sundries

[rm]

We have met Claudette and sent email about our intent to bring her home. So now we just have to get all the paperwork sorted out and then hopefully we will be a two cat household again the week of the 15th.

yuki_onna writes about gendered packaging and appalling tag lines for deoderants. via franny_glass

sparkindarkness posts another round-up of gay hate. All of it is of interest in its horrifying way, but I think there's something particularly of note in the link to the photo of the real lesbians who are adopting vs. the photo the religious right found and used to advance their argument on the matter. Because it's all about gender normativity and implying lesbians are evil for not being attractive to straight men.

In Malawi, a man was arrested for putting up gay rights posters.

Adm. Mike Mullen, DADT, and the Right. Who's supporting senior military wisdom now? Not a whole bunch of politicians who promised to.

Offensive article in the New York Times about how the presence of more women at college is skewing dating culture. Moments of fail include the assertion that with student bodies being 60% female, some schools feel "eerily like a women's college." OH, GET OVER IT. The article is disgusting. Because really? In a world where women slightly outnumber men, how the fuck can you argue that the only thing that is normal is more men in college than women? And then explain that it's just for everyone's comfort in the dating world?

The "My Way" killings.

Manhattan as seen from Hollywood.

Buffy. OMG Gypsy!fail. Wow. WOW WOW WOW WOW.

Anyway. So Buffy loses her virginity. This pair of episodes was odd. I thought the first one wasn't that good and was making me squirm the way these sorts of episodes always do (I didn't lose my virginity until college, it wasn't a straight forward situation and I don't really have much love for long, drawn out, "am I ready?" and "it'll be so beautiful" stuff. This shit punches the buttons of my inner 17-y-o in a way I don't enjoy.

But, the second of the two episodes was Really Good. I mean, other than the Gypsy!fail and all the other fuckery going on. I laughed my ass off when Buffy's mom was all "you look different," because doesn't every teen worry about that? And I thought Giles was so awesome with Buffy at the end. I felt like you could really see this sense of the teen he had been and the way his own obligations had broken his heart at that age. Loved it to pieces.

And then, hey, Oz is a werewolf!

Comments

[sevendayloan.livejournal.com]

All in all, I think that Buffy handled the whole virginity thing with a lot of sensitivity, but oh man, the Gypsy fail. It's been ten years and I still haven't gotten over it. I mean, really Joss? Really?

Of course, as lolarious as it is, at least it's a portrayal of gypsies in the media, right? That's something.

[fremen-dancer.livejournal.com]

Of course, as lolarious as it is, at least it's a portrayal of gypsies in the media, right? That's something.

Although I think I get what you mean, I'm forced to disagree as a part Romani person who is particularly sensitive to popular stereotypes of the ethnicity, especially in the media.

If you were to ask the average Westerner to name a few qualities that they generally associate with Romani culture, they're pretty much taken from the 98% bullsh*t depictions they've seen in movies and tv.

I would much prefer it if writers as usually smart and sensitive as Joss Whedon refrained from reinforcing stereotypes about my ethnic background that cause people to rib me with jokes about "putting curses on them" and "where's your wagon?!"

[marzipan-pig.livejournal.com]

That article about college campuses was so horrifying on so many levels that I am kind of pretending it didn't happen.

[sevendayloan.livejournal.com]

This.

[rexluscus.livejournal.com]

The "My Way" killings

Okay, that is just...what? *boggle*

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

In Israel we have been compared to bird 'flu, that we undermine Judaism and more... 'cause we're queer. Go figure. Bird 'flue, of all the things that have been said... and a lot has (http://israleft.org/?p=70), that still feels the worst to me.

At the time (I was 12-13) I liked the way the Buffy's virginity thing was handled... except the fact that she was punished for having sex at all. There are a number of conflicting messages when it comes to Joss and sex and I don't think I've managed to suss them all out yet, after over ten years of having been a fan.

[dulcinbradbury.livejournal.com]

I liked the way the Buffy's virginity thing was handled... except the fact that she was punished for having sex at all.

Because Buffy has been described as "High School as a Horror Movie," I can understand that one. It's a huge fear for girls in high school, that you'll be pressured into sex, that you'll be dumped if you don't have sex, that you'll be discarded if you do...

But... it would be easier if other cast members had clearer situations so you got some sense of how it worked out differently in different situations.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

There is one primary message from Joss regarding sex:
Sex is bad. This is implied through the series and flat-out stated in Angel, with everyone saying "We KNEW that."
("Sexbots are hot" and "All vampires are gay" is secondary)

Buffy/Angel is every woman's nightmare: you have sex and he changes. He used to like you, now he's horrible to you.

[chris-walsh.livejournal.com]

And then, hey, Oz is a werewolf!

I once wrote "I want to be the kind of lover Oz was. Except for the whole turning-into-a-ravening-werewolf thing." His human side? Very sensitive. Would only eat Willow in the good way. *floats off to happy place*

...was I saying something?

Best of the good luck with your new cat.

[matthewwdaly.livejournal.com]

Oz will break your heart in the end, though. Jackass.

[sahiya.livejournal.com]

You know, usually the comments section of any newspaper article makes me want to cry, but the best part of that article by far is all the comments going, "WHAT ARE YOU SMOKING THAT MADE YOU PUBLISH THIS DRIVEL, NYT!?"

[stakebait.livejournal.com]

cadhla, who is part Gypsy, has written some interesting stories about the Buffy Gypsy characters using actual Gypsy traditions.

This one only has spoilers through season 2, so you should be up to it soon:
cadhla.livejournal.com/476123.html#cutid1

This one has spoilers through Season 2 episode 17, but they're really important spoilers, so Patti, don't let her read it till then. :)
www.tdsos.com/darkerside/seanan/romano.html

This one is season 6, so you've got a while:
cadhla.livejournal.com/421539.html

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

THE PART WHERE ANGEL RIPS THE THROAT OUT OF THE WOMAN AND THEN EXHALES THIS BEAUTIFUL STREAM OF CIGARETTE SMOKE?!?!

You have to imagine my reaction the first time I saw it. I think I might have been 17.

[rm.livejournal.com]

I was sorta like "where's the blood?" to be frank. I also had to make Patty stop during the whole Gypsy reveal thing about Jenny, becuase I was like "wait, WHUT, is she related to Drusilla?" since Angel's story about what he did to her sounded like whatever went on with Jenny's ancestor.

[therealycats.livejournal.com]

Passion is such an amazing episode. Overall, in my opinion, I'd say seasons 2 and 5 are the best in terms of the overall story arcs.

Yes, Whedon does have a lot issues in terms of the way he deals with certain groups (there's even more criticism to be had in the later seasons), and to be honest I think he can be a bit of an egomaniac, but by and large he is a really good storyteller.

[klwalton.livejournal.com]

And certainly, women are primarily in college not because they are looking for men, but because they want to earn a degree.

Must. Control. Fist. Of. Death.

[aviv-b.livejournal.com]

Oh no! If more women are going to college, then we'll have to read more articles about how women shouldn't act too smart or they will scare the men away. Bleh.

I hope Claudette gets to come home to you. You are probably going to groan (because you've gotten more advice than you are ever going to need) but did the shelter give you any information about how to introduce a second cat into your household?

[fremen-dancer.livejournal.com]

I'm thoroughly enjoying reading your entries about Buffy, being a huge fan of it.

I've got to say, though, by season 6, I was Team Spike all the way simply because I find his type of whiny and angsty far less annoying than Angel's; not to mention that I usually find James Marsters a far superior actor to David Boreanaz and he's just far less 2 dimensional.

[ophymirage.livejournal.com]

I was on Team Spike in early seasons (back when he was awesome violent!punk!spike and drusilla-obsessed, but by 6 - SO done with him. Also, have seen enough nekkid James Marsters to last anyone a lifetime (thanks, Marni Noxon, for so overdoing something that you turned me OFF a hot vampire.)

[natf.livejournal.com]

I was team Spike from the word go - and I love Drusilla too. Then again, I am a Brit, so is JM and Dru's accent was not too appauling.

[kel-reiley.livejournal.com]

seeing your first time reactions to buffy is so fun, b/c i watched it when i was in high school and it's so weird to think of how long ago that was (not only in years, but in... er, my personal timeline)

[51stcenturyfox.livejournal.com]

I don't really have much love for long, drawn out, "am I ready?" and "it'll be so beautiful" stuff. This shit punches the buttons of my inner 17-y-o in a way I don't enjoy.

It's not just me then. Someone else articulated the other thing about this that doesn't work for me, and that's why an ages-old vampire would want to date a valley girl. (I get the youth and innocence thing in Dracula too, and Buffy's a slayer, but, you know.)

I'm another pro-Spike person. Because at least Spike is immaturely angsty in the same way Buffy is. :D

[nicoli-dominn.livejournal.com]

The New York Times just sinks lower and lower in my opinion every day, as if it were even POSSIBLE. Perhaps the author should visit my "alma mater," Berklee College of Music, and do an equally idiotic feature article on the woes of male heterosexual dating in a nearly 80% college male population. Or not. ::eye roll:: Of course, the thing about being a college student in Boston is that there are 80 gajillion other colleges around, and about 600,000 other college students in the area with which to mingle if you make the effort.

[redstapler.livejournal.com]

But like, musicians don't need to seek out women. The chicks come to them!

/snark
//I did a couple of their summer programs. It was an excellent experience, on which I look back fondly!

On Adm. Mike Mullen, DADT, and the Right

[bugeyedmonster.livejournal.com]

But you didn't really expect a politician to keep a promise, right?

*snerk*

Re: On Adm. Mike Mullen, DADT, and the Right

[delchi.livejournal.com]

I just checked CNN ... apparently hell has NOT frozen over , so no. No expectation of a politician keeping a promise.

[cat-latin.livejournal.com]

re the My Way killings: The article says violent karaoke bars employ gay men (who are considered neutral...what, like Switzerland?) to use humor to diffuse the fights. I'm not sure what I think about that, but it's fascinating.