(no subject)

[shadowkat]

The work week is over and already I feel the tension melting off my muscles and shoulders.
Co-worker has just about convinced me to give Breaking Bad another try...but I don't know if I can get past the drug dealer crap. Or my mood for romance. The gender wars at the center of these romance novels intrigue me. But I do not understand why sexual violence keeps popping in all of them. I haven't read one, not one, in which the heroine hasn't been threatened with sexual violence, raped or assaulted in some way. Sometimes the hero is, but that's rare. Does this happen in non-heterosexual romances or non-heteronormative? Is it solely a heterosexual thing? I know it happens in male slash or m/m fanfic, I've read it and I've seen it in m/m fiction. But does it happen in fem-slash or f/f? Just curious.

Also seems to come up daytime serials (all of them do it), television serials, soap operas, cop shows, and procedurals. Why is that? I'm not saying sexual violence or rape shouldn't be discussed or depicted necessarily...just questioning the prevalence of it.
Is it like all things merely a reflection of societal issues and problems?

The weekend promises to be crisp and warm...70s and 60s at night. Then 90s by middle of next week. I've just about decided to see the Pulitizer Prize Winning and Tony Award Play - Clyborn Park...although musicals are tempting. But only ones that look interesting are
Once (no way can get tickets), Porgy and Bess, JSC (seen too many times...so why bother),
Rock of Ages (could be fun but also annoying - rather see the movie with the caveat that it will most likely be as bad as Burlesque - it's hard to pull off a good musical - apparently)...

Very sleepy. Meant to catch up on tv tonight, but got distracted by LJ and book. Been into reading lately...tv for some reason is boring me. I don't know why. Weird phase.

Comments

[flameraven.livejournal.com]

Not sure why rape/assault is so common in those types of fiction. I think the bad writers use it for cheap drama-- if a character has a terrible past, apparently we're meant to sympathize with them more? Maybe because it's a way to make a character very vulnerable and then they can write about the romantic interest being the only one who can heal the character, usually with magic healing sex? *shrug* I don't read much of that kind of fiction so I can't say why it's so prevalent, but it definitely is. Not sure about the f/f stories, though-- those seem less common (in fanfic anyway) than the others so I'm not sure about the trends there. Society does seem kind of obsessed with women and their sexuality though so maybe it's part of that?

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

To be fair, I've seen it in a lot mysteries and sci-fi novels that contain either a romantic element or gender battles. Girl with the Dragoon Tatoo comes to mind as does The Cat Who Walked Through Walls by Robert Heinlein.

So am wondering if it may just be the physical embodiment of the gender battles? Also the fact that it also shows up in m/m - suggests that it is "male violence" or an expression of male sexual power? (shrugs)

It seems more about the exertion of male power or male sexual superiority than female. It's very odd, but in all the stories - after the guy rapes the woman - she is seen as "ruined" or "spoiled", and he wanders off fine and dandy. Except ...in Buffy, Spike was ruined by it, and had to fix himself, he pays for the crime not Buffy - which was a nice subversion of the trope actually. Usually it is the opposite. Although this was true in daytime soaps as well...in two or three cases I can think of, the guy paid for it.
And had to redeem himself.

But rape really isn't about female sexuality - it's about male sexuality.
And the use of the phallus as a weapon. To cause pain instead of pleasure.
It says more about men than women.

[rebcake.livejournal.com]

But I do not understand why sexual violence keeps popping in all of them. Why is that?

When I was in college, back in the Olden Days, I polled my girlfriends, and roughly 25-35% of them (us) had been sexually abused, assaulted, or threatened at some point between birth and our early-20s. This was by no means a scientific poll, and only included people who were well-adjusted, or at least had it together enough to pursue higher education. Also, it was not done anonymously, so people may not have been comfortable sharing such sensitive information. It still seemed like a significant number to me.

I'd say that sexual violence is indeed part of the landscape of many women's lives. Fear of sexual violence is probably an issue for virtually all women, at some point. It's appropriate fodder for our stories. It may not be such an enjoyable topic, but keeping it out of the narrative stream entirely could be considered naive at best or repressive at worst.

That said, I'm sort of amazed that it's in every single book. I know I've read some romances, but it's been awhile and I just don't remember that being an aspect. Maybe it's a newish trend?

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

I'm trying to think of one it wasn't in? Oh, the Friday harbor one. Some of the contemporary romances don't have it - which is actually why I was reading those. The historicals are notorious for it.

And soap operas, evening or daytime seem to all do it...

I get that it is part of life, but ...

In most of the books it is used as a means for the hero to either save the heroine, to worry about the heroine's safety, to break them up, or make it difficult for them to have sex. Because of course, 90% of their relationship is sex. LOL!

[embers-log.livejournal.com]

If you see 'Rock of Ages' let me know what you think... I was planning to skip it (I really didn't enjoy 'Mama Mia' and 'Chicago': Hollywood actors shouldn't do musicals, they should hire the Broadway stars IMO).

In fact I'd love to hear about any plays you go see (I do wish I was in NYC)

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

LOL! If you hated Chicago, Hairspray, and Mamma Mia - definitely skip Rock of Ages. (I probably shouldn't admit that I own all three of those on DVD, should I??)

I tend to look at Hollywood musicals the same way that I do romance novels, I give them a lot of lee-way. Very few are any good. They go for the pretty, not the talent.

You should have seen Burlesque. Which was fun, but I don't recommend.

Eh...I live in NYC and I can't afford 90% of these plays, time or money wise.
Alice and I were discussing it over email - she loves theater too, but is exhausted and has no time. I'd love to see Book of Mormon - but it would cost me over 130 bucks.

[embers-log.livejournal.com]

When I was little I was blown away by the movie productions of West Side Story, The Music Man, and others I saw on the big screen (we even had a theater in Boulder that showed older musicals like American in Paris and Brigadoon on the big screen in Technicolor, so much better than B&W TV)....

And I went to a lot of live musicals (my Mother used to take me to all kinds of live theater, my Father would take me along to movies, I was known for being quiet and enthralled). I just haven't found the recent attempts to bring Broadway to the movie screens to be as enthralling.

Actually I just bought the DVD of Kevin Kline's 'Pirates of Penzance' (I had owned the video ages ago and hadn't ever moved on to the new formate). That failed at the box office but partly because they put it on pay per view at the same time it was released in theaters, it was a colossal problem that angered distributors.... Studios claim that no one loves musicals anymore but I do think they cause most of the problems by not casting Broadway singers & dancers.....

Re: Book of Mormon, I'm lucky that the Chicago road company has some affordable ticket prices, but of course they are selling out (my tickets are for next March!)... AND luckily I can stay with my brother so that won't be an expense either.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Interestingly enough...I did not like Kevin Kline's Pirates of Penzance...too silly. And I hated the guy who played the romantic lead - what was his name? Williame Aames? Linda Ronstandt did the heroine. But I've also seen every Gilbert and Sullivan play done on television or film. The only one I liked as Topsy-Turvy. (I took a class on Gilbert & Sullivan in undergrad from an expert on it, he wore neon socks, was the son of a Prime Minister, and brought in the Royal Gilbert and Sullivan Theater Trope or Al-court Players to perform bits and do a trivia contest with us. I was so good at remembering the information, that I got to play with one of the actors.).

I think I've seen every musical known. My mother is a huge musical geek. Her favorite is Lilly with Mel Ferrare and the gal who was in Gigi. And the puppets. When I was growing up - she'd get me all the cast albums of the Broadway musicals. She took me to Purple Rain - we saw it twice. Flashdance - mother loved it.

So...I tend to give musicals more or less the same free ride I used to give superhero films before I got burned out on them. I don't care how bad it is. As long as there is singing and dancing. You are talking to someone who actually watched High School Musical...and Cop Rock. LOL!

I know they were bad...but hey people getting up and singing. Fun!
I also loved Xenia The Musical episodes...to the criticism and chagrin of my friends, who thought I was crazy.

Alice thinks I'm nuts for loving Chicago on film more than I liked the Broadway version...I could hear the songs. Although the Bway version I saw had Clark Peters (Lester) from the Wire in the Richard Gere role.

[embers-log.livejournal.com]

Rex Smith played Frederick, and he was quite lame, but he brought the rock and roll musicality to the Gilbert & Sullivan songs (even w/some Elvis stylings which I liked)....
I loved Topsy Turvy too, that was brilliant.

Actually the one version of Gilbert & Sullivan that I never got to see was Ford's Theater's 'Hot Mikado' an all Black cast w/Jazz (1940s style) musical arrangements of G&S music... it got rave reviews in DC but it ran the first time before I was working at Ford's Theater, and then again after I left (so I missed it both times).
Here is a clip from the UK version of 'Hot Mikado' that was staged for the West End: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AVHrPAlCcI&feature=endscreen&NR=1

[lizziebuffy2008.livejournal.com]

How far did you get in Breaking Bad the first time you tried to watch it? We are through season 3 and about to start season 4 (after we finish Game of Thrones, season 1.)

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

I made it to about the fifth episode in S2. It's the one after he goes half naked to the convenience store. I liked S1, got bogged down in S2.

[lizziebuffy2008.livejournal.com]

Yes, season 2 did get slow, but picks back up (quite a bit) in the last few episodes. Season 3 also is a little slow at first and then a few shows in really starts rolling. We were chomping at the bit for season 4 by the end of season 3.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Just have to relocate the episode I stopped at and start there...