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plutaztix · 3 days

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Finished first draft designs of the hazbin cast- Alastor., Charlie, Angeldust, Nifty , and Vaggie.

Some of them got minor redesigns while others got revamped, so I’ll be going down the line and discussing my reasoning for each one (please note, these are not perfect, and probably are not animator friendly, I did this for fun, and a lot of the decisions I made were because I felt like it. Do not throw a fit if you don’t like them)

Alastor- when redesigning alastor I focused on 3 major details: that he was from the 1920s-1930s, he was from the south, and that he was a “radio demon”. I took away the voodoo stuff cause that felt like a really weird way to associate him with Louisiana culture, and instead went for the more “southern gentleman” feel using the slicked back hair and simple clothes. I also replaced his monocle with a full pair of glasses, because I think not being able to see his eyes makes him more menacing, same thing with the straight teeth. I made his color palette into warm browns to kind of give the vibe of an old timey radio- with a highlight of gold as well. Side note: I like to imagine he doesn’t open his mouth, and instead it just lights up like an actual radio- cause I think that’s cool character flavor. I also kept his deer motif cause ,apparently, it was supposed to connect with how he died- plus I’m always a sucker for the kind of evil character that has an innocent animal theme, super fun. (Also his microphone is sentient and does change the text depending on the situation)

Charlie Morningstar- I think Charlie is a lovely character, she’s one of favorites, but she felt pretty plain in some aspects. I learned that she was kind of inspired by porcelain dolls, which gave me an interesting idea of making into kind of a “devils Pinocchio”- because what’s more innocent than a doll imbued with the power of her father’s dreams? So I really leaned into the soft friendly doll look, giving her ball joints and large eyes that stare into your soul. I softened a lot of her colors and gave her rounder shapes as well as leaning into the goat aspects of her character, because i thought it could be fun to have her play off the deer motif that alastor has.

Angel Dust- My boy , my good lad. He is also pretty solid when it comes to design , however- HE DID NOT LOOK LIKE A SPIDER. I had no idea that his freckles were supposed to be eyes until I rewatched it. Soooo I definitely tried to make him more spider like by making his eyes more prominent and giving him pointy side burns that act as mandibles. I also gave him him his spider butt and some weird ass legs. Oh and , unrelated, I like to imagine he does burlesque.

Nifty- MY FAVORITEE , I love nifty guys, she’s my POOKIE bear. When going into her design I knew I wanted to make her look older since I thought it was weird how much she was infantilized so I gave her lipstick and pearl earrings to make her look more like a refine 1950s housewife, as well as give her an apron and cleaning gloves to make her feel more like a maid. I also leaned into her subtle bug theme by giving her antennae, and giving polka dots on her dress for a very subtle lady bug theme (cause she’s my little lady). Some more small things I gave her a little swirl in her bangs to call back to victory rolls, as well as some subtle hints of green to call back to the uranium craze of that time.

Vaggie- she was difficult. Initially, I had no idea what I wanted to do with her, but I think that’s also because she’s not a very fleshed out character? Her whole story is kind of , Support Charlie and be a fallen angel.(still love chaggie tho) So I took some creative liberties, and gave her a more mature look- with some periwinkle to act as a subtle hint to her angelic nature. I also gave her the monocle from alastor design cause I thought it made more sense for her? Like, if anyone is gonna have the one eyed visual aid it’s gonna be the bitch with one eye. It also makes her look more matured? And I gave her a moth broach to call back to her moth inspo.

Annnd that’s it! I’ll be working on the next batch soon, which will likely have husk and sir pentious, if you have any other people you wanna see lmk!

#hazbin hotel #hazbin #hazbin art #hazbin hotel oc #hazbin hotel redesign #fypシ #helluva fanart #helluva boss #angel dust #hazbin hotel alastor #hazbin hotel charlie #hazbin hotel vaggie #hazbin hotel nifty #fyp

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docgold13 · 6 months

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Batman: The Animated Series - Paper Cut-Out Portraits and Profiles

The Penguin

Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot was a powerful mob boss of Gotham City. Portly and on the short side, Cobblepot always wore a tuxedo and top hat, used a monocle and long cigarette holder. He maintained these affectations because he felt they made him appear refined and sophisticated. Coupled with his stature and long nose, however, his outfit made him look something like a penguin; and it was from here he gained the nickname of ‘The Penguin.’ It was a nom de guerre that Cobblepopt owned with pride in that he had great love for all things avian.

Although well educated, cultured and quite clever, Cobblepot was never accepted by the social elites of Gotham. He was peculiar and did not come from a prestigious family. Scorned, The Penguin turned to a life of crime, rapidly moving up the ranks of the criminal underworld. And yet he still pined to be accepted amongst high society.

The Penguin’s trademark weapons was a series of umbrellas that concealed various weapons and gadgets. This included a machine gun umbrella, an umbrella that doubled as a sword and even an umbrella with a rotary blade engine facilitating short-term flight.

The Penguin has had multiple run-in with Batman and the Dark Knight has proven an arch foe that has thwarted nearly all of the villain’s schemes and criminal endeavors. Unlike many of Batman’s other adversaries, The Penguin has never been deemed insane. When arrested, he was sent to Stonegate Penitentiary as opposed to Arkham Asylum.

Actor Paul Williams provided the voice for The Penguin, with the villain first appearing in the twentieth episode of the first season of Batman: The Animated Series, ‘I’ve Got Batman In My Basement.’

#batman the animated series #Batman #The Penguin #Oswald Cobblepot #Paul Williams #cut-out #paper art #Dc Comics

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wariocompany · 7 months

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My actual CVC headcanons written as I trudge through episode after episode in the hopes that I might see him for twenty glorious seconds (LONG)

Cookie Monster is his bestie, they hang out and act Strange together

He has phases of enjoying counting in certain ways. There are some days when counting zero of something is like hell to him, and others when it's all he wants to do.

His memory is borderline photographic; that's both how and why he keeps his counting diary. It helps him empty his head and show he's able to keep track of countable things that would otherwise be forgotten.

He moved to Sesame because he was getting sick of the same-same life of back home, restricted by whatever more ancient relics of count life were supposed to be; especially having to spend time talking to other Important People. On Sesame he gets to do what he wants and be like everyone else, even if he is different. It's also why he says his name is because of his hobby and not, like, the actual reason

He went to an international/accelerated school, where Matilda also went; it was indeed maths oriented, but the Count is exaggerating a bit when he says it was a "counting school".

He did actually catch a bit of an Australian accent from Matilda as a child, as she was his main source of English speaking, but it faded after she moved; all the teachers were either American-accented or had accents like his

He actually has no negative physical reaction to sunlight, he just doesn't like it because of the 'tism

He actually needs the monocle, it's a glasses lens, he read way too much in the dark as a kid

He didn't realise that hyponotising people for his counting purposes could upset people and had to be informed of the fact; but of course, this happened quite quickly, which is why it only happened a few times.

He loves watching sports and pays a great deal of attention to the stats. He especially loves sports analysis shows with "360" in the title. Book keeping etc has also, of course, always been of great interest to him, as well as anything else stats-based in pop culture, such as the census (as we know), elections, algorithms, and so on.

However, he isn't some sort of betting wizard. He is certainly good at counting up things, but putting them into practice and making an analysis of them takes more effort for him, especially if it's a synthesis of a variety of factors.

While he doesn't need a steady job these days, he does do odd accounting jobs during tax time to get himself something nice

He can do all sorts of mathematics, but he simply finds the most interest in counting (and by proxy smaller multiplication tables). He can help you with more challenging maths if you ask him; however, it isn't very interesting for him and he only knows it because of his time at his cute little special boy school

He and the Countess do speak Hungarian reasonably frequently, but not all the time

They knew each other before they met on Sesame, but only vaguely, through friends of friends of friends as children

He was nocturnal for a pretty long while but after he made more friends on Sesame he started to change his sleep schedule for convenience

^ In general, a lot of his vampirisms started to naturally go away after he made friends, and a healthy dose of counting every day keeps him hunky dory.

34,696 was only his favourite number on the day they asked; it changes constantly

He has one of those birthday cake books which teach you how to make numbers for kids' birthdays and we frequently bakes them for friends' birthdays as well as for whenever CM comes over

I'll add more later

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riddle-me-ri · 1 year

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Abosolutely love the way you write penguins 😭🤍 Since btas Oz is the most adorable gentlemen imo I'd like to request some drabble or hcs about artist S/O who tries to make a portrait of Oz because man deserves the world ngl

A/N: aww omg that's super adorable!! Sorry if it ends kinda weird, I wasn’t sure how to end this drabble lol.

Trigger Warnings: none, just pure fluffy sweetness

Word Count: 739

BTAS Penguin x Artist!Reader - A Portrait for The Penguin

You knew better than to stay up as late as you did in your studio. The last thing you needed was for Oz to grow concerned and have the surprise spoiled early.

You couldn’t help it though, you were so close to getting the portrait done.

As you painted his long black hair, you paint in the rich colors of his three piece suit, and you added detail to his monocle, including the small light reflecting off of it. You found your heart swell as the man you love slowly came to life on canvas.

You hoped that maybe, just maybe, with this painting Oswald can catch a glimpse of how you see him. An intelligent, cultured, and handsome man whom the world turned they’re back on purely because of his physical traits.

When he asks curiously just what subject could you be painting that has you so wound up in your studio. He couldn’t recall the last time you stowed away for hours on end in your studio.

You did your best to act indifferent. You were just in a motivated mood to get it done today…something generic but not entirely false. You assure him you’ll show it to him tomorrow once the paint is dried and the colors fully settle.

As the morning sun pierced through the slit between your curtains, you almost leaped out of bed. Like a child on Christmas morning, you gently nudged Oswald awake, it takes some time but finally, you both get out of bed.

You didn’t waste any time, not even bothering with breakfast. You grabbed his hand and immediately led him to your studio.

“Well, well, I don’t think I’ve seen you this enthused about any of your pieces. Am I witnessing you’re magnum opus, beloved?” Oswald chuckled sleepily.

You smiled widely with a hint of pride. You never thought about it, but it may as well be your magnum opus. You captured the person you loved the most forever on canvas, painted painstakingly by hand fueled by a concoction of your skill and loving devotion to him.

“Well, possibly…I think it could be.” You replied as you made your way around your easel and grabbed the loose edges.

“Are you ready, Oz?” You inquired, not being able to resist building the suspense.

“Of course, darling!”

You breathed and gently stripped the fabric off the canvas and easel. Slowly, the portrait was revealed.

Silence hung in the room like a damp towel for a beat. You walked around and saw a clear reaction of shock on Oswald’s face.

Oz was speechless, his jaw hung open, and his eyes were widen like saucers.

For a moment, you became self-conscious of your work…what if..he didn’t like it?

“W-Well…what do you think, Ozzie?” You asked trying to null the silence.

Oswald is trying to find the words. He shook his head and smacked his jaw open and close trying to make his tongue and lips form words.

“I-I-I…Is-Is that...me?”

“Of course, darling.” You smiled brightly.

Oz walked closer to the easel. He admired every detail.

For once, he got to see himself and actually liked what he saw.

“Is…is this how you see me?” Oswald asked in a hush whisper, still not taking his eyes off the portrait.

“Yes, Ozzie. I hoped that…maybe even for just a moment, it would help you get a glance at how I see you. How I adore you, darling.” You walked up behind him and embraced him from behind.

You two stood in comfortable silence. You both admired the art and the presence of each other.

“You’ve absolutely outdone yourself, my dove.” Oswald chuckled. “I-I love it…I can tell you put your whole heart into. The heart that I love.” He turned around to face you.

Instinctively, you both leaned down and shared a sweet grateful kiss. When you slowly pulled away from the kiss, a question came to mind.

“Now, where should we display it?” You asked giddily.

Oswald laughed. “Oh there’s plenty of possibilities, my dove, but before we display it…I have one condition.”

You titled your head in confusion.

He chuckled heartily some more. “My portrait can’t be by itself! You must paint yourself so that they can go together! Yes, together forever, a beautiful love forever captured on canvas.”

Your heart swelled. Just when you think that Oswald couldn’t absolutely get more romantic.

“I’ll be sure to get right on it.”

#ri writes #btas penguin x reader #btas oswald cobblepot x reader #batman the animated series penguin x reader #batman the animated series oswald cobblepot x reader

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historia-vitae-magistras · 5 months

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Thoughts on 🧐 😓 🐈 for Alfred?

🧐 FACE WITH MONOCLE — is your oc more logical or emotional?

Slightly slightly more emotional. It's like a 52/48 logic/emotion split with him. He thinks he's very logical. He's very good at math and can be very strategic, but my god is he emotional. It's mostly stored as passion and joy and just sheer energy but the grief could swallow him.

😓 DOWNCAST FACE WITH SWEAT — is your oc open-minded or stubborn? are they inquisitive or do they prefer to keep to their bubble of knowledge?

He's open-minded when he's confident, but god, this is one of the tremendously conflicting traits of American culture and, for me, one of Alfred's most contradictory personality traits. He will change the world with his willingness to change and listen but then retract onto some old-fashioned sense of a world that never existed for security he'll never see. He yearns for a Star Trek future but still will raise an eyebrow and mutter about communism if people get a little too far with what he's comfortable with as far as opinions that might get him there go.

🐈 CAT — des your oc prefer a wide circle of friends or a few close friends?

He's the peak American who's friendly with everyone and intimate with few I think. Liked by many, loved by less. I think his most enduring relationships are the ones that were intimate when he was so much less. The odd loyalty Matt has when he really shouldn't is part of that. Tolys adrift in the world after the famines of the late 1860s popped into his life just as he was re-emerging from the civil war. He and Kiku have a had a weird thing going on since the Black Ships that was very much effect by geopolitics but still pretty tight. He and Mari have been on and off since 1750 or so.

#the ask box || probis pateo #alfred || o beautiful for spacious skies

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themildlyanxiousmage · 15 days

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I'm disappointed in you Tumblr. There's a caring, fatherly DILF, and there's barely any hornyposting or fangirling (gender neutral) for this magnificent character. Where's the love for Varsh Ko'kuu?

(pic stolen from the wiki, sorry. Don't have screenshots)

Where's the reader insert fics where you raise the egg together or whatever the heck we all collectively fantasize about? Where's the art to express yearning for living in a small cottage with 3 cats while making artisanal bread? He's right there, wanting to protect an unhatched egg in a culture that demands he kill it, and he's holding on and getting more emotional than his gith upbringing allows. This is like prime Tumblr obsession bait. He's even weirdly thin and has a monocle. I don't know what more you all want.

Yes, I know I'm included in my disappointment, but I'm not a good writer, and I have zero romantic experience, so you would be disappointed in my work. Also, every attempt of mine to write anything drifts into parody because I can't take myself seriously. But there are some great writers and visual artists who I think could do this character justice. I challenge you all to prove me right.

This drunken ramble has gone on long enough, but please spread the word about this beautiful character. He's like the only attractive male gith ever (fight me), and only a handful of people acknowledge it. I beg of you, let's start a wave of unhealthy obsessions. We can only read hornyposts about Astarion and Halsin for so long. I love those two, but we need variety, and this dude seems to check a lot of boxes for unhealthy obsessions. Just look at him, and look at how he doesn't treat you with as much disdain as the other gith do. We can fix him, Tumblr. We can fix this emotionally repressed sad DILF man together.

Idk how to end this bye

#I'm fine #why do you ask #varsh ko'kuu #baldur’s gate 3 #githyanki #drunk rambles #baldur's gate iii #baldur's gate #bg3 #bg3 gith

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metalheadsforblacklivesmatter · 2 years

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Things you should not dress up as your Halloween.

Any serial killers whose victims or immediate families are still alive. (Don't dress as Jeffery Dahmer.)

Any cultural specific costumes (Don't dress up as a geisha, Indigenous person, Hawai'ian, etc) I'm aware Hawaiian is an indigenous people but I needed to list the separately in case the reader didn't know.

Any costume that relies on antisemitic or racist tropes (Jynx's style is often attributed to the Japanese style Ganguro but many Black people in the world see this style as Japanese Blackface, witches and goblins with a large nose and dark curly hair are seen as antisemitic stereotypes)

Any religious or spiritual figures from closed practices. (No Voodoo priestess or Kali)

No viking looks with facepaint (there is no historical evidence that Vikings wore facepaint and that myth only started because TV shows used indigenous looks to make vikings look like heathens. So that's extremely anti-indigenous.)

No Blackface. No yellowface (dressing up to look Asian). No dressing up as an Indegous person. No dressing up as a Mexican person. No costumes dressing up as a specific race or ethnicity.

No culturally insensitive costumes. No Nazis. No Muslim suicide boomers. No slaves. No confederate soldiers.

No "sexy schoolgirls" or any outfits that sexualize minors.

No Harry Potter stuff. Please let JKR's memory fade so we can't all pretend like she never existed.

No homophobic or transphobic bullshit. (Dressing in drag is okay as long as it's not transphobic or racist)

No fatphobia or abelism. Missing limbs for your pirate costume is fine but like. No "mental patient" or some "psychopath" or stupid shit like that.

No terrorist. What the hell.

Before you dumbasses are like "Well I guess I'll just not because you're taking all of the fun out up it!" There's a lot of great ideas.

Cosplay characters (as long as you don't do blackface or yellowface. And any Japanese costumes don't include Japanese WW2 styles. You're good.) But fr you'd be suprised how many anime characters have Japanese WW2 clothing styles.

Puns. Everyone always loves a good cereal killer costume. Maybe Taco Belle?

Disney Princess. Same rule as above. No blackface or yellowface.

Animals are fun.

Superheros as long as you don't do blackface or yellowface.

Your favorite book character? Percy Jackson? Dracula? Frankenstein?

Fantasy creatures? Goblins and witches are fine if you don't use antisemitic trope. Werewolves are fine if you don't do anti-indigenous tropes. Vampires. Dragons.

Horror movie villains? There's a lot of good ideas there, as long as your villains don't use anti-indigenous or voodoo or hoodoo tropes.

SCPs

Professions? Firefighter? Teacher? I'll even accept a cop if you want to make a pig joke.

A good period costume? Like a gentleman with ba monocle and cane or a lady in a hoop skirt? As long as it's not Nazis, WW2 Japan, Indigenous, or otherwise offensive.

There's like, so many amazing ideas without being a racist dickwad. And I'd LOVE to see some dragons or SCPs this Halloween. Or some really awesome book character that you hyperfocused on. That'd be SO COOL.

(If you dress up as your favorite book character, feel free to take a picture and send it to the author. That makes their fucking DAY.)

But fr. There's SO many options without being a bigoted asshole, and quite honestly I think those options would be more creative and unique and STAND OUT.

Seriously, though. If I see any kids dressed as dragons, they can have the whole damn candy bowl.

-fae

#halloween #costumes #costume

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madmanswords · 7 months

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Here's a dumb question: I just realized I have disposable income and time off scheduled in February with no plans for what to do with it.

So anyway, I now have tickets to see Back to the Future on Broadway in February.

What do ya wear to Back to the Future on Broadway? Do I need a monocle? Can I dress similar to how Marty dresses in general? Business casual? Potato sack?

I ain't cultured, y'all. I'm hoping I can wear jeans, but IT'S BROADWAY.

#Back to the Future the Musical #Broadway #Help your local low brow friend

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moonlight-tmd · 1 year

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So i’m still working on the fanfic, tryna figure out what goes where... for now enjoy this little fluffy ficlet my brain mustered up while trying to nap. Imma upload this on ao3 when the song fic is done.

This is set some time after the initial confession in my world, Blitz just discovered what a kiss is. X3

Blitzwing was currently walking to the hideout. Falling snow piled up on him as he threaded thru the mounds of snow on the ground. The earth's weather was going crazy lately, snow constantly falling from the sky like it was now.

He couldn't fly or else he'd crash, he couldn't drive cuz the ground was unstable. Slowly walking to the destination was his only choice.

He finally reached the warehouse, he opened the door a quickly hid inside. Upon entering he was greeted with a loud crash and a curse.

Blitzwing quickly shook off the majority of the snow off of him to see what has caused such ruckus.

When he finally looked up, he was greeted with a sight of colorful decor scattered around the big room. They looked just like the ones he's seen in the city; colorful lights, silvery stars and dark leaf bundles with white and red berries. It was so pretty...

As he looked around he finally noticed the source of the noise, it looked like Bumblebee was doing something with the fairy lights, using one of the big old metal stands in the warehouse as a ladder to reach a spot and got spooked when Blitzwing entered, causing him to slip and fall. He was currently struggling on the floor, trying to untangle himself from the pure white strings.

Blitzwing chuckled at his little hummel, going over and rescuing him from the sparkly binds.

"You're here, finally." Bee greeted, he still was a bit bitter from the fall.

"Sorry i'm late, i didn't zhink it vould take zhis long to valk here." Blitzwing set the lights aside, "Vhat were jou doing while i was gone?"

"Oh, well- i wanted to set up Christmas decoration with you, but since you weren't showing up i decided to start on my own. I was about to hang these on the ceiling when you came in." Bee gestured to the string of snowflake shaped lights he was just untangled from.

"Zhat would explain zhe crash." Blitzwing said witly.

"Oh shush." Bumblebee got up from the floor, "Anyway, i still got some stuff to hang up, wanna help me?" He asked.

"Sure" Blitz replied. He followed Bee to a crate that was placed on their makeshift coffee table. Bumblebee dug inside and pulled out various rings and bundles made of dark leaves with red and white berries, all made of plastic so it'll last longer. He never understood why Bee was partaking in human holidays, they weren't in their culture. But if it brought him joy to do something different once a stellar cycle then might as well see what's its about. "Those still need a place to go." Bee said, placing the decor on the table.

Blitzwing pulled from the pile a small bundle of leaves with white berries, prettily tied together with a red ribbon. He brought it up and zoomed in with his monocle optic to inspect it. "Vhat is zhis?" Blitz hummed, but before he could get an answer, Bumblebee leaned in and gingerly kissed Blitzwing's cheek, like in the movies.

It took a bit for him to wake up from the surprise, he looked at Bumblebee who was smiling bashfully. "Vhat was zhat?"

"Ah, it's called a 'kiss'. Humans do this to show affection- and you were holding a mistletoe, it's a tradition to kiss the person who's under it." Bee explained, he was a bit flustered. Geez, it was such a cheesy and corny thing to do.

Blitzwing's silence was broken by his inky face appearing. He took a wreath of red and white berries and dunked it around Bee's neck. "Hey-!" Before he could protest, Blitz grabbed him by the shoulders, pulled him close-

The next thing Bumblebee knew was that he had a long, wet trail on his cheek.

"Like zhis!?" Blitzwing asked happily, his long glossa hanging from his jagged intake.

Bee blinked, "Ah- not really-" He noticed Blitz's grin flattening a little. "-But it's close enough." Blit'z grin immediately stretched audial to audial. It means he did good!

He pulled Bee in a tight hug and nuzzled his faceplate into the spot he just licked.

Bee laughed gleefully. It might have not been the best first kiss but it was something.

#blitzbee #christmass fic in summer cuz why the fuck not #maccadam #tfa #tfa fanfic

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freakingoutthesquares · 1 year

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Mojo Britpop Special 2009 This Year’s Model. Transcription: Me.

A mix of Celtic yobs and art school wits, Pulp created a culturally momentous update of old school glam. But joining London's glitterati fragmented them. By Roy Wilkinson.

At the 96 BRITS, whilst Jarvis Cocker was making himself known to Michael Jackson via a stage invasion, bandmate Russell Senior was making another acquaintance. ‘I met Chris Eubank,’ says Russell of the monocle wearing former boxer. ‘We were getting on famously, but after the Jackson incident he folded his arms and turned away because he was a huge Jackson fan. I'd been having this interesting conversation, about art, philosophy... But Jarvis ruined it!’ [Laughs] ‘Though he had a point, of course.’

A phenomenon as chummy as Britpop was never likely to produce seditious acts similar to self-immolating monks or suffragettes throwing themselves under horses. Cocker's BRITS incursion was perfect - a commando raid as envisaged by Charlie Chaplin. If the Britpop was a national Jubilee, Cocker’s assault was the feat of bravado that marked the party at its peak - before dawn revealed the broken glass and trampled flower beds.

With nothing but a stylised posterior display and glare full of silent movie distain Cocker derailed Jackson’s plan to recast himself as a mix of Jesus, David Attenborough and Doctor Bernardo. Surrounded by children, images of wildlife and actors done up as representatives of the world's key religions, Jacko sang on through Earth Song, oblivious to Cocker’s presence. But the rest of the world noticed, and there were consequences.

Jarvis was locked up at Kensington police station, Brian Eno took out a pro-Cocker advert in industry paper Music Week, while Simon and Yasmin Le Bon appeared in the Daily Mirror wearing ‘Justice for Jarvis’ T-shirts. An act that united the ex-Roxy Music pop sage with the Duran Duran singer was an appropriately odd reflection of the way Pulp’s uneven career embraced both high and low art. By the time Cocker gatecrashed Jackson's performance, Pulp had been going 18 years. Jarvis, a single minded fellow, was the only surviving original member.

Russell Senior left Pulp after ‘Jacksongate’ in January 1997. He'd been with the band since 1983, effectively operating as Jarvis, his right-hand man. When I spoke to Russell, he was attempting to create a nesting site for kingfishers in the garden of his three-bedroom family home in Sheffield. Conversation ranged from Suede and Oasis to Russell’s fascination for central Europe. He recently visited Criona, a Serb enclave in Croatia. The band's guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, Russell quit Pulp, citing artistic frustration and the desire to spend more time with his family. He'd been part of Pulp’s slow ascent to 1995’s Different Class album, the band's commercial and critical peak, cut by a line up completed by keyboard player Candida Doyle, drummer Nick Banks and bassist Steve Mackey.

Jarvis wasn't the only member of Pulp to trespass at the BRITS. Cocker was accompanied by Peter Mansell, Pulp bassist, from 84 to 87. Mansell’s presence at the BRITS was a subtle reminder of the bands long torturous history. They survived years on the dole and lived through the Miners’ Strike, during which Russell served on the picket lines. Pulp finally reached the masses during Britpop's commercial peak in 95. But for Senior. Britpop began earlier, on a night in Paris in October 1991. Pulp were third on the bill to Blur and Lush.

‘My first experience of Blur,’ says Russell,’ was walking into their dressing room in Paris and seeing them smashing this mirrored wall. The floor was covered in glass and Alex (James) was pouring champagne out of the window onto the people below. Damon (Albarn) was flicking spoonfuls of caviar out of a window. The first thing Graham (Coxon) said to me was, ‘We like your band. We're going to copy you.’ I used to do this kind of Pete Townsend arm fling. Next time I saw Blur, Graham was doing it but making it look more like a Nazi salute.’

‘Later I thought their Girls and Boys single was very Pulp. (Blur producer) Stephen Steet did say, ‘I know we've nicked your clothes a bit.’ But I'm not griping at Blur because they had the balls to do it bigger. For me, that night in Paris was the start of Britpop. It's not something I'm going to knock. I mean, there was a period little later when I started wearing Union Jack socks.’

Prior to Senior’s Britpop flashpoint in Paris, he is band had a 13 year pre-history - unlucky for some including, it seems, Pulp. The band came into being in 78, formed by Jarvis at school in Sheffield. They were known as Arabicus Pulp, the Arabicus coming from a copy of the Financial Times. It alluded to a commodities index featuring coffee arabica, found in Ethiopia and Yemen. Spiritually cursed by such obtuseness, Pulp spent the next 15 years plagued by tragicomic levels of ill omen and commercial failure. There were rehearsals in the building shared with table tennis clubs and model railway enthusiasts. According to Jarvis, these hobbyist sects were at daggers-drawn and expressed their antipathy by crapping outside each other’s doors. Jarvis said in 1993 that he devoted much of ‘It’ Pulp’s 83 debut to ‘writing all these songs about girls when I'd never had a proper girlfriend.’ When he did secure female attention, Cocker had unconventional ways of making an impression. He attempted to walk along a second-floor window ledge outside a Sheffield bookshop. He fell, breaking a wrist and ankle and fracturing his pelvis.

Subsequent shows saw Jarvis singing from a wheelchair - a sight some interpreted as grotesque take on the kind of ‘disability chic’ launched by a hearing-aid-adorned Morrissey. Pulp made an album for £600. The sales figure wasn't of a dissimilar magnitude. Pulp made three albums in these wilderness years. It was followed by Freaks (1987) and Separations (1991) [Actually 1992!]. Freaks’ subtitle - Ten Songs About Power, Claustrophobia, Suffocation and Holding Hands – said Pulp were still some way from the matily exuberant dimensions of, say, Blurs beery, Britpop totem Girls and Boys.

I first interviewed Jarvis and Russell in 87 around Freaks. They were genuinely amazed that then record company Fire had stretched to some chocolate biscuits to go with tea. The resulting article compared Pulp to Ian McEwan, Bertold Brecht and Carry On actor Charles Hawtrey.

‘It wasn't all about me and Jarvis by any means,’ says Russell of Freaks. ‘There was also this Celtic yob element which was (Belfast born) Candida Doyle, Magnus (Doyle, Candida’s brother and Pulp drummer at that point) and Pete Mansell. If it was just me and Jarvis, it would have all been very art school. The other three liked Sham 69… Actually, we all liked Sham 69. Perhaps that was the only thing we all had in common. In fact, we sometimes played Sham 69s Hurry up, Harry live.

After Freaks, Jarvis moved to London, studying at Central St. Martins College of Art and Design. Steve Mackey had joined Pulp on bass and was also in the capital studying film at the Royal College of Art. Soon Pulp were exhibiting a more playful mood and an unknowingly pop-art retrospection. There were concert flyers advocating ‘Pulp-ish’ things to do, such as ‘doing a wheelie on a Raleigh Chopper’ and ‘Going to the supermarket wearing a lurex jumper.’

This increasing friskiness - and references to the kind of 70s bicycling design that would soon turn up in the video for Supergrass’, Alright single - began to manifest itself in Pulp’s records. In the early 1990s they released a string of singles full of a new vivacity. In title, at least one single could hardly have given clearer indication that Pulp were now ready for revelry. It was called Razzamatazz.

Pulp left Fire for Island Records. The band's first album proper for Island was His’n’Hers in 1994. Now Pulp finally reached the Top 10 of the UK Albums Chart. The sleeve featured an airbrushed portrait of the band by Philip Castle, the artist best known for his poster image for the film A Clockwork Orange in 1971 - Pulp were a vision of sci-fi second-hand chic. The music included the same pop art reconfiguration of the past.

‘Glam rock was a big part of the picture,’ says Russell. ‘I'd written this mission statement for the band - about making the fairground music of the future. The music of dodgem cars and girls with love bites - the modern version of Sugar Baby Love by the Rubettes, anything by Slade and Sweet. In the dour time we were experiencing, there was a wistfulness for the exuberance of glam rock. We believed in glamour. We absolutely wanted to be pop stars - on our own terms, but pop stars nonetheless.’

With its vandals, acrylics and tales of sexual initiation His’n’Hers was a critical and commercial success. The next 16 months saw Pulp - Jarvis in particular - become a national treasure. Where once Cocker had occupied the mildewed margins, now he seemed to be permanently addressing the nation with wit, charm and the ability to correctly answer every question that Mike Read [it was Chris ‘Talent’ Tarrant actually!] asked in the quick fire round on BBC 1's Pop Quiz.

Pulp’s years lurking in the backwaters could now be seen as advantageous, their own prolonged version of the way The Beatles had honed their craft hidden away in Hamburg. If Britpop was about taking age-old strands of British culture and re-styling them for the contemporary era, Pulp were masters of the moment. The Sheffield years weren't far removed from the formative grind endured by any traditional Northern stand-up comedian.

Russel: ‘On stage, Jarvis is always great at talking to people. But before Britpop, he kind of had them in his hand and then turned it into a joke. That used to drive me mad because I wanted him to keep hold of them and make it all really euphoric. Coming into the 90s he became a full-on master of ceremonies and it was great. The Pulp shows in that period was so exciting. That was the best of it for me. I don't think we ever truly captured it on record.’

When Pulp stood in for an injury-stricken Stone Roses at Glastonbury in 1995, they were greeted with the kind of open-armed gratitude Allied troops experienced while liberating Paris in 1944. These latter-day saviours brought with them a whiff of sex and nylons, but also Common People, a song that for the summer of 1995 became a universal anthem to match Lily Marlene or The White Cliffs of Dover.

When Jarvis guest presented Top of the Pops in 1994, he was met with a wave of communal good will. Even more so than when Chris U band appeared two years later, gamey lisping through ‘Suggs at six with Cecilia.’ Then Pulp became Top of the Pops themselves, their Different Class album hitting Number 1. It wasn't difficult to account for its success. The likes of Mis-Shapes and Something Changed have show-tune vigour that could have been as successful for Tommy Steele or Jesus Christ Superstar. There were also more left field inclinations. Common People was partly inspired by the drones of American minimalist composers Steve Reich and La Monte Young. But at its core, the album dealt in ancient methodology: narrative writing set to music everyone could understand.

While Britpop groups occasionally mined British music hall, Pulp surveyed the eternal verities of popular song less self-consciously than their peers. Here was a new folk music, but one that always felt like pop music. Musically, the album touched on The Beatles’ Revolution 9, drum and bass, the soundtrack to 1966 French film Un Homme et une Femme by Claude Lelouch and Gloria the 1982 hit from Laura Branigan. It amounted to a remarkable piece of populist art. However, the band have mixed memories of this period.

‘It did feel like vindication,’ says Nick Banks. ‘We were always confident that if only the masses could hear what we were doing, then they'd like it. When people did hear it, quite a few thought it was good enough to shell out for a record or two.’

‘At the time,’ says Candida Doyle, ‘We fought against the Britpop label. I thought we were the best band and there was no way we should be grouped with these other bands, but looking back, we were part of it and I'm glad we were. It was only in 2000 that I actually began to enjoy playing with the band. Before that, I was petrified on stage. Headlining Glastonbury, that was really fucking scary. But when we played Common People and they turned the lights on the crowd singing for miles into the distance, I'll never forget that.’

Russell has a more challenging version of events. ‘It had become a travesty,’ he says. Different Class was a kind of last gasp. It was over by then, but we still managed to get it down as a document. I rather hated Jarvis when he was in the studio singing Common People. He'd become so far removed. He was the villain of the piece because he was wearing trousers he'd been given by some designer. He wasn't wearing his jumble sale trousers. We were surrounded by coked-up knobheads.’

Senior also talks about an attitudinal North-South divide in the band at this point. In the Southern corner were London residents Jarvis and Steve. For the North, Russell, Nick and Candida, (though Candida was actually living in London by this point.) It's a perspective partly shared by Nick. ‘There was a North-South divide,’ says Russell, ‘Abso-fucking-lutely. I like living in Sheffield and one does have a chip on one’s shoulder about being patronised by poncy Southern bastards. To find there was a couple of members of the band who were doing the patronising was rather irksome! (laughs) The more they go all Kate Moss and London, the more I'd be, ‘By heck, where's me whippet?’ There was definitely a divide within the band.’

Russell left Pulp as they began to work on what would become 1998’s This is Hardcore album. By this time narcotics had become part of the picture, appearing in the lyrics of This is Hardcore and becoming a staple topic in Pulp interviews.

‘I thought that was a distorted image,’ says Steve Mackey. ‘I've never known Jarvis have a problem with narcotics. Ever. I was taking a lot more drugs than he was, but I didn't think I was taking that many. With Pulp no one ever went to rehab, no one was taking heroin. I don't recall Jarvis ever regularly taking drugs. But it did become a fairly regular part of the studio experience during This is Hardcore, and that's a dangerous thing. It became a bit of a self-indulgent record. But in a way that's also its finest hour, because something glorious came out of that. I feel very affectionate about that record. I think we really reached something with that.’

And the alleged north-south divide?

‘I never felt that,’ says Mackey, ‘My recollection of why Russell left is that after Different Class, it was clear he wanted to make a record that followed on in that vein. Me and Jarvis made it clear we weren't going to make that kind of record. Russell made it clear he didn't want to make our kind of record. The split was pretty amicable - we didn't fall out, but it cast a shadow over the band. I missed Russell - he was the person I loved watching when I saw them live before I joined.’

Before Pulp played their last show in 2002, they made one more album, the nature oriented We Love Life, released in 2001. There was also an underperforming greatest hits compilation in 2002, a record Jarvis has described as ‘the real whimper, the real silent fart’ of Pulp’s career. It charted Number 71, then disappeared. But if Pulp’s last years can read as forlorn times, that wasn't really the case. Recorded with Scott Walker, We Love Life has some of Pulp’s finest material, particularly the wonderfully elegiac, spoken word piece, Wickerman.

Nowadays, Pulp’s ex-members have a healthy view on all the past dramas, perhaps because Pulp isn't the only thing in their lives anymore. Jarvis was unavailable for interview because he was in America mastering his second solo LP. He also guest-edited BBC Radio 4’s Today programme and collaborated with Nancy Sinatra and Marianne Faithful. I spoke to Candida Doyle as she was visiting Disneyland Paris with six Shetland cousins and their ten children. She’s started a counselling course in London. Steve Mackey just finished producing Florence and the Machine’s debut album. He's produced and co-written for MIA and has remixed the likes of Kelis and Arcade Fire. While overseeing London's Frieze Art Fair’s musical programme, Mackey booked Karlheinz Stockhausen for one of his last engagements before he died. Nick Banks plays at private parties with The Big Shambles, knocking out covers of songs by The Damned, David Bowie and Amy Whitehouse. More typically, he runs Banks' pottery, a Rotherham based crockery business – ‘Crock’n’roll, as we like to call it.’

Of all the former members, Russell Senior has strayed furthest from music. He's written 50,000 words of a debut novel and has been setting up a ‘wild-foods processing plant.’ An avid lover of wild mushrooms, Russell has been furthering this. Rather than reducing trees to a pulp, he's utilised woodland in a more sustainable manner. ‘What I've been doing,’ he says, ‘is drilling little holes in Birch trees to collect sap – I’d highly recommend it.”

Scans from PulpWiki

#russell senior #jarvis cocker #steve mackey #candida doyle #nick banks #mark webber #pulp #britpop #90s #interview

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dream-meister-translations · 1 year

Text

ADEL - VOICE COLLECTION

━

"Looks like you are hard at work. Take this gift as a reward."

"Time is finite. Let's do this quickly."

"The true culture of a country is expressed through it's clothing."

"It's time to replenish my calories…"

"If there are any unique fabrics, I would like to stock up on them."

"Hmm… Quite the assortment. I'd like to restock my embroidery threads and buttons. Do you have any in stock?"

"Defeat is not something to be ashamed of. It is a way to grow. When we are both prepared, we will take on the challenge again."

"Rookie, let me tell you something right off the bat. My workshop is a battlefield. You must be prepared before you step into it."

"After three all-nighters, you'll begin to feel this strange sense of satisfaction. Haha, we can still keep working!"

"I just finished an order. I feel better than ever. So yes, I'll take you up on your proposition to chit-chat."

"Get a needle and thread!"

"Is that an additional request?"

"I don't have enough nutrients!"

"Perhaps it's time for a temporary retreat?"

"I don't know why I've felt so good since you arrived. I hope you didn't mix anything strange into the food you made for me."

"Both as a guild keeper and as my personal partner, I'm not giving you up."

"At first, I was prepared to push you out of my workshop if you got in the way. Now, I think I'm taking it for granted that you're right here next to me."

"The best job requires the best partner. Which means you're stuck with me for the rest of your life."

"Let's put the finishing touches on this one-of-a-kind piece. It's the only one in the world. That makes it fit for a king."

"You're going to be my very own personal assistant. It will make my job so much easier."

"At first I thought you were going to be an unskilled rookie, but you've got a great attitude. Keep up the good work."

"Fools do not deserve fine clothing."

"I can't wait to see how my tailoring will change your future."

"We've got a lot of work to do when we get back!"

"Phew. I got my breather. Let's get back to work."

"Is this your attempt at small talk? Nothing out of the ordinary here, it's just a barrage of delivery dates after delivery dates.

"If you are asking me about my work, it's going great. You're a total amateur if you can be swayed to rest by something as silly as physical health."

"Huh? You think I've been pushing myself too hard? Why are you so insistent about this…?"

"Alright, get the hell out of my workshop. You should know my leisure time is precious."

"Merry Rose is a delight. He's always getting into trouble, though. I'm not quite sure what to make of him."

"Canaan is…Hmm…He may be wishy-washy, but he's also talented. There is no doubt about that."

"Everyone in the Dream Weavers guild has their quirks you say? Hmm.. I suppose that's true."

"We are the ones who make the king a king. That's the Dream Weavers philosophy. There is no room in this guild for mediocrity."

"You may only be a rookie now, but there's something special about you. I'm counting on you."

"Cleaning my glasses is a necessity. When I'm upset, polishing my monocle calms me down a little bit."

"I carry my sewing kit with me at all times. It's practically a third limb. I can't relax without it."

"These candies I carry revitalize my calories. Merry Rose ate them once. He got mad that they were honey flavored."

"I'm just sketching out the design for a new outfit idea."

"The moment you saw my newest design, your eyes lit up. It's obvious you're a fan."

"If you plan to keep coming in and out of my workshop, I require you study up on your knowledge of clothing and train your eye for aesthetics."

"How dare you approach me so closely? You've got guts. I'll give you that."

"Most who get close to me are doing so to steal my designs or use my talent. In your case, it doesn't seem to be for that purpose."

"The color of your eyes are like the shade of a decorative button I saw the other day. Hey, why are you suddenly looking away?"

"It's been days since I've been out of my workshop. When I'm absorbed in my work, I lose all sense of time."

"I just finished a job. I'll join you for a change."

"I just got an idea for a new outfit. I need to go back to the workshop to work on it."

"Give me a call when you get a chance. I'll spend time with you when I can."

"You put vegetables in there, didn't you? Why would you go to all that trouble to make something so bitter and low in calories? Wait, I didn't say I wouldn't eat it!"

"All right, I'll relax and eat. As long as I'm getting my calories in, that's all that matters."

"Your cooking is actually very addictive. I can't stop eating."

"…….You've been in my workshop for a fair amount of time. Do you really dare broach the subject of holidays?"

"There is no such thing as a perfect holiday. I don't remember the last time I took a day off in years. Hey, what's with the sad face?"

"Sometimes I go to art exhibits and plays at the theater. There is plenty of inspiration for new garments."

"No matter how many times you ask me about holidays, my answer won't change."

"These days most of my time off is spent with you. So you're the best judge of how I spend my days off. Hey, don't smirk like that."

"Why are you staring at me like that? Are you checking up on me again? Stop nagging me."

"You've been looking at me strangely for the last few minutes. If you have something to say, say it. If it's your advice, I won't ignore it."

"Come on, you're distracting me!"

"Observe all you want, but please get it over with quickly."

"That's not the reaction you were expecting? Well, if you're trying to upset me, you'll have to try harder than that."

"It's always a good idea to keep your guard up. It's not good to be vulnerable."

"I used to think outings unrelated to work were time consuming and pointless. This is not so bad…"

"Take my arm. I am offering to escort you. Or do I have to teach you manners?"

"Well, that was fun. I never thought I could stop thinking about my work for even a second. You make me forget the time."

"That's enough! it's time for me to get back to work!"

"Don't assume that I'm not getting enough sleep and need to rest. I rest plenty. I'm fine."

"I'm a little thinner than I used to be? Maybe that's because of my nagging assistant wasting my work time."

"You're still concerned about the dark circles under my eyes? Stop worrying so much it makes me uncomfortable."

"No, "uncomfortable" isn't the right word…Is it? It's more like an itchy feeling that I can't scratch. I can't get used to it."

"Hey! Stop that! If you want my attention, say it with your mouth!"

"People tend to tickle others where they are the most ticklish. You are exposing your weaknesses to me."

"Don't get all red in the face at just the slightest touch. Stupid girl."

"Why are you holding my hand like that? Are you into palm reading? Hmm.. I don't get why you would enjoy something like that."

"You think I have beautiful fingers…? I have no compliment to give in return, but it's not bad to hear you say that."

"I have to keep my fingers in tip-top condition for my job."

"You seem very preoccupied at the moment. It's not me you're fond of after all, it's my hand."

"I'm only joking. Though, the hand is a part of a human body."

"As your elder, let me tell you something. Trust is good to have, but always be on your guard."

"You're looking a little flushed. If it isn't a cold, is it a sign of embarrassment? Or perhaps nerves?"

"You want to give me a massage? Is that even part of a Guild Keeper's job? All right, let's see how good you are."

"Your hands are warm…You're only touching my skin and I already feel some relief."

"I have shoulders like rocks? It's unavoidable when you work as hard as I do. Don't hurt your hands."

"I don't usually get massages. I don't like to be touched by other people. But with you, I don't feel any discomfort. In fact, it feels good."

"When I eat your cooking I am more efficient at my job. It satisfies more than just my hunger."

"I don't usually get the opportunity to say this, but I do appreciate you."

"I'd also like to add that your face when you are embarrassed is goofy and adorable."

"I don't like when you pet my head. It messes up my hair."

━

ADEL : What is with that look on your face, Merry Rose? You're up to something again, aren't you? I'm busy, don't drag me into it. MERRY ROSE : Damn. You caught me. Something made me a little angry, so I wanted to play around.

━

ADEL : Come on, learn to control yourself you pleasure-seeking black fairy, I don't have time for this! GIN : Adel's passion for his work is almost like another form of greed. Well, whatever it is, it's interesting.

━

ADEL : Your jewelry can truly be the work of a genius. But, the quality is all based on your mood. Can't you do something about that? CANAAN : I don't think so, Adel. Maybe if you and I both work on the jewelry I'll get more done.

━

#Otome #Yumekuro #Yumekuro Translations #YMKR translations #YMKR #Dream Meister Translations #Otome Translations #Dream Meister And The Recollected Black Fairy #Dream Meister And The Recollected Black Fairy translations #adelvoice

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triviareads · 8 months

Text

I started the month strong by cracking, buying the last two books, and finishing Sierra Simone's Thornchapel series (here are my final thoughts), and then mostly spent the rest of the month on ARCs (see below) and a pretty diverse array of romances. All in all a great month!

Bed Me, Baron by Felicity Niven (releases September 7th)

I haven't had this much fun reading a historical romance in a long time. It's one of those romances that start off relatively light and frivolous (and there's an immediate "teach me" moment), but by the end, it really packs an emotional punch. For my full analysis on friends-to-lovers and the daddy of it all, here's my review.

Full Moon Over Freedom by Angelina M. Lopez (releases September 5th)

I'm not one to read romances with magic in them, but Angelina wrote wrote this deeply cultural and spiritual take on magic and superstition and intertwined it with the romance masterfully. Here's my full review.

The Duke Gets Desperate by Diana Quincy (releases September 26th)

This book felt particularly special to me because the heroine is a first-generation immigrant and retains both her family's Palestinian culture and that classic can-do American spirit. The cultural rep as well as the feminist legal themes are compelling reasons for why we should be reading and writing more historical romances set later in the Victorian era. Here's my review.

It Had to Be a Duke by Vivienne Lorret (releases November 28th)

Adorable, hysterical, full review coming in a couple months, but here are my reactions.

What Was Meant To Be by Heather Guerre

Small-town romance done right. This one really hit on an emotional level; Rain has been under her father's thumb her entire adult life and was never given the resources and support she needed as someone with autism. As a result, she finds herself coerced into marry Wes, a guy in rural Wisconsin she's never met, so Wes can get the property he needs for his resort (basically a dowry :/). What follows is heartbreaking and uplifting at once: Rain begins to exercise her independence and she and Wes slowly come around to an tentative understanding. This is a book where fucking leads to feelings and there are some great sex scenes in this one. Rain is the dominant one in their sexual relationship, and Wes is 100% here for it... a Good Boy, if you will. It's a soft domme vibe but effective and very natural in my opinion, and I would love to read more of this dynamic in romance novels.

Knockout by Sarah MacLean

I knocked this one out in a day (here are my final thoughts). Plotwise my favorite in the Hell's Belles series (a series of mysterious targeted explosions? come on), and the romance between Imogen and Tommy was a perfectly done Grumpy/Sunshine. Also, if you weren't imagining Detective Inspector William 'The Duke' Wellington while reading Tommy Peck, you were reading it wrong.

Rules of Engagement by Christina Dodd

If there's one thing Christina Dodd excels at, it's writing a bitchy hero in that early 2000s kind of way. Kerrich has a little St. Vincent in him; his biggest issue (apart from his trauma from accidentally mooning the King of England after he fell off a trellis because he saw a girl naked) is that alllll his servants find him so hot they can't help but proposition him, so he decides to find the ugliest governess, procure a child, and become "respectable" thanks to a blackmail threat. Also, he does unironically wear a monocle and I'm here for it. Pamela is the kind of pragmatic heroine I love: she's willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done, but when push comes to shove, she feels very little shame in seeking pleasure.

The Prize by Julie Garwood

If you find yourself missing the Lillian-Westcliff dynamic but perhaps want to see it play out in a medieval setting, then this is your book! Royce is a hypercompetent Norman lord, and Nicholaa (yes there's an extra 'a' there) is, as the blurb perfectly puts it, a "resourceful, rebellious and utterly naive" Saxon lady. In the grand theme of Westcliff, there was definitely some conversation about how it was "unlike" Royce to do some not-entirely-consensual stuff during the deflowering scene, to which I say no, it really was... in character. Man was on the brink.

But if that's your jam, then you'll probably enjoy this one.

Redhawk Reunion series by Robin Covington

I found a new favorite Harlequin Desire series this month! The Redhawk Reunion series is about three siblings of Native American descent who were removed from their parents' home by CPS without cause and separated (I strongly urge everyone to look into Indian Adoption Project, the Indian Child Welfare Act, and Haaland v. Brackeen to learn more because it used to be upsettingly common due to government policy). Adam, the hero of the first book, hires PI Tess to find his long-lost siblings and they fall into a FWB situation with a side of secret REVENGE. The second book involves Adam's sister Sarina, who accidentally marries his business partner Justin in Vegas, and they too end up in a FWB situation except, well, as a married (for convenience) couple. As far as Harlequin Desires go, both are top-notch and deliver exactly what you want from this imprint.

Also, I believe the next book is supposed to be about Adam and Sarina's brother Roan and the President of the United States' daughter, whose portrait he's supposed to be painting and I'm VERY excited for that.

#trivia's book round-up #book recs #romance novels #felicity niven #angelina m lopez #diana quincy #vivienne lorret #heather guerre #sarah maclean #christina dodd #julie garwood #robin covington #historical romance #contemporary romance #harlequin #sierra simone #23for23

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sabakos · 8 months

Note

Can you please explain why you hate Marxism? (I already suspect what you are going to say, but I have never read Marx, and I assume you have)

The main objection I have, that really precludes Marxism more than refutes it, is that I reject the idea of social conflict theory; I'm highly skeptical that groups like "the bourgeoisie" and "the proletariat" can be said to meaningfully exist in a way that stands up to any sort of rigorous analysis, and I don't really buy that a claim like this could even be in a category of claims that I could believe - it's just too broadly defined to meet any standard of evidence. But I'm a mereological nihilist and a reductionist to a fault - the existence of "gunk" (a technical term) such as cultures to be interpreted or social systems to be analyzed is all utter nonsense to me, there are single humans and there is all of humanity and there are no meaningfully distinct groups in between beyond utter trivialities of definition (left handed people are not righthanded, etc). And I see this issue as mostly unresponded to or unexamined in scholarly literature; so while it's true that my philosophical worldview here renders several whole academic fields obsolete beyond Marxism but I largely believe the failure modes are identical for all of them and that they have not made their case.

Beyond my own insurmountable standards of evidence, I'm not sure I see the practicality of it? I'm aware that some Marxists avoid the sort of conspiratorial pitfall you commonly see where people believe that "the class war" is willfully being fought by the Other Side, that some cigar-smoking fat old white men in business suits and monocles are plotting on how to beat exploit the working class, and the only way to beat them is to raise class consciousness and plot against them even harder. But if this isn't the desired end-state of your ideology I'm just not sure what the point even is?

My annoyance with Marxists also extends beyond this, which I take to be a more charitable assumption, that "Marxist" refers to someone who has read, understood, and agreed with Marx. What are much more intolerable are the wider set of "Marxists" who are more "fans" than "followers" of Marx, and buy into the whole cult of personality and hagiography where Marx is said to have read Hegel or even studied under him (the latter chronologically impossible), or made some great contributions to calculus or history or economics or sociology, or whatever else. These people are mostly guilty of being twenty years old and trying on political ideologies the way old ladies in fancy clothing stores try on hats. There's no point in engaging them, because they'll lose interest in Marx just as fast as they acquired it, either once it stops paying social dividends or as soon as they find something else that pays more. They usually have shockingly reactionary other political views, usually again without much depth to them. Following past generations most of them will probably convert to Catholicism once they land a job that requires them to pay taxes. But they outnumber every other sort of leftist by a factor of ten and so I hate them all for it so, so much.

And realistically I've only got a finite amount of time and brain power on this planet. So in practice if someone who's a public intellectual calls themselves a Marxist or takes a "Marxist approach" to history or economics or aesthetics or whatever, I just write them off as a moron and don't even attempt to engage. It's not worth my time, to put it like a rat-adj, my prior on their level of epistemic hygiene is just too low.

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