Riona (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rionaleonhart) wrote2010-01-07 11:45 am
rionaleonhart) wrote2010-01-07 11:45 am
Actors Are Not Your Posable Dolls: A Rant.
Hello! First, a call for help: are you from the East Midlands? Are you aged between eighteen and twenty-five? If so, and if you have the time, please consider popping over here to help ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sparklenight, my fellow English Language student, with her dissertation on accent features of the East Midlands. It would be extremely kind of you.
And now, alas, although I generally try to keep this journal a place of happiness, I have to take a moment to express how appalled I am by the way in which certain parts of the Supernatural fandom are reacting to the news that Jared Padalecki and Genevieve Cortese are engaged.
DEAR SUPERNATURAL FANDOM: PLEASE STOP BEING INSANE. I cannot believe some of the comments I have seen on the announcement that Jared Padalecki and Genevieve Cortese are engaged. One person across whose comments I have unfortunately stumbled has essentially said 'I CAN'T BELIEVE JARED IS GOING TO PAY FOR A WEDDING TO SOMEONE HIS FANS HATE WITH OUR MONEY'.
Firstly: Jared has not committed a crime against his fanbase by choosing to marry someone he wants to marry, rather than someone of whom his fans (speak for yourself, by the way) approve. All Jared owes us is his acting. We have absolutely no influence over his personal life. We have no right to influence his personal life.
Secondly: as we as fans don't actually know much about Cortese as a person, I can only assume that the dislike of her is based on a dislike of the way she played Ruby. I personally liked her Ruby, but that's beside the point. If you don't think someone is a good actor, that does not mean she is not a good person. I can't act at all, but I hope that doesn't mean I deserve to have scorn and derision poured on non-acting-related areas of my life.
I have seen absolutely no solid reasons to hate Cortese. All I have on which to base my judgement of her as a person is our very brief exchange whilst she gave me her autograph at Asylum, and she was lovely then. That's not solid evidence that she's lovely in her day-to-day life, no, but I am happy to assume, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, that she is not a horrible person (would Jared be marrying her if she were?). Hatred is a dangerous judgement; surely it should be based on something.
Another argument I've seen is 'he can't marry her, she's not pretty enough'. This is evidently complete nonsense, because she is adorable, but even if she weren't: attractiveness is not a requirement. Even if Cortese were the ugliest person on the planet, that would not mean she didn't 'deserve' Jared.
In conclusion: please stop saying that Jared 'deserves better'. You do not know his fiancée, and his personal life is really none of your business. I love the Supernatural fandom; please stop making me feel embarrassed to be a part of it. I really, really hope nobody attacks the poor woman in the street.
Er, sorry about the rant. Congratulations to Jared and Genevieve, and I hope they're very happy! Have some adorable dancing Pikachu videos to make up for this entry: one, two.
sparklenight, my fellow English Language student, with her dissertation on accent features of the East Midlands. It would be extremely kind of you.And now, alas, although I generally try to keep this journal a place of happiness, I have to take a moment to express how appalled I am by the way in which certain parts of the Supernatural fandom are reacting to the news that Jared Padalecki and Genevieve Cortese are engaged.
DEAR SUPERNATURAL FANDOM: PLEASE STOP BEING INSANE. I cannot believe some of the comments I have seen on the announcement that Jared Padalecki and Genevieve Cortese are engaged. One person across whose comments I have unfortunately stumbled has essentially said 'I CAN'T BELIEVE JARED IS GOING TO PAY FOR A WEDDING TO SOMEONE HIS FANS HATE WITH OUR MONEY'.
Firstly: Jared has not committed a crime against his fanbase by choosing to marry someone he wants to marry, rather than someone of whom his fans (speak for yourself, by the way) approve. All Jared owes us is his acting. We have absolutely no influence over his personal life. We have no right to influence his personal life.
Secondly: as we as fans don't actually know much about Cortese as a person, I can only assume that the dislike of her is based on a dislike of the way she played Ruby. I personally liked her Ruby, but that's beside the point. If you don't think someone is a good actor, that does not mean she is not a good person. I can't act at all, but I hope that doesn't mean I deserve to have scorn and derision poured on non-acting-related areas of my life.
I have seen absolutely no solid reasons to hate Cortese. All I have on which to base my judgement of her as a person is our very brief exchange whilst she gave me her autograph at Asylum, and she was lovely then. That's not solid evidence that she's lovely in her day-to-day life, no, but I am happy to assume, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, that she is not a horrible person (would Jared be marrying her if she were?). Hatred is a dangerous judgement; surely it should be based on something.
Another argument I've seen is 'he can't marry her, she's not pretty enough'. This is evidently complete nonsense, because she is adorable, but even if she weren't: attractiveness is not a requirement. Even if Cortese were the ugliest person on the planet, that would not mean she didn't 'deserve' Jared.
In conclusion: please stop saying that Jared 'deserves better'. You do not know his fiancée, and his personal life is really none of your business. I love the Supernatural fandom; please stop making me feel embarrassed to be a part of it. I really, really hope nobody attacks the poor woman in the street.
Er, sorry about the rant. Congratulations to Jared and Genevieve, and I hope they're very happy! Have some adorable dancing Pikachu videos to make up for this entry: one, two.
no subject
*JAWDROP*
I've "known" (ie. internet heresy) that Jared and Genevieve were engaged for days now, so I've had almost a solid week of seeing people weeping, gnashing their teeth, using the 'he can't marry her; she's not pretty enough' gambit, expressing concern over how they're 'rushing into it' or 'not right for each other' or 'Jared's making a huge mistake', noting that they miss Sandy, or my personal favourite, insinuating that this has something to do with Jared and Jensen being in love.
What it boils down to is that fandom has always treated these men like their boyfriends; many people react badly to the news of Gen and Jared (or Jensen and Danneel) getting engaged and then tried to justify it by making it look like they're concerned for him, or by turning into a screaming, self-centered lunatic. What it really boils down to is that these people are either jealous - something they staunchly deny by detailing how great their lives are, in a classic case of 'doth protest too much' - or they're reacting badly on a subconscious level to the loss of something they see themselves as having ownership over. I always like to imagine this as having parallels of their ex-boyfriend/best friend getting married to somebody else. It all fits: the jealous snarking, the faux-concern, the tantrums, the attempt to prove ownership.
This comment is now almost as long as your post, so I will say: congratulations to Jared and Genevieve and thank fuck I have the apparently rare ability to accept the things I can't change.
no subject