#of course if the director compromises the script will be destroyed
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What Remains of Us Chapter 4
There was a note on the floor. It was plain, just a slip of paper, and someone had pushed it under the door for her to find. Question was, who?
Rebecca crouched and picked up the paper. Unfolding it, she read the words written on it: I got your message. Meet me in maintenance room 4, just before the cafeteria.
Suddenly mindful of where she was, she stood and backed away from the door. This was Patriot. As long as it could be believed, she had finally made contact with Patriot. Relief mixed with worry in her stomach and she began to pace.
She’d done as Desdemona said. As soon as she’d arrived in the Institute, she had plugged in the Railroad’s communication device and the script had been sent. There had been no response, and she’d wondered if anything would come of it. Or worse, she’d feared being caught. Since nothing had happened in the few days she’d been living in the Institute, she figured she was fine.
And now this.
Patriot wanted to meet with her. They wanted to help. They had risked themselves, and their place inside the Institute, to contact her.
The severity of the situation was not lost on Rebecca. She straightened her spine and tucked the message deep into her pocket, where it wouldn’t be lost. Later, when she found a way to completely destroy it, she would do so.
Shaun wanted to speak with her that afternoon, something about a way she could help the Institute. Until then, she had time to herself. She was supposed to be learning about the Institute, after all. Getting to know the scientists and showing interest in their work - as long as she took care not to look too involved - would be good. Getting to know the person the Railroad codenamed Patriot counted, at least in her book.
So she did so, leaving her room and heading for the rendezvous point. The doors opened to her, these ones unlocked and open to everyone. It seemed like most hallways had doors on either end, as if the Institute was prepared to lock down all areas. Considering their work, it was entirely possible.
There were maintenance rooms scattered around the place, each for a different set of tools or a different department. The one she needed was in a back hallway, far from eavesdropping ears. She kept an eye on her surroundings, hoping to attract little attention as she walked. It seemed like most of the residents paid her little mind. The exception was some of the scientists. One or two stopped her, asking if they could ask her some questions or otherwise gather data about the surface world.
She considered agreeing to some of the scientists’ wishes. It couldn’t hurt to let them run their tests or do whatever it was they needed to do. None of that could compromise her mission, and maybe she could help them realize the surface world wasn’t the scary wasteland they seemed to think it was.
That was for another day, however, and so she evaded them and made her way to the maintenance closet. Checking one last time to make sure she wasn’t followed, she opened the door.
Someone was already there. He was seated on one of the crates, hands folded before him. He had short blonde hair and kind eyes, and his handshake was enthusiastic.
“Hello, you must be Patriot,” Rebecca said quietly.
“Yep, I guess so. I’m not sure where you get the name, though. I got your message the other day, but I hesitated to respond right away. Anyway, the name’s Liam Binet. I work with my father in robotics.” Liam nodded towards the door. “You should probably close that. I know, it’s kinda cramped in here, but we won’t be here long.”
Rebecca did as he suggested. “Okay. You help synths get to the surface, right?”
“That’s right. I try to get synths out of here as often as I can without attracting suspicion. It makes it easier that I work in that department. I can’t help them beyond that, but I know that if they can at least make it to the surface, they have a chance.” Liam sat on the crate again and waved for her to sit as well. “I just always hope that someone gives them some help. I mean, I know they’re not helpless in any way. But the surface is dangerous and if someone can help get them started...”
Rebecca slowly sat down. “Well, a lot of the time, someone does.” She hesitated, spinning the wedding band on her finger. “The Railroad picks up a lot of them.”
Liam gaped at her. “The Railroad?” he echoed. “Holy...I never imagined that I would be working with them. I guess I can rest a little bit easier, knowing that the synths do get help when they get up there. Hmmm….well, I can assume you work with them, too.”
He gave a wry chuckle. “Don’t worry, friend, your secret’s safe with me. Considering you know about me and my actions, I think we can strike a compromise. Now, with you being here, we can make bigger plans.”
“What kind of plans?”
“I mean, we can get more synths out, and faster. We’ll still have to be careful, but I know there’s a lot of them ready to go.”
Though Rebecca liked the idea of getting as many synths out of the Institute as possible, she knew that would draw more attention to the issue than she was prepared for. She was in the Institute to do more than free synths, and she feared getting them all in trouble this early.
“Oh,” she said. “Alright. Let’s hear your plans.”
Liam stood up. “I have a friend among the gen 3’s. We’ve been working together on this whole operation for a few years now. Let’s go talk to him, see just how many synths we have to plan for.” He walked to the door and stopped just before it. “We may want to talk about something else on the way. Just in case any of the others are watching.”
They left the maintenance closet, Liam leading the way towards the robotics wing. Along the way, he asked her about the surface and how things worked up there. Once they were in earshot of others, he audibly invited her to see the work he and the other scientists were working on, and she audibly agreed.
Inside he led her over to his workstation, waving towards the screen. “Pretend you’re interested,” he instructed, voice pitched low. He pulled up a diagram on the screen and started pointing out parts to it. After a minute, he stopped and, without looking up, spoke to the synth working near the desk. “Hey, Z1. This is Rebecca. She’s with the Railroad and she’s here to help us.”
Z1 kept his face impassive as he continued his work. “Can we trust her?”
“I think so. How many synths are there waiting to get out?”
“Thirteen.”
“Thirteen, got it. And there will be more, I’m sure.” Liam thought for a moment, still occasionally gesturing to the screen. “We can get them to the relay, but it won’t be easy. The SRB keeps it locked tight and only certain people can get up there. I can’t get up there too often, myself. But with your help, Rebecca, we can just use the code. How do you feel about getting it for us?”
“I could do that,” Rebecca said. “Where would I find it? I’m not good at hacking things.”
“That’s a fair question. Ayo probably doesn’t keep it written down anywhere. That’d be too risky.” Liam switched to another screen before sitting down and pulling out some kind of prototype from his desk to show her. In between his casual narration, he continued, “See, I’ve tried to hack my way past it, but I need an old-fashioned username and password. If I were you, I’d ask your friends for help. There might be something left behind when the Institute went underground all those years ago. Check the old offices, or even the homes.”
Rebecca wasn’t sure how she was getting to the surface, but she didn’t mention that. “Got it. In the meantime, what will you two do?”
“We have to get the others ready to leave. It’ll take time to do this right, but everyone knows that. The synths have been waiting a long time for a chance to get out of here, and they won’t want to rush things and ruin it.” Liam finally stood upright and turned to Rebecca. “You get that, and we’ll be in business.” Louder, he said, “See? I told you robotics was pretty cool. You should talk to Doctor Navarette. She’s a wizard when it comes to programming stuff.”
“I see. Yes, I’d love to speak with her someday. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around all of this stuff.” Rebecca caught Z1’s eye and gave a slight nod. As Liam walked with her to the door, she said, “Thanks for taking the time to show me. I’ll have to see if the other departments will consider doing the same.”
“Oh, I’m sure. Around here, a lot of us really like talking about our current projects. Give us the chance to go on and on about it, and well, there you go.” With a genuine laugh, Liam turned back towards the lab. “I’ll see you around.”
Back in the main area, Rebecca considered her options. She had to find a way to get to the surface. She couldn’t use the relay without the same password, or attracting attention. She wished she could leave of her own volition, but it seemed Shaun was hesitant to give her the ability to teleport. Of course, that was understandable, but it still grated on her nerves. She had chosen to come here. She was not dragged or fooled.
Well, perhaps fooled. She sometimes felt like she was a fool for even wasting her time trying to get inside the Institute. Though she knew her older self - the one that wanted to find her son and bring him home - didn’t know better, she still wished she had done something else with her time. Sure, making the friends she did was something she’d never trade, but she could have focused on other things.
There was no sense dwelling on it, and again, how could she have known? How could she have known her son was actually the leader of the Institute? A sixty year old man, raised and taught by the same faction that she and her friends sought to fight? It was something that she still hadn’t quite processed, and she knew it would haunt her for a while.
Perhaps if she got on Shaun and the directorate’s side, she’d be given more freedom. Maybe she could request the ability to return to the surface. She knew they’d argue. Why go up there? It’s too dangerous. What do you mean, go home? Your home is here. Lasty, she could hear Shaun’s patronizing tone: You could do so much here, in the Institute.
The words made her skin crawl and she scrubbed her hands up and down her arms. Checking her Pip-Boy, she realized it was time to meet with Shaun. Swallowing back her misgivings, she walked up to his office.
There was another person there, a woman with silvery blonde hair pulled into a bun at the nape of her neck. She seemed to be checking Shaun’s vitals.
“Heartrate’s fine. Blood pressure isn’t too bad.” The woman turned to her bag and put away some of her tools. “Are you taking your medicine?”
“Yes, doctor,” Shaun said tiredly. “I’m taking all my little pills.”
“Great. That will keep your symptoms down and help you feel better.” There was no trace of irritation in the doctor’s tone, but perhaps there was the faintest tightening of her jaw. She looked up and saw Rebecca. “Oh, hello. You must be Rebecca. I’m sorry, I know you two are family, but I do ask that you respect patient privacy.”
Rebecca blinked. “Sure, of course. I’ll come back in a few minutes.”
She went to leave but Shaun spoke up. “No, no. It’s fine, doctor. I’m just an old man getting his check up, it’s nothing to hide.” He offered Rebbeca a smile, one that almost reached his eyes. “Good to see you, Mother.”
“It’s nice to see you, too,” Rebecca said. “You said you wanted to talk to me about something?”
“Right, I did. Doctor?”
“Yes, I’ve done what I need to do. I will be back in a few weeks.”
When the doctor left, Rebecca turned back to Shaun. “Is everything alright?”
“Yes, yes. Like I said, I’m just an old man. Running the Institute will do a number on you, I’m afraid.” He laughed and the sound was strained. “Now, onto what I have to tell you,” he continued, standing up. “You know we have a problem with escaped synths. Without our influence to guide them, rogue synths are a danger to those around them. They must be stopped. We do our best to do so, but we don’t get all of them.”
Rebecca bit her tongue instead of saying what she really wanted to say. Which was: If you’d leave them alone, you’d realize most of them aren’t threats. And they’re escaping the Institute to get away from you and have their own lives.
Shaun seemed to accept her silence. “So, these rogue synths need to be dealt with in some way.”
Rebecca’s stomach twisted and she fought to keep a straight face.
“There is one that has taken over a group of what the Commonwealth calls “raiders” and has been terrorizing the area. I’m assigning a courser to you, and I want you to bring this synth back.” Shaun kept eyeing her and when he detected no reaction, he continued speaking. “I will give you the coordinates and then you should head up to the relay. I will have the doors unlocked for you, like I did when you first arrived. Gather your supplies and if you need anything else, I’ve told the Synth Retention Bureau to lend you a weapon. Do you have any questions?”
“No,” Rebecca said, her voice coming out evenly. Somehow. “Get my supplies, go to the relay, bring back the synth. Well, I do have one question. Why me?”
With a sigh, Shaun straightened his jacket. “The directorate doesn’t quite think you’re ready for what we have planned for you. I am speaking for you, Mother, and they trust my judgment, but I cannot change their minds completely. This is a way for you to prove yourself. I’m sure you’ll be fine. You braved the surface world, remember?”
“Yes, I’ll manage.” She cleared her throat. “Will I meet the courser there, or will they be here?”
“It will be waiting for you. Here are your coordinates.”
There was nothing else to say. She nodded and took the dismissal, leaving the room before she lost her composure.
Bring back an escaped synth.
The horror of that sank in and Rebecca buried her face into her hands. That went against everything she and the Railroad stood for. It made her angry and sick, and yet she knew she had little choice. She had to stay on the Institute's good graces, at least long enough to get information for the Railroad and to free the thirteen synths Liam told her about. One synth, one who had apparently turned into a raider and was hurting other people, was not worth the lives of all of the rest.
The thought brought her little comfort. Squaring her shoulders, she went to her room to prepare.
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[TRANS-ENG] 2019.05.02 IU and Lee Sun Gyun’s My Mister Interview with Japanese Cable Television Station Network, J:COM
Q. Please introduce Park Dong Hoon’s and Lee Ji An’s characters.
Lee Sun Gyun: Park Dong Hoon is a structural engineer. He prefers stability and peace, he is serious and somewhat sorrowful.
IU: Since Lee Ji An has grown up in a hostile/ unfortunate environment, she can not trust people and feels despair at the state of the world. A young character who is trying to protect herself by creating walls around her.
Q. I think you must felt the pressure of working with Kim Won Seok PD who has hit dramas like <Misaeng> and <Signal>, but what was the main reason for you to take part in this drama?
Lee Sun Gyun: I think the director felt more pressure than we did. The reason why I decided to appear in this drama was because I had always wanted to work together with Kim Won Seok director. It was an honor for me to receive an offer from him. The filming process was also fun.
IU: Although it can’t be compared with the director’s, I also felt the pressure that “as a part of the drama production team, I shall not become a hindrance.”
Q. During filming, have you ever felt “It was a good decision to choose this work”?
Lee Sun Gyun: I always felt that during filming. It was also memorable since I was able to meet and act out alongside these co-stars, I also feel happy that the work was finished as what we wanted it to be.
IU: I was happy to see My Mister being broadcasted on TV, I felt it was very rewarding and I thought once again that it was a good decision to take part in this work.
Q. Have you both ever felt the synergy during acting?
IU: I tried to rely on Lee Sun Gyun, but as the filming progressed, I could only see Sun Gyun as Dong Hoon. That’s why when I read the script I could not understand how to portray it but when I was in front of Dong Hoon, I was able to become Ji An, as if the switch was on. The reason why I acted it out with my heart without thinking too much on “I would like to portray it this way” was because Lee Sun Gyun was my partner.
Lee Sun Gyun: I am also thankful that my partner was IU, she helped a lot. Although Dong Hoon and Ji An have different environments and different ages, they both share one common thing which is not good at communicating/ conveying their feelings to others. Furthermore, both of them are disgusted by the world and themselves, feeling troubled, both were able to sympathize with each other. I think that the synergy was shown through filming process. Also IU is a very excellent actress. I also learned from her about how she made extraordinary efforts to keep Ji An’s image.
Q. Dong Hoon and Ji An were both characters with few words. In order to get into the roles, did you usually keep a distance with people around you? Please tell me if there is an episode about role making.
Lee Sun Gyun: The first day of shooting was the company scene. IU was the only person away from us, but in this scene Dong Hoon was close with his subordinates on set so when I was on standby I communicated with other actors. The reason why I was able to portray the role comfortably was all because of the director’s and co-stars’ trusts. Drama is something that everyone makes together. Thanks to the people around me creating a good environment, I was able to immerse myself in acting.
Q. Was IU not feeling lonely when acting?
IU: As we got into the second half of filming process, I got closer to Jung Hee, Hoogye family, and people from team Safety Assessment 3 (Dong Hoon’s team in My Mister). I felt happy as Ji An was filling up her loneliness. The 3 brothers’ (Dong Hoon, Sang Hoon and Ki Hoon) relationship was good, good enough to be misunderstood as if the three of them were dating.
Lee Sun Gyun:
There was no such misunderstanding (LOL).
Q. How was it acting as three close brothers?
Lee Sun Gyun: Our chemistry was perfect. Three actors’ different personalities gave synergistic effect. The three brothers’ descriptions in the script were so unique, I was worried that the mood is going to be a little awkward but when we acted it out it was strangely matched well. The scenes with Dong Hoon’s mother, Yo Soon, were often heartwarming that made me remember of my late mother.
Q. The scene of Ji An and her grandmother, Bong Ae is impressive, but how was it acted out?
IU: I met Son Sook when I went to learn sign language. She is so beautiful that even the word “elegant” is not enough to describe her. However when I went to the shooting place, I met poor Bong Ae which was completely different from my first impression of Son Sook. During filming, Son Sook always gave me gentle hugs as if I’m her real grand daughter, that’s why Bong Ae’s death scene was painful and heartbreaking. Being in the same space with Son Sook drawn me into the world of Bong Ae and Ji An, I am grateful that I was able to took part in this.
Q. Dong Hoon is the second son and the main lead. Have you ever had any trouble doing it?
Lee Sun Gyun: There was nothing special about it. I can’t say much about it but I thought it was my job as the lead actor to enliven the mood during filming, I tried to create a mood that would make others feel relaxed.
Q. Did you not feel frustrated with Dong Hoon’s role?
Lee Sun Gyun: Of course I did. I knew that Ji An and Dong Hoon were the type that suppressed their own feelings but I received directions from the director to “suppress the emotion even more,” at first I felt uneasy. However as the story went on, I was convinced that the Dong Hoon’s character I portrayed at first was correct. I was so impressed by Kim Won Seok director that I called him as “the best director.”
Q. Did IU also feel frustrated with Dong Hoon?
IU: It’s a difficult question. I don’t think I did. When did Sun Gyun feel frustrated?
Lee Sun Gyun: I often thought “I will not do the same thing as what Dong Hoon did”.
IU: I was frustrated when he pretended not to know about his wife’s affair. It is Dong Hoon’s action but I can’t understand why he destroyed the evidence (public phone number) of his wife’s affair (episode 5-6).
Lee Sun Gyun: I don’t feel that way. I won’t do the same thing as what Dong Hoon did but I understand his desire to protect his family.
IU: This scene frustrated me.
Q. There were a lot of scenes where Dong Hoon and Ji An eat together, for example at Jung Hee’s restaurant, but what kind of meaning did it have in the drama?
IU: I think it was a scene that has important meaning. One meal for Ji An means survival. Eating scene between Dong Hoon and Ji An, eating scene between Dong Hoon and his brothers. Eating scene between Dong Hoon and Jung Hee. Each has different vibes. I would say that eating is life. To live reluctantly/ inevitably. To live as human being. To live a life. The word “live” has various meanings. I wonder if this drama showed fragment pieces of “eating” to describe ways of living.
Lee Sun Gyun: Not just eating but also exchanging conversations and expressing anxieties, I think those scenes express profound acts of sharing joy and sadness.
Q. For Ji An, Dong Hoon is a ray of light in hard life, but what is Ji An for Dong Hoon?
Lee Sun Gyun: The first impression I got from Ji An was “abandoned kitten.” I could feel that Ji An who shut herself in her shell and didn’t want to get close with other people had a big wound. Dong Hoon couldn’t help but sympathize with her.
Q. What is Dong Hoon for Ji An?
IU: I think he is a moonlight rather than sunlight.
Q. There are many famous lines, but is there any line that people in their forties like Dong Hoon and Sun Gyun also IU in her twenties could sympathize with?
Lee Sun Gyun: For me when I got stuck in my life, “It’s OK, It’s no big deal” became a sentence that can make me move forward whenever I told that to myself. No matter how harsh the world is, it’s rare for all of us to live without compromises. This drama reminds us about the ideal adult image that has been forgotten that’s why it is very popular among my friends in the same generation as Dong Hoon. Hoogye family is also very popular. For the scene when I got hurt, I was told that they could sympathize with how friendship could bring comfort. This is the first time my work had these kind of reactions from friends, some high school classmates called me while crying after watching the drama.
IU: There is a line that Ji An said to Hoogye family member “I want to get to your age as soon as possible. I bet life won’t be as hard.” Of course it’s wrong, but I know what Ji An felt when she said it. Yu Ra also said the similar phrase to Hoogye member and I can relate to it.
Lee Sun Gyun: I have only talked about Kim Won Seok director but the scriptwriter is also full of talent. I am overwhelmed by Park Hae Young writer’s writing ability.
Q. I think Ji An is a difficult character like never before, but please tell me the secret your brilliant acting.
IU: I don’t think it’s because of my effort, I think it’s because the power of the script and great production/ direction. I portrayed Ji An’s role as described in the script, my heart hurt when she was sad, I cried when she cried, I was angry when she was too, and I was delighted when Dong Hoon was happy. There were many times when I had disagreements with scriptwriters (talking about her other works), but it didn’t happen this time (for My Mister). Even though I have never called Park Hae Young writer by phone and never met her during filming, when I saw her that day at drama release for the first time I felt that she seems familiar to me. I could portray the role fearlessly because I trusted the script and Kim Won Seok director’s directions from the bottom of my heart, I think that a good work has been completed. I am very grateful towards Park Hae Young writer for writing excellent script.
Q. It must have been difficult since Ji An had to use sign language while saying her lines and acting. The viewers mentioned that the scene where Ji An told Bong Ae to be happy is impressive, was it difficult to portrayed?
IU: It’s difficult to act out while focusing on sign language, furthermore it was a difficult scene where sign language could become awkward if I portrayed it too emotionally. I remember every time I tried to portray it, I got confused and failed. I think the reason why it was able to hit viewers’ hearts was because that scene gave me such a hard time during filming process. Sign language is a daily conversation between Bong Ae and Ji An and I am satisfied with sign language scenes because it is essential to describe on how the two of them have spent their life in the past years.
Q. Bong Ae is a hearing-impaired person, did you get any information from the director in advance?
IU: There was no particular explanation but during the meeting the director casually said about it. Because I am a singer, I was thinking about a scene where Ji An sings for her hearing-impaired grandmother, but I heard the writer put that scene on hold and finally it didn’t make it to the drama.
Q. I heard that Hoogye members’ actings were mostly ad-lib. Who was the NG King?
Lee Sun Gyun: The anecdotal interactions/ actions that Hoogye members did while drinking and playing were ad lib but the lines were not. Moreover, it was interesting because the content of the ad lib was different every time. The NG King was Song Sae Byeok.
IU: I agree.
Lee Sun Gyun: Se Byeok was nervous because it was his first drama appearance. The cleaning car driving scene is the most interesting one. He was not good at driving manual car, he caused engine stall several times. All of us were nervous, I was at the sidewalk and I thought that we would all die. Even though we were really pressed for time, he was told not to worry about it because if he make a small mistake it will lead to an accident.
Q. Did the actors actually get in the car for the car overturns scene?
Lee Sun Gyun: I was in the car but there was a device to safely overturn the car.
Q. Whom would you like to choose if you could portray other characters (including Dong Hoon and Ji An) in My Mister?
Lee Sun Gyun: I want to portray Ki Hoon because I am the youngest child. Of course I like the relationship between Dong Hoon and Ji an but I also love Ki Hoon and Yu Ra couple. Ki Hoon is the type who expresses everything positively, I felt frustrated and jealous since that positive attitude couldn’t be found in Dong Hoon.
IU: I would like to portray Joon Young if gender is not relevant. Kim Young Min’s performance was excellent, but it was also a role that I want to challenge my self as an actor. A sly and coward cute villain which is also somewhat humane that people can’t hate.
Lee Sun Gyun: Young Min is also a cute person.
IU: There’s a line saying “What did I do wrong?” when he really did not do anything to Ji An. It’s cute that he even felt sorry for Ji An. I want to act out Joon Young, a cute and attractive villain. I personally like the pure and honest Yu Ra. Many of Yu Ra’s lines stuck in my heart, especially the line saying “I wish AI (Artificial Intelligence) era will come soon.”
Q. What is the meaning of “My Mister” for both of you?
IU: It became a masterpiece for me. I think that I will continue to appear in many works in the future but when I look back on my life as an actress, My Mister will no doubt be the most memorable drama.
Lee Sun Gyun: For me, My Mister is a work that was able to make me grow as an actor, and it has become the standard of what I should aim for in the future. I think it would be difficult to surpass this standard but it was a drama that reminded me the meaning of acting.
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Translated by Erlinzhang
Source: MY J:COM
#IU#TvN#My Mister#Lee Ji Eun#나의 아저씨#아이유#이지은#Lee Sun Gyun#Lee Sun Kyun#이선균#Kim Won Seok#Park Hae Young
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Cole Launius
English 212
Professor Kim Lacey
30 June 2018
Analytical Reflection
This class was a great surprise for me. I had no idea that the course would be based off of this great book. As I engaged in the reading and further went through the subjects inside with my review of “The Truman Show,” my ability to identify with the surveillance around me grew as I gained more insight and information. The issue at hand is not only a matter of unethical decision making above the governed heads, but also the idea that surveillance and the lack of privacy can create a negative impact on the human condition. Surveillance culture is exemplified in today’s society primarily through films, music, and art, and informative pieces all in which I intend to dive into as I examine and reflect on a world surrounded by the camera lens.
I think that ethically speaking we can all agree that it is wrong to invade someone else’s personal space. According to information from The University of Tennessee at Martin, surveillance involves paying close attention to someone else, and to me that is another reason it is made unethical because everyone deserves their own space and privacy and by watching closely, that perimeter is destroyed. It is annoying to find yourself being watched by the overhead camera in the local Walmart or VG’s, but when someone gets close to you it rekindles a different kind of emotion. One that makes you question the persons upbringing and their morals to go along with it. “Stop reading my texts,” your friend yells as you lean back into your seat in the car. Why do you feel the need to read what I am saying? Why are you so interested in my conversations? Did your parents teach you any manners? It becomes more of an issue of ethics than it does about us solely being watched and recorded for other purposes. Trust and privacy go hand and hand, and when someone’s privacy is compromised by the public environment, they tend to lose trust and have more opposition. In an example from a clip from “The Dark Knight,” Batman attempts to link all cell phones in the city together to create a virtual map to find his objective.
Surveillance changes the way people act around each other and in public especially. For a moment I had reacted with such hostility when I first had discovered that I was constantly being watched and others reassured me that I no longer had any privacy. I would stand taller, push out my chest and walk like I had just done a great workout at the gym. I am a very big fan of Hip-Hop and moreover I have noted that most of the artists that I listen to have a gig for fashion. They are always wearing something extravagant in the spotlight. Said perfectly by 2 Chainz in one of his songs, “Feds Watching,” he states that he will be dressed accordingly if they are watching him. This is most definitely interesting because he chooses to boast about changing his view under surveillance because I am sure he wears sweatpants lounging around the house. Another unfortunate way that people change and act differently when being watched is in a show called “Hansen Vs Predator.” In this show Chris Hansen creates a fake meet up with creeps on the internet and then interviews them right on the spot to find out why they choose to do what they do and try to trap young children. When watching the predator as Chris enters the room, his facial expression changes so quickly, you know he knows something went wrong, and that now he is being watched very closely.
A few pictures I happen to come across on the global web reminded me that those cameras we see in our peripheral are not about just keeping us out of danger and harm’s way, but it is about the politicians, according to Mike Harris from The Telegraph. And I also agree, that anything related to the law never is about the people first, but the ones who put it into effect. The first image scripted, “We need rules that limit our leaders’ power more than we need rules that limit our rights.” I really felt as if I related to this quote or even wrote it because it seems like a thought that would come screaming out of my head in the middle of the night. How doesn’t everyone in the world agree with what this says? It makes more than complete sense, think about it. If we live in a democracy, then we have the ultimate say, yet we don’t, and we are still under claims as a democracy. If the people truly had the power, not power restricted by congressmen, we could change the way things are imposed on us all and put the spotlight on the ones who get to make the big decisions. Another photo that I saw was more of a political cartoon if anything, but it still recreated the idea of militant opposition towards the government. The cartoon was an army ranger pointing a gun to an unarmed victim, with the victim saying not to shoot, but also the ranger looking back at a tv recorder saying, “don’t shoot!” The irony of this situation is also a great factor and a reason why I chose to include it. You are pointing a gun at someone, yet yelling at a camera not to record? Sounds like something fishy is going on.
In life today people and companies, and the government use surveillance in other ways as well. One common way surveillance is utilized in today’s economy is that there is a lot of online traffic so app developers share information gained from watching users and allow them to shape apps and clothing and shopping related goods to a specific audience and you could be targeted depending on what you post. You may post different things to avoid this then becoming someone you’re not. This is called social sorting when companies take advantage of your information that you post to social media sites. There are also other ways that surveillance can cause change within someone. For example, if your co-worker is staring at you everyday after work, you might get a new car, or park in a different spot to get away from the state of being watched in your own space.
Cell phones, iPads, MacBooks and cameras have taken over the life of the youth. Then there are memes which have taken over the internet. What is ironic is that as the amount of surveillance in the world increases, the more we joke about being watched and create memes about it on our social media sites. But the fact that we are creating jokes and messing around with being watched and surveilled by the government and others is kind of scary. Why are we joking about having zero sense of privacy around us and for others? That is unnatural and strange, and it is upsetting to think that everyone else in society has come to accept being watched all of the time. Surveillance has had its way weaving into everyones lives so easily because it was not a choice but an unfortunate and irreversible consequence.
Works Cited
Always, Clean Music, director. 2 Chainz - Feds Watching. YouTube, YouTube, 7 July
2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pkd2lUxwQE.
Borg, Anna. “EurWORK European Observatory of Working Life.” Finland: Wage
Formation | Eurofound, 31 July 2014, www.eurofound.europa.eu/observatories/
eurwork/articles/working-conditions/impact-of-electronic-surveillance-in-the-
workplace.
Daily, Crime Watch, director. Hansen Vs Predator. YouTube, YouTube, 15 Sept. 2016,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOBgE10sEQE.
DeGeurin, Mack. “Mass Surveillance Memes Show Our Collective Anxiety Over
Government Spying.” Motherboard, Motherboard, 2 Apr. 2018,
motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/zmg3ky/surveillance-memes-nsa-fbi-
facebook.
Ellis, Daniel, director. Bragging Gone Wrong. YouTube, YouTube, 21 Apr. 2015,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ9kKgZ0-pM.
Gleisner, David. “This Is My Jam: Government Surveillance Memes.” Are There Really
3,700 Abortions Each Day in the U.S.?, North by Northwestern, 29 Jan. 2018,
www.northbynorthwestern.com/story/this-is-my-jam-government-surveillance-
memes/.
Harris, Mike. “The Politics of Surveillance Are about Politics, Not Keeping Us Safe.”
The Telegraph, Telegraph Media Group, 4 Nov. 2015, www.telegraph.co.uk/news/
uknews/crime/11975759/The-politics-of-surveillance-are-about-politics-not-
keeping-us-safe.html.
Legend, Dark, director. The Dark Knight. YouTube, YouTube, 10 Dec. 2015,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRELLH86Edo.
Macnish, Kevin. “Surveillance Ethics.” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2008,
www.iep.utm.edu/surv-eth/.
Moran, Sean. “Surveillance Ethics.” Philosophy Now: a Magazine of Ideas, Philosophy
Now, 2015, philosophynow.org/issues/110/Surveillance_Ethics.
Munn, Nathan. “How Mass Surveillance Harms Societies and Individuals - and What
You Can Do About It.” CJFE | Canadian Journalists for Free Expression, 8 Nov.
2016, www.cjfe.org how_mass_surveillance_harms_societies_and_individuals_and_what_you_can_d
o_about_it.
OB, Andres, director. Robert Downey Jr. Blooper. YouTube, YouTube, 18 July 2015,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCC5SfQHOfo.
Shaw, Jonathan. “The Watchers.” Harvard Magazine, Harvard Magazine, 18 Dec. 2016,
harvardmagazine.com/2017/01/the-watchers.
Wang, Victoria, et al. “Surveillance and Identity: Conceptual Framework and Formal
Models | Journal of Cybersecurity | Oxford Academic.” OUP Academic, Oxford
University Press, 15 Dec. 2017, academic.oup.com/cybersecurity/article/
3/3/145/4748787.
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Beyond the Wrong and into the Pattern
Last week, Kai Cole shocked the internet when she came clean about her ex-husband, the screenwriter and director Joss Whedon, who is best known as the creator of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In a scathing essay for the Wrap, Cole describes Whedon’s repeated violation of their relationship boundaries, his lying and gaslighting, and the ways that his neglect led her to compromise her integrity as she struggled to keep their 16-year marriage together:
“Joss admitted that for the next decade and a half, he hid multiple affairs and a number of inappropriate emotional ones that he had with his actresses, co-workers, fans and friends, while he stayed married to me,” Cole writes. “Despite understanding, on some level, that what he was doing was wrong, he never conceded the hypocrisy of being out in the world preaching feminist ideals, while at the same time taking away my right to make choices for my life and my body based on the truth. He said, after he left, he understood: ‘It’s not just like I killed you, but that I’d done it subtly, over years. That I’d been poisoning you. Chipping away at you.’ He made me doubt my own instincts and watched me move further away from my personal values and social mores, trying to connect with him, never telling me it was impossible."
Cheating is often perceived as a problem in a marriage rather than one of boundaries and consent. Marriage, after all, is easy to categorize as part of patriarchy’s structural constraints on women, a dated mechanism that cannot be expected to “work.” Looked at it a different way, however -- as an agreement made by people about their needs and limits -- it becomes much easier to understand how repeatedly stepping out without any effort to renegotiate the existing relationship agreement is, in essence, a denial of a partner’s right to exercise agency. “It’s not just like I killed you,” Whedon told her, referencing the ultimate denial of agency. But it’s worse than that: it’s that he acted like she didn’t have a right to agency.
A recurring pattern of cheating is emotionally destabilizing -- in order to keep the relationship going, a partner must be lied to and sometimes gaslit. As instances of emotional neglect, disconnection and misattunement pile up, the partner being lied to begins to exercise betrayal blindness to cope with the mounting cognitive dissonance. This process is largely not conscious. As the betrayal scholar Dr. Jennifer Freyd writes, “unawareness helps the victim survive. [Betrayal theory] draws on two facts about our nature as social beings and our dependence and reliance on others. First, we are extremely vulnerable in infancy, which gives rise to a powerful attachment system [that views maintaining the bonds we form with others as a biological imperative]. Second, we have a constant need to make ‘social contracts’ with other people in order to get needs met. This has led to the development of a powerful cheater-detector system. These two aspects of our humanity serve us well, but when the person we are dependent on is also the person betraying us, our two standard responses to trouble conflict with each other. [ ... ] The standard response to betrayal -- confrontation or withdrawal -- may only make the situation worse for the person who depends on the [person doing the betraying], because confrontation and withdrawal are generally not good for inspiring attachment and caregiving.” Freyd’s research and that of others in the past 30 years indicate that terror and violence are not the only things capable of traumatizing someone: betrayal does as well.
Cole’s account illustrates why Lundy Bancroft recognizes “the Player” as one of the archetypal patterns of abuse in his seminal work on relational harm Why Does He Do That? Abuse is defined by entitlement (or to use Whedon’s own words: “When I was running Buffy, I was surrounded by beautiful, needy, aggressive young women [ ... ] I am a powerful producer and the world is laid out at my feet and I can’t touch it.” Except he did touch it and he felt justified in touching it (“In many ways I was the height of normal, in this culture. We’re taught to be providers and companions and at the same time, to conquer and acquire -- specifically sexually -- and I was pulling off both!”). Even as he admits that he had affairs that violated his wife’s consent and created literal hostile workplace environments on his sets, Whedon frames it not as deeply troubling pattern he needs to address but as a banquet laid out for him. The women with whom he had affairs aren’t agents any more than Cole is -- they are food items laid out for him. Like his then-wife, Whedon’s sexual partners are not humans with a right to self-determine. The world laid out a table and cruelly told him not to eat -- there are no other humans in this picture. “He is incapable of taking women seriously as human beings rather than playthings,” to quote Bancroft.
Whedon has suggested over the years that cheating on Cole was a personal problem specific to the tragedy of their growing apart over the course of nearly two decades together. However, his troubled history of relationships with other women -- from actresses and crew working on his shows, to other romantic partners -- and his work loudly contradict this assertion. In a 2015 analysis of his work, Laurel Jupiter spoke to the core of Whedon’s pattern:
The initial patriarchal villains of the Buffyverse were men who abused women using either brute strength or political power, but the three nerds [introduced later on in Buffy] are another kind of misogynistic male antagonist that grew to dominate and completely consume Joss’s work in the 00s: the nerdy, story-obsessed guy who used his intelligence and mastery of technology to abuse and control strong, heroic women. Nerdy men who, like Joss, either created or tampered with the women they wanted total control over, either by building androids or altering existing women, usually via invasive medical torture.
Joss the writer invents the character of Buffy while having workplace clashes with her actress Sarah Michelle Gellar; [the three nerd villains in Buffy] Andrew, Warren, and Jonathan drug their girlfriends into compliance and create the BuffyBot to obey their will. This villain character would show up again and again in Joss’ later works: the scientist who had, thanks to his technical and storytelling skills, been given custody by higher powers over women who would normally be far out of his range of influence. And, uncomfortably, all of the actors cast for these roles bore a striking physical resemblance to Joss.
[The episode “Storyteller” in Buffy] was a story about Andrew the Joss-doppelgänger filming the house of potential Slayers for a series he called Buffy, Slayer of the Vampyres. A major theme of “Storyteller” was Andrew’s intrusive use of the Buffy cast’s personal lives and pain to make a good story, his refusal to acknowledge their privacy, and possibly, as Anya kept insisting, to use his videos as masturbation material. It seemed like a huge moment of self-awareness and self-reflection about the relationship Joss had to the real and fictional women who worked for him, especially given the conflicts he had at the time with actresses like Charisma Carpenter over her character Cordelia and personal bodily autonomy (pregnancy) [He reportedly fired Carpenter for getting pregnant as well as other abuses]. It was self-critical and raw and I was proud of Joss for being willing to go there in such a public way.
Buffy ended, and Andrew redeemed himself, but the misogynist-nerd-self-loathing metastory intensified. One of the aspects of the Three Nerds villain arc that had always made me profoundly uncomfortable was the way Joss positioned the boys’ nerdy pursuits and lack of traditional masculinity -- not just their treatment of women -- as something inherently repulsive. Viewers were supposed to be disgusted by the sight of three dorky boys nerding out over Star Wars figurines. Buffy and the house full of potential slayers call Andrew vile names for being a nerd, not in response to his behavior [toward them]; by the end of his run, I felt the urge to protect Andrew -- not from the girls, but from Joss -- who was clearly using him as a punching bag onto which he was projecting his own self-loathing.
The next major Joss project was Dollhouse, with evil scientist and Joss-lookalike Topher Brink programming, manipulating, and violating various women into playacting roles he’d scripted for them. It was such a blatant story about Joss and his actresses it was difficult to watch. Like, My Feminism Is Just An Excuse To Exploit Hot Actresses, I Am Such A Disgusting Creature!!! Coming soon to the CW!
At some point in his career, Joss became so intent on the masochistic fantasy of being hated by strong women for being a nerd that he spent a decade writing stories about violating those women to ensure they would hate him.
This pattern shows through in Cole’s essay. She, a strong and self-possessed woman, supported and buttressed Whedon’s dreams and pushed him to develop these into a career. She cofounded Bellwether Pictures with him. She kept their life together as he worked on numerous projects. She adored him, and he ensured her destruction and through it, that of their marriage.
It’s tempting to imagine that marriage is complicated, that the fault hides in the love and attention Whedon was not receiving from his wife. But then why would he destroy the next relationship he had in which a new partner offered to explore a non-exclusive relationship together?
After his separation from Cole, Whedon had the opportunity to have a nonmonogamous relationship in which he could explore his interest in power-exchange (that is, erotic play involving power and control, or BDSM). He chose instead to slowly poison this partner too, to use his own words, but in a different way. Arden Leigh, singer songwriter of Arden and the Wolves, writes:
In the wake of his separation I offered him a consensual non-monogamous BDSM relationship so he could have his fantasies responsibly, and he STILL chose monogamy and lying.
I figured hey, marriages are messy, and while there was no question he made mistakes (which he admitted), I chalked it up to societal default monogamy and sexual repression being the problem. I thought he deserved a chance at having what he wanted in an honest way, and I offered him that. And in return he took everything I offered and then piled so much shame on me for it that I spent a good year of my life thinking I was completely unworthy of love, that I'd always fall on the wrong side of someone's Madonna/whore complex. The effort I've undertaken since the start of 2016 to undo this fuckery has been monumental.
Monogamy is not the problem. One troublesome marriage is not the problem. When you hate yourself so much that you only get off when the women you desire hate you too, then you will continue to hurt people so that you can revel in the guilt over what a piece of shit you are. And when you are a rich white man who has every resource to heal and instead you consciously choose not to so that you can stay in the comfort of your patterns of hurting both others and yourself, that's no different from abuse. And I'm glad to see it made public.
Looking over the archetypes of abuse that Bancroft describes in Why Does He Do That? we begin to recognize that the infidelity described by both of Whedon’s former partners is actually a symptom, rather than the problem itself. In many ways, Whedon’s use of his position as a feminist ally bears more resemblance to Bancroft’s “Mr. Sensitive” than “the Player”:
He loves the language of feelings, openly sharing his insecurities, his fears, and his emotional injuries. [ ... ] Often he has participated extensively in therapy or twelve-step programs, or reads all the big self-help books, so he speaks the language of popular psychology and introspection. His vocabulary is sprinkled with jargon like developing closeness, working out our issues, and facing up to hard things about myself. He presents himself to women as an ally in the struggle against sex-role limitations.
Mr. Sensitive wraps himself in one of the most persuasive covers a man can have. If you start to feel chronically mistreated by him, you are likely to assume that something is wrong with you, and if you complain about him to other people, they may think you must be spoiled: ‘You have the New Age man, what more do you want?’
He blames his behavior on you or on his emotional ‘issues,’ saying that his feelings were so deeply wounded he had no other choice. [ ... ] The “gentle man” style of abuser tends to be highly self-centered and demanding of emotional catering. He plays up how fragile he is to divert attention from the swatch of destruction he leaves behind him.
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But in La La Land I don't think it was seen as white saving? I think it was just two different approaches to jazz? And I actually agreed more with John Legend xD Also everyone thought that Sebastian was ridiculous and he changed a lot of his initial concept? I mean people are saying that if this movie wins it will be a sign for white supremacy and I am like "r u on drugs?"
*cough* okay let’s go with the unpopular opinion, as in: wtf.
SPOILERS FOR BOTH LA-LA-LAND AND WHIPLASH
first: if anyone saw whiplash they can see that the director is actually really into jazz music and he knows what he’s talking about
second: they also would have seen that he has a thing for self-destroying characters who are so fixated on their job/passion that they forget about real life and at the end even if they accomplish something then they denied themselves something else equally important
third: sebastian was actually ridiculous in the beginning
fourth: john legend was actually OBVIOUSLY the one who was right in the whole picture because like changing things is the only way to make music survive the fact that sebastian saw it as some kind of root betraying doesn’t mean he was RIGHT just because he was the protagonist like come on
fifth: the whole ‘I played in the band because you wanted me to have a real job TM’ and blah blah blah is like, the basic trope of music about Artistic Integrity TM. I mean, RENT is exactly the same thing if you look at it and as someone said, when you’re young you think the artists have it right but if you approach it when you’re thirty you realize that maybe they’re way too full of their artistic integrity. and it’s true because when I watched it at twenty I was like OFC THEY’RE RIGHT, then now that I’m thirsting to find a decent paycheck I’m like ‘.... but why can’t you compromise and pay the bills’. sebastian is exactly the same - he doesn’t see that you can’t live just of art unless you’re a complete genius and that in order to evolve art has to connect with people and it doesn’t work if it stays the same. (which is why I like modern staged opera more than classic but nvm)
sixth: every problem sebastian has that derives from playing with the band is because of his character faults. he forgot about the whole photo shoot thing and he was asked if he was okay with it - he could have said no? he could have remembered? but having a steady gig is not what ruins his relationships, it’s his personal faults.
this also works for mia tbh, except in reverse - like, he starts from purism, does the band gig and then goes back to sort-of-purism but having learned something in between and having earned the money from his band gig. she starts from the cheap tv shows because she just wants work, finds it because she paid a theater to act a monologue she wrote herself which is like the most purist thing you can do as an actor and then she goes back to movies/scripts because that gives her the chance to be cast in a srs production. which means the two of them both manage to fulfill their dreams (tho differently from how they imagined) after they make money to do it...
except, seventh, that they sacrifice their relationship and personal lives to it. mia prob. less than sebastian because at least she has a husband and a kind and not just the jazz club (do we know if he has anything other than that?) but the thing is, weren’t we all rooting for them to be together fulfilling their dreams when the movie started? ‘course we did. and what did we get? we have them with their dreams fulfilled but not the way we wanted it (and they wanted it maybe), and then we had ten minutes of what if where we saw that they could have had it (if sebastian hadn’t been an ass to her in the restaurant maybe) but they didn’t. and in the end fulfilling their dreams hasn’t meant that they fulfilled them together. it’s the same principle for which the protagonist of whiplash in the end got the director’s approval after almost dying for it and ruining his life for it, but was that worth it? I mean, he also fulfilled his dream. at the cost of his sanity, his rl relationships and his career. and the director finally got him to his fullest potential... and where did that get him? I mean, guy was an abusive insane asshole who made students commit suicide because of how abusive he was when it came to The Art TM, is that even a happy ending?
it’s like the same exact basic concept of this movie like you’re supposed to ask yourself, did these two get what they wanted? was that worth it? what did they accomplish? seb got his club, but in between him and john legend, who is going to be remembered if any of them does? not him. and that’s fine because some people are better off being the purists and keeping the clubs alive while others bring the genre to the people updating it, but john legend is the one who’ll make it. not him. and the entire concept of the couple meant to be together but can’t has been done since forever, it was in brief encounter and the bridges of madison county and whatever else. there is nothing about white supremacy in there and all about asking yourself how much is it worth sacrificing to pursue your art.
which was the basic theme of the director’s other movie so.
tldr: idk how you see la-la-land and come out with WHITE SUPREMACISM but it was really like, having the point fly over your head. /two cents
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The Strange, Fantastic World Of
Devil's Witches
~Interview by Mari Knox~
We will shock our readers when they read that behind the name Devil's Witches there is just one guy. So James, introduce us to your project, tell us who are you and where your music come from.
Thank you for having me. I'm not really big on talking about myself, not because I want to create some false of sense of mystique but because I want to create a very specific experience. When someone like Hendrix says, "Are you experienced?" he's talking about seeing things with an open mind. He talks about transcending the ego and getting lost in your trip, whatever form that may take. I feel like by focusing on the artist, you can destroy the immersion of the art, unless, of course, they become the art themselves, like David Bowie did during his Ziggy era. So my reluctance to talk about myself is more about this world I've created through the story of the album and the points in time I've referenced. I feel I'll get in the way of the immersion I want to create in the listener. I'd rather just slip into the background and let the music speak.
youtube
Your debut, 'Velvet Magic' (2017), is a concept album and your songs seem to find inspiration in the works of Jess Franco, Jean Rollin, and Russ Meyer, not to mention gorgeous and charming actresses like Tura Satana and Soledad Miranda. What more can you share about the fascinating story you're telling here?
The story of the album centres on a mysterious female who is fully in touch with her feminine magic. If anyone has read ‘The Satanic Witch’ by Anton LaVey, they will know what I'm talking about. I don't regard myself as a Satanist, but this aspect of the left hand path is of great interest, as is Crowley. This godlike female is affronted by the horrors of humanity, specifically the tragedy of Vietnam. Her goal is to use her magic to quite literally save the earth through sex. Sex, to me, represents life, not perversion or shame. She finds this male soldier who was part of some of the worst atrocities in Nam, including the My Lai massacre, and decides to redeem him to save everyone. The album follows his story as he comes back to the US and right up until the two of them connect in astral coitus. It's really quite a beautiful statement when you drop all baggage connected to attitudes towards sex. I enjoy playing with juxtaposition and you will find it all over the album and visuals. Polarity is a very powerful thing.
I am a very visual person. The music that resonates with me the most are ones that create pictures in my head or have videos or art that inspire me. I've lost count of the times the visual side of certain music has compromised my enjoyment of the songs. It works the other way too. I've had songs that may have been seen as mediocre, not necessarily bad, but I respond to them because of the pictures they create in my head. Obviously, the music is the main priority, but I see the visuals as quite high, maybe even bordering on equal. Interestingly, movie director Jess Franco, who is a big influence, was mostly concerned with pictures. He didn't even write full scripts sometimes and just shot with his instinct having other people overdub later on. Often times, he had no involvement in that process, as he was off capturing new images.
"Psyche, Fuzz, Doom, and 1960s Worship" -- these are the keywords you use to describe Devil's Witches. What are your biggest musical influences?
Hendrix is everything. He's the only musician I've ever heard who can hit a wrong note and it's still the greatest note you've ever heard. Second to that is Frank Zappa. His early output with the Mothers Of Invention in the '60s is my favourite. Zappa could take pop sounds and turn them into prog rock. He was a musical genius in the truest sense. Other influences are The Doors, Jefferson Aeroplane, and Grateful Dead. The heavy side of my music is inspired by Black Sabbath and Electric Wizard. What resonates with me most about heaviness is the physicality of actually feeling the music through the speakers, even at low volumes. The heaviest song on the album is none of the singles, and it's very dark.
It not easy to create such an impressive and variegated wall of sound like this all by yourself. Sometimes it feels like there are four people playing together. How do you fashion this sound? And, since this is a solo project, how did you record all of the parts?
Russ Meyer was one of the greatest auteurs the movie business every saw. He financed, scripted, shot, directed, and edited most of his pictures. Looking up to someone like that is very motivating when faced with great ideas and a lack of resources. This kind of inspiration is what helped me -- having great role models with cast iron work ethics. I recorded the album just like most bands would, but obviously I had to do certain tracks at a time. The key is to always try to stay in the place where music feels magical and not to get bogged down by the mechanics of it.
youtube
At the moment, I know that 'Velvet Magic' will have a tape release via the Chilean label Golden Dawn Recordings. How did you get in contact with them? Would you like to release the album in other formats, as well?
They actually contacted me, in all honesty. Due to my love of the cinematic, I had previously played with the idea of having my name before ‘Devil’s Witches’ like old movie posters for example ‘Russ Meyer’s 'Supervixens.’ I decided against this for the reasons expressed earlier, but I forgot I'd uploaded some art with my name on it in this fashion. It became easy for anyone who enjoyed the output to find me. So Golden Dawn contacted me and expressed interest in releasing the album on cassette and that was even before they heard all the songs. Vincente Zamorano of Golden Dawn is a great guy who has believed in this music from the moment he heard it. I just recently sent him the whole album and he was very happy with it. Regarding other formats, I've also signed with another label who wants to put the album on vinyl. This label is enjoying the album greatly, as well, which is very promising. Stay tuned for the reveal of that. I'd love CD, but no one has contacted me. Maybe that format is dead. Also, it will be available digitally.
You really care for the band's graphics, from the art posted on social media to the music videos. Do you personally take care of that aspect or is someone else helping you with this?
Everything is done by me apart, from the logo. That was designed and drawn by a very talented Spanish artist by the name of Raúl Fuentes. He draws exclusively in black and white and has the most macabre underground style. His usual output is death and thrash logos and zine covers, but I asked him to capture the '60s in his style. The logo is very typical of the era, even labels like RidingEasy records have adopted this look and it was this familiarity I wanted Raúl to bring into the design. Combining that element with his underground horror qualities, Raúl takes the logo from '60s pop culture symbol into a darker place. This comparing of worlds is central to what Devil's Witches is about. Check Raúl out at Mörtuus Art .
The overabundance of female in the imagery obviously ties directly in with the music exploring feminine magic. I grew up exclusively around woman. My grandmother practically raised me and the only kids in my area to play with were girls. Even now, I live with five women, although two of them are cats. My admiration and respect for every facet of femininity is the cornerstone of Devil's Witches. I have deep religious feelings towards the divinity of the feminine, but maybe those conversations are for future articles.
youtube
Trevor William Church, the frontman of Beastmaker, supported you a lot during the creation of 'Velvet Magic.' How was this collaboration born?
Just like everyone else, Beastmaker caught me by surprise. I saw them at a Blood Ceremony show and was sucked into their Mario Bava soaked world. Trevor seemed like the kind of guy I could get along with, but I'm a shy person so I never worked up the courage to chat with him. When I got home, I added him on Facebook and just through commenting on each other posts, we become familiar enough to regard each other as sort of long distance friends. When he heard "Voodoo Woman," he messaged and complimented me on the song, the riffs, melodies, but he said the mix was not where it needed to be. He gave me invaluable pointers and has been my go to guy these past months while for navigating the album mix and certain other music business details.
Any chance that we will get to see your project on stage or is this something you're not interested in making happen, at the moment?
I have thought a lot about what a Devil's Witches show would look like and it's not exactly a record label or promoter's dream. It doesn't involve a band simply playing the songs to tour an album. It would be a kind of performance art. It wouldn't even be like theatrical rock. Going back to my cinematic influences, you might begin to imagine what I'm getting at. I wouldn't even necessarily be present on the stage. The problem is that it needs to be very specific. One wrong move and it's a bit of a laughing stock. So I'm not sure you're going to see it touring the world anytime soon.
It's quite clear that you prefer bands from the '60s and '70s, so if you were to suggest a recently released album or a contemporary band, which one would you choose?
There's definitely one artist I would love to praise right here, but I’m going to keep that one for me. Let me just say she has managed to create her own universe in her music through imagery and performance. Her own life has become a work of art, too, and she's a million miles away from fuzzy doom. But those images I talked about earlier are very strong here and inspire me in very tangible ways. Maybe one day we'll get to collaborate.
Before we say goodbye to the Doomed & Stoned readers, I've got on last question to ask. What should we expect from you in the future?
I have already begun writing album two and the story follows directly on from Velvet Magic. I'm just as excited creating this as the first, so it may not be too long, but the future right now for everybody is Velvet Magic. Thank you for offering me a platform to connect with listeners and bring this experience to a wider audience.
Follow The Band.
Get The Music.
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omg i just did a count on the internship hours i did this past week and it’s like 12+ hours longer than a regular working week. it didn’t feel like that at all! ofc i’m dead tired but that doesn’t matter. it was all extremely double; it felt exhilarating but was most definitely extremely stressful and in general really annoying and exhausting. but the exhilarating part still wins?? some babbling after the cut lol
like we started with the woooorssssst drama pieces i have ever seen! (doubly frustrating because this is a legit academy for drama etc...), some dance pieces that were OK (prolly bc they were taught by someone affiliated with us lol) & bad little music pieces. tbqh most was absolutely kindergarten level? so our team was basically like ok how do we save this mess while still incorporating those tragically bad (like i’m seriously not trying to be derogatory it’s was just........ like..... astoundingly bad...... i mean a bunch of tutors came to apologize about how bad it was so y’know) and not lose face for both the academy we are working with and our own company & our educational projects. whenever we tried to make a script we’d mostly like scream at how bad it was?? lol but in the end it all came together pretty well! that was so cool to see. thanks to the lighting, a bunch of interventions during the bad drama bits (like only have one small spot for 5 students to do their thing & that spot would continually move places so the students got disoriented & that created dynamic + genuine emotions which really livened things up (which was very needed!); another thing which was brilliant imho was adding dancers to one drama bit where the dancers would start to crawl seductively to them and start caressing them which made the drama kids so flustered haha), and having 2 great main characters sort of gluing everything together + basically dressing almost everyone in a negligé.... kids from 12-16 year old..... lots of angry emails from parents haha..... but it did look great in the end! (it wasn’t a masterpiece but considering the base materials we had to work from it kinda was lol) it was exhilarating working with a bunch of people who could accomplish this. & our team was also really cute, hilarious, smart, helpful and just full of passion for theatre and inspiring others. like the artistic director said on closing night: it’s not about stroking our ego, not about stroking students ego, definitely not for the paycheck; it’s about that handful of people who can see a place for themselves in this little world, for creating better understanding, for creating a community
i feel like i set my first step in learning to have to compromise between my idealism and reality in this specific line of work & also learning how a theatre production works (mostly it’s pure chaos though lol) and i really would love to continue this. ah man i hope i can in anyway possible.... i have some internship hours left which i would love to dedicate to a project that’s going to be led by a 17-year old who works there as part of her education & who i became close to during the first few days of this week. she’s very cool and i’d love to support her during her project. in one part because of her (bc i like her but also bc i feel like i could be of some support bc for some crazy reason she totally opened up to me & she’s usually very closed off and afraid of a lot of social stuff idk we just clicked i guess!), her crazy ideas, the fact that it’s about death / based on a piece by one of my fave choreographers & kinda also bc it’s working with “troubled kids” (the girl leading this is also one of those “troubled kids” btw and like i’ve been labeled as such myself and would have seriously loved doing such a project though i’m pretty sure those kids will most definitely not think me cool lol).
like? my internship was in educational projects of theatre; opera & ballet actually, which is doubly cool imho bc opera / ballet is seen as extremely elitist (which it is) but like they are making a serious effort to destroy those barriers i mean that’s cool and nice & i was cynical at first & of course it’s not all roses and rainbows but it really gets to some people & last year they even found like a hidden super talented OPERA singer?? & he stops by occasionally & everyone is constantly so supportive and sharing singing tutors etc.
i mean like, i’m really really really happy i’ve had this opportunity to do something i’m actually pretty passionate about & i really hope i can do this for a career. especially the way things are going in the world atm, i feel it’s even more urgent for me to pursue something i love, you know? i think i’ll drown otherwise.
#also i saw my fave belgian choreographer this week#he's so tiny and cute#anyways#idk if i made enough of an impression yet#i have another project week coming up so i'll up everything i have for that#and hopefully i can do that extra project too and like really make something even more independently
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File Integrity Monitoring for WordPress Websites
Your wordpress net pages is made up of recordsdata, and it’s essential that the entire modifications that happen to these recordsdata as an administrator. Unauthorized file modifications can destroy your net pages, substitute its habits, or be a sign of a hack.
By conserving your self educated of file modifications to your wordpress net pages, you per likelihood can with out issues:
Retain tune of modifications builders originate to your net pages
Ease troubleshooting can also mute issues come up
Identify leftover database and supply code recordsdata that may per likelihood properly repeat delicate info to malicious hackers
Know exactly which recordsdata catch been modified and the place malware was as soon as injected in case of an internet bid hack
To keep up your self educated of all file modifications that happen to your wordpress net pages you may per likelihood like File Integrity Monitoring. On this textual content we’re capable of illustrate:
How file integrity monitoring works
Why it’s severe
Tips about learn how to use a file integrity monitoring plugin
How does file integrity monitoring work?
File integrity monitoring is a method frail to settle if modifications catch been made to recordsdata inside a diagram. The course of works by rising a hash worth from each explicit individual file after which evaluating two various hashes of the identical file taken at various occasions. Consider it like a fingerprint.
If the hashes match, the file didn’t substitute. In any other case, the file has modified. When the diagram has present hashes, it formulation that recordsdata catch been added to the diagram.
The course of of working file integrity monitoring checks is furthermore steadily known as file modifications scanning or file modifications monitoring.
The Significance Of File Integrity Monitoring For wordpress web pages
File integrity monitoring is severe for wordpress web pages; it lets you reply shortly to file modifications, malicious or in each different case. With file integrity monitoring you per likelihood can, we could clarify, be apparent a newly put in plugin or theme wouldn’t originate sudden file modifications and set up the supply of a enterprise with out issues.
Whereas it’s straight ahead to mediate {that a} single safety and firewall plugin is all you may per likelihood like, that oversimplifies the course of of conserving a wordpress net pages bag. You’d per likelihood per likelihood mute map end a holistic come to wordpress safety. On the least, you per likelihood can also mute:
Arrange a wordpress firewall to dam assaults
Always use the most recent instrument, plugins, themes and wordpress core
Retain a doc of all explicit individual modifications that happen to your net pages (wordpress dispute logs)
Be apparent customers use exact passwords and permit two-dispute authentication
Arrange a wordpress file integrity present display plugin
Incandescent the place and what file modifications to eye for
The recordsdata are organized in loads of subdirectories on a wordpress net pages. There are some file modifications which might be anticipated, nonetheless, some others aren’t. Let’s inch by strategy of some exAMPles.
Changes in:
/wp-bid/uploads/– wordpress saves non-executable recordsdata on this itemizing, such as a result of the images media recordsdata. Subsequently modifications within the /wp-bid/uploads/ itemizing are usually nothing to peril about. Alerting for each substitute on this itemizing is probably going overkill and results in spurious alarms. In fact, most file integrity monitoring plugins ignore media recordsdata equal to jpg, jpeg, png, pdf and many others.
/wp–bid/cache/ (varies reckoning on-region configuration)- When you happen to make use of a caching plugin, quiz to eye dispute within the /wp-bid/cache/ folder and its sub-directories. A lot of of the recordsdata additionally additionally would per likelihood be appropriate executable recordsdata. Factual file modifications plugins exclude the subfolder /wp-bid/cache/ by default. If yours wouldn’t, preserve in ideas aside from the itemizing from the file modifications scans.
/wp-bid/plugins/– That’s the place the recordsdata of the put in plugins are saved. When you happen to are putting in, updating, or deleting a plugin quiz modifications proper right here. In any other case, it’s going to additionally mute stay unchanged.
/wp-bid/themes/– This itemizing is analogous to the /plugins/ itemizing, excluding that it’s for themes. There can also mute not be any file modifications on this itemizing besides you’ve made modifications to your area’s theme(s).
The wordpress root– That could be a really essential itemizing. Till you or the server administrator made modifications (you per likelihood can also mute by no formulation modify wordpress core code), any file modifications proper right here can also mute be scrutinized. In general, the wordpress root itemizing can also mute stay unchanged besides you replace wordpress core.
wordpress core recordsdata– You shouldn’t manually edit wordpress core recordsdata besides you’re an improved explicit individual with a very express motive and correct motive. For every individual else, wordpress core recordsdata can also mute substitute ONLY whereas you replace wordpress.
What does a file substitute on a wordpress net pages point out?
So what constitutes a file substitute on a wordpress net pages? A substitute may per likelihood properly be any of the following:
Modification of reward recordsdata
Deletion of reward recordsdata
Creation or addition of latest recordsdata
While you detect a file substitute, how attain what introduced on it, and if it was as soon as legit or not? There’s no such factor as a one-size-fits-all reply, however listed beneath are a pair of general causes for file modifications:
Benign actions and feeble development & administrative dispute– wordpress updates, plugin modifications, theme modifications, bid uploads, and development work can all consequence in file modifications. So whereas you’re acutely aware that these modifications are happening, you per likelihood can with out issues overview the file modifications scan outcomes.
Plugin dispute– Some plugins originate file modifications. Assuredly, caching and backup plugins originate their very catch recordsdata on the procure pages. Some safety plugins furthermore modify configuration recordsdata, equal to .htaccess. Familiarize your self with the habits of your plugins, so that you just simply per likelihood can with out issues settle which modifications are legit and that must not.
Developer or administrator error– A developer or administrator can also rush away in assistance from supply code, backup or various types of recordsdata that bask in delicate info. These recordsdata usually is a supply of info leaks, which attackers use to amass out a pair of net bid’s setup and doable safety flaws.
Malicious dispute– As quickly as attackers catch procure entry to to a wordpress net pages, they will seemingly substitute recordsdata by injecting them with malware, and add or originate executables to defend our malicious dispute.
How file integrity monitoring improves wordpress safety
With file integrity monitoring you handle two types of wordpress safety: proactive and reactive safety. Proactive safety entails addressing a ability dispute ahead of it turns right into a breach. Reactive safety entails responding to hack assault.
Whereas reactive can also catch detrimental connotations to a pair, the reality is sweet reactive safety can rush a prolonged formulation in mitigating the extent of a safety breach.
ExAMPles of proactive safety with file integrity monitoring
Instance 1
Subject a developer edits a PHP file with out efficiently exiting their textual content editor. This leaves a swap file (.swp extension) in assistance from. Equally, converse they construct an oldschool PHP file as a .bak file. In each circumstances, a hacker may per likelihood properly obtain the recordsdata as they do not look like accomplished like PHP recordsdata. File integrity monitoring lets you proactively detect these type of points.
Instance 2
If a database admin leaves a .sql database backup in an unnerved house on the positioning, an attacker may per likelihood properly get hold of it and obtain it. This furthermore happens when the utilization of backup plugins- some backup plugins preserve the backups native, on the positioning. Attackers use instruments to robotically guess the paths of the backup recordsdata and obtain them.
When you use a file integrity monitoring resolution you’re alerted of such elements. Subsequently in expose to be proactive and map end the recordsdata offline, reconfigure the servers, and write up present insurance policies to your crew in order that they attain not save your net pages at menace (even when it was as soon as not intentional).
ExAMPles of reactive safety with file integrity monitoring
Instance 1
An administrator receives an alert about file modifications of their wordpress net pages, regardless of there being no latest updates. Upon investigation, the admins get hold of a malicious script within the header.php file. They furthermore sight nameless FTP write procure entry to is enabled. The admins delete the compromised file, restore the customary theme file and correct the FTP server configuration.
Instance 2
The file integrity monitoring plugin alerts the directors that the 404.php file within the topics itemizing has modified, even when there catch been no latest theme modifications. At some point of forensics, an admin identifies a backdoor script within the 404.php file. By analyzing the procure server logs and wordpress audit logs the administrator notices {that a} present explicit individual was as soon as created on wordpress so the attackers may per likelihood properly discount procure entry to and {that a} vulnerability was as soon as exploited in an outdated plugin.
By finding out the alerts and logs the administrator is aware of the supply of the hack, permitting them to totally procure neatly from the hack and restore the security flaws.
File integrity present display plugin for wordpress web pages
Now that that file integrity monitoring helps you give a use to the administration, troubleshooting, and safety of your wordpress web pages, you must clutch put in energy it to your net pages.
You’d per likelihood per likelihood attain so by putting in a wordpress file integrity monitoring plugin. Most wordpress safety plugins attain file integrity monitoring, nonetheless, their predominant focal degree is safety hardening, like firewalls. For file integrity monitoring, rush for a very professional plugin that does correct that.
We counsel Internet web page File Changes Be acutely aware. Since it’s a really professional single scope plugin, it’s vitally light-weight, straightforward to configure and has some unusual capabilities. For instance:
Tidy expertise that research no spurious positives – You attain not want your directors flooded with spurious-particular notifications whereas you put in a present plugin or replace wordpress core. This may with out issues result in a bawl wolf dispute. The Internet web page File Changes Be acutely aware plugin uniquely identifies modifications made by plugins and themes installs, updates and uninstalls, and wordpress core updates mitigating the probability of spurious alarms.
Self-generated supply hashes – Not like various plugins, the Internet web page File Changes Be acutely aware plugin generates its catch hashes. Subsequently it’s going to detect file modifications to your entire put in themes and plugins, even customized ones and any customized code you per likelihood can also catch. Additionally, you attain not depend on the supplier to replace the supply hashes frail for comparisons when a present wordpress replace is launched.
On excessive of the above, the plugin is multisite like minded, fully configurable and sends e-mail notifications when it detects file modifications to your wordpress net pages.
The put up File Integrity Monitoring for wordpress Web sites appeared first on Torque.
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Jazz Noir
There are quite a few less conventional musicals that New Line has produced which serve as touchstones for me, shows that taught me important lessons, that expanded my vocabulary, that forced me into solving problems I thought were unsolvable.
Among that group are Hair, Bat Boy, Urinetown, The Robber Bridegroom, March of the Falsettos, Floyd Collins, Songs for a New World, Jacques Brel...
And maybe even more than the others, Andrew Lippa's brilliant Wild Party is one of those shows. What a challenging damn show that was to stage, to even conceive of how it should look and move. But we decoded it and we nailed its very special style and tone.
Working on and decoding that show taught me that musical staging can be fully expressionistic, having no specific concrete meaning, but expressing emotion, tension, opposition, psychology. I had used expressionistic staging before to some extent over the years, but Wild Party was the first show in which the movement for the entire show should be expressionistic. I found myself using circles (one of my favorite devices) but in new ways, to show opposition, to show chaos; I found myself using conventional movement but interrupting it, reversing it, perverting it, deconstructing it.
When I started working on The Sweet Smell of Success, I thought it was going to work a lot like Wild Party. The music is almost as continuous in Sweet Smell as it is in Wild Party, but Sweet Smell is a different kind of story. While Wild Party is wildly, passionately emotional, so much of Sweet Smell is cold as fucking ice. Sure emotions erupt in this story, but most of these character are icy, calculating cynics.
The real tragedy of this story is that Susan and Dallas (and Rita) are just normal people who feel normal human emotions, but they're surrounded by emotional pod people in J.J., Sidney, Madge, Kello, and the others, devoid of empathy. The only thing Sidney ever feels is fear.
And I've realized four things as I've been blocking.
First, this show is a double Faust story. Sidney sells his soul to J.J., but Sidney never really had much of a soul to begin with. And Susan sells her soul to Sidney, which is the real tragedy. Every time I hear Susan's song "What If" in the first act, I want to scream at her, "Don't do it! Don't become them!" The minute she decides she will lie and manipulate like everybody else, she assures tragedy.
Second, actors and directors love high stakes in a story. It gives the actor something really juicy and dramatic to chew on, and it give the audience the most compelling reason to engage. And Sweet Smell of Success has impossibly high stakes. Either Sidney's entire future is destroyed or Susan's is. There's no compromise possible, no win-win scenario. (The same is true of Bat Boy.)
Third, Susan is the protagonist of this story. She's the only character who makes choices, who chooses her own path, and who learns and grows by the end.
Fourth, this isn't just a drama; it's a thriller. We've realized over the last few rehearsals that the story of Sweet Smell is very parallel to Sweeney Todd, only in our show J.J. is both Sweeney and Judge Turpin. Pretty creepy...
I've realized that Sweet Smell is fundamentally film noir, or as I've been calling it "jazz noir" (which I discovered is actually a thing, although it has a bunch of different meanings). Film noir is economical, minimalist, austere, almost self-aware. It's not about emotion. So cool, detached jazz is the perfect musical language for these people.
But musicals are about emotion, right?
The beauty of Sweet Smell is that there are powerful emotions at play here, but only among Dallas, Susan, and Rita, and they all get, lush, rich music to express that emotion, in "I Can Not Hear the City," "Don't Know Where You Leave Off," and "Rita's Tune." The only time Sidney gets lush music like that is in the song "At the Fountain," where for just a moment, Sidney feels something like joy. But it won't last.
After all, this is a Faust story.
Understanding all that led me to decide that this show shouldn't be nearly as dancy as Wild Party. We have hired New Liner Taylor Pietz to choreograph because there are some real dance numbers, but during the rest of the show, the ensemble is a Greek Chorus, much more so than a usual musical theatre chorus. They are narrators, the public, Sidney's conscience, social commentators, devils, and all the Little People in Sidney and J.J.'s orbit. They're used in an unconventional way for a musical, so we shouldn't treat them as if they're conventional.
For much of the show, our ensemble will be on a raised platform, stage-right, hanging out, drinking, reading the paper, watching our story, and commenting. They'll leave the platform now and then, but that will be their perch. I think it will be cool for them to watch so much of the action. As with a few other shows we've done, this ensemble will be both inside the action and outside the action, occasionally at the same time.
The writing is really extraordinary, so I think everything will be very clear to the audience. This script is very film-like in the way it transitions between scene and locations, which I love, and it's so carefully and beautifully crafted, I'm confident it will guide our audience through this thicket of lies and schemes that is our story.
We just have to get out of the way.
A local reviewer recently marveled at seeing a "close-up" onstage, but stage directors have been stealing and adapting film techniques at least as far back as Michael Bennett's work on Dreamgirls, and probably back even further. Musical theatre directors now regularly use devices like zooms, close-ups, focus pulls, pans, split-screen, montages; which allows bookwriters to fashion much more continuous, uninterrupted action, what I like to call Perpetual Motion Machines.
Of course the other thing that freed musical theatre writers is the realization that the stage is at its best when it delivers what film cannot. When the stage asks its audience to fill in the details of environment, even costumes, when the stage requires the audience's imaginations to complete the act of storytelling, when the audience participates in the storytelling, they're much more engaged and they have a much better time,
All of this is there in Sweet Smell of Success. Rob Lippert has designed for us an exquisite expressionistic 1950s nighttime New York, that will suggest time and place, but also mood and character. We've finished blocking Act I and now we move on to Act II, where the pace of the story shifts into hyper-drive.
I started this project thinking this was a show in which I needed to be "clever," to make "pretty pictures," etc. It's not. My job with staging is nothing more than Clarity. I have to make sure the audience knows what's important at any give moment and that nothing gets in the way of their understanding. The less physical movement we use, the more the audience will focus on content. Humans are visual creatures first, so if you give an audience too much to look at, they will focus less on lyrics, story, character, etc. If I want the audience to really focus on a moment, we eliminate as much movement as possible.
That's why Elaine Stritch famously sat in a chair for almost all of "The Ladies Who Lunch" in the original production of Company. She barely moved at all, till the end of the song when she stood up for "Rise!"
Lots to think about with this endlessly rich, complex, amazing writing. All of us are already so anxious to share this with our audiences.
The adventure continues...
Long Live the Musical!
Scott
from The Bad Boy of Musical Theatre http://newlinetheatre.blogspot.com/2017/05/jazz-noir.html
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