Yeah, well.

( Spoilers therein )

So, yeah.

This week has been insane, hasn't it, particularly this weekend, most of which I missed due to the fact that I am both lame and trying to wrap up my degree.

So I missed what is probably the most important demonstration of the last decade studying for a stupid exam. Plus I wasn't feeling 100% hopefully the fresh muggy air of morning helped clear my head in order to pass this thing.

The important demonstration is ostensibly about the fact that people can't afford to pay rent or buy a flat in this country, but really, it's about the fact that we're not getting paid enough money, that there is no regulation of practically any market and that the government hates us.

Bibi, will you please fuck off already!

And then there was Norway - which, amazingly enough, the local news didn't jump to the conclusion that it was, you know, brown people like the rest of the world. And man, isn't the world feeling that smart.

I'm sorry to be glib, but in the face of such a horrendous tragedy, my only choice is tell the world to get over itself and stop Strawman-ing groups of people that are easy to blame because they're a They, rather than Us - white people have caused more destruction and murder all over the world, than many other atrocities combined.

And yet, I don't see anyone blaming Whiteness and Christianity for this killing spree.

My heart goes out to the family of the victims in what must be the worst time of their lives.

Be strong, Norway.

I'll mention Amy Winhouse, because she shouldn't have gone. It's always sad when an artist as good as that leaves the world.

And last, but not least, on the fandom front, because mixing political and social disasters with fandom on this blog is so rare - I mainlined the first season of Hawaii Five-0 for which I blame verasteine, who showed me picscams of Scott Caan and told me about the subtext on a show that really shouldn't be all that good, but is actually really, really good. Character consistency! Who would have thunk it.

So, now I have an icon of Scott Cann being sarcastic.

The show itself leaves much to be desired in, um, plot. The plot, was, well, okay, it made the characters suffer which is fine.

Now I'm invested and I'm watching you CBS, do not fuck it up!

I'm resting, now, and I need to watch Torchwood - oh, man I need to write about Torchwood.

I have no time.

Dear god, White Collar and Leverage, what are you doing to me!

You know, Torchwood really ruined me when it comes to Slash goggles. With Torchwood I just accepted the canon and the fucked up relationship because it was on the surface, it was there to be expanded and expounded and the Slash Goggles were more like reading glasses - the subtleties were there in the fine print of the relationships.

With these new shows of mine, because I mainlined White Collar and Leverage and am now up to date with all that has been happening, waiting every week for a new ep is excruciating.

( Let's get Metatextual )

Damn, I have to cut this short. More meta at a later date!

I just marathoned through the first two seasons of Leverage.

I love it.

It's a silly, but clever rendition of "The A-Team", only with less smoking and more drinking.

Watching it on the week of Torchwood's "Deathversary" is meaningful.

I watched CoE three times in a row the week after it came out. Yeah, like that. And I haven't watched it since. I thought I could, but I can't. It's going to have to wait when I have the energy for a proper Torchwood re-watch.

I realised that despite my focus being on Jack and Ianto, watching the program, I mostly enjoyed the group dynamic. The different and clashing personalities interact and not to mention, the underlying darkness (at times overt, most of the time subverted) is something I need in a show and most television shows simply don't deliver.

I began watching White Collar and kind of lost interest along the way, I like Neal and Peter and El as the OT3 of awesome. But the Kate side-plot really didn't grab me and I'm more interested in Moz than in Neal. Also, the whole procedural thing... not as interesting as it used to be.
Still, pretty clothes and pretty people.
I'll keep watching, as many smart people are enjoying it.

Enter Leverage.

I happened to catch an ep on television about a week ago, an early second season episode which I later realised was the "The Tap Out Job", yes violence on teevee captures my imagination.
The characters are fascinating, I like team work and dynamics, I really like the fact that they work outside the law and their ethics are sticky and tricky.

Hearing Christian Kane speak Hebrew to Noa Tishby in "The Two Live Crew Job" episode was pure gold. GOLD. Just, what the fuck man... give up some phlegm baby!
He has got the best hair EVAR.
Also, so many genre actors? Armin Shimerman, Jeri Ryan, Brent Spiner, Wil Wheaton?! Seriously.

By the way, if I could spend some quality time with Hardison my life would be complete! Doctor Who FTW!

Any way, I've just finished the first two seasons, I'm quite happy that I'll soon be caught up and be able to do what I usually do... lurk around fandom and maybe participate in Meta.
Although I'm kind of itching for a Torchwood/Leverage crossover.
Seriously, what is with all the SPN crossovers? Since when did that become a Fandom Bicycle.

As per usual there are problems, what with the clishes, stereotyping, Happy End mentality and just plain WTF plot lines (which I love), still there is underlying darkness that is at times overt.
Parker is fascinating and kinda gay (I get bi vibes from her), which is something I don't see a whole lot of fandom talking about, though I've seen the femmslash, though it seems that there is more het and slash (per usual)... but I like that the petite, perky, slightly bonkers and freakishly strong blonde is kinda gay.

I'm not sure if I like Nate. I know I love Eliot, then again, I always like the ones we know the least about - which makes me love Sophie just as much... she's such a Matta Hari...in the best way possible.

Is there more Sterling in season 3? Please say yes!

More Meta and why I like it and how it connects with Torchwood (yeah, I know) once I have gotten completely up to date.

Yesterday was the first day of the 10th annual conference of LGBT studies and Queer theory at Tel-Aviv University, An Other Sex. The first panel was the most interesting to me... seeing as it was about Literature. Which is what I do.

( The Sex Conference )

morin stayed up with me all night, proof reading, editing and working on my wording for my Pornography and Slash paper, which I handed in yesterday before the conference.
Zie rocked. I was basically a cheerleader for hir on the chat.
queenmab21 also did some editing for me beforehand. Thank you for being such awesome friends!

It was actually quite amazing to get feedback in real time and to be told that the paper is actually good. That some of my paragraphs were actually beautifully written.

*is heart warmed*

It's not so good that I need to be validated by others, but it feels good to be able to have some tell me, "you're good".

I named the paper: "Torchwood's Slash Fiction: Re-contextualisation as textual continuity as erotic continuity as transgressive text".

Yeah.

6100+ words of me blathering about Slash fiction, Jack/Ianto and how much fun it it.

I'm an aca-fen.

I just listened to Blue Gillespie's début album Synesthesia and I very much like it. Their music reminds me of my teenhood, I know not that long ago, but still.
I want the actual album, but I can't pre-order because I do not live in the UK... *sigh*.
I'll wait, but not patiently damn it!

I remember getting the two Cave Country EP's last year, right after Children of Earth aired.

Have I ever mentioned how I only got my two pairs of Converse trainers (white and red) because of the Doctor... and I wear them with my pinstripe trousers (which I owned before hand). I'd never worn them before, I never bothered getting them when I was in high school... I can't remember what shoes I wore in high school, how odd.

What does it say about me that these are my shopping criteria?

Oh about the music, I like the fact that Gareth David-Lloyd roars. It's sexy. The music itself, lyrically speaking, is pretty dark and the melody sort of belies that at times by pure aggression.
Music the bang heads to.

Yes, I'm doing it!

The most comprehensive linkage of the meme is here!

Chromatic Castings of The New Doctor Who (9th and 10th) and Torchwood (Series 1-2)!

( Under The Cut )

And last, but certainly not least!

Gina Torres as Captain Jack Harkenss!

Well, Yes, my Cardiff is full of beautiful women.

I'm in the Library and I read this.

I really needed to stop myself from screaming "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO", like Kirk screamed "KHAAAAAAAAAN".

No.
Just.
No.

D:

Fox readying U.S. version of 'Torchwood'

Exclusive: Huge news for sci-fi fans: Fox is developing a stateside version of the U.K. hit series “Torchwood.”

The project is from BBC Worldwide Prods., with original series creator Russell Davies writing the script.

A more straight-faced spinoff of “Doctor Who,” “Torchwood” is about a covert group that investigates and fights alien activity. Two series aired domestically on BBC America as well as last year’s well reviewed stand-alone miniseries, “Children of Earth,” which broke all ratings records for the network. (If you're a fan of serious sci fi such as "Battlestar Galatica" and haven't seen "Children of Earth," rent it. You don't need to know anything about the series. And I know the previews for "Torchwood" can look silly. Trust me, it's terrific. Like "24" with aliens).

Unlike U.S. adaptations that have gone awry, “Torchwood” fans can take comfort that the original producing team is on board. In addition to Davies, exec producers include Davies’ producing partner Julie Gardner (former head of drama at BBC Wales for the show’s first season) and Jane Tranter (another BBC vet, now exec VP programming and production at BBC Worldwide Prods. in the U.S.).

Also, some of the current cast — most likely John Barrowman, who plays the immortal Capt. Jack Harkness — might star if Fox orders “Torchwood” to pilot.

As for the new show’s plot, the U.S. version will contain a global story line compared to the more localized sensibility of the first two BBC seasons.

Tranter might try to reboot “Doctor Who” for U.S. audiences while departing “Doctor Who” star David Tennant stars in NBC’s pilot “Rex Is Not Your Lawyer.” “Torchwood” (which is an anagram of “Doctor Who”) debuted in 2006 on BBC 3 and set ratings records, then was moved to BBC 1. Russell also reinvented “Doctor Who” in 2003 and was writer-creator of the series “Queer as Folk.”

Oh my god, why?! WHY?!?!

*goes into a corner and cries*

Also, what does Tennant's pilot have anything to do with it? People he's moving on! Stop trying to suck him back in!

First of all, help_haiti!

I'm trying to figure out a way to integrate the various discussion that have risen over the past week, seeing as the broader discussion of slash and m/m romance kind of exploded over the Lambda Awards last year and it's still being talked about.

At the same time, Torchwood fandom pulse raced again with discussion (accusation?) of RTD being homophobic because of the way he wrote CoE.

Oy, the stickiness of it all.

I'll start with my second point.

RTD is a sloppy writer.

Some of his stuff pissed me off royally. I mean, the sexist tropes, the really appaling portrayal of lesbian sexuality ("Day One" was just felt like he was trying to gain a straigh male audience - "Greeks Baring Gifts" was just one bad thing after another, in many many ways - and during "Fragments" I nearly threw something at the teevee screen).

So, I'm pretty sure there's agreement in the statement above.

As a viewer and as fans we have the choice of watching his shows, hear his stories, be entertained and then pick apart what it was that we just saw on screen.

Homophobia isn't just laws that make us second class citizens. Just like sexism isn't just 75c on the 1$.
Racism isn't just a history of colonialism, enslavement and eugenics.

That's the easy stuff.

( A Little Meta Text is Good for the Soul )

Fuck me, Doctor Who reaction posts are beginning to appear all over my f-list and I have to wait until tomorrow!

*weeps*

I'm really dying to read them all.

Oh Doctor... you'll always be My Doctor, even if the new one rocks my socks. I'm keeping my mind open.

Still, after four (five?) years of Tennant and him being so brilliant, I'll really miss him. Possibly mourn, but after mourning for Ianto I dunno how much more I can take.