And a few more of your least favorite things

[exsequar]

I don't quite understand why bandom is looked at with such disdain by so many people. Never before have I felt so supremely judged simply for taking part in a specific fandom. I don't see this one as any different from any of my others - in fact, it's kind of Jsquared to the nth power. And I thought we were all gay friendly around here? So what is it about boys acting somewhat feminine that freaks people out? I just don't understand it. Does the music somehow not come up to some obscure standards? Are they too young? What is it that makes this fandom the subject of so much persecution? I've never been reluctant to post about a fannish obsession of mine before, and I kind of hate it.

This is just another set of boys. Another set of boys who love each other a lot, a lot a lot, and aren't afraid to show it. Another set of boys to write beautiful, funny, heartbreaking, gorgeous stories about, stories that reach out and touch you. Another set of boys to ogle and drool over and giggle at and flail about every time there's a new picture of them completely ignoring the concept of personal space. It's just more boys. So why does fandom at large make me feel ashamed?

I just had to get that out of my system. Moving on!

I did a lot of shopping today, and it was fun! My mom's fiance got me a $30 gift certificate to Borders, so I went and shop shop shopped, it was so much fun! I ended up with quite the haul:

• "Infinite Jest" by David Foster Wallace - This author came to give a talk at my school last year, and oh, he was wonderful. I read one of his short stories before he came and he's so FUNNY! Incisively brilliant, too. This is his long novel and it was at a really good price so I couldn't resist.
  
• "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman - I've been wanting to read this one for a long time. I loved lyra_wing's Supernatural AU based on this, so I bet I'm going to love the book too.
  
• "Invisible Monsters" by Chuck Palahniuk - Damn you Ryan Ross! I probably won't like it, but who knows.
  
• Sci Fi magazine, with Katee Sackhoff on the cover (KATEE! ♥) and containing the fall TV preview.

Yay! So essentially I'm set on reading material for the next, oh, year. I've been reading so slowly lately, sigh.

I also took my sister to Staples for her school supplies, and then to various clothing stores for school clothes. I got myself some cute long sleeved things for Ireland, including a couple hooded tops because hoods = love. Even if they're not quite hoodies *g* So that was a fun afternoon, just us girls!


EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

*deep breath* Okay. Okay. So videos are simply exploding onto the internets from the two Decaydance fest shows recently - Cologne (on my BIRTHDAY) and Paris! And at Paris, Brendon fucking Urie dedicated a song to Ryan fucking Ross, who proceeded to look embarassed and pleased and then pull Brendon in for a hug. YOU CANNOT MAKE THIS STUFF UP YOU GUYS. OH MY GOD I LOVE THEM SO MUCH I MIGHT COMBUST. The audio on the video is absolute SHITE, and I'm looking for a better version, but HUG, GUYS, HUG. The beauty starts about 1:05 in. I love how shy and pleased Ryan looks! Eeeeeee!

Other highlights: BRING IT with Gabe William and Travis! Who are all so snuggly together! It's ridonkulously adorable.
Panic! covering The Band's "The Weight" (?) - They do such a beautiful job with this song, I love it.
Panic!'s new song Middle of the Summer - Soooo good. Can I has new album naow? Kthx.
Panic!'s new song Nine in the Afternoon - Ryan introduces it (!) and that's what he calls it! Brendon sounds even better hear than he did at Virgin Fest, and I reeeeally love this song. Like a lot.
Build God Then We'll Talk - It's strange seeing them performing without their costumes and vaudeville troop and elaborate set design, but it's fun to just focus on the boys. You can't hear Ryan very well, alas, but they're as great as always! I love Ryan saying thank you to Paris near the end, and Jon coming over to Brendon's piano at the conclusion. Yay boys!

God, I can't even imagine how I would react to going to one of these shows. RYAN BRENDON JON SPENCER PETE PATRICK JOE ANDY WILLIAM CHIZ SISKY BUTCHER MIKE GABE TRAVIS VICKYT AND MORE ALL IN ONE NIGHT???? *dies* They must be having SO MUCH FUN traveling together!! If we don't get some priceless behind the scenes TAI TV or other videos, I will be muchly disappointed! I love all these boys (and girl!) to such a ridiculous degree. Whee!

Well that's certainly enough out of me, so shutting up now.

Comments

[musical-emjay.livejournal.com]

*sigh* I've seen this sentiment all over my friendslist too. I can take the mocking from my closer LJ friends because I know it's just mocking and it's totally fine, but I see the WTFBANDOM stuff everywhere and it's just...not cool.

I mean, I have absolutely no ground to stand on whatsoever because I WAS one of those WTFBANDOM people for the longest time, so who am I to complain? But, it still kinda kills your squee when you start hollering about something and people are like WTF WHY? And I'm like WTF WHY NOT? And then we hit an impasse and no one is really happy :/

Based on my own reasons for resisting/not understanding bandslash, I'd say it has a lot to do with the music, and the certain image associated with that music. Now, my music taste is admittedly pretty all over the goddamn place, but I've always sort of maintained a pretty fierce hate for most country, rap, and really hardcore nothing-but-screaming metal. "Emo Music" was kinda lumped in there too; not that I hated it, but that I didn't respect it and thought it was pretty ridiculous.

The fact of the matter was that I hadn't actually, seriously listened to it, but I took it all at surface value and took a lot of stock in what other people were saying and let that make the decision for me. Which is a shitty, shitty way of doing things. But now I'm listening to it, and now that I have the context, have the interviews and the live footage and everything, and I can see how much these guys fucking LOVE what they're doing, that they have an utter PASSION for it, for making great music with great people and yeah, maybe even helping people out through it, there's just no fucking way I can't want to be a part of that, even in a peripheral, fandom-y way.

So, yeah, that was a really longwinded way of saying, it's the music. Music is the one arena where the gloves are fucking off and people get a little crazy. But if people are going to use their violent hate for a certain kind of music to beat other people down who are in a fandom that revolves around that type of music, yeah, NOT COOL. *hugs*

[exsequar.livejournal.com]

I think that's a lot of the problem with it. It's so mainstream that necessarily there is going to be an image projected, and certain people will take in certain pieces of that image and make of it what they will without having all the facts. It's like when something is out in the public domain as thoroughly as these bands are, then everyone has to have a strong opinion on it, regardless of if they actually know what the fuck they're talking about. I've always loved this music, it's always been my happy place, and oh god oh GOD do I hate the label emo. None of this music is particularly "oh my life sucks I'm going to go slit my wrists" at all - if anything it's kind of silly and nonsensical and just plain. goddamn. fun. What the hell is the harm in that?

Okay okay I'm done, I'm sorry, no more ranting! Also, thank you darling for your comment to the super lovely comment above - I appreciate it. *hugs*

RYRO SAYS RAR.

[musical-emjay.livejournal.com]

*bites Ryro's nose* :D :D

Yeah, I mean, there are some bands out there that are a little too "oh my life sucks I'm going to go slit my wrists", but these boys? No way. MCR kinda skirts the edge of it, but they come across to me as "ok, so, I've dealt with a lot of shitty stuff my whole life but I'm going to DO SOMETHING CONSTRUCTIVE WITH THAT". Like, they don't take it lying down, and they're going to be loud and proud about it.

Aw, you're welcome ♥ That comment made me lose my cool, and that was as polite as I was going to get. Holy shit, y'all, wtf was that?