Random Updates & More Thoughts on SPN 6×06

[rusty_halo]

This has been one of the busiest weeks of my life. It’s no fun.

I am leaving my job and starting a new one (if you’re not on my flist/in my circle, I’ve been posting about it in locked entries) and the work involved to wrap up at my current job is huge. But it’s almost over.

On top of that, SuperVegan (a NYC-focused vegan blog and restaurant guide that I co-own) is doing the Vegan Month of Food (kind of like nano, except we’re supposed to write one post about vegan food every day). Coordinating that is also requiring ridiculous amounts of effort. And we just moved servers, like I needed more on my plate.

Yesterday I picked up my penultimate CSA bounty, and so will spend the weekend trying to figure out ways to prepare and consume vast piles of arugula and leeks and sweet potatoes. Thank Isa for Veganomicon.

Oh, and I’m sick! Stupid rally germs. :P

The Dresden Dolls were good on Sunday night, but they played for freaking ever and I was exhausted by the end. The best parts were Amanda’s sense of humor, banter with the audience, and the covers of “Mein Herr” from Cabaret and Black Sabbath’s “War Machines.” Unfortunately I don’t find the actual Dresden Dolls songs themselves all that inspiring–”Half Jack” is the best, and most are better live than on record, but I’m still not sure I’d go out of my way to see the band again. It was an interesting experience, though–a lot better to see them among their own fans than opening for an impatient NIN audience.

I just finally managed to find time to rewatch SPN 6×06 last night. Brief and disjointed thoughts:

* That house that Veritas lived in is so beautiful. I love the exterior and interior design. Anyone know what location they used?

* Dean's lips, seriously. And eyelashes. And freckles! He's so beautiful I don't even know where to focus.

* That scene with the woman who just got breast implants makes me so angry. Why am I watching a show that requires me to put up with this sexist crap? (Oh, right, lips of Dean...). I just--the revolting sexist stereotype (women are shallow and need validation from men!), and the way they justify having their lead male oggle a woman's tits because, of course, she wants it. GROSS GROSS GROSS. SPN WHY???

* And the casting! All the women look like models. The "3" who kills herself at the start would easily be an 8 in real life. I want to go back to watching British TV, where they cast women who don't always look like Barbie dolls and are sometimes even over 30! Why does a show that does so many things well fail so badly in this area? I am (rightfully) embarrassed to watch this show with feminist friends and this kind of crap is why.

* That said, I otherwise liked the episode and am intrigued about where they're going with it. I think the most interesting part is what's going on in Dean's head--he's so rash and desperate in his thinking here, ready to kill Sam in his sleep one minute and then clinging to the first excuse to believe it's really Sam in the next.

The violence at the end was disturbing but not surprising. I wonder if Dean's more afraid that this is really Sam and that Sam's irreparably broken, or that this isn't Sam at all and the real Sam is stuck in hell. Either way I would like to see some explicit concern from Dean about where the real Sam is and whether/how they can get him back, but it is clear that a large part of the reason Dean is freaking out is that he is terrified about what it means for the Sam he loves. (Of course, I also think a big part of why Dean's freaking out is that he's devastated over losing Lisa and Ben, AS HE SHOULD BE.)

Anyway, have to go do more work. Blah.

Originally published at rusty-halo.com. You can comment here or there.

Comments

[colls]

(skipping over the SPN chat b/c I'm not caught up)

Congratulations on the new job and making a decision. I know you struggled with that. I'm happy for you!!! I hope this new job does give you an opportunity to flex your wings a bit and try new things, even if it's not ultimately where you land. Your old job seemed stagnant and you didn't seem very happy.

[rusty_halo]

Thanks so much! I'm hoping. :)

[alpheratz]

I really liked the first Dresden Dolls album a few years ago (Half Jack is a great song) and I still love Amanda Palmer's voice, but the Evelyn Evelyn flap left a really bad taste in my mouth and I can't listen to them anymore. :/

[rusty_halo]

I was also very disappointed by the Evelyn Evelyn thing, but I think Palmer is one of the most feminist artists working today (particularly in ways she refuses to compromise her principles even though she'd almost certainly profit commercially by doing so) and is quite talented, so I'm not ready to dismiss her entirely just because she is imperfect. However, I understand and respect why other people do.

[alpheratz]

Yes, I think I agree with you. It's not that I'm dismissing her and everything she's doing - I just find it hard to enjoy it now, if that makes sense. It doesn't help that I associate that album with a guy who broke my heart, either. *g*

[rusty_halo]

Ah, yeah, I definitely understand that. It detracts from my enjoyment of her work, too. (As would the heartbreak thing, I'm sure!)

[justhuman]

Yay on the new job!

Food Network, branched out into a new channel - Cooking Channel. On that, they brought over some Indian cooking shows and with that came more out of the box vegetarian fare.

The cook on Spice Goddess, Bal Arneson, is a huge sweet potato fan. I haven't tried them, but just about everything she cooks, makes me drool.

http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/search/delegate?searchString=sweet+potato&searchType=context&cookType=show&cookId=1407&=

[rusty_halo]

Awesome, thanks for the recipes link!

[soundingsea]

I hear you on the being busy. *roots for you on the job front*

And.. yeah. The casting is just silly. I just... it's not that I need/want/expect SPN to be real-life or anything, but a little wider of a range for women would be nice. You see all sorts of bit parts for men!