It's that time of the year again
Mar. 29th, 2011 01:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakThe Red Nose day sketch, ensuing reactions, and the new Doctor Who season coming closer reminded me of the downside my fannish existence had during the last season. To wit: I felt terribly in betweenish most of the time. To me, it seemed like half of the people I knew on lj were squeeing about New Who s5 as the best thing ever, and the other half was wailing against it as having lost everything they enjoyed about DW. (Include endless Doylist rinse/repeat arguments along the lines of "Moff sexist!" "No, Rusty sexist!" "Why are/were you so mean about Moff/Rusty but weren't/aren't about Rusty/Moff?")
Meanwhile, here I was, and while I enjoyed s5, I didn't think it was the best thing ever. (Of New Who, even.) I loved some episodes, was entertained by others, was annoyed and irritated by some. This had the irritating effect that often when I went online and saw the squee posts, I felt guilty for not being able to join. Then I saw the wail posts and thought, hang on, that's not quite fair. And then I felt ticked off whenever either side used a lot of "we" and tried to create enforced partisanship. Anyone who had trouble with *insert s5 character, characterisation, episode, whatever* was clearly sexist/stupidly shippery/unable to move on. Anyone who loved *insert s5 character, characterisation, episode, whatever* was clearly doing so only out of an onging RTD grudge/was sexist/shallow/stupidly shippery and so forth. (This is why I appreciatedzahrawithaz's reaction so much. She was an utterly new viewer who reacted to only what she saw and without past fandom baggage.)
Now, I'm really looking forward to the new season. I still don't own s5 which probably says something about my current budget as well as my intensity fannish love for the season (I do own the first four New Who seasons), but I'll get around to it sooner or later. (If someone could give me the discount version without the stupid iDaleks...) I like Eleven, Amy, Rory and of course River, and want very much see more of them. And the promised Neil Gaiman episode is much anticipated by yours truly. (Btw, the title of Neil Gaiman's episode had me gurgling in amusement. It's the kind of messing with fandom's minds I appreciate, no matter whether RTD - think of Clyde asking the Doctor about regeneration - or Moffat does it.) But I also have the nasty suspicion my s5 experience will repeat itself. I'll get online and some will squee and curse anyone who dares critisize, which will tick me off, and then I'll check the complaint side where there will be eviscaration to a degree that makes me feel uncomfortable and think, hang on, I enjoyed that. And so forth.
...I have this theory that the only way to avoid it is not to read other reviews, but that would take away from my fannish existence. Argh.
A spoilery remark about the webisode prequel to the season opener which the BBC put up:
With all my grousing about Jolly Old Churchill last season, the idea of Nixon in Doctor Who amuses the hell out of me. And I bet it won't be any more three dimensional Nixon than last season's was three dimensional Winston. So clearly I don't object to all over the top versions of legendary heads of goverment.
And a remark about the title of the Neil Gaiman episode:
I'm willing to bet something on the guess "The Doctor's Wife" won't be River. It might not even be "our" Doctor - wouldn't put it beyond Neil and the Moff to introduce a one shot character who is a doctor and has a wife just to mess with fandom - but any episode dealing with River's backstory will be written by the Moff himself. Otoh, given the canon Ten/Elizabeth I and Eleven/Marilyn Monroe, not to mention One/Woever Susan's Grandmother Was and One/Cameca (what? they were betrothed!), it's not like Our Neil doesn't have a wide assortment of already existing wives to choose from, if he wants to. Until the episode is broadcast, however, fandom will go crazy, which is undoubtedly Our Overlord's intention.
Meanwhile, here I was, and while I enjoyed s5, I didn't think it was the best thing ever. (Of New Who, even.) I loved some episodes, was entertained by others, was annoyed and irritated by some. This had the irritating effect that often when I went online and saw the squee posts, I felt guilty for not being able to join. Then I saw the wail posts and thought, hang on, that's not quite fair. And then I felt ticked off whenever either side used a lot of "we" and tried to create enforced partisanship. Anyone who had trouble with *insert s5 character, characterisation, episode, whatever* was clearly sexist/stupidly shippery/unable to move on. Anyone who loved *insert s5 character, characterisation, episode, whatever* was clearly doing so only out of an onging RTD grudge/was sexist/shallow/stupidly shippery and so forth. (This is why I appreciated
zahrawithaz's reaction so much. She was an utterly new viewer who reacted to only what she saw and without past fandom baggage.)Now, I'm really looking forward to the new season. I still don't own s5 which probably says something about my current budget as well as my intensity fannish love for the season (I do own the first four New Who seasons), but I'll get around to it sooner or later. (If someone could give me the discount version without the stupid iDaleks...) I like Eleven, Amy, Rory and of course River, and want very much see more of them. And the promised Neil Gaiman episode is much anticipated by yours truly. (Btw, the title of Neil Gaiman's episode had me gurgling in amusement. It's the kind of messing with fandom's minds I appreciate, no matter whether RTD - think of Clyde asking the Doctor about regeneration - or Moffat does it.) But I also have the nasty suspicion my s5 experience will repeat itself. I'll get online and some will squee and curse anyone who dares critisize, which will tick me off, and then I'll check the complaint side where there will be eviscaration to a degree that makes me feel uncomfortable and think, hang on, I enjoyed that. And so forth.
...I have this theory that the only way to avoid it is not to read other reviews, but that would take away from my fannish existence. Argh.
A spoilery remark about the webisode prequel to the season opener which the BBC put up:
With all my grousing about Jolly Old Churchill last season, the idea of Nixon in Doctor Who amuses the hell out of me. And I bet it won't be any more three dimensional Nixon than last season's was three dimensional Winston. So clearly I don't object to all over the top versions of legendary heads of goverment.
And a remark about the title of the Neil Gaiman episode:
I'm willing to bet something on the guess "The Doctor's Wife" won't be River. It might not even be "our" Doctor - wouldn't put it beyond Neil and the Moff to introduce a one shot character who is a doctor and has a wife just to mess with fandom - but any episode dealing with River's backstory will be written by the Moff himself. Otoh, given the canon Ten/Elizabeth I and Eleven/Marilyn Monroe, not to mention One/Woever Susan's Grandmother Was and One/Cameca (what? they were betrothed!), it's not like Our Neil doesn't have a wide assortment of already existing wives to choose from, if he wants to. Until the episode is broadcast, however, fandom will go crazy, which is undoubtedly Our Overlord's intention.
no subject
Date: 2011-03-29 01:13 pm (UTC)I still frequently experience that blend of emotions when people talk about Ten - if they're insisting that he was the greatest Doctor of all time and no past or future incumbent can compete, I roll my eyes. If they're complaining about how awful he was I feel defensive, since I think he was an awesome Doctor (just, y'know, not the only awesome Doctor ever). So, despite being firmly on the cheer squad side when it comes to Season Five, I do know how you feel!
I would be delighted if they at least put a reference to Cameca into The Doctor's Wife - a thowaway line about that time the Doctor drank some cocoa and got engaged is long, long overdue.
no subject
Date: 2011-03-30 01:04 pm (UTC)