Happy new year! Happy birthday! Happy Monday!

[magnetic_pole]

Happy year of the dragon, everyone!

Birthday wishes go out to aunty_marion and joanwilder! May this next year bring you everything you hope for.

Finally a couple fannish notes for a Monday:

Glee: A rec: fix-it femslash: Rumor Has It, Santana/Brittany, Santana/OFC, 4000 words or so?, NC-17. In which Santana Lopez learns the hard way that a life can never be ruined, only lived, and lived, and lived. I don't watch this show and don't follow this fandom, but if you're like me, and third-hand reports of Santana's outing raised your blood pressure, you need to read this. Heartfelt, fierce, and pointed.

On a related note, I'm struck by the number of comments left by women who identify as queer. I always suspect fandom's filled with queer women, the notable lack of femslash aside, but here we are.

HP: dysfuncentine! In an effort to write more this year, I signed up. *plots and schemes*

Sherlock: krabapple has posted a thoughtful meditation on what a "fall" might mean in Sherlock. If you're interested in thinky thoughts about the last episode, take a look. And if you have any smart meta recs, link me, please? Somehow I'm not really in a fic-ish mood, but I'd love to read an intelligent review or analysis of any part of series 2.

Lewis: A quick question for folks who've seen "A Life Born of Life"
Did Hathaway just say he was bisexual? Is that was that scene was about? That wasn't my wishful thinking, was it?

Comments

[out_there]

I always suspect fandom's filled with queer women, the notable lack of femslash aside, but here we are.

I think there's a lot of us here, and fandom is one of those places both queer-friendly and female-friendly, so it's probably no surprise that we feel comfortable here.

I can't talk for anyone else when it comes to the femslash thing, but for me as a writer, it's always struck just a touch too close to home to be comfortable writing it or for a pairing to really catch my imagination. I'm terribly fond of Santana/Brittany but even then, the closest I get is writing them as a secondary established couple in an AU about the boys.

[magnetic_pole]

*nods* It's complicated, isn't it? And fascinating. I tend to read both femslash and slash, and it's clear there are queer women who are exploring/mobilizing queerness in both places in very different ways. (Queer women among others, and queer women exploring other things, as well! So many things going on beneath the relatively conventional format of the love story.)

I'm terribly fond of Santana/Brittany

I've only watched the show a couple times, but I'm rooting for them. *pompoms, appropriately* M.

[out_there]

I've watched from the start although I've only become fannish this year, and I was thrilled when the Santana/Brittany thing shifted from a easy-cheerleaders throwaway joke to an actual romantic storyline. It's something I identify with rather closely -- having a sexual relationship long before you can comfortably discuss it emotionally? That was me in high school -- and... well, I'd like to see the two cute cheerleaders end up happily together. They're adorable together.

[magnetic_pole]

having a sexual relationship long before you can comfortably discuss it emotionally?

*nods again* I love the fact that Santana/Brittany is a counterpoint to Kurt's relationship with Blaine, since so many women seem to experience same-sex sexuality in this indirect and wonderful and gender-specific way, on a continuum with friendship. (Gah! Flist, don't jump on me here, I know these are overgeneralizations.)

I'm a bit amazed at how much I've learned about this show without actually watching it! M.

[out_there]

Fannish osmosis is an interesting and powerful force. You don't need to watch a show to gather opinions.

I love the fact that Santana/Brittany is a counterpoint to Kurt's relationship with Blaine, since so many women seem to experience same-sex sexuality in this indirect and wonderful and gender-specific way, on a continuum with friendship. (Gah! Flist, don't jump on me here, I know these are overgeneralizations.)

That's such an interesting point. As much as Glee dropped the ball a bit about Santana's outing -- it was glazed over, yes, but s1 dealt with Kurt coming out to friends and family within the first four episodes. It only became a long storyline in s2 -- I will give them points for the variety of queer characters. We've gone from s1 defiant, theatrical, fashion/cooking/skin care focused Kurt to the bullying Karofsky and eager-to-please, well-mannered Blaine and the rather sleazy Sebastian, and in love with girls Santana and bi Brittany. I like that the queer characters aren't being shown on a scale of camp to slightly less camp, but instead we are getting some different types of kids and personalities and experiences.

Is it always being done right? No. But Glee doesn't have a great track-record with character continuity in general, and it's very hard to find a show that pays the level of attention to its characters that fans would. (And those shows usually aren't the ones we want to write stories about.)

[magnetic_pole]

Karofsky! Aha! I'm glad that's where that went. (I'd wondered.)

I will give them points for the variety of queer characters.

There are a lot of representation issues that sheer numbers will go a long way toward addressing. (If that makes any sense at all.) M.

[out_there]

There are a lot of representation issues that sheer numbers will go a
long way toward addressing. (If that makes any sense at all.)

It does and that is the advantage of an ensemble cast. Mind you, I remember being a teen and early twenties and watching Buffy, where the queer characters were basically the lead and her love interests. (Ditto for Dawson's Creek. And probably a few other shows.)

I like having a queer character in the main cast, but I do give Glee points for not just sticking to the idea of Kurt + Kurt's love interest. I mean, the conclusion of the bullying storyline with Kurt actually talking to Karofsky in the local gay bar might not have been the kind of closure I was looking for/expecting, but I like that there was a discussion about being gay from two queer characters that weren't trying to date each other. (At least, not in canon. Fiction is a totally different kettle of fish. *g*)

I know Glee doesn't always get things right, but this is something I'll give them points for. Even Grey's Anatomy -- with a queer couple that I love -- is really based around the queer lead + love interest structure. Other than shows directly aimed at queer audiences (QaF, L-Word, etc), are there any other TV shows with multiple queer characters (that aren't just fllowing the queer + love interest sturcture)? I can't think of any off the top of my head.

[magnetic_pole]

I like that there was a discussion about being gay from two queer characters that weren't trying to date each other.

Exactly.

Other than shows directly aimed at queer audiences (QaF, L-Word, etc), are there any other TV shows with multiple queer characters

I'm dating myself by saying this and not getting at quite what you mean, but Will and Grace. I was always fascinated by the way that Jack and Karen acted as the id for the main characters--acting out the aspects of (straight) femininity and gay masculinity that the main characters repressed.

I'd also love to see more gay/queer characters who were just queer--with no love interest to "humanize" them, no moral to their story, no issue of the day, no tokenism, just them, there, doing other stuff. (That's what we're talking about below in relation to the detective show "Lewis.") M.

[liseuse]

I took that episode of Lewis to be telling me that. As, I think, did a lot of the internet. Also my mother.

[magnetic_pole]

Also my mother.

Well, that's it, then! *smile*

More seriously, my excitement has died down since I'm willing to bet good money that they never go *anywhere* with Hathaway on that front, but it was startling to see such a realistic, non-moralizing conversation on tv (and during an otherwise really lackluster episode). M.

[liseuse]

Yeah, I don't think they ever go anywhere with it - though my watching of Lewis is patchy and depends on it being on when I turn the TV on. So, I could be wrong!

[magnetic_pole]

I'd say we'd have heard about it via the slashy fandom grapevine (I'm kind of shocked at how much I know via the slashy fandom grapevine), but then again, I hadn't heard about that coming out scene. I had to stop the video and watch it again, twice, since WHY HASN'T ANYONE MENTIONED IT? What's the flist up to, if not keeping me informed at all times about news regarding attractive male actors and the characters they play? (Among other things, of course, but I do learn a lot about attractive male actors while reading the flist.)

Why are you cranky about your b-day, L? I didn't realize you didn't like it. M.

[liseuse]

I had heard about it, I think, whilst reading, but I think it was when I was reading my flist's flist. I don't have many Lewis fans on my flist, so it never really popped up. But I do now have a RL/internet friend who is a Lewis-fan, so I think I will end up knowing more about it!

Urgh, idk. It's a whole cranky thing and has been for basically ever. I love other people's birthdays! I think they're awesome! I just get weirded out by the idea of being at the centre of attention on mine, or something. And they end up all weird because of parental stuff and my mother usually cries, and it's a whole mess.

[magnetic_pole]

Oh! So your friend's seen the more recent episodes? If you're not trying to avoid spoilers, would you ask them if the bisexual issue ever comes up again? I'm trying to figure out if *shifty eyes* I should get the library to buy the later series (netflix only has the first three). I'm ambivalent right now because they episodes are so varied in quality, but that would be a reason to keep watching.

Well, I sympathize, but I fully intend to enjoy your b-day. *smile* M.

[liseuse]

I am really not trying to avoid spoilers - I think I absorb more of Lewis via talking about Lewis than actually watching it! And yes, I will ask. And you should totally ask the library to buy it anyway!

I am all for other people being excited about my birthday!

[semielliptical]

Like liseuse, I have only watched Lewis now and then over the years (I started rewatching from the beginning recently, but haven't gotten very far) but for some reason I was under the impression that Hathaway was explicitly bisexual in later seasons. So I'm disappointed to learn that there has only been one mention and no followup.

[magnetic_pole]

Well, I'm still working my way through Lewis as well--I think we're in season 3--but I'm calling it right now: no follow-up. (I'll eat my hat if there's follow-up, Semi. We've seen this situation too many times to think differently.) I'm not sure if it's just nostalgia for Morse, but I'm enjoying it, despite the uneven writing and a little too much of the manpain. You, too? M.