#april stevens icons

[jbaileyfansite]

Interview with Entertainment Tonight (2024)

Welcome to Jurassic Park, Jonathan Bailey. 

On Monday, the 36-year-old actor talked with ET from the season 3 premiere of Bridgerton in New Yorkand confirmed that he will soon be heading up Jurassic World 4, the latest installment in the beloved franchise which celebrated its 30th anniversary just last year. 

"I will be visiting Jurassic Park," Bailey shared exclusively with ET, jokingly adding, "I'm playing a dinosaur."

For the Fellow Travelers star, the new gig -- which comes from the mind of the original Jurassic Park writer David Koepp and Rogue One director Gareth Edwards -- is a full-circle moment as he shares that one of his earliest memories includes seeing the Steven Spielberg hit on the big screen when he was a kid. 

"I remember going with my family," he said. "It was the first cinema trip we all went on together. I've got three older sisters so I went when I was like 5."

As for plot details and confirmation on his cast members -- rumored to include Scarlett Johansson and The Lincoln Lawyer star Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, according to Deadline -- the actor kept tight-lipped, but shared that he is feeling ready to take up the mantle and carry on the cinematic legacy left by the previous cast.

"I am really excited," Bailey continued. "For so many of us, I know it's just like an iconic cinematic experience."

The confirmation comes just one day after he teased his involvement in the new project with a cheeky post on Instagram, complete with a photo of him on the Jurassic World water ride at Universal Studios Hollywood.

In the photo, Bailey is seen throwing up peace signs and wearing sunglasses during a visit to the theme park from over a month ago as the photo is timestamped on April 9. He also included a video of a glass of water on a table shaking, a reference to scenes from the original film.

"Hold onto your butts. 🦕," the actor wrote in the caption. 

The last film in the franchise, Jurassic World: Dominion, debuted in June 2022 and starred Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard and DeWanda Wise, as well as the original Jurassic Park crew including Laura Dern, Sam Neill and Bailey's Wicked co-star, Jeff Goldblum. Deadline reports that none of the reboot actors are expected to return for the fourth installment in the franchise. 

Bailey is having a hot year after the release of Fellow Travelers -- which scored him a Critics Choice Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries -- his casting in Netflix's Heartstopper, the forthcoming release of Bridgerton season 3 and his starring role as Fiyero in Wicked alongside Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. 

He stayed similarly quiet on the film adaptation of the Broadway hit, which releases in theaters on Nov. 27, joking with ET that he shows anyone who asks the final cut, including his on-screen family members and friends in Bridgerton. 

"Yeah, I show everyone the whole film," he quipped. "I don't -- I haven't seen it." 

Source

[jocia92]

Dan Stevens in an exclusive interview (Google translated)

Hollywood star Dan Stevens can currently be seen in the blockbuster “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” in cinemas. The film is currently topping the box office charts and is number one worldwide. We met the charismatic actor in Los Angeles and talked to him about his current film, his next two projects and his choice of roles.

April 5, 2024 by Grace Maier

Can you share with us your first reaction when you were offered a role in Godzilla x Kong: The new empire? It's always a pleasure to work with the same people several times, but this time it was extra special as Adam Wingard, the director, is an old friend. I was also invited to play with an even older friend, Rebecca Hall, as well as Brian Tyree Henry, who I have known and admired for years. It felt like I was being asked to play with friends.

What was it like entering the universe of these iconic monsters? Did you have any ideas or expectations? It's a fun task to be asked to stretch one's imagination to the size of such cinematic titans! I've worked with CGI on an epic scale before, so it wasn't too foreign, and I was surprised at how many practical locations we had.

How did you prepare for your role in this blockbuster? Were there any unique challenges or exciting moments during filming? It was really exciting to shoot in the Australian outback, in the Daintree rainforest - this incredible ancient jungle. That sense of adventure on the way to work every day, passing crocodiles along the river banks, waiting for pythons to be removed from the set, really fueled the mood for the Hollow Earth walk in the film.

“Godzilla x Kong: The new empire” promises to be an epic clash. Without giving too much away, can you give us a hint as to how your character fits into the plot? Trapper is initially brought in to help Kong with his toothache - he is a vet for all Titan creatures - and is then approached by Rebecca Hall's character, Dr. Andrews, invited to the mission. He's a kind of happy, carefree Han Solo type, good to have around, tirelessly optimistic and impressed by little.

The film contains a lot of CGI and visual effects. What was your experience like acting in such an environment and how did it differ from previous roles? I've worked with this type of thing before so it wasn't too scary. I actually really enjoy working with a VFX team and helping to create something using our entire collective imagination. It's truly incredible to see what they achieve long after you've left the process.

Were you a fan of the Godzilla or Kong films before joining this project? How does it feel to be part of their legacy? I feel like I've known these characters my whole life: they are such an integral part of cinema history. I've loved seeing them in all their different iterations over the years and of course being asked to perform alongside them - and even fix their teeth - is a huge honor!

The film will have some intense action scenes. Can you describe one of your most memorable moments while filming these scenes? While it's not the most intense scene, the way my character is introduced - rappelling from a floating vehicle into Kong's mouth to perform large-scale dental work - was one of the more exciting stunts I had to do!

How do you think fans of the franchise will react to Godzilla x Kong: The new empire? What can they look forward to most? I want them to enjoy the ride! You'll see things you've never seen before and meet some fantastic new creatures and characters, but also maybe some familiar fan favorites...

You also have the film "ABIGAIL" coming out in April. Can you tell us a little about filming and what audiences can expect? This is a completely different kind of thrill! Essentially, it's a vampire ballerina heist movie - you know the kind - directed by the Radio Silence guys, Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, who specialize in a particularly wacky brand of horror-comedy that I love .

“CUCKOO” will also be released in the summer. What particularly interested you about this film? Tilman Singer, the director, is a truly exciting new voice in cinema - he has a very distinctive style that is so captivating and artfully disturbing. I was also very curious to work with Hunter Schafer, the lead actress of Cuckoo, who is such a bright and brilliant artistic soul.

Your career is so dynamic. How do you go about choosing a role? I crave variety, challenge and surprise, so I'm often guided by the search for those things, but it can also be a certain quality in the writing, a desire to work with certain directors or actors. It's different every time!

[imsovoguesblog]

New Cover Alert ⚠️

Miss Kelly Rowland for Galore April "The Iconic" Issue

📷: Shot by Steven Gomillion styled by Wilford Lenov

[thisisyourdriverspeaking]

It's the most iconic race in the world so it's deserved it's own post & playlist. I give you the all the drivers in the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans racing tunes. Enjoy (even though this post is a little late). 😊

John Hartshorne (18th April 1957) - Malcolm Vaughan - The World Is Mine

Thomas Flohr (17th March 1960) - Bert Weedon - Big Beat Boogie

Claudio Schiavoni (14th November 1960) - Brenda Lee - I Want To Be Wanted

Satoshi Hoshino (7th April 1961) - Nat 'King' Cole - The World In My Arms

Johnny Laursen (16th February 1964) - Cliff Richard - Don't Talk To Him

George Kurtz (5th May 1965) - Pretty Things - Honey I Need

Hiroshi Koizumi (25th May 1969) - Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine

Takeshi Kimura (22nd October 1970) - Tom Jones - I (Who Have Nothing)

Ben Keating (18th August 1971) - Gilbert O'Sullivan - We Will

John Falb (13th December 1971) - The Who - Let's See Action

Alexander Mattschull (2nd March 1972) - The Partridge Family - It's One Of Those Nights

Michael Wainwright (25th July 1973) - Stevie Wonder - You Are The Sunshine Of My Life

Rodrigo Sales (2nd November 1973) - Rod Stewart - Oh No Not My Baby

Ian James (22nd July 1974) - Main Ingredient - Just Don't Want To Be Lonely

Naveen Rao (21st May 1975) - Billy Swan - Don't Be Cruel

Giacomo Petrobelli (7th November 1975) - George Harrison - You

Hiroshi Hamaguchi (1st October 1976) - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - Tears Of A Clown

Francois Perrodo (14th February 1977) - Fleetwood Mac - Go Your Own Way

Valentino Rossi (16th February 1979) - The Pretenders - Stop Your Sobbing

Sebastien Bourdais (28th February 1979) - Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Oliver's Army

Brendan Iribe (12th August 1979) - David Bowie - DJ

David Heinemeier Hansson (15th October 1979) - Secret Affair - Time For Action

Jenson Button (19th January 1980) - Rupert Holmes - Escape (The Pina Colada Song)

Scott Dixon (22nd July 1980) - Leo Sayer - More Than I Can Say

Ryan Hardwick (3rd October 1980) - Gladys Knight & The Pips - Taste Of Bitter Love

Frederic Makowiecki (22nd November 1980) - David Bowie - Fashion

Ahmad Al Harthy (31st August 1981) - Central Line - Walking Into Sunshine

Patrick Pilet (8th October 1981) - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Souvenir

Andre Lotterer (19th November 1981) - The Four Tops - When She Was My Girl

Loic Duval (12th June 1982) - Danger Danger - Comin' Home

Jose Maria Lopez (26th April 1983) - Eurthymics - Love Is A Stranger

P.J Hyett (10th August 1983) - Shakin' Stevens - It's Late

Augusto Farfus (3rd September 1983) - Paul Young - Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)

Francois Heriau (25th October 1983) - Hot Streak - Body Work

Neel Jani (8th December 1983) - Robert Plant - In The Mood

Richard Lietz (17th December 1983) - Ann Breen - Pal Of My Cradle Days

Alessandro Pier Guidi (18th December 1983) - Black Lace - Superman

Oliver Jarvis (9th January 1984) - Lionel Richie - Running With The Night

James Cottingham (21st January 1984) - Pat Benatar - Love Is A Battlefield

Daniel Serra (24th February 1984) - Bourgie Bourgie - Breaking Point

Franck Perara (21st March 1984) - World Famous Supreme Team - Hey DJ

Nicolas Lapierre (2nd April 1984) - Rockwell - Somebody's Watching Me

Arnold Robin (7th October 1984) - Orange Juice - Lean Period

Matteo Cressoni (28th October 1984) - Tracey Ullman - Helpless

Nick Tandy (5th November 1984) - Paul McCartney - No More Lonely Nights

Robert Kubica (7th December 1984) - Meat Loaf - Nowhere Fast

Ben Hanley (22nd January 1985) - Bronski Beat - It Ain't Necessarily So

Filipe Albuquerque (13th June 1985) - Bruce Springsteen - Born In The USA

Salih Yoluc (22nd August 1985) - Maria Vidal - Body Rock

Renger Van Der Zande (16th February 1986) - The Damned - Eloise

Rahel Frey (23rd February 1986) - Madonna - Dress You Up

Maxime Martin (20th March 1986) - Dee C Lee - Come Hell Or Waters High

Paul Di Resta (16th April 1986) - Simple Minds - Sanctify Yourself

Romain Grosjean (17th April 1986) - Jim Diamond - Hi Ho Silver

Mathias Beche (28th June 1986) - Madonna - Live To Tell

Davide Rigon (26th August 1986) - Pam Hall - Dear Boopsie

Kamui Kobayashi (13th September 1986) - Modern Talking - Brother Louie

Rene Rast (26th October 1986) - Marti Webb & The Simon May Orchestra - Always There

Edoardo Mortara (12th January 1987) - Mick Karn - Buoy

Francesco Castellacci (4th April 1987) - Lionel Richie - Se La

Alex Malykhin (17th August 1987) - Total Contrast - Jody

Tom Van Rompuy (8th September 1987) - Marshall Hain - Dancin' In The City

Darren Leung (25th September 1987) - ABC - The Night You Murdered Love

Jean-Karl Vernay (31st October 1987) - Rick Astley - Whenever You Need Somebody

Nicky Catsburg (15th February 1988) - The Cure - Hot Hot Hot

Paul Lafarque (8th July 1988) - Natalie Cole - Everlasting

Daniel Mancinelli (23rd July 1988) - Maxi Priest - Wild World

Colin Braun (22nd September 1988) - The Beatmasters & PP Arnold - Burn It Up

Kevin Estre (28th October 1988) - Bobby McFerrin - Don't Worry By Happy

Sebastien Buemi (31st October 1988) - Robert Palmer - She Makes My Day

Miguel Molina (17th February 1989) - Big Country - Peace In Our Time

Sarah Bovy (15th May 1989) - Royal House ft Ian Star - A Better Way

Christopher Mies (24th May 1989) - Swing Out Sister - You On My Mind

James Calado (13th June 1989) - Robert Palmer - Change His Ways

Matt Bell (5th November 1989) - Erasure - Drama!

Marco Wittmann (24th November 1989) - D Mob Introducing Cathy Dennis - C'mon And Get My Love

Brendon Hartley (10th November 1989) - Phil Collins - Another Day In Paradise

Mirko Bortolotti (10th January 1990) - Inner City - Whatcha Gonna Do With My Lovin'

Andrea Caldarelli (14th February 1990) - The Beloved - Hello

Stephane Richelmi (17th March 1990) - David A Stewart ft Candy Dulfer - Lily Was Here

Ollie Millroy (21st April 1990) - Lloyd Cole - Don't Look Back

Jean-Eric Vergne (25th April 1990) - MC Duke - The Final Conflict

Earl Bamber (9th July 1990) - Luciano Pavarotti - Nessun Dorma

Michael Christensen (28th August 1990) - DNA ft Suzanne Vega - Tom's Diner

Marco Sorensen (6th September 1990) - Happy Mondays - Step On

Matthias Kaiser (22nd January 1991) - Alexander O'Neal - All True Man

Jack Hawksworth (28th February 1991) - Patsy Cline - I Fall To Pieces

Ryan Cullen (26th March 1991) - The Bee Gees - Secret Love

Ben Barker (23rd April 1991) - Inspiral Carpets - Caravan

Daniel Juncadella (7th May 1991) - Pet Shop Boys - Where The Streets Have No Name

Laurens Vanthoor (8th May 1991) - Vic Reeves & The Roman Numerals - Born Free

Jordan Taylor (10th May 1991) - K-Klass - Rhythm Is A Mystery

Will Stevens (28th June 1991) - Divinyls - I Touch Myself

Klaus Bachler (27th July 1991) - Amy Grant - Baby Baby

Robin Frijns (7th August 1991) - Voice Of The Beehive - Monsters And Angels

Jakub Smiechowski (11th October 1991) - Gloria Estefan - Live For Loving You

Paul-Loup Chatin (19th October 1991) - Oleta Adams - Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me

Harry Tincknell (29th October 1991) - Public Enemy - Can't Truss It

Nicolas Costa (14th November 1991) - Love And Money - Winter

Rene Binder (1st January 1992) - James - Sound

Nico Muller (25th February 1992) - Texas - Alone With You

Stoffel Vandoorne (26th March 1992) - The Charlatans - Weirdo

Zacharie Robichon (31st May 1992) - Michael Jackson - In The Closet

Norman Nato (8th July 1992) - KWS - Please Don't Go

Felipe Nasr (21st August 1992) - Luther Vandross & Janet Jackson - The Best Things In Life Are Free

Alex Lynn (17th September 1993) - Pet Shop Boys - Go West

Pipo Derani (12th October 1993) - Salt-N-Pepa - Shoop

Antonio Giovinazzi (14th December 1993) - Brian May - Last Horizon

Michelle Gatting (31st December 1993) - Belinda Carlisle - Lay Down Your Arms

Alex Riberas (27th January 1994) - Peabo Bryson & Regina Belle - A Whole New World

Ryo Hirakawa (7th March 1994) - Morrissey - The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get

Giorgio Roda (18th March 1994) - Urban Cookie Collective - Sail Away

Daniil Kvyat (26th April 1994) - Roxette - Sleeping In My Car

Mathieu Jaminet (24th October 1994) - Take That - Sure

Matthieu Vaxiviere (3rd December 1994) - Sophie B Hawkins - Don't Don't Tell Me No

Raffaele Marciello (17th December 1994) - PJ & Duncan - Eternal Love

Mikkel Jensen (31st December 1994) - Pearl Jam - Spin The Black Circle

Nyck De Vries (6th February 1995) - M People - Open Your Heart

Matt Campbell (17th February 1995) - MN8 - I've Got A Little Something For You

Alessio Rovera (22nd June 1995) - Pizzaman - Sex On The Streets

Charlie Eastwood (11th August 1995) - Oasis - Some Might Say

Jack Aitken (23rd September 1995) - Vanessa Williams - Colours Of The Wind

Dennis Olsen (14th April 1996) - Oasis - Supersonic

Antonio Fuoco (20th May 1996) - Kavana - Crazy Chance

Matteo Cairoli (1st June 1996) - Gloria Estefan - Reach

Kelvin Van Der Linde (20th June 1996) - Blur - Charmless Man

James Allen (4th July 1996) - Gina G - Ooh Aah.. Just A Little Bit

Larry Ten Voorde (2nd November 1996) - Los Del Rio - Macarena

Sean Gelael (1st November 1996) - Huff & Puff - Help Me Make It

Ben Barnicoat (20th December 1996) - Phil Collins - Dance Into The Light

Mikkel O.Pedersen (26th January 1997) - The Prodigy - Poison

Nicklas Nielsen (6th February 1997) - Kavana - I Can Make You Feel Good

Ben Tuck (3rd March 1997) - Space - Dark Clouds

Alex Palou (1st April 1997) - Spice Girls - Who Do You Think You Are

Louis Deletraz (22nd April 1997) - Michelle Gayle - Sensational

Ferdinand Habsburg (20th June 1997) - Sneaker Pimps - Six Underground

Laurents Horr (11th September 1997) - Refugee Allstars & Lauryn Hill - The Sweetest Thing

Frederik Schandorff (26th December 1997) - Course - Best Love

Dries Vanthoor (20th April 1998) - Ultra - Say You Do

Erwan Bastard (9th June 1998) - Solid Harmonie - I Want You To Want Me

Job Van Uitert (10th October 1998) - Ultra - The Right Time

Callum Ilott (11th November 1998) - Culture Club - I Just Wanna Be Loved

Mick Schumacher (22nd March 1999) - Men Of Vizion - Do You Feel Me? (Freak You)

Marino Sato (12th May 1999) - Melky Sedeck - Raw

Sheldon Van Der Linde (13th May 1999) - Busta Rhymes ft Janet Jackson - What's It Gonna Be?

Fabio Scherer (13th June 1999) - Bjork - All Is Full Of Love

Riccardo Pera (4th July 1999) - Salt Tank - Dimension

Julien Andlauer (5th July 1999) - Luscious Jackson - Ladyfingers

Phil Hanson (5th July 1999) - Tina Cousins - Forever

Ritomo Miyata (10th August 1999) - Lolly - Viva La Radio

Robert Shwartzman (16th September 1999) - Paul Johnson - Get Get Down

Bent Viscaal (18th September 1999) - Supergrass - Moving

Rui Andrade (23rd September 1999) - Lauryn Hill - Everything Is Everything

Gregoire Saucy (26th December 1999) - Holly Johnson - The Power Of Love

Scott Huffaker (28th December 1999) - Leann Rimes - Crazy

Felipe Drugovich (23rd May 2000) - Mel C & Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes - Never Be The Same Again

Timur Boguslavskiy (30th April 2000) - Andreas Johnson - Glorious

Yifei Ye (16th June 2000) - Peter Lazonby - Sacred Cycles

Sebastian Baud (6th July 2000) - Morgan - Flying High

Oliver Rasmussen (6th November 2000) - Texas - In Demand

Nicolas Varrone (6th November 2000) - Darude - Feel The Beat

Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer (19th November 2000) - Robbie Williams & Kylie Minogue - Kids

Clement Novalak (23rd December 2000) - Kandi - Don't Think I'm Not

Alex Quinn (29th December 2000) - Britney Spears - Stronger

Simon Mann (10th February 2001) - ATB ft York - The Fields Of Love

Roman De Angelis (15th February 2001) - Ash - Shining Light

Charles Milesi (4th March 2001) - Spooks - Things I've Seen

Joel Sturm (28th November 2001) - Dido - Hunter

Frederik Vesti (13th January 2002) - Westlife - Queen Of My Heart

Olli Caldwell (11th June 2002) - Sugababes - Freak Like Me

Bijoy Garg (15th July 2002) - The Prodigy - Baby's Got A Temper

Antonio Serravalle (18th September 2002) - Nore - Nothin'

Reshad De Gerus (1st July 2003) - Flaming Lips - Fight Test

Malthe Jakobsen (29th October 2003) - Sheryl Crow - The First Cut Is The Deepest

Carl Bennett (2nd September 2004) - Stonebridge ft Therese - Put Em High

Esteban Masson (18th September 2004) - Easyworld - How Did It Ever Come To This

Nico Pino (21st September 2004) - Kylie Minogue - Slow

Kyffin Simpson (9th October 2004) - The 411 - Dumb

Nolan Siegel (8th November 2004) - Kaiser Chiefs - I Predict A Riot

Lorenzo Fluxa (23rd November 2004) - Daniel Bedingfield - Nothing Hurts Like Love

Jonas Ried (18th December 2004) - Natasha Bedingfield - Unwritten

Vladislav Lomko (27th December 2004) - Electric Six - Radio Gaga

Morris Schuring (20th February 2005) - Keane - Bedshaped

Maceo Capietto (12th January 2006) - James Blunt - Goodbye My Lover

Conrad Laursen (11th May 2006) - Beyonce ft Slim Thug - Check On It

And here is the link to the playlist 😊

[bitter69uk]

Born on this day: decadent and charismatic German-Italian actress, model, scene-maker, style icon, “Lady Rolling Stone” and ultimate rock chick Anita Pallenberg (6 April 1942 – 13 June 2017). Pallenberg was an alluring occasional presence in art-y bohemian nightlife in early 1990s London. I recall her DJ’ing at the Horse Hospital once, and coming face to face with her when I opened the bathroom door (“I always need to pee!” she cackled). But before that, buried in the listings of Time Out magazine (in the pre-internet days when it was a dense essential bible that we all relied on), I read about a screening of Pallenberg’s old home movies in East London. It announced she would be present, possibly hosting or emceeing. The venue was a palatial industrial loft in Shoreditch (possibly someone’s apartment), just before gentrification went full tilt boogie there. I sat alone in the back and overheard people conferring that a vintage Cadillac had been dispatched to collect Anita. She arrived late and alone - and sat next to me! Pallenberg – looking just like she did in that 1995 Calvin Klein ad by Steven Meisel with that other ravaged countercultural survivor Joe Dallesandro – radiated elegantly ruined glamour. I never got to meet Nico, but this was a very respectable equivalent. We made small talk. As Pallenberg’s friend Marianne Faithfull describes in her autobiography, “She spoke in a baffling dada hipsterese. An outlandish Italo-German-Cockney slang that mangled her syntax into surreal fragments.” Pallenberg glugged red wine and chain-smoked throughout (there’s a theory she was one of the inspirations for Patsy Stone in Absolutely Fabulous). She also kept up a running commentary on what was happening onscreen (mostly images of herself – clad in Ossie Clark and vintage finery – and Keith Richards in the late sixties cavorting on their jet-set travels). At one point, things turned intimate – a seemingly post-coital Anita and Keef canoodling in bed together. The camera zoomed in on her naked breast. “That’s my neeeple,” she declared in her gravelly Marlene Dietrich voice. I can’t wait to see the upcoming documentary Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg. Portrait of Pallenberg by Michael Cooper, 1967.

[rebeccalouisaferguson]

EXCLUSIVE: Dune and Mission: Impossible star Rebecca Ferguson has joined the cast of Netflix’s upcoming Peaky Blinders movie. Ferguson is the first high-profile name set opposite the previously announced Cillian Murphy. Details about Ferguson’s role are being kept under wraps.

As Deadline reported exclusively last month, Netflix has greenlighted a Peakyfeature that will see Oscar winner Murphy in a return to the iconic role of Tommy Shelby, leader of the eponymous Birmingham gangster family. 

Tom Harper is directing from a script by Peaky creator Steven Knight. Producers are Caryn Mandabach, Knight, Murphy and Guy Heeley. Exec producers include Harper, David Kosse, Jamie Glazebrook, Andrew Warren and David Mason. The feature will be made in association with BBC Film. 

Plot details are being kept close to the vest, but Knight told Deadline in April that a movie story would be set during World War II. Production is expected to begin this year.

[homenecromancer]

This post is not what I wanted it to be when I set out to write it. It just sort of peters out where I got bored, although I tried to tie things up a little at the end.

But did you know that you can connect 9/11, Mothman, and Maximum Ride?

I wrote most of this post in 2021 and will probably not ever get around to really finishing it, because dumpster-diving the conspiracy theory Internet is depressing. Also, while I sometimes enjoy reading about Mothman or other cryptids, I am not here to write an investigation of how cryptid lore spreads and mutates on the internet. Which is where things were increasingly going, the longer I worked on this post.

A previous edition of this post linked to archived versions of the conspiracy websites I mention below. In this edited version, I've almost entirely moved to using screenshots, in order to avoid having my blog be a couple clicks away from upsetting, bigoted content. So this post is a little long.

This is a post about Maximum Ride. But it's also about the weird world of conspiracy theory websites in the 2000s.

Let's start with a brief note about James Patterson. Before he retired in 1996 and began to devote himself full-time to writing, he worked in advertising. He's used those skills in interesting ways over the years: in 1993, his first big book, Along Came a Spider, was promoted on television, when that was essentially unheard of for a book. I encourage you to read this article for a closer look into Patterson's general approach to writing.

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment was Patterson's first young adult book, released in April 2005. What's important for you to know, if you don't already, is that it's about a group of children with wings. It was also heavily advertised.

Part of the marketing for the book was undertaken by a firm called the Concept Farm. They created a lot of stuff, but today we're interested in one specific thing: this website.

The site is kind of a riff on a type of site that existed then and exists now: “this weird cryptid is definitely real and I totally saw it”. In this case, the cryptid is the main characters. Believe me, we’ll circle back to this topic, so if you’re not familiar with this kind of website, don’t worry.

There’s not a whole lot to the site, so I’ll direct you right to the page I want to discuss. 

Get a good look at this photo.

Don’t worry, you’ll be seeing it again.

Now look at the right side of the site. You see those links? Just take a minute and appreciate that list. A couple of them are just someone’s Angelfire (free web hosting) site. We’ll be seeing Above Top Secret later on, but the other sites aren’t of special interest to us today.

wingkidsarereal is the earliest appearance of this image I was able to find. I didn’t look all that hard, but still -- it’s visible in a July 9th, 2005 archive of the site. This is before any other usage I was able to find, but I don't think that says anything more than "it's hard to find websites from 20 years ago". I suspect, but cannot prove, that this image was probably circulated via email forwards prior to appearing on the archived pages I was able to turn up -- and email forwards, naturally, don't show up on the Internet Archive.

Let’s take a quick tour of the conspiracy theory internet, and see where else this image shows up.

s8int.com is a real time capsule -- it’s a young-earth creationist conspiracy theory site. Here we find our image in November 2005. This is the uncropped version which preserves Steven Moran’s watermark at the bottom left corner. For the most part, when you see the image getting passed around, it’s been cropped to remove this watermark.

The overall look of this site is extremely archetypal of 2000s conspiracy theory internet. By today’s standards the formatting is relatively plain -- all the flavor is in the text. Not visible in this screenshot: a generally simple design with a big banner image at the top, and a row of icons for other pages along the left side of the screen. This is the general look that the designers of wingkidsarereal are imitating with their site.

s8int believe this photo shows a pterodactyl near the World Trade Center. At this point in time, the later consensus (which we will get to later) had not yet gelled.

This is also the first place we see a bit of text that pops up a few times later -- the alleged description by the photographer, Moran. I haven’t been able to track this text any further back in time than this page, but it makes sense to me that it would’ve been passed around as a chain email before its appearance here. It’s also possible that the person who wrote this text sent it in to s8int themselves, and that it became a chain email later on.

Worth noting: s8int also have the highest-resolution version of this image I’ve seen, which you can view here.

Next, in February 2006, the wonderfully trustworthy-sounding mothman.us is on the case… they think it’s Mothman. This website has a slightly more sophisticated, modern look than s8int.

In October 2006, a small-scale Blogspot blog made a post that also uses the Moran image. The formatting is actually too bad to screencap, so here's the text of the whole entry:

Spooky Story Four: The Mothman Returneth Last year, I did a spooky post on The Mothman. It's probably one of my best scary stories, and I get a lot of hits from people Googling The Mothman everyday. You can find my original post HERE. The question now is...have there been other Mothman sites lately? For those too lazy to read my first post, and for those who need a refresher, The Mothman is a winged creature, standing about 7 feet tall, and has bright red eyes. There were literally hundreds and hundreds of reports of encounters and sightings with this flying thing near Point Pleasant, West Virginia from 1966 - 1967. The reports made national news, as Mothman sightings kept coming in, along with sightings of UFOs all over the place. It is here in Point Pleasant where the infamous Men in Black first made their public appearance as well. Townspeople also reported that they were having psychic visions and dreams. Basically, it was a weird time for Mount Pleasant that eventually ended in disaster. The Silver Bridge collapsed on December 15, killing 46 people. And immediately after, sightings of The Mothman abruptly came to a hault. Since 1967, there have been worldwide reports of this Mothman appearing prior to major disasters: * People reported seeing the Mothman just days before the Mexico City earthquake in 1985. * There have been many interviews in Chernobyl from those that said they saw a winged man-creature, right before the nuclear reactor disaster in 1986. * Minutes after the Twin Towers' destruction on September 11th, 2001, observers reported seeing "winged, flying men" flying near both towers. The picture (at left and right) shows that the flying creature is much too big to be any kind of bird. * Newspapers in Tbilissi, Georgia wrote about how some guy said he got information from a "winged phantom" concerning the Church of St. David being in danger. Soon thereafter, there was a major earthquake striking Tbilissi on April 25, 2002. The church suffered massive damage. * Months after the Tbilissi quake, Chinese citizens reported seeing The Mothman. Shortly after reporters published their stories, a Chinese MD-82 in the northeastern part of China. There were further reports from people saying they knew the plane was going to crash because of information given to them by "a man that looked like a moth." * There are reports all over the world, even in Afghanistan and Iraq. So what is The Mothman and why does it seem to follow major disasters? Is it trying to warn us of impending doom? Or is there something sinister involved? Or perhaps, it's simply the human imagination trying to cope with tragedy. Although the tragedy of Mount Pleasant was 40 years ago, it seems the myth of The Mothman is still one that captures our attention and our imagination. Whatever you believe, catch Sci Fi investigates this Wednesday night, as the crew goes to Mount Pleasant, WV to investigate The Mothman (Sci Fi Channel). I was in Charleston, WV this summer and no one would take me on the hour drive to Mount Pleasant. As one local resident told me, "For us, it's all very realToo real." For those that live in the area, The Mothman represents a very scary and uncertain time in their town's history.

Let’s wrap up in February 2007 with an Above Top Secret thread.

Above Top Secret is a general conspiracy theory discussion forum, so getting a clear consensus on something is rare. This thread is no exception, and it’s not good reading. But forum member Raist did eventually go the extra mile to win an argument they were having, and emailed the photographer, Steven Moran.

…It was the wrong guy. This Moran did give his opinion of the photo – he thinks it’s a bird. Also, I must note: this screencap is from a 2015 archived version of the site -- in 2007, Above Top Secret had a black background with greenish text, and was much more like the other conspiracy sites I've shown in this post.

This is where I chose to stop poking around with all this stuff. Not because men in black suits showed up at my door, but because I just sort of lost interest. I had seen what I was interested in seeing: a widely-circulated photograph made the successful jump from "this photo of a recent event is crazy -- is it an angel? A demon? A pigeon?" to "this photo is part of conspiracy theory 'canon' and is definitely Mothman".

Along the way, it crossed through the small portion of the internet that I was reading in the mid-2000s. I'll pause to speculate on how I think it got there: someone working on wingkidsarereal needed some images to use for the site, and happened to see the Moran image somewhere. I don't think it's any deeper than that.

The Mothman angle was what dragged me into scrolling through these old conspiracy websites, because it seemed so odd to me. Worth mentioning: it is my opinion that The Mothman Prophecies, which came out in 2002, helped give Mothman a boost out of the world of weird nerds who like talking about cryptids and toward the mainstream, or at least toward people who had not yet heard about this specific weird phenomenon. (Here's a brief little 2001 IGN article I found, explaining what Mothman even is. Which you don't need to do if everyone already knows.)

Canonically, Mothman appeared during a specific period in the late 1960s in a very specific area of West Virginia, then was never seen again. But he just keeps showing up, "canonical" or not -- people really, really want to see Mothman, in the same way they want to see Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster. Seeing Mothman is cool, and gives you a link to a pre-existing bank of cryptid sightings. You're not just a person who saw something weird. You're a person who saw a known thing that's linked to a global pattern of sightings.

And so, now Mothman is no longer limited to Point Pleasant, West Virginia in 1966 - 1967. Mothman is in Mexico City in 1985. Mothman is in Ukraine in 1986. Mothman is in New York City in 2001.

Mothman... is in our hearts.

[thenightling]

Queer Horror

It's pride month so here is a (NOT complete) list of horror icons real and fictional who are of the LGBTQAI+ community. Writers / directors / Actors Oscar Wilde Clive Barker Caitlin R. Kiernan William Joseph Martin James Whale (director of Frankenstein) Ernest Thesiger (Doctor Pretorius in Bride of Frankenstein) Anthony Perkins Vincent Price David Geffen (producer of Interview with the vampire movie and Beetlejuice) Jonathan Frid (Dark Shadows) Louis Edmonds (Dark Shadows) Ed Wood Elvira (Casandra Peterson) Amanda Beares (Fright Night, 1985) Merritt Butrick (Fright Night Part 2) Roddy McDowall (Hell House, Fright Night, Fright Night: Part 2, and Carmilla) _________________________ Characters Mephisto (Faust, 1922) Countess Zeleska (Dracula's Daughter) Carmilla (The Vampire Lovers, 1970 and all film adapations of Carmilla) Louis, Lestat, Daniel Malloy, Armand (Interview with the vampire movie and show and The Vampire Chronicles book series) Claudia, Madeleine, Nicolas (Interview with the vampire TV series) Jerry Dandridge, Billy Cole, Peter Vincent, Evil Ed, and possibly Amy (Fright Night, original 1985 version) Regine and Belle (Fright Night part 2, 1988) Miriam Blaylock (The Hunger movie and novel by Whitley Streiber, along with its sequels) Marius (Queen of the damned movie and novels) Glen / Glenda (Seed of Chucky) Dracula (Marvel comics, Dario Argento's Dracula, Steven Moffat's Dracula, Frank Wildhorn's Dracula The musical) Alucard, Striga, Morana, (Castlevania) The Corinthian, Hal Carter, Wanda, Judy, Donna (Foxglove), Hazel, Alexander Burgess, Paul McGuire, Cluracaun, Mazikeen, Lucifer, Loki, Desire, Johanna Constantine, John Constantine, Rachel, Chantel, Zelda, Aristaeus the Satyr, Jim / Peggy, (Neil Gaiman's The Sandman) Echo, Ruin, Heather After (From Sandman spin-off comics) April Spink and Miriam Forcible (Coraline) Angela and Sera (Marvel comics) Sam Black Crow (American Gods) EVERYONE! - Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles EVERYONE! - Lost Girl (TV series)

Snow White (Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman) Dorian Gray, Lord Henry Wotton, and Basil Hallward (The Picture of Dorian Gray) Captain Shaekespeare (Stardust) Loki (all incarantions) John Constantine (All versions) Aziraphale and Crowley (Good Omens) Renfield (Original Dracula novel, speculated by scholars) Mephistopheles, Faust, and Satan - Dr. Faustus by Christopher Marlowe and Faust by Goethe. Carmilla and Laura (All versions of Carmilla) Eli and Oskar (Let the Right One In) Lily and The mermaid Queen (She-Creature, 2001 version) Radu (Dark Prince: The True Story of Dracula) Lexington (Disney's Gargoyles, not canon until the comics) Dorothy and Ruby AAK Red (Once Upon a Tme) Tara and Willow (Buffy The Vampire Slayer TV series) Lorne (Angel) Ethan, Dorian Gray, Angelique, and Professor Lyle (Penny Dreadful) Thelma Bates (Hex) Joe (Midnight Texas) Skully (Scary Godmother) Mitch (ParaNorman) Henry Fitzroy (Blood Ties) Thomas Jerome Newton (The Man who fell to Earth) Any Clive Barker character NOT confirmed to be straight is presumed LGBTQAI+. There are many, many more but my fingers are starting to ache and these are the ones I could think of off the top of my head.

[eddieredmayneargentinablog]

New! SPECIAL FEATURES Eddie Redmayne First Played the Cabaret's Emcee in School, Now He's Doing It on Broadway.

The actor is newly Tony nominated for his nihilistic take on the iconic character.

By TALAURA HARMS , Playbill, May 10th, 2024

📷 Heather Gershonowitz.

Eddie Redmayne is gathering tips. As the Tony and Oscar-winning actor was opening a Broadway musical this season, he was also trying to figure out the best ways to navigate New York City for the six months that he’ll be in the show. His wife and two young children have joined him from London. They’re currently looking for ways to spend summer in the city. And speaking of summer, Redmayne is concerned about keeping his voice in good working order in a city with more air conditioning than he’s accustomed to having.

“I’m accumulating a little handbook of ‘The Survivor’s Guide to Broadway,” Redmayne laughs. “I’m a passionate lover of New York, so any excuse to come here…I’m thrilled.”

The excuse—and it’s a pretty good one—is Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, which opened April 21 at the August Wilson Theatre. Redmayne reprises his role as The Emcee in the revival of the classic John Kander, Fred Ebb, and Joe Masteroff musical. Rebecca Fracknell directs the production, a West End transfer that won seven 2022 Olivier Awards, including one for Redmayne’s performance. The production has been a hit in the London, where it is currently still running.

Redmayne is the only member of the West End cast, though, to transfer to Broadway with the production. He’s joined at the August Wilson by Gayle Rankin as Sally Bowles, Ato Blankson-Wood as Clifford Bradshaw, Bebe Neuwirth as Fraulein Schneider, and Steven Skybell as Herr Schultz. And both Rankin and Redmayne have been Tony nominated for their performances; the show picked up nine nominations total, including Best Revival of a Musical.

“It’s been such a unique experience because it’s been starting anew and fresh whilst at the same time, having this character sitting in my stomach and ruminating for three years now. And my journey, of the relationship with the character, has been one that stems from, oh gosh, almost 30 years now from when I first played it when I was a schoolboy,” says Redmayne. “There is great joy that comes from that—from each time getting to re-mine the character and re-look at it in a different context and with a different inspiration.”

When Playbill spoke with Redmayne, the company was still in rehearsals for the Broadway mounting. As part of his continuing exploration of the Emcee, the actor had just revisited one of his favorite New York museums, the Neue Galerie of German and Austrian art on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. 

“I was looking at some of the Schiele paintings there and reminding myself of how, when I first started looking into the idea of The Emcee, just having portfolios of Schiele prints everywhere. That was one of the ways in. It was a lovely moment to reconnect and reinspire in the museum.” It is easy to spot the influence of the Austrian Expressionist painter Egon Schiele in the angles of Redmayne’s body as he looks over a shoulder, crooks an arm, or snarls a bit, daring an audience to come a little closer.

The original source material for Cabaret is the 1939 Christopher Isherwood novel Goodbye to Berlin. It was inspired by his own life during the Weimar Republic when the freedom of the Jazz Age was clashing with the rise of Nazism and fascism. The Emcee, though, is not a character in the novel, nor in the play adaption I Am a Camera. He was created solely for Cabaret and does not exist in any of the scenes outside of the Kit Kat Club. The lack of story for The Emcee has allowed Redmayne to create a character almost entirely from scratch.

“He exists almost in abstraction for me. The character is almost like a Greek chorus. He’s sort of the Shakespearean fool. The court jester who then becomes the king,” says Redmayne. “He can assimilate and accumulate people from every walk of life and community, and can seemingly either celebrate or exploit that. As the world is becoming more homogenized and fascism is kicking in, he can shape-shift his way out of it, and he’s going to be just fine. He has the privilege of that. There’s a nihilism, ultimately, to my take on The Emcee that felt important. He’s not the victim. He's the perpetrator".

Cabaret first premiered on Broadway in 1966 and this production is the musical’s fourth revival. Except for the 1970s (when it was adapted for film starring Liza Minnelli), it has been on Broadway at some point in every decade since that first run. “There’s always been this relevance culturally, and that’s terrifying, because it basically sings as a warning to our incapacity to learn from our mistakes,” says Redmayne. “It’s about what happens when humanity is consumed by hate. And the idea of the creation of the other and the exploitation of the other to instill fear.”

Arguably, the musical’s draw has always also been as much about how it presents that message as the relevance of the message itself. The Kit Kat Club is seedy and seductive. It feels naughty…like you’re getting away with something you shouldn’t. And this new production pushes that element far beyond the footlights of a stage. Club, scenic, and costume designer Tom Scutt has reformed the August Wilson Theatre, creating spaces in the house and in the bar for a Prologue company to perform. Audiences are encouraged to arrive early to take in the music and dance cabaret acts prior to Cabaret.

Redmayne is reminded again of his museum visit: “When I was at the Neue Galerie, there was an exhibition on [Gustav] Klimt. This idea that this group of artists in Austria at the time, and then in Germany, were trying to create this world which was all-consuming. It wasn’t just the painting, it was also the specific space in the gallery…you were not just looking at the painting but the entire experience around it. I feel like that is, perhaps, the dream of what we’re trying to do. Once you leave the sidewalk and cross the threshold [into the theatre], you’re being taken on a journey that’s all encompassing.”

Boris Aronson’s original set design for the 1966 production of Cabaret featured a large mirror above the stage, tilted toward the audience so that they could see themselves reflected at both the beginning and end of the musical. Scutt has created a fully in-the-round stage at the Wilson. 

So while the audience is watching the action on stage, they will also be seeing other audience members’ reaction to the story. “There’s complicity in that,” says Redmayne. “We’re all there laughing and engaging in an evening of entertainment, but also seeing ourselves in some of the elements—the joyful qualities of humanity and the scarier qualities, too.”

[eddie-redmayne-italian-blog]

SPECIAL FEATURESEddie Redmayne First Played the Cabaret's Emcee in School, Now He's Doing It on Broadway

The actor is newly Tony nominated for his nihilistic take on the iconic character.

BY TALAURA HARMS MAY 10, 2024

Eddie Redmayne is gathering tips. As the Tony and Oscar-winning actor was opening a Broadway musical this season, he was also trying to figure out the best ways to navigate New York City for the six months that he’ll be in the show. His wife and two young children have joined him from London. They’re currently looking for ways to spend summer in the city. And speaking of summer, Redmayne is concerned about keeping his voice in good working order in a city with more air conditioning than he’s accustomed to having.

“I’m accumulating a little handbook of ‘The Survivor’s Guide to Broadway,” Redmayne laughs. “I’m a passionate lover of New York, so any excuse to come here…I’m thrilled.”

The excuse—and it’s a pretty good one—is Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, which opened April 21 at the August Wilson Theatre. Redmayne reprises his role as The Emcee in the revival of the classic John Kander, Fred Ebb, and Joe Masteroff musical. Rebecca Fracknell directs the production, a West End transfer that won seven 2022 Olivier Awards, including one for Redmayne’s performance. The production has been a hit in the London, where it is currently still running.

Redmayne is the only member of the West End cast, though, to transfer to Broadway with the production. He’s joined at the August Wilson by Gayle Rankin as Sally Bowles, Ato Blankson-Wood as Clifford Bradshaw, Bebe Neuwirth as Fraulein Schneider, and Steven Skybell as Herr Schultz. And both Rankin and Redmayne have been Tony nominated for their performances; the show picked up nine nominations total, including Best Revival of a Musical.

“It’s been such a unique experience because it’s been starting anew and fresh whilst at the same time, having this character sitting in my stomach and ruminating for three years now. And my journey, of the relationship with the character, has been one that stems from, oh gosh, almost 30 years now from when I first played it when I was a schoolboy,” says Redmayne. “There is great joy that comes from that—from each time getting to re-mine the character and re-look at it in a different context and with a different inspiration.”

When Playbill spoke with Redmayne, the company was still in rehearsals for the Broadway mounting. As part of his continuing exploration of the Emcee, the actor had just revisited one of his favorite New York museums, the Neue Galerie of German and Austrian art on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. 

“I was looking at some of the Schiele paintings there and reminding myself of how, when I first started looking into the idea of The Emcee, just having portfolios of Schiele prints everywhere. That was one of the ways in. It was a lovely moment to reconnect and reinspire in the museum.” It is easy to spot the influence of the Austrian Expressionist painter Egon Schiele in the angles of Redmayne’s body as he looks over a shoulder, crooks an arm, or snarls a bit, daring an audience to come a little closer.

The original source material for Cabaret is the 1939 Christopher Isherwood novel Goodbye to Berlin. It was inspired by his own life during the Weimar Republic when the freedom of the Jazz Age was clashing with the rise of Nazism and fascism. The Emcee, though, is not a character in the novel, nor in the play adaption I Am a Camera. He was created solely for Cabaret and does not exist in any of the scenes outside of the Kit Kat Club. The lack of story for The Emcee has allowed Redmayne to create a character almost entirely from scratch.

“He exists almost in abstraction for me. The character is almost like a Greek chorus. He’s sort of the Shakespearean fool. The court jester who then becomes the king,” says Redmayne. “He can assimilate and accumulate people from every walk of life and community, and can seemingly either celebrate or exploit that. As the world is becoming more homogenized and fascism is kicking in, he can shape-shift his way out of it, and he’s going to be just fine. He has the privilege of that. There’s a nihilism, ultimately, to my take on The Emcee that felt important. He’s not the victim. He's the perpetrator.”

Cabaret first premiered on Broadway in 1966 and this production is the musical’s fourth revival. Except for the 1970s (when it was adapted for film starring Liza Minnelli), it has been on Broadway at some point in every decade since that first run. “There’s always been this relevance culturally, and that’s terrifying, because it basically sings as a warning to our incapacity to learn from our mistakes,” says Redmayne. “It’s about what happens when humanity is consumed by hate. And the idea of the creation of the other and the exploitation of the other to instill fear.”

Arguably, the musical’s draw has always also been as much about how it presents that message as the relevance of the message itself. The Kit Kat Club is seedy and seductive. It feels naughty…like you’re getting away with something you shouldn’t. And this new production pushes that element far beyond the footlights of a stage. Club, scenic, and costume designer Tom Scutt has reformed the August Wilson Theatre, creating spaces in the house and in the bar for a Prologue company to perform. Audiences are encouraged to arrive early to take in the music and dance cabaret acts prior to Cabaret.

Redmayne is reminded again of his museum visit: “When I was at the Neue Galerie, there was an exhibition on [Gustav] Klimt. This idea that this group of artists in Austria at the time, and then in Germany, were trying to create this world which was all-consuming. It wasn’t just the painting, it was also the specific space in the gallery…you were not just looking at the painting but the entire experience around it. I feel like that is, perhaps, the dream of what we’re trying to do. Once you leave the sidewalk and cross the threshold [into the theatre], you’re being taken on a journey that’s all encompassing.”

Boris Aronson’s original set design for the 1966 production of Cabaret featured a large mirror above the stage, tilted toward the audience so that they could see themselves reflected at both the beginning and end of the musical. Scutt has created a fully in-the-round stage at the Wilson. 

So while the audience is watching the action on stage, they will also be seeing other audience members’ reaction to the story. “There’s complicity in that,” says Redmayne. “We’re all there laughing and engaging in an evening of entertainment, but also seeing ourselves in some of the elements—the joyful qualities of humanity and the scarier qualities, too.”

Photographer : Heather Gershonowitz

https://playbill.com/article/eddie-redmayne-first-played-the-cabarets-emcee-in-school-now-hes-doing-it-on-broadw

[beeclops]

Cartoon Network’s Website Was Deleted. That Should Scare You All.

Warner Bros. Discovery is deleting some of our most beloved movies and TV shows—and some may be gone forever.

The most remarkable feat that Warner Bros. Discovery CEO and president David Zaslav has accomplished this decade may be his rapid transformation from relatively little-known network executive to name-brand villain of the culture. For this, he can thank such disastrous high-profile decisions as stonewalling the striking writers and actors, crudely stereotyping his properties’ audiences, and tanking much-hyped movies that were all but ready for release—all of which reflected poorly and played out rather publicly.

Lest you be inclined to defend all this as just a hard-nosed boss making tough-but-fair decisions, consider that Zaslav continues to be very, very bad at making money and managing a media conglomerate—just ask the investors who depressed WBD’s stock value to a near-all-time-low valuation of $6.62 per share on Monday. Or look to the company’s loss of its long-held NBA broadcast rights to Amazon, the $9 billion write-down of its other TV assets, and its nonstop waves of steep layoffs. Or even its wildly unpopular move to shutter Cartoon Network’s iconic 26-year-old website, scrubbing an almost historical archive of clips, show episodes, and digital games in order to direct young viewers to sign up for the clunky streaming platform known these days as “Max.”

Nuking a kids’ network’s digital presence is hardly a sin on par with, say, killing Cartoon Network altogether, as was rumored to have occurred last month. Even though Zaslav didn’t go that far, it wasn’t unreasonable for so many to assume he had. Since April 2022, when he finalized the megamerger that fused his Discovery Communications juggernaut with WarnerMedia, Zaslav has repeatedly invited mass criticism for actively degrading and torching so many of the treasured creations that made his media empire such a highly valued asset.

First came the sudden cancellations of already-completed films like Batgirl and Coyote vs. Acme, then the secretive removal of dozens of HBO originals (e.g., Westworld, An American Pickle) from the HBO Max streaming service—which subsequently received an unholy intrusion of selected titles from Discovery+, the streamer that shuttered just so that HBO Max could just become Max.

Max kept shedding beloved entries from its historic catalog, including large chunks of Sesame Street and Looney Tunes. This continued into 2023 with the erasure of Cartoon Network and Adult Swim classics such as Dexter’s Laboratory and Space Ghost Coast to Coast, along other Max Originals like Game Theory With Bomani Jones, which was soon removed altogether. Later that same year, Zaslav’s mismanagement of the treasured Turner Classic Movies channel spurred Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and Paul Thomas Anderson to basically stage an intervention.

In fairness, many (though not all) Max Originals are either available on other services, on physical media, or via video on demand. Some other shows from WBD have been licensed to Netflix. Still, in light of CartoonNetwork.com’s demise, it’s worth keeping in mind something key about David Zaslav, who hasn’t made an effective turnaround in valuation or revenue after two straight years of nonstop cuts across all his properties, extending into last month’s CNN layoffs.

It’s worth taking stock of how many of your favorite shows, networks, catalogs, and films belong to Warner Bros. Discovery, because it weighs a ton. In addition to every entertainment behemoth already mentioned, the company once known as WarnerMedia brought TNT, the CW, and DC Comics to the WBD marriage. In turn, Discovery imported its namesake channel, Animal Planet, TLC, Food Network, HGTV, GolfTV, and the Oprah Winfrey Network, among many other names.

Unless you grew up without any electronic screens, you’ve likely seen at least a couple of shows and flicks from any or all of those brands. You probably have a meaningful attachment to those works and thus a vested interest in making sure they remain available so you can share those experiences with your friends and loved ones. If you’re of the nerdier variety, you view all this media as an invaluable resource of important cultural markers. Where would cinema and TV of all kinds—comic, prestige, edutainment, reality, talk, news—be without these rich treasures, and how much would our collective consciousness have suffered in their absence?

Zaslav should understand this better than anyone. He’s had a front-row seat to shifts in media consumption since the fall of communism. He also ushered some of those major changes into being through his role in helping to launch CNBC and MSNBC. He should know the importance of preservation better than anyone, having gauged early on how rapidly physical media was subsuming into pixelated microscreens, and how urgent it was to ensure his brands retain their recognition, familiarity, and quality in the midst of that transition. What better exhibition of that than a rich, thorough catalog made readily available to consumers via a streaming platform?

But this man, to put it gently, couldn’t give a flying fuck. Because, much like Paramount’s decimation of the online MTV and Comedy Central archives, Zaslav’s own butchering of the Cartoon Network website is a cheap ploy engineered to force viewers into signing up for his own increasingly enshittified streamer—and at a time when the internet as we’ve broadly recognized it is rapidly crumbling.

In recent years, we’ve seen once inescapable media disappear from the internet at a frightening rate, whether it’s general-interest blogs and websites closing down (or worse, turning into A.I. slop factories), popular old browser games losing their adaptability and functionality, pre-Spotify music streamers tanking their servers, social networks collapsing into the void along with all their memories, hyperlinks degrading in functionality, or copyright-flexible artworks from an older internet age getting hit with suits by rights-holders and then being pulled from distribution.

The most remarkable feat that Warner Bros. Discovery CEO and president David Zaslav has accomplished this decade may be his rapid transformation from relatively little-known network executive to name-brand villain of the culture. For this, he can thank such disastrous high-profile decisions as stonewalling the striking writers and actors, crudely stereotyping his properties’ audiences, and tanking much-hyped movies that were all but ready for release—all of which reflected poorly and played out rather publicly.

Lest you be inclined to defend all this as just a hard-nosed boss making tough-but-fair decisions, consider that Zaslav continues to be very, very bad at making money and managing a media conglomerate—just ask the investors who depressed WBD’s stock value to a near-all-time-low valuation of $6.62 per share on Monday. Or look to the company’s loss of its long-held NBA broadcast rights to Amazon, the $9 billion write-down of its other TV assets, and its nonstop waves of steep layoffs. Or even its wildly unpopular move to shutter Cartoon Network’s iconic 26-year-old website, scrubbing an almost historical archive of clips, show episodes, and digital games in order to direct young viewers to sign up for the clunky streaming platform known these days as “Max.”

Nuking a kids’ network’s digital presence is hardly a sin on par with, say, killing Cartoon Network altogether, as was rumored to have occurred last month. Even though Zaslav didn’t go that far, it wasn’t unreasonable for so many to assume he had. Since April 2022, when he finalized the megamerger that fused his Discovery Communications juggernaut with WarnerMedia, Zaslav has repeatedly invited mass criticism for actively degrading and torching so many of the treasured creations that made his media empire such a highly valued asset.

First came the sudden cancellations of already-completed films like Batgirl and Coyote vs. Acme, then the secretive removal of dozens of HBO originals (e.g., Westworld, An American Pickle) from the HBO Max streaming service—which subsequently received an unholy intrusion of selected titles from Discovery+, the streamer that shuttered just so that HBO Max could just become Max.

Max kept shedding beloved entries from its historic catalog, including large chunks of Sesame Street and Looney Tunes. This continued into 2023 with the erasure of Cartoon Network and Adult Swim classics such as Dexter’s Laboratory and Space Ghost Coast to Coast, along other Max Originals like Game Theory With Bomani Jones, which was soon removed altogether. Later that same year, Zaslav’s mismanagement of the treasured Turner Classic Movies channel spurred Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and Paul Thomas Anderson to basically stage an intervention.

In fairness, many (though not all) Max Originals are either available on other services, on physical media, or via video on demand. Some other shows from WBD have been licensed to Netflix. Still, in light of CartoonNetwork.com’s demise, it’s worth keeping in mind something key about David Zaslav, who hasn’t made an effective turnaround in valuation or revenue after two straight years of nonstop cuts across all his properties, extending into last month’s CNN layoffs.

It’s worth taking stock of how many of your favorite shows, networks, catalogs, and films belong to Warner Bros. Discovery, because it weighs a ton. In addition to every entertainment behemoth already mentioned, the company once known as WarnerMedia brought TNT, the CW, and DC Comics to the WBD marriage. In turn, Discovery imported its namesake channel, Animal Planet, TLC, Food Network, HGTV, GolfTV, and the Oprah Winfrey Network, among many other names.

Unless you grew up without any electronic screens, you’ve likely seen at least a couple of shows and flicks from any or all of those brands. You probably have a meaningful attachment to those works and thus a vested interest in making sure they remain available so you can share those experiences with your friends and loved ones. If you’re of the nerdier variety, you view all this media as an invaluable resource of important cultural markers. Where would cinema and TV of all kinds—comic, prestige, edutainment, reality, talk, news—be without these rich treasures, and how much would our collective consciousness have suffered in their absence?

Zaslav should understand this better than anyone. He’s had a front-row seat to shifts in media consumption since the fall of communism. He also ushered some of those major changes into being through his role in helping to launch CNBC and MSNBC. He should know the importance of preservation better than anyone, having gauged early on how rapidly physical media was subsuming into pixelated microscreens, and how urgent it was to ensure his brands retain their recognition, familiarity, and quality in the midst of that transition. What better exhibition of that than a rich, thorough catalog made readily available to consumers via a streaming platform?

But this man, to put it gently, couldn’t give a flying fuck. Because, much like Paramount’s decimation of the online MTV and Comedy Central archives, Zaslav’s own butchering of the Cartoon Network website is a cheap ploy engineered to force viewers into signing up for his own increasingly enshittified streamer—and at a time when the internet as we’ve broadly recognized it is rapidly crumbling.

In recent years, we’ve seen once inescapable media disappear from the internet at a frightening rate, whether it’s general-interest blogs and websites closing down (or worse, turning into A.I. slop factories), popular old browser games losing their adaptability and functionality, pre-Spotify music streamers tanking their servers, social networks collapsing into the void along with all their memories, hyperlinks degrading in functionality, or copyright-flexible artworks from an older internet age getting hit with suits by rights-holders and then being pulled from distribution.

The Internet Archive can only do so much to preserve all of this, especially when the nonprofit is already staving off endless, expensive lawsuits (and making steep cuts to its own selections while at it). The great irony is that modern life and culture’s hapless dependence on a functional internet—CrowdStrike, anyone?—makes it imperative that vast troves of history be copied in some form onto cyberspace; otherwise, it might as well not exist. This goes for a classic movie missing from any digital service or a publication of yore finding a new life and preservation online.

To seal off great works of art behind increasingly paywalled, pricey, and ad-choked streamers is to rob an already overwhelmed public of any actual choice in creative exploration. It’s further maddening when you never know that a given show, movie, or special will even remain on that service. If it does indeed go away, you may not even be able to find it through a physical copy or via some weird black market of cast-offs. No wonder the production company behind Adult Swim’s The Venture Bros. is currently offering a DVD sale of the complete series while the show itself remains in limbo between its recent Max removal and its upcoming Netflix entrance.

This is no way to treat some of our greatest cultural legacies—but it’s inevitably the result when we trust them with the David Zaslavs of the world. We should look at streaming-service erasure as an issue on par with that of greater internet fragmentation and the worsening digital amnesia that results.

It’s only going to get worse, especially as creators rightfully concerned about A.I. apps training on their hard work elect to take their stuff off the digital commons to protect their artistic contributions from cannibalization by the power-hungry networks attempting to supplant them. The data centers lose their higher-quality building blocks, but keep churning along in order to make something more artificial and just plain terrible. David Zaslav will stand by, burning more cash and trashing more titles, only to keep failing, and making our culture—as well as our history—all the poorer for it.

[dirtyriver]

Archie's Valentine Spectacular, cover by Dan Parent

Homage to the cover of Planet Comics #1, April 1987, by Dave Stevens

Already homaged by Dan for the covers of Sabrina Anniversary Spectacular,

Happy Horror Days

and Betty and Veronica Friends Forever: Rock and Roll

Andrew Pepoy also did his own B&W take on that iconic cover.

[sinceileftyoublog]

Say Anything Interview: Intentional Is My Default

Photo by Nicole Mago

BY JORDAN MAINZER

I'm waiting back stage at Riot Fest for Say Anything's Max Bemis to finish a photoshoot, one that sees him lie in the grass in various positions that make it look like he's stretching after a tough workout. Despite the fact that he hasn't yet gotten his real workout in yet--his newly reformed band would go on stage in a few hours--and that this photoshoot is full of capital-p Poses, I'm taken by how at ease Bemis seems with everything. When we speak, he reveals to me that, yes, while he did in fact feel awkward during the photoshoot--most of us do--he's learning to lean into his feelings much more naturally.

Five years ago, the legendary emo band disbanded, with their 2019 album Oliver Appropriate billed as their final LP for the moment. A purported sequel to their beloved sophomore record ...Is A Real Boy, the album was publicized in conjunction with a nine-page letter from Bemis, in which came out as bisexual and admitted to struggles with drug use. (The frontman has long been open about his diagnosed bipolar disorder, previous self-medication through drugs, and manic episodes.) During the pandemic, Bemis stayed busy, performing livestreams of older material, but there was always lingering doubt the band's hiatus would become permanent.

It wasn't until late last year that Bemis dropped that the band would be reuniting for festivals in 2023. In typical nonchalant fashion, he shared that the reunion would include past members drummer Coby Linder and bassist Alex Kent by replying to someone's comment on a Facebook post. In April, the band released their first new material since Oliver Appropriate, the maximally stream-of-consciousness rant "Psyche!". The song sees Bemis laying out those same struggles for everyone to bear witness to, blaming himself for his personal, marital, and familial problems atop a bevy of references to the band's older material, Titanic, and Riot Fest itself. "By Riot Fest '24, I'll be coughing up corks if you supply the Malörk," he sings, a line that's instantly iconic and bound to be infamous for its satiric misspelling of Chicago's shot of choice. In August, the band followed it up with "Are You (In) There?", which also establishes itself within our emo universe, with mentions of Sunny Day Real Estate and mewithoutYou, but a more personal ode to Bemis' wife and the love they have for each other despite his past actions and shortcomings. And just this morning, Say Anything annouced ...Is Committed (Dine Alone), their new record, along with a single entitled "Carrie & Lowell & Cody (Pendent)", Bemis placing his "mommy issues" in conversation with those of indie folk luminary Sufjan Stevens. The song is musically heavier and more complex and full-throated, while also containing gorgeous choral harmonies from Bemis' wife, Sherri Dupree-Bemis.

At one point, the future of the band was a mystery to everyone, Bemis included. But with some newfound perspectives, the musical and personal influence of new band member Brian Warren of Weatherbox, and therapy, it seemed from just the short conversation I had with Bemis and Kent that they're in a good place, ready to embrace their new chapter. Read my interview below, conducted last month before I knew about their new album, edited for length and clarity. Catch the band three nights next week at The Regent Theater in LA and at When We Were Young in Las Vegas next weekend.

Photo courtesy of Say Anything

Since I Left You: How does it feel to be back?

Max Bemis: It feels great. I don't think I would have decided to write the songs again if I didn't aspire to how this feels now, which is very different than our experience as little kids being in a punk band, which was very intense and an experience I wouldn't trade for anything. But this is comfortable, and it feels like having the best job ever, in the words of Piebald. It could have been a stress fest, anxious, or bad, but the only reason I wanted to write again was to reach for this thing that we never got to settle into, being dads approaching 40. The bands we looked up to were doing it at that age and still making inventive music but still seeming to chill and not base their entire personas and aspirations around being in a band. I think I appreciate it more now that I'm not trying to be "a guy in a band" as hard as I was.

Alex Kent: Something we've been talking about since getting back up and running was the transition from utilizing it as an escape versus a form of healing. Because we've been through so much traumatic shit in our lives, most of the time Max and I talk, we talk about therapy. It's fucking weird going from 18 years old on a tour bus to having that self-awareness and reflection.

MB: I didn't need it like that for many years because our entire life cycle was keyed in to being on tour. I wasn't living a normal person life. I'm not saying I ever have really or ever will--I wrote comic books for five years. That's still weird. We're still weirdo guys. Having a family, coming out of that kind of circus, I feel more like my 14-year-old self who needed this music for that reason.

SILY: The new songs have a self-aware quality.

MB: More than ever.

SILY: How do you include the self-awareness in a set at a festival or concert, where you're literally referring to other songs you're playing in the setlist?

MB: We refer to Riot Fest itself!

SILY: And Malörk [sic]

MB: And Malörk. It's incredibly self-referential and ironic, but because the band started that way, it's come full circle and is no longer ironic at the same time. There's still a lot of exaggeration and bullshit, but it's closer to me saying actual things that are happening. As you age, everyone's life becomes a circus, more surreal. The world has been very surreal, with COVID and Trump. You kind of have to say your inner experience now. It's an emotional, crazy, surreal thing anyway. It's not like before, when I said, "I have to think about my ex-girlfriend, but I'm thinking about my wife, and what the fuck is this about?" Now, this is about being at Riot Fest. And I am at Riot Fest.

SILY: There is a song about your wife, though.

MB: Yes. Also quite literal. So many emotions are certainly exaggerated, but the sincerity isn't. The love for my wife is very real. But even there, if you're in any successful relationship, it goes through the most intense rebirths and reformations, and you're adjusting to each other, especially after having kids. It's more potent to me to say what's happening or what my emotions are than do what we did on In Defense of the Genre, where I was literally forcing drama into my life on a regular basis. Now, I have no room. I'm tired. I have children to look after. The drama just happens from kids, life, everything. It's real and heartfelt, but a seasoned emotion and not so adolescent. I still love those songs, and I relate to them, but they all speak to a certain side of me I can't live out anymore.

SILY: Do the new songs more than ever exemplify the idea that the more personal you are, the more universal the songs can be?

MB: Yeah. But probably by being a little too hyper-specific. That's why I fell in love with this kind of music. Saves The Day got me into wanting to be in a band. What wowed me was when he was talking about the names of the other band members in song, like, "Ted's drooling on his sleeve." He's just saying he's in this New Jersey bar and he misses his girlfriend. He's not cloaking anything. Our thing has been a kind of parody of that, but now I don't have to stretch anything for it to be a parody.

Photo by Ben Trivett

SILY: What do you think Brian Warren brings to the table on the new songs?

AK: I've known Brian since we were 9 years old. Our very first band, we were in together.

MB: I wouldn't know about Weatherbox if it wasn't for Alex.

AK: He brings this calming energy. Humble is a weird word to describe him.

MB: It's accurate.

AK: Weatherbox is fucking amazing.

MB: He has more impostor syndrome than even me.

AK: He can play everything, and he writes cool shit.

MB: He's a virtuoso. The cool thing about Brian is that there's always been a connection between our bands. It's similar to me playing music with [Chris] Conley [in Two Tongues] back in the day. It's surreal, but it makes so much sense that you don't have to think about where he fits into the sonic picture or personality picture because we're friends.

AK: It's very cool how much sense it makes.

SILY: Has your relationship changed to your old songs?

MB: I like them more. Over the break from the band, I would listen to Say Anything, with my kids or in my car, alone. The way I severed it was so intentional. I wasn't saying, "The band was over." I was saying, "We're probably going to get back together, but I have to sever this incarnation." I was listening to [old Say Anything songs] and thinking, "I like Alex's bass part. I like the production. I even like my voice." It was like listening to another band, because of the space. I've grown to like them. I definitely know people in bands that are not what they listen to, but Say Anything has always been a conglomeration of the type of thing we listen to. If I'm going to listen to The Get Up Kids, I might as well listen to Say Anything.

SILY: Moving forward, are you trying to continue to be more intentional, or do what feels best?

MB: Both. I know that's cliché to say, and it does and doesn't make sense. I find that intentional is my default, and before, I would second-guess myself constantly. Now, I allow myself to make mistakes, and I let other people give me advice that before were such cerebral trips. There was a lot that weighed on me. If the lyrics are super intentional and literal, I'm just going to do it. If I feel awkward in a photo shoot like right now, I'm just going to be awkward in the photo shoot. That is, of course, my safe and happy place in life.

[blackcharactertournament]

Black Character Tournament: Right Side!

adding a post break to make this more rebloggable

—

Clawdeen Wolf | Monster High vs Tiffany Quilkin | Paper Girls

Miles Morales | Spiderman/Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse vs Kilik Rung | Soul Eater

Djembe | Roleslaying With Roman vs Undine Wells | Sleepless Domain

Benjamin Sisko | Star Trek Deep Space Nine vs Barbie "Brooklyn" Roberts | Barbie dolls, tv, and movies

Geordi LaForge | Star Trek: The Next Generation vs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Troy Barnes | Community vs Jesper Fahey | Six of Crows

Shuri | Black Panther (Marvel) vs Zoë Alleyne Washburne | Firefly

Hazel Levesque | Heroes of Olympus vs Orange Blossom | Strawberry Shortcake

Louis de Pointe du Lac | Interview with the Vampire 2022 vs Usopp | One Piece

Tiana | The Princess and the Frog vs Allison Hargreaves | The Umbrella Academy

April O'Neal | Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles vs Adelaide Wilson and/or Red | Us

Victor Stone/Cyborg | DC vs Ikora Rey | Destiny 2

Grace Monroe | Infinity Train vs Beckett Mariner | Star Trek: Lower Decks

Alec Hardison | Leverage vs Ekko | Arcane

Starr Carter | The Hate U Give vs Rachel Reid | The Wilds

Janine Teagues | Abbott Elementary vs Farah Black | Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency

Barbara Howard | Abbott Elementary vs Xenk Yendar | Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Amber Bennett | Invincible vs Jade Claymore | Willow (2022)

Pete Repeat | BoJack Horseman vs Ana Spanakopita | BoJack Horseman

Perun | Xenoblade Chronicles vs Tracey Gordon | Chewing Gum

Cleveland "Book" Booker | Star Trek Discovery vs Jon | Less Is Morgue

Lionel Toussaint | Glass Onion vs Demoman! | Team Fortress Two

Erik "Killmonger" Stevens/N'Jadaka | Black Panther vs Claudia | Interview with the Vampire 2022

Annaliese Keating | How to Get Away with Murder vs Olivia | Pokemon

Violet Hart | Murdoch Mysteries vs Rya | Birthright

Craig | Craig of the Creek vs Susie Carmichael | Rugrats

Rue | Hunger Games vs Spider | Anansi Boys

Bismuth | Steven Universe vs Marceline Abadeer | Adventure Time

King Harrow | The Dragon Prince vs Camille Saroyan | Bones

Zachary Ezra Rawlins | The Starless Sea vs Willa | Skyward

Helena Bertinelli / Huntress | Birds of Prey vs Clyde Langer | The Sarah Jane Adventures

Frances Barrison / Shriek) | Venom: Let There Be Carnage vs Spike | The Irregulars

Rosemary Harper | The Wayfarers / A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet vs Georgiana Lambe | Sanditon

Lonnie | She-Ra & the Princesses of Power vs Erica Sinclair | Stranger Things

Patroclus | Hades (video game) vs Uma | Descendants (Disney)

Sig | Jak & Daxter vs Sheva Alomar | Resident Evil 5

Meadow | Entergalactic vs Marrow Amin | RWBY

John Stewart | DC vs Gwendolyn | Saga

Keesha Franklin | Magic School Bus vs Dionysus | Hades (video game)

Charles Milton Porter | Bioshock vs Kelsey | NCIS

Mat Sella | Dream Daddy vs Yutaka Babayaro Inomata | Re-Main

Lucretia | The Adventure Zone: Balance vs Blanca Evangelista | Pose

Max | Black Sails vs Darui | Naruto

The Tumblr Icon | Tumblr vs Knuckles the Echidna | Sonic the Hedgehog

Bonnie | The End of the Fucking World vs Dionne Davenport | Clueless

Jane McKeene | Dread Nation vs Grover | Percy Jackson

Roland A. Round | Valor Academy vs Yoruichi Shihoin | Bleach

Mina | Lou ! (French comic and TV series) vs Tyrone Johnson / Cloak | Cloak and Dagger

[mk-wizard]

Race/Gender/Orientation/Etc-Bending: The Popular Characters are being replaced too now

Hi

I said a long time ago that I did not agree with “bending” existing characters because I believe in respecting them if they were specified to be a certain way and I believe it is better to use the existing characters of the group you’re trying to include/represent especially since they’ve waited long enough. I will not argue with mantle inheritors, AUs or characters who were never specified to be anything, but once we say the duck is a duck, it’s a duck. And my only half-argument towards people never saying that the character is straight/white/Christian/etc. is that lots of characters never say they are what they are, but we’re not dumb. We can see what they are by getting to know them. We can see that Leon Kennedy from Resident Evil is straight even though he never said he was. And we can see (very beautifully) that Ruby and Sapphire from Steven Universe are lesbians and monogamists even though they never say they are. Using the reason “but they never said they were _____” can come across as an excuse not a valid point.

More importantly, for every time we “bend” an established character, we are throwing away a chance to star an existing character of that group. And the reason for not giving them a chance is just as weak and sounds just as much like an excuse; “It’s because they’re not popular”. Pardon me, but why create new characters then? Why pass mantles onto characters who aren’t like their predecessors? Plus, the whole “they’re not popular” excuse was the reason people used back in the day and it was steeped in bigotry. It was not ok then and it is not ok now. If we’re not going to showcase these characters now when the world is craving them so deliciously, when are we? And as for not being popular...

We didn’t know who Black Panther was, but as soon as we met him, the world fell in love with him. He is noble, kind and badass. And evidently, irreplaceable.

Blade was not well known before his movie debut, but now, EVERYONE knows who he is and remembers his trilogy. Plus, it was thanks to his movie debut that the superhero movie genre had new life breathed into it.

Wonder Woman hasn’t had a solo piece in years, but once she finally did, she roared and soared (at least the first film did). She is an extremely positive female and bisexual icon because of her brave and beautiful soul.

However, not only are other great characters remaining on the shelf or second fiddle, Hollywood has reached a new kind of low. With the upcoming film, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, they triple bent April O’Neal to be plus sized, plain and black.

When Hollywood did THIS, my last lingering bit of tolerance towards “bending” was broken and not because of what they did to April. It is what they did to existing characters in TMNT who are of the three groups and what’s worse is that... THEY ARE POPULAR!!

Irma Langinstein is plain and everyone knows who she is. Her personality, quips and role are legendary.

Beepop and Rocksteady are plus sized and even were so when human, and everyone knows who they are. They were the stars of the 80s cartoon.

And last but absolutely not least, there is Baxter Stockman who is black and not only does everyone know who he is, he is an iconic TMNT villain! One can even argue, he hits the notes for being body positive. He is not only plain, but unlike most black male characters, he is not tall, statuesque, muscular or has perfect teeth. He has big awkward teeth, he is either short or average, he is skinny and lanky, and his ears stick out. Yet even with all that, he is a frightening force to be reckoned with.

I can’t lie or hold it back anymore. When Hollywood decided to “bend” instead of using the existing characters, I was enraged. I’m STILL enraged because for once, the “they’re not popular” reason isn’t just a poor excuse, it’s a lie.

This is exactly how far across the line Hollywood has gone. It not only refuses to give the spotlight to existing characters, it is now kicking them off of the stage. Also, it is not going to stop at TMNT. It’s going to happen in DC, Marvel and more. One can even argue that it was already happening.

However, there is hope and this phenomena can be stopped if we stop accepting it. We have to say “no” to bending and speak louder when suggesting existing characters. And not just with our words. Our actions matter too. Stop watching and reading material that “bends” instead of using existing characters. After all, it is a business. If we stop consuming this kind of material, they’ll stop making it. Also, let’s show them what we want with fanart and bringing up the characters we want by their names. If representation and inclusion the right way are important to us, then let’s act like it is. Stop settling for “bending” and acknowledge the damage it is really doing. It’s no longer just lazy writing, it’s a disease that is killing characters.

Say no to lazy writing. Say no to saying great characters aren’t good enough especially when they’ve proven that they are. Say no to having to secretly be white/straight/Christina/etc. just to be accepted.

If you are beautiful and amazing enough to be shown to the world, so are the characters who are like you.

PS: If you agree with me, please reblog this.

[mayamidnightmelody]

The Titans of Action Cinema: Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Sylvester Stallone

Action cinema has seen a myriad of stars, but few have had the enduring impact and larger-than-life personas of Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Sylvester Stallone. These icons not only redefined the genre but also left an indelible mark on popular culture. Each brought their unique style, charisma, and physical prowess to the screen, captivating audiences worldwide. Let's delve into the legacies of these titans of action cinema.

Chuck Norris: The Martial Arts Master

Chuck Norris is more than just an action star; he is a legend whose name is synonymous with toughness. Born on March 10, 1940, in Ryan, Oklahoma, Norris began his career in martial arts, winning numerous championships and founding his own schools. His transition to cinema came with the 1972 film "Way of the Dragon," where he famously fought Bruce Lee.

Norris's stoic demeanor and martial arts expertise became his trademarks. Movies like "Good Guys Wear Black" (1978) and "Lone Wolf McQuade" (1983) solidified his status, but it was the "Missing in Action" series (1984-1988) and "Walker, Texas Ranger" (1993-2001) TV show that truly made him a household name. Norris's roles often depicted him as the silent, invincible hero, a persona that has been immortalized in countless internet memes and "Chuck Norris facts."

Steven Seagal: The Aikido Enforcer

Steven Seagal, born April 10, 1952, in Lansing, Michigan, brought a unique blend of aikido to Hollywood, a martial art known for its fluidity and use of an opponent's energy against them. Seagal's imposing presence and real-life martial arts credentials set him apart in the action genre.

Seagal's breakout role came with "Above the Law" (1988), where he played Nico Toscani, a cop with a knack for brutal hand-to-hand combat. His subsequent films, including "Hard to Kill" (1990), "Marked for Death" (1990), and "Under Siege" (1992), showcased his no-nonsense approach to justice and solidified his reputation as an action star. Despite controversies and a varied career, Seagal remains a significant figure in martial arts cinema.

Arnold Schwarzenegger: The Austrian Oak

Arnold Schwarzenegger, born July 30, 1947, in Thal, Austria, is arguably the most recognizable action star in history. Before conquering Hollywood, Schwarzenegger was a bodybuilding champion, winning Mr. Olympia seven times. His herculean physique and undeniable charisma made him a natural fit for action films.

Schwarzenegger's breakthrough came with "Conan the Barbarian" (1982), but it was "The Terminator" (1984) that catapulted him to superstardom. His roles in "Predator" (1987), "Total Recall" (1990), and "True Lies" (1994) further cemented his status as an action icon. Beyond his film career, Schwarzenegger's tenure as the Governor of California (2003-2011) showcased his versatility and appeal. His catchphrases, particularly "I'll be back," have become ingrained in pop culture.

Sylvester Stallone: The Underdog Champion

Sylvester Stallone, born July 6, 1946, in New York City, is the epitome of the underdog story, both on and off the screen. Stallone wrote and starred in "Rocky" (1976), a film about a small-time boxer who gets a shot at the world heavyweight title. "Rocky" was a critical and commercial success, winning three Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and solidifying Stallone's place in Hollywood.

Stallone's other iconic role came with "First Blood" (1982), introducing the world to John Rambo, a Vietnam War veteran with unparalleled survival skills. The "Rambo" series and subsequent "Rocky" sequels established Stallone as a leading action star. His ability to portray characters with a mix of vulnerability and relentless determination resonated with audiences. Films like "Cobra" (1986), "Cliffhanger" (1993), and "The Expendables" series (2010-2014) further showcased his range and staying power.

Legacy and Influence

Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Sylvester Stallone have each contributed uniquely to the action genre, shaping its evolution and leaving a legacy that continues to inspire new generations of filmmakers and actors. Their films are not just action-packed spectacles but cultural touchstones that reflect the changing tastes and values of their times.

These stars' dedication to their craft, coupled with their distinct personalities and physical capabilities, ensured their lasting impact on the world of cinema. Whether it's Norris's martial arts prowess, Seagal's aikido techniques, Schwarzenegger's bodybuilding background, or Stallone's underdog spirit, each has left an indelible mark on the landscape of action films.