#I dont think I'd seen any of his movies in theaters before this

[godzillawillsaveus]

Got back from seeing The Two Towers in theaters and Brad Dourif is somehow even hotter on the big screen!!

[spongeydee19]

Linda and Stephen Stotch Evolution (Character Analyisis)

hey y'all, here's a first.

I dont usually make posts like these, but I kinda have the motive to make this one in particular to help clear up misconceptions or what not.

Today's topic is about THE STOTCHES. Notorious stotch, aka, the most hated characters in SP. if not Pip. These two are loathed by the fandom and are seen as just abusive parents without much development. While a bit underused compared to the Broflovskis, Marshes, and even Liane, they get a lot of screen time and development. I think they are actually the most complex between them, and the McCormicks. So let's dive into the evolution of Butters' parents, Linda and Stephen Stotch.

Chapter 1: Early Years

Did you know, Stephen was actually present in the show before Linda and was even a bit more prominent than Butters. He made his first appearance in "Chickenlover" as apart of a riot after Officer Barbrady quits. Interestingly, he has a different look here;

He has pink cheeks for some reason

He is missing his tie and collar

his eyebrows are slightly bigger

Stephen continued to make background appearances in the show, from working at a movie theater to jury against Cartman's "hate crime"

Stephen made his first speaking role in "Quintuplets 2000", as a protestor. We get a glimpse of his comedic potential, which I believe is a crucially overlooked part in Steve's character.

"The Wacky Molestation Adventure" marks the episode where Stephen is shown as Butters' father and Linda's own debut. From this onward, just like with Butters, the Stotches oversaw an increase in prominence. "How to Eat with Your Butt" is the first time the Stotches ground Butters, for making a silly face apperantly, and from here, this is where the Stotches became noticed as characters. After this, the family have their first major role in "Butters' Very Own Episode", by far their most infamous appearance.

Chapter 2: Stotches' Spotlight

Butters' Very Own Episode is the first instance where the Stotches recieve any crucial development. At first, they appear as a loving, normal family. At the events of the episode, it is the wedding anniversary of Butters' parents, and here, we get a bit of characterization from Linda; she feels that Stephen outranks her gifts with his own, implying a bit of insecurity and/or an inferiority complex. When she sends Butters to spy on his dad, they discover that Stephen was actually going to gay bathhouses while calming he was "working out". She snaps from this revelation and goes insane.

What comes next is certainly one of the most infamous moments in the entire show. Linda tries to drive her son into a lake, and then attempts to commit suicide. These moments right here is what makes Butters' Very Own Episode of the most horrific yet well excuded episodes. I dig this characterization of Linda, being mentally unstable. Stephen was actually relatively lenient in this episode, and had the personality of a well meaning father.

What was revealed in the episode makes me believe that the Stotches are one of the most layered parents in the show. Stephen's sexuality is an interesting concept, and they do tackle it in a later episode in a more subdue way. Linda stole the show, though, and her moments are some of the most iconic.

After this episode, the Stotches become a bit of wild characters. While most would sum up their personality as just "abusive parents", I'd argue they had a bit of inconsistent characterization. They seem to be strict, but they sometimes range between normal, insane, abusive, or just stupid. Case in point, "Jared Has Aides" portrayed them as very strict and downright abusive. When Butters was manipulated into performing liposuction surgery after gaining weight, his parents grounded him (seems understandable, albiet a bit harsh, right). Then, when Cartman had to fill for Butters and impersonated him while calling his parents, he curses them out, angering them. When they arrived home, they start beating up Butters. Meanwhile, "Asspen" sees them as completely normal parents.

Throughout Season 6, they flip-flip between being strict to loving. In "My Future Self n' Me", they enlist Butters a Future Self in fear of him taking up drugs and achohol in the future. When Butters finds out about this and covers their house in feces as revenge, instead of punishing him, they realize their mistake and apologize to Butters for lying to him. A lot of people overlook this moment when talking about the Stotches' parenting. Even though they are often strict and authorian, they are capable of realizing the errors of their ways and treating Butters better.

Throughout their appearances, Linda and Stephen are often resonable when they aren't punishing Butters, such as "Raisins". By Season 8, their abusive tendecies and incompetent parenting start to become more frequent, doing deeds such as selling Butters to Paris Hilton, not letting him as Trent Boyett threatens him while Butters screams in fear, falsely believing Butters had multiple personality disorder and putting him through hell, also falsely believing he was bi-curious and putting him in a gay conversion camp, etc.

"Majorine" is their biggest episode since Butters' Very Own Episode, and it puts the Stotches closer to insanity. Butters fakes his own death and leaves his parents in shambles. Linda is absolutely heart-torn by her son's apperant death, and is a good example of her being an impactful character. Stephen goes insane as well, and decides to dig up "Butters' Corpse" and revive him. After Butters actually comes home, they believe him to be a hell spawn. Freaking out, they lock him in the basement, where they feed him the corpse of a lady Stephen had killed. It's probably the most insane episode, tbh. We also see that the Stotches apparently have homicidal tendencies, as Linda was about to drown her own son while Stephen killed someone just to feed Butters.

At the same time, the Stotches seem to have their own characterization outside of their relationship with Butters. Stephen in particular is often a major secondary character in the episodes focusing on Randy. He helps him and Gerald stop Global Warming in "Two Days Before the Day After Tomorrow". Linda has a major part in "South Park is Gay!", where she is one of the moms who protest against the Metrosexual trend. In "Night of the Living Homeless", Linda and Stephen alongside Randy, Jimbo, and few other fugitives get stuck on a roof after an outbreak of homeless people. Linda has a major role in "Die Hippie, Die", where she is the engineer for Cartman's crew that tries to get rid of the hippies. Linda also gets a good bit in "Eek, A Penis!", where she gets scared of Mr. Garrison's penis that runs across her house. Stephen is also a major side character in "More Crap" as one of the people who supports Randy after his world record for biggest crap gets beaten by Bono, and even gives a powerful speech to Randy. Stephen also gets a funny bit in "About Last Night…", where he is a John McCain supporter and goes livid after he lost to Obama. He is also one of the fathers who rally to get rid of the UPS man when they believe they were banging their wives, and plays a pretty big part.

All that being said, there's one episode that reveals a backstory for the Stotches. After Butters has a meltdown at school, his parents decide to send him to Hawaii for him to discover more on his origins. Turns out, the Stotches aren't from South Park, but instead, Hawaii (or Hava'i).

In short, the Stotches had an odd history since their first spotlight episode. They seem to had inconsistent characterization, going from a normal family, to a dysfunctional one. That being said, one should that they share a bit in common with Randy and Sheila, namely their incompetence, insanity, and strictness. They seem to have good-intentions, but are too stupid to realize their terrible actions. But contary to popular belief, they aren't entirely Butters centric characters. At times, they seem to act as supporting characters to Randy subplots, especially Stephen, who is usually featured heavily in these sort of episodes.

Chapter 3: Modern Era Stotches What a lot of people seem to overlook when the Stotches are a point of discussions is that, they aren't really the same characters as they were in the early seasons. Well, in terms of being abusive and callous. They are a lot less cruel towards Butters and only really ground him when he absolutely deserves it. Stephen in particular gets a lot of roles in episodes as just a guy, and is primarily uses for the sake of comedy. In "The Magic Bush" for example, he goes insane after believing his drone had a mind of its own, and seem pretty passionate about drones in general. But what really stands out is how he never thinks about the possibilty of Butters flying that drone, which he, Cartman, and Kenny did. He is a lot more loving in this episode, and people seem to overlook that when they discuss how abusive they were in early seasons. He also gets a funny bit in "Franchise Prequel" where he grounds both Butters and Vladimir Putin.

In general, whenever Stephen makes an appearances, it usually for a quick joke, or as just apart of the guys. He gets a good bit in "Sponsored Content", where he provides hillarious commentary on pop-up ads. In "Sons of Witches", he is apart of the band of witches led by Randy and was nearly sacrificed. In "A Boy And A Priest", he cracks a few jokes with Randy. He also helps Liane give Cartman his flew shot in "Shots!!!".

In Season 19, Linda is seen more often with the City Council than her with her own husband and son, though she rarely spoke. In general, from this point, she started to become less depent on Stephen and Butters as a character. In "Dead Kids", she and Harriet Biggle bring Sharon to South Park Elementary where Randy sings. In "Turd Burgular", she, Sheila, Laura, and Harriet are given a much bigger role, where Stephen and Butters are not present. Linda gets jealous of Sheila's fecal transplant and tries to steal her feces. In "End of Obesity", she, Laura, Mrs. Tweek, and other moms are hooked onto an obesity drug, and after running out, they start robbing sources of the drug.

Meanwhile, Stephen was also the main protagonist of the Amazon Dulogy where he gets a new job at the Amazon Fulfillment Center. He is among the adults who loses their Christmas spirit after liquor is banned in "Christmas Snow". He also gets multiple shining moments in in "The Pandemic Special", mainly in protest against the Pandemic and how people wear their masks, calling them "Chin Diapers", which was pretty funny. They get yet another big episode with Linda and Mr. Mackey in "Back To The Cold War".

Chapter 4: Video Games

Aside from their mainline episode appearances, the Stotches are featured in the video games as well. There's not much to note in the first, but Fractured But Hole has a slew of lore for them.

Stephen himself is a boss, and players are finally given the satisfaction of beating him up. I believe this is one Stephen's best appearances, seeing him as incompetent, authorial, and hilariously evil. Apart from that, there is a small quest where the player must break into a safe in Stephen's room. In the safe, there is a picture of him having sex with another man. Additionally, Linda is seen taking a bath while reading "Dealing with your gay husband". Linda herself shows more of her insanity when you talk to her. She also shows herself to be a bit of a neat freak. Chapter 5: Conclusion

So in short, the Stotches are pretty interesting characters to say the least. They had a wild evolution, and most people don't even pay attention to it. They went from generic background characters, to the occasionally abusive parents of Butters, to supporting players in Randy plot tines, to comedic characters on their own. Whenever I see a discussion relating to the Stotches, its always about their abusive relationship with Butters. Even since the beginning, I disagree with this notion, they started out as silly side characters with tons of quirks. They evolved into dickish characters, but the later seasons appear to have abandon this in favor of comedic and entertaining characters.

In my opinion, their modern character traits are being stubborn, silly, insane, and well intended. They are pretty iconic characters, and Majorine and Butters' Very Own Episode are probably some of the most iconic episodes. I feel like they're criminally underappreciated, especially for their comedy. I'd argue they rival Cartman in hilarity.

So yeah, that was my character analysis on The Stotches. Um, yeah. Hope you enjoy, i guess :>

[xxplastic-cubexx]

sorry if you've already mentioned but what (re?)ignited your love of comics/x-men/cherik? curious because there are so many different adaptations of them

i think im gonna speak for a few (or a lot of) people when i say that TL;DR the wolverine x deadpool movie that came out this summer is what pulled me back into comics and i COULD leave it there but i will go into excruciating and unnecessary detail instead because i love an origin story and i love oversharing.

under the cut tho because im nice sometimes (there's also wxdp doodles in here. if you want to see that)

ironically (and probably commonly), growing up i was more of an avengers kid. Kinda. Loosely <- binge watched the cartoons and movies and read copious amounts of comics and fics and i am hoarding fanart in my old dresser as we speak ok 'loosely' is a modest lie.

embarrassingly i remember getting into discus cause of captain america LMAO so yeah needless to say i was a Humble Fan- me joining my school's comic class/club didnt help either (shoutout to my teach from that she was the realest one out there for. A Multitude of reasons). she definitely is was inspires me to even draw still and make comics and i often think bout the tips i learned from her class tbh she was great

back to the movies t and comics tho, i got into em because my brother would offer to take me and that's how we'd hang out (i rarely saw movies in theaters and i even more rarely went anywhere as a teenager. still kinda like that today tbh ooops) and yk. it just snowballed after that.

my brother and i have always liked comics- he just more than me for a while (though he still very much loves comics and As We Know From My Posts we still talk about them whenever i see him To An Exhausting Degree)

durin then i was really into stony and i have a few surviving doodles i made but those are between me and god. and anyone who asks tbh LOL

'snap can you make this related to x-men again this is long' ok so fast forward to This Summer again I Still Don't Really See Movies but my brother offered to take me and this was the first time i'd actually seen an x-men movie in full

as a kid i only remember seeing the 'perfection' scene between erik and raven in first class while i was channel surfing. pretty sure i changed the channel after seeing mystique naked cause i was scared my parents would get mad at me if they caught me watching it LOL

BUT MOVING ON As A Kid i think it's also natural you'll sometimes watch 92 if it's on And I Did though evidently it didn't stick too hard (i do remember really liking beast and gambit though.... still do really): my knowledge of x-men was. INCREDIBLY sparse. like diabolically so so i didnt have too much expectations (aside from the fact i vaguely liked deadpool beforehand).

tbh i dont know why my bro never took me to see any of the x-men movies. it's not like he doesn't Also like x-men (90% sure nightcrawler's his favorite but my brother will be caught dead saying he has absolute favorites like that)- he owns a bitch load of deadpool comics/omnibus sets too (of which ive read over the years and reread this year) but Shrug moving on

Much Like Most Of The Internet i fell down the rabbit hole that way. i have some doodles i made a couple days after seeing WxDP that i now have an excuse to throw at all of you Look And Perceive

and so. As I Do. i got curious and told myself i'd binge watch all the x-men movies the week before i went back to school And Then I Did ft. My Brother Sometimes and then i said i'd binge watch all of '92 and And I Did That ft. My Brother Sometimes But Less So and now we're here. currently watching Evolution...

once i got to school i realized i lived near a comic shop and started getting into the comics that way (the first ones i got since going down this rabbit hole was Magneto Was Right!, The Resurrection of Magneto, and The Trial of Magneto. if you were curious !!!!! clearly i didnt care too much about context i just needed to see My Guy jelvejlkvj i have no regrets and Evidently ive read more since)

i'm pretty sure what dragged me into cherik specifically was the fact i saw a clip of The Famous ending to 92 where erik's aghast at the notion jean even has to question his love for charles. i think that was what officially had me refocus my lens on them: not a single poolverine thought after that LOL (all the cherik posting i saw on twitter definitely helped too but that was the nail in the coffin for any other interests i had: i was locked into cherik and x-men in general now)

that clip specifically, i was surprised at the fact they- frequently even- have the x-men franchise say erik loves charles and vice versa so bluntly. even if it's not meant to be romantic, i fear im just a fan of how casually the word's thrown around with them two and i got tender bout it all. Then Yk. i just live for the drama. the hilarity even. the sincerity .... they make me sick if i think of them too long so im gonna end it here

before i go tho ironically enough, the first x-men issue i owned was This one (story a this is that while stuck in some wacko dimension charles accidentally gets himself trapped in logan's mind while utilizing his astral projection. if you were curious). pretty sure i got it for free with another comic set i got years ago since our old comic shop loved to do that, but it's poetic aint it. maybe ill doodle something referencing it..

i should probably look into finishing this arc someday im Dummy curious to even know how it started and how it ends.....

[destinyc1020]

sorry destiny, i am huge tom fan believe me, but i agree with what the anon said, i understand that u can like a movie that others dont thats not what i am saying but out of the MCU and throw in uncharted, tom's acting skills aside because we both hes fantastic, his projects have been misses, in terms of overall quality, reviews & numbers, TDATT, CW, Cherry, TCR. yes u may have liked some of them but numbers were bad, in a sense they flopped. most of these projects he chose when he was still pretty young and green and the only project he chose post covid was i think TCR and it was amazing but people weren't patient and it was slow at first. and i think since then he has grown a lot more and u can tell, its obvious the way he views things and the way hes picking his projects are diff now so hopefully things go well for him in the future in terms of success outside popcorn movies.

I mean, we can all have different viewpoints on films or actors, and that's fine! 🤷🏾‍♀️ I don't think anyone doubts that Tom is talented.

I understand some fans haven't enjoyed his projects in the past several years. I know for me personally, I've enjoyed 90% of Tom's films....whether they were successes at the box office or NOT. Most of his work I didn't even see in theaters. I saw at home.

The only films of Tom that I've actually seen in theaters are The MCU films (of course), The Current War, The Impossible (before I even knew who Tom Holland was lol), Uncharted (of course lol), and Spies in Disguise! Everything else of his, I've seen at home.

RE: TCR....

I actually enjoyed TCR, but if I had one critique, I would say that Akiva took a little TOO long to get to the point and kind of treated us as viewers like we were too dumb to get the "twist". Most of us knew or got the twist w/in the first episode lol. He really could have spent more time focusing on other things imo. Don't get me wrong, I actually think Akiva had a very ingenious, sympathetic, and creative way of showing what's actually going on when someone suffers from DID (and why they may end up having it), and it was done in a way I'd personally never seen done onscreen before. But I just feel like he should have given us as the audience a little more credit. We could have known from the very beginning that he suffered from DID, but maybe not know who exactly his alters actually were. There were many things that could have been done differently. And I think some of the critics purposely gave TCR LOW reviews to spite Akiva, because apparently he didn't even want DID or "multiple personalities" to be written in any of the early reviews coming out for the series, in order to preserve the "twist". But umm.... Everyone saw it coming a mile away bro lol 😅

So...I really think his tactic of trying to keep the audience in the dark felt a bit laborious after a while, and it's like, "WE GET IT man... we've already figured it out!" We didn't need several episodes prolonging things. But hey, I still enjoyed TCR Summer last year lol, and it was very enjoyable to watch Tom in a series (for a change) every single week! 😊

[honoringthehorrific]

I watched Pearl before X and here's what I thought...

XXX Tonight's review is a lengthy one so as always, Remember...Spoilers ahead! XXX

I think I would tell anyone who hasn't seen X to stop, figure out when they have free time, go to your local theater and buy a ticket for Pearl before hearing anything I have to say about anything.

This movie won my heart tenfold. It was complicated at first but visually I loved it. I loved all the cute little jokes about the spanish influenza and how it mirrored our own pandemic. This movie is horribly and beautifully tragic and if I may peel back a bit of the barrier we have and get a bit personal, it was also relatable. Pearl wants more from life. She loves her family and friend, she loves her husband, but she wants more. She is very mentally ill and has a lot of responsibilities that she really didn't ask for... (Personal junk feel free to skip this paragraph if its uncomfortable to know more about me or if its too distracting from the review.) I related so horribly to pearl. She is pressured to give up her dreams and stay home, to take care of her invalid father and help her mother. When coming to college my father guilted me relentlessly. I needed to stay home. Focus on helping my grandfather. Forget college and spend my life at home caring for my grandfather, caring or any new offspring he decided to churn out with my step mother, and ultimately care for him when he became old. Every slip along the way was cannon foder. It was constantly about how selfish I was, or how stupid I was...and every conversation pearl had with her mother hit strings in my heart far too close to home. My grandfather wants me at school...But also hearing pearl talk to her father before she is about to sacrifice him made my heart bleed. She wished that he would just die already so she wouldn't feel like she was abandoning him...And while I can't say I've not had those awful thoughts I can say the guilt she keeps feeling tug of war-ed with is so deeply real and accurate and painful...

The way the events unfold is so artfully done. I dont believe I'd ever seen a Ti West movie before this but If this is anything like the rest of his work I think he would be one of my favorite writers/directors. Pearl's behaviors, the guilt she feels, her reactions feel so natural and real and while part of that is the beautiful writing, I believe it's also dependent on Mia Goth's wonderful acting. She truly sells this character and her struggles to you in a gorgeous bright red package. I loved the visual elements from the old movies, the old fonts and the way the credits looked like the westerns I sit on the couch with my grandpa to watch. The special effects, the way things rot and decay in such repulsively beautiful visuals. The dresses, the scenery, this whole movie shows you what it is.

Pearl's mental health is greatly impacted by her life and surroundings. From living in poverty to her mother's no hand outs way of thinking. Everything affects pearl. The relationship between her and her mother is extremely interesting to me. Pearl longs to dance and be famous and her mother begs her to put her dreams to rest. Her mother shows great distain for pearl's dreams and as the movie reaches climax, distain for pearl herself. Something that pushes pearl over the already far gone edge. Pearl gets this satisfying moment after her mother accidentally gets burnt alive where she spits her own harsh words back at her mother before running off. Her mental illness spikes when she sleeps with a projectionist she met a few days prior. Theres hope that he will pluck her up and take her away from this horrible mess she's made.

I was so interested to see how pearl handles abandonment and a little embarassed to feel her reactions were relatable. The way she begs the projectionist to know what she did. How angry she gets and how she screams her words into a slurry at him. When he tells her she is frightening him how personally she takes it. How when she gets to the dance auditions her mask has slipped off entirely. Telling mitsy her sister in law that the winner has to be her. There is no other way. This is the only way she can get away. Getting to the stunning monologue scene....She confesses everything she's done to mitsy. All her dark feelings...All the times shes wished people died...All the thoughts of killing. How she longs to go back to how things were but also how she feels the people in her life have slighted her. After all of this she starts speaking to mitsy directly about her fears in what I think speaks to me as someone with mental illness the most. "Do people like you feel this way? I figure you don't. You seem so perfect all the time. Lord must have been generous to you. He never answers any of my prayers. I don't know why. What did i do? What is wrong with me?...Please just tell me so i can get better. I don't wanna end up like mama. - I want what they have so badly. To be perfect. To be loved by as many people as possible. To make up for all my time spent suffering. Sometimes i lie awake in the middle of the night and the fear washes over me because what if this is it. What if this is where I belong...I'm a failure. - I dont know why what did i do? - I hate what it feels like to be me and not you. I'm so scared that when you get home you'll see me and be frightened like everyone else is - I hurt them so they too might know how it feels to suffer but poor daddy...He didn't deserve that. I wish i hadn't done what i did...Mama meant well. - I thought i hated her but i just wanted to feel safe too."

When Mitsy goes to leave Pearl keeps asking if she will tell...Like so many of us who spill our horrible thoughts to the people we trust. Begging them to not tell. Begging them to only see us the way they did before we slipped. Asking Mitsy if she is frightened by the things she heard...Asking Mitsy if she think's shes sick.

Things come to a bigger head when mitsy realizes pearl knows she won the audition. Pearl bitterly remarks that Mitsy always gets what she wants... Mitsy has to leave soon after and pearl gives chase. Once Mitsy is dispatched of pearl makes quick work to clean things up. Make them like they once were. Placing her father and mother at the dinner table to eat the rotten maggot infested pig we've been seeing on their porch to show us the passage of time. It reminds me of a child playing pretend...Of maybe myself in some uncomfortable ways...Watching someone so sick trying to pick up broken pieces and force them back into place like before knowing that too many pieces have chipped off in the process of breaking and they will never be the way they once were.

Her husband howard comes home horrified at the scene before him and we get to watch pearl choke back tears as she grins at her husband. Staring at her fear reflected back at her. That he truly is horrified. That maybe saving herself for his return was the wrong course of action. That this life is truly all she has. We get to see this horrific tear filled smile tremble uncomfortably. A similar look we might give to ourselves passing our reflection durring a bloody red faced break down. A sort of bandaid on the matter. A grin to try and trick your brain into thinking everything is fine.

I left the theater wanting more. I left the theater thrilled to see X and even more thrilled for the third installment Maxxxine. I'm hoping the other installments are as phenomenal as this one even if they dont tug at those same painful strings. Over all i'd give this movie a 10/10. It was beautiful and confusing and heart wrenching and makes me wonder how our pearl has aged in this first installment.

[sanchoyo]

danny phantom season 2, eps 1-5 thoughts! opening the new season with episodes like these kinda blew me away. we had multiple serious episodes INCLUDING a two parter!! also, valerie :)

see prev episode thoughts in this tag <3

-I don't know what I expected s2 to open with. but danny portal incident in more detail was not it. (also, I hate to break it to you, sam, but danny's parent's bigass ghost hunting rv def chugs more gas than those vehicles, lmao. unless it runs on ectoplasm or something...)

-WHY WAS DESIREE IN THE SEWER? HAVING TEA WITH IT DOWN THERE?? Her making the giant cow come alive is a boss move, we've almost had all of my fav animals as ghosts now <3 I also don't like how sam was expecting danny to just, haunt the place so the cars wouldn't get sold? I KNOWWW I know she's 14 (and I had a very annoying phase like this, I think I mentioned in a previous post, I GET IT) but they're HIS powers, and messing with (1) dealership will not really put a dent in sales overall because they can just move the cars to another sales lot, and it certainly wont change the industry anyway, it's more of a minor annoyance for (1) location. Also, usually people who work at car sales places work on commission, so if they dont make a sale, they don't have money to pay bills, or eat. sam baby if u wanna be an activist you need to like, actually look into these things. with as much money as her parents have, she could be doing a lot..more useful things for causes she cares about? it's frustrating to see someone with resources who doesn't know how to use them. but shes 14 so again. cannot be really upset :/

-IS THIS A PREDATOR VS TERMINATOR VS FREDDY KRUEGER MOVIE BUT THEYRE ALL WOMEN?? you know, sam is so right to be excited about this. /I/ want to see this movie. that rules

-paulina inviting danny and friends to her quinceañera, aw! even if it is just to get phantom to show up :') and there'll be a meteor shower, and we KNOW danny wants to be an astronaut!! there's not a meteor shower every night!! the tickets are non-refundable, but..she's rich? like. gotta agree with danny, they never get invited!! I KNOW it's the principle of keeping promises, but if she was that upset, she should've said something. directly. I hated how she was like, passive aggressive about it through the episode, like you SAID IT WAS FINE, THAT YOU'D GO TO THE PARTY TOO. MOVIES SHOW FOR A FEW WEEKS IN THEATERS. IF YOU HAD A REAL PROBLEM YOU NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT. WE'VE HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE, SAM. YOUR FRIENDS. ARE NOT. MIND READERS.

-MR. LANCER GOING AFTER THE GHOST WITH THE FIRE EXTINGISHER LMAO

-this outfit is everything . anytime the show does an over the top cutesty pink outfit i WANT IT. it looks like shit I wear JKASDHF I HAVE a bow like that and a pink sweater. I need leg warmers </3

-SAMS GOTTA RE-HALF-KILL HIM??? thats fucked up. but also, he finally got his logo!! it took until s2!!! this episode was lowkey very fucked and I felt like it glossed over a lot. does sam have guilt about like. kinda KILLING HIM?? I know, he also agreed and walked into the portal. but. she made the choice to redo it SO quickly (even if it was because someone had to beat desiree) and danny, during their fight, brought up a lot of stuff sam's done in the past, meaning he was holding onto those memories and resentment was building. (I KEEP SAYING HE LOWKEY NEEDS THERAPY, BUT I THINK MOST EVERYONE IN THIS SHOW KINDA DOES) which...is a red flag? and then they didnt even GO to the party URGH I know she tried to make up for it, but it really felt like Sam fucked up and barely faced any consequences and got everything she wanted in the end. I KNOW it's a kids show obv they aren't going to go too in depth, and she undid the damage, kinda, but...I DUNNO how to articulate it but it rubbed me the wrong way.

-but on a note about desiree, her powers of wishes were STRONG ENOUGH TO ERASE NOT JUST THEIR MEMORIES, BUT DANNY'S POWERS?! fuck, if I was danny I'd be like, trying to make friends with her. I know they always have horrible side effects as most genie-granted wishes do, but...c'mon, I'd at least TRY to be like 'I wish no ghosts would hurt anyone in my town' or 'I wish vlad would lose his ghost powers forever no matter What and also forget about my mom' LIKE. SHIT DESIREE IS SO POWERFUL. rewriting reality powerful, basically!! appreciate her. respect her.

-aww, sam helping tucker pass the nurse's office so he wouldn't see because he's afraid of medical stuff? very sweet. I also don't like medical stuff, I've gotten a lot better at handling it tho. but seeing blood and needles still makes me feel lightheaded x_x

-FOLEY, BY TUCKER FOLEY. I want to make my own perfume, that's so cool. even if his first attempt isn't good, he's pretty consistently shown to have an inventor/entrepreneur streak in the show, so like. I can see him inventing or making something (or several somethings) that make him $$$ when he grows up :) proud of my creative son

-I know the 'creepy abandoned hospital on the edge of town' is a joke and the creepy hospital trope is so Worn Out, but in my town we actually DO have a hospital like that! my dad was born in it, but its not in use and hasn't been for, like, 20 years! it needs to be torn down but I think the city doesn't wanna pay the money. the inside is horrible, spray painted and broken glass and shit everywhere. but there's still like, rusty equipment and fucking DOLLS all over the place. the cops drive by it pretty frequently to make sure no one is like, breaking in. (because of water damage, some of the areas really aren't safe. also, asbestos, but people still go in anyway) but also, some of my town was used in a filming for a stephen king show. So it's lowkey spooky all over. just a fun personal tidbit :) to lead into saying, any hospital abandoned for any period of time is NOT safe to quarantine these kids in JKSAHDKF like I KNOW it's a ghost trying to do this, but NONE of these parents are even like, 'well, why dont we keep them in the regular, working hospital'....YIKES. this hospital looks pretty accurate to the one in town. grungy and spooky.

-fentons are tax evaders confirmed by jack's fear of being audited, lol no one is surprised

-ghost sickness via ghost bugs. horrifying concept. I actually expected it to be a new villain, not dr. spectra again! this is a very elaborate scheme. her new form rules, love the new costume. the way none of the bg kids seem to recognize her as their old school councilor. did we just forget about that completely?

-dash watching romance movies in the fucked up ghost hospital. same.

-'oh please, you're ghosts, do you have any idea what YOU smell like?' no, tucker, what DO ghosts smell like? I genuinely didn't know they would even have a smell, I actually want to know now.

-it feels like a while since we've seen jazz!! i was happy to see her again, even if she was a head in a jar for most the episode. I want another jazz-focused ep!!

-we finally see danny doing space-related stuff!! him and his friends stargazing to open ep 3 of s2. cute :) until, GHOST PIRATES!!!!! ...ghost pirate captain is a small child?? VOICED BY TAYLOR LAUTNER???

-oh, the easy listening is ember's song instrumental slowed. 'vapor drone' THEY VAPORWAVED HER!!! ember in a pirate outfit tho >>>>. and the cruise being called m.bersback JKASDHJK. ember adopting a little pirate brother is also pretty cute. concerning this teen and little kid have such bad opinions of adults, like, who hurt you?? (how did you DIE ALSO?? im always lowkey curious about that. we know desiree died at an old age, but her ghost form is young, probably mid-20s, so I wonder how that sort of thing works...its a more mental thing, isn't it?) but ghost team-ups are always cool to see, even if ember bailed after danny took her guitar. I guess she probably thinks youngblood can handle it (which, he's been owning danny this far in the ep, so...fair)

-tucker got that sponsorship from nasty burger for their radio!!! again, opportunistic money maker king, love to see it!!!

-danny taking control of the kids SO FAST. he makes a pretty great leader. no one is surprised, im pretty sure I said I think he's the most mature of the trio, once again, correct, because he's taken on so much responsibility already. all the teens suiting up in the jumpsuits to go save the adults and taking the ship over with a BLIMP. OKAY LETS GO. this feels like it should be a mid finale or straight up finale.

-...speaking of finales. why is ep 4-5 of s2 combined into a 50 minute episode? I havent even clicked play and im concerned. weird placement, like, this season JUST started and we're getting a two parter? okay...why are the episodes placed like this? why not put this at episode 10 or something, for a mid-season thing?

-this is also a cute dress. possibly my fav dress so far. can her parents give ME cute dresses, I'LL wear them.

-it turns out the castle fright knight was in is called pariah's keep and there's something worse than fright knight in there! lovely! fuck off vlad wtf are you doing <3 your hubris <3 is going to literally get you killed <3 'ring of rage' and 'crown of fire' are great names tho. ...vlad turning into a super polite guy when he was scared of mr. pariah was hilarious. and fright knight doing the same...I mean, it makes sense, he's a knight, he serves a king? happy to see fright knight again either way :) vlad telling him to call him tho, lmfao. you WISH HE WOULD. (I wish hed call me, too. 😔)

-so...jack being genuinely concerned about vlad...maddie really didn't tell him what happened at the cabin, did she. damn. if I was her id immediately come home and be like 'YOU WONT BELIEVE THIS SHITTTT THIS CREEPY GUY--' like, I feel like that stuff you need to tell your partner!!! I know she didnt want Jack to think she was an irresponsible parent putting danny in danger at that time, but STILLLL. maddie spilling boiling tea on him. get his ass. how is jack this oblivious to his wife's discomfort with vlad!! ughhh

-fenton wipe (tm). trademarked toilet paper.

-DANNY AND VALERIE BEING FRIENDS??? :D that was a cute moment. 'hey val <3' and 'if you like him like him, make a move, or someone else will ;)' at sam...damn!! I love her. valerie go for it girl!!! I hate how sam and tucker treat val also, like I GET IT YOURE PROTECTIVE AND DONT TRUST but if anything him befriending valerie will help when she finds out or he tells her like I feel like she'll be more understanding that they think! ALSO I feel like her reason for not liking ghosts is valid, like you haven't really explained the full story to her anyway! she doesn't seem to have any other friends after being booted from the a-listers so im like :( but seeing them kick butt together again was nice <3

-the ghosts all RUNNING FROM PARIAH DARK IS NOT GOOD, I thought he sent them to attack or something, but no. why doesn't someone just tell desiree 'hey i wish pariah dark would die' lol. once again I think she can solve every problem <3 but seeing all the enemies in one place, being civil and hiding together? love it.

-you just know danny's gonna have to clean up vlad's stupid mess. also, jack being willing to put on the ectoskeleton pants to help maddie, as soon as vlad heard it could kill him, he suggested jack do it instead of helping maddie himself? this is why jack got the girl, my man.

-ghost skeletons. how do you end up as a skeleton ghost in your afterlife instead of a humanoid like most the ones we've seen? lmao

-the ghosts just making new homes in various stores. I'd totally be setting up in an expensive clothing store if I was a ghost.

-valerie's dad is possibly the most useful adult so far, with that ghost shield expansion!!! and valerie saving vlad and danny, even tho shes been thru it already, shes still so good!!! this family rules.

-danny: *gently caresses valerie* :)

-*then he immediately TELLS HER DAD ON HER. and his first response is 'are you okay?' :'( such a good dad...

-*me every time fright knight breathes* youre doing SO great sweetie :)

-the fenton suit thing is so silly looking. does anyone take this thing seriously

-ALL THE GHOSTS FIGHTING WITH DANNY <3 AAAAA. and the fact that pariah isn't perma-defeated, but just locked away again. yikes. he'll probably get out again, won't he? it wasn't too clear, but if vlad DID make a pact with fright knight, I am rabid. I will beat vlad to death with the fenton bat (tm). YOU DONT DESERVE A COOL KNIGHT.

-valerie being direct with sam and challenging her? kinda love that, even tho I normally don't like 'catfight' type situations. because sam has been very passive aggressive about it which is annoying. valerie knows wtf she wants and wasn't even embarrassed to tell sam, but she did tell her, giving sam time to make her own move! and sam denied it and got embarrassed/mad! and sam did have a chance when danny was about to go off and fight, and she hesitated and didn't tell him. I feel like she's hesitating because they're friends and it might make it weird between the trio (poor tucker would be third-wheeling) but if u snooze u lose, u gotta GO after what u WANT girl. smh this is a No Tsundere Zone. 😤

[iridescentides]

hi again dia! happy first day of december ❤️💚 i wanted to ask you what, in your opinion, are the 5 most underrated dcoms? i remember you saying before that you've watched all of them so i'd love to hear your opinions 😊 - 🎅🎁🎄

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH secret santa you are so good! asking me all the best questions 💜

okay so i literally had to make a list of all the dcoms i consider underrated and then narrow down a top 5. theres lots of dcoms that i love, but that i think got the right amount of attention and care (like lemonade mouth and the teen beach movies, for example), so this list just focuses on ones that deserved more hype for their quality level.

5. The Cheetah Girls: One World (2008)

okay so even as i type this i feel like a hypocrite. i have only watched this movie one time. BUT i can acknowledge that its one of the most criminally underrated dcoms ever, tons of people didnt watch it simply because raven wasnt in it. thats why i avoided it as a child, and i didnt get around to watching it until i did my big dcom binge in 2016. and it was so good. theres a really long post floating somewhere around tumblr full of specifics on why its actually the best cheetah girls movie (my favorite is the second one purely out of nostalgia), so to paraphrase some points from that post:

its a solid example of cultural appreciation, rather than appropriation, as the girls go and learn about bollywood and indian culture together

the indian characters arent treated like props or unimportant sides, they get their own agency and storylines that are important

the songs are good!!!

basically this movie was overlooked and slept on even though in terms of role modeling and social value, and just like the first two cheetah girls movies it was important and impactful.

4. Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure (2011)

okay so as someone whos very neutral and occasionally negative-leaning towards the hsm franchise (mostly bc its overhyped and not really representative of all dcoms), i was pleasantly surprised by sharpays fabulous adventure. this is another one that i know lots of people skipped right over and dont hold with as much esteem as the main hsm franchise, and that doesnt sit right with me.

i do not agree with the “uwu sharpay was the real victim in hsm” arguments bc in their efforts to look galaxy brained the people who say that overlook the fact that she was a rich white woman who used her power and status to exercise control over opportunities that should have been fairly and freely available for all; they were not “making a mockery of her theater” in the first movie, they were literally just kids who wanted to try out a new school activity that everyone was supposed to be allowed to participate in; and despite allegedly learning her lesson and singing we’re all in this together with everyone at the end of the first movie, she literally showed no growth in the second movie as she fostered an openly hostile environment and favored troy so heavily that it literally cost him his friends, all as part of yet another jealous plan to take things away from people who already have less than her. she was NOT the victim in the main franchise, and she did not seem to exhibit any growth or introspection either.

and that!!! is why sharpays fabulous adventure was so important. in focusing on sharpay as the main character, they finally had to make her likeable. they did this by showing actual real growth and putting her outside of her sphere of influence and control. we saw true vulnerability from her, instead of the basic ass “mean girl is sad bc shes actually just super insecure” trope (cough cough radio rebel), and this opened us up to finally learn about and care about her character. throughout the movie we see her learn, from her love interests example, how to care for others and be considerate. she faces actual adversity and works through it, asking herself what she truly wants and what shes capable of. and in the end, when she finally has her big moment, we’re happy for her bc she worked hard to get there. she becomes a star through her own merit and determination, rather than through money and connections. this movie is not perfect by any means, but it is severely underrated for the amount of substance it adds to sharpays character.

3. The Swap (2016)

okay i know im gonna get shit for this but thats why its on this list!!! just like sharpays fabulous adventure, its not perfect and definitely misses the mark sometimes, but it deserves more attention and love for all the things it did get right!

the swap follows two kids who accidentally switch bodies because of their emotional attachment to their dead/absent parents’ phones. and while i normally HATE the tv/movie trope of a dead parent being the only thing that builds quick sympathy for a young character, they definitely expanded well enough to where we could root for these kids even without the tragedy aspect. we see them go through their daily struggles and get a feel for their motivations as characters pretty well. as a body switching movie, we expect it to be all goofy and wacky and lighthearted, but it moves beyond that in unexpected ways.

the reason the swap is on this list is for its surprisingly thoughtful commentary on gender roles. its by no means a feminist masterpiece, and its not going to radicalize kids who watch it, but it conveys a subtle, heartfelt message that deserves more appreciation. the characters struggle with the concept of gender in a very accurate way for their age, making off-base comments and feeling trapped by the weight of expectations they cant quite put their finger on. we watch them feel both at odds with and relieved by the gender roles they are expected and allowed to perform in each others bodies, and one of the most interesting parts of the movie to me is their interactions with the other kids around them. as a result of their feeling out of place in each others environments, the kids inadvertently change each others friendships for the better by introducing new communication styles and brave authenticity. 

the value of this movie is the subtle, but genuine way it shows the characters growing through being given the space to act in conflicting ways to their expected norms. ellie realizes that relationships dont have to be complex, confusing, and painful, and that its okay to not live up to appearances and images. jack learns that emotional expression is good, healthy, and especially essential to the grieving process. one of the most powerful scenes in the movie comes at the end where, after ellie confronts jacks dad in his body, jack returns as himself to a very heartfelt apology from his father for being too hard on him; the explicit message (”boys can cry”) is paired with an open expression of love and appreciation for his kids that he didnt feel comfortable displaying until his son set an example through honest communication. this is such an empowering scene and overall an empowering movie for kids who may feel stuck in their expected roles, as it sets a positive example for having the courage to break the restrictive societal mold. for its overall message of the importance of introspection and emotional intelligence, the swap is extremely underrated.

2. Freaky Friday (2018)

this is my favorite dcom, and probably my favorite movie at this point. ive always assigned a lot of personal value to this movie (and i love every freaky friday in general), for the message of selfless familial love and understanding. i know i can get carried away talking about this topic; i got an anon ask MONTHS ago asking me about the freaky friday movies and i wrote a super super long detailed response that i never posted bc i didnt quite finish talking about the 2018 movie. and thats bc on a personal level, i cant adequately convey all the love i have for this movie. so i will try to keep this short.

first lets state the obvious: the reason people dont like this movie is bc its not the lindsay lohan version. and i get that, to an extent, bc i also love the 2003 version and its one of my ultimate comfort movies, and grew up watching it and ive seen it a billion times. i even watched it a couple days ago. but the nostalgia goggles that people have on from the early 2000s severely clouds their judgement of the wonderful 2018 remake.

yes, the 2018 version is dorky, overly simplistic plot wise, a bit stiff at times, and super cheesy like any dcom. the writing isnt 100% all the time. the narrative takes a couple confusing turns. the song biology probably shouldnt have been included. i understand this. but at the heart of it all, this movies value is love. and its edge over all the other freaky friday movies is the songs.

on a personal level, the movie speaks heavily to me. i cried very early into my first viewing of the movie bc i got to see dara renee, a dark-skinned, non-skinny actress, playing the mean popular girl on disney channel. that has never happened before. growing up, i saw the sharpays and all the other super thin white women get to be the “popular” girls on tv, and ultimately they were taken down in the end for being mean, but that doesnt change the fact that they were given power and status in the first place for being conventionally beautiful. so, watching dara renee strut around confidently and sing about being the queen bee at this high school got to me immediately. and in general, the supporting cast members of color really mean a lot to me in this movie. we get to see adam, an asian male love interest for the main character. we have a second interracial relationship in the movie with katherines marriage to mike. ellies best friend karl is hispanic. and we see these characters have depth and plot significance, we see them show love, care, and passion for the things they value. the brown faces in this movie are comforting to me personally. additionally, the loving, blended family dynamic is important to me as someone in a close-knit, affectionate step-family.

but on a more general level, this movie is underrated for its skillful musical storytelling and the way it conveys all kinds of love and appreciation. in true freaky friday fashion, we watch ellie and katherine stumble and misstep in their attempts to act like each other. its goofy and fun. but through it all, the music always captures the characters’ intimate thoughts and feelings. the opening song gives us a meaningful view into ellie and katherines relationship and the fundamental misunderstandings that play a role in straining their connection. ellie sings about how she thinks her mom wants her to be perfect, and her katherine sings about all the wonderful traits she sees in her daughter and how she wants her to be more open and self assured. this is meaningful bc even as theyre mad at each other, the love comes through. the songs continue to bring on the emotional weight of the story, as ellie sings to her little brother about her feelings of hurt and abandonment in her fathers absence. the song “go” and its accompanying hunt scene always make me cry bc of the childlike wonder and sense of adventure that it brings. for the kids, its a coming of age, introspective song. for katherine who gets to participate in ellies body, its a reminder of youth and the rich, full life her daughter has ahead of her. she is overcome with excitement, both from getting to be a teenager again for a day, and from the realization that her daughter has a support network and passions that are all her own. today and ev’ry day, the second to last song, is the culmination of the lessons learned throughout the movie, a mother and daughters tearful commitment to each other to love, protect, and understand one another. the line “if today is every day, i will hold you and protect you, i wont let this thing affect you” gets to me every time. even when things are hard and dont go according to plan, they still agree, in this moment, to be there for each other. and thats what all freaky friday stories are ultimately about.

freaky friday 2018 is a beautiful, inclusive, subversive display of familial love, sacrifice, and selflessness, and it is underrated and overlooked because of its more popular predecessor.

1. Let It Shine (2012)

this is another one of my favorite dcoms and movies in the whole world. unlike the other movies on this list, it is not the viewers themselves that contribute to the underrated-ness of this movie. disney severely under-promoted and under-hyped this movie in comparison to its other big musical franchises, and i will give you five guesses as to why, but youll only need one!

let it shine is the most beautifully, unapologetically black dcom in the whole collection. (i would put jump in! at a notable second in this category, but that one wasnt underrated). this movie was clearly crafted with care and consideration. little black kids got to see an entire dcom cast that represented them. the vernacular used in the script is still tailored mostly to white-favoring audiences, but with some relevant slang thrown in there. in short, the writers got away with the most blackness they were allowed to inject into a disney channel project.

the story centers on rap music and its underground community in atlanta, georgia. it portrays misconceptions surrounding rap, using a church setting as a catalyst for a very real debate surrounding a generational, mutlicultural conflict. this was not a “safe” movie for disney, given its emphasis on religious clashes with contemporary values. it lightly touches on issues of image policing within the black community (cyrus’s father talking about how “our boys” are running around with sagging pants and “our girls” are straying away from god), which is a very real and pressing problem for black kids who feel the pressure (from all sides) of representing their whole race with their actions. its a fun, adorable story about being yourself and staying true to your art, but also a skillful representation of struggles unique to black and brown kids and children from religious backgrounds.

on top of crafting a fun, wholesome, thoughtful narrative and likeable protagonists, let it shine brought us what is in my opinion the BEST dcom soundtrack of all time. every single song is a bop. theyre fast, fun, and lyrically engaging. “me and you” is my favorite disney channel song of all time due to its narrative significance; i will never forget my first time watching the movie and seeing that big reveal unfold onstage, as a conversation and a plot summary all wrapped into a song. the amount of thought and care that went into the music of this movie should have been rewarded with a level of attention on par with that of other musical dcoms.

if disney channel had simply cared about let it shine more, it couldve spanned franchises and sold songs the way that other musical dcoms have drawn in success. i would have loved for a sequel that explored and fleshed out cyrus’s neighborhood a little bit more, and maybe dipped into that underground scene they caught a glimpse of. i wanted a follow up on the changed church community once cyrus’s father started supporting his sons vision. i want so much more for these characters and this world than disney gave them in just one movie.

for its bold, unabashed representation of blackness and religion, subtle, nuanced presentation of race-specific issues, strong, likeable characters, and complex, thoughtful songs, let it shine is the most underrated dcom.

and because i made a full list before i started writing this post, here are some honorable mentions:

going to the mat (2004)

gotta kick it up! (2002)

tru confessions (2002)

dont look under the bed (1999)

invisible sister (2015)