#I gotta go rewatch some stream but I don’t use youtube so. it’s a little annoying to watch anything lmao

[tobyneedssleep]

It’s “feeling homesick over old fandoms” time

[gffa]

Scattered Star Wars thoughts: - As I’m doing my rewatches of TCW and Rebels, I’m trying to watch the behind the scenes stuff to go along with them and it makes me wish a little that Disney+ would have them on their service, because it’d be so much easier than switching over to YouTube when I’m watching them on my TV. It really makes me miss this kind of thing for the animated series--Resistance didn’t get any of the kind of in-depth stuff that the others did, and I’m not sure if they put any extras on the DVD/Blu-Ray releases?  That was my thought for what they were going to do when the first season was airing, but without having bought them myself, I’m not sure if they had anything like that?  I’m assuming they didn’t, since I never saw references to them, which is a shame, because they’re very cool and fun! I wonder, if there’s another animated series coming up (and when/where it would be announced--Celebration seems an awful long ways away for that?), will they return to doing them?  Or were they too much effort/better lures for buying the Blu-Ray sets? - John Boyega plays Jedi: Fallen Order was an absolute delight to watch!  He really is delightfully charming and I love that he apparently plays as Anakin in the BF2 game sometimes (and Finn as well), and that Mace Windu is his all-time favorite Jedi (I FEEL U, JOHN), and just a lot of really cute stuff. - I finished The Raven King and have started on Opal (and am about 2/3rds through it) and I’m going to be sad when I finish all of the books and have to actually wait for more!  I found the four book The Raven Cycle series very satisfying, the characters’ resolutions were all good for me, I enjoyed that they’d gotten to better places, and I found Adam’s epilogue especially poignant.  Not that he’d forgiven his family so much as that he’d let go of so much of what was poisoning him about it, that he was in a better place, rather than being eaten by those feelings and pain. I’m enjoying Opal a lot, one of the things I like about this world is how off the wall some of the dream logic/magic can be, but instead of feeling like it borders on twee or ~kooky~ worldbuilding, there’s something about it that is really pulled off with charm and something surprisingly earnest.  I guess I can really get invested in something so long as I feel like it’s not necessarily trying to be the most clever ever (though, it was clever in the right moments, for me) but instead build something with heart and care. So when Opal gets her own POV for several chapters worth here, when she’s a bit of a wild and feral thing, but stuffed full of very earnest feelings, it just really works for me a lot. - I’m about 2/3rds of the way through Rebels season 2 and I love that I continue to find stuff really works for me even more than it did the first time around, knowing where all of this is going to end up.  The journey to find Lira-San, the knowledge I have now of what happened to the Lasat people, that I suspect it was their use of the Force woven into their culture that got them on the Empire’s radar, in addition to that they’re incredible fighters (hence why the Wookiees were targetted as well, I think?), so it makes the whole “so HOW does all of this navigation stuff work???” go smoother, now that I can just shrug and go, “Eh, Force Woo is gonna Force Woo.” Also, the Kalluzeb stuck on the Geonoisian moon episode is JUST as much of a joy as ever.  That ending with Kallus going back to his ship, limping back to his quarters with no one saying much of anything to him even after all that, contrasted against Zeb’s friends greeting him so warmly, it was such good foreshadowing, now that I know for sure that it’s going somewhere, instead of just highlighting the difference between them. (And, man, does David Oyelowo do an incredible job with his voice acting.) - I read Star Wars: Empire Ascendant #1 and I have to admit, I was pretty underwhelmed.  The Aphra epilogue and the Kes/Shara story were the highlights, otherwise I’m having trouble even remembering what happened.  Oh, right, the story about the death troopers and then the Valance story, neither of which managed to engage me much.  In theory, this could be an interesting collection of stories, whether they’re serving as an epilogue to other series or launching points for new series, there are grains of interesting ideas--the death troopers story was about the mindset of the Empire, that victory at all costs was the most important thing, or the Valance story could have been an interesting look at an interesting character (except I just cannot bring myself to care about him), but the only times I felt engaged were in the character-driven moments of ones that I already cared about. Trying to sort out my thoughts, I think it’s something that I’ve been bumping into for awhile, something that crystalized for me after watching a Jimquisition video about the word “consumer” (which is an interesting video by itself!), at about the 13 and a half minute mark, there’s a tangent about how companies’ focus on the audience being consumers pushes out any stories that can have an important message that should be discussed, because instead of giving time for any story, it’s about getting consumers hyped for buying new products and then get excited for the next product. Which obviously hit a familiar note, as a Star Wars fan, because there’s a constant stream of new content, you barely have time to digest one thing before GET HYPE FOR THE NEXT STAR WARS THING, like, GET HYPE FOR THE MANDALORIAN, but you’ll only have limited time to really turn it over and discuss it because GET HYPE FOR THE RISE OF SKYWALKER, but you’ll only have a month or two to really turn it over and discuss it because GET HYPE FOR THE CLONE WARS coming back, but you’ll only have a month or two to turn it over and discuss it because GET HYPE FOR THE NEXT STAR WARS THING.  In the meantime, there’s also about 50 other smaller things coming at you, so no one thing ever really has time to percolate with the fans before the hype train is coming for what’s next. Most of the time, I don’t mind this too much, because I take my time with what I want, I circle back to what I want, I feel satisfied by my explorations of them as far as I want, as well as Star Wars is not exactly where I go for Deep Thought. But sometimes I run into a comic that just fails to engage me because it felt like a hype train for upcoming comics, rather than actually having a lot of story in and of itself. I can live with the hype train, Disney, but you gotta give me a story or a fun experience that isn’t just hype for hype’s sake.  And I feel like this comic was only halfway successful at that.  (Or maybe it’s just me?  I’ve been feeling a little, “What’s the point of all this?” about a lot of the SW stuff over the last year, and I’m hoping it’s more because LF couldn’t really do much until TROS was nailed down, and maybe now we’ll start seeing stories with more weight?) Anyway, navel gazing thoughts, there you go. - Annnnnd with having seen TROS I HAVE MET MY 2019 GOAL!  I’m not sure if I’ll do another one for 2020, a lot depends on how some RL stuff shakes out, but I’m glad that I got this one accomplished! - I HAVE SEEN TROS I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START. Scattered Star Wars Thoughts/2019 Resolutions Update: - The Rise of Skywalker: The Galaxy Needs You - Star Wars: The Clone Wars s2e18-19 - Star Wars Rebels s02e16-18 - Rebels Recon 1.01-1.08 - The Rise of Kylo Ren #1 - Star Wars: Empire Ascendant #1 - Episode III: The Chosen One Featurette - Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Current total:  520/520

[medea10]

My Review of Grand Blue

How did I get into this anime? Well, I heard there were some good reviews about this particular title. It was one of those animes I probably should have watched in summer 2018, but more than likely I was watching some sequel no one remembers.

Iori Kitahara just moved to an ocean-front town to live with his uncle since he lives near Izu University (a school Iori was accepted into). His uncle owns a scuba diving shop that serves as a local hangout for members of the school’s diving club. Little does Iori know that this is a local hangout to get FUCKING SHIT-FACED!!!

I am not making this up. These members drink like it’s going out of business. And usually these drinking binges end up with blackouts and public nudity. In Iori’s case, he got so black-out drunk that he woke up in front of his new university’s courtyard…on the first day of school…only wearing his boxers! I’m beginning to see why Amazon put out an advisory at the beginning of each episode about drinking responsibly. But aside from drinking with a bunch of meat-head senpais, there’s also diving. Yeah, club activity is actually diving into the ocean.

So let’s dive into this college-leveled, binge-drinking club as we meet some interesting characters like, a raging otaku (Kouhei), Iori’s cousin with “Permanent Resting Bitch-face Syndrome” (Chisa), a girl who should get a makeup tutorial on Youtube (Aina), two meat-head senpais (Bukki and Tokki), Drinky McStripsItAll (Azusa), and Chisa’s “loving” older sister (Nanaka).

BETWEEN THE SUB AND THE DUB: So this is an Anime Prime exclusive, so I doubt I’d be hearing a dub to this any time soon. The sub has quite the line-up of seiyuus including that upcomer I’ve been raving about all 2019, Yuuma Uchida. But a lot of well-known folks like Kana Asumi and Hiroki Yasumoto (who can literally play anything at this point) shine in this anime. Here’s what you might recognize these folks from.

*Iori is played by Yuuma Uchida (Kyo on Fruits Basket 2019, Uenoyama on Given, Chika on Kono Oto Tomare, Sun on Oresuki, Ash on Banana Fish, and Shirazu on Tokyo Ghoul :re)

*Kouhei is played by Ryouhei Kimura (known for Hinata on Angel Beats, Hachiken on Silver Spoon, Takizawa on Eden of the East, Judar on Magi, Taishi on Tokyo Ghoul, and Hiyori on Free!)

*Chisa is played by Chika Anzai (known for Mina on Attack on Titan)

*Aina is played by Kana Asumi (known for Taneshima on Working!!, Ran on Shugo Chara, Kazakiri on Index, Yuno on Hidamari Sketch, Nagisa on Madoka Magica: Rebellion, and Tachibana on Nisekoi)

FAVORITE CHARACTER: I’m gonna say that after watching all 12 episodes; Aina (a.k.a. Cakey) grew on me. Horrible caked-on make-up aside, let’s be real here.

I think it’s because of the development we see with her ever since she was introduced early in the series. We see a girl trying her damndest to fit in with the tennis club only for it to blow up in her face (literally when we’re talking about all that makeup that’s “caked” on her face). Yeah, these guys treated Aina like garbage! But after joining the diving club, we see her be herself and slowly trust those around her. I think it’s more of this character resonating with me in some sad aspect, but I too feel the pain of trying to fit in or not wanting to let anyone down. Anyways, Cakey is my girl!

Poor dear, I feel your pain.

SHIPPING: So Iori is now a college lad and getting smashed eight ways from Sunday. And I’m sure he’s going to have his own picks of the ladies when he isn’t drinking with an otaku and a bunch of meat-heads.

…Or he can get freaky with his blood cousin!

*eyeball twitch*

ANYWAYS, Chisa has made her point clear with the disgusted face she makes whenever she’s around Iori. But in anime terms, we know that she has that classic tsundere syndrome. So when someone like Aina comes into the picture and Iori sticks up for her, jealousy arrives like a fucking A-bomb! Despite Chisa announcing to a wide, public setting that Iori was her boyfriend (while he was passed-out drunk), nothing too scandalous happened with this. It was just so she could keep creepy boys away. Honestly, I really have no problem if Chisa and Iori hook up. It’s actually better than Chisa being with someone who has an unhealthy obsession with her.

I don’t want to say Nanaka has a thing for her baby sister, but this is getting too borderline Yuru Yuri that I have to say something about it.

I’m pretty sure Aina might be a contender after all Iori has done for her throughout the series. It’s just that she can’t stand all that binge-drinking and getting buck-naked at any moment.

And then there’s wild card Azusa! She’s a flirt! What else can I say about her? She teases Iori every chance she gets. Hell, near the finale she tantalized Iori in sex. Wasn’t sure if she was kidding or if she really meant it! However she did shove a leek up Iori’s ass, but that’s because he was sick.

I swear this is normal behavior.

By the end of the series, we really didn’t get much in terms of full-on hookups. Many misunderstandings have occurred involving word-play. Iori, Kouhei, and their band of geeky friends are still virgins (though one of them came very close to sealing the deal). One of the meat-heads has a girlfriend (did not see that one coming). But on a positive note, Chisa and Iori’s friendship has been pretty steady. I wonder how long that’ll last!

ANIMATION: I gotta say it, the facial expressions on these characters were a laugh-riot. It wasn’t like this was pathetically sad that I have to laugh at it. But more of how expressive these characters got when they have to express hatred or disgust! This is more for comical expense and I happened to like it. It’s like with the anime Prison School, all the facial expressions worked in their favor. This, while out of place some of the time, never fails to make me laugh.

ANIME REFERENCE: While shopping for gear for an upcoming diving expedition, Kouhei came across two suits that would make any old-school otaku squeal.

The suits of Rei Ayanami and Asuka Langley Soryu from Neon Genesis Evangelion in diving suit form. And Kouhei got Chisa and Aina to try them on!

ENDING: At the end of episode 9, the diving club is heading to Okinawa for a special trip that is promised we will never forget. They made sure of that when the anime gives us a two-minute preview of what to look forward to in these final three episodes. Just be warned a lot of things mentioned really didn’t happen. It almost felt like one of those gag previews Gintama is notorious for.

Well Iori, Kouhei, and Aina are going to attempt at getting their divers license so that they can go even further down the ocean. It seemed like all three were doing pretty well when it came to the basics of diving underwater. However, it was quickly noticed by Nanaka that Iori was having trouble keeping water out of his goggles and that could result in immediate failure. So Iori practices all night (with help from Chisa and Aina). However, Iori ended up in some trouble when a patrolling policeman comes upon him in the pool. And Iori spent the rest of the night in the water because he was naked.

Because I’d be concerned if he wasn’t naked!

Well, the next morning, he caught a cold. Then dumbass thinks it’s a good idea to get rid of a cold by drinking vodka.

Because I’d be concerned if he wasn’t drinking!

And as a result he ended up missing his chance for obtaining his diving license. Kouhei and Aina were able to get their licenses. So the big diving expedition of Okinawa is about to commence and Iori has to sit this one out. But he remains hopeful to one day dive with his friends in Okinawa. After all that, the group travels to another spot and get fucking hammered. You all see the theme to this series, right?

But the last few episodes gave us a few moments involving Kouhei and Aina. Kouhei ended up stumbling into this group on accident (much like Iori), but discovered how much fun he had (aside from getting drunk as a skunk night after night). As for Aina, she learned that despite the diving club being full of a bunch of drunken meat-heads, these people care about her (unlike the previous club she belonged to).

So it was a memorable trip.

This was absolutely NOT what I expected when I picked up this anime. I notice Grand Blue being taken place in a cute ocean town and thought it would be just as cute as Tsuritama. But it turned out to be the anime equivelant of Animal House. I can easily tell you that my college years were NOTHING LIKE THIS.

Despite going to school in a state where the drunk-driving rate is sky-high, I did not witness any strange anomalies like arriving on campus and seeing a bunch of drunk, naked lads sprawled across the courtyard.

Now then, I do feel like this series could have focused a little more on diving and oceanography. It felt like the majority of the series involved characters binge-drinking, meat-heads fighting with tennis club members, more binge-drinking, sad geeks never getting laid, studying for a German test where you only get 20%, and drinking more than Sterling Archer. Not so much on the ocean like I would have hoped. And even though Iori gets the short-end of the stick in almost every episode, I do feel bad that he couldn’t join the rest of the club under water in the finale. That felt a little disheartening, but that’s just me. Short answer, I like this anime! If you’re in for a good laugh and are not turned off by all the drinking and nudity, I say go for it.

For what it’s worth, it’s a silly adventure I can see myself rewatching one or two more times. And if you’re interested in watching, Amazon Prime has all 12 episodes available for streaming.

Okay, this was quite the trip! Let’s pick our next Amazon/Netflix/Crunchyroll exclusive anime!

Think Zootopia, but set in high school.

Beastars!

Great choice as I even heard good things from celebrities who don’t normally watch anime.

[entireoranges]

Trek fans are here and proud

An open letter to those who pitch thine fit and whine thine selves to sleep:

Do you wish to have some sharp cheddar with your whine? Perhaps some Camembert or a nice Brie? No? Alright. Thought I’d offer.

You are allowed to not like something. Thought it’d be best to get that out of the damn way. It’s 1,000% your right and I’m fine with it. That is your opinion and this is mine:

What I’m not fine with is the constant, unending, trite badmouthing. The moronic telling of outright lies, the instigation and insinuation that things are going to shit. You don’t know that. You are assuming.

Now, I might be talking about any old show in any old fandom, but no. This time I’m talking about Star Trek. Specifically the anger cast towards Discovery, and by association Picard.

Discovery didn’t have a good first year. I’ll freely admit to it. I thought it was damn clever, I liked the character arcs, I thought it was interesting. A little Klingon-heavy for my liking but all-in-all not too bad for a new show.

Before anyone says one word in the series the fandom at large on the internet doesn’t just REVOLT, they pepper their anger with acidic, hell acerbic remarks. Now recall these are mostly the same fans who haven’t had any Star Trek on TV since Enterprise left the air in the early 00’s. A show that in of itself had plenty of anger associated with it.

Burnham is a Mary-Sue or Tilly is annoying or that the show has nothing but politically correct SJW’s in it…hell…I’ve heard it all trust me. They were carrying on since second one. Was it because they made Micheal the adopted sister of Spock? Was it because the tone was too dark?

I don’t know what set them off but allow me to air some grievances:

1.) They’re all Politically Correct SJW’s: Well in a strictly Sci-Fi sense aren’t all members of Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets PC SJW’s? I mean think about it for a second. They are a society that values truth, honesty, even footing for everyone, it’s a culture of inclusion (example: Geordi with the VISOR is treated no differently than anyone else with normal sight), they are even a bit self-righteous sometimes (Captains Janeway, Sisko) but they operate within a society at large that is open and by and large inclusive to everyone as long as you aren’t a homicidal maniac hell bent on destroying the galaxy. Remember they tried to make friends with the Borg before they were forced to cede that they were unreachable. You make it sound like it’s a bad thing to have virtues that the characters of this series have always had. And you make it sound like it’s a bad thing. It’s not. It makes sense.

2.) Micheal Burnham is a Mary-Sue. Nope. She’s not. If you didn’t watch Season 2, go do that. Again the first season of any show is uneven at best and we saw growth in her character by the end but it was still very much in the awkward first season way. The second season she grows in all sorts of ways. The character comes alive. I for one loved Sonequa Martin-Green from moment one. She commands the scenes with substance and a sense of purpose.

3.) It’s not Star Trek. This is patently absurd. It is Star Trek. It might not be what you grew up with but it is Star Trek. I’m sure this is what the parents of TNG fans thought when that show began airing in 1987. Think about it. Did any of those sets look “correct” or in line with what had been established? It’s a generational gap. This is how the creators want it to look and feel. But it’s still Star Trek.

4.) It’s in an alternate reality/it’s not chronologically accurate: Nope. Prime timeline. Look…was I disappointed that the sets didn’t look like 1966? A little. A very tiny bit of me, sure. Did I realistically expect it? No. Is chronology ruined? Not at all. People forget that ships can change, tech can advance quite fast, and Starfleet loves to change uniforms, and interfaces on a whim. Did Enterprise look like it was 120 or so years before TOS? Nope. Did anyone bitch? Yep. Was it a bad idea to do a prequel? Not at all. But Discovery isn’t alternative timeline. It’s merely a cosmetic choice to have it look different. And they’ve been true to established canon too. The Cage happened before Discovery and TOS after it.

5.) I gotta PAY for it? I never PAID for it before! Physical media is dead. Streaming is king. From a business standpoint this makes sense. Discs are comically available for holdouts on Discovery Season 1. At $50 you are essentially paying for as many months as it would’ve cost you to buy the service and have access to a huge library of other content not just Discovery or all Star Trek TV Shows. Broadcast TV wasn’t going to take a risk on a prime time Star Trek TV show but much as UPN was anchored by Voyager when it began they surmised All Access would have similarities and it’d do good there. It has.

6.) Cut the female empowerment crap out it isn’t Star Trek: This one cracks me up. It isn’t? So characters like Uhura, Crusher, Janeway, Torres, Kira, Dax, and T’Pol aren’t all bad asses? They are. All of them. Strong, powerful women who excel at their jobs. What’s truly sad is I just mentioned about every series regular on all the shows and I didn’t even come up with enough for a bridge crew. I for one am happy to see the empowerment. Keep it up. It’s very Star Trek.

7.) Fine but I’m not treating this as canon: Fine sit in the corner and cry. This is stick in the mud to no end! Believe whatever you’d like, just realize that everyone who enjoys it realizes it is canon and you’re woefully behind because you’d rather believe your own headcanon rather than capitulate to what is on the screen.

8.) I’m going to derisively refer to the show as STD even though the official abbreviation is DIS and that fits in line with every one word Star Trek title since Voyager (VOY, ENT): Sure man whatever floats your boat or flies your starship. You do you. Does it annoy me? Absolutely. Will I probably assume you’re a troll if you use that abbreviation? Yup.

Fact is: I realize not every fan is going to like every show. I’m not honestly expecting them to. That’d just be foolish. But the amount of pure anger and vitriol hurled at Star Trek is insane.

When I was a kid, the show was nerdy, outcast, people didn’t watch it mainstream and it wasn’t cool at all. Star Wars was, but not Trek. Now? It’s trying to be cool. More space battles, epic panoramas, vistas, planets, exotic aliens…they want to create more. Do more. Be more. If you can’t appreciate that then I’m sorry.

There’s a lot more of this kind of Star Trek on the way. You won’t be seeing a return to TOS or TNG anytime soon so either buckle in for the ride or sit at home and rewatch those shows on your choice of discs or streaming services.

Gene Roddenberry created this franchise, Rick Berman and Brannon Braga changed it, and Alex Kurtzman changed it again. It’s just what it is. And at its core it still stays true to the original concept. Again I’m sorry if you can’t or won’t see that but that’s what’s happening.

If you’re looking for new TOS, check out Star Trek Continues on YouTube. Fantastic acting, storylines, etc. a virtual love letter to 60’s-era Trek.

As for Picard: You have seen one teaser trailer lasting under two minutes. Patrick Stewart is heavily involved in its production. It won’t be bad. Trust me on this.

If you’re looking for new Star Trek, sit down and get ready. There’s a whole lot of it coming soon!

[scottgalina]

Every Kellyoke So Far, Ranked

My morning routine at work has become thus: First, I enjoy the greatest iced coffee with skim milk and sugar that New York City has to offer, courtesy of Bashir on the northwest corner of 43rd and Broadway. Second, I do whatever work things I have to do that are none of your business (unless you’re someone I work with in which case I prioritize your things). Third--and at this point it’s around 10:45a/11:00a--I open YouTube and click my first recommended video and laugh. You see, every weekday morning, without fail, in the top left corner of my YouTube homepage is the day’s Kellyoke. If for some reason you’re reading this and don’t know what Kellyoke is, allow me to educate you. Kellyoke is the way Kelly Clarkson opens every episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show. But more than that, it is, quite simply, a way of life.

Born from Kelly’s extensive history of #KCRequests on tour (fans request songs on Twitter, she covers them) Kellyokes are approximately two minute covers of popular songs--usually a verse, chorus, bridge, culminating with Kelly simply vocalizing at the end. This is where I laugh. I laugh because not since Jessie J was on that Chinese reality show has there been such a consistent stream of covers sung so exquisitely and captured with such perfect audio.

And I laugh because Kelly Clarkson’s voice is not to be believed. I know everyone “knows” what a good singer she is, but I’m not sure that people have fully come around to the cold, hard fact that she’s one of the greatest vocalists of all time. Certainly that she’s the greatest singer of her generation. 

Each Kellyoke begins with a “Woo!” or “How y’all doing?” or some other burst of excitement from our fearless leader. Then she launches into the cover of the day. Sometimes (mostly upbeat songs) she’ll travel through the audience, traversing down and up stairs and dancing through the rows. Other times she stays stationary at a mic stand either by her band, or somewhere else in the studio surrounded by fans. (This super informative, though nowhere near long enough (nothing could be, really), Vulture piece sheds a little more light onto what goes into these decisions.) Most end with Kelly at “home base” in front of the couches she interviews guests on, which is captured by a weird camera that seems like it’s a GoPro and is stationary so never has her perfectly framed, and always seems lower quality than the other cameras. Kelly concludes each song with another “Woo!” or “Hey!” and always gestures to her band, usually accompanied by her saying “Give it up for my band, y’all!” She’s a class act! (If you’re used to watching Kellyokes on YouTube, then you’re used to them immediately being followed by the official Kelly Clarkson Show bumper which begins with Kelly saying “I will not stop talking.” I learned how to use GarageBand so I could edit that out from the mp3s I make of each Kellyoke. It’s a sad life, what can I say!)

As God decided was my duty (I was bored and, again, sad life!), I recently rewatched all of the Kellyokes that have aired to this date (I mean, you can imagine, it wasn't a hardship.) and below have “ranked” them. But I use the term very loosely. Because how can you rank perfection? Even the “worst” (and I use it even looser this time) Kellyoke is still at least a minute and a half of KELLY CLARKSON SINGING. Which is better than anything else on the planet. It’s better than mango even. So please take the “ranking” aspect lightly.

A brief housekeeping note: I have omitted both the first Kellyoke, “9 to 5”, because it was the first and there was a pre-taped component to it, and the medley of her own songs she performed on November 1st, because I wanted the list to only be covers. “Can’t Stop the Feeling” was performed on November 6th but seems to have been scrubbed from the internet. I remember it being perfectly fine, but didn’t include it because I can’t prove it. I’ve also not counted the November 21st “Neon Moon” cover because it was performed with Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton, and John Legend, and November 25th’s “Ain’t Going Down (Til the Sun Comes Up)” because it was a duet with Garth Brooks. This is about KELLY and KELLY ONLY.

With all that out of the way, please find every Kellyoke so far ranked.

53. Express Yourself - 9/20/19 Okay, this one is really scary. On paper all the pieces are there: Kelly Clarkson, looking amazing, singing one of Madonna’s most famous songs, working her way through her audience. The catch is that the audience in this instance has been replaced by soulless facsimiles of human beings that seem to have been directed to tune out the music they can hear and instead focus on a song in their head (keeping what it is to themselves) and engage with Kelly as though that’s what she’s singing. It’s horrifying to watch as no one sings along with her and everyone claps to a different beat. Even when she gets to two seemingly gay men, they don’t sing along! Were they told not to? It’s almost like when you watch a party scene in a movie or TV show and you know they either played elevator music or were dancing in complete silence because they didn’t know what song they were going to dub it in later. This is a good excuse to make something the worst and not have it be Kelly’s fault, because she’s perfect.

A quick note on the audiences of The Kelly Clarkson Show before we go any further. It’s unclear what they’re told before each taping. A lot of times it seems as though they’re instructed to clap any which way but on the beat. Almost like the warm-up person says to everyone “Forget anything you’ve heard or instinctively felt about clapping!” It’s very strange. It’s also very strange to watch the way they interact with Kelly Clarkson who is singing sometimes inches from their faces. I know you can’t judge someone until you walk a mile in their shoes, but I am VERY confident in saying that if Kelly Clarkson was singing anywhere CLOSE to my body, I would be neither calm nor collected. I might be shocked. I might be stunned. I might faint. But in no way would I be able to carry on normally. More of all this throughout the list!

52. Believer - 9/19/19 This is a totally solid entry that suffers only because it aired back-to-back with the “Express Yourself” episode and I resent how into this song the audience here is; the total opposite of the other one. Everyone should know “Express Yourself”! I don’t think that’s too much to ask! 

51. Come and Get It - 11/8/19 This is ranked low mostly because I’ve always had an issue with a song that’s opening lyric is a young woman singing to a man “You ain’t gotta worry, it’s an open invitation,” so this choice bummed me out. Kelly sounds great, but we’ll keep moving! 

50. Cake By the Ocean - 11/13/19 A pretty straightforward rendition of a song that doesn’t allow many vocal pyrotechnics. That’s okay. It’s still early.

49. Blow Your Mind 10/8/19 The least-known song Kelly’s covered so far (I think? Right?) leads to some pretty low energy from the audience. Kelly sounds really good, but the whole thing just kind of...happens.

48. Happy - 11/22/19 This is about exactly what you’d expect, which is not a bad thing. Kelly Clarkson singing can never be a bad thing! 

47. Wrecking Ball - 10/15/19 An understated opening with a bit of a funereal vibe, if we’re being honest. This one finds Kelly starting planted in the middle of the audience with a few terribly uncomfortable looking people right in her shot. She plays with the melody which we love, and things get better once she starts walking, but all in all this isn’t one that moves the needle.

46. Delicate - 11/5/19 Some confusing excitement at the top as we try to figure out where Kelly is and what’s going on and then it’s like...Oh! She’s there and that’s what’s going on! We almost do really well with a song that feels like it’s fool-proof in terms of clapping on the beat, but our friend in white and our other friend in yellow prove that’s not quite the case! It really takes all kinds!

45. Sucker - 9/10/19 The second Kellyoke, and first proper one, is perfectly solid. The faster parts trip her up on the words a little, but her voice sounds impeccable on the chorus.

44. You Look Good - 11/11/19 My biggest takeaway from this perfectly lovely Kellyoke is that Kelly’s pocket is literally...every note ever written. It’s a common theme that will come up over and over on this list, but it never ceases to amaze me how flawlessly she sings. Even watching all of these videos back to back, it doesn’t get old! She is the greatest singer in the world! 

43. Juice - 9/30/19 She’s looking great and having fun here! If I could complain, it would be about Kelly not singing enough, which reminds me of a story MIA told after she worked on Christina Aguilera’s album Bionic. MIA was excited to write songs to show off Christina’s insane range and Christina was excited to make mellow, less-showy songs in MIA’s style that didn’t require her to belt the way she usually does. It seems their time together was...fraught. 

42. Jealous - 10/16/19 Kelly’s at home, both in leopard print and staying in one place at a mic stand in the band area. It seems pretty obvious that it’s because she really does not know the words to this one, and to make her navigate the stair-business along with the cue-card-business would be totally unfair. We have many more exciting entries on this list, but then she does....that at the end and you wonder why anyone else bothers singing ever!

41. What Makes You Beautiful - 10/10/19 This is fun for everyone, and the arm swaying alleviates all the clapping mishegoss so the audience looks good too. Nothing of it is too consequential, but her alternatives to the melody at the end are great!

40. Independence Day - 10/23/19 If this entry is a tad underwhelming, it’s only because it’s so in Kelly’s wheelhouse. But what a wheelhouse to be in! 

39. Ain't No Other Man - 9/16/19 A lot of YouTube comments on this video (Yes, I read the comments. Have I not been completely transparent about how miserable I am??) suggest that Kelly was holding back vocally on this one which feels true. Is it because she’s not fully confident on the choppy arrangement? Is it because Christina was a guest that day? Is it because she wasn’t feeling well? Who could ever know. Regardless, she still sounds better than literally every other singer on their very best day so who cares?  My only true “note”: It would’ve been nice to hear the “D-do your thang, honey,” right?

38. Any Man of Mine - 10/18/19 Another song that Kelly seems to love singing. I know I’m wrong, but the violin player doesn’t necessarily feel like he’s not chasing her throughout this whole thing. This is also, by my calculations, the first ever Kellyoke to feature a key change. We love to see it! (Am I using that right?)

37. Let Me Blow Ya Mind (10/9/19) The strangest thing about this Kellyoke entry is that every which way its listed on YouTube only credits Eve, leaving out Gwen Stefani, which I can’t figure out. The title is “Let Me Blow Ya Mind (Eve Cover) By Kelly Clarkson | Kellyoke” and the description is “Kelly Clarkson covers Eve's 2001 single, "Let Me Blow Ya Mind" for a live audience.” What gives? This one really makes the case for Kelly making every single song sound, not necessarily better, but like a song that was written for her. Maybe there are songs she wouldn’t sound good singing. If there are, she’s smart enough to not try!

36. Roar - 10/11/19 Kelly’s “Woo” at the beginning is maybe the most excited one in the Kellyoke canon. She looks great in purple (even if the sleeves are a little funky) and the vocal run on the final “roar” is breathtaking. A real motley crew of audience members here!

35. What About Us - 11/4/19 A slightly wonky arrangement that Kelly can’t seem to get in the groove of, but it’s Her singing P!nk, so it’s hard to complain. Kelly and P!nk should co-headline a stadium tour together. I think everyone would love that. Thank you in advance!

34. Shut Up and Dance - 9/23/19 This is all good and fun, but I’m most fascinated by the two women at the 26 second mark, one of whom seems to be hugging herself in order to reach her hands back to her wife, girlfriend, friend, or stranger behind her. It’s a really sweet moment that’s only marred when Kelly gets closer and the woman releases her hands to reveal that she, like the vast majority of The Kelly Clarkson Show audience members, hasn’t yet mastered the basic human function that is clapping.

33. Wild One - 10/17/19 Kelly enters through a new side door for this one, bypassing using the stairs at all. This one is great because Kelly seems to really genuinely love the song. 

32. Straight Up - 11/18/19 This one is fun both because it’s unlike most of the other songs on this list and because Paula Abdul was the guest that day (along with Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, and Justin Guarini.) The lyric flub during the first chorus is a little vexing, but for the most part it’s all just a joy, with everyone firing on all cylinders. 

31. Love Me Like You Do - 10/7/19 This song feels a tiny bit like you can hear her say “Oh, I know that one. Let’s just do that.” right before she goes on. The high pony seems like it was styled by God and the option-up at 1:01 garners a rare reaction (from the girl on the aisle and her, seemingly, sister) that acknowledges that the people in the audience are MERE FEET from Kelly Clarkson while she sings like THAT. Kelly’s vocals at the end are gorgeous.

30. Sugar - 10/29/19 This is the perfect example of a song that Kelly sings and instantly makes feel like her latest single. Her voice just elevates everything! There is nothing she can’t sing! I hope I’ve made that clear at this point! The audience loves this one and how cute is Jessi with her beret and tambourine? Give it up for Jessi, y’all! 

29. Mine - 10/28/19 Kelly looks and sounds amazing here and the audience crowded around her are all doing their best impressions of human beings having a good time and enjoying live music.

28. Can't Feel My Face - 10/14/19 A fabulous horn-centric arrangement lets Kelly’s voice really soar. One of the best audiences, clapping-wise, that we’ve seen.

27. Ride - 11/14/19 Obviously the stars of this entry are Kelly’s dress and hair and the queen in the audience who knows all the words. We get the octave jump earlier than usual which is exciting.

26. Feel It Still - 11/20/19 I’m wondering how many of the artists whose work is represented on this list have heard these covers. Do you think they lose their minds? Are they so honored? Does it make them crazy to know that they will ever be able to sing as well as her? Do they reach out to her privately? Or can they not stand the thought of speaking to someone so talented?

25. Til the World Ends - 9/26/19 When I first saw that she was singing this, I was thrilled because, along with “I Will Wait”, “Crazy For You”, “Go Rest High on That Mountain”, and “My Man”, her 2012 cover of the full version is one of my favorite #KCRequests of all time. (If she ever does “I Will Wait” for Kellyoke I will cease to exist. Know that.) This arrangement is a little different and a little slow to my ear, but still...what a song! 

24. Miss Me More - 9/17/19 Kelly’s having a great time with this one in spite of an audience full of people who are dressed like they didn’t know they’d be on national TV, not only that day but in this lifetime, nor are capable of acknowledging that Kelly Clarkson is singing like that a few feet from their stupid faces. Bonus points for the logo colors. Pink goes good with green.

23. Lips Are Movin' - 10/30/19 We still don’t know why this had one of the most dramatic entrances in Kellyoke history (I can only assume it’s because they taped it the same day as the Halloween episode and wanted to take advantage of Bridget being at the studio? Can anyone reading this even begin to imagine how terrible it is in my head?) but it turns into a perfectly lovely rendition.

22. Never Be Like You - 11/7/19 What could it possibly feel like to sing like this? Do us mere mortals have a point of reference? Is it similar to the way we walk or sleep because it’s so easy for her? Or is it something she has to work towards and feels accomplished after completing like me jogging for one city block or completing a customer service phone call?

21. If It Makes You Happy - 9/25/19 A little low energy and doesn’t lend itself totally to the walking around (she almost doesn’t it make it to where she needs to be at the end!), but again, her voice is so unreal that it doesn’t really matter. I wonder why she chose to do the second verse (“I still get stoned” isn’t totally her brand) and it’s nuts to me that the verse is literally low for her but...whatever! HPA (high pony alert) as well! 

20. Uptown Funk - 11/18/19 First of all, how great is this entire look? This made me smile because when it started I thought, “Oh sure, we know how this will go.” And then I thought a little ahead through the rest of the song and was like “Oh shit, she’s really going to tear into all the ‘Don’t believe me just watch’ business isn’t she?” And, reader, she does! And the vocalizing at the end is just gravy. 

19. Better Now - 11/12/19 I know everyone has different tastes and it takes all kinds, but this is just factually better than the original, right?

18. Chandelier - 9/13/19 A more somber mood to close out Kelly’s first full week of shows, and the audience doesn’t quite know how to be. But GOD, does that dress move well! The words get botched a bit but the voice makes up for it. I know it goes without saying (and yet I still keep saying it!) but, Kelly Clarkson’s voice is ABSOLUTELY INSANE. If you listen to nothing else on this list (WHY???) at least listen to this one. 

17. I Love Rock ‘N Roll - 10/4/19 Kelly’s right at home here rocking out in her signature leopard. The audience is eating it up--they know this one and it seems like they’re actually listening to it in the room! Kelly screams and growls and sounds amazing. The high pony really solidifies this entry’s status.

16. Before He Cheats - 10/2/19 This doesn’t even sound like a cover. It literally just sounds like her song. 

15. Stay With Me - 11/27/19 Choirs make me cry so I’m a big fan of this. It’s another one that makes you laugh when you remember there’s a literal daytime talk show that unfolds over the 58 minutes that follow it. But then makes you emotional from the beauty of God’s voice. Lots of emotions in one minute and 40 seconds!

14. The Story - 11/19/19 This is absolutely beautiful. Doesn’t feel like there’s much more to say, right? 

13. If I Could Turn Back Time - 10/22/19 Four days after the first Kellyoke key change comes this one that almost doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen! By the time she gets to the mainstage it seems like she’s getting ready to wrap things up, but it’s just a fake out. The key changes and it’s insanity. As much fun as the audience seems to be having here, it does make me think that once a week there should be a taping that is solely attended by gay men. I think it would be just an insane Kellyoke to start, then a Q and A with Kelly and the audience for the rest. I’m not positive what it would mean for the ratings, but that’s not my job! 

12. Bitter Sweet Symphony - 11/26/19 My first thought during this one is that I couldn’t believe that there was more to the show after this. This IS a show! This should have played on a loop for the rest of the hour and everyone else should have gone home. I mean, is this the most gorgeous or WHAT?? An unexpected song, a beautiful arrangement, the voice of an angel. Instantly legendary. Few Kellyokes have begged for an expanded, complete version the way this one does.

11. Why Haven't I Heard From You - 9/27/19 Reminder that Kelly Clarkson is as famous as she is in spite of never releasing a country album. Would she be more famous if she’d only released country music? Or even just one country album? Listen to how at home she is on this song! And look at how much loves Reba! You can just tell! I don’t want to be too presumptuous, but I do feel like the pants here aren’t a coincidence. Feels to me like there might have been a discussion about mobility and how into the song she’d get at the end. And she does! That last line! A true legend! 

10. I Put a Spell on You - 10/31/19 We love a production and this is one, honey! I’ll pay this Kellyoke the highest compliment I can which is that it’s the closest we’re going to come to recreating The Rosie O’Donnell Show in this year of our lord 2019. (That would be assuming, of course, Rosie O’Donnell was the greatest singer in the history of the world.) There’s some questionable back-up dancer business around the one-minute-mark (Was she supposed to be alone? Was she actually supposed to touch Kelly??), but that’s the only thing that’s not absolutely perfect about this. 

9. I Like It, I Love It - 10/25/19 It probably won’t surprise anyone reading this to find out that I wasn’t particularly familiar with this song before hearing Kelly’s version (unless there’s an emergency, I try to make sure the only male singers in my iTunes library are Harry Styles and Steven Pasquale), but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve listened to Kelly’s version. What really struck me is that she didn’t change the pronouns which...well, it made me cry at my desk. It was a long week, okay?

8. Walking on Broken Glass - 10/1/19 Animal print? Check! Iconic song? Check! And buy me that skirt! The real killer here is Kelly’s bridge, which she chooses to FULL THROAT BELT (she knows no other way, really) instead of following Annie Lennox’s falsetto-ed lead. We still get a glimpse of Kelly’s head voice (if not whistle tone) at the end. Kelly’s happy, the audience is into it, this is a good one!

7. Think - 9/12/19 This was only the third episode of the show, so it was easy to think that it might never get better than this. And the truth is, it rarely does! What makes this even more unbelievable than the sheer power of her voice, is that she does this all while going up and down two sets of stairs! Who can do that?! I’ve been known to stop conversations getting on the escalators going up from the Q train just to be able to really focus on what I’m doing, and she’s singing and wearing heels and doing it all at once like it’s no big deal??

6. If I Can't Have You - 10/3/19 This one starts out as a little bit of a bummer because on paper it looks like it may be track seven of her album All I Ever Wanted. (Two quick things here. First, if you ever want me to get light-headed from talking too much and too quickly, ask me about my theory that the best song on any album is track seven. Second, if you don’t know “If I Can’t Have You” get the fuck on it! And then listen to the Smoakstack Sessions acoustic version. And then listen to the live version mashed up with “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” that she only performed a few times in Australia. And then you may marry me.) Anyway, once you get over that initial disappointment, this is a near perfect Kellyoke. If there’s anything else wrong with it (and I know she can’t control the title of the song), it’s only that her whole look is reminiscent of a middle schooler who is playing Smitty in How to Succeed and had to provide her own costume. BUT! Don’t let that take away from everything else to feast on during this one minute and 55 second masterpiece.

5. Alone - 10/21/19 “Anyone here like Heart?” is a clunky opening to what will go down as one of the all-time great Kellyokes, but by the time we get to the “Y’all ready?” we’re off to the races. Because we’re NOT ready! We think we are, but how could we be? I mean, it’s Kelly Clarkson singing “Alone” and somehow it’s even better than you could ever possibly imagine?? Even the audience engagement here doesn’t bother me as much as it usually does. Maybe because I would watch a documentary mini-series about that group of friends, especially the woman in the denim jacket who plays the air drums after Kelly walks away. I feel like she has a gay son. She better work. 

4. Bad Romance - 9/11/19 This one ranks high on both personal and technical levels. Personally, this is certainly something I feel responsible for conjuring through sheer force of will and witchcraft. I don’t want to be buried (“Jesus, I thought this was a silly list of Kelly Clarkson covers!” -you) but if I did, I’d feel comfortable putting here in writing that I’d like “Kelly Clarkson sings a powerful rendition of Lady Gaga's 2009 single ‘Bad Romance’ #KellyClarksonShow #LadyGaga” engraved on my gravestone or the door to my mausoleum or whatever. Technically, again, not much to say beyond “Well, listen to it.” Taking the second verse up an octave is inspired and the ad libs are divine. The flubbed lyrics are a plant to make us think she’s human.

3. Only Girl in the World - 11/15/19 I said “Oh shit” out loud at my desk when I saw the song title, leopard print, and high ponytail all in one Kellyoke. What a trifecta. And what a performance! Let’s be real, this one boils down to the 55 second mark when you and Kelly start a will she/won’t she dance as the bridge crescendos. And like, OF COURSE SHE WILL. SHE’S KELLY MOTHERFUCKING BRIANNA CLARKSON. YOU THINK SHE’S NOT GONNA BELT THAT NOTE YOU WORTHLESS SWINE? I’m no Mister Golightly so I don’t know how to read music that well, but this seems to be the highest belted note in a Kellyoke up to this point. (And PLEASE correct me if I’m wrong. Feels like it’s important for me to know.) Her kids at the end are sweet, but this one became top ten long before they ran out onstage.

2. Let's Go Crazy - 9/24/19 The “Dearly Beloved” probably sounded better in theory, but what otherwise sinks this totally perfect vocal performance is an audience full of goons who deserve to be incarcerated or, at the very least, fined. Did I take for granted that everyone knows how to clap on the beat? Even if EVERYONE doesn’t, the odds don’t seem to lend themselves to how many people in this audience have no idea how to clap. Was there an a support group meeting for the rhythmically impaired that morning somewhere near the Universal lot? Do you think they were laughing in the control room? Also, doesn’t it feel strange that the below people could be in the same room and making those faces at the same time? Surely someone’s should be different. And I know which one I think!

1. I Wanna Dance With Somebody- 10/24/19 This is the Kellyoke motherlode. It may never get better than this. Every choice Kelly makes is the one you want her to. This one has it all: full-throated belting, whistle tone, iconic song, iconic outfit, option-ups left and right. The brief moment of audience participation lets us know that Kelly wants you to think this is for everyone, but it’s really just her taking the opportunity to go fucking wild. It’s what we and, more importantly, she deserve.

[lolbtsaus]

Youtuber!Jungkook as a Father

And last but not least is the second half of the Busan line, our amazing maknae who literally fucking took Jimin’s money straight out of that hat I shouldn’t be surprised bc he’s a walking meme as is but it still made me laugh so much like he fucking t o o k o f f he ran like his life depended on it I fucking love him, Jeon Jungkook aka kookie

For the original youtuber!Jungkook post, click here, for his proposal, click here and for father!kook, all of the father related posts are here

There is also the drabble Ice Cream (here) which features youtuber!kook as a father but in drabble form instead of AU

For everyone that hasn’t read the original father!kook post, he has twins, a boy and a girl aka his mini mes

Just a quick summary of youtuber!kook, he has a gaming channel (definitely plays Overwatch on there or on streams) 

His personal life has always been pretty private like his viewers know he’s in a relationship but they don’t know a wh ol e lot about it

They know he loves you, they know you two have been together for years, they know you live together but they don’t know the really really deep things

It does take him a minute to talk about the bbys on camera, he waits for it to really sink in bc he can’t get used to saying the words “I’m gonna be a father” and every time he says it, he wants to both cry and dance around

He still does tear up a bit when he makes the announcement video but he also gets really proud and he gets this big smile on his face

His viewers get updates here and there, it isn’t really on a schedule but he makes sure to mention it at least once a month to keep everyone updated

He can’t even make a gaming video on the day he finds out he’s gonna be having twins he literally just sits there and stares off into the distance with his mouth hanging open bc w h a t

“I’m...two there are two”

He's already pumped up about one but now he knows there are two and he’s even more hyped up

Two cribs, two sets of clothes, two sets of everything

It takes him like an hour to realize that even though this entire time he'd been expecting one, he's got two bc that's like wait what how did this happen there are t w o he gets two for the price of one is this a dream

But after it's sunk in, he's bouncing off of walls and he's so fucking excited and it's easy to see his mood change in videos

He’s always been happy in his video but his smile is just a bit wider and his eyes are brighter and he laughs at literally everything bc he’s the happiest he’s even been

When the bbys are born, he posts a video from the hospital explaining that he's not gonna be able to film any gaming videos for a minute bc he's got two very (v e r y) small versions of him that need his attention and he doesn't wanna leave you to be the only one caring for them

And he doesn't wanna miss any of the early moments either like when they discover they have toes or fingers, that’s shit’s priceless

He stills films some videos here and there but he doesn't game as long as he normally does, it's more of a 5-10 minute video rather than his usual 15-20

At first, he tries to keep shit private with them like he doesn’t show their faces on camera (but he still films a l o t of stuff just for the two of you and your families/friends to watch) but he talks about them a lo t and it’s so easy to see he’s in love

“My daughter really loves it when I sing to her, it’s the easiest way to get her to fall asleep”

“My son’s favorite napping place is my chest so his naps have become my naps bc there’s not much moving around when that happens”

“My kids are cute, I made cute bbys gotta admit”

The first time his viewers see them is on his Instagram/Snapchat/Twitter, he posts a couple pictures of them on there just bc he can’t resist

But the first time they’re in a video/stream is when they’re a couple weeks old and bby boy starts crying while kook’s filming so he has to stop and go check on him (he was alright, just hungry)

What ends up happening is bby boy gets fed and then kook is trying to get him to fall back asleep for his nap and bby boy ends up falling asleep in kook’s arms and he can’t put him down now, he’s too comfortable and he’s worried if he puts bby boy back in his crib or gives him to you that he’ll wake up again and be grumpy bc he got woken up so quickly

So kook decides to show him in the video during his outro

Once he’s been shown, kook decides it’s only fair to show bby girl bc she’s his angel too so the next outro features her

As the kids get older, they get featured more and more

Of course, the older they get, the more curious they are and the more they start to figure things out so when they see him gaming, they’re gonna wanna see what he’s doing

Streams are basically just the bbys sitting next to kook and asking him what he’s doing can they do it too can they sit with him

He just can’t turn down those puppy dog eyes it’s so hard to say no when you have not one but TWO lil toddlers who are just so cute and tiny and they literally just wanna be apart of whatever it is he’s doing so he always ends up saying yes

They sit on his lap and he may let them play a bit but they mainly just wanna chill out with him and find out why he’s laughing so much so they can laugh too

It becomes a staple to see them in the background of his videos, normally coloring or playing with their toys or snacking on something while watching their shows

“I’m in a boss battle nothing can distract me rn I need laser like focus I’m so close he’s nearly dead”

“I love you dad!!!"

“This is the one time I can die in a game so close to beating the boss without getting mad, I love you too lil man”

Their styles are pretty similar to his own since he gets a say in how they dress and while he does compromise with you on their outfits, how can you say no to bby jeans have you ever seen bby jeans have you seen how cuTE THEY ARE

Sometimes they have similar outfits, matching outfits, sometimes they have completely different outfits but one thing that always matches is their lil bracelet

Kook buys them a bracelet every time they grow out of the old one and it’s always the same bracelet, just in the next size up

It’s a thin gold chain with a “J” (for Jeon) pendant/charm and tbh they could be twenty and he’s still out here buying them new bracelets when their old ones get too tight

Gets them to wear his merch when he makes new shirts/hats/etc.

He thinks it’s s o fucking funny and adorable to see his bbys in shirts made to be baggy on him like it looks like a dress on them and he’s so in love

His favorite video he films with them is a video he makes on his birthday

They get him to wear a lil birthday hat and you blow up a bunch of balloons and have them in his office (where he records)

The cards the bbys make for him are hanging up on the wall and bby boy in his lap and bby girl is in yours and all of you are playing a family friendly game together (probably some Little Big Planet or something along those lines)

The bbys are so giggly the entire time and kook’s favorite sounds are them laughing so it’s just the entire video is so amazing to him bc what could be better than having all of his loves in one video the dog even makes an appearance his family’s all right there

He’s got games, he’s got bbys, he’s got you, he’s got the dog taking a nap on the couch in the background, what more could he ask for he’s so fucking content

Every time the bbys laugh at something, he has to smile, h a s to 

It’s just such a light hearted video, everyone’s laughing and smiling and everyone’s happy and at the end, you bring out the cake and you and the bbys sing happy birthday to him and he’s so :D the entire time 

He could rewatch that video over and over and over and still be happy bc he knows he’s v v loved and he’s so fucking happy

[michael-radi-the-glamorous-life]

With A Little Help From My Friends

I often say that I know some of the best people, and I think that’s true.

Some of the most wonderful, giving, caring, and delightful people I’ve ever met can be found amongst my friends, colleagues, students, peers, and family.

Now, I’m a bit of a go-getter personality who is often most productive alone. (Surprised, anyone?) And I’m sure many of you out there feel similarly, even if just when applied to work.

But this quarantine has shifted that mentality. And not just for me, but across the globe.

I think people are realizing that sure, lots of work can be done remotely, but it’s nothing like being together with other people working toward a common goal. And people are craving that feeling more than ever.

We may not be able to make that happen in person quite yet, but it’s brought people together in some other beautiful ways. And what’s being put out into the world is good.

Placeholder Content

I keep hearing the question:

“Is all this online stuff going to take over? Will we never get back into a real space together again?”

And I think this is a silly question.

Of course we will. We are dying to. Some people - unfortunately, due to misinformation and poor leadership - are literally dying in their attempts to. (Stay home please!)

Online content and online solutions are great in a pinch, with or without a pandemic. But nothing will ever compete with the feelings of being in the same room together.

So, what do we do in the meantime?

We create placeholder content. (“What is that? - the internet void echoes back.”) Good question, void.

Placeholder content is any creative or business-related content being generated online right now as a temporary replacement for the work that would normally be done in person.

And it has many uses.

It allows us to keep working - It may not be at full capacity, but it’s something to keep us creating, doing business, reaching out, and - well - not going insane.

It says “I’m still here” - Whether it’s a teacher showing up on Zoom to remind their students that they are still cared for, or a theater showing snippets of creative content for their audiences, it’s important to remind people that distance has not erased us. We are still here.

It allows for creative solutions - This period of time has forced everyone to come up with creative solutions to problems, many of which were problems that existed before the pandemic. Honestly, I think there will be some positive structural changes for many businesses that will come from what we learned in lockdown.

It’s a bandaid - No, it’s not going to put us back in a room together and heal us, but it allows us to reach out to other people and to share past and present work. And that’s still quite valuable. How often do we rewatch things from the past that we’ll never truly experience again (home videos, movies, concerts, shows, TV series, etc.), just to feel connected?? It lessens the hurt.

It lets the helpers help - A little reminder that there are people and institutions in need is all it takes to open the door for someone who wants to help. And boy, this quarantine has shown just how many people out there really do want to help.

And the best kind of placeholder content?

The kind that brings people together in order to make it happen. Collaboration is queen, even at a distance.

Gotta Start Somewhere

One of my favorite places in the world, which is how I met some of my favorite people in the world, is a theater. Bristol Valley Theater, to be precise.

I don’t know if you’ve heard (LOL), but theaters everywhere are in trouble. The pandemic hit everyone hard, but gathering spaces like theaters are going to take the longest to recover, if they’re able to recover at all.

So, I wanted to help.

Some way, any way. Even if it were small, I wanted to offer what I could for my theatrical home. But how and where to start?

I wrote to the Artistic Director of BVT about four weeks ago with an idea that seemed like it could prove useful:

I’ve got a great video of last summer’s BVT premiere production of The King’s Legacy…could we stream it? For free? And as a fundraiser for the theater???

Would we be able to gather all the necessary permissions from the artists involved? That’s a lot of people to ask between the performers, creative team, and production team. And would I be able to learn the necessary technological side of the logistics? Will everyone involved respond positively to this?

Turns out that the answer to all of this was a resounding, “YES!”

I really do love theater people.

And so, friends, as the first iteration of placeholder content I’m involved with for theater, last summer’s world premiere of The King’s Legacy will be streamed on Saturday, May 16th at 7:00pm (EST)!

The link below will take you to the YouTube premiere page, where you can set a reminder for yourself! The video will be available for a month following the livestream premiere, but the chat will only be available when it goes live on the 16th.

Click Here for the Stream Page!

And although we won’t be in the same room together, we will all be able to watch together and chat together and (hopefully) give together, which is still something good.

I Get By…

We do. We get by. And perhaps that’s the best we can do right now.

But please, take solace in knowing that whatever you are able to do right now - even when it feels like it isn’t enough or making a big enough impact - it’s helping someone and it’s worth it.

I do hope you’ll join us for the stream of The King’s Legacy on the 16th, and then again for whatever content is to follow!

And in the meantime, stay well, stay healthy, stay home. Cheers!