(The zen of digging snarky bastards.)
May. 21st, 2004 08:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
reenkaSometimes it bothers me that JKR has a hate-on for Draco. Sort of like sometimes it bothers me when people have too much (what's too much? I don't know!) of a love-on for Draco, in so far as they worship him in all his dubious-yet-snarky glory. And then I read an old post of Cassie's, and everything was clear with my world.
I think the confusing thing, all in all, is that I love Draco, but I don't always -like- Draco. Sometimes I think he's a cute rug-rat. If he were my younger brother, I would make his odious little life a living hell (muwahahahah) and tease him endlessly about his being bloody obvious about fancying Potter (come on, boy, grow some subtlety). The boy has no shame. No shame, I say. Someone needs to slap him upside the head a few times.
I personally don't care if people are vile & unsympathetic (or martyr-like & pure of heart), as long as they're entertaining, as far as courting my affection goes, in which case I will covet their company and possibly do them various personal favors. Realizing this, I feel low and kind of dirty, but I stand by my claim that the greatest crime is to be boring & unfunny, ahahah. I'm not entirely kidding, by the way :> Yeah, there's a reason why Oscar Wilde is pretty much my hero.
It doesn't really matter -what- kind of loser you are, if you're a sport about it. Draco... is pretty much the furthest thing you can get from a sport, ahahah. He's not even a dance. He's like an elaborate, rather overly long play. And we all know Draco likes to talk on and on (about himself). If I liked feeling superior and laughing at people, I'd probably be his friend (I think that's where the older sister thing comes from).
Apparently, well, he does have friends, but that's typical of people who band together to laugh at the people who laugh at -them-. Cliques of meanies in school were like that-- they weren't all that nice to each other either, I'm sure, but they were nicer to each other than to the "others". It's not that they have to like each other oh-so-much to stick together, 'cause obviously if they were having deeply meaningful friendships they'd be a little more fulfilled and self-confident than to need to bother anyone else. It seems like self-suffient cliques just support each other and shut out the rest of the world, rather than band together to annoy people who annoy them. That would be my guess about the difference between Harry, Ron, Hermione & the rest and Draco and his "bunch". Harry & Ron & Hermione are very... insular. Complete, it seems to me.
Poor Draco, blah blah, so needy, blah blah.
JKR probably doesn't like him partly -because- he's needy-- the exact same reason so many canon!Draco fans like him. Harry, her favored child, is self-sufficient and independent, isn't he? He can and does use help, but he doesn't really require it-- he rushes in while trying to -escape- the assistance of those who'd protect him somehow. And of course he fails spectacularly in book 5 with this tactic, but still. Growing up, he was all... self-nurturing, almost. Like a little wolf-cub, all alone even though he grew up with a "family". He needs love-- and he eventually gets love, but he doesn't really -ask- for it. In many ways, he doesn't even know how to take it.
Some people, you know... resent the people who demand love. I don't know if I do... I guess it annoys me somewhat. I think love is... free. It's just distasteful to me to associate it with some "greater" or "lesser" need.
A lot of pathetic "villains" in fiction wanted love, which they interpreted as attention. I think that's the mistake they make. Harry hates too much attention but he does want love-- thus he's more discriminating. When one just decides one -must- have love-as-attention... things tend to take a turn for the grotesque. One becomes a clown, saying anything, doing anything that'll have an -effect-. Like, look at meeee! I'm so special! Look at meeeeeeeee! And of course, who'd look at someone like that? Most people would look away, reminded of their own secret desires and insecurities. So I'm guessing that aspect of Draco, which can attract some people, could actually be unattractive to JKR, say. Being too needy.
I would probably like Draco more if he had more lines, too, where he was allowed to be more snarkily amusing (or at least... more self-deprecating? not sure), because honestly that is what I treasure about people. A sort of ease with themselves. Like, if you're going to be evil, have fun with it! JKR seems to know all about having fun with "good" (see, the Gryffindors are wild impossible rug-rats, aren't they), but not so much about having fun with evil, except a limp sort of fun which doesn't seem all that fun.
All in all, I suppose funny people can get away with anything, even eating kittens, as long as they're entertaining about it. The whinyness doesn't really work with that. I hate feeling -pity- for Draco, feeling sorry for him because he got such a rough shake. That's just kinda sad. You might as well feel sorry for everyone, 'cause everyone (in the Potterverse) got a rough shake in one way or the other. Plus, pity... isn't fun. Pity is... why I don't like Neville too much. Suddenly, the fandom was all, "awwww, poor boy".
In my little fantasy world, Draco doesn't want anyone's pity or compassion. He doesn't want anyone to smile at him or pat him on the head and say, "awww, poor boy, yeah, that Potter sucks rotten eggs for what he did to youuuu". I'm sure he pities himself quite enough for 10 people. Whininess is indicative of self-pity, isn't it? "Oh, woe is me, no one but no one feels my Angest And Pane, not even the Almighty Author!" Eurgh.
I refuse to pity him. I like imagining a future where he no longer pities himself, either. Where he just kind of goes, "okay, let's just have fun with this, shall we? Maestro! Cue my entrance muzak!"
And 10 years later, Draco makes his entrance, when there's nothing to disturb Harry's attention from him. No Voldemort, no war, nothing (I think he'll always be an obsessive little bugger). I know Draco always loved a grand entrance. And so, he will make his gesture, I'm sure, with the carefully honed wit and possibly a measure of self-awareness. To be more self-aware than one's enemy is a great weapon, and words are really the only weapons Draco has against Harry, who has all the raw power. Poor boy needs to sharpen his arsenal some.
I grew to love Draco probably in large part because fandom makes him so... snarky/funny, so adorable. In canon, I think, he's... only at ease while in his own element, it seems, so his humor around Harry is... I dunno, juvenile. *sigh* I love Cassie's little vision of Draco's future evil ennui, and it fits with this sense of comfort with themselves any entertaining evil-doer should have. Maybe that's why people like Bellatrix, I dunno. Hm. All in all, Draco's more like a yipping little dog (weasel?), after all, Trin was right :D
Perhaps, in the end... one can look at Draco (in a meta sense) as the author's disfavored son. He's not bright and bold like Harry is. He's not self-reliant and ever-so-brilliant like Hermione is. He's not fiendishly loyal and somewhat selfless and passionate like Ron is (or rather, he's selfishly loyal and passionate, heh). It's like he got the raw end of the bag of birth-gifts, and was left needy and small and under-developed, crying and crying for more. He tries so hard, but he can never quite even -understand- what's wrong, because he's not brilliant enough. He can't use sheer fire and -power- because he's not strong enough. And he can't let go because he's not bold enough. So he's... a left-over, a shadow. How could JKR love him?
Okay, I'm making myself sad now -.- Poor shmuck. Wah. *feels urge to cuddle Draco*
I'm not immune, what can I say.
I think the confusing thing, all in all, is that I love Draco, but I don't always -like- Draco. Sometimes I think he's a cute rug-rat. If he were my younger brother, I would make his odious little life a living hell (muwahahahah) and tease him endlessly about his being bloody obvious about fancying Potter (come on, boy, grow some subtlety). The boy has no shame. No shame, I say. Someone needs to slap him upside the head a few times.
I personally don't care if people are vile & unsympathetic (or martyr-like & pure of heart), as long as they're entertaining, as far as courting my affection goes, in which case I will covet their company and possibly do them various personal favors. Realizing this, I feel low and kind of dirty, but I stand by my claim that the greatest crime is to be boring & unfunny, ahahah. I'm not entirely kidding, by the way :> Yeah, there's a reason why Oscar Wilde is pretty much my hero.
It doesn't really matter -what- kind of loser you are, if you're a sport about it. Draco... is pretty much the furthest thing you can get from a sport, ahahah. He's not even a dance. He's like an elaborate, rather overly long play. And we all know Draco likes to talk on and on (about himself). If I liked feeling superior and laughing at people, I'd probably be his friend (I think that's where the older sister thing comes from).
Apparently, well, he does have friends, but that's typical of people who band together to laugh at the people who laugh at -them-. Cliques of meanies in school were like that-- they weren't all that nice to each other either, I'm sure, but they were nicer to each other than to the "others". It's not that they have to like each other oh-so-much to stick together, 'cause obviously if they were having deeply meaningful friendships they'd be a little more fulfilled and self-confident than to need to bother anyone else. It seems like self-suffient cliques just support each other and shut out the rest of the world, rather than band together to annoy people who annoy them. That would be my guess about the difference between Harry, Ron, Hermione & the rest and Draco and his "bunch". Harry & Ron & Hermione are very... insular. Complete, it seems to me.
Poor Draco, blah blah, so needy, blah blah.
JKR probably doesn't like him partly -because- he's needy-- the exact same reason so many canon!Draco fans like him. Harry, her favored child, is self-sufficient and independent, isn't he? He can and does use help, but he doesn't really require it-- he rushes in while trying to -escape- the assistance of those who'd protect him somehow. And of course he fails spectacularly in book 5 with this tactic, but still. Growing up, he was all... self-nurturing, almost. Like a little wolf-cub, all alone even though he grew up with a "family". He needs love-- and he eventually gets love, but he doesn't really -ask- for it. In many ways, he doesn't even know how to take it.
Some people, you know... resent the people who demand love. I don't know if I do... I guess it annoys me somewhat. I think love is... free. It's just distasteful to me to associate it with some "greater" or "lesser" need.
A lot of pathetic "villains" in fiction wanted love, which they interpreted as attention. I think that's the mistake they make. Harry hates too much attention but he does want love-- thus he's more discriminating. When one just decides one -must- have love-as-attention... things tend to take a turn for the grotesque. One becomes a clown, saying anything, doing anything that'll have an -effect-. Like, look at meeee! I'm so special! Look at meeeeeeeee! And of course, who'd look at someone like that? Most people would look away, reminded of their own secret desires and insecurities. So I'm guessing that aspect of Draco, which can attract some people, could actually be unattractive to JKR, say. Being too needy.
I would probably like Draco more if he had more lines, too, where he was allowed to be more snarkily amusing (or at least... more self-deprecating? not sure), because honestly that is what I treasure about people. A sort of ease with themselves. Like, if you're going to be evil, have fun with it! JKR seems to know all about having fun with "good" (see, the Gryffindors are wild impossible rug-rats, aren't they), but not so much about having fun with evil, except a limp sort of fun which doesn't seem all that fun.
All in all, I suppose funny people can get away with anything, even eating kittens, as long as they're entertaining about it. The whinyness doesn't really work with that. I hate feeling -pity- for Draco, feeling sorry for him because he got such a rough shake. That's just kinda sad. You might as well feel sorry for everyone, 'cause everyone (in the Potterverse) got a rough shake in one way or the other. Plus, pity... isn't fun. Pity is... why I don't like Neville too much. Suddenly, the fandom was all, "awwww, poor boy".
In my little fantasy world, Draco doesn't want anyone's pity or compassion. He doesn't want anyone to smile at him or pat him on the head and say, "awww, poor boy, yeah, that Potter sucks rotten eggs for what he did to youuuu". I'm sure he pities himself quite enough for 10 people. Whininess is indicative of self-pity, isn't it? "Oh, woe is me, no one but no one feels my Angest And Pane, not even the Almighty Author!" Eurgh.
I refuse to pity him. I like imagining a future where he no longer pities himself, either. Where he just kind of goes, "okay, let's just have fun with this, shall we? Maestro! Cue my entrance muzak!"
And 10 years later, Draco makes his entrance, when there's nothing to disturb Harry's attention from him. No Voldemort, no war, nothing (I think he'll always be an obsessive little bugger). I know Draco always loved a grand entrance. And so, he will make his gesture, I'm sure, with the carefully honed wit and possibly a measure of self-awareness. To be more self-aware than one's enemy is a great weapon, and words are really the only weapons Draco has against Harry, who has all the raw power. Poor boy needs to sharpen his arsenal some.
I grew to love Draco probably in large part because fandom makes him so... snarky/funny, so adorable. In canon, I think, he's... only at ease while in his own element, it seems, so his humor around Harry is... I dunno, juvenile. *sigh* I love Cassie's little vision of Draco's future evil ennui, and it fits with this sense of comfort with themselves any entertaining evil-doer should have. Maybe that's why people like Bellatrix, I dunno. Hm. All in all, Draco's more like a yipping little dog (weasel?), after all, Trin was right :D
Perhaps, in the end... one can look at Draco (in a meta sense) as the author's disfavored son. He's not bright and bold like Harry is. He's not self-reliant and ever-so-brilliant like Hermione is. He's not fiendishly loyal and somewhat selfless and passionate like Ron is (or rather, he's selfishly loyal and passionate, heh). It's like he got the raw end of the bag of birth-gifts, and was left needy and small and under-developed, crying and crying for more. He tries so hard, but he can never quite even -understand- what's wrong, because he's not brilliant enough. He can't use sheer fire and -power- because he's not strong enough. And he can't let go because he's not bold enough. So he's... a left-over, a shadow. How could JKR love him?
Okay, I'm making myself sad now -.- Poor shmuck. Wah. *feels urge to cuddle Draco*
I'm not immune, what can I say.
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Date: 2004-05-22 03:07 am (UTC)Realizing this, I feel low and kind of dirty, but I stand by my claim that the greatest crime is to be boring & unfunny, ahahah.
I think the greatest crime is being flat. Still. Without movement. Like... without ripples. Pre-OotP Ginny had them, post OotP didn't.
Like, look at meeee! I'm so special! Look at meeeeeeeee! And of course, who'd look at someone like that? Most people would look away, reminded of their own secret desires and insecurities. So I'm guessing that aspect of Draco, which can attract some people, could actually be unattractive to JKR, say. Being too needy.
Oh wow. That sucks. I really never understood the drive to search for heroes. Why not like the human beings? What's the fun in loving a character that's... I don't know... perfect? Where does the empathy come from? Why do people want to idealise themselves? It's so... I don't know... small-minded. Shallow. I seriously hope JKR isn't like that.
In my little fantasy world, Draco doesn't want anyone's pity or compassion. He doesn't want anyone to smile at him or pat him on the head and say, "awww, poor boy, yeah, that Potter sucks rotten eggs for what he did to youuuu". I'm sure he pities himself quite enough for 10 people. Whininess is indicative of self-pity, isn't it? "Oh, woe is me, no one but no one feels my Angest And Pane, not even the Almighty Author!" Eurgh.
I think he wants it. Though it's not really pity that he needs, more like empathy. Which is actually the same thing, if you look at the origin of the words... well, anyway. You really dislike weak people, don't you? Eh. "Eurgh" is such a strong comment on someone's pain. Which you also turned into a caricature :). But nobody expressed pain like that. When Draco does, you can be 100% sure that he's faking it for dramatic effect. I think Draco expressed resentment and bitterness and that's where the pain comes from. "Die, you stupid fucking scarhead with a martyr complex, it's because of you that everything went wrong in my life, fucking stop the woe is me mistreated orphan routine, you're a jock! And rich! And probably suck Dumbledore's cock." Or something.
Perhaps, in the end... one can look at Draco (in a meta sense) as the author's disfavored son. He's not bright and bold like Harry is. He's not self-reliant and ever-so-brilliant like Hermione is. He's not fiendishly loyal and somewhat selfless and passionate like Ron is (or rather, he's selfishly loyal and passionate, heh). It's like he got the raw end of the bag of birth-gifts, and was left needy and small and under-developed, crying and crying for more. He tries so hard, but he can never quite even -understand- what's wrong, because he's not brilliant enough. He can't use sheer fire and -power- because he's not strong enough. And he can't let go because he's not bold enough. So he's... a left-over, a shadow. How could JKR love him?
You know... I feel this sums the difference between us, because I would end that paragraph with exactly the opposite sentiment. How can JKR NOT love him?
(Oh, and I hate Neville. Neville sucks. He's not even a character, he's a moral parable. He's a frigging example, and I really hate it when writers play that emotional blackmail card on me. Neville truly brings out the worst side of me - like, the worst social side of me. I am really annoyed at the herds of Neville fans going on about his goodness and his braveness, but whatever, that's not really it. I am annoyed that they would demand me to like him because of them, and if I don't, I am so awful and cold. "But Neville is such a better person than Draco!" And I am, like: "Uh... yeah? I mean, sure. I agree with you. What's your point?" I mean, seriously.)
no subject
Date: 2004-05-22 03:16 pm (UTC)Hmm. I do know I look up to those I see as "strong" or vivid or brilliant or whatever, and I do know that self-pity/whininess pisses me off like few other things would. Like you said, the reason I can tolerate Draco is because he -acts- like he doesn't want pity (lashing out and being mean) even though he actually does. Sort of. I mean... eh, I'm just conflicted. It's not as simple as me being "different"-- I mean, I made that speech about Draco at the end and I kinda upset myself and was all, awww, CUDDLE. Though I can also see where that would make people sneer at someone. That's what being mean is all about, man. It's having a hate-on for weakness, one's own and that of others. Actually, that's why I hate mean people.
I'm not mean so much as... impatient, I guess? I don't nurture anyone's weakness. I prefer to look at people's strengths. I hate going on and on about how things suck for someone.
I think sometimes I hate weakness, yes, my own and others'. I'm a lazy person, y'know, a laid-back can't-be-bothered, let-the-world-go-to-hell-and-me-with-it sort of person (when I'm not ranting and raving and getting upset). So... I suppose in a way, I see myself as weak, but the thing is... I don't see anything loveable about it. I suppose that's actually one of my darker sides. I grew up with parents who were really intolerant of weakness, actually, maybe that's it. There's no such thing as a "tough break" that enough personal fortitude and internal strength can't overcome-- that's my mother's philosophy. And she's a really kind person, who helps out a number of people, too, so this is mostly applied to herself. Whining... I just can't take whining.
It's not about loving perfection, it's more like... loving the human drive for perfection; the people who strive, who don't take no for an answer, who never give up and who wear the face of strength even when they're falling down. It's all about fighting with your dying breath, I guess. Even right there on the so-called "battlefield", it's about giving it your all even when you have nothing left to give. That's what I find really admirable, really heroic. You can't walk, and you walk. You can't walk, and you -fight-. Draco can be like that, too. He's certainly stubborn enough.
So it's not really about perfection at all, as I see it. It's about looking up, y'know? Keeping your eyes on the prize, remembering the things that we're shooting for, as human beings, rather than the things that we -are-. I suppose some goals are unreachable, but it's the striving for them that defines us a lot of times, that makes heroism possible. Trying to be superhuman is part of what makes us human. Something like that, anyway.
Oh, and... I don't know if I was saying Draco doesn't have friends, I was just saying that the Trio seems more content with who they are since they don't go out of their way to pick on anyone. Like, there are cliques, in school-- I've seen them. Some cliques just hang out together and make up their own little world-- and some cliques are composed of people who're always jockeying for power, always scheming, always messing with other cliques and random dorks who're in their way. Bullies, man. They're... different in small-group structure. Have you seen those high-school movies? They're usually most vicious to each other. That's why they're bullies :>
no subject
Date: 2004-05-23 07:03 am (UTC)JKR seems to be on your same page as you are, though. Her loved characters are Bold and Brave and all the capital stuff, and the characters she seems to dislike are all pathetic in some ways. Possibly just Voldie and Bellatrix come across as strong personalities.
I don't really believe high-school movies are very realistic. :D Also, being vicious doesn't mean not loving your friends. Harry's an ass to his friends, but I'm quite sure he loves them.
no subject
Date: 2004-05-23 01:30 pm (UTC)I guess that's the point of Neville, actually-- he was purposefully painted as someone "weak" who pretty much chose strength anyway. So that it wasn't a personality trait, unless you count him being Gryffindor or whatever. But definitely-- I don't even like Neville, and I don't consider heroism the height of all achievement. It's just, without the inner strength to go after what you want (the main strength I'm talking about), ther can -be- no achievement, can there?
Also......
To me, it's not a question of love, I guess (does Harry or Draco -love- their friends), but rather a question of varying types of small group behavior. I mean, loving one's friends means different things to different types of people, or at least-- people still act differently towards them, and towards other small groups. Have you seen those cliques yourself? I mean, I have, in my own school(s). Love isn't always nurturing and the main driving force, whether or not iot's there and whether or not people have arguments or whatever.
I like Pansy-- I've written Pansy-- I believe she's a partner in crime for Draco, and there's some affection there, sure. Maybe they'll be girlfriend/boyfriend. What I was really talking about was the type of bonding that occurs. Like... Ron & Hermione are Harry's partners in crime, so to speak, too, but the crimes are different, and this seems important to me. Mostly... I've had close personal experience with mean girls, y'know. They're mean to everyone-- friends included. Not -asshole- type mean when they -fight- or when they're upset-- they're just... almosdt always mean. Catty, bitchy, step-on-your-toe-because-it's-there kinda mean. Some people just enjoy needling other people, the control it gives them. They tend to do this to friend or foe.
I know High School movies aren't really realistic, but they get the idea of cliques (in America, anyway) rather close to the target. There's a lot of striation in any public school-- a lot of segregating based on popularity and the friends you keep. The bully-type cliques' whole focus seems different than the more insular typical best-friend cliques-- which are barely even cliques even though they'd get called that. Harry and Ron and Hermione don't have a group presence on purpose. They don't -try- to stand for something, to -do- things as a group publically until at least fifth year, anyway. They're "just friends", even if from the outside it seems different.
Whereas... Pansy & Draco and the rest are more of a gang-- their group focus is directed outward, seemingly, onto disrupting other cliques. They operate fundamentally differently because of that, as well as because of the rather different personalities involved. Love isn't as important as the personality in terms of determining behavior, especially in small groups, it seems to me. Being "tight" seems to mean different things to them. Being "vicious" isn't about a bad day-- it's a way of life. That's the difference. They grew up like that. I really doubt they treat each other with kid gloves.
What I myself noticed from observing people is that mean people are meanest to each other. Love? Sure. But the whole sphere of social life gets poisoned for a kid with problems of Draco's sort. They don't know how to be kind to each other, because no one was really kind to them. But anyway, I'm not trying to put them down, this is just my pop-psychology of teen cliques, which I have too much experience with, I guess :> (and bitterness about, heh.)