It’s Friday and I’m in Boston for the International Communication Association conference. Like a fool, when I flew up here early on Wednesday morning I was working under the “I’ll sleep in transit” plan that I engage in pretty much all the time. However, it’s slipped my mind that the flight between New York City and Boston is only 36 minutes. “I’ll sleep in transit” works just find when you’re popping between New York and California, or even if you’re doing the whole Northeast Corridor Amtrak thing.
But it’s a complete horror if your flight is only 36 minutes. So, since then, despite having a lot of editing and writing deadlines, I’ve either been running on pure adrenaline or unconscious. So I’m trying not to do the same thing regarding my 7am flight to Pittsburgh on Sunday, but you can see how this might get away from me. Most importantly, though, I have a14 hour work day ahead of me, and hope to be able to get said editing and writing done in the various inevitable downtime that comes with manning a conference booth. We shall see.
In news of the world, the New York Times has a piece on the controversy about mandatory skirts or dresses for female players competing in badminton at an elite level as well as a big interactive feature on teens coming out. There’s nothing about the teens coming out story you haven’t heard before, but it’s important to keep hearing it. It’s also important to note the problems in the Times’s intro piece to the feature, in which the journalist actively conflates sex, gender identity and gender performance in a way that’s, well, rude.
Finally, I’ve been sitting on something I’ve been meaning to write about Real Person Fiction for about a week, because I’ve been busy and got distracted by yesterday’s flying monkeys piece, but know that’s coming or something. Also, with the end of Glee for the season, you can probably anticipate pop-culture content here switching to my other preoccupations, which are about to start up (or which I’m slightly behind on) for their seasons: Doctor Who, Torchwood and Covert Affairs. That said, I totally have tickets to Glee Live, which may well be too ridiculous not to write about.
Letters from Titan 
I LOVE to sleep on planes and resent the availability of WIFI on them because then I’m expected to do work. Hell no, this U-shaped pillow is being put to use, even for a short flight.
I think you are brave for going to see Glee Live — I live in abject terror of being disappointed in those kids. I need them to be fantastic, as in actually the objects of my fantasy and not the imperfect beings we all are, and while it is titillating to think of being close to them, I think the let down of going and hearing raw vocals and being surrounded by people who remind me I am simply one of millions (as opposed to being a fabulous and intimate audience of one in my living room) is too much to bear. I am pretty heavily dependent on my obsessions to get me through the rough bits of real life (I spent a decade working on my internal monologue about Severus Snape); Glee is the first non-literary fixation I’ve ever had, and as such, feels much more fragile. I might go see the movie version, though, as I’m sure they’ll polish that up a bit before releasing it.
To be frank, I’m a little worried it’s going to hit my embarrassment squick, but I’ve watched enough videos of the gigs so far I think I’m somewhat inured to the stuff that would set me off. I am, at least prepared. They sounded pretty pitchy in the vids I’ve seen of the first gig, but it’s really tightened up since then. “Happy Days Are Here Again” sounds AMAZING, certainly, and weirdly the acoustic version of Friday seems to be developing into something oddly lovely. SO MANY EMOTIONS ABOUT SO MUCH RIDICULOUS STUFF. Glee makes me sad a lot, for reasons complicated. They aren’t quite yours, but oh trust me, but I say I am hearing and understanding you.
Can’t wait to read about your Glee Live experience! New follower here. I saw your analysis of the “I can’t” on Deconstructing Glee (https://deconstructingglee.wordpress.com/2011/05/16/mind-blown-i-cant-2/) and was intrigued. I became really invested in the show when Dave kissed Kurt, suddenly casting an entirely new light on his motives for bullying. I actually joined Tumblr for the express purpose of being able to discuss the plotline with other fans. This summer, a bunch of fans (of both Dave and the actor, Max Adler) are pulling together a campaign to express how important we think it is that Dave’s storyline to be further explored next season. It’s called “Free Max Adler’s Voice,” because not only do we want him to sing, but to give voice to his fears, talk through them, and in so doing, expose viewers to issues of gender and sexuality that are assumed to be known, but are never really unpacked and understood. Okay — not sure I’m making sense. I said it better here: http://operationfreemaxadlersvoice.tumblr.com/post/6274092556/imelmooy-daves-truth-isnt-just-that-hes-gay Anyhow, I would be very interested to hear what you think of the character and storyline. What YOU would like to see for next season, and what you think about the importance of giving voice to queer issues on TV. Much admiration, Mel