#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 :)

[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