#Eric for best prince since 1990

[maddie-grove]

2024 Reading Round-Up: Romance

I've decided to write a roundup of all the books I read by genre last year (plus a separate post for rereads) before sharing my top twenty. These are the romance novels I read last year, in order of publication date:

Kilmeny of the Orchard by L.M. Montgomery (1910): Young, handsome, rich, and educated, Eric Marshall moves to Prince Edward Island to take over a sickly friend's duties as a schoolteacher. There he meets Kilmeny Gordon, a beautiful mute girl who likes to hang out in an abandoned orchard. I've been an L.M. Montgomery aficionado since first grade, so it pains me to say that this novel is terrible. It's ableist, sexist, eugenicist, racist against Italians, and almost impressively stupid. Spoiler alert: the heroine can't talk because her mom wasn't forgiving enough after her own father called her a terrible name (I'm guessing "whore") for accidentally committing bigamy, but she's cured by yelling at Eric to watch out for the inherently evil Italian guy who tries to kill him.

Sweet Treason by Patricia Gaffney (1989): After her family is all but destroyed by the cruelty of English soldiers, highborn Katherine McGregor dedicates herself to the Jacobite cause, posing as rambunctious sex worker Katie Lennox to gather intelligence. After she's arrested as a spy, though, she must contend with the enigmatic Major James Burke, who's assigned to take her down to London for trial. Patricia Gaffney is one of the finest historical romance authors of the late 1980s to late 1990s, and her engaging style, plotting, and characterization are on display here; however, it's still very Old School, with quite a bit of hero-on-heroine cruelty and a variety of poor-taste-pervert villains. I had a good time, but it's not for everyone.

Delectably Undone! by Elizabeth Rolls, Michelle Willingham, Marguerite Kaye, Ashley Radcliff, Bronwyn Scott (2010): None of the entries in this erotic historical romance anthology rose above "okay," but none were terrible, either. Elizabeth Rolls's second-chance romance between an aristocratic hero and an artist heroine had the strongest premise (but was a little too sedate); Marguerite Kaye's Georgian gambling romance was the best-written (but didn't have much going on between the protagonists); and Bronwyn Scott's adventure romance was the most exciting (but was marred by some serious Orientalism). Michelle Willingham's Viking romance never really got off the ground, and Ashley Radcliff's samurai romance was very stiffly written.

We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian (2023): Nick Russo, a hard-boiled journalist and closeted gay man in late-1950s NYC, is prepared to dislike Andy Fleming, his boss's seemingly scatterbrained son who's learning the ropes in the newsroom, but instead the two become fast friends. After Andy's engagement to a woman falls through, the careful equilibrium of their platonic relationship is upset. This is objectively a very fine romance, with a great period feel and a naturalistic slow burn, but I had a lot of trouble concentrating on it. Maybe it was too slow, but I might've just been exhausted at the time.

The Marquis Who Mustn't by Courtney Milan (2023): Raised by a caring family in the close-knit and diverse village of Wedgeford in 1890s England, innkeeper's daughter Naomi Kwan is starting to feel smothered, especially when her parents discourage her from taking "ambulance classes" so she can learn how to render emergency medical assistance. A fake engagement to Liu Ji Kai, son of an infamous con man who bilked the village years ago, might offer her some freedom. The first Wedgeford book, The Duke Who Didn't, did not really work for me because the stakes were ill-defined, but this entry is absolutely wonderful. Naomi and Kai have different versions of the same problem--she believes that she can only be valued for the work she does for other people, not herself, while he believes that he can compensate for his father's misdeeds but never be accepted by the town--and I loved seeing how their relationship made them reevaluate their perspectives.

The Art of Catching Feelings by Alicia Thompson (2024): Reeling from a recent divorce, freelance writer Daphne Brink drunkenly heckles baseball player Chris Kepler at a game, causes a minor scandal by making him cry on the field, and later accidentally catfishes him. Then her life becomes a little more complicated when an opportunity to pursue a career in sports reporting presents itself. I had a fun, chill time reading this contemporary romance, but I kind of wish the plot hadn't been so dominated by the multiple deceptions in play. Not because I disapprove morally--God forbid women do anything!--but because I felt like it delayed the protagonists getting to engage with each other on a deeper level.

[icharchivist]

Prince Eric is so underrated. Dog lover (you bet I'd save my dog if I could!). Never judges anyone by status and treats everyone as a equal. Wants true love and adventure (is it me or is this guy a male version of Jasmine. They'd totally be bros). Respects/likes Ariel and accepts her for who she is. Took on 2 huge eels underwater and killed a giant godlike octopus sea witch all by himself just to save his woman. Honest, true, kind, strong, brave, sensitive, loyal. He was my Disney dream guy. XD

RIGHT! RIGHT! DREAM GUY.

He’s genuinely SO SWEET and you can feel also about how he gets invested with his crew or in the village that he genuinely cares about everything. And how he rejects the statue of him that the guy doesn’t specifically wants to be celebrated either, he does it because it’s nice to be nice :O And i mean, he didn’t know Ariel was the girl who saved him, hell he ruled her out the moment he realized she was mute (he has Big Dumbass Energy) but he still got her into his castle and took care of her and brought her everywhere she wanted without second thoughts. He sees a girl in trouble and will help her at the best of his capacity by also easing it afterward for her, and if he’s anything like that with his people (which, considering he can go in the street without guards nor causing a fuzzhe probably is) it shows so much respect and sweetness and caring about everything.

But then if you’re a real threat, if you did some terrible stuff, no mercy for the wicked. No hesitation either. Badass prince is badass. 

such an underrated prince he’s a goodie and i love him

[blackkudos]

Babyface

Kenneth Brian Edmonds (born April 10, 1959), known professionally as Babyface, is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He has written and produced over 26 number-one R&B hits throughout his career, and has won 11 Grammy Awards. He was ranked number 20 on NME's 50 of The Greatest Producers Ever list.

Early life

Edmonds was born on April 10, 1958, in Indianapolis, Indiana, to Marvin and Barbara Edmonds. Barbara was a production operator at a pharmaceutical plant. Edmonds, who is the fifth of six brothers (including future After 7 band members Melvin and Kevon Edmonds, the latter of whom went on to have a modestly successful solo career), attended North Central High School in Indianapolis, and as a shy youth, wrote songs to express his emotions. When he was in eighth grade, Edmonds' father died of lung cancer, leaving his mother to raise her sons alone. At this stage, Edmonds became determined to have a career in music.

Music career

Edmonds later played with funk performer Bootsy Collins, who tagged him "Babyface" because of his youthful look. He also performed in the group Manchild (which had a 1977 hit "Especially for You" with band member Daryl Simmons) as a guitarist. In 1982 Edmonds played with funk band Redd Hott produced by Geoge Kerr. He played keyboards in the light-funk and R&B group the Deele (which also included drummer Antonio "L.A." Reid, with whom he would later form a successful writing and producing partnership). One of his first major credits as a songwriter for outside artists came when he wrote the tune "Slow Jam" for the R&B band Midnight Star in 1983. The tune was on Midnight Star's 1983 double-platinum No Parking on the Dance Floor album. Babyface remained in the Deele until 1988, when both he and Reid left the group.

His album Playlist consists of eight cover songs and two original works. It was released on September 18, 2007. It was the first album on the newly re-launched Mercury Records label.

On February 4, 2014, he released a Grammy Award-winning duet album with Toni Braxton titled Love, Marriage & Divorce on Motown Records.

Other ventures

Writing and producing

From the late 1980s to the early 90s, he wrote R&B and dance songs, writing and producing music for Bobby Brown ("Roni"), Karyn White ("Love Saw It"), Pebbles ("Girlfriend", "Mercedes Boy"), The Whispers ("Rock Steady", "In the Mood"), The Deele ("Two Occasions"), Johnny Gill ("My My My"), After 7 ("Ready or Not"), The Boys ("Dial My Heart"), Damian Dame ("Right Down to It") and Sheena Easton.

In 1989, Edmonds co-founded LaFace Records with Reid. Three of the label's early artists, TLC, Usher, and Toni Braxton, were very successful. TLC's second album CrazySexyCool, for which he wrote and produced some of the hits, became the best-selling album of all time by an American girl group. Under his direction, TLC sold more than 60 million albums worldwide, and a combined total of 75 million records. Toni Braxton's first two albums, Toni Braxton (1993) and Secrets (1996), for which he wrote the majority of the songs, went on to sell a combined total of over 10 million copies in America alone.

Babyface helped form the popular late-1990s R&B group Az Yet. Edmonds also helped to mold and work with some of his then-wife Tracey Edmonds' acts, such as Jon B and producer Jon-John Robinson.

Edmonds has worked with many successful performers in contemporary music. “I’m Your Baby Tonight” (1990), produced for Whitney Houston, was Houston's introduction to R&B music and Edmonds' first No. 1 Top 40 hit in the US. He also wrote and produced Boyz II Men's 1992 "End of the Road" and 1994 "I'll Make Love to You", both of which established records for the longest stay at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. He co-wrote, co-produced, and provided backing vocals on Madonna's 1994 Bedtime Stories, which featured the seven-week No. 1 hit "Take a Bow", and shared billing with Eric Clapton on the chart-topping Grammy winner "Change the World" from the Phenomenon soundtrack. He also wrote and produced the No. 1 hit "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" for Houston as well as the rest of the critically acclaimed 10 million-selling Waiting to Exhale soundtrack in 1995, which spawned additional hits for Houston, Brandy and Mary J. Blige.

Additionally, Edmonds has produced and written music for many artists including Bobby Brown, The Whispers, Pebbles, After 7, Johnny Gill, Deele, Karyn White, The Boys, Damian Dame, Tevin Campbell, Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Faith Evans, Beyoncé, Diana Ross, Sheena Easton, Toni Braxton, Michael Jackson, Michael Bolton, Paula Abdul, Eric Clapton ("Change the World"), Whitney Houston, Brandy, Mary J. Blige, Tamia, Shola Ama, 3T, Sisqó, Dru Hill, Fall Out Boy, Céline Dion, Samantha Jade, Backstreet Boys, Honeyz, Katharine McPhee, Mariah Carey, Vanessa L. Williams, Bruno Mars, Kelly Clarkson, Chanté Moore, En Vogue, Zendaya, Kenny G, Kristinia DeBarge, Lil Wayne, Kevin Abstract, P!nk, Marc Nelson, TLC, Ariana Grande, Jessica Mauboy, Xscape, K-Ci & JoJo, NSYNC, Jordin Sparks and Phil Collins, among others. He received three consecutive Grammy Awards for Producer of the Year from 1995 to 1997.

Babyface was in the studio for about two years with Ashanti to produce her album The Declaration (2008).

He worked on the Lil Wayne album Tha Carter III (2008), on the Kanye West-produced "Comfortable". He also worked with R&B singer Monica for her sixth studio album Still Standing (2010).

In 2013, Babyface served as producer for Ariana Grande's debut album Yours Truly, producing the majority of her songs, including her second single, "Baby I".

In September 2014, Babyface collaborated with Barbra Streisand on her album Partners, performing a duet on the track "Evergreen" and background vocals for other album tracks.

Babyface also collaborated with Foxes on her second album, All I Need (2016), producing and co-writing "Scar".

In July 2016, Babyface along with Bruce Roberts and Carole Bayer Sager helped write the song "Stronger Together" sung by Jessica Sanchez. The song was played after Hillary Clinton's speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. The song's title is named after the slogan that the Clinton campaign used as a show of uniting behind the Democratic nominee. The song was one of the top trending songs on Shazam that week. The song was widely perceived as positive by the listeners, and received praise by celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Kim Kardashian.

Acting career and film producing

In 1994, he appeared and performed on an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210 entitled "Mr. Walsh Goes to Washington (Part 2)".

In the mid-1990s, Edmonds and his then-wife Tracey Edmonds expanded into the business of motion pictures. Upon setting up Edmonds Entertainment Group, the company producing films such as Soul Food (1997), Josie and the Pussycats (2001), and also the soundtrack for the film The Prince of Egypt (1998), which included contributions from numerous artists, including Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. They also executive produced the BET reality series College Hill (2004-2009). Edmonds also worked with David Foster to compose "The Power of the Dream", the official song of the 1996 Summer Olympics, performed by superstar Céline Dion. Linda Thompson provided the lyrics.

Babyface also participated as a duet partner on the Fox reality show Celebrity Duets (2006).

He was portrayed by Wesley Jonathan in the 2015 Lifetime biopic Whitney and is portrayed by actor Gavin Houston in the Lifetime biopic based on Toni Braxton entitled Un-Break My Heart, which premiered on the network in early 2016.

On August 30, 2016, Babyface was revealed as one of the celebrities who will compete on season 23 of Dancing with the Stars. He was partnered with professional dancer Allison Holker. He and Holker were eliminated on the fourth week of competition and finished in 11th place along with Vanilla Ice and Witney Carson.

Soda Pop Records

Edmonds founded his record label Soda Pop Records in 2009. Since founding the label he has signed R&B icons K-Ci & JoJo, releasing their first album for the label entitled My Brother's Keeper. In 2013 Babyface secured a distribution deal with E1 Music for the label.

Personal life

Babyface married his first wife, Denise during his young adult years. In 1990, Babyface met Tracey Edmonds when she auditioned for the music video for his song "Whip Appeal". They married on September 5, 1992, and have two sons, Brandon and Dylan. On January 7, 2005, Tracey filed for divorce in Los Angeles County Superior Court, citing irreconcilable differences. In October 2005, Babyface and Tracey announced that they were ending their marriage of thirteen years.

In 2007, Babyface began dating his backup dancer Nicole "Niko" Pantenburg (former backup dancer for and personal friend of Janet Jackson). Babyface and Pantenburg have a daughter born in 2008. The pair married on May 17, 2014.

In 2015, Babyface donated money to the presidential campaign of Republican Senator Marco Rubio.

Impact

In 1999, a 25-mile (40 km) stretch of Interstate 65 that runs through Indianapolis was renamed the Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds Highway.

Babyface was placed at number 20 on NME's "50 of the Greatest Producers Ever" list. NME wrote of his impact:

"One of the founding fathers of all the best bits of modern US R&B. And so you can't hate him if some of the schlock can be traced back to him also. Babyface was a pioneer of New Jack Swing in the 80s, before setting up LaFace with old mucker Antonio 'LA' Reid to give the world TLC, Usher and Toni Braxton under their guiding hand. There's barely a prominent artist in the genre he hasn't worked with, and as a result he's clocked up a mammoth 26 R&B number ones."

Discography

Studio albums

Lovers (1986)

Tender Lover (1989)

For the Cool in You (1993)

The Day (1996)

Face2Face (2001)

Grown & Sexy (2005)

Playlist (2007)

Return of the Tender Lover (2015)

Collaboration albums

Power and Love with Manchild (1977)

Feel the Phuff with Manchild (1978)

Street Beat with The Deele (1983)

Material Thangz with The Deele (1985)

Eyes of a Stranger with The Deele (1987)

Love, Marriage & Divorce with Toni Braxton (2014)

Accolades

On August 30, 2006, Babyface was honored as a BMI Icon at the 6th annual BMI Urban Awards. Throughout his career, Babyface has won the BMI Pop Songwriter of the Year trophy seven times and a total of 51 BMI Awards, which includes Song of the Year for his Toni Braxton hit, "Breathe Again", in 1994.

Babyface was honored with the 2,508th star of the Hollywood Walk of Fame on October 10, 2013. The star is located at 6270 Hollywood Boulevard.

On October 18, 2018, he was conferred with an honorary doctorate degree from Indiana University Bloomington in recognition of his illustrious career in music.

[lanternlightseer]

The Ultimate GMW Essay

Introduction, 1990s Issues & Personal Background

During the 1990s Micheal Jacobs birthed a cult classic entitled Boy Meets World following middle child Cory Matthews (Ben Savage) and his friend Shawn Hunter (Rider Strong), and Cory's girlfriend, Topanga Lawrence (Danielle Fisher) navigate adolescence. Sevens seasons later in 2001 the show ended and fourteen years later Jacobs created Boy Meets World's sequel, Girl Meets World. A gender-flipped Boy Meets World had more difficulties other than airing on Disney Channel. Cory's daughter, Riley (Rowan Blanchard), and her friend Maya Hart (Sabrina Carpenter) had near impossible expectations to meet. Jacobs' goal was producing a show for teenagers growing up in our technological and politically divisive environment. A laudable goal but Jacobs didn't need to return to the Boy Meets World universe; he returned to it due to nostalgia. "[…] To watch as Riley grows up and Cory and Topanga keep growing up. I can't resist that." Why did Girl Meets World underperform? Simple, it was an overreliance on telling over showing.

I watched the sequel for the Boy Meets World characters, in fact, my expectations were so low that even the okay episodes surprised me by the effort put in them. Every criticism my generation had with the sequel can be summed up with character retconning. Cory was George Feeney 2.0, Topanga was the wife and mother with little mention of her law career. Shawn was demoted from secure young man to broken man. 'Seven the Hard Way's conclusion came true in this show. Cory and Topanga only have a few friends, Shawn and Angela permanently broke up, Jack fell out of contact with Rachel. Original Cory and Topanga would never play favourite among their children and their friends. Shawn wouldn't need a girlfriend to fix him anymore and would prefer his goddaughter before her best friend. I was expecting for Feeney to say, "It's been nice see you all. Next time I'll see you at my funeral" and for Eric to say, "I married a moose. We don't need counseling." Will Friedle is the only actor that looked happy to return to this show.

Personal Background

I loved this show and besides Adventures of Pete & Pete BMW was my favorite show. In order, my favorite episodes are: 

And Then There Was Shawn

Chick Like Me

Raging Cory

Cult Fiction

As It Ends

Despite all of this, Shawn/Angela (Shawnangela) retconning I hated the most. In interviews, Rider Strong said that Jacobs begged him to reprise his old role. Rider agreed if he and his brother directed some episodes and Rider appeared in six episodes total. Rider appeared the happiest when he was with Savage, the rest of the time he didn't look like he was trying. Which explains why there was little chemistry between him, the teens, and Katy. Rider also said that he hated Jacobs rewriting Shawnangela's romance for Shaty (Shawn/Katy). Trina McGee, the actress who portrayed Angela, with Strong brought their displeasure up; McGee was never invited on the show after 'Hurricane.' McGee and Strong hated Shaty because of the implicit racism behind Shaty.

Many mixed-raced fans like myself loved Shawnangela since this was probably the first interracial romance we were exposed to in the 1990s, Jacobs even planned that in the original show this and that the fact that Angela was black wouldn't be an issue. Angela Moore was more than just the Black girlfriend, the only time it was brought up was 'Everybody Love Stuart' when she said, "God, I need to get some Black friends." She loved poetry and photography, and like Shawn her mother abandoned her and her father was away in the military so Angela spent a year in Europe to reconnect with her father. To break up a couple we loved just so a little girl can have a father was heartbreaking and Jacobs reasoning that Shawn and Angela "never meshed" and that Angela was meaningless to Shawn. Angela supported Shawn when he became addicted to drinking and when he discovered the truth about his parents then struggled with intimacy, realizing friends-with-benefits wouldn't work for them. Season 6 hinted that they lost their virginity to each other. Shawn's willingness to enter the military for Angela was touching. Sure they broke up a few times but they always found their way back to each other. Why I loved Shawnangela was because their love grew over time instead of instantaneously like Corpanga (Cory/Topanga). Younger fans were indifferent because they didn't grow up with Boy Meets World.

Shaty would've been tolerated if Jacobs showed Shawn and Angela grieve their loss then slowly had Shawn love Katy it would have been better. If they dated of their own choice, they would have been tolerated. Cory and Riley matchmade them; Shawn didn't have a choice in the matter, staying in this relationship only because he cares for Maya. "I care about your daughter," he says to Katy. ('Hurricane') Katy's can't imitate Shawn implying that she loves him but Shawn never reciprocates when he proposes. ('Upstate') As they're saying their vows Shawn admits to Maya – in front of Katy – that he's unsure that their marriage will last. I loved that the writers ended 'Goodbye' with Shawn adopting Maya but what's stopping Shawn and Katy from divorcing once Maya leaves home? By keeping Katy single GMW could've explored single-parent households, and mother-daughter bonds could've deepened since Kermit's departure. Or Jacobs could've written Katy abandon her daughter then have Shawn take Maya in like Johnathan Turner did. With so many possibilities it's disappointing that the writers chose to delete their story's history in favor of a boring option.

But like its predecessor I also had GMW favorite episodes:

First Date

Riley Town

Forgiveness

A Christmas Maya

Belief

Supporting Characters

Isadora Smackle & Isaiah "Zay" Babineuax are the Token minority characters, Smackle was around to be Farkle's third-option love interest while Zay is there to give Lucas' backstory. What do we know about them? Smackle is a Filipino, autistic genius who transferred from a private middle school to a public high school then flirts with Lucas to test Farkle's love for her. When Farkle says that if Lucas ever returned Smackle's affections, he would step back for them. Zay father was transferred from Texas to New York and has a large number of sisters. Aside from being Lucas' second-in-command, Zay is the comedic black best friend. Their actors said that they weren't in the series enough. How do Zay and Smackle feel about being the only minorities in their clique? We never learn anything substantial about them?

Farkle Minkus was the genus best friend of the group, son of Stuart Minkus (Cory and Shawn's former classmate) and Jennifer Basset (Shawn's ex-girlfriend) he comes from a wealthy family and has known Riley and Maya since kindergarten. He was my favorite male character because he was the most consistent, by season 3, I wondered why GMW couldn't be about him since his relationships –romantic and platonic – flowed organically. He struggled with analyzing his emotions vs feeling them. Farkle was agnostic, doubting anything that wasn't tangible and proved by science but was able to quote Revelation ('Belief' and 'New Years'). Farkle discovers his Jewish ancestors barely survived World War 2 and wonders what this means for him in "Christmas Maya." He was bullied in "Flaws" and was perceptive enough to know about Riley's bully. He's possibly autistic ('I am Farkle') and struggles with emotions but realizes Maya's ambivalence over her Lucas feelings. Other than Riley, Farkle was the most complex character.

Prince Charming was the extent of Lucas Friar’s role. Originally the writers planned on giving Riley an older brother named Elliot before scrapping this idea in order to give Riley a love interest. Love interests aren't bad but Lucas had no personality other than that. Any girl given more than five minutes of screen time falls for him so it was a matter of time before Maya and Smackle would. 

What do we know about this boy? Texas moved from Texas to New York in the Pilot. In spite being an academic athlete he's never seen playing sports outside of gym class and even in the gym he's not doing anything athletic nor does Lucas contribute much to his and Farkle sports conversation or his and Riley's basketball conversation. ('Cory & Topanga', 'New World') Lucas is strong as a bull and doesn't know why ('High School'). He can't pass football tryouts whereas Zay could. Either Lucas isn't as talented or there wasn't space on the team. Lucas was on the debate team, got two A's, and attends class so he's intelligent. ('Father', 'Commonism') How do we know he didn't cheat like his friends? He was also held back a year, maybe he isn't as smart as he lets on. Lucas believes in God but maybe he's Mormon? Is he Orthodox Christian? A Wiccan? He has a father ('Friendship'), a Mother ('Master Plan', 'Crazy Hat'), and Grandpa Pappy who the teenagers met on their Texas vacation. What's his relationship with them? He was angry that his father wouldn't take him back to Texas and afraid that his mother would put him in the shed. Pappy and Lucas missed each other but what's their relationship like? Does Lucas have siblings? Cousins? Lucas wants to be a veterinarian, birthed a calf, rode sheep and bulls. We never saw him with any other animals but maybe he has a pet? In 'Fish' Lucas said he was a dog person when Riley said she was a cat person. What's his favorite color?

Is there anything to Lucas Friar that makes him interesting? No. Lucas is perfect. His flaws are perfect. Lucas is aggressive in the way all teenage boys are with raging hormones and poor impulse control. He got into one unseen fight which expelled him from school. One fight would suspend a student but wouldn't expel him. Did the assaulted boy wind up in the emergency room and his parents demanded Lucas be kicked out? Whenever Lucas was involved in altercations he's composed during them. He shoves bullies against the wall and backs away. ('Flaws', 'Secret of Life') He breaks free of his dishtowel constraints, breaks the countertop, and crashes through a window barricade. (’Riley town’)  Afterward, he is automatically calm, someone with anger issues would need anger management training to accomplish this. If Lucas had this problem his friends would take umbrage with him and not defend his actions as being protective. If he had this problem it would happen at more places than school functions. Lucas wants to manage his anger and improve himself but he already had when he moved to New York. It's a shame because this would make a good story goal for him.

I could look past all of this if Lucas had a story goal. Becoming a veterinarian is a career goal but what does he want to achieve by GMW end? Farkle and Smackle want to understand emotions. Riley and Maya want to mature and understand the world around them. The most Lucas wants is a girlfriend and at one point he gets two! Lucas is Prince Charming because that's all the characters treat him as. The parents treat him as a suitor. Cory chases him out of his daughter's room more than the other boys. Katy and Topanga demand answers to his love triangle choice. His friends just discus dating scenarios with him. Lucas is a blank slate and it's why fans shipped Lucas with every character; they projected their wants onto him. Until he developed a personality fans couldn't know which girl he would be better for. (And it's why I wanted Lesbian Rilaya by the finale.)

Moon and Sun: Our protagonists' odd dichotomy

Night and Day's the expression describing our protagonists. "Riley is the sun, warm and bright and lights up my whole day. Maya is the night, dark and mysterious." Contrary to Farkle's statement, his observation is incorrect. From the pilot Maya's equated with fire and recklessness which are characteristics of sun/day archetypes. Her actions are forceful, almost masculine in quality and is the tomboy to Riley's femininity. What's more, Riley is cheerful and Moon/Night archetypes are viewed as mysterious, but most mythologies depicts lunar characters as a feminine, nurturing presence. Various religions use the Triple Goddesses – Maiden, Mother, Crone – as symbolism for female transformation. Riley is the perky innocent in season one yet becomes increasingly intuitive by season three. Finally, Aztec's god(dess) Metztli was darkened revoking its equality with the sun and forcing her into hiding which could be a metaphor for Maya eclipsing her friend in the series."The moon is always jealous of the heat of the day, just as the sun always longs for something dark and deep." -- Practical Magic. I've used this Night/Day expression in order to explain Riley and Maya's dichotomy; Shawn and Cory weren't as opposed as our gender-flipped characters.

Storytelling, archetypal, and shipping preferences influenced fans' favoritism toward one protagonist – and actress – more than the other. Case in point, younger fans conflated characters with the actors who portrayed them, contrasting to older fans finding Blanchard pretentious for her beliefs and Carpenter approachable since she isn't as vocal. (Celebrity wise, Blanchard reminds me of Emma Watson whereas Carpenter reminds me of Taylor Momsen. The former is famous for activism while the latter chose music over acting.) Following that, shipping preferences were terrible reasons why the fandom hated characters all because the rival girl interfered with their favorite couple. The outcome resulted in fandom wars, claiming that the rival was shallow and sparking theories that one couple was more accepting than the other.

Diverging for a moment fans claimed that Riley and/or Maya was boring because Disney's written these characters before. Riley is every 1990s Disney character – the titular Hercules, Belle (Beauty and the Beast), Lizzie McGuire – she's the straight man innocent. Maya is every Disney Channel best friend – Lily (Hannah Montana), Roxie (Shake It Up) – she's entertaining, troubled, and that's why fans like her. Overall, there are no novel stories or characters, but different ways to tell them. As for this show, Maya's favored because, like Shawn, she received heavier, concise plotlines. Fans considered her character reliable because she was vocal, but unlike Shawn, Maya had no complexity. Despite Shawn's dysfunctional relationship with Riley she shares the complexity Original Shawn had in Boy Meets World. Lastly, Maya's liked more because her conflicts are external compared to Riley's internal problems. Transparent problems appear interesting, like Maya's father issues, but because Riley's problems involve an inner torment, like insecurity, they seem invalid. An outside example is Arya and Sansa Stark; Arya is forceful, blunt where Sansa is secretive using her non-threatening femininity to survive.

Adding to Rilaya's dichotomy are the literary archetypes they represent: Riley is the Ingénue and the Caretaker. Maya is the Orphan archetype combined with the Rebel. Innocents crave dual desires of safety and experience, however, their achievements involve delayed gratification thus audiences find them boring. In the show, Riley wants to explore the world, yet struggles on how to achieve that. Contrary to that, the Orphan is bereft of parental guidance, but they're not always deceased. Kermit physically abandoned his daughter while Katy's emotionally detached from Maya. Obviously, they're different archetypes, yet they reflect two sides of the same person. The Orphan becomes insufferable because of their stubbornness and victimization. Maya's devolvement into the jerk friend annoyed fans because she was unapologetic of her actions. Due to character derailment within the show, Riley's naivete is why fans believed she was unintelligent.

Additionally, Rilaya's secondary archetypes contributed to fan's views on the characters. Riley represents the Caretaker, who's desire revolves around healing their loved ones; Maya is the Rebel or the one who revolts against authority even if they're unaware of what they're rebelling against. "You go too far," Cory told her after she activated the sprinkler system. "Why do you have to destroy the world?" Lucas questions Maya in her daydream. As a result, the Caretaker and Rebel shadow sides are of a dual mind like the Innocent-Orphan duality. If they don't practice self-care for themselves, then Caretaker martyrs themselves or are manipulative. Throughout the show, Riley didn't manipulate anyone but sacrificed her well-being for the sake of her friends, specifically Maya. Yet Riley is Cory's daughter and the Caretaker archetype becomes infringing at times. For example, Shawn didn't ask Cory to find Chet ('I Never Sang for My Legal Guardian') similar to how Maya never asked Riley to matchmake Katy with Shawn. ('Master Plan') Nevertheless, Maya's supposed to be Female Shawn and the Rebel's detriment is their recklessness and inconsideration. Shawn detonated a cherry bomb destroying a mailbox ('The Fugitive') and Maya abducts Katy's rival actress ('Holly World'), understandably Cory and Riley are exhausted from rescuing their friends. Also, because Riley can't physically protect her friends her genuineness is doubted. Her protectiveness is her emotional availability like hugging Farkle when someone's bullying him. Or comforting Smackle when she confides that she is autistic feeling that she's inadequate for Farkle. However, its Maya's guidance that gives Riley practicality and Riley's condolence that gives Maya hope. Essentially Jacabs' correct by describing these girls as an "astronaut on a horse."

Finally the fandom complained about Rilaya's friendship almost as much as romantic shipping; codependent yet sweet describes Riley and Maya's friendship, however, this isn't solely a characterization problem. To explain, Jacobs is an odd mixture of Dan Schidner, JK Rowling, and Seth Macfarlene. Jacobs derails his characters for terrible jokes and aggravates shipping wars (Schidener), erases then rewrites canon history without consideration of consequences (Rowling), and cannot write female characters (Mcfarlene). Most of this codependency stems from the fact that Jacobs can't write developed female characters or friendships, which is something Jacobs struggled with in Boy Meets World. Angela and Topanga were best friends but were rarely shown as such, and Racheal was nothing more than the red-head bombshell for Jack and Eric to compete for. Giving him some leeway, female friendships focus on emotional connection rather than collective connection like male friendships, leading writers to tell two girls are friends instead of showing it. "Our most important relationship is each other" or "You're the only one who's good enough for me," constantly being told this causes fans to view Rilaya's friendship as codependent, especially when they say sentiments like "Maya won't tell me what to feel" or "Riley won't save me." ('Rules, 'True Maya', etc)

The problem with comparing these characters is that we know little about either of them, all that's known is that Riley had more characterization than her best friend. What made Maya likable is that she immediately discovered her talent – art – while Riley hadn't done so. In spite of this, Maya doesn't complete any art outside of school settings after 'Upstate' and rarely displayed interest in pursuing an art career. Writers showed Future Maya receiving a SoHo internship, but her career plans aren't mentioned again. Does she like any artist? Picasso? Rembrandt? Kruger? DeVinci? In'1961' recited a poem, later it's revealed that Riley leads the yearbook committee. Eventually, Riley joined the high school's newspaper indicating Riley's talent might've been photography and/or writing.

Earlier I mentioned the fans believed Riley was stupid yet she loves school. Various examples include her straight A average where Topanga competed vicariously with Stuart Minkus through her daughter's grades. Continuing from that Riley's a voracious reader finishing a novel under three hours. Another example includes 'Bear' and 'New Years' where Riley finishes a novel under three hours and reminded Maya about the purpose of fractions. Riley showed promise during the school's spelling bee, she loves science, arguing with Farkle for not letting her participate in the assignment. And while she’s not as creative as Maya, Riley’s picture of Lucas is quite good. (Maya’s Mother) Counterarguments involved Riley's D- in Spanish class yet throughout the plot she attempts to improve her grade eventually succeeding and beforehand Riley wore her disgraced grade as a scarlet letter. Generally, an unintelligent person wouldn't understand this Nathanial Hawthorn reference. Possibly, Riley loves mathematics since she's able to remind Maya what fractions are, ('Bear') conversely, Maya's lazy and uninspired with half her teachers – Cory, John Turner, their science teacher – demanding she applies herself. After receiving an A in Spanish class she tells Cory, "Eh, quit your blubberin', this will go away." Furthermore, Maya has no qualms in allowing Riley to finish her homework, or cheating on a test ('Commonism') or letting Lucas do the entire project by himself ('Crazy Hat', 'STEM') Not to mention that the only class she puts an effort in is Art class. Book Hermione suffered with applying academic intelligence into practical usage yet she was considered "the brightest witch of her year." Riley has the same problem but is considered stupid because of Maya’s street smarts.

Athleticism is another factor that turns the fandom in Maya's favor. Unfortunately, Maya showed little interest in them afterward such as 'Mr. Squirrels' when she said she received a skateboarding scar as a child or is a talented pitcher in 'World of Terror.' Contrary to that, Riley showed interest in physical activities. In particular, Riley actively tryouts for cheerleading ('Rah Rah', 'Brother'), goes on a Knick rant ('New World'), according to her bedroom calendar and 'Creativity' Riley attends dance lessons. (Witnessing her dance implies Riley's quite talented at it and is possibly why she lost some clumsiness in season three.) Due to Maya's shirt collection, it's believed she loved classic bands, in spite that she never mentioned interest in the Rolling Stones and bought her clothes at thrift shops. Similarly Blanchard and Carpenter are talented singers, obviously, their characters are talented as well. More key points are that both girls represent strawman arguments in 'Belief'; Maya's the strawman atheist compared to Riley who is the strawman theist. Maya disbelieves in God because she doesn't get what she wants, "Maybe I would believe in God if I didn't have a perfect life." Riley believes essentially because the plot demanded her to. A similarity is that both girls consider themselves feminists, but Riley openly claims this role. ('STEM') Also, both girls appreciate nature, Maya through hiking and Riley through its calming influence. ('Ski Lodge').

Maya's likability is her self-assuredness in contrast to Riley's self-doubt. I loved this trait in Maya as well. Including her confidence, I admired that this character wouldn't tolerate bullshit from her peers. Simultaneously Riley's insecurity was a detriment to her popularity, a lack of confidence and desiring to become Maya subsequently led to Riley becoming different personas. During the pilot, Riley's crushed when her classmates named her "Riley Superklutz" then mocked her for being cheerful. ('Yearbook', Rileytown) Illustrating these differences include Riley's Harajuku or Goth phase ('Yearbook'). For this reason, Riley's identity isn't  in either subculture, yet inform the audience she appreciates the aesthetics. Using 'New Teacher' Riley loves comics, coupled with 'Popular' perhaps she loves anime and Kawaii Metal. Horrified by Farkle's violent videogame, Riley's nevertheless intrigued by the game. ('Money') Secretly, Riley may love zombie films or loves gaming, yet hides this because of her insecurity. Since Girl Meets World's holiday episodes follow Riley's perspective, the audiences know Riley becomes fanatical during the holidays. True to her nature, Riley's sacrifices her hobbies for another's benefit, like when Riley wanted to give up Halloween for malaria-stricken countries. All in all, I loved Riley's complexity since Maya was never more than the rebellious best friend.

A Cinnamon Roll. Why Girl Meets World doesn't deserve Riley

I'll admit the Girl Meets World fandom influenced my distaste for Maya Hart, but I've always hated her character since 'Maya's Mother' and 'Master Plan'; Maya was entitled and self-victimizing, using her "broken bird" status to her advantage. I realize my statement alienated half the fandom, but nothing about this girl was disadvantaged, and beginning with her home life we're shown she isn't impoverished as implied by writers. With a closet full of clothes and a fully furnished bedroom; the worst thing about her home was a dripping ceiling. Later she revealed that her neighborhood is primarily Hispanic, but she contradicts herself in 'True Maya.' Specifically, two ethnic girls with an African American cop doesn't denote a poor neighborhood, contrary to Shawn who lived in a trailer park with visible,eclectic neighbors. Shawn often wore the same clothes twice, equating Cory's middle-class background with wealth, "Hey, indoor plumbing [means you're] rich." ('I Ain't Gonna Spray Lettuce No More') Maya owned a laptop and Alternate Maya dressed on Hot Topic clothes, these expenses aren't something an impoverished teenager could afford. In all honesty, the Harts are middle class but aren't wealthy like the Minkuses. Other arguments are that Maya struggles academically, "I have no one to help me with my homework" but in reality her maternal grandmother could help her, her friends offer Maya studying help; really Maya just hates school without a reason. An example is that Cory raised her history test grade with an oral exam, however Maya didn't study. ('Father') Lastly, Maya doesn't have family problems; her father abandoned her, but show's little concern about its effects, in fact, she tells the Matthews that Kermit began a new family without her and never buys her presents. (again 'Father') Maya is affected by Kermit's absence in 'Forgiveness' where she said, "It was your job to stay" implying that she blamed herself for Kermit's departure but is apathetic toward Kermit afterwards. Parental abandonment leaves unresolved scars and Maya rarely showed any, as opposed to Shawn who resented Chet and doesn't amend their relationship until Chet was on his deathbed. He was resentful of his half-brother, Jack, because he had a great childhood and non-alcoholic father; Maya's resentful because Katy overworks, not appreciating Katy's overworking herself for Maya's benefit. Specifically to keep a roof over their heads, getting Maya into a proper school, or planning a nice fourteenth birthday for her. (List any episode that Katy appeared in as an example.) Yet Maya's "brokenness" is justification in absolving Maya of responsibility and allowing her increasing entitlement.

Cory bought colored pencils for Maya so she'll pursue her artistic ability, but gives her an iPhone because she had a flip phone, clearly it's not so she'll spy on her best friend and Lucas. Shawn bought her an entirely new wardrobe, even though nothing is wrong with her clothes; they aren't tattered or dirty but because of her "bad life" Maya's allowed to take her friend's moments with Topanga or monopolize Shawn's attention from Riley. After the umpteenth time of insulting Lucas, he fires a zinger back and unleashes her anger on her friends for not defending her. Apparently, Kermit's absence gone allowed Maya to insult everyone even though she can't handle it herself, steal Riley's (unofficial) boyfriend, and absolved of any consequences. Notably, Maya steals a locket from a little girl ('Honesty'), steals money ('Belief'), pulls fire alarms and illegally trespass on a property ('True Maya', the pilot) yet is surprised when her friends disbelieve her that she didn't steal the cash register money. 

Emphasizing Maya's lawbreaking, she kidnapped Katy's rival actress and is intent on vandalizing a statue and still gets away with it; the cop says that he'll forget her trespassing happened if she never does this again. If Zay – or any colored ethnicity – attempted Maya's actions, they would've been arrested. Instead, I waited for any of the characters to remind Maya of her privileges, whether it was white privileges or that she wasn't going to bed hungry or abused, and didn't deserve her entitled behavior. Moreover, this was why 'Her Monster' was more appropriate for Maya's character since she always took her loved ones for granted. A great lesson Jacobs could've done was that a harsh background does not entitle one to everything they desire, you have to work for what you want. (Small Note: Cinderella was Walt Disney's favorite film because of how hard work often give's one their desired goals.) Most of all, Maya was a terrible friend to Riley. Was Riley a perfect friend? Of course not. She shouldn't have blurted Maya's love in 'Texas' then proceed in lying about her own feelings, reworded her statements to Kermit ('Forgiveness') and not mocked Maya's home or love life ('Jexica'). These characters are teenagers and are immature, but Riley owned up to her mistakes while Maya did not; Riley has the maturity for considering potential consequences and other' perspectives yet Maya's immaturity is due to her belief world revolved around her.

Realizing these differences between these girls it's certainly clear why Riley deserved better, and we can narrow them into two categories: one, her friends and family sabotaging this brunette, secondly, every character unnecessarily criticized her, usually with no validity for it. In other words, Riley was the Meg Griffin of Girl Meets World in fandom and the fictional world. Original Shawn wouldn't ignore his goddaughter in favor of her friend. Once the series aired 'Upstate' Shawn belittled his goddaughter by saying "Shut up Little Cory!" insinuating that Riley's nothing more than a Cory clone, saying nothing of the fact that Maya's an imitation of himself. What was Riley's crime besides helping her friend? As another illustration is Topanga complimenting Maya as a "fierce Amazon warrior while in comparison Riley was a weirdo with a cute top. ('Mr. Squirrels') Topanga ignores her daughter for Maya, who collapsed on the Matthews' floor, childishly whining about graduation. Even in 'Permanent Record' Topanga called Maya her "new daughter" certainly the Matthews consider Maya like family, wanting to give her every benefit possible, yet it's at the expense of their blood daughter. Auggie and Josh are unique among her family in that they actually support Riley. Remorseful for destroying Riley's teddy bear, Auggie searches for it when it goes missing; Josh develops ambiguous feelings for Maya but this doesn't prevent him from comforting his niece. ('Forgiveness', 'Bear', Home for the Holidays', 'Goodbye') Interestingly, one adult doesn't blame Riley: Katy Hart. Of course, she'll have a preference for her own daughter, but Maya kept pushing Katy away in favor Topanga until season three. From Riley's perspective, she understands Katy's actions are all for her daughter – she even realizes this before Maya does on Christmas Eve. All of this is odd as if the writers confused whose daughter belonged to whom.

I'm certain there are fandom members who consider these points as coincidences, before re-watching the show I thought the same thing, but supporting characters disregarded Riley, background characters overlooked her, even the writers eventually ceased her character growth and proceeded catering to only Maya. A complaint lodged against this character received was that every character loved Riley at first glance which wasn't accurate. Cory's class was largely apathetic toward her – though this could be in part that Cory aimed his class lessons with an emphasis on the core six. Of the core six, Zay was intrigued, but uncertain of Riley with Smackle thinking similar thought. Missy Bradford hated her because Riley "had" Lucas, and Missy desired him for herself. Unknown Girl ('Don't Like Me') and Cashier Aubrey ('Demolition') blatantly dislike Riley, but it's when they see Riley's true character these characters have a change of heart. Yes, Unknown Girl doesn't accept Riley's friendship –Aubrey accepts Rilaya's friendship – but understands her intentions are pure. (I always made the connection that Riley is like Tohru from the manga Fruits Basket.) Nevertheless, her friends blamed her the majority of the time, especially the boys.

Prior to the new school term, Riley promised Maya that none of them will leave her in high school, Riley isn't afforded this luxury when all – excluding Maya – leave Riley in the stairwell ('Bay Window', 'High School'). Lucas claimed Riley was "too much" for him for the sole fact she didn't support his football ambition, but after bull riding, Riley recognizes other sports are potentially dangerous too. Digging the knife deeper in her back was Farkle, who after school blamed Riley for their entire day, "You ruined our first day of high school." Obviously Riley bore some culpability for her actions, however, the remainder of the clique bore responsibility as well and should've taken accountability for their actions. From their desertion until the final bell, it was the clique's duty to improve their day through their own attitudes, yet they didn't seem concerned that day when they reduced Riley to tears. Fortunately, Riley's vindicated, her intuition in the seniors was correct, she just shouldn't have taken their words at face value. Several episodes later Zay overexaggerates when Riley bites his cookie when Maya dared her to "do something evil," reserving his anger for Riley instead. Why was consuming a cookie unforgivable? Is his grandmother dead or her cookie recipe missing? Over the Christmas holiday, all her friends continuously whine about the Secret Santa – Lucas even leaves the state without notifying his girlfriend, Riley, in avoidance of this – regardless of them knowing Christmas is one of the multitudes of ways she shows affection. Only Smackle, like Katy, doesn't chastise her, though that could be because Smackle showed more camaraderie toward Riley than Maya. To iterate, Smackle may have left with Farkle but isn't enraged at her, instead cautions Riley's leadership possibly isn't appropriate for high school. When Smackle's introduced to the group, she's more comfortable admitting her crush, her autism, and much of her insecurities to Riley than her other friends. Of the girls, Smackle prefers hugs from Riley than Maya as well. ('Smackle', 'New Years', 'Goodbye')

What makes Riley sympathetic is Maya was the worst of her friends when it comes to her unsupportive tendencies, namely whenever a peripheral character appeared on screen, they'd berate Riley while Maya allows her to take the insults. It's correct that Maya defended Riley against names like "superklutz" or against Missy ('Sneak Attack') however Maya stays silent when their classmates were adamant that they don't want Riley/Lucas together. (However, it was equally cruel when they said they didn't care if Maya was around.) Art teachers berate Riley artwork then – though her picture of Lucas was impressive – before praising Maya's superior ability. ('Maya's Mother', 'Triangle.') Two episodes before 'New Year's,' Maya claimed Riley was wrong for believing in God despite slacking off on the assignment herself, and not attempting to understand a philosophy other than her own. Subconsciously, Maya sabotaged her friend by beginning the Riley Protection Committee, but that doesn't help her grow, whereas Maya consciously sabotaged her friend by disqualifying Riley from the spelling bee under the guise of cultural appropriation.* Later in 'Rah Rah' she convinced all their friends to make Riley quit by ringing bells, but Maya should've been a supportive, selfless friend for once; Riley doesn't have the coordination for cheerleading, but was determined to try. In both instances, Maya repeatedly insulted Riley with "Every year I have to watch out and tell you're good. Well, you're not good." Why is she making her friend's efforts about her again, and offering no apology for her cruel behavior? Quite a while later on the first day of high school Maya insulted her friend by saying, "How am I in a triangle with [Riley]" showing Maya (briefly) thinks Riley is inferior to her. Why was mourning her sentimental teddy bear insignificant compared to a taco? When was I supposed to like Maya's friendship?

Very few of the show theories were credible and the Maya/Lucaya theories were laughable; posters, bulls, and sheep proved nothing. However, depression theories were the theories I believed in. Counter-arguments for a Riley depression arc were that Riley's life was too perfect for depression, including that depression isn't caused by a single event. ('High School') A depression storyline for Riley would've shown that depression doesn't discriminate; a seemingly perfect life is equally prone to depression just as one of hardship. I don't believe Jacobs wouldn't have tackled Clinical Depression, Shawn's drinking in 'If You Can't be with the One You Love' lasted one episode but a depressive period he could do. That being said, let's look at the hints that may have foreshadowed a depression conflict for Riley.

Western culture places emphasis on positive emotions simultaneously teaching us to repress negative emotions, "Why aren't you happy? Don't cry, there's someone worse off than you." Starting from season 1 we've seen Riley's fear of imperfection (atelophobia) such as her saying that what others thought of her dictated her than her own thoughts. As her classmates mocked her in various episodes her sense of self crashes down, like when she hid in a locker because of Missy. Riley's cyberbully violently threatens her, "No one should be as cheerful as you. Stop being happy or I'll kick you in the face" – what made the episode strange was that her parents didn't comfort her at all in 'Riley town.' Early instants of her atelphobia occur when Topanga's entering labor, Riley's wonders why her parents are having another child, "Why are you doing this? Am I not good enough?" with an extension of these self-criticisms in 'Bear.' When returning to work –possibly after – maternity/paternity leave – Young Riley begged her parents to remain with her, so Cory gave the teddy bear as a symbolic reminder that they'll always be with her. 'Bear' is now linked to 'Bay window' in that Riley's fear is her loved ones abandoning her, and if she is good enough for anyone to stay with her. Compiling on top of this includes 'Cory & Topanga' when upon waking in the middle of the night, Riley eavesdrops on her parents causing her self-doubt that she'll never achieve her potential like her parents have. Whenever her friends champion Maya's causes ignoring Riley's in the process, Riley compares herself to her friend, the "Pretty Brunette" vs the "Blonde Beauty." Compiling onto that is, is that everyone – from her five friends to her family – expect her to fix their problems and ignore her own, in keeping her composure, Riley internalized her own feelings in 'Texas' by pushing Lucas away and by keeping her bullying a secret. Even more interesting is when the puppet perched itself on Riley's shoulder, "Your father trusts you. Your mother trusts you. Your brother lied for you. Everything bad in the world is your fault. [Riley: "What?"] Never mind. That's for later." Having heard this may mean that her caretaker role, her perfectionist tendencies, her self-sacrifice, would be the elements that cause her breakdown.

Repression becomes rumination and exhaustion, from the previous examples – and what we know of her general character– Riley's obsessive, sometimes controlling. (She's Topanga's daughter after all.) In Season 2, Maya commented that she doesn't like it when Riley is calm. American Psychological Association wrote this about depression and rumination, "[People prone to rumination] exhibit personality characteristics such as perfectionism, neuroticism and excessive relational focus-"a tendency to so overvalue your relationships with others that you will sacrifice yourself to maintain them, no matter what the costs." She worried if anyone would befriend her as a child as well. "I sit here and I hope […] For someone to come in and sit with me." ('Bay Window') When seeing Maya dating Lucas, Riley obsesses over her worthiness for him, and when her classmates dislike her, she did the same. Constant thoughts of this can lead to exhausting your energy from overthinking. Four particular episodes convinced me of Riley's exhaustion: 'Rah Rah', 'Riley town', 'Texas 3', and 'High School.' The teenagers' second day of high school is where we receive our first clue Riley make have physical symptoms of depression. Unfortunately, this statement was played for comedy Riley said that she didn't cry all night because "I fell asleep before I could." Episodes 'Riley town' and 'Texas 3' show the audience that she probably had cried herself to sleep before. Cheerleading proved physically straining so it makes sense that she'd say that she was tired. A tonal shift occurs in the third act when Riley doesn't make the team, when she said "I'm really tired, Maya," sounds more like she's emotionally exhausted as well. (Although anyone would if their friends kept discouraging and insulting them.) While she was faking the flu it's not unreasonable that she could've made herself ill from her rumination. Sobbing in Topanga's lap, Riley is conflicted if she made the right decision about her friends and that she regrets agreeing to date Charlie. Topanga comforts her daughter to "Hold on" then Riley begged her mother not to leave, that she is "a little tired." Cut to the next scene, the next morning where mother and daughter haven't moved from their spot, implying that Riley cried herself to sleep.

Storgic Eros vs Ludic Eros: Rucas or Lucaya?

Like many fandoms, Girl Meets World had terrible shipping wars, and though not the entire cause of the sequel's failure, it did contribute to dissatisfaction among the audience. I'm not advocating for either Lucas pairing since the couples I supported were the rival pairings, Polyamorous Rucaya (Riley/Lucas/Maya), and romantic Lucadora (Lucas/Smackle) I understand audience members gravitated toward Rucas (Lucas/Riley) or Lucaya (Lucas/Maya), and why shipping began among these factions. Rucas and Lucaya appear polar opposite, but are alike in several ways as well: the factions claimed that the rival pairing was tedious, unrealistic and that their rival was incorrect by loving the couple. Incredible news is that both warring sides were correct, Rucaya (Riley/Lucas & Maya/Lucas) were all these traits; Disney has written Love-Hate and Friend-Lover romances repetitively since Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and so both couples are predictable because they are both fairy tales. Because these are teenage romances they're unlikely to survive into adulthood. Lucas has always been Prince Charming Maya's is the tomboy princess. Lucaya is a Fabio romance, Disney examples The Little Mermaid (Ariel and Eric), Hercules (Meg and Hercules), Tangled, and Pirates of the Caribbean (Elizabeth/Jack/Will) to name a few. Riley's the feminine princess to Prince Lucas and they are Jane Austen romances. They’re animated Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast, Jack and Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas, and Frozen's Anna and Kristoff. What differentiates the Lucas pairings lis that Disney Channel is more apt to use Friend-Lover relationships.

Adding to Lucaya/Rucas similarities are plot and aggression problems; Maya and Lucas approach situations – and each other – with direct aggression while Riley and Lucas use passive-aggression. Lucaya kept insulting one another, Riley used her internet persona to coax an answer from Lucas, and he used jellybeans to reach a conclusion. ('Triangle', 'Jexica') Plot-wise Lucaya is strange, after several antagonistic episodes Maya develops a crush on Lucas suddenly, and because Farkle revealed Riley's love for Lucas, Lucaya never had any follow through. Rucas, however, had foreshadowing and depth, but after 'Ski Lodge' the writers never portrayed them acting like a couple. And both Lucaya and Rucas fans used fallacious arguments to justify their favorite couple, primarily that Riley or Maya accepted Lucas better, but there wasn't much to accept about Lucas Friar because of his one-dimensionality. Out of the two girls, it's Riley that understands Lucas, not Maya. 'Secret of Life' revealed Lucas' unpleasant Texan self with everyone curious about his past; Maya uncovering attempts fail by using Zay as a third-party, yet it's Riley’s confrontation with Lucas that succeed when she reminded Lucas that friends/couples are honest with one another. "If you say I can trust you, I'll believe you because that's what we do." Later it's Riley who wants to end Lucas' potential fight, mirroring 'Texas 3' in that Cory and Zay pulled Riley back from entering dangerous a situation. (Riley attempted to jump into the rampaging bull's pin to save Lucas before being the first person to jump in when Lucas fell from the beast.) A 'Secret of Life' ends with Riley remaining unaccepting about Lucas' aggression, however, it is her Lucas discloses his fight to Riley; as 'Rules' reached its conclusion Riley vocalized that she doesn't condone Texas Lucas, but understands his Shadow Side is part of his personality inserting the hope that Lucas is able to transform himself into a better person. Finally, in 'Texas', Maya's considered credible because she vocalizes that Lucas shouldn't ride the bull but, contradicts herself immediately by leaving. Her negative statement, "I'll never forgive you if you ride that bull," is interpreted as cruelty toward him because Lucas can't believe Maya isn't being antagonistic which is almost always her natural state. Moreover, theorists forgot Maya was equally complicit in volunteering Lucas for the competition, that both girls were shocked at the bull off screen, and instead of forsaking Lucas, Riley stayed offering suggestions to placate the bull, "Tell the pull you want to become a veterinarian, Lucas." Paraphrasing, Riley told Lucas that if he's sure he wants to ride the bull she'll support him, "Be the hero I know you can be," wasn't Riley ignorance of the risk, it was her understanding why he wanted to succeed. He wanted to regain his honor he had lost before and made his loved ones proud of him, "Thank you for believing in me," he said in 'Texas 3.'

Does Maya know that Lucas can be dangerous? Rarely does she mention his dangerous habits calling doubt on the extent of her Lucas insight, she mentioned Bad Lucas in 'Riley town', "I don't think Lucas will be so calm," but this is through subtext, and when Lucas crashes through their barricade Maya contradicts herself by urging him to lift the bed with a single finger. The next time Maya realizes Lucas' dark side is in 'Ski Lodge' when she wonders why he won't break the rules and Zay must remind her that Lucas lost a year of his life because of that; Maya remains silent. (An argument could be made that it is Riley that accurately judges Lucas because she knows there's nothing underneath Prince Charming whereas Maya needs to constantly provoke Lucas to believe that Lucas has problems of his own.) However neither of them accept this aspect of Lucas, and the only person who does is Farkle since he is the only one who calls Lucas out on his bullshit. In 'Riley town' he ties him up, urging him "Don't turn into Texas Lucas." Episodes like 'New Years', 'Triangle', 'Ski Lodge' Farkle reiterates that if Lucas remains indecisive about the triangle then he'll damage all their friendships.

In order to understand why Lucaya was preferred over Rucas let's look at statistics to demonstrate why Lucas pairings and rival pairings were popular in the first place. This fan fiction site archives over 4500 Girl Meets World stories with Maya and Riley stories representing half of its entirety; no matter how many filters are used, Maya centric stories maintain a slight lead over Riley centric ones. Lucas/Maya pairings – platonic or romantic – rank first with Rucas ranking at a close second, this isn't surprising. Once filtered down to the romantic completed fiction we realize that Lucas/Maya fiction doesn't lead by much, only by 14% (643) with Rucas at 12% (541) of the stories, a two percent difference is microscopic, and the rival pairings – Joshaya (Josh/Maya) and Riarkle (Riley/Farkle) – are tied for third place. Lesbian Rilaya is the only other pairing that superseded all of them, but since this shipping war focused on heterosexual couples we can't include Rilaya. Popularity for these ships is for what romances the girls represented, not the couple as a whole. Maya romances – Lucaya and Joshaya – are instantaneous and playful where Maya often refers to her relationships as a game; Lucaya is their "little game" while Joshaya is the "long game." They're Ludic Eros, or a Love-Hate romance and is why theorists interpreted bickering as flirtation notwithstanding repeated complaints that he doesn't appreciate Maya mocking him. He'll stick a rose between her teeth to annoy her or tell Maya that she can't break him after she mocks his country cowboy heritage. Lucaya is Disney sexual attraction, fire and why everybody can see them as a couple. ('Yearbook')  Passion and obsession that embodies Lucaya are what researchers define as love/lust at first sight. What theorists didn't notice is that Lucaya's death hinges on boredom, once either character grows tired of the other their romance dies. In the three seasons, Maya had been the most fickle with her romances, if she doesn't get what she wants or events proceed too slowly for her she ignores it and moves on. First, she's in love with Josh, suddenly she loves Lucas and now loves Josh again and every character has called her out on this. Josh in 'Ski Lodge' reminds Maya that she loves him now, but that could change, pointing to her Lucas infatuation as an example. In 'Crazy Hat' Maya reveals that Mrs. Friar and Lucas' conversation that she overheard and his calf story bored her. ('Texas 3') Ever since Lucas changed he's boring, nor does help that Lucas and Maya couldn't even date one month ('Texas 3' – 'New Years') while Lucas and Riley's second relationship lasted half a year ('Ski Lodge 2' – 'Goodbye'). Lucaya was similar to Seddie (Sam/Freddie) from iCarly, if Lucas and Maya dated it would a physical relationship at most. Over the long-term physical attraction fades first, once the honeymoon phase ends if there's no commonalities between partners then the romance dies.

Riley romances – Rucas and Riarkle – are Friend-Lover relationships. It's Riley complimenting that Farkle's developed into a handsome, young man or how Lucas admits his and Riley's intimate moments are preferable than the few he's had with Maya. Lucaya had passion but Rucas had intimacy. Similar to Riley's character, opposing fans found Rucas boring because there's no instant gratification, love forms from friendship, mutual understanding and affection as well as attraction. One example is Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher from That 70s Show, who after a decade of friendship are married with a daughter. Real love, long-lasting love develops over time, teenagers beginning to date won't realize this yet. Fandom factions doubted Rucas because of a handful of episodes, those being 'New World', 'Spring Fling', and 'Texas 2.' Theorists commented that Rucas barely dated a week ignoring that peer pressure forced their breakup decision. Classmates, like Yogi, pressured them to be the "Perfect Couple," and along with Ruvas' friends and their parents, interrupted any chance Rucas had for any alone time. Boyfriends and girlfriends desire some time away from the public with the episode concluding with Lucas and Riley deciding to resume dating once they've understood each other as people and when they're ready. Rucas' endgame status is cemented when she catches Maya's bouquet and Lucas smiles adoringly at Riley. Theorists also used Riley's comments in 'Texas 3' and 'Spring Fling' against Rucas. Riley confides in Eric and Jack that she's afraid that her and Lucas' relationship would fail and tells the same sentiment to Lucas in 'Texas.' If they dated, then broke up, she and Lucas may hate each other. Eric tells her that unlike Jack, he calls Rachel every day, revealing that Riley would rather have Lucas' friendship than risk not being in his life. Topanga did the same in Boy Meets World and even in season six, breaks their engagement because she doesn't want a divorce like her parents. (Also this tells the audience that although Riley craves a fairy tale love she still doubts that it's a possibility.) And in reality, friend-lovers worry about this outcome too so this is a nice reflection of real-life circumstances.

Both Rucas and Lucaya are similar in that they're instantly attracted to each other, Maya and Riley immediately notice Lucas on the subway and gawk at how handsome he is. Lucaya theorists speculate through her play flirting that she had always loved Lucas and selflessly sacrificed her own feelings, but Maya "flirted" with Lucas so Riley would be comfortable around boys and since then pushed her friends into a romantic relationship. During "Meets Boy" she tells Riley to talk to him, by the end of it she and Lucas are able to have an actual conversation. 'Meets Boy' and 'Legacy' reveals that they've smelled they other's hair. (Weird but cute.) Maya asks Lucas on a date but instead of accepting Lucas proceeds and asks Riley out. ("First Date') Maya's actions are like Shawn's in Boy Meets World. Shawn asked Topanga to the Sadie Hawkins dance so Cory would, Maya is female Shawn so it's possible that she'd do the same for Riley. In 'Belief' Maya says that Lucas need someone to build him and Riley fulfills that role for him. Another example is that Lucas feels comfortable revealing his secrets to Riley than anyone else with show writers on Twitter confirming that "[Riley] is a calming influence on him." 'Secret of Life', 'Meets Boy' are examples like where he says he helped birth a calf and 'World of Terror 2' has the teenagers admit they both love a television show called Cuddlebunnies, later Lucas showed more concern that she missed Red Planet Diaries. And unlike Lucaya, Rucas had intentional flirtatious moments. 'Sneak Attack' has Riley wanting to learn how to flirt so Lucas'll remain attracted to her and not Missy then in art class she flirts with him in French; Lucas reciprocates by saying in French, "Someday we'll go to Paris." Other episodes she'll lower her voice to appear more sexual. During their softball game Riley feigns ignorance over her mitt so she can flirt with him and playfully slaps his ass afterward. (And Maya nods in approval.)

Overall the Love-Hate aspect isn't the entire reason why Lucaya was problematic, Lucaya's failure stems from the fact Lucas and Maya never fought for each other. From 'Texas' until 'Legacy' Lucas is almost constantly fighting for Riley; from that point Riley begins fighting for a resolution and Lucas. During the square dance, Pappy's home, or the campfire, Maya's passivity caused doubt over her Lucas infatuation. Maya sits on the sidelines when Lucas is fighting for Riley. When Lucas confronts Riley's brother statement at the fire, Maya's motionless. On the Lucaya/Riarlie (Riley/Charlie) double date Maya has to ask Riley's advice on how to date Lucas, showing the audience that Maya's never thought of Lucas as boyfriend material before. Lucas never fought for Maya when he's arguing with Charlie during the couple's game on New Year's Eve. It's Riley initiates love triangle discussions about if they still love each other and is one the one who noticed the seniors' – Thor/Nikki/Francesca – own love triangle asking how they resolved it. In Jexica at least Riley tried solving the triangle while Maya rarely made a suggestion. She doesn't even fight for Lucas when she's told to. During the 'Triangle' bay window scene Riley says that Lucas was her boyfriend first and that she was going to take him back. "Maya, if you like Lucas, then you're gonna have to take him from me." Instead of fighting Maya retreats with, "You'd let me do that?" If Maya really loved Lucas than why isn't she fighting for him? 'Ski Lodge' is the only time Maya fights for him, calling themselves the power couple but since this happened in fantasy this means she never fought for him. And if she loved Lucas why would she continuously flirt with Josh at every turn? Why would she immediately surrender her feelings if she really wanted Lucas?

Canonically, romantic Lucaya wasn't mentioned until 'Yearbook' but Sarah – and their class – voted them 'Best Couple' then Maya questions them why anyone would consider them a couple. Lucas adds that they have never considered each other like that. Maya's revelation – "That's why I love you, you're my brother" – isn't Riley's thoughts, Maya is costumed as Riley but since she isn't we can't know if these feelings are genuine. Katy in the prior scene warns her daughter against assuming about others feelings. "[….] Before you become another person, understand that you may learn things about them you didn't know before [...] When you have strong emotions for someone, it's like you're too close to see straight." Maya is too blinded by her best friend to determine if she's correct. Lastly, neither girl discusses their Lucas feelings until 'Texas' so there's no indication at Maya or Riley's feelings have changed. More likely her brother revelation is a red herring for Maya's own affections toward Lucas.

The 'Texas' trilogy is the next time Lucaya is mentioned in canon but the plotline is against them from the beginning. Riley misinterprets Maya's emotions of that of infatuation but their conversation shows that they're hurt that the other takes their feelings for granted. At Pappy's home and the campfire Riley friend-zones Lucas*3 whose reaction is that he doesn't think of themselves like siblings. Lucaya's almost kiss is romantic but immediately afterward says, "Don't tell [Riley]."  "Of course I like you. Who wouldn't?" isn't a love declaration because Lucas pressured her to. All she admits to is not wanting to lie to Riley.'Texas 3' was about Riley/Charlie (Riarlie) and Lucaya's double date which all four are dreading. Topanga and Farkle discover that Riley lied and she is still in love with Lucas and doesn't want Charlie. Before their double date begins, Lucas marches to Riley telling her that he doesn't want to date Maya reiterating that it's Riley he wants. Continuing from there, Lucas interrupts his own date to interfere with Riley and Charlie's date; Maya kicks Lucas for ignoring her. Then Zay said that Lucaya loved fighting over dating.

Zay: "Well, the thing we all knew about Lucas is Lucas would do anything for his friends. And I never thought there could be anybody else like that, but Riley is."

Farkle: "So you think they are like brother and sister?" 

Zay: "No, I just think they have a lot in common. I mean, Riley would do anything for her friends, too."

New Years' is the most telling episode between Lucaya because Lucas interacts more with Riley than Maya. As the party starts he brushes past her just to touch her, sits closer to her when he arrives, and gets into a pissing contest with Charlie over who knows Riley better. Lucas doesn't approach Maya on the rooftop, Maya does, and her comment "I'm glad you're with me at midnight" was said because she rarely complimented him before. Every time Lucas compliments one girl he says the same about the other. He says that he'll always know Riley whenever and wherever they are when he repeats this to Maya her reaction is "You're not even trying." Quoting "[…] nicknames are a name for someone that can be used by anyone, pet names can only be used by one individual." Lucas called both girls beautiful. Riley's the "beautiful brunette who follows the rules" ('Legacy'). Deep down Maya's the blonde beauty but in 'True Maya' he called Riley beautiful as well. Riley's the "Pretty Brunette" but Maya is just physically attractive to him whereas he finds everything about Riley attractive. "The pretty brunette who never gives up on anyone or anything. And no sacrifice is too big for her friends." 'Creativity' can't be used as Lucaya fodder because, one, we don't know the context of the Lucas/Zay's conversation and, two, Lucas' outrage shows that he didn't want the girls to know they were comparing them. Using jellybeans Lucas decides between girls ('Triangle') with both girls driving him crazy and are too much for him. They're funny and they push their loved ones toward positive growth. Maya does so forcefully ('Rules', 'Crazy Hat', 'Pilot') Riley implicitly ('Flaws', 'Lady of New York'). Yet Lucas concludes that he prefers his intimate moments with Riley over Maya, "It's always been Riley."

Lucas likes Maya because of her hu hurr-ing greetings and calling him "Huckleberry," however, it's a better answer than Maya's answer, "I don't know, he's a nice guy. What's wrong with us both liking a nice guy?" First and foremost, Riley dated him first and if Maya didn't fall for Lucas, her and Riley's friendship wouldn't be jeopardized. Second, if her Lucas love is because he's nice then why didn't she fall for another boy? Every time Maya's confronted with this question she can't answer with anything except "I don't know what I want." ('True Maya') "I don't know how I like you." ('Texas') Her body language displays uncertainty during the New Year's couple game. We know why Maya teases Lucas though, it's fun "tearing him down" ('Belief') and she wants to "mess him up." ('Ski Lodge') Maya jokes that she doesn't want him to become conceited ('Texas') but Lucas is humble. He admits that he isn't perfect nor brags about his academic achievements. ('Flaws', 'Father', 'Yearbook') After winning the class election, Lucas awarded Maya an ambassador role despite the fact that she attempted to blackmail him. ('Friendship') Maya loved mocking Lucas but she wasn't in love with him.

I have three theories as to why Maya loves Lucas:

Theory 1: Maya loves Lucas because of Katy's influence Very little of Maya's home life is known, what is certain is that Kermit and Katy constantly fought. ('Maya's Mother', 'Master plan', 'Forgiveness', and 'High School') Maya would never admit to her parents influencing her of anything and blamed Katy for her father's departure in 'Master Plan,' "She does this. She makes men leave. Shawn's probably in Mexico now." For a girl dismissive of her mother Maya mirrors Katy's mistakes with men. Observing Kermit and Katy's dysfunctional marriage distorted Maya's perception of love; love became equated with arguments and insults. Katy smashed a cake in Kermit's face, then Maya repeats this by pouring smoothies on Lucas' head. ('Forgiveness', 'Texas') Minutes later, Maya confesses that she won't forgive Kermit's abandonment comparable to Maya threatening Lucas that if he rides the bull she'll never forgive him before subsequently leaving him. Shawn berates Katy when they're introduced at the diner; Maya mocks Lucas when they're reintroduced at school. Katy falls for partners who don't reciprocate her affections, Maya does the same. Shawn still loves Angela and can't date Katy yet. Lucas pines after Riley and she returns his love, Lucas can't commit to Maya.

Theory 2: Maya loves Lucas because Riley is in love with him These next two theories vary on the extent of how much you believe that Maya became Riley. Maya portraying Riley in 'Yearbook' or wearing similar clothes doesn't mean Maya became her friend. I personally don't believe she suffered from an Ego crisis – clothes and grades don't equal an identity loss – but Maya suffered from a relational identity crisis. Riley always wanted to become Maya, an identity crisis fits Riley's character because she struggled with her identity When eavesdropping on two girls, Rilaya witnesses the girls' friendship dissolve. Betrayed, First Girl demands answers on why Second Girl dated her boyfriend, Second Girl replied that she was aware of that fact. "I actually went after him just for that reason. I didn't even like him. I just wanted to make you feel bad." It's unlikely Maya would purposefully anger Riley, but she desires everything her friend possesses. Jealous of Riley's family, Maya monopolizes her parent's attention away from Riley. Likewise, Maya wants excellent grades, convincing her friend to complete her homework for her. Overall, it's within Maya's character that she'd love Lucas because Riley already does. Of their clique, Maya had no romantic experience and may have developed insecurities over this matter. Examples include Zay's ex-girlfriend, Smarkle (Farkle/Smackle) with the longest romance of one year. ('Smackle' – 'Goodbye'), and Riley and Lucas dating the most people before dating each other. Also, Maya's never been kissed (Farkle/Maya's nose kiss like Farkle/Riley's chin kiss didn't count.) Adding to that, Maya had never dated someone she wasn't forced to date. Namely that Maya dated Farkle so Rucas can date, then dated Lucas herself because Riley insists that she does. Compiling on this that Maya never had a monogamous boyfriend since Lucas calling both girls his "girlfriends" means that he isn't committed to her. In Maya's favour is that, like Riley, is that three boys developed crushes on her. Both friends had Farkle and Lucas date them while they've had third options in Josh and Charlie respectively. Against Maya is her domineering nature causing avoidance in boys – and some girls – meaning they won't consider her girlfriend material. Maya tells Farkle that he can't handle her. ('Pilot') Josh is unnerved by her forwardness in 'Home for the Holidays' before running away. Whenever she and Lucas are paired together, she emasculates him calling him "the lamb Mary left behind." ('Rules') At most Maya is just a friend to them furthering her romantic insecurities. In Maya's perceptive, Rucas is the perfect relationship. Rucas are attentive, protective toward each other, and as Friend-Lovers they listen to each other; Lucas laughs at Riley's fanaticism over the Knicks as much Riley loves hearing his Texas. This couple is willing to sacrifice whatever possible for the other; Lucas was willing to revert into Texas Lucas for Riley ('Rileytown') and she's willing to jump into a bullpen. Observing them further Maya liked their softball game flirting and was aroused by Rucas' kiss ('First Date'). Envious, Maya thought that if Lucas is able to give Riley a fairy tale love, then Lucas can give Maya that love too. After all Prince Lucas and Princess Maya sound nice. Yet Maya is sympathetic toward her friend, fully mindful that by chasing Lucas, Maya is breaking Riley's heart. How does Maya circumvent her predicament? Maya uses Rucas' breakup in 'New World' as evidence that Rucas wouldn't succeed long-term. Through her self-deception, Maya convinces herself that Riley's love is platonic and dates Lucas without a guilty conscious. Inflicting pain on her best friend never crossed Maya's mind, but Maya's jealousy overwhelmed her better judgment. A final obstacle now separates Maya from Lucas-land: Maya isn't his type resolving this setback by becoming Lucas' ideal girlfriend. Next, Maya undergoes a Riley-esque transformation, becoming Riley in femininity, but not personality. Maya dresses femininely and softens her attitude around boys, explaining her fashion change and interest in Lucas. Riley thrives in interpersonal relationships which Maya mirrors this Riley facet to attract Lucas. Maya lost herself in competing for an unavailable boyfriend that wasn't hers. Ultimately, that is why she changed and why she fell for Lucas.

Theory 3: Maya loves Lucas so she can protect Riley Ignoring the Lucaya dalliances isn't possible, especially since there wasn't enough non-romantic hints to discount this couple. Protecting Riley is Maya's goal in the series, but the question remains how does correspond with Maya loving Lucas? How does infidelity protect anyone? Jacobs holds the official answer, but it's probably as nonsensical as the answer we received. In the prior theory Maya became Riley because Lucas wouldn't notice her otherwise – this adds further significance to Maya's James Bond fantasy – enabling her to unearth Lucas' true intentions. He gawked at Maya in her Riley costume, unable to tell the difference between the girls. Bond is a spy which Maya becomes so she can test Lucas. As teenagers, these girls want a fairy tale love, but growing up with dysfunctional parents Maya understands love isn't always forever. With Josh's help Maya realizes why she entered a relationship with Lucas she wanted to make sure Lucas was a safe option for her. When Maya confronts Riley, she tells her "How do I know if he's the right guy for you. How do I know if he's good enough?" Lucas isn't dangerous, but his uncontrollable rage could potentially harm Riley; no one wants their friends in an abusive relationship. Maya knows that aggression is attractive, but is harmful to people. Fire is destructive as well as transformative. This is the character who formed the Riley Protection Squad and wanted to attack Missy in 'Sneak Attack.' Riley is always pulling Maya back from the edge it was long overdue that Maya would repay the favor.

None of this means I hated Lucaya, in fact, I loved their friendship dynamic from the beginning. I've always had more men friends than women friends and Lucaya reminded me of the cross-gender friendships I'm a part of. Whenever they were paired together they had great comedic timing like the card eating scene. Maya grabs everyone – excluding Smackle and Josh – by the collar. Anytime one of the boys had a prominent scene she grabbed them by the shirt. Maya does this to Zay, and Lucas in the bakery ('High School 2') and whenever Farkle is around. That's the exact reason he kissed her nose in 'True Maya.' She grabbed Riley's dress collar in 'World of Terror 3'. Smackle is exempt probably because she and Maya aren't close friends. Josh is exempt because he's the boy she actually likes. 

Unlike other girls, Maya doesn't ogle him like Smackle or Missy. She doesn't treat him like a love interest like Riley and Lucas treat each other. Maya interacts with Lucas like the regular boy that he is. The episodes 'Washington' and "Creativity' Maya says that she finally trusts Lucas as a friend and that she is glad that they're friends. "You could never hurt me" from 'Ski Lodge' is an indication of their friendship. Fans aren't wrong for shipping them together, but Lucaya wasn't endgame because after. Girl Meets Sixteen's taping Jacobs told the audience, "If we listened to fans- and we hear about Lucaya, and Riarkle and Rilaya all the time, we see what you say- the story we want to tell would be dissipated." 

Could I see them as a couple if they were well planned? Yes. What makes fictional Love-Hate lovers successful is in its foreshadowing when the two characters begin as antagonists, manage to form a friendship – or some kind of camaraderie – and then become lovers. Examples I loved were Zane/Rikki (Nickelodeon's H2O: Just Add Water), Niles/C.C (The Nanny), Draco/Ginny (Harry Potter), and all Xena couples because grow happened between them. (Except for Draco and Ginny since that's a fanon couple.) Niles and C.C pranked and insulted each other but in all five seasons, they became friends, would kiss and have sex, making them fall in love believable. Lucaya became a genuine friendship but not a romance.

Non-Triangles

Opinions further split the fandom with fans debating if a love triangle was warranted, Girl Meets World's story never supported this specific plotline. Removing this triangle changes nothing of the show except Riley and Lucas would've reconciled faster and Maya would've determined her mindset on her own. Jacobs tweeted that Rucaya's love triangle was a "non-triangle" and he was correct.; love triangles need conflict and resolution which his plot never possessed. A successful version was 'Bee True' focusing on Mr. Feeney's relationship with Dean Lila Bolander. Stakes are intensified because if Feeney doesn't speed up his game, Bolander will reconcile with her ex-husband. What's more, 'Farkle's Choice' revolved around Farkle deciding which girl will escort him to an awards ceremony. Conversely, Rilaya's pranking and insulting for the privilege to date Farkle. With friendships splintering apart, Farkle denies them as his dates. Neither blonde nor brunette vies over Lucas, trying to seem forlorn that they love each other. "We'll check again tomorrow," Maya said, indicating that this indecision is a constant thing. It's admirable Lucas worries he'll ruin the girls' friendship but this doesn't happen and a catch-22 develops. If no one fights for him, there are no reasons for his delayed decision hence there's no reason to choose either girl.

Out of the ten love triangle episodes, two contain potential conflict those being 'Triangle' and 'High School 2.' After asking how the seniors resolved their love triangle, their response is that their triangle's lasted four years. Rucaya remained different from the seniors' conflict in that their triangle ended but the audience hadn't known that yet. Therefore Rucaya possibly could've repeated the seniors' mistakes. Continuing from 'High School' was 'Triangle' where our second conflict arises when Rilaya spied on two schoolgirls in the restroom. First Girl – symbolic of Riley – and Second Girl – symbolic of Maya – ended their friendship over their boyfriend (Second Girl: "I wish I never knew you!" First Girl: "I wish you never climbed through my bedroom window.") Implications are clear, if Maya and Riley don't – or won't – discuss their situation, their friendship will end. Like the above example, this consequence never came to fruition but some consequence needs to happen. No character investment translates into the audience not remaining invested with a prolonged triangle.

Technically, the 'Ski Lodge' fantasies have conflict, on the other hand since these daydreams happened in the teenagers' minds, neither girl fought for Lucas. Although the daydream sequences have merit when Maya/Riley intrude on the other's fantasy. Riley's correct in that Maya's Lucas Love isn't reality; flirtation and constant fighting destroy romance. Shortly afterward Maya destroys her relationship literally, and metaphorically, by detonating the bomb. Nonetheless, Maya is also correct in informing Riley of the "death of love" because, without effort, faith won't keep love alive.

Human characters often have tragic flaws, the triangle's Achille's Heel was its conclusion. Everyone dictated and defined the other's emotions; Josh defined Maya's feelings who in turn told instructed Lucas' actions on the matter. Joshaya's conversation is the most believable because Maya admits she doesn't like Lucas like the way she likes Josh. And she says this of her own volition. It doesn't excuse Riley was cheated the most, who had no input in the entire arc. Maya joked that Lucas would choose her – she did the same in 'Upstate' – and to tell Lucas he loved Riley. At each suggestion, Lucas appeared dumbfounded at Maya's statements. "Tell Riley you love her. It will make me happy," Since 'Yearbook' Riley was forced out of her Lucas relationship. Her classmates forced her out, later she'd forced herself out in 'Texas' and her friends doesn't give it a second thought. Half of Riley's other friends are fickle over her relationship. For this reason, Riley is chosen by default even though it's been foreshadowed since the pilot that Rucas were endgame. Couple this with the fact that Riley's the chosen one, but isn't given time to reflect on her feelings that she's who Lucas wants. Still, Rucas' conversation where they agree that what they do for themselves, they'll do for the other is heartwarming. Regardless of the outcome, Lucas fanatics would've been outraged either way. In the writers' defense 'Ski Lodge' had an advantage of moving the resolution in their favor, Josh was the sole character with credibility and unbiased perspective.

The longest scenes involved Josh in this two-parter and due to their duration, his role gains importance here. Actuality, Josh's return was originally in 'New Years' and Legacy' before Uriah Shelton's accident forced writers to alter the storyline. Moving on, the Rucaya trio all ask for Josh's input at some point in the episodes. Riley asked Josh why she and Maya liked the same boy, then Maya asked him why she acted in the ways she did. Not to mention, Lucas asked Josh what it meant that Riley and Evan talked all night. We can conclude that these three respect Josh's opinion and authority, so as the audience we're supposed to do the same.

Second-hand information is all Josh knows about this love triangle, but he's known Riley and Maya since childhood giving Josh some understanding of their personalities. He's aware that Riley's nurturing and open-minded whereas Maya's cynical and headstrong. But they're identical because both crave boyfriends who can broaden their horizons. Specifically, Maya desires an adventurous partner who can take down the world, as opposed to Riley craves a partner she can embrace the world with. Generally speaking, Josh has the triangle pieces, he doesn't have them all, but enough to make a judgment about the girls. Josh's unbiased behavior originates from the fact that no in this conflict has a clear perspective. Rucaya is biased because the conflict revolves them, with the supporting characters being unbiased because of their inconstancy. Zay is as indecisive as Lucas, and Smackle kept flirting with them. Farkle has a bias because he pressures Lucas' choice without grasping possible consequences himself. Also, it's assumed that Farkle wants Lucas to decide not just for his own mental peace, but more for the greater good of their clique. ('Triangle', 'Upstate') To say nothing of Evan wouldn't be fair, except he's only just met everyone, and show more affinity toward Riley. Lastly, the parents aren't unbiased because they will want Lucas for their own daughter. ('Upstate') What separates Josh from those listed is that he has no emotional stake allowing him a better perspective.

How I would've concluded the triangle is by denying Rucas and Lucaya to win because by having the girls reject Lucas, they're given roles of the romantic subject instead of the romantic object. With Rucas and Lucaya broke up, our protagonists learn two significant lessons: one, Maya and Riley learn fairy tale romances don't happen. Most importantly the trio – and audience – learn you are not owed a relationship, a boy/girl isn't a prize. Surprisingly, no one earned their relationship with each other; Lucas doesn't deserve them because he delayed deciding between the two years. Maya doesn't deserve Lucas because she never fought for her relationship, and Riley doesn't deserve it because she kept renouncing her Lucas relationship. By following a breakup outcome, the writers could have explored each characters' perspectives of their breakup. Does Maya eat ice cream, then punch a wall to deal with her heartbreak? Does Riley skip school, and go for walks to deal with her emotions? Maybe Lucas reverts into Texas Lucas before crying afterward. Anything would have been better than the canon ending.

Rival Couples

What makes Joshaya and Riarkle/Riarlie, and Rilaya popular is what made the Lucas pairings popular with the added reason of not wanting Lucas to get the girl. What separates Joshaya from Lucaya is that Joshaya is reciprocated and intentional. Riarkle I platonically and romantically shipped but in many ways I preferred Riley/Charlie over Riley/Lucas. 

Charlie Gardner wasn't as creepy except whenever Lucas confronted him over Riley. Charlie asks Riley to the spring formal and thinking he was Lucas she accepts his invitation. A hurt Lucas confronts them both and Charlie rightfully informs Lucas that if he wanted to date Riley he wouldn't have assumed that they were already going. When 'Texas 3' aired Lucas confronts them again with Charlie saying that if he was certain about Riley he wouldn't have agreed to date Maya. Lucas had his chance and Charlie wants his chance with her. This continues up until New Years Eve when Lucas argues with Charlie during the couple game, but Lucas being a creep isn't discussed after Smackle called him out on it. On the rooftop Charlie wants Riley standing with him at midnight then Riley tells him that he shouldn't settle for a girl who can't return his feelings. Charlie's saddened but not angry, and wishes that she find someone who can make her happy. Charlie even sits with Auggie (her brother) during the countdown to show he isn't angry at Riley. Like their classmates he is shocked at Farkle's revelation but nothing more. Consideration is what I liked about this couple even though Riley/Charlie lasted three episodes.

Complaints against Joshaya are: that Josh is a pedophile manipulating Maya's affections, Josh and Maya haven't known each other long enough to fall in love, and that they don't know anything about each other. What these statements mean is that said fans don't like Joshaya because it doesn't support their own pairing. 

Using the Boy Meets World timeline Josh is only 2 years, 6 weeks older than Maya. Eric was born June 1978 with Cory three years younger than Eric and  Josh born prematurely on Valentine's day 1999 when Cory's approximately 18 years old. Riley was born December 2001 and Maya says in 'Ski Lodge' that there's six weeks between her and Josh's birthdays. If Josh's birthday is 14 February then Maya's birthday falls on the last week of March or January. Technically Josh should only be a senior in high school and Maya a freshman by season three. 

Using Girl Meets World's timeline Joshaya's age difference still isn't illegal. When we're first introduced to Josh he is seventeen and has yet to graduate high school, and by season three Maya's fifteen and Josh is barely eighteen. With Romeo & Juliet laws if these two had sex it wouldn't be illegal. This is Disney Channel and the network bleeped out the sex-ed scene. Disney isn't going to tackle sexual relationships.

'Home for the Holidays' showed us that Maya and Josh haven't just met. Amy greets Maya by saying that it had been a while since they've seen her, and Josh says she grew up gorgeous. A stranger wouldn't have this familiarity like Maya and Josh do. Either Cory and Topanga bring Maya along with the family to Philadelphia often or Amy, Alan, and Josh visit New York often. Why the fandom thought this was Joshaya's first meeting was because of audience generations. Younger fans haven't heard of Joshua Matthews and this is their first time meeting this character. 1990s fans haven't seen this character in almost a decade and Josh seems strange because a new actor (Shelton) is portraying Josh instead of Jacobs' son. Jacobs confirmed in an interview that this wasn't the first time Joshaya met just that this is the first time Maya's developed a crush on him. Later Josh tells everyone in 'Game Night' that he'll be spending summer vacation with his brother and his family before beginning college. Maya and Josh will have three months to become more acquainted with one another.

Why I support this ship is that they are perceptive of each other. In 'Game Night' Josh realizing that Maya is maturing and in the ending of 'Tale Tot' admits that he needs to stop treating her like a child. During this episode, Maya says that she loves care caring he is around his family, particularly Auggie, and how he treasures his friendship with Cory. She admires how much he wants success but is afraid of letting his brother down. 

“I know you drive from Philadelphia to New York, not even looking if you got into NYU just so you could open your acceptance letter in front of your older brother because you love him, and you want him to be proud of you. And I see the way you are with Auggie. A little kid who looks up to you who you always have time for. And I know that even though you’d rather stay here with these girls, you’re going to walk Riley and me home. Because that’s just the kind of guy you are. I like you.” 

Maya's attracted to older boys because she's had to grow up faster than her peers. She wants someone who is ambitious. Finally, in 'Ski Lodge' it's Josh's turn to say what he's noticed about Maya. First off, he is fully aware that her feelings may change, pointing to her Lucas phase as an example, and that he crush on him maybe because she is searching for a father figure in a boyfriend. "Maybe it's because your dad left. Maybe it's because you've never felt that love." What he likes about her is that her experiences have made her one of the best friends anyone could have. He loves that her experiences have given her the warmest, biggest heart he's seen.

If three years are meaningless then why don't they date now? Since they aren't dating then doesn't that mean Josh is manipulating Maya?

No. It's awkward for Josh because he had seen Maya grow up and hasn't thought of her romantically yet. Maya's insecure about this when she sees him with the college recruiter or his roommates. ('First Date' and 'Tale Tot') During family game night Josh isn't unnerved by Maya's love and tolerates her flirting but he is still uncertain as to what it all means. By 'First Date' Josh's rejection by the recruiter allows him to empathize with Maya over her feelings toward him. By 'Ski Lodge' Josh gives his reason why they shouldn't date now. He doesn't want her pining after him for an eventually that may never come and that they should be on equal life levels before they begin dating. He reiterates this to Zay in 'Bear' by adding that whenever he and Maya date it will be Maya's decision in how they proceed. In 'New World' Rucas wanted to wait until they were ready but when Joshaya wants that too it's considered abusive or creepy. (And if the rumors were true the writers always intended to pairing Maya with a Matthews member. Before Elliot was written out the writers said Maya would end up with him.) I loved this because Josh is giving Maya a choice where Lucas never had. This is consent.

Who's to Blame: Jacobs or Disney?

Was Jacobs to blame with his sequel? No, his flaws were authorial intent and planning. Jacobs intended to gender-flip Boy Meets World, but he did not foresee a ship war and a broken fandom. He didn't intend for his new characters to regress into shallow imitations of Cory and Shawn. Over telling was the show's problem but from the beginning Jacobs had an uncertain audience. Generation Z was his targeted audience but teenagers may not be watching Disney Channel anymore and elementary school children comprise the network's audience. Children won't find a teenager's problems relevant yet. The 1990s generation sympathizes with Jacobs' plots but we're at different life experiences - college, children of our own – and we can't relate to them anymore. Who does Jacobs cater his storylines to?

Yet the Disney executive weren't blameworthy either. Hosting Girl Meets World was an intelligent decision on the network's part. Through the 1990s the Disney corporation fought for ABC/ABC Family networks and after Boy Meets World finished on ABC Family Disney Channel hosted reruns on its network. Taking on Girl Meets World would tap into the nostalgic market and help them sell merchandise and celebrities. When the series lost viewership mid-season 2 due to scheduling changes, this might have been why the love triangle was added into the storyline. The show made little income in terms of school supplies and dollar store book tie-ins. It's not surprising that Disney would prematurely cancel the show after three seasons. Consequently, canceling the show cemented the sequel's fate. If a host network can't remain invested in its own show, why should others like Netflix or Hulu invest in this show as well?

Conclusion

Comparing this show to Boy Meets World is unfair, by that comparison of course Girl Meets World is inferior. As a continuation, especially for a the Disney Channel this wasn't a bad show. What this show needed was a few more female writers and maybe another year to finetune Jacobs project, but I definitely would suggest Girl Meets World as a watchable television show.

http://gmw-trashs96.tumblr.com/post/134019376552/riley-matthews-metaish

http://sand1128.tumblr.com/post/157881155125/what-do-you-mean-severe-power-imbalance

https://mackmeta.tumblr.com/post/173838951689/accurate-girl-meets-world-colour-theories

http://fallen-karmacode.tumblr.com/post/132519063506/the-logic-of-love-stories-and-girl-meets-world

http://lewissimon.tumblr.com/post/155083626213/maya-and-lucas-vs-maya-and-josh-click-gifs-for

*1 Negative appropriation involves malicious intent, something Riley doesn't possess. Furthermore no one of Japanese descent offers their viewpoint so 'Popular' can't be considered negative appropriation. 'Girl Meets White Guilt' is an appropriate title instead of 'Popular.'

*2 Greek Loves are Storge, familial love; Eros, sexual love; Agape, universal love; Mania, obbssional love; Ludos, playful love; Pragma, practical love; Philia, brotherly love; and Philautia, self-love. Color Wheel theory of love describestromantic love using primary, secondary, and tertiary colours. For example Stogic Eros or Agapic Mania.

*3 The friend-zone doesn't exist. It blames girls for not reciprocating boy's feelings.

*4 Smurfvlogs is blinded by his shipping preferences to give a proper critique. Whether is Vampire Diaries or Disney programs he condemns opinions differing from his own. Better critics include: Lindsay Ellis (former Nostalgia Chick) who analyzes nostalgic shows without bias. Pop Culture Detective analyzes media that's detrimental to men and women. A great essay is Abduction As Love or Ellis' essay about RENT. The Disney Brain and Twisted Dan review Disney Channel work from Generation Z's perspective. And if you're look for shipping or theory channels, check out Shipper's Guide to the Universe or Game/Film Theory.

*5 plutoandferrett . tumblr post / 147762267190 / if-we-listened-to-fans-and-we-hear-about-lucaya

*6 The GMW wikia states that her birthday is 16 January, 2001. This may be a mathematical error or a continuity error.

[justforbooks]

Rock music isn't dead, but it's barely hanging on

This is true in at least two senses.

Though popular music sales in general have plummeted since their peak around the turn of the millennium, certain genres continue to generate commercial excitement: pop, rap, hip-hop, country. But rock — amplified and often distorted electric guitars, bass, drums, melodic if frequently abrasive lead vocals, with songs usually penned exclusively by the members of the band — barely registers on the charts. There are still important rock musicians making music in a range of styles — Canada's Big Wreck excels at sophisticated progressive hard rock, for example, while the more subdued American band Dawes artfully expands on the soulful songwriting that thrived in California during the 1970s. But these groups often toil in relative obscurity, selling a few thousand records at a time, performing to modest-sized crowds in clubs and theaters.

But there's another sense in which rock is very nearly dead: Just about every rock legend you can think of is going to die within the next decade or so.

Yes, we've lost some already. On top of the icons who died horribly young decades ago — Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Elvis Presley, John Lennon — there's the litany of legends felled by illness, drugs, and just plain old age in more recent years: George Harrison, Ray Charles, Michael Jackson, Lou Reed, David Bowie, Glenn Frey, Prince, Leonard Cohen, Tom Petty.

Those losses have been painful. But it's nothing compared with the tidal wave of obituaries to come. The grief and nostalgia will wash over us all. Yes, the Boomers left alive will take it hardest — these were their heroes and generational compatriots. But rock remained the biggest game in town through the 1990s, which implicates GenXers like myself, no less than plenty of millennials.

All of which means there's going to be an awful lot of mourning going on.

Behold the killing fields that lie before us: Bob Dylan (78 years old); Paul McCartney (77); Paul Simon (77) and Art Garfunkel (77); Carole King (77); Brian Wilson (77); Mick Jagger (76) and Keith Richards (75); Joni Mitchell (75); Jimmy Page (75) and Robert Plant (71); Ray Davies (75); Roger Daltrey (75) and Pete Townshend (74); Roger Waters (75) and David Gilmour (73); Rod Stewart (74); Eric Clapton (74); Debbie Harry (74); Neil Young (73); Van Morrison (73); Bryan Ferry (73); Elton John (72); Don Henley (72); James Taylor (71); Jackson Browne (70); Billy Joel (70); and Bruce Springsteen (69, but turning 70 next month).

A few of these legends might manage to live into their 90s, despite all the … wear and tear to which they've subjected their bodies over the decades. But most of them will not.

This will force us not only to endure their passing, but to confront our own mortality as well.

From the beginning, rock music has been an expression of defiance, an assertion of youthful vitality and excess and libido against the ravages of time and maturity. This impulse sometimes (frequently?) veered into foolishness. Think of the early rock anthem in which the singer proclaimed, "I hope I die before I get old." As a gesture, this was a quintessential statement of rock bravado, but I doubt very much its author (The Who's Pete Townshend) regrets having survived into old age.

It's one thing for a young musician to insist it's better to burn out than to fade away. But does this defiance commit the artist to a life of self-destruction, his authenticity tied to his active courting of annihilation? Only a delusional teenager convinced of his own invincibility, or a nihilist, could embrace such an ideal. For most rock stars, the bravado was an act, or it became one as the months stretched into years and then decades. The defiance tended to become sublimated into art, with the struggle against limits and constraints — the longing to break on through to the other side — merging with creative ambition to produce something of lasting worth. The rock star became another in our civilization's long line of geniuses raging against the dying of the light.

Rock music was always a popular art made and consumed by ordinary, imperfect people. The artists themselves were often self-taught, absorbing influences from anywhere and everywhere, blending styles in new ways, pushing against their limitations as musicians and singers, taking up and assimilating technological innovations as quickly as they appeared. Many aspired to art — in composition, record production, and performance — but to reach it they had to ascend up and out of the muck from which they started.

Before rock emerged from rhythm and blues in the late 1950s, and again since it began its long withdrawing roar in the late 1990s, the norm for popular music has been songwriting and record production conducted on the model of an assembly line. This is usually called the "Brill Building" approach to making music, named after the building in midtown Manhattan where leading music industry offices and studios were located in the pre-rock era. Professional songwriters toiled away in small cubicles, crafting future hits for singers who made records closely overseen by a team of producers and corporate drones. Today, something remarkably similar happens in pop and hip-hop, with song files zipping around the globe to a small number of highly successful songwriters and producers who add hooks and production flourishes in order to generate a team-built product that can only be described as pristine, if soulless, perfection.

This is music created by committee and consensus, actively seeking the largest possible audience as an end in itself. Rock (especially as practiced by the most creatively ambitious bands of the mid-1960s: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, and the Beach Boys) shattered this way of doing things, and for a few decades, a new model of the rock auteur prevailed. As critic Steven Hyden recounts in his delightful book Twilight of the Gods: A Journey to the End of Classic Rock, rock bands and individual rock stars were given an enormous amount of creative freedom, and the best of them used every bit of it. They wrote their own music and lyrics, crafted their own arrangements, experimented with wildly ambitious production techniques, and oversaw the design of their album covers, the launching of marketing campaigns, and the conjuring of increasingly theatrical and decadent concert tours.

This doesn't mean there was no corporate oversight or outside influence on rock musicians. Record companies and professional producers and engineers were usually at the helm, making sure to protect their reputations and investments. Yet to an astonishing degree, the artists got their way. Songs and albums were treated by all — the musicians themselves, but also the record companies, critics, and of course the fans — as Statements. For a time, the capitalist juggernaut made possible and sustained the creation of popular art that sometimes achieved a new form of human excellence. That it didn't last shouldn't keep us from appreciating how remarkable it was while it did.

Like all monumental acts of creativity, the artists were driven by an aspiration to transcend their own finitude, to create something of lasting value, something enduring that would live beyond those who created it. That striving for immortality expressed itself in so many ways — in the deafening volume and garish sensory overload of rock concerts, in the death-defying excess of the parties and the drugs, in the adulation of groupies eager to bed the demigods who adorned their bedroom walls, in the unabashed literary aspirations of the singer-songwriters, in mind-blowing experiments with song forms marked by seemingly inhuman rhythmic and harmonic complexity, in the orchestral sweep, ambition, and (yes) frequent pretension of concept albums and rock operas. All of it was a testament to the all-too-human longing to outlast the present — to live on past our finite days. To grasp and never let go of immortality.

It was all a lie, but it was a beautiful one. The rock stars' days are numbered. They are going to die, as will we all. No one gets out alive. When we mourn the passing of the legends and the tragic greatness of what they've left behind for us to enjoy in the time we have left, we will also be mourning for ourselves.

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at http://justforbooks.tumblr.com

[sakibfm]

Faruq Mahfuz Anam (Bengali: ফারুক মাহফুজ আনাম, born 2 October 1964), known mononymously as James, is a Bangladeshi singer-songwriter, guitarist and composer, also known as a playback singer. He is the lead singer, songwriter and guitarist of the rock band Nagar Baul (previously Feelings). He is often referred by the name "Guru"[1] which means "Master" or "Teacher".

James was born and raised in Naogaon, but grew up in Chittagong city. James rose to mainstream fame in the 1990s as the frontman of Feelings, which is one of the "Big Three of Rock", who were responsible for developing and popularizing hard rock music in Bangladesh, along with LRB and Ark. Feelings is considered to be the pioneer of psychedelic rock in Bangladesh.

James has also led a successful solo career, with hit albums like Ananya (1989), Palabe Kothay (1995), Dukhini Dukkho Korona (1997), Thik Achhe Bondhu (1999). He sang in four Bollywood films, including Gangster (2006), Woh Lamhe (2006), Life in a... Metro (2007), Warning (2013).[2]

James won Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer twice for his performance in the films of Desha: The Leader (2014) and Swatta (2017).[3][4]

Early life

James was born in Naogaon, Rajshahi on 2 October 1964 to father, Mojammel Haque and mother, Jahanara Khatun. His father was a government employee and worked as Chairman of the Dhaka Education Board. The family originally lived in Naogaon, but moved to Chittagong in around 1958–59, when Mojammel Haque was transferred.[citation needed]

From his teens, James developed an avid interest in music, an interest which his family did not accept or support. He first played guitar with his friends when he was in class seven in 1975. In the early-to-mid 1970s, while learning guitar, James became interested in bands like the Doors, Dire Straits, Led Zeppelin and guitarists like Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler and Jimi Hendrix.[5]

Following a dispute with his family, James left his house when he was in class eight in 1976. He started living in a dormitory called Aziz Boarding in Pahartali. He joined Feelings in 1977, as the vocal and the lead guitarist.[6][7]

Career

Nagar Baul (1977–present)

After some members left Feelings in 1981, James, Fanty, Pablo and Swapan re-formed the band and started to perform in local gigs. This was the line-up at that time:

James – lead guitar, vocals

Ahsan Elahi (Fanty) – drums

Pablo – keyboards, vocals

Swapan – bass guitar

After several years of stage shows, they came to Dhaka to record their first album, Station Road. James composed all the tracks, and wrote the lyrics for five of them. Though the album was not a hit, the tracks "Ager Jonome", "Amai Jete Dao" and "Rupshagor" enjoyed moderate success.[citation needed]

In 1993, they released their second album Jail Theke Bolchhi (Speaking from the Jail). This album was a major hit, and Feelings became a mainstream band.

James sings psychedelic rock and blues music. He has cited Jim Morrison, Mark Knopfler, and Eric Clapton as his influences.

Many lyricists have written songs for James, including poet Shamsur Rahman, Prince Mahmud, Marjuk Rasel, Shibli and Deholovi. Musicians and Music Composers like Lucky Akhand, Manam Ahmed, Prince Mahmud and Shawkat have also composed songs for him.

The albums he released with Feelings after Station Road (Originally titled Feelings), Jail Theke Bolchhi ,Nagar Baul in 1996, Leis Fita Leis in 1998, Collection of Feelings in 1999. His first solo album was Anonna, released in 1989, followed by Palabe Kothai in 1995, Dukkhini Dukkho Korona in 1997, Thik Achhe Bondhu in 1999, Ami Tomader E Lok in 2003, Jonota Express in 2005, Toofan in 2006 and Kal Jomuna in 2009.[citation needed]

James later renamed Feelings as Nagar Baul. The first and only album under the new name was "Dushtu Cheler Dol, released in 2001.

Bollywood

James has been one of the most popular artists, both as a solo musician and with his band in Bangladesh and in West Bengal, since the 1990s. He met Pritam Chakraborty, an Indian Bengali music director and composer working in Bollywood, in 2004. In 2005, James did the playback for the film Gangster. The song was "Bheegi Bheegi" and it was a blockbuster hit, remaining at the top of the Bollywood Hit List for more than a month.[8] He teamed up with Pritam again for the film Woh Lamhe in 2006 for the song "Chal Chalein", and again for "Rishtey" and "Alvida (Reprise)" in the film Life in a Metro.

James' last song in Bollywood, titled "Bebasi", was released in 2013, for the film Warning.[citation needed]

Media

James first appeared in a television commercial for Pepsi in the early 2000s. This commercial was broadcast both in West Bengal and Bangladesh. In 2011, he starred in a Bangladeshi TVC for Black Horse, a brand of energy drinks. James appeared in the Bollywood movie Life in A... Metro, in which he played the role of a member of a street band, along with Pritam and Suhail Kaul.[citation needed]

Personal life

James was first married to Rothi. In 2002, he ended his first marriage, and married Benazir Sazzad,[9] whom he reportedly met during a concert in New York around 1999. James has three children: daughters Jannat and Jahaan, and son Daanish.

Red Dot Entertainment

James, along with Gazi Shubhro and Jewel Paiker, co-owns the production house RED dot Multimedia Ltd. The company was established in December 2005. James is the chairman of its board of directors. The production house was behind the video commercial titled "Beautiful Bangladesh" for the ICC World Cup Cricket 2011. Red Dot Entertainment produced numerous reality TV shows including D Rock Star (2007), Lux Channel I SuperStar (2010 & 2014), and Ke Hote Chay Kotipoti (2011). Red Dot produces TVCs, music videos, TV reality shows, and corporate audiovisuals. They are planning to produce a full-length film.[citation needed]

Photography

James is an enthusiastic amateur photographer. He love to take photos when he travel abroad for his shows. His photos have been used into album covers.The artist is as good behind the camera as he is behind the microphone.[10]

Discography

as "Feelings"

"স্টেশন রোড (Station Road) (1987) (Originally known as Feelings

"জেল থেকে বলছি (Speaking from Jail)" (1993)

"নগর বাউল (City Baul)" (1996)

"লেইস ফিতা লেইস (Lace Ribbon Lace)" (1998)

as "Nagar Baul"

"দুষ্ট ছেলের দল (Mischievous Boys' Party)" (2001)

Solo albums

"অনন্যা (Unparalleled)" (1989)

"পালাবে কোথায় (Where to Run?)" (1995)

"দুঃখিনি দুঃখ করোনা (Don't be Sad, Sad Girl)" (1997)

"ঠিক আছে বন্ধু (Okay, my Friend)" (1999)

"আমি তোমাদেরই লোক (I am all Yours)" (2003)

"জনতা এক্সপ্রেস (Peoples Express)" (2005)

"তুফান (Typhoon)" (2007)

"কাল যমুনা (Tidey Jamuna)" (2008)

Film soundtracks

YearFilmSongComposer(s)Songwriter(s)Co-singer(s) 1999 Narir Mon "Mirabai" Ahmed Imtiaz BulbulMarzuk Russell solo 2000 Koshto "Dosh Mash Dosh Din" Ahmed Imtiaz BulbulAhmed Imtiaz Bulbul solo 2006 Woh Lamhe "Chal Chale" Pritam ChakrabortySayeed Quadri solo 2006 Gangster "Bheegi Bheegi" Pritam ChakrabortySayeed Quadri solo 2007 Moner Shathe Juddho "Ashbar Kaale Ashlam Eka" or "Dui Diner Ek Jail" Emon SahaKabir Bakul solo Life in a... Metro "Rishtey" and "Alvida (Reprise)" Pritam ChakrabortySayeed Quadri Another version of "Alvida" alongside K.K. 2011 Matir Thikana "Chotur Dolay" Ahmed Imtiaz BulbulKabir Bakul solo 2013 Warning 3D "Bebasi" Meet Bros AnjjanKumaar and Aditi Paul 2014 Desha: The Leader "Desha Ashche" Shafiq TuhinShafiq Tuhin solo 2015 Warning (2015 film) "Eto Koshto" Shawkat Ali EmonKabir Bakul solo 2016 Sweetheart (2016 film) "Bidhata" Shafiq TuhinShafiq Tuhin solo 2017 Swatta "Tor Premete Ondho Holam" Bappa MazumderSohali Hossain solo

Nagar Baul James

[bruno-news]

It’s Joy Time for Bruno Mars

WE’RE JUST CAVEMEN, hitting on rocks,” says Bruno Mars. “It’s no different—you’re a caveman and you got a rock in front of you, you hit it with a stick to get everybody dancing. This is our time to forget about everything, it’s joy time. So who’s the best at hitting that rock? Who’s going to make the village dance the hardest?” 

At a casual glance, you might not know that Mars is one of our superstar cavemen. Pulling up to an upscale Italian restaurant on an anonymous street in L.A.’s San Fernando Valley, alone in a relatively modest Cadillac, he parks in back by the dumpsters to slip in quietly. In contrast to the flashy outfits he wears onstage, he’s dressed in a simple collarless bomber jacket, a white Gucci logo T-shirt and camouflage pants. A small crucifix on a thin chain hangs around his neck. 

But at age 31, the singer/songwriter/producer dynamo born Peter Gene Hernandez is unquestionably one of the most highly decorated figures in pop music, with 21 Grammy nominations and 21 Hot 100 hit singles. He has sold over 170 million singles and 26 million albums worldwide and notched his first five No. 1 hits faster than any male artist since Elvis Presley. His third album, 24K Magic, debuted at No. 2 in November; more than two months later, it was still parked in the top five. 

On this drizzly January day, Mars is trying to take care of business before heading to Japan for promotional duties. He’s finalizing plans for the album’s second single, the breezy, drop-top banger “That’s What I Like,” and plotting out his performance for the Grammy Awards. Today, he’s mostly bouncing between meetings and calls to assemble the staging for his massive world tour—already more than 100 dates this year, starting in late March in Antwerp, Belgium, and hitting the U.S. in July. 

“I want the show to be powerful, because people spent some money on a ticket,” he says. “I’ve seen some awesome shows. I’ve seen Prince and Michael Jackson ; those are nights I will remember forever. I’m not doing my job unless I leave a piece of me everywhere I go—if you do the right show, it will stay with people and they’ll tell their kids about it. I hope people can see what I was feeling when I made the records. Then I want to go beyond their expectations and fly.” 

With his old-school dedication to entertaining and his grounding in classic pop and R&B songwriting, Mars stands alongside Adele as one of today’s most universally beloved musicians. “My mum loves Bruno Mars and my son loves Bruno Mars and he’s 5,” says James Corden, host of The Late Late Show—and, recently, the Grammys—in a phone call. “I love how joyful, positive, uplifting his music is. It excludes no one. Everybody is welcome.” 

Mars makes no secret that being onstage comes much easier to him than being in the studio. Almost four full years passed between his quadruple-platinum Unorthodox Jukebox album and the release of 24K Magic. He works so obsessively on each song, he says, that he drew up parameters for himself in order to get the concise, nine-song project finished. “I wanted to make a movie, where each song has its own moment,” he says. “So ‘Versace on the Floor’ is the tender moment, ‘That’s What I Like’ is the fun moment, and the ballad at the end [“Too Good to Say Goodbye”] seals the deal. That’s how I kind of tricked myself into making the album. 

“We were trying really hard to tap into the ’90s R&B music that we grew up with, and it’s a very fine line—it can get tribute-y, it can sound forced,” Mars adds. “But that New Jack Swing sound brought me so much joy as a kid, so we took that on and did our best to try to get that feeling, that effortless fun.” 

His interest in exploring the sounds of the past has sometimes led to accusations that Mars is just a talented copycat. When 24K Magic was released, one publication offered a track-by-track analysis of which artist each song was imitating. Not surprisingly, Mars gets heated about such criticisms. 

“Man, that pisses me off so much!” he says. “It’s so easy to say that, but anyone that does that kind of shit has never written a song in their life. That’s why I’m here, because of musicians before me. 

“Don’t get me wrong—there is plagiarism when you just say ‘Hey, man, what are you doing? I’ve heard that already.’ And I’m not stupid, of course it sounds like [the ’90s]. We’re using these vintage instruments and there is a certain sound, but it’s not just regurgitated. You can tell that we were listening to ’90s R&B. It has that spirit. That’s what we capture, and that’s what I want.” 

Every time I think about it, my whole story is just weird,” says Mars. “Even I don’t get it!” He was born and raised in Honolulu, one of six children—his Filipino-Spanish mother was a singer and dancer; his Jewish–Puerto Rican father was a percussionist. By age 4, young Bruno (the nickname came from his father, who thought the infant Peter resembled wrestler Bruno Sammartino) was performing five days a week in the family band, the Love Notes, singing Michael Jackson and Temptations covers. 

According to his older brother, Eric “E-Panda” Hernandez, when Bruno was just a few years old, his parents dressed him up as Elvis for Halloween. “He was already so in tune with Elvis that he was imitating the moves, the lips, drawing a crowd,” says Hernandez. “I thought, ‘Holy cow, he’s a showstopper already!’ ” “Little Elvis” went on to perform at halftime in the 1990 Aloha Bowl and had a cameo in the 1992 film Honeymoon in Vegas. 

“If you took your kid to school with you every day, and you were studying rocket science, he’d probably be a rocket scientist,” says Mars. “So that’s just it—my dad and mom took me to work every single day, and I got to see what it’s like to entertain an audience. I got to entertain everybody who came to Hawaii—a roomful of people that didn’t speak English, from around the world—and to see what music can do, and how it can bring the world together.” 

Above all, he learned the power of a great song, the fundamentals of writing music that far outlives its creator. Hernandez, who is now the drummer in Mars’s band, recalls Bruno constantly studying music videos—doo-wop, Michael Jackson, Elvis, anything he could get his hands on—in the bedroom they shared. 

“I’ve been singing amazing songs since I was a kid,” Mars says. “They weren’t my songs, but they were classics. So I’ve trained my brain to know what it feels like to sing an amazing song—when you do a lot of covers, you see it; you’ll play a song and you see everybody freak out when you get to that chorus, everyone is singing. It taps into something, whether it’s nostalgia or it just makes people feel a certain way.” 

His father gave him a guitar and started teaching him to play—surf music at first, classics like “Walk Don’t Run” and “Apache.” The influence ran deeper than just the music, as evidenced by the silk-shirt-and-shorts set, white shoes and gold jewelry he sports on the cover of 24K Magic. “The style stuff all comes from watching my dad—the pinkie rings, the pompadour, everything,” Mars says with a big grin. “My dad would take me to school in some big, busted-up Cadillac, and he’d be wearing a rhinestone jacket and have his hair all whipped and greased up, flashy glasses, and I was like, My dad’s not like the other dads at school! I’d try to get out of the car, zoom out. And now I’m the one driving the busted Cadillac, wearing some gaudy shit, and it’s what makes me happy.”

“Bruno is a fashion leader, with a sense of style that is truly his own,” says Tommy Hilfiger, whose clothes Mars sometimes wears onstage. “He is almost chameleonlike—for one concert, he’ll wear an animal-print shirt, then the next, he’ll be in a tuxedo, and it’s all him, he is totally in control of his presence.” 

After graduating from high school, Mars moved to Los Angeles to pursue a musical career. (He now lives in the Hollywood Hills with model/actress Jessica Caban, whom he has dated since 2011.) He was signed by Motown Records in 2004 but then dropped. He kicked around town, signing a publishing deal, playing in cover bands and soaking up all he could from sympathetic, successful songwriters. He wrote songs for K’naan, Brandy and Flo Rida and, in 2009, co-founded a production team, the Smeezingtons. 

His breakthrough came with the hits “Nothin’ on You” by B.o.B. and “Billionaire” by Travie McCoy, both of which featured his voice on the hooks, and then with Cee Lo’s 2010 smash politely known as “Forget You.” Just weeks before that song dropped, Mars released “Just the Way You Are,” the first single from his debut album on Atlantic Records, Doo-Wops and Hooligans. The irresistibly sweet ballad went to No. 1 and topped the adult contemporary chart for a record-breaking 20 weeks. (The next single, “Grenade,” also went to No. 1, and the ukulele-driven trifle “The Lazy Song” cracked the top five.) After a brief tour opening for Maroon 5, he played headlining dates for more than a year, as the album saw sales of more than six million units worldwide and an unbelievable 300-plus weeks on the Billboard Top 200. 

On the road, though, Mars became aware of the limitations of his repertoire. “The first album was so ballad-heavy,” he says, “and when I toured I was like, ‘Man, I need to dance!’ We gotta pick this up, because we can offer more and we’re kinda stuck. And that’s where ‘Locked Out of Heaven’ and ‘Treasure’ and a lot of tunes on the second album came from, because we wanted to push the tempo.” 

With an Anglo-reggae groove reminiscent of the Police (Mars and Sting sang together at the 2013 Grammy Awards), “Locked Out of Heaven” shot Unorthodox Jukebox out of the gate in 2012. The album explored disco and classic soul styles and topped charts around the world. And then, at the end of 2014, Mars was featured on producer Mark Ronson’s earth-quaking, booty-shaking, record-breaking throwback “Uptown Funk.” Certified diamond, for sales over 10 million, the song is only the eighth single in history to spend at least 14 weeks at No. 1. “Uptown Funk” won three Grammys, including record of the year, and for months it was unavoidable—on your TV, in your car or at sporting events. 

Mars says the song emerged only after a long struggle and that they had almost tossed it away. “We went through some trials and tribulations,” he says. “I’m not lying when I tell you that we were fighting—I was on tour and Mark would send me something and I’d be like, ‘Are you out of your mind?’ And I’d send him something back and he’d be like, ‘No, my version is better.’ We were both fighting for the greater good of the song. 

“You press play and it went, ‘This here’s that ice-cold…’ and it was like, ‘Oh, what’s about to happen?!’ But then ‘Oh, man, that’s what you got? Nah, never mind, turn it off.’ And that kept happening for months. 

“Finally the solution was that we just needed to dance—to say, ‘Don’t believe me, just watch,’ and that’s it. Don’t try to write a hook. You don’t need more; that already said everything. But it took us a while to feel that, because the way we were doing it was so unorthodox, piece by piece. When we finally got together and picked up the instruments, we got to feel it. That’s when the superpower comes in.” 

Even after cranking out so many hits—plus collaborations with and writing efforts for everyone from Lil Wayne to Alicia Keys, Adele to Jay Z and Kanye West—Mars has no formula or shortcuts; songwriting remains an instinctive craft. 

“When you’re in the studio, you can feel the energy shift,” he says. “It’s no different from telling a good joke—you can tell when it lights up the room. Or from telling a shitty joke that makes everyone want to leave and you hear the crickets. So you’re always trying to find that magic and then capitalize on it. 

“You find something—‘put your pinkie rings up to the moon’—and everyone’s excited, but now what? What does the bass sound like, or the drums? If ‘24K Magic’ is supposed to sound like I’m having the time of my life, you gotta hear me smiling on the record.”

There’s no bigger stage than the Super Bowl halftime show; Bruno Mars is one of a few performers who have played it twice. In 2014, he played during a rare northern excursion, as the 48th annual game took place in New Jersey. “Rehearsing in the cold sucked,” he says. “We got lucky on the day, it was 50 degrees, but two days before it was -9 or something.” His action-packed performance was the highest-rated halftime show ever (since surpassed by Katy Perry and Lady Gaga) and earned widespread raves, especially considering that his career hadn’t quite reached the spot’s usual mega-A-list status. 

Then last year, on the heels of “Uptown Funk,” Chris Martin of Coldplay invited Mars and Beyoncé to join the group’s halftime set. “I told Chris, ‘This is your Super Bowl performance, you deserve it, go kill ’em,’ ” Mars says. “But he’s such a sweetheart and he kept saying, ‘Bruno, this is a gift I want to give to everybody.’ He talked me into it. He’s a sweet talker, that guy. And she signed up, and all of a sudden I’m in rehearsal dance-battling Beyoncé—what the hell happened?” 

Mars is proud of his work ethic and dedication to every appearance, something Corden can attest to after they filmed a Carpool Karaoke segment last year (the clip has had nearly 40 million views on YouTube since airing in December). “My biggest memory of that day was that the second it ended, I got a little depressed,” says Corden. “Like the last day of vacation, where you’re on the plane home and feel sad that it’s over. It was so euphoric, I just wanted to do it again. There’s a moment at the end of ‘Uptown Funk’ where we’re just sitting there and breathing heavily, and that was real. His commitment was everything—we left it all in the car. 

“I think he’s 100 percent on his way to being one of the greats,” Corden continues. “There are great showmen who get by without always having great songs and great songwriters who aren’t great showmen, but he’s both those things. He has this unquantifiable energy, where you want to watch it and be a part of it somehow.” 

Hernandez notes that his brother works tirelessly, showing up for every sound check, sometimes arriving before the rest of the band. “He sees something lacking in the business, maybe something we were influenced by as kids that’s missing today, and he sticks to his vision,” says Hernandez. “He’s put that work mentality on the rest of the band, where he makes us want to be great.” 

The rain has stopped and as the sun goes down over the Santa Monica Mountains, Mars heads to the restaurant’s back patio for a cigarette. He seems in no great rush to get back into the scramble of preparing for a tour and keeping the business humming. With the long process of an album finally complete, he says that although he’s open to the idea of more new music or another collaboration, he wants to be careful. 

“I just don’t want to feel gross,” he says. “It’s as simple as that. I don’t want to feel gross, I don’t want to regret any decisions. Even if I turn down a sweet check because I don’t want to be on that billboard, hawking some shit to the world—I just don’t need to do that. Because you get one shot at this. 

“I’m not a model. I’m not an ice skater. I’m not a chef. I’m here to do music. And I want to be able to look back and say, ‘Yeah, I did it the way I wanted to do it.’ Whether it triumphs or fails, I can live with that.”

[placetobenation]

The Little Mermaid

Release Date: November 17th, 1989

Inspiration: “The Little Mermaid” by Hans Christian Andersen

Budget: $40 million

Domestic Gross: $110 million

Worldwide Gross: $233 million

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%

IMDB Score: 7.6/10

Storyline (per IMDB): In Disney’s beguiling animated romp, rebellious 16-year-old mermaid Ariel is fascinated with life on land. On one of her visits to the surface, which are forbidden by her controlling father, King Triton, she falls for a human prince. Determined to be with her new love, Ariel makes a dangerous deal with the sea witch Ursula to become human for three days. But when plans go awry for the star-crossed lovers, the king must make the ultimate sacrifice for his daughter.

Pre-Watching Thoughts: We continue on this trek with the final film of the 1980s and what is typically considered the official beginning of the period of Disney’s history known as the “Disney Renaissance”. Amazingly enough, this is the first film based on a fairy tale since 1950’s Sleeping Beauty and while the films had a wide array of success or failure, it was a bit refreshing to come back to the original trope that put Disney on the map. This was an interesting film for me in that I always liked it, but I never considered it one of my all-time favorites and we will see how it holds up since it has been a long time that I have seen it.

Voice Cast: As I mentioned in the last film, we were now reaching the period where the number of returning actors for these films becomes less and less while the majority of the cast is pretty much brand new. Case in point, we only have one returning actor for this film and that is Ben Wright who voices Grimsby in what would end up being his final role as he sadly passed away prior to the film’s release. We now move onto the newcomers of this film and we start off with Jodi Benson who voices Ariel in what was her first major role and would ultimately become her defining role, and then we have Christopher Daniel Barnes who voices Eric though he would become more known for voicing Spider-Man in the 1990s animated TV series. We then have Pat Carroll who voices Ursula in what many consider the defining role of her career as well, and then we have Samuel E. Wright who voices Sebastian in what was perhaps his defining role though we will see him again in another Disney film. Next, we have Jason Marin who voices Flounder in what would be one of his last roles in his short career, and then we have Kenneth Mars who voices King Triton as he would become one of the biggest voice actors of the next few decades. We then have Buddy Hackett who voices Scuttle as he was reaching the twilight of his career, and then we have Paddi Edwards who voices both Flotsam and Jetsam in a dual role as she was nearing the end of her run as well. Next, we have Edie McClurg who voices Carlotta as she was starting to hit the best stretch of her career, and then we have Kimmy Robertson who voices Andrina, Arista, Adella, and Alana in a quad-role which I think is a record for one person voicing different characters. We then have Caroline Vasicek who voices Aquata and Attina in a dual role though it is worth mentioning she voices Ariel in the Austrian version of the film, and then we have Will Ryan who voices a seahorse in a minor role and finally we have Rene Auberjonois who voices Chef Louis in a small yet memorable role. Unlike previous films where certain actors are best known for voicing numerous characters amongst all the films, this one begins the trend where actors are best remembered for just one specific character and would become their trademark role.

Hero/Prince: As I mentioned earlier, this was the first film since Sleeping Beauty to be based on a fairy tale so we have our first prince to talk about and that is Prince Eric who is celebrating his birthday when we first meet him. During the celebration which is taking place at sea, a storm comes through and destroys the ship while nearly killing Eric who is saved by Ariel and she returns him to shore before singing to him. She leaves before he comes to and he is haunted by her voice while being completely unaware that she is a mermaid, and after she becomes human he doesn’t recognize her at first as she has given up her voice in exchange for being human. He starts to fall in love with her until Ursula who is in disguise as Vanessa and using Ariel’s voice, puts him in a trance and he prepares to marry her until Ariel and her friends break the spell and Ariel’s voice is restored. But before they can kiss, Ariel becomes a mermaid again and Ursula takes her back to the sea only for Eric to try and save her, and after Ursula claims Triton’s trident and tries to conjure a spell Eric uses a wrecked ship and drives the splintered bowsprit through Ursula which kills her. He returns to shore and Ariel watches from afar until Triton decides to turn her into a human, and she returns to Eric’s side and they get married before departing on their honeymoon. Eric is a pretty interesting prince as he seemingly has everything he could possible have though he is clearly missing something as evident when he becomes obsessed with Ariel after hearing her sing, but he is willing to sacrifice his life for Ariel as he goes to save her life and ends up delivering the final blow to Ursula. After going so long without having a prince since Philip back in 1950, we come back firing here as Eric ends up being a great prince and hero so it will be interesting to see where he ranks especially against some of the princes from the early years.

Princess: While we have had two princess from Aurora to now in the form of Maid Marian from Robin Hood and Princess Eilonwy from the Black Cauldron, we have what Disney considers their first “canon” princess in nearly 40 years in Ariel the mermaid. She is the youngest of seven children and she has a fascination with the human world despite her father’s protests, and she stumbles upon Eric’s birthday party and ultimately saves him after a storm destroys the ship. When he learns of Ariel’s actions, Triton destroys her collection of artifacts and out of anger she is drawn to Ursula who plans to use her in a plot to take control of Triton’s kingdom, and Ursula transforms Ariel into a human in exchange for her voice and she has three days to earn true love’s kiss or she will turn back into a mermaid and become Ursula’s property. She falls in love with Eric and nearly kisses him only for Flotsam and Jetsam to stop them from doing so, and then Ursula turns herself into a human named Vanessa and uses Ariel’s voice to put a trance on Eric. They nearly get married until Ariel’s friends break it up and Ariel’s voice is restored though she fails to kiss Eric on the third day, and she reverts back to a mermaid and Ursula takes her back only for Triton to sacrifice himself to break the contract and free Ariel. Ursula uses Triton’s trident to grow into a giant and calls upon the sea as she nearly kills Ariel only for Eric to thrust a ship into her and kill her, and Ariel laments her lost love until Triton willingly turns her into a human and she marries Eric as they get to live happily ever after. Ariel is not like a typical princess in that she is an independent thinker as evident by her admiration of the human world, and she is very rebellious to the point that she takes Ursula up on her offer after Triton destroys her treasures. She is definitely a far cry from the princesses in the early days of Disney and many see her as the template for princesses going forward, and there is no doubt that she is one of the more memorable princesses in Disney history and might rank near the top of the list though it is still too early to tell.

Villain: We have been on a solid stretch of good villains in the Disney films, but we haven’t had one that has really stood out in the same vein as classic villains like Maleficent and the Evil Queen though that changes here with Ursula the sea witch. She holds a grudge against King Triton and wants to take control of Atlantica from him, and when she learns of him destroying Ariel’s treasures she sees an opportunity to use Ariel as bait in her plan. She offers to turn Ariel into a human so she can be with Eric in exchange for giving her voice to Ursula and also becoming Ursula’s property if she doesn’t receive true love’s kiss in three days. After Ariel and Eric come close to kissing, Ursula turns herself into a human named Vanessa and uses Ariel’s voice to seduce Eric, and they come close to being married until Ariel and her friends break it up and Ariel reclaims her voice. However, she fails to kiss Eric and is transformed back into a mermaid as Ursula drags her back into the sea, and she attempts to turn Ariel into a polyp until Triton intervenes and exchanges his life for Ariel’s. Ariel is restored and Ursula takes control of the trident as Eric comes down to try and save Ariel, and after her cohorts are killed Ursula grows into a giant and summons a powerful storm until Eric uses a wrecked ship to drive the bowsprit into Ursula which kills her and all the polyps including Triton are restored to their original forms. I should also mention Ursula’s henchmen Flotsam and Jetsam the eels who bring Ariel to her and also make sure to keep Ariel and Eric from kissing, and they try to kill Eric only for Ariel to redirect Ursula’s shot from the trident to them and they are disintegrated. Ursula is another one of those villains that we just love to hate as she will do anything to get what she wants, and she fashions herself as the answer to all of Ariel’s problems while hiding her true intentions to become the ultimate ruler of the sea. She will go down as one of the best villains in the history of Disney and she will more than likely rank very high amongst the other villains with only a few probably finishing ahead of her.

Other Characters: This is an interesting film in that we have a lot of characters in this film both in the human world and sea world, but the majority of them are mainly background noise and as part of bigger scenes aside from a select few who play a big role in the film. First, we have Flounder who is Ariel’s best friend and stands by her side despite his many fears when they go out on adventures, and he even presents the statue of Eric as a gift to Ariel and remains her friend when she leaves to be with Eric. We then have Sebastian the crab who is a loyal servant to Triton and is assigned to keep an eye on Ariel, and despite his reservations of humans and his loyalty to Triton he supports Ariel to the very end and along with Flounder they help Eric during his fight with Flotsam and Jetsam. Next, we have Scuttle the seagull who is in essence Ariel’s liaison to the human world despite not knowing much about humans, and like Flounder and Sebastian he helps Ariel when she needs it and succeeds in helping her get back her voice. We then have King Triton, the ruler of Atlantica and Ariel’s father who maintains that humans are bad and Ariel must not interact with them, and he even goes as far as to destroy Ariel’s treasures. When he learns of what Ursula did, he sets out to save Ariel and even sacrifices his own life in exchange for Ariel which leads him being turned into a polyp, and after Ursula is killed he is restored and decides to turn Ariel into a human after seeing how happy she is with Eric. We then have Eric’s loyal valet Grimsby who stands staunchly by Eric’s side and tries to help him find a bride, and he sees how happy Eric is with Ariel and supports him when they get married in the end. We then have Eric’s dog Max who Eric saves when the ship is destroyed which nearly kills him, and he also falls in love with Ariel after seeing her on the ship and then he recognizes her when she first appears as a human. While he is a normal dog and doesn’t talk like other dogs in previous films, he is just as much of an important character as he doesn’t want Eric to marry Vanessa/Ursula and is fully behind having Eric being with Ariel. The rest of the characters were minor though did have memorable moments like Chef Louie who makes a grand feast for Eric and Ariel, and he ends up getting into a fight with Sebastian as he tries to kill him only for Sebastian to continuously avoid him even in the end when he escapes him at Ariel and Eric’s wedding. You can definitely tell that they made sure that many of the other characters were just as important to the film as the main characters, and we will continue to see this template used going forward with the films.

Songs: From when we started with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the main common factor that all these films had were that they featured songs whether it was just one or two songs or featuring songs throughout the duration of the film. However, I think that most will agree that while a lot of the songs are memorable and leave an imprint on the film, at the end of the day the film could’ve survived without them and a few just outright didn’t need them. This is the first film that is in essence an animated version of a musical film that could be transitioned from the big screen to the Broadway stage, and this would become the norm for the Disney films going forward and really help them stand out from the films of the past. Before we get to the main songs, we do have to mention briefly the song in the beginning called “Fathoms Below” which the sailors sing though it is fairly quick and was just a transition into the beginning of the film. The first official song in the film is “Daughters of Triton” which Triton’s daughters sing and it is a fine song though it’s more to establish the relationship with Triton and Ariel, and then we have one of the two trademark songs of the film which is “Part of Your World” that Ariel sings and it is a very powerful ballad showing off Jodi Benson’s voice. We then have the other trademark song from the film which is “Under the Sea” that Sebastian sings to persuade Ariel to stay in the ocean, and it is a very fun song and one that I don’t think gets enough credit for being a great song. We then have Ursula’s solo outing “Poor Unfortunate Souls” that she sings to convince Ariel to sign her contract, and it is a very powerful song as Ursula is at her evil best trying to sway Ariel to see things her way. Next, we have “Les Poissons” that Chef Louie sings while he is cooking his meal and even while he is preparing Sebastian for cooking, and it is one of those songs that is fitting for that character even if it is not as memorable as the other ones. Finally, we have the love song “Kiss the Girl” sung by Sebastian and the other animals as they try to get Ariel and Eric to kiss before Flotsam and Jetsam breaks it up, and it is another nice song and showcases Samuel Wright as Sebastian. As mentioned, this film was set up to be similar to a Broadway show which is a bit ironic since there would be a Broadway show based on the film made nearly 20 years later, and as I also mentioned this would become the template by which future Disney films would be made.

Plot: As I had mentioned earlier in this recap, this film is the first one based off of a fairy tale in nearly 40 years with the last one being Sleeping Beauty back in 1950, and that is because that film slightly underdelivered and it seemed like the market for fairy tale adaptations had dried up. Interestingly enough, Disney had wanted to do an adaptation of the Little Mermaid way back in the 1930s as part of a package film highlighting adaptations of other works by Hans Christian Andersen. Anyone who knows Andersen’s version of the Little Mermaid knows how dark of a fairy tale it is and in essence how depressing it is, so it should come as no surprise that this film was made to make it more appealing to kids. In this film, Ariel is a mermaid fascinated with humans despite her father’s objections and she falls in love with a prince named Eric, and the sea witch Ursula transforms her into a human in exchange for her voice and that she will belong to her if her and Eric don’t share true love’s kiss in 3 days. Ariel nearly comes close to the point that Ursula poses as a woman named Vanessa and uses Ariel’s voice to draw Eric to her, but Ariel and her friends recover her voice before they get married though she is turned back into a mermaid when the third day ends. Ursula attempts to transform Ariel into a polyp only for Triton to exchange his life for Ariel’s and Ursula becomes the new ruler, and she attempts to kill Ariel only for Eric to kill her first and Triton is restored to his body. Realizing that Ariel loves Eric, he uses his powers to transform her into a human permanently and she marries Eric as they live happily ever after. As I said earlier, this adaptation is pretty different from the original especially with the ending as Ariel gets her happy ending here while in the original she dissolves in the ocean after the prince marries another woman. In a funny twist, it is reported that the changes Walt had made between the two originally in the 1930s were the same changes the staff made for this adaptation, and it just seems like we were almost destined to get this version at some point.

Random Watching Thoughts: I believe this is the first Disney film based on a fairy tale that doesn’t have the storybook beginning; For those that remember, this film had the controversial VHS box cover with the strangely shaped structure on the castle that closely resembled the male genitalia, I leave it to you to figure out the particulars; Grimsby seems like the kind of person that would get seasick very easily; Obviously these sailors must’ve seen a mermaid or mer-person at some point to know the tales of King Triton and the mer-people; That fish was so relieved to be back in the water; It feels like the animators just used Ariel’s template when creating the other mermaids and not making them look completely different; Leave it to be a seahorse to act as the royal announcer; Horatio Felonious Ignacious Crustaceous Sebastian; Triton gets the trumpets and Sebastian gets the kazoos; I wish we could learn about what happened to Ariel’s mother since we never hear anything about her at all; That book must be completely waterproof if the ink doesn’t run at all despite being underwater; I never noticed that the curtain was completely made of bubbles; Poor Flounder having to claim that he is not scared though we clearly now that he is; Classic foreshadowing as Flounder asks about sharks just as a shark goes passing by; Only a mermaid would be so fascinated by a simple fork; That brief moment where Flounder actually swam into the shark’s mouth only to escape quickly before he closed his mouth; Of course there would be an anchor there for the shark to get caught in; What is Scuttle looking for before Ariel comes up to the surface?; Scuttle thinks Ariel is far away and screams only to realize Ariel was right up there; So according to Scuttle, the fork is actually a “dinglehopper” and humans use them to brush their hair, and I wonder how many kids went home and actually used forks as a comb after this; Also according to Scuttle, the smoking pipe is actually a “snarfblatt” and is used for music and not smoking; He put water in the pipe and dumped it out yet when he blew into it, a bunch of sand and seaweed came out; So Ursula did use to live in the palace given her ranting about it unless she was making it up and trying to make herself sympathetic; She claims to be practically starving just seconds after eating a shrimp; I don’t know who’s more upset, Triton or Sebastian; Sebastian sounding like a counselor and thinking he knows everything about teenagers; Triton is Ariel’s father yet he wants Sebastian to be the one to keep an eye on her; I thought Sebastian was going to pull himself completely out of his shell trying to get out of that rock; That is quite the collection that Ariel has amassed and you wonder how long it took her to find all that stuff, and more importantly how she’s kept it hidden from Triton for so long; So she has books and even a painting which somehow have not decomposed and fallen apart; So in one scene Sebastian’s legs are in the thimble, the next scene the thimble is gone, yet in the next scene the thimble is back; I don’t know if that ship is safe enough to shoot fireworks off of; Max has got quite a sense of smell if he could sniff out Ariel; Of course Scuttle would think Ariel was talking about Max though to be fair Max is not a bad looking dog; Grimsby must think Eric is quite the narcissist that he would enjoy getting a giant sculpture of himself as a birthday gift; Eric mentions the kingdom of Glowerhaven in a offbeat remark, yet Disney thought it was important enough to expand on it in the series “Once Upon a Time” on ABC; Grimsby says the entire kingdom wants to see Eric wed yet mentions nothing specifically about his parents who must still be alive if Eric is just a prince; Again, we get foreshadowing as Eric makes a comment about lightning and now they sail right into a storm; Funny we see the statue in the water yet we never actually see it fall off the ship; Eric is a true man that he is willing to risk his life to save his dog; Kind of morbid to have the fireworks go off while the burning ship is sinking into the ocean; Eric could be on the verge of death yet Ariel feels compelled to sing a love ballad to him in the hopes that maybe he wakes up; Eric’s first conscious thought must’ve been if he was in Heaven when he saw Ariel singing to him; That scene of Ariel on the rock as the water splashes up still remains one of the most iconic in Disney’s history; I wonder what her sisters would’ve thought if they found out Ariel was in love with a human; You have to give credit to Sebastian for doing his best to sway Ariel to stay in the ocean, especially in the form of a fun song; I wonder how long it took the songwriters to come up with fish that their names rhyme with music instruments; I love how Sebastian sings for another good 2 minutes before realizing that Ariel is not even there anymore; Another classic film trope where two characters talk with one talking about one thing while the other thinks they’re talking about something else which leads Sebastian to spill the beans about Ariel; How was Flounder able to get that statue into the grotto given how small all the entrances were?; The way Triton speaks about humans make you think he had a bad encounter with them; I get wanting to discipline your child, but Triton did go over the edge in destroying her collection including the statue and then he still shows remorse for having done it; Flotsam and Jetsam having the different colored eyes is pretty creepy; Ursula’s lair is a giant fish skeleton which just looks ominous; If I’m Ariel and see all those polyps, I would’ve turned right around and swam out of there; One thing you have to give Disney credit for is having the villains at some point seem relatable and somewhat likeable even though we know they are evil at heart; Is there any other type of kiss in a fairy tale besides true love’s kiss?; Ursula has a warped impression of human men if all they care about is looks and not about conversation, though to be fair she does have a point when it comes to certain men; Only Ursula would actually have Ariel sign a contract to bind her to this agreement; I know losing your voice is bad, but I think I’d rather that than having the feeling of a sword stabbing you and feeling like you are stepping on knives all the time; Given the controversy surrounding some of the things with this film, I can’t believe no one realized the fact that from when she became human to when she was found by Eric that she was basically completely naked aside from the seashells on her chest; Scuttle asks what is different about Ariel and can’t figure it out even though he is literally resting on her new legs; Sebastian was so forceful in his determination until Ariel gave him the sad eyes and easily swayed him; Even though Ariel was now a human, Max was still able to recognize her smell; You would think Eric would’ve recognized her because he did see her briefly though he only really knows her by her voice; Ariel is so amused by the bubbles in the bath when she literally spent her whole life in the water; Of course Sebastian would fall into the kitchen and see all the stuffed crabs; Of course when she sees the fork she would brush her hair with it and she would try to make music with the pipe; I understand being into your work, but Chef Louis takes it to another level; That was way more than just a dab of flour; Honestly, Sebastian is such a small crab and Louie went way overboard trying to kill him; Poor Grimsby got ash blown in his face and then he didn’t even get to enjoy the crab; She still uses the fork for a brush even when she has an actually brush; The seahorse looks so exasperated when Triton told him to keep looking even after he said they searched everywhere; I was just thinking about this, we know that Ariel is 16 because she said it yet we never know how old Eric is; She was way too excited to be given the reins to the carriage; Scuttle’s heart was in the right place to try and make things romantic, but seagulls aren’t known for singing; If I was Eric, I would be a bit skeptical if I just heard random voices singing about kissing Ariel; Why would Eric think that her name is Mildred?; You know, it’s interesting they think that kissing would restore her voice when Ursula never said that and only said she would be human forever, so you would think she would spend the rest of her life as a mute; I wonder if they did an effect where as Ursula was transforming into a human if they recorded both Pat Carroll and Jodi Benson laughing and merged them together; Ursula doing her best impression of a Siren by drawing Eric to her using Ariel’s voice; So what was Ursula going to do at sunset after marrying Eric, was she going to reveal herself in the end?; That is quite the ship they have for weddings; So since she’s no longer a mermaid Ariel apparently can no longer swim completely?; Speaking of controversy, there was the rumor that the minister during the wedding at what appeared to be an erection in his pants, but the animators confirmed it was just his stubby knee; All this chaos is going on yet the minister continues to go about the business at hand; Just when you think Ariel and Eric are going to get their kiss, the sun has to set and Ariel turns back into a mermaid; Ariel had her dress on when they dived into the water, yet she quickly lost it and went back to having the seashells on; That is pretty freaky seeing Ariel almost turned into a polyp; Eric needs to work on his aim if that harpoon barely grazed Ursula’s arm; I wonder what kind of eels Flotsam and Jetsam were because I thought most eels were electric; Again, Disney is the master of horror as the scene of a giant Ursula emerging from the sea is absolutely terrifying; It’s a good thing Eric is a sailor otherwise he and Ariel would be screwed; I wonder if anyone ever realized that when Eric jabs the bowsprit into Ursula, you can actually see it come out her back; That was a quick swim for Eric to get from where Ursula and the ship went down to getting back to shore; Sebastian says the exact opposite to Triton about children leading their own lives when earlier, he said they need constant supervision; Man, Triton not only turned Ariel back into a human, but he even made a dress for her; Even during a wedding, Louie can’t restrain himself and has to chase after Sebastian; That was good that they had Eric and Triton give each other the nod of approval.

Overall Thoughts: Overall, the final film of the 1980s for Disney was a really great film and ended the decade on a very strong note after a bit of a lackluster start. This whole decade has been a very tumultuous time for Disney as they started ok, nearly came to the brink of possible collapse in the middle, and finished on a high note while showing that animated film was still more than profitable. Disney had made many great strides throughout the decade with the expansion of the theme parks and the ongoing success on TV, and as we head into the 1990s they were going to show that they were still the kings of the box office. As for this film, it is a great film and a perfect kickoff to the Disney Renaissance.

Final Grade: 9/10

[rickhorrow]

15 To Watch : Decade in Review for Philanthropy 121619

15 TO WATCH: DECADE IN REVIEW 

RICK HORROW’S TOP SPORTS PHILANTHROPY STORIES OF 2010-2019 

with Tanner Simkins

It’s hard to believe, but we have reached the end of yet another decade. And in the business of sport, it’s been a busy one. Here are Rick Horrow’s 15 most influential philanthropic actions in sports. We’re off next week, but stay tuned on December 30 for an early look at the year and decade ahead, and Happy Holidays!

Sports is on the RISE. Founded in 2015 by Miami Dolphins Chairman of the Board and Managing General Partner Stephen M. Ross, RISE (Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality) is a national nonprofit that educates and empowers the sports community to eliminate racial discrimination, champion social justice, and improve race relations. Through partnerships and programs, RISE inspires leaders in sports to create positive change on matters of race and equality. RISE provides leadership programming for student-athletes, coaches, and administrators at every level to equip them with the skills to stand up against racism and advance the conversation around race relations. It creates opportunities for athletes to amplify their voice, advocate against racism, and promote social change. And it holds events for fans in conjunction with college and NFL games and public awareness campaigns encouraging the public to join with pro athletes and community leaders in taking a pledge to stand against racism. In our fractious times, these issues aren’t going away anytime soon. Colin Kaepernick is still out of the NFL. Eric Reid was out of the league. Both players suffered for their activism. RISE matters, perhaps now more than ever.

J.J. Watt receives Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award for his fundraising efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in 2017. The Texans defensive end raised more than $37 million in 19 days for relief efforts after initially setting a goal of $200,000, which he started off with his own $100,000 pledge. Watt then dedicated himself to finding organizations that will apply the funds in the way he has promised the donors and victims of Harvey. "This award is about the inherent good that lies within humanity," Watt said after accepting his award. "It's about the city of Houston and its ability to overcome adversity at a time when it all seemed lost. It is about the hundreds of thousands of people from all over the country and all over the world who donated to a city they may have never been to, to people that they may never meet.” Before Harvey, in 2010, Watt started the Justin J. Watt Foundation in Wisconsin out of a desire to help underserved kids. His personal motto of "Dream Big, Work Hard" culminated into a mission that he continues to use to impact communities nationwide.

Pete Frates starts the “Ice Bucket Challenge.” Former Boston College baseball player Pete Frates died last week at the age of 34 after a lengthy battle with ALS. Frates popularized the “Ice Bucket Challenge” as a "way to focus attention on ALS," inspiring an "unprecedented outpouring of support for research," with estimates ranging from $160-220 million in donations. Now, the man who created Challenge is being remembered throughout sports. The Boston Herald went with, "ALS Couldn't Hold Pete Frates Down." The Boston Globe concluded, "As A Ballplayer And A Person, Pete Frates Hit It Out Of The Park."  The Bruins tweeted Frates was the "definition of an inspiration." Tom Brady's TB12 Sports brand added, "A big loss for the Boston community and beyond.” Meanwhile, MLB and its 30 clubs as well as Minor League Baseball organized a charity auction for last week's winter baseball meetings that will raise money for five charities related to ALS.

LeBron James opens the I Promise School. In 2018, the Los Angeles Lakers star and the LeBron James Family Foundation opened the I Promise School (IPS), a public elementary school in James’ hometown of Akron, Ohio specifically aimed at at-risk children. James began researching high school dropout rates in Akron in 2011, and decided to create the “I Promise” initiative as a response. Opening with students attending grades three and four, IPS will be fully operational by 2022, eventually teaching grades one through eight. The foundation is funding additional services for the children and families attending IPS, including uniforms, food for families, career placement services, bikes and helmets for each student, transportation for qualified individuals, and job placement services for parents. Additionally, free tuition to the University of Akron is covered under the pre-existing Akron I Promise Network Scholarship, which was developed between the University of Akron, the James Family Foundation, and JPMorgan Chase in 2015. The Foundation has contributed upwards of $2 million in startup and operational costs, and James reportedly considers the school's founding as the most important professional accomplishment of his life.

Boston Marathon charity eclipses $100 million in donations for cancer over its 20 years. The Boston Marathon withstood two homemade terrorist bombs in 2013 and somehow came out stronger. Boston Marathon runners participating on behalf of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute since 1990 have surpassed the $100 million fundraising mark. The research center says more than $500,000 has already been raised by runners in next year's race, putting it over the threshold. Dana-Farber was one of the first charities allowed to use the Boston Marathon as a fundraiser. More than 500 runners are expected to take part in the 2020 race as part of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge. They are hoping to raise $6.25 million. 100% of the money raised from the team's Boston Marathon runners supports promising cancer research in its earliest stages. The Boston Marathon is the pinnacle of marathon and media coverage and the race will make positive headlines as multiple charities will be highlighted on the day of the event next year, April 20, 2020.

The Golden Knights help keep VegasStrong. In the aftermath of the horrific mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival on October 1, 2017, the brand new NHL Las Vegas Golden Knights, who dropped the puck on their first official home game only eight days later, created an almost unbreakable bond with their fledgling fan base thanks to their response to the tragedy. In the shooting’s aftermath, Golden Knights players embraced the community, thanking police officers, giving blood, and donating tens of thousands of dollars to help victims, their families and emergency medical workers. Noted the Las Vegas Review-Journal, “In a most inexplicable manner, an NHL expansion team of which the majority of players and staff had no ties to Las Vegas before landing here to open an inaugural season, suddenly became a vehicle by which the town could begin its long and difficult road to recovery.” The Knights won nine of their first 10 games and set the tone for what would be a historic season, advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals in their first year. While they didn’t win the Cup, the team continues to provide hope and comfort to the still-recovering region.

NFL players put their best foot forward. Starting in 2016, hundreds of NFL players now showcase causes that are important to them with custom cleats during all Week 14 games for the NFL's My Cause My Cleats campaign. As part of the collaboration between the NFL and players, players represent hundreds of charitable organizations that focus on causes from youth wellness to sex trafficking prevention and support for single parents. On Unboxing Day, players unbox their customized cleats in hospital visits, classrooms, locker rooms and on stadium fields. Through Week 14, players share images of their cleats and the stories behind them on social media, using the hashtag #mycausemycleats. The league also posts videos and profiles on NFL.com to tell the stories. Many players have worked directly with Nike, Under Armour, and adidas to design their cleats. Other teams worked with an independent designer to create cleats for participating players. Players also have the opportunity to raise money for their cause by auctioning their cleats off at NFL Auction; 100% of money raised is donated to the player’s charities.

Roger Federer Hits for Haiti. In January 2010, Haiti was hit with a monstrous magnitude 7.0 earthquake that caused major damage in Port-au-Prince, Jacmel and other cities in the populous region, killed close to 200,000 people, and affected three million more. Shortly thereafter, tennis’ World No. 1 Roger Federer organized a series of fundraising exhibition matches at that year’s Australian Open, BNP Paribas Open, and other major tennis tournaments to aid relief efforts. In Melbourne alone, more than 14,000 fans waited hours to get $9.25 tickets to the "Hit for Haiti" exhibition match at Rod Laver Arena to watch Federer and fellow tennis stars Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Kim Clijsters, Andy Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt, Novak Djokovic, and Sam Stosur. Australian Open official Craig Willis announced after the exhibition matches that the crowd had donated A$20,000 in collection boxes with the event expected to raise around A$200,000. Similar exhibitions around 2010 ATP and WTA Tour events, combined with generous player donations, increased that number tenfold.

Rookie IndyCar driver steers toward STEM. In 2018, Group1001 and IndyCar rookie driver Zach Veach announced a partnership with education technology company EVERFI that aimed to bring hands-on STEM teaching to classrooms nationwide and inspire the next generation of engineers. The interactive STEM education program, called Endeavor, introduced middle and high school students to careers in tech fields by using gamified lessons to encourage and prepare students for a career in STEM. As part of the course experience, students virtually hear Veach talk about the incredible amount of technology that he leverages while piloting his race car, and the critical role his engineering and pit crew teams play in powering his performance. This STEM program is available to schools at no cost through 2021. “Since graduating and embarking on a career as an IndyCar driver, I have seen firsthand the importance that a strong science, math and engineering education plays in determining your future and empowering you to achieve your dreams,” said Veach. “I hope to use my story to inspire kids and show them that STEM plays a role in many kinds of industries and that it is not just something you read about in a textbook.”

Curtis Martin strengthens the people in his neighborhood. In September 2018, the City of Pittsburgh, the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation and Group1001 announced plans to design and construct a new youth athletic field in honor of Pro Football Hall of Famer Curtis Martin. Located near the Homewood neighborhood of Pittsburgh where Martin grew up, the new multi-sport synthetic turf field was be made possible thanks in part to a $5 million donation to the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation from Group1001, used to build a total of ten Youth Development Parks over five years in 10 cities across the country. Since 2010, the Ripken Foundation has 78 completed parks across the country in 22 states and Washington D.C., impacting over 280,000 kids annually. Martin played a variety of sports before attending the University of Pittsburgh where he propelled his football career to the next level. He played 12 seasons in the NFL with the New England Patriots and New York Jets and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012. 

MLS kicks cancer. Major League Soccer may have been in the midst of major expansion throughout the decade, but the league didn’t forget those in need. As part of MLS month-long “Kick Childhood Cancer” campaign each September, MLS Works, the league’s social responsibility platform, and eMLS, the league’s competitive gaming property, teamed up to hold their first-ever 24-hour charity live-stream on Twitch. MLS produced a broadcast featuring 19 MLS clubs and their eMLS professional FIFA players playing the newly released FIFA 20. The event brought in donations from a previously untapped gaming community, and aside from fundraising, the live-stream built awareness around the larger MLS “Kick Childhood Cancer” campaign on social media, contributing to more than 2,000 posts with the hashtag #KickChildhoodCancer during the course of the stream. Kick Childhood Cancer donations have helped strengthen Children’s Oncology Group's research efforts across the entire spectrum of pediatric cancers, including Project:EveryChild — which aims to capture the biology and outcome data of every child diagnosed with cancer. MLS has helped to offset the costs of more than 17,000 enrollments to-date, with an expected 25,000 to be enrolled by year end.

Activist Megan Rapinoe is Sportsperson of the Year. Playing the world’s game – soccer – on the world’s stage, under attack by a world leader, Rapinoe dominated last summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup. And in doing so without fear, Rapinoe became a voice for so many across the world as she became Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year. Rapinoe, 34, is just the fourth woman in the award’s 66-year history to win it unaccompanied, a feat that is both a remarkable athletic achievement and a reflection of entrenched gender biases. She earned the honor not only for her part in the USWNT's World Cup win, but for "being a vocal activist for equality." "Rapinoe challenged perceptions of her, of female athletes, of all women. She led her teammates, three months before their tent pole tournament, to sue the U.S. Soccer Federation for equal pay; to declare in advance that they would not visit the White House when they won the Cup; to score 13 goals in a group-stage match against Thailand, without apology,” said Sports Illustrated’ Jenny Vrentas. In addition to her fight for equal pay, Rapinoe has also been a vocal activist for LGBTQ rights worldwide.

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series expands outside the U.S. and tops 1 million amateur participants who have raised more than $335 million for communities. Now owned and operated by the IRONMAN Group, part of Wanda Sports Holdings, the Series is known for lining race routes with live bands, cheerleaders, and themed water stations. In 2012, Competitor Group organized its first marathon outside North America when it acquired the organizing rights for the Madrid (Spain) Marathon. There are now 31 events in the Rock 'n' Roll Series spanning nine countries. The Series offers a variety of levels for non-profit organizations to participate and fund-raise for their cause. Since the inception of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series in 1998, charities have raised over $335 million dollars for their various causes. Each year thousands of charity runners take to the streets inspired to run for a greater good while raising funds for a cause close to their hearts – making charity the true Heart of Rock ‘n’ Roll. 

Zeke jumps into a kettle. In December 2016, during his rookie season, Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott celebrated a “Sunday Night Football” touchdown by jumping into a giant Salvation Army kettle behind the end zone. The unexpected result of that was an influx of donations. By the following afternoon, the Salvation Army had taken in over $180,000 in donations, according to ESPN, which also projected that the advertising exposure equivalent of Elliott’s celebration would have cost the charity approximately $4 million. By Tuesday, those donation numbers had jumped considerably -- the Salvation Army reported that it had received $850,000 in online donations, enough to distribute 91,000 meals to those in need. "We have those kettles there because we do want the visibility of reminding everybody, certainly at this time of year, how doing the most good is putting a dollar in that red kettle,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. “To have gotten that attention in front of probably 20 million or so people last night for the Salvation Army was just wonderful." 

Led by the Sacramento Kings, the NBA ends the decade with a new initiative, “Play for Justice.” Perhaps inspired by the NFL, the Kings and the Represent Justice Campaign this season tipped off a new NBA initiative that includes a series of conversations and basketball games at correctional facilities between incarcerated individuals and NBA players and coaches called “Play for Justice.” During the event, Kings players, coaches, and executives – including Head Coach Luke Walton, General Manager Vlade Divac, and Chairman, CEO & Governor Vivek Ranadivé – joined Folsom State Prison residents and formerly incarcerated people to participate in a roundtable discussion. This conversation was aimed at uplifting narratives of hope and redemption in an effort to break down stigmas associated with individuals – disproportionately people of color and the poor – who are impacted by the criminal justice system. Following the discussion, Kings players and coaches served as honorary coaches during a basketball game played by residents of the facility and enjoyed by hundreds more in the stands. Johnny Cash would be proud.

[icharchivist]

Eric really just ran after Ariel in the ocean after seeing an octopus lady taking her away bc “i’ve already lost her once, i’m not doing that again” huh

Eric best prince since 1990.

[celebritiesworth-blog]

Celebrities Net Worth 2018

Celine Dion Net Worth is $800 million 

And who would have thought that child, that in five years she did at the wedding ceremony of his brother Michel, surprising all of his intonation capon that lays golden ovum would become one. Uvula happy where each be aware that arrives will be shovelfuls of money. A person must have expected things to bet, but neither his parents much, among other things, all delivered to the music so much as dreamers, wished so much at the moment to place the child on canonical singing lessons. Them anyway most of us to cultivate their jewel. Got a local "the old barrel " where every evening. it was a family member, such as the shy Celine. Last of fourteen children, Celine Marie Claudette Dion was born on 35. March 1968 in Charlemagne, a village near Montreal in Quebec. The real bells sing Celine Dion commences in 81 when logs "there? Tait expansive than rempieza " was only ideal and forwards to Rene Ange lil, talent look, former head of Ginette Reno (famous singer of Quebec very known in the musical environment. As soon as Reno hears that sweet song and that little tone of voice remains immediately enchanted; Determines to convene the Angel in his study. May be the springboard to a profession. Deus ex machina of everything is actually the scenic Rene. First makes it appear on a popular tv set program, then the next day to disperse in stores on forty five rpm "there? tait substantial than reveinch ". It was a huge success. Another good move is to inquire Turn Marnay to write more songs for a Holiday album. It lets you try this, the need for funds and is no willing to invest in a 12-year-old. Reno this individual wanted without exceptions to take off this prodigy home loan their homes. On dokuz November 1981, they released their first album of Celine: "La Voix Ni Bon Dieu" consisting of nine songs written by Eddy Marnay. Three several weeks after he released the infamous Christmas album: "Celine Dion Flemming Noel very well. And for commercial success. In the fall of 1982, he released the next album: "Telle meant j'ai d'Amour " consisting of nine songs. "Telle supposed j'ai d'Amour" was chosen to represent France at 13 Festival internazionale Phazer in Tokyo. Celine Dion takes out by receiving the gold medal and a special prize of the Orchestra. In 1983 Celine represents Canada on Super RTL Gala triumphing with "d'amour ou m ' amitie ". In France comes out "Du soleil au coeur inch which is a collection of his albums in Canada. With "d'amour systems d ' amitie inches is the first Canadian artist to win yellow metal in France thanks to the more than seven hundred, 000 copies sold. In 1983 he released second album chants et Contes de Noel Christmas "" and your fourth recording "Le chamins de mum maison ", even though the now-famous singer collects Gold data by the handful (plus four Felix Awards). The final touch comes the coming year, when the girl was elected to signify Canadian youth for the visit of Pope Karol Wojtyla at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal. In this article she sings before an ecstatic crowd and impressive "Une colombe ". Nonetheless in France Meanwhile released an album: "Les oiseaux du boneur " made up of seven of his finest hits and three new songs. And to admit only sixteen at the time Celine! Even when he could afford to let a ", very well best of called to the apartment "Les plus grands success de Celine Dion " (part of the proceeds will go to the Association for the fight against cystic fibrosis, a disease that struck her niece Karine). Now could be ready timing for a hop at an international level. His leaders are learning the transition from THE BEST SPINNER'S to CBS (Sony Music), a change of packaging, it is straightforward to see, will prove to be very important, particularly with consideration to distribution. Between a success and another, between a tour and a television set participation, divorces and when finally impalma Rene metal before Celine. It is an possibility to start jointly toward a long Western tour, crowbar to get Celine Dion to the people all over the world. He returned to Quebec are awaiting her other 4 Felix Accolades and a millionaire deal with Chrysler engines, so that you advertise their cars. The other and far more ambitious assignments by Reno: conquer america. They moved to Mis Angeles and entrusted the composition of the new album, first in English language, in true masters: David Foster, Christopher Neil and Andy Goldman. In the meantime, Celine went to the new edition of the Eurovision Song Tournament to award the award to the first place song: at the time, Celine will sing a song on the new album: "Have a heart". Finally, on 2 The spring 1990 the long anticipated album English-speaking goes to Metropolis Montreal: it's called "community", a disc involves ten songs totally in English. The album strikes immediately seize immediately the first places in the ranking. Credited to song "When my heartbeat now" Celine can engage in the first American broadcast: the Tonight Exhibit. Similar year he unleashes an issue, when Celine refuses a Felix Merit for best singer-songwriter (refuses the prize as French singer who sings in English. What really demoralizes Celine is the event where he loses his voice during a display. All fear the most detrimental, but after a visit and three weeks in absolute silence, slowly commences its activity. Since then Celine follows strict guidelines to ensure that the incident will not be repeated: relaxation and warming up up the vocal wires, no smoke on a daily basis and, in particular, absolute silence on rest days. Efforts paid by duets performed with Barbra Streisand Tell him or Luciano Pavarotti with the ubiquitous "I despise you then I love you or even with Bee Gees immortality. Almost all collaborations, which appears on his album perhaps more important, what she perceives the occurrence of "my heart will go", did the soundtrack to huge blockbuster Titanic, who will win the American Music Award, Golden Globe and an Oscar. A fantasy that brought Celine to Crown his romance with Rene with another emblematic wedding was celebrated in Las Vegas these times with the Syrian Orthodox rite and a religious organization converted into a mosque. The garden was designed with Berber tents influenced by "one thousand and one nights", detailed with amazing birds, camels, dancers and Oriental dancers and processed clothes. After many tries to get got the long-awaited son, through in vitro fertilization. Reno Charles was developed on 25 January 2001. Baptism of small originated from the Notre Dame Basilica in Montreal with the Melkite Catholic rite, (which, besides baptism also provides confirmation) and with a ceremony fit for a bit Prince, the Prince of Pop Princess or queen international. In November 3 years ago he receives at the hands of Prince Albert of Monaco the renowned "legend Award". After four numerous years of silence, comes away on disc takes chances and a DVD with a show in Todas las Vegas. The album will be followed by a world tour. The next job is in 2013 and is titled liked me back to life.

Dr. Dre Net Worth is $820 milion

Her name is Verna Griffin and in 1964 this individual fifteen, an already quite hard from behind life and a toddler on her lap. Compton, Southerly of Oregon, California, one of the cities with the highest density of African American United Says. Is extremely different from dark ghettos of Compton on the East Coast, with their red-brick barracks. To see it, with it is villas, the wide roadways and the Palms will not seem to be even a ghetto and in simple fact, it was not until 40. To say between the ' 49 and ' 50 occupied Compton to 624 of Santa claus Fe Avenue for accuracy--even the family Bush, the Bush family. We returning to La Verna, though, and you imagine, go to Rosecrans Avenue, the key thoroughfare in Compton with his stomach gets bigger as anyone asks, if they are just her relatives and friends, which recommend an abortion: ' I felt whispers around me- retell in 08 throughout a radio interview for the American public radio-Npr, people thought I was a nobody and it would have been a nullity as well my son. "Verna wear on 18 February 1965, eight days after his sixteenth birthday. His son will be named Andr? Romell Young. The world will gain details about to know him as Doctor Dre. Producer, artist, entrepreneur with a million dollars in his pocket sized. Not exactly a no one. It will be called Andr? Romell Young. The earth will learn to know him as Doctor. Dre. Producer, rapper, businessperson with a billion us dollars in his pocket. Certainly not exactly a nobody Switch of scene. Is the first year 80 and having sixteen is Andr?. Our company is always in Compton and things have not improved, in fact. In 1971 came the very street gang of Crips and several small clique of young African-American offenders are aggregated. A few years later, gave labor and birth to the outcasts of another gang, the Races. The war between your Crips and Bloods bloodying Compton and every young man, willy-nilly, to select a page. As if that weren't enough, the pavements start spinning a new drug. Is an amazingly that comes from crack and inhale it through pipettes of glass or plastic bottles or beers. They call it split as well as prevalence in the black ghetto degli codice ' 80 is now defined as a true outbreak. One of the most active traders of fracture in Compton, as well as a member of the Crips is called Eric Lynn Wright, but all, Kelly Park, where we find the company, they call Eazy-E. Can be a huge fan of rap, Eric, and has activity management: establish a record company with revenues from drug trafficking. He works, in 1986, and telephone calls his ruthless records. Andr?, but hip hop already has both feet. Is definitely master mix for car radio weekday of Compton and a member of the world class Wrecking Cru, electro rap group striving to repeat the success of the East Seacoast will be Africa Bambaata with Planet Rock. The band also contains the Antoine Carraby, who calling himself Dj Yella. Background will be history in 1986, as Eazy Elizabeth, Dr. Dre and Disc jockey Yella, together with artist Ice Cube and Mc Ren founded the ' Niggaz Wit attitudes, usually referred to as Nwa. In order to take them under his wing's manager in Los Angeles and white Jerry Likas?. Titled "Straight outta Compton" in order to take them to the success of their album from 1988. A revolution: until then rap lyrics about racism, bullying, poverty and medicines in a semantic spectrum from rebellion to victimhood. NWA is as tough and violent, but in their texts there is no place with the exception of the apology of the hoodlum life: more punks I smoke, yo my rep gets bigger> >, punctuating Mc Ren on the title track: get rid of it plus my reputation increases. The disc is a national matter. The LAPD calls on group to calm down, worrying that pieces like "Tube when police " was the soundtrack to a riot-as in fact there will be, in 1992, following the Rodney King conquering to death, another history. RAP lovers, but was also considering what the accompanying RHYMES: beats more strict and choice of basis-that drawing from the seventy 's funk by Legislative house, Funkadelic, until famous small 5: 35 of the Funky Drummer by David Brown which did the foundation of rap-1085 items is a trademark by Doctor Dre. NWA implode within a few years. First Ice Dice and then Dr. Dre left the group in polemic with Eazy Elizabeth and Jerry Heller, convinced-probably with great reason that the two are stealing money. Mutual insults, battles of the war begins. Although above all, Dr. Dre, commences a new level musical. In 1992, collectively with Marion "Suge" Knight-more questionable character-based Death Line records went and released his solo debut The Chronic, still regarded as a cornerstone of hip hop. Compared to the Nwa changes everything: a slower-paced, hypnotic groove, male voices in the back. From the ashes of gangsta reputation, G-Funk was born and is also another revolution that brings with it new interpreters. Warren G, that of Dre's stepbrother. Snoop Puppy Dogg, hacking with Dre's "nothing but a" G "thang ", a chiaro of sorts. And especially Tupac Shakur, undisputed full of rap on the West coast until her violent and untimely end. Behind their successes, always the same hand, with Dr. Dre. And at the rear of the hand that is, more or less 20 million records sold in only 1995. La call the golden era, the golden age of Californian rap, nevertheless they are also years of blood. Tupac passes away in Las Vegas in 1996, shot down with a flurry of photographs as well as months later the same fate touches in his great rival, the New Yorker fate Notorius B. I. G. The moment this happens, Dr. Dre has recently left Death Line, Suge Knight and hot debate with partner founded his own lay-flat eselskab, Wake. For the three 12 months delay doing work in the wake up of the chronic but not satisfied and regularly release.Because this is Dr. Dre, basically: a tailor who creates custom products Creative crisis? Most likely. But if you think the parable of Doctor. Dre's downhill, but you are incredibly wrong. Is in 1997, where Chief Jimmy Iovine, Interscope's garage-the sticker if after effects is a subsidiary-find a trial. In order to compromise it, a white artist from Detroit named Marshall Mathers, but calling him or her self Eminem, or Slim Questionable. His rhymes are sick and tired, psychotic. In him, Dre misses and also the epic gangsta of Nwa, nor abuse, but a paranoid Tupac mix creepy between paradox and despair, introspection and social satire.Sniffing success, Dr. Dre, convinces Iovine put him under agreement and built around a sound that had never heard before. Guitars and rock drums, harpsichords, alarms build healthy texture now farcical now tragic that on rhymes from Eminem fits like a suit of tailoring. Because this is Dr. Dre, essentially: a tailor who creates custom-made products, not someone like Pharrell or Timbaland or Kanye West who leave marks on everything they produce.The relationship between the two is one of the most successful in the record of rap, not least, to put in several like 30 million clones sold with just four albums, two of which-The Marshall Mathers LP and The Eminem Show-is located on the second and third place best vendors rap ever album graphs. If we add several. 6 million copies sold in 2001, the second album by Doctor Dre, who finally sees the light in 1999, and 8 million of "get rich or die tryin" 50 cent, Eminem, with comprodotto we are almost 50 million records sold in just over five years.

Jay Z Net Worth is $910 milion

Artist Jay Z was created 4. December 1969 in Brooklyn, New York. Shawn Corey Carter, this is her first name, is the last of four children of Gloria Carter and Adnes Reeves. The child years is not easy for young adults: his father, in fact, abandoned the family when Jay Z has only eleven and the child is raised specifically by her mother in a tough neighborhood, affected individuals of crime and drugs. As told in many of his autobiographical tracks live a really turbulent teenage years, during which use the00 drug, Salih, shoot his brother Eric and remains involved in numerous works of violence. Despite the unhealthy environment in which he lives, loves Shawn Corey Carter to examine well in school. He joined Eli Whitney High University in Brooklyn and classmate, that will become a legend of Christopher George Latore Wallace III, hip hop, or better referred to as Notorious B. i. g., who was killed in 1997. In order to get away from drugs, violence and lower income, is Jay Z targeted very young music, reputation in particular. In 1989 she joined rapper Jaz-O, a kind of advisor, to record a music called The authors. This is at this point in the life, who takes the nickname Jay inslee Z concurrently a gratitude to Jaz-O, a reference point to the nickname given as a child, Jazzy and a reference to the underground Z M, near his home in Brooklyn. Call him by his name, however, is still largely unknown until 1996, when with two friends, Damon Dash and Kareem Burke, he founded a record label, Roc-a-Fella Records. In June the same year Jay-Z released his debut album, "reasonable doubt". Even if it does not exceed the 23rd place on the Board, the album is now thought to be a common of hip hop. Credited to songs "Can't Hit the Hustle, who views him singing with Margaret j. Blige and" Brooklyn's Finest ", where the Notorious B. i. g., Jay Z is working with is proclaimed a promising rising star. In 1997 he published "in my lifetime, vol. 1", and the following season if a wider success with the album "vol. 2 hard Knock Life. very well on the title trail to this album is the single most popular rapper and fruit her first Grammy nomination. "Hard knock life marks the beginning of a worthwhile period by which Jay Z . will be the biggest name in the world of hip hop. Inside the following years, states successful albums containing music such as "can I actually get a, " big music ", " I actually just want to love you, Izzo and goal Bonnie Clyde &, a Duet with his future wife Beyonce Knowles. The most popular work of this period is "The Blueprint" (2001), as by many people music naysayers considered one of the better albums of the Decade. In the year 2003, Jay Z silly followers with the discharge of "The Black Album" and with the announcement that this would be his last solo album before retirement. The motivation lurking behind this decision is the absence of competition and the desire to find new challenges. During this period, he devoted him or her self to music as a business: becoming President of Def Jam Recordings, uses Young Jeezy, Ne-Yo and Rihanna, and contributes to the transition of Kanye West from producer to artist adored by the public. The choice to stay away from the field have nonetheless short-lived. In 2006, actually released the album "Kingdom Come". A year later resigns as Chairman of the record company and launches "American Gangster" in 2007. Completely, he published "Blueprint 3". This Trinity marks a profound change in the singer: musical incorporates more influences from soul and rock, and with view to the texts, more mature themes, as Typhoon Katrina approaches, the selection of Barack Obama in 2008 and the risks of the Fame. The following years saw artist keep quite successful, both critics and sales. In 2008 Jay Z symptoms a contract worth 150milioni dollars, with the display promotion company Live Country. This excellent deal produces a joint venture called Bloc Nation, an entertainment company that manages almost every aspect of position of its artists. Furthermore to Jay-Z manages Roc Land Shakira Timbaland, Rihanna, Kanye West, and many others. This summer is collaborating with Kanye West album "Watch The Throne", which climbs quickly topped the charts reputation, R & B and pop; the song "Otis", which samples the words of the great Otis Redding, you receive several Grammy Award nominations, while the complete album was nominated for Best Rap Record. In 2013 Publisher Jay inslee Z "Magna Carta O Grail ", with the participation of his better half Beyonce Knowles. The rapper's business is not limited to music, but include the clothing line Rocawear, Roc-a-Fella films, local cycle 40/40 Club and Fresh York Knicks basketball team. In 2015, with Signora launches a beautiful music. 

Paul McCaurtney Net Worth is $1.2 billion

Wayne Paul McCartney was given birth to 18. June 1942 in Liverpool England. His family live near Allerton simply a mile from the home of John Lennon. The two, who met at a party the same parish quickly become friends, share his passion of music. The first thought then, as happens every self-respecting teen dream, is to form a group and so they were immediately put to work to accomplish this ardent desire. Basically it can be said that in these distant start formed the core of the future Beatles, if we believe it is soon co-opted George Harrison and later, drummer Ringo Starr. Shaped in ' 56 this group of beardless males will be the Beatles in 1960. Personalities of three are differentiated enough, although, naturally, some elements are leaning more to the offence while others are more balanced; being the case with centered Paul straight away with the composition of the kind of poignant lyrical music, there will be a characteristic feature. In addition to the serious musician and performer how much keep in mind the pure instrumental music, especially technical aspect, which soon will be, from a simple bass player, a true musician, dares himself with guitar and some with keyboards. This means that another highlight in music performer McCartney is the wedding. Of the four then Paul is without a question the most angelic that I believe appeal to mothers and girls from good families. He will keep the press relations, working with public relations and fan, in contrast to the picture worn and worn, there would always misunderstood genius and "banded". Needless to say, this is the time when the other genius of the Quartet, John Lennon, will sign his most memorable songs; many of the most memorable tunes of "cockroaches" (this is the meaning of the beatles in Italian), is actually signed by both. Are pieces, where even today fans argue over who is going to be critical contributions: If perhaps Paul or John. The facts lies somewhere in the Middle, or in other words that both were major talents, which thankfully has lavished plenty for the Beatles ' eternal glory. However, it should not be forgotten that the greatest album of the English Quartet, the album, which was considered to be the greatest rock ie ever written, "Sgt Pepper", is essentially the work of Paul. In the middle of all this, but a term shopping for George Harrison, talent by no means despicable and there would in fact also justifies the term "genius". Location of the Beatles was what it was and it is useless to trace here the glories of the greatest group ever existed. Go here, however, recalled that during the parable descendant, is profit on McCartney if went to port jobs are designed to try to revive the luck of the Group; including the film "Magical Mystery Concert tours " or as the documentary truth " very well "Let it be". In addition, it must be definitely recalled Paul's insistence because the band selected to perform live. But by the end of the Beatles was close by and no person could do anything about it... 12 March 1969 in fact Paul marries Bela Eastman and log changes in their lives. Since a beatle, gives enthusiasts one last big test on the album "Abbey Road" (1969), but in December of that 12 months he announced his giving the group. A few months after the Beatles ceases to exist. McCartney always flanked by the faithful Linda, commences a fresh career, alternating solo studies of good quality music tracks and collaborations with other musicians. One of the most enduring is that sees him surrounded by wings, he wanted in 1971-group and which, in fact, even in line with the experts, will never be much more than a simple emanation of genius Uk. His career is, nevertheless , a number of success, among Awards, Gold information, and record sales: in 1981, experience with flapping ends. Inside the years 80 Paul McCartney goes on his hot streak heading back and forth with stars like Stevie Ponder or Michael Jackson, live, and again after a long period, sings "Let it Be" in the grand ending of Bob Geldof Live Aid London, 1985. Nevertheless the real return "on stage" takes place in 1989, with a world travel for almost 12 several weeks will show you in great condition with music artists from large caliber. Intended for the first time since the break-up Mccartney perform live many of the most famous tunes by the Beatles. In 1993, " new world " tour, so the surprise: Paul, George and Ringo are assembled in the Studio in 95 to focus on two music unsolved by John, "Free as a bird" and "real love", two new Beatles song " very well after quarter of a century. 

Steven Spielberg Net Worth is $3.74 billion

Steven says: I always like to think of the audience, when I run because I am the group ". Perhaps the secret behind one of the five masters of modern cinema. But consider Steven Spielberg, "only" as a Director is an understatement, given his great activities within production and a film script. At the same time a child was Steven Allan Spielberg an established by the seventh skill. He always wore with him his 8 logistik involves mother Leha Posner, a musician, and his father, Arnold Spielberg, an electrical engineer, his friends and his family users, in a nutshell shorts to Passport and organised in details the movements of the actors. From Cincinnati, where he was born on 18 December 1946, this individual moved with his family to New Jersey, where it does not fit nicely with his schoolmates, who marginalize because of his Jewish faith. This kind of, nevertheless , does not prohibit the talent of the child prodigy, already in the 12 years this individual directed his first novice film "The last Weapon " in 1959, while couple of years later did this individual flee to Nowhere inches " and the term salt, from the first by only eight minutes you pass for forty five minutes in an ongoing crescendo that brings him the same year to implement "Fighter Squad inch and in 1964 scientific research fiction debut of growing in number filmmaker, Firelight lasting 150 minutes. In the while he continued his studies, and after graduating at Arcadia High School in Phoenix, decided to enroll in the University of The southern part of California, in which this individual studied even George Lucas; his application for entry is rejected twice and the artist folds for California State University. However the passion for the movie theater always prevails, so much so that Spielberg, more often than not scurries about hidden inside Simple Studios by posing as a worker until he was uncovered and hired really. Steven Spielberg, film premiere as a Director. The major breakthrough arrived twenty-two years with the first short films that is to be processed through security in cinemas, "Amblin" (1968), and there will be an inspiration for the first film company this individual founded, Amblin Entertainment. With the same work BENEFITS Atlanta Film Festival, which allows him to possess a seven-year contract with Universal Images, where he was able to direct shows and tv-series such as "The game", "Rod Serling's Nighttime Gallery's " "something diabolical" and television set movies like " Duel "in the year of 1971 and" Wild ", 1973. Apprenticeship Director follows as a screenwriter on motion pictures like "Poltergeist" in 1982 and " Gooneis inch of 1985. But let us reflect on his rise from the Overseer. The first major movement picture for his position is "Sugarland Express" in 1974, only a year before of "JAWS" (1975), start it up permanently. The film will have 3 Oscars and snapped a record 470 million us dollars. Spielberg has now the ability to give attention to a project that brings with it when he was a child: a film about UFOs. This talks about the background for the creation of "close runs into of the 3 rd kind" in 1977, which not only make history research fiction film with the classification of the conspiracy film, also records the participation of Francois Truffaut in a Cameo. Steven Spielberg, UPS and lows, the inauguration of the filmmaker master modern modern cinema A filmmaker is so important, we need to keep in mind also the first lemon, "1941-alarm in Hollywood" in 1979, only to realize that you are discussing to a human being but not a foreigner as the characters in his films. Here comes the years 80 and the inauguration of the fable with "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark" in 81, he works with his friend George Lucas and "E. T. the extra-terrestrial" (1982), that touches on his second Academy Prize for Best Director, dogged defensive display put Italian language award, David di Donatello for best foreign Film. In 1983, he made "twilight zone" and the following year returned to directing, with his snowboarding cap always through your hair, another film icon Harrison Ford, whose Cap did and do, record, in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom". In 1985 the star of the wedding Amy Irving, which will have Max, his oldest son. It provides parallelverschiebung of the novel by Steve Walker, the color purple (1985) and "Finance as producer to the future, while in 1987 it was the trip to the path the Empire of the Sun. In 1989 back again with professor Henry Roberts left in "Indiana Roberts and the last crusade", the flop always reprise of the Joe initial with Audrey Hepburn. Single from his first better half and married actress Kate Capshaw rising household of seven sons, among the natural and they arranged. Maybe it's guided by his paternal spirit when in 1991 he proved helpful in Captain Hook, with Robin Williams as Chris Pan, Dustin Hoffamn as Captain Hook and Julia Roberts in the role of Tinkerbell, aka fairy Tinker Bell. 2 yrs later comes another blockbuster, guaranteed  ?  assured to become a fable as Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park. But after so much monetary success and recognition of the general public always feel the need to prove himself in 1993 with a work that is rediscovering it is family traditions and Legislation culture. It is holding, there was drama "Schindler's List", in which this individual faces for the first time, and shakes the conscience of the Holocaust still disturbed by the weight of such atrocities. To top it all comes the long-awaited Oscar for Best Director, but also as best Film. In 1997 is not a happy year for the Director, who redirects Jurassic Park and the lost world "but at the same time, was accused of plagiarism of" Amistad "and suffers the loss of an expensive friend, Princess Diana. Captured in a bad car accident and risk afeitado by a crank, which will then be regarded for this Act to more than 20 years in prison. Steven Spielberg Oscar and the continued success In 98 gives him another Oscar Director thanks "saving private Ryan" which shows in the first twenty minutes of the film, d-day, the Allied invasion of Normandy, June 6, 1944, in all its rudeness and human reality. Thanks a lot to the contribution to the British film was appointed Knight of the order of the English Empire by Queen At the II. Not only the war but also a world of extraterrestrials is his passion, and the latter pushes him in 2001 to create manufactured intelligence. In 2002 this individual directs Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks in "catch me" and Tom Sail in "Minority Report" highly advanced. With Hanks will work again inside the Port with Cruise in battle of the worlds inches " in 2005, the year he also taken "Munich". In 2008 returning to the big screen with your fourth installment of the epic jonsiana "Indiana Jones and the Empire of the Crystal Brain and with the documentary" a stunning call. "in 2009 is a season of silence for Overseer, but back to the films in 2011 with " adventures of Tintin The secret of the Unicorn: "and" War Equine ", during the first world war. In 2012 is the year of Lincoln film inspired by the book team of rivals: the political professional of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin and incentarta about the number of the President.

[usnewsaggregator-blog]

How foreign investors are transforming a long-forgotten D.C. neighborhood

New Post has been published on http://usnewsaggregator.com/how-foreign-investors-are-transforming-a-long-forgotten-d-c-neighborhood/

How foreign investors are transforming a long-forgotten D.C. neighborhood

Angelique Brunner is founder and president of EB5 Capital, a firm that connects foreign investors with developers. (Jared Soares/For The Washington Post)

On the site of a shuttered Burger King in a long-neglected Northeast neighborhood, D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser donned a hard hat and dug a shiny shovel into a pile of dirt. It was a groundbreaking for a luxury apartment — made possible by $27 million in foreign investment.

Bowser, bundled in a black overcoat, touted her trade mission to China, where city officials and developers had invited wealthy Chinese to invest half a million dollars each in D.C. building projects in exchange for U.S. residency.

“That mission has resulted in the type of investment that will allow this project to go forward,” Bowser said that February day at the Highline, a 12-story apartment and retail complex going up in a rapidly gentrifying slice of NoMa where cranes now crowd the skyline.

The development is among the latest in D.C. funded by foreign investors through the controversial EB-5 visa, which some lawmakers have derided as “citizenship for sale.” Congress is expected to weigh the fate of the three-decade-old federal program by year’s end.

Its defenders say the program helps economically depressed neighborhoods attract capital — and jobs. But critics note instances where developers have used the low-cost financing to build luxury skyscrapers and high-end hotels in affluent areas, as President Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has done.

NoMa — adjacent to Union Market — has the highest concentration of EB-5 financed projects in the city, said an official with an EB-5 lobbying group. (Jared Soares/For The Washington Post)

Bowser and other proponents of the program cite a half dozen blocks near Washington’s Union Market where foreign investment is helping to spur rapid transformation.

[Congress soon could make it harder for rich people to move to the U.S.]

A longtime budget motel was redeveloped into two Hilton-branded hotels in 2015. A trash-sorting depot became an REI flagship in 2016 — not far from a homeless encampment beneath a railroad overpass. In addition to the Highline apartments going up on Florida Avenue, two parking lots across the street are slated for new housing and retail by late 2019.

All were partially financed — between 15 and 64 percent — by foreign investors after banks declined to fully back the projects, which are on the other side of the tracks from where most development was occurring, said Angelique Brunner, founder and president of EB5 Capital, a firm that connects foreign investors with developers.

“It would be very scary for a financial institution to step into this neighborhood the same way they might step into downtown Washington,” Brunner said, a forerunner in bringing EB-5 investments to Washington. “What we do in this neighborhood is really the heart and soul of what EB-5 was intended to be used for.”

The NoMa neighborhood seen from the top of Uline Arena in Northeast Washington. With the hotels, restaurants and amenity-rich apartments comes the specter of gentrification to a historically African American neighborhood of modest row homes. (Jared Soares/For The Washington Post)

Changes in the old neighborhood

The foreign investor visa program has funded projects in other transitioning D.C. neighborhoods such as Shaw and Anacostia, and more recently, the Navy Yard and Southwest Waterfront. NoMa, though, has the highest concentration of EB-5 financed projects in the city thanks to Brunner, said Peter Joseph, executive director of Invest in the USA, an EB-5 lobbying group. Brunner said she expects EB5 Capital to finance at least two more NoMa developments by 2018, bringing total foreign investment in the neighborhood to more than $150 million.

With the hotels, restaurants and amenity-rich apartments, though, comes the specter of gentrification to a historically African American neighborhood of modest row homes. Some residents say they appreciate that the area is now being revived with conveniences they have long sought, after being decimated by the 1968 riots following the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. But they also lament feeling like tourists in their own neighborhood, with parking getting more difficult as hipsters and empty nesters move in.

“I’m all for change, but it’s so evident what they do for white folks,” said Moyer Fowler, 67, who has lived in the neighborhood for more than three decades, long before it was branded as NoMa. “We’re not going to know this city after awhile.”

The changes started around 2004 with the opening of the NoMa-Gallaudet U Metro station. Within a few years, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives headquarters opened, with its influx of federal workers. Back then, Fowler’s block was mostly black families; about 10 are left out of roughly 60 homes. Now there’s a dog park. And bike lanes. A Trader Joe’s grocery store is slated to open in 2018.

“You’ve got Airbnbs now, and people walking with strollers and kids in the neighborhood. Before if somebody came out, it’s like, ‘Yo, you’re lost,’ ” said Eric Markham, a 46-year-old maintenance mechanic who is white and has rented in the area for a decade. “Back in the day people couldn’t give their houses away, and now you could come offering what they’re asking and still not get the house.”

Construction on Florida Avenue in Northeast Washington. (Jared Soares/For The Washington Post)

End of an era for one business

Some longtime business owners say they can no longer afford to stay, because redevelopment has pushed up property taxes. Central Armature Works, an electrical installation and construction firm that has been a fixture in the area since 1992, plans to relocate to Prince George’s County, said Robert Dorr, president and general manager of the 102-year-old family business. Dorr said his property taxes have climbed from $55,000 to about $700,000 over 25 years in the neighborhood.

“We thought we had a home here for at least another 50 years,” Dorr said. “But the city thinks the best use of this property is not industrial, so we will be forced to move. We can’t afford the taxes.”

The Dorr family has entered into a joint venture with Trammell Crow to develop apartments, condos, a hotel and retail space at the site. It’s become more profitable for business owners to develop the land on which their companies sit than to continue operating there.

Brunner said the NoMa developments perfectly fit what Congress had envisioned when it created the EB-5 program in 1990, and that her projects have created thousands of jobs. Hotels often provide the highest income jobs for an undereducated local workforce, she said.

“We struggle with the issue of gentrification,” Brunner said. “When you redevelop an area, you really have to be very sensitive to what you provide and how you provide it.”

She said the redevelopment has spurred amenities that will benefit the entire neighborhood, new and longtime residents alike.

“No one was going to build a new grocery store for the rowhouse residents,” she said. “You needed to improve the density in the neighborhood to attract the grocery stores and other services.”

The luxury apartment complex at the old Burger King site also has a plan to include affordable housing, she said, with 13 units available to people making 80 percent of the local median income of $110,300 for a family of four. In addition, the developer is partnering with Habitat for Humanity to provide 13 townhouses for sale to families earning up to 50 percent of the local median income. Those homes will be located a mile up the road in Ivy City, on the other side of Union Market.

The Uline Arena in Northeast Washington, which is now home to a flagship REI store. (Jared Soares/For The Washington Post)

‘It was a tale of two cities’

Brunner, who as a black woman stands out in a field dominated by white men, has been primed for this particular slice of development financing since she was a young adult. As a full scholarship student at Brown University, Brunner held an AmeriCorps job renovating abandoned properties in South Providence, R.I., and conducting credit counseling for recent immigrants to become homeowners.

“One of the most painful points we could not address was there were no services there — no grocery stores and no banks, even though people lived in these neighborhoods,” Brunner said.

When she moved to Washington after receiving a master’s degree in public affairs from Princeton University, she saw the same problems, a daily reminder of the riots.

“Really it was a tale of two cities,” she said. “It was a federal city, which everyone saw on TV. And then it was the local city, which had apparently been forgotten.”

That is where foreign investors enter the picture — to bridge the funding gap for commercial development when institutional investors feel there is too much risk. The EB-5 program became especially popular among developers after the 2008 financial crisis made bank loans harder to secure.

[‘Everyone in China has the American Dream’ — and a popular path to it may disappear]

Seats from the old Uline Arena in REI. (Jared Soares/For The Washington Post)

Beau Athia, who grew up on New York Avenue NE in a Super 8 motel that his parents owned after immigrating from India, said his family relied heavily on foreign investors to fund the construction of a pair of Hilton-branded hotels when they wanted to redevelop the site after the economic downturn.

“At the time when lenders weren’t willing to originate debt for new construction, EB5 Capital was more than willing to partner with us,” Athia said. “We were an immigrant family that basically spent most of our livelihood building up the asset and trying to help an underserved community improve.”

[In a Beijing ballroom, Kushner family pushes $500,000 ‘investor visa’ to wealthy Chinese]

But now legislators as well as the Trump administration are considering changes, including raising the investment threshold from $500,000 to $925,000. Lawmakers say they hope new rules will help prevent abuses, such as money going to build say, the Beverly Hills Waldorf Astoria, instead of helping rural or distressed urban communities.

Foreign investors have an opportunity to recoup their money, with low interest, and become eligible for permanent residency once authorities confirm that the money has created at least 10 American jobs.

With congressional authorization for the EB-5 visa set to expire next month, Brunner is hoping lawmakers will hash out permanent legislation for the program.

As she toured NoMa recently, Brunner said she thinks it would likely take another decade to fully develop the neighborhood — with more housing, retail and full-service hotels.

An iconic barrel-shaped building where the Beatles played their first U.S. concert in 1964 had become an eyesore as a trash-transfer station and then a parking lot. Today it is revived as REI’s fifth flagship store.

Walking out of the store, Brunner pointed down Third Street NE toward Florida Avenue, where she had stood alongside Bowser during February’s groundbreaking for the Highline. Construction is now in full swing.

“This block will be one of the strongest retail corridors in the entire city, connecting NoMa to Union Market,” Brunner said. “We will continue to invest in this neighborhood until it’s complete — or until Congress outlaws our investment.”

Construction seen from the roof of the Homewood Suites in Northeast Washington. (Jared Soares/For The Washington Post)

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[melindarowens]

Missouri’s $10M man

With Scott Bland

The following newsletter is an abridged version of Campaign Pro’s Morning Score. For an earlier morning read on exponentially more races — and for a more comprehensive aggregation of the day’s most important campaign news — sign up for Campaign Pro today. (http://www.politicopro.com/proinfo)

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CAMPAIGN IN WAITING — “Sources: Club for Growth raises $10M for Hawley,” by Campaign Pro’s Kevin Robillard: “The Club for Growth has raised $10 million to support a Senate run by Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley, two Republicans with knowledge of the group’s fundraising said. The 37-year-old Hawley, who has formed an exploratory committee but has not yet officially entered the race against Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill, is the establishment Republican pick for the race. The Club for Growth and other prominent Republican outside groups have expressed excitement about his candidacy, and McCaskill is considered one of the Senate’s most vulnerable Democrats. One major donor pledged to match millions of dollars in donations earmarked for Hawley, and the Club has been collecting donations against that pledge, the two Republican sources said.”

— “Hawley, who was educated at Stanford and Yale and clerked for Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, was a favorite of big national donors during his run for Attorney General in 2016. Tamko Building Products CEO David Humphreys and his sister Sarah Atkins combined to give $4 million to Hawley’s 2016 state campaign, and a number of other Republican megadonors chipped in thousands, including Richard Uihlein, Randy Kendrick and Darwin Deason.” Full story.

NOT INDIANA NICE — “The slugfest underway between Republican Reps. Luke Messer and Todd Rokita in Indiana isn’t just for the right to compete for possibly the GOP’s best opportunity to seize a Senate seat from Democrats in next year’s midterms. It’s a chance to finally settle the score between two ambitious pols who’ve been vying to outdo one another politically since they graduated from the same small college more than 25 years ago. Yes, this one is personal. Their campaign didn’t officially get underway until last week, but Messer, 48, has already accused Rokita of attacking his wife and ‘spreading lies’ about his record. Rokita, 47, has questioned his rival’s mental health, calling Messer ‘unhinged’ and a ‘ticking time bomb.’”

— “More than a dozen professional colleagues and personal acquaintances painted the hostility between Rokita and Messer as the product of three decades of pent-up rivalry. The two men have climbed Indiana’s political ladder alongside each other for years and even attended the same small, all-male Wabash College together in the early 1990s — a school whose unofficial motto, a former dean noted with a touch of irony, is ‘competition without malice.’ … Over the years, Messer has enjoyed the full embrace of Indiana’s political elite, which appointed him to a seat in the state legislature and embraced him as part of its leadership. That same elite has always kept Rokita at bay.” Full story.

ONE DAY ‘TIL PRIMARIES — Curtis 31, Herrod 23, Ainge 15 in UT-03 poll, via the Deseret News’ Lisa Riley Roche: “Provo Mayor John Curtis continues to lead former state lawmaker Chris Herrod and political newcomer Tanner Ainge in the 3rd Congressional District GOP primary, according to a poll released Thursday. The UtahPolicy.com poll comes as spending by so-called super political action committees supporting Herrod or Ainge approaches $1 million. Curtis is the main target of the advertising, which many have described as largely negative. … Just over one-fourth of the voters — 26 percent — said they remain undecided in the three-way race for the GOP nomination.” Full story.

MORE MOORE — “The GOP rebel threatening to snag Sessions’ Senate seat” by POLITICO’s Seung Min Kim: “Roy Moore lacks the war chest of two chief rivals in his bid to become the next senator from Alabama. He didn’t land the coveted endorsement of President Donald Trump, and doesn’t enjoy the advantages of incumbency. Yet the controversial former state Supreme Court justice is coasting over his Republican challengers in Tuesday’s closely watched GOP Senate primary. Moore is set to easily secure a place in a September runoff, as the establishment-backed Sen. Luther Strange and Rep. Mo Brooks scrape for the second spot. … ‘I resent people from Washington, raising money in Washington, and sending negative ads to Alabama and trying to control the vote of the people,’ Moore said in an interview after a GOP executive committee meeting here. ‘If the Washington crowd wants somebody, the people of Alabama generally don’t.'” Full story.

Days until the 2017 election: 85.

Days until the 2018 election: 449.

Thanks for joining us! You can email tips to the Campaign Pro team at sbland@politico.com, eschneider@politico.com, krobillard@politico.com, dstrauss@politico.com and mseverns@politico.com

You can also follow us on Twitter: @politicoscott, @ec_schneider, @politicokevin, @danielstrauss4 and @maggieseverns.

CHARLOTTESVILLE REACTIONS — NRSC Chair and Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner, on Twitter: “Mr. President – we must call evil by its name. These were white supremacists and this was domestic terrorism. Praying for those hurt & killed today in Charlottesville. This is nothing short of domestic terrorism & should be named as such.”

— Alabama Sen. Luther Strange, on Twitter: “We as Americans must stand together in opposition to those who encourage hate or promote violence. I stand with President Trump and leaders from both parties condemning these actions.”

— Virginia Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, on CNN: “The governor and I have made it very clear to white supremacists and other groups such as that, that they’re not wanted in Virginia. And we strongly encouraged them … to go home and don’t come back.”

— Virginia GOP gubernatorial nominee Ed Gillespie in a statement: “Having a right to spew vile hate does not make it right. It is painful to see these ugly events in Charlottesville last night and today.”

— Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, in a statement: “Virginia has come so far in recent decades to put division behind us. … The fact that people like David Duke cited the President to justify their views is a disturbing reminder that divisive rhetoric has sadly contributed to a climate where individuals who espouse hate feel emboldened.

— Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chair and Virginia GOP Senate candidate Corey Stewart: “Democrats and the media never denounce the violence perpetrated by the unhinged left. Antifa is simply answering the call for violence in the streets by Loretta Lynch, so it’s no wonder Tim Kaine refuses to denounce his son’s participation in fascist Antifa riots, even as he exhorts leftists to ‘fight in the streets.’”

NEW THIS A.M. — Super PAC backing Kelli Ward launches ad against Sen. Jeff Flake: “Once again Arizona conservatives are sold out by our senators plotting with liberals on amnesty and blocking Trump’s conservative agenda,” the ad’s narrator says, before introducing “pro-America conservative Kelli Ward” and saying that “if Dr. Ward were in the Senate today, Obamacare would be repealed.” Kelli PAC is paying over $100,000 to air the ad on broadcast and cable TV after taking in a big donation from Trump megadonor Robert Mercer recently. Watch the ad here.

— STAFFING UP — “2 Trump backers join Flake opponent Kelli Ward’s campaign,” the Associated Press reports: “A political operative who helped raise millions of dollars to support President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign is joining the U.S. Senate campaign of former Arizona state Sen. Kelli Ward. Thursday’s announcement that Great America PAC founder Eric Beach was joining Ward’s primary campaign to unseat Republican Sen. Jeff Flake comes a day after another Trump supporter, Robert Mercer, donated $300,000 to Ward’s super-PAC.The political action committee Beach founded was independent but raised more than $28 million to back Trump. The announcement said Great America PAC executive director Brent Lowder is also joining Ward’s campaign.” Full story.

UN-RETIREMENT WATCH — “Rep. Ed Perlmutter is reconsidering a re-election bid,” by ColoradoPolitics.com’s Peter Marcus: “Multiple sources confirmed that after Perlmutter was approached by constituents and fellow colleagues in Congress about a re-election campaign, he began reconsidering running for re-election.” Perlmutter had declared he would retire after dropping out of the governor’s race. “Several Democrats have been running to replace Perlmutter in a tightly contested primary, including state Sens. Andy Kerr of Lakewood and Dominick Moreno of Commerce City, and state Rep. Brittany Pettersen, also of Lakewood. Also running in the race is former Obama-era U.S. ambassador Dan Baer. A re-election bid by the popular Perlmutter could cripple those campaigns.” Full story. (The Denver Post has reaction from the Democratic primary field here.)

HIGHLY IMPORTANT — “Marijuana politics emerge as 2020 flashpoint” by Carla Marinucci: “Marijuana legalization just moved from the fringes of the last presidential campaign to center stage in 2020. Between a sweeping new package of legislation introduced last week by one of the top Democratic presidential prospects and, on the other end of the spectrum, Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ vigorous opposition to recreational use of marijuana, the debate over legalization of cannabis is about to receive a full airing on the presidential campaign trail. … While Bernie Sanders also supported medicinal use of marijuana and the decriminalization of recreational marijuana, drug policy stayed on the outskirts of the 2016 presidential debate, and growing action at the state level was barely acknowledged. Tom Angell, chairman of Marijuana Majority, a bipartisan nonprofit advocacy group, said New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker’s introduction of “the farthest-reaching bill ever proposed” will have a catalytic effect on the politics of legalized marijuana and the myriad criminal justice issues related to it.” Full story.

LINE IN THE SAND — “Megadonor Steyer vows to only back candidates that support abortion rights” by Gabriel Debenedetti: “Democratic mega-donor Tom Steyer said on Saturday that he and his NextGen America group do not intend to work on behalf of anti-abortion politicians, jumping into the Democratic Party’s debate on the topic. “We’re pro-choice,” the hedge fund manager-turned-activist told POLITICO on the sidelines of the progressive Netroots Nation conference here. Asked if his group would help candidates or sitting lawmakers who don’t support abortion rights, he said, “We do not work for a single candidate who is not pro-choice. I think people like to have litmus tests. We are explicitly pro-choice. We work a lot with Planned Parenthood, we work a lot with NARAL. We are absolutely committed to it.” Full story.

MORE STAFFING — Rauner hires former Johnson campaign manager Betsy Ankney: NBC Chicago reported on Sunday that Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner, whose campaign is set to spend record amounts, has hired Betsy Ankney, best known for running Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson’s upset victory over Democrat Russ Feingold in 2016, an effort she won a campaign manager of the year award for from the American Association of Political Consultants. Full story.

CODA — QUOTE OF THE DAY: “The stakes are very high in September” — Tea Party Patriots chairman Jenny Beth Martin in a POLITICO story on the Trump administration’s agenda for September.

Original Source link

source https://capitalisthq.com/missouris-10m-man/ from CapitalistHQ http://capitalisthq.blogspot.com/2017/08/missouris-10m-man.html

[everettwilkinson]

Missouri’s $10M man

With Scott Bland

The following newsletter is an abridged version of Campaign Pro’s Morning Score. For an earlier morning read on exponentially more races — and for a more comprehensive aggregation of the day’s most important campaign news — sign up for Campaign Pro today. (http://www.politicopro.com/proinfo)

Story Continued Below

CAMPAIGN IN WAITING — “Sources: Club for Growth raises $10M for Hawley,” by Campaign Pro’s Kevin Robillard: “The Club for Growth has raised $10 million to support a Senate run by Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley, two Republicans with knowledge of the group’s fundraising said. The 37-year-old Hawley, who has formed an exploratory committee but has not yet officially entered the race against Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill, is the establishment Republican pick for the race. The Club for Growth and other prominent Republican outside groups have expressed excitement about his candidacy, and McCaskill is considered one of the Senate’s most vulnerable Democrats. One major donor pledged to match millions of dollars in donations earmarked for Hawley, and the Club has been collecting donations against that pledge, the two Republican sources said.”

— “Hawley, who was educated at Stanford and Yale and clerked for Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, was a favorite of big national donors during his run for Attorney General in 2016. Tamko Building Products CEO David Humphreys and his sister Sarah Atkins combined to give $4 million to Hawley’s 2016 state campaign, and a number of other Republican megadonors chipped in thousands, including Richard Uihlein, Randy Kendrick and Darwin Deason.” Full story.

NOT INDIANA NICE — “The slugfest underway between Republican Reps. Luke Messer and Todd Rokita in Indiana isn’t just for the right to compete for possibly the GOP’s best opportunity to seize a Senate seat from Democrats in next year’s midterms. It’s a chance to finally settle the score between two ambitious pols who’ve been vying to outdo one another politically since they graduated from the same small college more than 25 years ago. Yes, this one is personal. Their campaign didn’t officially get underway until last week, but Messer, 48, has already accused Rokita of attacking his wife and ‘spreading lies’ about his record. Rokita, 47, has questioned his rival’s mental health, calling Messer ‘unhinged’ and a ‘ticking time bomb.’”

— “More than a dozen professional colleagues and personal acquaintances painted the hostility between Rokita and Messer as the product of three decades of pent-up rivalry. The two men have climbed Indiana’s political ladder alongside each other for years and even attended the same small, all-male Wabash College together in the early 1990s — a school whose unofficial motto, a former dean noted with a touch of irony, is ‘competition without malice.’ … Over the years, Messer has enjoyed the full embrace of Indiana’s political elite, which appointed him to a seat in the state legislature and embraced him as part of its leadership. That same elite has always kept Rokita at bay.” Full story.

ONE DAY ‘TIL PRIMARIES — Curtis 31, Herrod 23, Ainge 15 in UT-03 poll, via the Deseret News’ Lisa Riley Roche: “Provo Mayor John Curtis continues to lead former state lawmaker Chris Herrod and political newcomer Tanner Ainge in the 3rd Congressional District GOP primary, according to a poll released Thursday. The UtahPolicy.com poll comes as spending by so-called super political action committees supporting Herrod or Ainge approaches $1 million. Curtis is the main target of the advertising, which many have described as largely negative. … Just over one-fourth of the voters — 26 percent — said they remain undecided in the three-way race for the GOP nomination.” Full story.

MORE MOORE — “The GOP rebel threatening to snag Sessions’ Senate seat” by POLITICO’s Seung Min Kim: “Roy Moore lacks the war chest of two chief rivals in his bid to become the next senator from Alabama. He didn’t land the coveted endorsement of President Donald Trump, and doesn’t enjoy the advantages of incumbency. Yet the controversial former state Supreme Court justice is coasting over his Republican challengers in Tuesday’s closely watched GOP Senate primary. Moore is set to easily secure a place in a September runoff, as the establishment-backed Sen. Luther Strange and Rep. Mo Brooks scrape for the second spot. … ‘I resent people from Washington, raising money in Washington, and sending negative ads to Alabama and trying to control the vote of the people,’ Moore said in an interview after a GOP executive committee meeting here. ‘If the Washington crowd wants somebody, the people of Alabama generally don’t.'” Full story.

Days until the 2017 election: 85.

Days until the 2018 election: 449.

Thanks for joining us! You can email tips to the Campaign Pro team at sbland@politico.com, eschneider@politico.com, krobillard@politico.com, dstrauss@politico.com and mseverns@politico.com

You can also follow us on Twitter: @politicoscott, @ec_schneider, @politicokevin, @danielstrauss4 and @maggieseverns.

CHARLOTTESVILLE REACTIONS — NRSC Chair and Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner, on Twitter: “Mr. President – we must call evil by its name. These were white supremacists and this was domestic terrorism. Praying for those hurt & killed today in Charlottesville. This is nothing short of domestic terrorism & should be named as such.”

— Alabama Sen. Luther Strange, on Twitter: “We as Americans must stand together in opposition to those who encourage hate or promote violence. I stand with President Trump and leaders from both parties condemning these actions.”

— Virginia Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, on CNN: “The governor and I have made it very clear to white supremacists and other groups such as that, that they’re not wanted in Virginia. And we strongly encouraged them … to go home and don’t come back.”

— Virginia GOP gubernatorial nominee Ed Gillespie in a statement: “Having a right to spew vile hate does not make it right. It is painful to see these ugly events in Charlottesville last night and today.”

— Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, in a statement: “Virginia has come so far in recent decades to put division behind us. … The fact that people like David Duke cited the President to justify their views is a disturbing reminder that divisive rhetoric has sadly contributed to a climate where individuals who espouse hate feel emboldened.

— Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chair and Virginia GOP Senate candidate Corey Stewart: “Democrats and the media never denounce the violence perpetrated by the unhinged left. Antifa is simply answering the call for violence in the streets by Loretta Lynch, so it’s no wonder Tim Kaine refuses to denounce his son’s participation in fascist Antifa riots, even as he exhorts leftists to ‘fight in the streets.’”

NEW THIS A.M. — Super PAC backing Kelli Ward launches ad against Sen. Jeff Flake: “Once again Arizona conservatives are sold out by our senators plotting with liberals on amnesty and blocking Trump’s conservative agenda,” the ad’s narrator says, before introducing “pro-America conservative Kelli Ward” and saying that “if Dr. Ward were in the Senate today, Obamacare would be repealed.” Kelli PAC is paying over $100,000 to air the ad on broadcast and cable TV after taking in a big donation from Trump megadonor Robert Mercer recently. Watch the ad here.

— STAFFING UP — “2 Trump backers join Flake opponent Kelli Ward’s campaign,” the Associated Press reports: “A political operative who helped raise millions of dollars to support President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign is joining the U.S. Senate campaign of former Arizona state Sen. Kelli Ward. Thursday’s announcement that Great America PAC founder Eric Beach was joining Ward’s primary campaign to unseat Republican Sen. Jeff Flake comes a day after another Trump supporter, Robert Mercer, donated $300,000 to Ward’s super-PAC.The political action committee Beach founded was independent but raised more than $28 million to back Trump. The announcement said Great America PAC executive director Brent Lowder is also joining Ward’s campaign.” Full story.

UN-RETIREMENT WATCH — “Rep. Ed Perlmutter is reconsidering a re-election bid,” by ColoradoPolitics.com’s Peter Marcus: “Multiple sources confirmed that after Perlmutter was approached by constituents and fellow colleagues in Congress about a re-election campaign, he began reconsidering running for re-election.” Perlmutter had declared he would retire after dropping out of the governor’s race. “Several Democrats have been running to replace Perlmutter in a tightly contested primary, including state Sens. Andy Kerr of Lakewood and Dominick Moreno of Commerce City, and state Rep. Brittany Pettersen, also of Lakewood. Also running in the race is former Obama-era U.S. ambassador Dan Baer. A re-election bid by the popular Perlmutter could cripple those campaigns.” Full story. (The Denver Post has reaction from the Democratic primary field here.)

HIGHLY IMPORTANT — “Marijuana politics emerge as 2020 flashpoint” by Carla Marinucci: “Marijuana legalization just moved from the fringes of the last presidential campaign to center stage in 2020. Between a sweeping new package of legislation introduced last week by one of the top Democratic presidential prospects and, on the other end of the spectrum, Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ vigorous opposition to recreational use of marijuana, the debate over legalization of cannabis is about to receive a full airing on the presidential campaign trail. … While Bernie Sanders also supported medicinal use of marijuana and the decriminalization of recreational marijuana, drug policy stayed on the outskirts of the 2016 presidential debate, and growing action at the state level was barely acknowledged. Tom Angell, chairman of Marijuana Majority, a bipartisan nonprofit advocacy group, said New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker’s introduction of “the farthest-reaching bill ever proposed” will have a catalytic effect on the politics of legalized marijuana and the myriad criminal justice issues related to it.” Full story.

LINE IN THE SAND — “Megadonor Steyer vows to only back candidates that support abortion rights” by Gabriel Debenedetti: “Democratic mega-donor Tom Steyer said on Saturday that he and his NextGen America group do not intend to work on behalf of anti-abortion politicians, jumping into the Democratic Party’s debate on the topic. “We’re pro-choice,” the hedge fund manager-turned-activist told POLITICO on the sidelines of the progressive Netroots Nation conference here. Asked if his group would help candidates or sitting lawmakers who don’t support abortion rights, he said, “We do not work for a single candidate who is not pro-choice. I think people like to have litmus tests. We are explicitly pro-choice. We work a lot with Planned Parenthood, we work a lot with NARAL. We are absolutely committed to it.” Full story.

MORE STAFFING — Rauner hires former Johnson campaign manager Betsy Ankney: NBC Chicago reported on Sunday that Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner, whose campaign is set to spend record amounts, has hired Betsy Ankney, best known for running Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson’s upset victory over Democrat Russ Feingold in 2016, an effort she won a campaign manager of the year award for from the American Association of Political Consultants. Full story.

CODA — QUOTE OF THE DAY: “The stakes are very high in September” — Tea Party Patriots chairman Jenny Beth Martin in a POLITICO story on the Trump administration’s agenda for September.

Original Source link

from CapitalistHQ.com https://capitalisthq.com/missouris-10m-man/

[junker-town]

How long has it been since each college team's last 1st-round NFL draft pick?

If you're not Iowa State, there's a good chance your team's at least had one since 1973.

College football is one of America's least balanced sports. The landscape has clear haves and have-nots, with national championships reserved for a few recruiting powers.

But in the realm of the NFL Draft, almost every major program has gotten a taste of the top. Some programs churn out far more draftees than others, but all but two Power 5 programs have had a first-round draft pick since 2005. Indiana's been in a rut since 1994, and Iowa State's has lasted since 1973. Neither will end this year, but there's always hope for the future.

Here's how the country stacks up in recency of first-round selections, by conference:

SEC

Team Year Player Georgia 2016 Leonard Floyd, Bears LB Alabama 2016 Ryan Kelly, Colts OL Texas A&M 2016 Germain Ifedi, Seahawks OL Florida 2016 Two players Ole Miss 2016 Three players Kentucky 2015 Bud Dupree, Steelers LB Missouri 2015 Shane Ray, Broncos DL Tennessee 2014 Ja'Wuan James, Dolphins OL South Carolina 2014 Jadeveon Clowney, Texans DL LSU 2014 Odell Beckham Jr., Giants WR Auburn 2014 Dee Ford, Chiefs DL Mississippi State 2012 Fletcher Cox, Eagles DL Vanderbilt 2008 Chris Wlliams, Bears OL Arkansas 2008 Two players

Every team in the SEC has had someone go in the first round over the past nine drafts, and 11 of 14 have had a first rounder in just the past three drafts. That's an impressive run, and it's in line with the SEC's significant recruiting advantage.

Ole Miss didn't have any first-rounders between Michael Oher in 2009 and its trio last year. In other news, Ole Miss is now in significant trouble with the NCAA.

ACC

Team Year Player Clemson 2016 Shaq Lawson, Bills DL Florida State 2016 Jalen Ramsey, Jaguars DB Louisville 2016 Sheldon Rankins, Saints DL Miami 2016 Artie Burns, Steelers DB Notre Dame* 2016 Two players Wake Forest 2015 Kevin Johnson, Texans DB Duke 2015 Laken Tomlinson, Lions OL North Carolina 2014 Eric Ebron, Lions TE Pitt 2014 Aaron Donald, Rams DL Virginia Tech 2014 Kyle Fuller, Bears DB Syracuse 2013 Justin Pugh, Giants OL Boston College 2012 Luke Kuechly, Panthers LB Georgia Tech 2010 Two players Virginia 2009 Eugene Monroe, Jaguars OL NC State 2006 Three players

Most of the ACC gets a hack in pretty often.

Georgia Tech not having recent first-rounders is understandable, because the Jackets run a triple-option offense that doesn't exactly dazzle NFL evaluators. NC State's been on the schneid for a full decade's worth of drafts, after that explosion in 2006.

*: I know.

Big Ten

Team Year Player Michigan State 2016 Jack Conklin, Titans OL Ohio State 2016 Five players Wisconsin 2015 Melvin Gordon, Chargers RB Iowa 2015 Brandon Scherff, Washington OL Michigan 2014 Taylor Lewan, Titans OL Illinois 2012 Whitney Mercilus, Texans LB/DE Purdue 2011 Ryan Kerrigan, Washington LB Nebraska 2011 Prince Amukamara, Giants DB Penn State 2010 Jared Odrick, Dolphins DL Rutgers 2010 Two players Maryland 2009 Darrius Heyward-Bey, Raiders WR Minnesota 2006 Laurence Maroney, Patriots RB Northwestern 2005 Luis Castillo, Chargers DL Indiana 1994 Thomas Lewis, Giants WR

One of these is not like the others.

The Big Ten has generally had at least two teams per year with first-round picks for the last several years, although it's been a decade since Minnesota and Northwestern had someone taken in the first.

But the real outlier is Indiana, which trails all Power 5 teams except for Iowa State. But it's not like the Hoosiers haven't had NFL talent. Even though they haven't landed many blue-chip high school recruits, they've sent really good players to the pros, including a bunch of second-to-fourth-rounders. Tackle Rodger Saffold went 33rd to the Rams in 2010, just one spot outside the first round. Tackle Jason Spriggs got close last year, going 48th to the Packers.

Ohio State's draft in 2016 was the best ever by a college program.

Big 12

Team Year Player West Virginia 2016 Karl Joseph, Raiders DB TCU 2016 Josh Doctson, Washington WR Baylor 2016 Corey Coleman, Browns WR Texas 2015 Malcom Brown, Patriots DL Oklahoma State 2014 Justin Gilbert, Browns DB Oklahoma 2013 Lane Johnson, Eagles OL Texas Tech 2009 Michael Crabtree, 49ers WR Kansas State 2009 Josh Freeman, Buccaneers QB Kansas 2008 Aqib Talib, Buccaneers DB Iowa State 1973 George Amundson, Oilers RB

It isn't surprising that Iowa State would be the least recent school to have a first-round pick out of the Big 12, but there is still a wild difference between the Cyclones and their peers.

No Power 5 team is even within 20 years of Iowa State's dry spell on the first-round pick circuit, and unlike the next-closest team (Indiana), the Cyclones haven't had a lot of mid-round picks to make up for it. Tackle Kelechi Osemele went 60th to the Ravens in 2012, making him the sixth-highest picked Cyclone ever and the highest since 1990. Amundson is the only first-rounder in program history, and the team that picked him doesn't exist with the same name. After 1990, just four Cyclones have gone in the first three rounds.

Pac-12

Team Year Player Oregon 2016 DeForest Buckner, 49ers DL UCLA 2016 Kenny Clark, Packers DL Cal 2016 Jared Goff, Rams QB Stanford 2016 Joshua Garnett, 49ers OL Washington 2015 Three players USC 2015 Two players Arizona State 2015 Damarious Randall, Packers DB Washington State 2014 Deone Bucannon, Cardinals DB Oregon State 2014 Brandin Cooks, Saints WR Utah 2013 Star Lotulelei, Panthers DL Colorado 2011 Two players Arizona 2008 Antoine Cason, Chargers DB

No one here's had too much trouble getting on the board. Goff, in 2016, became Cal's first-ever first-overall pick. Other than Cal, the teams that had first-rounders in 2016 rarely go more than a year or two without one.

All the non-power schools who have had first-rounders since Iowa State's last one

Team Year Player Houston 2016 William Jackson III, Bengals DB North Dakota State 2016 Carson Wentz, Eagles QB Memphis 2016 Paxton Lynch, Broncos QB Louisiana Tech 2016 Vernon Butler, Panthers DL Connecticut 2015 Byron Jones, Cowboys DB UCF 2015 Brashad Perriman, Ravens WR Buffalo 2014 Khalil Mack, Raiders LB Northern Illinois 2014 Jimmie Ward, 49ers DB BYU 2013 Ezekiel Ansah, Lions DL Central Michigan 2013 Eric Fisher, Raiders OL Boise State 2012 Two players Temple 2011 Muhammad Wilkerson, Jets DL Fresno State 2010 Ryan Mathews, Chargers RB Idaho 2010 Mike Iupati, 49ers OL USF 2010 Jason Pierre-Paul, Giants DL East Carolina 2008 Chris Johnson, Titans RB Troy 2008 Leodis McKelvin, Bills DB UAB 2005 Roddy White, Falcons WR Miami (OH) 2004 Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers QB Tulane 2004 J.P. Losman, Bills QB Western Michigan 2004 Jason Babin, Texans DL Marshall 2003 Byron Leftwich, Jaguars QB Hawaii 2002 Ashley Lelie, Broncos WR New Mexico 2000 Brian Urlacher, Bears LB San Diego State 1998 Kyle Turley, Saints OL Toledo 1993 Dan Wlliams, Broncos DL Colorado State 1987 Kelly Stouffer, Cardinals QB SMU 1986 Two players Nevada 1984 Two players Texas State 1984 Ricky Sanders, Patriots WR San Jose State 1983 Gill Byrd, Chargers DB Rice 1980 Earl Cooper, 49ers RB/DB Tulsa 1977 Steve August, Seahawks OL Wyoming 1976 Two players

Iowa State's in a difficult position. The Cyclones are the No. 2 program in a Midwestern state without much elite talent to begin with. In fact, they're smack dab in the middle of a region that's pretty far away from most of the best players. But they're in the same region as NDSU, which just had the No. 2 overall pick in 2016 despite also being an FCS team.

[icharchivist]

Who are your top 5 favorite Disney princess's and top 5 princes (wide range accepted. Even Lion King Nala (who actually is official) and Atlantis Lost Empire Milo (who alongside Kida should be)?

oooOOH WHAT A HARD QUESTION

it changes all the time and the fact i hadn’t watched a lot of those movies in a long time might make it more complicated top ahah

Okay so! 

Princesses:

1) Ariel - it was my childhood’s favorite and rn after seeing the movie again my love for her had been restarted all over again2) Kida - another childhood fav and i love her so much3) Cinderella - honestly i love her with spite bc people are so harsh on her. And thematically wise i love her so m u ch 4) Rapunzel - She’s sweet and an angel and i love her5) Tiana - She’s soo inspiring she’s great. 

(idk if Esmeralda, Nani or Megara count at all with the princess label but i want to mention her bc i love her somuch dkhfd if they count though i put Meg as 4 because MEG IS SO COOL and she has the best song, ‘nough said) 

Princes: 

1) Eric - Best prince since 1990s. Same as Ariel though i’m currently too emotional over him ahah2) MILO SINCE I CAN. HE’S A BLESSING. I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT HIM SO MUCH. 3) Aladdin - He’s genuinely sweet and cute 4) Naveen - i hadn’t watched TPATF in a long time but i love his development and he’s such a goal he’s so cute.5) Eugene - he’s a sweetheaaart i love him v much 

(again for non-prince per se, David from Lilo and Stitch is SO GOOD and so is Jim from Treasure Planet, they’re amazing and i love them.)

djfhd but yeah i hadn’t seen a lot of those movies in soooo long so i feel like my feelings for either could be restarted at any point even more than before. 

Honestly my tops change all the time with Disney xD But that should be a proper top for today feeling at least?? 

Take care! :3c