Amy (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
such_heights) wrote2009-01-04 10:56 pm
such_heights) wrote2009-01-04 10:56 pm
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remember me so tenderly
I am so beat after an epic journey around London with ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
prettyquotable and her friend K. today. I had so much fun, but ohgodcold, so I have been fit for nothing but lying prone and reading/idly contemplating writing Gwen/Morgana fic all evening. Well, there are worse ways to spend time. 
On that note, Boys and Girls bypenknife is a delight. It weaves rather expertly through various sorts of cliches in first-time femslash fic and makes it all feel fresh and interesting.
***
I think this idea for a 2009 resolution fromsheafrotherdon is rather wonderful, not least because I had to sit there for a couple of minutes after reading it and think "but how would I even do that?", which I suspect says it all.
***
In Whofandom, the more over-the-top reactions to the latest news are making me laugh so hard. I mean, the vast majority are having a range of interesting discussions and providing me with entertainment in an intentional sort of way, but oh my. Crazy vocal minority is crazy and vocal! *grabs popcorn* One thing I have seen flying around in some corners is a bit irking, though.
Dear Doctor Who fandom,
Hi! I'm a teenage fangirl! Some of you are laying into my demographic a little strong just lately. It's one thing, a reasonable thing, to talk about the portrayal of youth and age on TV. It's entirely another to apply a bunch of really uncritical stereotypes to your fellow fans.
Some friendly points of information: teenage girls do not all watch Doctor Who solely because they have a crush on David Tennant (though I'm sure some do - what, like you've never watched a show or a film mostly because of an actor you had a thing for?). Plenty of teenage girls watch Doctor Who and have a crush on the current incarnation of the Doctor and are not mindless idiots (apparently you're only allowed to fancy actors/fictional characters respectably after you've hit your third decade, who knew?). Oh, and that's not actually a factor for some teen fangirls (some of us don't even fancy boys much, sorry to be contrary).
If you've been on the internet for more than five minutes you should know damn well that maturity online has absolutely nothing to do with age or gender.
I'm a little tired of being told that even though I've been in fandom and writing and analysing and discussing and having fun with it for three years, I only get to be taken seriously when I hit twenty.
Yours in exasperation,
such heights, fangirl, aged 19 1/2.
P.S. Could 'teenage girl' stop being an automatic insult, please? Really now.
prettyquotable and her friend K. today. I had so much fun, but ohgodcold, so I have been fit for nothing but lying prone and reading/idly contemplating writing Gwen/Morgana fic all evening. Well, there are worse ways to spend time. On that note, Boys and Girls by
penknife is a delight. It weaves rather expertly through various sorts of cliches in first-time femslash fic and makes it all feel fresh and interesting.***
I think this idea for a 2009 resolution from
sheafrotherdon is rather wonderful, not least because I had to sit there for a couple of minutes after reading it and think "but how would I even do that?", which I suspect says it all.***
In Whofandom, the more over-the-top reactions to the latest news are making me laugh so hard. I mean, the vast majority are having a range of interesting discussions and providing me with entertainment in an intentional sort of way, but oh my. Crazy vocal minority is crazy and vocal! *grabs popcorn* One thing I have seen flying around in some corners is a bit irking, though.
Dear Doctor Who fandom,
Hi! I'm a teenage fangirl! Some of you are laying into my demographic a little strong just lately. It's one thing, a reasonable thing, to talk about the portrayal of youth and age on TV. It's entirely another to apply a bunch of really uncritical stereotypes to your fellow fans.
Some friendly points of information: teenage girls do not all watch Doctor Who solely because they have a crush on David Tennant (though I'm sure some do - what, like you've never watched a show or a film mostly because of an actor you had a thing for?). Plenty of teenage girls watch Doctor Who and have a crush on the current incarnation of the Doctor and are not mindless idiots (apparently you're only allowed to fancy actors/fictional characters respectably after you've hit your third decade, who knew?). Oh, and that's not actually a factor for some teen fangirls (some of us don't even fancy boys much, sorry to be contrary).
If you've been on the internet for more than five minutes you should know damn well that maturity online has absolutely nothing to do with age or gender.
I'm a little tired of being told that even though I've been in fandom and writing and analysing and discussing and having fun with it for three years, I only get to be taken seriously when I hit twenty.
Yours in exasperation,
such heights, fangirl, aged 19 1/2.
P.S. Could 'teenage girl' stop being an automatic insult, please? Really now.
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You go, A! *loves* M.
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Yes! Thank you. I started in fandom when I was 13, and I swear I was more mature then than certain fen are now :)
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Also, I completely agree with you about Dr Who fandom - mostly it's not been as bad as I expected - but the sheer amount of ageism that's come out of it is maddening.
A) You're right, not every teenager who watched Dr Who wateches it because they fancy the Doctor;
B) Not every person who watches the show because they do fancy the Doctor is a teenager;
C) I seriously doubt that this casting has anything to do with marketing or trying to appeal to the teenage market - because firstly the BBC don't seem to swing that way; secondly although the teenage market are among the most vocal I'm pretty certain it's the kiddy market that generates the most revenue in the long run; and thirdly, we know that Stephen Moffet, if he's aiming at anyone in particular - is probably going to be people like himself.
D) If the last four series have taught the BBC anything it's that neither age or looks are particularly important in the show being a success - yes, Tennant is well fancied but tbh he's a little weird looking and Ecclestone isn't most peoples types and the show was a huge success with him as well.
E) Does Matt Smith even particularly appeal to the teenage market? Half the people seem to think he's too pretty and the other half too ugly. I is baffled.
Whups - that turned into a bit of a rant :/
I've also been annoyed at the ageism directed at Matt Smith too. I don't mind if people feel they don't want a young-looking doctor because that's not the sort of stories/scenarios they want to pursue (even if I personally think there's some pretty interesting stories to tell through that) but I do get annoyed when people suggest that he's just too young to be able to play the role or command respect or whatnot.
Ummm... when did being young mean you're not a good actor or won't be able to order people around (the character's a 900 year time lord whether he looks young or old, I'm pretty certain he's still going to be massively bossy and impressive). I mean, I look at the young actors in the Merlin cast and they're all superb and Colin Morgan completely stole the last episode for me (only challenged by Antony Head when he was carrying Arthur). Plus by all accounts (yours included) he's a great actor.
Sigh, Who fandom why must you be such doubting thomases a lot of the time. And why don't you learn? Everyone hated the idea of Ecclestone and Tennant at first as well.
Also, I'm similarly baffled by the sheer number of people I've seen calling him 'emo' - when did being pale with dark clothing immediately mean you're emo? I still remember when it meant you were a goth. But all that's as much about lifestyle choice as much as fashion (my niece looks emotastic and loves a lot of emo bands but is apparently a Greebo instead - I'm still working out what that means but apparently it's very different).
I'm guessing it's the hair - but overall his look struck me more as 60% Posh Indie kid and 40% Wacky Actor.
Plus saying he seems emo is a really weird way to criticise a casting choice. How is that going to impact the performance he gives in any way?
Oh dear. Must stop ranting in your journal.
Love you
(And lots of teenagers rule - except the ones who don't obviously - just like adults and children really)
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That's what John Barrowman does to a girl.
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Agree agree, really. Dismissing an actor because of an age and a photo is a world of fail, and especially with a role like the Doctor, we just don't know what he's going to be like.
That being said, I do have a lot of sympathy for people who feel annoyed at the general trend in media that says we can only empathise with the youthful, that young fans especially can't engage with anyone over about 30. Who's been really good at bucking the trend on that one to date, though - Sarah Jane, Donna, Jack, Jackie, all being played by characters over 40, all awesome action heroes in the finale. Still, without any concrete evidence to the contrary as yet, we don't know for sure Eleven's not going to be super young-acting. I really doubt it, myself, but we've yet to find out.
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and i love that idea of Cate's, but i'm afraid i already broke the proposed resolution. i read the post and went 'but, oh, look at my _____ and my _____. how could i even begin to not think negatively about... oh.' so yeah. D:
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Away ye, negativity! Since when is 27 old and decrepit, sheesh, far from it and you know it. What would Cate say, hmm? Embrace your inner and outer awesome, my friend. ♥
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WORD.
This post pretty much sums up my entire internet existence. I was a "closet-teenager" for my first 2-3 years in fandom for these reasons exactly - you say the word "teenager" and bam! no one takes you seriously anymore. :/
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I can't imagine the reverse of this argument happening, people saying that Billie Piper or Freema Agyeman or Sophia Myles were cast to appeal to the teen fanboys, oh the horror, or that Catherine Tate and Elisabeth Sladen and Alex Kingston were meant to just be the older man's eye candy or whatever.
... oh no, that's right, women are just meant to always be attractive on TV, I forgot.
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Also *fist pump* to your angerfying thing. You tell 'em! I just like to call that part of fandom "stupid people" because all their opinions are just not correct. And imo Tennant isn't even conventionally attractive, so like having teens fawn over R-Patz is one thing, since that's actually dumb, but having them fawn over Tennant, I dunno, it's weird to me and it makes me confused. Then again when I was whee I was fawning over David Duchovny who is older than my dad. So who am I to talk?!
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Yeah, it's just a really odd thing to judge people for. It's all in the manner of fawning - and you know, I find the Twimom brigade's method of fawning over RPatz waaaay worse, so. Fail, fandom!
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