Feb Festival - Days 23, 24 (sorta) and 25

[brandywine28]

Still plodding along like a diligent little cart horse. A cart horse who...likes talking about slash. Because that's not a ridiculous metaphor or anything.

Day 23 - A crossover with a fandom you don't know/didn't know when you read the story

Octobers by xoverau (Chris/Eminem)
Um, does Eminem count as a fandom? (Even though he's only one guy, I mean.)

I had heard of Eminem before I read this, obviously, but like everything else that doesn't really interest me I had always managed to sweep all knowledge of him to the periphery of my awareness. Homophobic lyrics, the Elton John duet--that's about all I knew. And while I still can't call myself a fan, exactly, I do credit this story with opening my eyes to the sometimes challenging but always intriguing World of Emslash.

After an unusual encounter in a public restroom, Chris and Em become deeply entrenched in each other's lives. I should warn you--this fic was also a major contender for the 'Story That Breaks Your Heart' category.

(the link will take you to Part One; all other parts can be found in the author's lj memories.)

Day 24 - a guilty pleasure

For me, fandom is a guilt-free zone. As far as I'm concerned, shame and crippling neuroses have their place--namely every single other aspect of my life. But popslash? Popslash is a Happy Place.

So yes, I may take a stonger interest in slavefics and hooker AUs than is generally considered PC, and I may have gotten the occasional illicit thrill from reading about Chris and JC peeing on each other (what? It was a good story!). And I do seem to recall enjoying a particularly questionable pirate epic in which Evil Captain Chris kidnaps Naive Schoolboy JC, who spends about two dozen chapters cowering in fear as he's passed from buccaneer to buccaneer. (He was a delicate little flower.) But I don't feel guilty about any of it. Nay, I am proud! (Unless my mother ever finds this entry, in which case I've never heard of fanfiction, homosexuality or the internet.)

Day 25 - a story that spawned an inside joke

Rules of Engagement by zebraljb (Chris/Lance, JC/?)
Gave birth to a slew of JC/Steven Tyler jokes that are probably nowhere near as funny as I think they are.

Comments

[brandywine28.livejournal.com]

I think I have an innate fondness for stories in which Kelly is portrayed as just as big a pervert as the rest of us! (llamabitchyo's Disney Princess 'Verse springs to mind.) Granted, Joey's often written as 'the dim one', but I like to think he's got more common sense than to marry a total psychopath! (Same goes for Kris Allen, even though all I know about him is that he's 'the religious one.' And even that I could be wrong about.)

Please, don't be afraid to show me your true feelings about Diane Bass! I'm oddly 'on the fence' about her, probably because she doesn't provide fodder the way Justin's and Chris' moms do.

[pensnest]

The Disney Princess 'verse was one of the things I was thinking about in a 'popslash has matured' vein! I know ephemera_pop had quite an influence on the way I think of Joey and Kelly's relationship: she used to be married to a rock musician, and was perfectly convinced J and K had an 'arrangement' while he was on the road with Nsync. And after all, it's quite insulting to Joey to imagine that he spent all those years—even before they were married—with someone who's essentially an evil bitch. So, no.

Incidentally, Kris Allen is not just 'the Christian one' (who might on that account be mistaken for Danny Gokey, who is... differently Christian), he's also incredibly cute and with a wicked sense of humour. There are a couple of treasured video snippets of his interactions with Adam Lambert, in one of which he plays up to the slashers very mischievously.

As for Diane Bass... I was so disappointed by the reactions of Lance's family when he came out. Even the grandmother who phoned him to tell him, 'You'll always be welcome in my house' - okay, yes, but *my* grandmother would have said 'I love you'. And I know that for the Bass family, living in darkest Mississippi, life must be pretty difficult—there are occasionally bits of info about how some of their long-term 'friends' no longer talk to them, or pity them for having a homosexual son, etc. I'm disappointed that they seem to prefer to live in a place where THEIR SON is despised, when surely they have a choice. I'm also disappointed that there's never (as far as I'm aware) been any statement of support, except possibly for Dad and Grandad going to Dancing with the Stars one week. I mean, imagine what Lynn would do if Justin were to come out! She'd be the Chief Executive of at least one rainbow organisation in no time!

I also can't help wondering how the hell his mother never noticed he was gay. I mean, seriously? How the hell? I guess the whole Southern Baptist thing is beyond my understanding, and I try to make allowances, but... but... If my son ever comes out to me, I hope my first response is to give him a big hug. I think I'm disappointed in her as a mother—and before Lance came out, I thought she was a very cool one.

[brandywine28.livejournal.com]

I have a wild, obsessive love for the Disney Princess 'Verse! So many stories write Joey out of the action altogether, operating under the assumption, I guess, that married=dead. Which is beyond depressing. And unfair! Sex with JC shouldn't even be considered infidelity as far as I'm concerned--he'd have to be out of his mind not to want it!

I googled Kris Allen and he seems lovely; I didn't mean to confuse him with Danny Gokey, who, if I'm not mistaken, is the one who creepily exploited his dead wife's memory in an attempt to court Middle America. *shudders*

The Southern Baptist mindset is a mystery to me as well. By staying silent, I can only imagine the Bass family thinks it can have its cake and eat it too: no one can call them 'unsupportive', per se, and yet their stancelessness (Did I just invent a new word?) probably allows them to save face in front of their fellow Mississippians, who might otherwise jump to 'crazy' conclusions--like that they're anything other than freaked out by gays, for example.

I completely agree about Lynn, btw--if Justin were to come out there would be PARADES! SKYWRITING! She'd recruit Elton John and Liza Minelli to perform at a lavish party in his honor! Now THAT is something I'd like to see. :)

[pensnest]

Oh, Lawd, now I want Justin to come out *so* *much*! Wouldn't that be awesome!

I think Joey+Kelly+(pick gent of choice) is an awesome thing. I mean, Kelly's gorgeous, and it's not hard to read her as sexually generous, if that's the term I mean. I so much prefer Joey slash to come with a side helping of Kelly consent, one way or another.

In fairness, I think the Bass family does get some fairly unkind treatment from those around them... Even so. Even so.

Kris Allen being particularly awesome: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d48Wn1QcqI (the best moment is around 1:30—but hasn't he got a yummy speaking voice!). I love the 'narrative' of that Idol season, it's remarkable how well it works. And Adam sometimes got to 'comment' on it by his song choices!

[brandywine28.livejournal.com]

That clip is fabulous! I can already tell Kris is a wily bastard: look how well he and Adam play to the cameras! They know exactly what they're doing, those little devils. :)

Alright, I'll bite--the two of them have one hell of a rapport. :)