I'm wondering.

[layne67]

Why do some people put hxxp instead of http when they're giving a link to something? Is there a specific reason for it?

I also noticed that some people, when writing down email addies, they write it this way : layne67 at livejournal dot com instead of layne67@livejournal.com. Is it just a style or something?

And what does "fake-cut" mean exactly?

And since I'm in a wondering mood, I wonder what makes us like or dislike, or feel indifferent towards, the villains on TV and in movies? The actors themselves? The way the characters were written/directed/acted? Something in the villains that strike a chord within you, that you could identify with them?

I hated Krychek. I loved Ruby 1 but hated Ruby 2, loved Alastair 2 but disliked Zachariah immensely. I didn't like Gollum but I think I could sympathize with him. And I didn't mind Bela Talbot when so many hated her!

This brought me to the girl-villains in Flash Forward and 24 ( spoilers to the last episodes )

I was shocked when I found out that Janice was a mole. I felt kind of ... betrayed because I liked her. I thought she was awesome! I still like her though but for some reasons, I had begun to dislike her in 1.18. Until it was revealed that she was actually a double agent and just like that, I fell in love withe her all over again.

Unlike Dana Walsh. I liked her right from the start, and I continued to like her right to the end even when I knew there really was no redemption for her. Dana Walsh was psychotic. Period. I was sad when Jack killed her, even more than when Renee Walker died.

So I guess with me it's the way the actors played those characters. Katee Sackhoff is such an awesome actress that I cannot not like her even when I should be hating on the character that she played.

But then, Kurt Fuller is an amazing actor but I hateloathedislike Zachariah!

Any particular TV/movie villains that you really love? JR Ewing? Saruman?

Comments

[weird-fin.livejournal.com]

The 'at's and 'dot' are to prevent spam bots and being sent spam email. So automatic programs can't recognise it I believe. And i've recently seen the 'hxxp' so i think it might be along the same line of thought, perhaps to say "I never directly linked anyone to a free download site" or some such thing?

Lovable villians? Hm, I never have any specific things come to mind, perhaps Alan Rickman's character in the Die Hard movie? Or Voldemort in the Harry Potter books. Though in the movies Bellatrix Lestrange played by Helena Boheme Carts (sp?) is my favourite villian SO mad!

[munibunny.livejournal.com]

I liked Uriel because I thought Robert Wisdom was just incredible. Same with Kurt Fuller... He's a despicable villain but I really liked him, Alastair too. And let's not forget Lucifer... Mark Pellegrino is fantastic and the Lucifer character is written really well. I think it's both the way they're written and the way the actors interpret them. Ruby was in intriguing character - you never knew if she was good of evil - and while I thought Katie was sometimes 2 dimensional in her interpretation, she was way better than Genevieve. I used to try to imagine her delivering the same lines and I swear it would have been different. Better. (Even with the direction it went in).

My favorite TV villain of the moment is Jim Sterling on Leverage (who happens to be played by Mark Sheppard). He's a wonderful foil for the gang.

In answer to your other questions, I think the email addy thing is so it's not searchable. I mean, I wouldn't want my email address popping up on a google search.

I may be mistaken but I thought a fake cut was a link somewhere else. I mean, it's an lj cut if you cut the post, but a fake cut links you to another post entirely?

Never seen the hxxp thing but I'd imagine that means it's not an active link, right?

... don't know...

[casey28.livejournal.com]

A fake cut is a link to another journal entry which is made to look like an lj-cut

I love to hate JR Ewing, lol. Mark Pellegrino is a wonderful actor, and I love how he plays Lucifer.

I can "hate" a character, and yet still like how the character is portrayed.

[rieyll.livejournal.com]

Thanks layne, for asking! I've been wondering the same thing myself!

[claudia603.livejournal.com]

hehe. Sauron -- a big disembodied eye does it for me every time! :D (kidding!)

[dev-earl.livejournal.com]

username[at]gmail[dot]com is to prevent spambots from taking your email and sending spam mails to it.

hxxp as opposed to http so the link won't be active and the (usually) public hosting site won't be able to retrace the link to the user and/or community in the case of uploading music and tv shows or movies and such.

A fake cut is a link to another journal or entry that is made to look like an lj cut. I use this whenever I post fics. See, it looks like an lj-cut on my journal, but when you click on it instead of expanding the post it just takes you to verbalavalanche. :)

[xwacky.livejournal.com]

Okay, here's what I think:

"hxxp" is used to disguise the fact you are linking to somewhere, and there's number of reasons you might want to do so: 1) to avoid passing the HTTP referrer header which would reveal your site to the target; 2) to stop the webcrawlers detecting you are linking sites; 3) your site may disallow outside linkage, this way can avoid raising a red flag; or 4) the linked site may not be work safe. This way it's up to the reader to convert the text to a link. These just a few of the reasons I know of.

I too put down <username> [at] yahoo [dot] com when giving out my email address. It's to disguise the fact there's a valid email address in the text so that the webcrawlers won't be able to sniff it out.

I can only tell you what I consider a "fake-cut". At LJ, a cut is not really a link. You can only "cut" to something within the same entry. And by cut, they appear as "(<cut text>)". But when I want to link to a different entry (with a cut), I type "(<link with the cutid#>)" instead of using the <lj-cut> tag, thus a fake cut.

Now the hard stuff: as to what makes us like/dislike a villain, I think it's a combination of stuff. The actor/actress themselves have an enormous effect, but other than that, there are also other factors, i.e., how these villains are written; how these villains interact/treat the hero/heroine you are rooting for; or even how your own experience comes into play, affecting how you relate to these characters. There's also a possibility that when the villains are first introduced, the audience didn't know they are villains, and they form a connection, so when these characters turn bad eventually, that bond is still there.

As to my most/least favorite villains on Supernatural, I love YED, especially Dean's grandpa version. Bella is great too. I think that character has lots of potential because she's not entirely bad, there's room for redemption for her -- too bad Eric couldn't fit her in the apocalypse story line. The Dracular!Shapeshifter is awesome; so are Gordon, Uriel, Alistair (especially the latter version), Zachariah, and Lucifer. I'm not sure about Crowly yet, but I think he will be a villain. In some sense, I see Crowly as a male version of Bela. This might be strange, but I love Lilith. The child versions were simply spooky. There's nothing scarier than evil little girls. The adult version was awesome too, especially in "Lucifer Rising". The actress played her like a martyr, which is such a kicker! In that vein of thought, Ruby is a character I should have loved, because essentially, she cheats and manipulates, but loyal to her own cause. She is a character that was written well, but poorly portrayed. Ruby 1 was better, Katie at least showed the spunky side of the character. Ruby 2 was as terrible as it gets, acting wise speaking. These are just my opinions.

[ninjamidget66.livejournal.com]

Lanie, you're *supposed* to hateloathdislike Zachariah; that means Kurt is doing his job really, really well. LOL.

I preferred Ruby 1, but really didn't like either of them. I felt the character wasn't utilized as well as she could have been and neither actress was that great although I liked Katie's spunk better than Gen's...whatever it was.

As for my favorite villain of all time: Christopher Walken in any role he has ever played. Even the "normal" ones cuz he even scares the crap outta me in them too. But the worst one was as the Headless Horseman in "Sleepy Hollow". He never said a word in that movie, and he didn't have to he was so terrifying. *shudders*

[layne67.livejournal.com]

Those questions have been bugging me, like, forever! Thanks, Fin :)

Oh yes, Alan Rickman's character in Die Hard was to die for! He was awesome, wasn't he? But then, I think he's awesome in all the characters that he played, be it villainous or not. I love Snape ( both book and movie Snape :) )

[layne67.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, Lucifer. I forgot about him! Even when he showed his true colours in that Hammer episode, I was like, awesome!, just like the second Alastair made me all transfixed and open-mouthed during that scene.

Heheh, I can't imagine KC wriggling on Sam's lap the way GC did :))

People put hxxp instead of http to prevent spambots from tracking it, especially when the links are for ( illegal ) downloads. God, that had been bugging me forever but I thought everyone knows and I was too shy to ask before!

[layne67.livejournal.com]

I can "hate" a character, and yet still like how the character is portrayed.

Yes, exactly - Lucifer is a perfect example. And JR. And Alexis! But there're plenty that I just plain hate, villains that I just want dead!

[layne67.livejournal.com]

Answers abound! :D

[layne67.livejournal.com]

Eeeeeeeeeeeeps!

:D

But you know, before he lost his manly human figure, he did look kind of imposing and hot, didn't he? ;P

[layne67.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Su!! That xx thing esp has been bothering me, I was like why???.

/is an idjit.

:D

[claudia603.livejournal.com]

haha. Could probably find a way to pair him with Frood! :) (I never change, do I?) :D

[layne67.livejournal.com]

Oooooooooooh do!!! It could be a time-travel thing!!!!

[layne67.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the answers, Jane! I had no idea that they have all those tracker bots, sound ominous :/

You know, I feel somewhat guilty for liking Katee's character in 24. She's really bad in it and I ended up rooting for her, and I like Lucifer and Alastair ( I was sorry to see him killed ) but I just wanted Zach and Ruby 2 out of my face! And you know, Kurt Fuller is way out of GC's league but I'm lumping them together in villains that I HATE!

For me, I think the suit probably has something to do with my extreme dislike for Zach. I can't really pinpoint as to why but that's probably why I didn't like the first Alastair!

Haha, Bela and Alastair are two SPN villains that I wish would come back to torture Dean further!

[layne67.livejournal.com]

Oh, black-eyed!Dean in DALDOM was awesome, and that torture scene sent shivers up and down my spine, in the best possible way *points to icon*

[layne67.livejournal.com]

you're *supposed* to hateloathdislike Zachariah; that means Kurt is doing his job really, really well

I know!!!! But then, why don't I want Lucifer/Alastair/Ruby 1/Bela out of my face the way I want Zach deader than dead????? So okay, maybe KC and Lauren Cohen aren't in Kurt Fuller's league but Pellegrino and Christopher Heyerdahl, IMO, certainly are!!

*sighs* Don't mind me, Ninj. It's just that I'm kinda questioning myself because I found myself rooting for the villain in 24 and she was really evil, and I like Lucifer and Alastair!

[i-o-r-h-a-e-l.livejournal.com]

You hate Zach because Kurt Fuller is such an amazing actor.

And I love him because of the same reason. :D

[layne67.livejournal.com]

It's rather hard to explain. I got it that Kurt Fuller is a wonderful actor, and I understand that "love to hate" part ( what Ninja was saying above ), but my dislike of him is different from my "dislike" for Alastair or Lucifer or Dana Walsh of "24", whom you know, I actually love despite them being as evil as evil can be! So, you know, this is just me trying to work out why some villains you like and some you don't, and no, it's not the "good actor" thing because Pellegrino and Heyerdahl are both great actors but I didn't hate them and by right I should, shouldn't I?

[i-o-r-h-a-e-l.livejournal.com]

Or does that mean Pellegrino isn't really a good actor? Like Fuller fails to make me hate him?

[layne67.livejournal.com]

That is what I'm trying to work out here! I think Xwacky said it best, that it's a combination of factors.

And what I meant by it's not the "good actor" thing, I meant that the ability of one to act doesn't really come into it. I'm not saying that Fuller or Pellegrino or Pellegrino aren't good actors because they are.

You don't watch 24? The character Dana Walsh is really evil, a psycopath, and the actress who played her is very good, but instead of hating her, I found myself rooting for her, and I wonder what that says about me.

[i-o-r-h-a-e-l.livejournal.com]

Don't really watch 24, just the first seasons.

Hmm, have to read what wacky said more carefully. :)

[weird-fin.livejournal.com]

Yes, I like Snape (to certain extents in both varying for different reasons). Rickman's Snape is SO dramatic and good! :)

[ninjamidget66.livejournal.com]

Ok, I can't speak to the 24 situation cuz I don't watch the show; but as for the others:

In the cases you're talking about I think the actors have 100% to do with it.

Kurt Fuller is/was great as Zachariah, but he played him so smarmy and arrogant that I agree with you and there were times that I just couldn't stand looking at him another minute either.

For MP as Lucifer, you are supposed to like him. It's that whole, "sympathy for the devil" thing; at least at first. And Mark is playing it perfectly IMO.

And as for Alastair (CH), how can you not like a character when it's so obvious the actor is having sooo much fun playing him? And he hits all of the notes just right, evil with a side of snark; but never over the top.

When it comes to the Rubys and Bela? The actresses just weren't good enough to make me care about the characters one way or another. Most of the time I just found them annoying. The only exception was Bela at the very end when we finally found out her backstory and I really wished they had given her a hero's death and redeemed her character in some way instead of what she got.

I think these days, writers want us to root for the villains. Look at MBV for instance. Who didn't want Jensen's crazy-butt character to live at the end?

[layne67.livejournal.com]

I've been giving more thoughts on this. Zachariah is an angel. He's supposed to be the good guy and while Castiel ( in the beginning ) and Michael came across as steadfast and loyal and unshakeable in their belief in God, Zachariah only strike me as a bully, and I hate that.

Villain!Jensen can come get me any time though :DD

[xwacky.livejournal.com]

You know, funny you should say this. Because I think Dean is just about the ONLY one who looked pretty when his eyes turned one color, and I don't even like evil!Dean. Not at all. But that torture scene makes me tingle too. \o/

[xwacky.livejournal.com]

Hee, these bots are everywhere! Although I'm not too worried about linking stuff, but I never type out my email address anymore.

Sounds to me Katee's character in 24 may be fits with what I described as audience didn't know the character was supposed to be bad until later scenario.

Again, I have a feeling Crowly might fit in that one too.

I have a theory about Zachariah. The character is modeled after a "middle manager" bureaucrat that most people in real life may encounter at some point, and just couldn't stand. In that sense, despite Kurt Fuller being such an awesome actor, the RL experience of an audience may influence his/her like/dislike of the character.

You know, like I said, Ruby 2 is a completely different story. The character, as a literary creation, is someone I should and would normally love and enjoy. Alas, it's the acting that didn't come to par and made the character a nuisance to me. In season 4, during certain scenes with Ruby, I sometimes close my eyes and imagine the character instead. That isn't to say GC isn't pretty. But her acting is as flat as a pancake, and half of the time I had to strain my ears to hear her delivering the lines.

There wasn't much for me to like/dislike the first Alistair because he appeared so briefly. And the little time he appeared, he beat the crap out of Dean. But I did like the tantalizing hint at the special connection between the Demon Inquisitor and Dean when he appeared. ;-)

If Bela isn't going to make a come back, I'll take Crowly as a substitute! I love the beat between him and Dean. ;-)

[layne67.livejournal.com]

Oooh, I could never read evil!Dean. Or even when he was just being mean or unkind to Sam because that just isn't him. Not the snarky!older-brother unkind/mean, but really, really mean.

But I love seeing/watching Jensen in an evil role! See how he plays it out and all. His expressions yummmm.

[xwacky.livejournal.com]

Me either! I could never read evil!Dean, nor evil!Jensen (actually more so). \o/

Which makes my current fascination with fleshflutter's "Rule 26" really odd. But on the other hand, I'm not convinced Jensen is evil there. I just don't know yet about the relationship between "him" and his "alter ego".

[layne67.livejournal.com]

The character is modeled after a "middle manager" bureaucrat that most people in real life may encounter at some point, and just couldn't stand.

Yup, I think you got it there. And he enjoys showing his power, bullying those beneath him.

[layne67.livejournal.com]

Couldn't read evil!Jensen either! I can only watch it - see the actor in Jensen playing out the role, but not read about it.

PM'ing you about something.

[ninjamidget66.livejournal.com]

Zachariah is an angel. He's supposed to be the good guy

In the normal scheme of things yes, but in Kripke's world? Not so much. He and the writers have made it very clear that in their version of things, "angels are dicks" (at least most of them) and have their own agenda that may, or may not, have anything to do with God's plan. And remember, we haven't actually met Michael yet, we've only heard about him. ")

Oh, and Lucifer is an angel too; and he's not what we think of as "angelic" either.

I think a lot of people were surprised and disappointed with EK's version of angels right along with Sammy.

[layne67.livejournal.com]

I'm so hoping that Michael would be the good guy and what little we saw of him in 'The Song Remains The Same' gave me some hope. I'm bracing myself for him not being what I want him to be though, so you know, I won't be too disappointed if he turned out to be the biggest dick of all :(

[ninjamidget66.livejournal.com]

OH! The second I saw your icon I remembered we did get that little glimpse of him didn't we? Unlike a lot of people, I _say_ I'm going to watch the eps again and I end up not finding the time so I only see them once and then I forget so much that happens. I really need to make time to sit down and do a marathon of the last 4 or 5 before the finale, srsly. :D

But I'm with you. I don't want Michael to just be Zachariah's puppet; I want him to be what God intended. But you just never know with the Kripkeeper.