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Booooooooooooooooooooooooots

I want to talk about this dreadful "Boots" thing, that scene in Towers of Midnight, infamous for its poor characterization of Mat and unfunny comedy writing, often referenced when people are complaining about Brandon Sanderson's contributions to The Wheel of Time. It's also based on, or inspired by, the so-called Boots Theory from the Terry Pratchett novel Men At Arms.

Here is Sanderson's boots scene, quoted in a Reddit post.

This other post has some interesting discussion of the text, but the OP also says the piece is "quite wonderful and really breaks down the problem of Wealth", and I'm just baffled by this take. To me, the scene is not saying anything insightful about wealth at all, and bears little resemblance to the Pratchett bit - except for boots being used to illustrate some difference between the rich and the poor, or between nobility and commoners. There are readers who say that Mat is making the same point as Vimes, but I don't get that from the text at all!

Vimes is saying that rich people have an advantage over poor people, whose lack of money makes it impossible for them to purchase durable high-quality goods that would allow them to save money in the long term. "A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while a poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet."

Meanwhile, Mat is saying that ... he wouldn't want to be a noble because they have such complicated lives full of responsibilities, tasks and decisions? They have so many boots for specific outfits and activities, he couldn't keep track of when to wear which? "If you’re an average fellow, you know exactly when to use your boots. A man can keep track of three pairs of boots. Life is simple when you have three pairs of boots."

Is this saying that aristocrats have a harder life than commoners? And is it romanticising poverty? Kind of ... maybe ... but I don't think the text actually cares enough about poor people to be romanticising them. Yes, Mat briefly mentions "the poorest of folks" with only one pair of boots, but he quickly moves on to talk about "people that have a little coin", "average men". All we learn about poor people is that they have no problem deciding which boots to wear because they only have one pair anyway! Enviable, isn't it? So, yes, this text simply isn't about wealth and poverty, because it only cares about people who are financially secure and don't suffer hardship: When Mat goes into detail about the three pairs of boots that "the average man" might own, even the "third-best" pair is still suitable for its intended use, which is very different from what Vimes is saying, that poor people "still have wet feet". In Sanderson's text, all boots are good boots, and the poor don't really factor into consideration.

"Life is simple when you have three pairs of boots" sounds a lot like minimalism - the idea that owning less will make your life better. Since the focus is on clothing, I am reminded of the concept of "capsule wardrobes" or "personal uniforms", having a small selection of versatile clothes that can be worn in any combination to minimize the time you spent thinking about your outfit in the morning. This is related to the obnoxious concept of self-optimization and the kind of minimalists who idolize Steve Jobs and his black turtleneck. To them, wearing the same clothes every day is the key to being a successful businessman, because you don't want to waste your precious, limited mental energy on deciding whether to wear a grey shirt or a blue shirt - you will suffer decision fatigue and this is why you're not a billionaire.

At first blush, Mat seems to be saying something similar, that having 40 pairs of boots, like his nobleman buddy Talmanes, is too much. "A man can keep track of three pairs of boots", but 40?! Nah.

However, Mat never says that Talmanes struggles to keep track of his 40 pairs. In fact, it sounds like Talmanes could explain their specific uses in detail: "There is a pair for each outfit, and a dozen pairs in different styles that will match any number of half your outfits. You have boots for kings, boots for high lords, and boots for normal people. You have boots for winter and boots for summer, boots for rainy days and boots for dry days. You have bloody shoes that you wear only when you’re walking to the bathing chamber."

I have to say, having specific shoes for rainy days is perfectly practical and should not be blowing Mat's mind, as a concept.

OK, but if there are people who can intellectually handle 40 pairs of boots, the minimalist interpretation falls apart. The nobility can handle 40 pairs of boots, even though the common people can only deal with three. So what is this saying, then? To use Setalle's words, the boots represent "the onus of responsibility and decision placed upon the aristocracy", and it turns out that nobles can just handle more of it than us normalos. They are thus better suited for "leadership of complex political and social positions". Essentially, this makes the deeply classist and conservative argument that politics is best left to the aristocracy, as those small-brained peasants wouldn't be able to keep up. They just do not have the intellectual capabilities. They can handle three pairs of boots, but they couldn't handle 40.

I also have an issue with the (very superfluous) tangent about what kinds of boots "the average man" has. In particular, this gotcha about the best pair being for "walking" ... erh ... I don't know, Mat is describing the life of a farmer, and farmwork involves a lot of walking, so why would the "walking" pair of boots be distinct from the "day-to-day" pair? And it sounds like dirty farmwork is also not a "day-to-day" thing for this hypothetical average man farmer?

I mean, I'm OK with keeping a beat-up, dirt-caked pair for the wading through mud and the shoveling of manure. But wouldn't it make more sense to wear the best, most comfortable pair every day as your standard shoes, especially when you are on your feet a lot and do hard physical labour? It will be more comfortable and kinder to your feet and knees, and reduce the risk of injury. It's confusing that the only "day-to-day" activity mentioned is "going over to dinner at the neighbors". Who does that every day?

Furthermore, it rubs me the wrong way that Mat ridicules the idea that "the average man" would keep a pair of nicer boots for "social events". Yes, the examples of "a ball or dinner with a local dignitary" are deliberately chosen and worded to sound hoity-toity and out of touch. But hard-working villagers still clean up and dress nicely for weddings, funerals or harvest festivals! I mean, to their best ability, if they can afford it? And the hypothetical farmer who has a pair of boots just for non-work-related walking can surely afford to have a finely crafted, beautiful pair of boots that he keeps for special occasions? Or are we subscribing to the idea that real, authentic men are purely practically minded and disdain any kind of artistry or aestheticism?

Fun fact: Pratchett's boots theory is 180 words long; Brandon Sanderson's corresponding scene is 685 words. And despite a character literally explaining the metaphor - or perhaps because of it - there is still debate over the point that Sanderson is trying to make.

It is clearly not saying the same thing as the Pratchett text, and almost feels like a clumsy rebuttal instead of an hommage. Pratchett says rich people have it easier than poor people; Sanderson says nobles have it harder than commoners. Pratchett describes how the existing system is unfair toward poor people; Sanderson is saying everyone is happy in their proper place, has their needs met and all the responsibilities they can handle. Or maybe he's not saying it, because it's comedy, haha, it's just stupid rambling Mat and there's no deeper meaning! But then why piggyback off of one of Pratchett's most famous pieces of social criticism?

I'd love to hear what other readers are getting out of this text! My own take is, admittedly, pretty harsh - too harsh? I just really don't get how you can think it's got the same message as the Vimes text! It's driving me nuts. Am I missing something? I want to hear other perspectives! In the meantime ... I think I'll be decluttering my shoe closet.

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They should put me in charge of Doctor Who, I'll give them an episode set in a futuristic day spa run by reprogrammed Daleks:

EXFOLIATE

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I'm quietly sad about the Wheel of Time cancelation, but a small part of me is also relieved. Tumblr has been lovely for the most part! But I'm really tired of the fandom as a whole, and fantasy fans, and their bad takes and stupid discourse and Reddit's bizarre Egwene hate and some other things. I don't have to see that anymore, yay. And it will be easier to avoid Brandon Sanderson fans now.

Though I still wish they could have finished this version of the story. I would have liked to see Logain's story done right. And Tuon, and Cadsuane, and a bunch of other characters that Sanderson bungled. Oh well.

I mean ... maybe I should be more optimistic, if only out of respect for the people campaigning to save the show, but I don't want to get my hopes up ... I have to say: The show introduced me to a lot of great actors and I hope everyone lands on their feet and finds nice roles in the future.

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Character creation needs to let me to choose a name AFTER creating the visuals. How am I supposed to pick a suitable name before seeing the character? D:

What do I dooooo.

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I bought a jeans shirt and you know what this means!

Finally:

Triple denim!

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Alright, I finished Final Fantasy II Pixel Remaster!

I don't want to say I "beat" it, because I often deactivated random encounters, which removed a lot of the challenge ... but also the tedium! In my defence, I genuinely just wanted to listen to the final dungeon theme without interruption. It's amazing!

Overall, I really liked the game and I enjoyed the levelling system ... well, the idea of it. It could have been implimented better. The most annoying aspect of the game was the guest party members, who were never around long enough to justify investing time and spell tomes into them. I was extremely frustrated when Ricard joined with his measly 600 HP and 5 MP and no magic whatsoever. It felt like a setback, but it should have felt super badass: a dragoon! The first dragoon of Final Fantasy! Alas, the iconic Jump command had not been invented yet. In fact, none of the characters have any special skills or unique battle moves, which would have helped a lot to freshen up the gameplay and make the characters stand out. I had no strong feelings for them.

Except for Minwu, because he is hot.

And Gordon, who strongly reminds me of Roland from Triangle Strategy: my angsty prince with an inferiority complex and survivor's guilt. Love you!

That's it, I am going to go back to Triangle Strategy! I have not finished my third playthrough yet. I need to see all the endings. I must see Roland happy. I must protect him at all costs!!!

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I made a mango seed sprout and have planted the seedling in a pot a few days ago. Now I keep gazing at my precious tree baby, which is about as high as my thumb but so very delicate. I feel like that Chrono Trigger NPC! The one in the Kingdom of Zeal, who is ordered by the queen to destroy that seed, but plants it instead! That's me, hanging out with my new leafy friend.

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I like that Tumblr allows me to block users whose content I don't want to see. I use the option freely, but there are times when I am very trigger-happy and times when I hold back because I don't want to be too quick to judge.

What I'd like is a kind of three-strike system where you don't have to block a user immediately, but make a private note so you can recognize repeat-offenders. I guess I could use pen and paper, or remember usernames like in the old days when we used our brains.

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Every time Lestat has a flashback scene to Louis in S3 they should use a soft focus filter like original series Star Trek did with all the beautiful ladies

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It's funny that there are so many people who think the Seanchan Empire in the books is meant to represent China, specifically China and China only.

Yes, the continent-spanning western Empire, originally founded by people from the old world who traveled westward across the ocean, subjugated the natives and build a society based heavily on slavery. Who eventually seek to push their order and worldview on other countries, and firmly believe that it is their right and duty to lead the world.

Who speak with a distinct drawl that Robert Jordan described as a Texas drawl.

China.

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This is a song that reminds me of Armand. This is how he sees himself:

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I'm sure Daniel is meant to be On Top Of Things politically and socially, but he still says "I thought you were a native" to the South-Asian domestic worker employed by a millionaire in Dubai.

His near-hostility to Louis' staff is really interesting. I choose to read it as an instinctive aversion to their acceptance of being an occasional vampire food source! It reminds me of Carpe Jugulum, the Terry Pratchett novel, where it is treated as especially disturbing that the vampire family is reigning over a village of humans who are putting up with it, and there's a whole coming of age ceremony involving one's first vampire bite.

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Yeah, I really thought I was going to be able to rewatch IWTV and formulate deep thoughts and make smart observations.

But all my brain manages is: "Jacob Anderson has really tiny ears."

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I like how Interview with the Vampire plays with narrative layers. At the start of 1x02, the music sets in when dinner is being served for Daniel, and continues through the montage of the fancy multi-course meal, until Daniel says "Can we turn down the music?" It was intradiegetic all along!!

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I did not think I'd ever say this, but I'm gonna take a break from Wheel of Time fandom and focus on IWTV instead. Less wank. =P

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Goldeneyes (S03E07) THE WHEEL OF TIME (2021—)

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Hot take, but if they didn't have preconceived notions due to the books, a lot more people would be shipping Louis/Daniel, because they are actually kind of cute together, in the end. I mean, ups and downs, occasional hostility, some cruelty, one murder attempt, but that's pretty wholesome by IWTV relationship standards!