sundries

[rm]

Announcing The Society of Friends of the Text. This is an outgrowth of what we did in Bristol and while there isn't a lot of content there yet, there will be soon. I'm hoping to finish my conference report tonight to post there and will post my response to the paired paper there eventually as well.

usullusa recently came out to her (I actually don't know your pronoun preference, let me know if I should change this) parents as queer. Their response has been to bar her from their house (when they are not trying to confine her to it), threaten her physically, use dehumanizing language towards her, demand she beg their forgiveness, harass her when she has been outside the home and engage in gender-policing towards her.

They have also agreed to continue paying for her education, although no one is sure how long that will last and the situation is largely set up to prove that usullusa can't survive without their approval. It is less the one note of generosity in a terrible situation than it is part of their plan to control her and isolate her.

Still, usullusa is no fool, and is absolutely going to finish her education while she can. But she needs work. In the long term, something in the New York City area that will be flexible around her class schedule. In the short term, work she can do remotely as she is trapped with her family in CT without a car.

If you can assist her in this NYC-area hunt for long-term or odd job employment, please let her know. She has posted a remarkably sanitized run-down of her situation here. She is someone Patty & I both know in the face-to-face world, and we are frustrated not to be able to offer the types of resources needed here. I can, however, be loud.

The auction to help theotoky graduate college is also ongoing. You can find it at graduate_maria. The fundraising goal is $5,000. Right now, including donations, buy-it-now items, and bids for items that haven't yet closed, we're just past the $1,000 mark. Please consider bidding, offering an item or boosting the signal. Why we're holding this fundraiser is explained in the community profile information.

Heaven help us: newyorkers is a spotlight community on LJ currently. Meanwhile, I may strangle someone. Look at the tags. Be specific in your queries. And don't tell us about how you love New York City but have never been here but really miss it. Or post your crappy photo essay about it from three years ago. Or otherwise get in the way of what the community is for: practical help on specific issues for people living here, people visiting, and people thinking about coming here. Arrrrrrrgh!

Problems with early breast cancer detection.

Constance McMillan has won: Her school will update its anti-discrimination policy to include sexual orientation (a first for Mississippi) and pay her $35,000.

Gay marriage and the Indian diaspora in California. via redstapler.

Essentially teen-retailer (okay, Patty and I both totally shop there) Forever 21 is now marketing maternity wear in, coincidentally, states with higher than average rates of teen pregnancy. They deny the marketing strategy (try harder, folks), and soon enough, you'll hear various squeals of outraged horror that someone is suggesting that young pregnant people be allowed to wear something other than sackcloth, ashes and a wooden sign that says "whore" around their necks. This one isn't going to be fun. via redstapler.

bitsyrant talks about a relatively innocuous-seeming (if catty) tweet from Steven Moffat and why it can/will/may actually create a big mess by implication and, as such, was a pretty ill-advised moment.

I hate this Auggie/Jack story. I've written it three different ways three different times and it's STILL NOT WORKING. I'm hoping watching Covert Affairs tonight will help me solidify Auggie's voice better (which oddly, doesn't seem to be the problem, but would make me feel more confident). And certainly these three versions of the story that will never see the light of day have revealed various interesting things to me, even if I'm still boggling about how he and Jack got talking about amphetamines. No, I don't know what this story is doing, all I know is it's not doing it effectively yet.

I haven't looked at this in a while, but moving into SDCC and with the not-unsurprising aftermath of Infinitus at hand and a current Twitter kerfluffle or two (not directly related to Moffat), it seems a good time to relink patronage, transactional relationships and fandom. Maybe if I have time later (and let's be frank, I probably won't), I'll write a bit about for-profit and non-profit cons and why neither should suck, but sometimes both do for totally different reasons. Of course, both versions can also bring the awesome.

Last night Patty and I returned to Angel. Wesley's found that shaman guy to take Angel's soul and we had that half-episode fake-out about vanquishing the demon that, of course, wasn't vanquished. So that hilarious ex-boyfriend apology reunion conversation (through which I shouted continuously "RTD IS SUCH A WESLEY/ANGEL SHIPPER, OMG!") wasn't real, nor was the resolution of the completely fucktacular triangle between Connor, Cordelia and Angel. This episode more than any other made me think of the warnings I've been given about Angel, especially by Kali (which was basically "people think I don't like it because it's dark; I don't like it because it's structurally crap"). It can still redeem itself for me, and I'm very invested in some of the characters, but OMG, what is happening there?

Meanwhile, who wants an "Angel vs. Torchwood: Cracky Spinoff Deathmatch" panel at Gallifrey? I don't really know what it would be about, but I think it would be AWESOME.

Comments

[reannon.livejournal.com]

That actually was a fairly tame comment by Moffat. The one that made me hate him was from his early years as one of RTD's writers:

"There’s this issue you’re not allowed to discuss: that women are needy. Men can go for longer, more happily, without women. That’s the truth. We don’t, as little boys, play at being married - we try to avoid it for as long as possible. Meanwhile women are out there hunting for husbands."

Source.

Moffat: Not a Girl's Best Friend. Which might explain why I've hated this new season so much.

[bitsyrant.livejournal.com]

Thanks for linking. I thought Moffat's tweet was funny on first read but, the more I thought about it (I think about tweets, apparently), the more problematic I could see it being and, having had first hand experience with tweets that cause a fuss, I know what the implication can be. Seeing that a bunch of dudes came out of the woodwork to yuck it up about how stupid crazy fangirls are just confirmed it.

Twitter seems like this cutesy, innocuous thing but what gets said there can have just as much of an impact as, say, an interview on a blog or in a magazine. People soak up every little sound byte and I think this particular one is going to further alienate some people who already feel a little uneasy about where Moffat is taking the show.

[rm.livejournal.com]

The soundbite nature of Twitter is really dangerous because there's no room to qualify or explain. I've dug myself some holes this way too (and awesome initially chuckled when I saw that tweet this morning as well).

[bitsyrant.livejournal.com]

I had no idea he said that and, actually, that makes me think the tweet is even worse now. It may not be anywhere near as bad as the quote you mentioned but it certainly adds fuel to a fire that's a lot bigger than I knew.

Not a girl's best friend, indeed.

[bitsyrant.livejournal.com]

Well it *is* funny... at first. But then you remember that, before Tennant came along, Doctor Who fandom was a colossal boy's club (and still can be). The fandom has come a long way in the last four years but, silly, random comments like this from the guy whose captaining the ship, can very quickly drag us backwards.

And you know how much trouble I've gotten into via tweet. I'm still Whedon fandom's biggest sexist to this day.

[shadowvalkyrie.livejournal.com]

Ooh, the website looks good, and the project on the whole seems very promising! Though the name makes it sound like a subgroup of the Quakers.

[shadowvalkyrie.livejournal.com]

Yikes! I hadn't heard of that before, but this attitude does explain some of the issues I have with his writing.

[syzygy-lj.livejournal.com]

I would love an Angel vs Torchwood Cracky Spinoff Deathmatch Panel! I would totally go to that one.

[firefly124.livejournal.com]

I'm no help for NYC info. However, I'm in southeastern CT (Norwich-New London area), and could probably point usullusa at some temporary/per diem options in the area if she's in this part of the state, for the time being. Not much help if she's not in the area though, considering how dire public transportation in this state is.

[rm.livejournal.com]

I don't actually know where her family is (and I don't know CT that well), but I'm sure the offer would be appreciated. I don't know if she's checking here or only her own journal though. Thank you!

Just to say so:

[thenowhere.livejournal.com]

I saw the season premiere of Covert Affairs, and fell in love with Auggie pretty much instantaneously.

I'm not sure I *love* the rest of the show, but I'd probably watch it purely to see him.

[firefly124.livejournal.com]

I replied on her journal as well. Need more coffee, as I should've done that first. *facepalm*

[rm.livejournal.com]

All good. Thank you!

[malle-babbe.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Moffat's Jerk with a Martyr Complex is tiresome; hon, the 1990s are over and gone, and "Politically Incorrect" was merely the polite term for "asshole" in that era anyway...

That's what I love most about adulthood, I can get my own job, my own apartment, and my own car and be free of having to humor guys like him.

[redstapler.livejournal.com]

That makes his narrative in S5 make even less sense.

Rory was in love with--and wanted to marry--Amy for years. Amy was the one who had to come around to it.

I give up.

[sunhawk.livejournal.com]

I don't think a lot of celebrities have cottoned on as to the fact that things they say on Twitter are just as meaningful and impacting as anything else said anywhere else, both online and offline. When they have so many followers, the ability to just say whatever pops into their head, which people seem to enjoy doing on twitter, becomes easily problematic. The whole foo-fa-roo with Neil Gaiman and AP over AP's last album is a good example of that.

[andrewducker]

That's because Moffat can tell the difference between a generalisation and a character. The fact that he believes that, in general, women are more relationship focussed than men, doesn't prevent him from creating/writing an individual who is different to that (or believing that there are individuals who don't follow a trend).

[redstapler.livejournal.com]

Well obviously.

But I reserve the right to be confused and/or annoyed by it when it's the main character of his series being so contradictory to, essentially, his own ethos.

[reannon.livejournal.com]

True enough. And Moffat wrote some of my favorite eps in S1-4. However, it does shed light on why Amy as a character doesn't work for me. A man who does not understand women will not be able to write a woman who makes sense to other women.

[marcmagus]

I have a feeling that Moffat particularly likes what are to him "interesting" (or weird or not fitting his world view) characters for his major characters, which would tend to result in this sort of thing.

[kel-reiley.livejournal.com]

Meanwhile, who wants an "Angel vs. Torchwood: Cracky Spinoff Deathmatch" panel at Gallifrey? - i won't get to be there, but I VOTE FOR THIS SO HARD! DOOOO EEEET!

re: angel - stick it out, it might piss you the fuck off, but stick it out to the end (by end, i mean the end of series 5 where you get the payoff)

[rm.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm committed to getting all the way through it, but right now I'm rolling my eyes. A lot.

[bodlon.livejournal.com]

You already know I'm in for Angel vs. Torchwood in any capacity (we're planning a household rewatch because Joe is willing to give both shows another shot and I haven't watched either in ages). Plus, considering the guests, it'll be a hoot. Do you think maybe Jane Espenson and one of the TW folks could get roped in?

I've been mulling the Jack/Auggie based on what you've said and may have more coherent thoughts this afternoon if you want them.

Moffat is fantastic about 85% of the time. The other 15% of the time I grit my teeth and remind myself that my expectations are not in line with what I should plan to see from the guy who wrote Coupling (which is both really well done and heavily dependent on gender/relationship stereotypes).

[rm.livejournal.com]

Your plans and my plans for the hypothetical panel are deeply similar, although Espenson didn't work on Angel, only on Buffy, but it was her presence that gave me the idea, and yes, I think it would be HILARIOUS.

I will take any coherent thoughts about the Jack/Auggie story. It's driving me mad, and the more annoyed I get with it, the more I want it to be one of my significant stories as opposed to one of my "here, this is amusing stories" and that's not helping.

Have I told you the hilarious thing Paul said about Moffatt at DWNY? About burning villages?

[bodlon.livejournal.com]

You have. I swear, I spent most of S5 watching the horizon for smoke.

At worst, you could expand to Buffyverse v. Whoniverse, though specificity is everybody's friend with such a wealth of material...

I'm working up an e-mail, probably for this afternoon/evening before WC.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Brilliant.

And yeah the Torchwood/Angel issue is much more clear than a more generic Buffy/Who issue, even if the spinoffs are also encompased.

But seriously, if not "spinoff death match" how about "So is RTD an Angel/Wesley shipper or what?" or "RTD and character death? Audience-directed sadism or grudge match with Joss Whedon."

I could write snarky panel titles ALL DAY.

[bodlon.livejournal.com]

It dovetails nicely with the tropical shirt theme.

OH YEAH, I WENT THERE.

Leaf on the wind indeed. Bastard.

[redstapler.livejournal.com]

"RTD and character death? Audience-directed sadism or grudge match with Joss Whedon."

I would love the shit out of that panel.

[kel-reiley.livejournal.com]

yeah, season 4 - even tho it had some good moments and some even better ideas (that they sort of dropped the ball on or went in... not good directions with) really is like the worst season of television ever (except for everything in heroes after season 1 - heroes takes the cake)

[scarlettgirl.livejournal.com]

I'm fairly certain that Jane *did* write for Angel. "Guise will be Guise" and, I think the Room w/a vu ep. It's not on IMDB for some reason but she has the Angel box set listed under the "where you can watch Jane" section of her website.

Ignoring Moffat because...gah! Burning villages? What?

[rm.livejournal.com]

Oh, yay, re Epenson! Then my panel idea is sort of golden if I can solidify it in my brain.

At a DWNY event, Kali and our friend Edie made some comment to Paul about Moffat's sexism and Paul too a deep breath and was all (this is a much shorter version of a very long funny thing that also involved stories from various people's weddings) "Okay, he's an incredibly close friend, but I spend a lot of time waking up to the smell of smoke and apologizing to people when he's accidentally burned the village. Again."

[scarlettgirl.livejournal.com]

Oh, Paul. Don't we all have friends like that? Now, if he can just stay off of twitter and spare us all the smell of smoke.

And I just checked, the Angel IMDB does have Jane listed as writer for those eps but Jane's personal IMDB does not. An oversight, maybe?

[rm.livejournal.com]

Probably just more IMBD disorganization. IMDB is a hot mess as a rule.

[usullusa.livejournal.com]

Just making a quick stop at NYU's computer lab while I'm in the city apartment hunting. Thank you so much for... all of this. There aren't words for how grateful I am.

[rm.livejournal.com]

No worries. I hope some of those leads pan out to be of use.

[smirnoffmule.livejournal.com]

Seconding this. They lost the plot in 4 big time - but they found it in again in S5, and made it all so worth it.

[chite.livejournal.com]

When Micah was little, I was in a Mom's group that was mostly younger women, under 30, all of whom shopped at Forever 21, and most of whom were married (I was, as far as I know, one of only three women who were over 30 in the group of 35 women). Anyway, any one of them would have given just about anything to buy younger looking clothes during their pregnancies. Maternity clothes have come a long way, but generally speaking, they still suck. I think that, while Forever 21 needs to be a little more diplomatic about where they sell their maternity line, they are in fact responding to a real need.

In other topics, Angel will get worse before it gets better, and then it will be awesome. It becomes Completely Awesome by the end and you should then be able to forgive some of the stupid in the middle.

[rm.livejournal.com]

I hate the Cordelia/Connor storyline with such a raging intensity it's a little disturbing.

[chite.livejournal.com]

There was nothing good of that storyline. Nothing. I guarantee you will continue to hate it until it all resolves, but once it does the series goes to a better place. But there's unfortunately most of an entire season before it resolves.

[rm.livejournal.com]

It's just... it's like I know what they were thinking, which was kinda ill-advised, but whatever, and then it got executed so badly. I mean, I've had depressing pity-sex with boys too young for me who then acted like complete freaks -- and the world wasn't even ending -- I sure as hell don't need to watch a season of TV with that plotline written badly with daddy-issues thrown in on the side. Demons do not redeem it!

[chite.livejournal.com]

What made the least sense to me (on the night of the depressing pity sex) was that this is the Buffy/Angelverse. The world is Always Ending. Good god if everyone had pity sex every time the world was ending, no one would have time to fight the demons.

[rm.livejournal.com]

YES. And yeah, that pity-sex was so depressing. And not in a "this is a depressing thing that feels satisfying to me as an audience member" way but in a "oh, yuck" way.

And you've just identified a key problem with most Torchwood (and I suppose other universe-in-peril properties) fanfiction.

[rarelylynne.livejournal.com]

I would totally volunteer for this panel @Gally. TOTALLY.

[heron61.livejournal.com]

Dear gods, I had no idea. That definitely casts Moffat in a different light. Ick.

[redeem147.livejournal.com]

That just shows that you're sane.

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

oh cool. It seems like all the well-established communities I've known who get thrown into the LJ spotlight really regret the sudden influx. But still...it's kind of expected for NYC isn't it? Or do you lose your wide-eyed wonder and love for the city when you live there every day? I'm glad you complained though. Now I've joined newyorkers but I'll refrain from posting anything exasperating for now.

[darklingwoods.livejournal.com]

well I feel silly, I saw the tweet and shuddered at the thought of him getting hate mail ( I started following him a couple of days ago after Gaiman ff him)

I didn't really ponder the lady part I thought maybe that was regional (or showing his age? I have no idea how old of a gentleman he is) , I was to busy puzzling over why he would get hate mail from DT fans (I miss him to but Moffat didn't run him off... or did I miss something?) I'm pretty much a newbie though loved his previous episodes but pretty much meh about season 5

I sometimes question my sanity being in this fandom

[rm.livejournal.com]

Oh we all question our sanity in this fandom. Trust me. Sometimes I don't even know how we've gotten to the arguments we're having or am awed by dramas in other corners of the fandom that I've missed entirely while watching the car-crashes in Torchwood fandom.

[virginhuntress.livejournal.com]

I am so glad to hear about Constance McMillan. Sad that it's only her school but it's a step in the right direction. :)