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hazydaaze · 3 years

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An analysis of the Bold Type that I need to get off my chest (it'll be worth it, I promise)

I studied English literature at university, and it has always been instinctive for me to analyse characters, storylines, bigger pictures and under the surface tensions in film & tv. Discussing emotions, motivations and themes with my gf and my pals late at night is one of my favourite pastimes ever and I love everything to do with filmography and art ahhhh. (I wrote my dissertation on David Bowie & The Artistry of Sexuality, ya feel me?)

The Bold Type isn't filmography at all, but I think Jane Sloan and Jacqueline Carlyle hit different for me, being a queer woman in my 20s and a full-time writer. I can't really explain why. I guess there are a lot of queer female characters in film & tv that don't really feel inherently queer, and even as two identifying straight women Jane and Jacqueline felt queer to me. Their connection and understanding of each other was authentic and quite complex. I think they had potential to be something that we'd never seen before in mainstream media, because of their age difference and life experiences. I thought that was so compelling and so important to talk about and to give a recognised space to.

There is one thing that struck me most about them and it's insane to me that I haven't seen a lot of analysis on it, so it's the point of this post.

To my knowledge the show or actors haven't delved too deeply into it either, and given what went down I don't understand why people AREN'T talking about it. I wanted to bring it up. Btw, this post contains spoilers.

***Sexual abuse trigger warning***

In season 1, we learn that Jacqueline is the victim of rape, and the only person she has told about it is her husband, Ian. Given that she mentions that they've been married for around 19 years and the assault happened before they met, we can assume Jacqueline has been carrying the weight of what happened to her for over two decades. During all that time she didn't talk about it with anyone else, not a single other person.

And then Tiny Jane comes along. Jane Sloan, the big swing writer who just wants to write meaningful stories that help other women and girls that need it, like she did growing up. She fucks up a lot on the way and slowly begins discarding her judgemental opinions as she grows. But when she is at her best she has genuine compassion and empathy for people, and despite her reservations, Jacqueline gives her the opportunity to write about the story of a rape survivor and performance artist. She isn't aware, at the time, what that means for her own trauma or her own acceptance of it. But she does it anyway, because she sees something in Jane and she has seen it there from the beginning.

Jane starts to write and, as we know, in the most beautiful and compelling moment at the season 1 finale, Jacqueline is confronted with what happened to her. She stands in Central Park holding these weights, and you can see the crushing pain in her eyes as the realisation descends down on her. She shares a look with Jane, and a moment of understanding passes between them at what this means.

Despite all this, she lets Jane capture her trauma. She lets her publish her untold experience of her rape from two decades gone. She lets millions of people see her story in writing, with Jane Sloan's name printed above it. She re-lives and faces up to the harsh reality of that pain and that truth, through Jane.

Can you even imagine the trust you must have in someone to do that? The sheer love that took, for Jacqueline to give Jane her voice and her truth, with all its painful and hard repercussions?

This storyline is the boldest part of the Bold Type. It's the most honest and the most authentic. It captures the raw emotion of Jacqueline, and of Jane, and the two characters really see each other for who they are. It's one of the reasons why their relationship is so central to the other's storyline.

We don't ever see Jane truly unpick in detail what Jacqueline did for her. It spoke so many volumes and ... well, isn't that what love is?

It's this storyline that sets the tone for their relationship over the course of the show. Jacqueline sacrifices herself for Jane again and again. She publishes the article about the lack of accessible healthcare at Safford and gets fired for doing so, purely so Jane can afford to freeze her eggs. Jacqueline says there were a lot of other things that contributed to it, but Jane knows her article was the final straw, the point of no return.

Over a decade of pouring everything she could give into Scarlet Magazine and it’s readers, only to be gone in a second. All for Jane.

And again, in season 4, in the few real moments we are given between them, one of their final interactions is Jacqueline giving Jane the go-ahead to explore a story of potential abuse at States & Nations, a company Ian is associated with. Ian literally asks Jacqueline to stop pursuing the story, due to the sexual relationship he had with the source when he and Jacqueline were separated. When Jane challenges Jacqueline over her reasoning for pulling the story, she asks her to give the story a chance. Jacqueline lets her, knowing full well that it could prove irreparably damaging to her marriage and her family, and she does it anyway.

Jacqueline chooses the truth, over her career and over her marriage. She chooses Jane. As humans, there isn't much more you can give to someone else. I’m wracking my brains trying to think of a way Jacqueline could portray her love for Jane more, and I’m all out of ideas.

I want to reiterate again how insane it is to me that none of this is really acknowledged, or at least not nearly as much as it should be amongst the show, its creators and its viewers, Jacqueline continually falls on her sword for Jane (weird analogy, but she does) and it is repeatedly glossed over. Their relationship is quickly dismissed as a "mother Jane never had" or a simple "boss/employee" power dynamic, and it seems so hollow, unjust and sorry - so unbelievably boring - in contrast to the experiences they have shared together and the sacrifices they have made.

I understand Jacqueline’s character was based on Cosmopolitan Editor in Chief, Joanna Coles, and therefore it makes sense that this queerness to her relationship with Jane was not intended. However, it’s there. Everything I mentioned in the post happened on the show in canon.

In 2021, the possibility that these two women could have romantic or sexual feelings towards each other shouldn't be a stretch. If either of these women were male characters with this much intertwined investment, high stakes and sacrifice, there would be no doubt they would be endgame. They would run away, have the hottest sex, all the while their reputations would be forever ruined in the name of love. And we, as viewers, would celebrate it without question - we would never dismiss it.

The concept of what they are, and what they can be as two women should be able to live and thrive. It should be given a beating heart. In the very least, the reality of it should be on the table and up for debate. But for many viewers, and the show’s creators, it just isn’t. And here lies the problem.

Jane and Jacqueline have such a beautiful dynamic, it is so deep and soul-wrenching. How can we ever limit what these two women are and what they would do for each other?

I really hope that one day we can see a relationship like theirs given the queer space it deserves. Because it would've been the bold thing (and the right thing) to do.

I'm going to publish a longer and more in-depth article about this on Medium, because as I said, analysing is my favourite pastime and I can't stop doing it. But for now, this is all I can manage.

Edit: Read my published Medium article.

Here's to Jane and Jacqueline and what could've been.

#jacqueline x jane #jane x jacqueline #janequeline #jacqueline carlyle #jane sloan #the bold type #the bold type review #the bold type edit #queer ships #otp

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btsandvmin · 3 years

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What made you like Jimin individually and Taehyung individually ? And do you have a slight preference between the two ?

I love all the members so much, and for me picking a bias is still kind of difficult. I have concluded that I do bias both Jimin and Tae but kind of switch between them at different times for different reasons. As for a bias wrecker I legit cannot choose and it changes all the time.

The way I got into BTS was through the BST MV and then trying to learn the members (the first one I learned and checked up on was Namjoon). I also got fascinated by the BU storyline as storytelling and analysis/reviews is a big hobby of mine (the fandoms I’ve been in are many, and character/story analyses/reviews/theories are something I have engaged in a lot).

On top of that I work in the media industry and have an interest for visual storytelling as well and I got hooked by the concepts, the beautiful MV and the both story-based and symbolical clues they left. I also loved their music and like groups in general because of the interesting vocal dynamics you can create. Basically, BTS managed to hit all my buttons and I had to look up more.

Mind you, I barely knew the members' names properly and I was already investigating the meaning of their MV and storyline. I listened to their album and loved the songs before I could tell which member was who. (Both Awake and First love made me cry without even knowing the lyrics). I also have to mention how much I love both of Vmin’s voices, who are both very unique and interesting. I basically biased their voices before I knew who they were. (Fun or sad fact but I am really bad with faces and actually learned the members' singing voices before their faces.)

Let’s just say that I got into the music and visuals/concept first, and then started to consume material to get to know the members. They all also had incredible chemistry between each other and reminded me a lot of one of my favorite j-pop groups with their dynamics.

What I started to watch was “get to know them” videos and recent interviews and clips, meaning from BST era. It was hard for me to not notice Jimin (even though vocal line were the ones I had the hardest time separating from each other in the very beginning). And perhaps even more so since the introduction videos tended to have a lot better and varied things to say about Jimin amongst vocal line. But even on his own Jimin simply stood out to me during the BST era when I joined. He took a lot of space in the group as a performer (especially with his high notes, his dancing, his hair and his outfits all combined) but also as an individual in off stage material. I fell for his voice and performance and the “Jimin effect” was hitting me hard.

I also related to him a lot. I am a sort of clingy but shy person who is a perfectionist and likes being in control. I also thought he was both cute and funny without being too over the top with things like aegyo (I mean, we all know he is horrible at it when he tries to do it on purpose). I think the way Jimin is so open (though private) makes him easy to understand and relate to. He has a lot of different moods and there is an honesty in how much he shows us even though he clearly still remained in control.

As time went by, I found myself focusing on Jimin more than the other members and I realized my bias. I was simply drawn to him more than the others from the start. That in turn brings me to Taehyung... Because honestly, at the time it was impossible not to notice their closeness. And looking up a lot of old material, where Jimin was there was also Taehyung. They were very clingy and had a lot of cute interactions. One of the first things I watched of their more off-stage material was also Bon Voyage in Scandinavia (being from there myself I was extra curious) and the Vmin moments in there just cemented their bond for me.

I am not saying I only appreciate Tae for ship reasons, simply that Vmin got my attention early on and that did make me focus more on Taehyung as well. I thought as many that he was a bit odd, but very funny and playful, that he was incredibly good-looking (my opinion from the start was that JK and Tae were the most good-looking) but also a bit difficult to read. Taehyung made me want to understand him, and I was interested in him for quite different reasons than how I related to Jimin. I love him for his way of thinking and how he seems to have this innocence or happiness in the small things about him. Like, Tae getting lost in Sweden but still being happy about the small adventure, enjoying himself and stopping to blow on a dandelion might just be one of the most endearing things I have ever seen. (Honestly, another point I relate to Jimin on so much is his love for Tae and how he just makes us smile no matter what he does.)

Of course, as they change and as I get to watch them more, the more I find to love and appreciate (as well as flaws of course) and now I would say all the members are just very precious to me and I love them both for who they are on their own and for their bond as a group. It is impressive and not to be understated how rare it is to find a bond like theirs. I have seen many groups, and few are as compatible as BTS, and few seem to truly love each other the way they do.

But as for bias it will likely always be Jimin and Taehyung unless there is some drastic change.

For Jimin I love the way he dances while controlling every fiber of his body, the way he pours love into all his relationships but isn’t afraid to call people out, the way he keeps getting funnier (I think Jimin’s sense of humor is so underrated), the way he acts like an angel but actually has the whole world fooled (and he knows it), the way he shows his emotions so animatedly no matter if he gets annoyed or laughs with his whole body, the way he knows his principles and stands his ground when he believes in something, the way he works so hard to improve and better himself both as a performer and as a human, the way he thinks about things deeply and is so eloquent with how to express it, the way he is there for both ARMY, his members and even strangers because he is empathic to his core. There is a lot to love with Jimin, and he always makes sure to return that love when deserved.

For Taehyung I love the way he stand against the norms, the way he shows it’s ok to be different and embrace himself and others without judgement, the way he almost plays with us when he performs, the way he sings with such emotion and how he loves to express himself through all kinds of art forms, the way he learns and take in valid criticism but isn’t afraid to call bullshit, the way he knows when to be serious but also the importance of having fun, the way he is both the biggest dork and a fierce performer at once (I mean he can be so unapologetically silly and then suddenly switch to lethal seduction), the way his unique way of thinking opens up to new points of view, the way he can’t help but show his excitement or love for something and wants to share it with the people around him. He goes all out when he loves something and doesn’t hide his opinions when he doesn’t. Taehyung is just a very honest (though perfectly capable of lying and fooling us thank you very much) and incredible person that I both admire and adore.

There is just so much, and even small things get to me, like don’t get me started on their smiles, or even just their habits when they laugh... (how Tae usually laughs quietly but once in a while will let out these light giggles, or the way Jimin seem to automatically covers his face when he laughs).

I love them both to death (as all the members). It is not easy to just sit down and pour years of love into words, but I tried. I love them both as singers, performers, artists, and humans. I also love them as soulmates and how much they both just spread love and positivity to the people around them. The impact they have had on me, and surely many of you, is hard to comprehend. I am so lucky and happy that I decided to become a fan of this wonderful group and these wonderful people.

Phew, that was a lot wasn’t it? All opinion based, probably a bit hard to understand and not very well structured either. This is all just a flow of consciousness, and I likely forgot to mention a lot of things I could have said. Even so I hope you found it a nice read. :) Thank you for the ask.

#taehyung #jimin #vmin #kim taehyung #park jimin #my story #vmin appriciation #my post #btsandvmin ask #btsandvmin answer #btsandvmin #vmin blood sweat and tears #bts

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heathtrash · 4 years

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I never participate in larger fandom events bc I’m convinced no one is going to like me.

worrying about not being liked is a legit thing!!

i am deeply sorry that you feel this way, because it’s a genuinely horrible place to be in.

there comes a point where you have to examine your own behaviour and really analyse objectively if your thoughts are based in reality or come from a place of low self-esteem. this was a technique taught to me in CBT but basically you have to take the thought that is causing you the most worry and investigate it like a Detective!! (skip over if you already know about this)

“no one is going to like me” - right at the beginning you say “no one”, which is kind of wack bc that means no one on the planet (or fandom) is going to like you?? that seems super unlikely and a product of black-and-white thinking. so we can immediately dismiss that.

so, you think people aren’t going to like you. but what’s the evidence for that? draw up a list of “for” and “against” the statement. in “for”, you might say well, my fics or art don’t get many likes or comments, or when you perceive that people have not liked you. and in against, you might put any time someone has reblogged or whatever, any time people have wanted to spend time with you, times when you’ve had fun with others, etc.

now you have to INTERROGATE those negative thoughts. remember the statement is about people liking you. people not commenting on your fanworks isn’t a judgment on whether they like you as a person. maybe they didn’t get around to reading it, or they didn’t see it bc they had to go out that day and missed your post, or they have tucked it away for a time they need something nice to read (and maybe forgotten about it - i KNOW i am guilty of this). if you have any statements about people appearing to not like you, you have to dig deep and really think about whether that’s based in something they said to you. unless they said “we don’t like you”, everything else you are thinking is based on interpretation, which is influenced by your self-esteem. we’re naturally going to assume people don’t like us if we don’t like ourselves, and that is a tough thing to realise. remember, unless you have powers of mind-reading, you don’t know whether people don’t like you. they might well like you, but your mental health is holding you back from realising that.

so returning to your statement, “no one is going to like me”. is that still true? from experience, people in fandom specifically don’t like people who say horrible things about other ships, steal ideas without credit, repost art that’s not theirs, single out people or shippers in the fandom and say that those people are wrong because of what they like, send nasty anonymous messages, or are paedophiles, racist, lgbt-phobic, or anything like that. it usually takes something of that degree. it’s a low bar. as long as you defend everyone’s right to ship and let ship, it’s fairly smooth sailing.

also in the interest of trying to make you feel less alone, i have to deal with thoughts like this throughout my creation and posting process. literally every time. i feel like every fic is going to make someone hate me, or what i’ve done to the ship, or that i’ve misspelt something and it’s going to make someone hate me forever. i worry about ratings constantly. if something gets less comments than another i go through a period of thinking basically that i can’t write, and that that fic apparently not doing so well was what i deserved, bc i’m a terrible person whose existence is pointless. bUT i have to remember that mistakes are natural, and most of these worries are the product of my mental health.

i really hope that you can participate in something soon. this really struck a chord with me, because it’s something very close to home. but the fandom (whichever one that might be) always deserves more content, and it’s always worth taking a chance. if it doesn’t go so well (whether because of the content itself or otherwise), try to take it as a learning experience. study the fanworks of people you admire, and think, “how can i learn from this?” take a step back, read more, explore more art, ask why you like some things better than other things, and apply that to your work.

but above all, do what makes you happy. if it has that effect for you, there is a chance someone else might feel that way too. and i think that’s beautiful.

#anon #anonymous confessions #advice #writing advice #mental health advice

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thesilenceanswers · 4 years

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WHAT I THINK ABOUT:

TV SERIES – SKAM remakes (WtFock)

I think I could define myself as a big Skam fan which is quite dumb as a definition because it’s impossible not to be a big Skam fan once you start watching it.

So, better to say, I’m a normal Skam fan (which means BIG Skam fan) who is truly completely and utterly in love with season 3.

Again, no surprise, I guess.

However, I recently watched WtFock season 3 (unfortunately I didn’t watch it on real-time) and at the beginning the thing that got me so emotional was the concept that another parallel universe was forming.

But afterwards I fell in love with the two characters, even more than in the original one, if possible.

Since the talk about multiverse theory has a special spot in my heart, I decided to analyse that specific clip in WtFock.

WOENSDAG 16:36

1. The settings: colours and music

In my view, music and colours have the power to enlighten the whole mood and to convey a wholeness to a clip. I personally loved the soft colours chosen for this moment: the beige tone and the brownish aesthetic of the setting gave me somehow a sense of warmth and calm. It’s so relaxing and pleasing for both the eyes and the soul.

However, not only the colour palette is perfectly made, but also the choice of music is brilliant.

Every time the intro of ocean eyes by Billie Eilish begins, my world just breaks in two: this song was composed for this moment, you can’t change my mind.

It’s just so so accurate: Sander and Robbe really can't stop staring at each other’s eyes.

2. Lovebird

The beginning of the clip is both intense and light-hearted.

I know it may seem a dichotomy but it's just like that: right in the middle of the cuddles and the kisses the two of them can be so playful with each other (Robbe throwing pillows at Sander, or Sander playing around with the chips)

These two are truly lovebirds and all of these small gestures actually show how comfortable they are with the presence of the other: it's such a tender and soft scene that it warms my heart every time I watch it.

However, the apotheosis of this first part of the clip is peaked when Sander shows Robbe his sketch for the mural. I won’t lie, my heart sinked the first time I witnessed this magic moment (actually it does every time I re-watch it, but that's another story): just imagine how Robbe must have feeling sad and alone for such a long time; but then, out of nowhere, the man of his life just shows him how much he already means to him. Sander is so in love with Robbe that he is already his muse.

But that's not enough: our camera boy wants to portray the man of his dreams also with his camera.

And, again, I find it amazing how the two of them fit so well together: how Robbe giggles trying not to get

photographed and how Sander laughs saying "Allè posé".

But that’s not only by the gesture that we can feel they are so comfortable at the presence of the other, it’s also by how they interact.

I personally love how Robbe feels so at ease that he does not hesitate a moment before saying “Leonardo Di Caprio” when Sander asks him about his favourite actor.

He just simply says what he actually thinks and this really shows how much he already feels connected with Sander.

I know that "favourite actor" is a minor subject, but still I think that Robbe would have not be so relaxed in telling the Brores that he actually loved Romeo and Juliet; and that is because he is trying to hide his real self from his best friends. But that's not the case with Sander: Robbe feels free to be fully himself with him.

3. Sander’s shield and Robbe’s multiverse

However, in my opinion, the most outstanding moment of this clip is the conversation they have about life.

The first important aspect of this turning point event is Sander's behaviour.

At first, we are able to see only the shield he has put around himself for avoiding pain and suffering.

This defence mechanism (this shield) is visible when he says: '' Actually life is sometimes a bit like a movie, you have control over your own life. Choosing what your life is and what it will become".

This statement it's just so Sander-like: it shows the god-like character and the flawless golden boy he tries so hard to be.

But Sander's shield crashes down as soon as Robbe goes on by giving one of my favorite speeches of the show: " The theory (of multiverse) is based on the fact that time is also just a dimension and that besides this universe, there exists several other universes. When you make a decision, the universe splits itself. You can exist in every universe, but then always a little bit different. There could be Sander and Robbe lying in the same exact position as we are right now but, for example, there could be curtains with different colour".

I really find this speech a piece of art, pure poetry and pure genius: it made me shiver in the original one but this one got me mesmerized.

I realized why it is so important for me: I can relate to this view.

However, despite of the profound impact that these words had on me, what I love the most is Sander's reactions throughout the speech.

He is constantly but tenderly teasing Robbe by saying: "Like Spider-Man?" "Like in the flash?" and then the iconic "Yellow curtains" (I see the reference here).

I literally love these little remarks because I find them so genuine: Sander is actually listening to Robbe and he wants to interact with him for letting him know he does care about what he says.

However, I find Sander being so generous in giving those light-hearted comments: even though he really feels deeply what Robbe has told him, he is still trying to cheer Robbe up and to lighten the mood.

4. They never stop

(aka the most outstanding moment of the clip)

It’s just a moment but it changes everything.

Robbe looks directly in Sander's eyes and asks him if he has ever thought like that.

For me the whole world did stop for a moment when I first saw it.

In Robbe's stare I can feel his desire to understand Sander's real thoughts: he does care about him and that's why he wants to get to see Sander for who he truly is.

It's at Robbe's pure and tender care, that is the point when Sander's shield falls.

He stares at the ceiling thinking about what to say.

The music stops and the burden weighing on his shoulders is finally visible as he says 'I have".

With this small statement we get to see the real Sander: the fragile, insecure, lost boy who struggles with his life and who isn't so invincible like he appears to be.

Suddenly he finds himself helpless and falling in a black hole of dark feelings as he let himself go by saying: "Then I feel so lonely. Just don't you sometimes think: why is that I think what I'm thinking. Then you go back to your memories, step by step, and then how you went from one thought to the other. Then you think: why is like this? What if at that one thought I had thought something else, then I wasn't thinking what I am thinking right now. That keeps continuing, it goes on and on and it doesn't stop."

I shiver every time I hear this speech. It is so intense, so powerful and yet so dark.

The first time I heard it, I was affected by it at the point that I couldn't remember where my thoughts ended and where Sander's ones begin.

That was because I completely relate to those thoughts, and hearing them from him got me like his character even more because I could see how human he was.

He is just as complex as we are.

He is passionate, brave and full of life, yet he feels powerless towards the fact that he doesn’t feel the author of his own thoughts and consequently his own life.

#wtfock #What I think about

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vintagehellfire · 6 years

Text

Space Face

Pairing: Kylo Ren/Reader

Prompt #34: You’re under arrest for being too attractive and ruining my life

Word Count: 3381

Warnings: Fluff and swearing

A/n: Finally got around to finishing this. Hope it’s what you wanted. I know it took a weird turn and I’m sorry but it’s fluffy as fuck!! Let me knw what you think.

You sat across from your classmate, your new friend, and furiously jotted down points that you both needed to study. You split the workload between the two of you and started to get cracking at it but there was one minor issue. Your “study-buddy” was Kylo Ren. Kylo, who was certainly one of the most attractive men that you’ve had the chance to lay your eyes on, was the one person that you really did not want to be stuck studying with. Unfortunately, with a pleading look from his caramel eyes, and a slight pout from his full, lush pink lips, you were a goner. Occasionally you’d glace up at the man noticing how his ebony locks curled in front of his face. You noted that he had a habit of chewing on the right side of his bottom lip when he was deeply focused on his writing, otherwise he was in a seemingly normal state of concentration. The occasional exchange of information was made about the subject of study but other than that you remained quiet. There was always a tension present but you could never tell what it was.

“Do you know this one?” The deep and rumbling voice broke you from your thoughts and made you look up, catching the caramel eyes the man possessed with your own. Your heart nearly leapt into your throat but you shook the feeling off.

“Uh- which?” You asked just as Kylo pulled his booklet from beside his laptop and pointed to the small photograph that resided beside the five blank lines that were left for the two of you to fill out. Immediately you recognised the painting he was referring to. It was a painting by Zdzisław Beksiński, a polish painter and sculptor who melded together Baroque and Gothic art into surrealist paintings. Often they represented his nightmares and he’d wake from them only to begin painting them. He often called it photographing dreams.

“Oh, it’s untitled. Most of Beksiński’s works are. In that case, we have to describe the painting more so.” You offered a small smile with your explanation but Kylo seemed to urge you on a bit more. “It’s an oil painting based on the nightmares Beksiński had. He’d wake up and paint them in a surrealist manner- I guess because nightmares are surrealistic.” Kylo nodded and swiftly turned the paper towards himself in order to jot down what you were saying.

“Anything else I need to know?” He hummed the question out, smooth as honey, the slight rumble of his vocal cords made you melt.

“He’s Polish and lived from 1929 to 2005 and he got stabbed to death,” at this, Kylo’s head snapped up at you and his eyes widened, “his caretakers son stabbed him seventeen times, not the point- we don’t really know when the painting was painted, or the name. We just know the artist in question and his medium. I’ve tried finding the name of the painting but there wasn’t really any avail.” You sighed. “People said he painted the nightmares of hell. Don’t know if that helps any.” You ran a hand through your hair and let your shoulders relax.

“Yeah, yeah, helps quite a bit. But how do you know so much about him?” Kylo asked you, propping his elbows up on the little café table that the two of you had been seated at.

“I stumbled upon one of his paintings years ago and I couldn’t really pinpoint the artist. I’d been trying to find him for years, then one day his painting of the skeletal horse and the girl from hell popped up on my feed and I bookmarked it because I was intrigued. I started to learn more and more about the guy but I could never find concrete dates for his paintings. Sad isn’t it?” You earned a hum from the man before you. Not too long after the conversation, the two of you went back to work. If neither studied, the art history exam was going to kill you both. There was one hundred and forty definitions to know, as well as forty paintings to study, only have ten of those paintings to analyse on your final.

About an hour later you felt your eyes start drooping and your back began to hurt, even so, you could not focus on your work and it was Kylo’s fault. He stole glances at you as your eyebrows furrowed, and he’d offer a ghost of a smile when he noticed that you were scribbling away at your page. When you asked him for help on definitions and history terms his eyes would glimmer and his warm voice would guide you through the information you needed to know.

“Hey, uh- did you want any coffee or anything?” You broke the silence and began to stand up.

“Oh uh- sure yeah. How about I get us some food and you get the fuel?” He smiled, lopsided and heart-warming, it was a smile that was etched into your brain from the second you laid eyes on him, and here he was, giving it to you. Stupid fucking attractive man.

“I- N-no, it’s okay, I can cover it.” You assured and went to grab your wallet off the table but before you could pick it up, a large warm hand was placed over yours. Your heart jumped and your eyes were met with the soft gaze of the raven-haired study buddy of yours.

“It’s okay. I’ll get the food if you’re getting drinks, even if you’re not getting drinks, I’ll still get us food, okay? Don’t worry about it.” His heart picked up the longer he kept his hand placed over yours. He hadn’t thought it through very well. Hell, he hadn’t expected that you’d ever agree to a study da- session. It wasn’t a date until you agreed it would be- which you hadn’t but even so, the idea of spending time with you made his heart flutter and his brain come up with scenarios about how this thing between the two of you could go.

Kylo’s offer made you swallow hard. As you mulled it over, you unconsciously licked your lips and shifted from foot to foot, eager to just get you both some coffee but of course he’d buy food. Did he even know what you wanted or liked? Would he bother asking you? When you peeled your eyes away from his you sighed, trying to pull your hand back.

“Okay, okay. Fine. You get the food and I’ll buy us coffee. How do you like yours?” You asked him. As you did, he took his hand away from yours and returned it to his side, fumbling for what you assumed was his own wallet.

“Just black will do. Not really a fan of sugar or milk in mine. If they have soy milk ask them to leave some room but if they don’t then it’s fine. What about you? What do you want? I can grab a menu and bring it over so we can decide on what you want and,” a smile started to form on your face and you had to look to your feet so that you didn’t reveal the tint that was spreading across your face. You could feel it burning.

“Kylo, it’s okay. Thank you. You don’t need to go through so much effort, honest. I guess just bring the menu over and I’ll point you to what I like.” You offered a smile that reflected in your eyes, and that crinkled them in the corners. It was a smile that had entranced Kylo when he had first seen it and now it makes his heart summersault and beat in all kinds of ways that it shouldn’t. “I’ll go get you that coffee.” The last few words came out as a whisper. You didn’t know what came over you or why you were so shy all of a sudden. Was it the fact that this is the first normal conversation that you’ve had with Kylo or was it the fact that he wasn’t quite what you expected? He was boyish but had a charm that proved he was older than he lead on. No, he wasn’t much older than you, maybe a year or two, but he seemed old. There was a look in his eyes that told such a tale but he’d always try to hide it.

You made your way to the counter and looked over the chalkboard menu that the café had put up. The feel of it was old, and you were sure that the building that housed the café was fairly old in itself. The far wall was brick and adorned a few picture frames. Two were an off-white with framed posters from the 40’s and 50’s and the third was a mirror against which burgundy vinyl booths were located. The floors were creaky old wooden floors that hadn’t been replaced in many years and the counter where you ordered has clearly been there for much longer than it should have been. The light fixtures where brass chandeliers which you were deeply infatuated with and desired the same fixtures for your apartment.

“Hi, I wanted to order two coffees. For here. Both black, unless you have soy milk.” You tried ordering confidently but truthfully, you were riddled with anxiety. The usual server wasn’t around and the sense of discomfort took over you. You were never good at talking to others, much less those you weren’t comfortable with.

“We do have soy milk. Did you want me to leave room in both of the coffees?” You were posed with the question. Did you want soy milk as well? Did you want to keep your coffee black just like you were used to? Without rational thinking you replied.

“Yeah, sure.” You cringed at your uncertainty but nonetheless paid for your coffees and waited as they brewed. You didn’t want to stop the barista and tell them that you changed your mind. Then they’d have to go back and fix your order and you didn’t want to inconvenience anybody. And who knows, maybe you’ll enjoy Kylo’s preference.

The order was done relatively quickly, and you even got a small pitcher of warm soy milk so the two of you could pour it yourselves and not have it curdle, it typically didn’t but you didn’t want to take any chances or risks. Just as you were about to make your way over, you heard that sweet voice.

“Here, I’ve got it,” out of your peripheral your friend's hand gently took your coffee and left you with the pitcher and his coffee. He didn’t want to swoop in and carry most of it, he knew that that behaviour unnerved you to no end. Your heart warmed up to this and you allowed him to take your coffee to the table. Truthfully you feared that you’d spill something seeing as you were notorious for being clumsy. The two of you walked back to the table, Kylo occasionally throwing glances over his shoulder at you. There was a pang of warmth in your heart at such a small action. As you set the coffee down carefully and the pitcher of warm milk you smiled, scooting into your seat. “Oh, you’re trying soy I see.” Kylo grinned, amusement evident in his tone.

“It’s mostly for you.” You assured but he shook his head. The idea of how that may have sounded crashed into your chest but you tried to ignore it.

“We’ll split it. Speaking of which, what do you want to eat? They have a killer cashew brie and a really good moxerella.” He was giving you recommendations. Why was he giving you recommendations? It didn’t make sense. “Oh, also, they have this really fantastic,”

“Grilled cheeseburger?” You questioned, cutting him off. The look of surprise took over his face and he couldn’t help but smile, his eyes shining as he stared at you.

“Yeah, how’d you know?” He asked and pushed closer to the edge of his chair. Truthfully, their veggie grilled faux-cheese burger was your favourite thing. It was made on fresh rye bread with a lentil and chickpea patty. The cheese they made was some delicious raw cashew cheese that they made sliceable and so it melted. It was also filled with avocado slices, red pepper, and kale. To be frank, it was the most delicious thing you’d ever had from the little café but you weren’t complaining.

“I have it often. It’s my go-to when I’m here.” Suddenly you felt bold and the question spilled from your lips before you had the chance to stop yourself. “Do you want to split one?”

The two of you drank coffee and ate the grilled cheeseburger you had decided upon all while making conversation. Talking to Kylo was always odd as he was a new friend but tonight the conversation flowed smoothly. You talked as if you’d known each other for years and a small amount of flirting was thrown into the mix. By the time you had got around to studying, you couldn’t focus. It was almost an impossible task. Your mind was riddled with thoughts of his laugh, the beauty marks that were scattered across his face, the rumble of his voice, the attention his eyes gave you when you spoke, just about everything you could think of, you did, and it bothered you. You needed Kylo’s stupid grin out of your head.

“(Y/n)? Hey uh,” your head shot up and you unintentionally gave him a glare but that soon faded as you saw him run a hand through his hair, “did you want to take a small break, I really can’t focus. I’ve been trying but my mind wanders. Sorry if you were in the zone.” A small laugh came from the back of your throat and you closed your books, shaking your head.

“I can’t focus any more than you can.” A smile played on Kylo’s lips and he motioned for you to come sit next to him. You hesitated but made your way over to his side of the red vinyl booth and carefully slide next to him. He edged closer until you were hip to hip and he turned his head to look at you.

“Hey.” He whispered, a dreamy look overtaking him. He looked beautiful and you couldn’t deny it.

“Hey.” You retorted and started to fidget with your hands, picking at your fingers, peeling the skin- or at least trying to. It was a very bad nervous tick you had, and the man before you certainly didn’t help. You loved spending time with him but it terrified you. Your heart had fallen for the man- the unruly man who wore leather jackets, bleached t-shirts, and tight-fitting black jeans. The man who the first time you got together to study took you to the record store after because he needed to show you a record. It wasn’t too bad a thing because you were now absolutely in love with the record but nonetheless, it was stressful. This was the man who had the I-don’t-give-a-fuck attitude about most things but deep down he cared. He was the boy your parents never wanted you to date but you did it as a rebellious romance but this was far different than a stupid fling. It was something that had rooted in your heart and made a comfortable home there, undeniably lacing itself further into these feelings you wishes you could erase.

“What are you thinking about right now?” The question took you off-guard, his voice soft and velvety, reflective of the gaze that he was giving you. He seemed genuinely interested and your heart returned those feelings but you didn’t want to let that on. You shook your head and mumbled something very quiet out, averting your eyes but his voice pulled you back in. “What was that?” His curiosity peeked through.

“Nothing just,” you laughed, trying to make light of your thoughts and take the tension and raw emotion out of the situation, “you have a space face.” You smiled as a blush covered Kylo’s cheeks. It burned a deep red, almost a wine colour but it didn’t quite get there.

“A what?” He asked, shifting in his seat awkwardly.

“Oh- it’s- your beauty marks look like constellations. You can connect them in multiple ways and they’re always intriguing. Plus they lead up to your eyes which,” you stopped yourself, noticing the way your friend was watching you. You swore you heard the mumbled words I could kiss you fall from the plush lips of the raven-haired man before you but you didn’t want to kid yourself.

A few weeks had passed and you had spent a substantial amount of time more with Kylo than anyone else. Part of that stemming from your friends majoring in health sciences and you in art but that was no matter. Kylo and you both studied hard for your exams, much like your friends, and his alike, would too.

The two of you situated yourselves upon your living room floor, you had both made some snacks, your choices being a peanut sauce for the copious amounts of vegetables that you had washed and chopped up- especially the cucumber. It was mostly Kylo who helped himself to the food, you disregarded eating while you studied – only on breaks – it made it hard to focus or so you told yourself. But really it was Kylo. He was the distraction. Eventually, you let out a groan of frustration. You slammed your head into your textbook, words not meant to be spoken.

“You should be put under arrest for being too attractive and ruining my life.” Kylo’s head shot up at your complaint, what you really thought was coming through.

“W-what?” He stammered, beet red. In truth, you hadn’t expected to out yourself that way. A sigh slipped past your lips and you rolled onto your back, looking up at the man who sat on the chair beside you.

“You are ruining my life, and I can’t fucking focus because you’re distracting! If you had a broken nose or if your face didn’t draw me in so much maybe, just maybe I could get something done.” You rambled, feigning annoyance but serious undertones lying beneath your words. With a slight hesitation, Kylo dropped to his knees and cupped your face with his hands, fingertips calloused and rough but the palms of his hands soft and warm. Before you could process what was happening, you heard him say one thing to you.

“Let’s take care of that, shall we?” His lips firmly pressed to yours, his face meeting yours while you craned your neck up slightly so that he wasn’t doing all the work. The kiss was hot and heavy- anticipated for much longer than both of you had known, and it was perfect. The right amount of movement, the heavy breathing that had overcome you and Kylo, and the eagerness to kiss one another added to the moment. The feeling of his lips pulled you in, leaving you wanting more and as a result, kissing him with more hunger than you had initially harboured. When he pulled away, your hands shot up into his inky locks and you tugged his face back to yours, lips brushing as a feather-light touch.

“Is this your solution to me being distracted?” You challenged, Kylo’s breath fanning your lips as you spoke.

“It may be.” He mused and attacked your swollen lips with a kiss that would enrage the Gods. It was filled with such love and passion that it even shocked you. All while those things, it was also animalistic and hungry and as a result, he crawled over top of you, hands still holding your face. “You’re my favourite distraction, (y/n). My favourite. You’re my muse, you’re art.” He spoke between kisses, refusing to stop whispering sweet nothings as the two of you rolled around on the floor, intoxicated by one another and the need to keep kissing and touching each other. Let’s just say that all your exam prep was disregarded and the only art you studied that day was the art of one another.

#kylo ren #kylo ren x reader #kylo ren imagine #prompt #anonymous #asks #star wars #sw #tlj #tfa #ben solo #ben solo x reader #kylo ren x reader headcanon #Ben solo x reader headcanon #modern AU #requests

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inthepercolator · 3 years

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First off I wanna say that I guess when u analyse something you dip ur toes into talking about ethics and morality so each scene, character, story etc is different for everyone based on their personal values - idk art is fun bc it’s subjective and everyone has their own take,, so anyway now I’m going to throw my hat in the ring apzxmskskdkeke

Okay I see a lot of people say that Albert being persistent in continuing Laura’s autopsy was objectively the right thing for him to do in terms of solving her murder and I want to say yes, u are right to some extent and that objectively if u want to solve a murder you should examine the scientific aspects

However, I don’t think he was morally in the right - I don’t think anyone in that scene was more morally upright than anyone else involved aside from maybe cooper - but I personally don’t agree with saying that Albert was the most correct person in that instance,, Let me explain myself hhugdhfx

Ok so,, Alberts perspective is that to help the murdered girl u have to find her killer and to find her killer he has to do his job. He’s right in that regard. When it comes to respecting the wishes of the family? No. He’s uhhh no

Of course you can see this when he gets decked in the face - something Harry shouldn’t have done might I add - but it does line up with how someone might react to a stranger making a point of taking a saw to a cadaver without the consent of their loved ones.

Idk from the perspective of the towns folk who grew up knowing Laura it’s a harrowing thing,, and everyone has their own reasons for not letting an autopsy take place. Could be religious, on behalf of the victim, or even that the family simply can’t handle the thought of it.

Saying that someone is wrong for not wanting their child to be examined by a stranger probably isn’t the best.. like ‘oh they mustn’t want the murder solved’ or ‘oh that’s so selfish the killer is still out there’ Imo… idk people grieve differently and invalidating that so easily just doesn’t seem.. right to me (I know it’s a show but yknow it’s played like this is a real plausible situation)

Anyway on a side note cooper sides with doc Hayward and Harry blah blah and you could say that it’s him taking Laura’s murder personally (which I do in part) or that it’s a calculated move so he can get on the good side of the locals to get more info on the murder but I think that would be a huge disservice to coopers compassion - we see it throughout the show, how he deeply cares for everyone affected by Laura’s murder and for Laura herself. Idk maybe coop is different in s3 but.. at his core he is just full of love.. he romanticises and finds the good in everything and he acts with kindness,, I think that’s such a special thing?? Not a lot of shows have characters who employ compassion in such a way so mwah love u coopy

#also I hate talking about things objectively. do u know that ppl are driven by emotions djdndjdjjfnffjcndjf #I know Albert is autistic coded I am also autistic being on the spectrum doesn’t excuse u from being an ass lmfao #for example the man standing across the room from him in that scene cooper - also autistic and he isn’t being a knobhead djdndjdn #also I see like attention draw to Harry punching Albert as like a ooooo cops bad and yeah cops bad but. Albert is in the fbi?#he’s got higher juristiction than Harry???????? dudjjd #he may be a medical professional but I’m prettyyyy sure he still carries a gun #I do love Albert dearly btw I might post about why sometime actually <3 #why Albert is literally me the series #long post #chess.txt

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megajmme · 3 years

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7th Blog

In our last Blog which will be the content of lecture series 3 I learn a lot from the discussion which was very beneficial to me as a student of Business Administration. It was very fruitful event because the topic is all about the Intellectual Property and Intellectual Property Rights. The focus of the lecture was about how to protect startup, the ideas or concept that we come up and also with the process of application together with the technology transfer which concern with preparation, installation, and utilization of technology. The guest speaker for the third virtual lecture is Dr. Gamaleila A. Dumancas the OIC-Head of Intellectual Property & Technology Business Management in the Central Mindanao University.

Republic Act No. 8293 or the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines. The Intellectual property office of the Philippines are responsible for the implementation of the protecting the Intellectual Property Rights in the Philippines. The same with Philippine Technology Transfer Act of 2009 (Republic No. 10055). It provides the framework and support system for the ownership, management, use, and commercialization of intellectual property generated from research and development funded by government and for other purposes. From the lecture Intellectual Property is define as “ Creation of the Mind”, some example of it the innovation, literary and artistic works, symbols, names, images and designs.

The protection of Intellectual Property happen when ideas are transform into tangible products. It is very important to register first before sharing your creation to other people because intellectual property is a “First to File” basis. Other people might steal your work after knowing that it is not registered, they view your work as ownerless. There are a lot of significant aspects that Intellectual Property brings to us like it prevent competitor from copying trademark, avoid wasteful investment in research & development, and create at the same time enhance corporate identity and increase the company market value. It was also discuss about the Intellectual Property cycle.

There are a lot of variety of Intellectual Property Rights first is the Trademark. It is a visible sign capable of distinguishing the goods (trademark) or services (service mark). Functions of trademark is to Indicator of origin, Indicator of quality, and advertising function. The best global brands in 2016 was Apple next is Google and Coca-Cola while in 2019 is apple again next is Amazon and Microsoft. The terms of protection for Trademark is 10 years from the date of filing and renewable every 10 years and perpetual and declaration of actual use is required.

Second is Geographical Indication, identify as a good or origination in territory, region or locality where given quality, reputation or other characteristics of the good is essentially attributable to its geographical origin, example of it is the Calamay in Bohol and Pomelo in Davao. Third is invention, any technical solution to a problem in any field of human activity. There are three criteria before you could the protection, it must be new or novel (not publish/disclosed), inventive step (not obvious to a skilled person) and it must have a practical use in the industry (real life benefit). The term protection for invention is 20 years from the date of filing but before you could gain the protection it is necessary to have a 2 years of analysing or examination to ensure that your invention pass the criteria.

Fourth is the utility model, any technical solution of a problem in any field of human activity which is new and industrial application. It is the extension of the invention but it has only 2 criteria, example for utility model is an umbrella for the dog. The term of protection for utility model is 7 years from the date of filing but after the protection it is a part now of public domain. Fifth is industrial design, consist of the creation of a shape, configuration or composition of patterns or color, or combination of pattern and color in three dimensional form containing aesthetic value. It can be two or three dimensional pattern used to produce a product, industrial commodity or handicraft. The term of protection is 5 years from the date of filing and renewable for 2 years (consecutive). Sixth is the Lay-out design of IC (topography) example of it is the circuit. The term of protection for lay-out is 10 years from the date of filing.

Seventh is copyright and related right, is the legal protection extended to the right in an original work. Example for original works is the books and magazines, drawings, paintings, sculpture, work of architecture, original ornamental designs, maps, sketches, carvings, and photographic works. The term of protection for copyrights in a derivative work is life plus 50 years after death while for joint works is last life plus 50 years after death.

It was quoted that in order to ensure that the product of your research is patentable, do a prior art search and invention spotting. The significance of patent search is it can freely support research and development activities since it contains information not yet divulge, it improves the quality of patent application, prevention of infringement violation, and also to save money in case the invention is not new there will no waste resources. When doing a patent search you need to choose the right keywords (technical terms) in order to arrive at the closest prior art.

Intellectual Property and Technology Business Management have three units which has a different task. First is the IPLU “Intellectual Property Licensing Unit” they are responsible for registering technologies generated by faculty and students. Second is the TTU “Technology Transfer Unit” responsible for the pre commercialization activity. Lastly is the TBIU “Technology Business Incubation Unit” in charge for commercialization component.

The speaker greatly emphasize that we need to be careful when sharing our innovation. Especially the intellectual property is more first to file bases, even if that person didn’t create does innovation but he/she is the first to register then it was the loss for the researcher. It will be a great pain for the creator if that happened because their effort is at vain.

For the Virtual Lecture series number 4 the guest speaker is Mrs. Rhea Mae D. Cuñada which is the Manager in Technology Business Incubation. The Technology Business Incubation main task is to help entrepreneurs to improve their innovation while also earning profit. While their purpose is to make the entrepreneur help or aid the community. If they can operate they will provide employment for the citizens. It assist SMEs, to enhance the way of doing business for micro and small enterprises in the community through the provision of services necessary for its success. The services offered by

Technology Business Incubation is Product commercialization, Enterprise development, Access to network, and Knowledge transfer.

The target is the “Incubatee”, a natural person, unregistered association, or a juridical entity who has the desire to undergo the incubation program. There are two classification for the Incubatee first is the “Would-be entrepreneur” are the one who will start a business from scratch or will adapt the available research generated technology in the University for Commercialization. Second is “Start-ups or existing” are those who have already started the enterprise with their own technology but who still need enhancement in the business or technology aspects.

First step in starting a business is having a product idea or concept it can be a particular product or innovative method. It is not necessary that the idea is perfect the important is the idea. During the process the idea and concept might be change several times while learning about your product deeply. You just have to start to come up with idea and let the Technology Business Incubation help you to move forward. We might have this good ideas but we didn’t try, with Technology Business Incubation they promote to earn profit with the ideas we can generate. Idea is a dime a dozen. Idea is not the key to success. Sometime it needs to have a good idea but company have a good idea always fails all the time. It is necessary to have the skills and competencies that’s why there is Technology Business Incubation. The process might take long and they will be release if Technology Business Incubation think that they are capable to stand alone. Business is not always about skills but also need perseverance and also luck.

There are two face of Technology Business Incubation which is the “Pre-Incubatee” the first step in registration procedure is fill-out the application, next is to attend a one day training seminar (Creating a Business Model Canvas), Assessment (analysing if the applicant is financially capable to sustain the business), latly qualified pre-incubatee may proceed to the incubation procedure. The other face is the “Incubatee” registration procedure is MOA/MOU signing, next is fill out application form and lastly pay the enrolment fee.

The three Incubatee are the teachers/faculty, students, and individuals outside from the University. After you pay you become incubatee and will undergo three phases. First Phase is “Pamula” preparation of the incubatee in establishing a clearer and profitable business model. Second Phase is “Tanul” is a curriculum aimed at harnessing the competencies of start-ups in the incubation programs before. Third Phase is “Legtay” (graduation) become a successful entrepreneur. There are four exit criteria which is graduation (10% return of investment, the business is growing), premature ejection, voluntary exit, and continuous loss of income.

It is encourage that we student need to be successful as fast as we can. It does not mean that we need to millionaire we just need to find the starting point. Like during the pandemic, we could find things (Ideas or concept) that make us productive resulting for us to earn profit amidst this negative situation. We just need to use this time of pandemic to seek for an opportunities which can help us find our starting point for our success in the future.

Everyone should share their own idea, it is not needed that you are bright to be successful. If we could share our idea we are more open for assistant which help us gain knowledge and leads us to grow. Which might lead us in helping the community. In the business there is success and failure but the necessary think is that you believe in yourself. We can grab this chance while we are a student, we could create our own business while there a lot of people or organization that can help during the process of building the business like the Technology Business Incubation.

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entrepblog · 3 years

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BLOG NO.7

Through the pre-recorded Virtual Lecture Series 3 I learn a lot from the discussion which was very beneficial to me as a student of Business Administration. It was very fruitful event because the topic is all about the Intellectual Property and Intellectual Property Rights. The focus of the lecture was about how to protect startup, the ideas or concept that we come up and also with the process of application together with the technology transfer which concern with preparation, installation, and utilization of technology. The guest speaker for the third virtual lecture is Dr. Gamaleila A. Dumancas the OIC-Head of Intellectual Property & Technology Business Management in the Central Mindanao University.

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rashmig3p18 · 4 years

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Week 9!

Hi friends! It’s been one of my favourite weeks so far so buckle in for some fire content!

Fandoms. I’d say that we’ve all been a part of one; either fully invested or just a simple consumer who enjoyed the content. Though when we use the word fan there is a lot of different images that come to mind like Sullivan talks about it could be the image of a “geeky, socially challenged, but ultimately benign and lovable fan” that just really loves Star Trek (Sullivan, 2013, p192).

Or it might be a much darker side to being a super fan where it might cross a boundary and reach the third level of ‘worship’ where an individual has a deep fixation on a celebrity or persona and would do anything for them [also if you don’t remember this, scroll down to Week 3!].

Fans can also team together to change the narrative of their fandom, in lecture we discussed the Star Trek fandom coming together or event the article by Annemarie Navar-Gill where she analyses the Veronica Mars fandom’s efforts to get a follow up movie. Navar-Gill discusses patronage as the “support of a fan audience boosts the artistic and authorial credibility of a creator (Navar-Gil, 2018, p222). In her conclusion, Navar-Gill states that the symbolic patronage is an example of how audiences now have the power and ability to influence production as well as the industry decision-making. (Navar-Gil, 2018, p223).

Similarly, a bit more recent example of fans coming together to show their support is in the Taylor Swift fandom [aka Swifties]. Taylor put it out on twitter that her record label Big Time Management [which she left sometime last year] was restricting her from performing her old songs at the American Music Awards where she is said to win ‘Artist of the Decade’ and that they’re keeping her from using her own music in her own documentary. She stated that she felt like she had no choice but to let the fans know before the AMAs, and since her tweet on November 14th she’s got more than 851.8k likes, Swifties got the hashtag #IStandWithTaylor trending worldwide and around 100k fans and others have signed a petition against Big Time Management.

Fan audiences are described as “deeply engaged in their favorite media texts, fans often reinterpret media content and create their own cultural productions in response” (Sullivan, 2013, p193). With that understanding in mind there is also what is known as the ‘Continuum of Fandom’ which follows 4 types of fan and it understand them in different levels of involvement/passion.

The first is a consumer and this is the passive level of fandom with the least involvement from the audiences’ side. I am a consumer of The Walking Dead because I watched it on Netflix but I didn’t grow any attachment to the show or its characters, but I still a watched the show making me a consumer (Professor Good, week 9, Nov 7th).

The next level is enthusiast. Here people begin to grow a greater connection to the media, they might go do more background research on characters or actors or begin look up topics with other fans (Professor Good, week 9, Nov 7th). How to Get Away with Murder was a show that my roommates and I really got into the first year and we would always watch it together and discuss it with other people on our floor and look up what other people were saying on social media

The next is fan. Fans will go into a deeper analysis of the media text and begin to interact with other fans on sites or platforms that are specific for that fandom (Professor Good, week 9, Nov 7th). For example, if you’re a fan of Sherlock you would go post and interact with other fans on Reddit in the subreddit on Sherlock or having a Tumblr specifically for Sherlock.

The last significant level on the continuum is producer who are considered the most active fan. Fan producers re-interpret the media text or some how work themselves into the narrative; this can be things like fan fiction, fan art, fan videos or even Filk songs which if you didn’t know is a mix between fiction and folk songs [an interesting idea, I know!]. It can also turn into a profession for the fan, for example, Anna Todd who started on Wattpad writing Harry Styles fan fiction ended up actually publishing the book and it then got turned into a movie early this year.

This week in lecture we discussed Henry Jenkins and the 9 types of participatory culture his book Textual Poachers: Television Fans and Participatory Culture. To simplify them into how I understand them with examples I talk about half of them in relation to fan fiction and fan culture and the other half Marvel Cinematic Universe

‘Recontextualization’, Jenkins describes it as short stories that are meant to fill in the gap in existing media texts, when fans are happy with the way a story ends they might write their own endings with what they prefer. For example, many fans rewrote or reimagined the Game of Thrones finale because the way it ended was superrrr unsatisfying.

‘Personalization’ which is famous in fan fictions where the writers or fans incorporate themselves into the story line alongside the characters. Some fan fiction has ‘Y/N’ [your name] in their stories which means whoever is reading it can read it as their name which personalizes the story to them.

Eroticization, where it explores a characters’ sexuality and sexual encounters that are not scene in the primary narrative. There’s a lot [A LOT!] of fan fiction written about Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson [ship name: Larry] that write them to be a couple and eroticize them.

‘Genre shifting’ where the primary genre of the media will be shifted or changed into something different. For example, the original Sabrina the Teenage Witch show or the original comics and Netflix show The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina are based on the same story but they have two different genres. The original is more humour based and structured like a sitcom, where the new show takes a much darker and creepier take on the story.

Arrow and The Flash [or lots of the MCU television shows can be listed as an example for 4 of the 10 concepts Jenkins discusses. ‘Expanding the timeline’ where it can explore the character background or rewrites unpopular endings; Arrow started to have flashbacks in an attempt to explain why Oliver Queen [Green Arrow] ended up how he is now, also by expanding the timeline they were able to bring in new characters like The Flash into the story line.

‘Crossovers’ where in which boundaries are blurred between two media texts in a way to introduce character from one text into the other. Arrow and The Flash are two shows that have now had several different crossovers where characters from one will often appear in the other, they’ve also done crossovers with Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow where characters from all 4 shows interact with each other.

Refocalization’, this allows of the focus to shift away from central characters to focus on secondary or minor character. The Flash even though is technically centered around Barry Allen; the last couple seasons offer central plot lines for some of their secondary characters like Caitlin Snow or Cisco Ramon.

‘Moral realignment’ it inverts the moral universe of the original narrative depending on how you look at it, the Green Arrow could be a ‘villain’ because of he is considered a vigilante who takes always takes matters into his own hands and often disobeys law enforcements. This is kind of like Robin Hood basically, so is taking from the rich and giving to the poor morally justified or just wrong.

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eyesaremosaics · 7 years

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Any advice on virgos?

As an almost Virgo (born a day late because my soul wanted to be a Libra), I relate to this. Also: I think Virgo is a very overlooked, unappreciated and deeply misunderstood sign within the zodiac. Their attention to detail, makes them masters at whatever it is they set out to do.

The crux with Virgo is in over analysis, perfectionism, and a need to please or be of use to others. Virgo analyses things to the point where it makes sense… And then they take it to the next level, where it never needed to go. They are prisoners in their own mind because they can never live up to their own unrealistic set of standards.

Most people don’t realize their sexual power either. They are very earthy, sensual creatures, yet self contained. This makes them all the more fascinating because of their rigid control of themselves. Often they are all tied up in knots, which is why they are often very submissive sexually (unless there are more fiery signs in their chart). There is a purity to their desire, as though they were feeling sexual attraction for the first time–every time. They are very adaptable to circumstance, and are quietly calculating and assessing their environment at all times. You won’t get anything past them. Their neurosis comes from obsession with perfection. If anyone criticizes them, or points out they are not perfect, they fall apart.

They pride themselves on the meticulous nature of their process. Rather like the subtle art of alchemy, just the right formula, the exact measurements are required for a specific outcome. You can always count on their honest advice, and the fact that they are reliable and highly efficient. A Virgo is the best companion to help you with any task at hand. They are highly adaptable to circumstance, and they are a deep reservoir of useful information. They are “specialists”. Unlike Gemini, who knows a little bit about a lot of things, virgo’s devour subjects in their entirety.

People often don’t realize that there is a dark side to them. Virgo’s are dark in an embittered way dripping with sarcasm. They have low expectations of people, and often enjoy banter and commentary. They are wicked conspirators when they want to be. Trust and believe that they know where all the bodies are buried, and they will never get caught .

Virgo is very opinionated, yet deep down they fear being ostracized for their convictions. They worry that others judge them as fussy, or judgmental… Which… They are in all honesty. Because they judge themselves so harshly, and strive to be perfect in all that they do, they project their insecurity of not living up to their personal expectations on to others. Some virgo’s are more quiet about their judgements ( if they have a lot of earth or water in their chart) if they have a lot of air or fire, they will be very vocal about their criticism. They are direct, they don’t beat around the bush, and hate when others do.

They don’t have time to waste on bullshit, because they already have a full itinerary. They often get suckered into enabling people, because they feel most fulfilled when they are of use or in service to others. It validates their belief that they are worthy, because they know how to approach things properly and can help others. They are very masochistic, self hate or self doubt is a huge problem for Virgo. They are very harsh and critical of themselves, far more than others (which is saying something). They can put up with a lot, because they go with the flow, but they have a breaking point.

Virgo’s love hard, and their feelings die slowly, but once they are dead… There is no resurrection.

I relate to that aspect of them more than anything.

Virgo will work tirelessly to please, they are giving lovers. Loyal friends, very quick to help those in need. Yet they won’t baby you or enable you the way a Pisces would. Pisces would roll in the mid feeling your feelings. Virgo will clap their hands and be pragmatic about the situation. “So what are we going to do about this? How can we fix this?” They are fixers, problem solvers, and often get roped into picking up the pieces for other people, who in truth–don’t really want to get better. They get taken advantage of a lot, because they need to be needed.

Virgo is the sign of the virgin, or the maiden, but I have known many promiscuous or sex positive virgo’s. The thing about them… They are not prudish. Actually quite the opposite. They are kinky, down for whatever, often drawn into whatever most excited their partners, because getting their partner off gets them off. The ultimate satisfaction for Virgo, is figuring out another person’s sexuality and mastering how to please them in exactly the way they like it.

Virgo’s often love S&M, because they torture themselves mentally. They have such rigid structural control of themselves, others, their environment in their daily life, that to surrender all power to another person, to let go, is an orgasmic release to them. They love sex, and are very healing. Like Pisces (their opposite) they have healing abilities. Their touch is like magic, and with the earthy sensuality that comes naturally to them, they both heal and arouse. This makes sex with them an explorative experience, because they will heighten and evolve with your interests. They will go to the limits with you.

Of course the other signs in their chart will heavily influence this aspect. If they have a Venus in cancer for example, they will need lots of cuddly alone time with you. They may be day dreamy or romantic in nature. If they have a Leo Venus (as I do), they will be fiery, passionate, creative in love. They will need to be proud of their partner, and will want to worship each other. If they have a air Venus it will make them less affectionate, more mental. Words will hold more weight with them.

I have a Virgo friend, and she is very charming because she had a lot of Gemini (Mercury) in her chart. So she is more charismatic, charming, social… Yet she silently judges people, and ends up making snap decisions about what she will and will not tolerate in her space. Virgo’s usually have clear boundaries, despite the fact that they are mutable, but they also bend and barter with their boundaries if they are in love.

Vjrgo’s dread being in love. They are like the shrew in Shakespeare’s play, avoidant, because they love so deeply and completely. They will be completely devoted to you once they fall in love (which is a rare occurrence for them–they are picky about mates). They will dedicate themselves so entirely to you, that it will be like tunnel vision. They are very loyal, and will literally die for their loved ones. They take relationships so seriously, that they fear ever connecting deeply to anyone… Because they know they will lose themselves. They hate being out of control.

Virgo can be very neurotic, thinking that people judge them as harshly as they judge themselves and others. Deep inside… They feel they have no value other than their service to others. They base their self worth off of the response they get. A friend of mine is a Virgo, and he once confided in me sadly saying: “I don’t feel like I am close to a single soul.” This is because they isolate themselves at a very deep level, they don’t like to admit to weakness, because it makes them feel inefficient–which they fear most.

They seem cold, hard, sometimes even bitchy or bitter, but inside is a very pure being who loves deeply and just wants to help. My sister is s Virgo. When she was little, she came into my room looking miserable. I asked her what was wrong, to which she replied: “can I HELP you with something?!” I had to give her a task to calm her down.

One thing I have noticed about Virgo, is that their intentions are pure. You may not think so because they seem so remote and calculated, but they are pure. Every emotion they feel, comes to them as though it were happening for the first time, then their conscious mind had to regulate and control it to feel safe. In this way, they are “virgins”, because their experience is so raw and pure.

If they have a Mars in Scorpio or Aries, they will have a deep hidden rage, which will surface randomly, and often inappropriately. They are realists. They don’t idealize things. Yet.. Love can make them bend their rules. Love often incapacitated Virgo. It makes them give more chances, allowances, because they do rarely feel for people on that level. They worry the chance will not come again, so they cling to what they have. They often settle for what is beneath them, which is a shame. They deserve so much for what they give.

Virgo can be dark, but in a playful and sarcastic way. Tim burton is a prime example, as is Jhonen Vasquez (creator of invader zim and JTHM). They brood. They are brooders, and often retreat from the world to get lost in their heads. Tim button said that Edward Scissorhands was his most personal film. This is because he feels like an outsider. So misunderstood, but truly gentle inside.

Virgo is your favorite bedtime story, they are the hours you spend wondering why someone never called, they are the critic, they are the brains behind the operation… The “man behind the curtain”. They are the comedians, embittered by life but find the humor in it. They are the hermit, the voice of reason. They are the helping hand. The satisfaction of reaping the harvest after a long season.

#astrology #zodiac #virgo

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theteej · 7 years

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7. Knowing Little and Learning Much

I had no idea growing up that I’d end up building a career studying southern African history. Growing up as a mixed black kid in Southern California, I’d had scant direct introduction to the continent more generally and to South Africa in particular. I remember being overwhelmed by The Poisonwood Bible and Cry the Beloved Country as a high schooler, but I think it’s telling that my first two major memories were through books written by white folk about the continent. It wasn’t until my junior year of college that I decided I should take a leap and study abroad somewhere far away. I chose somewhere as far from what I thought I knew as possible—Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. That’s how I found myself anxiously looking out over the dry stretches of scraggly fields with trepidation one July afternoon in 2004 as a twenty-year old undergraduate readying himself for a semester far away from home. That semester changed my life in ways I’m still beginning to understand, twelve years later. Moving to South Africa put so many things in sharp relief; I was unaware of how much of the world that I saw as ‘normal’ was instead based on everyday cultural conventions that didn’t follow me beyond America’s borders. I first heard isiZulu. I began to think about how a country ten years out of apartheid could reconcile its brutal past in its quotidian present. I began to think about how to be a historian for the first time. I made friends from a variety of groups—from astonishingly talented singers, to brilliant actors, to snarky writers, and beyond. I began to learn how little I knew, and how much I wanted to learn. When I stepped onto my college campus again in January, I cried for so many reasons. I cried for missing this new place and who I’d become in a semester. I cried because I’d begun to get the tiniest inkling of how little I knew. I cried because I’d fallen in love with a place and I wanted to spend my life getting back there.

I didn’t make it back to South Africa for another five years; in the interim I’d graduate with bachelors and masters degrees, taught high school, and moved to rural Illinois to start a PhD. I was twenty-five and desperately eager to go back and learn. I had so much to learn. I spent three months in 2009 back in Mzansi, and began my time back in Pietermaritzburg, but the place couldn’t be more different. I was part of an intensive isiZulu language program, and while I spent part of my time back at the University of KwaZulu-Natal where I’d studied abroad, this time my classes were all in isiZulu. I lived first in a residence hall, then in an urban township (iMbali), and then later in a rural community miles away (Manqongqo). This time made me keenly aware of the ways in which history and my own positions had prepared me to hear and perceive so much of the world around me on wildly uneven terms. The majority of the residence of KwaZulu-Natal spoke isiZulu as a first language, but I had really understood none of it in 2004. Much like in Southern California, the predominant language and cultural formations happened all around the white, colonial hegemons of English. It was as if a radio had been playing at a frequency beyond me, at full volume, and I suddenly became aware, ONCE AGAIN, of how little I knew. Of how wrong I was. Of how much I had to learn.

I returned two years later for a full academic year to do the archival research for my PhD. I was twenty-seven, more tired, more wary, more cynical, and yet my positions changed again. I was now in South Africa for the closest thing to business. This time I lived in Durban, the larger city by the sea, located nearly fifty miles (80km) away from the smaller capital of the Pietermaritzburg, and I tried to learn how to be an academic for reals. I struggled to think of my own positionality as a North American academic with so many thoughts and quick analyses and schemas, I wracked my brain trying to think of the ways in which language and culture and colonialism linked my existence and those of the people I encountered every day, I made friends who shaped my life profoundly. To the cynical surprise of someone who spends most of his time critically assessing the myriad transformations wrought by settler colonialism, I found myself feeling at home in Durban in some ways. This feeling made me realize the complexities of travel, of building lives, of claiming identities, but also steeled me for thinking through how to live in a space shaped by centuries of inequality, and to think about how I could take all of this overwhelming knowledge home with me. I ate loads of bunny chows—brilliant, red curries stacked in fluffy white loaves of bread. I drank cup after cup of espresso in local roasteries. I pored over pages of dry government reports and sanctimonious missionary publications, sifting through the arrogance of colonial words for indigenous voices, humanity, complexities of the violent collisions that shape our daily lived reality. I fell more in love.

I returned once more in 2015, this time shocked to be a full “grown-up,” a professional academic at thirty-one, on a university funded research trip. I struggled to be back in a town I’d loved, and to make connections three years after the fact. I despaired of ever finding the right material for my book—I felt the rush of imposter syndrome as I wondered whether or not I could even turn that hard-won dissertation into a readable tome. But I had an amazing month. I saw people I loved, I made new connections, I laughed and went on adventures and tried to record it all down in journals and photographs for the next iteration that would come back, as I always did, to Mzansi.

I boarded a plane for South Africa yet again on June 12, 2016. Ten days before, my boyfriend had broken up with me over the phone. The day before a man had murdered nearly fifty people at a gay club, most of them people of color. As I stood at the gate with my boarding pass in my hand, my phone rang. It was my grandmother, who as far as we knew, was in perfect health. She had eight weeks left to live.

“I’m on my way to the store, but I wanted to call and wish you the best,” her soft voice crackled over the static of her car’s speakers. I could picture her winding around California streets on a sunny afternoon in pursuit of groceries.

“You never forget to call, do you?”

“Of course not! Be safe. Learn things. You always come back with something wonderful, don’t you?”

“I’ll try, Grandma.”

I returned to South Africa this time feeling bereft. Things were falling apart all around me. I knew my life was about to be very different without Benjamin (and had no idea that my grandmother’s denouement was awaiting). I was even more cynical about me wanting to return to a location to be inspired and challenged, and had been writing more and more about settler presumptions. It felt familiar, and I felt nervous about the whole endeavor.

I was not prepared for the realization of how absurdly fortunate I was. I returned to Durban, and immediately fell into the arms of three people I loved at the airport—Mark Daku, my constant Canadian travel companion, and Shéla McCullough and Darren van Niekerk, dear friends who were about to be married. We laughed and bantered and chattered on, my spirits lifted despite the nearly thirty hours of travel fatigue I was battling. I immediately threw myself back into being in a space I loved. I walked the streets of Glenwood and remember being handed a free coffee as I walked into the Bean Green. “No charge today,” the barista said. “You’re home.” I teared up, even as I cynically wondered where home could be, and if such a thing could be true apart from colonialism. I drank the coffee with gratitude and salt-streaked eyes.

I spent two intense weeks in archives, back among familiar pages to flip through. I stared at the Indian Ocean’s relentless fanning of the sandy shore. I got my possessions rifled through by curious tree monkeys. I thought about this being my fifth time in such a transformative place, thirty-two and feeling more than a little bit broken by life around me. This trip was about love, hope, and possibility. I found new documents that excited me. I got to see dear friends who held me as I cried and let me feel less alone or overwhelmed . I got to embrace folk whose words I’d loved on the internet and couldn’t wait to chat with in person. 2004, 2009, 2011-12, and 2015 all crashed up against 2016 for me, and I saw myself at all those other times, and realized how much I still didn’t fucking know.

I watched Shéla and Darren get married on a winter’s afternoon in KwaZulu-Natal, the warmth of family near and far mingling with the joy of people who had become part of a chosen community that stretched across continents. I laughed out loud as Danni Bowler blasted Drake at full volume as she maneuvered through the streets of Johannesburg, insisting I sing along. I danced until my legs ached with Dean Hutton, Mvelase Peppetta, and Dexter Sagar in a tiny Cape Town club. I played a card game with Lauren Beukes and her amazing daughter on a chilly evening. I insisted on a road trip for schnitzel in the Midlands with Lauren Jarvis and Liz Timbs, each of us egging each other on to belt another Beyoncé song at the top of our lungs. I sat over dinner with Charl Blignaut, Sekoetlane Phamodi and Louise Ferreira and remembered that in moments of great pain are also moments of incredible love (and scintillating wit). I affectionately called Marc Kalina dad and listened to brilliant musicians at a historic anti-apartheid jazz club in Pinetown. I woke up every day emotionally overwrought, impossibly sensitive, and deeply grateful. I drank loudly and laughed harder with Mbali and Hlanganani than I’d done in ages. I got to tour Dean’s brilliant and devastating art exhibit that got me banned from facebook for a day. I sobbed while standing on Table Mountain in the rain with Amber Abrams and reconnected with my doppelganger Damien Williams over copious glasses of gin.

I remain deeply suspicious about the ways in which one can imagine being home in a space that is already occupied by others. But I also am eternally grateful for the opportunity to return to a country where I feel embarrassingly loved, deeply cared for, included in the lives and hopes and dreams of others so very dear to me. South Africa has transformed me as a student, as a thinker, as a writer, and as a person. I keep coming back to a place that teaches me how very little I know, and makes me hunger for the chance to learn more and more. This year was painful, but it was also beautifully reassuring that connections continue, that friends endure, and that life continues to hold love and meaning.

Ngiyabonga kakhulu, abangane bami.

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This is the tenth of sixteen short essays about things that have changed for me this year. Stay tuned for the (finally) remaining few as time goes on. #Teej16

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funtubeweb · 6 years

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Film Forward: Five to Watch in ’18

Inventive auteur animation, a compelling feature debut from Laura Marie Wayne, and a timely documentary essay on that great unfinished project we call democracy are among productions currently in the works at Canada’s public producer. Here are five titles to watch in the coming twelve months.

Love, Scott

Nova Scotian musician Scott Jones was on his way home from a night with friends when an act of homophobic violence changed his life forever, leaving him paralysed from the waist down. With Love, Scott, his close friend Laura Marie Wayne, an alumna of EICTV, Cuba’s famed International School of Film and Television, tells his story in a nuanced and finely crafted feature doc.

Juxtaposing poignant testimony from Scott and his family with impressionistic verité footage, Wayne fashions a beautifully textured portrait of resilience, accompanying Scott over three years as he embarks on a fragile journey of healing.

The film features concert footage of Jones himself directing VOX, a community choir he founded as part of the Don’t Be Afraid Campaign, along with a spacious original score by experimental Icelandic ensemble Sigur Rós, active players in the global struggle for LGBTQ rights.

“I’ve become deeply connected to and part of the LGBTQ community,” says Wayne. “I identify as an ally, and I’m using documentary film as a medium to present an insider story of queer experience to a mainstream audience.”

Producer Annette Clarke has championed the project from the onset. “I was immediately drawn to Laura’s sensibility,” she says, “the way she holds up a mirror to Scott and his soul, and to the whole complex human condition. Together they’ve done something remarkable. They’ve given us beautiful film that questions the progress we’ve made in protecting the LGBTQ community.”

Wayne shot the film herself and shares the editing credit with Marcos Caraballo – also a graduate of EICTV. Love, Scott is produced and executive produced by Annette Clarke at the Quebec-Atlantic Studio.

What is Democracy?

Framed as an open-ended question, Astra Taylor’s latest project takes on the oft-cited but little analysed concept known as democracy. The idea first occurred to her back in 2012 as she was coming off her time with Occupy Wall Street — but the planet-wide rise of demagogic nationalism has thrown the project into sharp new relief.

“I was totally onside with Occupy and its critique of income inequality. There was a sense that liberal democracy — with its checks-and-balances, its focus on individual rights and free markets, all that — was letting us down, and direct democracy didn’t seem to offer a realistic way forward either. I felt a need to return to fundamentals, to go back to Plato’s Republic. And recent history shows just how fragile democracy is. Plato actually wrote about the rise of a demagogue — and here we are. There’s a sense of crisis about democracy now, and what the hell it actually means.”

In a big-hearted and wonderfully free-wheeling conversation that moves from Athens to Atlanta, scholars like Cornel West, Silvia Federici and Wendy Brown share screen time with the demos itself — health workers and school kids, refugees and activists, regular people wrestling with the practical and philosophical challenges posed by the democratic idea. Pictured above: Silvia Federici with Astra Taylor in the former city state of Siena.

The project reunites Taylor with Lea Marin, the NFB producer on the acclaimed NFB/Sphinx co-production Examined Life (2008), a philosophical road movie hailed by Variety as “a playful riposte to the notion that movies are for turning one’s mind off.”

“Astra likes to think big,” says Marin. “She’s not afraid of making intellectual films. But this is a very accessible project. It invites people from all walks of life to join a conversation on how we can rebuild democracy, how we can work together to bring about global change…Astra is less interested in pronouncing than in asking the right questions, and those questions matter now more than ever.”

Taylor is the author of The People’s Platform: Taking Back Power and Culture in the Digital Age (2014); the editor of Examined Life: Excursions with Contemporary Thinkers (2009); and co-editor of Occupy!: Scenes From Occupied America (2012). Her film credits include Zizek! (2005), a feature-length profile of contemporary philosopher Slavoj Žižek. Below: producer Lea Marin with Cornel West and Taylor.

The chief DOP on Democracy is Maya Bankovic whose credits include The Prison in Twelve Landscapes and My Prairie Home, which was also produced by Lea Marin at the NFB’s Ontario Studio. What is Democracy? is directed by Astra Taylor, edited by Robert Kennedy, and produced by Lea Marin at the NFB’s Ontario Studio. Executive producer is Anita Lee.

The Zoo: Remembrance of Things Past

The fate of an aging polar bear, living out his final days in the decommissioned Stanley Park Zoo, is entwined with that of an elderly resident of Chinatown in The Zoo, bittersweet and sparsely elegant animation from acclaimed Vancouver director Julia Kwan.

“I loved visiting that zoo when I was a kid,” says Kwan. “I returned to the site years later, after it had closed, and all the animals had been relocated — except that bear. It was so sad, to see it pacing around its pen, old and alone, and the image has stayed with me. I want to draw parallels to how we treat our elderly, people seen as no longer useful, and to reflect on what’s happening in Chinatown — where old ways are quickly disappearing.”

Kwan’s first feature drama Eve and the Fire Horse (2005) won a Special Jury Prize at Sundance as well as the Claude Jutra Award for best Canadian feature by a first-time director. She went on to direct a pair of shorts for the NFB: Surfacing, an homage to musician Sarah McLachlan produced in co-operation with the National Arts Centre and the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Foundation; and the live action/animation hybrid Blossom, an impressionistic account of immigration produced for Vancouver’s 2010 Cultural Olympiad. The Zoo, Kwan’s first fully animated film, sees her collaborating with the team at Jester Coyote Animation, the Vancouver-based studio that worked with the BC & Yukon Studio on Window Horses and Shop Class.

“Julia has crafted a wonderfully multi-layered script,” says producer Shirley Vercruysse. “It’s anchored in a very specific place yet it addresses universal themes relating to loss, change and abandonment. She’s done such great work with drama and documentary, and we’re delighted to be collaborating with her on her first animation.”

Kwan is the daughter of Chinese immigrants and The Zoo mines the same cultural terrain that informs much of her work. With Everything Will Be, an NFB-produced vérité doc that premiered at Hot Docs in 2014, she captures the texture of daily life in Vancouver’s Chinatown, a distinct urban universe under attack from aggressive real estate development and gentrification. Here’s the trailer:

oehttps://http://ift.tt/2DnhIGh

The Zoo is co-produced by the NFB (Shirley Vercruysse, producer) and Fire Horse Productions (Ruth Vincent, producer). Executive producers are Shirley Vercruysse for the BC & Yukon Studio and Michael Fukushima for the English Program Animation Studio.

John Ware Reclaimed Honours Alberta’s Black Pioneers

John Ware, born into slavery in the Antebellum American South, was already on his way to becoming a legend by the time he arrived in Canada in 1882. “The horse is not running on the prairie which John cannot ride,” declared the MacLeod Gazette in 1885. But his remarkable achievements, along with the larger story of Alberta’s African-American homesteaders, have been largely effaced from official histories of the Canadian west. Pictured above: John Ware, his wife Mildred, with son Bob and daughter Nettie.

That’s a situation that Cheryl Foggo has resolved to remedy with John Ware Reclaimed, a feature documentary that continues a project she began with John Ware Reimagined, a play that premiered in 2014.

Foggo’s own ancestors came to Alberta western Canada in 1910, fleeing a resurgence of racist policies in the newly formed state of Oklahoma, and as a kid growing up in Calgary, she was a fan of the Stampede, enamoured of all things Western.

“But there was no Black presence in the popular culture expressions of that Western narrative, and as I grew up I began to feel under-represented, unwelcome in a story that contained no reflection of my own people,” she says. “Canadians generally know very little about the long rich history of people of African descent in this country,”

With John Ware Reclaimed, she aims to thrill as well as to educate. “That’s the beauty of John Ware’s story. It’s so powerful and compelling. He was an amazing person who chose to make Canada his home, to work everyday to have a positive impact on the lives of people around him. Canadians have been deprived of this great story piece of our history… So it’s a double gift. I get to educate and entertain.”

Filmed partly on land where Ware himself once operated a ranch, the film features Black rodeo champion Fred Whitfield as a stand-in for Ware, along with stylized narration by writer Lawrence Hill, musician Corb Lund and others cultural commentators. A stirring score includes music and song that would have been present in Ware’s world. Pictured above: Cheryl Foggo and Fred Whitfield, photo by Shaun Robinson.

“Working with Cheryl is an absolute pleasure,” says producer Bonnie Thomson. “What she is doing with this film is so thoughtful. She’s celebrating this amazing figure, this charismatic Black cowboy. But she is also investigating his life and times in a completely new critical light, fearlessly examining what it means to be a Black person in Western Canada.”

John Ware Reclaimed is being shot by Douglas Munro, edited by Margot McMaster, and written and directed by Cheryl Foggo, whose previous film credits include the NFB release The Journey of Lesra Martin. It’s produced by Bonnie Thompson at the North West Studio. Executive producer is David Christensen.

Museum of Symmetry: Paloma Throws a VR Party

Paloma Dawkins first rode into the NFB Animation Studio as a successful Hothouse applicant, propelled by self-acquired tech savvy and a lively visual imagination. With Museum of Symmetry she’s hitched her inimitable gifts to the rapidly evolving world of VR to fashion a kaleidoscopic interactive joyride.

“I love clubs and celebratory environments where people come together to dance and have fun,” she said in this 2016 interview. “I want to bring that culture into my creation process.” A proud ‘hacker artist,’ the largely self-taught Dawkins is part of a growing gang of young women who are carving out their own pleasure-positive space within the male-dominated worlds of video gaming and VR.

“There are no rules here. Just enjoy.” Part invitation, part dare, an impish game mistress urges us to enter Paloma’s universe, a delightfully disorienting pleasure dome inspired by her fascination with geometry and nature — and wired with infectious dance beats. Hold on tight for a full mind-and-body immersive VR journey.

“Paloma’s a firecracker, exploding with crazy positive energy,” says producer Maral Mohammadian. “Her work is all about empowerment. She loves taking risks, and she’s not being afraid to be feminine in her own unique way.”

The project was created in collaboration with Casa Rara, the Montreal-based VR studio co-founded by Tali Goldstein and Ruben Farrus under the credo The Everyday Made Wonderful. Joining Paloma on the creative team were Charlène Boutin, resident designer at Casa Rara, and Alt Lit writer Ashley Obscura. The effervescent score is the work of Caila Thompson-Hannant (aka Mozart’s Sister) whose latest recording is described by Pitchfork as “daring, aggressively bubbly, and sharp”.

Museum of Symmetry, the first project from the NFB English Animation to be fully conceived and created as VR animation, is produced by Maral Mohammadian and executive produced by Michael Fukushima. Designed for HTC Vive headset, it will be hitting the festival circuit this year, and will also be exhibited at selected museums, and gaming & music events.

NFB Hothouse, a twelve-week paid apprenticeship in animation filmmaking, was established in 2004. Here is the film that Paloma created during Hothouse in 2013:

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Check out her personal website for a sampling of her work in various graphic genres.

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