methodwriter85

It's not about the car being easy to get; it's about the car not being something that a lot of the SoCal kids would be rocking. I was thinking mini-Cooper because, like I said, it's fitting for JJ's personality- small, compact,Euro-centered, flashy colors, kind of odd. Maybe he'd get something classic, like an Austin Healy? What kind of car are you thinking of, Blue? I do think it would be good for Will to go off to Palo Alto and attend Menlo School with John, Marie, and Ella, at least for a semester so people can get things sorted out. Of course, it would be hilarious if Will STILL was having a lot of problems, and he started to realize that it might not be his parents that are entirely the problem here. Back to the reviews, I stated that I didn't think JJ would ever wind up inviting Will to come out to his competitions, and Mark responded with: I didn't really read Will and JJ's relationship as having that "whipping boy" element to it. Mainly because Will has never given into JJ's tantrums or humored them, or taken any of his crap, which isn't how a "whipping boy" relationship goes. And if we're talking about how the parents treat them, with the exception of Jeanine, Brad and Robbie don't let JJ slide on everything while piling on Will. Because really, other than JJ being a bit of a bitch, he's a generally harmless kid who's pretty much kept in line by that dream of being on a Wheaties box someday. Other than the fact that JJ's been a bitch to Gathan, seriously, what exactly would Brad and Robbie have to get concerned about? Meanwhile, Will toked up and got wasted on his school camping trip, trashed his parent's house and went on a vacation to Hawaii, and everyone felt sad and contrite when he got back, and he got rewarded with a fun trip to Norway, ostensibly to be supportive of his brother. Exactly how would you characterize everything that's happened lately as Will getting dumped on by his parents while JJ gets away with murder? I'm just really not seeing how or why JJ and Will's relationship can be described as "JJ the Prince and Will His Whipping Boy". That just doesn't jibe with what you've depicted so far in CAP. It's more like "Will the Golden Boy Prince Everyone Fawns Over and The Bitchy Ignored Middle Child No One Cares About."

JJ's tantrum was good, but for it to have reached a Jeremy-As-A-Teenager level, JJ really needed to have either thrown something at Will, or broken something while screaming his head off. Otherwise, there was the Level 10 tantrum I was waiting for! (Yes, before you ask, I underwent anger management when I was 17, leading to the calm and level-headed young man you see today.) Over in reviews: I think JJ in general is one very repressed kid. I think he knew about Tiffany's Nicole Bobek story and was paranoid about it happening to him, so he overcompensated by making sure he fit the Disney Image to a tee. It works for now, but as Will noted, it won't be so easy when JJ is 17 and much deeper into puberty. Especially if JJ turns out to be anything like his biological father, or his eldest biological half-brother. Those two have at least three illegitimate children between them. (I wouldn't be surprised if there were more.) I'd hate to see all of the HW friends go to the wayside, because Mark did a really good job at making them interesting, but Paly might be a good option. Plus, we'll get to know John, Marie, and Ella better- I'm assuming if Will went to Paly, he'd go to Menlo with them.

Tim, good point. I'm just saying that I don't think JJ would get a mainstream car that all the other kids at his school had...he'd get something that'd be different and make him stand out more. JJ would get shit for having a Mini-Cooper, I think, but he'd also like the fact that he got something that not too many people in his area were rocking. (A BMW would be far too common, I think, for sure.) I was thinking Mini-Cooper because personality-wise, it fits- small, compact, kind of odd, and a bit flashy. I think JJ wants everyone to be focused on him, and he doesn't get why every gets so focused on Will while he gets ignored. I think that drives him crazy- a diva like him thrives in the spotlight, and not getting the attention kills him inside. I'm not sure JJ even knows why he needs that attention so much- he just does, and therefore he'll do what he can to get it, whether it's throwing a tantrum or putting on the "I'm Such a Great Diva" act. Which he doesn't realize actually makes people less inclined to want to be around him. JJ really is one incredibly complex, interesting character, Mark. Lots of places you can go with him.

There's the JJ freak-out that I was waiting for! All that was missing was JJ jumping up and down, and then throwing something, and it would have been a Jeremy-level temper tantrum! Seriously though, I'm thinking this is the last time JJ invites Will out to one of his competitions.

Chapter 50 -When JJ goes on his rant against Will.

Right, but you gotta remember that a defining JJ characteristic is that he's not about blending in- he likes being different and going against the grain. I can see him obsessing over European cars and style and the like, rather than being like other SoCal rich kids. Kind of like how Johnny Weir was obsessed with all things Russian, I can see JJ obsessed with all things Euro. I think that's why he has a kindred spirit in Alisdair, who is similiar in that regard. In a normal environment, it's not embarrassing. But in an environment where U.S. figure skaters are expected to act like chaste little dolls who wouldn't even think of straight pre-marital sex, let alone gay pre-marital sex, I can see why JJ feels embarrassed. He's trying to uphold his Disney-friendly image, and tales of his brother fucking his way through the line-up doesn't help him any. Anyway, does anyone else feel like Mark's setting up a parellel between JJ/Jeanine and Billy/Isidore? In the sense that both relationships were co-dependent and enabling? JJ being almost 15 helps with that comparision, I think.

It's been interesting going over the events. Aside from the obviously big event of that year, 2001 ushers in legal same-sex marriage in the Netherlands, and I can't picture that NOT getting mentioned. (Although they didn't mention same-sex civil unions in Vermont happening in July 2000, which I was kind of surprised about.) JJ turns 16 in 2001. I wonder what car he'll get- he screams Mini-Cooper to me, or something European.

Happy birthday!

Tom Daly's face doesn't really set me on fire, but his legs are hot. I love hairy legs.

Happy, well-adjusted people who generally go thorugh life with an upbeat attitude and a "can-do" spirit are nice to be around in real life, but kind of boring to read about in a soap opera.

So is Aaron Tveit closer, then, Mark? I could see you dressed like that back in 1987, when Wall Street and Gordon Gecko were all the rage.

George Clooney is too tan and masculine-looking, and doesn't look WASPY enough. Mark has always come off as being pale, with a triangular face, kind of dorky looking, but really cute and preppy. Like Aaron Tveit- dude can rock the hell out of preppy clothing. Although I really like the Alistair suggestion. I can see that, too. You know Aaron Tveit was up for the part of Finn on Glee, but they eventually decided he was too pretty-boy for the part. I gotta agree with that- I would have a hard time buying Aaron Tveit as a mid-Western football player from an rough-and-tumble background. I saw Blond Emma Stone in Vulture and I thought, "Marie Hobart."

I've pledged my undying loyalty to Emma Stone, the actress from the Help and this year's Amazing Spiderman. She's a hysterical and talented actress, really original and a breath of fresh air. Here's an awesome interview with her in Vulture Magazine. Emma Stone's Spidey Sense is Tingling I think my favorite part of the interview was the part where it was mentioned that Emma Stone signed up as a Revlon model to show young girls that they don't need to look like models. How freakin' awesome was that? What a great role model. I also loved that her heroes were people like Gilda Radner and Dianne Keaton. In a world where people think anything that came out before 2000 is ancient history, that's pretty cool that she likes the old stuff from the 1970's. Any of you have some celebs you think are just the cat's meow?

Chris Pratt from Parks and Recreation as Wally Hayes, Gathan's adoptive father and the lone cousin that Robbie has contact with? Chris Pratt has that look of "formerly hot dumb high school jock gone to pot after 30 but very kind-hearted" look to him.

Will got really hurt when Tony rejected him in Poor Man's Son. I think he took Robbie's "friends with benefits" speech and went overboard, so that he's only interested in being a fun buddy (tm Greek), because he doesn't want to get hurt like that again. Of course, he doesn't get that he's also not really taking in the considerations of his sexual partners, and in some cases, people may get hurt. As for JJ...I'm thinking a major ice-out is about to happen, where JJ won't want Will around his competitions for a long, long time. Which sucks for Will, because JJ's going to Scotland for one competition in December. Scotland. How cool is that?

I was over at the mall tonight, trying to cool down as the central air in my house is broken. After giggling my ass off through the opening chapters of 50 Shades of Grey at Barnes and Nobles, I was in the food and noticed through the skylights that fireworks were going off. I walked out, and people were gathered outside to watch this very good and very expensive impromptou fireworks show- it went on for a good 10 to 15 minutes. Someone close to Christiana Mall must have had a lot of money to drop on fireworks, 'cause these fireworks were pretty big and it was like a mini-professional fireworks show. There was something really cool about unexpectedly seeing a fireworks show in a place that you wouldn't expect to. Those random awesome, unplanned moments...gotta love them.

Which is probably the better option, because if you're trying to look for an "forever" guy at 14, it's really not likely. Plus, it'd limit the story options for Mark to have Will settled down as a teenager, like it did with Brad. Mark was only really able to give Brad a story after settling him with Robbie when the two were either broken up or having major relationship trouble. That's the nature of a soap- writing for a couple after they've had their "happily ever after" is pretty hard.

Minnesotan accents are freakin' adorable. Is this what it's like in the mid-West, Mark?

-When Will has his slut spiral in Norway. "Candy Shop" by 50 Cent I've decided that if I ever get married, my future husband and I will dance to this for our first wedding dance.

I'm sure the guy being cute had nothing to do with why Yang Bang noticed him, though.,

On Wednesday I was getting ID'ed and I said to the bouncer, "I just LOVE getting carded when I'm pushing 30 years old." I was totally sarcastic. It's annoying as f*ck. I'm thinking about dying my hair grey just to avoid it.

Asian people age at very slow rates. I'm pushing 30, and I almost always get carded. I could still pass for 20.

I can't picture JJ ever wanting Will to come to another one of his competitions again. Will committed the cardinal sin with JJ- upstaging him in his own arena. It's not like the repression of figure skaters is a past thing, either- look at Johnny Weir not getting an 2010 Olympic Medal in favor of good little Evan Lysacek, who got a "girlfriend" and was taught to act straight. The USFSA wants their skaters to be goody-goody Disney Friendly characters who wouldn't even think of straight pre-marital sex, let alone gay sex.

Aside from Will just being plain horny, I think Will is overcompensating for last summer, where every guy he hooked up with was "the one". After Tony thoroughly humiliated him, I think a switch flipped in Will and he's determined to have "sex only" without any real feelings to it. It's incredibly similiar to what happened to Andy in Cross-Currents after his first serious girlfriend dumped him the summer he was 14- he became a complete and total slut for most of high school until he finally came across the first person that told him no. I'm sure he'll eventually grow out of the slut phrase- most everyone does(despite the jokes, I don't think Will is going to be like Stefan who really can't just be with one man), but in the meantime it keeps the story possibilites open-ended to have Will constantly hooking up instead of meeting a "forever love" kind of guy like Mark had Brad do with Robbie.

Chapter 49 -As Will continues his slut spiral in Norway. "Crazy on You" by Heart Did anyone ever see the Virgin Suicides? This song was used awesomely in a scene there: Josh Hartnett. God, I had a huge crush on him. And Kristen Dunst looked so good in 70's drag!