linkblogging stuff

[meganbmoore]

Since a few of you have asked about this and others have mentioned it, not knowing that it's in pretty much my backyard:  The police raided a polygamist compound outside Eldorado, TX where young girls(as young as 12, I believe) were being married off, resulting in over 400 children being relocated to San Angelo(where I live) making this the biggest family law case...uhm...ever, I think.  Here is an article that sums up the current status and links to the background.

Unless people want me to, I likely won't be commenting on this much unless it afects my personal life.  Not because I don't care(far from it), but because I expect it'll be pretty well publicized by people far better at such things than I.

On the fannish front, there's a meme going around about female characters you love, who seem to get grief from fandom.  I've tried doing it a few times, but my list is far, far too long.  However, 

rawles  has a post that pretty well explains why it's hard for me to do so, and my reactions to most of fandom in general.

Especially this part:

sainfoin_fields has coined terms for two afflictions from which I currently suffer (she too has these issues): Fictional Lesbianism and Anyanka Syndrome.

Fictional Lesbianism is pretty simple. The vast majority of the time, I will care about, invest in, identify with, empathize with, and feel the pathos of female characters exponentially more than male ones. It's not that I don't love many a dude; I am, in fact, very, very fond of boys and I like imaginary ones best of all. But most of the time, there needs to be a strong female presence for me to muster up some caring, in general, and I will usually love my favourite girl characters more than my favourite males ones.

The second affliction is more complicated and troublesome than the first. Anyanka Syndrome is quite simply the INSANELY INCONVENIENT compulsion to be completely obsessed with any mistreated female character, be the source of her mistreatment canon, fandom, or some mixture of both. My list of Leftover Ladies of Fiction is long and frustrating and emotionally draining.

And these two things...they pretty much completely control everything I ever do in fandom.

She also says a lot of things that I've tried to say before, but failed pretty miserably at.

But to end on a cheerier note:  Many on my f-list are suddenly watching The Romance of Red Dust.  I have no idea how they discovered it, but it thrills me to see the posts on the subject popping up.  

rachelmanija  posts here and here
oyceter  posts here
shewhohashope  posts here
coffeeandink  posts here

Only Rachel's second post covers past ep 5.  GO READ THEM!!!  And...if I have missed a post, tell me.

Also, yhlee  posts on the first three episodes of Damo.  Go read that, too.

Comments

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

It is quite simple: oyceter sicced it on me, Mely, and Yoon while we were all on vacation together. shewhohashope seems to be watching it coincidentally, though.

Can you rec any C-Dramas where the heroines kick ass and aren't overshadowed by men, or is that exclusively the province of movies?

[shewhohashope.livejournal.com]

I saw it in dangermousie's post (http://dangermousie.livejournal.com/1118707.html) on women who kick ass in asian dramas, and recced it to oyceter.

I think dangermousie may have gotten it from meganbmoore, bringing the whole thing full-circle.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Hmm...I know I watched the whole thing before Mousie started it, but I think we may have discovered it independently.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Sadly, no. Like shounen, there isn't a lack of awesome female characters, but it's still the boy's territory. Damo is the closest I've seen, and iti's not a cdrama. Actually, really not "closest" because while she does need rescuing a few times, she also does a good job of saving herself, and also does some rescuing. It doesn't stand out as much in others as it does in RRD, though, simply because RRD sets it up for her to be the hero and him to be the damsel, then ditches that. Based on Return of the Condor Heroes, Legend of the Condor Heroes may fare better there, as Huang Rong was flat out the best thing in that show(and better than anyone else while 9 months pregnant...) and is obviously the one in charge of her marriage.

ETA: I think Sword Stained With Royal Blood and Young Warriors of the Yang Clan fare better...the women aren't as much of fighters as the men, but there are more female characters in different roles, and a better sense of equality. Return of the Condor Heroes and Patriotic Knights are both good, but have the same problem of starting out with a heroine who's supposed to be an amazing fighter, and then having her more the damsel in distress by the end.

The question now is: Where did Oycce get it from?

[kingcrankycat.livejournal.com]

rawles' post was quite beautiful

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

yes, yes it was