#YOU WANTED TO CHALLENGE BEAUTY STANDARDS BY NOT EVEN CASTING A WOMAN WHO WAS AGE APPROPRIATE TO PLAY YENNEFER FUCK OFFFFFFFFFF

[ayrennaranaaldmeri]

i’m fucking screaming sophie holland showed her entire ass with this huh. 

[tcm]

Reframing Films of the Past: An Interview with TCM Writers

All month long in March, TCM will be taking a look at a number of beloved classic films that have stood the test of time, but when viewed by contemporary standards, certain aspects of these films are troubling and problematic. During TCM’s Reframed: Classics in the Rearview Mirror programming, all five TCM hosts will appear on the network to discuss these issues, their historical and cultural context and how we can keep the legacy of great films alive for future generations.

Also joining in on this conversation are four TCM writers who were open enough to share their thoughts on their love of classic movies and watching troubling images of the past. Special thanks to Theresa Brown, Constance Cherise, Susan King and Kim Luperi for taking part in this conversation. Continue the conversation over on TCM’s Twitter.

What do you say to people who don’t like classics because they’re racist and sexist? 

KL: There are positive representations in classic Hollywood that I think would blow some peoples’ minds. I always love introducing people to new titles that challenge expectations. 

That said, anyone who broadly slaps a sexist or racist label on a large part of the medium’s history does a disservice to cinema and themselves. That mindset keeps them ignorant not only of some excellent movies and groundbreaking innovation but history itself. 

I think people need to remember that movies are a product of their time and they can reflect the society they were made into a variety of degrees - good, bad, politically, culturally, socially. That���s not to excuse racism or sexism; it needs to be recognized and called out as such for us to contend with it today. But it’s important for people who say they don’t like classics for those reasons to understand the historical context. In particular, we need to acknowledge that society has evolved - and what was deemed socially acceptable at times has, too, even if sexism and racism are always wrong - and we are applying a modern lens to these films that come with the benefit of decades worth of activism, growth and education.

SK: I totally agree K.L. For years I have been encouraging people to watch vintage movies who keep proclaiming they don’t like black-and-white films or silent films. For every Birth of a Nation (1915) there are beautiful dramas, wonderful comedies and delicious mysteries and film noirs. 

 These films that have racist and sexist elements shouldn’t be collectively swept under the rug, because as K.L. stated they shine a light on what society was like – both good and bad. 

CC: First off, fellow writers may I say, I think your work is amazing. I'm continually learning from the talent that is here, and I am humbled to be a part of this particular company. Similar to the prior answers, for every racist/sexist film the opposite exists. Personally, classic musicals attracted me due to their visual assault, creativity and their unmistakable triple-threat performances. While we cannot ignore racist stereotypes and sexism, there are films that simply are "fantasies of art." There is also a review of evolution. In 20 years, what we now deem as acceptable behavior/conversation will be thought of as outdated and will also require being put into "historical context."  What we collectively said/thought/did 20 years ago, we are currently either re-adjusting or reckoning with now, and that is a truth of life that will never change. We will always evolve.

TB: I would say to them they should consider the times the movie was made in. It was a whole different mindset back then. 

Are there movies that you love but are hesitant to recommend to others because of problematic elements in them? If so, which movies? 

TB: Yes, there are movies I’m hesitant to recommend. The big one, off the top of my head, would be Gone With the Wind (1939). The whole slavery thing is a bit of a sticky wicket for people, especially Black folks. Me, I love the movie. It is truly a monumental feat of filmmaking for 1939. I’m not saying I’m happy with the depiction of African Americans in that film. I recognize the issues. But when I look at a classic film, I suppose I find I have to compartmentalize things. I tend to gravitate on the humanity of a character I can relate to. 

KL: Synthetic Sin (1929), a long thought lost film, was found in the 2010s, and I saw it at Cinecon a few years ago. As a Colleen Moore fan, I thoroughly enjoyed most of it, but it contains a scene of her performing in blackface that doesn’t add anything to the plot. That decision brings the movie down in my memory, which is why I have trouble recommending it.

Also Smarty (1934), starring Warren William and Joan Blondell, is another movie I don’t recommend because it’s basically about spousal abuse played for comedy, and it did not age well for that reason.

SK: Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961): Audrey Hepburn is my favorite actress and I love her Oscar-nominated performance as Holly. I adore Orangy as Cat, as well as George Peppard and Buddy Ebsen, who is wonderfully endearing. And of course, “Moon River” makes me cry whenever I hear it. But then I cringe and am practically nauseous every time Mickey Rooney pops up on screen with his disgusting stereotypical performance as Holly’s Japanese landlord Mr. Yunioshi. What was director Blake Edwards thinking casting him in this part? Perhaps because he’s such a caricature no Japanese actor wanted to play him, so he cast Rooney with whom he had worked within the 1950s. 

CC: I cannot necessarily state that I am in "love," but, a film that comes to mind would be Anna and the King of Siam (1946). It is an absolutely beautiful visual film. However, Rex Harrison as King Mongkut requires some explanation. 

Holiday Inn (1942), and the Abraham number...why??? Might I also add, there were many jaw-dropping, racist cartoons.

How did you learn to deal with the negative images of the past? 

KL: I often look at it as a learning experience. Negative images can provoke much-needed conversation (internally or with others) and for me, they often prompt my education in an area that I wasn’t well versed in. For instance, blackface is featured in some classic films, and its history is something I never knew much about. That said, seeing its use in movies prompted me to do some research, which led me first to TCM’s short documentary about blackface and Hollywood. I love how TCM strives to provide context and seeks to educate viewers on uncomfortable, contentious subjects so we can appreciate classic films while still acknowledging and understanding the history and the harmful stereotypes some perpetuated.

SK: It’s also been a learning experience for me. Though I started watching movies as a little girl in the late 1950s, thanks to TCM and Warner Archive I realized that a lot of films were taken out of circulation because of racist elements. TCM has not only screened a lot of these films but they have accompanied the movies with conversations exploring the stereotypes in the films.  

CC: As a Black woman, negative images of the past continue to be a lesson on how Blacks, as well as other minorities, were seen (and in some cases still are seen) through an accepted mainstream American lens. On one hand, it's true, during the depiction of these films the majority of Black Americans were truly relegated to servant roles, so it stands to reason that depictions of Black America would be within the same vein. What is triggering to me, are demeaning roles, and the constant exaggeration of the slow-minded stereotype, blackface. When you look at the glass ceiling that minority performers faced from those in power, the need for suppression and domination is transparent because art can be a powerful agent of change. I dealt with the negative images of the past by knowing and understanding that the depiction being given to me was someone else's narrative, of who they thought I was, not who I actually am.

TB: I’m not sure HOW I learned to deal with negative images. Again, I think it might go back to me compartmentalizing.

I don’t know if this is right or wrong…but I’ve always found myself identifying with the leads and their struggles. As a human being, I can certainly identify with losing a romantic partner, money troubles, losing a job…no matter the ethnicity.

In what ways have we evolved from the movies of the classic era?

KL: I think we are more socially and culturally conscious now when it comes to stories, diversity and representation on screen and behind the scenes, which is a step forward. That said, while there's been growth, there's still much work to be done.

SK: I think this year’s crop of awards contenders show how things have evolved with Da 5 Bloods, Soul, One Night in Miami, Minari, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, The United States Vs. Billie Holiday, Judas and the Black Messiah and MLK/FBI. 

But we still have a long way to go. I’d love to see more Native American representation in feature films; more Asian-American and Latino stories. 

CC: There are minority artists, writers, producers, directors, actors with the increasing capacity to create through their own authentic voice, thereby affecting the world, and a measurable amount of them are women! Generally speaking, filmmakers (usually male) have held the voice of the minority narrative as well as the female narrative. I agree with both writers above in the thought that it is progress, and I also agree, more stories of diversified races are needed. 

TB: One important way we've evolved from the movies made in the classic era by being more inclusive in casting. 

Are there any deal-breakers for you when watching a movie, regardless of the era, that make it hard to watch? 

KL: Physical violence in romantic relationships that's played as comedy is pretty much a dealbreaker for me. I mentioned above that I don't recommend Smarty (1934) to people, because when I finally watched it recently, it. was. tough. The way their abuse was painted as part of their relationship just didn’t sit well with me.

SK: Extreme racist elements and just as KL states physical violence. 

Regarding extreme racist elements, D.W. Griffith’s Birth of a Nation (1915) is just too horrific to watch. I was sickened when I saw it when I was in grad school at USC 44 years ago and it’s only gotten worse. And then there’s also Wonder Bar (1934), the pre-code Al Jolson movie that features the Busby Berkeley black minstrel number “Goin’ to Heaven on a Mule.” Disgusting.

I also agree with KL about physical violence in comedies and even dramas. I recently revisited Private Lives (1931) with Norma Shearer and Robert Montgomery based on Noel Coward’s hit play. I have fond memories of seeing Maggie Smith in person in the play when I was 20 in the play and less than fond memories of watching Joan Collins destroying Coward’s bon mots.  

But watching the movie again, you realized just how physically violent Amanda and Elyot’s relationship is-they are always talking about committing physical violence-”we were like two violent acids bubbling about in a nasty little matrimonial battle”; “certain women should be struck regularly, like gongs”-or constantly screaming and throwing things.  

There is nothing funny or romantic about this.

KL: I try to put Birth of a Nation out of my mind, but S.K. did remind me of it again, and movies featuring extreme racism at their core like that are also dealbreakers; I totally agree with her assessment. I understand the technological achievements, but I think in the long run, especially in how it helped revive the KKK, the social harm that film brought about outdoes its cinematic innovations.

CC: Like S.K., Wonder Bar immediately came to mind. Excessive acts of violence, such as in the film Natural Born Killers (1994). I walked out of the theatre while the film was still playing. I expected violence, but the gratuitousness was just too much for me. I also have an issue with physical abuse, towards women and children. This is not to say I would not feel the same way about a man. However, when males are involved, it tends to be a fight, an exchange of physical energy, generally speaking, when we see physical abuse it is perpetuated towards women and children.

TB: I have a couple of moments that pinch my heart when I watch a movie. It doesn’t mean I won’t watch the movie. It just means I roll my eyes…verrrrry hard.

-Blackface…that’s a little rough; especially when the time period OF the movie is the ‘30s or ‘40s film.

-Not giving the Black actors a real name to be called by in the film (Snowflake…Belvedere…Lightnin’). I mean, can’t they have a regular name like Debbie or Bob?

-When the actor can’t do the simplest of tasks, i.e. Butterfly McQueen answering the phone in Mildred Pierce (1945) and not knowing which end to speak into. What up with that?

Are there elements they got right that we still haven’t caught up to? 

KL: I don't know if the pre-Code era got sex right (and sensationalism was definitely something studios were going for) but in some ways, I feel that subject was treated as somewhat more accepted and natural back then. Of course, what was shown onscreen in the classic era was nowhere near the extent it is today, but the way the Production Code put a lid on sex (in addition to many other factors) once again made it into more of a taboo topic than it is or should be.

One thing I particularly hate in modern movies is gratuitous violence, and it perplexes and angers me how America weighs violence vs. sex in general through the modern ratings system: films are more likely to get a pass with violence, mostly landing in PG-13 territory and thus making them more socially acceptable, while sex, something natural, is shunned with strictly R ratings. Obviously, there are limits for both, but I think the general thinking there is backwards today.

CC: The elegance, the sophistication, the precision, the dialogue, the intelligence, the wit. The fashion! The layering of craftsmanship. We aren't fans of these films for fleeting reasons, we are fans because of their timeless qualities.

I'm going to sound like a sentimental sap here, ladies get ready. I think they got the institution of family right. Yes, I do lean towards MGM films, so I am coloring my opinion from that perspective. Even if a person hasn't experienced what would have been considered a "traditional family" there is something to be said about witnessing that example. Perhaps not so much of a father and a mother, but to witness a balanced, functioning, loving relationship. What it "looks like" when a father/mother/brother/sister etc. genuinely loves another family member.

I was part of the latch-key generation, and although my parents remained together, many of my friends' parents were divorced. Most won't admit it, but by the reaction to the documentary [Won't You Be My Neighbor?, 2018], the bulk of them went home, sat in front of the TV and watched Mr. Rogers tell them how special they were because their parents certainly were not. We don't know what can "be" unless we see it.

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 6/20/21

As Miss Beelzebub Likes, Vol. 12 | By Matoba | Yen Press – When you have a main couple as innocent and naive as this one, it’s going to take a lot of struggle to get them together. Indeed, even figuring out what love actually is is tough for Miss Beelzebub, much less that she’s in love with Mullin. And then, just as she’s ready to tell Mullin how she feels, he’s seized by self-hatred and doubt, thinking she’s far too high a station for him. This leads to her being depressed and avoiding him, which… repeat as needed. Thankfully, they do eventually manage to confess to each other. The series may not end with the wedding on the cover, but this is good enough. It was sickly sweet at times… but that’s why everyone read this series in the first place. – Sean Gaffney

BL Metamorphosis, Vol. 4 | By Kaori Tsurutani | Seven Seas – While the series is based around the premise of a teenage girl and an elderly woman bonding over BL, it’s become apparent that this is Urara’s book. Which makes sense—she’s the one searching for a goal. The creation of the doujinshi is very much an up-and-down process, one which we see throughout this volume. It ends at “Comitia 128,” with our unlikely friends manning their own booth. Sadly, said booth—at least so far—has no actual buyers. Honestly, I would have hoped the sheer oddity of the pairing behind the table would have been a draw, but I suppose it’s hard to look beyond the tables. I think this ends with the next book, so it’s time to binge before the finale. – Sean Gaffney

Her Royal Highness Seems to Be Angry, Vol. 1 | By Kou Yatsuhashi | TOKYOPOP – This seems to be a classic case where I’m really intrigued by the ideas this brings to the table, but the execution is not as stellar. A young woman has it all—powerful magic, her isekai’d-from-Japan boyfriend, and a kingdom who loves her—then it’s all destroyed and she’s killed. When she wakes, she’s in the body of a noble far into her future. Magic is a sad shadow of its former self, and she herself is, essentially, a villainess. Most of the book, unfortunately, then sort of slips into standard shoujo romance, but I like the idea that she doesn’t HAVE any memories of her current self, and has to fake it and deal with everyone’s hatred. I might check out the second volume. – Sean Gaffney

Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun, Vol. 12 | By Izumi Tsubaki | Yen Press – It amazes me how this book can still be so funny even after all this time, and I credit this to its central premise, which is that everyone in it is a complete dumbass—but never all at the same time. It’s a comedy rule; there has to be someone to react. Sometimes it’s Sakura, despairing about a relay novel that gets out of hand. Sometimes it’s everyone else in the cast watching the continuing car crash that is Seo trying to get Wakamatsu to recognize her feelings. And sometimes it’s Hori and Kashima, where his confession turns out to be, perhaps appropriately, a giant excuse for drama. These kids are all terrible at life, and are all so endearing, I don’t know what I’ll ever do without them if this ever ends. – Sean Gaffney

Snow White with the Red Hair, Vol. 13 | By Sorata Akiduki | Viz Media – It’s good for you! Builds character! That’s what it feels like most of the first part of this volume feels like, as Shirayuki is off to the North, meaning she and Zen will be spending a long time apart. That said, it’s as much about their little group of five than it is about the couple, as it’s clear Shirayuki is going to miss Mitsuhide and Kiki just as much. And as for Obi… well, the love triangle that dares not state its name comes pretty close this time around. (It’s a well-known fact that a majority of the series’ fans, at least in the West, want her to hook up with Obi instead, so the plot twist is not surprising.) All this plus a long, unrelated short story to pad out the volume! Still great, though. – Sean Gaffney

Spy x Family, Vol. 5 | By Tatsuya Endo | Viz Media – A large chunk of this book focuses on Anya and her difficulties at school—not only is it an elite private school, but she’s a girl who spent her life as an orphan, experimented on and abused, and she’s lied to Loid about her age to seem older. So, needless to say, schoolwork is proving tough. Normally she can get by by using her powers (i.e. cheating), but that doesn’t work during the new moon—which matches with exams. It’s tense, but also leaves us plenty of choice hilarious bits. Elsewhere, Yor attempts to learn to cook, and we introduce a colleague of Loid’s who is obsessed with him and VERY upset she was not chosen to be his fake wife for this mission. Everyone should be reading this Eisner-nominated manga. – Sean Gaffney

Teasing Master Takagi-san, Vol. 11 | By Soichiro Yamamoto | Yen Press – One of the reasons that folks seem to be more tolerant of Takagi than they are of Nagatoro or Uzaki is that, for the most part, Nishikata enjoys hanging out with her, and while he finds the teasing frustrating, it’s not because she’s bullying him, it’s because he’s so competitive. Half the time Takagi doesn’t even need to tease him—he shoots himself in his own foot. Even when he literally ends up fanning her like a queen, it’s on him. And, once again, the fun comes from realizing they already ARE a couple, it’s just he can’t really admit that. The most interesting chapter has one of their friends briefly ponder using Nishikata as a fake boyfriend, but it doesn’t even last long enough for Takagi to ponder jealousy. – Sean Gaffney

What Did You Eat Yesterday?, Vol. 15 | By Fumi Yoshinaga | Vertical Comics – The back cover blurb for this volume says, “A hard-working middle-aged gay couple in Tokyo experience new challenges both at work and at home.” Really, that about sums it up. Kenji has taken over management of the beauty salon and must figure out how to delegate some of his new responsibilities so that he’s still able to have dinners at home with Shiro. Most of Shiro’s story is about his parents, who are considering selling their house and moving into a retirement home. In between, there is some shopping for ingredients, a lot of veggies getting chopped, many burbling pots, and incalculable TBSP of soy sauce. Oh, and also everyone tries not to eat too many carbs, which is extremely relatable. I’m particularly keen for the next volume, as Shiro will be meeting Kenji’s family for the first time. Good, as per usual. – Michelle Smith

By: Sean Gaffney

[thomasstalsworth]

One Down, One to Go

There was a perfect quality to dusk around Stormholme.

Now it was a bit of an understatement to say that Tom had seen much of the known world. It could quite readily be said that he was an explorer! -- If, after a fashion. That is to say, ‘accidental’. There were few places he had not been, and fewer that he could not go again if need be. Years of itinerant life had given him a host of friends, foes, acquaintances and variably trustworthy contacts. Being a sailor, many of those contacts were in fashions related to seamanship -- big surprise.

One of the more trustworthy amidst his laundry list of ancient contacts was something of a tinkerer, a fashioner of unique trinkets and tools.

Tom walked the edge of Stormholme’s harbour, past the dockheads and the cargo lines and all the mess and scuttle and love of nautical nature. He took the long way back to the estate, tippling his boot heel on the meandering, stonework roadways of the outlying townships. It was a pleasant walk, and one made all the more by the picturesque layering of dusk over the Duchy.

And, of course, the light-hearted feeling of fulfillment that came with picking up a commissioned gift.

A bit foolishly -- but he did catch it -- he tossed the item up and over to his other hand. Sailing through the air, riddled with the first silver dapples of starlight coming in from the open sky, it looked even more handsome. Certainly worth the wait and the frustrating back and forth through mail with the woman who constructed the device. On one hand, Tom understood the necessity, seeing as she did not have a workshop that was easily accessible -- to put it mildly.

But only accepting mail by carrier pigeon? Birds did not get along with him. In fact no creature of the sky was amiable to his person. His entire life had been a constant war with air travel -- gryphons were the worst. Even when he had been married to a woman of the Highlands, the majestic beasts still did everything they could to toss, hassle, huck and horrify him. His starfish clenched just at the memory.

He was meant for the sea, not the sky.

But -- pigeons wrestled, returned, demanded and dealt with, he had his commission in hand. A trinket for a birthday. One particular birthday of which he actually had to handle twice over -- oddities of his family. How did one get a gift for the same person at different .. ages? Somehow he found the younger of the two more challenging. That was one still to go.

But he had one down, and in hand.

When he finally returned to the estate, the evening had finally settled in. But it was early enough yet, with the good tidings of Spring in full effect, that there was a bustle if not quite a hustle to the manor. With fond notions and a few laughs to the cookery staff that passed by hauling sacks of grain -- weights which Tom assisted with before being back on his way -- the Admiral headed upstairs toward his office.

But -- he felt the urge to stop, pausing outside the nursery.

Now it was doubtless a fool’s errand to try to fuss with the wee girls after Andritte had already put them to bed. Having done the task many, many times himself, he understood the reasoning. Much like himself, and much like their mother -- although she would never admit it -- the wee girls were quite fond of escaping such trivial necessities as ‘bed time’. But ... 

Tom wanted her to see her "older sister’s” gift.

Sneaking in with an attentive mind to the ‘clack!’ of his wooden leg, Tom entered the nursery. The door, by the grace of Neptulon’s left cheek, did not squeal as it shut behind him. Shuffling an inch at a time along the floor, he reached his daughter’s crib. One she was beginning to outgrow, in truth, as it was the evening before her second birthday. Two -- two whole years! The thought brought a massive smile to his face, even by his standards.

Tiny, sweet baby Aberdeen.

Very, very carefully he managed to sneak an arm underneath the sleeping toddler. She fussed a touch, one arm extending outward in a slow-motion ‘punch!’ toward whatever unsightly monster dared to disturb her rest. But she began to awaken once she felt her father’s chest there to support her. Tom leaned in to grant a ginger kiss -- in color and in softness -- to her forehead.

From within the pocket of his navy jacket, he revealed a compass. All cast in pliable, lacquered wood from Stormhollow’s arbors and lined with Stormsilver, polished to a fine sheen that would not corrode nor rust. It was lovely, or so Tom thought. No great pomp or filigree to it -- simply a strong, earnest tool meant to last far beyond the life of it’s master. That was something the Admiral found beautiful beyond measure.

“... This is fer’ you, sweetheart. Older you, fancy that?” Tom cooed.

“Mbbh .. mbhh -- mwoob.” Baby Aberdeen offered in astute, discerning reply, finally opening her eyes to peer at the shiny object in her father’s hand.

Do not laugh. He had to remind himself not to giggle at her goofy expression as she awoke, mumbling in baby-talk while trying to grasp at the compass. If you laugh, you wake all of them and then you’ll be up until the wee hours playing tea ...

“I hope ya’ like it. Want ta’ make sure y’got the tools y’need, mh? Thas’ Pa’s job -- look’n after you both. Y’like it? -- Look .. “

As his voice, tiny and low of a whisper as it was, faded off, he revealed the ‘trick’ to the compass. The back gave off a little ‘click!’ as he pressed and held down the compass’ crystal face. The rear of the device shuttered open, wood parting in a spiral like the lens of a gnomecorder, revealing a small clock. In the streams of moonlight fluttering down into the nursery, the hands of the unyielding timepiece gave off a faint, golden glow.

“Mbbhpff -- pbbbt ... mwooob!” Aberdeen replied in stalwart voice, her tiny, chubby chin wiggling between the compass and her father.

Do not laugh.

Do not --

His belly shook, a short and hearty guffaw leaving his sailing lungs.

“Is that a yes?”

Poor, baby Abby had no chance to confirm her appreciation for the compass before the other girls stirred. There was no sound like their father’s laugh, and it usually meant that bed time was over.

He tucked the compass quickly into his jacket pocket. It looked like he was going to have to write the letter to accompany in the morning -- it was tea time.

@abighail-stalsworth​ (mentioned, twice!)

[reviewpri]

About ASOIAF being indeed, just white men´s wank, GRRM started writing the series in the 90s with the prevailing 90s white men’s bullcrap and was, indeed, aiming for white man’s wank like “let’s just read about this abused girl being raped and ultimately mad while good white man Jon gets it all”. But he was slow, and now we have an 2010-20’s audience searching for wokeness in his work and it’s hard to translate a story that wouldn’t age well to a really modern masterpiece, so he just doesn’t...

I think you understood exactly what I think is happening and GRRM knee jerk reaction.

BUT- and this is where things get more complicated- he went and sold the rights to HBO with DnD as showrunners and things went downhill from there.

Not at first though. For four seasons, GRRM was greatly involved with the show and managed- yet at a slower pace- to update the book series. DnD pitch was that they would translate this world of fantasy to a larger audience and yes, GRRM wanted this too, otherwise, he would not have sold it as a TV series.

I can categorically say that because GRRM worked on TV for years. Actually, it was on TV with the series “Beauty and the Beast”, that GRRM forced himself to write for a wider audience that not “ white man´s wank” so he understood the challenges and the pressures, had already experienced what was to adapt a fantastic material to a more modern TV audience  and trusted DnD were the right guys to do it.

However, things did not go as planned. The series exploded and attracted audiences that would not have attracted otherwise mostly because of one character: Daenerys Targaryen.

Daenerys is a figure both magical and political, and the way the elements are blended together is quite frankly, amazing, and she leads forces of people of colour, is herself sexually liberated and has a very progressive agenda due to painful personal experiences.

know that GRRM did not set up to write an “ all inclusive” fantasy, but because of the popularity of the series, people embraced as such. And he was delighted in the praise. GRRM main fault, IMO, is that he hyped this perception of the story, but most likely, will deliver a standard “white man´s wank” ending because that is what he initially intended to.

To me, personally, that is what makes me confused and angry.

The story is about Westeros and the “threats” everybody is ignoring. GRRM was very clear in an interview about “ Ice and Fire” being “what is happening beyond the wall” and Daenerys. People do not realize that he meant, as he explained further, that he saw KL ( the middle) as France in the second world war, ignoring the threats of Nazism ( The White Walkers, not as in a political instance, but as an Army with orders to wipe out an entire population ) and Communism ( in this case, Daenerys alliance with the lower classes.) GRRM has been saying that “ the enemy is the cold” as in the indifference, stagnation, death. He has also said that Fire is passion, creation, revolution...

So, you understand my confusion? GRRM is a liberal-minded, left-leaning guy who has been writing to a certain audience for over 40 years. But times changed. Now, the usual audience for fantasy- white male- has been turning right, or far-right, and they HATE this aspect of the story GRRM embraced. Great part of the fandom conflates the need for representation with bad storytelling and is not willing to listen to any argument. The problem is not representation per se, but representation done wrong, but they do not see that. I believe many fans of Star Wars are good people who really disliked seeing Luke acting OOC, but AlT Right came in and started to go out of tangents and well, even harassing the poor asian actress who had the audacity of join the cast? Now, most of the reactions I personally see online to anything involving that franchise is a litany of complaints that would resume to “ we want you to write for us,and only us and we will bully you until you do so” and I am afraid this is the future for ASOIAF...

This is the real conundrum that GRRM seems to be mostly ignoring. GoT made ASOIAF´s faults look, in retrospect, not faults in a mostly progressive saga, but signs that the saga had not been meant for this slice of the audience in the first place.

I dont know if GRRM is contractually obligated not to say anything, but so far he has been too diplomatic for my tastes. ASOIAF is supposed to be his life´s work and GoT, the way it ended, with the most irresponsive messages I have ever seen in a TV Show, has already tarnished it and instead of coming forward and saying something meaningful about it, GRRM is just happy to cash in on another series that will end with a woman being eaten alive by dragon because, gasp, she fought for her inheritance.

[shinobi-imagines]

please read my story ㅠㅠ

Hi everyone! It’s been a minute... I don’t really come on Tumblr much anymore, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t write! I just wanted to take the time to plug my new KakaOC fanfic called, The Price of Simplicity (read on fanfiction.net or ao3). 

The story starts in Kakashi’s ANBU days where he meets a civilian named, Tsuru. He finds her incredibly annoying, loud, yet she still draws him in for some reason. Soon, he finds out that Tsuru is terminally ill and is destined to die at a young age. While it is Tsuru could never fully understand the life of a shinobi, Kakashi realizes that the two aren’t so different. 

I would really appreciate it if you guys could read, comment, like, follow, and support my work! I will leave the first chapter under the cut!

The darkest times of Kakashi Hatake’s life were in his youth. The time which many advise you not to waste were tossed in the throes of war for Kakashi. He was bitter. So bitter for so many years and often wondered what the point of living was. However, he swore to himself since he was a little boy that suicide was not an option. Suicide was for cop outs like his father was when the man had left his son that one brutal night. So, Kakashi contemplated to the best way or any acceptable way for a shinobi to die.

By twenty-three, Kakashi was already a well established ninja in Konoha. He had climbed the ranks quickly and by the time he was sixteen, he had already become an ANBU captain. Here he was. Nine years and still an ANBU. Seven years and still a captain. Kakashi had stopped caring for rankings the moment he understood the burden that came with excellence.

“It’s settled then!” his “eternal rival” Gai yelled fiercely. “Kakashi, you’re coming out with us tonight!”

Gai hadn’t changed much in Karachi’s eyes. He was still annoying and much too intense, but Gai was perhaps the only person Kakashi found some comfort in. However, Gai’s attempts to get Kakashi to socialize was starting to get on his nerves.

“Tonight,” Gai continued, “you and I will battle over and over again! We’ll see who the best drinker is! We will see who can get the most girls! We will see-”

“You can stop,” Kakashi denied cooly. “I won’t be going out.”

“I think you misunderstand,” Gai almost growled. “This is no request nor is it a simple invitation. It is a challenge!”

Kakashi sighed. Had he said no to Gai’s demand…well…no wouldn’t have been an acceptable answer. It was Kakashi’s fault in the first place for telling the man he was given a day off the very next day.

Gai had come to visit Kakashi who was getting treated at the hospital for some injuries and a checkup from his previous mission. Although Kakashi hated being in the hospital, it was routine to go and Kakashi liked having routines.

Kakashi let the sounds of Gai drown out as he looked up at the ceiling wondering what he’d gotten into. The two walked down the hall way towards the lobby of the hospital when a girl walked by. Neither of the ninjas noticed her. She was just a patient wearing clothes provided by the hospital. She seemed rather happy and walked with a smile on her face that is until she tripped over seemingly nothing and fell fatefully right in front of two ninjas.

“Are you okay?” Kakashi asked offering a hand to help her up.

“I’m fine!” she replied obviously flustered. She ignored the hand that Kakashi held out and rushed past the two before they could get a glimpse of her face.

“She looked a little young to be in the hospital,” Gai noted out loud.

“Yeah,” Kakashi concurred. “But you never know what happens in someone’s life. Look at me, I come here all the time.”

The bushy browed man merely blinked unsure if Kakashi was being serious or had told a joke.

Night came in almost no time. The sun had gown down and the village lights turned on. There were no kids out on the streets during this hour unless they were trying to sneak into bars to get their first tastes of alcohol with some thrill on the side. Honestly, Kakashi could spot those kids in the farthest corner of the bar from over a mile away without the help of his Sharingan. They were visibly attempting to contain their excitement and attempting to ignore the fact that they stuck out like a sore thumb.He probably didn’t realize that he was glaring at the boys, but Kakashi’s friends surely did.

“Hey,” Asuma called out to Kakashi. “Just let them be. They’re just having fun.”

“Yeah!” Genma jokingly snapped all too stoic man. “The party’s here, Kakashi!”

In Kakashi’s mind, he was thinking about how ungrateful those kids were acting. People like him from a young age put their lives on the line so that people like them could be safe and away from war. But that’s the thing, isn’t it? They didn’t know war because people like Kakashi had made it so they wouldn’t need to know war. Finally caving into his friends’ desires, he rejoined the group with a shot of sake which was met with a round of cheers from the other four men.

“Oh, Raido!” Genma drunkenly whispered to his friend sitting beside him. “Look at that lady who just walked in. Isn’t she pretty?”

Genma’s drunk whisper reached everyone’s ears, and certainly at the door was a very pretty woman with blonde hair that looked almost white and a pair of gray eyes. She wore a tight black dress with long lace sleeves and a pair of black heels. Talk immediately began circulating around the bar. Some speculated, she might have been a model although she looked a little short to be a model. Others theorized the girl was an actress, however, no one had seen her in any sort of production before.

Whoever she was, she seemed to be alone. Kakashi noticed that she had the same light of excitement and innocence in her eyes as the underage fellows who thought that they had beat the system. A naive girl at a bar alone only screamed danger. As predicted, a rugged man with a red flush spread across his cheeks approached the woman.

“Do we stop him?” Raido asks the group.

“I don’t know,” Asuma added.

“Did she not come with anyone?” Genma inquired further.

“If no one’s going to to take this chance, then I-” Gai stopped abruptly as Kakashi got up from his seat towards the girl who was clearly about to be harassed.

“Oh,” Asuma said surprised, “I guess even Kakashi can’t resist a beautiful damsel in distress.”

In truth, Kakashi just about had it with being surrounded by such annoying people. He slowly walked over watching as the drunk man flirted with the girl who looked unsure of what to do.

“Are you new here?” the man slurred. “If you are, I’ll buy you a drink and I could show you around the village tonight.”

“Uh,” she stammered, “no. I was actually born and raised here. Also, I don’t drink.”

“Eh? No way. A pretty face like your’s is something no one could forget!”

The stranger leaned closer and placed a hand on the woman’s knee. His face was right beside her ear when a shadow casted over his back. The woman looked up to see Kakashi with a dark glare in his eyes. It honestly frightened her too.

“If you don’t want any trouble,” Kakashi started to advise, “you’ll go back to your seat.”

“And who do you think you-” the man cut himself off as turned around. “K-K-Kakashi-san! What a surprise!”

The woman watched as the man stuttered like a baby before Kakashi.

“P-Please,” he got up and bowed, “excuse me!”

Kakashi glared down the man as he cowered and rushed away bumping into various chairs on his way back. He heard the woman sigh in relief. When he turned his glare to the woman, she jumped. He noticed that all the girl had her table was a cup of water. Kakashi recalled that the woman had claimed that she doesn’t drink.

“Oi,” Kakashi called out to who seemed like the dumbest woman alive, “are you stupid?”

“Excuse me?” she asked taken aback.

“Hey,” Gai rushed over to his friend, “calm down. You have to excuse him, he’s been really tense lately! Let us take you home. You can trust us, we’re noble shinobi of Konoha!”

“You heard me,” Kakashi ignored Gai. “Are you stupid?”

The woman pouted. Gai could see the flames blaring between the two intense stares.

“Well, who are you to interfere in someone else’s business?” she exclaimed in disbelief at the man’s audacity.

Before Gai could mitigate the situation any father, Kakashi and Gai saw the woman’s expression change from one of annoyance to surprise. As if on cue, another woman barged in.

“Tsuru nee-san!” she screamed angrily.

“Oh!” cried out the woman named Tsuru. “If it isn’t my little sister! Fancy seeing you here, Hyo-chan!”

Then a sound like the crack of lightning made the whole bar still. Hyo slapped Tsuru right across her face. This shocked even Kakashi because he was intending on reprimanding the dimwitted girl, however, this other woman with dark hair stepped in.

The two, who had claimed to be sisters, seemed to be related in only subtle ways. While Tsuru’s hair was light and long, Hyo’s hair was dark and short. Tsuru was much prettier than Hyo who’s appearance looked to be no more than average. However, the two had the same pale complexion and the same shade of gray eyes. Both were also rather short.

Another striking difference between the two was the existence of a Konoha hitae-ate around Hyo’s forehead. She wore the standard shinobi outfit. Judging by what he could see, Karachi deducted that Hyo was probably someone who was less invested in how she looked as opposed to her older sister.

“Wait outside for me, nee-san,” Hyo’s voice was quiet and demanding. It sent cold air throughout the silently stunned bar.

Without complaint, the older sister did as she was told.

“Wasn’t that a little too far?” Gai questioned Hyo. “You shouldn’t disrespect those who are older than you.”

Hyo glowered at the bushy browed jonin, “If she were your sister, you’d want to slap some sense into her too. The bitch keeps sneaking out of the hospital.”

For a moment, Kakashi noticed Hyo’s eyes grow grim before returning back to its original intensity.

The hospital? Kakashi realized that Tsuru was the girl he had tried to help up earlier that day.

“But still…” Gai’s voiced trailed off.

“I apologize,” Hyo bowed to the two men. “I hope my sister didn’t cause too much trouble for my seniors. I’ll be going now.”

Once the dark haired girl was gone, Kakashi said, “Gai.”

“Yeah,” Gai started, “I know. That Tsuru girl is the girl from the hospital.”

“Yes, but there’s something more than that.”

“Hm? What might that be?”

“She doesn’t seem to be a ninja, but she sensed her sister coming.”

“You’re right!”

“Oi!” Asuma called out to the two. “If you’re done making a ruckus, come join us for Kings’ Game!”

Gai marched happily back to the table amongst their friends. Kakashi too headed back, but with Tsuru in the back of his mind.

To put the facts together, Tsuru was undeniably beautiful; however, Kakashi had never seen her around before. She probably had some sort of condition that keeps her in the hospital. And it seemed that although she didn’t appear to be a kunoichi like her sister, she showed signs that she was a sensory type ninja which was a rare talent to have and develop. A spy maybe?

In the end, the group of inebriated and rowdy men certainly provided as a much needed distraction for Kakashi. While Kakashi didn’t really laugh or smile that night, he had to admit that he was rather entertained. Perhaps he was too accustomed in reading into things. Things aren’t always as they seem; but as one of Konoha’s elite shinobi he couldn’t help but think of all possible scenarios from the best to the worst.

Nonetheless, Kakashi woke up with a raging hangover the next morning. Probably from all the thinking.

[toongrrl-blog]

Part One of Barb Series: Why Barb Died (Character Device Talk)

*Please watch the Betty Draper Francis video first, for extra credit, check out the channel’s vid on Jack Dawson and come with knowledge of Beth March*

Happy end of the 2010s! Before I discuss what Barb could have brought to the Party in Stranger Things I need to discuss how as a character she needed to die.

1. Beth March

In one scene in Little Women, the girls and Laurie discuss their ambitions for adult life. Oldest sister Meg wants to marry and have kids, oldest middle sis Jo wants to become a known and successful writer, youngest sister Amy wants to become rich and famous as an artist and maybe a socialite, and middle child Beth wants things to stay the way they are for her, with her loving family at her side. What’s wrong with this? What the other three sisters have in common is that they are hoping for adult lives which include a lot of change, responsibility, independence (either as a career woman or running a household with little kids underfoot), new experiences, and even new people in their lives (Meg would need to meet a guy to marry and have kids with him, Jo would need to meet people in her professional life, Amy would entertain guests and appeal to patrons). Shy Beth is a talented pianist, vet, and doll collector and is very charitable but she doesn’t seem to want to take the risks it would take to grow as a person and thrive and mature or be noticed for her own merits aside from “Angel of the House” and the future looks pretty hostile; so by the end of the novel, Beth has died in her early 20s while sisters lives have changed (Meg married and had children in a cottage while gaining confidence as a homemaker, wife, and mom; Jo sells her writing and meets a professor who wants to start a school where she becomes headmistress after they marry; Amy goes on a Grand Tour of Europe and marries wealthy and happy).

The series Stranger Things, on a whole, is a coming-of-age series that borrows from the John Hughes and Steven Spielberg films of that era that captured the joys and pains of growing up, while Joyce’s and Hop’s storylines borrow from conspiracy thrillers around that era and somewhat from Hitchcock films. All these films captured ordinary people undergoing extraordinary (E.T., North By Northwest, The Goonies, The Stepford Wives) and life altering events (Jaws, The Breakfast Club, Silkwood) that force them to encounter challenges and make decisions they wouldn’t normally make in their mundane lives. Joyce ends up facing a monster with an axe and even makes demands of people who could wipe her off the Earth, the boys have to ride their bikes to evade murderous men in vans and hide a young traumatized girl, Nancy has to learn to create and use deadly weapons and use her skills of sneaking out for something besides sex, Jonathon has to cut his and another girl’s hand to lure a monster to their trap, Hop sneaks into a morgue just to slit a dead boy’s corpse and find cotton stuffing, Will has to use what knowledge and skills he has to survive another world filled with creatures out to kill him, most of the kids throughout the series have to lie and break laws to save their town. 

While the official guide does list Barb as being a varsity softball player and a mathlete and Shannon Purser concurs that Barb would have been the Velma of the group if she lived, there is one big thing that separates the Velmas from the Barbs and Beth’s of the world: Velma takes risks, she would trespass private looking property and dilapidated buildings to solve a mystery. Barb is a loyal friend and honest and studious and smart, but she’s ultimately the good girl archetype: cautious, obedient to her elders, predictable, conservatively and femininely dressed, chaste. An archetype that Nancy is trying to flee (not that the alternative of being a girl who sneaks out with her boyfriend to makeout is going to help Nancy at all) to avoid ending up like her mother. Barb has the fangs (talent and means) to be a Party member, she just lacks the nerve to jump and sink those fangs.

2. Commentary on the Patriarchy and the Tyranny of Beauty Standards

Most of the female characters in the series don’t fit the strict criteria of their Reagan era Indiana small town regarding what makes a good woman. Joyce is a single mother who doesn’t come with well-coiffed hair and she appears to be hysterical and is a working mother in a time and place where all these factors would label her a “bad mother”, Nancy is a frank young woman who takes risks and even asserts her sexuality and herself when plenty of people (like the shitheads at Hawkins Post) would prefer her to be a delicate virgin in pastels, El is physically stronger than the boys with her powers and she is very direct in her manner despite her soft-spoken demeanor, Max is a girl who is interested in arcade video games and skateboarding and brightly colored summer clothing and reads her Mom’s Cosmo cover to cover and is assertive, Erica is an assertive young girl who can talk truth (and shade) to adults and has a knowledge of My Little Pony and Cold War Politics, Robin is snarky and has a style that makes her stand out from most girls in Hawkins and is a teen genius, Kali’s rage and Joan Jett-esque appearance would make the preppy and pastel and autumnal tone wearing residents of Hawkins in Cardiac Care, Suzie has defied notions about girls in science and math and even the Mormon beliefs of her parents by french kissing and dating a non-Mormon boy like Dustin, and Karen despite her appearance of hot housewife perfection is dissatisfied with her marriage and comes close to cheating on her husband. 

In contrast Barb is pretty much the most conventional character: she dresses conservatively in ruffles and pink, she is seemingly chaste, follows the rules diligently and worries about getting punished by the Holland and Wheeler parents, and has a more common body type found in cis-gender women (correct me if I’m wrong, hopefully I don’t offend trans pear shaped women) and not often found in the older members of the female cast. But despite Barb’s body being common among women in general and specific to her region (the American Midwest is noted for starchy and creamy and fried foods and is historically farming country, where pioneers would find her strong for work in and out of the log cabin and give birth to the necessary amount of children i.e. extra hands for work), the delicate and slender builds of Joyce and Nancy, the classic proportionate and slender grace of Robin, and the leggy and toned image of Karen are closer to the female standard of beauty in the 1980s. In Barb’s lifetime (1967-1983), the image of beauty was dominated by leggy, toned, slim, busty women or lean women with minimal breasts: no room for tall, broad, pear shapes like herself. And in 1983, Molly Ringwald wasn’t yet a household name that freckled redheads with dry wit and atypical images could look on with pride. Hell I remember reading a copy of Color Me Beautiful where they recommend that women with heavy hips and small waists (similar features of Christina Hendricks and Shannon Purser) shouldn’t cinch their waistlines, the celebration of Marilyn Monroe pinups with round hips, pillowy thighs and tummies, rounded tushes were long gone by then. Basically Barb being her natural self, was not seen as “feminine enough” and combined with her glasses and style (any plus sized or early developing gal can tell you that it is hell to find junior styles that suit your body size and shape) have ruled her as “uncool”. 

There is also that Barb does a lot of things that the boys do: being slightly geeky, a loyal friend, has innocent and wholesome interests, chaste, and is quiet (like Will) but she still gets killed. One can sense that #JusticeForBarb came out of an anger with misogyny in media and society that tells women to be a certain way and punishes them whether they fit a mold or not. Women are still underpaid in the workplace, underrepresented in government, still deal with unequal and toxic relationships, are shamed for being virgins or for having sexual experience (Carol pokes fun at the idea of Barb finding the sex sounds too much and yet contributes to the slut shaming graffiti of Nancy), are told on one hand to look a certain way to attract the male gaze and shamed when they indulge in sexual desire (something Nancy can attest to with her glamorous mother who offers to lend her black heels and focuses on Nancy’s beauty before a funeral, the same mom who was angry her daughter had sex), they are either too fat/skinny/busty/flat/frizzy/straight haired/pale/slutty/prudish/dark/feminine/masculine/full-butt-ed/quiet/loud/naive/cynical/smart/dumb/angry/happy, and they deal with a media that sells a very narrow standard of beauty to the point that when they see a drop dead gorgeous actress or model with similar features they feel seen.

Oh Bondage, Up Yours!

*Read this is not a “Barb is a slut shamer!” piece yes that was shitty but she was a teen girl in a small 1980s town and she ISN’T starting a (paraphrasing Kimberly Nicole Foster quote) “no whores allowed campaign” OR trying to pass a law that demands women keep their ectopic pregnancies to full term*

3. End of Innocence

When Barb died, it marked the end of Nancy’s childhood and her needing to grow up. That was the night Nancy went straight from childhood (Barb), teenager (sex with Steve), and then shortly became an adult when she realized that Barb had disappeared. For many women (like myself at ages 9 and 10), the moment they get their period or grow breasts or reach a certain age, marks a dramatic end of their childhood. Suddenly many are told to police their behavior and language around boys, even policing the food they eat or their bodies. There is also extra responsibility and stress, demogorgans being one of them. Nancy is now having to deal with the sorts of issues that adult women dealt with on Mad Men along with scary monsters threatening her town and the fact her parents are not as happy as they look to the world, there is a gap between the experiences of her and Mike, she has a baby sister who probably was conceived to save the marriage, and Nancy can’t confide or trust either of her parents (who are absorbed with their own issues). Now Nancy is making big decisions that Barb, with the sheltering and seemingly close parents, will likely never deal with. Nancy is even taking fashion risks with clothes that are more functional, stylish, show off her figure, and can even withstand flayer blood and exorcising her boyfriend’s little brother.

4. A Huge Threat

Barb was intended to be a character that we connected with, someone to be built up somehow. There was a character like this in a movie: her name was Marion Crane. She was a secretary who has been supporting herself and her little sis since their parents died, patiently waiting for her boyfriend to make more money at his job so they can marry and stop sneaking around sleeping with one another, in desperation she steals a lot of money from her workplace, drives to California where she meets a mild-mannered but strange young man who manages a distant motel in the vicinity of a Victorian house where an older woman is croaking about promiscuity, after talking with him over a dinner of sandwiches in his taxidermy themed office, she goes to take a shower and has decided to return to Phoenix to return the money, then a strange figure comes with a large butcher knife in horribly out of date clothes and starts stabbing her to death.

This was from the Hitchcock film Psycho, the forerunner of the slasher genre that dominated the earlier half of the 1980s, and it premiered to shocked audiences in 1960. The meaning of the grisly murder of Marion, a character the audience was following from the beginning of the film, was that Norman Bates was a huge threat and intensified the need for Marion’s killer to be brought to justice.

The same thing can be said about the deaths of Benny and Barb, to show how much a threat the demogorgan and Hawkins National Lab were to the townspeople of Hawkins (and the world as a whole), basically such big threats that a little boy can be kidnapped from the safety of his home, a young teenage girl could be snatched up and killed from a suburban swimming pool, and a kindly cook and owner of a local diner would be executed for knowing about a runaway child. 

5. The future of Women in Stranger Things

Not all is lost, Barb’s death forced the Duffer Bros to take a look at how women were written and treated in their series, and even helped spurred tv viewers (who ordinarily wouldn’t pay attention to social issues) to take a deeper look and interest in how people especially women are treated. For some reason I like to think: Max, Robin, Erica, and Suzie are a way of recognizing Barb’s potential within the series and even what viewers saw. 

Now stay tuned to where I figure out how Barb could have been beneficial to the party.

[gleeandintersectionality]

         Intersectionality was first defined by scholar Kimberle Krenshaw and was described as a ‘but for’ analysis- I would have received that job ‘but for’ my race, I would have gotten that promotion ‘but for’ my gender” (Molina-Guzman and Cacho 72). Intersectionality “challenges predominant understandings of race and gender as discrete social identities shaped by and formative of distinct social experiences” (Molina-Guzman and Cacho 72). Intersectionality is ultimately the overlapping of different identities like race, gender, and sexual orientation that make an individual’s life more challenging as they identify with multiple minorities. For example, Krenshaw specifically addresses how black women can experience sex and race discrimination (Molina-Guzman and Cacho 72). Intersectionality can be found in the characters on FOX’s teen comedy-drama, Glee. This blog will focus on mainly on Mercedes, a black woman, Santana, a Latina lesbian, and Unique, a black trans woman. 

         On Glee, there is constant competition between the two arguably strongest female singers of the club: Rachel Berry and Mercedes Jones. Rachel is Jewish, but light skinned and Mercedes is black. Throughout the series, Rachel receives many solo numbers, while Mercedes is denied the same opportunity. Dubrofsky explains how Mercedes is seen only performing music by black artists and being denied solos because of her attitude: “If Mercedes is presented as having the talent and appropriate voice for a solo, she is portrayed as lacking the drive or the ability to tame her emotions to claim center stage, reproducing stereotypes of the angry black woman” (91). While Rachel has the right voice for every genre of music, Mercedes is pegged by her race. To make sure audiences don’t call Glee racist, they act as if it is Mercedes’ lack of ambition and drive that denies her solos. When auditioning for the school musical, West Side Story, Rachel and Mercedes both audition for the role of Maria. The play directors are impressed and shocked with Mercedes’ audition expressing how they have “never seen Mercedes so ‘glamorous’” (Dubrofsky 96). This could be seen as whitening Mercedes into an elegant, classy performer igniting a reaction and performance typical of Rachel. However, after Mercedes’ stunning performance, the play directors are still torn about who to cast: “Rachel appears not only the safer choice, but the obvious one—seamlessly, unquestionably having what it takes to play the role, while Mercedes is an assumed risk. Why Rachel possesses what it takes, and what the doubts are about Mercedes, are never specified” (Dubrofsky 97). While neither girl fits the role of Maria who is Puerto Rican, it is never explained why Mercedes would be the riskier choice or why Rachel is the stronger performer. Dubrofsky explains show Glee shows “whiteness as an undefined but everpresent and desirable quality” (97). This scene shows that if you want to be leading lady material you have to be white or light skinned. 

          The person who mostly gets blamed for selecting solo performances is Mr. Schuester, the white and male Glee club teacher who gives Rachel a plethora of solos. It is not until season three that Mercedes calls out Mr. Schuester on his biased attitude: “You give that skinny Garanimals-wearing ass-kisser everything. For two years I took it. Not anymore” (Futterman par. 5). For two years, Mercedes has accepted her lack of solos, but in season three, Mercedes becomes outspoken and confronts the situation head on. She knows she is a star and will no longer play second fiddle to Rachel. The episode ends with Mercedes joining a new glee club. Because of Mercedes’ race she works twice as hard as Rachel and the other white glee members to be seen as talented and multi dimensional. Mercedes wants to be more than a stereotype and show that she can sing all genres of music and display a range of emotions. This shows intersectionality as Mercedes being a black woman has to work twice as hard against the light skinned Rachel to get what she wants. 

        The next character I will be discussing is Santana Lopez. Santana applies to intersectionality because she is a woman, Latina, and a lesbian. When discovering her sexuality, Jacobs explains how compared to Kurt, a white male gay student, Santana’s coming out is even more challenging as she is isolated from other gay women and particularly gay women of color (339). Besides her sexuality, Santana's ethnicity marks her even more as an outcast as she identifies with two minorities and therefore lacks people similar to her within her small town and high school. Jacobs also discusses the rejection Santana faces from her grandmother when she comes out to her. Jacobs explains how it is not shocking that the “only overtly homophobic adult is an old, Catholic Hispanic woman, aligning phobia with a benighted, ethnic/ racial religiosity” (342). This shows how age, religion, and ethnicity affect how one responds to gay people. Since Santana’s family is Latin, they are strongly religious and therefore do not accept homosexuality. In comparison to Kurt Hummel whose father immediately accepts him, Santana faces rejection because of her family’s ethnicity and religion. 

          Villagomez also discusses the pivotal moment of Santana’s coming out to her abuela. The rejection Santana experiences after coming out “not only showed the rejection LGBT’s face (or fear facing) when coming out, but the rejection Latinos specifically encounter which, usually, can be related to strong religious and cultural beliefs” (Villagomez 1). This shows that although all LGBT teens may fear coming out, many Latinos have it harder because of their family’s strong religious beliefs that go against homosexuality. This is the case with Santana’s abuela as she says that Santana has committed a sin (Villagomez 2). Villagomez further explains how Santana’s rejection shows how emotional and complicated coming out can be. Santana was also the only gay character on Glee to face rejection and ultimately showed LGBT teens that it may be better “to leave the negative people out of their life, especially after you’ve given the relationship and seach for acceptance your all” (Villagomez 2). 

         In the series, Santana forms a relationship with Brittany who is white. Through their relationship, they experience unfair treatment compared to the straight couples at school. Gilchrist touches upon this when Principal Figgins finds Santana and Brittany leaning in for a kiss and interrupts them. Santana interjects “This is such bullcrap! Why can’t Brittany and I kiss in public? Because we’re two girls” (Gilchrist 2). Figgins explains how the high school does not allow any types of PDA between any couples, but alas, he has been receiving complaints about Brittany and Santana’s relationship. Santana asks if any complaints have been made about Finn and Rachel who are publicly making out in the hallway. As a new religion club has began at the high school, Figgins is attempting to stop Brittany and Santana from kissing to make those who are religious feel comfortable. Santana clearly upset says, “All I want to do is be able to kiss my girlfriend but I guess no one can see that because there’s such an insane double standard at this school” (Gilchrist 2). Referring to how Finn and Rachel and other straight couples get away with kissing in the hallways, Santana is frustrated because she is denied this right because she is gay. As the religion club sends singing Valentine grams for straight couples, Santana requests one for Brittany. After praying about it and having a long discussion, the club decides to sing for Brittany and Santana. This shows how Brittany and Santana are not given the same privileges as their straight couples at school and must hide their relationship to make their straight peers feel more comfortable. 

         Snarker focuses more on Brittany and Santana’s relationship by discussing how media does not highlight their relationship and oftentimes focuses more on the gay men in relationships. In an article by EW, they claimed: “Kurt is the most important character on television right now” (Snarker par. 13). Snarker explains that although the way Kurt deals with being gay in a disapproving world is inspiring, she wishes more people would focus on Brittany and Santana’s relationship, saying, “For gay women, Brittana is every bit as engaging, albeit on a smaller scale, than Kurt is for gay men. Their legitimate, if unlabeled, relationships matter to us. We’d like it if it mattered to you, too” (par. 15). Snarker also points out that when the media does address Brittany, they address her relationship with Artie, a boy, rather than with Santana as Brittany is sexually fluid within the series (par. 10). Just like being white was preferred for Mercedes, being straight is seen as the preferred norm on Glee. Brittany and Santana align with intersectionality as they get outcasted within their school and get ignored by the media. 

        I will now be moving on to Unique Adams, an African American trans woman. When Unique first joins the glee club, she wants to perform in women's clothes. Mercedes and Kurt, both fear the reaction Unique will receive with Kurt saying, “ ‘I’ve worn some flamboyant outfits, but I’ve never dressed up as a woman.’ To which Unique replies ‘That’s because you identify yourself as a man. I thought you of all people would understand’ ” (Kane par. 4). This shows how even members of the LGBT community like Kurt still misunderstand transgender individuals and label them inaccurately. 

        One of Unique's biggest plot lines in Glee is when she catfishes Ryder Lynn, a heterosexual white male, as a girl named “Katie.” As Sandercock explains Unique takes on an identity unlike her own: “Unique portrays herself online as a thin, white, blonde, cisgender woman – a hegemonic ideal of beauty – an identity and embodiment that exists in opposition to her as a large, black, trans woman” (442). Sandercock further explains, “This highlights the intersectional nature of gender, race and beauty ideals that impact on the marginalisation of trans women of colour. Her avatar reveals beliefs about what is most beautiful and desirable, and her fears of embodying none of these ideals” (442). Unique knows that as a black trans woman she does not embody the standard of beauty which is white, thin, and cisgendered. Through becoming Katie, she is trying to disown her intersectionality and become the image that is desired most in society. Ryder is mean and lashes out at Unique in real life for not understanding her gender identity. Unique tells him that she is a “proud black woman” (Sandercock 442). He decides to mention Unique and how he feels about her to Katie. Katie replies, “This Wade/ Unique guy believes he is a girl. He doesn’t need any proof. It’s his truth. And like what you said, what’s true is true” (Sandercock 443). After this, Ryder changes his point of view about Unique, however Unique has already told Ryder that she is a woman, yet he only believes it when it comes from Katie. Sandercock explains how “this highlights the role of race but also the economy of desire whereby ‘loving’ Unique becomes crucial to winning the affection of ‘Katie’ who intersectionally embodies normative femininity, whiteness and cisness” (443). This scenario shows that trans people and people of color know they are not the image of ideal beauty, and therefore, are insecure about the way they are seen and if they will find romantic love. This scene also shows that white, cisgender and heterosexual people may only accept and believe in those who are trans, gay or black only when it is explained and accepted by someone similar to them. 

          Glee portrays a vast range of races, genders, and sexualities through their characters. Intersectional characters teach audiences the difficulties of being a part of multiple minorities and how it affects their lives. Although Glee can be controversial in its representations, it ultimately shows that those applying to intersectionality experience specific hardships that white, straight, and cisgendered individuals do not understand.

[crashnbxrn]

「 you think yourself above the wolves, above the makers and the destroyers of the world, above the gods. and yet, little lion, you have so far to go before you are above yourself.」

―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

what’s up, what’s up ladies n gents n everybody in between! my name’s skye, mun here of the lovely not apollo choi (fc. jackson wang)! i’m very excited to be here, i’ve been eyeing this roleplay for about a month now I believe (??) and have been wanting to join tenfold, which I finally decided to go through with! below the cut you’ll find out some more of my boy here ― if you would like to plot, my discord user is sunnyburst#8001 or you can hit me up in tumblr PM’s! can’t wait to get to know you all, MWUAH 💗💗

( JACKSON WANG. MALE. ) Aleksander’s coven is intimately familiar with ( APOLLO CHOI, ) a dedicate Death Dealer for the coven. ( HE) is a ( 622 ) year old vampire known throughout the New World Coven for being ( CLEVER + STEADFAST. ) However, those who are familiar with them also know that they are very ( MANIPULATIVE + CRUEL. ) They’re known for being the ( LION. ) Though they are technically disbanded, they are still dedicated to their cause.

  ⤹ ―――――  ⤸

～ INFORMATION

full name // apollo choi [ it should be noted that his birth name is kept closely guarded ] 

nickname(s) // leo, heatstroke

age // 25 622

gender // male

species // vampire

title // the lion

birthdate // august 6, 1397

birthplace // hanyang, korea (modern-day seoul)

occupation // ex-death dealer, ceo of a major movie studio

ethnicity // korean

orientation // bisexual, although he’s scared to admit it and keeps it under wraps

status // single

languages // korean, english, spanish, french, cantonese

―――

fc // jackson wang

hair // dark brown

eyes // chocolate/hazel - gold

height // 6'3" ft

weight // 183 lb

body // muscular, slim

style // suave and modern, always clean-cut, fashionable but doesn’t experiment too much

defining features // besides his canines, speckled hazel heterochromia in his left eye

tattoos // n/a

scars // n/a

―――

horoscope // leo

zodiac // ox

element // fire

moral alignment // neutral evil

type // ESTP - the entrepreneur

house // gryffindor

religion // none - atheist

fears // really only one; to have his secrets be outed without his wanting

chronic // n/a

positive // insightful, clever, reliable, articulate, charismatic, level-headed, hard-working, incisive, authoritative

neutral // determined, distinctive, passionate, romantic, complex

negative // blunt, manipulative, crafty, hot-headed, cruel, vengeful, presumptuous, twisted

⤹ ――――― ⤸

～ PAST

it’s long af whoops

[ TW: mentions of physical abuse, slight gore, death ]

apollo was born to a high-class noble family in hanyang, korea on what we know as august 6, 1397

growing up in the peak of the joseon dynasty and one of the country’s golden ages, there was not much the young boy needed, but rather everything that he wanted

his father was a high-ranking member of the city’s caste system, one of the generals that assisted in ushering in the new era

his childhood is spent alternating between school for preparation in aristocracy and basking in the social standards of the time ― while he isn’t old enough to begin more ‘dangerous’ tasks, the patriarch implements training in everything from horseback riding to whittling for apollo to enjoy

life isn’t good for him, it’s great ; he doesn’t have to worry about much, and when he does there’s people around him available to clear up any ‘misunderstandings’ in a heartbeat

still, as he grows older, a superiority complex begins to take hold of the young boy, coupled strangely with a boredom he had yet to experience before

the result? a horrible combination that begins to warp his personality in tidbits, before he fully ‘sinks in’ so to speak

by 12 his father has deemed him ready to embark on more trials outside of simple pleasantries. never mind the golden age of science and art ― apollo’s father was a militaristic man through and through, and he knew war would come one way or another

so the youth begins to learn of the knowledge of battle; how to wield a sword, proper fighting techniques, the instinct of survival ― such is beaten into him in more ways than one, excuses for failure reaching deaf ears and perfection being the only goal

this type of treatment does well to cause both vice and virtue for apollo; the once happy boy is twisted in a grasp of frost and cruelty, and yet he finds himself training ever harder and hardly taking heed to words outside of his father’s opinion

he’s 16, young and ablaze, a fire coursing through his veins despite his frigid approach. apollo’s beginning to make a name for himself, partaking in whatever challenges present themselves, discerning towards talks of a bright future when all he wanted was blood

his elders begin to take note of this and, under pleased recommendation from his father, ascend apollo to become apart of the high-ranking royal guard ordered to protect the king and his family

while he would rather be out on the battlefield (despite the age of scientific expansion, there was also trifles to be meddled in), apollo took the opportunity with steadfast determination and took his job as seriously as one could

he finds himself betrothed at age 18 on consideration by his father who is eager for a lineage, a fragile noble girl in all sense of the word being chosen as a ‘perfect fit’. apollo could hardly care, however  ― if he had his way, he would be married to his sword, yet he supposed a woman would do for the time being

still, time goes on with little interruptions; the beast marries the beauty, he’s promoted to personal guard of the youngest prince, and his often-times anger is allowed to be sated on whoever is unfortunate enough to end up in chains that day

yet, soon trouble begins to brew, although not with him ― tensions between korea and japan begin to rock the state, rumors of war falling over the distant hills being drunk up by the common rabble. apollo is eager for such to arrive, hoping to take part in what he sees as ‘festivities’, despite being obviously chained to protection over the 13 year old boy all considered ‘prince’

and yet this boy was the cause for much of his frustration ― opposed to when apollo was young, the prince was futile and weak, eager to take part in more pleasantries rather than learn of his future duties to the dynasty

such often enraged the elder, forced to bite his tongue in earnest of stepping out his ‘boundaries’ despite having much to say

trouble, however, spirals downwards quickly within his life ― with the prince turning 20 and him lingering atop 25, apollo would hope that the 5-year continuation from him first being assigned would only shape up the younger. however, it seems to be quite the opposite; the prince spends his time ‘play fighting’, as apollo calls it, and dragging his guard through the forest in daily hunts that hardly often accounted for anything due to his skill. on top of that, it is found that his young wife is infertile, and despite hardly caring for any child at all, she is cast out of the marriage and lowered within society’s eyes

yet one such hunting trip results in tragedy ― after the two embark on their routine that apollo had become all-too used to, they come across a herd of wild boars the prince is eager to slaughter. after attempting to quell his lineage to no avail, an argument ensues; the prince comments on how apollo is out of line, and he likewise comments that the royal is going to get himself killed ― unfortunately, it results on the attention of the boars being caught, and apollo hardly has time to get out of the way before he’s being battered and speared through with bone

the prince, in retaliation, runs away

spine broken, bleeding out on autumn leaves, apollo shifts back and forth through consciousness enough to make out an approaching figure before everything goes dark ― such a figure, unknown to him, would change his life (and death) forever

he awakes a day later in a home hidden by the shadows of the treetops, not far from hanyang. he believes he is dead, and yet the being waiting there for him discerns otherwise ― he is alive, just not in the traditional sense.

apollo spends a month with the mysterious figure, who he comes to know as his ‘sire’, and learns of his existence. of how he was destined to die, and came by much more powerful and much stronger. of how the figure had been stalking them for the perfect moment to strike, only to find another opportunity instead. the realization of him being ‘vampire’ surprisingly comes easy to apollo; he approaches his existence as a gift more than a curse, especially considering the abilities that come along with it.

when he returns home he is met with shock, remorse, celebration, and guilt, particularly from the young prince who had abandoned him. his story is simple― after being left to die by the royal, apollo managed to crawl to a nearby stream and patch his wounds with mud and leaves, obviously leaving out the ‘broken spine’ detail. his explanation as to how he had healed completely back to his healthy self? blessings from the gods, that of which was good enough to deem him fit for society

much to apollo’s pleasure, the prince was chastised and punished in a dutiful manner for his cowardice and betrayal. becoming used to his usual bloodlust that came from not feeding went easier than he expected as well ― the ‘lepers’ cast out provided well enough sustenance for apollo, and not a single soul bat an eyelash at their deaths. 

ageing, however, was a different issue ― he could not stay 25 within the city for long, and yet religion played enough of a part in hiding such a fact. years passed and apollo gave praises to the gods for his ‘youthful’ appearance even at 32, noble families falling over him in an effort to obtain being part of his lineage, and yet he hardly cared to give them a glance ― to apollo, there were better things on the horizon, and he wanted to experience it all

so, what was the best thing to do? fake his death, obviously. superstition ran high in his community, so he simply walked off into the woods one day and never returned ― they would fret, apollo knew, but overtime they would simply reason that he was ‘reclaimed’ by the deities. in truth? he returned to the home he had first woken up to, only to find it empty ― his sire was nowhere to be found.

did he break down into tears? cry out in the dark? hardly; for a newborn vampire, apollo had nerves and determination of steel, and simply ‘set up camp’ for the time being. if he couldn’t live in the city, he would live where he could be free

apollo’s world is about as interesting as it can get after that ― he alternates between staying in woods to returning to hanyang after he’s sure every other generation has died out. the same story of being a ‘newcomer’ is told regardless, and no one ever questions it because they hardly know him. this sort of ‘schedule’ he has allows him to be both separated yet still grow with the times. he admits that the future was not exactly what he expected, and yet all-too exciting for vampire. time passes in the blink of an eye for an immortal, watching as his home of hanyang shifts in the modern city of seoul ― such a sight triggers something within apollo, and he realizes he too must change with the world

new york city is not the first choice on his list; rather, the vampire changes his name and attempts to travel to london as a more ‘immediate’ deviation. however, he is not received well ― altercations involving vampire covens within the city eventually push him out, solace within the european countries not found for long. the united states is next; it’s a melting pot, and exactly what apollo is looking for, yet new york catches his eye above most. deviating from his original plan of los angeles, the vampire is pleased at the anonymity of the city and the opportunities presented with it greatly

a chance encounter with 3 lone vampires including himself results in meeting aleksander and eventually being inducted into his coven. at first, apollo is thrown off by the sudden influx of ‘sociability’ that is expected, yet he soon finds it endearing enough and something he admires, even. he is one of the first to join up as a death dealer when the role is announced ― although his seductive nature and sadism is not attributed to only one species, apollo is all-too eager to sate the never ending lust for war and blood he finds the opportunity of in hunting with his  newfound brothers and sisters. even after the death dealers ‘officially’ disbanded, he still heeds the call of aleksander whenever needed, more than pleased to assist in whatever is required of him.

⤹ ――――― ⤸

～ FACTS

his birth name is not apollo choi, and has been kept a secret and on the backburner since he was turned ― he sees it as his ‘past’ self and a chain to his current identity

after arriving in nyc, he’s since found a love for film (or rather ‘entertainment’ as a whole) and began his own movie studio, that of which skyrocketed in popularity and is now among some of the top ones in the country. he keeps himself separated from the majority of his employees so that he can ‘hand down’ the company to himself ― those necessarily close to him are fellow vampires, who he knows he can trust with his immortality

sometime after he was turned he came to realization that he was bisexual rather than straight. while he is a rather romantic individual and wishes for a lot, he’s scared of dedicated love with the way he is, and keeps his sexuality under wraps for fear of someone possibly using it against him

his overall personality is very sadistic and twisted ― he finds joy in the pain he causes others, depending on who they are, and isn’t one known for mercy among the death dealers

apollo believes in ‘ability’ more than ‘possibility’. it is partially one of the reasons he no longer is religious; he finds the belief in the supernatural on earth and the immortality they possess to be far against any idea of ‘god’ or ‘gods’

he was nicknamed ‘leo’ by aleksander due to his fiery passion and his bravery in what he does. he’s attempted to get tattoos of lions on his body, but finds that they forcibly heal due to his abilities

[tressenoire-blog]

The 2018 TeamTresse Summer Reading List

With summer here, there’s finally more time to spend on you!  You can go to the beach, catch up with friends, and take time to start those new projects you’ve been planning throughout the year.  While you’re sitting poolside rockin’ your fro or new protective style, it’s the perfect time to start that book you’ve been dying to read!  A great book can spark creativity, give you an intellectual challenge, let you explore other walks of life, and so much more.  Keep scrolling for TresseNoire’s 2018 list of great summer reads, written by black women for black women!

1. The Darkest Child by Delores Phillips

Overview: 

“Pakersfield, Georgia, 1958: Thirteen-year-old Tangy Mae Quinn is the sixth of ten fatherless siblings. She is the darkest-skinned among them and therefore the ugliest in her mother, Rozelle’s, estimation, but she’s also the brightest. Rozelle—beautiful, charismatic, and light-skinned—exercises a violent hold over her children. Fearing abandonment, she pulls them from school at the age of twelve and sends them to earn their keep for the household, whether in domestic service, in the fields, or at “the farmhouse” on the edge of town, where Rozelle beds local men for money. But Tangy Mae has been selected to be part of the first integrated class at a nearby white high school. She has a chance to change her life, but can she break from Rozelle’s grasp without ruinous—even fatal—consequences?”

2. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Overview: 

“Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zelie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls. But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were targeted and killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope. Now, Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.“

3. Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue

Overview: 

“Jende Jonga, a Cameroonian immigrant living in Harlem, has come to the United States to provide a better life for himself, his wife, Neni, and their six-year-old son. In the fall of 2007, Jende can hardly believe his luck when he lands a job as a chauffeur for Clark Edwards, a senior executive at Lehman Brothers. Clark demands punctuality, discretion, and loyalty—and Jende is eager to please. Clark’s wife, Cindy, even offers Neni temporary work at the Edwardses’ summer home in the Hamptons. With these opportunities, Jende and Neni can at last gain a foothold in America and imagine a brighter future. However, the world of great power and privilege conceals troubling secrets, and soon Jende and Neni notice cracks in their employers’ façades. When the financial world is rocked by the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the Jongas are desperate to keep Jende’s job—even as their marriage threatens to fall apart. As all four lives are dramatically upended, Jende and Neni are forced to make an impossible choice.“

4. This Is Just My Face: Try Not to Stare by Gabourey Sidibe

Overview: 

“Gabourey Sidibe—“Gabby” to her legion of fans—skyrocketed to international fame in 2009 when she played the leading role in Lee Daniels’s acclaimed movie Precious. In This is Just My Face, she shares a one-of-a-kind life story in a voice as fresh and challenging as many of the unique characters she’s played onscreen. With full-throttle honesty, Sidibe paints her Bed-Stuy/Harlem family life with a polygamous father and a gifted mother who supports her two children by singing in the subway. Sidibe tells the engrossing, inspiring story of her first job as a phone sex “talker.” And she shares her unconventional (of course!) rise to fame as a movie star, alongside “a superstar cast of rich people who lived in mansions and had their own private islands and amazing careers while I lived in my mom's apartment.” 

5. We’re Going to Need More Wine: Stories That Are Funny, Complicated, and True by Gabrielle Union

Overview:

“In this moving collection of thought provoking essays infused with her unique wisdom and deep humor, Union uses that same fearlessness to tell astonishingly personal and true stories about power, color, gender, feminism, and fame. Union tackles a range of experiences, including bullying, beauty standards, and competition between women in Hollywood, growing up in white California suburbia and then spending summers with her black relatives in Nebraska, coping with crushes, puberty, and the divorce of her parents. Genuine and perceptive, Union bravely lays herself bare, uncovering a complex and courageous life of self-doubt and self-discovery with incredible poise and brutal honesty. Throughout, she compels us to be ethical and empathetic, and reminds us of the importance of confidence, self-awareness, and the power of sharing truth, laughter, and support.“

6. An Ode to the”Good Girl” by Maya Bempah

Overview:

“’Good girls’ have it tough. Not only to live up to society’s high expectations but to carry the weight of being "good." What is a "good girl" anyway? That label doesn't allow room to be wrong or selfish, disappointed or unsure, sexual or sexy, mischievous, too loud or too quiet; there's no fair chance in growing into that woman she needs to be. Whether she's referred to as Maya, Mystik, or Cypher, this "good girl" is on her journey to finding self. Looking for the meaning of love and learning not to put the burden of loving her on anyone else. She's making mistakes and learning from them. She's been betrayed and has betrayed, love and loss, but instead of dwelling, she's learning lessons and moving forward. An Ode to the “Good Girl” is a collection of stories dedicated to all of the risks I've ever taken, the second chances I never got, and to all of the things, I thought I couldn't say out loud.“

7. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi 

Overview: 

“Ghana, eighteenth century: two half sisters are born into different villages, each unaware of the other. One will marry an Englishman and lead a life of comfort in the palatial rooms of the Cape Coast Castle. The other will be captured in a raid on her village, imprisoned in the very same castle, and sold into slavery. Homegoing follows the parallel paths of these sisters and their descendants through eight generations: from the Gold Coast to the plantations of Mississippi, from the American Civil War to Jazz Age Harlem. Yaa Gyasi’s extraordinary novel illuminates slavery’s troubled legacy both for those who were taken and those who stayed—and shows how the memory of captivity has been inscribed on the soul of our nation.”

Have any book recommendations you want to share with the TresseTribe?  List them in the comments below!  Connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for even more great #blackgirlmagic content on hair, beauty, and lifestyle!  

[cmbynreviews]

Call Me by Your Name" – A love story fueled by strangers' chemistry

“You’ll be meeting in the man cave”, the publicist said, pushing open the door to the ground floor of a villa set in the lush gardens of the Sunset Marquis.

Previous hotel guests have included members of Aerosmith, Guns N’ Roses and Metallica, and while they might never have visited the man cave, it seemed to bear homage to them, or to hair metal, or to hetero teenage boys, or to something. It had a pool table, a guitar, plenty of booze, a framed print of a nude body-painted woman, and another of a skull enveloped in flames. Darkened windows kept out the California sun.

By any measure, it was a curious spot to interview Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer, the stars of Call Me by Your Name, due Nov. 24, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story about two young men who fall in love during an idyllic sunlit Italian summer decades ago.

Arriving at the cave moments later, Mr. Chalamet and Mr. Hammer took in the décor with a few chortles, and then Mr. Hammer beelined to the guitar and began strumming, as Mr. Chalamet threw himself onto a big L-shaped couch. The pair have fallen into an easy camaraderie that extends most places they go. For a good chunk of the film’s shoot last year in northern Italy, and in the days leading up to it, they were often the only ones who spoke English, which helped them forge a connection that crackles through their scenes. They have also been promoting the film together, on and off, since its triumphant premiere earlier this year at Sundance, where it sent festivalgoers into a swoon.

“It’s gotten to the point”, Mr. Hammer said, “where we finish each others’ ——”

“—— sentences”, Mr. Chalamet chimed in.

“Sandwiches”, Mr. Hammer replied.

In the film, which is based on the 2007 novel of the same title by André Aciman, Mr. Chalamet plays Elio, a whipsmart 17-year-old American-Italian who lives with his family in an Italian villa, and Mr. Hammer plays Oliver, a 24-year-old American graduate student who arrives to intern with Elio’s professor father for the summer. Elio is immediately intrigued by Oliver, and soon finds himself torturously in love, and fruitlessly trying to fight it, at least at first. Set in 1983, and directed by Luca Guadagnino, whose previous films include last year’s A Bigger Splash and I Am Love (2010), the film is languid and intoxicating, a visual feast of dappled light, polo shirts and era-appropriate songs, from the Psychedelic Furs and the soundtrack to Flashdance.

Mr. Guadagnino is a master at hitting all five senses, which is one of the reasons critics have warmly embraced the film.

“It is more a terrarium of human experience, a sensory immersion that is remarkably full in its vision”, Richard Lawson wrote in Vanity Fair. He continued, “Each shot is busy with existence, but Guadagnino does not overwhelm”.

What also makes the story quietly remarkable, especially for a film that has traction in the awards race, is that it is simply about two young men who fall for each other, without menacing rednecks wanting to pulverize them or a ravaging disease lurking in wait. “It’s just a love story, and it’s really humanizing”, Mr. Hammer said. “No one gets beat up, no one gets sick, no one has to pay for being gay”.

Though the lovers’ age difference has drawn some attention, the film has largely been a source of deep gratification for its key players. It represents a return to the screen for James Ivory, 89, who wrote the screenplay with echoes of his 1987 love story, Maurice. It is making a name for Mr. Chalamet, who is 21 and strongly tipped for an Oscar nomination. And for Mr. Hammer, 31, the time spent making the film in Italy was, he said, “the most transformative experience” of his professional life.

“I’ve never experienced total immersion like that”, Mr. Hammer said. “I’ve never experienced a sense of safety like that. I’ve never experienced a sense of making yourself so accessible and vulnerable”. He added, “It opened my eyes to a whole new sense of understanding, and life, and what it is to be human”.

He and Mr. Chalamet were cast separately and did not set eyes on each other until they met in Italy, on the set. Mr. Guadagnino said he felt so deeply connected to each actor individually “that I took it for granted they must have a great connection too”.

Mr. Guadagnino found Mr. Chalamet “ingenious”, ambitious and intent on challenging himself in roles, he said, adding, “He never goes for the easy way. He goes the very complicated way”. And the director had been angling to work with Mr. Hammer since the actor appeared as the Winklevoss twins in The Social Network in 2010. “He carries a sense of infectious seductiveness to him, and a buoyancy, and a beauty”, Mr. Guadagnino said. “But it is also intertwined with a very beautiful internal turmoil”.

He was proved right with the actors’ chemistry – their characters’ attraction is shot through with a fraught competitiveness – even though Mr. Chalamet and Mr. Hammer are as strikingly different in person as they are onscreen.

“It was the luck of the universe, or something, that there was just a natural bond as humans”, Mr. Chalamet said.

Mr. Chalamet is slight and pale, a bundle of boyish energy and birdlike alertness, with a delicate face topped by a black tumble of curls. He grew up in Hell’s Kitchen, the son of a former Broadway dancer and a French editor, attended LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, and appeared in Homeland, Interstellar and the Off Broadway play Prodigal Son.

Mr. Hammer is 6-foot-5, with Ken-doll features (“the textbook guy for shaving-cream commercial looks”, noted GQ), a sardonic mien, and a voice that booms with assuredness and authority. His great-grandfather was an oil tycoon, and he grew up in the Cayman Islands and Los Angeles. He said he wanted to be an actor after seeing Home Alone, when he was 12.

Mr. Chalamet, who also appears in Greta Gerwig’s new film, Lady Bird, said he was drawn to the role because it felt like “an honest look into a young person’s existence”.

“Nobody knows me”, he said, with a laugh, “so it didn’t feel like too much of a risk because it didn’t feel like my performance in this sort of piece of work was being compared to anything else”.

Mr. Hammer had greater trepidation, and was not sure if he was good enough for such a stripped-down, emotionally honest film, with no set pieces or special effects. “This movie lives and dies in the moments between these characters”, he said. There was also a lot of nudity in the original script, though it was revised, and Mr. Hammer, somehow, had never done a sex scene.

He is also a relative newcomer to smaller-budget films. After his appearance in The Social Network, he landed major roles in movies like The Lone Ranger (2013) and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015). But Mr. Hammer found the box-office expectations stifling and the Hollywood machine depressing. “It was like, ‘He’s tall, he’s conventionally handsome, so let’s put him in these big movies and try to build this brand’” he said, “and it just didn’t work”.

He resolved to make smaller films, and his first one was last year’s The Birth of a Nation, which ended up being bittersweet for him, too. The drama, about Nat Turner’s slave rebellion, sold for a record $17 million at Sundance, but was engulfed in controversy after decades-old rape allegations against the filmmaker and star, Nate Parker, emerged. It was a crushing experience that Mr. Hammer said he was still recovering from.

“It seemed clear-cut to me that there was a lot of atoning and apologizing that needed to happen that just didn’t”, Mr. Hammer said, his voice catching. “And that was really tough because we watched this movie that we did, that we all felt was important, just kind of drift away”. (The film’s fall did not dent his career, and while promoting Call Me by Your Name, Mr. Hammer was also filming On the Basis of Sex, a movie starring Felicity Jones as Ruth Bader Ginsburg.)

In the meantime, both men say they have been relishing promoting this film, even if some reactions come from left field, like a tweet by the actor James Woods suggesting the age difference between the characters was pedophilic. “Didn’t you date a 19-year-old when you were 60?” Mr. Hammer wrote back, in a tweet that went viral, to his great surprise. (Mr. Woods began dating a 19-year-old when he was 59.)

“I didn’t think anybody really cared what I said, I didn’t think anybody cared what James Woods said, you know?” Mr. Hammer said.

Mr. Guadagnino said any chatter about the age difference amounted to an “artificial topic”. No one took issue with the age difference in the 1987 film Dirty Dancing, he pointed out, where Jennifer Grey was playing a 17-year-old and Patrick Swayze’s character was 24. Also in Call Me by Your Name, he said, it is Elio who goes after Oliver. “The person who chases is 17”, he said.

Mr. Hammer recalled another surprising reaction. “Someone mentioned to me: ‘Timothée has to put his hand on your crotch in the movie. How did that feel?’ And I was like, do you ask every woman in a movie how it is to have her ass slapped, or her boobs fondled? It’s that double standard kind of thing”.

Mr. Chalamet interjected, “I’ve been very encouraged by the nature of the conversations that I’ve had, and by the lack of questions that are tunnel-visioned in their understanding of sexuality and life and love”.

Mr. Hammer said, “Because the reality is, Timmy grabs my crotch all the time”.

CARA BUCKLEY | THE NEW YORK TIMES | 17 Nov 2017 | (Photo: Ryan Pfluger)

[jackal-of-hearts]

Red Blossoms

I wrote a story. It’s...1446 words or so? If you feel like reading, it’s below the cut. I am not responsible for whatever pasting it on here does to formatting!

A flower blossomed, rich and red. It was an odd sight, to be sure. A lone spot of color calling out from the sun-bleached scrub and grass that stretched out across the edge of the desert. Strange, but pleasant. It was the herald of journey’s end and the first of many markers which announced the yielding of barren sand to lush soil. She was almost home.

               Jezebel, the woman was called. A name which raised more than a few glances outside of her homeland. Superstitious, they were often called. In the modern age, who still believed in monsters and spirits? Each member of her village laid claim to three names. One was private and known only to its owner and perhaps a few treasured kin. A true name, which held power. One was used during formal occasions and often found placed as a surname. Something of substance but with only a mild link to the person that holds it. The last was often offensive and given out freely and without care as it was the least of their identities. By this standard, it was a fine name, as far as such things went.

               Vehicles could not make it out this far. Any that tried found a series of incidents, swiftly escalating, that barred progress beyond the middle of the desert where the last oasis rested. By land or air, the ill luck carried. With this restriction in mind, a small camp had sprung up around the cool waters. Mounts were available for sale, or rent with the proper identification, and it was upon the back of an Arabian bay stallion that the woman gained the borders of the town. It had no name and yet laid claim to all of them. When one spoke of this place, the listener knew if they were meant to.

               Quite out of habit, Jezebel reached for her phone before remembering that it was locked up in a protective box along with her laptop, tablet and anything else that she didn’t want to risk while crossing the barrier. There would be no service this far out anyway. A soft sigh slipped past her lips as she continued on. She hoped that her clients would be alright without her. Some of them needed far too much attention. But, the trip could not be put off any longer than it had.

               Jezebel had come home for the funeral.

                 She was challenged on the approach. Out of necessity, this was a brief offering of sign and countersign. Children are the taught the ritual before they can even walk more than a few steps. The second crossing was more elaborate but allowed her to move past the high, reinforced stone walls. It was always a bit jarring to return home after so long on the outside. It was much like being the protagonist of some silly time travel movie.

               So it came to pass that a woman dressed in canvas cargo pants, a tanktop and steel toed boots and wrap around sunglasses rode a horse through cobbled streets flanked by buildings that still required thatchers. The looks her arrival garnered were of hostility and distaste. Her attire was the least of the reasons. Though this was her home, she had very few friends. And there were matters of state to attend to.

               Children were clutched to mothers’ breasts. Women pointedly turned their backs. Men sketched out signs of warding. If some few cast quick and sympathetic glances her way, they were not acknowledged for the sake of their soft-hearted issuers. Despite the almost universal shunning, Jezebel rode easily with her head held high. Fear prevented anyone from acting against her and she knew that she would reach Hunter’s Hall without issue.

               A second wall separated the town from the city. The distinction one of pride more than anything else as both halves were arrayed in much the same pattern. While the outer buildings were of rude construction, the inner city was all stone and metal with only minimal glass adornment, soundly built and easily defended. Coming to a half just inside the open gates, the reigns of her horse were taken in hand by a guard dressed in leather armor with a sword belted at his hip. More brazen than the citizens of the outer city, his upturned face regarded her with a mixture of disdain and curiosity.

               “Twin-Blade.”

               The voice that spoke her deed name belonged to a severe man with short cropped, dark hair and broad shoulders. There was no warmth in his voice and the pale gaze that regarded her was even colder. So it began. Jezebel dismounted and shouldered her pack before crossing over to him and giving a short nod in response. Regardless of his personal feelings, she was still a member of rank and standing and so he gave a proper salute before turning to escort her deeper into the city. It was a long and silent walk.

 The rituals and processes that followed were old beyond remembering. There was a reception waiting which might have seemed grand to an outsider. They were an organization based on blood and violence. Strict protocols and behaviors assured that such attributes rarely touched the grounds inside the walls. It was almost comforting. A sort of reflexive haze settled over Jezebel and quieted her thoughts as she took part in the exchanges.

A bath and change of clothing followed next. Attendants were provided who saw to these details as well as to groom and adorn her hair in the traditional manner. Baubles and badges were braided into the locks to display her rank and accomplishments and pigments were mixed to mark her lineage and standing. So it was that Jezebel walked through the Hunter’s Assembly as if she headed for battle. But this battle’s outcome had already been decided.

Jezebel ascended the steps to stand before the Huntmaster. The man had aged considerably since last she had seen him but the steel in his gaze had not diminished. Dropped down to take a knee before him, her head remained raised. It was not their way to lower gazes meekly, but to offer respect through direct eye contact. A flicker of sorrow shadowed the stern man’s gaze for the briefest instant. Or perhaps she just wished it had.

“Jezebel Twin-Blade,” The Huntmaster intoned, “You have been convicted of violating our sacred trust.” His voice was clear and might even have been beautiful if it were not so deeply worn down by a long life of hard acts and cruel deeds in the defense of the world. An ignorant world that neither knew nor thanked them for their service in holding back the legions of supernatural entities that waited just beyond the veil.

“The sentence is death.”

There was no court of appeals. And, by the letter of their laws, she was certainly guilty. Pride was the sin of the order. For those that work in the shadows and often die on far away shores in a terrible manner, it must be. Few things can keep one going in those conditions. Righteous belief in the cause? Yes, that played a part as well. But it was the knowledge of a job well done and countless lives saved that carried most of the Chosen through their otherwise uncertain lives. The Chosen Hunters of Tapio, they were called. Named for the God of the Hunt who had founded their order in the distant past. It was said that his power was what kept them shielded and placed apart from the rest of the world.

If anyone expected repentance, they received none. Jezebel stared back at the Huntmaster and simply nodded her understanding. Pride was her sin as well and she would not beg or plead. She had aided a monster against a fellow Hunter. She was guilty. She had returned of her own free will. She would not be late for her own funeral. There was respect in the old man’s eyes. This time she was certain of what she had seen. She came to accept her punishment and did so with honor.

A heavy, two-handed broadsword rested against the Huntmaster’s back. It was a ceremonial blade and deeply engraved, decorated with a large jewel upon the pommel. He lifted it easily and secured his grip to deliver the sentence. Jezebel continued to stare into his eyes while the light of the room played along the length of the blade. The edge was honed keen and the etchings guided the light up to blaze upon the point as if with celestial light. Without another word, the blade fell with swift purpose.

A flower blossomed, rich and red.

[dippedanddripped]

In 2013, a series of provocative music videos competed for pop culture’s attention. There was Kim Kardashian’s bare breasts bouncing for Kanye West’s “Bound 2,” then Disney-alum Miley Cyrus scantily clad and swinging on a wrecking ball. But it was “Blurred Lines,” Robin Thicke’s comeback classic that was easily the most memorable. Not for Thicke’s own star power (or even the subsequent backlash regarding the song’s problematic concept of consent), but because of the sample-sized models strutting coquettishly around him.

Only one of the three made an instant impression. “Blurred Lines” created a sex symbol of bodacious beauty Emily Ratajkowski overnight, catapulting her to household status with Kate Upton-esque momentum. Naturally, the rumors and rumination about her body began right away. We’d all been hypnotized by the pendulum effect of her proportions, which just couldn’t be real. “Let’s just Google her measurements,” a friend suggested. When we uncovered the circumference of Ratajkowski's breasts, waist and hips (roughly 35”-24”-34” according to hotmodelsactress.com — a size two), the comparison began.

We didn’t know it then, but Ratajkowski’s body ascribed to what has long-been fashion’s “golden ratio.” A measuring tape should reveal breasts and hips sized no higher than 36 inches (preferably 34”), and a waist no higher than 25” (preferably 24”). The standard is believed to be implemented after WWII, when a fabric shortage meant designers relied on smaller bodies to optimize profitability.

Over the past decade, the industry has been at its most inclusive yet. Fashion has gradually become a little less sizeist, racist, ageist, even ableist (even if only with a healthy dose of tokenism to impress the digital gen). As such, many curve girls have become supermodels in their own right — an unthinkable prospect at the turn of the millennium. But while the desired height of women on the runway has grown in the meantime (5’9” upwards) and we’re seeing diverse body types in the mainstream for the first time, the sample size has barely fluctuated.

“There is a practical reason that most models are the same size, and that’s called a sample collection,” Tom Ford told WWD in 2018. “You make a sample collection [according to] a standardized selection of measurements for models… Whether we all decide to start making all of our clothes in the next size up, that’s a different thing. But there is practicality, there’s a reason models are a standard size.”

For women who are six feet to fit fashion’s standards, they would have to weigh in at a near-impossible 115 pounds, claims @shitmodelmgmt. The anonymous Instagram-anchored fashion industry watchdog made headlines several years ago when they offered an open call to models who’d been harassed by designers, photographers, agents and casting directors — eventually emboldening models enough to call out predatory celebrity photographers on their own). Now, she’s using her platform to confront a different injustice in the industry. After conducting a poll of 4000 models, 65 percent claimed to have developed eating disorders to adhere to sample size expectations. In response, SMGMT created a petition to raise the sample size from size zero through four, to six through eight. So far, 15,000 have signed.

“I wanted to see how many of my followers were naturally [sample] size, and the majority of them are not,” she writes on its homepage. “In order to cut down to the required measurements/weight, they are having to resort to unhealthy means like starving themselves, restrictive diets, overexercising and other ways that severely risk their health.”

Within the past week, the outcry over too-small samples has reached fever pitch. Stylist Francesca Burns, formerly Fashion Editor of i-D, took to Instagram to reveal she’d been on set with a “tiny” model (no bigger than a US size four), who could not do up a pair of Hedi Slimane Celine pants. None of the Celine looks the stylist had pulled fit the sample-sized model, which made Burns feel like “a creep.”

“This is so unacceptable,” Burns wrote. “It is fundamentally wrong to suggest that this is the norm. It isn’t. We also have a responsibility for those in our care on set and to make sure beauty standards are not limited to a size that is completely unrealistic for the majority... Things have to change in so many ways but how hard is it to size things up?”

Fashionista editor-in-chief Tyler McCall was one of many industry insiders to endorse Burns’ message. While she understands why production of a singular small size is both efficient and cost effective, she describes the standard as a “big stumble block for true inclusivity.”

“Those ‘standard’ measurements destroy girls at such a young age,” adds agent and casting director, Kevin Chung. “Weight loss pills, working out incessantly to the point they are physically and mentally unable to do their job. It's a shame, but it's also not their fault… We need to be more cognizant of different body types and not all bodies are able to achieve those measurements — and that is okay. [Models] shouldn’t have to alter measurements to fit an unattainable standard.”

When Lauren Graves was scouted by IMG in 2002, she was 13. Her younger years were dedicated to high fashion, although now she’s just as frequently hired for lifestyle/commercial, beauty, fit production and showroom modeling. The pressure of working in fashion at a young age meant she was “always hungry,” and she now only works with a range smaller, boutique agencies. While she entered the industry at size two to four, standing over 5’10”. After various eating disorders, now-recovered Graves’ wears a six or eight and models curve.

“When your dream is to model, you listen to your agencies when they say, ‘Hey listen, I need you to lose [X] pounds, you would be so much more marketable,” Lauren says. “Some girls are genetically very thin, but it's not common. I would say a large portion of the girls fitting these sizes are trying very hard to. For fashion, most agencies will tell you to lose weight anyway.”

Kevin agrees that those models are few and far between. “There are a handful of models who are naturally lean at 5’9”  to 5’11” — that's just genetics. But there are even more models who aren’t size zero through four and below 5’9.”

Dylan Wardwell is one such model. Although she faces other challenges in the industry as a trans woman, she is naturally a 5’10” size zero and has never been criticized for her size. Still, she knows plenty of models who aren’t allowed to work until they drop weight. For this reason, despite the potential repercussions for her own career, she acknowledges raising the sample size would be “the best thing” not only for the industry, but for society.

“It can’t be that hard to make a more inclusive show if brands put in the effort,” she says. “I think everyone likes to blame this standard on ‘the way it is’ instead of realizing we all as individuals contribute to this culture.”

“Being a fit model you get to work behind the scenes with production and design teams, and the change wouldn’t be hard,” Lauren adds. “They just haven’t done it.”

“It's a bit of a chicken-versus-egg,” echoes Tyler. “Designers will say they maintain sample sizes because those are the models they're given to work with, and casting directors will say they have to make sure models can fit the sample… we're talking size zero or even double zero, that's a hard target to hit for most grown women.”

Curve model Chloe Vero has walked the runway for Tommy Hilfiger and Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty, securing magazine covers and major campaigns. Vero is one of the “lucky ones,” a model who’s not straight-sized but remains in demand season after season. While Chloe’s grateful for her success, she still catches herself wondering what professional heights she might have reached if she were smaller.

“I have to remind myself that it is the lack of acceptance that is making me feel this way,” she says. “I’ve been on sets where I’m the only one who is my size working and everyone else is significantly smaller than me and that takes a toll on you mentally. Working on sets that reflect our day to day lives and how we interact with the world around us can allow for a safer and more comfortable space.”

With the exception of your waist being ten inches smaller than your hips (the clothing production standard across almost all sizes), curve modeling has very few mandates. This kind of forward trajectory, Lauren opines, can be credited to the lifestyle realm who capitalized on a missed marketing opportunity:  “A lot of commercial and indie brands are now working with models who represent the consumer because they’ve recognized the money that can be made off large portions of the population.”

When it comes to high fashion, Kevin can’t imagine petitions facilitating a palpable shift without support from the top down. “Until the people in power leave their current roles, we won’t see real change. Bigger people shouldn’t have to fight for clothing in their size range; designers should just have them because diversity should be inherent. People should not have to tell you to be more inclusive — that's inhumane.”

While she “doesn’t want to be a downer,” Tyler shares this sentiment. “There are so many players and so many moving parts in fashion with something like this that it would be almost impossible to get everyone on board. It's more a question of keeping the pressure on to see that representation, and supporting those who are getting it right.”

Dylan just wants a world in which she isn’t measured at castings — “If I fit the clothes, I fit the clothes” — whereas Chloe hopes the future might usher in the same opportunities for curve models as straight-sized. For his part, Kevin is ready to see fasting and diet pills made obsolete, and nutritionists as well as mental health counselors made accessible to models.

Any real change, Lauren says, will have to start and finish with designers. The narrative that clothes “fall better on slimmer figures,” or that “less fabric” or “small breasts” is easier to work with is perpetuated by those at the drawing board. Until they prioritize creating clothes for healthy bodies, we’ll all remain enslaved to measurements.

“They have an opportunity to break the mold they've always worked with, and make the clothes to fit a body — not that a body is forced to fit into,” she concludes. “Designers seem afraid of breaking the old mold, even though in my opinion, that’s what creativity is.”

[ladystylestores]

‘Indian Matchmaking’ presents painful truths about skin color and love in Indian culture but does nothing to challenge them

Written by Aditi Sangal, CNN

On Netflix’s “Indian Matchmaking,” marriage consultant Sima Taparia travels the world to meet with hopeful clients and help them find the perfect match for an arranged marriage.

The format of the show is simple. Hopeful brides- and grooms-to-be meet with Taparia — often with their overbearing parents in tow — for an initial consultation. Criteria are laid out, potential suitors are presented on paper, dates are arranged, and then it’s up to the couple to decide if it’s a match.

In some respects, the producers should be commended. This is a show that turns away from the “big fat Indian wedding” trope and offers something fresh: a look at how some traditional-facing couples meet through the services of a professional matchmaker.

The characters’ stories — as well as cringier moments — play out in entertaining ways, at times revealing the absurdities and awkwardness of matchmaking. I laughed when, for example, Taparia sought the consultation of an astrologist and a face reader.

Matchmaker Sima Taparia meets with hopeful clients. Credit: Netflix

At other points, the show presents brutal truths about Indian culture: the emphasis on being “fair”; the enormous pressure to wed; the focus on caste and class; the stigmatization of independent, working women.

But the show fails to contextualize or even question these problematic beliefs when they’re brought up by its characters, presenting them instead as the status quo.

With that, Netflix missed an opportunity to challenge a social system fraught with cultural biases, and also educate a global audience on important nuances. In Sima Taparia, the show found a regressive anchor who merely peddles flawed practices.

Colorism

Mentioned casually but frequently throughout the eight episodes is the idea that candidates should be “fair,” or in other words, have light skin.

The subject of skin color and, subsequently, social status in Indian culture is incredibly complex. While people with darker skin tones are subjected to harsh discrimination and prejudice, fairness is revered and associated with beauty, wealth and power.

Vyasar Ganesan (left) and Rashi (right) on episode six of “Indian Matchmaking.” Credit: Netflix

This cultural bias is engrained from an early age, with women bearing more of the societal pressure to have lighter skin. If you’re a woman, darker skin can be a deal-breaker for families seeking the perfect wife for their son. For men, fair skin is seen as a bonus but not as much of a requirement.

Colorism and the desirability of “fairness” is drilled into young girls. In my own case, it started when I was in middle school in India, when my classmates taunted me for having darker skin. Older women would also make unsolicited comments about my complexion, veiled as genuine concern for me and my future marriage prospects.

In India, the beauty standard is further perpetuated by pop culture and a booming cosmetic industry.

Fair and Lovely skin fairness cream at a shop in New Delhi. Credit: Sajjad Hussain/AFP via Getty Images

Skin lightening products are heavily marketed. Actors with glowing, pale complexions are the stars of Bollywood movies while their dark-skinned counterparts play poor, disenfranchised characters. Some dating apps even include skin tone filters.

Unspoken rules

“Indian Matchmaking” itself offers a window into the lifestyles of an elite class of Indians who can enlist the service of a top-tier matchmaker, and in some cases, fly them to the other side of the world. This is not something regular families do, so status is already built into the narrative.

Perhaps this makes it easier for families to avoid explicitly specifying fair skin as part of their match criteria. Taparia assumes it goes without saying, and constantly describes women as a “good person” or match because they are “fair and good looking.” Some of the families rely on this — it allows them to be politically correct and vague in their search for someone “good looking” without explicitly saying “fair.”

Pradhyuman Maloo in episode four of “Indian Matchmaking.” Credit: Netflix

Yet, they get exactly the kind of complexion they want to see. It’s the equivalent of writing “caste no bar” in a matrimonial ad — a suggestion that the person who placed the ad is willing to consider candidates regardless of social hierarchy — but in reality only going on dates with people from the “community,” which becomes a euphemistic catch-all term for people from the same religion, caste or class.

Take the young Mumbai-based Pradhyuman Maloo, who features prominently in the show, as an example. His well-to-do parents desperately want him to settle down and find a wife, but he seems mostly uninterested in the women presented to him, until he’s shown a photo of Rushali Rai, a beautiful model from Delhi. His eyes light up at the sight of her. Taparia describes her as “fair and good-looking, but also, she’s smart.”

When Maloo first sees her photo, he is elated. “Ahh, she’s so cute!”

“I’ll tell you that from her dressing style to her look and everything, how she carries herself, that I can meet her,” he said. “It’s going to be exciting. It’s going to be fun.”

Pradhyuman Maloo on a date with actor and model Rushali Rai on “Indian Matchmaking.” Credit: Netflix

Watching the two side-by-side on their date, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that, of all the characters in the show, they have the most similar skin tones. Their pairing does nothing to challenge the deep-rooted cultural notion that you should marry someone with a similar background.

Changing attitudes

As for women who don’t fit the “fair, tall and slim” criteria, we do see the show acknowledging a different fate. Businesswoman Ankita Bansal is sent to a life coach, with whom she discusses the insecurities she had with her body growing up.

“People would come and tell me that you’re never going to find anybody because you have to lose some weight,” said Bansal, adding that she suffered from “off the charts” anxiety. “So that played a very big part in how I lost my confidence completely in even trying to approach a man.”

The life coach acknowledges that such expectations can be unrealistic, and hurtful when it comes to a woman feeling her true worth. “I think it’s so — superficial, maybe, that they’re only defining us by the way we look.”

Nadia Jagessar on episode two of “Indian Matchmaking.” Credit: Netflix

But attitudes towards “fairness” and beauty ideals are changing. Young people — who are usually more social-media savvy and better educated — feel more empowered to go against the grain, and to put pressure on those who continue to perpetuate beauty standards.

There are several ongoing campaigns that call out celebrities who endorse skin-lightening products, and some Bollywood stars have refused to be associated with these creams.

The campaign “Dark is Beautiful” has waged its decade-long fight against colorism by creating awareness programs about skin bias. Others like “Dark is Divine” and “Unfair and Lovely” have also since joined the fight.

The show sidesteps signs of such progress, instead providing a platform for outdated clichés over cultural debate and context. Fittingly, in one of the final scenes, Richa, a young Indian American woman, who Tapaira gives “95 out of 100,” reels off her criteria for the perfect match.

It’s not the first point in a long list, but when she comes to it, it lands jarringly.

“Not too dark, you know, fair-skinned.”

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[pheebs03-blog]

How has the use of photography sexualised women?

Sexualisation of the female body is a common theme within our society, and therefore extremely important to me as a young woman. It is defined in the Collins dictionary that ‘sexualisation’ is ‘to sexualise someone or something or to consider them in a sexual way’ (2017).  I personally became interested in the sexual portrayal of women when I moved to an all-boys school, from an all-girls school. I realised that the way I dressed and presented myself was more important now I was surrounded by the opposite sex. Therefore when choosing a project that’s personal, I chose the aspect of my life which constantly affects me, and other young women on a daily bases whether those around us are conscious or unconscious of this act.

To me the sexualising of women has a lot to do with people, especially men, stereotyping women. In that the main focus in my opinion appears to be the manner in which men perceive how women present themselves.  With this in mind I would like to explore how and why women are sexualised and how we can alter a photograph to change the view ‘as people’. Exploring this will allow me to be able to alter a photograph with the aim to focus on the beauty within the subject of the photographs, instead of only on the ‘outside’ by this I mean the physical appearance. I feel being born as a millennial and being surrounded by constant social media showing off and exploiting women of all ages, professions and ethnicity is playing a big part in attracting me to this topic.

To this end want to use high contrast within my photos such as is explored within Film Noir. The casting of shadows and the increased brightness of the lighting comes into play in order to allow me to explore and express nuances within my topic. I would like to better understand how stillness within the background can enhance the narrative within the frame and highlight the beauty of the shape and form of women in subtle yet strong image.

In researching the historical context it appeared that women lost their legal status around the 1800’s when they got married. Once stripped of their legal status a husband was legally allowed to decide where and how to live, to beat his wife, and even lock her up if he wished too. These ghastly actions, by men, which were deemed as normal in the 1800’s have impacted our society and treatment of women drastically. I find this historical ‘norm’ challenging for me as it appear that men stripping women of their power is no different to men stripping women of their dignity, of their clothes, and disrespecting them in this present day. 

In literature a light into a world of women through the words of Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters, appear to glorify their lives as young women. Emily Bronte however in contrast to published works, wrote to Jane Eyre recounting her life as a strong willed orphan whom grows up with her arrogant, violent cousin and his sisters, in the custody of her mean disapproving aunt. She grows up and still voices her opinions of a woman, however she is in the shadow of men throughout the whole book. Reading these books today have an unexpected effect upon our minds of today, not realising the treatment of women is constantly being spoken about, expressed within these books and standards of treatment constantly get better and worse throughout the years.

Ernest Jones Bellocq, Eve Arnold and Norman Parkinson are two such photographers who captured images of celebrities; and royalty such as Marilyn Monroe, and Barbara Mullen in magazines such as Vogue. Their fashion portraits and shots demonstrate high contrast and black and white due to their time of work during the 50’s where the film and movie films dominated the style of photography. Film Noir is a type of cinematographic film style which makes by a specific mood and was popularly how detective or thriller films were made in the 1940’s/50’s. Laura Mulvey in her 1975 essay on the male gaze ‘argues that traditional Hollywood films respond to deep seated drive known as ‘scopophilia’: the sexual pleasure of looking’ which can be seen in the iconic film Rear Window (1954).

Ernest Jones Bellocq is a prime photographer to study because of his specific focus on women such as prostitutes in the early 1900’s. I find the composition of his work interesting, as the subject is mostly positioned in the centre, just off centre of the frame, allowing the eye of the viewer to focus on her body.  The chosen clothing of a vest and socks- which then highlights her body shape, and her  profession  however not necessarily herself as a person . The lighting focuses primarily on her alone, not the background; the use of this highlights her vulnerability.

Erwin Blumefield, another photographer which I’d lie to focus, study and contrast their work to Bellocqs’ because of the difference in their work. He’s a fashion photographer who worked in the early 1900’s for many fashion magazines such as Vogue. He uses subtle colour and dramatic framing to present his pieces, such as an actual photo frame, or shadows over the main subject of the photo. His fashion photography interests me because of his use of props and focus on colour which is so different to Belocqs’ black and white, high contrast shoots.

I looked into articles regarding the psychology of nakedness, to see why looking at a female body might trigger something in the brain to make the photographer position them different ways, because of it being a bare body.

These notes from LiveSciene which is written by psychologists such as Kurt Gary Joshua Knobe and Paul Bloom explain the details behind the human mind explaining what happens when they look at the female naked body.  An experiment carried out found that when men glance at ‘sexualised’ photographs of women they show reduced activation in certain parts of the brain which exhibits certain mental states. They look into how removing a piece of clothing can change one’s feeling or way of acting- it can significantly change how the mind looks at certain things, therefore how they react and interact with the subject.

 A second experiment carried out shows a photo of ‘attractive’ men and women who both had highlighting features. People were asked questions as to how the subject- X, would be capable of ‘self-control’ or ‘acting morally’. The end result exhibited that people felt that the less skin on show the more agency (control) they had in life, in relation to their actions. Whereas the more skin on show in the photos, people perceived them to have less agency in life and over their actions. These results express society’s views on the presentation and reflection of this on a person’s character and

life.

       I want to portray the style of the black and white high contrast within my photos, and the layout of film and experimental images I can make with film would work well with my project, the time period in which I’m looking at and how they took the photos back then in contrast to today. Deeper into the meaning behind the photographs, I want to explore the psychological reasons for looking at women in different ways, what effected that and what has effected that over the years to the present day. 

Firstly I explored the photographer Anton Beleodchenko, a body scape photographer. He frames the female body in unusual positions to express and explore their physicality. His high contrast and lack of colour present the figure in the simplest form as a stunning object to view.  I wanted to understand the female form in its nakedness and vulnerability before exploring it within the nature of clothing. I used a studio to set up my blank background and florescent light box to focus purely on the subject. I wanted to convey the female body as a sculpture. The body is a piece of art, and viewing it solely as a beautiful object in front of you contains true emotion behind it from the photographer and subject. My outcomes express the natural beauty within women using selected lighting and empty space. Having taken inspiration from Belovodchenko I used minimalistic backgrounds to present the subject as a piece of art for those to be free to view. My appreciation of the female form comes through my photographs by the composition and use of lighting.

  I went onto study the photographer Eve Arnold for she photographed many icons such as Marilyn Monroe, and she captured and framed women in a certain way which showed her respecting them. Her work indulged an intimacy between the camera and the subject.  For shoot two I was inspired by how she captured the subject in minimal clothing which is developed from my shoot one. I used my Cannon 100d to shoot both of these, along with one coloured  film and one black and white to keep my theme of the 50’s and Film Noir through my shoots. I captured my subject by the side of a lake, to use the idea of the Marilyn Monroe at the beach photos, in a public setting, and having my subject in minimal to no clothing. I wanted the subject not to be aware of the camera capturing their personality and presentation of themselves, forcing them to be who they really are. I then went onto edit my digital photos on Photoshop and increased the contrast and the brightness to create harsh tones to put across the black and white film Noir look of the 1950’s. The high contrast and black and white also accentuate the shape of the female body, and the creases and muscle forms of her legs to highlight parts of her body.

 In contrast, I used coloured film to accentuate Arnold’s use of media. Shoot three allowed me to explore Arnold’s Monroe shoot, presenting her in denim on the set of misfits. I enjoyed using coloured film immensely and presenting them in groups of three or four photos allowed me to convey the whole story. I also experimented with my angles for I didn’t want my subject to dominate the image, but however I want her to be the full focus on the photo without taking over the whole frame

  My fourth and fifth shoot was inspired by Norman Parkinson; a fashion photographer during the 1900’s who used women in positions and clothing that captured their beauty in interesting ways through their clothing. I used my subject in a camel tie coat to be in keeping with the style of the photographer and also looking at how the coat affects their body shape towards the camera and viewer. I edited my frames to direct attention towards the figure by selectively decreasing the brightness within the background, and increasing the brightness within the foreground. I then also used a subject in the setting of rural farm land, on a small path, wearing vintage clothing to keep Norman Parkinson’s style. I wanted to take fashion photography inspired poses during the shoots, focusing on the elegance of the subjects and how their clothing compliments their bodies and the shapes, highlighting their shapes and creases through the clothing like the skirt and the jacket, being typically a male item of clothing, I wanted to use it to cast equality and bring to attention the subject, as a woman without being obviously showing off her body. 

    Moving on from the previous shoots onto my sixth shoot looking at the fashion icons being photographed, I looked at the higher end of the spectrum. Moving on from this, I explored the high-end fashion magazine, Vogue as inspiration. The photographers known as Bruce Weber and peter Lindbergh were inspiration for this shoot. I shot with my Cannon 100d and used lighting from one side of the subject, whom was then positioned centre of the frame or to just off centre to allow the empty space around her to engage the viewer within the gaze of the subject. This gaze allows her to emit the power and challenging force form within her, expressing the stand up for women for power. The suit jacket with high heels shows the unnecessary contrast between women and men within society and how much power they have within the world. I decided to edit the images in colour emphasise the black within the frame.

    I then took the concept of high fashion into my own hands, inspired by shoot seven; I wanted to develop them into a contemporary shoot, using minimalistic background to express a woman’s power. These photos still embraced the stereotypes by using the drastic loss of clothing and selected lighting. Using a florescent light box and flash the lighting allowed the shadows to immerse the subject into darkness yet simultaneously highlighting her body as beautifully and simply as possible. These photos also highlight women’s power by wearing the suit jacket and top hat, portraying the strength within women in comparison to men and stereotypes within society.  My outcomes show beauty and strength within the use of subtle colour balance to create a faint sense of colour, accentuating the delicate feminine stereotype.  

    Within shoot eight with the same theme of high fashion magazines I focused on the glamour side of the women in magazines. By using the studio and a florescent light box on one side of the subject I was able to capture isolated images of the woman, focusing on the details of her body and her clothing, a faux fur coat, a symbol of glamour throughout time and the history of fashion. Using the coat as the only clothing allows the sexual attraction of women comes through, just as the advertisements within magazines such as vogue try to achieve. The outside shots allowed me to capture the subject within the frame, expressing the thought of glamour not being the only significant aspect in her life. Magazines promote glamour; therefore I captured that aspect of their message but developed it to promote other parts within life with mystery within body language.

        I then took photos from all of my shoots and incorporated them to create a mixed media piece to explore ways in which I can present my photos. I took a man’s shirt and used image maker to apply my images to cover the shirt. I then asked male and female subjects to be photographed in the shirt, showing the dominance and the victim behind the images on the shirts.

  Whilst exploring the sexualisation of women through photography I have been able to explore the topic through time, fashion and mixed media. I have learnt the ways in which a photograph can present a subject depending on their clothing, lighting and angles. All of the elements to the medias way of sexualising women are down to the root caused from back in the early days of paintings, the books. The books written of women in domestic roles, which then go on to develop through time to become more rebellious within their presentation of themselves through clothing and actions such as smoking.

I’ve appreciated the works of many photographers during my exploration, and understood the leap in which women have taken through the past century. Women have become stronger and grasped more power, which I hope to have conveyed in my shoots towards the end of my project, allowing a chronological order to my project. The understanding of the female body at the beginning and reading around the feminist authors such as Laura Mulvey and taking inspiration from Anton Belovodchenko was vital in starting to focus on women. To then go onto include the different clothing and how it affected it links with the chronological order of our society and history.

I hope to have highlighted many positives and negatives of sexualising women in photography through this project. I wished to show people who women really are, and to use the elements within a photograph to express these emotions, attitudes and themes through these components such as lighting, composition, empty space and props.

I feel to a degree I have successfully portrayed women beyond their appearance and more to do with who they are, as independent and nuanced human beings. In some aspects I have grasped the stereotypical understanding of women and altered it to convey their strength and power as a woman, by the use of my lighting, clothing and editing skills. However I could have gone further in developing this using irony within my setting and use of props and bystanders.

              Bibliography-

  Ernest Jones Bellocq- https://fraenkelgallery.com/artists/ej-bellocq

Glamour photography- https://www.headshotlondon.co.uk/glamour-photography/

Vogue- http://www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/ten-creative-radicals-share-perspective-change-google-pixel-2

Heen Dyden- https://helendryden.com/

Women - power, sexuality- https://www.facebook.com/glamour/videos/10155697310365479/

Objectifying women as a community- https://fstoppers.com/originals/photographing-women-sexual-manner-are-we-all-guilty-objectifying-women-112940

Bartley, P (1996) 1800’s History of Women changing through time- Women changing through history

https://www.teenvogue.com/story/states-of-undress-viceland-series

 https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/edith-sitwell

http://www.vogue.it/en/fashion/cover-fashion-stories/2017/11/06/the-state-of-undress-vogue-italia-november-2017/

https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/articles/10-iconic-fashion-photographers/

American embassies- curating art, FAPE- https://www.nga.gov/audio-video/audio/curators.html

[ramajmedia]

The Best Aristocratic Characters of Downton Abbey, Ranked

Downton Abbey gave audiences a chance to live the British high life of the early 20th century. Garish dinners, butlers, and stately homes filled the scenes of Downton, and its cast of aristocratic characters brought it all to life.

RELATED: Downton Abbey: The 10 Most Shocking Twists

While much of the series is concerned for both sides of the social coin, focusing on both the aristocracy, servants, and everyone in between, there is no denying that the show mostly concerns itself with the aristocratic family of the Crawleys. In preparation for the return to Downton Abbey this fall, here are the top ten aristocratic characters ranked.

10 Martha Levinson

Martha Levinson, mother to Lady Cora Crawley, might not be a member of the established British elite, but she sure as hell has the money and connections to be considered aristocratic. He no-nonsense behavior makes her an equal match at jabs to the Dowager Countess, giving audiences so especially juicy dialogue.

Sadly, Mrs. Levinson is absent for so much of the series that he impact is less felt than most. While she is certainly a delight, her stories are rarely explored enough to make much of a difference. But she is always fun to have in an episode, serving as the American disruptor for the time being.

9 Lady Rose Aldridge

Before she was Cinderella, Lilly James held a long stay in the home of the Earl of Grantham. Lady Rose was the cousin of Lord Robert and daughter of Lord and Lady Hugh and Susan MacClare. Staying at Downton during her early adulthood, Rose found her first loves.

Rose was a girl of her age, reveling in Jazz and innovation. Her sweet demeanor made her very likable, and she rarely made choices that tarnished her personality. Sadly, it is this reason that leaves her lower on the list. While she isn't horribly written, she's certainly not the most enthralling character to follow.

8 Lady Cora Crawley

Cora is a fascinating figure at Downton. While she holds a prestigious title, her background is far less traditional. Hailing from America, Cora isn't always the first to honor tradition. But, she is always supportive of her daughters and husband.

RELATED: Downton Abbey: 5 Best Couples (& 5 Pairings Fans Hated)

Sadly, while Cora is an established mainstay in the Downton household, she rarely gets to spread her wings narratively. She certainly has had challenging and heartbreaking moments, but her journey is far more in the periphery. Still, she is played wonderfully by Elizabeth McGovern, embodying the maternal warmth of the Grantham family.

7 Lady Sybil Cora Branson

Tragic Sybill's story was cut short before she really had a chance to flourish. The youngest daughter of Lord and Lady Grantham, Sybill was a radical from the start. A feminist, socialist, and humanitarian, Sybill was averse to the privilege she grew up in. She married her beloved Tom Branson, the family's Chauffeur, and had a beautiful baby girl.

Sadly, her character arc was relinquished when she died post-childbirth. It is a shame because Sybill had so much potential as a foil to her family's privilege. Finally, someone who disagreed with the philosophy of the household could remain as a voice of reason. The choice to kill her off was one that hurt the character in the long run.

6 Isobel Crawley

Isobel might not have aristocratic beginnings, but she unwillingly climbed the ladder through marriage. After her son became heir, she became a mainstay at the Abbey. Ever afterward she eventually married Lord Richard Grey. This one-time nurse became a fully-fledged lady!

Isobel is a lovely character and a wonderful mirror to Violet Crawley. She embraces change, values justice, and is loyal beyond belief. Penelope Wilton, also of Doctor Who fame, did wonders with the character. Arguably, Isobel remains one of the more underrated characters of the whole series.

5 Lord Robert, Earl of Grantham

Robert as a character is a sad one to watch most of the time. Much of the world that he is used to crumbles around him, giving way for one that is incredibly alien. That being said, he is still an insanely privileged individual stuck with much easier problems than most of Britain at the time let alone half of his staff.

RELATED: Downton Abbey: 10 Best Costumes On The Show, Ranked

The problem is, Hugh Bonneville is so damn charming in the role, you can't help but root for Lord Grantham. While he might be considered a villain by today's moral standards, he remains a powerful figure in his local community and one who is beneficial to the greater good. He's not perfect and certainly a bit morally gray, but Hugh Bonneville makes it work perfectly.

4 Lady Edith Crawley

Lady Edith is a character that might not be very likable but is sympathetic beyond belief. The utter garbage that gets flung at her constantly throughout the series would be enough to send most of us on a soul searching journey far, far away from the halls of Downton. Instead, like a good Brit, Edith keeps carrying on.

Edith is a constant disappointment to her family and herself, often by her own doing. For that, we love her. We all feel like the Edith in our families at times, and honestly we stan an imperfect queen.

3 Lady Mary Crawley

Lady Mary gets a bad rap from day one. She is cold, she is determined, she is often even mean. But so are most protagonists on TV. The only difference? She's a self-assured woman. Mary has to juggle a lot of crap from her family and the expectations of her role. While she does not always cater to tradition, she is not naive enough to fully embrace the change against it.

RELATED: Downton Abbey: 10 Rules That Members Of The Crawley Family Have To Follow

Mary stands in the middle between the younger crowd of social revolutionaries and the guardians of the old ways. Because of that, Mary is the one who has to make the tough decisions. There's a reason we follow her for most of the show, and that's because she is the show personified.

2 Matthew Crawley

Dan Stevens was cast as the Beast in Disney's live-action remake for one reason and one reason only: Because Matthew Crawley is a Disney Prince in disguise. Matthew is the perfect man. He is humble, handsome, brilliant, and thrives in a period piece.

Matthew was one of the shows best characters. Like Mary, he stood as a figure in the middle, coming neither from the aristocracy or poverty. This middle-class hero was set to take over Downton and bring it into the new age. Sadly, the show had to kill him off as Stevens wanted out. What we got of him though was perfection.

1 Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham

If anyone was going to take the number one spot it was Maggie Smith. While she really stands as nothing more than comic relief and witty remarks, Violet the Dowager Countess is the ultimate aristocrat of Downton Abbey. It's no wonder that with a performer as renowned and iconic as Maggie Smith behind her that Violet is as beloved as she is.

Violet as the best lines of the show, which every fan rocks on some kitschy t-shirt they won't admit they own. She exudes old world-class and survives as a pillar of tradition. The best aspect of her character though is when she is challenged and proven wrong, showing a small hint of (short-lived) remorse. It shows the bit of humanity essential in a sassy character such as this.

NEXT: Lady Crawley's 10 Best Quotes On Downton Abbey, Ranked

source https://screenrant.com/aristocratic-characters-downton-abbey-ranked/