On Lessons I Learned From TV

TV taught me how to feel, now real life has no appeal.

Marina and the Diamonds has it right.  (Side note: Way to be real world for totally not recognizing my Halloween costume.)  I have spent way too much of my life watching television and feeling all the feels.  But thinking back on it I've realized I've learned some interesting lessons.

Things TV Taught Me:

1.  It's Never Lupus.  Except when it is.  Any House fan out there probably knows this.  It's like the fundamental rule of House.  I think the real takeaways from this, though, were that a) it's never as bad as it could be and b) no trope is safe from subversion.  Because it's never lupus.  Except for that one episode where it was totally lupus.
2. Don't Mess With the Girl Who Can Kill You With Her Brain.  River Tam is smarter than you.  She's a better fighter than you.  Also, she can kill you with her brain.  This crazy lady from Firefly is probably the biggest reason to never break the heart of a smart and emotionally unstable girl.  She will find you.  She will kill you.
3. When You're Sad You Should Stop Being Sad and Be Awesome Instead.  Okay, so it's not usually that simple.  But I have to give Barney Stinson some credit for this one... Sometimes the best way to get past being sad is to just pretend that you're not sad, force yourself to go do something fun, and let the fun make you actually not-sad.  Be awesome instead.  Also, a more important lesson from HIMYM: more people should suit up.  You look really classy, and I love that.  Also NPH is a god.
4. Even If You're Completely Nuts, Good Friends Will Love You Anyway.  Okay, so this isn't based off of a quote, but seriously.  Sheldon Cooper.  Gregory House.  Donna Noble.  Real friends love you for who you are, even if that means you are an absolute psycho sometimes.
5. Fictional Characters Are Better At Their Jobs Than Real People.  Jed Bartlet.  That is all.
6. And finally, it doesn't matter if it's non-canon, inappropriate, incest, against their sexual orientation, squicky, or if it involves inanimate objects, bending of fictional universes, or time travel.  Somebody Out There Ships It.

So all those hours watching TV on Netflix totally weren't wasted.  At all.  I promise.

I enjoyed this post, and while I was writing it, I started thinking of examples from books and movies, so there is a decent chance there will be future lists based around books and movies.

Your Favorite Couch-Potato,
Rachel Leigh

On Looking for Trouble

So the other day, a few of my friends were arguing on a post on my Facebook page about a movie poster for The Avengers (Joss Whedon, if you're reading this, I love you).*  It had to do with the posing of the characters on the movie poster and their costumes.  At first, I didn't really respond, because, honestly, while I could see both sides to the points they were making, I really didn't take it seriously.  I saw no need to.  It's a movie poster.

And that got me thinking.  People get so riled up about things and, in all honesty, I think sometimes it clouds the bigger issue.  The world has enough REAL issues worth fighting about -- war, torture, famine, violence, marginalization -- that I don't entirely understand the point of starting arguments or looking for problems in places where, honestly, it doesn't matter.

Don't get me wrong, I love a good rant as much as the next person.  And when I find something to rail about, I will in a heartbeat.  I just honestly don't see the point in looking for arguments in places where there really aren't any...the world has enough things to fight about.

I've got shit to Avenge,
Rachel Leigh

* No seriously.  Joss Whedon, and fellow Whedon fans, understand my love here.  I was already psyched for The Avengers because, honestly, I'm a hardcore Marvel dork, but then JOSS friggin WHEDON.  Writing amazing characters and then breaking my heart with them** for years and hopefully for years to come.


** "Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!"