Ani DiFranco and Smallville
May. 9th, 2003 10:25 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
serafina20Two different subjects. They don't much relate, do they.
I was introduced to Ani DiFranco last year. Almost exactly a year ago, actually, because it was when I was being trained for the teaching job. There were about 12 of us who'd gotten hired to teach for the company I worked for; six were all 'adults,' meaning they were over 25, most over 30, had been professionals in something in their life, some were getting their master's, married, and generally very mature. Then there were the 'kids.' We were all under 25, had just graduated from college that spring, and this was our first real full-time job.
Guess who I hung out with?
It's not that I don't like people my age, because I do. Sort of. But I can only take them in small doses, which is why only 2 of my friends are in my direct age range. The rest (and no, there aren't many) are older. I've always been like that. Even when I was a kid, I got along and understood adults better than people my age or teenagers. In fact, in many ways, I preferred hanging around adults because the conversation was more interesting. I remember one time my Girl Scout troop went camping. I ran around, screamed, and had fun with the girls for awhile, but there was only so much I could take before I wandered over to the fire to sit with the parents. They weren't as receptive to me as my mother's friends and 'Mother's Club' group had always been, but hey, I was having more fun.
Anyway, back to teacher training. The woman who introduced me to Ani DiFranco (I'll call her B. for originality), caught my eye the first day. She is probably the only person I who's sexuality I have guessed correctly right away, or the only one who has given me confirmation after my guess. I knew she had to be at least bi, my luck couldn't be that bad. And she was. She was also in a serious relationship that was crumbling apart, but you can't win them all.
So, B. and I started hanging out during lunch. Actually, all the 'adults' would go to lunch together, but B. always drove me. We talked a lot about relationships and sexuality and just plain sex. Actually, all the 'adults' did, which thrilled me. Not always during lunch, but the last day of work, we all went out for drinks. I've never had a conversation about erotica and masturbation with a mixed group of people before that wasn't solely about flirting and trying to impress the opposite (or same) sex. We were all just … talking. It was refreshing and fun.
But B. She had two million tapes in her car that she wanted me to listen to. "Every bisexual person should listen to Ani DiFranco," she told me. So I listened.
And I've gotta say, I wasn't too impressed. I didn't get it. Of course, her sound system sucked and I couldn't hear anything but random cords, so I tried to withhold judgment.
B. told me that if I ever bought anything by DiFranco, it should be live. "The live stuff is the best," she assured me. So, like a good little girl, about halfway through the summer when I was miserable and disillusioned, I found a 2 disk CD set of her live concerts for $20 dollars. I listened to a song or two at Borders, and decided it was worth a gamble.
I'm glad CD's don't wear out. I love these CDs. They're great, I love the songs, it's the best gamble I've taken in a long time. But, after listening to just these two CDs for a year, I'm a little bored. Not of the songs, but of them never changing. I want to hear new.
So yesterday I went to Barnes and Noble to buy my mom's Mother's Day gift. It would have been nice if someone had told me it was coming up, but, then, I'm still reeling with shock that next week is the last week of school. While I was there, I decided to look at the Ani DiFranco CDs. They didn't have a wide selection, so I chose "Not a Pretty Girl" because I like that song.
*sigh* B. was right. It's good, but it's not the same as live. It's missing the energy. It has energy, just not the same. And I'm sad. I'll get used to it, but come next pay check, I'm getting another live set if I can find one.
And thoughts on my feelings and reactions to Smallville.
I've been thinking about my feelings for the show. The past I liked last episode, and I liked the one before "Witness," but I'm disappointed by the character development. At the same time, I'm not interested in leaving the fandom. Which is unusual for me. Once 'Angel' turned into something that was a weekly frustration, I stopped participating in the fandom itself. I was never as involved as I am in 'Smallville," but I had fics I really enjoyed writing and one I would still like to put a conclusion on. So why is Smallville different?
And then I realized that "Smallville" is the first, and so far only show, I specifically got into because of slash potential. With "Angel," I was already watching the show. I'd already had the characters analyzed and worked out in my mind, so when I discovered slash, all I had to do was make small adjustments. At first, I didn't ever think I would write it, but I am, by nature, a writer, so about a month after![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
hederahelix mentioned slash to me, I had my first slash fic, "Drunken Confessions" written. Or was it "Meditation on Desire"? At any rate, I began analyzing the show though slash lenses, but also religion lenses because the ideas of God and Powers and redemption are fascinating to me. Plus, I was taking the Bible as Literature class, so it all worked together.
When the subtext between Angel and Wesley started to dry up a little, I didn't mind. The main reason I got pissed when it disappeared between Wes and Gun was because they were acting totally different and out of character. I can see the rivalry for Fred, and for hurt feelings, but out of nowhere, Gunn was denying their friendship. Dude! I just realized that while the group viewed Wesley as the Judas, Gunn was the Judas of his and Wes's relationship. Huh.
Uh, anyway. Smallville. Got into it because of the big, gay love between Clark and Lex. Got emotionally involved in my fic. And I can't give it up. I honestly don't know how I'm going to deal with Helen and Lana-love and Chloe-fighting, but as much as it hurts me to see it on the show, I can't give up COTW. I'm too emotionally invested in my universe right now. So, no matter what happens on the show right now, I'll always have the 'real' version in my mind and work to keep it better than the canon I am fed. Well, at least more emotionally satisfying.
I was introduced to Ani DiFranco last year. Almost exactly a year ago, actually, because it was when I was being trained for the teaching job. There were about 12 of us who'd gotten hired to teach for the company I worked for; six were all 'adults,' meaning they were over 25, most over 30, had been professionals in something in their life, some were getting their master's, married, and generally very mature. Then there were the 'kids.' We were all under 25, had just graduated from college that spring, and this was our first real full-time job.
Guess who I hung out with?
It's not that I don't like people my age, because I do. Sort of. But I can only take them in small doses, which is why only 2 of my friends are in my direct age range. The rest (and no, there aren't many) are older. I've always been like that. Even when I was a kid, I got along and understood adults better than people my age or teenagers. In fact, in many ways, I preferred hanging around adults because the conversation was more interesting. I remember one time my Girl Scout troop went camping. I ran around, screamed, and had fun with the girls for awhile, but there was only so much I could take before I wandered over to the fire to sit with the parents. They weren't as receptive to me as my mother's friends and 'Mother's Club' group had always been, but hey, I was having more fun.
Anyway, back to teacher training. The woman who introduced me to Ani DiFranco (I'll call her B. for originality), caught my eye the first day. She is probably the only person I who's sexuality I have guessed correctly right away, or the only one who has given me confirmation after my guess. I knew she had to be at least bi, my luck couldn't be that bad. And she was. She was also in a serious relationship that was crumbling apart, but you can't win them all.
So, B. and I started hanging out during lunch. Actually, all the 'adults' would go to lunch together, but B. always drove me. We talked a lot about relationships and sexuality and just plain sex. Actually, all the 'adults' did, which thrilled me. Not always during lunch, but the last day of work, we all went out for drinks. I've never had a conversation about erotica and masturbation with a mixed group of people before that wasn't solely about flirting and trying to impress the opposite (or same) sex. We were all just … talking. It was refreshing and fun.
But B. She had two million tapes in her car that she wanted me to listen to. "Every bisexual person should listen to Ani DiFranco," she told me. So I listened.
And I've gotta say, I wasn't too impressed. I didn't get it. Of course, her sound system sucked and I couldn't hear anything but random cords, so I tried to withhold judgment.
B. told me that if I ever bought anything by DiFranco, it should be live. "The live stuff is the best," she assured me. So, like a good little girl, about halfway through the summer when I was miserable and disillusioned, I found a 2 disk CD set of her live concerts for $20 dollars. I listened to a song or two at Borders, and decided it was worth a gamble.
I'm glad CD's don't wear out. I love these CDs. They're great, I love the songs, it's the best gamble I've taken in a long time. But, after listening to just these two CDs for a year, I'm a little bored. Not of the songs, but of them never changing. I want to hear new.
So yesterday I went to Barnes and Noble to buy my mom's Mother's Day gift. It would have been nice if someone had told me it was coming up, but, then, I'm still reeling with shock that next week is the last week of school. While I was there, I decided to look at the Ani DiFranco CDs. They didn't have a wide selection, so I chose "Not a Pretty Girl" because I like that song.
*sigh* B. was right. It's good, but it's not the same as live. It's missing the energy. It has energy, just not the same. And I'm sad. I'll get used to it, but come next pay check, I'm getting another live set if I can find one.
And thoughts on my feelings and reactions to Smallville.
I've been thinking about my feelings for the show. The past I liked last episode, and I liked the one before "Witness," but I'm disappointed by the character development. At the same time, I'm not interested in leaving the fandom. Which is unusual for me. Once 'Angel' turned into something that was a weekly frustration, I stopped participating in the fandom itself. I was never as involved as I am in 'Smallville," but I had fics I really enjoyed writing and one I would still like to put a conclusion on. So why is Smallville different?
And then I realized that "Smallville" is the first, and so far only show, I specifically got into because of slash potential. With "Angel," I was already watching the show. I'd already had the characters analyzed and worked out in my mind, so when I discovered slash, all I had to do was make small adjustments. At first, I didn't ever think I would write it, but I am, by nature, a writer, so about a month after
hederahelix mentioned slash to me, I had my first slash fic, "Drunken Confessions" written. Or was it "Meditation on Desire"? At any rate, I began analyzing the show though slash lenses, but also religion lenses because the ideas of God and Powers and redemption are fascinating to me. Plus, I was taking the Bible as Literature class, so it all worked together.When the subtext between Angel and Wesley started to dry up a little, I didn't mind. The main reason I got pissed when it disappeared between Wes and Gun was because they were acting totally different and out of character. I can see the rivalry for Fred, and for hurt feelings, but out of nowhere, Gunn was denying their friendship. Dude! I just realized that while the group viewed Wesley as the Judas, Gunn was the Judas of his and Wes's relationship. Huh.
Uh, anyway. Smallville. Got into it because of the big, gay love between Clark and Lex. Got emotionally involved in my fic. And I can't give it up. I honestly don't know how I'm going to deal with Helen and Lana-love and Chloe-fighting, but as much as it hurts me to see it on the show, I can't give up COTW. I'm too emotionally invested in my universe right now. So, no matter what happens on the show right now, I'll always have the 'real' version in my mind and work to keep it better than the canon I am fed. Well, at least more emotionally satisfying.
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no subject
Date: 2003-05-09 11:43 am (UTC)Yay! You and so many others - including myself! Frankly, I don't think you would be allowed to give up on it. *g* We can't let TPTB destroy our enjoyment of the show, no matter what. Even if they can't see that Clark and Lex share something special (or did), we can see it. I'm glad you have no intentions of giving up.
Re:
Date: 2003-05-09 03:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-05-09 01:58 pm (UTC)Re:
Date: 2003-05-09 03:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-05-09 04:28 pm (UTC)Re:
Date: 2003-05-10 12:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-05-09 07:41 pm (UTC)Basically it's designed as a safe place to hang out with other SV fans to talk about . . . stuff. Non-show-related stuff.
Fic announcements and comic book discussions are allowed, behind cut tags, but otherwise it's all for talking about, you know, life.
I hope you consider joining us.
Re:
Date: 2003-05-10 11:50 am (UTC)