redfiona99

I get to watch about 1 hour of WWE wrestling a year.

That this hour this year included Samoa Joe, Kane and Nia Jaxx is a distinct bonus.

Because Joe and Kane, and the sound of malicious glee my Mum made when Nia Jaxx Samoan Slammed two people, AT THE SAME TIME!!!!!!!

Also, OMG women's Rumble!!

If you'd told me 10 years ago that AJ Styles and Samoa Joe would be in the 'E and thriving I wouldn't have believed you.

Other than that:

No good comes of any match where everyone makes Kurt Angle look small. Really no good comes of a match where Brock Lesnar is the smallest participant.

I fear the appeal of Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose is lost on me. This could be because they were up against team Joe + Sheamus and Cesaro (the Swiss I am allowed to cheer for).

But with some wrestling, some fic writing talk and the film meme.

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The best thing about being a wrestling fan on this side of the Atlantic, other than some of the PPVs being sort of free (we have Sky Sports as part of the attempted peace plan re: Nan and Colin), is that someone else watches it first, which means that I know which parts are worth watching.

Therefore I stayed up to watch the first half hour of RAW.

( Totally worth it )

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On a related but different theme, researching a sub-culture I have a lack of sympathy with for a fic is not fun.

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Film Meme:

Day 25 - Favourite film villian

I find there is a problem with a lot of film villains. That they're more fun than the heroes. Sometimes the problem is that Hollywood seems to think hero = boring, which is annoying. Other times the problem is that the villains are sometimes a lot more sympathetic than the heroes, and not just in the 'sympathy for the devil' sense.

I grant a personal preference for 'there are no villains, just different people with colliding wants' as a philosophy, but if it's going to be a black and white dividing line sort of film, I want to cheer for the hero.

Before I give my top 2, I'm going to give three honourable mentions:

A - Commodus in Gladiator - has he been messed up by his upbringing? Yes. Does it justify his actions? No. I like how Gladiator does it. They give the bad guy depth while never buying into his belief that it's all Daddy's fault.

B - Simon Phoenix in Demolition Man. ( Spoilers )

C - The Killer Shark in Tom And The Waterbabies (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078477/) - written in on behalf of my Mum. Much like Simon Phoenix, he's great scenery chewing fun (and okay, my Mum finds it amusing because he's an evil shark with a broad Yorkshire accent [in context, it makes sense]) but again, he's balanced out by everyone else.

I think the balancing is very important. The good guys can't be too po-faced or else people's sympathies wander.

Now, onto my two choices.

The Kurgan from Highlander

It's a role that could easily have gone horribly wrong. (Actually, Highlander as a whole is a film that teeters on the brink of horrible wrong, that's what makes it awesome, it shouldn't have worked) The Kurgan could have been too interesting. He's a cool villain, he has awesome armour, he's got sword skills, he gets to insult nuns.

And yet, at no point do we cheer for him, because he's utterly horrible.

And scary. We shouldn't forget scary. Part of it is Clancy Brown's physical presence. He's huge. Part of it is the voice, the armour, the sense of an ancient evil. And of course, it's what he does.

The villain from The 6th Day

( Spoilers )

( The Other Days )
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RL

I just got into an argument about feminism with a (female) friend of a friend on Facebook. Yes, I know, but I suffer from XKCD syndrome (as described here - http://xkcd.com/386/).

I am also aware that I have a real double standard on this one. A man who declaims that woman aren't repressed gets the 'you're an idiot' glare, and maybe some useful numbers. A woman who says it causes frothing rage.

This woman came out with such wonderful comments, like 'women aren't repressed' and 'feminists should get over it'. I mean, the (male) friend whose wall this was on is conservative (both kinds) and even he thinks she's wrong. His line is that if she hasn't been, it's because she's high earning and educated, and that better education for all is the way forward.

She's of the 'I'm not a feminist because I (personally) don't feel I have been discriminated against, and therefore it doesn't happen. Also, I feel that feminists want female domination, and I believe in equality'.

Now, the second half of that, I at least understand (she obviously didn't have my year 9 science teacher who insisted that science was too difficult for tiny female brains), because hey, that's what I want too.

I want equal pay for equal work.
I want reproductive rights for all parties.
I want everyone to be equal and represented by the law.

That means I have to be a feminist because the party (if we look at the world in terms of the division between male and female) that don't get that are women.

I like to imagine she's sitting there thinking I'm one of those women. Because I really don't mind. I might not particularly agree with the wing that spell it womyn, and I have my own entirely objectional blind spots, but heck, I'd rather be with them than with the 'I'm alright, Jack' lot.

I think a problem occurs when you've been watching too long, on those rare occasions that you get the chance to watch, you do, more to check how everyone is than any interest in watching.

( RAW )

( Smackdown )

( ECW, disturbingly, once again the best of the three )

Dear people in charge of wrestling, when ECW, which you've all been treating like the illegitemate offspring, is the best damn thing on.

I loved the set up for the 4 way, and much though I knew that either Stevie Richards or Kevin Thorn would be the first one out, I really enjoyed it. I must admit to a fondness for the befanged one.

Balls Mahoney and Kelly Kelly should not be as cute and adorable as they are, and the Miz should not be so good at dickish heel. Not should the rest of the Extreme Expose girls, who appear to have at least vaguely got the concept of dancing now.

ECW reminds me of what I used to like about TNA back in the day (this week's episode terrified me with the prospect of Sting actually learning from his mistakes) just with no X-division matches.

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The only other comment I have, is that after RAW of 17/09, given the last match and who ran in, why am I not deluged with fics about fathers and sons. I'd give it a try, only I've still never heard Cody Rhodes talk.

SD

- Some of the suplexes the Benoit did in his match were beautiful.
- Sylvain. Maybe not for long, but Sylvain.

ECW

- It disturbs me that when Dupree comes out and does his blatently heel spiel, that I know I'm supposed to boo and hiss at, I find myself nodding and agreeing. And that this nodding has nothing to do with it being Rene, heck even Cena could say it and I'd be nodding and agreeing.

- Long hair suits Dupree though, it makes him look slightly older and less fresh-faced.

- In following to that previous thought, damn me if Dupree isn't the only guy on any show that comes close to being as attractive as Sylvain.

- Interestingly, I think ECW had the best wrestling of the shows I've seen.

RAW

- Mickie James's punches are actually possibly worse than Lita's. This depresses me. Victoria getting a push, on the other hand, makes me very happy.

Reason 1 that I know some of the coolest people on the planet - they have a spare RAW ticket and think of me. I can't go, due to my project being at an interesting stage, and me trying to get a day off this month anyway, but I'm pleased as punch to be thought of.

Cheer for Dupree in my absence.

Went to the dentist today. Thankfully the re-fillings stayed as refillings and didn't suddenly mutate into a root canal as has happened twice in the past. The injections were probably the most painful part, especially since one was right where the two sections of my jaw meet.

Am going seeing 'Thoroughly Modern Milly' tomorrow.

Today was good. Didn't do anything, plus there was a Van Der Valk - let's just say my love of police shows is not a new thing. And it had Richard Huw in, and Ronan Vibert.

For those that actually saw the Richard E. Grant version of The Scarlet Pimpernel, Ronan Vibert was Robespierre.

But yes, that interspersed with RAW makes Red a happy enough bunny.

Finally seen the Disasterpiece, and I must rip-off Stasia by saying, 'Must he wear such tiny pants?' Because really, mate, I don't need to know how big your dick is.

To make up for my act of pilfering, I bring news which you might know already, that Jimmy Eat World have posted an on-line stream for the 'Stay on my side tonight' EP at www.myspace.com/jimmyeatworld

I warned you that they were ancient.

Really there can be no greater opening to a show than giving me JBL and Angle on guest commentary. They're great and so very funny. Much love for them.

Carlito is most definitely cool.

Okay, is it just me or was there more gushing love between Rey Mysterio and Eddie than there are with all the other couply type couples on WWE? I ask only because well, they were much with the love.

MNM, doing that to that stunning paintwork is most definitely not cool. Of course the usual rule applies, the nicer the low-rider's paintwork, the greater the chance of something bad happening to the low rider.
BTW - I thought Mercury was supposed to be hot, and well, he's kind of not. Johnny Variable Surname makes up for it though. Stasia, are you still sure you don't want him?

Whee Sharmell is there. Much love for Booker and Mrs. Booker.

Heidenreich is far too much fun. But the poetry, oh the poetry is worse than Vogon poetry.
Matt Morgan meanwhile just needs to go. The stuttering thing makes no sense. How can he have no problem with "Matt" but a stutter on "Morgan", when they're very similar shapes.

MNMs entrance is kinda cool, and Melina is wicked bendy. I used to know a girl who could do that and I'm still in awe.
One of M or N needs to do red rather than blond because in ring, I'm having difficulty telling them apart. Admittedly I also have the occasional difficulty telling AMW apart but...
Also, the jeans effect tights are hideous.
Beautiful drop kick from Eddie.
And a nicely vicious looking gutbuster from MNM.
Melina, much though I maybe booing her right now, has brains. And is possibly part Alien. She's a face-hugger for sure.
Damn and blast.

From the RAW rebound I see that they're playing Limo-fu on RAW again.

Liking Cena's new music (this may be new only to me who hasn't seen SD since Christmas at the latest).
Part of me is all do not mess with belts, and part of me likes the bling-bling belt.
Not a Cena fan but that's one heck of a crowd reaction.
How is an inverted atomic drop not a low blow?
It's not quite the clothes line from hell but Cena's clothesline will do.
How did Cena win that? (is possibly sulking)

Would someone explain to me why Raven is lying down in a ring and Shane Douglas is interviewing him? Also muchly digging the Dark Victory t-shirt, if only because that's one of the few Bat-comics I've actually read.
Also Shane Douglas doesn't make for a bad interviewer. As I know at least one person on the f-list who doesn't like him, I'd like ot apologise but he does talk clearly and that counts a lot for me.

Help, I'm feeling sorry for David Young, and cheering for him.
Could someone explain D-Ray 3000 to me?

Down with Team Canada (I trust the Canadians on my f-list will take no offense.) Much love to Hector Garza.

Why does Raven want a match with Sabu so much?

AJ Styles v Frankie Kazarian - I look forward to this with glee.

And it was worth looking forward to. A fair few of the moves looked more than ouch worthy. Dude it was that good that even Colin, I hate wrestling Colin, paid attention.
Ending seemed a little odd though.
Caught my first glimpse of Dallas though, definitely worthwhile.

( Meanwhile over at RAW )