#||the people without a law; king louie||

[lithuilgreenleaf]

Some people say Elvis was racist; this is false

 Go to the bottom for summary (tl;dr)

I sometimes see some wrongly directed hate for Elvis and just want to try to clear it up. I’m a POC and I’m not a fan of his even a little bit, and I’m not saying he didn’t do some of whatever you accuse him of, but I don’t want people hating on others with misinformation.

Elvis was not racist. He never said anything racist, and he admired and respected black people.

The only two allegations on record that I can find against him of racism are these:

One magazine in 1957 started a rumor that Elvis Presley once said, “The only thing Ne**oes can do for me is buy my records and shine my shoes.” This claim was debunked and proven false when a black reporter, Louie Robinson, investigated. He interviewed Elvis, who declared, “I never said anything like that, and people who know me know that I wouldn't have said it.” Elvis had never even been to the place where the magazine claimed he said this quote. Robinson found no evidence that the remark had ever been made, and on the contrary elicited testimony from many individuals indicating that Presley was anything but racist, including black people who knew him since childhood and black artists who performed with him. After his investigation, Robinson concluded, "To Elvis people are people, regardless of race, color or creed." (link) (second link)

“Fight the Power” was a 1989 rap hit by Public Enemy, which had the lyrics, “Elvis was a hero to most / But he never meant shit to me / Straight-up racist that sucker was / Simple and plain / Motherfuck him and John Wayne” (John Wayne was actually racist). However, Chuck D, the singer and writer of the song, later clarified his lyric associating Elvis Presley with racism. In an interview with Newsday timed with the 25th anniversary of Presley's death, Chuck D acknowledged that Elvis was held in high esteem by black musicians, and that Elvis himself admired black musical performers. Chuck D stated that the target of his line about Elvis was the white culture which hailed Elvis as a "King" without acknowledging the black artists that came before him. (link)

One time, Quincy Jones claimed Elvis was racist, but he had never actually met Elvis. He said that a white performer named Tommy Dorsey told him Elvis was racist, after which Quincy Jones refused to work with Elvis. However, it is on record that Tommy Dorsey liked Elvis on a personal level. Quincy Jones also claimed that every time he saw Elvis, Elvis was being taught to sing by Otis Blackwell, a black composer. However, Otis Blackwell never met Elvis in his life (according to Otis himself). On top of this, Quincy Jones is known to have said some questionable things over the years. Also, Quincy Jones had state din 2002 that Elvis was one of the innovator’s of pop music.

Part of the reason Elvis is sometimes accused of racism is that much of his visual and musical performance came from African American sources. People say that he “stole” African American music, and then became known as the “King of Rock and Roll” despite the many African American performers that preceded him.

Elvis acknowledged his debt to African Americans throughout his career, such as when he stated, “A lot of people seem to think I started this business. But rock 'n' roll was here a long time before I came along. Nobody can sing that kind of music like colored people. Let's face it: I can't sing like Fats Domino can. I know that.” (That term is considered racist now but was widely used at the time)

Elvis never liked being called the “King of Rock and Roll”. It was a title forced on him by others. He believed the real “King of Rock and Roll” was Fats Domino.

The reason for his singing African American music was that he grew up in majority black community and he grew up listening to black music. He often broke segregation laws by attending black clubs (often with the help of musicians like Ike Turner) and watched black musicians perform. He loved attending all-night gospel singings at the Ellis Auditorium in Memphis. The performances he saw there are where he later took some of his dance moves and songs from.

Basically, the reason Elvis Presley sang songs by black people and performed in their style was because he liked and respected their music and style. It was his own music too, to him, because it was an integral part of his life.

Elvis always looked up to black musicians.

Once, he recalled how he would listen to Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup—the originator of "That's All Right"(which Elvis later did a cover of)—”bang his box the way I do now, and I said if I ever got to the place where I could feel all old Arthur felt, I'd be a music man like nobody ever saw.”

Once, surrounded by the Las Vegas press, Elvis was asked a question by a reporter who referred to him by his common moniker: “the king.” Rather than accept the title and all the praise that would come along with it, Elvis alerted the media of Fats Domino’s presence in the room. “No, that’s the real King of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” Elvis said.

Elvis also expressed much love for Sister Rosetta Tharpe.

One time, Elvis refused to perform a concert when the organizers refused to allow the Sweet Inspirations (Elvis’s black female backup group) to perform with him. Elvis only agreed to perform once the organizers said the Sweet Inspirations could perform with him.

Black musicians admired Elvis right back.

B.B. King ("The King of the Blues"), who maintained a friendship with Elvis throughout his life, said of him, “Let me tell you the definitive truth about Elvis Presley and racism. With Elvis, there was not a single drop of racism in that man. And when I say that, believe me I should know”. King wrote in Elvis’s defense, “Elvis didn’t steal any music from anyone. He just had his own interpretation of the music he’d grown up on, same is true for everyone. I think Elvis had integrity.” Presley also helped King land gigs, overcoming racism.

Little Richard was also friends with Elvis. Although eh pointed out that Presley’s whiteness helped his career, he did say, “I love him. That’s my buddy, my baby. Elvis is one of the greatest performers who ever lived in this world.”

"Elvis created a new style all his own, and gave an injection to black music like no other artist had ever done." - Rufus Thomas.

Sammy Davis Jr said of Elvis, “I have a respect for Elvis and my friendship. It ain't my business what he did in private. The only thing I want to know is, 'Was he my friend?', 'Did I enjoy him as a performer?', 'Did he give the world of entertainment something?' - and the answer is YES on all accounts. The other jazz just don't matter.” He also said, “Early on somebody told me that Elvis was black. And I said 'No, he's white but he's down-home'. And that is what it's all about. Not being black or white it's being 'down-home' and which part of down-home you come from.”

James Brown once wrote, “I wasn't just a fan, I was his brother. He said I was good and I said he was good; we never argued about that. Elvis was a hard worker, dedicated, and God loved him ... I love him and hope to see him in heaven. There'll never be another like that soul brother.”

Muhammad Ali admired Elvis. “When I was 15 years old and saw Elvis on TV, I wanted to be Elvis,” said Ali. “Other kids in the neighborhood were listening to Ray Charles and James Brown, but I listened to Elvis. I admired him so much and I decided that if I was going to be famous, I’d do it just like him. He’s one of the reasons I wanted to entertain people and be loved by the people and make the girls admire me so much.” He later developed a friendship with Elvis.

There is evidence Elvis donated money to civil rights organizations. (link) (and charitable organizations)

tl;dr Elvis wasn’t racist, and he had no intention fo stealing music. He thought he was just another singer of those genres of music which he admired. He didn’t even think he was that good. He believed there were many black singers much better than him. He credited black people as the sources of the music he performed, and never thought he was king of anything. He loved, respected, and was inspired by black performers, and many of them loved him back.

The fact that interpreting black people’s music made Elvis more rich and famous than black performers was mostly the fault of the racist white public. He appreciated black music and black performers, who were role models to him, while the white public refused to listen to black people’s music unless it was performed by a white person. He did try to use his success to help black performers break racial barriers though, and his success did maybe open the door for black performers to gain access to the mainstream public.

tl;dr again: Elvis had a sincere affection for gospel, soul, and R&B, and a willingness to acknowledge his debt to the African-American musicians who had influenced him.

Elvis had problems, but being racist in this way wasn’t one of them.

If you hate him for other reasons, that’s fine, because the man was problematic as hell, especially regarding women.

[panthera-nigrum]

Characters Tags Update

Under the read more you'll find the tags I'll be using from now on for posts where other characters besides Bagheera are shown/mentioned

||singed jungle cat; shere khan||

||stripped cattle killer; lungri||

||there speaks the mans cub; mowgli||

||i have no right in your assembly; akela||

||old iron feet; baloo||

||the people without a law; king louie||

||the demon; raksha||

||we be of one blood you and i; kaa||

[that-shamrock-vibe]

Disney+ What To Watch: My Top 10 Favourite Disney Classics

#3. The Jungle Book

I enjoy this movie without even needing acknowledgement of the original story of which it is based on. I know there have been variations on the story, in fact I remember watching an animé version of the story as a child, but for me Disney simply captures the essence and the magic that I need from the story.

I used the word “magic” despite this being one of Disney’s rarities to not include any physical use of magic, but when you have talking animals there is an element of magic to it. Not forgetting that just seeing that magnificent waterfall, the jungle at night and how this young boy interacts with this supposed “wild animals” is very magical.

Having said that, this movie is very Disney. I loved recently seeing the How It Should Have Ended interpretation of The Jungle Book and simply had the story being Bagheera finding Mowgli and leaving him with the wolves who then proceed to maul and devour the infant...because that may or may not be what would actually happen in reality. I’m an advocate for wolves and choose to see their best sides, but you never know in the wild.

That’s not to say that Disney shies away from “the law of the jungle” in this movie as the main focus of course is protecting Mowgli from the fearsome Shere Khan, but along the way Mowgli interacts with various other animals who, aside from Kaa the python, you may not consider to be threatening predators but both Hathi and King Louie are somewhat opposed to the young human and Louie, especially in other spin-off medias, seeks to either harm or possibly kill him.

But then you have a panther and a bear who you could also mistake for predators, and they’re the ones trying to ensure the human lives...despite said human doing absolutely nothing to make either of them not want to kill him at times.

It is interesting that Baloo and Mowgli have similar mindsets considering they are both of different species and age. Mowgli being ten years old and raised by wolves with the aide of a panther doesn’t exactly show signs of knowing right from wrong despite Pinocchio, a wooden puppet, being taught these things by a cricket.

Baloo meanwhile is the ultimate laissez-faire party animal who sherks all responsibility and just wants to have fun in life. So the fact that these two find each other and form that instant surrogate father-son relationship isn’t surprising...but because Mowgli is not savvy with the way the wider world works being simply ten years old, he expects everything to go his way and so wanting to stay in the jungle clings to the idea that anyone with a way to keep him there is the right way to go.

But while Baloo’s intentions are harmless just slightly self-centred, the likes of both Kaa and King Louie wanting to either eat him or use him for knowledge could be seen as an equivalent to stranger danger. Something which this movie does relatively well.

Again, Mowgli doesn’t show any experience at knowing the jungle outside of the wolf pack. So when he and Bagheera leave the pack for the Man Village, Bagheera being that only reliable source for him becomes very shaky when trying to convince a child he has to leave everything he knows and is comfortable with for a place that for all he knows would take him away from everything.

Then you have a variety of strangers, Kaa, Baloo, King Louie and even the Vultures, all interacting with him just as if he was on his own in the streets rather than a jungle. While it is true some strangers mean no harm such as Baloo and the Vultures, others seek to either exploit or harm vulnerable young people they meet as Kaa and Louie do.

It’s both a great life lesson and cautionary tale woven in to a fun and somewhat wholesome story that just effectively exists to make you feel good.

My favourite character is Bagheera, he is a lot like me as he wants nothing more than to just laze around and watch the world go by, but he is pulled into serious situations and has to be the voice of reason despite not being listened to.

Baloo is someone people keep comparing me to and I don’t know if it’s a size thing or the fact people don’t think I take life seriously enough, but there are worse characters to be compared to and in an ideal world I would probably be Baloo but as things are I need to be more Bagheera.

Mowgli does get more annoying as the movie goes on because while it becomes increasingly apparent to anyone with a brain, including Baloo, that he is safest in the Man Village, he becomes more stubborn as to wanting to stay in the jungle so much so that not only does he cross paths with Kaa twice and nearly get eaten twice, but he also ultimately comes face to face with the very predator who he is constantly being warned about.

Shere Khan was the stuff of nightmares for me as a child because of how he is built up in the movie and the fact that, aside from the talking aspects, he is very much a real world threat that if ever you were to cross paths with a tiger you may be killed.

But after I got over those fears, he became one of my favourite Disney villains because not only is he so menacing and sophisticated, but he’s also not one to faff around and simply gets straight down to it. As soon as he hears that not only is there a Man Cub in the jungle but that he is alone, he sets his sights on finding him. Once he finds him he does get cocky believing that he has already won before winning but he does it so well.

It’s kind of obvious why The Jungle Book is one of Simon Cowell’s favourite movies because the similarities between the two characters are very very obvious if you know both characters well.

Kaa being Winnie the Pooh is a gag that is practically exhausted by now but when you first make the link it is a slight jaw-dropping moment. He and King Louie are both great menacing villains while also being comedic foils.

As for the vultures, if they actually were voiced by the Beatles as originally intended then it would have been epic but the fact their design is loosely based on the famous band but they’re different enough being somewhat a barbershop quartet as opposed to a rock band is just a great addition.

Musically, I love the music, I love the overture, I love the songs. “The Bare Necessities” and “Trust in Me” are definitely my favourites with “Colonel Hathi’s March” and “I Wan’na Be Like You” coming close as all of them are very catchy and enjoyable songs.

The song sung by “the girl” at the end, who I’m going to call Shanti because in the sequel that is her name, is nice, it’s sweet, but the fact it’s soon forgotten when a reprise of “Bare Necessities” is heard speaks volumes to it.

Overall this is just a great, feel-good party of a movie. I’ve followed this particular franchise a lot over the years not only with Jungle Cubs but also TaleSpin, both were great additions to the franchise without specifically tying in to the movie.

So what do you guys think? Post your comments and check out more Disney+ What to Watch Top 10s as well as more Top 10 Lists and other posts.

[tarithenurse]

On my mind, in my soul - 15

Prompt:  A sweet Anon was kind enough to hand me the challenge of a medieval village, a book, and the song  “Foreigner's God” by Hozier. Now, I’ve already used that song, but I love Hozier (who doesn’t?) so I wanted to stick with him….which eventually I didn’t so here’s “Pack up the Louie” by Caro Emerald. Sorry about that, Anon, this ended up very different than either of us probably intended, still I hope you like it! Pairing: Loki x Burglar!reader. Content: Swearing as usual, bit of angst, some mystery? No lemons this time, but just wait for the next chapter :D A/N: This has not been proof read! Might do that at some point and re-upload, but I’ve missed writing for fun and sharing it with you <3

Tricks

It was paradise. Travelling from one place to the other, cities and countries you’d only ever dreamed of getting to see one you made the score that’d help you retired. Retire? Your old life of planning heists and dodging private security guards was far from the life you were living with Loki. Budapest had been the start where the god had seen your curiosity of the long-lost worlds, and so he brought you along to every Mediterranean Eden. You would never tire of it, listening to him tell about historical events as if he’d been there. He probably had, actually.

Some part of you knew the sweet life would end. Life does that to good times. It takes what’s good and right and stubs it out in the dust like a half-smoked cigarette, lipstick stain still on the filter. And if it wasn’t something tearing joy away, then you’d already realized the inevitable: Loki talked about history as though it was yesterday, because for him it was. Time moved differently for him than it did for you.

Why had you never thought of that before?

In the haze of warm sunshine, champagne and lazy kisses up your thighs, the two of you had created a little pocket of bliss outside of time. You were addicted to it. Never wanted the rush to end. And so that became your biggest fear because damn you if you almost hadn’t already. But the silver tongue and warm heart in a chest of ice could stem the nightmares as you’d fall asleep, sated in all manners of the word, in Loki’s arms.

The clock rings and it’s half past eleven Can’t believe it but the time just flies

Waking, sight bleary even with the soft light coming through the dark canvas above, you find the coolness of the god’s arm and chest still around you, but nothing else fits with your expectations. You’d fallen asleep in a bed with silk, a room of marble and open windows overlooking València and the sea…that’s all gone now.

It takes a few attempts to rub the sleep from your eyes, time where you become too aware of how scratchy the coarse wool and mismatched furs are against your bare skin. No, this is nothing like where you fell asleep.

“L-loki?” Twisting, you not only face your god, but another one too. “Loki, wake up.”

From somewhere under the mass of black hair, there’s a grunt in approval. Much can be said about him, but your lover loves a lazy morning. This time, however, he must sense something’s going on, because all of a sudden he’s on his knees, shielding you with his (very naked) bod, and knives in hands.

It must be said to the stranger’s credit, that he never seems anything else than annoyed despite the display. In fact…he doesn’t seem to take it half as serious as he should.

A heavy sigh escapes him, granting him time to pinch his own arm. “All…alright. I see. That’s just nasty! No other word for it!” Sighing again, he looks around the place and your gaze follows his. Shit. “Well, if my master findeth out, I shall be the one punished. Ye hath not long ‘fore he returneth. Taketh nought but what is your to take as ye leaveth.” With that he turn and exits through a tent flap.

“That…hurt my ears,” Loki complains.

You’ve never seen him suffer a hangover and his face of disgusted curiosity supports your theory that the way the man had spoken was weird beyond normal. Not as weird as waking up in a tent that could’ve been taken from a Robin Hood-movie, though.

Everything seems to be handmade, including the bed which seems to be pieced together on the spot and padded with straw and sheep skin. The red and blue canvas walls are thick, but not enough to block the unmistakable shadows of leaves in the sun, or the sound of voices. Happy voices.

Rounding on Loki, his evident surprise does absolutely nothing to calm you down. “Where…the fuck…are we?!”

“Not València.”

“Oh, really?” The urge to slap him with a pillow is strong, but he’s faster than you and tugs it away. “What did you do?”

“What did I do?” Perfect, black brows arch at your insinuation. “I didn’t do anything! I’m complete- well, maybe not completely, just in thi- but no. I didn’t bring us here.” Turquoise eyes roam the room and your naked form. “Where- and whenever here is.”

Pulling you to your feet, you allow him to do what he wants, knowing that whatever he’s got you into now it’ll be easier just to roll with it. Magic caresses your skin (lingering long enough in certain places to soften your mood) until you’re dressed in clothes more ridiculous than what you’d had to wear In Valhalla. Billions of layers weigh you down and it feels almost impossible to breathe due to a corset. Looking at Loki, the view isn’t quite as foreign because you’ve seen him in leathers and silks, and you envy the lightness of his clothes.

“What? Loki!”

But voices from right outside have you scurrying through a slid the Asgardian cuts in the tent wall, escaping the man that had given you a chance to run away before his master came back.

By the time you come to a stand still, it’s abruptly and smack into Loki’s unyielding form because you’ve not been paying attention, focusing instead on the ridiculously long sleeves that keep getting in the way. And shoes? Oh, the trickster’s going to hear just wrong everything is, that’s for sure! The problem’s just…it really doesn’t seem to be his doing. Whatever “this” is. Either way, doesn’t take a genius to fit the pieces together, now that you’ve stopped to think.

The language.

The tent and its contents.

The ridiculous clothes.

Medieval Europe has been represented plenty among some of the things you’ve “procured” over the years.

The language.

…   Loki’s PoV   …

This is unheard of. Loki, God of Chaos and Mischief, waking up in a strange time and place with no recollection of how he got there. Glancing over at the woman, he appreciates what the outfit does for her figure for nothing more than a second (or two) before looking for cues on how she is dealing with this situation. Mimir’s balls. Nostrils are flaring, following the same rapid tempo of the bosom that is shackled by a corset and layers of fabric. Oh, she is furious, and it is all Loki can do to push aside the memories of how some of their very first encounters had been.

“Do not worry, [Y/N],” he promises tentatively, “I will see to it that we are returned.”

Even the bird that has been chirping prettily in the nearby tree falls quiet as she returns his gaze, burning cold with determination.

“Worry?” The bird flutters away with a protest. “You will make su-…you are just as surprised as I am, and I’m plenty capable of doing the saving too.” For a moment Loki envies the bird, although the wrath is more likely a result of the situation itself. “In fact, Loki god of Mischief…I think I know what sort of place we are at.”

Without explaining, she stomps past him towards the clamouring noise of what sounds like a village, and he knows better than to argue at this moment. In fact, he quite enjoys witnessing the feisty side of [Y/N], though his appreciation might be tainted by previous experiences. So he follows dutifully until their reach the edge of the woods and stumble upon the type of scenery Loki recalls from his childhood.

Roughhewn, wooden cottages, stables with sturdy ponies and a donkey, a strangely new looking smithy, and where there are not actual buildings, there are tents or market stalls with an abundance of items. Ah! Market day! That would account for the high amount of people for such a small place. And where there are travellers, there will be plenty of information…and mounts more fit for a god than a woolly pony.

“I beg pardon, good lord,” [Y/N]’s voice rings from across the makeshift street, “mayhaps thou canst offer me direction to the Guild of Law or the Town Hall?”

Despite the loveliness of her voice the words jar Loki’s ears, but the stranger hardly raises a brow and merely explains the (very simple) route. Maybe his grasp of the spoken languages were not as correct as he had thought…still…

She leans in conspiratorially close, a smug smile on the perfect lips. “Oh, yeah, I’m so right! Look at the windows.” Doing so helps the god very little, and the devilish woman doesn’t give up the secret until she has laughed thoroughly first, but then: “The glass…it’s too clear, too perfect. And look at the paint, that’s modern too.”

…   Reader’s PoV   …

Hearin' stories and a thousand lies About the things that I’d never do

A lot of things begin to make sense when you get to the Town Hall. Like the geographical location: Mid-England, not too far from a place called Hucknall (although you’re still not sure how you actually got there). And the time? Still 2019 on the very day you had expected to wake up. And still, it’s somehow much more satisfying to see that you have been right in noticing all the little things that somehow are off even though it becomes easier to explain to Loki just what is going on when you finally stand with the so called “King’s Law”. Theoretically at least.

“Role playing?”

“U-huh.”

“You mean to say this is all fake?”

That one takes a bit longer to explain to him, how it’s an elaborate game of pretend for adults but that breaking the rules of the game is absolutely not acceptable. It becomes even trickier to harness his impatience when he learns that whichever punishment there would be dealt would be of no consequence to either of you.

“I know we’re not coming back, but don’t you see?” Noticing the disapproving look of a nearby LARPer, you tug Loki over to a corner. “Whoever sent us here wanted to annoy us or whatever…how about we play his game, but up the ante?”

Curiosity wins over frustration in those green-blue infinities. “What do you mean?”

“This place, these people…according to the rules and outline for the weekend, they expect the Magicians’ Guild to visit, maybe show some tricks. Tricks. You can do better than that.”

“I don’t do tricks for amusement like some jester.”

“Exactly.” His skin is blessedly cool on your hands when you draw him in for a kiss. “They’ll have no clue what hit them.”

…

Is there a porter somewhere For a lady in despair Can you help little me

It started in the details like things disappearing and reappearing which wouldn’t have been alarming until the frequency of the incidents skyrocketed and everyone were talking about moving items within an hour, stressing the poor souls in charge of maintaining some order. They were relieved when things resumed staying put…then a suspicious amount of even stranger sightings were reported.

“I swear, sir, there was a unicorn!”

“Madam! Thy book is not a possum…”

“Hath thou any witnesses?” – “Ay, sir Walter.” – “Sir Walter…didst thou hear the tree talk?”

It might not be the LARPing group’s plan, but the big mystery of the day is how these things are happening. Of course, the incentive for figuring it out differs depending on the level of powerlessness for each individual (extremely high from the gamemasters’ while virtually non-existent for the players who manage to keep believing it’s essentially a matter of very clever tricks).

And still no one tries to stop you and Loki. Time for the big show, you smirk as you prepare the final act to smoke out whoever has brought the two of you here. A kiss, a promise not to be scared by whatever will come, and then you start running from the forest, head over heels and yelling for people to save you.

Why?

Looking over your shoulder, you admit you would’ve been terrified at the monstrosity that haunts you. It’s a beast like none you’ve ever seen. Huge, tough and thick fur on the front half of the lumbering body while the hindquarters are covered in scales in the same venomous yellow as the leathery wings. Even with just two limbs (strong legs and big paws with deadly claws) it moves fast simply due to the size. It’s just an illusion. And still you try to speed up, hands fighting with the (pre-)shredded garb to keep yourself from falling.

It’s not until a tent is flattened under the beast that people seem to decide that they’re neither collectively hallucinating…nor watching a fancy show. Screams rise, agitating the creature so it roars with the draconic mouth open wide enough to count every single tooth, though most probably never get further than the set of fangs that drip with something that singes the grass below.

It’s chaos. Heart-pounding, gut-twisting, explosive chaos. The kind you’ve always avoided at all costs in your work by planning everything meticulously, preferring the satisfaction of perfection instead. This is…your gasping is not just from running. Burning from within the veins is the pleasure of being in control in this living nightmare: the chaos is yours to command. Dark and addictive, like the sides of a god you know. And you don’t want to run, you want to stride purposefully to flaunt how you of all people are untouchable by this monster following in your footsteps.

What? Chains of un-burning embers latch on to you from all sides and shackle you in place, restraining all but your head as you try to spot the one behind this twist of the scenario. And there he is. Tall and slender like Loki, you admit, and with the same slightly arrogant confidence in his own abilities even now that he stands calmly while everyone else is fleeing. Guess we found you.

Like a ballet with hands, the man gathers the air (it’s the best way you can describe it) around him until the red cloak is flapping. Then he sends it towards the monster, not caring that you’re in the way to receive the force too. You land clumsily with a thud and an umph but manage to twist in time to see the illusion break apart like smoke, leaving everything intact once more.

“Loki!”

“I should have surmised it was you, Strange.” The god steps out from the smithy, a cold smile on the lips. “What’s this? Tired of playing games?”

Swatting the oddly active cloak aside, the wizard turns to face Loki. “We can’t let you endanger innocent people.”

“Please! They were never in danger.” The glint of green in his eyes is still one of amusement.

“These may not have been, but there are others out there…you been ignoring us and as su–“ Strange (because you recognize him from the news now) interrupts himself with a heavy sigh. “We need your help with…something.”

“Find someone else.”

You can hear it, the tension in Loki’s voice that you’ve come to learn has something to do with you. Maybe the wizard recognizes the nature of it, because he disintegrates the chains and even help you get back to your feet (and the cloak dusts you off – on it’s own!). It’s not until you’re safely back by Loki’s side that the men seem to return to business.

“Loki…trust me, we didn’t want to do this, but we need your help…the manner of getting you involved was your brother’s idea.”

Surprised by the admission, Loki’s head snaps up. “Thor planned this prank?”

“Yeah, now are you coming? They’re waiting at the tower for you and [Y/N].”

Wait what? “Why me?”

The wizard’s surprisingly kind eyes meet yours. “You were brought in, dying from a poison…the least we can do is ensure that there are no lasting effects.”

And without further ado, he stirs the air to create a ring of embers through which a very different place can be seen. One with white walls hung with original artwork, sleek designed furniture in dark colours, and a handful of very serious looking superheroes.

[awinger24]

My Issue With Disney Channel’s “Animation Cram Session”, Even the Promo

@mysteriesofmewni​ @cid331​ @jess-the-vampire​ @tangledbea​ @disneyschedules​ @dreamschedules​ @disneychannelforever99​

Disney Channel’s schedule is very inconsistent with little to no variety except for their live action sitcoms spamming the schedule. This post will be explaining how the channel treats their animated content, even summarized by just one promo.

Just look at one of the schedules courtesy of @disneyschedules​

I think this schedule is boring as what Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon are doing with their TV schedules.

Cartoon Network = Spamming Teen Titans Go! and Gumball while shows like Steven Universe, We Bare Bears, and OK KO! don’t get a lot of air time.

Nickelodeon = Spamming SpongeBob and Loud House, even Paw Patrol on it’s preschool block while it’s other shows get aired less and bumped to bad time slots (even some are on NickToons).

Disney Channel = Spamming Raven’s Home and Coop and Cami, also Sydney to the Max (even Bunk’d and Stuck in the Middle before they were removed). The issue is that they are focusing heavily on their sitcoms in terms of scheduling and advertising. 

DuckTales and Big City Greens are being promoted regularly but they air at time slots where much of the channel’s demographic is at school. Right now, Big City Greens is seen at 2:30, 3, and 4:30, so it seems to be the only cartoon they care about (a lot like how they treat Phineas and Ferb).

All this but shows like Milo Murphy’s Law, Star vs. the Forces of Evil, Tangled: The Series, and Big Hero 6: The Series, are promoted less, even using a same generic promo without any special new ones to hype up audiences, and placed at an inconvenient time slots between 7-9 AM. Even worse is that viewers have to wake up very early even in the Central and Mountain Time Zones. 

For example, trying to get up at 5 AM in Colorado to watch Milo Murphy’s Law and Tangled might be difficult unless you set an alarm or go to sleep early. For Arizona, the issue is worse since there is no daylight savings time so, waking up at 4 AM just to watch it is a challenge.

With the four shows I mention, they only air a new episode once and they never rerun while they spam their schedule with the same sitcom repeats.

I have heard the senior vice president in charge of programming at Disney Channel, Paul DeBenedittis, was recently hired by Nickelodeon. Paul seems to be in charge of what we see on the channel. If he is gone, it’s unclear how things will change because Disney ABC Television has a team of executives still in control of the schedule, and we wonder who the new one is. But if Paul left before the spamming of Raven and Coop and Cami reruns, we have no idea if the new Senior VP is behind this.

TLDR: Disney Channel doesn’t schedule their animated content well and overshadows it while they only put so much focus on their Disney Channel sitcoms and stars (I mean Ruby Rose Turner, immediately had a song just after Coop and Cami aired).

Now, on to my next topic. I have some problems with this “Cram Session” promo.

Disney Channel has released a promo in September 2018 promoting audiences about it’s “Animation Cram Session” line up (which even includes Phineas and Ferb, before it was removed in January 2019 because they air it at 6 AM, not at 7.)

The promo still uses the same graphics that Disney Channel uses for it’s bumpers and commercials from 2017 up until February 2019.

https://miguelmonteagudo.com/disney-channel-2017-graphic-package

This was before the channel got a massive overhaul probably to reflect their new sitcom, Sydney to the Max. Appealing to the channel’s demographic of teenagers (mostly girls). Which if you were Walt Disney, this seems out of place from a company that had major successes in its movie divisions, theme parks, and merchandising.

The “Cram Session” promo was voiced over by none other than a man named Jim Pratt.

He has been doing Disney Channel promos/advertising since the 2010s alongside doing voice over for dozens a promos for other networks like TLC and Fox. In 2016, he has replaced the main Disney Channel voice over, Cam “Buzz” Brainard, and he ended up doing nearly every promo for the channel.

The way I describe his voice is “high energy” and “in your face” as a way to hype up people about a certain show or lineup.

http://www.jimprattvo.com/highenergy

Sure when I was very young, I have grown up with the voice overs of Mark Elliot, Brain Cummings, and even Beau Weaver but if I imagined them voicing over for the Disney Channel, they would’ve brought a new meaning of excitement while still keeping that trademark Disney magic.

It’s been updated a few times removing and adding clips from various shows.

- Version 1 (September 2018-October 2018), DuckTales, Big City Greens, Milo Murphy’s Law, Big Hero 6: The Series, Gravity Falls, Phineas and Ferb.

- Version 2 (October 2018-December 2018), DuckTales, Big City Greens, Milo Murphy’s Law, Gravity Falls, Phineas and Ferb.

- Version 3 (January 2019-February 24, 2019), DuckTales, Big City Greens, Milo Murphy’s Law, Star vs. the Forces of Evil

- Version 4 (February 25, 2019 - present), DuckTales, Big City Greens, Milo Murphy’s Law, Star vs. the Forces of Evil, Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure

Because I have seen this a bunch of times, I can even almost identify some of the clips they use from some respective episodes.

DuckTales: The Other Bin of Scrooge McDuck!, The Last Crash of the Sunchaser!

Big City Greens: Parade Day, Welcome Home!, Gridlocked (even audio from it), Blue Tater, Family Legacy

Star vs. the Forces of Evil: The Season 3 intro, Marco and the King, Puddle Defender, King Ludo, and Toffee

Gravity Falls: Roadside Attraction

Now onto the promo along with the voice overs used.

(We show a sad face of Cricket from Parade Day, then we cut to Huey, Dewey, Louie, and Webby from Last Crash of Sunchaser as they all groan (clip is out of context).

VO #1: Sad not having school on weekends. 

Cricket: Aw, man. (Clip is from Blue Tater).

First off, this wouldn’t make sense if you were the channel’s main demographic of 6-14 (or even teenagers if you like some of these shows), because usually cartoons were a bit of a after-school (3-5 PM)/early morning before school (5-7 AM) thing because it was a way of entertaining children, sometimes even teens where their high schools start as early as 7 AM. Usually, children are happy there’s no school on weekends.

VO #2: You can still learn a thing or two with the Animation... Cram Session!

I sorta think think this is tedious and gives a mixed message. Usually real life cramming is a negative effect.

https://www.gavilan.edu/tutor/documents/DONTCRAM.pdf

This PDF page from Galivan College says,

“Cramming deposits information in your short term memory. Material reviewed in cramming sessions is not learned. Some students think they have learned the material and will be able to recall it for the midterm or final. Wrong! It’s gone! The information is generally unavailable to recall after one or two days. So, when students rely on cramming they cheat themselves out of a true education.

Cramming is also more work. It takes longer to learn material when it is done under pressure. Cramming does not save time. Cramming also has its limits. If you haven’t cracked a book in any of your courses, have daydreamed through the classes, or haven’t attended, cramming will not help. Cramming for several courses also doesn’t work.”

To apply this with how Disney Channel schedules their cartoons, they of course only air their animated shows once within the early morning hours of 6-9 AM on Saturday and Sunday. With the fact they only air one new episode of a show once (Milo Murphy’s Law, Tangled, Big Hero 6, Star vs, the Forces of Evil), this makes it even worse for people who don’t have access to DVR, Direct TV/Dish/Premium Cable (Spectrum) with Disney XD, On Demand, and even DisneyNOW, but only get Disney Channel through basic cable. 

Once they see the episode once, they might try and remember it, but with different mindsets, it’s highly possible they will forget it and move on with their repetitive sitcom reruns or the next cartoon to cram in. They wouldn’t be able to recall anything from the show, unless it’s amazingly entertaining and appealing thanks to either bright and fast-paced animation, emotional moments, or even the funniest moments.

Also, it seems odd they attached two random clips from two shows and edited them together.

Webby (in The Other Bin of Scrooge McDuck): Diamond dagger cuts through anything.

Cricket (in Blue Tater): Wait. Come again?

Well, it does segue into the next voice over but it gets kinda boring once you’ve seen it again and again.

VO #3: Every Saturday and Sunday morning, Cram in... all the adventure!

VO #4: Cram in... all the action!

These two does seems like a generic way to promote a lineup but it is all “in your face”

Now it features clips from the DuckTales episode, Last Crash of Sunchaser.

Dewey: Nothing can’t stop us.

(The plane jerks as Huey, Dewey, Louie, and Webby jerk in a halt too.)

Cut to a later scene

Louie: WE GOTTA GO NOW!!

Launchpad: Now?

Dewey/Scrooge: No!

(Launchpad starts the Jeep)

The scene then cuts to a clip from Big City Greens’ “Blue Tater as the show’s main characters fly out of a shopping cart.

Note: These clips being edited together like that and seeing it over and over again when it comes on during commercials is just flat in some way. 

(Shows clips of characters laughing/having fun. One of them is from Gridlocked.)

VO #5: And cram in all the laughs in the Animation Cram Session!

VO #6: Weekend mornings starting at 7 on Disney Channel

Again, the issue with airing these shows once at 7-9 AM seems to be inaccessible for people who want to sleep in. Or don’t know it’s on because they live in the Central and Mountain Zone and it airs 1 and 2 hours early respectively.

Gramma Alice talks to Tilly

Gramma Alice: You kids are smarter than you look.

All set to generic high-energy music (pop/rock/electronic), this “Cram Session” promo just doesn’t make sense and with some of the shows just getting generic promos alongside it, and seeing it a bunch of times with the same clips reused, especially focusing more on DuckTales and Big City Greens, not giving as much spotlight on the other cartoons, makes this a questionable promo.

It all comes together the main issue with how Disney Channel is treating their cartoons. 

Bad time slots, little to no promotion, not even individual promotion with the exception of DuckTales and Big City Greens (which the channel favors more than their other cartoons). 

Plus this promo is basically saying to the channel’s demographic of 6-14 year olds that you should “Cram In All”. 

Sure this seems to be a Saturday Morning cartoon lineup thing but the fact that this is Disney Channel, they choose to put all their animated shows at an inconvenient air time while they spam their sitcoms. It’s more of a lose-lose situation. Milo Murphy’s Law, for example, suffers in low ratings.

Sadly but true, cable is decreasing (even prices are increasing) as Disney is launching its new streaming service, Disney+ very soon. Even DisneyNOW seems to be the current way of watching/streaming shows (with TV provider or Apple TV).

Still, I just don’t see why Disney Channel would spam their sitcoms (alongside Big City Greens which is a good exception), while their animated shows don’t meet up to the potential if the channel airs them at prime time.

To conclude, Disney Channel’s schedule isn’t full of variety, the “Cram Session” promo has some issues, and the future of our favorite shows and how we watch Disney’s TV animated cartoons is uncertain. Also, Disney Channel after Paul DeBenedittis’ departure leaves us in a mystery who is his replacement and how the schedule will change in the future.  Plus, I provided you some brief Disney Channel history.

P.S. I hope Amphibia, 101 Dalmatian Street and The Owl House have potential for great ratings if Disney Channel cares for their cartoons more.

[reasonableapproximation]

The 2016 live action Jungle Book is weirdly pro-human? I don't think it was intended, and I might be putting too much of myself into it. But like-

(Vague spoilers to follow)

Right up until the climax, tool use is shown as almost unambiguously good. Mowgli bangs rocks together to get a sharp stone to cut vines to make rope so he can climb down a cliff face and knock honeycombs with a stick, armored in clothes he makes. He collects honey on an unprecedented scale. Then he saves an elephant from a pit.

(The music to that scene is "The Bare Necessities", a song about how you should just take life easy and all your needs will be met. I'm not sure why.)

And the counterpoint isn't really there. Shere Khan says man isn't allowed in the jungle, but doesn't talk about why. Akela and Bagheera tell Mowgli to act more like a wolf and less like a man, his "tricks" are not the wolf way, but don't say what the problems are with manhood. Kaa shows fire being dangerous, but then with more realism shows fire being used to fight off Shere Khan and save Mowgli's life. Mowgli refuses to give fire to King Louie but doesn't explain his refusal. The elephant could have fallen into a human trap, but instead it was apparently just a pit. And the bees?

From the bees' perspective, I imagine Mowgli is probably terrifying. He knocks down honeycomb after honeycomb and he just keeps going. He's an existential threat to their society and there's nothing they can do about it, though they throw their lives away trying to stop him. I imagine.

But the movie doesn't show that or invite us to think about it. In a world where the animals all talk to each other, the bees are silent. When they sting, it's to teach us about Baloo's trickery and Mowgli's cleverness. They might as well be thistles.

The film has so many opportunities to show or at least tell us that man is destructive, man will kill everyone in the jungle. But it mostly doesn't seem to take them.

So when Mowgli goes to steal fire - well, we know what's going to happen, but only because we already know fire. The movie hasn't given us any particular reason to be scared of it. Also, the mythical associations of stealing fire are fairly pro-fire.

And yes, the fire spreads and Mowgli throws his torch away. But then he fights using some other things humans excel at: coalition-building, getting other people to fight for you, and making a wolf think you're part of its family.

(Here I do think I'm putting in too much of myself. I think the climax is meant to be about winning by combing animal things and man things. The coalition-building is introduced with the law of the jungle, "the strength of the pack is the wolf and the strength of the wolf is the pack". Then Bagheera says "fight him like a man". Then Mowgli says "dead tree" calling back to what Bagheera taught him in the beginning. And in the end Mowgli stays in the jungle. I think that's what is going for, but it's not what I got from it.)

And the fire is put out without too much trouble (when the elephants decide "actually, it would be better if this river went in this direction" and do some engineering works, not done by humans but very human of them), and we haven't actually seen it kill anyone.

So the film roughly seems to be about how the things that separate man from the animals are actually really great. And that's... not what I was expecting.

[a-merman-not-a-guppy]

BDRP TASK: New Year’s Resolutions 2020!

Write your RPer Resolutions for 2020! (What are some goals for yourself as a writer? Improve descriptions? Plot with more members? Etc.)

Welll I want to try to properly wrap up a story. I have plans and ideas on where some muses can end, but I want to actually be able to accomplish it. That’ll be really satisfying to take a character through their entire journey.

This year I want to work on my descriptions and details in posts. I do a lot of the thought process stuff and I really want to work on my describing of stuff. I think I’ve been doing better but it’s still a mission of mine.

Writing my characters with each other or featuring them in different threads. I’ve done it a little bit (Sora and Arthur, Ashley and Finn, Louie and Finn, I think I briefly had Fflewddur and Ashley interact) but I want to do that more. I don’t know, I always think it’s cool when mk or lauryl feature their other muses in a post they’re doing. I want to do it too.

Rely less on other people propelling a plot forward. I feel like I got lazy as a writer for some time and let people I write with do that and that’s not cool. Gotta do that more mutually I think. I used to think like ‘I don’t have any ideas’ or whatever but honestly I do. I need to be better about expressing those ideas and pushing plot forward. That I resolve to do

Write at least one resolution, or “goal,” that you have as an RPer for your character(s)

Anthony: my goal is to let him cause some serious trouble this year. He gonna do villainy damn it and he’s gonna like it. I have stuff in the works I’m just determined to have it happen.

Arthur: To complete his story arc. Also to develop the police department some. I feel like it needs some attention and some more action man. I want some like Law and Order or NCIS or whatever cop show episodic energy going on. 

Ashley: demonstrate her more mean spirited nature. I feel like I haven’t really unleashed her full bullying potential yet. New Years was a good start, but I intend for a little bit more from the Queen Bee.

Celia: to figure out her next step/get to the next phase of her story. I feel like I’ve been at this one point with her for a while and I want it to progress and see where we’re at next.

Clarion: to get her involved with a big magic case. Also to involve her with one of the big fairy traditions. I want to explore the fairy lifestyle a bit ok.

Fflewddur: have him face the consequences of his actions. Also get into the whole wedding shenanigans and stuff. Or is that just a direction. idk.

Finn: Have him reveal himself as a merman to one of his friends.

Kanga: see her step into her role as board member and have her magick revealed to someone.

Louie: see him figure out his feelings stuff. It’s really fun to have him in this place where he does care about boys more than just doing stupid shit. Also see him cause a lot of trouble. Maybe at the moon market? lol

Sora/Roxas:  have Sora figure out Roxas exists. Have Roxas reveal the weirdness to a friend he’s made.

Write at least one resolution IN CHARACTER for your characters. What do THEY want to accomplish or change in the New Year?

Anthony: He wants to add someone to his fam. He wants to build a vampire fam. So same goal as last year lol.

Arthur: Continue to figure out where he’s from/what’s his purpose. Also to rebuild support for the PD and the VFD.

Ashley: Graduate with honors and go to a fancy university.

Celia: Figure out her curse.

Clarion: many things, mostly relating to the hollow and making sure her fairies are well supported.

Fflewddur: marry Marie and have the #besthoneymoonever. also Have Marie take power and leave him without the work of Kinging.

Finn: To become a braver person. He wants to stop relying on people for everything because he’s such a baby.

Kanga: Improve circumstances for Swynlake as a newly elected board official. Figure out how to spend her free time.

Louie: Stop having feelings. Or get over them and have them for someone else.

Roxas: Roxas wants to be able to see the sun.

Sora: hopes to deepen his friendships and figure out a way back home.

List one or more characters you have never interacted with that you would like to do so

Shock: I have yet to interact with her but I think she’d be the worst influence for Louie and I think that could be fun.

Apollo or Charlie: of Lauryl’s babes I think these two are the ones I haven’t encountered? Or maybe also Kiara idk. I want the chance to interact with all of her babes at some point some day. lol.

Henry Charming or Hannah’s new babe: I want to meet them all too ok? 

Delbert and Ashle B: Ashle especially! one of my girls! Need to get on that and interact with her for real. I want to do more Ashleys things.

Sunny!: I meant to reply to the starter but then I felt like I had too many threads going (i don’t think I do now) but just yeah. Sunny seems so awesome and I’d love to have a character meet her!

Plotting Exercise! Pick one of the resolutions/goals in #2 and plan a rough guideline to how you could accomplish it.

Sora/Roxas Reveal:

Step 1: Sora does something to his place and has to leave it temporarily

Step 2: Sora finds place to stay

Step 3: Roxas wakes disoriented/confused.

Step 4: Roxas confronts person staying in place.

[justanothercinemaniac]

Epic Movie (Re)Watch #154 - The Jungle Book (2016)

Spoilers below.

Have I seen it before: Yes

Did I like it then: Yes.

Do I remember it: Yes.

Did I see it in theaters: Yes.

Was it a movie I saw since August 22nd, 2009: Yes. #419.

Format: Blu-ray

1) The respect for the original 1967 film is established IMMEDIATELY, both by the use of a hand drawn opening logo and by the fact that the opening score for this film is the opening score from the original movie. Right away director Jon Favreu and the rest of the filmmakers let the audience know that they’re aware of just exactly what this film is and the expectations it needs to meet.

2) Neel Sethi as Mowgli.

When you have a kid as your lead character, it is important that you establish them as an honest character and not just a trope/stereotype. Through the film’s writing and Neel Sethi’s wonderful performance, we get just that. Paired together they make Mowgli smart, funny, crafty, but still someone who has a lot to learn. He is simultaneously someone you should not underestimate and someone who should learn humility. Sethi portrays these things wonderfully, as well as Mowgli’s issue of identity. He’s not a wolf, he’s not really a man cub, he wants to stay in the jungle but he doesn’t know where he belongs yet. Or who he belongs with. This is an interesting conflict which will carry us through until the end of the film.

3) One of the ways this film improves on its predecessor is that it puts more stock into relationships other than Mowgli/Baloo. Bagheera takes more of an active role in Mowgli’s upbringing, meaning it’s harder for him to take him back. Mowgli’s wolf mother - Raksha - is seen as a more important influence in his life. He has wolf brothers, and even his later relationship with Baloo comes about more organically. It’s wonderful way to build off of the original while staying respectful of it.

4) Grey - Mowgli’s younger wolf brother - is a surprise scene stealer for the film.

(Screenshot grabbed from GIF set posted by @daredvils)

Another instance of a refreshingly honest kid who just warms your heart.

5) This was Garry Shandling’s final film performance as Ikki the porcupine (who’s picture I cannot find), after having worked with director Favreau on Iron Man 2. 

(GIF source unknown [if this is your GIF please let me know].)

Unfortunately Shandling would not live to see the release of this film. But as a final performance it is a nice summation of his humor and heart.

6) This film does a fine job of incorporating elements from the source material which were not in the 1967, which is able to not only make the tone a little darker but also give us a better sense of just how the order of things works. This is most notable with the Law of the Jungle, Peace Rock, and the Water Truce.

7) Idris Elba as Shere Khan.

Through the writing and his performance, Elba is able to take an already great villain from the original movie and make him even better. From the very first moment this tiger steps on screen you feel the danger he carries with him. His presence is bone chilling, heart stopping, and makes your stomach turn. Most of the original 1967 film went without Khan being seen, with his presence being felt throughout. This film makes it very clear why we should be frightened by this tiger and damn it if they don’t make him scary as hell. He’s a stand out character in a film filled with amazing characters, and I think Elba deserves a lot of the credit for that. His voice is just SO menacing it’s amazing.

8) I see a lot of movies. I’ve almost seen 500 in theaters in the past 8.75 years. I can usually tell when something is a special effect. I can usually see the seams. Yet with The Jungle Book - while I KNOW I’m looking at CG through and through - I don’t see that. I see no seams in this; I can’t tell where real life ends and the studio begins, even after I’ve seen the behind the scenes video. These are honestly some of the most impressive CGI effects I have ever seen and THAT is saying something. It is what helps make the film so effective. It doesn’t feel like a computer generated world. It feels like the jungle.

9) I think it is a smart choice having Mowgli decide to leave the pack. In the original film he can be a little passive. He just is taken from one situation to the other and rolls with it. In the 2016 version, however, he determines his own fate. He decides to leave the pack, he decides to go back and face Shere Khan, he is not as passive and that makes him more interesting.

10) Lupita Nyong’o as Raksha and is another example of the stronger relationships this film features. She also breaks my heart with what are meant to be her final words to Mowgli:

Raksha: “Never forget this: you’re mine. Mine to me. No matter where you may go or what they may call you...”

11) Ben Kingsley as Bagheera.

I discussed earlier how Bagheera's relationship with Mowgli comes off in this film than it did in the original, and Kingsley is able to portray that. Each line of dialogue is permeated with a constant care for Mowgli, expressed trhough a soft yet moving sorrow, the actions he takes for this boy, and at times angry concern. The Academy Award winner shines in the part and I don’t know that anyone else could portray Bagheera quite as well as he does.

12) If you’re not scared of Shere Khan yet, you will be. He is at his most threatening not when he comes barging in, growling and clawing at you. It’s when he’s calm. Collected. When he just sits at the top of the rock with Akeela and talks to him in a calm collected manner without ever actually looking at him. And then...

13) Scarlet Johansson as Kaa.

While only a brief appearance, Johansson is able to create a character who is chilling, frightening, and slick. It is a memorable character, switching out the humor from the original character to make one that is much more of a threat. The once peaceful “Trust in Me” is now turned into a dark and heart-pounding score as Kaa introduces some very useful exposition about Mowgli’s parentage and why exactly Shere Khan wants him dead. Again, a short scene, but a memorable one.

14) Bill Murray as Baloo.

As with the original, the life and humor in Baloo’s character are immediate. There is no topping the performance given by Phil Harris in the original, so Murray does the smart thing and doesn’t even try. Instead, he creates a much craftier Baloo than before. One who is defined by Murray’s signature sass and snark to create some incredibly funny moments. But there’s more to him than that. He is the first person to really accept Mowgli for who he is. For while Bagheera has seen it, Baloo is the first one to encourage him to be different. Mowgli has always felt bad about his “tricks” and not fitting in, and here comes Baloo who tells Mowgli he is amazing as is. It is from that solid bedrock that they are able to craft a relationship as strong as the one in the original film, one of respect and love and caring. Murray is able to play both sides of this: the con man and the loving friend. And the film is better for it.

15) This was the hardest I laughed when I saw this film.

Baloo [after three different small critters come up and comment on Mowgli constantly]: “You have never been a more endangered species than you are in this moment.”

16) Jon Favreu and Sam Raimi both cameo in this film as some of the critters which bother Baloo. Raimi is the squirrel and Favreu is the hog:

17) The inclusion of “The Bare Necessities” in this film is nice, I feel. The movie is not a musical, so Mowgli and Baloo aren’t supposed to be singing like they’re doing a big number. They’re just two friends rocking out to a song they like. Musical purists may find it painful to listen to because it’s clear they’re not classically trained, but I appreciate the honesty to it.

18) Baloo and Bagheera have a fun conflict which is established quickly in a nice banter. It’s fun then to see this conflict change to a friendship bonded over their shared concern over Mowgli.

19) I think the scene where Mowgli saves the young elephant is maybe the most important to understanding his character. He approaches a herd of elephants huddled around a pit - elephants being established as the most respected and dangerous creatures in the jungle - and after showing their respect he uses his “tricks” to save the child. It shows off Mowgli’s kindness, his ingenuity, and his bravery. And then he just says, “Hey guys,” when he sees that Baloo and Bagheera were watching like it was no big deal. Because to him it wasn’t. Someone was in trouble and he had to help. That’s who Mowgli is.

20) The scene where Baloo pushes Mowgli away breaks my heart. Because he KNOWS Mowgli needs to get away from Shere Khan to be safe, and the only reason Mowgli is sticking around (or at least the key reason) is because he wants to stay with Baloo. So what does Baloo do?

Baloo: “No, we were never friends.”

Baloo: “I don’t want you around anymore.”

And then after Mowgli runs away, he turns to Bagheera.

Baloo; “Well I did it. And that’s about the hardest thing I’ll ever do.”

Bagheera: “I know.”

21) Did I mention Baloo has some of the funniest moments in the film?

Baloo [while climbing a cliff side to get to Mowgli, after seeing a bird, laughing to himself]: “A bird! That can’t be a good sign!”

But the cliffside scene is also nice because Bagheera supports Baloo. He takes the time to let Baloo know he’s doing fine and that there’s not much more left. I love that.

22) Let’s take a second to appreciate this (keeping in mind King Louie is played by Christopher Walken): Mowgli finds a cowbell in Louie’s treasure hoard...

And then he shakes the cowbell...

(GIF source unknown [if this is your GIF please let me know].)

Only for Christopher Walken to appear.

O_O

23) Christopher Walken as King Louie.

(GIF source unknown [if this is your GIF please let me know].)

According to IMDb:

In The Jungle Book (1967), King Louie (who was created by Walt Disney_ and his people and not by Rudyard Kipling.) was an orangutan. In this film, he's a Gigantopithecus, an ancestor of the orangutan whose range is believed to have included parts of India. This change in species was made to make the film more fantastic, since it would be a good way to represent him as King of the Monkeys and to show that orangutans are not native to India.

Like Kaa, Louie’s comedy is swapped out to make him more villainous. And it works amazingly. He is more frightening and foreboding, with Walken able to make the villain truly scary. His greed (found in the original film) and desire for power is amplified even greater, and he participates in one of the greatest action set pieces the film has to offer when he chases Mowgli through the ruins (inducing even a jump scare at one point). The one issue I have is that the presence of “I Wan’na Be Like You” always felt off to me. It is one of the most iconic songs from the original, but this is not a musical. Mowgli and Baloo were singing before just as friends do, but Louie pretty much breaks into song. I appreciate it’s presence in the movie but it just feels strange to me HOW it’s included.

24) Mowgli claiming the red flower (fire) is a great way to start off the climax of this film.

It gives him a choice: he either becomes a “real” man - the kind that lives in the man village and strikes fear into the jungle’s inhabitants - or he choses to belong in the jungle and fight Shere Khan a different way. It ties directly into Mowgli’s conflict of identity and he choses the latter of the two options, throwing the fire into the water.

Shere Khan: “That was the stupidest thing you could have done.”

But it wasn’t, Shere Khan! Because what happens next? Baloo stands up to defend Mowgli first - reciting the Law of the Jungle - and everyone follows suit.

25) This line.

(Screenshot taken of a GIF originally posted by @anjelia3)

THIS is Mowgli’s conflict of identity resolved. He’s not a wolf, he’s not a panther, he’s not a bear, he’s not a monkey, he’s not a tiger, and the jungle has rejected man. But Mowgli has learned how to be a man that can live in peace with the jungle and be the best version of himself he can be.

26) The final fight between Mowgli and Shere Khan on the dead tree is a great climax. It is wildly claustrophobic and intense and shows off how Mowgli can beat Shere Khan in a battle of the minds more than a battle of strength.

27) I mentioned in my analysis of the original film I didn’t know how I felt about the ending, that Mowgli fought so hard to stay in the jungle but also had a conflict of identity and it played into the latter not the former. On the contrary, the way this film ends - with Mowgli finding his place in the jungle as a man - is a great way to resolve BOTH of those things. I personally prefer the ending of this film to the 1967 movie because of that.

The Jungle Book was one of my favorite films last year. I thought it was truly great. I think the effects knock it out of the park, Neel Sethi is incredible as our only human in the film, the voice cast kills it, and the story is just amazing. I love this film and recommend it to everyone, ESPECIALLY fans of Disney and the original book or film. I just love this movie.

[the-christian-walk]

FINDING AMAZEMENT

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com. In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word. “When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because He taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.” Matthew 7:28-29 This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God. I recently left my job to rest and recuperate from two years of working in crisis management. My time off has given me an opportunity to do things that I didn’t have time for prior.

 One of those things was to watch a couple of DVDs a friend gave me. Each had a message delivered by a fantastic evangelist and preacher by the name of Louie Giglio. Maybe you’ve been blessed with the opportunity to either see him in person or watch one of his messages as well. The two messages, “Indescribable” and “How Great Is Our God”, essentially take a look at the vast universe that God created and remind us two things. First, the works that God has done are unable to be calculated or quantified. We have no idea yet how many galaxies exist in the universe or how many stars they contain, the very stars that God made as confirmed in the following passage: “He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit.” Psalm 147:4-5 In our limited wisdom and intellect, we can’t even begin to fathom how great and awesome God is, our God who is “mighty in power” and limitless in understanding. We also can’t fully grasp just how small we are in the big picture of God’s creation. Even the smallest dot we might be able to place on a piece of paper would still make us bigger than we really are. And yet we too often carry ourselves in a way that defies humility, as if we are bigger than the One who made us. Need to always be in the right mindset and attitude toward the Lord? Then adopt these other words from the Psalmist as he writes: “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him, the son of man that You care for him?” Psalm 8:3-4 Indeed. Why should the Lord care for such an insignificant, sinful speck in His universe like me? Why should He ever be mindful of me? Of you? Of us? And yet, He loves us and sees us as fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14), each of us, all created in His own image (Genesis 1:27). Truly, the words of this praise and worship song ring true: Amazing love, how can it be? That you my King would die for me. Amazing love, I know it’s true And it’s my joy to honor You With all I do, I’ll honor You. Friends, He and He alone is worthy of our worship and praise and humble adoration. Always. The other thing we’re reminded of as we truly examine the awesome vastness of God’s mighty works is that all of it was done through His only Son, our only Savior, Jesus. Jesus was there from the very beginning. We know this through the words that open John’s gospel: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that Life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. John 1:1-5 Jesus would later remind us in this same gospel that:

 “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6 Indeed, the One who was present at the very formation of the heavens, Jesus Christ, is the only One through which we can enter them at life’s end. There is no other path, no other way, no other authority. So as we look at the final two verses from Matthew, Chapter 7, it’s little wonder that those who listened to Jesus’ sermon reacted as they did as we read: “When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because He taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.”

 As we discussed earlier in a devotional series on the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus took what was and took it to a new level. He didn’t come to replace the Old Testament law that the Israelites were so familiar with. He came to improve and enhance it. The people, limited in their understanding, had just experienced the power and authority of Christ first hand, the power and authority of the One whose understanding has no limits. And so He broadened and enriched the hearts and minds of His listeners as He taught them from the mountainside and He continues to do it to those who choose to listen to Him today. Question: What amazes you? Is it people who are adept at magic or illusions? Is it exceptional performances in film or music or sports? Or is it any of the world’s structures that may get dubbed as a “wonder of the world”? Frankly, there are so many other things that are amazing but they are things we too typically take for granted. Take nature for example. Every animal, every fish, every bird, every tree, every flower - everything in nature was created by the Lord, unique and purposeful in their own ways. Look at nature and look with amazement at the incredible craftsmanship of the Lord. How about the birth of a baby?

 There are roughly 340,000 births every day in the world, each beautiful and precious additions to God’s child population, each carefully and skillfully formed in the mother’s womb before emerging into the world of their Creator.

 Do you ever get tired of seeing the beautiful innocence that is found in a newborn baby?

 I know I don’t.

 They are one of the Lord’s most amazing miracles, ones He repeats over and over and over and over. And again, just go out on a clear night and look up into the sky. Everything that you see - the moon, the planets, and the stars - were all designed and placed there by the Lord. Now consider that in the vastness of space, there is so much there that we can’t see and will most probably never see in our lifetime. You only need to look to our universe to get a glimpse of how big the Lord is and how very small we are. Yes, all around us there are signs of the Lord’s handiwork. We are also exposed to His amazing grace and mercy and love, all brought to us through one other incredibly amazing display of power and authority displayed by Jesus. For after He was nailed to a cross for the sins of mankind, had shed His blood, died and was buried, believed dead forever, He was resurrected to new life, conquering death and the graver so whosoever would believe in Him would have the chance to do likewise.

 Could there ever be anything more amazing than that?

 Could there ever be something so blessed as that?

 Indeed, in life now and forever more, there isn’t anything more amazing than Jesus, who will always take the ordinary and make it extraordinary, with a power and authority that will always leave us awestruck.   Amen. In Christ, Mark PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com

[thedramafilesblog-blog]

It has been a year since Jubiemon and I decided to start The Drama Files! Time has flown by so fast! So much so that it feels like just yesterday we were getting all set up for this blog. We thought about what we wanted to do for a special “One Year Anniversary Post” and we decided to write about our Kdrama blogging journey. It has been quite an experience and some strange things have happened to us in this virtual reality since starting this blog ranging from getting hated on on Twitter for our “unpopular” opinions to discovering that fangirls come in all kind of shapes and sizes and can be found in the unlikeliest of places! So, we decided to answer some questions about what this year of blogging has been like for us.

Actual footage of Jubiemon and RedRosette making plans

Why did we start this blog?

RedRosette J: This is such a funny question to me. This blog was born out of Jubiemon and I’s constant bitching and complaining about how awful Scarlet Heart Ryeo was. We found ourselves with so many thoughts and opinions about it that we felt maybe others would share and decided to start a “drama review blog”. We really wanted it to be a unique blog where we didn’t filter our opinions and thoughts to please the masses. We wanted it to be real and uncensored opinions about dramas by real people. We decided on a “law-themed” reviewing system because we are law students and live and breathe these structures everyday. It was definitely more fun to apply these techniques that we were learning in school to reviewing dramas than it was to doing actual school work!

Jubiemon J: I think we were sitting in a boring class as well when we were complaining about Scarlet Heart Ryeo. Then we suddenly went, “Why don’t we blog about this but make it a bit more interesting by taking it through a legal writing point of view?” Obviously, we comforted ourselves by saying that we were practicing our writing. Hahaha. Ironically, I think it did push us to be more concise and to focus on areas where we were lacking. Later, we wanted to point out some issues in legal dramas so people aren’t misinformed. Sadly, there haven’t been any interesting legal dramas going on nowadays. We’re still waiting for the next hit legal drama!

Us thinking about blogging like…

What expectations did we have about blogging?

RedRosette J: I have blogged sporadically before so I wasn’t a complete newbie to blogging but I did have certain expectations of what blogging would be like. I thought it would be quick and take up little time. I mean how hard is it to type stuff up on a page and hit publish right? I also thought that doing screenshots of dramas takes little to no time and that I would have tons of time left. All in all, in my head, blogging seemed like an afterthought rather than an actual thing that you do as a hobby.

Jubiemon J: I had a few blogs here and there; however, I was never committed to any of them. I got bored of them very easily and found that other parts of my life took over. Oddly, this blog has kept going. I think it’s because RedRosette is there too so it’s easier when there’s two of us! Two = better than one!

I don’t think I’ve ever had expectations for any of the projects that I’ve been through. I’ve always been the sort to jump into it and do things!

RedRosette J: I agree with Jubiemon. Doing this blog together really makes a difference!

Us thinking that blogging would be a piece of cake

What was the reality of blogging like?

RedRosette J: The reality of blogging is so different from my expectations of what blogging is actually like. I spent an obscene amount of time take screenshots while watching dramas. Sometimes I’d end up spending about 2 hours on a 45 minute drama! It took even longer to edit the screenshots. I was not expecting that. I was also not expecting to spend so much time writing. Although we have been a bit slow with posts in the past few months, mostly because a) Jubiemon and I had real life commitments and b) the dramas have been such crap and not worth writing about, at the beginning of the blog, getting used to writing all the time took a really long time. I was spending most of my downtime during school writing for The Drama Files. It became my hobby and turned into something totally fun to do when I wasn’t worrying about school!

Us trying to balance school and blogging like…

Jubiemon J: The reality of blogging . . . is a lot more hard work and dedication than I thought like RedRosette mentioned.

It’s funny. I never time my posts, probably because I’d freak out on how long it takes me to complete a post. I think, generally, it takes a good one to three hours to pump out a post; this doesn’t include taking screenshots and watching the clip. If RedRosette is there to help out with the post, then the time gets reduced. If the post has a lot of deep/philosophical concepts, then sometimes I might dedicate at least half a day to three days to the post (i.e. the Boku no Unmei no Hito desu posts and the BTS posts).

I think the toughest posts I’ve made have been related to BTS’s “Blood, Sweat & Tears” Japanese MV because I had to not only read “Demian” and scholarly articles about the concepts within “Demian“, but also think about how all the past BTS MVs relate to “Blood, Sweat & Tears”. I even had a little diagram I made to figure out what each character represented.

What I didn’t expect was how I worked, in terms of blogging. I end up being the sort that would have to sit down and plough through everything in one go without any breaks. If I take a break, then I lose my train of thought and then I get lazy and don’t feel like writing.

Us when we finish reviewing a drama

Why did we decide to branch out to reviewing Kpop?

RedRosette J:  If you guys follow us you will know that the only Kpop we review is related to BTS. I think its because a) we (and by that I mostly mean Jubiemon ;)) are huge fans and b) BTS has content in their music that is most of the time not shallow, pretty philosophical and engages with issues that impact young adults. On an intellectual level, BTS provides excellent blogging fodder!

Jubiemon J: The other backstory was that for the “Spring Day” post (our first BTS review), RedRosette and I both felt that this song was about reminiscing a friend who had disappeared/committed suicide, but then we didn’t see any theories about this. RedRosette suggested that I could start a post, so I did. That post surprisingly . . . led to far more views than I expected and I had a lot of fun analyzing the song and the MV.

Yes, we’re both fans of BTS because of their music, talent, and personalities. I love anything that makes my brain work and like RedRosette mentioned, BTS’ music and MVs intellectually stimulate us.

  What impact has Kdrama blogging had on our real lives?

RedRosette J: I think for me, it became an outlet to share my thoughts about the dramas that I was watching and that I really enjoyed. My close friends (with the exception of Jubiemon) and family do not watch dramas, so for me, it was a nice way to talk about what I enjoyed with others who like dramas as well. It is also very nice to have a hobby that is completely unrelated to the things you do in real life in most ways LOL!

Jubiemon J: I grew up in a household where I watched dramas as a hobby. It’d be the reward my mom would let me have after I finished homework. I started off watching mostly J-dramas and Chinese dramas. Later, I started watching K-dramas too. However, we never really talked about the dramas in detail, so blogging became a good outlet!

Us, pre-Drama Files

Has blogging changed our perception of Kdramas?

RedRosette J: I think it has. After starting the blog, I realized that I was looking for themes and content in dramas more than I had before. I was also constantly looking for cute shots that I could capture for screenshots for the blog, even if we weren’t reviewing the drama LOL! In the grand scheme of things, my thoughts about Kdramas haven’t really changed though. I still love makjang dramas even though they are absolute trash and I could rip them to shreds in a blog post. I do however feel often that I don’t want to review a drama that I enjoy watching because I find that if I had to review it, I’d end up taking it apart and nit-picking and end up not liking it as much. So in that sense, dramas changed for me.

Jubiemon J: I think nowadays, Redrosette and I will always think . . . is this new drama going to be something that we’d review? Like Redrosette, I’d always think more about themes and symbols now.

Us, trying to think of themes 10 seconds into a drama

Why did we decide to branch out to J-dramas?

Jubiemon J: I was watching Boku no Unmei no Hito desu and I remembered telling RedRosette how great this drama was and how I’d love to review it. RedRosette encouraged me to do a review and I just went all out. This was also the first time I did a drama series review by myself, so I realized how much dedication and time RedRosette has put into screen shotting. (She usually takes care of screenshots when the two of us review and generally, I’m the one that starts the post and adds the tags.)

What drama did you enjoy reviewing?

Jubiemon J: I really, really enjoyed reviewing Boku Unmei no Hito desu, even when the ending was kind of disappointing. The drama had a lot of interesting symbols and themes, which I loved analyzing.

RedRosette J: I really enjoyed reviewing The K2. Mostly because it was an absolute shit show (ramen dancing, underground super computers and incessant running) and awesomely fun to review. It was also the first drama that I reviewed on my own so it was fun to learn about blogging through this drama.

Sidenote: I also really enjoyed reviewing Shopping King Louie because I loved how every 10 seconds was something super cute. I remember constantly whining to Jubiemon about how I had way too many screenshots for this drama LOL!

What do we hope to do in the future on the Drama Files?

RedRosette J: We want to keep reviewing dramas and BTS Kpop and we hope that people will continue to read out mish-mashed thoughts on it. Although time has become an issue this year, we hope to review as many dramas as we can in our available time. Huge thanks to everyone who has been following us and reading our posts too! ❤

Jubiemon J: I’m hoping to review a few more J-dramas if I find one that really captures my attention. I’ve been thinking about doing movie reviews as well, but not sure when that’ll happen. Of course, I will continue on reviewing the BTS MVs and albums!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DRAMA FILES!

        THE DRAMA FILES CELEBRATES ONE YEAR! It has been a year since Jubiemon and I decided to start The Drama Files! Time has flown by so fast!

[dreamcatch22]

Dream Blog: Spain's Best Library

August 23rd, 2016:

George the Orangutan carefully landed the jet on the parking lot next to one of the best libraries in Spain. The library was simply called Spain’s Best Library. Our pilot left the cockpit and stood in front of us.

“Gentlemen! Welcome to Spain! I know it felt like a long flight, but I’ve been on longer flights. I know my Uncle Louie would be proud of me for all the flying that I do.”

We formed a single file line and followed George the Orangutan out of the jet. I heard him humming the song, “Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)” by Scatman John, to himself. Many people walked into the library at the same exact time as my allies and me. I had a feeling that an exciting event was about to start. Once we entered, I felt astonished at how big the main level of this library was. I might as well have walked into an arena. The circulation desk was easily bigger than our jet. I also noticed that a stage was set up to the left of the circulation desk. I caught a band hauling their equipment onto the stage when we walked into the library. To the right of the circulation desk, a car show had just started.

George the Orangutan turned around and looked at us. He sang to us, “I’m going to check out this car show. If you need me, I’ll be over here looking at all of the cars.”

I could tell that George the Orangutan was trying to impersonate Frank Sinatra.

“Hey George. Why are you singing? It’s not a big deal. I’m just want to know why,” I asked politely.

“Whenever I’m excited, I start singing just like my Uncle Louie, who wanted to be just like you. Hahaha!” replied George the Orangutan.

“Why does your Uncle Louie want to be just like me, George?”

“William, it isn’t just you. My Uncle Louie wanted to be just like all humans. That was his favorite thing to sing about back when he was the king of the jungle.”

“Alright, that’s neat. I remember that you briefly mentioned something about Louie back when I had to go to Seattle.”

Before George the Orangutan left us, we just stood there briefly and stared at the main level to this library out of awe. We turned our heads to look at all of the rows of books engulfing both the car show and the concert that was about to start. Drool dripped from Will Smith’s mouth while he looked up at the ceiling instead of the collection of books or the two events. DJ Khaled teared up while analyzing how the books were organized throughout the main level.

He leaned toward me and whispered, “William, this is amazing. Our world needs more libraries like this place. The youth needs to understand the importance of reading. They must have the desire to read. I love this place.”

I bluntly replied, “I know.”

DJ Khaled patted me on the shoulder and waved at George the Orangutan.

“Hey George! May I join you for the car show? I need to buy some more vehicles for some future music videos. The musicians on my record label will thank me for it later,” requested DJ Khaled.

“Sure, buddy! Follow meeeeeee!” crooned George the Orangutan.

DJ Khaled and George the Orangutan walked away to the car show. Before I could walk away to the stage, Will Smith tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around, and he looked at me as if he wanted my permission for him to go somewhere.

“I’m bored,” said Will Smith without any hesitation.

“What?!?” I responded slightly perturbed.

“I don’t wanna be here.”

“Will, a show is about to start. Let’s go watch this band. It’ll be fun.”

“Yeah, Will. I’m surprised to hear that you’re bored. I’m sure this band will be great,” contributed Stinky.

We walked closer to the stage. The band just finished setting up their speakers, microphones, and guitar pedals. They also completed soundcheck just in time.

The lead singer stepped up to his microphone and shouted, “Welcome, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Jeffrey Walker. We are Carcass, and we play death metal!”

Carcass immediately played their classic 1993 album, Heartwork, in its entirety. Stinky and I started dancing along with everyone else. In Spain, people don’t mosh during rock shows. Instead, they just dance as if they were at a rave or even a prom dance. Will Smith just stood there. He didn’t know what to do.

Stinky exclaimed into my ear, “William, this band is really, really loud. They’re kinda scary too, but I like them.”

“Carcass is awesome! They’re one of the best death metal bands ever!” I remarked as if my response was law.

We kept dancing with some of the other attendees as if we didn’t have a single worry on our minds. When Carcass finished the last song on Heartwork, we applauded and cheered.

Everyone in attendance chanted, “Encore! Encore! Encore! Encore! Encore!”

Jeffrey Walker concluded after the show, “Sorry everyone, but that’s the end of our set. However, we have some good news. We are actually just the opening act for another band. Before we leave the stage, I want to introduce the Rugrats as Public Enemy!”

Tommy Pickles walked onto the stage right after the members of the Carcass walked off the stage and went to the car show on the other side of the library. He wore a leather coat and a Baltimore Orioles hat along with his signature blue shirt and diaper. Chuckie Finster walked closely behind Tommy onto the stage. He had on a pair of sunglasses, a huge clock draped around his neck, and a helmet with two bullhorns sticking out from each side. Chuckie was also still wearing his signature blue shirt with a planet on it, his green shirts, and his red shoes.  I figured out that Tommy was trying to resemble Chuck D and that Chuckie was trying to resemble Flavor Flav. Phil and Lil DeVille ran onto the stage and destroyed the drum set. They threw parts of the drum set into the audience. I caught a cymbal and threw it to another patron as if it was a frisbee. Then, the twins built a DJ booth while Tommy and Chuckie sang a song about their hero, Reptar.