Meta! AKA Watch Angha Go Pseudo-Academic On Your Ass.

[angualupin]

This was prompted primarily by The Events That Have Been Transpiring At Chelsea, and worked out in a couple conversations with Vy and Nol, but they’re all thoughts that have been going around in my head for a while. Am I making this up? Yes, to a certain extent. This is my reading of these people based solely on what we see of them through the

Comments

[pippopippo]

And so, I think fandom might have something, for once, when they pair Sheva and Kaká. Not in a slashy sense, but rather in complementing personalities. (After all, it is true that they are friends.) Ricky is, I think, more similar to Sheva than he appears on the surface: they both have gone to great effort to protect themselves from the cruelties of the world. Ricky’s just slightly better at it.

I think so too. I do try on occasion to separate them from the slash-these attempts are only necessary for some level of sanity-because they've got so much else going for them if you take away all the (probably) fictional sex and stuff.

I might return to this later when I've more time because it truly fascinates me; about the last bits, though, I've always said that Kakà is extremely clever, but I've never so clearly thought of it as image and the Ricardo/Kakà personalities.

[louis_quatorze]

This is totally fascinating. I've never really thought much about them, but I have to admit Sheva is an interesting character.

How would you compare Sheva to Aleks Hleb? Socially, there are a lot of similarities (and Belarus is perhaps even more Russia-dominated than Ukraine), but they seem to have dealt with it differently.

[angualupin]

There might be some background similarities in that they both come out of former USSR countries, but I think their childhoods are more different than they are similar. First and foremost, the difference in their age is significant; Sheva is five years older than Aleks, but it's five years where events in history changed a lot. Sheva was 13 when the Berlin Wall fell; Aleks was eight. That's five more years of growing that Sheva did under the unbroken USSR. And do not ever, ever underestimate the effect Chernobyl had on Sheva; he was forced to evacuate to the seaside after the meltdown and if you want an event that proves to a child just how little control he exerts over the world, get him really near a nuclear disaster

[louis_quatorze]

*smushes them together*

I prefer 'happy.' Well, maybe 'bit of a dolt' works too. Although I've been reading about Belarusian politics lately and wow, there's some messed-up stuff going on in that country. (And Chernobyl had a small effect on Aleks as well, as his father was sent off to knock down houses and according to Aleks still has health problems because of it.)

I find them interesting to compare, but I'm a person who likes comparisons. Sheva seems to have had a slightly better-off childhood with more opportunities- from what I understand Aleks wasn't part of a club until he was 17, unlike Sheva who was in Dynamo Kiev's academy from 9 years old and shone in youth tournaments when he was in his teens. He also came West as a known quantity and as an adult, compared to Aleks who was in his late teens. Definitely different paths...

[ilo]

I'm really facinated by this, I have been following Shevchenko since he came to Chelsea, but I don't know much about the Milan years, and I don't know much about Kaka. Your explanation of Sheva seems very plausible given what I have read, it must have been very difficult to arrive at Chelsea and discover the man with the power on the ground wasn't the one who was backing you. As for Kaka, can you explain 'very, very rare that Ricky’s control slips, and the public can see just a little bit of the passive-aggressive, manipulative bitch of Ricardo behind Kaká,' to me, I don't know what you are referencing. Though again it sounds very possible.

Brilliant analysis.

[applegnat]

You posted it! I am so glad. Your meta terrifies and amazes me in its completely uncompromising view of their characters. It's kind of brilliant that you're able to take this and express it in such clear, concise ways. I would probably write fic in which one of them fell into a pie and everyone broke the tension by laughing. Go, Angha!

[angualupin]

Ricky opened his door to find Sheva on his doorstep.

"Sheva?" he said. "What's wrong? Why are you here?"

"I just couldn't take it any more," Sheva gasped, his face a mask of horror.

"You couldn't take what? Abramovich owning you? The other players hating you? Your inability to play?"

"No," Sheva cried, "the pies! Frank Lampard's pies! He would bring them in every day, six, maybe seven. They would be all over the dressing room. They would even end up in the shower. And the players would eat them in front of me, enjoying every bite. Sometimes Mourinho would have a pie eating contest. And now, to show Roman how much they hated him, they started bringing them on the pitch! They were kicking pies at the goal! Cech was trying to catch them! And laughing! I just couldn't take it any more. Please tell me you will take me in and protect me

[applegnat]

Lady, you are the even star in my skies.

[angualupin]

Bitchy Ricky! Frank Lampard's pies! Sometimes I crack myself up.

[rose_of_rouen]

This seems a very convincing view of them both to me. I always thought Sheva left Milan because of the prompting of his wife (who it seems would fit into your argument that Sheva seeks to hide behind people) and because he had succumbed to the Conrad Black syndrome, you may be a multi millionaire, richer than you ever conceived you could be, but if you start hanging out with billionaires you are going to be discontented. He seems to have sold his soul to Abramovic, and like you, I don't see how he is going to get it back

[applegnat]

He kissed his wife? She was allowed to stay up that late? Why do I miss all the good stuff!

[rose_of_rouen]

Now, now, let's not be like that about it. Yes he did, and it was a proper kiss, like any normal young man would give his child bride. What the hell is that icon about?

[applegnat]

It is the lovely eye-popping Zlatan, there to express the full complement of absurdity and humour with which one should healthily approach football. :D