Wales, redux

There are the cons I want to go to, the cons I can afford to go to, and the cons that I will most likely attend. And per usual, that's three different concepts.

The Welsh convention at the end of September (the one I've halfway promised to room with two members of my f-list at!) is probably out. Er, sorry, lizbetann and veggiebelle. There's just no way I can swing it financially or in time off right after I'll have been in Canada for a week.

However... the folks in galactic_conman/doctorwho_meets are pulling together a group to see John Barrowman in his panto on January 6. This is not to be confused with the membership of Barrowman Online, which states emphatically that there is No Official Fanclub Group to see John this winter.

Official or not, see him at the stage door or not, there is a group of 15 people going to Wales to see John in January in what they call the "Second Annual Christmas Meetup." Whofans gathering. When everything's affordably off-season priced. (shawan_7 was noodling around last night and after she stopped laughing about the plane trip that would take me from BWI to Detroit to Heathrow to Amsterdam to Wales, she found me a tidy little BWI-Heathrow flight for slightly over $500 roundtrip, with a 3-day stay and easy access to a train north.)

So not just a flying trip, but one with enough elbow room to maybe see something in London too (have I ever mentioned how much I adore London? I ADORE London!)

The trip to Wales isn't so much cancelled as... delayed a bit.

Regarding the other Whovian gatherings - ChicagoTARDIS looks like it would be lovely, but the idea of spending con money when I've got a week in Stratford coming up and possibly Wales afterwards is making me rethink this year. Also, I hate traveling during Thanksgiving weekend. Especially flying. The memories of getting in and out of Lansing are still too raw. So, much as I'd enjoy seeing Sylvester & Sophie, I think the 2006 con's out. 2007's on the table, though.

Outpost Gallifrey's February con in LA is much higher on the list of possibilities... although the brutal truth is that I'd rather see Doctor Seven and his companion than Doctor Six and his.

And given the chance... I'd rather seen John than either.

Whovian epiphany/Fannish PTSD

I had an epiphany today. Basically, it goes like this:

Rose is the Doctor's companion. Because the latest versions of Dr. Who are permitted to be more affectionate than previous incarnations, and because fandom (particularly newer fans) seem to be thinking in terms of couples, there is MUCH Rose/Doctor shipping.

While I don't have a problem with this per se, there is already much pre-angst among shippers that Rose will someday go. It's one thing to change the leading actor, but Rose simply MUST stay, cries a segment, because if she goes, there Will Be No Point To Watching Anymore! (There's even a "let her regenerate" subfaction.)

Now if there's one thing that's as inevitable as sunrise, it's that the Doctor has companion turnover. Rose will leave. She will be replaced, and if she's not replaced by a female right away, it's only a matter of time before the Doctor gets himself a new girl. And I'm already twitching. Not because I don't want to see it - I got over that angst when I was 14 - but because I don't want to deal with the inevitable wanksplosion when the good ship Rose/Doctor plays Poseidon Adventure. And I suddenly realized WHY this was bugging me so much.

It's not (just) because I don't want to see the fandom that is bringing me so much joy to explode. No, it's deeper than that.

...Damned if I'm not having flashbacks to the BatB war!

(Although, this time I'm not strapping on a flac jacket and stepping into the front lines. Because folks, this particular show is not founded on the notion that Their Love Is Eternal, and the Doctor has flat out said as much several times. So when this Titanic hits its inevitable iceburg, I'll lift a toast to Rose as I did for Eccleston, and simply be thankful that neither Adric nor Peri can come back.)