Ooooh, Fandom I love you. [How much?] Hella

I don't even know where to start. Okay, that is a bold-faced lie. I have like 400 places I could start but I am going to start by bringing up what I scratched at in class.

I loved Star Wars Uncut. It filled me with strawberry bubbles and kittens (all of which had to be surgically removed) and it makes me more of a Star Wars fan than before. But why? Why are bearded Leias and cat Lukes endearing to me?

Because that's what we are inside. There is something out there that fills us with nerd joy till we're bursting. We consume movies like candy, binge watch T.V. shows, and read book series until they makes us cry like 2 year olds. We scream (in happiness) at the sight of Lady Gaga and Beyoncé and dress up as anime characters. Isn't that just the best thing?!

I am a fan of many things and Fans are one the them. I mean, just look at them.

No, but seriously. Fans are the best. They are smart, funny, creative, sexy, and lovely. Are there some assholes out there? No, not at all. All of them are perfect and amazing and rainbow-butterflies fly out of their mouths and- Absolutely, there are assholes out there. But don't crap on the entirety of a pretty amazing part of humanity. We are obsessive and that behavior can produce something as charming as Star Wars Uncut.

I am not the best at expressing why fandom is useful or good thing but I have to believe its true. I mean, it just makes me so happy to hear people just humming the background music of a specific scene in a movie. That shows a connectivity that I can't really put into words right now and probably not for a while.

This leads me to the Fandom assignment. I and super duper stoked to be a part of this but at the same time I am a bit wary. I don't know if I'm up for such a task. I mean, don't worry, I will be charging at it with a stupid amount of ferocity but I don't think I'll be able to express fandom properly. I don't even know if it can be done. I just know that I really, really, want to.

 I want to tell someone I read fanfiction and not have them look at me like I'm a child. I want to have important and moving conversations about ships without being misconstrued as a crazed fan. I want people to understand that they can read some really awesome porn online and shamelessly share it with others who like that....but...ya'know...not awkward.

This is going to be a lot of fun but its probably going to send me into a dangerous spiral of self analysis. Just like a mad dunk did to this man.

Look at him...Look how far into himself he is sent. Where is he? Who is he? Is he me? Yes. That is my future. I'm going to get dunked on by this Fandom project.

Back to the Lego Movie

            Laura brought up the Lego Movie earlier and this is another post/comment to hers. I just saw the film and I agree that it is Awesome (see the movie), and it is a text that seems to have been made for this class. As Laura said, this film both works with and subverts the mono-myth. We’ve got the (bearded) mentor, herald, trickster, shape shifter, and shadow almost as caricatures of those roles, all done in a spirit of parody. Yet, there are a couple of serious moments (see the movie) that work to directly evoke and counteract the role of the hero.

http://williamsonsource.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/The-Lego-Movie.jpg

            What is really weird is that one of the conflicts of the movie is almost copy-pasted from the John Fiske article we read. I think I can safely say without spoiling anything that there is a conflict over the use of the “instructions” that come with Lego sets. There are some characters who want to follow them to the letter without deviation and those who want to ignore them completely. So there is the product as the manufactures have created them to be used and the way the people use them in subversion to the manufactures. But, now the manufactures have made a text permitting such use of their product, which Fiske would say was their effort to contain the subversion, something like the example he provided, the shopping mall promoting “mall walkers” (40-41).

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/2013/10/lego_a.jpg

            And there is more. Many of the Lego characters are a walking cross-textual spaghetti bowl.  As he is in the previews and posters I can mention that Lego Batman features prominently in the movie. There are all kind of jokes and references about him and every other superhero/character Lego person. And so all of these characters bring behind them their associated fandoms and tangled inter-connected fandoms. The film makes use of it all.

            In summary, everyone in class should see the Lego Movie. It is worth it on its own and may be useful in class. Laura is right about the song. Be ready for that.

Note: should anyone from Warner Bros. or Lego read this I would not mind being paid :)

Finally! It Works!!

I was able to get it to download and I’ve watched about 30 minutes (+-). I guess the “break” my computer and I took from each other was enough to teach him a lesson about who wears the pants around here.

Star Wars Uncut was really cute at times…and really, really bad at others. I loved the stop action with the Star Wars action figures, they were my favorite. The sound quality during some of the scenes was so bad I could barely understand what they were saying. The scenes with people were 50/50 whether I liked them or not. Some of the costumes and invented droids were really cleaver; however the others were so bad it was just sad. Others didn’t even seem to try.

The mini version near the beginning, when C-3PO was getting his hot-oil bath was hilarious. There was raw sexual tension happening, C-3PO with his pink robo thong trying to seduce Luke was just great. I would have enjoyed a few other scenes depicted with this obtuse sexual innuendo. Maybe I just have a warped mind…

I watched the video with my boyfriend who stated that we needed to make our own mini Star Wars clips…I do love that nerdy man of mine ;)

Computer Rage

So this weekend I’ve tried again and again to watch Star Wars Uncut and it has yet to work for me, resulting in an insane amount of computer rage on my part. Computer rage is essentially like road rage for some people—just…so… much…anger!!

For whatever reason, I do not get road rage, I can sit in traffic and not care…I figure I’ll eventually get where I’m going. On the other hand, computer rage is the bane of my existence. When I know my computer or technical device is capable of completing a simple function and it fails to do so—so much anger happens! I am typically a very passive person, but computers not doing what they are supposed to in a timely manner, well that makes me aggressive, very aggressive, wookie aggressive.

At this point, I am taking a break from trying to download the video. I assume my computer has issues because it is a long video. The saying “a watched pot never boils” apparently does not apply to computers…they are much needier. My computer wants me to watch it SLOWLY download the content and if I turn away for the slightest of moments any downloaded material disappears and it wants to restart the entire process. That little buffering symbol has caused me so much rage!

 

http://static.raymond.cc/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/buffering-icon.png

After this blog post my computer and I are taking a break from each other…I think it is important for our relationship to step back for the time being. During this time I hope my computer thinks about what it wants from our relationship…he needs to consider his role and keep up his end of the bargain…if he likes us together, likes how I gently press his keys, likes how I spend so much time with him, well he needs to stop being such a slacker or else he’ll find himself crashing through a window or ripped in half.

He needs to decide if he wants this...

 

http://www.geenalee.com/thelovezone/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/computerlove_jpg.jpg

or this...

http://www.buzzle.com/img/articleImages/562748-10326-49.jpg

I called the cable company and they state that Point of Rocks is basically “no man’s land” when it comes to the internet. The representative stated that Point of Rocks is on the edge of the internet flow (or whatever) and the only way to improve connection is to build another tower closer to Point of Rocks…yeah like that’s going to happen anytime soon…I’ll be sure to get right on that. Sheesh, some people are so helpful.

I was able to watch maybe 3-5 minutes, I made it past the opening credits and saw a few 15 second snippets, but alas no more than that when Mr. Computer wanted to re-buffer and start the download process over. Ughhhh!!

For now it’s time for a couple deep breaths and a relaxing shower, then I’ll try again…hopefully with a better response from my computer.