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jayoctodot · 3 years ago

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The Silent Patient vs The Maidens

I will start by saying that I understand the appeal of these novels as page-turners. They are easy to read and if you want a twisty reveal at the end, you will probably be entertained and satisfied. That being said, I am SO CONFUSED by the near-universal adoration of The Silent Patient and the reasonably positive reception of The Maidens. The weaknesses of the two are strikingly similar, as well, which doesn’t give me much hope of seeing improvement from this guy, though I am intrigued to see whether he keeps repeating the same (apparently successful!!) patterns. These books were at least super fun to hate.

(For context, I read The Maidens for a bookclub I'm in, because several of the members had read and loved The Silent Patient, and one of them gave me a copy of the latter to read on my own time. I loathed The Maidens and then read The SP for comparative purposes. And because I'm a masochist, apparently.)

SPOILER WARNING! Do not read on unless you've finished both books (or unless you care not for spoilers). Sorry if it gets a bit shouty.

Here are the similar weaknesses I noticed in both:

PSEUDO-PSYCHOLOGY

-> Weirdly similar “group therapy” scenes early on where a cartoonishly unstable patient arrives late, disrupts the meeting by throwing something into the middle of the circle, and is asked to join the group after the therapist(s) speechify on the importance of boundaries (HA! None of these therapists would know an appropriate boundary if it kicked them in the ass) and debate whether to “allow” the patient to join. Both scenes are so transparent in their design to establish the credibility/legitimacy of the narrators as therapists, but instead both Theo and Mariana come off as super patronizing. The protagonists are less and less believable as therapists at the stories progress (though at least Theo’s incompetence is explained away by the “twist” at the end; Mariana, on the other hand, is confronted in the opening pages of the novel by a patient who has self-harmed PRETTY extensively, and rather than ensure he get proper medical attention, she essentially throws him a first aid kit and tosses him out the door so she can pour herself a glass of wine and call her niece... and it devolves from there).

-> Ongoing insistence throughout the narrative that one’s childhood trauma entirely explains the warped/dysfunctional way a character behaves or views the world, which is why the books go out of their way to give EVERY potentially violent character a traumatic childhood; when Theo insists that no one ever became an abuser who hadn’t been abused themselves, I wanted to throw the book across the room. (That is a MYTH, SIR. GET OUT OF HERE WITH YOUR ARMCHAIR PSYCHOLOGY.)

-> Female murderers whose pathology boils down to “history of depression” and “traumatized by a male loved one/family member.” Because, as we all know, depression + abuse = murderer!

-> The “therapy” depicted in both books is laughable and so so unrealistic, mostly because neither narrators function as therapists so much as incompetent detectives, obsessively pursuing a case they have no place pursuing (or skill to pursue - both just happen across every clue mostly by way of clunky conversation with all the people who can provide precisely the snippet of info to send them along to the next person, and the next… until all is revealed in a tired, cliched “twist”). Their constant Psych 101 asides were so tiresome and weirdly dated (also, the constant harping on countertransference got so ridiculous that at one point during "therapy" Theo literally attributes his headache and a particular emotion he feels to Alicia, as though the contents of her head are being broadcast directly into his mind... and I'm PRETTY SURE that's not how it works???)

CHARACTERS

-> Psychotherapist narrators with abusive fathers and pretensions of being Sherlock Holmes, which results in both characters crossing ALL KINDS of ethical lines as they invade the personal lives of everyone even tangentially connected to their cases (and, in Theo's case, violate all kinds of patient confidentiality. Yeah, yeah, by the end, that's the least of his offenses, but before you get there, it's baffling that NO ONE is calling him out on this).

-> All female characters are either elderly with hilariously bad advice, monstrous hulking brutes, or beautiful bitches (except for ~MARIANA~, who is Bella Swan-esque in her unawareness of her own attractiveness, despite multiple men trying to get with her almost immediately after meeting her. I'm so tired of beautiful female characters being oblivious to their own hotness. Are we meant to believe all mirrors and male attention have escaped their notice? If it’s to make them “relatable,” this tactic really fails with me).

-> All characters of color are shallow, cartoonish side characters, and most of them are depicted as unsympathetic minor antagonists (the Sikh Chief Inspector in The Maidens continuously drinks tea from an ever-present thermos, and his only other notable characteristic is his instant dislike of Mariana, whom he VERY RIGHTLY warns to stay out of the investigation that she is VERY MUCH compromising… the Caribbean manager of the Grove is universally disliked by her staff for enforcing stricter safety regulations at the bafflingly poorly run mental institution, because HOW DARE SHE. There's a very clear vibe that we're supposed to dislike these characters and share the protagonists' indignation, but honestly Sangha/Stephanie were completely in the right for trying to shut down their wildly inappropriate investigations).

-> "Working class" characters (or basically anyone excluded from the comfortably upper-crust, educated main cadre of characters) are few and far between in both stories, but when they show up, he depicts them as such caricatures. We got Elsie the pathologically lying housekeeper in the Maidens, who is enticed to share her bullshit with cake, and then a TOOTHLESS LEPRECHAUN DEALING DRUGS UNDER A BRIDGE in the SP. I kid you not, a man described as having the body of a child, the face of Father Time, and no front teeth, emerges from beneath a bridge and offers to sell Theo some "grass." I was dyinggg.

-> There are no characters to root for. Anywhere. Partly because they’re all so thinly drawn — and because we’re clearly supposed to view almost ALL of them as potential suspects, so they’re ALL weird, creepy, or incompetent in some way.

-> The flimsiest of flimsy motives, both for the narrators and the murderers. Theo fully would have gotten away with his involvement in the murder if he hadn't gone out of his way to work at the Grove and "treat" Alicia and his justification for doing so is pretty weak; his rapid descent into stalking and murder fantasy and his random ass decision to "expose" Alicia's husband as a cheater with a spur-of-the-moment home invasion and staged attempted homicide is ONLY justified if the reader hand waves it away as WELP, HE'S CRAZY, I GUESS (after all, he DID have an abusive father and a history of mental illness, and in Michaelides novels, that's ALL YOU NEED to become a violent psycho). I guess we're lucky Mariana didn't also start dropping bodies (because the logic of his fictional universe says she should definitely be a murderer by now... maybe that'll be his Maidens sequel?). But she especially had NO reason to randomly turn detective - and she kept trying to justify it by saying she needed to re-enter the world or that Sebastian would want her to (??), even though she had no background in criminal psychology... or even a particular fondness for mysteries (really, I would've accepted ANYTHING to explain her dogged obsession with the case. WHY were Sebastian and Zoe so certain she would insert herself into the investigation just because one of Zoe's friends was the first victim? WHY?). As for Zoe and Alicia, their motives are mere suggestions: they were both abused and manipulated, and voila! Slippery slope to murder.

WRITING STYLE

-> Incessant allusions to Greek tragedy and myth, apparently to provide a sophisticated gloss over the bare-bones writing style, which opts more for telling than showing and frequently indulges in hilariously bizarre analogies. Credit where credit is due — the references to Greek myth are less clunky in the SP, and I liked learning about the Alcestis play/myth, which I hadn’t heard of before - but OMG the entire characterization of Fosca, who we are meant to believe is a professor of Greek tragedy at one of the most respected universities on the planet, is just absurd. His "lecture" on the liminal in Greek tragedy is essentially the Wikipedia page on the Eleusinian Mysteries capped off with some Hallmark-card carpe diem crap. The lecture hall responds with raucous applause, clearly never having heard such vague genius bullshit before.

-> Super clunky and amateurish narrative device of interludes written by another character; Sebastian’s letter reads like a mashup of Dexter monologues and Clarice’s memory of the screaming sheep, but by FAR the worse offender is Alicia’s diary, where we’re supposed to believe she painstakingly recorded ENTIRE CONVERSATIONS, BEAT-BY-BEAT DIALOGUE, even when she’s just been DRUGGED TO THE GILLS with morphine and has mere moments of consciousness left… and even before that, she literally takes the time to write “He's trying the windows and doors! ...Someone’s inside! Someone’s inside the house! ETC ETC” when she thinks her stalker has broken in downstairs. WHO DOES THAT?)

-> Speaking of dialogue, the dialogue is so bad. Based on his bio, Michaelides got a degree in screenwriting, which makes his terrible dialogue even more baffling.

-> HILARIOUSLY rendered voyeur scenes where the narrators spy on couples having sex. Such unintentionally awkward descriptions. First we had Kathy’s climax sounds through the trees and then the bowler hat carefully placed on a tombstone before the gatekeeper plows a student. Again, I died.

PLOT/"TWIST"

-> The CONSTANT red herrings make for such an exhausting read. Michaelides drops anvils with almost every character that are so obviously meant to designate them as suspects in our minds. There is absolutely no subtlety in his misdirections.

-> The “crossover” scene between the SP and The Maidens makes no sense - when in the timeline does Mariana’s story overlap with Theo’s? They confer just before Theo starts working at the Grove, obviously (though Mariana appears to be the one who alerts Theo to the job opening there? Whereas in the SP, Theo has been obsessively tracking Alicia since the murder and had already planned to apply to work there?), but then are we supposed to believe that while Theo has been psychotically pursuing his warped quest to “help” Alicia, he’s also been diligently treating Zoe, so invested in her case that he repeatedly reaches out to Mariana to get her to visit Zoe and even writes Mariana a lengthy letter to convince her to do so??? And then a couple days after The Maidens ends, Theo is arrested???

-> But the thing I really did hate the most is how Michaelides treats his female murderers (who are both also victims themselves) as mere means to deploy a “twist”; there’s no moment spared to encourage our sympathy for Zoe, who was groomed and manipulated by the only trusted father figure in her life, and even after spending a decent amount of time getting to know Alicia via her ridiculous diary, where it’s so apparent that she’s been demeaned, objectified, manipulated, gaslit, and/or used by EVERY man in her life, she’s sent packing to spend the rest of her days in a coma… HOW much more satisfying would it have been for her to succeed in exposing Theo and reclaiming her voice? But no, she basically rolls over when he comes to finish her off (SPEAKING OF — ARE WE SUPPOSED TO BELIEVE THERE ARE NO SECURITY CAMERAS IN THIS INSTITUTE FOR THE CRIMINALLY INSANE????), writes one last diary entry, and drifts off forever. And then a couple pages of nothing later, the story is over. GOODNIGHT, ALICIA!

Both books kept me rolling throughout (by which I mean eye-rolling but also rotfl). Maybe I will check out his next effort — I’m morbidly curious what he’ll turn out. It does leave me wondering whether I should give up on thriller novels entirely, though. Are many of the weaknesses of these novels just characteristic of the genre? Maybe I'm just holding these books to unfair standards? I'm mostly only familiar with thriller films — many of which I think are amazing — but maybe you can get away with more in a film than you can in a novel.

...I really only intended to write a handful of bullet points, but more and more kept coming to mind as I wrote, to the point where subheadings became necessary. Whoopsie.

#the maidens #the silent patient #book review #alex michaelides #thrillers #books

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llcvinias · 5 years ago

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i just watched dean matthews pull lavinia vogel into his office. maybe it has something to do with them being a member of zeta beta zeta. yeah, i spoke to lavi a few times. they’re a sophomore studying animal behavior. apparently they’re from las vegas, neveda. maybe that’s why they’re so finicky and effulgent, i don’t know, man. all i know is they’re always listening to playing games by summer walker.

god asdj please excuse my reused muse and bio asdj ! i got a little nervous jumping in late and said well fuck let me just bring this baby back to life and call it a day !! im still just as excited and cannot wait to start writing with you all !!

— °｡.. › basics .

𝐅𝐔𝐋𝐋 𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄 : lavinia june vogel.

𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐒 : lav, lavi, lava, vinnie, lj.

𝐀𝐆𝐄 : twenty - one .

𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐃𝐀𝐘 : february sixteenth .

𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑 : female .

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐒 : she / her .

𝐒𝐄𝐗𝐔𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘 : bicurious .

𝐙𝐎𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐂 : aquarius .

𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 : five foot seven .

𝐁𝐔𝐈𝐋𝐃 : slim .

𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒 : ozzy vogel , imma josephine vogel .

𝐒𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 : arabella vogel , lillian vogel .

𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐒 : english , italian , spanish .

𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐎𝐖𝐍 : las vegas nevada .

𝐀𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐒 :

— °｡.. › personality + headcanons .

clumsy and impulsive . she is walking chaos sometimes . she has a big drive to enjoy herself? to suck the life out of life but not in a bad way? and that usually leaves her getting stuck in crazy situations that she usually laughs about .

adventure is her middle name . she loves experiencing new things . will try everything at least once. if you need someone to help you rob a bank or walk to the other side of the country with you ask her only once and she’ll be all over it.

boisterous . she cannot help it . she will talk your ear off until you literally pay her to shut up .

she’s just very intoxicating ? theres just something about her that just draws you in?

she craves meaningful bonds with other people? feeling important and loved is so important to her.

she gets attached easily and with that she tries her best not to drown in everyone? set boundaries and put herself first? practice self love.

she wants you , she needs you , and then she gets scared and pushes you away.

she feels things super deeply . very vehement .

is the biggest goofball sometimes . love spreading laughter .

she is d r a m a t i c !

she is a lover , will give you her all in any kind of relationship. will put in the absolute effort and go the distance .

she wants to save everyone .

she can be stubborn sometimes even a little jealous . maybe selfish . traits she trying to overcome.

she’s hard to understand sometimes ? she just has all these feelings and doesnt know how to handle them sometimes .

is a ball of light . constantly smiling and giggling .

she is social ! loves ! being ! around ! people ! the type to have seven best friends and ten friend groups !

did i mention she’s talkative??

kind of annoying??

i picture her to be super captivating ?? just theres something about her.

very affectionate . and when she’s drunk? it only grows.

will pull you into crazy schemes all with the help of her favorite pout .

crawling into bed and waking you just to tell you about this crazy thing that just happened? her.

she has a soft spot for music and you will always find her at some odd spot of the hotel writing.

sings in the shower . loud and non stop . it’s a good thing she’s good.

had four dogs and three cats growing up ! is animal obsessed . say anything bad about any breed she will fight .

friendly but does not take bullshit . will speak her mind and put anyone in their place ?

shes either im telling you how i feel and never shutting up or dont ever talk to me again.

cheers !!! has been cheering since she was a little girl and is damn good !! she is all about school spirit, you will catch her wearing her football players jersey on game nights and filling their lockers with pre game goodies !!

— °｡.. › fun facts + family information .

waters that reflected an childhood parted in two , one half dipped in warm sun dancing across sun kissed skin and salty water devouring painted toes . and the other with an forced hole in your heart sheltered by masculine hands . the vogel girls and dad .

it was an family entangled in words pulled from pages , it’s title being the perfect family . everything about them , it was just right . the love , the happiness it was all there . lavinia’s younger years , she spent them glued to her father . her mornings walking around his shelter playing with four legged angels and her afternoons sitting between her mothers legs as the two watched the ocean clash into the blue sky above it .

her nights consisted of loud laughter that soared from her sisters mouth , her emerald hues watching love radiate off of her parents . even at her age , she just knew that that’s how love was suppose to be . and then one day , it changed . a blink of an eye , in a beat of a second . her mother with an induced voice and tender eyes fell into a rabbit hole of darkness . and before lavinia could turn to her dad and muster out an why, she packed her stuff , got in the car and never looked back .

three years later , he had to sit down his children and tell them that their mother .. the love of his life was no longer here . up until she was old enough to grasp it , she did not know what happened . why her mother no longer wanted to be her mommy . the beauty and the curse of innocence . her dad did everything in his power to play both roles , to fill their head with good memories of his wife despite the pain she left the four of them . ozzy vogel was a good man . he built his girls an amazing life in charlottesville. granted them everything he could . but most importantly , he raised three beautiful women on his own . all on his own.

lavinia is the baby of her family, and the only child her parents planned for : her dad use to tease her sisters by calling them a happy surprise before throwing a playful wink in lavinia’s direction.

with age , lavinia started to discover of course with help of her older sister arabella that their mother turned to drugs to ease whatever struggle she was dealing with internally . and while it did not make her leaving them any easier , it did give them an understanding .arabella , along with their father , is the only one who constantly tries to fill their heads with positive thoughts of their mother .. telling them memories and quirks and sayings she was granted with their mom . sometimes , lavinia longed to hear them and others ? she hated it .

she basically grew up at her fathers shelter and quickly learned helping those who do not have a voice was a calling .she also connects with animals in a sense of , knowing what it’s like to be abandoned and unwanted .

her family means everything to her , she will constantly jump hoops for them .while their father had never been too much of an athlete , their mother was .. and the girls at a young age found their own little sports to devote themselves to .

her biggest ambition in life is to live ?? she so badly wants to just take everything in , all of the highs and the ups and the wonders of being alive .

— °｡.. › wanted connections .

cheerleader friends ! a bond formed by long practices and sore muscles.

sorority sisters that actually feel like sisters, close and cute friendships. she would take bullets and climb mountains for them.

a platonic soulmate, her other half, the two are attach at the hips and do everything together.

a close group of friends, they have the most craziest stories together. are insanely close, have their up and downs but its always them at the end of the day.

first love, maybe even high school sweethearts .

on and off again lover, i want it to be angsty and toxic but despite everything they really do love each other.

friends with benefits.

ex friends.

ex best friends.

confidants.

study buddies.

partner in crimes.

will they wont they.

love / hate relationship.

flirtationships.

hookups !!

girls she experiments with !!

i just want fun and fresh plots so literally anything??

#neu.intro #trigger warning: mention of addiction !

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agentnico · 7 years ago

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American Made (2017) Review

America, f*** yeah!!!

Plot: Barry Seal, a TWA pilot, is recruited by the CIA to provide reconnaissance on the burgeoning communist threat in Central America and soon finds himself in charge of one of the biggest covert CIA operations in the history of the United States. The operation spawns the birth of the Medellin cartel and almost brings down the Reagan White House.

America, fu....okay, I’m gonna stop now. Anyhow, this is our second Tom Cruise offering of this year, and I have to say that this is definitely a better film than ‘The Mummy’. In fact, this is actually a really good film. Probably one of the biggest surprises of the year for me, as I’m not the biggest fan of Tom Cruise, however I even enjoyed his performance in this film. This movie is a bio-pic, but the difference here is that the director Doug Liman has no interest in delving deep into the seriousness of the whole situation and the facts. Instead he takes all the most interesting and riveting aspects of this true story to make a very entertaining and fun time at the movies. I do enjoy the proper serious biopics that the Oscars love so much, but I do also appreciate films like this. Hey, I really liked last year’s ‘War Dogs’, which coincidentally has a lot of similarities to this movie in style, tone, and plot. Although ‘American Made’ is probably more chaotic than ‘War Dogs’, though not as chaotic as, say, ‘Wolf of Wall Street’. The crazy part comes from how deep Tom Cruise’s character Barry Seal gets himself involved with the likes of the CIA and even Pablo Escobar, and how much he keeps getting away with. This leads to the movie being overall very lighthearted, so there is a slight miss on the emotional side of things, but the film just offers you such a good time that you honestly don’t really care about that. As I said, this movie is 10% to educate you about this true story, but then 90% to simply entertain you, which it definitely succeeds in.

There are a lot of cool plane acrobatic scenes which will please many, and Tom Cruise’s constant narration throughout the movie is charming, especially with the added animated sequences. My one issue with the technical aspect of this film is that the movie a lot of times is made to look like it is filmed handheld like a documentary, and mostly this works as I get what they are trying to go for, however at times this got a bit annoying with Barry Seal doing something and then the camera shakes so much that Barry ends up not even being on screen for a bit. Also, I would say the film goes on for a bit too long, however I can’t fully justify that point, as I cannot say that there was ever a moment in this film that I was bored.

All of the acting is really strong. Tom Cruise is having a hell of a time in this role, and we are having a hell of a time with him, as this is one of his ‘Risky Business’/’Top Gun’ roles where he is the enthusiastic charismatic likeable fella who always has a smile on his face regardless of how bonkers of a situation he is in. It’s Tom Cruise playing Tom Cruise, but in this film that is exactly what’s needed. Domhnall Gleeson as always is reliable by giving yet another solid performance as the CIA agent who hires Barry at the start. He was sort of the happier more energetic version of the Joel Edgerton CIA character in the 2015 film ‘Black Mass’. Sarah Wright Olsen was good as Barry’s wife, and it was always funny when Barry asked her if she trusted him, and she would always say no, but then follow it by saying that she loves him. From a family values perspective, this film worked was surprisingly sweet, as in the movie most of the things Barry does is for his family, and you can see why, as both Cruise and Wright show a very believable loving relationship. Other notable actors include Jesse Plemons, however I honestly didn’t understand his purpose in this movie. He’s only in a couple of scenes and does hardly anything, from which I can only gather that a lot of his scenes ended up on the cutting floor during the editing process.

I honestly had a lot of fun with this movie, and what helps probably is that I walked in with quite low expectations, so I ended up having a hell of a time as this is actually a really good movie. Ironically, this film has come out here in the UK the same week as Soderbergh’s crime caper film ‘Logan Lucky’, and to be honest these two films would make a perfect double bill. I kind of prefer this movie to ‘Logan Lucky’, though both are good. It’s a good time to be a cinephile!

Overall score: 8/10

TOP MOVIE QUOTE: “Either I fly the big fella, or I fly your product.”

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tolkien-in-beleriand · 8 years ago

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Call me crazy, but.... you have a PhD.... shouldn't you have a job or something? You're 32, constantly begging for money on Tumblr. I'm truly, truly sorry for what happened with your father, my condolences, but is this how you plan to go through the rest of your life? Short term plans and begging for money for the rest? I mean, if you're not going to have a regular job, at least post videos putting your degree to use talking about your plethora of knowledge. There HAS to be a job for you.

Yes anon, I do have a PhD. In one of the best universities in my country. I have no logical explanation for me not having a job or maybe I have. I owe you no explanation but I’ll try to give you one because you made me feel like crap as if the situation I’m in is my choice. As if I like humiliating myself and asking money for strangers.

I just don’t understand your need to make me feel like this. You really needed this? To send me this message? My asking for help is for my friends and followers who can and want to help. You don’t have to understand my life or my situation. You don’t want to help, don’t.

But I will explain to you so maybe next time you think twice before kicking an already dead dog in the ground.

I won’t get into the succession of tragedies that happened in my life. But you need to know they existed and caused me several mental illnesses that almost killed many times. And despite all that I got into one of the best universities of my country. And I was so damn good that I got scholarships during my 10 years of studies.

Yes I do have a PhD and yes I am very good at what I studied but that’s not enough to get a job. To start, in my country, to get a job in my area I have to go through a public exam very hard and guess what? There were no opening in my area. And then there was a fucking coup in my country and the cunt who call himself president now don’t give a damn about education or anything so there is no job for me.

But of course I went after other jobs, I’m not arrogant, I just want to survive, but no one hires a fucking doctor even if you say over and over again that you will work for any salary, even under minimum wage because to someone who has nothing anything helps.

My family doesn’t care about me at all. I have no one to help me. (Now I have a couple of friends).

Now you may ask “if you are that good why don’t you have a job”. Well I have no idea. You tell me. Why?

I am invited to give talks about Tolkien and fantasy literature but they are seldom paid lectures. I am interviewed in newspapers because I am “a Tolkien expert”, I write for one of the most important sites about Tolkien. But none of them are paid jobs and what can I do? What would you do? I am open to suggestions, if you have any idea please share.

I did make a Patreon page to give something back to the people who were helping me but very few people got into that. I don’t know why but they prefer to just donate once in a while when I ask.

Do you really think I enjoy this? Do you have any idea the humiliation that is to ask strangers for money? I almost died before I swallowed my pride and did this. I don’t think you ever was in my situation because you don’t seem to understand how incredibly awful and small you feel. And then I get a message like this one... do you have any idea how you completely ruined my weekend. Me, a person who once a year have a good day and you ruined it because you felt the need to know why I’m asking my friends for help. It’s not for fun I can assure you.

I worked my ass off my entire life despite everything. I was called a miracle for even getting into a PhD program with all the mental illnesses I have. One of my psychologist thought my case was so interesting that she even treated me for free. Despite no support my entire life, abuses, tragedies, everything I got my PhD. You don’t get to make me feel bad for needing help. For me I would rather die than ask for money again, but I have my cat and I have 4 people who cares about me and honestly most days this is not enough to keep me going and I try and try even beyond what I think is possible and then you, with no knowledge of my life, of my situation, comes to my ask box just to rub on my face how much of a loser I am, to make me feel like the smallest of the parasites. I know that anon, you don’t need to remind me that. And I honestly do not understand why would you even want to do that to anyone.

I do not plan to do this forever, anon, as I said I’d rather die. I’m doing this now because I need it. And because I have friends here who care and prefer that I ask for help than simply give up. I rather give up. Starve to death or wahtever. That is much easier for me. But you wouldn’t understand.

Don’t worry, now it’s a promise. I rather die a thousand deaths than getting another message like this one. You saying all that like it is my choice, like if I enjoy asking people for money. Believe me, people who asks for help are desperate, they have no option and they are deeply humiliated for doing so. We shouldn’t be because asking for help should be something to be encouraged and not shamed. That’s why people die everyday because people like you make them believe that asking for help is a shame.

Now to end this I’ll ask you three things:

1. What would you do in my situation? Please enlight me. Tell me what you suggest me to do that I didn’t do already?

2. Please don’t ever send this kind of unnecessary message to people. Why would you do that? If you don’t want to help, ignore it. Why would you make someone feel miserable just because you in what I suppose is a privileged life can’t understand what is not having money to eat or buy tampons? That think that all you need to get a job is asking nicely. Someone that you know nothing about and then you just assume they enjoy not getting a job and have people giving them money.

3. If you follow me please unfollow.

I’m sorry if I was rude in any way but you ruined the only good day I had in almost an year. You could have let me have just this one day couldn’t you? But no you felt the need to judge me even though you know absolutely nothing about me except for a couple facts I put in my bio.

#anonymous #mirane answers

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bizmediaweb · 7 years ago

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10 Reasons Celebrities Are Better at Instagram Than Brands

The 25 most-followed accounts on Instagram are, more or less, what you’d expect. There are quite a few familiar faces: Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, Beyonce Knowles, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry—the list goes on.

And, of course, the ubiquitous Kardashian-Jenners make a good showing. The alliterative sisters Kim, Kylie, Kendall, Khloe, and Kourtney all rank within the top 20.

It’s hard to deny that celebs are good at social. And why is that?

There are a few things that they get about Instagram that brands just don’t.

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1. They get internet humor

The internet is a vast place, full of disparate people voicing a cacophony of opinions. There’s very little that can typically be attributed to the culture of the internet as a whole.

Except maybe humor.

The internet at large, and social media in particular, is home to a particular sense of humor—a unique constellation of memes, clever hashtags, and puns, mixed with a healthy dose of nostalgia. Add in a dollop of self-deprecating jokes and you have internet culture.

And celebs get it. They get it in a way that brands just don’t.

Kylie Jenner pokes fun at herself in this Instagram post where she wears a t-shirt featuring an unflattering photo of herself that’s been circling the internet for years.

A post shared by Kylie (@kyliejenner) on Apr 18, 2016 at 12:44pm PDT

This shot of Kylie Jenner is a great example. She’s showing that she can laugh at herself—it’s goofy and self-deprecating in a way that the internet loves.

2. They’re so relatable Not only do celebs get internet humor, they also get what works online: nostalgia (the #tbt is alive and well). Specifically, they get that their primarily millennial audience responds to 90s references.

🦋🦋#Butterfly is my favorite album, it's the most personal work I've ever done and will always be a defining moment in my career and in my life. I'm so happy to celebrate this anniversary with a special picture disc vinyl release – link in bio. Stay tuned for more surprises!🦋🦋

A post shared by Mariah Carey (@mariahcarey) on Sep 16, 2017 at 2:36pm PDT

So when celebrities post throwbacks—like this one from Mariah Carey—to 90s moments from their own lives, it’s very relatable for their audience.

But the relatability of celebs—that authenticity that people love to describe as ‘so real’—goes beyond embracing nostalgia. It’s about sharing moments from their lives that are a tad less glamorous than the usual red carpet shot.

In a way, the content that celebs now share on their own Insta timelines is reflective of the kind of material that paparazzos once doggedly pursued. But they’ve realized something fundamental about it: if they post it themselves, they control the message.

And, on a less cynical note, these down-to-earth, ‘authentic’ moments give them the opportunity to connect with fans. It’s precisely this relatability that explains why followers love celebs’ bathroom selfies.

A post shared by Demi Lovato (@ddlovato) on Feb 15, 2017 at 5:32pm PST

And the oh-so-relatable moments they share with the mini-humans in their lives.

Love u so much x kisses @Cruzbeckham X ✨

A post shared by Victoria Beckham (@victoriabeckham) on Feb 12, 2018 at 8:43am PST

Or their relationships with their parents.

Bonnie and Clyde

A post shared by chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) on Aug 5, 2017 at 5:18am PDT

Or those moments of uncontained, bona fide joy.

THE TRAILER IS JUST EEEEPPPPPPPIIIIICCCCCCC! Star Wars is back! gaaaaaad laaaaard! You know what! Let me just relax because this kind God oooo! Lmao! Seriously congrats to everyone ! December 18th!

A post shared by John Boyega (@johnboyega) on Oct 20, 2015 at 12:02am PDT

John Boyega’s reaction to The Force Awakens trailer is so utterly relatable, because his excitement reflects that of the franchise’s fans. It’s the sort of over-the-top, genuine, unabashed enthusiasm that spawns reaction GIFs—the kind people share with the comment, “Same.”

3. They get that the caption can make or break a photo

I think we can all agree that celebs have great photos. They’re often glossy, professional images that beat the average snap. But it isn’t just their photos that make their Instagram feeds stand out from the crowd. Celebs get that Instagram captions can be just as important as the image they’re attached to.

When you could go anywhere for your bday dinner but you're so OG that you go to OG with all your OG's. 📷 by @ronyalwin #thosebreadstickstho

A post shared by KATY PERRY (@katyperry) on Oct 27, 2015 at 12:37pm PDT

This Instagram from Katy Perry is the perfect example. The photo itself is nothing special, just another group photo at a restaurant. What makes it special is the caption, which cleverly plays on ‘OG’ as short for ‘Olive Garden.’

I'm up at 4am everyday to work extremely hard BEFORE I go into work, not because I'm bat shit crazy (well maybe a little;), but because I know my competitors are not paying that price and sacrificing to that degree – and that will alway give me the edge and anchor for an opportunity for success. You don't have to get up at 4am, but I encourage you to find the thing that gives you the edge over everyone else around you. Once you find it, let it be your anchor. Then you've just created an opportunity for yourself to succeed. And that's all we ever want to work hard and create for ourselves.. opportunity. #GainTheEdge #FindYourAnchor #ButForTheLoveOfGod #YouDoNotWantToWakeUpAt4amEveryday 🖕🏾😂

A post shared by therock (@therock) on Apr 12, 2016 at 2:14pm PDT

In this shot, The Rock goes beyond simply posting a photo from the gym. Instead he gives his followers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into his routine and his motivation. It’s the details around it that make the shot special.

When brands post to Instagram, their captions are often short and unexpressive—they lack personality. But personality is something that celebs have in spades. And when it comes to Insta, it not only shows—it pays off.

What many brands fail to recognize is that they need to go beyond the image. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but a great Instagram caption can be worth so much more.

4. They get that people connect with faces

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, celebs have selfies down to an art. And while selfies may be considered narcissistic, they’re based on a fundamental truth—people respond to faces.

A study by Georgia Institute of Technology and Yahoo Labs found that Instagram photos that feature human faces are 38 percent more likely to receive likes than photos without faces. They’re also 32 percent more likely to get comments.

The study’s lead, Saeideh Bakhshi, theorized about why this might be: “Faces are powerful channels of nonverbal communication. We constantly monitor them for a variety of contexts, including attractiveness, emotions, and identity.”

The researchers also found that the number of faces in a photo, their age, or gender didn’t make a difference.

We would like to share our love and happiness. We have been blessed two times over. We are incredibly grateful that our family will be growing by two, and we thank you for your well wishes. – The Carters

A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce) on Feb 1, 2017 at 10:39am PST

This shot of Beyonce announcing her second pregnancy proves that faces work—it was the most-liked photo on Instagram in 2017.

5. They understand that cute animals win on social

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that the internet loves a good cat photo. Or a snap of a cute puppy. Or basically any warm fuzzy thing. (Chewbacca aside, though the internet certainly loves him as well.)

Taylor Swift gets this.

Some real tough questions I had for Olivia.

A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on Sep 7, 2017 at 8:05am PDT

She incorporates her adorable felines, Dr. Meredith Grey and Detective Olivia Benson, into her feed, with excellent results.

Mary Jane ❤️

A post shared by Miley Cyrus (@mileycyrus) on Dec 2, 2017 at 11:18pm PST

Miley Cyrus is no stranger to this tactic either. Her feed boasts snaps of her own pets, puppy Boomerangs, and a personal tattoo commemorating her dog Mary Jane—effectively taking her ‘cute animal’ game to the next level.

Thankful for @beaglefreedom and their mission to free captive pups from inhumane animal testing labs! Without BFPs work I wouldn't be falling asleep next to Little Dog, being lulled by the sound of her heartbeat …. #whosavedwho #myrescuerescuedme #fucktestingonanimals ❤️💙💚💜💛 @happyhippiefdn

A post shared by Miley Cyrus (@mileycyrus) on Jul 22, 2017 at 9:41pm PDT

How can brands make this work for them? Think beyond your product and get right into your customers’ lifestyle. Might that lifestyle involve pets? Insta ‘em. Hootsuite does it with our #HootDogs hashtag.

Building friendships 👫 Some new #hootdogs getting aquainted with Owly over lunch 🐾 Welcome to the team! #lifeofowly 📷: @evarobin

A post shared by Hootsuite (@hootsuite) on Mar 31, 2017 at 1:46pm PDT

6. They go Insta-first for big news

Something that celebs do often that brands rarely emulate: they announce big news on Instagram.

Taylor Swift did it with a music video. Beyonce did it with an album.

Surprise!

A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce) on Dec 12, 2013 at 9:12pm PST

Others have gone Insta-first for more personal news, like engagement and pregnancy announcements.

Like Kylie Jenner did with the first shot released after the much-anticipated birth of her first child.

stormi webster 👼🏽

A post shared by Kylie (@kyliejenner) on Feb 6, 2018 at 1:14pm PST

Or Danneel Ackles did with the announcement of hers and Jensen Ackles’ twins.

Yep! Doublemint here we come! http://celebritybabies.people.com/2016/08/10/jensen-ackles-danneel-harris-pregnant-expecting-twins-son-daughter/

A post shared by @ danneelackles512 on Aug 10, 2016 at 11:31am PDT

Or this heart-melting post from Michael Phelps on his engagement to Nicole Johnson.

She said yes😁😁😁 @nicole.m.johnson. (Photo credit to @arschmitty )

A post shared by Michael Phelps (@m_phelps00) on Feb 21, 2015 at 10:49pm PST

When Disney employed this strategy it was massively successful. They released the much-anticipated Star Wars teaser trailer on Instagram first and fans went wild.

There has been an awakening… #StarWars #TheForceAwakens

A post shared by Star Wars (@starwars) on Aug 27, 2015 at 10:00am PDT

7. They don’t shy away from taking a stance

Leonardo DiCaprio’s Instagram feed is a mix of beautiful landscapes and endangered animals, accompanied by fact-filled captions urging action on climate change, environmental, and humanitarian issues. Nearly all of them are Regrams.

DiCaprio uses his Insta to amplify the images, causes, and work of activist organizations. The few original posts he shares are still clearly focused on his overall message of environmentalism.

Last night’s win at the #Oscars was an incredible honor – but it was also an important opportunity to bring even more attention to #climatechange. Last year was the hottest in recorded history. Climate change is real, it is the most dire crisis our species has ever known, and it is happening right now. We must empower leaders who don’t speak for corporate interests but who speak for us, our children’s children and those whose voices cannot be heard. Take action now: LCV.org/act

A post shared by Leonardo DiCaprio (@leonardodicaprio) on Feb 29, 2016 at 7:53am PST

This dedication to his core message gives his feed a consistent focus that fans can connect with. It also tells the world what he’s about, giving him a chance to do good.

#Regram #RG @nrdc_org: Anti-environment members of Congress are trying to weaken the Endangered Species Act, effectively declaring it open season on imperiled species like the gray wolf. Visit the link in our profile to help us defend the Endangered Species Act before it’s too late.

A post shared by Leonardo DiCaprio (@leonardodicaprio) on Feb 12, 2018 at 5:43pm PST

DiCaprio isn’t the only one doing this. His single-minded focus is similar to Emma Watson’s commitment to gender equality, as she often shares posts on her talks and appearances. Like DiCaprio, Watson uses captions as a call to arms for followers to learn more and take action.

Marai- what can I say. You were the best date on the most meaningful red carpet I have ever walked. Thank you for being so darn articulate and fun. Thank you for the trust, care, compassion and solidarity. I am so proud to say I work with #Imkaan and the End Violence Against Women Coalition and to be learning from you. Emma 💪 @jusmarai

A post shared by Emma Watson (@emmawatson) on Jan 14, 2018 at 11:41pm PST

While companies don’t necessarily need to transform their feeds into a list of social justice issues, it can be beneficial to declare public support for causes about which the brand feels strongly. For example, Hootsuite is a B Corporation. B Corps use business as a force for good to solve social and environmental issues.

8. They shoot for a consistent look and feel

Celebrities are excellent at creating aesthetically-pleasing feeds. Whether they’re filled with vibrant colors, muted tones, or black and white, celeb feeds are typically identifiable by a distinctive look and feel.

Kourtney Kardashian has mastered the art of the #triplegram—a series of three related photos posted to Instagram consecutively (something that any pre-Instagram photographer would identify as a triptych).

Image via People

On the other hand, Joe Keery is all about creating consistency through the look and feel of his overall feed. Joe’s photos typically have a matte-finish look with muted tones reminiscent of film photography. Wherever you land in his feed, it’s clear whose photos you’re looking at.

9. They talk up their friends

Who do you see most often in celebrity photos (other than the celeb you’re following)? Their friends and family of course, just like anyone else.

Except for them, those people just happen to be other celebs.

Gettin advice. From da GOAT.

A post shared by Samira Wiley (@whododatlikedat) on Dec 14, 2017 at 3:08pm PST

They’re all about the casual name-drop mention.

Happy Birthday to my work sister #JenniferAniston !! 💕🎂 Wishing you a day filled with lots of love and laughter ! 🎊 #HBD

A post shared by Reese Witherspoon (@reesewitherspoon) on Feb 11, 2018 at 1:38pm PST

And the birthday wishes.

You might be thinking: my brand doesn’t hang out with celebrities, how is this useful to me?

The key, you see, is in the mentions. Brands should mention their friends, influencers, people they admire, and customers in posts. Tag people to show a little love and increase the potential reach of your content. After all, if you mention them, maybe they’ll mention (or even Regram) you!

10. They get that it’s all about the fans

Celebrities are only famous because of their fans. But some of them are better than others at recognizing this crucial fact.

Selena Gomez is the queen of this.

Just look at how she shows off her appreciation for her fans on her own feed.

I have a lot to be thankful for this year.. My year has been the hardest yet most rewarding one yet. I've finally fought the fight of not 'being enough'. I have only wanted to reflect the love you guys have given me for years and show how important it is to take care of YOU. By grace through faith. Kindness always wins. I love you guys. God bless

A post shared by Selena Gomez (@selenagomez) on Nov 24, 2016 at 6:21pm PST

One of the best ways for brands to show appreciation for their fans on Instagram is, of course, engagement. Like and comment on photos that have to do with your brand or your business. Emulate Selena Gomez and make your interactions personable.

Due to safety I couldn't go outside tonight in Winnipeg. That did NOT stop me from gettin my pic tho 💘

A post shared by Selena Gomez (@selenagomez) on May 20, 2016 at 8:40pm PDT

Whether you follow celebrities on Instagram or not, there’s a lot that brands can learn from them.

Follow your favorite celebrities on Instagram. Schedule posts, manage, and publish directly to Instagram with Hootsuite. Try it today.

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