On the subject of Miss Lana
Sep. 18th, 2003 03:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
serafina20Lotta talk about Lana going around right now. So, I'd thought I'd throw my one and a half cents in.
I don't like Lana as written and as performed on the show. Let me get that out of the way right away. Of course, I'm not always too thrilled how Chloe, Martha, Jonathan, Clark, Helen, Pete, any adults who come in as regulars (the new sheriff) or apparent one shots (Principal Reynolds, who should have come back) and occasionally Lionel. Lex I'm usually okay with, although there have been moments. So not I'm not trying to signal Lana out as being the only character who is badly written. She is, however, one of the most consistently poorly-acted characters. Again, she's had moments where I really like the choices KK has made to play her (mostly they've come first season, but there have been a few second). And, because Lana is shoved down my throat so much, I have the least amount of tolerance for her.
(I've only written the above disclaimer because I do understand Chloe is in no way a better written or more admirable character than Lana, especially second season. I like Chloe better a. because of Allison Mack and b. because the character does more interesting things simply because she is not there to be defied by the creators and everyone else.)
So. How do I see Lana? I see her as a terribly insecure young girl, unsure of who she is, where she belongs, what is expected of her, and what she should expect of other people. I think that she genuinely does want to break free of her fairy princess persona, but doesn't have the first clue how. Looking at her as a character, I think this is because of poor writing and the fact that while the creators have her say she wants to be more, they like her as she is. Looking at her as a person, I think she doesn't know what to do. She is used to acting a certain way and being treated a certain way. But, even when she changes how she acts, she's still treated with kid gloves, especially by Clark.
Look at Precipice; Clark is uncomfortable when Lana does something to try to improve herself (I, however, was thrilled. Too bad that, so far, there's been no follow-up). And again in Accelerate, when Clark tells Lana that he will always see her as perfect. I always, always thought that, although Lana accepts it, she's disappointed. It wasn't until![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
rhiannonhero said that people saw her as relieved that it occurred to me. I don't agree that she's relieved; I think she's disappointed because she is falling in love with Clark, and she does want him to see the flawed, insecure person she really is and love her anyway.
I also think she has genuine issues of abandonment, up to and including Nell (but not Donatello because it's a freaking horse and enough is enough. Okay, let me rephrase it: of course it is traumatic to lose an animal you love; from a writing standpoint, it was too much). Even though Lana's choice was to remain in Smallville, and even though she does need to learn to live with the consequences of her choice, Nell is her guardian and mother. She should not have left, or not have left Lana behind. They could have come to a compromise, or Nell could have put her foot down and made Lana go. Either choice would have been valid. The choice the writers made (to allow Lana to stay with Chloe) is so completely incomprehensible to me that I have a hard time thinking about the reasons why. But, the fact is Nell left Lana and, no matter what the choice was, it still feels like abandonment.
I think, then, that my, and most people's problem with Lana and her abandonment issues is there are so many. We all have them. All of us, even if the most we've been abandoned is a friend moved away or we got in a fight or something. But Lana has: her parents, Emily, Whitney, her mother (because she discovered a whole new mother in Hothead), her father (although she gained a new one), Nell, the horse, Whitney again, Emily again, and Clark a few times. And then she keeps bringing them up. It's the quantity and the amount of times it gets mentioned that tries the nerves.
So, why do I like Lana (and I do, sort of)? As I said, I don't like the way Lana is written or performed on the show. However, I like, to stealrhiannonhero's term, the subtextual Lana. And I *really* like my Lana in COTW. Why? Well, subtextually, she's very easy to work with and relate to. I am, and continue to be, a very insecure and flawed person. I am self-centered, although I try to work on it. I don't always know how to relate to people, and tend to come off awkward and a little stand-offish. And I relate to her sexually, or, at least, where I interpret her to be in her sexual development,
Warning: TMI approaching.
When I was about 11 until I was about 15 or so, the idea of sex made me feel very weird. Any kind of sex. I remember very vividly once when I was 11 or 12 being at a wedding. A very religious wedding, nonetheless, and All I Ask of You from The Phantom of the Opera was played. It's a very romantic song, right? (Well, i have issues with it, but, whatever; it's pretty). In the song, there's the line, "Say you'll share with me each night, each morning."
Oh, God, that line made my stomach turn, my body tighten, and me to feel very, very uncomfortable. And I'd heard the song at least fifty times, even sang the song just the year before (when I'd gotten the soundtrack). But, for some reason, the idea of having sex or people having sex made me uncomfortable.
I did still masturbate, since I was and remain a horny little monkey. My interpretation of Lana is, however, that she doesn't. This doesn't mean I think there is something wrong with her, I just don't think it's something she does (or did S1 and COTW up to now). I know people who have a healthy interest in sex and don't masturbate (the freaks;).
When I was about 15 until *blushes* 21/22, I thought sex was a great idea ... by myself. I had fantasies, I thought about it, I read romance books (at least the sex scenes). But I absolutely, positively, *was not* ready to have sex with *anyone* but myself.
This is how I see Lana, and how I'm writing her in COTW. The only difference is, my Lana may be ready to have sex before she reaches the end of high school. I don't know yet, I have to see where she goes. So, when I've said inrhiannonhero's journal that I don't see Lana liking kinky sex, I meant right now, because she's not ready. And I don't mean she won't ever be ready; people change, people grow. But right now, it would take a lot to convince me that Lana would have kinky sex, or non-vanilla sex.
This is one of the reasons why Cherry Blossom Conduit didn't work for me. It was a PWP and the Rhi could easily see Lana in the emotional and physical place to be there, but I can't. I still need to see the characterization and build-up behind it. (Obviously, I'm not saying Rhi's interpretation is wrong, or the story was bad or anything. It was a good fic, smutty, hot, and well written.) Contrast tojoyfulgirl41's "Road Not Taken" (no link; sorry). I could buy the sex scene between Lana and Lucas because I saw the build-up first. But, truthfully, I almost need that for any character. I can only read PWP's when I have a some sort of background of the characters and their relationships. I prefer lengthy, plotty fics with a lot of characterization.
So, yes I see Lana as a sexual being who is aware of her own sexuality, which is growing and changing. And, yes, I love exploring this. What I'm doing with her in COTW is not trying to make her the bad guy, make her hated or reviled or stupid or childish or anything. I'm basically writing her as I was in high school, and I don't hate myself. There is simply more to go into with her than there is with Chloe. Chloe is there to support Clark. That's pretty much her function. I like writing her. I've been able to write her as having a more active role in Clark's life than she does in the show, but that' the nature of the series. Clark can't dote and worship Lana because a. he's in love with Lex and b. he has to get his own head together about being an alien and the attempted rape. He still likes Lana, but she isn't as important as she is to him on the show. Consequently, Chloe has to deal with Lana the person, rather than Lana the friend/rival. Chloe is fun to write, but she tends to be pretty easy. What she does in incumbent on Lana. Lana is the interesting one to write (but less interesting than Clark and Lex, of course).
And briefly, on Lana's attraction to Lex: I know it's there subtextually. I agree with all the arguments (except the one where she wants Lex to take her away, because I see her as being someone who desperately wants to stay in her hometown). But, because of KK's acting, I don't see the heat. I see a mild interest. Even with Clark, I don't see heat. The kiss in Red to me was uncomfortable. The kiss in Calling however, was very sweet. Lana is not ready for hot/passionate. She is, however, ready for sweet and romantic (meaning she's ahead of me in high school, when I was physically pushing guys away;).
Do I like Lana on the show? Not so much. Do I like the possibility she presents? Definitely.
Thus ends the thesis. :)
I don't like Lana as written and as performed on the show. Let me get that out of the way right away. Of course, I'm not always too thrilled how Chloe, Martha, Jonathan, Clark, Helen, Pete, any adults who come in as regulars (the new sheriff) or apparent one shots (Principal Reynolds, who should have come back) and occasionally Lionel. Lex I'm usually okay with, although there have been moments. So not I'm not trying to signal Lana out as being the only character who is badly written. She is, however, one of the most consistently poorly-acted characters. Again, she's had moments where I really like the choices KK has made to play her (mostly they've come first season, but there have been a few second). And, because Lana is shoved down my throat so much, I have the least amount of tolerance for her.
(I've only written the above disclaimer because I do understand Chloe is in no way a better written or more admirable character than Lana, especially second season. I like Chloe better a. because of Allison Mack and b. because the character does more interesting things simply because she is not there to be defied by the creators and everyone else.)
So. How do I see Lana? I see her as a terribly insecure young girl, unsure of who she is, where she belongs, what is expected of her, and what she should expect of other people. I think that she genuinely does want to break free of her fairy princess persona, but doesn't have the first clue how. Looking at her as a character, I think this is because of poor writing and the fact that while the creators have her say she wants to be more, they like her as she is. Looking at her as a person, I think she doesn't know what to do. She is used to acting a certain way and being treated a certain way. But, even when she changes how she acts, she's still treated with kid gloves, especially by Clark.
Look at Precipice; Clark is uncomfortable when Lana does something to try to improve herself (I, however, was thrilled. Too bad that, so far, there's been no follow-up). And again in Accelerate, when Clark tells Lana that he will always see her as perfect. I always, always thought that, although Lana accepts it, she's disappointed. It wasn't until
rhiannonhero said that people saw her as relieved that it occurred to me. I don't agree that she's relieved; I think she's disappointed because she is falling in love with Clark, and she does want him to see the flawed, insecure person she really is and love her anyway.I also think she has genuine issues of abandonment, up to and including Nell (but not Donatello because it's a freaking horse and enough is enough. Okay, let me rephrase it: of course it is traumatic to lose an animal you love; from a writing standpoint, it was too much). Even though Lana's choice was to remain in Smallville, and even though she does need to learn to live with the consequences of her choice, Nell is her guardian and mother. She should not have left, or not have left Lana behind. They could have come to a compromise, or Nell could have put her foot down and made Lana go. Either choice would have been valid. The choice the writers made (to allow Lana to stay with Chloe) is so completely incomprehensible to me that I have a hard time thinking about the reasons why. But, the fact is Nell left Lana and, no matter what the choice was, it still feels like abandonment.
I think, then, that my, and most people's problem with Lana and her abandonment issues is there are so many. We all have them. All of us, even if the most we've been abandoned is a friend moved away or we got in a fight or something. But Lana has: her parents, Emily, Whitney, her mother (because she discovered a whole new mother in Hothead), her father (although she gained a new one), Nell, the horse, Whitney again, Emily again, and Clark a few times. And then she keeps bringing them up. It's the quantity and the amount of times it gets mentioned that tries the nerves.
So, why do I like Lana (and I do, sort of)? As I said, I don't like the way Lana is written or performed on the show. However, I like, to steal
rhiannonhero's term, the subtextual Lana. And I *really* like my Lana in COTW. Why? Well, subtextually, she's very easy to work with and relate to. I am, and continue to be, a very insecure and flawed person. I am self-centered, although I try to work on it. I don't always know how to relate to people, and tend to come off awkward and a little stand-offish. And I relate to her sexually, or, at least, where I interpret her to be in her sexual development,Warning: TMI approaching.
When I was about 11 until I was about 15 or so, the idea of sex made me feel very weird. Any kind of sex. I remember very vividly once when I was 11 or 12 being at a wedding. A very religious wedding, nonetheless, and All I Ask of You from The Phantom of the Opera was played. It's a very romantic song, right? (Well, i have issues with it, but, whatever; it's pretty). In the song, there's the line, "Say you'll share with me each night, each morning."
Oh, God, that line made my stomach turn, my body tighten, and me to feel very, very uncomfortable. And I'd heard the song at least fifty times, even sang the song just the year before (when I'd gotten the soundtrack). But, for some reason, the idea of having sex or people having sex made me uncomfortable.
I did still masturbate, since I was and remain a horny little monkey. My interpretation of Lana is, however, that she doesn't. This doesn't mean I think there is something wrong with her, I just don't think it's something she does (or did S1 and COTW up to now). I know people who have a healthy interest in sex and don't masturbate (the freaks;).
When I was about 15 until *blushes* 21/22, I thought sex was a great idea ... by myself. I had fantasies, I thought about it, I read romance books (at least the sex scenes). But I absolutely, positively, *was not* ready to have sex with *anyone* but myself.
This is how I see Lana, and how I'm writing her in COTW. The only difference is, my Lana may be ready to have sex before she reaches the end of high school. I don't know yet, I have to see where she goes. So, when I've said in
rhiannonhero's journal that I don't see Lana liking kinky sex, I meant right now, because she's not ready. And I don't mean she won't ever be ready; people change, people grow. But right now, it would take a lot to convince me that Lana would have kinky sex, or non-vanilla sex. This is one of the reasons why Cherry Blossom Conduit didn't work for me. It was a PWP and the Rhi could easily see Lana in the emotional and physical place to be there, but I can't. I still need to see the characterization and build-up behind it. (Obviously, I'm not saying Rhi's interpretation is wrong, or the story was bad or anything. It was a good fic, smutty, hot, and well written.) Contrast to
joyfulgirl41's "Road Not Taken" (no link; sorry). I could buy the sex scene between Lana and Lucas because I saw the build-up first. But, truthfully, I almost need that for any character. I can only read PWP's when I have a some sort of background of the characters and their relationships. I prefer lengthy, plotty fics with a lot of characterization.So, yes I see Lana as a sexual being who is aware of her own sexuality, which is growing and changing. And, yes, I love exploring this. What I'm doing with her in COTW is not trying to make her the bad guy, make her hated or reviled or stupid or childish or anything. I'm basically writing her as I was in high school, and I don't hate myself. There is simply more to go into with her than there is with Chloe. Chloe is there to support Clark. That's pretty much her function. I like writing her. I've been able to write her as having a more active role in Clark's life than she does in the show, but that' the nature of the series. Clark can't dote and worship Lana because a. he's in love with Lex and b. he has to get his own head together about being an alien and the attempted rape. He still likes Lana, but she isn't as important as she is to him on the show. Consequently, Chloe has to deal with Lana the person, rather than Lana the friend/rival. Chloe is fun to write, but she tends to be pretty easy. What she does in incumbent on Lana. Lana is the interesting one to write (but less interesting than Clark and Lex, of course).
And briefly, on Lana's attraction to Lex: I know it's there subtextually. I agree with all the arguments (except the one where she wants Lex to take her away, because I see her as being someone who desperately wants to stay in her hometown). But, because of KK's acting, I don't see the heat. I see a mild interest. Even with Clark, I don't see heat. The kiss in Red to me was uncomfortable. The kiss in Calling however, was very sweet. Lana is not ready for hot/passionate. She is, however, ready for sweet and romantic (meaning she's ahead of me in high school, when I was physically pushing guys away;).
Do I like Lana on the show? Not so much. Do I like the possibility she presents? Definitely.
Thus ends the thesis. :)
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no subject
Date: 2003-09-18 04:54 pm (UTC)I read this scene the same way as you did above. It never crossed my mind that she ever felt relieved; in fact, she seemed quite desperate for him to just LISTEN TO HER.
My primary beef with Lana is twofold: (1) KK is a terrible actor; and (2) her character gets almost unconditional approval from the rest of the characters. Even when Chloe is spouting venom about Lana, it's directed toward Clark's attraction to her, not Lana herself. And if it is about Lana herself? Then she's written off as jealous.
If it weren't for AM and AOT's brilliant acting skills saving their characters time and again, I'd say this show is f'ed when it comes to their female characters, admittedly pointedly more so than its male characters.
no subject
Date: 2003-09-19 08:07 pm (UTC)And I think that's probably what a lot of people's primary problems with her are. If she wasn't so badly acted, and if people around her (mainly the ones who should be angry, such as Chloe) were allowed to react in a way that felt more realistic, Lana wouldn't be as grating. Because the truth is, no one is universally adored, and the fact that Lana is is mind boggling.