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bigfan-fanfic · 3 years

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High School Musical feels to me like a very gay narrative, and doing a close reading reveals this fact. Long post ahead, with analysis of lyrics and story beats that contribute to a queer reading of the story

Basically, Troy is the repressed gay who hides in the closet, and Gabriella is the outcast nerd who is just discovering the gay, never knowing before then how she doesn't fit in. She talks about how she has been outcast before, because she was different. While in and of itself this is not particularly specific to the queer experience, Gabriella’s journey of becoming comfortable in her skin is prevalent to the story and a queer reading of HSM. Likewise, Troy’s growth in his confidence to do what he wants even though it’s easier and more comfortable to bow to societal pressure is also queer in its telling.

In "Start of Something New,” they both have that realization that this thing they're feeling is so right for them, they feel a belonging. :It feels so right/to be here with you” and “I feel in my heart/the start of something new” seems less to me an anthem for love at first sight and more simply the recognition of this feeling of attraction to someone - and despite Troy and Gabriella being ostensibly cishet, the combination of this song and the use of drama/the arts as a stand in for homosexuality in this reading make it feel as though both are nervous but excited in discovering their queerness - another interesting thing is that each of the love songs in HSM are gender neutral, and thus play the same if sung by two people of the same gender as by a hetero couple.

This moment is a growth for Gabriella’s queer journey - prior to the song, she is nervous and afraid to socialize, but afterwards she is open and excited to discuss with Troy their experience and be friendly. Troy is a little more closed-off, foreshadowing his journey of trying to stay in the closet - he makes a point of saying how this was something he’s never done before and is not a typical part of his character.

They meet later, and Gabriella's a little more confident, although not technically "out" yet - she doesn’t hide her interest in the “singing thing” and though she doesn’t want to be seen as the Freaky Math Girl, she does have no qualms about showing off her intelligence in class. Basically, despite this being a new territory for her, she is more comfortable in her skin. Troy, meanwhile, basically thinks about his gay experience but hides back in the comfortable closet, returning to being a jock’s jock and ridiculing Ryan and Sharpay, the story’s flamboyant representations of the “out” gays.

Ryan and Sharpay are interesting villains, and they read to me as what might be termed the LGBT+ gatekeepers, since we have drama/the arts as our allegorical stand-in for the queer community. Ryan and Sharpay are unapologetically gay, but they are also used to the ostracism they recieve and thus as a reaction, they have become fiercely protective of their safe space - Sharpay’s fear of the musical being taken over here reads as the worry of LGBT spaces being co-opted and appropriated by cishet people and thus returning them to marginalization.

The song "What I've Been Looking For" is a big jazzy pop number for out gays Ryan and Sharpay, further referencing their absolute comfort in who they are. However, when Troy and Gabriella sing it, it's a soft romantic ballad because they're still on the journey to discovery of their queerness. The lyrics are really gay in "thought I was alone/with no one to hold/but you were always there beside me" - the song is about finding a love when you thought you never could, and if that doesn't scream gay I don't know what does. Despite Kelsi’s insistence that Troy and Gabriella’s way is how it is “supposed” to be sung, the song works just as well as a hopeful romantic tune about the future as it does a celebration of finding acceptance of any kind, even platonic. Again there’s a reference to “this feeling like no other” - this song follows up “Start of Something New” as a continuation of the journey to self-acceptance, and speaks of finding comfort in the experience of meeting those like oneself - “I never had someone/that knows me like you do/they way you do.”

“Get’cha Head in the Game” is here to show the environment Troy lives in - he’s being constantly pressured, and the song is fast paced and imperative. It also provides a contrast in lyric theme, referring to the “head” instead of feelings and heart. Troy’s tonal shift in the middle of the song where he sings about his heart feels like now that he’s had this gay experience and knows this truth about himself, he can’t go back fully into the closet.

The posting of the callback list feels very much to me like Troy and Gabriella being publically outed as queer. When Troy and Gabriella are "outed," there is a reaction of support and others "coming out" in solidarity, but those voices are shouted down by those seeking not to upset the status quo. The song is chaotic and loud, with walls being broken down and students from different groups merging - Chad mentions later in dialogue that the social hierarchy is breaking down. Interestingly enough, despite the general tone of the song being disapproving and admonishing, everybody joins in the dance and shows support, until Sharpay literally shouts everybody down. This kinda feels to me like saying that the majority of people would be accepting and tolerant, except for a minority of vocal voices who dominate the conversation and push their agenda of hatred.

Homophobic Chad manipulates Troy back into the closet to protect the status quo, and a heartbroken Gabriella sings about how she "thought [he was her] fairy tale," and that really says to me like a gay thinking they've found a relationship only to be heartbroken by realizing the person was straight or too closeted to continue on. She “confused [her] feelings with the truth” and thought “[he] felt it too,” but luckily the ensuing fallout of Gabriella and Troy forced apart and into their respective closets makes their straight friends realize their horrible mistake and do their best to repent, becoming “allies” to them.

“Bop To the Top” is just a fun number, again showcasing Ryan and Sharpay as confident in who they are. However, the interesting part is that Ryan and Sharpay’s world is breaking down around them as well, just as it is for the straight people. Sharpay snaps at Zeke because she can’t quite comprehend this guy from the straight side reaching out to befriend someone of the queer set, and her walls go up. In her own way, she’s trying to restore order as well - however instead of forcing Troy and Gabriella apart, she instead tries to make it so they must prove their commitment to one side or the other - making it so that their activities with their friends take place at the same time as the callback - basically a choice between their closets or the queer community, but with the help of their allies, Troy and Gabriella bring everything crashing together - though the straight majority floods the theater, they do so in support of the community she has protected. At this moment, Gabriella and Troy have overcome the external queer-phobia.

And then the big emotional number at the audition, "Breaking Free," really feels gay to me, in that the song is about the world trying to tear this couple apart but with their faith in each other and themselves, they can rise to new heights. The verses each feel like an anthem to a queer experience in fighting against societal pressure and having confidence in who you are. “The world can see us/in a way that’s different than who we are” is about the pressure to conform to gender and sexuality norms, “but your faith, it gives me strength/strength to believe” they can break free and be themselves. In particular the bridge where they sing "more than you/more than me/not a want/but a need" gives me "born this way" vibes and describes the need to be who you are even when others might not understand. And yet, even in all of this, they are supported and tolerated - the audience dances in the seats and claps to the beat and supports them.

And then "We're All In This Together" is of course the fantasy of tolerance and overcoming bigotry within and without the LGBT community, where everyone is singing together in harmony, where there is nothing but acceptance of the differences that make us all special and unique, with the recognition that we are all human.

#just my thoughts #my two cents #my thoughts #high school musical #super long post

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reg-blackx · 3 years

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Is that REGULUS BLACK we can see entering the Ministry of Magic? Our records tell us that they were born on 19 OCTOBER and are an EIGHTEEN year old, PUREBLOOD who currently works as UNEMPLOYED. Some have said that they can be described as being CALCULATING, POLITE & SCRUPULUS, however, they also see themselves as being ZEALOUS, NAIVE & JEALOUS. Apparently, HE looks a lot like THOMAS DOHERTY, whoever that is, and if they had to pick a side in the war, they would choose to join THE DEATH EATERS.

hi hello, i am notoriously awkward in these but i’m asbury! 26, she/they pronouns (either works, i’m not picky) and est! this is a bit long and i definitely did go overboard but please enjoy this absolutely dumpster fire of a kid! i apologize in advance if he’s an asshole to and/or tries to stab your character.

basics.

001. full name. regulus arcturus black

002. name meaning. regulus ( latin ): the brightest star in the leo constellation and one of the brightest stars in the galaxy; prince, little king. arcturus ( greek ): the brightest star in the boötes constellation and the fourth brightest star in the night sky; guardian of the bear.

003. nicknames. his family has been known to call him reg or reggie but he hates nicknames of any sort. calling him a nickname is a surefire way to end up with a knife to the gut or a wand to the throat.

004. gender + pronouns. cismale; he/him.

005. age. eighteen, born october 19, 1961.

006. blood status. pureblood.

007. sexual orientation. homosexual ( closeted )

personality.

001. zodiac. libra.

002. mbti. intj-a

003. enneagram. type six, the skeptic.

004. moral alignment. chaotic neutral.

005. temperament: melancholic.

006. archetype. the wild card.

007. element. water.

008. personality traits. positive. polite, scrupulous, calculating, insightful. neutral: shrewd, old-fashioned, unpredictable, ambitious. negative: zealous, haughty, naïve, jealous.

affiliation.

001. parents. walburga black orion black

002. siblings. sirius black ( estranged )

003. extended family. bellatrix lestrange, andromeda tonks, narcissa black ( cousins ) alphard black ( uncle ) various members of the house of black

004. relationship status. single.

005. allegiance. death eaters.

006. pets. a black turkish angora cat named midnight.

magical stats.

001. wand. silver lime wood. 10 and ¾ inches. dragon heartstring. unyielding.

002. boggart. sirius dying by his hand.

003. patronus. non-corporeal.

004. amortentia. the pages of an old book, kerosene, black tea and honey, and the smell after a thunderstorm.

character tropes.

001. hidden heart of gold.

002. break the haughty.

003. affably evil.

004. wake up call.

005. while rome burns.

006. wouldn’t hit a girl.

007. motive decay.

008. beware the polite ones.

009. green-eyed monster.

key information.

001. he’s hardly had a conversation with his brother in years and often forgets how easy it is for them to get under each others skin.

002. he cares nothing for his cat, midnight. she was a gift from his uncle alphard for his birthday to teach him responsibility as the future heir but he overheard alphard tell walburga that he was too detached from emotion and needed something to care for.

003. he was almost a hat stall, with the sorting hat taking four minutes and thirty-seven seconds to sort him. anytime he thought about being separated from sirius, he panicked but anytime the sorting hat tried to put him in a house that wasn’t slytherin, he panicked more out of fear for what his mother may say or do. in the end, he chose slytherin to make her proud.

004. he tried to befriend the marauders for the first few years, but eventually grew to seeing them as the people who stole his brother. out of the entire group, he hates james the most.

005. he refuses to hurt sirius, but he has no qualms about hurting the people close to sirius to cause him pain that way.

006. he plays violin and piano and often writes his own music.

007. he joined the death eaters after sirius ran away, because he figured this was the best he had to a family who wouldn’t abandon him.

008. oftentimes, he’ll cause strife just for the hell of it and can’t always pull himself away from the edge, though he does consider himself more sane than some of his fellow death eaters.

009. he’s never been kissed and hasn’t come to terms with being gay yet.

010. hospitals freak him out though he’ll never admit to it, because having fear is a weakness.

wanted connections.

001. death eaters. whether its competition within the ranks, being sent out on missions together, friends within the organization.

002. people he’s threatened. he doesn’t go out of his way to really bother people unless they’ve wronged him or pressed too far into his personal business but he carries a knife on him and is a little trigger happy, so people he’ll have pulled a knife on.

003. an arranged fiancée. he’s very, very gay, but knows his duty as the heir and only legitimate son of the black family tree. he knows that sooner or later, he’ll end up getting married and be expected to have kids to perpetuate the bloodline, but it’s not what he wants. he just knows better than to say anything and is surprised he made it out of hogwarts without being engaged.

004. more to come !

#ministry task001.#intro.

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alternislatronemhq · 4 years

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Congrats, May, you have been accepted to AL for the role of Poppy Pomfrey (FC: Naomi Watts). Ahhh, May, I am SO excited that you are bringing us Poppy. We so rarely see her played in the RP community, and she’s just such a fascinating character. It’s obvious that you’ve written her before and have such a good grasp on her character as well as how she fits into this world. I’m so excited for my Minerva to have her best pal! Please send in your blog (no sideblogs for first characters, please) in the next 24 hours and be sure to take a look at our new player checklist.Welcome home, we’re so excited to have you join the family!

OOC

name — may  age — 21  pronouns — she/her  timezone — GMT+1  activity level — will probably be available for a few hours every day; will very rarely take more than 24hrs to respond any questions? — when do we start?

IC Overview

name — Poppy Pomfrey age — 48  gender — cis-female, she/her  sexuality — homosexual 

patronus — a white swan, which often belongs to a highly emotional owner. unfortunately for her, this description fits poppy particularly well; she is a woman known for her bursts of hysteria and her strong emotional core. in particular, like a maternal swan, poppy’s protectiveness (of friends, family, and patients) borders on frighteningly aggressive — but you’ll get used to it!

 boggart — what an outsider might perceive to be a fear of loss is in fact intrinsically linked to a fear of failure; poppy’s boggart is indeed death, but specifically preventable death. in other words, she will see those she cares about in mortal peril, but she is powerless to save them.

IC in depth

personality traits —

+benevolent - above all else, poppy is an intensely kind-hearted individual. though first a healer by family trade and intellectual interest, she nonetheless passionately ties herself to the welfare and safety of her charges.

+intelligent - she might not be minerva mcgonagall in the duelling department, but poppy excelled in all core subjects at school (as well as astronomy and muggle studies) in order to train as a healer. she is often found reading medical journals of the muggle and magical kind in her spare time — and if you call her ‘nurse’, when she is quite aware that a healer is the muggle equivalent of a doctor, she is very likely to show you her extensive knowledge of gruesome hexes.

+perfectionist - though there’s a valid argument for obsessive compulsive tendencies, poppy believes she’s merely a perfectionist. it’s not often problematic, though her excessive tidying and cleaning can become a tad time-consuming for her, and in fact ensures the best possible care for her patients.

+-protective - linked to a desire for regular company, which she sometimes lacks in the hospital wing, poppy is protective of her patients to the point of trapping them in her sights if an ailment stretches beyond the minor kind. nonetheless, she’s soft enough that she might allow the occasional visit, even if they are short and watched with a careful eye.

-aggressive - whilst not perhaps the most natural of fighters, the aforementioned fierce protectiveness goes hand in hand with an aggressive streak. poppy will shout when the safety of a patient is compromised, even if it risks said patient’s hearing. she has no qualms about angrily tackling those who would dare question her, which can cause various problems.

-emotional - some have termed her ‘hysterical’ which, with her muggle medical understanding, poppy deems highly offensive. she is inclined to tearful outbursts, though is usually able to maintain composure if her skills are required — even if she is found to be a sobbing mess shortly after saving a life. students are more likely to see the stoic side of her, which certainly exists in equal measure, but this is her way of maintaining order in her infirmary; besides, she doesn’t find fixing broken bones and the like to be particularly upsetting.

character biography —

born the second daughter of liberal, magical parents, poppy has been surrounded by witchcraft and wizardry her entire life. her mother, a hufflepuff healer, is her antithesis in many ways; perpetually calm and eternally warm, she is a creature of comfort for her own patients, whereas her daughter’s bedside manner tends to have a firmer, anxious edge. poppy’s father, a ravenclaw, is an alchemist of considerable ability and, like his younger child, more of a highly strung, intellectual character. completing the family is violet, a far older sister, who still delights in reminding poppy that she was an (‘unhappy’) accident. being the youngest, by a fairly considerable gap, poppy grew quickly in her youth, taking to her mother’s books and her father’s journals to seek ways to converse with her family without dragging them to her childish level.

sorted into ravenclaw at the age of 11, poppy discovered both age-appropriate friends and an identity of her own, though her love of healing and her passion for potions did not fade in her new verdant home, away from the london smog. she never discarded her maturity even during her earliest years at hogwarts, but she was certainly truer to herself without a family to please so directly. to this day, she credits minerva mcgonagall with the oft bolshy courage she carries around the infirmary.

at 16, poppy was alarmed to realise that boys had begun to notice her. a relatively popular girl, well-presented and quick to help others with their work, she wasn’t entirely surprised at first to spot a few extra faces in her study group. it was minerva, with all her non-existent tact, who leaned over to comment on certain growth around the bust; the illusion that she was being genuinely helpful quickly came crashing down. she knew how it all worked from her books, and even had a niece to coo over during the holidays, but the relationships that stole her free time for a while after that were peculiar and dissatisfying. it was down to minerva once again, aided by alastor moody, to inform poppy that her sexuality was very much up for debate. suddenly her fascination with watching minerva’s frankly dangerous quidditch tricks made an awful lot of sense…

after graduating from hogwarts, poppy trained at st mungo’s under her mother’s watchful eye, choosing to focus her talents on paediatric healing. once again suffocated at home, as well as at work, she grasped the opportunity to fill the post of hogwarts matron with both hands when it was mentioned to her. she has been happily there ever since, largely contentedly alone and perfectly comfortable with a continuous stream of children to mother — without the horrific remnants of labour on her body and memory.

in war, poppy made her association with the order of the phoenix clear to the right people, but never formally joined their ranks. in her mind, as dumbledore agreed, she was better without the recognisable connection. nevertheless, her days spent treating students bled into nights aiding order members in her personal quarters. if she ever has to house mr sirius black, or some other poor soul, in her spare bedroom with a nasty wound again, she is sure she will lose her mind. but, if the darkness comes knocking once more, she will gladly take that risk.

plot ideas —

- poppy absolutely has an unreciprocated crush on minerva, long since weaved with friendship and familial love, which i could certainly see as a point of contention between the two during heated moments.

- entirely open to romantic subplots, but poppy will always focus on her patients first!

extra —

headcanons:

- poppy heads the unofficial ‘ban the house system’ group, which she attempts to force on her colleagues every so often. she is not a fan of the division it creates, nor the rigid expectations, and has never been one to encourage prejudice against slytherin house (or any house, for that matter). this tendency towards prejudice is the one thing she dislikes in minerva.

- likewise, poppy has a small campaign to restrict quidditch players to fourth-years and above. she knows that minerva and the other house heads probably despise her for it, but her good friend’s dangerous school experiences have helped to create this intense loathing.

#al:accepted #poppy pomfrey

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nellie-elizabeth · 7 years

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Outlander: Of Lost Things (3x04)

Another of my absolutely favorite scenes from the books was featured in this episode, and I loved it a lot. I do have a few qualms, though...

Cons:

For the first time, I felt like the 20th century plot couldn't keep up with the 18th century story. Basically, we see Claire, Roger, and Bree continue to hunt for signs of Jamie. But eventually, Claire comes to the conclusion that she can't keep searching for a ghost. She decides it's time to go home to Boston, where she has her home and medical practice waiting for her. There wasn't really enough going on to justify an episode's worth of materials, and consequently these scenes almost felt like they were discarded bits left over from last year's finale, as we've finally caught up with the events we left off with last season.

And then there's the Brianna problem. Sophie Skelton is... not doing a great job. Her line delivery is stilted to the extent that she comes across like somebody performing in a high school play. Her dialogue is maybe a little bit hokey too, as she talks about hope and love and never giving up... but the thing is, the other actors on this show have been able to pull off lines like that, and she can't. The only thing that gives me hope for her character is that her best moments are the ones with Roger. As we move forward, the majority of her scenes will be with him, and not with Claire, so maybe their chemistry will develop into something more enjoyable to watch. For now, I'm disappointed that Bree, an excellent character from the books, is translating so poorly to the small screen.

My last complaint is with the pacing, which I think might be a constant worry this season. Voyager is a big book and a lot of stuff happens. The stuff at Helwater, which for the most part I absolutely adored, went by so fast that we missed a lot of the nuance. The Lord John stuff was excellent, but there should have been more of it. And there should have been more ambiguity in the Geneva pregnancy situation. There were a number of shortcuts, the most annoying of which was Hal's intrusion into the story. Apparently he got drunk and spilled the beans to Geneva about Jamie's true identity, which is what allowed her to blackmail him into coming to her bed. Hal comes across like a drunken idiot, which is so contrary to his character from the books. I don't imagine Hal will play much of a role in the series, as he's a relatively minor character who is probably easy to cut out for the most part. But still - John's brother is pretty awesome and I felt like we got a bit of character assassination with him in this episode.

Pros:

Despite the pacing being a problem, the stuff at Helwater was still pretty great. Geneva is a notorious figure from the books, widely reviled, as she coerces Jamie to have sex with her and then gets pregnant with his child. We can all love Willie and still hate on Geneva, right? The show made her similarly bratty and unbearable, but there was a certain level of care in the sex scene between her and Jamie. I might have liked it if that scene hadn't gone on quite as long, but... the moment where Geneva tells Jamie that she doesn't know what to do, and asks him to show her... that moment connected the scene with Jamie and Claire's first night together. The situations were quite different, but in one key way they were not: Jamie and Claire did not know each other all that well the first time they had sex, and Claire taught Jamie how it was to be done, as he'd never done it before. And now Jamie is giving the gift of a gentle first time to a young woman who is about to be married off to an old man against her will. Say what you will about Geneva, and I'll say an awful lot, but the way she was handled in the show made me sympathize with her quite a bit.

Isobel Dunsany was a delightful surprise. I don't remember exactly how she was described in the book, as it's been a while since I read it, but this portrayal of her felt right on. She's timid and a little awkward, clearly overshadowed by her abrasive and stunning sister and the memory of her deceased brother. But she's kind and she sees things more clearly than one would suppose. She knows that Geneva's child is Jamie's, and not Geneva's late husband's, and yet she keeps the secret. After Geneva's death in childbirth, Isobel strikes Jamie in fury, but later actually apologizes to him. Due to their differing statuses, Isobel could have easily been cruel to Jamie and he would have been powerless to stand up for himself. She also dotes on Willie, even knowing his true parentage, and promises Jamie to look after his son. Isobel kind of rules and I wish we could see more of her.

The real meat of this plot thread, for me, is the stuff with Lord John. (Surprise, surprise. Expect me to gobble up every morsel of this man the same way I did for Fergus last season). Lord John is such a good person and I'm just so crazy about him. I'm glad we got to see at least one chess game, although of course I would have preferred a whole series of them like in the book. But to watch these two men, with the weight of such a history between them, able to crawl their way to a friendship is just... it's so fun. It's more interesting than a lot of Jamie's friendships. Of course he loves his sister and Ian. Of course he loves Murtagh and the other members of his clan. Those are friendships built on blood and culture. With John, it's... against all odds. The best scene in the episode is when John reveals to Jamie that he knows William is his son. The two go for a walk, and Jamie asks John for a favor - will he look after Willie, and act as a father to him? If he does, Jamie would be willing to... well, let John have his way. John is slightly horrified by the offer, and Jamie says "do you not want me, then?" John replies, quite matter of fact: "I shall probably want you until the day I die," but of course he won't take Jamie up on that offer. In fact, John has his own news - he is to be married to Isobel. He cares for her, and this way he will be able to look after Willie. Jamie is grateful, and says that John shall always have his friendship, if that means anything to him. John says it means a great deal.

Okay. Just... yes. This scene is everything to me. It's sort of a useless conversation to contemplate sexual mores of this time period. Of course John being homosexual would have been seen as a horrific, criminal thing to his peers of the time period. And the fact that Jamie knows this key thing about him means that Jamie has power over John in a very dangerous way. But Jamie trusts him - even likes him - anyway. In the books, Jamie actually gives John a chaste kiss on the lips to seal the promise to look after Willie. While that is an iconic and excellent moment from the book, I really like the way they played it out here as well. Back in Ardsmuir, John's come-on to Jamie took the shape of putting his hand over Jamie's, and then stroking his finger. The clasping of hands took on an intimate tone that Jamie found unacceptable. Now, all this time later, Jamie puts out his hand for John to shake, and when John takes it, Jamie puts his other hand up over John's, in a parallel of John's action back in the prison. Such a subtle thing. Such a moment of acceptance and trust between these two very different people. Without giving too much away about future events, let's just say that these two don't always have the smoothest sailing relationship, but their abiding bond remains, and it's one of the best things in the whole series.

Before I wrap up, I should also mention Willie, Jamie's illegitimate son. I'm going to ignore the fact that the little boy playing Willie doesn't much resemble Sam Heughan, because... come on. I'm sure they'll cast a ginger to play older Willie when the time comes. This kid was adorable, and even though they didn't have much time together, this episode managed to solidify Jamie and Willie's bond quite nicely. Jamie says earlier that he's lost "two children," referring to Faith and Brianna, and if you think about it, he's also lost a foster son in Fergus. So watching him play with his child, chastise him for being spoiled, secretly baptize him as a "stinking papist," and even give him a carved wooden snake like his own brother, also named Willie, had done for him... all of this stuff was adorable and heartbreaking. Poor Jamie is deprived of the chance of raising any of his children.

The ending sequence of this episode, played under a Bob Dylan song, hit the right note exactly. You see Claire and Brianna back on a plane to Boston, Claire having given up on her hunt for Jamie through the pages of history. This is cut with clips of Jamie leaving Helwater to return to Scotland, a freedom granted him because of his actions in saving the infant Willie from Geneva's deranged widower. As he leaves, we see Lord John and Lady Isobel standing in tableau with their de facto son Willie. John stares wistfully after Jamie. Willie actually runs after him, and John and Isobel chase after him to hold him back. Jamie rides slowly away from his son, unsure if he'll ever see him again. Touching and perfect and so freakin' sad.

I'll leave it there. Based on episode titles, I'm fairly certain that the big reunion is going to be episode 6, meaning we have one more episode to catch Jamie up to the print shop, and get Claire back into the proper century. As impatient as I am, I also wonder how the rest of this season is going to go, pacing-wise. Thus far, I've been really happy with the material I've gotten, and my only big complaint has been wishing for more.

8/10

#review #outlander #outlander review

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withering-heliotrope · 7 years

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Mulan Twist

Okay, but has anyone ever considered what Mulan would be like if Mulan hadn’t actually been a girl? Just think about it:

- rather than Mulan, his name could actually be Ping.

- instead of being shamed for not being a suitable wife, he could be shamed for the fact that he has rejected whatever girl the match maker presented to him. Also it could be a possible reason as to why the match maker was so precise about how she wanted things, since one of her highly difficult employers could not be satisfied. This keys into a further point that should arouse suspicion of Ping’s sexuality.

- the idea of stealing his father’s armor would have been just as believable. His father was old and he wanted to save him from, for a man of his age, what would have been unavoidable death. This is, however, dependent on whether Ping’s name would be in the declaration for soldiers instead of his father’s, since he would indeed be the only son present and of age.

- there would be no loss of a struggle for our main antagonist. Ping would still have to struggle to make it through the training issued by Shang. It is obvious that in the original, Mulan struggled because she was a girl. Not because girls aren’t “good enough”. No, in that time women exerted the most labor in simply trying to keep impossible posture and remain soft spoken. That was how things were, excluding the influential females of that generation. Ping, however, would not be acquainted to the physical exertion since he, as I’d imagine, would not be the most masculine of candidates, also a jab at my character development category of sexuality, which is upcoming.

- we all noted in the original movie how Mulan had several occurrences of having let her eyes fall a tad too adoringly upon Shang when he disrobed or did something particularly masculine or attractive. Imagine how that looked to the other soldiers since at the time they thought she was a man. Of course she had felt no shame or confusion; she was a woman and it was her right to be attracted to the other sex. Ping, on the other hand, is actually a man. He has everything to fear since no other man he’s known shows an interest in men. And here he is, realizing as he sees the battle ready physique of Shang just why he disliked the match maker’s candidates so much.

- when the boy’s head down to bathe where Ping is, of course there would be a certain amount of strain. However, I’d imagine that Ping would not hide because he has different genitalia, as Mulan did. He has nothing to hide physically. No, he’d hide because how awkward would it be for a closeted gay man to be in a pond, surrounded by other naked men, all of which have progressed in their training and can successfully kill him if he were to let his curious eyes wander? Um, hella awkward.

- it would also be much easier to believe that Ping could complete all of the miraculous saves and strength requiring heroics. While Mulan no doubt gained muscle mass, there is a certain bulk that Ping would have as an extra boost. Much more room for believable acts of bravery and ambition. This could have transformed the movie into more action oriented.

- moving onto Mushu. Rather than being sent to bring Mulan back so she can play pretty little wife candidate, he would be sent off to assist Ping. No doubt the ancestors would be disapproving of Ping for refusing the match maker’s recommendations since a proper wide is customary to uphold family honor, but they probably would have picked up on his tendencies to kneel before their headstones and beg for their guidance upon matters of infatuation that he could not admit aloud, in fear of being struck by his ancestors. Mushu would understand, being a minority and small protector himself. Their friendship would be tied to how they feel useless in their societies, as if they aren’t worthy or simply cannot offer as much as they want to.

- when Mulan was finally discovered she was sentenced to death for having disguised herself as Ping to serve in the army in her father’s place. It was an offense for a woman to be a soldier then. But she was spared by the single fact that she’d saved Shang and he owed her his life. So, he gave her her life to keep living. However, for Ping it would have been utterly scandalous. While he was in fact a man, and did nothing of the sort wrong in enrolling since he was on the register, his offense would be the growing realization that he had fallen for Shang. His close friends would have known that something was up, but they believed it to be admiration and respect. They hadn’t encountered homosexuality as of yet. Not many had, or at least weren’t aware they had. So his sentence would not be for being a girl as Mulan’s was. It would be for his slipping up and letting an incriminating comment slip, that revealed his feelings toward Shang to be more than friendly.

- this deserves a second point for its severity. Imagine how Shang didn’t have to feel the weight of loving a man still resign on his shoulders when Mulan was revealed to be a girl. His feelings were safe. He thought he’d loved a man, but he truly got lucky when she turned out to be his preferred gender. In my Ping version however, it would not be so. He would have dreaded how he didn’t mind the eyes that wandered over him in a hungry fashion, because he would do the same when Ping wasn’t looking. Shang would be dragged into the pit of unknowingness and fear with every passing day that he could be imprisoned for loving someone who shared the same sex. This adds much more character development and angst that I’m personally an absolute whore for. 😂

- we arrive at the point where Ping managed to find his way to China where they are celebrating the defeat of the Huns. Here he approaches Shang on horseback during the parade. We all remember how he yanked away from Mulan and told her to leave. Well imagine being faced with the dark eyes of the man you aren’t supposed to love, the man you hoped you’d never see again, but had wished would survive the freezing terrain. He’d be terrified for both of their lives, for the whole palace to notice how his eyes shined for Ping’s arrival. But he had to pull away, because Ping was dangerous for his title, the title worn and damaged by his father’s death in battle. It was supposed to be a time of celebration, not mourning or confusion of his feelings and sexuality.

- this brings us to the ingenious plan of Mulan’s friends dressing up as women to lure away the guards. Not only would this remain the same, it would be far more hilarious since it wasn’t dear sweet Mulan asking them to do this, it was their friend Ping. The same Ping that whooped their asses, fell in love with their commander, defeated the Huns (supposedly), saved their commander, was excommunicated from the army, shamed, and still survived while turning the other cheek. They did this because they were Ping’s friends, and they trusted he wasn’t doing this for a laugh.

- Shang’s being cut down by the Hun leader would’ve been all the more dramatic. Not only would we see how Shang wanted to have Ping be the last thing he saw before he went unconscious, but he would do nothing to fight Ping’s embrace. This shows acceptance and character development of the smallest degree such ehe in fact could do much to resist it, being immobile and injured after all. The leader of the Huns would no doubt be confused, adding more room for Ping to be allowed a moment of raging revenge and bravery before he got to vanquishing him by a fireworks show. (Because Ping is about as gay as they come and he loves dem fireworks. Go out with a bang.)

- there still would be no army father to disapprove of Shang’s choice. He’s dead, my apologies. And it would be my intuition that states Ping’s parents would have no qualms with their son’s love interest. I feel like they would have always known. Being a Disney movie I’d like to assume that they did not encounter homophobia, but in reality there would be major persecution and possibly execution.

However

- we conclude with my favorite line, “You don’t meet a girl like that every dynasty.” Imagine it being, “You don’t meet a BOY like that every dynasty.” Imagine the emperor smiling wisely at Shang’s surprise after he says it, seeing in his eyes the amount of relief and swelling pride he would have felt to have gotten the emperor’s blessing and encouragement to pursue his love, even if it was illegal and unheard of at the time.

Just imagine, I ask. And if any of you prefer the original Mulan to this concept, I respect that because I adore the original and I have a shit ton of things to say about that one too. Perhaps another master post is required. 😂

#Mulan #theory #conspiracy #sexuality

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supershylockfandom-blog · 7 years

Text

The Whirligig of Gender Will Have Its Revenges

Over the course of our trip, I was very vocal (perhaps too vocal) about two things in particular:

1) Twelfth Night is my favorite Shakespearean play (save for the possible exception of Hamlet, but lately the odds have tipped from his favor to Viola’s).

2) I absolutely loathed the Globe production that we attended.

By the end of the play, I was deeply incensed (not to mention a few drinks in)-- so much so that I couldn’t stand to stay for the triumphant finale jig and left early. After that, I called home and ranted to my younger sister until I felt calm again and went back to my flat. To be clear, I have never been so emotional about disliking a theatrical (or cinematic) production of anything to this day. I’ve even seen Twelfth Nights I’ve liked less than the one we saw as a class without being half as disturbed or upset by them. “Why then, did this particular version have such an effect on you?” You are not asking yourself this question, because my opinion is neither here nor there to anyone but myself; I wondered this while half-drunk, actually, and later, once sober again, came upon the answer:

As a preface, I would like to point out that, in the 21st Century, there is no wrong way to interpret Shakespeare, so long as you have a particular vision in mind and follow through on your plans. There are, of course, inadequate methods of performing and staging (for the record, I thought that the blacking and acting we saw was effective and skilled), and some Shakespeareans-- particularly those at The Globe-- are especially staunch about leaning into “original practices,” but theater has evolved so much in the last 400 years that even productions that call themselves traditional Elizabethan stagings are not that (consider the Tim Carroll Twelfth Night: where are the prepubescent boys meant to be playing the Viola, Olivia, and Maria? Why is the blocking so modern?) All that is left is the text and its sparse stage directions. I am aware that my disdain for the Emma Rice production is based mainly upon personal preference. However, I like to believe that my opinions hold enough water to be worth the attention and respect of others.

(Under the cut for length.)

My two favorite things about Twelfth Night are, in order, its inherent queerness and bitterness. Make no mistake, being an Elizabethan comedy, it can just as easily be light, frothy, and straight (as evidenced by what we witnessed last week) and even the darkest versions thereof must make room for fun potty humor and slapstick and heterosexual, cisgendered couplings (as those too, are in the text). Those things, as much as any present queerness or anger, are part of the fun of Twelfth Night, and the former is where most of the comedy comes from. But the genderqueer, non-straight, and angry undercurrents that can be detected in this play (whether placed there by its author knowingly or not) go oft ignored. I am disappointed by this, naturally, but never before have I had it thrown in my face this way by a company so prestigious as the Globe.

I think my central problem with the Rice staging was her Feste.

Yes, I did notice that Feste was portrayed by a very talented and engaging drag queen. No, that did not help. But did it make my experience worse? Absolutely, 100%, yes. Feste is perhaps the pettiest, most resentful character in the text. He cares not for the emotions of others, particularly not that of his Lady Olivia, who’s grief he mocks and belittles (granted, this is his job, and at his kindest, he has been portrayed as genuinely fond of her, but more often than not, he is a punch-clock entertainer, who cares only for the emotions of others as long as they will pay him for what he elicits) in his first appearance, after being absent from her court for an extended period of time.

Feste. Good madonna, why mournest thou? Olivia. Good fool, for my brother's death. Feste. I think his soul is in hell, madonna. Olivia. I know his soul is in heaven, fool. Feste. The more fool, madonna, to mourn for your brother's soul being in heaven. Take away the fool, gentlemen (5.1. 357-362).

His only real interests throughout the play appeared to be song, logical wordplay (”simple syllogism[s]”), crude jokes (”many a good hanging prevented a bad marriage”), weaseling pocket change away from the rich, and enacting petty revenge. At his best, he’s a puckish partygoer and delightful busker, at his worst, he is apart from all other social groups in the play and cruel to at least the same degree as the bear-baiting merrymakers.

“Earlier, Malvolio had mocked Feste for his dependence on others... But [Feste] also mirrors Malvolio specifically as a dependent in a court and as one the play most clearly shows as a solitary character. He is the one who echoes Malvolio’s words about dependency on approval in shortened form, ‘An you smile not, he’s gagged’ (5.1.363-4), back to him at the end. And after he exults ‘Thus the whirligig of time brings in his revenges’ (364), Malvolio in turn mirrors him, promising his own revenge” (66 Novy).

Feste is at his most useful when existing as a mirror for other characters-- he contextualizes his lady’s grief with cruel mockery, challenges Viola’s wits and disguise, and most importantly, shows Malvolio the cruelty that he callously doles out. When his dialogue is chopped up into saintly wisdom from a loving goddess in the Heavens, his status as a dynamic character and device is stripped from him. When Feste is robbed of his archetypal trickster-status, it weakens the core themes of the play which are written into the very title (as Twelfth Night and the Feast of Fools were, of course, traditionally a day of opposites, much as Feste the wise fool is a natural mirror and walking contradiction). When he is robbed of his anger towards his social betters (Olivia and Malvolio), this is further weakened.

My qualms with making Feste a benevolent Goddess are based entirely upon the text; my problems with casting said benevolent goddess as a drag queen are two fold. My first is in the broader scope of media representation of drag queens, trans women, and feminine genderqueer persons. Most often, the cinematic and theatrical tradition is to demonize such individuals as lascivious perverts, which is obviously dehumanizing. As well-intended backlash, many younger content creators have thus spun around done the patent opposite by deifying them (this is also, notably, a dichotomy experienced by black women/femmes, be they cisgender, trans, or otherwise gender nonconforming). Deification is in its own way a subtler form of dehumanization. Much like the treatment of so-called virtuous women in the Victorian era, the representation of any group as somehow morally superior or “above” the rest of the rest is restricting. An anti-Semite might do well to wonder: “Hath a Jew not eyes?... If you prick us, do we not bleed?” but any white, cisgendered woman who routinely refers to black women and femme queers as “black goddesses” (which is absolutely a thing, as those of you who frequent tumblr, twitter, pintrest, or instagram most likely know) should be reminded that, just like all people, black queer femmes fart and defecate regularly, and they, like all other members of the human race, run on a sliding scale of morality, wisdom, and grace, depending on the individual. The archetypal example of this “heavenly body” trope is Angel of Rent, being a Latina trans-woman (or gender-fluid person, or drag queen, depending on the interpretation) who is always given the moral high ground, dies a tragically noble death, always has resources to bestow upon the less fortunate, and is literally called “Angel.” Much like Feste, she is the only gender non-conforming femme poc in her cannon, and that, paired with the erasure and demonization of this particular group that has been so common in Western art and media, leaves them as the sole representation of said group to be found in fiction. Each time a character of a group so mishandled as that is brought into play, that character becomes a mouthpiece for the entire population of such individuals that exist in reality. The trope of the black, femme goddess is much kinder than the demonization and willful ignorance of old, but in 2017, we should be beyond this refusal to portray those who exist outside of the white, straight, cis hegemony as anything other than individuals as complex as everyone else in their canon. Anyone who is tempted to bring up the “Sister Topas” scene as a counter-argument is welcome to it, but this derives from a halfhearted attempt to recast Feste as a personification of fate after four acts of being nothing but sage and understanding. It is not deeper characterization, as it is not played as either vengeance or cruelty-- at best, it is a twist of fate personified, at worst, it is whoever doctored the script backing themselves into a character-writing corner by striping Feste of his humanity.

My second challenge to the choice of La Gateau Chocolat as Feste is that her place in the cast is by its very nature misleading. Twelfth Night is well known among Shakespeare fans as one of the (if not the) queerest Shakespearean plays. It is well-known for featuring one of several Shakespearean Antonios, all of whom are noted for their non-explicit homosexual passion (Twelfth Night’s Antonio’s love for Sebastian is second only to the Antonio of Merchant of Venice and his suicidal devotion to Bessanio, and the villainous Antonio of The Tempest finds his match and constant companion in an equally rotten Sebastian.) Also present is the wooing that takes place between two women, and the Duke Orsino’s apparent attraction to one who is “both man and maid,” whom he never ceases to refer to as “boy” or “Cesario,” even after learning “his” true name and gender. Moreover, of all of Shakespeare’s cross-dressing Paige Boys, Viola spends the most time as her male counterpart, who’s name, as we discussed in class, translates roughly to “rebirth” by way of “cesarean section.” I bring these up because each of these characters have been stripped of their queerness systematically. Cesario/Viola is often played as not just a cross-dresser for strategy’s sake but a genderqueer individual in earnest; Olivia’s realization that Sebastian is not his sister has been played as a horrible, sinking realization; Antonio is often left on stage alone to highlight his loss of Sebastian to heterosexual tradition. I am by no means saying that stagings must be this way or that they must reflect this queer undercurrent, and I have liked versions of the play that exemplify few or none of these choices. My problem with Rice’s Twelfth Night is that, not only does it ignore the inherent discomfort that Feste and each of these queer characters experiences when played as such, but she has dressed her staging up as a celebration of queerness and diversity when that diversity only runs skin-deep (at least, in terms of the aforementioned and belabored queerness.)

I have already explained my problems with Rice’s Feste, so I will now move on to two new subjects: Malvolio and Sir Andrew. These characters are blatantly coded as queer in that Malvolio is played by a cross-dressing woman and Andrew is played as camp gay. However, that is as deep as the queer vein in this staging runs. Malvolio is not traditionally a queer character (although he is often the subject of “genderbending” to varying degrees of success), nor is he played as queer on stage. He is only branded as such due to being played by a woman, despite being played as a man. Andrew’s status is particularly egregious, as-- in being both comically stupid and violently mean-- he is the most difficult to sympathize with of any character; he has no compelling emotional core written into the text, nor is any planted into Marc Antolin’s portrayal of him. He is also a wooer of Olivia’s and, as far as the text and blocking is concerned, more “metrosexual” than homosexual in earnest. What this does is play all stereotypically gay mannerisms (those that he possesses which Antonio, Sebastian, and even the preening Duke evade whether they are played as queer men or not) for laughs and nothing else. “It’s funny,” the audience says, “because he’s in a pink sweater and he’s got a funny lisp.” Meanwhile, Olivia never notices her very real attraction towards another woman, the Duke Orsino’s sexual identity crisis is just barely hinted at, and most questionable of all, Antonio is played as a father figure to Sebastian. Lawman’s Antonio’s body language is neutral and distant, not half as wracked with passions as his lines:“If you will not murder me for my love//Let me be your servant” (1.2.642-3) and “ I could not stay behind you: my desire//More sharp than filed steel, did spur me forth” (3.3.1492-3).

In conclusion: Rice’s staging of Twelfth Night may be good for a laugh, but it robs the text of its philosophical weight, its bitterness, and its genuine queer discomfort, thus replacing these things with a light gloss of queer acceptance by playing “We Are Family” at the beginning and giving Sir Andrew a pencil mustache. I am not upset that Rice’s staging was not queer or angry enough for my liking; I am upset because her staging insisted (whether she wanted it to or not) that a wave of sequins and a disco chorus should be queer enough for me, and I ought to stop being so angry all the time and accept what I’ve been given.

SOURCES:

Novy, Marianne. “Outsiders and the Festive Community in Twelfth Night.” Shakespeare & Outsiders. Oxford University Press, 2013.

Shakespeare, William. "Twelfth Night, or What You Will." Open Source Shakespeare. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 June 2017.

#twelfth night #the globe #twelfth night or what you most definitely won't

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pinteressay · 6 years

Quote

Boston has more conservative professionalism than she imagined. Undeterred, Elle will attempt to prove herself and regain her love with Warner. A hilarious comedy follows that attempts to convey the idea to the audience to stop grouping people into stereotypes. Unfortunately the film also does the exact opposite, often to the detriment of the message of the film for the sake of plot development or comedic relief.

Us vs. Them vs. Legally Blonde by Ryan Rock

Growing up looking for strong role models, I unexpectedly found myself very fond of Elle Woods, the main character of the 2001 movie Legally Blonde, in which the aforementioned character, played by Reese Witherspoon, follows her ex-boyfriend Warner Huntington III (Matthew Davis) to Harvard Law after he dumps her on the night she thought he was going to propose to her. Only knowing her West Coast, Beverly Hills lifestyle, she gets quite a shock when she figures out that Boston is a much different city than Los Angeles. On the contrary to L.A., Boston has more conservative professionalism than she imagined. Undeterred, Elle will attempt to prove herself and regain her love with Warner. A hilarious comedy follows that attempts to convey the idea to the audience to stop grouping people into stereotypes. Unfortunately the film also does the exact opposite, often to the detriment of the message of the film for the sake of plot development or comedic relief.

Legally Blonde attempts to break down the ‘us vs. them’ mentality that has permeated so deeply into American culture, and in some respects, it succeeds. The movie often displays the ridiculousness of the East Coast vs. West Coast mentality - for example, in one scene in which Elle is arriving at Harvard alongside all of her expensive things, she is shown to be wearing flashy, casual attire that many often associate with L.A. and west coast culture, while all of the Boston elite wear drab and muted greys, greens, and blues, and those same people keep taunting her, telling her to move back to Beverly Hills and other rather weak insults. This ‘us vs. them’ conflict is also depicted within stereotypes of women, based on many things, but most significantly hair color. The stereotype that blonde women are less intelligent than brunette women is perhaps less prevalent now, but it still serves the movie’s message well, in the way that one lives their life (West Coast individualism) does not mean they have to conform to societal expectations, but likewise perhaps there is some sense in toning it down from time to time (east coast conservatism.) The movie makes a point to convey to the audience that there should be a happy medium. As the movie progresses Elle begins to dress in a manner which meets a standard that should be perfectly acceptable in a working environment, while absolutely still allowing herself to stand out. Likewise, the meeting halfway between East Coast and West Coast values is seen in other characters as well, such as Warner’s new girlfriend, Vivian (Selma Blair.) Over the course of the third act begins to open up to Elle and allow herself to not be so conservative as to remove what it makes her unique. Vivian and Elle both learn to accept each other’s differences but realize that there may not actually be so much different about them at all. Despite all of that, this message only stretches so far, as the movie seems to counter just about everything it built up in the last twenty minutes of the movie.

In a movie that prides itself for breaking down stereotypes, the caricature of gay men seen in the character of Enrique Salvatore (Greg Serano) is so over-the-top and obnoxious it’s almost unbearable, and his ‘mistake’ of pointing out Elle’s outfit, last season’s Prada shoes, leads to one of the most major missteps of the film. In the scene, Elle and others defending Brooke (Ali Larter,) a woman accused of murder of her husband, and are trying to disprove that she and Enrique were having an affair, which would make Brooke look most definitely guilty. Elle, noting that no man other than a gay man would know fashion lines, has a higher-up lawyer, Emmett (Luke Wilson,) reveal that Enrique is a gay man, effectively outing him. This scene, and the scene ten or so minutes later in which Elle solves the case because her massive knowledge of hair products, work against the intended message of the film. Elle does not win the case with just about any knowledge of law, instead only with knowledge of how perms work and through illegal harassment of the witness in question, Chutney (Linda Cardellini,) until she admitted that she was the murderer. Elle having outside knowledge is not the factor that makes this situation one that detracts from the film, rather the fact that the knowledge she has to win the case was the choice of the writers, and it was one that confirms the ‘blonde’ stereotype. Furthermore, both situations explained prove problematic and, in my opinion, undo almost all the messages and themes that the movie had to offer. In a movie that tries to tell people to not think in a way that separates people into different categories, I find it quite alarming to see such a negative portrayal of homosexuality, with privileged heterosexual men intimidating a gay character into being outed publically. Yes, Enrique may have been lying in court, but that does not excuse the film for it’s usage of his sexuality as a means to continue the plot, in the process vilifying him for being gay and creating a very harsh barrier in sexuality.

Yet the franchise still has a direct sequel and a broadway musical, both of which are equally homophobic. For whatever reason, the general audience of this property in general seems to just ignore it. When Legally Blonde first came out, virtually all notable reviewers had no qualms with the film whatsoever. In fact, many praised it for the same reasons I brought up on the positive end. Only now, seventeen years later, that any dissent for the film has been actually vocalized, and even those barely speak seriously on the issue.

I figure that Legally Blonde therefore should just be looked at as a rather funny comedy, that touches upon many topics, but overall does not succeed in the quest to convey any true meaning, because of its own hypocrisy. I do not consider this a bad film, but rather a film that had a lot of potential and failed to live up to the potential beyond having quite a few funnier-than-average moments. This failure can be attributed to this movie’s dated treatment of homosexuality and it’s last-minute reversal that does nothing to show that Elle learned of being a lawyer and making compromise, rather just showing that the upcoming lawyers from Harvard Law should really consider taking courses in fashion at UCLA, because clearly that was all that Elle needed to know to solve the case. A lack of self-awareness in the midst of making a movie about stereotypes creates a recipe for hypocrisy, and any future movies that intend to do such things should tread carefully.

Works Cited

Delbyck, Cole. “How Legally Blonde Hinged On One Ugly Gay Stereotype.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 15 July 2016, www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/how-legally-blonde-hinged-on-one-lazy-gay-stereotype_us_577d6699e4b0c590f7e7d2d0.

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