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abigailnussbaum · 4 years ago

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The Watch 1x01 - 1x02

The first two episodes of BBC America’s The Watch aired this weekend, and I’ve seen basically zero discussion of them on my twitter and tumblr feeds. Which I assume is because most of the people I follow are Pratchett fans who have been horrified by the press releases and the trailer (or, for that matter, the lackluster reviews) and decided to write the show off before it even started airing. To be clear, this is an entirely reasonable approach, but there’s nothing else on right now and I was bored.

Quick verdict? It’s not dire, but also not so interesting that you’d feel compelled to keep going with it. In fact, my most powerful reaction after the first two episodes is puzzlement - I can’t understand who the intended audience for this show is. The thinking seems to have been “everyone will be interested in a brash, in your face, rudely comedic fantasy cop show!” And maybe that’s true, but The Watch isn’t particularly brash, in your face, or even that comedic, so what’s left are fans of the genre(s), who are reasonably spoiled for choice right now (the show The Watch most closely resembles is Carnival Row, which is not amazing but still has a greater depth of emotion and a more interesting world). Why anyone would go out of their way to watch a show that seems to be working so hard to stamp out anything original about itself is a question the creators don’t seem to have asked themselves.

More thoughts below the cut.

First, something positive: I quite like the look of the show. There was obviously a lot of pressure from previous adaptations, not to mention the famous illustrations associated with the books, to strike out in an original direction, and I think the show really found one. Instead of fantasized-medieval-through-Victorian, The Watch’s Ankh Morpork combines those period and genre elements with modern ones. So The Mended Drum is now a seedy nightclub with DJ lighting and an open mike stage, and the city’s walls are covered with graffiti tags. The more distinctive settings - the Patrician’s palace, the Unseen University library - are not as interesting, possibly because the budget wouldn’t stretch to make them look really spectacular. But the core approach of the series, that Ankh Morpork is an old but modern city where there are also a lot of fantasy elements, is a fun and refreshing one.

Second, despite all the prevarication and spin in the run-up to the show, this is a Pratchett adaptation. It isn’t merely “inspired by” Pratchett’s novels, as the show’s title screen insists. It isn’t taking Pratchett’s ideas and making its own things with them. I can only assume that these claims were made in response to the backlash against stuff like “Sybil Ramkin, young, hot vigilante”. But despite changes like that, this is actually a fairly straightforward adaptation of Guards! Guards!, which also incorporates elements from Night Watch, plus some rather deep cuts from the rest of the Discworld corpus (the second episode, for example, implies that the ultimate villains of the series are the Auditors of Reality). So yeah, The Watch doesn’t have the excuse of being its own thing. It is a Discworld adaptation, but a bad one, that fails to understand a lot of fundamental thing about the world and the characters.

Third, I think the thing that most strikes about the show is how low-energy it feels. Despite billing itself as something outrageous, and despite some work on the visual front (and in Richard Dormer’s Jack Sparrow-esque performance as Vimes), the show itself feels almost bland. You see this in particular when it comes to the humor. It’s not that The Watch isn’t trying to be funny. There are jokes, and a few of them - mostly the ones original to the series - are mildly amusing. But when it comes to Pratchett’s own humor, the show simply has the actors deliver the gags and references in the most low-key way, and unsurprisingly the result is that hardly any of it lands.

Now, to be fair, this has been a problem with Pratchett adaptations since the 90s. Most of Pratchett’s humor is based in what his third-person narrator tells us about the world, and is hard to convey in a dramatic presentation (Good Omens tried to solve this problem by putting a lot of Pratchett’s narration in its voiceover, with only limited success). But even the dialogue-based jokes are so arch and stagey, that to deliver them successfully would require committing to a lot of very specific, demanding choices from the actors and writers (off the top of my head, the only show that even comes close to that kind of humor is Brooklyn Nine-Nine). It would have to be a high-concept, meticulously executed sitcom, whereas most Pratchett adaptations have been fantasy dramas with jokes.

So it’s not entirely The Watch’s fault that it isn’t managing to convey the zany energy of Pratchett’s novels, but at the same time, it also clearly isn’t trying to. Its attitude seems to be that simply the existence of things like troll cops or assassins’ guilds who leave a receipt are funny in their own right. And sure, even in a media landscape in which fantasy has been mainstreamed by Harry Potter, the Lord of the Rings movies, and Game of Thrones, not a lot of fantasy settings have an orangutan librarian who only says “ook”. But what makes The Librarian funny isn’t that he’s a librarian who is an orangutan. It’s that he’s a librarian who is an orangutan who still behaves exactly like a librarian (while also doing ape things like swinging from the bookshelves and eating bananas), and that “ook” can convey almost any concept in existence. The Watch doesn’t seem to realize this. It seems to be assuming that just putting that stuff on screen, or parroting Pratchett’s lines, will be hilarious in and of itself, while leaving out a lot of the specificity of setting, character, and tone that made the books sing.

You see this also in how it handles its characters. Everyone fixated on Lady Sybil when the promos came out, because that’s the most egregious misreading of the original (and rooted in the most boring assumptions about what audiences want and will respond to). But it’s everywhere. Take Carrot, for example. In the books, Carrot is fascinating because he’s never entirely what you take him for. He’s innocent, but not naive. Principled, but not a zealot. A goody-two-shoes, but not a prig. He’s always a lot smarter than you think he is, and most importantly, he genuinely likes and is interested in people.

The Watch delivers none of this, and instead makes Carrot your basic hothead rookie who just wants to take down bad guys and sees the more seasoned, cynical officers who keep trying to slow him down as hopelessly corrupted. There’s none of Carrot’s openness, or his genuine love of the city, in this character. Instead he’s sullen and judgmental. And look, we could have a long conversation about which one of these characters is more useful to us and our ongoing conversation about policing (as well as a much shorter conversation about which one of them is truer to the ideas Pratchett was trying to convey about policing). But what feels more important to me, when coming to evaluate a new series that is trying to make an argument for why you should keep watching it, is the simple fact that there are a million places where you could find a character like The Watch’s Carrot, and hardly anywhere where you could find one like Pratchett’s.

Again and again, it feels as if, in the pursuit of what it thinks of as outrageous, risk-taking storytelling, The Watch jettisons the unique characters from the books and replaces them with ones that we’ve seen a million times before. Angua in the books is kind of neurotic, and extremely thoughtful about the way her condition can incline her to see other people as objects to be used and consumed (which Pratchett later develops into an aspect of his theme of monsters-as-aristocrats). In the show, she’s obsessed with how her lycanthropy makes her “the real monster”. Oh boy, I’ve never seen a werewolf worry about being a monster before! I’ve never seen a scene where they send their friends away just as they’re about to transform! This is cutting edge stuff, I tell you. And while we’re on the subject, it gives me no pleasure to report that Anna Chancellor as Patrician Vetinari is thoroughly meh, because no effort has been taken to convey the character’s intelligence, near-omniscience, and constant scheming. Vimes is intimidated by her because she’s his boss and she’s posh, not because of anything specific to her. She feels almost identical to a million other posh rulers whose job it is to infodump to and threaten scrappy, working class heroes.

Which brings me back to my original observation: that I do not get who this show is for. It’s not for Pratchett fans, because it deliberately drops a great deal of what made his writing and characters special in favor of the most generic, predictable choices. But I can’t help but feel that anyone who is into this sort of extremely familiar cop story will be put off by the dragons and the wizards and the orangutan librarian, not to mention Dormer’s gurning performance. The whole thing is almost fascinating to watch - a work that clearly believes itself to be boundary-pushing and different, when really it’s just dull but with dragons.

#the watch

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popculturebuffet · 5 years ago

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Ducktales Reviews: The Lost Harp of Mirvana!

The ducks head under the sea, no accusations just friendly crustacians under the sea.. along with some sorta monster, mer hippies voiced by voice acting legends and della being unable to enjoy any of this because she’s hiding back at the sub. Take a dive under the cut.

I’ll confess this wasn’t one I was even remotely excited about going in: I’ts not that I thought it’d be bad: the series is at it’s peak right now, I figured i’td be entertaining like last week, it just had the misforutne of being right before we finally get Daisy next week, and recent episode solicits for the two afte ronly made it worse: Fenton’s third episode (hopefully he gets two this season), that’s also hueycentric and will hopefully make gyro less dickish, and a wrestling episode because i’m a casual wrestling fan and huey having to play the heel against a norse snake god sounds fucking amazing. SO yeah “Hippie mermaids and Louie being suspcious only to oh no be proven wrong about being suspcious” as I predecited the episode would go sounded boring in comparison. But i’m not afraid to eat crow... metaphorically, literally I don’t want to eat a crow it’d taste miserable and I don’t want to eat this crow because I love him.

But on dreading this ep.. I was blown away. Part of it is low expectations: I had really none other than “it’ll be decent” going in, but that only carries you so far. No this episode was fantastic, adressed a problem i’d had since “Timephoon!”, if not earlier, and had some great guess casting. It was a throughly enjoyable, funny episode. Will it probably end up on my faviorites list like the premire duo might? no, but it’s still damn good. Let’s get into the why shall we Our story this week is fairly simple: The Ducks are headed under the sea to find the lost harp of mirvana, sans Launchpad because he had to go help an ex girlfirend, hang out with darkwing, it was his day off, they had enoguh characters to juggle as is, he got his head stuck in a jar again, I dunno. But refreshingly Beakly is present! Seriously this IS something I wanted since season 1: her coming along with the family more. She rarely does, which makes some small sense given she’s the housekeeper but has made less and less since they have a ghost butler and sh’es family at this point. I get she has to earn her keep and what not, and wants to show up her ghostly rival, but come on. Thankfully they have come on and while i’m not sure if it’ll be a common thing going forward, it IS nice to have her for this one. The story itself is nicely divded once our heroes run into the mirvanans themselves, zen mermaids, our focus ones voiced by hyden walch and greg cripes, who you may know as starfire and beast boy from the teen titans cartoon... andtheotherone... as well as voicing Princess Bublegum and 2k12 Michealangeo respectivley. I Love these two and it was a treat to have them voice mermaid hippies. Our party quicklky splits up into three plots that converge at the end: Louie, being naturally suspcious after nearly being sacrificed by seemingly benevlonet societies 20 something times (and Dewey having 71 according to the tally given this episode that I painstakingly counted. The boy is one braincell starved for attention) is suspcious this is a midsommar type thing and he’s in the middle of some sorta death cult as usual, while webby, a trusting soul, belivies nothing is wrong and the mer people are genuine, with Beakly backing her up despite seemingly going against her nature. Now this plot alone seems stock for any show, but works here since it’s rooted in character; Louie sees all the angles and thus all the cliches adventurers run into. He’s been at this for at LEAST a year, he’s seen just enough to get how a certain story will probably go and being a grifter by nature, he dosen’t trust easy to begin with. In contrast while Webby CAN be suspcious, her being naturally trusting has also been part of her character from the start. She genuinely TRUSTS people and gives them a chance first and unless their a clear enemy of scrooges, will not turn her back on them. This is best shown with her relationship with Lena: even AFTER getting clear evidence Lena was a spy the whole time, and even without the evidence that after a certain point it was a lie, she refused to fully belive Lena had betrayed her... and was rewarded with Lena giving her life for webby. She trusted Violet even after Violet had been hiding her intentions and had a dangerous magical artifact from her arch enemy on her, and was again rewarded this time with Lena coming back and getting another lifelong friend out of the deal in Violet. Webby has a faith in people that pays off more than not..t hough we’ve also seen that faith backfire, mostly in scrooge as scrooge is a flawed man and has serious issues, whether it’s a combination of flu and gaslighting driving him insane, or him lashing out at her at his weakest moment. Her optimisim both fuels her and has made her life better but has sometimes blindsided her to the flaws in people, especially her hero. It’s as bojack horseman put it “When you look at life through rose colored glasses, you miss all the red flags”. What keeps this intresting as the two go into an off limits danger cave to find out what’s inside, Louie to find proof he’s right and Webby to go with him to prove he’s wrong, is Beakly. After saving the two from a monster, Beakly keeps boosting webby..then privatley admits as the audience probably guessed she’s also deeply suspcious and simply dosen’t want to shatter her niece’s worldview until they have evidence. And this is where that thing I wanted comes into play: see last season during “Timephoon!” beakly is directly conrasted as a parent with Della, having raised two children and being wiser. And while she was in that moment.. Beakly isolated her grandchild, and basically kept her in a guilded cage while training her to be a weapon out of fear of loosing what little she had left. LIke with Donald’s smothering parenting, it’s understandable, but it should be adressed.. and this episode does, but thankfully dosen’t make Betina unsympathetic either: Every parent, or in my case uncle, has to lie once in a while, especially now with the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s natural. But Betina has gone overboard to try and protect Webby’s inoccence.. and it’s backfired. Not preparing her for scroog’es worse behavior lead to him outright destroying her during “Last Crash of the Sunchaser” when he temporarliy disowned her. And here it leads to a damn powerful scene with great acting from both Toks and Kate . The trio find the harp, voiced by Rhetta aka Donna from parks and recreation, whose basically the harp from the “raiders of the lost harp” episode of the original, the first episode of said show I ever saw and a classic about a harp that would melodically say “no no no, your fibbing fibbing fibbing” when someone lied, which this harp does, if not every time. She reveals her former owner, the king of mirvana who the hippies build their society after his example, basically ducked repsonsiblity while things fell apart and spent too long underwater (the mirvanans can also walk on land) and became the monster from earlier, and the rest will share his fate if not told

The powerful part comes when Beakly tries to lie.. and the harp keeps shutting her out till she’s forced to admit the truth: you can just.. feel the pain coming from the poor woman, and webby folds into a depressed state. Naturally Louie realizes, once they get back to the rest of the family, more on that in a second, and seeing that the mermaids did NOT realize their king was a monster nor plan to feed them to him, webby was right and tells them to have hope and that the society they built IS valid even if their king was a dipstick, he rebuilds webby and after everythings wrapped up webby and beakly apologize and hug. It’s a damn good plot even if the “Louie realizes he was wrong and wasn’t right abotu them being evil” parts were predictable.. it worked due to the excellent character work, with Louie also realizing being a cynical dick is kind of obonxoious. A damn strong a plot The subplots are also rooted throughly in character while still being entertaining,especially once the a-plot gets heavy towards the end: Della in the c plot stays behind because she’s afraid of fish, only conquering it breifly at the end to help her family and punch a man in the face, but it’s nice to not only see some new bits to her as well as some neruosis of her own. She is donald’s sister: he can’t hog all of it for the two of them. The main subplot though centers on the remaining family trying to earn their way to the harp by doing zen arts and crafts and works due to character: Donald becomes a hilaroius zen master in moments (though earlier he rebuffed a gently pat on the chest by the lady mermaid, though given she’s super pretty and he’s, for now, single and has been for a while.. jsut go for it. You’ll probably get a three way with the other one (who isn’t my type but it’s more the man bun than anything. Loose that and.. yeah i’ll be int hat mer sandwitch), but I digress, Donald finds inner peace, likely because well. he WANTS IT. He wants to be happy and calm, even if the world smacks him in the face and tells no. Granted said peace is disrupted in the most hilarous way possible simply by Huey telling him they think his barbeque is merely okay, but he deserves credit. The boys also quickly find it, Dewey making a mermaid tail with hot rod flames and huey making a woodchuck one but what makes the subplot is that scrooge..c an’t. He hates this society, he hates hippies and he LOATHES self reflection. It’s like this society was magicaly generated to piss him of and i’ts wonderful to watch. And as a quick aside bit before we go Rhetta is awesome as the harp, not the parks cast member I woudl’ve chosen as my first round draft pick for the series but she does greatly and has great timing (especially when Louie talks about selling her) and it was nice to see a bit of my first ducktales experince come back in an intresting new way. Overall this episode was a VERY plesant suprise, and taught me to be more open to an ep in the future even if it dosen’t look like it has a huge personal draw. It was excellent.And now before I go i’ve decided each week, especially now we have a enough, to put the episode in the ranking of each and every episode this season and placing them in comparison of one another. I might do a list ranking the first season and second seasons on their own for fun. But for now here’s season 3 so far, so you can see where the ep stacks comparitvley: 1. Quack Pack! 2. The Challenge of the Senior Junior Woodchucks! 3. The Lost Harp of Mirvana! 4. Double O Duck in You Only Crash Twice. I”ll see you next week for DAISY AT LAST, the return of my boys the cablleros and some suprises and pies of all sizes ashurldy. Until then, courage.

#ducktales #mystery science theater 3000 #the lost harp of mirvana #ducktales spoilers

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severalspoons · 4 years ago

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Liveblog: Rewatching Trigun, Episode 17, Part 1

Episode 17 frustrates me immensely. All the most important facts are stated clearly. But a lot of the meaning and implications are at best found in brief hints. And while there’s a lot of symbolism, discussed in an interesting way here, it’s not enough to explain why Knives decided it was right to kill everyone except themselves and perhaps Rem. I would even argue, that’s never explained.

Get ready for a long post, because I’m going to overthink everything.

-- “I think that planet is going to be our new home!”

-- Rem is excited to create their new home, the Captain has a scientific bent, and Steve is a drunk, sexually harrassing pig. There is also a lady whose name I didn’t catch who seems to exist to be harrassed by Steve in the anime. Edit: There is also a lady named Mary who doesn’t seem to have any purpose until later.

-- Who does make the decision where they’ll land? Especially if almost everyone on the fleet except a small skeleton crew is in cold sleep.

-- Why are the twins in a separate room from the crew?

-- Knives is quietly watching the screen. Vash is wearing a party hat and a fake mustache and generally messing around. Wonder how well he understands what’s going on?

-- “Are there flowers on this planet?” Rem, you’re literally all seeing this planet for the first time and all the readings are about large-scale things like atmosphere and habitability. How would anyone know?

-- Also, is it just me or is Rem’s voice just high pitched enough to be really annoying? (Sorry). Also...is she drunk?

-- Rem, suppose there are no red flowers. Would that be a dealbreaker for you?

-- “Why don’t they wake up?” Wait. Does Vash seriously not know what cold sleep is and that these people are in cold sleep???

-- “It’s so quiet. There’s only 7 people.” I get it, it’s a big ship to be occupied by so few people, but let’s just say I’m not surprised how much time he spends in crowded bars years later.

-- Vash doesn’t know what’s written on the outside of the ship? I’d think if there were no windows from which he could view the writing, there’d be information in the ship’s computers. Does he just sit around waiting to be told about the world?

-- “If there’s a God...He must be laughing right now. Our pitiful struggle for immortality must seem like an impossible quest to Him.. “the desperate human will to survive, to carry on our species.” Even Rem, the dreamer, calls the whole thing “pitiful” and “impossible.” No wonder Knives comes to see it that way.

Rem is agnostic?

-- “We’re the caretakers...it’s our job to let them sleep in peace.” “is there anything we can do to help you?” Aww. <3

Um, she did say “our” job, Vash. That includes you. Or is this how he communicates he doesn’t see himself as part of the crew, but would still like to help? Honestly, if it was typical how they kept him and Knives in a separate room even when celebrating the discovery of a potential new home, I can see why.

-- “Oh, THAT’s where you are.” Knives sounds like he got bored with the area and moved on a long time ago. His voice sounds harsher than Vash’s from the beginning.

-- The conversation between Knives and Rem in the rec room is weird. Like Knives is judging Rem, or Rem at least feels that way. “You really like that song.” Kids would normally ask a question, like “why do you sing that song so much?” or “what is that song?”

“It pops into my head whenever I feel happy. Do you think it’s strange?” Who asks their 8 year old adopted kid if they think your everyday habits are strange?

“No, it’s a nice song,” which is a judgment even though it��s a positive one.

After hearing Knives’ voice sound like that it’s weird to see his cute wide eyes. The crew member behind him looks uncomfortable.

-- “It’s weird. Nothing moved since we’ve been here, but everything seems different for some reason.” “That’s because it’s alive!” That’s actually a profound point about the difference between something made, like a computer, and something that grows, like a person. You always know what a program is going to do because you wrote it that way, and your furniture is always going to stay in the same place unless someone moves it. But a flower or an insect or a person is constantly changing, and you can’t always predict how.

-- “Hmm?” That doesn’t make intuitive sense to Knives, I guess. Vash is smiling behind Rem. IDK if that’s because it makes sense to him, or because he just enjoys listening to what Rem says.

-- “It has its own rhythm. You can actually feel the living heartbeat of the plants.” I think Knives is thinking of a different kind of plant than you are, Rem.

-- “So this is the world you and the crew keep talking about.”

-- “We’re not just going to see it, we’re going to create it.” Vash and Knives seem to agree on that. They just will end up with very different ideas of what that Eden looks like. :(

-- “There will be nothing but peaceful days,” “with no war,” “and no stealing,” “an Eden where people can live in freedom and harmony, right?” (That’s got to be Vash at the end, asking for confirmation or approval).

Aww, those sweet little babies and their impossible dream, finishing each other’s sentences! I am crying all the tears right now.

Although, even Vash isn’t as naive as you’d think from how he talks. They know what war and stealing are. They know that freedom and harmony aren’t guaranteed. They’ve probably studied at least some of Earth’s history.

-- Here we are at the moment of no return! In the briefing room, Rem, the Captain, and the twins are sitting around a table looking at a hologram of Earth. Vash and Knives are told that Project SEEDS started because “the state of our home, Earth, was so desperate that...mankind could no longer survive there.”

-- “Judging from the data, mankind is responsible for damaging the planet,” Knives says. “Right, Captain?” He’s being objective, he’s looking at the data, he’s asking the Captain rather than Rem for help. But I bet he’s hoping it isn’t true.

-- Why SEEDS? Rem: “the need to survive.” Seems morally neutral enough.

The Captain: “the behavior of clinging to life until the verge of death is intrinsic to all organisms. Survival instincts take over, dismissing shame in order to live.” The Captain seems to be ashamed not only of humans destroying the Earth, but of their trying to survive. Knives seems to get that message loud and clear.

What Vash seemed to pick up is the idea that people should be ashamed of what they do to survive, and maybe that it’s right to hang onto that as much as you can while still living. Maybe that’s what the scars are for?

-- “But is it right to live if it means such sacrifices?” That’s...a cold way of putting it, Knives.

-- “We make the smallest sacrifice we can think of at the time.”

One could say Knives picked up this idea, but I don’t think so. He’s going to make some pretty big “sacrifices,” and I don’t think he tries to keep them small for very long.

-- Two different (and actually compatible) answers to Knives’ question:

“Unlike other organisms on this planet, we possess logic, the knowledge to minimize the sacrifice.”

“Also, as human beings, we have the ability to right our wrongs. Hopefully we can learn from our mistakes and start over again in a new home.” Hopefully. Even Rem knows there’s no guarantee.

-- After the meeting, the Captain realizes (surprisingly, before Rem does), that it didn’t go well. He believes he doesn’t know how to be an educator and he’s not cut out to be a father. He downplays his knowledge of computers and reasoning, and says what really matters is what Rem does: teach them about emotions, being kind to others, and the value of the future.

Rem, in turn, says she has no idea how to raise kids either, and what she does is no big deal, she just plays with them.

“I guess we just have a different way of looking at things,” the Captain says. And they continue respecting each other’s perspective and working together peacefully.

It’s too bad Vash and Knives weren’t present to see them model getting along with different strengths and beliefs (although they must have seen other examples). This is what the twins should have become.

***

Oh look, it’s the dichotomy between Thinking + STEM (modeled by the Captain, emulated by Knives) and Feeling + Social Intelligence (modeled by Rem, followed by Vash). This is one of my least favorite tropes. When I was a kid, I overthought like Knives while wearing my heart on my sleeve like Vash, and if this blog is any indication, not much has changed.

Humans were never going to be sufficient intellectual role models for the plant kids, so I understand why Rem and the Captain focused on their social and emotional development. But they, especially Knives, needed someone to listen to their thoughts and worries and take them seriously. Vash needed someone to model the process of looking for answers, instead of just waiting for someone to tell him what he wanted to hear. Knives needed someone to help him deal with the more disturbing implications of what he learned. The Captain sold himself short here. He could have done a good job with this.

Rem’s style was to talk about feelings and memories, and to talk as little as possible about unpleasant truths, like the reason for the SEEDS mission. She waited to talk to Vash about it until he asked, and even then her answers were incomplete and...oversimplified, to say the least. That worked for her and Vash. Knives, however, seemed to want to understand things for himself. He didn’t just need what he would’ve seen as empty words of reassurance. He needed someone to engage with what he knew.

I think Rem missed his attempts to talk about what was bothering him, because they were couched in factual rather than feeling terms. He talked about the thoughts that made him feel the way he did, not directly about the feelings themselves. For example, when he asked about humans destroying the Earth, he was horrified and seriously wondering what good humans were. The Captain addressed these implications, and realized the conversation did not go well. Rem just shared her beliefs.

Neither of them helped him feel secure or loved. Neither of them helped him deal with his feelings about not being human, his horror that humans had destroyed Earth, and his fears that they might do the same with their new home. I don’t know if either of them knew much of what was on his mind. I think Knives spent a lot of time stewing alone. He already had the angry voice of a future villain, and neither empathetic Rem nor his own twin seemed to notice. For that matter, no one seemed to know that Steve was bullying him, or at least no one was doing anything about it. Does that seem strange to anyone else?

Knives chose to become a genocidal maniac. This is the context in which he made his choices.

Instead of a single person getting split into Thinking and Feeling sides, the siblings were split into a Feeling Twin and a Thinking Twin, to the detriment of both. As they chose different beliefs, role models, and ways of life, they continued farther and farther along these polarized tracks their elders set for them.

Yet, IMO, Rem and the Captain were both right. Rem was right about good and evil, how to hope, and what to live for. The captain was right about how to make decisions in an imperfect world, and the need to accept unpleasant truths.

One thing I appreciate about the anime ending is Vash and Knives have an opportunity come to some sort of compromise, or at least a working balance. I actually like that it’s left to us to imagine how.

***

Hypothesis: In the Myers-Briggs system, Vash = ENFP and Knives = INTJ. What do you think?

#I could easily be wrong with Knives

#intj is the one n type I don’t know much about

#trigun #trigun anime #liveblog #liveblogging #rem saverem #vash the stampede #knives millions #millions knives #tropes #choices #feels #gifted kid problems #gifted problems #philosophy #good and evil #writing techniques

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danganronpedits-archived · 4 years ago

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hi! may i request a kin matchup? any source is fine! i'm an infp (mediator) and very empathetic; i get along better with animals than with people. i'm honest to a fault and open about my feelings, which may come across as blunt to some people, and i hate liars. i can be a tad too trusting at times, though, which usually lands me in a lot of trouble. finally, i'm autistic and i have many, many interests that i can't seem to get over... i hope this is enough, thank you!

grrr you sound so nice... yep! that info is plenty, and you can absolutely request a kin matchup, anon! let’s go ahead and get to it !! just a warning, though... this one gets long.

first off, from danganronpa, i match you with...

ryota mitarai!

honestly, i bounced around a lot on this one. first i said gundham, then gonta, then tenko, then kiibo... so now we’ve landed up here at ryota, who, um... i hope you’re okay with him being from the anime. i can’t really put my finger on why my thoughts kept landing on him, but you just- the way you type has such a ryota vibe to it. you know? so, hear me out. i think that ryota definitely shares the introvert trait with you, as he’s somewhat asocial, and art is a pretty ideal introvert’s activity. i think that he is very empathetic, or at least tries to be, though he can get a little stuck in his own head sometimes- but i think you can relate to that with your bluntness about your feelings. ryota does try very hard to be kind to others, and this shows with how determined he is to craft the hope-anime, as he says several times that his genuine motivation behind making the video was to make the world a better place. however, i do think that he could get along with animals better than people, as he is very timid and lacks self-confidence, as well as lacking a will to socialise. while i’m not calling you a recluse, ryota was also a shut in for a lot of his early life, which... isn’t the best for your social skills, to put it short. he would get along with animals better because he just- struggles to get along with people. it’s not that he’s a bad person, but he’s not good with his words- and animals don’t need words.

i think that although he doesn’t like liars, thanks to that overwhelming sense of justice he has, ryota can get tunnel vision on what he wants to do and will accidentally lie, in a sense? the way he lets the imposter take his place. in my eyes, that’s more a borderline lie, than actually trying to maliciously deceive others. he is very honest about his feelings, as whenever junko is initially disinterested in anime, he insists that it’s an important part of their culture. cue the waifu line. i generally got the blunt vibe from him, as he’s not afraid to show what he’s feeling, even if it can come off as rude or like he’s disinterested in others ("I don't have time to be buddy-buddy with everyone. I... I need to create anime." -the wiki). he also is rather trusting in junko, as he doesn’t seem to really catch onto what junko’s ulterior motive is, even as he witnesses her casual violence. while i’m not sure if ryota is neurodivergent or not, he definitely has an enormous interest in anime that i can’t see him getting over for a while. plus, anime/animation is a very broad genre, and i can see him being very interested in other aspects of the field as well- such as the stories, art in general, and character design.

second off, from bang dream(bandori), i match you with...

hina hikawa!

...though mayu suzumoto and yoshiki kishinuma from corpse party are close seconds! i don’t think you have her exact same vibe, but i still think you and hina are very similar! i think that while hina is rather cheerful, she can be more introverted as she... generally just doesn’t seem like the biggest fan of other people. i’d also say she gets along with animals better than them, which will be expanded upon later. hina is very intelligent, and she tends to find the people around her interesting because she doesn’t understand their feelings or actions. while i think that she does diverge from you here, she is very much learning empathy through the other members of pastel palettes- it’s small, but i’d argue that in the mole person event story, she’s much more understanding of the others’ concerns than she was at the beginning of the pastel*palettes’ band story. she is very honest and blunt, and can even accidentally insult others, which is... shown many a time. she’ll casually say that aya is kind of an airhead, and that she originally joined pastel*palettes to kill time. this... definitely borders on blunt. she tries to be nice, i’d argue, and is encouraging and supportive overall despite this- the way you seem. she’s both candid and kind, which is something i think you can relate to!

i think that hina does dislike liars- or rather, they would be the complete opposite of her. beside boring people, i think she would dislike those that don’t have anything truthful to say about themselves the most. hina likes teasing aya, because aya is truthful in who she is and always has a genuine reaction. she also gets bothered whenever chisato is hiding something from the group, i’d say partly because she didn’t know what it was. even with maya in the halloween escape room event story, she went ahead and pointed out how maya was ‘obviously’ the mastermind behind it all, and maya fessed up. hina can typically predict that stuff, liars would just be getting in the way of the truth- at least, that’s how i see her. i think she can be rather trusting, though, as she let the mastermind-maya lead them through the haunted house(even if it might have been hazardous), and in general has lots of faith in herself, as well as the people around her. i think this is partially because she’s around very honest people like aya, but it still shows in her relationships with people like ran and misaki. um... like ryota, i do headcanon her as neurodivergent! plus, she also has several interests. these include volleyball, astronomy, extraterrestrial/supernatural life and cryptids, aromatic oils(she makes them), and of course guitar!

and lastly, from my little pony, i match you with...

twilight sparkle!

so... thanks to my friend @packoradical for helping me out with this one! she was the one that suggested twilight to me, and i completely agree! first off, similar vibes, second off, i think that twilight at the very least has the i, f, and p parts down of her mbti type. she is very empathetic and tries really hard to understand others, growing from her asocial self that she was at the beginning of the series. to take it literally, i think she had a lot of trouble in the human world at first. however, i think that getting along with animals more than people can also apply to her in the equestrian world- after all, spike was her closest friend before she moved to ponyville, and even then her friendship with the mane six had to develop before she really got along with all of them. in my eyes, spike has always been closest to her at the end of the day. while twilight can be a bit reserved at times, there are plenty of times where her feelings are clear and obviously known. this can be seen as early as in the first episode, where she actively chooses to sleep instead of try to hang out with the other ponyville residents, to the equestria girls movies where she’s... very obviously awkward and uncomfortable with her new situation, to her varied irritation and panic when it comes to villains like tirek and chrysalis.

i’d also argue that twilight hates liars- she doesn’t take kindly to being deceived or misinformed(see the entire chrysalis-cadence arc, her distrust of discord after his first antagosism, and the claims about zecora in bridle gossip), but she can also be too trusting.. once again, seeing the chrysalis-cadence arc. this is mostly not to disrupt the peace, as she can catch onto that sort of thing, but tries to dismiss it as her own protectiveness or paranoia. i think you could find yourself maybe relating to the latter! i do headcanon twilight as neurodivergent, just like the others... though that’s just a headcanon(maybe it’s canon and i don’t know?), and she does have many interests and developed skills, as displayed over the show! for example, she’s really into the indiana-jones like daring do book series, studies magic intensely, has an interest in (equestria’s, specifically) history, and acts as a teacher to several characters! they’re all very studies and stereotypically introvert hobbies, but she still does a lot of different things!

call me minecraft, cause it’s time for minor matchups! that made no sense, sorry. from danganronpa, there are a lot, you also remind me strongly of kiibo, gundham tanaka, and tenko chabashira, as well as somewhat of mahiru koizumi, seiko kimura, and gonta gokuhara! from kakegurui, you remind me a bit of yumeko jabami. from corpse party, you also reminded me very strongly of yoshiki kishinuma, strongly of seiko shinohara, and somewhat of ayumi shinozaki! from mario, you remind me somewhat of luigi. from bang dream, you also remind me of yukina mintaro, ran mitake, and tae hanazono. lastly, from my little pony, you also remind me a bit of fluttershy, scootaloo, and rainbow dash.

alright, there we go! um... sorry, this is like... a whole essay i wrote. hope this was okay though, anon, and i’m so sorry it took so long to post! if you need any info changed, just let me know!

-mod tsu (idk what shift but let’s go with tsumugi to be safe)

#kin matchup #that's rly it.... haha.#woah. this is a long one too AFJLSDLFKJ #like i was writing the first major matchup and was like oh boy #thanks lumy for the luigi one #ask #request finished #anon

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arielwinter-daily · 5 years ago

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Ariel Winter on Mental Health, Trolls and Life After "Modern Family"

The changing seasons are always tumultuous, with storms washing away the stains of months past and nature struggling to shed or regrow. This spring has been particularly uncertain, to say the least. But in early March, when actor Ariel Winter showed up in Manhattan, it seemed spring had come early, and it wasn’t just the warm temperatures and premature blooms that indicated the shift.

On April 8, Modern Family will air its final episode, closing an 11-year chapter in Ariel’s life. The 22-year-old has played Alex Dunphy on the Emmy-winning show for exactly half of her life. With more than ten million viewers per episode, Ariel is very recognizable as Alex; she is someone viewers think they know. She has a dry sense of humor and a quick wit; she speaks fast and delivers punchlines with ease. In those ways, she’s like the character she plays on TV. But that’s where the comparison stops.

Ariel seems cognizant of the balance between performing, what people think Ariel Winter is like, and actually being Ariel Winter: She’s a smart, kind, and strong young woman who’s developed a thick skin over the years — but she’s not untouchable.

Some celebrities maintain a quiet, different-than-you air, even when you’re standing right next to them. But Ariel isn’t like that; she speaks easily and honestly and looks you in the eye. On a gray day in New York, stylists and makeup artists flurry around her, primping and preening her for a photo shoot. Ariel jokes with all of them, remaining flexible, working with the team to find outfits she likes. In front of the camera she moves with the confidence of someone who’s done this many times before. There’s no pretension to her.

Ariel is now emerging from the security of her long-running show as an adult, tasked with making her way in the world as a young woman. She’s still figuring out what that will look like.

“Life is not predictable,” Ariel tells Teen Vogue, sitting on a couch with her leg tucked under her newly red hair flowing over her shoulders. “That’s why it’s unknown and it’s scary. So I try to go with the flow as much as possible.” She’s just finished one photo shoot, and is pausing to chat before she rushes to another. “I do not like lack of control,” she adds. “I don’t like that. So that’s definitely been hard for me.”

But just because Ariel doesn’t know what the future holds doesn’t mean she doesn’t know who she is.

Born Ariel Winter Workman, she grew up in Hollywood. Ariel first hit the scene at age five, in a Cool Whip commercial. After various smaller roles, she landed the part of Alex Dunphy on Modern Family, in 2009, when she was just 11, playing the nerdy middle child in a quirky but close family, often acting as the grounding presence in a head-in-the-clouds bunch. In real life, Ariel’s family life wasn’t quite as picturesque. She moved in with her sister, Shanelle Gray, when she was 14, and was legally emancipated from her mother — who she’s spoken about in the past — a year later.

Ariel has said that her sister has been an overwhelmingly positive force in her life. In fact, it was Ariel’s sister who first recommended she go to therapy, something Ariel says has changed the game for her.

“I go to therapy every week and I’ve been doing it for eight years. It is fantastic,” she says. “For me, therapy is so important. I never want to quit therapy. I feel like people are never ‘cured’ [with] therapy. It’s not a ‘cured’ thing, because you’re not going in sick. You’re just going in.”

For Ariel, therapy is about putting in the work to better yourself, which she says everyone should try to do. “What’s negative and wrong and embarrassing about bettering your life?” she asks. “Isn’t that what everyone wants — to be better and feel healthier and be happier?”

Ariel’s journey to being happier has been bumpy. She started taking antidepressants a while ago, but she struggled to find the right drug and dosage. She isn’t alone: One study posited that the rate of effectiveness for antidepressants was lower than previously thought, possibly because people stop taking them when they experience adverse side effects.

“The only negative about [mental health medication] is the process to finding the right one,” she says. “Some of them have really negative side effects, and it can be really disheartening to take something that’s supposed to make you feel better but it makes you feel ten times worse.’”

Eventually, Ariel found that a low dose of three different medications was the key — they help her feel happy and stave off depression. As a result of switching medications, she also happened to lose 30 pounds. Ariel says the public homed in on her weight loss, both shaming and praising her for it. Many, she says, even suggested she switched her medication to try to lose weight.

“A lot of people commented on my post like, ‘No, she changed her antidepressant because she wanted to lose weight,’” Ariel says. “No! I thought every medication I was on, I was going to stay at that weight, and that was fine. It had nothing to do with that.”

Aside from people conjecturing about her mental health, medication, and weight, Ariel says she sees something on social media that is perhaps even more concerning: “I get so many DMs [asking] ‘What medication are you on? I want to lose weight; I want that medication.’ What I would really like for people to understand is, every medication affects everyone differently. We’re all made differently. Everything is different.”

Of course, any questions about Ariel’s weight loss because of antidepressants is missing the bigger point of a young woman taking steps to improve her mental health.

But Ariel is used to people missing the point because of how she looks.

If you Google “Ariel Winter” right now, you’ll almost exclusively see headlines about her body: her low-cut top, her thong dress, her “baring” all. You might see articles about her weight, about her “clapping back” at body shamers, about her friend and costar Sarah Hyland defending her from trolls. The theme is clear.

The headlines about Ariel’s body often overshadow her accomplishments. For example, the headline about her thong dress could have been about her celebrating the Emmy-winning show she just wrapped; a headline about her “showing skin” in a costume should have been about her 22nd birthday. And it’s not just headlines. On Instagram, Ariel gets comment after comment about her body, and it hurts.

“People on the internet really suck. It bothered me for so many years — I mean, it still does. It never goes away. When someone calls you a ‘fat slut,’ you’re not feeling happy about it. It doesn’t matter what you look like now, it doesn’t matter what you looked like then,” Ariel says. “You’re still going to read that and be like, ‘Oh, that sucks.’”

Ariel has been known to defend herself against detractors, but it’s something she’s doing less of these days. Many take her confident responses to trolls to mean the negativity is not affecting her, but the truth is, Ariel says, that she’s put in a lot of work to make the negative comments matter less.

“I feel like that [pain] never goes away. People are like, ‘How do you get that to go away? It doesn’t bother you at all anymore.’ Again, that’s missing the point. What I’ve said is, I’ve learned to deal with it more,” Ariel explains. “It’s a journey of being confident enough to look at that and evaluate my opinion of myself, which I’m not fully at yet. I’m still working there.”

When she started receiving nasty comments, Ariel said it was all-consuming. She’d fire back nasty comments to her nasty commenters, but that didn’t help.

“That doesn’t feel good,” she says. “I don’t like to hurt people. It doesn’t bring me joy. And at the same time, when I’m writing that negative comment back to them, I’m not being like, ‘Yeah! I defended myself!’ and, like, laughing and feeling good. I’m writing it back, and I’m sad that they wrote me that, and then I’m sad I wrote that back and started this whole thing.”

Now Ariel tries to remember that the only opinion that really matters is her own, taking the power away from her detractors. While years of therapy have no doubt helped Ariel give less credence to negative comments, she remembers one specific Instagram comment that helped shift her focus.

“I had someone comment on one of my pictures, and it really bugged me. They said, ‘So many people on your photos, it really is divided. So many people show so much love and support, and you spend so much time on the negative comments and ignore all the positive ones.’ It really sucked to read that because that’s true,” Ariel says. “You overlook the positive comments, because as soon as you see the positive ones it’s like, ‘Okay, great, but these people don’t agree.’ But why do those people’s [negative] comments matter more than those [positive] comments?”

Still, wouldn’t it be nice if we all noticed Ariel for who she is and what she does, and not what she looks like?

“I’d love for people to see the things I do, not really what I look like, because that’s mainly what’s talked about.”

Ariel says she’d like recognition for her actions, not her looks, but she also says she doesn’t need the world to know everything about her. Like a lot of celebrities, she’d prefer a bit of anonymity in her daily life. She posts sparingly on social media, compared with other young stars, and the bits she does share don’t tell us too much about who she is or what she’s doing. It’s not that she’s holding back or hiding things; it’s just that Ariel is busier actually living life than documenting it.

“I would like for [people] to, of course, see the real me. But … I know that’s not really feasible,” she admits. “It’s rough sometimes, people being like, ‘I don’t know anything about her at all.’ That might be because I don’t put it out there as much.”

“Some people, on social media, they love to share everything, and they know how to share everything, and they’re comfortable sharing everything,” Ariel observes. “I know who I am, and the people around me know who I am; but expressing that to somebody else and having to prove to somebody and be like, ‘I need you to see me this way,’ is not something I do very well.”

The other part of it, Ariel says, is that she’s just like anyone else. She likes sitting on her couch, ordering takeout, watching TV, and hanging with her four dogs: Casper, Chloe, Cash, and Cleo. She likes her dogs so much that on the emotional last day of filming Modern Family, to cope, she went on an online shopping spree and ordered a phone case with the dogs’ faces on the back.

“I was sitting in my trailer, and I might have gone [online] and personalized a bunch of things and sent them to my house, and this was one of them,” she says slyly, holding up the plastic case featuring the fluffy faces.

Dogs are a huge part of Ariel’s life. Her ultimate goal, she says, is to open a shelter for senior dogs and dogs that have been sheltered for more than a year. A pit bull lover, Ariel is part of many animal rescue Facebook groups, and seeing those tiny faces behind bars tears her up. She’ll post on social media to help a dog, but much of her work to help dogs, and others, goes unseen on purpose.

“People may not see the things I do that matter to me,” she says. “That’s okay, because the people I do them for, it matters to them and they know.”

Ariel will stick to firm ground as she blossoms into her next phase of life. She’s hoping to help more dogs, continue to do good by others, still planning to work hard, and trying to get comfortable with the untold path her new season holds. Beyond that, she doesn’t really have a plan — no benchmarks to reach by a certain age because, she says, “I feel like nothing works that way.” But that’s okay.

“This is new territory for me,” Ariel says. “I was doing something very specific for so long. Now I have to reset my mind and retrain myself to be in that place of, ‘All right, I am ready to look for the next thing.’ I am ready to work,” she continues. “I am ready to do everything I can. I am ready to be in the right mindset to go in there again and be able to face the rejection that will come, and be able to move past that and go to the next audition and be ready for it. And be ready for things in my personal life. Just living.”

It’s not that she has no plans. Right now Ariel is working on filming a video game, an experience she says is totally new to her. As for the bigger picture?

“I want to stay the same person I am,” she says. “It’s way more rewarding at the end of the day. I want to stay the person I am, work hard, and see what happens.”

Source: Teen Vogue

#ariel winter #article #interview #teen vogue

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stevenuniversallyreviews · 5 years ago

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Episode 123: Room for Ruby

“It's sunny now, but it can always rain later.”

Catch and Release really did change everything. I’ve already discussed it as a paradigm shift, transforming the concept of what the Crystal Gems are: before, a quartet with Steven as the rookie, and after, a fluid group where Steven has some seniority. We’re in an era where Connie, a full-fledged human, is a Crystal Gem. Bismuth, who already was a Crystal Gem but got reintroduced and then left behind, will return as a member of the modern iteration. And two former enemies, Peridot and Lapis, have joined the group (the latter unofficially). So who’s to say a ruby soldier wouldn’t fit in?

Granted, Charlyne Yi’s performs a ruby that’s a little too forgiving, and power combo Raven Molisee (of the highly expressive Molisee’n’Villeco) and Jesse Zuke (of the barnmaster duo Zuke’n’Florido) exaggerate her face and words to the point where it’s at least a little suspicious from the start. But Navy, cleverly named for the gem on her navel just as Army is named for her arm gem, has always been friendly and chipper compared to the other rubies in her squad. It’s believable, despite us never witnessing it, that the other rubies are mean to her for this attitude. And because this is a ridiculous character, it was always possible that her ridiculously jolly attitude was sincere.

That Navy is lying the whole time is irrelevant to the wonder of a show that makes us believe that she might join up. Her betrayal might be predictable, but our status quo is as capable of change as the planet our heroes love; it’s a similar sensation to Alone at Sea, where even though nothing drastic happens there’s a real possibility that Lapis might relapse and go back to Malachite. It’s so much better than an episode where we know from the start that the character-of-the-week will depart by the end of the story.

Navy’s chipper behavior is variably cute and questionable, but I love the massive hint that is the rain sequence. Gems become Crystal Gems when exposed to water, so Navy gets her own little baptism as part of the orientation. But because she’s a false convert, we get artificial rain for her artificial reaction. Yi sells absurd joy as well as absurd frustration, but there’s a cloud hanging over this moment that becomes clearer on rewatch.

Despite beginning with Steven and Garnet, then bringing Navy along for the ride, Room for Ruby becomes a Lapis Lazuli episode as soon as we head back to the barn. Navy is as one-dimensional as it gets before the reveal, blithely accepting everything that comes her way and seeming incapable of feeling negative emotions, so she needs an external opponent if we want this episode to have a plot. Yes, it’d be fun to see this goofball being a goofball for eleven minutes, but thankfully Steven Universe is willing to go deeper.

Peridot’s bossiness and desire to impress makes her an excellent candidate to teach Navy the ropes, and both can bond with fellow shorty Steven over a shared go-get’em mindset. So it makes sense that our wet blanket is Lapis, who first distrusts Navy and then gets fed up with how easy everything is for her. She’s trying, but seeing another foe-turned-friend have such a smooth go of it isn’t easy, and exploring those emotions of jealousy and inadequacy allows for a wonderful last hurrah before Lapis abandons Earth in Raising the Barn.

Lapis has a tricky role to play here, as she’s straddling the line between protagonist and antagonist depending on how much you trust Navy. Our hero/villain is portrayed sympathetically, as we’re reminded of her traumas and her slow but steady recovery process; she might come across as petty, but it’s understandable pettiness when Navy breezes by in areas where Lapis has struggled. And it helps that unlike fellow Ornery Lapis episode Barn Mates, Navy doesn’t seem to get upset at the negativity; this isn’t Peridot trying to win over a stubborn holdout, it’s a spacy ruby who ignores the venom. But at the same time, Lapis is the only protester in the Navy Parade, and her clash with Steven’s goal of bringing in a new friend makes her a huge bummer.

Which is why I love this episode’s lesson so much: that it’s sometimes okay to be a huge bummer.

It’s okay because everyone’s going through the world at their own pace, and whether you’re clinically depressed, a survivor of trauma, or you’re just plain sad, it doesn’t make you less worthy than folks in a happier mood. Lapis attempts patience and understanding despite her annoyance, and only snaps when Navy’s attitude turns sickly sweet; feelings of inferiority are hard to work through, but it doesn’t make it okay to be a jerk the whole time. Even after the outburst, Lapis is quick to reassure Navy, acknowledging that it’s an internal problem and apologizing. She wants to like the newcomer, but as soon as she senses the forced perkiness it’s hard for her not to notice that something’s off.

A good twist is something that makes you rethink the plot, but a great twist does this duty while being enjoyable as a plot point on its own merits. The execution of Navy’s betrayal is marvelous, even as it becomes more and more obvious that it’s coming. After spending the whole episode geeking out about Earth stuff, Navy not-so-subtly suggests that she wants to go back to her ship. Steven not only falls for it, but is down to press a huge button without asking follow-up questions; it may seem inconsistent with his growing maturity, but it makes sense that an excitable kid is lost in the joy of making a new friend. The stranger area for me is his exclamation that the Crystal Gems “finally” have a pilot, as if Pearl hasn’t been successfully navigating spaceships this whole time, but again, he’s caught up in the moment.

The twist-within-a-twist is that while Navy has been plotting against our heroes this whole time, her demeanor isn’t part of the act. Yi's transition from earnest giddiness on land versus manic giddiness post-betrayal is worth the price of admission, especially as she merrily explains that she opted not to just steal the ship because she wanted to watch the Crystal Gems suffer.

And of course, this brings about Lapis’s triumphant laughter at being proven right. Jennifer Paz is awesome throughout the episode, restraining herself when necessary for big bursts of energy to hit home, and it culminates in the sheer joy that comes from righteous vindication. We could’ve gotten a somber moment of Steven’s anguish at being tricked, similar to what we got after Peridot’s duplicity in Message Received, but Lapis allows us a sense of relief despite things going horribly.

In an episode featuring a character as unsubtle as Navy (being tricky doesn’t stop her from being loud and hammy), I love the quieter story we get from Garnet. We only get a nudge that Navy’s story appeals to Ruby and Sapphire, but we don’t need more than that, so I’m glad we don’t get more. Yes, it would be fun to see Ruby hanging out with Navy, but the episode’s focus is elsewhere and we don’t indulge in fanservice that would take away from the plot. The two balloons Garnet brings at the end are color-coded for convenience, so we don’t need anyone to tell us that the optimistic red message is Ruby’s hopes and the apologetic blue message is Sapphire’s realism. It’s not a novel observation that Steven Universe respects the audience enough to not hold our hands, but it’s still appreciated.

(Also appreciated is a soft moment of Garnet bonding with Steven independent of the plot as they make wishes; Steven may be growing up fast, but he’s still allowed to be a kid sometimes instead of spending every episode in teen angst mode.)

In terms of criticisms, I’m a little torn about the pacing: Room for Ruby meanders a bit in that second act, even though I understand its purpose. Lapis needs to have her tolerance for Navy strained to a breaking point so she’s not throwing a tantrum out of nowhere, so we need multiple examples of frustrating glee. But it does get a little boring on rewatch to have the point driven home again and again that Navy is a perfect little angel, even if it’s all building up to the twist that she’s anything but.

Still, I can’t help but enjoy the nostalgia this structure provides, because major plot points aside, the episode fits right in with classic Season 1. We get a simple story that primes us for an obvious conclusion. Steven will find an unusual solution in his cheeseburger backpack. Steven will learn patience when Pearl takes a while to reform. Steven’s beach party with the Gems and the Pizzas will teach the Gems to respect civilians more. Lapis will grow to accept Navy’s differences. But instead, Steven’s improvisation only goes so far, and he’s impatient again as soon as Pearl returns, and the Gems still don’t care about Fish Stew Pizza, and Lapis’s negative outlook was correct. Steven Universe first made its mark by toying with the conventions of episodes with straightforward morals, and it’s nice to see that legacy continue so late in the series.

The implications of Navy’s actions are soon made clear, as the loss of the Crystal Gems’ only means of space travel (stolen from the very barn where Steven, Greg, and Pearl first experimented with space travel!) makes Steven’s imminent sacrifice that much weightier. But before that shoe drops, we can enjoy one last glimpse of our favorite little ruby.

(I’m kidding of course, our Ruby is the best ruby.)

We’re the one, we’re the ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!

Charlyne Yi hamming it up and Lapis’s grouchiness paying off? What’s not to love?

Top Twenty

Steven and the Stevens

Hit the Diamond

Mirror Gem

Lion 3: Straight to Video

Alone Together

Last One Out of Beach City

The Return

Jailbreak

The Answer

Mindful Education

Sworn to the Sword

Rose’s Scabbard

Earthlings

Mr. Greg

Coach Steven

Giant Woman

Beach City Drift

Winter Forecast

Bismuth

Steven’s Dream

Love ‘em

Laser Light Cannon

Bubble Buddies

Tiger Millionaire

Lion 2: The Movie

Rose’s Room

An Indirect Kiss

Ocean Gem

Space Race

Garnet’s Universe

Warp Tour

The Test

Future Vision

On the Run

Maximum Capacity

Marble Madness

Political Power

Full Disclosure

Joy Ride

Keeping It Together

We Need to Talk

Chille Tid

Cry for Help

Keystone Motel

Catch and Release

When It Rains

Back to the Barn

Steven’s Birthday

It Could’ve Been Great

Message Received

Log Date 7 15 2

Same Old World

The New Lars

Monster Reunion

Alone at Sea

Crack the Whip

Beta

Back to the Moon

Kindergarten Kid

Buddy’s Book

Gem Harvest

Three Gems and a Baby

That Will Be All

The New Crystal Gems

Storm in the Room

Room for Ruby

Like ‘em

Gem Glow

Frybo

Arcade Mania

So Many Birthdays

Lars and the Cool Kids

Onion Trade

Steven the Sword Fighter

Beach Party

Monster Buddies

Keep Beach City Weird

Watermelon Steven

The Message

Open Book

Story for Steven

Shirt Club

Love Letters

Reformed

Rising Tides, Crashing Tides

Onion Friend

Historical Friction

Friend Ship

Nightmare Hospital

Too Far

Barn Mates

Steven Floats

Drop Beat Dad

Too Short to Ride

Restaurant Wars

Kiki’s Pizza Delivery Service

Greg the Babysitter

Gem Hunt

Steven vs. Amethyst

Bubbled

Adventures in Light Distortion

Gem Heist

The Zoo

Rocknaldo

Enh

Cheeseburger Backpack

Together Breakfast

Cat Fingers

Serious Steven

Steven’s Lion

Joking Victim

Secret Team

Say Uncle

Super Watermelon Island

Gem Drill

Know Your Fusion

Future Boy Zoltron

Tiger Philanthropist

No Thanks!

6. Horror Club 5. Fusion Cuisine 4. House Guest 3. Onion Gang 2. Sadie’s Song 1. Island Adventure

#room for ruby #steven universe #su #steven universally #review

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mst3kproject · 6 years ago

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111: Moon Zero-Two

In his review of Serenity, the late Roger Ebert defined ‘space opera’ as being like horse opera, but with space instead of horses. I can think of no better description of Moon Zero-Two.

Captain Bill Kemp and his co-pilot Kaminsky were once heroes, the first men on Mars, but now that a proper colonization of the solar system is underway, they’re reduced to running a salvage operation. The opportunity to do something more profitable knocks when Evil Businessman Mr. Hubbard asks them to help him crash an asteroid on the far side of the moon – an asteroid made of almost pure blue sapphire! Meanwhile, Kemp is also trying to help a woman named Clementine Taplan, who’s supposed to be meeting her brother Wally, but nobody’s seen him since he sent her the invitation four months ago. And isn’t it interesting that Wally’s lunar mining claim is exactly where Hubbard’s asteroid is going to hit?

I actually really like this movie. The visuals are often silly, but it’s quite well-made and the ‘space western’ feel is fun. The actors are decent, the effects aren’t bad, and when you think about it, it’s surprisingly hard science fiction. The only overtly unrealistic things in it are the artificial gravity and the characters’ bad habit of going for spacewalks without a tether.

Moon Zero-Two’s overall aesthetic probably made more sense when the movie was new than it does now. It is, indeed, rather painfully late-60’s, but nothing about it is just gratuitously weird – everything has a purpose. The music, for example. Tom Servo complains about the ‘free-form jazz’ but it’s as effective at suggesting the free-floating emptiness of space as the Jaws theme is at saying ‘shark!’. Indoor scenes have a more grounded soundtrack and even the low-gravity barfight is not scored the way the parts that take place in vacuum are.

Likewise, the odd outfits and plasticky wigs serve to emphasize the artificiality of the environment. The ‘natural’ late-60’s-early-70’s look, with loose clothing and long hair, would have been entirely out of place here. This is a world humans have had to build from the ground up – nothing else is natural here, so why should the people be? The moon colonists try to jazz up their world a little with their fanciful outfits and theme nights at the bar, but they can’t even make a dent in the relentless desolation of the landscape. They barely even make one in the self-consciously futuristic white of their cities. Kemp says ‘we will always be foreigners here’, and the sets and costumes reinforce his point.

In Clementine’s case, what she wears also serves to show how comfortable she is in this environment and in Bill’s company. When she first arrives on the moon she is covered from head to toe. As she adjusts, she trades her weird headpiece for a wig. Finally, we see her with her own hair hanging down.

On another level, clothing in this movie is about vulnerability. Bill and Clem come closest to being humans in the natural state (nude), when they are near death from over-heating in the un-insulated moon bug. Bill’s two topless scenes are supposed to be about his dislike of vulnerability turning into a willingness to show vulnerability around Clem, but they don’t work very well because both of them are such clichés: she catches him coming out of the shower in what’s supposed to be a joke, and then there’s the ‘couple who won’t admit they’re falling in love have to undress because of the heat’. I can see what they were going for, but I wish they’d found a better way to do it. Both scenes get some very powerful eyerolls.

(ETA: I probably should have said something about how Bill is in love with Clem like twenty minutes after his previous girlfriend died, but I only just dealt with something like that in the EtNW review for It’s Alive and I decided not to bother.)

The idea of vulnerability brings us to the movie’s main theme, which is that while space is a place of limitless potential, full of things like rich nickel veins and sapphire asteroids and other opportunities for science and profit, living there is always going to suck. In the future of Moon Zero-Two, there is a large population of humans on the moon, but anything above and beyond a very basic lifestyle is rare and expensive. There’s the tiny hut we see that Wally Taplan was living in, Kemp’s complaints about the cost of drinks, and the difficulty of getting anywhere that’s not a tourist center. Danger is everywhere – as one character observes, ‘nobody dies slowly on the moon.’

These dangers are mostly hidden from casual travelers so as not to frighten them (witness the monument, around a corner where only residents will see it), but vacuum, heat, cold, and radiation are ever-present. It’s much like modern air travel, which is perfectly safe as long as everything works and everybody does their jobs, but all it takes is one mistake, one faulty component, and everything goes down in flames. This makes Moon Zero-Two stand out from other sci-fi movies that rely on alien monsters to scare the audience, forgetting that space itself is really far more frightening than any number of extraterrestrial teeth.

This isn’t a horror movie, though – Moon Zero-Two bills itself as ‘the first moon western’. I’m not sure if it’s actually the first, but it’s definitely a moon western! I mean, we’ve got miners, tycoons, shootouts, and untold riches in a wild new frontier with dangers around every corner! As a bonus, setting it on the moon avoids the troubling questions of who has a right to this land, and doesn’t allow the writers to use ‘angry natives’ as one of their generic dangers. Western clichés pop up repeatedly, but unlike the cliché nudity, these are actually entertaining as each one comes with a sci-fi twist. There’s a saloon, but the barfight takes place in microgravity! Bill and Clem may overheat and die in the desert, but that’s because their moon bug has broken down rather than because their horse stepped in a gopher hole! These fun little uses of the tropes are a running gag in themselves.

Moon Zero-Two is also another movie where it’s a load of fun to look at what the writers and production designers thought the future would be like versus what actually happened. The film-makers probably thought they were being very forward-thinking, with their personal computers and satellite communications. Of course now we scoff at the briefcase-sized computers with their single-colour displays and giant keypads, but at the time it must have seemed quite futuristic! It makes me wonder what people fifty years from now (if there are any left) will think of the interactive hologram technology we depict in movies like Avatar and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

For all these things to like about it, Moon Zero-Two is a long way from perfect. Everybody on the moon seems to be white and there are far more men than women, although the women we see are portrayed as competent and intelligent (except for Hubbard’s collection of bimbos, barely able to sound out the words on their Community Chest cards… though when we consider Harry, I suppose we’re meant to assume that Hubbard just likes surrounding himself with stupid people). We relate to Bill as he seems like just a guy trying to make a living, but he’s a bit too much of a bitter grouch to really be likeable. I would have liked to see some more personality for Clem and Kaminsky, too.

The biggest thing that just feels like it’s missing from Moon Zero-Two is any idea of what’s going on down on Earth. This is not, of course, essential to the story – it’s notable that we never see Earth, only what’s happening on the Moon and in space – but considering when the movie was made I was curious what it would predict for the outcome of the Cold War. In the opening, we see an America and a Russian astronaut who are rivals until they are both swept up in the (extremely capitalist) race to colonize the solar system. In the movie proper, the Russians vanish. Somebody sneeringly asks where Kaminsky is from, but it’s not clear whether this is a cold war thing or just garden-variety xenophobia. What happened? Have the Russians left the moon as the British-American colonization project got going? Do they have their own bases elsewhere on the surface? We never find out, and it makes me wonder why the opening sequence brought it up.

Speaking of the opening sequence, I do love the theme song. It’s so cheerful and catchy, and it makes exploring the solar system sound like a really good time!

Outside of the Russian movies, which had been badly-translated and mercilessly cut down, I think Moon Zero-Two might be the best film ever featured on MST3K. It is very easy to make fun of, being so obviously a product of its time, but it doesn’t have any of the egregious errors of acting, pacing, or cheapness that ruined so many other good ideas in such movies. For the most part it uses its clichés in an entertaining way and we don’t really hate any of the characters except the smug, cackling Hubbard, whom we’re supposed to hate. Its visuals, audio, and story never bore us, and the story has only one major coincidence in Clem and Hubbard both going to Bill for help – but what we’re told about Bill’s past and present doesn’t make this seem too unlikely. As I already mentioned, it doesn’t need a whole bunch of technobabble to get the story going, and still manages to be pretty good fun.

Perhaps the highest praise I can give to Moon Zero-Two is this: it’s probably the only MST3K episode where the riffing actually annoys me, because I’m trying to pay attention to the movie.

#mst3k #reviews #moon zero two #60s

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ladyloveandjustice · 6 years ago

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Fall 2018 Anime Overview: Continuing Series- Golden Kamuy Season 2 and Banana Fish

Golden Kamuy Season 2

If you enjoyed the first season, this is pretty much more of the same, so check out my review of season one to know what to expect.

Though I guess you could say this portion of the season DOES lean even harder into weirdness than the first one did. There’s not many anime where you’ll see two dudes having the time of their lives modeling fashionable outfits made out of human skin, which include...crotch appendages...only in Golden Kamuy y’all.

Interestingly bizarreness tends to overlap with queerness a lot in this season and its hard to know how to feel about it. For instance, it’s definitely an unexpected revelation that dudes are attracted to Lieutenant Tsurumi like whoa.

IDK apparently he’s a catch. Half of his subordinates are in love with him. It’s handled as comical and of course the dudes are mentally unbalanced weirdos (as is everyone in Golden Kamuy except Asirpa and Sugimoto only sometimes) and one of them dies, but the show is never overtly mean to them either. Nobody acts disgusted about it and when one character observes the attraction, he basically shrugs about it.

Satoru Noda apparently also REALLY loose with his fixation with dudes muscles with this part of the story, to the point we got the beef-cakiest hotsprings episode I’ve ever seen, which includes an extended fight scene where the male characters were naked throughout. There’s also an entire scene where apparently otter meat is an aphrodisiac that causes the dudes to be really into each other, so they engage in nearly naked sumo wrestling.

This is all clearly supposed to be wacky and funny, but at the same time it’s pretty clear the mangaka must REALLY LIKE drawing these scenes of muscular, naked men, and I support him following his dreams. Also I won’t deny it’s refreshing to see a hot springs episode where not a single woman got objectified, but there was dude oglin’ a plenty. It healed me a little.

I guess while we’re talking about this show and its weird relationship with queerness I should reporting that my prediction was right and the trans woman I mentioned in the previous review did become an ally. Her transness hasn’t been bought up again (though for some reason the subs decided to switch to “he” despite sticking with “she” before) and her role is pretty minor, she does reveal she’s skilled in both cooking and surgery (because she likes dismembering people) and talks about how great it would be to see people murdered every so often, so pretty much more of the same.

And that’s really all there is to say. Golden Kamuy has only gotten weirder and the plot only more convoluted (I’m starting to have a hard time keeping track of the characters tbh), but it’s an entertaining story and there’s still characters with resonance and heart underneath it all (the scene where Sugimoto discusses his trauma from being in the war with Asirpa genuinely tugged a heartstring. These two are still great and have really settled into a kinda of adorable dad-daughter dynamic at this point) and the historical and cultural research that went into this story is still amazing.

I can tell the anime’s still skipping a lot of the manga (most of volume 7 was completely skipped), but since the English release of the manga is so slow, I’m happy to watch it in the meantime. It helps that the show has a bangin’ soundtrack and and it managed to pull its ginormous cast together for some truly exciting and action packed final episodes that left me eager for more.

Banana Fish (13-24)

Again, if you read my review for the first half of the show, you can basically expect more of the same, both with the good and especially the bad parts. We do get more downtime with Ash and Eiji’s relationship, and they continued to make me think this show would be so much better if it focused more on these quiet scenes rather than on piling as much trauma on Ash as it possibly can.

I think this second half did allow me to see what was compelling about Ash and Eiji’s relationship and why it’s stayed with so many people. When Ash explained that he’s finally found someone who will love him without expecting anything in return, so of course he’s willing to do anything for that person, that got me in the heart. Ash is someone who has either been viewed as a threat or someone to exploit- he’s especially used to being treated like he’s nothing more than a body, a receptacle for desires. Eiji isn’t afraid of Ash, or in awe of him, and never asks anything of him other than for him to be okay and by his side. Ash genuinely can just be a dumb teenager with him while he can’t with anyone else. Eiji is an outsider, to Ash’s gang-bangin’ world, to his culture in general, and that allows him to see Ash as he truly is, just a kid who needs to get out of this mess.

The romantic in me really loves that concept, and as an ace person, I especially connect to the underlying implication that Eiji is a romantic partner who isn’t going to demand sex from Ash or try to force him into it. Though Ash’s implied desire to avoid sex almost certainly stems from trauma, I know how he feels in a broad sense. And I think it’s a thing a lot of women can relate to even if they aren’t ace, wanting to find a relationship where they aren’t used or objectified, so it goes back around to how Ash acts as kind of a representation for the anxieties and desires of (likely) the mangaka and many women despite being a male character, and I still find that very interesting. The scene where Ash has a complete breakdown and screams at his rapist while laughing hysterically was really affecting.

So there’s moments of real resonance here, but is it worth the bullshit surrounding it, which includes every single gay man being represented as a rapist, to the point a gay bar is connected to a child porn ring? The nasty implication that gay sex is inherently evil and non-consensual, and Ash and Eiji’s relationship is only okay because they’re not doing it is very strong, and as much as this ace appreciates a romance that doesn’t require sex, I don’t want it THIS way.

There’s also some SERIOUS anti-Semitic bullshit that I can’t believe MAPPA didn’t edit out in a couple episodes. Like it would have been so easy to cut. Also some more pretty rough scenes of black men being murdered (they’re extras this time at least, and the main black dude for this part of the anime miraculously manages to both survive and not be an offensive caricature. Also his name is Cain Blood which is the best name in this story, and possibly ever).

The second half of the anime also involved some of the more absurd elements worsening. I got REALLY tired of every character commenting on how hot and amazing Ash is like. I GET IT. Also Ash’s life of being sexually exploited somehow gives him the ability to seduce any man holding him captive, and every bad guy is down for raping a teenage boy, I guess. It’s actually again, a little surreal to see these tropes with a male character. I’m used to seeing hot female characters who’ve been through sexual trauma and have magic seduction powers and are endlessly drooled over...I almost want guys to watch these segments so they can see how uncomfortable it feels when the tables are turned.

There’s also some really good examples of ACTUAL jarring tone shifts, where the anime really fails to land some of its attempts at a funny, light moment in the midst of really tense and tragic situations. I think it’s possible the manga managed this better, but I can’t imagine the “joke” where Ash has to crossdress and a male doctor gropes him and Ash punches him out cold and his friends chortle and tell him he’s not a gentle woman could ever be done in a non jarring way. Like, I don’t like sexual harassment humor in anime at the best of times, but it’s especially bad when the person who is harassed has been raped more times than he can count. We’re expected to take that seriously, but not this, because Ash is in a dress? It’s also like, appalling that his friends who are fully aware of his history would laugh about him getting assaulted again. It’s a moment that feels like it comes from a completely different anime.

So um, yeah. My conclusion is those resonant moments are not worth the bullshit. The ending really cemented this for me. I had an (admittedly overly flippant) reaction that kind of sums my feelings up. Let’s just say I HATE meaningless cruel tragedy for the sake of tragedy, and I especially hate the implication abuse victims can never find happiness.

I can’t say Banana Fish is an anime I’ll think fondly of or recommend. I do still find the discussion about it interesting, much more interesting than the actual story (as presented in the anime, again, haven’t read the manga), tbh. And I can see the seeds of a good story there, and I can understand why fans would want to see a reboot that truly modernized the story, cutting out the worst stuff and giving it a better ending, while keeping the resonance of the main relationship and the good characters (I really did like Sing, and Yut Lung was interesting. Shorter and Skip both deserved way better. Also Jessica, who at least got to do something besides be victimized at the last minute. One whole female character got a few moments of agency. Hallelujah.) Maybe someday it will happen.

In the meantime, there’s a bunch of cool articles on Banana Fish that are worth a read. All of the pieces published on animefeminist as well as this post on Otaku, She Wrote are really informative, illuminating, and break down a lot of the issues I found here.

#golden kamuy #banana fish #anime overview #anime #my reviews #body horror cw #fall 2018 anime

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jadewestvictorious89 · 6 years ago

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Jade West

Character Profile for Jade West

Quotes

“If someone was pushed off this catwalk, and they landed on the floor really hard, do you think they'd live?”

“My favorite toy was a hammer. You finish the puzzle.”

General Information

Name:Jade West

Age:18

Gender:Female

Personality:Jade has a very prickly personality; she is known for being sassy, dark, grouchy, and sarcastic to those around her. She was described as "freaky" by the boy in Ice Cream for Ke$ha, to which she took offense to, but when she was described as "weird" by Moose in Three Girls and a Moose, she acknowledged and admitted it, nodding along (though that was because she was attracted to him). Jade has a 'thing' for scissors, first shown in Wi-Fi in the Sky as her username on TheSlap is 'ScissorLuv'. Her locker is also decorated with numerous scissors, her favorite (horror) movie is The Scissoring, and she even has a favorite pair as shown in her videos on The Slap and buys herself new pairs (Jade Gets Crushed). She also takes interest in pain (Cat's New Boyfriend), a lump of fat (Rex Dies), monkey fur, and blood (Freak the Freak Out (episode)), (Tori Gets Stuck). She also enjoys breathing in the fumes of dead people (Car, Rain & Fire), and likes to pretend she's been captured by witches and is being made into human soup while in hot tubs (IParty with Victorious). She has a macabre sense of humor, usually saying things about people being hit by a bus at various episodes, as well as somewhat sadistic tendencies, such as enjoying people getting hurt, even her own boyfriend being slapped (in a scene).

Jade is jealous, often insatiable, mean, and rude to many people. She sometimes shows authority and control at Hollywood Arts, yelling at others and even using physical force at times. Although she does not usually fight directly, she often retaliates in way "that will make [someone] sad for a long time". She is very possessive of her boyfriend Beck, protecting him from others that have a seem interested in him even as friends.

Despite her tough attitude, she can get freaked out by a few things, revealed by her horrified reaction to a dog attacking who she thought to be Beck (Jade Dumps Beck), freaking out when Sinjin broke into her house (Wi-Fi in the Sky), crying when she learned she was sweating for the first time (Survival of the Hottest), Sikowitz scaring her multiple times (iParty with Victorious), freaking out when Cat removed her eyebrows (Crazy Ponnie), holding onto Beck when soldiers invaded the gang's hotel in Yerba, and getting knocked down by Sheema in Locked Up!

Jade fits the stereotype of a "bad girl" much more than a "mean girl". She is very rebellious, as she doesn't like being told what to do and often points out that she's doing something because she wants to, not because someone told her to (for instance, she got her piercings 45 minutes after her mother said no to Jade), and often claims that she is only doing something because she wants to and not because someone tells her to (The Great Ping Pong Scam). However, she seems to obey Beck, and he is the only one able to calm her down and make her at least somewhat polite and nice to other people, for example in Beggin' on Your Knees.

Jade is a hardworking student at Hollywood Arts, where she dedicates her time to writing, acting, and singing. She seems to favor script writing, as she writes the play Well Wishes in Wok Star and manages to get it produced with the help of Tori. She seems to prefer to star in works she both writes and directs, and these works include: "Clowns Don't Bounce" (Prome Wrecker), an unnamed TV series where she plays the main character and her evil twin (only written; talked about in a post on The Slap), and her re-audition in Helen Back Again. All of these were dark and scary. She also seems to prefer film over stage, as her re-audition for Principal Helen Dubois was in the form of a short film while Beck's was a monologue on stage. Often, her performances are considered "weird" and "disturbing", but most people still enjoy them; an example of this is Well Wishes.

It is shown throughout the series that deep down, Jade is insecure and her heart is broken, which is part of the reason she is so rude towards people. For example, she has often assumed that Beck was cheating on her; she was devastated when she briefly broke up with him and he wouldn't take her back, and didn't want anyone "cool" to see her crying (Jade Dumps Beck). It's pretty clear that Beck is very meaningful to her and she feels empty without him. She also seems to be worried about her father's opinion of her hopes and dreams and went to great lengths to make him enjoy her play "Well Wishes" in Wok Star, which nearly got butchered. She also competed with the rest of the gang to get the most followers on The Slap to maintain popularity and dominance. She gets very upset when a satellite catches a picture of her that makes it look like she is picking her nose in The Bad Roommate and doesn't want anyone to see.

Jade often helps solves the group's challenge and could be considered the smartest (next to André and Beck). For instance, in Ice Cream for Ke$ha, she thought of the idea that the "S" would be found in the least popular flavor of ice cream. In Terror on Cupcake Street, she mentioned that the confetti cannon would scare the thugs away and it did. Even before Tori (and even Trina) joined the gang, she still solved problems, an example of this is in The Great Ping Pong Scam. In her profile video on The Slap, she describes herself as smart and deep.

Jade hates many things for various reasons, as reflected in her TheSlap segment, What I Hate, but she also has two episodes of these segments titled "What I Love", because she does not want to be predictable.

Although Jade seems tough and scary at times, she has been proven to only be very intimidating and she lost her only physical altercation with someone other than Tori (The Wood) and Cat (Crazy Ponnie); Sheema quickly knocked her to the ground in Locked Up!. Despite acting as creepy as she does, she is disgusted by many things including Trina Vega's pimple in Victori-Yes. She can also be quite flirty and feminine even in her dark, blunt nature - for example, she wears a very nice dress to the Prome in Prome Wrecker even though she only attends for revenge.

Despite her usual personality, she seems to have a bit of a soft side for young kids, as shown on her TheSlap.com segment, "Jade With Tots." In her conversations with preschoolers, although she is still herself, she seems more kind towards the kids. For example, when one of the kids talks too quietly, she loosely says "Gotta speak up, sweetheart." Also, when talking to another child, she smiles and says casually, "So I hear you're a little artist. You like art?" She also seems to be quite loving and motherly towards her best friend, Cat.

Occupation:Former student at Hollywood Arts

Appearance

* Eye Color: Blue-Green

* Hair Color: Brown (Season 1); black (Season 2); dark brown (Seasons 3 and 4)

* Trademark: Piercings, tattoos, and colored streaks in hair.

Jade started off as a brunette with blue-green eyes and stands at 5'7". Her skin is noticeably pale, but she got tanner and dyed her hair darker for the second season.

Jade has a Gothic sense of style, and aside from her dark, occasionally laced clothing she wears dark makeup and paints her nails black as well. The jewelry she wears is designed by real life artist Dre Swain, and she also wears dark red Doc Martens and black combat boots. She carries a Gears of War messenger bag. Jade also has multiple streaks in her hair that change color periodically. In season one her streaks in her brown hair are at first pink, blonde and light blue before going red for the rest of the season. In season two she dyed her hair black and her streaks are blue and green. In season three her hair is a dark brown and her streaks are mostly green, but also blue in a couple of episodes. In season four her hair is shorter and her streaks are purple for 10 of the 13 episodes. She also has two piercings, one in her left eyebrow and one on her nose. Jade has a rebel star tattoo on her right forearm and has since gotten another one that was never shown onscreen (Beck mentions that "Jade's getting her new tattoo" in a video on TheSlap.com, Tori Takes Requests #2).

Relationships with Other Characters

Beck Oliver

(2008-present, Boyfriend, with brief break-ups in between)

Jade: You love me again.

Beck: Who said I stopped?

Beck has been Jade's boyfriend and the love of her life for over three years, and she is very possessive of him. She doesn't like him talking to or flirting with other girls who she does not know and has trust issues with him (which is quite common among most teen couples). This sometimes irritates Beck; he once deleted his account on TheSlap.com because Jade kept spamming him and "freaking out", but he rejoined after she promised to stop. She has not done this since he re-joined, showing she can make compromises and she truly does love and respect him.

Her obsession with Beck is first made apparent in the Pilot, when she sees Tori wiping coffee off of Beck's shirt and immediately misinterprets the action as flirting. Though Jade is usually the one to show love in the relationship, the couple are shown to be mutually in love on multiple occasions such as when Beck says "I never stopped loving you". She dumps Beck briefly in the episode Jade Dumps Beck, but has second thoughts about it and quickly wants him back. She goes through a short state of depression when Beck doesn't take her back, even resorting to asking for help from her frenemy, Tori. At the end of the same episode, they rekindle their relationship and continue dating.

Beck also clearly loves to tease and rile up Jade, either by making her jealous or letting her get carried away by her own theories. This is exemplified in Wi-Fi in the Sky when he doesn't tell her his cheerleader neighbor is only 9 years old. Jade later claims that he does this all the time. In Beck's profile video on TheSlap.com, Jade states that they've been dating for two years and been exclusive for a year and a half.

Jade seems to show a softer side when she and Beck are alone, which has been seen on some of their videos on TheSlap. Jade also seems to be meaner and gets into fights with Tori more often when Beck is not there with her. In the last "Jade With Tots" episode, Beck tells Jade that he loves her, which makes Jade’s heart melt and she starts kissing him.

Sadly, in The Worst Couple, they broke up. After this, they rarely interacted, and when they did, they were bitter towards each other. For instance, in How Trina Got In, Jade mocks Beck and says (sarcastically) that he knows everything except how to keep a girlfriend happy. Additionally, both Jade and Beck acted very awkward around each other in André's Horrible Girl, both whispering to a friend that no one told them the other would be there, and they aren't happy about it. It was shown, however, that she still has lingering feelings for him as she was truly upset and hurt when she saw Beck hugging Tori and trying to kiss her in Tori Goes Platinum. Also, Beck seems to still care about her as shown in Opposite Date, when he wants to check if Jade is truly okay with him dating other girls, even though they were broken up at that point (it is quite possible he didn't want to hurt Jade's feelings).

In the episode, Tori Fixes Beck and Jade, after Beck realizes he still loves Jade, she coincidentally sings a song called "You Don't Know Me". They finally get back together and have remained that way for the rest of the show. They became more affectionate towards each other, no longer fight, and are much more physical. According to recent social media posts from Liz Gillies and Avan Jogia, Beck and Jade are still together, are currently living in Beck’s trailer, and they even have a kid of their own.

Tori Vega

(2010-present: Frenemy)

Dude, why are you rubbing my boyfriend?

Jade and Tori's friendship is complicated, and is full of insults and fighting, but it's also one of the closest relationships on Victorious. Jade appears to have had an open rivalry with Tori ever since the first episode (Pilot), where Tori spilled coffee on Beck and was wiping the coffee off him, then when Jade poured coffee on Tori, then Tori kissed Beck for revenge. As of episode 3, Stage Fighting, they seem to be developing a possible friendship, though she still displays a dislike for Tori. In the fourth episode, The Birthweek Song, she gives Tori coffee she found in the garbage and says "Yeah, I'm not really her friend." Despite saying this, Jade comes to Tori when she breaks up with Beck in Jade Dumps Beck, and asks for her advice (though Jade claims this is because she wouldn't want anyone cool to see her in that state). In Freak the Freak Out, Jade tries to use Tori to defeat two stuck-up girls at the Karaoke Dokie after she and Cat were unfairly banned from performing there, indicating that regardless of her hostility toward her, she regards Tori as a worthy performer. In Wok Star, Tori helps Jade produce a play she wrote herself to impress her dad. When her dad admits that Jade's play was excellent, Tori and Jade hug, signaling that the two are now considered friends. In Beck Falls for Tori, Jade helps Tori by forcing her to do the stunt and overcome her fear. In Tori Gets Stuck, Jade tries relentlessly to steal Tori's role in Steamboat Suzy and they seem to be enemies once again. In Prom Wrecker, Tori plans her prome on the same day as Jade's play "Clowns Don't Bounce" by accident, so Jade seeks revenge and tries to ruin Tori's prome. Eventually, Jade's plan backfires. They seem to be back on bad terms, as in Helen Back Again, Jade didn't help Tori get her spot in the school back, in Who Did It to Trina?, Jade blames Tori for her sister's injuries, and in Jade Gets Crushed, Tori states multiple times that Jade is evil. In Tori & Jade's Play Date they work together to revenge against two boys who are annoying them. They finally become friends in Tori Goes Platinum, when Jade sees Tori refuse to kiss Beck because she considers Jade to be her friend and she believes kissing a friend's ex-boyfriend would be wrong. Because of this, Jade gives Tori her spot in the Platinum Music Awards back and cheers her on in the audience showing thus the two becoming friends.

Regardless to say, however, Tori and Jade are enemies at times and at times but they are also friends. So, let's just say they two girls have a strong sense of the relationship, 'frenemy' but we can't say they aren't friends because they do act like it.

Cat Valentine

(2008-present: Best Friend)

Cat: We're hanging out together!

Jade: NO!

Jade and Cat are best friends. While Cat is a textbook girly-girl, Jade is more of a tomboy. They usually expresses concern for each other when they're hurt and calls out the person who caused it. Jade is also less hostile and more patient towards Cat than towards most people (even though she did once say, "Is it a device that can beam you to another table? Because if it is, which button do I push?!" and tells her she's "screwed up"). Cat is not as easily offended by Jade (although in Rex Dies, Jade makes a death threat to Cat, saying, "If someone fell of this cat-walk and hit the floor really hard, do you think they'd live?" and in A Film by Dale Squires, she uses the fact that she's acting as an excuse to slap Cat's face) and actually seems to adore her. Even though Cat unintentionally electrocutes Jade in Rex Dies, Jade is shown as not being extremely upset by it. In the episode Survival of the Hottest, they hug and she spins her around, which implies that they're very good friends since Jade rarely hugs anyone willingly. They seem to love each other like sisters. In Freak the Freak Out, they sing the song Give It Up together. Jade and Cat often comment on each other's boards on TheSlap.

Jade seems to exercise a parental sort of control over Cat and seems to know her very well. Jade admittedly doesn't hate Cat's video profile, and Beck tells Cat how this is a big compliment from Jade. Jade has also been seen sleeping over at Cat Valentine house before in a video[Cat and Jades bedtime story] on TheSlap. It is also mentioned that Beck and Jade babysit Cat sometimes.

It seems that Cat knows Jade rather well, as she managed to get Jade a Christmas present she liked. It should be noted that Jade's attitude towards Cat changes depending on the episode or her mood.

André Harris

(2008-present: Close Friend)

"And... that's for you."

Jade doesn't seem to have a problem with André. They have been friends for at least two years as revealed in The Great Ping Pong Scam. They eat at the same table and talk amongst the same group of people. She does get annoyed by André from time to time, as shown in Beck's Big Break when she is annoyed by him when he's playing music on his keyboard, so she knocks the batteries out of it. On the other hand they seem to be pretty nice to each other, as seen in The Diddly-Bops, where Jade was among the ones trying to console André about losing his record deal. She even pulls Rex's arm off for joking about the situation. In Jade Gets Crushed, André falls in love with Jade, but at the end of the episode, seems to get over her. Also, in The Worst Couple, Jade says something rude to every single character except André, which was noticed by a lot of people. In the final season, they had been seen to have been hanging out a lot more and spending time together. André even laughed a little too loud whenever Jade insulted anyone, even Tori, his own best friend. Fans had noticed this too, and people were questioning whether or not André still had feelings for Jade. It appears that Dan Schneider had meant for this to happen, because he leaked a video of a future kiss between Jade and André uploaded it once more.

Robbie Shapiro

(2008-present: Frenemy)

Robbie: I'll go get you some ice.

Jade: Sit down!

Jade has tortured Robbie during the first series though it has been slowed down since then. She has insulted him and Rex a couple of times, even tearing off Rex's arm with a smirk. In Survival of the Hottest, Jade forces Robbie to give her his water because she is hot and thirsty. She was elated to have Rex die, even with the emotional trauma it would cause Robbie, in Rex Dies. However, her reason was so that Robbie could get over Rex and finally become normal, possibly meaning, in her own way, she cares about Robbie's mental health. They are seen to be at least friendly acquaintances in The Diddly-Bops when Jade compliments Robbie on his song about broken glass, the only character to agree with him on it by saying "I like it". In Wok Star, he shows some compassion for her regarding her play, and confusion at her ways of dealing with stress (i.e.: cutting up a trash can). Yet, he joins in on the plan to make Jade's play better for the opening act. On TheSlap.com, Jade once commented: "Caught myself singing along to Robbie/Rex's song, Forever Baby. What is wrong with me? I don't even know who I am anymore!"

Trina Vega

(2008-present: Enemy)

NO ONE LIKES YOU!

Jade has barely interacted with Trina so far, but she appears to hate her. In Jade Dumps Beck, Trina gives her a flyer advertising her one-woman show. Jade responds by crumpling up the flier and stuffing it down Trina's shirtfront. In Survival of the Hottest, Jade yells bluntly to Trina twice that no one likes her. Also, when Tori asked Jade what she thought she should get Trina for her birthday, she replied wittily "talent", making it clear that she doesn't think Trina has any talent, which is probably what most people would say in the matter. She finds Trina's accident in Who Did it to Trina? hilarious, and even uploaded it online. However, in Wanko's Warehouse, she goes with the gang and Jade turns on Trina as usual.

Erwin Sikowitz

(2008-present:Teacher)

Jade claims that Sikowitz is her favorite teacher in her video profile on TheSlap, and mostly participates in his activities. During "Locked Up!" she is the first to react/run over to greet "their favorite teacher". Sikowitz doesn't really have a relationship with her, although he calls her to be in an improv scene in the "Pilot" and randomly calls on her to be in a Drive-By Acting Exercise, which annoyed her but she did it anyway. Jade was also part of the Diddly-Bops, a children's group that Sikowitz put together for his roommate's son's birthday party. Jade was also the first to comment about Sikowitz's TheSlap page. In "Sleepover at Sikowitz's", Jade is the first to volunteer to go to Sikowitz's house. Sikowitz always says phrases that start with "Ah, Jade..." giving her an advice or making a comment about her personality.

Sinjin Van Cleef

(2010-present; Enemy/Frenemy)

WALK AWAY!

Sinjin has a massive crush on Jade, but she dislikes him very much. In Jade Dumps Beck, when Sinjin heard that Jade dumped Beck, Sinjin told her, "Want one [boyfriend]?" Jade responded, "Walk away." and he did so quickly. Also, when the news of Jade and Beck splitting spread, Sinjin and his friend made an attempt to sit with her at lunch, until Jade merely (and loudly) said, NO and the two walked away. In "Tori the Zombie", Jade said his mother gave birth to the wrong thing. Sinjin was also shown to be in Jade's house, obviously without permission much to Jade's annoyance in "Wi-Fi in the Sky". On TheSlap, he talks about Jade and even writes her poems. This may show he has an unhealthy obsession with her. In Wok Star he helped her with set design. When he tried to talk to her about different kinds of moss to use for the set, she compared it with his hair. He then continued to speak to Jade, which annoyed her and she commanded him to "Go." Before she even finished the word he took off running, showing he always does what she says and greatly respects her (despite him breaking into her house). Tori said it made pee run down his leg. In a video on "The Slap" Sinjin made puppets of him and Jade. He acted as if Jade was in love with him and wanted to dump Beck so she could go out with him. Jade walks into the room to see Sinjin and calmly tells him that is not okay.

Family:Jade's relationships with her family are known to be terrible. According to her, her father "hates [her] guts", has called the cops on her, thinks that all of her creative desires are stupid, and she wants to show him that he is wrong. She seems to disrespect her mother and has called her "stupid" quite a few times, and claims that she loves the movie The Scissoring more than her mother (Three Girls and a Moose). Her grandma doesn't approve of her style, and Jade once told her to "get out of here" when asked about the kind of guy she wanted to marry. She once locked her cousin in a closet, she seems to think of her stepmother as annoying because she takes up all her father's attention, and she enjoys listening to her brother panic. (Most of these examples are from numerous posts and videos on TheSlap.com.)

Biography:Jade's childhood has been noted to be an unhappy one on a few occasions throughout the series. She says that the ice cream reminds her of it, and that her favorite toy was a hammer (Ice Cream for Ke$ha).

She was friends with Andre Harris, Robbie Shapiro, Cat Valentine, and Beck Oliver since at least 2008, where they formed an official ping pong team at Hollywood Arts High School. (The Great Ping Pong Scam) She and Beck also began dating at some point this year (Jade Dumps Beck).

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amandaj718 · 7 years ago

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Devils Advocate: Part Two (More Devil. Less Advocate.)

(First Part Here)

Every day there seems to be a new meltdown. Sometimes it feels like every hour. Since March the majority of the Robron fandom has been overreacting to spoilers to a degree of craziness. Lots of fears are being preyed on by people who value clicks over telling the truth. Also, people who don’t understand how to read a crowd. Regardless, people are melting down, and I’m here to say...

Don’t.

As someone who overanalyzes the show to a degree, I have picked up on many visual and verbal cues on where the narrative focus is going. I’ve outlined a few bits of speculation I have seen on social media and why it could or couldn’t work with the current narrative I’m seeing. So, get something to drink, get your favorite snack and come hang out with me in narrative overanalyzing land for three popular speculations.

Speculation #1: The Baby Will Die

This speculation has been around since that one spoiler showed up on twitter (I’m not talking about it here because I’m not Darren). People speculate that since Rebecca mentioned to Robert, “She was just making sure things were ok.” in that one July episode, something might be wrong with the baby.

Why It Could Happen

The baby is a big thorn in everyone’s sides. On Robert and Aarons side (they aren’t ready to be parents, and they need to work on themselves) and The Whites side (they don’t want to be connected to Robert for life). This baby has been pushed aside for so many plot cul-de-sacs or as I call it, Roberts Revenge Breakdown, that the show might see the baby as expendable. I know that is upsetting since the only innocent person in this whole storyline is that baby. However, it’s the one piece of the puzzle that the show itself is ignoring. Like, it isn’t an important factor. It reminds me of cleaning up all the loose ends, the baby is a loose end. Again, I know its hard to hear, but that is how the show is presenting the baby at the time of this writing.

Also, killing the baby (I really do hate writing that) gives everyone involved extra drama. Aaron will feel guilty for wanting the baby to die, Robert will feel guilty for not caring about the baby while it was alive, The Whites…I’m not sure how they would feel. We, once again, don’t know much of how they feel. Maybe that would be used to set off their exit mixed in with finding out about Robert’s schemes. Either way, killing the baby off would set off all the key characters down a new path.

Why It Can’t Happen

Here is what I know. What have we seen of the baby so far? Have we seen the baby on a screen? Have we heard the heartbeat? Have we had excitement over the child from Rebecca? Have we seen some attachment from Robert? If you answered yes to any of these, you haven’t been watching very closely or only listening to the most hysterical among us.

If they are talking about killing off the baby (I hate writing that by the way) they would make sure we saw that baby. We would see the scans. We would hear that heartbeat. We would get clear viewpoints on how Rebecca and Robert are feeling going forward through this story. Rebecca goes missing from her own story these days. The only reason we are getting what we are getting with Rebecca and Robert (I will not spoil what is coming up this week. I am not Darren) is because Aaron is back. Chas is back. All the players are back on the board. If the baby were leaving us, we would care about the baby. We don’t. We care from an empathic frame of reference (no one wants to see a baby be hurt or die). However, from a character or storyline point? We don’t care. We really don’t. As a fandom, we barely talk about the baby. We talk about Rebecca and The Whites but not the baby. For the baby to die, it would need to be for impact or to talk about an event many families experiences (Laurel and Ashley’s Baby story for example). We don’t care about the kid as an audience. Looks like Eliza and Baby Dingle-Barton will get the special social issues. Nothing left for Baby White. Just killing off a baby randomly isn’t good storytelling and I don’t think it will happen randomly.

Speculation #2: Robert/Aaron and Rebecca will Co-Parent the Kid

This is self-explanatory. After everything is out in the open, Robert and Aaron find their way back to each other, and The Whites future has been decided; Robert, Aaron, and Rebecca would play nice to raise the baby together.

Why It Can Happen

Co-parenting, while weird, is a soap staple. Some of the strangest groups of soap characters have made it work since the creation of the genre. While it isn’t feasible before the baby is born this could be developed after everything is closed off and used as a new storyline. Robert and Aaron find their way back to each other, Rebecca is the last White standing, all the schemes and other problems with the storyline is resolved, and we are left with a baby and Robron. From that point on we can have Robert and Aaron work on their own relationship and their relationship with the baby. Meanwhile, the show can put the time and effort in to give Rebecca a personality and maybe likable to the audience by having her weave herself into the village ( a tall order, I know). Meanwhile, the three of them bond over the baby. The baby is what brings them to a friendly place.

*Even I can’t make this work. I’m tap dancing…hard.*

Why It Can’t Happen

The show has made it known that Rebecca isn’t sticking around. There has been much speculation about this and based off what we have seen, there is no reason for her to stick around. Her family is on their way out. She only appears at Home Farm and only at other places if her family or Robert is present. She doesn’t have friends outside of the Sugdens or even The Dingles (Victoria and Debbie respectfully). In fact, Victoria is only interested in Rebecca when it calls for plot points to be made. Same with Debbie. That friendship seemed to die off when Debbie noted how giddy Rebecca looked about Robert and Aaron breaking up, telling her to move to the back room while they were there. Since then it's been limited at best.

Another beat that would have to develop is the relationship with Robert and Aaron. If the three are to co-parent, they would have to develop those relationships. The show would have started to have the three of them start to be friendly with each other. If anything, the three would have to start this friendly relationship way before the child is born for it to make sense. Especially when the whites are on their way out from November to January. Rebecca would need a touchstone that isn’t her family, and so far she is still attached to them.

Speaking of Rebecca, she would have to develop a personality that doesn’t depend on the plot. Also, the show would have to make her likable to the Robron audience which is a tall order. Right now, we see her mocking Lydia and her position in life, mocking the businesses in town and especially mocking the scrapyard (Robert and Aarons business). She is looking down on the village and everything it stands for which doesn’t make her popular with the audience. We, the audience, are attached to this crazy place and the people in it. Having a character look down on that while co-parenting with too extremely popular and beloved characters? Yeah, that won’t fly at all. She would need a whole new personality transplant, and that would take way too much time to develop.

Also, would any sane person let Robert near that kid after the schemes he has pulled on her and her family? No. Yes, Rebecca has always gone with Robert because she has no brain cells left in her head but this time she will use that to run from the village and Robert with the kid. Roberts schemes aren’t pretty and wouldn’t make him trustworthy to her or The Whites.

Speculation #3: Rebecca and Robert are in Love/Robert and Rebecca will Be a Couple

Yeah. I can’t even give this a real go without laughing because it ISN’T GOING TO HAPPEN. Believe me. Jimmy and Robert have a better chance of falling in love and becoming a couple than these two. I’m going to refer you to this post I wrote about the ways the show isn’t going there with them. It still fits.

LET THAT FEAR GO. It won’t be a thing. Not even Robert pretending is happening. He picked Lawrence for that cliché. While hilarious, we now have to suffer through that but its better than suffering through what most were afraid of, Robert and Rebecca. Count your blessings, my friends. It could be worse.

Narratively the show is heading in a way that no one can predict. Don’t listen to the people of the internet who are looking for clicks/attention and not trying to be a productive member of this fandom. They are there to cause panic and people thinking the worst of the show. Remember, Emmerdale isn’t terrible. It is telling a crappy story badly right now and just happened to pick two of their most popular characters/couple to do it. Do not despair. This is their big story, and the big stories get the big twists. It may not be the twist you wanted or expected, but something is coming. Something to wrap up the story and move us towards a new frontier for Robert/Robron. I find that thinking through the possibilities this story can go (how it works and doesn’t work) helps calm the soul and just enjoy the ride. What else helps? Finding a group or one friend to complain to. Get out all your frustrations with them, and then you will see clearly. That is what fandom is for. Talking things through. Challenge each other to think beyond the groupthink. Challenge each other to think of the good and bad. Challenge each other to laugh. If not for one’s nerves but for one’s sanity.

Everything feels messy and crazy, but I’m convinced the show wants it that way. They want us to be surprised. They want us to wonder what is going to happen next. Regardless of people trying to ruin the ride, sit back and take each punch as it comes. It will be ok in the end.

This is just my opinion on the current speculation I hear out there. What do you think? Have you heard about other possible avenues this story could go? Do you have an opinion you need to yell out? Come on over to my tweet and Tumblr @AmandaJ718. I’m listening. So, until next time, see you around in Emmerdale.

#Emmerdale #Theory Time!#Robron #Speculation

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she-willnotfall · 6 years ago

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wanderingaunt · 6 years ago

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The Future of Not Knowing

Today is my Nomadiversary.

It’s one year from the day that I gave up my security, predictable lifestyle, and chose to make the world my home. And what’s wild is that I’m back in the city where I left. Only this time, I have no car or home of my own, and I’m not here for good.

If you could see the future, would you still go after what you want?

If you had told me a year ago that I would be in Dallas on the anniversary of my adventures into nomadic life, I probably would not have believed you. And if I could’ve seen that a year of gallivanting across the world would put me back where I started, I likely would’ve resisted it. I would’ve tried to alter my future so I could say that I was somewhere more exotic or doing some great adventure on my Nomadiversary.

Taking a leap of faith involves stepping both feet in without the guarantee of knowing where you’ll end up.

So often in life we wish we could see the future. We wish we could know where we’re headed and what it’s going to look like. Even if we could see where we’d be, without context, we’d overlook the missing pieces and possibly stay stuck where we are. While being back in Dallas and sleeping on a mattress on the floor in my sister’s house isn’t where I thought I’d be a year later, I wouldn’t change any of it. Because each step of my journey lead me to this point. Had I known the future, I would not have fully understood why I was back here. I would’ve thought that I had failed in some way. And that is quite the opposite of what is really happening.

Without context and seeing the full picture, we are left to wonder, assume, or make up a story about what we think is going on.

This is why it’s not good to form assumptions about people. With social media, it’s so easy to think that someone has their whole life together and living it perfectly. We see a brief glimpse and think we know the whole picture. Or we see someone not working in the traditional sense and think they’re not trying or doing anything of value. It’s possible even you have been watching my story unfold and think that I’m just being lackadaisical or completely lost and have no clue what I’m doing with my life—and that would be a wrong assumption.

If I had seen the future, I would have missed the in-between. All of the moments, experiences (both good and bad) that brought me to this place. I look back at my journey and it seems so unreal to me at times. Like, WOW, I actually did it. I really quit my corporate job, sold my furniture, car, and set off to travel the world on a solo journey! I really went on amazing experiences, started a photoshoot movement, and met so many beautiful souls. But it’s real—all of it.

Every moment throughout my journey and every choice I made (whether good or bad) was meant to happen to bring me to where I am today.

One of the biggest lessons I learned last year was to not be attached to plans or people. In fact, that’s how my journey started. I left Dallas anxious and excited for this new chapter in my life, and it started with a halt. Due to weather, delays, and circumstances beyond my control, I missed my flight to Sydney by 2 minutes and was left stranded in Houston for 24 hours.

I was devastated at first. My first step into this new life, and it was a mess, until I found the value in it. I learned to let go of control and attachment to how I thought something should go. And from there, I continued to be pulled more and more from my want to control and shown what it was to surrender, let go, and trust what was to come.

If you saw all of the challenges and obstacles you’d face when following your heart and dream, would you still go?

We want life to be so easy and without pain, heartache, or discomfort. We want to play it safe. I played life so safe before. In fact, safety was my theme. I stayed in the same job for over a decade because I was afraid of committing to something else; I kept myself free from dating or relationships, because I didn’t want to get hurt; I lived for experience and in the moment, because I didn’t trust what would happen if I lived in the present and away from avoidance and distraction, and so on.

Looking back on my journey over the past year, I can see the beauty in every obstacle, hurdle, or disappointment that happened.

Each moment and experience broke the chains from my past and set me free.

Here are just a few examples of some of the obstacles I faced:

Missing my flight to Sydney on the first day of my journey

Getting sick in Thailand for nearly 2 weeks; weak and bed-ridden and not knowing when I would get better

Running around like a crazy person when I returned to the states only 7 weeks after being away. Trying to keep myself busy and distracted to avoid having to talk about what I was doing with my life

Meeting someone I really cared about and having to go through immense heartbreak when it didn’t go as I anticipated

More episodes of salmonella and sickness

Getting lost numerous times and not knowing the language to ask for directions or help

Ignoring my wants and desires out of fear of what other people would think

Nearly running out of money and not being clear on what I wanted to do to sustain this lifestyle and pay bills

Being back in the United States and grounded in the place I once lived

Feeling the weight of my Sly Fox persona and how it has ruled my life

I am glad in many ways that I didn’t know the future. If I had seen all of this beforehand, I would have asked - “Why the hell would I want to go through all of that? Why put myself through such heartache and discomfort?” I would’ve focused on the obstacle rather than the beautiful lessons that would be learned.

Traveling solo for 8 months completely changed my life.

It took great courage to step into the unknown and keep going when hard times surfaced. I gained so much confidence in who I am and learned to believe in myself and more importantly, OWN it. I deepened my spiritual relationship and learned what it is to embody faith and trust. I made so many beautiful connections all over the world; some for a day, some for life. I learned to let my guard down and enjoy the moment rather than focus on the “what ifs”. I took a chance on myself and stepped away from my culture, upbringing, and ways that society says to live. I found so much Bold Freedom and learned what it is to let go of plans and take everything one step at a time. And none of this would’ve happened had I stayed where I was.

One of my themes last year was “If you don’t go. You don’t know.” And that is so true. If I didn’t go, I would’ve never known or experienced all that I know now.

If you don’t take a chance on yourself or go after something you want, you’ll never know.

Coming back to where I started is me taking a chance on myself. I could’ve continued to run and explore, but in reality, I needed this time to be grounded. I’ve learned that having a routine and a little bit of structure actually moves me forward rather than constricts me. It’s allowed me time to reconnect with my community and support and has shown me that it feels good to receive. I am so grateful to my friends and family here who have supported me unconditionally. I’ve continued to take risks and step into the unknown by enrolling in coaching programs to propel me forward, take on freelance and job opportunities to support me financially, and start my own business to own my gifts and talents.

Now that there’s context, I can see why I am where I am on my Nomadiversary.

And I have nothing but gratitude for my journey and how far I’ve come. I am so proud of myself on so many levels. I 100% own who I am and all I am creating, and I fully believe I am capable of doing what my heart desires.

Wherever you are in life, and whatever it is you’re creating or going after, do it. Trust yourself to know the right next steps to take and honor wherever you are. When setbacks occur, know that they are there to remind you of why you’re doing this. They’re strengthening who you are as a human being, and showing you that you really are capable of living a bigger, bolder life.

I am excited about the journey I’m on and all that I am creating. I cannot wait to meet the women who will trust me to guide them on their own journeys of Courage, Confidence, and Connection. Women who are looking to shake up their life and take a chance on themselves and their dreams, and need support in getting there.

I can’t see the future, nor do I know where I will be a year from now. And that’s okay. I don’t want to know. Knowing wouldn’t serve me the same as stepping into blind faith and asking for guidance to lead me each step of the way.

All I know right now is that I am continuing this nomadic journey, launching my business and creative projects, and jumping in with both feet excited to see where I land.

"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way. I learned a deep respect for one of Goethe's couplets: Whatever you can do or dream, you can begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it!" -- William Hutchison Murray, The Scottish Himalayan Expedition

#nomad life #nomad #life lessons #courage #confidence #travel #solo travel

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mediacalling · 6 years ago

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13 Social Media Experts Share Their Biggest Piece of Marketing Advice

When in doubt about your marketing strategy, turn to the social media experts. Often the best way to learn about a craft is from someone who has been in your shoes before.

Social media marketing is becoming increasingly pivotal for businesses around the world. More emails are being sent and more blog posts are being published on a daily basis than ever before in history.

But where are marketers to go for reliable insights?

Today we gathered 13 of the world’s leading social media experts and asked them to share their best advice for marketers.

Let’s dive in!

13 social media experts share their biggest piece of marketing advice

Host note: What follows is a lightly-edited transcript of the Buffer Podcast episode #125 for your reading pleasure.

Hailley: Social media is now a key piece in the decision-making process for consumers, particularly among upcoming generations such as Millennials and Generation Z.

Brian: One study shows that 70% of millennials base their decision to buy a product based on recommendations made by their peers on social media.

Another study shows that 60% of consumers have been influenced by a social media post or a blog review while shopping at a store.

Social media truly is engrained in all aspects of our lives.

Hailley: Which is exactly where we hope to help.

Instead of asking you to take our word for the most effective social media marketing strategies and tactics, we thought we’d ask the experts.

So we scoured the web and read more than 300 pieces of advice from today’s top social media experts….

Brian: We dwindled down the more than 300 to 13 of our favorites.

Keep in mind that each piece of advice we’re about to share is from someone that has helped to build a successful brand or business using social media in throughout their careers.

Pat Flynn

Hailley: First up, fellow-podcaster Pat Flynn says to treat social media marketing like you’re going to a party, which I think is a great way of thinking about it.

Just like at a party, you wouldn’t (or shouldn’t) go around posting about your brand and product all over the place on social media. That’s very much like approaching a group of people at a party and introducing yourself using your sales pitch.

Instead, pay attention and listen to what your audience is talking about first.

Brian: In other words, Pat is advocating for adding value to the conversations already happening within your niche.

Ask your audience genuine questions on they care about and share great stories only after you’ve listened.

Eventually, people will begin to take notice and want to find out more what you have to say.

James Scherer

Hailley: James Scherer, lead editor at Wishpond, shares marketers frustrations with the fall in organic reach for brands on Facebook (especially with the announcement from the platform in January of 2018).

But he also understands that Facebook is a fantastic way for businesses to drive quality traffic and engagement.

Brian: For Facebook marketing in 2019, James recommends continuing to publish high-quality, engaging content (content which creates conversation within your community), while acknowledging the truth of the matter: Facebook Ads are the only way for your business to expose your content to a large, targeted audience on Facebook.

Sunny Lenarduzzi

Hailley: How about someone that we had on the show way back in episode #29 – Sunny Lenarduzzi who has grown a huge community on social media – and she can’t stress the importance of planning on social media enough.

Sunny points out that this is one of the most significant time wasters when it comes to social media marketing.

Brian: We’ve heard from tons of businesses on the importance of planning ahead as well.

If you wait to the last minute or ignore creating a content calendar, at least for the month, your content on social media will suffer because you’re rushing everything. So thanks for that one, Sunny.

Donna Moritz

How about Donna Moritz from Socially Sorted?

Hailley: Donna’s is a great one because it really speaks to long-term thinking on social media.

She says to not get caught up in all the trends and ever-changing social media platforms – they’re just part of the bigger picture and what works for someone else may not work for you.

Instead, focus instead on creating quality, core content on a platform that you own (your blog/website, podcast or video) that helps solve your audience’s biggest challenges.

Brian: Use that content to grow a quality, engaged email list of people who are interested in what you have to share. If you do that, your social media success will fall into place because you’ll have a library of engaging content.

Which I think it so true and such a useful piece of advice.

Gary Vaynerchuk

Moving on to arguably one of the biggest influencers and social media experts of our generation, Gary Vaynerchuk.

Hailley: When asked about all of the content he puts out in a recent interview, Gary Vee said:

“My show and my social accounts are not a platform from which I talk about what’s important to me. It’s a platform from which I talk about what’s important to you.”

Which I think is another great way of phrasing how important an outward focus is on social media.

Brian: By focusing on his audience and not himself, Gary is able to continually grow his audience and credibility because he gives his time, energy, and effort away without asking anything in return.

It’s a huge reason why he’s seen the success he has over the years. Well, that and he’s really good on camera, which is a tough skill.

Judy Herbst

Hailley: Another piece of advice I found really valuable was in a Forbes interview with expert Judy Herbst.

Judy talked about how your brand’s mission statement needs to be one that works across all channels.

The best missions are in the present leading to the future and are meaningful to all audiences.

Brian: Judy goes onto say that they are achievable, so people can see progress now, and emotional, so people can connect with them in meaningful ways.

And she gives the example of a business that’s built to help women achieve success with transparency, trust and fairness.

The key here is to find your mission statement.

Lisa Dougherty

That reminds me of the advice from Lisa Dougherty of content marketing institute.

Hailley: Lisa talks about how you can never really predict what social media algorithms are going to do next, so if we’re constantly chasing trends, you’ll always be one step behind.

List suggests to really get to know your audience, so you can write copy that speaks to their desires, needs, and interests.

And don’t get greedy – remember it’s not about reaching the most people, it’s about reaching (and moving) the right people.

Brian: She also recommends avoiding things like stock photos that dilute your brand. Opt instead for real-life pictures and custom visuals for a more authentic connection.

Finally, include a unique, clear, and compelling value proposition – one simple sentence that explains how your readers will benefit from your offer.”

Rachel Pedersen

Hailley: Speaking of reaching the right people, Rachel Pedersen, CEO of SocialWorks Digital had some great advice on using Facebook ads.

She talked about how not everyone has several thousands dollars per month to spend on ads.

If you can spend $150-200 each month for advertising, you can build a warm audience for marketing your products in 2 easy steps!

Brian: Step 1: Host a Facebook Live or record a video of you or someone from your company talking about the backstory of your product and post it to Facebook – it doesn’t need to be longer than 5 minutes!

And step 2: Boost the video with $5 per day on a video views objective. That’ll start to rack up the views.

Then create a custom audience of the video views (Facebook will dynamically update the audience) and run whatever other ad to the warmed video views audience.”

Hailley: We’ve done that exact technique here at Buffer and it works like a charm.

Molly Pittman

Which leads us to Molly Pittman’s advice on advertising. Another one of our guests here on the show back in episode #42.

Molly talks about how important it is to align your lead magnet (or offer as we know it) with your caption, your URL and your landing page. You don’t want them to feel like they’ve landed on another planet after clicking your ad.

Brian: I remember that episode well, Molly was so knowledgeable on Facebook and Instagram ads. Would highly recommend checking out her work.

She talked about how critical lead magnets are in advertising. You’re essentially giving people something free in exchange for the permission to follow up. These could be templates, a checklist, blog posts, white papers, ebooks or lots of other great things.

So not only should your messaging align from ad to landing page, but your offer has to be compelling enough to make people actually want to click. In other words, are you doing enough to stand out?

Rand Fishkin

Hailley: Let’s take some advice from Rand Fishkin.

You may not know it, but Google indexes every tweet (which makes it a great tool for search engine optimization or SEO).

Most importantly, Rand talks about how you can’t ignore that 60% of a business’s or brand’s followers are likely to purchase or recommend after following them on Twitter.

Brian: Rand suggests limit how often you share links – Research has shown that tweets without links perform better and get more engagement, surprisingly.

And engage with as many people as you can on Twitter. It’s all about building a community on Twitter, not blasting out your message to as many people as you can – it’s really an investment in the long game.

Lee Odden

Hailley: On the topic of investing in your brand on social media, let’s talk about the advice from expert Lee Odden.

Lee says that the most important element for all marketers in 2019 is “truth.” Truth, not in the sense of buzzwords like “authenticity” or “transparency” but as a response to empty marketing tactics that have forced consumers to get wise to being “sold” to.

Consumers are getting smarter about spending and partnering with brands. They are looking for brands that don’t just make quality products, but that are conscious of supporting the wellness of humanity as a whole.

Brian: This is something we’ve noticed as well this year and that’s the rise of what we’re calling purpose-driven marketing.

If you really want to set yourself and your brand apart, you have to stand for something that makes people’s lives better. Think of companies like Patagonia that have seen unbelievable success over the years by taking a stand. I really do think that’s the future of marketing.

James Cohane

And long the same lines is the advice from growth expert, James Cohane. James’ take is all about the importance of finding the right partners.

Hailley: The best part about social media, or anything marketing-related, really, is that you don’t have to go at it alone. Brian, I know you’ve seen this first-hand with partners like Mailchimp and Square and Animoto that we’ve worked with over the last few years.

By hand selecting a group of key partners to launch various co-marketing campaigns with, you’re greatly increasing the chances of success as well as the potential audience for your content.

Even something as small as a social media takeover can expose your brand to a new set of targeted customers.

Brian: It’s amazing what two brands can do together rather than trying to do everything yourself.

And if you align with the right brand in terms of messaging, and content, and values, it can really help to amass an audience quickly, which we’ve experienced first hand here at Buffer.

Adriana Tica

Our last expert piece of advice from Adriana Tica, CEO of marketing agency, Idunn.

Hailley: Adriana believes that switching things up and keeping your audience on their toes is a surefire way to grow your following and engagement on social media.

And to do that, she recommends content curation.

But don’t just share any content you come across or because it’s from an influencer or a big brand. Make sure that it’s on-brand and provides real value to your audience.

Brian: Adriana calls it going for underground’ content.

As you might expect, everybody reads content from top publications and influencers – so that’s nothing new. Spending some time to find unique content will help your brand stand out.

And if you want to automate a part of this process, you can always use tools like BuzzSumo and Curata, which I personally love. But the trouble is that those tools aren’t so great for ‘underground’ content.

My go-to sources for content that hasn’t been overshared are Reddit (there’s literally a subreddit for anything) and Hacker News. In fact, episode 112 is dedicated to finding great content in strange places.

How to say hello to us

We would all love to say hello to you on social media – especially Twitter!

Hailley on Twitter and Hailley’s Website

Brian on Twitter and Brian’s Website

Thanks for listening! Feel free to connect with our team at Buffer on Twitter, Buffer on Facebook, our Podcast homepage, or with the hashtag #bufferpodcast.

Enjoy the show? It’d mean the world to us if you’d be up for giving us a rating and review on iTunes!

—

About The Science of Social Media podcast

The Science of Social Media is your weekly sandbox for social media stories, insights, experimentation, and inspiration. Every Monday (and sometimes more) we share the most cutting-edge social media marketing tactics from brands and influencers in every industry. If you’re a social media team of one, business owner, marketer, or someone simply interested in social media marketing, you’re sure to find something useful in each and every episode. It’s our hope that you’ll join our 18,000+ weekly iTunes listeners and rock your social media channels as a result!

The Science of Social Media is proudly made by the Buffer team. Feel free to get in touch with us for any thoughts, ideas, or feedback.

13 Social Media Experts Share Their Biggest Piece of Marketing Advice posted first on http://getfblikeblog.blogspot.com

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mariemary1 · 6 years ago

Text

13 Social Media Experts Share Their Biggest Piece of Marketing Advice

When in doubt about your marketing strategy, turn to the social media experts. Often the best way to learn about a craft is from someone who has been in your shoes before.

But where are marketers to go for reliable insights?

Today we gathered 13 of the world’s leading social media experts and asked them to share their best advice for marketers.

Let’s dive in!

13 social media experts share their biggest piece of marketing advice

Host note: What follows is a lightly-edited transcript of the Buffer Podcast episode #125 for your reading pleasure.

Hailley: Social media is now a key piece in the decision-making process for consumers, particularly among upcoming generations such as Millennials and Generation Z.

Brian: One study shows that 70% of millennials base their decision to buy a product based on recommendations made by their peers on social media.

Another study shows that 60% of consumers have been influenced by a social media post or a blog review while shopping at a store.

Social media truly is engrained in all aspects of our lives.

Hailley: Which is exactly where we hope to help.

Instead of asking you to take our word for the most effective social media marketing strategies and tactics, we thought we’d ask the experts.

So we scoured the web and read more than 300 pieces of advice from today’s top social media experts….

Brian: We dwindled down the more than 300 to 13 of our favorites.

Keep in mind that each piece of advice we’re about to share is from someone that has helped to build a successful brand or business using social media in throughout their careers.

Pat Flynn

Hailley: First up, fellow-podcaster Pat Flynn says to treat social media marketing like you’re going to a party, which I think is a great way of thinking about it.

Instead, pay attention and listen to what your audience is talking about first.

Brian: In other words, Pat is advocating for adding value to the conversations already happening within your niche.

Ask your audience genuine questions on they care about and share great stories only after you’ve listened.

Eventually, people will begin to take notice and want to find out more what you have to say.

James Scherer

But he also understands that Facebook is a fantastic way for businesses to drive quality traffic and engagement.

Sunny Lenarduzzi

Sunny points out that this is one of the most significant time wasters when it comes to social media marketing.

Brian: We’ve heard from tons of businesses on the importance of planning ahead as well.

Donna Moritz

How about Donna Moritz from Socially Sorted?

Hailley: Donna’s is a great one because it really speaks to long-term thinking on social media.

She says to not get caught up in all the trends and ever-changing social media platforms – they’re just part of the bigger picture and what works for someone else may not work for you.

Instead, focus instead on creating quality, core content on a platform that you own (your blog/website, podcast or video) that helps solve your audience’s biggest challenges.

Which I think it so true and such a useful piece of advice.

Gary Vaynerchuk

Moving on to arguably one of the biggest influencers and social media experts of our generation, Gary Vaynerchuk.

Hailley: When asked about all of the content he puts out in a recent interview, Gary Vee said:

“My show and my social accounts are not a platform from which I talk about what’s important to me. It’s a platform from which I talk about what’s important to you.”

Which I think is another great way of phrasing how important an outward focus is on social media.

Brian: By focusing on his audience and not himself, Gary is able to continually grow his audience and credibility because he gives his time, energy, and effort away without asking anything in return.

It’s a huge reason why he’s seen the success he has over the years. Well, that and he’s really good on camera, which is a tough skill.

Judy Herbst

Hailley: Another piece of advice I found really valuable was in a Forbes interview with expert Judy Herbst.

Judy talked about how your brand’s mission statement needs to be one that works across all channels.

The best missions are in the present leading to the future and are meaningful to all audiences.

Brian: Judy goes onto say that they are achievable, so people can see progress now, and emotional, so people can connect with them in meaningful ways.

And she gives the example of a business that’s built to help women achieve success with transparency, trust and fairness.

The key here is to find your mission statement.

Lisa Dougherty

That reminds me of the advice from Lisa Dougherty of content marketing institute.

Hailley: Lisa talks about how you can never really predict what social media algorithms are going to do next, so if we’re constantly chasing trends, you’ll always be one step behind.

List suggests to really get to know your audience, so you can write copy that speaks to their desires, needs, and interests.

And don’t get greedy – remember it’s not about reaching the most people, it’s about reaching (and moving) the right people.

Brian: She also recommends avoiding things like stock photos that dilute your brand. Opt instead for real-life pictures and custom visuals for a more authentic connection.

Finally, include a unique, clear, and compelling value proposition – one simple sentence that explains how your readers will benefit from your offer.”

Rachel Pedersen

Hailley: Speaking of reaching the right people, Rachel Pedersen, CEO of SocialWorks Digital had some great advice on using Facebook ads.

She talked about how not everyone has several thousands dollars per month to spend on ads.

If you can spend $150-200 each month for advertising, you can build a warm audience for marketing your products in 2 easy steps!

And step 2: Boost the video with $5 per day on a video views objective. That’ll start to rack up the views.

Then create a custom audience of the video views (Facebook will dynamically update the audience) and run whatever other ad to the warmed video views audience.”

Hailley: We’ve done that exact technique here at Buffer and it works like a charm.

Molly Pittman

Which leads us to Molly Pittman’s advice on advertising. Another one of our guests here on the show back in episode #42.

Brian: I remember that episode well, Molly was so knowledgeable on Facebook and Instagram ads. Would highly recommend checking out her work.

So not only should your messaging align from ad to landing page, but your offer has to be compelling enough to make people actually want to click. In other words, are you doing enough to stand out?

Rand Fishkin

Hailley: Let’s take some advice from Rand Fishkin.

You may not know it, but Google indexes every tweet (which makes it a great tool for search engine optimization or SEO).

Most importantly, Rand talks about how you can’t ignore that 60% of a business’s or brand’s followers are likely to purchase or recommend after following them on Twitter.

Brian: Rand suggests limit how often you share links – Research has shown that tweets without links perform better and get more engagement, surprisingly.

Lee Odden

Hailley: On the topic of investing in your brand on social media, let’s talk about the advice from expert Lee Odden.

Brian: This is something we’ve noticed as well this year and that’s the rise of what we’re calling purpose-driven marketing.

James Cohane

And long the same lines is the advice from growth expert, James Cohane. James’ take is all about the importance of finding the right partners.

By hand selecting a group of key partners to launch various co-marketing campaigns with, you’re greatly increasing the chances of success as well as the potential audience for your content.

Even something as small as a social media takeover can expose your brand to a new set of targeted customers.

Brian: It’s amazing what two brands can do together rather than trying to do everything yourself.

And if you align with the right brand in terms of messaging, and content, and values, it can really help to amass an audience quickly, which we’ve experienced first hand here at Buffer.

Adriana Tica

Our last expert piece of advice from Adriana Tica, CEO of marketing agency, Idunn.

Hailley: Adriana believes that switching things up and keeping your audience on their toes is a surefire way to grow your following and engagement on social media.

And to do that, she recommends content curation.

But don’t just share any content you come across or because it’s from an influencer or a big brand. Make sure that it’s on-brand and provides real value to your audience.

Brian: Adriana calls it going for underground’ content.

As you might expect, everybody reads content from top publications and influencers – so that’s nothing new. Spending some time to find unique content will help your brand stand out.

How to say hello to us

We would all love to say hello to you on social media – especially Twitter!

Hailley on Twitter and Hailley’s Website

Brian on Twitter and Brian’s Website

Thanks for listening! Feel free to connect with our team at Buffer on Twitter, Buffer on Facebook, our Podcast homepage, or with the hashtag #bufferpodcast.

Enjoy the show? It’d mean the world to us if you’d be up for giving us a rating and review on iTunes!

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About The Science of Social Media podcast

The Science of Social Media is proudly made by the Buffer team. Feel free to get in touch with us for any thoughts, ideas, or feedback.

Thank 13 Social Media Experts Share Their Biggest Piece of Marketing Advice for first publishing this post.

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