what is this new weird thing called sga?
Mar. 25th, 2006 08:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lobelia321This is to all those trusted people from my Friends List of yore who are wondering what this strange new fandom wot i have got involved in actually is. And whom my new bizarre icons actually depict.
Stargate Atlantis: A Guide for my Clueless Friends and Former Lotrippers, or My Path to SGA Obsession
As far as I know, 'Stargate Atlantis', acronymed as SGA, is the Canadian television sequel to something called 'Stargate' (acronymed as SG-1). It's been around for about a year and a half. In the UK, it has not yet aired on terrestrial TV. It is a cheesy science fiction show, with sets that look as if they've come out of a 1970s styrofoam factory and some relatively cool water effects. The premise is that some military personnel and some scientists from Earth go through something called a Stargate which transports them through a Dr-Who-lookalike green psychedelic tunnel to another galaxy. In this other galaxy, they land in an underwater city called, guess what, Atlantis which was built by a human race long extinct and technologically superior. Within hours of their arrival, Atlantis rises from the waters.
Also in this galaxy reside the evil Wraith who are Very Evil Enemies that feed off humans, have slimy teeth and like to affect a vaguely Goth fashion look but with Legolas hairdos. They are fairly cool and, pathetically, I am quite scared of them.
Those of you on my Flist who've known me for a while may know of my relative resistance to sci-fi trash, unless it be called Xena and feature obscure New Zealand actors who were later to feature both as possibly equally obscure extras in Lotr and as porny characters in my fics.
So how did I get sucked into this sci fi fandom??????
1. The fic.
I started reading the fic about six months ago and was bowled over by the high quality. Which is truly phenomenal and quite unusually widespread.
But, as I discovered, fic love alone does not a fandom participant make. What fic love did is to make me love the authors. So I recced.
Interest in canon was low at this stage.
2. The beginnings of canon knowledge.
So I got an ibook for Christmas and for the first time in human history was able to download moving images. And then an evol person who shall remain unnamed for the purposes of this post lent me her DVDs of series 1 of SGA. Also, I am on sabbatical so I have been able to immerse myself totally during my lunch hours in the Evol Tempting Series.
Coming to canon via fanon is a very odd thing! On the one hand, I was already totally familiar with the universe. I knew everybody's name (but not what they looked like). I knew whom everybody fucked (but this was strangely twisted in canon -- kind of twisted out of existence, bizarre that). I knew everybody's characterisations (and these, too, oddly out of sync).
Canon knowledge alone, I realised, does also not a fandom participant make. It just brought the fanon more to life. And also made the fanon seem slightly weird.
3. Dr Rodney McKay
Who is a jittery, highly strung, bad-mooded, irritable, brilliant genius guy with strangely dead eyes that totally grew on me, a tight mouth that turns down at the corners, and an accent I find so hard to understand I need to read the transcripts as if this was a production of Italian opera. I found him devastatingly compelling when he did this:
The episode in which he does the above is the one that made me rush off and write my first SGA fic. Proof positive: Dangerous levels of fandom immersion had been reached.
The same episode has him share his body with a woman called Cadman, hence this icon:
4. Dr Radek Zelenka
I already loved this man from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
julad's Absurdity Theory and from pics I randomly googled in the wake of that fic. So he is a left-over from Part 1 of my Path to SGA Obsession, *g*, see above. But it was delicious to see him made flesh and blood. He speaks Czech. He is a geek. He has hair flopping into his glasses and a clueless gaze. The icon reads 'Lust at first sight'.
5. April Bingham
This is a person who does not appear in the flesh in canon. Or has not appeared so far as, I understand, a third series of SGA is underway, hah. Dr Rodney McKay mentions her once in one episode. She was a girl he had known and kissed in High School. My feverish brain immediately said 'Dom!' and 'Geoffrey Shawcross!' (And heh, while I need to explain these people to those in SGA I daresay no explanations are needed for you clueless lot, *gg*).
So I had to make this icon. Proof positive that I had reached the Insanely Obsessed Stage.
6. Dr Carson Beckett
O. My. God.
I so totally lust.
Plus this man speaks with a most beautiful Scottish accent. It's like a good-looking Billy!! (*cackles*)
Will you just look at those eyebrows?
7. Posting
This man (Carson Beckett) made me post my first SGA fic and my first fic since November 2004 and for that alone I kiss the feet of SGA and its fandom. And for me I have really discovered: it's the posting that makes me really involved in a fandom. It took my fandom excitement to a new level. I'm not as immersed as I was in lotrps, of course. That can never happen again, I don't think. But I am more excited about this fandom than about any other since Wainthropp. (Although the pitch of frenzy reached with Wainthropp immersion in 2002 is unbeatable in this life. But note my clever SGA/Wainthropp crossover icon above! Hah!)
Coming up: A disquisition on the peculiarities of lotrips fandom compared to the peculiarities of SGA fandom. Because I'm telling you, babes, the tinhattery of non-rps sci-fi fans?? Not as bad as Harry Potter but enough to make me put all of the above behind a cut. Because (*whispers*), they get very upset by any suggestion that one might be dissing their canon. Remarks such as 'a good-looking Billy' or 'a cheesy show' would not go down well.
One thing that is nice about coming to a fandom late: everything has been done for you. You say 'Rodney McKay' and people say 'David Hewlett' and 'Century Hotel', there are googlable clips and caps galore, and a million people rec the man's naked arse. Which, to lapse into my native tongue, ist ein richtig knackiger Arsch, das muss man sagen.
Bonus pic of David Hewlett(rps-version of Dr Rodney McKay)'s arse to be found here (unhotlinkable:
img src
Oh, I almost forgot about this icon:
This is Major John Sheppard, much beloved in fandom for his sticky-uppy hair. I have never seen him wearing a beard but I found this cap from some episode I have not yet seen so, of course, I had to iconise it as I find it hard to resist Men With Beards. (Unless they be Danish and fancy themselves Artists. *cackles*)
Hm, I hope that has enlightened you. ;-Pbadgermonkey, we need you in on this! We need the slashing of The Doctors! All of them, the Zelenkas, the McKays, the Whos! And only you could do it. Come on, it's not hard. One episode should do it. *pays out lure*
Those who know and love SGA already: Just scroll on by. Mild canon mockery resides herein. *g*
Stargate Atlantis: A Guide for my Clueless Friends and Former Lotrippers, or My Path to SGA Obsession
As far as I know, 'Stargate Atlantis', acronymed as SGA, is the Canadian television sequel to something called 'Stargate' (acronymed as SG-1). It's been around for about a year and a half. In the UK, it has not yet aired on terrestrial TV. It is a cheesy science fiction show, with sets that look as if they've come out of a 1970s styrofoam factory and some relatively cool water effects. The premise is that some military personnel and some scientists from Earth go through something called a Stargate which transports them through a Dr-Who-lookalike green psychedelic tunnel to another galaxy. In this other galaxy, they land in an underwater city called, guess what, Atlantis which was built by a human race long extinct and technologically superior. Within hours of their arrival, Atlantis rises from the waters.
Also in this galaxy reside the evil Wraith who are Very Evil Enemies that feed off humans, have slimy teeth and like to affect a vaguely Goth fashion look but with Legolas hairdos. They are fairly cool and, pathetically, I am quite scared of them.
Those of you on my Flist who've known me for a while may know of my relative resistance to sci-fi trash, unless it be called Xena and feature obscure New Zealand actors who were later to feature both as possibly equally obscure extras in Lotr and as porny characters in my fics.
So how did I get sucked into this sci fi fandom??????
1. The fic.
I started reading the fic about six months ago and was bowled over by the high quality. Which is truly phenomenal and quite unusually widespread.
But, as I discovered, fic love alone does not a fandom participant make. What fic love did is to make me love the authors. So I recced.
Interest in canon was low at this stage.
2. The beginnings of canon knowledge.
So I got an ibook for Christmas and for the first time in human history was able to download moving images. And then an evol person who shall remain unnamed for the purposes of this post lent me her DVDs of series 1 of SGA. Also, I am on sabbatical so I have been able to immerse myself totally during my lunch hours in the Evol Tempting Series.
Coming to canon via fanon is a very odd thing! On the one hand, I was already totally familiar with the universe. I knew everybody's name (but not what they looked like). I knew whom everybody fucked (but this was strangely twisted in canon -- kind of twisted out of existence, bizarre that). I knew everybody's characterisations (and these, too, oddly out of sync).
Canon knowledge alone, I realised, does also not a fandom participant make. It just brought the fanon more to life. And also made the fanon seem slightly weird.
3. Dr Rodney McKay
Who is a jittery, highly strung, bad-mooded, irritable, brilliant genius guy with strangely dead eyes that totally grew on me, a tight mouth that turns down at the corners, and an accent I find so hard to understand I need to read the transcripts as if this was a production of Italian opera. I found him devastatingly compelling when he did this:
The episode in which he does the above is the one that made me rush off and write my first SGA fic. Proof positive: Dangerous levels of fandom immersion had been reached.
The same episode has him share his body with a woman called Cadman, hence this icon:
4. Dr Radek Zelenka
I already loved this man from
julad's Absurdity Theory and from pics I randomly googled in the wake of that fic. So he is a left-over from Part 1 of my Path to SGA Obsession, *g*, see above. But it was delicious to see him made flesh and blood. He speaks Czech. He is a geek. He has hair flopping into his glasses and a clueless gaze. The icon reads 'Lust at first sight'.5. April Bingham
This is a person who does not appear in the flesh in canon. Or has not appeared so far as, I understand, a third series of SGA is underway, hah. Dr Rodney McKay mentions her once in one episode. She was a girl he had known and kissed in High School. My feverish brain immediately said 'Dom!' and 'Geoffrey Shawcross!' (And heh, while I need to explain these people to those in SGA I daresay no explanations are needed for you clueless lot, *gg*).
So I had to make this icon. Proof positive that I had reached the Insanely Obsessed Stage.
6. Dr Carson Beckett
O. My. God.
I so totally lust.
Plus this man speaks with a most beautiful Scottish accent. It's like a good-looking Billy!! (*cackles*)
Will you just look at those eyebrows?
7. Posting
This man (Carson Beckett) made me post my first SGA fic and my first fic since November 2004 and for that alone I kiss the feet of SGA and its fandom. And for me I have really discovered: it's the posting that makes me really involved in a fandom. It took my fandom excitement to a new level. I'm not as immersed as I was in lotrps, of course. That can never happen again, I don't think. But I am more excited about this fandom than about any other since Wainthropp. (Although the pitch of frenzy reached with Wainthropp immersion in 2002 is unbeatable in this life. But note my clever SGA/Wainthropp crossover icon above! Hah!)
Coming up: A disquisition on the peculiarities of lotrips fandom compared to the peculiarities of SGA fandom. Because I'm telling you, babes, the tinhattery of non-rps sci-fi fans?? Not as bad as Harry Potter but enough to make me put all of the above behind a cut. Because (*whispers*), they get very upset by any suggestion that one might be dissing their canon. Remarks such as 'a good-looking Billy' or 'a cheesy show' would not go down well.
One thing that is nice about coming to a fandom late: everything has been done for you. You say 'Rodney McKay' and people say 'David Hewlett' and 'Century Hotel', there are googlable clips and caps galore, and a million people rec the man's naked arse. Which, to lapse into my native tongue, ist ein richtig knackiger Arsch, das muss man sagen.
Bonus pic of David Hewlett(rps-version of Dr Rodney McKay)'s arse to be found here (unhotlinkable:
img src
Oh, I almost forgot about this icon:
This is Major John Sheppard, much beloved in fandom for his sticky-uppy hair. I have never seen him wearing a beard but I found this cap from some episode I have not yet seen so, of course, I had to iconise it as I find it hard to resist Men With Beards. (Unless they be Danish and fancy themselves Artists. *cackles*)
Hm, I hope that has enlightened you. ;-P
badgermonkey, we need you in on this! We need the slashing of The Doctors! All of them, the Zelenkas, the McKays, the Whos! And only you could do it. Come on, it's not hard. One episode should do it. *pays out lure*Those who know and love SGA already: Just scroll on by. Mild canon mockery resides herein. *g*
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-25 09:37 pm (UTC)That Dr Radek guy is obviously just Duck in another form, though. You know I teach a Richard Taylor? I grin every time I call the register.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-25 11:58 pm (UTC)Oh, this post was worth typing and img srcing just to have Radek compared to t'Duck. I had not even noticed this!!!!!
But, you know: t'Duck is better. Coz, like, he's the real thing while the Radek guy is, after all, only a Canadian actor pretending to be a geek. (I am so steeped in rps, it's hard to shake!!!)
All of this just to make me write fic? I watch any number of ficable programmes and you choose one that I find in no way interesting!
You know I would do even more just to get you to write fic. And by all means, choose another programme! Choose that programme from your icon whose name I forget! Choose toasters! Hell, choose beagels.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-25 09:54 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-25 11:59 pm (UTC)Oh my. *wipes eye* I love you SGA-non-fans, I really do.
Maybe your friend was confusing Pippin with Pippi Longstocking???
And your icon...!!!
I am so glad that my post has been educational. *g*
(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-25 10:53 pm (UTC)and i'm so surprised by your surprise...i mean, did you think canon wars were just a thing of myth??? fandoms split and friendships break over which ray's the right one...eh...that's the next fandom we'll introduce you to :D
(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-26 12:03 am (UTC)Heh, I put that disclaimer outside the lj-cut on purpose in case SGA-fans chose to waft on by. So I could smile innocently and point and say, well, scroll on by, it says so on the tin. *g*
Canon wars? They must take place in another galaxy. As long as I keep away from that wormhole... and make sure to wham the shield on if there's incoming signal.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-26 12:09 am (UTC)seriously, though, i think canbon wars are just part and parcel of being madly invested in a fandom and the characters and others having slightly differnt takes...when i first started it was the willow/angel versus the buffy/angel..then the spike vs angel then...it's always something and when it's not pairing, it's characterization (is mcKay swet underneath or snarky to the bone? fat or solidly asttractive) etc.
to me this is so much what makes famndom fandom...it amsazes me that you've been around all this time and tis is, like, a shock (b/c i know i came upon that within my first weeks of reading)...that must be the lotrips protected space!!! i'm really beginning to believe thaty'all were so tinhat traumatized that any statement had to be made with a mock disclaimer and claims of not being too attached (and that was totally tonhue in cheek and ironic ;-)
(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-26 12:14 am (UTC)'Is Orli stupid, or does he just pretend to be?'
'Is Viggo's cleft chin manly, or just smarmy?'
'Is Billy one of the pretty boys, or a manly man?'
'Is it permissible to slash Sean Astin?'
*thinks*
It occurs to me that we did not have these arguments all the time, after all. The above seems pretty lame.
*withdraws remarks!*
To you, this is what makes fandom fandom. But to me, it is clearly something else. I feel the fandom vibe but it's not that vibe. I may make that lotrips post at some point but then again, I may get sidetracked... Today, e.g., I downloaded the Hewlett minutes of Century Hotel and they *totally* hijacked my brain!
(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-26 12:17 am (UTC)but little cannot be made better with DH's ass !!!
(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-26 12:58 pm (UTC)Unlike you, you know, I am not all that interested in the phenomenon of fandom as such. I could never keep up with all the thousands of fandoms and issues you keep up with. I also don't want to get my academic life mixed up with my fandom issues at all, so that's another difference: you have academic interests. I just like my little niche (name of my website!) and prefer to know of these 'canon wars' through hearsay only. *g*
Well, I am interested in the phenomenon of fandom as such but I won't follow up actual kerfuffles. I go more with what I encounter and my own responses and musings. I leave the research to you, *g*.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-26 11:03 am (UTC)Mostly, I want to say:
*cackles evolly*
Also: slight correction - SGA was aired terrestrially on Channel 5 for a while. Although I know that doesn't really count as a terrestrial channel, heh.
And: A good-looking Billy! *laughs head off* Incidentally, I just looked up Paul McGillion and apparently he's originally from Paisley, although raised mainly in Canada. So there you go.
But: I'm very sorry to have to break this to you, Lobelia, but I think the chances of April Bingham appearing in Season 3 are somewhat limited...
(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-26 01:02 pm (UTC)*throws self under train*
*resurrects to say: Hohey, this means I get to invent her from scratch and smite fandom with my Dom-icon mercilessly because who's to say me nay? My Dom icon does not contradict canon!!!*
Ah, Channel 5. I cannot get Channel 5. It looks all snowy.
David Hewlett was originally from Redhill in Surrey!!! Canadians, eh.
I downloaded from somewhere the relevant Hewlett ten minutes of a film called 'Century Hotel'. Do you know this? It is blowing my mind. I didn't think it would but it is. Just google 'David Hewlett Century Hotel', and it should be one of the first links that comes up.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-26 04:20 pm (UTC)"I got into acting because of Dr. Who. So I would watch Dr. Who and wanna be a time lord. And it was sorta a sad day for me when I realized that I couldn't be a time lord but I could pretend to be one and get paid for it."
and this:
"This is so much fun, and I've committed to it, and I'm more than happy to do it. Doctor Who is funny, though. In the back of my mind I keep thinking, "Oh, but imagine Doctor Who ..."
Doctor Who is one of those things that have definitely influenced McKay, as well. The original Doctor Who, going way, way back, the John Pertwee and [William] Hartnell and all those guys -- they were grumpy old men. So hopefully by the time, when Atlantis finally winds down and they're wheeling me around the set, I can come back as, you know, Davros or something."
In other news, I just watched the last episode in Season 2. So no more to watch. :( But! it has lots of stuff in it! You'll like it. It has some Beckett/Zelenka interaction! It has lots of scary Wraith. Rodney touches Sheppard at one point! And it ends on an almighty cliffhanger, of course.
And now I have to go and cook something.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-26 05:11 pm (UTC)Also - can I just echo the laughter on 'good looking Billy'? *g* If you want to experience some serious cognitive dissonance you need to see Paul McG and David Nykl talking with Canadian accents
I have a behind the scenes SGA clip with them doing just that if either of you would like to see? I'm still trying to process...
:)
(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-26 06:22 pm (UTC)I couldn't resist making this icon when someone linked to these new GQ pics - I like how he's trying to all gansta with his hoody, but just ends up looking like a little boy. Cracks me up. :)
(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-26 06:31 pm (UTC)I YSI'ed it to
Let me know if the link doesn't work - should be ok. And the GQ pics? *is out of touch with lotrips*
(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-26 07:27 pm (UTC)I'm out of touch too, but occasionally I click on a link out of curiosity.