TV and Fandom Obessions

My take on popular culture.

[natstev]

Man Men and Misogyny

I wrote a comment addressing sexism on Mad Men. I think my POV is often missing when analyzing feminism and popular culture. Here it is edited for context: To me, sexism wasn't glorified, but it happened very often on Mad Men. My hope is that modern audiences looked at that behavior and cringed, like I did. It is smartly written and is a commentary about how women are viewed then and now. Sometimes the misogynists get away with it and other times they are made to be buffoons, assholes, villains. It isn't ideal, but to make perceptions change, women in popular culture sometimes need to be shown in a dis-empowered state to show how far we have come and how far we still need to go. You can't really show the struggle, without showing the bad parts.

[natstev]

Je suis Charlie Bradbury. Disposable Deaths on Supernatural

I am Charlie. Strong, quirky, geeky, smart…. Plus, she's a redhead, so I relate. And I love Felicia Day, too. Charlie is also another female character killed on Supernatural. I didn't want to believe It. I had a smidgen of hope, until the previews revealed that it as final and real. Although, I was shocked, I should've seen it coming. Supernatural has a track record of killing really cool recurring characters. There as been tons of critique about the show and if having lady parts is equivalent to wearing a Star Trek red shirt uniform. I'm not here to debate the representation of women on TV or the misogynistic aspects of Supernatural. I do think that women have the short end of the stick in the 'verse. That is beside the point I want to make here, because people get a death sentence on SPN for just having an emotional tie to the Winchester brothers. I love Sam and Dean and understand that they are the leads, the SPN world literally revolves around the brothers. What bothers me about Charlie's and other deaths on Supernatural, is that her death is not about the completion of her story arc. It didn't seemed earned or compelling. Her death isn't about HER at all. It is about Sam and Dean and how her loss effects THEM. It gives the brothers motivation to kick ass and take names. It is a catalyst to move the plot along. It gives such an empty feeling to the audience, because her life is portrayed as disposable. I bet that in the season finale, it will be a big deal, but it will only take a few episodes next season for her to be virtually forgotten. She'll be brought up from time to time, like John and Bobby, but such is life on Supernatural. She deserves better, but it's the nature of the show and the reality of being a friend of the Winchesters. Now that I think about it, I'm not Charlie. I'm luckier, because I don't really know Sam and Dean and don't live in the fictional world of Supernatural.

[natstev]

So, I saw this promo and it was on point. I'm intrigued by a Scream series, but using other MTV stars in it as dead bodies is totally genius. The song, "Everybody Dies" epitomizes the TV cultural zeitgeist, especially around season finale time.

[natstev]

My TVD S7 Manifesto

I hate speculation, but I’m going to get my feelings out about the major casting change in The Vampire Diaries Season 7, mainly that Nina Dobrev is leaving the show. Some “fans” are saying that TVD is ruined and they won’t watch the show anymore. They are like spoiled brats that got their favorite toy taken away and now are throwing a temper tantrum on Twitter. If her exit is done well, gives proper closure to her character and honors her deeply romantic relationship with Damon, I’m 100% on board.

It was Nina’s decision to leave and I respect that. I also respect the network, showrunners, writers and other actors for sticking with a project that I love so much. I’m a realist and few shows that lost a lead actor are as successful without them, but I hope that this external “problem” will lead to a new and creative turn that the show can take with her absence. They are now challenged to take the show to the next level or at least a new place and I want to be on that journey.

I don’t watch the show for Nina. I don’t watch it because of Elena. Sometimes her character annoys the crap out of me and I sometimes wonder why my beloved Salvatore boys keep fighting over her. I do enjoy the build up to Delena, but honestly where else could that relationship go? A Delena wedding would be satisfying, but awfully boring in the long term. As much as the obstacles tripped me up, Stelena, the sire bond, memory loss, etc., it made the relationship dynamic, fun, and able to withstand anything. Now it is just about break up and make up, and the spark is fading on that beautiful gem. It peaked, there is nowhere else to go.

So many ask, “what would Damon do without Elena?” As if he is nothing without her. If you really feel that a person/character is nothing without a particular significant other on his/her arm, that is pathetic. Either you haven’t been in that many relationships or think that Disney Princess movies are non-fiction. As a feminist and bad ass chick, I see life as being defined as much more than who is in your bed. Me as a person, I’m better than that and it hurts my heart that so many only see Damon in that light. I’m thrilled to see a new aspect of him in season 7. I want to see where his is going to go, what he can achieve, who he can piss off.

Here is a little example of how this could work. I’m a big Buffy fan and many hated that they spun off Angel to his own show. It tore apart this big epic romance and the show changed after that. Buffy got to grow up into an independent woman and get on with Spike. Angel ascended into a more fully formed character. It was a great transformation, like changing Edward Cullen into a Batman type character in a Film Noir. From bland supportive vampire guy to an awesome hero in his own right. Although Angel is more of a Stefan type, that’s neither here or there. Anyway, I hope you get my point. Good television is about change, growth and development. It is not high quality when it is just made to satisfy a particular ship or cater up fan service when it doesn’t make sense story wise. A happy romantic relationship makes for crappy TV. That is why fairy tales end with, “happily ever after,” because the “ever after” is boring and where a good story ends.

Then those complaining would say that it should end. But in my mind, Elena isn’t everything in the TVD universe, the world doesn’t solely revolve around her and what she does with which Salvatore.

At its core, TVD has become an ensemble show. It isn’t just about an epic wrestling match with the winner becoming Elena’s lover. I appreciate the relationship between the Salvatore brothers in the blood is thicker than water, but you annoy the crap out of me sort of way. I love how Ric and Damon became drinking buddies, even though Damon killed Ric’s first wife. This season I’ve enjoyed Caroline dealing with her mom’s illness and death, loving that mother/daughter bonding thing has been great. Also Stefan finally coming to terms with his relationship with Caroline, it is the first time that I think he will have a mature and romantic relationship. And Bonnie, I want to see the next chapter of her life.

It’s okay if you’re making a point not to watch TVD next year. I hope enough people watch it to keep it on the air. I will still be watching.

[natstev]

You know what they say, “a Dothraki wedding without at least three deaths is considered a dull affair.” That quote could be said about all weddings in Westeros on Game of Thrones. So last night’s wedding between King Tomlin and Margaery Tyrell rates high on the boring scale. Even the honeymoon night was bland. The Red Wedding was bloody, gory and tragic. The death at the Purple Wedding was something that made many fans rejoice. Maybe Sansa and Ramsey will have a tragic bloodbath at that big upcoming wedding? I’m trying to wrap my head around why weddings and death are so symbolically connected in the Game of Thrones verse. The one thing that I see that it is a big lifestyle change. It’s the end of something, but also the start of something new. Just like death and the unknown afterlife.

[natstev]

Often times the most brutal character deaths happen when the creative team and actors clash. The fans are rarely a factor in these types of situations.

[natstev]

You Killed McDreamy, You Bastard!

Once upon a time, I watched Grey’s Anatomy. Yes, when it was the show du jour. I don’t know when I stopped watching. I can’t remember why I got bored with the show, maybe it was because I never shipped MerDer. All I know is it was way before they even killed McSteamy.

I swear, doctors at Seattle Grace have a higher mortality rate than students at Sunnydale High. While doing my research, I found out that the hospital is now called Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, note the “memorial” part of that.

Like many viewers, I thought Dr. McDreamy was hot, but I quit caring about this character, years ago, until they killed him last night. That made him interesting again to me.

One thing that flips me out is how ABC made a tribute video to him and People Magazine wrote an obituary for the character. Many other characters don’t get the distinction of being memorialized in such a manner, as if Dr. Derek Sheppard, 1966-2015, was a real person.

What I find additionally fascinating about all this is how this seemingly big plot twist could bring back excitement and chatter for a show that is long past it’s expiration date. So many characters die in brutal and devastating ways, because it brings emotions up and is designed to bring shows to the next level. Or many times to write out actors, whom are done with the show. Why not go out in a blaze of glory, than to just leave town?

It also envitablelly pisses off faithful fans of the show that say that they will stop watching the show after something like this happens. There is tons of anger out there for this move and fans feel like the story was rushed and not earned. They feel betrayed as they spent 11 years with this guy to have him go out like that.

What is shocking to me is that fans still find killing off characters shocking. They think that a show NEEDS a happy ending and that they are entitled to it. That their fav character is above human mortality. Writers and showrunners get guff from fans who feel traumatized because of a turn that they don’t like. People crave the drama, until it offends them. For those communication and media scholars out there, it’s parasocial interaction run amok.

Character death is a way of life in our modern TV age. Everyone should be under the impression that NO characters are safe. In 2015 there are no sacred cows, realizing this makes television viewing so much easier.

[natstev]

My blog is changing its focus.

Let me know if you heard this joke?  George R. R. Martin, Joss Whedon, and Steven Moffat walk into a bar...and everyone you've ever loved dies.   On the surface, that's not funny.  The funny is not the tragic death part, but  the part about  character death being so ubiquitous.   In the age of the great big television epic, characters die all the time.   In the past TV characters didn't die all that much, but now it's expected.

The aims of this blog:

• find meaning in character death • memorialize fallen television characters • discuss the televisual grieving process • explore ways that mourning TV characters • "embrace the pain, spank your inner moppet"

[samiandnemanjagotothemovies-dea]

It’s a Party at Joss Whedon’s House (and I don’t know that I want to be invited)

A while ago I was at a conference where I was very kindly asked by Julie Hawk to be part of a roundtable discussion on transmedia in Whedon. The idea, as I specifically understood it, was that we were going to compare Whedon’s presence in big budget cinema and film-making with his choices in the small (by Hollywood standards) independent cinema he chose to self fund. In a nutshell, we were comparing and contrasting ideology and approaches from The Avengers (falling within Marvel canon and within the outlines of the MCU) with Whedon’s interpretation of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. Both were adaptations that fell within a canon, yet both had a certain Whedon revisioning. Julie’s underlying assumption was that Much Ado functioned as a reaction to The Avengers; the former was what Whedon made when he was allowed total creative control whereas the latter was him restricted by the studio. Did they speak to each other then? I was given free reign to express my opinion in any way I chose - positive, negatives, or just technical nitty gritty. Given the chance, I chose to focus on Whedon’s Much Ado as I’d only recently watched it and wanted to discuss aspects of it that I found rather troubling, if not downright offensive.

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[natstev]

Awesome post!

[paleycenter]

PHOTO: “PaleyFest The Vampire Diaries & The Originals” held at The Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 22, 2014. More Info: http://www.paleyfest.org

[natstev]

Love the photo!

[natstev]

Happy Halloween from Sunnydale

Several years ago, I created this Buffy Halloween Wallpaper.  Enjoy! 

[sybil-vain-blog]

Basically I think the message of this is stay the fuck out of the midwest.

[natstev]

Awesome. Although more Supernatural activity means more chances to see Dean & Sam! 

[stevechoosesbucky]

[natstev]

I've had a super stressful week and this idea popped into my head.

[fortheloveofsookie-deactivated2]

You know what you really do Billy! And if by house we mean True Blood then the recyclable items are characters and themes. Like abuse going unpunished and let’s save Sookie and… oh yes… you…

Season 1 - Handsome Stranger-turned-Shady Character-turned- great love...

[tomtrager]

Joss Whedon, George R. R. Martin, and Steven Moffat walk into a bar and everyone you’ve ever loved dies.

AVAILABLE AS A TEE AT

http://www.redbubble.com/people/tomtrager/works/10672851-murder-he-wrote

[damonandelenadiary]

[natstev]

So apparently, Bex has seen this photo: http://twitter.com/TVDMom/status/298325728720723969/photo/1