abnormalnewt

[abnormalnewt]

The Ballad of Anne & Mary, again

So right off let me explain that I cry all the time these days, and the fact that I cry every time I listen to The Ballad should not deter anyone from giving it a listen. Also this post is a spoiler about the ending: it's good. I just got back from a very long road trip - 70+ hours of driving all told - so of course there was sooo much media. While I know better than to listen the TBoA&M while driving (because of the crying) I figured I'd be safe throwing the songs onto my Mockery Manor playlist. The songs are awesome! So I did, and drove on my merry way, happily singing along. Until the last song. It's been a while since I listened, and I forgot that I never escape the last song.

Don't get me wrong, the last song is the huge full-cast, not sad, glorious production you'd expect. The end is so good my brain inserts fireworks behind the music. But it starts with Mary Read softly singing a version of the opening song, telling the usual story that they themself die, and Anne is never seen again. And that's how the tale will be told, if anyone tells it at all.

I've said before and I'll say again, this having a good ending was a big deal for me as a queer human (see previous post). They could have simply told the story the way historical fiction-about-fact is done and left the standard "we'll never know" intact. Nothing about this awesome musical would have suffered a bit. But, who are they to say what's true? I'm in the mood for Anne and Read to keep the happiness they knew.

That hit me square in the heart, just like it did the first time. Two years ago it was the final wrench on my heart after the big adventure, and I was again an actively sobbing mess. I realise now that what hit me was a shot line. I know in my head that it's a line that fits the song, but what my heart heard was someone with a voice that people will listen to, standing defiantly against the storm. They get the sunset, because I said so.

[abnormalnewt]

She has plans to steal that vase

She’s beauty she’s grace

[abnormalnewt]

I’ve only been through the panels on this so far, and it was excellent. Can’t wait to see the live show portion.

You can still hit up the email address on the website for a digital ticket to see the whole thing.

UPDATE: the live shows WERE AWESOME. Carry on.

This Saturday, us Long Cats will be appearing at the Audio Drama Hub Podfest in High Wycombe, on panels with some fine UK audio fiction company!

Lindsay will be on the Writing panel (2:30pm), Laurence is on the Music panel (also 2:30pm), and we'll both be there on the Troubleshooting panel (4pm). There'll also be a Directing panel, a voice acting workshop with Beth Eyre and Sarah Golding, and more.

Also! If you're not able to attend in person, the whole event is being livestreamed, and you can buy a ticket for the livestream too. Check the link in the comments for full details and ticket info.

https://www.audiodramahub.com/home

[abnormalnewt]

Been a few months now and having heard more of their productions, and thoughts from the creators themselves, I am in love with this tiny company. Not gonna stop singing their praises. Am gonna add a link because what was I thinking not doing so earlier.

https://www.longcatmedia.com/the-ballad-of-anne-mary

And the Long Cats themselves are here - @longcatmedia

The Ballad of Anne and Mary - lesbian pirate podcast based on true stories. Excellent. Loved it. Great singing, sea shanties, cast is fabulous - the lot. Some bits of it were stressful and I could have done with a trigger warning, but as nothing came of it, I guess it’s ok.

They’ve given it a good ending, I’ll tell you right now.

I didn’t realize until today how deep the emotional scars are for all the times we, the lesbians of Gen X and before, were given the shit ending. The only ending we were allowed to have on TV or film or anything - the lesbians never rode off into the sunset. NEVER. Someone died, or left, or some other awful thing would put an end to it. And I’m really, really, slow because it took me hours mulling this over to realize that that’s my story too. It isn’t just Gabby losing Xena, or Will losing Tara, it’s me losing my wife too. It became personal and I just hadn’t added it up.

If you read about these pirate queens, you’ll see they got a shit ending, according to the people writing their history. I am so grateful that the people who put this podcast (whole ass production) together consciously chose to give them a good ending. I had no idea how much I needed that.

[abnormalnewt]

I ship these two entirely too hard.

DOCTOR WHO (2005– ) ⤷ The Witch's Familiar

[abnormalnewt]

“You’ve put us in a room with a psycho.”

S3 E10 - THE MOCKERY MURDERS (Part 1)

The answers are revealed! The first of our 2-part season finale is out now in all the podcast places.

🔎🚕💌💉🙀

[abnormalnewt]

Hello tumblr fam, I seek your guidance. I listened to the first few episodes of Midnight Burger while otherwise occupied and listened to it longer than I liked it BECAUSE the radio couple has a weird god thing going on. I have god issues. I do not do god. My “religious” beliefs are most accurately expressed being growled out of Shirley Manson’s mouth.

So. Does this god thing carry on throughout the series, or do they drop it? It’s an interesting premise, but I have a backlog of audio from previously vetted sources, and I can live without one podcast. Thanks.

[abnormalnewt]

Turns out this is actually what happened…

in case the beeb is confused on what the fans want i made a nice, easy to understand graph for them

[abnormalnewt]

Couples who cover new wave synthpop classics together stay together.

For no reason at all, Laurence and Lindsay Long Cat perform: Video Killed The Radio Star (The Buggles, 1979).

[abnormalnewt]

“Every single person in this room has a secret.”

Mockery Manor

S3 E9 - THE MASTER PUPPETEER

Out now on all the usual podcast places!

🔎💌💉🥃🎫

[abnormalnewt]

Gabrielle's face! RIP Kevin Smith, the world isn't right without him.

[abnormalnewt]

She's one of my favorite voices. LOVE this.

[abnormalnewt]

Our Sooz will never be out of work 🤣

No worries mate we have all the classics xx

[abnormalnewt]

She’s absolutely perfect (other than killing Osgood)

MICHELLE GOMEZ as MISSY

Doctor Who S8-S10

[abnormalnewt]

It's the "I'm not panicking" face that's getting me.

No murderous deliveroo should be this adorable.

[abnormalnewt]

This is why I will never stop watching Xena & Gabby. They were my first and STILL are one of the most positive examples I’ve seen of accepting and empowering others.

Why Xena is an amazing superhero:  She dignifies what patriarchy belittles

People have pointed out before that Xena does not shame other women or shame men for being feminine.  Zero percent fem-shaming.  She values feminine characters and traits instead and actually learns from them.  

There’s more…

You know how much slut-shaming Xena did?  None.  Not even her past and highly evil self got shamed for having sex. 

You know how many emo feelings Xena had despite her capacity for extremely instrumental, strategic military action?  All of them.  All of the feelings.  

You know how much having a woman as a life partner damaged Xena’s self-identity?  None.  It actually just made it more awesome.

You know how many seconds it took Xena to deal with her cisgender privilege and act in pragmatic solidarity with a trans woman?  Less than ten seconds.  

Xena had more respect for her horse than most action heroes have for their own lives.  

She offered more and more dignity to herself and other people throughout the show.  It was part of her character’s development, part of her heroism. 

And that is another way of articulating why Xena is so awesome. 

[abnormalnewt]

I figured out what's been bugging me about the comics - they've made Missy and Doom roughly equal in size, and my brain keeps rejecting it. I had thought in the earlier comics Doom looked too big, and it's not my imagination. They may have based Doom on Sooz, but they definitely took some liberty with her stature. 😂