Meta, Light, Take One

[krickets]

001. I was chatting with some folk over at LVI about the differences between Dead Like Me, Wonderfalls, and Pushing Daisies, thematically speaking. A term used relatively often, by myself at least, to describe Pushing Daisies, is "cute." And it is cute. And this is not a word most people would use to describe shows like Dead Like Me and Wonderfalls. But when I really really think about it. That is exactly what they were in their own ways. The major difference between the shows (again, thematically) is that the main characters, our moral guideposts of both Wonderfalls and Dead Like Me, are extremely cynical and bitter. (But endearing!) With Pushing Daisies we have The Piemaker, Ned. And his viewpoint, while cautious, is anything but cynical and bitter. It's a little brighter, color-wise, and tone-wise, in that way. But all three shows are quirky good fun.


002. A similarity between those two shows?

Jaye, George, & Chuck

Chicks with boy names. Cute.


003. I have yet to see this week's SPN. A crisis of layout-ical(?) proportions kept me away. But here's some (non-spoilery) thoughts on the new season. So far, I feel like the show may be trying to appeal to a wider audience by upping the dumb humor and the boob-quotient. But maybe that's just my half-assed assumption, or something that will level out as the season progresses. Either way, I'm not sure I like it. Not that I would stop watching for either of these reasons, of course.


004. On another, less negative, note, I love the way they're filming the show this season. Did they get a new DP or something? Maybe it's the vidder in me, but someone tell me I'm not crazy.


005. I was discussing with Sara tonight about what kind of fans we are. And we sort of discovered that we're really very different types of fans. For example, I don't ever really watch a show for one aspect, such as a ship, which she does. I am, by no means saying that there's anything wrong with liking a particular character, or ship. (Please, look at my header and notice a certain blonde that's repeated more than once!) But for me, personally, if I can't enjoy the show as a whole then I can't watch a show period. It has to engage me from all possible facets.

Which, is why, while I'm a total fandom-whore, I've come to the conclusion that I'm kind of a hard sell.

More on this later, maybe, possibly.

Comments

[gigglemonster.livejournal.com]

01. Yay Pushing Daisies! *is totally in show-love with it*
It is cute, but I can't really elaborate too much because I've never seen either of those other shows. Although, the chicks with dude names is quite interesting.

03. I think that I totally agree with you there. I don't really have too big of a problem with it yet. But there are times when I've been watching it this season, secretly wishing for the old SPN back - a little less new chick-age and a lot more angst. But then again, it's only episode 3. So I have to try and contain my complaints for now. The ep was very light-hearted and really quite adorable. So. Either way, I will always love the show so. Lay it on me SPN, I dare ya.

04. Word

05. Hahaha ohhh you fandom-whore you. I think just knowing you has made me somewhat of a fandom-whore as well. And I woudln't have it ANY other way! ;)

[cmonkatiekatie.livejournal.com]

Chicks with boy names. Cute.

i never put that together, and I have much love for all 3 of them. Good call.

[zelda-zee.livejournal.com]

If you're really into the way SPN is filmed, there's a comm - wouldn't you know it, that fandom has a comm for everything - spnematography. I was struck by the cinematography back around "Dead in the Water" and I think it's been pretty consistently interesting throughout. Maybe not every ep, but on the whole.

I'm having the same reaction to the season, but like you said, we're still just starting out. I can be patient for the angst. I'm definitely enjoying the season so far.

Hmmm. Not sure what kind of fan I am. I've got two shows I'm shippy about, Lost and SPN, and then the rest that I watch I'm not, I just watch them for the overall goodness. I guess with SPN I'd love the show nearly as much if I didn't ship Sam/Dean. But Lost is different. I like a lot of the characters, but without some kind of slashy subtext I tend to get pretty bitchy. And even though I'd like to say I don't watch it for a particular character(s), I know that if they do away with Sayid I'd have difficulty staying with the show, even given that I have love for a number of other characters.

[crickets.livejournal.com]

I do love these characters. I'm so pleased that Pushing Daisies is doing well and won't meet the same untimely end as Wonderfalls.

[crickets.livejournal.com]

Re: Cinematography. I haven't been overly wowed in the past. This season feels like something has changed but maybe I've just not been paying attention. Just, the shots themselves, the placement of the camera, etc. feels different this time around. The colors too, but I've been told that might be because the first eps were filmed in the summer. (I still don't entirely think that's it.)

I still haven't seen 3x3, but I kind of expected some serious angsting after 3x2's shocker. But I was told that it lasted all of sixty seconds or so.

I like the humor, I like the boys, hell, I even like Ruby. So I'm not going away and I'm not saying I don't enjoy it. I'm just a little cautious. When it feels like a show begins to pander to a crowd other than its already very-much dedicated fanbase, I worry about what other sacrifices they're willing to make.

(Plus I'm sort of disturbed/annoyed that we have yet to see Ellen.)

But, all said, my other (hopefully more correct) theory is that after two seasons of angst-ville season openings, they wanted to lighten the mood, and also hold on to the extreme angst that will come when Dean's time moves closer.

Re: What kind of fan. Oh you know I enjoy slash subtext just as much as the next fan-girl. And god knows I ship Sam/Dean in a fandomy sort of way. I'm like you though, I'd love SPN even if I didn't. Cause well, there was a time when I actually didn't! Haha.

But, it's probably no surprise to anyone who reads my journal that my ship choices are by no means static. Haha. I have ship-ADD, I think. Overall, I do ship. But that's not the only reason I tune in, like you said, the other characters, the other non-shippy aspects of the show, etc.

Now if they began arbitrarily killing off my favorite characters, I might have a problem with that, but at the same time I'd also try to be open minded about it, and would probably still watch/enjoy anyway. (See: Tara from Buffy.)

Lost these days is touch and go with me. I started out watching a show about some people on an island. Now, I feel like I'm watching a show about an island that happens to have some people on it. Now, I like the way season three ended up going, whereas I was ultimately displeased with season two as a whole. There are a lot of things I still love about the show. But there are many ways in which the show, ultimately, fails for me.

Hard sell, yes. But once you have me there, it's hard to get rid of me. (But it's not impossible!)

There are a few shows which I have given up entirely on during the course of their run, and this is after watching every single episode from the start. Roswell, about 5 eps into season three. Party of Five about a year and a half before its close, and Dawson's Creek well I never really stopped watching altogether but I damn well tried! It was an overall quality issue. Kind of like a "the straw that broke the camel's back" kind of deal.

If I'm watching a show and one day I realize, "Hey, I hate every single one of these characters," then you've definitely lost me.

[crickets.livejournal.com]

001. You haven't seen Wonderfalls and Dead Like Me?!?! Haha, okay I'll quit with the punctuation cause I so already knew that. But I would recommend them. *nods emphatically*

003. Yes. Much love. Forever. Amen.

005. LOL... um.... whoops?

[turquoisetumult.livejournal.com]

You are so spot-on with the way you described DLM, WF, and PD. Though PD is very much like a fairytale, so you can't really expect the main character to have a huge stick up his butt, y'know. *totally is trying to get the image of Lee Pace out of her head now* Also, I can't see any of Lee Pace's character being that cynical ... he's a giant puppy with fluffy hair. ;)

Hehe, girls with guys' names. My friend made the same comment about DLM and WF when she had only knowledge of WF and I had only knowledge of DLM.

So far, I feel like the show may be trying to appeal to a wider audience by upping the dumb humor and the boob-quotient.

Could be very true. Haven't thought about it much though. I kind of like the dumb humor though - it's played out very well (especially in the latest episode! :D Too cute.) And, yeah, they'd have to royally screw up the show for me not to come back for at least the pretty. And hopefully that will never ever ever ever ever happen. ;)

[turquoisetumult.livejournal.com]

Dayln, you need to see Dead Like Me and Wonderfalls.

Wonderfalls - Ned from PD plays the brother. The main ship is too cute for words. And even Kaylee from Firefly makes a few appearances. :D
Dead Like Me - Mason, the f*ck-up druggie; Roxy, the angry cop; Rube, the food-obsessed father-like tough-loving head of the group; Daisy, the fallen, egotistical starlet. Not to mention the wonderfully cynical lead. ;)

*nods empathically with KC*

[crickets.livejournal.com]

Word.

[crickets.livejournal.com]

Yeah I'm holding out. (I say that like I'm ready to stop watching, which is far from true!)

[slybrunette.livejournal.com]

You're right all three of those shows are cute. They're lighter, each in their own ways, and there's just something about them that's different than a lot of the other stuff on television.

And as for all three girls having boy names? Great catch, I hadn't even realized that.

[crickets.livejournal.com]

Definitely different. And I'm so pleased that it seems PD's time has come. And holy crap how cute are Chuck's outfits?!?!

[zelda-zee.livejournal.com]

I am with you on Lost. What that show had going for it from the start was strong, amazing, unique characters and the fascination was watching the characters react to the situation they were in. The show has veered so far from that at this point that sometimes it honestly feels like an entirely different show. I will never be okay with the killing of characters just for the sake of shock value. It really makes me angry to invest in a character emotionally, to see all this potential they have, and then to have it taken away, just because the producers want to prove that they can. If it wasn't for that, I probably would still love the show, even given the whole Others plotline, which I've never cared for (except for Ben).

How long I stay with Lost is really dependent on who they kill. I don't really enjoy the show anymore - it's too fraught with anxiety about who's going to die. That aspect has pretty much ruined it for me. So basically I just watch for slash and ships and individual characters at this point, which is kind of too bad.

[crickets.livejournal.com]

It really is a very different show. Sad.

[zelda-zee.livejournal.com]

Hey, sorry I got all ranty in your journal. I'm not quite sure where that came from.

[crickets.livejournal.com]

Oh, no. Don't be silly! I enjoyed the discussion. "Ranty" happens to be very entertaining. (And thought provoking, haha.) ;)

*hugs*