#Long live Brian David Gilbert

[always-just-down-the-street]

The Implications of Brian David Gilbert Being a Time Lord and Why You Should Be Terrified [3:18:20]

[deadtower]

SO YOU WANT TO GET HIRED IS NOW LIVE ON ITCHIO! :D

This thirty-page guide is specifically written to help you navigate the world of working-class jobs. In it, I break down what to put in your resume (even if you have no experience at all!), how to dress for the interview, how to play the very confusing and nonsensical world of the working-class interview, and what happens after you drag yourself out of the crucible of the interview on your hands and knees.

It's helpful! It's for those of us who want to know how to get hired for something as menial as a food runner! It's not that long, so you don't need to carve out several hours to in-depth research! It's got jokes — and Brian David Gilbert references!

Please reblog to help reach as many people as possible, because sometimes we all need a little help adulting, and I'm here to share what I know with you, no judgment.

(If you want to make sure I am not forced to be victim to website fees, you can always just send me $3 on Ca$h@pp/V3nm0 (deadtower) or P@yp@l (paypal.me/deadtower) and email me at februaryfirstpublishing@gmail.com with your username/when you sent the money, and I can send you the PDF that way! Also, if you can't afford it, no worries! Just shoot me an email and I'll send it to you discounted to as low as $1, or for free, depending on your financial situation. I want everyone to have access to the resources they deserve. <3)

[the-moral-of-the-rose]

If anybody wanted to write a crossover between L.M. Montgomery's books, here is a little help with the ages of the characters (@no-where-near-hero maybe it will be a tiny help for your fanfic):

Anne Shirley - born on 5th of March 1865

Gilbert Blythe - born in 1862 or 1863

James Matthew "Jem" Blythe - born in July 1893

Walter Cuthbert Blythe - born in 1894

Anne "Nan" and Diana "Di" Blythe - born in 1896

Shirley Blythe - born in 1888*

Bertha Marilla "Rilla" Blythe - born in 1900*

Gerald "Jerry" Meredith - born 1894

Faith Meredith - born 1895

Una Meredith - born 1896

Thomas Carlyle "Carl" Meredith - born 1897

Jims Anderson - born in August of 1914

Emily Byrd Starr - born on 19th of May 1888

Ilse Burnley - born in 1888 (probably)

Perry Miller - born in 1887

Frederick "Teddy" Kent - 1887 or 1888

Dean Priest - born in 1865

Patricia "Pat" Gardiner - born in 1913

Rachel "Rue" Gardiner - born in 1919

Winnifred "Winnie" Gardiner - born in 1910

Sidney "Sid" Gardiner - born in 1912

Joseph"Joe" Gardiner - born in 1908

Hilary Gordon - born in 1911

Elizabeth "Bets" Wilcox - born in 1913

David Kirk - born around 1893

Jane Stuart - born in May 1918 or 1919

Valancy Stirling* - born 1883**

Barney Snaith - born 1877**

Cecilia "Cissy" - born 1886**

Olive Stirling - born 1884**

Gay Penhallow - born in 1904***

Nan Penhallow - born in 1904***

Roger Dark - born in 1890***

Donna Dark - born between 1894 and 1896***

Virginia Powell - born between 1894 and 1896***

Peter Penhallow - born between 1888 and 1890***

Margaret Penhallow - born 1872***

Brian Dark - born 1916***

Hugh Dark - born in 1887***

Joscelyn Penhallow: born between 1889-1892***

*In both Anne of Ingleside and Rainbow Valley Shirley is two years older than Rilla. But in Rilla of Ingleside, he turns eighteen few months before Rilla... it is pure chaos. Rilla was supposed to be nearly fourteen, according to the RV, in 1914, but she is nearly fifteen in RoI. So I apologize, but I had a lot of trouble here...

**The Blue Castle is the most difficult to place in time. It is set several years before it was published, and in my own opinion: before Tangled Web and Pat of Silver Bush. Why? Because of this reference: "This was before the day of bobs and was regarded as a wild, unheard-of proceeding—unless you had typhoid." (The Blue Castle). Bobs were already "in fashion" at the beginning of Pat of Silver Bush (so, in 1919, when Pat was six years old: it was said that Winnie wanted to have her hair bobbed) and in Tangled Web (which is set in 1922). Yet, the cars, motorboats and movie theaters were a rather common occurence in The Blue Castle's times. But... there might be an explanation. Valancy doesn't live on PEI, which might have been a little "behind" the rest of Canada, as far as modern technology went. It is my own personal opinion, but I think that it might be set just before the war, at the same time as the end Emily's Quest. I know that the clothes seem more "modern" in TBC, but Emily wore "a little sport suit" and dress that was described as followed "there was so little of it". Teddy and Perry both had cars, as sone of Ilse's cousins. I would say that the Blue Castle book might be set around 1912-1913. Still, the timeline is extremely elusive. Please, let me know, dear Blue Castle Book Club's members, what is your opinion? I think I have read some amazing discussion about TBC's timeline a long time ago, but if I remember correctly, everyone was certain that this novel was set post WWI (me included, until this very moment when I tried to place Pat and Tangled Web and remembered the "bob" quote). So I choose 1912 as the beginning of TBC, when Valancy was twenty-nine.

*** the ages of characters in Tangled Web:

"They were first cousins, who were born the same day and married the same day,--Donna to her own second cousin, Barry Dark, and Virginia to Edmond Powell--two weeks before they had left for Valcartier. Edmond Powell had died of pneumonia in the training camp, but Barry Dark had his crowded hour of glorious life somewhere in France." (Tangled Web).

"Virginia Powell, whose husband had been dead eight years and who was young and tolerably beautiful" (Tangled Web).

"Valcartier, Quebec was the primary training base for the First Canadian Contingent in 1914."

- from: https://www.warmuseum.ca/firstworldwar/history/going-to-war/canada-enters-the-war/training-at-valcartier/

So, from this I assumed that Virginia's husband died in 1914 (so Tangled Web is set in 1922-23). Gay is 18 at the beginning, so she would be born in 1904. If Donna and Virginia were 18-20 when they got married, they would be 26-28 (so still "young"). at the beginning. Peter was 14 when Donna was 8, so he'd be 32-34 at the beginning of the book (same age or a bit older than Roger). Hugh was 35 at the beginning. I guess Joscelyn was a bit younger- most of LMM's heroines are at least two years younger than their love interest. I'd say she might have been 20-23 when she got married, so she'd be around 30-33 at the beginning of the book. I would say Brian is about six years old - he doesn't seem to attend school yet, but is big enough to be sent to the harbour. Margaret Penhallow was about fifty at the beginning of the book.

So sorry that this post was rather long, but it was a great fun to write (even if it took me A LOT of time). Thank you for reading. Please, let me know if you agree. Any feedback will be very welcome!

[thisisnotthenerd]

Dimension 20 Episode of the Day: 6/24

Today's Episode is: Fantasy High Oneshots, Episode 1, Fantasy High LIVE in Brooklyn

Original Release Date: 6/24/2019

The Quick Synopsis: The Bad Kids team up with shy theater kid Hargis, played by Brian David Gilbert, to face down a suspicious new lead actor in the Aguefort Adventuring Academy's production of Northside Story.

Quotes:

Gorgug, you put this beautiful wig on. In that moment, what does Gorgug most want to look like?

A bunch of gnats. It's a big eye, right? ~ Zac Oyama

So, you see, you see that Occularia hits the cloud of gnats. Gorgug, in reality, you feel your body turn to stone and a statue Gorgug rests on the stage. Everyone else sees a hovering swarm of stone gnats. That, I'm gonna say, collapse on the stage, in a pile of sand, wearing blonde wigs, basically. Gorgug, you are stone. ~ Brennan Lee Mulligan

Today's Episode is: A Crown of Candy, Episode 11, At the Mountains of Sweetness

Original Release Date: 6/24/2020

The Quick Synopsis: The Taste Buds come face to face with mistakes of the past and hope for the future as they had for the Mountains of Sweetness.

Quotes:

"Oh, I slipped in some chocolate and dropped some jelly beans." ~ A gumdrop farmer, inadvertently causing a crisis

Theo and Saccharina, as Cumulous pores through artifacts:

"I feel like he's gonna fall apart."

"Is it a danger to him?"

"I've known him for two days."

"To cry like this?"

[Cumulous gasping emotionally]

"He seems to have survived for a long time so I would assume so, but he also worked with Lazuli."

"I mean, it's just… Oh, he found..."

"He found the ring pop."

[Cumulous weeping]

"He found the ring pop. The ring pop. This is why I do what I do. Do you see what magic does for people? Oh, there is just nothing more beautiful."

[constelationprize]

📚and✍️ for the fanfic questions!

📚 Is there a fanfic or fanfic writer you recommend?

Oh. Several.

I love all of @dayurno's fics, the patron saint of Kevin Day POVs. This is also the place where I admit to not having finished the name of the game yet despite it being one of the fics that convinced me to come back into the fandom, because something about it made me sad and I take. Absurdly long to finish things that make me sad. I also cleaned the 388 open tabs I had on my phone and forgot where exactly I had stopped. But Im going back there!!!! Someday. Also dayurno is so sweet and their blog is just a very fun place to hang out in.

@knickknacksandallthat A Falling Star series was literally the joy of my life the latter half of 2023 and knowing there was going to be a new chapter every friday helped me through some of the harshest weeks in college (and there were. A lot of them). I have reread the last chapter of Darkest Before Dawn many many many times because it is rare that miscommunication angst hits THAT good.

sunset, like survival by @jaywalkers is one of my favorite fics, ever, let alone in this fandom. Baltimore is my favorite part of the trilogy because of the emotional punch it packs and the way this fic takes that and turns it aaaaaall the way up in all three of the POVs is nothing short of masterful. It even makes me like the ending of that arc a little bit. Also the author just finished their other kandreil multichapter fic and it's the first thing on my reading list for my Carnaval break from work because you bet I'm gonna use all the time I can get to savour it.

I have the absolute privilege of betaing @queer-lovebot's fic Good to Go (Going Nowhere Fast) and it's just. So good. It's a WIP and there's two chapters out as of today and I think everyone in the entire world should read it maybe. Go check it out while it's still fresh so you can brag to your friends that you were here first!!!!!! (This is only a slight exaggeration. Fame is a construct but you should read it NOW anyway. Live dangerously go read a WIP).

Edit because I almost forgot: Have you heard the word of our lord and savior The Later Parade? I thought I liked Kevjean before I read this. I was wrong. This fic unlocked potentials of kevjean-loving within me only comparable to an anime villain revealing their final form. Like my bookmark on ao3 says, "this is the greatest thing I have ever read. goodbye".

✍️ What's your ideal writing set up?

At home, on my notebook in my desk, ceiling fan ON, with the biggest cup of passionfruit juice I can find, and wathever ambient noise my brain likes most at the time on repeat. (It can very from any song to rain sounds to those playlists of classical music. I once wrote 50k words to the repeated playlist of Brian David Gilbert's AAAAAAAAAH!BBA. Good times.)

[saingirl101]

NeverAfter Ep 14 As Brian David Gilbert Gifs (SPOILERS!!!!)

Well i've continued this series for this long may as well see this up to the final neverafter episode so onward to see what episode 14 has in store and what BDG gifs fit the big moments

As always:

The group dealing with the Mira and alba mac lir confrontation and backing away:

The gang failing to find a training bra for Ylfa and pinocchio nat 1-ing try to get a higher roll for rosamund:

Mother Goose finding out that Alba lives all versions of herself and being caught up in a vision:

Gerard getting another red manacala piece failing his charisma saving throw:

The gang trying to pay Alba by doing a a group dance:

Finding out the princesses sent rapunzel to entreat with the Baba Yaga and did not tell the full truth about the the princesses plans:

Gerard growing as a person and saying his relationship shouldnt impact the choice between seeing the princesses or seeing baba yaga:

Ylfa breaking her body through her wildshift to be a horse for mira:

Alphonse trying to run away from PIB with a fake mustache:

Finding out Scheherazade and Aesop have been holding the stepmother at bay in the lines between but cant rejoin with destiny's children:

SEEING CINDERELLA AGAIN:

Meeting Rapunzel and her sentient hair:

Meeting the Beast:

GETTING TO FINALLY SEE ELODY AND GETTING THE ELODY/GERARD REUNION:

ME SPECIFICALLY, AFTER THE BIG CONVERSATION BETWEEN ELODY AND GERARD:

The gang getting weird vibes after finding out the Princesses besieged the castle and killed the snow queen:

Finding out the ink in the cannonade would give Tim the power of the authors themselves theoretically:

Tim full on lying to the princesses about how the group got to the lines between:

Rosamund seeing the snow queens decapitated head as she is trying to have a fashion show montage:

The princesses plan to end stories:

FUCKING DW AND THE TRAILER FOR EPISODE 15:

And as always Brennan Lee Mulligan:

[focsle]

Finding out you live in New York was absolutely insane. I'll probably never see you (large ass city) but if I *did* I'd have the same reaction if I were to see Brian David Gilbert. Stunned silence and instant combustion.

I hope you have a great day! Seeing your blogging and art about whaling is fantastic, keep it up

For being the most populous city in the US by a long shot, it can be so Small Town sometimes. The number of times I’ve run into people in random ass places…way more than I ever did in my Actual Small Hometown.

Hope you have a great day too!

[neildylandy]

a couple years ago i made a brief but sincere effort to memorize the entire rap segment of brian david gilbert's perfect pokerap and while that quest has long since fallen to the wayside its soul still lives on in that sometimes i see a pokemon and my brain will instantly provide me with a fragment of metered verse about that pokemon & others

[worms-i-think]

I don’t remember if I sent you this already bc I have the memory span of a goldfish, but here:

🎶✨️when u get this put 5 songs u actually listen to, publish. Then, send this ask to 10 of your favorite followers (non-negotiable, positivity is cool)🎶✨️

hi pine!!! hope all’s well ٩(ᐛ)و and please get ready to have songs thrown at u!

• Like the Movies (by Laufey, link)

I’ve said it before on this blog, but I really love Laufey and am so glad she’s getting more recognition now—this one is essentially her daydreaming about living a fanfic life. Some of my other faves by her are Night Light, Falling Behind, and Above the Chinese Restaurant. All wistful, romantically inclined songs that I love!

• j’s lullaby (by Delaney Bailey, link)

This one makes me want to cry (in a good way) and sometimes that’s just what you need in a song. It feels simultaneously like the song you’d sing to a lover while you put a braid in their hair and they drift off to sleep, and one a new mother sings to a newborn. I put this on when I’m stressed or when I’m doing soft yearning hours while I draw and need a soundtrack.

• the fatalist (by girlhouse, link)

Self-callout time, this is a vent-adjacent sadness song about. You ever hang out with your friends for a long time, and then the happiness fades out super suddenly and you realize that moments pass by and you may never be as close to them ever again? Like that when they leave, it may be the last time? That is this song. Also singer is in an orca costume, very cool.

• Against the Kitchen Floor (by Will Wood, link)

I’ve got this one in a playlist of upbeat, upset songs, many urgently complaining about a failing, dysfunctional marriage, and this song is the grooviest of them! I love making themed playlists about very specific scenarios, & also book lists to go with them. The rest on this specific are all folk punk, so this one sticks out for being danceable.

• Follow Through (by The Altogether, specifically this version: link)

Ever wanted to see Brian David Gilbert sing a tender song about promising promising someone joy throughout their life? This is what you are looking for and it is very, very sweet. Maybe someday I might love someone as much as I love this song.

[saffalilac]

Saffalilac’s really long list of favorite media 💜

If I would reblog fanart of something, it’s probably going in this list!

Anime 🌸

Digimon Adventures

Fullmetal Alchemist

Houseki no Kuni

Hunter x Hunter

Mob Psycho 100

Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Soul Eater

Yu-Gi-Oh!

Yu-Gi-Oh! Season Zero

Blogs 🦙

Bogleech

hedgehog-moss

one-weird-mammal-a-day

Books 🐋

A Dog’s Purpose

Artemis Fowl

The Candymakers

The Heroes of Olympus

How to Train your Dragon

The Kane Chronicles

Little Thieves

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard

Percy Jackson and the Olympians

The Scholomance

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Six of Crows

Fanfiction ☔️

Being Dead Ain’t Easy (Yu-Gi-Oh!)

Blue Sky (Portal)

Fargo (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)

Luster (The Adventure Zone)

Of Trying and Towers (Sanders Sides)

One Last Theft (Artemis Fowl/Yu-Gi-Oh!)

Live Action Shows 🪨

The Good Place

It’s Me or the Dog

Lucifer

Parks and Recreation

Schitt’s Creek

Movies 🥙

Barbie movies pre-2008

Coco

Coraline

Encanto

Ernest & Celestine

Fiddler on the Roof

The Incredibles

Inside Out

Kung Fu Panda

The Prince of Egypt

Princess Mononoke

Ratatouille

Rise of the Guardians

Spider-Man: Spiderverse Trilogy

Spirited Away

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Winds

Tangled

Thor: Ragnarok

Toy Story 2

Up

Zootopia

Podcasts & Radio 🍇

The Adventure Zone

Cabin Pressure

My Brother, My Brother and Me

Typin’ Toons

Poetry 🫧

The Orange

Two-Headed Calf

Theater 💐

Bad Jews

Fiddler on the Roof

Hamilton

Wicked

Video games 🦎

Ace Attorney

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Bugsnax

Celeste

Chicory: A Colorful Tale

Deltarune

Fields of Mistria

Ghost Trick

Hades

Hollow Knight

Ib

Kid Icarus: Uprising

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Night in the Woods

One Shot

Pokémon

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon

Pokémon Ranger

Portal

Sara and the Sarcastic Creatures

Sonic Unleashed

Spelunky 2

Spiritfarer

Splatoon

Stardew Valley

Super Mario Picross

Super Smash Brothers Ultimate

To the Moon

Undertale

The Witch’s House

Webcomics 🏕️

Brimstone & Roses

Castle Swimmer

Cucumber Quest

Everything is Fine

Gunnerkrigg Court

Homesick

Homestuck

Lavender Jack

Let’s Speak English

Monster Pulse

Paranatural

Sleepless Domain

Suitor Armor

Yumi’s Cells

Yuna and Kawachan

Western Animation 🪻

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Bee and Puppycat

Bojack Horseman

Codename: Kids Next Door

Danny Phantom

The Dragon Prince

Gravity Falls

Hilda

Infinity Train

Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts

The Legend of Korra

OK K.O.!: Let’s Be Heroes

Over the Garden Wall

The Owl House

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

The Spectacular Spider-Man

Spongebob Squarepants (pre-season 4)

Steven Universe

Teen Titans

Wander Over Yonder

YouTube 🫐

Brian David Gilbert

Chuggaaconroy

Cranbersher

DanAndPhilGames

DougDoug

Jacksepticeye

Jarvis Johnson

Jenny Nicholson

Lofi Girl

Louie Zong

MelonyPepon

Monster Factory

Pikasprey Yellow

PlayFrame

ProZD

Rachel and Jun’s Adventures

RTGame

ScykohPlays

Skurry

SnapCube

Tasty

Vinesauce

Worthikids

Bonus: Videos I Have Watched A Whole Lot of Times

15 Very Dumb Things in Fantastic Beasts 2

The Adventure Zone: Balance trailer

A Man With No Rhythm Plays Rhythm Heaven Fever

The ACTUAL History of Bloons

Bad Guy — TAZ Animatic

Breaking Stardew Valley by Starting a Drug Farm [series]

Dhar Mann Solves Racism

Diamond Jack

Hollow Knight but Impossible

Hollow Knight but the items are split

I Can’t Decide — TAZ Animatic

I forced an AI to play a kids’ adventure game

I read the terrible Episode IX pitch where Rey is a robot

I Wanna Be The Guy - Cherry Apples! | PART 1 | ScykohPlays [series]

[I’m the Bad Guy]- Wander over Yonder Song

JackSepticEye Animated | The Tender Cut

Mambostuck (Homestuck Animation)

OK, Why is Everything Johnson & Benson? (Scambaiting)

Sherlock Is Garbage, And Here’s Why

Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) | Real-Time Fandub Games

thumbnail (ft. brian david gilbert)

Wire

[fuckedupinsect]

you either die the brian david gilbert or live long enough to see yourself become the pat gil

[skloobles]

what are Skloobles?

this question gets asked all the time by no one. so i thought i'd do an intro post! it's been long enough without one anyway.

i'm skloobles (plural, the singular is sklooble), i'm so gay, i'm from wales, but that's not all! my pronouns are mainly he/him, but i'm giving she/her a go to see if it fits.

i'm mainly a fan of hazbin hotel for the time being at least, but i'm also interested in (in no particular order) eurovision (which is a whole can of worms actually and mainly for my twitter which has now been deleted), history (no specific topic in particular but i'm fascinated by the inner workings of the weimar republic), public transit, the sims (specifically 2 and 4), and a whole host of other stuff. i like to write from time to time (i'm not that good at it), and i love to sing (which i'm also not that good at)! this blog is the dumping ground for all these interests! wahoo!

in terms of music? i tend to float from genre to genre, but i love a bit of abba and a little kate bush from time to time. i love songs that aren't in english and am currently looking for more welsh stuff so if u know any good ones lmk!

i don't really have any specific dnis. just no racists/transphobes/homophobes/general bigots. thx!

and now to list out some random things. i love halloween (i'm devising costume ideas rn. last year i went as the statue of liberty and the year before as drag margaret thatcher which was funny), my birthday's on 15 may (save the date), i'm about 5'8, i LOVE brian david gilbert he is an icon, i'm allergic to proper capitalisation, i think autumn is overrated, i love snow but live by the coast so we don't get it much (i also love storms but not all the time), i love both sir pentious and vox and i have to come to terms with the fact that my 2 favs hate each other, i can't keep up with internet slang, my favourite song from the 1970 musical company is barcelona closely followed by company and not getting married today, i really like vanilla ice cream, and i'm not sure how to end this list.

thanks for stopping by! hope you enjoy your stay <3

[shrunkupthejams]

hi! this snippet is yet unfinished, but i've been aching to share some writing. so here's a snippet that's nnsei-adjacent, inspired by brian david gilbert's vampire cover of "lay all your love on me"

Lay All Your Blood On Me

The choir’s angelic madrigals floated above them, lifting to the heavens as Brin kneeled before the prior. For his part, Prior Maxence had the grace to look uncomfortable about the proceedings. His face was contorted with the swallowed emotions of one failing to reconcile his beliefs with the orders of his goddess. If there was one thought that Brin hoped afflicted the prior, it was: What if my daughter were the one before me? 

Brin knew the prior’s daughter; she had grown up with Aeliane. They hadn't been close, but it was hard to negate a tie to someone you had been neighbours with your entire life. They had been playmates for as long as Brin could remember. Being so much more outgoing than Aeliane, it would've been hard for Brin not to adopt her into her circle of friends. Aeliane might not have been the friend type, but Brin had known her at least as well as she knew her cousins. Now that Aeliane was in boarding school… Well. 

As she looked up at the tall stained-glass windows above the altar, the red light of the setting sun streaming through them and painting the cathedral like blood, Brin supposed that death wouldn’t be so useless if it forced Prior Maxence to question the faith which he held onto so dearly. 

And what a morose thought that was, to consider bowing her head to the necessitated evil of her own death. If the death was the price for something which had not been her fault, Brin thought that perhaps the creature that had marred her humanity had been justified in its bottomless rage and hunger. Her tongue passed over the unfamiliar points of her new fangs, the hungry, inhuman part of her nagging her mind with a baser instinct which coiled like a half-starved snake beneath her ribs, waiting to strike. She wondered how freeing it would be to get a taste of their blood before she was forced into the next world. (If there was an afterlife for the likes of her. If her Awakening hadn’t robbed her of that, too.) 

Would her violent hunger vindicate their goddess’s orders? To rip them from this world rather than leave them to kiss the feet of a cruel deity would be an act of kindness. Though Brin supposed feeding on the clergy would only cement her inhumanity in their eyes with a vehemence. Perhaps killing them all would be too generous. 

Maxence would live, Brin decided. It was unnegotiable. The skies above and the ground below knew his children needed all the support they could get after the bloody tragedy four summers before. It would be fitting that blood followed this family. Besides, Brin couldn’t do that to Aeliane, even if they had never really been good friends. 

---

Brin was running and trying not to look back, but she did and begged the question: Does it make you a bad person to bad things to bad people to save yourself from being hurt? That new, inhuman hunger whispered, yes, with an intensity that frightened Brin. 

Before she knew it, she was in someone's backyard, tripping into a patch of cabbage. She cursed and hissed as she struggled to get up, her dress entangled in the chickenwire fence around the garden. 

Light flooded the yard from the house behind her, silhouetting her against the dark garden. Brin felt a heart squeeze with fear, and she was almost giddy with it until she turned and saw that it was Aeliane in the bright doorway. If she could, she would've gone pale to see her there. 

"Brin? What the fuck?" Brin didn't think the accusatory tone she heard was imagined. 

Shit. 

Brin could feel Aeliane's heart squeeze again as she scrutinized Brin from the doorway. "Is that— a sacrïé-chaussette?" The small fear in Aeliane's voice betrayed her angry front. 

[postmodern-nostalgia]

Pets rule the internet: a critique and comparison of Felipa Cheng’s Ode to Kring-Kring and Brian David Gilbert’s we like watching birds

With the constant rise of technological improvements and their growing relevance in our lives, new media art continues to thrive in both realms of art creation and appreciation. Not only are we provided with easy-to-access platforms to enjoy them; we are also given many opportunities to make our own at our fingertips. Look no further than the video sharing website Tiktok, where an average of 1 million videos are viewed daily (Mohsin, 2022).

Back in the day, short-form video content were not as appreciated as their full-feature counterparts. Full-length movies were always deemed to be the more difficult one to make–rightfully so because of their length. Quick video clips on the other hand, were considered only for gags, as in the case of the late 80s show America’s Funniest Home Videos, one of the earliest programs that gave these types of films a platform. It was not until internet access became more widespread that short viral videos became popular.

Today, short-form videos are given more credit and is seen as a legitimate medium where anyone can share whatever they want. There are clips that provide useful tutorials, news bits, and even plain entertainment. Enter two short-form videos with qualities that do not fit in just one category: we like watching birds (stylized in lowercase) and Ode to Kring Kring. Despite their vague classification and cryptic writing, these two depict a clear image of the state of internet culture today.

 we like watching birds

Brian David Gilbert, also known as BDG, is an online content creator known for both short-form and hour-long videos on YouTube. BDG previously worked for Polygon, a media company that covers various areas of pop culture such as Japanese anime and video games. On his eponymous YouTube channel, however, he has created a following with his brief, witty short-form content. These films are often about random, mundane topics such as caterpillars in this song is not a metaphor and playing darts in it’s time to get good at darts. we like watching birds is not an exception. The video immediately starts with a catchy song performed and composed by Gilbert himself, but this time with the vocal accompaniment of his partner Karen Han. It is, as stated in the title, about watching birds, and is constantly reiterated in the video by directly mentioning it and naming different species of avifauna–that is, until the happy melody devolved into a chorus about praising a one-eyed horrifying bird god.

A healthy number of Gilbert’s videos follow a similar sequence; they start off with a calm and cheery atmosphere and then, at an unexpected point in the video, begin to shift to a psychological genre. we like watching birds is initially presented as a shallow melody about bird-watching, but almost halfway through the video an unexpected, absurd lore was presented. The mood shifts back to a cheerful one before the video ends, albeit now mixed with a feeling of unease, especially in the line “we like watching birds, which is good, ‘cause we have no choice”, implying the singers’ newfound fear of the bird god after their occult-like worship.

Gilbert’s body of work can be described as postmodern absurdist comedy, described by Stockwell (2016) as a type of comedy that relies on the use of absurdity, non-sequiturs, and irrational or illogical elements to create a sense of surprise and confusion in the audience. Surrealist humor often aims to challenge the audience’s preconceptions and question the way they see the world. This type of humor is also postmodern in the sense that it “rejects grand narratives and universal truths” (Lyotard, 1997).

 Ode to Kring-Kring

Felipa Cheng is a communication arts student from the University of the Philippines Los Baños. During the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cheng produced several pieces of short-form videos dedicated to her friends. Her creations included faux album covers depicting what kind of recording artist her friends would be and what songs they would produce.

Ode to Kring-Kring, one of the clips from Cheng’s project, is a ‘hypothetical’ song that would be produced by one of her friends who owns a plump orange cat named Kring-Kring. The video was in a 1:1 aspect ratio, with a length of exactly one minute–a format which is perfectly made to be sent on the internet, be it a social media platform such as Instagram or a messaging app like Telegram. Cheng used digital software to render handdrawn animatics of a cat which, as mentioned in the song, is “sleeping on [its owner’s] face”.

The video also creates a calm and comforting atmosphere while also being humorous. Alexander (2022) mentions that a conducted by the University of Texas showed that even people who identify as ‘dog persons’ prefer cat-related memes on the internet. The psychological explanation to this phenomenon suggests that internet users that enjoy cat memes project themselves on the personality traits of cats, which include aloofness, independence, and unpredictability. Such qualities of the feline make them a suitable subject for irony and sarcastic humor. In turn, these traits of the cat meme create a sense of comfort.

 While the two short-form videos have high contrasts in their content, they have a significant common denominator, and that is their absurdity. Both cater to surrealist humor which has been the online community’s form of escape especially during the rise of multiple world crises (Matsakis, 2017). The growing acceptance of weird content on the internet, combined with the unstoppable growth of short-form content and the diminishing attention span of viewers, will not be going anywhere, and it will continue providing the solace that is much needed in this era of information overload.

 References:

Alexander, L. (2022, January 4). Why the internet chose cats. Thought Catalog. Retrieved January 26, 2023, from https://thoughtcatalog.com/leigh-alexander/2011/01/why-the-internet-chose-cats/

Cheng, F. (2021). Ode to Kring-Kring.

Gilbert, B. D. (2021, May 10). We like watching birds. YouTube. Retrieved December 23, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml7bK1jg69I&t=39s

Lyotard, J. F. (1997). The postmodern condition. University of Minnesota.

Matsakis, L. (2017, July 1). Surreal memes are the last escape the internet has. VICE. Retrieved January 26, 2023, from https://www.vice.com/en/article/xwz833/surreal-memes-are-the-last-escape-the-internet-has

Mohsin, M. (2022, December 31). 10 tiktok statistics you need to know in 2022 [new data]. Oberlo. Retrieved January 10, 2023, from https://www.oberlo.com/blog/tiktok-statistics

Stockwell, P. (2016). The Language of Surrealism. p. 177. Bloombury Publishing.

[notorious-bdg]

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if you haven’t already watched overboard just know that you’re missing out on things like brian doing charades

[yourfavisabaudelaireguardian]

Every Baudelaire Guardian (So Far)

This list is a long overdue way for y’all to see past guardians before requesting and a way for me to keep track of who I’ve already made a guardian, so let’s get this train rollin’!

(All Guardians names from first to most recent under the cut, will be updated as more characters are requested)

Kirby

Frankie Stein

Phoenix Wright

Harry Greenwood

Hiccup and Astrid Haddock

Reginald Hargreeves

Toriel

The Sorting Hat

Jack Skellington

@/virtualfindingsdocumented

Noodle

BMO

Reigen Arataka

Taako Taaco

John Mulaney

Dr. Doofenshmirtz

Chidi Anagonye

The Kratt Brothers

Ronald McDonald

CoryXKenshin

Freddy Mercury

Darth Vader

Jefferson Davis

Marie Kondo

Jonathan Van Ness

Maes Hughes

Harold Hill

Dutch van der Linde

Isabelle

@/milesgonzalomorales

You

Carol Danvers

Molly Weasley

Grunkle Stan

Magnus Bane

Scott Howl

William Shakespeare

George Salazar

@/unfortunate-stranger-losers

Luke Skywalker

Belle

Yoshi

@/barb-baudelaire

Me

Luigi

Soldier 76

Emily the Corpse Bride

Neil Cicierega and Ming Doyle

Optimus Prime

Papyrus

Robert E.O. Speedwagon

Julian Devorak

Rex Dangervest

Meta Knight

Moominmamma and Moominpappa

Rapunzel and Eugene Fitzherbert

A knife

David

A bigger knife

Xemnas

Tony Stark

@/badasouefanficideas

MatPat, Safiya Nygaard and Rosanna Pansino

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Miss Honey

MatPat but with StephPat this time

Thomas Sanders

Magnus and Julia Burnsides

Ruff Ruffman

Willy Wonka

An even bigger knife

Amy Rose

Video Game Sonic the Hedgehog

Scott Lang

A Googly Eyed Slinky

@/snicketstrange

@/sqenthusiast , formerly @/larry-your-gayter

A Dog

@/teeny-beany, formerly @/afarmforthree

The Crystal Gems

@/arisabunni, formerly @/hongmoondescendant

The Biggest Knife Ever in Bowie, Texas

Malina Weissman, Louis Hynes and Presley Smith

Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Linda and Laurence Flynn-Fletcher

Alice Liddell

Star Butterfly and Marco Diaz

Lancer

Demi Lovato

Princess Peach

Marianne

Dad Egbert

Bayonetta

Phil Coulson

The Phantom of The Opera / Erik Destler

Original Design of Live Action Sonic

Thumb-thumbs

@/bi-baudelaires

Shrek

Greg Universe

@/cloverlady

Brian David Gilbert

Robert Manion

Yondu Udonta

Seven

Mary Poppins

Monika

Cherry

The VFDiscord

Ke$ha

Jay Gatsby

Kermit the Frog

Brandon Rogers

@/someones-mayhem

S. Theodora Markson

Chris McLean

Pepper Potts

James

Linebeck

Lucretia

@/olivia-caliban

@/oliviacalibans, formerly @/olivia-calibansnicket

Iris, Talia and Auriana

Final Pam

Miss Frizzle

Crowley and Aziraphale

La Muerte

Leo Valdez

Princess Tiana

Cats (2019)

Bubblegum and Marceline

Gary Goodspeed

Otto Wood

Ouran High School Host Club

Mothman

Tulio, Miguel, and Chel

Quentin Coldwater

Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey

Garfield

Fix-It Felix and Sergeant Tamora Calhoun

Barbara and Adam Maitland

Kit Snicket

Dan and Phil

Cole

Bill Nye

The Untitled Goose

Scooby Doo

@/vacuum-fluorescent-display

@/violetsnickets

@/broke-on-books

Eleanor Shellstrop

@/m-orgueous

@/aseriesofhyperfixation

@/vfdbaudelairefile13

Rosalina

Brennan Lee Mulligan

Spyro

Batman

Final Design of Live Action Sonic

Dio Brando

The Bad Kids

Erika and Princess Annelise

Hat Kid

Princess Diana

Marshall Mallow

Milo

Giovanni Potage

Hermes

Oliver and Lisa Douglas

Grogu

Din Djarin

Percy King

Miss Acacia

Wrench

Nico Di Angelo

Aizawa

Kobe Bryant

George Memeulous

@/thesciencebros

Ozma of Oz

@/beth-the-robot-enthusiast

Gerard and Lindsey Way

Merle Highchurch

Jerma985

Commander Up

Oliver and Felicity Queen

Steve and Alex

Dale Cooper

Miss Alma Le Fay Peregrine

Queen Barb of the Rock Trolls

Shadow the Hedgehog

Dave Strider and Karkat Vantas

Jonathan Joestar

Spinel

Mayor Damien

Fairy Mary

Gomez and Morticia Addams

Unus

Eijiro Kirishima

Blue the Dog

@/lostf3ralchild

The Parr Family/ The Incredibles

Five Hargreeves

The Imagination Movers

Coraline Jones

Charles and Jerome Squalor

Clarisse La Rue

The Fellowship of the Ring

Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck

Alucard Tepes, Trevor Belmont and Sypha Belnades

Minnie Le Guin

Barry Bluejeans and Lup Taako

Cyrus and Evelyn Laurie

Red Guy and Duck

Felix Unger and Oscar Madison 

Mr. Nicholas Benedict

L

Asgore

Satine

Ted Spankoffski

Toko Fukawa and Komaru Naegi

Samuel Vimes

Ph1lza

Rick O'Connell and Evie Carnahan

Leon Kennedy

Team Dark

Sasha Nein

Sam and Max

Drawfee Cast

Bruno Madrigal

The Amazing Karnak