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uristmcdorf · 5 years ago

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I am so, so torn on the casting choices being made for Night Watch. And I also hate that the nonsensical casting choices feel harder to actually critique due to the inevitable “NOOOO PC STUFF BAD” brigade who really care what colour Carcer is and who I can only assume either never read a single Pratchett book in their lives or missed the point of them entirely.

Rambling thoughts and critiques below the dooblydo, because my ramblings contain spoilers for ALL THE BOOKS PROBABLY. I dunno.

1 - On the racial diversity of the casting.

YES.

HELL TO THE YES.

I am all for this. If there’s one area Pratchett never grew as much as he did in others, it’s his approach to race and his insistence on colourblind = good. I love seeing the casting choices here, and I’m excited especially by having a black Sybil, as she’s a woman of power and old money. Since Pratchett never really tackled themes of race, and when he did address it at all he did so very poorly, I think this is about the best way to approach things.

I’d actually like to see more of this as we see more casting news.

1a - On the casting of Vimes and Keel specifically

This... this doesn’t work. A critical aspect of Vimes and Keel, pivotal for the plot of an entire novel, is that they look so similar that a scar and an eyepatch was all it took for Vimes to pass for Keel to everyone except those who knew the real Keel very well. If we’re having a black Keel we should have a black Vimes, too. It makes me worry the people running the adaptation haven’t actually read the books they’re adapting.

2 - On the inclusion of a nonbinary actor for Cheery

UNF.

I am seriously hyped for this, and think it’s an excellent casting choice. The Discworld dwarves canonically only have one socially-acceptable gender identity, and it’s a running theme that ignorant humans assume all dwarves are male because they have extremely low sexual dimorphism, all trending towards being short, stocky, squat, hairy bearded beings who appear AMAB to the human eye. So I’d actually really love it if every dwarf character was cast and played by either genderqueer/nonbinary people who lean on the masc side or butch women. I think it’d actually be a really cool move and a way to play with the fact that, canonically, you have no idea what the actual sex of any Discworld dwarf is. There’s no reason to assume that a dwarf who identifies as a woman is what a human would term AFAB, even!

I don’t actually expect to get that, of course. But I think it’d be incredible if someone did that.

BRB gonna get rich and commission an adaptation of the Discworld series according to me whims.

3 - On the gender-swapping of characters

Now this could be fascinating, or it could be done poorly. But I have Concerns.

For one, we’ve seen quite a lot of characters gender-swapped. Vetinari, Wonse, Throat, Cruces. That’s a third of the cast that’s so-far been announced. And yet while we’re seeing characters like Wonse cast, I’ve not seen any sign of Rosie Palm or the Agony Aunts or Vetinari’s aunt, or other established women characters. Which makes me worry that one of the reasons for the gender-swapping is to compensate for the loss of female characters that happens if you, for example, cut the entire sex worker industry from the adaptation. I can see it happening, a way to “sanitise” a story that has a lot of women in it who are sex workers and who are complex and whole and respected in the narrative and who FIGHT FOR THEIR POWER and, we know from other books, COME TO THAT POWER EVENTUALLY.

I’m simultaneously intrigued and worried about this.

3a - On a Female Throat

This could be either brilliant or terrible, depending on how they play it. Dibbler is a rat of a person, a despicable and dirty grafter, a weed living in the cracks. A female Dibbler who embodies that? Would be something I don’t think we’ve ever before seen portrayed on TV. It’d be thrilling and new in the way that a, say, unapologetically grotesque female Nobby would be.

But if they clean up or cutesify Dibbler as a character to make this an “acceptable” female character I will be severely disappointed. And some of the other casting choices make me feel concerned that this might be what they do.

3b. On a Female Vetinari

Ooooh this intrigues me. I think Vetinari is one of those characters who is especially ripe for genderswapping, although I have a fondness for a aro-ace male Vetinari, which is something of my own personal headcanon. But we know the Assassin’s guild was relatively quick to accept female members compared to other guilds, so this could work. Especially given the themes in Pratchett’s work of sexism, which is not so much a theme in the Night Watch books as it is a constant background radiation - referenced, acknowledged, involved in multiple plot-points but not THE plot itself. A bullied, ignored female assassin’s guild student who comes to power as eventual Patrician of the city has weight and potential and could be great. But other casting decisions make me worry that this might be a missed opportunity. Specifically..

3c. One a Female Wonse who is Now Also a Wizard Apparently?

I don’t understand this one at all. Specifically, casting Wonse as a character at all and then making them a completely different character. Why use the name at all? We have plenty of established wizard characters if you want a wizard. We even have a specific FEMALE WIZARD character in Esk if you want that!

And in fact, that’s where the Wonse casting makes me feel worried for some of the casting decisions that have been made here. As I said before, the Discworld books swim through a sea of subtly but continuously referenced sexism. Pratchett grew increasingly skilled at portraying it and doing so while making his female characters whole, interesting and powerful in their own rights. And an entire BOOK was based on addressing the sexism of enforced gender roles in the magical world. I feel like this casting undermines those themes. It makes the entire gender parity casting feel shallow and sanitary. An attempt to “solve” a problem that didn’t need solving - to give lipservice to equality and progressiveness without doing so in a meaningful way. Throwing out an opportunity to address themes Pratchett himself excelled at, for the sake of pretending sexism doesn’t exist in the discverse.

4. On Sybil

Lady Sybil is not a conventionally attractive woman by Hollywood standards. She’s older, and a towering giant of a woman, tall and fat and large of build and specifically and repeatedly described as such. She’s also bald and wears wigs, due to her dragon-breeding and rescuing and the subsequent continuous loss of hair to flames. And Vimes adores her. And she’s a romantic interest. She’s intelligent, witty, kind, overflowing with compassion, talented, pivotal to many plot points, and treated at all times with dignity and complexity in how she’s characterised. She saves the day multiple times and,while some characters have been shown to mock her for her appearance, the narrative itself never treated her as the butt of a joke. Do you have ANY FUCKING CLUE how RARE it is for a fat woman, an older woman, a woman of large build, to be portrayed as positively and completely as Pratchett wrote Sybil?

I am delighted by the decision to cast a black woman for Sybil. I am dismayed by the decision to cast a relatively young, thin and pretty woman for her. Us fat folks never get to see ourselves portrayed positively. This is such a let-down.

#discworld #terry pratchett #gnu terry pratchett #night watch #bbc america

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lay4decolonisation-blog · 5 years ago

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She-Ra: Princesses of Power (2018) and the Representation that I Want

**CONTENT WARNING: ABUSE, VIOLENCE**

When I heard She-Ra was back and GAY, I had to jump straight or not so straight into it. The amazing characterisation and themes of the show fit the modern audience perfectly. She-Ra: Princesses of Power (SPOP) did what Voltron: Legendary Defender wish it did. RIP.

The SPOP series was written by Noelle Stevenson, and produced by Dreamworks. Season 1 aired on the 13th November 2018 via Netflix.

There’s two things I want to discuss, so I’ll split this up into sections: visual character design & complex characterisation.

Visual Character Design

80’s She-Ra

2018 She-Ra

She-Ra is the hero alter ego of Princess Adora, who transforms when she calls forth “For the Honour of Grayskull!” with The Sword of Protection.

When I saw the visuals for the series and the new outfit for She-Ra I nearly screamed. It was perfect. I will always prefer Marvel cinematic movie adaptations on the basis that women wear full body armour, and not a skirt. So it was natural for me to fall in love with the shorts, flowy skirt, useful boots and 80’s influenced shoulder flares on She-Ra’s new threads.

She looked PRACTICAL, and totally badass. I see no male gaze in the update. She-Ra isn’t wearing heels, or red lipstick, her dress doesn’t look like it’s about to give her a nip slip, and her hair still flows like golden threads in the wind!

Notice how I just used the ‘Male Gaze’. The Male Gaze is essentially a patriarchal control of representation of women and/or other genders in media, and can be applicable to historical documentation (Mulvey 1989). Ponterotto (2016) describes it expands on the media’s control of feminine bodies as:

“The invisibility of women has been accompanied in an extraordinarily inversely proportionate manner by the visual display of her physical appearance, of her body as material object, to be observed, judged, valued, appreciated, rejected, modified and essentially commodified, for socially-constructed purposes. From a feminist point of view, this purpose can be claimed to be essentially male pleasure, concomitant social benchmarking and commercial profit.” (134)

From the ‘controversy’ from predominantly male audiences on the release of She-Ra’s costume it’s obvious that it’s doing its job (Lenton 2018); with men reacting with things like:

“The character designs for this show are god awful. She-Ra looks too much like a man.” MECCA_Studios @ twitter

“if you're trying to make your girls look like boys for your show then you are not actually fighting for equality you're proving that men is the superior gender and taken more seriously than a beautiful women, you're only helping sexism not fighting it” - iamconsumer @ twitter

I wanna acknowledge this was mainly white, cishet males reacting to a show that is predominantly AIMED AT YOUNG GIRLS. SPOP’s visual design of She-Ra was so key in getting this show right. She is a woman icon for young girls growing up and seeing her on screen wearing a non-sexual costume whilst being feminine, strong and beautiful will mean something for them growing up. Women/Feminine peoples can look at the screen and say “I’m She-Ra!” and not have to feel like they have to look good for male gaze to do that.

People Of Colour (POC) Representation

Bow, Mermista, Frosta, Netossa and Catra’s - along with ethnically ambiguous characters - redesign was kind of glossed over with the amount of objections about the Queer and Feminist arguments going around.

So here’s some of my babies:

Bow 80s

Bow 2018

Mermista 80s

Mermista 2018

Catra 80s

Catra 2018

Frosta 80s

Frosta 2018

Bow stood out to me alot because I empathize alot for my dark skinned brother’s who don’t have any or many examples of good representation on screen that explores queer identity, gender performativity, body image and positive masculinity that is casual and fun. (I speak of course from an Indigenous background, but a lot of my community look at the African-American community on TV for dark bodies representation.) Imagine a young dark skinned boy watching Bow being fun loving, supportive, gentle, obsessed with crop tops, hanging out with girls and embodying positive masculinity, then using as a mold to treat their sisters, mums and cousins. Incredible.

SPOP centers ethnic looking characters amazingly with their characterisation. Having POC on screens breaks out of normalizing whiteness, and de-centers it as the default way of being (Scharrer & Ramasubramanian 2015). People might argue that fantasy worlds don’t overlap with real worlds because race mightn’t exist in the fantasy world, but when you’re a ethnic kid growing up watching/ reading white bodies being superheroes and warriors and People of Colour don’t exist you have no representation, or worse POC are negatively stereotyped. Representation is IMPORTANT. Representation is the ability to control the way the world perceives a group of people, or yourself - white people often struggle understanding this because whiteness as an identity is invisible by normalization (hooks 1992, Dyer 1997). It can be compared to men as ungendered compared to women, or non-cis and queer people with heteronormativity. So it can only be visible when colour is involved, and depending on whether it’s good or bad POC representation it can create racial stereotypes (Brigham 1971, Nosek 2007).

LGBTQIA+ Visual Representation

I feel like you can find a lot of this, but not any by me!

I will start with Scorpia cause she’s such a dear.

JUST LOOK AT HER.

Everyone is screaming ‘butch lesbian’ little to know that she is a total femme (anyone can fight me on this). Her open attraction towards Catra was loud, unapologetic and was super ultra normal. Despite her giant crab claws, I just want her to hold me gently. I think it’s another good example of different body types. Like it’s not just an exterior what makes a woman a woman or a good person a good person. Before I die of thirst, let’s move on to my Bow’s dads.

OH MY GAWD. Bow resembles Lance and George so much. Like the perfect little mix between their two personalities UGH. Both very different individuals who share a common obsession with history. Two gay Black dudes just be out here owning the biggest collection of ancient artifacts, studying the classics and raising 13 kids like wojefdikewajfaij

Lance out here rocking dreads and the glasses with sandals *bathump* and George with his little moustache and fancy hair. They go on like a normal couple picking on one another and knowing each other’s personalities, caring about their son and reflecting on their parenting when they realize they messed up instead of blaming their kid for not understanding them okmfoerngfa

Sorry, my heart nearly went into cardiac arrest thinking about them.

I won’t miss the exceptional drop of them telling Bow their disappointed that he had to hide a part of himself because he was afraid of what they’d think of him or do. I remember that feeling….*glances at my physical wooden closet*

SPINNERELLA AND NETOSSA.

Netossa is the only character (I’m pretty sure) who was originally dark skinned in the 80s She Ra - she also had no powers.

Now rocking up with powers and gf, she is out here living her best life. Look at them. Just look at my babies. They swapped chokers, like wow, what a lesbian power move. Plus sized, buff queer women rocking their femininity being loyal and totally badass. Their actual appearances on screen are limited but impactful as they are seen as people seem to question more what the heck they do in the Rebellion rather than their queer relationship.

Complex Characterisation

Let’s start with Shadow Weaver’s relationship with Catra and Adora.

Starting off at Mystacor as Light Spinner, she a teacher and getting one of her students, Micah, to perform a spell that conjured evil magic - The Spell of Obtainment - ultimately decided her path as Shadow Weaver. She became an abusive, manipulative and self righteous authoritative figure to Catra and Adora.

Shadow Weaver is an abuser. Abuse works differently in each situation but is defined by White Ribbon Australia in categories of: Physical, Financial, Emotional, Verbal, Social, Sexual, Stalking, Spiritual, Image based, Dowry and Elderly Abuse.

The emotional, verbal, social and I’m going to add economical (instead for Financial) abuse she inflicted on Adora and Catra made them stick together as companions through the hardships. Adora upon realizing the Horde’s actions and motives rejects and calls out Shadow Weaver’s abuse. Catra, on the other hand, looks for something like approval from Shadow Weaver. Catra grew up neglected and constantly compared to Adora in her duties to the Horde by Shadow Weaver, so when Adora left a shift happened in Catra. Adora was her main source of comfort and sense of safety in Shadow Weaver’s irract attitude towards her. Adora was her constant feeling of affection and comfort, when she went against the very codes that kept them together their entire lives - Catra was betrayed. Finally, maybe she could get the parental approval she was seeking from Shadow Weaver she never got when Adora was around. Also looking for validation of her moral that has been cause her actions other than rage and sadness that Adora had left her alone. Catra sort out her Abuser’s approval because that’s the only way she knew how to get validity and self assurance of her identity as a member of the Horde - all she ever knew.

Catra feels alone and like she can’t depend on anyone, and because she knows how that feels she was also able to emotionally manipulate Entrapta into join the Horde. It’s a consistent cycle of isolation that stemmed from one person’s influence.

The thing that differs Adora and Catra, was more Adora being given opportunities to lead and step up where Catra was always on the side. Adora gained leadership skills and an emotional capacity where she was able to trust others and trust herself. This ultimately allowed her to do the right thing and join the Rebellion. Catra on the other hand had to quickly use her head and be more aware of things other than herself which made her falter in the leadership role of Shadow Weaver, but that is her coping mechanism of isolating herself and having to immerse herself with other people and the world to take action.

Adora’s culture shock between the way the Princesses live and the way it was in the Horde only shows how she’s been manipulated through learning the knowledge and behaviours that were enforced on her in the Horde. Princesses aren’t evil. The Horde is evil.

Adora’s role of She Ra has put a lot of pressure on her, and she is fighting her own self.

What happened with Adora was she was specifically chosen because she’s had the experiences she’s had. She knows what it's like in the Horde. How their systems work. What type of people and kids are there. She knows all of that to use to win the war. She’s not gonna break into it, but out of it.

When Adora breaks out of the Horde’s learning, and the truth telling begins the walls will crumble and there will be internal upset. There’s a good and evil battle going on inside of each character. Adora wants to protect her friends and do the right thing, but sometimes those two things aren’t the same thing.

Another character I wanna bring up is Glimmer. Glimmer has been fighting to fight. She’s having to fight a struggle in her internal kingdoms. She’s been trying to tell the truth to the other Kingdoms and unite the Kingdoms so they can beat the Horde and save everything they love. She needed to stand up to her mother, the other Princesses, and herself. She is so damn strong and I love her so much omg.

When Bow went to the ball with Perfuma and she was upset, this was because she was afraid Bow would leave her. She’s been isolated also by her mother into doing Princess things that don’t actually have a big impact, but Bow has been consistent in her life and training to be a leader. When he left her side, she was scared that she was going to be isolated again. She knew it was irrational, but that kind of stuff just happens. Sometimes our feelings don’t always make sense to us at first, and we have to look somewhere else to understand what we’re feeling right then and there. But the besties will prevail.

The other thing I didn’t touch on earlier, but will now is age. The Princesses age from around 11-18 (?). The thing about having young people saving the world is really where we’re at. Kids are rioting in the streets trying to get big corporations led by greedy bastards who want resources and exploit people to stop, and save their entire world - yeah, you know I’m talking about situations like the climate strike. We will learn from our elders mistakes and do it right.

We shouldn’t give up because our parents did. We will be the ones to win, just like Glimmer, Adora, Bow and the gang.

Representation isn’t a debate - it’s a necessity.

Thanks for reading babes.

Reference List

Dyer, Richard. (1997) ‘The Matter of Whiteness’ in White, London: Routledge.

Brigham, John C. "Ethnic stereotypes." Psychological bulletin76.1 (1971): 15.

Nosek, Brian A., et al. "Pervasiveness and correlates of implicit attitudes and stereotypes." European Review of Social Psychology 18.1 (2007): 36-88.

Bell, Hooks. "The oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators." Black Looks: Race and Representation (1992): 115-131.

Mulvey, L. (1989). Visual pleasure and narrative cinema. In Visual and other pleasures (pp. 14-26). Palgrave Macmillan, London.

Ponterotto, D. (2016). Resisting the male gaze: feminist responses to the" normatization" of the female body in Western culture. Journal of International Women's Studies, 17(1), 133-151.

Scharrer, E., & Ramasubramanian, S. (2015). Intervening in the media's influence on stereotypes of race and ethnicity: The role of media literacy education. Journal of Social Issues, 71(1), 171-185.

https://www.whiteribbon.org.au/understand-domestic-violence/types-of-abuse/

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press-a-repeatedly · 6 years ago

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Zul’s Top 9 Games of 2018

By Zul Edwards

Heyyy it’s me. I’m back! What a year! 2018 has come and gone and many awesome games have been played by everyone here at PAR. The votes were tallied, the results are in, and I am included in that bunch. However, some of the games I played and loved this year were no-shows on our list. Some AMAZING games that I think deserve a little love on our corner on the internet. So, I thought, if you out there reading this were interested, (spoiler alert, nobody is) here is my OWN personal top nine games of 2018.

So, let’s get this thing started with my number 9!... oh yeah, I only played 9 games in 2018. heh.

9) No Man’s Sky – So I was one of those gamers who was excited for NMS when it was first announced a few years back. Thought the idea of exploring a quintillion planet was awesome. Then the game came out, I heard it sucked, and I ignored it. Enter a couple years later when it was on sale, had a ton of updates and new features: true online with friends, customizable characters, base building, and a brand-new story. However, it wasn’t enough to keep me hooked. Don’t get me wrong, I liked exploring the various galaxies and doing various side quests, engaging in dogfights with pirates and mining for space gold, but overall it just still felt so empty, so repetitious, and so… blah. I guess I still prefer quality over quantity, even if the quantity is in the quintillions.

8) The Alliance Alive – The first on the list of “Games only Zul played this year”. The Alliance Alive is a 3DS game from the creators of the classic “Legend of Legacy”, literally a game I borrowed from Justin, played for all of 30 minutes, then promptly returned to Justin never to be spoken of again. So, to my surprise when he told me the same studio was making another game, The Alliance Alive, but it was helmed by one of the writers of the Suikoden franchise, I was cautiously optimistic. Much to my (pleasant) surprise, the game was good! A blend of classic JRPG turned based battles with flairs of modernization: skills learned through fighting, increased stats based on the location of fighters in battles, and a darker story not usually found in those classic SNES/PS1 RPGs this seems to emulate. While the main characters fall into some pretty cliché tropes, the side characters really shine. From giant axe-wielding lizard men that remind me of my own D&D character, to a demon-dog-man butler, to a mad child genius scientist who rides a duck robot, this game has a lot of flavor. I really should go back and finish.

7) Chasm – While it’s no secret that I love Castlevania games, I think it’s fair to say I’m not really a giant fan of Metroidvania games. I prefer the simpler side-scrolling action of Castlevania, constantly moving forward towards a goal of smacking Drac in the face with a metal whip, to the backtracking and map completing chore of most Metroidvania games. With that said, something about the less intense and simpler format of Chasm kept me hooked till the end. I didn’t mind backtracking and completing the map in Chasm because it wasn’t as vast or complicated as other games in the genre. It was colorful, had great music, stellar pixel art and a fun yet challenging battle system and platforming. Overall it was a blast to play, but it just got overshadowed in a year filled with superior games.

6) God of War – “WHAT THE FUCK?” I hear you slam on your keyboards as I place the unrivaled GOTY in a paltry 6th place. Don’t get me wrong, this game is good. In fact, it’s VERY good. However, for whatever reason, I guess this game didn’t hook me like it did for everyone else. I only have a passing familiarity with the GoW series. Even though I’m a diehard SonyBoy, I only ever played GoW 1 and never beat it. Kratos and Atreus are some of the best written and best-acted characters to come out of a video game in this year or any year. Hell, if we had a “best new character” category again this year, I would struggle to not put Atreus in the top 3. The music is amazing, the writing is fantastic, the scope, cinematography and the constant one camera perspective were all stellar achievements in the medium of gaming, not to mention I’m pretty much obsessed with all things Norse… BUT. I dunno. Little things kept taking me out of it. Atreus’s sudden, jarring mood swings. The poor pacing in certain parts. The sudden introduction of major characters and/or story elements, that felt kind of brushed over and/or rushed. The lackluster side content, the padding and the empty worlds. The game is good. But it never felt great to me. Most games that I love, I think about when I’m not playing them, then I rush home from work to play them because I want to complete them, either for the story or because the gameplay is addicting, but this game felt more like a chore sometimes. I didn’t even buy it, I just borrowed it from Butch earlier in the year when it came out. I’m sorry Cory. I tried but I just didn’t love this game.

5) Moonlighter – Now here’s a game I absolutely adored. Flew under my radar and was recommended by Nick. By day you’re a humble shopkeeper, selling various wares and curios. By night, (by… MOONLIGHT) you explore dungeons ala Link to the Past style in a top-down view, into randomly generated maps. Each area has different items to collect & new materials to find, which you bring back to the shop to sell, which with the money you earn, can craft new weapons, which will get you further into dungeons, which will mean you find more items to sell which means you make more gold to spend on armor and weapons, which means you can get better materials to keep delving deeper, WHICH MEANS… ahem. Ah yes. That classic feedback loop. It sucked me in. It’s simple but effective in keeping me engaged. Coupled with a great art style, fluid beautiful pixel graphics and a surprisingly good amount of story for this type of game, Moonlighter took a nice chunk of my time early in the year.

4) Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom – Another entry in “Games only Zul played this year”, NNK2 was a surprise hit for me. I never played NNK1 and heard rather negative things about it from Nick over the years. I bought NNK2 on a whim months after it came out because it was on sale and I was craving a good JRPG, and it did not disappoint. I loved pretty much everything about this game. The music, the story, the beautiful not quite Ghibli, but practically Ghibli art style, the characters, the mechanics, the town building, the combat… it was everything I was looking for. There were certainly parts in the middle that lagged a bit, and the general “go to town > solve town’s problem > make an alliance with the town” could be considered cliché or predictable, but every town felt unique and its inhabitants all felt genuine. Recruiting citizens into your kingdom and assigning them all a role in your castle was a time sink I didn’t realize I would be so into, but I think I spent more hours on that than anything else in the game. And it also gets marks for being the other child in a video game besides Atreus, King Evan, that I didn’t want to strangle, and in fact by the time the credits rolled, he’d probably be #2 or 3 in Best Character of the Year for me.

3) Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Now as far as JRPGS go, Dragon Quest is the ultimate grand-daddy, even more so than Final Fantasy, but it was a series I never really got into. I played some previous games in the series and found passing enjoyment in a couple titles but never enough to ever want to complete a game or seek out other entries in the series. That all kind of changed when I played DQ 11. DQ has never really strayed too far from its classic turn-based JRPG roots. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” would be their mantra I assume, and I love it. In a time when the turn-based system is all but gone from genre giant Final Fantasy, DQ has instead chosen to stick with it, and fully master the dying style. It was hands down the best JRPG I’ve played all year, and probably one of the best I’ve played in several years. It has everything: a great story, compelling characters, awesome music, amazing art style, engaging combat, fun side quests, a challenging yet fair difficulty curve, and it’s actually, really funny on top of all that. While the length might scare people away, (I clocked in right around 120 hours after getting the platinum trophy for 100% completion of the game) it’s some of the best time I spent gaming in a long time. It’s a classic in a modern era. It’s weird, if you said to teenage Zul “one of your favorite JRPGs ever will be Dragon Quest 11, and one of your least favorite JRPGs will be Final Fantasy 15”, he would never have believed you… but here we are.

2) Monster Hunter World – Ah yes. The one oddball in my gaming repertoire. I think we all have one of these, right? That one game/series that for whatever reason, sits outside your normal gaming habits, yet you love it, nonetheless. Maybe you love Halo and FPS games, but you also really like Animal Crossing for some reason. Or maybe you’re a diehard Dark Souls series fan but just can’t get enough of Cooking Mama as well. Variety is the spice of life they say, and while I’m primarily a “character & story first, RPGs, video games are art” kind of dude, something about smashing Monsters in the face with a giant hammer has kept me hooked on the Monster Hunter series for nearly 10 years. I love the challenging but fair battles, the deep customization, the various weapons and armors for both male and female hunters, the varied and unique monsters that all have their own ecology, musical themes, and battle styles you must learn and adapt to if you want to survive. It’s also linking up with friends (or even strangers online) and tackling a beast as a team. For all these reasons and so much more, this series sunk its claws in me from the very first time I played it, and it hasn’t let go. Monster Hunter World is the next-gen, beautifully realized game I’ve wanted for years; and it took the story, art, gameplay, and fun I’ve come to expect from this series to another level.

1) Red Dead Redemption II – I honestly don’t know how to write about this game. I can say all the other things I’ve said up until now about how great the music is (it’s amazing), how varied and alive the characters feel (they’re amazing), how stunningly awe-inspiring the scenery is or how fluid and lifelike the character animations are (they’re amazing), how the story and personal journey of Arthur Morgan literally brought me to tears more than once (he’s #1 in Best Characters btw. And they’re amazing), how rich every side quest is, how fun the mini-games are, how great the dialogue is, or any of the other truly breath-taking aspects of the game, but I don’t think I could do them justice. Hell, I don’t even know how to put them into words myself inside my own head. To me, this is one of those games that surpasses all of that. Yea, it has flaws, every game does, everyTHING does, but to me, it’s perfect, warts and all. I can’t give it much higher praise than that, and it is absolutely the best game I played in years. When a game can give me an extensional crisis during some of its final moments, I think it’s safe to say that It’ll stick with me and has undoubtedly set a very high bar for all future games. The team at Rockstar outdid themselves and have my thanks for bringing this game into the world.

PHEW. Well, that’s it. Top 9 games of 2018 according to Zully Boy. Another great year in gaming for me personally and here’s to another great year in 2019! Lots to look forward to, and hopefully some hidden gems that’ll surprise me along the way. Happy Gaming everyone!

#goty gameoftheyear top10 top9

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aerialsquid · 8 years ago

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My head is naked.

The Deeply Symbolic Haircut occurred a month and a half ago ago. I’d been keeping it off personal social media because I want to see how people react in person, but I don't think anyone who knows me IRL on here hasn't seen it yet. Please enjoy this extended hair saga.

This was before the haircut:

The hair and I had never been on good terms. If I’d taken care of it properly it would have been different, but I almost never did more than wash it daily and put it up in a ponytail. There was always fluff sticking up, or escaping from the hairtie. I might put some smoothing solution in it on occasion, to the point of frustrated excess if I actually wanted it to look good (it never did, or at least not to my satisfaction). I never cared for the sight of my own reflection, aside when I did cosplay, and the hair was a big part of it.

The problems didn't end there. My hair once ate a round hairbrush to the point we had to remove it with scissors right before a youth group dance, and someone’s pet rat needed assistance finding the way out when I let it walk on my shoulder. I caught it on fire leaning too close to Shabbat candles. I have twice gone through the TSA body scanners, set something off in the scanner, and been asked to take my hair down so the guard could scrunch her fingers through it to search it for…I don’t know, rare birds or something.

I got compliments on my hair not infrequently due to curl and color, and my answer was usually “If you want it, you can have it”.

Every time we took a family photo my parents and I would argue over whether I should keep it up or let it hang down. I always felt I looked bad with the hair falling across my face. They thought I looked pretty like that, and to be frank it didn’t look great pulled back in a harsh ponytail either. My mom constantly asked why I always dug my heels in about the hair when it was a simple thing that would take five bloody seconds to do. I was never quite sure why myself.

…And here we come to #Squid's gender and the larger implications of The Haircut.

Some of you may have noticed the survey I sent around a while back trying to gather information on exactly how people of varying identities feel and react when their perceived gender is socially invoked. The data’s been fascinating; among other things, a lot more people than I expected want to get rid of their chest bits regardless of their gender identity, while almost nobody feels anything besides awkwardness or confusion when their gender identity is misconstrued. It also left me with more frustration, because if I'm not...the thing that I'm currently being perceived as, I want some kind of plan of action to act upon this revelation. Contended self-acceptance of an ambiguous self-identity is not going to cut it.

I finally went to my friend J about the issue. J is trained as a counselor focusing on queer youth, which she’s currently trying to make into a proper profession. She asked me if the survey had a question about whether the noncisgender people felt they were doing it for attention. I said no, because I’d assumed that wasn’t a common thing.

“Not every young person I spoke with felt like they were just doing it for attention. But almost literally every young person did.”

“What the hell.”

I mentioned wishing I could just magically be seen as male for a week to see how it felt, without having to make some kind of big announcement that would be impossible to take back if I found out I was wrong. Using a binder isn’t easy at the moment given my pain issues. I own one and could only wear it for about half an hour before it got too painful. My voice is low but not low enough, and I've got curves in all the wrong places. Winter is good for hiding your physical form under a jacket, but there was no good workaround for hiding my giant barely-restrained poof of dead keratin.

J suggested I finally get it cut off.

“You’re worried about having to buy that ticket to Manland, so this is a good baby step. You’re not buying the ticket to Manland yet. You’re just testing it a bit, you’re dipping your toes into the Manwater.”

“NEW METAPHOR. NEW METAPHOR.”

The place J recommended is a queer run, queer friendly salon on the north side. I went in for a consult to see if it was even possible to get a short style without looking like a chia pet. My only request was ‘a masculine haircut’, no other details. I couldn’t point to a specific style I wanted. I’d never had it cut this short before. I didn't do anything to care for my hair or style it and now wanted a dramatic change. I probably looked twitchy as heck.

Perks of going to a queer-catering salon: Maeva didn’t say anything but I’m pretty sure she had my number in the first thirty seconds.

She showed me pictures of men with short curly hair and talked about the difference between the nature of men and women’s cuts. She also mentioned that if I was going to always keep my hair in a ponytail there was no reason to have it at all, and how it was always nice to see people getting a big change. It was suggested that I wear clothes that made me feel comfortable and nice-looking so I would get the best impression of my haircut once it was finished.

We made the appointment. I spent the next two weeks fixated on it, staring at people's heads in the streets, pulling back my hair in the mirror to try and mimic what it might look like.. Some people I deliberately didn’t tell because I wanted to see their faces after I did it; others I constantly talked about it to because I was unbearably excited for it.

I finally told my parents exactly how short ‘short’ hair would be the night before the appointment. They took it better than expected…took it fantastically, actually. My mom even mentioned that she'd been considering getting me haircuts for Hanukkah as a present. Between that and the hour we spent running around a men's consignment store looking at suits and blazers I'm wondering if she's getting any ideas too. My father just wanted to make sure I did not get a 'really gay' haircut.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

“What, like an undercut? That’s queer woman chic right now.”

“No, that mature gay woman’s haircut. You know, like gay women had ten years ago. The staid one.”

“I wasn’t looking at gay women ten years ago.”

“The kind older gay women tend to have, that really short one. You’d just look like a cliché.”

(NOTE: I’m out to my family as homoromantic asexual and the last person I went on a date with was nonbinary. I think my dad just doesn’t want me in a butch buzzcut.)

I wore the suit that Mom bought me. J offered to drive me to my appointment, and stayed for the entire session as moral support. My knee kept jumping. Butterflies occurred. I expected to be more nervous, what with this being the largest voluntary body modification I’ve had since my thyroidectomy. Instead I was so excited I could barely sit still.

Maeva and another stylist spent ten minutes braiding up the entirety of my hair so I could donate it. The entire time Maeva and her coworkers referred to me with they/them pronouns. No one had tipped them off, as far as I could tell. They had just looked at the situation as it lay and judged that it was best not to make assumptions. As soon as it was braided up for donating she started cutting, no pause to ask me if I was ready. The first one made me flinch. After that I couldn't stop staring. It felt like a weight was being lifted off of me, like something smothering me had been cut away.

When I was under the dryer J came over and murmured, "You know that look you were trying to achieve? You've got it. Also, your head is naked." (She would spend the rest of the evening interjecting 'your head is naked' at random intervals, as she attempted to get over this weirdness of seeing her friend's head shrink by several inches, and it has since become a running gag for us..)

We finished up, Maeva put some curly pomade in my hair that I still need to get the name for, and this was what I looked like.

Look at that grin. Just look at it. I don't think I've ever seen a photo of myself that exuded such utter joy. I feel liberated.

My parents bugged me for daily selfies until Tuesday. I’m getting constant compliments on my hair and now I'm agreeing with them. My boss actually squealed when she saw how it looked during our Skype chat. I've even had several people tell me that I "look more like you" like this, even if they're not sure how to explain what that means. (My friend Drake explained it as "you were dilute Squid, now you're concentrate Squid'). My confidence is higher, my self-loathing is lower, and I feel so much handsomer. When I look at my reflection I preen, smoothing or fluffing my hair, and then wind up just staring at myself for a bit.

The hair's been growing out, as hair tends to do. I feel actively stifled by this thick mass on my scalp, and as it grows my anxiety grows like I'm some reverse Samson who only keeps their power when their hair is shorn. I’m scheduled to get the auburn kudzu cut back on Monday and I cannot fucking /wait/.

(Also yes, I will explain later why there’s a dog skull on my groin in the last picture. Long story.)

#squid's gender #squid's life #squid's face #gender #hair #haircut

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ulyssessklein · 6 years ago

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PART TWO: The Struts Look to Conquer the World with Young and Dangerous

By: Craig Hunter Ross

In part two of our exclusive conversation with The Struts, Guitar International dives into the process and pitfalls of producing an album while simultaneously touring like there’s now tomorrow. For those of you just now being introduced to the lads, they are: Luke Spiller (lead vocals), Adam Slack (guitar), Jed Elliott (bass) and on drums, Gethin Davies. PART ONE: HERE!

Being on the road while trying to write and record new music for a new album is a great challenge for any band, let alone for a young band looking to make an even bigger splash with the career critical follow-up to a successful debut album. The Struts share some of the struggles and triumphs of the process and their excitement for the release of Young and Dangerous, which will be released October 26, 2018.

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Craig Hunter Ross: With all of the touring you have been doing over the last two years, how did you find time to write?

Luke Spiller: With great difficulty.

Adam Slack: We just kissed our days off goodbye basically. Any day off that was near the west coast, we’d fly to Los Angeles to write. If we were on the east coast, we’d go to Nashville. One time we played in Quebec, left the next morning and flew to London, then to New Jersey and immediately had to get to writing. I remember we went out and got absolutely trashed because we had such bad jet lag.

Luke Spiller: Hey, that was my birthday, wasn’t it? We weren’t allowed into this shitty little club.

Adam Slack: Oh yeah!

Luke Spiller: Actually, it wasn’t a club, it was some little hotel bar and they said they wouldn’t serve us, because we were too drunk and we’d only had literally three pints. So, we went chasing a balloon down the road. Anyway, a different story that is! [Laughs]

Honestly, for me and Adam, for our part, mentally…it just felt liked you were getting fucked in the head by a giant dick every night.

Adam Slack

Adam Slack: At one point we are staying in this hotel in New Jersey and we were approaching like day five of not coming up with a song. We’d go down for breakfast in the morning and they are constantly playing Enya, like every morning, like clockwork. It was really old people there. I felt like we were in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest or something.

My brain was aching by the time I’d go to bed from trying to squeeze some kind of song out. We can look back and laugh now, but we would really sit there and have conversations just saying “I hope we can come up with something today”.

Luke Spiller: It’s good though. We really pushed the boat out, when you think about it. We had to squeeze the potential of five years of writing that went into Everybody Wants, into a time period I’d say of intense writing that went over about a period of six to seven months. That’s six months of writing, recording and cutting tracks spaced out over a period of two years.

Craig: Did everyone come in with their own ideas or parts, or do you sit together in the studio and hash it out? Do you work in the studio, rent a house, etcetera?

Jed Elliot: A few of them had some different approaches. Because this one has been so intense, a lot of it was just Luke an Adam with a producer working anywhere and everywhere when they would have 48 hours off.

Others, when we have had a bit more time, then yeah, we’d have houses with a drum kit set up and such.

Luke Spiller: We really pushed for that…we needed time in these places where we could sit as a band and really conjure up something. I was making this argument that we were being booked into all of this studio time and we were constantly on the road and it was getting to the point where we had exhausted all of these ideas. I was saying to management and the label that we need the band to get into a house and start actually creating something, because we really had nothing left.

So, we did and got six or seven out of those couple of weeks and like two of them made the album, so it was a really good experience. We could kind of turn the page and realize, okay, these are really cool songs. That felt good, they were original and that kind of gave more fuel to carry on and finish the album.

Craig: From the singles that have been released so far, you have some really big arrangements and a lot going on with some of the tracks. Was it a struggle to know when to stop and say, okay the song is finished, without being tempted to keep massaging and adding, editing?

Luke Spiller: It depends. With a big arrangement, there’s only so far you can go. I think you know when it’s the end. If you are pushing for something larger than life, I believe you know it when you hear it. You say to yourself that it’s as far as you can go within your own personal taste.

Adam Slack: There was a point when were writing “Ashes” and we’d come up with a verse like a week before we’d gone in the studio, then put that old verse in, so like one verse was a slow ballad and the other was an up tempo, so we were wondering what to do and Luke suggested we go into a big breakdown, like a big moment…and it was like if we do that, it probably won’t be a single anymore, but we were like, fuck it, let’s go for it. Sometimes those moments can come naturally in the studio.

Luke Spiller: Again, it comes down to your personal taste, if you are out there to create something huge, it’s up to you as a committee to come up with what the boundaries are. If you are on the same page, and want it to be something special, not “I Would Do Anything For Love, but I Won’t Do that” and go on for nine minutes or some shit…there’s a line of being ridiculous or pompous.

With some of these songs, I personally, out of sheer exhaustion, didn’t know if I thought they were finished or not. I think I speak for Adam as well when it comes to that. Some of the people who really saved our asses were people that came in from the outside, who stepped in and would say “This is brilliant, but not quite yet the best it can be, you guys should go rehash it.”

Adam Slack

Gethin Davies: I remember when they came in with “Body Talks” and were like “This is shit” and I was like “Uh, no this is great”…

Jed Elliott: Yeah, it was like one of the strongest

Gethin Davies: Still they were like no, no…you could tell they were just drained.

Luke Spiller: We had no idea what was good. Thank God people were brutally honest with us, like our management and our families, girlfriends, whomever. It’s how hard we had gone to that point, we had no idea what was decent and if anyone would like it or if we even liked it. It’s only when we stepped back and listened to the mix and I was like “Yeah these are incredible songs”.

Craig: Here’s a fan question from Ted in Virginia…”Even though it’s early on, do you have any songs off the new album that have become your favorites to play live?”

Gethin Davies: I love “Ashes” because it’ so epic. Even though it’s not even out yet, the crowd really connect with it.

Jed Elliott

Luke Spiller: I would agree, I like doing “Ashes” because I get to play piano on it. I spoke to someone about that the other day. I love doing the whole front man thing, prancing about and what not, but it is fucking hard work. It’s nice to actually play with the band on a different level. I can experience their company in a different way, as four musicians, without being the constant over the top pantomime, which I also love, but being able to play gives me a different sense of responsibiility on a different level.

Jed Elliott: Mine would be Fire. It was one of the ones I wrote with Adam and Luke along with Butch Walker. As soon as Luke came with that chorus, and the piano, it checks off all my boxes musically.

Craig: That tune could easily reside comfortably on the Queen album Innuendo.

Luke Spiller: It does sound a bit like later Queen. A bit like “Mr. Bad Guy” (Mercury solo), as well.

Jed Elliott: It’s got some Smiths, some arpeggio guitar, some Meatloaf epicness, Thin Lizzy, dual guitars, it’s all my favorites wrapped into one.

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Luke Spiller: The reason it has those arpeggio guitars is because I laid down the piano track, as it was going to be piano driven like say “Bat Out of Hell”, and our management were like “You can’t play piano the whole song”. So, then Adam and Butch went to work on it and created a really original vibe.

Adam Slack: it’s one of my favorites to do live. “Ashes” is too much with the pedals and too much concentration. “Fire” has a cool solo to play live and I’m not just playing fucking power chords the whole song. It’s a bit challenging, but a fun challenge.

Craig: I love the covers you all have done, like Royals (Lorde), Get Lucky (Daft Punk), so many others. I think it’s time now that you’ve got a tremendous second album under your belts to record an album of nothing but cover songs. You should call it “The Struts: Under the Covers”

Jed Elliott: Nice! I like that!

Luke Spiller: I had another cover idea last night. Don’t know when or how to do it, but a piano arpeggio version of System of a Down’s “Aerials” (sings his version)….

Jed Elliott: Are you high? [All Laugh]

Gethin Davies

Craig: So, in plans for this cover album project I’m going to give each of you two songs to potentially be on the album. You have to choose which one goes on.

Craig: Okay, Adam…”Saturday’s Alright For Fighting” by Elton John or “I’m Your Boogie Man” by KC and the Sunshine Band?

Adam Slack: Well, I don’t know the second one, so the first one.

Craig: Luke…”Freedom” by George Michael or “Livin La Vida Loca” by Ricky Martin?

Luke Spiller: “Livin La Vida Loca”, because “Freedom” is “Kiss This”. [Laughs]

Luke Spiller

Craig: Jed your turn…”Does Your Mother Know” by ABBA or “Big Bottom” by Spinal Tap?

Jed Elliott: Nice! It’s gotta be ABBA, always.

Craig: Last one, Geth, “Can’t Stand Losing You” by The Police or “Nights on Broadway” by The Bee Gees.

Gethin Davies: I’m gonna go with The Bee Gees.

Jed Elliott: But, that Police song is amazing dude.

Craig: That’s all for now fellas, thanks for your time and much success with the new album, which will be released October 26

The Struts: Thank you so much!

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drippeddaily · 7 years ago

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Album of the Year #25: Open Mike Eagle - Brick Body Kids Still Daydream

Merry Christmas, y'all!

Artist: Open Mike Eagle

Album: Brick Body Kids Still Daydream

Listen:

Youtube

Spotify

Apple Music

Album Background:

Open Mike Eagle, born in the South Side of Chicgao, 37 years old, and member of Project Blowed has become a staple in the underground hip hop scene and started making waves with his poignant and concise projects starting in 2010 with his first full length release Unapologetic Art Rap.

You may have heard of Mike outside of his music by his features in Vice videos such as Why rappers love Grey Poupon or Rapping, deconstructed: The best rhymers of all time. If not those, maybe you’ve seen him on Eric Andre’s show in Rapper Warrior Ninja. And, again, if not that then maybe you know him as a friend of famous comedian and Bill Cosby exposer Hannibal Buress.

Before becoming a rapper, Michael W. Eagle II went to Whitney M. Young High School which is a selective enrollment public school in the Near West Side of Chicago. After high school, Mike went to Southern Illinois University Carbondale as a psychology major where he met his now good friend Hannibal Buress. He graduated and moved on to do one year of grad school before moving to Los Angeles where he worked a few different jobs such as Americorps, a non-profit halfway home, and as a third and fourth grade special education teacher. At this time, he only rapped as a hobby until he found Project Blowed, where he became affiliated with now long time collaborators Busdriver, Dumbfoundead, and Pyschosiz.

Open Mike Eagle’s 5th full length LP Brick Body Kids Still Daydream was released on September 15, 2017 under one of my favorite labels Mello Music Group. Mike grew up in the Robert Taylor Homes in Chicago which was a series of project housings that is now demolished. They were erected in the early 1960s, and demolished over the course of nine years from 1998 to 2007. Here is a picture of the last standing building via Wikipedia. These buildings were designed to hold up to 11,000 residents, and in actuality housed up to 27,000 people at its peak. The complex was riddled with gang violence and crime throughout its entire existence.

The source of inspiration for this album is made clear by the title, the album cover, and Mike’s upbringing which leads to this album being a tell all of Mike’s feelings about the Robert Taylor Homes, and subsequently he touches on the problems in America in a way that is very personal to him.

Review:

Mike’s style of rap is soft and inviting, like he is telling a story out of a book by your bedside. With the opening track Legendary Iron Hood, he invites you into his dream world at the Robert Taylor Homes. He sets up with references to a superhero in the X-Men with lines like “I keep my head down, pushing like I’m walking to school, yeah / I hold em tight like Infinity Gems” and “Got a brother named Charles that be on that bullshit / I protect my neck with some magical jewels.” While Mike’s rapping is smooth and harmless, it’s exciting like he really wants you to listen to his story. His childish daydreams tells you just enough to make you interested to hear more about his life growing up, and see how he solves the problems he establishes in this first track.

Mike keeps you on your toes as one emotion that’s being conveyed never lasts very long. This album in the 40 minutes run time takes you from happy and comfortable, to a dark and depressed place, and this can quickly change from track to track. One track that shows this dichotomy is Happy Wasteland Day, where Mike gives us his take on the political landscape of 2017 while never mentioning the name of the largest contributor to the current state of affairs. The beat most prominently features a looped string instrument, backed by simple drums and bass supporting it. Mike’s lyricism in this track varies from on the nose to more abstract questions in simple lines. “When the king is a garbage person / I might wanna lay down and die” he repeats quite often as he wonders what he’s supposed to do. He poses a problem and offers a solution to himself within two lines, “Zombie sheriffs is tryna lynch us / Guess I’ll call up my congressman.” Mike makes a grim joke saying that the police force are like zombies out for their next meal, and what can he do about it but call his congressman? Mike knows it’s ultimately a futile act, and this sort of change is much bigger than one person.

The climax of the album can not go without mention, and that is Brick Body Complex. The rebellious and hyped up track explains the title of the album. Mike’s ultimate comparison is that a black child in the hood is literally a building. That kid, because of a system designed to keep him down, has no upward mobility or anyway to move away from his current situation much like the building that he lives in. However, Mike tries to fight back this notion by saying that he is giant, he’s a superhero, and and that he’ll never fit their descriptions. They, in this case, being those who generalize an entire group of people because of their skin color and living situation. It’s a fantastic concept that Mike fully realizes on this song with his passionate, fast, and angry rapping about this state of affairs. This song truly showcases Mike’s talent as a musician, storyteller, artist, and this track is something that sets him apart from other rappers. It is a fleshed out idea, told in a personal way that makes comments on the truths of America, and delivered in a 4 minute showcase of lyrical wit and storytelling.

The final track that deserves its own paragraph also happens to be the final track of the album. My Auntie’s Building is perhaps the dreariest song on the entire album, and despite the fighting back like Mike showed in Brick Body Complex, this is the beaten down side of him. “I’ll fight you all, I’m willing / Just show me who’s that villain / I don’t see no one, I don’t see no one / I can’t find nobody,” Mike says as he ultimately realizes this battle is one that can’t be one. There is no one single person to fight as this is a systematic problem. “They say America fights fair / But they won’t demolish your timeshare” are two simple bars that summarize the issue of gentrification. The beat is slow, with Mike rapping fast and he is pissed off. The album ends with him repeating “That’s the sound of them tearing my body down to the ground.” Mike one last time before his “death” reiterates that there is no hope or choice for him or kids like him, and that the system is too strong for one hero to beat alone.

While the above tracks are worthy of their own paragraphs the others are just as good and are certainly not wasted space. Every track on this album is just as important as the ones surrounding it, and something that should be mentioned and something that Mike is known for is his humor. Mike still manages to keep his signature wit and humor despite the foreboding message. Like on No Selling (Uncle Butch Pretends It Don’t Hurt) he mentions how he had an asthma attack in the last bar, or on TLDR (Smithing) how he’s been woke for so long he needs a nap. He even seems to call this out on (How Could Anybody) Feel At Home where he says he’s told some goofy shit that sounds like a poem, and reading through Mike’s bars there’s a lot of truth to that statement. Mike often feels like he’s reading to you, and his personality is full of wit and funny bars, and while this album is more serious in tone Mike does not give up what he’s known for to deliver his message.

The beats on this album are also worthy of praise as Mike decided to take in ten producers over the course of twelve tracks. Exile (Legendary Iron Hood & Happy Wasteland Day) and Illingsworth (Daydreaming In The Projects & TLDR (Smithing)) both produced two tracks. Mike’s lengthy list of producers each bring their own flavor to each track, and shows how Mike is unafraid of going up against some experimental or different beats. Legendary Iron Hood features a beautiful and serene piano and guitar which is completely different from No Selling which makes uses of a simple low synth and vocal samples. And both of these tracks are completely different from something like 95 Radios which is the poppiest track on the album, and has a more prominent yet simple drum beat and bells. Every track is distinct and stands on its own, but is all brought together by Mike’s confidence over them. Mike knows exactly what to bring to each track to complement the beat and most importantly deliver his message and see his vision.

Something that I picked up on throughout this record is that Mike mentions some form of motion whether it is him being still or being in perpetual motion, and a reference to this can be found on almost every track on the album. In the beginning of the album he talks about moving a lot like on Legendary Iron Hood he talks about how he can't be stopped and nothing will stop him, or on (How Could Anybody) Feel At Home he “spun around in circles on the globe.” But as the album progresses he is tired and in pain. The entirety of No Selling is about working too hard, and is a direct reference to “selling” in wrestling meaning that a wrestler is selling to the audience how hurt he is. In this case, Mike is “no selling” or trying to pretend like he’s not hurt, but truly all of this work is tiring him out. In the later points of the album there is emphasis on standing still or being in the same place, and this goes hand in hand with Mike making the comparison of a black kid to a building. Buildings are constant. They never move, even when it rains, or in the wind, or in the snow, and they will always be right where they were intended to be. Black kids living in the hood think they will move, get out of the hood, and live better lives, but throughout this album Mike is telling us that this is just a daydream, that it will never happen and that is by design. The final track My Auntie’s Building continues to hammer this point home. “And they hit that shit with a wrecking ball so hard / Thought the whole earth broke / All them people dispersed though / Federal to commercial.” The people of the Robert Taylor Homes were forced out, nowhere to go, and ultimately ended up lining the pockets of the wealthy by having to live in for profit housing.

This record is a fantastic, and beautiful commentary on Mike’s upbringing and the climate of 2017. This record is as much of a commentary on Trump as it is on Mike’s home in Chicago, and has become one of my favorite records of the year and by far my favorite record that feels like it is a response to the election of Donald Trump. I truly loved this album, and as I continued to relisten to write this review I only fell more in love with it. Open Mike Eagle did an incredible job with this record, and I’m excited to see where he goes next, but I’d also be content if he takes his time with the next one because I’ll be playing this for a long time.

Favorite Lyrics:

My big dumb brain’s an electrical ocean

Started walking now my legs in perpetual motion

Don’t call me nigga or rapper

My name is motherfucking Michael Eagle, I’m sovereign

I come from a line of ghetto superheroes

Between shrooms and touring I'm sure to take a bunch of trips

And fuck that one guy who’s screen name was "thunderlips"

Pelt him with a bag full of mesquite flavored Kruncher chips

4. (Bars from feature guest, Sammus)

On my Apple updating my E-Shops

Eat a apple a day, take a brief pause

Take a nap, lie awake in-between sobs

Then I rap and I pray and the grief stops

The old me would drink a 40

And eat bologna, shinobi

On NBA Live, I play with Kobe

Discussion Questions:

I’ve seen a lot of debate on whether or not this is better than Dark Comedy? Thoughts?

As far as “reactions to Trump” go, how do you feel about this album compared to others who did the same?

Do you find any validity in my claims about Mike’s use of motion in this album?

Do you think Open Mike Eagle’s use of several different producers was a benefit, or would you have preferred he stuck with only a few. Would you like to see other rappers take this sort of approach?

Merry Christmas, y'all!Artist: Open Mike EagleAlbum: Brick Body Kids Still DaydreamListen:YoutubeSpotifyApple MusicAlbum Background:Open Mike Eagle, born in the South Side of Chicgao, 37 years old, and member of Project Blowed has become a staple in the underground hip hop scene and started making waves with his poignant and concise projects starting in 2010 with his first full length release Unapologetic Art Rap.You may have heard of Mike outside of his music by his features in Vice videos such as Why rappers love Grey Poupon or Rapping, deconstructed: The best rhymers of all time. If not those, maybe you’ve seen him on Eric Andre’s show in Rapper Warrior Ninja. And, again, if not that then maybe you know him as a friend of famous comedian and Bill Cosby exposer Hannibal Buress.Before becoming a rapper, Michael W. Eagle II went to Whitney M. Young High School which is a selective enrollment public school in the Near West Side of Chicago. After high school, Mike went to Southern Illinois University Carbondale as a psychology major where he met his now good friend Hannibal Buress. He graduated and moved on to do one year of grad school before moving to Los Angeles where he worked a few different jobs such as Americorps, a non-profit halfway home, and as a third and fourth grade special education teacher. At this time, he only rapped as a hobby until he found Project Blowed, where he became affiliated with now long time collaborators Busdriver, Dumbfoundead, and Pyschosiz.Open Mike Eagle’s 5th full length LP Brick Body Kids Still Daydream was released on September 15, 2017 under one of my favorite labels Mello Music Group. Mike grew up in the Robert Taylor Homes in Chicago which was a series of project housings that is now demolished. They were erected in the early 1960s, and demolished over the course of nine years from 1998 to 2007. Here is a picture of the last standing building via Wikipedia. These buildings were designed to hold up to 11,000 residents, and in actuality housed up to 27,000 people at its peak. The complex was riddled with gang violence and crime throughout its entire existence.The source of inspiration for this album is made clear by the title, the album cover, and Mike’s upbringing which leads to this album being a tell all of Mike’s feelings about the Robert Taylor Homes, and subsequently he touches on the problems in America in a way that is very personal to him.Review:Mike’s style of rap is soft and inviting, like he is telling a story out of a book by your bedside. With the opening track Legendary Iron Hood, he invites you into his dream world at the Robert Taylor Homes. He sets up with references to a superhero in the X-Men with lines like “I keep my head down, pushing like I’m walking to school, yeah / I hold em tight like Infinity Gems” and “Got a brother named Charles that be on that bullshit / I protect my neck with some magical jewels.” While Mike’s rapping is smooth and harmless, it’s exciting like he really wants you to listen to his story. His childish daydreams tells you just enough to make you interested to hear more about his life growing up, and see how he solves the problems he establishes in this first track.Mike keeps you on your toes as one emotion that’s being conveyed never lasts very long. This album in the 40 minutes run time takes you from happy and comfortable, to a dark and depressed place, and this can quickly change from track to track. One track that shows this dichotomy is Happy Wasteland Day, where Mike gives us his take on the political landscape of 2017 while never mentioning the name of the largest contributor to the current state of affairs. The beat most prominently features a looped string instrument, backed by simple drums and bass supporting it. Mike’s lyricism in this track varies from on the nose to more abstract questions in simple lines. “When the king is a garbage person / I might wanna lay down and die” he repeats quite often as he wonders what he’s supposed to do. He poses a problem and offers a solution to himself within two lines, “Zombie sheriffs is tryna lynch us / Guess I’ll call up my congressman.” Mike makes a grim joke saying that the police force are like zombies out for their next meal, and what can he do about it but call his congressman? Mike knows it’s ultimately a futile act, and this sort of change is much bigger than one person.The climax of the album can not go without mention, and that is Brick Body Complex. The rebellious and hyped up track explains the title of the album. Mike’s ultimate comparison is that a black child in the hood is literally a building. That kid, because of a system designed to keep him down, has no upward mobility or anyway to move away from his current situation much like the building that he lives in. However, Mike tries to fight back this notion by saying that he is giant, he’s a superhero, and and that he’ll never fit their descriptions. They, in this case, being those who generalize an entire group of people because of their skin color and living situation. It’s a fantastic concept that Mike fully realizes on this song with his passionate, fast, and angry rapping about this state of affairs. This song truly showcases Mike’s talent as a musician, storyteller, artist, and this track is something that sets him apart from other rappers. It is a fleshed out idea, told in a personal way that makes comments on the truths of America, and delivered in a 4 minute showcase of lyrical wit and storytelling.The final track that deserves its own paragraph also happens to be the final track of the album. My Auntie’s Building is perhaps the dreariest song on the entire album, and despite the fighting back like Mike showed in Brick Body Complex, this is the beaten down side of him. “I’ll fight you all, I’m willing / Just show me who’s that villain / I don’t see no one, I don’t see no one / I can’t find nobody,” Mike says as he ultimately realizes this battle is one that can’t be one. There is no one single person to fight as this is a systematic problem. “They say America fights fair / But they won’t demolish your timeshare” are two simple bars that summarize the issue of gentrification. The beat is slow, with Mike rapping fast and he is pissed off. The album ends with him repeating “That’s the sound of them tearing my body down to the ground.” Mike one last time before his “death” reiterates that there is no hope or choice for him or kids like him, and that the system is too strong for one hero to beat alone.While the above tracks are worthy of their own paragraphs the others are just as good and are certainly not wasted space. Every track on this album is just as important as the ones surrounding it, and something that should be mentioned and something that Mike is known for is his humor. Mike still manages to keep his signature wit and humor despite the foreboding message. Like on No Selling (Uncle Butch Pretends It Don’t Hurt) he mentions how he had an asthma attack in the last bar, or on TLDR (Smithing) how he’s been woke for so long he needs a nap. He even seems to call this out on (How Could Anybody) Feel At Home where he says he’s told some goofy shit that sounds like a poem, and reading through Mike’s bars there’s a lot of truth to that statement. Mike often feels like he’s reading to you, and his personality is full of wit and funny bars, and while this album is more serious in tone Mike does not give up what he’s known for to deliver his message.The beats on this album are also worthy of praise as Mike decided to take in ten producers over the course of twelve tracks. Exile (Legendary Iron Hood & Happy Wasteland Day) and Illingsworth (Daydreaming In The Projects & TLDR (Smithing)) both produced two tracks. Mike’s lengthy list of producers each bring their own flavor to each track, and shows how Mike is unafraid of going up against some experimental or different beats. Legendary Iron Hood features a beautiful and serene piano and guitar which is completely different from No Selling which makes uses of a simple low synth and vocal samples. And both of these tracks are completely different from something like 95 Radios which is the poppiest track on the album, and has a more prominent yet simple drum beat and bells. Every track is distinct and stands on its own, but is all brought together by Mike’s confidence over them. Mike knows exactly what to bring to each track to complement the beat and most importantly deliver his message and see his vision.Something that I picked up on throughout this record is that Mike mentions some form of motion whether it is him being still or being in perpetual motion, and a reference to this can be found on almost every track on the album. In the beginning of the album he talks about moving a lot like on Legendary Iron Hood he talks about how he can't be stopped and nothing will stop him, or on (How Could Anybody) Feel At Home he “spun around in circles on the globe.” But as the album progresses he is tired and in pain. The entirety of No Selling is about working too hard, and is a direct reference to “selling” in wrestling meaning that a wrestler is selling to the audience how hurt he is. In this case, Mike is “no selling” or trying to pretend like he’s not hurt, but truly all of this work is tiring him out. In the later points of the album there is emphasis on standing still or being in the same place, and this goes hand in hand with Mike making the comparison of a black kid to a building. Buildings are constant. They never move, even when it rains, or in the wind, or in the snow, and they will always be right where they were intended to be. Black kids living in the hood think they will move, get out of the hood, and live better lives, but throughout this album Mike is telling us that this is just a daydream, that it will never happen and that is by design. The final track My Auntie’s Building continues to hammer this point home. “And they hit that shit with a wrecking ball so hard / Thought the whole earth broke / All them people dispersed though / Federal to commercial.” The people of the Robert Taylor Homes were forced out, nowhere to go, and ultimately ended up lining the pockets of the wealthy by having to live in for profit housing.This record is a fantastic, and beautiful commentary on Mike’s upbringing and the climate of 2017. This record is as much of a commentary on Trump as it is on Mike’s home in Chicago, and has become one of my favorite records of the year and by far my favorite record that feels like it is a response to the election of Donald Trump. I truly loved this album, and as I continued to relisten to write this review I only fell more in love with it. Open Mike Eagle did an incredible job with this record, and I’m excited to see where he goes next, but I’d also be content if he takes his time with the next one because I’ll be playing this for a long time.Favorite Lyrics:1.My big dumb brain’s an electrical oceanStarted walking now my legs in perpetual motion2.Don’t call me nigga or rapperMy name is motherfucking Michael Eagle, I’m sovereignI come from a line of ghetto superheroes3.Between shrooms and touring I'm sure to take a bunch of tripsAnd fuck that one guy who’s screen name was "thunderlips"Pelt him with a bag full of mesquite flavored Kruncher chips4. (Bars from feature guest, Sammus)On my Apple updating my E-ShopsEat a apple a day, take a brief pauseTake a nap, lie awake in-between sobsThen I rap and I pray and the grief stops5.The old me would drink a 40And eat bologna, shinobiOn NBA Live, I play with KobeDiscussion Questions:I’ve seen a lot of debate on whether or not this is better than Dark Comedy? Thoughts?As far as “reactions to Trump” go, how do you feel about this album compared to others who did the same?Do you find any validity in my claims about Mike’s use of motion in this album?Do you think Open Mike Eagle’s use of several different producers was a benefit, or would you have preferred he stuck with only a few. Would you like to see other rappers take this sort of approach?

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