dumb-alek

[dumb-alek]

Francesca with Kirk and Spock for @dumb-alek ❤

[on YT]

[dumb-alek]

THIS ASK IS HERE AS A FREE COUPON YOU CAN USE TO RANT ABOUT POLISH MUSIC AS MUCH AS YOU LIKE ID LOVE TO HEAR IT!!

Omggg what a delight 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 THANK YOU FOR THIS LOVELY OPPORTUNITY 💗

I'll separate this by sections then because they'll present some very different vibes 😌

I'll try to go more-or-less chronologically with the newer stuff, and songs with similar vibes 😙

This one is like. Really gets me as a big city girl with my small town girlfriend! Malomiasteczkowy (an adjective form of 'small town', or 'provincial') feels like an anthem to people who emigrated from their small towns for university and work and just feels so uniquely polish to me. There's a more literal translation out there, but I was inspired to try my own, somewhere between lyrical and literal 😳

Back with Taco Hemingway but this is a masterpiece, tbh. The mastery of language here won't be something that's easy to translate, but I found another literal translation here. Lyrically and phonetically though, this is just fantastic and I love this concept; The persona in the lyrics is riding the Warsaw metro - we go stop by stop, we people watch, and join the narrator in his hungover trip home.

(I generally recommend checking his other songs, his albums have incredible concepts - his latest record has a form of a radio advice column for an existential crisis. Great stuff!)

May be seen as a little of a basic pick, but I feel like it's a crowd pleaser. It's funky, the beat is infectious, and the vocals are great 10/10

We go to the realm of 2000s alt-rock which is a genre I love very deeply. The flavour is a very polish blend of gentle resignation and soft pessimism. And a great example of this genre is the below:

The band is called "the end of the world" and their song "orangeade" really does their band name justice :D

Here's a full translation I found online but let me cite my favourite lyrics (own translation):

I want to wander 'round with you

As long as we're alive, and you're here with me

Go down handrails together,

Crawl up from poverty

Hide our bliss under the floorboards

Before they come in and steal us from here

And if this doesn't capture the polish spirit (and my own feelings of impending war at our borders), I don't know what does.

And by the same token, there's another semi-patriotic song, if you interpret patriotism as "a shared shame" (as Poland's favourite celebrity, Robert Maklowicz, once said). Translation I found and here's an excerpt of my own translation from a bit I particularly like:

You know it from old wide tomes,

This fucking pride, for god knows what

Honey, let's just think this through

Are we gonna stay, wait this out, or move?

I recommend this whole album (it's the first album I've ever owned!), and the whole "wszystko jedno" as well 😌

I hate to recommend this one cause the main vocalist was a sexist piece of shit the last I heard from him but the music and the lyrics are incredible. To make sure he doesn't make a cent from me I'd watch reuploads from youtube;

I couldn't find an English translation, and I feel like I won't do the lyrics justice so I'll just let the sound do its magic.

Another absolute fave, that has very short, but lovely lyrics (my own translation cause i felt like it 🤷‍♀️)

When the words come from the heart Hit us with such strength and might just like that, they'll linger on for the willing, offer gold

And that's why I like Speaking with you

Everyone thinks what they will "Oh my head", their constant thoughts, Maybe I will finally spill out these plain and simple words

And that's why I like Speaking with you

And that's it for now, I could truly go on and on (we're still in early to mid-2000s when it comes to my favourites and there's so much more!) but I'm afraid tumblr won't let me post such a long post. And I've been thinking about it for like. Two days 😳

[dumb-alek]

hello! 5, 6, 7, 11 and 26 for the ask game =) maybe this is a lot lol but so many of these questions are so interesting!!

not at all they are so fun to answer I'll gladly do it 🥰

5. favourite song in your native language?

I actually answered it in the meantime but you know what? there are so many i'll just take it as a chance to share another one <3

This song is based on a poem by one of my absolute favourite Polish (Polish-Jewish) poets. I really recommend reading the translation of the lyrics:

Can you believe this was written in the 1920s? It's eerie how timeless it still is;

And any dolt, and any pup will take for gospel each old lie that one should go and shoot off guns and murder, poison, rob, at once; start drumming into all our noggins the ‘Fatherland’; the mob incite, bamboozle with bright-coloured slogans, egg on with ‘Our historic right’,

And the phonetically, the lyrics sound so punchy and beautiful I keep coming back to this song.

6. most hated song in your native language?

People seem to love this question cause it's the third time I'm getting it :D and I actually came up with another one:

It makes me cringe so hard 😩

7. three words from your native language that you like the most?

Oh that's a hard one! I really like anything that has sibilants, cause they're just so beautiful in Polish. I'm aware that for a lot of foreigners this language sounds just like pshpshpshpsh, but just the way the articulation of these sounds are optimised to fit 3-consonant clusters is so beautiful <3

nature words like 'pszczoła' (bee), pierwiosnek (primula), or 'leszczyna' (hazelwood) are just such lovely examples.

But meaning-wise I actually love these three very specific-ass words: ogarnięty, kombinować, cwaniak. They are concepts that don't have a common, very clear cut translation in english and I tried to explain them here.

11. favourite native writer/poet?

I kind of answered it with question 5, but genuinely my first pick would probably be Tuwim. Every Polish kid knows him - he's very well known as a children's poet, and his poetry for children really showcases his mastery of the language (and I do really mean, he's a master of Polish).

But then you get into his regular poetry and it just blows you away. My random favourite is his poem entitled "to the critics" where he just talks about how he likes to ride trams in May. king shit behaviour, 10/10 iconic

I also really enjoyed reading Bruno Schultz (sklepy cynamonowe my beloved), I love Gałczyński and Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer (whose poem "Rdzawe Liscie" adapted by Karlowicz is coincidentally one of my favourite classical songs to sing :') )

26. does your nationality get portrayed in Hollywood/American media? what do you think about the portrayal?

Ooof, it does and it's rarely any good 😳 In the US it'd often be "a stupid Pollack" or a bumbling immigrant maid, or a criminal (though this one is played by a quite famous polish actor, so it's kinda funny), though I guess it's starting to change. It feels like the prejudice against Polish immigrants, who mass emigrated either during the communist regime between 60s-90s or the subsequent economic disparity in the 2000s, fizzled out as they settled in enough to blend into the white American background. We're also not very well liked in Western Europe, so the portrayals there are kind of similar.

Though I did like Niko in Killing Eve, who was Polish! He was a nice guy, and though Niko is definitely not a Polish name, and that the actual portayal of Poland (as always) had to focus on the under-developed countryside, it was not inaccurate.

But the actually solid Polish representation in foreign TV I enjoyed was Abed from Community, who's half-Polish (played by Dani Pudi, who's also half-Polish 🥰)

I know Polish representation in media isn't in any way a priority; we have our own TV and our own media but it would be nice to be portrayed positively and not through completely random assumptions people have about your country being completely backwards and uncivilized 😶

Thank you for the questions 🥰

[dumb-alek]

For the non US ask game!

4. favourite dish specific for your country?

5. favourite song in your native language?

6. most hated song in your native language?

20. which sport is The Sport in your country?

29. does your region/city have a beef with another place in your country?

4. That's literally such a hard question 😭 There's so many polish dishes that I like but I think since I'm a soul person there's always 1 that's forever in my heart:

It's a soup made of fermented rye - kind of like a sourdough starter soup I suppose? It's so rich and creamy and umami I adore it 🥰 Especially if it's drowning in herbs with a lot of marjoram and thyme 🥰

5. That's even a harder question 😭 I'll try to narrow the category to "a recent favourite polish song" (recent being ~last 10 years because time stopped being real after 2020).

And that award easily goes to "deszcz na betonie" by Taco Hemingway. It's a beautiful nostalgic song about the blues of summer holidays coming to an end, with a fantastic animated music video to boot 🥰

(there's an English translation out there if you're curious about the lyrics)

6. I answered that question here so just not to duplicate if anyone's curious you can check it out 👀

20. Oh that one's easy - it's football (which our team is currently not great at) and any sport that has anyone who's any good at it currently. For some time it was olympic ski jumping (when Adam Malysz was winning medals) or F1 when Kubica was doing well. But I feel like football is there even when our representation sucks at it xD

But hey! We have Lewandowski who doesn't play for Poland but he's pretty famous so that's something :D

29. Yes! As it often is with cities that are former capitals and current capitals, Krakow and Warsaw are not crazy about eachother. But to be fair I don't know many cities that are crazy about Warsaw?

For me, I'd be fine with it but I uphold the beef half because it's funny and half because I've had situations or heard situations from friends where people from Warsaw were really nasty about our regional dialect which sucks and these people can choke 🖕 (including teachers who were laughing at my former classmate at school when she transferred to Warsaw age 9 for using her Krakow dialect. Like what the hell).

Thank you for the question! It was fun to answer 🥰

[dumb-alek]

“hi, I’m not from the US” ask set

given how Americanized this site is, it’s important to celebrate all our countries and nationalities - with all their quirks and vices and ridiculousness, and all that might seem strange to outsiders.

1. favourite place in your country?

2. do you prefer spending your holidays in your country or travel abroad?

3. does your country have access to sea?

4. favourite dish specific for your country?

5. favourite song in your native language?

6. most hated song in your native language?

7. three words from your native language that you like the most?

8. do you get confused with other nationalities? if so, which ones and by whom?

9. which of your neighbouring countries would you like to visit most/know best?

10. most enjoyable swear word in your native language?

11. favourite native writer/poet?

12. what do you think about English translations of your favourite native prose/poem?

13. does your country (or family) have any specific superstitions or traditions that might seem strange to outsiders?

14. do you enjoy your country’s cinema and/or TV?

15. a saying, joke, or hermetic meme that only people from your country will get?

16. which stereotype about your country you hate the most and which one you somewhat agree with?

17. are you interested in your country’s history?

18. do you speak with a dialect of your native language?

19. do you like your country’s flag and/or emblem? what about the national anthem?

20. which sport is The Sport in your country?

21. if you could send two things from your country into space, what would they be?

22. what makes you proud about your country? what makes you ashamed?

23. which alcoholic beverage is the favoured one in your country?

24. what other nation is joked about most often in your country?

25. would you like to come from another place, be born in another country?

26. does your nationality get portrayed in Hollywood/American media? what do you think about the portrayal?

27. favourite national celebrity?

28. does your country have a lot of lakes, mountains, rivers? do you have favourites?

29. does your region/city have a beef with another place in your country?

30. do you have people of different nationalities in your family?

[dumb-alek]

I kinda slaaaaaaaayed that one

[dumb-alek]

I wish more fanartists would put their work on AO3. Just followed an artist who organizes their work by making a series for Fandom X, and within that, they have multi-chapter works for different ships & gen. Every new chapter is just their latest image for that subject.

It's been so delightful not to have to wade through social media algorithms and endless ads.

[dumb-alek]

If you see people make a joke on tumblr you absolutely don't understand there's a 99% chance it's a reference to a joke you had to have been here since 2011 to know.

The leftover 1% is for jokes that actually make no sense, which makes them irresistible to the tumblr public and will soon be referenced in vague and mysterious ways

[dumb-alek]

As a part of my saleshun agenda™ I will share my favourite saleshun moments that, in my opinion, are very gay

part 1 [x] || part 2 [x] || part 3 [x] || part 4 [x] || Part 5 [x]

6. PUPPY PLAY

HELLO? He fucking GROANS after Gihun calls him a dog. Are you seeing this?

"oh fuck im into this"

"god damn it"

Backstory time!

On a more serious mode, the Salesman is so cool and suave and composed in front of most people - until he gets too much into antagonising the homeless of course. But I don't think he's the kinda villain who will tell his dramatic backstory to anyone.

I think Gihun is a little special to him. Like, we could already tell (like for the fact that he remembers him after so long). But still. Just another proof.

Let me propose a theory: Salesman is obsessed with Gihun because daddy issues?

Meanwhile Gihun is unimpressed. (Or rather, he pities that weird bastard. And what's more sexy than pity?)

>:(

you better tell me im a good boy this INSTANT

he almost GASPED when Gihun put his forehead against the barrel of that gun. you can tell he was impressed. And kinda scared for him,\

the embodiment of this meme:

[dumb-alek]

actually you know what, maybe you should slow down mr Salesman

//alt text in art

[dumb-alek]

Making use of my new microphone 😌

[dumb-alek]

As a part of my saleshun agenda™ I will share my favourite saleshun moments that, in my opinion, are very gay

SEASON TWO EDITION LETS GOOO

part 1 [x] || part 2 [x] || part 3 [x] || part 5 [x]

4. The pursuit

Can't sleep at night or live like a normal person cause im looking for a sexy freak rn

I've seen him twice within the span of 4 years (and the last time I did it was from afar) but I remember his features. Cause I hate him and he's pretty >:(

(Described as "good looking" and "tall" but these are just objective facts)

more under the cut 👀👀👀👀

Just a reminder that this is the picture mr Kim send to Gihun ↖

Is this the beautiful man you've been looking for mr Gihun???

This is a face he makes only when he gets to do his hobbies: antagonising the homeless and slapping Gihun, specifically.

I'm looking for a sexy 6ft tall freak, I don't care if I commit vehicular manslaughter

Where is he :(

Right there. Looking at him wistfully, but in a freakish manner.

Not Gihun-related (yet!) BUT PLEASE look at his puppy themed gags.

[dumb-alek]

As a part of my saleshun agenda™ I will share my favourite saleshun moments that, in my opinion, are very gay

part 1 [x] || part 2 [x] || part 3 [x] || part 4 [x]

5. ITS HAPPENING OH MY GOD

After Gihun spent, presumably hours, looking for him in the rain he's standing in his room (the MOMENT he realised Gihun is looking for him he decided to go see him wow)

And he's all 🥰🤗😚 drinking his silly lil drink, looking at the maps like omg he's so obsessed with me <3

Gihun is looking at him, pissed (of course) but does this kind of relieved sigh when he sees him? Like he kind of relaxes, which is WEIRD. Why would he feel at ease seeing him?

Cause the chase is over? Cause he decided he's harmless? Cause he feels he won't attack him for no reason? 🤔

OH MY GOOOOOD. Let me rewind:

For some reason I was convinced he was talking to In-Ho here. But of course, it makes more sense he's talking to the recruiter. And the Russian Roulette scene as well as the scene when he's about to board the plane...

Well it gives us another proof that Gihun is kinda special to Him? Like even if we take the shipping googles off (though don't worry, I'm gonna put them back on in a second)

He's full of contempt for the people in the games. He called Gihun trash (though I don't believe he really thinks he is), but he was kinda rooting for him. No matter how crazy and cynical he is. It's very loosely implied he reminds Gihun of his father (at least the gambling part), but then we know he's different.

And I think through all his cynism and edginess and mental instability the Recruiter is really genuine here - he kind of wishes Gihun got on that plane and lived a better life.

Also before I go back to the silly shipping shit look at this beautiful shot. Someone who knows anything about media analysis should say something about it. Not me though. ANYWAY

Doesn't it kinda look like a dramatic queer indie movie? Gihun holding the pink rag (!!!), their reflections in mirrors... ? hmmm.

"I didn't go back to my wife and child cause i saw you 😔"

THIS FUCKER IS SO HAPPY ABOUT IT aw look who's so crazy about me 🥰🥰🥰

My man's deeply entertained

OK but once more Gong Yoo is such a good actor, cause this is such a slight change in his expression but you can SEE he's disappointed when Gihun says he wants to meet his boss. "Aw I thought he wanted to talk to me :("

[dumb-alek]

Bonus under the cut <3

He keeps slow blinking at him like a cat that loves you <3

He was smiling at first when he said it, but then he got kinda serious? Wistful almost? Damn Gong Yoo is a fantastic actor

Do we really think he did THAT to all the players? Cause I think Gihun is special and he wanted to flirt with him a little bit

As a part of my saleshun agenda™ I will share my favourite saleshun moments that, in my opinion, are very gay

2. The slappening: aftermath, aka "oh wow I'm kinda into this" moment:

At first he's like "thats enough"

"have some of that babygirl"

giving it to him WITH TWO HANDS gently caressing his 👀👀👀

INTENSE eye contact, he wants him

"it was fun, too bad I have to send him to his death :)"

"Or maybe he makes it and I'll see him again who knows ;)"

part 1: [x]

part 3 [x]

[dumb-alek]

Some important additions that I missed under a cut:

YAOI CORE YAOI CORE YAOI CORE ("hmm if he misunderstands and offers me a blowjob I won't complain")

scared lil hamster

"that also sounds good"

teasing Gihun pretending to slap him <3 this is not his job anymore, this is just a little treat for our recruiter.

pure joy <3

As a part of my saleshun agenda™ I will share my favourite saleshun moments that, in my opinion, are very gay.

The moment when mr Ddakji was like 😳 "I like this one" for the first time

"oh shit he's not playing"

"oh my god I wanna slap him <3"

"wow he sucks at this <3"

"slapping him is so much fun" 🥰

"wow he sure is happy"

"he's an idiot but he's kinda cute"

part 2: [x]

[dumb-alek]

As a part of my saleshun agenda™ I will share my favourite saleshun moments that, in my opinion, are very gay

3. Second meeting

First of all, that's his face when he's slapping the shit out of another guy. Joyless. Just doing his job. Let's go back to his face when he slaps Gihun:

Happy, delighted, full of joy, he's doing it for fun <3

"oh look who's there"

OK but the fact that he RECOGNISED HIM ~2 years after the game has ended. In a different hair colour. From the other side of the subway station.

Like of course Gi hun recognised him, cause this was a very important moment of his life. But we can safely assume the Recruiter got, what? Thousands of people into the game?

But he recognised Gihun INSTANTLY. (Do you think he watched the games too? 🤔

LOOK AT HIS SMILE WHEN HE RECOGNISED HIM 😭

"hewwo 🥰"

"bye 😘😘😘"

"awww he's so obsessed with me 🥰"

And obsessed he was <3

part 2: [x]

[dumb-alek]

As a part of my saleshun agenda™ I will share my favourite saleshun moments that, in my opinion, are very gay

2. The slappening: aftermath, aka "oh wow I'm kinda into this" moment:

At first he's like "thats enough"

"have some of that babygirl"

giving it to him WITH TWO HANDS gently caressing his 👀👀👀

INTENSE eye contact, he wants him

"it was fun, too bad I have to send him to his death :)"

"Or maybe he makes it and I'll see him again who knows ;)"

part 1: [x]