#THE SHARKS

[smallearthboundfindings]

Some Mother 2/EarthBound guidebook art this time! I went through the trouble of remastering this art a bit by cleaning up the colors, but these were originally from Mother Forever as well! Check them out!

Also, more under the cut! The more spoilery ones are there alongside some of the sillier ones.

[jilllovesmike]

5 Newsies, 2 Sharks, and 1 Jet. 💙💙💙💙💙

I love how Mike towers over them all. 🥹

[v1tfrma]

I love rachel zegler

[snoozerat]

The dock

[stuckasmain]

Two gangs, both alike in dignity…

It is particularly heartbreaking throughout the movie to notice the similarities between the gangs and how close they come to an understanding at multiple points. Now, of course it is the point for them to not be able to see this or else we wouldn’t have a plot but one can still mourn. Particularly I want to talk about the Jets as their primary drivers are a bit subtler/lost to time whereas the Sharks are much more direct. (Both in story and interpretation).

The advantage they have on the Shark’s is barely existent, they’re both on the same low rung on that latter just the Jets are the top of that rung.

I haven’t seen it mentioned how the Jets are first generation kids, they’re also all from immigrant families. Back in the day, and still in some places up north “they’re still racist to other kinds of white people”, hell Bernardo calls Tony a Polack multiple times. Now this is not anywhere close to the same level of racial/ethnic discrimination faced by the Sharks but it is still very existent. The lieutenant tries to form some sort of “racial solidarity” with the Jets multiple times, going far softer on them and trying to be chummy - when it doesn’t work and he sees the gang doesn’t see their issues as racial he makes his true opinion clear with the “you and the immigrant scum you come from” before getting brutally personal about their homelife.

And while being a very catchy song they aren’t entirely joking in Gee, Officer Krupke. It’s cope. They’re victims of a broken system pushed towards gang life, they can joke and say they’re fine and it’s chosen till they’re red in the face but there’s the underlying economic and social factor there. Additionally- they joke because one would rather be hated than pitied. And while being “born here” gives them a marginal leg up… the American working/lower class doesn’t exactly have a great time.

It’s also easy to convince those with very little of a false enemy. Like the sharks coming into the country and “stealing” the little you have away from you… not the actual cause. They end up fighting over the same measly scrap of land instead of the system that placed them both there. (Their fighting is not inherently racially motivated. It’s more over territory as they had before mingled with some less than savory attitudes of the period and what I mentioned above. This is not negating racism just stating it’s not the primary cause.)

As I’m losing my ability to write out this thought I’d like to leave off with another analogy. The Jets are treated like gravel, an inconvenience and a bother but aren’t met with the same destain as dirt. Gravel and dirt are trampled by the same shoes but gravel would rather keep the little bit better treatment than recognize how a like they are with dirt. And dirt sees only how gravel is treated slightly better, not how they are both being stepped on.

I don’t know I just find the nuance fascinating and the level of similarities goes unappreciated.

[wintertundra-art]

i just watched the gladiator II, i honestly don't know whether to laugh or cry sjsjajsksmsnsnsn

[sowhatifiliveinasmalltowninjapan]

The Sharks

Phantom Rockers (1983)

[tabbypiggy]

Some EarthBound sketches + Frank Fly because he's a cool and epic EB character

[iloveplayrehersal]

The sharks won the hockey game last night!!!! Can we give a little bit of jazz hands for Bernardo please

[bernardolovesanita]

I feel like I've seen this and might have already shared it.

But the editing is so beautifully done

[mthguy]

West Side Story (2021)

"I like to be in America!"

[the-tony-stark]

Tony! I didn't forget - I know Mia is growing but she's still a bitty baby right? I oversized her blanket so she can use it for a while ❤️ and I made you and Thomas a little something too! let me know where I can send it, or if I can come meet her 💗 love to you all -m

My darling M! So to good to hear from you, it’s been some time.

Mia is rather close to crawling now but yes, she’s still our tiny miracle. She’s going to love that blankie as much as Thomas and I adore the one you’ve made us! @sir-thomas-sharpe-anon Look at the blankies! Aren’t they cute?

What do you mean send it? She’s been waiting for cuddles from her Aunty M. Come over!

[snoozerat]

Sic em, Girls!

[hitchell-mope]

Good film. I only really liked Tony, Maria and Valentina. But still. Good film

[surpriseimbored]

Fun fact of the day