Icon Meme from Lokifan & Kikimay (In which my efforts to be frivolous don't turn out as planned)

[red_satin_doll]

I've never done a fandom "meme" before but kikimay picked up one from lokifan  that I couldn't resist:

Comment on this post with CONVERSE. I will choose seven (five if you prefer) userpics from your profile and you will explain what they mean and why you are using them. Post this along with your answers in your own journal so others can play along.

FYI: The first sentence means that you reply by typing that word "converse" and then I choose 5-7 of your icons, which you get to explain in the comments thread. (For examples see lokifan's meme post - and yes, I had to ask how this worked.)

I tend to use icons in three ways: 1) to express mood, 2) to "pay tribute" to my favorite characters or episodes; Buffy is my favorite fictional character, hence she's my primary avatar; or 3) because the icon is artistic/aesthetically pleasing. I try to chose or make ones that I haven't seen elsewhere, or are overused images. Kikimay chose the following five from my own:

1) Laughing Dead Things:  One of the first BtVS icons I made; I wish I'd done a better job with it.. Most of my Buffy icons when Ifirst started my journal were very serious. I wanted something with Buffy laughing or smiling but also unique. Leave Me the White has screencaps from the outtakes or dailies of Dead Things, and the shot of Sarah breaking into laughter while trying to film the dream sequence is adorable. There are few things sexier than laughter. I also love the ironic contrast between that shot and the tone of the episode.

Full Disclosure: When I got internet service in my new apartment three weeks ago, I mulled over which Buffy episode to rewatch first. Something light and funny, perhaps, Life Serial, or....Oh who the hell was I kidding? It came down to two of my favorite episodes: "Who are You"and "Dead Things"; DT won by a hairsbreadth. The raw power of those two episodes, the way they parallel, bookend, and resonate with each other, including the similarity of the Buffy/Faith/Spike dynamics in each, the key role Tara plays in both eps, the literal or symbolic "identity hijacks", and the fact that WAY (and TYG) foreshadows S6 - is like nothing else I've ever seen on television. Frivolity, thy name is...not RedSatinDoll.

2) Tara does not approve: The official name for this one in my head is "Tara is not down with this shit." It shouldn't surprise you that Tara is the second most-frequent character in my icons.  (If it does: Welcome! Have a cookie and make yourself at home.) I found this one on www.fanpop.com by "Laurik 2007" ; it was one of the first icons I grabbed when I was setting up this journal. I needed an icon that expressed "strong disapproval" as opposed to "seething rage"; this image is strong and simple. It's also my reminder that Tara was more than just a "saint"; the fact that it's the scene in Tough Love just seconds before Glory attacks her gives it an unsettling quality as well.

AND WHILE WE'RE ON THE SUBJECT: Can we agree that Tara enduring torture at Glory's hands almost silently, sacrificing her life, her mind, to protect Dawn is one of THE most horrifying moments in the entire series? Dawn and Buffy protected Tara in "Family" and here Tara returns the favor many times over. That is true courage, full stop. Why isn't she more frequently honored and celebrated in fandom for this?

  3) Chosen One purple: valyssia made this icon and gave me permission to use; it's been my default icon ever since. I had to have it the moment I clapped eyes on it: love at first sight. Purple is one of my favorite colors, Buffy is my favorite character, I love the late seasons; but none of those would be sufficient of themselves. This is one of the most exquisite and artistic icons I've ever seen in every respect. valyssia is as talented a visual artist as she is a writer, and this icon is a masterpiece of the form.

4) Winged!Buffy: Like Chosen One purple, this doesn't express an emotion per se except my love of Buffy, beautiful fanart, and my gratitude for a delightful gift from a beloved friend. I've talked about this one previously, but long story short: comlodge made me the Winged!Buffy image as a gift, inspired by brutti_ma_buoni 's fic "The One With Wings" .  I made it the image on my "welcome" post, and then with her permission created an icon of it, lightening the colors slightly in the spirit of Bottecelli's Primavera (Spring).

5) Dawn and Buffy: One of my favorite icons of those I've made. I love the Summers sisters, and had high hopes for plenty of interaction between them in S7. That didn't pan out but Him is one of the episodes that gave me hope - it's basically about the two of them, and the scene at the Bronze is one of my favorites. The argument feels so real of an older/younger sister dynamic, and I thought Dawn was going to slap Buffy when she mentioned Joyce. The scene just hurts and I hurt for both of them.

A few months back I made several Buffy & Dawn icons inspired by my love for them but also by kwritten's amazing meta series on Dawn and subsquent conversations. I originally was going to offer this out to everyone in an "icon dump" but loved it so much I decided to keep it. I love the contrast of Dawn in the foreground but out of focus, furious; Buffy in the background but in focus, obviously frustrated with herself and the situation. It makes a nice pairing with a couple of other icons I've done of them from Bargaining. with the focus reversed:

Bonus (i.e. cheat): I'm using one of my other favorites of the ones I've made here, Buffy & Tara Bargaining. I wanted a Buffy & Tara friendship icon and this was the first image where I got both of them together and got the image to my liking.

Comments

[velvetwhip.livejournal.com]

I like your discussion of your icons.

Okay... converse.


Gabrielle

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

The pathetic thing is - I tried to be more succinct. Honestly. (And I wonder why I never get anything done....)

Ok - you have 136? Not making it easy for me, girl! I find I'm drawn more to the ones I haven't seen you use for this meme; so if there are any that I don't select but you want to talk about anyway, please feel free to add them. (Or vice versa.)

1) Clock (one of my favorites) 2) Tiny Death 3) Suicide Hint 4) Willow Phases 5) Archy the Cockroach 6) Applause 7) White Angel

[velvetwhip.livejournal.com]

Okay... Here we go:

: I love this image. I originally selected it to go with a series I had written called Clocks, but I also like the image of the passage of time as something ominous and fatalistic.

: This one was made by one of my oldest online friends, cosmosmariner and it's from MST3K. Yes, I'm a bit of a MiSTie.

: One of my angrier, meaner icons, but sometimes appropriate.

: I've been using this one for a very long time. As Willow is probably my favorite character, certainly my favorite female character, in fandom, it's rather a natural for me.

: I do love the Archy the Cockroach stories, so I squeed when I found this icon and had to use it. If you've never read of him before, the author is Don Marquis.

: No deep meaning here. Sometimes you just need to applaud.

: This icon was created by my incredibly close friend purplefeen and I do love it. Angel looks yummy here. Plus, it's rather the opposite of how I often write the character, so that appeals to me.


Gabrielle

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Thanks for playing along sweetie! Extra cookies to you (and for reading and responding to my posts on a regular and consistent basis. You have no idea how much it's appreciated.)

Who made the Clocks one again? I can't remember from this morning. It's definitely my favorite of yours and probably one of my favorite icons EVAH, bar none. I wonder if it's from an old movie, maybe even a silent, or an old photograph. (You know how I feel about those.) do you know?

I have never heard of the Archy series which exactly why I asked, I'll have to check it out.

I think I chose the white Angel one for this, for the very same reasons you did - not in black for once. (I almost chose the "Word" one but that sort of speaks for itself!)

I wasn't wild about David in btvs, but I really do enjoy him in Bones, which is saying a lot - male actors rarely appeal to me, and I very rarely respond to the handsomeness of a man. the show is kind of dumb but he's a warm presence in it. (I hope it's not a father issue thing *gulp*)

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

BTW - what is the protocol behind listing icons as "not shareable" (do not take, etc etc?) When it comes to ones you've made specifically for yourself, or you/someone else made specifically for you (esp to go with fanfics) I get, but is there anything else to that? Just curious.

[debris4spike]

I haven't done this in ages - so, if you want to ... "Converse"

I love your default icon ... it jumped out at me the first time I saw it.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

I love your default icon ... it jumped out at me the first time I saw it.

*nods* The moment I saw it I just HAD to "have" it; valyssia was very gracious about it. I've tried switching it around every once in a while and use another as a default icon and that lasts ALL of thirty seconds or less.

You have 269 icons? WHOA. You guys are killing me with the choices! *lol* ok:
1) I'll count the Cary Grant series as one: Shenanigans, Gagged, Embarrased (you have cary grant icons? *squees*);
2) Writing!
3) Tea + Hope (I may be American but that's my motto too);
4) Buffy with sword
5) Flashing LIghts with My Name
6) With DJ
7) Servelan (wasn't she from Blake's 7?)

[debris4spike]

LOL - I love my icons (even before I started making them) ... paying for these is a necessity!

I shall post the answer in a second. Thanks for picking them.

BTW, I'm suprised to hear of anyone who recognises Blakes 7 ... a real rarity!

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

My friend Christine introduced me to the old Doctor Who and Blake's 7 in college in the '90's; she was something of an anglophile but also loved sci-fi series; Deep Space 9 was another one of her favorites. In fact she also introduced me to the concept of fanfiction; she wrote, "published" and illustrated DS9 "zines".

[elisi]

CONVERSE!

ETA: Laughing Dead Things: One of the first BtVS icons I made; I wish I'd done a better job with it.
If you use exactly the same keywords, you can upload another icon instead of one you already have and it'll replace it everywhere. So you could make a new version if you wanted. :) (Also changed my icon to be on the DT vibe... Mmm, that episode. <3)

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Really? Thanks! I'll give that a try. (These things never go as I plan!) I also have to give it the same filename as the original?

I'll respond to your "converse" as soon as I can (weekends are sometimes hard for me - why did I do this on a Friday? Heaven knows...)

And yes - DEAD THINGS FTW. I have a This Years Girl/Who Are You/Dead Things meta floating around in my head and it would be a natural continuation or sideline to the Tara & Buffy series - I just NEED to get it out of my head and actually post it! to me they are both turning points: WAY is the turning point in Faith's arc and DT is the turning point of Buffy & Spike S6, IMO - they are both "points of no return". The center cannot hold and something has to change when they're faced with the worst of themselves.

[elisi]

Really? Thanks! I'll give that a try. (These things never go as I plan!) I also have to give it the same filename as the original?
No, the file can be different - it's just the Keyword that has to be the same. Even the description can be different. (Hence the fact that I now give a lot of my icons generic names (like 'Hands' or 'Chess') so I can alter the image if necessary, but still keep the right 'kind' of icons to go with posts/comments. I possibly think about these things far too much, but icons are *important*. I have fic icons I can't delete even though the fic was posted years ago and I'll probably never use the icon again. Mind you, it took me a few years before I discovered the fact that you could shuffle (and it was purely by chance), so a lot of my older icons I will keep forever, as the keywords are too specific... /rambling

I'll respond to your "converse" as soon as I can (weekends are sometimes hard for me - why did I do this on a Friday? Heaven knows...)
And no rush! I've got plenty of time. :)

And yes - DEAD THINGS FTW. I have a This Years Girl/Who Are You/Dead Things meta floating around in my head
Yay meta! \o/ Here's my other DT icon. :)

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Oops I knew there would be a catch! I'm already at my limit of 15 (i don't have the money for a paid account and can't /wouldn't waste it if I did - I'd rather spend the money on, IDK, food or rent or a btvs box set. *lol*) So I can't upload another version. Oh well...

And I almost asked about your DT icon - the "soft focus layer" around it is beautifully done; but I'm still weirdly "afraid" of controversy when it comes to that ep. I need to "woman up". It's interesting that kikimay uses the exact same image but to very different effect (it's meant to express rage but I find it makes me giggle instead because of her choice of text: http://kikimay.livejournal.com/72795.html)

Ok, your icons: 1) longlongtime by sdwolfpup 2) it's a good fandom by killmebecomeme
3) Smile Fan 4) Everything is connected 5) Don't Mess with River Song 6) Time(Lords) can be rewritten 7) My heart belongs to S7

[clockwork-hart1.livejournal.com]

Woman: META. Meta like you're fingers are gonna fall off.

I know we've been talking about all those things almost CONSTANTLY since we blew onto each other's computer screens, but those episodes are just so VITAL that it must be done. They're also two of my favourites, so I want this like yesterday.

Also, RE: And while we're on the subject... Would it please you to know I was just gonna get started on my Tara Tough Love sacrifice fic? I feel like it might...

[eilowyn.livejournal.com]

Your purple Buffy icon is always my favorite, and go you for pointing out how brave Tara was in letting Glory mess with her mind to protect Dawn. I love those two. And if you read my most recent post I blame you for my current vidding obsession: Buffyverse women to Florence + The Machine's "Rabbit Heart." I'm trying to find a way to make Tara's leaving Willow be as brave in the video as it is in the series.

I haven't done a meme in ages! Converse!

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

I wonder if I can put a do not touch tag on the purple icon - but I'm pretty sure not; valyssia didn't make it specifically for me. (It just FEELS like she did.)

Re: Tough Love, clockwork_hart1 is working on a fic from my prompt *points upthread* Buffy and Tara OTF: taking over fandom one fan at a time.

And you are entirely too kind to me! I've responded to your posts and PM's - hopefully not too confusingly? (this is the sort of thing that makes me wish we could get on the phone and chat things out.)

OK - you have HOW MANY icons? Whoa. And I had no idea that ruuger did icons, and she's one of my f'listies! Here we go:
1) Believe out loud
2) Buffy - I'm a Bitch (some things are classic for a reason; if I had room I'd grab that one too whenever I come across the "Buffy's a bitch" conversations. YES, AND SO?)
3)Lost - Juliet - gun
4) Buffy - in desert (the one I associate with you the most)
5) Tara (Buffy) - witch.
6) Gunn - loves his axe
7) Veronica - Sky background

[clockwork-hart1.livejournal.com]

Oh I love that song so much!

And Florence + The Machine songs translate so well to Buffy (The Girl With One Eye is so Buffy/Faith in my head).

I want to see that video when it's done. Sounds amazing.

[eilowyn.livejournal.com]

I have a theory that Florence was watching BtVS and over-identifying with Buffy while she was writing that album. I say the same thing for Mumford and Sons for their "Sigh No More" album, except the songwriter was over-identifying with Spike. How can you listen to "White Blank Page" and NOT think of Spike?!

[snogged.livejournal.com]

I really like your icon discussion here. Very thorough. :D

I'll play...CONVERSE.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Thanks hon! Ok - I already know about your default icon, so my picks are:
1) Frangelus 2) Snogged DBW 3) CST FTW 4) Fairy (which is gorgeous btw.) 5) Kitty Stalks at Midnight 6) Melanie 7) Spike/Willow/Carla

[snogged.livejournal.com]

1) Frangelus
-This icon was made by the delightful indulging_breck. I've always been a sucker for Angelus's twisted sexiness. He's dark and sinister, especially during his arc on A:tS. This icon captures the moment from "Release" when Angelus confronts Fred in the hotel and I really like how it captures the imitation of romance in that moment.

2) Dirty!Bad!Wrong! - This icon is one of several that ash_carpenter made. At one point, there was a members-only LJ comm where Ash, rockstarpeach. hello_spikey, jasonsnene, and I would challenge each other to write the darkest, baddest, and most wrong stories that we could think of. It was also an opportunity for us to form friendships that have stayed mostly solid over the years. :D

3) CST FTW- - This icon stands for Central Standard Time For The Win. It was created while I was part of a How I Met Your Mother Role-Playing Game and only two of us lived in Central Standard Time. The rest of the group lived on the East Coast. :D

4) Fairy - - Carla made this for me because fairies are awesome. :D

5. Kitty Stalks At Midnight - - First of all, I'm a big cat lover and wanted an icon to show my love. I was attracted to this one because of the animation. The way the sky lights up is just so cool!

6. Melanie - Melanie was a contestant on So You Think You Can Dance season 8. She was perky and delightful and had all the right moves. I was sold on her winning from the moment I watched her audition and she did not disappoint.

7. Spike/Willow by Carla - Another one of Carla's icons. I am huge fan of Spike/Willow and this is just another icon to express my love for the pairing. :D

[elisi]

Thought I'd post here as well as my journal, since you want everything in one place (which I can understand!) Let's hope it fits on one comment box...

1)
longlongtime by sdwolfpup

One of my very, very first icons. The text 'they felt like they'd lived a long, long time' is adapted from the book Wesley reads to Fred in AHiTW, the scene cutting to Spike and Angel:

She was such a little girl that one did not expect to see such a look on her small face. It would have been an old look for a child of twelve, and Sara Crewe was only seven. The fact was, however, that she was always dreaming and thinking odd things and could not herself remember any time when she had not been thinking things about grown-up people and the world they belonged to. She felt as if she had lived a long, long time.

So it's an icon I use when I want to focus on the age and history of Spike & Angel - or when I need a beautiful icon of a tree. I love how small they are in relation to it, and how you need to know the show in order to understand what the image is about.



2)
It's a good fandom by killmebecomemememe

Pretty much what it says on the tin. One of those 'I like my show' statements, which beautifully illustrates that just because it deals with a lot of problematic issues doesn't mean that it doesn't know right from wrong. Buffy might not be perfect, but neither is real life...



3)
Smile Fan by buttersideup

Now this one is one I picked up specifically because back in the day there were a lot of people who were angry about the very end of the show. Why did the Scoobies banter when so many had died? Why did Buffy smile when she'd just lost Spike? However, I always loved the smile, loved the fact that Buffy was free, that Spike's final gift to her was herself and her future, unfettered by destiny. She could live, again. (Also see Forget-me-not by the_royal_anna)



4)
Everything is connected by me

This one's... complicated. It's the cover of a Doctor Who tie-in novel. But not in the conventional sense - it's a book that appears in the show (written by one of the characters), but it is now a real book that you can buy and read (I'm currently reading it as a bedtime story to my two younger daughters, as it's a children's book). The book itself deals with a lot of the imagery and symbolism in the show (Moffat Who is all mirrors, dear god), but even more than that, the new paperback version has a new introduction, which ties in directly with one of the current (major) plot-lines. So - everything is connected. Kate Webster is a fictional character (in a book), created by another fictional character (on a TV show), and her adventures are referenced on the TV show... Stories within stories within stories. It's a maze and I love it.

[continued in next comment]

[elisi]

5)
Don't Mess with River Song by meathiel

My 'corresponding' icon on DreamWidth is this one, which I sort of like better, but they both do the same thing of neatly pointing out River's total and utter bad-assery. The icon is from S5, so at the time I didn't even know *why* she was so amazing - she just was. Mostly people should heed the warning on the icon, as no one lasts long if they come up against River. (River > known universe + all the rest)



6)
Time(Lords) can be rewritten by kathyh

This one is one I asked Kathy to make for me. It draws on the line 'Time can be rewritten' (Doctor Who is a show about time travel, and they explore all the possibilities in great detail), but applies it to the Doctor himself, as a lot of people had trouble adjusting to the differences between Ten and Eleven. So it's an icon I use when I need to highlight the differences between them, and how things have changed. And how that's OK. (The image comes from an official poster. I especially like Ten's seriousness, and Eleven's smile.)



7)
S7 love by cleapet (not sharable)

As one of the people to set up lateseasonlove (a shelter for those who liked the later seasons of Buffy and wanted a safe place), it's no surprise that I am fond of S7. Not that I am not enamoured of the dysfunctional nature of S6, but S6 is only half the story - it needs the relative calm of S7 to balance it. S6 breaks everything, and S7 puts in back together. Where Spike and Buffy burned and blazed in S6, in S7 they talk, they connect, they acknowledge that their bonds run far deeper than Buffy has been willing to admit until then - and she finally gives rather than takes. No love (not until the end) but something more important at that time: Trust, respect, belief. So yes, S7 has my heart, and I asked to be able to use this icon (which was made specifically for someone else), and was granted permission.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Funny I already replied on your journal before seeing that you'd duplicated your response here!

And thank you for taking the trouble btw! (also, I just followed your rec to kaybee's vid "Die Young" and then watched her Brave new world and BNW is the first fanvid to ever, ever make me cry. So thank you for the rec!)

Wednesday, October 30

[livejournal.livejournal.com]

User oni_9 referenced to your post from Wednesday, October 30 (http://su-herald.livejournal.com/684794.html) saying: [...] [Fandom Discussion] Icon Meme from Lokifan and Kikimay [...]