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Linkie: Welcoming the Dark Side?
Dec. 27th, 2017 11:52 amI have a new article out with my friend Karen: Welcoming the Dark Side?: Exploring Whitelash and Actual Space Nazis in TFA Fanfiction
"We Need To Talk About How We Talk About Fan Fiction" by Ciara Wardlow
Contextualizes fanfic as part of women's SFF reading and writing: Yay!!!
Anyway, as fan fiction has started to seep into the wider public consciousness, I have also noticed a growing derisive attitude towards it, especially since coming to be damned as the source of 50 Shades of Grey. A review of The Last Jedi for WIRED magazine features the line, “After a recent decade in which the majority of big-budget blockbusters have become at best, impressive adaptations of old comics and at worst over-engineered fan-fiction,” and such comments are not uncommon. When it comes to derisive comments about fan fiction, we culture critics seem to be the worst perpetrators. Over at The Verge, a critical review of the most recent season of Game of Thrones ran under the headline “This season of Game of Thrones feels like fan fiction.” While I actually agree with the majority of the complaints made in the review in question, I must take issue with the headline. Season 7 felt like just okay fanfiction, because have you ever read the really good stuff? It would blow the pants off the penultimate season’s lopsided character development and at times unfortunately trite plot machinations.
“Like fan fiction” is an increasingly common criticism being thrown around in the world of pop culture commentary. Fan fiction is a female-dominated expression of fandom, and it is arguably the expression of fandom that is quickly starting to receive the most derision, even as fan culture becomes more and more mainstream. There is a long and well-documented history of things considered feminine—whether personality traits, pastimes, or forms of entertainment—being devalued and disproportionately criticized. I think it entirely possible that these two things are not unconnected.
Contextualizes fanfic as part of women's SFF reading and writing: Yay!!!
Anyway, as fan fiction has started to seep into the wider public consciousness, I have also noticed a growing derisive attitude towards it, especially since coming to be damned as the source of 50 Shades of Grey. A review of The Last Jedi for WIRED magazine features the line, “After a recent decade in which the majority of big-budget blockbusters have become at best, impressive adaptations of old comics and at worst over-engineered fan-fiction,” and such comments are not uncommon. When it comes to derisive comments about fan fiction, we culture critics seem to be the worst perpetrators. Over at The Verge, a critical review of the most recent season of Game of Thrones ran under the headline “This season of Game of Thrones feels like fan fiction.” While I actually agree with the majority of the complaints made in the review in question, I must take issue with the headline. Season 7 felt like just okay fanfiction, because have you ever read the really good stuff? It would blow the pants off the penultimate season’s lopsided character development and at times unfortunately trite plot machinations.
“Like fan fiction” is an increasingly common criticism being thrown around in the world of pop culture commentary. Fan fiction is a female-dominated expression of fandom, and it is arguably the expression of fandom that is quickly starting to receive the most derision, even as fan culture becomes more and more mainstream. There is a long and well-documented history of things considered feminine—whether personality traits, pastimes, or forms of entertainment—being devalued and disproportionately criticized. I think it entirely possible that these two things are not unconnected.
Fannish observation
Dec. 18th, 2017 05:54 pm Like 90% of the white dudes I know either hate the new Star Wars movie or only think it's so-so. (Vs. all the women, poc etc who are vocal in their loving.)
But like.
I kinda want to point out that the angry liberal dudes and the angry conservative dudes agree on something. And then watch their mutual recoil.
Because it amuses me.
But like.
I kinda want to point out that the angry liberal dudes and the angry conservative dudes agree on something. And then watch their mutual recoil.
Because it amuses me.
Today in "I Am Absurd"
Dec. 9th, 2017 09:20 pm John Boyega was stranded in Atlanta because of the snow and Scott had to fly into Atlanta for a work thing this morning, and all I could think was "What if Scott walked by John Boyega but didn't recognize him because he doesn't recognize faces??"
Meta Not-Meta: Shakespearian Finn/Poe
Oct. 26th, 2016 05:14 pm(A plotbunny I would like to do something with, but, you know, stupid real life.)
Inspired by this vimeo of John Boyega on Shakespeare's audiences:
But like so it's 1593ish and Finn is a country boy with a Puritanical family but then one day there are traveling players in town and he realizes 1) here's an opportunity to leave this life that's killing him, 2) he now wants to be a player more than anything, 3) he might be in love with lead actor Poe Dameron. And so because reasons the other players leave for London first but Poe is still in town, it turns out he's ALSO AN INTELLIGENCER FOR THE QUEEN OMG, he has a mission to go talk to someone about those Irish rebels blahblah IT TURNS OUT FINN KNOWS THE WAY TO SOMEPLACE, and in the meantime Poe teaches him some acting tricks so they can make their daily bread, but they get ambushed, it's all tragic, but Finn makes his way to London by himself!!!
And on the way he runs into a boy named Rey, they both get to London, it's amazing, they've never seen so many people in their lives, holy cow. So they make it to the theater and guess what POE IS THERE HE'S ALIVE, he's awesome, Marlowe hates him because he's so awesome, anyway, so they are at the theater and now they have jobs--which is usually holding horses outside and other things, maybe Finn's parents were weavers or leatherworkers, he can also fix costumes and stuff. Anyway so one day someone gets sick or something so Finn gets to play, like Petruchio to Poe's Kate, it's great. Also also it eventually comes out of course that Rey is a girl pretending to be a boy, HER VIOLA IS THE BEST VIOLA LET ME TELL YOU.
Other things that happen: Poe is in on Marlowe's death (Marlowe is an asshole, it's not sad), Shakespeare writes Othello for Finn and Rey plays Desi and Poe plays Iago THE THREE OF THEM ARE INCREDIBLE IF THEY HAD ACTING AWARDS BACK THEN THEY WOULD ALL WIN. Somehow Finn comes across his family again and acknowledges he has to be who he is and that is an actor and also bi and he owns it. Queen Elizabeth is obvs Leia and Luke is kind of John Dee and Essex is also somehow Han Solo, whatever, it works in my mind.
Inspired by this vimeo of John Boyega on Shakespeare's audiences:
BBC Shakespeare: About Shakespeare - Audience & Social Attitudes from Somethin' Else on Vimeo.
But like so it's 1593ish and Finn is a country boy with a Puritanical family but then one day there are traveling players in town and he realizes 1) here's an opportunity to leave this life that's killing him, 2) he now wants to be a player more than anything, 3) he might be in love with lead actor Poe Dameron. And so because reasons the other players leave for London first but Poe is still in town, it turns out he's ALSO AN INTELLIGENCER FOR THE QUEEN OMG, he has a mission to go talk to someone about those Irish rebels blahblah IT TURNS OUT FINN KNOWS THE WAY TO SOMEPLACE, and in the meantime Poe teaches him some acting tricks so they can make their daily bread, but they get ambushed, it's all tragic, but Finn makes his way to London by himself!!!
And on the way he runs into a boy named Rey, they both get to London, it's amazing, they've never seen so many people in their lives, holy cow. So they make it to the theater and guess what POE IS THERE HE'S ALIVE, he's awesome, Marlowe hates him because he's so awesome, anyway, so they are at the theater and now they have jobs--which is usually holding horses outside and other things, maybe Finn's parents were weavers or leatherworkers, he can also fix costumes and stuff. Anyway so one day someone gets sick or something so Finn gets to play, like Petruchio to Poe's Kate, it's great. Also also it eventually comes out of course that Rey is a girl pretending to be a boy, HER VIOLA IS THE BEST VIOLA LET ME TELL YOU.
Other things that happen: Poe is in on Marlowe's death (Marlowe is an asshole, it's not sad), Shakespeare writes Othello for Finn and Rey plays Desi and Poe plays Iago THE THREE OF THEM ARE INCREDIBLE IF THEY HAD ACTING AWARDS BACK THEN THEY WOULD ALL WIN. Somehow Finn comes across his family again and acknowledges he has to be who he is and that is an actor and also bi and he owns it. Queen Elizabeth is obvs Leia and Luke is kind of John Dee and Essex is also somehow Han Solo, whatever, it works in my mind.
Some time ago someone wrote a piece about the difference between SW and ST being about narratives of personal power; essentially SW usually hinges on a "chosen one" plot and special abilities vs. ST essentially being competence porn, where it's always about someone working really hard to get where they are. In ST power is essentially shared governance, and a lot of Kirk's (and Picard's and Sisko's) preoccupation with command comes from their desire to do the best for the community ("The needs of the many" etc.) in a way that SW just isn't (even the good guys have a blurry relationship between the Republic and the Resistance, let alone the Empire and--my favorite from the prequels--the elected monarchy and the familial Senatorial rank). TL;DR SW is about special people and ST is about how everyone can be special. >_>
This Is Too Cool
Dec. 8th, 2011 09:19 pmMy friend Jenni at work found it and it is a thing of beauty:
Like I seriously want to learn the cello now!!! Especially if I can have a lightsaber bow!!!!!
Like I seriously want to learn the cello now!!! Especially if I can have a lightsaber bow!!!!!
