trailers on Facebook and major dot coms, the trailers revealing little content-wise. The lighting and stylistic direction of both the posters and the short trailers would be gritty and high contrast, with as little airbrushing as humanly possible. An initial idea for the poster would have the individual playing Oedipus head as the focus, with the marketing tagline plastered in bold lettering either beneath or across it (so long as the eyes wouldnt be obscured)the original motherfucker. Of course in a public forum the use of symbols to obscure the profanity could be utilized, but in other mediums it would be in full view. The final prong in the strategy is the proper tonality- while the story is itself dark by nature, previous adaptations have tended more towards emphasizing the classical aspects rather than the darkly psychological ones. The focus has been on elevating the work so that its most evident trait is the inherent Greek classicism- it can fall into similar pitfalls that often affect adaptations of Shakespearean works. That is to say that all too often, actors, directors, creative directors and the like become too swept up in the idea of the elevated nature of the original workShakespeare was never meant to be highfalutin, at least 45% of it is comprised of sex jokes. While Oedipus possesses a certain elegance characteristic of Greek drama (at least in the way we view it, the original audience would probably beg to differ), the way in which the story has been treated in the past has rarely dared to give it a chance to be what the text lends itself to- a pulpy, dark, intensely human tragedy. One of the more modern adaptations on film came closer to this tone, Edipo Alcalde, a take on the original story set in modern Colombia with Edipo (Oedipus) as the mayor of a town overrun by drug cartels (Triana). However, the caliber and frequency of violence in the piece threatens to take it from dark to gratuitous, an adjective that rarely heralds success unless it is directly adjacent to the noun nudity or sex. The most successful way to put this drama on would be to not shy away from the emotional, the gritty and the dark. Dont solely focus on the the words of the text, focus on the emotional content. Show implied moments from the text rather than simply what is there. The truly great works of film and television are masters of subtext,

and the thematic qualities of Oedipus lend themselves to this beautifully. To not utilize them would be a crime. A few additional tips that could help a television adaptation reach success are centered around storyline and casting. In terms of the story, one aspect that seems to be conspicuously subtle or absent from most adaptations is the genesis of the curseaka the rape of Chrysippus (Atsma). While the notion of male rape on screen is one that has been distinctly unwelcome up until recent memory, the pathos it provides is invaluable. When one generally speaks of Oedipus, the sentiment is usually he killed his father and slept with his mother, which makes the character seem immediately in the wrong. If the more accurate statement of he killed his father, a known rapist whose violation of an adolescent boy in fact led to the curse that compels Oedipus to sleep with his mother we have a different vision of the protagonist altogether. Highlighting this at the beginning of the series would benefit the audiences ability to sympathize as well as give an explanation to the actions that are typically seen as simply perverse. The other suggestion is one that will seem obvious- Oedipus, Jocasta and the other central players need not be traditionally attractive, but it is imperative that they are compelling. Current casting in film and television is a mixed bag, some actors are beautiful but not particularly compelling, while others are Steve Buscemi. In the case of Oedipus, it would be helpful to have the protagonists be attractive, but more importantly there chemistry needs to be on point and the individual actors must be compelling enough to make the audience believe that their attraction could transcend (at the time unknown) familial ties. While the likelihood of an Oedipus mini-series springing up at the moment is low, success could be found for this Greek Classic in the future by simply utilizing (or in some cases exploiting) what previously made it untouchable, scandalous and unique. Bibliography: I. Thompson, Anne. HBO Renews Game of Thrones for Fourth Season After It Breaks Record with Season Three Premiere. 2013. II. Triana, Jorge Ali. Edipo Alcalde. 23 August 1996. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zNu4VjjYao. III. Atsma, Aaron J. Khrysippos; Theoi Encyclopedia. 2011.http://www.theoi.com/Heros/Khrysippos.html IV. Shimmel, Howard. Viewership Through Effective Marketing. 12 June 2012. The Nielsen Company.