Media Loves of 2014
Today's post topic comes from 
netgirl_y2k who ask me to talk about particular books, movies, films, etc I've been into this year.
Well first, I guess, my love of the tv show Hannibal has launched into full blown fannish obsession. The first season was great, the second season took that greatness and ran off to even crazier, dizzying heights. And I'd just like to take the opportunity to apologize right now to peeps who follow me on tumblr for reblogging so many pictures of Gillian Anderson. You probably are under the grossly mistaken impression that this show is about a flawless blonde khaleesi who spends a lot of time outsmarting everyone and drinking wine and not about a dude who eats people. But that's the show I'm watching. And it's new and different for me as a small fandomer to be in such a semi-largish fandom where people make gifs, and fanart, and there are lots of dumb fandom inside jokes. There is lots of fic, but unfortunately not about my sun and stars Bedelia. Yeah Bedelia fandom is approximately me and 8 other people. So THAT feels familiar. And the femslash is non-existant and I keep meaning to BE THE CHANGE I'd like to see in fandom, but so far I haven't really had time. Perhaps over winter break.
I know murder tableaux and lack of femslash probably doesn't appeal to a lot of my followers, but IMO it's the best show on US tv right now.
I've also deepened my love of The Fall, which yes has lead to more reblogging of Gillian Anderson on tumblr. In this show she plays an icy police superintendent instead of an icy psychiatrist. Stella Gibson, unlike Bedelia, is also pretty firmly on the side of the angels, so if you like shows with clear cut lady protagonists to root for, The Fall might be for you. In this show GA fights crime and misogyny and looks effing sexy as hell while doing it. Stella is my ideal type of female character--outwardly strong with little nuggets of vulnerability that bubble up from deep inside. I was more on the fence about the first season. There were times I felt the show, with its story line about a misogynist serial killer, was trying to have its (sexist) cake and eat it too. Like they'd show Stella spouting something unapologetically brazen and feminist and in the next frame they'd have the killer committing some horrific act of violence against a woman. I re-watched it again and felt more confident that the show was actually trying to draw explicit connections between the casual misogyny directed at Stella by her male colleagues in the police department and the obvious villainy of the killer. I think this connection has become even more explicit in series 2 and there have also been less violent scenes. Highly, HIGHLY recommend.
FYI- I had a hard time not showing this gif to my Intro to Gender Studies class when we talked about women in the media. That kind of restraint is what they teach you in PhD school. I did teach them about the Bechdel test though.
Ummmm we've also gotten into Bates Motel recently. So yes apparently I like shows with gorgeous middle-aged actresses based on horror films? Bates Motel is much less scary than either Hannibal or The Fall. It's kind of a weird mashup of a dark pay cable drama about a dysfunctional mother and son and a teen drama from the CW. Like half Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf and half Veronica Mars, at least in the first season. That combo works for me.
I sadly have no new book series to rave about. I've read most of Rivers of London this year, and they're fine, though I prefer Felix Castor as my paranormal London detective of choice. I'm reading Hild right now, which was slow going for me at first, but I have really grown to love. It is great to have something that is reminiscent of Game of Thrones and set in the early Middle Ages which is so female centric. I had read Nicola Griffith's Ammonite earlier this year, which is classic lesbian sci fi and wow she has come a long way with Hild. Her historical worldbuilding definitely trumps her sci fi worldbuilding IMO, but you can see how they might cross-pollinate each other. This entry was originally posted at http://kmo.dreamwidth.org/ Comment here or there as the spirit moves you.
netgirl_y2k who ask me to talk about particular books, movies, films, etc I've been into this year.
Well first, I guess, my love of the tv show Hannibal has launched into full blown fannish obsession. The first season was great, the second season took that greatness and ran off to even crazier, dizzying heights. And I'd just like to take the opportunity to apologize right now to peeps who follow me on tumblr for reblogging so many pictures of Gillian Anderson. You probably are under the grossly mistaken impression that this show is about a flawless blonde khaleesi who spends a lot of time outsmarting everyone and drinking wine and not about a dude who eats people. But that's the show I'm watching. And it's new and different for me as a small fandomer to be in such a semi-largish fandom where people make gifs, and fanart, and there are lots of dumb fandom inside jokes. There is lots of fic, but unfortunately not about my sun and stars Bedelia. Yeah Bedelia fandom is approximately me and 8 other people. So THAT feels familiar. And the femslash is non-existant and I keep meaning to BE THE CHANGE I'd like to see in fandom, but so far I haven't really had time. Perhaps over winter break.
I know murder tableaux and lack of femslash probably doesn't appeal to a lot of my followers, but IMO it's the best show on US tv right now.
I've also deepened my love of The Fall, which yes has lead to more reblogging of Gillian Anderson on tumblr. In this show she plays an icy police superintendent instead of an icy psychiatrist. Stella Gibson, unlike Bedelia, is also pretty firmly on the side of the angels, so if you like shows with clear cut lady protagonists to root for, The Fall might be for you. In this show GA fights crime and misogyny and looks effing sexy as hell while doing it. Stella is my ideal type of female character--outwardly strong with little nuggets of vulnerability that bubble up from deep inside. I was more on the fence about the first season. There were times I felt the show, with its story line about a misogynist serial killer, was trying to have its (sexist) cake and eat it too. Like they'd show Stella spouting something unapologetically brazen and feminist and in the next frame they'd have the killer committing some horrific act of violence against a woman. I re-watched it again and felt more confident that the show was actually trying to draw explicit connections between the casual misogyny directed at Stella by her male colleagues in the police department and the obvious villainy of the killer. I think this connection has become even more explicit in series 2 and there have also been less violent scenes. Highly, HIGHLY recommend.
FYI- I had a hard time not showing this gif to my Intro to Gender Studies class when we talked about women in the media. That kind of restraint is what they teach you in PhD school. I did teach them about the Bechdel test though.
Ummmm we've also gotten into Bates Motel recently. So yes apparently I like shows with gorgeous middle-aged actresses based on horror films? Bates Motel is much less scary than either Hannibal or The Fall. It's kind of a weird mashup of a dark pay cable drama about a dysfunctional mother and son and a teen drama from the CW. Like half Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf and half Veronica Mars, at least in the first season. That combo works for me.
I sadly have no new book series to rave about. I've read most of Rivers of London this year, and they're fine, though I prefer Felix Castor as my paranormal London detective of choice. I'm reading Hild right now, which was slow going for me at first, but I have really grown to love. It is great to have something that is reminiscent of Game of Thrones and set in the early Middle Ages which is so female centric. I had read Nicola Griffith's Ammonite earlier this year, which is classic lesbian sci fi and wow she has come a long way with Hild. Her historical worldbuilding definitely trumps her sci fi worldbuilding IMO, but you can see how they might cross-pollinate each other. This entry was originally posted at http://kmo.dreamwidth.org/ Comment here or there as the spirit moves you.