OPINION: From the Editor: Alaska [--] the origional [--] better than glizted-up-for-the-screen version

February 3rd 10:32 am | Carey Restino    

This week, while the real Alaska was shivering through the end of a month of record-low temperatures, in the movie world, the state was red hot. Everybody is talking about Alaska these days — from the debut of the movie "Big Miracle" to a whole new pack of "reality TV shows" set in the Last Frontier.

Frankly, I find it a little disturbing.

Alaska has always been the kind of place that draws adventurers and those willing to go to extremes. Just walking to school last week in Northwestern Alaska was extreme. So why is the state such a magnet for TV and movie coverage right now? Sure, some of the attraction might be the royal treatment movie-makers are getting in the state right now, but that can't all be it.

Alaska authors are also striking a chord with audiences elsewhere. Palmer resident Eowyn Ivey is about to make a big splash in the literary world with her debut novel "The Snow Child". The book has already become a No. 1 bestseller in Norway and reviews in the United States are outrageously good. The story loosely follows a fairy tale about a couple who move to a remote cabin in Alaska and pine for a child. While the story is compelling, a great deal of the draw, according to Ivey, is the setting in Alaska. Ivey lives a semi-subsistence lifestyle like so many Alaskans, and that weaves its way into the story line. Apparently, that's a good thing to do if you plan to write a book right now.

Alaskans who have seen and reviewed "Big Miracle" say that while the movie is enjoyable, the rough edges of Alaska — the stuff that makes it not so pleasant to be here — have been smoothed. Meanwhile, other parts, like one's ability to don a wet suit and jump into ice-filled water, have been dramatized in the interest of storytelling. Reality shows seem to be similarly played. Alaska's TV personality is an obnoxious version of its otherwise complex and interesting self. Obviously, it sells, but it's too bad. People in the Lower 48 aren't going crazy over the real Alaska, they are going nuts over a version of the state that is wearing false eyelashes and way too much pancake makeup.

It will be interesting to see if there's any fallout from this crush on Alaska. Maybe there will be a new stampede of back-pack wearing would-be Alaskans looking for a life of meaning and a handsome pilot to fly off into the sunset with. Like so many before them, most won't probably make it through the rains of August.

The thing is, Alaska is amazing all on its own. And it's too bad that isn't what we are able to present to the world. This week, Jason Evans, Kiana Peacock and Alaska Media LLC rolled out its first version of the Bristol BayTimes & Dutch Harbor Fisherman. I've spent most of the week looking at maps, and trying to convince my spellchecker that yes, Ugashik and Naknek are actually words it needs to remember. Adding the news and events of this complex and expansive region to our newsroom's day-to-day radar is amazingly challenging, but it's also an incredible opportunity, too.

We tend to focus a lot of our notions about the state of Alaska on the region with which we are most familiar. Not surprising since trying to take in the whole of Alaska is sort of like trying to eat an entire cake in one sitting - it's just a lot to take in. But I'd say it's worth the effort to break out of the mold once in a while, pick a location that's off your radar and learn about it. That's what we've been doing for the past couple weeks, and while it's a lot of work, it's paying huge dividends.

The thing is, the real stories about Alaska aren't the glamorized versions that you'll see on the TV or at the movie theater. The real stories about Alaska are real struggles and frustrations, communities trying to eke out survival, stay warm, fed and somewhat sane through the winter. The real stories of Alaska are also ones of incredible wealth, of knowing the value of holding a freshly-caught salmon in your hands. Those stories aren't really that appealing to the Lower 48 audiences, and thank goodness. If they were, there'd be a lot more people up here.

There's a quote by Thomas Edison I've had on my wall for a while now — "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." That sort of sums up this state. It's not glamorous, but dig around a bit, put in some elbow grease, and you'll see things you never could have imagined. You won't see them in a movie theater. You won't see them on the TV. You'll see them in your own backyard, all 586,412 square miles of it.