#Andy Tai

[thekidsare-not-alright]

a lot of things we never thought would happen have happened in a specific set of subcultures lately and I'm not sure what to make of it (I'll leave out cultural speculation/analysis here today because I have no big brain thoughts atm, feel free to add your own though)

my chemical romance reunited

fall out boy has entered a new era, complete w/ folie appreciation

gym class heroes is back

cobra starship is back

mikey way on stage with fall out boy

the academy is... on tour with fall out boy

dan and phil games full return with regular uploads

david tennant is the doctor again

og smosh is back

blink-182 w/ tom delonge and touring again

mcr and fob headlining a festival together

mcr and fob touring together is a possibility

I'll add to this as I think of things but do you see what I mean? five years ago this all seemed literally impossible. tumblr jokes. memes. absolutely unfathomable, something too good to be true in all cases. it's like my middle school self is being handed a gift basket of everything I've ever been too skeptical to ask for

[decaydancescans]

The Academy Is… bios

[maybe-boys-do-love]

Was thinking today about Cherry Magic Thailand, and all respect to the writing (which deftly navigated the challenging task of adapting a full-on classic) and the rest of the cast and crew, but has any QL series' success hinged so much on a single actor going above and beyond in a performance as Cherry Magic Thailand does on Tay Tawan's portrayal of Karan???

That character could have fallen so detrimentally flat. He is perfection personified. Even after Achi discovers his so-called 'imperfections' (which are just that he sings bad and is crushing extra hard on Achi), the writing doesn't ever let Karan come off his pedestal. He remains put together, impossibly patient, and admirably righteous. His stress in life is that people don't respect his hard work because he's so beautiful! This character, in theory, should not really strike an audience as likeable. The writers could have used the one facet of his family-drama that emerges in the penultimate episode to build a deeper character in the writing, but elect not to even hint at it any earlier in the series.

So much heavy lifting is left to Tay, and the performance is a wonder to behold. Tay Tawan is certainly attractive in the way Karan is supposed to be attractive--fit, tall, handsome--but Tay's face and earnest dorky demeanor are unique in a way that seem far too rare in the influencer era. The breadth of his nose, the goofy joy in his smile, the clownish clumsiness, the nerdiness of his interests (the GMMTV actor most likely to be reposting a popular science article or rare animal sighting): Tay brings all of these elements of himself to bear on the poised idol of Karan, playing all the parts of the romantic hero while letting his own characteristics distill onto it so that the character actually contains valuable tension for the audience between his faultlessness and the slow reveal of his sincerity. That dynamic lies at the core of the show, and it's a less explored one in media, so all the more challenging to do.

But Tay understands the assignment. He goes full-in when Achi hears Karan's inner voice, squealing and talking manically fast (a real-life Tay Tawanism as well as a wonderful connection to Japanese performance styles). Once the characters begin their romance, so much effort is put in to have Karan looking at Achi, not just with love, but with the deepest gratitude. That's what most often had me crying. In fact, it often looked like Karan was on the verge of happy tears, overwhelmed by the fortune to love and be allowed to love Achi.

Being able to appreciate Karan's sincerity opens up an avenue for the audience to care about his challenges that on the surface seem so superficial. Tay is able to take this character's struggle to be taken seriously and make it as worthy and pitiable as any narrative about women in the workplace struggling with that issue, and that's not an easy feat in this day and age. Whether in Karan's affections or disappointments, Tay exhibits such humility and unabashedness in his performance throughout the series, it renders the otherwise familiar messages about the value of the small unappreciated things in the world as enchanted and life-changing.

And incredibly amongst all this, the series REQUIRES by its very title for Karan to have a sex drive, and even that desire threads through Tay's portrayal of the character as he interacts with Achi, maintaining an incredible balance between a fun and dorky excitement about sex and a potent sensuality (it's such a great sex scene when it finally comes).

Tay took a paragon and made him such a fully fleshed-out and realized character. I just can't imagine the series working without such a masterfully crafted performance. The whole cast did great work, don't get me wrong. Tay's is just one of those magical reminders about what the art of acting can achieve.

[barringtonishigh]

The Academy Is...in the backrooms

[mikeyrrevenge]

omgggg i can't believe when we were young just announced their new and improved 2025 lineup.....

[incorrect-green-lantern-quotes]

I have so many questions about Tai Pham’s universe (Earth-98)

Like, Green Lantern: Legacy only mentions Tai's grandmother and John Stewart as Green Lanterns from Earth, and shows that Kim Tran was the hero always thwarting Sinestro in the past. On top of that, it seems like GLs are virtually unknown on Earth, judging by how Tai doesn't recognize their symbol despite it being very prominent on the ring he inherits from his grandma.

So the natural assumption is that Kim basically takes the place of Hal Jordan in this universe and thus history plays out differently enough that Earth only has two GLs. And while other superheroes probably do exist on Earth-98, judging by the Superman poster on Tai's wall, it seems like Kim mainly operated in secret or out in space.

(While raising her family and running a store that was a pillar of her community, no less. Hal wishes he had that level of mental stability.)

But then in Green Lantern: Alliance, Irey (Kid Flash) mentions Hal, and Kyle shows up at the end! So does that mean a version of Emerald Twilight happened in this reality too?? And if so, was it still Hal who got possessed by Parallax or did Sinestro go for a different target?

Kim's hair does get those ominous gray streaks...

Tbf she was already a grandmother by this point, and subsequent flashbacks show her hair turning evenly gray over time. So this is more likely just Kim aging naturally, and not a sign of her unknowingly hosting the ancient embodiment of fear.

Parallax speculations aside, GL:A doesn't shy away from incorporating the wider DC universe. Flashbacks show that Kim not only fought alongside Superman and the Flash, but seemed to be just as much a mentor for them as she was for John. And that does make a lot of sense, she was already Green Lantern during the Vietnam War. She's been doing the superhero thing since Clark and Wally were still in diapers.

Which begs the question, was Kim part of the Justice League? Did she help found it, or was that still Hal? Was there even a Justice League in this Earth???

(Tai does suggest he and Irey form a "Junior Justice League," thereby implying that the actual Justice League does exist)

I know I probably sound like a crazy person ranting in front of a conspiracy board. Truth be told, the easy explanation is Tai Pham's story is about him and Kim's legacy, so these questions aren't important enough for Minh Le to waste time answering. And since Earth-98 is an alternate universe, there's no reason to assume that things had to happen a certain way just because they did in main continuity.

But I still have so many questions!! How did Kim get her ring? Did Abin Sur crash in Vietnam instead of America?? Do the Teen Titans exist or do Tai and Irey start that in this universe??? What about the the JSA-

*gets dragged off-stage*

If you've made it this far, thanks for putting up with the brainrot, it will happen again. Anyways, I leave you with this little headcanon: Kim probably named her family's cat after Hal

[tai-updates]

theacademyismusic: When we debuted TAITV nearly 20 years ago, it was somewhat of a novel concept.

With the web series, we had two goals:

1: Super-serve fans, letting you take a closer look at the crazy world of TAl on the road, in the studio and around the world.

2: Preserve these memories for ourselves, like anyone else coming of age. Sharing the best of times with the best of friends.

We had Motorola Razor phones, Prehistoric digital cameras, and straight up disposable cameras to capture this era on film.

Much of this content has been lost to time.

So please feel free to tag us with any footage you're able to dig up— let's keep it collaborative.

Your good friends,

TAI

#williambeckett #fueledbyramen #mikecarden #armorforsleep #somethingcorporate #theacademyis #daysaway #whenwewereyoung #emonite #taitv #elderemo #poppunk #emomusic #poppunkmusic #2000snostalgia #2000sthrowback #andrewmcmahoninthewilderness #2000s

[lastmidtownshowmp3]

Mrotisky and billmike sanrio edits

[maomilaa]

for 16 candles zine

[crashinghipsnhearts]

Peep Butcher playing the drums AND singing backup vocals

[viktorgf]

✦ 'EVERY OC LIST GOT THE'— TAG GAME

tagged by @bloodskinandteeth 💛 + @red-nightskies 🖤

pick an image of one of your ocs that best fits each category, you can even have multiple characters on one category, or even repeat a character for multiple categories. here is a link to the blank template.

from top to bottom, left to right—

elvira | mildred | avalon

andie | odette | faustina

nicole | mags | oslo

lottie | sibyl | tai

tagging— @confidentandgood 🫶🏻 @kanos 🫶🏻 @florbelles 🫶🏻 @unholymilf 🫶🏻 @statichvm 🫶🏻

@rosayoro 🍾 @elvves 🍾 @bearsgrove 🍾 @pitchmoss @teamhawkeye 🍾

@kyberinfinitygems 💛 @jendoe 💛 @leviiackrman 💛 @socially-awkward-skeleton 💛 @thedeadthree 💛

@jackiesarch 🍷 @pinkfey 🍷 @shellibisshe 🍷 @scalpelsister 🍷 @ghostfvcker

@a-treides 💎 @elgaravel 💎 @bloodofvalyria 💎 @moonflowcr 💎 @firstaidspray 💎

@tacticalhimbo ☀️ @loriane-elmuerto ☀️ @imogenkol ☀️ @bigbywlf ☀️ @oc-musings ☀️

and you!

[release-the-mccracken]

Girlfriends on a date <3

[williamismyhomeboy]

“Early TAI Promo photos, taken in Jersey City at the apartment of Gabe Saporta. September 2004.

The night before, TAI had played New York City for the first time...

A CMJ Showcase at the Continental - later to be named New York City's Worst Bar.”

- from The Academy Is…’ social media, 2023

[riverphoenixsgothwife]

everyone besides me has probably already seen this but look what i found

[v0rd1g4n]

I know, I know. Nobody asked me this and it's like a month late, but here's my Shipcest Meme, in case you were wondering.

Credits goes to @familyromantic.

[barringtonishigh]

The Academy Is... blinkies i made using blinkies.cafe!!

also a couple random dcd ones

feel free to use <3 <3