I admit, I have been trying not to get sucked into total couch potato-dom during this season of unemployment. I'm trying to write, to get out of the house, to clean (ha, ha!), to lose some weight (only 1200 calories a day? Are you KIDDING?) to spend some time with family...
...but, you know, things happen. I ended up watching the entire first season of Once Upon a Time in about three days. I even had Ross watching with me near the end, after I carefully laid out the plot for him. (I guess I did an okay job; he followed pretty well.)
I have always loved to see fairy tales reworked - I like the idea of exploring the "after happily ever after" as much as I love the simple joy of the happy endings themselves. So many of the stories that we hold dear - Cinderella, Snow White, Beauty and the Beast - are only a few of many, many versions that have been handed down through centuries of retellings, both written and oral. As a storyteller myself, secretly love the idea that, perhaps, one night, while a particular proto-feminist bard was regaling his listeners with the tale of Little Red Riding Hood, he decides that it wasn't the Huntsman who killed the wolf, but a brave Red herself! Perhaps a mother telling the story of Cinderella to her children and remembering her own abusive childhood, added the characters of the two wicked stepsisters as a final act of judgment on her own family. Therefore, I have really enjoyed the modern twist on fairy tales that the ABC series is producing.
I was brushing my teeth the other day and I got to thinking about the plot - a young boy is the only believer in an ancient curse that affects his entire town - and it really hit home. Because he's right.
It's all true.
Why have these sorts of stories captured our imaginations for hundreds of years? Why do our hearts break when love seems forever lost? Why do we rage when the villain - the witch, the demon, the troll - deceives the hero? Why do our spirits soar when the prince victoriously kills the dragon?
Because the story being told is our story.
We are the helpless, trapped children of the King - all of us. We have been tricked by the wicked, bloodthirsty enemy who has disguised himself as something utterly harmless. Our rights and privileges and inheritance have been stolen from us through deceit. Love and hope are lost to us - but for the King's Son, who has come to save us. His presence forces the enemy to reveal his true form - and the battle begins. Blood is spilt, and a price is paid. Our freedom is won through sacrifice. We are reinstated as princes and princesses, and our Father the King forgives us for trusting the one who would destroy us.
All art is inspired, whether by God, man, or the devil. I truly think that God inspired the threads of these stories as they were woven into and through countless cultures and languages with but one theme: good will win. The enemy will be found out and destroyed, and the prince will reign triumphant over his beloved kingdom.
Happily ever after. Forever.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Things I've Learned Whilst Being Unemployed
1. I drink coffee more now than I did when I was working.
2. If you don't shower within 3 hours of waking up, you don't shower at all.
3. Eating can become a hobby if you aren't careful. I am not careful.
4. I have more time than ever to maintain the house, and less desire than ever to do so.
5. My cats spend 85% of the day sleeping. They are shockingly dedicated to their art.
6. I cannot hide birthday gifts from my husband (actually, I knew that before I lost my job).
7. Creating a routine without the obligation of a third-party (work, etc.) is nearly impossible.
8. Tumblr can be a scary place.
9. It is impossible to convince a cat that a laptop is not a heating pad.
10. This isn't as relaxing as I was hoping it would be.
2. If you don't shower within 3 hours of waking up, you don't shower at all.
3. Eating can become a hobby if you aren't careful. I am not careful.
4. I have more time than ever to maintain the house, and less desire than ever to do so.
5. My cats spend 85% of the day sleeping. They are shockingly dedicated to their art.
6. I cannot hide birthday gifts from my husband (actually, I knew that before I lost my job).
7. Creating a routine without the obligation of a third-party (work, etc.) is nearly impossible.
8. Tumblr can be a scary place.
9. It is impossible to convince a cat that a laptop is not a heating pad.
10. This isn't as relaxing as I was hoping it would be.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
The Measure of a Man Is Not His Cheekbones
Recently, I mused on facebook why the "Geek" section of Pinterest hadn't already been changed to the Gallery of Tom Hiddleston, David Tennant and Benedict Cumberbatch. Honestly. Cheekbones, moody stares, dramatic coats and fantastic hair galore. So little posted about Stargate, or X-Files, or Flash Gordon or Star Trek: The Next Generation (other than those awesome Picard memes).
I don't know what happened, exactly, but somewhere along the line, society has confused fangirls and geek-girls. Which is sort of embarrassing for me. And this is a problem.
Allow me to explain.
It's like the difference between a football fan and, say a Troy Polamalu fan. You can like Troy without being a fan of the Steelers. You can like Troy without being a fan of football at all, really. You can just admire him, think he's attractive, or nice, or a great player, or whatever other reason that makes you like him.
But a football fan likes football, no matter who's which teams are playing, who is traded, or who's out for the season. Football, to them, is football. It's bigger than the sum of its players.
So it is with geek girls. We like science fiction and/or fantasy because they're cool. Personally, I liked the Avengers movie because the special effects were great, the exploration of the characters' relationships was satisfying, it was funny and exciting, the acting was super, the actors obviously cared about - even loved - their roles, and the fandom that has risen up around it is epic. I love seeing the interviews and how the cast interacted off-screen. I enjoy the BBC's Sherlock series because I am fascinated at the way they are reworking classic literature in a way that is not only palatable but riveting to a modern audience. I am transfixed by the technology used. I am loving the development of the characters. The acting is beyond brilliant. I am incredibly excited to see all of these actors take on new roles (The Hobbit, anyone?!)
Yes. The actors playing the heroes - and villains - are obscenely good-looking human beings. (I admit, though, I prefer short-ish blue-eyed bald guys - one in particular. Call me old-fashioned.) Giving them superpowers (or near superpowers) makes them even more attractive. But this is the thing, people. Being admirers of Loki, or Hawkeye, or Sherlock, or the actors playing them...this is the entirety of fangirl-ness. It doesn't proceed past that! A fangirl might further research an actor or role because she finds him (or her) sexy or interesting, and then post 3,422 pictures of said actor or character on Pinterest, but that's it.
Being a fangirl without progressing to a geek-girlhood as well is like nibbling on nothing but a turkey leg while ignoring the whole decadent Thanksgiving spread before you. A geek girl devours her prey whole. Even the vegetables. A turkey leg - even an, um, sexy one - doesn't ultimately give you everything you need.
A geek-girl can also be a fangirl. But a fangirl isn't necessarily a geek-girl. There's nothing wrong with a fangirl. We need fangirls. They are great. They are fun. They dream. They are passionate.
But I'll be darned the next time I hear a fangirl talk about how much she loves comics when the only Marvel characters she can name came directly from a recently released major motion picture.
And if she doesn't know Loki was once a woman.
Please.
I don't know what happened, exactly, but somewhere along the line, society has confused fangirls and geek-girls. Which is sort of embarrassing for me. And this is a problem.
Allow me to explain.
It's like the difference between a football fan and, say a Troy Polamalu fan. You can like Troy without being a fan of the Steelers. You can like Troy without being a fan of football at all, really. You can just admire him, think he's attractive, or nice, or a great player, or whatever other reason that makes you like him.
But a football fan likes football, no matter who's which teams are playing, who is traded, or who's out for the season. Football, to them, is football. It's bigger than the sum of its players.
So it is with geek girls. We like science fiction and/or fantasy because they're cool. Personally, I liked the Avengers movie because the special effects were great, the exploration of the characters' relationships was satisfying, it was funny and exciting, the acting was super, the actors obviously cared about - even loved - their roles, and the fandom that has risen up around it is epic. I love seeing the interviews and how the cast interacted off-screen. I enjoy the BBC's Sherlock series because I am fascinated at the way they are reworking classic literature in a way that is not only palatable but riveting to a modern audience. I am transfixed by the technology used. I am loving the development of the characters. The acting is beyond brilliant. I am incredibly excited to see all of these actors take on new roles (The Hobbit, anyone?!)
Yes. The actors playing the heroes - and villains - are obscenely good-looking human beings. (I admit, though, I prefer short-ish blue-eyed bald guys - one in particular. Call me old-fashioned.) Giving them superpowers (or near superpowers) makes them even more attractive. But this is the thing, people. Being admirers of Loki, or Hawkeye, or Sherlock, or the actors playing them...this is the entirety of fangirl-ness. It doesn't proceed past that! A fangirl might further research an actor or role because she finds him (or her) sexy or interesting, and then post 3,422 pictures of said actor or character on Pinterest, but that's it.
Being a fangirl without progressing to a geek-girlhood as well is like nibbling on nothing but a turkey leg while ignoring the whole decadent Thanksgiving spread before you. A geek girl devours her prey whole. Even the vegetables. A turkey leg - even an, um, sexy one - doesn't ultimately give you everything you need.
A geek-girl can also be a fangirl. But a fangirl isn't necessarily a geek-girl. There's nothing wrong with a fangirl. We need fangirls. They are great. They are fun. They dream. They are passionate.
But I'll be darned the next time I hear a fangirl talk about how much she loves comics when the only Marvel characters she can name came directly from a recently released major motion picture.
And if she doesn't know Loki was once a woman.
Please.
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