(no subject)

[rusty_halo]

The institution of marriage is pretty stupid. But intolerance sucks.

Still feeling like complete shit over the Angel cancellation.

I am completely disgusted with some of the haughty, condescending, lectury responses that I've seen. You're glad the show is over? You don't like fan campaigns? Fine, don't participate. But that doesn't make you a better person than I am. Get off your high horse and stop acting like you're superior to those of us who care.

[rant directed only to those who are acting snooty, not to those who just don't care for whatever reasons]

I wasn't particularly enjoying Angel this season. I'm still completely disgusted that it was cancelled. A bad episode of AtS is still better than damn near anything else on television. At least they're trying to do something original, to make people think, to break boundaries, instead of just appealing to the lowest common denominator.

It's fucked up that this culture venerates mediocrity. It's fucked up that passionate, intelligent, creative people either have to dumb down their work or face constant struggles and very little chance of success. It's fucked up that Charmed got renewed instead of Angel, or that The Cruxshadows and Common Rotation are struggling in near-obscurity while Britney Spears sells millions of records. It's fucked up that my high school cancelled the challenging, quality-and-art-focused Media Arts class in favor of the lame, propogandistic, poorly-produced Television Production class. That's just the way our culture is.

Anyway. I have barely slept all week, so I'm very incoherent right now.

I went to see Common Rotation in Connecticut today. A "living room show" -- they come to people's houses and play in their living rooms. It was pretty neat--I took the train up with soulmate815, we went to this woman's house, ate party food and drank beer, watched the band play in the living room. There were maybe ... 20? 30? people there. I suck with numbers. The band members were around and talking, which was neat, though I didn't talk to any of them--I'm content to enjoy their music, but I wouldn't really call myself a fan. Well, fan in the casual "I enjoy your art" sense, not in the "I care enough to wonder about you as a person" sense. Anyway, it was fun. Then thefangirl and her friend drove us back to Manhattan, which was nice, and it was good to hang out with thefangirl. (And it was her birthday. Happy birthday, again!)

Anyway. Then I came home, read Joss's message, and started crying. Stupid WB.

I hate watching fandom fade away. I know a lot of people will stick around, and there will still be a core group years and years from now. But a lot of people will leave, and it's going to suck. Watching my favorite writers disappear, watching my favorite websites shut down, watching my website become irrelevant ... it's all going to suck.

Also (inspired by a discussion with some people tonight about the politics of friending): If you want to defriend me, for god's sake, please do. I'm not going to have a crying fit or hate you forever because of it. Interests diverge, personalities conflict, it happens.

I have a lot of people on my flist because I want to keep up with their fic, btw, and I know that we have little in common and that they're probably annoyed or bored by my posts. Don't feel obligated to keep me on your flist; just post your fic publicly to make sure I don't miss it. ;)

Oh, and *hugs* to everyone who IM'd me the other day. It really helped to have people to talk to. I apologize for being slow to answer--I got a little overwhelmed a couple of times. But, anyway, thanks.

I just read this over, and damn, this is a schizophrenic post. Political, bitchy, sad, happy, sad, depressed, bitchy, grateful. Huh. Must go catch up on sleep....

Comments

[spikewriter]

A bad episode of AtS is still better than damn near anything else on television. At least they're trying to do something original, to make people think, to break boundaries, instead of just appealing to the lowest common denominator.

Absolutely. The list of shows I actually watch on a regular basis is rather small and none of the new shows this year were added to that list because nothing that I saw appealed to me. My evening time is precious and I'd prefer to spend it on something that doesn't require me to think. With AtS gone, that means the list is now down to four shows -- four guaranteed hours out of the entire week. I'm a Woman 18-49 with a decent income, but the sponsors can't reach me with their ads because there's not much out there I want to watch.

It's fucked up that this culture venerates mediocrity. It's fucked up that passionate, intelligent, creative people either have to dumb down their work or face constant struggles and very little chance of success.

I've discovered that many people actively fear creativity. The mantra is "fit in, be one of the pack, don't make waves. Want the house, the car, the clothes that are considered the icon off success, but don't want anything off the beaten track." Children who are creative, who don't fit in with the crowd are actively discourage from being creative and different. We're handed pre-packaged pablum by the networks, movie studios and record company and the public accepts it because it's "what's popular."

watching my website become irrelevant

Allow me to disagree. Because of the breadth and quality of the fic you archive, your site will actually become more relevant to fandom as other sites disappear. For that person who discovers BtVS/AtS after the shows are gone, who discovers Spike, your site will be a godsend because you've worked so hard to post some of the best Spike fic that's out there.

Joss' message about the cancellation -- that really annoyed me because it made it clear there is something going on behind the scenes that we don't know about. That's annoyed at the WB, not Joss. He's trying to handle it with some humor, which is clearly a defense mechanism for him, but the pain at having one of his children sliced off at the knees apparent.

Btw, when I suggested a couple of weeks ago re school and what not that perhaps you might want to step back from fandom to help you to focus on what's coming up, I did not mean getting your fandom ripped out from under you by corporate suits who are more interested in selling cars or clothes or Viagra more than they are shows that don't let you just sit on the damn couch and veg. In a word, it sucks.