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sarea
The great thing about posting on Fridays is that hardly anyone's around, and I don't have to feel (as) guilty about blabbing on and on. I know, I know, what's my excuse the rest of the time? Shut up.
Have you ever noticed that whenever the term "confluence of events" is used, it's never in a good context? I'm not about to break that track record. These are the things that need to happen/are going to happen in the next week or so: 1) Tidy up house (not as simple as it sounds, since I'm talking about stuff that's still in boxes from my move); 2) Mom visiting; 3) and bringing Talis to live with me; 4) finishing my story for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
dgficexchange. *openly weeps* I think I need my kids' ADD pills. Oh wait, I don't have kids. But I think that's a good segue to the fact that I have been watching Desperate Housewives.
I like it okay. Of all the DVD sets I've gotten, I probably like this show the least, and at this point, probably wouldn't get the second season. It's not that it's badly written or anything ... it's interesting enough, and I do want to find out what the deal with Mary Alice and her creepy family is. But the mystery is about the only thing that truly interests me, and the women aren't compelling enough to make me tune in week after week. I hate each of them at least once in every episode. In fact, I think I can pretty much say that I hate them in general, with occasional moments of like. This is a far cry from the gals in S&tC, who I love most of the time, and only on occasion get bothered by.
Let's go down the list, shall we?
Susan: HATE. HER. I hate her so much there are no words to fully express the extent of my loathing. She's one of those weak, weepy, whiny, annoying women who are yet also smug and complacent, and who's always had everything handed to her. She crumbles at the first sign of challenge. She's not a good person. This has been illustrated time and time again on the show itself, ACKNOWLEDGING that she's a horrible woman -- and yet we're supposed to sympathize with her plights week after week. I was already getting pretty done with her, but when she screwed over a girlfriend -- even if that 'friend' was Edie -- that was IT. That was the absolute last straw. There's no redeeming her for me. She's exactly the kind of woman I'd cross a street to avoid, and pray that someone will kill me if I ever become anything like her. Before, I was indifferent to Teri Hatcher. Now I dislike her. I can't help but feel that it's partly her portrayal of this heinous character that's making me hate Susan so much. Now when I see her tired old face on screen, I want to punch it. When I see her scrawny ass that belongs on an 8-year-old boy, I want to kick it. When I see her moping at home, I want to burn it down the way she burned down Edie's. But -- I do want to say that I don't hate TH as much as I hate Susan. Susan, I hate the way I hate: Penelope Cruz, Kennedy on BtVS, Phoebe Green on XF, Janice on Friends, Vaughn from Alias, etc. Teri, I hate in a more indifferent way. If I don't have to see her, I don't have to actively hate her.
Lynette: Mostly the way Lynette gets any sympathy whatsoever is because she's played by Felicity Huffman, who I like. And she has moments of okay-ness. But unfortunately, these are frequently overshadowed by the fact that she's epitomizes the kind of mother I dislike -- she spawned a passel of kids by choice, but won't do what's necessary to keep them in line (and YES, I mean corporal punishment -- go Bree), and on top of it, acts like she ought to have special dispensation for her life choices. No one made you quit your job and procreate, lady. Deal with your own decisions and don't expect people to make allowances for you.
Bree: I like Bree, though not initially. Of course, that's because they conveniently changed her storyline a few episodes in. Suddenly she's not psychotically obsessive compulsive and controlling; she's just really meticulous. Suddenly her husband didn't want a divorce because he was actually still in love with her and just had sexual kinks, and not because of the aforementioned obsessive compulsiveness and controlling personality. WHATEVER. But for all her faults, Bree's okay. Possibly because she is the way she is, and yet manages to be friends with these fairly 'normal' women. Or maybe it's just a convenient plot point that's never satisfactorily explained. I bounce between explanations, depending on how tolerant I feel at any given moment.
Gabby: Gabby is also someone I like. She's not a great person either, but she also doesn't pretend to be one. She's clearly married to an asshole, who's not nearly as cute as John. She makes no pretense about what interests her, and she goes after what she wants. When Carlos got in trouble, she didn't immediately skip out; she actually got a job. She actually dragged all her material possessions to Bree's. She stole a Port-a-Potty. I mean, this woman gets things done. Is she perfect? Obviously not; she's an adultress and has also committed statutory rape. But her lack of hypocrisy goes a long way with me -- just as Susan's total life of hypocrisy (and doormat woman-ness) goes a long way the opposite direction.
I don't like the way the show retools their established characters in order to suit their own purposes. One moment Andrew (who I hate almost as much as I hate Susan) is a misunderstood youth who's just scared about his parents breaking up; the next he's the devil incarnate. One moment Maisie Gibbons is a high-strung perfectionist who wants to not kill the wolf in "Little Red Riding Hood," because it's not PC, to being a upper-class whore who's actually been prostituting herself for money. I've already derided the Bree/Rex turnabout. There's also the big thing they made about Carlos's mom finding out about Gabby's affair, putting her in a coma for months while deciding what to do with her, then eventually killing her off with almost no repercussions. The thing with this show is -- other than the mystery, nothing seems planned. It's all totally made up on the spot, and I hate that. They deliberately leave things ambiguous so that they can fuck with it later. So Gabby's pregnant -- whose baby is it, Carlos's or John's? My guess? They don't have a vision for this storyline; they don't have any idea whose baby it is. The father will be whatever fits the storyline at the time they're ready to reveal it. And sure, there are plenty of shows that fly by the seat of their pants like this, but DH is truly one of the worst offenders I've ever seen. Doug Savant and Marcia Cross were both in Melrose Place, and it really invites the comparison -- it's just a primetime trashy soap opera. The only saving grace is the mystery, but even that, depending on how it works out, may not be as cool as it appears. Who knows if they have an actual plan here, or if they're doing it the way Chris Carter dealt with XF mythology? Point is, I enjoy and respect shows much more that have a goal, a roadmap, and that are actually willing to put a stake in the ground about things. Not one where nothing is ever "real," because any fact can change at the drop of a hat due to a particular episode deeming it so.
Anyway, I've already gone on more than I wanted to (or than it deserves, really), so I'm just going to leave it at that.
My current timeline for the stories I need to write:
- My DG Exchange fic is due Oct. 31, so obviously it will have to be done before then
- My Katrina Relief Fund fics: I'm hoping to have these done before the end of the year. That's my goal. Better to set a goal than not, right?
I got Elisabeth to 60 yesterday. I did some quests in the Plaguelands, then actually lvl'ed by killing owlbeasts in Winterspring. Not how I imagined it happening, but hey. I'll take it. First order of business is to get into a battleground and get that next rank. Second order of business is to do BRD and BRS and Scholo and all those instances I've never done before. Third order of business is possibly finding a raiding guild -- preferably one that's not so crazy strict. This morning I had 802g, enough for my epic mount. But I'm delaying purchasing that a bit, as a) I just don't know if I want to spend that much money on a mount, and b) I found a bunch of Traveler's Backpacks for 12-13g at the AH this morning, and now I'm all tricked out. :D
Have you ever noticed that whenever the term "confluence of events" is used, it's never in a good context? I'm not about to break that track record. These are the things that need to happen/are going to happen in the next week or so: 1) Tidy up house (not as simple as it sounds, since I'm talking about stuff that's still in boxes from my move); 2) Mom visiting; 3) and bringing Talis to live with me; 4) finishing my story for
dgficexchange. *openly weeps* I think I need my kids' ADD pills. Oh wait, I don't have kids. But I think that's a good segue to the fact that I have been watching Desperate Housewives.I like it okay. Of all the DVD sets I've gotten, I probably like this show the least, and at this point, probably wouldn't get the second season. It's not that it's badly written or anything ... it's interesting enough, and I do want to find out what the deal with Mary Alice and her creepy family is. But the mystery is about the only thing that truly interests me, and the women aren't compelling enough to make me tune in week after week. I hate each of them at least once in every episode. In fact, I think I can pretty much say that I hate them in general, with occasional moments of like. This is a far cry from the gals in S&tC, who I love most of the time, and only on occasion get bothered by.
Let's go down the list, shall we?
Susan: HATE. HER. I hate her so much there are no words to fully express the extent of my loathing. She's one of those weak, weepy, whiny, annoying women who are yet also smug and complacent, and who's always had everything handed to her. She crumbles at the first sign of challenge. She's not a good person. This has been illustrated time and time again on the show itself, ACKNOWLEDGING that she's a horrible woman -- and yet we're supposed to sympathize with her plights week after week. I was already getting pretty done with her, but when she screwed over a girlfriend -- even if that 'friend' was Edie -- that was IT. That was the absolute last straw. There's no redeeming her for me. She's exactly the kind of woman I'd cross a street to avoid, and pray that someone will kill me if I ever become anything like her. Before, I was indifferent to Teri Hatcher. Now I dislike her. I can't help but feel that it's partly her portrayal of this heinous character that's making me hate Susan so much. Now when I see her tired old face on screen, I want to punch it. When I see her scrawny ass that belongs on an 8-year-old boy, I want to kick it. When I see her moping at home, I want to burn it down the way she burned down Edie's. But -- I do want to say that I don't hate TH as much as I hate Susan. Susan, I hate the way I hate: Penelope Cruz, Kennedy on BtVS, Phoebe Green on XF, Janice on Friends, Vaughn from Alias, etc. Teri, I hate in a more indifferent way. If I don't have to see her, I don't have to actively hate her.
Lynette: Mostly the way Lynette gets any sympathy whatsoever is because she's played by Felicity Huffman, who I like. And she has moments of okay-ness. But unfortunately, these are frequently overshadowed by the fact that she's epitomizes the kind of mother I dislike -- she spawned a passel of kids by choice, but won't do what's necessary to keep them in line (and YES, I mean corporal punishment -- go Bree), and on top of it, acts like she ought to have special dispensation for her life choices. No one made you quit your job and procreate, lady. Deal with your own decisions and don't expect people to make allowances for you.
Bree: I like Bree, though not initially. Of course, that's because they conveniently changed her storyline a few episodes in. Suddenly she's not psychotically obsessive compulsive and controlling; she's just really meticulous. Suddenly her husband didn't want a divorce because he was actually still in love with her and just had sexual kinks, and not because of the aforementioned obsessive compulsiveness and controlling personality. WHATEVER. But for all her faults, Bree's okay. Possibly because she is the way she is, and yet manages to be friends with these fairly 'normal' women. Or maybe it's just a convenient plot point that's never satisfactorily explained. I bounce between explanations, depending on how tolerant I feel at any given moment.
Gabby: Gabby is also someone I like. She's not a great person either, but she also doesn't pretend to be one. She's clearly married to an asshole, who's not nearly as cute as John. She makes no pretense about what interests her, and she goes after what she wants. When Carlos got in trouble, she didn't immediately skip out; she actually got a job. She actually dragged all her material possessions to Bree's. She stole a Port-a-Potty. I mean, this woman gets things done. Is she perfect? Obviously not; she's an adultress and has also committed statutory rape. But her lack of hypocrisy goes a long way with me -- just as Susan's total life of hypocrisy (and doormat woman-ness) goes a long way the opposite direction.
I don't like the way the show retools their established characters in order to suit their own purposes. One moment Andrew (who I hate almost as much as I hate Susan) is a misunderstood youth who's just scared about his parents breaking up; the next he's the devil incarnate. One moment Maisie Gibbons is a high-strung perfectionist who wants to not kill the wolf in "Little Red Riding Hood," because it's not PC, to being a upper-class whore who's actually been prostituting herself for money. I've already derided the Bree/Rex turnabout. There's also the big thing they made about Carlos's mom finding out about Gabby's affair, putting her in a coma for months while deciding what to do with her, then eventually killing her off with almost no repercussions. The thing with this show is -- other than the mystery, nothing seems planned. It's all totally made up on the spot, and I hate that. They deliberately leave things ambiguous so that they can fuck with it later. So Gabby's pregnant -- whose baby is it, Carlos's or John's? My guess? They don't have a vision for this storyline; they don't have any idea whose baby it is. The father will be whatever fits the storyline at the time they're ready to reveal it. And sure, there are plenty of shows that fly by the seat of their pants like this, but DH is truly one of the worst offenders I've ever seen. Doug Savant and Marcia Cross were both in Melrose Place, and it really invites the comparison -- it's just a primetime trashy soap opera. The only saving grace is the mystery, but even that, depending on how it works out, may not be as cool as it appears. Who knows if they have an actual plan here, or if they're doing it the way Chris Carter dealt with XF mythology? Point is, I enjoy and respect shows much more that have a goal, a roadmap, and that are actually willing to put a stake in the ground about things. Not one where nothing is ever "real," because any fact can change at the drop of a hat due to a particular episode deeming it so.
Anyway, I've already gone on more than I wanted to (or than it deserves, really), so I'm just going to leave it at that.
My current timeline for the stories I need to write:
- My DG Exchange fic is due Oct. 31, so obviously it will have to be done before then
- My Katrina Relief Fund fics: I'm hoping to have these done before the end of the year. That's my goal. Better to set a goal than not, right?
I got Elisabeth to 60 yesterday. I did some quests in the Plaguelands, then actually lvl'ed by killing owlbeasts in Winterspring. Not how I imagined it happening, but hey. I'll take it. First order of business is to get into a battleground and get that next rank. Second order of business is to do BRD and BRS and Scholo and all those instances I've never done before. Third order of business is possibly finding a raiding guild -- preferably one that's not so crazy strict. This morning I had 802g, enough for my epic mount. But I'm delaying purchasing that a bit, as a) I just don't know if I want to spend that much money on a mount, and b) I found a bunch of Traveler's Backpacks for 12-13g at the AH this morning, and now I'm all tricked out. :D
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no subject
Date: 2005-10-22 12:46 am (UTC)I like Vaughan too, but that's because I'm a huge Michael Vartan fan.
Oh, and I can't wait for your Katrina Relief fics :D Particularly the PP sequel! :D (I think that's what you're writing, in addition to the Draco/Cho sequel?)
no subject
Date: 2005-10-22 12:56 am (UTC)The request was actually for "fluffy D/G or a sequel to Portkey Party," but I'm 90% sure that I'm going to write the sequel. :-)
no subject
Date: 2005-10-23 05:02 pm (UTC)I just read your thoughts on Susan to my mother and she said, "She gets a little too into it, doesn't she?" I laughed because she does the EXACT SAME THING. It's like she knows the damn characters, only it's less of a commentary (as yours was) and more of a recitation of events as if they happened to her four closest friends in her very own neighborhood. It's irritating.
Sorry, I just had to share.