another one for the Ask And You Shall Receive file

[aruan]

The second season of Showtime's brilliantly honest series Queer As Folk is now available for pre-order on amazon.com. I haven't had a chance to see more than a couple of episodes owing to the lamentable lack of cable in the dorms, but it's definitely on the Wish List.

Comments

[crazybutsound]

As someone who owns the first season on DVD, I can tell you it's a wonderful show. Actually, it even managed to grow into its own and become a favorite of mine, even though I was a die-hard fan of the original British series.

But yes, wonderful show. You'd so need to get the first season before you saw the new one, though. If only for the heartbreaking cliffhanger at the end of it. Though not really a cliffhanger since, of course, we can easily guess what will happen in the following season. But still, you want to see the first season. Yes. You do.

And I am sooooo getting the second one... Found it for much cheaper than on amazon, too. A place called play.com. If they deliver overseas, go have a look. No extra charges for postage, and more interesting prices on quite a few things.

Ok, I'm sorry. You say Queer as Folk, and I go into rambling overdrive, lol. I'll shut up, now.

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

Oh I've got the first season on DVD as well. When it finally arrived, Miranda and I holed ourselves up in my room over the course of a week and had ourselves a regular little party watching all of them in sequence. I knew the show from when I still lived at home, but now I'm at school and alas. Anyhow, I loved the season finale and have watched it at least four times. Justin and Brian dancing is one of my favorite scenes ever.

And then Brian with the scarf! There were tears, my god were there tears. He was there every day! The problem with Brian is that one minute you want to smack him and the next you want to hughimtight. He makes me schizophrenic in the best way.

Never seen the British series, though people keep telling me it rocks. I lust over Gale Harold and adore Hal Sparks too much to stray, though.

Thanks for the heads-up, but the pounds-to-dollars conversion makes it cheaper for me through Amazon, and they do free shipping on orders over $25 now.

Please, ramble about QAF anytime you like! God knows I'm anything but short-winded about it.

[giddyupnow.livejournal.com]

Eh, that means they're up to Season 3 on TV now? I caught a few eps of first season at Sheila's, but on the whole, they have done nothing but terrify me. Probably because of many factors, the major ones being 1) the opening sequence 2) blond kid looks like a monkey 3) I saw and had the UK version on tape before the US version started, so was maybe a bit spoiled in terms of, erm, quality. Even though I realize that TV shows and movies must necessarily go along different paths, especially when they become entities independent of the originator, I still can't help feeling nobody's just as *likable* in that show. *shrug* Maybe I just need to see more of it again. Two seasons is room for improvement, ostensibly.

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

I suppose that does mean Season 3 on TV now. I'm out of the loop as far as all things premium channel, unfortunately, as I used to watch Oz and to a more 'oh, cool, it's on' extent Sex and the City. But QAF I cherished from the first, which was the director's commentary version of Episode 16. Also, I've got two words for you: Gale Harold. An undisputable selling point if I've ever seen one. Rawr.

Heh, the opening sequence. Yeah, it surprised me, too. But what's not to love about boys shaking it to neon colors and vaguely disco-flavored techno, forgoing the obscene outfits? As far as Justin, when he eventually grows a spine he also gets better hair - I admit he had to grow on me, too.

I've never seen the Brit version, but you really should see more of the American series. Emmett is hilarious and sweet, Michael does eventually do more than pine after Brian, Brian does eventually become more than the self-centered bitch thing he puts on, and the Brian/Justin dynamic is hella engaging.

The *real* question is whether to buy the "Platinum Series Extended Edition" of LotR or the "Collector's Gift Set" with the same exhaustive preamble. Are the discs that are in both sets any different? What's on the National Geographic one? I've no particular yen for the Argonath bookends and would prefer to keep those thirty bucks.

Hope things are going well with this new mystery person. *crosses fingers*

[giddyupnow.livejournal.com]

1. True. Gale is pretty, I didn't *not* notice that :-) However, the personality, at least at first, was arrogant without the benefit of charm, at least for me. Which quickly negated any sort of fondness I might have had for him.

2. The opening sequence. I love disco. I love flashing lights and bright colors. I love costumes. You know this. You also know that, unfortunately, I am a prude *g* I don't need to see ass and package unless I have a good reason to. Otherwise, it's all just falls under the realm of "ack! cover your eyes, quick!"

3. If you don't want the Argonauth bookends (which I, admittedly, *love* and go the gift set for), then you'll want to get just the regular extended version DVD set. Because the NG DVD is *not* worth it. You can see it next time we get together and you'll know why. It's something that you'd watch if you were extremely bored and had nothing else in the world left to do. And maybe not even then. Not even any good film content, and questionable as to even Tolkien content, despite their attempting to say it's getting back to the "roots" of the story. Yeah, tell me another. And sell me a bridge while you're at it. So yeah, save your money :-)

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

Brian gains charm as the writers realize that the audience will only tolerate so much of his shameless, unapologetic arrogance.

I don't need to see ass and package unless I have a good reason to. Heh. :) Agreed, especially in light of the thankfully mostly bygone trend of guys wearing their pants three sizes too big and around their knees besides. But the opening credits besides, which I tend to write off as more of a flashing neon warning sign to potentially uninitiated viewers, the show is pretty good about not getting needlessly gratuitous.

Thanks for the LotR tip. I'm thinking of surprising myself on Valentine's Day, and not with my bank statement, so definitely good to know.

[crazybutsound]

This made me laugh, because. When I was first told about the US version of QAF, I snorted, despised and went on and on about how they'd obviously never reach the quality level of the British version. The Brits were first, they did a helluva damn good job with the subject, most certainly had more British understated humour than the US version would ever have...

Yes, I generally moaned about quality.

Then, I watched the first ep of the first US season. And ooo boy. I didn't like it. It reinforced my beliefs that the Brits had done it better, and that this US version was simply crap. On top of it all, it was also carbon copy of original Brit eps, and yes, the blond kid did look like a monkey. Ugh.

But I kept watching. And after a while, it really did improve. I always try and give more than a couple of eps to a series to mature, because from experience, not many shows are tremendously good from the start. But a lot of them improve with popularity, and hence means. They get more money, more time, more people... they get better. The US QAF sure did.

Now, I really couldn't tell which of the two versions I like best. Despite their obvious similarities (same story, yo, lol), they're too different from one another to really compare. The Brits got humour and snark, and personalities hard to match. At least for the main characters. But that's for the short run.

The US have a few serious issues besides just homosexuality, they give a wider range of side stories, and certainly more wonderfully painted secondary characters. Like Jules says, Emmett is a fine example of where the Americans improved from the British show. It's not just about the main three characters anymore. We get to learn to know and love their friends, which really were mere superficial cliches in the British version. I always felt that Alex (Emmett's British counterpart, if I'm not mistaken) was a bit too much and not enough. Too much of a walking-talking cliché, and not enough of an in-depth character. So yes, that's where the US version finds quality.

And also, so far, the US version hasn't had as horrible a thing as the British QAF sequel. Ugh. Though that might come, too, in the end. I just hope not.

So yes, I love them all. One was love at first sight (the British one), and one grew on me (The US one), but I now love them both dearly. :-)

That said, I can totally see where you're coming from. I'd say that if you haven't made it past the first half of the first season (and I'd understand why you wouldn't have, coming from the British version), it's hard to get to love Brian and Justin and Michael as much as Stuart, Vince and Nathan from the start. But in the long run, I think it's totally worth the effort. lol.

And no, I'm not obsessed with the two shows... What would make you think that?

And Jules said I could ramble about QAF, so... but I think I might have overdone it a bit. Sorry! Just wanted to share my love for both QAF worlds! lol. Hope I wasn't completely out of line! :-)

[giddyupnow.livejournal.com]

I suspected they might go a different route, given time. Which would involve development of secondary characters and the like. And for what it's worth, I found the lesbians in the US version much more adorable.

Much like in Jules' case, though, I do not have cable (or even much in the way of normal television reception) and wasn't in a particular hurry, since I've never been into television shows as much as I have been in literary and film fandoms. Maybe it's something to do with attention span ;-)

Also, I admit to having even more qualms upon hearing that it was a cable show, if only because that meant that it might be predisposed to being more "shocking" in subject matter (which made my reaction upon first seeing the opening credits that much more dismal) at the expense of sensitivity and accuracy. I mean, I suppose the fact that they can say the show (and this applies to the UK miniseries as well) is about a certain subculture at all emphasizes the "alien" aspects of it more than it does integration -- it almost gains this "National Geographic takes you inside the world of Gay People!" feel which just left me feeling kind of dirty. An ideal show (ha!) would have no more emphasis on sexuality than it would on a character being a feminist or an ecologist or a man/woman. (Watch me wave my trendy deconstructionalist flag! Whoot!) But, being sensible enough about reality, the general population, and the politics and workings of the entertainment industry (which, as a whole, can never be accused of being anti-queer. *snerk*), I suppose exposure comes first.

And hey, while I'm on the subject? (And I do apologize for subjecting you to this, but I as well can't seem to shut up on this stuff :-) I have to know and this will play a large part in the respect that I'm willing to give to the show in the future... how does the show treat the subject of queers of color? Because the largest gay communities and movements in recent history have been as dominated by the assumption of white middle class values as any other part of the country (and western world, possibly), and if the show wants to do a good job of representing, I'd appreciate their efforts in reaching the minorities of the minorities as well. Just a thought.

[crazybutsound]

Oh, boy. We are so abusing Jules' lj for this... but I couldn't not answer this... because meh. Good point.

It is unfortunately true that although talking about one minority, the two shows are mostly ignoring all other minorities. So for that, QAF isn't very good. Every single important character is white. And now that you've mentioned it, I can't remember noticing colored people anywhere on the shows. So no reaching the minorities of the minorities. :-(

I am watching it with the eyes of a French person, though, and it's undeniable that even though important, race issues are not treated the same, here. So this aspect of the show did not strike me as lacking. But now that you've pointed it out to me... mmmm...

As for shocking... well, the show certainly is. Of course, it built a lot of its reputation on outrageous sex scenes. But it's far from being porn, and it's mostly within the story lines and related to the plot, so... I actually enjoy that aspect. *giggles*

An ideal show (ha!) would have no more emphasis on sexuality than it would on a character being a feminist or an ecologist or a man/woman.

I'm not sure I agree with you on this. Because then, an ideal show would be boring. Either that, or we would be living in a world where those things didn't make a difference, and we all lived happily together despite our differences. Sadly, that's not true. So I think a good show needs to dwell on something if they want to make things move. They need to have a purpose, a message, or really, what would be the point?

No, to me, a good show (ha! as you so justly said, lol) would certainly put emphasis on one aspect of things. One group of people, one culture... but then, would try and broach every single aspect of that chosen subject. Which as you so justly pointed out, isn't the case for QAF. To be ideal, they'd have to show a wider range of gay individuals from all races and classes, etc... and not just purely white queers.

But you know, I still love it, lol. I still enjoy the Justin/Brian dynamics, still love Michael, still adore Emmett to death. That show's got numerous flaws, but I like it because it brings characters that come alive through moving interpretation. I like that.

That said, I might look back on it in a few years and cringe, lol.

[giddyupnow.livejournal.com]

Oh, boy. We are so abusing Jules' lj for this

We do it because we love her ;-)

I am watching it with the eyes of a French person, though, and it's undeniable that even though important, race issues are not treated the same, here.

True, and I respect that. And the fact that the geographical as well as city/country distinctions comes into play on what people see and recognize. And in what is actually presented in a show that wishes to faithfully show a population's distribution. But there would still be the class representation to be considered even if race weren't an issue, wouldn't there?

I'm not sure I agree with you on this. Because then, an ideal show would be boring.

*g* That's my fault, I didn't define that well enough, in my agenda-advancing frenzy. I beg your pardon :-) Heh. I meant an ideal show that wants to be socially conscious, not necessarily one that wants good story-telling. And in the sense that ideals are never reachable, but they still serve a purpose. Because, yeah, I realize that it's the conflict which creates the drama. But one needs to envision the ideal show, then recognize the distance between that and where you are at before being able to straddle the middle ground and address the problems, in storytelling terms. What's currently happening in media is that they overlook it altogether. I fail to see any breadth or vision. But it does perfectly well for what it is doing... I just wish they would make a point of telling people that they are *only* representing that small portion.

That said, I might look back on it in a few years and cringe, lol.

*s* I hope not. Because, for what it's worth, I *do* think it does what it can, in the environment created by today's society and the demands of entertainment. Thanks for the response!

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

it almost gains this "National Geographic takes you inside the world of Gay People!" feel which just left me feeling kind of dirty. Bwah! That's one very funny way of putting it. I see what you mean, but QAF has always been about their lives, not the fact of their sexual orientation. These are people, genuine personalities who deal despite their sexuality in a world that manages to make it an issue somehow anyway. But within the queer community itself, it's not an issue. Between each other, it's not an issue. And the show's more that than the "outside world" anyway.

For reasons aforementioned, the following comments are based purely on the first season of the show.

As far as the aspects of gay culture and lifestyle that are specifically explored, the show looks at them as matter-of-factly as it does its minorities. While certainly not going out of its way to address them by any stretch of the imagination, I recall Brian bringing home both black and Asian lovers. Babylon seems very embracing of attractive men, whatever their ethnicity. However, it should be noted that Brian's preferences have one parameter, and that's that they're male. And the other characters are pretty much too wrapped up in themselves, each other, or just Brian. So QAF is definitely lacking in that aspect, but retains frankness and compassion for the subject matter it does take on.

[giddyupnow.livejournal.com]

*nods* I'm fond of the first version because it was just... sweet and fluffy. I'm willing to give the series a chance because they *would* get more time to explore issues. On the subject of queer people of color, though, I must admit I feel very strongly and wish that they would address it in closer detail. However, I also realize that since it is essentially a soap opera, it is not necessary for it to take on social issues. However again, because it is considered "groundbreaking" in terms of exposure to the public of queer lifestyles, it would be an ideal medium for presenting issues that really need to be seen.

Objective rant to follow, I'm not aiming particularly at you or QAF, so much as trying to sort out my own thoughts on just how much responsibility the entertainment industry has when they're the first (or most powerful) on a scene.

I think the problem with the characters, not so much as characters themselves but in the way they're presented, is that they *are* too wrapped up in themselves. In that way where the "gay issue" is brought to the fore, yes, but what's unvoiced is that it's the gay *white middle-class* issue. Most high-profile gay communities (WeHo, Castro, and Chelsea spring to mind) are economically based on money and businesses founded by white middle-class gay men and mostly cater to that subset. One often doesn't find much in the way of the working class and people of color except on the outskirts, usually working the more illicit side of things, because there *is* this unvoiced feeling that they're not as acceptable. Just like when you go to many "support group" meetings and there's a bunch of white people sitting around wondering on occasion "gee, why don't we have more diversity?", but then never go on to consider or implement any ways to change that. There *is* segregation that goes on -- there are specific bars that tend to cater to whites and ones that appeal to non-whites... there is a bit of cross-over and more in recent years, but there is still a huge aesthetic and mental gulf between them. A lot of times people like to put all of them under the umbrella term of "queer" and figure they should all work together, but the truth is that even within the group, there will be a tendency to separate. Because little attempt (once again, always changing these days, so there's hope) is made to understand the differences associated with being an individual embodying the intersection of several minority categories, resolution and support of eachother on a higher group level is not really possible. So really, a show or a book or a movement can't purport to be about the "queer community" until they give equal time to all its facets, starting on the outskirts and including those comfortable in the middle by default. One can hardly call picturing a few extras in a crowd or an occasional one-night stand equal representation.

But yeah, I'm sure the show does well for the little slice of the population it *does* choose to take on. Which, unfortunately, happens to be the most marketable and the one least in need (if one can make such distinctions, since I understand that we're still talking fringe here) of publicity.

[andthenbuyfood.livejournal.com]

this has nothing to do with anything, but I really like your icon. It makes me giggle. :-)

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

The icon was a lovely gift from an even lovelier individual, and thank you, the kudos was passed along. People who frequent my journal know that I hold that line to be one of the single sexiest ever delivered. Legolas' enunciation gives me happy shivers.