Happy Birthday Slaymesoftly!

[kudagirl]

I tried to get this to post on Jan. 25, but DW didn't want to play.
So here is your birthday post a bit early.

You are celebrating your birthday but the rest of us are
celebrating the anniversary of you arriving in the world
and making it a better, happier place for us.
Happy Birthday.

Comments

[kudagirl]

Shippers are going to ship who they loved. Joss isn't a shipper. Never was, never will be. He will break your heart if you let him.

In the first season of ATS, Buffy showed up at Angel's office. Doyle who had visions asked Cordy about Buffy and Angel. Cordy said this: Let me explain the lore here, okay? They suffer, they fight, that's business as usual. They get groiny with one another, the world as we know it falls apart.. Cordy was right. It happened in Season Eight of the comics. The world almost ended and people died. Giles died. Magic was stripped from the world. Now on Angel's side of the comics they are trying to make it seem like Angel had a plan, but never got to explain it to Buffy. I call bull crap. It's a white wash to excuse Angel for his actions and to make it all Buffy's fault. They took Angel too far and now are trying to fix it.

The movie isn't canon for me. The comics aren't canon to me. Joss says the comics are canon, but he gave the writers a guide line of the story. The writers took it and gave it their own spin.

I've met several of the Buffy actors. I have gone to Dragon*Con three times so far. I met James several times and gone to his panels there. I also met Nicholas Brendon(Xander-who I don't like as a character or person), Charisma Carpenter (Cordy-so sweet and beautiful), Mercedes McNab (Harmony-she was very quiet in person), Julie Benz (Darla-lovely and very nice), Felicia Day (Vi-so nice and friendly), Eliza Dushku (Faith-loves to tease James), Nathan Fillion (Caleb-such a sweetie and loves to be silly) and Clare Kramer (Glory-so down to earth and loves to talk).

One of the writers for Angel said they talked about Buffy showing up and Spike leaving with her. I always liked Angel with Cordy. Cordy kept him in line. She brought out the best in Angel like Spike does for Buffy. Cordy and Spike were support systems for them. Buffy and Angel are a mess about to happen. Cordy grew up on ATS and became an amazing character. Of course, Joss killed Cordy off. Bangel maybe the fairy tale couple, but Angel/Cordy and Buffy/Spike were the real deals.

[red_satin_doll]

Shippers are going to ship who they loved. Joss isn't a shipper. Never was, never will be. He will break your heart if you let him.

Oh so true. That's why I really think that fans need to stop looking to the comics for some sort of fulfillment.

Today I read a really gorgeous little B/S/A story on fanfic.net, "Those Things" by TheFoxinator; and I don't ship that trio but after this story I just might. It's wonderful - and it reminds me, sadly, of the stand-alone comic in which Buffy dreams that Spike and Angel are making out to one another and ignoring her, while she dreams that she's married to Warren. And it's played for laughs. Sorry, but NOT FUNNY. At ALL. And it makes me really sad because in Chosen, it was Buffy who mentioned getting the two of them together "Maybe there could be some oil involved". Which I loved - it was a joke but also Buffy stating that she had a slashy fantasy (on network tv, yet) about her two vampire lovers. And yet ten years later, Joss Whedon has lost the courage of his convictions and reverts to making Buffy the "butt of the joke" and using her humiliation for the yuks?

Oh the link to the story: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8932271/1/Those-Things

Have you read shipperx's superb, angry meta on the comics?
http://shipperx.livejournal.com/743174.html

Lots of righteous and right-on ranting there, (including my own.) as well as intelligent analysis. (Pretty much anything they have to say about the comics is spot-on.) The meta address the whitewashing specifically.

but Angel/Cordy and Buffy/Spike were the real deals.

And I would really love to see Cordy grow and develop on AtS (I watched a couple of eps and I didn't like her in btvs s1-2, but then felt for her in S3 after Xander's betrayal); I watched a couple of eps of AtS and thought, this is an interesting person! But then reading what happens to her - I don't think I want to get attached to the character and then go through that. I'm having a hard enough time with the way the comics humiliate and degrade Buffy, so no thanks. I'll stick to fanfic.

It's really nice to hear that most of the actors you've met have been so nice, and that you've gotten the chance to meet them! that's always a treat, isn't it?

[kudagirl]

I understand not wanting to see Cordy and how she ended. The thing about Cordy is she saw Angel for who he was and stood up to him. She called him on his BS and loved him anyways. It was a wonderful thing to see.

Most of the actors I've met have been delightful. Some are total jerks, but most aren't. There are videos on youtube of some of the panels. I fell for Spike on BTVS, but meeting James in person made me a fan of the man. He impressed me as being a kind, funny and amazing man. He is a bundle of energy at times. He has mellowed since he married Patricia. He is much happier these days.

I'll check out the links. I do love reading meta of all kinds.

[red_satin_doll]

I haven't watched the videos for the Paley '08 fest but I keep meaning to. I've read some of JM's website and his Q & A's and he certainly sounds like a smart man.

I adore btvs meta - it's what got me into the fandom long before fanfic. I've rec'd some on buffyverse top 5 if you're interested in more.

[kudagirl]

James is a sweet guy. I was first impressed by him while waiting for my photo with him. I watched him with a family who had a boy about ten. James took photo with the family and the boy by himself. Froggy who does the photos is a total jerk. He is famous for it. He kept rushing the photos and telling James to move on. Once the family had their photos, James followed them to the side and continue to talk to the boy giving him extra time to be with James. Froggy kept frowning and James just ignored him. That sealed the deal with me. James always gives kids extra attention. He is very good to his fans.

I'll check the meta you rec'd. I always enjoy different opinions about fandom. Sometimes they open me up to different views about things.

[red_satin_doll]

That is really nice to hear. Is this Froggy person someone who does photos regularly for conferences or what-all?

I once attended a Keith Urban concert because a friend had given me free tickets, (and like a lot of "country" artist, he is VERY attentive to his fans) and the opening act was a duo of two young women, a fairly new act, who the KU fans said weren't that good (compared to their guy). I remember they were good, but what I really remember is that a young girl (12?) with one leg in a cast got to visit backstage with them as a birthday gift, and the mom thanking their agent/mgr for how much time they'd spent with her daughter. I don't listen to country music, but I did notice that it's expected that acts build a close rapport with their fans, probably because country music used to be so "small" and relatively regional (based in Nashville), and maybe the whole "southern manners" thing.

And it struck me as very different from the expectations of other pop stars, or movie/tv stars who tend to keep a distance from fans, so that your description of James almost sounds extraordinary, which is too bad. (But again, he's had Q & A's on his blog from fans, so he definitely seems to go that extra mile.)

How long has he been married? (Also, have you ever met Amber Benson? Just curious.)

Do enjoy the meta - I'll probably add more recs if they're still accepting some; I found some terrific ones on The Funny Feminist blog via su_herald. I agree, other fans viewpoints can get me thinking about the show in new ways, even if I don't always agree with their points. (local_max sometimes writes long answers in convo threads about Willow esp that are metas in their own right.) I'm always on the lookout for more, although I really need to just keep writing my own.

I hope I'm not incoherent right now, btw; I'm very tired from pain meds for a recent injury and not sleeping well last night. (At least I hope it's the not sleeping. If the meds are making me tired, even though I've backed off them in recent weeks, that's more worrisome.) Doesn't help with the "wanting to write" bit.

[kudagirl]

I hope you are healing and getting better. Pain meds are almost as bad as what you are taking them to relieve. I have back pain so I know how difficult life can be while in pain.

I don't know about all cons, but Froggy does most of James' photo shoots. At Dragon*Con there are two photographers. Each have their own list of actors.

James has developed quite the following of fans. There are several who fly all over the world to be at a con when he is there. He loves it because the fans have formed friendships together. He wanted to be a community and he has. The fans go to see each other as well as him.

James married just over two years ago. He had dated Patricia, who likes to be called Jasmine, for several years. She is a bit younger than him and grew up in Germany. They seem very happy. His son, Sullivan, plays in James' band, Ghost Of The Robot. Sullivan looks so much like James. James is also raising his niece, his brother's child.

I would love to meet Amber. My best friend did meet her last year at Dragon*Con. Said she was very nice.

We have a huge group of county stars here in TX as well. I grew up just a few miles away from where Willie Nelson was raised. He would visit a friend of his in my home town. Austin has a major group of country western players. My ex burned me out on country music. It was all he would allow in the house or car when he was around. I can't stand to listen to it anymore. Just one of the reasons he is an ex.