#brenda white-king

[mychameleondays]

David Bowie: Black Tie White Noise

Bertelsmann Music Group/Savage/Arista 74321 13697 1

Released: April 5, 1993

[mr-divabetic]

PRIDE: Here's a photo of the fabulous Cindy Mizelle, the incredible Keith Haarmeyer, and me from the Record Release party for our dance anthem, "That Man Of Mine" by Sugar Shop featuring Cindy Mizelle in the Meatpacking District in NYC. I am eternally grateful to Keith, Cindy, Brenda White-King, and Sonia, who lent their time, talents, and enthusiasm to help create a song that ultimately packed the Provincetown dancefloors during High Tea. For a gay boy like me, who came out in the late 80's and loved dance music, writing a dance anthem was a dream come true. Back then, Gay Clubs were everything. We didn't have social media, and we didn't have Smartphones. When 'That Man Of Mine' made it on the Billboard Dance Charts and I saw with my own eyes dancefloor revelers throw their hands up in the air when our tune started to play it was incredible. Gay dreams can come true :) Here's the link to our song if you want to dance along with me: https://youtu.be/5WvyG2LEK74

[mitjalovse]

Serge Gainsbourg has an intriguing opus that might have a few misses thanks to him willing to go for broke more often than the majority of his peers. That's why finished his career with You're Under Arrest, straying too much to a self-parody without being sure how intentional the latter is. The album resembles someone getting the right notes and fumbling them to make you laugh, yet not all jokes land. Sure, many are hilarious, such as his NC-17 Bryan Ferry cosplay on the link, but they can veer into some territories he can't completely control. Still, one notices he didn't intend this to be his final statement. There appeared to be a promise of more to follow, which causes me to ask – what popular genre would he have tackled next? Grunge? Oh, I think we would like to hear that.

[morganleehostetler]

january - april 2023

[lanzapasta2]

25 random tcc facts

1. Eric was a Neo Nazi and Dylan was Jewish (everyone knows this but still I find it funny)

2. Jeff Weise was born before Adam and Andrew blaze.

3. Jeff Weise was only 4 years younger than Cho

4. Vladislav was older than Salvador by 4 years (+ they were born the same month)

5. Most school shooters are Aries or Virgo (+ the least Is Gemini, Cancer and Aquarius. By personal research)

6. Most school shooters are 6’0 and taller

7. Pekka (allegedly) was around 5’4-5’6 and Eric was taller then him (Eric was around 5’7-5’8)

8. Eric would lie about his height and usually go for 5’10

9. Dylan didn’t die right away (it almost took him 3 minutes to die) people think he would’ve felt pain but he didn’t.

10. Adam didn’t like Eric or Dylan

11. Adam did like the song pumped up kicks then didn’t

12. Salvador and Vladislav are one of the rarer school shooters that had to buy their own weapons than have access to them in a household

13. Eric’s phone number was 305-762-1212 and Dylan’s was 303-972-1131

14. Dylan had a foot fetish…

15. Dylan causally used nigga and the hard r in his diary saying “4th of July, it was FUCKIN BADASS!! SUPA NIGGA (wetf that was supposed to mean) which he also said the hard R in the same passage for no reason

16. Dylan would also say GAWDD in his diary and would use a lot of :) etc

17. Eric and Dylan didn’t give themselves indigo and Green bc it was their favorite colors (Green was Dylan’s favorite color) but the reason for it was Charles Manson and the colors he gave some of his followers.

18. Dylan was openly racist towards black people (sigh..) while Eric wasn’t and “hated everybody” equally

19. Eric treated black people nicely and was nice to a black girl in his class and talked about “hating racism” and would break a racists leg (which I mean alr I love you for that king, you were an ally kind of)

20. Most school shootings happen in summer

21. Most school shootings happen during morning classes (and aren’t likely to happen around school events or before school)

22. The most school shootings happened around 2016 - 2024

23. California and Texas have the highest rate for school shootings in 2024 (+ least amount is Wyoming)

24. Most school shooters are white (+ A race that’s not likely to shoot up a school is indigenous)

25. Only 4 female shooters have been known (+ The first female school shooter was Brenda Spencer)

[loveshotzz]

My name’s Elvira, but you can call me tonight

steve harrington x eddie’sbestfriend!reader

Tongue Tied

summary: A Halloween party, Brenda, and teaching Steve that shotgunning isn’t just a trick guys use to kiss girls.

wc: 2.9k

warnings: My blog is 18+ fem!reader, slight jealousy, and a little insecurity if you squint, fluff, weed smoking and mentions of drinking.

<- 🎃 chapter one | mini series masterlist

Tina’s ‘witches brew’ was maybe just as bad as the music she picked, but Steve Harrington was staring at you from across the crowded room.

You’d only ever seen Top Gun once, and in all honesty you didn’t even need to watch it to know that he looked better than Tom Cruise. The brown leather of his bomber jacket fits snug across his broad shoulders, and tappers tight around his waist. It’s half way zipped up, revealing the white shirt underneath and the aviators that he’d walked in wearing dangling from the collar. The weight of them pulls the fabric down enough to catch a glimpse of the dark hair that covers his chest, and your throat dries up at the thought of him shirtless. His Levi’s are light washed and well worn, a soft outline of where he usually keeps his wallet dangerously close to where your gaze wants to linger. The black combat boots he wears somehow make his feet look even bigger, your thighs press together under your dress.

His eyes roam the length of your body the way you hoped they would when you decided to dress up as The Mistress of the Dark herself. Your plunging neckline begs for his hungry gaze, and you push up your chest to encourage it. A thick black belt hugs tight around your waist, accentuating your curves in a way that has you feeling more confident than normal. Especially when you catch the way he bites his bottom lip in a smirk, darkened eyes lingering on the fake dagger resting against the softness of your tummy. Wiggling your long black nails at him, you can’t help but relish in the fact that a simple wave makes the former king of Hawkins cheeks flush the same shade of red as your lips.

It had been four days since that night with Steve. A whole 96 hours and the boy across the room from you has occupied your thoughts for every minute of every single one. It was becoming a real problem, but yet here you were at a Halloween party you’d already said no to because you knew he would be here.

Robin’s very obviously telling a story next to him, her hands moving wildly as she gets more worked up with whatever is happening in it. She’s too focused on the way Nancy’s giggling in front of her to notice that her best friend isn’t listening, the full weight of his attention making your insides warm.

Is this what it’s like to be one of those girls?

Steve chugs the rest of his beer, throat bobbing with every large gulp before wiping his lips with the back of his hand. He holds your gaze even when you see him say something to Robin who waves him off, lost in the oldest Wheeler’s big blue eyes, and the first few steps in your direction is enough to send your heart into overdrive.

You almost lose sight of him when he starts to cross the makeshift dance floor in the living room, his wild auburn hair the only thing staying in your line of vision. It’s a mess of dancing bodies, and orange and black balloons already starting to lose their luster falling from the ceiling.

His eyes meet yours in the crowd and you feel the heels you can hardly walk in start to carry you closer, stepping over the empty cups and streamers that litter the floor. His smile widens, and you can’t find it in yourself to be embarrassed when you feel your cheeks push up doing the same.

It’s when Steve finally makes it to the edge of the crowd, stopping just a few more steps away from you when it happens. When she happens.

Brenda.

She’s dressed as Madonna, her perfect blond hair teased just right, giving it more volume than Steve’s even on his best day. Black fishnets cover her toned legs, with a matching tutu that leaves little to the imagination stopping just above the curve of her ass.

The corset she wears gives her breasts the kind of push that you know is the reason for Steve’s blush when she steps in front of him. Perfectly manicured pink nails dragging up his chest before her palm flattens just underneath where his sunglasses hang.

His eyes flicker between the two of you, a nervous laugh leaving his mouth at whatever she’s saying. He scratches the back of his neck when he responds, and it makes her throw her head back in flirty giggles before her fingers start playing with his jacket zipper.

The sting of rejection is harsher than you thought it’d be, and you hope he can’t see the way it wipes the smile clean off your face. Girls like Brenda always seemed to be the boy’s kryptonite. The urge to find your best friend is what keeps your feet moving, almost like that was your plan all along. The joint you stashed away earlier in his jacket pocket calls your name, and you don’t look at Steve as you walk past the two of them, even when you see his hand reach out for your wrist.

It’s just Steve anyway.

You keep telling yourself that, hoping that it will ease the slight lump in your throat. An anger bubbling just under the surface turning the heat in your stomach into something more like lava, a volcano bubbling, just ready to explode as you try to convince yourself that you don’t have a crush.

When you find Eddie in the next room, his tongue deep in his girlfriend Cece’s mouth on the couch, and you can’t hide the bitterness that drips from your tone.

“Make sure to get some oxygen so you don’t pass out, Jesus Christ.”

Your rude interruption makes them both pull apart with a loud smack, the fake blood he’d sloppily smeared down the corners of his mouth almost gone leaving a pink stain on his pale skin instead.

“What’s your deal? Can’t you see I’m a little busy.” Eddie’s gaze narrows into an annoyed glare, “Aren’t you supposed to be doing the same thing to Harrington.”

“That’s not why I came,” you snort, crossing your arms and it makes him raise his eyebrows in disbelief.

“Bullshit.”

The two of you stare each other down, unwavering, it’s only when his eyes flick towards the dance floor that he sees the cause of your sour mood. The hard lines on his forehead soften before he rubs a ringed hand over his face with an exasperated groan. Cece wraps her arms around his waist tighter, hearts taking over her pupils when she gets a front row seat of her boyfriend being your best friend.

“Here,” he sighs under his breath, pulling open his jacket to pluck out the perfectly rolled joint inside his hidden pocket. He holds it out to you in a peace offering.

“Thanks,” you mumble as you take it, giving him a weak smile before tucking the cone in your belt next to your lighter, “Go back to sucking each other's faces off, sorry to interrupt.”

Your joke makes her giggle, and Eddie grin in the kind of way that's contagious.

“He’s an idiot,” the metal head tries to comfort, “Honestly, he’ll tell you himself.”

“I’m fine.” You keep your expression as unreadable as possible, but you know it's futile to try and hide from him, “It’s just Steve.”

It’s colder outside than when you first got here, and you don’t have nearly enough alcohol in your system to keep you warm. Goosebumps rise on the inappropriate amount of skin you have showing for the season, making you wish you’d grabbed your jacket. The breeze rustles the leaves that refuse to let go or their brittle branches, mixing with the muffled bass of the music inside, while your heels make a hollow thump against the wood of Tina’s back porch.

Pulling out the joint and your lighter from your belt, you take a seat on the top of the stairs that lead to her backyard. There’s a shiver that runs down your spine as your thumb flicks the wheel that brings the flame to life, a temporary heat warming your face as you spin the fat end over the fire to burn it evenly. The earthy smell hits your nose, shoulders already relaxing before you take the first toke. Bringing it to your lips, you tuck your lighter back inside your belt, leaning back on your palm to look at the clear night sky above you as you inhale your first drag into your lungs.

It’s just Steve.

When you exhale, your eyes stay trained on the white wisps of smoke that shades the twinkling of the stars behind it and you try not to think of Brenda’s pink nails running through his hair. Your next hit is much bigger. The music from inside gets louder, making you jump when you hear the sliding glass door open. Straightening up, you turn around with a glare ready for whoever the intruder is, only to be face to face with the boy you’re trying to convince yourself you don’t like.

“Hey, there you are.” His smile is easy, and you hate that it warms you like the sun just from looking at it.

You raise your eyebrows in acknowledgment, hollowing out your cheeks taking another drag before bringing your gaze back to the sky. His boots sound heavier than your heels against the wood, some steps making the deck creak under his weight. The silence is thick with words on the tips of both your tongues, but neither one of you is willing to break it first. He sighs awkwardly out of his nose, rubbing his palms against his thighs before taking the seat next to you. Your knees knock together, and the heat of him so close sends another shiver down to your bones.

“Jesus, you have to be cold. It’s like 40 degrees outside.” Steve doesn’t hesitate to start shrugging off his jacket, and you clock the movements from the corner of your eye.

“Steve, no, really I’m fine,” you try to protest but he doesn’t listen, thick tan arms coming into view.

“Please, I can hear your teeth from here,” he chuckles, standing up to drape the leather over your shoulders, and you try not to stare at the way the hem of his shirt rises up revealing a dark happy trail.

It feels like he’s everywhere when your shoulders slot into the warm pockets where he just was, wrapped up in him just like on your couch. The spice of his cologne clings to the fabric on the inside, and you have to fight back the urge to bury your nose into the collar and inhale.

“Well aren’t you gonna be cold now?” You ask, finally daring to meet his eyes, taking another hit.

“Nah, I’ll be alright.” He winks with the kind of confidence that makes your face hot, clasping his hands together over his spread knees making your shoulders bump.

“So, Top Gun huh?” Giggling, you finally earn a Steve Harrington eyeroll.

“Look, I didn’t have to buy anything okay. I wasn’t even going to come tonight, until I heard,” he stops himself, pink dusting his cheeks and you don’t think it's from the frost in the air, “I’m surprised you’ve even seen it, doesn’t seem like your type of movie.”

“What’s my type of movie, Steve?” You grin with a cocked brow, letting the end of the joint rest against your bottom lip, the heat from before blooming deep in your gut when he tracks the movement licking his.

“I don’t know,” his heavy gaze makes your throat bob, “You tell me.”

You don’t think you’re talking about movies anymore.

“Isn’t Brenda going to be looking for you?” You tear your eyes away from him, taking another hit to seem nonchalant. The loud snort you get in response makes you jump.

“Brenda? No, I’ve been dodging that girl for months.” Running a hand through his hair, he dares to snatch the joint from between your fingers like he was some kind of professional or something. “Is that why you ran off on me in there?”

“I did not run off!” You huff, ducking your head inside his jacket to glare at him from over the top of it, “Why would I do that?”

Vulnerability softens Steve’s features when he looks at you tucked into his coat like it’s always meant to keep you warm.

“I don’t know,” he repeats quietly, “You tell me.”

Too scared of rejection, it’s his turn to look away bringing the joint to his mouth in an attempt to take a hit. You watch him hollow his cheeks, impressed for a second until he opens it to exhale and blows nothing out. A giggle slips past your lips that breaks the tension, making him groan loudly trying to fight his own smile.

“Look, I’m still new at this okay.” He sighs, a breathy laugh escaping him with a shake of his head handing it back to you. He’s only a little embarrassed, too enamored by how cute you look giggling at him.

“Hey, the confidence was there, you just gotta work on the technique.” You tuck your bottom lip between your teeth, something sweet dancing behind your eyes when you scoot a little closer. “Do you want me to shotgun it for you?”

It’s Steve’s throat that bobs now.

“Aren’t guys supposed to do that to girls? I mean, I’ve seen Eddie do it at a few parties…” he starts, eyes going wide when you scoff at him.

“Wow, your feminism is showing.”

“No, that’s not what I meant, it’s just like in movies - I’m not saying girls can’t - wow this is not coming out the way I want it too, I’m just going to shut up now.” Steve stammers, running another nervous hand through his hair, blowing out an exasperated breath before meeting you

with sheepish eyes.

“Are you driving tonight?” You ask, looking up at him from under your lashes, bringing the joint to your mouth.

“No, for once.” He gives you a lopsided grin that makes your head spin.

“Good.” Turning your body towards him, the confidence you’re trying to hang onto wavers being this close again.

It’s just Steve.

He looks nervous as you feel, but tries to hide behind a quiet laugh, the amber of the beer he drank inside lingering on his breath. The warmth of his palm finds a home on your fishnet covered thigh that’s revealed to him by the side slit of your dress, fingertips pressing into soft skin. The heat behind his stare makes your body buzz as you inhale the last little bit of the joint into your lungs, beckoning him closer with a hum, and a curl of your long nails you snuff the rest out on the stairs. Surely Tina won’t mind.

“Really?!” Steve half whispers, half yells but the whites of his teeth show giving him away.

The corners of your mouth twitch as you lean forward catching the way his gaze flicks down, and how the view makes the gold specs inside his eyes darken. Resting your hand on his cheek, the stubble tickles your palm when your fingers spread out, your thumb coaxing his chin down to open up more for you. His long lashes flutter when his nose bumps with yours, heads turning just enough for lips to brush for a second and you feel the blunt ends of his nails dig into the holes of your fishnets.

You release your hit, feeling him steal the air from your lungs, his hand daring to move up your thigh to your waist where he tugs you even closer. He holds it in for a second, both of your eyes meeting down the bridge of your nose but neither of you pulling away.

Do it.

When he exhales there’s hardly anything left, but you take it anyway, your fingers finding their way to the hair at the nape of his neck. He squeezes at the dough of your hips, in a silent plea to put him out of his misery and just when you think you’re about to show him mercy the sound of the music getting louder and the sliding glass door opening makes you both jump away.

“Hey! - Oh shit! Sorry Harrington, I didn’t know you were out here.” Eddie tries to apologize profusely with his eyes when he sees the glare you’re shooting him. “I just sold the last of my stuff and Cece’s ready to go, so if you still need a ride?”

Your best friend looks at Steve begging him to take the opening to hopefully spare his life.

“I didn’t drive tonight if you can actually believe,” Steve laughs nervously scratching the back of his neck, “or obviously I’d love nothing more for you to stay.”

He says the last part softly, just for you more than pleased when he sees you try and fight the smile from taking over your face.

“Maybe next time,” you look at him from under your lashes hoping that he picks up the fact that you want a ‘next time.’

The blush that turns the tips of his ears pink tells you he does. He watches you get up and start to shrug his jacket off, shaking his head as he stands up to stop you.

“Keep it tonight, honey. It looks better on you anyway.”

-> chapter three

[marybeatriceofmodena]

hey! I was going through ur tag for the grishaverse and I was wondering if ur thoughts changed at all?

tl;dr No not really lol

Long answer: see I think the problems boil down to Le!gh Bardug0... starting this series during the Obama administration and her just essentially being a white liberal/center-left lady.

Like I see so many people dismissing any criticism of this series as "lololol shadow daddy apologists" but like. There is a basis for that "apology". I'll tell the truth and say that I don't think book!Darkling is super interesting (not talking about the TV show in this ask at all for several reasons), because he's essentially a) a cautionary tale on two legs; b) an aesthetic. One of his inspirations is Raistlin Majere, and Raistlin runs MILES around him, because he's allowed to SERIOUSLY mess up, the narrative acknowledges it, and the narrative still manages to make you kinda root for him because the narrative is allowed to be **complex**, and guess what, NOBODY DIED IN REAL LIFE

And when I say cautionary tale, it's that I REALLY hate that somehow women need to be told that rooting for Shadow Daddy makes them a dumb bitch, especially when the other option is Mal, who could honestly be based on the lady from Ballerina Farm's husband and quite frankly? Shadow Daddy ain't real. Guys like Mal sure are lmao.

(And again, I love stories where the lady gets to tell Shadow Daddy/the villain to stuff it, AND she doesn't lose her integrity. See: Christine Daaé, Liz Sharp in the Miss Sharp's Monsters series, Galadriel in the Rings of Power TV series. Heck, in some cases, they're even allowed to show compassion, they can be deceived, but it's never, EVER put on them as a mistake that puts their intelligence into question.)

But even then, if I had to be honest, I don't think Alina and the Darkling are well-suited to each other anyway, because what Alina really needs are a) hobbies; b) friends who are not Mal and who are removed from the political situation; c) self-esteem classes. And at the end of the day, Darkl!ina is more of an aesthetic. People who go all "BUT THE AGE GAP BECKY" are missing the point, and Alina is such a nothing of a character it's easy to self-insert as her, and it's easy to use the Darkling as a Ken doll, as he's also a) an aesthetic; b) a very flat cautionary tale on two legs, making it pretty easy to turn that aspect of him on its head. And mind you, I don't *actually* have a problem with that (that's what fanfic and transformative fandoms are for), and my general answer for age gaps in stories is usually the following: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKZX23fHL64

(And I know I'm going to have people replying to this video: "BUT IRINA! THE GRISHAVERSE BOOKS ARE YA!!!" Ding ding ding, correct! But YA is mostly read by adults nowadays and publishing houses are knowingly appealing to that demographic! That is also the reason why New Adult became a thing! I hate capitalism :) )

*

But like, I spent so much time talking about Darkl!ina when I don't think it's really the problem with the series, and it's more that... Le!gh Bardug0 doesn't seem to understand that she wrote about an oppressed minority, that we are not meant to see as an oppressed minority, and that aspect of her books has aged like milk in light of... pretty much everything that has happened since the end of the Obama administration.

If I had to be honest I'm honestly concerned people don't realize she wrote about an entire people that are meant to be Jewish-coded, and their leader is the... shadowy advisor who manipulates the King, and personally that makes my antisemitic alarm bells go all Kill Bill but what do I know Brenda. (And if you want to sit down with me and calmly explain to me why I'm actually wrong about this, please do, because sometimes I feel like I'm going crazy with that realization and I don't understand how no one talks about it)

And I'm honestly not mad if you decide to have your book series end with a) the monarchy still firmly in place; b) the Grisha still being an oppressed minority, because such is life and people are shitty. The issue I have is that the basic message of it seems to be: "Well the Grisha should have kept asking nicely instead of rebelling and causing havoc xox. Look at Alina, she's the Token Good Minority, her boyfriend is a Real Strong Ravkan Man and she knows her place xox". And I'm writing this as of January 2025, and to anyone reading this, all I'm gonna say is: kings and health insurance company CEOs don't give a shit if you ask nicely.

You will not convince me, not in a thousand years, that the Grisha somehow had privileges in Ravka. Because no, being recruited into the army because of who you are, no matter how well you are treated, is a violent act. It is a violation of your human rights. It is a clear statement that your life belongs to your country, and that your country can see fit to use you as cannon fodder if it is so inclined. Yes, I am aware that Ravka is a crapsack place, but seeing people IRL use the good treatment of the Grisha as an army as an argument against their grievances is ignorant AT BEST. I will also kindly point out the U.S. Army tends to recruit and target marginalized communities.

If anything, you could say that the Grishaverse books are about violent authoritarian regimes forcing more and more of a violent response from the oppressed, leading to moral compasses being thrown away, only for the oppressors to come out of it victorious because they have the privilege of foregoing moral compasses, but of still being upheld as a moral center as they present attributes of "morality". You can get away with anything as long as you keep reminding people at every turn you're a husband and father, right? RIGHT?

Like, this book series is essentially about how the ENTIRE SYSTEM is inherently violent, we have a heroine who basically caves in and upholds said system, sees those who had the nerve of rebelling against it punished one way or another (no seriously WHAT DOES LE!GH BARDUG0 HAVE AGAINST GENYA), and then she basically buzzes off to her cottagecore dream life with her shitty boyfriend who got a personality transplant, so she can be a housewife and take care of orphans (something she did not show any interest in doing prior - remember what I said about Ballerina Farm?)

But yeah sure Shadow Daddy and the BookTok girlies are the problem, I guess

ETA: Look I don't think Le!gh Bardug0 is the devil or anything, at the end of the day, she's one fantasy author, but I think that a) attitudes like hers towards fandom have made the next few generations conservative in ways that they don't even realize, with extremely poor media literacy skills - she's not THE problem, but she's part of it whether she likes it or not; b) given how Rule of Wolves turned out, I'm not really inclined to give her much grace because lecturing your readers because of themes you fumbled yourself is not a good trait to have.

Full offense but it's not normal for someone like Chappell Roan to get the backlash she got for saying that politicians are failing their voters and need to step up their game. When you're in politics, you're serving your people. You are not supposed to be dangling a carrot you can snatch away at every moment. Gen Z and Gen Alpha are conservative, partisan and lack critical thinking skills and it's honestly concerning. Whatever the girlies on BookTok are into should be at the bottom of your list of concerns.

[choicesdecember2024]

PROMPTS || WELCOME || RULES || HOST MASTERLIST

Word prompts, activity/quote prompts, aesthetic prompts, and fashion prompts oh my!

Feel free to use a single prompt or a combination. No rules apply to to these prompts and how many or few or which combination you can use. Have fun!

Daily Word Prompts

Day 1: Naughty

Day 2: Nice

Day 3: Battery Operated

Day 4: Traditions

Day 5: Baking

Day 6: Tidings

Day 7: Mistletoe

Day 8: Spices

Day 9: Lights

Day 10: Snow

Day 11: Fire

Day 12: Decorations

Day 13: Sweets

Day 14: Mulled Wine

Day 15: Wrapping Paper

Day 16: Sweaters

Day 17: Candles

Day 18: Miracle

Day 20: Shopping

Day 21: Tree

Day 22: Home

Day 23: Family

Day 24: Star

Day 25: Joy

Day 26: Hot Chocolate

Day 27: Gifts

Day 28: Silence

Day 29: Igloo

Day 30: Snowman/Snowball Fight

Day 31: Next Year

Winter Aesthetic Prompts

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

Holiday Fashion Prompts

[1] [2 & 4] [3] [5] [6]

Holiday Song Prompts

[cornley-amateur-drama-society]

Cornley as Classic Christmas Songs

NB: I am counting “Classic” as up to 1965

Annie: “I'll Be Home For Christmas”

Released in 1943 by Bing Crosby, the song was written from the perspective of a WWII soldier who was overseas thinking about his family back home, and wishing he could be with them for the holiday.

Other famous artist who have covered the song include Johnny Mathis, Elvis Presley, and Josh Groban.

Chris: “Please Come Home For Christmas”

Originally written and recorded in 1960, it hit the Billboard Top 100 in '61; made popular by The Eagles in '78

I am linking The Eagles version because I do think it's the most iconic, personally, and it's one of my favorite Christmas songs.

Dennis: “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”

Written in 1943, Judy Garland sang it in 1944 for Meet Me in St. Louis.

Frank Sinatra covered the song in 1948 with the original lyrics, and then again in 1957 with more upbeat lyrics — the second version, I would argue, is the better-known.

Jonathan: “Here Comes Santa Claus”

The song was recorded (and partially written by) Gene Autry after being inspired by his riding a horse in the Santa Claus Lane Parade, now called the Hollywood Christmas Parade.

The song has been covered by so many artists, including Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley, and the Andrews Sisters.

Lucy: “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree”

Written and recorded in 1958, Brenda Lee was only thirteen-years-old at the time, though her voice does sound much older.

It's not a favorite of mine, but it has that youthful quality that I associate Lucy with.

Max: “Let It Snow”

Written in July of 1945, despite not mentioning any specific holiday, the song has become associated with Christmas due to its winter theme.

The two most popular versions of this classic are by Frank Sinatra (recorded in 1950) and by Dean Martin (recorded in 1959). I've linked the Sinatra version because of the big band element to it.

Robert: “Baby, It's Cold Outside”

Originally written in 1944 by Frank Loesser to sing at parties with his wife Lynn Garland, it wasn't until 1949 that the song was a widespread hit, featuring in the film Neptune's Daughter.

The song was written during a time when it was seen as improper for a single woman to stay over at a bachelor's overnight. The call and response style is a way of him expressing his fears about the weather, and her going, “Well, looks like I'm here for the night! ~~Oh, no~~ ;)”.

Sandra: “The Christmas Song”

Originally written in 1945 by Robert Wells and Mel Tormé, the song was recorded by the Nat King Cole trio the next year.

In 1961, the U.S. Library of Congress selected the song to preserved for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.

Trevor: “I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm”

Written in 1937 during the big band era of jazz, the song was covered in 1959 with the same sort of big band style by Dean Martin, which is my favorite version.

The song has also been covered by people like Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, and Bette Midler among others.

Vanessa: “White Christmas”

Originally written sometime in the early-1940's by Irving Berlin, the orignial Bing Crosby version is the most popular one of the tune.

The song was written for the Christmas movie Holiday Inn (1942) starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire.

[camisoledadparis]

THIS DAY IN GAY HISTORY

based on: The White Crane Institute's 'Gay Wisdom', Gay Birthdays, Gay For Today, Famous GLBT, glbt-Gay Encylopedia, Today in Gay History, Wikipedia, and more … November 15

1919 – Paul Moore, Jr. (d.2003) was a bishop of the Episcopal Church and served as the 13th Bishop of New York from 1972 to 1989. During his lifetime, he was perhaps the best known Episcopal cleric in the United States, and among the best known of Christian clergy in any denomination.

Moore joined the Marine Corps in 1941. He was a highly decorated Marine Corps captain, a veteran of the Guadalcanal Campaign during World War II earning the Navy Cross, a Silver Star and a Purple Heart.

Returning home after the War, Moore was ordained in 1949 after graduating from the General Theological Seminary in New York City. Moore was named rector of Grace Church Van Vorst, an inner city parish in Jersey City, New Jersey, where he served from 1949 to 1957. There he began his career as a social activist, protesting inner city housing conditions and racial discrimination. He and his colleagues reinvigorated their inner city parish and were celebrated in the Church for their efforts.

In 1957, he was named Dean of Christ Church Cathedral in Indianapolis, Indiana. Moore introduced the conservative Midwestern capital to social activism through his work in the inner city. Moore served in Indianapolis until he was elected Suffragan Bishop of Washington, D.C., in 1964.

During his time in Washington he became nationally known as an advocate of civil rights and an opponent of the Vietnam War. He knew Martin Luther King, Jr., and marched with him in Selma and elsewhere. In 1970, he was elected as coadjutor and successor to Bishop Horace Donegan in New York City. He was installed as Bishop of the Diocese of New York in 1972 and held that position until 1989.

Moore was widely known for his liberal activism. Throughout his career he spoke out against homelessness and racism. He was an effective advocate of the interests of cities, once calling the corporations abandoning New York "rats leaving a sinking ship". He was the first Episcopal bishop to ordain an openly homosexual woman as a priest in the church. In his book, Take a Bishop Like Me (1979), he defended his position by arguing that many priests were homosexuals but few had the courage to acknowledge it.

His first wife, Jenny McKean Moore died of colon cancer in 1973. Eighteen months later Moore married Brenda Hughes Eagle, a childless widow twenty two years his junior. She died of alcoholism in 1999. It was she who discovered his bisexual infidelity, around 1990, and made it known to his children, who kept the secret, as he had asked them to, until Honor Moore's revelations in 2008.

Honor Moore, the oldest of the Moore children and a bisexual, revealed that her father was himself bisexual with a history of gay affairs in a story she wrote about him in the March 3, 2008 issue of The New Yorker and in the book The Bishop's Daughter: A Memoir. In addition, she described a call she received six months after her father's death from a man, identified in the article by a pseudonym, who was the only person named in Moore's will who was unknown to the family. Honor Moore learned from the man that he had been her father's longtime gay lover and that they had traveled together to Patmos in Greece and elsewhere.

1939 – Réal Lessard was born in Mansonville, Canada. He led a quiet life until he was eighteen years old. He he had always dreamed of traveling and becoming an artist.

Hitchhiking, he set out to conquer the world. In Miami, he met his fate: Fernand Legros. They began an uneven relationship. Legros occasionally accused Lessard of infidelity, although he himself slept with other men. An unscrupulous art dealer, Legros quickly discovered the innate talent of Réal Lessard who painted, without knowing it, in the manner of great Fauves fromturn of the century.

Promising an art show that would never happen, Legros sold Lessard's paintings, without the knowledge of the artist, as authentic Dufy, Matisse, Derain, Van Dongen, Modigliani and many others. He managed to get everyone in his pocket – experts, beneficiaries, and even widows of the painters. The world was awash with raw Réal Lessard.

Reál and Legros on the beach at Cannes

Lessard discovered the scam but dared not speak. It will not take long for the Association of Art Dealers of Americans to intervene and the affair would culminate in a trial. Real was cleared but he had to prove that thousands of paintings, dating from his first from his meeting with Legros, were from his brush.

1941 – Holocaust SS chief Heirich Himmler orders the arrest and deportation to concentration camps of all homosexuals in Germany, with the exception of certain top Nazi officials. He also announced a decree that any member of the Nazi SS or the police who had sex with another man would be put to death.

1952 – ONE, the official publication of the Mattachine Society, Articles of Incorporation signed in the Los Angeles law office of Eric Julber. In January 1953 ONE, Inc. began publishing ONE Magazine, the first U.S. pro-gay publication, and sold it openly on the streets of Los Angeles. In October 1954 the U.S. Post Office Department declared the magazine 'obscene'. ONE sued, and finally won in 1958, as part of the landmark First Amendment case, Roth v United States. The magazine continued until 1967.

ONE also published ONE Institute Quarterly (now the Journal of Homosexuality). It began to run symposia, and contributed greatly to scholarship on the subject of same-sex love (then called homophile studies').

ONE readily admitted women, and Joan Corbin (as Eve Elloree), Irma Wolf (as Ann Carrl Reid), Stella Rush (as Sten Russell), Helen Sandoz (as Helen Sanders), and Betty Perdue (as Geraldine Jackson) were vital to its early success. ONE and Mattachine in turn provided vital help to the Daughters of Bilitis in the launching of their newsletter The Ladder in 1956. The Daughters of Bilitis was the counterpart lesbian organization to the Mattachine Society, and the organizations worked together on some campaigns and ran lecture-series. Bilitis came under attack in the early 1970s for 'siding' with Mattachine and ONE, rather than with the new separatist feminists.

In 1965, ONE separated over irreconcilable differences between ONE's business manager Dorr Legg and ONE Magazine editor Don Slater. After a two-year court battle, Dorr Legg's faction retained the name "ONE, Inc." and Don Slater's faction retained most of the corporate library and archives.

1954 – Poet and Carl Sandburg Prize winner, Rane Ramón Arroyo born (d.2010); Arroyo was an American poet, playwright, and scholar of Puerto Rican heritage descent who wrote numerous books and received many literary awards. He was a professor of English and Creative Writing at the University of Toledo in Ohio. His work deals extensively with issues of immigration, Latino culture and homosexuality. Arroyo was out Gay and frequently wrote self-reflexive, autobiographical texts. He was the long-term partner of the American poet Glenn Sheldon.

He published ten books of poems, a book of short stories, and a collection of selected plays. Arroyo said: "No one is more surprised than I at being read in my lifetime." Arroyo's most recent books include "The Buried Sea: New & Selected Poems" , and "The Sky's Weight." "Midwest Challenge" was nominated for a 2009 Pushcart Prize.

The Umbrella Class assignment: bring in an object that tells your life story. Friends bought a music box, a painting of a cowboy being tamed by a mountain, a jeweled Buddha, but I was poor and had to risk being modest. Then I saw the broken umbrella, turned it inside out and exposed its ribs. There was a pun in it, rain and Rane, but the teacher said, how sad is your life? The other students nodded for their grades, but I opened up the umbrella, holding it by what was left of the handle, and it blossomed before the astonished class. Once again, when dismissed, I made magic and I got an A for seeing among the blind. - Rane Ramón Arroyo

1967 – François Ozon is a French film director and screenwriter whose films are usually characterized by sharp satirical wit and a freewheeling view on human sexuality, particularly gay, bi, and lesbian sexuality. Ozon is himself openly gay.

He has achieved international acclaim for his films 8 femmes (2002) and Swimming Pool (2003). Ozon is considered to be one of the most important French film directors in the new “New Wave” in French cinema.

Ozon often features LGBT people in his films. Some examples include:

Une robe d'été: a young gay man strengthens his relationship with his boyfriend through a brief encounter with a woman.

Scènes de lit: this features a lesbian couple and a gay couple.

La petite mort: a gay man's relationship with his estranged father.

Sitcom: this spoof comedy has numerous lesbian and gay references. The family's son comes out, engages in sexual orgies and begins an affair with the maid's husband, a sports teacher. The maid, herself, finds out she's a lesbian and seems to have a relationship with the mother, who has tried to cure her son's homosexuality by sleeping with him - she, of course, fails.

Les amants criminels: the main male character is gay and in the closet; he kills his (male) object of desire out of jealousy and enjoys his relationship with an ogre-like man who's kidnapped him and his female friend who was, more or less, his beard.

Gouttes d'eau sur pierres brûlantes: the two male characters, Léopold and Franz, are lovers - they are either gay or bisexual, while Véra, a former boyfriend of Léopold's, is now an M2F transsexual/trans woman.

8 femmes: one woman is lesbian and two others are bisexuals; the maid is ambiguous towards her female boss all the while she is her male boss's mistress. This film presents a lesbian kiss between Catherine Deneuve and Fanny Ardant. It's a gay cult movie in France.

5x2: a happy gay couple is used to highlight the unhappiness of the heterosexual couple in the film.

Le temps qui reste: this deals with the end of life of a young gay man dying of cancer.

Le Refuge: this film explores the relationship between a homosexual man and the pregnant girlfriend of his deceased brother.

1974 – Todd Klinck, born in Windsor, Ontario, is a Canadian writer, nightclub owner and pornography producer.

Klinck moved to Toronto at age 18 to study theatre at York University, but dropped out to focus on his career. In 1996, his novel Tacones (High Heels) was the winner of the Three-Day Novel Contest, and was published by Anvil Press to strong reviews in the Toronto Star and Quill and Quire.

Klinck also collaborated with John Palmer and Jaie Laplante on the screenplay for the 2004 film Sugar, which garnered a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 25th Genie Awards, and he was a columnist for fab until 2005. He wrote an online only column for Xtra! called "Sex Play" in 2009, and a column called "Porndoggy" in the same publication for most of 2010. His writing has been published in the National Post, Saturday Night and Bil Bo K (Belgium).

Klinck and his business partner Mandy Goodhandy have launched several sex businesses in the Toronto area, including a transgender strip club, "The Lounge", an adult DVD production company, "Mayhem North", and a porn site, "Amateur Canadian Guys". In 2006 they opened a pansexual nightclub, "Goodhandy's", located in downtown Toronto. Klinck has also worked as a professional BDSM dominant, and has appeared on the television series KinK.

With Goodhandy, Klinck was chosen to be the Grand Marshall of the Pride Toronto 2010 parade.

Ted Nebbeling & Jan Holmberg

2003 – With same-sex marriage recognized by the courts, British Columbia cabinet minister Ted Nebbeling becomes Canada's first serving cabinet minister to legally marry Jan Holmberg, his same-sex partner of 32 years, one of the world's first same-sex weddings of a serving cabinet minister.

The day after his marriage was announced in the media, Nebbeling was dropped from cabinet in a shuffle. The government stated that the timing was coincidental and that there was no prejudicial motive behind this, as Nebbeling was openly gay at the time of his election. Nebbeling and Holmberg are both immigrants to Canada, Nebbeling from the Netherlands and Holmberg from Sweden.

[lightscamerabitchsmileee]

Vote for your fave, reblog and let me know your other Christmas faves even outside of this list I would love to hear it ☺️☺️

Merry Christmas and have fun 🎄🎅❤️ also check my masterpost for my artists polls ☺️☺️

[tfc2211]

Play ▶ Make Merry Christmas Again (Christmas Compilation)

Intro I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - The Four Seasons Christmas Dinner - Tennessee Ernie Ford White Christmas - Hank Snow I'll Be Walking The Floor This Christmas - Ernest Tubb Hotta Chocolata - Dave King & The Keynotes Santa's Doing The Horizontal Twist - Kay Martin & Her Body Guards All Winter Long - Linda Laurie Dónde Está Santa Claus' (Where Is Santa Claus') - Augie Rios It Ain't Snowin' Outside - Georgie Auld & his Orchestra feat. Bill Darnell A Pocketful of Mistletoe - Sonny James New Baby for Christmas - Ted Daigle Suzy Snowflake - Rosemary Clooney Yulesville - Edd 'kookie' Byrnes Baby, It's Cold Outside - Pearl Bailey Christmas In New Orleans - Louis Armstrong The Cactus Christmas Tree - The McGuire Sisters Mambo, Santa, Mambo - The Enchanters Papa Noel - Brenda Lee Santa Claus Meets The Purple People Eater - Sheb Wooley Zoomah, The Santa Claus From Mars - Barry Gordon Outer Space Santa - Lawrence Welks Little Band w/ Janet, Brian, Cubby & The Lennon Sisters Christmas Kisses - The Bookends & Ray Anthony The Christmas Boogie - The Davis Sisters Good Morning Blues - Dee Dee Ford Bounce of the Sugar Plum Fairy - John Kirby Jing-A-Ling, Jing-A-Ling - The Andrews Sisters Mister Santa - Dorothy Collins The Christmas Choo Choo Train - Art Mooney & His Orchestra Christmas Is the Season - Jo Stafford Up On The Housetop - Eddy Arnold Snowflakes - The Fontaine Sisters O Little Town Of Bethlehem - The Lennon Sisters

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 28/12/2024 (Christmas Garbage) [SEASON FINALE]

Well, this is Christmas. And what have you done? Everything aside, this is the episode of REVIEWING THE CHARTS each year where Christmas is all done and over with but the chart doesn’t reflect that because of the tracking week including plenty of festive days, this one including the entire streak of Christmas Eve to Boxing Day. You couldn’t even make a top 20 with the songs in the UK Singles Chart top 100 that aren’t Christmas songs… and I don’t even cover all that, I talk about the UK Top 75 for the most part. I suppose, welcome back, “Last Christmas” is #1, let’s keep it brief?

content warning: simply having a wonderful Christmastime... two days late

Rundown

That’s a tenth week for Wham!’s historic track, and the rest of the top five – up to #20, for that matter – consists of just holiday songs, as you’d expect, but there’s little festivity left in me by the 27th… or at least not enough to write passionately about music that, if I abide by all laws of capitalism, I shouldn’t be listening to today. Either way, “Jingle Bell Rock” by Bobby Helms is at a new peak of #5, then we have “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee at #4, “It Can’t be Christmas” by Tom Grennan at #3 and “All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey at #2. Speaking of new peaks, that’s the case for many a festive hit (at least seemingly), namely “You Make it Feel Like Christmas” by Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton at #69, “Deck the Halls” by Nat King Cole at #50, “Run Rudolph Run” by Chuck Berry and Mark Ambor respectively at #47 and #31, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Frank Sinatra at #45, “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” by Bruce Springsteen at #41, “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” by Perry Como, the Fontaine Singers, Mitchell Ayres and his orchestra at #40, “Holiday Road” by Kesha at #38, “Carol of the Bells” by John Williams at #37, “Santa Baby” by Laufey at #35, “The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)” by Nat King Cole at #32. “Feliz Navidad” by José Feliciano at #17, “Sleigh Ride” by the Ronettes at #15, “Christmas Magic” by Laufey at #13, “Underneath the Tree” by Kelly Clarkson and plenty other notable gains, but ones I won’t cover because so much of this episode is already just listing Christmas songs.

As for re-entries, we have “My Only Wish (This Year)” by Britney Spears at #75, “Christmas Wrapping” by the Waitresses at #72 (one of my personal favourites), “Jingle Bells” by Frank Sinatra at #67, “Please Come Home for Christmas” by Eagles at #65, “2000 Miles” by the Pretenders at #63 (might be my very favourite), “Christmas Tree Farm” by Taylor Swift at #61, “Lonely this Christmas” by Mud at #60, “Santa Baby” by Eartha Kitt (no, not Kim Kardashian, thank goodness) at #59, “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” by The Jackson 5 at #57, “You’re Christmas to Me” by Sam Ryder at #56, “Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!” by Frank Sinatra and the B. Swanson Quartet at #54, “Santa, Can’t You Hear Me” by Kelly Clarkson and Ariana Grande at #52, “Mary’s Boy Child / Oh My Lord” by Boney M. at #51 (again, I have a whole write-up from just a few weeks ago if you want my thoughts on that), “Little Saint Nick” by the Beach Boys at #46, “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby at #42, and some stuff that has never hit the top 75 before until this year. Whether it’s a particularly big Christmas year or just luck of the draw with the tracking week, it’s probably a bit of both, but we do have five Christmas songs to “review” later on.

Now, what left to make room for all of this nonsense? In no particular order, because well, why at this point? It’ll all be back next week, and everything I’ve just listed will be gone bar maybe Wham! and Mariah. Therefore, we bid adieu to the notable dropouts – you know what that means – and they are “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” by Billie Eilish, “Freezing this Christmas” by Sir Starmer and the Granny Harmers, “Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappell Roan, “What is This Feeling?” by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande and just Ari wth “Popular” from the Wicked soundtrack, “Taste” by Sabrina Carpenter,  “squabble up”, “luther” with SZA and “tv off” with Lefty Gunplay from Kendrick Lamar’s GNX, “Beautiful Things” by Benson Boone, “Dirty Cash (Money Talks)” by PAWSA and The Adventures of Stevie V, “People Watching” by Sam Fender, “Lose Control”, “The Door” and “Bad Dreams” by Teddy Swims (yikes for him and Kendrick losing all three of their songs this week), “Dirty” by KSI and Erika Sirola, “Like Him” by Tyler, the Creator featuring Lola Young, “I Love You, I’m Sorry” by Gracie Abrams, “Ma Meillure Ennemie” by Stromae and Pomme from Arcane, “Too Sweet” by Hozier, “Stick Season” by Noah Kahan (the biggest song of the year in the UK!) and finally, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” by Shaboozey. Without Christmas, the top five would be “That’s So True” by Gracie Abrams at #1 (#21), “APT.” by ROSÉ and Bruno Mars at #2 (#28), “Messy” by Lola Young at #3 (#33), “The Days” by Chrystal at #4 (#49), and “Defying Gravity” by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande at #5 (#58). Of course, we don’t live in a world without the Christmas songs charting, and hence, we have five new ones to deal with, though it won’t be too much of an ordeal, considering I really don’t intend to “review” the charts in the same way. It’s the day after Boxing Day and we have five Christmas songs, mostly old ones, to discuss, I think I’ll try and focus on the history and trivia part of it more than giving a typical analytical review. May as well spend less time dilly-dallying and get into them.

New Entries

#74 – “Thank God it’s Christmas” – Queen

Produced by Reinhold Mack and Queen

You’d think such a canonically British band as Queen would have their Christmas song injected straight into the veins of the annual holiday hit parade, but this is its highest peak so far… is what I would say if I was an idiot who made constant errors all the time and never kept my data consistent. Or, in other words, if I was the Official Charts Company. This is the first time this song peaked in the top 75 for decades, but this 1984 song peaked at #21 pretty much upon release. It probably isn’t as well-remembered because it’s late-era Queen and doesn’t have a strong hook, but it’s far from a new entry, and I only counted it as such for dramatic purposes to do this bait-and-switch. OCC counts the two chart runs – its original 1984 run and the annual below top 75 returns since 2020 – as separate for whatever reason, but it would be incorrect. Sure, there was a 2011 remaster, but that doesn’t mean anything, the song just sounds better on a technical level, it’s not a remix. I do like how easy and accessible UK charts are but given no company nor website is perfect, you do get little quirks like this that slip by the wayside, especially when it comes to songs originally released physically and now available digitally, but a song like this that peaked quite high and stacked 10+ weeks, returns every year… they should probably keep an eye out for dupes is all I’m saying.

#71 – “Mele Kalikimaka (Merry Christmas)” – Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters

Produced by Bing Crosby

Man, Crosby really loves getting that word out, you can practically hear him chuckle once he rhythmically utters “Kalikimaka”. This is actually a new song, never charted before, and is Bing Crosby’s much, MUCH lesser-known Christmas song, written by the late Robert Alexander Anderson, who spent much of his life in Hawaii and wrote many songs in a similar genre to this. Known as “hapa haole”, this is a blend of American ragtime and traditional pop with Hawaiian culture, particularly their signature guitar and ukulele sounds, as well as lyrics sometimes about Hawaii. “Mele Kalikimaka” is a transliteration of Merry Christmas, and sounds quite different thanks to how the Hawaiian language works, but ends up sounding pretty catchy in the song, whether from the effortless crooning of Crosby, or the harmony group The Andrews Sisters who recorded the track with him. With that said, it’s not particularly Hawaiian, apart from the name and vague allusions like palm trees, more finding itself in typical Christmassy tropes. Crosby’s was one of the earliest and most famous recordings of the song as he was a friend of Anderson’s, and sonically, it sounds as you’d expect, with smooth piano and some really low-quality horns blasting in the instrumental breaks. When this first charted in the US around 2020, I knew that we were just introducing forgotten dregs of Christmas past into the canon, and whilst I couldn’t really care less about a new holiday bottom-feeder introduced to the annual lot, we do need to begin questioning if any of this is worth bringing in, right? This is just the streaming playlist algorithm reminding itself after 50 Christmas songs in that Bing Crosby had more tracks on that holiday album, and whilst it’s cool that a semblance of Hawaiian culture is in the mix on a UK chart, I don’t feel like this is the most accurate or even focused way of doing so. Sweet enough song, but not one that I feel will be too well-integrated into the crop unless we have another lucky tracking week situation like this year. Hell, even this year, there are better songs below the top 75 that probably speak to Brits this year a bit more than… this.

#70 – “Christmas Time is Here” – Vince Guaraldi Trio

Produced by Vince Guaraldi

I adore this song. As an instrumental, it’s a chill piece of soft cool jazz that screams warming up for the festive season round a fireplace, and with the haunting children’s choir in the left channel singing of yuletide cheer, it gives you a reminder of what kids will be doing outside in the afternoon in the snow. It’s a lovely little jingle that warms me up even if Peanuts specials aren’t as big here as they are Stateside. In fact, both this and Crosby’s song whip up the image and magic of a very traditional American post-war Christmas rather than anything particularly British, which is probably a sign of the playlists becoming more universal in their appeal and shaking up what Brits will canonically listen to. This comes straight out of an ideal 60s Christmas, of course, as it was written by Guaraldi and the lyrics by executive producer Lee Mendelson for the 1965 TV classic A Charlie Brown Christmas which still gets plenty of play, especially in North America, to this day. The late Guaraldi famously composed the theme tune to the series of specials too, “Linus and Lucy”, a bit of a jazz standard in itself. Mendelson’s lyrics were a rush-job but sound perfect over the shortened-down track, originally a six-minute piece, and it really is gorgeous, deserving of its space as a classic in the US, and whilst I don’t imagine it will become one here – maybe it’s too slow, maybe it’s too disconnected from the UK’s culture – it’s still great that it charted. Much like “Mele Kalikimaka”, this is the first time it’s charted in any capacity, and I really can’t complain. What has charted before, however…

#62 – “O Holy Night” – Céline Dion

Produced by David Foster

“O Holy Night” is a hymn about the nativity scene, and has been recorded by many an artist, including those who you’d think would take it to the charts like John Williams and Mariah Carey, who both showed up for me in the search before Céline Dion’s Disneyfied version that is completely fine if not a slodge to get through. I personally find it difficult to connect with the more religious iconography surrounding Christmas Day, and a melodramatic five-minute adaptation, whilst very Céline Dion, isn’t going to help with that exactly, in fact it takes me further away from resonating with the song. Bizarrely, instead of Mariah, the highest-charting version and until now, only version of this song to chart is by Ladywell Primary School in Scotland who recorded the track in 2012 to raise funds for meningitis research and took it to #39. The #1 that week was “Troublemaker” by Olly Murs. As for the song’s history, it may resonate with Dion because of its importance in French and hence Canadian culture, having been written by French poet Placide Cappeau and set to music by a fellow Frenchman, Adolphe Adam, who actually didn’t grow up religious. The American critic John Sullivan Wright wrote the English lyrics and may have helped its reputation as “Cantique de Noël” as it was known was somewhat derided, especially by Catholic critics, in Cappeau’s native France since its first performance in 1847. The carol has definitely grown on people since, with some of the original criticisms somewhat unfounded, and legends of it bringing peace to battlefields have cemented its place in not just French history but in Canada, who banned the song for a brief period, and the rest of the world. There’s plenty of history to read up about this piece and why it was so controversial at a time, but I’m not a scholar in Christmas carols, and nowadays, there’s an *NSYNC version so I guess it’s all bygones be bygones.

#55 – “Under the Tree” (from That Christmas) – Ed Sheeran

Produced by Ed Sheeran and Johnny McDaid

That Christmas is an animated Netflix Christmas film that came out earlier this year and is allegedly fine but I cannot personally opine. This piano ballad from Ed Sheeran is the original single attached to it, but I don’t think that’s why Ed Sheeran made a second original Christmas song. His first, “Merry Christmas”, is not only intrinsically linked to another massive pop star’s legacy in Elton John, but also LadBaby and the pandemic, I think he wants and deserves a second attempt at cementing himself in the canon as a solo act, and this is a damn good try because this is brilliant. Sure, it’s going for the typical “alone at Christmas” but Sheeran’s sappy-dog ballads have always appealed to me, especially when he goes into his uniquely frailer register, and the bare piano makes this feel less like a “Lonely this Christmas”-esque dirge and more just honest, perhaps overly, given his ponderings in the second verse about whose arms this person could be in this year. There’s an awkward casualness to the “just letting you know” that clashes with the melodrama and the verses can get quite clumsy in their wordiness, but that’s all very Ed Sheeran, as is the brilliantly clear vocal production and the melody perfectly aligned with certain string inflections once they come in for a gorgeous swell. Sure, you could argue its main conceit is a bit ungrateful that he doesn’t care for any of his presents and just wants that person there, but it’s also so typically soul-bearingly honest and there’s not some inherent sympathy you have to feel for his desperate pleas here. I wish the horns were a bit more organic, but they are very quickly rushed away in the bridge for more Disney synths that wash away outside of a driving pluck and magical rise for that final chorus. This may not work in terms of getting Ed his solo Christmas staple, but it deserves to – it’s one of his most unabashedly Ed Sheeran songs, and as integrated he already is into British culture, this is a damn good way to both send off an imperial run and make sure that at least a few people, including me, pop you on each year.

Conclusion

I don’t deem it necessary to iron out the best and worst of the week given the tone I took in regards to tackling these new entries, but I do deem it necessary to thank the readers as this is our season finale of sorts for 2024 which is the seventh year of doing this, and I’d like to send my gratitude to anyone who even skims it, as it gives purpose to this little hobby of mine. Hey, cost of living crisis, maybe I’ll open a Patreon next year to give it even more purpose. Just kidding, I would never… hahahaha…. Anyway, thank you all for reading this season, which I think counts as Season 6 if I’m not mistaken, and I’m glad we could end it on such a wholesome batch of songs, honestly, and one that reflects a whole lot of typical happenings: Christmas overload, OCC missteps, older songs returning out of nowhere, even a charity single and Ed bloody Sheeran. Maybe next year, they’ll make an AI George Michael do a drill remix and “Last Christmas” will spend even more weeks at #1. The future is upon us. For now, have a happy New Year, I’ll be back with basically the rest of the chart next Friday, and it’ll be 2025. See you then.

[talksexwithtess]

Pride began as a protest against police violence. It evolved into celebration on the anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. It is widely reported that the first people to resist the police in 1969 were unhoused "street kids," and that the movement grew to include "hustlers" and other sex workers, as well as drag queens and drag kings.  Stormé DeLaverie, a biracial butch and drag king, is frequently thought to have inspired the violent backlash to police for their rough treatment of her when she was placed under arrest. Some of the most famous figures to become well known following the days-long uprising included Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson. Brenda Howard, a bisexual, polyamorous, and kink positive feminist,  is often called the "Mother of Pride." Howard and a committee planned the first Gay Pride Week and the Christopher Street Liberation Day Parade to mark the one year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. This first parade rapidly grew from a small gathering to a 20-block long mass of marchers and became an annual event in years to follow. Pride grew from a movement of the most marginalized against police brutality. Commemorate Stonewall and the origins of Pride this month in its wholeness and its diversity. #PrideMonth #Pride #Stonewall [A purple graphic with a vertical rainbow on the left side. The rainbow has a white heart in the center. On the right, in rainbow colors, is text that reads, "Pride Month Reminder We Owe Pride To: Unhoused people, sex workers, drag performers, people of color, and bisexuals."]

[thenamelessreader]

The Folio Book of Horror Stories, by the Folio Society

A beautiful collection of short horror stories by The Folio Society, published in 2018. Considering most (don't quote me on this!) of these stories are in the public domain or legally accessible online, they can be read online with a quick google search. However, this edition is outright marvelous, and evidently, tons of love has been poured into the creation of it - Corey Brickley's illustrations are divine and it also contains writer and editor Ramsey Campbell's introduction, both of which tie the collection beautifully.

Writing a review of each story wouldn't be too affective, as each is unique on its own. I have read The Yellow Wallpaper and House of Usher and both are beautifully written and depict aspects of supernatural horror (Poe) and psychological horror (Gilman), and the collection provides a great opportunity to expose oneself to short horror stories from the 18th century up until modern times. An awesome book to introduce readers to the different subgenres of horror before deepdiving into full-lenght books! The list of the stories are as follows:

▪︎ The Fall of the House of Usher, by Edgar Allan Poe (1839)

▪︎ The Yellow Wallpaper, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1892)

▪︎ Count Magnus, by M. R. James (1904)

▪︎ The White People, by Arthur Machen (1904)

▪︎ Ancient Lights, by Algernon Blackwood (1912)

▪︎ The Music of Erich Zann, by H. P. Lovecraft (1922)

▪︎ Smoke Ghost, by Fritz Leiber (1941)

▪︎ Brenda, by Margaret St. Clair (1954)

▪︎ The Bus, by Shirley Jackson (1965)

▪︎ Again, by Ramsey Campbell (1981)

▪︎ Vastarien, by Thomas Ligotti (1987)

▪︎ Call Home, by Dennis Etchison (1991)

▪︎ 1408, by Stephen King (2002)

▪︎ Flowers of the Sea, by Reggie Oliver (2011)

▪︎ Hippocampus, by Adam Nevill (2015)

ʙ ᴏ ᴏ ᴋ _ ʀ ᴀ ᴛ ɪ ɴ ɢ : ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

[hanjisungs-bigtittyg0thgf]

i was sitting at work a couple weeks ago, thinking about what i should do for you guys for christmas, and carol of the bells came on. that song makes me feel like a god and it reminded me of san’s stage presence, which then prompted me to think about

ateez and stray kids as christmas songs

Hongjoong as The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole

Seonghwa as Mistletoe by Justin Bieber

Yunho as Last Christmas by Wham!

Yeosang as Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas by Michael Bublé

San as Carol of the Bells by Trans Siberian Orchestra

Mingi as This Christmas by Donny Hathaway

Wooyoung as All I Want for Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey

Jongho as O Holy Night by Josh Groban

Chan as I’ll Be Home for Christmas by Frank Sinatra

Minho as God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen by Pentatonix

Changbin as Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee

Hyunjin as White Christmas by Bing Crosby

Jisung as Run Run Rudolph by Chuck Berry

Felix as Little Saint Nick by The Beach Boys

Seungmin as My Favorite Things by Lorrie Morgan

Jeongin as Wonderful Christmastime by Paul McCartney

i hope this makes sense and that you enjoy my little playlist 😆 merry christmas darlings 🎄🥰