Tag: anon asks

hi doc you did a comment a while back about alycia or young actros in general being kinda used by the fashino industry or something like that? can you elaborate what the problem is?

It might have been a post about when I worked with the BBC and witnessed first-hand what goes on with grooming young actors, especially women. Fashion loves to take young actors and turn them into models to promote their wares (that typically only the well-heeled can afford) and over the years it has become custom.  

Instead of doing theatre, working towards bettering their craft, you’ll see young actors doing modeling, instead.  In the UK, drama schools are notoriously expensive, so gaining experience that way isn’t always possible, and with repertory theatres mostly a thing of the past – modeling can be lucrative as well as help you in other ways.  Modeling, though, places emphasis on their looks rather than their talent and if you don’t get how that works for an outdated, patriarchal, sexist system (especially when these young women are dressed up in overtly ‘feminine’ or sexualised couture that makes them resemble dolls), I don’t know what to tell you.  

Actors have always ‘modeled’ for mag covers, doing photo shoots for films they promote (and it is all about promotion, getting your face seen), and it has been seen as a necessary evil – but if it becomes your main reference point on your career – how you look vs. any actual talent – well, we’ve seen what it does to people. If you don’t have the right mindset, it can be incredibly destructive. 

I’m reminded of Brittney Spears shaving her head – probably one of the best-known moments of a young star, used by fashion and media and the entertainment industry as a chew toy – deciding she’d had enough. 

Emma Thompson has spoken out about this, but, going back to what I wrote earlier, if you want to get into acting, you need money and representation. Drama schools and universities with theatre programmes are for those who can afford them (Thompson comes from a time when it was a wee bit easier to get into acting than it is today).  It’s sometimes a clever thing to seek out modeling jobs to get your face seen, but it is limited and limiting and really has a short shelf-life for an actor. And if you’re not in the right mindset for it, for the instant gush of attention and something fame-like, notoriety, say, imagine how that can mess with your head. If a part of you swells up, and isn’t treated, it’s likely to burst. 

Emma does say something in this interview (linked above) that I wish would be a mantra for young actors (or anyone wanting to do something creative/entertainment-based), basically – don’t look to be famous. Don’t try to be a star. That’s a byproduct of your work. It’s fleeting and we should all make careful choices so we can do what we love and enjoy it and be fulfilled by it.  

sorry to keep asking there’s talk from the weekend conventions that octavia is gonna die or clarke is gonna die. gotta theory doc?

I never know if I’m being set up on these asks, but someone posted a short clip of ET stating she’d like to be behind the camera and hopes, if they get a 6th year, that she can shadow the DoP.  I don’t know, but if she’s pondering another year, Clarke is probably alive at the end (and I’ve said before them killing off another queer female character is probably the last thing this show wants to do).  

So, I suppose this doesn’t bode well for Octavia. 

ru spoiling this season?

Since I don’t know what is going to happen, that isn’t really possible – but I’m going to be realistic with anyone who approaches me on the subject. People were hurt, are still taunted by members of another fandom and there’s enough cruelty in this world, especially for queer kids. If I happen to accidentally spoil something, oh well.  

Hi doc. so thank you for answering my crazy questions I do have another one the trailer didn’t have any bleurgh in it so do you think that’s happening? i cant watch if thats the way its gonna go. its so wrong.

You are welcome. I don’t know what to say, really. When you watch a trailer you know you’re only getting part of the story. The bigger part is what they don’t show you. For example: everyone thinks Clarke is dead, so a big part of what they want to surprise you with is what the reunions will be like. It’s been six years. Everyone will be a little different. It’s a good excuse to re-introduce these characters to one another (remember, they only really knew one another over the course of a few months, were strangers before), and, it could be theorised as a starting point for a romance between the characters – it gives the writers a clean slate if you will, to start all over again.  

Basically, this idea erases Lexa and her importance entirely. It’s bad representation-wise because, once again, we get the female bisexual character who can only have a happy ending with a male character.  They never wanted to do it before, but they do it now? That smells suspiciously of spite and pandering to another fandom instead of giving an honest narrative.  If done, it basically has reduced Clarke to a prize. She’s the character, more than anyone, who was written as an enabler and eraser of Bellamy’s past wrong behaviour, his murders exonerated simply by her – inexplicably – forgiving him.  Lexa had to earn Clarke’s trust and love and forgiveness – but Bellamy never has. It’s a little sickening, but that’s heteronormative bs for you (and don’t stop to think that if a romance is written between them, she’ll be ‘in love’ with the man whose actions led directly to Lexa’s death. Remember her? ‘Love of Clarke’s life?’ Yeah). 

So, I don’t know. There’s a 50/50 chance it will happen. Trailers can be deceptive. Bottom line: if they do it, no surprise, really, a shit show is only going to give you shit, after all.  No one is going to blink over it, the other fandom hasn’t ‘won’ anything, it isn’t a competition, it’s just the default of every television show and film ever made. It’s boring. It’s uninspired.  But, on the other hand, they might leave Clarke alone to raise her kid. I’m sorry to say I don’t think that will happen (happy to be wrong, of course).  

Good news: you don’t have to watch and there’s loads of free fan fiction that tells Clarke’s story better than the show ever could or would.  

I’m curious doc how do you think the l00 will end? will it be this season? give me some hope please?

I think I’ve answered something like this before, and I think my response was along the lines of – who knows? At this point I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they ended the thing with the entire series having all been dreamt up in Clarke’s head. She’ll wake up, in her cell, her dreams drawn along its walls and they’ll announce it’s time for her execution and that’ll be it.  The last shot: Clarke, floating in space, frozen, amongst all the dead bodies of the 100 and various ‘grounders’ who were just other Ark citizens.  

I like the idea if only because it completely erases everything that happened as just an absurd fantasy that made no sense – which it was.  Not a happy ending, but if the show decides to end on one, I’d rather the whole thing turn out to be a dream. 

Will it end this year? There’s a good chance of that, since the network is no longer interested in its ratings/ad value, pushing its premiere toward the summer. It’s not competing for anything. That JR is tweeting so much again suggests this might be his last hurrah with this show he’s so proud of. But that’s speculative. We’ll know when we know. 

In the meantime, @entirelytookeen has published a new chapter of (my) Destruction Within Your Mouth – a far superior version to the canon and I need to catch up.  

so what if bellarke is end game then?

What if it is?  

The show has excelled at offensive tropes, so what’s one more? I’d honestly be surprised if they didn’t. Rothenberg has alternated over the years with hating ships and shipping to manipulating queer fans over their own ship, to killing off the show’s lesbian representation – what else is there left for him to do but continue the line of insults to its logical conclusion? It will be forced in there, because everyone knows bisexual women only get happy endings with a man, and he’s not beyond being spiteful toward the fandom that humiliated him – and it will make the Blarkes happy enough that they will tweet his praises and taunt the Clexas over it and it will stroke JR’s ego and that’s what matters, really.  That’s what it will ultimately boil down to. Boom, out. Next.  

I’m more looking forward to what @entirelytookeen will bring with (my) Destruction Within Your Mouth and future installments of her Lay of Looking Glass Land series and all the delicious crack @femininenachos provides and so many other wonderful and wonderfully written stories out there. @liminalsmith has a new one that’s quite intriguing and @lolana07 has offered up her first Clexa fic and it’s off to a good start.  There’s story out I’m just looking at called The Whore’s Queen that is awfully good, the brilliant @unicyclehippo has a new story out with Lexa as a young page set in the Tortall universe, and we look forward to @weasal continuing her stories when she can. 

Have you seen Black Panther yet? If you can, please do. It’s wonderful and complete in every sense, the best thing Marvel has ever done. In that line, Black Lightning is quite good with what I hope will be ongoing positive representation and Star Trek Discovery had some nice touches, too. I still haven’t seen The Bold Type but it’s on my list so is One Day at a Time and, of course, the upcoming series of Doctor Who with Jodie Whittaker in the role.   

Life is short, there’s great books and fics and programmes and films out there and so many other things to do and look forward to. Enjoy. 

why should rothenbrat be furious with the fans now why be petty? why should he care?

Rothenberg has any number of reasons to dislike this fandom and be spiteful towards them.  First, they called him out for his unethical behaviour that did them harm and they humiliated him.  Media sided with the fans and what he did is now widely known. His failure to own up in a honest, caring fashion, to look us in the eye and be active in his apology, working toward better for the community led to a downward slide for The 100, a major fall in ratings and media interest.  

Possibly the biggest result of all of this was a broken deal for a new series. 

Imagine: a fandom took down his little mountain, including what might have been a lucrative deal that would have helped lock in his career. It didn’t happen and now his only (failing) show on the air has been pushed toward the summer where it is no longer in play for the network’s ratings (and, therefore, the all-important Ad Dollar) meaning it is likely due for cancellation.  

And he doesn’t seem like the type to point a finger in his own direction.  

For the anon who requested a favourite line from literature – there are so many and told so often, I don’t want to be cliche about it.  

So I had a think and I believe this is truly one of the finest.

“Sneakers with formalwear is fine for Ellen but not for lesser gays like you,” Anya says flatly.

Yes, fan fiction is literature and @femininenachos Don’t Wanna Be Your Girl would be Jane Austen’s favourite story if she were alive today.