(no subject)

[rusty_halo]

I would like to keep posting in LJ, but I can't think of anything to say.

Hmm...

My cat Lucifer figured out how to get out of my room, and is currently embarking on a campaign to drive me completely insane. Today I get to spend my lunch break going to furniture stores and trying to find something that I can use to block my doorway so that he can't get out.

My roommate is moving out for sure this time, on July 1. So I have to find a new roommate. But I can't do that until I call maintenance and get her room fixed up. (I went up there and discovered that the ceiling is leaking and cracking. She never bothered telling me about this. And she clearly hasn't cleaned once since she moved in. Ugh--I'm going to have a hell of a time finding someone to move in.)

Anyway, problem is I can't call maintenance until I find a way to make sure the cats can't get out of my room. My apartment doesn't allow pets, and maintenance always comes in the middle of the day when I'm at work. I really don't want the maintenance guy stumbling upon the cats. Or hearing the cats--guess I'll have to leave the TV on really loud for a few days after I call. It would be nice if maintenance would call me back and tell me when they're coming, but no, that's too much trouble for them....

I wish they didn't have my key, but it's expensive to change the locks, and then I'd have to skip work in order to let them in....

Life is complicated. I wish it was July and I was at Writercon now.

I would comment on Angel, but at this point it's gotten as bad as Chosen; so awful it's not even worth my effort to point out all its flaws. Can you say lame deux ex machinas, ridicluous retcons, and utter lack of subtlety? Last night I was so repulsed by ME's simplistic crap that I watched an episode of Highlander just to clean out my brain. (The Valkyrie--now there's a level of real moral complexity that ME has never reached. All these characters with different moral perspectives and none who are "clearly" right or wrong--it's all shades of grey with no easy answers. I love that so much compared to ME's stupid simplistic crap. I just think what Methos' reaction would be to Angel's silly speech last night and it reminds me what truly pathetic writers ME really are. No realistic voices of dissent, no complications, just falsely constructed "easy answers" that make no sense once you actually dig deep and start questioning them.)

I wrote more in depth criticism of the seasonal theme already and don't really feel like repeating it here.

*sigh* Back in the day, my Spike was the truth teller who could see through all the bullshit that the "heroes" bought into. Now he's, what, Angel's wife? The first one to raise his hand for Angel's idiotic and pointless plan? Please.

And yeah, the "intimate" line was nice, but isn't anyone else sick of the blatant subtext that is this close to being text but never really is? ME always maintains plausible deniability when it comes to showing actual gay male characters (with the exception of Larry in, what, BtVS season three?) And when it does, they're usually a joke. Sure, lesbians are sexy and interesting and acceptable, but gay men? They're just played for laughs. Look at what they did with Andrew last week--didn't anyone else find two women on his arm and a lecture about "change is good" to be repulsively offensive for a character who was this-close-to-textually gay? Homoerotic subtext gets old (and boring and predictable) when you know it's just an in-joke that they're never going to do anything with. Either follow through on it or don't, but quit with the teases that never go anywhere real.

Every week it's the same damn thing: come onto LJ and read a million people squeeing "It's canon!" Um, no, it's really not--it's very thinly veiled subtext that will never actually be text because ME is too afraid to do anything serious with it. (Don't believe me? Plenty of people will argue that there is no evidence whatsoever for anything homoerotic between Spike and Angel. 'The word "intimate" has many meanings. And if "intercourse" could be used to mean "conversation" earlier in the episode, Spike could've meant "intimate" in an emotional sense. And did you miss Angel sleeping with Nina? They're not gay!' Etc.... Just for once I'd like ME to either canonically acknowledge it and make it a real layer to the relationship, or else quit with the pointless teases. I really find it offensive that they can hint at male homosexuality all throughout the series, mostly in jokes, yet it's not acceptable enough to ever treat it as a serious story element.)

Huh. I didn't realize I had that much to say.

I wish I could update my website, but I just can't bring myself to read ME-verse fanfic anymore. I know many fic writers are a million times better then ME, but the characters (yes, even Spike) just make me shudder is disgust. I don't want to think about them, even in fic.

I'm working on this. I know at some point I'm going to have to catch up on fic. And there are some writers that I love, who I'll read no matter what they write ...

Comments

[roquelaure.livejournal.com]

Hey, did you ever post about what your family said (if anything) about you taking your cats? If you did, I missed it. What was the reaction?

[rusty_halo.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure if I posted about it. My mom and I still aren't speaking (she sent me an email with her typical mantra about what a spoiled brat I am and how it's all her fault for raising me wrong, blah blah blah ... your basic sympathy ploy/guilt trip).

Oh yes, and she said "I was going to tell you that she just suddenly died; I didn't mean to let slip that she'd been sick for weeks." As if that would have made it somehow better???? No one who knew me or cared about me the slightest bit could have possibly thought that was a good idea. Deceive me, lie to me, steal away the last time I could've spent with someone I loved ... yes, what perfect parenting!

There's a reason that I'm so repulsed by Angel's tendency to think that he knows best and to make decisions for other people without consulting them.

My dad came to visit a few weeks later because he had stuff he needed me to sign, and he brought the last of the cat supplies (food and litter). That was nice, but kind of ruined by his "Well, I think this all turned out for the best; I'm much happier not having to deal with the cats anymore." Yes, never mind that I never got to say goodbye to Vanilla, or that Angel and Lucifer and now living in a tiny one room NYC apartment, or that I can't get maintenance done because I run the risk of being evicted....

So, yeah, situation not really resolved, I'm probably permanently estranged from my parents, etc. And it's nice to have my cats with me and all, but Lucifer is so unhappy being cramped up in that little room, and I don't know what to do to make him happy.

[indri]

Laura, clearly I don't know much about your situation, but when I was estranged from my parents it lasted about a year. Now we get along better than we did beforehand but we Don't Mention the War as it were. I hope you and your parents come to whatever arrangement is best for you in the long term, whether that means talking or not talking.

I am sorry that you are getting no joy out of "Angel" any more. I think I'm just able to gloss over a lot in my head: I know I still haven't really come to terms with Seasons Six and Seven of Buffy yet. (Not that I would have wanted it to end on the suicidal note of "The Gift".)

On the other hand, I seem to be getting an unusual amount of feedback on "Shagging Harmony Kendall", no doubt because it's been on the front page of AAS for a few weeks, so that's my silver lining.

Good luck with the roommate hunt.

Parents

[trepkos.livejournal.com]

People should have to pass an exam before they are allowed to have children (not saying you shouldn't have been born, you understand, just that you should have had better parents). Your Mum sounds as bad as mine, but with the added burden of actually having conversations about your disagreements. Your Dad is probably just glad he doesn't have to deal with your mum moaning about the cats, rather than the cats themselves. Do you know anyone who has more space, who could look after Lucifer for you, where you could visit him? Can you get a bigger flat? I'm sure you've thought of these things...

[shapinglight]

Sad you feel that way about it, of course, but if you've moved on, you've moved on, and that's all there is to it.

[gobi-rex.livejournal.com]

Thank you for posting your thoughts, Laura. I like reading what you have to say about the show.

[the-royal-anna.livejournal.com]

I always enjoy reading your perspective on Angel, which often makes me reconsider certain elements, and think harder before I make up my own mind. Thank you for sharing some very worthwhile and thought-provoking points.

[wickedprincess3.livejournal.com]

Look at what they did with Andrew last week--didn't anyone else find two women on his arm and a lecture about "change is good" to be repulsively offensive for a character who was this-close-to-textually gay?
Yeah there were many a thread about that last week and the issues there in *sigh*

As far as S/A canon stuff: I don't honestly think most of the S/A-ers (at least the ones I know) would say it's canon in the same way that the actual canon ships are, rather it's just the sorta shippy squee *any* shipper group has when their ship has a "moment". We're slashers, not delusional ;) (though I do agree with the fact that ME is showing some pretty wierd double standards RE: Subtext as a joke and the hetting of Andrew *sigh*)


I am sorry that you're not enjoying it any more (which I say in the "I know what's it's like to become majorly disenchanted with something" way and not in the "OMG you are so missing out meep!" way cause that would be tacky and all that) and the website is a burden for you. Though I really do understand *hugs*

[thedeadlyhook.livejournal.com]

I understand where you're at completely. The current iteration of the characters is pushing my buttons in every direction but good ones, so I'm really getting my teeth set for the final ep. I'm totally expecting another "Chosen" at this point, because it's become clear that the Whedonverse view of the world underwent a major shift somewhere and no longer aligns even slightly with mine.

I expect you'll come back to the fanfic eventually. It's only recently that I've seen a number of writers really start to digest and continue ideas from Season 7 in a direction I don't find deplorable, really examining the issues instead of just focusing on the characters, so I think there'll be stuff for you to look at later when you're ready. Till then, I say enjoy the Highlander. No reason to put yourself through anything personally painful just for the sake of fans. Your archive is beneficence enough.

[xssy.livejournal.com]

laura, i say skip work or let someone cat-sit your babies for a few days until the ceiling is fixed. god forbid they DO find your cats.

suggestion

[trepkos.livejournal.com]

How about putting a lock on your bedroom door? A bolt and padlock shouldn't be too hard.

Re: suggestion

[rusty_halo.livejournal.com]

That's the problem--I don't have a bedroom door. My room is open to the rest of the apartment, just blocked off with furniture and sheets.

I bought a tall screen to put in the entrance area today ... I'll see how that goes.

Re: suggestion

[trepkos.livejournal.com]

Wow! How to keep cats in a room without a door sounds like an insoluble enigma... unless there is an endless supply of catnip and wiggly bit of string in the room. Hope the screen works.