#ben photino

[hug-bees]

Hey so how have you liked the suffering guys? 

Special poses I did taken from Booth Buddies by Sarah, Gina, and Tyler; and from Skooled by Kristen, Jushtin, and Kenny.

[seddm]

Star vs. The Forces of Evil FAQs

With a new season around the corner, and with a fandom still full of doubts and confusion left from the previous one, @ngame989 and I decided to make some sort of FAQ post, compiling both specific answers (an extremely synthetic one, and a longer one in the post accessible by clicking on the questions themselves) to the most common doubts we have been seeing around the most over these months, and a list of links to posts we made in the past about more general (but still hot) topics.

Is Tom a monster? Would his union with Star send a message about tolerance to Mewni? Was his speech in Is Another Mystery an absolute truth about the state of things on Mewni?

No. Tom is not considered a “monster” as far as Mewni’s society goes, and a future union with Star wouldn’t send any message about equality, since past Butterfly queens married demons or non-Mewmans in the past: social standing, richness and power are what separate discriminated monsters and monsters seen as peers..

The speech in Is Another Mystery was well meaning, but stemmed from Tom’s limited and sheltered personal experience, and Buff Frog himself pointed out that things aren’t that simple.

What is considered ”a monster” on Mewni?

Tom’s speech and the fallibility of characters

Did Marco and Jackie break up over a cape? Why did Marco call Jackie “his best friend”? 

The cape was a symbol for Marco finally getting aware for the first time of the shift in priorities and goals that he had been experiencing since he met Star, and Jackie broke up with him because she could see how this would have come crashing down on both of them sooner than later, leading Marco to realize that he was forcing himself to live a kind of life he didn’t want anymore.  Marco called Jackie “best friend” in a last half-hearted attempt at lying to himself because facing the truth would have forced him to truly step outside his comfort zone and take a potentially life changing decision, something that he ultimately ended up doing thanks to Jackie’s push in the right direction.

Heart Vs Mind S3 Analysis - Sophomore Slump section (page 28)

The value of Marco’s “study year abroad”

Marco’s nightmare in Red Belt

Why did Marco have to leave Earth to be a squire on Mewni? Couldn’t he use the scissors to do both things?

Moving to Mewni wasn’t just about satisfying an itch for adventure to Marco, but a way for his character to acknowledge that what he wanted from life changed over the course of the previous seasons, and to find his place in life stepping out the comfort zone / shell he had build himself over the years. Marco didn’t turn down Earth forever (as evidenced by Marco Jr.), but he still needed a drastic change in his life to grow as a person. Keeping both things going on at the same time, Earth and Mewni, would have eventually failed, hurting him and Jackie even more, as she outright points out in the episode.

Is Marco 30/31? And does that make his relationships “problematic”?

Marco clearly retained memories and experiences from his time in Hekapoo dimension, but regardless of what one can think about these implication in the show’s universe he clearly hasn’t changed at all and still behaves and is written like his usual teen self, and one of the points of Running With Scissors was that he didn’t grow up at all, if not physically.

Adult Marco, manchild Marco 

Did Star forget Marco’s birthday in Lava Lake Beach?

The episode ends barely a minute into the new day, so Marco’s birthday had barely began. We can’t know for sure whether Star did wish him a happy birthday or not but she still had 23 hours and 59 more minutes to do it.

Is Star’s relationship with Tom a rebound one? Did she truly move on from Marco during S3?

Star initially reconnected with Tom as a way to silence the pain Marco left her with, but over Demoncism they bonded over genuine elements - even if going for the romance angle and not just for being friends proved to be the wrong decision. Star moved on from her crush on Marco, but never really stopped being attracted to the kind of role he had in her life, a trusted companion, and gravitated back to him because he encapsulates all she looks for in a partner.

Was the situation in Booth Buddies forced or did Ben Photino force Star and Marco to kiss? Did Marco force a kiss on Star?

No, the episode just needed some background plot to keep things fun and interesting, and they chose the “magic booth”, but all the feelings that emerged inside were there long before, and weren’t forced in any way (also Star was adamant on getting the picture she wanted from Marco even before Photino’s interference). Body language during the kiss tells us that it was evidently reciprocal, even if Marco might have been the one to initiate it.

An analysis of the kiss and the photo strip

Another analysis of the kiss

Differences between “forced development” and “narrative device”

Did the Blood Moon force Star and Marco's feelings?

No, the way their feelings for each other developed has clearly been organic (and slow). Even if the Blood Moon bond had to be related to fate or something like that it wouldn’t change that every step forward Star and Marco took came from their own experiences and efforts, and not from some magical imposition.

Does the Blood Moon have some kind of effect beyond pure symbolism?

Potential meaning of the Blood Moon

Old but still relevant post about the Blood Moon and forced feelings

Did Marco give up on fun and adventures with Hekapoo for Star in Night Life? Did Star’s demands limit Marco’s freedom?

No, at the end of the episode Marco doesn’t give up on having fun to help a nagging boss, he just manages to find, through immersing himself in the role of “squire”, a (temporarily) solution to the need for escapism generate by his feelings for Star, while at the same time being able to be close to her and part of her life, the thing that brings him the most fulfillment. 

Marco’s freedom of choice

Why did Star act so cold toward Marco when he came back on Mewni?

She was hurt by the way Marco ignored her confession and rushed away from her life, and had a negative (and completely understandable) reaction when he decided to come back as if nothing had ever happened, needing the duration of the episode to find her own way to adapt to the new situation, similarly to what happened to Marco some episodes later.

Did Star act like a jerk to Marco after his return to Mewni, and does she regret it?

Overall breakdown of Starco

What’s the most important thing in Star and Marco’s respective lives?

Possible future developments for Starco post canon dating

Point of no return for Starco

Star and Marco’s flaws

Starco flaws

Star and Marco’s first interactions

Platonic Starco, why it’s not viable

Why Starco couldn’t have happened immediately post S2 (1)

Why Starco couldn’t have happened immediately post S2 (2)

Why Starco couldn’t have happened immediately post S2 (3)

Opinions over romance in the show

Star and Marco’s mutual reliance

The importance of the hug in Divide

The current state of Starco and why things are going to change soon

Overall breakdown of Marco

Marco’s presence and screentime in S3

Marco’s role and importance in S3

Tunnel vision and “comfort zone” in S3

Some ideas about why would Marco love Star

Other ships, other characters, show’s handling of characters commentary

A comparison between Tomstar and Starco in the Book Of Spells

Star and Tom’s first relationship (as in the Book Of Spells)

The origin of Star’s horn headband

The show and failed relationships

Kelly and Marco’s relationship

Tom and Star’s flawed relationship and lack of trust over the season

Personal opinions about Tomstar

The fallibility of the characters in the show

Jackie’s use and lack of development

Show’s approach to developing relationships other than Star and Marco’s one

Are Tom and Star comfortable with each other in a romantic context?

Tom’s early appearances and negative behavior 

Season 4 predictions and themes

General considerations about Tom and Star’s break up

Speculations about the S4 promotional poster and what it might symbolize

Parallels between Star and Eclipsa

Star’s character arc and goals in S4

Fandom commentary

Interest in the show over time and effect of the airing schedule on the fandom’s activity

The circumstances of Booth Buddies’ release and its contribution to the fandom’s perception

The pacing in Tom’s development and its effect on the fandom’s perception 

[seddm]

The only valid spinoff series would be the Ponyhead Show.

There are about seventythree more valid spinoffs I could think of, starting with “The Ludo Adventures” and ending with “Ben Photino’s Photo Booth Repair Shop - The Show”.

[seddm]

Was the situation in Booth Buddies forced or did Ben Photino force Star and Marco to kiss? Did Marco force a kiss on Star?

No. Obviously the episode needed some kind of plot, since having two characters do nothing but talk for 11 minutes would probably be boring to most viewers, so they went for the next best thing and put Star and Marco in a silly and somewhat comedic situation that eventually pushed them to have a honest heart to heart talk. Photino’s intentions and the booth were just the context of the episode, but no feeling, none of what Star and Marco did or said, was forced in any way: they had been stewing in a weird relationship that felt odd and weird to both of them (due to a number of reasons I’m not going to address again here: Star and Tom’s relationship, Marco’s feelings for Star, Star’s reliance on Marco and his important role in her life...), and as a matter of fact Star noticed it way before Photino’s interference, and was already going to force Marco to stay inside, and she’d have certainly pressed on until truth emerged.

This is the show’s classic approach (an approach used by almost any kind of tv show and episodic narrative, actually), having something happen, usually something magical or at least interesting or fun, guiding the characters in a position that helps them grow, have epiphanies, or talk about things they had been avoiding, but without ever forcing anything. The same happened with Sleepover, Naysaya, Starcrushed, Sophomore Slump, and most moments involving big changes to the status quo: EVENT happens, puts the characters in a situation of stress or emotional duress, helps bringing down the last walls that were holding feelings or decisions that were already there.

As for the kiss, while it’s true that Marco is apparently the one who initiated it (”Ok Marco let’s take a picture that shows how you really feel about our friendship!” “Sure thing Star.”), the scene has been story boarded as to clearly convey the idea that both did it and enjoyed it. Between the pictures Star leans visibly forward and moves her arms up Marco’s ones, wanting more contact.

Also, the printed photo strip seemingly shows us the moments that were whitened out by the camera’s flash, and we can see that Star and Marco changed expression for a moment while looking at each other, and Star’s arm weren’t initially over Marco’s, meaning the whole kiss played out “slowly” and they both acted on it. 

To be fair this might just be a case of discrepancies between props and animation, but it still doesn’t change things, the animation itself is more than enough. They obviously both like each other, and this is what a best friend moment truly is to them by that point, because things are different, they can’t go back the way they were, and “friendship” and “love” are one and the same.

One last consideration (even if I can’t stress out enough how the kissing scene itself is all the evidence we need), it looks like Star, once back inside the booth, is mouthing “You kissed me”, but the voicing says “We kissed”. This could mean that while recording the final line changes over the completed animation someone in production thought it was better to fully point out, at the cost of going against the lip sync, just how mutual the action was.

[seddm]

I’d like to reference Stranger Things once more: I theorize Eclipsa will serve a similar role for Star and Marco that Murray did for Nancy and Jonathan.

Wrong, that was Ben Photino in Booth Buddies. think about it: Murray is a shut in, grumpy, conspiracy theorist and alcoholic. And who voiced Photino? Alex Hirsch.

[seddm]

you know I can not understand the annoyance of some of "that the goblin locked them in the photo booth" when the box and naysaya literally forced Marco to confess his feelings for Jackie and star and Tom forced to dance to avoid a possible conflict between Kingdoms

The show - any show or cartoon, really - is full of arbitrary events that put the characters in situation that essentially force them to be developed, BUT there is nothing forced in the actual feeling, dialogues, and reactions to situations that eventually lead to changes. Sure, Ben Photino tricked Star and Marco and forced them into the booth, but their feelings had been stewing for a whole season and were ready to boil off any second, and dozens of other potential situations could have lead to similar results. Maybe without a kiss, sure, but the essence of Star and Marco’s relationship and what they feel for each other wouldn’t have changed.

My favorite example to explain this comes from Bon Bon The Birthday Clown: Marco kisses Jackie, sees Blood Moon, immediately thinks of Star and goes to check on her. Now, did the Blood Moon do anything magical, other than appearing, to force Marco’s actions? Absolutely not. It’s a well established fact that Marco cares a lot about Star, seeing a truck with a “STAR DELIVERIES” logo pass by would have been the same, hearing two kids play pretend fight with plastic magic wands would have been the same, he just needed something to remind him of Star for an instant. The same goes for Naysaya, for Sleepover, for Booth Buddies: arbitrary events outside of the protagonists’ control put them in situation, which are fun and interesting to viewers, that help them naturally develop what was already inside them, what had already been established several episodes ago. It’s literally how character development works in almost every show and work of fiction ever!

[seddm]

While I get where those people are coming from when they say it, what's you opinion on the argument that Star and Marco needed to change to end up with Jarco and Tomar, but with Starco it's just the blood moon and photo booths? They also mention how they were developed as friends, but not so much in terms of love interests, with is kind of counter intuitive in my opinion, since ,yes, exactly, unlike Tomar and Jarco they weren't love interests for each other since day one. Not every love story is

I’m not sure I get what you mean, sorry: you’re saying that (I mean, not you-you, the “people” you’re referencing) that both Star and Marco had to undergo growth and personality changes to ultimately get together with Tom and Jackie (like, Marco having to challenge his low self esteem in Naysaya), while what Starco we got so far happened exclusively due to the push of a magic crimson satellite, and a photo booth? Because that’s... very, very, very fake. Literally most of S2 has been about Star learning to accept and face problems, from “UUGH learning new spells is too hard!” to admitting to Marco’s face that she fancied him. In S3 Marco was initially too “scared” of change to completely turn his life around and stay on Mewni with Star, and went back to Earth, but ultimately changed his mind, challenging the insecure safe kid who took years to decide that it was time to get the red belt, and obviously this has been a fundamental moment in Star and Marco’s relationship as well. And this is without counting all the little or big episode-by-episode moments that brought Star and Marco a little closer to the other. It’s just that it has been way more gradual, because literally most of the show is dedicated to it, while Jarco and Tomstar got waaay less screentime, and as such had to develop in a more “standard” (for TV shows) way, like:

Freeze Day - Marco overcomes his fear to talk to JackieInterdimensional Field Trip - he overcomes it a bit moreSleepover - he confesses his crushNaysaya - he finally finds the courage to ask her out

so it looks like Marco changed “a lot” for Jackie’s sake because it happened in bursts.

And yes, Star and Marco have been developed as friends first, and even when confessions and feelings came into the playing field (Starcrushed and Lava Lake Beach) their friendship was still the most important thing, not romance. And then we got to Booth Buddies, where we have essentially been told that when both of them go into autopilot, and act without thinking according to what being best friends currently means to them, this happens.

Because romance has grown over an incredibly solid friendship, not in parallel to it. Heck, they couldn’t have been more clear if they tried.

Also the concept that the Blood Moon or Ben Photino forced things is a load of warnicorn manure. They were just occasions for things to happen, just like Naysaya or the Silver Bell Ball, because this is a cartoon and things have to be fun and entertaining, we can’t get pivotal moments in the protagonists’ lives being triggered while they eat pizza on the couch in an episode dedicated to eating pizza on the couch. Doesn’t mean they were forced, though: all the feelings were already there, and everything the characters did followed what they wanted, felt, or thought.

[seddm]

Do you think everyone (except star, marco and tom obviously) assumed starco was a thing already?

...from Ruberiot to Ben Photino, it seems to kinda be a constant throughout the show.