My favorite track is 'Bland Pop Anthem no.6'

[niamaea]

I work at a childrens' theater. This can be either a lot more or lot less fun than it sounds, depending on the day or, in some cases, the ten minutes in which you ask me about it. Our kids are mostly all somewhere between 7 and 15, but the vast majority are 9-13ish (and let me tell you, you want good times? Middle school girls, my friends.

Comments

[niamaea]

I was Captain Kirk's glorified secretary *shudders*

Aw!

Someone should do a big Mary Sue confessional one day, because hearing about the characters people wrote in their very early days is so fun. I definitely had a couple really special ones before who would have been beaten to death by the Sue Litmus test.

[starglyph]

For several years I volunteered in a grade school, and was often assigned the job of helping ten and eleven-year-olds edit (yes, me) their stories. The girls mostly wrote autobiographical stories about their vacation, or what happened at a sleepover. It was the boys who wrote about Marty Stu soldiers, space travelers and ninjas. And then puberty hits.... :)

[niamaea]

It was the boys who wrote about Marty Stu soldiers, space travelers and ninjas. And then puberty hits.... :)

Hee! I think I got my geek cred early from playing Star Wars, but otherwise this does sound about right. The younger ones at work really just want to show up and get to dance to the songs, but for the older girls this show is lifeblood. (And they're already a little wanky, too! Apparently there's some conflict between those who think Troy and Gabriella - Troyella - is OTPzomg!!! and those who would break them up for nefarious purposes. Heh!)

[beanpot]

I was forced to sit through that movie. And while I cringed, it is nowhere near as bad, imho, as Hannah *OMGELE!!!!TY* Montana.

I want to poke her sporks.

The review the Washington Post did was hysterical though, if only because it kicked off a controversy if she uses a body double for a few songs. Hee.

[niamaea]

I've heard of Hannah Montana, but have thankfully thus far managed to avoid her. If there's ever a Hannah Montana stage show, however, I'm probably pretty doomed.

I have heard Miley Cyrus's song, though, and anyone who tries to tell me she isn't blatantly ripping off I Wear My Sunglasses at Night is lying. I guess she figures her target audience has never heard the original?

[holdouttrout]

Awwww...the little wee ones are so cute with their child-proof fandoms. *pets them*

And yes, Alanna would be amazing! Kind of a Mary Sue, but more like a type of a Mary Sue, where the character still comes through--if that makes sense. I still love that series (and all Tamora Pierce's other books, actually).

I remember entirely too much about Babysitters Club. *shudders* I bought the first book in the series a few years ago, just so I could have it. I haven't actually read it since, though. I'm sure there are worse things than High School Musical, especially if it gets kids interested in musical theatre.

[niamaea]

Heh, yeah, on some levels Tamora Piece is not the author to go to, if you're concerned about getting girls off the Mary Sue habit. (She's a girl but she's going to be a knight anyway! And she's an awesome sword fighter. And the Goddess thinks she's special! And her eyes are bright purple. And she's super magical! And she has a talking cat! Okay, and this girl's name is Daine and she....) I say knock yourself on the sues when you're young, though, and I know from experience that the Tortall fandom is very small and quiet and nice, so...Alanna books for everyone!

I was young for the Babysitters Club, but I was also a very early reader and got tired of the Berenstein Bears reaaaaally quickly, so my parents went out and got a huge box of the things at a garage sale, and I practically ODed on them. Those things were crack to me.

[holdouttrout]

For all that Extra Special stuff, though, Pierce at least makes sure the readers know that Alanna *is* awesome because she works at it, and not because it's a Natural Spiffy Gift TM. Well, except the magic, but even that she has to learn.

I don't mind Extra Special Character Sauce except when it's served without some semblance of reality. I mean--we all love our Extra Special SG-1, and they're all kind of Mary Sues. (Sam is blonde and has blue eyes and is the smartest person on the planet and Jack's DNA is awesome and he can fly ships with his mind and Daniel knows thirty-odd languages and gets lots of girls and has a tragic love story that you never hear about and Teal'c is...well...Teal'c.)

[niamaea]

Oh, no doubt. I don't think it's just SG-1 either, but in general, at least in genre television, there's an inherently Sueish element to most main characters, or else we wouldn't be watching them. And I love Alanna. (Her daughter...not so much.)

In retrospect, looking back at some of the characters is kind of funny, though. It all seemed so reasonable at the time. "Sure, she's half-god by birth and now her parents are both gods and she can talk to animals and shapeshift and she's soooo pretty and has her super hot mage teacher partner boyfriend. Why not?" ;P

[boosette]

I will in all likelihood never live this down, but I rather like HSM2. Probably because I've only seen it once, and because Sharpay's brother grows a spine. (Still irritates the hell out of me that they spelled her name wrong. Shar-peis are my breed, damnit.)

It's so cute to see the wee fanthings writing their first mary sues. Reminds me of my own lost youth. (Agreed re: hooking them up with Alanna -- Less girls being manipulative twerps! More girls kicking butt! Less chlorine gas! More evil crystal swords!)

[niamaea]

Less chlorine gas! More evil crystal

HEE! Exactly. Anything can be improved with evil crystal swords. And George Cooper. No joke, if HSM had Troy-As-Played-By-George, I would watch it regularly.

...I think my old school fan colors are showing.