Ew.

[apocalypsos]

I forgot how bad Nikki Cox's plastic surgery was until I saw her in a rerun of Ghost Whisperer at my cousin's house just now and thought, "GYAH, whose inflated clown face is that?"

*

SO. Status of the writer!

I am not going to win NaNo this year, as there's no way in Hell I'm writing fifteen thousand words a day for the next three days. But I'm not really upset about it at all, because Egress is the next story on my plate after I finish Heroine Addiction. Which I should finish this weekend unless there's some major global disaster or something.

I have two chapters of Heroine Addiction to finish before I'm done, but most of what's left is already sketched out. It's been taking forever, mostly because I don't want another rerun of GPW where I just sort of slapped the end together to get done and now I look at it and kinda want to bang my head off a wall. The less I have to tweak everything in the editing, the better. Hence why it's taking me so long -- better to get it done right the first time than figure out it's a mess and plow through regardless.

I haven't started my Yuletide yet. I have to get my hands on the source material I want to use. But when I do, it will be glorious. Mark my words. :D

*

So I'm currently only watching two shows that aren't reality shows -- Supernatural and Glee. And I'm very close to giving up on Glee.

I started out with and still have incredibly low expectations when it comes to Supernatural. And following the pilot I had high expectations for Glee, or at least for where Glee could go.

I made a comment earlier today on another journal that as somebody who likes Puck as a character, explaining why I like him to people who don't is hard, because people who don't inevitably fixate on the fact that he is an unapologetic jerk. On that point I agree, but that's why I like him. Puck is an unapologetic douchebag on a show full of characters who would refuse to apologize for being douchebags because they don't see some of the things they do as douchetastic. I like a character that has flaws and knows it.

SPN is like that for me. And Glee is turning out to be like most of its characters for me -- douchey, but not about to apologize for it because hey, it's nice most of the time and that counts for more, right?

SPN is a crappy show on a low-rent network. I love it in the same way that I love bad disaster movies and Celebreality and Cracked's articles. Would I like it if it took on gender and race and LGBT issues without falling flat on its face 99% of the time? That would be wonderful, yeah. SPN is and always has been, at least on some level, my OH JOHN RINGO NO show. As much as I'd like to think me sending the writers a letter saying, "No, seriously, do you like women even a little bit?" is going to accomplish anything (and I really do have to sit down and write that already), there aren't enough spoilery spnnewsletter interview links in the world to make me stop picturing the SPN writer's room as taking place in a cave and being entirely populated by Neanderthals.

However, sometimes I need that brainless offensiveness. I don't think I need to tell any of you that I've been a bit depressed lately and sometimes I just want somebody to tell me a scary story with pretty boys.

The weird thing is, Glee is not one of those times I need the brainless offensiveness. I want cutting humor and fun musical numbers and deftly written lessons, and while the pilot wasn't perfect it hinted that it could grow into a very thoughtful show. It just hasn't gotten as far as I'd like at this point. We're eleven episodes in and they're still fumbling scenes like the deaf teacher and the deaf chorus's performance of "Imagine" this week, both of which ended up being offensive to the deaf community on some level or another.

I really am torn about the show, because I love Artie and Puck and Quinn/Puck (when he's not being entirely appalling) and Sue (of course), but at the same time there are just so many strikes against it it makes it difficult for me to want to stick with it. I have higher expectations for the show than I do for SPN, and it's just not delivering for me even after the requisite growing period every show gets from me.

See, this is why I've cut back on my television watching this season. I've been writing or working on writing so much that I've been using television as more of an escape than normal, so watching a show that brings me down turns me off. SPN is basically turning into a bad disaster movie right before my eyes, but Glee keeps tripping over these bad writing techniques that are even making me cringe. If nothing else, the pregnancy storylines make my inner feminist rise up and shake her fists at the sky in rage. (My inner feminist has given up and started wandering off to watch more positive movies in other parts of my brain on Thursdays at nine. This week, it watched Blue Crush. Good stuff. Shame I don't have it on DVD.)

Eh. If I do give it up, it'll just give me more time every week to watch MST3K and Air Crash Investigation episodes. Heh.

*

Why am I watching Top Gear? Because I'm in a house that has access to BBC America for a change and that's what's on, that's why. I swear to God, if I had BBC America it would be on my TV all the time.

Comments

[trinity_clare]

The worst part about Glee for me isn't even that the show occasionally does stupid things (if you're weighing things against each other, the storyline with Sue's sister makes up for the Deaf choir in a lot of ways), but the sheer fact that their two supposed protagonists - Finn and Mr. Shue - are such irredeemable idiots. Plain and simple, I just don't want to watch a show about those guys, because I'm starting to hate them. DDD:

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

YES GOD THIS. "Dim but sweet" is not attractive in a guy, especially when the "but sweet" is occasionally tarnished by things like lying to a student to blackmailing him into joining glee club or pretending to be in a wheelchair to get a job.

And as much as I'll agree Sue's sister was a high point storyline-wise, it's a turn-off on a show I expect to be better when good storylines mostly make up for bad ones rather than stand on their own, you know what I mean?

[trinity_clare]

I'm reeeeally interested to see what they do with the back nine, because it will either get way better or way worse. :/

[anonymous_sibyl]

I had that same thought about Nikki Cox in that same episode. What, I am a secret Ghost Whisperer fan. *g*

I wish Glee would stop trying to "do something" and just sing to me. Maybe dance a little. Then Puck could say something Puck-ish, Sue could be Sue and they could end with more singing and dancing. So, basically, what you said.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

I would be a lot happier with Glee right now if it were supposed to be a dim superficial show and it knew it. Instead it's trying to be a Big Important Show About Issues and it's failing miserably in that regard in many, many ways.

[jillsjourney.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I pretty much hate every character and every story line on Glee. I just love the musical numbers; they're the only reason I watch.

And holy crap, I had no idea Nikki Cox *destroyed* her face. Damn.

[sabra-n.livejournal.com]

That's why I like Sue, too. She's an awful human being, but at least she owns her awfulness. Will is laboring under the illusion that he's a nice guy.

[purple-smurf.livejournal.com]

I started out with Glee being my new happy place. I hadn't been this enthusiastic about a new TV show since I can't remember when. Unfortunately, while I am still downloading the new episodes, I'm not paying for them through iTunes any longer and I just... I'm giving it the full season. Then we'll see. I want to see what the back nine are like, if they've learned anything, given that all these episodes were finished before the episodes started airing, and then I'll see. I'd like to be able to watch an entire episode through again.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm giving them until the back nine myself, just to see if it's sunk in. If it's clear that the complaints haven't gotten through their thick skulls, I'm out.

[imperfect_tense]

Top Gear is love and I will never understand how a car show can make me squee so much but it does. Oh, show. XD

[laughingacademy.livejournal.com]

OLIVERRRRRRR!

(Sorry, I saw your icon and couldn't help myself.)

[imperfect_tense]

True story, I spent ages looking around LJ until I found this Oliver icon. Because Oliver is love and win.

[spyderqueen.livejournal.com]

It's addictive and wonderful. Supposedly my roommate doesn't like it, but she gets sucked in all the time.

[imperfect_tense]

How can you not? XD

[babyofthegroup.livejournal.com]

I started watching Glee with a bunch of theater geeks, and we really love it wholeheartedly and unabashedly, but as my director said, "you know it's not a good show, right? we love it because it's a show for and by theater geeks, but it's not a good show."

It's stuff like the deaf choir's performance, with Mercedes jumping in at the end (WTF, you do not do that to another group that is performing) that make me go "...oh, *show*." I do still like the show, but Finn and Will are just snore-fests. The writers have managed to give Quinn, Puck, and Rachel some personality, but why is it that the supporting characters (Artie, Tina, Mercedes, OMG KURT) are so much more interesting and likable than the main ones? :-|

[risha]

My feelings about Glee have followed a progression: from mild boredom, to deep boredom with the storylines and mild dislike of all the characters*, to hating all of the characters*, to hating everything about the show (but especially all of the characters*), and have now reached loud, spittle-flecked ranting to all of my friends and family about my deep seated loathing of the entire show*.

*except Puck

Two people asked me why I still tape this show if I hate it so much. The only answer I can give is that I'm musical theater's bitch. I have been fast forwarding from song to song since week three, though. (Oddly enough, every plot point is completely intelligible at that speed, which is how I know enough to loathe it.)

[risha]

Oh, and Top Gear is love. Me/Stig = OTP.

[loony-moony.livejournal.com]

You know, I came to the conclusion that for me, Supernatural has carved its own niche. It's pure TV crack, and though it has disappointingly predictable points, it's mostly completely unpredictable. You never really know what you're in for, when you watch a new episode. This show has gone from fabulous, spectacularly-made episodes to horrible, why-am-I-watching-this episodes. I like the element of surprise. Also, Supernatural never fears going in other directions either, even when it has zero budget and a crazy, megalomaniac creator who thinks he's funny and deep.

Glee, though, is having writing tremors way before it should. Most shows on their first season would have a clear voice by now. Not necessarily a good voice, but a decided one nonetheless. Glee keeps trying to shoot at every possible direction, but it mostly ends up at mediocre-minus soap opera with some damn good casting, bathing in Broadway love and network money. I don't know what's going on in the writers room, but it's not good, and the show is really going to suffer for it, once the sparkle fades.

[smallcaps.livejournal.com]

You have pretty much nailed my thoughts on Glee and Supernatural. Thank you.

[bitter-longing.livejournal.com]

You find Glee offensive but love Top Gear? *boggles*

You are aware that Jeremy Clarkson is a sexist, racist, homophobic bully who thinks making jokes about physical disabilities is funny, right?

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

I don't love Top Gear. I've never even seen Top Gear before. I just wanted to watch BBC America and that was what was on. Hence the, "Why am I even watching this?"

[bitter-longing.livejournal.com]

Ah, that explains it! Sorry for my confusion, any even vaguely positive mention of JC brings on a red haze and clearly I wasn't reading the rest of your post properly.

Was thinking that maybe his douchiness doesn't translate across the pond and people have been fooled into thinking that he's funny.

[pekover.livejournal.com]

Refreshing to hear someone else who thinks SPN is a hack show. I mean, I love it, but I read some people's meta about the deep themes and sensitive character development and...I just don't see it. I see a fun premise, an enticing family dynamic (that has since been butchered beyond recognition), and pretty, pretty boys. So, yeah, I watch the show, but really I love the fandom (I have a fantasy in which I get to pick five of fandom's best writers and have them take over the show - it'd be interesting to see if there's something inherent in the demands of writing the show that makes the writers sloppy, or if the current bunch just really, really don't give a damn).

And I loved Glee for the first episode, and then...yuck. I just can't watch a show where I hate ALL the characters. I stopped watching when Puck was still just being introduced, but he does seem to be getting some love by others I know who are still watching...but one character isn't enough to lure me back in.

[lots42.livejournal.com]

Sometimes a show about guys shooting evil things is just that. It doesn't -have- to be deep.

[pekover.livejournal.com]

Ah, the good old days, when that was all the show was trying to be...

[lots42.livejournal.com]

BBC -anything- makes me as jealous as a cow on the other side of the fence.