You Fail Mythology Forever

[redbrunja]

Judging from fandom_secrets, there appears to be a segment of the Merlin fandom that is both

a.) disappointed

and

b.) surprised

that the show is going to make Guinevere/Arthur canon, instead of Merlin/Arthur.

....

To which I can only ask, were you dropped on the head as a child? Did you actually think the BBC was going to change the CORE of the Arthurian legend in order to fulfill your slash fantasies? Really now. I can understand being disappointed, but don't be dumb about it. You should know that the family-centric show is not going to change an epic, classic myth to be progressive. (Not saying I don't want gays on my child-friendly programming, but that particular set of homosexuals was never going to happen.)

Comments

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Besides, I don't think the secret poster cares about progression. They only care about their slash fantasy, which like many slashers, they convinced themselves was real. You want to really be progressive with this story? Make Guinevere a warrior queen.

I can think of several books that have done just that. (And it's the show actually pretty good about showing that the girls can hold their own with swords? I see to recall a couple clips of them fighting.)

All issues of progression aside, you CANNOT alter the Arthur/Guinevere/Lancelot/Morgana love entanglement without completely deconstructing the foundation of the entire storyline. Those relationships drive the outcome. Take them away and it's no longer the Arthurian Legend.

Yep, exactly.

[cynchick.livejournal.com]

Guinevere was a Celtic queen, so to be historically accurate she SHOULD be a warrior, because the pre-roman Celts were a matriarchal society where women held power, fought battles, and even led armies. Even post-Roman (which is around the time historians say the legend first arose), they still held on to their old traditions. Boudicca is a perfect example of this.

Did I mention this is my cultural ancestry? Yeah, quite proud of that. XDD

As for Merlin, I haven't watched it yet (plan to start tonight actually) so I cant say anything yet. I have read several books with awesome Guineveres, and Keira Knightly played her awesomely as well.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Rock on, historical accuracy (when it's made of WIN).

Let me know what you think of Merlin. Honestly, I really thought I'd love it from the vids I saw... and then I wound up really disliking the pilot. So, I'm interested to hear your take on it.

[cynchick.livejournal.com]

I watched 3 episodes. I don't like it at all. There were so many things on every level that irritated me:

- Everything is too clean. This is supposed to be a medieval city that's been around at least 20yrs, but it looks like it was just built. It looks fake and unlived in. Even with a low budget, there's no excuse not to "age" the sets.

-Being a history buff, I'm extremely critical of historical accuracy, and there is none here. The architecture, the clothing and hairstyles...they don't tie in to any culture at any time period. The timeline is a mess; if I listed the inconsistencies it would be an entire essay. :\ The clothes really bug me though. I hate that they altered everything to look more modernly relatable. There are ways to make period clothing look currently appealing and stay true to itself. Your icon is an example.

- Black people? I get what they're doing, and I'm all for progression. But I'm sorry, this is pre-culturally integrated England. Based on the time period they're roughly going for, if there were any black people around (and I'm talking like 1 in 10,000) they would be Moors, and would be feared and detested. They certainly wouldn't be knights. There's progressive, and then there's just plain outlandish.

- Guinevere is a maid? And she has a crush on Merlin? Wtf? I get what theyre setting up for with the whole love/hate Arthur thing, but its not working. Theres no charged banter; they've never even directly spoken.

The whole premise is just. Ugh. The connection to the Arthurian legend is skeletal, and its only ep3. And, I just don't like the plot. Or lack of plot, I should say. The whole thing borders on absurd, IMO.

[mildmay.livejournal.com]

Jumping in here not so much to disagree as to straighten a couple of things out.

I can understand not liking the anachronisms. I find them hilarious myself (and I'm a history major), but not everyone is going to have my sense of humor. However, in the interest of being fair to the show I feel like it should be pointed out that strictly speaking Merlin is not set in a historical setting. It is an AU fantasy setting. It is not historical Britain. It's not meant to be historical Britain. The writers have said it's an AU. The country they're in even has a different name, and the dragon even gets kind of meta about it at one point.

I'm not saying this should make you like the show, by any means. If it's not your thing, it's not your thing. Like I said, I'm saying it in the interest of fairness.

Also I will say you're wrong about Guinevere and Arthur's relationship. I don't know if you're going to continue watch it, but it's not being set up as a love/hate thing at all. They get scenes in the second half of season one and they are very cute. Like. Seriously adorable. I admit, I kind of ship it. I like their chemistry better than Arthur and Merlin's for all that fandom raves about Arthur/Merlin. But anyway, there's no charged banter, because there's not supposed to be. It's not that kind of relationship. It's Morgana who has the love/hate relationship with both Pendragons.

[cynchick.livejournal.com]

If it was strictly AU I wouldn't be so annoyed by it. Of course its not historical Britain; its just a legend after all. But they call it Albion, which was the native name for Britain before the Saxon conquest in the 5th century. I was a history major too, before I switched to Lit. I guess it wouldn't bother me so much if it didn't have so many inconsistencies. I may even be able to overlook those things if they weren't altering the Arthurian story SO much, right from the beginning.

I may watch a few more episodes to see if anything picks up for me, but at this point I'm not hopeful. :/

[mildmay.livejournal.com]

I couldn't remember the name. I haven't watched it a few months. XD I just know what the writers have said. We aren't supposed to be looking at it as a strictly historical sort of thing.

And I have trouble getting upset over people playing with mythology. These legends have been played with for centuries. I don't think there's a real way to do them wrong. I don't think anything has been altered to the point that it's unrecognizable. They certainly don't mess with the Arthurian cycle more than Hercules and Xena messed with Greek and Roman and even Christian mythology, and I watched those shows constantly in high school. So I'd really have no place getting angry about a fantasy high school AU version of the Arthurian legends. XD;

Also, I admit, finding new ways to play with myths is kind of a literary kink of mine.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

*nods*

My reaction was similar. I am okay with Gwen being black... but I think making her a maid smacks a whole lot of progressive out of that casting move.

the clothes really bug me though. I hate that they altered everything to look more modernly relatable. There are ways to make period clothing look currently appealing and stay true to itself. Your icon is an example.

I know! And Morgana talking about being a tease! Would not happen, because at that point in time, being a tease would get you raped!

I've talked with other people who love it, and it's like the historical inaccuracies are the acid test of whether you love it or not - can you get over them all being the same age and in camalot together and it being this alternate universe... or not.

Plus, whether or not you want to hit Merlin until he's dead.

[cynchick.livejournal.com]

Morgana talking about being a tease! Would not happen, because at that point in time, being a tease would get you raped!

I know, right. First she comments how "the days of chivalry are gone" and then she talks about dressing sexy to tease men...

the historical inaccuracies are the acid test of whether you love it or not

I think you've hit the nail on the head.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

I know, right. First she comments how "the days of chivalry are gone" and then she talks about dressing sexy to tease men...


Yep. I don't even know what about that line struck me as So Wrong. Because I don't think I would have the same reaction in a show set in modern times...

[cynchick.livejournal.com]

Maybe because in every other way she comes across as a strong, dignified woman ahead of her time. It was beneath her to act like that.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

That would be it.

Seriously, I wanted to like the show just for the excuse to watch her.

[cynchick.livejournal.com]

I kinda feel the same way. I've actually watched most of the first season now, to give it a fair shot. But it doesn't get much better. :/

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Damn.

I was really hoping that it did.

[despairinbeauty.livejournal.com]

Guinevere was a Celtic queen, so to be historically accurate she SHOULD be a warrior, because the pre-roman Celts were a matriarchal society where women held power, fought battles, and even led armies. Even post-Roman (which is around the time historians say the legend first arose), they still held on to their old traditions. Boudicca is a perfect example of this.

:DDDDD This is made of MAJOR win.