#And think morw positive thoughts
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
sweetdreamspootypie · 8 months ago
Text
*scream*
(ventpost)
"you know you're getting a bit old for meeting people if you want kids"
WHO'S FAULT IS THAT?!
Who chose to raise us in the middle of the the fucking woods?!
Who actively deliberately isolated us from our ethnic community because you were embarrassed by how we were failures and your internalized self racism makes you think all brown men as skeevy and you specifically wanted to keep us away from them and put effort into achieving that and cutting us off from all community connection?
Who let me switch to correspondence school and study alone at home because I said I was bored, instead of giving a single solitary fuck about me and noticing I was obviously depressed?
Who raised us abstinence only to the point that any mixing with the 'opposite' sex was unacceptable?
Who actively shut down any attempt I made to develop or act on hobbies or personal interests, because the only think I should be doing is studying?
Do you think that somehow the negative effects of keeping kids at home only allowed to do schoolwork and chores and unable to drive unable to leave the house unable to get a job unable to engage in hobbies unable to engage in community unable to leave the house... somehow the negative effects only apply if you're deliberately doing it for patriarchal cult reasons?
Bitch managed to raise us fully traditional entirely by accident
With a good dash of learned helplessness with constant messaging that were incapable of managing to do anything or survive by ourselves
I've only been out the house for 3 years! And 2 of that was the last year of the degree and the first year of the job being a new grad Covid nurse in peak Covid!
I've only been able to breathe for one year!
I've had one year of freedom and I've been using it to learn how to be human for the first time!
And you've spent that year telling me to break up with everyone I happen to meet!
Don't fucking tell me I'm too old now
You were supposed to help me!
You knew I wanted kids! Why didn't you help me earlier!
You did everything you could to keep me isolated because you were projecting your own trust issues onto me and never stopped to think what effect that might have when you're raising someone!
Why does generational trauma have to be so mundane
4 notes · View notes
the-prophecy · 6 months ago
Note
What are your thoughts on people blaming taylor for blocking billie’s #1
Personally, i think it is ridiculous and we are reading too much into what she’s doing.
Anon what we all found out this week is all the artists care about their positions on billboard we saw both billie and Taylor releasing remixes and about blocking het #1 im not gonna act blind the timing of her releasing the remix was off everyone would think the same and its her choice atp no one would throw away their #1 position on billboard the hate is unnecessary tho like let them release their remixes and see how far it goes bc we know there would be atleast 4 morw fortnight remixes and they would come out the same week its like a tradition.
2 notes · View notes
republicnewsindia · 4 years ago
Text
Father of Modern Martial Arts Dr. Jasbir Singh becomes the face of martial arts
I want to open martial arts institutions in all corners of the globe as I want each child to be self-dependent - Grandmaster Dr. Jasbir Singh.
Tumblr media
Kapurthala, Punjab [India] : We all know that martial arts refers to the art of war and that it is a 15th century European word referring to a fighting technique, which till date is known as European martial arts. One who practices martial arts is known as a martial artist. Just to put away a misconception at this time, the martial art which goes by the  ‘kungfu’ being practiced in China is actually the creation of the great Indian ‘Bodhidharman’. Bodhidharman (520-526 bc) was not only thorough with martial arts but he had also mastered the skills of Ayurveda (ancient Indian medicine), hypnotism and also managed to control the five elements/forces of nature (earth, sky, air, water, and fire). He always used his knowledge to contribute to the welfare and progress of people. To carry on the legacy of this very Bodhidharman, a man with full of talent Indian grandmaster ‘Jasbir Singh’ was born. Today Dr.Jasbir Singh does not required an introduction. The world today regards him as the face of martial arts. So let us know a little bit more about martial Arts through questions, answered by Dr. Jasbir Singh.
 Q.1. Sir what is your full name and where you born? And where do you live presently?
My full name is grandmaster Pro. Dr.Jasbir Singh. I was born in the historic village of Kapurthala in Punjab. Currently I reside in California as an American citizen.
 Q.2. Why did you choose martial arts as your career?
I had never thought about choosing martial arts as a career. However, martial arts has become an integral part of my life now. Today I can say martial arts is a unique art through which you can live your life and it presents me with a wonderful opportunity to keep people safe and I am committed to martial arts as accessible to everyone.
 Q.3. When did you gain interest in martial arts?
I used to watch bruce lee movies in my childhood, hence my attraction towards his movies became my life.
 Q.4. What is the big difference between Taekwondo and martial arts?
Taekwondo is a type of sport martial arts which originate in Korea but it can also be known as ancient martial arts. Now a days taekwondo is an Olympic sport in which I’m certified from the taekwondo headquarters in Kukkiwon, Korea.
 Q.5.How difficult was your journey from white belt to the black belt? During this time did you ever suffer any serious injury? 
In those days a career in martial arts was not preferred in India and no one in my family wanted me to pursue martial arts. They thought if I learnt martial arts I would end up becoming a goon, but my mother understood me and supported me throughout my journey. I won 5 martial arts world championships which include
         1)         world martial art and kickboxing championship 10-12 November 2000. Victory at 5th place in Italy.
         2)         World taekwondo Deamodue championship 18th-19th November. Bronze medal in Paris.
         3)         12th International Muaythai championship 20-22nd February 2001. Silver medal in Thailand.
         4)         8th International karate and kickboxing championship 23rd -25th may. Bronze medal in Nepal.
         5)         Associazione centri sportive International championship 15th may 2005. 1st gold medal in Italy.
Hence, I started living by the motto of practice, determination and patience in my life. As they say ‘No pain No gain’ I have been injured many times but I keep playing on not to win but to learn. To be very honest I lost my first state match and probably that is why I’m a successful player and a winner today. 
 Q.6.If you get an opportunity to improve martial arts or do something new with it what would you do?
There are many different types of martial arts. Today the rules and laws of martial arts are also different. I would want martial arts to be connected with academic learning so that people can achieve anything from graduation to a doctorate in this field so that the education committee gives it a grant on the global level. This will help in the globalisation of martial arts.
 Q.7.How will you introduce yourself in one line?
The one who keeps ‘Be humble’ as his life’s motto and lives his or her life learning and helping others is another Jasbir Singh.
 Q.8.Nowadays schools and social institutions are giving importance to the matter of self-defence but it is yet not considered as a subject and it also does not have the same amount of respect in the Olympic Games. What will you like to say about this?
It is a very serious problem. All types of martial arts cannot be learnt through one academic programme as there are different types of martial arts in different countries and there are still many forms of martial arts that we don’t know about. However today Judo, Taekwondo and Shotokan karate are Olympic sports and many academic institutions are giving importance to martial arts as a form of physical education. I wish that martial arts grows morw in the coming days.
 Q.9. What message would you like to give the youngsters who are looking forward to a career in martial arts? 
Martial arts is a penance, it is an art of living. You need to live it to learn it. Then one day you will shield yourself within it. To the youngsters I would like to say there is no short cut to learning martial arts. it is just like they say ‘quote in hindi’’ which means if you are determined and always keep going then one day success will take place in your feet.
 Q.10. Apart from achieved such great respect in martial arts, what else are you doing for the development of the world?
I’m an official member of the president Trump’s advisory board and I am also a member of the award office through which I can help talented people who are giving their best in a particular field to gain popularity at a global level. Along with this I’m the president of many international universities. Besides this I hold very responsible designations in many international NGO’s, International militaries, police and peace police. And 
Presently Defense Minister of North and South American Union (NASAU). I believe that whatever we can contribute in the progress of the world, we should contribute honestly and happily.
 Q.11.Can you please tell us more about peace police.
Peace police is the police which works in peace and does humanitarian things. For example if any family loses their son or daughter while he or she was part of any defensive force, they are faceing a lots of problems. During this tough time we pledge to help them with the government formalities and various other things.
 Q.12. To whom will you like to dedicate your success?
As the said, ‘every successful man there is a woman behind it.’ and for me that woman is none other than my mother.
 Q13. How hard did you work to attain such a position in this sector?
If you like any particular thing, no matter how much hard work you have to put in, you will do it with happiness and self-satisfaction. Then again, what is a life without difficulties? It is all these little things which make us a successful person on the path of life. There are many ways in which you can live your life and I like my way best.
 Q.14.You are in America since long. Don’t you miss India?
Of course I miss India. My roots are in India and I shall never forget this. Indian blood flows through my veins.
 Q.15. What do you think for the youth in the world?
I want to open martial arts institutions in every corner of the globe as I want all children to be self-disciplined, safe and self-dependent.
 Journalist – Akanksha Saxena 
1 note · View note
idkwhoiamanymorebutwtf · 6 years ago
Text
Ok ko and souls
Souls. They're a thing. Basically like glorbs except purple. We've only ever seen them once in the short Enid's Bad Day. Yknow, the one where Enid stole and ate the souls of everyone in the bodega? Yeah, that one. That sparked a theory in me. What if souls are the main source of people's powers? I mean...we don't really have any explaination for the powers all heros and villains posess, but think about it. When Enid stole everyone's souls, why didn't they try and stop her? Use their power moves? I know at least half the people in there were around Enid's level! What if it's becauss without their souls they didn't have the ability to?
Now, the description of souls as "purple glorbs" becomes more relevant when you consider this theory. Souls give power. But what else does? What powers machines such as the sentient boxmore bots or the op, world bending hack pack? What caused Fink's turbo transformation and allowed the Point Prep students to power up? Glorbs? And though Glorbs are a teal color, the energy associated with them is often purple.
So what if Souls and Glorbs are the same thing? They're similar enough. I believe that as time goes on, though, they become less and less stable. Bright purple in-the-body souls grant sentience, keep a hero strong, and is the source of their power. Now, once the soul is gone from the body, a person clearly keeps their sentience. But not their powers. As the soul gets weaker it turns a more blue color. These glorbs can grant sentience still, and are the kind kept in the Boxmore robots. And I believe they're the reason Tko is both as strong as he is, and as much of an actual person as he is. Up until the episode You're In Control, Tko is seen as two things, depending on who you are. Some uncontrollable, almost inhumane ball of rage who wants nothing more than to see people hurt, or an extension of the negative emotions of Ko. Just Ko's emo phase. At the end of You're In Control, though, Tko does something out of character for either of those descriptions. He gives in. He makes a trade with Ko. If he was just a malicious ball of rage, he wouldn't yield to Ko's demands, and if he were just an extension of Ko, then he wouldn't have any demands of his own outside of something Ko may feel. And I don't think Ko wanted that punching bag. After that, Tko became more of a person with his own thoughts and feelings and opinions. And what happened in that episode? You may not remember this. But Tko swallowed some glorbs.
I think that Glorbs/souls, being part of the body, works like anything else produced by the body. For example, think of it like white blood cells. If you have a healthy amount of them, then upping the production or adding more will have negative side affects. Elodie, Sparko, and Fink all had one healthy soul in their bodies, and so when they got an extra one, it caused them physical side affects. The crash we see when the power high glorbs cause wears off, such as how Sparko ended up on the ground, clearly disoriented, or how Fink collapsed in Venomous's arms after her power high. Meanwhile if you're in need of power or sentience, the glorbs will react positively. Like a blood transfusion. Ko swallowed the glorbs and it gave Tko conciousness. The robots have sentience and power because they're powered by glorbs, aka souls.
I think, as I said before, that souls get weaker with time. I believe that when a soul is completely faded of it's energy, the physical body finally deteriorates. And I think that when a persons soul is completely gone they turn into gloops. Gloops are similar to the gem shards in steven universe. Always looking for the missing pieces of themselves and destroying anything in it's path to get to it. I also believe that's why the only instance of a gloop causing physical harm to someone in a way that isn't just consuming whatevers nearby, is in the episode Do You Have Any More In The Back?. Because if you recall, a gloop shot some sort of shock at Enid when she tried to touch it. She has the power to steal and eat souls. It would have seen that as a threat. How couldn't it?!?
And I've always wondered why Shadowy Figure wanted Ko instead of Enid or even Rad. Rad would have been dumb enough to help Shadowy Figure get access to those glorbs, and Enid certainly would of had the initiative to go down to the tree and the power to break the seal on the room. They'd both cause damage more effectively too if they went on a Tko style rampage.
Now, at first I thought maybe it was because of Enid's power over souls. If she figured out his plan, she could effectively and easily keep them from him. But he wouldn't know that. I mean...the only reason he knows so much about Ko is because he's most likely actually Laser Blast.
But then I realised. He needed a Tko style rampage in order for his whole plan to work. And he wouldn't be able to do quite that in Rad or Enid. Because Tko had always been inside of Ko. And that's not normal. There was a little piece of corrupt energy inside of Ko all along. And it doesn't make sense why. I mean...Ko just being special for the sake of it doesn't cut it in my eyes, idk about you.
What if it has to do with those weird orb thingys from that unknown villain? What if they can take souls? I believe that this orb takes the souls of whoever touches it, corrupts the soul, and spits it back out in pieces. So if you were nearby, it could potentially make you more powerful or morw evil. And who waa in that room?
Laser Blast, who I theorize faked his own death and stole a ton of the orb things? Foxtail, whose clearly a villain? Carol, who goes into the woods and becomes some feral creature occasionally? And of course, since Carol was pregnant, there's Ko, who had an evil, unordinarily powerfull alter ego inside of him all along.
And maybe that's why Shadowy Figure looks so different from Laser blast. The orb got him. He has no power anymore and as the power from his soul fades his body is changing as well. He needs glorbs, aka souls, and he needs them now.
So the big question is; who's this big mystery villain that caused all of this? I'll be trying to figure that out. I'll be skimming though things that happen in the future, aka looking at that big war Red action was part of. I'll be looking at Boxman and Professor Venomous because as much as I don't think they actually have anything to do with Shadowy Figure or Point or any of that, they have something to do with glorbs as well, and so their info can be usefull. I'll be paying attention to why Gar and Carol were attacked by that "destroy point" one eyed rock thing recently, because maybe they did something slightly beforehand that'll give us some insight. I'll be thinking about why Gar built his store where he did, of course. Idk, let me know if you make any connections or find anything wrong with my theory. I'd fucking love to hear feedback, no lie.
18 notes · View notes
markleetrashh · 7 years ago
Text
Nct as Youtubers
Request: Do you think that maybe you could do short headcannons of the members as youtubers please?? Like, you said in the makeup voiceovers that they were also on YouTube but didn’t really describe in depth what they’re like so maybe that could be a thing(??) sorry if it doesn’t make sense
A/N: i hope this is what you were looking for!! i’m sorry if it’s short or repetitive, this was so fun to write, i hope you enjoy reading!
——
Taeil:
started out his channel for fun
mostly makes song covers & also tag videos
didn’t thought his videos would blow up
when he realised he was shookt??
because he’s such an awkward bun, his videos usually consists of his friends
and they help him out a lot because when he’s on his own filming most of the time he doesn’t know what to do or say
tries his best to reply to comments
when people recognizes him irl he gets all blushy and shy
“i’m not that popular!! you’re all so sweet”
we all know you are taeil
Hansol:
that one youtuber who posts random videos at the weirdest timings
his videos range from dance covers, to vlogs, to gaming then to even unboxing videos
despite all that he still gains much attention?
hardly ever talks in his videos but when he does all his subscribers get heart palpitations because wow
dance covers gets the most views and likes because they’re always on point?
promotes his channel on his instagram
random posts with captions
“new video”
“✌✌ video?”
see what i did there hansol he needs to stop with his peace signs
another one who’s awkward when fans recognize him in real life
but if they ask for pictures he wouldn’t mind so!!
Johnny:
mostly reaction videos
and probably many vlogs too
gaming occasionally, but only when he’s with his friends
has the funniest and most dramatic reactions to videos ever
tries to make his subscribers by making puns and jokes
“i guess you could say… that video was pun-believable”
daily updates on social medias
“how are all of you doing today? the weather’s great so i hope you all are well!”
doesn’t reply to every comment but he likes them
treats his fans like family and tries to chat with them he can
which is why when one meets him in real life he’s super friendly and tries to start conversations
an angel tbh
Taeyong:
cooking tutorial videos
alongside with song covers too
sometimes he writes his own songs and lyrics too
often goes live so that he’s able to chat with his fans
one of the most genuine and sweetest youtubers!!
would reply to every one of the comments, and he never forgets to thank them for their support
“I’m stressed & tired” captions on his social media websites always scare fans but turns out it’s only because of the other boys
gets all shy when people recognize him
even when he’s rushing for time he wouldn’t hesitate to take photos or chat with his fans
the youtuber you just want to protect with everything tbh
Yuta:
gamer
also makes prank videos occasionally
and probably also videos on current issues/problems
and he shows so many different sides his fans love it,
especially when he talks about current issues he gets all smart & serious and is so good with his words he leaves everyone shookt
but on prank videos he’s all giggly and immature laughing at his successful pranks
while his gamer side can sometimes can aggressive and competitive
but despite all that he’s super sweet to his fans
holds meetups often and treats each of them like angels
smile and laughter can brighten up anyone’s day
Kun:
mainly vlogs
travelling & visiting ones to be exact, together with his friends
takes really good videography and editing is on point too
another one who’s smile could make anyone’s heart burst
always recommending new places for people to go to, be it cafes or countries to visit
kun’s recommendations are trustable™
loves hyping his friends up in videos
doesn’t hesitate in promoting their channels too
deserves so much more subscribers & views
Doyoung:
versatile videos too
song covers, reaction videos, vlogs, challenges & tag videos
is really well known for his talking skills and his intelligence
and also his sweet voice who puts people to sleep
cherishes friendships and often shows it in videos where he vlogs about outings with them
updates daily for fans too and tells them how much he’s grateful for them
also asks them for suggestion for new videos
probably nags at and gets upset with his fans when they do something that isn’t too his liking
“you all waited in the rain for an hour because of me??? what if you all fell sick omg please don’t do that again”
but it’s because he cares and loves them so
Ten:
king of dance covers
makes dance tutorials too
when people want to learn a dance, ten’s videos would always help because they’re so on point?
random videos of him in stores and supermarkets
with him being amazed by new things he sees or learns about
attempts to make cooking videos too but fails
almost burnt himself and was caught on tape, uploaded on youtube & viewed by morw than hundreds of people
his fans’ words give him energy and he’s always thanking them
a little shy when gets recognized but he doesn’t show it, only that cheeky smile on his face
Jaehyun:
hypebeast who makes videos of new clothes he got and hauls too
random late night videos where he answers fans’ questions and it’s just him chilling
food reviews too!!
his favourite videos because you can tell he gets all excited when he sees food
makes sure to update every week so his subscribers will be well fed
loves having live videos too because he’s able to interact with fans
holds giveaways for subscribers every time he reaches a milestone
acts all calm when people recognize him
but inside he’s super happy and excited because he feels extremely loved?
likes photos that fans uploaded together with him,
making them go even crazier
WinWin:
that one youtuber who’s always being complimented and praised by other youtubers
because he’s super sweet and soft?
pretty boy who shows off his face routines and tag videos
because he’s so shy he finds it hard filming videos alone too
which is why he calls his friends to join his videos
aka kun
they often go shopping together and you can tell he looks super happy and excited
vlogs about his daily life and has the cutest edits ever
even more shy in real life, he’d get super embarrassed and shy, cheeks flushed red if he notices people recognizing him
but he’d feel bad for rejecting them so he takes photos with them anyways
super cute
Mark:
endless talents and seems to be able to do everything?
playing the guitar, song/rap covers, reaction videos, dance covers, gaming
he’s able to film quality videos
and at the same time he’s super humble and sweet it makes others love him more
has many collabs with other youtubers
his fans are blessed because they’ll always be a video related to him
a super shy ball in actual fact
when he does live videos he already gets all blushy and red when people compliment him
irl you can actually see him wanting to hide and run away because he’s super shy when it comes to compliments
but also tries to be friendly and talk to his fans when he can
Renjun:
mostly posts videos at night
so his subscribers can fall asleep soundly after watching his videos
mostly reviews
on clothes, food and other things
smile is the sweetest thing you’ll ever see
is also the softest when it comes to his fans
sometimes would also post short korean classes too
and his drawing videos
just really calm and satisfying videos honestly
super happy when he receives positive comments
still your no.1 moomin fan who has a big moomin plushie in his background of videos all the time
Jeno:
videos that are guaranteed to make you smile
like him playing with puppies and small fuffly animals
or even interacting with children at playgrounds in his vlogs
they’re guaranteed to make you s o f t
an angel who smiles and laughs at everything
super positive!!!
tries his best to reply to every comment and prove to fans that they’re noticed
mainly just vlogs of his daily life
but he’s always super cute in videos so!!
still the same angel irl because he’d be the one suggesting to take photos
and probably give you autographs too
sweetest little thing ever
Haechan:
games often
and always wins in games for some reason
also many prank videos too
and they’re always super creative and new
and you can see the look of satisfaction on his face whenever he succeeds in pranking his friends
really strong bond with his fans
they’d probably have inside jokes too
“thank you for always supporting your handsome donghyuck”
never runs out of ideas for videos
and loves it most when people leave positive comments
it makes him all happy and excited like a small child
and he’s ten times cuter irl like that because he’d have the biggest smile ever with his pink cheeks??
Jaemin:
does weird challenges
and probably being a meme in every video
with thousands of different expressions ready for his fans to screenshot and use
also does tutorial videos
and tag videos
he loves talking and discussing about popular topics and sharing his opinions
loves spreading positive vibes too
super flirty & sweet with his subscribers
calls them his babies??
would occasionally film vlogs so as to show his fans his life
which is usually just him being that same meme and having fun
i miss him dkdndn
Chenle:
super energetic and fun
when you watch his videos, they’d immediately cheer you up because he’s always so happy?
makes reaction videos a lot
which ends up in his fans mentioning how their ear drums ache everytime they watch them because his dolphin laughs and screams
loves taking videos of sceneries and views during vlogs
but other times vlogs would just consist of his face
“my handsome is enough for you all”
knows he’s popular but still gets shy when he’s noticed
he’d always give that same cheerful laughter and thank his fans for their support
Jisung:
dance covers
ten is his role model
would film freestyle dances and also dances he’d choreographed and ask fans for their opinions
occasionally, he’d also film tag and challenge videos so his fans are able to know him better
super shy at first but as time goes by he opens up and he’d joke around a lot
still a child who gets fascinated and amazed by new things
still learning and is trying his best for his channel
which is why he’s super happy when he sees the amount of support and love he gets
making him blush like mad all the time
573 notes · View notes
theliterateape · 7 years ago
Text
Beyoncé’s Lemonade Suckers
By David Himmel
“You have to get older to leave your legacy.” — Lady Gaga
Since 1994, I’ve had the Oasis song, Supersonic playing in my head to some degree. That was when I first heard the band and immediately began devouring the music with a voraciousness only a teenager can display.
Oasis has been a favorite band since. Though I stopped buying the group’s albums after Standing on the Shoulder of Giants because I thought the quality had slipped, the first three albums and every B-side that came from those recording sessions remain in a place of fondness and reverence. So when the band released box sets of Definitely Maybe, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? and Be Here Now, I didn’t pause a second to purchase them. Well, my then girlfriend and now wife, Katie, bought me Definitely Maybe for my birthday but only because I made such a fanboy fuss over it that she would be remiss not to. She was a good girlfriend and that’s part of the reason why I married her.
These Oasis box sets were released to coincide with the 20-year anniversary of the original release of Definitely Maybe and then (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?. They came with a big black book of stories about the band and the making of the record, retrospective writings and photos, and collectible items like post cards, pins, tote bags and key chains, and 180-gram, remastered vinyl LPs, a few vinyl singles and a three-disk CD set with the remastered album as well as demos, B-sides, live cuts and alternate recordings. And, of course, digital downloads of all of this. Well, not the tote bags. You can’t digitally download a tote bag, ya goof.
Your opinion of Oasis doesn’t matter. These were fantastic purchases for fans who were still in love with the albums and had a feeling of nostalgia for what the music represents as well as an interest in how the music and the band holds up today. It would be a great purchase for newer Oasis fans, too, looking to get all of the band’s offerings in one fell swoop. All of this for the low price of $200 per box set.
Now, on the other side of my musical marital bed is my wife. Where I have attended services held by Oasis' Noel and Liam Gallagher, Katie is a cardinal in the Church of Beyoncé. So when Lemonade was released on April 26, 2016, she went, understandably, ballistic. She bought the digital album and watched the HBO film on repeat for several days. It was even part of the entertainment at her bachelorette party—naked dues in the afternoon, black feminism in the evening. The film remains delete proof on our DVR.
Lemonade is a helluva work of art. The way Bey released it, the way the HBO film complimented and added to the album, the way it was so personally raw… Lemonade went on to collect awards and praise easier than my Roomba collects my dog’s hair and my wife’s hair ties and my Cocoa Krispie cereal crumbs. Regardless of what you think of the music or the film or of Beyoncé, it’s hard to deny the immediate impact of the album.
You see, this isn’t about the quality of the music. It doesn’t matter if you love or hate Oasis or Beyoncé. This is about the illusion of self-importance. And in the 1990s, there were no two men more obsessed with their self-importance than Noel and Liam Gallagher. In the 2010s, that title goes to Queen B.
Just 16 months after Lemonade disrupted the world of pop culture, Beyoncé released the limited-edition box set, How to Make Lemonade. It’s a behind the scenes look at, well, the making of Lemonade. A 600-page book weighing in at 15.8 pounds—yes, I put it on our bathroom scale. The book was hyped as having never before seen photos of the inspiration behind the album. There’s a double 180-gram vinyl LP as well as digital and visual downloads. No tote bags, however, unfortunately for Katie and her like-minded cardinals. She’ll have to keep using my Oasis tote.
When How to Make Lemonade went up for pre-sale, Katie logged on and paid the $300. She was excited to get the vinyl and the additional downloads. But when you consider the economics of commerce, the thing she and all the others really paid for was the 600-page, 15.8-pound coffee table book of which I am confident after a few flips, will become the world’s most high-end dust collector ever brought to market. I know this because we have a lot of heavy coffee table books that live nowhere near our coffee table. They live on the lowest level of our bookshelves—blankets of dust covering their hard covers, which protect their pages of glossy, beautiful art and history. Hell, that’s exactly the condition of my Oasis box set books. The dust is so thick on those things, the Gallagher Brothers could easily cut it, line it up and snort it like some kind of rock history powder drug.
But before I buried those books where they belong, I flipped through them and read the stories and took in the photos and enjoyed looking back on the past 20 years while listening to my favorite songs from a time when things were different. Very different. The music now, the retrospective now, provides new shape and new experiences and engagement. That’s the best part about those Oasis box sets—they are time capsules. That’s the best part about all box sets. Box sets bring in the best and more of your previous life and remind you of what you were and what you can be. Usually, by the time these things are released, we’ve forgotten ourselves. Maybe we’ve forgotten the songs and the bands who made them. We need these box sets all these years later.
Beyoncé’s How to Make Lemonade does none of this. And not because it doesn’t have the ability to do so but because it hasn’t given itself enough time to be able to do so. It hasn’t earned enough street cred.
This is not the album’s or box set’s fault. Of course, not. This is Beyoncé’s doing. And for a woman who understands the intricacies of brand and impact, she should have known better. But she also understands the intricacies of brand and impact, and above all, she understands how important she is. And she knows how her followers, like lemmings to the edge of the earth, will follow her anywhere and do whatever she says and buy whatever she sells. They are loyal, they are always hungry for more of what Queen B is dishing up, even if it is 15.8 pounds of gruel. Beautiful, glossy-page gruel.
How to Make Lemonade was a cash grab. And as a result of this grab, Beyoncé blew the opportunity to surprise and excite the world in 20 years when, in the case that it happens, she needs to remind the world of how incredible she was.
Yes, Oasis can be accused of the same thing—cash grabbing. But if that were true, and there may be some truth to it since there’s no way any of the guys are pulling down the dough they were two decades ago, they had good reason. Because, well, they aren’t pulling down the same dough they were two decades ago.
I’ve read through How to Make Lemonade. It’s rich with beautiful images and surely offers a look into the making of the album. For a superfan, it’s an orgy of joy and brilliance. For the casual fan or studious sociologist, it provides insight into the struggle of black women through imagery and Malcom X quotes. And it provides insight into the pride and relevance of the black woman through imagery and Hattie White Quotes. (Hattie White being Beyoncé’s husband, Jay Z’s grandmother—the woman who inspired the title of the original album.) And she’s made a case for the pregnant woman, too, as there are photographs of her on tour while pregnant with her twins. She makes that look easy. As if any woman could do it. And that’s what Beyoncé’s feminism has always been about. (“Who run the world? Girls!”) Of course, it helps if you’re Beyoncé. And it helps to have a perfectly curated photo album helping you make your case.
Although, the book isn’t all that perfectly curated. The foreword written by Michael Eric Dyson states in part: “Beyoncé pushed herself harder, and with greater velocity, and morw [sic] e [sic] force, under incalculable pressure, and with greater skill, arguably, than anyone ever.” I had to read it over several times to make sure that I was seeing what I was seeing. “morw e force.” Maybe it’s a Latin phrase I don’t know. Or maybe it’s French, I thought, giving Beyoncé and a Dyson and a pop culture blitz of this magnitude the benefit of the doubt. I looked it up in the dictionary and online, and came up with nothing. It’s not Latin or French. It’s a typo. The closest thing you’ll find to “morw e force” is in the Urban Dictionary, which defines only morw as: “to express that someone is fat in a specific area on their body. use hand gestures to signify where exactly this area is located. usually used when somone [sic] walks by with a weirdly huge ass, or abnormally huge area of body fat usually hanging off body due to force of gravity. also usd [sic] to make fun of people we don't like.” So there’s that. But if that’s what Dyson intended to convey, it doesn’t work.
How to Make Lemonade was a cash grab. And as a result of this grab, Beyoncé blew the opportunity to surprise and excite the world in 20 years when, in the case that it happens, she needs to remind the world of how incredible she was.
Full disclosure: I’ve published plenty of writing that has gone to publication and print that has typos. It’s not often, but it happens. Mistakes happen, even to American Royalty like Beyoncé. But this is Beyoncé we’re talking about here. This project had more people involved in its ideal perfect design than any book I’ve worked on or any magazine or newspaper article I’ve ever written. The worst part is that Beyoncé herself is listed as the book’s editor in chief and creative director.
I can’t help but think, having been in the position of editor in chief and creative director—yes, on smaller scales—had Bey not rushed to get How to Make Lemonade out the door, she might have caught that mistake. Thing is, there’s not a ton of text in the book either so it’s hard to blame text-eye fatigue. It’s unfortunate. It's the price of rushing—forcing—legacy.
I recognize that Lemonade carried with it a message of importance—engagement, public unrest, blackness, feminism—and I applaud that, especially when compared to—by my own doing—Oasis albums about being a rock star, doing cocaine and drinking. But impact and influence, when true, only become more so with time. Bey has not given Lemonade time. Whatever fruit Lemonade—and Beyoncé as a whole—may go on to bare, what she has to give us right now is only just barely ripe.
0 notes