People ask me why I care, why I'm still in the fandom if I don't watch the show and hate it so much. This is a valid mode of enquiry, I think. Why am I still here?
I love Lex, or the Lex who existed before TPTB destroyed him. I think the show had potential to be great, before TPTB destroyed that. I love much of the Clex fanfiction I have read over the years. I enjoy writing Clex fanfiction of my own to make up for the horror that is SV canon. I enjoy picking apart the horror that is SV canon, and making snarky comments on this comm and in my own LJ, because I don't think TPTB should be able to get away with what I consider to be horrible crimes against the art of fiction without anyone identifying those crimes and exposing them to the world. This is enough for me to hang around somewhat in SV fandom.
Of course, for some people, that makes me a troll, as I've been informed, as though there is only one valid way to be a member of a fandom, that being a largely uncritical, squeeing fan. But I think people have a right to see things from differing points of view, and express their opinions as long as they don't attack other people. Fandom, for the most part, doesn't appear to agree with me. I don't care.
But I completely understand why people would want to escape the insane asylum that SV fandom has largely become, before they become assimilated. Borged. Sometimes I think it's too late for me. :-)))
Thanks for the sympathy!:) My main problem is that all the negativity is destroying my Lex love. Now, don't get me wrong, I still love him and consider him the best thing about SV, but given that he's constantly called a Lana-lusting creep these days, it just makes it impossible for me to enjoy even early Lex, even though I realize it's completely ridiculous. I don't believe for a second that he lusted for Lana then, but my subconscious constantly reminds me to be on the lookout for the evidence that that fucking triangle was part of the plan since day 1. And I can't stand it! I so fucking hate Lana and Lexana, and when I am constantly told that my interpretation of the show's early seasons is wrong, and Lex's actions in early seasons are supposed to be interpreted as being motivated by his interest in that vapid sexless doll, it ruins EVERYTHING for me, even fanfic! I'm not even sure I'll be able to read Clex or Chlex anymore, that's how disgusted I am.:(
Yeah, Lexana really is my berserk button. Oh, and Saint!Lionel, too. I hate this show so much, I'm amazed at my levels of hatred.:)
I'll see your levels of Lana/Lexana/Saint!Lionel hatred and raise you my levels of Clark/Ollie/Pod!Martha hatred. :-)))
I totally get what you're saying here. It is completely ridiculous, IMO, to view Lex as any kind of paedophile, and the discussions of this on TWoP and elsewhere are purely character assasination, since there is no evidence of anything like that. I'm a huge Clex fan, and have been from the start, and I never saw Lex as 'lusting after Clark and about to seduce the poor widdle innocent lad'. This just burns me.
Also, to be informed by other SV fans that Clark was a good friend to Lex, who abused him and that anything Clark did to hurt Lex was motivated by his purity and goodness....
Gah! My Clark hatred is rising again. Let me tell you how ludicrous this hatred can get. Sometimes -- just once in a while, I assure you -- I print off pictures of Clark, and tear them up just to drain off my hostility a little. When this happens, I really do wonder why I'm torturing myself this way, and start to think I need help. At least I do realize I'm just this side of maniacally obsessed. A bit like Lex, I guess. :-)))
Truly, I'd like to just leave SV fandom, but I do have some friends in this fandom, and I've written all this fanfiction. Eventually, I guess. But I keep thinking that this is the last season, and after a while all the fans will come to their senses and realize the truth about the show and...
>>I'll see your levels of Lana/Lexana/Saint!Lionel hatred and raise you my levels of Clark/Ollie/Pod!Martha hatred. :-)))<<
How could I forget Pod!Martha! I dislike her even more than Jonathan because Jonathan at least was consistent in his small-minded pettiness. Martha went from a meek housewife who always agreed with her husband to a bad-boy loving corrupt senator. Martha is all sorts of wrong, and I'm not even judging her from a Lex-fan perspective. I think she was a CRAPPY mother to Clark since season 4 at least, and it baffles me that people still see her as the epitome of goodness. Martha as the Red Queen in season 9 is not a character assasination, it's totally logical.
For some reason the idea of Lex lusting after teen!Clark does not repulse me as much as Lex lusting after teen!Lana. Maybe it's because Clark looks like a college graduate in season 1 whereas Lana looks like a child...
I never ever hated a fictional character before SV. I was immensely annoyed by some characters in my previous fandoms, but outright hatred? Never. Until now. I have no idea why I keep subjecting myself to so much stress in SV fandom. Maybe if I give up on everything SV, inluding fanfic, it will be easier to forget about it all and move on. Giving up fanfiction will be difficult, though.
"I never ever hated a fictional character before SV."
Sister. Testify! :-)))
Again, I so agree with you. I never outright hated a character on any TV show until SV. And, the thing is, people might say, 'Well, that's the sign of a great TV show, that it can make you feel so strongly about the characters.'
Bullshit, IMO, because we're not intended, I am sure, to hate these characters. For the most part, they're supposed to be the heroes, and we're supposed to admire them, not wish upon them all manner of torture and agonizing death. There is one episode of SV I would not miss. The episode I'm hoping for, in which Clark is tortured and buried under tons of GreenK, and left there for all eternity. I would watch it even more joyfully if Lana died, and Ollie died, and.... well, you get the picture. I am sure this is not what TPTB intended at all.
"For some reason the idea of Lex lusting after teen!Clark does not repulse me as much as Lex lusting after teen!Lana. Maybe it's because Clark looks like a college graduate in season 1 whereas Lana looks like a child..."
I pretty much agree, and I must say that it's not that I don't think Lex had ANY feelings for Clark, it's simply that I don't see 'lust' as the main ingredient in his feelings. I don't see him as a predator out to get into Clark's pants. He may have been waiting for Clark to grow up -- hah! -- but certainly never dreamt of abusing the boy. But the way some fans talk, you'd think he was some king of evil paedophile just waiting his chance to drag Clark off to his lair and rape him. Why, in that case, would he be trying to set him up with Lana? But, I've given up expecting any logic from SV fans, with the exception of the members of this comm. :-)))
Red Queen Martha is totally a logical progression, I agree.
>>'Well, that's the sign of a great TV show, that it can make you feel so strongly about the characters.'<<
In my case, that would mean "Buffy", "Lost", and "Veronica Mars" (the only three shows I have watched aside from "Smallville" - I am not much into TV) are inferior shows because I never really hated any character from them. Well, I did hate the villains, but in a "I love to hate them" way, not in a "Take this scum off my screen or I'll explode" way.:) Only these three shows, while not perfect, are much more critically acclaimed than "Smallville". Interesting, that.:)
Agree with you on Lex and his non-existent "pedophilic" inclinations.:)I'm so shocked and upset that Lex as pedophile or RAPIST is a commonly accepted interepretation of his character these days that any mention of this (or of Lexana) sends me into a frenzy. I've calmed down now, though! Thanks for the support, it's really appreciated! *hugs*
Truly these shows weren't perfect -- no TV show is. No movie or play or book, for that matter. I've had discussions on TWoP and elsewhere with people who point that out in defence of SV. 'Well, BTVS wasn't perfect, either.' No, it wasn't, and there were some story lines I disliked and at times I wanted to slap Buffy and so on. But compared to SV it was brilliant.
Heroes don't need to be perfect, IMO. I'm entirely willing to grant them some faults. But when the faults go on and on for years, to the point where they seem to be approved of, as if they were virtues! And that's what happened to SVClark, again, IMO.
The reason, I think, that Lex keeps getting these labels attached to him -- manipulative, paedophile, rapist -- is that he actually committed very few crimes compared to the other characters. Non-Lex-Fan viewers probably do notice this subconsciously, even if they don't want to admit it. The realization niggles at the backs of their minds, and so they create a kind of 'villain wallpaper' to cover up the cracks in canon. So, we get: Lex was only manipulating the people of Smallville. He wanted to use Clark for his powers to take over the world. He wanted to rape Clark. He wanted to rape Lana. He really must have raped those 13 women that year. Or he lied to them to get them into bed, which is almost the same thing. He was building that mutant army to rule the world. And so on and so on. The fact that there is almost no evidence -- if any! -- for any of these allegations doesn't matter in their minds, because Lex Luthor is The Villain, and anyone who points out the lack of evidence is just a villain-lover. :-)))
This is another reason why I hang around in SV fandom -- it's a fascinating exercise in media analysis. Really, it is. I never paid too much attention to these things before, and it is interesting, even if extremely frustrating and enraging at times.
I agree with you on everything (shocker, isn't it?:))), and I must say our little discussion really made me feel better, and I've reconsider my decision to move away from the fandom. Thank you for doing your best to soothe my righteous anger!:) Now I just have to avoid ANY mention of Lexana, or season 10 spoilers.
You're welcome. Not a problem. And I understand your righteous anger completely. What I find is that if I can discuss my anger with other people it doesn't trouble me so much. And how I see it, if all goes well this will indeed be the last season of SV. Things should calm down on the SV fandom front after that. People will just drift away from SV fandom, but there still will be the fanfiction and some discussion. I was active in many fandoms that just drifted apart after the shows ended. That's always a bit easier than leaving a fandom out of pain and anger, I've found. I look back on those fandoms with fondness, and still go back to check out the new fanfiction. So, I think if we just hang in there over the next year, and manage to keep our sanity somehow, we won't have to worry about leaving SV fandom. It will leave us, or something. :-)))
>>People will just drift away from SV fandom, but there still will be the fanfiction and some discussion. I was active in many fandoms that just drifted apart after the shows ended.<<
I watched "Buffy" for the first time just a few months ago and was shocked to discover that Buffy fandom was still active! But all the vicious ship wars, etc. seem to be a thing of the past, and people just enjoy themselves, write fanfic and make lists of their favorite episodes.:) This is how you're supposed to enjoy the fandom, I think. It's supposed to bring you happiness and joy, not add even more stress to your already stressful life. Smallville's season 9 was the first and only season I watched live, and this wasnot a very pleasant experience because I was constantly tempted to check out other people's reactions, and the made me upset. I am definitely NOT going to watch season 10 (unless something extraordinary happens, along the lines of Clex reconciling:)) I came to SV because I was tired of the viciousness and meanness of the Harry Potter fandom, byt SV turned out to be just as bad. But at least it I've learned a lot from these bad experiences, and there's no way in hell I'm going to continue subjecting myself to hatred and hypocricy that seem to be so rampant among fans. I'll just live in my own little Lex-loving bubble, with you all.:)
People ask me why I care, why I'm still in the fandom if I don't watch the show and hate it so much. This is a valid mode of enquiry, I think. Why am I still here?
I love Lex, or the Lex who existed before TPTB destroyed him. I think the show had potential to be great, before TPTB destroyed that. I love much of the Clex fanfiction I have read over the years. I enjoy writing Clex fanfiction of my own to make up for the horror that is SV canon. I enjoy picking apart the horror that is SV canon, and making snarky comments on this comm and in my own LJ, because I don't think TPTB should be able to get away with what I consider to be horrible crimes against the art of fiction without anyone identifying those crimes and exposing them to the world. This is enough for me to hang around somewhat in SV fandom.
Of course, for some people, that makes me a troll, as I've been informed, as though there is only one valid way to be a member of a fandom, that being a largely uncritical, squeeing fan. But I think people have a right to see things from differing points of view, and express their opinions as long as they don't attack other people. Fandom, for the most part, doesn't appear to agree with me. I don't care.
But I completely understand why people would want to escape the insane asylum that SV fandom has largely become, before they become assimilated. Borged. Sometimes I think it's too late for me. :-)))
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Yeah, Lexana really is my berserk button. Oh, and Saint!Lionel, too. I hate this show so much, I'm amazed at my levels of hatred.:)
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I totally get what you're saying here. It is completely ridiculous, IMO, to view Lex as any kind of paedophile, and the discussions of this on TWoP and elsewhere are purely character assasination, since there is no evidence of anything like that. I'm a huge Clex fan, and have been from the start, and I never saw Lex as 'lusting after Clark and about to seduce the poor widdle innocent lad'. This just burns me.
Also, to be informed by other SV fans that Clark was a good friend to Lex, who abused him and that anything Clark did to hurt Lex was motivated by his purity and goodness....
Gah! My Clark hatred is rising again. Let me tell you how ludicrous this hatred can get. Sometimes -- just once in a while, I assure you -- I print off pictures of Clark, and tear them up just to drain off my hostility a little. When this happens, I really do wonder why I'm torturing myself this way, and start to think I need help. At least I do realize I'm just this side of maniacally obsessed. A bit like Lex, I guess. :-)))
Truly, I'd like to just leave SV fandom, but I do have some friends in this fandom, and I've written all this fanfiction. Eventually, I guess. But I keep thinking that this is the last season, and after a while all the fans will come to their senses and realize the truth about the show and...
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How could I forget Pod!Martha! I dislike her even more than Jonathan because Jonathan at least was consistent in his small-minded pettiness. Martha went from a meek housewife who always agreed with her husband to a bad-boy loving corrupt senator. Martha is all sorts of wrong, and I'm not even judging her from a Lex-fan perspective. I think she was a CRAPPY mother to Clark since season 4 at least, and it baffles me that people still see her as the epitome of goodness. Martha as the Red Queen in season 9 is not a character assasination, it's totally logical.
For some reason the idea of Lex lusting after teen!Clark does not repulse me as much as Lex lusting after teen!Lana. Maybe it's because Clark looks like a college graduate in season 1 whereas Lana looks like a child...
I never ever hated a fictional character before SV. I was immensely annoyed by some characters in my previous fandoms, but outright hatred? Never. Until now. I have no idea why I keep subjecting myself to so much stress in SV fandom. Maybe if I give up on everything SV, inluding fanfic, it will be easier to forget about it all and move on. Giving up fanfiction will be difficult, though.
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Sister. Testify! :-)))
Again, I so agree with you. I never outright hated a character on any TV show until SV. And, the thing is, people might say, 'Well, that's the sign of a great TV show, that it can make you feel so strongly about the characters.'
Bullshit, IMO, because we're not intended, I am sure, to hate these characters. For the most part, they're supposed to be the heroes, and we're supposed to admire them, not wish upon them all manner of torture and agonizing death. There is one episode of SV I would not miss. The episode I'm hoping for, in which Clark is tortured and buried under tons of GreenK, and left there for all eternity. I would watch it even more joyfully if Lana died, and Ollie died, and.... well, you get the picture. I am sure this is not what TPTB intended at all.
"For some reason the idea of Lex lusting after teen!Clark does not repulse me as much as Lex lusting after teen!Lana. Maybe it's because Clark looks like a college graduate in season 1 whereas Lana looks like a child..."
I pretty much agree, and I must say that it's not that I don't think Lex had ANY feelings for Clark, it's simply that I don't see 'lust' as the main ingredient in his feelings. I don't see him as a predator out to get into Clark's pants. He may have been waiting for Clark to grow up -- hah! -- but certainly never dreamt of abusing the boy. But the way some fans talk, you'd think he was some king of evil paedophile just waiting his chance to drag Clark off to his lair and rape him. Why, in that case, would he be trying to set him up with Lana? But, I've given up expecting any logic from SV fans, with the exception of the members of this comm. :-)))
Red Queen Martha is totally a logical progression, I agree.
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In my case, that would mean "Buffy", "Lost", and "Veronica Mars" (the only three shows I have watched aside from "Smallville" - I am not much into TV) are inferior shows because I never really hated any character from them. Well, I did hate the villains, but in a "I love to hate them" way, not in a "Take this scum off my screen or I'll explode" way.:) Only these three shows, while not perfect, are much more critically acclaimed than "Smallville". Interesting, that.:)
Agree with you on Lex and his non-existent "pedophilic" inclinations.:)I'm so shocked and upset that Lex as pedophile or RAPIST is a commonly accepted interepretation of his character these days that any mention of this (or of Lexana) sends me into a frenzy. I've calmed down now, though! Thanks for the support, it's really appreciated! *hugs*
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Heroes don't need to be perfect, IMO. I'm entirely willing to grant them some faults. But when the faults go on and on for years, to the point where they seem to be approved of, as if they were virtues! And that's what happened to SVClark, again, IMO.
The reason, I think, that Lex keeps getting these labels attached to him -- manipulative, paedophile, rapist -- is that he actually committed very few crimes compared to the other characters. Non-Lex-Fan viewers probably do notice this subconsciously, even if they don't want to admit it. The realization niggles at the backs of their minds, and so they create a kind of 'villain wallpaper' to cover up the cracks in canon. So, we get: Lex was only manipulating the people of Smallville. He wanted to use Clark for his powers to take over the world. He wanted to rape Clark. He wanted to rape Lana. He really must have raped those 13 women that year. Or he lied to them to get them into bed, which is almost the same thing. He was building that mutant army to rule the world. And so on and so on. The fact that there is almost no evidence -- if any! -- for any of these allegations doesn't matter in their minds, because Lex Luthor is The Villain, and anyone who points out the lack of evidence is just a villain-lover. :-)))
This is another reason why I hang around in SV fandom -- it's a fascinating exercise in media analysis. Really, it is. I never paid too much attention to these things before, and it is interesting, even if extremely frustrating and enraging at times.
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I watched "Buffy" for the first time just a few months ago and was shocked to discover that Buffy fandom was still active! But all the vicious ship wars, etc. seem to be a thing of the past, and people just enjoy themselves, write fanfic and make lists of their favorite episodes.:) This is how you're supposed to enjoy the fandom, I think. It's supposed to bring you happiness and joy, not add even more stress to your already stressful life. Smallville's season 9 was the first and only season I watched live, and this wasnot a very pleasant experience because I was constantly tempted to check out other people's reactions, and the made me upset. I am definitely NOT going to watch season 10 (unless something extraordinary happens, along the lines of Clex reconciling:)) I came to SV because I was tired of the viciousness and meanness of the Harry Potter fandom, byt SV turned out to be just as bad. But at least it I've learned a lot from these bad experiences, and there's no way in hell I'm going to continue subjecting myself to hatred and hypocricy that seem to be so rampant among fans. I'll just live in my own little Lex-loving bubble, with you all.:)
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