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red_satin_dollI've never done a fandom "meme" before but ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif){kind=small}
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.
no subject
Date: 2013-10-29 06:26 pm (UTC)Give me ten minutes or so and I'm there!
I like this idea very much! Interchangeable stand-in companions are horribly boring - what would btvs be without it's marvelous supporting characters?
Oh they are DEFINITELY not interchangeable. Love or loathe them, they are all awesome, stand-out individuals with very specific traits & stories. And oh, the Doctor needs them.
A book? An actual book with pages? I remember those...thank you for the link!
I'm still all a-flail that it's real. And that I was asked! (See? Online obsession can lead to actual, published work! It's only the one essay, but the book is awesome. I am very honoured to be in such good company.)
Meta within meta within meta? That's it - I'm SOLD. Moffat needs to start paying you.
The mirrors are NEVER-ENDING! It's meta within meta within meta within meta within meta... Here's the quote I have on my user info page:
"I always loved poetry because you can treat a poem like a puzzle. Everything matters on all the levels: literal meaning, symbolic meaning, allusions, associations, sounds, the rhythm, the relation of each part to whole, the structure of it all, the configuration on the page... the sheer density of information you can encode in a poem is just awesome. There is NO WAY to read poetry passively.
AND THEY MADE A WHOLE TV SHOW LIKE THAT."
Imagery, mythology, layers, metaphors, colours, symbolism, mirroring, stories within stories - EVERYTHING. (And River's at the heart.) But like I said: Start with the Library episodes, then go straight to The Eleventh Hour. (Not that I'm not fond of Ten, but... his run wasn't rich in the same way.) Whispers: Come to me, person who loves meta, I shall draw you in and you will never leave.
ETA: Also see my icon meme post. And I forgot to mention the music! Oh the music...
no subject
Date: 2013-10-30 05:50 pm (UTC)Well?
That's fantastic about the book! May I ask how that happened? (I have gotten the impression that you are a "real" author - ha ha - I was just re-reading your essay on S8 "Mind the Gaps" that was cut from another "anthology" or collection of essays.)
the sheer density of information you can encode in a poem is just awesome. There is NO WAY to read poetry passively.
Oh exactly. I wrote poetry in high school and college for a time - and won awards for it; and learned how very important EVERY SINGLE WORD, every rhythm and even the length of the lines are. How to create maximum impact with economy of means. I haven't done it in a long time, but in fanfiction I tend to read and am drawn to writers whose style encompasses all of that. I love "prose poems."
Alas my actual prose is often as verbose as my replies are! I can manage that same economy in my Facebook comments for my local co-op, which have drawn much praise; but give me an unlimited amount of space or sheets of paper and, well - you know what they say about nature and vacuums.
the very best fanvids, to me, also demonstrate these qualities: you have to be sensitive and edit to both the lyrics (if there are any) and the music itself; to shape the music to the images and story you want to tell rather than vice-versa; and be willing to reject "cool effects" or a single "neat" shot if it doesn't fit or interrupts the flow.
Oh, but you were talking about Doctor Who...sorry. Anyway - mirrors and meta. Yes. I suppose watching DW will have to supersede my plan to watch Breaking Bad? A girl can only take in so many tv shows at one go.
AND THEY MADE A WHOLE TV SHOW LIKE THAT.
So many movies and tv shows seem to try for that or want to go for that but end up "pretentious" instead, I think: "Look at how clever and knowledgeable I am." I loved Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge for instance, but thought his follow-up, Australia, was horrible. He was inspired by old movies but there neither a single breath of real life to it or the genuine charms of old epics.
When I got into this fandom I had never heard the term meta used to mean "any non-fiction writing (essays, memoir, etc) is that a common across-the-board term in other fandoms as well? I thought of meta in the meta-texual sense (as an adjective or descriptor) and essays as, well, essays.
Whispers: Come to me, person who loves meta, I shall draw you in and you will never leave.
*eyes glaze over* Ooh, meta, shiny... ;) yes you do know me a little too well! But - I have to leave some room for my beloved Buffy Summers, always.
BTW - thank you for friending me back, I hadn't realized you weren't before! It's such fun having you in my "home" to chat. Coming to fandom and btvs has been a bit like going back to college for me - all the fun of intellectual stimulation and friendship, none of the stupid grades. (the carrot at the end of the stick.)
no subject
Date: 2013-10-30 11:07 pm (UTC)Sorry, got distracted. Beautiful video! Especially the overlapping quotes at the beginning - I don't think I've ever seen that done before.
That's fantastic about the book! May I ask how that happened? (I have gotten the impression that you are a "real" author - ha ha - I was just re-reading your essay on S8 "Mind the Gaps" that was cut from another "anthology" or collection of essays.)
LOL. One published essay is as 'real' as I've managed to get. Although it is far more than I ever dreamed when I first began sharing my meta on LJ - and that's basically how I got the gig. The editors are on LJ (and mutual friends), they liked my meta, asked me if I'd like to contribute... And here I am. The first one (the s8 one) didn't make the cut, but I didn't really mind - I rather despise the comics, so I'm happy not to be associated with them. But they asked me back for the Doctor Who book (it's the second one), and this time I got a much better brief! (Season 25, which includes such gems as 'Remembrance of the Daleks'!)
Oh exactly. I wrote poetry in high school and college for a time - and won awards for it
!!! Having written precisely ONE poem in my whole life, I am very impressed. Poetry is HARD.
I haven't done it in a long time, but in fanfiction I tend to read and am drawn to writers whose style encompasses all of that. I love "prose poems."
Same here!
Alas my actual prose is often as verbose as my replies are!
Oh dear, you too? Most people, it seems, write fics that are 3-5000 words long. That's the length of my average chapter... /o\
the very best fanvids, to me, also demonstrate these qualities: you have to be sensitive and edit to both the lyrics (if there are any) and the music itself; to shape the music to the images and story you want to tell rather than vice-versa; and be willing to reject "cool effects" or a single "neat" shot if it doesn't fit or interrupts the flow.
My favourite vids are meta vids. All kicked off with
Anyway - mirrors and meta. Yes. I suppose watching DW will have to supersede my plan to watch Breaking Bad? A girl can only take in so many tv shows at one go
*dances* Mind you, you couldn't choose two more contrasting shows. DW is, when it comes to Eleven, a fairy tale. (A proper one, not Disney-fied.)
So many movies and tv shows seem to try for that or want to go for that but end up "pretentious" instead
Doctor Who is aimed at 8 year olds. I doesn't get to indulge in being pretentious! And oh, I hear you about Moulin Rouge. I adore that film - and Romeo & Juliet even more. But never had the remotest interest in 'Australia'...
I thought of meta in the meta-texual sense (as an adjective or descriptor) and essays as, well, essays.
In fandom, meta generally means any kind of meta-y thoughts. Which can be in the form of an essay.
*eyes glaze over* Ooh, meta, shiny... ;) yes you do know me a little too well! But - I have to leave some room for my beloved Buffy Summers, always.
Oh Buffy is forever. <3
BTW - thank you for friending me back, I hadn't realized you weren't before!
I didn't realise that I hadn't friended you back! (I'm not good at keeping track.) But better late than never! (And now to bed... This week's unusual, in that I'm off work. Normally I'm not around this much. I miss hanging out properly.)
See what I mean about "verbose"? You were warned...
Date: 2013-10-31 02:41 pm (UTC)(Season 25, which includes such gems as 'Remembrance of the Daleks'!)
the way it worked out illustrates what I've found in my own life, it really is "who you know" But that means putting oneself out there over and over and over, even if it's scary. which is why the internet can be such a blessing if one is rather shy IRL. What is a "brief" btw?
you too?
Yup. The meta essays I've actually done are shorter than most of my replies, I guess because with essays I do have a focus in mind. Replies? Off the top o' my head and all over the place. Don't even get me started on the endless notebooks I've filled with fanfic (mostly moulin rouge in the past but now buffyverse) and realize I'm just going on far too long. I envy tv and film and having skilled live actors who can express pages of dialogue with a single glance.
Which gets back to your comment about fanvids (the closest I can come myself is doing picspams.) Coin Operated boy and it didn't do anything for me when I first watched it, but that was over a year ago; I need to give it another chance. Bachelorette & No Longer Feels like Home are the first two vids I saw in this fandom and I still adore them. I just mentioned kaybee's "Brave new world" in another reply to you btw because I just watched it and OH MY GOD...
not Disney-fied.
The revision of fairy tales probably started in the 19th century when children's books became a genre in it's own right (not just primers and moral instruction books, but for entertainment & pleasure) and the gothic revival and arts & crafts moment revived interest in them; and has only gotten worse since then. A heroine ending up winning the love of a prince made sense in a world where careers for women were non-existent; it doesn't anymore. & coming across the real thing, where starvation, death and mutilation are a fact of life, is shocking. Although some of that seems to come from the same mindset of the day: male hanging victims on were on display naked below the waist, or even the torture-porn fics and fanfics of today; that part of us that takes pleasure in the pain of others, that wants "revenge".
I haven't seen Steven Sondheim's Into the Woods yet but I want to for much the same reason; he explores the "what really happens after the 'happily ever after'?" watching broadcasts of Sweeney Todd and Sunday in the Park with George were seminal experiences for me as a teenager.
I adore that film - and Romeo & Juliet even more.
I was obsessed with MR, almost to the point I am now with Buffy, except the Buffyverse is of course richer and deeper. I understand what draws me to Buffy, I didn't understand why I loved MR but I was obsessed with Satine for a while. (most of the fandom was obsessed with Christian. This will not surprise you.) But lately I've begun to notice the parallels between Zidler & satine / Giles & Buffy.
I tried R&J and never could get into it though. I think for me it was too OTT, too loud and colorful and frentic. (Having epilepsy I think means I have a lower tolerance for that. I'm still shocked I never had a seizure while watching the Diamond Dogs can-can sequence.) Strictly Ballroom was a kick, even if the gender and ethnic aspects are wonky, the exaggerated quality of it works wonderfully there because it doesn't overwhelm the movie.
Oh Buffy is forever.
PREACH IT TO THE MOUNTAINTOPS.
Re: See what I mean about "verbose"? You were warned...
Date: 2013-10-31 09:06 pm (UTC)Oh I love that.
the way it worked out illustrates what I've found in my own life, it really is "who you know" But that means putting oneself out there over and over and over, even if it's scary.
I never did it 'to get noticed', I just... couldn't not write.
which is why the internet can be such a blessing if one is rather shy IRL.
Oh yes. I'm really, really not good at putting myself forward like, at all.
What is a "brief" btw?
I love the internet, it gives me easy definitions - maybe it's an English term?
1. To summarize.
2. To give instructions or preparatory information to: briefed the astronauts before the mission.
Yup. The meta essays I've actually done are shorter than most of my replies, I guess because with essays I do have a focus in mind.
Ooooh, I do long meta. When I'm on a roll, they get up to 10,000 words...
I envy tv and film and having skilled live actors who can express pages of dialogue with a single glance.
Thisssss. I am USELESS at short. Not that I can't do it, but...
Which gets back to your comment about fanvids (the closest I can come myself is doing picspams.)
I do pictures with captions. (As you've seen.) It... works, and I realise that I'd never have the time to vid.
Coin Operated boy and it didn't do anything for me when I first watched it, but that was over a year ago; I need to give it another chance.
Oh yes. It was the first vid that showed me how you can say things with a vid, not just tell a story, but make a point. Put two clips together and with the right words/lyrics. Damn. For example coin-operated boy/all the other real/ones that i destroyed/cannot hold a candle to my new boy really made me sit up and helped me understand better than many a meta why Buffy went for Riley. And then Spike turns up, and it still just knocks me out, every. single. time. The sheer change in focus and intensity, just from the way he looks at her. (I have it bad.)
A heroine ending up winning the love of a prince made sense in a world where careers for women were non-existent; it doesn't anymore.
I'm just not going to say ANYTHING until you've watched S5.
I was obsessed with MR, almost to the point I am now with Buffy, except the Buffyverse is of course richer and deeper.
Interesting. Not that I can't see the appeal, but - although I liked it - it never worked that way for me. And obviously Satine is the more interesting character. She's the one with the dream, the one who has something to lose.
I tried R&J and never could get into it though. I think for me it was too OTT, too loud and colorful and frentic. (Having epilepsy I think means I have a lower tolerance for that.
It's like... baroque. Nothing is too much. *g* More is more, just how young, first love is all-consuming. (There's a story to go with it, but I'll have to get back to you.)
PREACH IT TO THE MOUNTAINTOPS.
Lol.