promethia_tenk: (Default)
promethia_tenk ([personal profile] promethia_tenk) wrote2010-12-06 04:21 pm

Good news, everybody!

First:
Snow!  Well, ok, flurries.  That didn't last long and didn't stick.  But still, there were white fleck-y things in the sky, and I WAS OUT IN THEM!  Huzzah!

Second:
[livejournal.com profile] stick_poker , who is henceforth my personal hero until such time as I come across the next thing that literally makes me *gleep* with delight, has discovered something in "The Eleventh Hour" that everybody else missed.  A bit of a joke, if you will.  Namely, that Moffat was not really suggesting that the TARDIS's swimming pool is generally to be found in the library.  Rather, the swimming pool is elsewhere, but with the TARDIS crashed on its side like that, the water from the swimming pool had drained out and pooled in the library.  The key bit of dialogue, I think, (because it always bugged me somehow), is this:

Amelia: You said you were in the library.
Eleven: So was the swimming pool.

Was.  It's a strange thing to say if the swimming pool is usually in the library, or at least had been recently as a matter of course.  No, the swimming pool was in the library for the same reason Eleven was: it fell.  (Aside, I also rather like the more absurdist visual of the entire swimming pool structure, having come unmoored somehow and floating free within the floor, crashing down into the library.)

IT'S A SPATIAL REASONING JOKE!!  No, even better, IT'S A SPATIAL REASONING JOKE AND A METAPHOR ABOUT PERSONAL GROWTH ALL IN ONE!!! (Eleven was reborn out of the watery womb of knowledge and then asked for an apple =D )

Q: Could I love Steven Moffat's writing any more than I already do?
A: I didn't think so, but apparently I was wrong.

Q; Is everyone else going to be as delighted about this as me?
A: Somehow I doubt it, but let's find out, shall we?

Third:
Stephen Fry twitted the following article about the role of comedy and its importance and why the modern novel is dying from an angst overdose and I think I am in love with it but am having far too many thoughts about it to say anything coherent now, so I'll just leave this here: Divine Comedy.

Fourth:
A bit by the by, but since I was posting anyway: I think this is the funniest xkcd we've had in a long while.
elisi: (Squee! (martha) by circa77)

[personal profile] elisi 2010-12-06 09:31 pm (UTC)(link)
*flailflailflail*

I LOVE IT TO DISTRACTION!!!!
elisi: Edwin and Charles (Eleven1 by eclecticmuse)

[personal profile] elisi 2010-12-06 09:46 pm (UTC)(link)










[identity profile] dweomeroflight.livejournal.com 2010-12-06 10:12 pm (UTC)(link)
Well I think this is SQUEEETASTIC. I never noticed that before. Oh series five. Don't stop surprising!
owlboy: (Default)

[personal profile] owlboy 2010-12-06 10:28 pm (UTC)(link)
>>No, the swimming pool was in the library for the same reason Eleven was: it fell

I always assumed that :o
Later he says something like "No idea where it is now, it'll turn up"

I STILL DON'T KNOW WTF MOFFAT IS TALKING ABOUT WHEN HE SAYS THERE'S SOMETHING MASSIVE THAT EVERYONE HAS MISSED AND HE CAN'T BELIEVE HE GOT AWAY WITH IT. AGHHHH I'VE WATCHED THE EPISODE 50 TIMES AND I STILL DON'T GET IT. BASTAAAAAARD!

(calms down)

"gleep" is my new favourite word
elisi: Edwin and Charles (Bowties are cool by captain_ln)

[personal profile] elisi 2010-12-06 11:00 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh! I might know this, he talked about it... somewhere. It's the fact that the Doctor's jacket changes from the original one to the post-Angel episodes one, and he thought that all the die-hard fans would spot this. (I forget the explanation behind the jacket change, so don't ask me!)

Although it's not massive. Hm. *ponders*
owlboy: (Default)

[personal profile] owlboy 2010-12-06 11:04 pm (UTC)(link)
I think that was a mistake he was really annoyed about tho?? I remember Matt saying something about it in the Nerdist podcast.

This was more like "Tee hee I am so clever no one will ever guesssss"
elisi: Edwin and Charles (Raggedy doctor + Amelia by renestarko)

[personal profile] elisi 2010-12-06 11:17 pm (UTC)(link)
That's where I heard it, yes.

This was more like "Tee hee I am so clever no one will ever guesssss"
Darn, now I'll have to re-watch again... (What a chore. Heh.)
elisi: Edwin and Charles (All!Penguin AU ftw by gillo)

[personal profile] elisi 2010-12-06 11:18 pm (UTC)(link)
The penguin one gets me every time! ♥

[identity profile] snogged.livejournal.com 2010-12-06 11:23 pm (UTC)(link)
LOL.

I freaking adore XKCD!

[identity profile] rumpelsnorcack.livejournal.com 2010-12-06 11:23 pm (UTC)(link)
I kinda already knew that I think (yers, I'm VERY decisive with my knowledge). I mean, before everyone assumed it lived in the library I was all 'oh it got jumbled in there ... or possibly it just roams the TARDIS at will' before deciding maybe I read it wrong and thinking that it just hung out in the library.

Also ... Divine Comedy article was basically divine :D Extremely interesting read. Now excuse me, I need to go angst over being unable to write comedy ...

[identity profile] alt_universe_me.livejournal.com 2010-12-07 12:23 am (UTC)(link)
YOU AND [livejournal.com profile] stick_poker ARE MAD GENIUSES, I SAY. YOUR META KNOWS NO BOUNDS.
owlboy: (hermione is NOT an owl)

[personal profile] owlboy 2010-12-07 01:13 am (UTC)(link)
I'M SO SORRY!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE FORGIVE ME I CAN CHANGE.

I thought it might be the weird staircase in Amy's house that goes nowhere, but that doesn't seem like a huge deal? it's kind of obvious? idk.

LOLLIPOP!!!!! :DD :D :D (glee)



[i am all about the exclamation points today APPARENTLY]

[identity profile] rumpelsnorcack.livejournal.com 2010-12-07 01:48 am (UTC)(link)
But the idea that the pool had fallen into the library just had not occurred to me.

For some reason the idea that it had all slid down in a glorious mess of water and books and Doctor and probably other stuff upon crash landing, hit me pretty early on and amused me. I imagined it like the Titanic upending and everything sliding down to the end (though in my mind it was the whole pool, not just its water), then I thought maybe the pool just liked to wander and then I guess I subscribed to the theory of 'pool lives in the library'
owlboy: (Default)

[personal profile] owlboy 2010-12-07 04:44 am (UTC)(link)
IDK. The way the camera lingers on it... it's like "Loooook at this". It takes up half the frame. That stuff doesn't happen by accident...
and IIRC Amy's house has a flat roof...not much room for an attic.
It's the only thing I can think of! I have to be right!

>>They are very aggressive.

sorry :/

Ps I read that Stephen Fry article - adoooreeee that man - have you listened to his podcasts? My favourite is his rant/rage at language pedants. sooo good.

[identity profile] cosmiccoz.livejournal.com 2010-12-07 06:28 am (UTC)(link)

I think the fans are perhaps more clever than Moffat.

It's rather like picking out the visual symbology of Series 5, without proper understanding of the actual production hierarchy of DW.

We forget about the individual writers, the directors, the cinematographers and the art department. Moffat doesn't have the godlike control some fans speculate he has. Many of the choices are left up to the present director and downward.

Stephen Fry twitted the following article about the role of comedy and its importance and why the modern novel is dying from an angst overdose and I think I am in love with it but am having far too many thoughts about it to say anything coherent now, so I'll just leave this here: Divine Comedy.

I think there's a time for everything, but I've always leaned toward tragedy, rather than comedy. I crave Hamlet more than As You Like It. Some of the best comedies I know are those screaming with laughter at the darkness. Those so horribly rooted in a shit pit of a world, that the only way to survive is to laugh. That I can understand. That's real to me.

Comedy that doesn't reflect the reality of the world is insubstantial.

I actually just finished relistening to Matt Smith on the Nerdist podcast. He had talked about how much he loved Peter Sellers' dark sense of humor and then moved on to the darkness of the Doctor:

Because that's what interests me as the Doctor, actually. Look at the blood on the man's hand. Nine-hundred years—countless, very selfish choices. And he's literally blown planets up, his own race. I mean, that's all on his hands. Which is why I think he has to make silly jokes and wear a fez. . . because if he didn't, he'd hang himself.

That's the sort of humor I crave. Tragicomedy. Why have one, when you can have both?

[identity profile] stick-poker.livejournal.com 2010-12-07 12:54 pm (UTC)(link)
I always assumed that :o
See, I did, and was confused that other people didn't. I'm pleased to hear I wasn't alone.

I'm not sure what the missing thing is either but I almost don't want to hunt for it too hard in case I'm disappointed. But then again, have I not faith in the Moff? Will it not be splendid? *sighs*

[identity profile] stick-poker.livejournal.com 2010-12-07 01:01 pm (UTC)(link)
*grins* Watery rebirth metaphor!

(Only just read this now... There was something I had to write first, see.)

[identity profile] honeynoir.livejournal.com 2010-12-07 02:13 pm (UTC)(link)
No, the swimming pool was in the library for the same reason Eleven was: it fell.
o_O falling swimming pool! I like it! I always assumed the pool had somehow migrated to the library during the crashing, but the idea of it falling is cooool. A time machine in a flux... why shouldn't it fall? (It probably ended up in the ceiling somewhere, just to mess with everyone.)
owlboy: (qi smarties tubes)

[personal profile] owlboy 2010-12-09 04:04 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, I saw the actual author's name in tiny font 5 mins after posting this and thought "D'OH"

[excuse me while i go a bit Stephen Fry crazy here]

Oh man, I think you would adore Stephen Fry... You need to watch QI, I think you'd love it...it's his comedy panel/game show thing about random facts and knowledge where the emphasis is put on being interesting rather than "right"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh_hHFT76iU

Then there's Fry and Laurie which is just... the funniest ever and has Hugh Laurie in it<3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFD01r6ersw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znZuH2BU0FE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utpdzQj2S6o

Here's his podcasts
http://www.stephenfry.com/media/
Language: http://fry.positive-dedicated.net/fry-podcast2-episodes-03.mp3

I adore him, he's one of my personal heroes. He's ridiculously intelligent and hilarious and he's survived sooo much insanity in his life. sigh <3

[identity profile] cosmiccoz.livejournal.com 2010-12-09 06:13 am (UTC)(link)
It's difficult to get ones thoughts across when your tapping on a phone. I think my brain was making a gumbo of the recent over-analyzing of Series 5.
 
IT'S A SPATIAL REASONING JOKE AND A METAPHOR ABOUT PERSONAL GROWTH ALL IN ONE!!!

I thought it was merely that the TARDIS was rebuilding itself. Some furnature getting pushed around and such. Funny Doctor falling into the pool. I don't believe Moffat was thinking it through so analytically. . . 


Alright, I reread the article more slowly. I'm usually forced to just pick out words from paragraphs instead reading all the way through, as I have difficulty focusing. Trying to piece it all together can lead to half-understandings and such.

I think I'd become rather irritated by what the critic called Homer's "tiresome clichés" and stopped taking much interest in the article from then on. 

Julian Gough seemed to navigate away from the tremendous rich and celebrated history of comic theater (only briefly mentioning Greek comedy) and focused solely on areas that best supported his viewpoint.

Rather harsh about the Christian religion too, I might add. He clearly didn't do much research into the Mystery Cycles and passion plays. People really did love to see the Devil being hit with a frying pan.

As I don't read much these days, I'm not sure what's topping the bestseller lists. That said, there has never been a drop off of comedy within television, film or theater. 

Comedy flurishes, in all its plentiful mediums. 

Also slightly miffed Terry Pratchett wasn't mentioned.

[identity profile] honeynoir.livejournal.com 2010-12-09 02:36 pm (UTC)(link)
*encourages*

[identity profile] cinderbella333.livejournal.com 2010-12-18 01:02 am (UTC)(link)
I always loved that pool joke! And your bit about being reborn from a watery womb and wanting an apple. Hilarious. You amuse me greatly on a very frequent basis. Just so you know.

[identity profile] cinderbella333.livejournal.com 2010-12-18 01:03 am (UTC)(link)
*fans encouragement*
sea_thoughts: Ruby in *The Legend of Ruby Sunday* (DWCustard Lip - brontide)

[personal profile] sea_thoughts 2010-12-20 05:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Namely, that Moffat was not really suggesting that the TARDIS's swimming pool is generally to be found in the library. Rather, the swimming pool is elsewhere, but with the TARDIS crashed on its side like that, the water from the swimming pool had drained out and pooled in the library.

It seemed pretty obvious to me when he said it that the water had poured into the library... but I didn't recognise the symbolism. That's gorgeous!
sea_thoughts: Ruby in *The Legend of Ruby Sunday* (Bookworm - smercy)

[personal profile] sea_thoughts 2010-12-20 05:47 pm (UTC)(link)
But isn't that the point? The establishment looks down on Pratchett because he writes 'fantasy', because he's 'popular'. They happily ignore the themes of his books because of the magical setting and dismiss him. It's not seen as 'proper' writing.
owlboy: (Default)

[personal profile] owlboy 2010-12-21 04:42 am (UTC)(link)
i think you got it down pretty well actually :]