(no subject)

Sigh. I knew there was a reason that I had a bad feeling about checking my mail. Isn't it amazing how violent arguments tend to break out on your journal while you're away for the weekend?

I shouldn't have to say this, but: lots of people on my flist have wildly differing views on various issues, and I expect that most of you would probably think that I'm completely wrong on one or other of my cherished beliefs (or vague assumptions). And that's fine. What's not fine is when it leads to incivility and drama. I know that to a certain extent that acceptability is in the eye of the beholder, but I'd appreciate it if we can all try to be polite to each other; in particular, I'd prefer it if private rows are not made public here, and also if people could try to stay on topic and not drag in unrelated matters as if they proved something about the question in hand.

Commenting is off; thank you to those who resisted the temptation to get wanky.

My mind, it is now officially hopelessly corrupted by fandom

I have been, while ineffectually trying to mend the lining of a pair of trousers (the seat has more or less given up the ghost), watching Don Camillo and Peppone, a charming 1952 film of the short stories about the hot-tempered village priest and the equally temperamental Communist mayor, former comrades in the partisans and current ideological enemies, checked only by the comments of Christ - and the fact that they both, deep down, know that they only want the best for their village.

Anyway: there's a scene fairly early on where a house catches fire. It's actually the site of a Communist arms cache, as both Peppone and Don Camillo know - Peppone because he put it there, and Don Camillo because he stumbled on it and laid the fire. However, they both want to go and look as if they're investigating, so that the village won't think that the Church/ the Party is represented by cowards, and they advance cautiously side by side towards the fire. Then, there is an explosion, and they leap round, take hands and run away. And I found myself thinking, if there was a Don Camillo fandom, there'd so be slash about that.

Later there's a scene where Don Camillo is persuaded to bless the new village centre, and has to stand and give his approval to a very Communist speech by Peppone. He's forced to say a few unwilling words so as not to lose face - and then Peppone seizes his hand, shakes it, and doesn't let go of it for something like two minutes. Also, there's a very odd fight scene - odd, because for some reason we aren't shown any of the actual fighting - where Peppone ends up flat on his back with one foot tied up in the salley of a bell, whereupon he decides to have his baby christened Liberia Camillo rather than Liberia Lenin (poor infant!)

I blame Doctor Who fandom and the whole hand-porn thing.† (Actually, the scene where they're running away from the fire looked rather like a scene from early Doctor Who, specifically Two and Jamie). I'm not going to go and write Don Camillo slash, because (a) I can't see it as more than very, very UST and (b) it would make me feel dirty, and not in a good way (fond memories of childhood reading, and also I'm not into adultery stories and don't like the Thornbirds motif...) - but I rarely see slash, even where other people are adamant about it, so this was a new and confusing experience.

Eta: † A technical term in Who-fandom, at least on LJ, and not as filthy as it sounds. See explanation in comments....

Now I shall stop spamming and go to bed

Unintentionally hilarious statement of the day, from an article about the Vatican banning the crew of Angels and Demons from filming in Roman churches (and quite right, too): The DaVinci Code was also contested bitterly by the arch-conservative Roman Catholic organisation Opus Dei, represented in the film by a ruthless killer monk, although it has no monks.

Right. Because suggesting that Opus Dei is a religious rather than a lay confraternity is, of course, the most objectionable element of the portrayal....