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stacijya · 4 years

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K personality break down!

I spent way too much time on this but here we go! (am willing to do other idols as well)

K has such a strong personality. To me its a beautiful thing. I think he is passionate, kind, hard working, and exudes natural confidence that I find very magnetic. However, I can see how some people may misunderstand that. So, in response to some “fans” who seem to not understand this beautiful creature for all his complexity and nuances, and armed with the information available on his profile, have researched and put together a breakdown of the facets of his personality.

(disclaimer, I cannot pretend to know K on a personal level. I used parts of articles and descriptions that I thought best described his interactions within ILAND and that could be supported by i-cam footage or clips from the actual show.)

Zodiac: Ox (1997)

Much like the image of an Ox, people born in this year tend to be persistent, honest, and straightforward. They are “talent leaders with strong faith, and strong devotion to work. They are contemplative before taking actions, not easily affected by the surroundings but just follow their concept and ability.” (travelchinaguide.com)

This is most likely where K gets the image of being arrogant or stubborn. While this might be the undercurrent, I think the other facets of his personality are more often highlighted. Mind you Jungkook, Jaehyun, Cha Eunwoo, Mingyu, and Yugyeom are all Ox’s as well. These people hardly strike me as arrogant now, though I can see their stubborness and devotion (all positive ways).

Blood Type: A

K, according to his profile, is blood type A which is often described as sensitive, passionate, clever, loyal, calm, consistent, and perfectionist. However type A’s can also be stubborn and overly sensitive. Generally, type A’s are stoic, majestic and confident, three qualities that can often be misinterpreted as intimidating or rude when in actuality they are very sensitive and caring as well.

Star Sign: Libra-Scorpio cusp

Libras are known for their flirtatious magnetism while scorpios are known for passion and power. This article sums it up pretty perfectly so I’ll just post a screenshot:

Libra-scorpio cusps are also known for their fierce loyalty to friends and family. They would willingly sacrifice themselves for their people. They are a combo of water and air which means they blend together the free spirited nature of an air sign with the calm and honest nature of a water sign. Sometimes their honesty can get away from them however and they have to take care not to hurt anyone with their words.

MBTI: ENFP

K is an ENFP, also known as the Campaigner or the Creative Idealist. They move through the world in a way that draws natural attention. They have a wonderful knack for dividing work from play. They are driven idealists while working but passionate free spirits in their down time.

Function stacks: extroverted intuition, introverted feeling, extroverted thinking, and introverted sensing. (Look up cognitive functions and function stacks if you need more context). This is also known as NeFi types which prioritize extroverted intuition and introverted feeling.

ENFPs are passionate, motivating, and versatile. Their primary function is extroverted intuition which means they pull meaning and draw connections out of the social world (relationships and interactions). They then use those meanings to better understand people, their motivations, and their true intentions(Fi). ENFx’s highly value genuine and honest people who don’t have ulterior motives or forced personas. They are very open and honest and expect the same returned to them.

Also, ENFP’s are very creative, independent people who struggle to work within rigid structures and hierarchies. They hate being micromanaged and would prefer to have the time and space to do the work. Too much micromanagement can cause stress in an ENFP which often leads them to neglect their personal health and happiness. They tend to give more than others are able to reciprocate.

But above all, ENFPs are kind. They “are very emotional and sensitive, and when they step on someones toes, they both feel it.” (16 personalities). They love open communication and want to listen as well. They really believe that everyone should take the time to recognize and express their emotions.

Age Hierarchy in Japan vs Korea:

(I am not Korean or Japanese so I looked up scholarly articles to help me with this section. But, for context, I have been to both countries)

In broad terms, Korea and Japan both have a system of age hierarchy that stems from Confucianism. The general idea is that older people, or people in positions of power, are to be highly respected by the younger generation or my subordinates. However, Japan and Korea have different interpretations of this ideal.

The Japanese version is focused on “Senpai-Kohai” (student teacher) relationship. This is expressed in many contexts even outside of school. The idea is that the older generation is responsible for teaching the younger generation manners and skills. The Younger generation is expected to listen and learn all the lessons of their teacher or mentor. These roles aren’t always associated with age however. In fact, in recent years, the younger generations, especially in work places, have somewhat turned their backs on the idea that an older colleague is deserving of more honor simply because of their age. In some instances, Kohais will fake their respect for their senpais. Many companies have been forced to abandon this ideal all together, promoting and giving raises to workers who are more skilled rather than workers who are older, thus abandoning age in their hierarchy of honor.

In Korea, however, the ideals of an age hierarchy are intenched much deeper in the culture. The age hierarchy is encouraged by confucianism but enforced by language and military culture. The korean language is organized around the idea of informal and formal speech in reference to someones age. One of the first questions asked in a conversation with a new person is “what is your age?” This established the social context and solidifies they type of speech a person must use. Older people must be spoken to with formal speech unless they give express permission otherwise. This is also enforced by military culture and the concepts of hoobae (subordinate) and sunbae (older/more experienced person). These roles have specific social expectations attached to them and carry significant weight.

Citations:

https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/letters/2018/08/404088/age-means-respect-japan-culture

http://evoice.ewha.ac.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=1293

Physical Appearance

K is physically intimidating, no denying that. He’s tall, athletically built, outwardly confident, and mature. He shows his emotions plainly on his face and takes up a lot of space with his body and energy. His presence is felt regardless of where he is in a room.

How it all works together

K is a wonderful person, but he has many aspects about his personality, culture, and appearance that can be misinterpreted as intimidating. Again, not only is he physically dominate in the space, his libra-scorpio cusp trait also make him ooze enigmatic appeal, and his ENFP fills him with passion and drive. He dislikes hierarchy yet must work within a very hierarchical system and culture. He is the oldest among people much younger than him. He’s attempting to use his NeFi personality to create open bonds with many people who are afraid to share their feelings with him. He doesn’t speak enough Korean to fully express his emotions despite that being a fundamental part of his personality.

K is enigmatic and mysterious with a combination of traits that are easily misunderstood. Every person, regardless of their personality, can grow and work through weaknesses, but, please be kind to them on their journey. We are all humans who must grow and learn as we develop and we can only hope that grace is granted to us as well. So give K grace as he learns to adapt to his surrounding, just as we gave grace to Heeseung, Jay, Niki, and all the others.

I hope fans of K appreciate him even more and I hope those who doubt him can be more understanding of his perspective. Spread love not hate!

#iland #i-land #iland k #mbti #libra-scorpio #this poor man really does have the entire world against him #hes just a soft baby who wants love... because hes a libra scorpio and would die without it #no but really I love K

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just0nemorepage · 4 years

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The Hate U Give || Angie Thomas || 464 pages ------------------------------------------------------------ Top 3 Genres: Young Adult / Contemporary / Realistic Fiction

Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.

Finished: March 26th, 2020.

Progress: 9 / 10. 90% complete.

My Rating: ★★★★★. [5/5]

My Review: [Under the read more - SPOILER FREE]

So I finished this last night, and I’m just as much at a loss for words now as I was at the time.

This book is a fucking masterpiece and perfection incarnate. I’m usually very anti-required reading, as that’s a real good way to ruin reading as a hobby, but THIS BOOK should be fundamental to every school and book group in America – perhaps even globally. It perfectly explains SUCH a drastically misunderstood issue and paints exactly WHY it’s so important and manages to touch on all of the nuances of police brutality and – ugh, it’s SO POWERFUL and SO GOOD.

To the point where the only reason I will accept dislike of this book is if it’s for technical or stylistic reasons – like not liking the writing style, or not liking characters. And even so, given the nature of the writing and the characters and WHY they are like they are, I’m giving serious stank eye to anyone who thinks those kinds of things, as well.

I actually scrolled through my Goodreads friend reviews of this book immediately upon finishing it and got rid of anyone who disliked the book for any pro-police reasons (Still! Yes! They exist, even AFTER reading this!). That’s how fundamentally important this book is. Liking or disliking it isn’t a matter of difference in opinion – it’s a difference in morality. Do black lives matter, or do they not? That’s not even a question. And if you disagree, we are morally incompatible and you don’t belong in my life in any capacity.

There is SO MUCH about this book that I love, and SO MUCH that is done right. I need to admit my personal favorites: Starr’s mirroring of that photograph from Ferguson, picking up the tear gas the cops threw at her, throwing it back, and a picture of it getting captured mid-throw; and the course of Starr’s relationship with Hailey. Ultimately: FUCK Hailey. But her character is so important – it illustrates the attitude most white people have towards racism, and HONESTLY, the fact that she was pro-feminist, but EXTREMELY racist, makes her all the more infuriating. That, ladies and gentleman, is a perfect example of what we call White Feminism! And an extreme example at that – not only does Hailey disregard issues that may apply to anyone other than white women, she actively contributes to those issues every single time she opens her mouth about race. And I shudder to think what she thinks about any OTHER kind of minority lol.

I also love that the only two real white characters in the story are Chris, and Hailey – polar opposites, and great representations of the two kinds of white people you’ll find concerning racism. There’s.. well, there’s Hailey, the walking garbage can who I hope dies alone, and there’s Chris, the aspiring ally, who’s not perfect, makes mistakes, and still has many things to learn, but is actively pursuing learning them and admitting when he’s wrong. (Also – how rich Chris’s family is low-key pisses me off for entirely different reasons LOL.)

I truly don’t know what else I can say, other than recommend this book at the top of my lungs and with a great deal of force to pretty much every single person in this country – particularly every single white person. I know I want to throw it in the face – like literally throw it – of anyone who still tries to spout “all lives matter” or, even worse, “blue lives matter,” and then pick it up, and throw it at their face again, and again, until their nose breaks.

There’s nothing I can say that will do any kind of eloquent justice to the majesty and importance that is this book. Although, I should at least try to sum it up, and put into words exactly WHAT was done so well. Normally, my brain fails me utterly here, but for this book in particular, I won’t let it.

I do know it perfectly captured the experience of growing up black, poor, and in a gang-infested neighborhood (at least, to my knowledge). I know it illustrated the difference between good cops and bad cops, and how no one should be picking apart “fuck the police,” because if you’re a true ally you know DAMN WELL that doesn’t apply to the good people. I know it FLAWLESSLY illustrated the difference between a riot and a peaceful, but obstructive protest, and it made me want to get out there and scream my anger into a megaphone and find some way to become a better activist – even if there aren’t many opportunities to do so in my area. I know it somehow managed to capture many, many microaggressions directed towards black people, and therefore explained exactly how frustrating and infuriating they can be, even if one individual act was “little.” I know it did a great job of illustrating the difference between jokes the oppressed use against the oppressor, as coping methods, and jokes the oppressor use against the oppressed, which are never not inherently shitty and dangerous. And I deeply, deeply enjoy how often “your life matters” was stated – never once was Black Lives Matter explicitly named, but you know damn well that’s what they’re referring to.

Oh, man. And that list of names of victims of police brutality at the end gave me chills.

Ultimately, I don’t have much problem saying that if you don’t like this book, you’re racist. Much in the same way that voting for and supporting Trump automatically makes you racist, or toting a US flag with a thin blue line or a Confederate flag automatically makes you racist. Or spouting “all lives matter.” Or honestly believing preventing police brutality has ANYTHING to do with “complying with orders” or “taking responsibility for your actions.”

If that displeases you, die mad about it.

And be happy I’m not throwing this book at your face until your nose breaks right now.

To everyone else – I won’t throw the book at you lol. But it is just as important that you read it. This is FUNDAMENTAL to understanding societal issues, and understanding societal issues is fundamental to being a responsible member of society.

If more people understood these issues with any kind of empathy, the world would be a much better place – to ALL who live in it. Not just those who were lucky enough to be born white.

And this book is a perfect stepping stone to beginning to understand racism, police brutality, and why Black Lives Matter is so crucial, as a movement and as a belief.

So, if you haven’t yet – even if you think you already understand BLM – READ IT. Your functionality as a human being depends on it.

#book reviews #the hate u give #angie thomas #★★★★★#young adult #contemporary #realistic fiction #racism #family #death #favorites #owned #print book #stand alone #jomp original

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bakugous-abs · 5 years

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Iida x Fem reader where she's really dull, and kind of a rebel so Iida despises her but the entire class ships it so they constantly set them up, with both of them being clueless, until they finally realizes they actually have feelings for each other? Iida needs more love!!

~Admin Eun

Tenya Iida was a man of authority. He followed the rules and he always looked prim and proper when presenting himself to others. He believed that rules were there to be followed and were put in place to protect others, including himself.

(Name) (Last Name) was a woman of defiance. She had her own personal set of rules that she followed without thinking, and truthfully she didn’t focus on how she appeared to others. She hated being restrained, and she believed that sometimes rules were meant to be broken.

The two couldn’t be more different, and even a fool could see that. Tenya had a tendency to put those who broke the rules in their place. Physically, Tenya was an intimidating figure. He was tall, lean, and had a face of steel the majority of the time in a professional classroom. (Name), on the other hand, could sincerely care less. No matter how many times Aizawa would look at her, she would always prop her feet up on the desk. Her philosophy was that it did no harm, but Tenya’s philosophy was that it was disrespectful. (Name) wore her skirt a little shorter than the other girls, and her blazer was never buttoned properly. Tenya’s uniform was always pressed free of any wrinkles and his tie was perfectly done.

Now, Tenya wasn’t the type of person to dislike people easily, especially his classmates. He was a generally nice person and could get along with anyone if they could handle him. Try as he may, he just couldn’t bring himself to feel anything other than annoyance when it came to (Name). He couldn’t comprehend how or why she chose to be so stubborn in her insubordination. What was the point? Was it to come off as cool and confident? Well, that couldn’t be it. The girl barely cared about her grades, much less what others thought of her. Was it to present herself as a threat to others? Again, no. She simply didn’t care.

Tenya thought that this was no behavior for an aspiring hero. He could recognize her talent and her sheer drive, but her cooperativeness was at a standstill at rock bottom. It wasn’t like she was violent or cruel to others, but any time she was given an order she simply did what she wanted to do. He wouldn’t ever admit it to himself, but Tenya simply didn’t like her. He was the class representative—he was supposed to represent the entire class. How could he represent someone like that—someone who refused help from others and paid no mind to his words whatsoever?

Even though the two students at topic didn’t get along in the slightest, the rest of their peers somehow managed to see them as what would be classified as a ‘good pair’ (that being said, if Tenya ever caught wind of this he would laugh in their face). Perhaps it was because a large sum of them were optimists (or idealists, for that matter), but they found themselves coming up with fantasy-based schemes to push the two opposites together. The ringleaders behind it all were namely Ochaco and Denki, the two peppy individuals set on getting their classmates together. Sometimes Mina would pitch in, but for Ochaco and Denki it was like a mission.

It started on a Monday.

They decided to play it safe for now. Ochaco sat on the outside of (Name) and Denki on the outside of Tenya in the cafeteria, forcing the two victims together. (Name) audibly sighed, and Tenya tensed. Realizing how stiff his muscles were, Tenya attempted to calm himself. He exhaled, pushing the rim of his glasses up before picking up his chopsticks. Surely the girl couldn’t do anything to bother him at lunch, right.

Not even a second after that thought, Tenya watched in horror as (Name) brought her legs up and crossed them, sitting crossed-legged in the booth.

“Wh-What are you doing?!” he sputtered, nearly dropping his chopsticks. (Name) shot him only a sideways glance as she continued working on her lunch. “I’m sitting,” she replied bluntly.

“You’re sitting disrespectfully!”

“It’s not my problem that you’re annoyed with it…No one else seems to care,” she spat. Tenya sat there in his seat, fuming. (Name) sighed, standing. “Let me out please, Ochaco. I can’t take this.”

Ochaco watched in disappointment at (Name) walked away, prematurely ending her lunch.

“Can’t she just act proper for once,” Tenya muttered under his breath. Ochaco and Denki looked at each other with blank stares. If something that simple was able to mess things up, how could their plan worked? Still, stubborn as they were, the two started brainstorming other ways to make their mission a success.

The next time it happened was a Wednesday, two days after the first attempt. Ochaco called for an ‘impromptu’ outing for the entire class to attend after school. “For fun!” she had exclaimed, but only a few knew of her underlying intentions. Tenya attended without much complaint, and (Name) attended with a little help (force) from Ochaco herself.

“Everyone meet near the front gate ten minutes after class ends,” Ochaco explained. Later on she made a group chat where she ‘accidentally’ excluded Tenya and (Name) from with instructions to meet thirty minutes after.

(Name) stood there, arms crossed. She was little peeved that she was the only one standing there, looking like a loner of some sorts. Her head whipped around when she heard footsteps, her expression relieved. Once she saw the face behind a pair of spectacles, her expression dropped.

“Oh.”

“‘Oh’?!” Tenya repeated incredulously. He wasn’t too happy to see that it was just her either, but forcing himself to remain respectful, he kept his composure. (Name), however, didn’t respond and simply ignored him as he stood beside her tensely. (Name) glanced over at him and let out a snort.

“What is so funny?” he cried. From his perspective, he hadn’t done anything out of the ordinary to draw a laugh from her. “You’re so stiff, man. Do you ever lighten up?”

“I am simply acting professional…” He attempted to refrain himself from speaking any further, but it didn’t work. His mouth opened before he could object. “Do you ever follow the rules?” Tenya watched as her expression contorted into shock. For a moment, he believed he had offended her.

“Pfft..” She stifled a laugh before letting it out boisterously. Tenya stared at her. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t ever tell what she was thinking and he couldn’t ever figure out her reactions. He continued to gape at her in confusion before she calmed herself down, wiping a faux tear for impact. “Man, didn’t know the class rep. had it in him to sass someone back! I’m proud of ya.” She looked up at him with a smile—more of a smirk, really—and for some reason he found himself smiling back. He hadn’t ever witnessed this side of her, but he liked it immensely better than her ‘rebel’ personality.

(Name) playfully punched his arm. “Come on! Hit me with another line like that!” Even though he refused and she insisted, Tenya didn’t feel any annoyance for the girl. Instead, he seemed to actually feel relaxed and perhaps a bit entertained.

And so, the mutual understanding of one another began. Perhaps they weren’t friends, but (Name) liked to mess with Tenya whenever she felt the need to. Rather than get irritated with her actions, Tenya would find himself doing some of what she requested to get a reaction. Alternatively, (Name) would actually muse him by listening to him when he scolded her for something she had done.

“(Name), please refrain from putting your feet on the desk.”

“Pfft, as stuck up as always,” she huffed before setting her feet flat on the ground. “Happy, Your Highness?” Instead of stiffening up his muscles and muttering negatively under his breath, Tenya shot her a small smile and (Name) stuck her tongue out at him. The two had come to actually tolerate—no, enjoy each others presence. (Name’s) carefree and playful side was what Tenya needed to loosen up even if it was just a tad, and Tenya’s strict nature was what (Name) needed to start becoming more open.

Ochaco and Denki were sure that their mission was a success. It was inevitable, right? Ochaco watched as (Name) and Tenya walked the halls together, bantering back and forth respectively.

Over time, Tenya actually found himself looking forward to (Name’s) company. Instead of being a one dimensional figure of rebellion, Tenya learned that she had different sides to her beyond the apathetic exterior. He enjoyed discovering such personalities and seeing her different reactions.

Tenya was, well, in a word, dense. The boy was intelligent of course, but when it came to things like feelings—especially romantic feelings—he was dense. When (Name) passed him briefly in the hall with the side comment of, “Looking sexy today, Tenya!” he stopped. His heart started thumping like it did whenever he worked out or whenever he felt anxious. The way his face started to warm and his hands got all clammy confused him, and he didn’t know what to think of it. The days that followed that single sentence, Tenya found his throat becoming dry whenever he would talk to (Name). His sentences were choppy and soft, and for the life of him he couldn’t understand why.

So, he decided to take it up with his most outgoing friend—Ochaco. It was at early evening, and Tenya had just finished his homework. His hands shook ever so slightly as he typed out, ‘May I talk to you?’ on his cellular device and sent it to Ochaco. Almost immediately, he got a response.

Tenya explained to his friend that there was this person (who remained anonymous) who he was once mildly comfortable around but now made him feel nervous. He explained that his face and ears would feel hot whenever he was around them and he found himself anticipating their next interaction. After he sent a paragraph of his feelings, he received an incoming call from Ochaco. Almost immediately after Tenya said, “Hello?” her voice squealed into his phone.

“Iida!! You have a crush!!”

“What?! No, I don’t think—“

“You get nervous around them and you blush whenever you talk to them! You totally have a crush!” she enthused. Tenya bit his lip and kept silent for a moment. That couldn’t be it…Right?

“You have to tell them!”

“What? No!” he exclaimed, feeling embarrassed at his sudden outburst and composing himself seconds after. Ochaco, although he couldn’t see it, rolled her eyes. “Yes! If you keep these feelings bottled up you’re just going to get sad. Come on, please?”

Tenya sighed. He thought it over, Ochaco waiting in anticipation. “…Okay.”

Ocahco squealed, the noise being so loud that Tenya had to pull the device away from his ears to let her finish. “Tell me how it goes!”

“Wait, what—“ And then she hung up. Tenya retracted his phone from his ear and stared at the screen. Could he really do it? He wasn’t sure, but…Ochaco was right. It wasn’t good to keep these feelings pent up in his mind.

Throughout the day following his chat with his friend, Tenya was uncharacteristically nervous. He spaced out in class and couldn’t concentrate on his work that was right in front of him. The night prior he decided that he would confess to (Name) after school. Of course, that was the day that seemed to drag on forever, only adding to his anxiety further. Finally, the last bell rang and he hurried to pack up his things. Whenever he turned to look for (Name), though, she was already gone. Tenya was never one to run in the halls, of course, but that day he did. He sped out of the building and his eyes scanned the crowd of students leaving through the front gate.

“(Name)!” he called out. He felt the stare of others on him and immediately blushed, but his outburst worked in his favor despite that. A head perked up in the crowd before their figure turned, beelining for him.

“Hey, class rep!” she teased. “Need something?”

No matter how many times he had rehearsed this the night before, he found himself unable to speak. At this point, there were only a few stragglers exiting the school, but overall (Name) and Tenya were alone together. At the lack of response, (Name) creased her brow and poked at Tenya’s chest.

“You okay? You gonna say something?”

Before Tenya could even comprehend, his mouth opened and out flew the words he had been struggling to say. “I-I like you!” (Name) recoiled, almost stunned at the sentence and the casual tone of it. Her eyes widened as she stared at him. His face was a shade darker than red, but his eyes were locked on to hers.

“And I understand that it may in fact be unprofessional to date someone who I very well may likely work alongside in the future, but I could not hold these feelings in any longer because—“

(Name), smiling, gripped the collar of his blazer. The blazer that was always pressed clean, wrinkled. She pulled him down until he was at eye-level with her, her mouth curved into a smirk.

“Well why didn’t ‘ya just say so?” she chuckled before pressing her lips against his.

Tenya knew it wasn’t appropriate to be showing signs of affection on school grounds. In fact, that was probably one of the worst rules to break. But at that moment, Tenya Iida, the prim and proper gentleman, discarded the rules.

He kissed her—his opposite, the one he was previously annoyed with the most—and smiled.

Tenya Iida was a man of authority. He always followed the rules.

He always followed the rules, but for (Name) (Last Name), a woman of defiance, he could disregard any rule that life presented him with.

#boku no hero #boku no hero academia #my academia #my hero #my hero academia #bnh #bnha #mha #bakugou #izuku #todoroki #kaminari #kirishima #iida #iida x reader #iida tenya #iida tenya x reader #admin eun

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whitewolfofwinterfell · 5 years

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Since I love reading your opinions, could you talk a bit more of why you like Bradley? :) Also, what do you think of Norman's other love interests as characters? (Cody, Emma, Madeleine).

Of course! A large part of the reason I like Bradley is because most people don’t and I feel like there’s a double standard placed on her as a female character. As you said, Bradley and Norman’s gender roles were reversed (particularly in season 1) and Bradley was branded the good looking, popular girl that takes nerd boys virginity and breaks his heart by rejecting him. It’s a very popular trope but it’s usually applied to male characters and those male characters (although they may be disliked by some people) generally get a pass because it’s just what they do or as jock-types they have deeply complex emotional issues which mean they use sex as a defence mechanism, so therefore it’s okay. Also, a lot of the time those guys are given some half-assed redemptive arc which allows them to make amends for their actions.

A lot of people dislike Bradley for her actions towards Norman in season 1, but in my opinion, that’s unfair. Firstly, Norman is not some precious little bean that deserves to be loved and treasured - he’s a cold blooded killer and his feelings for Bradley bordered on obsessiveness. Secondly, context is very important here and at the time they slept together, Bradley was in a deep emotional state and grieving the loss of her father. In sleeping with Norman, Bradley didn’t deliberately seek to hurt or exploit him, she just desperately needed comforting in that moment. Let’s also not forget that Bradley genuinely liked and cared for Norman and had a strong connection to him (although it was only as a friend), so her intention would never have been to hurt him. It was wrong of her to sleep with him knowing that he had romantic feelings for her when she didn’t return them, but that doesn’t make her a bad person. Also, Norman went over to Bradley’s house knowing she was fragile and clearly suspected and/or expected that they would sleep together. Norman wanted it to happen regardless of how it happened because it was wish fulfilment for him. After they slept together Norman’s sense of entitlement after they slept together was worse than what Bradley did. Whilst Bradley was fragile and grieving, Norman took a situation and made it all about him and painted Bradley as an awful person who had purposefully and cruelly hurt him. The problem with that is that Bradley was under no obligation to enter into a relationship with Norman after sleeping with him. Also, she never gave him any inclination that that’s what would happen. She didn’t lead him on or make him false promises, Norman - influenced by his feelings for her and perhaps naive and inexperienced in love/sex - made those assumptions himself. Afterwards Bradley was never rude or harsh towards Norman, she calmly explained that she didn’t have romantic feelings for him and demonstrated a great level of care towards Norman, despite his fit of anger towards her.

I definitely feel like Bradley gets a lot of flack for her actions towards Norman because she’s a girl and that male characters that have behaved the same way haven’t been treated in the same way. Also, in comparison to the other awful things the characters on the show did, Bradley’s actions do not even come close. From the beginning Bradley was a very sweet and compassionate person. Despite being popular and pretty, she welcomed Norman with open arms and involved him with her friends. I also think that Bradley struggled with mental health from the beginning of the series, but that it didn’t fully come into view until after her father’s death, and that needs to be taken into consideration when analysing her character. I don’t really think Bradley gets the understanding she deserves (particularly when it comes to her mental health) and is just written off as being Norman’s bitch-ex-friend/lover who went crazy. There’s a lot more to Bradley if you just dig beneath the surface, but because we aren’t handed everything about her on a plate people dismiss her as minor characters often are. I think Bradley’s popularity was her attempt to make up for the lack of attention/love she got at home (we know her father worked a lot and was having an affair, so he clearly wasn’t around much and their home couldn’t have been happy; we also know that her mother moved on very quickly after her “death” suggesting she didn’t love Bradley as much as a mother should), but that her popularity actually fed into her loneliness and sense of isolation. There’s a quote from Coredlia that sums this up perfectly actually:

Cordelia: Hey! You think I’m never lonely because I’m so cute and popular? I can be surrounded by people and be completely alone. It’s not like any of them really know me. I don’t even know if they like me half the time. People just want to be in a popular zone. Sometimes when I talk, everyone’s so busy agreeing with me, they don’t hear a word I say.

Buffy: Well, if you feel so alone, then why do you work so hard at being popular?

Cordelia: Well, it beats being alone all by yourself.

This explains why Bradley feels such a profound connection to Norman when he first arrives in White Pine Bay. He’s another lonely soul and he’s not preoccupied or concerned with popularity, so she can be herself with him. She attaches herself to him because she recognises something in him that she sees in herself. Norman also provides her with the attention, affection and love she craves, but it’s actually genuinely and unlike the attention she might get from her other friends or people at school who do it just because she’s popular and not actually because they care about her as a person.

When her dad died, I think that really opened the flood gates to all of the issues she’d been carrying around with her. The fact that her dad died at all and particularly that he had died so horrifically was obviously a huge trauma for her, but I think the biggest trauma was that it placed the unhappiness of her family into the spotlight. It seems that her mom didn’t particularly support her through her grief (we can assume her parents relationship was loveless since her dad was having an affair) and she was likely regretful of the lack of time she and her dad spent together when he was alive. His death essentially amplified the sense of loneliness she already felt to the extreme. This also explains why Bradley slept with Norman, the only person with whom she felt a genuine connection with, at this particular time. When Bradley was desperately searching for answers about her father’s death, she was practically alone in her mission. The only people that helped her were Norman and Dylan, which speaks volumes to just how alone she was. Although she was friends with Norman, they hadn’t known each other long and Dylan was nobody to her except Norman’s brother. Yet these two young boys were the only ones that even attempted to support her through the ordeal. It’s no surprise that in her heightened emotional state that her mental health deteriorated, particularly since no one showed her any real love, support or understanding. I don’t condone her murdering Gill, but she was a person who was at her wits end, suffering with her mental health and had no guidance or help at all.

The saddest part is how she died. I sincerely believe she felt a strong connection to Norman and I even believe that when she returned she realised her feelings for him went beyond friendship. There was a reason Norman was the only person Bradley trusted, why he was the one she turned to when she was in trouble and why he was the only one she felt she could open up to. It’s really sad that she was killed by Mother for the same reason most people hate her - for being a “whore” and seducing Norman. It really invalidates her character and the struggles she went through and reduces her to a shallow (and untrue) stereotype that’s so often attached to beautiful girls and women.

So yeah, I like Bradley because I think she’s incredibly misunderstood, the nuances of her character aren’t recognised and she’s unfairly branded a slut just because she’s a beautiful young girl. Bradley actually reminds me of Effy from Skins, but a less developed version because she was only a minor character on Bates and not given the same time and attention that Effy was. But I see a lot of parallels between the two characters, which is interesting because Effy is such a well-loved character and Bradley is generally disliked.

Wow, that analysis ended up being so much longer than I expected. I had more to say about Bradley than I realised.

As for Norman’s other interests, I didn’t particularly like any of them. I never particularly liked Emma because I found her to be really judgemental and have a holier-than-thou attitude. She treated Norman the same way Norman treated Bradley - as though he owed her something because she had feelings for him. I generally think she lacked in personality, particularly after she became involved with Dylan.

I really disliked Cody. I know the abusive father thing is supposed to make her more sympathetic, but it just doesn’t. She behaves like an asshole because she chooses to behave like an asshole. She’s rude, disrespectful, reckless and self-indulgent. She was bad for Norman and almost treated his mental health like a game at times.

Madeline was sweet and I don’t dislike her, but we also don’t really know enough about her for me to have strong opinions about her. I just think she was sweet but that her actions regarding Norman were questionable. Like, she was married but willingly flirted with Norman and invited him around to her house for dinner. She clearly had an attraction to him or liked the fact that she knew Norman wanted her, and she indulged in that despite being married. Of course, her husband was cheating on her so that makes it seem more acceptable, but in reality she didn’t know her husband was cheating and still should’ve been faithful to her husband.

Thanks for asking, lovely! Sorry, this ended up being waaaay longer than I thought it would be (nothing new there) haha.

#answered #my meta #bates motel meta #slayers-every-one-of-us

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rewolfaekilerom · 3 years

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dear diary #1

//NOTE: This was originally posted to Wordpress on 05.16.2021//

I didn’t post last week because I was busy having a life. There, I said it.

Honestly, my explanation (I’m big on explanations but not excuses these days) for why I didn’t write anything last week is that I didn’t have anything to say and I didn’t feel like taking the time to think of something to say.

Or maybe I just wanted to marinate in the joy of finishing back-to-back viewings of Ginny and Georgia.

In any case, over the past few weeks I’ve been idly brainstorming my next post, but I’ve really only come up with a hodge podge of different ideas about random things that couldn’t sustain their own full posts but that still interest me. I thought that a simple solution would be to group these things into a diary-like post where I take my usual babbling to a new level.

Off we go.

When 2021 started, I decided to set myself a few goals–resolutions, if you will. I’ve never set resolutions before (well, not really), so I figured I’d be pretty bad at setting them and even worse at keeping them. Honestly, though, I think I’ve done a pretty fair job of both–all things considered.

Let me back up a step, though, to explain why this was the year that I finally decided to set some resolutions. 2020 was quite a year for everyone, so I think that’s a fairly simple explanation. The more complicated explanation is that 2020 was a year of massive transition for me. I’ve never thought about it that way before, but I think it’s actually pretty accurate.

I started 2020 with absolutely no sense of where I’d be–literally, figuratively, whatever–after the fifth month. I knew that my contract for my then-current job would end in May and that I probably wouldn’t find a similar contract there, so I’d need to find work somewhere else. I should clarify that I 100% wasn’t upset about the prospect of finding different work; I liked that job, but it wasn’t for me, if that makes sense. Having that job and doing the day-to-day of it proved to me that it wasn’t the type of work I wanted to do for the rest of my life, so that May end-date was a welcome one. See, I spent all of grad school feeling a bit torn between two paths: one was the expected path, the path everyone seemed to idealize and expect good students to follow; the other path was certainly not uncharted, but it was a path that was less idealized by admin and faculty. I felt torn between doing what I thought was expected of me as a good student and doing what I really wanted to do–the thing I’d sort of secretly come to love during my master’s and continuing throughout the PhD. Spoiler: that second thing is the thing I’m doing now, and I think I’m pretty happy doing it.

That one-year position gave me a chance to glimpse at what that first path, that expected path, would be. It was fine, and I understand why some people idealize it, but it wasn’t for me. I worked 12-hour days 7 days a week. I didn’t take vacations and I felt guilty when I so much as took an afternoon or morning off to spend time with friends or family. The guilt was constant. I also felt incompetent 90% of the time. The guilt and the imposter syndrome was too much, especially because I knew I shouldn’t feel either. That made me feel even more guilty, so I just worked more and harder. Frankly, that summarizes my experience in grad school a bit, and it explains why I didn’t really have hobbies or do anything other that work. I like to joke that the reason I worked so relentlessly during grad school wasn’t because I’m one of the smart ones; it’s because I’m one of the dumb ones trying to look like a smart one. That’s probably not true, either, but I really am a bit of a workhorse when it gets down to it.

So, 2020: a transition year. I spent the first few months of the year (and the last few months of the previous year) applying for jobs. I had also spend the previous winter/spring (of 2019) applying for jobs. That’s obviously how I ended up with that one-year position. Well, that’s actually a longer story, but I’ll save it for another time.

When the pandemic hit the US in March 2020, I was in the middle of a few job searches. I probably had 20 job applications out, and I was actively involved in 3 or so searches. The pandemic set off a domino effect that resulted in all but a few of those searches being cancelled. My mom has described it as me standing in a hallway filled with open doors and watching as each of those doors slams shut, one by one. I was lucky, really, because one of the few doors that stayed open was the door I’d hoped would stay open. It was the door that was me-shaped; the door and I fit one another perfectly, and it let me pass through. I know how lucky I am. I appreciate how lucky I am.

I got my perfect fit. Excellent! But that also meant that I had about two weeks to move halfway across the country. Literally. I was interviewing for this job in March and April. I heard that I’d got the job on May 1, and the offer letter came by May 11. By May 17, I had found a new apartment in a new state, booked movers, started packing, and gave away my couch; I was also in the process of sorting out utilities in the new place and all the other stuff that goes along with moving. Dad drove out to me on May 24 to help with the movers. I moved into my new place during the second or third week of June, if I remember correctly. Bug and I spent around a week or two living at my parents’ house before my stuff arrived at my new place. I started work on June 1, so some of that had to happen in my parents’ dining room while I was in the middle of moving.

The move was fast. SO FAST. I basically moved in two weeks–in the gap between one job ending and the next one starting. During that time, I said socially distanced goodbyes to friends, learned that Bug has a heart murmur (we’ve since been to a cardiologist and still don’t know what it means, if anything), and packed and moved my entire apartment for the second time in a year. Bug has been with me for just under two years and we’ve lived in three different places together. It’s pretty wild. Oh, and I learned a new job. My training lasted one month–most of June 2020. By July, it was all me running the show. Wild.

The thing no one really tells you about moving during a pandemic is that everything takes longer. Summer 2020 was also the summer of protests against systemic racism and police violence in the US. The moving truck with my stuff drove through, I think, 4 or so cities while they were having massive protests. My stuff took about two weeks to arrive, which wasn’t a big deal compared to the other, much bigger things going on in the world. I just think it’s fascinating that my stuff went so many placed without me. Once it arrived, I managed to unpack pretty quickly, but any new furniture I bought took so much time to arrive because the pandemic shut down a lot of factories. For instance, I ordered my couch at the beginning of July, I think, and I’m pretty sure I didn’t have it until September. The salesperson didn’t even tell me it would take that long, so figuring that out was another huge ordeal. Oh, and when it finally arrived, only half of it came. I had to wait a week for the other half to come because . . . they only ordered me one half of a couch. Who only wants half of a sectional couch???

Transition #3 of 2020, then, was getting settled into this new life.

These three massive transitions happening all in one year was a lot. The first two happened pretty close together, and they were pretty high stakes. The third one was high stakes, too, but I knew it would take longer, so the pressure was less immediate. Even so, my anxiety was off the charts by the end of the year. I also felt a bit aimless because I didn’t have my old, familiar routines of my previous life and the pandemic made it a bit hard to establish familiar ones in my new place. I knew that the new routines I had established were temporary, but I didn’t know how long that “temporary” would last. I also wasn’t consumed with work 24/7. I definitely work more than 9-5, 7 days a week, but I work nowhere close to what I had been working in my previous job. It’s more like 9-5, 5 days a week with some hours sometimes in the evening on weekdays and maybe some hours on weekends if I want to deal with something instead of letting it go for the next business day. It works really well for me. I’m not sure I’d like a normal office job; I like the stability and flexibility of this job. I also do a million different things, which keeps me invested and on my toes, which I like.

In any case, though, I felt a bit aimless by the end of 2020 and a bit anxious because the main events of my life were pretty much focused around work. My parents visit regularly, and I have Bug, but all I really did was work and sleep.

My resolutions, I decided, were the way I’d change that. They were my way of fleshing out my life and making sure I didn’t live to work instead of working to live, if that makes sense. I thought they’d be a good way to channel my nervous/anxious energy, be productive, and challenge myself. I wanted to use my brain in different ways and tire myself out so I’d go to sleep feeling like I’d accomplished more in a day.

The thing I disliked about that expected career path was that it tended to transform the people who followed it into the jobs they do. They become their job, and their job becomes their sole source of their identities. I wanted to make sure I was more than the sum of what I did to make money, and I thought resolutions would be the way to make sure I was a person who did things other than work. I can be a bit of a work-a-holic, I guess, and I wanted frivolous activities to decompress and be a human and relax. I also needed an answer for when people asked, “oh, what are your hobbies?”

My advisor once asked me “what do you do?” And I genuinely struggled to answer him. One of my friends overheard the conversation, and we laughed hysterically about it afterward because I said the first thing that came to mind at the time–swimming. I swam competitively in high school, but I was never good. I swam competitively because I liked being in the water and the team was a way for me to get in a pool for free. My coach knew that’s why I was there, so he let me go through the motions of being on the team but also relegated me to operating stop watches and calculating points during meets. When my advisor asked me that question, though, I hadn’t swam like that for years, and I hadn’t really swam for exercise in a long time either. It was just the first thing that came to mind as a hobby I would possibly like to do if I had the time to have a hobby.

I had hobbies in high school, though. I painted pretty regularly. I also did swim team. I listened to music constantly. I crafted. I read for fun like my life depended on it. I watched TV. I did normal teenager things and then some. During college and grad school, my hobby time dried up a bit. Or, rather, that time went to other things. I listened to less music, I exercised less, I read for work so didn’t do it for fun, and I stopped doing most crafts. I picked up other hobbies that filled in the gaps, though. I did my nails in some pretty wild designs, and I did some crocheting when I found the time. But it was always “when I found the time.” I crammed me time into the gaps between being too tired to work anymore and being too keyed up to fall asleep.

Halfway through the PhD, and after one particularly bad semester where I think I gained 30 points in cheesy bread from one class alone, I decided I needed to change things because “me time” had ceased to exist. So, I set aside one hour of free time a day to exercise. I lost 30 pounds and gained a bit of confidence. Or maybe self-respect is a better term? I’m not sure what would be a good word for what I gained, but it was something. I started to feel entitled to my time. That one hour a day evolved into a dream of having nights and weekends to myself. I clung desperately to the possibility of living a “normal” life that entailed not feeling guilty for enjoying free time and not being “on” all the time. I crammed that one hour of me-time at the gym wherever I could. I started going to the gym at midday because that’s when I could fit it in during those first few months. After that, I would get up at 6am to go to the gym and then straight to my office, where I’d have breakfast and then work until 6 or 7pm. Once I got Bug, I shifted that schedule to be home more; I still exercised, but I worked from home way more often. Having her forced me to turn off and focus on her needs. She’s trained herself to come into my office at 5 and meow at me until I close the computer and go into the living room with her.

My new job afforded me the time to not be at work all the time. It afforded me freedom to leave work at work and to use my brain to do other things. But because I’d let those “other things” disappear from my life over the past decade, I didn’t really have anything to fill that time except with worrying, which probably was my only hobby for a few years.

Flip to the beginning of 2021, and I’d had enough of being anxious all the time. I was worrying constantly about things that weren’t worth worry about. I was worrying about things I couldn’t change, which is something I learned years ago isn’t worth it (I’m nothing if not sensible with my worrying), and I was worrying instead of doing something about the things I could change.

I was ambitious but also reasonable in drawing up my list of resolutions:

Watercolor-a-day

Listen to more music

Appreciate life, and maybe work on anxiety

Read for fun more

Write/journal more

Learn to crochet doilies

Play more video games

Lost some weight by eating better and maybe exercising when it’s safe

Socialize more–when it’s safe.

Honestly, I’ve stuck to that list. The watercolor-a-day thing lasted about a month, but I have been doing visual arts more often. A few times a month I’ll paint or make a card for someone or do something like that.

Listening to music has been one of the biggest challenges, believe it or not. As I mentioned, I used to be an avid music listener. In high school, I was a bit like Lane in Gilmore Girls. I devoured music and had an extensive catalog of songs and artists. I listened to a wide variety of genres and was up-to-date on trends. I was constantly discovering new artists and genres–most were new to me but had been around for a while, but I was also familiar with top 40 hits. I’ve tried to remedy this a bit by listening to the charts on Spotify, and I’ve found some curated lists that have allowed me to find new artists. I’m just struggling to remember to turn on music when I’m casually living my life. I listen to music when I can while I work, but the work I do makes it hard to concentrate when music is playing. I think this is just something I need to try harder at. I keep meaning to buy a radio, but I just want to buy other things instead.

This blog was my way of journaling more and finding an outlet for reading for fun more. It was also my way of exercising that part of my brain that is creative with words, which has been a positive experience. It’s also making me feel more appreciative for life because it’s a space where I can be reflective. I can see myself writing a sentence that’s whiny and I can think about why I’m whining and not just appreciating what I have. Trust me, I see every whine in infinitely more detail than anyone else does. I’m my best critic, so I don’t need any help.

I’ve also flitted around a bit between hobbies. I’ve tried on and off to learn a new language. I started with Czech but decided that German would be more useful for work. I actually started writing this post to procrastinate looking at German grammar lessons. I’m a bit off of the German-learning thing right now.

I’m also off of video games for the moment. I play ACNH pretty regularly, but I had also been playing BotW and New Pokemon Snap. BotW stresses me out so much that I’ve considered throwing it out. I don’t like killing things. I thought there’d be more exploration. ACNH has gotten a little dull, though I still play and am eagerly awaiting the 2.0 update–whenever that comes. NPS is great; I just have other things I’d rather do.

Those “other things” consist primarily of crocheting. This is a skill my mom taught me as a tween or teenager, probably sometime after I’d outgrown summer camp but was too young to just . . . spend the summer hanging around or working. She’s incredibly crafty, but crochet isn’t her thing. I’m pretty sure she learned it from an aunt or her mom but has always done other sorts of crafts. A lot of the other women in our family were avid crocheters, though. We have bags of doilies and table runners with crocheted lace trim that are absolutely gorgeous. During the summer between my MA and PhD, I made an afghan out of granny squares. I still have it and love it. I crocheted a tiny bear for my high-school boyfriend before he moved across the country; I’m not sure he really appreciated how much work it took, and I wish I kept it for myself because it was well made–I didn’t even use a pattern. I also picked up cross stitch and embroidery during grad school because it was cheap and fairly easy to pick up every few months for a crafting party. But crocheting is something I love doing.

I wanted to get back into crocheting, though, because I wanted to make a new afghan and to decorate my apartment with things I’ve made. I haven’t started the new afghan because I’ve been trying to decide on colors, but I have been crocheting doilies. This was something I hadn’t done before, but they’re really fun to make. They’re tough and they require way more concentration than crocheting a scarf, but they really are “ta-da” objects. They require so much skill and precision. They’re works of art, really. Making a doily is a mediative experience, honestly. They require so much concentration that all the other worries have to disappear to make room in your brain for remembering stitches and figuring out how to make the pattern work by interpreting the (often shorthand and simplistic) instructions. My first few really weren’t great, but I’ll blame the patterns. I’ve since started finding patterns from the 1950s that are excellent. A lot of the newer patterns have wacky stitches that the pattern’s designer has come up with but doesn’t explain clearly. The patterns from the 1950s and earlier rely on basic stitches with one or two unique stitches thrown in.

I’ve also started making crocheted things for friends. So far, I’ve made a Jiji doll (from Kiki’s Delivery Service) for one friend and a Baby Yoda for another friend. I like making things for friends because it’s a personal touch. I think it means so much that you took the time to make something rather than just buying it. It’s also a good way to make sure you’re giving someone something they don’t already have.

I’m on a bit of a crochet kick right now, but my focus on hobbies has gone through phases over the past few months. For a few weeks at a time I might be really eager to play video games, and then a few weeks later I’ll be focused exclusively on crocheting. Other times, all I want to do is paint. I was sewing for a while, too, but fabric is expensive. Crocheting is a nice middle-ground between working with my hands and my mind and not spending too much money. It isn’t too difficult to find pretty good yarn, and it’s not that expensive either.

So, all that is to say that 2021 has been a fuller, more grounded year so far. We’re still in the middle of a pandemic, and life is far from normal. I have a routine, but it’s a temporary one that I know will have to change eventually. That alone is difficult, but it’s also been helpful to know that some parts of my routine will stay the same even after the pandemic ends. The hobbies and me time don’t have to go away when the pandemic ends. Some of the time I devote to them may get shifted to new hobbies–I might even make new friends in this new place! But they’ll still be there. I can still set aside Thursday nights for making doilies, and I can have Saturdays for watching TV, if I want. There’s a sense of calm that comes with that knowledge. I’m glad I decided to make some resolutions this year, and I’m especially glad that those resolutions are accomplishing the things I’d hoped they would accomplish.

Oh, and I’ve been watching iZombie lately. It’s like Veronica Mars meets Dexter meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Warm Bodies. 10/10 recommend.

Okay, that’s enough for now.

XOXO, you know.

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rewolfaekilerom23 · 3 years

Text

dear diary #1

//NOTE: This was originally posted to Wordpress on 05.16.2021//

I didn’t post last week because I was busy having a life. There, I said it.

Or maybe I just wanted to marinate in the joy of finishing back-to-back viewings of Ginny and Georgia.

Off we go.

Transition #3 of 2020, then, was getting settled into this new life.

I was ambitious but also reasonable in drawing up my list of resolutions:

Watercolor-a-day

Listen to more music

Appreciate life, and maybe work on anxiety

Read for fun more

Write/journal more

Learn to crochet doilies

Play more video games

Lost some weight by eating better and maybe exercising when it’s safe

Socialize more–when it’s safe.

Oh, and I’ve been watching iZombie lately. It’s like Veronica Mars meets Dexter meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Warm Bodies. 10/10 recommend.

Okay, that’s enough for now.

XOXO, you know.

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synchronysymphony · 6 years

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I’d like to hear about your thoughts on Marius sometime!

ohohoho do you really

okay

Baron Marius Pontmercy, major character from Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables, bafflingly remains one of literature’s most enduring characters despite a striking lack of most redeeming qualities, and a thoroughly flavorless, though unappealing personality. This fact is interesting from a sociological perspective, as it highlights the popularity of young, attractive, white male characters, seemingly against all common sense. On a more literature-oriented perspective, however, it demonstrates Hugo’s inventive work with archetypes. While many of the other characters in the novel represent an idea, or symbolize some greater theme beyond themselves, Marius represents nothing but Hugo’s own whimsy, undeniably human, but weak and ineffectual. We may see him as a representation of society at its most blandly tasteless, or as a nod to the common man, but in the end, we must accept Marius for who he is: a half-baked cad with a shocking lack of a moral compass, and few truly appealing features.

We first meet Marius as a privileged young law student, antisocial, awkward, and seething with bitterness against his estranged father. Hugo describes him favorably, but the audience is left with the uncomfortable sense of vague dislike. He does not have the human appeal that the other characters in the book are granted; not the quaint compassion of Bishop Myriel, nor the delicate charm of Fantine, or even the robust, boisterous humanity of Les Amis de l’ABC. He appears static, flat, and thoroughly uninspiring. As a child, he is described as “having passed from a prude to a pedant,” and in his adulthood, he becomes “royalist, fanatical, and austere” (Hugo, 352). The reader may infer that much of this is due to an unhappy childhood, especially given the canonical evidence of him disliking his grandfather, by whom he was raised. This explains, but does not excuse, his later actions.

Reckless pride is one of Marius’s most striking traits. He chooses to leave the luxury of his grandfather’s house because of the slight to his father, but he does not make any sort of plan, or prepare himself in any way for independent living. In fact, it is only because of the kindness of his new friends, Courfeyrac and Bossuet, that he is able to stay in school and find a job, and a place to live. However, he never thanks either of them for their compassion, and in fact, treats both of them (particularly Courfeyrac) rather rudely. Courfeyrac, generous soul that he is, never rebuffs Marius for his inconsiderate behavior, and in fact continues to unquestioningly lend him money until his death on the barricades. Marius, refusing to take help from his family, does manage to make something of a living for himself, which is admirable, and he pays rent for the Jondrette family next door, which is even more so. In this, we see that he is capable of compassion, though for the rest of the novel, he does not exercise it anymore.

Marius’s sexist and entitled tendencies can be clearly seen in his treatment of both Eponine and Cosette. He does not see Eponine as his equal; rather, he pities her, treats her like a child, and unashamedly capitalizes on her generousness to get him what he wants. Even after her death, which happens to save him, he merely puts her body on the ground, leaves it there, and goes about his business in trying to send word to Cosette. In short, he thinks of her as an object. In the musical, they’re friends; in the novel, they are not so much. This, though illuminating, is not nearly as egregious as his treatment of Cosette. When he first notices her in the Luxembourg gardens, his first thought is that she has eyes that are “always looking about with a disagreeable assurance” (Hugo, 397). He does not like the fact that Cosette is bold and self-assured, even as a child (which she is at this juncture), though as we see from his interactions with Les Amis, he does not mind those qualities in men, whom he considers his equals. From the very beginning, he thinks of Cosette as a possession, one whom he loves, to be sure, but one who is not, and can never be, his equal. This becomes quite apparent in the episode in which Cosette’s skirt blows up and shows her ankle. Marius is furious, because he thinks someone could have seen, which would be unacceptable, as to him, Cosette is his property. So he is angry with her for three days, which is quite an unreasonable amount of time, and at the end of that time, he chooses to “forgive” her for something that was not her fault to begin with. This demonstrates his disturbing possessiveness, and his tendency to be enraged when something doesn’t go his way.

As stated before, Marius possesses an unreasonable amount of entitlement, not just to Cosette, but to the world at large. When living next door to the Jondrettes, he thinks he is perfectly within his rights to spy on them, invading their privacy for the sake of satisfying his own curiosity. What then follows is an almost comical adventure involving Jean Valjean, Javert, and the Patron-Minette, one which Marius is privy to by virtue of his own dumb luck. He gets through it all with no problem, since, as with the rest of the novel, he is immune to all consequences, and once everything has blown over, makes Eponine’s acquaintance and uses his connection to her to find Cosette. Once he does so, he thoughtlessly invades her garden without permission, then continues to meet with her there, although if they were to be discovered, she would be the one in trouble, not him, thanks to stringent and sexist 1830s double standards. He does not care about this, though, as he feels that he can do whatever he wants with her.

Just before the barricades, Cosette tells Marius that she is moving to London, against her will. Marius takes this very badly, and treats her as if it is her fault. He asks her “coldly” if she will go, and when she says that she has to, he tells her that he will die, which is manipulative, and has a negative effect on her. He refuses to consider her solution, and instead leaves her to cry for two hours while he thinks about how hard this is on him, and him alone (Hugo, 592). Of course, Cosette has no choice in the matter, but Marius is angry all the same. This parallels their “first quarrel,” when Cosette’s skirt blew up to show her ankle. Marius didn’t get his way then, and he doesn’t now, and both times, he is unreasonably angry. He decides that since he can’t have Cosette, he may as well die, and he goes off to the barricades, which he promptly threatens to blow up. Enjolras appreciates this, and calls him the new leader, but to the audience, it appears audacious, even temeritous (okay that’s not a word but y’know what I mean). Marius feels entitled even to the revolution, which he has had no part in. In musical-Enjolras’s words, he seems to think this is a game.

This is all well and good, but Marius’s most appalling lack of humanity is shown towards the end of the novel, in his horrific treatment of Jean Valjean. Having decided that Valjean is beneath his contempt, he begins the process of cutting him out of Cosette’s life, without telling Cosette a thing about it. We must remember, at this moment in time, Cosette has two important people in her life, Valjean and Marius, and Marius is making her choose between them. He wants her to belong to him entirely, and he wants Valjean, whom he thinks is irredeemable, to live out the rest of his life in solitude. In this aim, Marius almost succeeds, until he happens to find out that Valjean is the one who saved his life. Then, he changes his tune with alacrity. All the morality he had been espousing earlier goes out the window; this man helped him, so he must be good. He still doesn’t tell Cosette anything, though, and brings her to her father’s deathbed with nothing but questions and grief.

As we can see, Marius’s morality is fluid and self-serving. He changes his mind about his father, and about Napoleon, and about the revolution once he sees that having a different opinion will fit his needs. He shapes his worldview depending not on what’s right, like Combeferre, or what’s ideal, like Enjolras, or even what’s practical, like Eponine, but on what suits him the best. He is eminently selfish, and has no strict code that would give him a strong character. He floats along through his life, getting lucky in every instance through no ingenuity of his own, and manages to succeed, not because he has a strong personality, or a good heart, but because he is, as stated before, immune to all consequence. This is one flaw in Hugo’s work; in a novel about the miserable people in society, in which everyone brushes elbows with tragedy, Marius escapes relatively unscathed. This sets him apart from the others, and makes him seem rather untouchable.

In short, Marius has few qualities which are to be admired. He is proud, but to the point of selfishness, brave, but to the point of recklessness, intelligent, but callous, determined, but self-serving. He shows little to no compassion throughout the course of the novel, and none of the redeeming love or hope that makes characters such as Cosette so appealing. One gets the sense that he is successful in his endeavors because the author wants him to be, not because of any merit of his own. He is a weak character, flawed and human to be sure, but not someone I would want in my life. To sum up, in five simple words: Marius Pontmercy is a fuckboy.

#ask #anon #les mis #marius tag #long post #ummmmmm #don't read this if you like marius #like really #don't read it

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obtusemedia · 4 years

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The 100 best songs of the 2010s: #50-26

#50: “I Love It” by Icona Pop feat. Charli XCX (2012)

“I Love It” is about as close as the early ‘10s bubblegum pop scene got to punk rock.

Swedish one-hit-wonders Icona Pop, with the songwriting help of pop wizard Charli XCX, crafted a single that feels like a punch in the face. It’s short, it’s repetitive and it flies middle fingers in the face of authority, older generations and anyone else who pissed them off. The bridge’s iconic line, “You’re from the ‘70s, but I’m a ‘90s bitch,” sums up the theme of “I Love It” more than I ever could.

#49: “Shut Up Kiss Me” by Angel Olsen (2016)

I feel bad putting Angel Olsen — unequivocally one of the ‘10′s greatest talents — this relatively low on the list. But she’s more of an album artist than a singles one, so just listen to MY WOMAN if you want a more full picture of her.

But she does have at least one instant showstopper in her catalogue. “Shut Up Kiss Me” is a a perfect mix of too-cool indie and painfully Midwestern heartland rock. Olsen’s voice is defiantly old-school, like a Greatest Generation-era country singer or Lana Del Rey-via-Missouri, but she makes it work somehow over the song’s clanging garage-rock guitars.

“Shut Up Kiss Me” is a spark of energetic, flirty fun, proving the ‘90s and ‘50s should be combined more often.

#48: “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars (2014)

After starting the 2010′s with some insanely bland pop, Bruno Mars wisely course-corrected into slick retro-pop and delivered some of the best hits of the decade. “24K Magic,” “Locked Out Of Heaven,” “Finesse,” “Treasure” — all wonderful in my book.

But of course, none of Mars’ hits compare to the towering masterpiece that is “Uptown Funk.” That’s partly because he teamed up with another retro-pop titan, Mark Ronson, to deliver the goods. The combination of Mars’ borderline-kitsch, cartoony swagger and Ronson’s Minneapolis-style funk is a wonder to behold. It’s easy to dance to, easy to sing (or I guess, chant) along with, so it’s no wonder that it conquered the world in early 2015.

Does “Uptown Funk” shamelessly ripoff Morris Day and The Gap Band? Sure. But sometimes, pastiches can turn into something greater.

#47: “212″ by Azealia Banks (2011)

I’d rather not talk about how Azealia Banks self-destructed her own career by starting (and losing) feuds left and right. Even Kanye West would be embarrassed at her lack of filter.

No, let’s focus on that brief window where Banks appeared to be the future of hip-hop, thanks to her firebomb of a single, “212.” This song still goes hard in the paint eight years later. The playful, bouncy beat is a perfect match for Banks’ dexterous flow and filthy lines. It somehow still retains its shocking power nine years later.

Banks had that power to grab your attention. It’s a shame that talent went to waste, but at least we’ll always have “212.”

#46: “Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall” by Coldplay (2011)

Just wanted to remind all of you: Coldplay was actually really good. Even on their obnoxiously optimistic, day-glo 2011 album Mylo Xyloto. And especially on that album’s lead single, the EDM-lite, slow-burning, anthemic “Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall.”

Is it corny? Of course, it’s Coldplay. Does it light up every pleasure center in my brain anyways? Again: Of course, it’s Coldplay. Just give into the U2-esque guitars, thumping synths and Chris Martin wailing away about waterfalls or whatever. I don’t know why it works, but it sure as hell does.

#45: “Capacity” by Charly Bliss (2019)

After writing an entire album of bubbly grunge-pop jams filled with non sequiturs, New Yorkers Charly Bliss got a little more serious with their follow up, “Capacity.” The new wave anthem perfectly encapsulates the suffering of emotional labor, and when you try to be everything for everyone. Lead singer Eva Hendricks’ normally vibrant voice is self-constrained for most of the song, until the climax, when it feels like a weight has been lifted off.

“Capacity” is the perfect compromise for Charly Bliss: It retains their irresistible hooks, while using that pop songwriting to convey something more important.

#44: “Rollercoaster” by Bleachers (2014)

Jack Antonoff is probably the pop producer of the decade. His ‘80s-fetishizing fingerprints are all over the ‘10s pop scene, from his bombastic early days with fun., to his minimalist work with Lorde’s career-defining Melodrama. And don’t forget Taylor Swift’s career-derailing reputation — his production was one of that album’s bright spots.

But naturally, the songs Antonoff saved for himself and his side project Bleachers were perfect pop nuggets too. “Rollercoaster” is probably Bleachers’ best. This slice of pure, unfiltered new wave bubblegum is so catchy that you’d swear it’s a cover of a classic pop song from 30 years earlier. You’d have to try pretty damn hard (or just dislike pop) to dislike it.

#43: “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)” by Arcade Fire (2010)

Remember when Arcade Fire were still the darlings of the music industry? One listen to The Suburbs and you’ll be reminded why they were at one point considered the indie U2.

“Sprawl II” is just one of many highlights on The Suburbs, but as the climax of that album, it’s bulletproof. Regine Chassagne takes the vocal reigns here, delivering her best-ever yelpy, high-pitched performance. In an album all about the suffocating nature of suburban sprawl, “Sprawl II” perfectly encapsulates the difficulty of escaping the endless housing developments and crumbling strip malls. In a way, it’s the millennials’ “Born To Run” — all about getting away to a brighter future. Just swap crumbling factories for drive-thrus.

#42: “Don’t Start Now” by Dua Lipa (2019)

Dua Lipa was always a solid popstar. Jams like “Electricity” and “New Rules” were fun, energetic dance-pop singles. But she was never truly transcendent until “Don’t Start Now” arrived in the decade’s waning months. Lipa went full disco queen on the track, effortlessly riding a fat slap-bass line all the way to pop euphoria. Her robotic, staccato delivery on the chorus sells the song’s icy post-breakup-brushoff feel. If “Don’t Start Now” is any indication, expect Lipa to be one of the 2020s’ best stars.

#41: “Scorpio Rising” by Soccer Mommy (2018)

Nashville singer-songwriter Sophie Allison, AKA Soccer Mommy (maybe the decade’s best/worst band name), doesn’t dance around with her lyrics. They cut straight to the heartbreak in the most brutal way. And there’s no song that exemplifies this better than her power-ballad, “Scorpio Rising.”

The slow-burner is about a slowly-dissolving long-distance relationship. Allison knows her boyfriend has eyes on someone else that actually lives near him, and she has to let him go. It’s tragic in a routine way, and the twanging guitars and Allison’s longing vocals really sell both the realism and the angst of the scenario.

#40: “I Blame Myself” by Sky Ferreira (2013)

Pending on how great her long-awaited sophomore album Masochism is — if it ever comes out — Sky Ferreira will be one of the 10′s biggest what-ifs. After a solid EP in 2012, her 2013 debut, Night Time, My Time was a beautifully grimy blend of ‘80s new wave and ‘90s grunge. Even with HAIM, Chvrches and Lorde releasing debuts that year, Ferreira seemed to be the top of the pop class of 2013. But the second album still hasn’t arrived.

Luckily, Night Time, My Time is an untouchable masterpiece, and its synthpop centerpiece, “I Blame Myself,” shows exactly what Ferreira’s capable of. Surrounded by songs with crashing guitars, the bright synths and drum machine rumble makes it one of the album’s more minimalist tracks. And the song itself is a great exploration of the guilt, anger and self-doubt that comes after a breakup. It’s a more-than-worthy sequel to her breakout single, “Everything Is Embarrassing.”

#39: “Dreams and Nightmares (Intro)” by Meek Mill (2012)

Me, listening to the first 96 seconds of “Dreams and Nightmares”: Yeah, okay, this is pretty nice. It’s a good come-up track, dreamy instrumentation.

Me, starting at the 97-second mark of “Dreams and Nightmares” and for the rest of the song: OH MY GOD MY HEART RATE JUST TRIPLED WHAT’S HAPPENING IS THIS THE GREATEST SONG EVER

#38: “Closer” by The Chainsmokers and Halsey (2016)

The Chainsmokers made a lot of bad music in the 2010s. Halsey made a lot of mediocre music in the same time frame. But when they joined forces? An accidental masterpiece was created.

I’m not going to argue that “Closer” is high art by any means. It’s trashy to the highest degree, and it’s not even critic-approved, hipstery bubblegum like Carly Rae Jepsen or Charli XCX. Nope, “Closer” is the definition of lowest-common-denominator pop. There’s not much special to it.

Then why do I love it so much? Three years later, I still remember every word will sing along with glee. I love the random, pointless details like that mattress stolen in Boulder, or that Blink-182 song overplayed in Tuscon (the song’s couple apparently spent lots of time in Pac-12 college towns...surprised they didn’t throw in a shout-out to Corvallis while they were at it). I love the cheap-sounding bleepy-bloopy drop. And I legitimately think, despite being a bland singer, Andrew Taggart has vocal chemistry with Halsey.

“Closer” will likely never be a critical darling. But I think it’ll stick around in the public consciousness as a guilty pleasure — I know it’s my favorite guilty pleasure of the 10s. I guess that makes it the “Don’t Stop Believin’“ of this decade. There are certainly worse things to be.

#37: “House of Balloons / Glass Table Girls” by The Weeknd (2011)

In 2011 — before he became Daft Punk’s new muse, before he developed an uncanny knack for writing songs that sound like lost Michael Jackson classics, before he became a hook artist for Beyoncé and Kanye, even before he fought Adam Sandler in a Safdie Brothers movie — The Weeknd was just a mysterious, shadowy figure. Nobody knew what he looked like, or what his real name was. And that didn’t matter, because he gave us gloriously depraved futurist R&B classics like “House of Balloons / Glass Table Girls.”

As much as I love The Weeknd’s pop sellout era — I struggled not putting “Starboy,” “I Feel It Coming” or “The Hills” on this list — “House of Balloons/Glass Table Girls” is something truly special. The two-part song starts as an invitation into The Weeknd’s creepy world. With a heavy Siouxie and the Banshees sample (not the only time he borrowed from ‘80s art-rock), he lets the listener into his “happy house,” which sounds anything but.

By the time you reach the song’s second half, things take a sharp veer into overt sleaze, all cocaine and sex. The song is so nocturnal here that if you listen to it during the day, Spotify will refuse to play it. “Glass Table Girls,” like The Weekend, is a creature of the night. And even though he’d have better hooks later in this career, that first hedonistic rush is still the best.

#36: “Gone” by Charli XCX feat. Christine and the Queens (2019)

Charli XCX, after years of getting ~this close~ to penning a generational anthem, finally hit the nail on the head in the last summer of the decade.

“Gone” is an anxious, dystopian banger worthy of two of the ‘10′s best alt-pop heroes. It perfectly captures the intense self-loathing and fear when surrounded by people you don’t know/don’t like. And wrapping it all up in a glitched-out breakdown? *chef’s kiss*

#35: “BOOGIE” by BROCKHAMPTON (2017)

“BOOGIE” is the sound of absolute chaos. The beat is composed of a lurching bassline, air-raid sirens and a squawking sax riff, all turned up to 11. Throw in radically varying verses from six (!!) different BROCKHAMPTON members, a music video where the sprawling Texas collective paints themselves blue and wreaks havoc in a convenience store and weirdo bars including arguably the most non sequitur/best flex of the decade (“Best boy band since One Direction/Making n*ggas itch like a skin infection”), and you’ve got a perfect BROCKHAMPTON song.

In the past couple years, BROCKHAMPTON has refined their sound a solid, reliable formula: quirky bars, creaky beats, general vibe of angst. The collective is more reliably good now, but there was something special about their unpredictable crash-landing in 2017. “BOOGIE,” while being an absolute banger, still features Joba delivering an entire voice in a yelping scream, and Merlyn Wood (my favorite of the group) rhymes “willy” with itself 40 times or so. It’s a deeply odd song. But it’s the best kind of odd.

#34: “The Woman That Loves You” by Japanese Breakfast (2015)

A gorgeous introduction to what would become one of the late-’10′s premier indie acts, “The Woman That Loves You” is synthy dream-pop perfected.

Michelle Zauner, AKA Japanese Breakfast, has one of those voices that works as its own instrument, bending and shifting timbres when the song needs it. In “Woman,” her softer, cooing style is mostly used to fit the dusky atmosphere created by the song’s hypnotic guitar riff and slowly rumbling drums. And when the song’s climax hits in the song’s middle, her vocals burst into exasperated joy while twinkling synths explode in the background.

“The Woman That Loves You” is a songs that demands to be listened to at twilight; it’s a potential end-credits classic. The fact that Zauner was able to live up to its promise with two incredible albums just makes her debut single’s legacy even stronger.

#33: “Shabba” by A$AP Ferg feat. A$AP Rocky (2013)

The A$AP Crew’s peak turned out to be surprisingly short. Ater A$AP Rocky and A$AP Ferg dominated 2013, their careers wound up in gradual decline afterwards. Rocky honorably tried to switch up his style, but nothing ever stuck and Travis Scott took over his lane. And Ferg just kind of became bland.

But the duo will always have one glorious moment: the ignant-rap masterpiece “Shabba.” Over a trunk-rattling beat that sounds like a Hitchcock soundtrack filtered through a trap lens, Ferg and Rocky have the time of their lives bragging about money and women. On the surface, it’s a generic trap song. But it’s the platonic ideal for a generic trap song — both insanely fun, but with a bit of legitimate edge. It’s something MCs would try to top for the rest of the decade. And they would never come close.

#32: “Adored” by Hatchie (2018)

It’s been only about two years since Hatchie released her debut single, “Sure,” and yet the Brisbane artist already feels like an essential figure in ‘10s dream pop. Her ghostly vocals and spaced-out guitars hit the ground running immediately, and she hasn’t disappointed since.

Hatchie’s best single, “Adored,” is probably about the closest she came to a true dancefloor filler. The single — released by Adult Swim, weirdly enough — is a yearning and insanely catchy. It sounds like if The Cranberries added some synthesizers and a pounding, euphoric dance beat to one of their classic songs. Hatchie makes the listener wait over two minutes for the chorus, but its melody is so pristine that it’s worth the wait. And if she’s willing to toss off a dream pop anthem as spectacular as “Adored” as a loosie single, I think Hatchie has a very bright future ahead.

#31: “Loud Places” by Jamie xx feat. Romy (2015)

The hook for Jamie xx’s solo debut album, In Color, is that it didn’t try to sound like London rave music. Instead, it captured the feelings and emotions that ravers feel while in London’s nightclubs. It was a dance album that made you think of dancing, rather than make you actually want to dance.

That sounds pretentious as hell, I realize, but Jamie xx — a member of indie-pop stalwarts The xx — nailed the execution, particularly on the haunting lead single with The xx’s lead singer, Romy, “Loud Places.”

The song is about finding euphoria on the dance floor, but instead of being a banger, it’s mostly subdued and minimalist. Its verses are just Romy’s whispers, plus a few quiet synths. Then, a ghostly sample of a 1977 soul song explodes into the mix with pounding drums, and you’re hypnotized. A twinkling percussion loop and a repeated, twanging guitar riff rush in to compliment.

With “Loud Places,” Jamie xx proved that he was ready to move beyond The xx’s hyper-minimalist style, and create his own type of anthem.

#30: “Harvard” by Diet Cig (2015)

Diet Cig’s best songs work because of their raw emotional power. Lead singer/guitarist Alex Luciano has a voice that, while not as technically impressive as an Ariana Grande or Whitney Houston, can perfectly deliver anguish and outrage. And she was never more powerful than on Diet Cig’s breakout single, “Harvard.”

The feeling conveyed in “Harvard” is jealousy and betrayal: A guy starts dating a bougie Ivy League woman after breaking up with the narrator. The short song dives get into detail for much of its running time, with Luciano sneering that her new girlfriend’s “not as loud” and making fun of his new, white-collar life.

But the song’s thesis, and arguably the best chorus of the decade, is saved for the final 30 seconds of the song. Over crashing drums and lo-fi guitar, Luciano screams off-key, “FUCK YOUR IVY LEAGUE SWEATER!” It’s both visceral and relatable for anyone who feels left behind.

#29: “Shallow” by Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga (2018)

“Shallow” is the best soundtrack song of the decade and one of the best of all time. Despite its odd structure, the chemistry between Bradley Cooper (and his solid Eddie Vedder impersonation) and Lady Gaga — sorry, I mean Jackson Maine and Ally — is undeniable. And that magical “AHHHAAAAAAAAA” where Gaga reminds everyone that she’s arguably the greatest vocal powerhouse of her generation? Ugh. It’s perfect.

Also, if I can get on a tangent — A Star Is Born should’ve swept the 2018 Oscars. In what universe is Green Book a better movie? Or Rami Malek’s lip-synching job a better performance than Bradley Cooper’s tragic, grizzled turn? (Olivia Colman was very good in The Favourite, so I can live with Gaga losing).

#28: “I Can Never Be Myself When You’re Around” by Chromatics (2015)

Chromatics were the decade’s most frustrating, yet brilliant act. The Portland group only put out one full-length album in the 2010′s — 2012′s stellar Kill For Love — before waiting three years to put out follow-up singles in 2015 with the promise of a new album, Dear Tommy, by Valentine’s Day. But Dear Tommy has yet to arrive nearly five years later, and almost all of its incredible singles were taken down from streaming services.

One of those disappearing singles (that just returned this fall!!) was “I Can Never Be Myself When You’re Around,” a roller-disco masterpiece. It managed to hold onto Chromatics’ signature ghostly ‘80s-noir sound while adding a thumping bass line and snapping snare drums. The band had made danceable tunes before, like “Looking For Love,” but they were usually more minimalist affairs. “When You’re Around” is the Chromatics formula on steroids, and shockingly it works.

#27: “Wednesday Night Melody” by Bleached (2016)

From its raucous skater-punk guitars to the undeniably catchy Go-Go’s vocal harmonies, “Wednesday Night Melody” is the platonic ideal for a Los Angeles rock jam.

Bleached, one of the decade’s most underrated acts, has written plenty of songs written for driving full-speed with the windows down on Pacific Coast Highway, but “Wednesday Night Melody” is their sound perfected. Receiving the torch from fellow Californians Weezer, Bleached found just the right balance between massive hooks and crunchy guitars. It’s the pinnacle of the mid-’10s brief bubblegum-punk movement.

#26: “LMK” by Kelela (2017)

“LMK,” the highlight of arguably the decade’s finest R&B album, Take Me Apart, is a masterclass in retrofuturism.

Kelela and producers Jam City create a blacklight alternate reality with “LMK,” in which 1986, 1999 and 2050 all seamlessly meld. The new-wave synths, stuttering Timbaland-esque rhythms and icy vibe make for an incredible experience. Kelela’s cool is impenetrable — appropriate given as the song is basically telling a potential lover in the club to chill out and just talk to her.

In a weak era for R&B, it’s truly a shame that Kelela hasn’t yet become the megastar she deserves to be. But in that alternate reality, weirdo bangers like “LMK” are playing 24/7.

#top 100 songs of 2010s

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joyyyful · 7 years

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I’m a feminist because...

I’m a feminist because everyone should be.

Growing up, my parents would always tell me to be properly dressed around my brothers. Never mind that they were walking around in short boxer briefs, it was me who had to be presentable. I was the girl, after all.

In school, I was always taught that the way I dressed affected a boy’s education. I was taught that the slight peek of my shoulder was enough to get me sent to the head office. It was much too distracting, because after all, a boy’s education had to be more important than a girl’s. At least, that was what they were teaching me.

This is why I’m a feminist.

I’m a feminist because it is 2017, and when I talk about how unfair it is that a professional athlete gets to walk away from the accusation of raping a girl without a single ding to their career, I’m some sort of radical that needs to calm down. Because that poor girl’s life will never be the same, but said athlete’s career is perfectly intact.

I’m a feminist because my aunt says things like, “Oh, those feminists, they just need to shave their armpits and get over it.” Because somehow the grooming of my body hair has everything to do with the rights I’m fighting for.

I’m a feminist because people still think you must have a vagina to be considered a woman.

I’m a feminist because I am 20 years old, and when I tell people I’m not sure I want to have kids, they look at me like I just defied all womankind.

I’m a feminist because when mothers choose to work rather than stay at home with their children, they aren’t doing “enough.”

I’m a feminist because when fathers choose to stay at home with their children rather than work, they somehow aren’t as “manly.”

I’m a feminist because parents still won’t let their sons play with Barbies.

I’m a feminist because young boys are taught that crying is bad. Showing emotion is bad, better to bottle it up and never feel. If you cry, you’re a girl, and no one wants to be a girl.

I’m a feminist because when my family talks about the Women’s March that happened yesterday, they say things like, “What’s protesting going to change?” and “They’re honestly just wasting their time. Nobody’s going to listen to them.” Never mind that the country we are living in found its freedom through protesting—No Taxation Without Representation. But I suppose that’s okay. It was men protesting then.

I’m a feminist because when my aunt saw a picture of a man marching with women yesterday, she snorted and said, “What’s he doing there? Doesn’t he have something better to do?” Her seven year old son was sitting next to her.

I’m a feminist because a highly qualified politician lost the presidential election to a less than mediocre businessman who based his campaign on misogyny, racism, bigotry, and slander. Because this country would rather see an over privileged, racist, homophobic, white man, whose years of experience sums up to zero, in office rather than a woman whose qualifications are more than his will ever be. Because I somehow have to have years of experience before I can even get my first job, but Donald Trump can get sworn into office without a single day of political experience.

I’m a feminist because the President of the United States speaks vilely of women and all minorities, and I’m the terrible one for disliking him.

I’m a feminist because I get made fun of for being a feminist.

I’m a feminist because I want the next generation of girls to live in a better world than mine.

I’m a feminist for these reasons and so many others.

I’m a feminist because everyone should be.

#in light of recent events #i wanted to show my support #we are fighting a never-ending battle #and this is why we are #never be ashamed of who you are #be ashamed of those who don't accept you for who you are #and show them why they should #make the world see how amazing you are #that is what this battle is about #let's fight it together #feminist #feminism #women's march #women's rights #inspiration #women's march 2017 #women's march '17 #equality #equal rights

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kayleighellison · 7 years

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I'm sorry but can I ask you...?

Long time, no post. Hope you're all doing well. I'm gonna make this a quick post because I'm incredibly exhausted and am simply writing this out so I don't forget because I think it's important. I'm sure I've posted before about how much my friends and family mean to me, how they've helped me throughout my journey, and how I take them for granted. Tonight, I'm gonna focus narrowly on my Southcoast friends. I don't have time to touch on all of my friends at once because I could write thousands of posts on how great they all are, but again, to save me time writing and you time reading, this one is for my Southcoast crew... But first... a short rant about the title of this post. I often ask a lot of questions about very simple things. Very. Simple. And it's definitely become a more prevalent trait of mine as I'm asking a lot of my brain to juggle school, soccer and some semblance of a social life. I recently had nueropsychological testing done to find out where my biggest deficiencies are (results pending) and they told me I was for sure doing one thing right: asking questions. At the time, my response was something to the effect of "I just don't really mind sounding like an idiot." But lately, I've encountered a few comments that have made me dislike sounding like an idiot... they've all basically been the same; summed up "you ask a lot of freaking questions and it's kind of annoying that you ALWAYS seem confused." Maybe I got these type comments before and just hadn't noticed. Not sure but WOW they hurt me a lot lately. I know it must get overwhelming for some of my aquainances (you'll see the differentiation when I get to my friends). I really do get that it must be annoying and taxing on them. I especially know it when they remind me. But tonight when I got another comment, I almost lost it. It wasn't a particularly meanspirited one either. I just got to the point of reflecting on all of them and it hit me why they can be so hurtful. As much as I can see how uncomfortable, annoying, etc. these questions can be for them, to be completely honest and self-centered, I'm gonna say they suck worse for me. I swallow my pride anytime I ask a stupid question. Nobody wants to ask what day of the week it is. Nobody wants to ask about what's next on the agenda when they know it's been told to them before. Nobody wants to ask VERY SIMPLE questions. And for a number of reasons... admitting that i don't know or remember are my two biggest reasons. But I do ask the stupid questions. And it's embarrassing every single time. Every. Single. Time. I'll leave this rant alone now so I can brag about my friends. I have two main friend groups out here: my law school and soccer framilies. Within these groups there are two kinds of people, always. There are your standard humans that get easily annoyed at your lack of wherewithal, and then there are Abby(s) and Kayla(s). Of course, there are way more names that could be used but these two are the rocks in my friend groups here. No matter how many times I pester them with questions, they stick by me. Sure, they give me trouble on occasion but if anyone has a right to, it's them. In law school, even if you don't have anything wrong under the hood of your skull, it's important to have a few Abby(s). People that will tirelessly tell you what classes you have tomorrow. When an assignment is due. What you went over last week in class. And even (this is always a rough one for me) what good times you've had. This one really gets me. It typically starts with "you remember that time..." then an "oh you couldn't have forgotten this" then an understanding "ok, so what had happened was..." I mean it's nice getting to hear about those memories but UGH it would be better to remember them. I really do love getting to listen to them being retold but at the same time I always feel bad. I feel bad that I could forget something that my friend thought was so memorable; yet sometimes can remember the color hat another friend had worn 3 days prior... unfortunately I don't get to pick and choose what my memory retains. In soccer, you can easily apply most of the Abby attributes to the Kayla(s) you need in your life. These people don't even wait for you to ask some questions often. By the end of the school day, when I head to soccer, my brain is especially drained. I AM nearly ALWAYS CONFUSED. But a Kayla will just roll with it. And to save you embarrassment with everyone else, drop you a "just follow my lead." If it weren't for her, I would stumble more aimlessly through each exercise, each practice, etc. And when you get frustrated at your lack of coordination, they will help you figure it out and laugh WITH you, not AT you. They're the type of friends that hold you to a higher standard but will make the climb with you so you feel like everyone else. They're also (in a sports context) "the best of the best of the best" teammates. So basically, they're pretty amazing people. And they're some of my favorites. Now, generic disclosure: there are lots of amazing people out there rooting for you, no matter where you are in life. I guess as I've kept writing, it dawned on me to not just leave this at "my friends are better than yours" but to remind you that having good friends is key to getting through life. So, if you're perfectly healthy or terribly ill, invest in good people. Choose to surround yourself with people that care enough to answer all your stupid questions. And ask those stupid questions always because "the only stupid question is the one that goes unasked." Now, I'm sorry but can I ask you... do you have some Abby(s) and Kayla(s) in your life? If you don't... I'm sorry but can I ask you... what you waiting for?? Go find you some good friends. But I'm sure you all do, so hold on to them, they're good peoples.

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joiedevivremx · 5 years

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Monthly Thoughts 2017

December 2017

Déjà Vu Déjà Vu

There are theories of déjà vu: a warning, a sign, lack of vitamins, a glitch in the matrix. Either way, I get them constantly and highly believe they are a sign, I just have no idea what for.

Listening to a podcast (one of my favorite things right now) called rabbits (which I highly recommend). Anyway, it talked about the way that there are things constantly repeating. Always hearing the same song, keep seeing the name of a similar street so on, were checkpoints in the game of life. I absolutely loved that idea because it´s completely different from what it feels like, which is being in a rut.

Similar to Déja Vu, you can only really trust yourself. Repeated events could be a metaphorical key such as a video game that helps you discover new worlds.

November 2017

Horoscopes & Signs

I read my horoscope, usually, when I'm uncertain - will my choices help me out? Am I making the right decision for a better future? Is my luck going to stay the same?

Is it easy to make good decisions? -no, is it easy making bad decisions? -yes. Is it easy to know the difference? -almost impossible. We seek help, so we find religion, clubs, friends, guides, therapy that fit our predetermined thinking.

Horoscopes. I kept a clipping in specific that stated that in may I would have a kid - the same year/month my baby was born. I just think of the process with the publisher - really? it needs to be more general, so people can identify more. and the writer was determined that all Leos would have children.

I kept it, and constantly check out my horoscope even though when I don´t even believe in the calendar, it doesn't make sense. Why isn´t it better 13 months that divide almost perfectly into 28 days? Better all around, but no, its randomly divided days in 12 months. So if I don´t believe in a calendar, how can I believe in horoscopes- I think its a sign from the universe.

October 2017

Dogs

In Mexico, dogs are very important.

In the city they are considered family, you get them everything you think they might need to be happy and safe.

In little towns, they are mostly considered as protection.

In the last big earthquake 19S, they are considered heroes.

I have had dogs before, but never to the extent of loving them so much.

When you have kids they are great, its a way to teach them big things in a simpler cuter note:

-even though you mess up, I'll still love you.

-you need to be firm for their own good

-just cause you can't be with them all the time it doesn´t mean you don´t love them.

-and other types of stuff like the birds and the bees when you have to take them to the vet and such.

My dogs love us and would protect us from anything. Which is also nice.

Seeing the world be more and more into animals, also is a way of accepting that we are not the center of the universe. We are in all of this together.

September 2017

Earthquake

It´s been two days since the earthquake, I think I'm finally coming out of the shock. I every now and then feel like crying. Up to now, all I have done is reposted things. It´s taking me a while to feel, whatever I'm feeling.

I'm heartbroken and sad, and scared and still, I can't believe that has happened.

What has been the silver lining is that each day, more and more people are realizing that they are the change. Not the government.

There were some people trying to take advantage of the situation, but the numbers of the good heavily outweighed those of the bad.

There are true heroes, humans, and dogs in this city that the only thing that was needed was the same community that made the advances possible.

Our moral compass // humanity outweighed any other element that could have gotten in the way.

If only that is how we kept on living, helping each other, and of course why not, accepting help from others.

The heroes were people that would help move parts of the fallen buildings, doctors giving free treatment, donations up to where the eye could see, blood donators, so on.

Before that the unseen heroes were/are the ones that made sure that the buildings that were up to protocol despite if there was a law or not defending it. Companies that would do the emergency drills not only the ones by law but to really make sure everyone would be ready.

Making sure the companies that could help were available for business for when this happened and trusting them to be there for just these type of situations. (all the restaurants, big and street vendors, tool stores big and small, vets, doctors, etc)

We are our government

we vote with what we consume.

August 2017

Tests

I find tests absolutely useless.

In no part of life, you have to remember anything. Especially now.

You do have to know how to use the information given to you.

It stresses you, and the worst part is - you most likely will forget everything sooner than later.

How to prove if someone did learn? Trial and error, and repeat till you have the best response.

Trick tests questions are the worst - double negatives, always and never - not the full truth.

They don´t help at all. Its as if every single test is really just an English (or whatever language the test is) test.

For me tests are obsolete. They don´t help out, and they create people that can't think, just follow.

It´s amazing how far apart school ways and working ways are. School, after all, should prepare you for work. Not be like another job.

It should make you better - it should prepare you for what's up ahead.

Tests are easily manipulated, this school has a great test score, not focusing on what was learned.

When I got to Mexico, I saw that school was definitely much more advanced than school in the states, meanwhile since the test scores were higher in one part of the world that is what calculated the effectivity of the school. Unless you lived the two you can come to questions the difficulty level of what the test was based on.

The battle from quantitive vs qualitative is a forever struggle. Being how do you quantify something that is intangible. How do you measure the quality of something? with tests, will you use those test to have a manipulated outcome, or to really know the answer?

Seems to me, it's all been manipulated with no long-term thinking, and we are all living the consequences.

July 2017

Worldly world

I love watching stuff like Master Of None and seeing how the world gets worldlier, when go-to Italy, they speak Italian.

You see various type of lives and religions and ways of thinking coexist.

It's a new world of people, all of us that aren't from here or they're just a mix, that appreciate a bit of it all.

I may speak Spanish or English - no threat.

I can be urban or serious.

Go to museums and shop.

No this or that, but a mix of everything.

Letting other people know of this beforehand so it is not to be confused with arrogance, or mistrust but just different.

June 2017

Getting to know all about you

It´s been a while, but the time has come to feel that I get myself.

My likes, my dislikes, why I do things when I can say no. Confidence to take feedback, confidence to stand my ground.

Hope for tomorrow and that everything comes for a reason, which is part of my beliefs.

Pressure and motivation to give my kid a better life. The Calmness of getting here so far and fear of not getting further.

Ease to know that what was meant to come will, so I can relax a bit, rest and think instead of getting into a nervous overdrive.

Imagining all I would change if I could know all I know when I was 10. Mostly talking to people to help them not make such downward spiral decisions that started so young.

Worry less, no "diets" more exercise. Learn more. Let go at the right time, not get caught up in the trends. pretty much sums it up.

Trust yourself, cause maybe, just maybe you're the one that planned out your life anyway.

May 2017

Disconnected.

Each time I spend less and less time online for personal purposes. I don´t have my personal social media on my phone. I work quite a lot so when I´m connected, it's for something else.

I catch up every now and then, a way to let my mind wander, but it´s not really real-time thoughts. More like a documentary of what's been going on. A way to prove that I thought of this first.

Me time, I can say, disconnected to enjoy the moment and connected to remember those times.

Documentary half uploaded and half edited but enough to remember and so people can maybe learn from my thought process.

April 2017

Shop your vote

It´s been over a year that I have been buying things only made in Mexico, which makes me find out of more and more brands that are so awesome.

Plus the benefits that it´s rare that someone else has the same outfit/design/whatever you do.

It makes me feel special and somewhat superior knowing I can find the treasure where most people don´t look.

Ahead of my time, and some sort of control of helping my country become a better place, purchase by purchase.

It also helps me control my spending, being that my things have to fit various criteria: Not harmful to animals, Mexican, Make with quality.

One day, these brands can be worldwide, and I can say I had them when.

March 2017

Pets

I highly recommend having pets, not just having them, but making them part of the family.

They care for you and they make you learn simple stuff.

It´s quite impressive how my pets get me more than at least 90% of the people I know. Without speaking a word. It´s lovely.

They teach us and the people they live with some of life's difficult conversation starters, without the words.

I truly enjoy not talking, gets in the way, and it gets misunderstood way too easy.

The more you grow, the more you realize that people understand and hear what they want, from what they have gone on - nothing to do with whatever you might say or do.

You have to take things as they come - from what people think and what they have learned.

You can see that in bullies, of how their family life treats them. That´s what they are used to.

Pets don´t have that baggage and if they do, they get rid of it quite quickly.

Simple and sweet.

February 2017

Grateful

Every day, more and more, I feel more grateful.

It´s sad to see how many people live, and the things they have to go through.

I´m lucky to say I have my health (at least my urgent visits to the doctor are less and less). I have the gift of learning, where I can not only learn, but apply everything to everything.

I have my needs met, and I feel satisfied with my life.

How, in the world, and this is how this -JDV- started, can we get more people to live this way. A better education, a chance, a helping hand, trust, whatever it is, I know it is not one man's job, but everybody's - and it is up to all of us to help at least a bit one person.

January 2017

Women´s Rights

Before I started working people knew me by "Karime", or in the states like "Kamie". My family and friends know me by those names. When I started working and I needed an office mail, first of all, I wanted Superspecial, lol, the people at the office politely pointed out that using a name is probably better.

They recommended I use my other name: Emmanuelle because it would be hard for people to know if I were a boy or a girl, and that little decision has helped me thru out my career.

Once people I´ve worked with find out I´m a woman/girl/feminine the trust and the relationship is already made which makes it easier for me to get things done.

Of my favorite experiences is when I have to interview people and women, in particular, come to the meeting wearing very suggestive clothes, which is probably thought out for Mr. Emmanuelle.

I´ve been in meetings, trips, reunions that I am the only woman, or at least of the 10%.

Could it be just the name? In my psychometric tests, I usually come out more of a male way of thinking. Who knows.

That's just what I personally have experienced.

Seeing the buses here in Mexico and to see that they are divided with a women's car and "not women's" car just goes to show how much we have left for real equality, a humans rights more than women rights - I just hope my kid gets to see the day.

#mexico #ideas #thoughts #mindset

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