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THE XENA E-XINE
Volume I, Issue 5--March 10, 2000

Today's issue includes:

1. Feature Article--Yadda Ying/Yadda Yang (An Imbalance in the X/G bond in Season 5)
2. Xena Quote/Xena Joke
3. Featured FanFic and Short Review--Passion Tense
4. Xena News---Disgruntled Xena Fans Dissatisfied with Creation Entertainment, Part 1
5. Featured Xena Website----Lunacy's Fan Fiction Reviews
6. Feedback
7. PRIVACY/NO SPAM POLICY!
8. Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information
9. Credits
10. Archives

A Word from Our Sponsors

Music, Music, Music!

For great Rock `N Roll music, produced by a fellow Xenite, check out Mary Paulson's "Just Because"

http://www.swiftsite.com/marypaulson/index.htm

1) Featured Article

Yadda Ying/Yadda Yang (An Imbalance in the X/G bond in Season 5)
By Lady Adrell and Bacchae2

We, the fans, have been discussing the substance of the show as well as Gab's drastic personality change of late. As for the substance, there seems to be little. Each episode was getting worse and worse, nothing much to even enjoy if the subtext wasn't there, and believe me...we tried. What we liked the show for at first was the adventure, the action, the stories, the substance the show had. When we found out that there was a lesbian subtext, it was the icing on the cake, wasn't it? So, though

we love the subtext/maintext and connection between the girls, if it weren't there, we wouldn't die (presumably)--as long as the substance of the show was still intact--i.e. good stories, depth, good characterization, great acting, fun campiness, and the wonderful interwoven history with myth.

This season continued to decline in episodes with substance. It really hit us with Animal Attraction. From then on out, it was hard to watch the show and enjoy it fully. Some of us even started to lose interest in it. We kept watching though. God Fearing Child was a turn around episode for some. Though, as a learned gentleman friend pointed out, it was more a Hercules episode than a Xena episode, still, it entertained. The Gods doing battle and showing their different personalities was fun. Wish they'd have shown more between Xena and Gab like they said they were going to. We'd thought they were supposed to have the

girls remembering their time together while she was having the baby. Wonder why they scrapped that script. Probably so their pretty boy Sorbo could co-star. <sigh> But we liked it okay.

As for Gabrielle, we've griped about it before, we want our bard back! She's just not the same. We like the fighting, we even accept the killing, we like the tougher attitude she has--it can be explained as character development--but her creative side was a part of her, and any creative person well knows that even if you get away from it for a long time, even years, it stays in your soul and you never lose it. Creativity is ingrained and Gabrielle has been that way her whole life. She wouldn't lose it just because the world she lives in sucks. We don't buy it. Things are unbalanced. It seems with the birth that Xena is still in balance with her softer, gentler side and her warrior side, but Gab has gone off the deep end. Some are upset about her lack of compassion, and we all can become hardened and desensitized to death and violence, but we don't lose our creativity.

With God Fearing Child and Amphipolis Under Siege we saw substance returning to the show. We got to see some classic Xena moments and old receipts popping up. Xena and Gabrielle played Ares so well. And, of course, we just loved the maintext lovers issue going with Athena and her Champion. That is the Xena that we know and love, the show that isn't afraid to come out and show that there is love/romance between the same sex. (Though, it may be argued, that there was no unkinder metaphor for the death of subtext this season than Xena killing another warrior woman's beloved.) And Athena was, perhaps, the most interesting and complex god we've seen on the show. She

was not out for her own personal gain. She was there because she thought she was protecting the reign of the Gods, Gods that mortals would be lost without, and so she was not after Xena's child, Eve, for selfish reasons. And Xena seemed to respect her as well. That was a twist wouldn't you say? Besides no real closeness between the girls, we didn't find too much we didn't like about the episode. So, we're guardedly hopeful. Even after the pointless dream episode that has Gab married to Joxer (in a dreadful holdover from the wasted season brought to us by the not brief enough rein of the outgoing, read "fired," producers/writers Misters "Dorky and Irksome," as one fan unaffectionately refers to them), we still remain hopeful. But we really didn't need yet another unfunny comedy this season, did we?

The most poignant moment of Eternal Bonds was certainly not the fool who lay dying in Gabrielle's arms in a pitiful turnabout (and rip-off) of the hurt/comfort classic One Against an Army, but, rather
the shred of Gabrielle's former dignity, her scroll, used as a kite to signal Xena. Forlornly flown, the lone reminder of her previous vocation and one of the very scant mentions of The Bard persona this season. Isthis why Xena has seemed to have fallen out of love with her little traveling companion? As she noted in Succession, Gabrielle has changed--a lot--and Xena admitted it was pretty hard for her to face

sometimes. It's been one of the most stunning transitions in the history of TV as Gabrielle has gone through more adolescent to adult passages than any child actor we've watched grow up on the tube. But Gabrielle is no longer the other side of the I Ching coin, the stronger/weaker, mentor/pupil, protector/protected equation. Wicked and innocent, wild and gentle. Once you've been the Archangel Gabrielle there's apparently no going back to the damsel in distress motif. But did this new lean/mean Gabrielle with rippling muscles have to cause her to forego her compassion and bardly duties? This leaner, meaner Gab is yet another fascinating self-discovery on the journey, but she's overbalanced the scales too far all at once without a kinder,

gentler Xena to leaven the give and take of their relationship. If they'd really let Gabrielle be Xena's champion, especially during the birth, and as she'd vowed to be in Chakram it would've worked out better and eased us into this radical new arrangement. It's as if the companions (and the actresses too perhaps) no longer know their 'roles.' And it's showing in the lack of the once endearing and stirring chemistry between them in both their characters and in their performances--which, of course, may also be due to other pressures, but this is the most visibly apparent cause upon which to speculate and blame for the series' current doldrums. �

� 2000

(For past articles, see section 10)

2) Xena Quote/Xena Joke

Xena Quote

"She likes what I do..." - Gabrielle in A Day In A Life
Submitted by Thenorm

Xena Joke

<<With apologies to all Joxer fans everywhere (u know who u are).>>

Xena, Gabrielle and Joxer are sitting round a fire discussing times when they have been drunk and, having no control over their actions, done something a bit unusual.

"I was once so drunk that I rode through a city backwards and then challenged Draco to naked mud wrestling in front of everyone," smiled Xena.

"I was once so drunk that I fell into a ditch and then pretended to be a ditch-monster to scare passers by," grinned Gabrielle.

"Well I was once so drunk that when I woke up the next day I realised I had blown chunks," mused Joxer.

"That's hardly unusual," said Xena.

"But you don't understand," sighed Joxer. "Chunks was my dog."

DISCLAIMER Joxers reputation as an animal lover took on a whole new meaning during the making of this joke.
Submitted by Cat

3) Featured Fan Fiction

Guest Critic The Goddess' FanFic Pick

Passion Tense by AdrentTly
http://compound.freeservers.com/passion.html

Review: This Mel/Jan Uber delves into the darker psyche of these two characters to resolve years of mistrust and pain through love and the trust that comes with giving completely of yourself to another person. Beautifully written and captivating on several levels.

I give Passion Tense *****

*****	A must read if you are a Xenite!
****	It is worth your while to read.
***	It's better than watching Dawson's Creek
**	Maybe Dawson's Creek isn't so bad to watch afterall.
*	If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all...this is a good time to keep my mouth shut then.

4) Xena News

Disgruntled Xena Fans Dissatisfied with Creation Entertainment, Part 1
By Lady Adrell

In the world of Xena conventions and merchandise on the web, one name comes to mind, Creation Entertainment. Any Hard Core Nut Ball fan knows who and what Creation Entertainment is, and the general opinion among MerPups as well as other Xenites is a less than satisfied one.
Any fan that has attended an Official Hercules and Xena Convention--as well as other Conventions hosted by Creation--knows the abominable way this company more often than not treats the attendees. Are less than courteous manners the number one hiring

requirement for Creation employees? Fans, such as Kiry, are under the impression that Creation's policy is as such. Kiry said she has "no desire to be treated like cattle" at these conventions. She and other fans have opted to no longer attend any Creation run events because of they way Creation employees treat fans, but instead would gladly attend any fan-run events and Conventions.

Not only is the attitude of Creation employees at the Conventions viewed as terrible, but the accommodations for fans with hearing impairments and those who are in wheelchairs are more than lacking, as stated by displeased fans. Con-goers have requested interpreters for such events and
allegedly have either not heard back from the company or were told "not many deaf people watch Xena," as was the case with Xenites Kandis and Kelly (a.k.a. XenianAngel). This would show an apparent lack of concern on the part of Creation, but as I myself witnessed at the Pasadena California Convention in January 2000, Creation had interpreters standing to the left of the stage using sign-language to

translate to the hearing impaired fans.
It is said by fans that the wheelchair accommodations are not much better, with narrow aisles, leaving little to no space to maneuver a wheelchair. Again, I did not see evidence of this at the Pasadena Convention, but it seems that at the smaller Conventions this is not the case. But as one Pup, Kelley Barrick, pointed out, the Fire Marshall and not Creation control the placement of chairs. Though it could be argued that Creation could request wider aisles to provide for those with wheelchairs,

which might mean making less tickets available to allow for the extra space.

A complaint about over selling tickets to make money has been yet another issue with fans. This comes about mainly because the Gold Seats and Preferred Seats, which are more expensive than General Admission and which are assigned by number and row, do not guarantee any special privileges beyond having an assigned seat. Many times at big Conventions, fans who paid the Gold Seating price still did not get good seats and were not able to get autographs from the actors. Though Creation states that Gold Seats and Preferred Seats do not guarantee an autograph, fans, such as Cricketgrrl, feel these more expensive seats should be more special if Creation insists on charging outrageous prices for them. One way to do so, would be to limit the number of Gold and Preferred seats, ensuring those fans received autographs. But Creation has accommodated fans with Gold Seat tickets when they were not able to

obtain autographs.
In the case of Claudia, a Xenite, Creation was very helpful to her when she did not get autographs even with her Gold Seat ticket. She simply mailed in her ticket as proof of her purchase, with the envelope it came in as well as what she wanted signed and by which actors and it was handled. I found this to be the case when fans holding Gold Seat tickets spoke up about wanting autographs. A valid suggestion made by Claudia is to take your complaints to Creation and employ the squeaky wheel method of getting changes made. If enough people complain, we could only hope that Creation would listen and change to oblige it's paying customers.

So, before you run off to plan your trip to the next Official Hercules and Xena Convention, you might want to take into account a few things. If you have any special needs for yourself or any others attending with you then contact Creation Entertainment to make appropriate arrangements and think about how much money you are willing to spend to get a guaranteed seat. Remember, that does not mean that you will get an autograph from your favorite actor. And remember to bring lots of money to spend on all the Hercules and Xena merchandise you'll have to buy while you're there.

Next issue I will discuss Creation Entertainment's Website and how it's Online Customer-Service has outraged fans on more than one occasion. �

� 2000

NOTE: The second article has been postponed for a later date.

* Special thanks to all the MerPups who helped with this article and for being kind enough to allow me to use their words.*

A Word For Charity

Fight Against Cancer!

You may have a friend or loved one with breast cancer and may wonder how you can help. I have found a way to help people like my mom, fight this vicious disease.
On June 3rd and 4th, 2000, I will be walking in a 24 hour relay. To raise money, I am offering a

small book of my poetry entitled "DARK ANGEL" that I dedicated to my mom and am making available for you to own.

Proceeds will go to the

American Cancer Society,
Dutchess County, NY Chapter.
Your tax deductible sponsorship of $12.00
($10.00 for members of Ephiny's Club) will benefit breast cancer survivors.

Send a check in the amount of $12.00 (shipping and handling included) to

4 Dublin Lane
Poughkeepsie, New York 12603
made payable to Julie A. Urtz

{A receipt from the American Cancer Society will be included with your order.}
Thank you for your support and always remember to have HOPE!
We can beat breast cancer.....together!!!!

5) Featured Xena Site

Silver's Choice

Here is a site that features reviews of Fan Fiction on the net. A great resource for any FanFic addict. Lunacy has put many hours and a lot of hard work into these reviews. If you are looking for a great story to read, here is where you can find those that fit your taste.

Lunacy's Fan Fiction Reviews
http://lunacy.simplenet.com/

6) Feedback

If you have any comments, suggests for content, or articles to submit to this newsletter, then please contact Lady Adrell at exine@exine.tvheaven.com

A Word from Our Sponsors

Make Your Home Computer A Profit Center!

Do you want to tap into the profit of the Internet and be a part of the 21st century? Then follow this link to find out how!

http://www.wave10.com

7) PRIVACY/NO SPAM POLICY!

NO SPAMMING OR LIST SHARING!
You can rest assured that your subscription email address will be kept in the strictest confidence. We do not divulge, nor make available to any third party, our subscription list. Your privacy is paramount to us! Therefore, it receives the respect it deserves!

8) Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information

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9) Credits

The Xena E-Xine Staff:
Chief Editor/Head Writer: Lady Adrell
Editor/Writer: Bacchae2
FanFic Critic: Creda
Website Analyst: Silver

10) Archives

To read previous articles, please go to http://exine.tvheaven.com/archive.html

Orci and Kurtzman were unfortunately not harmed in the production of this E-Xine.

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The contents of this E-Xine may be copied, reproduced, or freely distributed for all nonprofit purposes without the consent of the author as long as the author's name and contact information are included, unless where otherwise stated. Example: Reproduced with permission from LadyAdrell or said author.

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