Comments | thingswithwings: WAIT A MINUTE (SGA META)

thingswithwings

WAIT A MINUTE (SGA META)

Jan 07, 2008 15:49

friends, did I miss it, or did we do a queer theory - Lee Edelman reading of the SGA episode Childhood's End already? Surely we've done that, right? Because, you know . . . ( spoilers. for, uh, Childhood's End. Here follows a giant queer-theory rant about the episode, its use of children as political figures, and the implications of homoerotics in this episode. )

sga, queers, meta

Comments 33

pocky_slash January 7 2008, 21:25:07 UTC

I think it makes sense, as someone who only has a passing, undergrad familiarity with Edelman. (And, to be totally honest, I wasn't, um, really paying that much attention that week. It was a big week for the paper. I was thinking about how to condense ad space, since they never let me just edit large sections out of articles.) And, it a) makes me sort of wish that moonsheen and I didn't actually live together because it means that all our conversations don't exist in textual format, and we definitely spent an hour or so talking about something similar to this right after she saw the episode for the first time and b) that I wasn't running out the door because I'd really like to respond further and I don't have tiiiiime right now. I'm tabbing it for later, though!

thingswithwings January 7 2008, 22:59:57 UTC

Yeah, that happens to me and eruthros, too - we don't live together, but hang out at each others' houses a lot, and therefore the best fan-meta conversations get lost because they're not occurring over email or lj or IM. Stupid face to face real-time friendships!

But, I am so glad that it makes sense! You (and moonsheen should feel free to come back and talk about it anytime).

mecurtin January 7 2008, 21:45:16 UTC

YES. Cookies for you! Even though I haven't read Edelman, I can do the bullcrit.

Note, too, that all the Planet KidKill men are *much* shorter than Our Adult Heroes -- even though humans are in fact full-grown before age 24. This makes the Sheppard/Keras relationship very much the traditional lover/beloved of the Greeks -- and like the lover, Sheppard is tutoring his beloved in the ways of True Manhood. Achilles/Patroklus FTW \o/!

thingswithwings January 7 2008, 23:02:09 UTC

oh, that's a nice point, I like it! And, while I take your point about pederasty, manhood, and citizenship VERY SERIOUSLY, don't get me wrong, I should nonetheless tell you that I just got an image of Sheppard in a leather corset and fishnets singing "In just seven days, I can make you a maaaaaaaaaan!"

*blink*

But, yes, the May/December of them does bring in the Greek pederasty, it is true.

cesperanza January 7 2008, 22:03:14 UTC

Ahaha! As someone who just reread Edelmen--(It was the antidote to all the fucking pictures of fucking children that got sent to me at Christmas; am I really a terrible person for wanting to send "Fuck Annie" Christmas cards)--I'm totally with you here. Though if Team Sheppard is lecturing the kids on heteronormativity--talk about the blind leading the blind. *G*

the_drifter January 7 2008, 22:57:37 UTC

Though if Team Sheppard is lecturing the kids on heteronormativity--talk about the blind leading the blind.

*g* Hey, nobody border-policies like the people who secretly fear they may fall on the wrong side of the line. This is, after all, the man who brought us the infamous "In a way a friend feels about another friend" back-pedal ... on somebody's deathbed.

thingswithwings January 7 2008, 23:06:10 UTC

ha! oh, John Sheppard. ILU FOR REAL.

thingswithwings January 7 2008, 23:05:12 UTC

:D omg, for serious. when one writes an essay in which Sheppard is policing heteronormativity and encouraging young rebels to take their place in a patriarchal, institutional structure . . . yeah.

But, it's first season! Teyla hadn't even cut her wig hair yet! They didn't know yet that Joe Flanigan was going to make Sheppard into a big queer.

PS, I also got overbabied at Christmas, so don't feel bad. It was like Hitchcock's The Birds, except, y'know. With babies.

Thread 6

apple_pi January 8 2008, 00:29:13 UTC

I've never heard of Edelman, but this made sense to me. I'm not saying I completely AGREE with Edelman (based on the quotes and ideas you've attributed here), but I can definitely see where this is coming from. And I am intrigued by the ideas you've presented. (To clarify: I agree with some of his ideas, and disagree with others; I like your ideas.)

Annnnd, I'm sure that doesn't make a whole ton of sense, but I am (a) tired, (b) a cheap drunk and (c) the recent consumer of a very large glass of nice red wine on an empty stomach.

:-)

thingswithwings January 8 2008, 01:31:35 UTC

Cool. I don't know how well I'm representing Edelman, here, because he's a hard dude to explain in a short period of time, but if you're ever interested, I have a .pdf of the first chapter of his book, so you can know whether you disagree with him or not. :) But, anyway, I'm happy that my ideas are making sense and coming across.

Also, I miss you, you cheap drunk! I've been reading the feed from your IJ, but it's not the saaaaame. <3! Good to see you.

(reposted b/c of some identity confusion. possibly b/c I am also a cheap drunk and had some tequila. rue.)

anatsuno January 8 2008, 00:37:14 UTC

OH SO YES, of course, totally.

way to impose your silly norms and trample all over a society, sgateam. Oh, wait, you do this every week! my bad. :>

you are precious and right and clever, as usual. much love.

thingswithwings January 8 2008, 01:30:43 UTC

yeah, society-trampling is kind of their specialty, y'know?

and, :) thanks.

(reposted b/c I had some identity confusion)