the only stories that ever pulled off the “chosen one girl rebelling against the government caught in a love triangle between a golden-hearted boy and a broody loner” trope were the hunger games and jesus christ superstar

Lin-Manuel Miranda played Pontius Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar. He rapped during the Trial scene, including the bit where Pilate counts how many times Jesus was whipped.

Iconic Homoerotic Betrayal: Finals

Poll Directory

Context:

Anthy/Utena

Summarized by Anonymous Contributor

THE blueprint for homoerotic betrayals of the canonically gay (as opposed to interpretive, certainly there are older iconic examples for that) variety. listed as #2 in the infamous top ten anime betrayals video, iirc.

it is about akio pushing anthy to utena. it is about utena’s protective stance, misunderstanding. most of all, it is about anthy kissing utena’s shoulder before stabbing her.

the story has been leading us to this the whole time — utena assuming once again the protective princely position; akio, always playing divide and conquer, unable to manipulate utena to betray anthy, now reliant on anthy betraying utena; the game being rigged from the start, true victory impossible (for the duelists, who will always lose the game proper to akio, the rule maker, in one way or another; for akio himself, just as obviously); utena’s love for anthy within the princely stance; anthy’s love for utena and anthy’s fear (of the world beyond; of utena loving her truly; of utena not loving her truly but just projecting onto her still as any prince does, and turning out to be the same (as akio) in the end) and akio (framing himself) as the only one who will love her no matter what because friends turn away from you and only connections by blood are forever, the two of them are the only ones who’s real in this projected world, so on and so forth, and anthy’s bitterness towards utena (“do you know, utena-sama, how i always despised you” from that one “in the next episode” bit) and her princeliness and her being not that impossibly unlike akio (all princes are the same). everything has lead us to this moment. and yet we are shocked.

personally, i’ve never moved on from how she kisses her shoulder.

See a whole dissertation on Utenanthy here

Judas/Jesus

Summary by @this-is-a-name-dont-worry

We of course have Judas betraying Jesus, with a kiss like a last goodbye, maybe a mockery of their love, maybe a grieving goodbye. In the end it doesn't matter, because Judas would rather hang himself than to keep going. The money was unspent or returned, a change of heart from regret, or maybe a sign it was never about it

But the betrayal is also from Jesus; Jesus, who knew who Judas was, who knew what he'll do. Jesus who still let Judas be an apostle... an act of love, but also, isn't it so cruel to make it look like there was a choice, a chance at another ending for Judas? This is a story where it being a story is part of it, and the writer inserted himself among the characters, and doomed one of them to eternal hatred from everyone. And he dared let the one who will be doomed think he'll ever be saved. Jesus knew what would happen, knew what Judas would do, yet he still let it happen, because the story is more important. After all, at the Last Supper, isn't it Jesus who tell Judas to go and do what he must do?

Judas betrayed Jesus, but Jesus sacrificed them both

Judas no....

jesus christ superstar is about leftist infighting and hating your best friend and loving people wrong and the myopia of fame and inevitability and understanding that you were the cog that might not have turned and how love will not save the world because it is not enough and how people are fickle and how leaders are cowards and how the buck has to stop somewhere and how love doesn't stop just because it's useless or bad and saying 'i told you so' and how good will can never trump The Plan and how together we are so very strong and how God is not going to save us and how the story is incomplete because we have to finish it ourselves

well if judas iscariot is such a bad guy they shouldn't have given him all the cuntiest songs in jesus christ superstar

hello jesus christ superstar fandom 🫡

imagine kin Jesus Christ ahahah that’s so stupid right guys???? 😅😅😅😅🙂🙁

I really don’t think we’ve sufficiently discussed the implications of how jesus christ superstar (1973) fucking ends

Semifinals, Poll 2

Thinking about how many musical tragedies feature the narrative almost as a character of its own. Like a force within the story, divided from the characters. Out of their control at times.

Orpheus had to turn around, that’s just how it goes. That’s the way the story is told.

Tony had to go and get himself killed. Of course he did. He’s Romeo. The story wills it so.

Jesus must die. No matter how much he wanted to live, no matter how much the people around him wanted him to live. It’s his role to die.

Alison can’t go back and change the events of that last car ride with her father. It’s set in stone, there in the past where it will always remain.

And then there are musicals like Once On This Island and Ride The Cyclone that embrace the role of inevitability in their stories and find joy anyway.

And then on the exact opposite side of the spectrum there’s the radical freedom from the narrative that’s seen in Into The Woods. The narrator is dead and now the story is no one’s but the characters. And there’s the lack of protection that comes with that, the chaos and confusion. But it’s theirs and it’s tragic but they make the best with it.

Those themes of Inevitability vs. Freedom and the meta understanding of story within a story. I can’t seem to get enough.

Uhhhh

did u write it

Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)

"you liar!! you judas!!" has to be my favourite line in the entirety of jcs

it's something about the way that judas' very name is said in the same breath, same meaning as his sin. as if it's not nearly as surprising a betrayal, as if jesus knew from the start that one day judas would give him up - because he did. because that's all judas really is in the grand narrative. judas iscariot, judas the traitor.

it's being told, "you have hurt me not by being a liar, but by being yourself". it's "you are the liar, liar and your name are words so close as to be synonymous, this act of yours is the core and centre of your being and all you will ever be remembered by, both by society and the very people who knew you". it's "we both know you were doomed to doom me from the start, but even still i cannot reconcile your betrayal in my mind". it's "why, why did you have to do this, why did i know and why didn't i stop you and why is this the way things have to be, why do i understand that and why can't i let go of the hurt and why, why, why".

it's knowing that every step you take is predetermined and railing against it all, anyway, because if you can't scream and thrash in the universe's bonds, then what else can you do?

it's knowing that a sign of the cross and the clink of silver is all either of you will ever be worth.

because the second name jesus calls judas matters far more. not "you liar". "you judas".