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peterswonderland · 4 days

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Introduction

By now, we all have our opinions of The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology. It has received mixed reviews from critics to fans alike.

In the Gaylor community, many have dubbed it her “straightest album,” which I am inclined to agree with. BUT.

If you do not like Gaylor or Swiftgron content, feel free to block and/or keep scrolling!

I’ve seen and read theories for years. In this post I will be referencing the Swiftgron Masterpost. I’m also an avid listener of the What I Will Say podcast. (No one affiliated with the podcast is involved with this post, and for all I know might disagree with it entirely. However, I will be referencing the masterpost at points, and it is only fair to give credit where credit is due.)

This is celebrity gossip, and everything is alleged. I do not know Taylor or Dianna. This is alleged (don't sue me, tysm!)

Peter is…Dianna?

Halfway through my first listen of “Peter,” I was fully convinced this song was about Dianna. That Peter was Dianna.

First, I will go through the lyrics that most pointedly seem Dianna-coded to me.

Forgive me, Peter My lost fearless leader In closets like cedar Preserved from when we were just kids Is it somethin' I did?

Taylor references closets in “seven” on folklore:

And I've been meaning to tell you I think your house is haunted Your dad is always mad and that must be why And I think you should come live with Me and we can be pirates Then you won't have to cry Or hide in the closet

Cedar closets are used as a "safe haven" to put valuable items in. The closet has preserved everything from when Taylor and the muse were "just kids" (likely meaning their early twenties.) Shoutout to Kristin in the WIWS Discord for mentioning this!

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Another interpretation I found on Genius mentioned that the closet line in “Peter” could also be a reference to another fantasy story, The Chronicles of Narnia, wherein stepping into a closet revealed a new fantasy world. This fantasy narrative ties in with “Peter”/Peter Pan and “Wonderland”/Alice in Wonderland, which we’ll get to in a second.

The line “And I think you should come live with/Me and we can be pirates” can also be connected to Peter Pan. Peter Pan and the Lost Boys often have to fight off Captain Hook and his pirates. There are also theories that pirates/Captain Hook are old Lost Boys. TL/DR: Old lost boys are either killed by Peter Pan or can choose to become Lost Boys…at least by these fans’ interpretations. A weak link I know, but still an interesting one.

“We can be pirates” because you’ve been forced to grow up too quickly…? Hm.

Further connecting “seven” to “Peter” is the idea of being just kids, although in “seven” it seems to be more literal, while in “Peter” she might be referring to when she and Dianna actually met: Taylor was ~20 years old, and Dianna was ~24.

From “Peter”:

Are you still a mind reader? A natural scene stealer? I've heard great things, Peter But life was always easier on you Than it was on me

Dianna is stunning, and has often been referred to as a scene stealer.

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“When we cast Dianna as Quinn, she ruined the part for me,” Murphy says. “She was supposed to be the Cybill Shepherd, Last Picture Show cunt, so to speak, but she humanized it. She can cry at the drop of a hat. So now her character has a conscience, a soul and great vulnerability.” Ryan Murphy, Rolling Stone. Credit

Credit (Shoutout to ellie from the WIWS Discord server for bringing the TCA nominations for "Female Scene Stealer" to my attention!)

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More from “Peter”:

And I won't confess that I waited, but I let the lamp burn As the men masqueraded, I hoped you'd return

I viewed this through a queer lens upon first listen; the definition of masqueraded (verb) is “to go about disguised/to assume the appearance of something one is not.”

When Taylor sings “as the men masqueraded, I hope you’d return,” the you is implied to not be a man.

We’ll circle back to lamps burning/lights in Part 2.

And you said you'd come and get me, but you were twenty-five And the shelf life of those fantasies has expired Lost to the "Lost Boys" chapter of your life

Dianna was twenty-five when she and Taylor allegedly began dating.

Dianna, through multiple interviews and her old tumblr blog (that often mentioned children’s fantasies and stories), seems to cherish her inner child and not be in any rush to “grow up.”

From an interview for Galore Magazine in 2014:

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There are also Dianna’s frequent posts on Tumblr about fairytales and children’s stories - this could lend itself to the idea she was living a “Lost Boy’s life.” More on that later.

But the woman who sits by the window Has turned out the light

Again, there is a reference to light, which is a theme (amongst many) we will visit in Part 2 of this analysis.

These lyrics draw natural parallels to Disney’s animated Peter Pan film, wherein Peter Pan visits the Darling children through their window. Wendy is seen sitting by the window, yearning for something more.

In another TTPD track about windows, “I Look in People’s Windows,” there are obvious parallels to “Peter.” These parallels are so strong that I believe these songs are almost certainly about the same person.

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In “cardigan” from folklore, Taylor seems to categorize herself as Wendy and an unknown muse as Peter.

I knew you Tried to change the ending Peter losing Wendy

More “cardigan” parallels will be drawn in Part 2. Part 1 is focusing on “Peter” itself as well as its tie ins to another TTPD song, “I Look in People’s Windows.”

I Peter Looks in People’s Windows

Connecting “Peter” and “I Look in People’s Windows” is almost too easy, yet I didn’t catch it on my first few listens. Let’s break it down.

The images referenced above show that windows are a central plot point to Peter Pan. Waiting by the window symbolizes yearning for something more, something magical. Wendy is waiting for something more: for Peter’s return. We can draw parallels between Wendy’s window and the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland: a portal to something whimsical and dangerous.

If you’re new here, “Wonderland” from 1989 is known to many as one of Taylor’s most blatant songs about a woman: Dianna Agron. I encourage you to read this portion of the Swiftgron masterpost if you’re new or need a refresher!

Sit and Wait, Sit and Wait

The first theme we’ll discuss is longing/yearning. Both in “Peter” and “I Look in People’s Windows,” Taylor conveys a strong sense of yearning for a person with whom a relationship has permanently died, despite her hopes.

From “Peter”:

The goddess of timing Once found us beguiling She said she was trying Peter, was she lying? My ribs get the feelin' she did And I didn't want to come down I thought it was just goodbye for now

Said you were gonna grow up Then you were gonna come find me Words from the mouths of babes Promises oceans deep But never to keep

Forgive me, Peter, please know that I tried To hold onto the days when you were mine (Hold onto the days) But the woman who sits by the window has turned out the light

The woman (Taylor) who sat by the window has given up hope (turned out the light.)

Also, fun fact about "my ribs get the feeling she did": Dianna Agron removed a Wonderland tattoo after the song "Wonderland" was released. Guess where the tattoo was?

On. Her. RIBS.

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"We're all mad here."

Also, "What will we become? We become ourselves," is a quote from poet Patti Smith. Yes, the same Patti Smith referenced in the title track for The Tortured Poets Department. (Thanks to thea from the WIWS discord for pointing out the Patti Smith connection to me!)

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(Shoutout to reddit user aztraps for pointing out the rib lyric to me!)

The themes of yearning continue on “I Look in People’s Windows” during essentially the entire song, but here are some highlights:

A feather taken by the wind blowing I'm afflicted by the not knowing so

I'd be remiss not to mention that Peter Pan, throughout many adaptations, is known for his feather in his cap.

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The Paradise of Peter Pan by Edward Mason Eggleston, 1934

You might notice in this painting that Peter looks like...well, a woman (stereotypically and historically!) The character of Peter Pan is normally played by a woman on stage and is often depicted with female features. This makes Dianna being Peter even more...suspicious.

More from “I Look in People’s Windows”:

I look in people's windows In case you're at their table What if your eyes looked up and met mine One more time

This is a love that is ended, yet Taylor can’t help but wonder what might happen if flames rekindled.

I know what you’re thinking – Taylor Swift isn’t walking around random neighborhoods peering into neighbor’s windows. You’d be right (hopefully.) This song is a metaphor, in my view, for “insta-stalking” or social media “stalking” an ex, constantly checking up on them to see what they’re up to, who they’re with. She checks mutual friends’ pages, looking to see if she sees her love (Dianna) “at their table” (with them.)

The real question is - why use windows as the metaphor for internet stalking your ex? Perhaps to tie it into another song about that same ex?

More "ILIPW" lyrics:

I tried searching faces on streets What are the chances you'd be Downtown, downtown, downtown Does it feel alright to not know me? I'm addicted to the "if only"

Taylor is YEARNING for this person. She also seems to be unable to believe this person has been able to seemingly move on without her (just like Peter has.)

In “Peter,” Taylor’s relationship didn’t turn out as she hoped. She hoped this person would come back, and they didn’t. (“Come Back…Be Here” anyone??? PART TWO)

“I Look in People’s Windows” highlights the fact that Taylor has not completely moved on. As she goes about her daily life, she still “peers in people’s windows” (checks instagram/twitter/etc.) for this person. IT’S THE SAME MUSE!!! (Allegedly.)

In addition, the line: “I'm addicted to the "if only"” is especially interesting given Dianna’s interesting response to rumors of dating Taylor in a May 2023 (!!!) Rolling Stone article:

The theme of waiting is also important to discuss. In “Peter,” Taylor is waiting for someone who said they would grow up and find her; she’s sitting by the window waiting for them. In “ILIPW,” Taylor is looking through windows waiting for this person’s eyes to meet “mine one more time.” Both songs have this sense of sit and wait, sit and wait, sit and wait.

Taylor looking into people's windows and obsessing over gatherings where the muse might be in attendance reflects a sense of longing and yearning, reminiscent of Wendy's yearning in Peter Pan to reconnect with Peter despite being unable to bridge the gap between their realities:

Lyrics from “Peter”:

We both did the best we could do underneath the same moon In different galaxies

Eternal Youth

More from “I Look in People’s Windows”:

I look in people's windows Transfixed by rose golden glows

To view something in rose colored glasses is to see something in “favorably disposed opinions : optimistic eyes.”

One could compare this to the rose colored glasses Wendy takes on when visiting Neverland, or when Alice visits Wonderland. (Again, we will be reviewing Wonderland’s connection amongst many other songs in connection to “Peter”/“ILIPW” in Part 2.) Both of these fairytales cater to the inner child and youth.

The theme of eternal youth in “Peter”, based on the fairytale of Peter Pan, is self explanatory, and I don’t feel the need to go into detail in this already MASSIVE post.

For this example, we’re going with the theory that “Peter” and “ILIPW” are inspired by the same muse/relationship. “ ILIPW’s” theme of yearning can be interpreted through the lens of Wendy's relationship with Peter—a story that encapsulates the longing for eternal youth (which Taylor writes about in “22” on Red, a song that is DEDICATED TO DIANNA, the pain of growing up, and the poignant realization that some connections are meant to remain in the realm of dreams and memories.

Rediscover Your Sense of Wonder

Peter appears unexpectedly and at random to seemingly bring a sense of magic and wonder to those around him, including Wendy and her siblings. Peter visiting the Darling children through their window symbolizes the allure of escapism, especially for someone like Taylor who cannot lead a normal life, and the desire to remain forever young.

“ILIPW,” if you allow the interpretation that it is intrinsically connected to “Peter,” indicates a longing to recapture, if anything, the innocence and adventure embodied by Peter/the muse. Taylor’s fixation on windows is a search for moments of enchantment and wonder that the Peter muse gave her.

If we follow this line of thinking and allow Dianna to be the muse of “Peter” and “I Look in People’s Windows,” it’s very interesting that the song canonically dedicated to Dianna centers around the very idea of youth and wonder: “22” from Red, as seen in the Rolling Stone piece mentioned above.

From “22”:

We're happy, free, confused, and lonely at the same time It's miserable and magical / It seems like one of those nights We ditch the whole scene and end up dreaming Instead of sleeping / Everything will be alright If we just keep dancing like we're 22

Tumblr / felldowntherabbithole

Dianna once had a tumblr with the url felldowntherabbithole. While I searched what archives I could find, it was quite overwhelming, and I didn’t get through many of her posts throughout the years she was active. However, I will mention posts I did find that showcased her interest in fairytales, and why Taylor might choose one (or two…“Wonderland,” anyone?) as inspiration for songs she has written about Dianna.

FIRST: This old post was found by Cam from whatiwillsay. She is not affiliated with this post and did not endorse it. However, I was unable to find this screenshot myself on the Wayback Machine, so I want to give her credit for finding this post on Dianna’s blog:

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Now, onto some screenshots I found myself of Dianna’s love of fairytales, all courtesy of the Wayback Machine:

References from bottom to top: Goodnight Moon, Dr. Suess, Alice in Wonderland, Little Red Riding Hood, Underland (a retelling of Alice in Wonderland)

Part Two Coming Soon

PART TWO will be linked here when finished. If you have any comments, suggestions, or questions, I’m more than ready to hear your thoughts!

Part Two will cover "Peter" and "ILIPW's" connections to other songs associated with Dianna.

Part 3 will cover anything I missed that I didn't feel I could edit into Part 1 or 2, as well as some more reach-y theories that I still feel deserve an honorable mention!

This post will be edited for grammatical and factual errors as necessary, as well as adding more evidence I feel needs to be included in this post.

#gaylor #swiftgron #gaylor swift #peter #i look in people's windows #gaylor theory #gaylor lyric analysis #swiftgron lyric analysis

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d-criss-news · 3 months

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Video: Little Shop of Horrors' Darren Criss on How Howard Ashman Is His 'Roman Empire'

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Following his first week of performances as Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors Off-Broadway, Darren Criss (sporting perfectly thematic lime green nail polish) took the time to chat with Playbill about his endless enthusiasm about the role—plus, his musings on the brilliance of the academic undertones of the show's story being set to a timelessly catchy score.

"I'm just pleased as punch to be part of the legacy that is this show, not just this production, but the legacy that everybody [has] known since the 1980s," Criss shared in his interview with Playbill.

Prior to his breakout role on the musical television series Glee, Criss was known by his fans not only for his part in pioneering the viral theatre company StarKid Productions, but his YouTube covers of Alan Menken-Howard Ashman standards. For nearly two decades, Criss' deep admiration for the Ashman-Menken theatrical canon has been evident. "It's a very special show because of Howard Ashman. His fingerprint is such a huge part of my own relationship to creativity and he's been a north star in my life for as long as I can remember. As the kids say, he's my Roman Empire," Criss says, referring to a viral TikTok trend where users share the historical event they contemplate at least once a day. And now Criss is singing Menken and Ashman's songs eight times a week at the Westside Theatre, opposite longtime friend Evan Rachel Wood as Audrey.

While the Emmy winner, in some ways, admits that this long-awaited opportunity feels surreal, he is also confident in his ability to handle the material. "As a lover and ravenous consumer of the Ashman-Menken legacy, I have put in the hours of absolutely loving and being invigorated by this stuff stuff that it stands to reason that I could be here. It is surreal, but it also makes perfect sense," he shares.

With such a long-established and beloved role, countless performers have had the opportunity to leave their mark on the role of Seymour, and each interpretation offers infinite possibilities within the larger mold of the character. For Criss, his take on the character is rooted in theatre history.

"In the past few years—I don't know if it's a coincidence, and I don't know what it says about me—I seem to have played a lot of guys that are willing to do anything for greatness," muses Criss. "This is an ancient tale. I think people forget that Little Shop, for all its fun and catchiness, is a Faustian tale. All that very academic stuff is baked into this cake and I think that's why Howard Ashman was a genius. He could really toe that line between academia and accessibility...It is very smart, as fun as it is."

To see Criss' full interview with Playbill's Jeffrey Vizcaíno, watch the video above.

Criss joined the hit Off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors at the Westside Theatre January 30. Wood and Criss succeeds Constance Wu and Corbin Bleu, who played their final performances in the long-running revival January 28.

Criss came to global fame on the Ryan Murphy musical television series Glee, and since appeared on Broadway in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and most recently, American Buffalo. He is an Emmy winner and Golden Globe winner for portraying murderer Andrew Cunanan in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.

#darren criss #playbill #little shop of horrors bway #little shop of horrors #press #video #feb 2024

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spaceorphan18 · 4 months

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My Season 3 Diatribe

for @wowbright who gave me a platform that I really didn't need but took anyway. ;)

The thing about Glee was that it started with a woman being fake pregnant for thirteen episodes and then ended the season with a baby being born while Bohemian Rhapsody blared in the background. It was weird and crazy and insane and just edgy enough that it was being talked about but not too niche that it couldn't find an audience. It also hit in the sweet spot of the Obama years when, as a nation, we could get on board with being a little different and a little crazy.

Ryan Murphy is both a genius and insane at the same time. I'm not really fond of him, and I think his tendency for going big sometimes obscures the nuances of really good storytelling. But he knows how to make a loud statement. And Glee was that loud statement.

And then it got big. Too big. It got more money, an awards, and the national stage, and then all eyes were on it. And Ryan Murphy got tired because that's also Ryan Murphy - being distracted by American Horror Story where he could be abstract in the way his brain really wanted to go. And so, new writers were brought in, but having all eyes on it meant you had to dial it back, and the new writers didn't jive the same way, nor could they really juggle all of the new network notes, ballooning cast, mandates of the Glee project and responsibility for now having to be a 'role model' for all the new outsiders who were hanging on.

The show was once about being an awkward kid in the 80s. And then it was forced into becoming a mouthpiece for the changing times of the 2010s.

And that... doesn't work.

The funniest thing is way back when... after I had stopped watching the show for a while, Season 3 is what brought me back. I did think, for a moment in time, that I liked it better than Seasons 1 or 2. I can't exactly tell you why. But The First Time is when I fell in love, and maybe you feel connected to something when you fall in love with it that you can't really discribe.

And I hated Season 4. and I was listening to a podcast of the day (Those of you who remember Lima Heights Adjacent?) and the group of people were talking about how, with all of its faults, Season 4 was at least NOT Season 3. And I was confused because at the time - I much preferred Season 3. Because my favorite couple was at least a couple back then -- because the cast was people I liked. Because the episodes were easy to digest and the structure of it, while being bland and predictable, fit into a nice, uniform way of storytelling.

And then time moved on, and I left my twenties, and digested the entire story (the second half, with all of its faults, does not get the recognition it deserves -- despite it falling apart at all times) and got a lot better at critical analysis and media analysis and being open to the ideas of others and just... shake my head.

When you look at the whole, Season 3 isn't AS bad as I make it seem sometimes. There's a good chunk of it, right in the middle, that is... more watchable than what's at the beginning and end.

There is, however, a laundry list of reasons why it's not good -- from questionable story telling choices to dulling the edge of a more biting comedy to just not being able to service all the characters it has in a satisfactory way. They botched Santana's story, which had been set up nicely in season 2. They threw in guest stars and special episodes to throw off that they didn't really know what to do with the story other than praise Rachel Berry and get those kids winning nationals and graduated. They took Kurt and completely neutered him in a way that went against everything they had built him up to be in the first two seasons. And so on and so on and so on.

But I suppose most egregiously -- they played it safe and it was no longer interesting.

I don't fully understand why people love it so much. But I will say - part of the reason might be why I liked it at the time. There's a huge influx of newer fans always coming to the show. And like Klaine, Brittana (which has a following unlike it ever did when it aired) remains together and having the most screen time in Season 3. All the original characters are around, and the story structure, if nothing else, is secure and sound and plays out exactly as its supposed to. Rachel Berry gets the crown, Will gets the teacher of the year, and they all win nationals - hell, even Sue gets a baby. Cue the music and roll credits.

To each their own.

Season 4 comes next with its awkward new characters and its break ups and its wild ups and downs. And then season 5 with its grief and queer in a way that's not accessible but fuck it who cares and season 6 that just wants to go back to the beginning and end it all like the weird creation it was when it started. And as complicated as all of that is -- it's not as digestible as Season 3. I like the afterwards better. But I understand that some people won't. It has, after all, taken me years to get to this level of appreciation.

Who knows how people are going to look at it in ten, fifteen, fifty years. I'm sure, as streaming shows continue to go on and on and on and nothing dies any more, it'll take on different tones and different meanings.

Maybe this time around - those people just need that comfort.

I can't tell you.

But it won't ever be my favorite. And that's fine. As always, ymmv.

#that's how s.o. sees it #feeling reflective tonight #if you want specifics hit me up #though i'm sure most of you have been around long enough to know and understand #maybe you just had to live through it #or maybe you just need to be in a different place #or maybe none of it was good to begin with #glee history i suppose #as i sit in my rocking chair on my porch and talk about yesteryere

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sebeth · 4 months

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Who's Who In The DC Universe #1: The Atom I, The Atom II, The Atomic Knight, The Atomic Skull, Auron

The Atom I by Rick Hoberg & Romeo Tanghal

The “original 98-lb. weakling, Al Pratt bought dinner for a drunken vagabond who turned out to be Joe Morgan, a former boxing champ

Morgan put Pratt through an intensive training and exercise program

Pratt chose to become a costumed crime-fighter instead of pursuing a boxing career

Atom gained “atomic strength” from an encounter with Cyclotron in 1948

The Atom was a charter member of the Justice Society and later joined the All-Star Squadron

The Atom retired after the JSA’s breakup in the 1950s

He later became a professor of nuclear physics and married a woman named Mary

Al’s godson is Nuklon (aka Atom-Smasher) of Infinity Inc

He remains mostly retired but will don the costume when duty calls

The Atom made frequent appearances in the various Justice Society series and in All-Star Squadron. Damage (Grant Emerson) was later revealed to be Al Pratt’s long-lost son. If I remember correctly, Atom died in the Zero Hour mini-series so he never encountered Grant. I am unsure of the explanation behind the disappearance of Al & Marys son or how Grant ended up in the bad guy’s custody.

The Atom II by Gi Kane

Ray Palmer was a graduate student trying to find a way to reduce matter in an effort to aid farmers in increasing their yield. Ray discovered white dwarf matter was needed to successfully reduce objects.

Palmer shrunk himself in order to free himself and others from a cave-in.

Ray became a professor at Ivy University and the hero known as the Atom.

Palmer married Jean Loring but the duo later divorced.

Ray and Jean told their story to author Norman Brawler, ending Ray’s secret identity.

Ray suffered adverse health effects due to years of exposure to white dwarf matter.

He currently lives with an alien culture located somewhere in South America, permanently remaining at his six-inch size. The aliens are around six inches in height.

I’ve always loved Ray – a likable, relatable genius. “The Sword of the Atom” was the mini-series/special where Ray moves to South America. He fell in love with one of the aliens (I can’t remember her name) but their love was doomed when loggers (I think) destroyed the alien civilization, causing her death.

Ray returned to America, solved his shrinking health-related issues, and resumed his heroic adventures.

The 2000s were not friendly to Ray. Jean, his ex-wife, decided to murder Sue Dibny, among others, for…reasons. Ray became a shrunken recluse allowing Ryan Choi to become the third atom. Donna Troy, Jason Todd, and Kyle Rayner searched the multiverse for Ray Palmer for…reasons. Jean Loring became Eclipso and a Black Lantern and murdered more people for…reasons. Ryan Choi, a delightful character, was murdered for…reasons causing Ray to resume the mantle of Atom.

Did DC have to murder Ryan? DC has dozens of speedsters, kryptonians and Bat Family members. I think the universe can handle two Atoms.

…reasons = bad storylines I can’t be bothered to remember the details of.

Ray has had multiple solo titles and is a long-standing member of the Justice League.

Ray has appeared in the Justice League Unlimited cartoon and made multiple appearances in CW’s Arrowverse, most notably the Legends of Tomorrow series.

The Atomic Knight by Murphy Anderson

Gardner Grayle was an army sergeant who was placed in a sensory deprivation tank and subjected to a series of simulations, studying his response to nuclear war and its aftermath

Grayle tapped into his latent telepathic abilities and took over the simulations and the staff

He fantasized beyond a nuclear war, instead conjuring up a fantasy where he and a group of others wore radiation-proof suits of armor. The Atomic Knights helped restore order to post World-War III America.

The fantasies expanded to include an appearance by the mythological Hercules

Grayle fell in love with Marene Herald, a psychiatrist attached to the project and included her in his fantasies

Superman discovered the project when Grayle’s fantasies began reshaping reality. Superman shut down the project and freed Grayle from the tank.

The sergeant had to re-adjust to life in the real world and Marlene’s real place in his life.

Grayle joined S.T.A.R. Labs and use his precognitive abilities to prevent catastrophes

Grayle occasionally dons a suit of armor, stolen from the army, and goes into action as the Atomic Knight

The only Atomic Knight(s) I’ve read was their appearance in the Convergence Legion Of Super-Heroes mini-series. I will say, if I was stuck in a sensory deprivation tank and subjected to a series of post-Nuclear War scenarios, I too would create my own fantasy world.

The Atomic Skull by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson

Albert Michaels was a director of S.T.A.R. who suffered from a rare nervous disorder that short-circuited the electrical impulses of his brain.

Michaels stole his own inventions from S.T.A.R. and turned them over to SKULL, where he quickly became the leader

Skull attempted to cure Michaels by implanting a neural pacemaker made of radium in his brain.

The implant malfunctioned, mutating Michaels’ brain waves into a new form of energy

The Atomic Skull is a C – D level Superman villain. He did make a few appearances in the Justice League Unlimited cartoon.

Auron

Kidnapped by the Psions, the Okaaran woman X-Hal was forced to take part in a genetic experiment and was mated with a Branx warrior. The mating produced two children, one who became the first Citadelian, the other the being called Lambien.

The Citadelian left Okaara when X’Hal went mad and destroyed three of Vega’s 25 planets in her fury.

Lambien was raised by X’Hal once the Warlords of Okaara found a way to harness the incredible power granted her by the Psions’ experiment.

Lambien received some of X’Hal’s powers and appointed himself the guardian of Okarra

Lambien later joined the Omega Men

His power continued to grow and though he feared he may become as insane as his mother, he retained his sanity

Lambien changed his name to Aurion

Aurion and the Omega Men destroyed a Gordian fleet of Citadel slavers on earth and then returned to Vega, where they helped end the Citadel tyranny.

If you are a fan of the Wolfman/Perez era of the Teen Titans, a few of these names should be familiar even if you’ve never read an issue of Omega Men. The Citadel and the Warlords of Okaara feature in the origin of Starfire. And Kori swears by “X’Hal” in almost every Titans issue. Marv Wolfman is the creator of the Omega Men and Starfire which is why he can interweave the story elements between the two series. Starfire debuted in late 1980 and the Omega Men in mid-1981.

I’ve never read the 1980s Omega Men series (it’s on my TBR list as I’ve heard it is excellent). I have read many of the other appearances of the Omega Men from the 1980s to present day – their Teen Titans appearances, the Invasion, the Adam Strange, Rann-Thanagar War, and Tom King mini-series and I can’t recall Auron featuring in any of them.

Love the Omega Men, they’re a fun group.

#dc comics #dcu #atom #al pratt #ray palmer #atomic knight #atomic skull #auron #omega men #teen titans #starfire #marv wolfman #who's who in the dc universe

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denimbex1986 · 5 months

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'Christopher Nolan's best movies, from Inception to The Dark Knight, are also among the best movies of the 21st century, which proves how essential he is to understand blockbusters today.

The British-American director has been working behind the cameras for over thirty years, delivering some mind-bending, eye-catching work. Nolan's movies have a common ability to always surprise viewers, usually thanks to time-twisting stories that are never what they seem.

That's also true for his latest movie Oppenheimer, an unexpected box-office hit (blame the Barbenheimer phenomenon) that has arguably been the most talked-about of his career to date, even ahead of his excellent Batman trilogy. It's also one of this year's biggest awards contenders, with enough Oscar buzz to potentially secure the Academy Award for Best Picture.

The three-hour biopic about the life of J Robert Oppenheimer became Nolan's third highest-grossing movie ever, behind only The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. It's very close now to becoming Nolan's third billion-dollar movie.

But enough about the box office. The only ranking we care about is the quality of the movies...

10. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Rounding out Nolan's acclaimed Batman trilogy was never going to be easy post-The Dark Knight, and sadly, The Dark Knight Rises is more remembered for the controversy surrounding Tom Hardy's vocals than the movie itself.

Still, with standout performances from the likes of Michael Caine and Anne Hathaway, there are worse Batman movies out there.

Also, a near-perfect ending closes the door on Christian Bale's Dark Knight – hopefully not to return for the DCU's Multiverse.

7. Inception (2010)

Boasting Nolan's most A-list cast yet, Inception was like nothing we'd seen before when it debuted in 2010. Helping boost Joseph Gordon-Levitt's career, he plays brilliantly alongside Leonardo DiCaprio as the tragic Dom Cobb.

This Bond-inspired heist movie delves into the psyche of Cillian Murphy's mark, and as we go deeper, each layer is richer than the last.

Delivering one of the most debated endings of all time, we're still talking about whether that totem stopped spinning.

6. Dunkirk (2017)

Remembered alongside war epics like Saving Private Ryan, Dunkirk is probably the least Nolan movie in his catalogue.

Hitting the beaches of World War II, Dunkirk follows the famed 1940 evacuation on land, sea, and by air in three different timelines that offer up their own unique perspective.

Doing away with your typical tropes of a war movie, Dunkirk isn't afraid to get straight in there and hammer home the horrors of the war.

5. Batman Begins (2005)

Putting Christian Bale in the cape and cowl for the first time, Batman Begins ended the run of schlocky comic book movies of the early '00s to redefine the superhero origin story.

Restoring faith in the Dark Knight following Batman & Robin was no easy feat, but with Bale's Bruce Wayne channelling the darkness of Batman: The Animated Series, it defied expectations.

Also, opting for Liam Neeson's Ra's al Ghul as the villain instead of the Joker was a stroke of genius.

4. Oppenheimer (2023)

Combining the real-life history of Dunkirk and the theoretical physics of Tenet, Oppenheimer feels like the movie Nolan was always building to.

A dense three-hour biopic about J Robert Oppenheimer, aka "the father of the atomic bomb", it's a thrilling and thought-provoking watch with a never-better Cillian Murphy at its centre.

The movie's different timelines can be a bit confusing and Jean Tatlock's storyline is a bit questionable, but this is one of Nolan's best works.

Once watched, never forgotten.

1. The Dark Knight (2008)

Arguably the best comic book movie of all time and one of the best movies of all time, even superhero haters are hard-pushed not to be wowed by The Dark Knight.

Christian Bale is joined by Aaron Eckhart showing the softer side of the villainous Two-Face, while Gary Oldman's Jim Gordon is another highlight.

Of course, who could forget Heath Ledger's legendary performance as the Joker? For the opening bank heist alone, Ledger more than earned his posthumous Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.'

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ahslilmonsters · 1 month

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This looks like it won’t disappoint!

April 3rd part 2 returns!

#american horror story #ahs #ahs spoilers #ahs theme #ryan murphy #ryan murphy is a genius #ahs delicate #kim kardashian #emma roberts

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tea-with-evan-and-me · 11 months

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One of the things about Ryan I dislike (and there are many things lol) is how he doesn��t stop Evan from saying things like “Ryan changed my life”, or “I don’t deserve the chances Ryan gives me”. Evan is downplaying his own talents when says that and over-exaggerates Ryan’s. I mean, did you listen to the latest interview about how Evan was the one who took initiative/had the last word with most of the creative/aesthetic ideas for Dahmer? People could not shut up about how realistically grimey and artistically genius Dahmer was. That’s Evan’s doing. Also, Kai’s blue hair, JPM scars on his back…. That’s Evan’s ideas, not Ryan’s. He is a genius, in front and behind the camera!!!! So, if Ryan cares about Evan as much as Ryan claims he does, why would he let him downplay his own talents and not boost his ego? Where is Ryan kissing Evan’s ass for creating iconic characters and leading creative ideas in general? Friends don’t let friends be insecure like that unless that insecurity serves them in a way.

i think you hit the nail on the head. particularly something we've spoken about on here before, which is that evan's lack of confident in himself benefits ryan. i'm not saying he never compliments evan, but one could certainly argue that with the way evan speaks, ryan should be heaping praise onto him after he just knocked it out the ballpark with dahmer and made that show a record-breaking success. it's reasonable to say that if evan was more self-assured and confident in himself he probably would work more, and not be available the way he has been. evan has stated he literally took time off from pursuing future projects to mentally get back into a good space after shooting dahmer.

there's an irony here that evan had scheduling conflicts that initially could have prevented him from playing dahmer, but because.. the other series evan was working on was also a ryan murphy production... ryan could just move things around and change his involvement in AHS that season so evan could be freed up for dahmer lol

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tuiyla · 1 year

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With Britt they were clearly going for a savant angle. It fits very well with some people's suspicions/headcanons that Brittany was autistic as it's supposedly autistic people who are savants. Those aren't the people who actually study maths, they just 'magically' know it. It's a controversial subject, I'm not getting into whether or not savants are even real. Glee did not take genius brittany storyline seriously anyway, in any way. Personally I'll happily take anything that makes Brittany something more than a total moron she's often portrayed as. (Ryan Murphy meet me in the parking lot and we'll discuss the barbie doll scene, to name just one)

Btw anon they couldn't have called 1 mathematician, they couldn't do anything, they never did. They spent an entire show talking about Rachel's big Broadway career, you know, rachel, the main character, who's Broadway dreams was one of the main storylines of the entire show since episode 1, and when she finally got to Broadway there wasn't one detail of her Broadway journey that was realistic not even one, everything about the process of casting, rehearsing, performing, none of it was anywhere near the way it's actually done on Broadway.

Assuming these two go together.

Yeah I agree Anon. Glee couldn't be arsed with the arts, the main focus of the story, so of course they didn't put much effort into the accurate portrayal of mathematics.

I very much agree on your perspective and feel the same about Britt getting at least something - and wanting to fight RM. Like yeah there are many many bones to pick with this storyline and I've yet to write a comprehensive post about why I like it, but even that wouldn't be a defense of it as such. It was largely a joke not to be taken seriously but also the one (1) storyline Brittany has that is independent from romantic relationships and gives her any sort of agency. Could have been more grounded in reality but I'll suspend my disbelief about how mathematics actually work if it means validating her intelligence in any way.

Same page, Anon, same page. And it's okay if others aren't but I think prev anon really got passionate about something that the writers just couldn't be bothered to care about lol. If they're willing to piss off the theatre kids, the main demographic, with Broadway logistics or lack thereof, do you think they'll care that science and maths and MIT don't actually work like that?

#anon #glee asks #brittany asks #britt genius storyline #like yeah it's not great but it's more than nothing and i'll take the win

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hatingwithfears · 1 year

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BOOKS READ IN 2022

Here’s the complete list of books I managed to read in 2022.

168 books. 54,494 pages.

Renata Adler- Speedboat

Kendra Allen- The Collection Plate

Jonathan Alter- His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, A Life

Kenneth Anger- Hollywood Babylon

Jason Bailey- Fun City Cinema: New York City and the Movies That Made It

Peter Baker, Susan Glasser- The Divider: Trump in The White House 2017-2021

JG Ballard- The Atrocity Exhibition

Julien Barnes- Elizabeth Finch

Brit Bennett- The Vanishing Half

Charles M. Blow- The Devil You Know: A Black Power Manifesto

Anthony Bourdain- Medium Raw

Anthony Bourdain, Laurie Woolever- World Travel: An Irreverent Guide

Box Brown- Cannabis: The Illegalization of Weed in America

Mariah Carey, Michaela Angela Davis- The Meaning of Mariah Carey

Nick Cave & Sean O’Hagan- Faith, Hope, and Carnage

David Chang- Eat a Peach

Dan Charnas- Dilla Time

Leonard Cohen- A Ballet of Lepers

Lee Cole- Groundskeeping

Teju Cole- Black Paper

Ray Connolly- Being Elvis: A Lonely Life

Brian Contoir- Practical Alchemy

Antoine Cosse- Metax

Charles R. Cross- Here We Are Now: The Lasting Impact of Kurt Cobain

Daniele Cybulskie- How To Live Like a Monk

Travis Dandro- King of King Court

John Darnelle- Devil House

Michael Deforge- Heaven No Hell

Rita Dove- Playlist for the Apocalypse

David Duchovny- The Reservoir

Jennifer Egan- The Candy House

Robert Evans- The Kid Stays in The Picture

Scott Eyman- Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise

Nicolas Ferraro- Cruz

Mark Fisher- Ghosts of My Life

Mark Fisher- Capitalist Realism

Johnathan Franzen- Crossroads

Harry Freedman- Leonard Cohen: The Mystical Roots of Genius

Matti Friedman- Who By Fire: Leonard Cohen in the Sinai

James Gavin- George Michael: A Life

Lizzy Goodman- Meet Me in The Bathroom

Andrew Sean Greer- Less

Dave Grohl- The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music

Joseph Hansen- Troublemaker

Joy Harjo- Poet Warrior

Robert Harris- The Ghost Writer

Noah Hawley- Anthem

Wil Haygood- Colorization: One Hundred Years of Black Film in a White World

Clinton Heylin- The Double Life of Bob Dylan

Andrew Holleran- The Kingdom of Sand

Michel Houellebecq- Serotonin

Sean Howe- Marvel Comics: The Untold Story

Dorthy B Hughes- In a Lonely Place

John Irving- The Fourth Hand

Walter Isaacson- Leonardo Da Vinci

Kazuo Ishiguro- Klara and The Sun

Junji Ito- No Longer Human

Robert Jones Jr- The Prophets

Saeed Jones- Alive at The End of the World

Stephen Graham Jones- My Heart is a Chainsaw

Rax King- Tacky

Stephen King- Billy Summers

Katie Kitamura- Intimacies

Chuck Klosterman- The Nineties

TJ Klune- Under The Whispering Door

Karl Ove Knausgaard- The Morning Star

Hideo Kojima- The Creative Dream

Milan Kundera- Slowness

Wally Lamb- I Know This Much is True

Yiyun Li- Dear Friend, from My Life I Write to You in Your Life

Thomas Ligotti- The Conspiracy Against The Human Race

Roger Lipsey- Make Peace Before the Sun Goes Down

Patricia Lockwood- No One is Talking About This

Ling Ma- Bliss Montage

Stuart B MacBride- Halfhead

Michael Mann & Meg Gardiner- Heat 2

Greil Marcus- Dead Elvis

Mike McCormack- Solar Bones

Jennette McCurdy- I’m Glad My Mom Died

Janelle Monae- The Memory Librarian

Ottessa Moshfegh- Lapvona

Leila Mottley- Nightcrawling

Alan Moore, Melinda Gebbie- Lost Girls

Grant Morrison- The Invisibles

Mannie Murphy- I Never Promised You a Rose Garden

Sequoia Nagamatsu- How High We Go in The Dark

Joyce Carol Oates- Blonde

Joyce Carol Oates- American Melancholy

John O’Connell- Bowie’s Bookshelf

Ryan O’Connell- Just By Looking at Him

Jenny Offill- Weather

Paul Ortiz- An African American and Latinx History of The United States

Hiroko Oyamada- The Factory

Hiroko Oyamada- The Hole

Helen Oyeymi- What is Not Yours is Not Yours

James Patterson- Hear No Evil

Larissa Pham- Pop Song

Brian Phillips- Impossible Owls

Stephanie Phillips- Why Solange Matters

Keith Phipps- Age of Cage

Michael Pollan- This Is Your Mind on Plants

Richard Powers- Bewilderment

Questlove- Music is History

Kristen Radtke- Seek You

Sue Rainsford- Follow Me to Ground

Claudia Rankine- Just Us: An American Conversation

George A Romero, Daniel Kraus- The Living Dead

Karen Russell- Orange World

George Saunders- A Swim in a Pond in The Rain

George Saunders- Liberation Day

Samantha Schweblin— Fever Dream

Leonardo Sciascia- Equal Danger

Mark Seal- Leave The Gun, Take The Cannoli

Seth- Clyde Fans

Alan Sepinwall- Breaking Bad 101

Zadie Smith- Feel Free

Won-Pyung Sohn- Almond

Bob Spitz- Led Zeppelin: The Biography

Elizabeth Strout- Oh William!

J Randy Taraborrelli- The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe

Herve Le Tellier- The Anomaly

Manjit Thapp- Feelings

Olga Tokarczuk- The Books of Jacob

Jia Tolentino- Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self Delusion

Leo Trezenick- The Confession of a Mad Man

Stanley Tucci- Taste

Una- Becoming Unbecoming

Ocean Vuong- Time is a Mother

Chris Ware- Rusty Brown

WC Ware- Jimmy Corrigan

John Waters- Liarmouth

Peter Weiss- The Shadow of The Coachman’s Body

Missouri Williams- The Doloriad

Antoine Wilson- Mouth to Mouth

Sarah Winman- Still Life

Laurie Wollever- Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography

Kenneth Womack- Solid State: The Story of Abbey Road and The End of The Beatles

Hanya Yanagihara- To Paradise

Ed. Jelani Cobb & David Remnick- The Matter of Black Lives

Ed. Sinead Gleeson & Kim Gordon- This Woman’s Work: Essays on Music

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