#Video Review: Break My Broken Heart

[bagopucks]

J. Hughes - It’s Out There

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Jack Hughes x Reader

Requested✨

Word Count: 5.1k

Warnings: a bit of ass grabbing💕, talk of ED, general angst (not proofread)

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The horror stories weren’t exactly true, but they also weren’t far off. College is what one makes of it. That I learned early on. I kept up with the work, I built a steady routine, I put forth my best effort. Things so far had been fine. I had enough time for my major and my life.

Taylor on the other hand.. she wanted to party. I loved her. I truly did, but sometimes her complaining stressed me out. We were roommates, and I always offered my best advice and a helping hand when she needed it. But she never put forth her own effort. Jack often heard about her when I needed time to complain.

Today though, I had gotten her to sit down with me and study. I promised breaks here and there, and even a late dinner. We’d both missed out on lunch for finals, neither of us were exactly hungry considering the stress. We were in need of food. But more importantly, we were in need of better help.

I managed well with our other classes we had together. I let her copy my notes and we discussed and reviewed, but when it came to math, we were both scattered.

So we decided to take a brief break.

I leaned back against the wall, sitting on my bed, while Taylor mirrored me from her own bed. I texted Jack, while she no doubt scrolled through social media.

I enjoyed the silence. Not interrupted or broken by anything but the quiet flow of air through the AC in the room. Occasionally Taylor would send me something on Instagram, and our silence shifted into both of us scrolling through our social media apps and sending each other things.

I sent her a video of a French bulldog, I received a post in return that I couldn’t quite make out from the small notification. So I opened it.

“Jack Hughes Finally Off The Market?”

It wasn’t anything more than one of those meme pages, but the photo of Jack and I kissing at his favorite cafe in the city- that was what caught me off guard. I felt my stomach turn, my entire being feeling like it fell through the floor.

It had been pitch black that night. Nobody had even been on that street when we came out. How did somebody get a photo?

“Tay,” I glanced at the likes. There were enough to make me nauseous. I decided to check the comments, hopeful that perhaps somebody would point out how it was a joke. I knew that was unlikely though.

“Where’d you find this?” Fear gripped my heart as I read through comments.

‘Can’t see her face :|’

‘Great content bud’

‘Fuck her’

‘Don’t worry guys, it’s me’

‘Hands couldn’t even fit around that ass’

‘I’ll bet she’s pretty’

A different degree of reactions all around. My gaze remained on some longer than others.

“Just on Instagram. Since you started dating Jack I just.. I don’t know, guess I started keeping up with the hockey stuff.”

Taylor looked up at me, and I looked up at her. I was pale, she looked careless.

“Hun.. I wouldn’t worry. It’s a meme page. Nobody takes their stuff seriously.”

Taylor had a point, but at the end of the day.. that was still a photo of me and Jack. Whether people believed it or not, to me, that was very clearly, me and Jack.

“Why don’t we skip the next break and get back to studying.. okay?”

I was reluctant to agree, but Taylor eventually pried my attention away from my phone. Or at least she thought she did.

The rest of our night was spent studying. We had gone out to grab something to eat from the nearest fast food place, and ate together watching the hockey team of my hometown city play. The Devils didn’t have a game scheduled for a few days, so I took it as an opportunity to check up on my other team of interest.

After the hockey game, we had both called it a night. With the lights out, and the only sound being the occasional thump of footsteps or somebody in a room around us, my mind wandered. It wandered to the point that I had grabbed my phone again to check for any news.

Nothing.

The internet still seemed oblivious.

I went back to the post to look at it. There were more comments and likes, but nobody had considered it a real possibility yet.

I spent hours awake, staring at the screen, turning it off only to give in and turn it back on, waiting for my entire world to crumble around me.

I fell asleep somewhere around four am.

When I woke up, I forced myself away from my phone to focus on my last final. I told Jack that I would visit him after it was completed and I was off for spring break. I had that to look forward to, but every time I thought of Jack, I thought of that post. So I pushed it to the back of my mind as I entered my professor’s classroom and set my phone by others on the front desk.

I’d attest to the fact that my mind wandered a few times, but I would also say I thought the exam went well. Taylor promised to meet me in the mess hall when we were both done.

I stepped out of the classroom and flipped my phone in my hand. With spring break beginning officially for me, I only had one other thing to stress about.

Opening my Instagram was like stepping into a whole new world. I followed the Devils, the NHL page, ESPN, and a few others. Mostly just for news on Jack when it came out. But this time, the news about Jack made me sick.

I slowed to a halt in the hallway, before my body went into autopilot.

The first post in front of me was the New Jersey Devil holding a bottle of champagne in a photo. The caption was a mess of words in my head. A congratulations.. with my account tagged.

I forced myself to lower my phone as I jogged through the halls and out the first exit I found.

When I got outside, my pace slowed, and I lifted my phone again.

I opened the Devils story first. Another congratulations post to Jack.. and me. My name. Next to Jack’s. Something the media team was no doubt doing to try and poke fun at the situation. It was all in good fun for them. I could understand, but at the same time it made me want to throw up. They hadn’t even spoken to Jack or me. They didn’t even ask if we wanted to remain private. Instead they simply confirmed everything. As the story played through, the next one for the NHL opened. It was a repost, with a message that said, ‘welcome to the NHL WAGS FAM.’ With my account tagged.

I could not imagine the page doing it for another player, but this was Jack Hughes. This was one of their most followed guys in the league. They’d cover every moment of his life if it meant more money and a bigger following.

ESPN had a more formal address on the topic, but it was still about Jack and I nonetheless.

I blacked out. I blacked out so hard that I barely even noticed I was in my dorm until I heard the door click shut behind me. Panic was the only thing I had really felt before. Until I looked at the posts. The posts, then the comments.

There were a select few who congratulated, but the majority? The huge crowds? They hated me. It made a sense of dread bubble up in my throat, until a quiet cry escaped. Girls insulted me in every photo posted, guys asked why Jack went after me, some even said I was nothing but a distraction. People made fun of me for being a secret, they tore me down for not setting my life aside to follow him and his hockey dreams.

How did they even know about my life so quickly? How did they know where I went to college?

I made a split second decision. I grabbed a duffel bag from my closet and began to throw clothing inside. I was certain that I had forgotten things along the way, but there was nothing a quick visit to the convenience store couldn’t fix. I put my laptop in the bag, as well as various chargers I hadn’t bothered to ravel up.

I was panicked, and the one person I wanted to see was an hour away. Taylor called me a few times while my phone laid on my bed, but I hadn’t called her back until I was out of my dorm room and headed for the car.

“Hey! We were supposed to meet up.” Taylor’s voice called through the phone. I sniffed quietly. I hadn’t begun crying yet, but my nose was running nonetheless.

“I have to go into New Jersey early.” I spoke through a shaky voice. I tossed my bag into the back seat of my car before climbing into the front. I was quick to turn the vehicle on, and Taylor’s voice cut out as my phone Bluetooth connected to the car.

“Is it bec- of that post?”

“Jack and I are out. All of the sports media has confirmed it. Tay, I don’t know what to do.” I backed out of my spot before I tore out of the parking lot.

“It’s gonna be okay. I’m sure Jack will have it handled.”

“Jack?” I asked. Incredulous. “I love Jack, but I highly doubt he’ll have any of this shit handled.” He’d never been through it before. We were both amateurs at this, and now we were sinking together. I needed him. I assumed he needed me.

“Okay well.. I’m sure everybody’s happy for you guys.. yeah?”

“No! No, they’re not! They keep commenting on how shitty I am! And in that post last night, everybody was all over my ass! My ass!” My loss and hopelessness caused me to get choked up.

I’d always had a rough relationship with food ever since I was a teenager. People told me I was too skinny or too big. People told me that being insecure because I was skinny didn’t count. They invalidated my feelings while at the same time telling me my ass wasn’t big enough, or my cup size was awfully small. Then others would come back and say my ass was too big or my boobs might be distracting.

Depending on the comments, some days I ate, others I did not.

When I met Jack, I was healthier than before, but I still struggled. He always reassured me. Told me I was beautiful. That he loved me, thought I was perfect, and that gaining or losing a couple pounds meant nothing as long as I was healthy.

He made me feel safe eating huge greasy burgers and shoveling cake into my mouth on a Friday movie night. Likewise, he validated my feelings when all I wanted was a chicken salad and maybe a piece of bread or two. He always said, ‘as long as you’re healthy.’ And every once in a while he made sure I wasn’t hungry either. Especially after I ate salads. After he’d seen me put away pretty nice sized meals, he always made sure I had enough to eat. And that I was comfort able enough to eat.

It was amazing how a few social media comments could tear down so many walls I’d built, but it was deeper than that to me. These were Jack’s fans. If they didn’t like me, then why should he? Had he been lying to me all this time?

“Your beautiful ass?” Taylor tried to make a joke. A tear finally fell down my cheek.

“What if Jack hates me?” My bottom lip quivered. “He hasn’t reached out.. what if he’s breaking up with me?” The mere thought made me want to pull over and turn around.

“What is he doing today?” Taylor asked expectantly. I had to think about it.

“Media stuff?” The thought brought a moment of relief to my lungs.

“Exactly. You’ve had days before where he doesn’t text until late in the evening and it’s never bothered you.” Taylor’s voice gave me the encouragement to continue on.

“I know this didn’t happen in time like you guys planned it, but it’s all going to be fine. The crazy fan girls will always be mean, but people are going to get over it.”

“Yeah.. but what if they hate me forever?”

“They might. But oh well, right?”

Taylor was right. But that still didn’t make me feel any better. I gripped the steering wheel tighter.

“When does Jack get home?”

“I think.. I don’t know? Maybe around three?” I breathed out a sigh.

“So you’ll be there before him?”

“Yeah?”

“Why don’t you go see him at the arena?”

“And bother him? After all this?”

“If it’s a media day, you know he won’t be that busy. And it’s better than torturing yourself at his place for hours.”

She was right.

“I’ll have to think about it..”

“Don’t think too much.”

As if I hadn’t been overthinking everything that day already. Our conversation ended with mutual good lucks, and the familiar monotone beep of a dead line. I sighed, wiped the tears from my cheeks, and focused on the road ahead.

My hour in the car was spent flipping through radio stations, trying to find music that was loud enough to distract me or soft enough to calm me. Nothing worked. My jaw was clenched most if not the entire time. My face hurt. My cheeks hurt. My fingers felt stiff every time I pulled a hand from the wheel.

And entering Jersey didn’t help. It felt like a smack upside the head. A loud call back to my horrible reality. I felt like everybody outside the car was staring in. Everybody knew who I was. Everybody hated me. They were all looking at my body.

By the time I had pulled into Jack’s own apartment community, I felt like I was suffocating trying to choke back tears. I parked in the lot outside of his complex. I gave it five minutes. Then another five. Then another five.

I grabbed my phone and opened TikTok this time. I typed Jack’s name into the search and hit enter. The first video eased my mind. Somebody saying how beautiful I was.. how happy they were for Jack.

The next broke my heart. Comparing me to the first girl. To the hot girl. The skinny girl. The perfect girl. I’d seen videos here and there before of people saying how they thought Jack and his ex had been such a beautiful couple. People said they ‘missed’ her. Like they ‘knew’ her. I never let it cut too deep, because they didn’t know I existed.

Now it was blatant. Now they said things like that, because she was better than me.

I put my car in reverse.

Taylor was right. I’d torture myself if I didn’t see Jack.

Closing the distance between myself and the arena was like beating a new nail into my coffin with each mile. It only stressed me out more. But I hoped Jack would take it all off my shoulders. If he had time.

The thought that he’d be too busy also occurred to me, but even being in the same building as him, I decided, would be soothing.

I had pulled into the private parking area before climbing out of my car. My face was red, but I had since stopped the tears. My heart was set on Jack. Nothing else could distract me.

I walked through the double doors at the bottom, stepping right into one of the many entrances. I was quick to find the hall that led to the private facilities. I walked past maintenance closets, and equipment rooms, before my swift pace was brought to an abrupt halt by a body stepping out of the lounge.

I gasped. He grabbed me by the shoulders. When I looked up, my eyes caught Jesper. His gaze softened from surprise to sympathy. We stared at each other, both uncertain of what to say. He spoke first.

“Jack was worried when you didn’t text him that your final was over.” He spoke, as if having an ‘A-ha’ moment. He let me go. I reached to rub my eyes again, fearful that something was still there.

“He didn’t text me all day.” I countered.

“Well.. he didn’t want to distract you. They won’t stop asking him about you.” My brow furrowed in question.

“He’s in with reporters right now.” Jesper gestured down the hall. I assumed he meant Jack was in the locker room. “They won’t let you go.” Tears welled up in my eyes again.

“We can wait for him together?” I nodded.

Jesper walked me into the lounge and grabbed me a bottle of water.

“I was shocked when it came out.. I know you and Jack were trying really hard not to be public.” Jesper sat down on the couch, and patted the empty cushion next to him. I sat beside him as he handed me the bottle of water.

“I shouldn’t have kissed him that night we went out.” I breathed out, shaking my head. I unscrewed the bottle cap and took a sip of the liquid. It helped refresh my dry throat.

“Can’t limit your happiness to closed doors.” Jesper had a point, but if I had limited my happiness to closed doors, I wouldn’t be miserable right now.

“Bratter?” My head shot in the direction of the door at the sound of a Swiss accent. I raised a brow at Nico in the doorway, dressed in a sweater covered in a colorful floral pattern. Nico looked right back at me, staring me down with that, ‘stays between us’ kind of expression.

“What the hell are they making you do in there?” Jesper asked, slinging an arm over the back of the couch.

“Some spring skit.. I don’t know. I acted really bad so they wouldn’t use me for it.” Nico quickly peeled the sweater off. “Your turn.” He stepped into the room and tossed the sweater at Jesper.

The blonde looked rather displeased, but he swiftly grabbed the sweater and stood up.

“You sit with her and wait for Jack then.. okay?” Nico and Jesper exchanged looks before the Swiss man nodded, then the Swede left the room.

“So,” Nico turned back to me. He fixed his hair, pursing his lips. “Jack’s pretty tense.” He plopped down on the couch next to me, my body jolting slightly at the way the sofa bounced. “How are you feeling?”

“Like shit, Nico.” I glared at him. He was trying his best.

“Right… everything’ll iron out.” He pulled his phone from his pocket. “You wanna play chess while we wait?” I glared at him once again. How could a man so thoughtful like Nico be so… lost when it came to this stuff? Because he’s been single for far too long. Jack always tried setting him up, but Nico was never interested. Said there were too many cultural differences.

“I have air hockey on here too.” He gave me that dumb lopsided smile. That smile that I always rolled my eyes at. Now I just wanted to wipe it off his face and tell him he was no help. But I gave in. I needed a distraction. I pulled my legs up onto the couch and turned my body to face Nico. He opened the game and set his phone down between us.

He started the game. I was better than him at it.

“People being mean to you?”

“You have no idea.”

“I checked some of the comments on the Devils post.” I glanced up at him before looking back down at the phone.

“It’s not good.” I shrugged.

“People make fun of my eyebrows sometimes.” I looked back up at him. Nico looked sincere, yet his eyes were still focused on the phone. I had to look back down. If he scored, it would only interrupt the flow of our conversation.

“Kids used to do it a lot in school. I used to ask my sister to fix them for me.” Somehow, the idea of a tiny Nico asking to have his brows waxed was amusing, but I held in my laughter for the sake of his ego. “Kids called me angry birds. I didn’t know what it meant for the longest time. But I knew I just hated my eyebrows.”

I wasn’t sure where he was going with this, but it felt great to be understood nonetheless.

“Now everybody’s calling you a bunch of things, and I know it’s hard. But I’d suggest listening to what the people who love you say. They know better than anybody else.”

I scored on Nico. We both looked up at each other, and I offered him a sad smile.

“Means the world to hear, Nic. Sorry for calling you the Eagle from the muppets.”

His brows knit together in confusion. But I didn’t have time to explain the subtle joke before we both heard quiet complaining in the hall. Jack’s ever gentle voice laced with tension and stress. Maybe even shaking.

“Where’s Nico?”

“God- I just wanna talk to Nico!”

I quickly stood up and took the bottle of water with me as I stepped out into the hall. Jack was gone. My gaze flickered about until he emerged from a room, he must have been on a pretty aggressive hunt for his captain. Jack stopped though when he spotted me. The emotions returned. He looked as stressed as I’d felt before. Now I only felt overwhelmed and sad.

“Babe?” Jack slowly made his way down the hall to meet me by the lounge door. He was gentle when he pulled me into a hug, dipping his head to rest against my shoulder while I wrapped my arms around his neck, careful not to spill my water.

“It’s all gone to shit.” I whispered.

“I’m so sorry..” Jack mumbled in response. Neither of us could have been prepared for this. And it wasn’t either of our faults.

“Jack don’t apologize.” I pulled back, feeling the familiar sting of tears in my eyes.

“I’m done for the day.. I got done early. Let’s just go home.. please.” He sounded as desperate to get out of there as I was to get to him. I nodded.

——————

Jack drove us back to his apartment. I didn’t care enough about my car to be away from him for too long, but I had grabbed my bag. He let me inside before himself, but we never left each other’s eyesight. The second Jack pushed the door shut, his arms were around me. I reached a hand up to hold the back of his head, my other hand resting overtop of his own that lay on my stomach.

“They asked me so many things about you.” Jack mumbled.

“Jack.. baby.. you don’t think..” was now even the time to bring it up? I sighed. “I’m not too big for you.. am I? Or too small? Or too anything?”

Jack pressed a kiss to my shoulder.

“You’re just right. You always have been. Always will be.” He slowly pulled away to walk around in front of me. “Are they saying stuff about your body?” He looked so disgusted by the fact, but Jack was more worldly innocent than one might assume. He never wanted to expect the worst from others.

“I guess so..” I shrugged, rubbing one of my arms. My body language said enough. He could always tell when I was uncomfortable.

“You shouldn’t look.” Jack reached out to rest his hands on my upper arms.

“I know that, Jack. I just- I guess I just wanted them to like me.” I looked down.

“Hey, hey.” Jack moved one of his hands to rest his fingers beneath my chin, tilting my head up. “They will. They’re gonna love you.” His brow furrowed as his eyes searched for my own. But I still couldn’t be bothered to make eye contact. “Babe.. babe look at me.” He wasn’t demanding. He was gentle. Encouraging. He was always so kind to me. Even his behavior in this moment brought tears to my eyes. I looked at him though, and I watched his heart break in slow motion. I watched his eyes grow solemn.

“It’ll just take time. Just give it time.” Jack pulled me into another hug, his arms wrapped tightly around my body as one hand laid between my shoulder blades and the other pressed into the small of my back. I buried my face in his chest. I wanted nothing more than to go back to the day before, when nobody knew about me. When I was just me.. just a university student.

“Jack,” I whispered into his chest. I slowly lifted my head. He looked down at me. His expression showed nothing but devotion. He was ready to pull the stars from the sky if I said the word. “We’ll be with each other through this.. right?”

“Stay with me through spring break…” the offer was a surprise, but one I wasn’t opposed to. We both needed each other, and time away from my college campus was never a bad thing.

“I think I can do that.” I sniffled as I slipped my hands between our bodies, resting them on his chest. Being in his arms was the most comforting thing in the world. Going through this whole ordeal seemed a lot less stressful when I knew it would be spent with him.

“I love you.” Jack whispered, a grin forming on his lips as his hands wandered to my hips, only to eventually find my backside. I jumped at the feeling. “I want you to love yourself too. Please don’t let people convince you you’re not perfect.” Jack’s words were easier said than done.

“I wish you’d just see yourself the way I saw you.. god you’re such an Angel to me.” He pressed a kiss to my head. My heart fluttered as my temperature rose. “They’ll see you that way one day too.” Those promises were debatable, but believing them made me relax. Maybe if I just lived in Jack’s world for a little while.. his positive reality, it would be better in the long run.

Despite the fact that we still had hours left in the day, neither of us seemed too interested in going anywhere or doing anything. Jack and I ended up in bed together. We both had the bare minimum on.. bodies mark-less but heads full of love. I could still feel Jack’s lips pressed against each of my insecurities, and his hands massaging circles into my muscles. Likewise I swore I could still feel his skin beneath my hands. His silky hair between my fingers. Every dip and curve of his muscles committed to memory.

Jack kept me away from my phone in the most effective way.

Moments ago, lips had trailed my shoulders and my arms, down my chest and around my stomach and sides. He’d put the work in on my thighs too, so gentle and sweet. He never left a mark. It wasn’t that kind of night. His kisses were passionate, but not lustful. He was so full of love.. so heartfelt in each of his movements. Jack was one of a kind.

I laid, curled into his side, my head resting in the space between his arm and his chest, just beneath his shoulder.

“Ya know.. I saw a girl today say she missed your ex.” I spoke quietly, afraid to disturb the peace. But it was on my mind nonetheless.

Jack tensed. He shuffled, then picked his head up to look down at me.

“I don’t.” He scoffed. “She was horrible.”

I turned my head to look at him, but Jack rested his head against the pillow again before I could see his eyes.

“What was she like?”

“Nothing like you. She came around at a busy time.. right after the draft. I was too distracted to really pay attention to all the red flags. She was mean.”

“Does it bother you when people say they miss her?”

“It would if there was something to miss.” Jack moved his shoulders to shrug before halting when he realized my head was there. “It would be a different story If it was you.”

“What?”

“If it was you.. I’d miss you too. I was so worried you’d back out when you saw everything today. I didn’t want to lose you.. but by the time I could speak to anybody, our whole social team just put it out there.” Jack slowly turned onto his side, my head fell to the bed. He wrapped his arm around me and I quickly turned to mirror him.

“I would never leave over something like this. You mean too much to me.”

“I’m glad we’re on the same page then.” The sound of my phone ringing from the floor had me slowly turning to get up, but I only got my back turned to Jack before he pulled me against his chest. I yelped out a laugh.

“Jack.” I reached to pry his hand from my stomach.

“No phones.. please?” I sighed. The chances of somebody actually needing me were slim, so I let the call go unanswered.

“Alright. You win baby.” I carefully rolled over, pulling his hand from my body and pressing a kiss to his knuckles. Jack smiled. He loved a lot of things, but being pampered was one of his favorites. I pressed another kiss to the back of his hand, then one to his wrist, before playfully biting and kissing all the way up his arm. Kissing him everywhere just like he’d done to me before. Jack broke into a fit of giggles by the time I reached his forearm. After I got to his shoulder, I raised my lips to his own, pressing a much deeper kiss there to silence him.

When I pulled away, Jack’s baby blues eyed me. I kissed his jaw. “God.. they’re gonna love you so much.” He whispered, shaking his head. Astounded.

“They just don’t know you yet.. but they will.”

“As long as they don’t love me more than you do.”

“Nobody can love you more than I do.”

✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾

[tiktaalic]

tortured poets review. by song

fortnight: fine. sounds like a song. one of the lana drag ones. the actual lyrical content is nothing special. i would not have made this track one. 6/10

tortured poets department: kind of exactly what you would expect from a taylor swift album called tortured poets department. it's silly. it's got references. it makes you go. girl? already less distinct musically. 3/10

my boy only breaks his favorite toys: the consequence of doing lana drag is that you listen to songs and go this would be a lot better if lana got her chords on it. fundamentally not a song that i can enjoy from taylor allison swift. a song i would respect in lana of video games fame catalogue once she strips it down. not like head turningly strange like tpd just plain and simple middle of the road. 4/10

down bad: this one is unlistenable for me. cant explain why. probably the chorus of down bad. i think it's tooooooo silly too silly by far when taylor swift does how do you do fellow teens vocabulary. 2/10

so long london: i can see the place that this takes on my spotify wrapped. lyrics are fine. good even. this + backing + doing something even the littlest bit different from soft monotone talk singing makes it one of the most memorable on this album by miles. probably not near the top of most memorable in her hundreds deep bench though. can't think of anything to dock it for but it's no belter. 8/10.

but daddy i love him: yeah okay. i love when she does a silly one. i think the instrumentals are nice. i'm having his baby. no i'm not! but you should see your face. easily i would listen to an album that was full of songs to this theme / musicality. points docked because i dont think she knows it's as silly as it is. 7/10.

fresh out the slammer: bored. i just looked at the lyrics and they're passable but they're performed in the most boring possible manner. stupidest name imaginable. i actually might bump it a point or two if the name was different. 4/10

florida: makes me go yaaaaaay florence every time i hear it. taylor's part halsey 2014 core. could have been worse! if i was in charge of cutting tracks i would keep this one. 6/10

guilty as sin: started it went oh i'm docking this one for boring. read the first quarter of lyrics and went oh this is fine? got to second half and went oh i don't care for this. can imagine a world where it's a better song with different backing and emphasis. 5/10

whose afraid of little old me: i dont think it's good necessarily but i love every song where shes like im craaaazy im insane. i think for the concept it's going for it could have been put together differently. 6/10

i can fix him: i like the way it sounds. but could use more oomph. it's so nice to hear guitars though. don't care for the subject matter. 5/10

loml: snooze. boring lyrics. boring performance. 4/10

i can do it with a broken heart: BAFFLING. easily the me / karma of the album. the tonal mismatch is the point but . well. it is what it is. i would like this more if it WAS a barbie soundtrack release i think. then it would have an extra layer of silly. i think this might make my wrapped. unfortunately. 5/10.

smallest man who ever lived: who gives a shit about matty healy. 4/10

the alchemy: head in my hands. head in my hands. football song. it's so over. and we are never going to be so back. 3/10

clara bow: i like the intro. i can't see myself ever doing more than half humming this. lyrics are whatever. fine, passable. 6/10

the black dog: yeah it's fine. no complaints. guitar 👍. 6/10

getyouback: why would you EVER tee yourself up perfectly to be compared to a better song. 3/10

albatross: oh i liked this one on first listen. 7/10.

chloe sam sophia marcus: outing song ‼️‼️‼️divorce music‼️‼️‼️. nothing too exciting or groundbreaking musically. 5.5?

how did it end: um. it gets points for being #real but not much else. 5/10.

so high school: i think i would like it if it was even a TOUCH less heterosexual. i would cut 3 lines that would turn it into a 6. i can see this song in someone else's hands dominating the radio and me loving that. in taylor's hands i'm giving it a 5/10.

i hate it here: not interesting. next. 4/10

thank you aimee: out of respect for taylor swift's struggles i will withhold comment and rating. -_-

look in people's windows: lyrics aren't bad but it's another one that's not really. doing anything. 4/10

the prophecy: yeah i'll give this one a 7/10. i would have one (1) greige complaint if this was on folkevermore but that's pretty damn solid.

cassandra: passing it and moving on. that's as much as it deserves. 5/10

peter: lyrics get a thumbs up. another 5.5? i could be talked into a six.

the bolter: yes girl commitment issues. 6/10. actually. 7/10.

robin: jesus god this album is too long. i have listened to too much taylor swift tpd to give this any kind of rating.

the manuscript: 5/10. like if woulda coulda shoulda had no beat

thank you for sharing this journey. with me and also taylor swift

[sourcherryandsprinkles]

THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT (part 1/2)

I was planning to do a more in dept review of each songs, but there is so many (31!!!) that I decided to write smaller thoughts instead...and cut it in half. Part 2: The Anthology will be posted tomorrow. Please share your thoughts, I love talking with other swifties <3

* = current favorites

Fortnight : I didn’t know what to expect with this Post Malone feature, but I like it. I love you, it's ruining my life is so relatable. On another note, I love the music video. It’s so aesthetically pleasing to watch. It gives Poor Things vibes and stars Ethan Hawke and Josh Charles, who were both in the 1989 movie Dead poet society. 

The tortured poets department : I like some parts of the bridge, but will need a deeper listen 

My boy only break his favorite toys * : Did not expect this one to be so catchy. 

Down bad : Vibes. Sadness. Vibes. 

So long, London : There are so many sad lines in this track — as always with Track 5s. The bridge. 

But daddy I love him : Is this song about us? I’m having his baby. No I’m not, but you should see your faces! She is so unserious <3

Fresh out the slammer : The opening gives Lana vibes

Florida!!! : I was excited about Florence Welch's feature the same way I was with Lana on Midnights. I’m getting the same drugs she put in Maroon sound wise. 

Guilty as sin? : This one is for the Dress girlies

Who’s afraid of little old me * : Rep coded. Mad woman's sister. A favorite on the album <3

I can fix him (no really I can) : No one can fix this man Taylor, it’s been years. Also, it’s the shortest song on the record. It didn’t need to be longer for her to understand she couldn’t fix him *laughs*

loml : The transition from love of my life to loss of my life…I’m not crying, you are. This breakup was possibly the hardest for her, which you can feel in this song. 

I can do it with a broken heart * : The chorus is so glitter gel pen! 

The smallest boy who ever lived : She surprised us with who it’s about. 

The Alchemy : I was looking forward to Travis songs and this one did not disappoint. All the signs pointing to football and him. The trophy line! Screaming. I love it!

Clara Bow : The different icons (Clara Bow, Stevie Nicks, and herself) being used to put into a picture how her future would have turned out if she had stayed with each different man. With Joe, she would be Clara Bow and have to leave the music industry. With Matty, she’d be Stevie Nicks in 75 — performing but also on a lot of drugs (if you know him, you know). And lastly, post Joe/Matty, and with Travis, she is finally able to be herself.

[talesfrommedinastation]

Some Redneck Neighbor Doug Updates!

Guys, really, you've made the plump Santa Claus looking Cajun who lives next door to me so happy. He had NO idea that he'd have such a reception to his sass about animated Star Wars shows!

"Well, man, I just watch them shows on my work break at night while eating a snack or two. I'm glad it made the kids on the internet smile. Better then those crackhead scarecrow dances they do on the Ticky-Tack. Think Julio would like Hubig's pies?"

(Everyone loves Hubig's pies, Doug, what kind of question is that. Wrecker would be a sweet potato guy, I think)

@amalthiaph, you are very cherished in Doug's house. I think he's posting your artwork on his locker at work!

This leads me to the following that I can update with. Let me know which ones sound good!:

Doug has some VERY strong opinions on certain episodes on the Bad Batch, some of them hysterical ('Tribe' aka 'Julio's Date with Bigfoot'), others sad ('The Outpost' aka 'The Daddy Warcrimes Christmas Special'), and one that's pretty darn offensive ('Pabu' aka 'The HR Video they Shot in Daytona'). If y'all think you can handle the offensive, let me know, and I will do my best to write them up. I was C R Y I N G with how he described Pabu, OMG.

Like an IDIOT, I sent Doug a link to my fanfic, Far Past the Ring. He and Bobby Lee (another redneck neighbor) are massive Expanse fans as well. I thought they'd love it, and they did, but they still ABSOLUTELY SHREDDED ME. I deserved it. Pride comes before a fall. I will post Doug's review on this for sure.

Doug has a truly insane theory about why Tech was whitewashed out of the Bad Batch.

Doug also had opinions on some of my artwork that would have hurt my feelings if I wasn't laughing so hard. He also gave some good insights as a consumer, rather then an artist, which was great to read.

FYI, Doug's heart was fairly broken when he heard about some of the challenges folks have had while reading some of the other accounts. He wants everyone to know that people have been Star Wars nerds since 1977, and there's nothing to be ashamed of your hobbies.

[bearhyuck127]

Meet me in court

Lawyer!Mark lee x fem!reader

Warning- mention of murder.. nothing else reall

Disclaimer- not proofread

Chapter 1- confusion

It was a normal day for me and my members.

We sat in a circle reviewing the dance video for our upcoming comeback, all of our eyes were trained on the video as someone walks Into the room.

"Mrs. Y/n will you come with us please?" Says a man that I swear I've never seen before.

I stand up looking back at my members who's faces were filled with confusion as I shrug.

As I walk out of the room the man says nothing as he walks down the hall taking long strides as if he was in a hurry.

We make it to a big room that I've never been in before. The man opens the door to reveal what I would guess is more staff sitting there huddled together.

I enter the room and realize there were three cops leaning against the wall.

" Whats going on?" I ask in a worried tone looking back at the man that has already closed the door and taken his seat.

" Have a seat Mrs y/n" says one of the cops in a deep intimidating voice. My heart beats faster as I sit down the cops following soon after.

" So Mrs. Y/n are you aware of the current situation?" The intimidating cop asks.

" What... Is there something wrong?" I ask my heart dropping.

The staff exchange glances at each other as the cop pulls a piece of paper out of a folder that they had and sliding it over to me.

As I skim through the paper I gasp my heart dropping.

Written on the paper was a printed out post that was made earlier this morning. It was a post claiming that I was a murder along with multiple paragraphs of "evidence" " What is this?? Who wrote this?" I ask the color draining from my face."

We are trying to track down the information of the creator. I'm afraid the post has already gained a lot of attention." Says the female cop.

"Well can't you take it down? This isn't funny it could ruin my career." I exclaim

" We understand miss and we are trying but right now we need to take you in for questioning."

Questioning? I didn't do anything wrong. I think to myself. None of this I my fault.

I think back to all the times people warned me of things like this....

The look of worry and concern in my parents eyes.

"Honey don't you think that's a big stretch? You know how hard that industry could get." Says my sweet mother that warned me... Time and time again.

" We will always support you in your dreams kiddo." Says my father that tries to sound supporting but you can see the doubt in his eyes.

They warned me...And I didn't listen.

The uncomfortable stares of the staff burning holes in my body.. the whisper of the managers deciding my fate.

The hollow look on my face as I slouch in the chair ready to take the blow.

Ready... I thought I was ready..

But as I hear the words. " Mrs. Yn we have decided that it is best if you take a break the situation is... Getting out of hand." The world around me stops and I can hear ringing in my ear.

They lead me to the cop car that was parked at the front of the building sitting me in the back of the car and driving away.

As I see the comments and hate that flood the comment section of every social media platform I, had I knew...It's over....

My life as an idol is over.

When we get to the station they bring me to the back of the building and into a room leaving me alone.

The room was dark and stuffy. The only light that filled the room is the dim broken over head light that flickered every few seconds.

I stay silent in the rusty black folded chair as I wait for something to happen.

After what felt like hours of waiting a lady walks in. She had long brown hair that was tied up into a ponytail. She had a black and white suit on that contrasted with the dark eyebags that hung under her sunken eyes.

" Good morning Mrs y/n my name is Detective Lucy it's nice to meet you." she says reaching out a hand.

I shake her hand and she sits down on the chair with a soft groan.

" I understand you are probably overwhelmed right now but we just want to ask some questions." She says pulling out her phone and pressing record. " I hope you don't mind but we have to record this session for evidence" she explained leaning back in her chair. I nod swallowing before taking a deep breath.

" Did you know anything about the post that was made this morning before it was shown to you?"

" No I was with my members since 6 in the morning we never look at our phones while we are practicing."

" So you know anything about the murder that was talked about in the post?" She asks and when I don't say anything she stands up and walks around the room slowly.

" On Saturday January 6th the murder of Jacob Kim took place in the alley way next to your company building.. coincidence huh?" She asks almost mockingly.

" Mr. Kim was killed by multiple stab wounds and was dumped in the trash cans near the ally way. He was found two days later after getting a call from a lady that found him as she was throwing trash away."

My eyes were focused on her as she walks around the room suddenly stopping and turning towards me with her arms crossed." You haven't heard anything about it?" She asks raising an eyebrow.

"N-no I haven't heard anything.. I don't think my members have either " I say getting nervous.

She nods as she sits back in her chair. " This is a big thing Mrs. Y/n you are being accused of murder.. " she says leaning on the table her hands intertwined.

" If the parents take this to court it can get messy I suggests you find a lawyer just in case..." She says glancing up at the clock and reaching over to grab her phone.

" Over at 12:56" she says Into her phone before stopping the recording and standing up, the chair creaking from the weight being lifted off of it as if it was sighing in relief.

" You are free to go Mrs y/n" she say walking towards the door and opening it. " Good luck" she says before walking out of the room. And I could have sworn I heard her whisper...

You'll need it.

💭- I changed like... everything last second but I like the way it flowed much better. Chapter 2 will be posted soon. Enjoy!

[kristiemewisstan]

The Tortured Poets Department Unhinged First Listen Review:

Fortnight-

NEEDS MORE POSTY, we love a “I wanna kill her”, this one MIGHT BE about Matty Healy lol “I touched you for only a fortnight”

The Tortured Poets Department-

“WHO USES TYPEWRITERS ANYWAY” YOU BITCH ITS YOU LOL, Charlie Puth name drop 🤨 oh god so many name drops, THIS BRIDGE, not the wedding ring…

My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys-

THERE WAS A LITANY OF REASONS WHY WE SHOULDVE PLAYED FOR KEEPS THIS TIME my jaw literally dropped the entire last verse

Down Bad-

“Everything comes up teenage petulance” this one is cringy but in a way I love, Taylor Is Very Much A Down Bad Girlie

So Long, London-

this song is tachycardic I PROMISE I MADE THIS JOKE BEFORE “STOPPED CPR”, two graves one gun I SWORE THAT YOU LOVED ME BUT WHERE WAS THE CLUES damn she’s really sad to lose London huh

But Daddy I Love Him-

this would have a cool music video “she’s was chaos he was revelry” this is if red and the 1975 had a child that’s the vibe

Fresh Out the Slammer-

Okay so this is the “I just realized how bad this relationship truly was and thank god I’m out of it”, okay the weird slow down stuff wasn’t my favorite thing

Florida!!!-

I’m cackling, THE FLORENCE VERSE IS SO GOOD I think that this is just a Florence and the machine song it sounds so like them

Guilty as Sin?-

Okay this is the first one I’ve been like “oooooo I really like this one” “what if I roll the stone away, they’re gonna crucify me anyway” DAMN some religious imagery will always get me right in the trauma

Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?-

This one has a lot of the brain scratching pauses “don’t you worry folks we took out all her teeth” oof this song is just really angry

I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)-

Cowboy Like Me but they don’t end up happy, okay “good boy” made me giggle so apparently in a 12 year old boy

loml-

PIANO! WANT IVE WANTED THE WHOLE TIME “still alive, killin time at the cemetery, never quite buried” I’m getting a gun and flying to London, I swear “TALKING RINGS AND TALKING CRADLES 🤨” JOE ALWYN FOUND DEAD IN A DITCH “THE LOSS OF MY LOVE” COUNT YOUR DAYS JOSEPH 💀, this should’ve been track 5

I Can Do It With A Broken Heart-

hello production that is giving Barbie movie/80s vibes, this is the first one I’m certain was written recently like it was definitely written on tour, the peppy “cause I’m miserable!” Hurt Me but also same

The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived-

THE BREATH ahhhhh PIANO! “I don’t even want you back I just want to know if rusting my sparkling summer was the goal” okay back half of the album is eating, THE PICKUP, SPEAK NOW VIBES BUT MOM IS OLDER AND MADDER

The Alchemy-

ok ok ok “I circled you on a map I haven’t come around in so long but I’m coming back so strong” fucking meant,👌 touchdown mention lmao, okay this is SO ABOUT TRAVIS 🥹🥰

Clara Bow-

Best production on the album in the first 10 seconds, BEAUTY IS THE BEAST THAT ROSE, WAIT WHAT????? “You look like Taylor Swift” yeah queen because you are lol, It’s so people can make the audio of her singing all the album names lmao

First Overall Listen- 7/10

I was getting nervous in the front half but the back half more than made up for it

The vibe was just off at the start and honestly that’s probably a me thing and will get better with further listens

The lyrics were amazing as always

Production was okay, some of the songs were perfect and some had me going 🤨

Charlie Puth

Top 3 in no particular order (apparently I like songs that hurt me):

Guilty as Sin?

loml

The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Sunday, December 3rd

DOYLE: So that's it then? That's your exciting plan for this evening? A book? ANGEL: I get enough excitement. DOYLE: Yeah - of the evil-fighting variety. How about a little off-duty fun? ANGEL: Such as? DOYLE: (pushes Angel's feet off the desk and sits down on the edge) Two beautiful words: Sports Bar! Angel gives him a look, turns his chair so he can put his feet back up on the other corner of the desk and goes back to reading his book. DOYLE: Come on! You know they have Trivia games on the Internet now? You can challenge against drunks around the world.

~~The Bachelor Party~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Two Steps Back by a2zmom (Buffy/Angel, E)

The Perfidious Spell by Anonymous (Buffy/Willow, M)

Merry Month of Magnus Presents... Santa Baby! by all_choseny (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Do You Trust Me? by Grief Counseling (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Your Opinion Wasn’t In the Recipe by honeygirl51885 (Buffy/Spike, G)

[Chaptered Fiction]

Blood and Chaos, Chapter 66 by Aetheron, quote_Amy_unquote (Sannah_banana) (Amy, M)

With Arms Wide Open, Chapter 19 by jaybird023 (Buffy/Giles, E)

The Scoobies, Chapter 8 by heckate (Ensemble, T)

Lyin Eyes, Chapter 6 by ValMccall797 (Buffy/Angel, E)

Moments that Make You: The Hero and The Princess, Chapter 100 by myheadsgonenumb (Cordelia/Doyle, T)

Gemini, Chapter 4 by BuildMeUpButtercup_x (Buffy/Angel, M)

Eurotrip, Chapter 9 (complete!) by RavenLove12 (Buffy/Spike, M)

Strings, Chapter 13 by aliceinwonderbra (Buffy/Faith, E)

Her Old Fashioned Boy, Chapter 17 by Bobbie23 (Giles/Jenny, T)

Breaking Broken Hearts, Chapter 6 by Jess_Ann_Perreault (Jenny/OC, T)

is it over now? Chapter 5 (complete!) by ripslayer (Buffy/Faith, G)

Every Rose, Chapter 5 by sunalso (Buffy/Spike, E)

Agency Has It's Price, Chapter 2 by desicat (Buffy/Spike, M)

Advent Calendiles, Chapter 3 by HAL1500 (Giles/Jenny, G)

Love Bites, Chapter 1 by cawthraven (Buffy/Spike, E)

Disease, Chapter 1 by guin_ramble (Buffy/Giles, E)

Crash and Burn, Chapter 26 by NautiBitz (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Bound, Chapter 54 by RavenLove12 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

New Normal, Chapter 28 by holetoledo (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only)

Dead End Plots, Chapter 25 (complete!) by Melme1325 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Not Just a Boy and a Girl (It's Just the End of the World), Chapter 2 by noctilucent (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Home Sweet Home, Chapter 5 by Desicat (Buffy/Spike, PG)

Agency Has It's Price, Chapter 2 by Desicat (Buffy/Spike, R)

The joining of souls, Chapter 6 by delfine (Buffy, Lord of the Rings crossover, FR13)

A Very Summers Winter, Chapter 3 by VeroNyxK84 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Spuffy's Little Helper, Chapter 3 by Alyot (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Slay Bells Ringing, Chapter 3 by all_choseny (Buffy/Spike, PG)

Crash and Burn, Chapters 15-19 (complete!) by NautiBitz (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork: New Banner Art #9 — For my latest artwork by veronyxk84 (Spike, worksafe)

Artwork: He’s the One by VeroNyxK84 (Spike, worksafe)

Crafts: Summers house miniature by jfreisler

Game art: I made Sunnydale [in Animal Crossing] by Outrageous_Ad_2888

Artwork: Angel on top of the tree! by CoffeeMilkLvr

Artwork: Spike and Buffy by rattbyte (worksafe)

Gifset: Anya - Self Less by koriand3r

Video: Top 10 fandoms for crossovers on fanfiction.net by bakanokiwami

Fanvid: Back From the Dead - Buffy the Vampire Slayer by TheMillennialSlayer (Buffy-focused)

Fanvid: Buffy: The Lucid Dream Acid Trip Fiasco - Part III: We Are On Drugs by MyLoveableCrayon

Fanvid: Buffy the Vampire Slayer // Radioactive by Alexis Wechta

[Reviews & Recaps]

Video: How to FINISH a Story! Loki Season 2 vs. Buffy Season 7 (MINOR Spoilers) by Examining Kubrick Craven Halloween

Video: Buffy Cazavampiros Parte II: Y Con Ella El Mundo Cambió Para Siempre by Hoyganóelcine

Podcast: Buffy s3 at 25: Homecoming by Slayerfest 98

[Recs]

Music rec: Buffy intro sampled by Dreamcatcher by RobRob1992

[Fandom Discussions]

Why did we not get a spin off of SID THE DEMON HUNTER by eggheadsguidetorunning

just finished watching buffy for the third time, and i am SUCH a dawn summers defender by eleven-promises

Who had a worse childhood of these choices [Xander or Wesley]? by jdpm1991

Does anyone actually like [AtS] season 5? by Gothamstreetcat

Why is Angel (the character) unpopular? by Brilliant_Cucumber81

Sensible shoes? by By-Torandsnowdog

Slayers are strongers than vamps…sooooooo by TheEbolaArrow

Which episode did a better job at including a new character into the core group of these choices [Family or Fredless]? by jdpm1991

The worst acting on Buffy? by JeSuisLaCockamouse

Spike was a massive creep in season 5 by Eagles56

do you feel like all potentials becoming slayers make buffy and faith and their premise not special? by jogaforacont

How does vampire turning work? by amazingmacs

confusion [How can anyone just be a witch?] by michaelkudra

Which character do you think would’ve been a great big bad if they made another season? I say D’hofryn by grkpektis

Do you think Charisma C. would have been a fine buffy? by BlueFlameWar

The Body by Left-Star2240

I love how warm & empathetic Professor Lillian is to Buffy in "Tough Love" by KneeHighMischief

Rewatching Angel and the loss of Kate Lockley really impacts the show by oranginag

Who do you think was the best singer in the show? by george123890yang

Why was Dawn in junior high? by Tuxedo_Mark

How long was Spike in a wheelchair and did he eat that puppy that Dru brought him? by aeryn1227

Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!

Join the editor team :)

[tetsunabouquet]

Patterns I Notice In (Male) Reviewers of Childrens Media

You know, I've started to notice something.

I've been watching a lot of movie reviews lately, not limited to children's movies but still a lot of children's movies as obviously children's literature is my main focus as a writer.

Remember how in my post where I talked about how Ruby Gillman showed some of the wrongs in children's media today and I had a back and forth in the comment section with someone who pretty much slammed Ruby as bad but as we talked more and more they ended up being like, "It's just not my cup of tea," as I pointed out his/her core issues with the movie was just personal opinions?

These past months, I became a bit more familiar with reviewers who will just claim a movie is bad if it doesn't comes with profound philosophy and/or not their cup of tea and I actually noticed a pattern.

In regards to the people who use their real voices in YouTube videos or the authors listed in review articles, its mostly men who will downright claim a piece of fiction is terrible based on their opinion instead of wether the story is approaching subject matters in a harmful manner, etc. I barely see any women acting like 'I hated this movie, so should everyone else'.

An obvious example that comes to mind, is Monsters vs Aliens.

To me, it's not a masterpiece either and there were definitely a writing decision or two that was made poorly. However, I don't think it has earnt the label of bad or terrible whilst I've heard/seen multiple men call this movie as such.

On an entertainment level of value, does it entertain kids? Yes. As a kid I thought it was okay at its worst, good at its best moments.

Does it have a harmful message or premise? No.

Are the minor storybeats problematic or unrealistic? No. In fact, Derek breaking of their engagement not only mirrors insecure men threatened by more powerful women but it also mirrors some of the douchebags people who developped a terminal illness or disability have dated. Because of the many ship edits, I know not a lot of people actually know the story behind Arcade, the Eurovision hit by Duncan Laurence.

In ship edits, this song often gets used for tragic ships or doomed star crossed lovers, but it's actually about having wasted everything for a relationships that is not worth it and that is the key part of the song people always miss. You see, the story behind the song is this;

Duncan Laurance had a friend who was diagnosed with cancer and she had no chance for recovery. Her boyfriend, rather then being there for her in her final moments, broke up with her and she spent her final days, lovesick on her deathbed waiting for him to come back but he never did. Duncan wrote the song in her memory but also to be a cautionary tale for himself, to never become the idiot wasting their final moments on a asshole who left you to die with a broken heart!

Susan and Derek reminds me of that story, because men like Derek would have also left Susan if he found out she was terminally ill or got into an accident that left her disabled.

So the movie's storytelling isn't downright terrible by any means and the animation is also decent. But again, I've heard multiple men take a dump on this movie for being trash.

I'll admit my brain is too foggy to remember how well the other monsters were written but considering the main story rested on Susan's shoulders and that was told acceptable enough and they gave her the self-acceptance she needed, how well they are fleshed out isn't too much of a deciding factor wether its good, okay or bad when it comes to stories aimed at younger children.

How well characters outside of the protagonist are developped and how important that is to the overall story really depends on the age demographic as well as the kind of story at hand. The more characters a child is meant to empathize for and follow their direction during the story, the more difficult it is to grasp for the really young ones. Small kids prefer having one fleshed out protagonist with a weaker cast over every character having a deeply developped backstory. Flat side characters are a thing in children's media for a reason.

Shows have a somewhat unique position for their ability to flesh out the characters because they have way more time to tell the story so they can easily create a filler episode where a background character shines even if its meant for a way younger audience and it also has the option to have the characters grow and become semi-fleshed out alongside the viewer if the show gets popular enough for a long-run.

In the case of a slightly older kid demographic, this can lead to fully fleshed out masterpieces like ATLA, though not every kid show should be on their level for us not to bash the property. Brain dumb entertainment can still be a masterpiece in a kid's eyes and could lead to them becoming a long-time fan for nostalgic reasons.

What we should bash, are harmful kids shows like Cocomelon who's animation was literally proven to be too fast for a young kid's brain to follow hence the infamous Cocomelon zombie-kid and the Cocomelon tantrums became a thing, because their brain speed has adjusted to a speed faster then real life speed. Anyone who listened often to Nightcore and then went on to listen to the original version, likely encountered this effect with the original song suddenly sounding slower then you remember it- thats your brain speed having adjusted to the Nightcore version.

I couldn't believe my eyes when the far right recently turnt on Cocomelon because of there being some LGBT episode, when Cocomelon was already proven to mess up a kid's brain speed and in kids with brains that are still that lacking of development we don't know how much fucking with their brain speed will lead to in their development. I saw parents turning away from that show during the Pandemic for this very reason so I was flabbergasted so many parents on the far right still let their kids watch Cocomelon in the first place!

It's cheaply made harmful material and I was quite literally fuming with all the stupid parents saying 'God, I really have to keep in mind what type of content my kids consumne', like yeah no shit Sherlock! The fact your kids were still watching all of it after the many controversies, proved you never cared about the quality of media your kids consumne in the first place, don't pull that stupid Pikachu face! The fact LGBT content is the straw and not the actual harm this show does to children's brain development makes me want to punch someone in the face.

Can male reviewers please start targeting the actual bad children's movies and shows and not shit on movies who simply didn't managed to strike the gold of a masterpiece in storytelling and possibly animation? If someone were to force me between watching Dreamworks' Trolls franchise the entire day over and over again and just one hour of Cocomelon, I'd still pick Trolls in a heartbeat.

Because watching an okay is always more better then watching a movie/show that actually deserves the label terrible.

[depoteka]

my ranking and review of all eurovision 2023 songs

(don't expect any intellectual deep dives, i just tried articulating my feelings the best i could but it was hard bc i'm so lukewarm on so many songs. if the reviews don't make sense it's because i wrote them before i used the esc gerbear to sort the places hhh)

37. iceland: diljá - power

it definitely is a song that is competing in eurovision this year and i've listened to it. it doesn't make me feel anything so i don't know what to say. it's a fast pop song but i'm not even vibing to it :( i just don't like it

36. switzerland: remo forrer - watergun

oh switzerland, just because sad boy gjon worked in 2021 doesn't mean you need to keep sending sad boys now... a really boring attempt at an anti-war song

35. cyprus: andrew lambrou - break a broken heart

i don't think i'm really into men singing some heartbreak songs tbh i don't like those howls in the song and the rest sorta sounds imagine dragons-ish to me, the verses at least

34. greece: victor vernicos - what they say

it's cool that he's playing bass in the music video but the song isn't making me feel much. ain't gonna really talk shit about it bc the dude's just 16, i hope he has fun at eurovision

33. italy: marco mengoni - due vite

i like to think italy is my fave eurovision country and then they send a ballad….. i actually watched sanremo (tho i haven't seen any of the nights till the end bc i'm not that strong Yet) and marco wasn't my favourite at all, i was actually surprised how crazy the audience kept going whenever he was performing. of course i can see it getting some good result because it's a classic italian ballad. just not for me

32. ireland: wild youth - we are one

we've got u2 at home/the u2 at home:…. this song has the most generic love love peace peace lyrics ever and whatever unity they are singing about i don't want to be a part of it

31. poland: jann - gladiator blanka - solo

baybeh….it's kinda crazeh… allegedly it was a big radio hit before "winning" the preselections but imma be real with you, i'd never heard it before. it's a harmless pop song without any substance and if it was selected internally i'd be like meh but all the bullshit that went down at our national final makes me mad. i hope we flop hard

30. portugal: mimicat - ai coração

something about it to me feels like early 00s eurovision and i must admit, i don't really like it. though the performance in liverpool might be quite fun

29. romania: theodor andrei - d.g.t. (off and on)

the national final performance of this song is a state of mind. to be frank i feel like the esc fandom is overhating this song, it's not That bad. am i a fan of this song? no. would i like it to see it in the final with the same staging just for laughs? yes

28. israel: noa kirel - unicorn

israel i'm so sorry 0 points……. this song is a disjointed mess to my ears, i think it would've been better if they stuck to just one of the styles they used in this song. all the mentions of unicorns in this song make me cringe. not to mention the "you wanna see me dance?" bit which um, also makes me cringe. no problem with a dance break but why did she have to announce it like that out of nowhere. my favourite part of the song is probably the "u-ni-corn" chant at the very end but other than that eh. this song was written to make the staging crazy and exciting but as a song it doesn't work for me

27. azerbaijan: turalturanx - tell me more

brave of azerbaijan to send two dudes with their song that sound like it teleported itself from an early 00s shitty british movie. that rap part sounds like it's from a corporate song targeted at a young audience to idk make them stop smoking asdfadsf there's something endearing about this song tho

26. uk: mae muller - i wrote a song

i recognize that it's a step in the right direction for the uk and it's a rather fun song but tbh i just don't connect with it. i really liked sam last year and sadly in comparison mae's song seems quite weak to me. though i hope that the (de facto) host country curse doesn't work on the uk this year tho and they don't end up on the very end of the board

25. the netherlands: mia nicolai & dion cooper - burning daylight

ngl i forgot about this song after the first listen. i don't even know what to say about it really, it's just really underwhelming to me. i think i don't actively hate it but i also don't really like it

24. georgia: iru - echo

english grammar rules have left the chat. i'm baffled by the lyrics. but the song overall (along with the video) feels like something from outer space or the future. not in a crazy way tho. i think it has some potential

23. denmark: reiley - breaking my heart

bts are on hiatus so it's his time to shine. no but seriously, there's something so kpopy about this song? i defo like it more than the other "breaking heart" song this year but still. the dude gives me some uncanny valley feeling, especially considering he allegedly pretends to be 5 years younger than he actually is? i love eurovision drama

22. estonia: alika - bridges

we have very few true ballads this year but i think this one's ok!! not a ballad girl myself but i don't mind this one, i like her voice. gives me adele bond theme vibes. i've seen people say alika isn't really selling this song but i saw her national final performance and it seemed fine to me? not much you can really do when you're singing a ballad tbh

21. armenia: brunette - future lover

imma be real with you, i laughed out loud when i first listened to this song because of the lyrics. but i think the song is kinda nice anyway? not a fave but it's nice enough

20. malta: the busker - dance (our own party)

they got sax and in theory i should like it. but i'm not a fan. the whole "ooh i wanna stay at home in my sweater" shtick doesn't work for me. i can see why some people are vibing to this song but it's not doing it for me

19. sweden: loreen - tattoo

i'm a noted hater of sweden at eurovision so don't expect me to say anything nice hhhh the song is rather fine and loreen is fantastic but at the same time i feel like the entire song is just one idea repeated over and over without any sort of variation. her staging at melfest seems quite interesting but overall i don't think this has a potential to win? especially if the people watching in may remember euphoria. tattoo pales in comparison

18. san marino: piqued jacks - like an animal

hear me out………i don't hate this song. yes maybe it's cringe but somehow it keeps getting stuck in my head because it's catchy asdfasdfadsf i'm waiting for the studio version bc it's hard to properly judge it based on the shit sound mix at san marino nf

17. ukraine: tvorchi - heart of steel

was kinda surprised watching vidbir when this won! but then again ukraine keeps giving us different things constantly. i quite like this song but it's also too lowkey for me, nothing to go crazy about. still, it's a vibe

16. norway: alessandra - queen of the kings

ngl when i first heard the song i couldn't understand why people like it so much. now i enjoy it more but i wouldn't say it's a fave of mine? i can see it getting a good result though, there's something very eurovision about it

15. serbia: luke black - samo mi se spava

i feel like technically i should like this song but i….don't. i think the music itself is quite fun but…..the performance makes it seem like it was written for the netflix eurovision movie. something about this guy's voice bothers me. the nail to the coffin for me is the fact that the title of this song sounds close to "samo mi się spawa" in polish which means "it welds on its own for me" instead of "i just wanna sleep" which is what the title actually means 💀 i can't shake this association off and it doesn't help me like this song more

14. slovenia: joker out - carpe diem

at first i wasn't impressed but overall i think it's quite a fun indie/pop rock song!! and it's always nice to hear a native language instead of english

13. lithuania: monika lynkytė - stay

it's a pleasant song and the lithuanian bit is my fave part of the song. overall i don't mind it, but also i'm not crazy about it. sort of disappointed because i really loved sentimentai last year :(

12. belgium: gustaph - because of you

i haven't watched the belgian nf so i don't know what the other options were (that people are so mad about not winning) but i quite like this one!!! it's a bop, makes me wanna dance. i hope gustaph brings some voguing to liverpool

11. moldova: pasha parfeni - soarele şi luna

the only true folk influenced song we have this year, i like it!! it's a banger, it has some sort of flute going on, from what i've seen the lyrics refer to a folk legend? we love it

10. australia: voyager - promise

banger!! pleasantly surprised because i don't think i've ever really really liked any of australia's entries in the past. thought the random high note in the second verse is quite funny to me tbh asdasdfds

9. croatia: let 3 - mama ŠČ!

i think it's more of a whole package where the song doesn't really make full sense without the performance but in some strange way i enjoy the song anyway. the lyrics also are quite understandable in polish which probably also makes it easier for me (and i imagine other slavic people as well) to understand the message without feeling confused about what's going on

8. albania: albina & familja kelmendi - duje

the drama?? i love it. i saw somebody say it feels like a turkish telenovela and they've got a point. it makes me feel something (unlike some other entries) and i appreciate it. plus the instrumental absolutely fucks

7. spain: blanca paloma - eaea

when i first heard the song i didn't understand it at all. i feel like i still don't fully Get it but there's something so fascinating about it to me that i can't stop thinking about it. i'm so confused? but i think it means i enjoy it. definitely something i like more than slomo last year

6. germany: lord of the lost - blood & glitter

yell heah!! germany finally sending something worthwhile. i keep listening to this song on loop, i wanna twerk to it. love the combo of metal AND glitter <3

5. france: la zarra - évidemment

i already liked it at first listen and it keeps growing on me! not a big fan of chanson type of songs but this one is a banger + her look in the music video is gorgeous, i hope she keeps it for liverpool

4. czechia: vesna - my sister's crown

liked it before it was chosen at czechia's national final and was happy when they won but i kinda got bored of it after a month or so? i still think it's a good song (even tho i know people have some issues with it) and i love the mix of three different slavic languages. i think with the right staging they can win me back

3. latvia: sudden lights - aijā

OK OK… when i first heard it i was like ok. but then one evening i randomly found myself watching the moldovan nf and they were guests there and when they played their song in this shitty studio i was like omg it's actually really good?? obsessed with the lullaby bit at the end. i hope to god they qualify, they need to bring justice to latvia after citi zeni's nq last year

2. austria: teya & salena - who the hell is edgar?

what a surprise?? adored it at first listen. it both manages to be a bop while also trying to say something. i loved in corpore sano last year, i love who the hell is edgar this year

1. finland: käärijä - cha cha cha

what can i say......i usually don't really listen to any of the national final songs and just wait for the winner of each one but the thumbnail for cha cha cha music video on yt intrigued me so i watched it. and immediately i wanted käärijä to win eurovision weeks before he even won the finnish nf. the song is sooo addictive and his entire look/performance is hypnotizing. i know he's a favourite to win rn but if he somehow flops in may i'm gonna be really really sad. come on, it's crazy it's party. i think this finnish win would be a really fitting addition to lordi's win in 2006

[nani-nonny]

So now!! The waited part two AND ch 16 of WDS IS HERE!!!✨✨✨✨✨ AM SCREAMING

I really really love how when i wake up at like idk 7 AM or so in the morning only to see multiple notification and one of those are your fic notification!! It makes me already giddy and stimmimg trying to calm my heart before i start reading and then stops remembering i have a morning routine to do first before that!!

So back to the review (trust me, my heart STILL beating fast even remembering the fic✨✨ that's how badly am excited!), We start back at the kids FIGHTING tooth and nail for our peepaw's attention! I just looves it, it's funny and oddly wholesome, and leo begin a grumpy old man - with too much PTSD in that shell - is just sitting there and watching the drama unfolds while trying - keyword trying but not hard enough - to stop them ONLY to be saved by old man splinter 😂

Man why do i feel splinter WANTS to say " get use to it because it's gonna happen daily " and walk as the ghost brothers and sister give them their privacy that they needed, it is right that after the scary battle, the injuries and taking care of everybody? Big blue didn't have his time to let... Well.. Everything sink in his brain! It's like delay panic.

I feel so happy that splinter asked f!leo to go with him shopping because he not only needed some sort of quite but quality time with his dad! So they teleport to hidden city market and it does remind me of few funny things (something relate to my memories when i was just a little girl).

Splinter giving leo ONE job to do and he fail miserably - i don't kinda blame him, IT'S BEEN 20 YEARS! -.

I... LOVE how he is able to avoid scammers and pickpocketers, this screams how well aware leo is and i LOVE IT!! The cool vibes of " i may be old but don't mess with me! " vibes 🤩

He finally meets the 03 cat klunk! (03 tmnt Mikey had an orange cat i don't remember if it was named klunk or not), and just knowing her lower part is broken just BREAK my sensitive heart, i can't bear to see an animal hurt THIS bad especially if they can't defend themselves.

And we reach the 2nd part the spoiled clip part of the store owner, before we continue this guy reminded me of that one background guy in cass apocalypse comic where he was screaming at casey when leo turned smol? Remember him? Yeah he reminds me of that guy.

So back at store owner he drops jokes, insults and comments left and right - missus pfft - and we reach that champion pants, believe me i almost SCREAMED FOR THAT PANTS!! THEY FIT HIM!! tho he didn't wear it yet - wait is I'm blue fic, big blue wear them?? -

I honestly never thought leo would drop the WHOLE summary of his existence and war to the store owner but man, HE BELIEVED HIM?!?! WUT?!

So NOW leo - with cute little Klunk - going to find ol' splinter and he's fighting so hard for a discount - ngl that reminds me of my mom, she fought a guy for 15% discount - and then dropping the tea!🤣 i honestly wished i was there to egg him on " spill the tea sis! Spill the tea! ".

Leo luckily went back home without much difficulty only to see a new challenger had been added to the fight... CJ! Now my bet is with CJ! He will kick ass.

Am glad Klunk was there to calm everyone down because i think they would've been to the second phase; using REAL weapons.

I think because leo was older he was weak against orange's puppy eyes - AND EVEN SAID WE TOOK DONNIE IN 😂😂😂😂-.

But then realize blue is missing and that gets me worried a bit, maybe it's the part where he and blue play video games? Hopefully.

Oh geez I wanted to reply to this sooner but I got a bit busy

Anyways,

Leonardo not trying hard enough to stop the teens from acting up and messing around the lair is peak fatherhood. As long as he doesn’t hear crying then they’re okay /j

Delayed panic is perfect for Leonardo’s situation lol, it was one after the other for him. He honestly didn’t get a true moment of rest.

Splinter is lowkey trying to solve the issue with Leonardo referring to him as “Splinter” instead of “Dad”/hj. Gotta spend quality time with Leonardo to fix, even if Leonardo can’t do the one thing he asked lol

Leonardo’s awareness being so high is so important to me you don’t even know /j he won’t let any detail slip past him

Yes Klunk! I honestly spent a good amount of time thinking about what to name the kitty but then I remembered 03 Mikey’s cat and thought to give the kitty the same name as homage or I guess Easter egg to a really good show

The yokai clothing hop owner that Leonardo met was kind of inspired by the real talkative (questionable) guy from the first chapter of DMD hehe. But selling the champion pants is totally not referring to the battle nexus (in a silly way, we won’t be getting Leonardo in big mama’s ring) but I like to think that there are yokai who sell off brand battle nexus champ merch lol

And Leonardo admitting to his creation (although twisting the truth to seem a little more believable for the yokai) made me laugh a little because he said it either such conviction that it was believable lol

Leonardo returning to the chaos was a struggle there were so many people to take account for in writing but blue going missing kind of makes it easier

Sadly we won’t be getting the moment where Leonardo and blue play games and that won’t happen until Casey jr gets into school. :)

Thank you for taking the time to write this review(?) of ch.16! It means so much :))))) <33333

[my-chaos-radio]

Release: January 12, 2004

Lyrics:

I was so high, I did not recognize

The fire burning in her eyes

The chaos that controlled my mind

Whispered goodbye as she got on a plane

Never to return again but always in my heart, oh

This love has taken its toll on me

She said goodbye too many times before

And her heart is breakin' in front of me

And I have no choice

'Cause I won't say goodbye anymore

Whoa

Whoa

Whoa

I tried my best to feed her appetite

Keep her coming every night

So hard to keep her satisfied, oh

Kept playing love like it was just a game

Pretending to feel the same

Then turn around and leave again, but uh-oh

This love has taken its toll on me

She said goodbye too many times before

And her heart is breakin' in front of me

And I have no choice

'Cause I won't say goodbye anymore

Whoa

Whoa

Whoa

I'll fix these broken things, repair your broken wings

And make sure everything's all right (it's all right, it's all right)

My pressure on your hips, I'm sinking my fingertips

Every inch of you

Because I know that's what you want me to do

This love has taken its toll on me

She said goodbye too many times before

Her heart is breakin' in front of me

And I have no choice

'Cause I won't say goodbye anymore

This love has taken its toll on me

She said goodbye too many times before

And my heart is breakin' in front of me

And she said goodbye too many times before

Songwriter:

This love has taken its toll on me

She said goodbye too many times before

And her heart is breakin' in front of me

And I have no choice

'Cause I won't say goodbye anymore

Jesse Royal Carmichael / Ryan Michael Dusick / Adam Noah Levine / Michael Allen Madden / James B. Valentine

SongFacts:

"This Love" is a song by the American pop rock band Maroon 5. The song was released on January 12, 2004, as the second single from their debut album Songs About Jane (2002).

The track is built around a piano-led strut and a repeating guitar sound. The lyrics are based on the band's lead vocalist Adam Levine's break-up with an ex-girlfriend. He revealed that the song was written in the "most emotionally trying time" in his life. He has also described the lyrics of this song as being extremely erotic. "This Love" was critically acclaimed by music critics, who noted the track's musicscape.

The song entered the top ten on most charts, topping several of Billboard magazine's component charts, including reaching the number one spot on the Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks chart. The music video met with controversy, regarding extended intimate scenes between Levine and his girlfriend. "This Love" helped Maroon 5 win the MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist and was the third-most-played song of 2004. The live version of the song won Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 2006 Grammy Awards. "This Love" is one of Maroon 5's most successful singles.

The song was the second single from Maroon 5's 2002 debut album, Songs About Jane. In an interview with MTV News in August 2002, Levine revealed that he wrote the song the day his girlfriend moved away after they broke up. In another interview, Levine revealed that the song was written in the "most emotionally trying time" in his life. He also added, "I was in a relationship that was ending, but I was really excited on the other end because the band was about to go make the record and I was ecstatic to go in the studio. She was literally leaving town within days of me writing the lyrics to 'This Love', so I was in prime emotional condition to write a song with that kind of conflict.

The song received critical acclaim. In the Rolling Stone review of the album, critic Christian Hoard wrote: "Adam Levine's urban-romantic swoonings work best when his band really gets up on the good foot, as on 'This Love', which uses piano and James Brown-like guitars to create a foundation on which Levine can obsess about beauty (including his own)." Jason Thompson of PopMatters noted that on the songs "This Love" and "Must Get Out", keyboardist Jesse Carmichael "manages to conjure up both the productions of Britney Spears and The New Radicals respectively". Sam Beresky of the Daily Lobo, who was less enthusiastic about the album, complimented the band on "This Love", in which he noted, "…'This Love', is a happier version of the first with a great backbeat reminiscent of Stevie Wonder's 'Superstition'. It might make a foot tap, a head nod or even a booty shake if played at a loud volume."

[eurotastic]

Eurovision reviews 2023- semi final 2

Here's some general information: I went to the London Eurovision preparty in April, and I had the best time, and for that reason, my opinions are partially based on the live performances that I saw there. As usual, I'm primarily basing my reviews on the song quality (do I want to listen to it outside of the competition?), and the preview videos for the staging - The full package that we're getting in the actual show. I'm also taking general fandom opinions into consideration with some of the songs, in case I think the fandom is overhyping or underrating an entry. I feel like I'm overexplaining the way I judge the songs, mostly it's just based on vibes, but the bottom line is that these are just my personal opinions and you're all free to send me anonymous hate mail if you disagree.

Denmark: Breaking My Heart - Reiley

When the EBU are deciding the running order for the semi finals, they're always giving the first spot to a strong, upbeat entry to make sure the audience gets hyped up. This is to prevent the viewers from getting bored and changing the channel when the show has barely even started. Out of all the songs available in the first half of this semi, Denmark seems like a decent pick to open the show. Not because it's good or anything, it's just slightly less awful than the rest of the songs we have to sit through.

4/10

Armenia: Future Lover - Brunette

The idea for this song is really good, I like that it's a slightly different take on a love song, and the instrumental production is fantastic. With that said, the lyrics are awkward as hell even though the basic idea was good, and the song feels disjointed and unfinished. She's singing that she's going to "be good, do good, look good", and she's only really succeding at looking good.

5/10

Romania: D.G.T. (Off and On) - Theodor Andrei

You know how everything you did at the age of 18 feels horrifically embarrassing in hindsight? Well, this kid gets to show all his incredible 18 year old ideas to the entire continent of Europe, in all his embarrassing 18 year old glory. He is talented, he is creative, and he has awful taste. It's the greatest unintentional comedy moment of the year for me.

1/10

Estonia: Bridges - Alika

Nice singing or whatever.

3/10

Belgium: Because of You - Gustaph

Is this the first time someone has walked that fucking duck on the Eurovision stage?

8/10

Cyprus: Break a Broken Heart - Andrew Lambrou

This is extremely boring but in a competent way. I don't like anything about it, but in this extremely shitty semi I'm at least willing to respect it just because there's nothing I dislike about it either.

5/10

Iceland: Power - Diljá

After I got home from London, I showed my sister a big slideshow of all the photos I took at the Eurovision preparty, and here's the thing: once I got to the photo of Diljá, I couldn't recognize her at all, despite watching her live just a few days earlier. I couldn't remember who she was, what country she was from or what her song sounded like. My mind was just blank, and I could not for the life of me remember who this person was. I had to google the full line up for the preparty just to figure out who she was. For the record, I didn't have any issues at all remembering any of the other singers.

She's just trying so hard on stage, running around all over the place, jumping up and down, shrieking her lungs out, to the point where it just gets exhausting to watch, and despite all of that, there's absolutely nothing to remember about it. It's a disaster.

2/10

Greece: What They Say - Victor Vernicos

I could listen to this song for 24 hours straight without remembering a single second of it afterwards.

2/10

Poland: Solo - Blanka

I think we're all familiar with the term "fanwank" - every year, there's a song that the fandom just loves even though it has very little appeal to the mainstream audience. The fanwank usually ends up getting eliminated in the semi, and the fandom acts all shocked even though anyone outside the fandom bubble could have seen it coming from a mile away. With Poland this year, we have the rare reverse fanwank- the fandom has convinced itself that this song is the worst thing to ever happen to Eurovision, even though it's just a decent, inoffensive pop song. It's fine, guys, this is literally fine.

6/10

Slovenia: Carpe Diem - Joker Out

I love how in this sounds like an early 2000s British indie rock song, in terms of instrumental production. Rock music in Eurovision usually sounds really overproduced to the point where the instruments are barely recognizable, but this one has fantastic guitar work that sounds like it's being played live. With that said, I hate that it's called "Carpe Diem", that's a really tired lyrical cliche that makes the whole song feel less interesting.

6/10

Georgia: Echo - Iru

This song is so meaningless that it's almost impressive - these lyrics don't have more content than a blank piece of paper. To make matters worse, she's doing this overly dramatic vocal performance without conveying any kind of recognizable human emotion besides "dramatic eurovision ballad", so I guess we'll never find out what they're going for here. I miss weird Georgia, can we have weird Georgia back next year?

2/10

San Marino: Like An Animal -Piqued Jacks

You know, when you're learning a new language, there's always that awkward stage where you're good enough at it that everyone understands what you're trying to say, but you're still bad enough that your wording gets unintentionally weird at times. At this stage, you might want to stay away from songwriting, or you'll end up with song lyrics like "I can smell you like an animal".

2/10

Austria: Who The Hell Is Edgar? -Teya & Salena

This song has both a fun gimmick and a serious message, so it's pretty much a perfect fan favorite. It's the only truly great song in this semi final. With that said, I need to nitpick the staging. It's too monochromatic and the dancers look too serious. They could have had way more fun with it, but it's whatever, I'm just being whiny.

8/10

Albania: Duje - Albina & Familja Kelmendi

I haven't had a single positive thing to say about this song until now, but comparing it to everything else in this garbage semi makes me appreciate it a little more. It's classic early 2000s Eurovision, it's dramatic and there's fire on stage. I guess this is fine.

4/10

Lithuania: Stay - Monika Linkytė

I keep seeing people in the fandom saying that all the moms in Europe will really like this one? Those people need to go apologize to their fucking moms immediately, because I don't understand why women would go for the most boring music possible just because they've had kids. What a fucking insult.

2/10

Australia: Promise - Voyager

The keytar is the only thing in this entire semi final that is making me feel real happiness.

8/10

[mymelodyoftheheart]

A Review Of A Music Video Featuring “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart “ By Wilco.

Recently, I had viewed a Music Video Featuring “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart “ By Wilco. It was directed by Ry Barnish and It stars @mareebird and Johnny Fernandez. I will be reviewing the Music Video in this post. The plot of this Music Video focuses on a nameless Husband and Wife, played by Johnny Fernandez and @mareebird and the status of their relationship. Their relationship is deteriorating and the Husband wants nothing more than to break free from it. Throughout the video, we see how broken this relationship is, not only from how the Husband and Wife feel about each other through their body language and expressions, but also through the symbolism of the various broken items and scenery in the environment. It really adds to the depressing and despair of the story that’s being told both through the song and in the video itself. The most depressing part of this video is when the Husband and Wife are sitting at the table, contemplating whether to stay together or not. The Wife wants to stay together and even pleads with her Husband by mouthing the words, “Please don’t go”. Unfortunately, this ends with the Husband leaving her. Watching this video, I can tell that the makers of this music video have a knack for the use of Symbolism and I feel that this is where the music video’s greatest strength lies. It speaks volumes to the audience about the sad and depressing nature of the story and the exceptionally well done camerawork accomplishes this well. However, I think at times, the symbolism overshadows the actors in this video and I think more of a balance could have been achieved between the shots of the actors and the symbolic items. The actors, Johnny Fernandez and @mareebird have committed themselves to their roles and have brought great personality to their characters as I’ve seen. Overall, Would I recommend this Music Video to others? Well, Yes and No. I would recommend it if you’re a fan of Wilco and Enjoy the symbolism being displayed, but for others, It can be very depressing to watch, especially towards the end. I Hope you enjoyed my review. ❤️

[sa7abnews]

Jordan Chiles breaks silence after Olympic bronze medal ruling: 'This decision feels unjust'

New Post has been published on https://sa7ab.info/2024/08/16/jordan-chiles-breaks-silence-after-olympic-bronze-medal-ruling-this-decision-feels-unjust/

Jordan Chiles breaks silence after Olympic bronze medal ruling: 'This decision feels unjust'

Team USA gymnastics star Jordan Chiles has broken her silence after learning she may have to give up the bronze medal she was awarded after finishing third in the floor exercise at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Major controversy has swirled about whether Chiles’ score of 13.766 should be upheld, and the 23-year-old is speaking out about it now. Chiles posted a lengthy statement on social media, first thanking everyone who has been on her side since the Olympics concluded, especially with the status of her bronze medal being in limbo. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMChiles then addressed what everyone has been talking about since news broke that the International Olympic Committee has asked her to return her bronze medal after an arbitration court said her coach was too late to fix her score. “While celebrating my Olympic accomplishments, I heard the devastating news that my bronze medal had been stripped away,” Chiles wrote. “I had confidence in the appeal brought by (USA Gymnastics), who gave conclusive evidence that my score followed all the rules. This appeal was unsuccessful.”The Court of Arbitration for Sport, or CAS, ruled that Chiles’ coach was four seconds late to request a review of her score during the floor exercise final. However, the inquiry was accepted, and a further review found Chiles was underscored, and she ended up winning bronze. JORDAN CHILES PARIS OLYMPICS BRONZE MEDAL CONTROVERSY IS ‘COMPLETELY DEVASTATING,’ US GYMNASTICS GREAT SAYSBut the CAS said Chiles’ original score should stand, and the IOC requested she return the medal so Romanian gymnast Ana Bărbosu can be awarded third place. USA gymnastics is fighting that ruling. “I have no words,” Chiles said. “This decision feels unjust and comes as a significant blow, not just to me, but to everyone who has championed my journey. To add to the heartbreak, the unprompted racially driven attacks on social media are wrong and extremely hurtful. I’ve poured my heart and soul into this sport and I am so proud to represent my culture and my country.”USA Gymnastics had noted its continued efforts to fight for Chiles, and it also mentioned having video proof that Chiles’ coach submitted the inquiry within the 47-second time frame that is allowed. However, the court noted in a statement that rules do not allow for a reconsideration of its rulings despite new evidence. There was also word that USA officials were given late notice of the arbitration proceedings, saying the CAS notified the wrong people via email. The U.S. Olympic Committee claims it was given less than 24 hours to prepare for the CAS hearing because of the email error. Chiles is hoping an ending with her retaining the bronze medal closes this case, and she said she will do everything in her power to “ensure that justice is done.””I will never waver from my values of competing with integrity, striving for excellence, upholding the values of sportsmanship and the rules that dictate fairness,” she explained. “I have taken pride in cheering on everyone regardless of team or country. Finding joy again has been a culture shift and I love seeing others embrace it. I feel like I have given everyone permission to be authentic to who they are. “I am now confronted with one of the most challenging moments of my career. Believe me when I say I have had many. I will approach this challenge as I have others – and will make every effort to ensure that justice is done. I believe that at the end of this journey, the people in control will do the right thing.”Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

[mirageofadesert]

Album Review: FACE by Jimin

As a “Lie”-Enthusiast, this album is everything I ever wanted – but even darker than I could have imagined. Song by song, the album tells a story, that- without the full English translation- I’m only beginning to grasp. The songs seem to reference each other, both musically and lyrically, making this a very cohesive albums all around.

What makes this one of my favorite BTS releases, is that this cohesiveness is going beyond just the songs itself, but is reflected in the concept as well. Every teaser, every video and photo we got ties in with an elaborate and complex concept, that relies on multilayered symbolism. It gives FACE so much depth. As a theory ARMY at heart, this is everything! This is what got me in BTS in the first place and I could not be happier with this album.

Face-off: The first notes threw me for a loop, but the switch up set the mood for the following album: Sinister, emotional and full of despair. However, there is also a hint of anger and fight. The song is absolutely heart-wrenching beautiful and I think it might turn into my favorite. I love the progression of different vocal styles, from high breathy and flowy parts to angry shouts and even rap, that deliver the emotions of the song masterfully.

Interlude: Dive is not a song in the typical sense, rather than different sound pieces layered over an instrumental. I hope we will get an video for this, to really understand what is going on. I recognized Jimin’s trembling breathing, his introduction ment as well as him pouring liquid and drinking in the end. 

Like Crazy: Jimin’s smooth vocals over the soft synth track are magic! It really plays tribute to the 80s synth music. The song makes me want’s to dance and cry at the same time. There is an edge in Jimin’s voice, which makes this one of my favorite BTS-related tracks of all time. And while Jimin sings, that this is going to break him, I feel it as well. The song is beautiful from start to finish and leaves you with an empty, hallow feeling, that can only be counteredby listening to the song over and over again.

Alone is a beautiful (pop-)ballad. Jimin’s deeper register really shines in this songs. The song is completely in Korean, so I can’t say much about the lyrics yet.

Set Me Free: After listening to the whole album, this is the most important song! Not only does it reference the lyrics of the songs before it (e.g. Hennessey at night being a reference to Face-off), it also interrupts the dark album, bringing a glimmer of hope and freedom. Without this song, this album would have broken me.

The hidden track (CD only) – It seems to be message/song to the members. It’s soft, breathy and beautiful! The little “oh-oh” are everything! I’m can’t wait to find out, what he is singing and if that relates to why Jungkook is doing backup vocals. Their voices go so well together. If your favorite Jimin songs are Promise or Serendipity, this might be the song for you!

Album packaging: Like I had hoped, the surface of the album is reflecting, working asa mirror, in which you face yourself. The concept of this whole release is so detailed and well thought out! The pictures are beautiful and we finally got a good view of all his tattoos! The quality of the photobook and the photo cards are great as well.

[doctor-who-binge]

Was going to leave comment but I actually uate leaving YT comments— so here we go commentary on this video:

I agree that 10's ending felt like an ending to the show which meant not giving 11 a chance, he was unintentionally set him up to lose viewers. But 10s ending as a character still makes sense, his wallowing over it, his last line, and his complete angry rant about it not being fair after he thought he escaped were all very in character. He was the most human like doctor in the new series— and I mean tbf he turned into a human twice (John Smith & Meta Crisis). I've heard from fans his idea of regeneration being dying is possibly heavily influenced by how John Smith died, and that makes sense to me.

11ths is great. 11 was Amy's imaginary friend, him hallucinating Amy makes complete sense even without Rory; especially because regeneration energy makes all the Doctors high. I also always thought 11 should have been Amy-Rory-River only, no Clara. I don't mind Clara with 11 at the end of the day, but I still think those 4 should have been a neat box with a nice bow all wrapped up (except River who is a nice surprise among 12). The bit about him getting younger again is a bit odd, but I think the speech coming from the actual actor rather than a make-up aged version of the actor was better. It gives a better goodbye to the audience in my opinion sometimes focusing on the audience especially (not the characters) with changes like this, is okay.

River & 12 being together for 24 years is bad??????? I've never heard that take. I love it so much. The Husbands of River Song is one of the best episodes ever for me. "No it doesn't mean forever, it just means time. But I suppose thats not something you could ever understand." - River. Maybe it's because of how big of a River x Doctor fan I am and other people really disliked it. Alex Kingston's reaction to the scene when watching it was really cute

The bit about Donna being a really good end because Davies understands endings and the Clara thing being stupid because Moffat doesn't know how to end things might probably age badly when the 14th doctor specials comes out, we'll just have to wait and see

Maybe everything said in this video is why I prefer Moffat often, Davies episodes often make me way too damn sad when I just want a break from my shitastic life. I don't want my heart broken at the end of every episode.

Obviously 13 isn't in the video. Hers is short and sweet ("less is more with regeneration" according to the video) I know people kinda hated the "tag you're it" line but it seems entirely in character for her. And gives the next doctor a chance for fans to like (if it had been Ncuti) instead of dislike because he represented her dying. Its the polar opposite of 10s regeneration. Which kinda makes it hilarious that she regenerates into Tennant.

I don't have a feeling one way or another on 12, except the line about his name made no sense considering he tells River. There were good nuggets in it but it did feel like it had unnecessary bits. I can say, the destruction of the TARDIS was Chibnall's idea IIRC. He wanted it destroyed. Steven Moffat even expressed a bit of dislike for that choice (its in an interview I can't find).

9s was good but I don't see how it was SCORES better than all the others as the video explaones. I love the emotions and confusion from Rose. And his last line is absolutely amazing.

The 8th was really great because of the Karn aspect imo.

I think thats all my thoughts? I rarely disagree so heavily with a video like this. Reviews of specific episodes absolutely all the time; but when its talking about something overall like comparing regenerations I usually agree with something but other than the 8th doctor, and Moffat needing to learn to just let characters die, I don't think I agreed with much else.