The Storybrooke Daily Mirror: OUaT in the Media, Cons and Other Real Life Encounters

[Serena]

The RPG site is really ugly, design-wise. But then the official Once Tumblr is a monstruosity, so...

[SilverShadow]

According to its FAQ the RPG site is a fan creation. It's not affiliated with the show officially at all.

[Souris]

According to its FAQ the RPG site is a fan creation. It's not affiliated with the show officially at all.

 

It's got to be at least loosely affiliated -- or at least officially sanctioned -- for the company to have gotten the rights to do it. Otherwise Disney would sue them into the last millennium.

[myril]

It's got to be at least loosely affiliated -- or at least officially sanctioned -- for the company to have gotten the rights to do it. Otherwise Disney would sue them into the last millennium.

Not necessarily. As long as it is a strictly non-commercial fan creation they might tolerate it. Quite like they mostly tolerate fan fiction. Different from what some think fan fiction is not per se fair use, has to be decided case by case.

Edited July 3, 2014 by katusch

[Shanna Marie]

I think Disney has been loosening up on the sue-happiness and have chained up the lawyers because they're promoting things they used to sue about, like all the various "Let it Go" parodies that have gone viral on YouTube. At one time, those would have received a quick C&D order, but the guy who sang it in the voices of various Disney characters got invited to Disney for an audition to do voice acting for them.

[Featherhat]

I think they sort of had to "loosen up" (on a case by case basis) once fandom became much more visible and semi mainstream on all social media rather than mostly confined to fansites and dedicated boards. Companies sort of started to realise its often more trouble than its worth and it usually promotes the original product.

[Camera One]

That is so true... Social media and ease of photo and video editing and publishing really has changed the nature of copyright and what's tolerated, especially since nowadays, photos and videos from fans and even parodies, are part of the "buzz".

[Camera One]

The AV Club's take on the Elsa casting made me laugh.

 

It is interesting that others see it as a case of "ABC wanted to keep milking this cash cow and so decreed Once would now take on Frozen" while the fandom (myself included) has generally just accepted the showrunners' line of "We loved Frozen so much we begged ABC to let us do it, we're sooo lucky." I hadn't really questioned whether the push could be coming from the other end, but maybe it is?

 

 

I haven't thought of it that way either, since it isn't hard to believe that the writers wanted to tackle "Frozen".  

 

Though at the same time, I don't really think Adam and Eddy have too many pre-determined storylines, so they could take a suggestion like "Do you want to do Frozen?" and decide yeah sure.  They were probably thinking of a list of potential new villains for the next season anyway, and they've already used so many of the most famous choices.  Suggestions for 3B like Cruella de Vil seemed like kind of a stretch anyway.

Edited July 4, 2014 by Camera One

[retrograde]

Some guy proposed to his girlfriend during their photo with Jennifer Morrison at Oz Comic Con. It is pretty great:

 

[stealinghome]

omg, that's amazing! Jennifer Morrison's face almost looks like she's the one being proposed to, it's great!

[Rumsy4]

Wow! Amazing shot! And what a nice surprise for the girl!

[Emma]

That's awesome. Happy for the couple. Jen's face is priceless.

Watching the twitter feed and so many lovely comments and pictures.

[sharky]

Man, I love these adorable idiots on this show. That reaction is priceless! Now I'm really getting excited about Comic Con in a few weeks. :)

[Serena]

A girl tweeted some (Captain Swan-related) comments from her panel (here). I'm honestly surprised she was as open to discussing ships as she was. Hopefully everyone was nice to her, as far as I know everything went smoothly.

 

You can see some of the pictures here - the one of her holding that baby makes me laugh, it's like she's the Pope.

Edited July 5, 2014 by Serena

[Souris]

JMo's white outfit screams Princess Leia to me.

[Shanna Marie]

JMo's white outfit screams Princess Leia to me.

That's exactly where I went, too.

[Camera One]

She looked kinda like the Ice Queen.  Maybe they should have just made Elsa Emma's evil twin born in an alternate reality.

[sharky]

I just thought it looked like wool, which made me feel uncomfortable since it's 85 degrees where I am. Guess it really is winter there. And yes, now I TOTALLY see the Leia inspiration.

[Emma]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rC3Mz6YzTg

 

Jen talking about the imporvised hug between Emma and Regina that was cut.

 

And no it's not just you with the audio. It's the most annoying echo ever.

[Serena]

What Jen just feeling huggy in that period? She also improvised an hug with Hook, the episode just after that. 

[Emma]

https://mobile.twitter.com/AngelaTsoukalas

This lovely fan is doing a live tweet of Jen's panel. I've seen no spoilers.

[retrograde]

This seems like the easiest place to leave this, but you might want to take actual discussion of anything here to relevant threads. So: someone has done a fairly thorough summary of Jennifer Morrison's second Oz Comic Con panel. Warning: The first answer is kinda spoilery, so maybe avoid that if you're that way inclined. 

[Emma]

That cracked me up that she wanted to point out that Josh Dallas is not younger than her.

[stealinghome]

That cracked me up that she wanted to point out that Josh Dallas is not younger than her.

Me too! She sounds so mock-offended. ;)

[Dani-Ellie]

Jen talking about the imporvised hug between Emma and Regina that was cut.

 

 

What Jen just feeling huggy in that period? She also improvised an hug with Hook, the episode just after that. 

 

Replying in the Relationships thread.

[Amerilla]

Carlyle just mentioned on his Twitter that he is going to be at SDCC.

[Souris]

As much as I want to see the cast being fun at Comic Con, I'm actually to the point where I wish they weren't going because of the crazy element of the fanbase who seem determined to repeatedly put the cast on the spot with their crack, fringe ships and fanons. I have never seen such an over-the-top fandom as Once -- with its strident, almost militant factions -- and I've been a part of some doozies. It's disturbing to me, and I know it must be for the cast.

[sharky]

That's why I'm hoping they do something like Nerd HQ as well. I tried watching the videos from the main con last year, but the questions from the fans were really ... I don't know ... not really that great. You have the whole cast in front of you! Why are you asking dumb questions? Where as Nerd HQ seems to have some better and more fun panels for the most part. And of course, we should get plenty of videos from the blogger roundtables as well but again, those can be hit or miss.

[Serena]

I'm really, really hoping they can contain themselves this time. CC panels are for the fans. People line up hours and hours in advance to see the cast, because they like Once. Even if someone is superpissed that their crackship of Emma/Grumpy is not happening, making the panel awkward for everyone is not the solution.

[Souris]

I'm really, really hoping they can contain themselves this time. CC panels are for the fans. People line up hours and hours in advance to see the cast, because they like Once. Even if someone is superpissed that their crackship of Emma/Grumpy is not happening, making the panel awkward for everyone is not the solution.

 

You know that, and I know that, but unfortunately, there are always some fans who can only see what they want and don't take anyone else's feelings into account. I figure it'll be the luck of the draw who gets picked to ask questions, but there are always some uncomfortable ones.

 

Apparently there's a group planning to show up with a petition with names of rape survivors to protest Once's "rape culture" and threaten to boycott the advertisers if the show doesn't put a stop to Hook/Emma. That is so deeply disturbing it takes my breath away. And there are some -- I'm not sure if it's the same group or a different group, because I'm not going that far down the rabbit hole to find out -- who are planning to make the actors sign their Swan Queen pictures and only ask them about their thoughts on that particular matter. Because, you know, they haven't done that before, and I think they're still not going to get the response they want. You can see at past cons how uncomfortable those questions make the actors as they verbally tiptoe around, trying not to offend anyone.

 

Sometimes I despair.

[legaleagle53]

You know, the really sad part is that I think the actors really do enjoy interacting with the fans at the cons; they have never given me the impression that they look at going to cons as something that they have to do (and would rather not do) as part of the job.

 

It's just too bad that certain sects of fandom just don't seem to get it.

[Serena]

Apparently there's a group planning to show up with a petition with names of rape survivors to protest Once's "rape culture" and threaten to boycott the advertisers if the show doesn't put a stop to Hook/Emma. That is so deeply disturbing it takes my breath away. And there are some -- I'm not sure if it's the same group or a different group, because I'm not going that far down the rabbit hole to find out -- who are planning to make the actors sign their Swan Queen pictures and only ask them about their thoughts on that particular matter. Because, you know, they haven't done that before, and I think they're still not going to get the response they want. You can see at past cons how uncomfortable those questions make the actors as they verbally tiptoe around, trying not to offend anyone.

Well, the good news with the signing thing is that they won't be allowed to. Comic Con signings are random (the first year when I was there, everyone who attended the Once panel got a bracelet, and if yours had a symbol you were allowed to go to the signing) and you aren't allowed to bring your own stuff to sign, they give you posters.

[RadioGirl27]

You know that, and I know that, but unfortunately, there are always some fans who can only see what they want and don't take anyone else's feelings into account. I figure it'll be the luck of the draw who gets picked to ask questions, but there are always some uncomfortable ones.

 

Apparently there's a group planning to show up with a petition with names of rape survivors to protest Once's "rape culture" and threaten to boycott the advertisers if the show doesn't put a stop to Hook/Emma. That is so deeply disturbing it takes my breath away. And there are some -- I'm not sure if it's the same group or a different group, because I'm not going that far down the rabbit hole to find out -- who are planning to make the actors sign their Swan Queen pictures and only ask them about their thoughts on that particular matter. Because, you know, they haven't done that before, and I think they're still not going to get the response they want. You can see at past cons how uncomfortable those questions make the actors as they verbally tiptoe around, trying not to offend anyone.

 

Sometimes I despair.

This stuff is actually really sad, and makes me feel so uncomfortable being part of this fandom :-(

[Serena]

Robert Carlyle confirmed he'll be at Comic Con on Twitter.

[sharky]

Rape culture? Swan Queen again? I just don't get it. What are they trying to prove? Why put these actors in that awkward position? I can understand maybe Adam and Eddy getting questions like that. Hell, I want to ask them when they're going to start focusing on our main characters and not these random villains all the time. But Jennifer and Lana have no control over the scripts so why keep making things awkward? Why can't people ask genuinely thoughtful questions that other fans want the answers to?

Edited July 8, 2014 by sharky

[Serena]

Rape culture? Swan Queen again? I just don't get it. What are they trying to prove? Why put these actors in that awkward position? I can understand maybe Adam and Eddy getting questions like that. Hell, I want to ask them when they're going to start focusing on our main characters and not these random villains all the time. But Jennifer and Lana have no control over the scripts so why keep making things awkward? Why can't people ask genuinely thoughtful questions that other fans want the answers to?

 

The "idea" is to shame writers into changing the storyline by bringing up real life issues. It's not the worst idea, since it's worked before: I'm pretty sure new!improved!Regina, who loves with her soul and has True Love's Kiss without an heart, was partly a result of Evil Regals screaming about how anti-adoption the show is. 

[Amerilla]

Rape culture? Swan Queen again? I just don't get it. What are they trying to prove?

 

 

That they are genuinely upset about the way the show portrays certain things, and that this is an opportunity to voice that upset to the people who run the show. I don't think this is trying to stir up trouble for trouble's sake. Fans shouldn't necessarily dictate the direction of a show, but they are stakeholders, and if there's something a group thinks should be addressed, there's no reason they shouldn't use their collective voices in whatever forum they can find.

 

At least in terms of the rape culture argument, there's a discussion to be had, even if there are valid points on each side. And Comic Con is as good a place as any to have the discussion. Maybe better.  

 

Yes, I feel somewhat sorry for the actors, because it can't be fun to answer for things they themselves don't write. At the same time, this is one of the downsides of being the public face of the show.   

[RadioGirl27]

If they are really worried about rape culture, they should talk about the actual rapist on the show and not about Hook.

Edited July 8, 2014 by RadioGirl27

[Serena]

Sorry, but I would have actually believed their complains were genuine and not shipping related bitterness if they had been this upset at the actual rapist (Regina) or actual wife murderer (Rumple), instead of getting upset only when it looked like CS was gonna be endgame. Instead the people staging this protest are 99.9% of the time fans of one or both of these characters.

Edited July 8, 2014 by Serena

[sharky]

Amerilla -- I totally see that and don't want to discount their concerns and I totally think there is a right way to go about addressing the issues, maybe even at Comic Con. But I feel like the passion of these fans obscures the discussion and the right way to go about it. How many times have people asked about Swan Queen as if they were expecting a different answer this time? How many times have Jennifer and Lana been put into uncomfortable situations answering questions about storylines they don't write? Ask Eddy and Adam these questions all they want, but please do it in a respectful manner and not an accusatory one. From earlier this thread: "Apparently there's a group planning to show up with a petition with names of rape survivors to protest Once's "rape culture" and threaten to boycott the advertisers if the show doesn't put a stop to Hook/Emma." That seems like the wrong way to have this conversation.

[Souris]

I have no problem with fans expressing their opinions. It's what we're all doing here. But this group is taking it way too far and in a manner that is actually undermining of any point they're trying to make. It's proving that "fan" is short for "fanatic." Their stridency is actually SCARY. Their issues have been brought up again and again and again and again. IMO, some of them have turned into bullies over this issue, which is rather sadly ironic. Is brow-beating actors really the way to accomplish anything? The actors may be the public face of the show, but that doesn't mean they should be subjected to this.

 

This is a television show. It's meant to be entertaining. Freedom of expression and all that, but if people are so upset that they're canvassing real-life rape and abuse victims to hijack an entertainment event, then perhaps it would be healthier for them to step away from the show that upsets them so much. Put that effort and energy into doing some actual good and helping real victims, not into trying to force change on a TV show over an issue that actually isn't an issue in the way they've framed it. Any rape culture arguments about the show should be pointed toward actual rapist Regina and wife-murdering Rumple. And yet they aren't.

 

The Swan Queen stuff, I have less of an issue with, despite their fans' continued references to it at cons. It's a ship that the writers have said isn't going to happen, but I don't see any real harm in it, even though the actors seem rather tired of talking about it. It's the co-opting of a serious real-life issue like rape and rape culture and feminism -- which I actually feel VERY strongly about -- into something that at its core seems more like ship bitterness than anything else. That isn't targeting the true problem of rape and rape culture. It's trivializing it, and that's one of the worst things that can be done when it comes to a serious issue.

Edited July 8, 2014 by Souris

[Rumsy4]

Poor Colin--I feel terrible for him! It looks like even in real life, "Regina" and "Rumple" can get away with anything.

[Kaw912]

Poor Colin--I feel terrible for him! It looks like even in real life, "Regina" and "Rumple" can get away with anything.

I really hope Colin isn't going to SDCC after hearing about these planned protests. Who knows what these looneys might do to him if they were to see him in person. He hasn't said anything about going so far, but he's been quiet on Twitter for the past week or so. It's a shame, because he really seems like the nicest guy in the world IRL.

[KAOS Agent]

I find it sad when actors can't show excitement for their characters' upcoming storylines for fear that they'll get death threats. You can talk Swan Queen and Swan Thief all you want, but it doesn't mean you can attack the actors when the show doesn't go in the direction you want. It ruins the fan experience for everyone. I wouldn't want to go to a con and watch an actor try to tiptoe around their response to a question rather than address things truthfully, accurately and with excitement for where the show is going.

 

And yeah, I have serious issues with the rape culture crowd for this show because I don't see them worried about the Regina/Robin pairing. You know, Regina, the woman who actually raped and held a man as a sexual slave and then murdered him when he managed to break free of her hold. If you have concerns about rape culture on this show, it needs to be addressed at all levels and that's not happening. Which leads me to believe it is bitter fans leading the charge rather than those who would like to have a serious dialogue about the issue. Maybe I'm wrong about this, but if people were really concerned about the issue why wasn't it a big problem in Season 1?

[YaddaYadda]

This thread is incredibly depressing.  There's a planned protest?  Really?  I really hate fans.  If you're not happy, just tune out and leave the sane people alone.

[Dani-Ellie]

If you're not happy, just tune out and leave the sane people alone.

 

There was this show that aired when I was in high school/college called Once and Again. It was a family drama starring Sela Ward and Billy Campbell as two divorced parents who, I believe, begin dating each other. I adore Sela Ward and Billy Campbell was the freakin' Rocketeer so I decided to give it a shot. The only problem was, my parents had just gotten a divorce like, the year before the show premiered and it hit way too close to home. Every episode I watched made me cry, but not in the good way. So you know what I did? I stopped watching it. You know what I didn't do? Send letters to Sela Ward and Billy Campbell, bitching them out for being in a show about divorces. And you know what I never would have done? Staged a protest at a convention, threatening to boycott the advertisers, because a show about divorces upset me.

 

I don't understand this, I really don't. These things are supposed to be fun. For some people, getting to attend one of these things is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I don't understand the inclination to ruin the con for everyone else just because someone wants to make a point, especially considering those kinds of heavy-handed tactics aren't the best way to make the point, anyway.

[YaddaYadda]

I don't understand this, I really don't. These things are supposed to be fun. For some people, getting to attend one of these things is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I don't understand the inclination to ruin the con for everyone else just because someone wants to make a point, especially considering those kinds of heavy-handed tactics aren't the best way to make the point, anyway.

 

 

I think that makes two of us and a bunch of people who don't really understand this.  I think the internet ruins everything when it comes to mob mentality.  It's a TV show, they need to get over it!  I feel bad for the fans who wanna attend and just enjoy themselves and for the actors who pretty much do what they're asked to do. 

 

So now...Are they protesting Hook?  Because seriously, WTF!  Hook, not real.  Guy who plays him, very real.  I don't think they make the distinction.

[daxx]

There was this show that aired when I was in high school/college called Once and Again. It was a family drama starring Sela Ward and Billy Campbell  Every episode I watched made me cry, but not in the good way. So you know what I did? I stopped watching it. You know what I didn't do? Send letters to Sela Ward and Billy Campbell, bitching them out for being in a show about divorces. And you know what I never would have done? Staged a protest at a convention, threatening to boycott the advertisers, because a show about divorces upset me.

 

 

I did the same with Revolution, the plot twisted in a way that made me uncomfortable so I ... shockingly turned it off.  As did everyone else apparently.

[Amerilla]

This is probably getting way OT, but I'm not really sure where it would go - maybe we need a "Thorny Issues" thread, mods? - so just a couple of quick points:

 

This is a television show. It's meant to be entertaining.

 

 

Yes. But it's also culture. It reflects what's happening in society, and it helps shape what's happening in society. So, why should it not be open to criticism...same way we criticize books, music, movies or art?

 

OUAT has a lot of really entertaining aspects. It also has a lot of really problematic aspects. We argue over the problematic stuff every damn day here. Why should

one or two issues be taboo?

 

The only problem was, my parents had just gotten a divorce like, the year before the show premiered and it hit way too close to home. Every episode I watched made me cry, but not in the good way. So you know what I did? I stopped watching it.

 

 

There's a difference, though, and it gets to the heart of the idea of "rape culture." (I term I don't like, because it does confuse people, but I don't have anything better at the moment.) You had an individual experience and had a personal response to something that reminded you of that experience. That's triggering, and yes, there are people out there who claim they're triggered. The rape culture argument less about individual experience that about the societal message that "a woman says no, but she actually means yes," or that pursuit by another person is always sexy, particularly if a person is "hot," etc (again, not the place to go through the litany). It's a message that hurts women and men. 

 

So, if you believe that OUAT is a manifestation of rape culture, not watching OUAT doesn't change the message. It still exists, and it's still toxic, and it's still worthy of (respectful) debate.

 

That said, I agree that it's tactless, and even unfair, for people to go to a public event and browbeat other people for something they don't control. It's fruitless and pointless, and I wouldn't do it. That is not respectful debate. 

 

I'm going to shut my pie-hole here, but always happy to chat via PM or in other threads.

[Rumsy4]

Anyone who solely focusses on CS in OUAT and shouts "rape culture" is seriously going to get the side-eye from me. In a show full of problematic morality, if so called fans want to target one particular pairing and do it in this bullying and insulting manner, to me it's obvious that they have a biased agenda.