#I stopped quoting your interesting bits because I'm lazy

[hyacinth42-blog]

Oh wow, thanks for typing all this up. I find it fascinating.

I will say I read the “used the girl I liked as a beard” as more of a violation of bro code rather than creepy incel logic. Like, going after the girl your brother likes is a dick move, an even bigger dick move when you don’t even like her at all. It didn’t sound like Bryon put any blame on the girl or claim she would’ve gone with him if it weren’t for Tristan.

Byron views this as doing Tristan a favour, rather than the bare minimum one should expect from their brother.

Oooh, I had not considered it from this angle. You are absolutely correct about this. Also I get that Tristan isn’t malicious, but his lack of malice in it all just makes it worse imo. But I can see how one could claim that his lack of malice makes him less of a ‘bad person’. 

I do find it funny that you can handwave some of his behavior as “Wildbow moments” - but I know what you mean (there are many such moments). And I totally agree with the Doyalist analysis of the whole thing (lakesbian pointed out that argument and I can’t argue with that).

I disagree on the self-harm being a contributor to survival given that Tristan never tells anyone about it, which seems completely unreasonable of him. I honestly don’t get the impression that Bryon ever planned on taking over. He never felt guilty about attacking Tristan because his intention was to *win* something once, not to kill him. He clearly hated Tristan and his situation, but he never gave off the impression that he’d go that far. Heck, the day that Tristan imprisoned him Bryon was actually feeling better about their situation and like they were actually working together for once. 

Honestly, for all of Bryon’s mental illness and inferiority complex, it seems like Tristan had some paranoia even before lying about his brother’s death. I assume that’s why he constantly tried to be friends with everyone and still thought that he “had no allies” despite everyone loving him (although I can see how being a closeted gay probably leant to being paranoid about such things).

Yeah, like I said. I’m “an autistic, introverted ace who was bullied and had very few friends“ - so to me I just see Bryon as being emotionally abused by his brother, trying to fight back against his abuser (lethal force is bad, but I don’t blame him for becoming violent any more than I blame Taylor for punching Emma. But yeah killing is bad), and ultimately still getting abused by his brother. But thank you for providing your perspective, really helps me understand it. I see the horror of being forced to have sex rather than specifically gay sex - but I get what you mean about that being Wildbow nonsense. Because the whole thing is some Wildbow nonsense of the poor hetero brother being abused by his gay brother.

I’m sorry that the Reddit fandom made you feel othered. I haven’t gotten to the part where he makes Amy irredeemable, but I always felt bad for her in Worm. Uhh, Legend was cool? It was nice that he was just a throw away mention of gay (the same way you’d make a throw away mention to a straight person’s wife) rather than making it his whole thing and evil about it.

I know the common reaction on here is to hate Bryon and love Tristan. But I honestly just can't do it.

Like, I can see that Bryon is an asshole, and that Tristan is a homophobic strawman, but idk, I still just greatly dislike Tristan. Maybe it's because I'm an autistic, introverted ace who was bullied and had very few friends that I can't help but feel bad for Bryon. He's just so pathetic and wet (literally).

I feel bad that whenever Bryon managed to get a group of friends, Tristan would swoop in, ingratiate himself, and then turn them against Bryon. Like, that's just so fucking evil. Not deserving of death (jesus christ Bryon), but hey man wtf.

And I get it, Moonsong was a transphobic, homophobic cunt. But she was the one person who seemed to like Bryon more than Tristan (for unfortunate reasons), so I don't blame the teenager for convincing himself "I can fix her" when it's quite obvious he can't.

Tristan's whole, "If I can't have sex or drink myself into a coma what else is there to live for?" made me want to slap him. Like touch grass dude, pick up a book, get a hobby, stop being a shithead. And then he had the audacity to tell Bryon, "You were hurting yourself and I was afraid you'd go too far". Motherfucker, TELL SOMEONE! Who the actual fuck can see their sibling hurting themselves and then just not say anything to anyone?

I hate feeling like I have 'reddit brain' instead of y'alls clearly superior tumblr opinions. But I just can't understand Tristan apologizers (outside of acknowledging that it's super inappropriate to make the one gay guy the one who only cares about sex and drugs and doesn't care about consent - but that's not really being an "apologizer").

[slice-0f-anime]

Young RinHaru is everything

I know this is my first post on this blog but it isn't my first time ranting, so buckle up and hear me out!

Also, disclaimer: my ships are my ships, and your ships are yours. If you're a MakoHaru or SouRin or basically anything but a RinHaru shipper, I respect you, and hope that you'll respect me in turn, so please don't attack me for my opinions ty!

Genuinely. What. Is up with Haru and Rin in the Free! movie about their youth??? "High Speed! Free! Starting Days!"????

Guys, it took me the longest time ever to even bring myself to watch that movie for 2 different reasons: 1) Rin was not in it, and 2) Someone on Reddit said it was very MakoHaru coded.

It's pretty obvious by the name of the post but I don't ship MakoHaru. Yes they have cute moments sometimes that melt my heart, but overall Haru takes Makoto for granted pretty often, and it only really hit him that he might lose his friend when Makoto said he was going to uni in Tokyo. Anyways, that's unrelated since I'm trying to talk about the movie, but yeah I really only see them as best friends that support each other.

Getting back to the main point, I really wasn't interested in watching a movie that not only didn't have my favorite shark in it, but also heavily featured a ship I didn't like. Then I decided those were pathetic reasons not to watch it, and the prospect of seeing young Makoto won me over.

And then I watched it. And.

Why didn't anybody tell me that despite the fact that Rin isn't even in this movie, the fact that he isn't there is driving the entire main conflict for Haru??? It was actually a crazy surprise, I wasn't expecting that at all and I was genuinely shook by it. Nearly the whole movie, Haru is plagued by loneliness and doesn't even realize he's lonely until Ikuya breaks down. And then he acknowledges that without Rin there, he was literally struggling. So much to the point that he hallucinated Rin being there and swimming with him. Nevermind the fact that Rin was in the same school as him for maybe 3 months, he had this big of an impact and it shows. Basically a lot of the movie was Haru being sad that Rin was gone, and he still angsts over him until episode 1 when Rin is back from Australia.

Also, his reaction to Rin's letter was so cute, and the letter itself killed me because it's so clearly a confession, one that Haru basically reciprocated. I know Japan likes censorship but oh my god Sousuke was trying to say it was a confession letter without saying it, because he said stuff like "you can see where Rin originally wrote you" and "it was one-sided like he wasn't expecting a response" (don't hold me to these, I'm a bit lazy to get the exact quotes).

You know when people do that? In CONFESSION LETTERS. And then Haru was like I want to be like you too Rin. And then I hear that this is MakoHaru coded? I mean the pool scene was cute but I wouldn't file this under the Makoharu folder just yet. I think it's one of those that goes under into the Undecided, along with Eternal Summer. I do think it's pretty obvious that the creators endgame was RinHaru though, considering what unfolded in The Final Stroke movie. I'm glad too, they finally stopped teasing millions of different ships for the sake of the fanbase, and just stuck to one.

It's pretty clear that people's ships definitely color their summary of events, seeing as the Reddit person told me this was MakoHaru without at all mentioning Rin. I do that often too, it's hard to not do so when you have an opinion, so the next best thing is to respect opinions :)

Thanks for listening to me rant about a ship I like lol, and if you wanna scream with me about RinHaru or other anime related things, feel free to hit up the dm!

[nataliescatorccio]

🎊 NEW YEARS CLEAN-UP 🎊

rules: unburden yourself from the abandoned WIPS collecting dust in your folder and share 5 gifs, then tag five people.

thank you so much riya (@thebookluvrr1816) for tagging me!

so what's maybe different about my giffing process is that i actually rarely abandon gifsets. like if i start making it, i'm locked in, i have to finish and get the idea out my brain. on the rare occasion i don't finish a set, then i'll readapt any gifs i made for another set (but i could actually only find one instance of a set that i had abandoned this year, and i'd adapted it for another set instead). so this is a selection of gifs that i either cut from a set as i had to narrow down choices, or an 'original' look at a gif before i changed it. because of that, i'm going to link the set it was made alongside or was adapted into for comparison!

this gif became altered for this kanej week + book to screen gifset. it originally started off as just a quote gifset. i started making this just after s2 dropped, but i think a mutual posted a set of kanej + this quote around the same time and i didn't want to be copying it so i ended up never finishing the set. when kanej week rolled around i ended up reusing the two gifs i made (this one + the one that became 'never stop fighting'), but damn, i did love this blue, and looking at it now i actually think this one came out better

2. an early version of my kanej week quotes set. i did several for this set with a gif inside the font, but i just really hated the way it looked overall, and at the last minute changed it. i still reused all the gifs i'd made though - you can see the two here in the second panel!

3. the original take on the third gif in this inej eps set. i ultimately changed it because i didn't like the blend, particularly that you couldn't see the knife being played with which is a moment i really wanted to include. but i do adore the yellow light shining on her as she's praying, there's something almost saintly about it, and wish i'd been able to incorporate it as i wanted to (please ignore the line it's just there because i gave up and never fixed it!)

4. a gif from this 'la vie en rose' ed and stede gifset. i thought the way they looked at each other with stede tilting his head was so cute, but ultimately i found blending the scenes a little messy and it didn't really match the other gifs/the lyrics so i cut it.

5. cut from this choni set, i basically cut this because there was a lot of movement in the scene and i wasn't happy with the colouring - they lean in to kiss and that meant there were a lot of issues with colouring layers overlapping skin and at that point i'd done a lot of frame-by-frame colouring and was feeling too lazy to do this one too.

there we go! this gives a bit of an insight into my giffing process too, it's always interesting how gifsets change as you continue to work on them to find what works, so hopefully this also provides a bit of before and after!

tagging some talented mutuals (but no pressure as always!): @ughmerlin, @crowley-anthony, @seance, @saws2004, @taiturner, @natscatorrcio, @morgana-pendragon, @singularities, @khaotunqs

[voidpunkanathema]

if not already asked, leon for the character ask :) basic but opinions vary!

(Also asked by @shinekittenace)

Why I like them: I fully expected this guy with his John Cena-esque go getter attitude and aggressively marketable ace to annoy the shit out of me, but the truth is is that hating Leon is like hating a puppy. You just can't. He's just a nice fuckin dude that wants to keep everyone safe even though he's just one man. There's also the fact that he's essentially a grown up ex-protagonist which the game delves into a little with his complicated emotions surrounding losing the title he's had since he was eleven by the end of the game and the fandom's done some FASCINATING psychological deep dives with. 

Why I don’t: I feel like GameFreak failed a bit with show don't tell with him. Some of the ways GameFreak try to make him seem really intelligent and capable are...a little on the nose to say the least. Like for instance him estimating how much Hop has grown during his introduction scene COULD be taken as a hint they don't get to see each other often but nah I really do suspect they wanted the kiddies to be like WOW THIS GUY IS SO SMART HE CAN DO MATH lol. I do kiiiind of suspect the fandom put more effort into analyzing the guy and the kind of havoc being a massive celebrity since the age of 11 can wreak on your personal life than GameFreak ever did but that's very much not a bad thing IMHO. I'm not one of those IF IT'S NOT STRICT CONFIRMED CANON IT'S OF THE DEVIL people (and honestly rather detest them) 

Favorite episode (scene if movie): I...don't think the Anime showcased the better sides of his personality well (he loses the protective streak and just kind of comes off like a self-absorbed manchild that everyone loves because he can defy basic Pokemon battle logic in the same way Ash can. He's a protagonist But Annoying This Time) so I'm not terribly interested in seeing more. 

Favorite season/movie: See above. 

Favorite line: Tbh I don't have one particular standout one immediately coming to mind and I'm feeling too lazy to go through his quotes page rn. His catchphrase IS fun to meme about I will say. 

Favorite outfit: He absolutely kills everything that's not the Sponsorship Cape tbh. The guy has GOOD fashion sense despite the memes, corporate was just holding him back. 

OTP: Raihan/Piers/Leon for reasons I already went into in the Raihan response lol (the vibes between him and Rai are interesting and pretty damn hard to deny but Piers is holding up 90% of my mental health on his bony little shoulders rn and also I wanna see him and Leon interact more) I'd also love he and Sonia to work thier shit out, they are cute as FUCK together in Pokespe 

Brotp: The platonic Raileon enjoyer strikes again. Id also certainly take he and Piers being bros too. Also he and Nemona would be absolutely insufferable together and I'd love to see it someday lol 

Head Canon: One thing that was inspired the anime and a certain infamous wall punching scene is that through no real fault of his own he and Raihan's relationship was actually dangerously close to fraying for a bit. He WANTS to be a good and supportive friend to his favorite person but he's gotten fame and empty adoration pretty much handed to him for long enough that he can't REALLY understand what's going on in Raihan's head, the immense pressure he's putting himself under and the frankly unhealthy behaviors he's starting to develop. It's gonna take the pressure of the championship being gone for Leon to stop being the impossible standard Raihan's harming himself with and start being an uncomplicated source of companionship again. On a brighter note he's a good enough guy that once he becomes Chairman he's gonna prove he deserves that position by taking steps to reverse Rose's power consolidation to make sure no one person can cause that much trouble for the nation of Galar again. He'll prove his worthiness to rule by NOT being a total corporate dictator. 

Unpopular opinion: I've bitched about finding him annoying in the anime enough so instead I'll say I actually don't mind how involved he was in the game plot, it's honestly kind of weird other adults HAVEN'T been like "why are we letting random ten year olds go into very dangerous situations unaccompanied" before if you think about it

A wish: The same as the others, I'd love to see him again IF he's not miserable or acting like an ass. 

An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen: Don't get lost in spacetime my neurodivergent king you've been through enough 🤞🤞🤞

5 words to best describe them: The tragedy of Superman, Pokemonned. 

My nickname for them: Lee suffices.

[imminent-danger-came]

Are there any clear parallels between Mei and Macaque other than they are/were the 'hero‘s closest friend'?

Like- MK and Wukong have similar storybeats and personality traits.

Same with Mei and Wukong.

(Even Azure and Mei have parallels. Containers for power. Azure‘s sword inspired her to make her own. There was a scene where they had the same battle ready pose. Azure‘s goal was to use the power of the emperor for something good, Mei thinks that power should be used for good whenever possible. Azure‘s first priority was trying to reunite the brotherhood, friends/family are very important to him too. Both willing to make sacrifices -like Wukong- to save the world, though Azure‘s method was admittedly less permanent than outright killing him.)

But other than the "Ugh, this guy." Facepalm Mei and Macaque did (at Ao Lie and Monkey King) in season 4, nothing springs to mind for me for this particular pair.

Macaque is cautious, Mei is the polar opposite of that. Macaque acts out of his own interest for the most part, for Mei, her friends (and the world) are priority.

Even looking at younger Macaque, from what little we‘ve seen, he was bit of a grouch, grumbling and half heartedly rolling his eyes at Wukong‘s antics. Whereas Mei is right there alongside MK being silly and goofing off.

(I‘m sorry for dragging the Warrior/Hero stuff back to the table, but with how often Mei is labeled as the Warrior in the fandom I would have thought there‘d be more. So I was wondering if I am just not very observant 😅)

First of all: never apologize for bringing up the Hero and the Warrior motif! I'd also like to thank you for your other thoughts, Azure and Mei parallels are always delicious.

Second of all: to quote my own Hero and Warrior meta, (mainly because I'm too lazy to rewrite anything):

"We know that the Warrior is someone who follows the hero, someone who is the moon to the Hero’s sun, someone who loves and looks up to the Hero. In this sense, the role of the Warrior is completely defined by the role of the Hero. [...] During the night, the Warrior is the moon that brings light to the world in the sun’s absence."

So, in regards to Mei being a Warrior to MK's Hero, I'd say she fits the bill pretty perfectly! "Together, there was nothing that could stop the two of them", and together MK and Mei are always going to be able to "figure it out". Even when MK isn't there or they're separated (particularly in 4x10), Mei and the gang are still going to step in and try and help (or be that light when the hero is absent).

Moving on: Mei and Macaque parallels.

I think the way Mei is treated by MK in s1-3 is reminiscent of both how Wukong treats MK during s2 and how Wukong treated Macaque in the past. MK ignores Mei—often letting his own reach for power affect his relationship with her, especially in episodes 1x06, 2x03, 2x06, and 3x03 (and honestly even 2x02). I'll just put shit MK does to Mei over Macaque dialogue lol:

Macaque: "Still the same Wukong—doing whatever he wants with no regard for others!" (3x14 Destiny Fulfilled)

-

Macaque: "Look Wukong, I get you're excited, I do! But- crossing the Jade Emperor's going to have consequences—aaannnd you're not even listening." (4x02 New Adventures) (Thank you 2x03 for stating that MK doesn't listen outright. We owe you a lot.)

-

Macaque: "Wukong didn't think so—he always felt he had to be stronger, more immortal." (4x11 A Lifetime of Mistakes)

-

Hopefully that demonstrates my point!

I'm also banking on whatever went down between Wukong and Macaque paralleling 3x10 (Ending with SWK choosing to leave Macaque while MK refused to leave Mei), but we'll have to see!

Ultimately however, I'd say that rather than parallels, Mei and Macaque are foils. They have some similarities, but there are also a lot of key differences between these two characters. Like anon mentioned, Macaque is cautious while Mei is foolhardy, Macaque looks out for himself while Mei works to protect others, Macaque prefers to watch and wait while Mei believes in taking action, Macaque turned against Wukong when Mei could never turn against MK.

But, in that same vein, I think they're in the process of becoming more like each other. Mei is learning to slow down and focus, to "harness the wild energies and emotions burning within" her—essentially to be more cautious. Macaque on the other hand is learning how to be a team player, and is starting to put himself on the line for other people:

While MK and Wukong have always been pretty similar/have made similar mistakes, it's interesting to watch their counterparts slowly become more like one another, but instead with their virtues.

Speaking of, Macaque's 2x07 line-

"As time went on, the hero obtained power beyond comprehension. As the hero’s light grew, so too did his shadow—and soon, the Warrior was cast into that shadow."

-has uh, started to worry me, mainly because I'd say that now, post-s4 MK has quite literally obtained power beyond comprehension:

And while 3x10 will always be important because of MK's choice to stay by Mei, I wonder if we're due for another ultimatum where MK doesn't make that right choice (*cough cough* he leaves in 4x08 mainly because he's afraid of hurting the people he cares about—something that is going to come back later *cough cough*). Or perhaps it's a role reversal, where Mei and the Gang have to decide whether or not to "abandon" MK (aka destroy the "harbinger of chaos", al la 3x04 Macaque Flashback).

[cocochannel00]

The Azoff Family: A Case Study on one of the Music Industry’s Most Connected Families

(ft. a breakdown of the Grammy voting process and problems)

This is very long so I will try and split it up into categories for everyone (sorry I got carried away- I spent like 2 hours writing this) but enjoy!

*Disclaimer: I want to preface while the majority of this is based in research, some parts may be speculation. I don’t know the family personally so I can’t tell you what goes on behind closed doors but I can tell you how parts of the entertainment/music industry work. I’ve had 5 internships in the industry (one in marketing at one of the big record labels) and the rest of my work is publicity (what I enjoy) and events and a former advisor used to run in the same circles as Irving Azoff (and he spilled some tea last year) I’m not out here to diminish the hard work of any artists or their teams, I’m simply here to showcase parts of the industry that aren’t always shown.*

Please also see: Story Time: How Fan Pages Directly Impact Columbia Records Decisions and Harry Styles Image

IRVING AZOFF: NEVER STOP THE GRIND

Let’s begin with the great business man himself Mr. Irving Azoff Irving Azoff is the literal posture child for connections and power in the music industry (he was also inducted into the 2020 rock and roll hall of fame class which is like a huge fucking deal for a manager to be inducted so you know he's the real deal)

In conclusion, I love Irving Azoff and his drive.

Irving Azoff: Early Years Run Down:

He came up middle class (dad was a pharmacist, mom a bookkeeper) in Danville, Illinois

He dropped out of college to run a small Midwestern concert-booking empire and managed local acts in the era

Opportunity came knocking and he got the chance to manage the Eagles and the rest is history

He's one of the best negotiators and has negotiated business on behalf of stars like Stevie Nicks, the Eagles, and Jimmy Buffet

Azoff has been an incredible manager and his drive to always advocate for his clients while basically not giving two sh*ts about what people think of him has gotten him the incredible reputation he has today.

All of Irving Azoff’s Major Job Positions:

Former President MCA (major label)

Former CEO of Ticketmaster and executive chairman of Live Nation Entertainment, the behemoth formed from Ticketmaster’s merger with Live Nation.

In 2013 he and Cablevision Systems Corp. CEO and New York Knicks owner James Dolan formed a partnership, Azoff MSG Entertainment (Currently still CEO)

----> Azoff also ran the Forum in Inglewood under Azoff MSG Entertainment after MSG purchased it in 2012 (it was sold in 2020 to the owner of the Clippers) — why do you think Harry played the forum for the Fine Line show? Azoff connection

Azoff MSG Entertainment encompasses all of the other companies including Full Stop Management, Global Music Rights (performance-rights org), and the Oak View Group (arena developing company)

He also is the co-founder and manager of the lobbying group Music Artists Coalition, a group that helps lobby for artists-rights issues such as royalty rates, copyright issue and healthcare insurance (see he's not all bad)

Essentially what I'm getting at is this man knows anybody who's anybody. He's the man you want on your team to help promote your music, plan your tour, and get you on that Grammy nom list.

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

JEFFREY AZOFF: THE CHILD OF NEPOTISM

So for those of you that don't know, Jeffery Azoff is Harry's current manager and the son of Irving Azoff (the third of four kids). He's currently a partner at Full Stop Management, the company owned by Irving and the one artists such as Harry, Haim, the Eagles, Kings of Leon, and Meghan Trainer are signed to.

Jeffrey graduated from the University of Colorado's Leeds School of Business and started working fresh out of college at his father's old Management company (Frontline Management) working under Maroon 5's manager Jordan Feldstein (the only way you get that kind of internship/job as a 21 year old fresh out of college is if your family or family friends gives it to you). He worked here for 5 years.

Direct Quote from Irving Azoff to Jeffrey (really tells you a lot): "Listen carefully, because I’m going to say this one time. You have a phone and you have my last name. If you can’t figure it out, you’re not my son."

After working for his father, Jeffrey moved on to the talent agency CAA (Creative Artist Agency) where he worked for roughly 3 and half years before joining his dad in forming Full Stop Management in 2016.

While he was at CAA, Irving moved over clients like Christina Aguilera and the Eagles to the talent agency to help with tour booking instead of doing it internally through LiveNation (he was CEO).

Even though I'm sure Jeff has had to work somewhat hard to get to where he is (or at least to mess up his dad's work as he doesn't seem like the type to take laziness well), the door into the industry and every job was basically handed to him on a silver platter.

Not to mention if you watch episodes of keeping up with the  kardashians (like myself) you can actually see Jeff hanging out with kendall and the rest of the fam at their Palm Springs house (you know you're a nepotism kid if you have an in with the Kardashian crew). Invite me next time Jeffrey!!!

Think of the Azoff's as the mafia family of the music industry, you don't mess with the mafia

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

THE GRAMMY AWARDS: STUDENT COUNCIL ELECTIONS ON STEROIDS

Ok so here's where we’re going to get into a bit more of the speculation/grey area. I don't need to tell you that award shows are corrupt (See the Golden Globes Emily in Paris scandal) and the Grammys are not an exception. Think of the Grammys as one big student council/government elections where despite the fact the teachers tell you six times to vote for the best candidate, you're still going to vote for your friends even if they aren't the best.

A simplified break-down of Grammy voting:

1) Recording Academy voting members (artists, producers, musicians- anyone involved first hand with the creation of music; All voting members must have been producers, performers or engineers on six or more tracks of a commercially released album (or 12 or more digital tracks) and record labels will submit nominations in various categories to the grammys (songs need to be released commercially between October 1 of the previous year and September 30th of this year). You can also become a voting member by either winning a grammy or being endorsed by a current voting member (hint hint)

2) Once received, the recording academy with have the academy of trustees and its reviewers organize them and approve any changes to the 30 categories/fields (aka they can add new categories or remove old ones; so no best ukulele album of the year -- this is where things get funky)

There's speculation that during this stage when these special groups of 8-10 people are organizing genres, there's an "unwritten rule" that you need to be careful what album you green light (especially for famous artists) if you don't want them to win) (Rob Kenner said this- he used to be on one of these committees). Famous people tend to get more votes from clueless or lay Academy members that don't know the specialized categories or don't care enough to listen to songs that aren't radio trending.

3) After the nominations occur, Voting members begin their first voting. Members can vote for the four general categories of record of the year, album of the year, song of the year and best new artist and a maximum of 15 categories, all within their areas of expertise. Now the interesting thing is that while these are the guidelines there is literally nothing stopping them from voting in whatever categories they want (i.g. a rapper voting in the opera category despite not listening to opera). Theses ballots are all tallied and the top 20 entries are determined in each category (funky moment #2)

In 12 of the 84 categories those top 20 go to the ballot and it's done; for the rest it’s not like that. 59 categories including the big four go to a "nomination review committees" (identities are protected so they can't get lobbied... sure) who take a look at the top 20 and narrow it down to 7 or 8. (these are the special committees the Weekend talked about when he was snubbed). They're supposed to choose the nominees "based solely on the artistic and technical merits of the eligible recordings" which lets be real if that was the case Watermelon Sugar (along with most of the others in the category) I don't think would have been nomimated as they are very generic pop (none of them are special... sorry to the WM lovers out there).

This committee is basically held to THE HONOR CODE SYSTEM... I mean tell me when the last time the honor code system worked in literally any scenario (literally wtf). Don't take my word for it though the former CEO of the Academy Deborah Dugan (a queen) filed a complaint against the Recording Academy basically claiming that the nomination review process was rigged (she was fired after 5 months on the job).

Quote from Deborah Dugan "Members of the board [of trustees] and the secret committees chose artists with whom they have personal or business relationships... It is not unusual for artists who have relationships with Board members and who ranked at the bottom of the initial 20-artist list to end up receiving nominations."

These review committees can also exploit there power by adding up to two nominees that don't appear on the top 20 list to the final voting ballot (except in the 4 big categories - which watermelon sugar that one wasn't nominated for)

They also have craft committees for like non performance stuff (like album notes, engineering and arranging) that don't even get voted on by the academy voting members

4) After all of that fucked up mess, the grammy's decided is ok, the ballots go back to the voting members for the final vote. Deloitte (an accounting firm) then counts all of them, seals them in envelopes, and delivers them to the Grammy award show.

** The Grammy's just announced this year they're removing the "secret committees" so let's see how things shift in the next couple of years**

So obviously I'm not saying this to discredit Harry's nomination or his win as Fine Line was in the US top 20 albums for the majority of 2020, however, we must acknowledge privilege. Harry has a big name to him and a huge following, and while all of that shouldn't be taken into account, it does. He also has the Azoffs, a very well connected family with friends in lots of places that would be able to put in a good word here and there to get support behind Harry. Harry won best pop solo performance for Watermelon Sugar in a category with Doja Cat, Justin Bieber, Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, and Dua Lipa. Look at the names there, the songs (ya'll can try and remember them cause I'm too lazy to write it out) and tell me that those top names with all of the music produced didn't get there through some connections.

Do with all this information what you will and if you are interested in learning more about the entertainment industry on your own Endeavor (owners of WME, a big talent agency like CAA) is hosting a free online program called the Excellence Program to help guide the future generation of industry executives. The program is a-synchronous and starts on July 12th. Highly recommend giving it a go if you're interested!!!

Alright ya'll that's it. Feel free to message me with your thoughts!

Extra Sources if you'd like to read:

https://www.vice.com/en/article/pkdndn/how-grammys-voting-actually-works-and-where-the-alleged-corruption-lies

https://www.grammy.com/grammys/awards/voting-process

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2020-11-05/irving-azoff-eagles-manager

https://celebrityaccess.com/caarchive/jeffrey-azoff-exits-caa-to-launch-new-management-company/

https://www.rollingstone.com/pro/features/grammy-awards-secret-committees-945532/

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/grammy-awards-eliminate-secret-committees-voting-changes-1163887/

[pinktatertots99]

Jyugo, Uno, Qi and Liang for the 'give me a character and i'll answer with' thing please? :)

-spit takes- gegus, alrighty here tf we go

give me a character and i’ll answer

Jyugo

do I like them: yes he's a good boi

5 good qualities: good hearted, laid back, pretty eyes, really good at fighting somewhat, and nice lockpicking skills

3 bad qualities: tad insensitive, a bit too oblivious sometimes, aaaand uhhh -fuck uhhh what else?- is too mean to seitarou.

favourite episode/etc: fuck uhhh, anime wise it'd be the one where he opens up to uno on his whole situation. manga wise def chapter 138 "what they both need". but also chap 188 "healed scars"

otp: well damn jyugo/uno mostly it's the only one i've been into so far.

brotp: honestly just about everyone for the most part, jyugo's a good friend. think it's tied between rock and nico tho.

ot3: hmmmm, well fuck probably just the rest of his cellmates thats too hard to figure out.

notp: -looks at the hajime related one- not even gonna type the name of it in but you know.

best quote: "i'll face you properly, you and everything else. so don't shoulder everything on your own. don't try to do everything on your own anymore. stop pushing yourself. i can hear everyone of your words. i believe in you. after all you and i are the same" -chapter 138

head canon: besides the obvious autism hc i always have for my faves, i'll say he has a vague interest in rodents.

Uno

do I like them: well yeah he's a good boi too.

5 good qualities: pretty hair, open minded, good eyesight for details, intelligent, positive.

3 bad qualities: insensitive, weird around girls or the subject, jealousy.

favourite episode/etc: probably the new years tournament vs honey and trois. manga wise chapter 95 "i can't stand your face".

otp: -points to jyugo-

brotp: also jyugo but also mostly everyone.

ot3: honey and trois those three would be a funny disaster.

notp: -points to hajime...or any of the supervisors tbh-

best quote: "-but if it's too hard for you to tell me about that, then you don't have to talk. since i'm sure i'm not in the same situation as you. i don't always know what your thinking, so i can only go by your words. i'll wait patiently until then." - chapter 95

head canon: finds gordon ramsey overrated. [random i know lol]

Qi

do I like them: yeah he's cool.

5 good qualities: level headed, relaxed, good hearted, pretty eyes pls take off your glasses more often, and nice arms.

3 bad qualities: too laid back sometimes, pls sir take care of yourself more often instead of giving too much to others, a dick.

favourite episode/etc: the hachiman background in both anime and manga.

otp: qi/liang ftw man

brotp: inori definietly.

ot3: hmmmmm, something bout him samon and inori intrigues me. god poor samon having two annoyingly lazy boyfriends. -or fuji san and kusatsu i ALMOST FORGOT MY OLD MAN POLYCULE-

notp: -gestures to upa-

best quote: "that's not what makes me happy supervisor-san. it wasn't because i was honest. it was because you believed me." chapter 91 "cell 8 is scary when they're pissed off"

head canon: functional bisexual outta the other disaster bi/pan's of the cast. also his glasses are just for show and protect him when doing his chemistry.

Liang

do I like them: i mean yall seen my thirst posts, 'like' is an understatement.

5 good qualities: pretty everything, naive, slowly growing open minded, good taste in food, caring.

3 bad qualities: selfish, closed minded sometimes, tempermental.

favourite episode/etc: the one where he and rock chat after the new years tournament in both anime and manga.

otp: -points to qi-

brotp: rock

ot3: hmmmmmm, -looks at both rock and qi-...intriguing.

notp: -points to samon-

best quote: ‘the “freedom” rock talked about. i finally understand, what it means. i think “freedom” for me is being able to do something. or being able to accomplish something. you were the one who gave me that chance. jyugo, you have my thanks’ - chapter 82 “motive, chance, revenge” also “sorry, i was taught to never hold back” - chapter 83 “dance performance’

head canon: would be a pretty good baker.

[aarcanechaoss]

hiii I just recently read the bsd x haikyuu oc story and I can't express how giddy I got reading it IEHDIXHDIS is it okay if I request hcs of maybe how the team would react if a male member from another team (e.g terushima) hits on the girls and won't back off even after they say no? thank you sm!! I'm excited for the next chapters <33

Uh it is more than okay please request away! I hope this is okay I enjoyed writing this

Oda Sakunosuke: Oda is well aware the girls can take care of themselves, they’re more than meets the eye, but watching Tanaka try to make Higuchi swoon was getting increasingly more infuriating especially as she told him and quote “You aren’t my love go away” okay maybe a little more swearing blame the pinkette for that. As the Captain he felt he needed to step in- not to protect her no he has more faith in her than that but to steer her away and give a solid glare to the second year. Hopefully he gets the hint

Chuuya Nakahara: Chuuya has known Ryoko for a damn long time and he knows she’s pretty attractive, she’s tall, lean with light muscles and very smart what’s not to find at least cute. She’s got a mean streak and in honesty he’d probably leave her to deal with it but if it kept going and Tendo didn’t back off soon he was going to snap and use Corruption. Not unlike Oda he has faith in her but he’s also a cranky guy and that shits just plain annoying so good chance he’ll yell at them for not leaving her alone.

Osamu Dazai: Now while Dazai can seem aloof, crazy, bored or even high he’s actually very protective of the first years and Gin is like his little sister- sure he’s a bastard but it’s not like he has much say in what he does at the school. It was the middle of a game and Dazai was very ready to setter dunk the ball into Atsumu’s face. He may look calm and collected but if you look close enough you could see the gleam of irritation as he warned the opposing setter to stop before threatening to sick her brother on him.

Ichiyo Higuchi, Ryoko Fukami & Gin Akutagawa: while Higuchi and Ryoko don’t get along they are going to set aside their differences for things like this. Ryoko gets this shit enough Gin and Higuchi don’t need it either. Unlike the boys the girls threats are moreso promises- someone should really tell Yamamoto that before the knives come out to play because it looks like they are getting pretty mad- get the boys a throw down is about to occur!

Atsushi Nakajima: Atsushi can’t decide what’s worse seeing the girl you are crushing on (Gin) get hit on by Nishinoya or Higuchi trying to hit on the guy who doesn’t like you aka your crushes brother. Atsushi doesn’t like conflict so he’s more than likely going to get Ryunosuke and tell him what’s going on before going back, gently grabbing Gin’s hand and snickering as the second year rips into Nishinoya until his own team rushes over to see what’s wrong.

Ryunosuke Akutagawa: He doesn’t like people. That’s not a hardeharhar ey people suck okay maybe it is a little bit but he has no desire to have anything to do with relationships he’s still figuring himself out and he’s used to Higuchi’s pining but even still watching both her and his sister getting hit on by a couple boys from Itachiyama was making him fume. He’s definitely going to tell Dazai and ask if he can go use Rashoumon on them. He isn’t allowed to but at least he asked right? He’d wander over sneer very present on his face and not so kindly tell them to leave the girls alone.

Fyodor Dostoevsky: One might call him Ryoko Fukami’s best friend, (some have even suggested Chuuya was that) they tease and mock eachother and tolerate very little shit which makes them good teammates. Fyodor might be the manager and he might be a touch of a lazy bones but he’s efficient and on more than one occasion has threatened anyone from even daring flirt with Ryoko because unless you have genuine interest in her he finds it gross. Not that he cares (he does) if Oikawa happens to be scooting closer to her and invading her personal space and it’s not like he cornered him later before bed with threats and promises of missing body parts... I mean he told the coaches he was being odd Yep that’s it.

Junichiro Tanizaki: Junichiro might just be a first year but he is a big brother and the girls have in kind become sisters to him- we’ve seen how he is with Naomi in trouble now add Higuchi, Fukami and Gin into the mix you get psycho eyes. You know Hinata’s scary blank face yeah that on Junichiro what is this red heads are scary day? He’s used to seeing the girls get hit on on and off the court but it doesn’t make it any better especially if he can see when they start to get uncomfortable and he might just throw hands but you didn’t see anything.

And Bonus since Shiratorizawa’s manager Rika is also an OC

Shiratorizawa: Furious. She’s tiny and all those bastards are giants so imagine them standing around her while she’s getting more and more uncomfortable. She can defend herself yes but it gets overwhelming some days and let’s just say Ushijima is scary (we knew that) but did you know Semi was scarier?

[pens-swords-stuff]

Hey, I'm wondering if you have any advice on how to bring yourself to start writing when it feels difficult to?

Sorry for the late reply, I was being super lazy. Which brings me to my next point…

Do I have advice? Oh boy do I ever. I am absolutely terrible at actually sitting down and writing. So I have a lot of tips and tricks and how to get yourself to do it. The real problem is whether I actually follow my own advice and the answer is… no, I do not. Whoops.

Anyways, here’s my advice on how to start writing when it feels difficult to!

Identify why writing feels difficult

What’s stopping you from sitting down and writing right now? What about it is difficult? Why are you dreading it? Maybe if you figure out what’s making you so reluctant, you can deal with that first.

For example, in my current WIP I’ve always struggled with writing for some of my characters. I really hated writing them because I couldn’t do it — every single time I would try, I would end up so frustrated and not want to continue because it just wasn’t happening. So instead of trying to write the next chapter, I took some time aside to sit down and try to really acquaint myself with those characters. Once I identified why I didn’t want to write and I addressed that problem, writing became a lot easier.

Put something on the page

Sometimes just staring at a blank page can be super intimidating, so start by writing something — anything! Maybe you just literally put “dkajhcladkjcnlakdjc” at the top. Maybe you add a motivational quote, or a something like “JUST WRITE YOU COWARD”. Maybe you write something from tumblr to fill out the top. Whatever you do, just put something there so when you look at your page there’s some sort of progress there.

Set a realistic, easy goal

It’s really important to not psych yourself out by thinking that you have to do a lot of things. I find that I’m a lot more productive when I break tasks down into smaller chunks that’s easier to complete, and satisfying to check off my list. Set a really small goal that you 100% can achieve! And there’s no shame in lowballing here, set a goal for 100 words, two scenes, etc. Chances are, once you hit that goal you’ll keep writing. If not, that’s some writing you wouldn’t have done before!

Writing Sprints

A writing sprint is where you choose an increment of time (10-15 minutes usually) and during that time, you get out as many words as you can. It doesn’t matter if it’s crap, if it doesn’t make sense, just get those words out. Commit to that 10-15 minute period, and focus on nothing but churning out words.

Writing sprints are also a great way to connect with your community! Maybe you’re worried about not committing to the sprint, or you just want an extra push or support. Lots of Writeblrs host group writing sprints that you can join in on, or you could host your own!

Of course, doing it on your own is also a great option.

Don’t reread your writing

Don’t expect your writing session to go perfectly. Chances are, you’re going to make mistakes, and you might really not like what you’re writing. Ignore the desire to make it good, and to edit as you go. It can be the crappiest sentence you’ve ever written, but just keep going! Leave the crap to be edited later, and just keep trucking forward.

I know there are some websites online that will hide what you’ve written so you can’t go back and look. I can’t recall them off the top of my head however, and I haven’t been successful in finding them, so if anyone knows what it is, please link it!

Change your environment

Sometimes freshening up your work space can do wonders! If you’re working at your desk and it’s disorganized, straighten it out and clean it up! Maybe try sitting in another room, or even going to a coffee shop or a library or something for a change in scenery. Sometimes your standard work space can get a bit dull, and changing it up can do wonders!

Write something else

If you’re really not feeling whatever you’re supposed to be writing… Write something else! If a particular scene is being difficult, write it from a different perspective! If your WIP isn’t particularly appealing to you, write an AU! Write out a headcanon you’ve been wanting to write for a while!

Reward yourself

So at the end of the day, discipline is what finishes story. If you’re like me and you’re waiting around for inspiration and motivation, it’s not going to happen. Sometimes all I really need to do is to force myself to do something, but also Netflix seems really fun right now. Instead of relying on intrinsic motivation, give yourself some external motivation! If you write out 500 words, reward yourself with a snack, or an episode of a TV show or something that you enjoy. Give yourself something to work towards!

If anyone is interested, I can write a guide on how to change your habits and lifestyle through positive reinforcement so please let me know if you are!

Just do it

Sometimes it’s just me procrastinating. And I don’t really have a block, I just need to sit myself down and force myself to start writing. Sometimes I just have to be really stern with myself and say “Stop messing around and write.”

That’s all of the advice I have for now, I’m sure there’s other amazing advice out there, and if you ask me again later I might have some more ideas.

Thank you so much for asking, and best of luck on your writing! I hope this helped :)

If you’d like to ask me for advice on writing or running a writeblr, please check out my Ask Guidelines and FAQ first.

Ask Guidelines | FAQ | Advice Masterlist

[ladyjaneasher-blog]

Hey I came across Philip Normans book and as I'm not familiar with him I was wondering what was wrong with him as a lot of people seem to dislike him

short answer:

pictured here is philip norman writing anything ever.

long answer:

i honestly don’t know where to even start, dear anon. it would be easier for me to list what isn’t wrong with philip norman. i can’t tell you what people as a whole dislike about him, but i can tell what i dislike about him. my immediate kneejerk reaction to your question was this poem of norman referencing paul published in the sunday times in the early 70s:

O deified Scouse, with unmusical spouseFor the clichés and cloy you unload,To an anodyne tune may they bury you soonIn the middlemost midst of the road.

to paraphrase a comment i read on heydullblog a while ago: nothing like a biographer hoping for the speedy death of one of his (later) subjects. 

it exemplifies my problem with norman: he’s made a living out of holding a grudge for the pettiest reasons. he envied paul, not only because he was “good-looking” (and boy, does he veer off into paragraphes about paul’s “doe-eyes”, “angelic” “delicate features” only “saved” from girlishness by his “five-o’clock-shadow”) but also for his “mounting riches” and his dating of “a classy young actress”. his envy turned into outright dislike for paul. norman saw paul’s failed relationship with jane as his “public sense of duty” weakening; he blamed paul for the end of the beatles, felt that he had turned into a “self-satisfied lightweight” and you can almost feel his satisfied glee whenever he feels that paul’s life veers of its “perfectly polished-rails”.    

i’ve read a few books by norman – most recently paul mccartney: the life – and excerpts of others, and each time i’ve come to the same conclusion: norman comes across as a very peculiar mix of a self-importantance, jealousy and nastiness. much like other authors of his caliber – sounes comes to mind – he seems to have been motivated by these emotions that had left him embittered enough to write books, rampant with confirmation bias, one-sided accounts, mistakes, snipes, digs and disproven or outdated anecdotes, hardly offering any new insights. yet i don’t want to dictate how you think about norman, so i present to you some pearls of wisdom by our dearest of beatles biographers to make up your own mind about how much he’s on the mark – or how far off:

“Barrow later discovered that when they’d signed their management contract, Paul had told Brian that if the Beatles didn’t work out, he was determined to become a star on his own.”

‘[And] unlike John (and Brian), Paul did not seem to have any half-concealed demons to deal with.’

“Over the next six years, Barrow would realise that the inexhaustible geniality Paul showed the world was not always replicated in private.”

“[…] Frieda Kelly[…]” (throughout the entire book, I might add)

“With the Beatles brought a radical change of image, illustrating the vastly altered demographic of those who were now with them. On the Please Please Me album cover, four cheery, unabashedly working-class lads had grinned down a stairwell at EMI’s Manchester Square headquarters, with Paul’s good looks barely noticeable. Now they were shown as solemn, polo-necked faces half in shadow against a plain black background, less like pop musicians than a quartet of Parisian art students. It was an ambience which suited none of them better than Paul, that one-time art student manqué.”

[1968/1969] “John had always been recognised as an uncontrollable maverick, but being a Paul fan involved a strong feeling of proprietorship. Like so many tut-tutting aunts, the gate pickets now observed the change from his former dandified, fastidious self; the bushy black beard, the perceptible weight-gain, the baggy tweed overcoat he seemed to wear all the time. To the fans, it signified how ‘she’ [Linda] had got her hooks into him; what it actually signified was that he was happy.”

[1968/1969] “His [Paul’s] personal life thus replenished and stabilised, he now turned his attention to replenishing and stabilising the Beatles after their ordeal with the White Album.”

“Knowing now just how much McCartney meant to Paul–and feeling a twinge of compassion for one who’d never before invited such an emotion–Ringo talked the others into reinstating its 17 April release.”

In the same week, Stella’s first collection for Chloé was shown in Paris with the help of her ‘mates’ Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and Yasmin Le Bon. Paul and Linda were both seated beside the catwalk: he [Paul] in the novel position of applauding someone else, she still with close-cropped hair, the result of prolonged chemotherapy, which gave her face a new gentleness and repose.

The order of [Linda’s] service was as meticulously planned and arranged as a McCartney album tracklist.

However, when the Beatles made the Decca tape, Best had still been with them, so was due a share of royalties from ten tracks used on the Anthology. The first he knew about it was a phone call from the one who’d been so keen to get rid of him [Paul] –the first time they’d spoken since it happened.

all of the above quotes – and keep in mind: these are just a select few that i had at hand from a book that spans around 800 pages of much the same quality of writing – are from paul mccartney: the life, published in 2016(!!!). while norman proclaims to have had a change of heart over the years from his previous assessment of paul in shout!, which he in the very same breath during promotion claims wasn’t really anti-paul:

…it rings hollow. to the point of where i’m not the only one wondering about how much he truly means his words, and how much of it is simply trying to save face in light of his waning monopole on being an authority when it comes to beatles history. he still heavily relies on the same old tired clichés: paul the master manipulator of all around him lacking heart and substance, paul the ambitious starlet ready to sacrifice everything and everyone, determined to make it big, paul the stingy boss of wings, paul the borderline abusive husband to linda’s dichotomy of easy american groupie vs fraught shy housewife trying to escape her domineering husband by way of her career as a photographer and writer. some of them may perhaps contain a kernel of truth, but norman seemingly lacks the ability to acknowledge nuances and the willingness to dig deeper, search for other viewpoints, or consider context. 

he still uses every other opportunity to get his digs in no matter how macabre it may be in the light of events he’s referencing as evidenced by his description of linda’s funeral procession; he, at times, solely relies on people with questionable motives like peter cox for entire chapters without questioning a thing they are saying, or letting the reader hear other voices to provide a more balanced view; he lacks the insight into his subjects as portrayed by his claim that paul’s weight gain and drastic change of looks from ‘68 to ‘70 was brought on by being “happy” with linda or his equally outrageous claim of ringo never having felt a “twinge” of “empathy” for one of his closest friends; paul and john’s relationship is reduced to a rivalry that even to john’s last breath was defined by one-upping each other. although, is it perhaps no wonder considering that paul mccartney: the life seems to be mostly a copy/paste job of his previous books (here a part of shout!, here a part of his john biography).

the less said about shout!, published in the early 80s, the better. suffice it to say that during its promotion, norman titulated john as “three-quarters of the beatles”. yes. i repeat: the less said, the better. it’s only sad that this book helped shape entire generations of authors that would buy into norman’s narrative and perpetuate it decades later.

yet my excerpt of philip norman’s books simply don’t do the man’s tastelessness and scope of grudge-holding justice. for your reading consideration i present you philip norman’s letter to paul from 2005 as well as his obituary for george harrison and his complete dismissal of ringo from an interview in 1987.

to not let this already too long post end on such a note, i feel obliged to throw in this quote by mark lewisohn, who was partly motivated by norman’s… skill, to research the topic on his own:

Mark Lewisohn: “I came to meet Philip Norman. He wanted to meet someone who was a kind of studious Beatles fan, if you like. And when we met it became clear that there were certain areas of the story he was unclear of. There were certain areas that were cloudy. And I said I would research them for him. I was 21 and he said, yes, that would nice. So I still had a job, but in my weekends and evenings I did this research for him. I was so intrigued by the findings, that I just carried on after that. I gave him what he wanted and then carried on researching and I haven’t stopped to this day.”DK: “By the way, what do you think of his book, Shout!? I don’t mean to be putting words into your mouth, but your intent, I think, is to correct a lot of mistakes that have become fact as a result of other people’s biographies of the band. Could you bring that into perspective?”Mark Lewisohn: “Well, when I was less mature, I did want to correct other people’s errors. Errors always offended me, particularly when they resulted from laziness. And I had always wanted to correct other people’s errors. But I’ve grown up, a bit, since then, and with these three books I’m writing, I’m not interested in correcting anything. I’m just telling the story from the beginning. I am starting fresh. And along the way, I am debunking myths right, left and centre. But I am not pointing out what they are, because it is not relevant. Shout!, when it came out in 1981, just after John Lennon was murdered, was the second Beatles biography, with the first being the Hunter Davies biography which came out in ‘68. And it was reckoned by a lot of people to be better than the Hunter Davies book. And because I am in it, and because I was young, and because I was blinded to it, I thought it was a great book. And a lot of people do. It is so stylishly written, and all of that. But the older I’ve got, the more I see where I can no longer agree with my original opinion. Well, Philip Norman came up to me at a recent event and said he professed himself unhappy with some of the things I’ve been saying about his book, so I need to be delicate here. But I do think that it is out of date. It left scope for the job to be done again. That book has had 30 years in the sunshine, but it is in no way the definitive book. I am hoping to write the definitive book that is a lot more comprehensive and is also much more deeply rooted in research.“

mark lewisohn: beatles researcher extraordinaire and classy thrower of shade.