The PotC Effect

[dwgm]

Jo of Black Pearl Sails, best known around here for keeping us informed of PotC2 updates at various websites, has started a spin-off Yahoo Group, POTCFreedom, which is devoted to meta discussion. There are some marvelously chatty and intelligent members, and Jo herself is not only a PotC devotee but is well-versed in mythology and folklore and how these effect individuals and the community. As she said in one of her first posts, A story can be "just a story" and it can also be much more and it can be something very different to different people and it can have a universal theme.

So it is with Pirates of the Caribbean. This movie has effected the lives of nearly everyone on my flist to varying degrees. I, myself, saw it the night it came into theaters in July '03, and it captured my attention to such an extent that it was no less than a saving grace, helping me get through one of the darkest periods of my life with my sanity (such as it is) intact. When things settled down a little, in October or November of that year, I was inspired to look on the internet for links and, possibly, stories, and, well, the rest is history. I've read countless stories, communicated with authors and other fandom members all over the world that seem to be true soulmates, and taken up writing again, after a thirty year hiatus, in an effort to give shape to my own piratical thoughts, dreams, and fantasies. It's been an amazing experience, and it seems to just get better and better.

In a post this morning, a new member of PotCFreedom who is recently come to the fandom, said she doesn't understand how a movie like PotC has had such an impact on so many people. She proceeded to delineate experiences somewhat similar to mine, and mentioned that she was about my age, and that she sometimes wondered if she was quite sane, having such an obsession. Jo replied, I think that in many ways, POTC is a very mythic movie that touches people at a level they don't really see but they feel...It has allowed you to meet great people and much more...[You] speak of things that I would categorize as mythic living, community, and reality issues.

You asked why is Jack so hypnotizing? Why would you and other older women (and others) be so fascinated with Jack? I think it has to do with mythic living. Our culture, as I mentioned in another post, is craving for myth. Mythic living is looking at your life, seeing behind and seeing ahead, not just you but all of the others around you (people, animals, environment), and really asking what your role is - what myth are you living and what myth are you supposed to live. I'm not saying to go find a myth and say, "Ah-ha. That one." LOL But myths have so many facets to them that we can look at them and see how they connect to our lives and guide our lives. In the old days, living mythically was easy because living was hard. But at the same time, it was fulfilling, it was accomplishing real and important things or at least being prepared to. But today, we don't have that. We do in certain areas and in certain people's lives, but not for the most part. So many things have become so hollow. People want to "go into" movies and video games and simulation games on the Internet to find some meaning, some purpose, some fulfillment. They want to live mythically, to feel it. I have read so many things about people being empowered by Jack. Looking at their lives anew. Trying things they always wanted to, but were to afraid to try. That is a part of mythic living.

The meeting-people aspect I think speaks to another thing we're missing - community. And some of the communities that come together out of movies such as POTC - the ones I think people get the most out of - are those where people are banding together around that mythic calling. They are supporting each other in those journeys, which include everything from "yes, go back to school," to "I'm here if you need me," to "please do something to make me laugh today because I really need it," and everywhere in between and outside and up and down.

And the third thing you spoke of is about realilty. You know, Western culture is so tied up in what is "real" and "not real" and "crazy" and "sane." I have a psychology degree, and I look at these issues much differently now than I did back when I got that degree. In other cultures, in many Indigenous cultures, for example, people who Western people would call crazy were held to be holy people. They walked a path that didn't include just this world. They had visions and knew things and heard things and those things could help the community (once again, a focus that we lack, generally speaking, today). Within that and other similar worldviews, the question wouldn't be "Is Jack (or any other character) real?" It would be, "What are you learning from him? What is he teaching you?"

Now, all this got me to thinking that, besides my own, I've heard (or heard rumor of) quite a few incredible stories of the positive effects of the movie and the fandom. So, I'm conducting a little poll, and inviting anyone involved in the fandom to take it, and perhaps comment on their experiences. I'd appreciate it if any and all would pimp this in their journals, so we get as wide a sampling as possible.


[Poll #497921]

Comments

[celandineb.livejournal.com]

I put "other" for favorite character because it's varied over time; I suppose overall maybe Jack Sparrow, but if it were a vote he'd only get a plurality win, so "other" seemed most accurate. :-)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

That's another great thing about this movie: so many of the characters are fascinating. As enthralled as I was with Jack, from the moment he appeared, I found the other characters to be really wonderful, too, which added so much more interest to the movie, and more inspiration to write my own PotC stories.

[layah.livejournal.com]

Why is Jack Sparrow my favorite character? That's a bit hard to say. The first time I saw PotC was in a theater the summer I was in New York, and I went and saw it alone. When Jack Sparrow first came on the screen I had fairly vague idea of who Johnny Depp was, and I wasn't sure if I liked Jack Sparrow. he seemed so girly. The reaction seems strange to me now because that is something I really liked about him by the time I got to the end of the movie. I'm not really sure why I like him so much, but that character is the main reason I fell in love with the movie. Every time I watch it I am torn between a desire to be Jack Sparrow and a desire to marry Jack Sparrow. The first few times I saw the movie those two desires were suprisingly stong, I would say I had an almost painful desire to be Jack Sparrow. I had a bit of a pirate fixation before that movie, so if I was going to pick someone to fall in love with, the pirate is the logical choice. Other than that I don't really understand why he affected me so much. And now I have managed to write a large paragraph about how I don't know why I like Jack Sparrow. I'm feeling very verbose tonight.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Verbosity can be a good thing! It's certainly helped me clarify my thoughts from time to time.

Every time I watch it I am torn between a desire to be Jack Sparrow and a desire to marry Jack Sparrow.

Exactly! I swear, he's just the coolest character ever.

Thanks for the quick response. :)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I'd been stymied in my attempts to write fiction before this (original or fanfic) and something about PotC opened up the floodgates.

Wow! That's amazing, 'cause you've done such impressive (and such an impressive amount of) work.

Re: beta reading -- oooh, yes!!!! Send it ASAP! If not sooner!

[copper-rose.livejournal.com]

I agree entirely with what you posted...PotC came out in a very dark time in my life and I went to it all summer (kept telling myself it was cheaper than therapy) and I must say it was the only thing keeping me going at that time and for some time after. Or, should I say, Jack was...

I have read many accounts on LJ and in magazine articles even about how Capt Jack and Pirates has effected people's lives in a big way. How it has made them more aware of themselves and how they want to be more free--as in free to be themselves. I do think that is part of why the movie became so big; it touched on something vital and important and missing in many of our lives and it sparked that into awareness in us.

We are all on the cusp of new things right now, a new world, and I believe that what Jack makes us feel and long for is part of that.

They had visions and knew things and heard things and those things could help the community (once again, a focus that we lack, generally speaking, today). Within that and other similar worldviews, the question wouldn't be "Is Jack (or any other character) real?" It would be, "What are you learning from him? What is he teaching you?"

Oh YES!!!! I very much get that!!! Cool!!!! Where did you say this community is again?

Open-mouthed...CopperRose

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

kept telling myself it was cheaper than therapy

Isn't that the truth! More fun, too.

Here's the link for POTCFreedom.

[thedarkmaterial]

Jack got favourite - easily - because I understand him - or, at least, I like to think I do.

But what a ship is - what the Black Pearl really is - is freedom.

And it's funny, because I'm severely agoraphobic. I rarely leave my bedroom, let alone my house - and when I do, I'm dying to get back to my computer, because that's where my 'Go' is. My myth. My fantasy. My escape. One of the few things I really care about is RP. I don't give a damn about myself - only my characters. I've broken up with boyfriends because they didn't feed my fantasies often enough, because they wanted to love me and not my characters and didn't understand why I needed it to be otherwise. Why I was never really happy with the one who wanted to settle down and give me a good, steady life. (How I regret now giving up so easily on the one who would have run away with me.) Even as a sub who craves structure and guidance, I can't stand the idea of being tied to one place - mentally if not physically. It just makes me a mate, not a Captain. ^.~

As for the 'Other' in fandom involvement - this is not, strictly speaking, a fandom thing, but my leash-holder role-plays a character who was based in part on Jack. It's actually why he owns me now, and not my previous boyfriendom - I came home from seeing PotC, pleaded for pirate RP, and the latter left without so much as a hello (even though I'm quite sure he knew the comment was directed at him). That was pretty much the real beginning of the end. There was foreplay to the end quite some time before that. But I digress. ~_~

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I'm dying to get back to my computer, because that's where my 'Go' is. My myth. My fantasy. My escape.

If computers had been around when I was young I would've been the same way, no doubt. Wishing you happiness, and a soulmate who understands.

[copper-rose.livejournal.com]

Oh, forgot to add...besides helping to keep me from going seriously over the edge that summer/fall, I got this feeling after seeing the movie. This longing sensation deep inside me, sometimes so strong that it actually hurt. This wanting...something...not sure what, but I think it had to do with freedom and wanting more, wanting something wonderful in my life, wanting whatever Jack means when he says "now, bring me that horizon."

I feel inspired by Jack to try and be who I am and damn what anyone else thinks. Am still working on that...and the whole idea of being self-sufficient the way he is. How he came into Port Royal at the beginning of the movie, with just the clothes on his back and his effects, and yet landed on his feet...because he knows exactly who he is and nothing can take that way from him, even if he lost everything else, I think.

CR

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

...he came into Port Royal at the beginning of the movie, with just the clothes on his back and his effects, and yet landed on his feet...because he knows exactly who he is and nothing can take that way from him, even if he lost everything else, I think.

Precisely. A valuable lesson for anyone. And by the end of the movie we know more about his history, and his attitude and self-sufficiency seem even more impressive.

[marinarusalka.livejournal.com]

No surprise to anyone, I'm sure, that I ticked off Norrington as my favorite character. :-) He fits one of the character types I'm particularly drawn to: the Competent Professional. I love characters who are very good at what they do and go about doing it without making a big drama out of it or expecting everyone to stop and go "oooh, aaaah!"

At the same time, he's so endearingly vulnerable when taken out of his professional milieu. I think what really made me fall for him was the contrast between the serene, confident figure he presented at the promotion ceremony and stuttery nervousness of his proposal to Elizabeth. Jack Davenport's performance adds a whole lot there -- the way his chin trembles before he can start speaking, the way he delivers the proposal as if he'd rehearsed it in front of a mirror for a week... by the time he muttered, "Yes, I'm a bit nervous myself," I was totally in love. :-)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Norrington is a fantastic character, and makes such a great contrast to the impetuous Will and the "dishonest" Jack. You're right about Jack Davenport's performance. The character could have been a one dimentional spoilsport, but instead he was whole person, intelligent and honorable, but certainly no saint.

[ceria-taliesin.livejournal.com]

I picked Will as my favorite, and it was a hard choice between him, Elizabeth and Jack. In the end, I think it's because of his journey. I like how Will changes, to me he changes the most.

I like the hot, impulsive attitude and the fact that he's proven wrong by Jack. I like the decisiveness of helping Jack at the end, even after leaving him and berating him throughout the movie. I like that he stands up for his beliefs. I guess I like that he's proven wrong, and fixes it.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Will is a great character, and makes such a wonderful contrast to Jack and Norrington.

I guess I like that he's proven wrong, and fixes it.

I've never heard it put quite that perfectly before.

[lj_stowaway]

Favorite character is a hard call. Even though I first heard of PoTC because Orlando was in it (LoTR refugee, here), it was Jack in a photo or a promotional clip that *really* piqued my interest. And even though Norrington is the character I write most, know best and love most - it's ever and always Jack. Without Jack the rest would not exist and I *still* grin like an idiot when he's onscreen.

And yes, it's changed my life. Like you, I took up writing again (after a gap of over 35 years, in my case) and it's now the central fact of my existence. Everything else gives way before the need to write. So, um, yeah. Big change. *grin*

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Everything else gives way before the need to write.

For me too, and that's the obsession that has impacted me the most. Creates little problems like lack of sleep, lack of exercise...

On the other hand, it's endlessly fascinating, and I figure it'll keep me mentally young, even if my bod is the worse for it. ;)

Without Jack the rest would not exist and I *still* grin like an idiot when he's onscreen.

As great as the others are, there's just no comparison: I think Jack's one of the best characters ever created, in any medium.

[linaelyn.livejournal.com]

Favorite Character: Joshamee Gibbs, followed closely by John Cotton, Bo'sun, Anamaria, and Lt. Groves.

Yes, I ADORE JACK AND WILL AND JAMES AND ELIZABETH. But it's the minor characters that truly and deeply have eaten my heart and mind.

Before POTC, I was merely a fanfic reader, not a writer. Before POTC, I was in LOTR fandom, but not to anything like the extent that POTC owns me. I honestly don't have the words to describe what this film, no... this fable means to me. It's my deepest mythology, my Fairy Tale with a Happy Ending, my inner world that sheds light on the outer one.

Through POTC I have found myself again, after having sublimated myself to the needs of my young children for nearly a decade.

Bring me that Horizon.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I honestly don't have the words to describe what this film, no... this fable means to me. It's my deepest mythology, my Fairy Tale with a Happy Ending, my inner world that sheds light on the outer one.

I hear you, as do so many others. I think you'd enjoy the conversation at POTCFreedom, which is all about the mythology and how deeply we can relate to it.

Through POTC I have found myself again

That's the way I felt. After my husband left me, I was in a really dead place for a while, and was wondering if I'd ever feel alive again. It was almost like waking up after a long illness when I saw that movie.

[azziria.livejournal.com]

Jack Sparrow for me epitomises the part of my life that had been suppressed due to being a mother of small children. I'd let the dutiful Mom bury the side of me that craves adventure, and Jack has helped me release that side once again.

My other favourite is Norrington, because I know him (my DH is a Norrington) and I have great respect for those who do their duty against all the odds).

The best things about this fandom for me? (POTC is my main but not only fandom.) The online friendship and camaraderie. And the pretteh men.

The most obvious effect POTC has had on me is leading me to discover my love of sailing and the sea. Without POTC I wouldn't have gone to sail the tall ship last year, and so wouldn't have found what being at sea really means to me. So yes, I suppose I have to say that POTC changed my life :-)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Jack Sparrow for me epitomises the part of my life that had been suppressed due to being a mother of small children. I'd let the dutiful Mom bury the side of me that craves adventure, and Jack has helped me release that side once again.

I think we mothers forget sometimes that our mental health and happiness are not only vital to ourselves, but to our families.

[elessil.livejournal.com]

I chose Norrington as favourite character, which I am sure comes as surprise to no one who ever read my journal. I've done meta on the reasons in varying levels of coherency, so I go for the really short version: stoic, respects people, is smart and can keep his calm even under duress, but has emotions.

I've learnt writing through PotC. I might not be really good, but I know I am a whole lot better than when I began. This is particularly due to hippediva, with whom I regularly RP PotC. It does wonders for the muses.

Then, art. I'm having a lot of fun making POTC manips and paintings, and guess what, I learn something, too. Coolest thing ever.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I'm having a lot of fun making POTC manips and paintings, and guess what, I learn something, too. Coolest thing ever.

Cool, indeed, when one is as good at it as you are!

[mint-chan.livejournal.com]

I put jack sparrow as my fav char cuz he is really hot

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I don't think you'll get many arguments about the hotness.

[galadhir.livejournal.com]

My favourite character is Norrington, because he's honest, loyal, honourable, endearingly shy, something of a romantic, amusingly sarcastic, sharp, competant, a leader of men, a man of action; a dashing young man, Royal Navy to the core. Without the Navy presence in the film I wouldn't have bothered with it, as pirates do nothing for me. I owe as much to Master and Commander as to PotC for the fact that I can write in this fandom.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Norrington is indeed a great character, and we are so lucky that he's inspired you to write PotC! Very much looking forward to more of Negotiations!

[erinya.livejournal.com]

Jack is my favorite character for a number of reasons, besides the obvious (i. e. he's bloody sexy.) The complexity of his character fascinates me, especially as a writer: the layers of honesty and dishonesty, his ambiguous morality, the Jack he "performs" vs. what's really going on inside his head, his eccentricity and his intelligence. There's mystery there that I can't resist exploring and trying to unravel. (In real life, I have a weakness for complicated, unpredictable men as well...it's a preference that works out a lot better in fiction than in fact.) If you're familiar with the Jungian anima/animus idea, Jack is definitely an animus figure.

Writing in the PotC fandom has done a lot for me. It has (a) kept me sane and provided adventure (if only imaginary) that counterbalances the mundanity of RL (b) helped me improve my writing skills and cemented my ambition to write for a living and (c) awakened a love of tall ships and a lively interest in the history of the period. I wouldn't say it has changed my life in a major way, but it has definitely enriched my life.

That's as articulate as I can be right now, as I just got back from a bachelorette pub crawl and even the teeniest bit of alcohol makes me all slow and fuzzy. :P

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

even the teeniest bit of alcohol makes me all slow and fuzzy.

Heh! Me too. I'm a notoriously cheap date.

Don't know much about Jungian anima/animus, but I am in total agreement with you as to the fascination of Jack. As I've said before, he's just the best character ever.

[nessaancalime.livejournal.com]

Selecting Jack may be a little trite, but he's the centerpiece, the one that makes the others play off their best and worst sides.
Firstly the movie was some of the best entertainment to come out of Hollywood in the longest time. Mainly because for once they bothered to make a proper story and put good character actors in the small roles as well. A good story has to have the right mythical touch, include archetypes that appeal to us and play on our inner feelings and demons.
And the slashiness was obvious long before I had seen it at all, which is always an appeal (and I've waited a long time to see Johnny Depp in a really slashable movie ::g::). Going to the movie I was thinking of Jack/Will as the big pairing, but then I discovered the amazingness of Sparrington! Whether I'll look back at POTC as my greatest fandom ever one day I don't know, but I'm sure that Sparrington will always be on or very near the top of the best pairings.
And next it created a lot of vid ideas and really got me properly going with making fanvids.
And last but not least - this has been a great fandom, a great community, lot's of fun, lot's of great fics, artwork, and discussions on every perceivable level. It was a great comfort in a period where I really needed the occasional total escape from RL. Whatever happens with the sequel, we have made a fan community that I think will be a lasting one.
See you all in all those years down the line when we are retired and can spend all our time with the PC :-)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Jack [is] the centerpiece, the one that makes the others play off their best and worst sides.

Precisely. I am coming around to the conclusion that, in a lot of ways, he's the only truly honest character of the bunch, simply because he acknowledges that he's dishonest, he's out for himself (though not at the expense of others, if he can help it) and he makes no bones about it. The others' actions are dictated by hidden desires and familial and societal expectations to greater or lesser extents, depending on the character, although they are also, ultimately, out for themselves.

Does that even make sense? It came out of the discussions taking place at that Yahoo group, PotCFreedom. Some good conversation going on there.

It was a great comfort in a period where I really needed the occasional total escape from RL.

You, too, eh? Seems like a lot of us needed some pirate!love that summer of '03. Synchronicity at work.

You're from Norway! That's so cool. spica is, too--lives right on a fjord, with Mr. Spica and the two little Spicas. Would you mind if I friended you?

[tiggothy.livejournal.com]

Favourite character: I went for "other" because it's changed so much over time. The only thing I can definitely say is that it's never been Will, and only rarely has it been Elizabeth.

Initially, my favourite character was Jack. He's the one who persuaded me to go back for a second & third viewing - but then, after that I knew the story and I was able to concentrate more on the nuances, the background action, and the minor characters... and I fell for our dear Commodore Norrington... Of course, I'd loved Murtogg & Mullroy from the moment they appeared on screen, as well as Groves. Gillette I've mostly grown to love through fandom stuff, and seeing him as a contrast to Norrington and Groves. Though he has some good lines (I particularly love his delivery of the 'mermaid' line), he's not really set up as a loveable character.

So, yeah, I refuse to decide.

Other stuff in the poll: I forgot that icons & banners probably count as 'fanart', so I should have ticked that box, sorry...

Changing my life? It's hard to pin down, but it's a lot to do with confidence. I've never really been the kind of person who's into popular stuff, so I was rather amazed to find myself so in love with the most popular film of the summer... especially having gone into it with such low expectations... I've always been in love with sailing ships & the romanticism of pirate stories, but have rarely found anyone who shared my interests, making me feel even more like an outsider than I already did. Even when the everyday squee-ing about the film died down in real life, I could continue geeking to my heart's content, because I'd found people who shared my interest - namely, the wonderful, fantabulous, online fan-community - and because I now had an outlet for my enthusiasm & bounciness, I found that I got on better in other parts of my life. Since I no longer had to supress thoughts for lack of fellow enthusiasts to share them with, I could simply post them, then move on to sorting out 'real' life. In turn this has led to me being able to control my anger & violent tendencies far better than ever before (by 'violent tendencies' I mean the desire to indulge in violence rather than actually doing anything). If I really need to let off steam, I've found I can do that through the medium of fic-writing...

So, perhaps not as earth-shatteringly changed as some people have been, but I ascribe my new-found control & maturity (as well as my increased sense of fun, silliness & play) to PotC :-)

Apologies for rambling so much, and also for the quite atrocious grammer & neglect of basic sentence construction...

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I ascribe my new-found control & maturity (as well as my increased sense of fun, silliness & play) to PotC

Sounds like it had a fairly profound effect on you, actually.

No apologies necessary for "rambling"--I wanted detailed comments, simply because I think this is of interest to all of us in the fandom.

I forgot that icons & banners probably count as 'fanart', so I should have ticked that box

Ooop. I should have, too.

Re: favorite characters--I can fully relate to the changing preferences. Norrington really grows on one after a few viewings of the movie, and especially on viewing the deleted scenes, but what really got me loving him as a character was all the Sparrington fanfiction. Stories like firesignwriter's Moonverse, and the_stowaway's Trust and Honor made me see him in a whole new light.

I am reminded that I need to read all your fics, too, which I will, one of these days soon!!

[hereswith.livejournal.com]

Ok, I put "other" for favourite character, because honestly, I can't choose, expect to say it's not Will. I love so many of them, and Jack Sparrow *is* Jack Sparrow, but Elizabeth is the one I identify with.

PotC has been really important in several ways. I'd been a fanfiction reader for a very long time, but PotC was the first fandom I ever posted anything for and like fabu said, it opened the floodgates. Suddenly I was a participant, not only a lurker, and I was writing, as well, which I hadn't done to any greater extent for years and years. Not to mention the fact that I was actually letting other people read my stuff... Writing is often such a struggle for me, even if I love doing it, but being involved in PotC has given me more confidence in my writing than I've ever had before and that has meant a lot.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

but being involved in PotC has given me more confidence in my writing than I've ever had before and that has meant a lot.

And rightfully so. The world would be a poorer place without your beautiful, lyrical stories.

[dejectedmadness.livejournal.com]

I said POTC has been important in several ways. It's allowed me to connect with people I never would have spoken to otherwise at school and work. It has reignited my creativity allowing me to write not only potc fan fic, but start an original story again, something which I haven't done for years. Having a perfect Captain Jack costume has encouraged me to go to costume parties and get involved in many group activities this year, (many were pirate themed), thus meeting new people and crawling out of my hole of social ineptitude. Also, POTC has financially depleted me; I have 5 posters, 4 cardboard cutouts an 18 inch talking Jack doll, the movie (of course) and probably other things that I am missing. I'm sure there's more ways potc has affected my life, but that's the general gist of things.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

It's allowed me to connect with people I never would have spoken to otherwise at school and work.

Wow! That's so great! It's only online that I have found like minded souls. Io I think you're really lucky to have found some so close at hand.

[shrieking-ell.livejournal.com]

Great poll!

Norrington is my favorite character, which will come as a surprise to no one, i believe. The first time I saw the movie and perhaps even the second, Jack was my favorite character both because Johnny Depp made him to be the most interesting pirate i've ever seen and because of a general long-standing fascination with pirates. As time went on, I became more and more enamoured of the Commodore, especially after getting the DVD and watching the missing scenes. I have a big place in my heart for people lose gracefully and his smile when he gives up Elizabeth really sealed it for me. Another reason i like him is that his character leaves more to the imagination than Jack. He could be a great many things so in writing about him, I have more freedom than with other characters.

How has POTC affected my life? I never read slash before POTC. I never wrote slash before POTC. I never wrote fiction with the purpose of showing it to other people to read before POTC. I never wrote fiction as regularly as i do now. I've met some really wonderful people online due to POTC. I get far less work done now as i spend far too much time writing fiction and chatting online with said friends. So there have been both negative and positive aspects to my involvement in this fandom.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

there have been both negative and positive aspects to my involvement in this fandom.

LOL! It's exactly the same with me. It was no less than a life saver, for me, but what with obsessive writing, reading, and communicating it takes up a LOT of my spare time! I no longer bring work home with me from my job, so they probably think I'm really slacking--I used to do a lot for the school on this laptop they bought me, hours and hours of accounting, web design, etc. etc. Now it's mostly used on Pirate!fic. The laptop is five years old now, so it's not that big a deal, but that's why I haven't asked for a new one.

I never even heard of slash before getting involved in this. It was quite a shock to discover how popular it is. I'm still not inspired to write it, but I sure enjoy reading it, when it's well written (and there are some spectacular writers on Live Journal). I'm glad there's a bit more het being posted lately, though. It's stories of het romance and family that really speak to me. So bourgeois of me, I know.

[torn-eledhwen.livejournal.com]

Favourite character: well, duh, Jack! Why? I find him utterly fascinating. He projects this devil-may-care attitude to the world, but I think he does care what people think of him. He wants them to believe the image, and at heart I think he's an intensely private individual. I identify with that.

I put "I've had a great time with it" for the last question. I don't think POTC has changed my life in the way LOTR did. Finding out that they were making LOTR into a film was my catapult into the internet, and fanfiction, and a reawakening of a passion for a book I'd loved since I was eight. Through LOTR I've travelled places and met people I would never otherwise have been to or met. And had it not been for LOTR I probably wouldn't have had my accident (on the way to star-spot outside the TTT premiere in London in December 2002) that left me on crutches for eight months and forced me to really slow down and evaluate what I have. That accident also proved to me that the friends I'd first met online were true friends, supporting me throughout.

I find POTC a fun film, and it's more of a distraction than an obsession. The biggest effect it's had on my life is I think persuading me finally to go sailing, and that's partly thanks to arwen_lune who's been so enthuasiastic about the Tall Ships Youth Trust, who I'm going with. But I've always been a sailing/tall ships fan. That stems back to reading Arthur Ransome as a child.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I can see where LotR would have had a much more profound effect on you than PotC. The books all by themselves have been important to me since I was a teen, but I really had no idea about fandom and fanfiction until PotC--I was all alone in my love for Tolkien's world. I could see myself eventually getting more involved in the LotR fandom, although at the moment I'm still feeding my pirate obsession (which I'd better do until I finish Harry IV at least).

Like you, I find Jack endlessly fascinating. There are just so many layers to his character, so much mystery. Of the others, I think Will is the most interesting: he has such angst, both from the past and in the present, and he has the most potential for growth. I think the writers are wise to concentrate on centering the next movies around him, although I expect they'll give plenty of screen time to the others too.

[guanin.livejournal.com]

I chose James as my favorite character because at the moment he is it, but I love all the characters
in different ways. At first, it was Jack because of who he is. He follows his own path and is
unwilling to do what others expect of him. After him came Pintel and Ragetti, who never fail to make
me smile. I've written them more than I have written any character in any fandom. I've given them
first names, lives before, during, and after the movie, personality quirks, little details; I've
basically fleshed them out as much as I possibly can.

Norrington has risen to the top of the list lately probably because I've started writing him. I
already loved him for the same reasons I do so now, but they've become clearer to me. He is a
capable and skilled fighting captain, he has gained the love of his men, and he is above all else
honorable. Now the kind of honor I'm referring to is not the type that preoccupies itself with a good
name and a respectable place in society at the expense of all else. It's the kind that believes in
what's right and just and in doing his duty, making sure that those under his responsibility are
safe. Although at times doing his duty and doing what's right are not compatible. Particularly in
his dealings with Jack.

As an answer to the second question, pirates and tall ships invaded my brain 2 years ago and they
never left. I've writen only two stories in other fandoms since then (although I do still read
plenty). I've changed my specialization in history from Mesoamerica to piracy so it's changed my
future career. And I have finally, finally found a direction for my original fiction. Until this
last Monday, I had not written original fic in 3 years because I couldn't find anything that I wanted
to write about that sprung exclusively from my own brain. Now I have a whole universe that would not
have been created without POTC. And yes, the characters are pirates. And I'm still in the middle of writing POTC fanfiction, because I simply cannot imagine my life without it now. I need it to calm me, to amuse me, to make me whole. I don't really know how to explain it. It's just a part of me now and always will be.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I need it to calm me, to amuse me, to make me whole. I don't really know how to explain it.

I think, considering the other comments, you don't really have to explain. Many of us feel the same way.

I need to read your Pintel/Ragetti fics. Are they archived anywhere?

[blackvelvetlove.livejournal.com]

Personally, I chose Jack Sparrow, because I like Johnny Depp as an actor, but inside of that, I think he is a charming and witty character, who is a kind of "bad boy" I guess you could say. He has intelligence, but he'll remain a pirate. Also, he is quite humourous and all. I just stick to characters like that with glue and paper.

It seems that a good few here agree. =D Go, Jack! But, how can you hate him? lol

Anywho...I want to become more involved in the fandom, and I simply do love it. I draw, write, and read every good now and then, but I have a busy scheduled life from time to time. But, more over so, I love to talk about it and all. =P But, I am also kinda new to it. ^^;

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

We are certainly in agreement regarding Jack. ;)

Thanks so much for taking the poll and commenting!

[cymbeline.livejournal.com]

Its so wonderful to read about how so many have been taken by this movie and expanded on some talent or interest they've had but not explored previously. I'm also in that place, just now branching out into some newer creative realms with writing and drawing. Its allowed me to present something else to the world than just being a 30 something mom and wife.

I put down my favorite character as 'other' because I couldn't really pick one above the other. I relate with/admire many of them for different reasons. I like Jack's ability to land on his feet, Will's doggedness at getting to what he wants, Norrie reminds me of my dad, and can relate to Elizabeth with being female and sometimes being out of her element. I was more drawn to the movie because of Orlando Bloom, I fell for him in LOTR. I did not expect that I'd be as interested in Jack, and at first I wasn't. He was unique and intriguing but I didn't see him as sexy. Then hubby went and found a Jack Sparrow wig for Halloween and that changed EVERYTHING! *grins*

After last Halloween I went on a search to see if there were others as fascinated by the movie and came across some groups on Yahoo which lead me to LJ. I've enjoyed reading the great fanfiction, read some that has taught me what 'bad' fiction is, had my horizons expanded a bit and looking forward to meeting up with some other POTC folks in the near future.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Its allowed me to present something else to the world than just being a 30 something mom and wife.

I know there are others in that same boat, and it makes me wonder how different my life and my children's lives would have been if I had had access to something like this when they were little kids. We've always had a computer (I started working with computers right out of high school, in the early '70's), but never imagined the ways in which the internet could enhance my life. Of course, it's all a moot point: it's only in the last ten years that it's built up like this.

So nice that your husband plays along with you in this--undoubtedly multiplies the fun!!

Ahoy!

[erinrua.livejournal.com]

First of all ~

I really hope people will check out Jo's new group and enjoy juicy meta conversation. The only reason I'm not over there is that I've too many irons in my own fires lately to distract myself further, so ... *sighhh*. I have to begin abstinance somewhere. (i.e.: I'm still working on Original Fiction and my brain only plays so many tracks at once! *G*)

Secondly - fun poll, GM! :-D If your first question had a "no, it's one of two" option, I would have checked that. PoTC and LOTR are the only places I hang out, fandom wise - and of course I followed the lovely Mr. Bloom over here only to be captivated by a certain bullion'd grin. ;-)

As for Favorite Character, I've gone against the tide a bit to say Will Turner. Why? One, because he's often sort of the underdog in fan fiction. Jack Sparrow is SUCH a scene stealer, such a peacock of a personality, flamboyant, showy, hard to miss, that sometimes poor Will comes off a weak second fiddle - and I don't see that at all. I think we're going to see some new steel in that boy in the next two movies, and the hints that he might become a bit "darker" do not really surprise me. He thinks in straight lines, in black and white rather than the shades of grey Jack sees, and that can make a dangerous man. If Will Turner thinks he's doing the Right Thing, I think he could even be a bit ruthless about it - especially if he thinks he's saving someone else, such as Elizabeth or his father.

Anyroad, I like Will also because he's a character with room to grow. Jack is Jack will be Jack and that's Jack. He's not going to change much. We may find new layers of him, or glimpse hitherto hidden facets, but he is what he is. Will Turner, however, is very much a work in progress and probably capable of surprising even himself. That to me is fun and interesting in a character. Don't get me wrong, Jack is marvelously, outragously unpredictable, which is the magic of his character, but he is crazy like a fox. He always has an angle or a scheme or a plan. Will, though, is a wild card. Stuff just sort of happens with him. And that interests me. :-)

As for how strongly PoTC has affected my life, I'd say not as profoundly as LOTR, but it has very much enhanced and added to the community and creativity that LOTR sparked. I mean, heck, here I am owner of an incredible Yahoo PoTC fan fiction group that has taken off with a life of its own - and I've never run a Yahoo group before this! From out there in the ether have come some of the most gifted writers I've ever seen, and they came to a place I built. That's like cobbling together a stage in my garage and having Pavarotti come sing there! (I love ya, mates!)

I also wrote and completed the first novel-length story of my life, when I wrote "PoTC: The African Star." Before that, I didn't know I could pull off writing a novel. That is a HUGE step for me, one of the most important writing achievements I've ever done. I hope to one day be a published novelist out in the Real World, but it took this fandom to teach me that I can really accomplish that large a task.

So really, PoTC as fandom has broadened my creative community and taught me even more about the process of writing and storytelling. It has taught me to think outside my usual creative box, as it were, and it has exposed me to even more and different styles of writing. There are different modes of storytelling that appear in PoTC than LOTR, perhaps because PoTC leaves us SO much blank canvas - and LOTR we're sort of writing between known places. In a way I think writers may tend to create more original-type fiction in PoTC than LOTR, just because there's more room for them to wriggle in, and actual historical frameworks they can work with. Or so it seems to me.

ANYwho ... the PoTC fandom has been a fascinating ride so far, and I'm very curious to see how/where it goes as the next two movies come out! :-)

Thanks for the poll and discussion, GM! :-)
Cheers ~

Erin

Re: Ahoy!

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

Will Turner, however, is very much a work in progress and probably capable of surprising even himself.

I must say, I'm rather looking forward to how OB handles Will's development in the sequels, given his acting has come a long way since LOTR (as demonstrated just recently in KoH). The challenge is, he's going to have to revisit a character he hasn't played in three years and has done several things since then - but at the same time, he's going to have to make Will grow and adapt within Will's own parameters.