178: Every Now and Then, I Get a Little Bit Restless and I Dream of Something Meta

[thefourthvine]

So, the question of the day is whether I will ever forgive seperis for posting a link to the video for Bonnie Tyler's Total Eclipse of the Heart. I'm thinking I probably won't. If I ever see seperis in person, I will sniff haughtily and raise my chin and stride right on by. She will deserve it.

Because, see, the video somehow makes the song very sticky, and it's not so much that I mind going around singing "turn around bright eyes" under my breath - okay, wait. I do. I do mind. But I wouldn't be contemplating a permanent grudge just for that. No, but see, the video changes the meaning of virtually all the lyrics. So I'll sing to myself "I don't know what to do/I'm always in the dark/living on a powder keg and giving off sparks" and then I will have to interrupt myself to shriek, "MAYBE YOU SHOULD STOP FUCKING SCHOOLBOYS, THEN. That might be your problem!"

It was when I shrieked that this morning that I realized that a) I was driving, and thus visible to others as I went into my very emotional anti-schoolboy-fucking credo and b) I was on my way to a place where I would be interacting with others. Who might not understand my need to explain, at volume, that being a little bit nervous that the best of all your years have gone by is no excuse for fucking alien schoolboys with wings. (Seriously. This video is like a live action version of all the anime in the world. In five minutes. Except...not good. At all. Sort of the opposite of good, if you get my drift.)

So, no, I won't be forgiving seperis anytime soon. You may say I could just have not watched it, but you would be wrong, because she mentioned dancing ninjas when she linked. Everyone knows that your average person is helpless in the face of dancing ninjas. It's why ninjas dance! So obviously she's entirely to blame, and until I can stop sharing with strangers that, yes, falling apart tends to happen when you spend all your time exploiting underaged lads (and BIRDS - BIRDS!) with mind control powers, I will be holding a massive grudge. I fail to see how anyone could blame me for this.

Obviously, I need help. In an attempt to reclaim the video portion of my brain for better purposes (it's hard to see how there could be worse purposes, frankly), I have turned to vids. Where else? I initially considered doing a Vids That Traumatize set - it would fit in so nicely - but, sadly, those tend to render me unable to speak, never mind type. (I will never forgive Pouncer and Barkley for showing me footage from Xanadu, though. Not ever. The...costumes. The...roller skates. GENE KELLY ON ROLLER SKATES OMG.)

Instead, meta vids. These make me consistently happy, after all. And they make sense. And there aren't any dancing football players in just the shoulder pads without the jerseys. In short: meta vids win.

The One That Will Remind You That We're Living in the Avalanche Times. But We Still Have Each Other. (I'm Sorry! Meta Vids Make Me Really Emotional. Unless That's Bonnie Tyler's Influence.) Us, by lim.

Level of fandom knowledge required: 8.

But in this case, don't worry; if you're reading this LJ (and you're not my mother), you almost certainly know enough to appreciate this vid, because the knowledge you need is not about a fandom, or a part of fandom, but just media fandom itself.

And I say "media fandom" advisedly. When this vid came out, I was curious about how it would read to people outside our neck of fandom, so I asked some anime vidders to watch it and tell me what they got from it. I learned many things, some of them totally not relevant to the vid. (Like that anime vidders will always go to the critique place, always; they talk about technique first and content second, which shows you that they're like us but not us.) And I learned that people outside our community can, in fact, get something from this vid. (It was interesting to see what they did get, and what they didn't. If you ever have a handful of anime vidders and you don't know what to do with them, I recommend the experiment.) But they didn't get most of what's in there, not nearly. Which means this is a vid by one of us that's just for us.

Why? Well, partly because you need to be able to recognize what fandom is, and what our particular kind of fandom does: we borrow pieces from the things we love and turn them into new works of art. And partly because you need to be able to recognize the big fannish moments from the sources here. And partly because this is about being a fan: about the struggles we have with them - the people who aren't us.

The One That Proves That What We All Want Is Rupert Giles. Locked in Our Basement. I Put You There, by laurashapiro and Lithium Doll, aka halcyon_shift. (Password required for download; available without a password in streaming video on IMEEM. At least, I hope it's still there; I can't actually check, because IMEEM hates me, so if you follow this link and it works, will you let me know?)

Level of fandom knowledge required: 2.

Because, seriously, all you need to know is that we love our characters a lot, and we...do stuff to do them sometimes, take control sometimes. Because we can. (And also because of love. Let's not forget that.) This is the classic fangirl story, set to music. With drawings that pretty much represent all of us, and show all the things we do to the people we love: Obsessively collect stuff about them! Chase them! Kiss them! Insert ourselves into their stories! Hate their girlfriends! Lock them up and hit them over the head with heavy objects! (...What? Don't even try to tell me you're above hurt/comfort. I saw you with that angsty epic bookmark you think no one knows you have. Your shame is known to me.)

And this is all set to music, I might add, that is so perfect for this vid that I was astonished to learn that it isn't about fandom, or at least that it wasn't written about fandom. I still listen to it and can't believe it: you mean this isn't about a fangirl? But, but, but - how do you explain that line about real life? And, look, we do put you there! (You, of course, being Rupert Giles. Or, okay, I hear people sometimes like other characters. Whatever.) Us! But, of course, we don't have a monopoly on this kind of love.

That's why this is the perfect meta vid to show outsiders, in fact. Everyone can understand this much of fandom, because, well, nearly everyone who consumes fiction has done this. (At least, I assume they have. If they haven't, they are strangers to me.)

The One That Always Makes Me Deeply Happy to See Lemons. I Mean, Not That I Don't Love Lemons Anyway, but These Are Lemons of Significance. Without Me, by mamoru22.

Level of fandom knowledge required: 2 or 6.

Basically, for me this vid is the other side of I Put You There. This is the actor's side: "I've created a monster" must be pretty close to an accurate transcription of their thoughts sometimes. Particularly at cons.

The actor in this case is David Hewlett, and the monster is Rodney McKay, which is curiously appropriate. (He's a monster in some ways. But he's lovable! And he's ours. Aaaaand, oh my god, I just made Rodney McKay sound like a monster from Monsters, Inc., which image will haunt me to my grave, especially since Best Beloved and makesmewannadie tormented me this weekend with Sulley/Mike slash. Seriously, don't ever watch an innocent movie with those two; you'll never be the same again.)

The dual level of knowledge is because to get the basics of this vid, you just have to know that there's actor, and there's character, and there's fans. And sometimes there's a complex relationship between the three. But I love so much that this vid throws in another layer: it's also about SGA fandom. See those penguins? Those lemons? Those are our controversies! Those are part of what we bring to the picture! And I just love that.

But to get the add-in cookie bonuses, you really do need to know the fandom; I watched this initially with Best Beloved, who totally got the David Hewlett/Rodney McKay (not a pairing OMG no no noooooo) part of it, and loved the vid, but failed to understand why I squeaked and laughed and just generally acted insanely joyful at, for example, the postcards. (Fandom, how are you so awesome? No, really, how?) So this vid is perfect for any person who can recognize Rodney McKay, but it rewards a close familiarity with SGA fandom. In other words, it's for nearly all viewers!

The One That Will Remind You Why You Big Pink Line Fandom. I Love Fandom, by barkley.

Level of fandom knowledge required: 5.

This isn't technically a fannish vid, in the sense that it contains only footage Barkley shot herself (as far as I know). And it's set to a song by Chicago, a song that will never, ever make any favorites list compiled by me. (Although I'll tell you what: it effortlessly displaces Total Eclipse of the Heart. My only worry now is that I'll end up singing a hideous mash-up of the two, and then I will have to be confined for my own good.) But of all the vids in my meta folder, this is the one that makes me sniffle emotionally every single time I watch it. Barkley and destina were right; this is indeed the fannish theme song, and here it's set to perfect fannish footage: the computer, the assorted media, the books, the DVDs, the alcohol, the chocolate, the tea. (Also a random clip of something that I believe is called the "outdoors." Ignore that part.)

And, of course, there's footage of musesfool's love meme. If you somehow missed it, it's here, and I still look at it from time to time, just because it makes me so happy. But I look at this vid even more.

This is the perfect insider meta vid. (So perfect I actually harassed Barkley to make it available again. Vidders, let this be a lesson to you: hide your email addresses, because otherwise, I will totally come for you.) I'm sure it'd be meaningless to outsiders (though I haven't actually checked this, as with Us). But for me - oh, fandom. You're just the part of me I can't let go. *sniffle*

Comments

[laurashapiro.livejournal.com]

Yep, IPYT is still up on iMeem. In at least two places, in fact, but the point is that your link still works. (: Thank you for the rec!

I have Giles locked up in my basement right now!

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

Yay for iMeem (is that how you capitalize it? I've never known) links that work! Boo that they won't work for me, but the point is, they work for most people. That is good.

OMG, woman. That is so wrong. Did you never learn to SHARE? Where is the Giles-based fangirl party, and more specifically, where is my invitation?

The Music Video Forever Branded on My Brain...

[cattraine.livejournal.com]

after *cough* all these years is Meatloaf's "I'll Do Anything for Love, But I Won't Do That...it features a Beauty and the Beast theme complete with voyeurism, secret passages, a motorcycle, a helicopter chase,a floating bed?, a bath scene and apparently a contingent of FBI.

Ow.

Re: The Music Video Forever Branded on My Brain...

[cattraine.livejournal.com]

Huh. As a afterthought this probably explains a lot of my fanfic!

[melannen.livejournal.com]

She's not fucking alien schoolboys! She's in love with a mad scientist who is so busy *creating* alien schoolboys that he never pays attention to her. And he keeps going off to his evil geneticist conventions or something and leaving her alone to supervise the alien schoolboy experiment in his evil lair, and she's trying to tell him that she will always be his brainwashed helpmeet, but she can't carry out his evil plans if he's never there beside her. Also the mutant hybrid schoolboys are getting old enough to frighten the shit out of her when she's all alone with them.

It's like Skullcrusher Mountain (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jc8RHHa_CF8), fifteen years later.

(I don't know why that's less disturbing than the fucking schoolboys interpretation, but somehow it is.)

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

It is better that way, but - I don't know that I can believe it. The schoolboy fucking theme seemed so clear to me! But your version would explain the weird Goa'uld aspect, so it has that in its favor.

I will, god help me, have to review the source text again.

*very afraid*

[http://users.livejournal.com/solo____/]

It was when I shrieked that this morning that I realized that a) I was driving, and thus visible to others as I went into my very emotional anti-schoolboy-fucking credo and b) I was on my way to a place where I would be interacting with others. Who might not understand my need to explain, at volume, that being a little bit nervous that the best of all your years have gone by is no excuse for fucking alien schoolboys with wings. (Seriously. This video is like a live action version of all the anime in the world. In five minutes. Except...not good. At all. Sort of the opposite of good, if you get my drift.)

Oh. My. God. THANK YOU! I desperately needed a laugh today, and you have come through! This is even funnier since I adore the song and quite like the vid and I am sitting here reading your description over and over and laughing my ass off a little bit more each time.

Seriously, thank you!

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

*beams*

Thank you! I'm sorry you're having that kind of day, but I'm glad I could be here to, um, rant about a video for you. (Schoolboy fucking. Not right!)

[cathexys.livejournal.com]

What a wonderfully diverse group of metavids. I love every single one of them to pieces, so yeah for fannishly articulate and creative navel gazing :)

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

I love meta vids so much. I have a whole second set ready to go, in fact.

*adores them*

[ariss-tenoh.livejournal.com]

*dies laughing*
I've heard the song of course but never seen the vid before. May I link to this and quote you on the schoolboys thing? XD

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

Please do. Everyone should be aware of the perils of FUCKING SCHOOLBOYS. Seriously! They come with a "hands off" warning label until they're 18!

[droolfangrrl.livejournal.com]

HOW DARES YO BE AGAINST PORKING SCOOLBOYZ WITH WINGS

I WILL DEFREIND YOU!!!!!!!

hm...

mind you i meant that to indicate that the schoolboys had wings, not that they would somehow be sexually assaulted by wings.

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

I...I think that your disclaimer came too late. I'm already picturing a new and terrifying world of wingfic. My brain is not the happiest place right now.

Run, schoolboys! The wings WANT YOU!

[kassrachel.livejournal.com]

omg, I had never seen "Without Me," and now I am ALL AFLUTTER because I just -- Rodney! Lemons! David Hewlett how are you so awesome?

I love fandom so much there kind of aren't words, you know?

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

Yes! Precisely! This is my set of inarticulate fandom love, because that is how it makes me feel.

And I'm very glad I could link you to that vid, which is made of joy. You should really watch all of mamoru22's SGA vids, actually. You've seen Cartoon Heroes, right? Right?

you just ruined a perfectly nice song for me, I hope you are happy

[acari.livejournal.com]

I was so proud of myself for resisting the temptation when seperis linked to the video eventhough I was desperately, morbidly curious.

Oh god. Ow my brain. What's with the mutant church choir at the end? And the dancing diaper-clad men? Oh dear god no, she is a teacher.

*scrubs brain forever*

I see no reason why I should be alone in this, so, yes, I'm happy.

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

I don't know! It's all a hideous, hideous mystery!

*passes you industrial strength brain scrub*

*also tissues*

[marginaliana]

Wow, Us had me choking up. Thanks for sharing!

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

It's such a gorgeous vid, isn't it? I get all flaily and inarticulate when I try to talk about it, because how can the awesomeness be communicated in WORDS?

*loves*

[gelliaclodiana]

Is that the original video for "Total Eclipse"? If so, I don't need to see ti again -- it's already scarred me for life!

OTOH, I could watch some of these other vids again and again and again. Especially "I Love Fandom."

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

It is indeed. But, you know, you can always stand another go round with that vid - Best Beloved had seen it before, been scarred by it in her childhood, in fact, and yet she'd completely missed the men in diapers, the dancing ninjas, the schoolboy molestation theme, and the unclad football players. It's a text that requires multiple explorations. At which point you, of course, will need medication and therapy, but frankly I feel that's a small price to pay.

Plus, you have these other vids to take the hurt away! They're magic! (And I watch I Love Fandom a lot, too. It fills me with big pink line sentiments.)

[hannahrorlove.livejournal.com]

I've seen both Us and I Put You There before and didn't much care for them, on the grounds that I have a very hard time listening to Regina Spektor's voice and I've never seen an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and had no idea who the vid was about until someone told me.

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

Well, it's true that not all vids work for everyone. I'm sad that these didn't work for you, because I totally love them.

[thornsilver]

especially since Best Beloved and makesmewannadie tormented me this weekend with Sulley/Mike slash

Well, it is kind of canon...

:P

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

*covers ears* *hums loudly*

The thing is, okay, yes, it DOES appear to be canon. But...but...they're monsters! And...Mike is really a lot smaller than Sulley! And...I was just happier NOT KNOWING.

*whimpers*

[starfishchick]

Thanks for these - very interesting!

OK, the ADAGIO TEAS in the Barkley vid? TOO FUNNY.

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

I found it funny, too, especially since I bought those for my MOTHER at the recommendation of 1.1 billion people in fandom. (All 1.1 billion were right; she loved them.) I <3 Barkley; she knows what fans like! (Note my use of ASCII love, so I don't risk big-pink-hearting anyone.)

[elizabeth perry (from livejournal.com)]

I think it's time for me to admit that I just don't get "Us". I want to, so much, I've watched like ten times, and everytime, I just get more -- not confused, exactly, but more blankly incomprehending. I don't get it! TFV, splain me!

But I Love Fandom is made of love.

[reginagiraffe]

I'd actually like to answer this, TFV, just to see if I'm at all close.

I'm not an acafan, so this will be the most overt basic interpretation.

Fandom *is* the "den of thieves". We "rummage for answers through the pages" of the source material, looking for things to play with. And clearly, this activity speaks to many of us and is contagious. If anyone ever made a statue to us, they'd put it on a mountaintop, where no one would ever see it, or if they did, we would be looked at like a bunch of freaks.

TPTB have "given us a talking to because they've got years of experience" via C&D letters etc., telling us that what we're doing is wrong wrong wrong, All Hail the Patriarchy.

Most of the clips are significant in a relationship-way for the various fandoms represented.

And finally, the bit at the end shows us taking off our masks and coming out into the light and displaying who we really are, as typified by the fangirl at the very end.

*shrug* Or, you know, not. *g*

[seperis.livejournal.com]

Hey, I was the one with a livejournal of people seriously debating if she was headmistress of an S/M boarding school. Then they sent me to Hungry Like the Wolf. I mean--I suffered. A lot.

I still have yet to hear a better theory than that one.

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

...I don't think you understand how this works. I think, after I make the public post calling you out, you're supposed to go make a post in your LJ making a lot of veiled references and slighting remarks. (Or you could get defensive, I guess. It amounts to the same thing.) I think! I'm not an expert! But I'm pretty sure you're doing it wrong.

Hungry Like the Wolf? Oh god, oh god. I'm afraid to ask. Not that this means you've suffered enough! God, no. Just...wow. Wow, is what I'm saying.

[soupytwist.livejournal.com]

(yay, recs from you!)

OH MY DEAR GOD WHAT THE HELL. That is TERRIFYING! Just... the glowing evil eyes! And then at the end when it suddenly looks normal and the OH MY GOD THEY'VE TAKEN OVER! I dread to think where the S&M dancers feature in the evil bewinged schoolboys' plan. Unless it's actually HER plan and they're for her amusement and OH DEAR GOD.

Uh, the recs were awesome, though. Yay, meta-vids! ♥!

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

All I can say is that I warned you. Also, take heart: probably the effects are not life-threatening. But actual explanations I have none, mostly because my brain is still reeling.

"OH DEAR GOD" is exactly the right reaction, though. Go you!

(And I'm glad you liked the recs. Thank you!)

[mslinda.livejournal.com]

I clicked on the link a few days ago, got as far as the fluttering curtains, and hit the back button without hesitation.
The video obviously traumatized me in my younger days.
I've been singing the song incessantly ever since.
Perhaps I should watch the video, face my trauma, and it'll go away, since my kids are starting to scream NO! whenever I even so much as hum the song.

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

You were extremely wise. The thing is, I trusted seperis. I didn't think she'd link to something that would actually suck my brains out via my eyeballs. I was wrong, though.

The video obviously traumatized me in my younger days.

It traumatized my Best Beloved, too. Probably traumatized a whole generation of viewers. There should be support groups for survivors of this video.

I've been singing the song incessantly ever since.

It's, um, yeah. An issue. Sort of a serious issue with this song and this video. I wholly encourage you to face your fears - hey, there's dancing ninjas to look forward to! - but I have to warn you there's only a 30% chance it will help.

I wish you luck.

[bearfairie.livejournal.com]

OMG thanks to you I just watched the Total Eclipse of the Morals video and I swear I'm blaming you for my broken-brain-itis. DANCING NINJAS??? Holy crap, I know I've seen the video many years ago... I can only imagine I blocked the whole experience for my own mental health and safety.

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

No, no! Blame seperis! I was just a hapless pawn!

But, yeah, a lot of people seem to have blocked elements of that video. I think it's because there's only so much wrongness the human brain can take in. This video packs so very much wrong into such a short space of time that it's entirely natural to forget, or just not notice, things that would otherwise define the video. Dancing ninjas, for example.

Your brain was trying to protect you, really. But between us, we thwarted its plan.

Um. Yay?

[adbaculum.livejournal.com]

*sniffles* Omg, 'Us' was so awesome and perfect and, just, fandom. *flails and cries*

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

Is it not the BEST THING EVER?

*joins you in flailing and crying*

[norah.livejournal.com]

Best Beloved and makesmewannadie tormented me this weekend with Sulley/Mike slash. Seriously, don't ever watch an innocent movie with those two; you'll never be the same again.

\o/

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

You do not get to make Paul Gross arms when you SCAR YOUR FRIENDS FOR LIFE. Make a note of it!

[treewishes.livejournal.com]

I so agree that seperis must die! I am totally scarred for life. And it must be remixed, mustmustmust.... :D

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

I just think we should punish seperis. Probably locking her in a small room with this video on a big screen for 24 hours would be enough.

Of course, we'd take the risk that she'd emerge as some kind of ravening wailing banshee.

*considers*

[elynross.livejournal.com]

I notice that you don't worry about the exploitation of ninjas. Or acrobats!

(In a weird, perverse way I find it kind of awesome that for once it's boys in schoolboy outfits instead of girls in schoolgirl outfits. No less skeevy, just.)

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

But, elyn, I thought you knew: you can't exploit ninjas. If you try, they just go invisible on you.

Acrobats, however, can totally be exploited, and they will just have to take their chances. It's hard enough to protect schoolboys from Bonnie Tyler, never mind the dancing and leaping multitudes.

(I agree, it's refreshing to see a whole new style of skeevy, even as I wince away from mental images of schoolboys-in-goggles orgies. Also, someone on my friends list said that the director for this was also involved with Highlander. And I was like, "...You know, that explains a lot. About everything.")

Wonderful as always

[meredydd-recs.livejournal.com]

I have forgotten to comment before, but after spending a rather fun week splitting my time between giggling at the fics you've recced and your own brilliant writing style, I just wanted to say: Thanks.

Your own entries are wonderfully written and always very witty and make for a rather pleasant distraction from the fact I should be finishing essays if I ever want to get my Masters.

So thanks!

[counteragent.livejournal.com]

Thank you for these awesome recs. I'd never seen the I <3 fandom one or the Rodeny McKay one, and they instantly shot to the top of my list of Things I Love (which already included IPYT and Us, of course).

Yay for meta vids! They fill me with Joy.

[counteragent.livejournal.com]

Oh, also:

Semi-meta-vid rec back atcha: a McShep/fangirl vid. I'm linking to a rec of the vid, which contains the link to the vid. I agree with the rec (McShep/fangirl = OTP), and that makes the vid even more delightful.

http://thirdblindmouse.livejournal.com/87623.html