Not Anonymous

Yesterday I had a geekgasm.

Beyond finally watching the horrible ickiness that was last weekend's Doctor Who episode (I want to burn it with FIRE, for so many reasons), which was the low point of my evening I'm glad to say, I got presents in the mail.

I've finally joined the over flowing band wagon and have bought shirts from Threadless, the first two of my order arrived and as I sit here in the Library, I am wearing one of them.

My geekiness is apparent for everyone to behold.

But also, my copy of Whedonistas has finally arrived.

I started reading it and I've been chocked up since then. I'm half way through and I can't begin to describe how much I both agree and disagree with all that's being written.

I feel as though I'm reading about me. A me that never was. I'm looking forward to reading the whole thing, because I have finally, after years of scrounging the money, asking siblings and friends to buy me the DVD's of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, got all seven seasons of Buffy and all five seasons of Angel.

And I may have finally reached a point in my life, where I will be able to watch the entire show, from beginning to end, without pause, without an episode missing (it took me two years to "What's My Line" Part 2, our fucking VHS could never be trusted AND that video was taped over without my knowledge! Yes, I'm still bitter!) and with knowledge that this is an older friend, a mentor that enabled me to become who I am and who I am going to be.

And maybe understand why the fact that I followed in Willow's footsteps didn't enable me to identify with her as much as I probably should have.

But now, I'm in the Library and the smell of dust, must and decimals permeates. Yes, they are smelly and no, I don't speak Latin next to them (not that's they'd understand it anyway).

I bought a pocket watch over at eBay.

Well, my brother paid for it, but I'm going to pay him back, so I bought it.

It cost less than ten bucks.

It's a stainless steel mirror cover 12/24 hour pocket watch, you can see it here, with a couple of pic ( here )

You know why I wanted it?

Because then I can turn it into ( this )

Yes.

I know.

For anyone not getting the point, that is a Time Lord's Chameleon Arch and now I shall have one of my own!
I realise this is the first step towards cosplaying...

It's a meme!
Here are the instructions:

1. Comment with your username.
2. People will reply to your comment anonymously, pretending to be a fictional character who expresses their love for you. It would be preferable if the comment was "signed" by the fictional character, to avoid any confusion.
3. HAVE FUN! Be silly.
4. Any comments that are negative or douchey or mean will be deleted. This is for fun, folks.

MY THREAD HERE

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.

Oh good god!

I'm seeing reaction posts on my reading lists! People are considerate and keeping them either spoiler free or "cut" for spoilers.

But good god!

*whimpers*

Mel, relax, chill. Tomorrow. Tomorrow you shall see Elevensssssssssssssss!!!!!!!

YAY!!!!

I'm excited! You know, so many people aren't. Mainly because of "Geronimo". I mean, for reals? Chillax dudes, Doctor Who is about change and trying new things!

I'm looking forward to new things.

Though the Daleks in the trailers are not giving me hope for new things, in fact my reaction to that was "What?! Daleks again!?".

Still, one anther night's sleep and it's Whoville for MOI!

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.

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 )

I haven't seen Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes yet, and I fully intend to.

As those of us who follow the media and enjoy movies know, there's been a huge amount of talk and play regarding the more homoerotic facets of the new movie.

I've only seen the trailers, and even there, despite Ms. Adler's fetching lingerie, the Slash Factor between Holmes and Watson is apparent.

RDJ and Jude Law have been playing up on that for promotional reasons.
It wouldn't surprise me if either of these men were queer, but for convenience sake and because Hollywood is a conservative corporate town, chose not to disclose this and had public heterosexual relationships.
Hollywood is not conductive for being out of the closet.

That's beside the point.

The point is, that slash is a way of interpreting text. Finding homoeroticism is the original Doyle books is so easy - Watson being divorced (or widowed) twice, Holmes not actually even appearing to be in a relationship, Ms. Adler being possibly the only woman that misogynist (if you contradict this by saying that Holmes is a misanthrope, I will be annoyed, if he were really such a misanthrope, he wouldn't tolerate Watson as much as he does... besides which, misanthropes are not immune to societal misogyny) considered intelligent enough to find human and interesting.

I hear Carole Nelson Douglas Irene Adler stories are worth reading, is this true?

Back to my point. Not every interpretation of the text is a good one, you have to be able to create a cohesive and essentially un-contradictory (in- ?) analysis and give good, clear examples and indications from the text that what you say is indeed supported by the words, images, metaphors, Synecdoche, etc.

I apologise for the Literary Lingo, there's more of it coming, please don't hold it against me! Thanks.

The Queering of Sherlock Holmes is about as out there, as Queering Star Trek, that is, it's bloody easy and people do it.
A lot.

But again, it's a reading that does travels along the weaving of the plot and focuses on the relationship between the two men, or rather, on the fact that Watson's admiration of Holmes has an erotic edge to it.

In the movie, which I have yet to see, because it isn't in fact the story as seen through Watson's eyes, but an action adventure movie in which we, the audience is sucked in via diegesis that we are shown and not told, which makes the queering both easier to see and easier to refute.
Why?
Because while there is a revealed text (i.e. what we see on the surface, the text itself) there is also subtext which contains hidden meanings which are more subtly revealed via interaction with the reader and the narrative as it goes along.

There is a reason why slashers call "Subtext", "Buttsex" (anagrams are teh awesome).

Thus, when Andrea Plunket who claims to hold the remaining US copyrights of Doyl'es estate is quoted:

"I hope this is just an example of Mr. Downey's black sense of humor. It would be drastic, but I would withdraw permission for more films to be made if they feel that is a theme they wish to bring out in the future." She then added, "I am not hostile to homosexuals, but I am to anyone who is not true to the spirit of the books."

Emphasis mine.
Regarding RDJ's antics regarding the more-or-less obvious (I'll let you know when I see it) homoeroticism between Holmes and Watson, I call foul.
Foul, I say!
Because who the fuck are you, Ms. Plucket, to say what is and what isn't in "the spirit of the books"?
Being that, a) it's a movie! b) it's based on the books and isn't in fact telling a story Doyle wrote and c) there isn't, in fact, anything wrong with Watson and/or Holmes being Gay *gasp* Together!

Oh, and when you use the term "Homosexuals" when talking about gay and/or queer folk, it sounds as though you think we're sick, because that's the psychiatric term when speaking about the identity of many an LGBT.
It's also the term used by right wing conservatives who do their best to misname us as a group, under the guise of neutrality: "But you are attracted to your own sex, so you're homosexual".

So, yeah Ms. Plunket, it actually sounds like you kind of are hostile to the Homosexuals, deviant text manipulators that we are. The mere fact that you felt the need to defend your position pretty much gives away your homophobic ass.

Hopefully, I'll get to see both Sherlock Holmes (and Avatar) over the coming weeks.

Edited To Add: I now want an icon that says "Deviant Textual Manipulator". Alas, I have no skillz!

From all over the F-List:

How to do this meme: Using only EPISODE names from ONE TV SHOW, cleverly answer these questions. Try not to repeat an episode title. It’s a lot harder than you think! Repost as "My life according to (show)".

Describe yourself: Flooded
How do you feel?: Tabula Rasa
Describe where you live: Welcome to the Hellmouth
If you could go anyway where would you go?: Into the Woods
Your favourite form of transport: Dead Things
Your Best Friend is: Older and Far Away (not really :P)
What's the Weather like: The Dark Age
Favourite Time of Day: Bring on the Night
If your life was a tv show, it would be called: Normal Again
What is life to you: Choices
Your Fear: Helpless
What is the best advice you have to give: As You Were
Thought of the Day: Entropy
How I would like to die: Surprise
My Soul's present condition: Some Assembly Required
My Motto: Once More, With Feeling

There is water on the Moon.

Now that, is News.