Telepathic Bitches

[peppermintyrose]

I knew you'd all read it if I called it that, but I promise it wasn't an advertising gimmick - I'm actually going to talk about telepathic bitches. :D Mr. Minty and I were discussing the books, and some of the meta themes. Now, he's only up to All Together Dead, but we were discussing Eric's character, and how intensely interesting he makes the

Comments

[anonymous]

Your post reminded me of a birds-and-bees conversation I had w/ my daughter the other day. I’d been doling out the details bit by bit, gauging her reactions and need-to-know as we’d gone along. “How do parents *decide* they want to have a baby?” she asked on this occasion. Upon further discussion w/ her, I realized that her question was not a philosophical one a la how-does-one-know-one-wants-to-bring-a-new-life-into-this-world-and-nurture-it; rather, she’d been under the misunderstanding (based on my too vague responses) that simply desiring a baby makes it happen. This notion of ‘thinking makes it so’ is developmentally appropriate *for her age.* (I straightened her out right quick, btw, and neither of us burst into flames or suffered from any spontaneous pregnancies…but shame on me…*inner conflict here*…shoulda known better )

In fanfiction, all kinds of boundaries get broken down b/w & among characters, writers, readers, reviewers, actors, the SVM texts, True Blood episodes, and fanfic stories. It’s a mushy & fluid fantasy world where many indulgent indulgences get indulged indulgently. People get tied up in characters and don’t always respond rationally. Sure, people are entitled to opinions. But there are likes and dislikes that vary from story to story and then there are ongoing, perhaps rigid LIKES and DISLIKES. As you pointed out, a lot can be learned from review history.

Plus in an anonymous community, such as it is, we *get* to see qualities from reviewers, for e.g., that *might* otherwise be contained. People don’t hold back their feelings because they can kinda get away w/ it. I.e., there’s no fallout in the real world. It can get downright ugly. Think True Blood orgy scene-way too much hanging out.

The other thing that struck me is that we only see Sookie as an adult, with a few childhood references to things like having a hard time concentrating in school, trips to the psychologist (gah!), and suggestions of what it might have been like through Hunter’s character. I find myself forgetting that she had to get from there to here, that she had to go through all of her developmental years w/ her telepathy. Developing a mature sense of self can be a challenge for even the strongest, most psychologically sound of us. I can’t even imagine how she came out of childhood intact. With everyone else’s thoughts bombarding her, how did she even come to understand herself as different from others? It must have been a massive, soupy mess. How did she develop her own identity? Or think about what it must have been like as a child to hear the inevitable negative thoughts about her from her own parents. Things could have gone quite disastrously for her. They didn’t, which makes me respect her character even more.

~JanineMNM

[peppermintyrose]

Lol at your bursting into flames and spontaneous pregnancy - I think it's a really tough one. But yeah, the whole idea of thinking makes it so is just impossible. Or the idea that thinking is a bad thing - which is a completely and utterly alien concept to me - or at least as something I shouldn't do.

Indeed, they are entitled to opinions. But I've noticed after so long that there is usually a certain consistency in opinions expressed. They're not like thoughts, mainly because thoughts are unbidden. Review history is a concerted effort.

I don't know that there isn't enough anonymity in the real world. Real fans have actually gone up to CH and demanded why she did such and such to Eric, or whatever, much in the same manner as they have online. They're encouraged by other fans online to make demands of the writers or even AB. And while they may not say things such as this out loud in the real world, and show restraint, that undertone would be left in their behaviour, speech and action to inflict on others.

I mean, if you're liable to calling Yvetta a worthless slut in True Blood, then you're liable to seeing a street walking prostitute in the same manner, and scorning her, and judging her, rather than helping her. So even if it's not something that you say out loud, then you're more likely to have those thoughts impinge on actions, because rarely if ever are people challenged with their prejudiced assumptions.

Lol at the trips to the psychologist. :D I think the only saving grace Sookie had was the fact that she lived in a house out in the woods. She had time and space from others to be herself, without them fouling it up. I also think that Gran would have been a pretty cool lady to grow up with - no pressure, and always supportive. I think you would need to have that sort of support, and that sort of distance. A Sookie who grew up in the city would have been dead long ago. I'm sure that's why CH moved Hunter from New Orleans to Red Ditch, in order to try to get him to have some semblance of a normal personality.

I can't imagine looking around the internet at how negative people can be how tough it would be. The idea of the thoughtless thoughts of Twitter running through my head and having to hold a conversation - whoa boy, I would be called crazy too. I think one of the essential things about Sookie is her manners and her pride - without those things, she would be a whole lot more of a mess, so I'm glad that no book character tries to squish too much pride out of her. Not so for fanfic of course - that's one thing they continually rob.

Telepathic Bitches

[anonymous]

I think we’re on the same page re opinions and review history.

It's galling to think that fans would approach CH with their demands. I think it goes w/out saying that their behaviors are more about their own emotional “stuff” they bring to the table than any reasonable response to her choices about plot, character development, etc.

And yes, I could see how things that happen in a more or less anonymous world can have fallout in the real world. They’re not unrelated communities.

Good point about Gran & rural Louisiana. I feel better for her now. ;)

Re: Telepathic Bitches

[peppermintyrose]

:D

It is galling - and downright rude. And there's no real reason for them to keep reading the books - but I suppose, they're invested now. For all of those crazy fans, there's someone like me who loves the direction. I don't want CH to do it the crazy person's way - I love her way, and I'm mature enough to deal with things that aren't what I fantasise about (not that I tend to fantasise about much).

I know my online personality is the more forthright one - I'm way more polite in the real world, although it shows from time to time. Online, I'll call someone a dick, when in real life I just think they're a dick.

I know - I was thinking about the assumption that Sookie should move, and started to ponder why CH would have put her out in the middle of nowhere, and how she would fare moving even to Eric's, in a practical every day way.