havanaland

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Sexting Survey!

Doing some user research. Mind taking a short survey? 

https://goo.gl/forms/NlaYgmVYiqSnwORl2

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Infinity Wars Fanart!

More fanart below .. but they’re like HEAVY SPOILERS so only click "Keep reading” if you have already seen it!

^^ THAT PART MURDERED ME ;_;

Omg The Soul Stone scene was so heavy .. .Gamora taunting Thanos thinking this is it for him, her realizing that his love for her was genuine, her immediate attempt to kill herself to stop him, and then the feeble but desperate attempts to break away from his grip ...  I read this on the Reddit megathread on r/movies and found it poignant: Thanos won because he was willing to sacrifice what he loved, while the heroes were not: Peter Q. couldn’t kill Gamora, Gamora gave up the location of the Soul Stone to save Nebula, Scarlet Witch struggled with sacrificing Vision ... ahhh ;_;  Ugh, so painful but so good 

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Awesome thread about the ideologies of Nakia vs Killmonger

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I like to imagine that this is Killmonger’s anthem XD  A revolutionary bangin' on my adversaries And I love Dr. King but violence might be necessary Cause when you live on MLK and it gets very scary You might have to pull your AK, send one to the cemetery We overworked, underpaid, and we underprivileged They love us, they love us (why?) Because we feed the village You really made it or just became a prisoner of privilege? You willing to share that information that you’ve been given? Like who really run this? Like who really run that man that say he run this? Who who really run that man that say he run this, run run run run this? Like who really fund this? Like who really fund who say he fund this?

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Thoughts from a Non-Black POC on Black Panther

Second viewing was even better than the first! I got to appreciate the writing a little more thoroughly and noticed things I missed the first time. I'm not black, so I can't imagine just how impactful it must be to see a movie like this out there, but upon deeper contemplation, I think the movie has a crucial message for allies. [Spoilers]

In my first viewing, I was completely 100% #TeamErik and was even angry at T'Challa. In my second viewing, I paid a little bit more attention to T'Challa's character arc and I realized that his arc shows us how to be better allies. In reality, there really isn't much motive or incentive for Wakanda to get involved or interfere with external affairs. In fact, by staying out of the way, they were able to enjoy this rich, thriving paradise untouched by imperialists. Likewise, non-black people of color and white peeps can live a life uninterrupted by the oppression of black people.

But once T'Challa realizes the truth of what his father did, he has to acknowledge the fact that Wakanda as a whole has been completely complicit in the suffering of black people around the world by being totally inactive. You can sense the anguish and resistance to this truth when you see T'Challa confide his pain to Nakia but then immediately try to dismiss Erik in the throneroom. It shows that even if you are aware of oppression, an ally can still exhibit problematic behaviors and attitudes, like unintentionally dismissing black voices. I notice this in my progressive circles, where a white progressive makes the same point that a black progressive does, yet get more reception than the latter.

We finally see T'Challa complete his arc when he visits his father and ancestors. Instead of accepting his father's explanation, he screams and admonishes not only his father but all the ancestors that ever benefited from Wakanda's complicity. Never are T'Chaka's actions condoned, and T'Challa then progresses in the movie to correct those actions. It reminds me as an ally to always be introspective and analyze my own biases, internalized racism, prejudices, and actively try to clean out those biases that society has baked into me, even if it is painful. It's something that ALL NBPOCs and white allies need to do-- it's not enough to just proclaim "Racism is wrong."

And finally, I think it is so important that T'Challa also gives Erik space ... he defeats him in battle, but also respects Erik's wishes. You can clearly tell T'Challa cringes as the knife enters Erik, but he doesn't force Erik to the lab to save him. Erik is given the space to refuse his mercy and go out the way he wants to go out. As allies, we must always remind ourselves to back off and not impose ourselves upon black friends’ space to express themselves, even if it isn't the way we would express ourselves. For example, even if one believes that Confederate monuments should be removed via bills and political pressure, we should respect and acknowledge the desire for those statues to be violently torn down. That anger doesn't come from nowhere and that anger *isn't* unjustified.

In the end, T'Challa breaks the tradition of isolationism and Wakanda comes out to help its people, even if it means that his paradise might take a couple hits "like other countries do." Similarly, as non-black allies, we should continue speaking up against anti-blackness even if it stresses our relationships with white friends and colleagues. I don't know if Coogler meant it to be read this way, but Black Panther was a powerful reminder to me to be a better ally and to speak out against anti-blackness even if it doesn't affect me personally. Would be interested to see if anyone else had similar thoughts during the movie :)

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Also: was Erik in Afghanistan when Tony Stark was there? 🤔🤔🤔🤔HMMMM

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More sketches <3 

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Me: “Babe, I’ve gone off the deep end”

Boyfriend: “What do you mean?”

Me: “I’ve started reading SW fanfiction”

Him: “Eesh” 

I NEED SUPPORT NOW MORE THAN EVER DANG IT XD 

Anyways, check out the fanfic above by Hyperius .. so good <3 Such pretty wordsss

“He etches this moment into his memory. The pulse of her neck where a subtle bite mark lingers, the height of her bare chest as it rises and falls, the flicker in her eyes when she remembers to blink. Both her hands are listless on her stomach. He thinks about taking one and kissing the back of it, then each forefinger, the palm and the wrist and every sinew rope of muscle that lattices them together.“

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Ugh y dis ship so good

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Watercolor <3 

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I browse Tumblr for one evening and this is what I’ve become 

SO WRONG BUT FEELS SO RIGHT 

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Finished “World of Wakanda!” My review

Finished World of Wakanda this week! 😍 This was actually my very first Black Panther comic. I had seen Afua Richardson post her WIPs of the gorgeoussss cover art for this and I love that it is written by two scholarly activists so I had to pick up a copy to quench my curiosity.

Spoiler-FREE review: I came into this clear of expectations and I really enjoyed the plot! I was a little surprised that Black Panther does not make much of an appearance but it is interesting to read a story featuring the hero's soldiers rather than the hero himself. Ayo and Aneka had really great chemistry and I loved the interpersonal drama between the two and the internal dilemmas they faced in the shadow of Black Panther's decision to join the Avengers. It was an unconventional angle that explored the consequences of that decision, and the plot and character development were compelling.

My only quibble was there were some really awkward, unnecessary lines of "internal dialogue" that yanked me out of the story. The art is incredible and beautifully executes the emotional arcs but the internal dialogue would swoop in to spell the obvious, "Why can't I ever mean what I say around her?" or "I am so grateful that she fights by my side." But other than that, basically all the external dialogue was fine. I enjoyed the antagonist as well, and there were times when I literally gasped during an action scene or scrunched up my face in frustration over her actions. The story captures you for sure and now I wonder why I picked this up knowing Marvel discontinued it because I want moooarrr! 😭

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Comic Review: “American-Born Chinese” so perfectly depicts my experiences growing up

"American-Born Chinese" by Gene Luen Yang (who also did New Superman) was *so* good! It utilized really unique plot devices, particularly a parody "Oriental" caricature in one of the stories called "Chin-Kee" which embodies all the embarrassing Asian stereotypes that linger around us like an annoying cousin. The character is supposed to illicit a visceral cringe and man, Yang uses it effectively to convey the strong urge to shed off our "Asian-ness" as young kids. I remember being in 1st or 2nd grade and just refusing to play with any Vietnamese or Asian kids my mom tried to introduce me to. My mom also tried to buy me an Asian Barbie doll and I just screamed and threw a tantrum and demanded that I wanted "the pretty one," not the "weird, ugly one." It's the reason I regrettably no longer speak any Vietnamese, even though I didn't even speak English until I was 6. I spent so much of my elementary and middle school years trying to erase my race and then once Asian culture became trendy, I jumped at taking advantage of Asian fetishization to assimilate and win people's approval. This comic was so brilliantly done and the plot twist at the end genuinely took me by surprise. It was nice to read a comic that spoke to these experiences.

I think my only critique was the layout of the pages ... I wasn't sure why they utilized the space in that way and the panel sizes and shapes could have been morphed to convey the story, reveals, and action scenes a bit more effectively. However, the comic accomplishes what it seeks out to accomplish and I highly recommend everyone check it out <3

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My rambling, un-edited thoughts on Spiderman: Homecoming!

I LOVE Tom Holland's Spiderman. He's so charming and dorky and he's so much more believable and multi-dimensional as Spiderman than previous iterations were and I loved his character arc in the movie!

One thing that always resonated with me about Spiderman are the patriotic undertones of the movies. Wisecrack did an INGENIOUS philosophical analysis of the Spiderman movies and highlighted how the Spiderman movies were always direct reflections of American culture at that time. In short, Raimi's Spiderman depicted the new hope blossoming in immediate post-9/11 America. In both Spiderman 1 & 2, there are scenes of New Yorkers banding together to help Spiderman. Marc Webb's Spiderman focused less on Peter's economic hardships (as the 2008 crash was still too fresh a wound at the time) and instead, focused on Peter's technical genius, which reflected the skyrocketing technical advancements in both mainstream consumer products and entrepreneurship. (See both Moviebob's "Really That Good?: Spiderman 1 &2" and Wisecrack's "Philosophy of Spiderman" for a deeper look at this)

So when it came to Homecoming, I was viewing the movie through the same lens. This movie seemed to focus a lot more on the generational struggles, attitudes, and issues that are unique to, for lack of a better term, millennials and "Generation Z." Peter Parker is smart and dorky but that doesn't completely isolate him like the nerd tropes of the 80s and 90s. He longs to prove himself in this "internship" and even though he held up well in Civil War, no one trusts him to do the job right, his every effort is discredited, and he is largely ignored. However, he is not infallible and the movie did a great job avoiding the "Young and in Charge" trope where the child is smarter/wiser than the adult when he does make a mistake that ends up costing his Spiderman suit. I think it was a brilliant bit of writing that made his character arc really interesting. I admit, I totally teared up like . a dork when he was tearing up over losing the Stark internship. 😭😭😭😭

I also think another reason why I feel the "generational struggle" is a theme here is because it seemed like they were very deliberate about diversifying the supporting cast. Most of the time, big blockbuster films like these have 1 or 2 roles with a person of color in the ENTIRE MOVIE but I was really impressed that in several scenes in Homecoming, Peter Parker was often the only white kid on screen. Also, even "Michelle" made some comment about the Washington Monument being built by slaves .. and I have a hard time believe that line was not deliberate. I know people of color and especially black Americans have talked about these issues FOREVER and it's not some new thing but I DO think it's a uniquely millennial thing to be so mainstream when it comes to these convos. However, I am totally willing to admit that I could be living in my own little progressive web-fueled social justice bubble and maybe those convos aren't as commonplace outside my bubble. Anyways, I did think it was noteworthy. Very curious as to what other people thought about that aspect.

So I hit a bit of conundrum. Though it is VERY clear that the character development, writing, humor, and action are better than previous movies, I have to say I am still not sure if I love it more than the original Raimi movies. *dodges objects thrown at her*

I think that the Raimi movies are just so much more personally resonate and important to me. The first Spiderman was my foray into the superhero world and that movie is what made me fall in love with the genre. At the time, I also related to Tobey McGuire's Peter as I was really cringe-ingly awkward. Plus, I could SO relate to Peter's nerves around Mary Jane bc they made me think of the nervousness I would feel whenever I talked to a girl I liked.

One of the things I *LOVED* about Raimi's Spidey movies was the relationship bw Peter and MJ. People give me flack for that shit but man, I was SO into that couple back then. The little push and pulls in their relationship just put me on the edge of my seat as a teenaged girl and I just did not feel that same chemistry with MCU's Peter Parker and Liz. I did not dislike Liz ... I thought she was a cute character but .. there wasn't really any depth or connection between the characters in the movie. And I get it, romantic build-ups aren't really MCU's thing but man, that honestly was one of the things that really drew me to Spiderman in the first place. Cheesy, I know lol But I'm a hopeless romantic. And I don't believe that MCU can't do it -- I was totally hooked on the Tony and Pepper romantic arc in the Iron Man movies.

And ALSO cheesy: I really did love those scenes in Raimi's Spiderman flicks where the New Yorkers came together to help Spiderman. I can't put my finger on why those scenes elicited such a strong emotional response from me, but they did. lol

Those Spiderman movies were also personally important to me bc that was the *first* (and only?) time that my mom and I ever had intersecting interests in geekdom. My mom got way into it and for a good couple of years, I got to be a nerd with my mom. She never got into any other superheroes but I was always happy we had Spidey. 💖

Anyways, I really honestly loved the new Spiderman though. It's better in almost every way, and I think this Peter Parker is well-rounded and much more believable as a kid. I also respect the writing decisions too! They actually trusted the audience and didn't spoon feed us everything. One example that comes to mind is when Peter told his friend, "Don't tell her! After all Aunt May has been through?? I don't want this on top of all that!" I thought that was a masterful way at referencing Uncle Ben without spelling it out for the audience and still conveying the emotional weight of that event. UGH SO GOOD where tf do they find their writers lol

I was also shocked that they had the "best friend reveal" so early! That totally caught me by surprise. The part where Peter goes up to the door to get Liz and Vulture answers the door instead OMG 😱 I think I literally gasped. And I also clenched up during the car ride as he and Peter talked back and forth and you can see the realization creeping up on his face. Again, such GREAT writing and great acting too! The execution through the movie was amazing.

ALSO I LOVED THE SURPRISE HANNIBAL BURRESS AND DONALD GLOVER CAMEOS 😍😍😍😍They were nice surprises and I think I went "Whaaa~aaat!! <3" in the theatre.

And of course, I enjoyed that there were also clips from my favorite Chris sprinkled throughout the flick hehehehehe 😘

Anyways, definitely seeing it again! <3