Wow, I am offically the worst lj-er ever. The worst correspondent ever. The worst online friend ever. I am overcome with not-turning-on-my-computer guilt. I am the worst not-turner-on-my-computer-er ever. No really. But aside from that, life continues - yawn, yawn - and accordingly, my new least favourite question is "How're things" because I simply have no way to answer that. There are no things. My life is currently thingfree. The most exciting thing I did this week was spread manure over my backyard. Certainly my back found it exciting.
Other recent pseudo-happenings:
-> I bought seasons four through seven of Buffy and can now watch any ep any time I like. THE POWER! Actually, I'm excited because I can obsessively watch particular scenes over and over in the dead of night, and secretly, so secretly, cry like the pathetic fanthing I am. Oh Buffy, don't leave me!
-> I'm up to the fifth Preacher trade and I'm still loving it. Number four (Ancient History) is going to go down as a all-time personal fave, if only because Jody, the sickest - and I mean that in a good way - hillbilly ever, beats a gorilla to death with a Louisville slugger. There's just something unspeakably hilarious about that entire interlude. Also, the volume includes the back story for Arseface - for the uninitiated, a kid who tried to blow his head off but only succeeded in fucking his face into the shape of a drooling arse - and the Saint of Killers.
One of the things I like about buying trades rather than each monthly issues, is all the peripheral stuff that gets packaged with them. The intros to Preacher have been great, as intros go, but I especially enjoyed this one, because Ennis talks about the origins of the Saint and the whole Western theme. Eastwood's Unforgiven was an obvious influence, right from the start, but "The Saint of Killers" is such a clear homage that it's like reading fic. Of course, when the Saint goes to hell it veers off a bit from the story of Will Muny, but hey that's what good fic does right? Explore strange new possibilities. ;-)
Anyway, Ennis' story is a lot more brutal and grandiose than Eastwood's, necessarily because Ennis is trying to create a character who's meaner than anyone in hell, and Eastwood is trying to create a character who's meaner than anyone else around, but also a
man. I think a key difference is in how Muny and the Saint start killing again. For those who are unfamiliar with both, Muny and the Saint are alcoholic cowboy's who'd kill for money, pleasure or for no reason at all, and would do just about anything for money. Each is seemingly redeemed by the love a good woman, and gives up drinking, carousing and killing. They retire to their respective farms to raise babies, until necessity sends them back into the world. Muny's driven by the need to feed his children, while the Saint needs to bring a doctor to help his sick family.
Ennis went straight for the jugular - instant angst! family in danger! - and the Saint's return to killing is in response to a group of cowboy's delaying him on his journey. The Saint is just really fucking
mad. Eastwood's Muny though, sets out to kill for money, dead sober and more worried than angry. He's worried that his redemption is only skin-deep, and while the Saint shares this
concern, he isn't torn up about it the same way Muny is. It's as though getting off the drink just gave his constant fury more clarity.
Eastwood's story is the more human one, but of course Ennis isn't just writing a kickass Western, he's also sending his character down to hell in order to satirize and brutalize Christianity. I love that the Saint freezes hell with the sheer power of his hate, that
human hate is stronger than semi-divine power. The Saint kills the Devil - who's a bit of a bullying pussy, by the way - and humiliates the Angel of Death who's so tired of his job he gives it up to the crazily angry human. The Saint kills the guy who started the whole down-with-God thing in the first place, offhand, matter of fact. Just kills him. The human capacity for hatred and murder is astonishing.
-> I finally got around to pre-ordering the Half-Blood Prince. I'm trying to decide if I want to re-read the series before it comes out. It's not something I've done before, since I've only been in HP fandom since the release of the first film, and so have only been around for one book release. Question for those who're still reading through the hugeass posting gaps - how rewarding was rereading? Because HP does not seem to me to be the kind of series that requires rereading, in the sense that JKR isn't exactly million-plots-a-minute girl, and none of the books have been *ahem* hard to follow. So, aside from the simple pleaser of enjoying the stories all over again, was it worth rereading for a book or movie release?
-> I'm loving the Dr. Who/House/Law & Order scheduling block, which I watch with my father. We agree that the Doctor and Rose are socute and sofunny and that House is suchanasshole who deservestobefired. Amusingly, we're both bored with the House/Cameron subplot and for all the same reasons.
Dad: "Oh, so now he's going to rehire the
love of his life and become a better man."
Me: "Yep."
Dad: "Cuddy should do everyone a favour and fire him. Screw his reputation, he's probably scaring off lots of other highly qualified doctors with his asinine comments."
Me: "He's funny though."
Dad: "Yep."
Of course, after that we talked about how House won't become a better man and he and Cameron
can't have a happy ending, and how
of course House will end up alone. Because people like House? Aren't redeemed by love, though sometimes they're improved by lots of therapy.
Anyway, this all got me thinking about how he would have been better off if, from a young age, they'd try to impress on him that being more intelligent than others doesn't mean that you've got more rights than others, or that you are automatically
more right than others. Because it's obvious to me at least, that House's attitudes aren't a result of frustration over his diminished physical capacity, but lifelong - that is, he's always been a jerk, but the infarction gave him a really great excuse to be a jerk. And can I just say, how tired I am of fen letting him get away with using that excuse? Because as much as I like the character, I can admit he's a jerk who is overwhelmingly in the wrong.
My dad and I missed the last bit of the ep and
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lavenderoracle has just informed me that House agreed to go out with Cameron. *facepalm* At least we knew that was what was happening while we were 'testing' some freshly baked carrot-raisin muffins (sopredictable). Instant reaction: am I watching the mother-fucking OC? And honey, this so isn't going to work out. Put your lipgloss away and go back to work.
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