From: morgans@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.arts.drwho
Subject: Re: I like Ace, dag-nabbit!
Date: 8 Nov 92 17:05:23 -0600
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

In article <1992Nov8.212603.2978@galileo.cc.rochester.edu>, as010b@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (andrew david simchik) writes:
> In <1992Nov8.133755.8498@iscsvax.uni.edu> morgans@iscsvax.uni.edu writes:
> 
> 
> I don't care whether I can relate to Ace.  I care whether I like her or find
> her interesting.  This is what makes a memorable character, as opposed to an
> identifiable character.

But would not an identifiable character tend to also be a memorable one?

> 
> Again...I don't care.  Romana and Leela had it all over this pouting,
> sullen, thoroughly irritating little brat.  Dysfunctional family or no,
> screaming or no, she was just an abrasive character.

Are you saying that Romana wasn't sullen?  Romana I and II tended to be 
boorish, overbearing and often annoying.  That was fine, they were supposed 
to play off the anarchy of the Doctor.  And sometimes it makes life a 
little interesting if you're abrasive - it can be annoying, but it can also 
be interesting - just depends on how the abrassion rubs you.(?!)

> She's still worse than Adric.  Adric had a certain boyish charm when at his
> best.  Ace, at *her* best, simply used ridiculous expressions of approval
> at which I spent lots of time snickering ("ace," "wicked").

Just because you are unfamiliar with the lingo, does that make it so awful? 
Does every utterance have to make sense?  Does it have to jive with your 
grammatical knowledge?  This is a show produced in a another country 
afterall, it took me awhile to figure out what the hell a Gordon Bennett 
was, and what that phrase meant.  Adric never came off to me as charming, 
he tended to be too much like the Romana's - smug and he certainly had his 
pouty bouts also.


> This might have been nice if (a) she were charming enough for us to care
> about her hangups, and (b) these hangups were resolved.  As far as I can
> tell, her major step forward was losing her fear of water.  That's character
> development?

Oh boy, you certainly didnt watch or listen to the episodes (putting aside 
the sound quality, which did suck in several of them).  She did not have a 
fear of water!  That was a symbolic act (diving into the water at the end 
of C. of Fenric), not trying to overcome aquaphobia.  There were other 
things that she feared and had hangups about - but I have already mentioned 
those.

> 
>>Okay, there it is, some of my rationalizations for liking the character of 
>>Ace, McCoy's Doctor and the whole damn show.  And if you are going to 
>>followup, plllllleeeeeeaaaaaaasssssseeeeeee  edit down the text, I am 
>>getting tired of reading too much stuff in these debates.
> 
> Too bad, deal with it.  If you don't want to read, don't bother to post.
> 

That is just a simple courtesy to others on the net, who have to pay 
(directly) for their access, unlike those who get accounts for being 
enrolled at a university, working for a corporation or having access 
through a government branch.  Read the rules of "Netiquette" (sic) for more 
information on this.

> And may I point out that a million points of logic will not help me like
> Ace.  I doubt that you care...so you can drop it unless you have a stronger
> purpose in mind than changing my opinion.  It seems everyone but me loves
> the little strumpet so why are you arguing?  I'm a Scorpio, I'm too stubborn
> for this sort of thing to work.  :)

I know that I can not change your opinion, I am just putting out another 
opinion for people to hash over.  Little strumpet?  Perhaps there is a 
deeper reason for you to dislike the character, since your choice of words 
is rather abusive.  

I am also a Scorpio.

Siobahn (Shabang) Morgan
morgans@iscsvax.uni.edu

Gosh, I do love these stimulating discussions!  At least it gets me away 
from any real work....