dreamer_easy: (doctor who rtd rocks)
dreamer_easy ([personal profile] dreamer_easy) wrote2009-07-31 07:17 pm

(no subject)

SPOILERS: Torchwood - Children of Earth

RTD interview at After Elton

I adore this, because the interview asks so directly about all the stuff that's concerned fandom - the loss of a gay character, the unfulfilled potential of Jack and Ianto's relationship, Jack's lack of a real plan when confronting the 456 - and RTD answers in detail. Interviews usually just give us a handful of quotes without a proper context; this offers far more insight.

The usual hate and ignorance in the comments, though. Frankly, by this point, RTD has made it abundantly clear that the only fans he's knocking are the small number who've been "vicious" and "need to learn a lesson". At SDCC he called the hugely successful charity efforts, such as the Children in Need campaign, "brilliant". Those furious fans insist the amount of money raised represents a widespread demand for Ianto's resurrection. But does it? The Just Giving page describes itself as "in memory of" and "mourning" Ianto, and mentions the "hope" he will return. It's not a petition, it doesn't protest or demand anything. Some of the donors have left comments pleading for Ianto's return; others just celebrate the character.

There's not just wishful thinking here: there's a dishonest effort to exaggerate how much support there is in fandom for Ianto's return FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE. Calling RTD a liar because he's only aware of nine packets of coffee reaching BBC Wales - because you personally sent fifty packets to make yourselves look like fifty people? Hold it, girls... contradiction city... :)

[identity profile] jvowles.livejournal.com 2009-07-31 04:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Exactly.

The point of good drama is that it makes you get invested in the characters. Making you feel the pain of loss is kind of the point of the exercise. If you're so "traumatized" by a fictional death that they go all crazy, then perhaps they should avoid all fiction.

[identity profile] bloggingchick.livejournal.com 2009-08-16 02:45 am (UTC)(link)
I unfortunately I have to disagree at this time. Many people I know watch dramas because, generally, we get shiny, happy endings at the end of each episode. We want to forget our own pain of loss, our lonely, miserable lives and we expect TV shows to give us "everyone goes home happy and picks up again next time" scenarios. If we invest in characters only for them to eventually come to unexpected tragic endings we are reminded of what we are suffering in real life and are simply depressed & miserable all over again. If we temporarily avoided real life through fiction but now have to avoid fiction as well because we will only be reminded of real life, that does not leave much left.