essbeejay | The last little love song on this planet.

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The last little love song on this planet.

Closing Statements. Or, Why I Am Such A Huge Nerd About This Shit.

Allow me to confess this one thing: I don't ship anymore. I know it makes no sense. But I don't. At least, not as it pertains to fandom. The books I read now and the shows I watch now—while I may love certain characters, and want to see two characters get together, the desire to get on the internet and engage in fandom and read/write fanfic (not just ship!fic, but any fanfic) has completely left me. No matter how much I may enjoy a show/book, I don't derive that sort of joy out of playing with the text of origin anymore.

Except for this one.

And seriously? I don't know why that is! I don't know why I cling to PpG so tightly. I mean, all my other fandoms have fallen by the wayside (of which there were very few in the first place). I was out of Teen Titans before the show was done, I had that short venture into TMNT that didn't go anywhere and isn't likely to, and I'd stopped reading H/D long before the seventh book came out. (At least, I stopped reading everything that didn't have Maya's name slapped on it.)

The stuff I'm into now—like, would I love to see more Rachel/Puck? Hit me. (And btw, it's actually happening!) Do I giggle over Tiffany Aching's tingles of romance in her third book? Last I checked, the sky was still blue. (Well, grey-blue from all the pollution, but anyway.) When I heard about the Avatar (NOT THAT SHIT MOVIE WITH THE NINE-FOOT TALL BLUE CAT PEOPLE) ship!wars between Kataang and Zutara, did I shit a brick when the one I thought less likely happened in canon? While I wasn't involved in the fandom and was removed from all that crazy drama, you bet your fucking firstborn child I did. Was it unfair to introduce Chuck to someone as awesome as Lou and then have the whole thing crash and burn and never mention her again? Yes it was >:C And how much did I want Madarame to confess to Kasukabe (God, so much!!!) in Genshiken, or for Eri to have an epiphany about Harima in School Rumble? Does my frequent use of the italics tag make it obvious?!?! Because it should!!!

And yet I'm done with fanfic. I don't seek any out or have any desire to write any, even if it's revisionist. The bug has left me.

Except, as I mentioned, for this one.

Maybe I just love it too much to let it go. I love the Girls, I'll never stop loving them! (If the gallons of money I've poured into filling my limited living space with their bug-eyed likeness has anything to say about it, that is.) Besides how funny the show was, how the art style was just my type of aesthetic, how I loved its use of color and the visual gags and the character acting... I loved the Girls. I loved seeing girls—kids—like that on TV.

And as for shipping PpG/RrB... you know, it wouldn't happen now. It wouldn't have happened at any point within the past few years, since the show entered its last few seasons and went off the air. But they got me early. And in playing with the original text in my head, the Boys grew into characters in their own right, characters that I became very attached to and started to love and wouldn't dream of letting go. (Although they'll never, ever surpass the girls.) Yeah, it proves that their characterizations are pretty much fanon. Though I will argue (and point you to each respective section of this long-ass essay) that those fanon characterizations have some basis in canon, as much as Mojo Jojo can be portrayed as a sympathetic villain worthy of Blossom's love, or Buttercup can be portrayed as coming to terms with her very non-heterosexual feelings towards Princess, or Him can be portrayed as subconsciously wanting love and finding it in Bubbles despite being the Most Evil Being of All Time, or Ace can be portrayed as a guy roughened by years of hardship and trying to hold his gang (the “kids”) together while Buttercup looks on and falls for him again in the process.

You can't define any one interpretation as being superior to the other except as it pertains to you. There is nothing out there that tells you you cannot ship or believe what you like and be happy about it. So ship what you like. Ship what makes you happy. And be good to each other. We're all here because we love the show. At the very least, that proves we all have excellent, excellent taste :)

I don't know how long I'll stick around (though it's now just over eight years and counting, which is an embarrassingly damn long time), and to be frank, I'm a little apprehensive that spending too much time here will hurt anything original I try to come up with. But I'm not ready to go yet, and I'm not ready to let go of these characters that I love so much, even though they aren't mine. Someday I'll have my own that make me ten times happier than the Girls and the Boys.

But I'm happy now, so it'll be awhile yet.

ETA: Here's the Master ToC/Link list for all the individual bits of this essay.

0. Ridiculous rambling intro. Or, An Epic Effigy of Burning Epicness.
I. Real intro! Or, Me and Buttercup and Brick and Every-other-fucking-body-you-know.

Disclaimer. Or, Dude, If You're Going to Read Any Part of This, Please Read This, Too.

II. Why PpG/RrB has so much appeal. Or, Who Are All These Idiots, What the Fuck Are They Doing in My Fandom, and Why Won't They Leave Already?!?!

II.a. The Issue of Counterparts. Or, If You Want to Get Academic About It, “Freud Has Been Discredited, But Jung Still Has His Merits.”

II.b. The Measure of a Non-Human. Or, Girls and Boys and Evil Brain Monkeys.

*Digression: Proximity Begets A Relationship.

II.c. Debunking the Evil Absolute Theorem. Or, Boys Will be Boys, Which is to Say, Dickheads.

III. The Blues. Or, I'm Just a Kid, but I LOVE HER, DAMMIT.

III.a. The Hair of Gold Heroine. Or, Everybody Loves a Martyr.

III.b. Abel Trying to be Cain. Or, A Lonely Heart Like Pagliacci.

III.c. I was a Quick, Wet, Boy... Or, Are You My Mother?

IV. The Greens. Or, The Jerkass Being Dommed by the Hot Amazon (and Subconsciously Enjoying It.)

IV.a. Anti-Girl, Tsundere, and Middle Child All Rolled into One. Or, A Girl Who Could Really Use a Hug. No, Really.

IV.b. Say Hello, Insanity. Or, Boys With Mental Issues Should Not Have Superpowers.

IV.c. You're Pulling Out the Best of Me (Which Never, Ever Comes). Or, Gutting Each Other Like Fish. Literally.

V. The Reds. Or, When An Emotionally Stunted Dickbag Loves A Tsundere.

V.a. Second Best to None, Son. Or, A Girl Possessed By Noble Heart.

V.b. Let Me See Just Who I Will Become. Or, I Am A Very Special Fucking Snowflake, Damn It!

V.c. 99 Problems (And A Bitch Makes 100). Or, Slow Dancing In A Burning Room.

VI. Closing Statements. Or, Why I Am Such A Huge Nerd About This Shit.

ETA 2: Holy shit the mere act of typing that all out makes it look massive D8)

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*lol* I'm nearly 27 and I have to say, I ship more now and write more fic than I ever did when I was fourteen (when I started in 1997). I just find my skill grows and I have no desire to slow down. I add new fandoms and go back to old ones of ten years ago with no trouble...
I guess this means you'll never be reading my fics..aw well...

I promised I would read your fics, and someday I will. Don't worry.

Sorry, I forgot :O I've been sick for the last three days..it's frying my brain....

I've just realized that ships are all based off of personal interpretation and perception. You really can't argue if one couple is superior than others. I'll be honest and say I've seen couples that don't make sense to me, but, hey, if they make sense to others, have fun with it - just let me have mine.

That's why I get so upset when Kataang or Ron/Hermione fans deliberately go on fan-fics/vids/art and rubbed it in everyone's faces that "they win" or some BS like that. Seriously, it's stupid - especially when the common thread that is holding everyone together is the awesomeness of the book/movie/play/game/etc.

I used to defend my ships from others, but in a forum of Harry/Hermione vs. Harry/Ginny, I've just come to realize that it's a matter of perception and I'm sticking to those principles now.

The funny thing is now that I am older I can see other ships happening just fine besides the one I back but I can also go to great lengths to discount the other shipping in my mind next to my own. Like come up with very detailed canon backed reasoning why one ship would work over another and then add that reasoning into my AU. Not to make anyone else feel bad about their paring next to mine, but sort of to acknowledge the fandom universe as a real living breathing place where all canon happened, and crushes, break ups, babies, and flings (one night stand=/=love) are real, but love of my pairing could be to :3. I put all those shades in there, not to please other shippers even, but myself. Once you think of their world as real, only with its own rules, things get very interesting :3....

If I do things with shipping, it's usually to broaden my view of the couples I like and state why I think my couples are possible and, more importantly, why I like them. More than anything, that's where I stick when it comes to doing stuff concerning pairings. I find, more often than not, that I end up just arguing with people that have the mentality of a thirteen-year-old, who's idea of giving a good argument is: "Kataang is awsome b/c it just is!!!!1!?e2qe2!"

But, it's also important to have fun with the pairings - which is what you do. Honestly, in a matter of twenty years, these ship wars aren't going to matter, so just have fun with it - that's the way I think, in my mind.

I can't do what you do, just because when I ship something I put all my passion behind it. Again, not to make people that ship other pairings feel bad, but just to give my pairings 100% of myself in a way :3. If I did that and tried to see that with everything I could see working, I would die :P. So, it's more being selective I guess and being true to how I see things. Who knows, in twenty years, what will and won't matter and whose fanfics will be remembered :3... It's not so much that I like shipping wars as much as I like a good (non-nasty) debate and am set in my ways *lol*(I could write an essay on the sky being green if someone pushed me to). At least, I can point to actual canon support...that is something, right? :\

I think there have ever only been seven couples I've ever shipped with a passion: Brick/Blossom, Raven/Robin, Ichigo/Rukia, Elphaba/Fiyero, Ash(Satoshi)/Misty(Kasumi), Harry/Hermione and Zuko/Katara.

So, I can understand where you are coming from when it comes to putting all your passion behind it because I do that with those couples or with history (Whoo! Go WWII!).

Debate is good. I like good (non-nasty) debates because those actually make you think harder about the couple your shipping, but also come to understand the other side. There's nothing wrong with how you do things because you're not trying to hurt peoples' feelings, which is what I have a problem with when it comes to "fantards" who have no regard for others' points of views.

I like passion because if you care enough to feel that deeply about a pairing chances are you find really good reasons for supporting it :3.
Nasty debate is just...nasty. I had one girl online once use her physic major against me and pretty much say if I was passive aggressive (which I am, that is just me IRL) and didn't agree with her something must be deeply wrong with me mentally :P. Just..wah? O.o

Yeah, I've had people tell me something must be wrong with me just because I'm non-confrontational. That's just part of our personalities *shrug*

It's like..so not wanting to say something bad makes you worst than someone that just flies off the handle all the time like their on a reality show (I hate reality shows actually, so much worshipping of awful people)?

THANK! YOU! I don't understand the point of watching reality shows where we just idolize all the bad people do in their lives.

And I agree with you on everything. Just because I'm not flying off the handle, screaming at someone, doesn't mean there's something wrong with me. Dear Lord...

I know, when did being a good person become a weakness and not caring about being fashionable become something people *had* to change about you? Just..argh..I hate those 'What Not To Wear' shows just as much -.-

I don't mind "What Not to Wear" as much, but even then I understand what you're saying. It really is sad because so many people preach about individuality, but then TV shows like "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" do the opposite to young minds.

And it is like you are only young (aka younger sixty) once (in this life at least) why not feel good in what you think looks good than suddenly worry about what everyone else thinks for the rest of your life and be ruled by that? I mean, 'everyone else' hates wrinkles in the media but we are all going to age..*sighs* and no, we don't suddenly become that fourteen year old they get to replace our generation in shows :P

Personally, I think people who accept their age with grace and dignity look so much better than those who try and fight it. They look classier. And yes, you should dress it what makes you feel comfortable and happy!

I know, most of the people that fight it look like zombies :O. Zombies with make up problems :P

God, yes, the vitriol that was spewed back and forth in the Avatar ship!wars was ridiculous. I was a little removed from the R/Hr vs. H/Hr fighting ~~(slash whooo)~~, but I can imagine it got just as nasty, considering that fandom was way bigger than Avatar.

Good on you and your principles! I agree that there are pairings I just absolutely cannot see happening, even in PpG, but just because my brain isn't moving in that direction doesn't mean I'm going to be a dick about it to other people who support them.

I think the R/Hr fans were more vicious than the Kataangers xD Even though both sides had the creators (Bryke or JKR) on their side, for some reason the stings that RHr fans were giving were harsh. It got really irritating to be called "delusional" for awhile until the HHr fans started spinning it in a positive/funny light: "Yes, I'm delusional. Therefore I can do whatever the hell I want".

But, in the end, both shipping wars were huge. Personally, to me, I think I'm happier now that HHr or Zutara didn't happen because it gives everyone (and, more importantly, me) more artistic license to do whatever we want to have fun with the couple as opposed to the canon couples who are more bound to canon than we are (not to say that they don't have artistic license because I like canon couples too).

I agree that there are pairings I just absolutely cannot see happening, even in PpG, but just because my brain isn't moving in that direction doesn't mean I'm going to be a dick about it to other people who support them.

And that's exactly what I keep trying to tell a lot of people - especially since there are these special little things called "character selection" at the top of the page. Seriously, there is a bunch of hostility in the fandoms that is not necessary. Who cares who "wins" and "losses" - the point is is that people are enjoying the work and are actively involved.

Heck, someone else is seeing something in a couple that I don't. Doesn't mean that their couples are better than mine. If I don't like it, I don't read it. I'm not a big yaoi/yuri/slash fan, so I don't read it. It's that simple. Too bad people don't realize that xD

Love for the essays <3

I can understand why you still continue to ship/write fanfics for the PpG. The answer? The show is just that awesome. :D

And yeah. Growing out of things is scary, mostly when you don't want to let them go. I really do hope you stick around for a while more, though, because you are one of the few authors in the PpGxRrB world that actually has impressive writing skills. <3

I wonder what the fact that I have only ever grown out of, like, one thing in terms of fandom shows about me? *lol* I don't have an inner child, I have an older one that now has money and can pay bills :P

I am jealous of your child-powers. 8]

It's something I've always had..it's just me :3

Aw, thanks! I've amassed quite a to-do list (http://essbeejay.livejournal.com/42449.html) on top of TEF, so I'll be here awhile yet :)

HAH xD. I look forward to the completion of those tasks.

And is TEF coming along swimmingly? :D

So far it isn't going badly at all! There are a ton of chapters in the beta stage... about eight? (Two smaller "extra" chapters in addition to the normal 5-10.) I haven't started on ch10a yet (another smaller extra chap, though I need to keep in mind that SMALLER should be the operative word there), but right now it feels nice to be taking a breather from it. I tend to go non-stop on each chapter once I start, and as much as I love working on it doing that much of it at a time is really draining.

Good to know! And at least you don't have ~~major~~ procrastination problems like I do. :)

AND MAYBE SOMEDAY I'LL ACTUALLY DRAG MYSELF OVER TO FF.NET AND REVIEW YOUR STORY. ~needs to review a lot of stories~

Oh dude, I used to procrastinate to high heaven. (It took me four years to write the ending to my first big fic. The other stuff I started but haven't finished doesn't count b/c I gave up on 'em.) I still procrastinate on everything else irl, but have managed to get my writing time on a somewhat fixed schedule. Somewhat.

I'm beginning to think procrastination is a characteristic of every human on this planet.

You know, part of me wants a beta again, but an even bigger part of me wants nothing to do with them for just such a reason. I know my spelling will always need help, but that doesn't outweigh the amount of time I would have to wait and the bad betas I've had that just rewrite everything so much it doesn't feel like my story anymore. All and all I'd much rather have my mistakes than their 'fixes' now. Maybe not everyone is the beta needing type, I dunno. At least, I think pushing the idea that everyone needs one is a bit overkill nowadays...

A few bad beta experiences can turn one off to the idea forever, but I personally can't speak enough to how beneficial it is to get a second perspective. I'm extremely lucky in that I have two very wonderful, very capable betas, with excellent grammatical skills and whose opinions I trust completely.

From a creative standpoint, I think it can also be very humbling to get a second perspective, and to have a capable someone available to look over your work and bring up questions that you may not have thought of, or plot points you may have overlooked because you may think, "Oh, that's just the way the story is!" I've had many an experience where I finish something up, think it's the bee's knees, and one of my betas will come back with, "sbj, here, this guy does not sound like a teenager, is there any way to age him down a bit," or, "sbj, you've said this three times already, once or twice will do it," or, "sbj, wait, i'm not getting why this character is so upset here." You gotta assume that if it's sticking out to one person, then other readers are going to pick up on these things as well, and re-visiting that section may be in order.

A good beta should also, however, be willing to listen to you when you feel strongly about something and want to contest their notes. It is absolutely not their business to tell you to re-write your story, much less re-write it for you.

I've lucked out immensely with my betas. Ultimately, having them has been very beneficial and has encouraged me to improve! But finding the right person/people is an absolute must. An excellent beta reader is worth their weight in gold and then some.

*hee* I guess I just don't want to be humbled all that much...Really, I think my writing speaks for itself and 99% of the time I'm not going for realistic for our world but more realistic for theirs and how their world works..and I find that my idea of how canon is in the first place isn't really shared by many people at all, which would make trying to 'fix' them for a 2nd pov almost like killing why I am writing in PPG to began with. I'm not writing to get better (besides spelling) or to be understood the first time someone who is new to things reads my AU (I already know my readership and that it is tiny anyway) but more..just to have the story...be :3. It simply is what it is, nothing more or less...
I do actually have a 2nd pov that 'gets' me but I am glad all the more that he just asks me questions and *isn't* my beta. The whole weight of 'listen to your beta or your not worth even putting pencil to paper' idea almost killed any of my desires before (tearing down more of my ideas/tone than it ever helped), I won't let something so silly destroy the one thing I love doing ever again :3.
It's good it works for you, but I'm still not going near that can of worms...

The whole weight of 'listen to your beta or your not worth even putting pencil to paper' idea almost killed any of my desires before
I have to ask, who on Earth has had the audacity to say that to you? They are missing the fucking point, and I'm really sorry that they've ruined your perception of what beta'ing is all about.

Not to harp on it, but a good beta will understand what you're trying to achieve with the story and know what parts of your story should be grounded in the canon of the show. It's also really fun to get into discussions (or squee!fests) with them about the show you're writing fic for. A beta relationship should be more like having an open dialogue with someone who is a fan of the show and a good proof-reader to boot, someone whose opinion you trust enough to share your work with and to receive feedback from. I'm really sorry you've had such negative experiences, because what you are describing is nothing like how the beta'ing system should work.

(For the record, I'm not saying you should go seek out a beta if you don't want to - I just want to speak against the negative experiences you've had, because there are great positives associated with it as well. It's like, someone might say they don't want to go to Paris because they've had negative experiences with French people, or they might say they don't like Christianity because some Christians are fucking crazy, while there's more to Paris and Christians and beta'ing as well - very good and wonderful things.)

It's not so much a 'who' as it was many many collective groups of people :(..Pretty much every fandom I've been in (Pokemon is pretty full if that pov, along with Harry Potter, most of the writing 'help' groups on FF.net, and just about every FFrants group on LJ) but Fraggle Rock and PPG..Which is why I started camping out here truth be told, I hate to get away for the crazy 'this is the only way' people. It was making me write things that I didn't believe in :(

had to get away from the crazy :P

I find I still ship an embarrassing amount but I've pretty much given up on fic writing. I don't know why but even if I have ideas in my head, I just never find the motivation to write them out anymore. Maybe it's just laziness. XD I still enjoy reading fics though, though I do tend to find myself reading more fic about the side couples now or the couples that don't get as much attention in fandom. Stuff that is actually hard to find and you spend hours digging around for good fic about.

Writing is hard ass work, dude! It can suck the life out of you! (And, in worst case scenarios, they can suck the very love for your ship out of you.) But shipping remains fun as hell XD

I feel the same way, there's just something about the little freaks. They are the only fandom I'll write for, and probably the only one I'll draw for. It's because this show never gets old. I loved the gags and stories when I was a kid, and I still do, but in a different way. The Powerpuff Girls grew up with me, I didn't turn into a teenager and suddenly become too old for them.

We have a crazy fandom, but I love that part of it too. I keep getting reintroduced to amazing shows like Samurai Jack(Thank you Aku/Blossom) and I've ended up loving things I used to hate(like the teen titans, thank you Bubbles/Beast Boy.) Never think down on yourself for liking this show!

All pairings are pretty much complete fanon. everyone characterizes the girls differently. A couple of my friends think Bubbles is a flat stereotype, while I think she's a bipolar wonder with so much potential. When I write fanfiction, I do it to make people feel something. I've been told my writing is a bit confusing, but I know in that moment the people reading forget about pairings and preferences. They end up focusing on the characters and the story itself, the pairing ends up being a guideline.

But you know, right now I'm writing an epic that focuses on Bubbles. I won't write Bubbles for a long time after I finish it, so right now I'm putting all my energy is making Bubbles' character shine though. It's the process~

Since I've ended up re-writing my whole perspective on the girls/boys' personalities, youdon't get a little mini-essay on the reds :C. YOu can have this comment right here though, which is probably better.

The Powerpuff Girls grew up with me, I didn't turn into a teenager and suddenly become too old for them.

THIS. ♥!

Alas, no mini-essay! I am so much disappoint. (Not to knock receipt of your comment, because I consider it very tasty and wonderful indeed!) But I will be curious to hear about your new perspective on them when you are ready :D

<3 Indeed!

I had to end up characterizing some characters I never even though about before. Since every villain not only changes the girls(and the boys by extension) and I need to give these characters their own personality, sometimes a rewrite is in order! I do think this is a good thing, a few years ago I never would have thought about this stuff.

I was already a teenager when it started and that has pretty much the same effect IMHO :3. The funny thing is all of us in high school never thought of it as a show for little kids at all, even though the PPG were five. Their ages were like a footnote to how happy and dark the show was at the same time...
I still have a hard time thinking of it as a show for little kids, not even with the 'adult' jokes put into account (most of which I and my friends as less hardcore fans never thought of anyway) for some reason....

McCracken never set out to make a show for little kids - he's stated that he just set out to make something he would enjoy watching. Obviously it worked out fantastically :)

I can understand that, the show is meant for everyone who can enjoy it. It was the only cartoon my older brother/parents never minded watching with me. I've also noticed that age doesn't play as big of a part as everyone think it does. Just because Cartoon Network slapped an big kid label on it doesn't mean that's what everyone will follow.

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