#the interviewer had was mind boggling. she was fucking arguing with me. she was so snide about everything i said
Text
my thoughts on the crank palace
i touched about this a bit on twitter (@newtedison_) but i figured i would Try and touch on my points more here (spoilers obv) again, its sort of lengthy
1. im gonna start with talking about the ending because i need to get it out of the way. either i havent read the books in a while and i forgot some canon (which could very well be true, i literally forgot that Bliss was a thing) or this ending makes no sense and is (somehow) setting up for a tdc sequel? so first off, newt was shot in the Head with a Bullet and somehow didnt immediately die? i know that that can happen in real life but it just seems so unlikely that not only would he not die, but he would survive long enough for someone from WCKD to transport him back to their labs and try to revive him. and who the fuck was he talking to? did thomas get newt’s journal at some point and i just dont remember? like i said, either im forgetting stuff or this ending doesnt make sense and is setting up a sequel which...i’ll get to later
2. why was this written? like, what was the point? i understand that this wasnt going to be all sunshine and rainbows but i feel like i was reading torture porn. like, literally all that happens is newt gets tortured (which is described in detail) by WCKD soldiers, has bouts of insane-fueled rage where he KILLS MULTIPLE PEOPLE, and then he dies. ??? what did this contribute to the canon? what was this trying to accomplish? truthfully, i never really wanted a newt-POV...well, anything except for maybe those little nuggets he wrote some time ago. but even if i HAD wanted a newt-POV novella, this is not what i would have wanted. he KNOWS that newt is almost universally the most loved character in this franchise. you can tell because he constantly uses him as a way to get fans in his good graces again. so why on earth would he take that character that so many people love and write a novella where its torture porn and a descent into madness before death? i am not interested in that At All. i’ve read fics (and even written a drabble) where newt is a Crank, and those were more respectful and easier to read than tcp. the parts where newt is having bouts of the Flare were literally exhausting to read; it was described in such vivid and torturous detail that it made me sick reading it. and it didnt help that newt is a character i care a lot about. i didn’t need to know what becoming a Crank felt like. the way it was described in the other books (and even the movies) told me everything i needed to know. the way thomas and everyone found newt at the crank palace in tdc and hes described as obviously not well, but not knowing what exactly happened to him...thats good enough on its own. the mystery of what exactly newt had to endure is part of what gives his journey more emotional depth. not everything needs to be written out and explained. not every gap needs to be filled in.
3. me saying “the characterization felt off” is going to make some people roll their eyes because ‘duh, sami, the characterization will be off because he’s going insane’ to which i say...exactly. we weren’t really reading a newt-POV novella, were we? even if he isn’t past the Gone in the beginning, hes clearly not the same person we knew him as. the whole novella felt like an uncanny valley situation; i knew i was supposed to be reading about newt, but it felt like i was reading about someone else who looked like him. and that is part of what made this such a disconnect and made me lose interest at parts. not only that, but the world building and lore is inconsistent. newt makes a comment about how it used to rain in the glade, and apparently (as ive been told) that is simply not true. keisha having somehow working cell phone that magically connects her to her family also doesnt make sense. how would they have each others’ numbers? what are the odds that they BOTH found working cell phones in an apocalypse? i get that its a novella but you cant just throw something that crazy in there as a plot convenience. actually work on your plot and world building in a cohesive way, please. and another thing that doesnt make sense...
4. ...is newt finding out that sonya is his sister. if there was anything i would have wanted from a newt-pov novella, it would have been this. him finding out that not only is sonya his sister, but he already knows her post-WCKD. something that would have made this novella actually captivating, contributing something worthwhile to the canon that i would actually want to read, is if newt found out while in the crank palace that sonya was his sister; the Flare would remove that part of the Slice in his brain, and he would realize it was her. then, knowing that he couldnt go past the Gone before seeing her, he would try to find a way to get back to her. he could learn this after thomas and everyone originally see him, so it could match up with the canon. and then, by the time 250 comes along, hes lost all hope of that actually happening, and lashes out to thomas in a fit of rage. the journey of him trying to find his ACTUAL sister would have meant more to me than the story of keisha and dante. trust me, i love a found family trope as much as the next girl. but this series is FULL of the found family trope. it pretty much is the backbone of the franchise. so to see a blood family dynamic would have been a refreshing change of pace that i actually would have been interested in reading. also, the way that newt DOES find out about sonya is...underwhelming. he just randomly says “you remind me of my sister, sonya” to keisha in the WCKD truck. first of all, sonya is not the name you would actually know her by. you would know her by her birth name (which is lizzy? elizabeth?). second, why does he act like he didnt already meet her in the series? when the WCKD doctor tells him sonya is his sister and is alive, hes so surprised. wouldn’t he have known that already? why is there not more emphasis on the fact he already met her? that would have been a really interesting dynamic to explore, and im sad they didnt
5. the pacing and dialogue of tcp is so dragged out. i remember specifically there was a section where newt goes to talk to keisha after she starts abandoning dante, and i swear to god there was a page and a half of text before anything ACTUALLY happened or anyone ACTUALLY said anything. dashner described a launcher at one point as “the energy dependent electric firing projectile device.” that’s SIX words to describe a stun gun. a fucking stun gun! we know what it is! why did you have to use six words??? it just felt like everything was dragged and stretched to the longest it could possibly be and it added to the exhaustion i felt while reading it
6. okay i cant end it without talking about newtmas. its very obvious by now that newtmas is a VERY large part of this fanbase. its clearly the most popular ship and what keeps a lot of people interested in this series. even the marketing team for the MOVIES used newtmas as a advertising tactic (i.e.; using thomas and newt standing face to face as a thumbnail for the trailer, emphasizing newtmas based questions in interviews, even making a fucking facebook memories video for them. yes that last one is real). not only does dashner use newt as a way to lure fans in; he also uses newtmas. the parts that were sprinkled into this were so obvious that it didnt feel authentic. i cant speak for the original trilogy; i dont know the culture around ships back then, and i dont know how much it influenced his writing at the time. but the scenes in those books felt more genuine than tcp. by genuine i mean; he wrote scenes without a relationship in mind, but the chemistry had noticeable subtext that, while unintentional, was largely agreed upon by the larger audience. the parts of newtmas he added into tcp felt artificial and forced, likely as a way for people to take snippets of and use as a free marketing tool for him. one example you might have already seen; “he had already gotten used to his post-thomas, post-WCKD life.” the fact that dashner SPECIFICALLY used the phrase “post-thomas” rather than “post-his friends” or something similar shows that he is using newtmas as a hook on purpose. not only that, but to make newt’s last thoughts as he died “tommy. tommy will understand...” is...wow. first of all, i never wanted to know what newt’s dying thoughts were, but thanks, i guess? and second, when we all initially thought newt died underneath thomas with a gun to his head, i was pretty much inferred that newts last thoughts would probably be about thomas; they would sort of have to be, given the circumstances. so adding that in gives me the same feeling that “i’m coming for you, newt” at the end of the fever code gave me. not as offensive, but written very much on purpose. and the ending is implying that there will somehow be a sequel where thomas gets newt’s journal from...someone. at this point, i can only think that this sequel will retroactively make newtmas canon somehow. now that newt has been confirmed as gay, it could happen. which brings me to my last point...
7. hearing dashner confirm newt is gay was already mind-boggling before. now that i’ve read the crank palace...im angry. im very angry. i think its safe to say that newt is the character that suffers the most in this series. you can argue with me but hes definitely high on the list, if not #1. so; you take this character. you give him a horribly sad arc in the original trilogy, then decide to expand upon it and tell us, your largely QUEER fanbase, exactly how painful and torturous his last days were, in detail. and then you tell us he’s gay. something that is never mentioned in the canon, only in an offhanded reply to a tweet of someone calling you out. on a base level, i can understand why people would be happy. representation (i guess), seeing themselves in the character, having their headcanons be confirmed. great. but what i see is you telling your largely queer fanbase “hey, you see the only confirmed gay character? im going to literally write torture porn about him before killing him off and offer it to you like im providing a service to your community.” how fucked up is that? “hey, kids, if youre gay, you WILL be violently tortured and become violent and a danger to the ones you love. then you will die and your love will never be reciprocated.” what a message! and if he DOES end up retroactively making newtmas “canon” in some weird sequel...i will start foaming at the mouth. THIS is an example of how not all queer representation is good or genuine.
i’ve definitely forgotten some points but this is long enough already. let me know if you agree or if theres anything else you want to add! im interested in what you guys think
(8. I JUST REMEMBERED!!! if WCKD needed to study newt so bad bc sonya is his sister and is immune while he isnt, why did they let him run around the crank palace in the first place??? you cant test his vitals or anything you’re literally just watching him. what is the point????)
66 notes
·
View notes
Text
Like I Get why Lexie doesn’t want to be sith Mark when he gets all gung ho about having Sloan and her baby move in but ALSO I just cannot beLIEVE you can be in a relationship with someone for nearly three years, LIVING WITH THEM, and then break up in a single conversation over a problem that’s existed for two months it’s just MIND BOGGLING and for once, this isn’t me yelling at Shonda, bc I remember reading interviews where she argued with her writing team all the time bc they didn’t like Mark/Lexie bc of the age gap and I KNOW they wrote this to be like “haha see the problem is too big” but the problem is so manufactured and completely incongruous with everything we’ve seen with their characters and I wish shonda had just slapped down her writing team and told them to fuck off
3 notes
·
View notes
Note
“she had to know she was making a sacrifice and all that comes with it. Not the same as a rape victim. gross comparison” I’m the one who initially made this analogy and it’s not what I meant AT ALL. I don’t mean the emotional pain is similar, some online bullying vs. sexual assault aren’t even on the same wavelength. I mean THEIR comments are similar. They blame her the same way people tell women they deserved unwanted attention because of what they were doing/wearing. Way to twist my words.
Like I can’t tell if they genuinely believe all of that or if they’re just that oblivious and/or dense. I was comparing them to victim blamers. That’s what they do.
**********************************
Your point was clear-Nonnie was either obtuse or purposefully trolling to stir things up. I will add that most of their followers are teens. The point might have been lost on them.
Let’s start by with your original ask and my response:
Anonymous Asked: “M put herself in the spotlight “dating” D. If she didn’t want that attention, she would have stayed in the background” this has the same energy as “you chose to wear that, you deserved to be catcalled”. Mia STAYS in the background for the most part. Posing on a red carpet gives us no insight into who she is. They literally seek her out on her friends socials. And they met well before his career took off so no, she probably didn’t expect it to turn into this
Me: Their attitude- that Mia deserves to be attacked and criticized because she fell in love with a man who then became famous and whom they have a crush on makes my skin crawl. It is like the “wear a short skirt and you deserve being raped”. It’s also how they justify their abysmal behavior. They went on to argue that Mia deserves criticism but Abby isn’t dating a famous man so she didn’t deserve the “awful attack”. They like to bring up the Fame is Other People (X) interview Mia gave in 2016 where she says she never imagined herself with someone famous. They still ridicule her for not leaving Darren the minute he started getting famous. It’s so fucked up.
Now their conversation today
Anonymous asked: They're comparing people saying M chose to forgo privacy when she "fell in love" with D to people getting accused of deserving rape for wearing short skirts. Uhhh...NOT THE SAME THING but ok. I personally don't condone hating on anyone (I never publicly disparage M for example, despite my private thoughts) but by tying her life to a public figure, whether for love or not, she had to know she was making a sacrifice and all that comes with it. Not the same as a rape victim. Gross comparison.
cassie1022 answered: Nonnie, I’m not even surprised they went there. They’re vile, just like their kween. I don’t hide my feelings about M and I’m not going to, she absolutely knew what she was getting when she signed on to be D’s beard. She WANTS the attention, and as she’s a narcissist, she doesn’t care if it’s positive or negative attention.
Personally, I’ve decided I don’t care enough to look at their blogs anymore and when I get their mean as hell Anons, I’m blocking. They claim we’re obsessed with their blogs when they literally dissect every post we make. Someone’s obsessed. It’s not us.
notes-from-nowhere answered: Hold on. Why are we talking about M as if the notoriety had fallen on her head all of a sudden? It’s not because of D if she is known by others besides her parents. It’s because she pushes herself in front of him every chance she gets. She take away from him every merit often by making things looks like they come from her brain (Hedwig first for example) and she jumps on the red carpets even before he does. She shares her whole life through social media. D’s accounts, her friends’s accounts, enablers’s accounts. Her fake accounts. She tags in her posts every celebrity that crosses her path. Her only job in life seems to be open (and never close) social media accounts.
What are these people even talking about? Now we reached the point of denying even what she does so she can fits better their theories?
This is hilarious. I swear.
leka-1998 answered: Poor girl, forced to do all this.
I don’t even want to waste time thinking about how ridiculous it is that this behavior isn’t surprising.
flowersintheattic254 answered: I’m appalled at the comparison. God her fans are hypocrites. She wants notoriety via any means fair or foul and then screams victim if it’s questioned.
It’s the same argument that she is above criticism because she’s woman and therefore isn’t accountable for her actions.
Let’s remember V day. Nobody told her to get high with B in the PR house and post those pics. You reap what you sow. People smell fakeness and she reaks of it.
***************************
One thing I learned very quickly when answering anons is that due diligence pays off. Responding to an anon’s summary of what someone else said can backfire if they misrepresent what was said. If the anon reports something untoward was said- whether by design or by mistake- and I spent 2 paragraphs berating that statement that was never said then I am the fool. Taking 5 minutes to read the post myself has paid off many times and every time I have taken something I know nothing about at face value- it’s bitten me in the ass. Had any of the ccers bothered to actually read the post they would have realized that Nonnie misrepresented the point. They still would have written something angry and pretended to be so “shocked” by how “vile” we are but at least they would have had a shot at not being the fool.
--------------------- My comments in Italics; they are in regular font
Cassie:
Nonnie, I’m not even surprised they went there. They’re vile, just like their kween. Nobody has ever said anything on my blog that could be construed as Mia is our kween. I don’t really understand the value of bringing up things nobody said as part of one’s argument. It’s proof of how desperate they are to be right and how easily they bend the truth to fit their needs. They wouldn’t know how to be authentic and honest if their lives depended on it.
I don’t hide my feelings about M and I’m not going to, she absolutely knew what she was getting when she signed on to be D’s beard. She WANTS the attention, and as she’s a narcissist, she doesn’t care if it’s positive or negative attention. It’s hilarious that Nonnie claimed she doesn’t disparage Mia publically as part of their argument as to why they are better than us but Cassie being the charmer that she is, responds with “I don’t hide my feelings about M and I’m not going to”. I could argue that Cassie knew what she signed on for when she started her crisscolfer blog-she even shares her cc beliefs on her Twitter!
She WANTS the attention, and as she’s a narcissist, she doesn’t care if it’s positive or negative attention I find it so odd that Cassie is diagnosing Mia with mental illness yet just yesterday she was raging that Metaloma and I diagnose Abby. Hypocrite much? It is mind-boggling that she believes Mia is a narcissist but can’t see that Abby actually is. I bet the Abby-less Crisscolfer fandom will find Mia isn’t nearly as narcissistic and evil without Abby to write the storyline and talk about her nonstop.
Personally, I’ve decided I don’t care enough to look at their blogs anymore and when I get their mean as hell Anons, I’m blocking. They claim we’re obsessed with their blogs when they literally dissect every post we make. Someone’s obsessed. It’s not us. Not reading my blog was a critical mistake because she would have realized that Nonnie was misconstruing the comment. Did someone claim they are obsessed with our blogs- I certainly didn’t- or is this another one of those claims that never happened?
---------------------
Notes:
Hold on. Why are we talking about M as if the notoriety had fallen on her head all of a sudden? Nobody is talking as if notoriety had fallen on her head all of the sudden. Notes would have really benefited from reading the original post because neither Notes or I have a clue what post she is responding to.
It’s not because of D if she is known by others besides her parents. It’s because she pushes herself in front of him every chance she gets. She take away from him every merit often by making things looks like they come from her brain (Hedwig first for example) and she jumps on the red carpets even before he does. I love the trope that she jumps in front of him on every red carpet because it proves how willing they are to outright lie to get their message across. She literally stands with Darren in front of the photographers for a couple of seconds at the end of Darren’s allowed period. Darren poses for dozens of photos and we see 2 or 3 pics of Mia and Darren-that is hardly jumping on the carpet before he does. As for taking away every merit- omg give it up. This is one of the dumbest tropes the fandom hangs on to. Mia WAS Hedwig before Darren was -the Halloween picture is around somewhere. Mia didn’t make the statement her friend did. We know the ccers don’t understand friendships but when they get pissed about the Hedwig comment they should refer to this post (X) where they declared “Just like I 100% stand with @ajw720,” and “I support @ajw720, I don’t believe Mi@rren is real and you cannot silence us!!!!”. Friends say things about other friends to connect with that person and show support. They weren’t trying to diss Darren. They never intended rabid Darren fans to even SEE the post-it was intended for their friends and nobody else.
She shares her whole life through social media. THIS IS my FAVORITE comment of all. WTF? Where does Mia share her whole life through social media? Cuz I’d love to see it! The fact is, you are lying...you’re just outright lying. Mia shares nothing via social media. She stopped her Twitter when she quit playing music and she has a private IG account.
D’s accounts, her friends’s accounts, enablers’s accounts. Her fake accounts. She tags in her posts every celebrity that crosses her path. Her only job in life seems to be open (and never close) social media accounts. Darren’s accounts? If Mia had control of Darren’s accounts, Mia would be plastered all over it but in reality, neither Darren nor Mia is active on public social media and they certainly aren’t sharing their lives. Nobody uses their friends’ accounts to plaster themselves. God, this trope is so stupid. Enabler’s accounts? Who the hell are her enablers? Where are these enabler posts just full of Mia’s every move? Her “fake accounts” is the best one though. Here we have some random person trolling the cc fandom and they Eat. It. Up. FetusMiarren hasn’t posted since August 11. Who the hell closes social media accounts? The reality is that Abby spent all day every day talking about MIa. The only person promoting Mia full time was Abby. The reason Notes believes that all these accounts are Mia sharing her whole life is because Abby stalked those accounts and then talked about each post for days.
What are these people even talking about? Now we reached the point of denying even what she does so she can fits better their theories? I ask you the same question “What the hell are you talking about?” If you had actually taken the time to read the original post instead of working yourself up to a red-faced, foot-stomping rant, you would know what I was talking about and avoided this ridiculous, off-topic rant-fest.
This is hilarious. I swear. Back at ya!
---------------------
Flowers:
I really love Flower’s response: I’m appalled at the comparison. God her fans are hypocrites-I’m not sure how we are hypocrites because of a valid comparison.
She wants notoriety via any means fair or foul and then screams victim if it’s questioned. Mia didn’t make the comparison- I did. Mia doesn’t know me, she didn’t dictate I made the comparison by “any means foul or fair”
It’s the same argument that she is above criticism because she’s woman and therefore isn’t accountable for her actions. Wait...who in the hell made the argument that she isn’t responsible for her actions because she’s a woman? I’ve seen a lot of fake arguments like this in the last 3 days. Again, I don’t really understand the value of bringing up things nobody ever said as part of one’s argument. It certainly doesn’t lend credibility.
Let’s remember V day. Nobody told her to get high with B in the PR house and post those pics. You reap what you sow. People smell fakeness and she reaks of it. Aaaaannnndddd she wraps up her comment with one of the fandom’s favorite gaslight moments- Valentine’s day with Ben.
10 notes
·
View notes
Text
Are You Sure You Want To Do This?
In October of 2011 I received the most startling and unexpected news of my life. I was pregnant. The words hit me like the firing of a starter pistol. Suddenly I was entered into a race against the clock. I had a very short amount of time to make a life altering decision. What I have since realized about everything that took place from that moment forward is how unprepared I was for the decisions I made. Everyone responds differently to pressure and trauma so there is really no one and nothing that can prepare you for the experience of having an abortion.
It happened on a cold grey Tuesday in December. My mood matched the weather. My mother let me out of the truck a block from the clinic. “Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked as she leaned over the steering wheel to peer out at me. I watched my breath float away as I sighed, “Yes,” I said resolutely and somewhat annoyed as I shut the door behind me. I began walking towards the clinic. There was a group of protesters out front. It was a surreal sight. I had read articles about these people and seen them in documentaries. The kind of people who take every word of the bible literally. They reminded me of Carrie’s mother. And there I was, the target of their protest.
As I got closer I kept my eyes on the grey concrete underneath me. I didn’t want to see the pictures on their signs. It was hard enough to make this decision. To be judged and shamed by complete strangers was painful. Being further tormented with posters of tiny lifeless fetuses, still encased in membrane, laying coldly on a metal table was agony. It was too much to bear under the avalanche of stress and emotion I was already feeling. These images are intended to make us feel like monsters. I don’t see myself as the monster. They are they monsters, the Carrie’s mothers, who falsely think that freedom of religion gives them the right to persecute those that don’t live according to the beliefs which they have chosen to subscribe. This backwards way of thinking allows them to feel justified in emotionally terrorizing women like me who are making one of the hardest choices of their lives.
When I arrived in front of the clinic I had to walk through their group to get to the door. They didn’t try to stop me, they parted to let me pass. It was like stepping through the gates of hell walking passed those looming demons. I could see hatred and disgust for me on their faces. As I moved beyond them something caught my elbow. I turned back and found myself eye to eye with one of the Carrie’s mothers. The fury welled up in me. I looked down at her hand clasping my arm. “Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked. Enraged, I yanked my arm away and she took a step back as if she thought I was going to hit her. Satisfaction crept over me as I turned back towards the clinic door.
A blast of warm air hit me as I entered the facility. Cologne and coffee infiltrated my nostrils masking the usual smell of cleaning chemicals and pleather. The small waiting room was crowded and hot, uncomfortably hot. The kind of hot that makes you nauseous. After I checked in I sat down and started to fan myself with a magazine. Looking around the room I noticed it was full of twentysomething couples and they were all accounted for. The sullen couple, the bored couple, the in-love couple, the arguing couple. There was that surreal feeling again. This was actually a scene from my life. Which one was I? I was the girl there alone, that’s how it looked anyway. Not really though, my mom was parking the truck. Michael would’ve come but I asked my mom instead. He and I had broken up and I was afraid if he came it would make me feel worse. He had not been in the habit of saying the right thing since he learned I was pregnant.
My mom finally came in and sat beside me. “Are you all right?” she asked. I looked at her. How all right could I be doing what I’m about to do, I thought. I didn’t say it, I just nodded. After an anxious eternity they called my name for the preliminary. My mom had to stay in the waiting room so they could interview me alone. They wanted to make sure no one was forcing me to do this. In an ever hotter and dimly lit closet that said “Office” on the door a nurse sat awkwardly close and asked me a series of even more awkward questions. She then advised me about post-procedural care. Finally, she looked my face over carefully while she asked “Are you sure you want to do this?” I was ready to beat my head against the wall.
I will clarify that no one wants to do this, therefore how can anyone be sure? This was the most agonizing and heart wrenching decision I’ve ever had to make. Was I sure? No. Did I want to? No. What I wanted was to not be pregnant at all. What I wanted was to be pregnant under ideal circumstances, married, with money in the bank and some sense of direction in my life. In my 27 years this was the greatest dilemma I had been faced with and I wasn’t sure about any of it. I just knew this is what I was going to do. And I was doing it because in those brief months of pregnancy I came to the mind-boggling realization that I had two heartbeats in my body. My heart wasn’t beating just for me anymore. I knew there was no way my heart could beat for that other little heart for nine months without me falling in love with it. There was no way I could carry that baby for nine months and hand it off to someone else -and there was no way I could keep it either. I wasn’t ready to be a mother. I wasn’t ready for the kind of sacrifice it takes to be a good one. I looked the nurse in the eye. “Yes, I’m sure,” I told her. She gave me a pain killer and a Xanax and sent me back to the waiting room to let them “kick in” before the procedure. I had just started to doze off on my mom’s shoulder when I heard a girl’s voice calling my name. Dread jolted me upright. I started to sweat. Fear and anxiety washed over me. I felt scared. So much for the Xanax.
One might expect these things to take place in some sort of dungeon or an evil scientists laboratory; but the procedure room is like any doctor’s office you’ve ever been in. The minor difference in this room was the strange contraption in the corner with a bunch of tubes attached to it. It looked kind of like Number 5 from Short Circuit. A new nurse who resembled Jennifer Lopez followed me in and instructed me to get undressed and put on the paper robe. She said she’d be back with my mom and left. I changed and sat on the table staring at Number 5. Number 5 stared back. Here I am experiencing the single most adult event of my life thus far and it’s going to be accompanied by Johnny fucking 5.
The minutes ticked by ever so slowly. I just wanted this to be over already. Eventually there was a knock on the door and my mom appeared followed by Nurse Lopez and the doctor. After taking my vitals and explaining the process of the procedure the doctor said “Ok, are you sure you want to do this?” Oh Christ, that question, I thought to myself in annoyance. I took a deep breath and exhaled very slowly before replying. “Yes,” I said tightly, making the s hiss on the end. I laid back on the table and put my feet in the stir-ups. My mom reached out and took my hand. The doctor explained each step as she performed it. This included inserting the speculum and then inserting 10 small rods into my cervix to open it up. It didn’t hurt as bad as I had feared, though, the cramping was intensely painful. The last step was the worst. A sound I’ll never forget as long as I live. The doctor flipped the switch on Number 5 and the sound of a vacuum cleaner filled the room. The noise startled me, it was horrifying. I don’t know how I pictured this happening but whatever I imagined that sound wasn’t part of it. I wasn’t prepared for it. The surrealism flooded in again and as I lay on that table literally having the life sucked out of me, I started to cry. I felt sick. I wanted to throw up. I remember gagging but nothing came out. Suddenly the room was silent. The doctor then removed all the implements from my body. I curled up into the fetal position and continued to cry. Everyone left me alone in the room so I could calm down and get myself together. Shortly after that the Jennifer Lopez nurse came back in and took me to recovery. I don’t know what I looked like but it must’ve been shocking because the recovery room was full of other girls and they all looked up at me in astonishment. What was surprising to me is how normal they all looked; relaxing in recliner chairs reading magazines and sipping juice as if this was some sort of spa day, as if nothing out of the ordinary had just happened.
Nurse Lopez led me to a chair and covered me with a blanket. I just sat there, numb, staring at the speckled linoleum floor trying to absorb what had just happened. After about thirty minutes the recovery nurse told me I could leave when I was ready. I had been at the clinic for hours, I was emotionally drained and physically exhausted from both the day and the stress of the procedure itself. I was definitely ready to leave.
While I was in the clinic the world beyond it had ceased to exist. The roaring wave of reality came rushing at me when I stepped outside to face what had now become a generous collection of Carrie’s mothers, marching and chanting on the sidewalk. I wanted to scream. I wanted to claw these people’s faces off. Do these disgusting hounds feel no shame in tormenting a traumatized person? Clinic security walked me out to the street where my mom was already waiting in the truck. The gates of hell parted a second time and the demons flushed me out into the world. It was still a cold grey Tuesday in December. The world was just as it was when I arrived that morning, except that I was leaving with one less heartbeat.
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
Sporking The Half-Blood Prince (2/30)
Chapter 2: Spinner’s End.
In which Bellatrix is a stand in for a passionate fan at a filmed interview and Snape is Rowling’s self insert all while Narcissa desperately tries to help secure her sons’ future at this parent-teacher conference.
Warning: certain things after a Cursed Child rears its ugly head while I read this.
Chapter one: The Other Minister: [here]
--
Many miles away the chilly mist that had pressed against the Prime Minister's windows drifted over a dirty river that wound between overgrown, rubbish-strewn banks. An immense chimney, relic of a disused mill, reared up, shadowy and ominous. There was no sound apart from the whisper of the black water and no sign of life apart from a scrawny fox that had slunk down the bank to nose hopefully at some old fish-and-chip wrappings in the tall grass.
Overall, I’d say this is kind of a sterotype many have of previous industrial cities. Once a major hub for industry (probably textiles), but now no longer and now it’s ugly and it smells and nothing is invested in. According to google this fictional place is apparently set in the Midlands (Oh hi, I live there currently) so I’m sure all the fans from there can also swell in pride along with everyone who thinks the ‘wretched’ President the muggle prime minister was referring to in the previous chapter was referring to their own. Rowling so loves her fans.
Rowling herself apparently invented a town called Cokeworth for this street to sit in, but since it’s not a name in the books it’s not exactly canon all in all.
And I’m kind of glad, because the chapter never mentions they’re in England either (I guess you can argue the mist but god have we had a lot everywhere this Christmas on both Islands), and there’s a place called Coagh (pronounced ‘Coke’ and I even thought it was spelt like that back then) back in my home country of Northern Ireland. So I’m pretty sure my dyslexic ass would have twisted the name and thought that meant that that all this time Snape sounded a little bit like this:
youtube
And like some people like our accents (for whatever reason) but it certainly means that whole first speech about potions in first year probably sounded less impressive if that was true. “Ensnaring the mind, bewitching the senses, oh god it’s desperate.”
It also sort of sounds like people make or sell cocaine there but whatever.
Still, aw look a fox. I love little urban critters honestly.
Anyway the fox is soon disturbed by its hope for a meal by humans appearing out of nowhere and through its yelp ends up being offed by Bellatrix (who is overly paranoid):
"Just a fox," said a woman's voice dismissively from under the hood. "I thought perhaps an Auror--Cissy, wait!"
(What a horrible nickname to give your sister. So it actually seems like something a sibling would do. Well done Rowling).
Also, given the fact that foxes sound like this:
youtube
It actually says a lot that Bellatrix thinks an Auror, or any human really, sounds like that. She must be used to people barking/screaming at her on sight (which y’know, probably) and running on all fours.
But then I remember animagi exist and the cousin who she killed a few weeks ago here could turn into a dog so it makes a bit more sense. Still, I think my idea works too.
R.I.P dear fox. Hopefully Sirius will be nice to you and not chase you around.
Anyway Narcissa doesn’t have time to contemplate this kind of thing unlike me and could give two fucks about her sister, (and the Dark Lord’s lieutenant), trying to stop her, and while they are siblings it is a little impressive. Especially since Bellatrix later waxes about sacrificing her own hypothetical sons (read: any family member) for the cause and Narcissa probably knows this.
They observe the ugly landscape:
"He lives here?" asked Bella in a voice of contempt. "Here? In this Muggle dunghill? We must be the first of our kind ever to set foot--"
I’d argue the point that Snape living there means that obviously they’re not the first of their ‘kind’ to set foot there but whatever honey. ‘Cissy’ didn’t ask you to come. But before knowing its Snape here the reader may wonder if it’s some Squib or even a muggle they’re meeting but nah. (That would be interesting, well mostly confusing, but yeah.)
Bella starts arguing with her about who she is going to and that they can’t be easily trusted. Cissy fires back that Bella’s (ugh) boyfriend Voldecakes trusts him too but Bella horror of horrors says that she thinks her honeybun might be mistaken on this guy. (Isn’t that sometimes the way? The boyfriend/girlfriend/whatever hates your friends and won’t place nice with them. How rude.)
Narcissa eventually has enough of her sister trying to block her:
"Let go, Bella!" snarled Narcissa, and she drew a wand from beneath her cloak, holding it threateningly in the other's face. Bella merely laughed.
"Cissy, your own sister? You wouldn't--"
"There is nothing I wouldn't do anymore!" Narcissa breathed, a note of hysteria in her voice, and as she brought down the wand like a knife, there was another flash of light. Bella let go of her sister's arm as though burned.
Bella please you have no right to be surprised given your own attitudes to family vs the cause. But still this all does kind of connect with Deathly Hallows in the end. And while I still maintain it was ridiculous Voldemort didn’t check Harry was dead himself as Narcissa hated him at that stage, it is at least a connection. Another example of a mother’s love messing things up for him, and she’s a bad guy! I do like that as an idea at least
Anyhow Narcissa finally, finally gets to her destination and who is she going to meet but Severus Snape.
Who apparently has been shacking up with Peter Pettigrew and yet everyone calls ‘Wormtail’ for some reason.
It’s kind of weird actually that the death eaters do that since that was a nickname his friends at Hogwarts used. Probably it could be handwaved as a way to mock him in-universe. But out of universe I think it’s probably Rowling removing any potential last scrap of possible dignity from him.
I mean look at how she describes him:
The man crept, hunchbacked, down the last few steps and moved into the room. He had small, watery eyes, a pointed nose, and wore an unpleasant simper. His left hand was caressing his right, which looked as though it was encased in a bright silver glove.
I also find it odd, Rowlings almost insistence through narrative tone of Peter being incapable of anything (even being socially pleasant let alone magic) when he found Voldemort and nursed him to health. Voldemort might piss and moan about the care being clumsy in GOF but Peter accomplished what countless others failed to do. What Dumbledore and Snape who is also a former Death Eater on the light side failed to do: find Voldemort.
But I also have to, to this day, question why he did this though. I get why he betrayed the Potters. I really don’t get why he brought He-who-can’t-smell back to strength given how he’s usually treated. Is it because he was such a pureblood that surviving in the muggle world was next to impossible as a prospect while being a rat in a wizarding household was fine? Idk, it doesn’t make sense otherwise. And why didn’t he run to Wizarding America, a lot of Nazis did that after WW2 to escape consequences, the war these books continually try to ape.
Anyway.
Snape is a dick to Wormtail and orders him around and Wormtail is described as ‘squeaky’ and incapable of being a good host so Snape has to order him to get the ladies drinks (honestly Peter this is basic etiquette).
Peter then leaves and it seems like the conversation is finally about about to start but then:
Snape held up a hand to stop her, then pointed his wand again at the concealed staircase door. There was a loud bang and a squeal, followed by the sound of Wormtail scurrying back up the stairs.
"My apologies," said Snape. "He has lately taken to listening at doors, I don't know what he means by it... you were saying, Narcissa?"
And honestly my eyes boggle. Here we have a real and actual missed opportunity. This isn’t like me waxing about getting muggles involved in a war which targets them. Those are just nice, if random, thoughts. But here we see a legitimate set up with no pay off at the end at all given Deathly Hallows. Why is he listening? Could this be useful for Harry? The life debt in PoA to be fulfilled?
Peter listening at doors of course never came to anything though. Right from PoA everyone was hoping for something interesting with Peter, for Harry’s life debt on him to mean something. To perhaps be instrumental to Voldemort’s downfall if in a small way. So this got people excited.
Aaaand then in Deathly Hallows all that happens is that he hesitates in killing Harry and his silver hand kills him instead in the last battle. Anti-climatic and ultimately unsatisfying. God Peter, you can’t even die right, like by idk, helping Harry out.
In any case the conversation finally continues but Bella interrupts again, because she doesn’t trust Snape, which y’know is technically right, but I find it kind of amusing that she’s so hard on the guy given that her brother in law Lucius wasn’t exactly winning loyalty points before he rose again. (Though Snape does point this out later).
Anyway she breaks down her many grievances:
"Where to start! Where were you when the Dark Lord fell? Why did you never make any attempt to find him when he vanished? What have you been doing all these years that you've lived in Dumbledore's pocket? Why did you stop the Dark Lord procuring the Sorcerer's Stone? Why did you not return at once when the Dark Lord was reborn? Where were you a few weeks ago when we battled to retrieve the prophecy for the Dark Lord? And why, Snape, is Harry Potter still alive, when you have had him at your mercy for five years?"
And this and all the answers Snape gives all kind of reads a bit like Rowling interview questions, with Bella as an angry fan. Basically it’s all these questions about why Voldemort still trusts Snape and the chapter attempts to make sure it doesn’t look like some 1980s Megatron/Starscream problem.
I can’t say I tend to care for this kind of thing in stories. It’s telling people things and not letting them think at all, and it gets a bit tedious honestly even here. And we just had a series recap chapter.
But y’know, in this case, while it begins to outstay its welcome, it’s not like immediately shit and boring like in Deathly Hallows.
You know: when the trio were basically all saying ‘We will not do this action and here’s why’ as if it’s a proxy!interview instead of y’know the book showing them doing the thing and having them fail. Because doing things? In an action series? What a joke. We’ve got mushrooms to poke at. (You can tell I’m bitter can’t you.)
In any case this chapter seems to work better than that, even if it’s not great.. (Mainly I guess because with Bella there’s at least the threat of getting attacked to keep things exciting if she doesn’t like the answer).
Snape instead seems half amused by all this though as he puts on the Rowling!hat Dumbeldore lent him, and perhaps in retrospect we all should have guessed what side he was on because of that attitude. A truly loyal guy might have gotten angry at such things being flung around.
In any case Snape is all very... prepared for these questions which seemingly come out of nowhere. Which is probably the dream of Rowling at the height of her fame instead of having the interview questions in advance in reality or whenever she came across what angry fans said about her work online. (God Snape you’re such a self insert Mary Sue.).
Bella also doesn’t take kindly to the implication Snape throws out that her... honeybun... doesn’t trust her with all the information.
"He shares everything with me!" said Bellatrix, firing up at once. "He calls me his most loyal, his most faithful --"
Ew Bella I don’t want to hear about your pillow talk.
Still, communication is... the basis of a good relationship I guess? Perhaps you should go into counselling? But I don’t think the Wizarding world is up to date on mental health and you’d rather diiiieee then ask help from a muggle I’m sure. And y’know you’re married to someone else which I’m sure is frowned upon.
Anyway the proxy!interview finally, finally ends when Bella runs out of things to say and Narcissa gets to say her piece. The reason she came here after so many interruptions. We are all on tenterhooks I’m sure:
"The Dark Lord has forbidden me to speak of it," Narcissa continued, her eyes still closed. "He wishes none to know of the plan. It is... very secret. But --"
"If he has forbidden it, you ought not to speak," said Snape at once. "The Dark Lord's word is law."
Assuming you don’t throw your book in the corner in frustration at this further delay, Snape actually claims he knows the plan anyway. Though I have a sneaking suspicion that he really didn’t. We never get him giving juicy details himself, instead leaving Narcissa to gush some of them out. (Say what you will, he plays at the spy pretty well). I’m sure he managed to wangle out it was killing Dumbledore a few moments after all this.
We generally get the first instance in which a Malfoy is protrayed by the author as sympathetic in the books as she cries, though Bellatrix herself is unmoved.
"Draco should be proud," said Bellatrix indifferently. "The Dark Lord is granting him a great honor. And I will say this for Draco: he isn't shrinking away from his duty, he seems glad of a chance to prove himself, excited at the prospect --"
Narcissa began to cry in earnest, gazing beseechingly all the while at Snape.
"That's because he is sixteen and has no idea what lies in store! Why, Severus? Why my son? It is too dangerous! This is vengeance for Lucius's mistake, I know it!"
Ah the old lie dulce et decorum est.
Though actually it’s Draco dying for a bigoted cause his parents fed into him with a silver spoon from birth so I will admit it does dampen the sympathy down a little.
Lady, if you and your husband hadn’t been bigoted fools and then pretended Voldemort was a hero in little Drakey’s bed time stories this wouldn’t have happened (And honestly she never seems to get that it’s also her own fault this happened). But I never took latin anyway so I don’t know how to write all that out. Still, he is just a kid, and her fear and tears certainly still feel real.
Bellatrix continues to be a hardass:
"You should be proud!" said Bellatrix ruthlessly. "If I had sons, I would be glad to give them up to the service of the Dark Lord!"
Or daughters Bella? (Oh lord.)
But seriously why ‘sons’: why not ‘children’? Is Bella one of those people who thinks all women should be tied to the kitchen and not join rampantly bigoted magical terrorist organisations? Except for her because she’s special somehow? I don’t get it. Though actually I guess its one of those things Cursed Child may have gotten right in retrospect. She’s just so passionate compared the other DEs because she wants to defend her man.
Okay then.
Anyway, Snape is convinced to make an Unbreakable Vow and ends with this:
"And, should it prove necessary... if it seems Draco will fail..." whispered Narcissa (Snape's hand twitched within hers, but he did not draw away), "will you carry out the deed that the Dark Lord has ordered Draco to perform?"
There was a moment's silence. Bellatrix watched, her wand upon their clasped hands, her eyes wide.
"I will," said Snape.
Bellatrix's astounded face glowed red in the blaze of a third unique flame, which shot from the wand, twisted with the others, and bound itself thickly around their clasped hands, like a fiery snake.
Anyway, we’re never told what the plan is at all. And the few who haven’t been driven off by proxy!interview bullshit are probably interested if a tad miffed at this.
Next time: We find Harry sleeping but he’s artistically arranged newspaper articles for us around himself, just in case we need... yet another recap. (Sweet lord).
1 note
·
View note
Text
The curious case of Nicki Minaj: Female emcees, respect, & marketing in the streaming era
Missy Elliot’s Miss E…So Addictive was the first album by a female rapper that I bought. Or rather, that my dad bought for me the summer of 2001. Before a generation lost their innocence when those planes crashed through the World Trade Center. Before the streaming era took over and put the entire music industry’s discography on our iPhones. And when ripping the annoying plastic covering off that CD case would gave you a singular rush of anticipation. The late Purple God Prince gave us a gentle rebuke about albums at the 2016 Grammy Awards, before his untimely death: “Albums still matter. Like books and Black lives, albums still matter.”
But with time comes change, so we’ll spare the excess nostalgia for another time. And given the amount of music I consume daily, buying albums today would likely leave me homeless and penniless, with nothing but my Kate Spade bags, wigs & CDs as declared assets. So there’s that.
Female emcees have always had a tricky relationship with hip-hop, especially along the lines of visibility. Today, Missy’s ….So Addictive and Ms. Lauryn’s Miseducation records rest in an old black case, along with countless others by male colleagues (i.e., Jay, Mobb Deep, Outcast, Wu Tang Klan, etc.). Those two CDs are token items, like the one Black guy that always get killed first in horror movies — there to confirm that female emcees exist, but still not enough to suggest real interest in their stories. Thankfully, I’ve remedied that oversight in my adult years.
Fast forward to 2008, when an up-and-coming Queens emcee named Nicki Minaj captivated the hip-hop world with her Sucka Free mixtape and 2009 Beam Me Up Scotty follow-up.
A Lil’ Kim clone through and through down to the lingerie picture, Beam Me Up Scotty put me on notice to Nicki’s talent as a rapper — something she would later confirm when she washed two hip-hop heavyweights (Kanye West and Hov) on the same song, Monster. Nicki the Ninja would later carry the success of that mixtape, her Pink Friday album, and an eccentric and a playfully sexual Barbie aesthetic to become the highest-selling female rapper of all time. She would run unopposed with this status for years to come.
Looking at Nicki’s recent controversies and chart performance — Joe Coscarelli of The New York Times noted: “Of her [Nicki’s] two songs as a lead artist currently on the Billboard Hot 100, none is higher than number 81”— you get the sense this unopposed run has inspired complacency, if not outright arrogance on her part. Sure, we can chalk this complacency up to hip-hop’s fucked up expectation that only one woman rapper can sit on the throne. That would be a valid argument, as talented female emcees like Rapsody have not enjoyed mainstream success, despite being a Grammy-nominated artist and rapping better than the rainbow-haired, lean-drinking weirdos currently dominating the new school.
That being said, it is my observation that Nicki is currently hanging by the same rope she gladly hung Lil’ Kim with years before. That same standard that helped Nicki during her rise — and relegated Kim’s legacy to an afterthought — is slowly painting her as a “has-been” now.
Where are the receipts? Let’s look at Nicki’s 2018 so far (in chronological order):
April 3, 2018: Coming out of social media hiatus
Nicki was spotted at LAX Airport after being on a social-media hiatus since December 2017. With an all-black ensemble and over-sized shades in tow, Nicki’s airport walk-through signaled a return to the public — and created anticipation for more. Is she coming out with a new song, after all these months? A new interview? We would get this answer a little over a week later.
April 12, 2018: Zane Lowe interview, new singles, and those Cardi B/Tokyo Stylez comments
In the midst of releasing Barbie Tingz and Chun Li, Nicki gave a deep-dive on a variety of topics including her current artistic process, social media, Meek Mill’s legal troubles, and Cardi B. Given that Cardi’s Invasion of Privacy album was released the prior Friday (April 6th), her comments on Cardi grabbed the most headlines.
On Cardi B, Nicki said:
“The only thing with Cardi that really, really, really hurt my feelings was the first interview she did after ‘MotorSport’ came out… With ‘MotorSport,’ I kinda felt ambushed. Up until this recent interview she did, I had never seen her show me genuine love in an interview. And I can just imagine how many girls wished they could be on a song with Nicki Minaj.”
When asked why she didn’t appear on camera with Cardi in the MotorSportmusic video, Nicki effectively threw celebrity hair-stylist Tokyo Stylez under the bus for a scheduling conflict:
“Even with the scheduling conflict, she’s using my hairdresser now so even he can attest to the fact, Tokyo [Stylez]…He knows there really was a scheduling conflict and it was because of him. He’s the one that couldn’t show up. I texted him, ‘You know, if I don’t show up the day she’s shooting, they’re gonna act like I’m doing it to be mean with the current Nicki hate train.’ He wasn’t able to come, and that’s fine.”
I side-eyed these comments for a couple of reasons. For one, Nicki’s assertion that “many girls” wish for a Nicki collab tells me that she expected Cardi to bow down and kiss the ring. Given Nicki’s prior beefs with female rap legends (see: Lil’ Kim’s 2012 Breakfast Club interview) who believed she didn’t pay respect during her rise, it’s strange that she would take Cardi to task in this way. Also, publically blaming the lack of on-camera appearance on a celebrity hairstylist was a messy and unnecessary move. Why throw another professional under the bus for your lack of joint on-screen appearance?
May 24, 2018: Queen is pushed from June 15 to August 10
In an Instagram live-stream, Nicki announced that Queen would be released on August 10th, as opposed to the originally announced June 15 date she teased during a Vogue interview on the Met Gala red carpet. Granted, album push backs are perfectly normal. In many cases, the extra time can help an artist perfect their record and it also gives management more leeway to execute the roll-out. On the other side, album push backs can signal doubts on either:
1.) The quality of the project
2.) How much said project will sell/connect with audiences
3.) Clarity with the album roll-out strategy
In Nicki’s case, to return from hiatus in April with two singles (Barbie Tingz and Chun Li) only to push the album release from June to August points to some internal doubts about the ability of the project to compete in a summer of high-profile releases (i.e., Kanye Kardashian, Drizzy, Nas, etc.). Also, this might be a small detail, but there’s a lack of a cohesive aesthetic between Nicki’s recent singles that is hard to ignore.
Shout out to @bluekeyblade for pointing out this lack of cohesion on this Twitter thread.
The varying aesthetics here contrast with other mainstream artists. Here are some examples Twitter users pointed out under that thread:
You can argue that the increasing emphasis on singles during the streaming era has reduced the need for cohesive projects and aesthetics. However, the marketing professional in me believes these varied aesthetics points to a record label and management team that are testing different aesthetics to see what consumers will connect with. Streaming era aside, it is evident a clear aesthetic is key to a successful brand strategy. Between Mariah’s album fonts, Ariana Grande’s Dangerous Woman bunny ears, and RiRi’s red hair during the Loud era — all of these artists had a cohesive look that was synonymous with their projects. That Nicki doesn’t appear to have a cohesive aesthetic going into an album roll-out is a worrying sign for how she is being marketed in this new streaming era.
June 13, 2018: ELLE magazine interview, and those sex-work comments
With the tagline “The Queen Returns,” it’s clear this cover-story was meant to promote her new album and assert her return back to the top. You might have missed this though, as controversial comments around sex-work dominated headlines.
“Maybe I was naive, but I didn’t realize how many girls were modern-day prostitutes,” she said. “Whether you’re a stripper, or whether you’re an Instagram girl — these girls are so beautiful and they have so much to offer. But I started finding out that you give them a couple thousand dollars, and you can have sex with them.”
So I’ll start with this reaction gif of Kurt from Glee:
Upon reading these comments, I’m struck by the lack of empathy from a woman who has earned millions by selling her body and sex appeal. Maybe Nicki was simply unaware that performing sex work is often a literal means of survival for poor and disenfranchised women. Contrary to popular belief, sex work doesn’t just occur among the impossibly beautiful Instagram models who fuck rich men for Birkin bags and a trip to the Maldives. On the other side of this jet-set living are poor, LGBT women of color who perform sex work to feed and provide for their families. New York Times best-selling author and trans activist Janet Mock spoke on this very reality in a 2018 AM Tonight interview with Alicia Menendez.
Also, to have these comments come out around the same time she released Rich Sex, a song with these poetic lyrics just boggles the mind.
If you know your pussy worth a Benz truck
(Rich sex)
Don’t let homie fuck unless his bands up
(Rich sex)
Go to DR, get that fat transfer
(Rich sex)
It ain’t such a thing as broke and handsome
(Rich sex)
If you let that broke nigga fuck, we tellin’
(Rich sex)
If you let that broke nigga fuck, we tellin’
(Rich sex)
If you let that broke nigga fuck, we tellin’
(Rich sex)
If you let that broke nigga fuck, we tellin’
(Rich sex)
July 7, 2018: Wanna Thompson, Karen Civil, and those DMs
This brings us to the most recent “controversy” surrounding Onika and those Twitter DMs with Wanna Thompson, a freelance writer from Toronto. I won’t add more to this story, as much has been recently discussed related to Wanna’s original tweet, Nicki’s DM, and Wanna’s subsequent firing from Karen Civil’s website. Check out the New York Times profile on Ms.Thompson for the whole story. Needless to say, the experience has done little to promote Ms. Minaj in a positive light ahead of her album release. Also, it’s interesting that Wanna identified the need for Nicki’s artistry to evolve — a complaint other critics have noted. I mean, how many “bitches are my sons” bars can we take?
Missy Misdemeanor commented on the current state of music and female emcees during a 2012 Breakfast Club interview. When asked about Nicki Minaj — understandable given Nicki’s presence as the top-selling female rapper — Missy curiously wrapped her praise for Nicki’s hustle with the need for unity, respect for music’s predecessors, and new talent development. Judging by Nicki’s history of feuds with older female rappers (Lil’ Kim being the most prominent ) and rumors of behind-the-scenes sabotage antics against her peers, Missy seems to be alluding to some funny-style actions on Nicki’s part. When you think about Missy’s call to nurture new hip-hop talent (lest your own legacy becomes discredited by the new school) and Nicki’s current inability to produce a hit single with lasting power, her words sound that much more prophetic right now. That may soon change though, as Bed, a Ariana Grande collab and a rumored collab with Tekashi 69 are sure to capture attention ahead of the album release. And controversy aside, all press is good press, right?
Looking at Missy’s 20+ year career and the goodwill she still wields in the industry, I’m reminded of how important it is to treat people with respect. That stars are not immune to a fickle consumer base that loves them one second and discards them the next. That complacency is the killer of growth. And when all else fails — it’s alright to sit down, mind your business, and eat your food. We don’t see Beyonce giving controversy-laden interviews and clapping back at music writers on Twitter for a reason. Just saying.
0 notes
Text
BLOG TOUR - Hunted
Welcome to Shannon Muir’s Infinite House of Books!
DISCLAIMER: This content has been provided to INFINITE HOUSE OF BOOKS by Bewitching Book Tours. No compensation was received. This information required by the Federal Trade Commission.
Hunt for Evil
ICE Book One
Amy Jarecki
Genre: Romantic suspense
Date of Publication: August 1st, 2017
ISBN: 9781942442257
ASIN: B071JS2JST
Number of pages: 340
Word Count: 90,000
Cover Artist: Dar Albert
Tagline: Who knew battling international terrorism would lead to ravenous passion?
Book Description:
When Navy SEAL Commander Logan Rodgers winds up on a botched mission in the Gulf of Oman, his quick action in saving MI6 asset, Olivia Hamilton, brings him to the attention of the international espionage arena.
Recruited by the mysterious and elite International Clandestine Enterprise (ICE), Logan faces Olivia again, but this time they’re on the same team. Sparks fly as the two compete in a clash between skill and keen intellect, until a French girl is kidnapped by a suspected terrorist.
Posing a married couple, steam erupts between the pair while Logan and Olivia dive deeper into an ISIS kidnapping ring. But when Olivia becomes the kidnapper’s next victim, she enters a madman’s hell. And as Logan races against time to save her, one thing ravages his soul. If he fails, the woman he loves will be lost to him forever.
Intro Price .99
Amazon Kobo BN Apple
Interview with the Author:
Infinite House of Books Interview
What initially got you interested in writing?
I have always loved to write from the first day I picked up a pencil, but I didn’t write my first novel until the late 90’s. After I took writing classes and went to conferences, but wasn’t published until 2011.
How did you decide to make the move into being a published author?
My third manuscript, a Native American historical novel, was picked up by a small press (Boy Man Chief). It sold about 250 copies, but won The Spark Book Award and the Utah League of Writer’s award for Best Manuscript. The awards gave me the confidence to keep writing!
What do you want readers to take away from reading your works?
I want readers to be transported to a world of danger and passion. If they feel like they’re living through the adventures of the characters, then I’ve done my job.
What do you find most rewarding about writing?
I get to work in my pajamas. LOL. Honestly, I finally have a job that I love and I get to deliver fantastical stories to readers all over the world.
What do you find most challenging about writing?
Distractions. Every day there are things that take me away from working on my next book. The mind boggles at the things authors must do to stay on top of the game—social media, marketing, editing, reading, writing copy, and participating in things like blog tours J
What advice would you give to people want to enter the field?
Write the best book you can, and write another. If you’re not published, start a blog and post once a week. Participate in Facebook groups with people who read and write in your genre. And most of all, have fun!
What ways can readers connect with you?
I love connecting with readers and try to hop online at least once a day:
Website: http://amyjarecki.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amyjarecki
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amyjarecki/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5306959.Amy_Jarecki
Instagram: @jareckiamy
Newsletter signup: http://amyjarecki.com/newsletter/
Excerpt:
Her heart nearly
stopped when a hand slid over her mouth and another disarmed her. “I’m
Commander Rodgers from the USS Washington, and you’re coming with me now,” an
American growled in her ear. From the girth pressing against her back, he was
solid—but Olivia could take him.
Grinding her
teeth, she threw an elbow to his sternum. He blocked—so like a hotshot. Few
people were fast enough to react to one of her strikes. But she’d nail him with
her second try. Whipping around, she aimed a kick at his groin, but he blocked
that, too. At least six-two and faster than an asp, Rodgers stopped her next
kick by catching her ankle and giving it a twist—a warning.
“Enough. Come.”
Jesus Christ, his eyes were the color of a teal lagoon and they drilled into
her like daggers.
She shook her
head. God, she wasn’t about to go anywhere with dagger-eyes. Not without a
fight.
Suited up in
scuba gear, his facemask cocked atop his head, the man had to be daft. “What
the fuck, Aquaman?” she whisper-shouted. “If anyone sees you, we’ll both be
shot before the first question’s asked.”
His eyebrows
slanted downward over those damned eyes. “Yeah?” he whisper-shouted back.
“Everyone on this boat will be dead in fifteen. If you want to live, you’ll do
as I say.”
Olivia’s mouth
went dry. She blinked, shaking her head. He had to be mistaken. One more day
and al-Umari’s ass would be hers. “Are you off your trolley? I’ve put too much
into this project to have it blown to smithereens. Call off your dogs before
you cock-up the entire op. Now.”
“No can do,” he
said like her hard-earned cover wasn’t about to become the greatest wipeout in
MI6 history. “Sorry to ruin your party, but there’s a bomb attached to the
hull. Can’t be killed, can’t be dislodged, and if you stand here arguing with
me for one more second, you’ll explode into so many pieces, you won’t make a
meal for a goddamned minnow.”
Those are my
choices?
“Christ!” She
jammed her finger under his nose. “When this is over, your ass is mine.”
Book Two in the ICE series, BODY SHOT, will release on August 29th
About the Author:
Amy embarked on her writing journey shortly after she completed an MBA with Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland. Her first manuscripts were suspense novels and were never published. She calls them baptism by fire—lessons in learning to write fiction. These lessons, combined with several writing conferences and classes, led her to write her first published book, Boy Man Chief, which won the League of Utah Writers award for Best Manuscript, and the Spark Book Award.
A lot has happened since, with some of the highlights being Rise of a Legend winning the national RONE award for Best Time Travel; hitting the Amazon Top 100 Bestseller list; and a host of other accolades.
Amy enjoys the freedom of authorship and the opportunity to work creatively every day. She has lived in Australia, Bermuda and has spent extensive time in Scotland. Whenever possible, she visits the places she writes about to add vibrant realism to her stories.
She loves writing Scottish historical romance, and now she’s adding romantic suspense to the mix. Come along for the ride!
Website: http://amyjarecki.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amyjarecki
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amyjarecki/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5306959.Amy_Jarecki
Instagram: @jareckiamy
a Rafflecopter giveaway
BLOG TOUR – Hunted was originally published on the Wordpress version of SHANNON MUIR'S INFINITE HOUSE OF BOOKS.
0 notes
Last Seen Blogs
aldo1966
ForzaLavoro
boorishbint
uncomfortable
quillsareswords
Call me Quill
random-musroom
Obey Me And Other Fandoms
jts-brown
J.T.S. Brown