#Rosa Parks episode is however one of my favourites

[thoscheiongallifrey]

did I restart modern DW from 9ths run IMMEDIATELY after watching that special?

maaaybe

Ah yes the classic sound of Britney Spear‘s „Toxic“ playing in 5 billion years when the planet gets roasted.

[totallyjazzed]

Analysing Copaganda (or "I watched seven seasons of Brooklyn 99 so you don't have to")

Introduction:

Several months ago my parents approached me asking if I wanted to watch Brooklyn 99, not knowing anything about it, my first instinct was to say no, but then I thought it would be interesting, to watch it and write a proper analysis for exactly what makes it propaganda and why it gives liberals brain worms. If you've spent any amount of time engaging with politics online for the last few years, you've likely already heard of Brooklyn 99. It's a sitcom written by Michael Schur, who previously wrote The Office (I'll get to that later), Parks & Recreation, and The Good Place. The show follows the lives of a squad of police detectives in Brooklyn and the wacky hijinks they get up to.

Brooklyn 99 has become famous, or arguably infamous, on Tumblr (and potentially other social media websites too) for being used as a "retort" to anti-cop sentiments (namely ACAB and any variation thereof), mainly taking the form of "the only good cop is Raymond Holt". In this essay (to use a funny Tumblr meme phrase) I will provide a brief overview of the show and the main characters, and analyse how the show, and each character individually, is pro-cop propaganda (copaganda).

The Show:

Brooklyn 99 is The Office, at least from what I understand about The Office. It’s a sitcom based in a workplace in which characters often pull pranks on each other and have wacky adventures pertaining to their job. The main thing that sets it apart from The Office is that the workplace in question is a police station, this makes it a cop show too. However, unlike more “classic” cop shows like CSI, Law & Order, The Wire, and so on, B99 doesn’t seek to glorify it’s characters as action heroes, but rather paint them as normal people living normal lives. This is far more insidious than the picture of the gnarled man of action who doesn’t play by the book, and by making the characters relatable the show gives viewers people to project onto, making them more vulnerable to the propaganda of the show.

Occasionally, in a break from the antics of Relatable Immature Prankster Archetype and Funny Overly Attached Best Friend Archetype, the show will attempt to say something about racism, or homophobia, or misogyny, or something like that, and while it usually feels well-meaning it often falls flat as it’s a watered-down safe-for-TV version of whatever the issue du jour is. 

In S4E16 (“Moo Moo”), Terry is harassed by a racist cop while he doesn’t have his badge, and is almost arrested until he manages to prove his cop status, the rest of the episode revolves around how racism is bad and that one singular racist cop is a problem, in the end Terry submits a complaint to the NYPD higher-ups and gets his job application denied, and the racist cop gets away with a slap on the wrist. Throughout the show, Captain Holt tells stories about how he suffered from racism and homophobia, and still does. Transphobia is mentioned once (presumably for brownie points) in a throwaway line about Ace Ventura.

At the end of Season 4, Jake and Rosa are framed for a series of bank robberies and sent to prison, and the first two episodes of Season 5 work to show that prison is bad and prisoners are mistreated, they also make abundantly clear that everyone in prison is a menace and deserves to be there (Jake’s cellmate is a literal cannibal and he’s shown to be one of the nice inmates), once the duo are released from jail, there are a few lines here and there about how prison is bad, but they’re only throwaways used to serve as one-off jokes and never again used as an actual critique of the prison system.

Police Brutality is never mentioned, the closest it comes to bringing it up is in S1E19 (“Tactical Village”), where Rosa is introduced to a sonic-blast weapon and aims it as Charles, this is clearly supposed to be a very harmful piece of equipment, but it's only appearance is treated as a joke.

There are also recurring gags about Defense Lawyers being “the enemy” because they only defend guilty parties (the show heavily implies that none of the squad has ever arrested the wrong person), which meshes with the harmful stereotype in cop shows of only guilty people saying for a lawyer or a warrant or whatever, which has been documented before by others.

The Characters:

Jake Peralta (played by Andy Samberg) is the Relatable Immature Prankster Archetype I mentioned before, he’s the office funnyman and usually responsible for the majority of the goings-on and goings-wrong in the show, while he does mature and evolve through the show he never grows out of this character. He’s the closest the show gets to the “gnarled man of action who doesn’t play by the book” character I mentioned before, not because he is that character but because he wants to be, his favourite movie is Die Hard and it’s the reason he joined the police, so he could be like the cool bruce willis man. He’s also the most unlawful character on the show, in S1E7 (“48 Hours”), he arrests a man with no evidence and the squad is essentially locked down until evidence can be found, in the end it turns out the man is guilty. Jake is scolded for this, not for essentially breaking the law, but for wasting everyone’s time when they had much better things to do that night. Jake’s character is propaganda because he’s the zany relatable one with a heart of gold.

Amy Santiago (played by Melissa Fumero) is the overly-organised hyper-nerd archetype, in direct opposition to Jake. Her dream is to be the NYPD’s youngest female captain, and she’s very “I want to keep the people safe” in her approach to policing. In S3E3 (“Boyle’s Hunch”), she is used as the face of the NYPD’s poster campaign, only to have her image vandalised, which is painted by the show as being very bad and sad. Amy’s character is propaganda because she’s the uptight peacekeeper who sticks to the rules.

Charles Boyle (played by Joe Lo Truglio) is the Funny Overly Attached Best Friend Archetype I mentioned before, often depicted as bumbling and naive, he’s an incredibly competent detective, arguably more so than Jake. He’s usually polite and friendly, and has moments of childishness that compliment Jake’s character. Charles’ character is propaganda because he’s the nice guy who just wants what’s best for everyone.

Raymond Holt (played by Andre Braugher) is probably the character most people are aware of, he’s a somewhat stuck-up man who embodies a lot of the same characteristics as Amy, he’s highly-educated, incredibly smart and quick-witted, and emotionally restrained. Originally presented as an outsider, being the new guy to the pre-existing friendgroup, he learns to relax and let go over the course of the show, and acts almost as a father figure to the other characters, primarily Jake and Amy. Raymond’s character is propaganda because he’s a black gay cop.

Rosa Diaz (played by Stephanie Beatriz) is tough, aloof, and often scary in the eyes of the other characters, she is shown to have problems with engaging with people socially, particularly romantically, and while her exterior is rough as uncaring, she’s shown to be fiercely loyal and have some not-so-tough secrets. In Season 5 she comes out to the squad as Bisexual. Rosa’s character is propaganda because she’s the no-nonsense tough cop who secretly has a heart of gold.

Terry Jeffords (played by Terry Crews) is a kind and caring man with a firm-but-fair attitude, acting as Holt’s second-in-command he also acts as a father figure to the other characters, he has two (eventually three) children which he is often seen gushing about. He is the most mature of the group, on-par with Holt in some respects but sometimes more so, refusing to take part in hijinks to focus on his job. Terry’s character is propaganda because he’s the physically strong and imposing, yet kind cop who just wants to provide for his family.

Michael Hitchcock (played by Dirk Blocker) and Norm Scully (played by Joel McKinnon Miller) are an inseparable pair of bumbling, lazy, oafs. Scully is fat, lazy, and old, Hitchcock is lecherous, lazy, and old. They’re propaganda because they’re the lazy incompetent cop archetype.

There are plenty of minor recurring characters, as well as Gina Linetti, a main character who left after Season 6, however as she’s a liaison and not a cop I won’t be analysing her in detail.

There’s a lot more I could have mentioned here, from the dirty cop that sense Jake and Rosa to jail, or the police commissioner who wants to spy on everyone’s phones all at once, Holt even says the line “I don’t want to live in a Police State”, but I’ve left them out for the sake of brevity.

Conclusion:

Brooklyn 99 is copaganda to it’s very core, this much everyone already knows, but unlike serious cop dramas and high-stakes high-action cop shows, Brooklyn 99 offers viewers an escape to a world where the police are the force for good that people want them to be. The premise of “The Office but police” suckers people in with nostalgia for the late 2000s/early 2010s back when things were “good”. Given Michael Schur’s previous work I imagine he and the other writers didn’t explicitly set out to make copaganda, but it’s undeniable that this is what was achieved. And now with the political climate being what it is and the threat of a potential Season 8 addressing this year’s BLM protests, it’s now more important than ever to be able to identify and root out police propaganda, no matter how unassuming, no matter the source.

[swiftlydnp]

Tagged by @kamekamelea thanks honey!!

Pick 5 shows, then answer the following questions, don’t cheat. Tag 10 (or however many) people.

1. Brooklyn nine nine

2. The good place

3. Friends

4. Grey's anatomy

5. Parks and recreation

1. Who is your favourite character in 2?

Janet and Jason Mendoza

2. Who is your least favourite character in 1?

Literally no one it's true!!

3. What is your favourite episode of 4?

My favourite episode is "All of me". There are so many tho!!!

4. What is your favourite season of 5?

It's so hard to choose!!! Maybe 3

5. Who is your favourite couple in 3?

Monica and Chandler obviously!

6. Who is your favourite couple in 2?

Eleanor and Chidi!!!

7. What is your favourite episode of 1?

Literally every episode of this show is my favourite!! I'm not even kidding!!!! Oh god I love this show so much!!!!!

8. What is your favourite episode of 5?

'Snake juice' and 'The last ride' legendary episodes!!!

9. What is your favourite season of 2?

Definitely season 3

10. How long have you watched 1?

I heard about this show when it got cancelled and decided to give it a try and that's how I discovered this beautiful show!!!

11. How did you become interested in 3?

Well I heard so many good things about friends so I just started watching it.

12. Who is your favourite actor in 4?

Justin Chambers!!

13. Which do you prefer, 1, 2, or 5?

I definitely love all of these shows!!! But I'll pick B99 in a heartbeat!!

14. Which show have you seen more episodes of, 1 or 3 ?

The answer is friends unfortunately!! I was obsessed with friends before I discovered B99 so I have literally watched every episode of friends at least 5 times!! But I'm reaching close with the B99 number!!!

15. If you could be anyone from 4, who would you be?

I'd love to be Miranda Bailey!!!

16. Would a crossover between 3 and 4 work?

It would be kinda weird but it could work!!

17. Pair two characters in 1 who would make an unlikely but strangely okay couple?

I'd love for Gina and Rosa to get together!!

18. Overall, which show has the better storyline, 3 or 5?

Definitely parks and recreation!!!

19. Which has the better theme music, 2 or 4?

The good place I love it!!!!

Tags: @inoahbibitch @peraltiagos-blog @b99peraltiago and anyone else who wants to do this

[kamekamelea]

tagged by @storyinmyeyes and @bitchinlyras! thank youuu 💕

Pick 5 shows, then answer the following questions, don’t cheat. Tag 10 (or however many) people.

1. Brooklyn Nine Nine

2. Game of Thrones

3. Friends

4. Parks and Rec

5. True Detective

1. Who is your favourite character in 2?

Tyrion I guess... but I’m really bad at picking out favs lol

2. Who is your least favourite character in 1?

I love all main characters... but I think Hitchcock

3. What is your favourite episode of 4?

so hard to pick one (especially since I haven’t done a rewatch in a long time)

4. What is your favourite season of 5?

one!

5. Who is your favourite couple in 3?

Monica & Chandler <3

6. Who is your favourite couple in 2?

Jon & Ygritte <3 

7. What is your favourite episode of 1?

oh maaaaan... I get to pick just ONE???!!! HalloVeen I guess.. or Johnny and Dora... or Jake&Amy... or 20 more

8. What is your favourite episode of 5?

s1 finale I guess

9. What is your favourite season of 2?

SEASON 6!!!!! omg those were the golden years

10. How long have you watched 1?

well I binge watched all 5 seasons during 2 weeks of my preparation to my thesis defence this winter lol and after that I just smoothly got into watching s6

11. How did you become interested in 3?

well everybody knows friends so I just started watching it like everybody else

12. Who is your favourite actor in 4?

Nick Offerman I guess or Adam Scott 

13. Which do you prefer, 1, 2, or 5?

omg B99 and GoT are so different shows, it’s impossible to compare... but I guess in terms of rewatching it for fun it’s b99

14. Which show have you seen more episodes of, 1 or 3 ?

like how many times have I rewatched some eps? then friends I guess, but I’m getting close with b99 as well to that number 😂

15. If you could be anyone from 4, who would you be?

april

16. Would a crossover between 3 and 4 work?

I guess... yeah it could happen

17. Pair two characters in 1 who would make an unlikely but strangely okay couple?

it’d be nice to see rosa and gina together

18. Overall, which show has the better storyline, 3 or 5?

again, totally different shows lol but I guess true detective

19. Which has the better theme music, 2 or 4?

GoT, ramin djawadi rulez!

I tag @fezzle @amystiago @amyscascadingtabs @outofinspo @jake-and-ames @sandylovesfandoms if u want to ofc, otherwise ignore me :)

[paigenotblank]

TV Show Quiz

Thanks @blueboxesandtrafficcones! Tagging: @ciara-jane @homeisabluebox @onthedriftinthetardis @elialys @badxwolfxrising

Pick 5 shows, then answer the following questions. Don’t cheat.

1. Doctor Who

2. Jane the Virgin

3. Secret Diary of a Call Girl

4. Broadchurch

5. Killing Eve

1. Who is your favourite character in 2?

Petra. She’s kind of a bitch, but in the very best way. She has grown as a person over the course of the show, and is strong, successful, and willing to take risks. She’s not afraid to stick up for herself and when she sees something she wants, she makes a plan and goes for it unapologetically.

2. Who is your least favourite character in 1?

I would say the Doctor, but sometimes I hate the Doctor as much as I love the Doctor. I’m going to say Rose Tyler even though she isn’t a series regular any longer. Rose is the reason that I fell in love with the show. I’d seen it previously, but for whatever reason didn’t connect with it, sort of would watch an episode here or there. (yeah I realize that I misread the question. Here is my answer to my favorite character.)

3. What is your favourite episode of 4?

I’m going to have to go with the final episode of the first season. It was just so emotionally packed for all the characters to find out who the killer was, and I also didn’t see it coming. It was like a punch in the gut.

4. What is your favourite season of 5?

The second season. It just keeps getting better.

5. Who is your favourite couple in 3?

Bambi and Byron.

6. Who is your favourite couple in 2?

Ooh, hard to choose. I guess I’ll go with Jane and Rafael, but it is so close to being Xiomara and Rogelio. And Jane and Petra as #1 BrOTP.

7. What is your favourite episode of 1?

Gah! Ugh. I don’t know. I mean the show’s spanned like almost 40 seasons. I’m gonna just narrow it down. I loved the Doctor’s Wife because...Idris. I loved Blink because of the dialogue that had several different meanings based on context. I loved Father’s Day and Midnight because they packed such an emotional wallop. And while we are talking emotional wallop...fuck you The Parting of the Ways, Doomsday, and Journey’s End. I loved all the shippy Ten x Rose episodes. I loved Rosa.

8. What is your favourite episode of 5?

Oh, why is there all this picking? I guess I am going with “Desperate Times.” Not only is the assassination unforgettable, but fucking Jodie Comer hit it out of the ball park with her performance in this episode as we see her vulnerability and breakdown.

9. What is your favourite season of 2?

I guess the 3rd season. I love Bambi and Belle’s friendship, Duncan the fucker, and the looks are A+.

10. How long have you watched 1?

Since 2006. (though had seen a random episode here and there previously when I was a kid).

11. How did you become interested in 3?

Liked Billie from Doctor Who.

12. Who is your favourite actor in 4?

I started watching due to David Tennant, so I’ll go with him, but Olivia Coleman is amazing as is the entire rest of the cast.

13. Which do you prefer, 1, 2, or 5?

At this exact moment, I prefer watching Killing Eve. However, nothing overcomes my love of Doctor x Rose.

14. Which show have you seen more episodes of, 1 or 3 ?

Doctor Who. There are simply more of them. I’ve seen every episode of Doctor Who and Secret Diary of a Call Girl, but there are only 32 episodes of SDoaCG and over 800 of Doctor Who.

15. If you could be anyone from 4, who would you be?

I’d be like Townsfolk #4 or Security Guard #2 or Ice Cream Salesperson. Seriously, I don’t want any of the lives of the main or supporting characters.

16. Would a crossover between 3 and 4 work?

Bwahahaha. It’s funny you should ask. Yes. Yes it would, and they are some of my favorite fics to read. Besides that, I’m currently writing one as well.

17. Pair two characters in 1 who would make an unlikely but strangely okay couple.

There are so many! Crack pairing: The Solitract and the House. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

18. Overall, which show has the better storyline, 3 or 5?

Killing Eve. In my opinion it is one of the best written shows on TV, and SDoaCG was a bit of a mess. Fun, but messy. Though now that I think on it, I’d use those same words to describe KE, though just in a completely different way. 

19. Which has the better theme music, 2 or 4?

Oh, erm. Not sure. Killing Eve has the best out of the 5 I picked, but between Broadchurch and Jane the Virgin, I guess it’s Jane the Virgin.

[socutesoevil]

Opinions™ on MCL UC Beta

Well then! Got my beta pass today. Curiosity satisfied. Bad taste left over, (and not just from the mojitos.)

I was on the fence about Campus Life and wanted to give it a try, but I'm edging my feet over towards no now. Yes, it’s just one episode, but when it’s not right, you just know. I’ve put down books after reading a chapter or two because they held no interest. And that’s okay.

To be perfectly honest, my interest in the MCL universe has been fading for a while now. The past few episodes were pretty meh. They felt rushed and generally unsatisfying, like someone roughly pushing you out of the house because they don’t want you to see the body in the closet 'Thanks-for-coming-see-you-later-okay-bye'. Episode 40 aka the Finale was just... the cherry on the sour sundae. And that sex scene! I like a nice big helping of sin, but it has to flow with the story. (I like my porn with plot, is that so much to ask?) And this was... awful and super-forced like the 'now kiss' meme. Especially sweet Lysander's. Here's this angel baby, talking about antiquing, and poetry, and how he's a pure unicorn who's never had a girlfriend before, and how much he loves and treasures Candy and she's like 'mm-hm, that's nice, let's bang'. Seriously girl?! I would just cuddle the hell out of him and call it a successful night. (Sex is neat-o and all, but cuddles FTW.)

And while that episode left a bad taste in my mind, I was still excited for the University sequel. I didn’t mind a break up ‘cause I assumed (a safe assumption in an otome game, yes?), there would be a make up. I was curious to see the new settings, how the characters grew up, how they changed or not, their new redesigns, their new stories, etc.

Which brings me back to the beta. (Sorry, took the scenic route there.) The graphics are truly beautiful. The animations are... amusing. A lot of the old supporting cast is here. We find out what happened to the guys who are not there. It has a familiar vibe, like watching a once-fave show after it jumped the shark in season six and became utter shite.

For me personally, there are two cementing factors why I most likely won’t be continuing with the game if it stays as is:

1) The new AP system. Movements are free, but every line of dialogue you click on costs 2AP. Seriously. The first episode was just under 1k for me. It would take a really long time to collect that many points naturally and the story is in no way interesting enough for me to pay real money for.

2) Quite honestly, none of the datable characters caught my eye... in this dating game.

Here’s the buffet on offer:

Hyun - Will probably be the most popular new character. (That's my bet anyway). He's got that whole soft cinnamon roll thing going on which is totes on trend right now, but that has never been my thing. I like cinnamon rolls for breakfast. For my pixel harem I like angst with a dash of sin.

Rayan I-have-a-last-name-I'm-so-fancy The prof who looks like he's mentally undressing you with every arch of his brow and has young ladies gathering around him like fruit flies on a rotten apple. Now, I have nothing against the whole hot-for-teaching meme. Hell, my Candy would be down for it 'cause it works with her rebel child personality. However, while someone like our favourite bumbling history teacher, who was charming in his awkwardness, would be fun to romance, Rayan the undead lounge lizard is sketchy fucker. (By the way, the whole trend of loafers with no socks? Needs to die. And button up your damn shirt, man! You're a professor! Ugh.)

Priya - I don't even want to be friends with this girl. *shrug* So... yeah, no.

Castiel - The notorious Cassychu, the one of the perma-scowl and bad-boy tats and poor hairstyle and lifestyle choices. Candy already dumped him once. Will she want to take him back?! Probably. She clearly has major issues when it comes to understanding how relationships function.

Mysterious fifth character to be revealed at a later time. (Do we get to vote on which one of the lost boys we get to bring back? Oh wait, no, that's democracy. Sorry! Forgot myself for a moment.) My guess? Most likely it will be Nathaniel who became a dude-bro likes a bit of a party now. Rock on, Nath. Rock on.

*pulls an Eldarya and sets crush to no one*

It was fun while it lasted but now it's time for something new. And by new I mean re-reading the SLBP Shigezane route. My precious <3

That’s about it! Some more randomness below.

random comments from my play-through + points of interest

Rosa and Candy lost touch 'cause this is the dark ages of communication before phones. (JK. Candy is a lazy fuck who can't be bothered. Relationships are not cacti, Candy!)

After four(!) years of silence, this little shit Candy appears back on the scene again to pursue her lame degree and everyone just accepts her back into the fold like nothing happened. The hell?! I'm not saying give me telenovela levels of drama, but c'mon!

The only happy ending Lysander got was in Episode 40. That sweet child. </3

These animations are... hilarious. (They can be turned off). The randomly jiggling boobs are the best thing! Any girl will be standing there and outta nowhere boop-boop. *snort* Did they look at any breasts before animated these, or did they use a custard as inspiration?

Chani is precious.

Why is Melody here? Oy... Still a teacher’s pet. (Yet she gets annoyed when I say she hasn’t changed? Lie to yourself much, Melody?) Probably still holds a torch for Nathaniel but won’t admit it. Mean-funny scene if you invite her but not Chani to drinks. Your pals are not excited about seeing wet-blanket Melly.

Our roommate has a stick so far up her ass she's sitting on top of the Eiffel tower. Dunno who spat in her oatmeal, but I left the spilled paint on her bed and called it karma.

The Cozy Bear Cafe sounds like some sort of sweet lolita place... but it isn’t... False advertising much?

Rayan stop staring at me, you zombie creeper.

Mojitos or beer. Those are my sedative options. Awesome. Can’t even get a decent drink around this joint. (If you ask why mojitos, it doesn’t translate as ‘where’s the wine’. You get lemonade instead. -_- )

I will say this, the backgrounds are gorgeous. They don't match the art style of the characters, but they're stunning. The park is incredible.

The black in the outfits is true black, so you can satisfy your inner goth child or chic Parisienne all you want. The hair is still a blue-black though, like a raven’s wing.

The petal game is still there. You will need it.

[antichrist-bf]

Why brooklyn 99 is my favourite show of all time (a compiled list):

1.) Rounded believable characters:

over the six seasons this show has (currently) been running (i am hyped for seasons 7 & 8!) there has been time to make the characters rounded and true to life. in season 1 most of the characters are very one dimensional, with set goals and limited personalities, in many other shows this would stay that way for the whole show (*cough friends*) however overtime the characters have developed believable relationships with one another as well as their own separate, deeper personalities and have changed and grown, as real people do, instead of being stuck in a certain mindset.

2.) lack of toxic masculinity - male characters with an appreciation for other men and femininity

as many other people in the brooklyn 99 fandom are, i am incredibly torn between wanting a canonically bisexual jake or just being able to appreciate that he is a straight man who’s masculinity isn’t so fragile that he can’t find other men attractive or have to be hyper ridgidely masculine and stereotypical constantly. none of the male characters (apart from people like the vulture, who are antagonists) are stereotypically super masculine, and while many have “male” interests none of them are ever trying to prove themselves as better and the relationships between the main men (and the main men and main women together to some extent) is very positive due to this.

3.) Racial and Ethnic diversity

although most characters (especially background/side) are white, there definitely is an amount of racial, ethnic and even to some extent religious diversity within this show. two of the initial main seven are black, two are latina and one is jewish (& white). there are several POC recurring side characters and one-time characters and the way they approach race is good, as they don’t put right ignore it but it isn’t a big deal (& many important issue such as racism in the police force is discussed)

4.) address important issue in a way that you learn about said issue but at the same time are aware you are still watching a comedy show

thoughout the running of this show, many important, relevant issues have been raised, such as racism in the police force (previously mentioned), sexual harassment/assault, homophobia, transphobia and treatment of people in prison (as well as others that don’t currently come to mind). and, whether these issues are addressed in passing or there has been one or multiple episodes regarding it, it is very clear that none of this comedy is “offensive comedy” and despite it being a comedy show, they tackle the issues in serious, very clear understanding ways without making it a serious show. at all times you are aware you’re watching comedy.

5.) LGBT representation

according to fandom there are seven LGBT characters in brooklyn 99, two main ones (Holt and Rosa), one incredibly recurring side character (Kevin) and four other characters who are the partners (or ex partners or love interests) of the lgbt main characters. Holt, who is introduced as gay from the start, is not at all a stereotypically gay person at all and nor is his husband Kevin. Neither of their characters revolves around their sexuality and, although their sexuality is prevalent in their journey to being where they are and they talk about it relevantly, they are defined characters outside of their sexual orientations. i really appreciate gay characters in fiction who haven’t just been labelled as gay for diversity points and genuinely are good, loveable, interesting characters. Rosa (who didn’t come out as bi until season 5) became a developed character before her sexuality was known and once she came out she wasn’t just known as “the bi one” and returned to having a personality again. (there was a very relatable arc about her coming out as bisexual tho which i appreciated, having unsupportive parents gang) furthermore she is shown as having relationships with both men and women and lots of different relationships but no one sees her as a slut or “greedy bisexual” she is just seen as exploring her identity and this is a very refreshing take on bisexuality that isn’t seen much in fiction!! (not pertenant but i cried at the end of the episode ‘game night’, that being the episode rosa came out and is it one of only two brooklyn 99 episodes i’ve cried at, the other one being S5 - “jake and amy”)

6.) a comedy show that doesn’t rely on offensive humour or a cheap laugh

brooklyn 99 is an incredibly funny show but it doesn’t attempt to achieve this by poking fun at minorities or making bad jokes that they know will get them a good laugh, each of the actors are genuinely funny people and the writing and plot lines are great and there is excellent comedic timing all round.

7.) incredibly believable relationships

jake and amy have so much genuine chemistry that their relationship and love interest for each other is incredibly believable. when jake was crushing on amy and very awkward around her that was very realistic and relatable and as their relationship has grown from a disruptive friendship to married life, all the problems they’ve had to deal with along the way have been realistic and genuine. not just them but the way all characters treat all other characters is very believable and it’s good to have a show with truthful realistic dynamics.

obviously there is loads more i could say but i think i’ve highlighted the key points of what makes it a great show aside from the basic stuff like the plot line and all the other stuff you would assume. am probably gonna reblog this and make both a parks and rec and the good place versions because they are my other 2 favourite shows we stan micheal schur

[anthonykrierion]

Creative Inspiration: Content We Enjoyed this Spring

Event tie-ins galore

Every brand should have an event calendar; you should know when anniversaries, yearly celebrations and public holidays are taking place so that you can leverage them to your advantage.

At Distilled, the team have a broad range of passions and interests, which means the types of content we share cover a broad range of topics and formats, from a gif we saw on Twitter to a multi-million dollar TV ad, everything we share feeds into what we produce. Predominantly we share content via Slack, Dropmark and Pinterest.

When I start to write these posts each quarter, it is the content that has left a lasting impression that makes the cut, that brand’s content that I have already shared with my friends. By trying to break down how / why that content was so memorable, we can start to understand narrative patterns or methodologies to apply to our own campaigns.

Tying in with an event as these first few pieces do, can come with big successes or failures, you end up having just one narrow time period to bank on, conversely, it also gives content a reason for existing, a focus to hinge on. This gamble has paid off for these brands.

If you have missed the rest of the series so far here are the roundups from winter, autumn and summer last year.  

Event tie-in

Coach Dating - Black Mirror, Netflix (Valentine's day)

Black Mirror’s new season really drummed up a lot of conversation at Distilled. To tie in with the episode ‘Hang the DJ’ which was about dating using apps, Black Mirror released a simple site that allowed you (like on the show) to view the expiry date of your relationship. Do you really want to know? Sharing the link allows you to tap to reveal, and like in the show when the trust is broken, the numbers spiral out of control, the duration getting shorter and shorter. By Valentine's Day the main buzz of the show had died down, this piece acted as a clever reminder to drum up the conversation again.

One, Two, Three - Salvatore Ferragamo (Chinese year of the Dog)

I stumbled across these simple short films made by Mustashrik Mahbub, on Instagram. They give a nod to the Chinese New Year of the dog whilst combining with product tie-ins. The joy here is in the animation and illustration style, simple scenes, that stylistically say China. The shapes used in the illustrations tie in with the outlines debossed or woven into the products. These visual parallels make the products and brand come to life in an enchanting way. The team at Distilled were just commenting earlier today, saying how we genuinely like being advertised to on Instagram, and it is content like this with its roots deep in creativity that spread that joy, it's not intrusive or offensive, it's just a little polite hello, helping to keep a brand in mind.

Deja:View - YouTube

YouTubes Deja:View tied in with International Women’s Day. The quiz starts by pairing you with another random YouTube user. It then shows you topical videos, e.g. Oprah Winfrey Golden Globe speech, and then asks a question related to the video, e.g. ‘Which female activist does Oprah honor in her speech?’ Malala Yousafzai, Recy Taylor, Rosa Parks or Emma Watson. Each question has a time limit of 12 seconds, and a multiple choice of 4 answers. Bars at the bottom show your progress against your opponent and there is also the option to share the link so you can play against a friend spreading the virality. This works because it challenges you to think about how current you are, how much you are keeping up with celebrity news, poignant advertising messages and political breakthroughs.

Products

Netflix Socks - Netflix

This is not a real product, you can’t buy it. Netflix, in fact, encourage you to make it yourself, and I am sure some people have tried. To me it is a commentary on the Netflix binge, it is positioned as a helpful aid to stop you missing parts of your favourite series because you have nodded off. The socks, look warm and wintery, the room is warm and there are lots of comfort items around, a warming cup of tea, cookies, a scented candle, cushions, a throw, and now these toasty warm socks, it could be seen as Christmassy, but Netflix has not hinged on this event specifically. There is also a slice of ingenuity in there a ‘huh, how did they do that’ feeling, which of course is explained, not that I am about to buy a LilyPad to help tap the pause button on my remote.

Avocado easter egg - Waitrose

Could there be anything more millennial than a chocolate egg, made to look like and avocado? Articles about millennials are ten a penny these days and most of them probably talk about avocados smushed on toast. We like to poke fun at our generation however much we actively personify it’s cliche traits. You can buy this avocado chocolate egg for £8. It’s been a real talking point, I mean come on it is a joke product, which makes me think, is Waitrose even doing this for sales or just for press? Probably a bit of both. I mean surely if someone loves avocados that much, you would buy them an avocado, as opposed to a chocolate egg that looks like one.

Branded Content

31 day challenge - Barclaycard  

The start of the year always marks a change of attitude; it has always astounded me how in the most depressing month of the year, we choose dry January, no chocolate and giving up on other things we love, surely we need them to get through. This year we saw a positive change, people started something instead, from brands to friends alike. For Barclaycard vlogger, Giovanna Fletcher started something different for all of the 31 days in January. This content inspires us to do more ourselves and leaves the bank Barclaycard front of mind as a brand, that, like an encouraging parent gave us that little nudge that we needed to better ourselves.

Long Format

How to fix a toilet - Google News Labs

Using the power of search, Google News Labs knows precisely what we want to read about. Google visualised the prevalence of searches by the scale of the item, we can see that walls are what we search how to fix most. The article then breaks the data down by country, comically North Americans fixing toilets first and foremost. The simple illustrations, although just stick men do have flair, and don’t aim to visualise everything.  For example in the treemap break down only the largest segment is animated, but not the others. These treatments make absorbing a lot of data engaging. Although created by Google it is not heavily branded, even down to its custom domain ‘how-to-fix-a-toilet.com’. The article starts with an everyday conversation, before the title, subhead and credit, which is engaging instantly.

Stunts / Real World

You’re forgetful when you’re hungry - Snickers

I like the idea of a billboard poster being something else. Valentine's day was a perfect tie-in for the Snickers ‘You’re forgetful when your hungry’ campaign. Taking to the streets, Snickers used a billboard poster to hand out free valentines cards to passers-by and as a slightly more budget-friendly version a food truck (mobile low-cost ad space) to hand out invites to forgetful partners for Valentine's day dinner.

Taking to the streets and working with the general public's involvement can be risky, but rewarding too as we found out in our Interflora campaign. When working with the general public you must leave the final narrative up to some spontaneity, for example in the Snickers video, the guy holding three roses and grabbing for three cards, you just can’t write that stuff. The Snickers food truck ad is narrated by a sultry sounding french man, adding to that romantic je ne sais quoi of the ad.

Advertising

Nothing beats a Londoner - Nike

Call me sad, but there is nothing that excites me more than a new advert by a massive brand. There was a lot of controversy over the Nike ad at Distilled. Some thought it was overly aggressive; I would argue that that style of expression fits hip hop / grime and the target demographic relate to that way of talking amongst their peers, so its positioned perfectly. It feels exclusive; it’s London thing, a club, those of us in it feel connected, part of a community. Others felt shunned, alienated; it created a backlash of press attention. There was an outcry from Manchester saying where is ours? It’s one of those videos where (as a Londoner) you can say ‘oh I’ve been there’. It is empowering it depicts other people's sports journeys and stresses, which in turn makes your own struggle, the goal you are trying to hit feel part of something bigger.

Welcome home - Apple

Ahhh FKA Twigs and Anderson Pac what could be more perfect. People do love to hate on these big brands when they bring in big celebrities in ads like this, calling them sell outs. I’m just happy that there is a platform for this type of work to exist and reach such a wide audience. The image manipulation, an extrusion technique makes an ordinary scene mesmerising. it reminds me of Nicholas Kennedy Sitton’s architectural photography collages. When FKA Twigs starts to enter a world of her own, her happy place, things begin to change, the images divide and the colours at the point the image is cut extrude into colourful ribbons.

The narrative shows a woman weary from a day at work being glad to get home, and her HomePod helping to brighten her mood, helping her to find the playful version of herself again, helping her to become the full and best version of herself, putting the worries of the day behind her.

What content have you enjoyed lately? Let us know in the comments.

Creative Inspiration: Content We Enjoyed this Spring was originally posted by Video And Blog Marketing