Vote Now at Slayerstillness and Otherworldlyrics icontests!

[red_satin_doll]

otherworldlyric  has only nine entries this time around. (You'd think that would make the task of voting easier, right? WRONG.) Lovely entries as always -  the clarity and strength of the imagery is just astonishing to me. This batch is entirely female-centric which is always cause for celebration. And I confess that don't know who most of those characters are, to be honest - and I don't care and don't need to for voting purposes. If the icon speaks to me in some way, that's all I need. And these speak to me - there's no doubt in my mind that these icons capture interesting women who would be worth my while, in a variety of moods and aspects: angst, confusion, courage, determination etc.

In just nine icons. And that's what it's all about for me. There's a particular feeling about this set, as if all nine were made by the same person, or it was a collaborative effort. I had a helluva hard time voting because they look as though they all belong together.

FYI, their next challenge is Barry Manilow's "Mandy".  (Full disclosure- I LOVED that song as a kid. LOVED it. Had the Barry Manilow double-disk greatest hits on vinyl - got it for Christmas in 1979. "Mandy", "Weekend in New England" etc.) Which is a lovely bit of synchronicity because I heard that song on the radio last Saturday and I started jotting down icon ideas.  Hopefully I'll have time to do something for it this week; my sweetie and I are moving back into our renovated apartment this week so its gonna be crazytown in my little world.

The Love Song for A Vampire entries at slayerstillness also feel very much of a piece with each other, except this time there are 30 - count 'em, 30! - entries to chose from. I haven't voted yet. I've tried. I stared at them on Saturday and couldn't make up my mind. Looked at them today and still cannot make up my mind. Hopefully the rest of y'all are more decisive than I am, because voting ends tomorrow night! I think I know who I want to vote for...maybe. Possibly. Until I change my mind again. Oy vey.

I'm surprised that there aren't any Darla entries, and Dru is only shown with Spike, but I have the vampire ladies on the brain quite a bit lately. I think that's due to a wonderful batch of icons by spikesredqueen and two stunning Drusilla portraits by comlodge here and here.  Vampire Willow is well-represented in the icon entries though, along with Vamp Xander - and you may be shocked to know that I heartily approve. As much as I love the ladies, I have no problem admitting that Nicholas' performance as VX was wonderfully sexy (and I don't find NB sexy in general) and creepy and doesn't get nearly it's due.

And in other news - the identity of snowdropsandtigers, who rec'd my blog on tumblr, has been solved. It's the lovely and gracious tigerpetals - who I never would have guessed because we can't have interacted more than twice before this week, but I look forward to chatting with more often. If I don't, however, that's ok too. Knowing that people are reading this, even if I'm not aware of their existence is sobering and suprising and wonderful. When someone recs this site or stops by to say high, that's a huge deal for me knowing that they're enjoying this playspace I've carved out, and feel welcome.

I'm not sure how many of y'all have read gabrielleabelle's meta "On Lurkers" but if you haven't, please treat yourself and do so. It's one of my favorite fandom essays:

"Studies indicate that lurkers make up 90% of online groups. 90%. 90! Peeps, that means for every one person who comments on your fanwork, there's nine others who read/watched/looked at it but didn't say anything."

"I know the general attitude towards lurkers is that they don't matter because they don't contribute. I'd say that they matter because they're the reason we contribute. They don't cease to exist just because you can't see them. They're there. They're consuming. And they're being fans in their own way."

Comments

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

In slayerstillness you can vote best crop, best color and something else PLUS your top three icons, right?

That's right. Which is a positive - you can spread the love a bit more. And a negative - 6 decisions to make instead of three. And what happens time and again is so many are absolutely the same/similar level of quality that I can't. decide.

That happened to me this weekend when the local food co-op had a cake decorating contest, we were to pick the best cake and I decided not to vote because there were two that tied for first - stunning works of art - but we were supposed to chose ONE. And I couldn't.

since Barry Manilow's Mandy is also his favorite.

Well it's not my favorite per se - I love Karen Carpenter more - but I did enjoy the canonicity of the song choice for this round! (I'm dying to see someone use it ironically btw.)


Oh and Nadya's Triangle icon is SO SO pretty! I love Buffy and Tara in that episode, even if I thought Sarah's crying weird at the time; now I appreciate that they're just two girls, two friends in that moment; and the fact that Tara is astonished at Buffy's outburst, even if it's meant as comedy, says a LOT about how closed-in Buffy keeps her emotions. (This after the humilation of the end of Briley.) And it won't be funny at all when Buffy goes to her for comfort in Dead Things. I just want to hug my girls so tight.

[kikimay]

I voted on slayerstillness trying to include all the icons. It's hard XD But it's lovely to see that after all these years there is so much creativity about the Buffyverse. Plus pretty vampires (I also voted the one with the Andrew!vampire. Love it. XD)

Oh and Nadya's Triangle icon is SO SO pretty!

It is, right? I'm so very shallow but I think that Triangle!Buffy is SO PRETTY. That's the reason I chose the icon in the first place. I think that she's really pretty and the hairstyle is the cutest. (Plus, I ADORE the episode with Anya and Willow's rivalry and some awesome comedy bits. Buffy's cries seem strange because she's stoic but I love the fact that we get to see comedy moments with Tara and Buffy together)

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

It's hard XD But it's lovely to see that after all these years there is so much creativity about the Buffyverse. Plus pretty vampires

That's something I find absolutely incredible about this fandom - I can enjoy fic, meta and art going back almost 15 years. And as recently as last month's Fuffy vid.

I think that she's really pretty and the hairstyle is the cutest.

In the past I've gotten screencaps of Buffy in Triangle confused with her in All the Way, where she also has the ponytails. So cute. And I have a peculiar love of seeing things "from the back" - whether it's a woman's hairstyle, a bustle costume from 1880 in the round; the backside of a painting in the museum; behind the curtain in a stage set or puppet show, or seeing the backs of houses and business when my partner and I kayaked down rivers, or ride a train. there is something intangible about the "other side" or "other face" that interests me. Even the inside of an old watch for that matter!



I ADORE the episode with Anya and Willow's rivalry

Agree to disagree on this - this bugs me A LOT. Women fighting over the guy happens not once but twice at least, over Xander - early seasons Cordy and Willow. OVER XANDER? Are you kidding me, Joss? I'm sorry but that's a total nerdboy fantasy.

And the fact that Xander completely fails to speak up on his partner's behalf with willow and say "Cool it" makes me extremely uncomfortable. the worse people treat Anya, the more I'm Team Anya. Willow acts more like a possessive jealous lover or would-be lover than a friend with lovers of her own. And that's definitely a theme of the series (kwritten has been talking about this, and she's right about the possessiveness); just like Xander's slut shaming is conversely an attempt to exert control over other people.

And I don't think the show is saying it's good but when it's played for laughs like this, I don't find it funny.

OTOH - Spike's "paralysed with not caring very much" is a line I have actually used in real life. COMEDY GOLD. And Buffy and tara...every little scene of them just reminds me of how much more we could have gotten *sobs*

[kikimay]

Yes, it's also the hairstyle she has in All the Way and I LOVE her look in All the Way. Love it so much. <3 (Your icon! Her hairstyle! Queen of hair! - Pity that in The Crazy Ones she isn't anymore)

I love the funny scenes between Anya and Willow so, for once, I don't mind it's about Xander (I'm also all the way Team Anya and it pisses me off to no end that Xander never takes Anya's side. Hello, Floaded and Xander rolling his eyes at Anya's legitimate opinion! Why he even loves Anya if he never agrees with her opinions and she always seems "unapproriate" to him? I don't understand)

... And that's another reason I don't like Xander. *sighs*

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Queen of hair! - Pity that in The Crazy Ones she isn't anymore)

I notice that in the clips from that show but also when she's on talk shows lately she sort of overdoes it with the extensions (IMO). On the show it seems like they are de-emphasizing her prettiness for comedic effect? Her makeup also tends to be rather overdone; but when I see the photos of her "behind the scenes" she often has less makeup and looks much prettier.

It's rather interesting that the "female sidekick BFF" in the Crazy Ones is prettier than the lead female; when I was a kid in the 1970's and 1980's it was often the other way around. (Although maybe shows like Roseanne changed that somewhat.)

Why he even loves Anya if he never agrees with her opinions and she always seems "unapproriate" to him? I don't understand

As I said to itsnotmymind on your journal, their dynamic is annoying as hell - and unfortunately, it's also pretty realistic in terms of my personal experience of relationship dynamics.

[kikimay]

Yes, I read it and I agree. I think that Anya/Xander is really the regular couple (Except I still think that he could be more supportive. It's just that I'm team Anya)

I think that SMG's hair is too blonde. Like too much platinum blonde. It ages her and she looked much more cute with a warmer and apparently more natural shade of blonde.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Yes, I read it and I agree. I think that Anya/Xander is really the regular couple (Except I still think that he could be more supportive. It's just that I'm team Anya)

Oh yeah, no arguement there. She's trying to fit in to their expectations and yet at the same time she's a very strong personality. My heart breaks for her when Willow scolds her in The Body - and Xander doesn't speak up on his partner's behalf at all (WTF dude?) - and she says "and no one will tell me why."

apparently more natural shade of blonde.

She's a brunette anyway so "natural" is a relative thing! I agree that a warmer shade of blond would be more flattering.