Jul 18, 2017
Dat podcast life #gameofthrones #projectfandom
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Dat podcast life #gameofthrones #projectfandom
‘Gossip Girl’, a TV series that has been a part of everyone's “to watch list” and if it hasn’t been, it most definitely should be. I started watching this show when a close friend of mine got obsessed with it and started cutting my calls to finish Chuck and Blair discussing their convoluted relationship. The moment you begin watching this show, it seeps its way into every aspect of your life. It might be because of the fancy clothing, the shocking slander or maybe it’s because of the exquisite location, this show takes over your thoughts. Personally though, I believe that happens because of Chuck Bass.
I didn’t pay any attention to my calls and stayed up for hours to finish this show without any hindrance. This show is about an anonymous blogger, ‘Gossip Girl’, who blogs about the scandalous lives of Manhattan’s elite. It sounds pretty straightforward, right? But imagine being noted on everything you do and everywhere you go. Imagine all your secrets being visible to the public and your mistakes you desperately want to forget about, being brought up again and again. Most of all, imagine the rumors and the difficulties you would face in your everyday life. I'm going to sound ridiculous but ‘Gossip Girl’ managed to teach me a few things along the seasons. I realised the amount of subplots that are going on at any given moment in our lives. It taught me how different things affect our choices and how those choices lead to life changing events. When we are planning something in our head, someone is planning something in theirs too, and that's why things never work out for us because we never know what the other is thinking. This show has also taught me to go after want I want. We keep fixating on how we want something and what we’ll do, but what ends up being the reality of the situation? Sure, it focuses on dealing with problems in a very vindictive way but it portrays that message to deal with it rather than to sit back and sulk. However unrealistic and manipulative the show was, it taught me how complicated just one person is. There are many aspects to a person’s life and everyone is dealing with something no matter how “perfect” their life may seem. The emotion that is brought forth by each individual character caters to the charm of the show. I learned that being true to yourself is more important than anything as even Chuck and Blair, who were madly in love with each other, took their time to accomplish what they wanted before they got together. Gossip is always going to flow through little channels; it is always going to be there. Some of it true and some of it not, but it made me think that if I had people who loved me irrespective of the rumors, everything would be alright. No matter how twisted something may be.
Soumya Khera, Batch of 2018.
Heading: Nandini Chowdhary, Batch of 2018.
'Renegades' by @awesomesockes is 150% my next fanfiction of the week because holy fuck that was incredible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Doctor Who
I am sure that everyone has heard of the Sci-Fi show that recently re-aired on FX a couple of months ago 'Doctor Who'. 'Doctor Who' is about a rogue Time Lord who explores the universe in his TARDIS (or Time And Relative Dimension In Space) with his various mortal companions and saves civilisations on the way. I have been obsessed with this show for a few years now and every now and then I find myself thinking about what it would be like to travel with the Doctor. I often imagine the Doctor just showing up one day in our time stream and asking me if I would like to roam the stars with him. It sounds very corny but that is how I imagine it. Would I go? Of course I would. It is not every day that a Time Lord asks you to explore the universe with him.
I think it is the spontaneity that appeals to me about this situation. It would be wonderful not to have a plan and travel the whole of time and space without knowing where you would be the next day or in which time stream you would step into. The whole idea of running around with a mad man in a police box, which happens to be “bigger on the inside”, is that it makes running away from things much easier. If you look at it practically, that is exactly what a person does when faced with the choice of staying and dealing with everything on one hand, or running away and forgetting responsibilities on the other.
The thing about the Doctor is that it is almost impossible to refuse traveling with him. Sure, you cannot stay with him forever because he never dies but for the little time you could have with him, you can literally go anywhere. It would be an impeccable experience. He walks in eternity and you never know where he really is. I like to believe that he exists in our reality and that he is roaming the cosmos, but who really knows?
Living in a fictional universe does seem very appealing but like our reality has its problems, so would the fictional one. I may seem like a crazy, obsessed teenage girl going on and on about a fictional character, but it is much more than that. This show, if I can call it that, gives me an opportunity to escape and let my imagination run wild. In the episode ‘The Family of Blood’, Tim Latmire describes the Doctor and I think the way he put it was beautiful and very accurate; “He’s like fire and ice and rage. He’s like the night and the storm in the heart of the sun. He’s ancient and forever. He burns at the centre of time and can see the turn of the universe. And… he’s wonderful.”
That is the Doctor. Doctor Who? Well, that is the question everyone is itching to know the answer to. He is the last of the Time Lords and maybe to you he is just another story in the end, but to me? To me he is the person I look to when the horrors of the night come alive. He is the man who just pretends he has a plan. He and the show both are absolutely fantastic.
-Justine J. Anthony, X-B, Batch of 2018
Voices in My Head: Project Fandom - The Lord of the Rings and J.R.R. Tolkien
J.R.R. Tolkien is, undoubtedly, the father of modern high fantasy. The Lord of the Rings, arguably Tolkien’s greatest creation, is set in one of the most detailed fictional worlds, Middle Earth. The series has been the foundation of more than its fair share of popular culture; its impact is, however, far reaching, serving as inspiration for icons of popular culture.
Tolkien embarked upon a gargantuan task when he created a fictional world and then went on to write separate volumes about the history of that world. The Lord of the Rings was one of the first major books that featured beings such as dwarves, elves, and goblins and established its own history for these species. Out of all the fantasy literature I have read, the Lord of the Rings is the only one in which the enmity between Dwarves and Elves is fleshed out satisfactorily, so much so that it is now accepted as the back-story for these races in popular culture.
The Elder Scrolls game series, and the Harry Potter franchise are two such fantasy worlds that make references to the history of the fantastical races according to Tolkien.
The Lord of the Rings has inspired not only books and video games, but also music. The Dutch composer Johan De Meij wrote his Symphony No. 1: The Lord of the Rings in 1989. This symphony even has a movement Gandalf named for one of the most important characters. In the 1960s and 1970s, the hippie movement embraced The Lord of the Rings; phrases such as ‘Frodo Lives’ and ‘Gandalf for President’ made their way into newspapers, onto buttons and t-shirts, and were even incorporated into graffiti.
The Lord of the Rings, preceded by The Hobbit, are defining points for modern fiction and modern popular culture; they are, by far, the greatest work of fantasy fiction we will ever have the good fortune of reading.
To end I would like to quote a few lines from The Lord of the Rings (these lines will be familiar to anyone who has read the books; for those who are not as familiar with them, I would like to tell you that you are missing out on one amazing experience.)
Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for the Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
Thank you John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, for without you there would be no fantasy and no fiction.
Kunal Dhanda
X-D
Batch of 2017
Voices in My Head: Project Fandom - Skullgirls
Skullgirls is a fast paced 2D fighting game developed by Lab Zero Games. It is a tournament grade fighter, but is still approachable and engaging for casual players. It is available on the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and the PC under the name Skullgirls Encore. The Skullgirls fandom is dedicated not only to the game itself, but also to creating fanart and fanfiction. Here, we have a longtime fan talking about one of his favourite characters from the game.
Today, I shall be writing about one of my favourite characters from the fighting game, Skullgirls.
Sienna “Squigly” Contiello is the last surviving member of the Contiello family, a line of famous opera singers. The Contiellos were a happy family until they were ruthlessly attacked by the Mafia. After the bloody massacre only Sienna’s body was recovered and was buried in a service arranged by the Mafia boss himself.
Sienna, known as Squigly in the present, was awakened from her long sleep when the Skullgirl arose – a powerful being of destruction who can summon a legion of the dead to serve her. It is as a part of this legion that Squigly has arisen and it is only her ‘parasite’, Leviathan, who keeps her from becoming another mindless minion.
Going in through one ear and coming out through a hole in her head, the snake-like Leviathan complements Squigly as a fighting partner. Together, they make a graceful but deadly fighting team, with Squigly using her beautiful singing to charm foes, and Leviathan using his slender form to strike at enemies and his fiery breath to burn them.
Part of this duo’s charm is their manners and style. Though they may be fighters, neither has lost their manners, with Squigly bobbing a curtsey and Leviathan sinking into a bow before each fight. Leviathan, ever the well-bred snake, can often be heard quoting from Shakespeare’s works or the Bible. Squigly works her beautiful voice into her attacks.
Their moves are close to mid-range attacks, ranging from punches from Squigly and cuts from Leviathan’s tail, to powerful fireballs and Leviathan’s tail grabs. Squigly can use her voice to either pull the opponent to her or use her Battle Opera move to strike her opponent with deadly notes.
Together, the two make a both fearsome and graceful combination, their twin styles complementing each other, making their combat almost like a dance.
Come what may, they shall always remain a part of my team and an evergreen favourite.
Divij Singh
XI-S
Batch of 2016
Voices in My Head: Project Fandom - BBC's 'Sherlock'
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle did the world a huge favour when he wrote The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes in the late 1800s. Sherlock Holmes caught the world’s attention and that was the dawn of every mystery movie, book, and TV show – all inspired by the cases solved by Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson. To be very honest, I have never really enjoyed reading or watching anything related to Sherlock Holmes because to me overrated things are boring. But one day, some angelic soul forced me to watch BBC’s Sherlock starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the detective and Martin Freeman as John Watson. And that was it. I had never seen anything like it before. Instantly, I was a part of a new universe. If you haven’t watched the show yet, then stop reading this article and go watch it. Immediately.
Now I am not going to tell you exactly what happens in the show, but basically it is set in present day London with all the original canonical characters – Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, Mycroft Holmes, Mrs. Hudson, Detective Inspector Lestrade, and Moriarty. Each episode is a clever re-working of plot elements from Arthur Conan Doyle’s original short stories, and the title of each episode is an equally clever reference to the titles of Doyle’s short stories. For instance, A Study in Scarlet became A Study in Pink, and the iconic The Hound of the Baskervilles found its way into the twenty-first century as The Hounds of Baskerville.
Once you start watching, you’ll probably do one or more (or all) of the following things:
1) Have a favorite character (most probably Sherlock).
2) Have a second favorite character (mine’s John).
3) Have a third favorite character (Moriarty and Mycroft; it’s a tie).
4) Have a favorite pairing or known as OTP (one true pairing).
5) Have a second favorite pairing.
6) Have a favorite episode which you’ll watch at least once a week.
7) And lastly, curse at the show once you’re done watching the latest season because it only returns with a new season about once every two years, with only three episodes per season.
Once initiated, you are given the honor of being a ‘Sherlockian’ which means that you are part of the fandom. Let me warn you here that fellow Sherlockians are the only ones who will be able to understand your pain. And the pain is, as I mentioned before, due to a two-year wait between seasons! The fandom’s considerable presence can be sensed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and pretty much everywhere else. Sherlockians often discuss wild resolutions to the cliffhangers of the latest season or another integral part of this fandom – shipping.
Now for those of you who don’t know what shipping is, it simply means wanting two fictional characters to engage in a romantic relationship. Usually, fans get very emotional about their ‘ships’ (the romantic pairings of their choice) and can often be seen trying to convince others that their ‘ship’ of choice is, indeed, a possibility. When you ship a pairing as though your very life depends on it, then that ship is termed your OTP or One True Pairing.
The most shipped duo in Sherlock is the pairing of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. Their ‘ship name’ is a very clever portmanteau of their names, ‘JohnLock’. In the very first episode of the series, Mrs. Hudson assumed that Sherlock and John were a couple, and that marked the beginning of the JohnLock fandom. Other characters have also made comments about the JohnLock ‘relationship’ which, of course, gives JohnLock shippers hope.
Another popular ship is ‘Sherlolly’ or the one of Sherlock and his pathologist, Dr Molly Hooper. Molly is a character to whom many girls can relate – she is shy and very obvious about her crush on Sherlock. Sherlock is apathetic to any sort of romance because he believes that he is married to his work. Molly doesn’t care though, and continues helping him when he needs her the most.
In the end, however, our ships of choice do not matter. Instead, what unites us is our love for this masterpiece of a show. What matter is that we express our love through photo edits, fanfiction, and exquisite fanart of our favourite characters and pairings.
So what if we have to wait two years for just three episodes? (No, I take that back because the wait is actually quite horrible). We are still here, hoping that Benedict Cumberbatch will stay perfect enough to play Sherlock; still here, waiting for John to be his sarcastic self, for Anderson to be… well, Anderson, for Molly to be awkward, and for Mycroft to return with his posh three-piece suits. We are merely devoted fans awaiting the show’s return because we just cannot take the cliffhanger anymore.
If it hadn’t been for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle…
Pradakshina Lakhanpal
IB-1
Batch of 2016
Voices in My Head: Project Fandom - Supernatural
Supernatural was first broadcast in 2005 on The WB. Starring Jared Padelecki and Jensen Ackles as brothers Sam and Dean Winchester, the series has recently been renewed for its tenth season. The series has been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards, and has won six People’s Choice Awards among many others. The Supernatural fandom is known, on Tumblr, as the ‘fandom with a gif for everything.’ While the fandom enjoys its witty posts, it is also known as the fandom where ‘everyone dies’.
This is not an article in which I shall critically analyse all the facets of this show. Nor is it an article in which I shall praise the skilled writers, or the immensely talented producers, or even the charisma and chemistry of the actors who bring the show and its characters to life. No, this article will do no such thing. Instead, in this article you will see me for what I really am – an enthusiastic viewer of the CW hit TV show Supernatural.
I will admit here that Supernatural isn’t a show for the faint-hearted, or the ones who are into cheesy rom-coms, or those who shy away from harsh, gritty, and heartbreaking stories of trust, love, and sacrifice.
As one might deduce from the name itself, this is a show about ghosts and monsters, demons and angels, and things that ‘go bump in the night’. But for most people part of this fandom, the show is so much more than that – it is a show about love and sacrifice and family. It is a show that teaches us that our actions do not necessarily decide our character; it teaches us that we shape our own destiny. Put simply, it is a show about two brothers who get into their 1967 Chevy Impala and save the world, instead of crumbling under the weight of the challenges thrown at them.
Supernatural shows us that although we might have challenges to overcome, and demons (both real and metaphorical) to fight, we all have the inner strength and determination to rise to the occasion. It tells us that it’s alright to stumble and fall, as long as we’re willing to pick ourselves up and try again. It teaches us that even the best and the brightest souls can get lost in the darkness, that the only thing that matters in the end is the grit with which we persevered, and that even though we may not deserve the cards that we are dealt, it is what we choose to do with them that counts.
And something tells me that a show like that is a show worth watching.
Savini Mehta
XI-H1
Batch of 2016