#baby!joanna be like 'hello'

[joanna-lannister]

Cersei's small baby bump 🥺🥺

[wifelinkmtg]

Wifelink: Murders! #sponsored

Welcome back to the best dumb idea I've ever had! Murder has come to the City of Guilds. Well, murder lives here, but it's crept out of the shadows, crawled up from the undercity, slunk through steam and oozed its way out of the breeding pools, and guild leaders are dropping like coins from a debtor's mouth. Who could be responsible? Who could be next? Who was that woman slipping furtively into an alley, and what's her deal? Is she single? Some of these questions and more will be answered on today's episode. Live from Ravnica, this... is Wifelink.

But first, a word from today's sponsor: picture this - it's your turn to host the monthly meeting of your true crime book club, and you maybe haven't finished Massacre: the true story of Ravnica's bloodiest killings and the woman behind them, and now you're trying to decide whether to finish it so you don't look like an idiot in the discussion group, or to spend time whipping up hors d'oeuvres so you don't have to serve everyone the same stupid veggies-and-ranch plate you did last time and suffer once more through Joanna's veiled disapproval. But what if I told you there was a way to get professionally-made charcuterie shipped directly to your home, leaving you the time you need to finish your last few chapters and craft a trenchant discussion question just in time for the doorbell? With Hello Flesh, it's just that easy: the incredible chefs at Hellbender will provide you with a mouthwatering selection of their finest meats: prosciutto, summer sausage, capicola, pastrami, and much, much more! Go to helloflesh dot com now, and sign up using offer code KNIFELINK to get your first month absolutely free! That's helloflesh dot com, offer code K-N-I-F-E-L-I-N-K. Hello Flesh: Don't ask where the meat comes from.

WAIT, WE'RE DOING RAVNICA? DIDN'T YOU SKIP A COUPLE SETS

What are you, Azorius? I've never felt any fondness for Eldraine, and I really didn't vibe with the new Ixalan set, so we're doing the Ravnica Murder Mystery set. I'm not going to do every single set that comes out or this will be my full-time job by 2026.

Cold Case Cracker (art by Wayne Wu)

Some things are very simple. Good cheekbones and the classic trench coat with the wide belt. I particularly enjoy the way her hair looks more like strips of fabric or parchment.

Merchant of Truth (art by Carissa Susilo)

"Goth angel" works on me every time, and this piece is particularly gorgeous - the composition and that dress, my goodness. You don't see a lot of angels from behind in Magic, on account of you would have to figure out what the anatomy and clothing situation is where the wings connect to the back, and Carissa has solved the clothing problem rather elegantly, and refused to engage with the anatomy problem at all. I can respect that.

I've never quite understood what's going on with Orzhov angels - I think they're mostly supposed to be disillusioned ex-Boros, but they don't really get much of a voice in story. You've got the flavor text on Angel of Despair, "it is as if their duty is to an empty void," but that's a quote from the most Boros of all the angels. Perhaps it's simply that the Orzhov don't labor under the same illusions as the other white-aligned guilds - the Boros and the Azorius and as we see in this story, even the Selesnya are all firmly entrenched in the idea that they stand for what's Right and Good on Ravnica, but ultimately they stand only for themselves and their own power and pre-eminence. The Orzhov, at least, make no secret of this. Maybe that's a comfort, to an angel.

Experiment Twelve (art by Michele Giorgi)

Oh baby girl the Simic fucked you right up, didn't they. Claws and scales and some sort of muzzle - do you feel like an animal, now? Do you hate what they did to you, or do you glory in your new sharpness? Did you escape, or are you on their leash? Are you hunted, or am I?

Bubble Smuggler (art by Leesha Hannigan)

This is Glovax. I've only had them for a day but if anything happened to them I would kill everyone in the room and then myself.

Honestly I'm disconsolate that this isn't a real animal that exists in the world and that I'll never get to rescue one from an aquarium and have an octopus fish best friend for life. You know that soul-sick feeling you get when you remember that Anomalocaris has been extinct for 500 million years ago and that you will never be able to pet one? Yeah. Goddammit they're going to make this a pet on Arena and I will spend real earth dollars on it.

ALL THESE TENTACLES AND STILL THE BIGGEST SUCKER IS YOU. NOW MAKE WITH THE LEGENDARIES

Etrata, Deadly Fugitive (art by Livia Prima)

I have looked at a whole lot of Etrata art, and do you want to know my considered opinion? This outfit fucking rules. It's got one and a quarter sleeves, thirteen visible buckles, a circular collar that connects only at the sternum, and a clingy ankle-length skirt with a slit damn near up to the thigh to reveal more buckles. It is the least practical outfit I can imagine an assassin wearing short of an inflatable dinosaur costume but god, it looks like it's meant for deadly stealth, and I am in love. Etrata is broody and gorgeous and has a big knife and extraordinarily naked shoulders, and what else could you want?

Judith, Carnage Connoisseur (art by Jodie Muir)

A look specifically crafted to elicit "step on me mommy"s from the general public. I'm on record as saying that there's no way Judith does any sort of aftercare, so maybe have a Selesnya cleric on speed-dial if you're gonna run that risk.

Judith, Carnage Connoisseur (alternate art by Alex Dos Diaz)

I think Loxodon Hierarch is screening my calls.

Honestly, I would do stupid, stupid things for a pretty girl with red eyes, sharp nails and facial scarring. I'm not sure what kinds of things I would do for a pretty girl with gold flame decals on her arms, but based on prior evidence, they would probably also be extremely stupid.

Izoni, Center of the Web (art by Justine Cruz)

It's weird how people get locked in your memory at the point in time you knew them. You know you've changed a lot since then, and if you thought about it you'd agree other people might well also have changed, but you don't think about it, and then you run into an old friend or an ex and the things you knew them for, the things you've tied their memory to in your mind, aren't even still part of their life.

So Izoni, my beloved Izoni, Ravnica's foremost bug girl and finder of beetles, has moved on with her life in the past six years. She's into spiders now, that's her thing. She's a spider girl. And that's cool, spiders are cool, too, but the way this went in my head I was going to tell her about the mantis-riders of Tarkir and the dune-beetles of Amonkhet and the behavioral quirks of giant ants on Innistrad and now, instead, I'm not sure what to say. "You're looking well," I suppose, or something about, "so, leading the Swarm now? How's that going for you?"

Analyze the Pollen (art by Anna Christenson)

It's not even that big a change, really. Hardly noticeable. She still has that same intensity, that same curiosity. Her brows still furrow in concentration. She's still covered in crawling things, and she is still the most beautiful woman on Ravnica. Spiders or insects, what's the difference? All it means is that six years have passed. All it means is that the places and people you love continue to move in your absence. All it means is that you're both talking past each other to your echoes, to the people you used to know, who no longer exist. Time has eaten them both.

And if you, like time, get hungry, don't forget to use our affiliate code KNIFELINK at -

HEY. HELLO FLESH IS A RAKDOS JOINT, RIGHT

- in the middle of the ad read, dude?

YOU SAID HELLBENDER CHEFS DO THE CHARCUTERIE. THAT'S JUDITH'S PLACE

Yeah, what about it?

DO YOU THINK SHE'S GONNA BE GOOD WITH CONTENT SHE SPONSORED CALLING SOMEONE ELSE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN IN RAVNICA

Ah.

OR LIKE DO YOU THINK SHE'S GENERALLY COMFORTABLE SHARING THE SPOTLIGHT

...so thank you all so much for listening to this episode of Wifelink! I'm going to lay low for a bit, and if my body turns up face-down in an undercity canal, y'all know who did it.

[gulnarsultan]

Hello there. Sorry for disturbing you, I just got thinking and imagining something. It’s about Yandere platonic House Lannister and Modern Reader and possibly other Modern Readers.

In the Red Keep there’s a book that secured very good, because it’s an important treasure for House Targaryen. There are family portraits of House Targaryen and Modern Readers.

One day Rhaegar Targaryen called Lady Y/N Lannister to show her something. Y/N followed Rhaegar and both of them got to the library.

Modern Reader: My prince, what is exactly you wanted to show me?

Rhaegar Targaryen: The important treasure of my House.

Rhaegar Targaryen pulls out the book out of the shelf and opens it.

Modern Reader confused: A book?

Rhaegar Targaryen: Not a book, but our great, happy memories.

Once the book is opened they see family portraits:

Daenys Targaryen, Gaemon Targaryen, Lord Aenar Targaryen and Y/N L/N the saviour and a faithful loyal friend.

Lord Aerion Targaryen, Lady Valaena Velaryon, baby Visenya, Aegon, Rhaenys and Y/N L/N aka saviour and faithful loyal friend.

King Aegon the Conqueror, Queens Visenya, Rhaenys and Y/N Targaryen aka saviour and faithful loyal friend.

(There are Modern Reader, saviour and faithful loyal friend with Aenys’s family, Maegor’s family and Jaehaerys’s family)

Modern Reader: It’s her? Right? I’m surprised that she didn’t change.

Rhaegar Targaryen: She was immortal, but then she disappeared. No one knows why. It was mentioned, she traveled to Old Valyria to find Princess Aerea Targaryen daughter of Rhaena Targaryen and Balerion the dread. Both returned, but Y/N didn’t. King Jaehaerys commanded to find her, although it was impossible. The Valyria was still burning and not many returned. Princess Aerea Targaryen was sick, but she told them Great-grandmother, Y/N Targaryen stayed in Old Valyria, so princess Aerea and Balerion return safely. Although, our saviour and faithful loyal friend didn’t return.

Modern Reader looks sad at this, because she realised just how important was The Saviour of House Targaryen, then she noticed other portraits: It’s King Viserys 1, Queen Aemma Arryn and Rhaenyra Targaryen, right?

Rhaegar Targaryen: Yes, next to them is Princess Y/N The Great.

Modern Reader: She disappeared too?

Rhaegar Targaryen sighs: Yes, unfortunately. She was The Hand of the Queen.

Modern Reader: There are many titles to her.

Rhaegar Targaryen: Yes, that’s correct.

Modern Reader: Then what happened afterwards, if she solved many problems and made the realm prospered?

Rhaegar Targaryen: Blackfyre rebellions.

Modern Reader: Oh. My prince, I apologise for my question, but why are you showing me this?

Rhaegar Targaryen: Because I… feel like I need to. And I… think there is connection between you and them. That’s why.

Modern Reader pulls out a small portrait of House Lannister, where it’s her and Lannister family members, before Tyrion was born. And she placed the portrait to the book.

Lord Tywin Lannister, Lady Joanna Lannister, Gerion, Tygett, Genna and Kevan Lannister Cersei Lannister, Jaime Lannister, Y/N Lannister.

It’s noticeable that all Modern Readers look similar.

Rhaegar Targaryen: I’m sad, that we didn’t meet you first.

Sooo, what do you think about it? Sorry if it’s long and big, and maybe a little confusing. I just wanted to share it with you. So, your thoughts? As for me, I think other would notice similarities between Modern Reader Lannister (The tribute of Westeros, Problem-solver, The Brave), Modern Reader The Great and Modern Reader aka The Saviour and faithful loyal friend of House Targaryen.

An interesting scenario. Maybe if the loyal friends of House Targaryen are actually the reader's grand relatives. So it makes more sense for the reader to have the same similarities with them.

[no-not-without-you-blog]

Recipe for Love- Chapter 2

Pairings: Steve Rogers x OFC (Joanna MacDonald)

Warnings: Language, Brief mentions of death.

Authors Note: We are finally getting to meet Steve and the gang! Hope you enjoy!

Dividers by @firefly-graphics

Recipe for Love Masterlist | Main Masterlist

A few weeks later, Jo nervously pulled up to the gate of the compound. After showing her ID at the gate and having to go through a body scan for FRIDAY to have her full biometrics and for access and monitoring, she finally made her way to the main building of the compound. Tony and Pepper were waiting for her at the door. 

“Hey Doc, I have this sudden urge to lay on a couch and talk about my feelings. Got any spare time?”

Jo shook her head with a smile. “Sorry Tony, no therapy sessions for you. You would have to pay me a lot more for that.” Pepper tried her best to hide her laugh.

“What are we paying you, by the way? Am I gonna go bankrupt from your feelings circles and speaking sticks?”

“Yes, Tony. That’s exactly what’s going to happen.” Jo said sarcastically. Pepper’s laugh finally breaking free as she shook her head.

“Ok Tony, that’s enough of that. You know that’s not why Jo is here.”

“Yeah, Yeah, yeah. I guess. Well, I have everyone gathering in the conference room. Might as well get the introductions done quickly and then Pepper and I can get out of here and get started on those babies, right sweetheart?” 

“Nice, Tony. Real Nice.” Pepper rolled her eyes and shook her head, but a small smile started to creep up. Jo thought that they were sweet together. Odd, yes, but sweet. They all walked into the conference room and Jo was taken aback by the people filling the room. These were the people she had seen on the news fighting robots, aliens, and world dominating organizations. She knew that they were just people, but for a moment, she let her mind be overwhelmed by their presence. However, she quickly composed herself, knowing that she can’t make connections with them if she was going to be constantly in awe of them.

“All right gang, listen up.” Tony announced to the group. “As you all know, Pepper and I are leaving the compound and so we have decided in our magnanimity to bring in someone to help out around here. This is Jo MacDonald.  She is here to facilitate group activities and also to cook for you all, among other things.” He paused for a beat, letting everyone process what he just said. They all looked a bit surprised at the new addition. Pepper stepped in at that moment.

“Jo, let me introduce you to the group. Here’s Natasha, Wanda, Vision, Bruce, Sam, Bucky, and Steve. Thor’s off world and Clint’s at home with his family. There are others, but these guys are the ones who live here full time.” Jo smiled at them all and they all nodded their heads when their names were said. 

“I hope you memorized all of that, because there’ll be a quiz at the end.” Tony joked but no one really paid attention to him. Jo thought that she probably could have aced that quiz if it was true. She had done her homework before arriving and knew the basics of each team member. 

She stood in front of them and spoke kindly. “Hello everyone. It’s an honor to meet you all and I hope we can get to know each other better as we go on. I know my position here may seem strange, so I just wanted to clarify a bit. I’m here in a social engineering and caretaking capacity. I’m here to cook and help plan group activities for the team. Pepper wanted to bring someone on to be a bit like a house mom.” She laughed at that thought. “But I’m not your mother, and I’m definitely not trying to be. I’m here to make sure you eat well and to hopefully help everyone to get along better as a team and feel more connected to each other. I’m not here to participate in missions and I won’t be a part of any Avenging conversations.” She looked around, making sure that they understood her fully. She wasn’t here to run the team, just the house. 

“I will make breakfast six days a week and cook dinner for the group around 4-5 times a week, sometimes more or less depending on the circumstances. I can’t force anyone to be there for meals, but I hope that you will. I’ll also be getting the group together for more non-”Avenging” activities both at the compound and out and about. If you have any concerns or questions, please feel free to come find me at any time, day or night.” She took a breath and sat back down.

“Any questions? No? Great.” Tony dismissed the meeting quickly. Many of the team members came up and introduced themselves to Jo further, stating that they were happy that she was here and they were definitely looking forward to some actual cooking. She felt as if the microwave and take out menus were used more around here than the actual kitchen.

After the introductions, Pepper showed Jo to her room. She was surprised by the size of it. It was more like a suite than a room. It had a small living area with a couch, television, and two large bookshelves. She was happy to see that she would have a place to put her books. When packing, she was worried that they would just have to live in boxes, but she couldn’t part with them. Reading was such a lifeline for her and she would hate to have to get rid of her favorites. The seating area led into a large bedroom, a king sized bed faced a wall of windows that looked out over the lake. The wall behind the bed had openings on both sides that led to a large closet area. Behind that was a large doorway that led to a beautiful bathroom. A large free standing tub sat on the back wall, centered with a large window overlooking the woods surrounding the compound.

She was flabbergasted by the size and opulence of the room. “Pepper, surely this can’t be my room. This is too much.”

“Oh, nonsense. To be honest, Tony built this suite for me, but we always just shared his. So this has sat empty for a long time. I think it will be just right for you. It will give you your own space to come back to after dealing with these idiots all day.” You both laughed at her comment. The whole compound is state of the art and that includes this room.” Turning to the room, Pepper said slightly louder, “Friday?” 

The AI of the house responded. “Yes, Ms. Potts?”

“Please hand over control of this room to Ms. MacDonald.” She turned back to you. “Friday can customize any and all aspects of the room for you. You can select the perfect light level, have her draw you a bath at your preferred temperature, set whatever security protocols you desire. I know the windows are quite open and out there, so she can customize your privacy settings as well as darkening and lightening them for sleeping and waking up.”

Jo let out a soft laugh of disbelief. “Wow, that-that’s a lot. I guess it will take me some time to get used to it all.”

“You’ll get the hang of it in no time. Friday is throughout the compound, so she can be quite helpful.” 

At this, Friday spoke up. “I look forward to working with you Ms. MacDonald. Anything I can do to make your transition here easier, please let me know.” 

Jo smiled at the kind words from the friendly Irish voice. “Well, to start, please call me Jo.” 

“Will do, Jo. Ms. Potts, Tony has asked me to let you and Jo know that he is planning a welcome dinner with the group this evening. He asked me to tell you that he is taking care of the dinner. Just to be downstairs in the dining room at 7 o’clock.”

Pepper responded, “Thank you Friday.  Well, I better let you unpack and get settled. I will see you this evening for dinner. And again, I just wanted to say welcome and that I am so glad you are here.” With that, she left Jo to unpack.

To say that Steve was taken aback by the sudden addition to their ranks was an understatement. Like Tony, after the fall of Shield, he was wary of adding others into the small circle of people he trusted. He followed Tony out of the conference room and stopped him in the hall. 

“Tony. What the hell was that all about? Who is this woman and why are we bringing in someone new? She’s not a fighter? Does she work tech? What’s the point of having her here?” 

Tony just shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. “Honestly, I’m not entirely sure. Pepper pushed to have the position made and I got kicked out of the interview with her. When I came back in, Pepper had hired her and wouldn’t hear anything from me about it.”

Steve looked shocked as Tony said this. How could Tony just let Pepper hire someone to come live here without his approval? “What do we even know about her, Tony? Who knows why she’s actually here!” 

“Look, Steve, I understand your concerns, but she passed all the background checks with flying colors and even Friday couldn’t dig up anything to worry about. Plus, I trust Pepper to be pretty level headed when it comes to knowing if someone is up to no good. She sniffs out any bullshit I try to pull, that's for sure. But listen, look over her file. You’re gonna be in charge around here now. So, look over her file and if you find something that doesn’t add up, deal with it.” 

Steve nodded and headed to his room. He didn’t like looking into the teams files. He always thought that their pasts weren’t a good indicator of who they were now and who they could be. But he knew nothing about this woman and needed to feel like he had some understanding and control over the team. He may be in charge of the team and soon, over this facility, but Tony was dropping this person on his doorstep and then leaving him to deal with it. He needed to get caught up.

“Friday, please pull up the file of Jo MacDonald.” She processed for a moment before responding. 

“I have her file here, would you like me to give you the highlights?” 

“Sure, start with that.”

“Joanna Rose MacDonald, born February 8th, 1990 to Joseph Robert MacDonald and Anna May MacDonald née Stevens. She, as well as her brother James “Jamie” Edward MacDonald were raised by their father after her mother died when she was seven. Graduating high school at 16, she studied Psychology at the University of Notre Dame, gaining her Doctoral at 22. Quite an impressive feat. She interned and then worked for a private psychology practice for a few years before moving to a Non-Profit Organization where she has worked for the past 7 years. She-”

Steve cut her off. 

“Friday, she’s a psychologist?” He asked her, shocked.

“Yes. She seems to be well respected in the community. She graduated quite young and many saw her as the next rising star in the field. She has written many peer-reviewed studies dealing with the effects of trauma.”

He cut her off again. “That’s enough for now, Friday, thank you.”

“My pleasure, Captain Rogers.”

Steve was fuming at this point. Tony knew she was a shrink and let her come here. Was she here to analyze them? To write studies about them? Steve had been a lab rat in his day and so many of the team had suffered terrible psychological traumas. He didn’t want someone coming in here to exploit that for their own purposes. He wasn’t sure why Pepper had agreed to letting her come here, but he wasn’t about to let his team be used by someone like that. It was his job to look after them and that included threats from within.  

[mermaidsirennikita]

Hello! Any marriage trouble recs?

Sure!

Charlotte and The Seductive Spymaster by Grace Callaway. LOVE this book. Charlotte had a passionate--and tumultuous--marriage when she was younger, but then her husband died (right after she threw a fit and accused him of cheating, lmao). Years after, she's finally ready to move on, when he SHOWS UP! He's a spy who faked his death! And he's been stalking Charlotte and throwing rocks through windows to interrupt her near-kiss with a suitor! The heat in this book is insaaaane, and I loved the hero trying desperately to win her back.

Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan. This is technically divorced couple in trouble, as the hero and heroine split after a tragedy and are co-parenting their kids. But when he starts to move on, she realizes that she's still in love with him... Angsty, deep, and super heartfelt. Does deal with stillbirth, so heads up on that.

Return to Monte Carlo by Cate C. Wells. Set in the 80s, the heroine had a whirlwind romance with an older, withholding businessman and married him. A year later, the marriage is rather cold and his family sucks, so she impetuously leaves him on her first anniversary. Months later, he tracks her down, finds out she's pregnant, and WHISKS her away... to... Monte Carlo, perhaps?

Her Husband's Harlot by Grace Callaway. This sorta counts, I guess, but the marriage isn't really much of anything when the book begins because he refuses to touch her. The heroine is determined to figure out what's up (and fuck her husband) so she disguises herself as a sex-worker to begin an affair with him, lmao.

The Day of the Duchess by Sarah MacLean. Maybe the best MacLean? Seraphina caught her husband, Malcolm (Haven, God I love his title) cheating on her after their relationship hit the rocks. She later lost their baby and then ditched him, only to come back years later to ask for a divorce. He's like "sure, if you help me find my next wife", which is obviously a ruse to give him time for a massive grovel and winning her back. Angsty perfection.

The Courtesan Duchess by Joanna Shupe. Another "I'm disguised as a sex worker to seduce my husband who hasn't touched me" book, but this husband hasn't seen the wife in like six years (basically since the wedding day) so he super doesn't recognize her, and she's learned how to seduce him so that she get pregnant with an heir she needs for plot reasons.

Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage by Jennifer Ashley. One of my favorite marriage in trouble books; Isabella and Mac were madly in love, but have been separated for three years after a tragedy happened and she ALSO realized that she was tired of his tomfoolery (something I feel a lot of readers miss... Like it's not just the thing that broke the camel's back, she was also sick of Mac being irresponsible and unreliable). She returns to tell him that someone is forging paintings of his, and he's like "COOL THANKS FOR TELLING ME. Also, I am so uninspired by the nudes I'm painting" and she's like "TWIST MY ARM I'll pose for them I guess :/". So so hot.

Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas. A married couple has been separated for about a decade, basically since the day after their wedding. She requests a divorce so that she can marry her lover, and he's like "fine, but gimme a baby first". She agrees to try for a baby... but has tricks up her sleeve.

Possession by Adriana Anders. An A-list actor and an ingenue have a marriage in name only for PR, which is ruined when he's caught on camera having kinky sex... with a woman who looks suspiciously like her. He runs off to his place of solace (a kink camp, naturally) and she follows him, during which they finally get physical and also! Emotional!

Winterblaze by Kristen Callihan. One of my favorite marriage in trouble books, a paranormal historical in which the hero has left his wife after like, fourteen years of marriage, because he finds out (following a werewolf attack) that not only does the supernatural exist, but his wife is a witch who's actually QUITE involved in all of it. Then they get stuck on a ship together, working to solve a series of demonic murders. But! She's wearing a pink dress that reminds him of how pink her vagina is! And he looks SO HOT and STOIC. And then there's a HUGE twist that blew my mind. I loved it.

Her Errant Earl by Scarlett Scott. After deflowering his wife, a slutty earl (who only married at his father's insistence) returns because he's on the brink of being cut off. She's like "lmao fat chance" but as they get to know each other, he gets involved for reeeeal.

Her Lovestruck Lord by Scarlett Scott. Another "he left her without touching her" book, the hero married the heroine while being in love with another woman, who he returned to. Now that affair has blown up and he's brokenhearted at a sex party, naturally. But she's also shown up to the sex party, tired of being fucked around on and determined to cuckold him. Yet they're wearing masks! And she accidentally cuckolds him... with him! And it's so good that he negotiates a sex deal with (gasp) his own wife!

Regarding the Duke by Grace Callaway. A recent favorite, this one has a frosty businessman eight years and two kids deep with his adoring, sweet wife, who's ignorant to a lot of who he actually is. He lusts after her but is determined to keep distance, which is why they only have sex on Wednesday. Then he gets amnesia (it's great) and is like "wait a fucking second, I only have sex with this FUCKIN' BABE on WEDNESDAYS??????" So the marriage is totally reawakened, but like... all his secrets, which would blow up the marriage, still lurk. SO GOOD.

[primroseprime2019]

Hi! :D

🌸🌞🎀🥥 from this ask game

Hello :3

🌸 How do you go about world building in your stories? - I tend to just try and go slow. I focus on what the people are like, what the buildings are like. I even focus on what the planets look like, size and clor. It can be... hard but I manage to get it done.

🌞 How do you handle writer’s block? - I just listen to music or I read other people's stories in order to handle writer's block. I even read some books that I've got that will hopefully spark some inspiration.

🎀 How do you choose names for your characters? - Choosing their names isn't entirely easy mostly because some names are known to be uncommon. But I go to baby websites or I look at names that would be on TikTok.

🥥 Who is your favourite oc? What makes them so special? - I've got a lot of favorites but my main favorites would be my fourteen main characters: Gregory Parker, Harry Haddock, Paige Kendrick, Natalia Grey, Demetrius Bright, Charlotte Valentine, Marley Moon, Shiloh Cross, Kaitlin Swan, Thomas Runner, Joanna Owens, Ivan Black, Brenda Landry and Osiris Carter. They are special because I like to think that they represent everything that I am. My love, my bravery, my passion, my curiosity.❤️❤️❤️

[cashmere-caveman]

maybe thats just a side effect of spending a significant part of my teenage years in the dc fandom but whenever i see a story about a family w several kids i automatically assume that at least one mind somewhere had the idea of an au where the age of all the siblings is swapped and the youngest are the oldest and vice versa and when i got into asoiaf i was like oh this is Such a ripe playing ground for this kind of exploration of family dynamics via au bc there are SO many incredible opportunities and then i checked ao3 and Boom. nothing

but like. hear me out. here are so many great concepts here let me pitch this to u except under the cut bc it got long

starklings age reversal is basically a carte blanche bc like who tf knows what rickon would be like? can we really extrapolate any kind of characterisation from the semi abandoned feral cannibal toddler canon gives us? not really. But! this has an absolutely incredible butterfly effect if we assume jon is also counted as a starkling here and the baby of the bunch bc this means all the stark kids minus robb and jon are already born by the time of the rebellion which changes the game drastically. if we still want cat/ned to happen, what happened to brandon? did aerys just kill him for funsies? did he marry ashara dayne after getting her pregnant and him and ned did a little fiancee swap? did he join the nights watch did he choke on some porridge like what Happened here??? also assuming the general timeline stays otherwise intact this means that king in the north rickon is older than renly during the war of the five kings which is frankly hilarious. If jon is Not counted in the age reversal and keeps his age does that mean cat heard abt neds "affair" and named her first two kids after neds father and dead older brother respectively to really drive home the guilt? how would jon and rickon get along? how is arya dealing w being an imperfect older sister to precious little darling sansa? are arya and jon even closer here or does arya listen to cat more bc she has Oldest daughter syndrome this time around? how do the betrothals change? etc etc..... good food!!!!

would anything in roberts rebellion have gone differently if the previous generation of starklings got age swapped and calm benjen instead of headstrong brandon was the oldest? would they have made it out with more survivors or would they be driven to ruin regardless?

speaking of roberts rebellion, what if the baratheon bros got reversed and renly was the oldest? would he have made friends with ned and tried to save lyanna even if he wasnt in love with her like robert? or would he have bent the knee and the north would have attempted to rebel alone? would westeros still have a targaryen king if good old bobby b wasnt the eldest brother?

what if joffrey was the younger brother instead of tommen? even if robert still got murdered, ned would probably survive and be allowed to take the black (jon and ned at the wall, anyone???? hello??) and the tyrells would most likely never orchestrate the purple wedding and instead be warring with cersei over who gets to puppet tommen on the throne

my personal favourite: lannister age swap!!! for this to work, joanna lannister has to survive tyrions birth and i am going to be generous and let her survive the twins too simply bc i want her to. unfridge that woman!!! what would the lannister dynamic be like w a surviving mother who birthed an "unfit" heir? how would tywin treat her, how would he treat tyrion? how would SHE treat tyrion? (dead parents doesnt always mean they were good people just bc we cant see them fuck their kids up live on camera!!) do they actually acknowledge tyrion as a son or does tywin pretend it was a stillbirth and this random disabled kid thats coincidentally the same age his son wouldve been that idk. works in the kitchen or sth bc some servant didnt have the heart to murder the kid hid him has no idea he should be the lannister heir? tyrion cinderella arc here we gooooo!!! or maybe tywin would be forced to acknowledge tyrion for lack of other options for the six years or so until the twins birth? (unlikely w his ableist ass mindset but hey. aus exist for a reason. maybe there IS a way to get him to see tyrion for who he is?) also, since hed be even more absurdly too young for a post like that than he already was, what would change if jaime never joined the kingsguard? who would cersei get betrothed to? (cersei x littlefinger would be soo delicious except theres no way tywin would waste his daughter on someone whos barely better than a landed knight in his eyes but once hes master of coin..... maybe theres a chance.... much to think about!)

not getting into the targaryens here bc frankly it is 1am rn and i am losing steam but like. the epic higs of crown princess dany my beloved <333 and the epic lows of the horrors if viserys was oldest son. can u imagine. however same as w the baratheon bros would this be an opportunity for a scenario where due to rhaegar being the baby of the bunch no rebellion happened and the targaryens still rule? or would aerys have blown up kings landing leading to either civil war or something equally atrocious? would there still be a throne of the seven kingdoms or would there be Seven Kingdoms?

also skipping the martells here bc my phone is at 7% battery and if i think abt them for too long i'll cry so i will leave u w this: theon greyjoy firstborn child to balon greyjoy. would that be fucked up or what. baby boy is Not going to survive his daddys rebellion i can tell u that much but asha Is going to make an even finer heir than she already does

[inkedmyths]

S2: E6 "No Exit"

Brought to you by I'M SORRY I KEEP FORGETTING TO POST THESE. HERE YOU GO

This episode featuring: Misogynistic tropes, Family Guy, the daddy issues continue, and Robert Smirke's 14 Fears

Silas: YAY

Kayla: hello queers and sam winchester

Compilation of Dean's dumbassery in the beginning, we love to see it

Ominous flickering lights! Great start

EWWWW GOOP

Hell is RIGHT baby bc its probably a demon or something

Oh boy mom and daughter fight

WHDHDHDHDHDHSH

Poor passerby family walking in on that

Yeah and you're young and blonde and therefore likely to get eaten by this thing, which I'm sure is the point

Melon: Oh to be born as a disposable horror movie character

ECTOPLASM

STATEPUFF MARSHMALLOW MAN EHDHDHD

WHSHSGSGSGS JUST WALKS UP TO HIM LIKE HI THIS IS MY BOYFRIEND AND DEAN'S LIKE uhhhhhhhhhhh ookay

Whshsgs yeah her moms not an idiot

Shes thinking abt stabbing u with it Dean

LOOK I GET THERE'S LIKE AN ISSUE WITH SEXISM BUT SHES SO STUPID

HAND

Anyways as I was saying its like "definitely a sexist character archetype" but also she really is stupid

Dean gonna get his hand bit or somethin just putting it in a vent w/a spirit

EWWW SCALP

Oh look another random blonde girl

Did they not check to see if there were any other blonde chicks in the building when investigating

DEAN WHY ARE YOU SLEEPING LIKE THAT??

He was fucking sleeping like that

Ah yes the tragic backstory bc of her dad dying

Ofc

Dude honey he has daddy issues out the wazoo this isn't something you want to be asking probably

Melon: Wait is she asking Dean for parent advice

Me: Asking what yhe first thing he thought of when he remembered his dad

Melon: MAAM

Me: Dean saying it was shooting bottles on a fence I Feel Like Thats A Lie

Melon: Ma’am this man exudes daddy issues in a 6 km radius at all times you really shouldn’t ask him anything about his dad

Melon: Does this look like the face of someone who was hugged as a child? No? Cause he wasn’t

Melon: Pretty sure any answer he gives could be a lie cause like I’m pretty sure the entirety of everything he’s ever done with his dad flashes simultaneously every time he remembers him.

Ohhhh so hanging people jn the field nextdoor ok that tracks

H. H. HOLMES? AMERICAS FIRST SERIAL KILLER

CLOROFORM

THE MURDER CASTLE I KNOW THIS FUCKIN GUY

Crazyyyyy

SHRIEKS THEY'RE JUST BASHING IN WALLS NOW?

LMAO DEAN

Girl u have no sense of self preservation

ALSO TIE YOUR HAIR BACK WHY ARE YOU WALKING IN SOME DINGEY ASS WALLS W/IT DOWN

HHHolmes blond girl. Joanna Beth? Isk.

ECTOPLASM

SCREAM

Time to start breaking walls

[ Crepe says to drink the ectoplasm like a milkshake. Do not do this. ]

Scratch marks..... where others have tried to get out

Oh I am not looking at the screwn while shes looking out of it bc creepy fuckers eye is gonna show up I just know it

OH THERES MULTIPLE GIRLS IN HERE

Theresa...

Rip in pieces

[ Melon appreciates the humor of using an acronym and then adding the rest of the statement. ]

Sam and Dean looking like dumbasses with their fuckin. Metal detector?

Into the sewers without delay we can't go wrong we know the waaaay

That ladder is pretty sketchy

What a creep

Ok scared him off for a sec

Dean army man crawling in a stupid little sewer

[ Melon notes that he's always felt showing someone crawling through a dark tunnel on their stomach is, in his opinion, one of the scariest things to be utilized in horror. I think there's a lot of merit in this; you can't go very fast, and you can't turn around, so if something else is in there with you... It occurs to me, that while we've warned away Melon from TMA for Prentiss reasons, I should show them MAG15. ]

WOO SPIRIT SHOOTIN

Eugg... bones...... the corpse of one of the victims

Well thats creepy as shit

Salt circled him

[ Crepe makes a reference to a Tumblr post about salt in hoola-hoops, instead of salt circles. I'm sure one of you guys could dig it up. ]

CONCRETE TRUCK LMAOOO DEAN WHERED YOU GET THAT

WHSHSHS THE AWKWARD SILENCDean stfu

LMAO

Well thats rough

[ More discussion comtinues on useful and hilarious solutions to demons and ghosts, such as holy water squirt gun, holy water humidifier, and salt infused hairspray flamethrower. ]

Like father like sons oh ma'am

Oh boy

AHAHA.

I mean I get being upset but also its stupid as hell

You can't blame someone for what their parent did thats fucking stupid

I mean I get being concerned that some traits carry over but this soecific behavior is stupid!

[ At some point around here, the episode ended. I, however, was hung up and DEEPLY offended by Jo's behavior at the very end. ]

Me: THE SINS OF THE FATHER ARE NOT THE SINS OF THE SON. BANGS HAND ON DOOR. DO YOU HEAR ME.

Melon: *cough* unfortunately pretty sure john could find a way to pass on his sins or smthn. Dudes done some weird shit

[ I rant about it a bit more. I'm so deeply, deeply offended. Then, a pivot into discussion about the monster of this ep. ]

Me: Anyways absolutely wild that the monster this ep was an irl serial killer

Me: Same energy as Robert Smirke being in the Magnus Archives

Kayla: ROBERT SMIRKE WAS REAL?

[ Needless to say, the conversation was immediately sidetracked. ]

Crepe: What did he do

Melon:

Kayla: BUILT STUFF AND ITS EVIL???

Me: WELL NOT IN REAL LIFE

Kayla: WHAT

Kayla: IS THAT A US GOV BUILDING

Kayla: HE DID BUILD REAL EVIL INK YOU LIAR

Kayla: THATS THE HIGHEST EVIL???

Me: Ok I can't argue with that actually

[ There's some more prattling about this, but I'll mainly leave you with this last thing. ]

Kayla: the us govt isnt its own fear?

Me: No that would be giving it too much credit

---

Well, needless to say, I can't say I'm a fan of Jo at this point. It's a bit frustrating, because it's very clear (to me anyways) that her characterization is the result of some annoying tropes. I can get behind the idea of her wanting to be like her father, and maybe being a bit reckless, but the treatment of her is just... idk. Really frustrating.

I probably would have been a lot more sympathetic if it weren't for that weird turn around at the end. I understand Helen seeing John in the brothers and having issues with that, but Jo? After surviving all that with them? I can understand feeling conflicted, but the way it was presented... hrgh. Irritating all around.

At least this episode had concrete truck. Keeping in theme with the TMA references, Adelard Deckard would be proud.

[the-rewatch-rewind]

Long fun episode featuring my brother!

Transcript below the break

Hello and welcome back to The Rewatch Rewind! My name is Jane, and this is the podcast where I count down my top 40 most frequently rewatched movies in a 20-year period. Today I will be discussing number 20 on my list: Miramax, Jane Starz Productions, and Blessington Films Productions’ 2004 fantasy comedy Ella Enchanted, directed by Tommy O’Haver, written by Laurie Craig, Karen McCullah, Kirsten Smith, Jennifer Heath, and Michele J. Wolff, based on the book by Gail Carson Levine, and starring Anne Hathaway and Hugh Dancy.

Cursed with the “gift” of obedience in infancy, Ella (Anne Hathaway) becomes increasingly desperate to break free when her father remarries, and her step-mother and step-sisters (played by Joanna Lumley, Lucy Punch, and Jennifer Higham) take advantage of her forced compliance. Finally she runs away to find and confront the fairy who cursed her, and makes several friends along the way, including an elf named Slannen (Aiden McArdle), and, of course, a prince named Charmont (Hugh Dancy).

I didn’t see this movie in theaters, but I did see it the year it came out. I watched it once in 2004, seven times in 2005, once in 2006, once in 2008, once in 2009, once in 2012, once in 2013, twice in 2014, once in 2015, once in 2016, twice in 2019, and once in 2021. The vast majority of those viewings were with my brother Quinn, so I asked him to join me and help explain why we love this movie so much. We had a very long, very fun conversation that I hope you will enjoy.

Hi, Quinn!

Quinn

Hello!

Jane

Welcome to the Rewatch Rewind. 

Quinn 

How exciting to be here! I feel famous. 

Jane 

Yes, you've definitely been mentioned in many previous episodes. 

Quinn 

It's very fun for me as your sibling, having grown up with you and been in the background of a lot of these watches, I'm guessing, to hear some of your takes as as a grown person on on these movies. And just kind of revisiting, you know, it takes me back to a time and place as well hearing you talk about them. So this podcast is personally very fun for me. 

Jane 

Have there been any movies that you hadn’t seen? 

Quinn 

You know none that immediately come to mind. There's definitely movies I didn't watch nearly as much as you did. Like, I think there's a couple movies that I've heard your, your… you explaining on the podcast, your affinity for them is kind of the first time I've heard, like, your insights, and like all the, the nuances that you notice about each of the movies. But no, I'm pretty sure I've been familiar with all of the movies that you've talked about. Like Adam's Rib, like I maybe never watched it all the way from start to finish, but I've certainly seen the “like a sound part” and the the highlight parts of the movie that you noted in the podcast. 

Jane 

Yeah, cause I think Rosemary's told me there's a couple that she was not sure that she'd seen. 

Quinn 

OK, it was news to me that everyone hated Bringing up Baby. I think I probably did at some point know that, and then just like forgot overtime but…

Jane 

Yeah, I feel like the rest of the family would never watch it with us.

Quinn 

Well, no and I didn't… I I completely didn't realize that that I… it always stuck out to me as one of my favorite movies of that time and era, and I don't think that I was ever old enough when I watched it to really question the like logistics of it, or like the premise. So, but I always loved Bringing up Baby. I thought it was funny. And I think that it's funny that people were so irritated with Katharine Hepburn because I think she's hilarious in the whole thing. 

Jane 

Yeah, yeah, so I did remember, like I almost was like, oh, yeah, everyone I know hates this movie, I was like, oh no, Quinn likes this movie! 

Quinn 

Well, I'm glad to get the shout out. I really didn't realize it was a controversial stance that I had. 

Jane 

Yes, well, I know a lot of like old movie fans that I've met online were telling me, like, “Oh yeah, I love Bringing up Baby!” So it's not just us, but... 

Quinn 

Yeah, definitely. You talked about its reputation as being kind of like a standout screwball comedy. I think that definitely makes sense. I think that it doesn't get screwier than Bringing Up Baby.

Jane 

Yeah, it is, it is THE screwball comedy. Yeah, so as far as the movie we're talking about today though, I think…

Quinn 

Made many decades later. 

Jane 

Yes! I think that that's one that we definitely fell in love with together, that like a lot of the movies I've talked about so far are like specific to me watching and then you would kind of watch them with me. But I think with Ella Enchanted, we watched it together and grew to love it together, so that's why I wanted to have you on for this episode. 

Quinn 

Well, yeah, I definitely think that like looking at your list and like thinking about like oh what are some of the reasons why they ended up here? Like Ella Enchanted, I feel responsible for in ways that I might not feel responsible for other movies on this list. 

Jane 

Yes. Well, I think what's important for our listeners to understand is that when you were younger, like you're quite a bit younger than me. And when you were little, you really liked to, like, pick a movie and watch it a bunch, like, really close together. Is that fair? 

Quinn 

Oh yes, I had phase movies for sure. Like it was, I can think of particular movies that I would watch all the time and I could never tell you the reason why I stopped watching any of these movies. But there would be a period of time that I would just get really hot with a certain movie and that would be all I wanted to watch and then… I guess I would just get over it. 

Jane 

And I think that Ella Enchanted is the only one of those that has made it onto my list. 

Quinn 

Yes, I would say that's fair. And I, Ella Enchanted was for sure one of those movies, and I would actually say one of the things I for sure wanted to talk about today was the soundtrack for Ella Enchanted, I would say is has been a pillar of my music appreciation over the years and like that soundtrack is actually very good…

Jane 

It's very good. 

Quinn

…and I think introduced me to a lot of like older songs like classic songs that I otherwise wouldn't have known that I think was important in my developing a music taste as well. 

Jane 

Yeah, yeah. There's definitely a lot of covers of really famous songs. It's kind of weird that they chose to go that direction with, like, this fairy tale story like that they did more like rock songs. But it works really well. It was just kind of an odd choice when you, like, read the book, you don't necessarily think like, oh, this would be perfect to have like a Queen song. 

Quinn 

Well, yeah. And I was actually thinking about, you had mentioned fans of the book Ella Enchanted that the movie is adapted from tend to be pretty disappointed with this adaptation. And I agree that it's a pretty poor representation of the book, and I guess I've sort of reimagined the movie as more just like another like retelling of Cinderella and, and I guess, like kind of with Ella Enchanted flavor to it. Like there's a lot of the plot points that like kind of the core characterizations of some of the characters are borrowed from Ella Enchanted. But yeah, I mean, I think there's so many adaptations of fairy tales out there, and like I think that it's a very fun and ultimately like kind of visionary choice that they went with like sort of this like 70's rock theme for the soundtrack that sort of like didn't really have any other connection to the story, but just those were the songs that they went with. And I do know that like specifically with Somebody to Love, which I think is kind of the key musical moment in the movie that was really sort of driven from like, I guess Tommy O'Haver was working with Anne Hathaway on some kind of like more traditional, like folksy fairy tale song. And it didn't suit her voice as well as Somebody to Love. So I feel like it was also very driven by like who were the people making the movie and what their tastes were, which is, I also think probably why it works because it was driven from an organic place. 

Jane 

Yeah definitely. And I think that casting Anne Hathaway and then like using her, because like, at that point, she was mostly known for Princess Diaries, which I guess she still is known for Princess Diaries, but, like, kind of taking that sort of flavor of princess of, like, I guess it's not really like a modern story, Ella Enchanted, because it's sort of set in this…made-up fairy tale-ish place, but like definitely has, like modern sensibilities that I think that like putting… I mean, Anne Hathaway has also done period work that's been good. I mean, she won an Oscar, but like, I think that taking her like personality and more modern sensibilities and putting it into this fairy tale thing worked really well. And I think that if they had tried too hard, like again, like, recognizing that that song didn't fit her voice and tried too hard to push her in a different direction. I don't think the movie would have worked.

Quinn 

Oh yes, Anne Hathaway is very much allowed to be Anne Hathaway in this movie and it's fantastic. I think one of my biggest takeaways from this movie in watching it relatively recently in preparation for this conversation was just how essential I feel it is in the Anne Hathaway story. Because, I mean, you see her, I think debuting in a lot of people's eyes, I think she was in a movie or two before Princess Diaries. Or was that her debut? 

Jane 

I think it might have been her debut. 

Quinn 

And I feel like you have definitely a star is born moment with Princess Diaries and she really I think emerged as someone to watch and as a a star that could like hold their own with Julie Andrews and and sort of have this kind of fun, relatable charm. Like I do see sort of like the Emma Stone and Jennifer Lawrences that come after really sort of taking something from the Anne Hathaway School of being a young it girl actress. And I feel like it was Ella Enchanted that really I think the singing particularly introduced this new layer to her talent, you know, circle and now all of a sudden, Anne Hathaway can be in musicals and she's very good at singing. And I just think that it was a very important stepping stone to her becoming a superstar. And I mean, she won the Oscar for a musical. So I think you know I can see, you know, maybe she would have ended up in Les Mis regardless of Ella Enchanted, but I do think this movie really put her on the map. And it's funny because I don't think it's a like particularly well regarded movie in any sort of circles, but I have to think that it had some really important impacts on Anne Hathaway's career following. 

Jane 

Oh yeah, definitely. So had you read the book before seeing the movie, do you remember? 

Quinn 

I actually I don't remember, but if I had to guess, I would say I saw the movie first, and I think you knew the book and so were able to like give some context when I would see it early. And then I did eventually read the book and like it. It has been a long time since I've read the book though, so I cannot really recall what is different about the movie in the books now. 

Jane 

Yeah, I haven't read the book in a long time. I had read the book definitely before I saw the movie, and it was kind of like, I feel like the book was different than this. But like the, I mean the basic premise is the same, but it's different to the point that I, like you said, I kind of consider them two different things, and I can definitely see why fans of the book would think that the movie was a bad adaptation, but at the same time it's like, it's fun. They did their own thing with it and…

Quinn 

Well, and Ella Enchanted is an adaptation too, which I think it for me is what makes it work. 

Jane 

Right. 

Quinn 

And like I have been thinking in a lot of like media that I've seen recently with elements of the Cinderella story in it of like, what are some of the things I like about each retelling? And like I I texted you out of the blue when I was watching Into the Wood randomly and I was like, I think the Cinderella in Into the Woods is my favorite all time Cinderella. So like I did also, when I watched it recently was kind of thinking about like what are my favorite interpretations of the Cinderella story like in Ella Enchanted and what are some of the things that I think work better in other retellings? It's a story that is just very familiar at this point. 

Jane 

Yeah, it's been told and retold time and time again, and I I know you haven't listened to the Enchanted episode yet, but we talked about Cinderella quite a bit in that episode, too, because it's sort of like the fairy tale. And I think it's so interesting in Ella Enchanted that they added this layer of her being cursed. And it's not just that she has a really mean stepmother and step sisters. But it's like, literally they could order her not to leave and she would not be able to leave. 

Quinn 

Yeah, the curse is awful. And I do think Cinderella in all tellings of the story is someone who is abused,

Jane 

Right. 

Quinn 

and I think that that is a very important  facet of the story, and I think you and I've talked a lot about how there's a lot of like dismissal of Cinderella as a character in many iterations of just like being this damsel, like this bad representation of, you know, femininity and you know, just waiting around for a man. But I think that the curse really illuminates just some of the cruelty that I think Cinderella in all versions of the story experiences. But it's they almost don't really emphasize the chores, and like the the working and the cinder part of Cinderella, and they even dropped that from her name. It's it's less about the labor that she's expected to do and more just that this curse really defines all aspects of her life and turns even people that are trying to help her against her. And yeah, it's a terrible, terrible curse. And I think that it's a very lighthearted movie, but it's very dark what she has to go through. 

Jane 

Yeah, absolutely. And I think that it also… they do a good job of showing her sort of fighting the curse. And again, like you said, there's this perception that Cinderella is sort of a weaker, more passive character, but she really has always been, you know, very strong in being able to break away from her horrible situation. And I think they show Ella really doing everything she can to fight the curse and be like, OK, I'm gonna do what you told me, but I'm gonna do like, my own version of it. Like I'm gonna try and find loopholes in these orders so that I don't have to actually be under your thumb. And yeah, I I just, I think that's very well done. 

Quinn 

From a narrative perspective, it's a really powerful way to empower the character of of Ella and make her, I think, have people see more of themselves in her too, by giving her something to really fight against and be subversive against. And I think that that, I mean, it drives the plot of the movie. It's it's a good a good narrative tool. 

Jane 

Yeah and then there's the whole thing about that she's trying to fight for the rights of like elves and giants and other types of mystical beings who have been subjugated by the government. And I think that there's a little bit of an element of like sort of a savior complex in some of what she does, but I think that ultimately she feels a kinship with these people that are being forced to do things against their will because she's literally being forced to do things against her will all the time when people tell her to do stuff, she has to do it. And I think that that gives her a lot of empathy for, like giants being forced to do farm labor, and elves being forced to sing and dance. And I think they do a good job of showing that in the story. That like she feels like she kind of understands some of what they're going through and that's part of why she feels so strongly about trying to help them. 

Quinn 

Yeah, yeah, I think that it's also, I would love to see sort of the same premise of this story exist now and kind of retold now that we know a little bit more about how to be maybe a better ally or to sort of be a little bit more inclusive and less performative. Because I do think you know, in watching it recently, there were some things Ella said and did that I was like, ooh I don't know about that as you know, good activism. Like thinking specifically about how, when her and Prince Char returned to Lamia, which is where the palace is, you know where the Prince is there. He clearly has some kind of status and they're with an elf companion, their elf friend Slannen, and like they just he gets thrown out of the the palace and they stand there and don't seem to like, do anything to try to stop it. It's like, OK, well, we need to, like, act upon our convictions. So yeah, there's little things like that. And also like when Slannen the elf is trying to talk to Prince Charmont about working with his uncle to maybe allow elves to have other careers than being performers or entertainers cause he wants to be a lawyer and he's saying, “Well, can you petition your uncle the literal king for me to be a lawyer?” And he's just like, “I can't do that! That would be weird. It simply isn't done!” And so those are the types of things where the movie does let me down a little bit because I want to see, you know, some real advocacy and allyship. But I do think that you make such a good point about Ella feeling a kindred spirit to these marginalized peoples and really having that empathy and speaking up and saying something. I think that that is very clear throughout the movie and that is what allows her to be successful ultimately, is these relationships that she's built that she has built through empathy and through, you know, walking in people's shoes and hearing their stories and listening to them. So I think that there is a really beautiful message of of caring for the marginalized and advocating throughout the movie. 

Jane 

Yeah and I do think that there's they show that Prince Char, at least they show him as very like privileged and ignorant initially and that he, like again, he definitely could do more, but I'm thinking about like the scene when he listens to the giant leader and like, he's actually like, oh, wow, I didn't realize how bad things were. I'm going to try and make things better, and again, I don't know what he actually does, but he does become king, presumably at the end after his uncle dies. So hopefully he does…. 

Quinn 

He does sing Elton John. That we do know. 

Jane 

Yes, so I mean obviously there's only one step between sing Elton John and free the marginalized people, so… 

Quinn 

He's on the right path. 

Jane 

Yeah, yes. So again, yes, you're right, it definitely could do more, but I also think that they have some good points. There's some almost there moments, I think. 

Quinn 

Oh yeah, and in in thinking about the times, like, I think that those some of those interactions and conversations were like stepping stones to, I think more fruitful ways to interact in those spaces and in those conversations, but it definitely, you know I I think that's a very presentist mindset to even look at some of those conversations critically, because you know, at that time those were conversations that were the most tolerant things got. So, you know, it's definitely have to make allowances for differences in in time. And I do have to say, I think talking about Prince Charmont as a character, I think he is one of the better, more developed Prince characters that you get in one of these Ella Enchanted Cinderella retellings, and I think Hugh Dancy really played like, I think, all of the acting in this movie is really phenomenal. I think that's a headline for me is that it's a very well acted movie, even though it's probably objectively pretty bad. 

Jane 

The script left something to be desired, but the actors did the best they could with it. 

Quinn 

Well, yeah, OK, let's just dive into it because I think that there is no better argument for “there are no small parts” than this movie because every single one of the actors in this movie like nails - and I don't mean like this in a casual like - nails their role. Like every performance I can think of, like one of my favorites to just like think about is Minnie Driver and like as Mandy who is like the fairy kind of governess of Ella and like she's not a very powerful fairy, so she's not that helpful in terms of her magical skill abilities, but like, she's kind of an ally to Ella in her abusive home and like, plays a role throughout the story. Very minimal and like the character of Mandy, I think I remember being pretty important in the Ella Enchanted book, and like they really, I think the writers really stripped this character of, like any kind of, like, notable personality. But Minnie Driver was just like, “Nuh-uh! Not my part!” And she just like, finds these like perfect comedic moments, and it's like she has like one line in a scene, and just like is so in character the whole time and is just like hysterical., completely matches like the attitude of just being like a little, like, sassy, and over it. And I'm like, that's just like one of the very bit parts. Like you've got like the the, I don't remember her name, but the actress who plays Olive, who's just like deranged and like all the, like, kleptomaniac stuff. And she's just like, “Ooh hoo hoo!” like, the whole time completely in character. Joanna Lumley is there, like, serving evil stepmother. Like she is not letting a moment go by without just like commanding the scene. Vivica A. Fox like comes in and does her like flashy, sassy little, like unhelpful cutaway scenes that are, like, again, all of these roles are pretty insignificant, don't have a lot of screen time, don't have much to work with, terrible script and like these actresses are just like, “This is the best role I've ever played in my life!” It's so much fun. It's like you talked a couple of podcasts ago about your favorite movies to watch being like ones where the actors are clearly having a good time. And like, I just feel like, you know, Anne Hathaway gives a fantastic performance and is committed and plays all the emotional highs and lows. She has the most terrible lines to say and she just like, gets through it like a professional. Hugh Dancy is like also having a good time, and it's like appropriately, like, kind of like charming and aloof. And like Slannen is memorable. Like he's got that, like, you know, conviction. And he has some very, like, silly, like, physical comedy moments as well. And then you've got like Jim, who's on Downton Abbey? Like playing this like ogre, who like has these dramatic cutaways while he's trying to eat people like just great performances all around.

Jane 

Yeah, I agree. I think that you're right. That is a big part of why I enjoy this movie is that it's very apparent that everybody was just having fun. And you get that, especially with the big dance number at the end, which is just kind of random and like, why are they singing Don't Go Breaking My Heart at a wedding? Like…

Quinn 

Ohh my gosh, it's so. It's fun though.

Jane 

It's just, yes. 

Quinn 

Like I I've never questioned… Like it's a weird song choice, but I'm just, that is one of the most joyful, perfect finales to a movie that I've ever seen, like where everyone gets a little bit of something to do. You like, get that fun, like end credits. Here's everyone's final bow, and it's just like a ton of fun. 

Jane 

Yeah, it's just unfortunate that Lucy Punch. Is that her name? 

Quinn 

Oh yes. 

Jane 

She doesn't get to be in it because- 

Quinn 

Well, and I just realized I didn't mention her performance, but I feel like it deserves its own subsection. So Lucy Punch, who plays Hattie, the step sister of Ella, the mean stepsister, I…. that is my all time favorite interpretation of the evil stepsister character, because Hattie is just like, very impetuous, but she is dangerous and she, like, serves a role in the story that actually, you know, like her ratting out Ella is what leads to some of the highest stakes in the story eventually, s I do feel like so often the step sisters are really just like bit characters that don't really have much to do other than like be mean to Cinderella in like one or two scenes. And I feel like she both took that sort of like superfluous, frivolous quality that the step sisters have and like, did that, but also, like, they did find a way to work her way into the plot. She had a bit of menace and a bit of intelligence that she was able to use to try to achieve her own goals. And then I think has a great, like, humiliating downfall. And this is made all the better by the fact that Lucy Punch is like this was her dream role to play a step sister. And be this character and like she is a step sister in Into the Woods and in something else, I'm pretty sure. 

Jane 

I feel like she's played Cinderella's step sister at least four times. 

Quinn 

Yes. And like that was her dream role and this actress is just like having the best time being this character. Like it totally shows and I think that Hattie is like a standout character and performance throughout the entire thing as well. And it is a shame that she is not in the finale, but it's because of a deleted scene. And you can see the deleted scene if you get the DVD. 

Jane 

Yes, which I think is a good way to transition into why we have seen this movie so many times because yes, it is fun. And yes, we would watch it a bunch probably normally anyway, but the reason that we have watched it quite this many times is because we had the DVD and we discovered how delightful the audio commentary is. And I didn't keep track of how many times I watched it with or without commentary. But I would say that more than half of the times I watched it were with commentary. 

Quinn 

Yes, I mean, I think it became… you could have almost kept track of this movie two different ways, like watching it in its original form and watching it with commentary, because I think you we went to either at different times when we were looking for different things in a viewing experience. 

Jane 

Yeah, but I would, I think that…that even if I counted them separately, the commentary watching would be enough to be in my Top 40. 

Quinn 

You know, I I was gonna say I Jane mentioned this episode. You mentioned it to me. And I kept thinking you were going to schedule it and schedule it. And I'm like, wow, Ella Enchanted really made it far up this list because it's been several weeks now. It's pretty deep in the ranking. 

Jane 

Yeah, it's #20 so it's in the top half. 

Quinn 

Yeah. Top half. I'm stunned. 

Jane 

Yes, but yeah, so I don't remember how many times I'd seen it just normally before we discovered the commentary. But the commentary is just… it just adds a whole other level and like one of the things that you said earlier that made me think of it was when you were talking about Vivica A Fox being fabulous. And like, Anne Hathaway mentions in the commentary the scene when she's tied up to a tree and Lucinda shows up and she's like, oh, I'm going to help rescue you. And she's like, no, I want to be chained to this tree so I don't have to kill Char. And in the commentary, Anne Hathaway says that, like Vivica A Fox was so excited to do that scene. And she, Anne, was kind of like, “I don't know. I don't really like the lines” and Vivica’s like, “Oh, I'm not gonna say the lines. But we're gonna have fun!”

Quinn 

Yes, one of an Ella Enchanted moment that I think about probably most of any other, although there's so many, is like right after she sets her free, Vivica A. Fox, is just standing in this, like, fabulous pose and she's like, “Well, aren't I fabulous?” while Ella is just like, “This is terrible! This is not what I wanted!” It's just like a fabulous moment of just, like, completely not taking in any of your surroundings. You're the main character, the story is you, forget about everybody else, forget whose movie it. It's, it's Vivica A Fox. It's just, it's fabulous. But yes, the commentary which it features, Anne Hathaway and Hugh Dancy. So the two romantic leads of the movie and Tommy O’Haver, who is the director, he's like maybe the one you don't know, but if you don't know him you should. They just narrate the whole movie and it is absolutely hysterical, like the tone that these three have together is great. It's as if they're the best friends. They probably haven't spoken to each other in a decade now, which makes me sad because in my mind they hang out every day and commentate on things. Like they just have great chemistry. You can tell all three of them had a lot of fun making the movie and they're just like having a good time, and you can really you feel like you were there with them, like making this ridiculous movie that really wasn't that good, but damn it, they worked hard. 

Jane 

Yeah and it's like it's exactly what you would want from audio commentary, I think, which is like behind the scenes trivia because they have quite a bit of that. And then just like some like tea, like a little bit, not a lot of tea, but just like sort of like, oh, this didn't work very well or like, I was actually really miserable this day or something like that.

Quinn 

Well, they talk about like, little like spats they had with each other, but it's like, “Oh yeah, we got in a fight about that that day. I felt very this way” like it's it's all like it clearly happened like over a year ago. 

Jane 

Yeah, so there's that. But then just also like. Each one of them has a different thing that they kind of focus on more, which is nice that like they're not just kind of saying the same thing because like Hugh Dancy talks a lot about, like the stunt people. And like he was friends with them. And then Anne Hathaway- This is another thing, too, is like the commentary, like, really shows you how and how Anne Hathaway was like, set up to be super successful in Hollywood because she, like, remembers everybody's name, everybody who worked on this, like even like all the like, minor crew people and she's just like, yeah, this person did a great job and she, like, seems very like gracious. And like she actually cares, but is also very good at networking. And I think that that's exactly what you have to be to be like successful and someone that people like. 

Quinn 

Well, and you really get a sense of Anne Hathaway's work ethic, too. 

Jane 

Oh yeah. 

Quinn 

Which I think very much it comes through in the commentary where you just, like, get a sense of, like, all the things that she's thinking about. You hear a lot of the things that she's insecure about, and just like all of the the dynamics of being the Anne Hathaway of of this movie, being a movie star, being the the center of attention, both like in the internal world of the movie and in the external world of making the movie and in the even more external world of like marketing the movie and being the star.

Jane

Right.

Quinn

Like it's a very actually like I think nuanced character study of Anne Hathaway listening to the commentary while being very fun. 

Jane 

Yeah, yeah. And it's just like she never comes across as like, “Yes, I'm the star and I'm super famous and everyone should love me!” It's kind of like, “Yes, I'm putting in the work and I like really thought about this character and I really wanted to do a good job in this movie and I think everyone else worked really hard on it too.” And like definitely giving credit where credit is due and not really being super like... I mean obviously she talks about her own experiences, but not being super self-centered and like like everyone should be talking about me right now. 

Quinn 

And I think all three of the commentators really had that posture because Anne Hathaway does a great job of like mentioning like the lighting in this scene is beautiful and done by this person, that tailor was a tailor who works in Ireland. But I also think that like Hugh Dancy talks a lot about the stuntmen and like it's clear that he was like, legitimately really good friends with them, like during filming and would hang out with them. And like I think Tommy O’Haver also really like spotlights you know, actors and other people that worked on the movie. Like, I think you listen to it and it's like not like just them listing the credits, but it's like interesting seeing all of the different people that they each had to work with and spent time with. And like, how interesting it is just to put all these different people with all these different specialties in the same project together and just like stunt men interacting with movie stars and interacting with directors, interacting with lighting designers, interacting with other actors, it's all just very interesting to hear about the interactions that went into making the movie. 

Jane 

Yeah, it really highlights which I think I mean is probably true of pretty much every movie is that, like, just how interactive making a movie is, and just like what a collaborative effort it is. And it's not just like, oh, there's a few people involved and then there's, like, the background people that kind of help a little bit. It's like everybody really has to work together and like that's probably obvious to people who have made movies before. But I think when you're in the audience, you might not necessarily realize, I mean you see the long credits at the end, but just like how many people are involved in bringing this together and just how much they have to work together and trust each other to do their jobs. And I think that the Ella Enchanted commentary was kind of one of my first glimpses into just exactly what that looked like. And I think that that's part of what has like led me to be further interested in like, I'm not saying like I'm a filmmaker, but just sort of finding out a little bit more of the behind the scenes filmmaker stuff was really interesting to me without it feeling like, OK, now you're sitting down to a Filmmaking 101 class it it's all very fun the way they present it, but just like it gets you thinking of like, wow, there's so many people who work on movies that you never see who are really crucial to the process, and I really like that aspect of it and that they're definitely sure to give people as much credit as they can and not like you said, not listing the credits, just saying like, oh, this scene was really this person, like, really made it by doing their job kind of thing. And yeah, I really like that.

Quinn 

Yeah, and I think lots of DVD features have commentary on them, and so we've talked a lot about this commentary and it kind of leads to the question like what do you get from this commentary that like maybe you don't get in other movies with commentary? Cause I can't imagine there's another one on your list that like truly, you couldn't think of without the commentary which Ella Enchanted, I mean, it's inextricable from why you've watched this movie so many times. You wouldn't have watched this movie so many times without this commentary. I think it has all of these great things we've been talking about how deep it is, but it's also very funny.

Jane

Yes.

Quinn

And I feel like, you know, we quote and we've Mandela effected quotes from this commentary where like they don't actually say what we have ended up quoting years later, but like we quote this commentary so much to each other. Like probably the most quotable moment is like there's a point where Ella is supposed to in the movie like end up stopped in the middle of the road and there's like a horse drawn carriage that’s going to come and roll her over and she can't move because she's been ordered to stay because the Prince is going back to get the purse that she was carrying with her. And like they just describe how the line was originally, “MY SATCHEL!!!” when she realizes that she doesn't have it, and then the Prince is like, “Wait right there. I'll go get it.” And they're like, we had to cut that because we couldn't say it without laughing and they were like, then we I think we said, well, where's my satchel? We changed mine to where's my satchel and we still couldn't do it. S then in the movie is like, “Where's my purse?” is what she ends up saying. But like the “MY SATCHEL!” quote like, it's just the whole commentary is stuff like that. My other one of my other favorites, I can't even say things are above the other because it's all amazing. It's like, I guess all the sets had these different like almonds for Prince Char? 

Jane 

Yeah, all the, the castle sets had these dishes of candied almonds. 

Quinn 

Yeah, and it was just like this weird character study. And they're like, we want everyone in the Kingdom to enjoy my almonds! Like that Prince Char has his, like, favorite almonds. It's like this random detail that, like, you never would notice. There's just so many quotable moments, and like by all of them, all three of them really have great, hysterical little one liners. 

Jane 

Yeah, I was struggling to come up with a quote to use at the end of last episode because I was like all the good quotes are in the commentary. Yeah, cause the my satchel thing in particular, I feel like, I can't hear the word satchel without thinking of that, and sometimes I just think of it randomly. Just like “MY SATCHEL!!!”

Quinn 

Yeah and I also think one of the things that we have not yet talked about that I think the commentary does a good job of highlighting too, is that I love the costuming for that movie. I think that the costuming is perfect and they do a great job of talking about the different costumes, and you notice that characters have like signature colors, which I'm always, I don't know. I always really like that in movies when characters have signature colors. I think it's fun. And I I like that what that does visually is kind of like builds like a recognition for a certain character and seeing what color they're wearing, but like, I think it's cool. Like the characters have signature colors. I think the costumes are beautiful and well done, and the commentary does a good job of pointing out when that's the case. I think that Ella Enchanted is such a weird world and like you hear about all the different weird ways that this weird world was created together. But I do think it works surprisingly well like all told. You know, having these like kind of 70s-80s musical influences with kind of this like modern sensibility and the humor with like, costume, that kind of blended old and new with the signature colors, like something whimsical that pops like it all kind of like doesn't make sense in a way that makes sense. 

Jane 

Yeah, I think that the world is kind of similar to the world of Shrek in a way? Like, I think Shrek has a lot of those like… it's like sort of a medieval world, but also there's a lot of modern jokes. And I think that Hercules kind of does that too, of like being like set in the past, but also with these very modern jokes. And I think that was just like a really big thing in like the late 90s/early 2000s to kind of make that sort of world? And they really ran with it and Ella Enchanted. I think they really just leaned into, like, we're going to make this weird. And yeah, it works so much better than you would think it would on paper, if just like, yeah so it's like kind of medieval castle fairy tale but also modern, but also like from a few decades ago, and we're just going to throw all those things together. And yeah, it just really works. And I do agree that the costuming really helps with that because the costumes are, like sort of whimsical, but also like very focused on like the characters and like Ella’s are a lot more practical than like the step-sisters have, like the most ridiculous costumes, especially at the end. 

Quinn 

Shout out to Hattie’s ring in the ball scene. 

Jane 

It is like…her ring is like as big as her hand.

Quinn 

It is so ridiculous and so it's just perfect. 

Jane 

Giant orange. 

Quinn 

And I mean, I love the the fairies, like, especially like Lucinda, like has a very, I would say modern, like it's a very costumey, like think like, sexy fairy at Halloween outfit, but it's like Nope, it works. Let's go for it. And I think also having Heidi Klum in the movie helps with its fashion appeal. 

Jane 

Oh yeah. 

Quinn 

Heidi Klum is a giant. 

Jane 

I wonder if they consulted her, if like, she was a costume consultant too. 

Quinn 

I also have to say that we have not talked at all about Cary Elwes yet.

Jane

Oh yeah! Quinn

And I love his performance, talking about performances, he is clearly having a marvelous time. And I also love kind of the meta connection to Princess Bride because I do also think that there are some elements of, like it's like almost like a more modern frenetic world than Princess Bride is, but there's like, I think they serve as like similar kinds of movies, at least on paper. 

Jane 

Yeah, it does have kind of a similar tone to that. It doesn't have nearly as witty of dialogue as Princess Bride, but it definitely has like, a similar like world feel. Yeah, I definitely see what you’re saying. 

Quinn 

Like you could imagine, some of the characters interacting, so I think it's very… there's a fun parallel that like he's sort of in the story as more the Humperdinck character than, you know, being the romantic lead ultimately that he is in Princess Bride. 

Jane 

And he he was like just… He's so good, like, especially because like, as his character progresses. Like earlier in the movie, he's just sort of, like, vaguely menacing. And by the end, he's, like, completely like… maniacal laughing, just like going completely overboard with, like, I've just completely lost my mind! And he does that so well, like- 

Quinn 

And that's you can tell that's a choice that he made as an actor because you could have very easily played all of that very flat and probably not gotten the effect like you get that from his performance is what really gives you that story. 

Jane 

Yes. Oh my gosh I love the scene when he, after Hattie, has told him that Ella has to do whatever she's told, and he's, like, making her do the hokey pokey and all this stuff. But he's doing the most ridiculous dance in the background and it's like you're trying to make her look silly, but you look way sillier and it's so good. 

Quinn 

Yeah, like just the the gleeful evil of of it all. Yeah, it's it's really, it's fantastic acting. I'm telling- like, up, up, down, anywhere you look in this movie: well acted. 

Jane 

Yeah, 100% of the time. And then he has a snake sidekick. Which is very like reminiscent of a lot of Disney villains - which is part of why I always think this movie is Disney, but it's not Disney - but I think that they did a really good job with that snake. I guess originally they were going to have like an animatronic puppet and they just couldn't get it to work so they ended up-

Quinn 

Can you imagine how silly that would have looked? Like, I think them talking about their pathway to arriving at the conclusion that this snake had to be CGI is very funny in the commentary. 

Jane 

Yes, yes. Because it's like, um yeah, no, that wouldn't have worked. So they ended up with a CGI snake. And I think it looks good. 

Quinn 

It's very well done. It's fantastic and I think the the actor, I mean it's mostly a voice performance, but the acting is very good with Heston as well. 

Jane 

Yeah! Yeah , so I think that and that really adds to carry out was his character. What is his name? Edgar?

Quinn 

Edgar, who is the evil uncle. Sorry if we haven't said that. Yes, he is the king, who is the uncle of Prince Charmont, who is Hugh Dancy.

Jane 

And I think like the uncle killed the father? 

Quinn 

Yes. 

Jane 

It's like a little, little Hamlet moment. 

Quinn 

It’s kind of – a criticism: It's kind of thrown together. It's like, OK, I guess he killed the father. Like I want to see him killing the father. I wanna see the blood on his hands! 

Jane 

And then he's trying to kill Char also, I'm not exactly sure why… 

Quinn 

It's kind of Lion King action like… 

Jane 

Because Char was going to be coronated. Yes!

Quinn 

So I guess he was like kind of a Regent ruler because the dad had been killed and and the dad was much more, the king was much more tolerant of other life groups like ogres and elves, and then Edgar becoming the king, he made a lot of these like species segregationist policies so...

Jane

Yeah

Quinn

It's presumed that with Ella next to the throne and with Char being a much more morally upright person that with Edgar's passing and his coronation, things went right in Frell or Lamia or whatever the kingdom's name is, because Ella’s from Frell and Lamias where the castle is. I don't know what the whole common is called. Andalasia. 

Jane 

[laughs] Probably. It's also really interesting how they decided that, like the people from Lamia would have English accents, and the people from Frell would have American accents, and then they cast like mainly American people to be the Lamia people and mainly British people to be the Frell people. 

Quinn 

It was chaotic what was going on with the accents. 

Jane 

Yeah so people had to do different accents. I mean not entirely, cause like Hugh Dancy is actually English and had his normal accent. Anne Hathaway had her normal accent, but like, just like Minnie Driver had to do an American accent. 

Quinn 

And that one notable fairy who has that bit part does like a New York accent in in Lamia, but she was like Irish. 

Jane 

Yeah, well, yeah. And the person who plays Ella's mom was actually British or Irish or something, and…

Quinn 

[New York accent] Finding her would be something terrible.

Jane

[laughs] Yeah.

Quinn 

So many good lines! 

Jane 

There's some, there's some very strange accents going on, but it's fine. It works. 

Quinn 

Also Parminder Nagra is there.

Jane

Oh yeah.

Quinn

And she is honestly not one of the more memorable performances, but she does a really good job! 

Jane 

It's really upsetting, like, that's like one criticism that I have: I would really like to have seen another scene with Parminder Nagra's character at the end like… 

Quinn 

It's really stuck in there, like the resolution of that storyline with like like it- you can tell they like there was probably some scheduling problem of like her filming ER or something because like, it is weird. Like Areida is Ella's best friend. And and like they set up their characters and Ella actually like, really like screws her over because of the curse. 

Jane 

Yeah, it's a heartbreaking scene. 

Quinn 

It's a really sad scene and then I think that for whatever reason, they couldn't film any better resolution to that story other than like she just comes to the wedding and like, there's a cutaway scene where she's waving to the carriage and just goes, “Good luck, Ella!” 

Jane 

And you know she was waving at nothing. 

Quinn 

And yeah, like, there's no way those women were in the same room when that happened. 

Jane 

Yeah, I mean, she is in the room at the wedding, like with her, and they cause she's part of the Don't Go Breaking My Heart 

Quinn 

Yeah, but like I that could have been filmed in post too, that cutaway shot. 

Jane 

That is true. Um, yeah so I think they really needed a scene where Ella explained what had happened. 

Quinn 

And like you assume that they were, you know, they healed the friendship, and they were in a good place. But like, they never said that. 

Jane 

Yeah, it's like, I mean, I get that they put that in there to show just like how bad, because that kind of was what pushed Ella over the edge of like, I guess I just have to live with this curse to being like, no, I need to get rid of this because her stepmother made her tell her best friend, like, “I could never be friends with you, and you suck, go away” basically. 

Quinn 

And yeah, I really, I think if it was a better script or like a better story, like the movie version, I don't really remember like how it happened in the book, but for the movie world that was created, I think involving Areida in some of the machinations at the end to, like take down Edgar would have, really fixed a lot of the, like narrative hole that is left with that storyline, like just to have Areida like give her some marginal role even where like she's for some reason there and can like help them do one thing like in the sequence to take down Edgar. Like just plug her in somewhere. And I think that would have been really nice to like have like her helping the cause and like reestablishing their relationship and then like then maybe you don't really need a final scene between them. You can just kind of use what you have at the end and be like, yeah, they figured it out. 

Jane 

Yeah, I agree that definitely would have been a really good way to do it, but… 

Quinn 

I mean, they have Heidi Klum in the end part like... 

Jane 

Yeah, yeah. Because she and Slannen have a thing. 

Quinn 

Yeah, they get together, which is there's a lot of questions I have, but it's fine. 

Jane 

Yeah, but I think that that's really, I mean, no offense to the writers, but I think there were like 5 writers on this movie, and like I don't know that they had a cohesive idea of what they were going to do with it. I think it was kind of like, OK, there's this really popular book and this really popular actress that we can write a thing for. 

Quinn 

And doing movies like this is very popular. 

Jane 

Yeah, exactly. So yeah, this is the time to do this sort of modernized but not fairy tale type thing. And we're just going to throw it together and hope for the best. And I think that it does work a lot better than it had any right to on paper, based on the dialogue and the script. And they talk about that a little bit in the commentary. They're like, very gracious about it, but there's certain moments where they're like, “Yeah, I never really liked this line,” or, like, “I never really felt like I said this right.” 

Quinn 

I think they're pretty upfront with saying the lines that they had issues with saying. 

Jane 

Yeah, but they're not, they're not gonna, say like, “Oh this whole script was trash.” 

Quinn 

Yeah, yeah. And I mean, in fairness, there's a couple funny, like “My tongue itches” is funny. 

Jane 

That is true. Yeah, there's some good lines in the actual script, but I think overall that's really the weak point. And just like the fact that they were able to get these amazing actors and some of them are like super famous, others I like, haven't really seen in anything else. 

Quinn 

Eric Idle is in the movie also. 

Jane 

Oh, I forgot about him! 

Quinn 

See, like you just keep thinking of people. There's a lot of performances. 

Jane 

And I think that they all just showed up and were like, “We're gonna have fun. We're gonna make this movie.” And it just really comes together in a very entertaining way. 

Quinn 

I do think also what helps is that the characters they're playing are all kind of archetypes. What talented actors are able to do, they're able to take these archetypal characters and sort of have an interpretation of them kind of ready to go. And so I'm, I'm also kind of thinking like, that's these are just good professional actors that like these are not like tough characters. They're just like they're ones that you can really like sink into and, like, get- they're, they're like, really meaty roles that like a good actor, will know what to do with. 

Jane 

Yeah, yeah, I agree with that, that's a good way of putting it. So yeah, so it's just it's just fun entertainment, but again, it just becomes like so much more fun and entertaining when you have the commentary on and you just hear them chatting with each other about their memories of making this movie and the good and the bad and the ugly. 

Quinn 

And if you like podcasts, I imagine you'll like the commentary because it it really does, I think feel like you're just sitting around the table with friends or sitting on the couch watching the movie with, you know, the friends or like people that were making the movie. Like it's a a really good aura that the commentary has. I feel like and again and thinking about like what does the commentary have that other commentaries don't? Like I think a lot of other commentaries are very cold and very like stale almost and like they come in for these very like discrete parts and they'll say, I did want to mention when we were watching this that this blah blah blah. And then they'll stop and they'll go back to the movie. Like, this is just this continual conversation that goes throughout the movie pretty much. 

Jane 

Yeah, I think a lot of times, especially when the commentary just has the director, they can get very technical with like just saying, like explaining how each shot was set up. And just like, I mean some of that is very interesting, but I think it almost feels like you're like going to film school or something or like you're sitting in a lecture and I definitely tend to prefer the ones that have multiple people and especially like, I mean, I don't want to say like we only care about the actors, but I think actors know how to perform better than directors do a lot of the time, and so they know how to be entertaining. I would say Ella Enchanted is like far and away my favorite, but there's a few others, like I talked about the Mary Poppins one. And I think that one is really fun for different reasons, because they're looking back with like 40 years of distance. But it's the same sort of thing of like they're interacting with each other and reminiscing together. And I think that's a lot more interesting than just hearing one person sort of give you a lecture about how this movie came together. 

Quinn 

Well, yeah, and what the actors do, and I mean that's what they are when you're watching the movie, they are the audiences perspective, like into the world of the movie and, and so I think that you you feel like, you know, actors in a way that you don't feel like you know directors or people that are not on camera. And so, yeah, I think they're very practiced at bringing that perspective to an audience and sort of serving as that messenger or the gateway that an audience has to a story. And then I think to Tommy O’Haver’s credit. I think he's very charismatic. And so you feel like you know him or you like, get to know him through the course of the commentary. There's many directors whose commentary I've seen that I didn't really get a sense of who they were as people, but I feel like you get to know Tommy O’Haver and you like him. 

Jane 

Yeah, I think that he, like, definitely takes his work seriously, but I think he doesn't think too highly of himself. I think a lot of directors have really big egos, which I think to a certain extent you have to for that job because you have to be in charge and you have to like get people to listen to you and so you have to think relatively highly of yourself. Otherwise you're gonna be like, “Well or- or not or whatever.” And you can't do that when you're a director. But I think that with Tommy O'Haver, he's like, he wants people to have fun on his sets, I think. And he's like, very proud of his work on this movie, clearly. But he's also, like, very gracious to the stars that he's talking to and like, very quick to point out when they did a good job, which I think they're more hesitant to do, like they don't want to toot their own horns as much. And so he's like, very much like, saying, “Wow, you guys were really great to work with and you did such a good job too.” And like that, they were exactly what he wanted for this movie. And I think that really helps make the commentary just seem a lot more fun, too, is that he's not being like, “I made this movie and I was so great.” It was like, “Thank you guys for doing such a good job.” and all of that, so I really like that. 

Quinn 

Yeah, he's he seems like- I would, I would be an actor or, like, work on a movie that he was the director for. I feel like he would be a good person to work with. And yeah, I do, it's interesting that you note that they the actors do I feel like have a hard time like tooting their own horn and like one of the main things that I feel like Anne Hathaway is comfortable like talking about is like her physical appearance. And like, she'll be like, “Oh, my extensions look so good at that point.” And I do feel like that's something that, like you think about, like the Harvey Weinstein of it all and like just a lot of some of the really, like, dark things about Hollywood and like, how sad that is that like, that's what she felt like, you know, those were some of the ways that she could, like, step into her own and, like, talk positively about herself. And then you think about like all other things that were going on like in the industry at large. I also think it's really great to hear like, a man complementing like the female star of the movie, who was like indisputably the star of the movie. And again, another good example of like female led projects like they're this idea that they're not as successful. It’s like here is another like- that's something I love about this movie, that it is a female led movie, that it's like, yeah, Anne Hathaway is perfectly capable of carrying a movie on her own shoulders. 

Jane 

Yeah, and it's interesting too that like the director doesn't at any point that I recall in the commentary. Maybe, he says, like… Because I do think like Anne Hathaway does complement her own appearance, she all is also very critical of it. 

Quinn 

Well, and and that's also true too. I mean just I think that's sort of where I was going, too and tying in like some of the larger cultural things, she is very critical of her appearance at times too. 

Jane 

One of my favorite parts though, is when she's like watching herself perform and she's, like, cringing. And they're like, “What are you..? And she's like, “Oh, it’s just a tooth thing.” 

Quinn 

Well, they're in the middle of complementing the lighting in the scene, and they're just like, “Oh, this lighting is so beautiful” and it is really beautiful. It's like flickering flames that of course, were, like, done digitally, but it looks very real and they're complimenting it and then and and Hathaway just goes, “Eugh!” And then then she's just like, “Sorry, it was a tooth thing.” 

Jane 

Yeah, but I think that what I was gonna say is I don't remember at any point, I don't think he ever really talks about her appearance other than to say, like, “Oh you look fine” when she's criticizing herself. I think that he's way more focused on her work and her her performance and like how dedicated she was and like she was in basically every scene and that she had to work really hard and he really gives her a lot of credit for that. And I think that's, like you were saying, a big problem in Hollywood is that a lot of actresses like you focus more on their appearance and what they're wearing and all this stuff. And I think it’s really great to see a male director recognizing that his female star really put in a lot of work and did a lot of stuff besides, just like looking pretty in this movie. And that's yeah, it's really great to hear that, especially on a movie that was produced by Harvey Weinstein. 

Quinn 

Mm-hmm. Yeah, it's very true. And I just, I think. We've already spoken a little bit about this, but like, Anne Hathaway is just such a treasure, I think, like, and it's been very interesting, and like I I mentioned her in the same sentence with like Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone earlier in this conversation. And like, just thinking about, like, what Anne Hathaway's trajectory has been, and then what those actresses’ trajectories have been where I think there there was, you know, generally good favor around Anne Hathaway for a long time. And then, like all of a sudden kind of around the time of her Oscar win, people kind of soured on her and felt that she really was sort of distasteful. And then just like having her image kind of come back around from there and now I think she has a very like, you know, people have a lot of, like, nostalgic affection for her being in all these beloved classics like Princess Diaries and Devil Wears Prada and Ella Enchanted. But then she's also, you know, an Oscar winner and like, taken very seriously, like, I think she's kind of reached that, like, you know, prime part of her career where she's been through all of these things. And we've seen actresses like Emma Stone and Jennifer Lawrence kind of on a delayed timeline, go through some of these same things like, I just think that Anne Hathaway, I really have a lot of respect and appreciation for all of the things that she's weathered. Being a young woman in Hollywood and having to kind of- that she was in these beloved projects. She's had periods of being very well loved, periods of being kind of hated and has sort of weathered the storms and has continued to to work and deliver really phenomenal performances, I just- I think she's such a gift and I'm glad that she's still out there kicking ass and making amazing movies. Like I love Ocean's 8, that's fairly recent, and I think that she still has some very exciting career moves left. I'm- I can't wait to see her as she continues. 

Jane 

Yeah, and I think it's really interesting because she was getting a lot of hate for a while, for like no really good reason. Like, I don't feel like anyone could point to like something horrible that she said or did. Like maybe she like said something that was maybe a little bit questionable, but like, I think now people are coming around to being more like, you know, she was never actually terrible. People were just mad at her for being a successful woman like, cause, I mean, some people like they said something super racist or something or like that was interpreted in a bad way. But I don't even know that anyone's been able to point to something like that. 

Quinn 

I think probably the thing that I heard or that that's been on in the news cycle was the Witches movie that she was in and sort of depicting people with limb differences as like witches and, there was some backlash to the way that the witches were portrayed and how that looked similarly to people with limb differences and sort of othered people with limb differences, or at least this was some criticism of that movie. And I thought that Anne Hathaway had a really, um… I was impressed with the apology that she offered and she made, I thought, a really powerful, well thought out statement that just said, “I didn't really do my homework fully here and this is upsetting because I upset people that I did not want to upset” and it owned the mistake, and just you know, said that she would be more careful moving forward and you know, like, I just think that's something that I appreciate someone that can stand up and apologize when they did something not fully thought out. 

Jane 

Yeah. Well, and I don't remember hearing anything about that, but like the Witches was based on a novel by Raold Dahl, whose prejudices are well known at this point. 

Quinn 

Yeah, so I I think it's… I don't think that Anne Hathaway should be held accountable for like production decisions that were probably outside of her control, but she still did take accountability. And I thought in a way that- I appreciated the thoughtfulness of the statement I ended up reading. 

Jane 

Yeah, I think that she's always been very good about responding to things which, like, maybe she just has a really good PR team. But like, she definitely always knows how to, like, stand up for herself when she needs to, but then also, you know, not just double down when she makes mistakes. And I think that's really great. I know she was like a really big advocate for legalizing gay marriage and things like that. Like, she's really been somewhat of an activist in terms of issues that she really cares about, which I think is great. She's just a really… seems like a really good role model to be a movie star. I mean, obviously she's not perfect. I don't think that anyone has a right to expect her to be perfect, but I did really appreciate that, like when Ocean's 8 came out and everybody was like, “Wow, Anne Hathaway is like, the best part of this movie that is a great movie and has a lot of great parts.” And then some people were like, “Yeah, she's the best part of every movie she's in. Why has it taken you this long to notice?” Like people kind of coming back around to being like, “Yeah, she's always been good. Why did we hate her?” 

Quinn 

Well, and I think it's fabulous because in that movie she plays an actress who you kind of think is going to be like, obnoxious and not really that great. And then she ends up being, like, essential to the con and… 

Jane 

Yes, I love that. And like I kind of wish that they had done something like that in Ella Enchanted with Parminder Nagra's character. 

Quinn 

Right. 

Jane 

Like, that's what they needed to do is like bring her back and have her be like, “Yeah, OK, you really hurt me. But now I'm gonna help you” kind of thing. Yeah. 

Quinn 

Well, yeah. And I mean, I guess I do feel like you tend to have things for actors and actresses that are older. You know, I think of a lot of your actor obsessions being, you know, people from a bygone era that were dead before you were born. I feel like Anne Hathaway has been an actress that sort of we've grown up with that we've sort of seen come of age - we remember a time before Anne Hathaway and saw her rise - that you've really enjoyed. And I think have looked at as like I would say, I think you're a particular fan of Anne Hathaway. And like I I think that that's that's interesting, and I'm curious if… you've probably already described many of the things that maybe have drawn you to her more so than like other actors of her generation. 

Jane 

Yeah, I would definitely… I mean, I'm sure there's bigger Anne Hathaway fans than me, I'm not like her number one fan or anything, but definitely she's one of the actors that I've been more of a fan of. And like, she's less than 10 years older than me, so she’s like pretty close to my generation and I think that a lot of it is that, like, she's an Old Hollywood fan, like she has a lot of those sensibilities of, like, the Old Hollywood actors. And I think that that is something that I've picked up on even without like that consciously being why I like her. But I do think that that has helped. That like she is definitely very modern, but in a way that takes things I liked about the older Hollywood style. Like I think she probably would say that she's more of a method actor and a lot of the actors I like are kind of before that became the norm. But like, I think she's still very much the like, get up there, say the lines and think about that rather than just being like, “I'm going to fully embody this character!” which is something that kind of irritates me about actors sometimes as being like, “I'm just becoming this person now.” It's like, I think she she's got that sort of line between herself and her characters that a lot of the like, more like modern stars… I mean, I'm, I know there's modern actors who are great, but I think the like movie star leading role people kind of rub me the wrong way sometimes. But like I think that she has similarities to like the old Hollywood stars that I'm a fan of, and sort of bridges that gap into the modern era, if that makes any sense? I truly don't know if I’m explaining this- 

Quinn 

I think that's all really interesting and I think makes a lot of sense. I think that's a cool observation and I'm just thinking tying it back to Ella Enchanted, I was thinking the last time I watched it specifically, I was like, what is different about Ella from Princess Mia? Like where… where are the lines there? And in truth, I think that there's a lot that's similar about Princess Mia and about Ella. And like I think that, yeah, that makes a lot of sense because I know that you really love like Cary Grant, for example, who I think Cary Grant has range and has performances that it's very transformative between roles, but he does have a brand and he has a style and like a lot of movies, it's like here's like a specific character, like this one's a scientist, this one's a teacher, this one's a, a that and we're just going to do the Cary Grant version of like that profession or like that. Like we're going to give him a few boundaries to work with that are like character defining traits, but then he's going to bring the Cary Grant brand to it. And they feel like that's almost what the transition from Princess Mia to Ella Enchanted is, is it's like, we're going to change the the formation of these characters in a little bit of different ways, and like I I notice like the Princess Mia, Lily friendship is kind of flipped in Ella Enchanted, and like Arieda is much more like Mia, and Ella is much more like Lily in that dynamic and like that, the fact that they're activists and like going to, like protests and stuff, I feel like kind of mirrors each other. But it's very much Anne Hathaway bringing the Anne Hathaway brand to each of those characters, and like they're both very Anne Hathaway. Like, you get her as a star, you get the brand of her, you get the identity of her while she's in kind of just these different formations of like, that protagonist character that leads the movie one way or the other. 

Jane 

Yeah, I think it's like there's certain movie stars who, just like, always play the same character. And it's like, OK, that's that actor, that's that actor, that's that actor, and it gets a little bit redundant. And then there's other actors who are like very much blend into their roles, which if it's done well, I think that that's really good and I really appreciate that. Like, I like Meryl Streep, and like those kind of like… really good. But I think there's some actors who are like, “I'm just going to be completely different in this movie!” and it just, like, doesn't quite… gel with me, I guess? I don't know. But like, I think my favorite kind of actors tend to be the ones where, like you can always tell it's them, but they're doing different things and like they're very versatile within their wheelhouse, like it's not they're doing the same thing every time, but at the same time they they bring themselves to it. And I think that that that Anne Hathaway is very much like that. Because obviously like playing Fantine in Les Mis is very different from playing Ella in Ella Enchanted like they're completely different characters. And I'm not saying like, “Ohh yeah, but it was just Anne Hathaway doing that.” Like, she's a good actress. But I guess I just, I feel like I get her persona a little bit more and like I… I don't want to say it like I'm trying to like insult any actors, but I just think that I tend to resonate with the ones that are more in the style of the Old Hollywood people who were like themselves, like you were saying bringing Cary Grant brand to different characters and I think Anne Hathaway has a very strong star personality and I think that that really comes out in the Ella Enchanted commentary and I think that it's very telling that that was like so early in her career because it was only a few years after Princess Diaries. But she was already like, “This is me. This is who I am. I'm a fully formed person and I'm not going to let Hollywood mess me up too much,” I think, because I think a lot of people fame can really go to their head. And I think that, I mean, there's no way for it not to a little bit, but I feel like… at least the way she comes across, I'm not claiming to know her, but I feel like Anne Hathaway has- seems to have kept her integrity throughout the fame. And I really respect that and it's been really fun to see that like through the ups and downs of her career so far, and I'm sure there's much more to come from her, she's not that old, so I'm sure she'll be- 

Quinn 

Right. No, we're it's not… this is not a memorial of Anne Hathaway. But yeah, I think that makes sense. It's interesting to hear what's really attractive about her from your perspective. Because I I, I think that does make a lot of sense, and I really do kind of see her as someone in that that just kind of feels right, you know, in thinking about Anne Hathaway as someone who's sort of… is in the older school of, you know, being that type of star, and I really do think that that's some of her best strengths as an actor and that she's she's immediately someone familiar. Like she, we've grown up with her on screen in various roles and like I think that that is something that a lot of those older actors really bring to like a sense of familiarity, and that allows you to really get into the story because they have such potent brands and their brands are not necessarily like “I'm a completely different person in everything I'm in.” Like I'm almost like Meryl Streep is an actress who people talk about as being very transformative. I almost think like Nicole Kidman is kind of that actress. I'm just like, “Satine is the same person as Virginia Woolf?!” Like she's someone to me that I'm like, Nicole Kidman could be anybody, like… 

Jane 

Yeah, or like Daniel Day-Lewis. 

Quinn 

Yeah. Yeah, like additional people. 

Jane 

And like, no offense to them like, I think they're amazingly talented and I- 

Quinn 

I think what you're describing is like actors that maybe don't have the ability to be that transformed or just like are overcommitted to the process, to the point where it's just like an excuse to be mean to people. Like Jared Leno. 

Jane 

Oh yeah, everybody who's played the Joker has been like, “I'm going to use this to be mean to people.” So yeah, there are definitely actors who do that really well and like, all power to them, tons of respect. But I think that there's some actors that just try to do stuff throughout their career that I'm just sort of like, that's fine, but I don't really like love that as much. And I think that in the Princess Diaries 2 commentary Anne Hathaway talks quite a bit about old movies that she likes. And I think that that is sort of what has given me the impression of, like, oh, that's why I like her. Because she also is taking from these old movies. And I think that a lot of the more modern actors who I like have something in common with the Old Hollywood style of acting. 

Quinn 

Is this the first Anne Hathaway movie on the podcast? 

Jane 

I think so.

Quinn

Oh!

Jane

I think it's only this and Princess Diaries. 

Quinn 

OK. That makes sense that I haven't really heard your thoughts about Anne Hathaway on the podcast yet. Another comment that I wanted to make about Anne Hathaway's performance style: I actually see a lot of similarities to Ginger Rogers and like how you were describing Ginger Rogers was like, at least perceived by Katharine Hepburn at like the time of Stage Door. I can see some similarities in like how they came across, and I think Anne Hathaway is less known for her dancing, but just the, you know, the really like competent professional model that can deliver really versatile performances and kind of has a few like tricks. And it's not just the acting, it's also the singing, or also the dancing or both. I I see, I see there being something sort of similar between the two of them. 

Jane 

Yeah. And just like that, people wanted to work with them. Because I think that was part of Katherine Hepburn's issues earlier in her career is that she was very difficult to work with, which like I understand like- 

Quinn 

 [laughing] I can't imagine Katharine Hepburn being difficult. 

Jane 

I know, right? 

Quinn 

That's why she's the perfect Susan Vance! 

Jane 

She was like like, I mean, obviously I feel like even now women are not treated very well in Hollywood. And back then, it was very bad in a lot of ways. And so, like, I can't really fault her for like, standing up for herself, and that got you labeled as difficult, so I think some of it was that, but I think also just like I think Ginger Rogers would have been willing to be friends with her, and she was very much like, “No. We are not friends.” Based on Anne Hathaway’s commentary, like, it seems like she’s very gracious towards everybody she was working with and like, I mean, maybe there's people out there who've worked with Anne Hathaway who were like, “Oh, no, she was horrible.” But I don't think I've heard any stories about her actually being hard to work with, whereas like some stars like I just off the top of my head, Christian Bale comes to mind of like crew members being like, “He just always yells at us” and stuff like that, and I think that like easy to work with for actresses can be code for just like very compliant and never standing up for themselves. And I don't think that that's what Anne Hathaway is like. But I do think that, yeah, she's more of a Ginger Rogers than a Katharine Hepburn in terms of like people want to work with her. So yeah, I think that's a good, that's a good analogy to draw. We’ve talked a lot about Anne Hathaway, but I think she deserves it. 

Quinn 

Yeah, well, I'm… knowing that this is her debut on your countdown, I I feel like she's somebody that I think of as a modern interest of yours. Someone who's still alive that you like and follow to some extent. 

Jane 

Yeah, well, there's- when I keep track of the movies I watch, there are certain actors who I update every year when I update my spreadsheet of like how many movies I've seen of theirs and how many times, and like list out like which movies I've seen which number of times for each of them, and most of the actors I track are from Old Hollywood. There's a few more modern ones. Yeah, Anne Hathaway is definitely one of those. And I think that also like being introduced to her along with Julie Andrews, like I wasn't a huge Julie Andrews fan before Princess Diaries. And so I think that like that movie, which I will talk about later, but that really made me really like both of them. And so I kind of think of like, me being a fan of Anne, starting at the same time as Julie Andrews. And so they kind of, like, go together in my mind. And I think having this other movie that's kind of similar to Princess Diaries in that she's playing sort of a princessy type character, but different soon after that really helped fuel my interest in like, keep my interest in Anne Hathaway after Princess Diaries. 

Quinn 

Yeah, it's honestly beautiful in many ways to think about that pairing for Princess Diaries cause I think I'm sure you're not alone in some way in that story of being introduced to both of them at the same time, or reintroduced, I think a lot of people probably know the Sound of Music and Mary Poppins at least. But yeah, I mean, I think that it's very cool that like, what a great, you know, way to burst onto the Hollywood scene than with the Julie Andrews movie and yeah, I think it's cool to think of how a lot of people must have become fans of both of them at the same time and must kind of attach these two very talented women who have both dominated the entertainment industry for quite some time. I think it's, yeah, it's, it's cool to think about that that's where Anne Hathaway started in a lot of homes. 

Jane 

Yeah, you know, and Julie Andrews continues to have a career, but also is more known for being sort of at the end of the classic Hollywood era, and that she similarly burst onto the scene with a big role that made her an instant star because- 

Quinn 

And that was sort of a kids’ movie too. 

Jane 

Yeah, yeah, exactly. It was a Disney movie. And so like to start as the star of a Disney movie and then just kind of go from there. And Julie Andrews has also had many ups and downs in her career with people loving her and then not liking her that much and like that has happened to her as well, which I think it happens to anybody if you're around long enough. But yeah. So I think that having that connection to Old Hollywood directly also seems more of my jam. And it was fun for me to see somebody closer to my age also talking about liking old movies and things like that. I'm like, OK, cool. I'm not alone in being interested in Old Hollywood, as a younger person who's still alive. And I'm sure that there's a lot of other actors who feel similarly also, like I think you kind of have to if you know your craft, you're going to have seen older movies. But yeah, I think she's been open about like, “Yeah, I I like Audrey Hepburn” and things like that, so… 

Quinn 

I was going to say she does give me a very Audrey Hepburn type vibe, but like almost like spunkier than Audrey Hepburn but Audrey Hepburn was pretty spunky too, so I wouldn't. I wouldn't take that away from her.

Jane

Yeah.

Quinn

To completely change the subject: amatonormativity. This movie is a love story. How do you feel about that? 

[both laugh]

Jane 

Yeah, it is definitely a love story. I do think that it's interesting that like, Ella does not at any point set out to find love. She does fall in love with Char definitely, but that's not her objective. Like it's an important part of this story, but ultimately like, that's not what the story's about. Like, I think it's much more about her curse and trying to break away from her having to be obedient. 

Quinn 

And really, her learning to use love as a tool to be the, you know, the most, like, actualized curse-liberated version of herself. I think that that's like important, too. Like she she realizes that love is something that she wants in her life, like a romantic love is something that she she wants and that that is sort of how she learns to use love as a way to break the curve. 

Jane 

Yeah and I feel like it's never really been an option for her up until that point, because I think that one of two things would happen. Either she would marry someone who would then, like, completely take advantage of her curse and just- 

Quinn 

Yes, that would be very scary for her. 

Jane 

Or she would end up really hurting her partner by having to do stuff because someone else told her to, and that kind of almost happens the second one. Because Char is very kind and understanding and like even there's certain moments in the movie when he like says something and she starts to do it and he's like “That wasn't an order. Like, I'm not trying to make you do stuff you don't want to do.” 

Quinn 

He's very taken aback by her in all ways because he's used to women throwing themselves at him and so he's very taken aback that Ella doesn't do that at the beginning. And then he's taken aback when she's like overly compliant on things that he meant as more like suggestions and just like interpersonal interactions. 

Jane 

Yeah. 

Quinn 

There's a lot of commands and casual conversation we learn through Ella Enchanted. 

Jane 

And I think they do a really good job with that and there's this great moment when he says, “You have to stay,” and she's like, “OK, I'll stay.” And he's like, “Well, no, you don't HAVE to stay.” And she's like, “OK” and she, like starts to leave. He's like, “But I would like you to stay.” And then she does. And I think that she really appreciates that he wants to give her her own agency when she's never been able to have that. But then of course, Edgar manipulates it and tries to get her to kill Char, and I think that that is part of why she was like, “it's not good that I'm in love with him” cause she knew something that could happen. I don't think she anticipated it happening quite like that or quite that soon. So I think it's very strong of her to allow herself to fall in love with Char and then to be able to overcome the curse, fully break it, rather than killing him, and… side note: another of my favorite parts of the commentary is when she says “I do love you, Char,” and then she raises the knife cause she's like being forced to. And in the commentary, the director goes, “I'm just not in love with you.” It's like, that's what you do. You kill them when you say that!

Quinn

It's iconic.

Jane It's great. But anyway, she is in love with him and so I think that again a lot of what I'm learning through this project is a lot of my favorite love stories are the ones where like falling in love is not the path that they were supposed to go on. Like with Sound of Music like she wants to be a nun. She's not supposed to fall in love with anyone. And then she does. And I think that often with amatonormativity the path is like you are going to fall in love and get married and have kids. And for Ella that's not her path at all initially. And so I think I really enjoy stories where people are forging their own path and not doing what society or other people around them tell them to do. Which is especially poignant in this movie because she literally has to do what everybody tells her to do for most of the story. And so I think that like, because there are all these things about like why, not only should she not end up with Char, she shouldn't end up with anybody. And so I think seeing like, but she wants to and she makes that happen for herself is more powerful than a lot of the like, typical romantic stories where it's like, maybe these two people are pulled apart by various forces, but like, they're going to find someone and marry someone. That's less interesting to me than stories like this. 

Quinn 

That's interesting. 

Jane 

But again, it's like there is the romantic element of it, but there's so much more going on and it's so much more about Ella finding herself and finding her own voice when she's being constantly talked over and drowned out. And I think that that's…that's what I like about this story. And like the love story is incidental. But I do think that it's good that Char is so much kinder to her than most of the other people she encounters besides Slannen I guess. 

Quinn 

Other than the romantic relationship, what are your favorite relationships in Ella Enchanted? 

Jane 

Ooh, that's a good question… ha, Edgar and his snake? 

Quinn 

You know that's a good one. I honestly think I might like the Ella and Mandy relationship.

Jane

Oh, yeah.

Quinn

I know it's not emphasized much, but you can just tell that they have a good rapport. I I guess I like Minnie Driver and Anne Hathaway in scenes together, they seem to really have a good chemistry, but yeah, I I like, I like that bond. I think that the step sister bond is funny and interesting. One of my least favorite relationships is the relationship between the father and Ella? Like he is so weird, like because he does- you get the sense he cares about her, and is like mildly intelligent. He's just, like, distant, like, absent, like always on on the road. So he can't be involved in the home situation, but like he's kind of a little weird. 

Jane 

Yeah, he- Well, he's very underdeveloped. And I also think it's very interesting how like, it takes him a really long time to notice that she's gone and you just see, like, this one random scene where he's, like, talking to the stepmother and “Where's Ella?” And she's just like, “Oh, she's off with Hattie and Olive, it's fine.” And it's like she's been gone for many days at this point. Like, did you just notice that she left? 

Quinn 

[stepmother impression] “She’s taking a tour of the castle.” 

Jane 

[continues stepmother impression] “With Hattie and Olive.” I mean, Joanna Lumley just is very, very funny. 

Quinn 

It's honestly the main performance of hers that I think of. I feel like this is very embarrassing. I know she's in lots of other things, but I mainly think of Joanna Lumley as an Ella Enchanted actress. 

Jane 

I mean, I feel like most of the people in this movie, there's like two different levels of people. It's like either, “Oh yeah, from Ella Enchanted!” or like, “They were in Ella Enchanted?!” 

Quinn 

Yeah, there are two choices. 

Jane 

Yeah, except for like Anne Hathaway, obviously it’s like, I know she's in Ella Enchanted, but I don't automatically think of Ella Enchanted. But like Hugh Dancy…

Quinn

He’s Prince Char!

Jane

He's just so ingrained in Ella Enchanted for me and I think that like, obviously, Anne Hathaway is the main star of this movie, but Hugh Dancy does a great job and I think he does a good job also of like stepping back and letting her be the lead of the movie. 

Quinn 

Yeah, he's really fantastic and I like the character of Char and it's all a yes for me on the Prince Char front. And I think like their relationship feels very earned throughout the movie. And I agree, you know, I think that it's like, ugh does every movie have to have a romance? Like there is a a quality of like, this probably didn't need to be there, but it is, but I think it's an earned relationship. I think you can see how they're both willing to be supportive of each other. I think you can see how they're helping each other grow. I think that Ella really does challenge Char’s complacency in his privilege. And I think that, I don't know what does Char really do for Ella? Um... 

Jane 

He saves her! 

Quinn 

Oh yes, he does save her from the ogres. I think that she does view the world in a really adversarial terms because she has to, to, like, protect herself, and I think that he kind of helps her bring down her walls a little bit. I think you see that throughout the course of the movie. So, yeah, I think they're both, like, really enriching each other's lives in a way that is nice, and they have good chemistry. I feel like I would watch the Hugh Dancy/Anne Hathaway rom com in the future, like I would see them paired up in another movie. 

Jane 

Yeah, I think that that one objection that I tend to have for a lot of especially rom coms, but romantic movies in general is that a lot of times I feel like the relationship between the leads is actually kind of toxic if you think about it and, like…

Quinn 

Yes, it's true. 

Jane 

…one of them is stalking the other, like something really creepy is happening that you're supposed to think is cute, and I don't feel like we get that with the Ella Enchanted one. I feel like they have a really good organic falling in love. And also like with a lot of Cinderella adaptations, I feel like the Prince is usually very underdeveloped as a character. 

Quinn 

And it's we talked about this when we watched all the Disney movies. Like it's probably one of the biggest flaws in the Disney Cinderella, which is sort of a standard classic interpretation of Cinderella. I think there's other versions of Cinderella that improve on it a little bit, but there's frankly many that follow in the same footsteps of having kind of an anonymous prince. 

Jane 

Yeah. And like on the one hand, that's fine, cause it's Cinderella's story. But on the other hand, I'm like, this is very much Ella’s story, but I feel like we understand who Char is and he's very well developed and their relationship is very well developed. Like we have many scenes together. At first, like she really doesn't like him. It's a trope that happens in many romantic films of like initially one of them is like, “Ugh, I hate you,” and then they get together eventually. But I think it's very gradual and just feels very organic and it makes sense. And so yeah, I I am in favor of their romance. Like I- 

Quinn 

Well, and he's also, not looking at Ella as a conquest, even though it's very clearly established when they meet that like she's not into him and he is sort of like allured by that because he's very used to like running from a screaming horde of fans. And so, like, you can tell that he's both like this is of interest to him that Ella has resistance to him because it's unusual, but it's not like- There's a very easy way to make that character very toxic then, and to say, like, oh, I'm going to conquest this, and I don't think that that's how he feels about her. And it's really they don't cross paths again until he's saving her life from the ogre. So there's like a very good, like, high stakes reason for him to intervene in her life at that time. Like, there's not, like, a creepy, like, I'm gonna get that girl who resisted me. 

Jane 

Well, and he doesn't know the full story of what she's doing because she's not allowed to tell anyone about the curse. But like he's willing to help her find her fairy godmother, like, basically no questions asked. And you don't ever get the impression that he's, like, doing it to like, because there's, you know, the whole friend zone of, like, “I was nice to her, and now she's not sleeping with me.” Like you don't get the impression that he's helping her to get in her pants or anything. Like he really wants to help her. 

Quinn 

Yeah, there's not really any like subversive stuff that you feel like subversive motivation that he has that you sense he has ever. 

Jane 

Yeah, yeah, I think they do a really good job of that of like, I think he would be OK with being her friend and advocate. 

Quinn 

Well, yeah, and you get the sense that he wants a peer to, like, talk to because he can't talk to any other young women because they're too busy, like screaming about him.

Jane

Yeah.

Quinn

Like, I don't… I can't imagine he's having, like, really deep conversations with a lot of the other people that are in the fan club that are just like, “Char’s naked in the shower?!” and like, just like screaming. Like literally screaming and like chasing him down. Like I think if there's anything that Ella Enchanted is a cutting analysis on stan culture because they really put the stans out there and say “You're blowing your shot by acting this way. It's not cute!” 

Jane 

Yeah, and I I think he also he's like tired of being overly sexualized. And so the fact that she sees him as a person is really like not just to turn on for him. Like obviously that's part of it. And like he falls in love with her partly because she is not screaming at him. But I think, like, just they're able to get to know each other, person to person, and that's really what you feel like their falling in love is is like now that I know you as a person, I really have this deep connection with you, and I think they have some great scenes together that really show that. So again, I like that the romance isn't the main part, but I also really like the way they do the romance in this movie. So I think it gets a pass from me of being like this is a good romance movie. 

Quinn 

The Jane Ace star. 

Jane 

Yes, exactly! You could be aroace and still appreciate the relationship that they have. 

Quinn 

The aroace sealed romance. 

Jane 

There you go. And, yeah, I do think that there's other good relationships. I really wish that the Ella/Areida relationship was better developed because I would really like to have that strong female friendship because again there’s… it is a female driven story, but the secondary characters that are more developed tend to be male characters like Slannen and the ogre Nish…

Quinn

Edgar.

Jane

Edgar, yeah. Whereas like you have, like, the stepmother and the step sisters who are great. And then... 

Quinn 

And and Minnie driver, you have Mandy. 

Jane 

Mandy, yeah, but I would love to see more from them. 

Quinn 

And Lucinda. 

Jane 

Yeah, but Lucinda is, I think every moment she has great. 

Quinn 

And there could be more diversity in the cast, too. That's also a critique. 

Jane 

Yeah, always. But at least they're not all white. 

Quinn 

It's true there is some diversity. 

Jane 

Minimal diversity, but yeah, yeah, absolutely. More diversity, would love to see a… like because everybody kind of, not everybody, but some of the other characters get paired up because you have that random like Slannen and Heidi Klum thing. It was like he could have found a man to be with. Like we could have some, queer pairings here. I mean it’s fine. I think that like I do enjoy this movie on its own. I don't feel like it would have made it into the Top 40 without the commentary. 

Quinn 

Well, yeah. And I think I think it's probably like a less polished version of, like, Mamma Mia in the sense of like, I imagine, like, you would watch this movie for similar reasons that you would watch something like Mamma, Mia and maybe Mamma Mia is just like a little bit sharper of a movie. Although it is also, I think in the same like it's kind of stupid at times and like embraces being stupid and yeah, it's like it's a random musical for no real reason. It's fun and so I feel like that's why it's also easy to watch the commentary because that just like makes it more fun. 

Jane 

Right, yeah. 

Quinn 

And so, you know, I think I agree, I don't know that this is like the best movie on its own. But I think the combination of it being a lot of fun, having fun commentary, sort of striking some of the same balance of like Mamma Mia and other movies that have ended up high in your countdown. That could be what it is. It's just it's just the right cocktail of all of those things. 

Jane 

Yeah. Well, I think it's very chaotic and eclectic, but ultimately, like everybody was making the same movie. And I think that really helps that like, yes, there's all these different pieces and all these different things going on. Which I guess is kind of what makes it feel a bit more old movie-ish that there's like this very convoluted plot of several different characters doing things. But yeah, everybody, I feel like everybody was on the same page. Everybody knew what movie they were making. They knew it was kind of silly and not really that amazing. And they were all just OK with that. And I think that really makes it work a lot better than it would have if people were like, yeah, this is whatever a trashy movie, we're just gonna get paid. And I feel like everybody was just like, we're gonna show up, we're gonna have a good time. And yeah, I think that that really comes across to the audience and that's what makes it an enjoyable movie, despite not being a great movie. 

Quinn 

Yeah. Sounds like the right recipe to end up on your countdown. 

Jane 

Yes, exactly. So thank you so much for being here with me and talking for a very long time about this movie that we both love. 

Quinn 

Thank you so much for having me. This was a lot of fun. I love discussing anything related to Ella Enchanted. 

Jane 

Yes, and I'm so glad that you were here to discuss it with me.

Thank you to Quinn for all of your insights and questions, and thank you listeners for sticking through my longest episode yet. I hope it was still fun and interesting for you – it certainly was for me. Now that we’re in the top half of the list, I feel like I’m going to have more to say about each movie, so they will probably start trending a bit longer, although I’m sure my solo episodes will still be much shorter than this. But before we get back to just me talking I have one more special guest episode lined up, so stay tuned for another long one next week, about a very different type of film. As always, I will leave you with a quote from that next movie: “She may be risking her life, but when it comes to being a lady, she doesn’t hold a candle to your wife, sir, sitting in Washington, playing bridge with three other ladies of great honor and virtue.”

[oh-surprise-its-me]

This is absolutely inspired by this post @aki-draws-things tagged me in

A bit of crack, but in all reality very realistic for the idiots.

When Ron came late to pick up Chris he didn’t think much of it. Tom is curled in the passenger seat asleep, Ron will wake him up to see Chris though.

Ron looks out the window to see most of the firefighters outside. Odd but not unusual. He watches and they start spinning around with balls.

Ron smiles to himself. There’s a joke in there somewhere that would make Tom sigh.

He watches as Chris and David complete what looks like an extremely complicated little dance.

They’re suddenly slammed with the rest of the exercise balls Ron can’t help the laugh he lets out. Tom jerks awake. “What the fuck are they doing.”

Ron can’t do anything besides shrug. “No clue but it’s kinda hot.”

Tom stares at him. He thinks maybe he’s loosing it or still dreaming. “I mean you’re not wrong Lucas would love this.” Ron squeezes his leg. “Take a video the recorder is in my bag.”

Ron watches as David spins Chris around. Oh they’re definitely tipsy. Makes sense since they’ve been off call for about three hours. Work ran over, the navy never cares about time schedules when it’s not theirs. David must’ve stayed with Chris. Lucas would’ve gotten them both and taken them home but he must’ve been told to stay and sleep.

Ron quickly reroutes his plan to drop David off.

“Come on let’s get our man.”

Ron smiles over at Tom. Tom who is slightly rumpled in the seat. Tom who’s looking more like Tommy tonight. His hair is flopped over his eyes. Ron can’t help but gently tug a strand before sliding out of the car.

They make their way across the street. No cars to hit them at this time. David gently spins Chris around to see them.

They get a gasp in response, oh their baby is more then tipsy. Tom opens his arms and catches Chris.

“Hello darlings I missed you oh my god I love y’all.” David let’s out a laugh. Tom grins down at Chris. “Hey honey.” Chris practically swoons. Ron laughs. He tosses an arm around David’s shoulders. “Hey man how much strawberry tequila did you two drink?”

David smiles, he waves at the guys sitting around watching them. “We split a bottle with Ryan and Joanna. It was Joanie’s birthday. She wanted everything strawberry.”

“Lord okay you two can drink all of that shit alone it’s nasty.” Chris pokes a finger into Tom’s chest. “Says you baby, that vodka you drink is vile.”

Tom presses a kiss onto Chris’s head “you like it when it’s on my tongue.” Chris smacks a hand over Tom’s mouth “hey! They don’t need to know that!”

David laughs again. He slides into the back seat next to the two of them. “Y’all I already know this shit. I know too much about y’all’s sex life.”

Ron snaps his fingers at David. “Don’t start. I know things about you and Lucas too.” David blushes. “Right never mind. Forget everything.” Chris laughs. “Yeah pretty boy shut it.” “Doll don’t start.”

Ron and Tom make eye contact in the mirror. Tom shakes his head with a smile.

—

Tom takes a shot of vodka when they get back to the house. Chris licks it out of his mouth.

Ron watches as he sips on a spiked cider.

Chris’s hands start going lower. Tom ends up grabbing the bottle. He takes a swig. When he sets the bottle down he looks more relaxed. Ron might not drink but he does enjoy the way his boyfriends get.

Ron watches as they start to slide clothing off each other. Ron can tell it’s not going to go anywhere, they’re too tired, too drunk.

He gently pulls them into the bedroom. They’re both down to just boxers. “Ah no leave those on.”

Chris whines. “But-” “Baby please?”

Ron kisses both of them. “No! We can have all the morning sex you two want but go to bed.”

Tom sighs. He pulls Chris closer. Ron ends up on the other side. Chris pulls Ron close enough that he’s basically laying on top of the two of them. He’s barely touching the bed. “Love y’all.”

Tom smiles. “Love you too. You too Ronnie.”

Ron laughs gently. “Love you both you babies.”

[croc-odette]

joanna newsom entry guide: it took me a long time to enjoy joanna newsom and then all of a sudden i was like i need more of this!! i don't know about music so this is all just me rambling. it took me years before the dam broke so this list isn't necessarily 'listen to this and a day later you'll like Ys' but 'over time i eventually felt extremely differently about these songs than when i first heard them'

'81 (marika hackman cover): we are starting super gently with covers because that is how i first got into newsom. a short sweet song about forgiveness that feels like it turns its back on overthinking. i have no idea what '81 references. newsom was born in 1982. a running theme will be 'i'm not 100% sure what's going on here'. hackman's voice is incredibly clear and at ease.

peach plum pear (owen pallet cover): a plucky and sharp little song about desire. i love a lot of the lyrics, including 'and all sneezing darkly in the dimming divide'. i would listen with headphones especially to hear the little bumps and strings. owen keeps to the eeriness of the song while making it his own style.

easy: ok here we are. a brisk and breezy six minutes! the first song on have one on me. a haunting song that swings between fairytale imagery and hypnotically convincing a lover that the relationship will be both easy and at the expense of the (allegedly) self-sacrificing singer.

good intentions paving company: i have said multiple times that i love to sing along to this song in the car. that are lots of little yodeling notes and the rhythm does at times feel like bouncing up and down on a bumpy road. 'for the duUuUuUration' 'feeeEEEEEEeeling it drag' 'like i'm in a fFFISt fight with the fog' there are certain words that when you sing them you realize how fun it is to lean in to the squeak or the screech or the warbling of it. some sounds you don't appreciate till they come out of your own mouth. a lot of really lovely lines.

clam crab cockle cowrie: SAD! i will be honest i will sometimes listen to the first half of this song and then skip over the end because i love the first half so much. but in the right mood it knocks the breath out of me. some of the my favorite lyrics.

does not suffice: SAD 2! the last song on have one on me which has been pointed out as the ending result to the relationship in easy; 'everything that could remind you/of how easy/i was not.' a breakup song that is more resigned and forlorn than bitter or resentful.

sawdust and diamonds (ben sollee cover): hello i'm a fake fan and here's another cover. i heard this cover before the original song so i'm still biased towards it. we are now in the 10 minute zone. an existential song about the fear and dread of loving someone knowing that everyone dies eventually.

baby birch (optional): this song is optional because sometimes it makes me so sad that it can be hard to listen to. every part of it is achingly beautiful. subject matter is thinking about a baby that never existed, either through a miscarriage or abortion.

have one on me: 11 minutes, baby! a song that is from the point of view of the king of bavaria's mistress, the countess of lansfield, as she fled to california during 1848-1849 german revolutions. i could not get into this song until recently and now i'm like oh yeah duh. mr daddy longs they are at it again can i see ya. normal music. and i will drink to your excellent health and your cruelty!

monkey and bear: a very fun fable of the creation of ursa major. this is a point where if you really like joanna's voice and instrument choices, you're into it. if you're not, then you're not. very clever and tricky wording, especially the multiple uses of bear/bare

in california: a good song but something about the way she sings 'but there is another... who is a little older' is so sweet and distinct that it stands out to me the most among all her vocals.

emily: sometimes you need to listen to a 12 minute song about joanna newsom's sister and imagery that made me convinced this song was about noah's ark but i realized i couldn't actually connect the dots. Ys, the album this song is from, is titled after a mythical city off the coast of Brittany that was swallowed by the sea.

i do not think i'm an expert on her: there's plenty of other songs by her that i haven't warmed up to or haven't really listened to. i think she has some of the most strange and wonderful lyrics around, which is why i originally got into covers of her music. and then i started to really appreciate the range of her music in general. bye!

[epic-song-lyrics-showdown]

Random Assorted Artists with songs in the showdown Pt. 1

This is the first list of random artists that have been submitted. This is pretty much anyone that didn’t get many submissions. If you see a song and are like hey this should be somewhere else the answer is no. Unless there is a repeat of a song somewhere or the artist shows up on another list they are meant to be here. Check out the other lists here.

Sail - AWOLNATION

Sinners - Barns Courtney

My Frankenstein - Kody Kavitha

An Alien’s I Love You - Utsu-P

Beneath the Brine - The Family Crest

Gladiator - Jann

Light - Next to Normal

Gut Punch/Don’t Meet Your Idols - Everybody’s Worried About Owen

Us - Chxrlotte

It’s the end of the world as we know it - R.E.M.

Trouble - Valerie Broussard

A Meadow - Open Book

Serenade - Kamelot

The Bard’s Song: In the Forest - Blind Guardian

The Weekend Whip - The Fold

Achilles Come Down - Gang of Youths (Four different lyric submissions)

Farewell Kabarista - Vagabond Opera

Tango Dancer - Dave Malloy

Cold Day in Hell - Delta Rae

Still… - Sophia James

Mirrorball - Elbow

Waltz #2 (XO) - Elliott Smith

One More Try - Mariam-Teak Lee & Jordan Luke Gage

Marie - Townes van Zandt

City of Lights - The Music Tapes

Bloody Motherfucking Asshole - Martha Wainwright

On Melancholy Hill - Gorillaz

Don’t Let’s Start - They Might Be Giants

Touch - Daft Punk ft. Paul Williams

The Hounds - The Protomen

Infinite Lives - Mega Ran ft. D&D Sluggers

Nights Like These - Bears in Trees

Slumber - Slløtface

gum v6.4 - Devon Again

head - Devon Again

Dissociate - Atlas

Introduction to the Snow - Miracle Music

Wait for It - Hamilton Musical

Ice To Never - The Black Queen

Progress - The Dear Hunter

Warrior - Paradise Fears

Windowpane - Opeth

Voodoo Dust - Urfaust

Yen - Slipknot

Order - Heaven Pierce Her / Hakita

VI: Sons of Fate - The Protomen

Charlie’s Inferno - That Handsome Devil

Paradox - Survive Said the Prophet

This Too Shall Pass - Danny Schmidt

Light - Chonny Jash

Mad IQs - I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME

Worms - AlicebanD

The Mighty Echo - The Family Crest

Ride - Bligh

Jesus Christ - Brand New

Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of Your Fist - Ramshackle Glory

The Summoning - Sleep Token

In The End - Black Veil Brides

Don’t Break Me - Milo Murphy’s Law Soundtrack

For You - Barenaked Ladies

Sober - Tool

Bullets - Archive

Relay - Fiona Apple

Let Me Stay - Heather Maloney

New Radio - Bikini Kill

The Marriage of Bigfoot and Mothman - The Forgetmenauts

What’s With You Lately - Car Seat Headrest

Armarillo - Gorillaz

Dark Lover: A Love Song To A Vampire - Tempest

Smile Like You Mean It - Tally Hall

Fine, I’m Fine - Chonny Jash

Rightfully - Mili

Give It to Me - The Northern Boys

We’re All Leaving - Karine Polwart

Matches - SIFU HOTMAN

Unbroken - Man on the Internet

Hell’s Comin’ With Me - Poor Man’s Poison

Necromancin Dancin - Bear Ghost

I Got No Time - The Living Tombstone

Labyrinth - Miracle Musical

Hello and Goodbye - JT Music

A Poem - AJJ

People 2: The Reckoning - AJJ

Your Voice, As I Remember It - AJJ

The River - Bruce Springsteen

Jungleland - Bruce Springsteen

You Only Know - PhemieC

Girls in Love - PhemieC

Evidence - DaisyxDaisy

Portrait of a Woman on a Couch With Cats - Michael Cera Palin

The Moss - Cosmo Sheldrake

Found (Forever) - Caamp

4 Morant (Better Luck Next Time) - Doja Cat, Com Truise

Box Fort Baby - Papa Jake

Flowers - Eva Noblezada (Hadestown)

You - Keaton Henson

rock + roll - EDEN

Tourniquet - Leanna Firestone

Close to Home - Vienna Teng

Spring and a Storm - Tally Hall

You’re the Reason I Don’t Want the World to End - The Wonder Years

I Earn My Life - Lemon Demon

Twisted - Team Starkid

Time, As A Symptom - Joanna Newson

The Party - Regina Spektor

I’m Just Your Problem - Rebecca Sugar (in Adventure Time)

[attonitos-gloria]

6, 11 & 12 ❤️

QUEEN!!! HELLO <3

6. Favorite title you used

ahhh i just answered @palominojacoby saying it was 'I know the end'. and it was. but i also liked 'love the one you hold' because it's so rare that a title encapsulates the central theme of a fic in the way this one does - it's a story about sansa and tyrion settling into and for each other, and as i've said before, this is one of my favorite things about them. the fact they didn't choose each other but they have each other for better or for worse. i just. love this so much about them. sad married babies.

11. What work took you the longest to write?

HAHAHA this year? does it count the unfinished ones? probably In the Golden Room Where Everybody Gets What They Want - on the accounts that I started to write this year but haven't finished it yet, and unlike This Place Could be Beautiful I still have to write a lot of words to finish it. To be fair I should give up writing smut completely. I like the BUILD UP. I like plot and context. I like preliminaries! life as a giant foreplay! but when it comes to the actual sex I'm like "ah, why bother." that fic was a mistake. will finish, though! but probably not this year.

12. How many WIP’s do you have in your docs for next year?

kAOIHioadjposjo girl, so many. Let's count. 2023 is going to be the year that I will, by God, finish We've been together. I think if I manage to do that, stars and planets will align and I might cry even. I also want to wrap I Know the End, and it will be so much fun :D it's the one I'm most excited to write.

I want to post the last chapter of This Place Could be Beautiful - would love to do it this year still but for the look of it, it's not happening. And In The Golden Room, too, though in my defense: it's impossible to write smut without inspiration! Kinky smut is even worse! So that one will have to wait until the horny muse visits me.

These are only the works in progress! I also want to write 1) the fic in which tyrion is sober, modern AU, and 2) the fic in which the ghost of joanna keeps tyrion trapped in casterly rock because she loves her youngest son SO MUCH that she literally sends storms to kill people every time he tries to leave until he stops trying and sansa is sent to the West to marry him a la beauty and the beast and it's very stockholm syndrome (on tyrion's part, not sansa's) and mommy issues and being trapped in the home of your pain and trauma. just nice things that i like.

so six WIP. and counting. thank you for the ask queen!!! I am excited to know what you're going to share with us next year, by the way. i adore your writing.

[gulnarsultan]

Old Modern Reader The Great gets into Westeros, when she gets inside the Red Keep, inside the Court, she sees Prince and Cersei with Joanna Naerys Targaryen and baby Joffrey and then notices her granddaughter (Young Modern Reader) and her granddaughter noticed her. In the Court was a celebration for Baby Joffrey who was born

Young Modern Reader noticed her beloved grandmother and runs towards her: “Gasps” GRANDMA!🥹🥰🥰🥰🤗

Old Modern Reader The Great: Hello, my dear.

The scene is so cute and wholesome for everyone to witness reunion of Old Princess Y/N The Great and Princess Y/N the descendant. I have no doubts that Old Reader would be so happy to meet Prince and Cersei and their children. She would probably say “I’m so happy to meet you” and then tell everyone what happened to her when she disappeared. Old Modern Reader tells everyone how she found a job in her world, how she met the love of her life (Princess Y/N’s grandfather), their marriage, their child and tells the tragic story of her child and granddaughter. I imagined that Old Reader’s son married a woman that he loved and they married and a child was born (Princess Y/N), but unfortunately her son got into a car accident and didn’t make it. As for mother of her granddaughter, she left her child and didn’t want to do anything with her, which infuriated not only Old Modern Reader and her husband but also others (Targaryen and Lannister families) and everyone who were listening the story.

Old Modern Reader: Well, I’m glad that Y/N didn’t even know her mother. And do you know what that bitch tried to do? She tried to take away my granddaughter from me and my husband through the judge, can you imagine it, and yet she failed. What did she expected? Did she really thought that when Y/N would know that she’s her mother, she would run to her and hug her mother who left her and didn’t even care about her? Nope that didn’t happen. And Y/N even said, pointing at her “That scary woman is my mother?” I even have a recording on this case if you interested.

Old Modern Reader sighs: When my husband died, I knew that she would use it to her advantage, since I was on retirement and old, she thought I won’t be able to take care of my granddaughter. So, now that my granddaughter is here with me and she has her parents who love her, I can finally live in peace. Y/N always wanted to have younger siblings and she finally has them. Now you know my and my granddaughter story.

While Old Modern Reader was telling her story, she brought albums and recordings to show them to everyone. Well you know, many are curious to see her family and how they looked like and what happened to her.

I have no doubts that Prince and Yandere Cersei after hearing this story, they would show so much love and care for Y/N the descendant, since Princess Y/N didn’t receive her love from her parents (Her father died in a car accident and her mother left her, when she was a baby). Yandere Cersei would be furious at Reader’s mother for abandoning her child and dared to take her away from her grandmother.

Cersei goes into more protective and maternal chicken mother mode after the story. I think she would want her granddaughter to stay with her new family since she was old anyway. Grandmother is going to visit her granddaughter. They are all happy and big family.

[superbattrash]

I now have a new favorite character and went through the “I hate you, ok maybe not, you’re ok I guess” process with another character. So ya know. Cool

Sandy ep3

I’m gonna be thinking with a British accent if I keep watching this, my brain is stupid like that. I absorb accents, I should watch something American after this

Oh great, demons, huh? Oh, a dream? That doesn’t bode well. Or maybe it does, I don’t know yet, this is all a little confusing to me

280? Okay, you look great then, Hettie

Lol you thought she was gonna respect you simple for your name? That’s cute, sandy

A possessed princess? Okay, I’m listening

Oh HE’S possessed? Christo is totally a supernatural word, man, I know this one, he’s totally possessed, oh god ew, I can’t watch this, I might be sick

He’s kinda fine tho, ngl

Yeah, you totally brushed off the actual sandman, Constantine. Oh you do simply just not care. Cool

Oh you’ve lied so much he doesn’t believe you anymore, Ethel, that sucks but you kinda very much did that to yourself, you know

Ruby for the truth seems fair enough, doesn’t it?

Oh god no, don’t force romance into this please, I was actually having fun for a second…

…am I supposed to like her? At all? 🥲

Oh a new raven!! Matthew, awww, hello Matty!! Oh he’s a cutie, I like Matthew

Johnny is gonna take that from you, Ethel, you realize this, don’t you?

I’m sorry but the camera angles here are so fucking creepy

Lulu is totally his master, don’t be mean, sandy, just let Matty stay, look how cute he is. Honest, too, and so charming

It’s a very bright nightmare, Joanna. Oh the kid is gonna die, isn’t she? Of course she is, that’s why you’re so bitter, you sent her to hell with the demon, oopsie, huh? Left with an arm. That’s. Okay, ew

YOU love objects, you idiot. For once we agree, Joanna. Oh no, don’t poke at his trauma, I was starting to warm up to you. Don’t be an actual asshole now

I’m sorry, E, I don’t trust your kid. He’s made from Roderick’s DNA, he’s not good. Oh he’s a killer, great great great. DONT DO THAT, DONT GIVE HIM THAT WHAT THE FUCK, ETHEL

“Why?” Because humans are stupid, Sandy, it’s not like she left because she didn’t love her. Wait, does that mean we get a bi or gay lady? She seems like she might be another main character of sorts. Ok I can respect that

I also think your lady friend might be dead or in bad shape, Joanna. This is too much like a trap. Rachel, sorry, I’m bad with names. They’re doing the “hi”, okay, that’s kinda cute ig. Oh god no this is horribly awkward. You don’t deserve Rachel, Joanna, sorry, she’s too good to be true

Aw Matthew, baby, you’re so cute 🥺

They’re banging, sandy. They’re banging, don’t go up there. Don’t be that way, don’t do it, for once Matthew is right

You don’t sound sorry, J. But oh!! Oh she’s bi, that’s so nice, I like that- oh no. Oh god no, this can’t be good.

YOU did that?!!!?! Sandy, please tell me you didn’t do that to her. Oh thank god, it wasn’t you, I thought I was gonna have to hate you for a second there

Oh god. Oh no. No, that is so horrible, oh no. Poor Rachel :( SHOW SOME COMPASSION, SANDY, she didn’t mean to hold the sand, please help her??? I know you’re not actually human so you don’t feel our feels but please make her feel better, can’t you fix her?? This is so sad, Alexa okay Despacito

Oh. Oh my god, what are you doing? Is that helping? Is she dead?? Is she trapped in a good dream???? Oh no :(

Okay so you do love your son, sort of, I think. He’s totally gonna be a villain, ain’t he? Because she’s so dead now. 116 years that’s a lot, Johnny. She’s already gone. Oh great, now he’s more insane, that’s just. Great. Poor, handsome security guard OH MY GOD EW WHAT THE FUCK

Jesus Christ I need to watch something with small kittens after this, I feel sick 😵‍💫

Corin, don’t talk to him, don’t make him more evil :( ….this entire scene is kinda sweet though if I don’t think about the rest of the show, I mean

You really don’t like yourself, huh, Jo? Not even sandy thinks you’re that bad, just a little… misguided, perhaps. You’re not THAT bad okay, I don’t hate you

Just bring Matty, he’s a good bird!! He just wants to help, sandy, NO! NO DONT MAKE HIM SLEEP? oh okay this is how you travel, alright, never mind

[mermaidsirennikita]

Hello hello, I'm looking for book recs where heroine is pregnant through the book, at least maybe half of it. I know a few CR on this but I'm actually looking for HR. Babies usually pops up as proof of HEA in epilogue lol But I want it to be in the story, sex and everything, the whole dynamic. You're the only person who I think can actually help me with this ❤️

Oh I can for sure help!

The Earl Takes All by Lorraine Heath--Heroine is (heavily) pregnant at the beginning of the book, gives birth around the halfway mark. This is Gorilla Twins, so the plot is that she was married to the earl and had an antagonistic relationship with his identical twin (who kissed her when she was engaged to his brother, because she didn't know who he was). The hero is the identical twin who pretends to be her husband after the husband dies on an African safari (husband asked him to do the pretense, because the heroine has a history of miscarriages and he doesn't want her to get shocked). There's no p in v sex during, but they get each other off while she's pregnant.

Waking Up with the Duke by Lorraine Heath--Heroine's husband was rendered impotent in an accident caused by his best friend (the hero) years ago, and he asks the hero to get he heroine pregnant, you know, as a favor. One of my favorite books ever, my favorite Lorraine Heath, peak angst. The heroine get pregnant I wanna say around the halfway point? And is pregnant for the rest of the book. No preggers sex, but a lot of angst and sexual tension and romantic shit. Has a supremely angsty scene where she's like oh the baby is kicking have a feel and he's like "it CAN'T be MINE" and I cried.

The Viscount and the Vixen by Lorraine Heath--Hero marries the heroine to keep her from trapping his elderly father (who put out an ad for a bride). She's actually pregnant by another man when they marry and plans to pass the baby off as the hero's. Naturally, she's pregnant when they start having sex.

When the Earl Met His Match by Stacy Reid--Maybe my favorite Stacy Reid? Heroine has had a correspondence with this Scottish guy and knows he needs a wife to help him into society. She gets pregnant by her lover and her parents plan on sending her child to a baby farm, so she runs away to Scotland and asks the hero, sight unseen, to marry her. He complies and agrees to recognize and raise the baby as his own. He's mute, btw, so he communicates through writing and she learns sign language for him and it's lovely. No sex during pregnancy, but they do stuff, and as soon as that baby is out and she is healed it is ON. LIKE. OOOOOON.

The Recruit by Monica McCarty--Medieval Scottish book. Hero and heroine are supposed to be betrothed (she's a widow) and they hook up while she knows who he is but he thinks she's a servant. He says some shit that really turns her off and so when he realizes she was the woman he was supposed to be betrothed to, she refuses him. Months later they meet again and oops, turns out he left behind a souvenir. He basically forces her to marry him and they have to figure out what to do with this marriage shit. Toooons of pregnancy sex; she's pregnant during the majority of the book. My favorite Highland Guard book thus far.

Seducing A Stranger by Kerrigan Byrne--Hero and heroine fuck in a garden as strangers because he's doing so vigilantism and she mistakes him for a sex worker (she was in the garden looking for a SW to deflower her before she married an asshole). A couple months later, he's called to a murder scene because he's a detective and it's her groom, dead, with her holding the dagger, and she's like don't worry they won't hang me I'M PREGNANT WITH YOUR BABY. Quickie marriage ensues and so does pregnancy sex, but he fully believes she's a murderess lol.

The Courtesan Duchess by Joanna Shupe. Hero and heroine married and he left without consummating it for reasons, 6-8 years later she needs his baby for other (legal) reasons. He's been living on the continent this whole time and they haven't seen each other, so she basically learns how to act like a courtesan, wears a wig and makeup, goes to Italy (?) to seduce him, it works, she leaves, he finds out she's pregnant and tricked him and is PISSSSSEEEED and he goes to their home to be like "THE OTHER SHOE JUST DROPPED". I forget if they had pregnancy sex or not, but she's pregnant for much of the book. I love this novel lol.

This Scot of Mine by Sophie Jordan. A bonkers book, I love it. The heroine pretended to be compromised and pregnant to avoid a bad marriage and got sent away to Scotland (she's actually a virgin). The hero is a Scottish guy whose family line has basically had this thing where the lords always die while their wives are pregnant with their first kid, and it's this whole curse deal. He's very bummed about it, but when he meets her she's hot and he believes she's pregnant with another person's kid, so he thinks marrying her and raising her baby as his own will give him an heir and circumvent the curse. Buuuuut lol right after a vERY vigorous wedding night he realizes she was a virgin and therefore not pregnant, and she's like curses ain't real, but then when that wedding night DOES leave her pregnant for real shit starts happening that makes her wonder. WILD.