Weekend Catchup #3: The Last (Whiskey) Tango In Baghdad

[valmontheights]

Those of you who've been on my f-list for some time will probably notice that I'm currently arse over teakettle for Generation Kill. This is in no small part thanks to the character of Cpl. Joshua Ray Person, the driver of Two-One Alpha, the lead victor in Bravo Two, played by the one and only James “PJ” Ransone to a pitch perfection that is in no

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[contrariangie]

I just want to say that I really appreciate this post. I've been having a lot of trouble with the way people on my flist have been reacting to the war "fandoms," particularly Generation Kill. My brother-in-law is on his second tour in Afghanistan and he's done one in Iraq. The Marines are something that has transformed people I love into people I don't even know and also the branch of the armed forces that I take the most pride in. WWII is also something that is immensely, intensely personal for me. The Holocaust is that sort of touchstone of my people that brings us all together. We will never forget, we will never let this happen again. And sometimes it seems all this amazingly intense, important stuff gets swept aside so that people can gush about how cute two "characters" are and how they should be banging. So, basically, I'm really glad to see something more than that from someone in one of those "fandoms," because it's made me a little less prone to screaming in rage over the posts. ♥

[valmontheights]

I'm glad that someone finds my ramblings meaningful. I've had this bottled up for a long time, but never found the time nor patience to really put it down in writing. I've thought about my fascination with the war "fandoms", why they appeal to me. I'd be lying if I didn't admit that the hectic action of combat, whether on film, TV, or experienced through games like Call of Duty, is something that excites me. But that's more of me being an "action junkie" than a war enthusiast.

As I grew older and became more interested in history rather than spectacle, I slowly began to learn about the men who fought these wars, the men who are still fighting wars now. I may never come to terms with the reasoning, the politics, the tactics or the complexities of modern warfare, but Generation Kill never argued on their behalf.

It simply told me that this happened, and some of it was good, and most of it was not, and that some of those Marines probably asked the same questions I did. Nate Fick certainly did. It wasn't a PR vehicle for the Corps, nor

[contrariangie]

Oh, I definitely think there is. I'm not saying that everyone is only in it for the fannish stuff, just that that's all that I see, kind of. And I think especially when I see shit about Real Actual Marines and other Real Actual Military Personnel -- one of my best friends is Navy, two of my friends have older brothers who are Marines, my uncles were in Vietnam, my sister is ex-Army, a good friend is headed to the Navy any minute -- and people reacting to it only on the basis of these "characters" and how terrible it would be if it happened to them and the poor woobies.

But that's why I'm glad you said this (and that I read it), because it definitely has helped me stop going UGH THESE PEOPLE AND THEIR SO-CALLED-FANDOM and actually breathe for once.

[valmontheights]

I don't blame you for feeling that way at all. So if this post helped in any way, that's already more than I could've asked for when I decided to type it out.

I wish all your friends and relatives a safe return.

[queeniegalore]

This is amazing and you are amazing, and this deserves more of a comment than I'm going to give it, BUT. I just want you to know that reading this kind of stuff is one of the reasons I love fandom so much. Because it brings so many different people together, and we all have different life experiences and we're all coming from different places, and yet we're all, at this moment in time, at the SAME place and we share stuff like THIS.

&hearts forever, baby.

[queeniegalore]

Hey, bb, just a request which you may totally feel free to ignore - would you consider unlocking this post to share with everyone? Just because I think it's awesome and I want all of fandom to read it (and I accidentally recced it without realising it was locked). I totally get it if you don't want to, though!

<3

[queeniegalore]

...gotdamn, you're fast :D

[valmontheights]

Swift, silent, deadly. :p

[valmontheights]

BRAINTWINS. I just did. ♥

[exsequar]

...which commentary would that be?

[exsequar]

This is a beautiful post, and it brought tears to my eyes. I can only say that I couldn't agree more. The war in Iraq was always something to shake my head in disgust at, something I tried to push out of my head because the reality of it is too horrifying. That continues to this day. But I had this accompanying image of the armed forces, of our military as a place of unrestrained masculinity, of bigotry and violence. Antithetical to my own world, really. But Generation Kill changed that. It gave me such a human perspective on these people, demonstrated that sure, they're completely different from me, but most of them are good men with good hearts. Now, I still believe that the military attracts some of the more... unsavory types from our country, because it's a chance to wield power and violence with little to no consequences, but that image is no longer my overpowering view of the military. Now when I hear things about Iraq, I think about Poke and Ray and Brad and Nate. It's been pretty world-changing, actually

[valmontheights]

I think Generation Kill really suceeded in what the creators talked about accomplishing, which was to show these Marines as humans through and through, as varied a group of human beings as you'd ever find