#Salem Media Group

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

The conservative gadfly Dinesh D'Souza's film and book "2000 Mules," which pushes false conspiracies about voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election, has been removed from distribution by its executive producer and publisher, according to an announcement Friday.

Salem Media Group's announcement that it had yanked D'Souza's film and book also apologized to Mark Andrews, a Georgia man falsely accused in "2000 Mules" of ballot stuffing.

Andrews in late 2022 filed a federal defamation lawsuit against the company, D'Souza, and the non-profit advocacy group True The Vote, which contributed to the "2000 Mules' project.

D'Souza and True The Vote did not immediately respond to requests for comment by CNBC about Salem Media's decision to pull "2000 Mules."

Salem Media released the film in 2022.

The company claimed at the time that "2000 Mules" was "the most successful political documentary in a decade," and that it had grossed $10 million in its first few weeks of release.

The film quickly became a part of a canon of media produced by far-right figures intended to discredit the results of the 2020 presidential election, which President Joe Biden won.

Former President Donald Trump, who lost to Biden, embraced "2000 Mules," screening the film at his Florida club Mar-a-Lago.

But since then, the claims made in the movie and the book, which was published by Salem Media's subsidiary Regnery Publishing, have been systematically debunked by journalists and law-enforcement officials.

Late last year, attorneys for True the Vote admitted in a Georgia court that they could not produce any documents to back up allegations about ballot stuffing in the 2020 presidential election in that state, which Biden won.

"2000 Mules" shows Andrews placing five ballots into a box, as D'Souza says in a voiceover: "What you are seeing is a crime. These are fraudulent votes."

Andrews' lawsuit is proceeding in court.

The suit seeks unspecified damages, royalties for the use of his name and likeness, and a court order requiring D'Souza, Salem Media, True the Vote, and others to remove their statements about Andrews.

In its statement Friday announcing it would cease distributing the film and book, Salem Media said, "It was never our intent that the publication of the 2000 Mules film and book would harm Mr. Andrews."

"We apologize for the hurt the inclusion of Mr. Andrews' image in the movie, book, and promotional materials have caused Mr. Andrews and his family," the statement said.

"We have removed the film from Salem's platforms, and there will be no future distribution of the film or the book by Salem."

"In publishing the film and the book, we relied on representations made to us by Dinesh D'Souza and True the Vote, Inc. ... that the individuals depicted in the videos provided to us by TTV, including Mr. Andrews, illegally deposited ballots," Salem Media said.

Salem Media sold Regnery Publishing, the imprint behind the "2000 Mules" book, in late 2023.

The conservative publisher was purchased by Skyhorse Publishing, an independent publisher that has released the work of a wide range of controversial authors, including conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Last year, Fox Corp. paid $787 million to Dominion Voting Systems to settle an unrelated defamation lawsuit based on Fox News' claims about the 2020 election.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Darrell Lucus at Daily Kos:

Lost in the hurly-burly over Donald Trump’s conviction is another bit of good news. Two years ago, right-wing provocateur and pseudointellectual Dinesh D’Souza released “2000 Mules,” a film that alleged Trump had a second term stolen from him as a result of a wide-ranging scheme by Democrats to stuff ballot boxes in key swing states. In other words, it was a 90-minute paean to the Big Lie. The film has been widely debunked as one of the latest pieces of conspiracy theory trash from a man with a long history of trafficking in said trash, as has an accompanying book.

Late Friday, D’Souza finally got a long-overdue reckoning for his shameless promotion of the Big Lie. Salem Media Group, the Christian conservative media group that distributed the film and book versions of “2000 Mules,” publicly disavowed both publications and announced it was pulling them from distribution. It didn’t come without prodding, however. Salem was all but forced to pulp both the book and film after a man depicted as one of those “mules” took both it and Salem to court. It initially looked like the beginning of the end for “2000 Mules” came when Salem and its then-publishing division, Regnery Publishing, abruptly pulled the book version from publication due to a supposed “publishing error.” Based on changes made when a new version was released in October, however, they came when several nonprofits whom D’Souza named as being involved in election fraud threatened legal action. D’Souza had earlier vowed to reveal the names of the “nonprofit stash houses” who supposedly illegally harvested ballots in 2020.

But the real dénouement began in October, when Atlanta resident Mark Andrews, who was depicted in the film, sued Salem and D’Souza for conspiracy to violate his right to vote, defamation, and invasion of privacy. While Andrews’ image was blurred in the film, his image was visible in the trailer and stills. Andrews claimed that he and his family had been the targets of violent threats, and feared being attacked by hardcore Trumpers. This isn’t just an abstract concern. Some of the most Trumpified territory in the nation is just an hour’s drive north of Atlanta, as most Georgia Kossacks know. Several counties in North Georgia—the balliwicks of Andrew Clyde and Marjorie Taylor Greene—gave Trump 70 percent or more of the vote. Andrews was subsequently cleared of wrongdoing; state officials found he had legally dropped off ballots for himself and his family.

Sharp analysis from Darrell Lucus on Daily Kos on how right-wing Christian conservative outlet Salem Media Group was forced to disavow both the book and film versions of election denier propaganda piece 2000 Mules from serial liar Dinesh D’Souza.

[chrisshields18]

Salem Media Group.

[omresult]

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[gusty-wind]

TRUTH IS BEING SILENCE AND GAGGED.

[workersolidarity]

🇵🇸⚔️🇮🇱 🚀🚀🚀 🚨

PALESTINIAN RESISTANCE FORCES FIRE BARRAGE OF MISSILES INTO THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES AND POSITIONS OF THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION ARMY

📹 Scenes from the mujahideen of the Al-Quds Brigades, belonging to Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), publish a video giving an overview of their operations during the Israeli occupation's assault on the Jabalia Camp, in the northern Gaza Strip, over the last several weeks.

According to PIJ, the Al-Quds Brigades conducted 21 targeting operations using RPG and TPG shells against the positions of the Israeli occupation forces and their armored vehicles in the Jabalia Camp.

Additionally, the Al-Quds Brigades conducted 6 sniper operations against Israeli soldiers in their positions in the camp, while also carrying out 13 engagement operations at point-blank range in the alleyways of the Jabalia Camp.

Al-Quds Brigades also said they launched a total of 9 barrages of missiles fired towards the cities and settlements of the Israeli occupation around the frontlines of the northern Gaza Strip, and also carried out 35 targeting operations using mortar bombardments.

Similarly, the Al-Quds Brigades said the implemented 10 targeting operations using anti-tank and anti-personnel improvised explosive devices, along with 40 Saqib guerilla warfare devices and Ababil projectiles against Israeli military vehicles and soldiers invading the Gaza Strip.

The Brigades said they'd also targeted several Mavic Pro quadcopter drones equipped with explosive devices and bombs.

Meanwhile, according to the Iranian Mehr News Agency, following 240 days of the Israeli occupation's ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip, several other Palestinian Resistance factions launched a multitude of attacks against the positions of Zionist army in Gaza this weekend

The Shaheed Abu Ali Mustafa Battalions, belonging to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PLFP), a Marxist-Leninist Palestinian resistance faction, announced its missile detatchments targeted the soldiers of the Zionist regime around the Karm Abu Salem border crossing using Type-107 missiles.

Meanwhile, the forces of Martyr Omar al-Qasim Brigades, belonging to the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), another ML-Resistance group, announced the targeting of the Israeli occupation forces' positions in "Sofa", east of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, using Type-107 short-range missiles.

Additionally, the forces of the Mujahideen Brigades, belonging to the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement, announced the targeting of a gathering of Israeli soldiers west of the Salah al-Din Gate, south of Rafah, using mortar shells.

According to reports, the sounds of gunfire and explosions were heard coming from the area around the "Netzarim Corridor", south of Gaza City, followed by the arrival of rescue helicopters which landed near the positions of the Israeli regime's soldiers.

Reports in the Hebrew media also acknowledged that a military rescue helicopter arrived carrying wounded Zionist soldiers as a result of ongoing battles in Gaza. The helicopter was seen landing at the Shaari Tsiddaq hospital in the occupied territories.

#source1

#source2

@WorkerSolidarityNews

[akajustmerry]

Frank’s challenge to Bill’s isolationism is framed, not as a larger social issue in which Bill is keeping essential resources from those who may need them on pain of death, but merely as a conflict within their relationship. As the audience, we’re never positioned to question Bill’s isolationism outside of how it limits his social life. We’re meant to admire and sympathise with how his attitude allows him to build the queer life he never got to lead before the world ended. 

In 2007, Jasbir Puar coined the term ‘homonationalism’ to describe LGBTIQ people and movements who align themselves with nationalist attitudes; queer people who ascribe to an ‘us vs them’ mentality to the detriment of less privileged groups. People like Bill, whose queer marginalisation doesn’t push them toward radical empathy, but toward supremacist attitudes. 

But It is hardly surprising that The Last of Us creator Neil Druckmann uses queerness to pinkwash harmful libertarianism. Druckmann grew up as an Israeli in the occupied West Bank of Palestine — one of many of Israel’s “settlements” where Israel’s checkpoints, walls and military forces prevent Palestinians from accessing resources like water and electricity (sound familiar?). 

There’s no denying that portraying queerness at the end of the world is always somewhat refreshing. Apocalypse media has long been critiqued over its lack of imagination for envisioning futures where only the most privileged survive. But to see episode 3 so celebrated brings the disconcerting reminder that the majority are still most comfortable with celebrating queerness that aligns with conservative values of individual liberty over community good.

‘The Last of Us’ Has A Pretty Big Problem With Pinkwashing by Merryana Salem

[i-am-aprl]

🚨 Despite the Israeli army announcing the area as a closed military zone, dozens of Israeli demonstrators are attempting to prevent humanitarian aid from entering the Gaza Strip on Israel’s side of the Karam Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) border crossing.

🚨Videos posted on social media show protesters waving Israeli flags as they surround aid trucks waiting to cross. Israeli protests attempting to block aid entering Gaza have been ongoing for weeks.

🚨 On Sunday, a group of settlers gathered near Ashdod Port to block trucks moving towards Gaza. An UNRWA food convoy waiting to move into northern Gaza was hit by Israeli naval fire on Monday.

[plasticflwrs]

★ ⠀⠀ ! ⠀⠀ DISCOGRAPHY — Under the cut, you will find an IN DEPTH look into the career of South Korea's favorite idol band, Plastic Flowers. Beginning in 2016, they would rebrand after failing to make a profit in 2017 and find true success with TEETH in 2020, just a few months before their 16 month hiatus would begin. In 2022, they came back stronger than ever with I'M ALIVE and have consistently topped the music charts since. They are known for their promotional style which revolves around a spring and fall release each other, amounting to about 16 releases across singles, minis, their three full studio albums. Despite their constant stream of releases, the quality never suffers despite being completely self-produced since all five members are now involved in the writing process.

★ ⠀⠀ ! ⠀⠀ TRIGGER WARNINGS — Death of a parent, descriptive mention of eating disorders + treatment ( 2021 section ). If this piece is too triggering, please DM and I can give you a summary of what happens!

★ ⠀⠀ ! ⠀⠀ THE YEAR IS ... 2016 !

Compared to their underground counterparts, idol bands have been relatively successful in the past as seen with FNC's trio of FT Island, CNBLUE, and N.Flying along with JYP's newest venture, Day6. However, Plastic Flowers would fall under the radar due to the influx of third generation groups debuting between 2014 and 2016 with all three of the major companies debuting at least one new group during that time. Plastic Flowers would debut as four members with SALEM, DAL, JIHUN, and GWYN on May 15, 2016 with the lead single SCARED from their single album LET ME GO. While the two songs were praised by music critics, it failed to reach the general public. Along with their other single album, it would sell 46 copies total within the year and has never been reprinted. Original copies of the album are priced very high on second-hand selling websites and no "real fans" currently own a copy. LET ME GO and MENTALISM were even taken off of all major streaming platforms until fans demanded for it's return in 2022.

MV VIEWS: 1.2 million.

MUSIC SHOW NOMINATIONS. 0.

MUSIC SHOW WINS. 0

In their debut, Plastic Flowers explores themes of fear and insecurity through the song SCARED. The lyrics suggest hesitant to approach someone and an inability to express oneself freely, with most fans interpreting this to relate to Salem's original group THE BIG GLOOM, which she left the year prior. The phrase why are you scared? repeats throughout the song and highlights a sense of frustration with the fear and reluctance in their relationship, despite attempts to change. The narrator yearns for reassurance and validation, seeking comfort in the hope that their fears and uncertainties will fade away.

This line-up would release their second and final single album MENTALISM in November of 2016 with the title track MOUSE. This would be a continuation of their previous release, in terms of themes and inability to perform well on music charts. Though Mouse is beloved by fans now, it made no noise in 2016 and remains their worst performing single of all time, selling even worse than their debut single. Mentalism marked their first attempts at performing at small venues like bars and other restaurants, however, due to Oliver's age, they were often denied by the promotional teams. They would return to busking and posting covers in hopes of gaining more fans. At the end of 2016, it was announced by Superbloom Media would be placed on INDEFINITE HIATUS as they evaluated where to go forward. DAL and JIHUN would leave not long after, moving to larger companies and debuting in traditional idol groups instead.

MV VIEWS: 3.9 million.

MUSIC SHOW NOMINATIONS. 0.

MUSIC SHOW WINS. 0.

In 2024, MOUSE is often compared to their later b-side BRAND NEW CITY from their 2023 album OHIO IMPROMPTU. Both discuss the sense of dread from being in one's prime and dreading what comes later. Mouse is described as what happens after the narrator of Brand New City moves and realizes that they need to find a way to survive, that simply moving was not enough to change their feelings and create happiness. The narrator vows to "find love / and find a way to survive here", giving them a new sense of hope for the remaining time that they have and will move on from the silence.

★ ⠀⠀ ! ⠀⠀ THE YEAR IS ... 2017 !

In September 2017, Plastic Flowers would return with an almost completely new lineup composed of SALEM, JUNYEONG, MINGHUI, SERIN, and OLIVER. Oliver would drop his initial stage name, Gwyn, during this rebrand for an unknown reason, though he still uses it to produce for other groups. They would release ROCKSTAR from the album SOCIAL REJECTS to limited success. They would sell 99 copies of their third single album, doubling the previous records set by LET ME GO and MENTALISM. Superbloom Media would also shift their promotional style in favor of the more traditional idol route, getting them performances on Music Bank and The Show for three weeks.

MV VIEWS: 3.4 million.

MUSIC SHOW NOMINATIONS. 0.

MUSIC SHOW WINS. 0.

ROCKSTAR moves away from their traditional melancholic sound for more critiques of the social landscape. Rockstar explores themes of frustration and defiance in the face of judgement and control from others. They are seen as a suspect, watched closely, and labeled as a hopeless murder by those around them. Similar to their other tracks, this is believed to have been written after the conflict with The Big Gloom and is Salem's take on it. Those around the narrator continuously reject and oppose them, leading to a growing sense of resentment with the world around them. The chorus emphasizes the narrator's resolve to stay true to themselves because they believe they are doing nothing wrong. This song would be revisited in 2024 and a re-recording with new pianist Oh Deurim would be included in their third studio album RUTHLESS ROCKSTARS as a b-side.

With a small but mighty fanbase under their belt, Plastic Flowers would return in December 2017 with their first mini-album NORTH STAR, which had five songs including the title track FREEDOM. This release would double their catalogue and allow for slow growth across the next few years. THE BIG GLOOM, composed of the four original members, would also release their newest album over Soundcloud that same day, leading to tensions amongst new and old fans as the debate of what Salem should have done returned. Rather than alienating the old fans, they went back to their old sound to prove that nothing has changed and Plastic Flowers will only be a better version of her previous band. NORTH STAR was promoted similarly to their previous single album with performances on all major South Korean music shows and even an appearance on The After School Club to connect with international fans.

MV VIEWS: 6.7 million.

MUSIC SHOW NOMINATIONS. 0.

MUSIC SHOW WINS. 0

FREEDOM returns to their original sound with the themes of liberation and desire to break from societal constraints from ROCKSTAR still following them. Freedom opens with lyrics expressing uncertainty about what to sing about, overwhelmed by the abundance of refrain in the world and emphasizes their understanding of the path that they have chosen. The narrator proclaims that they have finally found their own way and the metaphor of cutting the moon and devouring the night suggests a rebellious mindset, choosing to defy expectations and live freely. Freedom encourages fans to let go of the norm and find their own path, breaking from societal expectations for their own happiness.

★ ⠀⠀ ! ⠀⠀ THE YEAR IS ... 2018 !

2018 would cement Superbloom's promotional style for Plastic Flowers as they release an album in the spring and fall, the seasons in which they have found the band to be most popular in. The first release of 2018 was HIGHER & HIGHER, their second mini-album with the lead single LET'S GET LOST. This release continued their momentum forward and there was nothing out of the ordinary during this era. They were slowly being included in more variety shows, as seen by their joint appearance with Day6 on Weekly Idol and their first invitations to a major award show with the Golden Disc Awards and Seoul Music Awards. They were not nominated or even performed, but their photos from the red carpet got people talking about the unknown group.

MV VIEWS: 5.7 million.

MUSIC SHOW NOMINATIONS. 0.

MUSIC SHOW WINS. 0

By now, Plastic Flowers had also shown what their lyrical concept would be as they created another song about escaping hardships of life and embarking on a journey of self-discovery. The narrator has a desire to let go of the past and leave behind anything that feels uncertain in LET'S GET LOST. The verses encourages themselves and their companions to leave behind their negative experiences as they "open the curtains" and lock the door behind them. Later lines capture the excitement of encountering new experiences and embracing the unknown, showing their growth away from the past that seemed to follow them and rising above.

LOVE ME? would be the last Plastic Flowers album fully written and produced solely by SALEM and Superbloom's in-house production team. All of the members were growing interested in producing their own music, especially the two youngest members—Serin and Oliver. They had submitted drafts to Superbloom for Love Me?, however they were not chosen. Interviews this era were a bit tense because of this and Salem wanting to keep her creative control over the group. Superbloom would also give Plastic Flowers their first reality show, FLOWER SHOWERS, which followed them around and tried to show fans the "real" members.

MV VIEWS: 6.3 million.

MUSIC SHOW NOMINATIONS. 0.

MUSIC SHOW WINS. 0

TWENTY-ONE revolves around the themes of heartbreak, disappointment, and the realization that a once-special relationship has come to an end. The lyrics depict the emotions of someone who believed their relationship was unique and meaningful, only to discover that their partner does not feel the same. This is famously thought to be about former bandmate YING SHUHANG, more commonly known by his stage name IRUM. Throughout high school and much of their career together, they dated and broke up around the same time Salem left to join Superbloom Media. Through this song, she is coming to terms with the relationship being over after asking "why don't you adore me?" over and over again. She uses the concept of sleep and going to be bed to bury the past and move on from the relationship, showing that she would be ready to move on once she wakes up.

★ ⠀⠀ ! ⠀⠀ THE YEAR IS ... 2019 !

Plastic Flowers would release HYPOCREEP in March 2019, right before OLIVER was set to appear on the new survival talent competition show SUPERBAND, produced by JTBC. Despite the sound change, Hypocreep was met with positive reaction from fans and is their first mini-album to sell over 1,000 copies in the first month. It is often seen as a turning point for the band as their releases following would follow a similar sound and is the first song to credit another band member besides Salem, that being OLIVER. This would be the first of a long partnership between the two that would eventually fizzle out during their 2022 hiatus. Hypocreep is also one of the most popular songs for other idols and bands to cover given the technical requirements of each instrument.

MV VIEWS: 7.4 million.

MUSIC SHOW NOMINATIONS. 0.

MUSIC SHOW WINS. 0

HYPOCREEP expresses frustration towards people who are hypocritical and fake, particularly those who are thirsty for drama and attention on the internet. The singer identifies as a "hypocreep," which is a term they use to describe themselves as a different breed of person who is hyper and freaky. The singer acknowledges that they may be seen as strange or abnormal to others, but they do not care because those same people secretly wish they could be like the singer.

While Hypocreep opened the door for other members writing, THE CHAIN would be the first time another member would sing on a Plastic Flowers track. The Chain is a duet between Salem and Oliver and would mark the beginning for a lead singer change. It was under the direction of Kim Yuchan, a first generation soloist, and he advised the change since Oliver was well liked by the general public after Superband. THE CHAIN still remains a fan favorite song and would give the band their first award show nomination on Show! Music Core, much to the band's surprise. Most of the members recall this era as the first time they actually felt loved by the audience and could see people singing along.

MV VIEWS: 10.2 million.

MUSIC SHOW NOMINATIONS. 1.

MUSIC SHOW WINS. 0

The main message of THE CHAIN is that relationships can be enduring, even if they have difficulties. The first verse describes the struggles of having a relationship and feeling powerless to their partner's actions. They discuss the idea that a love can endure even in these moments of darkness, as the lover is trying to tell the other that they would never break the chain that binds them together. There is a strong guitar and bass solo--played by SALEM and OLIVER--that represents the strong connection between them that won't be broken so easily. The end is a plea to stay together, to keep the chain together, and not run into the shadows away from each other.

★ ⠀⠀ ! ⠀⠀ THE YEAR IS ... 2020 !

Fans of Plastic Flowers fall into two camps for their 2020 releases: either loving it or hating everything it stands for. Due to it's "inappropriate lyrics" FOR YOUR LOVE was banned by all the major South Korean music shows and would be promoted in a series of live concerts instead. They would instead promote READY TO FLY as their title track for this era, saving the performances of For Your Love for their smaller performances. Not long after the conclusion of For Your Love's promotions, Superbloom Media would confirm SALEM and OLIVER's relationhip, which had begun at the end of the year prior. This would be another reason why people did not like the song as it showed their relationship was taking away from making songs about important topics, not just each other.

MV VIEWS: 29.2 million.

MUSIC SHOW NOMINATIONS. Banned.

MUSIC SHOW WINS. Banned.

FOR YOUR LOVE talks about the desire to please and satisfy someone in a romantic relationship. The lyrics in the verses describe the singer's intent to be the first thing on the person's mind and engage in sexual activity with them. The chorus reinforces the theme of doing anything for the person they love. The bridge highlights the singer's willingness to give everything they have to their partner and the importance of communication in the relationship. The outro repeats the sentiment that the singer is willing to do anything for their partner's love. 

TEETH, and it's accompanying album LOVESICKNESS, continues with the themes from FOR YOUR LOVE. Unlike the previous song, it was actually allowed on music shows and was loved by their fanbase for the aesthetics that came with it. Due to the show going semi-viral on TWITTER thanks to a tweet by a poppy asking "what business Plastic Flowers had releasing" the song, LOVESICKNESS sold over 10,000 copies by the end of the year. This would also be the final time they were promote prior to their 16 month hiatus, making it special to their fans. Teeth would later become a sleeper hit by going viral once again and entering the top 10 on the Circle Chart after being used on an OST.

MV VIEWS: 229.6 million.

MUSIC SHOW NOMINATIONS. 3.

MUSIC SHOW WINS. 0

The major themes of TEETH relate to toxic and tumultuous relationships, with the lyrics depicting the ups and downs of being someone that can be both loving and hurtful. Written completely by OLIVER, many fans have begun to debate the real meaning of the song as it relates to his former relationship with Salem. In TEETH, the protagonist realizes that the person they are with is full of contradictions as they compare their lover to a pair of teeth. The lover's heart is described as having teeth, meaning that while they may talk sweetly, they can also hurt and bite. The relationship is very complicated, in which both parties are hurting each other but can't let go with the narrator realizing that they are losing themself by the end of the song and maybe even the relationship.

★ ⠀⠀ ! ⠀⠀ THE YEAR IS ... 2021 !

The GOODNIGHT era was spent dreading what would come next for Plastic Flowers. It was obvious that the members were losing steam as shown by their smaller performances and the constant cancellation of their performances at their bar, Cheeky's. The release of 403 only made that worse as they went back to the melancholic sound and promotions outside of music shows were cut short. In fear of losing the band, Poppies made sure that it sold well, achieving a record-breaking 14,000 copies in the first month alone and securing them more music show nominations. However, it seemed that nothing they were doing was enough as Plastic Flowers slowly slipped away from the public eye.

MV VIEWS: 122.9 million.

MUSIC SHOW NOMINATIONS. 3.

MUSIC SHOW WINS. 0

403 focuses on liberation and moving forward from a difficult past. In the verses, detachment and release from pain and regret is encouraged alongside the image of taking off one's shoes and lying on the floor as an escape. The narrator wants the listener to forget about the past and focus on the possibilities of the future, becoming an active participant in their life rather than remaining passive. There is a reoccurring theme of breaking free as shown through the lyrics "get up in the morning" and "get out of deception", indicating the need to rise above negative situations and leave them behind. It suggests that nothing valuable can be obtained by staying where they are currently and encourages them to let go and move on.

Despite GOODNIGHT selling well, Plastic Flowers were put on an unofficial hiatus two months after it's initial release. Superbloom would be intentionally vague about the details behind the scenes to keep everything under wraps, however, sasaengs exposed the truth. Not only were they on hiatus to "fight burnout", but Oliver had returned to his hometown of Boston after the death of his father and Jiyeon had been checked into an eating disorder treatment by their manager, Cheon Garam. During this time, Salem and Oliver would also BREAK UP, creating a new tension within the band. The band's social media—both company owned and personal—would go completely dormant from March 2021 to April 2022, leaving many to believe that the group would never return and would be lost just before they achieved stardom.

★ ⠀⠀ ! ⠀⠀ THE YEAR IS ... 2022 !

Just when most fans began to lose hope for Plastic Flowers to comeback, Superbloom did the unthinkable: dropping a new set of teasers for a full album called INTERNET BLUES. During this time, it was also revealed that MINGHUI had left the band and was replaced by Timefighter contestant OH DEURIM, who had failed to make it into the debut line-up by one place. According to Minghui, he left on good terms with the members but could no longer handle the idol life anymore. Despite how protective poppies are, they surprisingly welcomed Deurim with open arms and wanted to see what she could bring to the table. INTERNET BLUES would be released on May 5, 2022 with the title track I'M ALIVE, which secured them their FIRST WIN and first NOMINATION at a major award show after selling 100,000 copies.

MV VIEWS: 392.9 million.

MUSIC SHOW NOMINATIONS. 8.

MUSIC SHOW WINS. 2.

I'M ALIVE is an uplifting song that talks about the feeling of overcoming challenges and persevering through tough times. They promise that even in the midst of uncertainty and darkness, the singer declares that they will keep themselves alive. The chorus serves as a mantra of sorts as the singer repeatedly affirms that they are alive and won't give up. The idea of "highlight" suggests that even in the bleakest moments of life, one can find something beautiful to hold onto. The bridge encourages listeners to keep searching, keep breathing, and keep alive. It's a call to action to hold onto life and never give up. 

Plastic Flowers would return to their original promotional schedule with the release of PSYCHO, the title track for their first studio album, CALL ME CRAZY that November. The studio album was celebrated by all fans as it finally meant that Plastic Flowers were confirming that they were here to stay despite their earlier issues. The members looked so much more alive this era and they even held their first FAN SIGN, which went as well as expected. The members had fun with their fans, but hated the constant requests for cuteness or prying into their personal relationships. They would hold their own formal CONCERT, with over three thousand people in attendance.

MV VIEWS: 323.4 million.

MUSIC SHOW NOMINATIONS. 9.

MUSIC SHOW WINS. 3.

PSYCHO explores themes of obsession and dependency in a relationship. The lyrics depict a protagonist who is deeply infatuated with someone to the point of being obsessed, as represented by the repeated phrase "I can't stop thinking about you." The protagonist seeks answers and validation from a doctor, indicating a desperation for a solution to their intense emotions. They recognize their own exaggerated behavior, acknowledging that they may appear crazy or "psycho" to others. The chorus reinforces the protagonist's obsession, stating that they cannot live a day without thinking about this person. It conveys a sense of dependency and the idea that the protagonist's life revolves entirely around the object of their affection.

★ ⠀⠀ ! ⠀⠀ THE YEAR IS ... 2023 !

Coming into 2023, Poppies were promised many exciting things from the band. In March, Oliver's solo BURNOUT SYNDROME with the lead single STARTING LINE would be released to overwhelming success, cementing his popularity with the general public and showing everyone that he was here to stay. Though fans were happy for him, the same could not be said for his bandmates as SALEM and JUNYEONG began a smear campaign that lasted throughout the entire promotional period. Oliver would ignore any questions about the situation and chose to move on from it instead, celebrating his own achievements rather than focusing on those around him. In June, the band would come back as five to release LOVE AND WAR with the lead single of the same name, which became their best selling record at that point at just under 1 million copies.

MV VIEWS: 748.3 million.

MUSIC SHOW NOMINATIONS. 10.

MUSIC SHOW WINS. 7.

WAR tells the story of a broken relationship, in which the narrator realizes there isn't much to save if they cannot stop fighting. They are beginning to realize there isn't much to save and they have lost their love for each other, leading towards a state of emptiness or insignificance. The song's title WAR comes from the lyric "war of attrition without benefit", highlight that this war between the lovers is doing nothing to help with their current problems. The narrator wants to call a ceasefire, but it seems that their relationship's end if inevitable. Written by Oliver, many fans believe that this song was written about the end of his relationship with Salem, which has never been confirmed or denied by Oliver or Superbloom Media.

[mudwerks]

(via Distributor Of Dinesh D'Souza's '2000 Mules' Very Sorry For All Of The Lies)

They have pulled the book and documentary from all platforms.

Salem Media Group (little on the nose there, no?), the right-wing Christian media company that produced Dinesh D’Souza’s 2022 documentary 2000 Mules, has issued an apology for all of the lies pushed in it and pulled it from all platforms. So, if you haven’t seen 2000 Mules yet and really want to, you’ll probably have to pry it out of your great uncle’s cold, dead VCR.

“In publishing the film and the book,” the company said in a press release, “we relied on representations made to us by Dinesh D’Souza and True the Vote, Inc. ("TTV") that the individuals depicted in the videos provided to us by TTV, including Mr. Andrews, illegally deposited ballots. We have learned that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation has cleared Mr. Andrews of illegal voting activity in connection with the event depicted in 2000 Mules.”

------------------------------------------------

The quantity of lies embedded in maga-philosophy is staggering.

[wayouts123]

Wait. Dinesh lied?!? (Cue capt. Renault) Shocked! Shocked I tell you.

Yet maganuts will still buy it

[pilot-boi]

How yould you do the justice league crosovers in the mistral au?

Well I’d do it drastically differently first of all, ‘cause the Mistral AU is supposed to be more grounded in reality than RWBY is. Not in the “Only gritty and dark media is worth time” way, because I love RWBY’s whimsy, I just want to be able to hurt the characters a bit more lol

I’m leaning more towards JL being a group of adult Huntsmen from one of the kingdoms, probably Vale honestly, or Mistral. A group like the Happy Huntresses but in a different kingdom. And they all bring their own perspective ‘cause they’re from different kingdoms

The way it would work would probably be several members of Batman/Flash’s rogue galleries working together along with Watts as his sort of last ditch effort to get back at the people who ruined Salem’s (and by extension his) whole revenge plan

That’s how I would integrate it anyway

[kob131]

"Possibly while RWBY gets sold off to some group of jackass who think the critic's bitching was advice on how to make the show!" What did you mean by this? I don't think Dillion Gu listens to the Critics?

It was a bitter joke.

What I mean is- 'Turn RWBY into the woke mess everyone thinks it is.'

Like, imagine the Ozpin conflict but Team RWBY are portrayed as flawless. Like, not the 'we're both flawed and now we understand each other' thing they did- actually having Oz be the only one in the wrong.

Or actually retconning James to be an evil tyrant and not the flawed man who succumbed in the show.

Or girlbossing Cinder and Salem/making Oz the true bad guy instead of keeping them as VILLAINS.

Or having Blake 'learn her lesson' and say the WF were actually right to be violent revolutionaries.

Stuff that we've seen in other media, the stuff people assumed RWBY was doing because the writers are hard left (despite keeping their politics at the door). Imagine that ACTUALLY happening. Not an 'up for debate' thing like it is now- DEFINITIVELY happening because a group of people who don't have any personal connection to the show got ahold of it and did exactly what people thought.

Critics won't be happy- they'll probably be even more miserable. Fans like me, who don't like straight up politics being shoved in, will hate it. The only people who will be happy are the loud, obnoxious fans who don't get the show right anyway. No one really wins here.

Dillon getting RWBY is the 'good outcome' here.

Someone else, like say...HBO or Crunchyroll? That's the 'bad outcome' I was pointing out as a possibility.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Andrew Doyle

Published: Apr 8, 2024

One of my shortest-lived jobs was as a teacher at a school for girls near Sloane Square in London. I resigned after just two weeks because the headmistress was a religious zealot who had objected to me teaching a text which featured a gay character. In my resignation letter, I explained that I wasn’t prepared to work at a school which fostered such antediluvian attitudes. I stayed on to finish the term, but was delighted when I eventually made my escape.

I had previously worked at a boys’ school, and I soon noticed that there were some broad differences that manifested in an all-female environment. One of the most concerning was that many of the girls were engaged in what can only be described as competitive starvation. During lunch duties, I was warned to keep an eye out for pupils who had taken just a single lettuce leaf from the salad bar. If I saw any girl doing so, I was told I must immediately intercept her and demand that she return and fill her plate.

My first teaching post had been at a co-ed school in which cutting one’s own skin was the fashion. We even had a visiting expert telling us how to encourage these pupils to hold ice cubes in their hands until they felt shooting pains as a substitute for the razor. I remember at the time thinking that this wasn’t the best advice, but I was too green to raise an objection. Besides, this speaker had spent a considerable part of the session reminiscing about a shepherd she had once counselled who had, over the course of many months on the hillside, used a sharp wire to whittle his penis so that it eventually became forked. To this day, I am none the wiser as to the purpose of this anecdote.

But the shift from cutting to starvation was striking. At the former school, pupils were not refraining from food, and at the latter there were very few who were injuring themselves with blades. It was almost as though only one form of self-harm could predominate at any given time. And when a small group started doing it, the trend spread with remarkable rapidity. I hadn’t seen an equivalent back when I was teaching boys.

I have since learned that social contagions are especially common among teenage girls, and that there are numerous historical precedents for this. I have written elsewhere about the Salem witch trials of 1692-93, in which a group of girls began seeing demons in the shadows and accusing members of their own community of being in league with the Devil. Then there were the various “dancing plagues” of the middle ages which seemed to impact young women in particular. In 1892, girls at a school in Germany began to involuntarily shake their hands whenever they performed writing exercises. And when I visited Sweden last year, I was told about a local village where, during the medieval period, the girls all inexplicably began to limp.

It's perfectly clear that the latest social contagion to take hold in the western world is that of girls identifying out of their femaleness, either through claims that they are trans or non-binary. Whereas in 2012, there were only 250 referrals (mostly boys) to the NHS’s Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS), by 2021 the figure had risen to more than 5,000 (mostly female) patients. Gender activists like to claim that this is simply the consequence of more people “coming out” as society becomes more tolerant, and at the same time insist that it has never been a worse time to be trans. Consistency is not their strong suit.

Of course there are no easy answers as to the explosion of this latest fad, but surely the proliferation of social media has something to do with it. Platforms such as TikTok are replete with activists explaining to teenagers that their feelings of confusion are probably evidence that they have been “born in the wrong body”. For pubescent girls who are uncomfortable with their physiological changes, as well as sudden unwanted male sexual attention, the prospect of identifying out of womanhood makes complete sense. These online pedlars have some snake-oil to sell. And while a limping epidemic in a medieval village would be unlikely to spread very far, social contagions cannot be so confined in the digital age.

Much of this is reminiscent of the recovered memory hysteria of the late twentieth-century, when therapist cranks promoted the idea that most victims of sexual abuse had repressed their traumatic memories from childhood. It led to numerous cases of people imagining that they had been abused by parents and other family members, and many lives were ruined as a result. One of the key texts in this movement was The Courage to Heal (1988) by Ellen Bass and Laura Davis, which made the astonishing and unevidenced claim that “if you are unable to remember any specific instances… but still have a feeling that something abusive happened to you, it probably did”.

A common feature of social contagions is that they depend upon the elevation of intuition over material reality. Just as innocent family members were accused of sexual abuse because of “feelings” teased out by unscrupulous therapists, many girls are now being urged by online influencers to trust the evidence of their emotions and accept a misalignment between their body and their gendered soul. We are not talking here about the handful of children who suffer from gender dysphoria, but rather healthy children who have been swept up in a temporary craze.

Activists have been quick to demonise the entire notion of “social contagion” as a “transphobic talking point”, but the evidence for it is now indisputable. The review into paediatric gender treatment by Dame Hilary Cass is due to be published this Wednesday, and is likely to include recommendations that schools stop the “social transitioning” of children. The interim review had already pointed out that enabling pupils to adopt alternative names, pronouns and dress codes was “not a neutral act”. And there is mounting evidence that such an approach consolidates a child’s psychological conceptualisation of herself as a member of the opposite sex. While social transitioning is seen as compassionate, in reality is causes long-term harm.

It would seem that teenage girls will always be prone to these social contagions, but some are more damaging than others. Whereas limping and dancing and trembling can be overcome, the lifelong impact of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgery will not be so transient. Let’s hope this particular hysteria soon goes the way of all the others.