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tfwriting · 2 years ago

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We Need To Talk :: Optimus Prime x Human! Reader Rating: G Summary: You a petty human confess your feelings to Optimus Prime. And you wanted to talk to him. Until he opens up. Words: 584

You were sad that you can't even fuse with Optimus, considering you weren't a prime or a bot like him. He begins to laugh after you found out you were unable to fuse.

"I know! That's the problem! I'm just a human." You said looking down. The godforsaken Prime continued to laugh.

"That's not a problem! I love humans! You're all so funny!" Optimus said. You grimaced at the Primes words.

"Look... these last few months have been great-" You started.

"Oh, yes." The prime said seductively.

"...but I'm getting a little worried about the future." You started.

"Oh! Just ask Primus." Optimus said.

"I'm starting to wonder if you... respect me?" You asked the prime.

"Oh, you're hilarious, Mrs. (L/N)." Optimus laughs.

"Oppy, please!" You begged the Prime continued laughing.

"Can you just-" You started. Optimus kept laughing more.

"-TALK TO ME FOR ONE SECOND!? LIKE A REAL PERSON!?" You shouted. The Prime abruptly stopped laughing, startled and shocked. The track on the record then changed into a more somber tune.

"... I'm... not... a real person... I thought... Haven't we... Is this not how it works?" He asked you.

"Oh... oh boy... this is so weird, you really are an alien..." You started laughing hysterically, tears in your eyes.

"Why are you laughing?" Optimus asked you, You then broke down into tears, still laughing

"Why are you crying?" He asked you.

"How are we gonna make this work?" You asked.

"Fusion?" The Prime asked.

"No, us. We're really, really different."

"What do we do now?" He asked.

"... Let's just... talk." Prime then placed you on his hand.

"I barely know you." You said.

"That's a good thing." He said.

"We really rushed into this." You said.

"Everything on Earth seems fast to me." He states.

===

"Do you... miss your home planet?" You asked.

"No, never." Optimus responded. "How'd you end up with, uh, Harpo, Groucho, and Babyo?" The Prime quickly realized you are referring to the autobots. Who had been watching the two this whole time.

"Huh? Oh, them? Those are long stories." Bumblebee, in plain sight, waved at You and Prime. Ratchet peeked out from behind a hand rock, behind ducking back in hiding with Arcee.

"What are they doing?" Ratchet asked.

"Shh." Arcee states.

"Have you... loved... other humans?" You asked.

"Have you?" Optimus asked.

"Yes." You said.

"Yes." Optimus confirmed.

"Have you ever been... in love... with a human?" You ask

"How would I know?" Optimus asked.

"It's torture." You said. Prime placed you down away from you, his faceplates sweaty from nervousness.

"Oppy..." you said.

"(Y/N)?" Optimus questions

"Is this torture?" Optimus asked.

"The worst." You said.

"I'm so sorry..." Optimus said.

"Huh? No, don't be!" You said.

"What!? Why not!? Oooh, I'm so confused..." Optimus said. You chuckled.

"Me too!" You said.

"Well! U-uh, this is good! We've got one thing in common!" Optimus said.

"Ha!" You laughed.

Prime lifted You off the stereo, and both of you began dancing and laughing again.

"Why are they still dancing!? I-it didn't work!" Ratchet said.

"Yes it did." Arcee said. She noticed something about you.

"What!?" Ratchet noticed too.

"It worked." Arcee said.

The record tune changed to a jazzy one.

"[I think this one's my favorite.]" Bumblebee states.

Ratchet is saddened "... I think Optimus is (Y/n)'s favorite too.

You and Optimus continued dancing and twirling.

#transformers #transformers prime #transformers prime optimus prime #transformers prime optimus prime x human! reader #transformers prime optimus prime x reader #transformers fanfiction #transformers fic #transformers fanfic #fanfic #fanfics #fanfiction #writeblr #self-shipping-writing-blog #maccadam

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forestwater87 · 5 years ago

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Secret Santa 2019, Ch. 3

July 8, 2016

7:29 PM

“Ohh, goodness.” David clutched his hands close to his chest, eyes darting around them as they crossed the near-empty parking lot toward Muffin Tops. He huddled closer to Jasper’s side despite the oppressive heat. “Oh my gosh.”

“Will you fucking chill?” Gwen snapped, David’s nervousness clearly getting to her as well. “It’s not like you’re gonna be up on stage.”

“Okay, but I vote we get him up there at the first opportunity,” Jasper cut in, smiling despite the fact that he was feeling pretty weird himself. It wasn’t like he normally took his friends to strip clubs in his spare time, after all. He wasn't that kind of guy (namely, a frat bro or the President). “I bet we could talk Bon into it if the place is dead enough.”

David’s fingers dug into his sleeve, hard enough to drag blunt painful lines down his arm. “Don’t!” he cried, once again glancing around.

Jasper leaned in and kissed David’s temple, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “It’s all good,” he assured him. “And none of our campers are local this year, so you don’t have to keep worrying about parents seeing us.”

“I’m not . . .” He trailed off, seeming to realize that it wasn’t worth trying to lie. His shoulders slumped defeatedly as Jasper ushered them into Muffin Tops. “Thank you,” he murmured, slipping inside, and he knew it wasn’t just for holding the door.

“Always,” he replied, and they fell into step behind Gwen.

Or -- took a few steps, then immediately stopped because she had faltered to a halt, looking around the dim, noisy space with a panicked look in her eyes.

He leaned in close to David’s ear and said, “Remember Davey, we’re being supportive.”

His eyes widened and he stood upright with a start, like he’d just been caught falling asleep in the middle of a camp activity. “Oh! You’re right!” He pulled away from Jasper, bouncing up to Gwen’s side. “Where should we sit, CBFL?” he chirped; his enthusiasm was a little too child-friendly for this situation, but Jasper watched, impressed, as David led her to a booth near the back of the club with the determined good-naturedness of a sheepdog, settling her in and immediately hopping up to get drinks. “Would you like anything, Jasp?”

“Beer’s fine. Literally whatever’s closest.” He took a seat across from Gwen, and for a moment they both watched David disappear into the gloom. “Doing okay, sport?” he asked; they both winced at his profound dorkiness, but he tried to shake it off. “You look nice.”

She chuckled self-consciously, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “You sure?” For once they didn’t have to wear their counselors’ uniforms, and Gwen had blown her hair up like a 60s soap opera star and done . . . something to her face; Jasper wasn’t sure what, but it kind of made her look like a magazine cover version of herself. (If he’d ever managed to get his face to look like that, he’d probably stare into a mirror until he died of starvation like Narcissus. He resolved to look up men’s makeup later, just for the hell of it -- even though he’d probably come across more like an overweight vampire than David Bowie.) They’d had to talk her out of calling the whole thing off when she’d emerged from her room looking dressier than Jasper and David combined, but in the flashing colors and low light of the club Gwen looked infinitely more like she belonged than Jasper did in his vintage -- which was really a nice way to say “old and kind of trashy” -- technicolor clothes and David’s impossibly wrinkle-free polo shirt and jeans.

Jasper suddenly realized how improbable the three of them looked together, like they came from different planets. A supermodel, a Mormon missionary, and a sentient pile of thrift-store rejects walk into a strip club . . .

“Gwen,” he said sincerely, “I would bet a hundred bucks you could take anyone in here home if you wanted to.”

She snorted, looking pleased despite herself. “And yet it’ll just be you two.”

He leaned back, grinning. “I know,” he agreed, catching sight of David weaving through the tables, which were finally starting to fill up. “Aren’t you lucky?”

David set their drinks down with the grace of a bartender (which he was, the rest of the year) and slid into the booth next to Jasper. “Well, Gwen,” he said, folding his hands on the table like he was going to pray, “what do you think?”

She froze with her glass halfway to her mouth, eyes wide and wary. “About what?”

“All this, of course!” He gestured around the room, where a steady stream of people were picking their way through the tables scattered like islands through the low warehouse; where women, wearing glittery scraps of nothing that caught the lights like fireflies, were ferrying drinks to and from the bar and flirting with apparent regulars. No one was onstage at the moment, but there was an expectant hum underneath the pounding music, and two poles were lit up by spotlights. “Where should we begin?”

“Begin . . . what?” Gwen glanced over at Jasper, looking like she was regretting every recent decision. He shrugged, thinking that maybe David was being too supportive now and wondering if he could possibly tone that shit down before something really stupid happened.

The sunshine drained from David’s face slightly, and he also turned to Jasper. “Gee, I don’t know.”

They were both looking at him, and he groaned. “Well, I don’t know either! Pretty sure the only place I’ve ever been like this was some . . . furry vore land in Second Life. That was a weird afternoon -- remind me to tell you about it later,” he added to Gwen, winking. “Why don’t we just ask Bon?”

David’s face brightened as Gwen’s paled. “We so don’t need to --”

“What a neat idea, Jasp! Come on!” David leapt to his feet, taking Jasper’s hand before giving Gwen an appraising look. “. . . On second thought, maybe you should wait here. With . . .” He widened his eyes, jerking his head in her direction with all the subtlety of Groucho Marx.

Jasper reminded himself to never allow his boyfriend to consider a career in espionage. “What exactly are you expecting me to do? Tackle her if she makes a break for it?”

David either didn’t hear this comment or chose to ignore it, turning away with a wave and a cheery “Be right back!” before diving back into the growing crowd. Jasper just sighed and lifted his beer, clinking it against the drink Gwen had set down on the table.

“Cheers.” When she didn’t respond, slumping back in the booth like she was going to disappear under the table, he placed his hand on her forearm. She jumped at the sudden touch, nearly knocking her glass over, and with his beer-laden arm he gingerly slid it out of her reach. “What gives, Gwengarry Gwen Ross? I thought you liked Bon.”

The dumb nickname didn’t make her smile. “I mean, I do,” she said with a miserable shrug. “But of all the people here to talk to about this? After that play disaster?”

He winced at the memory. During one of Preston’s earliest plays of the summer, Max had stolen Gwen’s phone and changed everything from her “Looking For” (all genders, “anything as long as it’s nasty”) to her photo (Neil, who was at that age where boys kind of looked like gangly, awkward young women in the right light) and had snagged the attention of one of the few eligible townies in Sleepy Peak. That debacle had ended in an extremely awkward date between Gwen and Bonquisha Harding, a woman with the body of a pro wrestler and the personality of a monster truck. They were pretty good friends now -- and the four of them got together every few weeks to watch old movies -- but he could see why it might be uncomfortable to chat with her ex about lap dances or . . . whatever.

“I mean, I told her I was straight! And now what? Like, is she gonna think I’m stalking her at work?” Her eyes widened in horror. “Oh fuck, what if she thinks I want to go out with her or something? Or what if she thinks I don’t wanna go out with her? We decided this wouldn’t work because I was straight! And if I’m not? That’s so insulting! What if --”

“Breathe, Rumpelstiltsgwen.” She glared at him -- he had to admit, it wasn’t his best work -- and he handed over her drink along with his beer. “I think you need this more than I do.” She took both drinks, finishing them in record time, and despite the situation he was impressed. “You must’ve been fun in college.”

She snorted, glancing over Jasper’s shoulder and swallowing hard. He turned to see David scurrying back to their table, dwarfed by the beautiful gold-glittery amazon at his side. “H -- hi, Bon,” she said weakly as they approached.

“Hey, sugar!” Bonquisha kissed the air next to Gwen’s cheek and settled into the booth. She was wearing a shimmering bikini-type-thing (he wasn’t very good with women’s clothing) that reminded him of Princess Leia, and sparkles were splashed across her cheekbones and shoulders like freckles made of stars. “It’s fantasy night,” she explained at his curious look, hoisting up a fake spear before turning her attention back to Gwen. “Hear you’re looking to join the other team?”

Gwen buried her face in her hands with a groan, sinking down into her chair. “Don’t say it like that.”

“Aw, come on! It’s a great place to be!” Bon spread her arms across the back of their seat and grinned at Jasper and David, a wide, expansive smile that was impossible not to return. “Right, guys?”

David looked like he wasn’t sure how to respond to that, so Jasper jumped in: “Bonnaroo, I think Gwen’s a little nervous about how to . . . you know . . .” He raised his eyebrows, not sure how to explain what exactly they were here for. “Do it. Not -- not it, but like . . . stuff. All of it. I should stop talking.”

She laughed. “Don’t worry, Gloomy,” she said to Gwen, flicking her ponytail affectionately, “we get a lotta women like that coming around here, so all the girls know it’s standard procedure. This is a good place to figure yourself out.”

Gwen had been staring steadfastly at the table, but glanced over at Bonquisha, the corner of her mouth lifting. “Really?” she asked hopefully.

“Totally! Now, I gotta get back to work because they don’t pay me to pal around with my friends --” She winked. “-- but start by just looking, all right? You two,” she added, pointing at Jasper and David (who glanced at each other with some alarm), “you’re Gwen’s straight friends tonight, got it?”

Jasper suddenly felt like he needed a snapback and a sports jersey, maybe a shark-tooth necklace. “Guess we should get more beer,” he said to David, shrugging. “The more it tastes like horse pee, the better.”

“My man!” Bon held out her fist, and Jasper bumped it (feeling like the single whitest person on earth as he did so). “I’m due up onstage now or I’d get your drinks for ya. Tip Brandi well, she’s good people.” She put a hand on Gwen’s shoulder, her smile softening. “I’m proud of you, gloomy girl. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself, okay? Just have fun.”

As David escorted Bonquisha to the stage on his way back to the bar, Jasper studied Gwen’s face. She wasn’t on the verge of a panic attack, which was good, but she still seemed to have trouble looking away from the small tea light in the center of the table.

He supposed this was where his role as “straight friend” came in. “Uhh . . . she’s cute,” he finally said, glancing across the room at a woman decked out like a mermaid, complete with shimmering waves of black hair and a blue-green tail . . . skirt . . . thing (he really wasn’t good with women’s clothing) and feeling like the single skeeviest person on earth.

Which . . . was probably good, considering where they were. He was in character.

She glanced up, following his gaze to the mermaid in question. “Yeah,” she agreed. “Not really my type, though.” She covered her mouth as a sharp, nervous laugh bubbled out of her. “What the hell am I saying? I don’t have a type. I . . . god, what the fuck am I doing . . .”

“Hey,” Jasper said, leaning forward so she had to look at him instead of spiraling further. “It’s me, brah, your straight friend Jasper.” She snorted, some of the panic fading from her eyes. “And I’m telling you, as your straight friend, that we can leave any time you want. We’re here for you, Gwen.”

“Okay.” She took a deep breath, closing her eyes. “No pressure, right?” she asked, and the look on her face was so sincere, almost plaintive.

“Not even a single psi.” He wasn’t sure he was saying that right, having slept through most of his science classes in both high school and college. But it brought a smile to Gwen’s face, so he considered it a job well done.

She shook her shoulders, leaning forward and resting her chin in her hand, and examined the crowd with interest for the first time since they’d arrived. “All right,” she mumbled, mostly to herself. After a few seconds of silence she sat up straight again. “Oh,” she breathed, then tapped Jasper’s arm and gestured unsubtly toward a woman wearing fairy wings and wreathed in pink flowers. “She . . . uh, makes my chest feel kinda fizzy?” Her eyes met his, uncertainty mixed with excitement in her face. “Is that . . . ? ”

He glanced back in the fairy’s direction just as David bumped into her, balancing three beers. Despite his lack of hands, David steadied her with his elbow, his smile turning apologetic as he made sure she was okay before returning to their table. Their eyes locked and David’s smile widened.

And . . . well, yes, the feeling in Jasper’s chest was somewhat fizzy, because it turned out he wasn’t very good at being straight after all.

“Yeah,” he assured Gwen, unable to stifle a silly grin as he watched David approach. “Yeah, that’s definitely in the ballpark.”

Keep Reading

#campcamp #camp camp roosterteeth #campcampsecretsanta #jaspvid #cc jasper #cc gwen #cc david #forestwriting #this is as close as it gets to that teen rating i promise #i think it's cute enough to make up for any minor . . . uhhh let's call it 'challenging content'#i mean jasper being 'straight' is too wholsome #this is the one that goes closest to not quite aligning with my ss's requests though and i hope they don't mind too much #it all goes back to perfectly above-board from here on out

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omniversalobservations · 5 years ago

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Toon Sandwich (December 2019)

"Super-Hero-Bowl!" is a video created by ArtSpear Entertainment as part of their Toon Sandwich series, created using Adobe Flash and After Effects, and debuted in January 2017. The video is over 10 minutes in length, and features several cameo appearances of numerous protagonists and heroes from various movie and television franchises. Production on this video first started around June 2016, when the ArtSpear Entertainment staff began recording dialogue.

The video aims to answer one of the most commonly debated question of all: Who is the ultimate hero? In a comedic free-for-all, that's what the combatants are forced to find out as they are all pitted against each other in a battle of life and death. As of the creation of this page, the video has garnered more than 5 million views on YouTube alone.

A sequel, "Super-Villain-Bowl!", was released in April 2018. It follows the same premise as its predecessor, except this time featuring an ensemble cast of well-known villains from film and television, adding more humor and more bloodshed. Unlike the first installement, however, it also adds more of a backstory to the events being played out.

In December 2019, "Super-Showdown-Bowl!" was released, featuring the participants of the first two death matches (plus a few new faces) teaming up to take on the Oscar being forcing them to fight in the first place.

Source: TV Tropes

After wowing us with the Super Hero Bowl and Super Villain Bowl, Joe and Rita of ArtSpear Entertainment are back wit htheir most epic assembly of characters yet, as Good and Evil must team up tobattle an even more terrifying force, known as OSCAR. And this golden guy eats Infinity Stones as a snack.

Source: The Awesomer

DR. MANHATTAN: As the most frequent winner of the Super-Hero-Bowls, I have had the truth revealed to be many times by this... Oscar. It has taken years of practice, but I taught myself to retain my memories through my regenerations. With my powers of precognition, I foresaw a chain of events that could lead us to this moment. Before the conclusion of the last Super-Hero-Bowl, I committed supercide as a diversion, covertly restructuring myself inside the nearest cell, after which I was able to teleport between the cells until I’d found who I was looking for. [flashback ends] DR. MANHATTAN: Arise, warrior. THANOS: Where am I? Who are you? DR. MANHATTAN: I don’t have time to explain. In a few days’ time you will be forced to battle in an Arena. Unless you do as I say, you will lose. Remember these words... Her power is unbeatable, but it wasn’t always. THANOS: Whose power? What are you talking about? DR. MANHATTAN: When the time comes, you’ll know what to do.

[...]

LEIA: Help us, group of random time travelers. You’re our only hope. ["Sunday, December 24, 1939"] THE DOCTOR: What the blazes just happened? MARTY MCFLY: Doc! According to the time circuits, we’ve jumped back eighty years. HERMIONE: There’s people fighting down there! GROUCHO MARX: I’m more a lover than a fighter. At least I would be if my lovers didn’t put up a fight. SHIRLEY BLAKE: “On the good ship, Lollipop...” DOROTHY: There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home. [King Kong smashes them all with one fist] OSCAR: King Kong. You... are the Ultimate Warrior. [crowd boos] SPECTATOR: That didn’t go the distance at all! OSCAR: People, please - this is still in its infancy. The more movies Earth makes, the more characters there will be. Imagine this battle in eighty years. SPECTATOR: We don’t live that long!

[...]

RIDDLER: I’ve just got one question, which is rare for me! What in the world are we going to call our new world? NICK FURY: Avengerland! BATMAN: Justice World. GALADRIEL: Middle-Earth. WICKED WITCH: Oz! THOR: Asgard Two Point ... Oh. AUSTIN POWERS: Shagadelia! IRON MAN: Planet Stark. SNAPE: No. It cannot be associated with any one property. That wouldn’t be fair to the rest. DEADPOOL: How about... Fanfictasia? HARLEY QUINN: That’s horrible... I love it! FALKOR: Gets my vote. BLACK WIDOW: Fanfictasia it is. I don’t know what it means, but I like it. EGO: I’ll start building it as soon as we get there. Everyone can have input. QUEEN AMIDALA: It will be the first planet designed by committee. DR. MANHATTAN: Okay. Everyone brace yourselves... Next stop, Fanfictasia.

Source: YouTube

#unofficial #Thor #Hela #Loki #Harry Potter #Mantis #Korg #Wizard of Oz #Nebula #Thanos #Gamora #Star Lord #Star Wars #Bane #Joker #Lord of the Rings #Pirates of the Caribbean #Jurassic Park #Shuri #Breaking Bad #The Bourne Identity #Blade #Spider-Man #Wonder Woman #Avatar #Watchmen #Storm #Predator #The Mask #The Mummy #The Wolfman #Doctor Strange #Doctor Who #Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure #Austin Powers #Terminator #Back to the Future #Ant Man #Super Mario Bros #Grand Theft Auto #Frogger #Sonic #Pac Man #Centipede #Pong #Space Invaders #Simpsons #SpongeBob #Winnie the Pooh #Peanuts #Wile E. Coyote

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ramiscomakimaki · 7 years ago

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Jeffrey Lewis, The Burning Hell and my hooves in 360°

Feast yo’ eyeballs on this here 360° video playlist featuring: Jeffrey Lewis, Ariel Sharratt & Mathias Kom (The Burning Hell) and myself, The Ramisco Maki Maki Rocking Horse, throwin’ down @ The Treehouse, Lochcarron on Sept 9th, 2017.

youtube

Them there songs be ordered as they were played on the night with the exception of a few videos of myself which have been omitted due to missing audio. Where dat audio go?

Hosted by Planet Groucho Records. Sponsored by Strathcarron Brewery.

Filmed in 360° - best viewed with a #GoogleCardboard viewer.

Disclaimer: Yes, the video quality is pants, it's unfortunately the best 360° we could get for our budget. We call it the beer goggle filter.

#jeffreylewis #arielsharratt #mathiaskom #ramisco #jeffrey lewis #ariel sharratt #mathias kom #lochcarron #treehouse #lochcarron treehouse #strathcarron #360 #google cardboard #strathcarron brewery #planet groucho records #maki maki

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stevenuniversallyreviews · 7 years ago

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Episode 61: We Need to Talk

“I’m…not…a real person.”

In Reformed, we see Amethyst’s discomfort with her physical state lead to self-destructive self-loathing, and that’s her arc until Earthlings. In Sworn to the Sword, we see Pearl’s lingering feelings for Rose enhance a sense of worthlessness that damages her friends and herself (usually in that order), and that’s her arc until Mr. Greg. In Keeping It Together, we see Garnet face the consequences of an outsider who misunderstands and perverts fusion, and that’s her arc until Log Date 7 15 2. And in We Need to Talk, we finally explicitly see that Rose Quartz wasn’t as flawless as she may have seemed, and that’s her arc for the rest of the series.

This is a watershed episode in a series that lives in Rose’s towering shadow. Hints of her more problematic traits go all the way back to the second episode, where the conflict hinges on her secrecy, and we get glimpses into the more negative effects she’s had on Pearl (and Garnet) in Rose’s Scabbard and Sworn to the Sword (and Keeping It Together, a little). But these clues are much easier to see in retrospect, when we know that despite her kindness and love of humans, there’s a certain cold distance that Pink Diamond maintained with even her closest allies that’s just as responsible for Steven’s existence. It may be a given these days that the hero (and villain) of the rebellion was far from perfect, but her humiliating condescension towards Greg is a lurching change of course for her character that hits like a slap in the face.

Crucially, the reveal that Rose has issues doesn’t take away from what makes her great. She likes and loves her friends. She’s funny, as seen in her banter with Greg (my favorite: countering ”I’m getting a little worried about the future” with “Oh, just ask Garnet!”). And despite her blithe spirit, which is the source of all the positives and negatives we see in this episode, she’s willing to take Greg seriously when he affirms his sincerity. Which makes sense, considering what makes her such a huge deal among Gems is her appreciation for change.

Rose Quartz is the savior of Earth, but Pink Diamond was the person who tried conquering it in the first place, and they were the same person. Rose and Pink were both liars, but Rose and Pink both loved humans. They both knew that they needed to change, and that’s how Pink became Rose and Rose became Steven. And it’s vital that this change comes when Greg demands to be treated as an equal, because Pink Diamond’s entire life was a desperate attempt to gain respect. It’s chilling to watch this episode after meeting White Diamond and seeing how closely Rose mirrors her belittling behavior: she treats Greg as a joke, but because she knows how that feels, she immediately recognizes that she’s gone White when she’s called out on it. It’s not shocking that Greg is the love interest that sticks, because Greg is more of a kindred spirit than even he knows.

It goes hand in hand with a more mature depiction of Rose that this is also the first time we focus on her as a sexual figure. It’s kid’s show level to be sure, but the camera’s attention to her eyes and lips during What Can I Do (and, y’know, the song itself) gives us a glimpse of how Greg, an adult who’s at the very least in lust at this point, sees her. And it doesn’t hurt that Susan Egan can go full Megara to inject a certain sultriness in lines as simple as “Oh, yes.” If we’re going to have an episode about seeing Rose for who she really is, well, this is part of who she really is.

youtube

What Can I Do is another big flashback number on the heels of Comet, and not just because we finally hear Rose Quartz sing (which, again, Megara). Scroll down to any of my episode rankings for the past thirty-nine reviews and you’ll see that my favorite is Steven and the Stevens; forget Greg and Rose, the most monumental reveal of this episode is the origins of the Crystal Gems, Backup Band! And, if you haven’t already, close your eyes and just listen to Greg’s Stemage’s guitar solo on its own. Heck, listen to that guitar the whole song. Kudos to Greg for keeping up while his girlfriend turns into an even huger woman.

Greg remains the focus character, and he’s grown since Story for Steven. I love the new lived-in relationships he has with the other three Crystal Gems, from open rivalry with Pearl to big brother friendship to Amethyst to chummy admiration of Garnet. It would make no sense for him to get to know Rose without getting to know her roommates, and seeing most of them hanging out happily and even starting a band of sorts is a testament to Greg as a likable novelty. It’s one thing for Rose to see him differently by the end of the episode, but the rest of Gems take him more seriously as well. He’s a keeper.

Still, it’s his relationship with Rose that’s at the forefront here, and although we know they end up together, it’s great to see the dramatic first steps. Greg wears his heart on his sleeve, and I love that we’re seeing a more mature side of that earnestness after a flashback that saw him abandon his dreams of stardom for a mystery woman. He’s given a lot for this relationship, and this episode respects him enough to acknowledge it. Rose wasn’t an escape route and Greg isn’t a flaky quitter, and We Need to Talk puts a hard stop to that potential interpretation of his impulsive actions in Story for Steven.

At the same time, Flashback Greg is still a huge romantic prone to huge gestures for huge women, which allows him to believably set up a shining dance floor on the beach just for the two of them (it’s just the backdrop of their stage laid flat!). He and Rose are both shown to be infatuated—Rose even goes starry-eyed—but sustainable relationships also need the sort of dependability and resolve that Greg shows in his words and actions. He proves himself someone that deserves respect, which is critical for their conversation to work.

The talk itself is nicely understated, touching on the fact that both characters have been in relationships before without dwelling on details, and selling Rose’s confusion and distress in regards to love without falling on hackneyed “human emotion does not compute” tropes. It’s just the start of the next step in their relationship, and we get just enough to understand that progress is being made.

Structurally, I appreciate that We Need to Talk spends less time outside of Greg’s perspective than Story for Steven; it’s not perfect (the final scene in the past involves the other Crystal Gems saying things Greg couldn’t have possibly heard) but it’s better! It’s also a much more immersive setting than the other flashback, using an eighties vibe (Rainbow Quartz’s appearance, Garnet’s keytar) as shorthand for the past even though this definitely happened in the late nineties at the earliest given Sour Cream’s age. And on a fantasy Earth with locations like Delmarva, Keystone, and Empire City, I’m so tickled by Greg’s offhand reference to the real-world Marx Brothers: for the record, I’m pretty sure taciturn Garnet is Harpo, talkative Pearl is Groucho, and clownish Amethyst is Chico.

If it’s interesting to see Rose diverge from what we’re used to, it’s downright fascinating to see Pearl so confident and sassy around Greg. Story for Steven only references the Pearl factor with a one-off joke, but she practically needs to be a major plot point in We Need to Talk if we’re going to take seriously the notion that she loved Rose. This is Pearl pre-grief, still fighting for Rose, and I love that she’s a giant brat about it, especially after Mr. Greg clarifies how accustomed she was to Rose’s other flings. We only see Pearl act like her modern iteration at the very end as she’s crushed by the realization that she has actual competition: after all those years, she never thought she’d lose. And the tragedy, for her, is that her nettling of Greg about fusion is what caused him and Rose to get closer.

(Amethyst and Garnet are more similar to their modern counterparts; Amethyst is a bit more feral in the past, but she drinks motor oil to this day so there you go.)

Present day once again bookends a Greg flashback, but unlike Story for Steven we get thematic mirroring between the two time periods. Connie’s on a roll in terms of bonding with non-Stevens, first with Pearl in Sworn to the Sword and now with Greg. We’ve witnessed the pair hang out a few times now, in situations as intense as Ocean Gem and mundane as Winter Forecast, but we haven’t seen anything close to the connection they share here. Which is a shame, because Connie and Greg’s wildly different personalities help hide what this episode finally makes obvious: they’re both regular humans who love magic and are lucky enough to be close with magical people. In fact, they’re the only members of that club on the planet. In that way, they’re alone together.

Stevonnie’s grand reappearance lasts all of ten seconds, but it’s enough to leave a major impression. Greg once again proves to be a fantastic parent, quickly shifting from his initial shock to warm reassurance when Connie panics. Even though his straight recitation of the episode’s moral is a little After School Special cliche, we get a surprisingly bittersweet ending out of his desire to help Connie.

It’s lovely to that these two make this new connection, and while it’s never spoken, their bond is strengthened in retrospect with the knowledge that Greg can see his own stressful childhood in Connie, and is trying to be the helping hand he never got as a kid. And Steven’s exclusion allows him to understand his mother better, holding his gem as he observes the others grow closer. But as we’ll see in Steven’s Birthday—and the entire back half of Steven Universe Future—it’s a somber thing to see him left out of the Human Beings club.

Future Vision!

Connie’s secrecy regarding magic finally reaches a turning point in Nightmare Hospital, which alongside Sworn to the Sword and We Need to Talk solidifies her new role as Deputy Crystal Gem.

Pearl’s confidence in fusion as the thing that puts her and Rose’s relationship at a higher level than Greg could ever achieve is given new layers after seeing the birth of Rainbow Quartz in Now We’re Only Falling Apart.

While the title of this episode is a common enough phrase that it might not be an intentional reference, Yellow Diamond telling White “we need to talk” begins a similar baring of her soul that Greg gives here, to a condescending figure similar to Rose. The difference being that Rose listens, while White zaps away Yellow’s personality, because Rose may be flawed but she’s not a villain, no matter how much some fans want her to be.

The movie’s rock show mirrors the small rock show here beautifully, this time making Greg the one whose new fusion prompts Pearl to change.

I’ve never been to this…how do you say…school?

It’s been a minute since we’ve seen Hilary Florido’s AU, and here’s another instance of it being the official promo art; like the lack of traditional promo art for Keeping It Together, this may be due to the Steven Bomb rushing things, but if that’s the case then I’m doubly grateful for the time she took to give us such a wonderful gaze into the Steven Universe Academy.

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

Definitely an upgrade compared to Story for Steven. There’s something to be said for love at first sight, but this is a great moment in developing both Greg and Rose as people in a real relationship.

Top Fifteen

Steven and the Stevens

Mirror Gem

Lion 3: Straight to Video

Alone Together

The Return

Jailbreak

Sworn to the Sword

Rose’s Scabbard

Coach Steven

Giant Woman

Winter Forecast

Keeping It Together

On the Run

Warp Tour

Maximum Capacity

Love ‘em

Laser Light Cannon

Bubble Buddies

Tiger Millionaire

Lion 2: The Movie

Rose’s Room

An Indirect Kiss

Ocean Gem

Space Race

Garnet’s Universe

The Test

Future Vision

Marble Madness

Political Power

Full Disclosure

Joy Ride

We Need to Talk

Like ‘em

Gem Glow

Frybo

Arcade Mania

So Many Birthdays

Lars and the Cool Kids

Onion Trade

Steven the Sword Fighter

Beach Party

Monster Buddies

Keep Beach City Weird

Watermelon Steven

The Message

Open Book

Story for Steven

Shirt Club

Love Letters

Reformed

Rising Tides, Crashing Tides

Enh

Cheeseburger Backpack

Together Breakfast

Cat Fingers

Serious Steven

Steven’s Lion

Joking Victim

Secret Team

Say Uncle

No Thanks!

4. Horror Club 3. Fusion Cuisine 2. House Guest 1. Island Adventure

#we need to talk #steven universe #su #steven universally #review

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azulblue9 · 7 years ago

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'Starfish & Coffee' By Susannah Melvoin

" I remember Fall in Minneapolis vividly, the air smells like water and earth and the lakes that spread throughout the city become deserted of people, they now walk around the lakes bundled up in what is the last fall jacket one can get away with wearing. I loved it and I loved what was to be an extremely beautiful time in my life.

Instead of the long drawn version, I can narrow down one particular day in the fall of 1986? maybe 87? That was to be the day I wrote Starfish and Coffee with Prince. Sitting around the kitchen table was Prince, his engineer Susan Rodgers, and myself. It was a time Susan and I spent every day with him either recording or keeping each other company

Prince and I spent many hours together, either in the studio working, or driving around Minneapolis talking to each other and listening to music. We talked about our histories and our secrets On a few of occasions I told him stories of a 12-year-old girl named Cynthia Rose. My sister Wendy and I knew Cynthia intimately because we shared six years in a classroom with her, plus a bus ride to school It was the Bus rides that I got to know Cynthia.

Cynthia never had much interest outside of her own personal space, so watching her was an unedited version of what was going on her head. I’m certain if Cynthia were in school today? she’d still be as interesting and extraterrestrial as she was then. I think Cynthia was dropped off from another world filled with extraordinary images. Images only Cynthia knew the’ meanings behind. Her Favorite number for Many years was the number 12. I knew this because she’d rock back and forth in her seat asking you if you knew what her favorite number was for the day… It was always shocking to her that you knew what her favorite number was I would inevitably say “I think it’s twelve, right Cynthia?” She was amazed and joyous that you guessed it right. Once more I’d watch how she would ecstatically experience the world.

Cynthia would tell you over and over again how amazing and meaningful the number 12 was. I’d always indulge her query Nevertheless her answer never changed, her resolution was always the same, she’d say “it makes me happy”, and at the same time with her finger she would etch on the damp foggy bus window countless happy face’s Much of those bus rides Cynthia sat rocking in her seat gently whispering and repeating her favorite number.

Cynthia would also reveal what she had for breakfast. Consistently it was STARFISH AND PEE PEE. I never understood the combo meal. Furthermore, as a consequence nobody else could. Here it seemed like the deal breaker for most kids. Above all the kids in our class had no interest in how Cynthia came to get her morning breakfast. I considered it tender and funny, and listened to her tell me anything she wanted to say whether it was firmly planted on earth, or from her planet of tender hearted people who love numbers and draw smiley faces.

Sixth grade was our last year together. It was these early bus rides that year that I knew something was different about Cynthia. She sat quietly not moving in her seat and staring out of the window. When we arrived at school on one of these mornings, and as the bus pulled into the lot, Cynthia turned my way, looked me in the eyes and asked calmly If “I wanted to know something special? I couldn’t wait! We stepped outside of the bus, walked a couple feet, when she leaned into me and said…”DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT MY FAVORITE NUMBER IS?” Naturally I said, its twelve right? Cynthia’s answer? ….. IT” S 20!!!! Suddenly in her beautiful Martian like way she smiled wide eyed and into her hands and said,” because it really makes me happy!” then running off in her Groucho Marx, Martian kind of way, repeating her new favorite number 20.

That year turned out to be a very silly year for Cynthia and myself. On one occasion I happened to leave class to use the ladies’ room I was just about to walk out of the bathroom when I hear water splashing and giggling in one of the stalls. I somehow had a feeling it was going to be Cynthia Rose, the giggle sounded unattached to a real person, it sounded naive and desperate almost like the sound of crying into soft fabric; muffled and hysterical. So, I knocked on the stall door and asked if it was Cynthia.

Then just more giggles. I looked under the stall and as I expected I saw Cynthia’s shoes. I asked what was she doing in there? At that same time, she threw the door wide open’ and with a big red apple in between her teeth, her hair soaking and wet face, took big bite of the apple and said “I was bobbing for apples in the toilet!” “it’s so much fun!”. Here you wanna play?I was horrified and startled by what she was doing. Cynthia stopped and looked at me for what was the last time we would have eye to eye contact, she became long faced and reflective, something I’d never seen her experience, Cynthia dropped the apple and took my hand while I grabbed as many paper towels I could gather to dry her off. Cynthia just looking at my hands dry hers without a peep or word from her.

This is the story about the exceptional Cynthia Rose, who was just one of 25 kids named, Kevin, Christopher, Wendy and Susannah just to name a few of us. That in fact spent everyday together for six years. Moreover, every day for those six years we started off greeting Ms. Kathleen outside her classroom door. All of us would be in line outside the classroom, she’d open the door, and one by one we would greet her and shake her hand then walk to our seats for just another day at school. All of us were pretty ordinary except for Cynthia Rose.

This is my true story I would tell Prince every so often when he asked about it. We both agreed that she was worth writing about. Cynthia being so tender. We both wondered if Cynthia was still living and number’s drunk. It was clear it made her Happy. It was this fall afternoon in Minnesota at our kitchen table when Prince came up the stairs from his studio, sat next to me and asked if I would to tell him the whole story of Cynthia Rose in detail. A few hours later he asked if I’d write it down

On that afternoon when Prince asked if I’d write this story, I would have no idea what was about to transpire downstairs in his studio. Prince requested that I not go downstairs until he was finished with the track. Although just before he went downstairs he sat next to me at the table and said “the Pee Pee ‘s got to go. “then laughed and asked if Coffee was a doable alternative. I also laughed and said yes, yes yes of course... Ten hours later Susan Came Upstairs to get me. I walked into the studio, Prince was standing at the console with a tired gentle smile on his face. and said “here it is! "

The rest is history. O(+>

Source: https://starfishcoffeeofficial.bandzoogle.com/home

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glenmenlow · 4 years ago

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The Brand Management Of Dead Celebrities

Dead celebrities and icons inspire us, take a place of influence and earn a place of love and respect in our hearts and minds. With various forms of intellectual property, and subject to how it is protected, managed, and creatively re-imagined, deceased celebrities and icons have great earnings potential even after they’ve left the physical world. Coupled with the reach and speed of social media, dead celebrities and icons are extending their influence, building new loyalty and deriving income in ways not imagined a few years ago.

To best understand the opportunities this presents, we need to explore several core concepts, the first being The right of Publicity. This is defined as the right of a person to control the commercial exploitation of his/her identity, and prevent unauthorized commercial use, is governed by US state law, and is not uniformly defined or recognized from country to country. Personality rights are generally considered to consist of two types of rights: the right of publicity, or to keep one’s image and likeness from being commercially exploited without permission or contractual compensation, which is similar to the use of a trademark; and the right to privacy, or the right to be left alone and not have one’s personality represented publicly without permission.

Name and likeness can be trademarked; images can be protected by copyright. In addition, be mindful of persona. Persona is a broad umbrella term that encompasses virtually anything that evokes or even reminds the public of a particular person, including numbers on sports jerseys, blonde hair, color schemes, and catch-phrases. For example, the federal Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit controversially held that a television commercial featuring a robot wearing a blond wig used Vanna White’s identity because viewers of the ad would bring her to mind when watching the robot turn letters on a Wheel of Fortune set.

A New Era Of Celebrity Afterlife

The monetization of publicity rights of deceased celebrities has markedly expanded as DJ’s and record producers spin new songs, new technology, such as holograms and computer-generated imagery, and now deepfakes can keep the virtual celebrity alive and entertaining us forever. We know that novel digital technologies make it increasingly difficult to distinguish between real and fake media; deepfakes are hyper-realistic videos that apply artificial intelligence (AI) to depict someone saying and doing things that never happened.

One of the best examples of deepfake technology as it relates to celebrity was shared by Christine Fisher in October 2019 on Engadget.com. “Actor Jim Meskimen partnered with deepfake artist Sham00k to make his celebrity impressions a little more realistic. Meskimen and Sham00k shared the results in a YouTube video, and honestly, they’re pretty remarkable. While Meskimen did the voices, deepfake software applied the facial features of 20 celebrities, including George Clooney, Nicholas Cage, Colin Firth, Robert De Niro, Nick Offerman, Arnold Schwartzenegger, Robin Williams and George W. Bush.

Linking Authenticity And Success

It’s been said that musicians never die, they are just disconcerted; however with hologram concert tours in the works even that is no longer true! In addition, DJ’s and record producers are re-imagining recordings of dead musical talents and streaming spins are on the rise. Every year around Halloween, Forbes publishes a list of top earning celebrities from beyond the grave and for 2019 nine musicians grace the list of 13, up from just six a year ago. DJ and record producer Kygo remixed Whitney Houston’s “Higher Love” cover, which in part helped her make it on the Forbes list for the first time. Even as physical sales continue their long decline, those nine acts—including Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston and Nipsey Hussle—generated 15.2 billion streaming spins over the past year in the U.S., up 38.5% from the prior 12 months.

Note that the top earners have a brand strategy built on authenticity where strong brand associations govern decisions about partnerships and activations. Bob Marley, who died in 1981 earned $20 million in 2019. In addition to almost 1 billion streaming spins in the U.S., House of Marley is a line of superior sound, sustainably crafted headphones, speakers and turntables all made with a commitment to charitable causes. In addition, Marley Natural is a line of quality cannabis products – all product activation is authentically Marley and tie back to his love of music and planet.

Brand Messaging For Deceased Talent

Tapping into the power of deceased celebrities and icons to market and sell product is about selling a message first, product second and it boils down to perceived expertise, trustworthiness and attractiveness. Pepsi’s marketing campaign between 1963 and 1967 used ‘Come alive! … In China, the slogan was mistranslated to mean ‘Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave’, and in a culture where they worship their ancestors, people thought that if you drank Pepsi it could bring back the dead. Despite that fiasco, Diet Coke took a risk that paid off in 1991 when Elton John co-starred with Humphrey Bogart, Louis Armstrong, and James Cagney in a Diet Coke spot. This was the first instance of deceased celebrities being completely recreated digitally, rather than simply splicing existing footage into a film. The commercial was so successful that a second one was made featuring Paula Abdul (during her initial, pre-American Idol round of stardom) alongside Cary Grant, Groucho Marx, and Gene Kelly.

Deceased Celebrity Estates And Tax Considerations

After Michael Jackson died in 2009, the fiduciaries of Michael Jackson’s estate filed an estate tax return showing a value of $7 million. The IRS issued a notice of deficiency claiming a value of $1.32 billion, and demanded additional estate taxes of $505.1 million and $196.9 million in penalties and interest.

A large issue in the case, and one that is relevant to other celebrities, is the value at death of Jackson’s name and likeness. The estate reported the value at $2,105.00, claiming his reputation was tainted by child-abuse allegations and strange behavior; the IRS saw that value at $434 million. At the time of his death, he was rehearsing for a comeback tour, and there were new deals on the Jackson table.

A valuation at death is not supposed to look at what happened after a celebrity dies, but it is hard for certain events not to influence issues that will inform a court’s judgment. The question for any asset is what a willing buyer would pay for the asset from a willing seller on the date of death (or on a date that is 6 months later if alternate valuation is elected). That Jackson’s estate did a phenomenal job of exploiting his name and likeness after his death is not a favorable circumstance for it in this dispute; to date it is estimated his estate has earned of $2 billion since Jackson died in 2009.

Nonetheless, allowing a substantial value for name and likeness can create significant difficulties for an estate since this is an intangible asset, and can result in a tax bill far in excess of available assets for payment if these assets cannot be sold. In large celebrity estates, the existence of this issue may prompt a quick sale of these assets to help establish value for estate tax purposes.

In the Michael Jackson case, U.S. Tax Court Judge Mark Holmes referenced USPAP standards and the question came up – asking if there were any USPAP standards as it pertained to valuing intangible assets individually or as a bundle with name and likeness.

The Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) are the generally recognized ethical and performance standards for the appraisal profession in the United States and is managed by The Appraisal Foundation. USPAP was adopted by Congress in 1989, and contains standards for all types of appraisal services, including real estate, personal property, business and mass appraisal. The Appraisal Foundation (Foundation) is the nation’s foremost authority on the valuation profession. The organization sets the Congressionally authorized standards and qualifications for real estate appraisers as well as qualifications for personal property appraisers and provides voluntary guidance on recognized valuation methods and techniques for all valuation professionals. This work advances the profession by ensuring that appraisals are independent, consistent, and objective.

According to Lisa Desmarais Vice President, Appraisal Issues, The Appraisal Foundation with real estate, the process and methodologies are regulated. However with Personal Property, there are no regulations and valuation professionals of personal and intellectual property will typically adopt the USPAP preamble etc., and after that one is relying on the valuation expertise of the appraiser. When two opposing parties don’t agree on a valuation, the matter may end up in court as is the current pending case between the IRS and the Jackson Estate.

What Does And Does Not Work

Dell Furano is CEO at Epic Rights. Among many other things, he is best known as the pioneer and current leader in the worldwide music artist merchandising and licensing industry. We discussed how after a celebrity dies, you may see certain product in the marketplace for about a year, and after that demand, well, dies. There are also the circumstances of one’s death that will make it hard for a consumer to see said celebrity in their homes and lives (save for music). Epic had been offered the opportunity to license the name and likeness of Whitney Houston, for example, and declined however they have signed on to do the tour merchandise for the Whitney Houston Hologram Tour.

I asked Dell if he felt there was opportunity for icons such as Ray Charles, the first African-American man to own his own masters, or Little Richard who provided the genre of Rock & Roll with several of its first-ever bona-fide standards. “They are very niche and there is no social media engine,” said Dell. Unless the estate is proactive in promoting the celebrity or icon keeping them top of mind with the consumer, old fan’s as well as new potential ones will miss opportunities to make meaningful connections.

The one other piece of advice Dell had for artists today, “Buy up your counterfeit goods!” It is important to protect your brand, and demonstrate that you are or have been policing the use of your intellectual property, especially if you plan to leave it to your estate for future monetization. In addition, there are simple things brand owners – celebrities with trademarks and copyright images – can do such as owners of federal trademark or copyright registrations can record their products and associated trademarks and copyrights with CBP (US Customs Boarder Protection) for a fee of $190 per copyright or trademark registration class, and use the Amazon Brand Registry to remove counterfeit trademarked goods.

The Albert Einstein Example

Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” Creativity allows one to see possibilities and not just limitations; one can acquire knowledge but imagination takes passion, bravery and persistence. The names “ALBERT EINSTEIN” and “EINSTEIN” and the official Albert Einstein logos are either trademarks or registered trademarks belonging to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, of which Einstein was one of the founders. Remember what Dell Furano said about a social media engine? While it may not be the first one thinks of when it comes to social media, the university does a lot both actively and passively to keep the legacy of Albert Einstein alive, according to Ryan Kernan, Vice President, Rights Representation & Merchandise Licensing at Greenlight, a part of Branded Entertainment Network and the authorized representative for Einstein. “There are a lot of great actors, musicians, athletes, but there is only one Einstein. He is a true evergreen icon,” said Ryan.

One of my personal favorite examples of best-in-class licensing activation is the partnership between Salesforce and Einstein. Salesforce, a worldwide market leader in cloud-based technology and the #1 customer relationship management (CRM) platform, was looking for a unique name to brand and market its new product — an Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform. Tapping into the unparalleled equity and awareness of Einstein, Salesforce and Greenlight entered into a multi-year licensing partnership to create “Salesforce Einstein.” The partnership combined the brains of Salesforce’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform with Einstein’s name and likeness. This not only provided Salesforce with clear differentiation to other AI business-to-business software solutions, but by creating a proprietary, animated customer-friendly Einstein character, Salesforce added to the product’s accessibility for its customers, despite its technological sophistication.

Put simply, Einstein Analytics is an app used to visualize the activity occurring in your Salesforce environment. Whether you use Salesforce for Sales, Marketing, or Service, this visibility tool offers insights into the data (like contacts, campaigns, or accounts) your users add to the CRM every day.

I asked Ryan what the hot trending categories are, to which he replied “digital and alcohol.” Safe to say, with the right property and activation partner, you can still raise your spirits and sales with the right celebrity or icon from beyond the grave.

The Fine Line Between Honor And Dishonor

In 1999 I joined the NBA Global Merchandising Group to help rebuild the league’s consumer products business after a lockout and Michael Jordan’s first retirement; I had been recruited because I did not come from a sports background, however had a strong command of intellectual property, licensing and retail; before my tenure there I did not follow basketball at all.

The first NBA player I met was Kobe Bryant. He was such a gentleman, stopped to meet the people who worked behind the scenes and he had an appreciation of all of the moving parts that afforded him the ability to be an NBA player. I can’t quite explain this, however when you’ve worked for the NBA this bond forms, this tradition of doing the right thing becomes organically embedded into your decision-making process, and the role of socially responsible monetization is taken very seriously.

People grieve in different ways and I feel when decisions are made and carried out with respect it is important to support those choices, especially of those closest to the departed. I am not privy to the nature of the relationships of all involved, however I was taken by surprise to learn of Sport’s Academy’s CEO Chad Faulkner’s decision to drop the name “Mamba” from its name – I’m not judging it – rather thinking out loud. “Black Mamba” was the alter ego Kobe created for himself, and Bryant described the Mamba Mentality as a way of life; the simplest form of just trying to get better at whatever you’re doing.”

There is a word in Portuguese without a simple English translation, saudade. Saudade is a deep emotional state of nostalgic or profound melancholic longing for an absent something or someone that one cares for and/or loves. Moreover, it often carries a repressed knowledge that the object of longing might never be had again.

‘Mamba’ strikes me as a word that holds the same potential as saudade, one word that can carry a sentiment and meaning – and one I feel desperately is needed in our world today, with the legacy of Kobe Bryant – the man- as the word’s iconic shepherd. How that word is or is not used for commercial purposes is up to the IP owners, the estate et all to decide as to what would be of honor and dishonor, but I would not be too quick to edit it from existence, it holds a deep meaning that helps power the memory of Kobe Bryant.

When it comes to sports icons, one would expect the “captain obvious” commemorative collectibles, basketball shoes etc. Fans will hopefully be pleased to learn that Granity Studios, Bryant’s multi-media content company, will release a novel “Geese are Never Swans” created by the late Los Angeles Lakers legend in July 2020. In May, 2020, Vanessa Bryant, Kobe’s widow, shared on Instagram a sneak peak of her late husband’s posthumous novel and called it one of the favorite novels created by Bryant.

As you can see, there is much to consider in managing the afterlife of celebrity brands, I leave you with a Chuck Palahniuk quote that will resonate with those managing this meaningful IP: “We all die. The goal isn’t to live forever, the goal is to create something that will.”

Email us, to learn how The Blake Project can help you manage your celebrity IP and or discover the right celebrity endorsement for your brand. Further, we serve as expert witnesses in celebrity licensing and endorsement disputes.

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grouchounderdog · 8 years ago

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We are Groucho Underdog.

So who are we and what are we all about? Groucho Underdog started as a project between Bez and myself (Mark) to make an E.P. where we wrote the songs and played all the instruments ourselves, but got in a guest singer for each of the 4 songs as neither of us felt confident about doing vocals. It was never really to be a gigging band, just a project to make music of our own as a side project to bands we were in at the time. Right off the bat, it was a LOT of fun! We got together when we could, me on bass playing this huuuuuugely distorted fuzzy sound and Bez doing his melodic version of a back street beat-down! We worked up 4 or 5 riffs into songs, 3 of which stuck! Monster, Face Off & Falling Down. (Wee bit of trivia... I had began writing Falling Down, which was called "You Fall" at the time, with Dave Wood from my other band Burn the Maps. I had the bass riff and i had the chorus progression, but vocal melody was never something I'd got as far as. I let Dave hear the parts then as i remember it i went to the kitchen and wrote the vocal melody and lyrics for the chorus and when i came back through, Dave had the melody and some lyrics for the verse. It sounded great to me. Both bands ended up writing versions of the song which were pretty different, which was a lot of fun for me at the time.) After the music was written for those 3 tracks we started phasing in the vocal parts with me singing. I thought i sucked (and i probably did) but Bez is the nicest lad on the planet and told me it sounded ace and to stick with it for now. I wasnt convinced, but it gave me the confidence to keep singing enough at rehearsals to keep working on the songs. At this point we felt something was missing. More so on Falling Down than anything- to be fair it was written as a 4-piece for BtM with loads of space for the guitars... We wondered if we should try out some guitar, maybe invite someone to join us, it was starting to feel like we'd like to go play these songs live.... But we weren't committed. We'd been sharing little snippets of rehearsals and riffs online and people were really into what they were hearing. It was uber encoraging and there was no shortage of interest in someone to come play guitar which was really cool. For me, it made me feel really good about my song writing skills, and i was definitely lacking confidence there previously for one reason or another. Anyways we spoke to 4 or 5 folks, and then spoke to our first choice guy, a mate of mine called Shaun. Well "Big Shaun" to me. Shaun is one of those guys in the local music scene who is always keen to get involved in stuff, and he's as sound as he is tall. He was working with me doing some sound tech stuff for these charity gigs i was running and i felt his guitar style would fit in well. So i asked if he fancied joining us to see how it sounded, and he said that basically ot sounded good, but he was too busy. Balls. Onto the next one.... We had a few options left, one guy was a really good guitarist, really sound, and had played a bunch of different styles. The other was a good guitarist and both a great song writer and singer. The third was a crackin guitarist and also one of the soundest guys i knew, the downside was that he worked in Edinburgh, wasnt driving and logistically and in life in general he was a feckin walking disaster.... But we decided after about 30 minutes of jamming that he was OUR walking disaster 🤘😁🤘. Welcome, Groucho Tam! In that first jam T started playing a riff over Falling Down that just lifted and filled the whole thing. Tam and Bez who had never spoken really, hit it right off and were playing bits of songs they both liked while i faffed about with lyrics and stuff. He also picked up Monster and Face Off straight away and it all sounded pretty much complete. We never even tried out the other guys. Id known Tam on and off since i was about 8. His family were friends of my family and we saw a lot of each other in our early 20s through a mutual friend. Bez, id known since high school, i think from 3rd year art classes. We were pretty similar in our attitude to life (althouh Bez is way more laid back) and we liked similar music and eventually of underage boozin and hanging out with pals 😂. Me, Bez and Dave from Burn the Maps started a band towards the end of high school, maybe even just after. We called ourselves "Idle 81" cos we were born in 1981 and were all pretty lazy... Yup! A mate of mine called Lynn joined the band on bass and we gigged a fair bit at the time mostly playing Radiohead and other alt rock covers. Anyways, point is, from this point on Bez and I had a great understanding as bandmates that we've brought from Idle 81 through Burn the Maps and into Groucho Underdog and i think thats a big thing in our band and Tam fitted right into that like he'd always been there. Anyways we spent the next 7 months bit by bit working on a set for what would be our first gig- Silverburn Festival 2015. We had added some instrumental stuff in for fun, the Darth Vader march and a bit of the Inspector Gadget theme. Tam had written a wee guitar intro piece too, we also added the song 'Dammit' by Blink 182 into the set to bulk it out and give people somthing from us that they might know. The guys had convinced me to just keep working on my vocals rather than cop-out and get a proper singer in. I felt like I'd improved, even if i wasnt great, and that hopefully if i kept at it, id reach a standard where i could pull it off in our punkish style. I'm still working on it even now, and im still not great.... But people really seem to like our stuff, particularly live, and that's all a muckle confidence boost, one that keeps me going. Anyways, we gigged, it was terrifying, but good and we just kept gigging, writing and having fun. We recorded our first EP (a story for another day), it was a brilliant process which we really had fun with. We gigged some more, then we've had to take a break from gigging to accommodate changes in Bez's job. We kept writing though! Enough songs to bring together to make an album, which is neeeeeeeearly ready! So we've lined up some gigs, we've touched up the logo, ordered some merch, renewed the website and started this reeeeeeally long-winded blog! 😂😂😂 Over the next month or so we want to work with friends and anyone who likes our band, to make some cool videos, help us make the album artwork and to help with some group vocals to finish the album. Then we want to see your braw faces at some venues throughout the year! So yeah, as a band anyways, that's who we are. Our music is punky and honest (and loud). We do this for fun. We do this to make loud music and meet new people (who like loud music), people who want to work on creative projects and create fun events, build a musical/creative community. We are Groucho Underdog ✊✊✊

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