Pretties

[jadesfire]

As I keep saying (has anyone else noticed how much I repeat myself? I think it's something to do with a short attention span and having to keep remind myself what I think. Anyway,) I'm watching more and more vids, trying to understand them as much as enjoy them. For me, part of the fun of anything creative is understanding the 'how' as much as the thing itself.

So festivids is all kinds of awesome, and I'm having a blast watching my way through these. Although I'm thinking it could be dangerous in fannish terms. There's sources here that I don't know but think look intriguing...

From sources I do know, so far I've watched the two Much Ado About Nothing vids. Both are as light and joyful as the film, which I've had an abiding affection for since I fell off my cinema seat laughing at it. Seriously, I can't even think about deckchairs without sporfling. Just a Girl is a fantastic celebration of Beatrice, and Your Song is one of those vids that you kind of feel *had* to be made, the song and film suit each other so well.

On the 'Danger: I Do Not Need Another Fandom", Names is an intriguing Vampire Diaries vid, and has made me want to seek out the show, and the other vids for it aren't helping. Meep.

At the other end of the scale, Never Be is a Criminal Minds vid, that just *flaily hands* The summary for the vid says: "women of criminal minds, being a victim does not mean you are defeated." I can't put it better than that. Oh show.

Comments

[becky-h.livejournal.com]

I love, love, love that Criminal Minds vid. it's SPOT ON.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

There is NO SHOW on the air that avoids Fail the way CM does. People are *people* and they are different because of their gender or race or background or anything, but they're not VALUED differently. Not ignoring the differences while not playing on them is just... Such a smart show. Disturbing, but smart.

[becky-h.livejournal.com]

OH HELL YES with the lack of fail. No one's perfect, their flaws are treated like flaws instead of a reason to love them more, and it just. Yes, with them being PEOPLE.

And hell yes with disturbing. It skates the edge of my tolerance level but I keep going back.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

That is definitely one of the major reasons I can keep watching CM despite how disturbing it is - because they are so damn careful to make sure their victims are *people*, not just helpless women; and their victims aren't always victims, and have their own agency. And I love that they do it in different ways, too, that fighting back sometimes it can mean ambushing and stabbing your killers, and sometimes can mean playing along with a twisted fantasy, but it's all about survival.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

For all that it follows a procedural pattern, more than any show, I think CM is about humanity, in all its aspects. Sometimes it's not pretty, sometimes the good guys screw up, sometimes they're cranky and mean even though they're good guys. Sometimes you end up feeling sorry for the bad guys, because they've done terrible things but they just don't understand. The three-dimensional nature of it makes it compelling.

And a thousand times yes to victims with agency. They don't shy away from most victims being women hurt by men - that's a statistical fact - but the women are almost never passive. Especially this series (which I don't know if you've seen so won't risk spoiling you), it's struck me how strong these women are. To be able not to ignore differences while not screwing them up too much is a rare thing, and keeps me coming back even when it's freaked me the hell out.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

I'm all caught up with the show now, save the latest episode. And yeah, it's a very *aware* show; it knows it's touching on problematic subjects, but it explores them rather than shying away, does them justice.

(Not to mention all the main-char women rock! *loves hard on Garcia, JJ, and Prentiss*)

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

I think I want to be Prentiss when I grow up.

As you can probably tell, I have a meta brewing about this, but it boils down to letting people be who they are. So many shows get nervous around those issues, and go with 'everyone's the same' or make it 'issue of the week.' With CM, it always feels like they go with 'everyone's different' and 'therefore let's see what happens'.

Plus, Garcia is one of the most wonderful characters ever committed to screen, which makes the show generally awesome :)