#commentaries | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

Visit Blog

Explore Tumblr blogs with no restrictions, modern design and the best experience.

Fun Fact

Tumblr is available in 18 languages.

fuckyeahgoodomens · 1 year

Text

From the DVD commentary, episode 1:

Neil: Also, I love them arriving as a Nanny and as a glorious cartoon Gardener.

Douglas: And what was lovely in this scene is that Michael Sheen got to do it without any make up or extra teeth [both laughing] That's what he looks like. That's why he doesn't get recognized in the street. This is what he looks like in everyday life. Fantastic.

#good omens #goodomensedit #ep1 #1i12 #neil gaiman #douglas mackinnong #michael sheen #aziraphale #gardener aziraphale #good omens dvd #commentaries #fun fact #brother francis #naughty douglas :D

475 notes · View notes

helicarrier · 2 years

Text

↖ This person understands you can’t reduce a person to a ship they write, no matter how odd or taboo it is. People are very complex and multifaceted. A ship doesn’t define someone no matter the contents, and no matter if it’s morally good or bad. Fictional ships are not a definitive litmus test for someone’s real life moral values.

#commentaries #censorship #i'm annoyed.#proship safe #pro fiction #i guess? i don't use the label but this is 100% a censorship- and harassment-free zone.

360 notes · View notes

afieldinengland · 9 months

Text

'but ollie has absolutely nothing in him, does he? there's clearly no steel in him, and as soon as he tries he's just a little boy out of his depth.' 'but what's interesting, though, is that yes, perhaps at this point, but in the next episode and the next episode these experiences will accumulate in him, and give him a steelier kind of edge.' 'he'll become more powerful than you can possibly imagine?' 'oh, i think quite possibly, yeah.' 'he's not going to strike you down?' 'no, but that's what happens to people, isn't it? they come in as sort of innocents and, you know, in order to survive in this world, you've got to adopt those morals. or escape them, you know, which means not being there anymore.' [x]

#i'll transcribe more of this one it's really interesting #i could probably listen to peter capaldi and chris addison pick their characters apart for hours #the thick of it #commentaries

32 notes · View notes

economicsresearch · 1 year

Text

page 562 - Let's continue with points 3 and 4.

3)creating or just editing?

He was wondering whether a machine's ability to ingest all of culture then produce something from that is a demonstration of creativity or simply a masterful ability to take little pieces and put them together in a way you have never seen before. Then he was worried that he is a robot in a simulation.

I can't get deeper on that last point but maybe I'll ask for some clarification when he is up to it.

4)it's fast

See the point above about the speed with which an AI can assemble text or image. It lends an air of magic to a mathematical operation.

5 notes · View notes

gidakata · 1 year

Text

I Want To Change Too - Author's Commentary

the fic | the playlist | the document

INTRODUCTION

I started writing this during the writing of the final chapter, and the editing and upload of what will now be the 5th chapter- people said they wanted a breakdown/one of my little author rants/commentaries, so they got one lol. I definitely won’t do this for EVERY fic I ever write, but I do think for the fics like this, that are a little more subdued, it might be fun to test this out.

I love overanalyzing things and adding dialogue/small moments in the hopes that others who also love to overanalyze will enjoy layers upon layers of content to go through, especially with this fic. I feel like I accidentally put so much thought into this fic- even though there are still probably plot holes somewhere I missed or didn’t account for, or there’s still probably something that bothers the FUCK out of one specific reader- I ended up adding a lot to this in a way that flowed with it really well. I’m proud of it, in a way. And Rhubarb should be proud of it too!!! They really helped me come up with and solidify a lot of what I ended up writing into the fic and what I ended up writing out (and contributed a lot to the angst!). This fic would not be finished if not for Rhubarb. Everybody say thank you Rhu! <3

Also, not to be gay or anything, it’s kinda lowkey like a coming-to-terms with my sexuality kinda fic. Except obviously I didn’t have to marry a man to figure out I’m kinda. gay. But, You Know. (A friend beta-read the drafts and said I “captured the wlw experience very well”... a lot of moments in beginning chapters were loosely based off of my experiences, or things that resonated with me in wlw film 💀💀).

Okay. So, there’s going to be a lot of me being annoying because I’m excited people are interested enough to hear me ramble about things in a semi-essay-like format about my OWN DAMN STORIES i write for a kpop group. I apologize in advance.

If, somehow, for some odd, nonsensical reason, you just randomly happened to wander across this document and you have no idea what the fuck I’m talking about, go read this, and then listen to this playlist while you do it.

(I need to add more songs to that playlist now that it’s a longer fic. I’ve been meaning to and I’ve been not doing it lol.)

Okay. Intro note over, let’s get into the fun stuff!

INSPIRATION

There were a series of songs I could not stop listening to.

It had gotten bad enough I made them their own playlist, despite the fact it was only three songs; Sorry by Heize, Help Me by Hako Yamazaki, and If You Come Into My Mind by Jo Deokbae.

Each song by itself is a sad one, and paints a story of a singular, sad story unfolding. Together- it feels like they combine to create a person who’s really struggling. A Relationship almost, because with that person, a ghost of the other referenced is created as well.

In If You Come Into My Mind, the story of a one sided love is painted. “You pass my side as if you brush by me- then turn around and try to pretend not to know.” The lyrics read as this intense one sided yearning for someone which there’s already a close relationship with. They don’t want to ruin the good moments by addressing it, so the huge elephant in the room is blatantly ignored.

Then, in Heize’s Sorry. The lyrics that stood out to me the most were the very beginning ones; she starts the song off straightforwardly, suddenly, and sad, “Before anything, I’m sorry… It’s all my fault, It’s all me, I told you I shouldn’t have existed.” The whole song is one long (almost satirical) apology, one which makes you feel more pity for the person apologizing than who they’re apologizing to.

After that, we have our last song. With Yamazaki’s Help Me, the lyrics talk about this person who really desperately wants help- yet all the help that’s offered is unhelpful to her, and she closes in on herself even more. There’s a part of the lyrics where she recites what someone tells her, and she confirms that to some level, she resonates with the advice, but cannot take it; The english translation of the lyrics reads, “‘Closing your heart, that seems nice. You can do whatever you want. Honestly, just be a child.’, said someone’s voice. A part of me always remains in this desire, but my heart is neither open nor closed.”

Yeah, the English translations could be off, but they do their jobs at getting the messages of the songs across.

So, I listened to that playlist, and I sat down, and I wrote a few scenes between Hyunjin and Minho. Of course, I had picture inspiration for them too- I had film to draw from- the screencaps from A Bride For Rip Van Winkle (2016) circulating on twitter, two women in wedding dresses talking about killing men and staying together more than enough fuel to give me a few ideas- but really, those three songs solidified how I attempted to personify Minho through dialogue and actions, and how her relationship with Hyunjin worked in the fic. They worked for Hyunjin too, in different ways. Help Me is her theme song, in a way. If You Come Into My Mind is referenced in the third chapter, because Minho has had Hyunjin in her mind for years, and Hyunjin remembers small things like which track number is her favorite, yet seems to have trouble addressing things directly with her. In fact, when confronted, they blow up about it.

Music defines their relationship.

(Another honorable mention is Remember by Youra, a song which speaks to Hyunho’s relationship in this fic so perfectly I’d be a fool not to add it. But it definitely wasn’t inspiration- it was more of an oh, i’ve found the perfect song kind of moment, long after I had written and edited the fic.)

MINHO AND GENDER

“You’d think it’s odd, hearing of two different women with the same boy’s name. I guess it’s not a coincidence you’re marrying my Seungminnie, then.”

Minho is not like the other girls. It’s kinda funny… but it’s also an incredibly uncomfortable ordeal for her. Growing up she wore her father’s hand-me-downs, she got into traditionally more male-dominated hobbies- I kept her name Minho instead of switching it to something like Minha or Minhee because I felt it fit her more.

Minho is so far removed from even really the assumption she’d want to be perceived as someone’s ‘ideal woman’ that she makes no effort to update her closet, job, or occupation until she’s basically forced to move on and ’go with the flow’. She waits years to buy herself something nice- a leather blazer, a comfort item to her- or to even slightly change her style. Even then, she really only does because she could confidently and securely afford the coat. She could’ve afforded many coats by that point, actually, and only bought one. Now, she has a large scar over her stomach- and needs to update her closet again. Then, she suddenly started dining with the rich and elite.

(A lot of her more recent outfits are implied to be gifts from Seungmin. Which she appreciates, so she wears them. He keeps more up to date with trends than she does.)

Minho is someone who is used to handling herself- and doing so pretty poorly. Almost dying twice, losing someone close to her and not allowing herself time to mourn, and not letting her community grow outside of a woman who left for university and her older friend who owns the boxing gym she frequents. Then, when things got too out of hand, she removed herself entirely from the situation, and started anew. She’s a chronic avoider with a slight impulsive tendency.

She tried to hold down a job that was more traditional and slow in comparison to her racing background- but now she’s landed herself in an engagement and she’s very unqualified to be someone’s fiancé. She feels she’s grossly removed from anything that makes her a woman.

… Except for the things that violently remind her she’s a woman.

TW // MENTIONS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT, DISCUSSION OF CHAPTER FIVE

“You act like a man sometimes, you know that?”

Minho let out a short laugh at that, turning on her heel. She stopped a few feet from the car, thinking of what to say. “I don’t know what to tell you. I’ve got a boy’s name. Maybe that’s it.”

He doesn’t respond, and her anxiety starts to grow, so she continues, “Should I start calling you hyung? Oh, thank you Jisung- hyung for paying for my cigarettes-”

“No. No. People name girls with boys names all the time. You just…” Jisung is obviously frustrated. Annoyed. And… there’s something else, “You just don’t get it. Things like that, back there, are embarrassing.”

Jisung is so frustrating. I was frustrated writing him because I didn’t just want to make him a straight fan-fic douche, on some level, I had to make him believable. I do think I failed a bit at that but, oh well. More than my frustrations with writing him though, he’s just… a shit character. He treats the other characters like shit.

The most asshole-ish quality about him (and maybe the most realistic) is how little he’s actually there. My friends reading sent me their reactions, and one of the most interesting was the bridge between chapters four and five. Everyone reading knew something was going to happen in Chapter 5, because all of a sudden he was there. He was engaging with the family after multiple times they had pointed out his absence. Changbin and Hyunjin, two people who live in the same house as him, have a couple of lines where they cement he’s never fucking home. And all of a sudden, there’s an entire chapter where his presence is one of the most notable? Something’s up. Surely.

Minho and Seungmin’s relationship is almost like Jisung and Hyunjin’s has been reversed, in some way. Minho doesn’t work currently, and has never had a dream job like Hyunjin. Seungmin has his dream job and also is the one doing most of the housework at the moment. When Hyunjin comes over, Seungmin makes the tea, serves the snacks. Seungmin is the one who’s dreamed of having his perfect wedding day, and is all too excited to get married and have his family there. He adores Minho. He thinks Minho is the dream wife, and really for Minho, it’s overwhelming. Their roles in the stereotypical “nuclear family” are almost, in a way, switched. The biggest contrast is the phases of their life in which they got married. Minho and Seungmin both waited until later in their lives, for different reasons. Hyunjin got married a year after entering university.

With Hyunjin, as well, Minho easily fills Jisung’s spot as a lover who gives a fuck, and as an okay parent figure. She and Hyunjin never even technically discuss their feelings for each other properly, but they know they’re there, and Minho definitely cares and worries for Hyunjin- who has changed so much since she last saw her. It doesn’t take long for her to talk to Changbin one on one by chance, and to get him a small something to cheer him up when the rest of the family gathers and pushes him to the side again. Jisung hasn’t been home, but he also hasn’t been a proper part of his family in a long time. It’s like Minho pasted a picture of herself over him in the Yangs’ family photo.

So, circling back to Jisung, Jisung is infuriating. He’s infuriating because he’s never there. He’s infuriating because Minho takes on his role as a father and husband when she shouldn’t need to, and his behavior towards her during the beer scene is upsetting and cruel. It’s a harsh reminder to her that he may not directly be there all the time, but he still has influence over that specific household. He, as an individual, is suffocating, and the spaces he controls becomes suffocating as a result. Minho doesn’t even want to wear her blazer after he’s spilt beer on it, she feels so uncomfortable from every single moment of the situation. Her prized blazer is no longer a comfort item, but instead, an unfamiliar blanket given to someone when they need warmth in the moment.

Minho’s struggle to conform with gender roles was a fun one to write with this fic, I’m not sure if I did it in the spectacularly great way I wanted to, but I do like how Minho’s character specifically ended up turning out as a result. I think it was approached a bit messily- which might’ve been the best way to approach it, because there’s no way I could’ve written this without understanding that gender in general, is a very messy topic.

THE YANGS

There’s so much I could add about the intricacies of this family. I love grandma Yang so much. I love the concept of Family SKZ so much, and when I first saw their special skit, and then the following sequence, I was hooked. Jeongin unironically plays the role of the matriarch of the family so well, and there are so so many AUs I want to add specifically just grandma Yang to, but specifically this family dynamic in general. They built lore around this universe and made it expansive- going so far as to bring up the skit in other videos. So trust me when I say I put time and effort into finding every little clip I could about the Yangs. (Maybe this paragraph should’ve gone in the inspiration bit? lol).

I wish I had characterized Felix more in this fic. My one big “oof” is that I did not really think about him too much because he wasn’t involved in the main drama, and besides being a sweet grandfather to his grandkids and a helpful but mildly nonsensical father-in-law in the days leading up to the wedding, I just… didn’t have any idea of what to do with his character. Usually, most of SKZ serve as side characters, with just two being the main main pairing- but this is a situation where one could argue that because of how much the same characters were seen over and over again and mentioned over and over again, there’s more than just Minho and Hyunjin being a main couple, or Hyunjin and Jisung, vice versa.

The side characters are the other generations of the family, and because of this, if they’re not directly involved in the affairs of what goes on in the family, they get sidelined a bit. If I write another family SKZ fic (I will, inevitably, it’s one of my favorite little tropes for them, and there’s so many possibilities with it), I’d definitely try to make sure everyone got a little more scenes, rather than just the main plot at the moment. A little filler goes a long way.

WHAT FAMILY REALLY MEANS (AND HOW DEFINITIONS CREATE DRAMA)

Family values are a weird one in this fic. To Minho, Hyunjin, and Jisung, family is a necessary appearance to keep up with. Minho of course cares about family- but her definition of the word ‘family’ is very different from that of the Yangs, and that becomes apparent to her very quickly. Family for Minho is people like Jackson, who was there for her time and time again- when she and her mother struggled, when her mother passed, her wedding, after years of no contact. They’re not actually related, and yet, with Jackson, there’s no status or image for Minho to uphold. Jackson is someone she can trust, fully, and not have to worry about keeping up appearances.

To Hyunjin, ‘family’ becomes a job. It replaces her goals and original plans, and quickly becomes her only task. ‘An image to uphold’, and, in her case, people to take care of. A job in which she is the organizer, the manager, the office worker, and the people behind the scenes working to get everything done all at once- and god forbid she struggles with it. Even her breakdowns are quick, short moments in which she’s vulnerable either alone, or with one other person who isn’t her direct family (ex. Hyunjin cries briefly in front of Minho in the kitchen, because she felt like a bad mother), before she moves on and forces herself to bottle it back up. For her, family is about control- something which she doesn’t actually have much of.

“Tea?” Minho finally manages, Hyunjin tucking her hair behind her ear as she silently nods, humming a little ‘yes please’.

Hyunjin always tucks her hair when she’s anxious about something, or nervous- when she feels like she’s not in control of the situation. I added this deliberately. Maybe it’s a bit annoying, how many times she tucks her hair behind her ear, but I was unnecessarily meticulous when it came to her interactions with Minho vs the rest of the family. She feels ostracized still, after years of solidifying herself in the family. Family to her, is claustrophobic. No matter how hard she tries, she can’t seem to change that.

Family for people like Jeongin and Seungmin is much different. For Jeongin, it’s the start of a legacy. She loves her sons dearly, but regrets raising them so comfortably. She’s a bit harder on her grandsons as they grow with the hopes they’ll turn out a bit more hard headed.

For Seungmin? It’s his dream. He’s everyone’s dream guy in the way he’s a family-man. He loves calling his mom, he loves helping out around the house and small actions to express his love. He likes the idea of domestic romance even if he won’t admit it. He dreams of a wedding, and while he doesn’t necessarily want his own kids, he tries hard at being an uncle (even if he misses the mark with gifts). It hurts when he learns this information about his brother because he thought they were close. He thought he knew Jisung well, and it felt like a slap to the face to learn that his brother is a piece of shit. Someone he grew up with.

To most of the people involved in the story, people like Minho, Hyunjin, Jisung, etc- The Yangs specifically is a tiresome job. One which they have to keep up with in their own different ways. Well, this is more specific to Minho and Hyunjin- and maybe even Hyunjin’s son, Changbin. Jisung definitely sees being a Yang as tiresome, but he doesn’t have to contribute nearly as much to be seen as a hardworking husband or father by the outside world, or even by other family members. He shows up to the dinners, he shows up to the events.

Speaking of Changbin, though, his character is shaped by his father’s failings as a… father, really. Jisung’s main character trait in this fic is his real lack of ability to stick to any specific role he would’ve needed to start contributing to years ago. Also, he’s a little… Well, let’s talk about it.

HOW LIFE CAN GO TERRIBLY, TERRIBLY WRONG.

So, for those who are like me, and need to write out a timeline of the events of things that happen as they receive the information, I’ll break down for you what exactly happened between Hyunjin and Jisung here. We start, actually, all the way in Chapter 1, with this line;

“Okay.” She left the other earrings on her desk, pausing in front of her mirror to put in the star earrings. “Sorry, today’s been messy. Met someone in research so I could find some sources for my paper.”

“Eugh.” Minho slid off the bed, scrunching her nose. “Couldn’t pay me to go to a library and talk to people. Doesn’t that, like, ruin the whole point?”

“Not the university library offices.” Hyunjin chuckled, “They’re separate from the actual library.”

Guess who that was about?

This is the first time Jisung is mentioned, although not directly. Hyunjin had been going to the library building of her university to study. Instead, she found a man who was temporarily working there while his office closed down, who had offered to help out for one of her assignments. He did not help out. Minho assumes she went on to get her dream job for a bit or something until they reconnect, in which Hyunjin says this;

“Taking care of my boys is a full time job. I don’t really have time to work. Jisung works.”

She then goes on to explain that she had two sons while they moved on with their lives, one four year old, Chan, and Changbin, who’s Sixteen.

“He’s yours?” Minho asked, “Like, biologically?”

“What?” Hyunjin sputtered a bit over her cup of tea, laughing. “Yes, he’s mine.”

“That means you would’ve gotten pregnant your first year of university, Hyunjin.” Minho says, furrowing her eyebrows.

It’s awkward. A lot of this fic is just Minho doing mental math and becoming increasingly horrified at the revelations that a thirty-four year old Jisung impregnated a twenty-year-old Hyunjin. Then it’s her realizing he had married Hyunjin so their pregnancy would be legit, and as a result, Hyunjin dropped out of her dream university and never achieved what she wanted to at the time. She got Changbin, who she loves, but she admits herself, wasn’t planned, and she didn’t handle the news of being pregnant entirely calmly- I mean, who would?

And her situation now… isn’t the best. Jisung’s constantly ‘out late’, Changbin is aware his little brother, who was planned, and was prepared for, gets much more attention than he did at that age (and he does now), and is more generally beloved by the family. Hyunjin feels trapped in this impossible situation. She could technically go back to school, at her age now, with the money she has now, but it would raise more tension and questions than anything. Jisung would be more likely to ask if she’s thinking of leaving him than he would be a supportive husband.

Minho tells Hyunjin to her face that she was ‘baby trapped’, and all Hyunjin can really say back is ‘haven’t you considered maybe I knew him? Maybe I wanted this?’ even though she knows herself that isn’t the case. She even tries to defend him to Minho, saying if she knew him more, she’d like him. He just has a hard time expressing himself, right?

Chapter 5 proves this wrong, obviously, but, well…

Hyunjin’s main issue is that she denies the situation she’s put herself in, because technically, she’s in a good-ish situation. Her husband is bad, yeah, but he’s never home. And when he is home, he’s like, okay-ish with her, right? Her kids are fine, and she gets along with her mother-in-law just fine (that could’ve been an AWFUL horror story waiting to happen, right?), and she has access to all this money, and sometimes gets to decorate the pretty little birdcage she’s basically in, right?

The most telling sentences in her scenes are always related to how lonely she is- and how intimately she remembers things. Hyunjin remembers the track number of Minho’s favorite song after all these years because of the sound of the clicks it took to get to it. She remembers simple things too- things that her husband doesn’t even bother to remember. Of course she’s going to remember the name of the church member that watched their kids when they went on a date. Sunmi is probably one of the few people Hyunjin’s talked to outside of the family in a while. She doesn’t have that big of a community or a network of people like Jisung almost definitely does with his co-workers; everyone she knows, she knows through him. It’s suffocating.

Without knowing everything Minho has been through, she’s almost jealous Minho waited so long to settle down now. Seungmin and Minho’s first priority aren’t even kids- they’re just getting married to get married! It’s the kind of thing that makes you break after years of being worn down.

END NOTES

To end this long long ramble, I’ll leave you with one of my favorite lines;

Guilt and confusion weighed heavy on Minho, a large stone that sat on her chest- getting heavier with every new thought about her predicament.

This story was meant to feel unsatisfying. The only goal I really had for it was that at the very end, you felt unfulfilled. Seungmin’s excited, and happy, and this is the best day of his life; Minho’s wondering how the women in her life felt on their wedding days. If this is the right choice she should be making. She’s questioning it right up until the very last moment…

…and then the last moment comes.

And, ...oh.

That’s it?

That’s how I wanted it to feel. I wanted people to feel confused and put off by the awkward way it ended, right with Minho and Seungmin saying their ‘I Dos’ but never kissing. Placing them in this limbo of permanent-incompletion.

Minho is constantly in a similar limbo throughout the fic, and so I felt the ending scene was a good way to reflect all of that. The unsure feeling. The empty feeling when the results happen. The unsatisfactory cut off. Permanent incompletion. She never got closure on her and Hyunjin’s relationship all those years ago, and everything now just feels… wrong.

She’s been surviving up until now, and never really thriving, and now- she’s in a limbo between the two. Because while marrying Seungmin isn’t really essential to survival, she definitely wouldn’t thrive long term in the relationship.

I hope you enjoyed reading this fuckery of a fic and dissecting every little bit of dialogue and long-winded sentence you could- and if that isn’t your cup of tea, I hope you just enjoyed reading it and gasping at the bits that revealed information in dramatic ways (and I hope I delivered dramatically enough).

Thank you so much for reading, and let me know what you think especially of this breakdown of the fic as well.

Sincerely,

Yona❤️

#author's note #author's commentary #commentary/opinion #commentaries #ao3 #ao3 fic #writing #writeblr #writer #writers #read the fic first fr or NONE of this will make sense LOL #rambling #ramblings #essay #personal essay #skz #stray kids #skz fic #stray kids fanfic

15 notes · View notes

lavendersmoker · 2 years

Text

What i especially like about this whole dracula daily thing is that im not even reading it but because its now tumblr's collective blorbo and everyones talking about it im kinda just knowing whats happening every day through the commentaries, memes, shitposts, analysis, and drawings. I love that. Feels like im participating without really participating

#dracula daily #dd #dracula #daily #blorbo #tumblr #commentaries #commentary #memes #shitposts #analysis #drawings

18 notes · View notes

catenaaurea · 1 year

Text

Come to me all you that labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you. Take up my yoke upon you, and learn of me, because I am meek, and humble of heart: And you shall find rest to your souls. For my yoke is sweet and my burden light.

Matthew 11:28-30

Whence do we all thus labour, but that we are mortal men, bearing vessels of clay which cause us much difficulty. But if the vessels of flesh are straitened, the regions of love will be enlarged. To what end then does He say, "Come unto me,” all ye that labour, but that ye should not labour?

Not to create a world, or to do miracles in that world; but that "I am meek and lowly in heart.” Wouldest thou be great? Begin with the least.Wouldest thou build up a mighty fabric of greatness? First think of the foundation of humility; for the mightier building any seeks to raise, the deeper let him dig for his foundation. Whither is the summit of our building torise? To the sight of God.

Saint Augustine

Therefore let everyone who wants life and desires to see good days put down the yoke of iniquity and malice. The prophet says, “Let us burst their bonds and thrust their yoke from us.” For unless one throws behind the yoke of iniquity, that is, the spark of all vices, one cannot take up the agreeable and light yoke of Christ. But if the yoke of Christ is so agreeable and light, how is it that divine religion seems so harsh and bitter to some people? It is bitter to some because the heart that has been tainted by earthly desires cannot love heavenly things. It has not yet come to Christ, so that it can take up his yoke and learn that he is gentle and humble of heart. Hence we observe, my dearest friends, from the teaching of our Lord, that unless a person is gentle and humble of heart, he or she cannot bear the yoke of Christ.

Epiphanius the Latin

For a cruel yoke and hard weight of servitude it is to be subject to the things of time, to be ambitious of the things of earth, to cling to falling things, to seek to stand in things that stand not, to desire things that pass away, but tobe unwilling to pass away with them. For while all things fly away against our wish, those things which had first harassed the mind in desire of gaining them, now oppress it with fear of losing them. What burden is it to put upon the neck of our mind that He bids us shun all desire that disturbs, and turn from the toilsome paths of this world!

Pope Saint Gregory the Great

He calls to Him those that were labouring under the hardships of the Law, and those who are burdened with the sins of this world. He holds forth the inducements of a pleasant yoke, and a light burden, that to them that believe He may afford the knowledge of that good which He alone knoweth in the Father. And what is more pleasant than that yoke, what lighter than that burden? To be made better, to abstain from wickedness, to choose the good, and refuse the evil, to love all men, to hate none, to gain eternal things, not to be taken with things present, to be unwilling to do that to another which yourself wouldbe pained to suffer.

Saint Hilary of Poitiers

#not catechism #Scripture #Commentaries

6 notes · View notes

shilika-c · 2 years

Text

As is the Madonna, so is the Whore

A voluptuous figure sits on a chariot fashioned out of a large shell, resting on a body of water. Much like a pearl she radiates beauty, barely clothed but for some panties to preserve her modesty. She exudes divinity, her chariot supported by two dragon-like sea creatures below and cherubs surrounding her above. Unlike a pearl, she is black. Her skin glistens in onyx hues and her hair crowns her head in a short jet-black afro. This woman in question is the focal point of Thomas Stothard’s illustration titled ‘The Voyage of the Sable Venus, from Angola to the West Indies,’ which draws inspiration from Sandro Botticelli’s fifteenth-century painting ‘The Birth of Venus.’

The Voyage of the Sable Venus, From Angola to the West Indies by Thomas Stothard (1794) Source: Wikimedia Commons

Venus is the Roman goddess of love. Amongst other things, she is the epitome of beauty and has been the subject of many works of artistic expression. In Botticelli’s painting, Venus has pale white skin, long tresses of strawberry blonde hair and a slender physique – with a soft and supple looking belly. This reflects what was considered beautiful in fifteenth century Europe and in many ways mirrors ideas about beauty in contemporary society, despite a few variations here and there. Stothard’s piece becomes an interesting point of departure into the conversation of how black beauty is viewed in contemporary popular imaginaries. The illustration was produced as a companion to Isaac Teale’s 1765 poem, “The Sable Venus: An Ode.” The irony of the poem and illustration is that they were created during the height of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, a time when black people were subjected to the most egregious and inhumane conditions. One of the core justifications of the slave trade was that black people were inherently inferior beings. Therefore, the dehumanization of black people was justified. How then, does an inferior being become the object of a white man’s desires?

The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli (1482-1485)

Regulus Allen writes that “the Sable Venus poem and painting attempt to rationalize white men’s attraction to black women by situating it in the realm of base desires instead if idealized beauty and by insisting that these immoral urges originate the African woman.” Aside from the reduction of black women to simply an object of sexual desire, this poem can function as a Segway into exploring how the Madonna/Whore complex plays out in society. During the slave trade, many biracial children were born as a result of the rape of black female slaves. To understand how this phenomenon is possible given the vitriol slave owners possessed towards their slaves, it is important to dissect the position of women in society.

Sandy's transformation from Madonna to Whore in the film Grease Source: Ed Times

Most societies across the globe are patriarchal, meaning that men are at the top and others below them. Colonization has had a huge impact on how the patriarchy manifests in formally colonized countries, and in many places indigenous patriarchal ideals intertwine with the doctrines white supremacy. Therefore, in many societies proximity to whiteness and masculinity affords you privilege. Men are leaders and women are followers. Men tend to view women as objects, rather than counterparts. Wojciech Boryszewski describes the Madonna/Whore complex as “a kind of sexual/personality disorder which affects the way men perceive women.” A man with this complex only sees women in two ways; the Madonna, who is pure, chaste and honorable; and the Whore, who is dirty and sexually promiscuous. Boryszewski further writes that “the main problem for the sufferer- and the reason why the complex should be treated as a serious disorder-is the man’s inability to combine love and sex in relation to a single female object.” While Boryszewski limits this complex to an extreme condition faced by men, the reasoning of the Madonna/Whore complex arguably permeates into popular-cultural thought. If a woman in a male-dominated, white supremacist society is less than a man, a black woman in said society is less than human.

An illustration of the Stepford Wife, who embodies the Madonna. Source: Teacups and Couture

In “The Sable Venus: An Ode,” the attraction expressed by the white man to the black woman is simply an exercise of phallic power. The black woman is the Whore: she is extremely irresistible and deliberately charms the white man. She is the exotic, the oriental – just as the forbidden fruit is to Eve. The current manifestation of said views can be seen via the varying experiences of different women in heterosexual relationships, as well as fluctuating beauty trends. An interesting case study to look at is the choices that prominent black men (particularly athletes) make when it comes to dating. A comprehensive look at the romantic choices made by black NBA players would reveal that most players tend to partner with white women. However, they have increasingly begun to partner with biracial women or curvaceous (slim thick) white women. This shift can be linked to the increasing acceptance of black features. While not all black women are curvaceous, this is an indicator that the stereotypical body of a black woman is ideal - not the skin. A preference for light skin amongst indigenous communities has long been a factor in how heterosexual men select their romantic partners. Aside from an indicator of proximity to whiteness, lighter skin is sometimes regarded as an indicator of class. A person with lighter skin is thought of as not having to spend as much time labouring in the sun, because they have the means to do so. In this way, black women (especially dark skin women) are continuously pushed into the peripheries of desirability. A black woman’s desirability is thought of as erotic and devilish. As the Whore, she is good enough to be sexually desired - but not enough to be a wife.

Sex positive rapper Meg Thee Stallion embodying the 'Whore' Source: @theestallion

It would be crass to limit the classification of the ‘Whore’ to skin color alone. Factors such as; clothing choices, expressions of sexuality and deviation from traditional ideas of what constitutes a ‘good woman’ also contribute to the categorization of the ‘Whore’. Based on the banishment of the whore to the depths of the immorality, one would think the ‘Madonna’ is in the privileged position. However, this is far from the truth. The ‘Madonna’ is thought of as the perfect mother and wife, which is where her importance ends. Just as the ‘Whore’ is exploited sexually, the ‘Madonna’ is exploited for her domestic and emotional labour. She is expected to ‘hold down the fort’ while her partner enjoys the follies and vices of the world. The traditional socialization of women tricks women into thinking that if they opt for subservience to a man, they will secure a partner that treats them well as a reward for their virtue. While this may be true in some instances, in most cases it primes women to accept many forms of abuse from their partner. Contemporary phrases such as ‘ride or die’ are used to praise women for enduring disrespect from their romantic partners. The disrespect is often infidelity, with men engaging in sexual escapades with the ‘Whores.’ The same ‘Whores’ that are chastised by society at large. In retrospect these phrases perpetuate the subjugation of women. Therefore, the Madonna/Whore complex reveals the ways in which women are continuously objectified in male-dominated societies.

A Twitter user critical of the of 'ride or die' culture Source: @Haedyn_Simone

The Sable Venus is emblematic of the problematic history of the classification of black women’s beauty. Sara Baartman’s tragic life story is a testament to how this lens of viewing black women is harmful. Racism and sexism intersect to inform how black women are treated in their quests to find romantic partnership, as well as in said romantic partnerships. Furthermore, factors such as sexuality, class and gender identity influence this treatment. As society progresses and individuals continue to speak out against oppressive systems, positive strides are being taken towards changing the objectification of women. However, the current position of women in society reveals that as is the Madonna, so is the Whore.

Illustration of Sara Baartman Source: BBC

#madonnawhorecomplex #articles #commentaries #social commentary #black beauty #sarabaartman #female writers #sablevenus #birth of venus #sexism #racism #intersectionality

6 notes · View notes

vivibunuu · 1 year

Text

Nostalgia and the fear of Growing Older

I have depression all year round, but it gets especially bad in summer. Which is funny since the majority of people with seasonal depression have it in winter. I think my depression gets worse in summer due to the memories I have attached to it.

I remember as a kid my dad would always take me and my siblings to the beach during summer. but now that I'm older and don't speak to my father anymore it's just become a distant memory that I cry about.

I've always been scared of change, and growing old is big. I remember having a panic attack when I was 5, realising that I wouldn't be here one day. That there might be a chance that I did nothing for the world. That scared me and still, to this day, scares me.

The fact I don't watch Minecraft YouTubers anymore, the fact the gacha community has died out and is now basically just a ton of horny teenagers fetishizing queer and/or abusive relationships, the fact that I'm becoming more mature, the fact that I played Minecraft before hoppers were added and now for most people, they started playing there were fucking fish and dolphins and stuff. All of that is scary.

Childhood is a huge part of your life and the one that has the most impact on who you become as a person. The fact that the things from my childhood are now considered old and boring is scary and really really depressing. I miss when I was 4 and I would sit on my dad's feet and he would walk around. I miss feeling close to my brother and father. I miss the warm embrace of my parents knowing im safe and everything would be okay. I miss being a kid and it sucks my childhood was taken away from me.

All in all, nostalgia is a bittersweet thing. It'll make 'ya cry a few times, but inevitably it'll make you smile as you look back on all the positive memories.

And for growing older? It sucks. that's all, really. There's no way for me to sugarcoat it. Growing old sucks, but it also means you get new knowledge and experiences, meet more people and feel new feelings. It can be sweet if you just let go and live life.

live life, have fun, be safe :) - Vivi 🐾

#my commentary #commentaries #casual commentary #self commentary #self comfort #comfort #warmth #nostalgia #nostalgic #childhood #childhood memories #childhood nostalgia #2000s nostalgia #ily <3

2 notes · View notes

fuckyeahgoodomens · 1 year

Text

From the DVD commentary, episode 1:

Neil: We had to do a certain amount of [CGI] work on his eyes, because this was more than any other scene the one where his eyes kept twisting, or one of his eyes

Douglas: You mean the contact lenses?

Neil: The contact lenses, yes.

Douglas: Yeah, we had that as a problem because generally David actually wears contact lenses for real but what we had was it a smaller contact lense than our kind of stunt contact lense. And they would float around on occasion.

Neil: Yeah. I mean, it's weighted, so it's always meant to go down. But sometimes it didn't. And on this scene, it didn't. So we had to sort of nip in with CGI and make the eyes work .

Douglas: Which we probably should never tell David Tennant about. Because if there was a chance to do CGI on all his eyes, he would grab it.

Neil: He would.

#good omens #goodomensedit #neil gaiman #douglas mackinnon #david tennant #crowley #david's contact lenses #crowley's eyes #ep1 #1i11 #commentaries #good omens dvd #fun fact #cgi #contact lenses #what david must not know about :)

1K notes · View notes

helicarrier · 2 years

Text

Yeah, so... If you reblog that last post I made, which is basically telling people to be nice regardless of what someone ships, and in the same breath you call people “psychopaths” and “retards”, you’re getting blocked. I don’t care if you’re calling pro-censorship people that. It’s never right. Mental health diagnoses are not attack ammunition for your crusades. I don’t make the rules.

Don’t be ableist.

#commentaries #ableism cw #r slur cw

64 notes · View notes

afieldinengland · 9 months

Text

'[re: the rise of the nutters bathroom scene] we did many, many takes of this, as i seem to remember, and then at the end you tell me to wash my hands again, even though i'd just washed them, which you hadn't said before, and then i– i genuinely felt compelled to do it.'

#it is perhaps maybe one of the most insane elements of the scene #the thick of it #commentaries

19 notes · View notes

neessam · 2 years

Text

i feel like i’ve never seen anyone irl follow these super niche trends. like u have to be so chronically online that u don’t leave ur house to be a niche tik tok trend follower

#niche internet microcelebrity #niche trend #news and trends #trending #coquette #normcore #balletcore #opinion #commentaries #hot take

6 notes · View notes

carpetsmadeofhotairballoons · 2 years

Text

the pink sauce gotta go. I know it’s just a ranch sauce and pink is my favorite color but something about the color pink in liquid form has always scarred me. It all started from this one scene from the “we can’t stop” video by Miley Cyrus where they cut the plastic hand and liquid pink comes out. That’s tattooed into my brain as prominently as that one scene from the Joker.

#end pink sauce #pink sauce #commentaries #i hate this #current events #news #mukbang #food #liquid #What kind of tags even pertain to this nonsense #slander

3 notes · View notes

Last Seen Blogs

kelgoesinsane

going crazy for mari

pokidokieships

All aboard

podermultiplicador

O Seu Marketing Digital em Outro Nível!

gromhellscream

•° Lilia °•

blurfc-blog

Ungrateful