December Talking Meme

[lunabee34]

1. Thanks for all your well wishes for Emma. I hope we get an appointment soon. I'm going to do my best to just put it out of my mind as there's nothing we can do until we get a diagnosis.

2. I'm a little more than halfway through the first HP book. I had forgotten that a good third of the book happens before Harry even gets to Hogwarts. I had also forgotten the way Harry is characterized. I've read so much fanfiction for HP in the last 11 years that it can be difficult to remember what's fanon and what's canon. Harry is definitely abused by the Dursleys (and I love fic that calls that abuse for what it is and explores how traumatic his childhood truly was), but he's not abused as extensively as I'd remembered. He also always stands up for himself; he's mouthy, he taunts Dudley and runs away, and he's never cowed. It's not that I had remembered him as mousy and frightened, but I had forgotten just how plucky Harry is even before Hogwarts, and I like it. I'm also really enjoying seeing all these plot and world building elements introduced in this first book that are going to be significant later: dragons guarding Gringotts, you say? how did the Baron get so bloody? etc. etc. Wow, Hermione is off-putting in this book; I had forgotten how bossy and sanctimonious she is. I'm trying to imagine ancient Jude Law singing "Hoggy, hoggy Hogwarts" and failing spectacularly. LOL

3. sjnt asks: Your favorite MLP friendship and why it is magic.

Oh, man. I just love this show. I think one of the things I love about it most is how it is always sending up pop culture. I feel like this show is made by a bunch of people my age who want their kids to grow up and love Die Hard. Like, there's been a Terminator episode and a Sherlock Holmes episode and a Lady GaGa episode and etc.

My favorite friendship is probably Rainbow Dash and her pet turtle. RD is my least favorite pony, but I adore that she falls in love with that slow poky turtle and chooses him for her BFF pet.

I also really like the Cutey Mark Crusaders and the way they always have each other's backs.

I love all the puns (the timber wolves are literally constructed of wood, for example).

I love the singing. I mean, I adore a musical anyway, so I'm down for some ponies breaking into song about HeartsWarming Eve. Frankly, I think there's a dearth of singing in cartoons right now outside of Bubble Guppies who routinely break into song. It's like cowbell. Could always use more.

Comments

[author_by_night]

Wow, Hermione is off-putting in this book; I had forgotten how bossy and sanctimonious she is

Honestly, Hermione's... kind of a brainy Mean Girl at times. I feel like fandom viewed her as this bookish nerd who was overlooked when really, she has some serious faults. I love her as a character, but I can definitely see why Ron and Harry were initially annoyed by her.

[lunabee34]

I'm still just in the first book, but if I remember right, what happens is that she mellows. I think all that bossiness is just a defense mechanism and when she has some true friends, she's able to relax and not rely on that as a shield as much. We'll see if that theory holds up as I continue to read.

[author_by_night]

She mellows, but has her moments. She's actually pretty horrible in the fifth book, though.

But I do think it's a bit of a guard. I also think Hermione and Ron are actually very similar in that they have their fall backs -- Ron being snarky, Hermione being logical - and don't always consider other people's feelings, since they know why they're being like that. You may have inspired an entry, actually...

ETA: Also, it occurs to me that Hermione's a bit like Emma from P&P. Emma also totally means well, yet gets so caught up in her ideas of what's best for everyone, she loses sight of what matters and what might truly be best for others.

[lunabee34]

Do you mean the DA hex? I'll reserve absolute judgement until I get there again and refresh my memories, but I don't think she's horrible for that.

[author_by_night]

Just as a quick note, I meant to say Emma from Emma. I'm sleep deprived, sorry.

Well, there are actually a few scenes where she's kinda mean to Luna. But I don't think she's trying TO be mean. I think she just has limited patience for her, well, Luna-ness.

[lunabee34]

Oh, yes. I had forgotten about her being snippy with Luna. I love Luna so much that I forget it takes her quite a while to show up in the books.

[lunabee34]

I like that comparison to Emma. I think you're totally on point with that.

[nyctanthes]

I feel like this show is made by a bunch of people my age who want their kids to grow up and love Die Hard.

LOL. And I like any show that references the '80s (so I can enjoy it), but has enough going on within episode that it doesn't necessarily have my kids clamoring to watch the source material. Because some things still work pretty well (E.T., Back to the Future), but others...less so. (Ghostbusters, oye.)

(Side note I: When I watched the original Scooby Doo I was so intrigued by the Harlem Globetrotters and Sandy Duncan and all the guest stars. Until I saw the source material and...oh dear.)

(Side note II: my son saw Back to the Future earlier this year, along with his older sister. He's 5, and watching him try to wrap his head around time travel was pretty funny. It just. Didn't. Compute)

And now you've got me wondering when I can show my daughter one of my FAVORITE '80s movies, Pump Up The Volume.

I love the singing

Me too! I *loved* The Backyardigans for this reason. The songs were so good. (Cops & Robots! Fly Girl!)

he's not abused as extensively as I'd remembered

Yes, this re: the fanon and canon. I've been having thoughts about this and maybe some day will post about it. This will happen when i) I've slept for eight hours a night for a full week (which hasn't happened in....a year and half?); ii) am sure I have something to say other than WHY!?!?!?!

[lunabee34]

I loved the Backyardigans. Truly excellent songs in that one.

How old is your daughter? One of mine is 5 and the other will be 16 in two days.

I have never seen Pump up the Volume. My parents were so weird about what I could watch; if it's sci fic, I've seen it. Everything else is hit or miss from the 80s for me.

[nyctanthes]

My daughter is almost 10 (going on 40), and my son is almost 6. He's the MCU fan.

My parents were all PBS, all the time. Plus classic movies. But I went over to my best friend's house at least a couple of times a week and that's where I caught up on everything.

[lunabee34]

Awwww. Those are good ages.

My parents are Evangelical nutjobs, so I just wasn't allowed to watch a lot of stuff. We also watched tons of PBS, which no complaints there.