Sleepy, cold, unsure of what to have for dinner

[cleolinda]

Since it's kind of a slow news day, I wanted to ask--about the Secret Life thing. I can't quite put my finger on when, but it's like it suddenly exploded a while back in terms of people getting really, really into it. I mean, I had some passing references to the dolls doing stuff as early as 2003. For whatever reason, I got whimsical last September and started writing about them on a more regular basis, so the series as you know it has been going on for like six months now. What happened? I mean, I'm curious to know from y'all's perspective--I know a lot of y'all kind of roll your eyes sigh indulgently and scroll past when I go on about them again, but for the people who have gotten invested, what was the tipping point? Was it when I started adding pictures? Was it a particular entry, a new character, a plot development, a specific storyline? I just don't know--I feel like interest increased a lot very suddenly, but I can't figure out why.

(While we're here--it looks like it's now going to be two more entries until The Package, so five entries total, rather than the four I had thought I would need instead of three. Uh. Sorry about that.)

Actual linkspam: Everything We Know Is Wrong - And Awesome:

Cheerleaders waved their pompoms and the students formed an aisle down the middle of the gymnasium. "Nerd Herd, Nerd Herd!" they chanted over and over as the high school's band played Survivor's thumping "Eye of the Tiger," the herd's unofficial theme song. Simon, along with team members Benjamin Kelk and Gregory Chin, both 12, ran down the aisle, high-fiving their screaming fans, like they were playing in an all-star game or something... Serenah Nevarez and Michael Loseto, both fifth-graders, waved a giant poster that read "GOOD LUCK, NERD HERD!" "This is a great energy booster for the school," Michael said. Serenah chimed in, "They're so cool!"

Which is a far cry from the days when my high school had a pep rally with a giant banner that read "LIFE IS FOOTBALL AND THE REST IS CRAP." Having been an editor on the school's literary magazine at the time, I have never quite forgiven them for that. My issues, let me show you them.

Kanye: 'South Park' put me in check: "I JUST WANT TO BE A DOPER PERSON WHICH STARTS WITH ME NOT ALWAYS TELLING PEOPLE HOW DOPE I THINK I AM." Dude, I want that embroidered on a pillow or something. Maybe a table runner.

'Simpsons' stamps to hit post offices (d'oh!).

Cartoon Network, Disney XD add more live-action to draw older boys.

'Dollhouse': Fox won't air 13th episode, but show could still go on; Tim Minear Clears Up Felicia Day’s Twitter Regarding The 'Dollhouse' Fox May Not Air; Now We're Really Desperate To See Dollhouse's Season Finale.

Fringe's Leonard Nimoy Stunt-Casting May Have Crashed And Burned.

Images: New Harry 'Half-Blood Prince' piano photo; Grey Gardens, The Movie Fashions: The Best Costumes For The Day [S-T-A-U-N-C-H]; Cillian Murphy and Feist star in 'The Water.'

Trailers and clips: Second Full Trailer for Butler and Heigl's 'The Ugly Truth'; Domestic Trailer for Frears’ ‘Cheri’ is Here; Amy Smart Beats Up Corey Haim in One of Four Clips from ‘Crank 2′; 'They Came from Upstairs' Trailer ('They' are ALIENS!).

These 10 cities are vying to host the Wolverine world premiere.

A Few More New Star Trek Photos to Hype You Up; Is there a new Star Trek ARG?

Must Watch: Phenomenal Trailer for Duncan Jones' 'Moon'!; Duncan Jones' 'Moon' Sci-Fi Also Gets a Brilliant Poster; Sam Rockwell’s ‘Moon’ Gets Trailerized, Posterized and Picturized.

'New Moon' Set; More 'New Moon' set pictures.

'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies' author receives rumored $575,000 for 'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.'

Zombies Can Be The Next Vampires, Because I've Already Moved On To Werewolves. Please. Given how I collect news for linkspam, I can tell you: we had a huge wave of zombie-related media, then vampires got crazy big (again), now zombies are mounting a counterstrike. But trust me, I was boggling over the sudden resurgence of zombies way before everyone started trying to jump on the Twilight bandwagon.

Although, yes, The Wolfman looks awesome.

Voldemort Joins 'Cemetary Junction.'

Sherlock Holmes Video Chat with Rachel McAdams.

Russell Crowe Talks Robin Hood.

Review: 'Hannah Montana' is strictly kid stuff.

Movie Review: Observe and Report (2009); Review: Rude 'Observe' is brilliant; Review: 'Observe and Report' doesn’t compromise.

(Related: Seth Rogen Aims High For ‘Pineapple Express’ Sequel.)

You’ll have a ball at ‘Dragonball Evolution’; Review: Dragonball Evolution could easily have dropped the ball, but didn't. I... I don't understand this crazy world I seem to have woken up in.

First Look: Very First Set Photo from 'Tron 2' in Vancouver!; Disney's Tron 2 Also Going to Cost $300 Million to Make?!; Seven Ways We Would Spend Tron's $300 Million Budget.

'Fame' isn't fleeting for characters in film remake.

Will 'Outrage' Become Tribeca Fest's Most Controversial Film?

'Silent Hill' Sequel Possible.

Jonny Quest Loses Its Name?

It's Like Blade Runner, By Way Of Uwe Boll [Found Footage].

Comments

[artemis-archer.livejournal.com]

With the Secret Life of Dolls I think it was something about the Elizabeth introduction entry that hooked me. You'd done a few around that time if I remember right about the Edward Dollen and the reactions from the Shelf on seeing his pictures and those were great. But then you brought in Elizabeth and had the whole thing with her and Anna surprisingly hitting it off and it just felt more like its own story at that point instead of just the dolls tossing in their two cents here and there. Before it was like the dolls would chime in if say you found a cool new doll but after the Elizabeth entry it seemed like you started talking about the actual goings-on of the Shelf.

Or maybe you had been doing more of that all along and I have a terrible memory but yeah, the Elizabeth entry was the tipping point.

[kellinator.livejournal.com]

I agree with this.

Also, some of the first stuff I remember getting invested in was Eowyn reading Twilight, and it was like the world of the shelf opened up and came alive whereas before I just saw them as a bickering chorus of heads rather than the fully-fleshed... characters? that they are. Now it really *is* the Secret Life of Dolls.