Poor Man's Son

[methodwriter85]

JJ, of course. Bright enough to connect the dots and pissy enough to actually say it.

 

Which....that was pretty much me as a teenager. I would insinuate things but in an innocent, "I don't really know what I just said" way so that if I was called out on being an asshole, I could feign innocence. It's downright scary sometimes just how much JJ reminds me of myself when I was a 14-year old. The only thing that's really missing is that JJ needs to be skipping school, and he needs to be obsessed with the WB line-up and David Boreanaz. (Actually by then I think I was all about Jason Behr and Nick Lachey. I also had a big crush on Chad Michael Murray come the premiere of the Gilmore Girls in fall 2000. Shut up.)

 

Anyway, I was a little disapointed that Will had to worry about John turning out straight because he's not definitively gay, but it was realistic that he did worry about it. Will going, "You know, I'm not going to worry about this because I think labels are meaningless" would have been great, but I realize it would have been way too much maturity and nuance expected for a 13-year old. Hell, there are guys in their 30's who couldn't handle dating a non-totally gay guy.

 

I liked Kristin and Gathan together. It might be just a little TOO out there for you to send her to Stanford. Ohio State or Kent State seem more likely, but whatever.

 

Finally, I loved that John Hobart stood up to his mother. John's an only child, right? And they're Blue Bloods, and it makes sense that his mother is scared that the Hobart family name won't continue if John winds up with men. Of course, the fact that IVF makes it possible for two husbands to raise kids together doesn't really register with her.

 

Of course, John having kids would be at least 15 years away or something like that- I think Claire and Jack's kids would definitely delay parenthood until they're at least in their late 20's. Trophy kids like that delay parenthood for awhile. I doubt John would be married in 2011 at the age of 23. Now, if they were a Southern family, things would be different, but in this case, things like that get delayed with this generation.

Edited April 30, 2011 by methodwriter85

[PrivateTim]

I am having dificulty that this story seems to defend Gathan's actions of rape as ok. As a defense of the term "No means Yes" that we are hearing about on many college campus'. Zach was raped by Gathan but keeps coming back for more. Then again in this chapter we have this comment about the girl Gathan raped:

 

“No,” I snapped, and then struggled to get control of myself. How could I tell her that Brittany was the one girl I’d slept with, the one who told me to stop. The one who had massive orgasms when I didn’t. “We hooked up once, that’s all.”

 

This is the mentality of many people about rape that they don't really mean NO when they say NO. Gathan rapes 2 people but the story tells us he rocked their world so "No really means Yes" just lay back and enjoy it. I think it is time for me to move on to another story.

Maybe I'll change my mind later but right now I don't know.

 

I am not sure what the current state of affairs on college campuses says about anything. These bastions of the Free Speech Movement now have speech codes about what you can and can not say. If you think "no always means no" then I might submit that you have a rather simplistic view of sexual dynamics. There is a reason people never use "no" or "stop" as their safe word in sexual play because that is often part of the psychology of the act. There are on some campuses, maybe most these days, so many rules around sex that it is almost impossible for two college kids to actually have sex. Signed consent forms in triplicate and notarized isn't enough to protect a male student if the female has regrets later. This I know from my role as an adviser to college fraternity for several years. We used to bring in a Los Angeles ADA every year to scare the pledge class so badly no one could get an erection for a semester.

 

The flip side of "no means yes" is "yes means no" and I've seen the prosecutions where the ADA actually SAYS that with a straight face about an accused 19 year old who was supposed to know that "yes means no."

 

In no way is Mark saying rape is okay or that no doesn't mean no, he is saying sexual relations are complicated and he is right.

[PrivateTim]

Can we get a pinned Dramatis personae? I forget how Kevin is related to Will and how Kristen is related to JP.

[mmike1969]

Kristin's last name is Hendrickson. JP's bio-dad is Bill Hendrickson (same with Brian)...

 

Kevin's dad's older brother and Brad's bio-dad is Kevin Charmichael

Edited April 30, 2011 by mmike1969

[B1ue]

Which....that was pretty much me as a teenager. I would insinuate things but in an innocent, "I don't really know what I just said" way so that if I was called out on being an asshole, I could feign innocence. It's downright scary sometimes just how much JJ reminds me of myself when I was a 14-year old. The only thing that's really missing is that JJ needs to be skipping school, and he needs to be obsessed with the WB line-up and David Boreanaz. (Actually by then I think I was all about Jason Behr and Nick Lachey. I also had a big crush on Chad Michael Murray come the premiere of the Gilmore Girls in fall 2000. Shut up.)

 

Oh, I get where you're coming from. I'm having a difficult time separating myself from Will, because except where I knew my parents were (and are) basically smarter than I am, he is quite similar to how I was at 13.

 

Can we get a pinned Dramatis personae? I forget how Kevin is related to Will and how Kristen is related to JP.

 

I actually think this would be most helpful. And Jeremy needs to pick theme songs for each major character (narrators allowed up to one for each of their stories), with the stipulation that any time period the character was or is presumed will be alive is eligible to be drawn from.

[PrivateTim]

Kristin's last name is Hendrickson. JP's bio-dad is Bill Hendrickson (same with Brian)...

 

Kevin's dad's older brother and Brad's bio-dad is Kevin Charmichael

 

Oy vey!

[methodwriter85]

Well, "Poor Man's Son" is Gathan's theme. "Man in Motion" by John Parr was Brad's theme for...you guess it, Man in Motion. "The Bitch is Back" is Stefan's theme. "Killer Queen" is Alexandra Carmicheal's theme. "Pretty Fly for A White Guy" is Harry Schluter's theme.

 

This is a year off because Mark insists on milking 2000 for every last drop, but this is what I see as Will's theme:

 

 

I thought "Teenage Dirtbag", but I'm not sure that one fits.

 

The Kristin idea is cute, but how much drama would it cause? Everyone has known that J.P. isn't a biological Crampton since 1995.

Edited April 30, 2011 by methodwriter85

[mmike1969]

Not Jim Crampton I bet nor does the Hendrickson family.

[Mark Arbour]

In the story, the only people who we've seen finding out are JP's immediate family, and that was back in "If it Fits" when Brian appeared.

[centexhairysub]

Oh, I could see the information of JP's true parentage causing all kinds of issues... I am sort of suprised that this chapter did not get a better rating, it was the first chapter in this series that I liked completely... I am starting to think that some people here are heterophobic....

[centexhairysub]

OMG... I loved loved loved chapter 12... This story is finally growing on me and I am getting really into it. I really liked the action in Claremont with Gathan and Kristen and I equally like the action in Cali with Will and John.

 

I hope that this trip to France will be as interesting as the last one. Isn't Armand's brother a big shot doctor in Paris? Maybe we can bring some of that part of the family back into the story... Love those Frenchmen. Well Mark knows he can't kill JP off, finding out where Mark lives as I write this.

 

Keep up the great work and can't wait for the next chapter...

[Mark Arbour]

Thanks, and thanks to all of you who posted reviews. You should check them out.

 

Trips to Paris are always fun. I have some interesting plans for this one in the future.

[methodwriter85]

John's a lacrosse player. Yay! I love lacrosse players. They look so sexy in those uniforms.

[mmike1969]

John's a lacrosse player. Yay! I love lacrosse players. They look so sexy in those uniforms.

 

sorry but I disagree

 

 

they look (for the most part) sexier out of their uniforms...

[rjo]

I am a little worried about this new chapter (12). Is Mark going to kill off JP? I hope not. There are a number of very interesting things about this chapter. Gathan in love. I think this will help him a great deal with his problems. Being loved and loving someone can over come a lot. I wonder how Kristen and related to JP? I do hope that Gathan will still go to Stanford. The second half is more puzzling. Is JP sicker than he is letting on? I know a number of people who caught colon cancer early and are living healthy lives. I also know one dear friend who didn't and died a year ago. I also find it very interesting that Will and JP are spending most of the summer together. I wonder if we will finally see the inside of JP's safe. All the letters and papers stored there. Is JP preparing Will to take over down the road? One thing we know Paris will be interesting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i

Edited May 6, 2011 by rjo

[methodwriter85]

Wouldn't that be Brad's job to prepare Will to lead some day, not JP? And god, that would be such a slap in the face to Darius, JJ, and the other grandkids. I'm not really sure how well the whole French "head of family" deal is going to transfer to Gen 4- they're close, but they're not a tight, cohesive unit where I can imagine someone listening to the head. They seem way too into their own things, and I wouldn't be surprised if they wound up spread out all over the world. And I'm still thinking it should be Claire that takes over head of family when JP goes, not Brad. She'd be better at it.

 

Of course, Gen 4 is at most 31 years old in 2011, so it might be a moot point to imagine Will or some other guy as head of the family, barring some tragic depletion of Gen 3.

[PrivateTim]

John's a lacrosse player. Yay! I love lacrosse players. They look so sexy in those uniforms.

 

 

Not as sexy as polo players.

[centexhairysub]

Wouldn't that be Brad's job to prepare Will to lead some day, not JP? And god, that would be such a slap in the face to Darius, JJ, and the other grandkids. I'm not really sure how well the whole French "head of family" deal is going to transfer to Gen 4- they're close, but they're not a tight, cohesive unit where I can imagine someone listening to the head. They seem way too into their own things, and I wouldn't be surprised if they wound up spread out all over the world. And I'm still thinking it should be Claire that takes over head of family when JP goes, not Brad. She'd be better at it.

 

Of course, Gen 4 is at most 31 years old in 2011, so it might be a moot point to imagine Will or some other guy as head of the family, barring some tragic depletion of Gen 3.

 

I actually agree, I think it will be harder for the fourth generation to be as tight and cohesive as the previous ones but I think they will do it. I am not sure who will be the head of the family in that generation yet. I also think that Claire will probably be the head of the family when JP dies as well, Brad is just too hot headed still at times and Claire is the only one that everyone actually listens to. I know that with Stef's money going to Brad, he will be the richest, but that doesn't always indicate who will be head of the family in these types of families.

[Mark Arbour]

I actually agree, I think it will be harder for the fourth generation to be as tight and cohesive as the previous ones but I think they will do it. I am not sure who will be the head of the family in that generation yet. I also think that Claire will probably be the head of the family when JP dies as well, Brad is just too hot headed still at times and Claire is the only one that everyone actually listens to. I know that with Stef's money going to Brad, he will be the richest, but that doesn't always indicate who will be head of the family in these types of families.

 

I actually think you're right about Claire, only it won't be visible. She's always been the power behind the scenes.

[rjo]

I've been thinking about chapter 12 all day. Not knowing the mind of Mark, I can only guess. However, I think I was wrong about JP teaching Will to take over. I think JP is giving Will a time out. Time to think and let the pressure go down at home. Who could say no to JP. Will gets time to be a kid and get out of the Drama. A big plus is that they get to know each other. JP is a little more reserved than Brad or Stef. To get to know him you need to take the time and effort. The rewards are worth it.

[methodwriter85]

Yeah, I really don't think JP's grooming 13-year olds for family leadership yet. I think at this point JP would be working to install the humanitarian streak within his grandkids, like what he did with Stefan when he was a teenager.

 

As for the lack of cohesiveness for Generation 4, I think it lies in the fact that they didn't grow up together in the same town or went to the same school, as previous generations had. They have very different interests that go outside of the family businesses, and may take them out of Claremont, or Palo Alto, or Malibu. I also think that Gen 3 was very tight because the death of Billy brought them closer together- the three remaining kids just kinda banded together. I also think that because Brad and Claire started their respective families at just about the same time, that gave them a common ground. Ace took a little longer to have a kid, but he wound up a family man as well. JJ, I'm not seeing as a guy who wants to have kids or start a family, and I can see him as a guy who becomes continental and moves around a lot. Will I could see having kids, but not until he's in his late 20's/early 30's. Darius is the only one I can see having that whole married in the tony suburbs life. Maybe John as well.

 

There isn't a real glue to this generation of kids, or a real leader. Which I actually find pretty refreshing. We don't really need a repeat of "Brad as the crown prince with Ace as his second-in-command, Claire as the princess, and Billy as the rogue prince trying to take crown prince down" in this current group of youngsters.

[KYE]

I am not sure what the current state of affairs on college campuses says about anything. These bastions of the Free Speech Movement now have speech codes about what you can and can not say. If you think "no always means no" then I might submit that you have a rather simplistic view of sexual dynamics. There is a reason people never use "no" or "stop" as their safe word in sexual play because that is often part of the psychology of the act. There are on some campuses, maybe most these days, so many rules around sex that it is almost impossible for two college kids to actually have sex. Signed consent forms in triplicate and notarized isn't enough to protect a male student if the female has regrets later. This I know from my role as an adviser to college fraternity for several years. We used to bring in a Los Angeles ADA every year to scare the pledge class so badly no one could get an erection for a semester.

 

The flip side of "no means yes" is "yes means no" and I've seen the prosecutions where the ADA actually SAYS that with a straight face about an accused 19 year old who was supposed to know that "yes means no."

 

In no way is Mark saying rape is okay or that no doesn't mean no, he is saying sexual relations are complicated and he is right.

 

Was just reading comments today in the forum about Mark's story "A Summer Love". I was surprised to see this comment from you that would seem to conflict with your comment here. Below is your earlier comment from A Summer Love.

Private Tim: Posted 24 November 2010 - 11:55 AM

 

"Halfway through A Summer Love, Marcel is the one on my sh!t list now. The scene on the airplane with him amd Max really bothered me. When someone says no, you should respect that. Just because you can seduce someone into sex with you or an manipulate them into sex with you, doesn't make it right. When someone says no, stop. "

 

Maybe you just like the character Gathan more than the character Marcel?

Edited May 10, 2011 by KYE

[methodwriter85]

I think Benjamin Whist is more popular with the readership than Marcel. I'm still living down convincing Mark that we should have done a Marcel story. That's one case where as your muse I failed you, Mark. Hopefully I made for that by indirectly giving you the idea to create a son for Robbie.

Edited May 11, 2011 by methodwriter85

[PrivateTim]

Was just reading comments today in the forum about Mark's story "A Summer Love". I was surprised to see this comment from you that would seem to conflict with your comment here. Below is your earlier comment from A Summer Love.

Private Tim: Posted 24 November 2010 - 11:55 AM

 

"Halfway through A Summer Love, Marcel is the one on my sh!t list now. The scene on the airplane with him and Max really bothered me. When someone says no, you should respect that. Just because you can seduce someone into sex with you or an manipulate them into sex with you, doesn't make it right. When someone says no, stop. "

 

Maybe you just like the character Gathan more than the character Marcel?

 

The difference is we saw the scene play out and we saw the two sides. If I remember Max was in a relationship with someone else and he said "no" before anything happened and Marcel persisted.

 

With Gathan we just know he felt guilty about it and if I remember they were already in the act when the two people said "no" and we don't know what was in their minds when they said no or the exact context.

[centexhairysub]

Well, really enjoyed chapter thirteen of this story, I am really enjoying the dual narration. I have to wonder if any of the Hendricksons know about JP's parentage? I know that nothing was ever said in the story but I wonder if JP's Hendrickson Grandfather or Father ever told anyone that we don't know about??? Somehow, I don't think so but all of this has me wondering...

 

I really like the story line with Gathan and Kristen. I think they make an interesting couple for several diffrent reasons. I wonder how this trip to Paris will work out with everyone there. Hmmm can you say "menage a trois", but the question would be which three???

 

I thought both scenes with Brad and Will were pitch perfect. This is just the type of confrontation and conversation that I could see them having. I do think that they both have points and I can't wait to see how it all plays out...