janie_tangerine (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
janie_tangerine) wrote2009-02-21 10:55 pm
janie_tangerine) wrote2009-02-21 10:55 pm
the meme which is going around aka yours truly blathering on very interesting subjects.
Meme from ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
isis2015 and siluria, who accidentally gave me three coincident subjects. ;)
Comment to this post and I will give you 3-5 subjects/things I associate you with. Then post this in your LJ and elaborate on the subjects given.
Considering also the ones which collided, my subjects are Boone, Bruce Springsteen, Italy, Jason Street, Desmond/Sayid, Clint Eastwood and fanfiction.
1. Boone
I think even the rocks at this point know who is my favorite Lost character, huh? And I guess it isn't exactly because all my favorite characters usually either die or have issues with their siblings or both things (this case and another couple). Now, it's not because of the pretty, even if I surely don't complain about it. But someone can be as pretty as ever, I won't stick if the character isn't compelling and for me Boone is indeed interesting. First of all, I liked the fact that he was pretty much normal if you look at that bunch; he wasn't special or whatever, he didn't have any unusual/particularly helpful skill, he didn't have a dark tragic past or lived a peculiar life or had any terrible burden to take care of, which is probably why I guess it's hard to find him interesting at the beginning. He might have seemed perpetually in search of positive attraction while not accomplishing a thing except providing the pretty and looking like a jealousy freak, but the fun thing is that if you have a closer look he really isn't. First of all, his being helpful compulsion might have seemed annoying, but you have to give the guy credit for keeping on trying to be of some use even if he clearly wasn't cut for it; I always thought that it was incredibly selfless on his part, especially since when he died he was trying to get them rescued and that was the main reason for which he didn't get out of the plane. I always admired him for it, and all in spite of his lack of skills (and hey, he was almost dying in order to save the Joanna woman; one doesn't do that because he just wants to be the center of attention). He almost never acted like he had the rich person complex which I can't stand and while you could say that he was a jealous freak, that's also the point. Because see, after the whole Shannon business I could totally see why one would a) search anywhere for positive attention and b) be a jealous freak; after all the guy was conned repeatedly and then used and tossed away just like that and hi, self esteem issues indeed. And then I read in some meta once that he was both pathetic and without personality, but I'd argue. I never saw all of the above as pathetic and he had a personality, it's just that he tried to be what he wasn't most times and that obviously wasn't going anywhere. Also, when you have Shannon mindfucking you first and then you end up with Locke mindfucking you instead of her, try it. Not to mention that I totally could relate because 1) he was the closest to my age except for Shannon and I never rooted for her of the two, 2) in the same situation I'd have done exactly the same things and given up much earlier, 3) he went to marches and didn't like guns. Oh, and yes, Do No Harm for me pure torture.
2. Bruce Springsteen
Bruce is my favorite singer and up there in my three favorite famous persons ever I think. First of all, it's the music. I love his music. And his lyrics. There's no one around who is a good lyricist such as he is. I've been a fan since I was twelve or something and the best thing about him is that whatever he tries to do, he excels at it. He's a rock musician, but he also did acoustic records, Steinbeck-inspired acoustic records, a collection of folk music, he can write the most romantic love song and the most politically inspired one, he probably had just one bad record out since 1973 and even that one had at least five gems on it. I love that he always was honest in his music and that he never became a diva or anything, I love how he's been playing with the same band since 1973 (well, fine, with a ten year pause, but they did get back together) which by the way is made of truly awesome people. He also isn't kind of a living mausoleum but he's still making new music, and varied, and different from record to record. I totally admire him on any-possible-level, from his music to how he remained true to himself since 1973. Also, his live shows are the best shows ever and nothing will beat a Springsteen concert when you attended one, and also, to end on the shallow note, he has the loveliest backside in the history of rock. Just compare the Born in the USA cover with the pic above. ;)
3. Italy
Well, hi, dear country of mine, with which I have so many issues that I can't even begin to say but which I love, indeed.
The bad and the ugly: there are a lot of things which are wrong here. I think my country's main problem is that we didn't come together the right way. I mean, Italy's been divided for centuries since, y'know, the Roman empire and we became a nation in 1870, which is not even two hundred years and it shows because here there's a sense of being a country which totally lacks. We aren't like France or England or the US; the only times you hear a majority of people saying they're proud to be Italian is that when the national football team wins the World Cup and I'm serious about it. There's a lot of corruption, not paying taxes is the norm for half of the population, we have the beauty of four different mafias, half of the current government coalition is/should be under process including the PM, there's currently no one remembering that Church and State are separate entities and there's mostly zero care for the environment. Not to mention that right now there's a certain creepy homophobic/racist climate which I don't like at all, but if I think about politics I just want to cry.
The good: now I might sound not objective but I believe there is no country in the world as beautiful as mine is. And I'm serious about it. There isn't a region similar to another and (almost) all are worthy of visiting. There isn't no country in the world with such a concentration of what we call art cities here. You have Roman ruins pretty much scattered all over the country, the Greek ones in the south, where you also have traces of the passage of Arabs and Byzantines, while for the rest... well, there's no place which doesn't have something worth seeing. Everyone knows about Rome, Florence, Venice and Naples but it wouldn't be near enough. This isn't the place for me to play touristic guide but I could do at least ten entries about all the places worth seeing here and they wouldn't be enough. Also, we have a great climate all things considered, we have the best food (on that I'm categoric; I'm not a nationalist but I've been around a bit and there's no place where you eat well and healthy as here. French cuisine be damned ;) ), not to mention some great beaches if you like to go to the sea. And while the current state of arts (music, cinema, literature etc.) here is kind of a sorry one right now, sorry again but beating us in the department is hard. Italian literature is something beautiful, from Dante to 20th century writers; not to mention that hey, 95% of the opera is written in Italian, and for how much I hate popular music until the last two decades there was some excellent music around (not to mention one of the best singers EVER existed, regardless of the nationality). If I get started about cinema I'll end the day after tomorrow so I'm sparing you that, but point is, I live in an incredible country which at least half of its inhabitants aren't really deserving right now, and that's my VHO.
4. Jason Street
Jason Street: the proof that all my favorite characters are somewhat doomed. He's my favorite Friday Night Lights character and kind of the reason for which I haven't still watched S3, since I knew he was leaving the show and seriously, what's with this thing that if they don't die they leave? I still haven't worked up the courage to watch the last season even if I know it's good. FNL is an excellent show and I love it, but that's why I'm stuck.
Anyway, I wasn't spoiled when watching the first episode. So I'm there, checking the characters out, and I'm like, 'uhm, this one looks interesting and wow, he's cute, too. I think I'm leaning with this one indeed...'. And then ten minutes later he gets injured in the football game and hi, paralyzed from the waist down. Then I started headdesking because seriously, are all my favorites out of luck or what?, but then I stuck and he remained where he is, aka the first place. I absolutely loved how his struggle with disability was shown; it was realistic and believable and he always was the one I felt more for. Also, I never came close to dislike the guy even if I hated his girlfriend's guts (which doesn't happen in Lost since I tend to dislike both Jack and Sawyer only when they're around Kate, which is saying a lot ;) ) and his whole character arc was incredibly well done, at least until the point where I am. Uhm, I guess he's also the proof I like characters which keep on going on down their road even if it's discouraging, even if differently from Boone he did accomplish things after all. Also, that 'it's so Brokeback/Texas forever' scene in S1 is one of my favorite moments on TV ever. I was tearing up or something. Shit, I really, really miss the guy. Maybe one of these days I'll just go and watch the damn show and cry over it.
5. Desmond/Sayid
Okay, Des/Sayid is probably my back up favorite slash ship in Lost (yes, the first is Jack/Boone, what a surprise) and I do have my reasons here.
Shallow reasons: they are my current favorite characters (of the people who are still alive) and a ship including my two favorite characters is always good, even if of course it's not enough (my OTP #1 would have been Boone/Sayid otherwise). Other shallow reasons: they're ridiculously pretty together. I mean. Look at them. Then, the accents. I have a total accents fetish and come on, Des and Sayid? That's inviting me to a wedding, as we say here. Also, I think that Naveen Andrews and HIC have a totally great chemistry. But this is just the shallow, which I admit isn't really enough to say I ship them.
Serious reasons: first of all, I loved their relationship progression. In the sense... S2: barely nonexistent if not for that exchange in the finale which wasn't exactly friendly. S3: in that episode where they interacted in the beginning it seemed like they couldn't stand each other much (or at least Sayid didn't seem to trust Des that much) and in the end they barely had a couple of exchanges and not exactly of the friendly kind. S4: for how much I think they could have done the freighter story better in regards of Desmond's characterization, it was so good to see them cooperating and actually behaving like two adults, in the sense of putting differences aside and working together. Also, Sayid kind of saved Desmond's life in there and hiii, slash fodder indeed. And then, similarities AND connections: they both were in the military, they both are searching for their long lost love (not counting the Shannon business here because hi, bad writing...), they both aren't exactly talkative people and come on, Desmond killed the guy who taught Sayid how to torture. That's called the freaking Lost connection indeed. They have one of the most interesting dynamics on that show, gen or slash. And while slashing them isn't exactly a walk in the park since you have to take into account a lot of issues (especially with the current canon), but it's rewarding if you manage.
6. Clint Eastwood
I have a ridiculous crush on Clint Eastwood. I think I've had it since I was twelve or so and watched a Fistful of Dollars. Also, I think he's the proof that aging doesn't mean your number on the hotness scale decreases, since I don't have a problem admitting that current!Clint totally fits in my top five of the most attractive men living. ;) Apart from that, I love his movies and especially the ones he directed. While I wouldn't vote the way he votes if I was American, I highly respect him and his everybody leaves everybody alone philosophy, which I find definitely acceptable (also, I read in some interview he was pro same sex marriage which totally made me squee but anyway). And also, his movies (especially lately) are more liberal oriented than the actual liberals are here, but anyway. He starred in a lot of my favorite movies and some of these are the ones he directed. I think he's one of the few people today who manages to make good movies with a purpose, a message and without many prejudices (see the two Iwo Jima movies for the perfect example). I absolutely love also the technical aspects of his movies (and that he doesn't use special effects) and that while he has one movie out each year they're all incredibly good, not to mention that he usually makes me cry. Million Dollar Baby had me sobbing for the last half hour and some time after it was over, but I usually always end up like that. See also The Bridges of Madison County. Westerns speaking, I totally love the ones he directed, too, and not only the Leone ones (hey, Unforgiven? High Plan Drifter? *dies*). He doesn't make just movies, he makes movies with a sense and by the way, the fact that Gran Torino here is out in March is terribly, terribly unjust. -nods- And yes, I also have a thing for Dirty Harry, even if the only good DH movie was the first. The other four weren't at that level, but hey, eye candy.
Oh, and he directed A Perfect World. Which is actually perfection, for what I'm concerned.
7. Fanfiction
Uhm, I think I started writing fanfiction when I was fourteen or fifteen. The main reasons were that 1) I wanted to write stuff and fanfiction is easier than coming up with your characters (also, I already never ended up liking my own characters, and I never managed to write anything original which I liked upon re-reading it); 2) I had my fandoms (mainly Japanese comics and Stephen King books at the time), I slashed people, it wasn't canon, I read my slash fic and I wanted to write my own. I think I switched from Italian to English because at one point all of my fandoms were English shows/books and I couldn't wrap my head around how the hell was I going to write in Italian anyway, not that one can find much Italian fanfic for the fandoms I follow. Well, there's a lot for SPN but zero for Lost and less than zero for most of the other stuff I ship/used to ship. Also, Lost brought me to the wonders of gen and het, which I never had really written before. It feeds my need of seeing my favorite characters in different settings, I also like it because it gives you the illusion of some control over things you don't like in canon (fine, only within your fic, but still, better than nothing) and it's an awesome social experience. Also, when I wrote in Italian I thought it was a good skills exercise for the day I'd try original fiction, but I think that day is far and I'm not so sure it's valid also for stuff I write in a different language.
isis2015 and siluria, who accidentally gave me three coincident subjects. ;)Comment to this post and I will give you 3-5 subjects/things I associate you with. Then post this in your LJ and elaborate on the subjects given.
Considering also the ones which collided, my subjects are Boone, Bruce Springsteen, Italy, Jason Street, Desmond/Sayid, Clint Eastwood and fanfiction.
1. Boone
I think even the rocks at this point know who is my favorite Lost character, huh? And I guess it isn't exactly because all my favorite characters usually either die or have issues with their siblings or both things (this case and another couple). Now, it's not because of the pretty, even if I surely don't complain about it. But someone can be as pretty as ever, I won't stick if the character isn't compelling and for me Boone is indeed interesting. First of all, I liked the fact that he was pretty much normal if you look at that bunch; he wasn't special or whatever, he didn't have any unusual/particularly helpful skill, he didn't have a dark tragic past or lived a peculiar life or had any terrible burden to take care of, which is probably why I guess it's hard to find him interesting at the beginning. He might have seemed perpetually in search of positive attraction while not accomplishing a thing except providing the pretty and looking like a jealousy freak, but the fun thing is that if you have a closer look he really isn't. First of all, his being helpful compulsion might have seemed annoying, but you have to give the guy credit for keeping on trying to be of some use even if he clearly wasn't cut for it; I always thought that it was incredibly selfless on his part, especially since when he died he was trying to get them rescued and that was the main reason for which he didn't get out of the plane. I always admired him for it, and all in spite of his lack of skills (and hey, he was almost dying in order to save the Joanna woman; one doesn't do that because he just wants to be the center of attention). He almost never acted like he had the rich person complex which I can't stand and while you could say that he was a jealous freak, that's also the point. Because see, after the whole Shannon business I could totally see why one would a) search anywhere for positive attention and b) be a jealous freak; after all the guy was conned repeatedly and then used and tossed away just like that and hi, self esteem issues indeed. And then I read in some meta once that he was both pathetic and without personality, but I'd argue. I never saw all of the above as pathetic and he had a personality, it's just that he tried to be what he wasn't most times and that obviously wasn't going anywhere. Also, when you have Shannon mindfucking you first and then you end up with Locke mindfucking you instead of her, try it. Not to mention that I totally could relate because 1) he was the closest to my age except for Shannon and I never rooted for her of the two, 2) in the same situation I'd have done exactly the same things and given up much earlier, 3) he went to marches and didn't like guns. Oh, and yes, Do No Harm for me pure torture.
2. Bruce Springsteen
Bruce is my favorite singer and up there in my three favorite famous persons ever I think. First of all, it's the music. I love his music. And his lyrics. There's no one around who is a good lyricist such as he is. I've been a fan since I was twelve or something and the best thing about him is that whatever he tries to do, he excels at it. He's a rock musician, but he also did acoustic records, Steinbeck-inspired acoustic records, a collection of folk music, he can write the most romantic love song and the most politically inspired one, he probably had just one bad record out since 1973 and even that one had at least five gems on it. I love that he always was honest in his music and that he never became a diva or anything, I love how he's been playing with the same band since 1973 (well, fine, with a ten year pause, but they did get back together) which by the way is made of truly awesome people. He also isn't kind of a living mausoleum but he's still making new music, and varied, and different from record to record. I totally admire him on any-possible-level, from his music to how he remained true to himself since 1973. Also, his live shows are the best shows ever and nothing will beat a Springsteen concert when you attended one, and also, to end on the shallow note, he has the loveliest backside in the history of rock. Just compare the Born in the USA cover with the pic above. ;)
3. Italy
Well, hi, dear country of mine, with which I have so many issues that I can't even begin to say but which I love, indeed.
The bad and the ugly: there are a lot of things which are wrong here. I think my country's main problem is that we didn't come together the right way. I mean, Italy's been divided for centuries since, y'know, the Roman empire and we became a nation in 1870, which is not even two hundred years and it shows because here there's a sense of being a country which totally lacks. We aren't like France or England or the US; the only times you hear a majority of people saying they're proud to be Italian is that when the national football team wins the World Cup and I'm serious about it. There's a lot of corruption, not paying taxes is the norm for half of the population, we have the beauty of four different mafias, half of the current government coalition is/should be under process including the PM, there's currently no one remembering that Church and State are separate entities and there's mostly zero care for the environment. Not to mention that right now there's a certain creepy homophobic/racist climate which I don't like at all, but if I think about politics I just want to cry.
The good: now I might sound not objective but I believe there is no country in the world as beautiful as mine is. And I'm serious about it. There isn't a region similar to another and (almost) all are worthy of visiting. There isn't no country in the world with such a concentration of what we call art cities here. You have Roman ruins pretty much scattered all over the country, the Greek ones in the south, where you also have traces of the passage of Arabs and Byzantines, while for the rest... well, there's no place which doesn't have something worth seeing. Everyone knows about Rome, Florence, Venice and Naples but it wouldn't be near enough. This isn't the place for me to play touristic guide but I could do at least ten entries about all the places worth seeing here and they wouldn't be enough. Also, we have a great climate all things considered, we have the best food (on that I'm categoric; I'm not a nationalist but I've been around a bit and there's no place where you eat well and healthy as here. French cuisine be damned ;) ), not to mention some great beaches if you like to go to the sea. And while the current state of arts (music, cinema, literature etc.) here is kind of a sorry one right now, sorry again but beating us in the department is hard. Italian literature is something beautiful, from Dante to 20th century writers; not to mention that hey, 95% of the opera is written in Italian, and for how much I hate popular music until the last two decades there was some excellent music around (not to mention one of the best singers EVER existed, regardless of the nationality). If I get started about cinema I'll end the day after tomorrow so I'm sparing you that, but point is, I live in an incredible country which at least half of its inhabitants aren't really deserving right now, and that's my VHO.
4. Jason Street
Jason Street: the proof that all my favorite characters are somewhat doomed. He's my favorite Friday Night Lights character and kind of the reason for which I haven't still watched S3, since I knew he was leaving the show and seriously, what's with this thing that if they don't die they leave? I still haven't worked up the courage to watch the last season even if I know it's good. FNL is an excellent show and I love it, but that's why I'm stuck.
Anyway, I wasn't spoiled when watching the first episode. So I'm there, checking the characters out, and I'm like, 'uhm, this one looks interesting and wow, he's cute, too. I think I'm leaning with this one indeed...'. And then ten minutes later he gets injured in the football game and hi, paralyzed from the waist down. Then I started headdesking because seriously, are all my favorites out of luck or what?, but then I stuck and he remained where he is, aka the first place. I absolutely loved how his struggle with disability was shown; it was realistic and believable and he always was the one I felt more for. Also, I never came close to dislike the guy even if I hated his girlfriend's guts (which doesn't happen in Lost since I tend to dislike both Jack and Sawyer only when they're around Kate, which is saying a lot ;) ) and his whole character arc was incredibly well done, at least until the point where I am. Uhm, I guess he's also the proof I like characters which keep on going on down their road even if it's discouraging, even if differently from Boone he did accomplish things after all. Also, that 'it's so Brokeback/Texas forever' scene in S1 is one of my favorite moments on TV ever. I was tearing up or something. Shit, I really, really miss the guy. Maybe one of these days I'll just go and watch the damn show and cry over it.
5. Desmond/Sayid
Okay, Des/Sayid is probably my back up favorite slash ship in Lost (yes, the first is Jack/Boone, what a surprise) and I do have my reasons here.
Shallow reasons: they are my current favorite characters (of the people who are still alive) and a ship including my two favorite characters is always good, even if of course it's not enough (my OTP #1 would have been Boone/Sayid otherwise). Other shallow reasons: they're ridiculously pretty together. I mean. Look at them. Then, the accents. I have a total accents fetish and come on, Des and Sayid? That's inviting me to a wedding, as we say here. Also, I think that Naveen Andrews and HIC have a totally great chemistry. But this is just the shallow, which I admit isn't really enough to say I ship them.
Serious reasons: first of all, I loved their relationship progression. In the sense... S2: barely nonexistent if not for that exchange in the finale which wasn't exactly friendly. S3: in that episode where they interacted in the beginning it seemed like they couldn't stand each other much (or at least Sayid didn't seem to trust Des that much) and in the end they barely had a couple of exchanges and not exactly of the friendly kind. S4: for how much I think they could have done the freighter story better in regards of Desmond's characterization, it was so good to see them cooperating and actually behaving like two adults, in the sense of putting differences aside and working together. Also, Sayid kind of saved Desmond's life in there and hiii, slash fodder indeed. And then, similarities AND connections: they both were in the military, they both are searching for their long lost love (not counting the Shannon business here because hi, bad writing...), they both aren't exactly talkative people and come on, Desmond killed the guy who taught Sayid how to torture. That's called the freaking Lost connection indeed. They have one of the most interesting dynamics on that show, gen or slash. And while slashing them isn't exactly a walk in the park since you have to take into account a lot of issues (especially with the current canon), but it's rewarding if you manage.
6. Clint Eastwood
I have a ridiculous crush on Clint Eastwood. I think I've had it since I was twelve or so and watched a Fistful of Dollars. Also, I think he's the proof that aging doesn't mean your number on the hotness scale decreases, since I don't have a problem admitting that current!Clint totally fits in my top five of the most attractive men living. ;) Apart from that, I love his movies and especially the ones he directed. While I wouldn't vote the way he votes if I was American, I highly respect him and his everybody leaves everybody alone philosophy, which I find definitely acceptable (also, I read in some interview he was pro same sex marriage which totally made me squee but anyway). And also, his movies (especially lately) are more liberal oriented than the actual liberals are here, but anyway. He starred in a lot of my favorite movies and some of these are the ones he directed. I think he's one of the few people today who manages to make good movies with a purpose, a message and without many prejudices (see the two Iwo Jima movies for the perfect example). I absolutely love also the technical aspects of his movies (and that he doesn't use special effects) and that while he has one movie out each year they're all incredibly good, not to mention that he usually makes me cry. Million Dollar Baby had me sobbing for the last half hour and some time after it was over, but I usually always end up like that. See also The Bridges of Madison County. Westerns speaking, I totally love the ones he directed, too, and not only the Leone ones (hey, Unforgiven? High Plan Drifter? *dies*). He doesn't make just movies, he makes movies with a sense and by the way, the fact that Gran Torino here is out in March is terribly, terribly unjust. -nods- And yes, I also have a thing for Dirty Harry, even if the only good DH movie was the first. The other four weren't at that level, but hey, eye candy.
Oh, and he directed A Perfect World. Which is actually perfection, for what I'm concerned.
7. Fanfiction
Uhm, I think I started writing fanfiction when I was fourteen or fifteen. The main reasons were that 1) I wanted to write stuff and fanfiction is easier than coming up with your characters (also, I already never ended up liking my own characters, and I never managed to write anything original which I liked upon re-reading it); 2) I had my fandoms (mainly Japanese comics and Stephen King books at the time), I slashed people, it wasn't canon, I read my slash fic and I wanted to write my own. I think I switched from Italian to English because at one point all of my fandoms were English shows/books and I couldn't wrap my head around how the hell was I going to write in Italian anyway, not that one can find much Italian fanfic for the fandoms I follow. Well, there's a lot for SPN but zero for Lost and less than zero for most of the other stuff I ship/used to ship. Also, Lost brought me to the wonders of gen and het, which I never had really written before. It feeds my need of seeing my favorite characters in different settings, I also like it because it gives you the illusion of some control over things you don't like in canon (fine, only within your fic, but still, better than nothing) and it's an awesome social experience. Also, when I wrote in Italian I thought it was a good skills exercise for the day I'd try original fiction, but I think that day is far and I'm not so sure it's valid also for stuff I write in a different language.