has it been 10 years since this show's premiered?

[amelialourdes]

I call CRAZYPANTS on that one. Crazypants. I was 15 when the show came out. So, I didn't watch it when it first premiered. I was too involved in my boy band phase that lasted for a little while. I didn't have time for that many obsessions! But, once my first year of college hit? I was all ready to begin anew.

Well, that's my story. I started watching the show at the tail end of S3 but wanted to watch the whole thing and get caught up. These were the pre-YouTube and pre-downloading days unless you had a fast DSL line. It was 2003 and I had to do things the old fashioned way! I rented the DVDs at Blockbuster in the summer of 2003. I watched everything over and over again, repeated favorite lines, favorite episodes until I felt like I had the whole Season 1 memorized. On to eBay to buy Season 2 for $50. I lost the first auction and got the second one. I had to wait an agonizing two weeks for it since I took a trip up north. When I got back, I watched all 20 episodes over a few days.

Finally, Season 3 came in the form of ripped copies from TV from a very generous person, and I watched those on my computer to get all caught up!

Then, obsession began.

I wasn't as active in 2003 up until the show ended. I was in college and even though I read all the fic, visited all the websites, commented here in LJ, and spoke up every once in a while, I wasn't as involved as I would've liked to have been.

Still, I made some friends here and I'm happy to say that I have most of them still friended and they've friended me back.

Sometimes, I still get a little fanfic/QaF fan starstruck. I'll never forget the first time I came across paddies icons and all of her talent and skill. I remember when url_girl came on the scene and brought the funny with her doodles and icons (still brings the funny!). I remember freaking out with my Bestie every time that sandstorm63 would post a new clip on her site. I remember I was flying to Vancouver to visit the Bestie and someone sent me the scene from 403 early. I remember reading Crisis by jane2005 and holding my breath the entire time. I remember reading Forever Changes Everything by rhiannonhero over and over and over again because that's how I imagined their future. I remember dying from excitement every time that burnitbackwards posted anything new and shiny.

The whole of LJ was just littered with incredible fic on an almost daily basis from '03 to '05. I didn't know how good I had it. There were definitely a list of authors that I kept returning to because I loved anything that they wrote. My nostalgia list pretty much has everyone on it but the most memorable names were people like bigboobedcanuck, juteux, darksylvia, lennongirl, sparkledark and brosen, xhaleslowly, ragingpixie, severina2001 and twistinside, and others that I know I'm forgetting!

There were INCREDIBLE vidders in fandom! I think we really had some of the best. It was the way that I discovered new tunes, that's for sure. There was Blank Monday's Pillow, Jonatha Brooke's Because I Told You So, Rufus Wainwright's music was used. Choimimi's videos were really something else and had a great use of the music. Aida's never failed to make me cry my eyes out! Defying Gravity will never fail to be one of my faves followed by f1renze's Affirmation. Wendy's vids ... I can never watch musical Buffy the same way ever, ever again.

And then there were the fantastic people that came after the show was done! The brilliant suzvoy, talented ohfreckle, arlad, and so many more!

In other words, I can't believe that it's been 10 years since the first episode of the show, that changed my life, aired. I'm so happy to call you guys friends, that we're all still here years later, and you can definitely always count on me to suck you into my web of nostalgia! I've met such wonderful friends through this little show and I am forever grateful to it for that.

Comments

[sexy-pumpkin.livejournal.com]

I loved your post & I love all your fav authors here on LJ, as they are mine as wel.

I remember trying to upload an icon to my LJ, & yes it was one made by paddies its still on my profile page.

Like you I found the fandom when QaF ended & I was demented:) by 513, so plumsuede Framed & rhiannanhero Into My Arms saved me from jumping off the Sydney Harbour Bridge:)

Url-girl always makes me smile & finding out that YES there was someone esle like me out there who loved QaF & B&J & BK made my bloody day.

Hugs to you & yay for 10yrs of qaF,,the best TV show EVER!!!!!!!!!!!

later Jackie x

[amelialourdes.livejournal.com]

Thank you! It's always good to remember the good times.

Actually, I was in fandom during Season 3 and yet I still had to play a lot of catch up! It was around the time that a lot of people started using LiveJournal instead of the message boards so I was definitely more part of the LJ fandom than anywhere else.

... and I'm never going anywhere! Happy 10 years to you as well. :)

[reeface.livejournal.com]

I LOVE YOU AND OUR BIG GAY SHOW, BB. ALWAYS HAVE, ALWAYS WILL.

I'm all gooey and happy from this post. Oh, nostalgia! ♥ And still in shock about this whole 10 years thing. TEN YEARS. I just... what?! When did that happen? o.O

The whole of LJ was just littered with incredible fic on an almost daily basis from '03 to '05. I didn't know how good I had it.

Word. :(

[amelialourdes.livejournal.com]

KNOW WHAT? I ALSO LOVE YOU AND OUR BIG GAY SHOW. OUR BIG GAY SHOW BROUGHT US TOGETHER.

Nostalgia always brings me to my happy place. As I've said many-a-time, it is my drug. More like our drug. I can't even believe that it's been 10 years. Why does time fly so quickly?! Why and how. Why. And. How.

Word. :(

Triple sadface here.

[turnyourankle.livejournal.com]

i like reading people's nostalgia posts <3. i have a hard time understanding that it's been 10 yeas since the show premiered considering i watched all the eps so quickly. i'm so thankful for this show, ten years, woo!

[amelialourdes.livejournal.com]

You are included in the awesomesauce list of awesomesauce people, bb! <3

Am so, so thankful for this show that it brought people together and you to me! Ten years and hope that we all stick around to celebrate another milestone. :D

[friday82.livejournal.com]

I really loved reading this! ♥ :) I became a fan sometime around the S3 DVD release (my DVDs were a lot more expensive *cringes* What was I thinking...). It seems like ages ago and like yesterday at the same time. I miss watching a new episode every day and all the wonderful craziness that came with it. I miss music hunting and obsessive fic reading. And a part of me regrets having been a lurker while the fandom was still full of so much good stuff. Anyway, I'll never regret falling in love with this show, I'm quite sure I'll still feel the same way 10 years from now on.:)

[amelialourdes.livejournal.com]

If we only knew the price of DVDs were gonna go down after a few years or that they'd put together some kind of collection in the future! But, that would've been impossible with all the promotion around the individual DVDs. Damn them. Oh man. I miss everything that you miss. I definitely miss the music hunting and the fic reading. Finding the music from the show felt like such a challenge. I didn't even bother with most songs from S5, lol. Hoping that we're still around here for another 10, bb! ♥

[suzvoy.livejournal.com]

TEN YEARS, OH MY GOD.

[amelialourdes.livejournal.com]

HOW DOES TIME EVEN GO BY LIKE THAT?

[rhiannonhero.livejournal.com]

I, too, came in at the end of S3. I remember, though, when all of my Smallville friends bailed for QaF. I took my time getting there, per the usual, and I'm glad I did. I always felt like I benefited from not being immersed in the fandom those first three years. Ah, QaF. Loved that show. :) It was beautiful.

[amelialourdes.livejournal.com]

I'm so, so glad that you made it to the QaF frenzy! The nostalgia just comes rushing back. ♥

[lennongirl.livejournal.com]

Aw. Aw! Awwwww!

*nostalgic moment*

[amelialourdes.livejournal.com]

Nostalgic moment of nostalgia-ness, bb! *goes to read your fic* ♥

[lennongirl.livejournal.com]

More awwww - can't help it!

[lady-jane.livejournal.com]

It's been so fun to read everyone's nostalgia posts today! I'm so glad I got to know you - meeting you at Spring Awakening was a real highlight that yeer. I'm honored to be in your list highlighting your expereince. Right back at ya, baby!

[amelialourdes.livejournal.com]

I completely agree and you definitely are part of my list! Can't wait to read the answers for this meme. Oh, you shall be seeing me again, my friend. Can't get rid of me that easily. ♥

[galeandrandy.livejournal.com]

I would love it very much if you could post this over at queerasfolk_10.

I really miss those days of incredible fanfic updated daily. I rarely read anything new at all and it's sort of unbelievable that it wasn't always this way. I'm so missing those authors that wrote fics that were unforgettable, at least we can go back and read them now.

:)Rory

[amelialourdes.livejournal.com]

I will definitely join there!

I miss that too for sure. It's something that I miss the most! People had some really incredible ideas and we had some incredible writers. On the other hand, if you don't read some of that fic for a long time, it sort of feels like new fic. New but the nice, comforting feeling of nostalgia.

[on-the-ground.livejournal.com]

Love your great post :D I didn't remember you discovered it a year later than me, I guess I thought you had done it earlier so it was useful too *g* When I think about all the trouble and money I spent because of the show I remember again how much impact it had in my life so you know, nothing people say can sound any weird to me when they talk about the show and how it changed their lives because we all experienced it in our own way. People who find out about it now have it so easy to download or buy that they can't imagine what the "original" fans had to do to watch it, so I feel that it made it more special for us at the time.. at least for me because it wasn't easy to get each episode after it aired during seasons 3 and 4. And also the reality is that I'd not have a LJ if it wasn't for this show.

[amelialourdes.livejournal.com]

TY, BB!

Did I? Did you come in at the beginning of S3 or the end of S2?

I completely, completely agree with you. They do have it a lot easier than we did. I feel like we had to go through tricky ways to be able to get a hold of the episodes since YouTube didn't exist and sharing sites were just beginning. Even on those sharing sites it took hours and hours to get just one episode let alone a whole season.

The show brought us all together and I'll always be grateful to it for that!

[on-the-ground.livejournal.com]

"Did you come in at the beginning of S3 or the end of S2? "

When I first read about the show it was airing 2x15 or 2x16 in USA. The first time I saw Gale was in that scene where Brian is with Justin at the loft after the bashing and he tells him it wasn't his fault.. so yeah, it wasn't anything hot, it was their performances in that scene that I found really powerful and wanted to know who the hell they were. I think I posted about this before so maybe you knew already. Very little later after the end of season 2 I got seasons 1 and 2 on Ebay (on tape obviously and season 2 from NY arrived first in July since season 1 came from Canada, and I still have them but don't ask me why.. I know I should get rid of them. The truth is that the season 1 box is pretty but it's also in the closet).

[amelialourdes.livejournal.com]

Ah, I see! eBay was the place to get those other seasons. I keep everything I have too. Doesn't matter if it's VHS and I now have them on DVD. Don't get rid of them!

[starryeyedmagic.livejournal.com]

I started watching my first year of college (in 2003) too! I remember my friend and I just randomly rented the dvds and we weren't even sure what it was. I mean, we knew it was about gay guys and we thought it might be fun, but I don't think we were even expecting half of the sex. haha I still have this vivid memory of me and my friend sitting in my freshman dorm room with our mouths hanging open while watching the pilot.

...And then we caught up with the show after that and became more than just a little bit obsessed. ;)

[amelialourdes.livejournal.com]

Ooh! Our stories are almost identical! Haha. Well, mine was the summer before college and I watched them alone. Other than that! Man, this is the show that changed lives or at least led people straight into obsession, haha. And definitely brought people together and for that I will always be grateful.

[bigboobedcanuck.livejournal.com]

So glad we're still friends and that L/R have brought us closer! Yay, shiny gay fandom couples. :)

[amelialourdes.livejournal.com]

Completely agree, my friend! Shiny, gay fandom couples, we love you! ♥

[aurora]

Shoooooooooooow!! If for nothing else, I'll always love QAF for dragging me into fandom. My life is so much richer for it.

[amelialourdes.livejournal.com]

I completely, completely agree, my friend! Don't know where I'd be without it. ♥