INTRODUCTION TO SOUTH PARK
South Park debuted on Comedy Central on August 13, 1997 and quickly became a media phenomenon. It’s essentially a half-hour cartoon about four boys living in a magical-reality mountain town in Park Country, Colorado, about an hour outside of Denver. The premise is based on the experiences of creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, who both grew up in the area. The show caught on mostly due to its juxtaposition of rough, primary-colored construction-paper stop-motion animation and adult humor. The four boys swear, love toilet humor, and are generally irreverent. The adults in their town are misguided at best, and the boys seem very well aware of it. This made the show initially shocking to some, and South Park has continued to generate controversy by becoming an equal-opportunity offender.

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Sneaking in an art rec this morning.

Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: None
Genre: Portrait.
Length: N/A
Author on LJ: Unknown
Warnings: None
Author Websites: Deviant Art.
Why this must be seen: I love this. It's entirely different from the previous piece of art in that it's firmly in the style of the animation, but the artist makes the absolute most of the limitations. This is Gai at his most dynamic. A lovely piece of work that really does justice to the character.


Maito Gai!! by QueenSnow

Fandom: THE PROFESSIONALS
Pairing: Bodie/Doyle
Length: Short story
Author on LJ: ailcia
Author Website: Ailcia's storylist at palelyloitering.com
Why this must be read: Ailcia writes Bodie/Doyle with a deft touch - they're real lads, they might be in love but they're neither soft nor soppy, and if there's the odd modernism that makes me blink, I'm so very quickly sucked back into the heart-tangling immediacy of the story that it's a very quick blink indeed. The Other Side tells the story of a Bodie who's trying to live through Doyle's disappearance and month-long captivity before finally being found again - and through Bodie, of course we watch Doyle. Just like the eps, Ailcia doesn't scruple to show us the world as it really is, and how our lads cope their best with it - with each other, of course... *g*

Excerpt: Waking up without him was the worst. That tantalizing moment of sleepy forgetfulness, just before reality hit. Sometimes he even thought he could feel him beside him, and he kept his eyes closed for a little longer on those mornings, indulging in his ignorance. After all, he had no clue what had happened, so who was to say Doyle couldn't just march back into the flat, complaining about the traffic, and slip into bed without waking him?

The Other Side

Fandom: AVENGERS
Pairing: Part Tony/Steve, part Gen - all adorable.
Length: 3622 words
Author on LJ: stormyskies
Author Website: Author's AO3 Page
Why this must be read:

The author's summary pretty much says it all: "Steve never went to his prom. Tony will take any excuse to throw a party. Especially if that excuse is Steve" - except for how this is an extremely funny, team-centric story, with great in-character banter.

Also...it's very sweet!

(note: I was just looking over the list of stories I plan on reccing for the rest of this month and most of them are very long and fairly serious. A story like this makes for an excellent palate cleanser.)

A Night to Remember

Lucky you lot, you get a fic rec as well today and this one's a doozy, imo.

Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: None
Genre: Gen. Drama/angst, politics.
Length: About 28,000 words.
Author on LJ: Not Known
Warnings: Violence, suicide.
Author Websites: Fanfiction.net
Author's Summary When an injury leaves Neji without his sight, the Hyuuga prodigy must decide for himself what fate he really bears.
Why this must be read: Despite being a show aged at early teen boys, the Narutoverse has a massive amount of darkness within it. The kids are child soldiers, their heroes and teachers are assassins and murderers, their leaders rule through violence and manipulation. We only have to look at the decisions around the Uchiha clan massacre to see that this is a world where the good of the majority is going to win against the individual every single time. Hyuuga Neji knows this, he's lived that fact since his father was sacrificed for the good of the village, and so, for me, this story rings absolutely true to Neji's personality.

Oracle is a love it or hate it kind of a fic. It certainly seems to have pushed buttons for a lot of people. I think it's worth reading because it does take a very harsh view of clan politics in the Naruto world and follows through, keeping its nerve right to the end. (Please note chapter 9 is the final chapter and the story is finished.)

Oracle by Phoenix of Eternity.

Fandom: BASEBALL RPF
Pairing: Eli Whiteside/Jonathan Sanchez
Length: 2570
Author on LJ: crimsonkitty88
Author Website: crimsonkitty88' fic tag
Why this must be read: This piece traces the trajectory of Whiteside and Sanchez' relationship from beginning to end, culminating with Sanchez' trade from the San Francisco Giants. Dreamy and experimental, there's a poetic feel to this piece that stuck with me long after I'd closed the tab. The experimental style might not be for everyone, but I hope you give it a chance, because I think it's worth it.

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Before you knew you'd know me