{ it makes such an almighty sound. }

[delga]

So, things that I was going to talk about in yesterday's aborted post but didn't:

I finished Baricco's Silk at lunchtime and basically guaranteed that the rest of the day was a wash. It's such a beautiful book - more like a series of haiku than a novel. The original Italian must be beautiful, too, but hey, I'm not literate in that language. (True story: had to remind myself of that today. Which -- who has to do that? Other than me. Obviously.) By the way, if ever there was a less appropriate place to read that book it's the office environment. The chapter of intense but casually-written erotica made me blush. AND I DON'T BLUSH. So, yeah. That was unexpected. But devastating, my gosh.

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Haha, I watched Torchwood. I'm not laughing because I find this shit hilarious in general because, well, I can have heart when called upon but STILL. Guys. THE END WAS RIDICULOUS. And fuck it, I laughed. As it turns out, I find homosexual romantic melodrama as yawnsome as I do heterosexual romantic melodrama. I was more distressed re: Clem. I can't help it. Show: you are much improved and much the same level of dumb. I miss you, Tosh.

--

The great thing about not knowing when Mitchell & Webb actually airs is that I can choose to watch on a Friday evening or a Sunday morning. This week I'll be watching that, Mock the Week, and listening to Shappi Khorsandi's show on Radio4 which I only caught the beginning of when coming home last night. It's weird - I'd never heard of her before her stint on McIntyre's Roadshow, and now she seems to be everywhere. Of which I approve, natch.

Anyway, my not-point is that comedy is great, and British panel games are GREATER. Yeah. I said it.

--

Hmmmm. I should go. Keep you fingers crossed I don't staple myself today. Oh, did I not mention? Did that TWICE yesterday. TWICE. WHAT.

Comments

[melliyna.livejournal.com]

I think I am actually past caring about Torchwood even in the vague way I used to care about Torchwood which was mostly Tosh (and Martha) related and now well, I'm going to go look for spoilers to be honest.

*crosses fingers for not stapling fingers* I hope I spelt that right, my brain is still jet lagged and confuzzled (and not wanting to be back but I shall not go in to that) and spelling it is confused.

[delgaserasca.livejournal.com]

Ah, see, I never really cared. So. I don't know, maybe I'm in a seat of privilege because I never invested that much in it.

Fuck me, though, SUZIE COSTELLO. There's a character that needed more screen time.

[zeitheist.livejournal.com]

What really irritates me re: Torchwood is the number of people who are totally freaking out over Ianto and saying things like 'do they think they can get away with this crap and still have viewers?'. Get away with what, exactly? I am absolutely amazed by the amount of people who are vowing to never watch the show again. Did they really expect Ianto to never die, simply by virtue of him being their favourite character? Do they really think their feelings and opinions affect the writers at all? Do they really think the writers have so little integrity? I can't help but think these people might be happier with reality television, but even then they'd probably start a petition when so-and-so gets voted off. Perhaps they should try panel games? I watched Mock the Week instead of Torchwood, and I was much happier.

(Don't even get me started on that damn petition. I've started removing anybody who re-Tweets it, or at least taking a very strong dislike to them. Not because I begrudge them their wailing and gnashing of teeth - like you, I can have a heart when called upon, and I feel for them, I really do - but because there is a presumptuousness in saying 'we will not watch S4 without Ianto' which rubs me the wrong way).

Naturally, I can't say any of this on my journal, because my flist last night was all posts containing the words "NO NO NO" over and over.

Anyway! My not-point is also that comedy is great! Mock the Week is amazing. Last night's show was deeply, deeply satisfying, and so funny that, at one point, I actually started crying. I think I'm going to have to try and score tickets to see Frankie Boyle or Russell Howard (especially Frankie Boyle, since he's apparently retiring in a couple of years?). I then went on to watch Charlie Brooker's panel gameshow on Channel 4, You Have Been Watching, which was... actually surprisingly funny. ALSO 8 OUT OF 10 CATS. I love that show. Jimmy Carr really annoys me sometimes, but sometimes he'll throw his head back and laugh really loudly and, no matter how straight-faced I was at the actual joke, I just go into fits of hysterics.

[delgaserasca.livejournal.com]

OH MY GOSH. I just saw a link to that petition and I am going to MOCK IT OUT LOUD both on twitter and on LJ because that is the most shit ridiculous thing I have ever heard. (Especially as I think there's a high probability that something will come to unfuck that scenario in tonight's episode. An episode which I am ditching in favour of Ice Age 3. YEAH BABY.) The sense of ENTITLEMENT that fandom has. Guys. STOP BEING SO STUPID. This is why you fail to have legitimacy as a community because you are too stupid to realise that canon and fanon are not the same damn thing and that showrunners do not have a goddamn responsibility to you one way or the other.

Oh gosh, Russell Howard is AWESOME live; I totally enjoyed that show! I don't know about Boyle because I've never really taken to the harsher side of his humour, but I really want to see Andy Parsons one day. Plus, hopefully seeing Michael McIntyre in Newcastle w/my cousin in October, whoop whoop!

Jimmy Carr really annoys me sometimes, but sometimes he'll throw his head back and laugh really loudly and, no matter how straight-faced I was at the actual joke, I just go into fits of hysterics
YES. THIS. I have NEVER liked his stand up but my gosh, he can be so personable when he's not playing an asshole. Have you seen him on QI? Delightful! Big Fat Quiz of the Year? Totally marvellous! Oh, Jimmy Carr. What.

[zeitheist.livejournal.com]

I am going to MOCK IT OUT LOUD both on twitter and on LJ

I think I love you a little bit right now.

Do you remember when I went to that BFI screening of Being Human last year? Well, Julie Gardener, the head of BBC Wales, was there, and somebody asked her how much the petition to get the show commissioned actually affected the process. Julie Gardener proceeded to go on an impassioned tirade about how drama is different to reality television because you don't get to choose the outcome. She has therefore never made a decision based on a petition, to which I say: bravo, Julie Gardener! The thing is, she's absolutely right, as are you when you speak about showrunners not having a responsibility to cowtow to their audience. The presumptuousness of this petition (and of most petitions of its ilk) just irritates me, and the self-important idea that the writers will be SO UPSET by the idea of these people not watching that they'll bring Ianto back.

I'm so jealous you saw Russell Howard live, seriously. I imagine his stand-up is very energetic and a little bit filthy, but in a very charming way. I actually got Frankie Boyle's live DVD a while back, and it cemented my desire to go and see him, because I love his very dark sense of humour. Weirdly enough, Andy Parsons sort of annoys me? I used to hate the way he'd take the mic in a manner that meant people laughed at him before he even made a joke. He's playing at Fairfield Halls in Croydon in September, though - might be part of a tour, idk? (Oooh, Stephen K Amos! I LOVE HIM).

Apropos of nothing, do you know who else I'd want to see live? Ed Byrne.

(Also: Michael McIntyre! Me and my mum love him. Lots of his stuff has become an in-joke in our house, eg. "the man-drawer").

I have NEVER liked his stand up but my gosh, he can be so personable when he's not playing an asshole.

YES! I don't get what it is about his stand-up, either. I used to think it was because he was quite mysogynistic, but so is Frankie Boyle, and I don't have a problem with that at all. I think it is, as you said, because Jimmy was playing this smarmy asshole persona, and it was just irritating. But after watching him on Big Fat Quiz of the Year and 8 Out of 10 Cats, I sort of think he's a little bit adorable? Idk.

It probably is true - I haven't posted in a while. I've been busy making icons. Hello there! How are things going?

[delgaserasca.livejournal.com]

I was in Tesco the other day, I was offered A Bag for Life, I was like, I can;t commit to that! THANK YOU RUSSELL HOWARD.

His stand up is basically a continuation of the tangential stuff he brings up on MtW. He's very easily distracted, and so animated - it's absolutely brilliant to see. And then, for his encore, he takes questions from the audience and basically improvs. The Sister and I were CRYING with laughter. I think that Parsons is sometimes especially astute but when he first came to MtW, I was boggled at his presence there because it's a bit of a quick fire show and he's...not quick fire. But I love his pacing and his humour.

ED BYRNE. HE'S SO WEE. Haha, oh gosh, do you remember him when he used to wear his hair long, and wear long jackets? I THOUGHT THAT WAS A DIFFERENT, MUCH TALLER GUY. Also: Stephen K Amos is a GENIUS.

I am going through a comedy 'phase', I think because I've been watching so much of it recently and seeing comedians about. Like, Shappi Khorsandi is suddenly EVERYWHERE (glee!) and I saw Sarah Millican on the Comedy Roadshow and then on HIGNFY and I think she's adorkable. I've been to a number of shows, but my favourite is probably Omid Djalili's show. OH MY GOD. GENIUS.

[hestia8.livejournal.com]

Excuse my butting in, but there's a petition? Because of Ianto dying? Oh, holy hell.

I'm beginning to think all of fandom should be forced to watch Spooks to get the fuck over characters dying. Why do fans expect characters to never ever die?

[delgaserasca.livejournal.com]

Yeah, you have no idea. I don't even care how many people I offend over this because it's just that stupid.

[hestia8.livejournal.com]

This kind of thing was the reason I all but withdrew from one of my other fandoms.

[belantana.livejournal.com]

Also butting in to say: I've been vaguely amused by the explosion of Torchwood posts, but I've had no idea what actually happened in the show. Ianto dies! Right! Thanks for the info. :)

[delgaserasca.livejournal.com]

HAHAHAHAHA. Yes, I was being deliberately vague because I didn't want to get into spoilerdom & I guess that ended up being across the board?

Will write about the finale later today if I can find the strength. lols. This goddamn show.

[daygloparker.livejournal.com]

Prediction: Gwen and Jack declare their undying love for each other (get it? because Jack can't die?), and make out in a stunningly beautiful rain scene in the final shot of tonight's episode (callback to the pilot! IT RAINS IN LONDON!). After it's over, fangirls all over lament how much the show doesn't "get" them.

Like, okay. I can firmly and completely get behind disagreeing with directions that shows and their showrunners take. I mean, hello, The Middleman. On the other hand, imagine you are writing a multi-chapter fic. Around chapter 10, you decide to kill a character. After you post said chapter, you get dozens of comments flaming you for killing X/demand his return/etc. Um, I think you would be very put-off by this behavior! How dare OTHER PEOPLE come into YOUR WORK and tell you how to write it! "Then don't read it! Write your own! Shut up!"

But, yes. When actual shows kill character, it's presumptuous. Yeah. Okay.

[delgaserasca.livejournal.com]

I have no objection to taking against what a showrunner decides. That happens. I'm also not some anti free speech mogul who doesn't think you're allowed to verbalise your dislike. But the audacity - the stupidity - of handing out an ultimatum? Uh, what?

In other news: I predict Jack runs off with RHYS.

[hestia8.livejournal.com]

She was on the last series of Mock the Week, and on one episode of the last series of Have I Got News For You. I did just have a look on Youtube but I can't see either of them (there is a bunch of stuff I haven't seen yet, so woo).

She's suddenly got brilliant - she was good on MTW but she is fab now.

[delgaserasca.livejournal.com]

I know! I totally missed both of those what the heck? But I have to confess that it's been ages since I've actually watched the panel shows as they air. I tend to forget and then not bother catching up, despite loving them.

GOSH I LOVE HER.