And then that happened and I was all \o/
Nov. 13th, 2009 05:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
errant_janeOkay, my head is all fuzzy and muddled. My roommate has been sick for a week and I suspect I shall wake up tomorrow feeling wretchedly pathetic. Which is to say, I'm not entirely sure how coherent this is. JSYK.
Warning: I'm generally a chipper cheerful "glass half-full" kind of girl, especially wrt Show. While I try very hard not to rain on anybody's fannish glee parade, I will occasionally go all Pollyanna Sunshine on fandom's rainy parade. This is me being aggressively gleeful.
ETA: Spoilers for 5x09 - none for future episodes, plz!
There will come a day when fandom stops surprising me. Today is not that day.
Oh,Fritz Fandom! Never change.
Here's the thing about the con being full of guys: It was brilliant. No, stick with me on this. It was brilliant. For a number of reasons of which I shall name a few. In no particular order:
♥ Please take a moment to imagine with me what would have happened had Kripke & Co tried to accurately portray our fannish community. Really think about it. I'll wait… Got it? Okay, so did the internet implode with wank in your version? Because it totally did in mine, though maybe I just have a flair for the dramatic.
The thing is, we tend to react unfavorably to what we perceive as outsiders judging our community and, as much mutual love as there is between us and Show, they are Show and not the fannish community.
Okay, it's like this: You can bitch about your family to your friends and they can respond with "Yeah, man. How crazy are parents?" They cannot respond with, "Totally. Your parents are psycho." WTF don’t talk shit about my parents, asshole!!
The fanboys are us, but not. They are a representation of Fannishness in a way where we can be in on the joke without feeling like we are the joke.
♥ In a similar vein, please take a moment to imagine what would happen if two guys who looked like Sam and Dean showed up at one of our cons. How would that go? Be honest now. Let's face it, Becky is how that would go, but there was only one of her. Did you really want to see that played out on the show a hundred times over? Really?
As much as I would love to see Sam and Dean sit in on Bad Fic Idol (OMG WINCONERS SOMEONE PLZ WRITE THIS FIC!!!), my vote for that is a resounding "No!"
Side note: I find it hilarious how even more absurdly attractive Sam and Dean look among normal people. Like, what? How the fuck would you not notice those guys? It's ridiculous, srsly.
♥ SPN's audience is not comprised entirely of fangirls. I know that may be hard to believe, but it’s true. There are people who watch the show who are not involved in fandom in any way at all. LARPing fanboys are something that civilians can understand and be entertained by. Which, y’know, is good. Fanservice shouldn't ever be to the extent that it excludes the rest of the audience.
♥ Oh, hay! The LARPing was kind of important to the plot of the episode. Now, correct me if I’m wrong (which is entirely possible—I’ve only been to Wincon), but we (the fangirls) don't really LARP at cons, do we?
I know, I know, it seems a little ridiculous to talk about the srs bznz plot elements in such an episode, but they were there and they kind of depended on the con being full of fanboys—the LARPing hunt leading to the real hunt and pretend!SAMANDDEAN revealing character stuff for real!SAMANDDEAN.
But maybe Show anticipated our reaction and the Chuck/Becky storyline is a meta commentary on that!
Kripke Chuck: Oh, hay fandom Becky! Let me ply you with loving fanservice booze.
fandom Becky: *focuses on something else entirely*
Kripke Chuck: I can slash too? I can hunt ghosts too?
fandom Becky: OMG YAY ILUSM!!!
If nothing else, this is now canon: Show slashes its fans and ships creator/fangirl!!!
WHAT MORE COULD WE ASK FOR?!? Seriously, I went to bed thinking, "Other fandoms must be jealous of Show’s constant wooing of us!" YOU CANNOT CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE!!
Also, I think it's fairly apparent that the female contingent of fictional!SPN fandom has been having their own Wincon-type gathering for years and they're all, "Whatever, we don't want to meet the author" and "OMG, don’t talk to Carver about slash!!!"
That or, if Publisher!Fangirl is to be believed, they defected to Dr. Sexy, MD fandom. Which Dean would be okay with.
Speaking of which, where was she? I would have loved to see her and Dean arguing in the bar over Dr. Sexy, MD.
PF: You can't seriously be suggesting that the Dr. Sexy books are of the same caliber as Supernatural.
Dean: Well they're completely different genres. But, yeah, I think they're as good.
PF: You’ve got to be kidding me.
Sam: *walks in on convo* What are as good?
PF: He’s trying to convince me that Dr. Sexy, MD is as good as Supernatural.
Sam: Seriously, dude? It's like I don't even know you sometimes. *walks away*
PF: Whatever. Dr. Sexy doesn't have nearly the heart and depth of character that Supernatural does. Also, Dr. Sexy wishes he were as sexy as Dean on his worst day.
Dean: *perks* Really?
PF: Oh yeah. Dean's just so— *hand over her heart* He's so vulnerable and wounded. *dramatic sigh*
Dean: Oh, Jeeze. *orders another shot* FML
*ahem* Anyway! Am I awesome enough to make demands in an endearing way? We totally need a macro of Dean and Dr. Sexy that says "Dean Winchester is a fangirl. Your argument is invalid" Anyone?
ETA:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
laulan is my hero!!! BEHOLD:
Other Stuff I Liked:
♥ BECKY!!!! Fangirl represent!! Seriously, I love every bit of her!! She is cute, smart, ballsy and OTT in a completely endearing way. A more loving caricature of fandom I could not imagine.
♥ CHUCK!!! Okay, that’s not episode specific, but really? How freakin’ awesome is Chuck? He's like sparkly pony tiara awesome!! THAT’S HOW AWESOME HE IS!!! Also, I love him awkwardly trying to answer questions while Sam and Dean watch from the back. OH, POOR CHUCK!!! UR LIFE IS SO HARD SOMETIMES!!!
♥ Chuck/Becky – I already sort of mentioned this, but it's worth repeating. Oh, Show!!!
♥ the Impalas!!! You know Dean nearly came right then and there when he saw those. It was beautiful.
♥ Fake!SAMANDDEAN!!! Being fanboys extraordinaire! Saving the day!! Even though they’re scared!! BEING A COUPLE!!! Telling Dean, "The point, ur missin' it!"
♥ tMotW!! Creepy as fuck. Like S1 creepy. Cliché at this point? (SIGH) Perhaps, but that doesn't make them any less creepy. *shudders*
Okay, I could go on like that for awhile, actually, so I'll spare you. The thing is, not once did this episode hit my (admittedly quite sensitive) embarrassment squick and there were definitely places where I worried that it might. It really came across to me as one huge Valentine to fandom. Or, asmissyjack more accurately said: OMG I FEEL LIKE THE SHOW JUST GOT ME DRUNK AND FELT ME UP!!!!
Just like that. Oh, yeah, Show. It was definitely good for me. I'd ask if it was good for you, but I got the flowers and the facebook messages you sent. The feeling's mutual, bb. Entirely. Same time next week? Excellent!
♥♥♥
Warning: I'm generally a chipper cheerful "glass half-full" kind of girl, especially wrt Show. While I try very hard not to rain on anybody's fannish glee parade, I will occasionally go all Pollyanna Sunshine on fandom's rainy parade. This is me being aggressively gleeful.
ETA: Spoilers for 5x09 - none for future episodes, plz!
There will come a day when fandom stops surprising me. Today is not that day.
Oh,
Here's the thing about the con being full of guys: It was brilliant. No, stick with me on this. It was brilliant. For a number of reasons of which I shall name a few. In no particular order:
♥ Please take a moment to imagine with me what would have happened had Kripke & Co tried to accurately portray our fannish community. Really think about it. I'll wait… Got it? Okay, so did the internet implode with wank in your version? Because it totally did in mine, though maybe I just have a flair for the dramatic.
The thing is, we tend to react unfavorably to what we perceive as outsiders judging our community and, as much mutual love as there is between us and Show, they are Show and not the fannish community.
Okay, it's like this: You can bitch about your family to your friends and they can respond with "Yeah, man. How crazy are parents?" They cannot respond with, "Totally. Your parents are psycho." WTF don’t talk shit about my parents, asshole!!
The fanboys are us, but not. They are a representation of Fannishness in a way where we can be in on the joke without feeling like we are the joke.
♥ In a similar vein, please take a moment to imagine what would happen if two guys who looked like Sam and Dean showed up at one of our cons. How would that go? Be honest now. Let's face it, Becky is how that would go, but there was only one of her. Did you really want to see that played out on the show a hundred times over? Really?
As much as I would love to see Sam and Dean sit in on Bad Fic Idol (OMG WINCONERS SOMEONE PLZ WRITE THIS FIC!!!), my vote for that is a resounding "No!"
Side note: I find it hilarious how even more absurdly attractive Sam and Dean look among normal people. Like, what? How the fuck would you not notice those guys? It's ridiculous, srsly.
♥ SPN's audience is not comprised entirely of fangirls. I know that may be hard to believe, but it’s true. There are people who watch the show who are not involved in fandom in any way at all. LARPing fanboys are something that civilians can understand and be entertained by. Which, y’know, is good. Fanservice shouldn't ever be to the extent that it excludes the rest of the audience.
♥ Oh, hay! The LARPing was kind of important to the plot of the episode. Now, correct me if I’m wrong (which is entirely possible—I’ve only been to Wincon), but we (the fangirls) don't really LARP at cons, do we?
I know, I know, it seems a little ridiculous to talk about the srs bznz plot elements in such an episode, but they were there and they kind of depended on the con being full of fanboys—the LARPing hunt leading to the real hunt and pretend!SAMANDDEAN revealing character stuff for real!SAMANDDEAN.
But maybe Show anticipated our reaction and the Chuck/Becky storyline is a meta commentary on that!
If nothing else, this is now canon: Show slashes its fans and ships creator/fangirl!!!
WHAT MORE COULD WE ASK FOR?!? Seriously, I went to bed thinking, "Other fandoms must be jealous of Show’s constant wooing of us!" YOU CANNOT CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE!!
Also, I think it's fairly apparent that the female contingent of fictional!SPN fandom has been having their own Wincon-type gathering for years and they're all, "Whatever, we don't want to meet the author" and "OMG, don’t talk to Carver about slash!!!"
That or, if Publisher!Fangirl is to be believed, they defected to Dr. Sexy, MD fandom. Which Dean would be okay with.
Speaking of which, where was she? I would have loved to see her and Dean arguing in the bar over Dr. Sexy, MD.
PF: You can't seriously be suggesting that the Dr. Sexy books are of the same caliber as Supernatural.
Dean: Well they're completely different genres. But, yeah, I think they're as good.
PF: You’ve got to be kidding me.
Sam: *walks in on convo* What are as good?
PF: He’s trying to convince me that Dr. Sexy, MD is as good as Supernatural.
Sam: Seriously, dude? It's like I don't even know you sometimes. *walks away*
PF: Whatever. Dr. Sexy doesn't have nearly the heart and depth of character that Supernatural does. Also, Dr. Sexy wishes he were as sexy as Dean on his worst day.
Dean: *perks* Really?
PF: Oh yeah. Dean's just so— *hand over her heart* He's so vulnerable and wounded. *dramatic sigh*
Dean: Oh, Jeeze. *orders another shot* FML
*ahem* Anyway! Am I awesome enough to make demands in an endearing way? We totally need a macro of Dean and Dr. Sexy that says "Dean Winchester is a fangirl. Your argument is invalid" Anyone?
ETA:
laulan is my hero!!! BEHOLD:Other Stuff I Liked:
♥ BECKY!!!! Fangirl represent!! Seriously, I love every bit of her!! She is cute, smart, ballsy and OTT in a completely endearing way. A more loving caricature of fandom I could not imagine.
♥ CHUCK!!! Okay, that’s not episode specific, but really? How freakin’ awesome is Chuck? He's like sparkly pony tiara awesome!! THAT’S HOW AWESOME HE IS!!! Also, I love him awkwardly trying to answer questions while Sam and Dean watch from the back. OH, POOR CHUCK!!! UR LIFE IS SO HARD SOMETIMES!!!
♥ Chuck/Becky – I already sort of mentioned this, but it's worth repeating. Oh, Show!!!
♥ the Impalas!!! You know Dean nearly came right then and there when he saw those. It was beautiful.
♥ Fake!SAMANDDEAN!!! Being fanboys extraordinaire! Saving the day!! Even though they’re scared!! BEING A COUPLE!!! Telling Dean, "The point, ur missin' it!"
♥ tMotW!! Creepy as fuck. Like S1 creepy. Cliché at this point? (SIGH) Perhaps, but that doesn't make them any less creepy. *shudders*
Okay, I could go on like that for awhile, actually, so I'll spare you. The thing is, not once did this episode hit my (admittedly quite sensitive) embarrassment squick and there were definitely places where I worried that it might. It really came across to me as one huge Valentine to fandom. Or, as
missyjack more accurately said: OMG I FEEL LIKE THE SHOW JUST GOT ME DRUNK AND FELT ME UP!!!!Just like that. Oh, yeah, Show. It was definitely good for me. I'd ask if it was good for you, but I got the flowers and the facebook messages you sent. The feeling's mutual, bb. Entirely. Same time next week? Excellent!
♥♥♥
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-13 11:16 pm (UTC)i like ur theory, and wish to subscribe to your newsletter, that the girls in the SPNBook fandom are all of having Wincon-type cons. Of course they couldnt show THAT on the CW as there'd be too much drug taking and drunken lesbian orgies.
and yes i imagine lots of Whedon fans wishing they got half the loving we do!
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-13 11:22 pm (UTC)God, I cannot believe people are ranting about the portrayal of the con like it was a CRUEL AND DELIBERATE SEXIST BLOW TO WOMEN EVERYWHERE. It was portrayed as pretty much identical to ALL FAN CONVENTIONS since the dawn of time, in all fandoms except SPN and, currently, Twilight.
01. Full of socially awkward guys
02. LARPing
03. Very, very, very few women other than those who are actually WORKING there
And you KNOW if they'd accurately portrayed it as full of screaming women who have been known to badtouch the stars and behave in a truly appalling fashion, people's heads would explode.
CONCLUSION: WE PARTICIPATE IN A FANDOM WHERE THERE IS ALWAYS SOMEONE PISSED OFF ABOUT SOMETHING. Whatevs.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-13 11:23 pm (UTC)That is all.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-13 11:38 pm (UTC)The fanboys are us, but not. They are a representation of Fannishness in a way where we can be in on the joke without feeling like we are the joke.
It's also, and I say this because I HAVE ROOTS IN THAT FANNISHNESS, highly probable that it is the representation of fannishness that more than a few of the people involved with the show were involved with, back in the day. In that, "Dude, umm. This is a scary-accurate depiction that most likely comes from lived experience, AHAHAHAHA." kind of way. It did NOT come across as a Media Depiction of LARPers and LARPing at cons, it came across as a LARPer's depiction. The fanboys are us, but not us (except for where they're some of us), but they're also THEM.
<3<3<3
They pull our pigtails AND their own! And I love it SO MUCH.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-13 11:39 pm (UTC)That is TOTALLY what's happening on the female side of SPNBook fandom. They have panels like, "How Does Dean Escape Hell?" and "If Supernatural Were a TV Show" and, well, Bad Fic Idol. YOU KNOW THEY DO!!! Plus, of course, the fantastic racks and orgies.
How could they not? I'm half expecting Show to send pretty pretty rent boys to our houses to service us in any and all ways we desire. SHOW IS JUST THAT GOOD!!!
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-13 11:44 pm (UTC)I really think that, had they portrayed fangirls at all (beyond the two we've already seen, that, shockingly, half of fandom HATE), there would have been great rending of garments and gnashing of teeth and a lot of "HOW DARE THEY!!" Show is smarter than that.
OH, YOU MEAN WE PARTICIPATE IN FANDOM? THERE IS ALWAYS A FRITZ!! ALWAYS!!!
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-13 11:45 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-13 11:50 pm (UTC)The one thing that I think would have made it more awesome was if the Supernatural books were actually graphic novels. I'm a little sad that they didn't do it that way to begin with.
Right? I really can't see a way to interpret that as anything but a huge freaking love-in. It makes me stupidly giddy just thinking about it!!
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-13 11:56 pm (UTC)I am half rewatching as I cook dinner and I also marked the second time around that Sam and Dean being freaked out about Chuck invading their life and writing about is probably meta commentary on rps.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-13 11:59 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-14 12:02 am (UTC)cap from
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-14 12:11 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-14 12:15 am (UTC)You know, I was thinking about that/expecting/dreading it when the show aired, but I feel like they actually sidestepped the RPS-is-bad Meta. Or, if not, did it in the gentle, loving way they did everything else.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-14 12:15 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-14 12:17 am (UTC)Your icon makes me laugh.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-14 12:19 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-14 12:21 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-14 12:27 am (UTC)I may just spend the rest of the evening staring at Dean's stupidly pretty fangirl face. HOW IS HE SO PRETTY?!?
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-14 12:32 am (UTC)I DON'T KNOW! Fangirl glow?
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-14 12:37 am (UTC)Thank you for that, I was reading that too, like, 'Hi Kripke, you're bearing your geeky-ass-fanboy-LARPing-self arn't you?' And then I started drawing hearts around everyone and everything in my general vicinity.
It was awesomely perfect.
PS. I got here somehow via a link...I am not even sure anymore but uh, 'Hi!'
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-14 01:46 am (UTC)It must be fangirl glow. There's no other explanation.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-14 02:02 am (UTC)THIS EPISODE WAS AN EPIC LOVE LETTER TO US. I've been all giddy and glowy all day long, like Show is trying to woo me and get in my pants without even getting me drunk first because getting me drunk would make it too easy and Show wants to work hard for my love, yeah it does.
Also? CHUCK/BECKY FTMFW!! Words cannot describe how much I love Becky, she kicks ass, people best be respectin'!
Also also? I do not see how people interpreted that scene where Demian and Barnes reveal that they are partners as homophobic. UM, HELLO, WHAT SHOW WERE YA'LL WATCHING BECAUSE YOU OBVIOUSLY WEREN'T WATCHING SPN. That reveal was so sweet and understated (I mean, come on! This is a show that a few weeks ago played a 30-second long fart joke on an angel--were you expecting Dean to throw the gay LARPers a freakin' Rainbow Parade?!), and Dean's reaction to it? PERFECT. He was surprised for a split second, and then brushed it off with a cute (and IMO NOT homophobic) "Howdy partners!" or whatever the fuck he said, and then said no more about it. This is called progress, people. Also, in my world it means that he's comfortable now with homosexuality because he realizes he totes wants to be having teh sex with Cas.
OUR SHOW LOVES US HARD.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-14 03:07 am (UTC)IT REALLY REALLY WAS!! Show has been wooing us since S1!!! It has been a slow and drawn-out seduction, indeed. Show definitely got to 3rd base last night.
INORITE? WE LOVE YOU TOO, KRIPKE!!!
OKAY WHAT? I haven't even seen that!!! OH, FANDOM!! YOU ARE ALWAYS GOOD FOR WACKY LOLZ!!! Ah, it makes me a little sad for people who didn't get stupid giddy over this episode. Things are pretty awesome up here on cloud 9.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-14 03:10 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-14 04:39 am (UTC)Also, I would like to friend your shiny brain that said a bunch of things that I was completely unable to articulate myself, would you mind terribly?
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-14 05:13 am (UTC)I would not mind at all!! Welcome!!
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-14 10:07 pm (UTC)The only way it could have been bettered is if Dean, after talking with the gay Larpers had an internal revelation and ended by saying 'Wait here Sam ...there is somthing I need to tell Cas' *Sigh*
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-15 06:04 am (UTC)However! I do have enough information to have an opinion on your dialogue here:
opinion: Hahahahaha, excellent!
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-16 04:22 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-17 11:21 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-17 11:22 pm (UTC)*grins* Thanks!!
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-17 11:23 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-11-13 08:10 am (UTC)The fanboys are us, but not. They are a representation of Fannishness in a way where we can be in on the joke without feeling like we are the joke.