Evan Shapiro, general manager of IFC, wrote a long comment on my review of Chapter 13 of Trapped in the Closet. I’ve pasted it below; my response is after the jump.

First of all, thank you for such an insightful review of “Trapped” Chapter 13. Regardless of how one feels about the entire project, or the individual episodes, “Trapped” evokes strong opinions, such as yours.

I can assure you, that I do take seriously my point of view (which you call a “provocation”), that with “Trapped”, Kelly follows in the footsteps of John Waters.

“Trapped”, like many of Waters’ films have, exists on the fringe of mainstream culture, but also on the forefront of the current (or next) cultural shift.

Yes, there are many traditional elements to his storytelling that allow us to define it as a ”soap”. But those elements are also universal to many great stories - no matter the era.

I believe that, in his latest ten chapters, Kelly uses pop music composition, musical theater techniques, independent film sensibilities, controversial (even outlandish) cultural iconography and of-the-moment currency, to weave a truly modern epic, with Barnum-esque scale.

New York Magazine’s website compared “Trapped” a modern Dickens novel - albeit with a bit of irony, I imagine - the way we are releasing it day by day, and how Kelly’s audience hangs on every chapter.

Regardless of how you feel, you have to admit, somehow, “Trapped” has become a minor cultural phenomenon. But, it’s more than that.

“Trapped” gives us a glimpse into the future of storytelling - good old fashion drama, married to current cultural movements, distributed at once to an on-demand community of fans and detractors, who make the conversation ABOUT the work, its own self-generating content.

As to your creative constructive criticism on Chapter 13… I think, if you remain tuned in to all the new chapters, you will NOT be disappointed. Kelly takes his characters, and his writing, to a whole new, crazy level of brilliance, outrage and alienation.

evan shapiro
general manager
ifc tv

I don’t think we really disagree that much. My biggest problem with the Waters comparison is that I see his work as being at least intermittently political in nature. I see IFC’s decision to produce the Trapped episodes as being its own kind of political statement (or, “provocation”, if you will). Obviously, Trapped in the Closet has subverted its original context. I’m not sure it’s inherently subversive.

But I’m definitely watching — I’m glad to see the narrator back in Chapter 14, and the expansion into additional spaces feels more purposeful as the story continues. I really am happy to see IFC supporting web-based distribution. I want there to be more content on the web, for exactly the reasons Shapiro mentions: it’s a way of dropping content directly into the laps of the consumers who are most likely to most fervently engage with it.