Author: Liz Barr

Words written. Opinions expressed.

Aussies and Kiwis in a Galaxy Far, Far Away

On By Liz BarrIn movies

IT’S STAR WARS SEASON.  (We were totally going to do this post two weeks ago, to coincide with the release of The Force Awakens, but Liz was busy at work, and then she was busy doing absolutely nothing on holidays, and it’s not easy being Liz, okay?)

Anyway, the best thing about the prequel trilogy — we know that’s a low bar, but hush — is spotting all the Australians and New Zealanders.  Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith were filmed in Sydney, so there are plenty of flat vowels to be heard.  Not to mention some amazingly bad American accents.  Let’s take a look…

Continue reading “Aussies and Kiwis in a Galaxy Far, Far Away” →

No Award brings you an important floppy-haired-boy update

On By Liz BarrIn books, enid blyton, movies2 Comments

But first: thank you so much, everyone who voted for me in the NAFF election.  I TOTALLY WON, so I’m off to Brisbane in March!  I AM QUITE EXCITED AND ALREADY PLANNING, ie, trying to work out if the Contact venue is convenient for MOS Burger.

Now, Floppy Haired Boys.

As people who were teenage girls in the ’90s, Stephanie and I have a weakness for this Non-Threatening Boy subgenus. It’s just something about the way their fringe falls into their eyes, you know?  I have fond memories of the day the darkest, angriest goth girl in my year group confessed that she, too, loved nothing more than a gormless white boy who hadn’t been to the hairdresser in a while.

Continue reading “No Award brings you an important floppy-haired-boy update” →

Vote 1 Liz Barr NAFF 2016 RIGHT NOW

On By Liz BarrIn conventions, fandom

Fan Fund: a fan-run fundraiser to enable the elected delegate to attend a con that would otherwise be inaccessible to them.

NAFF: the National Australian Fan Fund, created to send a fan to the Australian National Convention (aka the Natcon, because that’s a mouthful).

As it happens, I’m a NAFF 2016 candidate!  (Hamilton interlude: “I was chosen for the Constitutional Convention!”) What does that mean?  If you vote for me, I’ll be able to attend Contact 2016, a one-off con held in Brisbane.

(Further Hamilton interlude: “You’re openly campaigning.  That’s … new.”)

(Further interlude: A CONVENTION IN BRISBANE, WHAT IS THIS MIRACLE?  I could take my mum!  I mean, I actually can’t, because $$$$, but it would be geographically feasible!)

Now, this is one of those years where there’s a strong field all around, and I wouldn’t begrudge any of the nominees if they won … but you should vote for me because (a) I am the only one who has a Harold Holt joke in her candidate bio; (b) HALF A NO AWARD ROAD TRIP (Stephanie will be going to Swancon, maybe, as is her Perthie duty); exciting things seem to be happening in Brisbane, fannishly, and I would like to investigate in person.  MAYBE I WILL WEAR A DEERSTALKER but probably not.

Voting costs $5, and closes Wednesday 23 December (TOMORROW).  GET IN QUICK.

GO HERE AND VOTE 1 LIZ BARR.

Doctor Who 9.11, 9.12 and 9.13: “Face the Raven”, “Heaven Sent”, “Hell Bent”

On By Liz BarrIn meta, science fiction, television5 Comments

I could have done these in individual posts, but I’ll be honest: I was busy, I was tired, I couldn’t be bothered.  The three preceding episodes were so offensively terrible, they managed to pretty much destroy my enthusiasm for season 9.

It’s a shame, because “Face the Raven” was genuinely outstanding, and not just because it advanced a strong anti-birb agenda.  And “Heaven Sent” and “Hell Bent” were both quite good, even though I nearly noped out when —

But I get ahead of myself.

Continue reading “Doctor Who 9.11, 9.12 and 9.13: “Face the Raven”, “Heaven Sent”, “Hell Bent”” →

Destroy the Joint versus women with disabilities

On By Liz BarrIn ableism, australia1 Comment

Destroy the Joint is an Australian feminist … movement?  Hashtag?  Group? that took its name from Alan Jones’s complaint that women were “destroying the joint” by turning up to things and doing their jobs and having opinions, and also, at the time, being Prime Minister.

We at No Award have long had a bit of side-eye for DtJ, because while it does many good things, it’s also super white feministical, for example, spearheading movements to make the government provide tampons to refugees in detention.  (We’ve already talked about the reasons why this is not always culturally appropriate.)

(White feminism: shorthand for feminism that isn’t intersectional, so-called because it usually ignores or outright erases the needs and experiences of women of colour.  It’s essentially feminism that’s applicable only to white, middle-class, able-bodied, cis women.)

Destroy the Joint have a history of excluding women of disabilities, as the late, magnificent Stella Young discussed in 2013.

Destroy the joint? Shit, I’d be happy just to be allowed in the joint.

Continue reading “Destroy the Joint versus women with disabilities” →

Liz leaves the house: West Writers Our Stories Forum

On By Liz BarrIn conventions, linguistics, melbourne, writing

The West Writers Our Stories Forum was first held in 2014, and continued this weekend just past. It’s held out in Footscray, in Melbourne’s mid-West, yay! (Very brown territory) Its concept is examining “what story means to a wide range of communities and how we can represent the diversity of stories and voices in Australia’s literary scene.”

[Liz attended on her own, because Steph had a prior engagement.]

Continue reading “Liz leaves the house: West Writers Our Stories Forum” →

Doctor Who 9.07 and 9.08: “The Zygon Invasion” and “The Zygon Inversion”

On By Liz BarrIn fandom, media, television2 Comments

It’s amazing.  I haven’t disliked a Doctor Who story/serial/episode this much since Russell T Davies was at the helm.  And for much the same reason I didn’t care for a lot of RTD’s work: a hamfisted attempt at social commentary coupled with carelessness about subtext creates an unpleasant and alienating story.

Continue reading “Doctor Who 9.07 and 9.08: “The Zygon Invasion” and “The Zygon Inversion”” →

Rare No Award Art Post: Narnia and the Inner North AU – Spring Racing Carnival Shenanigans

On By Liz BarrIn art, books, melbourne1 Comment

1.  On a slow Monday in 2013, a bunch of friends and I conceived a Narnia AU (that’s alternate universe, for those of you not steeped in fandom lingo) where Narnia is Melbourne’s inner north and its denizens are basically hipsters.

1a. The question is not whether or not Reepicheep owns a fedora, but how many fedoras he owns.

2.  Melbourne is currently in the grips of the Spring Racing Carnival, that time of year when we have a public holiday to get dressed up, wear silly hats and drink champagne (yay!) and also lots of horses die because horse racing is terrible (not yay!)

1 + 2 = 3.  Shasta and Aravis have something to say about this.

narnia_cupday_smaller

(As a result of this piece, I was asked to do the Narnian hipsters’ Tinder profiles.  I’m still contemplating that, but I am 100% certain that Lucy is one of those girls whose cat features heavily in her profile.)

(He is not a tame housecat.)