wanderings

A follow-up to this post.

I am still failing out of dramas continually or setting them down and forgetting to come back to them forever. (I am watching two right now that are both doing the "stupid character is manipulated into stirring shit up for the leads" and I can't with them. Like, everything else is fine, but that fucking trope. I'm like 4 episodes away from finishing another series and they've introduced a jealousy plot - we're like 90% of the way through? Jealousy plots are supposed to be short second plot arcs. Whyyyy. I have not watched episodes of those series in months and have started like 13 other shows and finished two of them in the meantime.) Finishing shows continues to feel like an accomplishment, so, a record:

( 10 Modern )

( 3 Historical )

Today's snowflake challenge is goal-setting.

Because this is how I roll, I look at last year's goals first. I set myself one goal for 2024: to get a specific post out of my drafts. And I did it. I published a post I had started writing fifteen years prior about fanwork trailers. I would have taken deleting the draft as success, too. (It's really nice to have it out of drafts.)

This year I'm sticking to the one goal thing and I'm going to go with: publish a fic rec. I have so many incomplete drafts to choose from for filling that. I haven't done a tabs collection entry or fic round-up in almost two years and I have all of these themed rec drafts hanging about, too, so if I don't hit my minimum number of fics for a round-up there are lots of other options.

It seems like an achievable goal. I'm hopeful.

4ever by jarrow
D.E.B.S. | 3:04 | G | Amy/Lucy
Summary: We ain't gonna live forever...
Music: 4ever by The Veronicas
     +jarrow's got a note just over their vid embed that reads, in part: "happy lesbian hijinks." That's this vid. They are so gay and the movie is so camp and it is glorious pop-driven wallow in Amy and Lucy's love story in all of its camp gay glory.

If It Isn't Her, It Isn't Here by gwenfrankenstein
D.E.B.S. | 2:52 | PG-13 | Amy/Lucy
Summary: My imagination is rattling its cage.
Music: If It Isn't Her by Ani DiFranco
     +This is one of those vids that very much is weaving its audio with its visual, to the tune of lyric and visual matches and there's so much atmospheric groove in the song, too, so it's this mix of precision and vibes that's immersive and satisfying. (They fall in love to Ani DiFranco: it's super gay and great.)

Love At First Sight by heresluck
Glee | 2:36 | G | Kurt/Blaine
Summary: Then there was you.
Music: Love At First Sight by Kylie Minogue
     +It was love, guys. I have so much nostalgia for what I watched of early seasons Kurt and Blaine and that representation in that ridiculous show, and just - the instant *hearteyes* and singing and dancing and mild pining and kissing and pop music. It is here and it is fantastic.

am I only dreaming? by thingswithwings
GLOW | 1:50 | PG-13 | Arthie/Yolanda
Summary: A tribute to this beautiful little love story!
Music: Eternal Flame by The Bangles
     +This made me *chinhands*. Two women dancing and being in love with each other in the '80s.

come home to my heart by dollsome
Good Omens | G | Aziraphale/Crowley
Summary: In your car, the radio up / We keep trying to talk about us / I’m someone you maybe might love. Falling in love with the world, and each other. An Ineffable Husbands fanvid.
Music: Supercut by Lorde
     +They're doing the best they can, and they're so in love, and they've been so in love for so long, without quite saying it outright, and my heart.

Saving Me & You by purplefringe
Imagine Me & You/Saving Face | 3:29 | G | Luce/Rachel, Wil/Vivian
Summary: Lesbian love in London and New York. A fluffy vid for Imagine Me & You and Saving Face.
Music: Kiss Me by Sixpence None The Richer
     +Gay fall lesbian vibes! Gay fall lesbian vibes! Sometimes that is all I want, but yeah, this is a great interweaving of the two narratives and all of their little matching tropes. It brings me joy.

Under Pressure by violace
The Martian | 3:45 | G
Summary: "Every human being has a basic instinct to help each other out. This is so fundamentally human that it's found in every culture without exception."
Music: Under Pressure by David Bowie and Queen
     +I love the Neil deGrasse Tyson open and the optimism. A pop-y film narrative vid with some great beats.

Dancing in the Dark by starlady
Marvel | 3:18 | PG-13 | Kamala Khan
Summary: You can't start a fire without a spark.
Music: Dancing in the Dark by Lucy Dacus
     +The song choice is gutting and perfect. Kamala Khan, and her friends and neighbours and family and neighbourhood, and yeah.

Our Version of Events by alwaystheocean
Pride/Rent | 4:43 | G
(no summary)
Music: Read All About it, Pt III - Emeli Sandé
     +Queer community and activism in the face of all of the shit that gets thrown at us. There's a bit in Pride where Mark is like, you know who Thatcher also hates, yeah? So we're going to be friends, the gays and the miners, because fuck Thatcher in particular, and that's kind of a lot of this vid, friends, but also just a good life strategy in general: band together with the other people that are getting stomped on.

Take Me Out by jarrow
Saving Face | 3:13 | PG-13 | Wil/Vivian
Summary: Wil needs to get her shit together and ask Vivian out already, for crying out loud.
Music: Take Me by AJ & Aly
     +The '80s-inspired soundtrack and some of the cuts are giving, like, dueSouth fanvid, in the best way. Except it's a textually queer source and so it is so, so much better. (I love them and this makes me happy.)

I Know A Place by heresluck
Sense8 |4:34 | PG-13
Summary: Don't you be afraid of love and affection.
Music: I Know A Place by MUNA
     +Friends and lovers, up against the world together, and basking in the sun, too.

Skeleton Song by Isagel
Slings & Arrows | 3:42 | G | Geoffrey Tennant & Oliver Welles
Summary: Skeleton, you are my friend.
Music: Skeleton Song by Kate Nash
     +Oliver and Geoffrey, and Geoffrey's relationship with their continued relationship. (Brilliant.)

Crowded Table by Isagel
Star Trek | 4:19 | G
Summary: The plural of queer is family.
Music: Crowded Table by Joshua Radin
     + Disco. Queers in space taking care of each other, doing space things with their friends.

Gold by ohvienna
Star Trek | 1:29 | G | Deanna Troi/William Riker
Summary: “Because we have to be willing to go through that door to what’s next.”
Music: Gold by Kina Grannis & Jome
     +I haven't seen Picard, so all I'm getting out of this is Troi and Riker, older and in space together again, hugging and kissing like they've kissed before, with a sun-dappled green past or future apart or together, spangled with twinkle lights.

Undress Rehearsal by findmeinthealps
Taskmaster RPF | 3:32 | PG-13 | Alex Horne
Summary: "There is an unfortunate amount of my flesh in this one." - Alex Horne
Music: Undress Rehearsal by Timeflies
     +Alex Horne and a lot of his Taskmaster tropes - exposing his flesh, getting sprayed by water, and generally being used.

How You Like That by marah_sarie
Under the Queen's Umbrella | 3:04 | G | Queen Im Hwa-ryeong
Summary: If you come for Queen Im Hwa-ryeong, you best not miss.
Music: How You Like That by BLACKPINK
     +All the shots in this are gorgeous. Queen Im Hwa-ryeong's imma fuck you up face is a thing of beauty. (I haven't seen this drama, but this vid is excellent.)

Exile by frayadjacent
Xena | 4:48 | G | Xena/Gabrielle
Summary: My complicated feelings about the Xena series finale.
Music: Exile by Taylor Swift feat. Bon Iver
     +I really like the inclusion of all of the other bury your gays clips - they make this video and really hammer in what the finale ending was and how unnecessary it was.

Five Things! The five things are totally up to you. Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it.

1.) (ETA: The poll has closed with my pick in the lead. Thank you!) This is a campaign. I am campaigning. I figured out my wishlist for Day 3 of the Snowflake Challenge late on the 17th, so I am posting it here, hoping that more people will go vote in an online poll.

tjs_whatnot made sad tragic noises about their pick losing snowflake_challenge's poll for today's challenge, and it's not like I had other plans, so I am just going to do the also rans here

2.) Dinner Party: You're having a dinner party, you can invite anyone--yes, living or dead if that's your thing--who are you inviting and why?

I'm going to interpret this as "talk about some people who you think might be cool", because in my heart of hearts I am getting myself a plate of assorted vegetable maki rolls and maybe a bottle of wine and I am inviting no one, even if it is an imaginary dinner party. Especially then, maybe.

So:

• Emily Graslie is the science communicator behind The Brain Scoop, recently back from a hiatus. She is so enthusiastic and interested in learning and is a joy.


• Joseph Saunders co-organised the inaugural black birders week and does some really cool wildlife photography that he posts on instagram - reelsonwheels - and does a whole other slew of things that you can find out about here


• Alie Ward is the host of Ologies, a science podcast about all of those different -ologies that people study. A typical episode features Alie in conversation with an -ologist and fleshes out that field. There are a lot of fields.


• Earyn McGee is a herpetologist, science communicator, potter, and dog-owner. She is afro_herper and responsible for #FindThatLizard. I am very bad at finding lizards.

3.) Happy Place: Tell us where you go these days to be happy. Whether that's a literal actual place or a space in fandom world that gives you the jollies.

The PWHL! Specifically, like, all of Montréal's games games, which have all been really exciting, with lots of good back and forth and scoring, containing some excellent hockey drama. I wrote about their first game here, for Day 6 of the Snowflake Challenge, and also the PWHL and North American's women's hockey in general. It is still a thing that is making really happy.

4.) Cast Your Fandom: (or recast your fandom if your fandom is already a show/movie/video). Give us your Dream Cast and tell us why.

I'm going with Persuasion, because someone needs to make a decent adaptation this century, and I'm casting by age, because I need all the help I can get. Ages in brackets are not specifically listed in the novel.

Anne Elliot is played by Lana Condor of To All the Boys I've Loved Before, who is apparently 27 (how).
John Boyega of Attack the Block, at 31, is Captain Wentworth.
Idris Elba (51) of Luther is Sir Walter Elliot, whose age isn't specifically listed on Persuasion's wiki page, but is old enough to have plausibly fathered a 27 year old, and also I want to see Idris Elba act alongside John Boyega and think that he might enjoy being Sir Walter.
Dakota Fanning (29) of Uptown Girls is Elizabeth Elliot, the eldest daughter.
Mckenna Grace (17) of Gifted is Mary Musgrove (she married young, right? My memory was sketchy and I think the family tree on wiki made me panic and maybe cast her too young, it's fine).
Jharrel Jerome (26) of Spider Man: Across the Spider-Verse is Charles Musgrove Jr, because that's an age where he might have proposed to Anne first, right?
Claudia Black (51) of Farscape is Lady Russell, because I wanted someone born the same year as Idris and also Claudia Black.
Sarah Shahi (44) of The L Word is Penelope Clay, because that's young enough to be Elizabeth's friend, right?
Oscar Isaac (44) of Inside Llewyn Davis is Admiral Croft.
Tatiana Maslany, 38, of Orphan Black is Sophia Croft and is also the only person on this list that I have complete and unshakeable confidence that they would nail the accent in spite of not being British (I have a fair amount of faith in a good chunk of the others, also, but Maslany can do any accent, probably).
Dafne Keen, about 19, of His Dark Materials is Louisa Musgrove.
Isabella Wei, about 20, of 1899 is Henrietta Musgrove.
Jonathan Bailey (35) of Brigerton is Captain Harville, because I decided that was an age Wentworth's friend could conceivably be.
Vedang Raina (20) of Archie is Captain James Benwick, because I cannot make myself watch a much older man decide to marry a child.
Michael B Jordan (36) of Black Panther is William Elliot, because that's an age where a man might consider going for a 27 year old or a 44 year old, right?
Jessie Mei Li (28) of Shadow and Bone is Mrs. Smith, because that's young enough to have been at school with Anne.
Sophie Okonedo (55) of Slow Horses is Lady Dalrymple, because I couldn't remember how old she was and decided to make her a contemporary of Sir. Walter.
Tati Gabrielle (27) of The Owl House is her daughter, Miss Carteret, who I decided to make Anne's age.

Done. I refuse to do more research/reviewing or improve it. It cannot be worse than that other thing.

...and I have run out of also rans, so a vid rec:

5.) Masters of War (Pegasus Rising Remix) by bironic
Stargate: Atlantis | 4:02
Summary: The Atlanteans came, they explored, they destroyed lives and families and whole civilizations. The people of Pegasus have had enough.
Music: "Masters of War" by Bob Dylan (edited)
     + The Atlanteans and their actions from the perspective of the Pegasus Galaxy. It's a vid I've been thinking about lately, along with the ways in which the various Stargate series have always very clearly functioned as American military propaganda. This vid is a well-executed critique of the Atlantean narrative with some great audio/visual matches.

In your own space, share a favourite piece of original canon (a show, a specific TV episode, a storyline, a book or series, a scene from a movie, etc) and explain why you love it so much. Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

The second game of the inaugural season of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL): Montréal at Ottawa January 2, 2024. (Youtube.)

The first PWHL game apparently made a lot of people cry, because of the significance to women, women's sports, hockey, these players, future players, hockey fans, etc.

That first game was unreal to me. I don't think that the existence of this league and what it means has sunk in yet. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, because I was a fan of one of the PWHL's predecessors, the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL), and when it unexpectedly folded in 2019 it broke my heart a little.

After the CWHL folded there were a bunch of players, many of them Olympic gold medalists, who didn't have a league to play in, until now. The difference between 2019 and now is ridiculous, just in terms of the resources that have been mobilized to support this league that weren't there 5 years ago. They're playing in bigger rinks, to sold-out crowds, televised on multiple channels, with a continuous stream of articles about the league and its players and games.

          The First CBA In Women’s Hockey Is A Picture Of The Future, And A Story Of The Past by Maitreyi Anantharaman (The Defector, Jan. 11, 2024.) does a really good job of painting a picture of what came before and how the PWHL got going.

          Liz Knox (interviewed for that piece) has been doing some really good press work in general, supporting this league and giving it and the reality of women's hockey context. Her December 3rd piece for CBC (How we built a women’s pro hockey league: Stories from a 10-year effort) is also a good read.

It feels like the landscape of women's hockey has completely changed.

When my hockey friend and I used to go to regular season games in Toronto we'd transit out and our walk to the arena would take us past residential dwellings. We didn't actually need to buy our tickets in advance, but we often did, and we'd show them to the volunteer running the table outside the rink and they'd scrawl "TF" on our hands. We'd show our marked hands to another volunteer who'd wave us in and then we'd go and pick out our seats. Nobody else I knew followed the league, though we did drag other people out with us on occasion, especially when there were bigger games, at bigger rinks.

Every single Canadian PWHL home game is sold out this season.

I had people from three separate friend groups texting me during the Montréal at Ottawa game, and it was such joyful hockey. It was fast-paced and exciting and there was wait, was that a goal drama, with lingering shots of the net, and I got to see players that I've followed for years, as a CWHL and Olympic Women's Hockey fan, play a game of hockey in a league that their player's union chose, and get paid an actual wage for it.

This is a dream that has been decades in the making. A chunk of these women grew up dreaming of playing in the NHL, knowing that they would never be allowed to do so, and they have worked for years for this, and now they have a league of their own, that is paying them real money to play. It is not perfect - another league folded to make this happen and players lost contracts, took pay cuts, and they have been rushing to get these women on the ice, to have them play, to carry the momentum forward. This is the season without logos. The team names are just the cities.

But you know what else it also is? This is the season where someone hugged their fiancée after they scored a goal and the play-by-play announcers dropped that into the commentary. When they took the photo of both teams after the game, someone went to hang out with someone on the other team for it. When players were asked about interview questions that they hate for a TSN promo interview/smelling salts challenge thing, people talked about bullshit rivalry narratives and being friends with people on the other team.

They're building something, and it looks pretty good so far.

(Games stream on the PHWHL's youtube channel and also on a whole host of other channels, especially if you're in Canada. CBC has their upcoming and in-progress games here and their archive here, including that January 2nd Montréal at Toronto game). TSN's broadcast schedule is here. Sportsnet's PWHL content is here. I am definitely missing things with this list - there's a lot of different coverage.)

This post has been adapted from a comment I left on luthien's post, "Snowflake Challenge 2024, Day 3".