I have boyfriends, not escorts.
Day 01 - What is your current favourite ship?
Day 02 - What was your very first ship?
Day 03 - A pairing that needs to happen now?
Day 04 - The pairing with the most chemistry?
Day 05 - The pairing with the least chemistry?
Day 06 - The best kiss?
Day 07 - The most heartbreaking scene?
Day 08 - The pairing with the most baggage?
Day 09 - The most believable relationship?
Day 10 - Why aren't these two married in real life?
Day 11 - What is your dream pairing?
Day 12 - Who had the best wedding?
Day 13 - What is your favorite television pairing?
Day 14 - What is your favorite book pairing?
Day 15 - What is your favorite real life pairing?
Day 16 - What is the absolute worst pairing?
Day 17 - A pairing you thought would never work out, but did?
Day 18 - What is the cutest pairing?
Day 19 - A pairing you've rooted for since the beginning?
Day 20 - The "can't stand the sexual tension anymore" pairing?
Day 21 - A pairing you like and no one else understands why?
Day 22 - A pairing you hate and no one else understands why?
TV
There are lots of these, but I thought I’d do a compare and contrast on two of my least favorite ships. They are:
Logan/Veronica, Veronica Mars
and…
Logan/Rory, Gilmore Girls
Obvious Similarities are Obvious: both guys are named Logan; both are phenomenally rich, and obligatory psychotic jackasses. That much is easy. But as Arthur Pendragon is also rich, royal, and often a prat (British for jackass), this is not necessarily what makes me hate these relationships. (Although the name “Logan” might have a little to do with it. Seriously, hate that name.)
Mostly what I find so interesting about these couples and my hatred for them is that they both took place around the same time (for a while on the same network), and yet for one couple, my hatred is based entirely on the text of their relationship, while for the other, most of my rage comes from fandom’s interpretation of said text. Basically, this is the story of how I hate Logan/Rory, and how fandom made me hate Logan/Veronica.
Let’s look at their beginnings: Rory was a bit of a mess when she met Logan; she’d just broken up a marriage by having an affair with her first boyfriend (and yet, for all his flaws, Dean was about a million times more amazing than Logan. HE BUILT HER A CAR). Logan acts like a jackass to her repeatedly, usually insulting her intelligence and capabilities along the way, and, just like every other time someone has done that to her *cough*Jess*cough*, Rory is smitten. She uses that crush to stage the most passive-aggressive breakup in the history of breakups with Dean, and from then on, she’s free to continue her complete self-destruction, a path that will continue to stealing boats, spending massive amounts of time drunk, and cutting off complete contact with her mother who loves her more than life, while turning to her manipulative grandparents. Uh, yay?
Meanwhile, Veronica also is a mess when we first meet her. This is completely understandable as her best friend is dead, her mother’s disappeared, everyone hates her and her father, her boyfriend broke up with her, and she was raped. Logan acts like a complete jackass to her, and you know what? She’s not smitten. Not remotely close. She just dishes it right back to him. But her various crime-solving efforts keep bringing him into her radar; she starts to see the hurt little boy in him. And did I mention she’s a complete mess? They start making out, which they both think is weird, but in a lot of ways, it stems from Veronica’s need to stay connected to everything about her life with Lilly. And Logan is just not happy without someone to obsess over. But you know what? All that jackass behavior comes roaring back, and Veronica when she sees the warning signs does the smart, RIGHT thing and bails.
Important life lesson for teenage girls #1: IT IS NOT YOUR JOB TO FIX HIM.
So I’ll stop here for a second. I hated everything about Logan/Rory, the setup, where it took her character, all of it. It was a terrible relationship that removed Rory ever farther from that lovely, sympathetic girl I fell in love with in the first few seasons. And what made it especially terrible in my opinion was that the show never called Logan on any of it. They’re written like a love story, and just…no. Nothing about it was remotely appealing. He was a terrible person, and Rory looked at all the terrible things he did and just maybe slapped him on the wrist before smiling and makeouts.
But Veronica Mars…look, I probably wouldn’t have gone Logan/Veronica in the first place, but Rob Thomas was dealing with a rabid fanbase demanding it, for a show that needed all the fans it could get. It was the smart thing to add them to the show. But he did it in this really genius way that exposed all the flaws that made their relationship NOT work. And-this is the most important part-he did it without damaging the integrity of his heroine. Veronica Mars with Logan Echolls was still the same girl she was with Duncan or Piz or on her very own lonesome. She never allowed Logan to set the terms by which she lived her life.
The most glaring comparison that always springs to mind is the issue of cheating. When Logan and Rory decided to give each other some space, Logan dated pretty much everyone in the vicinity. They were just starting to get back together when Rory found out he either slept or made out with nearly all the girls in his sister’s wedding party-during this “break.” Her quite logical response? To move in with him. FLAMES. FLAMES ON THE SIDE OF MY FACE.
Veronica, faced with similar circumstances with Logan, finding out during a short hiatus of theirs, he slept with her mortal enemy from high school, sends his ass packing.
And the female character earning all the hatred from the fans is…drumroll please…Veronica Mars.
Thus, though never a ship I shipped, canon did not make me hate Veronica/Logan. It was the fans. The fans who called Veronica a bitch every time she did something to make Logan look all sadface (usually that something was calling him on his shitty behavior). Or a slut, if she returned to a guy she’d always loved or dated the new guy who actually treated her in a wonderfully kind way. The fans who excused every completely AWFUL thing Logan ever did the same, exact way that Rory Gilmore did for her Logan’s failings.
So, yes, these are both pairings I hate. One is storytelling fail; the other is a larger failure of our society. Until we teach girls to quit thinking they have to save men from themselves, until we stop making the “bad boy” image an attractive trait, and most especially, until we can learn to look at other women, and not hate them as competition, we’re still going to see the same kind of rampant misogyny that makes me see red.
Now let’s all celebrate the wonder that is Veronica Mars, and the fact that such a character even EXISTS:
(by bmaniavids and lovekillsslowly36)
(by michaelvm92)
Movies
Rick/Ilsa, Casablanca
“When Harry Met Sally” tells me that this is because I’ve never had great sex, which is…true. But I still maintain that it’s because Rick is an alcoholic doing nothing with his life, and her husband is fantastic and wonderful and SAVING THE DAMN WORLD and singing the French national anthem in front of freakin’ Nazis (hands down my favorite scene in the movie), and who wouldn’t pick him? And yeah, NOT picking him? I wouldn’t have to wait until tomorrow to regret it. True fact.
Day 23 - A crazy love triangle/quadrilateral that worked out great?
Day 24 - A crazy love triangle/quadrilateral that worked out badly?
Day 25 - A pairing that was/would-be adorable, but could never work out?
Day 26 - A pairing that you hated and ended up loving?
Day 27 - A pairing that you loved and ended up hating?
Day 28 - A pairing that you will never understand?
Day 29 - What ship had the best proposal?
Day 30 - Your favorite ship forever and ever and ever?
Day 02 - What was your very first ship?
Day 03 - A pairing that needs to happen now?
Day 04 - The pairing with the most chemistry?
Day 05 - The pairing with the least chemistry?
Day 06 - The best kiss?
Day 07 - The most heartbreaking scene?
Day 08 - The pairing with the most baggage?
Day 09 - The most believable relationship?
Day 10 - Why aren't these two married in real life?
Day 11 - What is your dream pairing?
Day 12 - Who had the best wedding?
Day 13 - What is your favorite television pairing?
Day 14 - What is your favorite book pairing?
Day 15 - What is your favorite real life pairing?
Day 16 - What is the absolute worst pairing?
Day 17 - A pairing you thought would never work out, but did?
Day 18 - What is the cutest pairing?
Day 19 - A pairing you've rooted for since the beginning?
Day 20 - The "can't stand the sexual tension anymore" pairing?
Day 21 - A pairing you like and no one else understands why?
Day 22 - A pairing you hate and no one else understands why?
TV
There are lots of these, but I thought I’d do a compare and contrast on two of my least favorite ships. They are:
Logan/Veronica, Veronica Mars
and…
Logan/Rory, Gilmore Girls
Obvious Similarities are Obvious: both guys are named Logan; both are phenomenally rich, and obligatory psychotic jackasses. That much is easy. But as Arthur Pendragon is also rich, royal, and often a prat (British for jackass), this is not necessarily what makes me hate these relationships. (Although the name “Logan” might have a little to do with it. Seriously, hate that name.)
Mostly what I find so interesting about these couples and my hatred for them is that they both took place around the same time (for a while on the same network), and yet for one couple, my hatred is based entirely on the text of their relationship, while for the other, most of my rage comes from fandom’s interpretation of said text. Basically, this is the story of how I hate Logan/Rory, and how fandom made me hate Logan/Veronica.
Let’s look at their beginnings: Rory was a bit of a mess when she met Logan; she’d just broken up a marriage by having an affair with her first boyfriend (and yet, for all his flaws, Dean was about a million times more amazing than Logan. HE BUILT HER A CAR). Logan acts like a jackass to her repeatedly, usually insulting her intelligence and capabilities along the way, and, just like every other time someone has done that to her *cough*Jess*cough*, Rory is smitten. She uses that crush to stage the most passive-aggressive breakup in the history of breakups with Dean, and from then on, she’s free to continue her complete self-destruction, a path that will continue to stealing boats, spending massive amounts of time drunk, and cutting off complete contact with her mother who loves her more than life, while turning to her manipulative grandparents. Uh, yay?
Meanwhile, Veronica also is a mess when we first meet her. This is completely understandable as her best friend is dead, her mother’s disappeared, everyone hates her and her father, her boyfriend broke up with her, and she was raped. Logan acts like a complete jackass to her, and you know what? She’s not smitten. Not remotely close. She just dishes it right back to him. But her various crime-solving efforts keep bringing him into her radar; she starts to see the hurt little boy in him. And did I mention she’s a complete mess? They start making out, which they both think is weird, but in a lot of ways, it stems from Veronica’s need to stay connected to everything about her life with Lilly. And Logan is just not happy without someone to obsess over. But you know what? All that jackass behavior comes roaring back, and Veronica when she sees the warning signs does the smart, RIGHT thing and bails.
Important life lesson for teenage girls #1: IT IS NOT YOUR JOB TO FIX HIM.
So I’ll stop here for a second. I hated everything about Logan/Rory, the setup, where it took her character, all of it. It was a terrible relationship that removed Rory ever farther from that lovely, sympathetic girl I fell in love with in the first few seasons. And what made it especially terrible in my opinion was that the show never called Logan on any of it. They’re written like a love story, and just…no. Nothing about it was remotely appealing. He was a terrible person, and Rory looked at all the terrible things he did and just maybe slapped him on the wrist before smiling and makeouts.
But Veronica Mars…look, I probably wouldn’t have gone Logan/Veronica in the first place, but Rob Thomas was dealing with a rabid fanbase demanding it, for a show that needed all the fans it could get. It was the smart thing to add them to the show. But he did it in this really genius way that exposed all the flaws that made their relationship NOT work. And-this is the most important part-he did it without damaging the integrity of his heroine. Veronica Mars with Logan Echolls was still the same girl she was with Duncan or Piz or on her very own lonesome. She never allowed Logan to set the terms by which she lived her life.
The most glaring comparison that always springs to mind is the issue of cheating. When Logan and Rory decided to give each other some space, Logan dated pretty much everyone in the vicinity. They were just starting to get back together when Rory found out he either slept or made out with nearly all the girls in his sister’s wedding party-during this “break.” Her quite logical response? To move in with him. FLAMES. FLAMES ON THE SIDE OF MY FACE.
Veronica, faced with similar circumstances with Logan, finding out during a short hiatus of theirs, he slept with her mortal enemy from high school, sends his ass packing.
And the female character earning all the hatred from the fans is…drumroll please…Veronica Mars.
Thus, though never a ship I shipped, canon did not make me hate Veronica/Logan. It was the fans. The fans who called Veronica a bitch every time she did something to make Logan look all sadface (usually that something was calling him on his shitty behavior). Or a slut, if she returned to a guy she’d always loved or dated the new guy who actually treated her in a wonderfully kind way. The fans who excused every completely AWFUL thing Logan ever did the same, exact way that Rory Gilmore did for her Logan’s failings.
So, yes, these are both pairings I hate. One is storytelling fail; the other is a larger failure of our society. Until we teach girls to quit thinking they have to save men from themselves, until we stop making the “bad boy” image an attractive trait, and most especially, until we can learn to look at other women, and not hate them as competition, we’re still going to see the same kind of rampant misogyny that makes me see red.
Now let’s all celebrate the wonder that is Veronica Mars, and the fact that such a character even EXISTS:
Click to view(by bmaniavids and lovekillsslowly36)
(by michaelvm92)
Movies
Rick/Ilsa, Casablanca
“When Harry Met Sally” tells me that this is because I’ve never had great sex, which is…true. But I still maintain that it’s because Rick is an alcoholic doing nothing with his life, and her husband is fantastic and wonderful and SAVING THE DAMN WORLD and singing the French national anthem in front of freakin’ Nazis (hands down my favorite scene in the movie), and who wouldn’t pick him? And yeah, NOT picking him? I wouldn’t have to wait until tomorrow to regret it. True fact.
Day 23 - A crazy love triangle/quadrilateral that worked out great?
Day 24 - A crazy love triangle/quadrilateral that worked out badly?
Day 25 - A pairing that was/would-be adorable, but could never work out?
Day 26 - A pairing that you hated and ended up loving?
Day 27 - A pairing that you loved and ended up hating?
Day 28 - A pairing that you will never understand?
Day 29 - What ship had the best proposal?
Day 30 - Your favorite ship forever and ever and ever?