(no subject)

Today started with me accidentally snapping my favorite pair of glasses in half.

Now I am trying to figure out what to wear to the CoE thing today that DWNY is going.

Last night Patty and I saw Public Enemies, which I thought was a film that had no idea what story it wanted to tell and examined too many aspects of the story in deeply curosry ways so that they were disturbing but without viewpoint. That said, the use of music in it was spectacular (what was the guitar track that's also used in the previews? so great!); the performances were all amazing (although I wish the actors had been given more to do, and there's something hilarious about Billy Cruddup playing Hoover); I always forget how much I enjoy that mid-century patrician accent you barely hear anymore that was all over this film; and people, the aesthetic brilliance of the film (oh the suits!) was amazing. So I had fun, and I'm glad we went and romantic dinner afterwards didn't hurt either.

What hurt? CoE preview at the movies!

( vague CoE spoiler here )

I can't believe I snapped my fucking glasses in half!

quick CoE sundries

I watched CoE again, this time with a group. I loved it even more. Eventually I'll watch it again, with just good friends or alone and wallow again, but today it was fun, and I got to look at it more critically and really enjoy it. ( spoilers )

I've ranted about the bad behavior going on in this fandom towards creators right now before, but after the things I was told tonight, I feel like I need to say it again. Death threats? To BBC Wales? REALLY?

Look, art is not a democracy.

In fact, all stories start alone. And I say this as someone who writes collaboratively a lot. But all stories start alone. One voice, and then another and another - -whether these be the writers or the chracters of both. And then the story grows. But all stories start as an impulse that needs expression more than the silence and the dark.

When we play in fandom, we too are adding to the story. But stories are not a democracy, rather they are trees as well as shards and fragments. The idea that the fans should have a say in the creation of an original story someone or some team is creating sincerely appalls me. Because art is not a democracy and stories demand their space from the dark.

You don't have to like the stories that come forth. Don't have to play with them. Should be a critic and can completely toss out any canon you want. But those are your stories speaking out, and they don't have to be and shouldn't be anyone else's.

In fencing I learned all sorts of things, like that idea that everyone dies alone and everyone fights alone and everyone lives alone. It sounds bleak at first, but it's not. It's power. It's fact. It's simplicity. I learned the simplest thing is the hardest thing is the best thing. I learned that stories come to us alone.

I'm not saying you have to have liked the many turns CoE took, hell you can loathe it. I really do not care. But never, ever say that people don't have a right to tell their stories and never ever seek or threaten to silence those stories.

I am sad and I'm appalled and because I MAKE STUFF TOO (and to be clear, I don't just mean in a fannish capacity, but as a pro), I do find this personally problematic.

If you haven't seen James Moran's most recent blog post, you should: http://jamesmoran.blogspot.com/2009/07/stepping-back.html.

Also in Whoniverse news that some of you will care about, apparently GDL's one con appearance in the States for the rest of 2009 will be at Hurricaine Who.