DPP: Meta me this

[callmeonetrack.livejournal.com]

While sexytimes weekend is still going on right over here,  daybreak777 reminded me that I was going to do a post about pilots meta!

So meta... not something we see a lot these days now that the show is over, but with BBC America starting to air it from the beginning (last night's episode was the first half of the mini) and so many new people to fandom, thought it might be a good topic for a post. Basically meta entries are usually just entries discussing the show or certain aspects of the show in great detail. Long essays about characterization or plot devices or themes. 

Here are some of my favorite sources for pilots meta:

 

rawles is my meta queen y'all. She is funny, insightful, and manages to frame her arguments so convincingly that they always make me think after "HOW COULD I EVER HAVE THOUGHT OTHERWISE!"  Here are just a few of my favorites by her: 

Lee/Kara is OTP and Everything Else About BSG is Boring and Sucks

The Emperor is Bare-Ass Naked, Guys

Why Lee/Dualla is the Voldeship

In Which We Discover The Writing was On the Wall w/r/t Ron D. Moore's Feelings About Pilots

(Ok, I'm gonna stop myself though I swear it's worth paging through her journal just to read pretty much everything she ever wrote about pilots/bsg.)

This very weekend happens to be Lee Adama weekend at bsg_epics . pocochina has a very long pair of essays all about Lee's character, with some interesting and not often seen opinions (she believes Lee is a sufferer of depression throughout the series and his whole life): Part One and Part Two. (She has a lot more meta entries about all the characters (but mostly Lee) on her own LJ, right here.

 

Kara...probably not surprisingly, there isn't a ton of meta about Kara. (I find that Kara is like Fight Club in BSG fandom: the first rule seems to be that you don't talk about Kara. :( ) Luckily, wisteria_ has written tons of great meta, and many about our girl:
Kara, redemption, and sympathy (after NC)
Kara, character analysis
Kara and her harem
Kara, sexuality and tomcatting 

You could fill oceans with the number of finale!hate meta posts on LJ. But this one espouses a view that many shippers do actually believe, despite the rest of the finale fate. bop_radar's She's not his frakking angel

Maybe my favorite ship manifesto of all time: workerbee73 's Best. Ship. Ever

and finally, my own essay about why pilots work so well: Nobody Told Me Battlestar Galactica was a Romance

Now what are some of YOUR favorite meta posts?

Comments

[shah-of-blah.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty fond of brokenmnemonic's Why Lee And Kara Are The Greatest Ship Ever (http://brokenmnemonic.livejournal.com/129165.html).

Also, on a sidenote, I am continually perplexed by fandom's use of the word "meta" as it, well, isn't actually meta...

[callmeonetrack.livejournal.com]

Heh, that's true. It's not meta in the sense of being "self-referential" (because as much as we like to think we are, fandom is not canon ;) but if the Greek prefix literally translates as "after" "behind" "go beyond" etc. then in that sense it works, because we're analyzing something after the fact? I especially like the idea of it meaning "go beyond"...bringing something more to it.

[daybreak777.livejournal.com]

Gosh, you guys have aleady recced most of my favorites! But here are a few more. Do people still read pilots meta? I wonder.

This (http://rawles.livejournal.com/162863.html) voice post from rawles. Twelve minutes of Pilots Love! In it (yes, I took notes back in the day) she discusses the Nine Levels of Kara/Lee OTP-Ness:

1. Best friend kink
2. Buddy Cops
3. Subtextually psuedo-incestuous
4. Gender fucked - Lee as feminine, Kara as masculine
5. Level of total equals - can hit each other
6. Star crossed angst - Zak
7. Artemis/Apollo mythology kink - Mystically destined
8. Obvious to everyone UST - Bickering as foreplay
9. Dystopian space drama - it's the end of the world. There is this urgency, could die tomorrow.

Gosh, she sums it all up so well, I might never really have a TP quite like this one. And that's okay. :-)

In Which I Unleash My Inner Shipper (http://users.livejournal.com/wisteria_/679518.html) by wisteria_

Still Unfinished Business (http://sasa-hq.livejournal.com/6481.html) by wisteria

Those are a few of my old favorites. Enjoy!

[indigo419.livejournal.com]

Just doing a drive-by, but in addition to the above, I love Leda13's meta. And of course QoT has lots of fun thoughts on Lee! (if I get a break I'll try and dig up actual links. ;))

[indigo419.livejournal.com]

All right, in no particular order (and I don't know if they meet the strictest definition of "meta" ;P):

The queerest het (http://www.smrt-tv.com/v2-03/column_outtakes.html): I'd argue that Apollo/Starbuck is the hot slash couple from the newest incarnation of the series.

Leda13 on Scar (http://leda13.livejournal.com/25400.html): The eventual K/L is a hope that's synonymous with what the fleet of the show is experiencing; constantly defying us to question 'should we live' and 'should we love'.

Lots of interesting posts on TWOP, though one has to have a strong stomach/patience/a sense of humor to wade through the boards. I *think* this is part of an interesting thread (link has changed since they archived the BSG forums):

This woman, who fights like we breathe (http://forums.televisionwithoutpity.com/index.php?s=&showtopic=3122148&view=findpost&p=4329977)

Marenfic on Maelstrom: Jung and the Mandala (http://marenfic.livejournal.com/110338.html)

There's more, I just unearthed those links first. :)

[callmeonetrack.livejournal.com]

Ooh thanks for these. That idea that Kara & Lee were the hope and that one of the basic tenets of the show should have been to see that hope through (in a happy ending kind of way) is something I greatly believe. I can't say how much I wish other shit had not got in the way of clouding that. Sigh.

[indigo419.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that was a really important articulation of what K/L mean to me. <3

Kicking myself now that I didn't save some things to my HD. There was a great piece by a writer from list on why Tigh is such a great anti (?)-hero, but he's locked his LJ now. :(

[lizziec]

For the record, it's 1:37am where I am and I'm still up reading all those meta entries. This is both the most brilliant and most time-sinky post on here for a while ;)

Not sure whether to thank you or say mean things!

[indigo419.livejournal.com]

Er, that should've been "writer from Lost" - Javier Grillo-, I believe he was chaodai on here. Oh well.

[indigo419.livejournal.com]

DYAC! -Marxuach is the rest of his name.

[indigo419.livejournal.com]

Also, one of my favorite lines from that first post: " Apollo, who is beautiful like a beautiful princess". Hee.

[callmeonetrack.livejournal.com]

Well no one said you had to read them all TODAY. Hee.

[poppypickle.livejournal.com]

Why Lee/Dualla is the Voldeship

LOLOLOLOL. This sounds like a must read.

[lizziec]

I know! But then I opened them and read the first one and kind of thought "hmm, interesting, let's see what the next one says" and now it's 2am and WHAT ON EARTH IS WRONG WITH ME?

*ahhem*

Great DPP ;)

[callmeonetrack.livejournal.com]

it always intrigues me when professional writers use LJ too. I don't know why. Hee.

[indigo419.livejournal.com]

Here's another Leda post (http://leda13.livejournal.com/21398.html): starts out as a rant about fandom but redirects with some interesting thoughts on gender, in comments.

And here's Dionusia's Lee Adama is a total badass (http://dionusia.livejournal.com/54877.html) post. *hearts*

Still trying to remember where the Kara and Lee character studies are posted!

[scifishipper.livejournal.com]

Whoa! I did not know that Javier wrote about pilots! He and I were in the same classes in college. I should totally look him up. Hmmmm...

[indigo419.livejournal.com]

How funny! Though, the post I'm thinking of was about Saul Tigh and how great it was that there was an alcoholic, bitter character who was nevertheless sympathetic and fully developed. Paraphrasing here because I didn't think to save the post!

(and if you somehow manage to contact him, tell him to unlock that post! ;P)

(that icon still makes me laugh! :D)

[rachelmack.livejournal.com]

And here's Dionusia's Lee Adama is a total badass post. *hearts*

Aw, LEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! <3 <3 <3