Hiatus: Or, Weekend Getaways in Other Fandoms

[ariadnes_string]

So now that my little jaunt into the ST_reboot fandom is fading away, I've been watching Merlin with my kids. Which is nice: we hardly ever watch TV together, since there's a limit to how long I can stay still for Pokemon or Hannah Montana (yes, my almost-eight-year-old son likes watching Hannah Montana. I try not to think about that too much...). It's on early enough for them, though the four-year-old sometimes faceplants into sleep halfway through.

And really, Merlin has something for everybody:
For the four-year-old: there’s sword fighting, and there’s nothing he likes better than SWORDS or FIGHTING.

For the almost eight-year-old: there’s the previously mentioned sword fighting, plus, he loves stories about magic.

And for me: Well, the boys are very pretty. Though they are incontrovertibly BOYS. I mean, they make Sam and Dean look like grizzled veterans (okay, maybe Sam and Dean are grizzled veterans these days, but you know what I mean). And after about the fourth episode, everyone seems to have twigged to the slash-tasticness of it all, and so they play that up. Plus, I kinda like sword fighting myself.

The show has tweaked the Arthur story in some fun ways, I think. It takes place while Uther is still king. Arthur is a brave, strong, good-hearted but arrogant and spoiled prince. Merlin is a poor boy from the country, very sweet, with extraordinary magical abilities. His mother has sent him to Camelot to keep him out of trouble (okay, that part doesn’t make sense, but just go with it). The twist is that for various backstory reasons, Uther has outlawed magic, so that Merlin must keep his talent UTTERLY SECRET (except from his kindly mentor, Gaius, the court physician). One thing leads to another, and Merlin ends up as Arthur’s manservant (I told you, slash-tastic). Of course, Merlin and Arthur are DESTINED to be the people they are in canon, so much bonding ensues. Oh, and Guinevere and Morgana are also present in similarly tweaked capacities.

It’s not much, except for the pretty, the slashy, and the sword fighting. It’s got legends and secrets, but it doesn’t pack the emotional or comic punch that SPN does on a good day. But, you know, it’s summer, and there are a lot of CGI beasties like dragons and griffins to distract one.

It’s also very English. For one thing, everyone loves the hell out of the whole servant/master relationship—it’s half the fun, really. For another, Merlin, like the best English hero stories, is about becoming a leader of men (you know, like canon-Arthur, Robin Hood and his Merry Men, or even Scott of the Antartic). In contrast, American heroes tend to be lone wolves (Superman) or bonded pairs (Batman and Robin, Leatherstocking and Chingachgook) or at most heads of families (Tony Soprano), all to some degree outside society. Huge generalizations, I know, and I don’t mean to offend anyone—feel free to tell me I’m wrong.

Anway, I’ve been poking around in the fic, not making much headway, but here are a couple bittersweet, pre-slash stories, both by writers you probably know from SPN/J2. (There’s plenty of porn out there, and flogging!fic, and flogging porn, but, people, I’m watching it with my kids!).

slán sábháilte by dotfic

To Be Known by sometimesophie

There have been a few SPN crossovers, but I’m waiting for the epic rewrite of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, aka A Couple of F**ked-up Boys from Kansas in King Uther’s Court.

Comments

[yourlibrarian]

For the four-year-old: there’s sword fighting, and there’s nothing he likes better than SWORDS or FIGHTING.

I think in this way we are all eternally 4 year olds.

I mean, they make Sam and Dean look like grizzled veterans (okay, maybe Sam and Dean are grizzled veterans these days, but you know what I mean).

Ha! Poor guys, if they showed the mileage instead of the years I think grizzled would be too true.

My biggest problem with Merlin is that the writing is so incredibly bad (and the production values aren't all that great either).

For another, Merlin, like the best English hero stories, is about becoming a leader of men (you know, like canon-Arthur, Robin Hood and his Merry Men, or even Scott of the Antartic). In contrast, American heroes tend to be lone wolves (Superman) or bonded pairs.

Hmm, that's an interesting thought. I'm not sure I've seen enough English stories to make the comparison, but I could see it. I think it has a lot to do with the apolitical nature of most American entertainment and cultural life.

I agree with you about waiting for that crossover, it could be very interesting.

[ariadnes_string]

I think in this way we are all eternally 4 year olds.
That's the thing, isn't it: tonight they showed an episode with very few swords and very little fighting, and all three of us were a little bored....With the swords and fighting, I can forgive the bad writing and mediocre production values and quite enjoy it all...

Last night, a friend convinced me to go see the new Woody Allen movie, and it was pretty unfunny and offensive (speaking as someone who likes Woody Allen and who has quite a high tolerance for misogyny). It sure could have used more swords and fighting!

I think it has a lot to do with the apolitical nature of most American entertainment and cultural life.
Yeah--American popular culture is remarkably uninterested in politics, or in polis/community in general...

[yourlibrarian]

There really ought to be a misogyny refund for entertainment ::nods::

American popular culture is remarkably uninterested in politics, or in polis/community in general

It has its moments of political focus, but for the most part people with money -- who fund entertainment ventures -- are not interested in fomenting discussion.

[ariadnes_string]

There really ought to be a misogyny refund for entertainment
LOL! I'd like to think my bank account would be a lot healthier if this were in place. But I would probably be disqualified for inconsistiency, since, as you know, I was able to handwave happily past miniskirt!Uhura...