#and i'm on the madonna album

[imjustavenuxwithaboomerang]

absolutely love the "will schuester, i hate you" in the glee version of vogue

[coffeeandcalligraphy]

btw

CHANGING STATES

Lately, something has taken hold / of me—not hunger, not shame. It is like a flower / blooming in the injury. —Richie Hofmann

On the evening Jeremiah decides he’ll drive thirty hours to Maryland, the other half of his mattress is cold and Madonna’s on the radio. In his bedroom, he taps his cigarette on the windowsill, the ash scattering into rainy blue hour, and listens. Time goes by so slowly, she goes, her voice singed through his boombox’s broken speakers. He’s meant to replace it, though he’s meant to do a lot of things: check the mail, make a quiche, buy lightbulbs, call his sister, take up cross-stitch, recycle an olive jar, move his bed to the opposite side of his room. But time goes by so slowly, and Jeremiah would know—he’s twenty-one, yet feels he’s been alive for much, much longer.

[bluenotemagpie]

catching up on doctor who. surprising nobody, this former theatre kid who had a major beatles phase at the age of 12 and a major doctor who phase at the age of 14 is a big fan of the devil's chord

[musicalthought]

album review; madonna's i'm breathless

♡ released in may 1990

♡ jazz; pop; swing

♡ overall rating: 8.4/10

Most accurate depiction of camp I’ve seen in a while, and also just a really great album. It’s fun, it’s cheesy, it’s corny, it’s sweet, it’s naughty, it’s Madonna’s image rolled into 12 stand out tracks. Definitely one of the better Madonna albums I’ve listened to so far!

A song by song review can be found underneath the cut. My favorite tracks are I’m Going Bananas, Cry Baby, More, and Vogue. My least favorite track is Something to Remember.

 He’s a Man -> 6.5/10

Sooner or Later -> 7/10

Hanky Panky -> 9/10

I’m Going Bananas -> 10/10

Cry Baby -> 10/10

Something to Remember -> 4/10

Back in Business -> 8/10

More -> 10/10

What Can You Lose -> 8.5/10

Now I’m Following You (Part 1) -> 8/10

Now I’m Following You (Part 2) -> 8.5/10

Vogue -> 10/10

[ozskob]

Madonna's 5th studio album & a concept album due to her role as Breathless Mahony in the film Dick Tracy. Also shown is my very 1st Madonna single, the Oz cassingle for Vogue/Keep it Together.

[bloodstained-ballgowns]

dance fever is just such a great fucking album man. "you say that rock and roll is dead, but is that just because it has not been resurrected in your image?" is still one of my favourite lyrics of all time. 'king' flummoxes me every time i listen to it. it's got myth vs realism. deification and iconoclasm. art as communal experience, as identity, as the lines between individual healing, catharsis, and destruction. #depression, self-sabotage, nostalgia. madonna-whore complex mockery. "it's good to be alive, crying into cereal at midnight" "when i decided to wage holy war, it looked very much like staring at my bedroom floor" it's got humour. "what a thing to admit, that when someone looks at me with real love, i don't like it very much. kinda makes me feel like i'm being crushed." !! there's a whole song where the chorus is just the word daffodil over and over again and it's a banger.

also there was a real gap in the market for an album based around a 14th century european mass hysterical dancing epidemic so i'm glad that got filled.

[centrally-unplanned]

I watched a Todd in the Shadows video on Madonna's post-9/11 flop album American Life recently, where she tried to be this political, anti-war artist but instead she wrote this anodyne, "consumerism is icky", navel-gazing nothing song. Imagine writing lyrics like this:

I'm drinking a soy latte, I get a double shoté It goes right through my body, and you know I'm satisfied I drive my Mini Cooper and I'm feeling super-duper Yo, they tell I'm a trooper, and you know I'm satisfied

And setting it to a music video of you in military fatigues dancing to footage of war crimes and thinking, yeah, that is gonna work! She rapped the above by the way? The 90's cast a long shadow.

Anyway that is why I now call this the "Madonna Critique":

What is the alternative you are proposing to iced lattes, and why would I care? If I drink premiere microbrews does my drink choice give my life meaning suddenly? In whatever fantasy ethno-religious utopia you are envisioning as the foil to this, people will still jog, still buy food, still live in housing, and still work jobs. Quite commonly from a laptop.

They do this rhetorical aesthetic thing of listing objects in sequence that share an affect (in this case, shallow consumerism/"bullshit jobs") and just hope the length of the list makes it seem, in its exhaustiveness, like it must be the totality of their existence. Which is silly, in between the lattes people are reading classic novels, going to church, connecting with friends, fucking their partners in those condo bedrooms. Not anyone on Tumblr, obviously, but others are. A world without lattes sounds pretty shitty tbh, there is no point here beyond the aesthetic.

Which is obvious, I know, sometimes we rant about the petty stuff here!

[wideeyedloner]

I've seen so many posts talking about the Honda scene being a visual metaphor for Deadpool and Wolverine having sex that I want to talk about the film as a whole for a second:

Deadpool & Wolverine is a romantic comedy.

There are a bunch of places (including this one) that describe the format of a romantic comedy, but the basic beats are as follows:

1. Introduction to your protagonist "Okay, Peanut, guess we're getting that team-up, after all." Deadpool and Wolverine opens on Wade digging up Logan's remains from Logan (2017).

2. The inciting incident "I'll do it." Paradox kidnaps Wade and blackmails him into locating a Logan to save his timeline. Cue "Iris" by Goo Goo Dolls, featured in City of Angels (1998).

3. The meet-cute "You two going to fuck or fight?" After initially failing to resurrect his own timeline's Logan, Wade travels to several other timelines to find another in a montage set to Huey Lewis and the News' "The Power of Love".

4. The new reality/new world "Let's fuckin' go." Paradox sends them to the Void, ruled by Xavier's insane twin sister, where it turns out many other mutants have also been sent. They need to escape in order to save Wade's timeline and try to undo the events of Logan's timeline, which Wade has promised is possible. This requires them to work together.

5. The mirror moment/recommitment "I'm going to fight you now." Logan finds out that Wade lied to him in order to secure his cooperation, leading to the Honda fight scene set to "You're The One That I Want" from Grease (1978). Logan is demoralized but Laura convinces him that he's still needed. He really is; it's his compassion that convinces Cassandra not only to spare their lives, but to send them back to Wade's timeline if they're willing to take a leap of faith together.

6. The crisis/all is lost "They do not play nicely with each other." Cassandra is still insane, so she follows them because she'd like to eliminate all timelines and rule over everyone in the Void. To stop this, Paradox tells Wade and Logan that someone has to cut power to the device she's using at the guaranteed expense of their life.

7. The climax "I got nothin'. Give me this." Naturally, Wade and Logan fight over which one gets the privilege of sacrificing himself for the other. Logan initially wins him over with a heartfelt speech, but Wade gets Logan with a sneak attack. Wade struggles to make the connection between the terminals because they're further apart than the wingspan of a single human, but they're conveniently just the right size for two (ಥㅅಥ). Of course, the choir version of Madonna's "Like A Prayer" is playing here.

This scene encapsulated everything I enjoyed about this film: that it was stupid, emotional, action-filled, filthy, and obviously about romance between men. My husband is straight and he left the theater with me in full agreement that a) this was a romantic comedy and b) they had sex in in the Honda.

8. The resolution "Althea, this is--this is Logan." It's the end of the story, they're about to part ways, and Wade will never see Logan again if he lets him walk out of his life. So he takes Logan home and makes him part of the world he'd been telling Logan he'd been trying to save all movie long.

❤ The end ❤

The Soundtrack I can't tell you how excited I was about the soundtrack. It's full of old, romantic songs. "Only You (And You Alone)" has to be on like every doo-wop or "Best of the '50s" compilation album. "Iris" (oh god this song is old now) was featured in the romantic drama City of Angels. Everyone and their dog has covered "You Belong to Me", and the most famous recent cover has to be Jason Wade's version that was featured in Shrek (2001). Chris De Burgh may not be crazy about "The Lady in Red", but I think it's fucking sweet. I grew up on musicals and LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE "You're the One That I Want" from Grease (1978).

The Honda Odyssey Fight Scene I wanted to come back to this because there is so much to it. I'm bringing up "You're the One That I Want" again.

There are intentional parallels made between this dance number in Grease and the fight scene. It's about the flirtatious push and pull between Sandy and Danny throughout after she's made her superficial transformation into the 'bad girl' at the end of the movie. It's the same in the Odyssey between Logan and Wade. They throw each other in and out of the car as they fight (and sure, go in and out of each other).

Just look at this:

Yup, completely intentional visual metaphors for fucking galore. Logan and Wade even have a post-fight bondage scene.

Also! These scenes end with the couples in moving vehicles.

In conclusion: Deadpool & Wolverine is a violent romantic comedy. Of course they fucked.

[silverzoomies]

hello !!! i was just wondering if you think there are any other bands peter would like besides nirvana, pink floyd, and rush ?? he gives me classic rock (& just rock in general) vibes tbh !!

anon you just opened up a can of worms !!

i once did extensive research into this. way more than anyone should for a character way past his relevance. and i'm still discovering new tunes i think he'd be into all the time !! i'll try not make this long winded (it will be). but for now...

🎶👾 peter maximoff's (potential) favorite tunes 👾🎶

we already know pink floyd, rush, and nirvana are included. they're shown through the shirts he wears !!

rush is a major one. because unlike the other two, apocalypse era peter has rush all around him !! the rush posters in his basement. the leg cast with "i luv rush." it's safe to say he's kind of a rush fanboy (and he's so real for that because rush is rad as hell).

i have a list of bands/artists i can confirm he canonically likes, as they've been referenced before. whether it be through background clues (posters, background music, etc), or because they were explicitly mentioned by people involved in making the films.

🎶 yardbirds 🎶 the doors 🎶 led zeppelin 🎶 buffalo springfield 🎶 alice cooper 🎶 jim croce 🎶 neil diamond

and while we know he listens to eurythmics (sweet dreams), i don't necessarily include them as a band. just because i personally feel this has less to do with the artist, and more about whatever was mainstream in 1983 (but you can choose to include them if you want !! after all, people mostly listened to whole albums back then).

peter definitely enjoys rock overall. but he doesn't seem averse to mainstream pop either. so we can probably assume he'll listen to anything, as long as it's catchy !!

here's some bands/artists we can assume he likes based on what we already know:

🎶 jimi hendrix 🎶 cream 🎶 the beatles 🎶 fleetwood mac 🎶 queen 🎶 david bowie 🎶 tom petty 🎶 ac/dc 🎶 bon jovi 🎶 journey 🎶 guns n roses 🎶 the eagles 🎶 joan jett & the blackhearts 🎶 deff leppard 🎶 tears for fears 🎶 michael jackson

and if there's some other classics i missed (from the 60's/70's/80's) you think he might like - please feel free to drop me an ask !! i'd love to add more to the list !!

lastly, i'm gonna drop some bands/artists i personally like to think he might listen to. mostly because it's fun to imagine so:

🎶 iggy pop 🎶 bee gees 🎶 thin lizzy 🎶 toto 🎶 a flock of seagulls 🎶 elton john 🎶 u2 🎶 redbone 🎶 madonna (i 100% believe it, you can't convince me otherwise) 🎶 pearl jam 🎶 radiohead 🎶 red hot chili peppers 🎶 green day 🎶 my chemical romance 🎶 beastie boys 🎶 smash mouth 🎶 nickelback (fight me, i dare you)

if you're looking for any specific songs, there's a really awesome playlist i listen to religiously. chai_vibes's "songs peter maximoff would unironically listen to" is so peak !! and i'll go ahead and drop my own peter maximoff playlist too, just because i worked really hard on it !! lol

happy listening !! thanks for hearin' me out !!

[doomandgloomfromthetomb]

The B-52's - Roseland, New York City, April 19, 1982

I was in NYC for a couple of days earlier this month and though time was limited, I did of course find a minute to visit a local record store — Academy Records on W. 18th St. Digging through the $5 bin, I found a nice copy of the B-52's' David Byrne-produced Mesopotamia mini-album, which I've always loved, but have never had on vinyl before. A no-brainer! As I checked out, I noticed that Mesopotamia had been recorded at Bob Blank's Blank Tape Studio, and some quick Google mapping revealed that I was just moments away from where that studio used to be on 37 W. 20th St. A legendary spot, as a footnote in Jesse Rifkin's great This Must Be The Place details:

"[T]he studio's discography includes Television's seminal punk single "Little Johnny Jewel"; disco hits by Musique, Class Action, Crown Heights Affair, and Inner Life; groundbreaking remixes by deejays like Larry Levan, Francois Kervorkian, and Tee Scott; and no-wave/mutant disco albums by the likes of James Chance, Lydia Lunch, Lizzy Mercier Descloux, and DNA. It was the favored studio of genre-bending auteur Arthur Russell, and classic albums by Talking Heads (Speaking In Tongues), the Gun Club (Miami), Joe Bataan (Mestizo), Ashford & Simpson (Solid), the B-52's (Mesopotamia), Miami Sound Machine (Eyes of Innocence) and Sun Ra (Lanquidity) were all tracked there."

All that and Madonna's first single, too! New York City is like this, of course — a neverending web of connections, a labyrinth of layers upon layers upon layers. You could spend your life walking down its streets, discovering the strange stories behind every building's facade. I could never hack it there full-time, but god bless the people who can!

Anyway — the B-52's! What a wonderful band. Here they are at Roseland (239 W. 52nd St.) right around the time that Mesopotamia came out. A killer SBD tape, featuring an expanded lineup: Dave Buck and Ralph Carney on horns. We get a bunch of the new mini-album, plus plenty of stuff from their already stuffed back catalogue. As with any B-52's tape, I'm sure it's not as good as being there in person, but it's still one heck of a party. Nip it in the bud!

(Oh and hey — this old Pitchfork column of mine has more live jams if you need to further celebrate the miracle of the B-52's.)

[libraford]

I bet immortal folks get fed up with the 'you're too young to remember-" comments because I sure the fuck am.

"You probably dont know how big Madonna was in the 80s" shes done 15 albums in my lifetime, several films, is played every hour on the 'feel good station,' is the subject of MANY drag acts, was the butt of half the jokes in the 90s, and enigmatically performed for Eurovision a few years ago. I know how big Madonna was.

"You're probably not familiar with the movie 'The Birdcage.'" I'm sorry, you think the funky little queer in the office doesnt know one of Nathan Lanes most iconic roles?

"You're too young for-" shut the fuck up I'm a grown ass adult old enough to run for president and my first action will be to make it illegal for you, specifically, to start sentences like that.

[arcane-strangeness]

I'm low-key curious how much y'all know

[thestupidhelmet]

Inspired by @einsteinsugly's music post. 😊

Gen X music was left out of hers (although there's crossover with millennial music groups). My musical taste is generally late '60s through the '90s (basically, before autotune 😂).

This list, of course, is based on my interpretation of the characters. Other people can have equality valid but differing interpretations.

Eric: The Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden, Sonic Youth, Radiohead, Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Blues Traveler, Run DMC, LL Cool J, Aerosmith, R.E.M., Weezer, the Presidents if the United States of America, Devo.

Donna: Bikini Kill, Bratmobile, Pearl Jam, the Breeders, Alanis Morissette (Jagged Little Pill, specifically), Nirvana, Soundgarden, En Vogue, Aerosmith (early albums only; she wouldn't like the direction its music took in the late '80s and the '90s), Soundgarden, Fiona Apple, R.E.M., Blind Melon.

Hyde: Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, Nirvana, Queens of the Stone Age, the Fastbacks, Sleater-Kinney, Run DMC, LL Cool J, Metallica, Sevendust, Phish, Ice-T, Sonic Youth, Butthole Surfers.

Jackie: Mariah Carey, Madonna, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Boyz II Men, Alanis Morissette, Celine Dion, Pearl Jam, En Vogue, Destiny's Child, Salt-N-Pepa (specifically Very Necessary), Aerosmith (specifically Get a Grip), Kylie Minogue, Fiona Apple, Oasis, the Wallflowers.

Fez: Blind Melon, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Boys II Men, Snoop Dog, Biggie Smalls, Alice in Chains, Mother Love Bone, Silverchair, Hammer, Bare Naked Ladies, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, En Vogue, Blues Traveler, Missy Elliott, Stone Temple Pilots, Fiona Apple, the Eels, Devo.

Kelso: Nirvana, Green Day, Mother Love Bone, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Snoop Dog, Biggie Smalls, Vanilla Ice, Bare Naked Ladies, Nine Inch Nails (specifically the song "Closer,") Aerosmith, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, Weezer.

This list is by no means exhaustive, but I'm stopping before it gets exhausting to the reader and to me. 😅

[steviewashere]

We need to make Steve Harrington less like cardboard. I am going to ramble, please bear with me. Listen if you want.

He had weird jock habits before. Wakes up at the ass-crack of dawn, goes on a three mile jog, lifts weights in his bedroom. Eats his "normal" breakfast which is like crazy: like four eggs, six pieces of bacon, some raspberries, maybe carrots, a full glass of milk, black coffee, four pieces of toast. He's gotta keep his energy up, y'know. Goes to school with a huge fucking backpack, a gallon sized jug of water, he carries around all of his textbooks because it's like a mini workout for him. Sometimes in lulls of classes or between periods, you'll find him talking to his group of friends, but he's actively stretching/doing yoga—his friends don't even acknowledge it because it just always happens. He eats the exact same lunch everyday: rice, chicken, broccoli, a banana, and a milk from the school. (Dude would love milk. Trust.) He'll do like two more workouts in his day: once in gym, and then whatever sport practice he has (basketball in the winter, swim in the spring, maybe a bit of football/soccer and baseball right before summer hits).

His music taste isn't crazy eclectic, but it's still tasteful. He loves Queen, loves Bruce Springsteen, loves TOTO. He's into the radio hits rock (which is classic now), but his favorite song (so I've heard in relation to the show) is "Hammer To Fall" by Queen—a song that wasn't widely popular on the radio. Yeah, he also likes Elvis; can make a reference when he needs to. But he does enjoy music. And, sure, yeah—he does like pop music; maybe that does include Madonna. And—listen to me—my stepdad, a guy who loves punk and metal and shit like that, he loves Madonna and Wham and George Michael on his own; because that's what was on the radio, he even owned some of these artists albums; it's not that strange for somebody like Steve to also like these artists. Though, they may not be his immediate go-to.

He takes good care of himself; appearance wise. His hairspray is Farrah Fawcett, but it's a product he picked up most likely from his mother. He styles it on his own, right after he works out in the morning. He probably knows how to iron his clothes; considering he wears things like chinos and polos, those things need to look nice and crisp for the babes (and non-babes alike). I wouldn't be surprised if he has a signature scent—like maybe...Calvin Klein's Obsession? Considering his family's tax bracket (that house is insane), he'd probably use high-end salon level hair products. He's using name brand detergents on his clothes.

And, yeah, I'm not sure if he's still living with his parents post season 3, but I think it's safe to maybe assume so—I feel like his parents are more caring about their only son than we give them credit for; his mom seems like a caring mother, as evident with the call she shares with Karen Wheeler, it seems like she'd usually be somebody to know Steve's whereabouts, that sort of thing. His dad is probably the most strict of his parents and has high expectations that Steve fails to meet. Because the high expectations are high. And maybe Steve didn't care too much about school, maybe enough to pass and still make all the teams he wants, but not enough to get him a scholarship. And, honestly, he was probably not a top-tier athlete at Hawkins High; maybe great, but not pristine. Hence why he had to actually try to make it into college, his entry wasn't guaranteed. And when he got rejection letters, probably including rejections for scholarships, his parents most likely denied to pay for him to go through schooling. And if he really wanted to go, he'd have to take out loans or something.

He probably gets Sports Illustrated and Rolling Stone magazines in his mailbox. He smokes Marlboros, the high-end cigarette. He keeps his pantry stocked with name brand snacks; Pringles, for example. Probably tries to cater to those around him, as that's what he saw his parents do for guests. He's not a terribly selfish person at all, despite having douchebag attached to his name. He probably was very flippant about the way he cared about things, he laughed at bad jokes, and snarked his way through Hawkins High. He very rarely threatened violence—my guess, considering he's a shit fist fighter.

The way his parents' marriage is going probably affects his view on love, too. He wants something better than what his parents offer to each other. He wants a true love, fairytale sort of thing. Steve probably thinks that he'll sense some amount of clarity with whoever he gets along with. He's probably a big dreamer. Probably lonely. Wants six kids, a wide and sprawling family because then, at least, he'll have people to always take care of (to prove he is not his parents), and people who (hopefully) will always care about him. He wants a lot with whoever he falls in love with (Nancy or somebody else). But not a lot in material terms; he wants a lot of love, he wants warmth, he wants constant and sweet attention. He wants love. Not whatever bullshit his parents had; and he tries really hard to not be that bullshit, but knows he still fails anyway. He doesn't want quick things, despite constantly dating or hooking up, he wants something to last—though, nothing lasts. That's why he probably leans a lot on Robin, she has a sort of platonic love to him that he shares for her; that platonic love is probably the first time he felt like he had something to cling onto because it wasn't going to just leave or find fault. He didn't lose with Robin because they just got each other in a way he doesn't know how to replicate with anybody else.

With work, he's not sure what he wants. He wants something that keeps his interest, but nothing really has. He seems really in tune with sports, history, and literature—as there have been several attempts of his to make connections to these topics showcased on screen. (Although, admittedly, those references kind of fall short.) He doesn't enjoy work like Family Video, but he finds it easy enough that it becomes a mechanical, mundane task that he can complete without thought. I think, also, due to his interest in sports, he most likely has a vague interest in statistics or math—I think he's accidentally really good with math, but refuses to acknowledge that because he hated math in school. But he has a knack for it, no matter how hard he denies. He's probably also wicked good at working on cars. His Beemer has been through a lot and I think he doesn't trust anybody else to work on his car, so he learns to do it himself, and with the guidance of his dad.

Despite complaining about being the party's babysitter, he quite likes it. Likes being the nurturing older brother that he never had. I feel like he'd maybe get a little bit insecure about it from time to time, though. Maybe he'd feel like he's not doing enough for them to consider him that way. Maybe he'd feel like he's doing too much and forcing his way into their lives. I think, if Max's letter ever comes up again, he'd let those insecurities fall away—I truly feel like she considers him an older brother figure, a real one, a good one. I think he'd cry over it, honestly.

I think he does cry quite a bit. Just not around other people. So it seems like he's sort of constipated in his emotions. But, realistically, he doesn't allow himself that chance to crack until he's in the safety of his bedroom. Because, honestly, I feel like despite the "ugliness" to his oddball room, he finds a sort of sanctuary in it. That's where his things are. That's where his smell is. That's his safe space.

And on the topic of his room, I think he definitely helped pick out 90% of the stuff he has. His wallpaper and curtains match because he looked inside the catalog his mom presented to him one day, and he likes things to match—so that's what he picked. (His mom bit back a sigh and tried to keep her expression neutral. She thinks it was an awful pick, but whatever her baby wants.) His dad sometimes takes him on day trips, and once when he was a kid (maybe middle school age, maybe even as a freshman), they went into some interior decorating store or something and he saw the car picture and knew he had to have it, so his dad bought it. (It jumpstarted one of a few interests they share: Cars.) The bedding was his choice. The mattress and bed frame were not. Everything else in his room was his pick. The bowling pin came from a birthday party when he was a kid, he won it at the prize counter in the little arcade area of their local bowling alley.

He's friends with whoever will spare him the attention he craves. Whoever will laugh at his jokes. Whoever will agree with the stupid shit he wants to do. Whoever will chant as he shotguns another beer.

He drinks and smokes because of Tommy. Steve and his dad had a big argument or something before his dad left for some business conference. So Tommy says they should get into his dad's alcohol and find somebody to sell them cigarettes as a way to rebel. Steve thinks he's being soooo cool (he's being lame). Next thing he knows, he's got a cigarette craving and knows how to shotgun a beer a little too well.

The pocket knife he uses on the beer cans is a gift he got from his dad, probably. One that he received as a birthday present for his 15th or something. His dad probably said something stupid like, "Every man needs a good knife. Never know when you'll need one." It's got Steve's initials carved into it and everything. In hindsight, it's pretty cool and it's custom to him—it's one of the only significant and caring gifts his dad ever gave him.

He doesn't cook like amazingly, but well enough that he could survive living on his own in an apartment. He likes spaghetti bolognese. And macaroni and cheese. He knows how to make a fire meatloaf. Could probably perfect rice and chicken in a heartbeat. But he does sort of rotate the same meals over and over because he procrastinates learning new things sometimes.

He's not stupid, he just takes a little longer to process all the information he's given. And on top of that, he needs the opportunity to ask questions so he can fully understand. He only feels stupid when he's denied the chance. And denied the opportunity to explain or connect. (Connecting like you would when taking margin notes in an article—Cornell style if you know what I mean. Like maybe some of the text reminds you of something in your real life, so you understand the text better by making that connection. That's how Steve connects to things.) So, yeah, I think he's probably a little bruised whenever somebody—yes, even his close buddy Dustin—walks all over him and treats him like a child when it comes to things unknown to him; especially shit that's D&D or Upside Down related, he doesn't know what's happening, but he'd like to know.

Lastly, and then I'll stop talking in your face, I think he would have the most off-putting, morbid sense of humor after surviving the Upside Down. Like sometimes he makes too strong eye contact and makes some crazy fucked up joke at you and then you just shut down. Like it's hard for him to get laughter sometimes because he'll just say odd shit. And then eventually, when people are done being stunned around him, they're like nervous giggling. All the while thinking, "Jesus fucking Christ, Steve. What the hell." He still feels accomplished even when the laugh is barely a sound, he laughs the hardest at his own morbid jokes. Robin, Nancy, Eddie, and even Jonathan think he needs some serious therapy; clock's ticking, might be time to get on that.

But uhhh, yeah. Steve needs to be more than a stiff board of cardboard, we need to do him justice because the duffers sure as hell won't.

[fromtenthousandfeet]

were you a jimin fan at some point? or am i misremembering?

I am definitely a Jimin fan. I think he's a rare talent and I sincerely hope he can escape the clutches of HYBE and go to a label that will nurture his talent and support his career properly.

Lots of people like to compare Jimin to Michael Jackson, but I think it's more apt to compare him to Madonna. Yes, she's super creepy these days, but at the height of her career, she was a cultural phenomenon and a style icon. Like Jimin, she started out as a dancer, and like Jimin, she left her dance studies to make it big (she dropped out of the University of Michigan and moved to New York City). She was full of ambition, fresh ideas, and an incredible work ethic. Michael Jackson, on the other hand, had no control over the trajectory of his young life in the music industry because it was all his parents' doing. And to be honest, despite his massive fame and success, his life was mired in controversy. Young people only seem to know about MJ as The King of Pop, but I don't think they realize the way he was ruthlessly hounded by the press - especially the tabloids. And to be honest, it was hard to keep up with some of his bizarre behaviors and his concerning obsession with plastic surgery. Was he a pedophile? Was he framed for money? Who knows, but I wouldn't wish Michael Jackson's life on anybody. I'm grateful for his incredible talent and the music/dance legacy he left, but he didn't have an easy life.

Back in the early days of Amazon Prime Video - when there was absolutely nothing on there to watch - I found an unauthorized documentary about Madonna made by her former boyfriend/housemate/bandmate. He was actually incredibly complimentary of her. He explained that Madonna wanted to be in his band, so she taught herself to play the drums! She wrote her own music. And, he said, she was so driven that it quickly became clear she had outgrown the band, who were happy with just having some modest success in NY bars.

Long story short, I see so many similarities between Jimin and Madonna. They both have a background in dance that makes them incredible performers. I love to watch Jimin dance. He is such a unique talent. Do non-dancers understand this? As you watch him dance, it is impossible to differentiate the dancer from the dance. He IS the choreography. He conveys so much emotion in every movement and every facial expression.

Madonna would completely reinvent herself from one album to the next. Lucky Star Madonna was nothing like Material Girl Madonna, let alone Vogue Madonna. Jimin is the same. From Promise, to Lie, to Serendipity, to Like Crazy, to SMFpt2, to Who, you never know what to expect from Jimin, but you can be sure he's put his whole heart and effort into creating a work of art. I love that fans have no idea what to expect from him next.

I'm rooting for Jimin! I can't wait to see what he does once he's finished with his military service. And I'd love to see him soar as an unfettered solo artist, assuming that's what he wants to do.

[localcapricosimp]

So I was ORIGINALLY going to be making a Twst HC list of the characters' music taste but I exhausted all my brainpower for that after editing a 37 minute long shitpost mini movie that was a Twst version of William Shakespeare's Hamlet and called it Hamleona (THIS WAS FOR SCHOOL) so my creative juices ran a little dry. So instead I shall be listing who I think their favorite musicians/bands would be.

Disclaimer: This is only going over the NRC students because that's all the energy I have for this shit. (Thank you, Hamleona, for sapping the life out of me you little fuck-)

Heartslabyul:

Riddle - Does he even know what music is.../j he probably really likes Florence and The Machine tbh...he just doesn't let anybody know

Ace - Weezer and AJR (I am so sorry 🙏)

Deuce - He strikes me as a Paramore listener

Cater - Madonna, Meghan Trainor, TWICE, Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift

Trey - Dolly Parton

Savanclaw:

Leona - Hozier, Conan Gray, Gorillaz, Michael Jackson, Billy Idol, Billy Joel, Noah Kahan, the Weeknd, Ciara and Elton John (when I tell you I have been ITCHING, CLAWING AT THE WALLS to say that I think Leona is a Hozier fan-)

Ruggie - Bruno Mars and the Weeknd

Jack - Sam Tinnesz and Blackbear

Octavinelle:

Azul - Gotye

Jade - Ed Sheeran (in an ironic way! i literally can't think of anybody for Jade please HELP WHO WOULD THIS MAN LISTEN TO!?!)

Floyd - FLOYD IS DEFINETLY A WEEZER FAN AND NOBODY IS TELLING ME OTHERWISE

Scarabia:

Kalim - Nicky Youre (and if you don't know who that is: Sunroof)

Jamil - Give me ideas for him I don't have any other than Pink Floyd but that doesn't feel right omg-maybe Rihanna I'm not sure tbh!!

Pomefiore:

Vil - Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Reneé Rapp, Red Velvet, Chung Ha, Sunmi, Carrie Underwood (trust me on this one!), Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter and Dua Lipa

Epel - Rascal Flatts and The Charlie Daniels Band

Rook - If Vil likes the artists, Rook likes the artists. But lowkey...why can I see him bopping to Demi Lovato...

Ignihyde:

Idia - Twenty One Pilots

Ortho - Okay hear me out...Daft Punk

Diasomnia:

Malleus - Okay so this was a tough one since I don't know how he would get access to a radio or anything that plays music becaue he's a little goofy with technology BUT HEAR ME OUT!!! I feel like he'd really get into The Temptations (if you don't know who they are they were a group from the 50s) and Tina Turner because why not!!

Silver - He seems like he'd listen to Alec Benjamin tbh!!!

Sebek - If Malleus likes the artists, Sebek likes the artists.

Lilia - ....pulls out Metallica album.