birthday (a long december and there's reason to believe)
Yesterday I got the best birthday present ever, in the shape of Janelle getting into what was clearly a drunken flame war from while she was on the phone with Will. It was around 2, 3 AM, which was the best beginning to a birthday EVER. I can point out, through analysis, at which points she was listening to him (filed under "tree you're barking up, wrong"; "we find you very entertaining. thank you.") and when she was herself ("I'll bring my bunny balm and you can bring your nasty three inch nails.....let's battle ho"; "I know fashion. And I know reality tv."), but I acknowledge that is more for streetswillflow, because no one outside of BB fandom cares. Much like all of the brilliance we were looking at last night, reliving BB7 making fun of BB2 and talking about BB6 and singing Chi Chu Mugatchu (which is a parody of U2's "With or Without You", with lyrics like "in a pool of virgin blood he bathes". It's fucking art.) and everything. Hee.
I don't know. I never used to be a person who really understood reality TV or RPF. I wasn't opposed, but it was a "they" thing. Now I view it as kind of... an enhancer. Reality TV- and being a psychotic tinhat for reality TV- has enhanced my viewing of scripted television; my history in scripted television made me a better fan of reality TV. They feed off each other. I can easily identify things being done wrong on both sides of the crazy shipper fence (my rule appears to be "so fine, be a crazy shipper or don't, but be GOOD at it!"); I can also enjoy speculating about how the show would have been edited if the producers had sat down with an entire season before they put it out for viewer consumption, and I can identify where they might have changed little details if it were fictional or fictionalized (see also: the path from final four to final two). It's clarifying for me a great deal of what's necessary to make a fictional couple valuable to me, and what makes things fun and exciting to watch.
I wanted Big Brother to be a fun way to pass a summer in which I could not get as much new Grey's as I'd gotten during the year (obviously; a 27-episode-plus-two-specials season lasting from September 25 to May 15- so, what, 36 weeks?- is not quite a several-week hiatus), and instead I found my new fannish obsession. And I keep trying to convince myself that, you know, it's my SUMMER obsession, but no. It's just my new fandom. I have watched six of the seven seasons (which, FYI, total 185 episodes), and I'm full of meta that no one really wants to read (again, part of the reason for the comm), and also a growing irritation that I feel there needs to be meta, like in some way it's just me validating my many, many, many hours spent on a crappy show. And I'm getting more and more uncomfy about it, about both that I feel the need to "validate" my viewing and that I know that no matter what no one will consider it a "valid" obsession anyway, fannish or otherwise. (People, my family was willing to get me Roswell for my birthday one year, but drew the line at Big Brother. ROSWELL. Srsly.)
And you'd think it would have died out three months ago, but no! Because Janie has her drunken flame wars, and Will tells fans they are losers who need to get a life, and honestly, BB hiatus is really the best post-show hiatus I have ever had; BB7 was hard to watch whe it looked like it might end with someone miserable, and it really hurt my love of Will to see him hurt Janelle that badly, but seeing they're friends out of the house, and also (for that matter) friends with NPH? All of a sudden 7 is bright and shiny again. I'm looking forward to a rewatch.
Basically, at this point, I love it. And every time any game is referred to as strong to quite strong out in LJ-land, my heart grows three sizes. And I want to find more people to make watch with me, because while many fannish source texts are pleasant, Big Brother has given me something to enjoy all season long, even when I don't like the final two (and I liked the f2 in 2, 3, and 4, the f4 in 5 and 7, and the f3 in 6); that's the beauty of the jury house and the live final show. And especially based on how the people involved look back at the show, it makes it easier; my embarrassment squick would have ruined BB7 for me if Janie weren't totally okay with it, but TAR12- or, at the very least, comments like "[She] did try to hit on Will, but being the buxom blonde that I am, I pulled him away a smiled politley."- prove she's doing just fine.
It's just SO HAPPY. BB is like a nonstop wanktastic birthday present ALL FOR ME.
Aside from that? A ton of you wished me happy birthday, in comments here or in your posts. And some people made me cute cards! Or gave me LJ presents in my userinfo! And there was dinner out, which was lovely! And my parents sent me a "save the cheerleader, save the world" tee shirt. And while the a-not!-nymeme didn't exactly take off, I've been able to say nice things about lots of people, which always rocks (please come by and make me say nice things about you! It makes me happy!). And no one yelled at me and I didn't get into any fights that I can remember.
Plus, this icon. Duh.
So that was awesome. A really, really, really good day. Thank you.
Now, today, I'm doing and not-doing a bunch of stupid things people should probably talk me out of. Or into. Whatever. It's good times, clearly. Yays!
I don't know. I never used to be a person who really understood reality TV or RPF. I wasn't opposed, but it was a "they" thing. Now I view it as kind of... an enhancer. Reality TV- and being a psychotic tinhat for reality TV- has enhanced my viewing of scripted television; my history in scripted television made me a better fan of reality TV. They feed off each other. I can easily identify things being done wrong on both sides of the crazy shipper fence (my rule appears to be "so fine, be a crazy shipper or don't, but be GOOD at it!"); I can also enjoy speculating about how the show would have been edited if the producers had sat down with an entire season before they put it out for viewer consumption, and I can identify where they might have changed little details if it were fictional or fictionalized (see also: the path from final four to final two). It's clarifying for me a great deal of what's necessary to make a fictional couple valuable to me, and what makes things fun and exciting to watch.
I wanted Big Brother to be a fun way to pass a summer in which I could not get as much new Grey's as I'd gotten during the year (obviously; a 27-episode-plus-two-specials season lasting from September 25 to May 15- so, what, 36 weeks?- is not quite a several-week hiatus), and instead I found my new fannish obsession. And I keep trying to convince myself that, you know, it's my SUMMER obsession, but no. It's just my new fandom. I have watched six of the seven seasons (which, FYI, total 185 episodes), and I'm full of meta that no one really wants to read (again, part of the reason for the comm), and also a growing irritation that I feel there needs to be meta, like in some way it's just me validating my many, many, many hours spent on a crappy show. And I'm getting more and more uncomfy about it, about both that I feel the need to "validate" my viewing and that I know that no matter what no one will consider it a "valid" obsession anyway, fannish or otherwise. (People, my family was willing to get me Roswell for my birthday one year, but drew the line at Big Brother. ROSWELL. Srsly.)
And you'd think it would have died out three months ago, but no! Because Janie has her drunken flame wars, and Will tells fans they are losers who need to get a life, and honestly, BB hiatus is really the best post-show hiatus I have ever had; BB7 was hard to watch whe it looked like it might end with someone miserable, and it really hurt my love of Will to see him hurt Janelle that badly, but seeing they're friends out of the house, and also (for that matter) friends with NPH? All of a sudden 7 is bright and shiny again. I'm looking forward to a rewatch.
Basically, at this point, I love it. And every time any game is referred to as strong to quite strong out in LJ-land, my heart grows three sizes. And I want to find more people to make watch with me, because while many fannish source texts are pleasant, Big Brother has given me something to enjoy all season long, even when I don't like the final two (and I liked the f2 in 2, 3, and 4, the f4 in 5 and 7, and the f3 in 6); that's the beauty of the jury house and the live final show. And especially based on how the people involved look back at the show, it makes it easier; my embarrassment squick would have ruined BB7 for me if Janie weren't totally okay with it, but TAR12- or, at the very least, comments like "[She] did try to hit on Will, but being the buxom blonde that I am, I pulled him away a smiled politley."- prove she's doing just fine.
It's just SO HAPPY. BB is like a nonstop wanktastic birthday present ALL FOR ME.
Aside from that? A ton of you wished me happy birthday, in comments here or in your posts. And some people made me cute cards! Or gave me LJ presents in my userinfo! And there was dinner out, which was lovely! And my parents sent me a "save the cheerleader, save the world" tee shirt. And while the a-not!-nymeme didn't exactly take off, I've been able to say nice things about lots of people, which always rocks (please come by and make me say nice things about you! It makes me happy!). And no one yelled at me and I didn't get into any fights that I can remember.
Plus, this icon. Duh.
So that was awesome. A really, really, really good day. Thank you.
Now, today, I'm doing and not-doing a bunch of stupid things people should probably talk me out of. Or into. Whatever. It's good times, clearly. Yays!