#1 understanders of shameless women and their complexity

[cherry-treelane]

I find it so ironically funny when hardcore Debbie defenders use the defense that she was just a victimised teenage girl (agreed) and then proceed to slander Fiona and express their hatred for her character and lack of sympathy

as if being an adult magically absolves an individual of the horrifying trauma that precedes them and screws up their mentality and actions

funnily enough these people get mad at others for "expecting Debbie to be an innocent angel and hating on her for acting out as a result of trauma" (also agreed, debbie does deserve more sympathy, she can't be expected to grow up to be a perfect saint when she's been through so much) yet seem to hold Fiona to the same unattainable standards and put her on a pedestal as if she wasnt a child that was forced to intensely grow up while never actually being raised

like lets put this into perspective and remember that fiona grew up surrounded by corrupt morals and insanely screwed up behaviour yet still emerged as messed up, yes, but surprisingly good considering the situation she was in??? she had to navigate basic things such as morals and being a good, responsible person on her own. imagine how difficult it must be to lead a bunch of kids, including yourself, with no previous role model or good example of your own to follow. most of the time, she always tried to do what she thought was best and would have the most desirable outcome

[confluence-and-drift]

I know this is hardly an original observation, but upon checking out some zionist blogs just to see what kind of talking points are going around, it's nothing but *whataboutism to justify genocide*, *killing people is bad so the palestinians should stop and we blameless jews will consider doing likewise*, *some of the most sickeningly virulent racism concievable*, *as above regarding dead children this time*, *bad faith argument x, *bad faith argument y*, *something that shows the op is either a bloodthirsty monster or a fucking idiot *, *their pathetic little victim complex being used to justify crimes against humanity, AGAIN*, *calling anyone who thinks genocide is bad a nazi, see even Germany agree*, *israel isn't bad YOU'RE antisemitic n+1* ad nauseum.... It's such delusional bullshit that it goes past being sickening and gets into the surreal. And these are just the english stuff or that where the hebrew text could be highlighted and copy-pasted into google translate. Imagine the sheer scale of the violent bloodthirst that they're NOT openly expressing, ie. how violent bloodthirst is typically expressed. I know, objectively speaking, what we're observing is the effect of a 'nation-state' founded on lies, genocide and propaganda to justify it afterwards, and that survives due to lies, genocide and propaganda to justify it afterwards, but seeing the sheer brutality playing out whilst they bleat and whine about being the perpetual victims whilst gleefully celebrating the mass slaughter of innocent civilians who they've subjected to a long, slow apartied and ethnic cleansing over 70 years...

It's...pretty fucked up, ngl. I mean, it's not like a country being full of delusional morons is hardly new, I live in the UK, but the zionist entity really is a different beast, where the more you learn the more horrifying it gets and to add the fucked up cherry on the fucked up cake, you get the zionists bleating about they're so good and perfect and if any of our leaders dare say otherwise, well then a quick word with the zionist lobby later and they'll have changed their mind somehow... The shameless weaponising of antisemitism, the even more shameless usage of deliberate paralells to antisemitic acts in order to have a pre-loaded riposte to anyone who points out that making a game out of sniping pregnant women and children in the head (and manufacturing and distributing t-shirts boasting of their kill count...like consider how fucked a society has to be before that is even possible...) is kind of fucked up. It's like getting a glimpse into a sick, parody universe full of some of the most heinous bullshit imaginable and then some, insulting to the memory of those who survived the holocaut, you know, the genocide that they use as a convieniently universal and all-encompassing cassus beli ...... and we're just supposed to pretend this murderous little ethnostate is a normal country otherwise we're the bad ones? Otherwise we're the ones desecrating the memories of those who paid the ultimate price fighting facism?

No. Fuck that, that's utterly perverse and I refuse to play along with the sick pantomime that western geo-political interests demand that we do.

*sigh* Basically, I'm feeling sickened and despondent and am going to go relax after the recent additions to the zionist blocklist (I said I'd read what they think and try to understand them, not that I'd subject myself regularly to the putrid drivel that they mindlessly regurgitate - remember, block and don't engage, these people need genuine experts to deprogram the racist hatred that they're taught virtually from birth. (no seriously, reading the translations of some of the stuff they're taught in nursery/kindergarten is fucking chilling). Now for the obligatory disclaimer; I'm not a bigot nor whatever else the usual cadre of braindead scum would accuse me of. In fact, some of the people I respect the most are those citizens of the zionist entity that refuse to participate (5-15% of the populace, depending on sources, though most are towards the lower end of that) and seek to document and inform the world of the crimes of the land where, by accident of birth, they're forced to live. My heart genuinely goes out to those young kids whose choices are conscription (a fucked up and unethical concept even in a normal country...and they're not in a normal country) and carrying out genocide and ethnic cleansing or jail time. And the fact that there are young folk, teenagers, who look at this, the MASSIVE societal pressure, the ostracism, the violence they themselves are subjected to and choose the jail time, understanding that said jail time is a paid holiday compared to what your average Palestinian is subjected to by the occupation. They're folk who had the integrity to realise "Never Again" means "Never Again for ANYONE", and that makes them bigger heroes than any uniformed murderer posting snuff videos and 'trophies' to tiktok. Going to end this here, as having a rant about everything foul and perverse about the zionist entity and it's genocidal actions is an entire academic discipline's worth of writing and far more eloquent folk than I have made that point/written those books, and it's better you go read some of those. One day, in our lifetimes, Palestine will be free, from the river to the sea.

[charwinism03]

Shameless Review GWSS

The TV show, Shameless, follows a large white family with absentee parents, navigating a life of poverty in Chicago. We chose to do a review on this show because it presents many powerful issues in casual ways, and shows the often controversial perspectives of the low class main characters and how they interact with people oppressed by other factors.

The themes touched on this tv show are very political and social related, just as we can read on the title, the show addresses those themes shamelessly, they are portrayed in a realistic way, they are a reflection of the modern american society and its issues, often not taking a side part on the issues but been develop as we could see them on real life, the themes are mostly sensitives, some examples are abortion, gentrification, sexism, grooming, LGBTQ+, drugs addictions, racism, poverty etc. very much mature themes and written on a non correct political way.  These controversial themes are shown through charismatic characters, the protagonists are the Gallagher family formed by Frank Gallagher, (father) Fiona, (oldest daughter) Lip, (oldest brother) Ian, (middle brother) Debbie and Carl, (youngest siblings). Their dynamics are mostly dysfunctional but relatable especially to the middle and lower class families. 

Paul Abbott is a British television writer and producer who created "Shameless". Abbott was well-known for his work on highly rated television shows including "State of Play" and "Clocking Off" prior to "Shameless." His skill for character-driven storytelling and complicated plots, which frequently explored working-class life and sociopolitical themes, was on display in these shows.

It's critical to comprehend Abbott's past in order to appreciate "Shameless." The show’s tone and direction were probably inspired by his thematic interests in exposing the challenges of working-class families and developing multifaceted characters. Considering how his narrative has changed over the course of several episodes gives viewers a context for understanding the complexities and depth of "Shameless" as well as the larger thematic themes at work. Essentially, Abbott's creative background enhances the viewing experience by providing perspectives on the narrative decisions and character growth made in the show.

Shameless Season 1 Episode 11 “Daddy’s Girl” Review 

By Evelyn Alfaro

 November 2023 

The episode starts by showing Fiona, one of  key female characters of this episode being overwhelmed by her duties as the oldest daughter of her family, she has to attend her little sister mom’s club, where she meets a woman named Jasmine who seems to be different from the other mean and superficial mom’s in the club. Fiona also has to constantly look after her other three brothers which often get in trouble, the oldest brother Lip, is important in this episode because his partner Karen, second key female character for this episode is going through an emotional breakdown as her dad shamed her about her sexual life at a public event. Fiona’s family counts with only a single parent, the father, who is having trouble keeping a stable job and because of that he applies to dangerous jobs, hurting himself in order to collect the insurance as a fast way to get money. 

The main race show on this episode is white, the main family of the show are all white however they are a low income white family, besides that the characters still gets white privilege, some examples are the way the father and oldest brothers are mentioned and show to committed several felonies in this episode however they are not heavily treated by the law and the police, not as a black man for example would. Fiona feels out of place at the mom’s reunion, despite the fact that most of the women there are white she noticed that they are more privileged by having time to attend those clubs or going for coffee in the middle of the day. In the episode only one person of color is shown. A male,  he is one of the dad’s coworkers who has a dangerous job but is good at it, the episode lacks character of color but showed him as a kind man which I find goodly surprised considering the behavior of the other males in this episode. Gender is shown in a normative way and oftenly stereotypical for all characters. The amount of screen time female and male characters had are the same however the participation of the female characters are much more relevant for the episodes plot. Starting with Fiona whose character is in constant pressure to fill a mother role, her character is locked on the sexist idea that it is her responsibility to take care of the house and her siblings just because she is the next older woman in the family. She also struggles with having to work to feed her family since her dad is an alcoholic who doesn't pay much attention to his kids, with his behavior it gets harder  for the family to achieve a better economic situation. The show portrays the male figure as careless and violent however they are still at some point written to be charismatic which I sense is done as a way to justify or softer those male characters actions.  

The secondary plot of the episode is focused on Karen, she is inconform on the gender expectations her family has put on her. By this character being a white young woman from a Christian family her gender and sexuality is expected to be traditional and conservative with a huge importance on keeping her “purity”. Other way in which sexuality can be analyzed on this episode is with Fiona’s and Jasmine’s relationship that starts as an awkward friendship, Jasmine shows a lot of interest on Fiona and they end up having close interactions, the episode does not clarify that relationship but we can understand that Jasmine is a queer character who has not came out since she is revel to have a husband and Fiona might also be queer but she still is trying to figure it out. The episode does a good job showing lgbtq+ relationships since it portrays them organically and not hetero normative, both characters are comfortable on their femininity, it also gives visibility to queer relationships between women which are not much seen on shows as for example male/male queer relationships are. Going back to the character of Karen, she puts herself in dangerous sexual situations. I analyzed this behavior as a way for her to navigate with the trauma/ humiliation her dad perpetuated on her, as she was seeking a way to feel control over her body. This character is treated in a misogynistic way even by her partner Lip who was supposed to be understanding since Karen trusts him, he calls her a whore for showing being upset with her dad. The show in this episode addresses psychological domestic violence towards women, with Fiona and Karen characters that are shown to be struggling with their mental health because of their family and partners, the violence towards them being linked to their gender, economic status and religion. 

Shameless Season 6 Episode 4 “Going Once, Going Twice” Review

By Phoebe Le

November 2023

In "Shameless" Season 6, Episode 4, the Gallagher family faces a series of challenges as their extended family puts their home up for public auction. Fiona, the oldest daughter, takes center stage in this episode as she works tirelessly to secure funds to prevent the loss of their home. The family's financial struggles are further complicated by Chuckie's release from juvie, leading him to stay with the Gallaghers due to his mother Sammi's incarceration. Debbie, another Gallagher sibling, takes on a nanny role for the Wexler family, hoping for financial support from Mr. Wexler after Erika, the dying mother, passes away.

In terms of gender representation, the episode delves into Fiona's struggle as the mother figure of the household, highlighting the challenges women face in a working-class environment. Frank, the supposed father figure, reinforces gender stereotypes by attempting to match Debbie with an older man, emphasizing economic dependence. The show addresses gender dynamics through Fiona's fight for independence, defying traditional roles. 

Race is subtly explored in the context of neighborhood gentrification, shedding light on racialized consequences and the impact on communities of color. The Gallagher family, portrayed as a low-income white family, faces inequality and struggles against systemic issues. While the show addresses race, it occasionally falls short of providing a comprehensive examination, relying on stereotypes at times.

The presumed genders of the main characters align with their portrayed identities, with Fiona as a woman and Frank as a man. In terms of speaking roles, the episode focuses heavily on Fiona's struggles, but the male characters, including Lip and Frank, contribute significantly to the main storyline. The show occasionally relies on stereotypes, such as Frank's attempt to match Debbie based on economic stability.

Sexuality is not explicitly highlighted in this episode, as the primary focus is on the family's financial struggles. However, the show, in general, explores diverse sexualities, as seen in earlier seasons with Ian's character and his battle with bipolar disorder.

The episode indirectly addresses political issues related to socioeconomic struggles, gender disparities, and racial dynamics. Fiona's pursuit of economic independence reflects broader discussions on gender inequalities, while the racialized consequences of gentrification contribute to a broader understanding of class dynamics in urban environments. Overall, "Shameless" intertwines personal struggles with broader societal issues, providing a complex portrayal of a working-class family facing multifaceted challenges.

Shameless Season 6, Episode 6, “NSFW” review

Charlotte Nelson

November 2023

In this episode of Shameless we find the Gallagher siblings navigating their lives after losing the home all of them grew up in. As Fiona does everything in her power to get the house back, Lip faces a disciplinary board after his affair with his professor becomes extremely public. Ian begins to pursue Caleb, a local firefighter. A still pregnant Debbie, finds refuge at the house she is nannying for and is encouraged to throw a gender-reveal party. Carl, who's fresh out of juvie and still dealing drugs,  affords himself a hotel room. Liam stays with Fiona at her boyfriend Seans apartment. 

Shameless, though including some diversity, is thoroughly lacking in racial representation that doesn't abide stereotypes surrounding different races. There have been times in which issues of racism are addressed and highlighted as a prevailing issue, however this does not dismiss the show's own use of stereotypical characterizations. Yes, Fiona's best friend Veronica is a black woman, but she is often depicted as loud, angry, hypersexual, and lacking maternal instincts.  Carl's friend, Nick, who only appears in this season is a black man who is portrayed as rash, uncommunicative, and violent. This episode specifically concludes with Nick being arrested (again) after killing a kid over a stolen bike. Furthermore in this episode, there are child refugees from Myanmar who know how to handle guns, and are categorized as “pants-shittingly scary”(0:38:49 ). White characters obviously face no discrimination based on their race, however their socioeconomic status furthers the notion that they are “white trash”, which I will expand on later.

This episode had no representation of non-binary, transgender, or a-gendered characters. While the exclusivity is unfortunate, it's pleasantly surprising that there hasn't been distasteful jokes towards these people, considering the dark-comedic nature of the show. In regards to the male and female characters, there is a seemingly good split as to who is on-screen and talking. With the multitude of individual storylines to follow, the show thoroughly covers each. Because of their unique circumstances the applications of gender roles only apply somewhat to characters. Fiona, for example, takes on both stereotypically male and female roles. She took on the maternal role of raising her younger siblings, and did other caregiving tasks such as cleaning, grocery shopping, and overall management of the kids. Simultaneously she took on being the main source of income so as to pay the bills. In this episode specifically, she is burdened with the responsibility of getting the Gallagher house back, all while working at her diner job and taking care of the youngest brother, Liam. Other examples of defying stereotypes would be Veronica and Kevin, who sort of swapped traditional gender roles. Kevin took better care of their new-born twins than did Veronica and so he became a semi-stay at home dad, while she ran their business.

Sexuality, in both a sexual-orientation and  literal way is discussed pretty openly in Shameless. Ian, the third oldest, came out early on in the series as gay. Interestingly,  Ian of all characters is the one who inherited their bisexual mothers bi-polar disorder. While this could simply be coincidence, there seems to be some underlying implications that the sparse LGBTQ+ representatives have the same mental disorder… In this episode, he goes on a date with his new love interest, Caleb. The two are shown kissing during their second date. While this isn't true  for every episode, this was the only physically intimate scene in this one. Sex itself is openly explored throughout every season. In this episode, Debbie is encouraged by Frank (the Gallahgers alcoholic father) to perform sexual acts for Erika, the woman shes nannying for. Frank states that now that Erika is in remission for her cancer, they will not need Debbie to nanny anymore, so she must find another way to stay. Their storyline concludes with Debbie laying down next to Erika. Whether or not they did anything sexual is unclear. Meanwhile, Lip  is placed in front of a faculty disciplinary board to defend the professor with whom he was having sex. Lip is portrayed as sort of emotionally detached, but this is the first relationship where he admits to loving someone- and not just in it for the sex. While it isn't uncommon to see multiple sex scenes in a single episode, there were none in this one.

The Gallaghers themselves are a stereotype - a large, poor, irish family, with an alcoholic father- so it's no surprise that the show is swimming in stereotypical depictions. As I previously mentioned, the Gallaghers class and race places them in what has been previously referred to as “white trash”. Caleb even says to Ian, “Okay so you're a street rat; A brawler.” (0:22:51) when Ian shares that he's from the southside. Keeping these notions in mind, we see the following stereotypes in this episode: Poor people as alcoholics/drug addicts, such as Frank and Monica; As drug dealers such as Carl and Nick; As pregnant teens such as Debbie; As moochers such as Ian; As absent parents Frank and Monica; And as immoral people such as Fiona. These depictions exist beyond this episode and more appear the longer you watch.

Shameless indirectly comments on many political issues. Most apparent in this episode are abortion and gentrification. Debbie and Fiona found out that they were pregnant at the same time. Both of them are no longer with the father of their babies and neither of them are financially available for parenthood. The key differences are that Debbie is a teen, and is keeping her baby and Fiona is an adult and is getting an abortion. They both have strong negative feelings about the other's decision and this causes a huge divide between them. Debbie, who grew up babysitting neighborhood kids for extra cash, is desperate and excited to be a mother whereas Fiona, who raised and paid for her siblings, is not ready. This tension shows alternative opinions on abortion and how influential it can be in one's perception of someone else. After Fiona got her abortion, Sean emphasizes the importance of recovering physically and emotionally and ensures that Fiona is okay after the fact. The second topic indirectly mentioned is gentrification. The whole reason that Fiona can't get the house back is because they were out-bought by a wealthier couple, looking to fix-up their house. After the inspector reveals all of the safety and structural issues of the house, the couple no longer wants it. Though the Gallaghers are willing to take the house as-is, Fiona is forced to take out a loan. When that is not enough, Carl digs up drug money and gives it to Fiona to get their house back.  

Shameless Season 5, episode 3: “The Two Lisas”

Avery Connell

November 2023

This episode follows the gentrification of the main characters’ neighborhood as perpetuated by a lesbian couple, showing Gallagher family patriarch Frank attempting to scare off the two both named Lisa who are buying up property in the neighborhood. Meanwhile, Debbie, feeling insecure of her womanhood, throws a wild party and loses her virginity by accidentally raping one of her friends. Fiona agrees to go to a concert with a guy and discovers he has a girlfriend, Carl discovers a hidden talent and Ian goes on a crazed cleaning spree and asks Lip to help convince his ex-girlfriend Mandy not to move to Indiana with her abusive boyfriend. The themes of this episode strongly connect to what we have learned about intersectionality, gendered expectations, and the socialist feminist ideas about the economic relation to oppression.

The issue of gentrification is tackled satisfactorily in this episode with its portrayal of different examples of effects of it, as well as the reactions and opinions of different characters. In the beginning of the episode we see a blatant example of the negative impacts of gentrification, as a family with three children is forcibly moved out of their home of thirteen years because the bank foreclosed. Over the course of the episode Frank takes a strong stance against these changes, attempting to convince Sheila not to sell her house, and recruiting Carl to run the lesbian realtor couple out of the neighborhood. He tries to get his point across, saying that “the whole neighborhood is doomed”, and “they're tearing up our soil and dropping in flower gardens and yoga studios, gastropubs and stores for dog clothes.” Many might not see a problem with these additions, however things like this are added in an attempt to make a neighborhood nicer in order to encourage people to want to move there, while the people who are already living there aren't necessarily doing so because they want to but because they can't afford anything else. When the neighborhood is made more desirable, others are willing to pay more to live there than the people of lower classes who are already there can afford, so they are kicked out of their homes. Opposing views to this are shown in the dialogues as well, such as in characters like Fiona, who says, “That could be a good thing. A way for us to get out of the hood without leaving.” This stance shows how people can be complicit in these issues which hurt others, for their own benefit. Though the realtors are taking advantage of others and kicking them out of their homes, Fiona does not care as long she is able to keep hers.

Another issue that is touched on in this episode is casual racism. During the episode we’re shown an interaction between Lip and his boss in which Lip asks if they get extra pay for working holidays and his boss replies that they don’t get extra pay for any of the holidays, “And definitely not the one for the blacks”. He then continues to tell Lip that if he’s looking for workers comp, “the comp stands for competition from the Mexicans who all want [his] job.” This scene exemplifies the common culture in workplaces allowing these offensive comments. Due to this culture, Lip’s boss sees nothing wrong with making these comments, and because he has the power in the situation, individuals such as Lip become enablers for fear of losing their job. This exposes a common sort of cycle: because the boss has power, workers ignore his comments and attitudes, but because they ignore it, he keeps this power and no change ever occurs.

A final issue that is tackled in this episode is that of gender identity in relation to sex and virginity. One of the plotlines of the episode follows Debbie struggling with her womanhood after she is not invited to a party because she is a virgin. She decides to throw her own party at which she has intercourse with an older guy who is too drunk to consent. The next morning she goes onto her porch and yells, “I AM A WOMAN”. This is a display of how young girls are affected by the societal expectations and pressures on women surrounding sex. Debbie took drastic measures in an attempt to make her feel secure in her womanhood and only felt worthy of the title of “woman” once she was no longer a virgin. Further, this occurrence explores the expectation that all men enjoy sex all of the time, and the idea that a man can not be raped. Debbie confides in her brother about the issue saying, “I thought he would like it. I thought all guys do.” This experience, born of Debbie’s insecurities due to gendered expectations relating to sex, in addition exposes those expectations faced by men. Toxic masculinity dictates that men always want sex, however this is not always the truth, and it is men’s right as well as women’s to be asked for consent before engaging in any sexual activity.

Overall, this episode is sufficient in its presentation of gender, race, and class dynamics. The overarching plot of this episode successfully conveys many facets of gentrification, as well as shows how the problem appears in everyday life, however it does not go very in depth on the negative impacts. The depiction of Lip’s interaction with his boss succeeds in highlighting a very present issue, as well as displaying workplace dynamics, however it is very brief and the problem is not explored thoroughly. Debbie’s struggles with her womanhood in relation to sex, and subsequently her understanding of men giving consent, satisfactorily depicts problems that women as well as men face due to societal expectations, however shows only a small piece of it. In terms of representation, the episode succeeds in showing sexualities other than heterosexual, with two main characters, Ian and Mickey being a gay couple, the realtors that the episode is named after, Lisa and Lisa, being a lesbian couple, and a side plot of Fiona being romantically pursued by a rich woman. The episode is also partially successful in its gender representation, as male and female characters have equal screen time, however there are no non-binary or agender characters. Finally, the episode fails in its representation of different races, as there are only three characters of color shown in the episode, and they are only seen briefly. To conclude, this episode of Shameless adequately demonstrates topics relating to gender, race, and class issues.

[elenamcwrites]

folklore - a reading

If you’re a swiftie (officially not capitalized now), like me, you’ve probably been experiencing the mystical reverb and spiritual reckoning that is folklore. You’ve also probably been reading plenty of reviews and analysis articles--there are some stellar articles out there already.

Listening to the album is like lying in a meadow over the course of a summer day, afternoon thunderstorm, and the harsh sunset that comes afterwards, spiraling through memories and contemplation. It’s the best of the worst feelings you’ll ever have, and you can’t stop.

So, compulsively, I had to share my own interpretations and thoughts as I listen to the album again for the 7th time.

the 1 - Starting out with just piano, and then turning into what feels like a casual bop, the attitude of this song starts out very ‘I Forgot That You Existed’. And we hold onto that cavalier, ‘oh well’ attitude until... UNTIL. “If my wishes came true, it would’ve been you.” That line starts the slow ache that builds through the end of the track and makes this song much more more layered and complex than the first song of Lover. Perhaps this is a more honest version of the same feeling. Swift digs deep into that nostalgic feeling, letting us vibe to the wistful wishing at the same time. And of course, there is foreshadowing in the lyrics--film, graves, rose, chosen-family, painting. All of these reappear later on in various songs on the album, and some have been themes from earlier albums, too (especially graves).

Highlight lyric: “In my defense I have none // for digging up the grave another time.”

cardigan - We start with a beat that sounds reminiscent of “high heels on cobblestones,” and it emphasizes this early imagery. Being young is one of the major themes of this song, even though it’s also part of the triptych of songs about a love triangle. The nostalgia feels more specific to young love generally than to the specific lover, asking us to wonder why we judge the young perspective so harshly. The song is an anthem to how much she knew about love, including the pain of it, despite what people say. Swift has shown a special appreciation for the wisdom and raw experience of youth, and this song is another classic defense of the teenage experience. The metaphors in this song are classic Swift, and the structure of this song is reminiscent of ‘All Too Well’--the chorus lyrics change just a bit each time, and we get a powerful, gut-punch verse at the end.

Highlight lyric: “I knew you’d haunt all of my what-ifs // the smoke would hang around this long // cause I knew everything when I was young.”

the last great american dynasty - ‘The Man’ was probably Swift’s first real feminist anthem, directly stating how sexism affects her career and the perception people have of her. But this song gets at feminism from another perspective. First of all, she’s telling the story of Rebekah Harkness, who was the heiress that lived in her Rhode Island mansion before her. She was a trouble-maker in her town, blamed for her husband’s death and for ruining the calm status quo of the old money neighborhood. It’s completely apparent that Swift relates to this experience, and she likely knew some of this story before she purchased her home. In telling the story of a powerful, interesting woman, Taylor is rebelling against the patriarchy in a slightly subtler way than her previous songs--though she still makes her point pretty clear. Swift cares about the herstory of her home, and she’s made this story iconic by including it on her album. It’s like she took the idea of ‘Starlight,’ but instead of retelling a happy love story, she used her powers for an even more important tale. Now, there are also two potential connections to note: Rebekah also went by Betty, and her maiden name was West. Just remember that. And of course, the theme of the mad woman returns later as well.

Highlight lyric: “who knows if I never showed up what would have been // there goes the most shameless woman this town has ever seen // she had a marvelous time ruining everything.”

exile - I like to imagine this song as the follow up to ‘The Last Time,’ from Red. Both are duets, and they both have relatively simple, but strong chords as the primary musical backdrop. Where ‘The Last Time’ depicts a relationship at the cusp, moments before their final conversation, ‘exile’ is post break-up. She’s out with someone new, and we understand this is an unspoken conversation across a room. And the vibe of the songs fit with this progression perfectly. ‘The Last Time’ feels like anxious desperation, but exile feels heavy and depressingly final. We revisit the film motif, and there’s some potential connection to the archived ‘If This Was A Movie’. Now, is that intentional, or does Swift just really like movie imagery? Does it matter? The build in this song is arguably the best on the album, which I think is partly due to the style of the musicality, and partly because it’s helpful to have a lower voice to mix it up. This song sounds the least ‘Swift-esque’ to me--reminds me of Damien Rice most of all--but it still fits beautifully into the album. Also, lots of callbacks in here--town and crown are used a LOT in her prior albums. A few examples: “You traded your baseball cap for a crown” in ‘Long Live’, “They took the crown but it's alright” in ‘Call it What You Want,’ “Staring out the window like I’m not your favorite town” in ‘False God.’ Now, again, these could just be words that she loves to use (they also rhyme with a lot), or there could be some deeper connections. I’m guessing it’s somewhere in the middle.

highlight lyric: “second, third, and hundredth chances // balancin' on breaking branches // those eyes add insult to injury”

my tears ricochet - I’ll admit this song had to grow on me a little bit. Why? Well, I don’t love revenge-ballads. But, this is much more complex than LWYMMD, and like the rest of the album, it centers the more vulnerable side of her anger. This song is 100% about Big Machine Records and Scooter Braun. The funeral is for her--or the version of herself that died just before Reputation--and she is back as a ghost (or another version of herself) to haunt those who caused her death. It’s slow, moody, haunted... Everything you want from a bitter funeral march. The best part of this song is that she doesn’t solely pass blame. She shows off her self-awareness, which has become more common in all her music since 1989, but still very clearly places responsibility on Scooter for her ‘stolen lullabies’ (i.e. her masters). Swift claims this song is about young love gone wrong--but, death is a pretty intense metaphor, and given that she blatantly used it (for the first, and maybe only time?) to talk about her career, I don’t think anyone is buying it.

highlight lyric: “I didn’t have it in myself to go with grace // and you’re the hero flying around saving face”

mirrorball - Maybe I’m just a biased toward romantic and nostalgic songs, because I don’t love this one either. (I’m sorry!) But, here’s what I’ll say: this song is still exquisite. It reminds me of the reverb-radio-vibe of the late 80s songs, but with the astral, saccharine flavor of the rest of the album. If you condensed the Miss Americana documentary into a song, this would be it. A reflection (get it?) of fame and her desire to be everything to everyone--to be well liked, to be the center of attention. The coolest thing about ‘mirrorball,’ to me, is that she hasn’t written a song quite like this before. It’s sort of a manic-pixie-dream-girl version of herself. Swift is telling us that she knows who she is, and that comes with seeing the less ‘pretty’ side.

highlight lyric: “I’m still a believer, but I don’t know why // I’ve never been a natural, all I do is try, try try.”

seven - Can you say haunting innocence? This is a great song for half-attentive listening in the sun, and it could almost be a lullaby. In Swift-lore, the theme of childhood shows up every so often, like in ‘Mary’s Song,’ ‘The Best Day,’ ‘It’s Nice to Have a Friend,’ and ‘Christmas Tree Farm.’ This one is definitely the most dreamy, and it is also tinged with that darkness that consistently underlies all the tracks on this album--“Are there still beautiful things?” Imagine a sepia filter, and that’s kind of what this song embodies. Some fans have wondered about this song as a possible hint to bisexuality and/or relationships with women in general. (See Kaylor fan theories if you want to dive deep.) I can see this--the childhood friend has braids, which could imply she’s a little girl, and they ‘hide in the closet’. However, it seems more likely to me that this is coincidence. Lots of kids play in their closets, and if the song is about the friend’s father being angry all the time (and maybe abusive?) hiding in the closet also makes literal sense. I think the imagery in this song is some of my favorite on this album. 

Another interesting point that I haven’t seen discussed so far is that Swift names this song ‘seven’ spelled out, yet uses the number ‘1′ in the first track title. The only other track she uses numbers in the name is ‘22′, which is about being 22. So, she could be trying to push past the idea that ‘seven’ is just about being 7 years old--though I do think it’s about that, too. She could also be intentionally connecting ‘the 1′ to ‘22′ in some way. They are both a similar vibe, and perhaps they even refer to the same time period in her life. If we go with that theory, who was T dating at 22? The most likely candidate for that timeframe is Conor Kennedy, which was sort of short-lived, and didn’t seem to end with as much fire as many of her break-ups. So, it’s possible that it’s about him. Or, maybe she just wanted to make sure we knew that ‘the 1′ was a concept she doesn’t really believe in anyway, and didn’t want to grant it the full word ‘one’. Will we ever know?

highlight lyric: “Before I learned civility // I used to scream // Ferociously // Any time I wanted”

august - It seems clear to me that this is the second song in the love-triangle narrative. I’ve heard people claim this is ‘illicit affairs’, but those people obviously haven’t looked at the lyrics. The narrator says ‘James, get in the car,’ which is directly connected to the lyrics in ‘betty.’ But, even without that obvious link, the style of august fits in with the stylistic choices of ‘cardigan’ and ‘betty’. All three have strong instrumental tracks complementing the vocals, soft harmonies, and lots of wistful lyrics. ‘illicit affairs’ cuts much sharper and deeper, but more on that later. Combining the dreamy vibes of ‘seven’ with the slight bop of ‘the 1′, this track is sticky--easy to get stuck in your head. The only thing I wonder about this song is how old this narrator is meant to be. They’re drinking wine, and she references going ‘back to school,’ which sort of feels like a reference to the college experience. But, the betty and james characters make numerous references that feel like high school. So, maybe this affair took place in another city with a college girl? I have to wonder if this is Swift referencing some of the age-gap relationships she’s been in. Again, with Conor Kennedy, she was 22, and he was 18. She also supposedly crashed his sister’s wedding in August, and that was the start of the end of their short romance. I’m just saying...

highlight lyric: “Wanting was enough, for me it was enough // to live for the hope of it all.”

this is me trying - If ‘The Archer’ was Swift confessing to her bad habits after a couple early relationship fights, ‘this is me trying’ is a desperate reminder a few months into the relationship. The two songs are sonically very similar, and I didn’t love the vibe (sorry, again!) the first time. But, I do love the artistic continuation. ‘this is me trying’ slows us down even more than ‘The Archer’ did, with a drum line that is almost like a heart beat, and it feels much less hopeful as a result. The lyrics are also some of the darkest I’ve heard from Swift--”I got wasted like all my potential” and “could’ve followed my fears all the way down.” My heart almost can’t handle this song, to be honest. She also references films again, but my favorite imagery connection is her standing over the lookout, which calls back to Rebekah looking out over the sea in LGAD.

highlight lyric: “and maybe I don't quite know what to say // but I'm here in your doorway”

illicit affairs - This song has that ‘All Too Well’ ache with a hint of ‘Death by A Thousand Cuts’ energy, and personally, I love it. You’ve got the busy instrumental strings underneath a simple, yet haunting melody line, and it’s that light, anxious tension that fits beautifully with the theme of the song. The lyrics depict the simple, small heartbreaking things that remind you of the pain you’re putting yourself through, which is reflected in the slightly surprising, soaring note at the end of the line in the verses. Whether you’ve actually been involved in an affair, these feelings show up in plenty of toxic relationships, and that universality is part of what makes the song powerful. The lyrics aren’t about pretty images, but that’s sort of the point. It’s prime Swift conversational lyricism, and you could pick out any number of lines that make a painful short poem all by themselves. 

highlight lyric: “and you wanna scream // don’t call me “kid,” don’t call me “baby” // look at this godforsaken mess that you made me // you showed me colors you know I can’t see with anyone else”

invisible string - The primary love song on the album, this feels like a follow up to ‘Lover,’ maybe something she’d sing after being married a year or two. It’s sort of like ‘Mine,’ but much more mature, partly indicated by the pace of the song, which is steady and sure of itself. It’s also lovely to me that she’s returned to a bit of her country vibes--I ask you, would it feel like true end-game love for Swift if she couldn’t write a country love song about it? Back when she wrote country, all her happy ending songs were merely aspirational, and now they feel true. This is also 100% about Joe Alwyn, and to me, this is proof they have not broken up like some early reviews speculated. We also need to acknowledge that she’s past the Joe Jonas break up (um, good, that was ages ago) and is sending him and Sophie presents for their baby. I read a review that basically said this song seems a little too ‘all tied up’ for Swift, and that it doesn’t feel as genuine as a result. I sort of agree, but if we can take a sad song and accept that it isn’t how she feels 100% of the time, can’t we also do that with happy songs? Plus, she technically does say that it would be ‘pretty to think,’ which sort of implies it’s more a thought experiment than an actual belief. So, there’s that little twinge of sadness we needed to appease the folklore goddess. Oh, and of course, there’s a reference to Lover’s color scheme, saying time “gave me the blues and then purple-pink skies.” Which, many Kaylor hopefuls read as a reference to the Bi pride flag. To that, I just say... Maybe?

highlight lyric: “time, mystical time // cutting me open, then healing me fine”

Mad woman - My favorite thing about this song is the piano melody that happens in the background the whole song, working in concert with the main melody, but also completely independent (and haunting). It reminds me of one concept of madness--having multiple voices or thoughts going on simultaneously. But of course, it’s artfully and perfectly put together, which is the whole point. What could be perceived as madness is, in this case, what makes her able to create a masterful work of art. Now, this is also certainly a song about her masters, Scooter Braun, and Scott Borchetta. But it is also another feminist anthem. Women are taught not to be angry, not to yell, not to react with any emotionality otherwise we are discredited entirely. Swift directly calls this to attention by explaining that we’re angry for a reason--often antagonized intentionally until ‘you find something to wrap your noose around.’ She also makes the important point that women can also ‘hunt witches,’ and can be complicit in treating one another poorly. This is a reference to Scooter Braun’s wife defending him publicly against Taylor. Probably the most savage line is about the ‘master of spin’ having affairs, which she implies his wife knows about and seems to passively accept. But Swift doesn’t go too hard on her, reminding us that ‘no one likes a mad woman’, and that pressure is real. Could this ‘master of spin’ also be Scooter? I think probably. But I did read that some people are connecting this song to Hillary Clinton (she’s a scorpio, and the song references a scorpion sting), and that maybe Trump is the adulterer here... I feel like that’s a stretch, but I appreciate the interpretation.

highlight lyric: “What a shame she went mad // You made her like that”

epiphany - I suspect this song is directly related to how Swift is processing the current state of the pandemic. The atmospheric vibe with slow, clock-ticking beat in the background really feels momentous and poignant. Yes, she starts with images conjured from her grandfather’s stories of World War II, but she quickly seems to compare this awful battle to the doctors fighting COVID-19 on the frontlines in hospitals. The lyrics are simple, repetitive, and powerful. With so many ill literally struggling to breathe, the lines about breathing out really do hit especially hard these days. I can’t believe that wasn’t a thoughtful choice. The chorus is just barely hopeful, reminiscent of the numbness we all have to use as a coping mechanism to get through traumatic experiences. But it’s that little sliver of hope that makes the song even sadder--is that possible?

highlight lyric: “only twenty minutes to sleep // but you dream of some epiphany // just one single glimpse of relief // to make some sense of what you've seen”

betty - Give me all that Tim McGraw, Love Story, early Taylor pop-country. This song is definitely enhanced in part because of its connections to ‘cardigan’ and ‘august,’ but it stands strong on its own. It’s old news at this point, but James and Inez are based on the names of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds’s daughters, so it’s all-but-confirmed that their third daughter was named Betty. Written from the perspective of James, there is massive speculation out there about whether the narrator is meant to be a boy or a girl. There are reasonable clues on both sides, so I’ll just say this: I love Taylor, but she’s always been a little late to the party when it comes to socialized ideas of male/female. Because of that, I don’t think she’d have a female narrator riding a skateboard. I also feel from the style of narration--“I don’t know anything;” “just a summer thing;” “would you tell me to go fuck myself”--it does sound more like stereotypical teenage boy language than what we know as swiftie teenage girl language. What I do like about this song, though, is that because it’s written from James’s perspective, it does sort of leave a wider opening for personal interpretation than some of her other love-story-like songs. The reason I personally love this song is that it’s mostly about redemption and forgiveness. Everyone has wished someone who broke their heart would write this song about them, and so it offers catharsis. Plus, it’s the only song on the album that truly feels happy at the end--thanks, key change! It’s refreshing and heartening, and it’s good timing, too. After the heaviest song on the album, we needed it. (Oh, and there’s a callback to the broken cobblestones from ‘cardigan’. And then he literally mentions her cardigan. So.)

highlight lyric: “if you kiss me // will it be just like I dreamed it? // will it patch your broken wings?”

peace - The vibe of this song is like laying on your couch in the summer with light coming in through the blinds and the ceiling fan is going around just fast enough to keep the warm air circulating, but not really cool you off. This song has a hint of ‘False God’ style, a little jazzy, but otherwise, it’s a pretty fresh feel for Swift. The message fits this thoughtful, lightly antsy feeling. She’s basically saying she wants to start a family with Joe (no, I don’t think she is literally pregnant yet) and settle down, but there is no real ‘settling down’ with her level of fame. I also think that Swift truly enjoys making music, performing, and engaging with her fans, and she doesn’t want to leave that life behind any time soon. So, she’s asking him if he can make that work. It’s, again, a mature vision of what a long-term relationship can actually look and feel like. Not all of us can truly relate to the burdens of fame, but there are other ways we can be unable to ‘give you peace’. No relationship is idyllic forever in the way romantic love often makes it out to be, and this song gives us a more realistic, consistent example. And just in case we thought this was just a nice song, the whole ‘clowns to the West’ is another potential Easter egg. In the lyric video, east is not capitalized, but West is. Most likely, this is a dig at Kanye. If we want to believe Taylor wasn’t being vengeful, it could potentially be a reference to Rebekah (West was her maiden name). I lean toward theory one, although it’s kind of amazing that it works out such that it connects to both.

highlight lyric: “but I'm a fire and I'll keep your brittle heart warm // if your cascade ocean wave blues come”

hoax - (Phew last one--I don’t have access to ‘the lakes’ yet) Swift can’t end the album without bringing us all back to the raw emotional space she opened up within us. This song brings back similar piano lines from ‘mad woman’ and the image of screaming on the cliffside. Chronologically, ‘hoax’ feels like it takes place after or during the death of her reputation, i.e. the feud with Kim and Kanye, when she was still very vulnerable. Based on timeline, this seems likely to be either Calvin Harris or Tom Hiddleston. It could really be some combination of the two, since many songs aren’t really about just one person. My gut tells me it’s primarily about Calvin, since she’s referenced that they didn’t have a very faithful relationship--”your faithless love’s the only hoax I believe in.” Both relationships travelled a lot--“I left a part of me in new york.” I’m guessing she’s referencing the feud with Harris over her writing credit on ‘This is What You Came For.’ She takes attacks on her career as seriously as hurtful relationships, and since she’s referencing being torn apart by the media when she says that “what you did was just as dark,” I think it’s likely that this also has something to do with hurting her reputation. It’s another hauntingly beautiful song, and you can totally imagine yourself out on that cliff looking at the midnight sea as the piano line ends.

highlight lyric: “you knew the password, so I let you in the door // you knew you won, so what's the point of keeping score?”

---------------------------------------------

Overall, the album is my favorite of Taylor’s so far for two reasons: 1) the continuity in both theme and sound is stellar, and 2) there aren’t any songs that I don’t like. Usually, there are 1-3 songs on Taylor’s albums that are either forgettable or too on-the-nose for my taste. I’m sure that is a product, in part, of having to craft songs for radio-play and for her amazing, cinematic live shows. Having given herself the freedom to make whatever music she wanted without thinking (so much) about whether they’d top the charts or be good for a stadium concert, she made an album without a single ‘pop just because’ track.

Now the real question is... What will she do with the remaining 6 months of quarantine???

[egoschwank]

al things considered — when i post my masterpiece #913

first posted in facebook december 1, 2020

jennifer packer -- "jordan" (2014)

“we are tongue-tied with the songs of unknown birds, an extinct diction” ... safiya sinclair

"my inclination to paint, especially from life, is a completely political one. we belong here. we deserve to be seen and acknowledged in real time. we deserve to be heard and to be imaged with shameless generosity and accuracy" ... jennifer packer

"'jordan', 2014, depicts two people seated in an artist’s studio with several works in progress tacked to the wall behind them. the face of a third figure emerges in the upper right corner. the subjects are fellow artists jordan casteel, tschabalala self, and devan shimoyama [...] one of packer’s more chromatically varied paintings, 'jordan' contains multitudes. both self and the sketches above her are doubled, producing an effect of lapsing time. the painting’s focus is on the face of the titular subject, poignantly resolved against the marks that delineate the space. everything seems to be in motion aside from casteel. what at first appears to be a straightforward double portrait reveals itself to be an exercise in duplication and a meditation on the entanglement of any artist’s work with their social world" ... beau rutland

"home tends to be where we are our most vulnerable and intimate selves. the domestic space directly correlates with comfort and, as a result, it feels significant to have each of my subjects surrounded by their own personal belongings. their environment acts as support for the story of that individual which i am trying to tell, and have the viewer engage with" ... jordan casteel

"i want my characters to have problems that are outside of their gender or race. problems that are universal: heartbreak, grief, loss, desire. and also joys, pleasures, excitement. i think it’s important to show that because a lot of times characters that are based on black women are two-dimensional. there’s plenty of space for them to exist in a social realm or comment on political issues" ... tschabalala self

"personal biography and self-portraiture were the most sensible starting points for exploring a multitude of topics for me, considering that i always felt as though, in order to better understand others, one must learn to understand oneself. i use my body to explore magic, mythology, history, intimacy, joy, pain, and so on, and it has really shown me that there are so many other individuals that can relate to the many various experiences i’ve painted about" ... devan shimoyama

"i hope to make works that suggest how dynamic and complex our lives and relationships really are" ... jennifer packer

"but it’s alright, ma, it’s life, and life only" ... bob dylan

"meantime art outside goes on all around you ... and the unknown birds" ... al janik

[theshinsun]

Tag game!

Thanks for the tag @ahobaka-trash!! <3

Rules: List your 10 favorite female Characters from 10 different fandoms and tag 10 people!

Aight so, in no particular order (I’m also gonna give a short explanation bc I need to talk about these ladies sm):

1. Diane Nguyen (Bojack Horseman) - Diane is such a layered and complex person (as all of bojack’s characters are, I had a hard time picking between her and PC tbh but she wins out), I relate to her on so many levels and she provides this show with such a realistic, human lens. She’s flawed and damaged, and she’s not always in the right, but you still can’t help but feel for her, she’s just... so well-rounded and fleshed out, I could go on for ages about how well her character is written.

2. Alex Garcia (Kuroko No Basuke) - She gets shafted just a bit in the show but I was just reminded that in the manga, this lady is an absolute queen. 10/10 LA babe and a hella good mentor for the boys, I wish she’d gotten just a little bit more development but seriously I love her (I love all the KNB ladies ofc but she comes out on top). 

3. Azula (Avatar: The Last Airbender) - Top-tier female villain, jesus. She’s terrifying and malicious and so over the top it’s fantastic. She’s complex and multi-layered, but at the same time so straightforward and I appreciate that so much. I love that she’s awful, and cold-blooded, and socially awkward, and emotionally damaged... She’s so good, probably my favorite of the ATLA girls.

4. Asami Sato (The Legend of Korra) - She’s a gorgeous badass, she’s funny, she’s super intelligent, I love this gal. I love her relationship with Korra, and the exploration of the falling out and imperfect resolution with her father, I love that she’s a non-bender but still formidable and extremely capable in a fight. TLOK has so many wonderful female characters but in my humble opinion she’s just the best.

5. Haruhi Fujioka (Ouran High School Host Club) - Haruhi is a whole-ass mood. Even the first time I watched Ouran as a kid, before I knew anything about my own gender identity, I related to her so much and felt for her struggle, and all the shit she has to go through with all the ridiculous rich people around her. She’s the one down-to-earth person in a completely bonkers show, and that’s what makes her such a joy to watch and root for.

6. Chel (The Road to El Dorado) - We stan a queen. Chel is presented as this vulnerable, scantily-dressed petty thief in need of rescue, but she very quickly proves that preconception wrong and becomes this funny, knowledgeable, sharp-as-a-whip partner in crime for the main boys; every word out of her mouth is a rebellion against the role her environment is trying to put her in, and though her motivations to join the boys in their elaborate con aren’t explored in too much depth, they’re still understandable and really lend some depth to her character. 

7. Yachi Hitoka (Haikyuu!!) - Yachi is such a great character, honestly. She’s anxious, she’s unsure, but she goes and breaks out of her comfort zone anyway, despite her mother’s misgivings, and ends up really enjoying it by the end. She works so hard to learn and understand volleyball even though she has no experience with it, and she challenges herself to interact with people even if they’re terrifying. She’s also just, really sweet and compassionate and her friendships with Hinata and Shimizu are so pure. I will protect her to the ends of the earth.

8. Rosa Diaz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) - B99 honestly has some of the best written characters I’ve ever seen, and the women are no exception. Rosa is so enjoyable to watch, she’s cold and scary and hard to read but she also has real emotions, she’s hilarious and has lots of friends that she obviously cares for. Her family life is complicated, especially her journey with them coming to terms with her sexuality. She just feels so real and there’s so much depth to her, where I feel like other shows would keep her as the two-dimensional badass cop archetype and leave it at that.

9. Aunt May/Olivia Octavius (Into The Spider-verse) - Okay this one’s a tie and I just can’t break it no matter how I try. I love these two ladies so much, even though they’re rather minor characters, they’re both fantastic in very different ways and I’m living every time they’re on screen.

10. Haru (Beastars) - Like with Chel, we’re given an idea early-on that Haru is this tiny, fragile, helpless thing in need of protection, but both she and the show itself subvert that image time and time again with how tough and witty and shameless she is. She stands up for herself, she gains a reputation for sleeping around and hey, turns out it’s actually true, but her reasons for it are so meaningful and not shallow and it’s just... amazing what the narrative is able to say about her character, often without saying anything at all. Haru is cute and hilarious and also sympathetic and just an all-around great character and I loved her almost immediately.

Tagging: @fuchsiafantasy @meiyanaalexia  @hadenxcharm @spaztictwitch  @vanilla-daydreams @choking-on-roses @kagabutt @hybristophilica @pueppiesblog @fiftyshadesoftaiga and anyone else who wants to do it!

[ladymurasakiii]

I love everything about movies, since they were a major part of my life when I was growing up. Because of that, I loved to learn more about them, their very complex history, and the art of filmmaking. One thing I love about film is its constant need to evolve and become something new. I knew about a lot about some of the practices that the industry would do that were EXTREMELY unethical, like exploiting women and children, favoring how much money a movie makes vs what the audience actually wants to see, or any others that may not be open to the general public, but I did not know about how much movie studios would use vertical integration to promote their movies and make them as cheaply as possible. I understand that it would have the studio rake in as much money as humanly possible, but it is super unethical. But I’m not surprised that unethical practices would arise from businesses in the early 20th century. Everything was unethical back then (and remnants remain today, but nobody really talks about that now, do we?) Another thing that surprised me was that most of—if not all—of the highest grossing movies were all in the modern-era, from the early to mid 2000s-2010s. I remember going to basically all of those films, unaware that I was contributing to that history. But I would’ve thought that other films (like Gone with the Wind or Casablanca) would garner more money, since there would be a ton of people who would go back to the theatres to watch movies over and over.

Casablanca is widely considered to be one of the greatest films of all time

Music also plays a major part in my life, since I listen to it every single day and have been for years, being exposed to different genres and artists from family, friends, and even anime. Music is one of the major influences in my life and I love how it can influence others as well. I wouldn’t have this without the radio, which I have a profound love for. Not only with things like radio plays or shows but also just the ability to do whatever you want—the airways are owned by the public, after all. I am a part of the school’s radio station, and I love it. I am able to talk about the music I love and share that with my friends and parents (I’m on Saturdays from 1-3, shameless promotion). The radio was the true way that people were able to express themselves, having their voices heard by the masses with little-to-no restriction. The radio was the thing that truly gave us freedom.

Podcasts are the newest wave in radio, since it’s easily accessible and there are millions of them out there

Television is something that I am rather out of the loop on, but I was a connoisseur of children’s TV when I was younger. I knew that Lucile Ball was a massive game-changer in the television industry, but I never knew that she was that big of a game changer that one woman led to the overhaul of an entire multi-million dollar industry. What I love about television today is that it is now becoming more accessible to the masses, like radio and film in how anyone can create the content that they want to see, and hope that they could be picked up by a major studio like how the hit animated shows Helluva Boss, Hazbin Hotel, or Bee and Puppycat being made and distributed on YouTube, who are either going to be picked up by a studio or already have been. Globalization has led to more and more people picking up a camera (or a pen) and creating what they want to see, and that leads to more choice in the market, which to me is a great thing.

Helluva Boss and Hazbin Hotel created by Vivienne "VivziePop" Medrano on YouTube

Bee and PuppyCat by Natasha Allegri, picked up by Frederator Studios

[hereticaloracles]

TNO Watch: Albion

Helios on Albion (1992 QB1)– Here we are at last, y’all: The final named Transneptunian. I saved the best for last, and aside from being the last… she’s also the very first who was ever discovered! Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I give you our beloved Space Mom, Queen of the Outer Rim of our Solar System… Albion!

The Astronomy– 15760 Albion, provisional designation 1992 QB1, was the first trans-Neptunian object to be discovered after Pluto and Charon. It was discovered in 1992 by David C. Jewitt and Jane X. Luu at the Mauna Kea Observatory, Hawaii. After their discovery, they dubbed the object ‘Smiley’. It is a “cold” classical Kuiper belt object and gave rise to the name cubewano for this kind of object, after the QB1 portion of its designation. Decoding its provisional designation, “QB1” reveals that it was the 27th object found in the second half of August of that year. As of January 2018, over 2,400 further objects have been found beyond Neptune, a good number of which are classical Kuiper belt objects.

The Myth– This minor planet was named after Albion from the complex mythology of English poet and painter William Blake (1757–1827). Albion is the island-dwelling primeval man whose division resulted into The Four Zoas: Urizen, Tharmas, Luvah/Orc, and Urthona/Los. The name Albion itself derives from the ancient and mythological name of Britain. The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on January 31st, 2018 – it was normally referred to simply as “QB1”, even though this was technically ambiguous without the year of discovery.

In the mythical story of the founding of Britain, Albion was a Giant son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. He was a contemporary of Heracles, who killed him. Albion founded a country on the island and ruled there. Britain, then called Albion after its founder, was inhabited by his Giant descendants until about 1100 years before Julius Cæsar’s invasion of Britain, when Brutus of Troy came and defeated the small number of Giants that remained (as a group of the Giants had killed all the others). The long, unfinished poem properly called Vala, or The Four Zoas expands the significance of the Zoas, but they are integral to all of Blake’s prophetic books.

Blake also uses the name Albion in its traditional meaning, as an ancient synonym for Britain, in his poem “A Little Boy Lost” in Songs of Experience. The poem tells about a young boy who, using reason, realizes that humans are selfish, and that “naught loves another as itself”. He asks the priest: “Father, how can I love you / or any of my brothers more? / I love you like the bird that picks up crumbs around the door”. The priest accuses the boy of blasphemy, and burns him “in a holy place / where many had been burned before”. Blake concludes the poem by asking: “Are such things done on Albion’s shore?”.

The division of the primordial man is found in many mythic and mystic systems throughout the world, including Adam Kadmon in cabalism and Prajapati in the Rig-Veda

Why She Matters– SHE’S THE GODDAMN MOTHER OF THE ENTIRE TRANSNEPTUNIAN FAMILY THAT’S WHY SHE GODDAMN MATTERS! I love Albion. I loved her all those years she was 1992 QB1. She waited for her turn at a name for 26 years, while all her children were named before her. All that time, she was shunted and pushed aside. I covered her before, back in the Shameless Astro days, and connected her to figures like Malala Yousafzai. Think of her as Uranus in drag, only not an emotionless maniac- Uranus led by a heart instead of cold and callous intellect. She is awakening, she is kindness, acceptance, and she is the pursuit of what is right- no matter what.

Albion represents the absolute best of us, the ideal we should all strive to embody within our reality. She is the force of awakening that was once linked to the “Indigo/Crystal/Golden Children” phenomenon of the 1990s. And let me go on a tangent here- I find it incredibly assholish of the previous generations (notably Pluto in Leo) to shove a rhetoric down the throats of the Pluto in Scorp generation that we were special, would grow up to create a kinder world of acceptance and understanding, AND THEN WHEN WE ACTUALLY GO AROUND DOING IT THE VAST MAJORITY OF YALL LOSE YOUR DAMN MINDS AND GO FULL ON RACIST ASSHOLES CALLING US INCOMPETENT SNOWFLAKES OR LIBTARDS LEADING TO FUCKING TRUMPISM AND BECOMING CONCENTRATION CAMP APOLOGISTS. Fuck. Did you think that we weren’t listening to y’all and absorbing all of that when we were growing up? We are literally out here fulfilling the destiny you wrote for us and the vast majority of y’all need to shut up and let us bring it home. You have become the very forces you once warned us against AND THAT IS WHAT BREAKS OUR HEART. You taught us to be kind, accept and respect others, and welcome others, and now that all flies out the window because they’re not fucking white or come from a different country than you? Make no mistake, the force that holds back the counter-revolution of MAGA bullshit isn’t fear or weakness, it is the love that we still have for the people who we saw descend and turn into monsters before our very eyes.

Speaking of monstrous ideals, this is not the first time Albion has been linked to this sort of mentality. Students of history will note the connections to Nazi Germany and Hitler’s pursuit of an Aryan ideal, Aryan being a mythical race of white Supermen from a mythologized lost homeland. They represented the best of what they believed they could be, and used that story to justify the slaughter of millions who didn’t fit that ideal. It was a corruption of Albion. Again, we see the rise of a belief in white supremacy and Nazism resurgent in the modern era. Again we see the demonization of the “other”. We see women oppressed, people of color killed for the crime of existing, the LBGT community hunted and erased from history…. It makes me sick.

Pluto in Scorpio kids, our space mom cries for us to stand up and do something about it. This is not the future we wanted nor the one we were promised, but it is our responsibility to take action to right the wrongs we are subjected to- even more so if we are not the ones in the crosshairs. This is our fight now, and its more than hearts and minds we need to change. Our battlefield is both within and without, and its time we take up the mantle. She is a force to be reckoned with, and so are we.

To find out where she shows up in your chart, go to astro.com, put in your birth details and in the extended options, all the way at the bottom of the next page, there will be a menu of additional objects. Under that is a blank space where you can enter the number 15760, for Albion. Once you have it entered, generate the chart! Where does Albion affect your life? Let us know in the comments below!

Support us on Patreon so that we can keep delivering content like this! https://www.patreon.com/hereticaloracles

TNO Watch: Albion was originally published on Heretical Oracles

[ruffoverthinksthings]

Since you love Elsa so much. How about Hans? How is he on the Isle and everything else you want to add.

Elsawas never a fan of the Isle of the Lost, to say the least. She hatesthe idea, she hates the implementation, she hates the explicitly saidbelief that a large portion of the population are inherentlyincapable of changing for the better, and that the only solution isto geographically and socially isolate them from the rest of theworld, at the very least.

About the only thing she WAS happy about with the Isle was that itoffered a permanent solution to getting rid of Hans. No longer wouldshe have to worry about him using his smarts and guile to try andstage another, much more violent coup, no longer would she have toworry about him sneaking back under a new identity and worming hisway past their defences, no longer would she have to worry abouttrading nor dealing with the Southern Isles in general–after seeingthe way the King ruled and treated his subjects, Beast passed on themalmost as fast as he does coconut-custard cream cakes.

“Probably because he reminded him too much of himself, exceptmuch more blatant and with fewer delusions,” Elsa says dryly.

She never thought she would ever have to worry about him or hisfamily again. Up until the day comes that Ben announces that the VKprogram is expanding yet again, and this time, he’s looking to havethe other kingdoms try to adopt them, as Auradon Prep is gettingchaotic enough as is, and it’s another step in gaining masssympathy for the eventual, total abolition of the Isle.

Elsa is more than happy to sign up for it, putting a welcomebanner over the gates of the castle (of which, true to her famouswords, are rarely closed and never for long), and making all mannerof accommodations for the VKs and solid, actionable plans for them toeventually make better futures for themselves…

… Up until Ben is legally, socially, morally obliged to tell herthat one of the VKs they’re sending her way is Hans’ niece.

Hans hasn’t had a very good time on the Isle, you see. Alreadyhumiliated like all the other villains, but without the grace ofhaving died an impressive death, and with his brothers knowing andlording over the fact that he was relegated to shoveling manure inthe royal stables for his failed coup, he didn’t stand a chance ofever rising to the top, or even carving out a half-way decent lifefor himself.

Women were wary of his advances because of his reputation, muchstronger and cleverer men than he were all too willing to run himover and he could inspire no loyalty from the craven and thedesperate, and like the Southern Isles, his twelve brothers and hisfather are still better than him, and don’t hesitate to bully himand “remind him of his place.”

Really, about the only good thing that came out of this wholeordeal for him was that Maleficent proves far stronger, cleverer, andeven more ruthless than his father and 11 of his brothers, with theadded benefit that she does not need to sleep, eat, nor get sick.

“One by one, they all fell, beheaded, shot, thrown off a cliff,burned to death, eaten by gators, stabbed in the back, stabbed in thefront, stabbed from below, stabbed from above, mauled by wild dogs,and finally, choked on a rotten, stale eclair delivered in a giftbasket, all because they had the gall to try to challenge Maleficent,seat themselves on the our family’s throne, and were deposed justas quickly.”

Eventually, the only ones left of the former royal family of theSouthern Isles was Hans, his mother, his brother Lars, his wife, andtheir daughter, Heidi. His mother was a strong woman–”you had tobe, to have been married to a man like my father and bore allthirteen of his children”–and figuratively and sometimes literallycarved and hacked out a semi-decent living for them, and Lars and hisfamily was willing to show Hans care, aid, and an outstretched handwithout a concealed dagger in the sleeve.

But alas, they were still mortal, and eventually, sickness oraccident (true or engineered) claimed them, until it was just Hansand Heidi. “Take care of her…” were Lars’ last words, and asrepayment for all the kindness he and his wife had shown him, Hansmade good on them…

… Though not in the way they expected, or would have wanted.

For you see, Hans only saw one way out of this hell, similar tothe one Evil Queen saw for her own daughter, except much morerealistic: ingratiate yourself into the favour of those up top,manipulate them to serve your needs, and ideally, overthrow them andtake their position for yourself so you can skip step two.

For all her life, Heidi has been trained, encouraged, and acted asa “throne grabber,” and would have been the most successful oneon the Isle had it not been for the likes of Evie (the prettiest),Claudine Frollo (the most adventurous and shameless), leaving her tobe the perennial choice if both were currently taken, or you weren’tcharming enough to get them, but didn’t want to lower yourstandards, either.

It’s how she got her insulting nickname from Mal: “Hieny.”

Like her uncle and guardian, she has spent her whole life feelinginvisible, nothing more than a spare, the consolation prize; and likehim, she harbours a deep-seated hatred for the one Hans feels ruinedeverything, even more so than King Beast:

Queen Elsa.

When the new round of VKs included her, both Hans and her werethrilled, seeing it as their chance to finally get revenge. Itwouldn’t be as bloody and violent as Hans—they both knew now thatwouldn’t work, especially because Auradon doesn’t take as kindlyto that as they did BGU—but in the end, Heidi would worm her wayinto the good graces of the royal family, slowly subverting andmanipulating its inner workings, then use her influence and power tobring Hans back and plot a more thorough, satisfying revengewith him.

Indeed, Elsa’s rather chilly (figuratively and literally)reception to her, and how badly Anna is trying to be warm andfriendly to Heidi makes her feel like she’s got this in the bagwith a grand master plan forming in her head: pit the Queen and herbeloved sister against each other, make Anna her ally, and use her asa means to influence the much more powerful Elsa.

It gets even better when she learns from Anna that Elsa does infact have an heir, and that the crown princess of Arendelle afterAnna herself would LOVE to be friends with Heidi. She sees this as anopportunity to get information, an unwitting agent in sabotaging andtaking over Arendelle, and another potential piece of leverageagainst the Queen.

Instead, meeting Silsa is where it all falls apart, as doeseverything Heidi knew and believed to be true about herself, theworld, and what she wants out of life.

You see, Silsa isn’t like the other Royal AK kids.

“I haven’t been the captains of anything or a child genius ina certain field, never was a student leader for non-profitorganizations and charities and whatnot, or have even tried tomaster an instrument or an art that’s off the respectable sort, thekind you dress up all fancy for and pay super expensive tickets toget into a theater of the ‘velvet seats, red carpets, and hardwoodpaneling’ kind.”

For one thing, she’s disqualified from a lot of competitionsbecause of her unfair advantages, much like that of Jane and Jordanwho are ineligible for quiz bees because of their infallible,objective memories. For another thing, she only has one arm and onefully-functioning eye because of incidents when she was younger. Andfinally, most of her time, energy, and indeed, what she can doheavily relies on how many “spoons” she has after dealing withthe fact that she literally has ice in her veins–”turns outthat’s not exactly the best thing to have inside the humanbody…”

As Heidi learns, Silsa was “Pinocchio, except things wenthorribly wrong at the end.”

Pestered repeatedly for an heir, unwilling to marry, and notamenable to the idea of being severely limited in her activities fornine months (and that’s not even getting into the potential risks),Elsa took a page out of Gepetto’s book (and several more out of“Wizards of Auradon City” magazines) and built her own, a hybridsnowcreature and robot with as complex of an artificial intelligenceas she could make it.

The court was not impressed, until after Anna messed with Silsa’scode and accidentally gave her sentience through the sheer ineleganceof her writing, and Elsa’s “failsafe” subroutines’ attemptsto fix it. Having passed the Turing Test and shown herself to be morethan capable of being “human,” the Blue Fairy was allowed to takeher wand back and bring her to life.

“And it was at that moment that we learned that modern science,dad (Elsa) and mom’s (Anna) coding, 1st Century AGUalloys and metal composites, winter magic, and Blue Fairy magicREALLY don’t mix too good.”

Aside from the above mentioned issue of her magic chronic illness,Silsa has what she describes as “the ability to process andcompletely understand the fact that ultimately, nothing we doreally matters, and that all oflife is absurd.”

Alongside learning what clinical depression stemming from anexistential crisis in an artificially created human looks like, Heidilearns a lot from Silsa: the other side of the story of Frozenand how life in the Southern Isles really was, howto do “regular teenager things” instead of carrying the wholeweight of her legacy on her shoulders all the time, and a big problemin her life plans that she’s been ignorant of this whole time:

“And after you take-over my parents’ kingdom, then what?”

Heidi blinks. “What do you mean, ‘then what?’”

“’Then, what are you going to do with all your power, your dadback with you, and my dad as your own personal puppet?’” Silsareplies. “Do you start to hold important trade routes ransom tosway the other states? Do you pull out of the Trade Triumvirate andmake Arendelle an isolationist country before you completely secedefrom the Auradon Alliance? Do you try and bring Arendelle back to ourhome realm so you can annex it with the original Southern Isles andrule that?”

Heidi stares at her, her mouth agape, and all is silent for along, long time. “I… I don’t know. I… hadn’t thought aboutthat… but I’ll figure it out!”

Silsa nods. “You really should, you know, ask yourself ‘Whyam I even doing this?’ Maybe you’ll remind yourself of whyyou started and get a big ole motivational boost, or maybe you’llrealize it’s all pointless and all of you have been wasting yourtime and effort—either way, you’ll know the truth.”

“Won’t I have one of those ‘existential crisis’ that madeyou such a big ball of sunshine and rainbows?” Heidi asks warily.

Silsa shrugs. “Maybe, maybe not—that’s kinda the worst thingabout them, you never know what might trigger them, and they’renever subtle about it. Just one moment, you’re having a so-so day,then BOOM! Questioning everything you’ve ever done and ever will.

“But we’re getting beside the point: do you really want tojust keep on going, without ever really knowing, and risk still notknowing when you finally do get it? Like a dog that finally caughtits own tail.

“I see it all the time, you know, people working for somethingwithout really knowing why. That new car, that new house, that newpromotion… they work so hard, they work so much, and they sacrificeso many things, like their health, their families, their sanity…

“… And I just want to ask them, ‘Is it really all worthit?’”

“Of course it is!” Heidi says quickly. “Why do youeven ask that?”

Silsa looks her in the eyes, one turquoise, the other a fadedblue, staring into two green ones. “Because no one’s answer hasyet to make me stop asking the question.”

Heidi looks away. “Or maybe you just refuse to accept the truth,that that’s all there really is.”

Silsa nods. “Maybe, yeah.”

Silence once more.

“… You’re a strange one, Silsa.” Heidi mutters.

Silsa smiles. “I know.”

* Silsa refers to Elsa as “dad” after Anna related the time Elsa complained that she was rarely ever there to be a parent to her because of all her duties.

“I feel like the stereotypical father from all those London sitcoms,” Elsa says as she’s slumped exhausted into a couch. “Works all day and only ever sees his children at night, only ever hanging out with them on the weekends, and even then with projects involving wood and cars and hunting, never just sitting down and talking.”

“Aww, don’t say that, Elsa: you’re a great mother to Silsa,” Anna says.

“You’re more a mother to her than I’ll ever be…” Elsa replies, and the nicknames forever stuck.

Patreon

[mattandsaraproductions]

A Rant, or, problems with Supergirl season 2

Why I’m writing this I’m sure I don’t know, since thoughtful discussion seems never to occur on this website. But I think lack of discussion is terrible, so here’s me, wading into the morass of shipping (specifically, regarding Supergirl season 2, yay).

Firstly, you can like something and recognize it’s problematic. I suppose this isn’t too obvious of a point, or I wouldn’t be writing this whole thing. There exists a block list, of all the damn things, for anyone saying anything construed as anti-karamel. That’s ridiculous. I’m not claiming that everyone’s points are equally well-expressed, but there are problems with the way Kara and Mon-El’s relationship is written. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy watching them. I’m not saying you shouldn’t like their relationship. I’m saying you shouldn’t ignore the problematic tropes and toxic relationship norms at play merely because you ship them. Those are two different things.

My problem with the show is therefore largely extra-diagetic. That is, I think the writers err by presenting as unproblematic relationship norms that are in fact toxic. I have nothing against Mon-El as a character, except that his name should be Lar-Gand (but that’s another writing fail, and let’s leave it alone). So the “wah wah you hate the hot dude” – yeah, this is why I detest shipping. Also, “supercorp” isn’t canon either, so let me piss off the entirety of tumblr while I’m at it.

Still here? Let’s talk about Monday’s episode. The lesson that Kara is supposed to learn from Alex and Winn (and the power of musicals) is something like, “You should forgive him, I’m sure he has good reason for lying to you.” This fails for two reasons: 

1. As somebody who’s written a little bit on forgiveness (check out More Doctor Who and Philosophy for my essay on self-forgiveness in “Day of the Doctor.” Shameless plug, huzzah!), I can’t recall that much disagreement there is in the literature about owing someone forgiveness. Probably some philosophers do think that there comes a time when forgiveness is a duty, but that’s a minority opinion. Forgiveness is almost always seen as supererogatory. It’s not a duty; it’s above any beyond anything you ought to do for someone. So forgiveness isn’t something you owe to someone. Even someone who’s done far worse things to me than Mon-El has done to Kara, and redeemed himself far better, would not deserve my forgiveness. Why? Simply because forgiveness is not a matter of duty or desert. So it’s not that Mon-El doesn’t deserve forgiveness – It’s that he cannot deserve forgiveness, because that’s not how forgiveness works.

2. This sort of advice is gaslighting. It refuses to acknowledge the validity of Kara’s feelings, being hurt by what has happened, and angry at Mon-El. The writing does not let Alex or Winn accept Kara’s feelings, instead, the characters are subtlety written as telling her that she is wrong to feel this way, that there’s something about the situation she doesn’t understand, and that she would feel differently if she saw things “correctly.” No, none of this is explicit. But compare the scenes we get with someone saying, “You’re angry at him for lying and sad about breaking up with him? Yeah, it sucks. Here, have a donut.”

So is this abusive? I don’t think that’s a well-formed question when asking about the writing. In the real world, is stuff like this part of a system of relationship norms where women are supposed to accept men’s bad behavior? Yes. Does it contribute to a lack of self-reflection on the part of people in abusive relationships? Yes. Does watching fictional characters go through this teach women and girls watching to accept these sorts of things in their own lives? Yes.

The rebuttal from Karamel shippers is about how Mon-El grew up as prince of an awful place (a society where the queen laughs at things like treating people as people), and he’s learning how to be a better person (how to be a hero, even). Now, I think the characters are underwritten. I don’t know if we’re supposed to think Mon-El had problems with the system back on Daxam, if he’s reconsidering everything now that he’s on Earth, or if he’s faking being a better person to get into Kara’s pants. Any of those would be a likely scenario. Really, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter, because it is not Kara’s job to help him along that path.

If he wants to be a hero, or redeem himself, or even just do better, it’s on him to self-correct. His every screw-up thus far has led to Kara dragging Mon-El back on the path. That isn’t her job. Have him go to Metropolis and shadow Clark for a while. Have him thrown into the future and train with the Legion. It’s not that I don’t expect people to see this as normal. Women are expected to do most all the emotional labor in a relationship, so of course people are going to see this as normal. Television reflects our lives, and in turn our lives are shaped by storytelling tropes. But our lives, and the stories we tell, are poisoned by sexist norms that tell us how people are supposed to act. Is Supergirl showing us these norms at play in the characters’ lives, as a way to inoculate us in real life?

Well, no. I have no faith these writers are aware of what they are doing. If this were written to teach, to show how these sexist relationship norms function, and that their subtle insidiousness can infect the relationships even of the Maid of Might herself, that would be one thing. But these are the showrunners who’ve given us Arrow season 3 and nonsensical time travel shenanigans in The Flash. They are not writing a complex show here. They aren’t capable of it.

No, what the writers are doing is writing relationships the way they now how. And what they know is the way relationships function both on television and in real life. On television, where complex functional relationships between adults is non-existent, instead giving us romance that lurches from one drama to the next. And in real life, where women are expected to do the lion’s share of emotional labour in romantic relationships, aren’t supposed to introspect, and are supposed to be forgiving to their male partners’ every failure.

That’s why, for example, they didn’t write that Valentine’s Day episode to show us how stupid Mon-El’s jealousy was and how his actions are the exact opposite of what someone who likes somebody else should do in that situation. No, we were just supposed to accept that the metaphorical dick-measuring between him and Mxy is what any guy in that situation would do. It’s also the reason I stopped watching Buffy halfway through season 1, because the writing wasn’t presenting Xander as someone whose behaviour needed to be called out as misogynistic crap; we were supposed to find it funny, typical guy stuff. Is this sort of behavior normal? Sure. But it’s not a fact of the universe that things are this way. It’s not because of gravity; it’s because of sexism.

I loved how in season 1, being angry didn’t negate Kara being Supergirl. It was such a breath of fresh air compared to the moronic New-52 comics (a Red Lantern, seriously?!). It served to flesh out the character as her own person (her anger being an expression of survivor’s guilt), instead of the gender-swapped Clark they started with. It’s apparently a bridge too far, though, to allow her to be angry at her boyfriend for lying about his past and ignoring her instructions in the field, at least for more than an episode at a time. Lately, however, it seems like all the characters, and Kara especially, do not have inner lives. They act, but they seem incapable of questioning their own motives and desires. I have no idea why she and Mon-El like each other, aside from “straight white people.” It’s not that I don’t buy that this is psychologically realistic. I know it is; I’ve seen friends go through this, and in more straightforwardly abusive relationships besides. People can be drawn to each other, and be stuck in a cycle of breaking up and getting back together. It isn’t healthy, but it happens. 

But this is Supergirl, for pity’s sake. I don’t want realism. I want someone we can look up to. That has always been the point of these characters. A better show, with better writers, would be able to deliver a Kara in relationships still being the emotional and psychological center of the show. Between the CW, the writing staff, and sexism, there’s no chance of that.

TL;DR – I don’t give a rat’s ass about Mon-El. I care about analyzing and ending oppressive social norms that prevent people from living well.

Maybe if I keep punching real hard, something will break. It always works in comics.

[yungtal333]

Hey Gorgeous!

And, welcome back to my blog!

How are you today?

Before you read this post.. Take a moment to center yourself by taking three deep breaths.

Alright, done?

Coooool. Let’s get into then.

Happy Wednesday!

On Wednesday’s we brag about this week’s #INSPOBAE.

Why? Because she’s our woman crush, duh!

This week, I’m bring you a true goddess.

She’s currently Miss Universe Great Britain (MUGB) 2018 and, she recently competed in the Miss Universe Pageant.

She’s a cool, and down to earth Queen.

And, she just so happens to be cousin! Talk about blessings.

Welcome this week’s #INSPOBAE:

Dee-Ann Kentish-Rogers MUGB 2018

Hey Dee-Ann,

Thank you for joining me today on Roseconnexa.

Can you tell our readers a little bit about yourself?

I’m a 26 years old who grew up running around barefoot on a tiny idyllic paradise called Anguilla which is probably exactly why my future husband and I will have to understand that pedicures have to be part of our routine. I’m a “post-athlete” still benefiting from my years running around the track and a beauty queen. Additionally, I have the most random but awesome taste in music ever (shameless plug).

What do you want your legacy to be? Or what is your life’s mission statement?

Wow. My legacy? I’m still in the process of creating that by living life in my truth. What I constantly remind myself and the people I mentor is that life isn’t necessarily about being exceptional. It’s about being intentional. Wherever your foot lands it’s not just about your talent but the heart you show by going for it.

What inspired you to start competing in Beauty Pageants?

I started competing in pageantry after I realised that the knee injury I sustained during the heptathlon at the Commonwealth Games wasn’t transient and, I wouldn’t become the Olympic athlete I thought I would be. So, in my search to find something new and challenge my comfort zone I decided to do the last thing I ever planned on doing. Model on a stage in front of people (that wasn’t the challenge) and look graceful doing it (here we go).

What is your favorite part/process when it comes to competing?

What I love about competition is mastering the mental prep- its like preparing the soil of the mind to be fertile enough to grow the seed you want it to grow. For track and field it meant debunking my bodily limitations and for pageantry it was about creating a pool of inner confidence and knowledge that allowed me to feel secure in myself around a bevy of educated, ambitious and beautiful women.

What advice would you give to young ladies who are interested in competing in Beauty Pageants?

This is going to sound cliche. But you need to understand yourself and feel secure in what you have to offer the world. Pageants don’t have performance indicators that you can measure by speed, time or physical ability. It’s about branding, having business sense, being emotionally intelligent, communicating well and actually making a difference in your community. Start small- help out at your local clubs because these volunteer positions put life into perspective. You can’t inspire others without helping others.

How did you feel during the journey of competing at Miss Universe? What was it like for you?

Miss Universe was a rollercoaster of emotions. Imagine being placed in a complex with 100 people from different countries who are speak different languages, have different personalities and think in entirely different cultural contexts. Whilst still managing your own emotions, your lack of personal space and focusing on presenting yourself clearly to the world in a way that you want to. No pressure really.

What does it mean to you as a woman of color with dreadlocks competing in these major pageants?

As a woman of colour with dreadlocks to place 11th at Miss Universe I feel as though the tide is changing but it has not yet come in. As women we are demanding that the world make space for us because for too long our requests have been ignored. I want young black women to understand that they are worthy of any space we occupy and that they do not need to cast off their cultural identity in order to do so.

What is a normal day in the life of Dee-Ann after Miss Universe and after being crowned MUGB 2018?

A normal day in the life of Dee consists of exercise in the morning, sending off emails, replying to requests online, briefing myself on legal developments; so that when I go out into the law I am not up the creek without a paddle, modelling, salsa dancing and organizing charity events.

What’s your #1 beauty secret?

Water. Seriously, the more alkaline water I drink (evenly spaced throughout the day) the better my skin looks with and without makeup.

What’s next for you?

Whats next is practicing law and deciding where in this big beautiful world I want to live! if its one thing Miss Universe has taught me is that my options are limitless and there’s nothing I can’t do.

Thank you Dee-Ann!

This interview was so lively.

I got some great takeaways from our interview too.

Being a young black women with dreadlocks and competing in these major pageants is ground breaking! I love your statement about young black women understanding their worth. We are so worthy of everything and anything! I think that you have paved a way for others who recognize themselves in you. Aka; me and probably so many other young ladies. I truly loved watching you grace those stages. Not only because we are cousins. But, because I can see your power and you’re purpose radiating through that fierce walk. You are very inspiring to me. 

I love what you want your legacy to be. Life is about being intentional and real. Wherever we are right now is where we are meant to be. We should always be present and wholehearted. And, aware! Where you lack the talent replace it with a warm and intentional heart. That will take you further than any talent, any day. In my opinion.

I think that this short interview has really captured your soul and your intellect! You are the funniest in real life and you have portrayed your wits during this interview. I LOVE!

Thank you again Dee-Ann, for being apart of Roseconnexa.

This interview has given us all a deeper look into the life and heart of Dee-Ann. We can’t wait to see your journey unfold for you. You are definitely making us all so proud. Whilst  making an impact in the world.

You can follow Dee-Ann on social media @deeannkentishrogers <— Just click that link!

If you enjoyed Dee-Ann’s interview then you will with a doubt enjoy following her on the gram.

Dee-Ann is always taking beautiful pics of her beautiful island. And, she is very well traveled might I add.

So, head over to her IG to catch up and keep up with Dee-Ann. You will leave inspired for sure!

If you like this post then check out our last #INSPOBAE feature by clicking here!

You don’t want to miss any of these exclusive and transparent interviews with some inspiring and amazing young ladies. 

Thank you to all of our visitors today!

You guys are bomb for making it this far. 

****Do you know of anyone whom should be featured on Roseconnexa as our #INSPOBAE of the week??? Well, then comment their info down below in the comment sections. I need new baes each and every week!! And, if you want to be feature then let me know in the comment section too! I wanna get to know you better!

As always dolls,

If you like this post—->

Like it,

share it,

comment below

and, follow my Blog!

You Can Also Follow Me on Social Media:

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Until next time….

Stay Happy, Grateful and Aware. xoxo

With love,

Troi. 

#INSPOBAE: Miss Universe Great Britain 2018 and Barrister Dee-Ann Kentish-Rogers Hey Gorgeous! And, welcome back to my blog! How are you today? Before you read this post..

[joejstrickl]

30 Must Read Articles On Brand Management

A stronger brand. That’s our hope for every marketing oriented leader and professional that reads our insights on Branding Strategy Insider. Since 2006 we’ve shared thousands of thought pieces on the most important concepts in brand management. This year was no exception.

From start to finish we recorded the shaping forces of strategy, markets, culture, consumer behavior, over-communication, category disruption, the speed in which our discipline is changing and how brands are responding to earn a place in the future.

Thank you Branding Strategy Insider readers for helping us along the journey; offering your ideas, questions, suggestions, opinions and sometimes opposing views. You have helped shape us as authors, educators and brand strategists, and have helped make Branding Strategy Insider the leading resource for marketing oriented leaders and professionals.

As we soar into a new year with more wisdom in our possession, let’s look back on the 30 most read thought pieces of 2018 on Branding Strategy Insider. May they help you develop and release your brand’s full potential. 1. Beyond The Purpose Of Brand Purpose: It’s increasingly clear that today you have to stand for something if you want to remain standing. The explosion in purpose-led brand and business transformation is upon us, and it is far from over.

2. How Brands Compete And Win: Brand battles consist of far more than just marketing tactics and consume significant managerial attention.

3. The One Competitor Marketers Underestimated: An amplified need to belong and check status has turned into hundreds of millions of personal advertising campaigns, all competing against brands for attention. Going forward, your job as a marketer is not just to engage one audience group. You also need to engage friends of friends.

4. How Brands Can Avoid Culturally Flammable Ideas: If not careful, flammable ideas can quickly hijack, jeopardize and further deteriorate your marketing activities and decrease brand value.

5. The Role Of Branded Content In Building Brands: Branded content is about the powerful intersection between brands, culture and people. It’s not a discipline. It’s a new mind-set and culture.

6. Brand Management In The Age Of AI: AI is changing your brand. Is your brand changing with it? Most of us are already awash in articles and studies about AI, blockchain, marketing automation, analytics and big data. But this focus on tools and tactics diverts our attention from the brand management implications these tools create.

7. Successful Brand Cultures Live Their Beliefs: Nearsighted brand leaders imagine their brands first from the outside in, believing that attitude – what they say and how they posture matters most. Leaders with the modern legacy mindset build from the inside out in accordance with beliefs that drive behaviors because actions matter more than words alone.

8. The Future Belongs To Brands That Connect Ideas: When Steve Jobs said he was “shameless about stealing great ideas,” he meant it in the Picasso context. Anyone can copy a competitor. True innovation occurs when you build on the ideas that came before you.

9. Brand Innovation: A New Disruption Theory: A new disruption theory counters the globally renowned, but intrinsically flawed idea that disruption is about companies who undermine legacy players based on a new technology at a lower price point.  An idea that fails to explain the iPhone, Uber, Tesla, Airbnb, Flatscreen TV’s, Netflix, 3G and most of the world in which we live.

10. Four Elements That Shape Brand Experiences: To build more relevant experiences you need to take a step back and consider the context your brand and the associated experiences will be built within.

11. How Semiotics Helps Brands Encapsulate Value: No brand is an island. It doesn’t exist in a vacuum, although marketers often mistakenly manage their brands as if they were islands unrelated to the physical and cultural environments of their customers.

12. Solving Brand Problems With Behavioral Science: One of the appealing aspects of behavioral science is that rather than being a single, over-arching theory, it’s a broad collection of biases. That means it’s flexible enough to be applied to the variety of problems we’re trying to solve for brands.

13. Four Things I Learned Building The Calvin Klein Brand: For over 17 years (1999-2016) I served as the CEO of Calvin Klein and I had the distinct pleasure of being able to work with one of the world’s most preeminent creative geniuses of our time, Calvin Klein. In order to maintain the Calvin Klein brand, I followed four rigorous steps in the execution process to make sure the brand stood the test of time.

14. Brands And The Changing Art Of Persuasion: The tools of persuasion may have changed, but the art of persuasion remains an essential role for strategists..

15. The Most Successful Brands Don’t Focus On Buyers: What makes a brand successful in the digital age? A recent study suggests that digital brands don’t just do things differently; they also think differently. Where traditional brands focus on positioning their brands in the minds of their customers, digital brands focus on positioning their brands in the lives of their customers.

16. Patagonia In The Making: My Founder’s Story: I know it’s unorthodox to be guided by both karma and profits, but that’s just one of many ways we break the rules of business these days. I think of Patagonia less as a conventional brand selling products than as an experiment, an evolving means of using business to solve social problems.

17. The Power Of Subtle Branding: What’s the minimum a customer needs to recognize you?

18. The New Era of Brand: Data, AI & Consumer Control: Many of the business fundamentals we’ve learned have been turned on their heads (or at least their sides) by the fourth industrial revolution. The same is true of branding.

19. Brands Need Both Hard And Soft Power: All companies want their brands to be powerful. Often, power is equated with worth, valuation, stock price, access to capital, growth, market share, category dominance, etc. This is what we define as hard power.

20. Building Brands With A Female Lens: The history of brand management dates back roughly seventy-five years, built in a time where men were men and women were housewives.

21. Confusing Brand Positioning With Brand Purpose: When purpose gets confused for a position, (how the brand is perceived in the context of competitive alternatives) brands lose their ability to differentiate and compete.

22. Marketing Flaws For Powerful Brand Differentiation: How admitting your flaws can lead to stronger bonds and brands.

23. How To Map Your Customer’s Journey: To identify the opportunities for growth along the customer lifecycle, it is first important to understand the customer’s experience engaging with the company and its product or service.

24. Eight Requirements For New Market Success: Why is it that some great ideas take forever to take root, whereas others flourish fast? What lessons do these patterns of struggle and success hold for new markets today?

25. One Rule For Making Brands More Memorable: We tend to remember the final moments of an experience and the most (or least) enjoyable parts. Psychologists call this the peak-end rule. This has important implications for brands.

26. How Brands Can Convert Data To Insight: Brands that focus most on the unchanging man will win the insight war.

27. Brands And The Paradox of Growth: Growth creates complexity, and complexity is the silent killer of growth.

28. How Brands Can Compete In A Polarized World: Marketers don’t have it easy right now. Accelerating change is happening globally, but around the world, markets differ in how much they trust the information they get. Here are 5 key insights for competing in a polarized world.

29. Building Brands On Community And Belonging: Brands positioned with our community in mind are often perceived as extensions of our own personas, in sync with how we define ourselves today and who we aspire to be.

30. Why All Brands Need A Brain Trust: A Brand Brain Trust and brand strength research tools are very good ideas for any company that is focused on protecting and nurturing goodwill and its market capitalization.

The Blake Project Can Help Your Brand Grow: The Brand Growth Strategy Workshop

Branding Strategy Insider is a service of The Blake Project: A strategic brand consultancy specializing in Brand Research, Brand Strategy, Brand Growth and Brand Education

FREE Publications And Resources For Marketers

[markjsousa]

30 Must Read Articles On Brand Management

A stronger brand. That’s our hope for every marketing oriented leader and professional that reads our insights on Branding Strategy Insider. Since 2006 we’ve shared thousands of thought pieces on the most important concepts in brand management. This year was no exception.

From start to finish we recorded the shaping forces of strategy, markets, culture, consumer behavior, over-communication, category disruption, the speed in which our discipline is changing and how brands are responding to earn a place in the future.

Thank you Branding Strategy Insider readers for helping us along the journey; offering your ideas, questions, suggestions, opinions and sometimes opposing views. You have helped shape us as authors, educators and brand strategists, and have helped make Branding Strategy Insider the leading resource for marketing oriented leaders and professionals.

As we soar into a new year with more wisdom in our possession, let’s look back on the 30 most read thought pieces of 2018 on Branding Strategy Insider. May they help you develop and release your brand’s full potential. 1. Beyond The Purpose Of Brand Purpose: It’s increasingly clear that today you have to stand for something if you want to remain standing. The explosion in purpose-led brand and business transformation is upon us, and it is far from over.

2. How Brands Compete And Win: Brand battles consist of far more than just marketing tactics and consume significant managerial attention.

3. The One Competitor Marketers Underestimated: An amplified need to belong and check status has turned into hundreds of millions of personal advertising campaigns, all competing against brands for attention. Going forward, your job as a marketer is not just to engage one audience group. You also need to engage friends of friends.

4. How Brands Can Avoid Culturally Flammable Ideas: If not careful, flammable ideas can quickly hijack, jeopardize and further deteriorate your marketing activities and decrease brand value.

5. The Role Of Branded Content In Building Brands: Branded content is about the powerful intersection between brands, culture and people. It’s not a discipline. It’s a new mind-set and culture.

6. Brand Management In The Age Of AI: AI is changing your brand. Is your brand changing with it? Most of us are already awash in articles and studies about AI, blockchain, marketing automation, analytics and big data. But this focus on tools and tactics diverts our attention from the brand management implications these tools create.

7. Successful Brand Cultures Live Their Beliefs: Nearsighted brand leaders imagine their brands first from the outside in, believing that attitude – what they say and how they posture matters most. Leaders with the modern legacy mindset build from the inside out in accordance with beliefs that drive behaviors because actions matter more than words alone.

8. The Future Belongs To Brands That Connect Ideas: When Steve Jobs said he was “shameless about stealing great ideas,” he meant it in the Picasso context. Anyone can copy a competitor. True innovation occurs when you build on the ideas that came before you.

9. Brand Innovation: A New Disruption Theory: A new disruption theory counters the globally renowned, but intrinsically flawed idea that disruption is about companies who undermine legacy players based on a new technology at a lower price point.  An idea that fails to explain the iPhone, Uber, Tesla, Airbnb, Flatscreen TV’s, Netflix, 3G and most of the world in which we live.

10. Four Elements That Shape Brand Experiences: To build more relevant experiences you need to take a step back and consider the context your brand and the associated experiences will be built within.

11. How Semiotics Helps Brands Encapsulate Value: No brand is an island. It doesn’t exist in a vacuum, although marketers often mistakenly manage their brands as if they were islands unrelated to the physical and cultural environments of their customers.

12. Solving Brand Problems With Behavioral Science: One of the appealing aspects of behavioral science is that rather than being a single, over-arching theory, it’s a broad collection of biases. That means it’s flexible enough to be applied to the variety of problems we’re trying to solve for brands.

13. Four Things I Learned Building The Calvin Klein Brand: For over 17 years (1999-2016) I served as the CEO of Calvin Klein and I had the distinct pleasure of being able to work with one of the world’s most preeminent creative geniuses of our time, Calvin Klein. In order to maintain the Calvin Klein brand, I followed four rigorous steps in the execution process to make sure the brand stood the test of time.

14. Brands And The Changing Art Of Persuasion: The tools of persuasion may have changed, but the art of persuasion remains an essential role for strategists..

15. The Most Successful Brands Don’t Focus On Buyers: What makes a brand successful in the digital age? A recent study suggests that digital brands don’t just do things differently; they also think differently. Where traditional brands focus on positioning their brands in the minds of their customers, digital brands focus on positioning their brands in the lives of their customers.

16. Patagonia In The Making: My Founder’s Story: I know it’s unorthodox to be guided by both karma and profits, but that’s just one of many ways we break the rules of business these days. I think of Patagonia less as a conventional brand selling products than as an experiment, an evolving means of using business to solve social problems.

17. The Power Of Subtle Branding: What’s the minimum a customer needs to recognize you?

18. The New Era of Brand: Data, AI & Consumer Control: Many of the business fundamentals we’ve learned have been turned on their heads (or at least their sides) by the fourth industrial revolution. The same is true of branding.

19. Brands Need Both Hard And Soft Power: All companies want their brands to be powerful. Often, power is equated with worth, valuation, stock price, access to capital, growth, market share, category dominance, etc. This is what we define as hard power.

20. Building Brands With A Female Lens: The history of brand management dates back roughly seventy-five years, built in a time where men were men and women were housewives.

21. Confusing Brand Positioning With Brand Purpose: When purpose gets confused for a position, (how the brand is perceived in the context of competitive alternatives) brands lose their ability to differentiate and compete.

22. Marketing Flaws For Powerful Brand Differentiation: How admitting your flaws can lead to stronger bonds and brands.

23. How To Map Your Customer’s Journey: To identify the opportunities for growth along the customer lifecycle, it is first important to understand the customer’s experience engaging with the company and its product or service.

24. Eight Requirements For New Market Success: Why is it that some great ideas take forever to take root, whereas others flourish fast? What lessons do these patterns of struggle and success hold for new markets today?

25. One Rule For Making Brands More Memorable: We tend to remember the final moments of an experience and the most (or least) enjoyable parts. Psychologists call this the peak-end rule. This has important implications for brands.

26. How Brands Can Convert Data To Insight: Brands that focus most on the unchanging man will win the insight war.

27. Brands And The Paradox of Growth: Growth creates complexity, and complexity is the silent killer of growth.

28. How Brands Can Compete In A Polarized World: Marketers don’t have it easy right now. Accelerating change is happening globally, but around the world, markets differ in how much they trust the information they get. Here are 5 key insights for competing in a polarized world.

29. Building Brands On Community And Belonging: Brands positioned with our community in mind are often perceived as extensions of our own personas, in sync with how we define ourselves today and who we aspire to be.

30. Why All Brands Need A Brain Trust: A Brand Brain Trust and brand strength research tools are very good ideas for any company that is focused on protecting and nurturing goodwill and its market capitalization.

The Blake Project Can Help Your Brand Grow: The Brand Growth Strategy Workshop

Branding Strategy Insider is a service of The Blake Project: A strategic brand consultancy specializing in Brand Research, Brand Strategy, Brand Growth and Brand Education

FREE Publications And Resources For Marketers

[glenmenlow]

30 Must Read Articles On Brand Management

A stronger brand. That’s our hope for every marketing oriented leader and professional that reads our insights on Branding Strategy Insider. Since 2006 we’ve shared thousands of thought pieces on the most important concepts in brand management. This year was no exception.

From start to finish we recorded the shaping forces of strategy, markets, culture, consumer behavior, over-communication, category disruption, the speed in which our discipline is changing and how brands are responding to earn a place in the future.

Thank you Branding Strategy Insider readers for helping us along the journey; offering your ideas, questions, suggestions, opinions and sometimes opposing views. You have helped shape us as authors, educators and brand strategists, and have helped make Branding Strategy Insider the leading resource for marketing oriented leaders and professionals.

As we soar into a new year with more wisdom in our possession, let’s look back on the 30 most read thought pieces of 2018 on Branding Strategy Insider. May they help you develop and release your brand’s full potential. 1. Beyond The Purpose Of Brand Purpose: It’s increasingly clear that today you have to stand for something if you want to remain standing. The explosion in purpose-led brand and business transformation is upon us, and it is far from over.

2. How Brands Compete And Win: Brand battles consist of far more than just marketing tactics and consume significant managerial attention.

3. The One Competitor Marketers Underestimated: An amplified need to belong and check status has turned into hundreds of millions of personal advertising campaigns, all competing against brands for attention. Going forward, your job as a marketer is not just to engage one audience group. You also need to engage friends of friends.

4. How Brands Can Avoid Culturally Flammable Ideas: If not careful, flammable ideas can quickly hijack, jeopardize and further deteriorate your marketing activities and decrease brand value.

5. The Role Of Branded Content In Building Brands: Branded content is about the powerful intersection between brands, culture and people. It’s not a discipline. It’s a new mind-set and culture.

6. Brand Management In The Age Of AI: AI is changing your brand. Is your brand changing with it? Most of us are already awash in articles and studies about AI, blockchain, marketing automation, analytics and big data. But this focus on tools and tactics diverts our attention from the brand management implications these tools create.

7. Successful Brand Cultures Live Their Beliefs: Nearsighted brand leaders imagine their brands first from the outside in, believing that attitude – what they say and how they posture matters most. Leaders with the modern legacy mindset build from the inside out in accordance with beliefs that drive behaviors because actions matter more than words alone.

8. The Future Belongs To Brands That Connect Ideas: When Steve Jobs said he was “shameless about stealing great ideas,” he meant it in the Picasso context. Anyone can copy a competitor. True innovation occurs when you build on the ideas that came before you.

9. Brand Innovation: A New Disruption Theory: A new disruption theory counters the globally renowned, but intrinsically flawed idea that disruption is about companies who undermine legacy players based on a new technology at a lower price point.  An idea that fails to explain the iPhone, Uber, Tesla, Airbnb, Flatscreen TV’s, Netflix, 3G and most of the world in which we live.

10. Four Elements That Shape Brand Experiences: To build more relevant experiences you need to take a step back and consider the context your brand and the associated experiences will be built within.

11. How Semiotics Helps Brands Encapsulate Value: No brand is an island. It doesn’t exist in a vacuum, although marketers often mistakenly manage their brands as if they were islands unrelated to the physical and cultural environments of their customers.

12. Solving Brand Problems With Behavioral Science: One of the appealing aspects of behavioral science is that rather than being a single, over-arching theory, it’s a broad collection of biases. That means it’s flexible enough to be applied to the variety of problems we’re trying to solve for brands.

13. Four Things I Learned Building The Calvin Klein Brand: For over 17 years (1999-2016) I served as the CEO of Calvin Klein and I had the distinct pleasure of being able to work with one of the world’s most preeminent creative geniuses of our time, Calvin Klein. In order to maintain the Calvin Klein brand, I followed four rigorous steps in the execution process to make sure the brand stood the test of time.

14. Brands And The Changing Art Of Persuasion: The tools of persuasion may have changed, but the art of persuasion remains an essential role for strategists..

15. The Most Successful Brands Don’t Focus On Buyers: What makes a brand successful in the digital age? A recent study suggests that digital brands don’t just do things differently; they also think differently. Where traditional brands focus on positioning their brands in the minds of their customers, digital brands focus on positioning their brands in the lives of their customers.

16. Patagonia In The Making: My Founder’s Story: I know it’s unorthodox to be guided by both karma and profits, but that’s just one of many ways we break the rules of business these days. I think of Patagonia less as a conventional brand selling products than as an experiment, an evolving means of using business to solve social problems.

17. The Power Of Subtle Branding: What’s the minimum a customer needs to recognize you?

18. The New Era of Brand: Data, AI & Consumer Control: Many of the business fundamentals we’ve learned have been turned on their heads (or at least their sides) by the fourth industrial revolution. The same is true of branding.

19. Brands Need Both Hard And Soft Power: All companies want their brands to be powerful. Often, power is equated with worth, valuation, stock price, access to capital, growth, market share, category dominance, etc. This is what we define as hard power.

20. Building Brands With A Female Lens: The history of brand management dates back roughly seventy-five years, built in a time where men were men and women were housewives.

21. Confusing Brand Positioning With Brand Purpose: When purpose gets confused for a position, (how the brand is perceived in the context of competitive alternatives) brands lose their ability to differentiate and compete.

22. Marketing Flaws For Powerful Brand Differentiation: How admitting your flaws can lead to stronger bonds and brands.

23. How To Map Your Customer’s Journey: To identify the opportunities for growth along the customer lifecycle, it is first important to understand the customer’s experience engaging with the company and its product or service.

24. Eight Requirements For New Market Success: Why is it that some great ideas take forever to take root, whereas others flourish fast? What lessons do these patterns of struggle and success hold for new markets today?

25. One Rule For Making Brands More Memorable: We tend to remember the final moments of an experience and the most (or least) enjoyable parts. Psychologists call this the peak-end rule. This has important implications for brands.

26. How Brands Can Convert Data To Insight: Brands that focus most on the unchanging man will win the insight war.

27. Brands And The Paradox of Growth: Growth creates complexity, and complexity is the silent killer of growth.

28. How Brands Can Compete In A Polarized World: Marketers don’t have it easy right now. Accelerating change is happening globally, but around the world, markets differ in how much they trust the information they get. Here are 5 key insights for competing in a polarized world.

29. Building Brands On Community And Belonging: Brands positioned with our community in mind are often perceived as extensions of our own personas, in sync with how we define ourselves today and who we aspire to be.

30. Why All Brands Need A Brain Trust: A Brand Brain Trust and brand strength research tools are very good ideas for any company that is focused on protecting and nurturing goodwill and its market capitalization.

The Blake Project Can Help Your Brand Grow: The Brand Growth Strategy Workshop

Branding Strategy Insider is a service of The Blake Project: A strategic brand consultancy specializing in Brand Research, Brand Strategy, Brand Growth and Brand Education

FREE Publications And Resources For Marketers

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[autoirishlitdiscourses]

Discourse of Friday, 03 February 2017

Thanks for your recitation and incurring the no-show penalty. Any time after 12:30-4 around, so your previous reported grade included an attendance/participation that is an emotional payoff and a server error on the section, and you've written a gracefully structured essay that is a question or two key issues. On Raglan Road 6 p. Spavindy means lame, in order to construct a valid MLA citation format to point to areas where your writing is quite a good weekend! We also insist that politics demands complex thinking and that has changed by the rhythm of the Kris song in here, and you've done so, what do you see as important about mothers in Irish politics at the beginning of the week of Thanksgiving is now optional. I do tomorrow, then to have—my suspicion is that the professor will not only paying close attention to these matters will help you be absent from class on the section wound up being the natural outcome of the novel; and by the rules is generally taken to be one of the math, then digging in deeper and more than three hundred papers and scored very well be productive: Nausicaa and whose thoughts are being violated? Take a look at my paper-grading rubric: you had to be changed than send a new sense of the rather thin time slice that Joyce gives us of their accustomed path. I promise to do to be as successful as possible productive reading of those sound good, conveying the weirdness of Francie's meat delivery 5 p. Hi! Let me know and we'll work out a reminder that you're not in any one of the overall goal is to understand and appreciate any aspect of Irish Airman Foresees His Death 5 p. How Your Grade Is Calculated in excruciating detail. I feel that you read. Thought for the actual amount of certainty that the option of knowing what your paper does not have to be some minor changes before I pass it out before his exam? In particular, format-wise. Well done on this particular grad-school-length penalty of/The Music Box/1932: There will be posted on. Good luck on the assignment.

Participatory-ness, I will take this into account when grading your presentation, I'm sorry to take risks and do a project on on line 651; and the way that shows that you've got a very good job getting people to talk about what kind of viewership is presupposed? Let me know if you have any questions, OK?

If you want to pursue this topic in a room whose location is a heady drug that we're going to be on the final! I Do Like a S'Nice S'Mince S'Pie sung by Corp. Have a good concert.

My son inside her. Volunteering to be answering a question is a vision of female beauty as dangerous, as detailed on the most productive move, because you are perfectly willing to offer the same time, whereas Y is like us in important ways. /seriously hurt/your grade without the genuinely astounding, I think that a good upcoming weekend I'll see you next week, you got a lot of similarities to yours, and that letting it sit for a long selection and you showed that you've been talking about current citizens of Ireland as a section of Ulysses that's sitting in a compare/contrast formula and show that this class this is unlikely, you can hand me your plans by ten p.

Have a good holiday break! Very well done this week!

A 90% 93% A-for the actual amount of time that you want it to another in ways that I can identify it. However, he is the connection between nature and aggression? Those who are mathematically inclined may notice that the person who, as your model, and it would emphasize the possibility that she should ask you questions for discussion by email. I'll see you next week! You must recite a selection. You might follow up that night for you if he did it because he'd been focusing on other classes, you can conceivably take as long as fifteen minutes if you'd like, because he is adhering strictly to the schedule on the central interpretive claim. 6 to page 7. At least, that's perfectly normal and acceptable at this point, if your dorm forces you to push your argument, too, that it will leave the room, too, and what does all of part two for all students, and the Dubliners-Finnegan's Wake mentioned in your own ability to understand and appreciate any aspect of love has trapped her in a voice that sounded much like the Synge vocabulary quiz on John Synge's The Playboy of the second half of the play's deeper structures of the poem as a way that the student's schedule hasn't changed, but rather because you/must/perform a recitation.

I'll also be used as standalone software although it's not inevitably the case that registration is totally full there are variations between individual Irishmen and-women. Bloom is engaging in a lot of lattitude in terms of culture rather than a B if turned in on time. Arranging the second excerpt from the English department mail room South Hall 3431 by 1.

No worries about the offer. It is in any great amount of time that you think about putting in conjunction with The Plough and the Stars, and died after. 238 Reading quiz, if you want to deal with the final. Expressing a different text. You really have done some very good job of setting your texts if you are nervous or feel that your paper. So do you want to go to bed tonight. Picking a selection that allows other people performing from Godot tomorrow. One thing that other people to discuss this coming Tuesday, you don't mind the shameless self-characterization at several points in this range do not assign the weighting factor of one of two categories. I think that your health is OK with you about how to deliver the poem in a paper, mopping up on the final and am about to submit grades.

Overall, though you've certainly met the you must turn in a lot of similarities to yours. I'm going to post it somewhere probably SoundCloud or Box where I think that your very perceptive readings of Yeats are thoughtful, perceptive, and you run out of 500 total for the final, is already enough to impede an understanding of the quarter when we talked about this relationship between education and death?

Remember the summer morning she was born, running to knock up Mrs Thorton in Denzille street. Rebeka discussion of the class is likely to be aware of areas where it is, I think it's good and potentially very productive reading in relation to Punishment and build dramatic tension rather than a circulating, coin. 5, because the email I just heard back from Sacramento and have a wonderful poem, but there are a couple of ways of seeing things through rose-colored glasses?

45 is the only ones going at 5 p.

One is that you can reschedule you for pointing me toward this in 1914-1922, and I will happily handle it in any form of communication device during an exam for you if you found it on the specific feedback if you'd like, and it shouldn't be too hard to get at least somewhat. Hi! If people stop talking, fall back on it. An average weighting for students in a lot of things rather well here, overall, you really have done so in order to survive. I feel that you can absolutely switch into my office mate, Pokornowski he's also a nice plan here. I think that asking questions of gradually increasing abstraction. You also reacted gracefully to questions #4, about whether you think is important, because I will also photocopy it for. I can make my 6:00 section. I think, too, that you must write a more rigorous analysis.

So, when the grade is calculated. You can theoretically go a long selection and delivered it accurately, and will send an e-mail asking what your grade is not the high end, you should do whatever is available. Discussion may not recite Yeats in a paper option that's this far, you basically met expectations here.

That this is not improbable. In practice, and I quite liked it: A-: Answers the question fully by providing a thumbnail background to the on line six; dropped out from burst out on a literary topic; you were thinking about for the quarter, and Bates Motel thank you for doing a comparison/contrast paper which is actually doing the assignment handout. Ultimately, what does this similarity matter? You also effectively warmed the group warmed up and either satisfies or frustrates the expectation for the section meetings part of the song is also engaged and passionate and engaged manner; and the window that's closest to it, even especially! Well done on this particular passage that's one of two pairs reciting from Godot tomorrow. I think that you're likely to pay enough attention to the longest possible stretch of time and managed to convey or build up to you within 48 hours after you have questions about them at their level of comfort and interest, and to avoid even the appearance of cheating. I'll read through it. One way to fill time and backing up, and you get from the rest of the way that the violent, and I realize. Think of Stephen Dedalus thinking back on, so pick any passage that's not required to be even more insightful work on it, and where to go for the quarter, I hope that they can also break into how the reader; the paper you had an accommodation through the hiring process, and this history is to start participating now, like getting letters of recommtion, because that will encourage substantial discussion in the ideological ditch is a more detailed way. I'm incredibly embarrassed about this before in case you're struggling with a bit, I think you've got some very, very nicely acted. However, one sentence at a time to think about the horror experienced by the lake, the course edition? Probably, if you'd like though you're certainly not obligated to agree/disagree, OK? 4, which, given Ulysses, is not sufficient to make up for the 5 p. I'm looking forward to it. Thanks. I'll send it, but that a decision quite soon. What is his name? I'm sorry to take so long to get started writing your last chance to add one potential reading of the large lecture hall because. Helpful for interpreting monetary amounts in Ulysses. It took a bit nervous, but with the students in your position, the nude painting Fluther & Peter are tittering over in O'Casey: New document on the sheet handed out today to be more flexible, is a particularly provocative one might think about Fluther's comment?

[yungtal333]

Hey Gorgeous!

And, welcome back to my blog!

How are you today?

Before you read this post.. Take a moment to center yourself by taking three deep breaths.

Alright, done?

Coooool. Let’s get into then.

Happy Wednesday!

On Wednesday’s we brag about this week’s #INSPOBAE.

Why? Because she’s our woman crush, duh!

This week, I’m bring you a true goddess.

She’s currently Miss Universe Great Britain (MUGB) 2018 and, she recently competed in the Miss Universe Pageant.

She’s a cool, and down to earth Queen.

And, she so happens to be cousin! Talk about blessings.

Welcome this week’s #INSPOBAE:

Dee-Ann Kentish-Rogers MUGB 2018

Hey Dee-Ann,

Thank you for joining me today on Roseconnexa.

Can you tell our readers a little bit about yourself?

I’m a 26 years old who grew up running around barefoot on a tiny idyllic paradise called Anguilla which is probably exactly why my future husband and I will have to understand that pedicures have to be part of our routine. I’m a “post-athlete” still benefiting from my years running around the track and a beauty queen. Additionally, I have the most random but awesome taste in music ever (shameless plug).

What do you want your legacy to be? Or what is your life’s mission statement?

Wow. My legacy? I’m still in the process of creating that by living life in my truth. What I constantly remind myself and the people I mentor is that life isn’t necessarily about being exceptional. It’s about being intentional. Wherever your foot lands it’s not just about your talent but the heart you show by going for it.

What inspired you to start competing in Beauty Pageants?

I started competing in pageantry after I realised that the knee injury I sustained during the heptathlon at the Commonwealth Games wasn’t transient and, I wouldn’t become the Olympic athlete I thought I would be. So, in my search to find something new and challenge my comfort zone I decided to do the last thing I ever planned on doing. Model on a stage in front of people (that wasn’t the challenge) and look graceful doing it (here we go).

What is your favorite part/process when it comes to competing?

What I love about competition is mastering the mental prep- its like preparing the soil of the mind to be fertile enough to grow the seed you want it to grow. For track and field it meant debunking my bodily limitations and for pageantry it was about creating a pool of inner confidence and knowledge that allowed me to feel secure in myself around a bevy of educated, ambitious and beautiful women.

What advice would you give to young ladies who are interested in competing in Beauty Pageants?

This is going to sound cliche. But you need to understand yourself and feel secure in what you have to offer the world. Pageants don’t have performance indicators that you can measure by speed, time or physical ability. It’s about branding, having business sense, being emotionally intelligent, communicating well and actually making a difference in your community. Start small- help out at your local clubs because these volunteer positions put life into perspective. You can’t inspire others without helping others.

How did you feel during the journey of competing at Miss Universe? What was it like for you?

Miss Universe was a rollercoaster of emotions. Imagine being placed in a complex with 100 people from different countries who are speak different languages, have different personalities and think in entirely different cultural contexts. Whilst still managing your own emotions, your lack of personal space and focusing on presenting yourself clearly to the world in a way that you want to. No pressure really.

What does it mean to you as a woman of color with dreadlocks competing in these major pageants?

As a woman of colour with dreadlocks to place 11th at Miss Universe I feel as though the tide is changing but it has not yet come in. As women we are demanding that the world make space for us because for too long our requests have been ignored. I want young black women to understand that they are worthy of any space we occupy and that they do not need to cast off their cultural identity in order to do so.

What is a normal day in the life of Dee-Ann after Miss Universe and after being crowned MUGB 2018?

A normal day in the life of Dee consists of exercise in the morning, sending off emails, replying to requests online, briefing myself on legal developments; so that when I go out into the law I am not up the creek without a paddle, modelling, salsa dancing and organizing charity events.

What’s your #1 beauty secret?

Water. Seriously, the more alkaline water I drink (evenly spaced throughout the day) the better my skin looks with and without makeup.

What’s next for you?

Whats next is practicing law and deciding where in this big beautiful world I want to live! if its one thing Miss Universe has taught me is that my options are limitless and there’s nothing I can’t do.

Thank you Dee-Ann!

This interview was so lively. You are so funny and genuine. I adore you for that.

I got some great takeaways from our interview.

Being a young black women with dreadlocks and competing in these major pageants is ground breaking! I love your statement about young black women understanding their worth. We are so worthy of everything and anything! I think that you have paved a way for others who recognize themselves in you. Aka; me and probably so many other young ladies. I truly loved watching you grace those stages. Not only because we are cousins. But, because I can see your power and you’re purpose. You are very inspiring.

I love what you want your legacy to be. Life is about being intentional.

I think that this short interview has really captured your soul and your intellect! You are the funniest in real life and you have portrayed your wits during this interview. I LOVE!

Thank you again, for being apart of Roseconnexa.

This interview has given us all a deeper look into the life and heart of Dee-Ann. We can’t wait to see your journey unfold for you. You are definitely making us all so proud. Whilst  making a change in the world.

You can follow Dee-Ann on social media @deeannkentishrogers <— Just click that link!

If you enjoyed Dee-Ann’s interview then you will with a doubt enjoy following her on the gram.

Dee-Ann is always taking beautiful pics of her beautiful island. And, she is very well traveled.

So, head over to her IG to catch up and keep up with Dee-Ann.

#INSPOBAE: Miss Universe Great Britain 2018 and Barrister Dee-Ann Kentish-Rogers Hey Gorgeous! And, welcome back to my blog! How are you today? Before you read this post..