#I must consume more Transformers media first I think

[quibbs126]

God, people have such cool designs and interpretations of the Transformers characters

I wish I could do that

[mrs-stans]

Meet Sebastian Stan, the actor who plays Donald Trump in The Apprentice

From Gossip Girl to Marvel Studios, to more independent productions: Sebastian Stan's career has been a roller coaster ride. During his visit to the Deauville American Film Festival, Vogue met the actor, who at 42 years old won a Hollywood Rising-Star Award.

BY LOLITA MANG

On October 9, Sebastian Stan will be Donald Trump in The Apprentice. Some know him for his role as Carter Baizen in Gossip Girl. Others, for that of the Winter Soldier in Marvel productions. But recently, the American actor, of Romanian origin, has ventured into more independent fiction, which sheds a new light on his career. At the Deauville American Film Festival, he came to present A Different Man by Aaron Schimberg, in which he plays Edward, a young disabled actor who decides to change his appearance to, he believes at the time, improve his life. On the contrary, this transformation marks the beginning of his fall. An antagonist role such as he has long played on our screens, and which he continues in The Apprentice, presented in May 2024 at the Cannes Film Festival, and directed by filmmaker Ali Abbasi. So many elements that made us want to talk with the 42-year-old actor during his visit to Normandy, where he was awarded the Hollywood Rising-Star Award. As proof of the new direction taken in his career, today considered by the proponents of European cinema, perhaps, let's confess, more snobbish than their American compatriots.

Vogue. Gossip Girl, The Covenant, The Apprentice or even Captain America: The Winter Soldier … Your filmography is full of antagonists!

Sebastian Stan: A lot of things came to me, other roles, I pursued them. What I am certain of is that I never wanted just one type of role. I wouldn't go so far as to say that I refuse the more traditional hero roles, which I also find very interesting, even difficult in some ways. But it's true, I've always been curious about the idea of playing complex characters, full of flaws. Sometimes, they are the antagonists. Often even! What interests me in human nature is the duality. We can be extremely good to each other, as we can become horribly evil. Life is more complex than that, there are not good guys on one side, and bad guys on the other. Each of us is capable of the best as well as the worst. The antagonists, in my films, offered a great potential for acting that I enjoyed exploring.

Even Edward, your character in A Different Man, seems consumed by envy.

Probably the most complicated character I've ever played! But he's still so realistic in so many ways. I was just talking about this: I hope a lot of people get a chance to see this movie because it's really about acceptance and truth. Someone asked me what I think are the most important human characteristics. I said: values, the relationship we have with ourselves, and how we treat others. When I look at younger generations growing up today, especially with social media, people are almost forced to be followers. Fewer and fewer people are brave enough to express their voices in a unique way to fight against conformity. When you look at a character like Edward, you understand that better. We've all lied to ourselves at some point in our lives. We've all wanted things we couldn't have. We've all envied the person next to us. I wouldn't go so far as to say that this film is a fable, but it has this ability to make us look inside ourselves, and ask ourselves: "What makes me different?" Rather than trying to be things that we are not.

For the first time, with A Different Man, you are putting on the producer's shoes. Why?

I found myself much more invested in the film. It was a very unique experience, which I had not anticipated, I must admit. When I met Aaron Schimberg, the director, at the very beginning of the process, we formed a great connection, and we tried to sell the film together here and there. He welcomed me with open arms in this collaboration, included me in all the conversations about the feasibility of the project. For example, I was the one who suggested that he watch the film Julie (in 12 chapters) because I think Renate Reinsve is incredible in it. I was even able to help with the prosthetics that are used in the film, as well as on the shooting. Let's be honest: it was a complicated shoot, to do in a very short time. Only about twenty days. As an actor, I worked harder, I didn't count my hours. As a producer, I helped Aaron Schimberg make the film as he had in mind. I learned a lot from A Different Man, that's for sure.

Does this mean you're going to try it again?

Oh yes! There are several projects that I have my eye on at the moment… But it’s very difficult to make films, which you probably know here in France. A film like A Different Man, honestly, if A24 studios hadn’t intervened, I’m not sure we would have managed to make it. The United States is not like France or the rest of Europe: there is not the same support allocated to the film industry from institutions. There are no dedicated funds, it’s up to you to manage on your own. When you fight for a film, in addition to playing in it as an actor, it’s both exhausting, but terribly rewarding.

It’s a role for which you were awarded a prize at the Berlinale , and tonight, you’re going to receive a Hollywood Rising-Star Award here in Deauville. At 42! That’s joyful!

I know! I'm a 42-year-old emerging actor, I should say that in my speech... The thing with this industry is that you're constantly growing. It's true, I'm 42, but for the first time, I feel like I'm learning very important things, that I wish I had known much earlier! It was a strange year for me, between the Berlinale, the Cannes Film Festival, Deauville ... For my two films, The Apprentice and A Different Man, I felt real support from the European festivals, very prestigious ones at that. It was very special for me who had never experienced that before. And then I have immense respect for European cinema, which for me is synonymous with real work and authenticity. Here, if people don't like the films, they're not afraid to say so! So that my films have been so well received here, it means a lot.

You are European yourself, you grew up between Austria and Romania…

That’s right. I lived in Romania for the first eight years of my life, and then in Vienna for four years. Coming to the United States in the mid-1990s was a turning point in my life. There, I had opportunities that I would never have had in Romania. That’s why I’m so interested in the idea of the American dream, which is reflected in many of my films. A Different Man and The Apprentice both explore it, in their own way. I think the central question of both of those works is: “When is enough enough? How far can we go to get what we want? Why do we always want to win?” Coming from Europe, where the philosophy is almost the opposite of that, helped me in many ways. I don’t know if I would have approached my roles in the same way.

In A Different Man , you don't speak much, but the physicality of the role is evident. How did you work on it?

Luckily, I was there from the beginning of the shoot. Our makeup artist, Michael Marino , who was working multiple shoots at the same time, would put the prosthetics on me very early in the morning. So I had this time before the shoot where I would walk around the streets of New York with this face that is not mine, and see the reactions of the people around me. It was scary, and enriching in many ways. It helped me understand what it meant to live in the shoes of a man like Adam Pearson, because I wouldn't have been able to realize it otherwise. Adam was very honest with me and talked to me a lot about his experiences, which helped me a lot. And then as an actor, I myself live this strange phenomenon of being recognized on the street every day. I don't have a private life. I sometimes feel like I'm some kind of public property: people can film me and do pretty much whatever they want.

Let’s talk a little bit about the Donald Trump you play on The Apprentice . How does one prepare for such a role?

Playing a real person has its pros and cons. The advantage, with people as famous as him, is the amount of archives available. Videos, articles, documentaries… you have plenty to study the character! But there is a problem: you have to find a place to insert yourself, as an actor. A real challenge, which I like to welcome without really knowing if I will succeed. That is part of the problem that faces me! But that is precisely the reason that makes me want to take on this kind of challenge. Telling myself that I can't do something only redoubles my desire to succeed. When you play a completely fictional character like Edward, it is up to you to build his story. How did he get there? That is what I am constantly looking for.

The Apprentice by Ali Abbasi with Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong, from October 9, 2024 in theaters.

A Different Man by Aaron Schimberg with Sebastian Stan, Adam Pearson and Renate Reinsve, coming soon.

[avissapiens]

JBS retrospective.

Jockbull summer was definitely something where I shot for the stars. 15 tasks where everyone else had only 5. Fairly stringent time limited goals that got more intense and all consuming with each set that was developed. I knew I wasn't going to be perfect at it or even approach 50% completion. And yet i still feel fucking amazing to have done it! In an 8 week span i jockified certain segments of my life in ways that really did feel like they resonated through my whole being. It sounds a bit hyperbolic, I know. But I do think that undergoing such a structured battery of tasks, having it constantly in my mind every single day, even to the point that for 8 weeks straight my phone background was some of the images I generated for each set of post diaries did something to me. Thinking about these Jockbull tasks definitely left a mark on my mindset. And the tasks themselves left a mark on my life because I think some of them are simply going to stick with me. 

But they were starting to drag and i noticed myself getting more and more exhausted with..well..everything as the cut came to its end. So it had to come to a close as all good things must

Set A

 Of the tasks that are gonna stick with me here I definitely think elements of the competition task are gonna have a big impact. It was perhaps overenthusiastic to demand weekly competition from other people. But I have noticed my approach to things the longer I've held this task in my mind is a lot more geared towards winning and just enjoying competition in general. It’s still not fully realized yet though. There is more I can do to embody that jock mentality of victory at any cost. Maybe i should delve into some specific self programming so that i take it beyond just video games

The other task I think is going to stick is Baki. I just didn’t anticipate how fucking fun it would be and how much it aligns so well with my particular kink ecosystem. But moreover, I think deliberately pursuing baki rather than just mindlessly consuming it has opened me up for more media exploration, and exploration of the sort that will help me see the archetypes in more forms of art. That definitely had an impact on my vibes sets too. And in the time since then I've opened up to exploring shows like Letterkenny which has a whiff of jockbroness to it.

Set B

I feel like Set B was mostly more geared towards accomplishing a specific goal for the cut. And now that it’s accomplished and thensome I can thank it and file most of it away. Maybe bring some of it back around when I do a cut in future. One thing that will definitely be sticking is the Personal Training element. Keeping this task in my mind has really opened up the possibilities. Especially as I’ve talked it through with Abg and others more thoroughly. I want to keep synthesizing my loves and my passions. I moved here to NZ specifically because I wanted to combine my interests into something niche and eclectic but that could still serve me. And the same goes for Personal training. At first I thought I'd be stuck just working in a gym and I was fine with that. But I want more. I want to be able to take this knowledge, this business, and combine it with the different brilliant works I've already put so much work into. The abyss, the archetypes. I wanna do online training and help you all actually physically attain these goals and help you make a transformation Even more astonishing than my own. Combining Personal training and the hypnotic structures I've created. And I'd love to be able to make something steady and sustainable out of it so I can get my own space and grow even more while finishing my degree here. I know it’s lofty. But I've always put in the work and this is no exception. We’ll see how things go once I've got the quals.

Set C

I truly wish that the meditation task was the one I was gonna keep around. Set C however really illustrated how precarious setting too many things in stone can be. Daily routines, a biweekly creative work schedule, weekly fast days. It was a lot. Things eventually had to give and meditation was one of them. Now that I'm trying to gain some muscle mass, fasting days are actively counter productive. And being on commission mode means that a lot of my creative bandwidth is taken up by those. I will however be maintaining the daily routine. It’s not perfect. It never will be. And it sure as hell isn’t for everyone. But I am very much an abyssal creature of habit and structured chaos. And the creation of a daily routine for skincare, supplements, Breakfast. It all makes me feel a lot better and has 100% elevated my aesthetics. Not to mention really entwining himbo as something I relate with and aspire to more and more. For most of JBS i was also using a pretty strict time table for a bunch of summer related things.

But I've decided to retire it because the longer it went on, the more tired and numb I grew and the lower my success rate with any given day’s tasks were. But it was incredibly successful at the start of summer and allowed me to get a lot done and set a great momentum for the rest of it. My libido never really “went away” during the cut like sometimes happens to bodybuilders, but it defo got attenuated or at least shifted. But holy fuck now that i’m back on carbs you can bet that i’ll be doing task 3 almost unthinkingly

All in all, I really enjoyed this experiment and I’d love to try it again in a different form. Maybe with a wider sample of bros who might also benefit from the structure and accountability. In a way the dudes I generated these with stopped being the main form of accountability for me, and you all reading the blogposts and listening to the Voice logs kept me going instead. So thanks so much. Back to regularly scheduled programming

[abels-artworld]

✰ NEW SHAPES for Sorrow Shared Is Sorrow Halved?

The fic in question:

TLDR: Galion and Glorfindel bond over their respective First Age trauma, and almost kiss at the end of the night.

(Sorry this took a while, I'm garbage at answering asks AND for some reason it doesn't show up in my inbox on mobile? This truly is the trash pile of social media sites)

I'm a bit surpriced at the choise of fic tbh. It's the textbook definition of self indulgent rarepair, stuffed full of headcanons. So starting with a thank you for picking my least viewed work, but one that I realy love<3

As for the ask... ✰ NEW SHAPES: send me a fic and I’ll give you an alternate direction the fic could have gone!

Well an obvious different direction could have been for them to properly kiss and confess at the end of the story. But that didn't feel quite right after the heavy grief, and I decided to let them breathe a bit(and stew in their emotions a little longer).

Another good spot for a different story would be the very unexpected headcanon of Glorfindel as a former Angband thral, something that I actually developed while writing this story. It's based on me missinterpreting things while reading the Fall of Gondolin. For some reason I thought that the entire city had been built by Morgoth's escaped slaves as a safe haven, and so most people there, including the Lords, must be former slaves. It took me halfway through the story(and some fandom interactions) to figure out I was wrong lol. But like many others I like to headcanon lord Rog as a former thrall, and somehow in this story that extended out to Glorfindel. It had probably been cooking away in the back of my mind since reading Fog to be honest, and this story was the catalyst.

So there was a version of this story for a while where Glorfindel's part of the trauma sharing was very different, and focused more on either his death, or another headcanon with a bit more of a base in canon, that he would have crossed the Helcaraxe. I think the Helcaraxe would have worked a lot better. Galion already dislikes the cold, realted to the 2nd Kinslaying happening during winter, so they would have bonded over that as well. I also love me some cannibalism, and I think that would have been fun to play with as a counter weight to what happened to Galion. Something about the contrast of consuming vs being consumed.

Fuck I may have to write a story now about Glorfindel's Helcaraxe trauma. Ah well, what's another wip on the pile :)

I think that's the only major thing I'd change in an alternate version of the story. I realy love how it came out in the end, it was one of those writing projects that kinda just flowed on when I startet it.

Thank you for the ask!

[priyanka-branding]

Embracing Diversity: Nina Davuluri against the backdrop of Fair & Lovely

I remember this vividly: in 2013, Nina Davuluri, an American woman of Indian descent, made headlines and history as she was crowned Miss America. Her victory was a moment of pride and celebration for many, especially those who saw in her win a broader acceptance of diverse beauty standards in America. However, the reaction to her crowning was not universally positive. Davuluri faced a barrage of racist backlash on social media, with some calling her un-American, and others linking her to terrorism. This stark response highlighted a deep-seated issue with race and beauty standards prevalent not only in America but also in other parts of the world, including India.

All I could feel was joy that a dark-skinned woman, of the same shade as me, was able to take such a prominent stage.

Parallel to this scenario in the United States is the ongoing controversy surrounding Fair & Lovely, a skin-lightening cream widely popular in India and other South Asian countries. Marketed by Hindustan Unilever, Fair & Lovely has been criticized for promoting fairness as a preferred aesthetic, implying that lighter skin is somehow better than darker skin tones. This message resonates with deep historical and cultural biases that associate skin color with status, beauty, and personal success. Many commentators even said that Nina Davuluri would not have been able to win the parallel Miss India competition because she was "too dark."

The Cultural Impact of Fair & Lovely

For decades, Fair & Lovely has dominated the skin-lightening market by promoting the idea that fairness leads to success and love. The brand's advertisements traditionally showcased transformational stories where a darker-skinned woman applies the cream and subsequently achieves her dreams—be it career success, marriage, or social approval. This narrative taps into the societal pressures and prejudices that exist around colorism—a form of discrimination based on skin color that is not just prevalent in India but globally.

The brand's influence is so pervasive that it has shaped beauty standards across generations, often marginalizing those who do not fit the 'fair skin ideal.' The impact of such branding is profound, affecting women's self-esteem and social dynamics. However, the narrative around beauty and fairness is changing, driven by social campaigns and changing consumer awareness about the implications of such products.

Changing Tides: Response and Responsibility

The backlash against Nina Davuluri in America and the criticisms of Fair & Lovely in India highlight a global need to reevaluate beauty standards. These events urge brands and societies to reflect on the messages they endorse and the values they propagate. In response to growing criticism, Fair & Lovely announced in 2020 that it would rebrand to "Glow & Lovely" and changed its advertising approach to emphasize skin health over fairness. This decision marks a significant shift in how beauty products are marketed, reflecting a more inclusive and diverse understanding of beauty.

Moreover, the response to Davuluri's crowning and her handling of the criticism also illustrates the resilience and grace with which individuals can confront entrenched stereotypes and advocate for a more inclusive vision of beauty. As the first Miss America of Indian descent, Davuluri used her platform to speak out against racism and promote diversity and cultural understanding, embodying the change she hopes to see in society.

Looking Forward: A Call for Inclusivity

The discussions around Fair & Lovely and Nina Davuluri serve as a reminder of the power of representation and the importance of inclusive beauty standards. They challenge individuals and corporations alike to think critically about the messages they support and the impact these messages have on individual identity and societal values.

As consumers become more conscious and vocal, brands must listen and adapt, not just for the sake of profitability but to foster a more equitable society. It's time for all stakeholders—corporations, consumers, and communities—to embrace a broader, more inclusive definition of beauty that celebrates diversity and empowers all individuals, regardless of the color of their skin.

[measlyfurball13]

Fanwork creators self rec! When you get this, reply with your five favorite fics/art/podfics/etc. that you've made, then pass on to others. Let’s spread the self-love 🌼

Well, I'm a fic writer, so prepare for an esoteric assortment of fics in no particular order!

I'll open with my most recent, and the one I consider my best. This is a found family hurt/comfort fic starring Team Dark (comprised of Shadow the hedgehog and his two closest friends Rouge, and Omega, for those unfamiliar with the franchise.) Shadow is immortal, nearly indestructible, and saddled with some truly terrible PTSD around the ones he cares about dying on him, and it was interesting to portray that through a narration style I'd never tried before. This was also the fic where I really fleshed out how I write Omega, who is my all-time favorite character in the Sonic franchise. He's the most delightful blend of blunt and violent but also more caring than he lets on.

This one also deals with the unusually serious subject matter of post-mortem care. I remember waffling about posting this fic for weeks, worried that people would think a Sonic fanfic with such a down-to-earth subject matter would be scoffed at. Surprise! I was wrong. Once I posted it, this fic got a ton of positive attention, which I was grateful for.

Next up is a truly strange pick- it's a League of Legends fanfic, yet it's not about Veigar, the character I hyperfixated hard on for a solid year. I like the fics I've written with Veigar, don't get me wrong, but I like this one better. It stars Kassadin, a lone desert warrior who lost his family to the darkness he's trying to find the heart of, and Kai'sa, a woman who was consumed by said darkness but managed to wrestle back control of her body.

I really got to develop a unique character narration for the lead, Kassadin. It's a particularly strong, mature, and unique character voice, one that I enjoyed writing a lot and am quite proud of. I also leveraged some fantastic dramatic irony- anyone familiar with League lore knows that the monster he encounters is actually his long-lost daughter, Kai'sa. Yet his attitude towards that fact continually fluctuates, before ending on a negative-leaning note, something that was very challenging for me to do! (I'm a chronic therapy-speak writer, something I'm constantly working to avoid.)

I think it's underrated. League isn't a big fandom anyway, and I posted this onto an otherwise Veigar-focused blog. Perhaps I should post it on AO3.

I just had to mention one of my famous Sigma Overwatch fanfics on this list. I wrote a shitload of fic for this character, and almost all of it blew the fuck up back in 2019. I was the first person to post fic for Sigma once he came out on this website! (Not this fic in particular, mind you, but I thought that fact was worth a mention.)

Of my absolute deluge of Sigma fic, this is probably my favorite. The rest are good, but are a little simple. This one, though, has the thematic thread of "control" woven throughout it that I'm quite proud of. I also feel that this is the fic in which I captured the morally grey character of Moira the best- her emotions towards Sigma are complicated, but ultimately, she is his superior and the one responsible for a portion of his mistreatment here at Talon. This fic is essentially about her coming to that realization, and I think that's a powerful moment. It's a character dynamic I haven't seen anywhere else in media/fic. I'm proud that I wrote it.

Okay this next one is weird. By all odds, it should be my least favorite work, right? I'm not a romance writer. Doomfist is far from my favorite character. Hell, I'm not attracted to men, yet this fic continues to linger in my conscience as one that I'm immensely fond of.

I wrote it for and to evoke the writing style of the lovely amazing @ow-old-men. Gabe (op of that blog) has such fucking amazing imagery in his fics, and my imitation of that resulted in some of my favorite imagery and vibes I've ever written. I also think it's some rather strong character work- it's a moment where a confident, practically invincible socialite allows the mask to slip for just a second with a stranger.

Particularly, it's that singular moment that the entire fic was based around, the one that I suggested to Gabe in the first place. The idea that one of the proudest and most powerful men in the world would kneel for you without question so that you could kiss his forehead. Idk man, I still remain in love with the vibes of this one, even though it's so far outside the confines of my usual writing.

And finally, to finish this list off, I just have to plug my longest posted fic to date. This is my incredibly niche crossover of two obscure sci-fi shows that have my whole heart. It was also my first true practice at writing a long-form character arc, to which I think I succeeded.

Kitt, the AI from Knight Rider, wakes up far in the future and realizes that his closest companion is likely long gone. Over the course of this fic, he goes from wanting to deactivate to learning to open back up and allow a new person into his life. There's also some good ol' buddy-cop shenanigans between him and Garibaldi, the security officer aboard the space station that Kitt wakes up on, including a particularly fun scene where Kitt helps him cheat at cards.

This fic is showing its age just a tad with some of the writing and characterization of the Babylon 5 characters, but I'm still immensely, immensely fond and proud of it. Writing this fic taught me a lot that I'm applying to my current projects now. I wouldn't be where I am now without this one.

[olivesbest]

How Negative News Impacts Our Health?

Prolonged and repeated exposure to media coverage of traumatic events can transform acute stress into chronic stress, with significant physical and mental health impacts. Research following the September 11 attacks revealed that individuals who consumed extensive TV coverage during the first week experienced heightened post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms for up to three years. This underscores how continuous exposure to distressing media content can extend the adverse effects far beyond those directly impacted. The study emphasizes the need for responsible media practices to mitigate these widespread psychological repercussions.

The study concludes with a call for responsibility and prudence:

“Most importantly, the media should recognize that the constant display of horrific, anxiety-inducing images is not of the public interest. Repeated depiction of such images helps to maintain potentially traumatic experiences and suffering associated with a traumatic event. To limit potential harm, viewers should be warned when these images will be shown. Although we are not the first to suggest that media sources use warning statements regarding graphic coverage, we provide evidence that media exposure can be more closely linked to acute stress than direct exposure to a collective event, thereby demonstrating the importance of this recommendation. As access to numerous media sources becomes easier and faster than ever, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and the media must consider that extensive, repeated exposure to threatening or distressing content can have far-reaching consequences.”

Let’s turn to the results of another study, “Тerrorism, Acute Stress, and Cardiovascular Health. A 3-Year National Study Following the September 11th Attacks” by E.A. Holman, R.C. Silver, M. Poulin.

“We conducted a longitudinal study of mental and physical health following the 9/11 attacks with a national probability sample of the US population in collaboration with Knowledge Networks, Inc (KN), a Web-based survey research company.” The study showed that the acute stress responses to the 9/11 attacks led to a 53% increase in incidences of cardiovascular ailments over the three subsequent years, even after adjusting for pre-9/11 cardiovascular and mental health status.

The conclusion was that high acute stress increases the risk of cardiovascular events (heart attacks and strokes) among individuals with ongoing worries about terrorism. Chronic reminders of the threat (e.g., terrorism alerts, worrying, or both) may prolong the physiologic arousal in some people, rendering them vulnerable to cardiovascular ailments.”

It appears that the news is much more than a harmless list of events that have occurred and facts found by journalists. Think about it:

Information about just one terrorist act increases the risk of cardiovascular complications by 53% over three years! How much of such information is broadcasted daily through the media?

Are we sure all this information is true?

There are some words that are themselves triggers of fear and anxiety. It is enough to hear or read them, and tension and fear have already arisen. For example, the word “cult.” Here’s what I. Ya. Kanterov—professor, Doctor of Philosophy, professor of the Department of History and Theory of Politics at the Faculty of Political Science, and honored professor of Moscow State University—writes in his book “New Religious Movements”:

“For centuries the word ‘cult’, consisting of four letters, was found only in the vocabulary of historians of religion, theologians, ethnographers and did not go beyond the scientific publications. The exception, perhaps, is the political science use of the term ‘cult’ (e.g., cult of personality) in journalism and propaganda addressed to a wide audience. By the mid-1970’s, however, this term began to be firmly established in all forms of mass media, including article headlines, essays, radio & TV programs. And the overwhelming majority of materials about cults had a sensational and condemning tone.

In the publications, the reasons for the media’s use of the term ‘cult’ with predominantly (or more accurately, exclusively) negative connotations are not explained. Sensation-seeking magazine and newspaper publishers quickly took a liking to the word ‘cult’ for its ‘conciseness, punchiness, and emotionality.’ Moreover, its already negative connotation could easily be intensified with phrases like ‘suicidal cult’ or ‘devilish cult.’ In record time, the concept of ‘cult’ became widely used as a cliché, associated with ‘typical features’ of a cult. Some of these features include, e.g., cults engage in questionable and often criminal activities; cults recruit followers through deception and false promises; cults are led by powerful and unscrupulous leaders who pursue selfish goals and manipulate the minds of their followers, harming mental health and destroying families.”

In 1993, one of the leaders of the anti-cult movement introduced the terms “totalitarian sect” and “destructive cult.” Since then, these terms have frequently appeared in speeches by politicians, law enforcement officials, and as sensational headlines in various publications. The term “totalitarian,” borrowed from political science and Cold War propaganda, immediately evokes associations with lack of freedom, concentration camps and guards, barbed wire, forced labor, meager food, etc., all of which triggers the fear. Anyone who reads or hears about the latest organization called a “sect” or “cult” subconsciously fears for their own and their loved ones’ well-being.

Let’s turn again to the opinion of Dr. Kanterov I. Ya:

“By transferring the sinister, frightening meaning of the term ‘totalitarian’ to the field of religion, the creators of the ‘totalitarian sect’ concept aim to significantly increase the condemnatory charge of the existing definitions preceding the words ‘sect’ and ‘cult.’ It is precisely because of the ‘recognizability’ of the word ‘totalitarian’ that the use of this very ‘negative’ term has become entrenched when referring to new religious groups.”

However, few people know that such terminology as ‘totalitarian sect,’ ‘destructive cult’, is absent in the current legislation of most countries, international legal documents, lacks legal justification, and contradicts the ‘Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations.’

“The use of such terms for religious associations with legal status and registered by justice authorities indicates that the authors of such materials lack basic knowledge in religious studies and information on normative acts regulating the activities of religious associations. Labeling a specific religious group with a name that inherently contains negative connotations at best generates cautious attitudes toward such a group, and more often leads to discrimination and persecution of its followers. There are numerous documented cases of overt persecution of religious minorities influenced by publications and especially TV broadcasts on sectarian machinations.”

Read more about this in the article:

The Real Killers of Humanity. Who Are They? How Negative News Impacts Health

[amberlihc]

4. Transformation and Breakthrough of Spring Festival Ads in the New Media Wave

Hey, you know Bei Wang Lu (贝望录）? It's this super cool podcast on the Xiaoyuzhou Podcast app all about the advertising scene. The host, Bessie Lee, is a total bigwig in China's marketing and tech universe. They chat with all kinds of folks like media peeps, marketing gurus, business bosses, creative minds, and entrepreneurs about what they're up to when tech and markets go through changes. Back on January 22, 2020, they had this really neat discussion about whether a Spring Festival ad could be not so emotional. Well, let's dig into Spring Festival ads in the new media era based on that.

The Spring Festival is a massive deal in Chinese culture. Sure, the festival feel has tweaked a bit, but it's still prime time for business marketing. For foreign brands, it's like a golden ticket to break into the Chinese market. The ads during the Spring Festival Gala? They're like a super-strong magnet that has brands fighting tooth and nail. Taobao shelled out big bucks on CCTV's Spring Festival ads to cash in on the festival and plant that brand firmly in consumers' heads.

Content-wise, things have gotten way more diverse. Traditional Spring Festival ads were usually all about the feels. Take Apple's "Daughter" ad, for example. Directed by an Oscar champ, it had this awesome naked shooting technique and a heartwarming story. It blended tech and emotions so well and gave us a whole new kind of ad experience. But these days, audiences are way pickier. They want more. And humor is a big hit. It spices up the Spring Festival and doesn't feel overbearing.

Foreign brands, though, have had a tough go of it. They just don't get the Chinese Spring Festival culture. They keep copying their own ad styles and can't click with Chinese consumers' emotions. That really messes with how their brands grow here. But then, there are the internet companies. They're like the new superheroes in the Spring Festival ad world. Kuaishou, for instance. After changing its slogan, its brand image got a major boost. It shows that in the new media age, these internet companies are quick on their feet and super innovative. They're breathing new life into Spring Festival ads.

So, what's the game plan for the new media era? Well, first off, be creative with how you express. As I mentioned above, audiences are choosy now. The old-school emotional ads don't cut it like they used to. Brands need to get creative, toss in some humor, real-life stories, and unique content. Use the short-video platforms' interactivity to get the audience in on the ad action. Make it a two-way, fun, and engaging thing so people fall in love with the brand.

Tech is another biggie. Apple's "Daughter" ad gave us a taste of what tech can do. But we can go further. Mix AR, VR, AI with traditional Chinese cultural elements in Spring Festival ads. Picture this: you're watching an ad, and AR pops up virtual Spring Festival goodies all around you. VR whisks you away to a traditional Spring Festival setting. AI serves up personalized ads. How cool would that be?

Social media is a must. Traditional TV ads still matter, but you can't ignore the power of social media. Brands should do both. When they roll out Spring Festival ads, they should hit up platforms like Douyin, Xiaohongshu, and Kuaishou. Get KOLs on board and get users making their own content. Let those ads spread like wildfire across social networks.

And for foreign brands, it's all about localization. They've learned the hard way. They need to team up with local creators to really dig into the richness of Spring Festival culture. Understand what local consumers are thinking. Make ads that are super appealing and make people feel that connection. Build a deep, emotional bond with consumers.

All in all, the new media era is a wild ride for Spring Festival ads. There are chances and challenges. Brands have to jump on the trend, blend tech, culture, and data to level up their Spring Festival ads. Make them a rock-solid bridge between the brand and consumers' feelings. That's the only way they'll shine in the future market showdown.

[hiretrainva]

No More Wasted Hours: How I hired first virtual assistant successfully!

Imagine this: It's 2 AM, and I'm hunched over my laptop, bleary-eyed, juggling customer emails, social media posts, and inventory spreadsheets. Sound familiar? That was me, Sarah, a passionate entrepreneur drowning in a sea of tasks that kept me from focusing on what I do best – growing my business. Little did I know, my life was about to change dramatically, all thanks to a Virtual Assistant. Let me take you on a journey of how I reclaimed my time, supercharged my productivity, and revolutionized my business.

Breaking Point: When I Knew I Needed Help

It was during a particularly chaotic week when I realized something had to give. I was working 80-hour weeks, missing important family events, and still feeling like I was always playing catch-up. That's when a fellow entrepreneur mentioned how hiring a VA had transformed her business. Intrigued but skeptical, I decided to explore this option.

The Big Idea: Discovering VAs

As I delved into the world of Virtual Assistants, I discovered a game-changing truth: by delegating tasks to a skilled VA, I could free up my time to focus on high-value activities that actually grow my business. But the journey wasn't without its challenges. 

Here's what I learned along the way:

Overcoming the "I Can Do It All" Mindset

The first hurdle was mental. As entrepreneurs, we often fall into the trap of thinking we need to do everything ourselves. Letting go of this mindset was crucial. I had to recognize that delegation isn't a sign of weakness, but a strategic move for growth.

Identifying Tasks to Delegate

I started by listing all my daily tasks and categorizing them:

Must be done by me

Could be done by someone else with proper training

Definitely should be delegated

This exercise was eye-opening. I realized that nearly 60% of my tasks could be handled by a skilled VA.

The Hunt for the Perfect VA

Initially, I tried to hire a VA on my own. I spent countless hours sifting through profiles, conducting interviews, and testing candidates. While I found some good options, the process was time-consuming and often frustrating.

The Virtual Assistant Toolkit: Boosting Your Business

As I dug deeper into the world of virtual assistants, I was amazed at the variety of specialized roles that could potentially transform my business.

HireTrainVA offers a wide range of skilled professionals, each capable of taking specific tasks off your plate:

Virtual Admin Assistant: The backbone of organization, handling schedules, emails, and general administrative tasks.

Virtual Executive Assistant: A high-level support role, managing complex schedules, travel arrangements, and often acting as a gatekeeper.

Virtual Cold Caller Assistant: Experts in outreach, these VAs can help expand your client base through strategic calling campaigns.

Virtual Inside Sales Agent: Skilled in nurturing leads and closing deals, perfect for businesses looking to boost sales without expanding their in-house team.

Virtual Follow Up Specialist: Ensuring no lead falls through the cracks, these VAs excel at maintaining consistent communication with potential clients.

Virtual Acquisitions Agent: Ideal for real estate investors, these VAs can help identify and evaluate potential property acquisitions.

Virtual Property Manager: For those in real estate, a VA property manager can handle tenant communications, maintenance coordination, and more.

Virtual Transaction Coordinator: Keeping real estate deals on track, these VAs manage the paperwork and deadlines associated with closings.

Virtual Social Media Manager: Boost your online presence with a VA dedicated to creating content, engaging with followers, and growing your social media accounts.

Virtual Bookkeeper Assistant: Keep your finances in order with a VA skilled in managing accounts, tracking expenses, and preparing financial reports.

Other Specialized Roles: The beauty of VAs is their versatility. Whether you need a content writer, graphic designer, or any other specific role, chances are there's a skilled VA ready to help.

Learning about these roles was eye-opening. I realized that not only could I offload my current tasks, but I could also expand my business capabilities without the overhead of full-time, in-house employees. This versatility is what makes virtual assistants such a powerful tool for businesses of all sizes.

Eye-Opener: The HireTrainVA Calculator Surprise

That's when I stumbled upon the HireTrainVA Calculator – a tool that would completely change my perspective on hiring a VA. This innovative calculator broke down exactly how much time and money I could save by hiring a Virtual Assistant through their service.

Here's how it worked:

I entered my hourly value – the amount I could earn per hour focusing on revenue-generating activities.

I input the number of hours I typically spent on tasks that could be delegated.

The calculator showed me the total cost of hiring on my own, including the time value of my hours and the missed opportunity cost.

It then displayed the potential savings I could achieve by hiring through HireTrainVA, both in dollars and hours saved.

The results were staggering. Let me break it down for you:

My hourly value: $100

Estimated hours to find the right VA on my own: 80 hours

Time Value to Hire on My Own: $8,000 (80 hours x $100/hour)

Missed Opportunity Cost: $6,400

Total Cost to Hire on My Own: $14,400

Now, here's where it gets interesting:

Cost of Hiring with HireTrainVA: $1,997

Savings with HireTrainVA: $12,403 and 68 hours of my life!

These numbers were a wake-up call. Not only could I save a significant amount of money, but I could also reclaim 68 hours of my time – time I could invest in growing my business or spending with my family.

My Journey: Working with HireTrainVA

Convinced by the calculator's results, I decided to give HireTrainVA a try. The process was smooth and efficient:

Needs Assessment: They took the time to understand my business needs and the specific tasks I wanted to delegate.

Matching Process: Using their extensive network, they matched me with VAs who had the skills and experience I needed.

Interview and Selection: I interviewed the top candidates, all pre-screened and vetted by HireTrainVA.

Onboarding Support: Once I selected my VA, HireTrainVA provided support during the onboarding process, ensuring a smooth transition.

Ongoing Support: Perhaps most valuable was their 30-day replacement guarantee, providing peace of mind that I would find the perfect fit.

Life With a VA

Within weeks of hiring my VA through HireTrainVA, I noticed dramatic changes:

Reclaimed Time: I suddenly had hours back in my day to focus on strategic planning and business development.

Increased Productivity: With routine tasks off my plate, I could dive deep into projects that truly moved the needle for my business.

Improved Work-Life Balance: I was no longer working late into the night or on weekends. I could attend my kids' school events without guilt.

Scalability: As my business grew, my VA took on more responsibilities, allowing for seamless scaling.

Fresh Perspectives: My VA brought new ideas and approaches to tasks, often improving our processes.

Lessons Learned: What I Learned Along the Way

Looking back, here are the key takeaways from my VA hiring journey:

Start Earlier: I wish I had considered hiring a VA sooner. The positive impact on my business and personal life was immediate.

Be Clear About Expectations: Clearly defining tasks and expectations from the start is crucial for a successful working relationship.

Invest in Training: Taking the time to properly train your VA pays dividends in efficiency and quality of work.

Embrace Technology: Utilize tools for communication, project management, and time tracking to ensure smooth collaboration.

Trust the Process: Let go of the need to micromanage. Trust your VA's abilities and give them room to excel.

Calculate Your Savings: Use tools like the HireTrainVA Calculator to understand the real value of hiring a VA.

Looking Forward: My Plans for the Future

Today, my business is thriving, and I'm more focused and energized than ever. Hiring a Virtual Assistant wasn't just about delegating tasks; it was about transforming my approach to business and life.

If you're standing where I once stood – overwhelmed, overworked, and unsure about hiring help – I encourage you to take that first step. Use the HireTrainVA Calculator to see how much time and money you could save. The results might surprise you, just as they did me.

Ready to reclaim your time and revolutionize your business? Don't let another day go by drowning in tasks that keep you from your true potential. Consult with Hire Train VA today and discover how the right Virtual Assistant can transform your work life. Book your appointment now and take the first step towards a more balanced, productive, and successful future for your business.

Remember, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Your step towards freedom and growth starts with a Virtual Assistant. Are you ready to take that step?

[arvkpx]

My Personal Encounter with AI Marketing

In the digital age, our online experiences are increasingly personalized, thanks to the sophisticated algorithms that analyze our browsing habits, purchases, and even social media interactions. This personalization is nowhere more evident than in the realm of AI marketing, where brands leverage artificial intelligence to target consumers with uncanny accuracy. My first vivid encounter with AI-driven marketing was an automated email from a favorite book retailer, and it was an eye-opener in terms of both the potential and pitfalls of this technology.

The email arrived on a lazy Sunday afternoon, its subject line promising a curated list of book recommendations based on my previous purchases. Intrigued, I opened it to find a selection of titles so accurately aligned with my interests that for a moment, I wondered if a human bookseller had handpicked them for me. This was AI marketing at its most effective—using my purchase history to predict what I might want to read next. The personalization was impressive, creating a sense of individual attention in the vast, impersonal digital marketplace.

This experience made me feel valued as a customer, but it also raised questions about privacy and the extent of data collection involved. The precision of the recommendations was a double-edged sword, highlighting the benefits of personalized marketing while also underscoring the pervasive surveillance of online activities.

Despite my reservations, the strategy worked. I was not just a passive recipient of the marketing message; I took action, clicking through to the website and purchasing one of the recommended books. The ease with which the email spurred me to make a purchase was a testament to the power of well-executed AI marketing.

However, this encounter wasn't without its lessons for the brand. While the recommendations were spot-on, the experience made me think about the transparency of data use and the importance of giving consumers control over their information. A brief note in the email explaining how my data was used to generate recommendations would have reassured me about my privacy. Moreover, offering an easy way to adjust what data the algorithm uses could enhance trust and control, making the marketing feel more like a service than surveillance.

In reflecting on this experience, it's clear that AI marketing has the potential to transform the relationship between brands and consumers. When done right, it can create a personalized shopping experience that feels like a concierge service. Yet, it also walks a fine line between personalization and privacy invasion. Brands venturing into AI-driven marketing must navigate this balance carefully, ensuring they not only capture the attention of their target audience but also respect their privacy and preferences.

[princesspink68]

How to Rewire Your Brain: A Guide to Developing a Positive and Manifest Mindset

Introduction

Do you ever find yourself caught in a cycle of negative thoughts? Are you tired of feeling stuck and unable to manifest the life you desire? If so, it's time to rewire your brain for positivity and manifestation. In this article, we will explore effective strategies and techniques that can help you develop a positive mindset and harness the power of manifestation. By rewiring your brain, you can unlock your true potential and create a life filled with abundance and joy.

How to Rewire Your Brain: The Power of Positive Thinking

It all starts with your mindset. The way you think has a profound impact on your emotions, actions, and ultimately, your results in life. Adopting a positive mindset is a crucial step in rewiring your brain for success and manifesting your desires.

Practice Gratitude

One powerful way to cultivate a positive mindset is by practicing gratitude. Take a few moments each day to reflect on the things you're grateful for. This simple practice can shift your focus from scarcity to abundance, rewiring your brain to seek out the positive in every situation.

Challenge Negative Thoughts

When negative thoughts arise, challenge them. Ask yourself, "Is this thought serving me? Is it helping me move closer to my goals?" If the answer is no, consciously replace negative thoughts with positive affirmations. Repeat empowering statements like, "I am capable of achieving anything I set my mind to" or "Every challenge is an opportunity for growth."

Surround Yourself with Positive Influences

Your environment plays a vital role in shaping your thoughts and beliefs. Surround yourself with positive influences, including supportive friends, mentors, or inspiring role models. Engage in activities and consume media that uplift and inspire you. By doing so, you create an environment that supports your journey towards rewiring your brain for positivity and manifestation.

The Power of Manifestation: Turning Dreams into Reality

Once you've developed a positive mindset, it's time to harness the power of manifestation. Manifestation is the process of turning your dreams and desires into reality through focused intention and belief.

Set Clear Goals

To manifest effectively, you must first define clear and specific goals. The more precise you are about what you want, the more aligned your thoughts and actions will be in manifesting it. Write down your goals, visualize them, and imbue them with positive emotions.

Visualize Your Success

Visualization is a powerful tool that can help rewire your brain for success and manifestation. Take time each day to visualize yourself already achieving your goals. Imagine the sights, sounds, and emotions associated with your desired outcome. As you vividly imagine your success, your brain begins to form new neural pathways, making your manifestation more attainable.

Take Inspired Action

Manifestation is not about sitting back and waiting for things to happen. It requires taking inspired action towards your goals. Break down your goals into actionable steps and consistently take small, manageable actions that align with your desired outcome. Each step forward brings you closer to manifesting your dreams.

Conclusion

Rewiring your brain for positivity and manifestation is a transformative journey that requires dedication and consistency. By adopting a positive mindset, challenging negative thoughts, and surrounding yourself with positive influences, you can create a solid foundation for manifestation. Combine this with setting clear goals, visualizing success, and taking inspired action, and you'll unlock the true power of your brain. Remember, you have the ability to shape your reality, so embrace the process of rewiring your brain and watch as your dreams become your reality.

[tyleroworks]

I must admit, when I first heard about writing for social media, I did not think I was going to enjoy the structure of the class because I do not spend too much time on social media these days. Immersed in a society where endless scrolling can easily consume our time, I questioned if I was going to learn anything. However, through the guidance of Professor Laist, I have learned to use social media to showcase my work, network with like-minded individuals and promote my passion.

To start, Professor Laist offered different social media platforms to promote my brand. I felt the best fit for my style in expressing myself was through Instagram and a website. Instagram allowed me to showcase my work and interact with my followers. In addition, creating a website was new to me. I learned that it was a way to professionally lay out my work and allow brands or other organization have easy access to reach out to me. On the other hand, the social media site that presented the most problems was YouTube because I did not find a use for my style of work. I can do a vlog style or create short films. However, I did not have the tools to consistently add to this platform.

The one thing I would do differently if I were to start all over again is to post or showcase my work regardless if anyone is going to see it or not. Personally, I want to reveal my best work to my audience. However, as a photographer, there is always going to be individuals that will think your work is not good enough. As long as I stay true to my craft, my work will be legendary.

This course has opened my eyes to the vast possibilities that lie beneath the surface. I learned that social media can be used as a powerful tool by applying digital marketing strategies. In the future, I would like to keep working on my website to help reveal my authentic work in an organized platform.

Some of things I have learned from my classmates is how everyone spoke about their brand. One of the common denominator throughout the class was each individual spoke with authenticity. This skill is important for anyone’s brand because it will lead to more engagements and collaborations. I believe the power of communication is a catalyst in an individual’s growth.

Throughout this semester, writing for social media has transformed my perspective on social media platforms as a whole. Professor Laist equipped me with the knowledge to use social media as a marketing tool to help promote my brand. My initial thoughts on this class have been replaced with an appreciation what I have learned throughout this semester. As I continue to explore other tools to promote my brand, I am confident I will propel forward in creating my passion.

[mediakind]

Superaggregation: The inventive fusion of many technologies

Our relationship with media has been irrevocably transformed by streaming. The move away from traditional Pay-TV bundles and toward mobile-first packages encapsulates the "anytime, anywhere" mentality that the majority of audiences now embrace. In one of the most intense media industry competitions in recent memory, technological behemoths are pouring billions of dollars into brand-new services and content in an effort to grow their digital audiences.

Operators who include streaming into their entertainment offerings reap a number of advantages, not the least of which is a greater consumer offering and possible revenue growth. However, operators must adopt new technology, collaborate with bigger competitors, and create new value propositions if they want to thrive in a world of giants and keep the sales engine running.

The development of aggregators

Since operators have such a close contact with their clients, they are given first priority when establishing collaborations and creating new media services. In order to connect people with mobile services, connect households with broadband connectivity, and provide a centralized bill at the end of each month, it is essential that mobile business units build efficient and unified billing systems.

Operators have embraced the role of service aggregators as a result of the provisioning of additional services under a single utility bill. The inclusion of well-known streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and ESPN+ in MVPD packages has been warmly received by operators. With little effort or extra expense, it gives its clients on-demand access to well-known OTT content. The option to pay with only one bill, as straightforward as it may appear, is the other essential value addition for the customer.

The transition of operators into the position of super aggregators is the following stage. They are in a great position to offer a sophisticated commerce engine that aggregates mobile, video, and wider entertainment offerings thanks to their measurement of audience consumption patterns and provision of unique billing. The mix of TV, video, and gaming platforms offers operators the chance to position themselves as the orchestrator of entertainment services while facilitating access to next immersive formats like 360-degree video and virtual reality services.

Change is sparked by innovation

In a world where most media is consumed via mobile devices and the cloud, operators have largely changed. They either developed their own cloud services or collaborated with bigger players like Google Cloud or Microsoft Azure to achieve this. They have also actively contributed to this change by establishing cloud infrastructures and initiating the global 5G rollout.

In the present, broadcasters, operators, and service providers are creatively combining their respective technological platforms. Any media service may now be delivered on any device thanks to improvements in cloud-based rendering, more powerful computing capability, 5G, and mobile video streaming. Operators must consider the entire media ecosystem and use cloud-first technology in order to fully realize the potential of their services.

Consumer behaviors are altering as a result of the transition to a streaming-first world. Our daily connections to social, employment, and educational services now rely heavily on operators. We can also see how technological advancements streamline conventional value chains and change how broadcasters, content owners, and consumers interact. Operators may now orchestrate well-liked entertainment services thanks to direct-to-consumer (D2C) propositions, which creates opportunities for open, transparent conversations between businesses and customers. I think operators' reach and coverage will be increasingly important to the vast majority of service providers. The impact of the pay-TV provider TIM, which, according to Digital TV Europe, paid almost 40% of DAZN's new rights fee to carry DAZN's linear channels and its new Serie A soccer content in Italy, is one recent example.

We at MediaKind have always held the view that innovation is the real force behind change. With the support of our end-to-end solution portfolio, operators can get the most out of their media services. This includes streamlining the distribution process, recommending the ideal user interface, and ensuring that the MVPD products' latency and image quality are always adjusted.

The Dawn of Super Aggregation

The media landscape has effectively integrated the aggregation of streaming services. But as of right now, the aggregators we use to get media only include the top five or six streaming apps. The difficulties with content licensing and streaming services' desire to maintain exclusive access to audience insights are the main causes of this. It will take time to develop into a true super aggregator, and to live up to user expectations, consistent channel and app aggregation is required.

Delivering an aggregated service at scale necessitates the use of universal search and discovery, which is both difficult and essential. The user experience is distorted and inconsistent if one service provider or one app is isolated among multiple other apps. Any program that offers results must be proposed in a truly aggregated search function.

The process of acquiring, delivering, and experiencing content has undergone a significant transformation as a result of the switch from hardware to software in the media processing domain, even though this may still be a few years away. A wide range of fresh experiences for consumers as well as innovative business models for operators, broadcasters, and operators have been made possible by the change. The focus of the following chapter will be on cloud-native media processes and media components. The transformation will be led by operators who are primed and ready.

[yes-i-write-fanfiction]

I also had an idea that if a bot, you can pick any of your choice, had gotten cursed with being an organic for a set time frame and their human ally decides to shelter them in their own home and show them how the human world functions, what would they think? All of the culinary, entertainment, and various activities humans partake in regularly, showing how much more complex and lively being a human actually is.

Soundwave guessed it could have been worse. After all, he wasn’t dead, his mind was intact and as far as he knew what had happened to him could be reversed. Still, finding himself suddenly human wasn’t something he had ever wanted. It was a good thing that the decepticons had a trusted human ally that could look after him and his needs until he returned to his cybertronian self since he doubted that anyone on the Nemesis would have been able to accommodate his new biological form. All respect to his cassettes but Soundwave knew them well enough to know that putting his health and wellbeing in their servos would only lead to catastrophe.

Their human ally had quickly made accommodations for him in their humble abode without needing to be coerced into cooperation. They had even offered him their bed but Soundwave had politely declined, stating that the couch was enough for him. This is also where he was currently situated, sitting on the couch with his hands in his laps as he waited for their human ally to prepare him food. Truthfully, Soundwave felt it was embarrassing that he could do nothing to help prepare his meal but he knew nothing about how to prepare human food and was thus useless in this situation.

From the kitchen he heard the human prepare the meal they were going to share; lasagna, they had called it. They had also told him that he was free to do whatever while they were cooking, making a wide gesture at their home as they had. Problem was Soundwave had no idea what to do. He usually didn’t have much free time, always busy with the various duty being the third in command entails. And even when he was free he usually had to look after his cassettes which took up a lot of time.

Looking around the human’s home, Soundwave frowned. There was a TV but he had never been interested in human media so that was a no. Various magazines, newspapers and books littered the place but he didn’t feel like reading either. His frown deepened. Now that he thought about it, the human’s home was quite messy. There were clothes hanging on a chair, some cups and plates that had just been left there and things were unorganized. They clearly hadn’t expected any company, especially not a sudden roommate.

Soundwave stood up and started gathering the magazines and newspapers and put them in two separate, neat piles on the living room table. He nodded. Yes, that already made things look better. The home was still messy though. Filled with the sudden desire to see this place clean, Soundwave went to work. He folded the laundry and put it in a basket, organized the bookshelves so that everything was in order and piled all the plates on one another and put the cups on the top so that they could all be easily transferred to the dishwasher later. He had even begun to prop up the pillows on the couch when the human suddenly entered the living room.

Their eyes widened when they saw that Soundwave had begun cleaning their home. “Wow, I did not expect you to start cleaning. I’m sorry it was so messy in the first place, I didn’t know I would have guests over.”

“Human; no need to apologize. Soundwave; unexpected visitor.” Soundwave was about to say something more when he suddenly smelled something. The human’s cooking. Now, he had smelled human food before but never had it actually appealed to him. Now however, he found his mouth salivating at the enticing smell. His stomach made a loud, growling noise, and Soundwave was suddenly incredibly aware he hadn’t consumed any sustenance since his unfortunate transformation into a human.

The human smiled at him and beckoned him to join them in the kitchen/dining area. “Come on, food’s ready.” Soundwave followed them without a word.

The smell was even more intense in the kitchen and once again Soundwave’s stomach growled, louder this time. There was a slight pain there too, one that he assumed was meant to inform him that he was hungry. Crude but efficient, considering the fact that humans had no internal hud that showed them their own fuel levels.

On the table there was two plates already prepared with this “lasagna” on them.  Soundwave waited for the human to sit down first so he could take the seat that they obviously meant for him. The human smiled at him and grabbed their eating utensils; a fork and a knife, Soundwave reminded himself, and he copied them. He stared down at the food and immediately felt at complete loss at what to do. Cybertronians didn’t “eat” like humans did, they consumed their fuel in fluid form, drinking it. Treats like rust sticks were an exception but those things didn’t need utensils to be eaten.

“Do you need help, Soundwave?” the human asked him upon seeing the clueless look in his eyes. Soundwave, too embarrassed to vocalize that he needed help eating, simply nodded. The human smiled kindly at him and carefully started showing him how to properly hold the knife and fork. Soundwave thanked Primus that he was a quick learner and soon he found himself capable of wielding the utensils. Now it was just actually eating the meal.

He brought the fork up to his mouth and took a hesitant first bite, despite his hunger. Immediately his eyes widened as he was overwhelmed by the flavor. It tasted nothing like energon or anything else he had ever consumed yet he found it delicious. The foreign texture felt natural in his mouth though he had to remind himself that he actually needed to chew the food to eat it. His excitement must have been visible on his face as the human laughed.

“I assume you like it?” Once again Soundwave just nodded before shoveling another bite into his mouth. The human started eating as well and together they ate in comfortable silence. When he finally finished eating, his plate completely empty except for some sauce, Soundwave finally found it in himself to speak again.

“It was... good. Soundwave; thankful for the meal.” He bowed his head lightly in respect for the human.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it. I was worried that since you are actually a cybertronian you would hate the taste. It’s good to know that you can eat regular human food since otherwise I wouldn’t have known what to make for dinner.”

Soundwave blinked. “... Dinner?”

The human laughed. “Yeah! Humans need at least three meals a day after all. Though we can have a snack before then. Oh! I wonder if you’ll like ice cream! I have some in the freezer if you want to try some.”

Glancing at the now empty plate and remembering just how good the food had been, Soundwave couldn’t help but lick his lips. “Soundwave... Would love to try some ice cream.”

Perhaps spending some time as a human wasn’t so bad after all?

[c-optimistic]

for your happy prompts ask, perhaps kara is a documentary film maker who follows ceo lena around for a doc and ends up falling in love with her by learning a bunch of little things she finds out during filming? also p.s. i absolutely adore your writing even when it tugs at the heartstrings. thank you for writing what you do! it makes my day everytime i see an update or get an email

She wasn’t allowed to see Lena Luthor until she’d signed so many papers that, if stacked together, would be taller than she was. She wasn’t even allowed to touch her camera around Lena Luthor until the woman herself, CEO extraordinaire, had personally vetted Kara out.

“You know,” Kara said as casually as she could, finding herself nervously adjusting her glasses when Lena’s cold gaze fell on her, “I usually have a whole team with me when I do this.”

“And I agreed to this on the condition that only one nosy filmmaker follows me around, not a whole team.” Lena’s reply was like everything else Kara had learned about the CEO thus far: she was blunt, a little harsh, tone and eyes cold and emotionless. She gave nothing away, not in her walk, in her mannerisms, in the ridiculously healthy food she ate, in the way she spoke to her employees or board members. She was cool, detached, wickedly smart, and utterly composed. “And I must approve the final result,” she added, gesturing to the mountain of paperwork Kara signed.

(Kara sighed internally, a tiny part of her sure Lena was a robot.)

“But it’s everything, right?” Kara clarified. “A total look into your life, no holding back?”

“You may follow me around to your heart’s content,” Lena said, leaning back in her desk chair, studying Kara intently.

“May I ask, Ms. Luthor, what made you agree to this, when you’re usually so distrustful of the media?”

Lena gave Kara a smile that didn’t touch her eyes. “What made you ask to do this when you know I distrust the media?”

Lena hadn’t answered, so Kara knew she didn’t have to either, but she felt it was important to establish some kind of rapport with the woman she’d be following around for the next few weeks. “I’m of the opinion that things are rarely as simple as they seem from the outside, that’s all.”

“Well,” Lena said, looking pleasantly surprised and offering Kara a grin (a real one, one that touched her eyes and transformed her face), “perhaps that’s why I agreed to you doing this.”

x

“You’re one of Ms. Luthor’s closest friends, is that right?”

“Yes.”

“Since before your daughter was born?”

“Yup.”

“So would you say you know her quite well?”

“Sure.”

“Do you plan on answering any of my questions with more than one word?”

“Nope.”

“Okay. So, in one word I suppose, how would you describe Ms. Luthor to a stranger?”

“Flawless.”

x

The rules of her arrangement with Lena were rather simple. For the next several weeks, Lena consented to having Kara around from the moment she woke up to the moment she went to sleep. In return, Kara was not allowed in certain meetings at L-Corp, was not allowed to bring her camera with her at all when Lena went down to R&D, and if Lena asked for her to stop filming at any point, Kara was bound to immediately do so and erase any footage she may have inadvertently captured.

For the first two days of the arrangement, it was actually rather boring. Lena was awake before the crack of dawn, she didn’t acknowledge Kara’s presence as she made coffee and toast (though she did push a cup and a plate towards Kara), and then spent the next fifteen or so hours in her office, sifting through papers, answering phone calls and responding to emails, and forgetting meals. It wasn’t until the third day that Lena’s routine changed slightly.

She received a phone call at breakfast, and whoever it was caused a bright red blush to bloom on her cheeks. Kara zoomed in slightly on Lena’s face as she answered the call. “Now’s not really a good time, Sam,” she began, falling silent at whatever this Sam was saying on the other end. Lena’s eyes flitted over towards Kara, but to her surprise, she didn’t ask for Kara to shut off the camera. “That sounds terrible,” she said, sounding truly apologetic, something about her countenance changing. She seemed softer, more open, calmer than Kara had seen her yet. “And Ruby was so excited too.” Lena fell silent once more, nodding almost as if unaware of it. “I agree with her,” Lena suddenly laughed, still nodding, “it’s not fair at all. But there’s no way I’m not going to visit. Do you want me to bring anything?” Lena laughed again, and Kara wondered if her camera was capturing the change she was witnessing with her own eyes. “As if I could forget Ruby’s chocolate.” A pause. “Give her all my love.” Another pause, a tiny smile on Lena’s lips. “All right, I will. Bye.”  As she hung up, she looked over at Kara, as if daring her to comment, everything about her shuttering at once.

“Who was that?” Kara asked, not really expecting an answer. To her surprise, however, Lena’s eyes flitted to the camera and she let out a soft, resigned sigh.

“That was my CFO, Sam Arias,” she answered, her tone a complete 180 from what she was using on the phone. She studied Kara for a moment and must have read something on her face, because her shoulders deflated and she motioned towards her phone. “Sam is my best friend. Her daughter, Ruby, is my goddaughter. We were supposed to go to the animal shelter today.” Lena smiled softly, almost as if unaware of it. “She’s finally convinced Sam she’s responsible enough for a pet. It’s actually—” Lena stopped suddenly, her eyes shifting to the camera once more, any warmth that had managed to leak out dissipating at once. “In any case, she’s sick. So we’ll have to reschedule.” She waved her hand towards the camera. “Can you turn that off, please?”

“Uh, yeah, of course,” Kara said quickly, making a show of turning the Camcorder off and setting it aside. “Is something wrong?”

Lena shook her head, leaning against her kitchen counter as she eyed Kara with something like curiosity. “You know, I’ve seen all of your other work,” she said after a moment, frowning at Kara like she was a puzzle she couldn’t figure out.

(Had she? Seen all of Kara’s work? A part of Kara was curious as to how, after all, most of her stuff was tucked away in a closet back in Midvale, waiting to be opened up and viewed during Christmas, when Alex would laugh at the films she’d made in high school about how the boys’ sports teams were unfairly given more attention than the girls’. The others were projects for her degree and one or two failed attempts to get a real production company to take the risk on her.

In fact, if not for Cat Grant’s decision as ‘The Queen of All Media’ to get involved in filmmaking, funding a project from a no-name creator, Kara wasn’t even sure she’d have the film she was making now.)

“Oh,” she said inarticulately, not quite sure how to word what she was really thinking. How rich did you have to be to be able to bribe anyone into giving you anything?

Lena nodded carefully, her face a perfect mask. If not for the way her eyes followed Kara’s every movement, Kara would’ve even thought that Lena was bored. “You’re very fond of certain themes. Hope. Love. Endless optimism in the best of humanity.” She said it like it was a bad thing. And it was suddenly Kara’s turn to lean forward on the opposite end of the counter, feeling her head tilt to the side questioningly.

“Is that what you got from my films?” she asked, genuinely curious.

Lena seemed wary of the question, standing up straight and crossing her arms over her chest defensively. “Isn’t that what you intended?”

“You know,” Kara said slowly, “I don’t actually believe in all that creator’s intent nonsense. I think we search for parts of ourselves when we consume art. So if that’s what you got from my films, that says more about you than it does about me.”

If anything, this seemed to offend Lena. “So you’d deny having any sort of intent with your work? What about making something with meaning?”

Kara laughed, shaking her head. “That’s not what I mean, and besides, who says art has to mean anything?”

“Of course art means something,” Lena argued, narrowing her eyes at Kara. “What’s the point of doing it if it doesn’t mean anything?”

Kara shrugged easily, giving Lena a small smile. “I disagree. I think art says something. But meaning is up to the people who consume it.” She picked up her camera and pointed it at Lena without turning it on. “Doesn’t matter what I intended to say with my films, you got meaning from it. So I’d say there was a point in making it, don’t you think?”

Lena eyed her for a moment, apparently not liking that Kara wasn’t giving her an answer, wasn’t telling her what she was trying to say with her work. But then, after several long seconds, she relented, letting out a chuckle and shaking her head. “Well, fine,” she said, her smile touching her eyes. “As long as you don’t try to say anything silly like hope, love, or endless optimism in the best of humanity with this film.”

“I’m afraid I can’t change who you are, Ms. Luthor,” Kara said softly, turning her camera on and effectively cutting off any response Lena may have had.

(And when she looks at the footage weeks later, she’ll freeze that frame, breath catching at the look on Lena’s face: the softness of her eyes, the curve of her lips, and the pleasantly confused crinkle between her brows.)

x

“Do you spend a lot of time with your godmother?”

“Oh yeah, loads! She’s great.”

“What sort of things do you do with her?”

“I mean, normal stuff? She takes me to get ice cream all the time. The other day, she rented that new horror movie that came out and watched it with me when I stayed over. My mom went nuts when she found out.”

“So you like her?”

“No, of course not. I love Lena. She’s my aunt, you know? She’s family.”

“And if you had the chance, what would you want the world to know about her?”

“That she cares, so much. And that she’s funny and super smart and helps me with homework and after my mom she’s the very best person I know.”

x

The visit to Luthor Children’s Hospital was, as far as Kara was aware, unplanned and in fact gave Jess a great deal of anxiety. For her part, Kara was mostly frustrated and annoyed, wondering if this film was worth it at all. Because Lena Luthor seemed to be asking Kara to turn off the camera more and more, especially when her day deviated at all and she was forced to leave her office.

(Walks in the park, lunches with her goddaughter, a touching moment with the child of one of her employees...all locked away somewhere in Kara’s memory, but destined to remain there instead of on film, where it should be.)

She huffed a little bit as she leaned against the wall, watching Lena walk quickly towards the group of nurses and doctors. She didn’t say anything when Jess joined her, a contemplative look on her face. “She always does this,” Jess told Kara after a long silence, rolling her eyes fondly. “She’ll cancel meetings last minute because she heard one of the kids in the hemoc ward has finished treatment or that they’re out of toys to give to the new patients.”

“Why isn’t there any press if she does this often?” Kara asked, turning to Jess but watching Lena out of the corner of her eye. She was talking to one of the doctors now, looking comically out of place with her designer clothes while surrounded by colorful artwork by kids that littered the walls of the Children’s Hospital.

Jess fixed Kara with an unimpressed look. “You’ve met her, right?” she asked rhetorically. “She goes out of her way to hide these visits. She says that she has to keep it under wraps because she wants to keep it about the kids and not her. But I think the truth is she’s just worried people would mistreat the kids and their families for allowing a ‘Luthor’ within ten feet of them.”

“Oh,” Kara said dumbly, a little stunned by the new information, and feeling guilty for her thoughts earlier. “That’s...awful.”

“I’m not telling you this for nothing, you know,” Jess continued, frowning at Kara. “She’s been avoiding lots of her usual charitable work since you’ve been around. The whole point of this was to get everyone else to see the real Lena Luthor, but she’s ruining it by being humble and noble.”

(Kara wanted to groan, roll her eyes, or better yet go over to Lena herself and shake her until she understood what Kara’s job was.

How was she supposed to make a documentary about Lena Luthor if Lena Luthor was so determined to hide herself away from the world?)

“What would you have me do?” she asked, not voicing her frustration, though it seeped into her tone anyway. “We have a deal, and she doesn’t want me to film these things.”

Jess shook her head, looking terribly unimpressed by the answer. “Don’t you have artistic integrity? Would you allow anyone else to boss you around and tell you what you could and couldn’t film?”

Kara looked over at Lena, who was now smiling at a young boy who had ambled up to her with his mother and infusion pump stand in tow. She watched as Lena actually dropped to her knees to talk to the boy, nodding vigorously at whatever he was saying. After a long moment, she turned back to Jess and shook her head. “No,” she said finally. “I guess I wouldn’t.”

And after Jess had given her another significant look before walking off, Kara raised her camera and began to film.

x

“Mr. Spheer, you’re an ex of Lena Luthor’s, right?”

“Ah, I see this documentary is quite personal. Are you sure that Lena is okay with this sort of thing going into her movie?”

“Well, it’s my movie. But she’s free to ask me to take things out.”

“Fascinating. Yes, I am Lena’s ex. I was quite brokenhearted when she broke it off to move to National City.”

“Oh, she broke it off?”

“So curious, Ms. Danvers. Perhaps you’re interested in something beyond a mere film?”

“W-what? No, that’s—please be serious, Mr. Spheer—”

“It’s Jack to you, my dear. What else do you need to know about Lena? Her favorite flowers are plumerias, her favorite food is—”

“—oh that’s really not necessary. If we could just focus on who Lena is as a person. A friend. A former girlfriend?”

“Hmm, yes. Well, just imagine your perfect woman, Ms. Danvers.”

“Oh, um, I—”

“—exactly, you see Lena. That’s an universal experience, I’m afraid. Lena is simply...too good for this world.”

“So you’d say the treatment she gets by the public is unfair?”

“It’s unfair how much people attack pineapple on pizza, Ms. Danvers. The way they speak of Lena without knowing her? That’s a pure travesty.”

x

They were about ten days into filming when Kara saw Lena relax for the first time.

She was using the word ‘relax’ rather loosely, of course. Lena didn’t do what Kara did after a long week—put on a pair of sweatpants, order loads of junk food, and watch so much Netflix that it eventually felt the need to ask her if she was still watching. In fact, Lena’s idea of relaxing was more work. Just, fun work.

She was dressed in jeans and a blue shirt, knees pulled up to her chest as she sat at her desk, mumbling under her breath as she did whatever she was doing. (She hadn’t bothered to explain to Kara, had just sighed and acquiesced to the presence of the camera in her home office.) Perched precariously at the tip of her nose were a thick black pair of glasses, her hair falling to her shoulders in gentle waves.

She looked different. Softer, somehow. Gone was all the trappings of a badass CEO, and all that was left was a clever (and beautiful) young woman, working on the things she loved in her spare time.

Kara zoomed in slightly, focusing on Lena’s face, on the furrow between her brows, her lips twisted in concentration. There was something there, something different, and Kara just wanted to—

“Is that camera heavy?” Lena asked, looking up suddenly, a curious expression on her face. She was good at that, the polite looks, gently asking for more information. Tiny eyebrow raises, nearly imperceptible softening of her eyes, lips quirked the slightest bit, all intended to disarm her quarry, making them drop their guard long enough that they give everything held close to their chest away.

“Not really,” Kara answered, grinning at Lena. This made the other woman blink in surprise, clearly not the response she was looking for, that expression on her face shifting suddenly, becoming more calculating. “I work out,” Kara went on to explain, shrugging easily, careful not to jostle the camera. “Besides, it’s not that heavy, I think about five pounds.”

“What kind of camera do you use?”

“Oh, it’s a Panasonic AG-HVX—” she cut herself off. “It’s not that interesting.” Kara adjusted her glasses and made sure Lena’s face was still in focus. Somehow, this made Lena’s tiny smile reappear. She stood up and circled her desk, and Kara was forced to back away to maintain focus.

“You love filming, don’t you?” Lena asked, and Kara blinked, not quite sure where she was going with this.

“Ms. Luthor, as I’m sure you’re aware, this film is about you.”

If she thought this would in any way cow Lena, she was wrong. Lena just grinned, looking like she’d somehow won something.

“Do you know what I don’t understand?” she said with faux casualness, crossing her arms and tapping a finger against her elbow. “Why would you, someone Cat Grant speaks so highly of, be willing to agree to this assignment? Something most people wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole.”

Kara frowned, not thinking as she responded. “It wasn’t assigned, Ms. Luthor. I pitched the idea. I wanted to do this.” Lena’s words sank in a moment later. “Wait. Cat Grant spoke highly of me?”

“Why?” Lena asked, no longer smiling.

Kara blinked at the change in tone. “Why what?” she asked, genuinely confused. This was, apparently, the wrong answer, because Lena chose that moment to begin pacing in front of her desk, looking more than a little bothered.

“I don’t get it,” she said as she paced. “I tried to figure it out, looked into you, into your work. I thought maybe you were doing this to build fame, but I’ve seen your work and even without a movie about the last Luthor, I have no doubt you’ll be very popular—”

“Oh, that’s nice of you, thank y—”

“—then I thought maybe you have a vendetta against my family and just want me to look bad,” Lena continued, barreling over Kara’s words and ignoring her entirely, “but the only connection between you and my family is your cousin, Clark Kent, and he’s the journalist who broke the story on my brother, so if anything I should dislike you—”

“That’s not exactly...Clark and I aren’t—”

“—so I really need you to explain it to me. Why did you want to make this film?” She paused her brisk pacing as she asked the question, meeting Kara’s eyes with a fierce look, one Kara was infinitely glad she was capturing on film. Because this, this glint in Lena’s eyes, was why Kara wanted to do this.

“Do you remember the speech you gave when you came to National City?” Kara asked, and judging from the way Lena’s eyebrows rose in response, she was rather thrown by the question. “Because I do. I watched it maybe a few dozen times. All those horrible questions, all the absolute certainty that you were like your brother, and you kept your head up and you promised to prove them all wrong, to make up for what he did.” Kara sighed, shutting off the camera and setting it aside gently. “I’ve never seen anything quite like it. I was...interested. I wanted to see more.”

“And?”

“And what?”

“Did I meet your expectations? Disappoint you? What?”

Kara smiled, unable to help it. “Does my opinion on you really matter?”

“Do you always answer a question with another question?” Lena shot back, eyes narrowing.

Kara’s smile just widened and she began to gather her things, preparing to leave for the night. Impressively, Lena didn’t question her further, just watched her then followed her to the door, looking rather cross. Pausing briefly to adjust her glasses and the strap of her bag, Kara turned suddenly and met Lena’s eyes. “You exceeded them. My expectations, that is,” Kara added when Lena offered only a quizzical look in response.

For a moment, Lena didn’t react, then that same look from her office—the softness of her eyes, the curve of her lips, and the pleasantly confused crinkle between her brows—overtook her expression, and she let out a laugh.

“Well, good then.”

x

“You went to boarding school with Ms. Luthor?”

“I don’t think that’s public knowledge, how do you know that?”

“Um, Ms. Arias told me about you. She mentioned your relationship with Ms. Luthor is unique.”

“Well, Sam would know, wouldn’t she?”

“Ms. Rojas, if you don’t want to speak to me, you don’t have to.”

“It’s fine. Look, Lena and I have been estranged for a while now. I...I did something to break her trust.”

“So would you say that Ms. Luthor is difficult to get along with?”

“No, I’d say that Lena values things like honesty and trust, and—you know that Austen novel? With the man who says that once you lose his good opinion, it’s gone forever?”

“Pride and Prejudice?”

“Exactly. Lena is like that.”

“Ms. Luthor is like Mr. Darcy?”

“No, she’s classic. No matter what’s going on, she’ll endure.”

“So...you were the one difficult to get along with?”

“Have you ever thought about taking your work to a whole new level, Kara? How do you feel about virtual reality?”

“Oh, um, I don’t have particular thoughts? But I’d love to know yours about Ms. Luthor. For the film.”

“She won’t believe this, or that I’m saying it coercion free, but Lena is...a visionary. More than that, she’s just a decent person. Which is more than most of us can say, don’t you think?”

x

After their conversation, Lena opened up dramatically.

(Well, dramatically was a stretch, but considering how closed off she’d been before, the difference was rather drastic.)

Kara filmed Lena’s visit to an animal shelter, capturing the way her fingers gently ran over the fur of the dog that immediately trotted over to her, placing its head in her lap. Lena had then explained that she went to shelters often, just to volunteer, as she was unable to adopt for fear of not having time to give the dog the attention it deserved.

Later that week, Lena let Kara stay later than usual, putting on some music as she got to cooking, going as far as to teach Kara the basics of the dish, laughing when Kara admitted that her skill in the kitchen was limited to making sandwiches. At one point she grabbed the camera and set it aside, dragging Kara into the kitchen, giving instructions and lessons as she swayed her hips to the music.

(It was silly, it was lighthearted, it was fun, and Kara couldn’t help it.

She forgot she was there to make a film.)

And as the days and weeks dragged on, when Lena showed off her skills at the piano—apologetically explaining she hadn’t had time to really play in months—or when she told Kara about her very ‘nerdy’ stamp collection or even when Lena seemed to ignore there was a camera between them and she began to talk about her day and her hopes for the weekend, Kara forgot that it was a job. She forgot that she was supposed to be making something, paying attention to more than Lena’s smile or the way her eyes lit up whenever she mentioned work she was particularly passionate about.

Somewhere along the way, Kara cared more about the opportunity to spend time with Lena than she did the film itself.

More worryingly, that realization didn’t even bother her.

x

“Why filmmaking?” Lena asked one morning, pushing coffee and toast towards Kara with a tiny smile. The camera was still in its bag, untouched since Kara had arrived nearly an hour earlier. “Why not journalism like your cousin?”

“My cousin and I,” Kara began awkwardly, adjusting her glasses, “well, our relationship is a little strained, I guess.” She didn’t need the slight tilt of Lena’s head to know that Lena wanted her to keep going, to explain further. She let out a soft chuckle and rubbed her forehead with the tips of her fingers. “Um, so my parents died when I was twelve. And Clark sort of...left me? I went to live with the Danvers instead, and they bought me a camera for my birthday.” Kara grinned at the very memory, still able to feel its weight in her hand, the eyepiece against her eye. “It was one of those old camcorders, do you remember? The ones with the tapes? I drove them nuts, filming literally everything. I don’t think they ever saw my face for the first few months I was with them, it was constantly behind the camera.” She didn’t explain why she wanted to document every moment with her new family, but judging from the way Lena’s eyes softened, she understood anyway. “From there it became serious. I started making films. School projects, etc. Now I’m here.”

“Why documentaries? Why not something like...oh, I don’t know, action movies?” Lena prodded, looking curious, looking interested, looking like the answer mattered.

Kara just shrugged, suddenly not able to look Lena in the eye. “I guess there’s a part of me that wanted to take after Clark.”

x

“How long have you been working for Ms. Luthor?”

“Um, this December will make seven years.”

“As her assistant, you have remarkable access to her. What’s she like?”

“Driven, ambitious, works way too hard. I don’t think she’s ever taken a holiday or even a break...but um, maybe don’t say that in the film.”

“Artistic integrity, remember? She works hard, that’s clear. But what about personally? Her relationship with you and the other employees? What kind of boss is she?”

“She cares a lot. A few years ago, before Lex Luthor, well. You know. Before all that, LuthorCorp was facing serious losses. Mr. Luthor wanted to just get rid of entire departments, but Ms. Luthor said the research was vital, and more than that, the researchers were important. She convinced her brother to keep them on—she won’t admit it, but it was more than being persuasive. She paid for it out of her own pocket.”

“So you’d say she’s charitable?”

“No, she’s passionate. And she fights for the things she believes in. Ms. Luthor likes to say that charity implies pity, and she doesn’t do anything out of pity. She just does what’s right by people.”

“Some would disagree, they’d argue that LuthorCorp, and by extension its new iteration, L-Corp, don’t care about people, but about profits. Do you think that’s a fair assessment of the company you’ve devoted seven years to?”

“Look. I get it, people are suspicious of L-Corp because it used to be LuthorCorp. But it’s not just a name change. When Lena took over, she gutted her company. There’s not a single program left from Mr. Luthor’s time as CEO. L-Corp is all Ms. Luthor.”

“So if L-Corp is Ms. Luthor, who is Ms. Luthor?”

“She’s a woman who’s been hurt all her life, Kara Danvers, and whose only goal is to keep as many people as she can from hurting too. Sometimes I just wish she realized she doesn’t deserve to be hurt anymore either.”

“Oh.”

“Also, I don’t care about your artistic integrity, that last bit does not go in the film.”

x  

One afternoon, when Kara was dangerously close to dozing off on the couch in Lena’s office—camera turned off and set aside, not really needing more footage of Lena working at her desk—Lena suddenly jumped to her feet, an excited gleam in her eyes.

“They’ve done it,” she said, the smile forming on her lips so wide that Kara found herself smiling back.

“Done what?” Kara asked, fairly sure this would lead to Lena’s refrain of ‘that’s company business and I’m afraid you’re not privy to that information’ but instead, Lena looked at her appraisingly, then rolled her eyes.

“If I allow you to bring your camera in R&D, do you swear not to film my ongoing projects?”

“You’re going to let me film in R&D?” Kara said excitedly, jumping to her feet and grabbing her camera.

“Kara, do you swear?”

“Yes, yes, of course, Ms. Luthor. I absolutely swear.”

And the next thing Kara knew, she was filming in the one place she’d been told was off-limits, capturing the lab and Lena talking to her researchers animatedly about the advancement they’d made in gene therapy, not entirely surprised when Lena shoved the scientists towards Kara and urged them to brag about their achievement—while also warning them to be as vague as possible—and then sank into the background, clearly thrilled to have her scientists as the center of attention.  

And later, when Lena decided to actually take a lunch hour as a ‘reward’ for the great strides L-Corp had made, she took Kara along, bought three different appetizers, and smiled her wide smile before she said, “It’s Lena, by the way. Just Lena.”

Mouth still bulging with the three potstickers she’d practically inhaled, Kara couldn’t manage much more than a nod, but later—when she was alone—she tried saying the name aloud, and it sent a shiver down her spine.

x

“Mrs. Luthor—”

“It’s doctor, actually.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Dr. Luthor. You adopted Ms. Luthor when she was four, is that correct?”

“I’m afraid I don’t have time for this nonsense. I consented to this interview only to say one thing: Lena was always the more clever of my children, but she’s foolish and soft, and this silly film is yet another example of that.”

“You agreed to meet with me to just say...that. Okay. That’s um. Fine.”

x

As the weeks dragged on, Kara had little reason to continue filming. Her deadline with Cat Grant was fast approaching, and she had more than enough footage. All that really remained was editing, of putting the final pieces together. But she found herself filming anyway.

Every day, she’d make her way to Lena’s apartment, making flimsy excuses about how certain footage was no good, or had been corrupted, and that she needed retakes of Lena doing ordinary things (like reading the paper, cooking dinner, or talking about her day). She knew that Lena could tell her excuses were just that, but mercifully, Lena didn’t seem to want to call her out on it, merely gave soft reminders not to stay up so late every night to edit (the ‘you could just as easily stop wasting your time here and be editing during normal hours’ going unsaid).

(Jess had rolled her eyes when Kara came by L-Corp and Lena mentioned offhandedly that Kara somehow hadn’t gotten a shot of Lena entering her building in all the time she’d shadowed the CEO, and wasn’t that odd?)

But what Kara knew, what made her stretch out these moments as long as she possibly could, was that once the final product popped into existence, once she showed Lena and got her okay to send off to Cat Grant, that was it.

No more Lena.

And that terrified her.

(So she gathered more footage, fruitlessly hoping that the final product would never be ready, dragging her feet at every step.

She edited, studying Lena’s every expression, tried to pinpoint the exact moment she’d started to fall for the not-so-detached CEO extraordinaire, and wished it didn’t all have to come to an end.)

x

Two days after Kara had sent Lena the finished film, she got a curt email from the CEO herself with only three words: come see me.

Jess gave no indication about how her boss was feeling when Kara arrived, merely stared evenly at Kara and gestured with her head for her to just go on in. When Kara tried to ask her, Jess shook her head, pointed at the door to Lena’s office, and made a shooing gesture.

“It’s odd to see you without a camera,” Lena said when Kara sat down across from her, trying to keep her hands from fidgeting.

“It’s odd to be in here without a camera.” Kara took a deep breath. “Did you watch it?” she blurted, unable to keep it in. “What did you think?”

“You’re really fond of certain themes,” Lena said, then she raised her eyebrow. “You also filmed quite a bit when I had asked you not to.”

“Artistic integrity?” Kara tried, and Lena...laughed.

“I don’t know if I agree with the way you portrayed me,” she said slowly as her amusement faded. “You took a lot of liberties.”

“I was very faithful to the subject of the film, Lena.”

“What do you think you were trying to say?” Lena asked, waving off Kara’s comment.

“What meaning did you get from it?”

Lena studied her for a moment, as if she was trying to read Kara’s mind. “I’m not some selfless genius, Kara.”

“Is that what you think the film is saying?” Kara asked her, not rising to the obvious bait. “Like I said, Lena. I was very faithful to the subject of the film.” For a long moment, Lena didn’t respond, and Kara felt the worry she’d managed to push away since sending the film to Lena creep back in. “Does this mean you don’t approve of the film?”

“Hmm?” Lena said, distracted. “No, I’ve already sent it along to Cat Grant, giving my okay. Even though you broke our agreement, I can’t deny the final result was very favorable to me.”

“I wouldn’t have made something that wasn’t completely true,” Kara said, somewhat hotly, most of her irritation bleeding away with the knowledge that Cat Grant was in possession of the final product, that the rest was up to her.

Lena smiled, eyes soft, and she nodded her head almost incredulously. “No, you wouldn’t. I know that.” She cleared her throat, seeming a bit nervous. “But I was thinking. I’ve been missing our talks about your work, and I know you don’t like talking about what you’ve made, but perhaps you’d make an exception for me. Would you be willing to give me a private showing of your film? Give me all the insider secrets? I know your subject quite well, it would be a fun exercise.”

Kara’s heart slammed to a stop, the jump-started at the sight of Lena’s amused eyes, that tiny curve of her lips. “A private showing, huh?” Kara mumbled, feeling a little dazed. “I still won’t tell you what I was trying to say.”

“That’s completely fair.”

“But I suppose I could give you some insight on my thoughts.”

“Only if you wanted.”

“It may have to be more than one session,” Kara said, trying and failing to stop the spread of her smile. “There’s a lot of footage you know.”

“So it’s a date?” Lena asked, and Kara couldn’t help her eager nod.

“It’s definitely a date.”

[idreamtofmanderleyagain]

Five years ago, the women on this site who treated me like trash over loving Labyrinth and shipping Jareth/Sarah were almost always obliviously consuming Radfem propaganda, or were out and out Radfems/Terfs themselves.

They were the types of people who casually threw the word “pedophile” around against grown women who shipped an adult Sarah with Jareth, aka literally one of the most popular ships for women in fandom for 30 years.

Pretty much invariably, these women had serious sex-negative anxieties, which included a severe paranoia about any and all kink and fetish, and porn in general. I saw a lot of shocking, fear-mongering propaganda surrounding sexual expression. Pretty much invariably, their method of approach involved immediate personal shock-value attacks on anyone they perceived to be “bad.”

Today, you can look at the way some people react to other popular so-called “problematic” ships and recognize the same toxic, fear-mongering rhetoric coming from women who consider themselves regular, trans-inclusive feminists. Sometimes it even manifests in the words of very well-meaning people (including myself here), who feel the need to talk about specific issues that pertain to their own experiences of trauma and oppression.

The people who shit on Labyrinth often seem to not really be able to comprehend that the Goblin King, like the film itself, is canonically a representation of a teen girl’s psyche, a soup of fears and anxieties and desires and dreams. He’s not a literal human adult preying on a literal child, and to read the film that way seriously undermines the entire point of the film. 

When I (and people of many fandoms) say “This is fiction, calm down,” I’m not just saying it’s not real so it cant hurt you and you can’t criticize me. I’m trying to call attention to what fiction actually is - artistic representations of feelings and experiences. The Goblin King is Sarah’s fiction. Therefore, he can be anything she or any woman who identifies with her wants him to be, including her lover when she’s grown and ready for such a thing.

I once took an alarming dive into Beetlejuice fandom to see what content was there (the cartoon was a favorite when I was little). Chillingly, what you’ll find is an extremely wounded fanbase, with a sharp divide between the older women who had long been shipping BJ/Lydia because of their love for the cartoon series (and whom were previously the vast majority of the Beetlejuice fandom), and a massive amount of young people riding the wave of the musical fad who had decided that the entire old school Beetlejuice fandom was populated by literal pedophiles. 

I saw death threats. Suicide baiting. Constant, constant toxic discourse. It did not matter how the BJ/Lydia fandom dealt with any particular issues that would exist in their ship, in fact I’m certain that the people abusing them cared very little to even consider if they were trying to handle it at all. The only thing that mattered was that they were disgusting subhuman scum asking for abuse. If you have at any time reblogged recent Beetlejuice fan art or content from fans of the musical, you have more than likely been engaging positively with the content of someone participating in toxic fandom behavior.

Nobody is really sticking up for them, either, as far as I saw. It’s really hard to imagine how painful it must be to have such a large group of people explode into into your relatively private fandom space to tell you that you are evil, vile, and deserve constant abuse, and also you are no longer allowed into the fandom space to engage in it’s content. But I think there’s something very alarming indeed about this happening specifically to the BJ fandom, and I’ll explain why. 

The pop-culture characterization of Beetlejuice, which is heavily influenced by the cartoon series to be clear, has always in my mind been a vaguely ageless being who matches with the psychological maturity of whatever age Lydia is supposed to be. He’s more or less like an imaginary friend, a manifestation of Lydia’s psyche. In fact, I would argue that i think most of us who grew up with the cartoon or it’s subsequent merchandizing before the musical ever existed probably internalized the idea as BJ and Lydia as this ageless, salt-and-pepper-shaker couple beloved by the goth community, similar to Gomez and Morticia. In each version of canon he may be a creepy ghost in the literal sense, but any adult who is capable of identifying literary tropes (even just subconciously) would read cartoon!BJ as an artistic representation of a socially awkward outcast girl’s inner world. Lydia’s darker dispositions and interests, which alienate her from most others, are freely accepted and embraced by her spooky magical friend. BJ/Lydia in the cartoon were depicted as best friends, but to my memory there was always an underlying sense that they had secret feelings for each other, which I identified easily even as a small child. In fact, their dynamic and behavior perfectly reflected the psychological development of the show’s target demographic. They are best friends who get into adventures and learning experiences together, who have delicate feelings for each other but lack any true adult romantic/sexual understanding to acknowledge those feelings, let alone pursue them.

Though I haven’t seen the Musical yet, I’ve read the wiki and I would argue that it embodies this exact same concept even more so for it’s own version of the characters, in that Beetlejuice specifically exists to help Lydia process her mother’s death.

This is not a complicated thing to recognize and comprehend whatsoever. In fact, it looks downright blatant. It’s also a clear indicator of what BJ/Lydia means to the women who have long loved it. It was a story about a spooky wierd girl being loved and accepted and understood for who she was, and it gave them a sense of solidarity. It makes perfect sense why those women would stick with those characters, and create a safe little space for themselves to and imagine their beloved characters growing and having adult lives and experiencing adult drama, in just the same ways that the women of the Labyrinth fandom do. That’s all these women were doing. And now, they can’t do it without facing intense verbal violence. That safe space is poisoned now.

Having grown up with the cartoon as one of my favorites and been around goth subculture stuff for decades, I was actually shocked and squicked at the original Beetlejuice film’s narrative once I actually saw it, because it was extremely divorced from what these two characters had evolved into for goth subculture and what they meant to me. It’s not telling the same story, and is in fact about the Maitland's specifically. In pretty much exactly the same way two different versions of Little Red Riding Hood can be extremely different from each other, the film is a different animal. While I imagine that the film version has been at the heart of a lot of this confused fear-mongering around all other versions of the characters, I would no more judge different adaptations of these characters any more than I would condemn a version of Little Red in which Red and the Wolf are best friends or lovers just because the very first iteration of LRRH was about protecting yourself from predators.

I would even argue that the people who have engaged in Anti-shipper behavior over BJ/Lydia are in intense denial over the fact that BJ being interested in Lydia, either as blatant predatory behavior a la the film or on a peer level as in the cartoon (and musical?) is an inextricable part of canon. Beetlejuice was always attracted to Lydia, and it was not always cute or amusing. Beetlejuice was not always a beloved buddy character, an in fact was originally written as a gross scumbag. That’s just what he was. Even people engaging with him now by writing OC girlfriends for him (as stand-ins for the salt-and-pepper-shaker space Lydia used to take up, because obviously that was part of the core fun of the characters), or just loving him as a character, are erasing parts of his character’s history in order to do so. They are actively refusing to be held responsible for being fans of new version of him despite the fact that he engaged in overt predatory behavior in the original film. In fact, I would venture to say that they are actively erasing the fact that Musical Beetliejuice tried to marry a teenager and as far as I’m aware, seemed to like the idea (because he’s probably a fucking figment of her imagination but go off I guess). The only reason they can have a version of this character who could be perceived as “buddy” material is because...the cartoon had an impact on our pop cultural perception of what the character and his dynamic with Lydia is. 

We can have a version of the Big Bad Wolf who’s a creepy monster. We can have a version who’s sweet and lovable. We can have a version that lives in the middle. We can have a version who’s a hybrid between Red and the Wolf (a la Ruby in OUAT). All of these things can exist in the same world, and can even be loved for different reasons by the same people.

I’ve been using Beetlejuice as an example here because it’s kind of perfect for my overall point regarding the toxic ideologies in fandom right now across many different spaces, including ones for progressive and queer media, and how much so many people don’t recognize how deeply they’ve been radicalized into literalist and sex-negative radfem rhetoric, to the point where we aren’t allowed to have difficult, messy explorations of imperfect, flawed humans, and that art is never going to be 100% pure and without flaw in it’s ability to convey what it wants to convey.

This includes the rhetoric I’ve seen across the board, from She-Ra to A:TLA to Star Wars to Lovecraft Country. We don’t talk about the inherent malleable, subjective, or charmingly imperfect nature of fiction any more. Transformation and reclamation are myths in this space. Everything is in rigid categories. It is seemingly very difficult for some of these people to engage with anything that is not able to be clearly labeled as one thing or another (see the inherent transphobic and biphobic elements of the most intense rhetoric). They destroy anything they cannot filter through their ideology. When women act in a way that breaks from their narrative of womanhood (like...not having a vagina), then those women must be condemned instead of understood. Anything that challenges them or makes them uncomfortable is a mortal sin. There is an extraordinary level of both hypocrisy and repressive denial that is underlying the behavior I’m seeing now. Much like toxic Christian conservatism, these people often are discovered engaging in the same behaviors and interests that they condemn behind closed doors (or just out of sheer cognitive dissonance). As an example, one of the people who talked shit to me about Labyrinth was a huge fan of Kill La Kill, which to my knowledge was an anime about a teenage girl in like, superpowered lingere (hence why I stayed the fuck away from that shit myself). Indeed, they even allow themselves plenty of leeway for behavior far worse than they condemn others for, and create support systems for the worst of their own abusers. 

Quite frankly, I’m tired. Instead of talking about theoretical problematic shit, we need to start talking about quantifiable harm. Because as far as I can tell, the most real, immediate, and quantifiable harm done because of anybody’s favorite ships or pieces of media seems to consistently be the kind that’s done to the people who experience verbal violence and abuse and manipulation and suicide baiting and death threats from the people who have a problem.