Dynastical Journal Entry

[commonpeople1]

DYNASTY
Originally uploaded by PEPE CARDOSO

I went for a drink with etre_moral on Monday in a lovely pub near Hampstead Heath and he turned to me to ask: "So how are you? I know plenty about your cultural life, but how are things with you?" And that was a good question: I know I haven't been sharing much here or when I see people in real life; I know I've been feeling like nothing is going on, that life is just pottering on as wink_martindale visits his family in Canada and I live for Fridays.

So what's going on? Well, I'm currently watching Dynasty[1] on YouTube (from a channel pointed at by fj many moons ago that has every single episode uploaded to it) and downloading episodes of the brasilian soap Passione. I've been reading four books at the same time. I've been playing the Wii for the first time after my landlady lent me hers while she goes on holiday for two weeks. I've been listening to podcasts on my bus rides to work. I've been going to the gym on my way back.

I'm still on that temp job - feeling grateful for the money but at the same time getting slightly tired with the admin and thinking it's time to get my ass in gear with the job search. Two weeks ago, I went for work drinks and ended up staying late with my line manager. She offered me 4 days a week, perm, so I can use my 5th day to take a horticulture certificate at Regent's Park. I spoke to Wink today on Skype and he thinks it's a good idea but... I don't know if I can handle the mind-numbing admin for a whole year - no matter what my long term goals are for afterwards.

On Saturdays, I'm still going to that community garden. It just gets better and better. Last week I brought home potatoes, onions, spinach and green beans. It's been good for quite a few meals. And as I get to know the other gardners better, the conversations get more interesting, the jokes better and the plans for the future more exciting. It's a special place and I'm so glad I found it. I must remind myself of this feeling every Saturday morning when I feel lazy and just want to laze around with the Guardian and my Spotify playlists.

[1] petercampbell recently wrote a great post on kitsch and its definition - a far better explanation than the one I carried with me from Milan Kundera. It coincided with millionreasons pointing at a Milan Kundera quote on kitsch with an image from Dynasty that got me thinking... was Dynasty kitsch? The first season certainly is (I'm on the first episode and it's so laughable I want to smoke a joint) but I get the feeling that the appearance of Joan Collins in the second season tilted it towards camp (and therefore, as by Peter Campbell's definitions, instantly removing the kitsch from the series.) I guess there's only way for me to find out if that's the case: FIGHT!

Comments

[moral-vacuum.livejournal.com]

Not the first time round. But when it was repeated about 14 years ago (5 nights a week on UK Gold), yes I watched the lot. However it only becomes good once Alexis turns up.

I also watched The Colbys.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

And what was The Colbys like? I remember watching a scene in the 80s while visiting my grandma where someone's car was out of control because someone had clipped the brakes.

[(Anonymous)]

The Colbys was an even more ludicrous and camp version of Dynasty. It had characters called Bliss and Sable. Jeff and Fallon move to LA, where we meet his extended family who include Charlton Heston, Charlton Heston's Toupee, Barbara Stanwyck, and of course STEPHANIE BEACHAM! See what I mean about camp? It also included Ricardo Montalban as a sinister greek shipping magnate and a deeply awful Maxwell Caulfield.

I remember absolutely nothing about any of the storylines, though. Well apart from the alien abduction, of course.

[moral-vacuum.livejournal.com]

I think I accidentally did an anonymous comment here that got filtered.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Unscreened! It's good to know I'll have something to watch once I'm done with my mega Dynasty marathon. ;-)