Level Two: Or, how I learned to stop frothing and just let loose with profanity-laden argument

[blamebrampton]

Level Two has begun posting!



Watch to catch the premiere on September 6!
Find our trailer here and tune in in two days for our premiere!


There is some AMAZING art coming out of that community, and stories, too! Basically: Harry Potter, Auror, Draco Malfoy, roped-in Unspeakable; Adventures Ensue.

I did a spot of stuff for them. I probably should have been pimping the hell out of it for weeks now. Unfortunately, while I met a few absolutely amazing people there and have been blown away by some of the talent, the experience has made me want to leave fandom. Not stop writing fics, or leave my brilliant flist, just, never again get involved in anything comm-like and wave both sharpened stakes and leis of garlic at most 'fandom discussions'.

One of the sensible people there told me that she thought a lot of the issues came out of people's Personal Issues, and that we could probably blame school for most of them. It's all coming back to me why I found school easy: I spent the whole time running around the sports oval, in the library, or in active (as in legislative and policy-based) student politics. I never had to negotiate the Mean Girls issues because they needed me for the hockey team, or to win at debating, or to come round and ride one of my ponies, and I never had to care because I could be in any country by the end of the year, so why bother?

All of which means I am extremely badly raised for dealing with bullshit drama. And oh my god, the drama … and the bullshit …

Happily, just at the very exact moment I decided: fuck it, I will meet my responsibilities and then bugger it all, fandom does not need me and I certainly do not need it, the extremely marvellous birdsofshore held a love-in for the enchantingly lovely capitu, and I was all Oh THAT'S why fandom can be worthwhile.

So now I am just going to ignore more things, and be more honest about some other things. Expect a jokier Malcolm Tucker with a degree in logic.

Meanwhile, Level Two: you don't have to suffer through anything, because the end product is Good Stuff!

Comments

[birdsofshore]

Oh my word! I'm just reading your post and gawping over my cornflakes! First of all, fandom most certainly does need you. You can forget about thinking otherwise. But no, nobody needs upset and drama. I'm sorry you all had that experience. It is the main reason I would never sign up for anything like Level Two - working as a team would absolutely send me spare. I think it can bring the worst out in people; I bet it would in me.

The results of the project look phenomenal, though, and I cannot wait to see the rest! And I am most thrilled if capitu's love in came at a moment that helped you. That's just delightful news.

*grabs you and holds you here*

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I think my *flist* might need me, because most of you like a bit of comedic politics with your breakfast :-)

Quite genuinely, though, fandom doesn't. It was good that I appeared, because my work constitutes about 25% of the total mass of Wizarding Politics Fic, and that is a genre that needed another person to add to the small but magnificent pool of people writing in it so that it would be a recognisable genre, not just Blythely and a couple of other people who run it as persuasive subplots.

Now that work exists, and the genre is on Fanlore, we can sit comfortably in our small set, like the set of Postmodern novels written before Modernism ;-)

The other things I do: comedy, Britfic, bringing rationality to arguments and creative swearing, are all done very well by other people, whose work the greater fandom continues to benefit from!

PS And YES! That post cheered me right up! I'm now perky about the chance to add my comedy, rationality and dreadful language to the movement!

[celestlyn.livejournal.com]

I concur. Fandom DOES need you. There will be drama going on with or without you...so you might as well pull up a chair and smugly watch from the sidelines. I'm finding it easier and easier to ignore the drama. I'm too for that stuff and anxiety gives me elevated blood pressure. LOL!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

It doesn't need me, but I could never leave my flist, so I like to think my flist might ;-)

I'm with you on the too old: I was actually really grateful I was horribly ill or I would have had to shriek at several people who I do actually like 'Have you listened to a WORD you have just said? That is APPALLING!'

And shrieking gives you wrinkles, and I love my smooth skin, so you are right about the need to ignore!

[emmacmf.livejournal.com]

*clings to you*

Fandom can be completely batshit sometimes.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Don't worry, dear! I would never leave LJ and my flist!

And oh good lord …Still, better than the Australian voting public.

[astardanced77.livejournal.com]

Your leaving would make me a very sad panda! I don't get involved in drama (I don't know enough people really!). I'm here for the stories and yours are some of the best.

I keep telling myself it could have been worse. I reserve the right to change that opinion if Pauline Hanson wins a Senate seat.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Oh I was going to keep writing: just for myself and ignoring everything else ;-)

Oh lord, Clive Palmer!

[shiv5468.livejournal.com]

Ah fandom... when you stop loving the wank... it's all over. Hee. ;-)

[ashindk.livejournal.com]

Oh no! Please don't leave. I think most of the people who escalate the drama are relatively young and in need of the validation that comes from making others back down. Ignore them! They'll probably grow up eventually.
Besides, I need clever britfic and political fic and humour. And you are the very best at it.
And I love your comedic politics posts. They remind me that politics is a circus everywhere, not just here, and that's somewhat comforting when our politicians do something particularly stupid. Like going back on their promise of 12 weeks of (paid) paternity leave, "because families have expences to worry about" so naturally we will all die of starvation if the poor men are only paid 80% of their normal wages for three months, while it's fine for women to be paid 80% of their wages for a whole year. Arrgh! Stupid, misogynist idiots!
Sorry. What I meant to say was please stay and write more lovely, intelligent fic, and provide us with witty political insight.

[who_la_hoop]

*prods you playfully for no good reason*

Sorry, you didn't want a reply related to your post, did you? :D

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

The illogical, arguing staunchly against positions previously argued vehemently in favour of because they fail to notice that the same set of prejudices they despise in others are exactly the ones they are trotting out to prop up their own 'argument' wank!

And this time it was from people who I know for a FACT are perfectly lovely people who believe in decent things, but good god can they talk crap when they put their blinkers on.

I have a headache just thinking about it. Actually, it's from housecleaning in denial about the election results, but it's being exacerbated.

Go and write some crime scenes, young lady! Or at least the romantic ones!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

It's OK, capitu and birdsofshore cheered me up! And the fabulously talented artists and new writers at Level Two cheered me, too!

Ironically, the very disturbing man who has just won the Australian election has done so with a very generous policy of paid parental leave: sadly, one that has so few details I cannot even tell you how it affects fathers. *Head desk*

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Perfectly appropriate, Hoopy! The only sane responses are: Gpsh, auror fic and pictures, WOO! and Yes, people are thickheads some times. You knew that.

[who_la_hoop]

Heh. However much a fandom changes, the one constant is wank. Both of the good and bad kinds! :D

Did you write for the Level Two thing, or just help out?

The radio tells me Bad Things happened today in Australian politics. Commiserations indeed.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

That would be telling! But if you are making guesses, you may be making good guesses ;-)

Oh look, the LNP aren't baby-eating zombies, but Tony Abbott is a sexist twat and I can only hope that he is so embarrassed at the realisation of WHAT a sexist twat he has been that he pulls his socks up enormously and behaves like an adult for the next three years.

And is then roundly defeated by Tanya Plibersek.

[shiv5468.livejournal.com]

Ah those are always the best sorts of wank.


I intend to. Writing is on my to do list for this weekend.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

GOOD! I need some quality reading.

Hey, most recent Aaranovitch: Yay Nightingale, but where has Peter's strong voice gone? And do you think Lesley has gone in search of a. power, b. her face, or c. one hell of a collar eventually and a good headslap at Peter for doubting her?

[who_la_hoop]

I seeeeee. ♥

Nah, I suspect he'll carry on much in the same way, and you'll become inured to him. I barely flinch when I see Boris Johnson on the telly these days :D

[cassie-black12.livejournal.com]

This post made me chuckle out loud. Perhaps not the response you'd expect, but I'm odd like that! You're like a breath of fresh air in amongst the 'bullshit drama', so don't even think about going anywhere ♥

[oakstone730.livejournal.com]

Individually, the fandom doesn't need any of us, collectively, however, it needs us all. Not like the Borg, but as in a democracy. There will always be those with loud strident voices who seek to be heard over the rest, but there is also those who form the core of the fandom, many, many, individuals who contribute whatever they have to the mix, people like Capitu and Birds and Omi and, yes, you, who make this fandom such an amazing place.

I realize you don't know me from Adam, but I have so appreciated your contributions, loved your brilliant insights, and greatly enjoyed your occasional lessons in Australian politics.

[shiv5468.livejournal.com]

Agreed about Peter's voice. I think he lost his way on this onc.

C. I hope. She's always been described as a proper copper so I'm hoping it's a twist.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I am hoping for C, too. Or if not, A. If it's B, I will be cross.

The last book had significant changes between the plan and the execution: the FBI agent was meant to be a fundamentalist Christian and the source of signifcant conflict according to his early releases. I imagine this was stomped on by the publishers looking at his US audience, but unfortnately, it means that a source of great comedy just fell out of the book: quite late in the process judging by his Twitter allusions to Significant Edits Being Necessary.

I have a terrible feeling that led to him second-guessing his way through a lot of this one. I'm prepared to forgive a lot for awesome Nightingale, though ;-) And take it on trust that it will all be back for book five. The scenes with the spring court were just wonderful, so he's not lost it, just in need of a good editor who supports and fights for him (and corrects some of those bloody grammatical errors!)

[shiv5468.livejournal.com]

Ah, that would explain it. The book did feel like it had been gutted.

[emmacmf.livejournal.com]

Jumping in to say if it's not C, I will be forced to throw a most spectacular temper tantrum.