#and people nostalgic for the books. but. they came out in 2008

[winxwiki]

@everafterrebel replied to your post “Girls of Olympus is so bad, how did it take 10...”:

I agree 100%. I was hyped for this show when I first saw the trailer, but after watching it... OH BOY! (I almost stopping watching the show several separate times during my watch. It's a miracle that I finished it.) The Girls of Olympus is the worst show that I've ever seen by a long shot, and it's a shame too, because it does seem like a good concept. At least the Italian fans have the books.

There are, actually, a few translations of the books around Europe​. No english though!

I'm surprised that Animation Band even bothered to sell the show in english since 2011 and finally found a deal with BBC. Maybe a way to shoehorn an english translation for the series through the cartoon? But, well, that didn't happen. Not yet. Probably never.

[rararazaquato]

Tell us more about le cartoon version of Raincode you have please.

Like of other characters appearing and more dynamics, including episodes.

oh BABY you're in for a treat!!!

i have a whole google doc planned out for this thing, despite me having no animation experience gjgkhkh... this is gonna be the Public Lore Dump Post btw, and spoilers for all of rain code will be under the cut.

so the concept for this whole thing came about while watching the animations of youtuber OkayScreamingNow. super cool animation btw, their "psycho teddy" animation moderately blew up but i'm a huge fan of their "everybody likes you" video.

between watching those, a ton of aimkid videos, wince media's meat bun song, and nicktendo's mighty b review, i started feeling really nostalgic for mid-late 2000s animation, the stuff i grew up on. growing up creepie, yin yang yo, kenny the shark, all these were shows i adored as a kid. so, combined with my current rain code fixation, this little au came to be!

the general conceit of this au is that "Master Detective Archives" is a 2008 animated children's program that lasted for 20 episodes and is majority lost media. only a couple episodes exist in the bowels of shitty piracy sites, and even then those sites keep getting taken down. the more screenshots and concept art i make, the more is "revealed" about the show.

one of the things that interests me the most about children's media is how people worked around the censors. a lot of people are familiar with the story of the ren and stimpy adult party cartoon. for those who aren't familiar, when john "god's mistake" kricfalusi created an adult oriented reboot of ren and stimpy, the show was dogshit. with the new ability to rely on the crutch of whatever grossout sexual humor it wanted, it became a massive stain on john k's career (he has had other horrific stains both before and after apc, but i need to stress, no one liked apc).

for a more positive example, i love pretty much all of jhonen vasquez's work, but i find the humor and even some of the horror of invader zim to be more interesting than the same stuff in jthm, because iz was working under far stricter standards and practices.

what i'm trying to get at is that i enjoy the challenge of seeing how i can take concepts and make them more kid-friendly while still keeping the intrigue and interest the concepts originally had. i worked at a summer camp in 2022, and the driving force behind this little project was "keeping rain code camp-appropriate, but also keeping it interesting".

this ethos will hopefully explain some of the Big Changes i made to the story and characters. i do want to stress that i do not think i am improving on the original work. i think rain code is a story that, inherently, works better as an m-rated, gritty, cyberpunk-y murder mystery. i've just always been uniquely fascinated by this particular genre shift.

so, first major change: nocturnal detective agency has turned into nocturnal detective academy. this is a place where young minds, particularly those with supernatural powers, go to hone their craft. or at least... it was. now it's run exclusively by three people: headmaster Zange Eraser, school nurse and therapist Melami Goldmine, and teacher (and everything else) Yakou Furio.

i grew up with a book series called school of fear, which was about a small group of kids with severe phobias being sent to help conquer their fears at a highly rated school. however, it was actually just a kooky old lady and her massive mansion, and while she helped the kids get over their fears, she did it in unorthodox and occasionally darkly humorous ways. i remember a scene in the books where she put the claustrophobe and the kid afraid of death in a coffin for a few hours, and while that is absolutely NOT how exposure therapy works, the idea of a school that's just a few adults running a lowkey scam out of their house has always tickled my funny bone.

so the nda is a school, teaching detective skills and the like. of course, because yakou is my beautiful failwife, he mostly just sends his students out into the city of Kanai Ward to do their own investigative work and report back with what they've learned... as long as they don't get in trouble with Hecksmile or his goons, at least!

yeah, the other big change is that the peacekeepers are more like team rocket than corrupt cops. while i agree that the police suck, and a lot of older cartoons seem to share that sentiment (even some newer ones like gravity falls), having all the villains be evil, corrupt cops seems like a recipe to get s&p on your ass. so now, the cops just don't do anything, and Hecksmile and his goons just wreak havoc whenever they feel like it.

(i've already explained the hecksmile bit in a previous post, but i dont think any of the other names would need changing. maybe if this was the 90s, desuhiko and fubuki would get their names changed to something more eurocentric, but this isn't the 90s and that stuff was cringe even back then.)

there are only seven students at the academy, and i've de-aged these characters to be more relatable to the target audience: our main character yuma, halara, desuhiko, fubuki, vivia, pucci, and aphex. i'll detail them a bit here, because yakou, zange, and melami can all stay pretty similar (actually, melami doesn't randomly feel up strangers to get their clothing measurements anymore, but that's a pretty minor change).

yuma is still our main character, acting as the straight man and audience surrogate. the whole "number one" twist isn't really a thing with how this whole plot is set up, so his awkward and generally "scrunkly" attitude from the game is his natural state here. though none of the ages of the characters are specified, he's often called out as the youngest detective, probably in his preteens or early teenagehood. his coalescence is used for a lot of teamwork-based solutions to problems, but he isn't that great at actual mystery-solving.

this is where shinigami comes in! in the first episode, after some hijinks, yuma accidentally summons a death god. fortunately, he summons a teenage death god. she can only appear in her cool human form in her summoner's dreams, she can't interact with anyone in the physical world except her summoner, and she doesn't even have her reaper's license yet! regardless, she likes having a friend, so she helps yuma see things from different perspectives. i figured death spirits wouldn't be off the table, exactly (i mean, look at billy and mandy), but i think there's a certain humor in a death god not being able to do any soul reaping. i like to think she talks about it like her driver's license. "ugh, i'm not allowed to reap any souls until i'm 16 thousand years old! i'm only 14 thousand!!!" because of her teenagerdom, her human form is going to be far less sexualized. also because i think her canon outfit is a little ugly.

halara doesn't change much from canon. very mysterious and intimidating. no one knows their gender because everyone's too afraid to ask (and to find out, you'd have to pay them about $100 in cash). they still love cats but have an allergy to them, they still don't trust people, etc.

desuhiko changes a lot from canon. he's less actively creepy and more of a wannabe romantic. he has a tendency to fall for grown women, although he has absolutely no chance with any of them. this is played for laughs.

fubuki is another character who doesn't change much from canon. obscenely rich and super out of touch with everything around her. has occasional bursts of intelligence for comedy.

vivia is still everyone's favorite emo sadboy, writing poetry in the fireplace. his passive suicidal ideation, though interesting to explore in media made for adults, is very dangerous to put in a children's show, so we're nixing that. instead, he's just real sleepy and goth. he's also the least interested in doing actual detective work, so when he and yuma are investigating together, it gives yuma a chance to take the lead.

pucci doesn't change much from canon, but admittedly, we don't know too much about her. she's sensitive to noise, very thoughtful and introspective, but very awkward around people being nice to her.

and aphex. what to say about aphex. i don't like aphex for a number of reasons (anyone who played with jpn audio can back me up on this one), but the idea of someone who is initially violent and cruel becoming your (still somewhat violent and cruel) ally is a fun character trope to me. my go-to example is buford from phineas and ferb, and i think that's the role aphex would play. initially a threat, but eventually becomes softer and more well-developed. well, if the show got more seasons.

and that's our main cast! i could talk about kurumi, makoto, and martina, as i have a lot of cool ideas for them, but i have been writing this for like an hour and i think i need to chill ahaha... ty for the ask!!!

[aeolianblues]

nvm, it's not even about the (extremely placeably 00s) mop

(Yes, having to clarify this is very funny but these are all different people. Lmao. I could do another pic set with the striped long sleeved shirt and would have to put the same disclaimer on!)

My gripe, which I will repeat since the main point of my post was in the tags of my last post, which you can't see here, was that if you go into the 'indie sleaze' tag, literally the first 4 or 5 pages are just filled with 'sad/depressed girl' aesthetic posts, all inexplicably tagged indie sleaze when to my knowledge, there's nothing indie sleaze about them.

Lizzie Goodman's book Meet Me In The Bathroom is the whole entire reason the world flipped from finding 00s indie kids annoying to suddenly romanticising them and having nostalgia for something most of them either remember differently or didn't partake in anyway. The title of her book is actually longer: Meet Me in The Bathroom: Rebirth and Rock n Roll in New York City (2001-2011).

She reckons it was all gone by 2011. From my memory, by around 2008-09, the bubble was bursting. Some of the bigger indie bands of the time were slowing down/didn't release music for a while, and those who did had okay albums. Nothing of the same consequence as the work the same people put out from 2001-2007.

Stiffed split up in 2008 (the new wave-indie punk band that Santigold was one half of). After that, bands who I'd regard as the second wave of indie (Vampire Weekend, London Grammar, The Xx, The Vaccines) were either playing their first shows or releasing first albums. Disney pop was starting to take over the musical conversation again, as some of its biggest stars were beginning to leave their shows and start pop singing careers. Ed Sheeran played The A Team on the BBC Introducing Stage at Glastonbury in 2011, the beginning of his rise. Angles (2011) was a dismal return from the Strokes; another 2 years and the albums got so bad that the band went on hiatus. Many other bands from that period look back on their 2010s albums as some of their worst.

The 'indie, garage rock revival' movement as we knew it back then, was truly over. The last important moment I can think of from it might be the Karen O-Santigold collaboration, GO!. 2012.

All this is to say—and who fucking knows why I feel compelled to say this at all—is that if you're nostalgic for the doom, the gloom, the despair of the colourless, post-recession 2010s, if you're nostalgic for the AM period, Lana del Ray, 2015 Tumblr or grunge aesthetic (2014 was peak grunge revival/nostalgia*, fuelled by it being 20 years since Kurt Cobain's death + fashion designers feeling that we were now removed enough from grunge's working class history to send a stick-thin model down a runway wearing a $300 potato sack that year).

Then you're not nostalgic for 'indie sleaze'. That period was well and truly dead by 2013. This was not a well formatted post, and god knows I'm procrastinating on other things, but thank you for coming to my slightly confusing TED Talk.

*a small note: I lowkey disagree with 'revival'. There was one single grunge band that came out of the 2013 boom and they were even wary of associating with it (Wolf Alice). There were no grunge bands to come out of grunge 'revival'. It was only clothing and nostalgia.

some of you will tag every third music post #girl interrupted #femcel #female hysteria #female rage #coquette #dollette and then the post will turn out to be about a known pathetic slobby wet indie boy with a mop of hair

[purekesseltrash]

My Fic List

Whelp, decided I should do one of these.  I have mostly written for Hockey RPF and BNHA, as you have likely already seen!

My BNHA Fics

Bury Them Deep

- “Shouji Mezou's entire life has revolved around being a goalie and playing hockey since he was five years old. After being drafted in the third round in the NHL, Shouji has two more years of college before moving on to playing professional hockey like he's always wanted. Or at least like he always thought he wanted. An injury that ends his season throws him into a tailspin, forcing him to take a look at his life and how he is going to live it, especially after meeting his fascinating new goth history tutor.”

(This bad bitch is 81k total and is chock full of my red hot hockey takes and midwestern references.  I love it very much and it is a sweet baby.)

The Rooftop Necromancy series AKA my black metal band AU:

Downhill from Here 

- “ Hizashi just wants to tour the country with his best friends with their metal band in their shitty van like they've been planning for years. He'd successfully hidden his crush on one of them for years, after all, he would definitely be able to make this work and keep things fun and uncomplicated. Until Aizawa decided to start acting weird. “

(In which I take you all on a nostalgic trip to 2006-2008 metal culture and you can see the black metal love song that my dumb ass wrote.)

The Perfect Mistake

- “ It wasn't as though Hizashi had planned on breaking up with his boyfriend while they were on tour in a tiny cargo van with no room and no peace. He would have much rather preferred to do it when they were home and he could easily go and crawl back into his mom's basement. But he didn't have a choice. “

(As relationships tend to do, theirs goes through problems.)

Rooftop Necromancy

-"He’d even ended up leaning into the crowd when someone’s elbow had connected solidly with his nose and thrown him back. They’d gone quiet as Hizashi got himself up to his feet, ripped off his now bloody ‘Within Temptations’ tshirt from 2004, whipped his hair back from his face and screamed, “That’s what I’m FUCKING talking about.” into the mic.

They went wild for it, cheering as blood ran down his nose, past his mouth and dripped onto the stage, leaving him feeling like an otherworldly monster performing an occult ritual. Metal, he thought dazedly to himself, why in the fuck had he ever stopped doing metal."

(I hyperfocused so hard at the idea of Mic as a metal head that I wrote this in seven straight hours and WROTE THROUGH THE ATTEMPTED COUP ON DEMOCRACY WITHOUT KNOWING IT.  It’s a bit rough, but it’s got some good parts and it spawned the whole damn series.)

Hands Up

- "But of course he had, they had always been able to read each other and what they meant. That had often been their problem, if he was going to be honest."

(In which they figure their shit out.  Basically it was written when I was thinking alot about how my own mental health had evolved through the years.  It’s basically the story of two people who are both very good for each other and also very bad and how they deal with that.  It’s probably the most personally meaningful thing I’ve ever written.)

The other BNHA fics:

Waking Up With Ghosts

-"Hizashi opened his eyes to a world that belonged to ghosts. His headphones were gone and the gray, grimy world that he felt more than saw was muffled and still. This was bad, he hazily thought."

In which we follow Hizashi shortly after the events of 296. How he's found, how he finds out and how he has to tell.”

(I fished this one out of the garbage of my Google Docs because I’d written most of it and forgotten about it.  I dragged it out, prettied it up a little and threw it up on AO3.  It is by far my most well read BNHA fic, go figure.)

Leave Her Johnny

-”Captain Hizashi Yamada has combed the Seven Seas looking for the elusive smuggler Eraserhead. He has spent years searching for him, tracking his movements and trying to anticipate where he would be next. But he had never considered what would happen when he finally found him. “

(I wrote a paragraph of this and was immediately like ‘I MUST CREATE THIS’.  I take some chances writing wise in this as the whole thing is done in a Victorian Era ish style of writing.  But I think it’s effective and the ending is likely one of the best that I’ve ever managed.  I’m proud of it.)

Gold Rush

-”"That earned him a laugh and Mashirao’s smile made something in his chest ache, something that made him want to hurt. Why had he ever left?

“I’m really not,” Mashirao was saying but Shinsou just shook his head and kissed him once, twice and wished he could take the sunny afternoon and make it stay forever. Make it stay forever like Mashirao somehow had, while the neighborhood had adjusted without Hitoshi’s permission.

“You are,” he said, “And I love it.”

I love you, he should have said.  But as Mashirao’s eyes softened and the blonde pushed him back against the bed, Hitoshi knew he didn’t need to say it."

(You know how sometimes you listen to a Death Cab for Cutie song about gentrification over and over until a fic comes out?  Because that’s basically what happened here.)

Black Sun

‘"But then he remembered the way that Shouji had eaten the night after, one hand curled into his hair as he hung back in the corner. Shouji hid when something was wrong, like a wounded cat trying to find a dark place to either live or die and he was being released tomorrow. Now was the time to push or he’d find Shouji right back on his bed, staring at nothing."

Something happened to Shouji on the beach. Tokoyami is sure of it.‘

(Aaaaaand Death Cab for Cutie strikes again.  But heyo, my first published ShouToko and it is SOFTTTTT)

In the Far and Mighty West

Mic came closer and despite himself, Shouta could not find it in him to feel afraid. “You won’t understand, not really. I’ll try, though. I’m like Pecos Bill or Paul Bunyan or a jackalope or that fish that your friend caught that he swears he brought in but that you’ve never seen proof of. I’m the herd of dogies moving sweet and steady in the right direction, I’m no stragglers to worry about, I’m that perfect dog that’s there to keep them in line. I’m that group of good friends that you would kill for, I’m the woman who you’re dying to come home to, I’m that promised home of milk and honey. I’m Mic.”

Shouta stared at him dazedly and licked his lips, feeling drunk and stupid as he stared at the man. “You’re… magic?”

“I suppose you could call me that.”

(Cowboy!Erasermic.  Inspired heavily by American Gods and my own love of folk heroes.)

In Your Violence

- “'Mezou frowned, eyes narrowing. “Are you trying to say that you’re scared that I’ll be killed by having faith in you?”

“It would be in your best interest to stay away from me,” Fumikage finally said, his voice falling flat and quiet. “I am destined to be a monster.”

'Mezou gets the call he fears, the one that says that Fumikage has lost control again. But this time it's different, in more ways than one.”

(I listened to Silence by Marshmello until I went insane in this is the result.  Featuring some of my super depressing headcanons about Shouji!  But it’s not awful.)

My hockey fics that I still like:

Hufflepuff Halfwit  

- ““Zhenya, the wind is coming from the west, I will not remind you again. You shut that window before the house stinks of factories!” She snapped and Geno stared at the owl as though maybe it would know what to do. But instead, it had given a little hoot and wiggled inside, only to drop it’s letter on the counter.

He turned his head very slowly back to look at his mother, who had suddenly gone very quiet. “It… just showed up, Mama. And um. It brought a letter.” He waited again, looked back at the owl who had begun to nose at the pirozhkis in interest and then looked back at his mother with the best puppy dog eyes he had ever attempted. “Can I keep it?”

(This is a part of my hockey/Harry Potter au that still legitimately haunts my dreams.  It’s basically a Sid/Geno in Hogwarts but I really love the world building I got to do with Koldovstoretz, the Russian school of wizardry.  Don’t read ‘On the Word of a Slytherin’ though, I’m not as proud of that one.)

The Prince  

- “What the fuck.” Matt breathed out, sitting back heavily onto his hotel bed as he stared at his phone.

‘This is Henrik.’ The text read. ‘I would like to meet you. I will book a room in Pittsburgh at your convenience. Let me know what time will work for you.’  - 

(Listen, it’s Henrik Lundqvist/Matt Murray smut, I feel like that is novel and interesting and worth your attention.  I wax poetic on goalies in this, as you do.)

The Zoo of Toronto 

- “No one missed it when a massive porcupine had shuffled in between the reporters with a single minded focus, pushing media away until it was able to grip onto Phil’s suit pants and try to pull itself up. He hadn’t been able to do more then besides pick the animal up before it could shred his pants to shreds and walk out of the locker room before the decision had been made with the Toronto media.

Phil Kessel was guilty.” 

(Not gonna lie, this is probably my favorite of the hockey fics I’ve written.  And it’s Phil/Carl, which is never found anymore but it was a good pairing.)

[unibrowzz]

My 2020 reviews

All the cool kids were doing these so now I finally dragged my ass into doing them too lmao. 

Albania- Fall from the Sky

A song I swear cursed this whole contest from the moment it won Festivali i Këngës. Like with the shitshow this song caused I just knew the whole year was fucked. With half the fandom whining they didn’t get their first club song of the year to the other half smugly shoving it as their winner despite no other songs being around to compare it to, the whole fiasco just left me knowing that 2020 would end in tears, just hopefully not my own. As for the song, it’s lame. It’s a standard ballad with OBSCENE amounts of autotune, which is weird because the girl can actually sing pretty decently without it, so why they decided to make her sound like a damn computer is beyond me. And WHY did they translate it, haven't the past few years proven that Albania's better off leaving their songs in Albanian? 

Armenia- Chains on You

A bootleg Ariana Grande song, and a really shit one at that. The kind of song only people who think being young, gay and mean counts as having a personality would say is good.

Australia- Don’t Break Me

One of the few decent Australian entries (but that REALLY isn’t saying much coming from me, I barely care they’re in the contest by this point) but marred by a horribly untidy performance and lacklustre lyrics. At least it’s not fucking pop-opera, that’s all I can say. I’d rather listen to the sound of my face being dragged down the runway at Heathrow airport than be subjected to another Zero Gravity.

Austria- Alive

One of those pseudo-jazz dance songs, á la Olly Murs or Bruno Mars (I swear there’s a song like this in every recent contest). I mean, it’s good, but it’s just kinda meh since I’m kinda getting tired of this genre rearing its fedora-wearing head every time a new lineup rolls in.

Azerbaijan- Cleopatra

One of the “better” trashy entries this year, comprised of about five different musical genres, six ancient cultures being appropriated and absolutely zero class. Probably sounds at least 50% better when you’re absolutely steaming drunk and face down on the floor in the middle of a gay bar.

Belarus- Da Vidna

Somehow, this song sounds both very unique and original yet trite and average at the same time. I couldn’t decide whether listening to it was a new experience or if I’d heard it a million times before.

Belgium- Release Me

A song which just drones on till it ends. I would say it’s ripping off the song that won last year, but it forgot that having a chorus stops your song from being three minutes of snooze.

Bulgaria- Tears Getting Sober

A typical breathy mumble-girl song, AKA a genre I can’t fucking stand. Really don’t see the hype with this one, the melody is pretty but the vocals are out for lunch and it’s otherwise completely and utterly boring.

Croatia- Divlji Vjetre

One of the token big dramatic ballads you listen to once, enjoy, then forget about until Darius in the Discord server plays it one night whilst you’re hitting up the radio bot with requests. You’ll find that “nice, but forgettable” is a common theme for this year.

Cyprus- Running

Ironically Cyprus didn’t send a crappy Fuego knockoff for 2020, and I say ironically because a crappy Fuego knockoff would’ve actually stood out this year, and I say crappy because honestly Fuego wasn’t even all that great to begin with. "Running” itself is just one of those edgy tortured soul pop songs which, let’s be honest, would have been paired with an impressive performance which would’ve overshadowed how bland it is. Kind of like “You’re the Only One”. Or even Fuego for that matter.

Czech Republic- Kemama

Standard Afro-pop, a genre we don't often see at the contest so I'll let it pass. I feel like this is the kind of song that’s infinitely better live, and that it would’ve been one of those songs that suddenly became a frontrunner after the semi finals, but I guess we’ll never know eh?

Denmark- Yes 

The quintessential mid-10s Eurovision song. It's got guitars, happy people, Scandinavian origins… it’s just a typical radio guitar song, nothing special.

Estonia- What Love Is

I mean it's better than La Forza. Granted, the sound of someone pissing directly onto a microphone installed in the bowl of a toilet would sound better than La Forza but still. Going back to this song, it’s just... a standard Eastern-ballad with some very desperate lyrics. It feels kind of outdated, if I’m honest. Like something about this just reeks of 2011.

Finland- Looking Back

Yet another dreary, forgettable ballad. It comes to something when the best song they COULD have sent was a party song which sounded like it was from the mid 90s. At least that song was memorable. That said, this one at least has some decent lyrics. Bravo for that I guess.

France- Mon Alliée

France decides to say “fuck it” to being an underground fan-favourite and takes a leaf out of the UKs book by sending the same rent-a-Swede schlock they’ve been sending since 2015. I’m just confused as to why anyone in their right mind would choose to follow the UKs example but you do you France.

Germany- Violent Thing

A rehash of Sweden's entry from two years ago, but this time sung by Justin Bieber circa 2008. Kind of alright if you can stomach the singer's whiny voice, but otherwise pretty dull and kinda forgettable.

Greece- Superg!rl

Hello fellow kidz, we are hearing you like the girl power? The super heroes? The t3xt $p3ech? We made you song, please give us the votes *dabs*

Georgia- Take me as I Am

I mean… this sure is a choice. This feels like one of those songs that everyone memes on because the lyrics are kinda janky and the singer’s voice (and accent) take a bit of getting used to, but other than that it’s just one of those NQ songs for hipster fans to declare as their unironic winner at a later date. All in all this just feels like the male equivalent of one of those mid-10s fat acceptance women’s songs, only a lot shoutier and this time he has more flaws than not being skinny.

Iceland- Think About Things 

A bootleg George Ezra song, performed by a load of disinterested tumblr users in their pyjamas. Because if there’s one thing that sells me on a song, it’s being given the evils by a bunch of nerds who look like they’ll send me death threats for not agreeing with their Pokémon headcanons. To be fair, the song is kind of groovy since it sounds so 70s, but the performance is very off-putting to people who aren’t in the Eurovision loop. And also people who are, because I sure as Hell don’t see the appeal in this myself and this whole performance just feels like Save Your Kisses for Me without the charm. I feel like this would’ve come second or third, definitely with a lot of televotes but either the jury would’ve dragged it down or it wouldn’t have scored enough televotes to win.

Ireland- Story of my Life

A song that’s at LEAST ten years out of date by this point, think like an early Katy Perry, Jessie J or Avril Lavigne song. I’ll forgive it because even though it sounds like it should’ve been entered in 2013 (at the latest), it at least evokes some nostalgic memories of shitty school discos and holiday parks.

Israel- Feker Libi

The female equivalent of the Czech song. Unsurprisingly, people went wild for it when it was released. I guess only women are allowed to sing Afro-pop at this contest. Like with the Czech song, I’ll forgive it since Afro-pop is a cool genre anyway, and even though this is just another club song I can at least see myself dancing to it.

Italy- Fai Rumore

Well, at least my wish of “Italy sends a typical power ballad devoid of anything the mainstream fandom likes” finally came true. It was pretty refreshing to have a year where people weren’t shoving Italy’s entry up my nose left right and centre. In terms of my actual thoughts I can’t deny that the guy has a tremendous voice, but for some reason the song just doesn’t… click with me. I guess I like my male Italian singers a little more gruff and raspy, if you know what I mean. They gotta sound like they smoke at LEAST five packets of cigarettes a day for me to take notice.

Malta- All of my Love

Listen I am 100% rooting for Destiny Chukunyere to win this contest some day but man was this song a disappointment. It feels so… un-special and generic, like it gets the job done and that’s it. It’s not the stand-up-and-belt-it-out soul anthem I’d hoped for, it’s just… there.

Moldova- Prison

All I remember about this song is that it vaguely reminds me of that one Meccano song about the gypsy who makes a deal with the moon or something. And I’ve TRIED to remember more about what it sounds like, trust me.

Latvia- Still Breathing

The one horrible weird song you get every year which overuses strobe effects to the point it comes with an epilepsy warning. Would be bearable if it wasn't for the singer’s insistence that this is actually some feminist masterpiece when it's really just a self-empowerment club song about the singer fingerbanging herself over the fact she writes music.

Lithuania- On Fire

One of the songs everyone thought was going to win at one point, even though it seems like a surefire non-qualifier to me. It’s one of those weird entries, but not the kind of over the top, batshit insane, you’d-have-to-be-drunk-to-enjoy-it weird, the kind of subdued surreal weird. Like this is weed instead of LSD or cocaine weird. Granted my mom, who I consider to be a "typical" Eurofan, actually really liked this song when she saw it in the recaps, so who knows maybe this would have done well with televoters after all.

Netherlands- Grow

I appreciate this song for how artsy and clever it is with its structure, since it starts off acapella and the instrumental builds up with the song until it stops suddenly, symbolising a person’s growth from a child into an adult, and ending suddenly with their death (Geddit? The song’s called “Grow”). But it feels like the kind of song that would be lost on a Eurovision audience. The juries would have taken note, for sure, but the televote… let’s be honest, they’d have been too busy drunk voting for Russia to care about anything else.

North Macedonia- You

Well, it's better than the miserable dirge they sent last year, but given how I'd rather pleasure myself with a steak knife than listen to that song, that really isn't saying much. Going back to “You”, it really just feels like a diet version of Switzerland’s entry from last year, combined with Sweden’s song from 2018. What I’m saying is it’s your average “I’m a man in a club and I want to dance with and probably fuck this hot girl I just met” song, which I a new genre I just made up. You’re welcome.

Norway- Attention 

One of those songs you appreciate because it sounds nice and the singer has a good voice, but instantly forget because it’s really not all that interesting. If I sound like I'm repeating myself, welcome to Eurovision 2020.

Poland- Empires

“Rise Like a Phoenix” but sung by a wannabe Adele and not a mascara-wearing Jesus in a dress. Like a lot of other songs on this list, it’s just average across the board, likeable when it’s on, but instantly forgettable as soon as the next song comes on.

Portugal: Medo de Sentir

Pretty, but also similar to their ill-fated 2018 entry, only with a bit more energy and less pink hair. What I’m saying is this would have been another NQ unless the crowd who enjoy subtle ambience music come in to save it like they did with Slovenia's entry last year.

Romania- Alcohol You

See Bulgaria, because this is practically the same song. It’s just as dreary, just as badly sung (if not worse because holy shit this girl sounds like she’s being suffocated), and I suppose you COULD excuse that by saying she’s drunk or hungover… but I don’t want to listen to someone ungracefully mumble into a microphone for three minutes.

Russia- Uno

A classic big camp party song, the kind of song people who haven’t watched Eurovision since 2003 think wins on the regular. I can see why people would like it (especially in this boring year lmao, I applaud Russia for taking the opportunity to loosen their corset and just send a complete mess instead of their usual clinical vote grabs), but it’s just not something I enjoy. It's the song that plays into the misconception that Eurovision is just a clown show for drunk people, like this is just here to be that one flash-in-the-pan meme song that only entertains people who don’t really care about Eurovision until the day before it airs. Kind of like the old ladies they sent in 2012 (remember them?).

San Marino- Freaky!

San Marino, in true Sammarinese fashion, have yet again sent a decade-ambiguous song which sounds like it was either released in 1978 or 2003. I feel like this would have been one of those songs which could have surprised us if it had a really wacky, creative performance (think like Moldova in 2018), but this is San Marino so you know that would never happen.

Serbia- Hasta la Vista

Insert unoriginal joke about a decade wanting their shitty trend back right here. Okay maybe that’s a bit harsh, especially considering how this song is actually, yanno, unique in comparison to the rest of this year. But it still feels weirdly dated, in a way where I can’t decide whether it sounds like it belongs in 1998 or 2018. I suppose girl power ages a song regardless of when it was released.

Slovenia- Voda

Yet another standard Balkan-European power ballad which you appreciate because it’s well sung, but forget the moment it ends because it’s kinda boring. … Does anyone else have a bit of deja vu?

Spain- Universo

For some reason I feel like this song is shilling itself out to someone but I have no idea who. Aside from the horny people voting solely because the singer is moderately attractive even with that wretched Jedward haircut.

Sweden- Move

Imagine soul but… boring.

Switzerland- Répondez Moi

Imagine Arcade but… in French.

United Kingdom- My last Breath

Not the best the UK could have done, but it’s at least a modern offering unlike the residual dregs of the mid-90s that we sent throughout the 2010s. It’s definitely a bit too generic to have done any better than maybe 15th, but hey at least the cancellation means we won’t have to see it not do as well as the BBC thinks it’s entitled to do, prompting a billion clickbait articles about how Brexit somehow affected our performance.

Ukraine- Solovey

At long last we come to something you probably weren't expecting: a song I actually really like. Which is weird because I usually don't care for or don't like whatever Ukraine vomits into the contest, so I was pleasantly surprised to find a song I liked from them in such a weak year. This song isn’t for everyone, it’s white noise singing which is a very acquired taste, but this is honestly the only 2020 song I find myself coming back to over and over. And it’s in Ukrainian too, so you don’t have to put up with their usual mangled English offerings.

[henrik-von-schneeplestein]

Hewwo. You mentioned liking certain albums and songs for the jse egos and ships, what about for the Sander's sides? 👀 Are there any songs you like for certain ships you like? ❣️

HFJDHGJG YEPPP! Not quite as many, just bc I’m new to the fandom but I definitely have thoughts! 

Before y’all who are annoyed with me ranting about Taylor jump ship:

-”Pioneer” by The Band Perry is SUCH a good Roman song omg just the softest song about the creative spirit & bravery

-”Lovefool” by the Cardigans is... Deceit’s karaoke song. I have no rationale or defense for this statement whatsoever it just came up on shuffle the other day and I for some reason could picture him singing it perfectly and now I can’t let it go. Roman’s karaoke song is probably like “Any Man of Mine” by Shania Twain. Idk what the other sides’ go-to karaoke songs are but PLEASE lmk what y’all think bc I wanna know 

Anyway Taylor time. People w/ bad taste in music you’re free to go now. Have a nice night and please don’t unfollow me

Roman is both the side I think would most be a fan on Taylor and also who has the most Taylor songs that remind me of him.

“White Horse” is definitely a Roman song. Like just change the gender (from ‘princess’ to ‘prince’) and it fits perfectly - a “dreamer” who has the beautiful, romantic fantasies they believe in challenged and emerges stronger but still believing in all those wonderful things... catch me crying

“Starlight” is the other song that has strong Roman vibes to me again bc of the ‘dream impossible dreams’ thing & another ref to a prince (and a ‘duchess’ ((duke)) but it def feels more roman than remus to me). Could definitely be a prinxiety song given the second verse: He said, “look at you, worrying too much about things you can’t change. You’ll spend your whole life singing the blues if you keep thinking that way.” He was trying to skip rocks on the ocean, saying to me, “don’t you see the starlight? Don’t you dream impossible things?”

Honestly the whole Red album has Roman vibes to me which makes sense assuming his color is red for the same reason she chose that title: bc it symbolizes passion. It really specifically reminds me of him in the ‘Moving On’ videos - him having a hard time letting go of a relationship but ultimately realizing it must be done strongly reminded me of “Red” (the song), “I Almost Do,” and “All Too Well”

LOVES “Wonderland” bc it’s gay uhhh Disney references no but he’d be all over that ‘too in love to think straight’ pun.... and the sheer DRAMA of writing your ex’s fucking TUMBLR URL into a song

“Love Story” and “Today Was a Fairytale” need I say more

Virgil is definitely AT LEAST a Speak Now stan - some of you are too young to remember it and some of you are still too salty to acknowledge it but from like 2008-2011 especially there was the Emo Swiftie phenomenon where a bunch of us very edgy emo kids who liked Panic! & MCR were also Taylor fans. Like she wasn’t considered emo at all but she had the same lyricism & theatricality, and the rampant slutshaming didn’t really start until 2012 so it wasn’t nearly as uncool to like her. So yeah Virgil’s been a secret passenger on the Taylor train for a while

He’s SUPER unwilling to admit it at first but as soon as Roman figures it out they bond & talk about their fav songs

emo boy is most definitely a “Haunted” stan

All I WANT is Virgil in the famous purple Speak Now tour dress and if I had a shred of artistic talent him in that dress under the glowing tree would be the first thing I drew

“Out of the Woods” is a Virgil song - Taylor literally said that the main feeling she was trying to capture is anxiety (x). I would also like to see Virgil in the OOTW music video. Give my baby some WOLVES.

“The Archer” is very literally about anxiety & imposter syndrome I don’t think I need to defend that being a Virgil song

“Afterglow” and “Delicate” belong on any ship playlist involving Virgil

Someone sing “Innocent” to this boy immediately

My favorite Virgil song actually isn’t “The Archer” even though that’s the most obvious - I think “Daylight” is the best one. He’s wounded the good & he’s trusted the wicked y’all!!! But it’s brighter now!!!! I love him!!!!!

With Deceit I see the obvious comparison to “Look What You Made Me Do” and it works pretty well but I think the best Deceit song is def “I Did Something Bad” - ‘for every lie I tell them they tell me three’ ‘this is how the world works; you gotta leave before you get left.’ Also my position just in general is that IDSB is the Distinguished Gay Villain Song & LWYMMD is the Disaster Gay Villain Song.

That said, the only reason Deceit’s never done the traditional Rise Into Frame is to keep me specifically from making a joke about Karyn rising out of the stage during LWYMMD (x) - it’s true my cousin’s best friend’s uncle was an extra in the Sanders Sides he played Roman’s sword

Deceit’s real name is Karyn I cracked it y’all

Also it makes me really excited that the LWYMMD tour outfit is kinda similar to Deceit’s. Something about having the initials TS just makes you go ‘snake time’ and put on a black cape/shirt/jacket thing with yellow/gold accents I guess

“End Game” is a Remus/Deceit song - ‘you like the bad ones, too’ = they’re both dark sides, “you’ve been calling my bluff on all my usual tricks so here’s the truth from my red lips” = Deceit

“New Romantics” is just like ‘let’s lie our way through society’ so

Remus really reminds me of the swift fandom itself and idk what else to say about that bc if you’ve never been in that fandom I don’t know how to explain it to you and if you’ve been in that fandom for even 5 minutes you don’t need me to explain it to you

ME! is such a Remus song!! ‘I know that I’m a handful, baby, UH! I know I never think before I jump’ & ‘I would never bore you baby;’ also ‘like a rainbow with all of the colors’ reminds me of Remus saying ‘if you want the spectrum A-Z then you’ll need a little help from ME!” AND the song tends to get stuck in your head (or it does for me anyway) - kind of Remus’s M.O.

We already know he likes “Shake It Off” lol

Those of y’all who are horny for Remus and I know you’re out there.... “False God” is the song for you

could also be Remus/Deceit - Remus does use Deceit as the serpent in the Garden of Eden after all

Patton is just all the soft love songs lbr. “Stay Stay Stay,” “Paper Rings,” “Our Song,”etc. Also “Never Grow Up” and “Fifteen” and bc he’s nostalgic but also a father w/ good advice.

OK before I do Logan songs I just gotta tell you I was listening to “Tim McGraw” recently and my mind went “he said the way my blue eyes shined put those Georgia stars to shame that night; I said ‘FALSEHOOD’” but anyway

“New Year’s Day” - the references to books/pages fits and also the sort of comforting vibe that Logan can have; it’s a more realistic view of love about how there’s no way to know for sure what’s going to happen but knowing that you’re in it even for the worst

“I Think He Knows” belongs on the playlist for any ship involving Logan

He’d love “Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince” but when she’s like ‘where are the wise men?’ he’d be like ‘I’m right here beech’

And with that, I think I need to be done for now lol. Thank you so much for asking & letting me dump all this here. I love you!!!!

[weirdthoughtsandideas]

Some old asoue fandom things I found

Since the asoue fandom has existed longer than I myself barely existed, I wanted to dig a little how the fandom was back in the days.

I searched everything from the 667 dark avenue forums, deviantart, fanfiction sites and youtube

So this is some things i’ve found:

A thread from 2003 about someones appreciation for Duncan Quagmire. One thing i’ve found that was a little funny was someone saying ”I wonder if he knows about the survivor of the fire” and another answering ”he should! After all, he knows the secret of V.F.D”.

Then, in that same thread, they start to talk about how they must have ”edited out the part where Violet and Duncan kissed in the austere academy”. I’m dying, in 2003 I could barely walk, and meanwhile the asoue fandom was on fire (figuratively. Maybe literally too, I am not quite sure). And omg, the Slippery Slope wasn’t released yet when they wrote this!

A thread from 2008 when some girl was like ”I’m back! How nostalgic to be here again! What did I miss?” and all the other users greeted her and told them how much they missed her

SEVERAL sims videos of asoue. My favourite was when someone wanted to do a voice RP of the austere academy and they showed literally every single character in sims 3 form and described in great detail everyone’s voices and personality traits

There was also a similar thing but with sims 2, but it was just the Baudelaires posing to sad music. It saddens me that neither this or the other voice rp never saw the light (atleast as far as i’m concerned). Some people in the comments sent in their voices and everything, but nothing happened from there

There was also a kind of funny music video with the sims, where the Baudelaires first danced to the stereo (in kind of innacurate clothes) and then the grim reaper came and the music just stopped (or changed. I don’t really remember)

There was an old comic on deviantart, that was more centered on humour than anything. The illustrations was really similar to Brett Helquists original drawings, too. The comic was about Violet building a machine that made people into babies, and so the Quagmires got turned into babies and went on an adventure with Sunny while Klaus and Violet tried to fix the machine. It was a little childish, but it was very well done (I unfortunately had to dig through some baudcest which was not as fun but I found the comic at last)

One person in a thread from 2004 complained because people disliked their Quagcest fic. They said something like ”Yeah I’m ususally against incest but I am always for Quagcest, especially QuigleyxDuncan because they are cute bois”. I myself has never encountered any quagcest, which I am very grateful for, but apparently they too were a thing? I am atleast very happy all quagcest seems to be gone now, and I wish I could say the same for baudcest. And violaf.

All the fanfictions on ff.net from 2004-2009... they are on another level. Almost like a completely other feeling to them.

Also, a short fanfic on ff.net called ”we are the baudelaires” by ”edgywedgy” from 2002. It could be something.

Actually, the fanfics from 2002 all seem very different from what you see today. I haven’t read most of them, but just the synopsis and titles... I really get the ”fanfiction is new so we can post what we like omg the possibilities” feeling from them

It’s just fun to read fanfics that was written before all the books came out.

I think that is everything I manage to dig up today. Maybe I will dig up more some other time.

[luidilovins]

I just wanted to make a meme about Edward with emo hair. 

That's it. The formula was simple. Relatable for first time Twilight readers in their scene phase because they were LITTERED through my school in 2010ish. More likely for the Cullens to dress than the cannon Mormon Wet Dream that is Khaki on Beige. But now thanks to this fucking post, I have 

- had to google when the books (2005-2008) AND movies (2008-2012) came out. 

-had to google who Jordan Sweeto is. 

-had to google who Bryan Stars was and why everyone hates his guts.

-learned about the Nico Nick Ni dance 

-had to explain what the "I statement" form of communicative counseling is. 

-had to google who Gerard Way is. 

-had to google who Jaydon Wale is. 

-had to google who Alex Evans is. 

-was exposed to My Immortal and I will never forgive any of you for that.

-had to google who Johnny Guilbert is. 

-had to google who Andrew Hussie is. 

-had to google what My Digital Escape was and its downfall. 

-had to argue MULTIPLE times with people about how the year this photo taken place has little to do with the original point of characters portrayed as teenagers ACTUALLY DRESSING LIKE TEENAGERS for the sake of continuity. 

-had to rebuttal a meme with the word "tard" in it (fucking rude as shit) 

-has had to explain that I graduated as a SUPER SENIOR in 2014 so I was IN HIGH SCHOOL as the movies were rehyping the books and the KIDS WHO WERE READING THE BOOKS LOOKED LIKE THAT. 

-has stated and will state again that I'm talking about a MOVIE REMAKE with fashion targeting the demographic that would feel NOSTALGIC for the stories. THE MARKET IS RIPE.

I have not felt peace since I made this post and if i didn't have a brain tumor before I do now. 

Twilight series remake but the Cullen kids look like this

[suckitsurveys]

Do you know anyone who works in a laboratory? Some people I deal with at work.

What was the very first social media site you signed up for? Xanga, probably. Unless Yahoo chatrooms count lol.

Can you see yourself marrying your current partner? (if you have a partner) I am married to him.

If you were in a coma, who would be making healthcare decisions for you? Legally my husband, but I am sure he’d consult my family as well.

Are you the type of person who knows exactly what they want in life? Lol.

Do you have commitment issues? Nah.

What was the last thing you had an allergic reaction to? The earth.

Have you gone out to dinner in the past week? Yes, my dad and I got tacos yesterday.

If you were to start a business, what kind would it be? I’d love to be an event planner.

What was the last thing you felt nostalgic about? Nothing specific but I was listening to the Stranger Things soundtrack yesterday and the Baba O’Riley remix they use in the season 3 trailer came on and the fucking WAVE of nostalgia from the summer that season came out hit me like a ton of bricks.

What’s something you’ve done that sounds too crazy to be true? Lived through the past 2+ years.

Are there any flowers planted outside your house? Yes.

What was the last thing you drank? Water.

What’s the weirdest decoration you’ve seen in someone else’s home? I don’t know.

Did you have your own bathroom when you were growing up? Nope.

Do you live near the ocean? Nope.

What has been the worst thing that’s happened to you today? I had to deal with some idiot who didn’t understand I can’t control EVERYTHING from my computer at work.

Do you know anyone who never disciplines their children? Uh huh.

What’s the longest you’ve gone without leaving the house? Probably over a week during the first 6 months of the pandemic.

Are you more of a practical thinker, or more of an imaginative thinker? Both.

When was the last time you were sick? What did you have? A couple months ago I had a cold.

Does anyone in your family smoke? Yeah it’s FUCKING DISGUSTING AS FUCK.

Name three random colors: Purple, pink, orange.

Color #1: what’s the nearest object that is this color? My hair and sweatshirt are both purple lol.

Color #2: would you ever paint your living room this color? Yes.

Color #3: would you ever dye your hair this color? Maybe not my whole head.

What’s your opinion on hunting? No thanks.

How well do you know your neighbors? I know the ones who live above me pretty well.

How far are you into the book you’re currently reading? Not reading anything.

Have you ever had a pet escape and run away? No.

Do any of your exes know each other? Yes.

What’s an opinion you find impossible to take seriously? Forced birthers/pro-lifers.

What was the very first election you voted in? 2008.

Do you know how to make omelettes? Yeah. They’re better when other people make them though.

Do you feel positive and optimistic about your future? Eh.

[thunclerpuff]

@lovethymonsters tagged me and reminded me @bvckysbrns tagged me too like ages ago and i had this halfdone and sitting in my drafts. that’s me for you

anyway. “answer 20 questions and tag 20 people you want to get to know better”

Name: Solli/Sol

Zodiac sign: Capricon

Height: 170cm. you either do the math or learn the metric system.

Languages spoken: Italian, english, a sprinkle of spanish

Nationality: Italian

Favourite fruit: STRAWBERRIES and APRICOTS and PEACHES and MANGOS

Favourite scent: rain, from drizzle to full on thunderstorm. also books.

Favourite color: yellow

Favourite animal: practically cats, theoretically flamingos and raccoons

Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate: COFFEE

Favourite ficitional character: AAAAAAAAH. thor from the mcu (you don’t say), and sanzo (and gojyo and hazel) from saiyuki. also my boy JJ from yuri on ice and harry potter. yes, i’m that bitch whose favourite hp character is hp SUE ME

Dream trip: tbh I’m not really a travelly person?? i don’t really have one place i absolutely want to go? i know, i’m boring

When your blog was created: just after infinity war came out so around a couple of months? i’ve been around tumblr before but we don’t speak of those times.

Last movie you’ve seen: possibly a rewatch of avengers 2012. i’m not sure. my memory is wack.

Song you’ve had on repeat: infinity 2008 LISTEN I HAVE TO WRITE NOSTALGIC STUFF I GOTTA FEEL THE VIBES

Favourite candy/sweet: strawberry chupa chups because i’m a basic bitch. also jelly worms.

Favourite holiday: christmas. listen dude, my birthday is on the 23rd so i’m out with my friends, on christmas’ eve i have the huge dinner with all the random relatives i only meet at christmas, and then on the 25th there’s PRESENTS and TORTELLINI and i get cool christmas music and cool christmas decorations AND OKAY I HAVE A CHRISTMAS PROBLEM SUE ME I DON’T CARE

aaaaand i’m definitely not tagging 20 people but @lowkeyloloki @hawkeydokey @thelightattheendofthistunnel @hollieen get a msn trillo. honorable mention to @greeneyesofdeath because she likes bread like every good swan does, and to my fave @faandral (insert making out gif).

[paralleljulieverse]

When Julie Andrews returned to England in April 1958 to prepare for the London opening of My Fair Lady, she flew into the eye of a veritable media storm. The phenomenal success of My Fair Lady in America had generated intense public interest and acclaim, and the return of the show’s British stars was greeted as nothing short of a triumphant national homecoming.

While Rex Harrison and, to a lesser extent, Stanley Holloway garnered their share of attention, notably in the more ‘serious’ male-oriented press (Smith, 12), it was Julie who received the overwhelming bulk of popular media exposure. Her status as “local girl turned big star” was the stuff of cultural legend and the mainstream press was eager to mine its fairytale appeal. As discussed in a previous post, Woman magazine, the biggest-selling British periodical of the era, devoted a lavish five-issue celebrity profile to Julie to mark the opening of My Fair Lady where she was explicitly fêted as a real-life Cinderella: “a rather plain little girl…from an English village”, “a dreamy little girl who has made her dreams come true” and found “dazzling fame and fortune” as “The Golden Girl of Broadway” (Reeder, 29). 

When the “Golden Girl” touched down at Heathrow on April 6, “so great was the crush around Julie” that her family had to wait over twenty minutes before they could greet her (Wilcox, 1). Scores of cameramen scrambled to get near her and even the most sober Fleet Street reporters grasped for superlatives. “Julie Andrews, the British actress who went to Broadway to make her name, came back to England yesterday–a STAR,” trumpeted the front page of the Daily Mirror (Wilcox, 1). 

But alongside the breathless allusions to jet-setting celebrity and fabulous wealth––“Julie [is] reported to earn £1,000 a week,” gasped the Daily Mail–– there was a marked emphasis on the untarnished naturalness of “our Julie” and how she remained "just an ordinary girl…who adores her home, her family and the neighbours” (Reeder: 29).  Almost to a person, reporters highlighted her guileless simplicity and girlish nervousness––“’I’m terrified of the opening night at Drury Lane,’ she confessed” (Wilcox, 1)––and profiled her interest in such homespun concerns as childhood sweethearts––"I love him! I love him! I love him!”–– “brothers, aunts and uncles,” and, even, her pet canary:

“It would be an understatement to say that she remains unspoilt by success. This adorably freckle-faced young lady, as simply dressed as the girl next door, made me feel as if we had known each other all our lives and it was hard to believe she had ever moved more than ten miles from home at Walton-on-Thames” (Johns, 35).

Following the airport media call, Julie was indeed whisked home to Walton-on-Thames for a neighbourhood reunion, a pack of camera-clicking newshounds in eager tow. As befitting this most homely of Home Counties stars, the party was a decidedly domesticated affair: fizzy drinks and ale, LPs on a portable player, and a Dolly Varden cake! Julie was even photographed perched on the floral chintz single bed of her childhood:

“Julie Andrews, honey-haired star of My Fair Lady and the toast of Broadway was the toast of Walton-on-Thames, her home town, last night. Nearly a hundred friends and relatives were there at her parents’ home to welcome back the girl who knocked New York sideways…Julie was so busy shaking hands and kissing old friends that she did not have time to change out of the white jersey frock she arrived in. Amid cries of ‘Julie, Julie, you haven’t changed a bit,’ her mother shouted, ‘Telephone, Julie. Quickly now, dear.’ And, as Julie rushed to the phone Mrs. Barbara Andrews explained proudly, ‘Some of the people here tonight were actually at Julie’s christening’” (”Toast of the Town,” 8).

For over half a century, these unashamedly sentimental themes of nostalgic domesticity and familial warmth have continued to define the Julie Andrews star image, cemented with abiding force in her iconic screen persona as the world’s favourite super-nanny and played out since in various forms of repetition, revision and refusal––on-screen and off. It was perhaps inevitable then that when the star herself came to publish her own memoirs in 2008, she would give the book the simple one-word title: Home. 

“I am told that the first comprehensible word I uttered as a child was ‘home.’ My father was driving his secondhand Austin 7; my mother was in the passenger seat beside him holding me on her lap. As we approached our modest house, Dad braked the car to turn onto the pocket-handkerchief square of concrete by the gate and apparently I quietly, tentatively, said the word. ‘Home.’ My mother told me there was a slight upward inflection in my voice, not a question so much as a trying of the word on the tongue, with perhaps the delicious discovery of connection . . . the word to the place. My parents wanted to be sure they had heard me correctly, so Dad drove around the lanes once again, and as we returned, it seems I repeated the word. My mother must have said it more than once upon arrival at our house—perhaps with satisfaction? Or relief? Or maybe to instill in her young daughter a sense of comfort and safety. The word has carried enormous resonance for me ever since. Home.” (Andrews, 1)

Sources:

Andrews, Julie.  Home: A Memoir of My Early Years. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2008. 

John, Eric. “My Freckled Lady.” Theatre World. Vol. 54. No. 401, June 1958: 35-36.

Reeder, Joan. “Introducing Julie Andrews’ Own Story.” Woman. 26 April 1958: 29.

Smith, Godfrey. "Fair Lady's Man." Sunday Times. 13 Apr. 1958: 12.

“Toast of the Town is ‘My Fair Lady’.” Daily Mail. 7 April, 1958: 8.

Wilcox, Desmond. “I Love Him! I Love Him! I Love Him! Says Julie Andrews.” Daily Mirror. 7 April, 1958: 1

© 2018, Brett Farmer. All Rights Reserved

[aion-rsa]

Twilight Is Much Better Than You Think

https://ift.tt/3xXjwlu

The first crush I ever had was on David Bowie’s Goblin King from Labyrinth. He was a big haired, pale skinned other worldly bad boy who wanted to keep teenage Sarah with him forever despite being vastly older than her. I was 9.

So I get Twilight. Based on the series written by Mormon Stephenie Meyer, who at the time proudly confessed to never having seen a horror film, the first of the films came out in 2008 to wild commercial success, almost instantly generating a rabid fanbase of largely (but definitely not only) teenage girls. Nicknamed ‘Twihards’ these fans were obsessed not only with the films and books but also with the stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, who at the time were a couple in real life. It was intense. It was a lot.

Four subsequent (and lesser) films followed and while the fans got louder, so did the sneers. Now the series has landed on Netflix and is potentially reaching a whole new generation of viewers, as well as scratching a delicious nostalgic itch for original Twihards more than a decade on. Outside of the cultural phenomenon of the franchise, it’s easy to forget how genuinely intelligent the first film really was. The main reason for that was director Catherine Hardwicke.

Hardwicke gets teenage girls. If you have any doubt about that, watch her feature directorial debut from 2003 Thirteen. Co-written with then 14-year-old co-star Nikki Reed, it’s a painful drama about a destructive teenage friendship that taps perfectly into how achingly important and casually destructive certain things are when you’re that age. Twilight taps into the same thing, focusing on incredibly melodramatic teenager, Bella Swan. Mocking Bella is no smarter than mocking Kayla from Eighth Grade or Tracy from Thirteen. It’s not news: teenage girls can be a bit like that, and Hardwicke sets out her stall from the off.

Indeed the first lines of Twilight are Bella’s voiceover pondering her own mortality, “Dying in the place of someone I love seems a good way to go,” she mopes, with absolute sincerity.

There is no way these films would have been the teenage catnip that they were without the perfect casting of the two leads. Hardwicke found Stewart first, an up and comer at the time who is both preternaturally beautiful but somehow incredibly awkward with it (as a case in point of how this could have gone wrong – take the miscasting of Chloe Grace Moretz in Kimberly Peirce’s Carrie – Stewart would have been far better). Hardwicke ran ‘chemistry tests’ to find her Edward and to say there was chemistry between the two would be an understatement. Stewart carries Bella’s heavy earnestness with empathy while Pattinson is pointy, brooding, pale faced and interesting in all the right ways.

Yep, Catherine Hardwicke gets teenage girls.

Armed with the perfect leads, but only a tiny budget for a blockbuster – $37 million – Hardwicke made a romance fizzing with the kind of burgeoning sexuality coupled with melodramatic obsession that can be so common to pre-teen or teenage fantasy.

Forget the later movies which feature buff werewolves walking around with their tops off. The genius of Hardwicke’s movie is a similar innocence to Meyer’s books. It is pure fantasy.

Edward is the embodiment of the ‘safe’ boyfriend young teens fantasize about – an older, more experienced man who still looks young and handsome. A man who doesn’t like anyone else at all, but loves you completely. A man who desires you endlessly but – and this is crucial – can’t have sex with you. And a man who will love you, and only you for all of eternity. 

Bella and Edward do shag, and get married and have a baby later on in the series, which is all somehow less interesting than the tingly but chaste first installment but that’s not to say part one isn’t about sex, because it absolutely is.

Edward wants to eat Bella so badly you can smell it. Or at least, he can certainly smell it – he’s driven crazy by the pheromones she gives off.

While Edward is ‘safe,’ he is also dangerous – he points out very clearly that she is powerless against him. She could never outrun him, he is far stronger than her. In a scene where he asks her to dance and she refuses he even says “I could make you.”

There is something a bit kinky about this, and rightly so. Lest we forget, Twilight was the inspiration for the tame erotica series which began with Fifty Shades of Grey. Bella is the young version of Anastasia, learning that maybe she quite likes being submissive.

There is no reason young teens (of any gender) shouldn’t explore different parts of their sexuality. Love it or hate it, the romance works.

Read more

Books

Twilight: What Was The Deal With Jacob and Renesmee?

By Nicole Hill

Rewatched years on and Twilight is a lot more than that though. It’s easy to forget how intentionally funny it is. Though we are on Bella’s side, that doesn’t stop Hardwicke gently poking fun at her. An early scene in science class sees Bella walk in and pose right in front of a fan like it was a wind machine. Later in the same lab, Edward sits in front of a taxidermied owl so he looks like he has literal angel wings. For a girl as melodramatic as Bella, it’s perfect (and if you need any more proof of how utterly melodramatic Bella is take the scene after Edward saves her from a car crash where she tells Edward “Why didn’t you let the van crush me, and save yourself the regret?” As if he would genuinely rather a girl he barely knows was dead…)

Twilight is funny. But Bella isn’t funny. Which is part of what makes it funny. Another weapon Hardwicke has in her arsenal is Anna Kendrick, as Bella’s very lovely friend Jessica. Kendrick is massive now and very clearly has great comic timing but Twilight was a breakout for her. Jessica is the anti-Bella. Cute and comfortable with her cuteness, incredibly tolerant with Bella, she’s a generally speaking well adjusted young woman, and Kendrick nails it. It’s notable, for example, how often she responds to Bella by saying “ha ha yeah, that’s really funny” (and not sarcastically) which actually draws attention to how NOT funny Bella is. Or how, while Bella is mooning out the window pining for Edward, Jessica is commenting on how good her boobs look in the prom dress she’s trying on. She’s a wonderful antidote, and Hardwicke knew exactly what she was doing in casting her.

The elephant in the room is perhaps Taylor Lautner as Jacob. Not the strongest of the cast and less of a breakout post-Twilight than the two leads and Kendrick (though Lautner did prove he can also do comedy with his regular role in Brit show Cuckoo), Jacob did become a counterpart for people who liked their chaps a bit less pasty and a bit more buff. 

Hardwicke made Twilight an enormous hit, grossing more than $400 million worldwide and setting up a franchise which would go on to gross over $3.3 billion. But after the first film she was out. Though she was offered part two it was on the proviso that it come out just a year after part one which gave her too tight a turnaround to be able to deliver the film she wanted to make. Instead the rest of the franchise went to male directors.

Talking to Vanity Fair in 2018, ten years after she launched the franchise, Hardwicke points out that her film kicked off a trend of female-led YA movies including the three Divergent films and the four Hunger Games movies none of which were directed by women, saying “that was a heartbreak for me. There are other badass women out there that could have done those.”

Whether you like Twilight or not, it was an undeniably successful movie which truly understood its audience. Years later studios are still trying to capture that magic again – YA romances have come and gone to various degrees of success, but Twilight is the one that endures. Whether teenagers of 2021 discovering the film for the first time will still identify as acutely remains to be seen, but either way, as a cultural phenomenon Twilight is way smarter than a sparkly vampire movie deserves to be.

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The Twilight movies are available to stream on Netflix now.

The post Twilight Is Much Better Than You Think appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[theculturalattachegent]

Jones in Your Bones

Orig. appeared on June 20, 2008 for Trace Magazine (Blog)  BabyStone—the soulful mash-up of Ms. Novena Carmel and Itai croon the stage with a gathering of beautiful eccentricity. The sound captures a Jazz, Afro-Funk, Caribbean sensation that caters to cultural enthusiasts. Marcus Brock had the chance to sit down with lead singer, Ms. Novena Carmel. This retro-fitted chanteuse is no stranger to the grittiness of the soul and funk being that her father is Sly, of the revered band Sly and the Family Stone. But, even without the distinction she’s a show stopper! BabyStone’s syncopated rhythms and intuitive, yet fun, lyrical dynamics need be positioned on anyone’s playlist.

If you’re in the Los Angeles area, don’t forget to check out the Record Release Show at Temple Bar tonight.

___

Marcus Brock: How did you and Itai start working together?

Novena Carmel: Itai and I started working together a couple of years ago. He had a track he was producing and when I sang for him, we vibed. Eventually, we had enough material for a show. We didn’t even have a band yet, but I was like—let’s book a date! We then got a band together, booked a date, and rehearsed about five times before our first show.

MB: Was the use of live musicians in your band on purpose or a routed intention?

NC: The band was on purpose because we like a BIG sound. I like a real sound, there’s a lot of “fake jewelry” out there so to speak, but BabyStone won’t turn your neck green! We are influenced by funk, soul, and Afro-Beat. So, the use of live sounds and music is very important to us. We are now looking to performing an acoustic set as well in future shows and albums. Itai loves Brazilian music and I have family there so we want to incorporate more of those sounds into our music, like in “Can I Be.”

Me, personally, my vocals will always be soulful, but I have a yearning to do some wild, electronic beats. Our live album is many live instruments, similar to a live show but I also want to perform to synthetic sounds like keyboards and talk boxes. Just weirdness, not only sincere heart-to-heart beats. Our next recording will probably have those types of sounds, not completely out there, but different.

MB: Some artists try and shy away from their parents’ music – does some of that sound/feel resonate in your music? How has that inspired BabyStone?

NC: As an artist I’m inspired by a lot of modern artists and those that have come before me. One of my favorite genres is the funk/soul of the time period when Sly and the Family Stone were writing their biggest hits. The sound is so influential and amazing to me that there’s no way I could shy away from it. It’s funky, it’s in your face and it’s timeless. That’s a lot of what BabyStone is—or at least hopes to be.

But at the same time, we’re not trying to be only a nostalgic funk band. By incorporating many other sounds that influence us—like Brazilian music, Afro-funk, jazz, neo soul, rock, and so on—and create a modern sound with a retro vibe.

MB: “1, 2 Late” and “Hello” are songs that speak about relationships. Do social real-life issues drive your music in any way? NC: As a writer, I feel like I try to talk about situations that have happened to me where I have a constant feeling and I ask myself, “How can I make this bigger?” “1, 2 Late” came from me being in relationships and situations where I’ve tried to tell a guy that I want to do you a favor and let you know because later on you’re going to be sorry! The song starts, “Look into my crystal ball—I see the future coming.” I deal with people in a sassy way, so the song is somewhat factual and expresses that side of me.

MB: How do you go from sassy to being so romantic in “In My Dreams?” NC: I really have different sides of me and that sassy side is a way for me to protect myself, but sometimes I am vulnerable. I wrote that song on the piano by myself when I was in a long-distance relationship. I won’t name where the guy was from though!

MB: If you could perform a melody, who’d be alongside BabyStone?

NC: The thought of that makes me nervous and intimidated, but I think performing with Cee-Lo would be so much fun. I would like to go back in time and perform with George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic like the spaceship in the Mothership Connection. Also, I would have to take Erykah Badu along with me. Itai could create that situation—it would be so trippy!

MB: Your character is very lively and fun – how does that help you on stage or does it? How does it play a role in what you’re singing about? NC: I’m a jokester and I enjoy entertaining people. I love to bring that on stage, so it feels natural talking to people on stage. I’m like that in daily life, I want everyone around to just have fun and be like, “That Novena girl is cool—invite her out more!”

MB: What do you want people to walk away with a sense of at the end of your shows? NC: First, I want them to have a good time. Second, when I write things lyrically, I feel like it’s something that I have been through. Not only am I creating a story that is cathartic for myself, but I want my listeners to relate to my music as I relate to other artists. It’s my way to tell people how I feel about things. For instance, in “Ask Me” I want to bring social consciousness to people and tell my thought process, but I have this fear of coming off corny. When you do something you never know how it’s coming across to people. I know what I’m intending, and I never know how people are going to take it.

MB: Like with your “Cookie Dance Song?”

NC: [Laughs] Yes, like that. I like to make fresh baked cookies for my band and that song just came out of the bandmates eating cookies. Next thing you know there was a beat, so we used it in the show and had fun with it.

MB: I noticed you’ve worn a Barack Obama shirt during a performance? What do you think you would’ve talked about/sung about if you had been in Will.I.Am’s “Yes We Can” video?

I would have wanted to speak about something that resonates on an international level. I’ve traveled many places around the world, and it bothers me, internationally, what the US has become. While I was living in Japan, some residents said, “Before I met you, we did not like Americans.” I wanted them to understand that not all Americans necessarily support the choices that their President is making.

MB: Tell me about your upcoming album? What can we expect to hear on the debut EP?

NC: This debut EP will be much like a live show with live instruments. It will have some new material, including “Ask Me,” where Sly Stone lends his talent to the track. The album will be on sale at the live show and will be digitally available for download soon. Please add BabyStone on MySpace Music for updates on album availability.

MB: So…afros or fades?

NC: How about a Half-Fro?

[secretsofthemasquerade]

I’m old

And it’s not getting any better. I’m turning 30 on Feb 1st (today), and while I’m still in and hype and modern and my students think I’m one of the crew, well, I am still old.

I was there, not underage, fully aware of my consciousness, during the Haruhi craze, and I was half part of it (I still very much listen to the OSTs). I was there during the Lucky Star craze, and I was completely part of it. I was there when Lost and its wild theories were a hot topic. For me the Tolkien movies are the Lord of the Rings movies, not the Hobbit ones. Snow Patrol is still one of my fav groups out there.

Wrath of the Lich King is a “modern expansion” even if I first played it back in 2008. Hell, Diablo 3, announced that same year, during World Wide Invitational Paris (I was there!) is still a “new game” for me. I’m still stuck playing VTM bloodlines after all these years because i am

I was excited for Windows Vista. I mostly worked on win 98 and XP.

I knew LANs and modem sounds. I used Napster. 2 megapixel digital cameras were the brand new thing and a 256MO SD card was beyond believable. I took Polaroid pictures. I used disposable cameras. My PS1 were the best thing ever (yes I had two, one for America’s plugs and electric norms and one for French EU ones. And yes both were cracked AF. And for some reason I have no idea where they ended up :().

I took transatlantic planes with my roller skates in hand. Twice to four times a year. I went to a Nightwish concert when Tarja was lead (I found out just now they changed singers again lol). I rode the anime wave as it started to take over (FYI America, the rest of the world had sailor moon, saint Seiya, captain Tsubasa, Heidi, candy candy, dragon ball and Z.. in the early to mid 90s). I went to conventions right as they started in the early 2000s. I roooose the hell of the Haruhi craze. I screamed as Hellsing had a new anime “closer to the manga” done. I watched sub stuff online (part 1/3 ;)) until streaming became popular. I bought drama CDs even if I understood shit. I cosplayed from 2001 to maaaaybe 2010 if I stretch enough. I went to The Pillows concert and am now sooooo eager to watch the FLCL 2 and 3 that they’re doing music for again. Shippuden is “that new arc for Naruto” I just never got into (honestly I should give it another try but wtf i liked the whole exam-school-ambition setting and it turned into a big ass battle with bigger than the world stakes xD). I read Death note as it came out. I still listen to 1991-2008 anime openings and endings on a very regular basis. Kaori Yuki is the bomb. Clamp died at xxxholic and Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles. I enjoyed DBGT (to some extent). I LOVED serial experiments lain but understood nothing of it. The OSTs are still in here. Ambiance sounds.

I Nyan cat reference stuff. And by nyan cat I mean both the pop tart cat and the nyan nyan nihao nyan macros frontier song. Loituma’s levan polka. Mana mana song. Ozone’s songs. I knew the Shakira vs Britney Spears fandom fight. I had a geocitie website. I still do the What is love moves in the car. I rode the techno high and low (90s remixes and songs like Daddy DJ and I’m Blue... and OF COURSE daft punk).

Harry Potter was coming out as I was Harry’s age in the books (I just never got into it).

I didn’t have an Emo phase that wasn’t a thing but I was goth (ish), wore whatever colors I found, cut and dyed my hair in all sorts of shapes (including Lain’s haircut) for cosplay reasons :0. I was awarded the prize for “worst dressed at school” (note that my school was 3000+ people so), and felt very bad about it. Didn’t wear make up.

I had a MP3 CD player. I burned cds like there was no tomorrow. And before I could burn CDs I had to use a Zip disk (those are thicker floppy disquettes if you don’t know).

I had .ram files. Still do. MP3 were becoming the new standard and Winamp skins. Shit I loved Winamp skins!

Its 2018 and I am still living like a teenager in terms of whims and behavior (I still eat cereal in the morning). I’m still figuring out what I want to do with my life apart from lazying online at home with husband and cats. I don’t want to live to work, and despite having more diplomas than 95% of the population I still am unable to find a stable regular job (it will change this year hopefully!!!).

And yet at the end of last month my great grandmother turned 100, I turned 30 soon after, and while I’m the oldest among my cousins st the same genealogical level, the old gets have started having kids and having stable situations and paying taxes and other adulting stuff. I still use my student ID for discounts. I adult in terms of administrative stuff and trying to have a generally speaking mature and grounded mid.

I don’t travel much anymore. I board game and rpg at home with friends who come over during winter and summer, but overall? Just cozy home stuff.

And I couldn’t be happier with my husband and cats, with my social interactions (and lack thereof ^_^). I’m starting make up properly. Im not trying to catch up to anime and manga anymore (i just “uh?”).

I am not nostalgic but my body tells me I’m getting old. My back pains have gotten worse. My stamina and my endurance are gone. My eyesight is still worsening. I can’t walk up the stairs as well as I used to. I’d like to roller skate again but my balance just doesn’t work so well anymore. My metabolism has become slower and I just can’t get away with eating whatever. 

I’ve not taken a transatlantic in over ten years.

But I’ll still wear a D.VA hoodie and cat headphones at uni when class start again this month :p

And soon enough I should be back with new articles, once I manage to get a proper computer back :)

[thepermanentrainpress]

THE PERMANENT RAIN PRESS INTERVIEW WITH JOHN O’CALLAGHAN

“You can get so used to being in a bus and being in a band that brings people to shows – but it’s always just as easy to remember the times you didn’t have that stuff. I think that’s what is important to remember, for our sake. To stay humble, and at least stay hungry.”

It was one of several notions John O’Callaghan shared just a few minutes into our interview, and a few hours before he and the rest of The Maine took to the stage in Vancouver—their first time in nearly three years. “The shows are always sick,” he says, noting that while the movie theatre seats of the venue they’ve played on their past few visits impede the punk rock spirit, they welcome a greater challenge in engaging the crowd.

His only other recollection of the city? “I remember watching Interstellar for the first time,” he laughs. “That was a good film.”

For O’Callaghan and The Maine, longevity has served them well; an eleven-year tenure has seen the band traverse the globe and branch into other avenues of content creation. They recently celebrated the first anniversary of their latest record, Lovely Little Lonely. In contrast to past releases, its framework came together on O’Callaghan’s computer versus the piano, guitar, and voice memos he so often recorded on his phone. “I got Pro Tools and a bunch of the necessary materials in the digital world to make songs sound like songs, and not just a dude in a garage playing on the piano and recording it on his phone,” tells O’Callaghan. “I feel like there were a lot more structured ideas coming into the process.”

While the group has toyed with instrumental transitions in the past, LLL is their first album to incorporate formal interludes. The intoxicating “Bad Behaviour” falls into a placid “Black Butterflies and Déjà Vu” prelude; “Little” into deeply nostalgic cut “Sound of Reverie.” Sustaining that fluidity was a conscious effort on their part and, like the draw and release of a single breath, the record truly feels like less of a compilation and more of an experience.

Already in the planning stages of their next record, O’Callaghan assures new concepts will once again be brought into the fold. “I think it’s really important to change the process up every time… you’ll get too complacent if you don’t.”

At the time of this interview, the Fry Your Brain with The Maine tour had kicked off a week prior. And after each show – much like every show of past tours – they stay long after to interact with fans before retiring to a bus in which life is much less glamorous. “I got my first shower yesterday, which was nice,” says the frontman, adding that most venues don’t have the amenity. Hotel rooms are for the occasional day-off and primarily hygienic purposes; most days, like today, are spent in cozier quarters—"getting each other sick.”

Style and sound evolve, but the band’s passion for music remains constant—something they attribute to an earnest fanbase and staying true to themselves. “With art in general, I think you should be creating what it is that you’d like to see created,” O’Callaghan says of striking a balance between challenging oneself, and not trying too hard to be different. “We have the luxury of having a dynamic that won’t allow it to sound like something it’s not; we’re constricted and constrained by our abilities and our talents within the five of us. We can’t manipulate the guitar any other way than the five of us can, collectively. I can’t sing any better than I can actually sing.”

“That’s why we’ve always looked up to bands like the Rolling Stones – and I personally look up to Neil Young and Mick Jagger and Tom Petty – because there’s a big difference between a singer that hits all the correct notes and a singer that does what they can with what they have, and makes it their own,” he continues. “That’s not discrediting their talents or their abilities. But I mean, Mick Jagger… he doesn’t have a good voice.” [laughs] “He doesn’t. But he has an incredible voice because it’s so unique. I think that we’re in a position now where we won’t let it go to a place that doesn’t feel genuine and that doesn’t feel like us. That’s hopefully what people have respected about the process and attached themselves to.”

And what people have connected with is more than a band, but a community. Their self-run label and management team, 8123, supports volunteer initiatives prior to select show dates; Garrett and Pat host a podcast in which they talk to friends in the industry—or family, in the case of Pat’s mom. The Maine is the first serious band O’Callaghan has been a part of, with camaraderie dating back to middle school in Tempe, Arizona. “Jared and I had science class together… we’ve always felt that sense of community with one another,” tells O’Callaghan. It only made sense to extend that energy to their fanbase. “We are in such a position of privilege as opposed to other bands because we don’t just live and die by The Maine. The message is bigger than we are, and people are creating it as we’re going. It’s really cool to see it spread and go from a couple of guys smoking cigarettes on a parking garage to people all over the world, keeping that spirit alive.” He pauses. “Not the cigarette thing—don’t smoke cigarettes.” [laughs]

Following a quick stint in Europe, the band will be walking the line, slinging CDs all summer long on Vans Warped Tour.

Oh—and playing one of the main stages, too.

“Before I even had anything to do with music, I was a baseball player. I was just a cat in high school, listening to music first and foremost. That’s what I am – just a fan of music in general.” Even as the Arizona natives ascend in festival billing, they never veer from taking advantage of what it represents: an opportunity to spread their noise to crowds willing and eager to listen.

With their matching attire and ‘why would you pay money to meet a human being?’ tent turning heads in 2016, one wouldn’t expect anything less for this final cross-country run. “It’s this weird line… we don’t ever want to be pretentious, but we’re just so ‘meh’ about so many things that it’s important for us to make it known we’re comfortable with what we’re doing, and not affected by all of the other stuff,” O’Callaghan says. “So I think we’re just going to drive home that point and be bratty, but hopefully in a non-confrontational way. I’m sure it will be fun—we’re going to at least have fun.”

O’Callaghan has another project, John the Ghost, with a new book coming out in June. A Thought a Day is a year-long companion; 365 @johnmaine tweets, hand-picked and rooted in personal disposition. “I’m usually talking to myself when I’m tweeting, so it’s really important to have those to look back on for myself,” shares the frontman. “Nick Santino helped me design the inside and the cover, so it won’t be just a boring flip-it-and-there’s-text. I’m excited for people to see it.” As his stirring one-liners continue to amass thousands of ‘likes’ on Twitter, it felt appropriate to gauge his thoughts on the rise of the Insta-poet: commended for its unfiltered honesty and accessibility in today’s generation, others mock and critique the compositions for those very reasons. “It’s as simple as, turn it off if you don’t want to see it,” says O’Callaghan, voicing his support for the budding artist. “When I was growing up, that shit was just called being mean. If people are listening, keep doing it. Don’t be apologetic.”

For our signature ice cream question, O’Callaghan chooses butter pecan—a flavour he didn’t enjoy in his youth but has since warmed to. “It’s kind of like those old platitudes. You don’t think they make sense, or you think they’re corny ‘cause everybody says them, and then as you get older it’s like wait a second, there’s a reason this shit has been drilled and drilled into my head,” he tells. “My dad always loved butter pecan ice cream and I was like ‘ew, butter and nuts? You’re crazy.’ And then as I got older, I got over it.”

In many ways, The Maine is the same band they were eleven years ago—the same five guys, gripping guitar hooks and lingering nostalgia. But a natural progression in sound has given them a deep back catalogue to work with, their set list later that night ranging from 2008 ballad “Whoever She Is” to LLL’s breezy anthem “How Do You Feel?” O’Callaghan gave a couple shout-outs to concertgoers celebrating a birthday, and the band even improvised 20 seconds of the elusive, never-to-be-played-in-full-again “Give It To Me.”

There was no encore—unsurprising for a group that continues to challenge the norm in their laid-back interactions; charismatic live experience cherished as much by the band as it is by their spectators.

Reciprocity at its finest.

Written by: Natalie Hoy Photographed by: Jade Kenny

[schmidtchristmasmarket]

If you are one of those people who will settle in this evening with a hot cup of apple cider to watch a holiday movie, you are not alone. Holiday movies have become firmly embedded in Americans’ winter celebrations.

The New York Times reports a massive increase in new holiday movies this year. Disney, Netflix, Lifetime and Hallmark are now in direct competition for viewers’ attention, with both new releases and reruns of the classics.

Holiday movies are so popular not simply because they are “escapes,” as my research on the relation between religion and cinema argues. Rather, these films offer viewers a glimpse into the world as it is could be.

Christmas movies as reflection

This is particularly true with Christmas movies.

In his 2016 book “Christmas as Religion,” the religious studies scholar Christopher Deacy states that Christmas movies act as a “barometer of how we might want to live and how we might see and measure ourselves.”

These movies offer a variety of portraits of everyday life while affirming ethical values and social mores along the way.

The 1946 classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” – about a man who longs to travel but remains stuck in his childhood town – represents visions of a community in which every citizen is a vital component.

Another movie commonly replayed this time of year is 2005’s “The Family Stone” which portrays the clashes of a mostly average family but shows viewers that quarrels can be worked through and harmony is possible.

The 2003 British holiday film “Love Actually,” which follows the lives of eight couples in London, brings to viewers the perennial theme of romance and the trials of relationships.

Movie watching as ritual practice

As holiday movies bring viewers into a fictional world, people are able to work through their own fears and desires about self-worth and relationships. Such movies can provide solace, reaffirmation and sometimes even courage to continue working through difficult situations. The movies offer hope in believing it all might turn out alright in the end.

When people see some part of their own lives unfold on screen, the act of viewing operates in a fashion that’s strikingly similar to how a religious ritual works.

As anthropologist Bobby Alexander explains, rituals are actions that transform people’s everyday lives. Rituals can open up “ordinary life to ultimate reality or some transcendent being or force,” he writes in the collection “Anthropology of Religion.”

For example, for Jews and Christians, ritually observing the Sabbath day by sharing meals with family and not working connects them with the creation of the world. Prayer rituals in the Muslim, Christian and Jewish traditions connect those praying with their God, as well as with their fellow believers.

Holiday movies do something similar, except that the “transcendent force” they make viewers feel is not about God or another supreme being. Instead, this force is more secular: It’s the power of family, true love, the meaning of home or the reconciliation of relationships.

Movies create an idealized world

Take the case of the 1942 musical “Holiday Inn.” It was one of the first movies – after the silent era’s various versions of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” – where the plot used Christmas as a backdrop, telling the story of a group of entertainers who have gathered at a country inn.

In reality, it was a deeply secular film about romantic interests, couched in a desire to sing and dance. When it was released, the United States had been fully involved in the World War II for a year and national spirits were not high.

The movie hasn’t endured as a classic. But Bing Crosby’s song “White Christmas,” which appeared in it, quickly became etched in the holiday consciousness of many Americans, and a 1954 film called “White Christmas” became better known.

As historian Penne Restad puts it in her 1995 book “Christmas in America,” Crosby’s crooning offers the “quintessential expression” of the holidays, a world which “has no dark side” – one in which “war is forgotten.”

In subsequent Christmas movies, the main plots have not been set in the context of war, yet there is nonetheless often a battle: that of overcoming a materialistic, gift-buying and gift-giving kind of holiday.

Movies like “Jingle all the Way,” “Deck the Halls” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” center around the idea that the true meaning of Christmas is not in rampant consumerism but in goodwill and family love.

Dr. Seuss’s famously grouchy Grinch thinks he can ruin Christmas by taking all the gifts away. But as the people gather together, giftless, they join hands and sing while the narrator tells viewers, “Christmas came anyway.”

“All’s right with the world”

Though Christmas is a Christian holiday, most holiday films are not religious in the traditional sense. There is hardly ever a mention of Jesus or the biblical setting of his birth.

As media studies scholar John Mundy writes in a 2008 essay, “Christmas and the Movies,” “Hollywood movies continue to construct Christmas as an alternative reality.”

These movies create on-screen worlds that kindle positive emotions while offering a few laughs.

“A Christmas Story,” from 1983, waxes nostalgic for childhood holidays when life seemed simpler and the desire for a Red Ryder air rifle was the most important thing in the world. The plot of 2003’s “Elf” centers on the quest to reunite with a lost father.

In the end, as the narrator says late in “A Christmas Story” – after the family has overcome a serious of risible mishaps, the presents have been unwrapped and they’ve gathered for Christmas goose – these are times when “all’s right with the world.”

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