#big breadwinner hog

[mariocki]

RIP Timothy West (20.10.1934 - 12.11.2024)

"We met when we were cast with small parts in that really boring play, so had both brought the crossword to stop us going mad. We saw each other across the rehearsal room doing it, so decided to sit together. Then we couldn’t record because of the strike one day so we went to the cinema, Pru and I, to see The Grass is Greener with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. The show was cancelled, but a bit later Pru sent me a card saying ‘they’re reviving that terrible play, are you in it?’ I wasn’t but we started writing to each other then."

"Humour is vital, and respect for what people do and what people think. Kindness is important, and we’ve always had the same humour, laughed at the same things, been interested in the same things, got cross about the same things. And been in the same business. We have often been away from each other work-wise and therefore we’re always very glad to see each other again."

[kwebtv]

Big Breadwinner Hog  -  ITV  -  April 11, 1969  -  May 30, 1969

Thriller (8 episodes)

Running Time:  50 minutes

Stars:

Peter Egan as Hogarth

 Rosemary McHale as Edge

Godfrey Quigley as Ryan

Neil Freeman as Pritchard

Barry Linehan as Spicer

Tony Steedman as Singleton

Timothy West as Lennox

Hamilton Dyce as Gould

Priscilla Morgan as Moira

Donald Burton as Ackerman

Brian McDermott as Greenwood

Alan Browning as Izzard

David Leland as Grange

James Hunter as Raymond

Frederick Hall as Croxted

Sandra Duncan as Prudence

Tenniel Evans as Nicholson

Arthur Pentelow as Walker

John Horsley as Parker

Peter Thomas as Raspberry

John Challis as Operative

[angelkarafilli]

Peter Egan in "Big Breadwinner Hog" (1969) tv series

The rise of a vicious young thief, Hog, to the top of the London criminal fraternity.

[justanothersimsblog]

Ship Questions Redux: Ibis & Taia

IV. DOMESTIC LIFE

When they move in together, who gets the most say in decorations? What do they each have to have in the house?

This hasn't happened but Ibis doesn't care so Taia gets full decorating power. All Ibis needs is his cauldron and potion/substance making stuff. They obviously need a room for Lori. Taia needs a darkroom for her photographs since she still uses old school film when she can.

If they get married, who proposes, and how do they do it? Would they change their surnames?

"I'm NEVER getting married" - Ibis

Taia would be inclined to change her surname but Ibis would question it. His mom didn't.

What is the wedding like? Who attends?

I mean, no wedding if Ibis gets his way. If its up to their families then it's a huge ass wedding, half the town invited, and the most lavish locale in town.

How many kids do they have, if any? What are they like as parents? What are the kids like?

They have a little one year old girl right now. So far she's been solo-ing the parenting since he didn't know about her. Don't worry, we'll see the answers to these questions...eventually.

Are either of them the "breadwinner"? Who cooks? Who cleans?

Ibis has the money bags but Taia is the one with an actual job. As a solo parent it's currently Taia that cooks and cleans. But with Ibis in the picture he'd take over both chores. He can either handle them both with magic, or actually do it for reals since he spent much time grounded being forced to clean.

Do they have any pets?

Taia and Lori currently live with Saylor who has a black cat. Lori is very fond of this cat. Ibis has never desired to have pets.

Who worries the most?

Taia. Ibis really lives life Hakuna Matata.

Who kills the bugs in the house?

Ibis, his magic handles it. Or he just catches the bugs for potions. Either way.

How do they celebrate holidays?

Ehm... I'm not even sure how to answer this for myself lol

Alright, so Ibis is used to going to his family's (mostly his grandma's) for Holidays so he'd want to do that. Taia has been ... just with Saylor and Lori so far so that'd be her gut reaction.

Who is more likely to convince the other to come back to sleep in the morning?

lmao, Taia because Ibis just didn't sleep. Though if Ibis did fell asleep and then Taia woke up for work or whatever, he'd pretty please ask her to come back (so he can sleep).

Who hogs the blankets or takes up more than their fair share of the bed? Who puts their cold feet on the other? Who are the big and little spoons?

Taia hogs blankets and puts her (arguably warmer) cold feet on him and he lets her. He's fine being either spoon but logistically he ends up being the big spoon more often than not.

Who likes to dance with, or sing for, the other?

Ibis, and it'd be dance with. Taia would love it but never say she wanted that.

Do they have any "couple traditions", or family traditions?

Ha! (no)

Who is the one who always says "I don't know" when the other asks where they want to eat?

Taia. Ibis' menu is just one item lol, no need to ask. Ibis wouldn't ask her anyway, he can just read her mind and get whatever food she feels like.

Who would drive, and who would give directions?

Ibis drives. She'd give directions but there's GPS for that. Plus he does know their town.

[celluloidwickerman]

2022 Review

[jennystahl]

— ship questions redux (by myself + @newbordeaux)

I. PRE-RELATIONSHIP

How did they first meet?

What was their first impression of each other?

Who felt romantic feelings first?

Did either of them try to resist their feelings?

What would their lives be like if they had never met?

What was their "flirting stage" like?

How do their friends and family feel about them as a couple?

II. GENERAL

Who initiated the relationship, and how did they go about it?

Did they have an official first date? If so, what was it like?

What was their first kiss like?

Were they each other's first anything (kiss, relationship, etc.)?

What is their height difference? Age difference? Do either matter to them?

How do their personalities complement each other? How do they clash?

What is their relationship with each other's families like?

Who takes the lead in social situations? How are they around each other's friends?

Who gets jealous easier?

What are their parallels, whether in their personalities or their histories?

Who whispers inappropriate things in the other's ear in public?

Do they hide anything from each other, big or small?

Which one thinks they aren't good enough for the other, if at all?

What are some songs that apply to their relationship, in-universe or otherwise?

What is their most common argument about?

III. LOVE

Who said "I love you" first, and what was the situation?

What are their primary love languages?

Who uses the cheesy pick-up lines, or does corny gestures?

How often do they cuddle or engage in PDA?

Who initiates kisses? Where is their favorite spot to kiss each other?

What are their favorite things to do together?

Who is better at comforting the other? How do they usually comfort each other?

Do they prefer verbal or physical affection?

What reminds them of each other?

What do they like best about each other?

What kind of nicknames do they call each other?

Who remembers the little things?

How do they make up after an argument? Who is the first one to apologize?

Who is more protective? Who would get into a fight to defend the other? Who tends to the other's wounds?

What gifts do they typically give each other?

IV. DOMESTIC LIFE

When they move in together, who gets the most say in decorations? What do they each have to have in the house?

If they get married, who proposes, and how do they do it? Would they change their surnames?

What is the wedding like? Who attends?

How many kids do they have, if any? What are they like as parents? What are the kids like?

Are either of them the "breadwinner"? Who cooks? Who cleans?

Do they have any pets?

Who worries the most?

Who kills the bugs in the house?

How do they celebrate holidays?

Who is more likely to convince the other to come back to sleep in the morning?

Who hogs the blankets or takes up more than their fair share of the bed? Who puts their cold feet on the other? Who are the big and little spoons?

Who likes to dance with, or sing for, the other?

Do they have any "couple traditions", or family traditions?

Who is the one who always says "I don't know" when the other asks where they want to eat?

Who would drive, and who would give directions?

[chihirolovebot]

evergrowing list of dr ships i want to be right in the middle of:

kuzupeko. r u kidding. ideal dynamic. i get two hot bitches protecting me wherever i go. i get to make miss peko pekoyama blush. i get to big spoon fuyuhiko. i will commit violence.

sondam. HELLOOOO they are both so hot and sexy and cool og my god. imagine kazuichi foaming at the mouth bc gundham is drowning in bitches and he gets exactly zero. its friday night and u bitchless. anyway i will do both sonia and gundham's makeup n nails and read them my edgy poetry and they will eat that shit up.

tokomaru. i will sob. my sweet angels. i am their stupid housewife and i make them breakfast in bed every day bc they deserve it. toko is the unwilling breadwinner bc both komaru and i are no thoughts head empty. oh to have them take care of u whilst ur sick. toko reads her books to u and komaru cooks bc she's perfect.

kaimaki. and the crazy part is i dont love either of them individually but as a relationship dynamic,,, yeah whatever sign me up. kaito's pep talks would probably get me out of a slump and maki is so intune w my emotions she always knows what i would need. kaito is loud n positive and maki is more chill and realist. perfectly balanced as all things should be.

naehiro. shut UPPPP we spend three straight days watching movies together and by the time we emerge we are swamp creatures straight from the Bog. i make chihiro lunch bc that stupid bitch forgets to eat and i will not let him starve. we all sleep together on a stupid big bed surrounded by plushies and soft blankets. makoto hogs the blanket when he sleeps.

[katbrando]

[ questions are from this post, 1-10 here, 11-20 here, 21-30 here, 31-40 here, 41-50 here ]

51-60 - DAILY LIFE

🧡 What does the daily schedule of this home look like? we both work, so we spend most of our time away from home 😭 but we make sure our days off align so we have opportunities for lengthy dates :))) he's up for the sunrise every day, he goes on his little jog every morning, comes home to make breakfast for us (sometimes he has to fight to get me out of bed LOL)

🧡 Who is more of a homebody, and who’s the breadwinner? we're equal as far as that goes! he encourages me to work less but we know if we want to keep our cute little life afloat then we both have to work, not just him. it feels good to put in equal effort, anyway.. i like providing for him, he likes providing for me

🧡 What do your sleeping arrangements look like? Do you sleep together, or in separate beds?  we sleep together, i'm big spoon he's little spoon :'))) hes also a blanket hog because he gets chilly so easily.. he acts as if he's sleeping beauty or somethin but he tosses and turns so much, he looks a mess every morning LOL.. i'm no better tbh

🧡 Who’s the early riser, and who has trouble getting out of bed? Who falls asleep first? diego looooves his early mornings with a good cup of coffee and a stunning view of the sunrise.. and i hate mornings LMAO, being awake before 10am for me feels like torture.. he's extremely insistent about me getting up with him and engaging in his morning routine, and it definitely causes fueds for a while but eventually he chills tf out and decides it's best to maneuver our disagreement in better ways, like offering breakfast in bed and waking me up with little kisses and soft sweet words :')) and I'M the one who always falls asleep first.. when we're spooning i always have my arm draped across him so we can hold hands, the way he rubs my knuckles and the sound of his soft breathing are a combination that always results in an immediate KO, i'm out cold all night

🧡 Who handles what chores around the house? we both Hate cleaning (who doesn't, i guess) but doing it together works great, it's something about the mutual effort towards making our living space clean and healthy not just for ourselves but for each other :')) we do LOVE laundry, though.. his favorite thing is pulling a sweater straight out of the dryer and baking in it while we fold clothes together

🧡 Who deals with the spiders/bugs? HE DOES LMAO i Cannot do bugs 🤢 who knows how he specifically handles them bc i always leave the room

🧡 Who’s the better driver? Do you argue on the road? by default he is, LOL, he's actually a pretty good driver, and even before we met he would frequently take long drives to nowhere in particular. he has to have his seat pushed up a lot because he's also short, and that sight, along with the way his tongue pokes out when he's focusing really hard, is very very very cute :')) also we don't argue on the road, even if he tried to i'd be too busy trying not to get carsick (im Sensitive)

🧡 When you go shopping, who takes the longest? Who’s the worst to shop with? for most shopping, we're about the same! especially clothes shopping since our tastes align very closely and if one of us gets bored then it's basically a guarantee that the other feels the same. grocery shopping with him SUCKS though, he's so picky and pretentious, turning his nose up at things i want to buy LMAO, doesn't matter what he thinks tbh i'm gonna eat what i want anyway (and he's more than okay with that, he's just an Asshole)

🧡 How comfortable are you with sharing? Clothes, personal items, spaces like the bathroom etc. as for me, i'm very comfortable with it! we share clothes all the time, especially. he's okay with sharing most of the time but boy does this man treasure his shower/bathroom time LOL.. interrupting him is a Bad Idea but it's also funny how worked up he gets.. however he doesn't like sharing some of his possessions, namely the ones he inherited from his mother. it's like an unspoken rule: don't touch anything he held on to after she passed away (her old cookbook, jewelry, photo albums, that sort of thing). eventually he becomes more okay with sharing but his mom is such a sensitive topic, it always will be for him

🧡 When you take pictures together, how do you pose? Do you like taking pics together? we love taking photos!!! especially silly ones, but also i fuckin hate it because he can't take a bad picture no matter how hard i try (i succeeded Once by taking a photo of him waking up from a nap, he looks a mess and it's my lockscreen despite his pure hatred for the image) sometimes we take ourselves way too seriously and try to take outfit photos but tbh we're just sooo silly goofy that it shows through in any photo we take 💀

[risingsh0t]

domestic + wren & adrian 🦋

Domestic life

When they move in together, who gets the most say in decorations? What do they each have to have in the house?

Wren has the most say in decorations because it’s her place that they move into. But she has a pretty minimalist style, so she doesn’t own a ton of decor items in general. Adrian ends up being the one to kind of “spruce” it up, I imagine he makes their house feel more homey, which Wren secretly likes. Wren has to have her combat pants and her fancy microscope that she uses at home. Adrian has to have his vigilante suit, of course, but he would probably say he has to have all his knickknacks too.

If they get married, who proposes, and how do they do it? Would they change their surnames? What is the wedding like? Who attends?

I really can’t imagine them getting married 😂 Wren has very little interest in marriage, but might consider it if Adrian really wanted to. It would either be at a courthouse or they’d just find a random officiant, no special planning, with the 11th street kids attending. Neither would change their surname!

How many kids do they have, if any? What are they like as parents? What are the kids like?

They don’t have any kids, they’d be chaotic parents. I think they'd be fun babysitters!

Are either of them the “breadwinner”? Who cooks? Who cleans?

Wren is the “breadwinner” since she makes more money at her job as a microbiologist. Wren can cook pretty well, but she doesn’t love to do it all the time, so Adrian attempts his recipes occasionally (and they end up ordering out). Both clean! Neither likes a messy or overly unorganized space. 

Do they have any pets?

Wren already has a black cat named Lucifurr, so he becomes their shared pet after Adrian moves in. Somewhere down the line I think Adrian would want to get a dog too, and Wren would agree eventually. I haven’t thought a lot about what breed, but I think it’d be a mix they adopt from a shelter. 

Who worries the most?

In general, Adrian. When it comes to Adrian's safety though…Wren would be worrying a lot. 

Who kills the bugs in the house?

Adrian tries and Wren scolds him before safely transporting bugs outside. Maybe after project butterfly she’s a little more okay with it…

How do they celebrate holidays?

Decorating for Halloween and Christmas. They exchange gifts on Christmas and birthdays. Small parties with the 11th street kids (Wren might invite a couple co-workers from the lab…or her dad… eventually). Otherwise it's nothing huge! 

Who is more likely to convince the other to come back to sleep in the morning?

Adrian has convinced Wren to go back to sleep in the morning more times than she’d ever admit. She’s an early riser and Adrian is not. 

Who hogs the blankets or takes up more than their fair share of the bed? Who puts their cold feet on the other? Who are the big and little spoons?

Wren is the one who hogs the blanket and puts her cold feet on Adrian’s. Adrian is the one who takes up more than half of the bed. Some may think Wren is the big spoon, and while she is sometimes, it’s mostly Adrian. It brings Wren a safe comfort that she really just likes.

Who likes to dance with, or sing for, the other?

Adrian would be the one to jokingly sing something to her or pull her into a dance. The only time she'd sing is at a karaoke night after a couple drinks, but it probably wouldn't be "for" him.

Do they have any “couple traditions”, or family traditions?

Family traditions: Adrian getting Wren and the 11th Street kids into dnd so they try to do that once every couple weeks. They also do board game, bar, and karaoke nights.

Couple traditions: Watching Survivor every week. Adrian encourages date nights, including Wren joining him on his vigilante runs sometimes 👹

Who is the one who always says “I don’t know” when the other asks where they want to eat?

Oh Wren never knows where or what she wants to eat. It’s a good thing Adrian always has suggestions 😭

Who would drive, and who would give directions?

Both can drive, but if it’s somewhere that needs directions, Wren tells Adrian to drive because she isn’t confident in his ability to give directions. 

[cosmicballads]

💘 + zack and breanah

Dating Headcanons | Accepting

---

where they first met and how

The grocery store. Breanah broke a jar of cranberry sauce and then went on a rant about it and Zack just stood there and let her go on. Bless.

how long their ‘flirting’ phase was before feelings got involved

I really don’t think either knew flirting was happening? I mean they knew but uh...there definitely was a lot of not flirting flirting. I think feelings happened before the flirting was realized

who fell for who first ( if applicable )

I want to say Bre, because she will fall hard and fast, but this might have been Zack

where their first date was and what it was like

Breanah’s place, if she held true to form, she offered to feed Zack and he accepted and then she kept feeding him.

who asks who out and how ( with a sign? spelled out on a cake? just a simple ‘will you go out with me’? )

Breanah, she sort of demanded he go out with her/come over for dinner to make up for interrupting Zack time. And then also offering to at the very least show him hers. 

who proposes first

Zack, he does a lot of preparation for it and prepares for Breanah to reject him (spoiler alert: She does not!)

if they keep / kept their relationship secret or let everyone know right away

It wasn’t a secret per se but like it was on the DL because of a mutual acquaintance between the two of them. But like the important people (i.e Izzy) found out right away.

where the proposal happens and how ( kiss cam at a baseball game? on a hillside surrounded by ducks? at a disney park? )

OKAY SO. There’s a lot of mental prep for it on Zack’s part and it comes out sort of in the same way that their family planning went - “wanna get married?” and Breanah who is busy doing something like cleaning the dishes or the dogs just says “sure” and then later when Zack’s like “Wait that’s not how I wanted it to happen” he redoes it without it sounding like a casual question. There may be a jar of cranberry sauce involved.

if they adopt any pets together

Breanah comes with two dogs so they may adopt one more later

who’s more dominant

Bre tries to be more dominant but it’s really Zack. And Breanah likes being told what to do sexually so as soon as she’s on the same page, it’s Zack’s show, Bre’s just a part of it.

where their first kiss was and what it was like

It was at some sort of gathering and part of me wants to say a lot of it was orchestrated by Izzy without locking them in a closet but I can only imagine that they played something like truth or dare or spin the bottle because Izzy was feeling “nostalgic”

if they have any matching couples stuff ( mugs? sweaters? pillowcases? )

Nope! Maybe like pillowcases but that just comes with the bed set?

how into pda they are

Not very! Breanah is moreso when she’s territorial but she’ll do small things like hold his hand or like small kisses. 

who holds the umbrella when it rains

Zack because he’s taller

where their usual ‘date spot’ is ( if applicable )

The couch! A lot of dates ended up with them falling asleep on the couch. Not for lack of trying but they Netflixed and Chilled by legit chillin

who’s more protective

Zack is. He is more silently protective versus Breanah

how long it is before they sleep together ( can be as in ‘had sex’ or as in ‘shared a bed’ )

It takes them actually getting into the relationship for anything to happen and even then, maybe six months? Breanah learned how to romance before putting out which is the takeaway from this

if they argue about anything

Breanah working and not in the Zack has to be the only breadwinner but because she will run herself ragged if nobody says anything

who leaves more marks ( lipstick, hickeys, scratchmarks etc. )

It’s equal. Zack definitely leaves more hickeys but Bre has left scratchmarks and lipstick stains. (If we’re talking Dujour verse, Bre DEFINITELY does this)

who steals whose clothes and how often

Breanah takes Zack’s clothes, mostly his shirts and sometimes his hoodies

how they cuddle ( spooning? facing each other? )

They spoon

what their favourite nonsexual activity is

Naps

how long they stay mad at each other

Hmmm I think Zack holds it more than Bre does

what their usual coffee / tea orders are

Breanah’s coffee is usually more creamer than coffee. Zack would not surprise me if he took it black

if they ever have any children together

Yah, Penelope! And then probably a second one later down the line because why stop at one? 

if they have any special pet names for each other

No?

if they ever split up and / or get back together

Their splits are at different times because Breanah’s afraid of Zack breaking up with her because she’s “too much” and then Zack thinking he’s not good enough for her but then they get back together but like obviously these are reasons for arguments that lead to them making up

what their shared living space is like ( messy? clean? what kind of decor? )

It’s cleaner than one would expect. Decor is a mishmash of “oh that looks cute!” 

what their first christmas / hanukkah / etc as a couple was like

Zack had formally met Breanah’s parents that same holiday so it was a lot of her dad razzing him and Breanah and her mom trying to make it stop.

what their names are in each other’s phones

Breanah has Zack listed as Zack, Zack has Breanah as Bre

if they have any ‘couple traditions’ ( buying a new mug for their collection every year? baking every friday evening? )

They don’t have any ‘couple traditions’

who falls asleep first and who wakes up first

Zack falls asleep first depending on the day but Bre wakes first

who’s the big spoon / little spoon

Zack is usually the big spoon but Breanah will take it sometimes because Zack deserves to be spooned

who hogs the bathroom

Breanah is more likely to, but she usually doesn’t.

who kills the spiders / takes them outside

 It’s all Zack. What he does with them is his business.

[mariocki]

RIP David Leland (20.4.1941 - 24.12.2023)

"As I’d left school with no qualifications at all, I was searching for something that I could do that didn’t involve qualifications. I couldn’t go to art school because you had to have an O or A level in art but I discovered that you didn’t need any dreaded qualifications to go to college to study to become an actor and I thought, yes! There we go! I was born to be an actor!"

"I think the writing started during the time I was training to be an actor. We were taught what was known as the Laban Carpenter psychology of movement, theory of movement. It had a language, a jargon attached to it, and we were encouraged to write scenarios – Al Pacino talks about this - which would give you a sensation of how other people behave. We would write scenarios and then perform them to each other and writing became a kind of secret obsession."

[lissy-strata]

Good luck with that, Ann.

Infotext: The Wednesday after this episode was shown, 21 May, “The War Games” got a bad review in the Morning Star. Television correspondent Ann Lawrence slammed the serial for its levels of violence. The month before, an acid-throwing scene in the ITV gangland thriller Big Breadwinner Hog had started a bandwagon. The BBC illustrated acceptable levels of television violence with an extract from a recent episode of Doctor Who. (It was a marauding Ice Warrior from “The Seeds of Death”.) But Ann Lawrence now pointed out that the usual BBC excuse for Doctor Who did not apply to “The War Games”. This was violence being perpetrated by and against recognisably human characters. She ended by hoping that Doctor Who would soon be gone for good!

[vampiresmiled]

✩ kaidette

i haven’t even started it yet and i know this is gonna physically pain me … let’s go ! leggo, my eggo. update : i finished it and now i’m depresso. 

DISAGREEMENTS

who is more likely to raise their voice? odette. she is a very loud human being.who threatens to leave but never actually does? typical kai antics.who actually keeps their word and leaves? if odette says she’ll leave, then she’ll leave. sorry bout it. who trashes the house? odette’s the type to throw some glasses on the floor to make a point. loud and clear !do either of them get physical? despite his history, i don’t think kai would. but odette would definitely poke at that shit to try and get a reaction from him. he’d leave. she’d be pissed. life is hard. how often do they argue/disagree? like every day, she’s her. it’s never that serious, though.who is the first to apologize? kai. she never apologizes, not even once.

SEX

who is on top? i want to preface this by saying they’ve never had sex, they never will have sex and all that is being spoken now is totally not an accurate portrayal of the future. anyways, odette rides him like a mechanical bull.who is on the bottom? kai. she pegs him, too.who has the strangest desires? probably kai. she’s not that … adventurous. for obvious reasons. any kinks? kai shutting the fuck up.who’s dominant in bed? listen. normal circumstances, not to speak ill of the dead, but – with n*c she was the more dominant party ‘cos she got them issues, we been knew. with kai, however, the trust this girl has … he can put her in a chokehold and she’d be like, haha cute. is head ever in the equation? if it wasn’t she’d leave. if so, who is better at performing it? kai. ever had sex in public? no and they never will.who moans the most? you really gonna make me out my girl like this.who leaves the most marks? odette. if she’s gonna rid herself of her morals and smash this giant man, she’s gonna make it clear he’s OFF-LIMITS. who screams the loudest? eye-who is the more experienced of the two? kai. obviously. one hundred percent. do they ‘fuck’ or ‘make love’? no matter what she says, no matter the circumstance, it’ll always be the latter. rough or soft? depends on how pissy she is.how long do they usually last? like, way too long. send ava away to camp long. is protection used? yes, she doesn’t want another one of THOSE. does it ever get boring? probably not. they’ve known each other since they were YOUTHS, if they aren’t bored by now they never will be. where is the strangest place they’d have sex? reality. 

FAMILY

do your muses plan on having children/or have children? i know kai does but with odette i am unsure ™ ! i think she’d want a kid if the opportunity presented itself, but she’d never actively plan for one.if so, how many children do your muses want/have? fucking no more than two. counting ava. who is the favorite parent? kai. like he already is.who is the authoritative parent? odette. like she already is.who is more likely to allow the children to have a day off school? kai. he’s the cool dad. the funky dad. who lets the children indulge in sweets and junk food when the other isn’t around? you think i’m gonna say kai ‘cos he’s more lax ? no. odette can’t cook, you think she’s gonna deprive these kids of poptarts if they so desire it ? fuck no. who turns up to extra curricular activities to support their children? kai. honestly, odette can’t really be bothered ‘cos kids doing shit is … BORING. but kai would drag her along. who goes to parent teacher interviews? kai. odette threatened to beat up ava’s math teacher once and the rest is history.who changes the diapers? kai. who gets up in the middle of the night to feed the baby? kai. truly, he’s giving his all here folks.who spends the most time with the children? also kai. maybe odette is just a deadbeat. stay tuned for more at six.who packs their lunch boxes? please don’t make me say kai again.who gives their children ‘the talk’? definitely fucking kai. odette never got the talk herself, she just caught her mom smashing some drunk once and that’s how she was introduced to the world of sex. who cleans up after the kids? also kai.who worries the most? like about trivial shit ? kai. homework, soccer practice and what not, that’s his territory. odette worries about the social stuff. like first boyfriend, meeting new people, sending ava off to college. that’s scary. a shitty grade is not. who are the children more likely to learn their first swear word from? odette, big oof. 

AFFECTION

who likes to cuddle? both. but odette has a tendency to initiate it, ‘cos he’s a big ass pussy.who is the little spoon? most of the time, odette. ‘cos she’s wittle. but bad mood kai is definitely getting spooned the fuck out of.who gets naughty in the most inappropriate of places? * insert the lap hc i sent you many moons ago * “ what if he gets a hard-on ? ” “ she’d leave. ”who struggles to keep their hands to themself? odette. how long can they cuddle until one becomes uncomfortable? like a good while. she’s not that affectionate in general but kai’s more like an extension of her. odette’s emotional support teddy bear, you know. who gives the most kisses? kai. what is their favourite non-sexual activity? reluctantly watching star trek and cuddling on the sofa. fuck off. if beer is involved all the better. hanging out with ava is just like a good time, too, for whatever reason. where is their favourite place to cuddle? bed. couch is very chillaxed and they hang there most often. but bed … when she sneaks into his room ‘cos hers is cold and its his fault and she puts her cold ass feet on him and wraps herself up next to him in his blanket like a wittle burrito – that’s soft antics. who is more likely to playfully grope the other? odette. how often do they get time to themselves? not that often now that ava is grounded, but otherwise, pretty often. 

SLEEPING

who snores? no one, but sometimes odette.if both do, who snores the loudest? who ya think.do they share a bed or sleep separately? depends on the day.if they sleep together, do they cozy up together or lay far apart? i mean, when she does sleep in his bed it is to cuddle and ‘cos they’re in a good place. but sometimes, she’s there even when she’s mad at him. so, really, it’s fifty/fifty. okay, more like eighty/twenty. who talks in their sleep? neither.what do they wear to bed? she snags his shirts, might as well be nightgowns the length of them. when he knows she’ll be in there he is clothed, and by clothed i mean pjs and a tee. when he doesn’t, he’s just all about freeing the nipple. she prefers the latter but you didn’t hear it from me. are either of your muses insomniacs? i feel like kai has some issues sleeping. and odette, to a degree. she will wake him up for late night convos which mostly are just whining and her poking fun at him. sometimes it gets deep and borderline ‘ what if ’ … she pretends it never happened in the morn. can sleeping pills be found by the bedside? they’re kais, odette likes them with her wine.do they wrap their limbs around each other or just lay side by side? side by side. who wakes up with bed hair? both.who wakes up first? kai, no doubt.who prepares breakfast in bed for the other? also kai.what is their favourite sleeping position? she likes being the little spoon. she also likes having her head on his chest with him holding her like the small baby she is. who hogs the sheets? odette.do they set an alarm each night? kai does. can a television be found in their bedroom? nope. it’s they-time. i say as if it isn’t his bedroom. truth is, they’re too poor for it.who has nightmares? not so much anymore but odette. who has ridiculous dreams? i feel like kai doesn’t dream. he’s too grounded for it.who sprawls out and takes up most of the bed? odette. which is impossible ‘cos she’s a baby.who makes the bed? kai, ‘cos it’s his.what time is bed time? whenever odette crawls in there.any routines/rituals before bed? not that i can think of. check back again in 3-4 business days.who’s the grumpiest when they wake up? odette, no doubt in my mind. she’s always pissy. more so in the morning, though.

WORK

who is the busiest? kai, probably. but his schedule is also more predictable than hers, so.who rakes in the highest income? odette. breadwinner right there.are any of your muses unemployed? nope.who takes the most sick days? no one. odette’s got a tendency to skip shit ‘cos she’s lazy but when she’s sick she powers through ‘cos she’s not WEAK.who is more likely to turn up late to work? odette.who sucks up to their boss? kai.what are their jobs? he’s a nurse bitch and she’s a bounty-hunter. in connecticut. yeah, that pays … who stresses the most? kai, probably.do your muses enjoy or despise their careers/occupations? i think they both enjoy them.are your muses financially stable? hell no.

HOME

who does the washing? kai, he’s so powerful.who takes out the trash? kai.who does the ironing? kai.who does the cooking? kai.who is more likely to burn the house down just trying? odette ! it’s a wonder she hasn’t already in my opinion.who is messier? odette. literally … without him and ava she’d be lost. who leaves the toilet roll empty? odette. she’s just a fantastic roommate, isn’t she.who leaves their dirty clothes on the floor? also odette.who forgets to flush the toilet? ava.who is the prankster around the house? kai’s more fun but odette likes to mess with him. pranks are a-okay if she started them, but don’t you dare put flour in her blowdryer unprompted. who loses the car keys when it comes time to go somewhere? odette, every single time. kai has an extra set of keys for literally everything.who mows the lawn? apartment people.who answers the telephone? kai. odette pretends she doesn’t hear it ringing.who does the vacuuming? kai.who does the groceries? also kai.who takes the longest to shower? still kai, m’dude. who spends the most time in the bathroom? the answer might surprise you … it’s kai. odette takes ten minute showers and blowdries her hair and then she’s out the door. kai takes styling his hair very seriously. it’s an art form ! and also he shaves and gets hair everywhere which adds like 15 minutes. 

MISCELLANEOUS

is money a problem? more like is money ever NOT a problem. they figure it out, though, but shit’s tight. so no skateboards for the kids.how many cars do they own? used to be one before they got to town. now they got two. good for them.do they own their home or do they rent? rent.do they live near the coast or deep in the countryside? literally i don’t know where sheffield is stop asking me this.do they live in the city or in the country? downtown apartment.do they enjoy their surroundings? no, they miss california and they really have got no reason to stay except ava’s inevitable bitching if they move again. what’s their song? rocket man by elton john. no one but luna gets to know the story.what do they do when they’re away from each other? odette got no hobbies and honestly, does kai ? so nothing. they do too much together. odette hangs out with jack and emma but that’s literally it. where did they first meet? the streets ™ honestly, i dunno. probably some youthful hangout underneath a bridge in chino. there was a burn barrel, kids were doing coke and they bonded. how did they first meet? is that not the same as the first question. they met being homeless and annoying. odette thought he was too tall and he thought she was too bitchy. the rest is history.who spends the most money when out shopping? odette. she’s cheap, but she also has no concept of money. she throws dollar bills at walmart like it was a strip club. who’s more likely to flash their assets? neither. they were homeless and in the foster care, they don’t like braggarts and the rich. who finds it amusing when the other trips over? odette laughs every single time. sometimes she trips him, she’s mature like that.any mental issues? too many to count.who’s terrified of bugs? i feel like odette has a distaste for them but she doesn’t really give an f. kai doesn’t like spiders, though. she likes getting those toy ones on halloween and put them in his bed. who kills the spiders around the house? odette because : see above. their favourite place? his shitty car. sometimes they ride around and do fuck-all, like they’re back to their youth. sometimes they sit in the front-seat, parked on some remote spot in the woods and they smoke. cool, thanks. who pays the bills? both.do they have any fears for their future? not really. they’re pretty solid, honestly. not really worrisome people at their cores. who’s more likely to surprise the other with a fancy dinner? kai, honestly. just ‘cos he can cook and she fucking can’t.who uses up all of the hot water? odette. her showers might be short but the water’s scorching. if it doesn’t burn the skin off her body, she doesn’t want it.who’s the tallest? you come into my home … who’s more likely to just randomly hop into the shower with the other? we have never encountered this scenario before and we absolutely will not, ever, ever, ever. but odette 110%. who wanders around in their underwear? odette. and i’m not sorry about it.who sings the loudest when singing along to the radio? kai * cue the scene in the last song w miley & liam *what do they tease each other about? everything. nothing’s off limits which is absolutely stupid as hell. i mean, obviously they don’t mention ~ the things ~ but, a lot of it has to do with parenting techniques and their past as street rats. odette likes to mock his height, he tries to do the same but she smacks him when he does. who is more likely to cringe at the other’s fashion sense at times? odette. she wears like neutrals and blacks, there’s nothing to make fun of. kai on the other hand …do they have mutual friends? do emma and jack really count ?who crushed first? you want me to say kai but odette is the truth, so back the fuck off.any alcohol or substance related problems? i mean … they both got their respective histories and that’s messy and odette really can’t handle her liquor sometimes but they got it under control, thanks.who is more likely to stumble home, drunk, at 3am? odette, duh.who swears the most? this is not a question i will validate with a response.

[blissfulalchemist]

domestic for marc and sahar?

Macy! Thank you for asking I’m gonna do comic them under the cut and cinematic them first. As always all answers account for the alters too despite what the banner says with specifics made where needed.

1. When they move in together, who gets the most say in decorations? What do they each have to have in the house?

I want to say that Sahar does because Steven isn’t going to fight too much about it while Marc and Jake don’t care too much so long as they have the essentials.

2. If they get married, who proposes, and how do they do it? Would they change their surnames?

Steven and Marc purpose and would go classic with a nice dinner (which can also be lower price wise but its something that’s so very close to her original universe), a walk to a special location, getting down on one knee the whole nine yards. There isn’t really any formal changes to surnames but Sahar does take on Grant after awhile.

3. What is the wedding like? Who attends?

Small, like backyard style and their few friends. Yelena is the maid of honor, Frenchie is the best man, Matty is there as witness and protection. Taweret really wanted to be officiant so yeah they let her. Stephen is invited, so is J. Jonah (yes he’s a little confused by everything), and Khonshu is rightly banned....unless there is a villain that attacks the wedding.

4. How many kids do they have, if any? What are they like as parents? What are the kids like?

They have one. They name her Annalie after Sahar’s best friend/sister figure. They put the heroism down and focus on her (unless the world/universe is threatened then you know they kinda have too) much to Khonshu’s chargin. They are open with who they are as people including Marc’s alters and Sahar’s hallucinations which helps when her X-gene starts to show. When this happens they take up their mantles again because someone’s gotta protect their headstrong daughter despite being mentored by Ms Marvel.

5. Are either of them the “breadwinner”? Who cooks? Who cleans?

Sahar fits more into the “breadwinner” role as she makes the most money in either universe. Cooking and cleaning are a shared affair unless someone comes home in blood or other things that can make a just cleaned house dirty then its that person’s responsibility.

6. Do they have any pets?

Other than the two goldfish? It takes awhile but a cat does join them. It’s another stray like Sunny. Steven was the one to coax it home first seeing how happy it made Sahar, who was reluctant because she didn’t want to abandon this one the same way she abandoned Sunny.

7. Who worries the most?

Steven. The others have confidence in their abilities to fix it should things go wrong. When it comes to Annalie it becomes all of them and its a big factor into why they take up the superhero mantles again.

8. Who kills the bugs in the house?

Sahar. She’s scared the entire time but she’s faster about it so Marc doesn’t really have a chance to kill it for her.

9. How do they celebrate holidays?

Very subdued with religious holidays taken more seriously in observation. Sahar is no longer someone that enjoys the parties and spectacle like she did before. 

10. Who is more likely to convince the other to come back to sleep in the morning?

Marc. He’s just got this strength and vulnerability that just works on her every damn time.

11. Who hogs the blankets or takes up more than their fair share of the bed? Who puts their cold feet on the other? Who are the big and little spoons?

Sahar hogs the blankets while Jake takes up more than their fair share of the bed. Marc and Sahar make it a competition of who can make the other jump more with the cold feet. Its a mix up on who’s who in the big and little spoons, though you can count on Sahar to be the little spoon most often. She likes to feel safe and the best way is facing them, head tucked under their chin and their arms around them.

12. Who likes to dance with, or sing for, the other?

Marc, Steven, and Jake. They’re a bit more open with this small bit of fun, Sahar just having learned how to really shut herself off finds it harder to do so. 

13. Do they have any “couple traditions”, or family traditions?

Nothing significant. The world is always kind of changing and they are always on the move in a way. They do more so find trivia night places so they can do it once a week no matter where they’re at so that counts right?

14. Who is the one who always says “I don’t know” when the other asks where they want to eat?

Sahar. Yes she uses the excuse of being from another universe to justify her indecisiveness.

15. Who would drive, and who would give directions?

Sahar gives directions while the boys drive. 

1. When they move in together, who gets the most say in decorations? What do they each have to have in the house?

Sahar gets the most say as she actually has furniture from her old apartment in storage still. Some of it has already found a home in the mission.

2. If they get married, who proposes, and how do they do it? Would they change their surnames?

They never think about marrying and it never comes up. Marriage and being a hero just don’t mix. But! Neither take the other’s surname if they ever did. Firstly if Sahar takes his last name Spector then she’s fitting Marvel comic naming with SS initials. Then if Marc takes her last name he gets the double whammy of also falling victim with his initials being MM (doesn’t want to get confused with Murdock also), but her last name means “of the moon” and come on we’re not gonna give Khonshu the satisfaction.

3. What is the wedding like? Who attends?

It would be a courthouse wedding with Greer, Rheese, Soldier, Dr. Sterman, and Amin. Dr. Badar is one that performs a small blessing at the small dinner at the mission afterward. 

4. How many kids do they have, if any? What are they like as parents? What are the kids like?

They don’t have kids in this universe. Sahar becomes a pretty good stepmom to Diatrice once she’s able to come back into Marc’s life. The two keep the heroics far from her as best they can. It’s a process to getting Diatrice’s trust and openness.

5. Are either of them the “breadwinner”? Who cooks? Who cleans?

Steven is the main breadwinner. While Sahar has a sizable sum of money Steven is the one that makes it currently. Neither fully cooks, Marc and the boys take this one as they do more so. Cleaning is shared and not shared. Honestly if she could Sahar would hire someone to do it for her.

6. Do they have any pets?

Sunny bunny! The window garden stray that just befriended Sahar and adores Marc to no end. She has become a mascot for the mission and can be seen either in Sahar’s apartment or lounging in the window or the desk of the mission.

7. Who worries the most?

It’s equal mostly in this but Marc a little more given how many people he’s lost due to being Moon Knight and his relationship to Khonshu.

8. Who kills the bugs in the house?

Sahar is once again too fast to give Marc the chance, but he tries when she doesn’t notice them first.

9. How do they celebrate holidays?

They don’t really. They mostly go out to the few parties they’re invited too and see how many happy hanukkah cards Marc gets that year. Religious times are observed more frequently.

10. Who is more likely to convince the other to come back to sleep in the morning?

Neither want to wake up before 4pm so it easy and a mutual decesion to stay longer in bed.

11. Who hogs the blankets or takes up more than their fair share of the bed? Who puts their cold feet on the other? Who are the big and little spoons?

See the answer for cinematic verse as it’s the same here.

12. Who likes to dance with, or sing for, the other?

Sahar just a little more in this verse. Neither will but you’re more likely to find Sahar singing with and for him. Dancing used to be more Steven’s thing back in the day when they were company party friends. Though I will also say that it’s Jake that’s most likely to join in on the singing.

13. Do they have any “couple traditions”, or family traditions?

They get back into trivia night bringing Rheese and Soldier along with them to dominate. No other traditions despite Dr. Sterman’s advice to make the Coney Island trip a yearly tradition.

14. Who is the one who always says “I don’t know” when the other asks where they want to eat?

Sahar but it doesn’t work and Marc is truly the one with no idea on where to go each time. Hell he forgot it had been awhile since he last ate and you want him to know what he wants to eat?

15. Who would drive, and who would give directions?

Jake. For both. You don’t become a cab driver and now know how to get just about anywhere from memory.

[raccoonfootproductions]

Editorial: Why Does Nickelodeon Give Up On New Animated Shows So Quickly?

(The following post is long. Very long. And I did my best to word it properly even though I’m not the best with words. Still, I’d very much appreciate it if you took the time to read it because it’s about something that really matters to me. I know stuff about Nickelodeon isn’t very popular unless it’s 100% negative, but please, if you have the time, give this a look)

Nickelodeon. Once beloved by everyone, now infamous for two things: Either ending animated shows too early (El Tigre, Harvey Beaks) or treating them terribly (The Legend of Korra). They’ve been like this since 2006 and have only slightly improved since then. Even now, Bunsen is a Beast and Welcome to the Wayne, which only just premiered this year, seem to already be on their way out, either cancelled or ready to be moved off the main network for their next season.

Why has this happened? Why has Nickelodeon lost faith in its own animated output? I believe there are two groups of people to blame:

Nickelodeon’s current management

The general viewing public on the internet

That’s right, WE are just as much to blame for Nick’s downfall as they are. Yes, really. There are several factors that led to the state the network is in now and we had a hand in quite a few of them...

1. The Change in Management (The Dark Ages)

Let’s rewind to early 2006. Nickelodeon had just gotten a new president -- Cyma Zarghami. Needless to say, it didn’t take long for her to become the most hated president in the history of the network.

What was her first move? Cancelling almost every current animated show. Danny Phantom, Jimmy Neutron, My Life as a Teenage Robot... The only ones that remained were Avatar: The Last Airbender (for a while) and SpongeBob SquarePants. This was obviously received as a terrible move and fans were outraged. So much so that protests were held outside the network offices in New York (by fans of Danny Phantom).

Did Cyma respond to criticism and stop there? Nope! Many shows after that were cancelled quickly, several only getting one season (El Tigre, Tak and the Power of Juju, Making Fiends). Even pilots that had potential to live longer than that (Adventure Time, The Modifiers) were rejected before even getting their own series. To make matters worse, many shows that did live beyond a single season were terribly received by critics (Back at the Barnyard, Fanboy and Chum Chum, Sanjay and Craig, Breadwinners).

Only a small handful of shows since then have lived for at least two seasons and received critical praise, thanks in part to two seasons becoming the minimum for most new shows, but even most of those were treated terribly by the network at some point. However, at this point, it wasn’t entirely the network’s fault, which leads me to the next factor...

2. Our Refusal to Give New Nickelodeon Shows a Chance

I’ve seen it far too many times. So many people on the internet either not knowing about a new Nicktoon (more on why that is later) or outright refusing to watch it. The latter is a problem that stems from our inability to trust Nickelodeon anymore, thinking the new show will either be dumb or the network will just cancel it early.

Hear me right now and hear me well: THAT ATTITUDE IS EXACTLY WHY THEY CANCEL SHOWS EARLY.

You boycotting shows just because you think the network will mistreat it or because you just don’t like the network only makes things worse. It greatly affects the rating and online buzz, the very things shows need to survive. The network won’t think you’re refusing to watch because of how bad they’re run; They’ll think you just don’t like the show and axe it quicker. If you want to make a real impression, boycott the shows that you think are bad and support the ones you like by watching them or merely talking about them online.

Sometimes, it’s not even the mere fact it’s on Nick that makes people too judgy about new shows. It can be the way the show looks. If we think the art style isn’t good enough or the premise is a ripoff of something else, we’ll pass on it, even if the show is actually pretty good. There were people who thought Harvey Beaks was a ripoff of The Amazing World of Gumball because of how it looked and decided not to watch it. There were people who thought Welcome to the Wayne was a ripoff of Gravity Falls just because of its premise and decided not to watch it. There’s already people planning not to watch Pinky Malinky because they don’t like its art style. These shows (not counting Pinky because we don’t know yet) were all good, but got very little attention because many judged them at first glance rather than actually watching them. This was a major factor that led to their early demises. Not enough people gave them a chance right out of the gate, so the network gave up on them.

The Loud House is the only recent Nicktoon that managed to become popular right away and avoid cancellation, but that’s mostly due to early online buzz and people actually giving it a shot because they actually liked how it looked. It ended up rivaling SpongeBob in ratings, which Nick is always looking for in a new show. If we can’t help it get close to SpongeBob numbers, there’s a chance the network won’t support it for long.

I know what you’re thinking. “C’mon, new shows can’t become popular that quick! It takes time to build up popularity! Nick just has unrealistic goals!” Well, as a rebuttal to that, I present the next factor...

3. Cartoon Network (and Disney XD)

Cartoon Network... That network... I have a lot of problems with that network...

My main problem with it is simple: It’s an attention hog.

Ever since 2010, with the introduction of Adventure Time and Regular Show, all I ever heard online was how great those two shows were. Day in and day out, no one would shut up about these two shows. Cartoon Network had apparently entered a new golden age, while Nickelodeon was still seen as a rotting corpse. I’m definitely not saying these two shows were bad; I was just annoyed by how much people were talking about them, especially since I wasn’t as into them as everyone else.

Then came The Amazing World of Gumball. Then Steven Universe. Then Clarence. Then We Bare Bears. Then, most recently, OK K.O.: Let’s Be Heroes. So many shows came out in the last few years that appealed to pretty much everything the internet wanted. Because of that (and I suppose a lot of promoting on CN’s part), most of them became famous almost instantly. Their ratings compared to other networks’ shows didn’t matter; They had online fame. A lot of it. Much more than anything Nickelodeon could produce.

Don’t believe me? Just look at these Google trend charts, the blue lines representing Nicktoons and the red lines representing Cartoon Network Originals:

Breadwinners vs Clarence (admittedly not a fair comparison already)

Harvey Beaks vs We Bare Bears

And most recently, Welcome to the Wayne vs OK K.O.: Let’s Be Heroes

As you can see, the CN Originals had enormous spikes of popularity around their premieres, while all the Nicktoons could barely reach their level at any point. The internet’s focus has always been directed toward CN more, as if Nick doesn’t even exist anymore because we’ve become that biased. New CN shows barely have to do anything other than exist and repeat the formula of the last hit show to get immediate online fame. Even unpopular shows like Teen Titans Go! have achieved fame simply by being controversial, something that not even Nick’s worst shows have achieved.

That's my problem with Cartoon Network. It achieves so much by doing so little, while almost all other animated shows get next-to-zilch.

Of course, Cartoon Network isn’t the only attention hog. There’s also Disney XD. While its ratings are the lowest out of all kids’ networks, its shows can easily become as popular as CN’s. Gravity Falls and Star vs The Forces of Evil are two prime examples.

All that being said, these networks are just as guilty as Nick of sweeping shows under the rug early if they think they’re under-preforming. Let’s not forget how Disney treated Wander Over Yonder or how CN treated Young Justice and all other action shows. So this isn’t just a Nick thing; Nick’s just the most notorious for doing it. This is probably because of the next factor...

4. Poor Promotion and Business Practices

Now this one is entirely Nickelodeon’s fault. There’s really no way I can pin any of the blame for this on the public.

When was the last time you saw a commercial on Nick for something other than SpongeBob, The Loud House, or a live-action show? Almost never, right? Unless there’s new episodes or it’s a big event like Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie, most animation gets shoved to the side or completely off the schedule. Obviously, this is a terrible way for a show to gain any attention. It can’t gain any traction if it’s never advertised or airing. It also doesn’t help if the schedule’s constantly changed. Just ask The Legend of Korra.

Sadly, when it comes to new shows, if it’s not live-action, Nick doesn’t care. This raises the question, why does Nick like live-action show so much, even when the shows are so poorly made and received?

The answer is simple: They’re cheaper to make.

Animating a single episode of an animated show can take over half a year and many resources to produce. A live-action show can be churned out in much less time for much less money. All those recent Dan Schneider shows that just lump together at this point were likely greenlit because it barely costs the network anything compared to an average Legend of Korra episode. Even imported animated shows like the current Alvin and the Chipmunks series were brought onto the network because of their cheapness (Cyma Zarghami doesn’t even like Alvin that much).

That said, a show being cheap doesn’t automatically make it bad. A good example might be The Loud House. Its Flash animation can’t be all that expensive, but it still manages to be good because its staff cares about their craft. In the end, caring enough about what you’re making is what counts, not the price of it. Sadly, not enough live-action shows have a caring-enough crew to make them any good. The kid actors and kid viewers just play along because they really don’t know any better.

All I really want here is for Nickelodeon’s scheduling and promoting to be more balanced. They can keep the SpongeBob reruns and live-action shows, just as long as other animated shows get just as much airtime and advertisements. They need to even the playing field and then, only after more than a few weeks or months, judge a new show’s popularity before pulling it. Also, checking the amount of views a show gets on their website and other legal streaming sites is a good idea for them too. We live in an age where online viewership matters a lot more than television viewership.

5. Our Inability to Let Go of the Past

How many times have you heard this? “Nickelodeon was better in the 90′s!” Yeah, we’ve all heard something like it. Everything was apparently better back in an earlier decade. That’s part of the reason companies rely on nostalgia so much these days -- It’s stuff that people already like. Therefore, it’s easy to sell and they don’t have to take risks with new stuff.

This is a driving factor behind a lot of Nickelodeon’s decisions these days. Think about all the movie reboots of old properties they have lined up: Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie, Rocko’s Modern Life: Static Cling, an Invader ZIM special, theatrical movies of Dora the Explorer and Are You Afraid of the Dark?... And that’s just what they’ve announced so far. There’s also the merchandise based on old shows, which is also growing more and more abundant. Even the 2012 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series managed to stay alive for a long while thanks to it being a familiar brand, with yet another series on the way. You could also say it’s why SpongeBob and The Fairly OddParents have lasted so long.

Why all the nostalgia? Like I said, it’s easy to sell, but also because... NO ONE GIVES THE NEW STUFF A CHANCE.

Why waste money on a show someone’s bound to dismiss as a poorly-drawn ripoff of another show when they can easily grab attention and cash by bringing back an old property that everyone already loves? Yep, you ignoring new shows just because you think they don’t look good was partly what led to this.

Don’t get me wrong, these nostalgia-fueled revivals of old franchises aren’t inherently bad. In fact, Nick probably does it better than anyone else. They actually bother bringing back the original creators and as much of the cast and crew as they can. There’s actual love and care put into these reboots, which is more than I can say for some other cash-grab reboots (looking at you, new Powerpuff Girls).

The problem is that these shouldn’t be the only thing from Nick you support. Next time a new show comes out, try watching a few episodes when they first premiere and see if you like it. If you do, keep watching it on the air and from legal online providers. Talk about it online and get other people interested. Do what you can to show support. If you don’t support it, I certainly don’t want to here you complain when it’s cancelled.

So is there still hope for Nickelodeon to improve?

At the moment, I definitely think so. It already has a bit, in some ways. However, it still has a long way to go before it’s learned from its mistakes. Cyma Zarghami is still in charge and she’s not much smarter than she was in the beginning.

That’s why we should help them get better.

I know in this day and age, it’s easy for us to not care about something like Nickelodeon. It’s past its prime and we’re beyond its demographic now, so why bother, right? Apathy can be dangerously powerful like that. Still, it’d be nice if we could all help somehow. I already named a lot of ways we can and many problems we should tell them to fix.

I’m sure a lot of you reading this grew up with them, possibly during their heyday, and if you did, who better to tell them what they should do than you? Who knows? They just might listen if you actually bother to speak up.

After all, wasn’t it fan demand that helped Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie finally get made?

[mariocki]

Villains: Knocker (1.9, LWT, 1972)

"Vic, we looked for you down the ponds!"

"Nah, we was here, Knocker didn't reckon the park."

"Didn't you?"

"Nah, it was too full of nature."