misc.

[opusculasedfera]

I'm enjoying Welcome to Night Vale a lot. I'm not very far into it so far, but the pastiche of community radio is spot-on, and I really appreciate that it punches up its shadowy and inexplicable conspiracies with an onslaught of cryptic details, rather than trying to wring too much drama out of a small number of very creepy things. I hadn't previously thought about it, but once they do it, it becomes obvious that audio horror needs to take the opposite tack to visual horror and talk all the time about what is there, rather than trying to keep everything in the shadows as much as possible. Very interesting.


People keep recommending Orphan Black to me, and it sounds good, but, well, I watched about half the first ep and I really need someone to tell me if it's all going to be people trying to pass themselves off as other people. I just get too worried and twitchy to watch hours of that kind of infiltration. It's irrational, I know.


The NHL is having wild flailing drama over trades/signings as was anticipated. I find it hard to do anything but laugh, because it's all so ludicrous, and the interesting narratives won't shake out properly for another few months. Kind of mad that the Avs didn't take Jones, but on the other hand, the likelihood that they wouldn't have done something batshit with him is low. Also the Oilers seem to have done nothing truly inexplicable yet, which is better than I would have expected.


I love the hell out of genderswap in general, but I am baffled by the number of hockey genderswaps where players have some kind of elaborate system of braids or buns to keep their hair back when they play. Firstly, think about how long tons of male players keep their hair, and secondly, have they not seen female hockey players who mostly manage to keep long hair out of their faces just fine with a ponytail? (See also: 90s Jagr.) Hair is just not that big of a deal once you've got a helmet on top of it. Braid crowns are difficult to keep in place, and mean that there's a pointy-ish bit of metal against your scalp if something smashes into your helmet.

Also I don't understand the point of genderswapping Elizabeth Bennett because that removes the entire impetus of the plot of P&P.

Comments

[kerithwyn]

I watched about half the first ep and I really need someone to tell me if it's all going to be people trying to pass themselves off as other people.

Well...there is definitely quite a bit of that, given the premise. (I also have related issues with the first episode.) I hope you persevere regardless--it's a pretty extraordinary first season.

[opusculasedfera]

Heh, fair. I suppose what I really want to know is: is it all people trying to take on other people's lives long term, or just to fool other people briefly?

[kerithwyn]

hmm. In one case, medium term? It's a plot thread that persists through the first several episodes, but eventually ends by necessity. The other incidents are short term, for specific reasons. No one's trying to take over someone else's life permanently.

[opusculasedfera]

Ok, thank you! I have heard so many good things about the show, but I can't watch people being unceasingly in danger of being found out, it makes me too tense, haha. I may have to give it another shot!

[wendelah1]

What is the point of genderswapping Elizabeth? Cynically, I'd imagine you have a writer who likes Austen, loves Mr. Darcy, enjoys writing men and m/m slash and perhaps doesn't like writing women? Without the gender issues of the time, the plot of Pride and Prejudice has been rendered moot, so all that's left would be, what? A standard m/m period romance?

I can't see any point to it at all.

[opusculasedfera]

The author had actually swapped both Darcy and Elizabeth. I was just more annoyed by Elizabeth because the fact that the Bennetts have no son is so very central to the plot, whereas most of the places where Darcy's gender is relevant in P&P, such as his ability to chase Wickham and Lydia down, are less important when male!Elizabeth can now do the same (though I must admit, I didn't get that far into the fic because I found it so annoying.)

[wendelah1]

It sounds completely pointless. Every story cannot be genderswapped effectively.

[bestliar]

"See also: 90s Jagr." is the best thing I've heard about issues with hockey players having long hair. A+++

[opusculasedfera]

Thanks! I see so much discussion of Jagr's amazing 90s hair, it's odd that we forget it when it comes to discussing the supposed incredible inconvenience of long hair on the ice.