#Zora Wilson

[dominik528]

Us (2019)

[n4c9s]

part 1

[teas-of-trin]

Okay the bonus content—concept of privilege—what we feel like we derserve often comes from the expense of someone else’s freedom or joy

Every single line jordan has given is so fucking fantastic

Archetypal family of four

Jason sees through the veil—he sees his mother

The ballet being for teo peole

Science and religion (and magic and unexplainable) - between the two you have a abomination; a metaphor for humanity

Rabbits—easter; dark easter; red is the messiah rising from the hole she was left for dead in

Deers i get out/ rabbits in us : woodland animals where there’s something wild unbridled behind their eyes  but there’s also a distinct lack of what makes a human

 Part of what makes a human a human is that we value our family more than the one across the street. We can’t be beings of good exclusively, when in our DNA we had this idea of tribalism. That’s at old with any attempt to paint ourselves as a good beings. We’re built in a certain way by evolution. these things are in our DNA for survival. And right there, the notion of good and evil Versus the notion of what we are for survival well, that’s right where the idea of science and religion meet . And the human moonstone is the abomination in the middle.

The idea of coincidence. The idea of coincidence you can look at the event that is the creation of the tether, creating sort of creating a rift in the fabric of the universe as they get closer coincidences pop up. And part of it is what we’re ready to see and a hunger to connect the dots, but to suggest that when you have one of those small connections that seems perfectly serendipitous. It might not be it might be more.

God jordan peele just get it i mean

“ religion is scary to me that is in “us“ tied into the fabric of the most religions

War cry of sorts

Crucifixion position

 The great emancipator

 biblical connection

What’s the word

What does “us” means, us can mean many different things  “you know the only thing consistent about the idea of “us”  is when you have an “us” versus “them.” Everyone of us, and our doppelgänger share a soul-we have a faded connection isn’t always exact always-a poetic connection

The fate and the magic of the soul doesn’t work, and it’s sort of scientifically dependent way, which is one of the reasons the underpass as a concept didn’t work for the creators.

Mr peeles brain

When whole wax it’s because we’re tapping into something that we’re suppressing as a society and as individuals

The marriage of comedy and horror is unparalled

Our dualit as human beings

The guilt and horror that we buried deep within ourselves as human beings

Im watching us for the first time right now and ooooooooooohweeee boy this shit has me screaming every two seconds

Nooooooo nooooooooo

Turn around

Dont listen

Dont do it

Nope

Thats the jist. This movie is amazing and fantastic and big brained as fuck

[flowerynameslover]

Shahadi Wright Joseph as Zora Wilson/Umbrae in Us (2019)

[lavenderpanic]

ty @numberonestuckyshipper for the taggg

rules: list 5 of your favorite books on a poll, so your followers can vote which book they think captures your vibe the best

[saucy-mesothelioma]

October 21st: 2010s Horror | Us

Us was released in 2019 and was directed by Jordan Peele. Adelaide Wilson (played by Lupita Nyong'o) returns to her childhood home at the beach with her husband Gabe (Winston Duke) and her children Zora (Shahadi Wright Joseph) and Jason (Jason Wilson). The family does their best to enjoy their time together, on their vacation but Adelaide can't help the sinking feeling that something bad is going to happen due to some past trauma. Her fears turn out to be founded in truth as the family is attacked by four jumpsuited strangers: strangers that happen to look exactly like them.

This most recent decade, much like in the early 2000s, has expanded on pre-existing sub-genres and created some new titans in horror. Although remakes were still common, the new original films have stood out not only due to advancements in technology, but also the artistic expression and deep storytelling present in these movies. New directors to horror such as Ari Aster and Jordan Peele have started to become modern horror director legends thanks to their films such as Hereditary and Us respectively. Other films like It Follows, Cabin in the Woods, The Ritual, Get Out, and Ready or Not quickly gained notoriety due to the new and interesting twists and compelling stories they provided audiences, helping to revitalize interest in the horror genre and show that there is still more to the genre than just blood and violence.

I could not find any platforms where you can watch it for free.

Content Warnings for the Film (may contain spoilers): jumpsacres, violence, self-inflicted violence

[blackfemmecharacterdependency]

January: Happy Birthday List

Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 19) 1: Josette Simon  2: Erica Hubbard, Renée Elise Goldsberry 3: Angelique Perrin, Nicole Beharie 4: Jill Marie Jones, Miss Tina Lawson, Lenora Crichlow, Alexandra Grey, Coco Jones, Sindi Dlathu 5: Ms. Juicy Baby, Olunike Adeliyi 6: Betty Gabriel, Jacqueline Moore, Tiffany Pollard, Armelia McQueen, Tanyell Waivers 7: Blue Ivy Carter, Ruth Negga, Sofia Wylie, Zora Neale Hurston 8: Butterfly McQueen, Ryan Destiny, Cynthia Erivo, Shirley Bassey 9: Amber Ruffin, Flo Milli, Anais Lee/Mirabel Lee 10: Kathleen Bradley, Sisi Stringer, Teresa Graves

11: Adepero Oduye, Aja Naomi King, Amiyah Scott, Kim Coles, Mary J. Blige 12: Cynthia Addai Robinson, Erinn Westbrook, Issa Rae, Naya Rivera, Amerie 13: Janet Hubert, Andy Allo, Shonda Rhimes 14: Adjoa Andoh, Vonetta McGee, Emayatzy Corinealdi 15: Regina King, Kellita Smith, Sanai Victoria 16: Debbie Allen, Aaliyah, FKA Twigs, Sade 17: Eartha Kitt, Indya Moore, Michelle Obama, Ann Wolfe, Quen Blackwell

18: Ashleigh Murray, Estelle, Samantha Mumba 19: Simone Missick, Lidya Jewett, Shaunette Renée Wilson

Aquarius (Jan 20-Feb 18) 21: Anastarzia Anaquway 22: Blesnya Minher, Dwan Smith 23: Lanei Chapman 24: Kenya Moore, Tatyana Ali 25: Ariana DeBose, Jenifer Lewis, Tati Gabrielle, Etta James, Alicia Keys, Willow Nightingale 26: Angela Davis, Anita Baker, Bessie Coleman, Ciera Payton, Desiree Burch, Sasha Banks, Zara Cully  27: Betty Adewole 28: Tyra Ferrell 29: Oprah Winfrey 30: Jody Watley, Kylie Bunbury 31: Miss Peppermint, Kerry Washington

List will be updated as needed... I don't know everybody's birthday, and sometimes, the search engine don't either. I be using Google, and if something's wrong, it's wrong until I figure out the right date. Thank you.

Ones left off in 2024, when I made the list:

Vanity, Sindi Dlathu, Tanyell Waivers, Zaraah Abrahams, Zabryna Guevara, Quen Blackwell, Lanei Chapman, Willow Nightingale

[shinyasahalo]

Top 100 AO3 TV/Streaming Ships (Sept. 11, 2024)

(M/M) Castiel/Dean Winchester (Supernatural) 117,887 fics

(M/M) Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski (Teen Wolf) 74,243 fics

(M/M) Sherlock Holmes/John Watson (Sherlock) 73,290 fics

(GQ/GQ) Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens) 67,782 fics

(M/M) Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji/Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian (Untamed) 4,3860 fics

(M/M) Dean Winchester/Sam Winchester (Supernatural) 35,140 fics

(M/M) Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin) 33,291 fics

(M/M) Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood (Shadowhunters) 32,548 fics

(M/M) Will Graham/Hannibal Lector (Hannibal) 32,038 fics

(M/M) Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1) 29,793 fics

(M/M) Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson (Stranger Things) 29,253 fics

(M/M) Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion (The Witcher) 22,422 fics

(F/F) Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor (Supergirl) 21,811 fics

(M/M) James T. Kirk/Spock (Star Trek) 21,624 fics

(M&M) Sherlock Holmes & John Watson (Sherlock) 21,410 fics

(M/M) Blackbeard | Edward Teach/Stede Bonnet (Our Flag Means Death) 20,979 fics

(GQ&GQ) Aziraphale & Crowley (Good Omens) 19,432 fics

(M/M) Blaine Anderson/Kurt Hummel (Glee) 19,361 fics

(M/M) Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich (Shameless) 17,057 fics

(M&M) Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester (Supernatural) 16,952 fics

(F/F) Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan (Once Upon a Time) 16,419 fics

(F/M) Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson (Percy Jackson and the Olympians) 15,474 fics

(M/M) Rodney Mckay/John Sheppard (Stargate Atlantis) 15,304 fics

(F/M) Fox Mulder/Dana Scully (The X-Files) 15,141 fics

(M/M) Gabriel/Sam Winchester (Supernatural) 15,036 fics

(F/M) Bellamy Blake/Clarke Griffin (The 100 TV) 14,940 fics

(M/M) Mycroft Holmes/Greg Lestrade (Sherlock) 13,760 fics

(F/F) Clarke Griffin/Lexa (The 100) 13,301 fics

(M/M) Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones (Torchwood) 13,265 fics

(M/M) Steve McGarrett/Dany "Dano" Willaims (Hawaii Five-0) 13,198 fics

(M&M) Castiel & Dean Winchester (Supernatural) 12,915 fics

(F/M) Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak (Arrow) 12,729 fics

(M/M) Rorona Zora/Sanji (One Piece) 12,625 fics

(F/M) Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler (Doctor Who) 12,538 fics

(F/M) Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan (Once Upon a Time) 12,348 fics

(M/M) Peter Hale/Stiles Stilinski (Teen Wolf) 12,080 fics

(M/M) Will Byers/Mike Wheeler (Stranger Things) 11,861 fics

(M/M) Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington (Stranger Things) 11,496 fics

(M/M) James "Bucky" Barnes/Sam Wilson (Falcon and Winter Soldier) 11,085 fics

(M/R) Dean Winchester/You (Supernatural) 10,773 fics

(F/M) Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth (Game of Thrones) 10,252 fics

(F/M) Belle/Rumplestiltskin | Mr Gold (Once Upon a Time) 10,252 fics

(F/M) Sherlock Holmes/Molly Hooper (Sherlock) 9,702 fics

(M/M) James T. Kirk/Leonard "Bones" McCoy (Star Trek) 9,189 fics

(M/M) Jim Ellison/Blair Sandburg (The Sentinel) 9,123 fics

(F/M) Allison Argent/Scott McCall (Teen Wolf) 8,782 fics

(M/M) Patrick Brewer/David Rose (Schitt's Creek) 8,720 fics

(F/F) Robin Buckley/Nancy Wheeler (Stranger Things) 8,712 fics

(F/M) Jon Snow/Sansa Stark (Game of Thrones) 8,287 fics

(M/M) Clark Kent/Lex Luther (Smallville) 8,229 fics

(F/M) Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons (Agents of SHIELD) 8,116 fics

(F/M) Chloe Decker/Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer) 8,035 fics

(F&M) Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington (Stranger Things) 7,934 fics

(M/M) Carlos Reyes/TK Strand (9-1-1 Lonestar) 7,809 fics

(F/M Katara/Zuko (Avatar Last Airbender) 7,754 fics

(F/M) Olivia Benson/Elliot Stabler (Law & Order SVU) 7,409 fics

(M/M) Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin/Lan Huan | Lan Xichen (Untamed) 7,343 fics

(F/M) Tim Bradford/Lucy Chen (The Rookie) 7,213 fics

(M&M) Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin) 7,166 fics

(F/M) Sokka/Zuko (Avatar Last Airbender) 7,137 fics

(M/M) Brian Kinney/Justin Taylor (Queer as Folk) 7,092 fics

(F/M) Spike/Buffy Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) 6,847 fics

(M/M) Nicholas "Nick" Nelson/Charles "Charlie" Sprig (Heartstopper) 6,786 fics

(F/F) Wednesday Addams/Enid Sinclair (Wednesday) 6,749 fics

(F/M) Sam Carter/Jack O'Neill (Stargate SG-1) 6,718 fics

(F/M) Jessica Moore/Sam Winchester (Supernatural) 6,559 fics

(F/F) Alex Danvers/Maggie Sawyer (Supergirl) 6,537 fics

(M/M) Daniel Jackson/Jack O'Neill (Stargate SG-1) 6,532 fics

(M/M) Liam Dunbar/Theo Racken (Teen Wolf) 6,465 fics

(M/M) Ayanya/Zheng Yunling (Super-Vocal) 6,455 fics

(F/M) Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones (Riverdale) 6,434 fics

(M/M) Julian Bashir/Elim Garak (Star Trek Deep Space Nine) 6,433 fics

(M/M) Aaron Dingle/Robert Sugden (Emmerdale) 6,419 fics

(F/M) Chakotay/Kathryn Janeway (Star Trek Voyager) 6,415 fics

(F/M) Mary Morstan/John Watson (Sherlock) 6,278 fics

(F/M) Gendry/Arya Stark (Game of Thrones) 6,185 fics

(F/F) Waverley Earp/Nicole Haught (Wynonna Earp) 6,167 fics

(F/M) Eleven | Jane Hopper/Mike Wheeler (Stranger Things) 6,160 fics

(M/M) Wen Kexing/Zhou Zishu (Word of Honor) 6,108 fics

(F/M) The Darkling | Aleksander Morozova/Alina Starkov (Shadow and Bone) 6,082 fics

(M/M) Benton Fraser/Roy Kowalski (due South) 5,911 fics

(F/M) Daemon Targaryen/Rhaenyra Targaryen (House of the Dragon) 5,882 fics

(F/M) Wanda Maximoff/Vision (WandaVision) 5,861 fics

(M/M) Oswald Cobblepot/Edward Nygma (Gotham) 5,862 fics

(M&M) Will Graham & Hannibal Lector (Hannibal) 5,841 fics

(F/M) Colin Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington (Bridgerton) 5,814 fics

(F/M) Jon Snow/Daenerys Targaryen (Game of Thrones) 5,804 fics

(M/M) Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan (Guardian) 5,709 fics

(M/R) Sam Winchester/You (Supernatural) 5,631 fics

(M/M) Castiel/Sam Winchester (Supernatural) 5,586 fics

(M/M) Evan Bech Naesheim/Isak Valterson (SKAM-Norway) 5,422 fics

(F/M) Kaz Brekker/Inej Ghafa (Shadow and Bone) 5,394 fics

(M/M) Loki/Mobius M. Mobius (Loki) 5,321 fics

(M/M) Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling (The Sandman) 5,309 fics

(F/M) Dean Winchester/Original Female Character (Supernatural) 5,289 fics

(F/M) Selina Kyle/Bruce Wayne (Gotham) 5,230 fics

(F/M) Barry Allen/Iris West (The Flash) 5,175 fics

(F/M) Vernon Boyd/Erica Reyes (Teen Wolf) 5,127 fics

(M/M) Michael Guerin/Alex Manes (Roswell New Mexico) 5,070 fics

(M/R) Eddie Munson/You (Stranger Things) 5,050 fics

[adamwatchesmovies]

Us (2019)

As audiences become increasingly concerned with details rather than the artistry and emotional impact of stories, I wonder how Us will fare in the long run. When everything is laid out on the table, there’s a bunch of stuff here that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense but you’d be wrong to dismiss a sci-fi horror film for not adhering to the rules or reality. Instead, focus on the ideas within, the tension it generates and the excellent performances.

Years ago, Adelaide (Lupita Nyong’o) encountered a doppelgänger of herself in a funhouse hall of mirrors. In present-day, she and her family - husband Gabe (Winston Duke), daughter Zora (Shahadi Wright) and son Jason (Evan Alex) - return to the same beach and are attacked by the same woman. This time, “Red” (also played by Nyong'o) is accompanied by doubles of the entire family. They think like their counterparts and are determined to shed blood.

This is a frightening film but the chills you get come from just how… strange of a scenario this is. The Wilson family duplicates are deranged parodies with a dark twist. Gabe is a bit of a weenie; when he tries to intimidate the intruders from a distance, you can tell he doesn’t even believe in his own ability to frighten. By contrast, “Abraham” is a hulking, silent brute. Jason’s duplicate is the hideously burned and animal-like "Pluto", a vision of what might’ve happened to the boy if he managed to get that lighter he keeps playing with working. The most striking of the “Tethered” by far is Red, who is so unsettling, so like Adelaide but so unlike her, you hardly believe they’re played by the same actress. When the Tethered and their eerie appearances are combined with the home invasion-like plot, it gets scary. Their uniforms - a red jumpsuit combined with a single glove on the right hand - and the weapons they wield - pairs of scissors - combined with the numbers and visual motifs that keep popping up make it seem as though a gate to some other realm has been opened, or a prophecy fulfilled. Even before they show up, you feel something ominous coming.

Writer/director Jordan Peele once again shows an awareness uncommon in horror filmmakers. His characters are smart and resourceful. When under attack, they grab weapons, they band together, they work to ensure their survival. You like them. You want the family to survive. The mystery of what exactly is happening is made further engaging by the filmmaking. Some jaw-droppingly stylish sequences make great use of music, particularly towards the end. There's also just a bit of humor mixed in to break the tension when necessary.

The first time I saw Us, I couldn’t put my finger on what it all meant. Clearly, Peele wants to say something… but what? This time, I think I’ve got it. Even before reading his explanation, I saw the film as a commentary on class and circumstances. Red and Adelaide are essentially the same person. It just happens that one was born along with the Tethered, where there are no opportunities. These people survive on the bare minimum, while those above live in comparative luxury. Then, there’s more. See, it’s revealed (in a twist that’s not all that hard to decipher) that years ago, Red and Adelaide switched places. It proves the Tethered could be “rehabilitated” and live normal lives. There is room for everyone to be happy… except no one even considers it an option. When the real Adelaide comes back to the surface, it isn’t to tell the world what her adopted people have been suffering through; it’s to kill. You could see this as a sign that our way of living needs to be smashed - at the end of the film, the Tethered are seen “ruling the world” in harmony. Then again, at what cost was this victory? When Jason uses his influence upon his duplicate to burn him to death, everyone is distraught, and that’s to say nothing of all the other people who died. There’s a lot to read in there, so does it matter that the hows and whys of an entire country’s population living underground after a failed experiment raises a lot of questions? Not in the grand scheme of things.

Us is a strange film. Its meaning is hard to decipher at first. Even when all the cards are laid out, you could easily get lost in the mechanics of its scenario. What matters is what the film does well, which is a lot. The performances are chilling, the visuals striking and as a whole, the picture is unforgettable. The tension is like two hands gripped around your throat, which gives it a lot of re-watch value. (October 15, 2021)

[annemariewrites]

List of all the books I’ve read

just wanted to keep a list of what I’ve read throughout my life (that I can remember)

Fiction:

“Where the Red Fern Grows,” Wilson Rawls

“The Outsiders,” S. E. Hinton

“The Weirdo,” Theodore Taylor

“The Devil’s Arithmetic,” Jane Yolen

“Julie of the Wolves series,” Jean Craighead George

“Soft Rain,” Cornelia Cornelissen

“Island of the Blue Dolphins,” Scott O’Dell

“The Twilight series,” Stephanie Mayer

“To Kill a Mockingbird,” Harper Lee

“Gamer Girl,” Mari Mancusi

“Redwall / Mossflower / Mattimeo / Mariel of Redwall,” Brian Jacques

“1984,” and  “Animal Farm,” George Orwell

“Killing Mr. Griffin,” Lois Duncan

“Huckleberry Finn,” Mark Twain

“Rainbow’s End,” Irene Hannon

“Cold Mountain,” Charles Frazier

“Between Shades of Gray,” Ruta Sepetys

“Great Short Works of Edgar Allan Poe,” Edgar Allan Poe

“Lord of the Flies,” William Golding

“The Great Gatsby,” F Scott Fitzgerald

“The Harry Potter series,” JK Rowling

“The Fault in Our Stars,” “Looking for Alaska,” and “Paper Towns,” John Green

“Thirteen Reasons Why,” Jay Asher

“The Hunger Games series,” Suzanne Collins

“The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” Stephen Chbosky

“Fifty Shades of Grey,” EL James

“Speak,” and “Wintergirls,” Laurie Halse Anderson

“The Handmaid’s Tale,” Margaret Atwood

“Mama Day,” Gloria Naylor

“Jane Eyre,” Charlotte Bronte

“Wide Sargasso Sea,” Jean Rhys

“The Haunting of Hill House,” Shirley Jackson

“The Chosen,” Chaim Potok

“Leaves of Grass,” Walt Whitman

“Till We Have Faces,” CS Lewis

“One Foot in Eden,” Ron Rash

“Jim the Boy,” Tony Earley

“The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox,” Maggie O’Farrell

“A Land More Kind Than Home,” Wiley Cash

“A Parchment of Leaves,” Silas House

“Beowulf,” Seamus Heaney

“The Silence of the Lambs / Red Dragon / Hannibal / Hannibal Rinsing,” Thomas Harris

“Cry the Beloved Country,” Alan Paton

“Moby Dick,” Herman Melville

“The Hobbit / The Lord of the Rings trilogy / The Silmarillion,” JRR Tolkien

“Beren and Luthien,” JRR Tolkien, edited by Christopher Tolkien

“Children of Blood and Bone / Children of Virtue and Vengeance,” Tomi Adeyemi

“Soundless,” Richelle Mead

“The Girl with the Louding Voice,” Abi Dare

“A Song of Ice and Fire series / Fire and Blood,” GRR Martin

“A Separate Peace,” John Knowles

“The Bluest Eye,” and “Beloved,” Toni Morrison

“Brave New World,” Aldous Huxley

“The Giver / Gathering Blue / Messenger / Son,” Lois Lowry

“The Ivory Carver trilogy,” Sue Harrison

“The Grapes of Wrath,” and “Of Mice and Men,” John Steinbeck

“The God of Small Things,” Arundhati Roy

“Fahrenheit 451,” Ray Bradbury

“The Night Circus,” Erin Morgenstern

“Sunflower Dog,” Kevin Winchester

‘A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,” Betty Smith

“The Catcher in the Rye,” JD Salinger

“The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” Sherman Alexie

“Bridge to Terabithia,” Katherine Paterson

“The Good Girl,” Mary Kubica 

“The Last Unicorn,” Peter S Beagle

“Slaughterhouse Five,” Kurt Vonnegut Jr

“The Joy Luck Club,” Amy Tan

“The Sworn Virgin,” Kristopher Dukes

“The Color Purple,” Alice Walker

“Their Eyes Were Watching God,” Zora Neale Hurston

“The Light Between Oceans,” ML Stedman

“Yellowface,” RF Kuang

“A Flicker in the Dark,” Stacy Willingham

“One Piece Novel: Ace’s Story,” Sho Hinata

“Black Beauty,” Anna Seawell

“The Weight of Blood,” Tiffany D. Jackson

“Mulberry and Peach: Two Women of China,” Hualing Nieh, Sau-ling Wong

“The Weight of Blood,” Laura McHugh

“Everybody’s Got to Eat,” Kevin Winchester

“That Was Then, This is Now,” S. E. Hinton

“Rumble Fish,” S. E. Hinton

Non-fiction:

“Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl,” Anne Frank

“Night,” Elie Wiesel

“Invisible Sisters,” Jessica Handler

“I Am Malala,” Malala Yousafzai

“The Interesting Narrative,” Olaudah Equiano

“The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” Rebecca Skloot

“Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl,” Harriet Jacobs

“The Princess Diarist,” Carrie Fisher

“Adulting: How to Become a Grown Up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps,” Kelly Williams Brown

“How to Win Friends and Influence People,” Dale Carnegie

“Carrie Fisher: a Life on the Edge,” Sheila Weller

“Make ‘Em Laugh,” Debbie Reynolds and Dorian Hannaway

“How to be an Anti-Racist,” Ibram X Kendi

“Maus,” Art Spiegelman

“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” Maya Angelou

“Wise Gals: the Spies Who Built the CIA and Changed the Future of Espionage,” Nathalia Holt

“Persepolis,” and “Persepolis II,” Marjane Satrapi

“How to Write a Novel,” Manuel Komroff

“The Nazi Genocide of the Roma,” Anton Weiss-Wendt

“Children of the Flames: Dr. Josef Mengele and the Untold Story of the Twins of Auschwitz,” Lucette Matalon Lagnado and Sheila Cohn Dekel

“Two Watches,” Anita Tarlton

“The Ages of the Justice League: Essays on America’s Greatest Superheroes in Changing Times,” edited by Joseph J. Darowski

“Shockaholic,” Carrie Fisher

[shochet]

Tagged by @bawnjourno thank u :3

last song:

As i type this i am actively listening to Ain't No Rest for the Wicked Cage the Elephant

favorite color:

Green :-)

currently watching:

Houusee MD 🦧 (that's wilson)

last movie:

STALKER 1979, showed my pal :3

currently reading:

Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo" - Zora Neale Hurston

sweet/spicy/savoury:

Savoury👍

relationship status:

Single and ready to settle 🤰🧑‍🍼😊🙌

current obsession:

Looking at every single individual moment in life from a cultural anth point of view and then exploding :(

last thing i googled:

"Can praying mantis hurt me" cause of this guy

currently working on:

My got-damn site reporrrtt 😭😭😭😭

[the-assignment]

Blog #2 - Race in Get Out & Us

**Spoilers ahead for scenes and plot points in Get Out and Us**

One of the biggest takeaways that I’ve seen in the evolution of Jordan Peele’s films thus far – Get Out and Us – is the intentional Blackness and the subject of race presented throughout both movies – but in entirely different and equally interesting ways.

For example, in Get Out – Race (and racism) are undeniably at the forefront of the movie. It is the catalyst and the vehicle in which the film and plot moves forward, reaches the climax, and ends. From the very beginning, you see a young black man lost and walking down the street of a white, suburban, middle class-esque area. He is then briefly followed by a white car and a full-face helmet clad assailant attacks him, knocks him out, and shoves him in the trunk of his car. Driving off to God knows where while “Run Rabbit Run” plays in the background.

The movie then cuts to Rose and Chris – a young white woman and a young black man in a relationship. At the start, we as the audience can feel tension and hesitance coming from Chris, and the first conversation that we hear, is that Chris is meeting Rose's family for the very first time and he’s worried because she hasn’t told them he’s Black. And right there. Race front in center. Not only prominently in both the characters but the possible consequences of race.

Fast forward through a racially charged interaction with a white police officer – which, no one these days has to only imagine – almost all of us has seen videos – that only gets distinguished because Rose uses her whiteness and her femaleness to thwart the situation. (And almost everyone watching the scene unfold knows that if a Black person tried pulling what she did, they’d be dead or beaten).

I’m not going to rehash every single encounter – either the subtle, “atta boy’s” / “my man’s”, “I’d vote for Obama a third time if I could’s” or the more obvious, like the entire dinner scene conversation – that was race related in some way or another.  

But the awkwardest party in ALL of history… the “BINGO,” the Coagula experiment (the reasons for it!!!), the interactions between Chris and the other Black bodies, the relationship between Chris and Rod, etc. etc., etc.

All of these things directly reflected the idea of race and racism. That, in my opinion, was the point and emphasis on the film. It showed that “well-meaning” and “appreciative” white people are still (and maybe even more) dangerous. That race and racism is not dead – whether people believe it is or not.

Us takes race and Blackness in a completely different approach. Race, racism, white privilege, etc. is not directly the point of the film. Overt racism is not the culprit or antagonist like it was in Get Out.

However, intentional Blackness is still prevalent throughout the film. The main characters consist of a Black family – the Wilsons (shout out to Lupita’s natural hairstyle on the big screen and in a major movie!!) who seem to have reached some levels of success and financial security – enough so that they were able to buy a beach house. And although this is where their terror begins, it is not my main point. Throughout the film the characters being Black is not mentioned / not the point of the film. We simply see Black characters living their lives and a family vacationing during the summer.

However, in some cases it is the microaggressions and the “out of placeness” experienced by the family that highlights their very Blackness.

The family beach scene for example – where they are literally the only Black people on the beach. Additionally, Zora doesn’t get in the water like the other girls her age. The answer to why that is is obvious to any person who also has this consideration – her hair. She wasn’t going to get her unnaturally straight and styled hair wet. (I also thought about the historical significance: the dislike / aversion to swimming / the water is based heavily in slavery and racism – where whites even through acid into pools used by Blacks). The point is, that although race wasn’t said, it was shown.

Just like it was shown when the dad bought a beat-up boat (with no boating experience whatsoever) because he wanted to keep up with their richer (and white) family friends – even though the boat is old and worn.

Just like the dad’s Howard University sweatshirt.

Just like Zora didn’t hesitate to grab the bat – knew exactly where it was and instantly grabbed it when her dad actually asked the son to. (And just like there was no hesitance to use it later when she needed to!)

Just like the dad changes the way he speaks to the unwelcomed newcomers when he’s trying to intimidate them – switching from the polite (white approved) approach he started with, into typical AAVE, complete with a bat when they weren’t listening.

Just like when their white family friends are killed – the first thing the kids ask if whether their car is theirs now.

In Us, it felt like it was showing that while this Black family was inside society, they still weren’t fully a part of society. Their house, car, boat, etc. were smaller than others’ and it was noticeable. They were the only Black people there. They didn’t do the things the others did. Didn’t have the things they did. Etc. And they were still trying to keep up.

But, they were the only ones who had the preparedness and survival mindset and instincts that allowed them to win.

They were the only ones who survived.

So, while Us wasn’t about race, it still was about race.

[ribombeee]

2022 reads!

(*) = reread, (^) = for school, ratings are from 1 to 5

1. shipbreaking — robin beth schaer — 3

2. her body and other parties — carmen machado — 5

3. the left hand of darkness — ursula le guin — 5

4. the benevolent sisters of charity — sam johns — 3.5

5. good omens — neil gaiman and terry pratchett — 4

6. dark matter — michelle paver — 2.5

7. dancing in odessa — ilya kaminsky — 3.5

8. the math campers — dan chiasson — 4

9. gideon the ninth* — tamsyn muir — 5

10. ghost wall — sarah moss — 4

11. harrow the ninth* — tamsyn muir — 5

12. maurice* — e.m. forster — 5

13. strangers on a train — patricia highsmith — 3.5

14. their eyes were watching god — zora neale hurston (school) — 3

15. the terror — dan simmons — 3

16. universal harvester — john darnielle — 4

17. piranesi — susannah clarke — 4

18. in the dream house — carmen machado — 5

19. when i grow up: the lost autobiographies of six yiddish teenagers — ken krimstein — 5

20. the book of delights — ross gay — 4

21. wolf in white van — john darnielle — 4

22. station eleven^ — emily st. john mandel — 3

23. the norton book of science fiction — ursula le guin and brian atteberry — 3.5

24. the apparitionists — peter manseau — 4.5

25. annihilation — jeff vandermeer — 4

26. are you my mother? — alison bechdel — 4

27. the other wind — ursula le guin — 5

28. soft science — franny choi — 4

29. house of leaves — mark danielewski — 4.5

30. gustav klimt: art nouveau & the vienna secessionists — michael kerrigan — 4

31. orsinian tales — ursula le guin — 3

32. all systems red — martha wells — 5

33. the color of magic — terry pratchett — 4

34. any way the wind blows — rainbow rowell — 2.5

35. freshwater — akwaeke emezi — 4

36. christine — stephen king — 1.5

37. dracula — bram stoker — 2.5

38. ancillary justice — ann leckie — 5

39. authority — jeff vandermeer — 4

40. collected short stories of e.m. forster — e.m. forster — 5

41. non-places: introduction to an anthropology of supermodernity — marc augé — 4

42. every imagined tundra — elisa rowe — 4

43. gilgamesh — herbert mason — 3.5

44. mortal trash — kim addonizio — 4

45. small black box — mary rose manspeaker — 3.5

46. oranges are not the only fruit — jeanette winterson — 4.5

47. hangsaman — shirley jackson — 4

48. essays against publishing — jamie berrout, isobel bess — 4

49. nona the ninth — tamsyn muir — 4.5

50. surviving james dean — william bast — 4

51. cat’s cradle — kurt vonnegut — 3.5

52. the odyssey^ — homer tr. emily wilson — 3

53. nightwing volume 1: traps and trapezes — kyle higgins and eddy barrows — 1

54. booster gold: the big fall — dan jurgens and mike decarlo — 4.5

55. antigone^ — sophocles — 3

56. flag and the cross: white christian nationalism and the threat to american democracy^ — philip gorsky and samuel perry — 3.5

57. it — stephen king — 2

58. and then the gray heaven — r.e. katz

59. redacted school book^

60. the runaway restaurant — tessa yang — 4

61. redacted school book^

62. the historian — elizabeth kostova — 3

63. how we became human — joy harjo — 3.5

64. against paranoid nationalism — ghassan hage — 4

65. cities — william carney — 3

[veditalks]

Class and Privilege in Jordan Peele’s ‘US’

Honestly, when I first watched this movie, I didn't get it. Like at all. Buuut after uncovering the many many layers of its symbolism in class, I struggled to pick what I should even talk about in this post. After taking the time to really listen to each character’s words, and reflect on a lot of the directing decisions evident in how the Wilson family interact with the ‘tethered’, I found that the discourse surrounding class and privilege was staggeringly obvious, and I just didn’t see it right in front of me. Which, I suppose, is true for a lot of people that are lucky enough to lead very privileged lives outside of the cinema - and honestly, is personally a bit embarrassing for me that I didn’t realise this movie motif sooner.

A key theme that almost went completely over my head in the first viewing of ‘US’ was privilege, which is illustrated by Winston Duke’s character ‘Gabe’ trying to make sure the family ‘keeps up’ with the typical suburban middle class lifestyle that is often associated with the domestic ‘American Dream’. For example, taking a beach holiday in Santa Cruz, buying a boat and staying in a neighbourhood that is predominantly made up of white people (or as far as the film shows us).

Zora and her mother look and appear to feel a little out of place on the beach; Zora doesn’t want to go into the water (maybe because she doesn’t want to get her hair wet, but its never specified), which the twins find weird, and Adelaide doesn’t want to relax and tan and drink on the deckchair in the same way that the white mother does - which makes the whole scene quite uncomfortable to watch - so I could really empathise with that uncomfortable feeling of being just a little bit out of place in this white-normative world.

Subtle insinuations that Gabe wants to be on par with his ‘peers’ (the white family in the film) are made through the dialogue in the beginning scenes of the film. Gabe even comments on how Josh just ‘had to’ get that new car, and repeats ‘it’s not about the size of the boat’ and ‘it’s not a contest’ just often enough to generate that feeling of unease and discomfort among other characters. If there’s anything I’ve learned about Jordan Peele films, it’s that nothing is by accident.

Although this film isn’t explicitly about race in the way that ‘GET OUT’ is, we have to acknowledge that the black family at the centre of this film is probably one of relatively few other black families that share their income level.

Whenever someone is in a position of power, there’s always that underlying question of who they had to overtake to get there - which embodies the dichotomy of the ‘American Dream’, which is built on the notion that anyone can ‘make it’ in the United States with sincere, hard work - which is not the case, if institutional racism has anything to do with it.

The ‘tethered’s’ mission is very much based on a ‘dog eat dog’ mindset, and Red even says “it’s our time now”, as the film later cuts to a news channel reporting hundreds of families killed and overtaken by their doppelganger counterparts. When Gabe asks “Who are you people?”, Red responds by saying “We’re Americans” - and that really struck me.

In this film, it feels like Jordan Peele is trying to destabilise and disrupt conventional meanings of what it means to be ‘American’, and actually allude to how American, like many countries, has acquired their wealth through the dispossession, exploitation and oppression of indigenous people, African Americans and other minority groups.

This notion was strengthened by the likening of the tethered outfits to prison jumpsuits in class, a point made by Professor Due, which got me thinking about the horrifying reality of mass incarceration in America, which can almost be seen as a kind of sick, twisted industry that generates free prison labour, profits private prison companies and maintains long standing racial inequalities across the US. OH WAIT - I JUST HAD A REVELATION (obviously probably not the first person to make this connection but whatever) - ‘US’ also stands for ‘United States’ - which makes a lot of sense if I’m running with the idea that this film is really a socio-political discourse on privilege and oppression in modern-day America.

Finally, a little more from me and my personal experiences. Although I don’t like to think about it as much as I should, everything, and I mean EVERYTHING I am and I have today is due to the hard work and sacrifices of my ancestors. From the endless bloodshed and torture my people endured during the fight for Indepedence from British Colonisation in India (which was achieved in 1947 - less than 100 years ago!) to the sleepless nights and workplace discrimination my parents faced as junior doctors that moved to the UK to give their little girl a better quality of life. In fact, I’m going to go call them and tell them how grateful I am right now.

Thank you for reading!

Until next time, 

Vedika

[blackfemmecharacterdependency]

Black Femme Character Dependency Dark Skin Directory: Z

Z: The Characters:

Zakia Asalache | Zaria Peterson | Zephyr Halima | Zoe Head Count | Zoe Washburne | Zoey Super Monsters | Zoey Baker | Zola Grey Shepherd | Zora Wilson | Zula | Zula Hendricks | Zuri Ross

Z: The Entertainers

Zainab Johnson |  Zelda Harris |  Zenobia |  Zethu Dlomo |  Zhariah Hubbard | Ziwe Fumudoh |  Zola Williams |   Zozibini Tunzi

[imthefailedartist]

My 2023 Reading Stats

My goal was to read 12 books. I read 45 total!

I read mostly authors I'd never read before. I made a significant dent in my purchased TBR. I read 5 classics. I read 7 genres.

I checked out 3 books from my local library.

I did not finish 3 books. Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, and Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.

Reasons: LLD the two main characters were getting on my fucking nerves so bad. Valmont leave that woman ALONE! Also, the epistolary style does not make for active reading.

Lolita. I mean, take a wild guess.

AK. To many characters with the same name, I also signed up for one thing, but it's about a whole bunch of things.

I read the longest book I've ever read, Gone with the Wind. I thought it would take a year. Surprisingly, it took a month. December 22nd to January 22nd. I took four days off because the racism was getting on my nerves. I also sometimes just missed a day or two.

January

Loved: To Catch a Raven by Beverly Jenkins, The Wedding by Dorothy West, The Revenant by Michael Punke.

I refuse to say I loved this book, but I did enjoy reading it, a lot: Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

February

Loved: Their Eyes were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor, If There be Thorns by VC Andrews, Barbarian Alien by Ruby Dixon.

Read: My Best Friend's Exorcism by Gravy Hendrix

March

Loved: Priest by Sierra Simone, Roses are Red by James Patterson

Read depressingly: The Stranger by Albert Camus

April

Loved: A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a Sandwich by Alice Childress, Moby Dick by Herman Melville. Big Bad Wolf by James Patterson

Read: In the Woods by Tana French

May

Loved: Whatever Happened to Baby Jane by Henry Farrell

Liked: Animal Farm by George Orwell, Candice by Voltaire

Read: The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory, The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

Hated: GOTH by Otsuichi. It was like reading an edgelords Wattpad writing.

This month was so Meh. Baby Jane came in at the end and saved it.

June

Loved: The Invisible Man by HG Wells, Seeds of Yesterday by VC Andrews

Liked: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen, Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley, Violets are Blue by James Patterson

Read: The Body by Stephen King.

I have one Flowers in the Attic book left in looking into the other VC Andrews books, but none of them are calling me like Flowers. Maybe I'll read the one with the twins.

July

Loved: The War of the World's by H.G. Wells, An Offer from a Gentleman by Julia Quinn, London Bridges by James Patterson

August

Read: The Hallowe'en Party or A Haunting in Venice by Agatha Christie

Hated: The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

September

Loved: I am Legend by Richard Matheson

Liked: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

October

Loved: Hannibal by Thomas Harris, Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

Read: The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

I have one Hannibal book left. What am I supposed to do for Halloween 2025?

November

Loved: An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon and The Song of Achilles by McAllen l Madeline Miller

Liked: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

December

Loved: Difficult Women by Roxane Gay

Liked: Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Read: Marnie by Winston Graham.

The book I was looking forward to the most. It's one of my favorite movies. It was the book I just wanted to end. Also, I keep calling this author every name but his own. Winston Granton, William Granston, Graham Wilson.