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teabooksandsweets · 2 years

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A City of Bells

Why you should read Elizabeth Goudge’s Torminster books for Advent and Christmastide:

Wonderful atmospheric depiction of a small Cathedral town in the beginning of the 20th century, partly inspired by the authors own childhood; (Torminster is technically Wells, Somerset)

the first book is a very soft and gentle adult novel, about all kinds of love, redemption, and the way literature and art can bring people together;

the sequels are two children’s novellas about a wonderful girl named Henrietta, who is already an important character in the first book, and who will grow up to be a great painter;

one sequel is set at Christmas and has a wonderful message, the other is set at high summer, but so magical it still feels right for this season;

the first book is set over the span of more than one year, and has absolutely gorgeous Christmas chapters;

the prose is lovely and evocative, the descriptions full of detail, the wide cast of characters endearing, and the various relationships and kinds of love (romantic, platonic, familial, and more than that) simply beautiful;

it is a book about art, artists, and the appreciation of art and its value: there is a bookshop, a poet, an actress, a very imaginative child, but there are also depictions of numerous other ways people use their creative ability as a means to communicate and to enrich but also understand the world around us;

the setting is lovely, a tiny town within a lovely landscape, and within the town the microcosm of the Cathedral Close;

soft, cosy, warm; lots of tea and treats, and Little Things;

there is a dog called Mixed Biscuits: “Front elevation collie, rear elevation pomeranian. The man I bought him from said he was a spaniel, but I think myself that there’s a dash of dachshund about the legs.” And there are even more dogs in the sequel: Keeper and Mee-Too.

All three books were very rare and usually out of print for a long while, especially the two sequels, but are currently in print or at least widely available. A City of Bells is the first book, and originally a stand-alone; Sister of the Angels was published before Henrietta’s House (published in the US as The Blue Hills), but is set later. The first is an adult novel, but suitable for all ages, if it should interest a younger reader, whereas the other two are children’s books of the kind that are just as appealing for adult readers. All books are ideally read together, but all of them can be read separately.

As in all of Goudge’s books, there are themes of religion and spirituality, mental illness and disability, and societal values and problems, but they are a bit gentler than in her other books – certainly there, but lighter, as the focus is rather on art and the individual, making them very soft and gentle, but nonetheless thoughtful reads for the season.

Goudge has a great gift of evoking a sense of time and place, so one does feel the town and also its seasons and celebrations very much when reading. Places in Goudge novels are very much characters on their own, and Torminster, the bookshop, the blue hills, and especially the Cathedral are very tangible, and in a way, also very independent. They are not fantasy books (except, maybe, Henrietta’s House) but they do have more than just a touch of magic.

Read if you like books about books and booklovers, the language of art, orphans finding loving homes, cute dogs, eccentric townsfolk, detailed descriptions of places and festivities and food, and very gentle romantic sub-plots. (As well as old novels that fit very vaguely into a dark academia or cottagecore aesthetic, if that’s the sort of thing you’re looking for.)

Read them especially if you love (or maybe need) a story about unusual relationships, platonic love and romantic friendship, second chances and redemption, hope and healing, compassion and forgiveness, everyday mysteries and the magic of the ordinary, the extraordinary effects of human kindness, and the beauty of hard, yet right choices.

#book recs #book recommendations #christmas #literature #elizabeth goudge #torminster

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surpriserose · 2 years

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has anyone asked for a live action part 7 yet?

HELLO HI NO THEY HAVENT AND I AM FINALLY GETTING TO THIS UNDER THE CUT <3

Johnny is evan peters i casted evan as someone else at some point i know but listen hes got the perfect babyface for johnny and he cries so so much on American horror story and the tumblr girls will love him they will say he has so much gay energy despite being so so SO straight. Gyjo only has chemistry here as like...residue from canon

Gyro...can i...can i cast bo burnham as gyro like he does a lot of acting and hes a comedian and also i dont really like him and i dont think it fits at all so <3 i think gyros still italian they just dont care enough to make bo burnham do an accent...also he just kind of looks bored the whole time he cant pull off gyros jokes let alone his serious and asshole moments

Hot pants im so sorry they have to be hailee steinfeld because i hate her so much she is taking so many wlw roles despite going to hillsong it makes me soooo mad im so normal <3 so she might as well try and fail to play a nonbinary icon too <3 i was going to make gyro a woman because even Hollywood executives can't deny gyjos chemistry and have female gyros plot be about ooooh im disguising myself as a man because women are oppressed and im gonna take my helmet off and show off my beautiful blonde hair when i win for #girlpower instead of marco and stuff but then i realized theyll just do that with hot pants so they can keep the brokeback mountain jokes. Everyone talks about how progressive this is

Diego has to be whoever the hottest bri'ish guy is right now WAIT kit harrington is not the new hot bri'ish dude right now but he used to be and he was never very good at acting outside of game of thrones where he just kind of had to look miserable which was easy because it was game of thrones. He cannot be anywhere near as fun as canon diego he says puns like he wants to die and never smiles

Lucy is millie Bobby brown because like thats the only young actress i really know anymore im sorry 😭 i think she can pull it off i mean lucy is a good character and shes a good actress....but that doesnt matter they've aged lucy up to 18 so she can be johnnys love interest and thats kind of all she is because gyro isnt an option obviously our cowboys cant be gay and dinopants is canon here and rina doesnt exist :( also lucy is definitely a major damsel in distress the whole time but Shes still marketed as a strong female character

Funny valentine....im gonna be self indulgent here i really liked knives out and i want to see Daniel craig doing a terrible southern accent again <3 i dont think they direct him to do that he just does it because he wants to <3 also hes the right age range so <3 i think he would appreciate being a villain just like...wish it was any other villain king

Pocoloco is not a main character BUT he gets to be here because i was stuck by inspiration....hes played by kevin hart So they greatly expand his role even though kevin hart is just playing himself

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Everyone lives and they have an epilogue where you see johnny and lucys, hot pants and diegos, and gyro and some original character ladys kids playing in their respective lawns or something

Hot pants is probably named something like harriet now but like they have someone catcall her and call her hot pants and she stands up for herself its a real #girlpower moment

The horses are cgi since animal handlers probably have a union

There has to be a dream sequence where slow dancer and valkyrie start talking to johnny and gyro i know it and i know its got adult cartoon humor and animation...one of them is voiced by john mulaney

Johnnys disability is handled way worse than canon

Jesus is here so its not a netflix production its a pureflix production

Add your own <3

#Jjba #Fancast #Steel ball run #Johnny joestar #gyro zeppeli #Lucy steel #Hot pants jjba #Diego brando #Funny valentine #Ask to tag #Im soryry

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inmyarmswrappedin · 3 years

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So, because Fatou’s season ends today and, as far as we know, Druck hasn’t been renewed yet, I want to go over the things I feel the team did well in this season and the things I hope they take with them when they sit down to write the next season (which I’m manifesting will be Ava’s).

I think that s5 and, perhaps to a bigger extent, s6, were the team’s attempt to address fan feedback for and criticisms of s3 and s4. So I have hopes that, after possibly the most scrutinized season of any Skams, they are still willing to read even more feedback and sit down once again to craft a couple more seasons (possibly even 3 or 4 more seasons!).

So, without further ado, things that were done well! (Do I have to add “in my opinion”? Do I??)

I liked that for both s5 and s6, the thorough-line for the season wasn’t made obvious or shared in a press release, but rather it was up to fans to connect the story threads for themselves.

I loved that the team sought to address one of the biggest criticisms of s3, that is, that Matteo was given so many symptoms of a mental illness, but it ultimately went unaddressed in the narrative. They did this by giving Nora a dissociative disorder, and Fatou dyscalculia. (Matteo has been headcanoned as being mentally ill and having a disability.) It allowed the teams to develop both fan theories into full-blown seasons and give each of them the importance they deserved.

I have said this already, but I really appreciate that the team chose misunderstood, misrepresented and underrepresented mental illnesses and disabilities. I feel like s5 and s6 will be referents for many years, because they really took the time to portray a dissociative disorder and dyscalculia in a down-to-earth, unhurried way that isn’t meant to shock and awe, but simply allow us to understand why and when Nora and Fatou will struggle. Druck got the viewers to anticipate when Nora and Fatou would struggle, and that’s the first step in being able to anticipate and accommodate the needs of the Noras and Fatous of the world. I really can’t overstate how important this is and what a difference it makes in a real, tangible way. These seasons aren’t meant to be enjoyed for voyeuristic reasons, but they will legitimately help people.

One of the biggest criticisms of s4 was that Amira and Sam didn’t connect as women of color. In fact, it seemed like in s4 Sam was treated as another white friend, when in s2 both she and Amira were the victims of Kiki’s racism. The team addressed this by giving us Ava and Fatou’s friendship, which I want to say might be the first friendship between main characters of color where their race is a substantial reason for their bond. (There are the Sanas with their Jamillas, but the Jamillas aren’t main characters, and then there are friendships like Jo and Megan and Zoya, or Imaan and Liv, or Luca and Yasmina, but iirc in every case their bond as women of color isn’t made explicit.)

Another criticism of s4 was the way Kiki turned into the world’s most understanding white friend offscreen. The team addressed this with the Ava and Mailin storyline, which I think was wonderfully and subtly set up in s5, then built on with the biology test leaked answers.

On the topic of race, I think a major criticism of s3 was that David’s ethnicity wasn’t acknowledged (to the point where a white actress was cast to play his sister gvhvhv). The team has made up for this with Josh (more in the s6 sm than in s5, but I still count it) and with Kieu My. Fatou and Kieu My bonded over being first/second gen children of immigrants, and in doing so, they acknowledged that these characters aren’t white and have different experiences than white Germans.

The first 6 episodes of this season were some of the finest writing in the Skams. The storylines all connected and built on each other. The motifs were just so good and beautiful and fitting. The themes were all clearly defined and easy to follow.

The tortoise plot was one of the most fun and imaginative storylines in any Skams, it connected Fatou and Ismail in a believable way. And not to rave about a fucking tortoise, but animals can be really uncooperative and that tortoise delivered every fucking clip. Druck has a reputation for being one of the most depressive versions of Skam, but the Maike/Burger plot was just plain fun.

I feel like some of the old gen’s instas were a bit self-indulgent. I’m thinking specifically of Matteo’s memes and how they they weren’t necessarily the kind of memes a gay dude born in 2001 would pick, but someone a decade older. I think this is much better done with new gen. Fatou’s memes reflect her age and her sexuality, and not just that, but Ava, Mailin, Kieu My, Josh, etc. all pick memes and even focus on different aspects of recent news, based on their gender, race, personalities, interests, etc.

I appreciate that the team found a way to fit a sex scene between Fatou and Kieu My to add to the small catalogue of wlw sex scenes on Skams (I’m including the scene in lovleg or we’d only have two lol). While I understood the reasons eskam opted not to include one, I thought there were ways to feature a sex scene that didn’t sexualize the actresses and didn’t require nudity. Cases in point: the lovleg scene, and this scene in Druck.

And it also needs to be said. This is the first original season with a main of color, and the third season overall (after Liv and Imane) where 10 episodes are given to a character of color and no one else. Of the three, it’s certainly the season that loved and respected its main the most. The bar is so low it’s in hell, but Druck did clear that bar!

With all that said, let’s talk about the things I would really want the team to address in following seasons:

The thing I most want them to fix might be small or unimportant for a lot of people, but I think it’s at the core of why the season has been unenjoyable or certain plot points haven’t come across the way the team wanted, for many people. I am talking about the overly expositional nature of the writing. It appears as if the team approached the writing of the clips with the intention of hitting each beat as noted in their agreed upon outline, and absolutely nothing else was to be added. This is an issue both in s5 and s6. It’s just less noticeable in s5, because s5 is setting up stuff for Fatou’s season, and possibly even seasons that haven’t been written yet. The fact that absolutely every second counts makes for a stressful watching experience for me, because the narrative tension is always heightened. Whereas with Skam, the narrative tension would build throughout the clip. Take the Pride scene in Skam, for instance. The clip allows for Isak and Eskild to get increasingly more agitated as they butt heads. I feel like if this Druck team had done the Pride scene in s5 or s6, the clip would’ve started with both Isak and Eskild already on edge, and cut much of the dialogue that got them there.

On the topic of naturalistic dialogue, this season doesn’t have it. Here is an example from ep 10 clip 2, Wieder vereint/Reunited 11:37.

Fatou: I’ll get a certificate too and bring it over to you. And I checked it, I only have to change one course and my schedule will work.

Teacher: Miss Jallow, you are not the first one to come to me with an epiphany. We could fill entire school weeks with the lessons you missed. In addition, Doctor Steinberg told me about your, well… activities. You don’t have a lot of arguments on your side.

Fatou: But I’ve spoken to all of the teachers and they said they are okay with it.

Teacher: You seem to have friends among the teaching staff. Mrs Pavlovic put in a word for you. Okay then, do it and go before I change my mind. [translated by @kieu-tou! Thank you!]

Like. This is the bare bones version of a dialogue. This should be the first draft, not the final version. The coordinator goes from absolute no to yes, with just one line from Fatou. The coordinator gives reasons that would necessitate more than one sentence of counterargument, like Fatou’s absences and the Biology test leaked answers. The coordinator even says Fatou doesn’t have a lot of arguments on her side, and yet it takes Fatou one line to change her mind!

And of course we viewers don’t want or need a lot of time with the coordinator. And particularly at this point in the season, no one would enjoy a naturalistic dialogue with the coordinator of all people. But my point is that this is an issue with the dialogue all this season (and last season as well, but this season has been more scrutinized), the reason I picked this example is because of how easy it is to see here.

Which brings us to the pacing of the clips, and specifically the Friday clips. Because the script goes straight to the information the team wants to convey to the viewers, skipping the build up to it, many Friday clips have fallen flat, felt abrupt, and have been, tbh, unsatisfying. Again, I had this issue in s5, but as that season went on, I felt like the team had a better grip on Friday clips. But then they did it again in the first Friday clip this season, and so I think this is something the writers really should work on. The first Friday clip in Isak’s season closes on Isak being sandwiched by Emma and Even on a bench, visually setting up the love triangle, or more accurately, the personifications of who Isak should want to hook up with and who he really wants. But in order to get there, we’re shown a good amount of info, from the way Vilde, Eva and Sana are handling Noora’s absence, to Chris and Kasper, Even hovering around Isak, Emma trying to impress Isak, Isak escaping and, like, draping himself on the walls because he’s so over it all. Isak playing a game on the bathroom to stall for time. The paper towel maneuver to immediately give us a sense of what a weirdo Even is. A conversation between Isak and Even that gives us some clues about Even’s shame, as well as establish interests in common (like weed), and this is all before Emma even joins them! Just think of all the stuff we learn about who Isak, Even, Emma, Eva, Vilde or Sana are as people, before we get to the point of the clip! Fatou’s season simply didn’t have that. Compare it with the first Friday clip of Fatou’s season where the cashqueens quickly talk about the leaked answers, one of the major storylines this season that only gets a couple lines, before Fatou says she doesn’t want to talk about school (Fatou’s struggles with school, another major storyline), and then we’re onto the point of the clip, which is that Kieu My likes girls too. AND FADE TO BLACK. When people say they want longer clips, what they mean isn’t artificially inflate the clip length or add more plot stuff. Just let us watch the characters interact with each other so that we get a feel for how they relate to each other. I know I wish we’d have gotten more of Ava and Fatou interacting with each other before things turned to shit, and Ava with the other girls, so that I know why they all like and value Ava so much. I wish we’d have gotten more of Kieu My talking to the cashqueens about, like, why she didn’t make use of the biology test answers, instead of getting it on a chat. Or food combos they don’t like. So it makes more sense that later on Kieu My actually thinks she and Fatou are friends. And every line doesn’t have to count. In Skam España, the characters are constantly talking and not everything they ever talked about ended up being relevant. When one of the characters lied about her house undergoing renovations to hide the fact that she was poor, the characters joked about Italian marble and put on bad Italian accents and made that Italian hand gesture. None of this was important to the plot because those renovations weren’t real to begin with, but they made viewers feel like these were real friends joking around, instead of characters needing to hit every storyline beat in a clip.

I have this joke with my friends about Druck always going 🤪🤪 in the last third of every season, in which a season that was very tightly written and cohesive suddenly pulls something inexplicable and pretty much impossible to resolve in 1-3 episodes. Hanna’s season suddenly switching to Mia, Björn creeping on Mia in episode 9! of a total 10, David getting outed in episode 8 and then disappearing for a whole week, Amira’s season pivoting to Mia and Hanna. It has happened in every season except Nora’s, so I thought the team had learned its lesson, but then the forgotten date with Ava happened. To be clear. It really makes no sense that Nora would have hung out with Ava several times since Tuesday, and the topic of the cashqueens being officially introduced to Kieu My wouldn’t have come up. it’s just not realistic.gif I feel like at that point the writing for the rest of the reason became super contrived to keep Fatou miserable and apart from Kieu My and Ava to artificially delay the reunions until episode 9 and 10. Why add a cheating insinuation and the main checking her partner’s messages in episode 8 if you know you won’t be able to properly resolve it? Why make Kieu My mock Fatou’s “uhm” if it’s not going to be addressed in their reunion clip? Kieu My had taken the initiative for a lot of the relationship, so it’s okay for Fatou to take the initiative when it comes to making up. You don’t have to add things that can only be resolved through an expositional info dump. (Please no more exposition than it’s necessary! I think we’ve established that at this point lol.) In the case of Fatou’s season, this is even sadder because I feel like Kieu My’s intimacy issues could’ve been the reason to drive them apart for two weeks, rather than the Maya/uhm stuff. This could’ve also been resolved through Fatou and Kieu My explicitly negotiating their boundaries and how they want to be comforted and how they want to comfort each other, which I thought was the issue with Fatou rejecting Kieu My’s attempts to help while wanting physical touch, while Kieu My didn’t want to be touched but rather seen.

There are going to be many thinkpieces on why a myriad of stuff didn’t work for people, so I’m going to keep this simple and address one last thing. I think that choosing to focus on Nora’s mental illness and Fatou’s disability is a great choice that doesn’t complicate the themes too much, but Druck (and all the Skams, but I’m invested only in Druck succeeding at this point) still struggles with being intersectional. This is the major reason why the Ava/Mailin storyline ended not with a bang, but a whimper. There just wasn’t enough work done to connect Fatou’s struggles not just to her disability, but also to her race (and even her sexuality). I think that if people really want (and lbr, it’ll be mostly poc who will put in that effort and work), they can see how Fatou’s race affected the way other people and especially adults reacted to her, but this wasn’t made explicit. If Ava and Mailin are going to argue about racism all season, why not connect that with Karin firing Fatou from Aquarius? As it stands, Karin fired Fatou because of a disability neither of them knew Fatou has, and that was the resolution to that storyline. Why not make it explicit that the Physics teacher had preconceived ideas about Fatou because Fatou is black? Why wasn’t Fatou’s disability addressed in the meeting with the coordinator? Why didn’t Fatou express to Mailin that Fatou, too, had issues with how Mailin was acting wrt racism? It felt like, with the way the season was putting so much emphasis on racism, all these threads were going to be connected. In the end though, it almost felt as if only Ava is affected by racism (aside from Mailin mentioning Fatou in the last episode). It’s not like talking about how racism affects Fatou is going to make the topic redundant for Ava’s or Ismail’s season. As a light-skinned black lesbian with a disability, Fatou’s life is going to be impacted by racism in a different way than Ava’s will, as a dark-skinned black fat straight cis girl, or Ismail’s, as a Turkish-German possibly Muslim possibly non binary person. All these experiences are specific enough, and different enough, that they can be touched upon in different seasons without becoming redundant. The fact that Fatou’s season almost seemed to forget at times that she is a black lesbian, doesn’t bode well for Ava’s and Ismail’s season to acknowledge all their struggles.

The bottom line is that this season really was great and did a lot of good, and I feel like the writing just needs to be tweaked a bit for further seasons to be even better and more enjoyable overall. I am very pleasantly surprised by how the team took s1-s4 fan feedback to heart and worked to implement suggestions, and so I really trust them and hope they keep working on the show. It’d be a shame if Druck wasn’t renewed, with this team at the helm.

#druck #this post is 3K+ words in word I'm so sorry #but I really hope it makes its way to the writers and is helpful

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keanureevesisbae · 4 years

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The alluring charm of Henry Cavill - Chapter 1

Summary: Adelaide Park meets Henry Cavill for the first time and she is obviously very nervous.

Henry Cavill x Adelaide Park (ofc)

Wordcount: 3.5k

A/N: If you want to be on the taglist, just let me know. And please let me know what you guys think. I’d love to hear your thoughts about it 😘

Masterlist // Introduction // Next chapter

I’ve never been to Italy before. Actually, before I was a renowned actress, I never came outside of LA. Growing up, my parents never had the money to go to a different city, let alone other countries. My vacations were spend solely in our small one room apartment back in Los Angeles by myself.

My parents were never rich. My dad worked long hours in a factory every single day, but earning just enough money to pay the rent and for me and mom to eat. One night, I saw him scraping the packages or our plats clean, so he had something to eat as well. After I saw that, I never ate all the food off my plate, because I realized that my dad was working the hardest, but was eating the least.

It always broke my heart to see both of them struggle. My mom used to be a cleaning lady, but after she got fired, she became a live-in nanny, which basically meant that from my sixth birthday, she was barely home anymore and I had to raise myself.

Hours on end I was alone. Back in school I barely had any friends—correction: I had no friends at all—and when I came home from school, I’d sit outside to do my homework, because dad didn’t have enough money to get a second set of keys.

I never complained about it, because I knew they were trying and I learned all too well from that one time when I asked for a Barbie doll back when I was five and I kept crying about it, because other kids had Barbie dolls and I was the only one who didn’t. My mom got so mad, that she grabbed my empty plate and threw it against the wall, while she was screaming something about how ungrateful I was. Mom never got mad, she was always admirably calm and collected, even when life got in the way like it did with us. Seeing her like this, meant she was serious and I never said anything about something like that anymore. I never asked for anything, at all.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my parents and I am so thankful for everything they taught me and did for me. It may have been a hard time, but every year for my birthday, they gave me something. It was always something I really needed, but I always appreciated how they went out of their way for me, wondering how many meals they skipped for this present.

It all became worse when I finished high school at the age of nineteen. I was older than everyone else, since I read so slowly and didn’t even understand it most of the time, causing me to get behind on many classes over the course of the years. Besides, our school wasn’t known for having the best results overall, so the fact that I didn’t score well, meant I was blending in with the rest.

I was working in a diner, because I wasn’t smart enough at all for a scholarship, when my mom got in a terrible accident, when she walked back home and she was hit by a car who ran through a red light. She was paralyzed from her waist down and besides the high hospital bills, she also needed psychical therapy, something that unfortunately isn’t free.

With what my dad and I were earning together, we couldn’t even pay two percent of those costs. I was thinking about putting myself up on a sugar daddy website, but I know I couldn’t lie to them, when I would come back with a lot of money. Besides, my dad was always very strict about what mom and I could and couldn’t do to make money and sugar daddies were off limits. He told me multiple times—even after mom’s accident—that we had nothing to worry about. That he would take care of it.

But I had something to worry about, because my father wasn’t getting any younger. He had been working too hard for too long and all he wanted, was staying with his wife, who he still loved so so much, despite everything they had gone through. I took up more shifts at the diner, only slowly coming to terms that, even with the tips I was receiving, it was never enough to cover the bills.

In about two months, my mom would be discharged from the facility, if we hadn’t paid at least something significant.

One day, I was walking back home from work, when I saw a huge billboard, with a message that a studio was looking for someone to star in one of the biggest sitcoms of that time: Remembering High School. Apparently, one of the new main characters (who was an adult) was having a flashback from when they were in high school—the main premise of the show. And that character happened to be an Asian lady.

I went in and decided I would try it out. I mean, I had no acting experience and solely did it to earn some money, but being Asian American was apparently enough and that was the beginning of my acting career.

At first the amounts of money I made were not enough to cover the medical costs, but it was enough to delay further payment and my mom could stay in the facility.

For years I had difficulty with reading, let alone reading out loud, with an audience, but somehow on the set, I could forget about that. I could finally be someone I really wanted to be. For a few moments I could forget all the sorrows and worries I had resting on my shoulders.

The first five weeks, I’d combine my new acting career with my job in the diner, but after awhile I became a recurring character and for a whole year, I was part of the cast. I remember walking into my mom’s room, showing both her and my dad the first episode I was going to star in. ‘I’m from Minnesota,’ was my first line and the beginning of a very promising career.

My parents were so proud of me. My dad didn’t even care about the money I made at first, because he was so happy that I was doing something that from the looks of it, I actually enjoyed.

Over the years, I’ve come to love acting, but no one knows I do it because of my family. Actually no one knew about my family situation and since I have zero friends, even in the industry (because I barely talk about my personal life and I never budge, even when the try to pry information about it. My co-stars are acquaintances, almost like neighbors: you know one another, but you don’t know them), no one is aware that every penny I earn, goes directly to my family.

Nowadays I make millions, but I’m mainly spending it on my mom, but also on other people who are paralyzed and need psychical therapy, but were in the same boat as my family and my parents met over time in the facility. Money doesn’t mean a lot to me and these people can use it a lot better than I can.

Besides, my parents worked so hard for me growing up, this is the only way for me to pay them back. Despite not having any money themselves, nor stuff, they always taught me to share, to make sure that other people are well taken care off.

The flight from Japan to Italy moved along pretty quick, but maybe that’s because I was traveling first class. My latest movie took place in Japan and though I loved it there, I really want to see what Italy is like, after spending eight months in a lousy hotel in Japan.

After becoming an actress, I went to a lot of great places for shooting movies. I went to Suriname, Canada, Spain, Australia and this time it was Japan. I’m so blessed that I get to travel, knowing really well that other people are still struggling with what I used to struggle with. Sometimes I donate the earnings of a movie to movements that catch my eye, that help kids in certain areas of California with their school work, and with access of clothes and food. I always donate anonymously, not wanting to seem like a philanthropist who is doing this solely for her own image.

I always think that if you really care about something, you would do it without earning praises.

Participating on ‘The Celebrity Project’ wasn’t something I would normally do, but when they reached out to me, I was actually delighted that I was going to be part of this. Maybe I could finally show the world that I’m not as stupid as I appear in interviews.

Being a loner, a slow reader and probably has multiple learning disabilities (if I actually got tested, but the tests were too expensive and no one at school seemed to care and I’m actually too embarrassed to get myself tested now I’m a twenty-five year old), I often come off as an airhead and it’s my own fault really. I do give them enough stupid material to go on about that accusation.

However, I’m really nervous. I mean, I’m going to work together with Henry Cavill. He is charming and sounds so intelligent. When I was done filming and back at my hotel room, I’d watch his interviews, because I wanted to know what I was going to work with. The way he is so articulate and he obviously knows what he is doing, makes me feel even worse about myself. I’m a total disaster and already a burden to him I presume.

I’m sitting in a taxi, waiting for traffic to calm down a bit. It’s early in the mornings and thankfully I got to make myself a bit more presentable in the plane already. I notice the tiny camera’s being strategically placed in the car. It really begun, I think to myself. I’m part of a reality show now. ‘How are you feeling, miss Park?’ the taxi driver asks. ‘I recently heard about this program.’

‘I’m a bit nervous,’ I say, wondering whether or not he is payed to to talk to me about this. I rummage through my purse, hoping I can find my lip balm.

‘Are you looking forward to work with Henry Cavill?’

That name alone makes me nearly make me shit my pants already. ‘Yeah, he seems like a nice man, so I really look forward to work with him.’ And I sure as hell hope that I won’t let him down.

The drive to the hotel is about an hour, but it feels like time is going by a whole lot faster. The chauffeur talks about his family and how his wife is actually a fan of my movies and has watched every single one of them. I took a few pictures with him and signed the inside of the cracker box, because that was all he got with him for me to write something on.

After I said goodbye to him, I’m told that I should go to room 346. With my suitcases with me, I step into the elevator, a cameraman close by. They told me that at one point, these cameramen would just be invisible to me, but I highly doubt it. They are only with us during the assignments. In the cars and at the place where we’re staying, the camera’s are hidden.

When I’m in front of the door, I take a deep breath.

I can do this I think to myself. I have starred alongside other talented people. My first real role was playing Keanu Reeves’ daughter, I was Angela Bassett’s assistant and I also had some pretty steamy scenes with David Castañeda, after his Umbrella Academy days. I can handle being around Henry Cavill, right? I knock on the door three times and I open it a bit, peeking my head around the door.

I can conclude that I’m severely underdressed. I’m wearing a simply jean short, white crop top with some lace on the borders and socks with the same lace details as my top, paired with white sneakers.

I look like a slob, compared to Henry, who seems like he stepped out of a Disney movie. His white blouse, off-white pants and those loafers. The only thing that is missing, is his yacht with the name Serenity.

A smile creeps up on my face, as I step into the room, rolling my pink suitcases with me, because he actually looks approachable.

‘Hi there,’ he says with a small smile on his face. He walks up to me, holding out his hand. ‘I’m Henry, nice to meet you.’

I can’t help but blush. He is so charming and his accent makes him so posh. I place my hand in his and it almost disappears. Not to be that girl, but my size kink is activated right here and now. ‘Adelaide,’ I say. ‘Uhm, it’s nice to meet you… Too.’

I curse my tongue.

‘How was your flight?’ he asks, as he gestures to the couch for us to sit on.

I take place right next to him and I feel like a child sitting next to her dad. Why is he so massive? ‘It was okay. Yours?’

‘It flew by.’

I raise my eyebrows. ‘Was that… a pun?’

Henry chuckles nervously. ‘Maybe, I’m sorry.’

I look around me. The hotel room seems okay, but I bet we’re not going to stay here for long. I stare at the silver tray in front of us, with a set of keys and an envelope with our names on it.

Henry takes the envelope from the tray and holds it in front of me. ‘You want to read it?’

I shake my head. ‘No, you go.’ The whole idea of reading out loud without practice, makes me want to vomit. Before the table reads, I use this program that will read everything for me, even using the right intonation. I stay up for way too many hours for that, because once I’ve heard it, I made notes, I can better read it.

Back when I was doing ‘Remembering High School’ I had the woman who played the adult version of me read it to me, because I had to portray the young her and keep her character in mind. Since she was an established character on the show, she had certain ways of saying things I had to copy. She never knew the real reason I wanted her to read it out loud for me.

He cocks an eyebrow, but then opens the envelope. He clears his throat, before a dramatic reading of our first assignment rolls out of his mouth. How can he make a simple note sound so… Sensual, almost? His deep and dark voice, making it sound way more intense than it actually is. I wouldn’t mind if he read my scripts out loud for me.

‘Dear Adelaide and Henry, the adventure of ‘The Celebrity Project’ has officially started,’ he says, tilting the card a little, so I can read a little bit with him. It’s a nice gesture really and I appreciate the thought. ‘We have provided you with a nice car, to drive to the little cottage, specially arranged for the two of you. Tomorrow will be a nice day for you to relax (because you two are both severely jet lagged we presume) and the day after that, you’ll be expected for your first assignment. Enjoy the car ride and remember: look out of your window every now and then. We are aware that Henry is really handsome, Adelaide and you’ll be forced to only look at him, but nature can be beautiful too.’

I scrunch up my nose. That last sentence seemed so forced and this is exactly the reason why I don’t like these types of survival, borderline reality shows. It’s not reality. It’s this forced setting, hoping to get people to believe that this is how real life should look like.

And I don’t like deceiving people like that. I almost regret participating.

‘Right, well, we might as well just go,’ he says, his tone flat, maybe just as annoyed with that last sentence as I am. Probably even more so.

◎ ◎ ◎

Why is there a pink carseat in the passengers seat? I mean, I’m not the tallest, but I’m definitely not that tiny. I look around us, only to see no member of the crew around. This is great. I want to take the seat out, because I don’t want to sit on it, but it’s securely fastened and only with a different set of keys, I can undo it.

And of course I don’t have that.

I really regret being here.

However, I still sit on the carseat, because I don’t want to sit in the back because I’ll get carsick and when I see Henry’s cocked eyebrows and a poorly hidden smirk, I simply say: ‘Don’t.’

Okay, maybe I do understand why they put me on a carseat, because this man looks so enormous and otherwise I’m simply non existent. He starts the car and simply drives off. I don’t know whether or not I should say something to him, because I feel like we should talk. I mean, that’s why the camera’s are here right?

‘What is your newest movie about?’ Henry asks.

‘About a woman escaping from her past and she moves to Japan, when one day an old friend becomes her new manager,’ I say.

‘Romantic comedy?’

‘Of course.’

He nods. ‘You don’t get tired of doing those?’ he asks.

Yes, I do get a bit tired of them, but there are two things: for starters, just like those romance books (that I would buy my mom one for her birthday every year, because I knew how much she loved those), romantic comedies sell really good. And no one wants me for something else. I feel like directors don’t trust me with big roles, like Rose in Titanic or someone else major. Besides, I’m Asian American, when was the last time one of us got a major part in a movie that’s not a romantic comedy?

But I don’t want to seem ungrateful and it’s a nice stream of money coming in every time and that’s basically all I want.

‘No,’ I say. ‘It’s okay. You shot something new… new movie… Right?’ For fuck sake, Adelaide, you were doing so well.

‘I did, actually,’ he says. ‘It’s something I’m very excited for. It’s more of a dramatical part.’ I listen to Henry, as he is talking about this movie. How he plays a single dad, trying to figure out this parenting part with his daughter, when his brother and sister-in-law pass away and he has to take in four monsters of boys in his house. The way he talks about this, I notice a shimmer in his eyes. ‘I’m sorry,’ he apologizes. ‘I let myself go there for a second. It’s just I’m really excited about this movie.’

‘No, I get it,’ I say, as I look out of the window. I let out a deep sigh, as we drive over the sandy roads. Before I can say something else (as if I knew what), Henry hits the break and like the cliches in the movies, he holds out his arm in front of me, as the car comes to a halt.

There are four dogs and one owner on the road and the man screams something in Italian to us. Clearly we were supposed to stop for him. ‘Shit, sorry,’ Henry mumbles, as if the man could hear that.

His warm hand dropped to my bare thigh and with my pointer finger I tap him on the back of his hand. ‘Excuse me,’ I say.

‘Oh no, terrible sorry,’ he says quickly, retracting his hand. ‘What do you think the cottage will look like?’ Henry asks, when he pulled up again, not driving as fast as he did before.

Shrugging I play with my water bottle. ‘I don’t know, but I think I know one thing.’

It takes me a while before I can get the words out of my mouth, but Henry doesn’t force me to say anything, by asking something like: ‘Care to let me in?’ He actually lets me find the words and it feels nice not to be rushed into saying something.

‘I bet there is one bed that is large and comfortable. However, there is also one uncomfortable couch, too small for you. So people want to see whether or not you are a… gentleman and offer to sleep on the couch.’

‘You think?’ he asks frowning. ‘A bit far fetched, don’t you think?’

When we arrive at the tiny cottage, we walk inside. It’s nice decorated, warm colors mixed with nice hints of different pastel colors. My eye falls on the very uncomfortable looking couch that is pretty tiny if Henry is supposed to be sprawled out on that, but we don’t know what the rest looks like.

After a small tour through the house, we have come to the conclusion that there is indeed only one bed. I look over my shoulder, my eyes meeting Henry’s. ‘See?’

Taglist: @thelastsock // @jolly-polly // @henrythickcavill // @maan24 // @diegos-butt / @agniavateira //

#henry cavill x ofc #henry cavill #henry cavill x oc #henry cavill fanfic #the alluring charm of henry cavill #henry cavill fandom #henry cavill x actress #henry cavill x adelaide park

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ourimpavidheroine · 3 years

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Happy Belated New Year! I was just wondering if, during the pandemic, you found any new (or old, but new to you) tv shows that you've fallen in love with? Or otherwise liked enough to binge and/or watch on a regularly basis? I remember noticing you mention something about the books you've read, and I wondered if the same could be applied to another creative media.

So I suppose I should preference this by saying that sometimes I watch things because they are excellent television and sometimes I watch things because they amuse me regardless of quality. I am not above being merely entertained by media; sometimes that’s all I want and frankly, I think that’s fine.

1. The Mandalorian. Which, if I am going to be honest, has saved the bloated, rotting carcass of my once-beloved Star Wars franchise for me. And not just because of Grogu, either; Pedro Pascal is great as a character who never shows his face (but still manages to express so much emotion and intent through voice and movement) and frankly, anybody who would bring Amy Sedaris in as a reoccurring character has my vote, so thank you for everything, Jon Favreau.

2. RWBY. I am not a big fan of Rooster Teeth - that sort of frat boy geek club thing they do there holds no interest for me. But I do love RWBY and, no offense to the late Monty Oum at all, but the past few seasons have really tightened the storylines and improved the writing. Also, they’ve been making an effort to bring in some diversity there which I have appreciated. (For a very much adult show, I really enjoyed gen:LOCK and am looking forward to its second season. I’ve actually been wanting to write some gen:LOCK fanfiction, so that should tell you something!)

3. Snowpiercer (Netflix). Yeah, I enjoyed this! Great cast and plot twists and turns that were earned, not just thrown in there for shock factor. Daveed Diggs and Jennifer Connolly have great chemistry and it works, especially in the sort of claustrophobic atmosphere the show has. I love it when characters are morally gray and both of them play morally gray characters and it works.

4. The Untamed (Netflix). I loved this so much I watched the entirety of it twice. Obviously China took out the love story between the two main characters in the book when they filmed it (hello, state-sanctioned homophobia!) but it’s still there if you are looking for it. Gorgeous, lush costuming and scenery (although terrible wigs on the guys, wtf, ever heard of a lace front?) and some inspired casting in some of the roles. It’s that sort of swooping, epic story that I love and you don’t realize until the very end who has been pulling a lot of the strings (and when you do find out, it’s glorious).

5. Doom Patrol. This is a weird fucking show and I love it. I mean, it’s weird. But in all the ways that tick my boxes. And bless, but Brendan Fraser as a foul-mouthed Dale Earnhardt robot man is something I never knew I needed or wanted but I did, I really, really did. Also, Diane Guerrero is astonishingly good. She won’t get any awards for it - Doom Patrol is not the kind of show that gets awards - but she should.

6. Queer Eye. I watched the original when it aired nearly 20 years ago but the reboot is so much better. SO MUCH. The original was so elitist...I remember in one episode that Thom, the interior decorator, gave this couple with three small kids a glass coffee table and I was like, the fuck is wrong with you? Not only is it dangerous for them in terms of injuries but do you have a clue how often they will be cleaning dirty handprints off that thing? Same with Ted, the cooking guru, who gave complicated recipes with difficult to source ingredients which was just ridiculous. The reboot, on the other hand, is wonderful. Antoni not only teaches cooking techniques but gives recipes that people can realistically make (and pays attention to if the person has kids, is of a certain heritage, etc.). Bobby designs real homes that can be used by the people who live in them (including being kid-friendly, and disability-friendly, for example). Tan is an endless resource of real fashion advice that can benefit ANYBODY, not just sample sized people, and he doesn’t try to make people into someone they aren’t - he just enhances and polishes who they are and who they want/need to be. Jonathan is not only a joy to behold but again, is someone who gives people real grooming advice and haircuts that they can actually keep up with (as opposed to a fancy cut that will take a lot of upkeep that you know the person won’t do) and he gladly delegates to other professionals when he knows he can’t do what is needed (fixing some matted dreads, for example). Karamo is a former social worker who LISTENS to people and really connects with them one on one to help build their confidence and tackle issues. (His predecessor, Jai, was completely useless and to this day I have no idea what he was supposed to be accomplishing.) I love Queer Eye. I love how these five men show by example how men can be nurturing, caring, affectionate and supportive. I love how open they are about their own issues, how open they are with their clients about it as well. (Although I will never EVER stop being pissed off that the producers allowed that fucking white cop to pull over Karamo like that for a “joke”.)

7. The Expanse. Yes, there are a lot of differences between the show and the books. But I don’t mind them; if anything I just look at the TV show as a different entity altogether and judge it accordingly. This is the first “hard” sci-fi I’ve really enjoyed since the Battlestar Galactica reboot ended. (The reboot of Galactica remains one of my favorite TV shows of ever, btw. I’ve tried to re-watch it but it reminds me too much of my late wife and I just can’t. But that’s on me and not the show.)

8. Good Omens. This was a delight, from start to finish. I read the book when it originally came out (my paperback copy is battered and well-loved) and it makes me laugh just as much today as it did 30 years ago. What more can be said about how absolutely fantastic David Tennant and Michael Sheen are? Or the careful and loving way Douglas Mackinnon handled the source material? Neil Gaiman meant this as a love letter to his much-missed friend Terry Pratchett and it succeeded in every single way.

9. RuPaul’s Drag Race. What can I say? I watch all of its variations. It’s overblown and relies on cheap, drummed up drama and I don’t give a shit. I’ve been watching since it first premiered and continue watching. Although I’m not yet sold on the new Porkchop plot twist thing this season.

10. Killing Eve. Oh man. A love story between two women, one of whom is a sociopathic serial killer? It’s so wrong and yet so, so right. Great performances by Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer. I especially love that they don’t try to somehow rehabilitate Villanelle; that would just ruin the entire thing. Oh and Fiona Shaw is one of my favorite character actresses and she does not disappoint. If you like your TV dark then this is the show for you.

2020′s been a weird year for TV, for sure. Kind of scarce, thanks to the pandemic, but what can you do? Anyhow, here’s my top 10, Anon!

#tv recommendations #personal #long post #Anonymous

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auditionsuggestions · 5 years

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Because it’s on my mind

(and because it’s my blog and I’ll talk about the theatre that I want to talk about)

Let’s discuss the Wicked film adaptation. I recently read a thing where apparently Ariana Grande is “strongly under consideration” for the role of Elphaba. Aside from her acting and singing not being up to par (diction is necessary for musical theatre and she was terrible in Hairspray Live, don’t @ me), I think she’s too conventionally pretty for the role (I will not get into the whole thing with her tacitly trying to pass as hispanic because we’ll all be here forever).

Long story short, here is a list of things I want from this movie:

More Book Influence

Specifically, I would like Elphie to be less conventionally attractive/have sharper or more angular features and I would like Fiyero to be played by an actor of color and them finding a way to work in the blue diamond tattoos that he’s supposed to have (Tbh, super rooting for Jelani Alladin cause he’d be great as Fiyero). Because special effects and CGI are a thing, I think Nessarose having her disability from the book would also be good (but this could also be easily achieved by casting an actress who has that disability or y’know casting an actress who uses a wheelchair and then using the special-effects for the walking thing--Ali Stroker may be a nice choice as her star is on the rise with her Tony win, also she would sing the HELL out of “Wicked Witch of the East”).

I would also like some of the darker tone that the book has, but if they’re shooting for family friendly, that may be out of the question.

Practical Effects where possible. I think they just look better and age better, but this is just me being a picky bitch.

Unknowns playing Elphaba and Glinda

Ideally, I’d like to see open casting calls and submissions accepted (and casting legit unknowns--this includes not casting people who have gone viral/have big youtube followings).

I would also really appreciate actresses of color in one or both of the leading roles, but it’s not a deal breaker for me. What would be a deal breaker would be casting all big names just to try and make money (See: Mamma Mia--Pierce Brosnan, if you want to know why this is a bad idea or Russell Crowe in Les Mis).

If they don’t cast complete unknowns, I would at least like people who aren’t huge mainstream stars in the roles (Cynthia Erivo or Sam Barks come to mind both as excellent choices for Elphie).

#Wicked #Wicked movie #Wicked casting #musical theatre #opinion post

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agentem · 5 years

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Endgame questions: Sharon Carter, Peggy Carter, Team Carters, some Steve stuff, SHIELD, some Bucky and Sam

I feel like I should just get the Sharon stuff out of the way. Readers, if you are new, I love Sharon Carter--mostly from the comics because she never had much to do in the movies. I also love Peggy Carter because, originally, Stan Lee had written them as sisters and I fucking LOVE SISTER RELATIONSHIPS (see future post on Gamora and Nebula).

Now, of course, they are great aunt and grand niece (that is Peggy is Sharon’s grandparent’s--I believe, grandfather Michael if Agent Carter is still canon--sibling.)

Markus and McFeely (who WROTE these movies) said Sharon was originally LIVING with Steve while he was on the run in Infinity War and that she was cut (”she was cut” is Sharon’s whole MCU history). I say that because she was originally the “female lead” of CATWS and was cut, in favor of Black Widow. She was originally part of “Team Captain America” and part of the airport battle in CAWC, but was cut in favor of Ant-Man/Spider-man happening. (This had to do with the Sony deal happening or not, which is neither here nor there.)

But the point is, she is a character that I care about. I don’t necessarily need her and Steve to be together in the comics. Some of my fave Sharon comics are her teaming with Black Widow or other Agents of SHIELD.

Anyway, back to them “living together.” I don’t think that is canon because if it is, it is fucking dark. It’s one thing to have kissed your grand-niece it’s another thing to have fucked her a bunch of times and had five years of a stable relationship with her from the time it started in CACW.

I HOPE he kissed her and then she fucking moved on with her life. She’s fucking thriving at the CIA. I hope she survived the Snap and maybe got involved with Nick Fury’s underground SHIELD. I mean, they mention Button Bob (whose real name I never remember) at the end of Infinity War as someone who is still on Fury’s team. He was also in Age of Ultron. I would’ve loved to have seen Sharon in Age of Ultron or mentioned as still a SHIELD agent in Infinity War.

Because SHIELD is goddamned important to her. She wanted to be like Peggy. She joined up despite her family’s protests (this is mentioned off-hand in CW) and Peggy was the only one who supported her. Those two had a familial relationship where Peggy mentored her and served as a guide for her career.

You know, what? Fuck it, I’m just going to headcanon that once Fury and Maria Hill are Snapped, Sharon is in-charge of SHIELD. (I think this probably conflicts with the TV show I haven’t watched since Simmons got stuck on that weird planet?) But I don’t give a fuck because Sharon needs to get something.

I am also conflicted as to whether going back to being with Peggy is “moving on” or “going back” for Steve. I think it is the latter, honestly. Like he got jealous that Tony got to have a family? They seem to have conflated “moving on” with “getting a life” in the film. But Nat talks about having a life with the Avengers. That is what I thought Steve had.

Like, okay maybe he wasn’t living with Sharon Carter for the last ten years. (Five on the run, five after the Snap). But is not having a girlfriend or children the worst thing in the world?

As an asexual childless individual, I don’t really understand. He seemed to rely on Nat and Sam and together they were trying to help Bucky, who is really just beginning his healing process in Wakanda when they PULL HIM OUT to join this fight.

I know a lot of Stucky fans are really bummed. I get that. The Russos always said that since they were brothers, they were attracted to the Steve/Bucky narrative as a brother story. (See above where I am super into sister stories, so I get that.) But I also know that a HUGE part of the audience did not read it as they saw it. And they know that. They totally swerved into it in CACW and were certainly aware of the backlash against the kiss with Sharon.

Even if the audience did read it as the Russos intended (and I don’t think creator intent is the same as what comes across): would Gamora abandon Nebula? Would Thor leave Loki? Would Pietro leave Wanda?

I did see that Sebastian Stan played it like Bucky somehow knew that Steve was leaving for good. That is why they have the “you’re taking all the stupid with you” exchange that they had when Bucky went off to war. (Is marriage really like war?) And had him know who the old man was way before Sam did.

But Bucky being sort of okay with it doesn’t mean it is okay? At the end of CACW said his philosophy was that he believed in people. Specific people, sure. He had abandoned the Avengers for Bucky, really.

The only way I can explain it, is that he and Nat were a team, right? And now she’s dead and he’s like “holy shit, I gotta find that life Tony talked about fast!” And he made a split second, impulsive decision. (Which, again, I really think you should PLAN your time travel before you do it, and like discuss the possible unseen ramifications with other people.)

I guess this movie is about the Avengers needing grief counselors (like if Sam had been there, since I assume he is certified in some way to run meetings at the VA, none of this would have happened).

Pause for a moment to appreciate Sam Wilson more. (Do it, goddamn it.)

As for Peggy Carter, I am not sure if this is a yay Peggy for me? I was happy to see her. And I would have looked at her with the same heart eyes that Steve did through the window, let’s be honest.

But I also really loved the first season of Agent Carter. That scene where she says goodbye to him on the Brooklyn Bridge (which better not be covered in goddamn boats, New York) was really great. Hayley Atwell moved me and I believed she was going to find love elsewhere and be FINE.

Not only FINE but THRIVE.

I know the show suggested that her husband was Daniel Sousa, who I liked just fine. I had always hoped the show would be more ambitious and play with the Peggy and Gabriel Jones dynamic from the comics. It’s not a big part of the comics, but when Steve comes back and is IMMEDIATELY like “gross you are old” to Peggy. she is devastated and Sharon is like “what the fuck, you asshole.” (Don’t be so mean to my older sister!) But she eventually finds love with Gabriel Jones, the Howling Commando, and the white lady with the black man pisses Red Skull off, which is fun for me. So I still ship it (just because “fuck you, nazis!”).

I feel like the MCU version of Steve might have picked up with Peggy even though she was old in CATWS, except she had the Alzheimer’s. I personally think that would’ve been fucking rad to cast an older actress and have her be the love interest. (See upcoming post on ageism and women in Hollywood). But they didn’t go there. They cast a Sharon Carter but really did not follow through with it.

Anyway, in the movie Peggy bonds with Steve because he’s an outsider and they’ve both “had every door shut in their face.” I thought it would have been cool to deal with that in the actual context of 50s America. MCU Peggy is NOT American but she is expected to enforce American laws as they were at the time. How does she feel about that with regard to race in America? How is Gabe dealing with having every door shut in his face, even after becoming a distinguished war hero and personally capturing Armin Zola (who they just let wander around SHIELD?) after Captain America and Bucky were busy dying/crying on the train.

I don’t know, that is what I wanted season 2 of Agent Carter to be. They did cast an African American actor as a kind of pre-Hulk character but he turned out to be terrible, which was pretty problematic for me, and left me thinking well maybe Peggy with Daniel Sousa wouln’t be so bad.

Daniel is a disabled veteran, he can’t be having a super fun life.

Oh wait, now his wife is probably leaving him for a Super Soldier? That has gotta hurt. I feel bad for these characters who are kind of abandoned by the narrative.

OTOH, we got to see Jarvis in a movie! And Sam is Captain America now. Change that logo, Disney+. I wanna see “The New Captain America and the Winter Soldier” now.

Steve let me down but Sam doesn’t usually. Maybe I should move on.

#endgame questions #endgame spoilers #spoilers #sharon carter #peggy carter #margaret carter #agent carter #emily van camp #daniel sousa #gabriel jones #gabe jones #sam wilson #bucky barnes #stucky #sort of #everything falls apart without natasha romanoff #natasha romanoff

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beautifuljuleisha · 4 years

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Images of Females Advertising Dove

Dove has been around for decades since the 1950’s and it has changed its marketing style since launched. Dove in the beginning had only white faces and today its very diverse. Dove now aims towards diversity and produces products for different skin types. Within the last two decades the brand has promoted positive body image, became more diverse in terms of ethnicity, gender, and race. From the beginning where the models were white and thin until present time, where we have a host of many beautiful shades and sizes of women.

“The Use of Black Models in Advertising” This article was published in 1971, the article was about the reasons why black models are used for advertising. According to the article black models are used in marketing to sell products to black people. After the civil rights movement and new laws created in the legislature, marketers had to prepare for a new world in which black people would have a voice and more money to buy their products. As well as whites realizing that “black money” is the same as “white money”, both are green; so, with that realization, white businessman became smarter and began marketing black people in positive light for profit.

In the 1950’s concerning size, women were more concerned about having a slim figure, the ‘ideal’ size for attracting a man; Most ads you see on tv or in the magazines/newspapers in the 20th century would be of a slender sized woman, in addition, everyone was attracted to that size. Most of the advertising from the 50’s to the 70’s lacked people of color and of plus sized. I noticed that they choose light skinned black women over dark-skinned black women. As time passed, they began implementing dark skinned women. Marketers usually produced what they felt would sell and what attracts people to buy their products. The secret to advertising is subliminal messaging; subliminal messages is to gain favor with the consumer you’re targeting. For instance, if marketers placed more curvier women in their ads the world would be more accepting.

The early 2000’s Mo’nique (comedian/actress) sort of pushed away the fat shaming when she glorified her size. Mo’nique made ‘fat’ girls feel more beautiful and accepted. In 2005 She hosted the first televised beauty competition and boot camp for full-sized women “F.A.T. Chance,” on the Oxygen station. Mo’nique encouraged other plus size women to love the body they’re in and that they too are normal. “With its debut in 2005 it was the highest-rated original show in the company’s history, and in the second season it had a total of 4.8 million viewers for the premiere and its encores” (Luckily, There’s Plenty of Her for Everybody). There's a market for plus sized women just as there is for ‘regular’ sized women. The views on that show proved that people are interested in a plus sized/curvy woman's lifestyle also people support the body images. The ratings definitely boosted confidence in other plus sized women. Everyone comes in different sizes and should love every inch of themselves and only change for themselves, and of course for a healthier you. “Women are more than the labels that are given to us, they're more than an age, more than a size, more than a name...” (Dressbarn Launches an Empowering Campaign Starring Ashley Graham).

You’d be surprised the amount of negativity and pressure women endure daily, in terms of body image. Super model Tyra Banks has been shunned for her body a few times in her modeling career. It has become so bad that it took a toll on her career. “Banks said her desire to be her own boss came from rejection she faced for her skin color and curvier figure, which she said was not desirable in the world of high-fashion modeling. “Me being a boss came from pain,” she said. “Being told no you can’t.” ...” Those experiences “created in me an empathy for women and physical discrimination,” (Tyra Banks on Body Shaming in the Fashion Industry: ‘My Pain Turned Me Into a Boss’). Banks kicked off her own show “Americas Next top Model”, there she featured models of many sizes and ethnicity's. She also featured women who were more on the heavy side, also known as ‘plus sized’. Banks also bridged the way of women flaunting, loving their bodies no matter their size. “Body-positive advertisements often feature individuals helping others recognize their inner beauty, and these images of support and kindness could potentially evoke elevation in audiences” (Feeling Bad About Feel-Good Ads: The Emotional and Body-Image Ramifications of Body-Positive Media).

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In 2017, Dove offered a Nigerian lady Lola Ogunyemi, to be the face of a new body wash campaign. Lola was excited for the Opportunity, stated, “Having the opportunity to represent my dark-skinned sisters in a global beauty brand felt like the perfect way for me to remind the world that we are here, we are beautiful, and more importantly, we are valued” (I am the woman in the 'racist Dove ad'. I am not a victim), however the commercial sparked a lot of negative backlash due to the content of the advertisement. Due to all the negative comments and controversy around the ad, it was removed, and Dove apologized if they came off as ‘racist’. Besides the backlash the brand has received, I thought it was a great opportunity for Dove to display a dark-skinned person and show the world that dark skin women are real, and beautiful.

“I know that the beauty industry has fueled this opinion with its long history of presenting lighter, mixed-race or white models as the beauty standard. Historically, and in many countries still today, darker models are even used to demonstrate a product’s skin-lightening qualities to help women reach this standard” (I am the woman in the 'racist Dove ad'. I am not a victim).

Although women are still body shamed and go to extreme measures to get the ‘perfect’ body Dove has launched a “Real Beauty campaign”, encouraging people all over the world to flaunt their imperfections and love themselves. “...viewing body-positive advertisements, as compared to traditional beauty ads, sparks stronger emotional responses, including both positive and negative emotions” (Feeling Bad About Feel-Good Ads: The Emotional and Body-Image Ramifications of Body-Positive Media). Under the Real Beauty campaign is the “Self Esteem Project”, “According to the research, 61% of girls between the ages of 10 and 17 in the U.K. lack confidence and body esteem, while nine in 10 girls with low body esteem are likely to put their health at risk trying to conform to what they believe is expected of them. Dove is spending 1.5 million pounds on the campaign, which also offers free advice and support around the issues of self-esteem on the Dove web site” (Dove spearheads ‘Self Esteem Project’ to salute and honor real girls). Dove works with non-professional models to help with the campaign to help build positive body confidence in the girls.

Over the past few years Dove has been pushing towards more diversity and knocking out beauty stereotypes. Dove works with people nationwide from infants to elderly people from shades of lighter skinned to shades of darker skins. Big, small, short, tall, slim, hefty, you name it, all types of people. People with physical disabilities, skin conditions i.e, vitiligo. People with ‘bad’ acne, crooked teeth, missing teeth, birth marks, nappy hair, straight hair, short hair, long hair, locked hair, a whole variation of people. Size and color of skin doesn’t define you, when you look at yourself in the mirror you should love every inch of yourself, and if weight is an issue that bothers you, get in the mind set of changing your weight. I just want everyone to know we all are beautiful in our own way.

On their website, Dove welcomes everyone and gives you a feel of comfort that purchasing their product would be one of the best decisions you’ve made in terms of beauty. “Welcome to Dove…the home of real beauty. For over a decade, we've been working to make beauty a source of confidence, not anxiety, and here's where the journey continues. Beauty is not defined by shape, size or color – it’s feeling like the best version of yourself. Authentic. Unique. Real. Which is why we’ve made sure our site reflects that. Every image you see here features women cast from real life. A real life version of beauty...” (Dove). Dove is displaying that there are different forms of beauty.

I love the approach that Dove has taken, it’s allowing the younger generations to see that they are beautiful and that the models they see on tv are superficial, yet the models are beautiful as well. Society has deemed being ‘fat’ to be ugly! Being darker skinned to be ‘ugly’! Being gay abnormal! The beauty campaign of Dove has helped millions recognize that you can look pretty without any makeup and you can love yourself no matter what condition you’ve been diagnosed with. You can still relate to others because we all have imperfections.

Society today has left many of us questioning our true selves. "Am I too fat?", "Am I really ugly?" , "Will I be accepted regardless of my sexual orientation?". Despite pondering our insecurities, DOVE has helped many people like you & me recognize our natural beauty. From my personal experience, using DOVE has made my skin feel so radiantly beautiful which has reflected beauty in my self image. Using DOVE has not only allowed me to recognize the beauty in myself but also in the beauty that would open up to those around me. The DOVE campaign demonstrates a relatively natural use of soap that encompasses beauty and self-image. This soap has a diverse ability to help make us appreciate both our physical and mental forms.

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References

Kraus, A., & Myrick, J. G. (2018). Feeling Bad About Feel-Good Ads: The Emotional and Body-Image Ramifications of Body-Positive Media. Communication Research Reports, 35(2), 101–111. https://doi-org.libserv-prd.bridgew.edu/10.1080/08824096.2017.1383233

JOHN J. WHEATLEY. The Use of Black Models in Advertising. Journal of Marketing Research, [s. l.], v. 8, n. 3, p. 390, 1971. DOI 10.2307/3149585. Disponível em: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsjsr&AN=edsjsr.10.2307.3149585&site=eds-live. Acesso em: 26 nov. 2019.

“Dove Spearheads 'Self Esteem Project' to Salute and Honor Real Girls.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2017, https://www.latimes.com/fashion/la-ig-wwd-dove-self-esteem-project-20171227-story.html.

Lee, Felicia R. “Luckily, There's Plenty of Her for Everybody.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 5 Aug. 2007, https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/05/arts/television/05lee.html.

Lopez, Ricardo. “Tyra Banks on Body Shaming in the Fashion Industry: 'My Pain Turned Me Into a Boss'.” Variety, 6 June 2018, https://variety.com/2018/film/news/tyra-banks-on-body-shaming-in-the-fashion-industry-my-pain-turned-me-into-a-boss-1202834241/.

Ogunyemi, Lola. “I Am the Woman in the 'Racist Dove Ad'. I Am Not a Victim | Lola Ogunyemi.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 10 Oct. 2017, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/oct/10/i-am-woman-racist-dove-ad-not-a-victim.

“Welcome to Dove.” Dove US, https://www.dove.com/us/en/home.html.

Williams, Lashauna, and Lashauna Williams. “Dressbarn Launches an Empowering Campaign Starring Ashley Graham.” InStyle.com, 7 Dec. 2019, https://www.instyle.com/fashion/ashley-graham-dressbarn-more-than-a-name-campaign.

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theexistentiallyqueer · 5 years

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Okay so I’ve been thinking about that really bad Hot Take that’s been circulating about fanfiction. And it’s been kind of simmering in me. The root of the problem with it isn’t so much that it diminishes the quality of fanfiction so much as the way it characterizes two completely different genres of media.

Preface: at no point is this ever, ever, ever a diatribe or condemnation against fanart or the work fanartists put into their work. This is about the value that is ascribed to visual art vs the value ascribed to literary art. I am trying to talk specifically about the denigration of literary art in fandom spaces and the way it’s been recently, in a very popular tumblr post, martyred at the expense of queer and disabled writers and writers of color.

Fanart (as a collective genre, according to that post) - Good, artistically-driven, pure, wholesome. Fanartists draw for the sake of becoming better artists, and every work a fanartist draws or creates is made with the goal of becoming a better artist. Fanartists never draw anything that is base, silly, shippy, or smutty; if there is pornographic art, it isn’t pornographic but Erotica. There is no such thing as low- or middling-quality art, because all artists are striving to sharpen their skills and become better artists, and there are no fanartists who draw just for fun or shits and giggles. Fanartists achieve fame purely on the merit of their own artistic ability. There’s no room to criticize fanartists who attempt to cis-wash trans (or trans pesenting) characters, or fanartists who blatantly, frequently, and with frankly no impunity (as their art is reblogged, and reblogged, and reblogged) whitewash characters of color.

Fanfiction (as a collective genre, according to that post) - Smutty, ship-fodder, audience-pleasing trash. Fanfic writers write for the sake of expressing their inner boners or enacting their internal fantasies. No fanfic writers seek a sense of growth in their writing or work to improve their writing in any way. The only reason any works of fanfiction are popular is because they cater to the readership’s base instincts, and the True Authors, the Really Daring authors who write Real Literary Content, are cast the wayside.

It’s such a two-dimensional view of the situation--and it doesn’t even take into account edited content, such as gifsets, which makes up a huge portion of fandom content and has been a type of content, along with fanart, that fanfic writers have long voiced their (our) upset about getting more active & polarized attention than written works. It presents this dichotic view of fanart good/fanfiction bad. Which is also incredibly ugly and disturbing when you consider the fact that fanfiction is the earliest form of curated fan content, and fanfiction itself is inherently transformative in a way that fanart and edits are not, because fanwork in general, and and fanfiction in particular, is inherently in and of itself the public (fans) themselves overriding the corporate-owned landscape with their subversive interpretations.

Like, I have seen not-good fanart. I have seen bland, unimpressive, generic fanart. There is fanart from artists who don’t have their own unique sense of style. Fanart from artists who are just starting out and haven’t developed their skills yet. Fanart from artists who draw as a hobby, and damn they may be good, but they don’t give a fuck about contributing to The Body of Artistry because they have bills to pay and career interests outside of art, and damn, they’d really rather draw these two characters making out, or blushing at each other, or straight-up fucking, than they would create something of Great Artistic Importance. That art gets so many notes. It is liked and reblogged and shared.

And that’s all valid, because art ISN’T A COMPETITIVE SPORT. I embrace fanartists who draw just because they want to, because they don’t care about quality or artistic ideals or whatever, and just want to draw someone being happy, or sad, or angry, or getting dicked down, or whatever!!! It doesn’t matter. Draw because you want to draw. Because your art is an expression of yourself that speaks of your experiences and transgresses the definitions of the world you’ve been told to adhere to. You make art for yourself, to say fuck the system!!!! We’re just the lucky souls who get to appreciate it afterwards.

The complaints that come from fanfic writers--and yes!!! I am one, so proceed with the accusations of butthurt--are that fanart and edits get more social media attention (in the forms of likes, reblogs, retweets, shares, etc.) than fanfic does.

And it’s a valid complaint! It isn’t rooted in some alien reality that fanfiction is inherently more base and less artistic than fanart. I’ve seen some pretty aesthetically displeasing fanart get a high reblog count. And I’ve seen some incredible works of literary attention get no recs, no likes, no comments. I’ve seen works of middling writers who have a lot of fucking talent and show it in their work, and yeah maybe they write porn, but their prose SINGS, and no one comments, no one shares it, no one makes their love of it public the same way they do the fanart, the same way they do the edits and the gifsets.

It’s rooted in two things:

1. Literature (which fanfiction is a subgenre of) takes time to appreciate. You can look at a piece of art and reblog it without thinking about it. It could be a work on par with the Mona Lisa, and you could still look at it without any aesthetic or artistic sense and say, “Hey, that looks pretty.” But you can’t read without thinking; reading is an active mental pursuit you have to engage with. (If you try to pull out Twilight on this point to fight me, I’ll fight you back. I’ve actively read Twilight. Even reading awful literature takes effort; arguably it takes more effort than reading something good).

2. Literature is hard to market with words, because when you’re trying to encourage other people to read it, you have to use even more words. You have to use words to convince someone to read even more words! Some fanartists draw comics or fanart inspired by fanfiction--I love those artists and they do more for us than they could possibly know--but for the most part, you can’t use visuals to show someone why they should invest their time in reading a thing. And unlike fanart--when it’s a tribute, when it’s a showcase of the character’s or characters’ canonical attributes--fanfiction can’t be green-stamped by creators, because fanfiction is inherently built in narrative, and canon-compliant or not, that opens the legal owners of the property up to legal disputes.

So much easier, then, to focus on fanart, which distribution and publishing companies love because they see free advertising in sharing it, to complain that fanfiction is a dispirited genre of unartistic creators who just want to read the queer version of a bodice-ripper.

And then we get to the question of: why is the bodice ripper so bad? Are you willing to critique Jack Kerouac and Charles Bukowski with the same derision you have for queer writers? Are you going to hold the wish-fulfillment fantasies and introspective examinations of sexuality in relation to gender, race, class, and physical ability written by writers expressing their own experiences as inherently debauched and debased because pornographic fanfiction is popular, but not hold George R R Martin to the same standard? Are you going to criticize the prejudices and disparities and biases in publishing that prevent marginalized writers from being able to break into the industry?

Are you ready to combat the enduring popularity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is overwhelmingly a series of heroism tales about shitty and mediocre white men?

Are you going to take aim at HBO for taking a fantasy series that, while still written by a sexist author who has a disturbing fixation on female sexuality has uplifted its female characters as heroes in their own right, and then drove it into the dirt to end on a note with the male “hero” murdering his female lover, an abuse survivor, after engaging her in an intimate kiss?

Did you take issue with the streaming blockbuster Stranger Things only confirming a character as canonically gay--after planning to have her be a straight romantic option for a major character--because the actress is the one who repeatedly badgered the showrunners about how she didn’t feel her character fit that role?

Are you invested in the fact that video games continue to be majority white, majority male, majority able-bodied, and majority inaccessible to disabled gamers?

You want to complain about fanfiction having too much porn and somehow that deligitimizes fanfiction as a genre as a whole?

Fuck off. There are hundreds, thousands even more likely, of other authors of equal skill to you or greater, who are struggling to have their works recognized in fandoms that don’t want to put the effort in to reading them, the effort into sharing and appreciating them. It’s harder to make someone care about a fanfic. You can reblog a fanart, and your followers will see the art itself right away. If you reblog fanfic, they have to make the conscious choice to engage with it. And none of that is your fault, because you can’t control how other people engage with fan content, but you can advocate, vocally, for the fair and equal respect for fanfiction and fan-written content. You can remind people, again and again, how fanfic writers do so much for so little.

But you want to come into my house and compare fanart to fanficton and claim one is inherently better? You’re the Banksy to my Catherynne L Valente, to my N.K. Jemisin, to my Seanan McGuire.

Start understanding the system is built against us all and start understanding why your battle is uphill. What’s oppressing your creative success is a white, straight, cis monopoly on what the good story, what the correct story is, limiting your options, tying you to a narrative you don’t belong to. Queerness and marginalization exist beyond what’s depicted in mainstream media, and fans expressing that through their own written content?

That’s us taking back the corporate-owned narrative for ourselves. It’s self-liberation through the written word. And yeah, some of it is porn.

It’s porn when it’s a drawing too.

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fibula-rasa · 6 years

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September 2018 in Review

You should all be proud of me this month, as I actually watched MORE than one movie made in this decade. There was little rhyme or reason to the films I watched this month. I was pretty scattered honestly and my viewing habits show it. I keep a full diary on letterboxd and IMDB.

A major highlight of September was TCM’s month-long series hosted by the African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) The Black Experience on Film. I only caught a few of the films but went out of my way to watch the introductory conversations. TCM’s Trailblazing Women series with Illeana Douglas was a favorite feature of mine and I’d love to see even more hosted series for marginalized groups in film history. It might be too much to suggest Disability on Film… But I’ve been considering doing a blogging series on that myself!

The reviews below the jump are essentially transcriptions of the notes I took right after watching the films. They’re presented in the order in which I watched them.

Brigsby Bear (2017)

23 January 2017 | 97 min. | Color

When Brigsby Bear came out there were a number of people, in real life and online, who gushed about it non-stop. I was pretty wary to see it. In the past, often when people around my age pick out a new darling film or TV series, I’ve been burned. Sometimes it’s something cynically violent in a way that’s disturbing to overlook. Sometimes it’s something with too much ironic detachment for my taste. Or it’s something straight-up ableist, sexist, or bigoted. (How are we still traumatizing all “Strong Female Characters” in the 2010s. Come on.)

BUT, Brigsby Bear was really good!? I honestly wasn’t expecting such a heartfelt and humanist film. A modern comedy movie that has faith in the good of all people? Amazing. I hope that the success of this film can be the beginning of a new chapter of millennial comedy so we can wholly move on from calling cynical intellectualized bigotry humor.

I got emotional as the friendship between Spencer and James developed. Maybe because I’m a clinically strange person myself. I don’t always have the energy in social situations to keep my neurotypical mask on and when I show my actually autistic self to people it doesn’t usually go all that well. That’s why it’s a special, joyful moment to find acceptance. Brigsby captures this so well. That feeling where people suddenly like you for your weirdness, rather than getting aggressive over it, is like a psychological hug. Kyle Mooney’s portrayal of James in those moments of acceptance is very true to life.

It’s refreshing to have the tension of a comedy film built around a feeling that misunderstandings might make everything fall to pieces. And then the tension releases because everyone is trying so hard to be their best self and things get sorted. I’m used to this dynamic in quite a few old romantic comedy films, but it’s a strategy not employed all that often today. If this is where millennial art is headed I’m ready to take out the trash marketed to us in the last decade.

At first I was worried that this was going to be another early 1980s throwback nostalgia piece without the spirit of media it was referencing (yes, I’m already fatigued by this). That thought was dispelled quickly.

The casting is great. The use of Mark Hamill is particularly ingenious.

Where to watch: it’s currently on demand through Starz.

Perfect Blue (1997)

28 February 1998 | 81min. | Color

Perfect Blue is a must-see for giallo fans, I think. It was very cool to see a Japanese filmmaker create a giallo-inspired psycho-detective thriller and specifically to see Satoshi Kon’s take given his skill in weaving tales about identity.

Perfect Blue is a harsh criticism of Idol culture (and, more broadly, fan culture).

This film requires a huge content warning for sexual violence and assault. If I hadn’t been watching Perfect Blue in a theater, I absolutely would have had to pause the film and take breaks a few times. Which is why, if you haven’t seen any other Kon films, it might be best to start elsewhere–even though Perfect Blue was his first feature. My first exposure to Kon was a few years back with Millennium Actress (2001) and then Paprika (2006). Both are great for newcomers to Kon. Paprika is usually the easy to find. Tokyo Godfathers (2003) is also worth watching, but pretty far afield from Perfect Blue.

Now I’m not suggesting that Perfect Blue isn’t good. It’s great. It’s simply that it’s such an intense and potentially triggering film that it might put some people off Kon’s other work. That may well have happened to me if this had been the first Kon film I saw rather than my last of his filmography.

As with Kon’s other films, the animation is fantastic and imaginative. I don’t want to give too much away about the story, so feel free to ask if you need more specific content warnings.

Where to watch: This one’s not so easy to get your hands on. Your local library or video store might be the best place to look. But, GKids does have some theatrical screenings upcoming.

New Orleans (1947)

18 April 1947 | 90min. | B&W

I watched this film on TCM as part of the aforementioned Black Experience on Film series with AAFCA.

As it was a month-long series in September, I probably should have mentioned it sooner, but the whole series was fantastic. The critics offered useful context for all of the films. Given that the films elicit mixed responses and have complicated roles in cultural and social history, it was very cool to see people debate and disagree on the films. It was valuable to witness even the disagreements that weren’t all that complicated and more about personal taste than politics. With New Orleans for example, one of the hosts liked the film and the other disliked it, though both held an appreciation for it. More civil disagreement about films, please and thanks.

I liked New Orleans and am disappointed that I hadn’t even heard about it before. Although, I do agree with critic/host Jamaal Finkley that it’s a disappointment that New Orleans doesn’t provide any insight into the personal trials of the Black characters.

It’s always a treat to see Arturo de Cordova, but that goes double when it’s an American film where his role isn’t informed by Latin/Mexican stereotypes. This is actually one the more refreshing aspects of the film. The Black characters lack interiority and their struggles are left out of the film, but Louis Armstrong’s and Billie Holiday’s characters are average people and don’t hew to stereotypes. It’s not exactly a victory for representation, but it’s still an improvement.

That said, the music is great and I wish there were more of it. It’s well established in the film that New Orleans’ problems largely come from badly-behaved white people, which I appreciate. (Is that too real?) Arturo de Cordova is great as the romantic lead of the film. I only wish Dorothy Patrick had the charisma to seem like a better match for him.

New Orleans is definitely worth checking out if the progress of Black representation in film is of interest to you or if you have a special interest in jazz or New Orleans.

Where to watch: It looks like Kino’s DVD release might be out of print, so libraries & video stores might be your best bet. OR, you can wait until TCM plays it again.

The Boy (2016)

22 January 2016 | 97min. | Color

Sooooo depending on how long you’ve been following the blog, you may or may not know that I love horror movies and ghost stories and whenever those things meet. When I first saw the trailers for The Boy ahead of its theatrical release, it did pique my interest. However, that’s mostly because they made me laugh. I am not someone who’s creeped out by dolls though. If you are, I suspect this film actually might be scary to you.

The Boy has a solid premise. At first it reminded me of the story “Baby Doll” by Larry LeClair from the radio show Nightfall. (”Baby Doll” is a better story, FYI, and creepier.) Unfortunately, the execution of The Boy’s story was disappointing. The film drags when it shouldn’t and the flow of the lead character warming to the doll felt stilted. The Boy’s big reveal ended up feeling a bit cheap as a consequence.

That said, I had fun watching it. I got some good laughs from Brahms’ ghostly antics and the middle part of the film is chock full of them.

The house from the film is so beautiful. I can’t believe it’s in Vancouver. Or that it’s a location for Little Women (1994)? I somehow didn’t recognize it.

Whether The Boy is worth a watch is debatable. If you like Haunted Doll stories, the execution and ending might be unsatisfying for you. Maybe if you like the odd modern horror film that can’t embrace its own camp, The Boy would be perfect for you?

Where to watch: It’s currently streaming on Netflix.

Street Scene (1931)

5 September 1931 | 80min. | B&W

This movie was a good old kick in the pants.

Street Scene an adaptation of a Pulitzer-Prize-winning stage play by Elmer Rice. It depicts the problems of New York City tenement residents and their relationships with one another. Though this is a pre-code film, I still imagine there would have been notable changes for censors. That said, the film is still very… mature. Additionally, I’ve seen suggestions that the film we know today is a re-edit of the film for post-code re-release. Hoo boy, what that source material must have been then.

One challenge a lot of filmmakers have when adapting stage plays to film is avoiding static staging–as if someone simply recorded the play. Street Scene doesn’t fear this and I think it works out. Almost all of the film takes place on the stoop of the tenement. The building facade is a truly impressive setup for filming. The camera work livens up the visuals with tracking shots and unexpected angles not commonly seen in early-sound films. (Unsurprisingly, Gregg Toland worked on the film!)

The acting is fantastic and, as someone who has spent the lion’s share of her life in cultural melting pots, the atmosphere the actors create is very authentic. Frankly, after living in Brooklyn for five years (four years ago), some neighborhoods still feel like this–only the voices are Puerto Rican and West Indian instead of European. It’s fascinating to see those veins of permanence in a city that’s changed as much as New York has.

The story primarily focuses on one family. The matriarch (Estelle Taylor) is bored with her unhappy marriage and takes up with the man who collects payment for milk delivery. The eldest child, Rose (Silvia Sydney), is pursued by seemingly every young, eligible man on the block and her not-so-young and not-so-eligible boss. The only one Rose shares feelings for is her downstairs neighbor, an unemployed student, Sam (William Collier, Jr.), who also happens to be Jewish. There is plenty of external resistance to their relationship for anti-semitic and/or financial reasons. Rose’s misgivings are a little more complicated. She feels trapped by the neighborhood and is wary to tie herself down to her current status at so young an age, regardless of how she feels about Sam. In the end, Rose’s mother’s fate cements her own. You can’t help but feel for both of them.

In case you haven’t already gathered this, the film calls for a content warning for anti-semitism and the use of anti-semitic slurs. [Note for clarification: the film is not anti-semitic, a few of the characters are.]

Street Scene takes social issues head on and is a pre-code through and through. It’s absolutely a top recommendation if you like pre-codes. It’s also worth watching if you’re into New York City history or have an interest in film adaptations of stage plays.

Where to watch: This one is pretty easy to see, but I haven’t sussed out the distribution rights or home video releases.

I also watched the film Sanatorium pod Klepsydrą / The Hourglass Sanatorium (1973). That left me with too many feelings to put in an amalgam post. Once I sort through how personal I want to get in discussing the film publicly, you can be sure it’ll get its own post up here.

Last Month’s Review

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shangskie · 2 years

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"LITTLE NANAY CRITIQUE BLOG"

I always believe in the saying that as long as the family is together, everything will be alright. No matter how many struggles there may be, our family will always be there no matter what. Little Nanay, a heart warming, family-oriented teleserye of GMA Network showcases how being happy and contented with your very own family makes you the richest person in the world.

Little Nanay premiered last November 2015 which composes of Batongbuhay, San Pedro and Vallejo clans. Directed by Ricky Davao, “Little Nanay” has a stellar cast including Nora Aunor, Eddie Garcia, Christopher de Leon, Bembol Roco, Sunshine Dizon, Gladys Reyes.

Not long ago when Kris Bernal won Starstruck Season 4 and since then everything's a history. Her toughest role to date, “Little Nanay” sees Kris as Tinay, a 25-year-old with the mental disability of a nine-year-old. Impregnated by a childhood playmate, her family struggles to support her and shield her from the harsh world outside of their household. She is blessed with a beautiful daughter Chie Chie (Chlaui Malayao) who’s mature for her age, but the family of the kid’s dad disrupts their existence in their attempts to gain custody of Chie Chie. I actually admire Kris in her role because not everyone can portray a role like this perfectly and hands down, she did it really well I'm beginning to be worried what if she grows accustomed into being Tinay even after taping.

Chlaui Malayao's acting as Chie Chie is also superb. After doing Yagit, this girl can really go places because at an early age, she takes acting really seriously. In an interview during her birthday she said that she is very thankful that GMA Network has given her this wonderful project and she is grateful to be working side by side with top veteran actors and actress in the showbiz industry. For sure both Chalui and Kris has been learning a lot working with Bembol Rocco, Eddie Garcia and Superstar Ms. Nora Aunor.

After watching the first week of Little Nanay not only me but also my family got hooked with the story. I find it really nice that Tinay's brothers namely Juancho Trivino and Mark Herras are always there to support her no matter what, they're like her shield and her knight that will forever protect her from any harm because they know she is fragile but of course Gladys and Keempee's character gives the series a twist and an angle that not everyday is a happy day for everyone.

It's really refreshing to watch Bembol Rocco, Eddie Garcia and Superstar Nora Aunor in once teleserye. They're the icons of the showbiz industry and for one thing, we should see more of them. One of my favorite scenes in Little Nanay is when Christopher De Leon guested as a Lawyer and seeing Nora and Boyet again just like the old times when they are being paired as a love team looks really cute.

Little Nanay makes the viewers appreciate more their family because it is our only treasure just like happiness that we can never buy. No matter who we are in the family, we have our own roles to play, we should always give importance on how our parents sacrifice a lot of things just to give us an amazing life and I appreciate that more.

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nclkafilms · 6 years

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A Resounding Work of Cinematic Magic

(Review of ‘The Shape of Water’, seen in Nordisk Film Biografer Kennedy in Aalborg on the 22nd of February 2018)

It’s a heartfelt romance, an homage to classic monster films and a gritty cold war thriller. But above all, Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water is a fairytale of the most magical kind. Del Toro who has struggled to gain appreciation for his work after fascinating us all with the stunning El Labyrinto del Fauno (2006), here returns to his winning formula from said film: a magical, escapist fairytale set against the backdrop of brutal, real world events. The Spanish civil war has been changed to the cold war and the space race between the US and the Soviets and in stead of the young Ophelia we follow middle-aged Elisa; a cleaning lady at a top secret US science facility. Apart from this, The Shape of Water is bursts with the same creative grandeur, fable-like imagination and heartfelt emotions that made El Labyrinto del Fauno such a hit. And yet, they are completely different films.

As already said, The Shape of Water, follows Elisa Esposito; a mute, whose shy and somewhat introvert personality suits her job as the cleaning lady, who has to simply just blend in and clean without observing or engaging with anything in the science facility she works in together with regular colleague Zelda. At home she spends her days with the same routines and usually together with her equally secluded neighbour, Giles, who is a now downcast artist living alone with his cats. One day, however, the regular routines and repetitive everyday life of Elisa is turned upside down as a new ��asset” is brought into the facility; a strange man-like fishy creature with whom Elisa quickly forms a special bond centred around their common lack of speaking abilities. The asset, however, is shrouded in mystery as it is heavily guarded and tortured by new head of security, Richard Strickland, who is attached to find out what secrets the creature holds and how it can help the Americans win the space race with the Russians. As things escalate, all characters are forced to take a stand and decide which side they are on with the risk of grave, personal consequences.

As the main character, Elisa, Sally Hawkins delivers one of the most profound and stunning performances of recent years. To do so without uttering a single word throughout the film is a proof of just how good an actress she is. She perfectly captures the shy yet confident nature of the introvert Elisa as she suddenly finds a true confidant in the amphibian man who - with her own words - sees her for who she is and not what she lacks. Her performance is as powerful as it is heart-wrenchingly fragile. I, for one, completely believed in the character and her growing relationship to the odd creature; Hawkins’ mannerisms and use of body language was deeply fascinating and complex. A necessary level of performance for the film and story to work; casting when it is done to perfection!

Opposite her is the “two men in her life” (which is beautifully shown in a panning shot from outside their neighbouring apartments in the second half of the film) is veteran Richard Jenkins as Elisa’s neighbour Giles and Del Toro’s recurring “creature man” Doug Jones as the amphibian man. Jenkins turns in a scene stealing performance as the odd, suppressed gay friend who struggles to realise the exact nature of any of his interhuman relationships. He is also the comic relief in a quite a few instances and his chemistry with Hawkins is simply heartwarming. Jones, whose job is obviously somewhat hidden by the mix of prosthetics and CGI, manages to pour a lot of humanity into the scales of the water creature. His body language shifts fiercely from delicate curiosity towards Elisa to frighteningly brutality when threatened. Make no mistake; this is the work of Jones and a testament to abilities as an actor. He strikes a magical chemistry with Hawkins.

The remaining, stellar cast is made up of Octavia Spencer, Michael Shannon and Michael Stuhlbarg. Spencer, although slightly typecast, delivers her best performance since The Help as the constantly talking and loyal friend to Elisa, Zelda, who is often given the job of putting words to Elisa’s gestures. Shannon, however, is a manic powerhouse constantly balancing on the edge of blatant over-acting as the embodiment of the cynical America; demeaning towards each and every other character and brutally violent, he acts with such a nerve that he carries the cold war thriller aspect of the film on his perfectly capable shoulders. Opposite him in this part of the story, is Michael Stuhlbarg’s dubious doctor who faces the ethical dilemma of choosing between his chosen way in life or that of the mysterious, fascinating and beautiful creature that speaks to his scientific heart.

All in all, this is cast that strikes a near perfect chemistry between all the central characters making their omission from the SAG ensemble award (they weren’t even nominated) nothing but baffling!

They are, of course, all controlled by a firm, confident and most importantly loving hand from director and writer Guillermo del Toro. In his recent BAFTA acceptance speech he spoke about how monsters had saved him on several occasions and how, in many ways, there were his best friends. This love for and understanding of monsters, the obscure, runs through every vain of this film. It is a work of love and imagination with a level of sincerity towards its subject matter that is extremely refreshing in 2018 Hollywood due to the increasing rarity of exactly this. He is perhaps the best modern storyteller of fairytales and despite some issues here and there in the story (e.g. a slightly rushed initial romance and some lose elements) the overall magic of the film quickly made me forget about this. Fairytales has never been about waterproof storylines that has to be 100% believable; quite the contrary. The essence of a fairytale is the magic and the way it mirrors the real world and here, The Shape of Water, serves as no less than an exquisite example.

Be aware, though, that this is very much an adult fairytale. Where El Labyrinto del Fauno was seen from the perspective of a child, this is an adult film from start to beginning. Sexual tension and desire is recurring topic whether it is in Elisa’s daily bath routines, Giles’ misunderstood relation with the local café’s servant or Strickland’s need to control women. The sexuality of the story comes to a beautiful conclusion ultimately captured in a single shot of a bus window. The film also takes on many relevant political issues with suppressed individuality perhaps the biggest of them all: Elisa being an outsider due to her disability, Zelda experiencing racial discrimination, and Giles struggling to find acceptance for his sexuality. As highlighted by Octavia Spencer it is actually quite beautiful to see how the african-american woman and suppressed homosexual man becomes the voices of wisdom for the lonely Elisa as they take on the cynicism of the militarised world they live in.

Visually each and every frame of this film is pure eye candy thanks to the masterful cinematography by Danish Dan Laustsen (actually from my home town) and the imaginative, creative and beautiful production design by Paul D. Austerberry. The film has an estimated budget of just below $20,000,000, but the (mostly) physical sets looks like it was much more expensive than this, which is simply awe-inspiring in a time where CGI seems to be the main solution with budgets continuing to blow through the roof. The Shape of Water, is also a feast for the ears thanks to a whimsical, subtle and moving score by Alexandre Desplat, who once again shows why he is one of the absolute best in his field right now.

The film received no less than 13 Oscar nominations and is sure to go home with some of these. Whether it will win Best Picture or not is a big question (del Toro seems quite certain for Director), but no matter what del Toro has certainly found the appreciation he has longed for from Hollywood and it is a remarkable feat that this was done without the film feeling like anything but a del Toro film through and through. It’s a work of love and a celebration of the human nature. How should we deal with the darkness of the real world monstrosities? Del Toro’s answer always seems to be through the beauty and love of imagination. Thanks to this, he has created the perfect escape that simply HAS to be seen in the darkness of the cinema that hasn’t seen magic like this for years.

5/5

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diversemymedia · 7 years

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Into the Badlands Always Gave The Only Main Black Woman the Shortest End of the Stick (Spoilers)

When Season 2 of Into the Badlands returned, I was excited to see where everyone was, especially Veil (Madeleine Mantock). Season 2 takes a six month gap after the Season 1 finale. Veil had just given birth to her son, Henry, but had been kidnapped by Quinn (Marton Csokas) and lived under him and his henchmen in some forsaken place. I was disappointed by her situation because I could see the incoming trauma that plenty characters of color must face if it meant survival. I thought that it could be the beginning to a meaningful character development and I hoped for the best. However, I wasn’t foolish enough to think she could be exempted from death, and it’s something that forever lingers in the back of my mind with any character of color. One day on Facebook, I came across an article titled “Into The Badlands Gave Us The Worst Character Trope In Its Finale”. I never read it and just by seeing the headline, my guess was right on the money.

When I first heard about Into the Badlands, I was hesitant. However, actor Daniel Wu, who portrayed the series’ lead character, Sunny, gained my support as I did more research and discovered that he was part of the producing team. Around this time, there were strong discussions of representation going on, and Asian males were part of it. So you could imagine how glad I was when it wasn’t part of the ongoing trend of appropriating East Asian culture & martial art traditions by whitewashing it and giving the lead a white face. The pilot wasn’t the greatest, but I supported the diversity. I was ecstatic to see a martial arts based series that could wholesomely portray an East Asian male without writing him off as some silent caricature or magical Asian stereotype. To add to the hype, his love interest, Veil, was a black woman doctor. He also found a protege named M.K. (Amaris Knight), who’s actor is part South Asian. There were other minor characters of color, but when I first saw Veil, I knew that I had to keep my eye on her because she was the only woman of color with a main role. Mantock is a biracial, light skinned actress, so in my mind I immediately thought of colorism and women in Hollywood. I figured she probably wouldn’t have gotten the role if she weren’t, but I considered her black nonetheless and the showrunners showed their stance also.

Since I was small, I always noticed the token black friend, but after stumbling into online threads and videos posted by black fan girls, I began to notice the unfair and bizarre disconnect with Black woman characters in television, games, books, etc. They were virtually nonexistent and it made me realize that black actresses have a much harder time getting on-screen compared to black men or their non-black counterparts. To make matters worse, the few black woman characters are poorly handled and are written with overused characteristics that translate into unhealthy stereotypes (e.g. the “strong black woman” trope, the “easily angered black woman” or the “sassy black woman”). No one is saying that strong, upset, smart-mouthed black women don’t exist, but it’s not all those black women are. Those same self-sufficient, lively and outspoken women have vulnerabilities and flaws too, and it was a side I rarely saw utilized to counterbalance the issue.

Veil’s backstory was minimal but interesting: She was an orphan under Quinn’s care and was adopted by her parents as a sign of gratitude from Quinn. In Season 1, Veil discovered that she was pregnant with Sunny’s baby and wanted to leave the Badlands. She does whatever it takes to remain alive so she can give birth to her baby. Unlike many other women, she lacked fighting prowess and I figured she’d eventually learn something being with Sunny, a peak martial artist. She didn’t. I didn’t stress it because I figured there were future seasons where I could look forward to that. To make up for it, Veil was intelligent. She could outsmart and be clever without falling into the black genius trope. She invented prostheses to aid the disabled and overall possessed a natural maternal instinct. And while those were great, she’s wasn’t reluctant to risk her life if it meant survival. Her choices were irrational at times but it added depth and complexity to her character’s flaws. Ultimately, she was able to sway a situation in her favor because of her well-known profession. It was something I loved. Veil’s character didn’t have the best writing, but I was blown away seeing that she survived the first season despite being in the middle of so much carnage.

There were few issues that I noticed, like the erasure of her black parents (or parent, considering she’s biracial) and it’s an ongoing trait I’ve began to notice whereas if a character is biracial or racially ambiguous, the character’s parents/relatives of color are out of the picture (e.g. Vixen in the web series, Vixen. Madison Pettis in The Game Plan, Rashida Jones from Parks and Recreation, etc. [Note that it’s mostly women]). Personally, I see it as a tool to avoid confirmation of racial identities and to avoid casting “too many” actors characters of color. Sometimes, there can be a complicated portrayal of race when it comes to biracial characters. In some cases, I find it even weirder when biracial characters have two monoracial parents. Eventually, Veil’s parents are tragically murdered by Quinn, and although it’s still one of the worst traumas any of the characters face, I have mixed, thankful feelings that both weren’t black characters made to instantly be killed off. However, to reaffirm her race, I think I would’ve been fine with a black parent dying off-screen alongside their white partner.

When Veil died in Season 2, I was struck with some emotion. Not only was the death scene heartbreaking, but I was upset by how easy it was for me to predict the scene before it could happen. I thought about the many times black characters have had to sacrifice themselves for the needs of others (commonly known as “Heroic Sacrifice”, racially as “Sacrificial Negroes”) and it bothers me when I see it done to upcoming black actresses because roles for them are scarce to begin with. Since fridging women was a common thing before white feminist leads became a thing, it’s like the fridging torch was happily passed down to women (and even men) of color. Very soon into the season, I had issues with Veil’s predicament since there was nothing she could do to escape her kidnapper’s abuse. She was repeatedly caged in cramped rooms, was always punished by being separated from her baby and went to disastrous lengths to kill one of Quinn’s henchmen during a failed attempt to escape. To add insult to injury, she was still defenseless unlike plenty of the other powerful [white] women in the series. Even Lydia (Orla Brady) showcased some kind of self-defense when killing off thieves that ransacked her father’s group. She’s a Baron’s wife, so it wasn’t questioned. So, why not Veil? She’s the one dating the deadliest Clipper in all of the Badlands and I find it difficult to believe that a character like Sunny never once thought about the potential threats that could follow Veil—I sure fucking did. Just look at where it got her.

Halfway into Season 2, Veil managed to escape and seek sanctuary at The Widow’s fortress. Unfortunately, a decision that Veil made in Season 1 is casually brought up by the Widow (Emily Beecham) and she is so angered she gives Veil and her baby back to Quinn, despite her belief to “protect all women”. The scene was so pointless, I would’ve preferred the writers not make Veil escape at all. At this point, Veil is abused even more because of her escape. She’s physically assaulted, forced into marriage, nearly raped and more secrets (such as killing the guard and slowly killing Quinn under the guise of treatment) have been revealed in a manner that unintentionally downplays her initial cleverness. When Sunny finally arrived to rescue Veil, I was happy and praying that my own suspicions on Veil would be biased and wrong. During the fight with Sunny, Quinn was stabbed for the hundredth time and still managed to stand and hold a blade to Veil’s neck. For the protection of her loved ones, she sacrifices herself by thrusting the blade through her own throat and into Quinn’s. At this point, I was moved by the acting, but pissed by the writing. Jade (Sarah Bolger), Lydia, Tilda (Ally Ioannides) and Bajie (Nick Frost) are white characters who were all so close to death this season. Jade was spared by both the Widow and Quinn, Lydia avoided natural death situations three times over, Tilda was beat to a bloody pulp by The Widow and Bajie was stabbed in the side with a rusty scissor—yet they all miraculously happened to live. I just never understood it. I can appreciate Sunny being alive, but when I see white main characters constantly outwit death and outlive main characters of color, what other conclusion am I suppose to come to?

Veil’s death instantly reminded fans about the controversial death of Abbie Mills (Nicole Beharie) from the now cancelled series, Sleepy Hollow. A year before the Into the Badlands Season 2 finale, the showrunners of Sleepy Hollow had Abbie killed off by making her sacrifice herself, trying to fool others that she did it for the greater good. Abbie was the epitome of a disrespected black female lead. She was given less focal episodes and put through countless traumatic experiences: She got the worst of beatings in fights, spent weeks in dark/demonic dimensions, all to constantly be rescued by her white male co-lead. This time around, Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) had also recently been killed off from The Walking Dead. Although it is understandable that the actress was going to be leading a new series, her character’s death followed the same sacrificial circumstances.

I think fans of the series could agree that Veil’s character was wasted potential. It’s just unsurprising to see that a series trying to uplift bad ass women only seem do the job for the white ones. Just as The Widow’s ‘feminism’ was selective enough to cast out Veil from her fortress, the showrunners ironically did the same. Even if her death was used in a way to motivate Sunny’s story, that’s practically the definition of fridging. What Veil had experienced was enough to motivate Sunny’s arc, Henry’s arc and potentially her own. In retrospect, she could’ve fled with Sunny and learned to defend herself and her son to her best ability. Veil would’ve started out rough but improved overtime (similar to of Daisy from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.). I’m sure plenty of other fans would’ve died to see a face off between The Widow and Veil if they ever crossed paths again. With Sunny and the Widow going toe-to-toe on plenty occasions, Veil could’ve done the same, and it would’ve served the Widow right to get her ass handed to her by the woman she singled out...but nope. White feminist antics are apparently more important. Just the thought on how it could have gone makes it all the more depressing. If it was intentional or not...damn you, Al Gough. With the Abbots around, there’s a chance Veil can be resurrected. They can either save Veil for Season 3 or introduce another black female character.

Into the Badlands, Season 2 Rating: 1.5/5 stars

Feel free to follow my blog for more posts on racial diversity & representation.

#review #into the badlands #veil #leading woc #black women representation #misogynoir #woc in media #madeleine mantock #diversity #representation in media #poc representation #poc in media #poc deserve better #racism #tropes #woc representation #my posts #poc characters #black actresses

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sophygurl · 6 years

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q and u!

woot - thanks!

Q - A fandom you’ve abandoned and why.

Supernatural. I really really enjoyed the first five seasons. It told a solid story and came full circle and I appreciated the whole thing. Then it just ... kept going, and getting worse and more nonsensical and repetitive and bonkers, so I stopped. I now pretend in my head that anything past season 5 is just fanfic. I only accept the first five seasons of the show as canon. :P

U - Three favorite characters from three different fandoms, and why they’re your favorites.

Oh goodie, this is a fun one!

Fandom 1: the Realm of the Elderlings series by Robin Hobb. My favorite character here is a mad sentient ship named Paragon - I tend to fall for the “crazy” characters, especially if their madness has a mysterious tragic backstory, and especially if the Power of Friendship helps to stabilize and empower them to sort out who they really are and become who they really want to be.

My second favorite character in the RotE series is Thick, a character who - if he lived in our world and not a medieval-ish fantasy one, might be considered developmentally disabled or perhaps neuroatypical. He is funny, loving, angry a lot - especially at the things he can’t control or the things the people he cares about make him do when he doesn’t want to do them, and is also very very powerful in some of the magics that exist in this world. However, because of his differences, his magic functions differently from the others as well, and most people don’t understand him. He connects to very few characters, but the ones he does connect with end up being very strong connections.

Third fave is probably Nighteyes, a wolf who bonds with the main character of the primary books in the series (9 out of 16 of the books I believe?). The bond is magical on both of their parts, so Nighteyes becomes a little human-ish and Fitz becomes a little wolfish, and they can talk to together and are basically life partners and soulmates in a very very strong way. Fitz often annoys the crap out of me, but Nighteyes does not - in fact he is often annoyed by the same things about Fitz that I am, which of course is gratifying. He’s got a great sense of humor, is super loyal, and has great instincts. Plus he’s a woofer. I love him.

(I could probably pick another 6 characters here but I’ll move on)

Fandom 2: General Hospital

Carly Corinthos is probably my top fave soap character of all-time. She can be crass and caustic and schemes like nobody’s business, but she’s fiercely loyal to and protective of the people she loves, always emotionally honest to the point of everyone always knowing what she’s thinking or feeling at any given moment, and while she’ll cast you out if you hurt one of her own - her heart is big and warm and open enough to keep including more people into that inner circle. She’s a hot mess tbh, but she keeps trying, yk. I’ve loved her since Tamara Braun played her and also love Laura Wright’s portrayal of her (love having TB back on the show in another role too btw)

Sam Morgan is probably my second top fave soap character of all-time and it’s a very close second. Sam and Carly have a lot of differences (Sam has a healthy understanding of boundaries, for example - and she tends to methodically plot instead of spontaneously scheme when she wants something sorted out a certain way), but they’re similar in their fierce loyalty and their ride-or-die mentality when it comes to the people they love and care for. Sam tends to hold her cards closer to her chest, and she’s quite independent (whereas Carly tends to lure people in to help her accomplish her goals). Sam is scrappy, she’s a fighter, she loves her family - bio, extended, found, etc. - and she looks goooood in a tight black tank top, some jeans, and a leather jacket. Come ON!

Maxie Jones is another female character that I adore on this show. Maxie is a lil ball of fire! She knows what she wants and she goes at it full-speed ahead until she gets it. She fucks up a lot (less and less as she gets older tho), but she always gets her head turned back around and makes things right to those she’s hurt. She’s currently going through a grueling heartbreak/loss and the actress Kirsten Storms is knocking every scene out of the park. I just wanna throw daytime emmy’s at her in between dabbing at the tears in my eyes.

So anyway yea, three very different badass women on my fave soap!

Fandom 3: The Walking Dead

Michonne is such a dynamic and interesting character. The first thing we see and get to know about her in the beginning is just how badass she is - she can fight with a katana, and she has hand-less jaw-less walkers chained to her to protect her from other walkers, and she just seems so mysterious and larger than life.

Then we get to know her, bit by bit. And she never loses that badassness, but she adds in these layers of softness, humor, love, affection, fear, sadness, tragedy, etc. She becomes part of Team Family and she protects her people both with her fighting skills and with her wisdom and willingness to try new things and be open to new people.

She never loses the core of who she is and she never gives up, but she gets close at times. She’s not really larger than life. She’s very human, and very fragile, and yet still very very strong. I adore her.

Rick Grimes - oh - how I do even begin. He crept up on me. I never consciously thought of him as a favorite or whatever, but as the seasons continued I found myself feeling very protective of him against his critics. He’s a leader character, and his people sometimes follow him very willingly and openly, and sometimes more reluctantly and angrily - but follow they do. And, like Michonne, he’s very human. He loses it sometimes and he makes giant mistakes sometimes.

But overall? This is a man who gives his all at all times. He protects his family at all costs and sometimes that means his wife and kid, and sometimes it means a network of communities of hundreds of people. It can mean anything in between. We call our group Team Family in large part because that is how Rick sees them. And once Rick decides to take someone(s) under his wing, whether it’s a lonely wanderer by themselves or a whole freaking village, well the rest of the group also end up deciding these people are now part of their family.

Everyone on this show has seen and experienced and even done unimaginably horrific things, but I feel like Rick has shouldered the most - not just what’s been done personally to him, but the responsibility of everything that’s happened to anyone in his care at any given point of time. It’s a lot to take on. But he keeps doing it.

He just keeps doing his best, over and over and over again. And I admire the shit out of him. And I discovered somewhere along the line that he was not only a favorite character but someone I truly STAN for. I will die any hill defending this man with my whole heart.

And yea, he loves Michonne. And she loves him. And when the two characters you love and admire the most in a show fall in love, it’s one of the most delightful things in the world.

Carol Peletier. I don’t know if I can’t talk about this lady without tearing up. She started the apocalypse still under the thumb of her abusive husband. She was quiet, unassuming, but clearly warm and caring as well. She’s had an incredible character arc in these past eight seasons.

Carol lost her husband (a good thing), and then her only daughter (a tragic thing), and found the will to not only live but continue on and thrive and learn to protect herself and her people. She is a fierce fighter, she takes necessary actions that no one else can take, and she can put on a character to fool people into underestimating and/or trusting her at a moment’s notice.

Carol has spent a lot of time deciding what kind of person she wants to be, and what her ethics in this new world should be about, and how far she should go now that she knows how far she CAN go, and as a result she has become very deliberate with both her words and her actions. She’s even learning to lighten up a bit here and there. She’s an amazing, wonderful, thoughtful woman who continues to grow and change but in believable and deliberate ways that make sense for her character.

I can’t wait to see what she does next tbh!

#rote #general hospital #twd #ask me stuff #question memes #fandom memes #realm of the elderlings #the walking dead #gh #dianebluegreen

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