Well, hello. And welcome to the first meeting of the Red and Bad Book Club! You might have noticed some technical difficulties so far (like the email going out earlier than this post published), but hopefully once everything’s rolling, it’ll get a bit more, ah, well-oiled-machine ’round here.
Here’s a little three minute vid to get us started. Forgive the dark, grainy quality of it (I freaking looked everywhere for a lamp–where have all the lamps gone?). I actually carried the computer all over the house looking for a decent place to record, but no dice. Next week!
Macky and Mo over at Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews reviewed each episode of LRBB. If you’re game, read The Mail Room review here.
So, what do you think? Is Bad a sociopathic jerk with a twink obsession? Exactly how innocent is wee Red? Let’s chat in the comments!
Freaking awesome Book Club shirt photo by infowidget on Flickr under this Creative Commons license.
Huh, I thought someone else would have gone first by now! 🙂
So, my first thought was that Bad was a bit of a tool, although Red clearly made the final decision about whether to play or not (and how much to play), so any tooliness (which should so be a word!) was set to one side for further consideration. My second thought was “would two strangers actually do this IRL?” – but, fiction (and what do I know about being a horny gay guy anyway), so not an issue. And my third was “ewww” at the come-smearing, although I can totally see where Bad gets off on it 🙂
It definitely had me intrigued for the next instalment, and I also think that already we’re seeing more layers to Bad than he intends to make visible – his reaction to the rape hearing, for example, and his acceptance/nervousness about Red potentially turning him down. In fact, the latter is what, in my mind, elevates him from just another swaggering alpha macho tosspot into a character I think I could like if I met him.
Red is just cute from start to finish 🙂
My take? Bad is the guy your second cousin Red married, so thankfully you only have to deal with him at the occasional big family holiday gathering, because what a piece of work. Everybody stands around throwing shade at him, and discussing what a jerk he is while he is in the next room. He makes you feel bad for your disdain while watching him spend an hour holding Gran’s stinky old cat while she tells him stories he’s heard a hundred times before, then absolves you of the guilt shortly after by scaring one of the kids and making them cry. He’s an absolute ass, but what can you say? Red seems to like him.
I do have to have some respect for a man who is willing and able to watch for the No when he badly wants the Yes. It’s his most redeeming quality, and if you blink, you miss it. (Yes, I could point to more, but I don’t want to hog the discussion. Do you think Bad has flashes of redemptive qualities, or am I wishful reading?)
Red, on the other hand. One minute you’re standing in the yard casually chatting with him, and the next you find yourself running after him through the sprinklers in your underwear because he made it look so easy to just do it. Maybe it is a little bit naughty, but he brought out a first aid kit and towels to be safe! Yeah, Red’s definitely a wolf in twink’s clothing!
And my burning question for the group: Are we a bowl or a box of Red Hots? I’m all for being an open bowl, but we’ve read what Red and Bad do with their hands, so… comment!
Hi
In the beginning Bad came across to me as an arrogant opportunist, seen Red in the mail room and let his fantasy get out to play. Red was willing and seemed to be enjoying it. I don’t think Bad is as bad as the image he wants the world to see ( the rape hearing part ) The only point I thought he was getting a bit carried away was when he was nearly choking Red with his fingers down his throat. By this time the power trip had taken hold of him and he’s got caught in his fantasy.
Red doesn’t come across as an innocent who’s been intimidated, he’s up for it as well and looking for fun. I just hope it stays fun. I am looking forward to next week.
Bad doesn’t present the best first impression does he? (Or, for me, second or third for that matter 🙂 ) Red though – he’s something. I’m going to like him.
I completely agree with you Kris about reading in school. I specifically remembering being in grade eight and talking to a cousin that was a teacher about him assigning his class to read The Outsiders and being SO THANKFUL that I didn’t have to read it for school. Reading one of my favourite books for class would have totally ruined it for me. Sure, teach about foreshadowing and symbolism if you need to, but then just let students read!
And, not related to books/reading at all, for one summer about 10 years ago I worked at my university post office. I wasn’t a student anymore, but my co-worker was a gay guy 🙂
We had a teacher who ruined Shakespeare… a class of 13yo girls, and he made Romeo & Juliet dull. How should that even be possible?!
The other fun thing to me in The Mail Room is trying to pick apart what Bad’s doing because he just likes doing it, and what he’s doing because he’s seeing how much he can fuck with Red. (Obviously, the two overlap, as well.) And you gotta be amused by a character who repeats how totally not seriously he takes a scene, all the while planning it meticulously, ensuring it won’t be interrupted, waiting for an opportunity, and remembering to unplug the right camera beforehand…
(Hygiene would definitely be an issue if the red hots were served communally, but individual boxes seems wasteful. Hm.)
@Vicky Same thing is happening with my niece, only it’s Lord of the Flies. She really *should* love this book (I couldn’t stand it myself, but she’s into violence and drama), but it’s for school so she resists it, even when she’s intrigued. Really, there has to be a better way of promoting reading that doesn’t A) totally turn off the kids who don’t think of themselves as “readers”, or B) destroy good books for those of us who love reading!
So, what to say, bad would be up for a sexual harassment charge in Australia. That being said this is in the set in the USA, so maybe the law is more lax there. OK pet peeve gone, damn union hat be gone.
Great Dom, as a sub I wanted to be on the receiving side. So in control, but he wasn’t really or he wouldn’t have risked it in the work place. Bordering on obsession he hardly fights himself and goes down to the mailroom, at least he had the sense to turn off that camera.
As to Red, that boy has serious issues, he has been abused in the past. So much so he literally hands himself over on a silver platter. He does not think he has the right to complain or beg Bad to stop. So broken he begs for it, whether he likes it or not, Red is so submissive, it seams that Bad has two options, one be bad and take advantage, or be a good Dom and help this sub heal. I just wonder if bad is perceptive enough to notice.
Bojetta
(I know I am a little
late, but just got to read the first two chapters today and wanted to
comment anyway)
I liked the introduction
of Bad – a nice balance of building up this big bad wolf type and
simultaneously reassuring me he is really a good guy (left to puke
when hearing about rapes – and disliked Tony for drunkenly feeling
up the freshman girl)
I don’t get a sociopath
vibe at all – Bad actually spends lots of time thinking about how
others feel, the very opposite of a sociopath. He even considers what
to do if the Kid refuses him, making it clear to me that he will be
looking for consent.
So this intro relaxes me
and allows me to go with the flow.
The way I see this Bad
really wants to take control, and Red really wants someone to take
control. They both want the fantasy of it just happening ‘naturally’,
so they manage to negotiate the scene without much talking. It would
be risky to do in real life; if they misunderstand each other it
could go south fast. But since this is a fantasy it all works out.
The central sentence for
me is “Red. I guess I’ll just keep calling you Officer,
right?” To me this is where Red gives his consent. He is
basically saying; Yes I will offer you my name, and I will accept
that you are in charge (call you Officer).
The scene itself was
pretty hot. I liked how both Red and Bad seemed to feel a little out
of control, it sort of put them on the same level. Still I feel like
I mostly got to know Bad, so hoping to get closer to Red next time.
Finally I would like to
say I don’t care at all if this could happen in real life; stories
and real life are two very separate things for me. It is said that
Kubrick responded to a comment on a lack of realism saying “Real is
good. Interesting is better”. I completely agree.