Recs!

[ash48]

I haven't had a chance to check much out lately, but here's some wonderful things I have come across:

Gorgeous J2 vid:

from HERE (thanks to redteekal for the heads up on this vid).



Art:

quickreaver has posted some gorgeous artwork for some spn_masquerade prompts. So dead from the hot!! (Rated R)

amberdreams has created a beautifully atmospheric piece for the ohsam challenge.

Both of these challenges look to have some great works. I am ridiculously far behind on catching up with everything that's being posted though. But I'll get there! (and how wonderful to still be talking about lots of stuff being posted on LJ. Alive and kicking baby!).

Meta:

This is a very interesting article on the Flattening of Sam Winchester. The discussion underneath is quite interesting too (once you get past the obvious hateful comments). It makes it clear what's lacking (for me) at the moment. It's not easy reading, but somehow (and for some strange reason) it makes me feel better that I'm not the only one seeing a problem here.

That's not to say I'm not excited for the show's return this week. I am! I can't wait to see the boys back on the screen. And as much as I want to say "I'm going in with a new, less emotional approach", I don't think it will be true. Oh well. It might surprise me…;)


Fandom

I ADORE these new pics from the recent Vegas con. Seeing the Winchesters together like this made my heart swell (and possibly brought a small tear).

(posing for the "awkward family photo" *g*)









(not sure who took the above two pics. They are all over the internet so not sure where to start to find the original source).

Comments

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

I can't get over how much of a lift JDM's presence at Vegas gave the whole convention - not least because Jensen was obviously just so totally thrilled to have him there. I don't think I've ever seen Jensen look so ridiculously happy - not even in his wedding photos!! LOL

Oh and thanks so much for the rec - I did that pic in such a rush it's a wonder anyone likes it!

Now I need to read that Sam article...

[ash48.livejournal.com]

I've just what the moment when JDM comes on the stage and Jensen is BEAMING the entire time. What a thrill! And how wonderful to see them all together like this. Quite monumental for the show.

[madebyme-x.livejournal.com]

Wonderful recs - I haven't seen that vid!!!

And those pics from the Vegas con give me such feels. I was truly excited and delighted to see them all together :)

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Vid is so sweet. I love its simplicity - it captures the boys so beautifully. :)

[firesign10.livejournal.com]

WONDERFUL vid!!! Oh man :-D And while Jared is definitely the most tactile person EVER, it's interesting to see how tactile Jensen with JARED. A;so I never get tired of that pic with Jensen leaning against Jared and Jared's scar around his neck. The full on and total profile of them is so perfect, and Jensen's FACE - that look of utter contentment, like "here's where I belong". Yeah.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Agreed!! :)) I was just watching some Vegas con footage and it's quite something to see how much Jensen has, idk, come out of his shell. He hardly ever sang and now he's doing whole songs. Almost every con! The are SO comfortable together. I've been watching a lot of con footage lately (for my own J2 vid) and the way they bounce off each other is a joy to watch. Love 'em!

[gateslacker.livejournal.com]

VegasCon was AMAZING! That's pretty much all I can say at the moment. (Still processing)

It was definitely worth it as these people not only embody these characters and the show I love, they also really know how to put on a show! Fandom can be so negative online, which makes me leery about engaging but in person it was joyous and fun.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Oh you were there?! I am SO jealous!!

I think fandom online is different to fans coming together. I know on line there were all sort of threats about questions some people wanted to ask at the con, but I figure once everyone is together and there's SUCH a huge buzz, all that negativity fades away...

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Just reading that meta and had to pop back over to say - YES! Flattening - and deleting and/or ignoring of character-forming history - is exactly what I'm perceiving. PLUS this article captures very nicely exactly WHY I have been having problems and saying Sam was missing since Season freaking SIX.

*rushes back to finish the article*

[ash48.livejournal.com]

It's good isn't it. Kind of nails it. I would interested to know what he (she?) said about Dean. I don't think Dean has faded into the background like Sam has, but he's definitely had character inconstancies under Carver. Plus he's really made him do some stuff that's highly questionable…(stuff I know even Dean would back away from…). So yeah, it's sad reading but interesting.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Yes, the Dean characterisation assassination has been of a different order, and not so much about fading him but more about erasing parts of his personality and turning him into something of a caricature of his former self. Both boys have suffered greatly, I think, but Sam's fading has been most sad. I wonder how Jared perceives it - I'd be really interested to know.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

I actually don't think he knows. I think the filming is so disjointed that he probably has no idea how it's coming across. He's admitted to not watching it much, so I figure he has no idea about his fading character. I don't though. He's still very passionate and the feeling I get is that he's much happier this season. I think they both prefer the brothers on the same page - or at least in character and not being out and out horrid to each other. I do wonder if he's got a little bit of an idea because of the fan feedback - maybe articles like this might get back to him. Though, very hard to know. What could he do any way? He has to trust the writers. As an actor it's not his job to worry about the overall character arcs or journey (though I suspect he would be hurt if he really did see what was going on…)

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Yes I'm sure their view of their character is much more immediate than ours, and though they do remember quite a lot of the history (probably going to conventions helps keep it fresh for them) I don't think the actors live it in the same way we do!

[sam-dean-lover.livejournal.com]

wonderful pics. i also read that very interesting, accurate meta article, left a comment, i saw that you did too :)

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Yep! I did leave a message. :)) I found it very interesting. Good to see others writing about it...

[bowtrunckle.livejournal.com]

So glad you posted this. It seems I need to get plugged back into fandom because I'm apparently missing "all the good stuff"! What's your sense in terms of which online sources for SPN news are most active (and non-wanky) ... tumblr ... LJ ... twitter ... something else?

Loved the meta. Good to see people writing thinky stuff.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Hi!!

Twitter keeps me most up to date. It's very immediate and seems to have a lot - though it can be very wanky. You have to choose the people you follow carefully. I'm not on tumblr much - but it seems to be more screen caps. Huge wank potential - but that's more about avoiding what you don't like.

LJ is still my fave, but doesn't have all the chatter like twitter does. It's certainly the least wanky and (I think) still the best way to find fic and fan works.

I see/hear from more fans over there than I do anywhere else. Many of my flist are on twitter and most are active there more than here now. Hope that helps a bit. :)

[citrusjava.livejournal.com]

Thanks for all the recs!
Man, I need fic for those pics, like, now! And then, I want more! And then, it needs to become a more regular thing. J3. Non AU. YES. Now. More. Please.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

I agree! More JDM! They all look so happy! :)

[http://users.livejournal.com/tesserae_/]

Om my god, that vid made me smile! Thank you for a great start to a long day....

[ash48.livejournal.com]

It's so lovely isn't it?! :D

[amypond45.livejournal.com]

Oh wow! I'm probably the ONLY person in this fandom who hasn't seem this pic of all four Winchester actors and I'm completely choked up. I have NO sense of reality about this -- my mind keeps screaming "they're alive!"

Thank you so much for this! (Going off to have a good cry now...)

[ash48.livejournal.com]

It made me choke up also. Such a wonderful reunion. It's quite amazing that it's taken so long to get them all together like this.

xx

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

Aww, those are some very sweet pics :)

[ash48.livejournal.com]

IKR?! :D

[yourlibrarian]

Thanks for posting these! Loved the vid and yes, wow to see all the Winchesters together.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Most welcome! Great seeing them all together like this. :)

[bluestar3317.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the heads up on the video. What gorgeous work! That must have been fun to create. :)

[ash48.livejournal.com]

It's such a lovely vid. I'm sure she enjoyed making it. :))

[casey28.livejournal.com]

It's a lovely vid. ♥

So glad to see the Winchester family reunited.

It's not easy reading, but somehow (and for some strange reason) it makes me feel better that I'm not the only one seeing a problem here.

I'm glad it makes you feel better. I wish it made me feel that way, too. But, the article clearly shows us that Sam has been "flattened"... there's isn't much left. *sigh*

[ash48.livejournal.com]

It didn't make me feel better in the sense of Sam's character, but because I've been feeling that for quite a while now it made me feel better in the way it validated how I was feeling. I will NEVER feel better about what they've been doing to Sam. I just look for ways to help me get past it.

[casey28.livejournal.com]

Yes. The way it validated your feelings, helped you feel better. Even while you still "don't feel better about what they've been doing to Sam." The difference for me is that I've been trying to focus on whatever good stuff is left for Sam, because it's too painful for me to deal with what's become of Sam's character. But now, I'm feeling the "pain", and it's harder to tune it out.

I just look for ways to help me get past it.

And that's a good thing. I hope what I'm feeling now will pass, or that I'll get a better perspective on it.

[becc-j.livejournal.com]

This is an awesome collection of recs. Loved the vid and the awkward family photo is hilarious <3 Hope you have a great weekend.