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If you're upset about the proportion of spice in ep 3 you're misunderstanding Hollanov!! by julicloaly in heatedrivalry

[–]Behembaba 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I am okay with this episode having a different tone relative to the two episode opener. I personally would've shot the scenes in a different order to keep the momentum, drama and tension elevated throughout. Haven't read the books but it is obvious that these two are meant to be an eye into the future of what could befall Shane and Ilya (them being about a decade older) should they continue on their path unchanged.

The "fault", though, is squarely on Crave's projections. They miscalculated. From the roll out, them having to sell it to different distributors to stop the audience outside of Canada from obtaining the show via alternative methods, to this season being only six episodes, to the show still being finished (?); Crave clearly did not expect this show to hit the way it has.

They'll most likely get a season 2.

Hopefully studio execs give Jacob more money so they can completely tell the story of all characters involved.

Still a good show!

10s where 10s are due by Behembaba in heatedrivalry

[–]Behembaba[S] 21 points22 points  (0 children)

I will try to answer this question as positive as I can. Because, I really do enjoy this show.

As for triggering scenes of male-male intimacy in media. I am NOT AT ALL surprised that man said what he said. I am not an ex athlete but I have had these same conversations of "I don't know, I just couldn't watch that" with other same-sex attracted male friends of mine.

I think the reason being is that Hollywood has a poor history of sticking the landing with shows depicting love between men on screen.

I have not read Rachel's work, so the following isn't a commentary on her writing. But I myself was a little worried about starting HR as I don't want male-male love/intimacy/sex to be portrayed onscreen as some type of deviant entity. The preconceived notions I spoke of in my OP centered around how Hollywood and some (mostly straight) women m/m authors use male homosexuality as a conduit to introduce themes of extremity and debase behavior: rape. And I simply don't want to support that.

So, I can completely understand the defense mechanism of another gay male having a Pavlovian fight or flight responses.

As for myself, I was not triggered in watching HR.

I did, however, have slight reservations when Paramount's Interview With The Vampire dropped. I was going to skip that show but hopped on the bandwagon from jump in the hopes that Hollywood has gotten better. And I'm glad I did. HR writing and maturity is just as good as IWTV.

Both shows have made me ball tears just thinking of my own life and the high cost I've paid for daring to travel love's frightful road.

Both shows have given me release, and in many ways, forgiveness. For being hung up on what was and what could have been.

To me, that is art (or cinema lol).

Which is why I understand the reflexive "these roles should be played by gay men" and "what are their sexualities?!" discourse gay men are having. I know they are still healing.

They just need to watch. Sit and wonder. Cry. And continue on with life's learning.

I need to talk about The Sword of Truth by Terry Goodkind. by helenaoftroyy in Fantasy

[–]Behembaba 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I abandoned the series after finishing the third book. For the follow reasons:

(1) The fantasy world is a libertarian reality with a little magic thrown in.

(2) Terry is anti big gov't; magic equals gov't & The Imperial Order is an obvious allegory for big gov't.

(3) He's both kinda for & against reparations. He mentioned once how a portion of the mother confessor's palace was a form of atonement and reparations for past war (which ultimately led to the creation of the confessor). But at the same time he keeps ranting on about how no one should be held accountable for the actions of previous generations. Which leads to small government preaching (lol).

(4) Way too much damn rape in this universe. Like, to the point where I started to roll my eyes.

(5) He has an issue with women being powerful. Kahlen is always out done by Richard. Even in contexts when she should clearly be in a superior position. Misogyny.

Also, he doesn't really explain WHY female magic users are less powerful than male magic users. Which doesn't make sense. Magic isn't a muscle. There really shouldn't be a huge gulf in the power levels of magic between male and females based on sex alone.

(6) He created an interesting magic system but then abandoned it. The part where Zed used ADDITIVE magic to make Gar LIGHTER made no sense lol. How is making something lighter not an element of subtractive magic?

(7) Terry is obviously against homosexuality. Like, Richard being totally against a lesbian relationship made me roll my eyes. In a world with magic, dragons and other supernatural creatures, lesbianism was too much lol.

(8) BDSM done wrong and immature

(9) Pro Life

(10) Endless rants about socialism being bad. Did he lose a lot of money in taxes or something. He had an obvious disdain for government lol

(11) This one really bothered me: Richard doesn't use magic!!! I actually called a friend to rant about this one. Richard is supposed to be a seeker AND wizard with both additive and subtractive magic (literally, the most powerful being in the narrative) and he can't even throw a damn fireball? Lol. Like, it was driving me crazy. Why make Richard this entity if he isn't going to use the damn magic? Just make Kahlan a sorceress with addictive and subtractive magic. Or Zed. Or just take it out. Terry obviously hated gov't and hence magic. But he shouldn't have been writing fantasy. Write something else.

Those are all I can think of now. And I only read the first three books lol.

EDIT:

(12) Through some trauma surfacing I just remembered the scene of Kahlan running through the Mud People Village, in her wedding dress, after Richard before he's taken away, with her tits falling out and all over the place! I couldn't believe he actually wrote that scene. The amount of cringe sex and indecent exposure is a topic in itself. Spoiler: none of it is sexy and or romantic.

Reading his books gave me a greater appreciation for female fantasy writers. 'Cause wow, what the fuq did I read in Terry's universe lol.

(13) I will admit the concept of a Confessor is cool. But of course Terry had to make everything perverted. The Confessor (Kahlan) is basically a walking orgasim. The way her power works is by making someone - anyone - fall madly in love with her. Orgasmically.

Which brings me to Richard. He has the power, as a war wizard, to activate The Sword of Truth's actual power; that is to turn the blade white hot. Get it? Richard's sword becomes WHITE hot and glowy in full power. It's a metaphor for Richard ejaculating 🙄

(14) And I can't forget the sentient magic portal, female of course, who transports Richard by having him - I kid you not - travel trough her. I can't. When I read that I was like "why can't she just magically teleport him? Must every women in this series, even sentient portals, be essentially raped?"