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Talk:Under the Skin (2013 film)#Plot assumes way too much.

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Have you discussed this on a talk page?

Yes, I have discussed this issue on a talk page already.

Location of dispute

Users involved

Dispute overview

The dispute is over the plot summary originally written by Popcornduff, for the movie "Under the Skin." This dispute is documented in Talk, in the "Plot summary assumes way too much" section. There is an older, similar dispute between Popcornduff and BoogaLouie, in which Popcornduff reverted BoogaLouie's edits twice, but the current dispute is between me (CapuchinPilates) and Popcornduff, who has reverted 3 dissimilar edits I have made to the plot. I am arguing for a plot summary that accurately describes the arc of the plot, and uses primarily those details and scenes that are important to the plot. I argued for taking out a whole mess of minor details that were not crucial to anything. Popcornduff objects to the language in my last two edits as: purple prose, flowery, and overwritten. See talk page for my response.

Have you tried to resolve this previously?

My first edit was somewhat misinformed, and reverted by Popcornduff. Then I read the talk section and offered suggestions for a different kind of rewrite. I received feedback, and incorporated it into my rewrite. It also was reverted. In talk I refuted each of the things that were criticized, but I offered to remove or modify each of them if that's what others wanted. I received feedback for one thing, aliens, and made that change to my 3rd edit. It was also reverted, without any talk.

How do you think we can help?

Perhaps a mediation or negotiation with Popcornduff on this formum would be useful, because I've already tried doing this on talk and Popcornduff has stopped responding. Also, I think that outside opinions would be useful by editors expert in narrative, plot, movies, or fiction, and not just expert in WP policy. I think it would be helpful for outsiders to compare my 15:30, 1 August 2015 version with the current one, and also read the plot talk section, as it details all the arguments.

Summary of dispute by Popcornduff

Back in May 2014, BoogaLouie rewrote the plot summary to include a lot of technical detail and speculation, which I reverted. After discussing it on the Talk page, I understood BoogaLouie's objections better: he/she felt the plot summary inappropriately assumed the protagonist was an alien. I thought this was a fair criticism, so I rewrote the summary to remove the assumption.

A year later, Capuchinpilates rewrote the plot summary with a lot of flowery prose and personal interpretation, which I've reverted. The current dispute has nothing to do with the argument with BoogaLouie last year. Popcornduff (talk) 10:42, 4 August 2015 (UTC)

Summary of dispute by BoogaLouie

Just stumbled across this discussion (in connection with another dispute below). Let me repeat my argument again Popcornduff's edits from a year ago: `I put it to you that in a film such this, the director is not so much interested in developing a clear plot but in atmosphere and feeling. With no clear plot, providing (normally extraneous) "technical composition" details is the next best thing. ... In the absence of clear-cut plot indication that the woman is an alien, I think the article is better served by describing the reasons why she might be, even if it moves away from strictly plot description.`
Maybe 95% or 98% of movies seen by audiences have a plot, but for the 5%, 2%, whatever, that don't, may I suggest wikipedia ease its regulations on the "plot" section of articles on movies. --BoogaLouie (talk) 22:38, 5 August 2015 (UTC)

Summary of dispute by TransporterMan

Please keep it brief - less than 2000 characters if possible, it helps us help you quicker.

Though I'm a regular volunteer here at DRN, I'm removing my DRN hat and entering this dispute as a simple editor, not in my volunteer capacity. I want to offer some comments and opinions and then will not be further involved in the discussion here. First, let me note that I think this dispute is summed up in this edit and my comments and opinions here are based upon that assumption. First, I don't think either version is perfect, but I agree that the result of that edit — let's call that result "PCD's version" though I recognize that it may not be entirely PCD's work — is vastly superior to CP's version. It must be remembered that since the film itself is the source for this plot summary, the film is a primary source and the primary source policy says, in one of the clearest prohibitions in Wikipedia policy, "Do not analyze, evaluate, interpret, or synthesize material found in a primary source" (emphasis in original). That means that when preparing a text summary of an audiovisual object that the summary must be limited to whatever is absolutely obvious from the screen and soundtrack and about which no reasonable person could disagree is what is there, with no coloring whatsoever. PCD's version comes much closer to avoiding violations of that policy, while CP's version fails to do so with paragraphs such as, "However, the woman begins to have a series of increasingly unsettling experiences that leave her confused, curious and afraid. After attempting to pick up a man at a beach, she watches him run off to risk his life trying to save two others from drowning. Later she falls down while walking on the sidewalk, and a number of concerned strangers help her up. Driving around she observes the daily life of regular people. Then, after leading a lonely, romantically inexperienced man into the liquidy void, she is disquieted by studying her face in a mirror, and then noticing a fly trapped against a window." That description is, very likely, a correct analysis of what's going on, but it is an analysis of the kind prohibited by the primary source policy. Next, it needs to be remembered that Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, not a blog, review site, film guide, or other such medium and plain language suits that purpose much better than colorful or fanciful language such as "liquidy" and "appropriates," just to pick a couple of examples out of many in CP's version. CP admits in this edit that s/he intends to include interpretation, "Wikipedia is ultimately for serving people's needs rather than slavishly following rules, so I’ll include a very small amount of analysis." That's true as a general or default principle, but when one's work is challenged as it has been here (and as usually happens when you go up against policy) then it must be recognized that policy is the established consensus of the community and to do something different than what policy mandates requires that you either change the policy or form a new consensus at the article as a local exception to the result mandated by policy. I see no consensus forming for CP's version, I submit my consensus !vote in opposition to it for the reasons I've stated above, and it should remain reverted until CP is able to obtain consensus for it. Regards, TransporterMan (TALK) 14:31, 5 August 2015 (UTC)

Talk:Under the Skin (2013 film)#Plot assumes way too much.|Plot assumes way too much. discussion

Please keep discussion to a minimum before being opened by a volunteer. Continue on article talk page if necessary.
  • Volunteer note - There has been extended recent discussion at the article talk page in the section "Plot assumes way too much". The case is ripe for moderated discussion. I am neither opening nor declining the case, but am recommending that it be opened. Robert McClenon (talk) 01:38, 4 August 2015 (UTC)

Wait, it seems a little unseemly and unproductive to me for someone who volunteers as a dispute moderator on this forum, to come in and vote against a disputant. I asked for a mediation, or the opinion of an expert in plot, not another lecture on WP policy (although I am a bit ignorant of WP policy and how this forum works, and I did learn a thing or two from him/her). Capuchinpilates (talk) 01:18, 6 August 2015 (UTC)


I wanted to put a ping out there requesting a moderator for this dispute. Also, I will be on vacation all of this coming week. Upon my return I expect the dispute to be totally resolved, with the result being universal, global worship of my version of the plot. Capuchinpilates (talk) 22:49, 7 August 2015 (UTC)

  • I'd be happy to moderate a discussion here. First off, regarding User:TransporterMan's comment, it is permissible. Per DRN policy, he identified that he took part in the discussion outside of his capacity as a volunteer. Additionally, DRN volunteers don't have any authority per se, they just more or less help the discussion along, providing suggestions and asking questions as needed. North of Eden (talk) 01:42, 8 August 2015 (UTC)
Discussion has already been opened. Please see this for why this segment has been collapsed. North of Eden (talk) 13:12, 8 August 2015 (UTC)
I will be the mediator for this dispute. Thanks, The Editor of All Things Wikipedia 《Talk》 09:25, 8 August 2015 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by The Editor of All Things Wikipedia (talkcontribs)
Ok so there is a problem here. The person who filed the case and who is the only party on his/her side is not going to be here for a week and expects it to go their way without them. They basically gave permission for the decision to be made without them or their representation assuming that it will go their way. I have looked it over and keep in mind I am NOT taking sides but Capuchinpilates version is an interpretation, no doubt about it, it is not relative or anything, it is plainly an interpretation. And Wikipedia's rules do not allow interpretation and those are just the facts. So I am pretty new at this so I am going to take a bit to think about how I can help both sides come to a compromise and be pleased. — Preceding unsigned comment added by The Editor of All Things Wikipedia (talkcontribs) 09:31, 8 August 2015 (UTC)
Alright. I have two main goals, One, to help the both sodes reach consensus, and two, reach a result that benefits the encyclopedia. That comes from two sources, "Consensus does not mean that all the parties are fully satisfied with the resolution, it merely means that all the parties can live with the resolution as that is the nature of compromise." And from, "The purpose of mediation is to secure a result that benefits the encyclopedia—not to ensure fairness for any one contributor. Mediators work with disputants but for the encyclopedia." Now keep in mind, I am not personally taking sides. I am ensuring that what each side wishes meets the standards of Wikipedia and if it technically doesn't, I have to help make a compromise that meets Wikipedias standards or help the side that doesnt meet the standards, live with the other sides version prevailing. I have decided that factually, NOT based on opinion, thatCapuchinpilates' version does mot meet the standards and rules of Wikipedia. Now if anyone takes Capuchinpilates' side, we can begin mediation about it. If not, we will begin in a week. I think that if we end up starting in a week, the primary focus should be either both sides coming to a compromise as far as a plot version that is original and different than both and meets the standards, or seeing if Capuchinpilates can live with the plot staying as it is now. I am not attempting to take sides and am just disapproving of Capuchinpilates version because it TECHNICALLY does not meet the standards and because I cannot knowingly let Wikipedia contain biased infornmation, there is nothing I can do about it. If anyone is on Capuchinpilates' side, let me know and we can start mediation right away, if not, lets wait a week and follow the plan I created. Thanks everyone The Editor of All Things Wikipedia 《Talk》 09:53, 8 August 2015 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by The Editor of All Things Wikipedia (talkcontribs)
Yes, that would be great if it could be on hold until the 15th. My comment about the dispute getting resolved was a joke, meant to lighten the mood. Capuchinpilates (talk) 14:57, 8 August 2015 (UTC)
That's what I figured ;) Enjoy your break and looking forward to a discussion at a later date. I'll close the thread as "on hold" until the 15th. North of Eden (talk) 15:08, 8 August 2015 (UTC)
Yes and yes. Capuchinpilates (talk) 01:53, 17 August 2015 (UTC)
  • Perhaps it would be useful if I made the observation that, while at first glance BoogaLouie and I seem to be for opposite things, actually we both have wanted many similar things. We both felt it important to use words like "seems" or "appears," or some other mechanism that makes it clear that while the movie does not overtly state something in particular, like aliens, that it does imply it. Both of us also have wanted to add the initial, abstract "shapes" scene. If others want, we could talk about these two things, and I could explain them more. Capuchinpilates (talk) 00:34, 19 August 2015 (UTC)
@Popcornduff: I would be genuinely interested in hearing from you why you don't want words like "appears" or "seemingly" in this plot summary, beyond that you think it's against policy, or that they are weasel words, or purple prose, or un-encyclopedic, any other label. How is the world a better place by not having ambiguity in this particular plot summary for this particular movie? Capuchinpilates (talk) 01:58, 20 August 2015 (UTC)
This movie has an ambiguous plot. It is therefore our duty to reflect that ambiguity by avoiding attempts at clarification or interpretation, at least in the plot summary.
If you have to use a word like "apparently" or "seemingly", you're probably making a personal interpretation or judgement. Our plot summaries should describe as neutrally as possible the events on the screen, not speculate about their implications. Popcornduff (talk) 03:12, 20 August 2015 (UTC)
But if any reasonable viewer would assume that the woman is "alien" or "otherwordly," then who is being victimized by reading a plot summary that communicates that? I don't get it, do you think someone's experience of the film is going to be ruined by hearing that the woman definitely seems to not be from earth? How is keeping this information off the page, helping anyone?
And I think there's a difference between personal interpretation, and representing the trajectory of the movie. Since the movie seems to want us to think she's alien, then this isn't my interpretation, it's just putting down in print what the movie didn't, but we were all thinking. I think the reader of the plot who hasn't seen the movie, deserves to be given the opportunity to know important aspects of the movie, that any reasonable viewer of the movie knows. Capuchinpilates (talk) 04:18, 20 August 2015 (UTC)
Our plot summary provides more or less the same information about the protagonist as the film does. Popcornduff (talk) 06:48, 20 August 2015 (UTC)
Ah, but it would be impossible for a summary to provide the same info as the film, think of all the facial expressions, the body language, the ways of walking, talking, undressing, etc. ect.. All of these things are done carefully in the film, put there by the artists, because they are important, they all are there to communicate crucial things to the viewer. The reader of WP can't get all that stuff, so that's why the WP editor summarizes all this for the reader. The plot "summary," is just that, it's nothing but our interpretation of the total film put before us. Maybe your thinking that the WP editor is objective, or the summary should be objective, but the editing by its very nature is totally subjective, we pick and choose which scenes to include, which aspects of those scenes, which words to represent those scenes, and on and on, the whole process is subjective, full of interpretation, and our own biases. But that's OK.
The plot summary as it stands, doesn't represent the protagonist at all; I find the summary to be a misrepresentation of the film. If I read the summary, then watched the film, they would seem almost like two totally different plots. That's why I think you have to use a bit of language that isn't totally business-like, how can you represent art with business language, it's absurd. Think about why you personally like the film and find it meaningful, its because of the beauty of the characters, the striking imagery, the interpersonal interaction between characters, and the changes in the protagonist, these are all part of the plot, and can be summarized in an encyclopedic way. To leave these things out, is to bleach it of everything that you and I love about it. Capuchinpilates (talk) 03:22, 21 August 2015 (UTC)
I understand your position, and you're right in that in the end it's impossible to be truly objective in an enclyopaedia article. But we must try to be as objective as possible, and your suggestions go beyond the remit of an encyclopaedia and into the realm of a personal review or analysis. Why you or I "personally like the film and find it meaningful" has no place in the Wikipedia article about it. Your suggestions would require Wikipedia to dramatically change its plot summary policy. Popcornduff (talk) 03:35, 21 August 2015 (UTC)
I think you might be right that some of what I want would require a larger battle about WP policy, but within the existing policy there is still a lot of room for summarizing things like the feel of a movie, and the changes in the characters, if this is indeed part of the plot of the film. And if the plot is ambiguous, then if the plot summary doesn't represent this ambiguity, I don't see how the summary could be accurate. Capuchinpilates (talk) 04:09, 21 August 2015 (UTC)
@BoogaLouie:What are your thoughts on this current discussion? Capuchinpilates (talk) 14:46, 21 August 2015 (UTC)
@Capuchinpilates:I'm afraid I'm going to bow out at this point. --BoogaLouie (talk) 21:54, 21 August 2015 (UTC)
  • My apologies for my absence here; I have been swamped in real life and was out for a few days. It looks like things aren't going especially well in the discussion, which is understandable; I am willing to continue discussion if we have enough parties to go forward, otherwise, I can offer some concluding thoughts and offer other options. North of Eden (talk) 02:48, 22 August 2015 (UTC)
A suggestion from someone not involved. Almost all the problems here come the plot summary being based on what people remember after watching the film. Suppose, instead of it being a film, it had been a real life incident that editors had witnessed - WP:OR would forbid editors writing on the basis of their memories. Instead policy would have them write solely on the basis of what published sources said had happened. If we did the same with this film, you would get out of all your problems. You could cite film reviews and articles about the film for the "facts". This would fix all Capuchinpilates' and Popcornduff's problems with the plot summary. I realise there could be some objections from people who saw the film - but it is the same with real life events being remembered differently from published accounts.-- Toddy1 (talk) 08:43, 22 August 2015 (UTC)
It's certainly an interesting idea, but I don't think other editors would go along with it, and it would make the plot summary of this movie into a totally different format than all other plot summaries on WP. Also, what happens when reviewers disagree, would the summary cite all of their takes? Maybe Toddy1's idea is something to take to the WP page where policy on plot summaries is discussed. Capuchinpilates (talk) 20:10, 22 August 2015 (UTC)
Yea, I agree, we don't seem to be getting much of anywhere here. I'm happy to continue or negotiate, but BoogaLouie, who has argued for the same things as me, doesn't want to participate anymore, and I feel that Popcornduff is not real into this. So yes, North of Eden, I'd be interested in what you have to say, but I fear you might simply say that, in the absence of consensus it should just remain the way it is, or it shouldn't include any language more complex than it has now. But there's a few problems with that. One, is that the language I'm interested in using is not against policy; there are no rules against using "weasel words" and "purple prose." Two, there are other issues we haven't gotten to here; Popcornduff says language I've used is purple prose, I say it's not (and I'd be happy to say more about that). But the biggest problem is with being able to make any improvements to the plot summary at all. Popcornduff wrote the original summary, and he seems to me to be blocking anyone else from making any substantial changes. S/he's reverted many, many editors, and while many of the reverts I would probably agree with, he seems willing to edit war where others aren't. So if one editor protects their own editing, then how can a WP page ever improve? For an obscure movie like this, I don't think there's ever going to be some troupe of like-minded editors who show up on the talk page at the same time and demand the same changes.
Popcornduff, I think I've probably offended you many times by saying that the plot summary is not very good, and for that I apologize.Capuchinpilates (talk) 20:54, 22 August 2015 (UTC)
I'm not offended in the slightest. FYI, I didn't write the original version of the plot summary, and the current version isn't entirely by me, either - for example, I once argued in favour of saying that the protagonist is an alien, until BoogaLouie talked me round.
Look, I think you're making a hopeless case here. As I and other editors keep saying, including interpretation in the plot is a violation of Wiki policy. If you want to debate whether phrases like "completes her masquerade" and "she is no longer the hunter but the hunted" are purple prose inappropriate for an encyclopaedia, well, perhaps other moderators would like to chip in. Popcornduff (talk) 01:49, 23 August 2015 (UTC)
Glad you're not offended. From the article history, it definitely looks like you added the plot section and the very first summary on March 17 2014. As for a hopeless case, you're probably right, but I think I could make a pretty good argument for those phrases simply being factual, accurate descriptions and not purple prose. I just watched Ex Machina, might try my hand at adding a bit of violet prose to that plot summary.Capuchinpilates (talk) 04:18, 23 August 2015 (UTC)
I stand corrected - I guess I did write the very first version of the Under the Skin plot summary. Time flies... Popcornduff (talk) 04:29, 23 August 2015 (UTC)

I watched Ex Machina this week, so last night I edited its WP plot summary, my first edit since Under the Skin, and within hours my edits have been modified by none other than Popcornduff! My first thought was that I'm being stalked and messed with, but looking down the history I see that PCD had been editing this page before me. It appears that the stalker is me! But PCD, what do you think of the last line of the Ex Machina summary that says that Ava "enters human society"? Or the line, "Persuaded of Ava's emotions, Caleb decides that her confinement is abuse." Capuchinpilates (talk) 01:07, 28 August 2015 (UTC)

I assure you that my edits are nothing personal - we just so happened to both work on another article about a British science fiction movie, which isn't much of a coincidence when you think about it (similar tastes I guess). The community of editors regularly working on film articles is pretty small, really. If you want to discuss the Ex Machina article, I suggest you use the Talk page for that article. Popcornduff (talk) 14:15, 30 August 2015 (UTC)