sundries

[rm]

The new cat is coming home today. We may be changing her name from Claudette but haven't firmly decided on anythng yet. Yesterday we got food and treats for her, and a new littler box set-up so thigns won't just be ALL Pretty's territory and they will both have things to adjust to.

We have just watched Band Candy. "Do they have nachos here, Little Tree?" Man, that was priceless. The whole episode was proof of why, as an actor, you must have NO SHAME. Damn. It made me hate Joyce slightly less (I'm sorry, but the character is largely undeveloped, there just to be an obstacle and a hypocrite).

Also, Ethan is SUCH a wtf character. His main motivation seems to be boredom or being an irritant and I still can't tell if the way he's written is clever and smart or really craptastic gay stereotyping. But I care. A lot. The whole Ethan/Giles backstory, whatever it may be, interests me the same way the idea of Lucius + team Slytherin during their Hogwarts years interests me.

Also the current Xander/Willow situation? Breaking my heart. I keep wondering to myself if they feel grownup in the misery of their little non-affair.

And Angel's demise (such as it was)? Yes, very CoE, but hard to have an emotional response to when the guy later gets his own series, so you know it's not a permanent death.

Since we're on fannish things -- the guy who plays Lafayette on True Blood is a Dragon*Con guest this year. I'm so pleased.

And since we're on media things, let me be insecure about acting. Actually, it's let me be insecure about my looks. Let me be insecure about my teeth that are a wreck because of celiac disease. Let me be insecure about the fact that the first two pieces of advice I was ever given about acting were: "you gotta be able to sleep anywhere at any time" (I've got that down) and "never go to L.A. until they ask you to go."

Now I'm not going to L.A. for acting (upcoming trip is mostly fun and perhaps vaguely useful on some writerly fronts), but a lot of things going on in my life here in NYC right now is sort of the equivalent of going to L.A., in that they are a Big Deal and I don't know if I'm ready yet and no one really asked me to do these things, I just sort of banged on some doors really loudly and got people to do what I want.

But, you know, what if they think I'm a silly little girl who doesn't know what she really looks or sounds like? Industry people always thing chicks are in this business to be beautiful and then, from there, tell them they can't be in the industry because they are not beautiful in certain right ways. I know what I am.
I'm more than happy to play dying junkie whores, the undead, monsters and about anything else you want to throw at me.

Help me make enough money, and I'll buy the smile you want. But I am tense tense tense for a whole lot of mansplaining about my looks that I am NOT interested in. For those new to here an agent once asked me if I spoke French and when I inquired as to why he said, "in France, you'd actually be attractive."

Also, the correct response to this is not to tell me I'm beautiful. The correct response to this, if you feel impelled, is to tell me I have the force to be paid attention to regardless of the batshittery of this industry and the fact that I happen to have tits.

Mammograms and dementia

Patty found this amazingly depressing chart about health care spending and life expectancy.

Who's to blame for rape? Women point to the victims. OI. via ginmar

I am thinking of doing this or something similar.

In case you missed it, episodes are coming soon: tw_itallchanges.

Comments

[laughingacademy.livejournal.com]

"The whole episode was proof of why, as an actor, you must have NO SHAME."

Have you ever seen I &hearts Huckabees? Nowadays it's probably best remembered for the behind-the-scenes video of Lily Tomlin's and director David O. Russell's epic screaming match. Anyway, there's a scene where Isabelle Huppert and Jason Schwartzman are in a bog, smearing each other with mud and making out, which really brought home to me that an actor may have to be willing to do anything.

[redstapler.livejournal.com]

"Mansplaining" is my new favorite word.

It says so much.

I wish I'd had it in some discussions I was in a few years ago...

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

The problem with Joss is that he takes the characters you're perfectly happy not liking and makes you love them. Fair warning.

[exbentley]

I've gotta say, it's pretty interesting watching you watch Buffy for the first time, though I keep having to bite my tongue because most of my reactions to your thoughts/ideas about characters are based on a thorough knowledge of the complete series.

But! I am pretty sure Ethan's meant to be a chaos-worshipper, therefore he has the advantage, as a villainy device, of not really needing a proper motivation outside of "boredom" and "annoying Giles".

Are you planning to watch Buffy S4 and Angel S1 correspondingly? (i.e. Buffy ep, Angel ep, Buffy ep, Angel ep.) I mean, assuming you've thought about it yet at all. A lot of the episodes mirror each other thematically or have plot carry over from one to the other, though that's only true for that season pair, then Angel goes and does its own thing.




Also, I think you definitely have the force to be paid attention to, and I think you're beautiful, so there.

[smirnoffmule.livejournal.com]

Haha, this is so true. I love it when writers do that though, it's like, yes, okay, you really are quite a smart (see also George RR Martin and the writers of Lost).

[bodlon.livejournal.com]

Sweet monkey candy, that is a terrifying chart. And a really difficult to read article about mammography/cognitive impairment. I sort of want to go hide now, but I'm not sure what from.

Though I may now want to emigrate to Canada. Or France. Or the UK.

I haven't seen Band Candy, so I don't know your specific example, but I think I understand the phenomenon you mean, where acting has to diverge entirely from self-consciousness and things that one would be uncomfortable with if one weren't currently someone else. Hm.

Hooray new kitty!

[rm.livejournal.com]

WAIT YOU"VE NEVER SEEN BUFFY?

Anyway, premise of episode -- all teh adults revert to surly oversexed teens.

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

I love it too and I love Joss, but it's a bit of a cliche with him at this point.

[ladyofthelog.livejournal.com]

You have a presence. The fierceness of that presence transcends your teeth and any other limitations you may be concerned about.

Whomever these NYC big hats may be, just throw your best Jack at them and you will be fine.

[smirnoffmule.livejournal.com]

For those new to here an agent once asked me if I spoke French and when I inquired as to why he said, "in France, you'd actually be attractive."

The French are renowed for their good taste ;) This is such a bizarre, backhanded thing to say. I must admit though I kind of like the idea that somewhere, everyone is attractive. You, though - most places.

The Xander/Willow thing makes me want to say things about things you haven't got to yet. I found it really hard to watch just for the potential for hurt there, and I love Xander/Cordy, and while I empathise with Xander *a lot* and I love the character, there are many many times when I just want to kick him in the nuts and tell him to grow up and look at what he has, right here, right now, and this was one of those times.

[bodlon.livejournal.com]

I've seen lots of Buffy but not all of it, and what I have seen hasn't all been in order.

I need a rewatch.

[kdsorceress.livejournal.com]

though that's only true for that season pair, then Angel goes and does its own thing.

Ooo, really? That'll make it easier for me --I've been doing the back and forth and I'm a disc away from finishing both, but stuck at college since no one I know has Angel. If I could *just* watch the Buffy after I finish this season, I'd get done a lot faster. (Even if I do love Angel (the show, not the character) more)

~Sor

[bethynyc.livejournal.com]

I loved Band Candy--absolutely loved Giles in this! And Oz is perfect!

You know, I was thinking about you the other day as an actor, and depending on union affiliations and production budgets and so forth, I would definitely want you to audition for a part in my play "Loving Cassie." The next time I have a production up, I will let you know.

The batshittery is totally crazy--my only hope is that NYC does NOT turn into La-La-Land. But you can handle it and more, and I think you will/do impress the suits with everything that you are.

[laurashapiro.livejournal.com]

Re Ethan: You could make a case that he enjoys stirring shit up just because he worships chaos, but I think that only really applies in "Halloween". In "The Dark Age" he's mainly trying to save his own skin, having been one of the people who raised the demon years ago, but not the only one.

In "Band Candy" we see that he's a jerk-for-hire at this point; my sense is he'd take a job like that if it sounded like fun, and if it gave him a chance to needle Giles.

I do think there's a strong Ethan/Giles implication. In "The Dark Age" it's implied that he and Giles and the other members of their group enjoyed sexual shenanigans ("orgies" is the word), and there's just so much intimacy in the way Sachs and Head play with each other.

I don't find Ethan a gay stereotype, probably because everything I've ever seen Robin Sachs in, he's seemed a bit fey and often whimsical. Okay, not so much as the lizard guy in Galaxy Quest, but other than that...

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

God, the summer of Angel's death was even worse than my summer after Ianto's because I was 14. It was a heady time.
Now I was better equipped to handle the grief, back then... not so much.
Back in the day I didn't see Etahn as gay... though now it's pretty glaring. I pretty much saw the queer with the incestuous vampires and with... other characters that I'll talk about when you talk about 'em.

Oh mansplaining... bleh.

If I may ask, why are you looking to to a genetic genealogy?

[pocketmouse]

I think hammering on ahead is a fine way to go about things, because it also sends the message that you won't be pushed around. However, politics-wise, I don't know very much about the film industry. I'd hazard that in theatre, it might be slightly easier to get away from that line of talk. I don't know, I'm not sure. But seriously, don't let it stop you.

[rm.livejournal.com]

My union situation is that I'm SAG but have not yet joined Equity (although I am elligible). I also haven't joined Aftra, because I know if I do SAG and Aftra will merge a second later.

I'm not supposed to do non-union work, but can do Equity showcases in a way that's cheap for EQuity producers since they don't have to give me the EQuity benefits/stipends. It's convoluted.

And I'd love to audition for you.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

The Xander/Willow thing makes me want to say things about things you haven't got to yet.
Yes, dear god, this...

Xander has always been that guy I really wanted to like, because he was part of the gang, but I seriously disliked the way he treated his friends for the fact that he was a guy surrounded by girls who did things better than him... it irked me...

[regyt.livejournal.com]

You're intense, in personality and in appearance. I think that will take you far.

The chart depresses the hell out of me.

[rm.livejournal.com]

If I may ask, why are you looking to to a genetic genealogy?

Both sides of my family come from places that were conquered over and over again by people from different continents. Odds are, and if family lore is to be believed, my background is incredibly mixed and complex, and I'm curious, now that we have the technology so put proof to that or no.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Yeah, theater is much more chill. I hate that I don't want to do it more. I enjoy it, but it's not what keeps me up at night.

[dulcinbradbury.livejournal.com]

And Angel's demise (such as it was)? Yes, very CoE, but hard to have an emotional response to when because the guy later gets his own series, you know it's not a permanent death.

Having watched Buffy for the first time only a in the last year? Yes... though because *she* believed in the demise, I still responded to it.

[bethynyc.livejournal.com]

Cross your fingers that one of the submissions comes through! I'm hoping to be accepted for the Playwrights Lab at Women's Project, which would be fantastic! I think they would be a good home for Loving Cassie.

I'm playing with genre in plays (not musicals) and think that it is totally possible to do a science fiction or fantasy play without X-TREME FX!!!

At this point, everything I have done so far has been non-union, but I hope that changes!

[smirnoffmule.livejournal.com]

I really like him as a character but not so much as a person if that makes sense. And he's often (well, twice) involved in ships that I really root for with characters I really love and then he... Xanders. And it makes me grrr.

[rm.livejournal.com]

He's kinda an ass. I mean, It hink a very ordinary decent, but not great high school guy ass, but still -- yuck. And Yuck in a way I wouldn't have understood 20 years ago, and very possibly not even ten.