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brittanybutler · 5 years

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Sydney to the Max + The Importance of Representation

Can I just say, I really love Sydney to the Max on Disney Channel??? When I saw promos for it, I was interested in the plot because it’s about a single dad named Max raising his daughter Sydney and they also live with his mother Judy. So it’s this nice father/daughter/grandmother dynamic going on and it’s so cute! Caroline Rhea plays the grandmother, so I knew it was going to be a decent show at least. It has surprisingly good writing for the most part. I absolutely LOVE the fact that it takes place in two timelines, 1992 and 2019 -- showing parallels (and differences) between Max’s upbringing and Sydney’s. The 90s flashbacks are so freaking fun and nostalgic. Max’s best friend Leo is HYSTERICAL. They give him the best lines, omg. I mean, this happens one minute into the very first 90s flashback:

I was immediately hooked. ANYWAY...

I knew right away that the star Ruth Righi (Sydney) was mixed/possibly biracial and I kept wondering if Disney would acknowledge that or not. Max and Judy are white and Sydney is clearly of a different hue + more ethnically ambiguous. Disney pretty much could’ve gone the entire series without addressing it, but they just recently revealed that Sydney’s maternal grandmother is black and it made me really happy. EDIT: They also finally revealed her late mother as well through flashbacks in a very emotional episode. I love that they’re not making a big deal out of it though. It’s not some big plot point that Sydney is half black. It’s just a casual thing. It normalizes the situation, which is how it should be done imo.

I’m 26, but it made my heart so full to somehow see myself represented on this Disney Channel show, even though it’s 14-18 years too late for me lol. If this show existed back when I was the target demographic of 8 to 12, Sydney probably would’ve been my idol because I’ve never seen a girl that actually looks like me on TV, actually playing a mixed character.

It might be kinda weird to do a comparison picture, but you need to understand how SEEN and represented my tween self feels by the casting of Ruth:

Nearly every time a biracial/mixed actor is cast in a mixed role for TV/movies/advertising, they’re obviously/stereotypically mixed looking: extra ~exotic~ with big curly hair, etc. I don’t look like that. I actually think it’s helpful sometimes to cast actors who are “obviously” mixed. It helps ignorant people make sense of us when they can clearly see it spelled out in front of them. But, it’s important to see other phenotypes too. Some of us are rather plain looking in comparison -- with straight/loose type 2 hair and a tan. We look like we could be a number of different ethnicities. Sydney literally looks so much like I did as a kid. I’ve never seen our “brand” of mixed/biracial represented like that before, especially on Disney Channel!

I’ve always been very confident in who I am. But growing up mixed, I was still very aware that I was different than most people around me, at school, and yes -- on TV. I was also very aware that I look different in comparison to the rest of my family. In a lot of ways, I’ve always liked being a little different. I actually think my being mixed oddly makes perfect sense and goes hand in hand with the fact that I’ve always been a strong-minded, creative ~individual.~ But, still. It’s always in the back of your mind.

Me and my cousins circa 2001.

This show sorta feels literally made for me in practically every way, even at 26! I’m a child of the 90s, so I love and get a kick out of the flashbacks. I’m biracial, and I also completely relate to the familial situation. I, too, was raised by my white single mother and white grandparents. Not only that, Sydney is very into music on the show. She plays bass and it’s a big focal point for her character. I’ve been in love with music my entire life and I’ve played guitar since age 11.

A screenshot from the opening credits. Which features a pretty awesome Third Eye Blind “Semi-Charmed Life”-esque theme song btw.

It’s just crazy to me. I really feel like I’m seeing my younger self portrayed here in more ways than one, haha. It’s like they took inspiration directly from my life or something. The importance of representation is a big topic these days, but I didn’t truly realize how impactful it can be until now. Seeing my type of upbringing on the Disney Channel today, even if it is many years past my childhood, is very emotional. It makes me want to shed a tear for tween Brittany and all of the little girls today who are in the same boat I was.

EDIT: Sydney also plays guitar and writes songs. This is FREAKING ME OUT. Here’s Sydney vs. myself at age 14:

You have no idea how insane it is for me to watch this show. In a recent episode, they literally say the word “biracial” multiple times. I just about died. The way Sydney straight up says she’s proud of being biracial and she doesn’t have to choose a side. I’m cryin. If hearing that on Disney Channel means this much to me today, I can’t even imagine how validating it could’ve been for me years ago.

My Disney Channel idol that I desperately wanted to be like growing up was white & blonde Hilary Duff/Lizzie McGuire (which I’m not saying is a bad thing, I freaking love Hilary to this day and think she’s the best) but I just started thinking about how different my youth might’ve been had Sydney to the Max been on my TV screen. Maybe I wouldn’t have felt different than anyone else at all. Because here’s Sydney -- a girl who’s mixed and looks a little different than her family. It’s normal, and that’s awesome. I would’ve felt SO COOL knowing someone like me was the star of a Disney Channel show.

Here, why don’t we end the post with this photo of me trying really hard to rock gold sparkly jeans like my tweenhood idol Lizzie.

#sydney to the max #SUPPORT THIS SHOW OK!!!#disney channel #biracial #ruth righi #mixed race #lizzie mcguire #rant

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zukalations · 5 years

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Keep Smiling! - Misaki Rion retirement talk with Yuuma Rin

This is Misaki Rion’s farewell invitation talk in Kageki, which was published in the April 2017 issue. She invited Senka member Yuuma Rin, who she had also performed with when they were both members of Flower Troupe.

Keep Smiling! - Misaki Rion retirement talk with Yuuma Rin

Misaki: I was with Marin-san (Yuuma) during my time in Flower Troupe, and then last year when we were together again for Elisabeth, it was really nostalgic, and I was so happy. I thought ‘I would love to have a chance to talk thoroughly with her’, so I took the liberty of requesting you.

Yuuma: For this precious page!!!

Misaki: I really owe a lot to you, and I like you a lot, so I thought it would be simply perfect.

Yuuma: I’ve received a love confession. Basically, I’ve always been fond of Mirion (Misaki). Recently I was talking with Daimon (Nozomi) and Akira (Seto), and we were all saying we were really weak for Mirion, and so we just couldn’t help supporting you, and all that (laughs).

Misaki: I just...really like you…

Yuuma: I really like you too, with your laughter and your open personality. Mirion-san, didn’t you stand out ever since you were first assigned to Flower Troupe?

Misaki: No, no...you mean because my makeup was terrible? (laughs)

Yuuma: Your makeup… (laughs). Although I did have the feeling that your wig and makeup styling was going to need...a lot of work (laughs), I thought that a really pretty girl had joined the troupe. In EXCITER, the first show after you were assigned to the troupe, you were on the Silver Bridge in one scene…

Misaki: During the fashion show scene, where 5 couples cross the Silver Bridge.

Yuuma: You were with Maa-kun, right?

Misaki: Yes! I was with Maa-sama.

Yuuma: The youngest couple was Maa-kun and Mirion. I’ll never forget how stiff and nervous you were in the rehearsal room (laughs).

Misaki: My face was so frozen, so even if I was trying to laugh it wouldn’t show at all.

Yuuma: And then when it came time for the dress rehearsals, that incredible wig (laughs).

Misaki: And I just thought ‘Yup, this will do!’ and came out in that.

Yuuma: Right, right. “You know you’re a Ken-1 when…” And then...or was it after you had already become a senior actress? That show with Eritan (Sou Kazuho)...

Both: Canaria!!!

Misaki: You were playing the director of the Demon Academy, and you were just amazing. Your characterization and your acting and everything!

Yuuma: Now, now. I had the feeling that Maittii (Minami) and Mirion were weaponizing your youth and using all your energy towards your performance! (laughs) Were you still ken-1 then?

Misaki: I was ken-3!

Yuuma: That was incredible for ken-3. The role of Adjani was perfect for you.

Misaki: I am told that a lot, and it’s still a performance that holds a lot of memories for me.

Yuuma: How long were you in Flower Troupe?

Misaki: Three years. I was transferred just as I was about to become ken-4.

Yuuma: So in the end it was only three years? Wow! You left such a deep imprint on the troupe...amazing.

Misaki: (laughs)

Yuuma: I remember that duet dance you did with Eritan on the boat in Canon really clearly.

Misaki: That was another situation where I was really suddenly able to join that scene, and also the duet dance with two couples in the finale. I felt so much pressure internally.

Yuuma: You didn’t look it at all.

Misaki: I actually cried over that a lot. But I remember that Eritan comforted me really brightly: she would say “The heck’re you crying about? This isn’t the time for cryin’~ (laughs)”

Yuuma: You looked like you laughed your way through it. That brash laughter is the image I have of Mirion. Your laughter helps you make it through all kinds of things, and you don’t really show frustration on the outside, right? Even if I think you look like you’re having a hard time it’s like ‘but she’s still laughing!’ (laughs). After all, if you laugh you can get through the difficult things.

Misaki: That’s right.

Yuuma: Your last Flower Troupe performance was Chikamatsu: Journey on the Road of Love, right.

Misaki: That was also my first traditional Japanese-style performance, so I really struggled in rehearsals.

Yuuma: Even though here we are as Kansai folks, at times we couldn’t even manage the Kansai dialect in the script (laughs). But those days in rehearsal…

Misaki: I’ll never forget them.

Yuuma: I remember it as if it just happened the other day. I can picture Mirion feverishly working to deal with the trouble spots. So in turn the rest of us felt like we had to put in our best effort too.

Misaki: I was fighting with myself, and fighting with the difficult parts in the show, so I was totally wiped out every day (laughs).

Yuuma: Our conversation every day would be like “You don’t look so great, do you?” “Neither do you!” (laughs)

Misaki: But, once the performance started, every day was so much fun. That performance was full of so many different emotions.

Yuuma: It didn’t have anything to do with it being your last Flower Troupe show, since you didn’t have the time to think about that, did you?

Misaki: Not a bit. But on the last day it hit me, and when I thought ‘Oh, this is the end of my time in Flower Troupe…�� I started crying. Although for some reason Yuzuka (Rei) cried more than me (laughs). As I was saying “I’ve never cried this much before…” I went from having tears pouring down my cheeks to being able to laugh (laughs).

Yuuma: Of course you’d still laugh (laughs).

Misaki: Even though I was crying too, you [Yuzuka] crying even more than me was funny, was the thing (laughs). But since I really felt that it was my last show in Flower Troupe, it got mixed up with loneliness and doubt, so it was a really complex feeling.

Yuuma: I felt like you matured a lot when you went to Cosmos Troupe. Did you feel that you had to make sure you had it together?

Misaki: I think so. I thought ‘I’d better do this right.’ I really felt conscious of being watched, and it was my first troupe transfer, so I was thinking ‘Well, they probably don’t know that I’m actually such a weird person,’ (laughs) so I was really putting on a different personality. So at the start some of that was faked, and thinking back on it it was pretty stressful.

Yuuma: We really worried about you. When all of us from Flower Troupe would go to see your shows, or when we would get a glimpse of you in the dressing room after a performance we’d confirm ‘It’s ok, she’s alive, she’s laughing’ (laughs). And then when you went on National Tour with Melancholic Gigolo…

Misaki: The Niigata performance!

Yuuma: Four of us—Yuu (Matobu Sei), Eritan, Miwacchi (Aine Harei), and I—all went to see it together.

Misaki: Having all of you gorgeous people there was so exciting!

Yuuma: I was so happy that you were together with Maa-kun. When you crossed the Silver Bridge together in EXCITER and I thought about how you were both coming out as Top Stars, the feeling was like ‘Oh, your old dad’s gonna cry~’

Misaki: Dad (laughs). My bond with Maa-sama is really miraculous. I still think that all the time. I feel like something brought us together.

Yuuma: Your atmospheres really match. When you were with Ouki (Kaname)-san, you fit well with Ouki-san’s aura of nobility, and it was a really Takarazuka-esque feeling, but when you were with Maa-kun it seemed as if Mirion’s good qualities came out even more...and now in the middle of that you’re retiring, is how it feels (laughs).

Misaki: But then during Elisabeth we were able to meet again. I was so happy when they announced the cast members! I was like “It’s Marin-san!!!”

Yuuma: Every day when you would come over saying ‘Papa~’ it was so cute and I was so happy. During the wedding ball scene, it was as if my character’s feelings at his daughter being married, and my feelings at sending you off from flower Troupe, became linked. Although I was nervous since it was my first time with that troupe, Maa-kun and Mirion being there gave me strength. That was a big relief.

Misaki: It was a great relief to me too. I just love Marin-san’s personality. The way you can think positively about everything was a big encouragement to me.

Yuuma: During Elisabeth, even though I wanted to take the time to talk with you thoroughly, of course it was a really busy performance, so yet again I just got glimpses...I’d end up doing welfare checks-- ‘Alright! She’s alive!’(laughs)

Misaki: You always check on me (laughs)

Yuuma: It would have been nice to do one more show together…

Misaki: It really would…

Yuuma: I was able to see your farewell recital, and it was so good! You were so dazzling and it made me think ‘retiring Takarasiennes are really glowing’. I’ve seen you at times where I thought ‘maybe she’s not happy about things right now’ but now you’re totally in high spirits. After I saw the performance, didn’t I say ‘you’ve become young again’? (laughs) You’re young already, but it felt like you had so much life force, or something…

Misaki: Hearing that makes me so happy. I’ve always been more quiet and reserved, so I end up being seen as older. I’m glad I could become young again at the end (laughs).

Yuuma: (laughs) Are you enjoying yourself right now?

Misaki: I think so. I think I just feel full of gratitude. In each and every scene I feel full of love towards the director and the choreographers.

Yuuma: Takarazuka is amazing, isn’t it.

Misaki: Everyone retiring would say that there is so much warmth, and now I’m feeling that for real, and every single day I’m performing full of gratitude for everything.

Yuuma: I think it would be good to see more of Mirion’s brash side in the Tokyo performance.

Misaki: Is it okay to show that on stage? (laughs)

Yuuma: You could stand to put in a little more.

Misaki: I’ve always ended up putting on airs a bit onstage.

Yuuma: The top-student side of you comes out.

Misaki: I think that’s always been an issue for me. Therefore, like you said, until the end I want to try and put something of my true self in.

Yuuma: To think little baby Mirion has grown up so wonderfully… I saw you keep on growing, and while I thought ‘you do your best’ actually I think I was the one impacted by that. And a lot of times that positivity of yours, and your brash laughter, really helped me as well.

Misaki: What, really!?

Yuuma: Therefore, until your last day, I think you should just be like that, and be yourself.

Misaki: Wah~ Yes!

Yuuma: I want you to enjoy Takarazuka and use your laughter, and your brightness, to envelop all of Cosmos Troupe, and the whole theatre. I think you can really do it!

Misaki: I’m going to fight till the end while enjoying myself and living life in Takarazuka to the fullest.

Yuuma: Yes, yes! Laugh your way through it! (laughs)

Misaki: Your final summation is ‘laugh your way through it!’ (laughs) Thank you so much!

#takarazuka #mag: kageki #sienne: misaki rion #sienne: yuuma rin #troupe: sora #troupe: senka

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letsdothistom · 5 years

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Air Guitar and 85 MPH!

I was going to spend my second “blog” discussing pretentiousness in Santa Fe or New Mexican food and green chile in general. But since I came up with something a little more fun, I guess I’ll save the talk about ordering water in a bowl and drinking it with a spoon for a different time. On my drive back to Oklahoma I thought of a topic that always shows its face when I’m on a road trip. I often forget about it until the next time I’m in the car or just don’t put much thought into it once I’ve opened the car doors and let the dog out to deal with his pent up energy as I unload the car. Not to mention the obligatory hour I have to spend re-aquainting myself to the cat, who is certain that I have disappeared forever this time.

The topic that came to me is road trip songs.

I love road trips. You may think I’m crazy but settling into the driver seat, snacks on the passenger seat, the basset hound panting in my face, his front feet on the console, anticipating our newest adventure, is the best. Within a pretty short time, he tends to realize that this is just another day-long roady and roughs up his blanket in the backseat and settles in for the ride. Giving me weird basset hound glances in the mirror. Not sure if it’s the music or he just wants some pork rinds.

Now these road trips of mine usually arent extravagant or exotic. Unless you consider driving state highways through Kansas, Oklahoma, Wyoming or any other of the fly-over states I tend to travel as being exotic. (Personally I’d choose these drives over just about any other you could propose to me). The great thing about these road trips, aside from seeing so many wonderful historically relevant places (as well as plenty of non-relevant places), and feeling a oneness with wide open spaces, is the time you get to yourself to hone your listening skills.

Those of you that know me, know that I have many preferences when it comes to music. As Cheech says in Up In Smoke, “we play everything from El Chicano to Santana”. I love it all. Some more than others, but I probably have a song or two from every type of playlist or genre that you can think of. Add to that the fact that if there is a specific location I’m aiming my car to (often there is not), I will jam songs from or about that location. For instance, while driving the empty roads of New Mexico it will be Ennio Morricone and The Good, The Bad and the Ugly soundtrack. Wyoming is of course Chris LeDoux country. On my way to Kansas City to eat BBQ, it’s Joe Williams singing “Kansas City” or Charlie Parker and K.C. Blues. Memphis is Sister Rosetta Tharpe (you can keep Elvis, I am not a fan. Yeah, I said it). West Texas? Marty Robbins Gunfighter Ballads, of course! Down south, it’s Big Maybelle, Lightnin’ Hopkins and Muddy Waters. You get the idea. It may seem strange but there is something that touches my soul in listening to those songs that are native to an area. Whether or not I actually do learn anything, it feels as though I have.

With that weird little eccentricity out of the way, let me add that of course there are some staples of any road trip, for me at least. These are songs, albums and artists that I listen to, to fill in all the empty spaces of those relatively uneventful miles, musically or otherwise. Maybe it’s Def Leppard or ACDC or Beyonce or Ariana Grande for you. For me these are easy. I can not even begin to guess how many miles have been eaten up by Merle Haggard, or The Count Basie Orchestra. I am not scared of extreme opposites. Hundreds upon thousands upon tens of thousands of miles have been chewed up by these two musical groups, and yes, I’m aware that I am probably the only person living who can claim that.

The millennials reading this will have no idea about this next category. There use to be these things called albums. Albums were a group of songs, recorded (usually around the same time), and released as a unit to the masses. These units were sold as vinyl records, cassette tapes, 8-tracks, or CDs. Those of us a little older can attest that 90 percent of these albums had 2-4 songs that we liked and a bunch of other average or barely tolerable songs that you listened to whether you liked them or not (if you didn’t have control of the radio in the car). Sometimes, you even grew to enjoy a few of those songs. On rare occasions though, you found an entire album, yes the whole thing! that you enjoyed. For all of us oldies, these albums are near and dear to our hearts. They vary from person to person, but these are a few I can put on and just let them play, enjoying almost every song: Van Halen-1984, Blood Sweat and Tears-Greatest hits, Nirvana-Nevermind, George Strait-Strait From The Heart, Muddy “Mississippi” Waters-Live, Art Blakey-Moanin’, U2-Joshua Tree, Miles Davis-Kind of Blue, Steve Miller Band-Greatest Hits 74-78, IceT-Greatest Hits to name a few of my favorites.

All of these categories are important to a good road trip. You must have a combination of all of them. Yeah, I know, all of you XM/Sirius users are claiming that you don’t need any of them. You got genres on every channel, and all you ever need with all those fancy channels. To those of you in that camp, I say “HOGWASH!” Why Hogwash? Well no matter how specific these channels are, or how much you enjoy the carefree toggling between your favorite genres, no road trip is complete without those irreplaceable, epic, nostalgic songs that nearly blow out your speakers and get your ears ringing whenever you choose to rock them. And how the hell are you supposed to play these favorites 2, 3, 10 times in a row with your XM radio?! You can’t. So without further palaver, I’m gonna lay my favorites out and would love to hear some of yours.

Rich’s top 20 Road Trip Jams (if you have any sense, you will build this playlist!-yeah I know it’s not gonna float everyone’s boat but if nothing else, listen to it, you might find some music that you don’t normally dig.) And for the record, none of these songs ever get bumped off the list, new ones just get added to it occasionally. As weird as it may be, here is my list:

Honorable Mentions. These songs get me thinking about all the great road trip songs and my musical wheels start turning. It’s on when I hear any of these songs.

Runnin on Empty-Jackson Browne, Hello Walls-Faron Young, Blues in Hoss Flat-Count Basie, Night In Tunisia-Ella Fitzgerald, Gimme All Your Love-Alabama Shakes, Miles and Miles of Texas-Asleep at the Wheel, China Grove-Doobie Brothers, Come Down-Anderson Paak, Crosstown Traffic-Jimi Hendrix, El Paso-Marty Robbins, Ida Red-Bob Wills and Sunshine of Your Love-Cream. Those get me started but here is when it gets real.

20-16 These are like the kindling for me. Getting the fire lit, and starting my descent into the next hour of driving, without really remembering the road I’ve just driven or the scenes outside the window.

20) Suavecito-Malo Ok, Ok, it wouldn’t seem like a fire starter, but...

19) Magic Man-Heart This one should get your blood flowing

18) Keep on Rockin’ Me-Steve Miller The best roady to choose from SMB

17) Watermelon Man-Herbie Hancock You might not have soul if you don’t love this

16) When My Train Pulls In- Gary Clark JR Great Long Jam. incredible guitar riffs

11-15 These are a small step up, adding logs to my fire

15) Me and Mrs. Jones-Billy Paul So there’s always a song that you love to sing while you are alone in your car, and you think you sing it just as well as the artist

14) Stairway to Heaven-Led Zeppelin Ok so of course I have it, but this is a really, really great song no matter how many times it is played.

13) Ev’ryday I have the Blues-Count Basie and Joe Williams The definition of a foot stomper.

12) Luckenbach, TX-Waylon and Willie One of the best country songs translates to a great road song.

11) The Story- Brandi Carlisle Not a song liable to be on many lists, road trip or not. My sister introduced me to this years and years ago and it barely misses the top 10

6-10 Ok, we are really cookin with gas now. These are legendary roadies in my book. The dog gives me a look, here we go again.

10) Rooster-Alice In Chains Gets my grunge on. I love everything about this song. Probably one of the biggest contributors to hearing loss in my right ear.

9) Six Days on the Road-Dave Duncan All those over-the-road truckers can’t be wrong, this is the best of all truckin’ songs.

8) Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down-Merle Haggard My favorite country singer and a whole lot of my favorite country music instrument, the steel guitar. Damn I love this song

7) Ticket To Ride-Beatles There are tons of Beatles songs to choose from and this isn’t my favorite, but it is my favorite on the road

6) 867-5309-Tommy Tutone This is my favorite 80s song. And when I hear that guitar riff at the beginning...Jenny, Jenny who can I turn to?

2-5 These are huge, the fire is roaring and I have no concerns as to what is going on at this point. I’ll be singing, playing drums, air guitar. The dog has now tried to cover his ears due to the volume.

5) Jamie’s Cryin-Van Halen Im not sure why, because there are tons of Van Halen songs to choose from, but for whatever reason, this one is my favorite while on the road

4) North To Alaska-Johnny Horton Ok, another one you may not expect at all but damn this is a fun song. I physically can’t help whaling “big nuggets they’re finding” every time!

3) Pink Houses-John Cougar Mellencamp Im not a globalist. ‘Murica!!

2) Sweet Child of Mine-Guns and Roses This should be on everyones list. Road songs or any other. Simply one of the best songs ever.

Number 1!!!

So all the previous songs are great. I love them all, and many, many more. This is an elaborate list for me. If you know me, you know I love lists, and don’t make them without deep thought. But Ironically, the battle for the top spot isn’t even close. I LOVE Sweet Child of Mine, and Pink Houses. I might play them 2 or 3 times in a row, but the battle for number one isn’t much of a battle. Not because these others arent great but because number one is so unbelievably spectacular in the car. I can’t help singing to it, playing air guitar, drum solo in my car, volume literally turned up 3 or 4 times during the song, ears ringing and can’t even hear myself singing, and just when you don’t think it could be any better, it gets better!!! There are times I may play this song 5, 6 times in a row if things are cookin. I can barely keep the needle under 85 mph! The number one song for the road is:

1) More Than A Feeling- Boston I really built it up, and with good reason. Rock ballad, guitar anthem, unbelievable vocals, harmony soft, loud, louder, high, higher, drums...what else can I say? This is simply the best road trip song ever!!

Ok, that’s it. Maybe it was anti-climatic for you, but I got jazzed just listing the songs. I may go take a drive just to hear the playlist! I’d love to hear everyone else’s playlist that they take on every trip. Maybe I’m missing some good road trip songs!

I hope the dog never figures out how to jump out of the car while it’s moving.

#roadtrip music playlist

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percywinchester27 · 7 years

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Stroke of luck (Part-8)

Pairing: Dean X Reader

Word count: 3800-ish

Warnings: Daddy!Dean, so much of it... trust me, it’s a warning. FLUFF!!

Series Summary: Dark highway, middle of the night, a bad boy driving an Impala, and a Damsel in distress. Too cliche? Think again.

A/N: This is the part that actually inspired the whole series around it. I am in love with it. I hope by the end, you are, too <3 Beta’d by the fabulous @sdavid09.

Feedback is really REALLY appreciated!

Stroke of luck Masterlist

A crowd had gathered right in the middle of it, making it impossible to move around. Dean honked loudly twice, but the crowd didn't budge.

"What the hell?" He muttered to himself before stepping out and making his way through the crowd. The scene that unfolded before his eyes as he walked to the front of the line was disheartening. A girl was standing in the middle of the circle, crying in her hands. All her books were strewn across the asphalt, while her bag was ripped to shreds. Two boys were standing on the other side laughing at her, while she sobbed. When she moved her hand to wipe her tears, Dean caught a glimpse of her face. It was Sam, and she had the most heartbreaking and lost expression her face.

Dean's POV:

For a few minutes Dean couldn't comprehend what was happening. Was she angry, was she hurt? Why was all her stuff scattered like that? Did she trip and fall down? Dean was suddenly worried whether she had hurt herself.

Then the silence broke as one of the boys- the one with light brown hair- let out a cackle of insensitive laughter. "Why you cryin' now? Like you didn't know!"

"Of course, she did!" The other one leered. He was lanky and had greasy, black hair. "She knows how weird she is. She knows she's the freak."

"You heard what she was sayin' right?" the first one prompted. "Purple light killed Aaron," he mimicked in a high pitched voice that did not resemble Sam’s quiet, melodious one at all. She just stood there, staring defiantly up at them.

"We all know what put that crap in her head," Greasy hair continued. "If she ever bothered to get her head out of those fat books, she'd see the world for what it really is.” He looked straight at her. “You might actually look good if you ditched those stupid t-shirts and put some make up on."

"Just learn a lil' from that mother of yours," leered the short one. "Sleepin' round like she does, you could’ve picked up a few tricks, nerd."

"Course her father disappeared!" The two of them burst into a bought of cruel laughter.

A sob ripped free of Sam's chest. She turned on her heel to run away, but in the next second, found her face pressed into a warm softly clothed chest. Dean saw her jerk back for a bit before her eyes met his. When they did, her watery emeralds into his fiery green, instead of pushing away, she threw her arms around his waist and clung to him, fisting her fingers into the back of his suit. She turned her face into him and broke down completely.

Dean felt as though his insides were melting the moment the girl buried her face in his chest. It was nothing like anything he'd ever felt before. The strongest urge to protect her, to hide her from the cruel, cruel world overcame him, and his hands instinctively enveloped around her. The aftermath of the feeling left him reeling. The anger he could understand, the protectiveness, too, but the possessive edge and the tenderness he felt towards her, both shocked and shook him.

"Hey, shhhh…" he softly whispered in her ear. "It's gonna be alright. It's gonna be okay."

Sam only hugged him tighter, clinging to him. Dean found himself comforting her despite the havoc in his own head. This girl didn't deserve to be treated like this. She was smart and sweet and loving. She shouldn't have to cry like that.

Dean lowered his head so only she could hear him. "Stay here, I'll be right back." Sam, however, shook her head, unwilling to let him go.

"Hey, I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here, next to you. Let me go have a talk with them."

"No, don't," her breath hitched. "They'll say mean things about you, too."

"They can try." Dean leveled his gaze with the taller of the two, the greasy haired idiot. He seemed to be taken aback, but was still staring at Dean sullenly.

Dean could feel all eyes on the two of them and he was sure so could she, but Sam held on, hiding in his chest, from the judgment everyone seemed to be exuding. She was trusting him to protect her. That decided it for him.

Dean gently pried Sam's fingers off his coat, but didn't let go of her hand as he took a few strides forwards. Sam tried to hold him back, but Dean's grip was firm. She needed to see this.

He made his way towards the boys, both of them seemed to be older than eighteen. Either they were drop outs, or part of the community college that shared the same building. From the condition of her things and the way she seemed to massaging her shoulder, it wasn't hard to figure out what had happened. They'd either held her hard, or yanked the bag with enough force to hurt.

"Who are you Mister?" Greasy hair wheezed. He seemed to be the bigger bully of the two. "The new guy her mother is banging?"

Sam's grip on Dean's hand tightened painfully. He could feel her shaking besides him. She seemed to cringe a little, but Dean held on, refusing to let go.

He strode forward and in a swift motion tugged at the collar of the kid, pushing him into the adjacent wall, hard enough to sting, but not actually cause damage.

The boy let out a strangled cry as his head hit the surface.

"Doesn't matter who I am," Dean growled. "What matters is what I can do, you slimy son of a bitch. You touch her again, and I'll break your sorry face."

The guy whimpered pathetically against Dean's grip, clutching at his throat, trying to find a way out. Dean did not budge.

"Am I clear?" He snarled loudly, and the boy nodded pitifully.

"I would ask you to apologize to her, but you don't deserve to so much as look at her, forget about talking to her. Her mom's done a great job raising a kid like that. Your folks don't seem to have gotten it through that thick skull of yours. Now get lost."

Dean released his grip and the boy collapsed on the asphalt floor, coughing and gasping for air. The other kid had disappeared.

Dean turned to the by standing crowd. "Shows over, get out," he called, voice icier than usual. The kids didn't need to be told twice. Within a couple of minutes the parking lot was empty.

Sam was still clutching Dean's hand, quietly crying into the other one.

"Shhh… it's alright, C'mere," Dean said, gently pulling her back into his arms. "Those kids are dicks, don't listen to that bullshit. You're so much better than any of them. You get me?"

She didn't react, just burrowed deeper, and there was that feeling again. A warm ache in his chest that Dean couldn't put a name to. This felt too pure somehow, holding her this way. Dean couldn't help but remember when he was young and small Sam used to hug him on stormy nights when they were alone in motel rooms. For the life of him Dean couldn't figure out why he was suddenly so nostalgic. It hurt in an oh so sweet way, but Dean never wanted to be rid of this feeling.

He gently pushed her back and brought his hand up to cup her face. She seemed unwilling to look at him, like she was suddenly embarrassed. Dean held on, until she looked up, her beautiful eyes shy. "You get me, right? You're awesome. You should be proud of yourself."

At long last she nodded, and Dean smoothened the blonde locks away from her eyes. "That's good," he smiled at her encouragingly. "You wanna sit down for a bit and tell me what that was about?" She nodded once more.

"Alright," Dean said, guiding her to a bench nearby. "You sit here, I'll be back with your stuff."

She was quick to interrupt. "No… No… I'll get it."

"No, you won't," Dean stated firmly. "You sit. I'll go get it."

He made his way towards the torn bag and its strewn contents. Most of it was huge books- SATs, physics, Economics. They weren't course books, but much more advanced. Along with those there were couple novels- Oscar Wilde and Jane Austen. Those idiots must have yanked the bag hard and because of the full to brim contents, it must have split immediately. Dean looked back at Sam. She was rubbing her shoulders, eyeing him anxiously. He smiled reassuringly at her, as he collected all her stuff, even the markers, pens, and chocolate wrappers.

When Dean got to the bottom of the things, he found a worn out College flyer… For Stanford Law.

Really? Stanford Law? Dean thought to himself. That was a weird-ass coincidence.

After collecting all the books, Dean balanced them in one hand, and stooped to grab the torn bag. The fabric was full of all sorts of doodle- quotes from Southern movies, anime, manga, symbols… everything. It was eclectic and fascinating. Dean found himself turning it over to notice that the handles were made of pure silver. He smirked to himself as he remembered Sam pushing them against his skin that first night when he had picked her up. That kid was really smart and for some weird reason Dean felt proud about it. She had been raised right.

When he reached the bench, his shoe caught against a stone and the books tumbled out of his hands once more, cascading over the girl in front of him. She winced as the books hit her head and fell over her feet.

Dean was about to apologize, but a peal of laughter left her, as she giggled at his antics.

"You're such a butterfingers," she managed in between her laughs.

Dean found his heart melting at the sound of her laughter. It was precious. She bent down and retrieved her books, neatly stacking them on one side. She picked the Stanford flyer last and carefully placed it in between the thickest of books.

"So Law school, huh?" Dean asked, intrigued, as he took a seat next to her.

She wriggled her hands in her lap, not quite meeting his eyes, "Ummm yeah."

"That's awesome," Dean told her, his voice sounded happy even to him.

"You aren't going to tell me I'm too young or something?"

"Nope!" He replied. "I know you're really smart. You can do whatever you want."

"Whatever I want?" She looked up through her lashes, shy again.

"Whatever you want," Dean repeated, simply. There was a conviction in his words because he truly believed in them.

"It's all I've ever wanted. I'm almost sixteen, but I've taken all the classes, even the advanced one, so I'm graduating this year. I'm giving my SATs in a couple of weeks and I really want to get into Stanford pre-law."

The fact that she was advanced didn't surprise Dean whatsoever. "Why Stanford?"

"When I was a kid, my mom told me it's where smart people go," she shrugged.

"Well, I ain't contesting with your mom."

They sat in silence for a while. Dean was lost in his own thoughts until he saw her rubbing at her shoulders again, and anger flashed through him. He willed himself to control his tone before asking. "You wanna tell me what that was about?” He gestured towards the spot where she'd stood crying.

Sam seemed to retreat back into her shell and the wriggling of fingers resumed. Just when Dean thought she was going to ask him to butt out, she spoke in a small voice. "Those idiots used to be high school last year. I think they were friends with Aaron or something. I don't know what their problem is, but they call me names all the time. They call me ugly and stuff…" her voice trailed off.

If Dean was angry before, it was nothing compared to how he felt now. Anyone would have to be blind to call her ugly. She was perfect.

"Don't listen to them," Dean's voice was more insistent that he had intended it to be. "You're beautiful and smart. I meant it when I said they don't deserve to even look at you."

"Really?" her cheeks were tinged with pink as she looked up at him.

"Hell yeah! You're too good."

She looked down, blushing an even deeper shade of red now.

"It's not that though," she said after a while. "I don't care what they say about me. It doesn't matter. But they say awful stuff about my mom, and none of it is true."

"If none of it is true, then why does it bother you so much?"

"Because it's on the opposite fudging end from reality, that's why!" She huffed.

"What do you mean?" Dean’s curiosity was at its peak. He had to admit that he was intrigued by her mother. She definitely knew her way around the territory, and judging from how she had raised her daughter, she seemed to be sensible and kind.

"I mean everyone judges her because she's so young. She had me when she was only 18, and she's really gorgeous. There's always a couple guys loitering outside the flower shop she owns, hoping to ask her out. She never heeds all the attention."

"All this talk seems to be a case of sour grapes then," Dean mused.

"It is. She's so nice, and she rarely even dates. Just because of how she looks, people say such horrible stuff about her," Sam said bitterly.

"Well then the people here are dicks," Dean stated. His ‘matter of fact’ tone made Sam giggle. Dean’s very bones softened. She was truly a lovely child. And the way she had described her mother, Dean could see where she got it from.

Dean didn't want to assume, yet, he couldn't help but wonder what happened to Sam’s father. A man would have to be a total jackass to leave a beautiful family like that.

"Don't worry about the jerks, kiddo. I'm sure your mom is happy enough to have you."

"She is," Sam smiled wistfully. "She's my best friend. I love her so much. She hasn't had it easy, you know. We used to be constantly moving till I was about seven years old, never stopping in a place for more than a couple of weeks, like someone was chasing us or something. She'd leave for a few of hours to get food and return bloody a lot of times. Mom never talks about those days even if I ask, but I can see the scars sometimes. It's only been about six or seven years since we've settled here. That’s why I want to become a lawyer. So I can make her proud."

"Where was your dad in all this?" The question just tumbled out his mouth. Dean regretted it the moment he said it out loud. It was personal, and definitely prying on his part. It looked like Sam's mom had been through hell. Gang maybe?

Sam, thankfully, seemed unperturbed by the question. "He died when I was a baby," she said, a distinct note of pride in her voice. "My mom says he was a hero and he died trying to save someone. She said he loved me." Her voice became melancholy by the end. "I never knew him."

"I'm sure he'd be proud of the young lady you've become," Dean told her. Sam smiled up at him.

"Yeah, my mom says so, too." A sudden light illuminated her eyes and she giggled excitedly. "You know what? You should meet her!"

"Who? Your mom?"

"No, the Queen of England," she sassed. "Of course, I mean my mom! You two are so similar. Tell you what, you should totally go out on a date with her."

"Whoa, Kid!" Dean said, taken aback by her sudden enthusiasm. "I'm not the dating sort. I won't be in the town longer than this case." Even as he said it, Dean couldn't help but feel a little sad at the thought of not seeing Sam again.

"Oh, she isn't the dating type either," she gave him a naughty smile. Whatever that was supposed to mean. "Just go out once. How could it possibly harm? It'll be fun!"

Dean thought about it and decided it wasn't such a bad idea after all. He wasn't staying long and Sam's mom intrigued him anyway. He could meet her.

"Alright," Dean acquiesced, "but on one condition."

"What?" Her smile faltered a little.

Dean grinned. "That we’ll remain friends no matter how that turns out." He extended his calloused hand. "Friends?"

A huge grin spread across her face as she slid a delicate hand forward and shook Dean's firmly. "Friends!"

Dean noticed a silver anti-possession charm and witch repelling amulet dangling from her bracelet. Yes, meeting her mom would be interesting to say the least.

"It's a deal then!"

Sam's POV:

To say Sam was tired was a massive understatement. He was used to staying up late nights, working cases, or researching for them, but this one seemed to be somehow taking a toll on him. As much as he might refuse to accept it, Sam knew the reason. He knew it was the hope that pulling him down. No, it wasn't the hope, it was the effort of trying to keep it squished that was so exhausting. All night long he had dreamt of Y/N's face as she had looked at him with terror in her eyes on the night that Dean had died. Sam had been consumed by a homicidal rage, so frenzied by the need for revenge that he hadn't even cared for his long lost best friend. If only he could just find her once and tell her just how sorry he was, how desperately he wanted her back in his life… in both their lives.

At least, one thing had turned out to in their favor. Aaron used to visit that particular red-soiled make out spot after all, so now they knew where to begin their search.

Sam walked around the campus, trying to find his brother. Going through the filing had taken a while, so he did not expect Dean to be hanging around in the parking lot. Sam, however, didn't know where to start looking and the parking lot seemed as good a place as any.

He was still mulling over the case-files, trying his best to keep his mind off other stuff, when he rounded around the corner and the most unexpected scene met his eyes. Dean was sitting on the park bench next to a young girl who was facing away from Sam. She had thick, long blonde hair. From what he could see, Dean was holding her hand, and the two of them were laughing about something.

This was that girl, the one Dean couldn't stop talking about. The girl who was the reason for all of his brother's smiles lately. Sam increased the tempo of steps and soon he was close enough to catch his brother's attention. Dean grinned the moment he saw Sam, turning to the girl besides him.

"Sam," he told the girl, a goofy, proud smile splitting his face, "Meet Sam. He's my brother and nerd extraordinaire. You two will get along."

The girl turned around and Sam's breath caught in his throat. Those eyes, those bright green, brilliant eyes were the ones he could never not notice. He saw them every day of his life.

"You're kidding!" She turned back to face Dean. "Your name is Dean, and your brother's name is Sam? What the hell?"

"What's wrong with that?" Dean asked, and she checked herself, shrugging nonchalantly. Dean seemed to buy it, but to Sam, her expression seemed too perfect, as if she was putting an extra effort into keeping it in place.

"Hey, Dean, why don't you pick up the files from the office? I think I might have left a couple of them on the desk. Get the car while you're coming back."

"Sure thing." Dean winked at the girl once, before walking out of the lot on the other side.

"So?" Sam asked.

"So?" She replied in the same tone. He couldn't help but crack a smile.

"Your name's Violet Y/L/N, isn't it?"

"How do you know?" She immediately sounded wary.

"I read your name in the files," Sam said lightly, but his heart was hammering against his ribs. He didn't know what else to say. The girl was peeking up at him while trying to be furtive about it.

"You're tall," she said out of the blue, and then blushed instantly.

"I get that a lot," Sam said, taking a seat next to her. That's when he saw the stack of thick books. The Stanford flyer sticking out at one end didn’t miss Sam’s attention.

"Hey, if your name's Violet, why does your mother call you Sam?" He asked, trying to keep his voice from shaking.

"How do you know it's my mother who came up with the name?" She narrowed her eyes.

Damn! The girl was too smart for her own good. "Uhhh… it’s a guess," He smiled weakly.

"Well, yeah," she continued, seemingly over her suspicion. "My mom said the name's for good luck. All Sams are smart."

'All Sams are smart.'

"Uhhh yeah," Sam somehow managed through his constricted throat. He was saved from saying anything else as the Impala cruised to a stop right in front of them.

The girl jumped with glee at the sight of the car.

"I think I'm in love with your car!" She squealed, running a hand over the glossy metal body, sighing happily. Dean got out and nodded proudly.

"Me, too."

Dean handed her his card. "Call me if you ever need anything, okay? And I mean anything at all."

She took the card and looked up at him. "You remember the deal right, Deano?"

"Sure do, Shorty," he smiled.

"Hey, Dean," Violet called. In the next split second she was sprinting towards him.

And like it was the most obvious, most instinctual thing, Dean opened his arms, the girl slamming into his embrace, closing her eyes the moment her cheek pressed into his chest. Dean in turn held her tight, running his hand over her back.

Sam saw the satisfied smile on his brother's face, the absolute adoration with which he held her. Dean pecked Violet lightly on her forehead and she seemed to relax in his hold, both clearly unwilling to let go first. The picture was perfect and surreal.

Sam rolled his eyes upwards, willing the tears pressing his eyes to not roll down, praying for strength so they could face what was obviously coming their way, but most of all trying to behold the absolute jubilation he felt in the moment. How? How had Dean not realized that he was holding his own daughter in his arms?

Please let me know how you liked this chapter?? PRETTY PLEASE?

If you want to add yourself to the taglist for the series, there’s a link to my taglists in the bio of the blog. Can be accessed only via a computer! ;)

Stroke of luck taglist:

@sdavid09 @grace-for-sale @kas-not-cas @bellastellaluna @thing-you-do-with-that-thing @benjerry707 @tiny-friggin-human @kaylynnw428 @anarchyrenegade @clairese1980@quixoticcat @sea040561 @chumi-la-chula@girliciousdreams@sofiadiaz04 @soul-of-verity @redeyedvixen @earthtokace @that-never-happened @deanwinchesters-67impala @deevvoon @wackiekebab @brihughes4 @ilsawasanacrobat @deansgrenadelauncher @ohgodwhybloggg @i-just-wanna-live-gc @gabavaldman @betterlatethennever @torn-and-frayed @lavieenlex @you-didnt-see-that-cuming @bringmesomepie56 @akshi8278 @thedevilinthedetails @raventonks19 @sonofabitch-spn @mayasmedberg @escabell @kathaswings @mogaruke @brihughes4 @docharleythegeekqueen @impandagrl @luna-plena-venandi @jotink78 @like-a-bag-of-potatoes @deanssweetheart23 @adaliamalfoy @melonberri @maui137 @winchesterprincessbride @prairiebirdie @dustycelt @its-my-perky-nipples @laurenisnot @iamnotsaneatall @aiaranradnay @escabell @feelmyroarrrr @scrumptiouswinnie @thevioletthourr @mrswhozeewhatsis @yoursmilemakesmeloveyou @sandlee44 @thebitterbookeater @applepienjackdaniels @anokhi07 @plainoldblogs @silver-and-green @meeshw777 @liveyourlifemeraki @redunicorn10 @im-a-light-child @deaths-damn-fruit-basket @juanitadiann @sofiadiaz04 @mywillfulwinchester @procratsinator @samdean-67 @captainradicalpassion @1-crazydreamer @jellersquad @gloria1097 @residualgrace @idonthavanaccent @darcy-winters @nakedshowerdean @autopistaaningunaparte @itsmyeffingstory @weasleywinchester @cloverhood @blacktithe7 @emilycollins11 @starmission @notesfromalabprincess @shamelesslydean @captainemwinchester

#daddy!dean #dean x reader #dean winchester x reader #reader x dean winchester #dean winchester reader insert #sol 8 #stroke of luck part-8 #Ana writes Dean #anawritesspn #anawrites #q

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outspokenfan · 5 years

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So I was feeling nostalgic listening to some old school 90s rock and roll. Legendary rock and roll group Aerosmith was playing and I remember the first time I heard the song “Cryin” in my mother’s house. My mother would always call me and tell me my video was on.

I would sit there with the TV blasted singing it. I swore I would be the first female in the group, lol to sing with Steven Tyler. A girl can dream right, lol. Oh man if only one can go back in time…. but you can’t you can only can cherish the memories forever. I’m so grateful I was born in the era I was born in, Thank you God! Because music has truly changed my life!

I’ve always loved Aerosmith ever since I heard them sing “Walk This Way” with legendary Hip-hop group Run DMC. back in 1986. That collaboration between hip-hop and rock and roll was iconic and something you barely see with todays artist. Joe Perry the lead guitarist is a beast on that guitar. That look he gives into the camera at 2:07 in crying is lethal!!!

I miss the days when MTV and VH1 would play actual music videos. What happen to the music? This generation is missing out on knowing some really great artist from back in the day and those that are still relevant (if they haven’t retired), because they are being inundated with reality B.S. television. Theres no music, there’s no connection. People have this platform and this is what they choose to do with it.

Peoples emotions are being suppress. No one is feeling the love anymore. People are forgetting what love sounds like and the visual to go with it. Thats another thing that annoys me, lyrics that don’t match the video with todays artist. I can write-up a better story than what I see with todays artist videos. It may be visually appealing but I don’t see what you’re singing about?😐

There are artist out there that I love them as artist, but they are not very sensual when it comes to their videos. They do too much and I’m left feeling like what happen to the visual in my head? You can’t even turn on the television or radio and hear a real love song anymore. What about some good rock roll bands? The award shows used to have real live bands. Artist would sound the same as they did in their videos now they lip-sync and sound horrible live.

My heart and spirit will always be stuck in THE 80s and 90’s. You gotta admit the 90’s was the best era of music. You had to know how to sing. You were invested in the artist not their personal life or just a song. There was no drama. You couldn’t turn on the radio or television in the 90s without hearing a love song. Now you don’t even really have to know how to sing or sing about anything with substance.

Now you can mumble your way over a tight beat and people will get hooked. Now it’s ok to be illiterate in the music industry. Reading and writing is not required anymore. I’m sorry but that is not music, you can’t pay me to listen to trap rap music. But this is what they are putting into our youths minds and some adults are following suit too. You can sing about drugs and killing somebody and as long as you put it over a tight beat, It will soar to the top of the charts.

Women didn’t have to be naked, now everybody is naked, everything is about sex and lust and cheating and how many women you have and all of your material possessions and this is what the youth idolizes and they want to be about that life. They want to turn up as they say. I don’t think artist realize the power they have over their fans and how their music influences them, more on that later… But the 90s had some of the best rock and roll songs.

Which brings me to something else I wanted to discuss….

Every time I listen to rock roll music or anything that’s not considered “Urban Music” people always give me weird looks. Trying to figure out where I’m from and where I grew up at. I’m a music lover. To me music knows no color. When I listen to an artist and if I’m feeling them. Their race, color or gender is the last thing that’s on my mind. It never even crosses my mind. But apparently it crosses others people. But I listen to everything. My music collection is huge mostly from CDs I downloaded. Remember those?

It all depends on my mood. One minute I might be in the mood to listen to Michael Jackson, Jodeci, Chris Brown, Boys to Men, Jeffrey Osborne, Tupac next you might hear me listen to Selena, Marc Anthony, IL Divo, Placido Domingo, Andrea Bocelli or Josh Groban. Throw in some Aerosmith, Eddie Van Halen, Guns N’ Roses, Bret Michaels, Deep Blue Something, UB40, Faith Hill, Shania Twain, Sara McLachlan, Sophie B. Hawkins, Wilson Philips, some jazz, some opera, some classical…. Who knows, LOL. Music is music. Does it really matter where I’m from or my ethnicity? No!

How can the one thing that unites us, which is music, which is a gift from God divide us in so many ways?

When it comes to music people are so close minded. I was exposed to different genres of music when my family and I moved to a different borough of Staten Island and we had cable. I also had music class something I didn’t have when we lived in the south Bronx. All I heard was oldies and hip hop and R&B but that’s the thing about moving and being in a different environment. Some people are never exposed to things or music because they stay where they are or its not being played in their home. But this is the age of technology and streaming services you can listen to all kinds of music if you’re open to it.

In 2008 one of my coworkers was about to turn off her radio and put it on a more urban station, because she thought that’s what I wanted to listen to (or all people of color, lol) and I stopped her and I said leave that on I like that song, LOL. She was so surprised that I liked all the artist that she liked. They had a hot list playing that day with “The Smashing Pumpkins, Lenny Kravitz, Aerosmith, Sound Garden, Third Eye Blind, Gin Blossoms, Garbage, Nirvana and many more. It was hot!!!

She told me her best friend which was African-American didn’t listen to white music. Excuse me… I said WTF is white music?? A caucasian guy I went out with said he never met a black woman that like rock and roll. He was shock too! As much as some people claim they are not racist when it comes to certain things, they prove that they are. I know people who don’t listen to music because it’s not by a black artist. I’m being sarcastic here… but I think some African-American people forget that black people sing rock and roll and country music too.

Let’s not forget about Prince, Lenny, Jimi Hendrix, Fishbone and many others. We’re all entitled to our own music taste but not liking an artist because of their skin color is ludicrous. Sorry I can’t be friends with people who think that way. Which means I would have to censor my music taste and I’m not doing that. I bond with people over music. Music is everything to me and it knows no color. With artist like Mickey Guyton singing country music as a woman of color. I couldn’t be anymore proud!

As much as I love R&B and latin music, I think Its great when I see women of color breaking into other genres of music where we are not heavy populated. I wish more artist of color would sing other types of music. It can truly bring us together instead of dividing us. Hopefully the world will get back to real music and real music videos. I have hope that radio and television will return back to its organic roots. Until then here’s a trip down memory lane!

Whats your favorite rock and roll group from the 80s and 90s?

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Flashback: When Music Channels Played Actual Music So I was feeling nostalgic listening to some old school 90s rock and roll. Legendary rock and roll group…

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fashiontrendin-blog · 6 years

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The Many Lives Of Steven Tyler

http://fashion-trendin.com/the-many-lives-of-steven-tyler/

The Many Lives Of Steven Tyler

Steven Tyler is his own worst enemy, and he knows it.

“If you look at it and figure out things in life, you realize it — whether it’s a divorce, arguments you got in with your mother, whether you were thrown out of the house or whatever ― things in your life,” he told HuffPost.

Yes, Tyler has been divorced twice. And he’s had plenty of disagreements, including public spats with his fellow members of Aerosmith.

“You really don’t realize it, unless you’re an honest person or in a 12-step program or have been around and have been married and lost love a bunch of times. Most people don’t get a chance to turn around and look where they came from,” he said, almost with a sense of relief that he’s had the opportunity for reflection. Then he stopped for a moment and said, “Most people would like to be certain and miserable than take a risk and be happy.”

The risks Tyler took throughout his career have afforded him some massive successes, including platinum albums, Grammy wins, hit singles and a spot in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. And he shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

This month Aerosmith played a roaring set at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, prompting the city’s Times-Picayune to call him “fabulous” and The Boston Globe, the group’s hometown paper, to describe the band as a “well-oiled machine.” And this week sees the release of the new documentary “Steven Tyler: Out on a Limb,” which chronicles his first solo venture, the 2016 country album “We’re All Somebody From Somewhere.” For it, he took a couple more risks: He tackled a different genre and teamed with a batch of country songwriters.

“I had my fears whether I could write with these people I didn’t know,” Tyler said, looking back at his time composing country songs in Nashville. “I’ve learned the good graces of manifesting. I’ve sat in the room with people who have said, ‘We are going to write a hit song today all together in this room. We are going to stay in here until we get the song and we can’t stand each other’s smell’ … But then you walk out with something real good. And when you do that a couple of times, you go, ‘Hell, has it always been so easy?’ No, of course it’s not. Songwriting isn’t.”

In the 1970s, his songwriting skills helped produce hits like “Dream On,” “Walk This Way” and “Sweet Emotion.” Years later, when the 1986 remake of “Walk This Way” with hip-hop group Run DMC became a worldwide hit, it proved yet another risk worth taking.

“Look, a bunch of fucking street guys with huge cred took ‘Walk This Fucking Way’ and turned it into a monumental, earth-shattering, break down the walls between white and black ― there was no fucking huge press party around that. It was real,” Tyler said, seeming nostalgic for a time when producing music didn’t involve so much buildup before release.

That “Walk This Way” rendition thrust Aerosmith even further into the spotlight. Many other hits followed, including “Love in an Elevator,” “Angel,” “Janie’s Got a Gun,” “Crazy” and “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.”

For Tyler, songwriting is often a collaborative effort, such as with Aerosmith’s Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Todd Hamilton and Joey Kramer. Outside writers have played a role too. Take the band’s 1993 hit song “Cryin’.”

“I wrote ‘Cryin’ with a fabulous guy, Taylor Rhodes. We wrote that song in about two days. I threw in the guitar, which made it an Aerosmith-riffy heavy kind of thing,” Tyler recalled.

Although Aerosmith failed to score many hits in the 2000s, Tyler managed to place himself in the spotlight once again, debuting as a judge on “American Idol” in 2011. Looking back, he said he’s grateful for the opportunity to sit alongside fellow judges Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson.

“I said to them before I was on it … ‘If you want personality, I’m your guy.’ I never thought it would get back to where it was from the very, very beginning and when we were on it,” he said. “I thought our two years were great. We broke amazing records. We had 27 million people watching us at night. After I got into an argument with my girlfriend and got three hours’ sleep, I would do [the show]. And then after that, I’d go to work with my band on [the 2012 album] ‘Music From Another Dimension.’ By doing ‘American Idol,’ it was really good for the band, and the money was good. And I got to sit next to J.Lo. ”

Tyler, who turned 70 in March, celebrated the milestone in Maui with his partner, Aimee Preston, alongside family and friends, including Stevie Nicks and Mick Fleetwood.

I feel like I’ve lived a couple of lifetimes with the wonderful shit that’s come my way. Steven Tyler

“I didn’t even know what that means. When people started talking about 70, my kid Chelsea said, ‘But Dad, it’s a big one. You gotta be here.’ And I said, ‘What? I just didn’t think of it as a large year or big. I never thought of it like that. I actually said to someone a couple of weeks ago, ’I feel like I’ve lived a couple of lifetimes with the wonderful shit that’s come my way,’” Tyler said.

Even after all these years, he seems to marvel at his life.

“I get to be in Aerosmith,” he said.

This summer he will turn his attention to his solo work, with a tour kicking off in June. He’s also planning something with Aerosmith but kept mum on what that will entail.

“Everything we do is shrouded in secrecy and a big wow. But we’re doing something huge,” Tyler said coyly. “I can’t tell you, but it’s going to be big and wonderful, and the band loves it.”

Through it all, Tyler continues to work on himself and said he’s in a place now where he can do what he loves. But that doesn’t mean the journey has been easy.

“Along with it comes a lot of hate and anger. I survived the music business. I survived drug addiction,” he added. “So there’s a lot of stuff in my life that I see what the problem is. I point it out, and sometimes it’s not so fun being around me.”

Performing for crowds is when Tyler seems to still feel most alive.

“I get to go onstage and relive songs I wrote when I was 21. ‘Dream On,’ when I sing it onstage, I’m literally in a time machine right there and redoing what I did 48 years ago,” he said. There’s all kind of stuff I can complain about. But for the most part, when I get to have sex with my audience, it’s the best.”

Even if Tyler is his own worst enemy, it seems to have paid off.

“Life’s real good,” he said.

“Steven Tyler: Out on a Limb” is available now on streaming devices, including Amazon, Google Play and YouTube.

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april 2017 faves

this one’s fucking long lmfao

planning for spring break 2018: i’ve mentioned a couple of times that i plan to drive to mount rushmore and, more central to my plan, the badlands in south dakota during the 2nd full week of march next year, during the last spring break of my undergraduate career. i think about it a lot, and now that it’s less than a year away, i’ve begun to primitively map out a route for myself–where to stop overnight, how many days to spend doing what, estimated costs, and so on. i plan to drive through cleveland and stay there for a day so that i can visit the rock and roll hall of fame and museum, and then take another night somewhere cheap in between it and my ultimate goal of western south dakota. it’s been really enjoyable for me to look at the map of the us and think, wow, if this really works out, i’m going to do something that i’ve dreamed about for years–driving (halfway) across the country and going to a really beautiful national park. especially recently, i’ve become a bit enraptured with national parks in general (after the rise of the alt nps), and going to the badlands is probably the easiest one to reach that’s also really high up on my list of parks to visit (i’m more into the western ones than the eastern because i love the environment of the west–all those mountains and deserts). so, although nothing will even start to be concrete until at least the start of the fall semester, i’ve been loving sussing out how my plan will work–hiking in the badlands and driving along the designated scenic roads, and of course the journey itself. i love driving so much, and i’m extremely excited by the prospect of getting to drive along 24 hours’ worth of (mostly) midwestern highway, listening to wonderful music and fulfilling what is honestly a dream.

doughnuts from sainsbury’s: they’re sugar coated, you can get rings or jam filled or vanilla filled or chocolate filled, and you get 5 for 65p. they’re fucking good, especially when they melt in your mouth because they’re so fresh.

old crow medicine show: my parents kindly bought me a ticket to see ocms performing blonde on blonde in manchester right before i come back to the states, which i am SO excited for, and i’ve recently just really been appreciating the group as musicians. i’ve liked them for a few years, probably since about the beginning of 2014, and although i still don’t know too too much of their repertoire, the 25 or so songs that i do know are honestly pretty astounding. i’m in love with that kind of sound, and i think they do their craft perfectly. here’s a little side story from a few months ago: after watching inside llewyn davis right at the beginning of this year, i naturally watched the little concert documentary thing that goes along with it, another day, another time: celebrating the music of inside llewyn davis. one of the performances is by gillian welch and dave rawlings machine and i think someone else, as well–maybe willie watson, ironically enough–doing a medley of a song called “i hear them all” with “this land is your land.” for about a month, i thought that “i hear them all” was another one of those classic, standard folk songs like guthrie’s song is–you know, a song that is pretty universally regarded as important both politically and in regards to quality. particularly the lyrics “i hear leaders quit their lyin, i hear babies quit their cryin, i hear soldiers quit their dyin, one and all” were ones that certainly could have been written nearly a century ago by a contemporary of woody guthrie or maybe even guthrie himself, and that i was just a bit ignorant in my knowledge of old folk music. however, after looking “i hear them all” up to listen to the original, i learned that that song was written by old crow. a song that i really thought had probably been in existence for decades was actually written by a current band about 10 years ago. and that is the reason i admire them so much. they and artists like them are sort of carrying on that era of music, which is just nice to know and to be able to appreciate.

kitty the truck driver from “springsteen and i”: tbh i haven’t finished that documentary yet lmfao and this fave is really random but i was kind of struck by this girl named kitty who was included in the allotment of fan videos explaining their love for springsteen. she’s a young and, more surprisingly, female truck driver, which is obviously something that you don’t see too often. as someone who has thought about what it would be like to be a truck driver (and who has even had pieces of a desire to become one–getting to drive across the country for a living sounds truly incredible), i appreciated being made aware that people like her exist. naturally, representation is such an important thing, and it’s nice to know that if i ever did fully commit to wanting to be a truck driver, there are other young females who are in the same field. and, of course, hearing her anecdotes about why she loves springsteen was great, as well.

into the wild and wild: these two movies are similar and wildly different at the same time. they both deal with having to rely on nature for survival, but wild ends on a much happier note than into the wild. i’m going to talk about them individually because it’s easier for me that way. i watched wild first, and it was captivating throughout. i cried a lot and it was quite hard to watch at times. the incorporation of cheryl singing songs to herself was something that i especially enjoyed, and of course her strength and perseverance were admirable and inspirational. i don’t think i could ever go on a hike like that, but both the plot and the cinematography were really good at getting me into an outdoorsy spirit (not that that was even remotely the point of movie). i really think that that film is important for everyone, especially women, to watch, and i plan on reading the book soon (and i want to read the book that inspired into the wild, as well). as for into the wild, which i watched a few days after wild, i didn’t like the main character, chris/alex, as much at first, but he really grew on me, and i loved the more “mundane” (which i put in quotes because no part of that movie is mundane, but some parts are more so than others) parts of the movie--going with kristen stewart’s character to salvation mountain, talking with ron at ron’s house. now, to discuss the ending--the last 15 minutes or so were very emotionally draining, and i think that the outcome really affected me, but it was obviously crucial to include his deterioration, which was (objectively speaking) the most hypnotising part of the movie. i think the fact that the whole story can even be told is astounding, considering that chris died in a very remote location and very alone. that people found his body probably 2 weeks after his death is, i think, something of an act of god, an event that happened so that the world could be educated on both his stupidity and his courage. yeah, i think that into the wild is truly one of those stories that are only made visible to the public once in a blue moon. at any rate, both into the wild and wild were awfully impressive, and they’re probably going to be in the back of my mind for a long time.

the descendants: i’ve loved this film for years, having seen it with my parents when it was in theaters. they dragged me to it, of course, but after the showing, i secretly fell in love with it. i’ve seen it multiple times since. but about a week ago, i decided to watch it again (i don’t think i’d seen it for at least a year), and i haven’t really been able to stop thinking about it. i finished it at about 2:30 in the morning, i think, and although i don’t particularly enjoy talking about my sensitivity, i need to say that i cried for at least half an hour after i finished it. i don’t think it was really because of the plot of the movie, although it certainly does end on a melancholy, yet somewhat sanguine note that i’m sure did increase my emotional imbalance. the music in that film definitely captures the feelings of the film in a way that not many soundtracks have accomplished (side note: i love every song on that soundtrack and i could talk for longer about just the music), and i think it also was a part of why the movie affected me so much. however, i think this particular viewing got to me because the descendants takes me back to a really specific time in my life that i get very nostalgic for. i still had a few years in high school left, so i could still be comfortably a kid while getting more privileges (like being able to drive, although my parents certainly didn’t give me carte blanche with that, let me tell you). it reminds me of charleston a lot not only because i watched it at a good time in my life, but because of the hawaiian setting--being on the beach, having the characters casually dressed, and so on. it made me want to walk for hours on the beach just like the scene in the film where the whole family searches for brian speer and matt tells his kids (and sid lmfao) nice stories about the times he and their mother had and what a character she was. i felt homesick more heavily than i ever have (in the sense that i have never really felt homesick lmfao), and i wanted so strongly to be in charleston. i looked out my window into the heart of fucking camden and felt rather ungrateful, but i couldn’t help it. at any rate, the descendants made me actually long for charleston, which i never thought would happen, and it made me excited to go back. and, of course, the film itself is so perfect--the characters, the story, the cinematography--and i think that it really is one of my favourites of all time, if not my number one.

“racing in the street,” bruce springsteen: this song is very low-key and relaxed while maintaining a lot of meaning, and that goes a long way. i think i read that a lot of people, including bob dylan, say that this is springsteen’s greatest song. i don’t know if i would necessarily agree with that, but it really is a great track. the imagery in the lyrics and the mood changes (both in his voice and in the instrumentation) are so intoxicating, honestly, and you end up with another great story of a blue collar life. fave lyrics (there are a couple): “summer’s here and the time is right”--i know that this isn’t really what this lyric is trying to convey, but with summer being just around the corner for me, it really speaks to me in terms of the endless possibilities of what i can do with this vacation. “she stares off alone into the night/ with the eyes of one who hates for just being born”--i do think that this is one of the best lines springsteen has ever written. it’s eloquent as fuck, and the concept of hating for just being born is something almost universally relatable that isn’t very often said like that. "tonight my baby and me, we’re gonna ride to the sea/ and wash these sins off our hands”--i really like this idea of being purified by a body of water. it’s an ancient idea, and tying in a small journey (i.e., driving, perhaps with his damning racing car) in order to reach a better place isn’t novel, but it is a way for the character and his girlfriend/wife to be jointly better.

#faves #favorites #favourites

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