#Michael is a character defined by his grief
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Wait hold is Mike...?
Drawing his siblings?
He never stops thinking about them,,
#ask reply#GOOD EYE BTW..#Michael is a character defined by his grief#I can see so clearly Michael can’t help but draw his siblings#a way to remember them making sure he hasn’t forgotten how they look#if I think too hard about the Afton siblings I will sob#I’ve actually have had Michael lowkey draw his siblings a couple times#so this is a consistent things for him 💜
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Oscars Night Part 1 (MBJ/Famous Black OC)
A/N: Warning - NSFW… My favorite Black power couple are back at it againnnn… took some creative liberties with this one lol but hope you enjoy and let me know if you want to be tagged! There is a part 2 with Charlotte's win but I wanted to start with MBJ.
***
"Welcome back to the 96th Academy Awards. And now to present the Academy Award for Best Director, please welcome two-time Oscar winner Charlotte Elsbeth Jordan."
Charlotte forced her face to remain relaxed with a bright smile despite the nerves coursing through her as she glided up to the mic. She was far more nervous than she should have been for a category she was not even nominated in. And it was not because of the bright lights, sea of her peers, or the millions of people watching that she could not see. No, it was because who won this category would be a defining moment in her life.
She took a deep breath and pushed her long hair behind her ear before smiling and reading her lines. “As actors, we know that our work would mean little without strong visionaries at the helm. Our directors set the tone for our work and are tasked with bringing complex stories and characters to life and creating new worlds for us to escape to. Whether we are watching a coming-of-age story or a man fighting his past both in and outside of the ring, these five directors brought to life stories of joy, grief, heartbreak, and compassion. Their innovative visions for their films created both windows into the lives of people we may never know, and mirrors into our own lives so we may better know ourselves. Here are the nominees for Best Director.”
Charlotte waited as the lights dimmed and the video started playing a scene from each nominee’s film. She wasn’t listening really until she heard it, the performance she really cared about it, the one she prayed with her all might would win one of the biggest awards of the night. "Michael B. Jordan, Creed III.” She listen to the short snippet of Michael and Jonathan’s fight on the beach from the film, which remained - even a year later - one of her favorite scenes. She wished she could see his face in the darkness, from his seat on the front row, she knew he absolutely hated watching himself back. Her mind allowed her to be transported back to the moment right before this.
"You ready?" She whispered to him during the commercial break, only having a few moments before the showrunners would whisk her backstage to fulfill her role as a presenter. She had not really wanted a role at all, except the one of a doting and supportive wife, but the world had other plans. When the original presenter for the award fell through, the Academy called Jordan and asked her to step in. It was not ideal as her husband was nominated, leading to a true test of their cardinal rule: their relationship would never interfere with work.
Charlotte immediately informed her husband, letting him know that her intention to politely decline. She did not want to announce the award because, while she felt he deserved to win (and voted as such), statistically, he had a 20% chance. She had been in his shoes before, knew the odds were never truly in anyone’s favor when it came to award shows, and would rather sit beside him and support him whichever way the wind blew.
Michael, on the other hand, couldn’t have disagreed more. He insisted she accept, citing that cardinal rule they had always abided by since they started dating nine years prior. This was work and presenting at the Oscars was a promotional opportunity. And he knew Marvel would not appreciate her turning down an opportunity to promote her recent project, the Marvels. She could not say no simply because of his feelings. He also believed that he would rather hear the news, either way, from his wife. Charlotte did not necessarily agree with his logic but who was she to argue with him? It was his night after all and this was what he wanted.
Michael kissed the back of her hand. "Babe, stop stressing. I am not as worried as you and I am the one nominated," he chuckled. Charlotte narrowed her eyes at the way his hand gripped and released the meat of her thigh, exposed by the high split in her dress, a tell that he was similarly riddled with anxiety.
"Yea and I am sure you aren’t nervous at all," she retorted, pointing at his active hand and jiggling leg.
He sighed, "I just don’t want to get too caught up in it, you know? You said so yourself… shit doesn’t really change. Being one of the only sports movies nominated is an honor in and of itself. So many directors and actors don’t win this shit anyway so if I don’t, I’ll move on.”
Charlotte could not disagree with him there, she understood all of this too well. In 2018, she became the first black woman to win two Oscars in one night for Best Song and Best Actress, cementing her place as the youngest EGOT winner in history. And while it was a moment she had dreamed about her entire life, aside from the phone ringing a bit more, nothing truly changed. The work was still the work and people did not treat her any differently.
"Well just know that whatever name I read up there, you are the best director to me," she offered as security came to transition her backstage. She placed a kiss to his cheek and lips before heading to get mic’ed up.
Charlotte’s hand trembled slightly as the lights came back up and the camera’s transitioned back to her. This was it, the moment of truth. "And the Oscar goes to…"
It took a moment to open the envelope and pull the card out. She read the name twice just to ensure she wasn’t hallucinating, unable to stop the gigantic smile that spread across her face or the tears that started to fall earnestly. “Get on up here, husband.” She laughed, the entire crowd immediately erupting in cheers. “Michael B. Jordan, Creed III.”
Loud cheers filled her ears and the crowd rose to a standing ovation as Michael made his way up to the stage. It took a minute as he gave a quick round of hugs to a couple of their friends who sat along the way to the stage.
Charlotte could barely see through the tears that clouded her vision by the time he was in front of her. Michael did not care about the golden statue in her hand as he swept her up into a hug and deep kiss, the audience also forgotten until a wolf whistle and whooping filled their ears. To him, this moment was well worth the anxiety he felt for the last week at the idea of her saying someone else’s name. This was more than he could have hoped for.
“I’m so proud of you,” she whispered as she broke away from their hug and kissed him softly again. He squeezed her hand, bringing it to his lips to kiss her ring finger, their signature move. She quickly moved off to the side to stand out of the shot so he could give his speech.
He stood there stunned for a moment, staring down at the statue and over to his wife. He truly had not thought he would win. So few directors receive the honor in their lifetime, let alone for their first movie. And a sports movie at that? He was shocked to be nominated. He truly had simply enjoyed the journey of being a nominee and was resigned to being nothing more. He had not even written a speech just in case. However, tonight was simply further proof that the only person ever putting limitations on his dreams was him. Tonight, he held the highest honor one could receive in his profession in his hand and it filled him with a pride he had never known.
"Wow… Els… this is something else. Um… first I want to thank God, without him I wouldn’t be able to be here and do what I love day and day out. I want to thank my parents, who made it possible for a young man from New Jersey to be in and make movies and make it to this stage tonight. You both always encouraged me to follow my dreams and my passions, I’ll never be able to repay you for that." There was a light applause and cheering at the heartfelt tribute to his parents.
"I want to thank everyone involved in this project - from the entire crew to my amazing cast, particularly Charlotte Elsbeth Jordan, Jonathan Majors, and Mila Davis Kent - I wouldn't be up here without you all. Thank you for putting your heart, soul and dedication into this project and showcasing the importance of vulnerability, love, and family in this film. Thank you to every director who has inspired me and helped me in this journey… Ryan, Stephen, Denzel… you all gave me so much insight and support throughout this process and I couldn’t be more appreciative.
"Lastly… I want to thank my wife, the love of my life, mother of my children. Els… whew," he paused as a wave of emotion hit him. He turned away from the audience to look at Charlotte, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Everyday with you is a gift and a blessing. From the day I met you at a chemistry test for Creed to today, you’ve pushed me to be the best version of myself, to take risks, and to chase dreams that felt impossible. You love so fiercely and with your whole soul and that has sustained me through it all. My greatest role in this life is being your husband and partner on screen and off.” He paused and gestured to the award and said, “When I think about what Adonis Creed and this franchise have brought to my life, the first thing I think is that it brought me to you. And for that, I’m forever grateful. I love you to the moon and back a hundred times over again, honey bee.” His voice broke slightly as he voiced his immense admiration for his wife, who could not try to hid the tears streaming down her face even if she wanted to.
"Thank y’all!" Michael raised the small statue up before walking toward Charlotte.
***
“Damn I’m exhausted,” Michael muttered as he unzipped Charlotte’s jumpsuit in their hotel room. He was happy they decided to just stay in their hotel for the night, his parents having offered to babysit. The drive back to their house at 4 am would have been hell after all the liquor the pair had at the two Oscars after parties.
“I knowwwww. You were the life of the party tonight. Didn’t realize you could party that hard at your age, old man,” she teased causing him to chuckle.
“You weren’t calling me old man last night,” he joked.
“Hate you!” She called from the bathroom as she hung her jumpsuit up in its garment bag. “Law already sent me a couple photos from the Vanity Fair red carpet. Said people are calling us the best dressed couple of the night. But I really want our photo booth photos from Jay and Bey’s. Those were so cute. I think we should get a couple framed for the house.”
“Whatever you want, baby.”
Michael shed his clothes and stretched back on the bed. His eyes drank in his wife as she walked around their suite in nothing but her lingerie.
“Liking the view?” She teased as she grabbed her pajamas.
“Always.”
“Well… as an Oscar winner, I recall someone once telling me that you get anything you want.” Michael smiled and nodded as she reminded him of what he told her the night she won. She sauntered over to him and slid down to her knees. “So, what do you want, Mr. Jordan?”
He slid his boxers down and gestured toward his manhood. He knew he did not have to say it, she already knew. And he knew she would likely enjoy the task just as much, if not more, than he did.
Charlotte’s mouth watered at the sight. Michael spent a great deal of time worshipping her body during sex, however, she was a giver too so she loved any excuse to fall to her knees and suck her husband’s dick. She took half of him into her mouth, her tongue rolling over his tip. She savored the taste of him as she moaned around his dick, the vibrations causing a moan to escape his lips.
She took her time with her task, massaging, licking and teasing the sensitive spots that would elicit the greatest response from the love of her life. People said sex would grow stall years into a marriage. However, Charlotte and Michael found that theirs only continued to improve as they knew exactly what the other needed.
She took a deep breath before taking him as far as she could into her throat. She relished in the feeling of his tip hitting the back of her throat and the praise that came with it as she took him as deep as she could. She felt her own desire pool between her legs as she listened to his moans and outpourings of adoration and praise.
“F-fuck… that’s it baby. Feels so… fucking good,” he breathed, his fingers tangled themselves in her long hair as he fucked her mouth. She loved this part, relinquishing control to him so he could fuck her as he desired.
And though his wife’s ministrations felt like pure bliss, all he wanted was to be buried deep inside her. He sat up and let his dick fall from her mouth, her lips immediately curling into a cute pout. He knew she was hoping he would cum down her throat but he didn’t want that tonight.
“I wasn’t doneeeee,” she whined playfully.
He merely laughed and helped her to her feet.
“Get on the bed, baby. You said whatever I want, remember?”
She could not and would not argue with that. “How do you want me then, love?” She knew the answer before it left his mouth.
“You know what I want, baby. Deep arch like I like it.”
Charlotte could’ve orgasmed right then and there at the command in his voice. She immediately moved and got on all fours on their bed, assuming his favorite position: face and chest down, ass up. She moaned as she felt a featherlike touch against her clit.
“P-please,” she whimpered, her need for him to stick something in her growing to painful levels.
“What do you want, baby? Want me to fuck you?”
She nodded fervently, her need clear in every syllable. “Y-Yes… please. I need you.”
As she felt him line himself up with her entrance, she almost willed him to ram it into her. She gasped and buried her head deep into the bed as he pushed into her. Her fingers clutched the white comforter tightly as she felt him fill her, a feeling that never got old, a high that she would chase day after day after day.
“You like that baby?” He asked as his hips started a relentless pace as he fucked her.
She could barely formulate words to answer him as she got lost in the pleasure he gave her. The only sounds filling their suite were the sounds of his hips smacking into her ass and her constant and loud moans.
She yelped as he smacked her across the ass, the sharp bite of pain pushing her closer and closer to her orgasm.
“I said, do you like that?”
“Y-Yes… fuck… I-I love you so much. D-don’t stop.”
An unnecessary direction because Michael had no intention of stopping. They could catch up on sleep tomorrow. Tonight? He planned on fucking his wife senseless until the Sun was back shining bright in the sky. After all, an Oscar winner gets whatever they want.
Taglist: @certifiedlesbianbaddie
#michael b jordan x reader#michael b jordan smut#mbjordanedit#michael b jordan#creed 3#creed iii#black panther#black writers#Michael b Jordan x oc#Michael b Jordan fanfic#adonis creed
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I’m a big Hamlet fan and I am curious as to what your favorite movie/for screen rendition is? I’ve been working my way through a lot of them, gone through about 7, so far Hamlet at Elsinore with Christopher Plummer is my favorite. I was just curious what yours is !
What a great question!!
Hamlet at Elsinore is definitely my favorite filmed version of the play. I feel that Christopher Plummer does a fantastic - and frankly critically underappreciated - job of portraying the more nuanced and complicated aspects of Hamlet's character while still giving a straightforward performance that's highly accessible to any audience. Notably, he doesn't treat the performance as his ~*~epic, defining role of a lifetime~*~ or ~high artistic theater~ (*cough* Branagh and Jacobi), but instead focuses on telling a deeply compelling, very moving story about the complex nature of grief and revenge. I also like that this version embraces the more "postmodern" elements that exist in the written text of Hamlet: the complicity of the audience, the inevitability of the outcome, Hamlet's genre-awareness and genre-defiance, etc.
[Not to keep hating on Branagh, but in contrast: Branagh's Hamlet in particular seems to go out of its way to avoid including the more interesting proto-postmodern thematic elements of the play - at times not seeming to recognize that they're even there. He instead focuses his time and energy on inserting new cinematography-based visual themes that go nowhere and at times stand in OPPOSITION to the actual tone and themes of the original text. Because apparently Hamlet the play is too boring and instead of lame elements like "themes" and "compelling characterization," we need a swinging chandelier sword fight scenes and Freudian weirdness. Truly the Joel Schumacher Phantom of the Opera adaptation of Shakespeare films. But I DIGRESS-)
Plus it doesn't hurt that everybody aside from Plummer in Hamlet at Elsinore is also fabulous. Obviously, Michael Caine's Horatio is the single best and most definitive version of the character in film, but I also love Robert Shaw's Claudius and Muller's Ophelia.
If we're talking favorite filmed versions of the STORY of Hamlet though, that's Asta Nielsen's silent film from 1921. It's so beautifully filmed and wonderfully told. She's what I picture when I picture Hamlet.
Other than that....I like Tennant and Stewarts' RSC filmed version well enough. It has a number of very strange choices and I don't love the re-ordering of the scenes, but Tennant does a great job with the character and I think it's a very approachable performance. A few other filmed stage versions are also excellent, though with a few similarly weird elements - I'd put Maxine Peake's version on the same tier as the RSC version. I do NOT like Branagh's version at all (if you couldn't already tell...). Jacobi's and Gibson's are slightly better, but they're still too focused on the prestige of the performance rather than the actual story being told imo. I think they fall under the same criticism as Holden Caulfield's scathing review of Laurence Olivier: "more like a general than a sad, screwed-up type guy." (Yes I know this line is an in-text authorial critique of Holden himself but also: he's right and he should say it.)
If you haven't already, I do highly recommend listening to the BBC Radio 4 audiodrama version of Hamlet, starring Jamie Parker. Despite being a audio version of a stage play, it somehow blows every filmed version of Hamlet (except maybe HAE) out of the water. I listen to it at least once a year.
Finally, my actual favorite versions of Hamlet have ALWAYS been those I've seen live (or seen bootleg filmed stage performances of lmao). If it's ever playing live near you, definitely go and see it. The play was meant to be seen on a live stage in front of you, and many of the jokes and themes only make sense in that context. In my opinion, the medium of live theater elevates the play so far beyond what a movie could ever achieve.
...sorry this answer is so long 😅 Really, it doesn't matter what my opinions on Hamlet films are. If any version of the play really speaks to you - even if it's the accursed Branagh version - that is so awesome and makes me really happy people are engaging with the play in that way! (But since you're saying that HAE is your favorite so far, I will add that you have excellent, discerning taste ;))
#hamlet#willy shakes#'not to keep hating on Branagh-' I say like it's not been the leitmotif of my blog for over a decade#I cannot help myself. any opportunity I am throwing down.#shut up e#shakespeare after dark#should we bring that tag back? I feel like we should bring that tag back
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hiiii, i hope it's okay that i throw some thoughts at you, feel free to ignore this if it doesn't spark joy! ♡
richie has been such a pleasure in season 2, and the entire finale?! 😭 i am still unwell. richie burying michael— i can't, the carmy-richie dynamic makes me sick (affectionately), they make me cry (literally). their fight was so intense. richie repeating "yeah, i'm obsessed with you" and "i fucking love you" to carmy over and over. how carmy, who they call "bear", was literally in a type of "cage" (the fridge) in the finale, being very aggressive, just how they said bears were in episode 6 (but bears are also kind and empathetic and—), how he wanted to be let out but instead the others let his rage become background noise so they can focus on their work instead. how carmy was catastrophizing in the fridge (remembering chaotic scenes from season 1), and how that was contrasted by richie, syd, and the others handling things well outside of the fridge.
how syd was overwhelmed with the tickets so she handed the reigns over to richie, and he handled the job with confidence, helping to make things run better. how syd and richie managed to work together in season 2 after the stabbing fiasco in season 1. how richie gave fak the confidence to work in the front in such a gentle way. how gary gave uncle jimmy the chocolate-covered banana because richie insisted on giving him this surprise, and uncle jimmy looked so incredibly emotional in that moment and wanted richie to be thanked sincerely. how donna actually appeared on the opening night but did not go inside. how peter found out that nat hasn't told donna that she's pregnant. how carmy got incredibly mad about the fishes getting cold, and how it was exactly seven fishes again (paralleling the seven fishes christmas tradition in episode 6). how luca had sent marcus the "every second counts" plate, and how marcus ended up missing various calls from his mom's nurse because of the work he was so dedicated to, possibly missing the last chance ever to spend a few precious seconds with his own mom.
how the first 12 minutes of 2x10 was filmed as one long take, and the camera kept focusing on and following different characters through the restaurant, making things feel smooth. the long take continuing until the moment where carmy gets locked in the fridge and syd tells everybody to hold their work for a second so that she can think, and then the scene cutting from syd's face to the ticketing machine for the very first time, back to syd, back to the ticketing machine going crazy (showing syd panicking, feeling overwhelmed), and then continuously cutting through the rest of the episode, making everything feel extra hectic and fast 😭
i am on the FLOOR about all these things, i CAN'T 😭😭
hiii friend i literally love ALL of this!!! loved reading this fr love that other people love the show as much as i do! my thoughts r gonna be equally as messy here lmfaoooo bear w me (🐻)
this season did so well in further characterizing everyone. like that flashback episode told us so much about carmy and richie and mikey and nat. all the characters sent away on their own little journeys was so lovely— marcus! tina! syd!
this season is literally like… all the characters getting better and becoming better (professionally) while still having all this personal shit to deal w underneath. very curious to see where they take marcus/his mom, syd/her dad, the berzattos/donna, RICHIEE....
richie is my fave character fr i looooove him. he’s also jus so so funny (like in s1 telling syd not to be hysterical behind the wheel or whatever.) richie and carmy's relationship is so so interesting. 2x10 fight alone- which i've already talked about- but also like.... something about how carmy and richie’s grief and how their initial relationship to each other is defined through their connection to michael?!? like how carmy rly sees richie as michael’s best friend, and richie will always see carmy as michael’s little brother…. etc.... richie and carmy's dynamic drives me INSANE. also just.....surgerates fucko!!!!
the first part of 2x10 being one shot was SO GOOD literally just how all of 1x07 was one shot!! ALSO the ticketing machine spitting out anxiety notes like in s1 when carmy was freaking out and seeing “you’re a piece of shit // you killed him” etc etc lmaoooo the trauma of the kitchen environment✨ carmy and syd are such narrative FOILS let's go
unpopular opinion here too but i loooove claire hope she comes back <3333
and yes (@everyone) feel free to message me whenever!! promise i'm friendly
#the bear#the bear spoilers#the bear fx#the bear hulu#the bear season 2#the bear s2#ask#seik-o#userseiko
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okay idk here are my MoM takes, such as they are. I honestly found most of the film to be forgettable to the point that I don't recall a lot of what happened, but then I don't think a lot actually happened, at least plotwise. Michael W*ldron and his yt male mediocrity strike again
yes, visually it's a very stunning movie. if that's literally all you're looking for in a film then I guess this is for you. although that said, there are some weird transitions between scenes I still don't understand creatively but whatever, nitpicking.
people keep likening this to a horror because of the dark visuals and occasional jumpscares, but I'd say that's about where the parallel to the horror genre starts and stops. also, the whole 'horror' thing relies on Wanda being the slasher monster which...is cool in a way? But also a pretty misogynistic take on how a female character processes her grief, but I'd expect nothing less from Michael. anyway, it's not really horror, just a film with creepy visuals.
the pacing is awful. the writing as a whole is awful. Scenes drag on longer than they should, there's little to no build up of any character though after a certain point it's clear we're supposed to care about certain characters and their dynamics together but it's like wait when did you give me a reason? there's very little explanation for anything, things just sort of -happen- and rely on the viewer caring more about how they look then why they're happening in the first place. oddly, the writing relies a great deal on the audience having seen Wandavision beforehand despite taking very little of the show into account for anything else.
Michael's very male-centric POV, early 00's style of writing is ofc the defining tone of the script. While this is kind of a dual Wanda and Dr. Strange piece (SORT OF) all of the narrative sympathy and build up is devoted solely to Stephen. We're supposed to feel SO BAD for him as he corners his ex-gf at her wedding to talk about their past relationship even as she is visibly uncomfortable and says as much, and then later he's still pushing his feelings towards an alt-universe version of her but at least then she's just like 'ok thanks lol'. When the Illuminati tell him every Dr. Strange is evil including him the narrative frames it as an obvious lie because clearly Stephen is much more nuanced than that; Wanda though, 100% evil, no justification for anything SHe does EVER. It's the double-standard in who gets to be a sympathetic character and who doesn't for me. Very game of thrones lol. Also the fact that Wanda is given no more narrative motivation to go full evil than 'I AM A MOTHER I HAVE CHILDREN' which, yes, I understand is a big part of her character in any context but you cant tell me wandavision didn't manage to make her character and motivations more nuanced where this film didn't even try. The writing literally relies on 'sad woman = evil' and nothing else. I mean, it's pretty clear to me there was an avenue here to have Stephen and Wanda commiserate and find some comfort from each other in their shared issues maybe, but then we wouldn't have woman = bad and thus a scary monster villain
Lightspeed kill your gays happens in a scene that could be easily edited out for homophobic markets, but who is surprised?
The people who seem to watch marvel solely to make fun of fans are delighted that all the new characters who got introduced were quickly killed off bc 'lol stupid blorbo cameo' but like, that doesn't make it a good narrative choice or worth anyone's time at the end of the day. Think of how that time could've been spent giving this film an ounce of narrative depth instead
As far as I'm concerned the only good parts were Professor X's. Only he shows Wanda any kind of compassion, and the scene where he enters her mind and sees the desolation of her grief- IT IS THE ONLY TIME WANDA IS ALLOWED DEPTH OUTSIDE OF EVIL CRAZY LADY. When he tries to help her from the rubble...when he tells Stephen he believes people are more than just their past misdeeds. Idk. Wish there could have been more of that.
My main thing is, I really wish Marvel would hire writers that can put together a self-contained screenplay for these films. It's not impossible; it certainly wasn't impossible here. I'm of the opinion that these films would be stronger if they could stand on their own, if the hour and a half, two hour plot could be a self-contained, tight story that still encompasses the plot points they need to hit going forward. Something that randos not familiar with the marvel universe would still enjoy. It's not difficult, it really isn't. Because yeah, sure, as part of the big multiverse hyping everyone's into this film, and I could be wrong, but I just don't see this movie having the staying power over time that it could have. I don't see anyone, five years from now, being like "omg MoM is one of my fave films ever!!" because outside of the main overarching plot and visuals, it's pretty aimless and pointless. It's pretty aimless regardless of the main plot, tbh.
I ofc realize too that the amount of hype given to this film might be part of what makes the finished product such a disappointment, but I'm certain I would've found it boring and poorly written regardless of how much it was hyped up. It's definitely a let down after Wandavision, why on EARTH didn't they at least use some of THOSE writers??
Anyway, once again moving back into my lifelong 'Marvel probably isn't for me' position because, as per usual, the narrative focus and sympathy has to be devoted to whoever the main yt cishet male character is while everyone else is reduced to villain, sidekick or disposable POC/queer person. Makes the scope of superhero media very limiting.
#mom spoilers#these are just my opinions bear in mind#mainly it was just boring and underwhelming imo#anti michael waldron
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Full name: James Cillian Bennett
Nickname(s): J (by his younger sister), Badass Bennett (by Atlas, a friend in Colorado), JB (by his unit the Army, a nickname they used to tease him with)
Age: 35
Birthday: August 22, 1987
Hometown: West Roxbury, Boston, MA
Languages spoken: English, Spanish, ASL, some Pashto and Dari
Accent: Typical standard American accent
Smells like: Typical Old Spice deodorant
Family: Deborah Maria Bennett née Walker [Mother - deceased], Michael Joseph Bennett [Father - estranged], Amelia Bennett [sister], Rey Skywalker Bennett [dog and buddy]
Relationship status: Single
More under the cut!
Hair color: Dirty blonde
Eye color: Blue
Height: 6'0
Occupation: Professor of Literature and History at NYU
Neighborhood: West Village, Lower Manhattan
Time in New York: Just a couple of weeks
MBTI: ISTJ
Positives: Resilient, friendly, goofy, caring
Negatives: Reclusive, overbearing at times, stubborn, sometimes lives in denial, self-deprecating to a fault, doesn’t trust other easily
Defining traits: That bright smile; always whistling what seems to be a crooner tune but it's probably Guns 'N Roses or AC/DC; at a park, he's most definitely the guy conversing with his dog; always has a coffee and book in hand; at a party, he’s easily spotted as the guy not drinking as he doesn’t drink at all due to his mother’s history
Scars: Random small scars scattered on his right chest and part of his right arm from explosive shrapnel; a slanted slash on his back on the left side about 10 inches in length from a knife; not a scar but his jaw is permanently dislocated because of (TW: abuse) the beating his father gave
Pets: Rey, a golden retriever named after the Star Wars character
Bio:
[TW: Alcoholism, abandonment, death, abuse]
The very first thing James Bennett learned in life was that he had no one else to rely on but himself. Born on August 22, 1987 to parents who seemed to want nothing to do with him, James quickly learned how to be self-dependent. His mom was too busy guzzling down whichever drink she fancied that day and his dad was always working and never home. It was a bit of a rude awakening for a four-year-old James to realize that the norm was for parents to pick their kids up from kindergarten and not to walk home by themselves.
When his sister, Amelia, arrived, he already had his hands full trying to survive on his own, but he never once thought Amelia was a burden. True to their nature, their parents didn't much care for his sister as well, and it fell on the elder Bennett to take care of her. As the years went on, they became inseparable. He was her J, and she, his Kiddo. As far as they were concerned, they were the Dynamic Duo, and nothing could stop them.
Despite having absentee parents, James excelled in his studies. Because their dad kept the money for himself and their mother wasted it all on alcohol, James had to find ways to earn for him and Amelia, and he found a way to capitalize on his intelligence by doing other students' homework for a fee.
One day in his freshman year, he was called out of class. His father couldn't be contacted, unsurprisingly, so it was James who got the news that his mother had gotten in a car accident—and died on the spot. Any notion that the traumatic event would bring him and Amelia closer to their father was dashed immediately. Despite being an alcoholic, she was still their mother, and they had to process the grief by themselves as their father did what he did best: he worked.
Nearing the end of his senior year, James' "homework business" was discovered and he was expelled. His father came home that night and turned violent, beating James up and calling him a screw-up and a failure. Despite trying to protect himself, his father almost beat him to within an inch of his life. Amelia got in between them and suffered injuries of her own, but if it wasn't for her, James would most certainly have died.
The two of them decided to run away, but now on their own, James felt the weight of responsibility even more on his shoulders. He decided to do the difficult thing and join the Army to be able to provide for Amelia, not knowing it would cause a big rift in their relationship. Even when he returned four years later, their relationship was never the same.
A recluse his entire life, it was only in the Army where he began to form friendships. It was also here that he met Sophia, a fellow soldier in his unit. Despite the rules, the two quickly fell in love, but the both were determined to keep their relationship a secret until after they had finished their service. The two were already planning their lives after the Army until Sophia died in an ambush on a routine patrol, just a month before they were set to go home.
James was devastated, but the thinking of having to go through everything all on his own was strong in him and he decided to pursue a Master's Degree when he got back while also getting a job as a teacher. He moved to Colorado after he was offered a position as a professor there, all while trying to push down the trauma and pain he had experienced while in the Army.
During his time in Colorado, he made a number of new friends, something he never thought possible outside of the Army, who helped him heal from some of things he'd been ignoring. Amelia also followed him there, and though it was difficult, the two reconciled. James also met Dylan, and despite being unsure at first, he fell for her. Sadly, the relationship wouldn't last. It was an amicable split but it hurt nonetheless. Not wanting to repeat the past, he decided to face his feelings and deal with them, though the temptation to run was strong, especially since it was at this time that Amelia had already left for New York.
It was a few moths after that he was surprised to find Amelia on his doorstep, crushed and grieving from a breakup with Ant. She stayed with him for a few weeks, and after she regaled him with her (mis)adventures in NYC, the thought of possibly moving on from Colorado was piqued. A few months after Amelia returned to the Big Apple, James would pack his suitcases and follow his sister there.
Now a professor at NYU, James wonders if there's still such a thing as a "fresh start" for someone like him. The verdict is still in on that.
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Title: Tin Man
Author: Sarah Winman
Publication Year: 2017
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Genre: fiction, queer lit
This was a quiet novel focusing on the somewhat complicated relationship between Ellis, Michael, and Annie. I say complicated in the sense that the relationship between Ellis and Michael in particular wasn’t exactly defined, other than that there was an intense intimacy between the two that somewhat fell apart as they grew older. Told first from the perspective of Ellis, followed by a more intimate perspective from Michael (which I think was a result of it being told in the first person), the reader saw the wonders and tensions of love in every sense of the word through their narratives during the 1980s and 1990s in the United Kingdom (and France, for some moments).
I found that I was most invested in Michael’s section, especially to see how he made sense of his identity as a gay man during the AIDS epidemic. Unfortunately, I felt that his section wasn’t nearly as developed as it could have been, though, to be frank, I feel that the novel overall wasn’t as developed as I had hoped. Given the shortness of this novel, I think Winman could have taken more time to flesh out her characters more to really dig into their interiorities and, of course, their relationships with one another. While the prose was beautiful, I was a bit let down by the fact that there wasn’t depth in the content to make the writing really shine.
It seems like this novel worked really well for many other readers, but I found myself wanting a little more than what was given.
Content Warning: death, terminal illness, homophobia, grief, references to suicidal thoughts
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Film Review: The Godfather (16)
The Godfather is a 1972 crime film directed by Italian American Francis Ford Coppola. It is adapted from a novel of the same name authored by Italian American novelist Mario Puzo. The film is known for starring now-legendary actors like Marlon Brando and Al Pacino and was shot by cinematographer Gordon Willis. It chronicles the rise to power of family outsider Michael Corleone as he becomes the Don of the Corleone family.
The movie uses visually dark, shadowy scenes to symbolize the morally dark doings of the various crime families of New York, particularly the Corleones and the Tattaglias. For example, most of the defining scenes of the movie are set at nighttime. Another way the film uses the element of sight is to contrast otherwise peaceful, mundane occurrences with the activities of the Corleones. For example, the film contrasts the wedding of Connie to Carlo with Vito accepting requests as the Don, as well as the baptism of Michael as godfather to his sister's baby with the murders of the other families' heads on his orders. The movie uses the element of sound to enhance certain scenes. For example, it uses a build-up from silence to the film's main theme to dramatically reveal the head of Jack Woltz’s horse lying in his bed and the sound of the baby crying during Michael's baptism as godfather to foreshadow the murders of the other families’ heads. It also uses the sound of a train whistle to build tension before Michael kills Sollozzo and McCluskey. In terms of color, the film uses earthy, muted tones, evoking a nostalgic feel and solidifying the setting as post-World War II America. It also uses the color orange to symbolize death, as Vito Corleone dies of a heart attack with a piece of orange in his mouth, and a basket of oranges is nearby when he is gunned down earlier in the film. In the movie, the camera evokes motion as it zooms out and pans, following and focusing on the principal characters. For example, in the opening scene alone, the camera zooms out from Bonasera, the undertaker, to reveal one of the main characters, Don Vito Corleone. The film also uses the element of emotion by allowing the audience to feel the way the characters are feeling through their lines. For example, Vito expresses his grief for his son Santino's murder with the line "Look how they massacred my boy."
Something that made this film interesting to watch for me was the perspective it offered. Instead of framing the Mafia as the antagonistic force, The Godfather portrays it in a more sympathetic light, bringing up themes of loyalty and family. Also worth noting is that at least to me, the film subtly warns against government corruption - an example being minor antagonist Mark McCluskey, a corrupt police officer, and the brief mention given to many influential figures apparently under the Corleones' control.
In my opinion, the film should have given minor characters Fredo Corleone, Luca Brasi, and Johnny Fontane more significant roles to play in the story. Other than that, I am unsure if the film could be improved.
The film's message to me was a warning: "If you get into crime, it is hard to get out. Crime hardens the kindest of men." When I saw that Michael could so casually lie to his sister and his wife about murdering his brother-in-law upon ascending to the position of Godfather, I realized just how ruthless he had become.
All in all, I would recommend the film to others, provided they are of appropriate age and mental maturity. Watching The Godfather requires attention to detail and focus to appreciate, traits slowly disappearing in a world that runs on instant gratification.
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An In Depth Analysis and History of Psychological Horror and Slashers!
Psychological is by far my favorite subgenre of horror. These movies focus on how we should not let emotions overcrowd our judgment and sanity. They often follow characters who get taken over by their own feelings, and in turn do bad things because of them. These films don’t do anything to normally scare you, they leave the fears up to you.
In comparison to most horror movies focusing on jumpscares, psychological horror focuses on building tension, getting in your head, and making you uncomfortable. When nothing happens, the tension sticks with you until the very end of the film, and you never get a sigh of relief, like you would with a jump scare. These movies hone in on your own fear, because what you come up with in your own head is what’s scary to you.
Ari Aster’s 2018 film “Hereditary” has a 2 hour and 7 minute run time, with 2 hours of that run time being dedicated to scenes of the characters just talking to one another. When asked what the director wanted to make, he stated that he, “wanted to make a family drama where horror situations happen” to said characters. Most scares are just moments like the dinner table scene, where Toni Collette’s character of Annie yells at her son Peter, blaming him for the death of his sister and making him feel guilty. These moments are not supernatural, rather they focus on emotional moments between these characters. Although not as frightening to someone else, to people who have sat through these types of situations these scenes are quite unsettling. They make you think, “what if I was in this situation?” or bring you back to a time when maybe you were.
Hereditary is less about the ghosts, but what can happen to a person who has dealt with grief and loss, or was raised in poverty and feels the guilt from that. The moral of this film seems to be that you should not let your emotions bottle up, there are much better ways to deal with tragic loss than to let it consume you, or lash out at those you love. “The Babadook” is another great film that captures these emotional beats. The film is about a feeling that most people have, and in turn makes it the villain of the story. The film explores the importance of not letting grief overtake your life, and defines ways to let go.
Robert Egger’s 2015 film “The Witch” deals with paranoia and the fear that someone in your family means to do harm to everyone else. The film follows a family in 1630 New England where each family member begins to believe that everyone else around them is a witch, specifically the mother thinking her daughter is a witch. It focuses on how the daughter is affected by her mother treating her differently due to her own paranoia. The film showcases how easy it is to let the fear of “what could be” tear a family apart, while never even really knowing if there ever was a witch hiding in plain sight.
For my recommendations of this genre, I’d suggest watching either of Jordan Peele’s films, “US” and “Get Out,” Ari Aster’s movies, “Midsommar” and “Hereditary,” as well as Robert Eggers’ “The Lighthouse” and “The Witch.”
Slashers are a polar opposite subgenre of horror! When someone thinks of a traditional horror movie, my guess is that they picture Michael Meyers chasing after Lori Strode down a dimly lit street, or Jason Voorhees emerging from Crystal Lake wielding a machete. These films rose to popularity during the 1980s, with villainous characters being cemented into the mainstream media.
Slasher films frequently involve a serial killer terrorizing a middle class community, slowly picking off unsuspecting victims one by one in creative ways. They are eventually defeated by a sole, often a female, survivor referred to as the “final girl.”
Ever since the beginning of time, humans have had an odd fascination for violence and gore. The roots of slasher films go all the way back to early Greek and Roman times. During the time of the Greek empire, gladiator shows were popular, as citizens would gather around to watch them fight to the death in gruesome manors. These gladiator shows eventually lead to on stage performances of gruesome Shakespearean plays, such as “Titus Andronicus.” The Grand Guignol theater also became a landmark for gore and horror. The theater put on frightening and shocking shows, pioneering special effect techniques like blood bags, fake body parts, fake knives, etc. Giallo films in Italy also rose to popularity, as America was still quite strict on the gore depicted in films at the time due to the Hays Code. This code prevented films during 1934-1968 from showing any suggestive nudity, profanity, or graphic and realistic violence. Eventually, as time went on and the code ceased to exist the first real slasher was created: “Psycho.”
“Psycho” was an immediate hit.! Audiences were ecstatic to see something so fresh and different than what had been produced at the time. It was terrifying, got into the viewer’s head, and showed the true horrors that could occur in our world. This film produced a lot of new types of horror, and the genre thrived from there.
If “Psycho” really started and created the slasher genre then John Carpenter’s 1978 film “Halloween” cemented it. This film was terrifying, realistic, creative, and leaned into the major tropes we would see evolve in this genre. “Halloween” being such a massive hit led to a lot of copycat films, the most successful of them being “Friday the 13th.” Studios loved slasher films because they could be produced fast, for low amounts of money, and people flocked to them. They turned over a huge profit, and by the 1980s, the genre was in full swing!
Wes Craven’s “A Nightmare on Elm Street” debuted in 1984, giving a big personality to the titular villain character, Freddy Krueger. “A Nightmare on Elm Street” took the slasher genre in a more supernatural direction, which would lead to films like “Child’s Play” and “Candyman” being created. However, during this time period, slashers began to become a lot more expensive to create. With audience fatigue setting in and big blockbusters like “Batman” and “Jurassic Park” dominating the film industry, slashers began to die off, until one film would revitalize them in 1996.
“Scream” was the highest grossing slasher of all time, making 170 million dollars adjusted for inflation! It breathed new life into the subgenre, and spawned movies like “I Know What You Did Last Summer” and “Final Destination.” However, eventually, there was another slump. Remakes became very common in the 2010s, but new creative films like “The Strangers,” “Happy Death Day,” and “You’re Next” are still being created!
Some recommendations I would give would have to be “Halloween,” “A Nightmare On Elm Street,” as well as “The Strangers!”
I used these videos as sources:
The Horrors of the Grand Guignol: Crash Course Theater #35
Slasher Movies: The True Story | NowThis Nerd
Psychological Horror is The BEST Genre | Video Essay
How Scream Saved Slasher Movies | Slash Course | NowThis Nerd
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Dear Ninjago fans
It’s about time we talk about this:
When Kirby was first cast as Cole, it was a matter of finding a voice that fit the character which was written by the Hageman brothers. It wasn’t a hard choice to make as Kirby hit everything, we wanted right out of the gate … maybe he had some guidance from voice director Michael Donovan, and if so, well done Michael!
But what we received to base our casting decision on was just perfect. From then on it became a matter of writing a character that fit the voice. Any animation which has been done on Cole since then has been based on Kirby’s performance. He became instrumental to the development of the character, and it quickly became apparent that Kirby’s portrayal had a sensibility we had to lean into: The ultimate team. He is the best friend a ninja could ever have and always looks out for his friends and is never hesitant to selflessly give everything he has to help.
On the 18th of November 2020 we were all hit by an earthquake of epic proportions: Kirby Morrow had passed away.
We had concluded the writing and recordings of all episodes of Seabound at that time and were in the process of putting together the storyline for 2022 … one in which both Cole and several of the other Ninja are absolutely crucial to make a strange and mythical piece of Ninjago math add up. After a few days which can best be described as numb, we started reviewing our options.
This is what we came up with:
1: Retire Cole as a character.
2: Use existing dialogue from all available Ninjago content since 2011 to keep Kirby’s performance in the show.
3: Come up with a story reason that Cole wouldn’t speak.
4: Recast.
Before reading on, try to take a moment to consider: How would you go about? There are a lot of considerations going into a decision like this and given the circumstances, it is a very emotional one. But as we viewed it from all angles, the answer became obvious. Here are the reasons we did what we did and didn’t do:
1: Retire Cole as a character.
We would only do this if we could give the character a satisfying end. A ‘riding into the sunset’ fond goodbye to Cole. This could have been something like Cole finding a higher purpose like becoming the leader of the Upply, go live as an advisor to Queen Vania in Shintaro or the like. Thinking about that gives a nice and fuzzy feeling. Cole would no longer be a part of the story, but the viewers would know he is in a good place. It would be just lovely!
However, given the ending of Seabound there was no way to get to that point. We were almost done in production of that chapter, we couldn’t record new dialogue and most importantly: It would betray Cole’s character. He is the rock of the team, and he would be there for the others to lighten the burden and relive the grief.
Also, there is another very important aspect to consider which may not be as apparent:
Kirby Morrow IS Cole, but only in the English version of the show. There are more than 40 differently voiced versions of the show in which other actors giving their all to make Cole a great and lovable character. While Kirby’s portrayal as Cole has defined the character, there are a lot of children enjoying the Master of Earth in the rest of the World without ever hearing Kirby’s voice. Would we want to deny them the pleasure of Cole’s company for reasons they were unaware of? The answer is easy. Retiring Cole in what would be an unceremoniously off-screen departure would betray all the work Kirby has but into crafting him. Robbing the World of Cole would be a selfish act … and Cole wouldn’t approve.
2: Use existing dialogue from all available Ninjago content since 2011 to keep Kirby’s performance in the show.
Going through 50+ hours of Ninjago content under those conditions is not an enjoyable time. But at least we tried. It soon became clear that though it COULD be done, it would greatly limit what we could do to make Cole’s 2022 contribution to the story appealing. It would be a spreadsheet exercise to make Cole feel present, and ultimately it would feel like a vague and unreliable version of Cole who would get no development. This was an easy pass (though many hours went into figuring out what lines we had to play with).
3: Come up with a story reason that Cole wouldn’t speak.
This one was quickly dismissed. Ideas like ‘Cole has gone into a catatonic state of depression and does not speak’, ‘Cole has suffered a hit to the throat’ or ‘Cole has taken a vow of silence’ just didn’t fit. Cole is there to help and provide comfort.
4: Recast
And this is the one we went for. Hopefully this choice is obvious given the above. We must remain true to the character Kirby shaped. Cole is crucial in the 2022 story and the World and Ninjago need Cole. So, recasting it was! And a very hard and emotional one at that.
The first thing which stands out in Kirby’s work as Cole, is his authoritative hoarse voice. This is a guy you can trust. But is the compassion in his interaction with other characters which really makes him come to life and become a real person. And then in action scenes you have a wild fluctuation between courage and controlled panic. We needed an actor which could pull that off but equally important: We needed an actor who would apply himself to the role and be comfortable doing it. Though we were looking for the likeness of the Cole voice we know and love, we were not looking for an imitation. We wanted a sincere and real performance from an actor who would give his own unique approach and talents to Cole.
Please welcome Andrew Francis!
Andrew is already a long-time member of the Ninjago voice cast and has portrayed colourful and memorable characters like Shade, Beta Jay 137 and the Master of Wind himself, Morro.
We hope you will greet and support Andrew and welcome him with open arms and a hearty NIINJAAAAA-GO! We are confident we made the best possible choice and the voice recordings for 2022 has crystalized our faith completely in Andrew as a worthy successor to Kirby. You will hear Andrew Francis’s first performances as Cole in a series of short films in early 2022.
On behalf of the Ninjago Team
Tommy Andreasen
The news of how the Ninjago team would be proceeding with Cole's character has been announced! Andrew Francis, who once voiced Morro, will be playing Cole starting in 2022. As we can see, they put a lot of thought into this decision. Imo he's an excellent choice since his voice was always pretty similar, and he'll do a good job of honoring Kirby Morrow's performance.
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c!Ranboo's character is such an interesting character, but there's one catch, a vast majority of the fandom has made his failing memory his character defining trait, which is where I think a huge problem comes in.
Because... okay, let's get into it. (Tagged long post bc this gets long <3)
c!Ranboo's identity shouldn't be centered around his memory stuff.
His issues with memory & cognition should be one of his character weaknesses/flaws/conflict, but his character shouldn't be centered around it.
Rather it should be moreso centered around his strong ideals, because even Ranboo's supposed core beliefs of being a centrist isn't even his strong ideals.
His strongest ideals have always been the safety of his friends and family, and doing the morally right thing, not the lawfully right thing.
Ranboo's character is far too centralized about him having memory issues, because when you just ignore that you see so many interesting character traits about him.
For example, he's funny. He has humor in most situations and can usually joke his way out of things- like his conversations with Quackity.
He's also very imposing which isn't intentional but it sort of just comes with what he is. He's a tall enderman hybrid who is very logical and rational in most senses, and he very often voices his thoughts in conversation. Again, you can see this with Quackity, Slimecicle, Foolish and Wilbur.
He also has a very mysterious aura that comes from his enderwalk and nighttime antics.
His knack for potions, enchanting, and smithing comes into play here too, as well as his wealth.
Because he's not snobbish or regal (like osmp!ranboo) and is actually pretty charitable with his wealth. He paid Foolish a lot more than originally asked, gave him totems, and even did that whole shulker deal.
And he's like, super smart because he thinks rationally. This is in such wild contrast to his friends- because Tommy & Tubbo are pretty impulsive.
c!Ranboo is super interesting, but his whole character shouldn't be defined by his memory issues. It should've always been about his relationships, because in reality that's what is most important to him.
He was friends with Niki and Fundy and I remember watching streams during New L'manburg where he really struggled with deciphering who was in the right & wrong, and that's when he realized there isn't any sort of black/white side, and there's a whole lot of gray.
Because yeah, he and Tommy had griefed George's house- but Tommy also took all blame for Ranboo. He liked Phil because Phil had saved his life. He was, at first, the epitome of people not sides. That has since changed, subtly, but that's what his character was.
There was a huge thing in New L'manburg where Ranboo would stick near the people who'd been kind to him, hence why he'd hang out with Phil (who'd saved his life in the Nether).
And like, he stuck around with Tubbo because Tubbo was kind to him, and ALSO with his contact with Tommy, he was one of the only people who could see they were both hurting during the exile era.
Ranboo had some super meaningful conversations with Tubbo that would proceed to allow Tubbo to realize the discs weren't just plastic and that Tommy's reason for clinging to them, in reality, was because to him they represented their friendship. And Ranboo was genuinely the only person at the time, other than Tommy, who saw the discs as a symbol, not an object. Then with Tommy, Ranboo would check on him, write him letters, and help in any way he could, which had helped in some way with Tommy's mental health, even if just a little.
And then later.
Sure, he may live with Techno & Phil, but he chose Tubbo. Tubbo was always his priority it's the only reason he's in the syndicate- for Tubbo and Michael. And sure he's friends with Techno but it is very obvious who he'd chose if he was forced to- because he already has.
He's a centralist in the sense that he believes there are multiple sides to a story, and genuinely he's one of the very few people on the server who realize that. There are far too many people who only see good & bad, black & white, the extremes. And it's ironic that the character literally split up by black & white and his entire motif is extreme contrast, it's so ironic that he's one of the very few who actually see the shades of gray.
And I genuinely think it was interesting that not only could he see it, but he was able to show other people these sides.
It was his questioning of Doomsday I believe which would lead to some of Phil's very brief internal dialogue of 'was doomsday right?' (which, he didnt dwell on it, but it was Ranboo who'd made him even contemplate it).
It was his words that made c!Wilbur literally cry because no one had told him things like that before- related to him, believed that he wasnt 100% bad and that he could be good. Because Ranboo genuinely believes that.
In Hitting on 16, and during the Prison Breakout stream, he made choices above all else, to protect his family.
That is his primarily character trait, not his memory problems. His memory problems are a passive conflict, not an active trait.
c!Ranboo is more than the guy who has memory problems, yet that's what his character has been boiled down to. It's gotten so bad that I genuinely believe that it's carried over in part to the actual DSMP server. That's what he's known as.
So it's sort of hard for his character to grow. It becomes even harder due to the nature of his character having been passive for so long. He didn't agree with conflict, so he rarely found himself in it. Conflict isn't the only way for characters to grow within stories, but it's the primary thing that moves the story forward on the DSMP, so it becomes very hard for there to be any changes. And... cc!Ranboo absolutely tried.
Back in January of 2021 and up until the summer hiatus, Ranboo had actively been working on his character. From c!Ranboo doing secret experiments, to us getting to see him in his enderwalk state, and more, Ranboo was working on his character having some sort of change.
Then the hiatus, and pushbacks didn't help, and now he's dead. And as stated on an Origins stream, he was supposed to be revived only a few weeks after he'd died.... now how long has it been?
c!Ranboo, unfortunately and ironically is stuck in this literary limbo of being unable to move due to in story circumstances and out of story circumstances, and in my opinion a huge part of it has come from fandom interpretation effecting the way his character has gotten to move on.
c!Ranboo is such an interesting character the moment you make his memory problems a flaw or passive trait, rather than make it the key part of his character, because truly its not.
Once again, c!Ranboo is ultimately a protective, rational person. And I hope, if we do get to see him again, and he is revived, that we get to see that shine, especially if fan theories are correct in stating that he may lose his memory problems all together.
If that's the case, I think his character can really shine, and I think we can get some great moments.
He did once state that he'd start wars and kill anyone who dare touched his son, Michael. And well... not only has someone kidnapped him and held Michael for ransom, that same person killed Ranboo. I think he has plenty reason to be pissed, regardless of Michael having been rescued since.
Actually, with Michael safe, I'd say he has more room to make due on his promises, but that's just my hope.
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Someone once pointed out that a lot of characters in tddd are better off than they are in canon, however cruel that may seem, I mean. Sam and Ponk are miles better off without the prison, Niki and Jack are coping much better without a vendetta (no doomsday, and whatever other resentment lingered, Tommy has already "paid for it." That's abundantly clear), Techno never got almost executed so Quackity never lost a life or an eye or even felt the need to make Las Nevadas when he was busy helping his grieving coworker.
Things are calmer. The folks who are the worst off are, well. Bench trio. Tommy for obvious reasons, but bee duo?
I wrecked their marriage. I took their son. How are they supposed to marry each other at a time like this? They care about each other just as much as they did in canon, and I think they would've gotten married with or without Eret's taxes as an excuse, but who is going to propose at a time like this?
Michael can't even exist in any significant way because that would mean a child is still waiting in a hole in the Nether (although when they first found Michael– that was after exile, so even that wouldn't have even happened!) So now there's this bee duo I have written myself into where they're sure around each other and they both care, but they don't have wedding rings or a label or a defined commitment, even though they've been in this together for a long time and they're going to stay that way. But grief stunts relationships (remember, in canon Tubbo and Ranboo got married and had their little family before Tommy died. That was not in the midst of grief) and having to take care of someone they failed to protect before also stunts relationships. Not that there's any blame to be put on Tommy, but Tommy would blame himself anyway, if he managed to focus up enough to see the way bee duo tries to prioritize him. They're all just stuck.
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Parabatai bond Essay... Why they may all be destined to end
Parabatai: defined by Cassandra Clare as a rare intense where a pare of warriors connect/bond in childhood and then decide to knit their souls together so that they can always stay together and always carry a piece of the other inside them. Defined by the fandom as “ a type of (supposedly) platonic marriage”. Cassandra Clare also wants to claim it as a type of bond that is unique to the shadow world, but honestly I can name several pair of Parabatai all across different media’s. Just looking at early 2000′s children's anime and Disney esqu movies we have Ash/Pikachu, Yugi Muto/the Pharaoh, Hiccup/Toothless, Woody/Buzz, etc...
... If you share my taste in these media’s you probably noticed that of the 4 other series “Parabatai” I listed 3 out of 4 (Ash and Pikachu are still partners right?) have to split off from the other due to changes of destiny/life. This is also the case for man,y many parabatai in The Shadowhunter Chronicles. Sounding off pairs that are important enough for me to care about underneath
Jonathan Shadowhunter/David the Silent: Let’s began at the beginning. Jonathan Shadowhunter was the first ever Shadowhunter. His favorite person in the world was his companion David, who wasn’t as much of a fighter as Jonathan but was very smart and very good at keeping Jonathan grounded when necessary. After being traumatized by a greater demon when fighting alone one da, David gave up fighting (and speaking), and became the first ever silent brother. The story said this broke their bond and broke Jonathan down to tears. I am sure David still loved him though. David could have chosen to go back to being a mundane but instead chose to undergo the rituals to turn himself into a silent brother. David was never that into fighting/war. Everything he did he did out of love for Johnathan. When David was no longer able to be there for Jonathan as a solider, he found a new way as a Silent Brother.
Robert Lightwood/ Michael Wayland: Parabatai and joined at the hip as teenagers. When Michael confessed to having romantic feelings towards Robert confusion as to his own feelings and fears surrounded by change drove Robert to reject Michael in a cruel and harsh way. Their bond is officially severed after the uprising when Michael die,s and Robert is exiled. Decades later Robert still regards hurting Michael as the biggest mistake in his life, the persist moment when he lost faith in himself. It is only after he confesses to his oldest child what he did and how it still haunts him all these years, only after he is finally able to acknowledge within himself the importance of the memories he has of Michael, that Robert is able to finally turn his life around for the better.
Valentine Morgenstern/ Lucian Greymark: Parabatai while studying at the academy, and for a few years afterwards. When Luke started to doubt Valentine’s plans, Valentine took him to be ambushed by a pack of feral werewolves hoping Luke would be killed instead Luke was turned. After this Valentine and Luke became bitter enemy's. These two men who once had so much love for the other, now swore to destroy any plan the other had and would fight with the intent to kill upon seeing he other. Despite all this bad blood, both still loved the memories of who the other used to be, and it is implied that a lot of their hatred for who the other is now is born from grief over they Parabatai they lost.
William Herondale/James Carstairs: CC’s closest Parabatai pair. Both Will and Jem had their whole lives shattered by demons when they were just children, and afterwards questioned at times if it was still really had much of a reason to carry on. Then they met each other and decided that they had to carry on because they loved the other to much to leave them alone. These two are in a way echo’s of Jonathan and David, and like David Jem joins the brotherhood when it is no longer possible for him to stay with Will and Tessa as a shadowhunter. They lose the bonds, but keep their love for each other. Will calls silent city on a daily basis with some excuse for needing Brother Zachariah, and Jem faithfully answers every call.
Julian Backthorn/Emma Carstairs: Fall in love, turn into Giant “true Shadowhunters”. Their bond is severed when their runes are burned off by heavenly fire coursing though their veins. By this time though their relationship had already changed from a platonic one to a romantic one.
James Herondale/ Matthew Fairchild: The two that unquestionably love each other, but do not always love the others choices. As Parabatai they try to reach out to the other and help them. But both boys deal with so much and have trouble recognizing/excepting help when it when offered. Matthew is more aware of James issues than James is of Mathews, All though by the end of Chain of Iron even Matthew is at lose to understand James. James for his part only just starts to realize how sick Matthew may be. There are a lot of theories floating around that Matthew may being to sick to function as/ protect himself as a shadowhunter. With so much to recover from will their Parabatai bond last, or are they destined to seperate?
Cordelia Carstairs/ Lucie Herondale: The will they-won’t they pair. They have planed o one day become Parabatai since they were little girls, but have never gotten around to it. They are both nearly adults now and the story already seems to be puling them in opposite direction, so a lot of people now doubt that they will even make it to the ceremony.
Jace Herondale/ Alexander Lightwood: CC’ first pair of Parabatai, and so far the only pair to keep their bond for the whole series. Like seriously even when Jace died, he came back with the bond intact and Alec reporting that he only felt a little off for a few minutes. CC’s newest reasoning behind that is that there is apparently a delay time between one parabatai dying and the bond severing, and Jace came back before his and Alec’s had time to do more than fray at the edges. So that means that our boys stayed tethered together even when Jace was on his way to the afterlife. WOW (keep this reason CC, it actually kinda works). Jace and Alec’s bond has lasted the longest, but we still have 4 more books where something bad can happen to one of them, and they are now fighting in 2 wars at once.
Clary Fairchild/ SImon Lovelace: became Parabatai in between series, after both failing as a couple, and Simon going through multiple species changes. They are still parabatai in the most recent book but, like with Jace and Alec, we still have 4 future books that could change in. Clary, Jace, and Simon are CC’s three original main characters. She claims that the plan is to wrap up the Shadowhunter Chronicles for good in The Wicked Powers. What is the likelihood that she will leave all three of her original mains alive. I mean Clary already had a vision where “a version of herself” died, and Simon was originally supposed to die in COHF, but CC’s friends begged her to let him live.
While CC claims that Parabatai are rare in her universe, what seems to actually be rare is Parabatai staying bonded throughout the pairs lives. Why is that? Well lets remember that one of the rules for Parabatai is that they must meet and be bonded during childhood, Once they become adults they are no longer eligible. A fact of growing up is that lives and people change: We make friends, we love our friends,are there for them while we can be, and yet sometimes as we grow friends part ways. People die, they move away, or just grow apart. Memories of old friends and places we all used to hang out become beloved memories of being younger. During a time in our lives when we felt more innocent and care free. A time that sadly never lasts. In conclusion to why parabatai bonds tend to break parabatai could represent the close bonds of childhood, the friends who helped you grow into an adult, and some one who you are able to treasure your memories of as an adult, even if, due to circumstance, you no longer see that person as much or at all. Value your parabatai because you don’t know how long you will actually have them
#the shadowhunter chronicles#TSC#TMI#TID#TDA#TEC#TLH#Parabatai#Parabatai bonds#Johnathan Shadowhunter#David the Silent#Robert LIghtwood#Michael wayland#valentine morgenstern#lucian graymark#Luke Garroway#Alec lightwood#ALexander Lightwood#Jace Herondale#Jace Lightwood Herondale#Jace wayand#JACE HAS TOO MANY LAST NAMES#Clary Fairchild#Clary Fray#Simon Lewis#simon lovelace#James Herondale#Matthew Fairchild#Codelia Carstairs#Lucie HErondale
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Disco 4.02: Anomaly
Me, about halfway through last season:
It’s been a pleasant, if occasionally heart-wrenching, surprise to feel something about this show besides “whoa, cool CGI!” or bone-chilling dread—but hopefully Season 4 won’t feel quite so much like it’s being aired directly at me.
I know we’re only two episodes in, but I feel like that hope is already doomed. (And a big welcome back to bone-chilling dread!)
Listen, I hear you: “Amy, don’t you want a show that resonates with you thematically?” Yeah, but… not like this. I literally don’t know if I can deal with an entire season of TV about processing unimaginable grief and loss through the deeply difficult but equally rewarding work of connecting with other people. That’s just… my day-to-day life right now. And it’s not like I’m special: is anybody not perpetually processing a shitload of grief anymore?
Maybe the frankly hilarious lack of subtlety in the writing will carry me through. Let’s see.
⚠️ #disco spoilers beyond this point ⚠️
The trick to writing an effective teenage character—and Adira is excellent—is to have them alternate between being unexpectedly immature and unexpectedly mature, because: teenagers! The scene where they let their bruised ego essentially get slapped back into place by Tilly was absolutely perfect; I had so much respect for Adira in that moment—and for Tilly too! I will take as many “Tilly is Adira’s big sister now” moments as the Disco writers want to give us.
Every scene with Book almost made me wish David Ajala were like… 20% less good of an actor, as stupid as that sounds. Going into this episode, I wasn’t sure how anyone could sell “my whole planet and everyone who lived on it just fucking DIED” levels of despair… and then he did… and then I kind of wished he hadn’t. 💔️
Also I have a nephew Leto’s age, so fuck this show for that in particular.
When they introduced Lt. Christopher last week, I assumed he was there to replace Bryce because Ronnie Rowe was busy filming another project… but this episode we get Bryce and no Christopher? And boy do we ever get Bryce—he practically leaps in from off-camera in this, his THIRTY-FIFTH EPISODE, to save the day with the one and only thing we’ve ever learned about his character. And I’m not complaining! I’ve been begging for this for three seasons! They finally delivered! I’m fucking celebrating! 🎉🎆🎊✨ (Now give Nilsson a first name, ffs…) I hope we still get more Lt. Christopher, though; I liked his energy.
I’m not going to pretend to understand why they shuffled Saru off the ship at the end of last season only to shuffle him back on 1.5 episodes later, and also I don’t really care? His relationship with Michael is one of my favourites on the show. They’ve been through so much together, as colleagues and rivals and friends and found family. Burnham belongs as captain of Discovery, but I still like Saru as a captain, and it would make sense to give him his own separate command; on the other hand, that would mean losing Doug Jones, so I don’t care if it makes sense—First Officer Captain Mr. Saru is fine with me.
Possibly the most on-the-nose scene—in an episode that took place essentially inside my left nostril—was the one where Tilly makes a therapy appointment with Dr. Culber. That was a Very Special Episode® About Taking Care of Your Mental Health™ and you know what? There’s a time and a place for subtlety—maybe the year 2021 just isn’t it. Maybe we literally need to see “the relatable one” struggling with vaguely-defined malaise and being unconditionally supported by “the caretaking one.” No metaphors, no subtext, no sci-fi abstractions: just “here is how we should be with ourselves and each other.” Which is, for the record, vulnerable and compassionate and sometimes making silly voices to break the tension. Can’t really argue with that, tbh.
Speaking of Tilly, can I be a shallow lesbian for one minute and talk about how good she looks in this uniform? Mary Wiseman is fucking gorgeous, obviously, and that new tunic makes her look like a badass, and the blue in particular makes her eyes pop in the most incredible way 🥺️🙈️😍 OKAY I’M DONE
(The new uniforms are actually super flattering on everybody; this is an obscenely attractive cast, even by TV standards.)
This episode and 4.01 were done in the same production block, and I think the stunt scenes for both were shot more or less concurrently—which means, as per last week’s interview with Wil Wheaton on The Ready Room, Sonequa Martin-Green was doing that “gravity failure” wire work just TWELVE WEEKS after giving birth. What a legend.
Prop of the week: Dr. Culber’s little dermal regenerator, which seems to 3D-print new skin onto your face (!) and, at least to me, vaguely evoked the new touchscreen hand phasers from Prodigy.
Other scenes that had exactly as much subtlety as they needed, i.e. none, included the one where they fine-tuned Gray’s eventual Soong-type (!) body—and how glad am I, btw, that it’s just “yeah, we can solve that” and not a whole-ass quest for him—and basically everything with Stamets and Book bonding on the worst road trip ever.
Speaking of that, we kept seeing shots of them inside Book’s (infuriatingly-still-unnamed) ship from outside the ship, and if you’ve been following this blog for a minute, you know that kind of thing is like crack to me.
Mmmmm... that’s the stuff.
Now that I’m thinking about it, if the theme this season is actually “people dealing with horrible circumstances in emotionally healthy ways,” like… it might not be the easiest thing to get through? But I’m probably going to be glad I did.
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Top 10 1970's Horror Villains
This was the easiest of the Horror villain lists to do so far
10."Billy" from Black Christmas (!974)
Billy is scary....Cause we dont know anything about him ,he is always in the shadows ,and most we see is his hands and his eye .From his ramblings ,all we get is he is a VERY unhinged individual .We really dont know his name or anything about his backstory beyond hints given through his rambling (And lets face it ,bit of an unreliable narrator ) .
9.The Sawyers from Texas Chainsaw Massacre (!974)
Yeah I have to put the whole family.LEatherface is of course very iconic ,but hes just the muscle ,with the Hitchiker being truly malicious and The Old Man (DEspite him saying otherwise ) is really the ringleader . (And Grandpa is just grandpa )This family of cannibalistic murderers is both terrifying and darkly comic
8.Dracula from Dracula (!979)
While definately a romantic take on the Count ,Frank Langella is still menacing in the role.Hes character who you know your supposed to root against but part of you wants to root for
7.Edward Lionheart from Theatre of Blood (!973)
This guy is just a fun concept ,a Shakesperian actor murdering the critics .Lot of fun disguises ,and you get to hear Vincent Price recite Shakespeare while murdering people
6."Davy" from Tourist Trap (!979)
A murderous telekinetic sculptor ,with a series of disturbing masks and a creepy croaking voice .Highly underrated villain
5.Pazzuzu from the Exorcist (!973)
A malevolent demon posessing a young girl .This being is pure evil and likes to toy with peoples heads
4.Michael Myers from Halloween (!978)
PRobabbly the best silent masked killer .Less aperson and more a force of nature
3.Lord Summerisle from the Wickerman (!973)
Christopher Lee brings real charm to this community leader ,smiling and singing even as he does horrible things
2.The Tall Man from Phantasm (!979)
THIS GUY IS UNSTOPPABLE .He may look like a man ,but he is a monster who want let anything stand in his way .One of the scariest boogymen ever put on film ,in my oppinion (Nothing gets under my skin as much as him bellowing "BOooooooooooyyyyyy")
1.Anton Phibes from the Abominable Dr Phibes (!971)
A scarred genius out to slay the doctors he holds responsible for his wifes death .Humorus ,scary ,poetic and frankly bizarre ,Phibes is a favorite villain of mine ,a man consumed by the destructive nature of grief
@metropolitan-mutant-of-ark @amalthea9 @ariel-seagull-wings @lord-antihero @filmcityworld1 @marquisedemasque @theancientvaleofsoulmaking @princesssarisa
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A cartoon for adults didn’t bother to have a woman voice a female character, now TRAs want to make her a trans icon.
To put it mildly, transgender representation in film and TV, until very recently, has sucked big time. Whether it’s abject disgust towards trans people, like the characters of Ace Ventura mass vomiting upon finding out the woman villain is trans, trans characters being played for laughs, like Chandler’s father transitioning to a woman on Friends, or the near-complete absence of trans men, both the big and small screen have largely characterized being trans as an unusual, shocking, negative thing. Obviously, to trans people like myself, the lack of positive representation almost all others enjoy in some degree is frustrating. Enter an unlikely hero: An adult cartoon, which, upon first glance, may seem crude and juvenile, rife with the uncouth and shallow humor of 2004. However, when given time and space to grow, evolve, and define its story and characters, this series not only becomes a complex and hilarious work of fiction, but one with a character who has provided confidence to many trans women. Enter The Venture Brothers and Dr. Mrs. The Monarch.
For the uninitiated: The Venture Bros. is an adult action-comedy animated series, helmed by Christopher “Jackson Publick” McCulloch and Doc Hammer, which premiered on Adult Swim in 2004. On its surface, the series premise is a send-up of classic adventure cartoons, with dimwitted twins Hank (Christopher McCulloch) and Dean (Michael Sinterniklaas), along with their neurotic scientist father (James Urbaniak) and brutish bodyguard (Patrick Warburton), traveling the world, solving mysteries, and surviving action. But what makes The Venture Bros. so special is how the show builds on itself to become so much more than a Johnny Quest parody, with characters who develop and change, shifting power dynamics, onging character arcs, and a genuine sense of emotion. Over the show’s seven seasons, spanning seventeen years, the audience has watched characters grow and evolve, from learning of Dr. Venture’s deep-seated childhood trauma, to watching a dorky henchman go through the process of grief and rebirth, to the emotional ups and downs of adolescence and young adulthood for Hank and Dean. But, for myself and other trans women like me, the development of Dr. Mrs. The Monarch has stood out as one of the most resonant parts of the show.
While episodes from the early seasons did occasionally dip into problematic jokes and material that was more accepted in the mid-2000s than now, there has always been a sense of humanity and heart to The Venture Bros. As writer Cassandra Cohen put it, “men donning more feminine attributes and clothes isn’t made into a huge deal by the characters in The Venture Bros.” Then there are the multiple gay characters of the show, all of who are complex and more than just their sexuality, from the flamboyant but tactical GI Joe parody Shore Leave, to the masculine Colonel Gentleman, to the sarcastic Alchemist. Even the character of Hunter Gathers, a top military commander who undergoes a sex change to, as we later learn, infiltrate an all-woman assassin organization, in by far one of the show’s most problematic plotlines, still has a sense of emotion to his journey. After completing his mission, and transition back to a man, he admits “I miss my breasts! Inside of me there is a woman screaming to get out!” hinting at a greater emotional complexity to his identity than the simple joke of him transitioning for the sake of a mission.
Dr. Mrs. The Monarch, formally Dr. Girlfriend, is, as the name implies, the wife and partner in villainy to Dr. Venture’s butterfly-themed archnemesis, The Monarch (McCulloch). At the beginning of season one, Dr. Girlfriend is ostensibly a parody of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, sporting the former first lady’s pink suit and pillbox hat, and with, in a joke on Onassis’s relatively low voice, a deep, gravelly, traditionally “masculine” voice (being voiced by writer Doc Hammer). But Dr. Girlfriend does not remain stagnant nor one-note as a character. Over the course of seven seasons, we watch her break up with The Monarch but subsequently rekindle their relationship, get married and become Dr. Mrs. The Monarch, develop as a villain in her own right, become a council member of the “Guild of Calamitous Intent” and struggle with choosing between her career and her passions. She is a complex character, with human emotion and conflict, or as CBR put it, she’s “one of the most intelligent and competent characters in the entire series.”
With Dr. Mrs. The Monarch, The Venture Bros. continues the subversion of its treatment of characters, as she, and the show itself, asserts her as a woman, regardless of her voice. As the show progress, it essentially moves past her unlikely voice entirely. In Season 2, while in a women’s restroom, she emphatically tells two girls staring at her “yes I belong in here, I just have a deep voice.” This simple, short moment sums up her character in so many ways: She’s a woman, confident in who she is and where she belongs, and she’s not gonna take any shit.
If you’re not trans, you may be asking yourself: “Does all this talk about feeling empowered by a character boil down to said character being a dynamic woman who just happens to have a deep voice?” I must tell you, in so few words: Yes, it does. Even though Dr. Mrs. The Monarch is canonically cis, with her voice the result of years of chain-smoking, said voice still has other characters question her gender and accuse her of not being a “real woman” (whatever the hell that means), just as people do to both trans and cis women in real life. As writer Harmony M Colangelo explained: “While the reality of this fictional character is that Dr. Mrs. The Monarch isn’t trans, if people think you are trans then in the court of public opinion…you are. Regardless of the actual circumstances surrounding your identity, you are guilty and it will be used against you.” With the simple act of being a woman unconcerned, afraid, or swayed in her confidence, despite what is stereotypically categorized as a “man’s voice,” Dr. Mrs. The Monarch represents a hopeful ideal of what all women, trans or cis, with aspects about them deemed “masculine” by society, to strive for. Whether you’re a trans woman, like me, and it’s true that you struggle with feeling your voice not matching your body, she’s a hero. If you’re cis but muscular and athletic in a way that’s been deemed “un-womanly” then I could easily see her being just as much of a hero. To quote Colangelo again, “The Doc might not be trans, but there are trans elements to Dr. Mrs. The Monarch’s existence and there is power in that.” All this on top of the fact Dr. Mrs. The Monarch is probably one of the most competent characters in the show, as well as being an absolute fashion icon and "look goals."
As long as there has been fiction, people have used the experiences and strengths of fictional characters as inspiration in their own lives. The Venture Brothers' Dr. Mrs. The Monarch is just that, an ideal of confidence and strength to strive towards for all women who’ve been told they’re not “correct” in their femininity. “[She] has risen above and succeeded in spite of that judgment both in The Venture Bros universe and in the evolution of how this show and comedy is written in general. Trans or not, I love that,” says Colangelo. “Hearing that brassy croon be treated as such a normal thing means more to me than most forms of direct representation ever has,” and this writer full-heartedly agrees. So, here’s to Dr. Mrs. The Monarch and her amazing voice, for giving me all hell of a lot more confidence and inspiration than the rest of Hollywood ever has. The Venture Brothers may be canceled, with only a movie left to try and wrap things up, but Dr. Mrs. The Monarch will continue to inspire and live on for all of us who’ve had to stand firm in a bathroom and answer “yes, I belong in here.”
#dr mrs the monarch#venture brothers#women in media representation#How many women’s roles in cartoons for adults are voiced by men?#Women who have a deep voice because of smoking are still women#TRAs need to have less screen time
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