http://rusty-halo.com/wordpress/?p=2794

I haven’t been posting much, because I’ve been stressed out and busy and tired, and who wants to hear about that?

I have, however, accumulated a couple of mildly interesting (I hope) things to post about.

( the Watchmen movie )

* Then the next night, jaydk and I saw Coraline. Proof that you don't need to be "edgy" to make a good movie: it was far better than Watchmen. Smart, funny, well-written, beautifully filmed--the 3D was absolutely lovely. The story was creative and intriguing and eerie, and the lead character was clever and brave. Why do childrens' stories do such a superior job of portraying three-dimensional female characters? Is it just that we've been culturally conditioned to be unable to fathom a post-pubescent female in a way that doesn't put her sexuality front and center?

* I'm seeing a lot of talk about Doctor Who finale casting spoilers. As far as I can tell, they're from a tabloid that regularly makes shit up, so why is anyone taking them seriously? Am I missing something? (This is a genuine question. Is there any reason to believe them? I don't want to get excited about something that's completely fabricated.)

* I'm reading Team of Rivals, Doris Kearns Goodwin's book about Lincoln and his cabinet. It's really interesting and I'm enjoying it, but I wish she'd stop spelling out what the reader is "supposed" to think. I can make up my own mind about what these guys did and why they did it; I don't need the author inserting her own explanation that so-and-so was arrogant and ambitious on every page. Still, it's mostly good. After being so absorbed in the 2008 election, it's fascinating to see how American politics worked 150 years ago.

* And I'm still in the middle of The Disorderly Knights. I'm going to finish it and then take a break from the Lymond series, since it's been less than six months since I re-read Pawn in Frankincense. Speaking of which, my mom just finished it and is in awe. In retrospect, I think Pawn is the best written and most moving book of the series.

( the Moonlight TV series )

Also, maybe it's just that I don't watch modern American TV anymore, but ... what is with the women? As in, they are all exactly the same: tiny, emaciated, sharp-featured, and young. No matter what character they're playing--boss, geek girl, random vampire--they are all pulled from such an incredibly narrow archetype of "woman" that it's just completely absurd. Watching a show like this, you'd never even imagine that women exist on planet Earth larger than a size four, older than thirty-five, and without those sharp facial angles that Hollywood defines as "beautiful." At least the men are allowed to have some diversity of age, size, and facial features, depending on the character they're playing, but every single woman first has to fit into this absurdly narrow definition of "attractive" before anything else is taken into account.

This is why I can barely watch American TV anymore. Once you step away from it for a while, you come back and suddenly it's like being hit over the head by how ridiculous it is. This narrow bunch of nearly-identical Hollywood model types plays pretty much every female character and the majority of male characters. Sure, an occasional talent pops through, but it's painfully obvious that these people are cast almost entirely for their looks with no regard for skill. You end up with a bunch of interchangeable Barbies and Kens running around posing as every variety of adult human being. How am I supposed to take any of it seriously?

* But speaking of American TV that doesn't suck, I have become completely addicted to The Rachel Maddow Show. It passes the Bechdel Test every night! Real women talk to each other about real issues! With none of the insipid concessions to what "women" are supposed to care about--no celebrity gossip, no plastic surgery, no cooking and baking, no fashion bullshit, just women as real individual human beings, with their own perspectives, who care about the world around them. (This shouldn't be such a shock and a rarity!) And Rachel is brilliant, witty, funny, sweet, and adorable beyond words. I know she's not perfect and I do disagree with her sometimes, but I always love watching her. She makes me wish Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert would do less joking and more news--after I watch her show, I feel like I'm not getting enough content from them. (Don't worry, I still love them. Jon Stewart's smackdown of Jim Cramer was a thing of beauty.)

* Oh, and I'm still listening to David Bowie. Ziggy Stardust remains my favorite, but I've added Hunky Dory, Aladdin Sane, and Diamond Dogs to the lineup and am enjoying them all. I tried to listen to Scary Monsters on the advice of my friend Jason, but aside from "Ashes to Ashes" it just totally didn't work for me. I don't understand what happened to Bowie in the 80s. It's like he went from brilliant and hot and amazing to ... just ... so boring and annoying and straight. Maybe I'll understand it better if I take each album chronologically. Or it could just be the Bowie draws from the zeitgeist of the decade, and the 80s was ... well, the 80s.

Originally published at rusty-halo.com. Please click here to comment.
(Anyone can comment on public entries.)

http://rusty-halo.com/wordpress/?p=2748

* This just made me choke on my coffee. I think I enjoy The Meathead Perspective far more than I enjoy the actual band Nine Inch Nails.

* I’m not an Avatar fan, but I’m still upset by the blatantly racist movie casting. Just… what the hell? I’m glad to see that the fandom has already launched a letter writing campaign.

* This xkcd comic is awesome and totally nails the “nice guy” phenomenon. The wank it’s generated is severely depressing, though. “Women have nearly exclusive control over the nation’s sex supply, and that will never, ever change“???? *headdesk*

* jaydk and kalichan came over to my place on Saturday night for a very fun evening of wine and television. We watched the first episode of The Devil’s Whore, after which jaydk declared that she couldn’t stand to continue watching history be raped in such a blatant manner, so we switched to the first episode of Life on Mars (which kalichan had never seen!) to get the bad taste out of our mouths.

To be honest, I didn’t mind The Devil’s Whore–probably because I’m woefully ignorant about that period of English history, and because I was only watching for John Simm. He had his shirt off for a whole scene, so I got what I wanted out of the deal. :P

* This panel description has me dreading Gallifrey One. I think it might be best if I spend this convention drinking and chatting and avoiding most of the actual programming. >:( Still looking forward to seeing Phil Collinson, though. And hopefully to hearing interesting insights from the various new series writers who are attending.

* I’ve kind of reluctantly gotten into Spooks–I actually went out of my way to watch the season finale as soon as possible. I don’t love the show by any means. It’s pure genre, which makes it incredibly predictable; it never does anything that a spy drama wouldn’t do. But it’s quite a good example of a spy show, which makes it entertaining for what it is. Well, okay, mainly the entertaining thing is the lovely contrasts between Richard Armitage’s pale skin, black hair, and blue eyes. But occasionally he even gets to do some actual acting! And I kind of love the character of Ros–her competence and snark make her one of the more appealing female characters I’ve seen in quite a while.

* I’m re-reading Pawn in Frankincense despite myself. I forgot how funny this one is as it starts off! In fact, I think I forgot almost everything that happens except for the ending, which kind of blew the rest of it out of the water. It’s a totally different experience to read this series for a second time; everything makes so much more sense when you already know what’s going to happen. Dunnett’s style of keeping the reader completely in the dark for 90% of each book (and the series as a whole) is incredibly frustrating, but definitely rewarding if you’re able to put up with it. It also makes re-reading a whole new experience–you can actually appreciate the subtleties instead of just wondering what the hell is going on. It also helps that I’ve got a book of translations with me this time around, so I can figure out what the hell they’re saying when the characters suddenly switch to French or Latin.

* I’m resisting the urge to write a long song-by-song analysis of “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.” I know that no one cares about my interpretation of a 35-year-old classic album that I’ve only been listening to for two weeks. Still. It’s all I’ve been thinking about. I haven’t even turned it off at night, because it’ll play in my head if I don’t have it actually playing from my speakers.

* 5years.com is an incredibly helpful website if you suddenly decide to get obsessed with “Ziggy Stardust” 35 years too late. Plus I’m learning all this stuff about glam rock–now I totally get that scene in Life on Mars where Sam meets Marc Bolan!

* I bought this Best of Bowie DVD. It’s all so totally totally awesome for about the first 50 minutes, and then… 1974 happens. Good god. I think maybe I’m a fan of Ziggy Stardust, not of David Bowie?

* I wish I’d gone to the Bowie Ball last weekend. I totally want to go see this all-female Ziggy Stardust cover band in January. And I want to go see this thing at MOMA even though I doubt 1) I can get tickets, 2) that it’s anything I haven’t already seen on the Best of Bowie DVD.

* I finally figured out how to connect my computer to my TV wirelessly. It’s a combination of this and this and it totally works! My TV is a second monitor and I can just drag video files over to it and play them. Now I should probably cancel my cable TV, but I’ve gotten addicted to The Rachel Maddow Show and now I kind of don’t want to give it up. I suppose I could just watch that online too. And I might actually continue catching up on more of those old Doctor/Master episodes now that I don’t have to waste CDs on burning them.

Although I might just watch lots of YouTube clips of young David Bowie instead.

Originally published at rusty-halo.com. Please click here to comment.
(Anyone can comment on public entries.)

http://rusty-halo.com/wordpress/?p=2744

* Neil Gaiman continues to be awesome. See Why Defend Freedom of Icky Speech?

* I’m lurking at theemptywriter and quite enjoying it. Nice to see that not everyone is caught up in the Moffat hype! And, man, he just continues to annoy the hell out of me. Here he is in 1996 calling the Doctor’s female companions “bimbos”; what, did I need another reason to loathe him?

* This list of top movie characters is currently making the news rounds. Only one woman in the top 25? Are you fucking kidding me? I mean, what about that “huge lack of respect for anything male” that tragically inflicts our society? (Could it be that Steven Moffat is … full of shit? :P) And… and… Yoda is a better character than Princess Leia???

* Scott Weiland has a new album. How come nobody told me this? His last solo album was actually really good! Hopefully this’ll make up for the entertaining-but-soulless artificiality of his work with Velvet Revolver.

I’m still getting used to this whole thing of enjoying someone’s music but not having any particular interest or respect for them as a person. I think I’m too old and cynical to worship all-perfect musical idols, and this way it’s less disappointing when they inevitably fall. I’ll just try to enjoy them when they’re good and move on to something else when they start to suck. No need to feel all heartbroken and/or betrayed by the whole thing. (I’m even starting to get over Courtney Love’s Hollywood sell-out; none of her later bullshit can take away from the pure awesome of Live Through This.)

* I’m still listening nonstop to David Bowie. The song “Velvet Goldmine” is really, really good. (Now I’m extra disappointed that the movie was so bad.) Wikipedia says the song is about Bowie making out with another man, but I’m listening to the lyrics, and… that sounds like a lot more than making out…?

Also, if you’re ever looking for motivation to weep for the state of humanity, just go to songmeanings.net and look up your favorite song. If the inanity of the interpretations doesn’t make you want to kill yourself, I don’t know what will.

* This ad is currently plastered all over the NYC subway system. Every time I walk by I kind of have to resist the urge to stop and, I don’t know, lick it maybe? Which, eww, NYC subway. But, damn. David Bowie was reeeeeally pretty once.

( pretty pretty subway ad )

Originally published at rusty-halo.com. Please click here to comment.
(Anyone can comment on public entries.)

http://rusty-halo.com/wordpress/?p=2734

I’m still floating on a high from Obama’s election. I know he won’t be perfect and a few months from now I’ll probably be bitching about mistakes he’s made, but right now I am just going to enjoy the incredible thrill of his election for as long as possible. I honestly didn’t think America would progress this far within my lifetime. And, speaking as a New Yorker, it’s so good to count as a “real American” again.

I watched the whole Indecision ‘08 special at home last night, and… you guys… Stephen Colbert was crying. Have I mentioned how much I adore him?

I’m also really enjoying all these articles about how the GOP is falling apart. My entire life has been dominated by the rise of the Republican party; Reagan was elected two years before I was born. I’ve dreamed of watching them crumble, and now–HA! FINALLY.

I’m also so pleased that several animal rights initiatives passed. California’s Proposition 2 was a huge victory; it requires that farm animals be confined in pens that enable them to turn around and stretch their limbs. While it’s only a small reduction in the horrors of the factory farming industry, this is still a huge step in raising awareness and reducing animal suffering. Massachusetts also voted yes on Question 3, which ends the exploitative greyhound racing industry in that state.

And I’m pleased that several anti-choice initiatives were rejected. Colorado defeated Amendment 48, which would have defined a fertilized egg as a person; South Dakota rejected anti-abortion Measure 11, which was a set-up to a Roe v Wade challenge; and California rejected Proposition 4, which required parental notifications and waiting periods.

Unfortunately my squee at all this good news is severely tempered by the passage of hateful anti-gay measures in California (Proposition 8 to ban gay marriage), Arizona (Proposition 102 to ban gay marriage), Florida (Amendment 2 to ban gay marriage), and Arkansas (Measure 1 to ban gay couples from adopting and being foster parents).

California is the biggest disappointment, since so much effort went into defeating that stupid ban, and the vote was so close. On the plus side, the ACLU, Lambda Legal, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights are already challenging it in court. And the one thing that really makes me feel better is that the vote was clearly divided by age–younger people voted against it while older people voted for it. Not to be too crude, but at least it’s only a matter of time before the bigots die out. :P

Originally published at rusty-halo.com. Please click here to comment.
(Anyone can comment on public entries.)

http://rusty-halo.com/wordpress/?p=2707

* Hillary Rodham Clinton and Cecile Richards (president of Planned Parenthood) on the Bush Administration blocking health care for women. This stuff scares the hell out of me. I mean, I feel pretty safe in NYC because I have so many options, but what if I’m traveling in a more isolated area and something bad happens? What about the women who live in those isolated areas? What if the only clinic they can afford to get to won’t sell birth control pills? What if they get raped and refused emergency contraception to protect a doctor’s “conscience”? What about the woman’s right to make her own medical choices? What about if you don’t want to provide health care, don’t choose a job in the medical profession? (*headdesk*)

* penknife on the direct effect of Obama and McCain’s policies on LGBT people and families.

Please forward these to anyone you know who thinks that politics doesn’t matter because it doesn’t affect their daily lives or because both parties are “exactly the same.” :P

Originally published at rusty-halo.com. Please click here to comment.
(Anyone can comment on public entries.)

http://rusty-halo.com/wordpress/?p=2698

Palin’s Wasilla To Rape Victims: Bring Your Checkbook. This article has been making the blog rounds, and actually gave me nightmares last night. People, please, vote against this woman. Feminism isn’t about putting one woman in power regardless of how anti-woman her policies are; it’s about making the world a better place for all women.

And, via cluegirl: Lose Your House, Lose Your Vote. Just sickening.

Originally published at rusty-halo.com. Please click here to comment.
(Anyone can comment on public entries.)

http://rusty-halo.com/wordpress/?p=2665

Hey, Due South? Emotional continuity called. It wants to remind you that it, uh, exists.

( spoilers for Due South season two, with bonus anti Moffat bitching )

Originally published at rusty-halo.com. Please click here to comment.
(Anyone can comment on public entries.)

http://rusty-halo.com/wordpress/?p=2634

I’ve said most of this before, but maybe I used too many words or something. Let me be succinct:

( BUT HOW COULD A FEMINIST *POSSIBLY* LOVE ROSE?! )

By no means am I saying that everyone has to agree (*waves to the nice non-Rose fans on my flist*), but it's not anti-feminist that I like something you don't in a fictional story. You might see something completely different and hate it, and we can both still be feminists. Because stories have multiple interpretations! It's okay! Really!

Originally published at rusty-halo.com. Please click here to comment.

http://rusty-halo.com/wordpress/?p=2607

Um, people? Disliking a character because she’s ugly* is just as dumb and misogynist as disliking a character because she’s “blonde and curvaceous.” Can we please try judging female characters based on their personalities and not on their looks?

( spoilers for Doctor Who 4x08 and 4x09 )

That said, I think half the reason I dislike Jack Harkness is that I can't stand looking at that hideous buttchin of his all the time. :P

* Link goes to the doctorwho LJ comm. It's about River Song; you have to join to read it.

Originally published at rusty-halo.com. Please click here to comment.

http://rusty-halo.com/wordpress/?p=2605

( Doctor Who 4x09: Forest of the Dead )

Originally published at rusty-halo.com. Please click here to comment.

http://rusty-halo.com/wordpress/?p=2590

I’m not really pleased about Steven Moffat taking over Doctor Who, mainly because I don’t think better writing is worth giving up the awesome three-dimensional female characters. (And whatever your complaints are about RTD, he’s presided over the creation of a wonderful variety of diverse and interesting female characters–Mrs. Moore, Harriet Jones, Blon Slitheen, Queen Victoria, Ida, Jackie, Rose, Donna…)

From Moffat:

“There’s this issue you’re not allowed to discuss: that women are needy. Men can go for longer, more happily, without women. That’s the truth. We don’t, as little boys, play at being married - we try to avoid it for as long as possible. Meanwhile women are out there hunting for husbands.”

Before I read this, I loved his work. Now… I still think his writing is awesome, but Reinette seems accidentally cool, and Sally Sparrow’s “Sally Shipton” slip goes from cute to offensive.

And don’t forget:

“Well, the world is vastly counted in favour of men at every level - except if you live in a civilised country and you’re sort of educated and middle-class, because then you’re almost certainly junior in your relationship and in a state of permanent, crippled apology. Your preferences are routinely mocked. There’s a huge, unfortunate lack of respect for anything male.”

*sigh*

Whatever. I’ll be good and give him the benefit of the doubt. Hopefully the women on the staff will reign in his sexist tendencies, and we’ll get lots of good time travel stories. And if it sucks, I’ll stop watching. Life’s too short to put up with something that makes me want to bang my head against the wall.

Originally published at rusty-halo.com. Please click here to comment.

http://rusty-halo.com/wordpress/?p=2547

I want to talk about something other than how objectified and sick I’m still feeling over that whole “let’s make womens’ bodies public property so we can grope them” thing. Someone go read my “Planet of the Ood” essay and engage me in polite conversation. Or think up another topic you’d like me to post about, and I will.

Meanwhile, I am still upset and hurt, so I’m trying to make myself feel better by thinking (well, writing) aloud about the issues this brings up for me.

* kita0610 wrote a poem that is amazing and wonderful. Even if you’re sick of this topic, you should read the poem, because Kita made something awesome out of it all.

* I’m thinking about wearing one of these pins at DragonCon. On one hand, I don’t want to wear anything related to this fiasco; on the other hand, Project Back Each Other Up is awesome. We’ll see.

* This post from synecdochic gave me a lot to think about regarding the difference between “sex-positive” and “getting-laid-positive.” (Not sure I agree with everything there, but she makes a lot of good points.) One of the things that really stands out to me is the inherent flaw in the idea that empowered female sexuality = letting strangers grope you. Isn’t that just reinforcing the belief that female sexuality is inherently passive? I mean, I’m sure that some women do get off on being groped by strangers, fine, but I think most of us consider “empowered sexuality” to mean something different than “letting someone grope me.” It’s such a clueless male perspective on female sexuality. And the whole idea that what women were getting out of this was getting their self-esteem validated because a stranger wanted to grope them–haven’t we been fighting for ages not to base our self-esteem solely on what other people think of our physical appearances? (And then theferrett had the gall to say in the comments that he doesn’t do “pity gropes,” so it’s really only about boosting the self-esteem of women who fit into his view of what’s attractive).

* I would hate to be a female celebrity. What they get isn’t different from what the rest of us get, but they have to deal with a far more intense version of it–the idea that any time they go out in public, no matter what they’re doing, their bodies are public property and open to comment and criticism from anyone who sees them.

( Gross things I saw recently )

* One thing this debacle made me realize is that a lot of men (even apparently decent ones) assume that if a woman is "dressed to impress" (however the hell you define that) in public, she's doing it for the admiration of random men she encounters.

I know that some women do enjoy getting the attention of strangers, and that's perfectly fine. But. You cannot assume that every woman wants that. I was thinking about my own experiences, and literally, I have never once in my life dressed up because I wanted the attention of a stranger. ( Reasons I have dressed up, and how being objectified hurts me )

Originally published at rusty-halo.com. Please click here to comment.

http://rusty-halo.com/wordpress/?p=2545

The comments here make me lose what little faith in humanity I had left.

This brings a tiny little bit of it back.

Originally published at rusty-halo.com. Please click here to comment.

http://rusty-halo.com/wordpress/?p=2544

Just a couple of things to add regarding that whole “Boobie” groping debacle.

1. linaerys points out that part of the reason this is so offensive is that it’s predicated on the idea that sex is something that women give and men take.

2. soundingsea calls him on complete misuse of the term “open source.”

3. His “apology” is nothing but a defensive self-pitying flounce. If he was actually sorry, he’d have left comments on and allowed the conversations that were happening there to continue. I can’t believe people are giving him credit for this whiny bullshit.

4. The guy who initiated it is not some naive idealistic little fanboy. He’s a misogynist asshole who has been pulling this shit for years.

( theferrett thinks you are a selfish control freak if you do not want to be sexually harassed )

5. I keep seeing responses along the lines of "Well, I'm glad I don't go to conventions," or "I won't be attending conventions anymore." And that breaks my heart, because conventions are mostly awesome. You get to hang out with fellow geeks and squee over the things that make you happy and it's usually wonderful. Please don't let this misogynist asshole taint the entire world of conventions for you. Not to mention that this sort of behavior is certainly not limited to sci-fi conventions; I get more harassment walking down the street in NYC than I've ever gotten at a con. You're not going to avoid it by avoiding cons, but you are going to miss a lot of convention fun if you let this keep you away.

Originally published at rusty-halo.com. Please click here to comment.

http://rusty-halo.com/wordpress/?p=2543

What a fucking dick.

A lot of other people have pointed out the disgusting misogyny and male privilege in this bullshit post, so I’m not going to repeat what they’ve said. But I will add a response to this, since the asshole has pulled a flounce and turned off comments:

a beautiful girl in an incredibly skimpy blue Princess outfit strode down the hallway, obviously putting her assets on display

When I dress in revealing clothes at conventions, I do so because I LIKE THE WAY THE OUTFITS LOOK and I LIKE THE WAY I LOOK IN THEM. It’s for ME, not for YOU. I don’t do it to put my “assets on display” and it is NOT an invitation for men to sexually harass me by asking to grope my breasts.

!!!!!

ETA, because I’m still livid about this: It makes me not want to dress up at DragonCon this year, to hide myself in something huge and frumpy. But I shouldn’t have to! I shouldn’t have to go out into the world with the default assumption that I’m going to be objectified and harassed, and that I’m responsible for taking steps to prevent that by hiding my body. (As if that even works–I still get catcalls in the frumpiest outfits, because street harassment is just as much about power and intimidation as it is about commenting on a woman’s appearance.)

Just… gah… *incoherent rage*.

ETA 2: misia has the best response yet.

Originally published at rusty-halo.com. Please click here to comment.

http://rusty-halo.com/wordpress/?p=2531

I probably shouldn’t have posted my “Fires of Pompeii” review at midnight on Sunday night. Alas, it gave me so much to think about that I just couldn’t sleep until I wrote it all down.

jaydk and I had a lot of fun watching it; we managed three viewings, plus the commentary and the Confidential (OMG tourist!Tennant! In shorts! And he’s such a liberal! Awww.) And somehow we also managed to squeeze in the first couple episodes of The Sarah Jane Adventures and the horrid 1996 Doctor Who TV movie.

( The Sarah Jane Adventures: Invasion of the Bane and Revenge of the Slitheen )

( The Doctor Who 1996 TV Movie )

( a couple more thoughts on Doctor Who 4x01: Partners in Crime )

And here's a fic rec: a Doctor/Rose fic that I didn't hate! The Scientist by orange_crushed, which has a Doctor and Rose that I actually find recognizable and interesting! No tiembabies or weddings, but a genuine exploration of what they mean to each other. Plus, plot and action! (And, I admit, I particularly love that it starts out shattering the cliche by having Rose "married" to human!Doctor and ... she's miserable. Heee.)

That said, when the Master showed up, I was very disappointed that he didn't have sex with the Doctor. *sigh* I need more Doctor/Master fic! Look at this, I've been reduced to reading het! :P

Originally published at rusty-halo.com. Please click here to comment.
(Anyone can comment on public entries.)

http://rusty-halo.com/wordpress/?p=2260

* This is the kind of misogyny that gives me a headache. Because no one could POSSIBLY BE INTERESTED in a woman over thirty-five? And yet, y’know, we have men over thirty-five ALL OVER OUR TELEVISIONS in MANY DIFFERENT ROLES. But Donna! The horror! How could anyone relate!? *rolls eyes*

* paratti’s reaction post to “Partners in Crime” was a nice antidote to the above. As she points out, Doctor Who has some of the best female characters in television.

* David Tennant is the most awesome celebrity ever. *adores*

* I am enjoying Spoiled for Choice by x_losfic. It’s an interesting exploration of the Doctor/Master relationship, with some really excellent dialogue between the two.

* versaphile’s Praxis is KILLING ME OMG. The latest chapter! *hides under the bed and is afraid to come out* (*and yet can’t wait for the next part*)

Originally published at rusty-halo.com. Please click here to comment.

http://rusty-halo.com/wordpress/?p=2235

jaydk had the gall to go out of town for Easter weekend, so we didn’t get in nearly as much Doctor Who viewing as usual. But we did manage to meet at her place on Sunday night with a bottle of wine, takeout from Candle Cafe for me and sushi for her, and a big pile of DVDs. And we watched….

( Torchwood: Fragments )

( Old Who: two episodes of the Second Doctor serial Tomb of the Cybermen )

( New Who: Army of Ghosts and Doomsday--with a bunch of random comparisons to The Wizard of Oz )

Originally published at rusty-halo.com. Please click here to comment.
(Anyone can comment on public entries.)

You can't go five minutes in Doctor Who fandom without hearing how Rose Tyler has been the ruin of New Who. And every time I read that no educated, self-respecting feminist could relate to that bleached blonde shopgirl chav, I die a little bit inside. So, um, here's why I like Rose Tyler and think she's a great character.

( Rose Tyler kicks ass )

These macros make me very happy. Maybe for DragonCon I'll dress up as a "Vote Saxon" campaign worker? I could have a sign. And pins. And pro-Saxon literature. Don't laugh; it'd be an easy costume. :P

***

I rewatched the first season of Life on Mars this weekend. I was worried that the crappiness of Ashes to Ashes would negatively effect my opinion of it, but nope; I love it more than ever. If anything, the failures of Ashes to Ashes just make the awesomeness of Life on Mars stand out even more.

( why does Life on Mars handle sexism better than Ashes to Ashes? (spoilery for all) )