Man In Space -- Billy Collins

[FrogBlasters]

A great visual suggestion towards understanding the little tricks behind this poem. Thank you very much for this.

[MyLatestEscape]

Well the men that made the woman's lower lip quiver were also the men who made the movies and wrote the science fiction. So do you believe they were aware of what they were doing and anticipating the backlash? (or rather, is that the point BC was making in this poem?)

Anyway, great vid, and thank you for posting it.

[BklynBookGirl]

Wonderful poem and wonderful video. Do you think Collins was in on the creation of this video? And, if he wasn't, do you think he approves?

[MAGGERMUFIN]

i really liked this poem. every poem ive read/heard of his so far is brilliant!

[kazyBarbarian]

r they scared?

Im confused

[HelenaHermione]

@kazyBarbarian

They're not scared--it's a reversal of gender roles; now women in space have the chance to show that they're dominant to the men, or at least have their own inner strength to display.

[kazyBarbarian]

now that i look at it again it seems to me that women in this vid are stronger because they dont have to hold their tongue.not to show that they are dominant.

[insertsloganhere]

It's about how men and women relate to each other. They're not scared.

[FuzzyDuck]

Wonderful poem and a great video.

[Sweet89Sarah]

great I liked it

[anyonita]

billy collins is a genius!!!!! i love this poem!

[bluerose218]

Very interesting take on gender roles in sci-fi. I like this mush more than Collins' other works that I've been exposed to so far.

[damienmetalwind]

Sweet Talk, The Best Cigarette, or The Lanyard are all great poems here.

Get a book of his, you'll appreciate him more...

[teainthesahara]

The stuff on Earth is from Citizen Kane.

[rawr0scary]

so true so true

tisk tisk

[iwish2bealone]

Most of the clip seem like it from Twilight Zone

[irolori]

I'm gaining a real appreciation for Billy Collins.

My thoughts in his words.

Thank-you

[dontfascisizeme]

I liked it!

[valland55]

a good observer is bill collins.

[jondeeca]

I've always felt a bit quilty that I didn't really enjoy reading poetry. Now these offerings by Billy Collins help to alleviate the guilt and as a bonus I quite enjoy what he has to say. Thank you, sir!

[dou12bfamous]

Yeah,I'm watching this space, man/ma'am.

[CosmicFrizbe]

Dig it!

[TehULO]

hahaha

[rufdogshavebumps]

my favorite

[smilexwryly]

alright, over-analists, calm down. The poem is simply saying that it is the presence of men that makes women seem to be the "delicate" gender

[sanasawa]

thanks for the explanation. Your really helpfull.

[dwelleroftheclouds]

strange. loved it. :)

[AEAfriends]

I like Sweet Talk better, but this is cool. What does Billy look like, anyway?

[Acumensch]

Baldish.

[junction2x]

good stuff...must see!

[iwish2bealone]

Is some of the pic that was use are from twilight zone? It seem like it.

[lulurawks]

women will be president on day youll see

[pifferaiopazzo]

io penso che tu sia davvero un grande, e tanto di capello a collins! le cose non sono assolutamente cambiate, anzi i conflitti si sono induriti tramite l'infingarda ipocrisia dell'uomo-bambino con la donna liberata che gli fa da badante mentre non puo aspettarsi nulla in cambio, solo richieste. scusate...ma quelli che dicono che le cose sono cambiate sono sempre gli uomini purtroppo, e qualche ragazza che non sa a cosa ha diritto, o come farsi rispettare.

[therockr1]

i thought that the poem was very meaningfull.

men abusin their wives and women inhabiting a planet to protect themsevles.

[OhioKat143]

I like this, but I just wanted to point out that Star Trek clip is not from DS9 but from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

[Shinnyuu2]

women with any kind of power in classic literature or films are always evil ... its part of our "subconscious culture" if you will ... there was a time when women did rule the world centuries ago...but in the common era a woman who is not inferior to men...must be a witch ... what a woman wants more than anything is sovereignty

[SanityFilms]

is that a quote from sometihng writen 100 or more years ago, or did you come up with that all by yourself and are appling it to today as being the "common era"?

[Acumensch]

Billy Collins wrote it about 4 years ago, and that's his voice.

[SanityFilms]

my comment was a reply to the video, it was a reply to someone elses comment... i guess it didn't get attached to the other comment for some reason...

[SanityFilms]

"was NOT a reply to the video"

[Shinnyuu2]

in response to kiddmick .. keep in mind that Billy Collins is part of the older generation For him and his generation these ideas are still true and the images in the movie still hit home for alot of people ...in many parts of the world men still look at women with condescending eyes to say the very least.. so perhaps this poem doesnt touch you personally ....but not everyone lives the life you do

[Acumensch]

Perhaps even my images were too suggestive. I'm not from Collins' generation, but I chose scenes from classic films because that's a genre I really like.

I think I could have done the same thing with the latest films and wouldn't have gotten those kinds of "old fashioned" criticisms. In fact I'm probably going to do that. And then you tell me if you think it's still old fashioned or not.

[Shinnyuu2]

in response to kiddmick .. i agree with u about poems embracing people of today but keep in mind that Billy Collins is part of the older generation for him and his generation these ideas are still true and the images in the movie still hit home for alot of people ...in many parts of the world men still look at women with condescending eyes to say the very least.. so perhaps this poem doesnt touch you personally ....but not everyone lives the life you do

[Highcommander01]

great movie. I enjoy your work, Collins, and that of your various illustrators. keep it up!

[kiddmick]

That there are no movies with planets inhabited solely by men indicates the idea that our present world has not been influenced by women - or it simply a symptom of some perverted dream had by a frustrated and overwilling DNA donor

[Acumensch]

Women running their own planets are always very socialistic or communistic. Even if they're militant. Anyone ever notice that there aren't any planets inhabited entirely by men?

[kiddmick]

Pretty bad - poem focuses on outdated ideas in flims that most people haven't or won't see - art must embrace the humans of today

[Acumensch]

Good point. The newer sci-fi films with women who inhabit planets of their own have several twists on this same idea.

On some of the planets, the women who rule it are militant, whereas the men who visit are confused and naive. For example, in Star Trek TNG. But in Voyager "Favorite Son", they visit the planet Taresia where men are are killed after the women extract enough genetic material to conceive children.

[Highcommander01]

ok... for the sake of opinion, I will firstly respond "That could be true." But now that I've said that, I will say, "You're stupid because I said so. That's my opinion." Loser.

[rloadah]

nice observation

[ThaGakiShoujo]

I agree with him, completely. Too bad the men for whom this poem could be of use, can't understand it. Hurrah for Collins-sama!

[narutokyuubi101]

I do not get it. ?_?

[PoetMom]

Thanks for posting. I'm a fan of Billy Collins so it's interesting to see his work on YouTube. Great visuals!

[oneblondeklutz]

beautifully done :)