Head Like a Hole mashed up with Call Me Maybe. You’re welcome. (Batman Maybe is better, but this will do.)

From the hazel orbs files, this footnote from a recent copyright opinion about whether one romance novel infringed another might be of interest:
The parties debate the extent to which the heroines’ eyes “change color with their mood and emotions in critical scenes. (Merrick: ‘emerald flames at him’, ‘eyes darkening’).” Regardless of the degree of similarity of change, this is not truly a description of the characters. Their eyes do not literally change color depending on their moods. This is a literary device meant to express the well-known idea that one’s eyes can express thoughts or emotions. The expression of that idea — a shift in eye color reflecting a change in mood — is generic and not protectable.
Pat Conroy, My Reading Life: Memoirish book of reminiscences about books and literary people Conroy has known, in Conrad’s standard style, which is to say charmingly florid. I should probably just reread The Prince of Tides instead.

Neil Barofsky, Bailout: How Washington Abandoned Main Street While Rescuing Wall Street: Insider account of Barofsky’s time as inspector general for TARP within Treasury. Barofsky is really mad, and has reason to be given that the key decisionmakers only wanted to save banks, even when Congress had given them money explicitly to be used to help homeowners. He’s at his best explaining the perverse incentives that applied so that many people ended up worse off trying to get help from TARP, which Treasury then defined as existing to “foam the runway” for the banks and slow down the rate of foreclosures so the banks would be okay—without acknowledging that that slowing-down meant encouraging people to run through their life savings and destroy their credit and then still lose their homes. But don’t worry; the banks are bigger now and I’m sure this time they won’t take risks requiring taxpayer bailouts, since that would cost them their credibility (not their bonuses, though).
brownbetty: (Default)

From: [personal profile] brownbetty


I have that "well, I just got stupider" feeling, knowing that someone took "you stole my magical colour-changing eyes heroine!" to court.
darkemeralds: Manga-style avatar of DarkEm with caption Hee (cartoony me)

From: [personal profile] darkemeralds


I almost hit the "buy" button on Barofsky's book, feeling in the mood for a little outrage, as one sometimes does. But I decided that my blood pressure was more important. Thanks for the nutshell. You've validated my decision. (I downloaded a Georgette Heyer novel instead.)
parhelion: Archie Goodwin/meganbmoore (Archie-gun)

From: [personal profile] parhelion


O. M. G. I am finding a reason to bring the magic eye-color changing up in the online Harvard copyright class I'm taking if I have to bend over backwards to do it.
auroramama: (Default)

From: [personal profile] auroramama

dem orbs


In partial defense of the trope, I'm compelled to say: Some eyes do change slightly with "mood", but mostly in the sense that a mood ring does: on the spectrum of cold - cool - lukewarm - hot, with blood vessels behind the eyes supplying the heat. I've never seen emerald green eyes, but I have seen khaki eyes turn grass green after a morning run. And there's pupil dilation and the color of the surrounding face (pallor to puce) to make further subtle changes in appearance.

I would love to hear what becomes of the hoary old "her emerald eyes turned cobalt with indignation" cliche in copyright class.
wordweaverlynn: (Default)

From: [personal profile] wordweaverlynn

Re: dem orbs


I've seen this. One lover of mine has changeable blue eyes that turn green with arousal. And I have a friend who has hazel eyes - except when they're blue or gray. I was astonished at the degree of change.
ciaan: (different eyes)

From: [personal profile] ciaan

Re: dem orbs


I've met someone whose eyes were definitely emerald.

And as an owner of magic color-changing Mary Sue blue-grey-green with yellow rings around the pupils eyes... I actually can't validate how much they shift with mood as I'm rarely watching myself. But they certainly change color frequently, generally more blue or grey. A lot of it is external, based on what I'm wearing or the light, but for example, if my pupils are very constricted the yellow rings are pretty large and if they're very dilated the yellow basically disappears, so that could happen on a mood basis I guess. And if my eyes are bloodshot because I've been crying or something they get bright glowing green, which would be a very lovely color if I could ever achieve it without the accompanying unattractive redness. I also blush and blanch easily so that could affect them. I think you're probably right about the blood vessel heat, which is interesting, I never thought of that before.
vodou_blue: kokeshi green (Default)

From: [personal profile] vodou_blue


I hate to say it but some people's eyes actually do change color with their mood. My husband's eyes do that; I've been looking at them for 20+ years, so I'm positive it's not just a trick of the light or romantic wimsey. I could see suing over the phrasing of that literary device (and yes, it is also a literary device) but the device itself? *pfft*

Neil Barofsky is right! Not gonna share my personal horror story; suffice to say he totally nailed it.
on_verra: (Default)

From: [personal profile] on_verra


LOL, that mashup! Thank you, indeed.

Totally random, but I just added you on GoodReads. It doesn't look like you're active there at all, but since I adore your book reviews here, I added you so that I'll know if you ever start posting them there, as well :)
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