#but I have not watched the full Chappel video

[thedukeside]

It's hilarious that he made a video talking about Chappel Roan and people being up way too much in his business when nobody is doing anything lol. Like nobody is harassing you, your fan base of 12-15 year Olds want to know why you took a 4 year break from sanders sides without saying anything. I understand why he'd be frustrated with constantly having to cater to a younger audience but I don't understand why he doesn't even try to actually branch out. He's still censoring swearing, still making videos about childish topics, still doing the same shit he's been doing since 2016. Like if you want something different, do something different. Also sorry if I sound sensitive for saying this but why tf are you uploading pictures of you in your underwear on your insta story???? It's not a huge secret that his fan base is (mostly) underage, so why is he just...doing that? Idk even if he's not doing it for gross reasons, he's still doing it, and maybe should fucking know better???? He's closer to being 40 than he is 30 and he's doing stupid naive shit. I used to be a huge fan and supporter of his when I was younger (10-14) but now I'm 18 and seeing through a bunch of his weird shit and it's sucks. He's getting rid of/losing everything that made his channel fun, unique and interesting and it sucks seeing a huge part of my childhood and motivation for me to make art, going to dogshit. Also sorry for like ranting out of nowhere, literally nobody else in this Fandom is like speaking about this.

I'm sorry it took me so long to get to this, but you're correct. Thomas creates content aimed at younger teens. That is not something that has ever changed. Which is why his channel has stagnated. The audience that funded him during his heyday are now adults. Who he also wants to cater to, but he's so afraid of losing what little revenue he has left, he refuses to take the leap.

That is why the finale has taken so long. Thomas has no idea who he wants to make content for. Or even if he really wants to make it at all. This creates a ripple effect. Overflowing into endless controversy, inappropriate conduct, and resentment from all sides. The best thing for Sander Sides to do now is go quietly, but I doubt Thomas has the gumption to actually put down the sick horse. Which is a shame. I think people would respect him a lot more if he did.

[kolbisneat]

MONTHLY MEDIA: August 2024

The days are getting shorter and the nights are getting cooler. The summer is waning. But the monthly media posts carry on. Here's how I spent the month of August.

……….FILM……….

Wendell & Wild (2022) I don't want this to be one of the last major stop-motion film to ever be made, but the filmmakers put so many stories into this that I wonder if they thought this was their last shot. Essentially a 12-course meal from a great restaurant: the accomplishment is impressive but the whole is overstuffed and some of the smaller portions were undercooked.

Love Lies Bleeding (2024) The lightly surreal elements of the movie were great, but there's a point late in the story when that surreality kills all of the momentum.

Spice World (1997) Still holds up.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) Still amazed at how well this pulls off what it seeks to do. But maybe I'm biased because I love practical effects, puppets, and action scenes that serve the narrative. We may not get another D&D movie but I'm glad we have this one.

Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) Based on other live-action multiverses, I went in with modest expectations, and this was a pleasant surprise. Maybe it's because it continues to do what Deadpool does well. Thoroughly entertaining in the moment.

……….TELEVISION……….

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Episode 1.14 to 1.20) It's been a couple of years since I stopped watching (mid season!) but luckily one of the episodes was essentially a recap of what's happened so far. Really ramping up in the abstract and the philosophical and I'm a big fan. These kids are meeeeeeeessed up.

Made for Love (Episode 2.01 to 2.08) I only really caught the first season in pieces but I knew enough going into this season that it really clicked! It hit me the same way early Black Mirror episodes felt, only with more humour, depth, and nuance. It's a real shame there's no plans for season 3.

……….YOUTUBE……….

I think this will be a Short Video by Matthew Colville A really great reflection on making art in the social age, the algorithm, communities/audiences, and how these can clash with the natural impulses of creativity. VIDEO

I'm What the Culture Feeling (The full story of Kendrick Vs. Drake) by F.D. Signifier Almost 3.5 hours but for someone like me (who knows next to nothing of this world, these artists, or this conflict) it expertly breaks it all down to paint a complete picture. Really great watch. VIDEO

……….READING……….

Cards On the Table by Agatha Christie (Complete) Top-tier Christie. The premise is so fun, and while I know the multiple detectives appear in other stories, it's a nice introduction to these characters. This book made me want to learn how to play Bridge.

The People of the Black Circle and A Witch Shall Be Born by Robert E. Howard (Complete) I have this collection of Conan stories and after a years-long break, decided to read a few more. Both great! The latter puts Conan in an almost supporting role and it's fun to see him take on a secondary role to the story. Keeps it interesting. And the former is such a classic pulp story (cults, magic clothing, a giant snake) that I can't help but love it.

Delicious in Dungeon Volume 14 by Ryoko Kui (Complete) It's been a 6-year-long journey for me and while I couldn't be happier with how it ended, I'm sad that it's over. Still so impressed with how well it stuck the landing for me. Do I wish there was more of a wind-down with these characters? Sure. But I really respect an artist who knows what they want to say/do and says/does it. Very excited to see what Ryoko does next.

Hellboy Library Volume 1 by Mike Mignola with John Byrne (Complete) Without being hyperbolic, this is one of my favourite contributions to the craft. So confident and fully-formed right out of the gate. Excited to reread this series.

……….AUDIO……….

The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess by Chappel Roan (2023) Technically I started listening to this at the end of July. I saw a positive review, figured I'd check it out, and it felt like that was at the same time everyone else in the world was talking about her. Love an album with such a focused perspective.

Currents by Tame Impala (2015) In recent years I've been really enjoying Tame Impala's one-off songs (Barbie and Dungeons & Dragons soundtracks, their collaboration with Gorillaz, etc.) so I figured I'd really dig into this album. Easy to listen to both casually in the background and with a magnifying glass just pouring over the lyrics. Love it.

……….GAMING……….

Neverland: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) Only got a few sessions in this month but the crew is still reassembling the skeletal pirate they trashed years (real time) ago. Now they're about to face a big electric centipede to recover his legs.

Oz: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) The Mof1 crew split the party and one half casually shopped and planned while the other half discovered a secret testing facility full of captured magic-users.

Wonderland: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) We got in a single session of Wonderland and it was a small party but a lot of fun! Also the first true character death of our playtesters. Luckily we had backup characters though character 2 ended the session losing their arm. Hey that's Wonderland.

And that's it. See you in September!

[kindheart525]

Dottieverse Fun Facts

Just a list of random fun facts about the Dottieverse cast! I've done separate posts on some of these tidbits but I wanted to put all the info in one place and add some bits that might not warrant posts on their own

I’ll keep editing this post as I come up with more fun facts! This isn’t complete by any means so keep checking back for more. Please feel free to suggest some too and maybe they’ll be added to the list!

Dottie Dompler

Her favorite drink is boba tea

Writes film reviews on Letterboxd in her free time

Doesn’t remember what she studied in college as she spent most of her time there picking up dudes

Keeps two diaries: One for general thoughts and feelings and another exclusively for documenting her love life in detail

Has an OnlyFans

Actually has some ex-girlfriends (one or two from experimenting in college and a few trans lady exes who presented as male when she dated them)

Kip Pimling

Is left-handed

Loves Chappell Roan and other similar artists

Used to do musical theater in middle school and still loves to do karaoke

Started seeing a therapist as an angsty preteen and still goes regularly for mental health upkeep

She and Dottie dressed up for the Barbie movie 30th anniversary theater re-release (in 2053)

Got her B.A. in psychology fully online so she could stay in her hometown and intern for Smiling Friends

Ell Pimling

Fucking horrible at driving; always goes way over the speed limit

When she wants to talk to a tall person she just climbs them

Her taste in women overlaps with Giorno's so they often bond by gushing over attractive female athletes together

Nee Pimling

Has a small, persistent bruise on his bicep where he pinches himself every time his conscience “acts up”

Dur Pimling

Secretly skilled in graphic design; all of the advertisements for his and Nee’s laundromat were made by him

Blep Simpson

Multilingual in Wingon, Latin, American Sign Language, Hebrew, and English (which she never speaks but can understand)

Gola Simpson

Talks with Allan’s inflection and pronunciation style

Wore a wig as a teenager out of insecurity

Giorno Simpson

His social media is mostly full of videos of him doing various workouts but he also has a "making fun of short people" series which has featured Suzy, Eep, Chad, and Ell

Secretly very good at singing but doesn’t let anyone hear it

Glorp Simpson

Suzy Simpson

Owns a vast collection of hats to wear for every occasion

Is a horse girl; she owns a little pony named Rapunzel with a long mane that matches hers

Really wants to do coordinated Halloween costumes with Eep, but since Eep will never go out with her she does it with her niece Royal instead

Eep Simpson

Chad Simpson

Enjoys collecting fancy watches, and also has some silly kid ones from his sisters

Likes horses like Suzy does, but he doesn't like dirt so he bonds with her over sharing facts and watching races rather than riding them

Crawdad Crustacean

Has a southern accent that comes and goes

Pim “Beef” Pimling-Simpson II

When strangers in public ask him why he doesn’t have legs, he makes up different horrible stories about how he lost them to make them regret asking

[sardonic-the-writer]

weird question maybe but do you have any video essay recs?

absolutely. here are some of my favorites i can remember off the top of my head. links and summaries provided for you

gorillaz - the complete backstory (phases 1-7) — self titled productions (youtube)

it's a wonderful hour and seventeen long video that goes over nearly every piece of important lore in gorillaz history, and ive watched it about four times. if you like gorillaz, or even just want to learn more, i highly recommend this. the narration is funny, the editing even more so, and it definitely gives me a boost of creative inspiration everytime i watch it

i'm what the culture feeling (the full story of kendrick lamar vs drake) — f.d signifier (youtube)

at just under three and a half hours, this essay is great for anyone who's been into hip-hop for decades on end, or just got into it this month. it's more than just commenting on funny haha rap beef, and actually gets in to deeper meanings and the entire hip hop industry as a whole in regards to the situation. a wonderful video that i put on for background noise and ended up giving my full attention to ten minutes in. his whole channel is great as well, and I'm currently in the process of watching his video essay on dave chappelle

the failure of victorious — quenton reviews (youtube)

quenton reviews is one of my favorite video essays channels simply because of how fun and interesting he makes his videos, especially those about rewatching television shows, all without making it feel like you're just watching some guy do a five hour summary of some show. highly recommend both this video and his channel itself

a deep dive on william aftons characterization (from a veteran fnaf fan) — @miiilowo (youtube and tumblr)

i might be biased because my mutual made this, but they do an amazing job of articulating their thoughts into a concise thirty six minute video all about the rabbit man, while prodding into the themes and motifs behind everything

[groovesnjams]

2 / 50

"Not Strong Enough" by boygenius

MG:

Writing about boygenius, at this point, feels impossible. I have an urge to defend them, to shout down some anonymous but not entirely imagined comment section* (it felt like everywhere I turned on the internet just fucking hated this group and it always always always boiled down to some projected misogyny) and a world that just couldn’t…quite…admit this was the greatest song of the year. Even in the places where boygenius unequivocally ruled there was this little whiff of embarrassment like they’re great but, ok, not that great. Well, they are that great! They don’t have to do something wholly original or reflect everyone’s personal identity back to them to be great! 

But we don’t need more of that, it’s a stupid feedback loop, I have to be the change I want to see in the world and that change is to write about this song without defending it! To do that, however, would not be entirely honest because, to be entirely honest, I was very much that person I outlined above for most of the year. I put “A&W” at the top of my dopey playlist and felt very vibey about it and even had a period where I got into Father John Misty a little bit because that made sense. And then when it got closer to calling it, as I was listening through that playlist a whole bunch to make cuts and remember things I’d forgotten, I listened to “Not Strong Enough” for the first time on headphones and it fucking ripped. It ripped my brain right open! This song is gorgeously produced, full of rich instrumentation that colors neatly in-between the wavy lines of the storytelling. It’s the kind of thing I want to choreograph a dance to, I want it to soundtrack a movie about an aimless, broken person who surrenders to life’s enduring beauty and awakens to their own possibility, I want to watch a music video where boygenius play in a barn with vaulted ceilings. Every detail of this song feels so specific and fully realized that I can’t help but play along. It speaks to some half-remembered, half-imagined past but it’s also coming to, in the front seat, still happening, still going somewhere. 

I get it, what I said about Chappell Roan, about being unlikable and thus lovable, applies here, too. I can’t make you like this song, it is unlikable and it got better every time I heard it (a lot, it was blessed and highly favored by Sirius XMU, who chose to make Mitski’s TikTok hit “My Love, Mine All Mine” their song of the year) and I love “Not Strong Enough.” It is my favorite song of the year.

*(To my complete and total amusement, shortly after I finished my first draft of this post, the comment section I was thinking of voted "Not Strong Enough" their song of the year. I'm not sure if there's a significant disconnect between commenting members and voting members or if I'm a woman of the people, charting the course of lukewarm acceptance to full on wholehearted embrace of this song. But, either way, good for all of us!)

DV:

Wow it's really tough to talk about "Not Strong Enough" without talking about boygenius and parasociality and fandom in 2023, huh? This may also be true of a lot of this year's list, but with the rest of the lot it's relatively easy to find other angles into the song. With boygenius the angles all lead back to the band, their dynamic, their process, their relationships. It's a little gauche isn't it? I don't feel like boygenius meant for the story of their 2023 to be about themselves but here they are at the end of the year where they went viral for Halloween costumes and they're winning gendered awards like Ron Swanson from Parks & Recreation, and we just have to hope things age better in reality than in fiction. But also, boygenius made "Not Strong Enough", which some days felt like it might actually be my favorite song of the year (a distinction shared by many others on this list, but one this song got more than most.) It's a song built out of climaxes, rolling and building, with hooks to spare and a secret weapon in the drummer, whose name is weirdly difficult to find but whose fills do more to make the song than even the jangliest guitar. So on one hand, I know more about this band's lore than I do about any other artist who I can't name a second song by. But on the other: "Not Strong Enough" is straightforwardly a gorgeous, propulsive power pop banger, delivered beautifully. When you have a Lucy Dacus and can hold her in reserve for a climax like this one, taking fully a minute and a half but never losing momentum, you're simply operating at a level that few other artists are capable of.

[theuniversitychallengereview]

The Fame Game

For the past week or so, I have been obsessed with Chappell Roan’s album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. It is full of incredibly catchy hooks and playful lyrics and is very addictive. I also listened to Brat by Charli XCX and it paled in comparison, just in case you thought I was playing to the crowd with my admittedly late-to-the-party hot take on Roan.

The past week has also seen a swathe of articles about how Roan resents the fame she has acquired as a result of this banger album. She describes this fame as having the “vibe of an abusive ex-husband”, and talks about how people act like they have a right to her time and fail to respect her boundaries with creepy behaviour.

Backlash to the backlash

This complaining opened her up to criticism, as she is someone who has courted fame and is now seemingly rejecting those who are responsible for her being famous (and by extension, rich) in the first place.

But that’s not really fair, is it? Regardless of who you are you should be able to have some boundaries. Football players are sometimes slagged off for ‘not being able to take’ the abuse which gets hurled at them from the stands, but its not normal for someone to go to work and get yelled at by strangers.

Social media unfairly gets the blame for a lot of things these days, but on this one I think the finger is correctly pointed. People as mildly famous as YouTubers with a few thousand subscribers are subjected to online abuse (albeit on a smaller scale than Roan and Premier League footballers). This abuse is sent partly because the abuser doesn’t view the abused as an actual person. They are merely an Internet persona, not a thinking, feeling person who may read those posts.

Sign up for The University Challenge Review

Parasocialites

When this view translates to the real world, as can happen in instances where people are super-famous, you get things like a fan grabbing and kissing Roan in a bar. These are not people, they are avatars through which the viewer is free to do anything they please. Characters in a video game.

One of the lower-level examples of this are some of the tweets you read about University Challenge contestants. Most tweets on the hashtag are lovely, encouraging and celebratory, about the enjoyment of the show. But every week there are a few which single out contestants (more often than not the non-male contestants) for abuse or creepiness.

The podcaster Blindboy (whose recent episode prompted me to give Chappell Roan a proper listen) gets around the problem of fame by wearing a bag on his head for any public appearance so that people don’t recognise him without it. But this isn’t a solution for most people.

It would be better if people remembered that fame doesn’t reduce the wearer to a caricatured cardboard cutout, free to be moved around as they please for whatever purpose they see fit.

So with that in mind, let’s get onto the episode which featured eight very real human people from the Universities of Reading and Exeter.

Reading were making their first appearance since a run to the final in 2022. Their captain that year, Michael Hutchinson, was on Only Connect last week with Fatima Sheriff, a member of the Imperial team who beat Reading (the third member of the OC team was Michael Kohn, who had reached the UC semis with Imperial the year before).

From rivals in the #UniversityChallenge final to teammates on Only Connect

Hutchinson 🤝 Sheriff (plus 2021 UC semi finalist Michael Kohn!) pic.twitter.com/hfqfi81fot

— Joe (@TheUCReview) September 16, 2024

If you want to watch the episode before reading the review you can do so at this link.

Here’s your first starter for ten.

To be fair to them they manage two out of three bonuses (and the third one on the Great Glen was pretty tough), but they answer them in the way you would answer a question about Norway, if that makes sense.

The second starter also goes to Mouelhi, as does the third, and the fourth, and the… no, that was where the run ended. But still, four starters in a row to kick things off is pretty incredible. It is not the all-time record, as confirmed by statman Jack McB, but it doesn’t happen very often.

Also, for the record, Mr Mouelhi’s getting of the first four correctly answered starters of the game isn’t a record; I know of at least one occasion where this has been bettered (the first six in a QF many years ago). #UniversityChallenge

— Jack McB. (@jack_jmmcb) September 23, 2024

This streak gives Exeter a lead of 95 points before Finkelstein finally gets Reading off the mark. He takes a second consecutive starter, and I’m already thinking about what I’m going to write if he takes four-in-a-row like Mouelhi, but Moorcroft hits back for Exeter to put a halt to these musings. Four-in-a-row-in-a-row might have been the opening sentence.

We Gonna Rock Down

The music starter on Electric Avenue goes to Exeter’s Rock, and they clean up with a hat-trick of bonuses on British synth and new-wave. Reading look like they are building some momentum, but Moorcroft stops them again with condensation, winning Exeter a bonus set on Euclid’s elements, a book about maths which describes a cylinder as:

“a figure created by carrying a rectangular parallelogram around and restoring it to its original position, while keeping one side of the parallelogram about the right angle fixed”

Which I can’t wrap my head around at all. Does wrapping my head around an idea also create a cylinder somehow? I don’t know.

Finkelstein grabs another starter, and Reading close back to within 40 points, but this would be the end of their resistance as Exeter ended the show with a 100–0 run.

Reading 100–240 Exeter

A close-ish match, before Exeter ran away with it in the last five minutes. They posted a decent score, and could make the quarter-finals so long as they avoid one of the big hitters like Bristol and Imperial in the second round.

Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you next week for Birkbeck vs Darwin.

[blysse-and-blunder]

In lieu of a long weekend

sunday, may 19, 2024 ~ 11:30pm

technically tomorrow is a day off but the nice thing about grad school is that means essentially nothing for me, and tonight still feels like a sunday night—but it was a beautiful, mostly work-free weekend up until now

reading i forget now whether i mentioned this in my last ilcb, but last month i listened to the audiobook of jenn lyons’ the ruin of kings, which means that now it’s time for the sequel! started these huge fantasy epics on the recommendation of @booksmithereens, who has yet to steer me wrong—but i will say that upon first getting started, I didn’t especially follow (or care) all that much about most of the world building, especially since trok starts in with a lot of slavery and physical / sexual violence. upon second read-through, because i did go back with the ebook as soon as i finished listening to trok the first time, i think i was able to take more pleasure from the characters’ dialogue—there are very funny moments—and from the originality of certain features of the series’ take on deities and magic. i’m 28% through the audio book of the second novel, the name of all things, and i adore that we’ve got a new snarky editor leaving footnotes and editorializing comments, and that we have a new female pov character who really adds to the (intentionally) one-dimensional view of her we were given in the first one. these are good companion books for when i’m toiling in the hollow knight mines (have i explained how i have hacked boss fights for myself by turning off the game sound and instead relaxing, listening to an audiobook, and just getting to focus on the visuals—the flow state this induces can last for. hours. and has yet to get old), and they are another worthy entry in the dragons/magic/demons/swords/prophecy type fantasy canon.

watching finally finished (screaming, cringing, laughing, etc) season one of the white lotus with g and @hematiterings. all things considered, an easier ending than i feared, weirdly? i lost count of full-body cringe reactions (from sheer gut-churning dialogue, not the way kids use ‘cringe’ these days) at like 10, and then we started season two (which we’ve all seen the first few episodes of) and the counter had to start over at the beginning. still fun though. still fun.

also watched the first three-four episodes of dungeon meshi! which i thought were excellent, but i now have just enough context to be really actually affected by casual spoilers, so i may have to blacklist it here on the blue hellsite for now, and watched episode 4 of house of the dragon this evening whilst folding my laundry. i am holding out for when this show introduces the new lead actresses because I have seen their interview in gifs going around and i would like to see it. so far though, i’m distressed by the politics and bored by the action, as is to be expected from a game of thrones show.

listening hmmm chappelle roan Hot to Go has been stuck in my head for a while now so let’s go with that. initially I thought the lyrics to most of her new album really didn’t live up to pink ping club (see my 2021?2? Ilcb where i went on at *length* about how good that song is) but you know what, we’re capable of admitting when we’re wrong and this is one of those times. H! O! T! T! O! G-O!

playing i got the sharp shadow charm in hollow knight today! Nosk and the enraged guardian have been kicking my ass by turns. i had so much geo I had been carefully carrying around and reclaiming every time i died because millibelle had her career pivot and closed my account 😝 and i finally lost it today. Alas. but since there was nothing i could buy at any of the three vendors i visited, it was all going to end up in the fountain anyway.

making this was a little while ago now, but i finally did it, i made a recipe following a b. dylan hollis video! the coffee loaf from 1959– surprisingly, i had all of the ingredients on hand (including powdered milk?!) and i was so excited by this that I didn’t stop to ask whether i *should* make this caffeinated baked good. recipe worked well, the consistency was great and all, but a single square inch of it and i feel like i’ve single-handedly drunk a pot of strong coffee. this is a me problem, i’ll grant you, but it is amusing to me that i’ve made a cake I physically cannot eat too much of in a single sitting. it is drying out in the fridge as we speak. heart palpitations aside, i am proud of it though.

working on it occurred to me today to look back at the timeline i made for myself at the beginning of the month, and i’m four days past the first deadline on it without having even really touched the chapter itself. blargh. sent two emails yesterday, and two that had been worrying me the day before, and worked a bit on the newsletter today. chipping away at things.

[forgiveness-in-the-misery]

Seeing Chappell Roan call out the VIP session at her show has given me a chance to say that I fucking despise VIP people at concerts.

89% of the time they just go for the pre show signing in order to get autographs they immediately post up online for sale and they love showing they are doing something aka being at a show.

The second issue is they are always on their fucking phones. Don’t get me wrong I have a lot of concert videos on tiktok and saved on my phone but the thing is I don’t film full songs most times or there’s plenty of times I don’t film (still mad my phone died before The Used played a cover of Teen Spirit) because I do have issues remembering things long term so having a physical memory is brilliant for me.

The people in VIP sections are not doing that. I have witnessed them watch tv shows and movies on their phones, do group chats, play phone games, read books, post their autographed merch, etc. they spend most the show going to the bar or going outside or just being fidgety and I have even seen some be openly annoyed a concert is happening while they try and watch tv on their phone.

Like it isn’t all VIP obviously but it happens so fucking often. So fucking often its middle aged men who price gouge merch on ebay for artists they don’t even like or sometimes even hate or its people going just to brag they had the money to get VIP tickets to a show for artists they don’t even listen to.

The concept is fine and it is great when its fans because it is meant for fans, a special treat for yourself….but like its so fucked how many people just take it from fans and then in cases like that artists look down at this whole section of bored angry looking people who paid a lot of money to just glare for three hours.

[aroarachnid]

resources for black lives

[id: short video from the game oblivion. an npc happily says "welcome to my home underground!]

name: ashton

nicknames: ash, xander, jason, parker

pronouns: he/it/neos

gender: boyflux

orientation: aromantic

current hyperfix: danny phantom

currently reading: the colour of magic, batgirls: one way or another

currently watching: danny phantom, breaking bad, serial experiments lain, nana

currently playing: nothin rn

i am an adult. there may be suggestive jokes on this blog, but nothing explicit

my art blog

my carrd

... loading info.txt

fandoms:

dc comics, steven universe, hollow knight, doctor who, spiderman, batman, death note, the owl house, the elder scrolls, splatoon, monster high, sonic, watcher, league of legends, needy streamer overload, vocaloid, my babysitters a vampire, welcome to night vale, welcome home, jurrassic world camp cretaceous

interests:

ghosts, vampires, and all things creepy and horror. cats. caving and the ocean. drawing and knitting. learning languages. doll collecting. web design and old web aesthetics. computer science. space and aliens. bugs. running, hiking, skiing, swimming

music:

fangbanger, caravan palace, dazey and the scouts, mcr, bloodwitch, ghost and pals, x ray spex, fall out boy, lemon demon, death, babymetal, maretu, the cure, chappell roan, charli xcx, memi, arctic monkeys, bad brains, nirvana, sisters of mercy and probably more lol

dni:

racists, homphobes/transphobes/aphobes, antisemites, islamaphobes, support genocide in palestine, proship, starseeds, transid/transx/rcta, if you bully therians/other kin, ableists/ if you demonise NPD/BPD/ASPD/OCD

please:

feel free to tag me in things!

dm me if you want to chat!

ask for my discord/socials if we're mutuals!

send asks!

if i dont respind to you im probably not ignoring you i just dont have the energy to talk sometimes

tags:

#ash rambles - text posts

#tw [trigger] - how trigger warnings are formatted

#tagged in

#fav

#cats

#sea stuff

#vampire posting

#werewolf posting

#mecore

[id: several blinkies. in order they are:

a needy streamer overload blinkie. the background is pink. it says windose90 with a fake windows logo above it. to the right is pixel art of kangel.

a gif of eda and luz and king from the owl house in the finale spinning and hugging.

a gif of lain from serial experiments lain. the gif is focused on her eyes and is blue and glitchy.

"the truth is out there... i just forgot the url" in green text on a black background.

"made with my own two paws" next to a purple pawprint

"this site is miku approved" next to hatsune miku art

"powered by dr pepper" on red background

"neocities. org the web is yours" in soft green text on a pink background

"vampire NOW!" next to a full moon

"this machine kills fascists"

end id]

[saintlaurentproblems]

good on chappell roan for setting these boundaries THIS early because i recall young one direction members, a young bieber, and many more attempting to set these boundaries after allowing a few years of free touch/full access and when they asked for everyone to chill they didn’t just say no, they were painted as villains for doing so. honestly still makes me feel so bad for what they allowed to be seen as good sports at the expense of their sanity and body autonomy and to this day people ridicule harry and justin specifically when they try to lessen fan interaction. it’s not fair to them.

like watching old videos justin and the 1d boys let SOOOO MUCH slide. a wild amount. and people still act like their evil😭like ma’am some of you snuck a literal kiss on the lips while posing for an innocent photo im sure they giggled at the time but that is still sexual harassment hello ?

Exactly!!!! people have boundaries!!

[newmusicradionetwork]

MAETA Releases EP Endless Night

Today, Indianapolis-born, LA-based singer Maeta delivers her Kaytranada produced EP Endless Night along with the music video for “Endless Night.” This song and every song, in fact, on this EP, is exclusively produced by KAYTRANADA and marks a multi-platform partnership with LG. She also gives fans an ethereal stunning music video along with this release. The video is directed by child. and produced by Tashi Bhutia, Carlos Lopes, & Galileo Mondol for BT Studios. This project is the culmination of her previous work with Kaytranada – The Canadian music producer and rapper produced “Teen Scene” on her previously released project Habits and “Questions” on her When I Hear Your Name. However, Endless Night is the first time Kaytranada and Maeta have joined together for an entire EP, as the producer exclusively delivered all seven songs on the project. Maeta says, “I’m so excited for this project to be out. I just want everyone to have fun, dance and be free this summer!” “Endless Night” arrives after the release of “DJ Got Me” last month that marked a tent-pole career intersection signaling an era of artistic freedom. Billboard Magazine exclaimed “On this new joint, the Roc Nation singer’s soulful vocals float over Kaytranada’s slinky synths, creating a sultry, infectious world in which she flips Indeep’s post-disco classic Last Night a DJ Saved My Life…Maeta is clearly ready to turn up the heat this summer.” This EP comes on the heels of her having recently peaked at #1 on the Billboard Adult R&B Airplay chart with her single “Through The Night.” She is officially in her experimentation era and plans for world domination with her Endless Night EP with Kaytranada. This ushers in a new chapter that will see Maeta’s career in a new direction for this cycle. Stream it HERE. Watch the music video HERE. Wonderland recently said of Maeta, “She’s the main character of a story she wrote herself, pocketing dreams as chapters and not aspirations; but there’s plenty of room for more.” With Maeta’s journey from performing in her living room to signing to Roc Nation and securing an exclusive publishing deal with the iconic Warner Chappell Music and touring around North America and Europe, to getting co-signs by Pharrell Williams, Thundercat and Chris Brown, she’s had quite the meteoric experience but with this release, she undoubtedly proves that she’s an artist who can seamlessly navigate any genre with raw and effortless talent. Maeta is currently on tour with Chris Brown on his 11:11 Tour which kicked off on June 5, 2024, in Detroit, Michigan. The tour also features special guests Arya Starr and Muni Long. CONNECT WITH MAETA Instagram Facebook Twitter Soundcloud TikTok Read the full article

[gchoate17]

In keeping with tradition, here’s my top ten list of the best events of 2023 and the worst events of 2023, vaguely ranked in the order that they most impacted my life. I'm using the above photo because most of the year I was at the whim of Magnus's sleeping habits.

Best

Magnus finally stopped requiring us to stay in his room while he sleeps. (April-May)

Mags went to daycare. (March 13)

At my 1,200-person firm’s annual meeting in Irving, Texas this year, my company president recognized my little hardworking video team with the highest honor we could have ever hoped for. And unbeknownst to me, my boss arranged for Liz and my mother to be there to see it happen. (October 26)

I committed to a gym. Between developing a regular fitness routine and celebrating a year without alcohol (September 7), I can see positive changes in my body – I lost weight, but now I’m gaining muscle. (March-December)

After attending daycare for almost two weeks, Mags made it through nap time for the first time, which led to staying full days at school. (March 27)

Gus pushed through some fear and developed a love for swimming, thanks to Liz’s commitment to taking him to the pool nearly every day this summer. (Summer)

I joined the board of directors at the UA-Little Rock Alumni Association and the Downtown Little Rock Partnership, two organizations I genuinely care about, and where I feel like I can affect positive change in the community. (January)

We upgraded Liz from a Subaru Outback to a Subaru Ascent, giving our family (and my back) more room to work with. (April 27)

Liz and I watched Chappell Roan put on a fantastic hometown show in Springfield, Missouri. (March 6)

Liz tagged along on a work trip that took us to Greenville, South Carolina, among other places, and we kind of fell in love with the downtown area there. (July 26)

Worst

Gus started playing baseball and I quickly became aware of how little time I have spent playing catch with him or showing him how to swing a bat during the first five years of his life. This is one of my greatest failures as a father to date. (Spring)

The tornado hit Little Rock. Beyond the devastation it caused to the city; I was at work, Gus was at school, and Liz and Magnus were at home – I’ve never felt so strongly the desire to have my family wrapped up in my arms. (March 31)

I couldn’t keep up with Argenta Reading Series, and put it on an indefinite hiatus. Again. (April 29)

Magnus came down with a double-ear infection and a cold at the same time, meaning he and his parents didn’t sleep for a solid week. And on the day he got better, Gus got what we suspect was the flu, keeping us from sleep again. We're still finding used Kleenex around the house, in our cars. (December 10-24)

At a concert this summer, I saw Conor Oberst unleash an immature and irresponsible political rant that’s made me not want to listen to his music anymore, which makes me terribly sad because he’s one of my favorites. (May 15)

I left my Fitbit at a hotel in Frisco, Texas. (June 11) (To raise awareness for my missing Fitbit, my team at work held a surprise mandatory fun walk, which made me so happy, and IT WORKED because when my friend Erin saw the video about the fun walk, she mailed me an extra Fitbit she had.)

The parking deck at the office added bollards to keep me from employing my highly efficient parking deck hack. It took me over a month to develop a new one, but I have and it’s better than the first, and I’m convinced they have given up trying to stop me. (August 3)

Each of my children had weird mishaps at different times that kind of sent me into a “what do I do!?��� parenting panic. Magnus got a corn kernel jammed up his nose (July 9); Gus somehow managed to get a sequin jammed between two teeth while on a family vacation (January 4). [The corn kernel incident did payoff with some video footage in which I am the hero, so – given the safe outcome – this one could have easily landed on the “Best” list.]

Gus started getting carsick this year (although, he is pretty good at making sure his vomit stays in the bag we give him).

Gus got strep throat. (mid-May)

Previous Best/Worst Lists: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022.

[thisnevermeantnothingtoyou]

YES 1000000% Chappell is turning the freaking frogs gay, BUT a key KEY aspect that some people overlook, is that Oliva's set includes Obsessed. Obsessed is one of the 'secret' tracks that was on one of the vinyl colour variants (also a black friday record store day lp), so this song is one that many parents (and casual fans) likely have never heard.

The song it is most like on the standard/streaming edition of the album is Lacy (a soft low tempo ballad about being obsessed with a woman who you idolize its VERY homoerotic, but straight people probably wouldn't pick up on that) [Lacy also contains a lyric about bridget bardot, mirroring a lyric from Chappell's Red Wine Supernova which is about gay sex], but obsessed....

Obsessed takes the whole "i am obsessed with this woman" to the EXTREME. unlike in Lacy where the titular Lacy is unconnected to Olivia in Obsessed, the woman of Olivia's obsession is her boyfriend's ex-girlfriend. And Olivia is DOWN BADDDDD, this girl takes up all of olivas waking moments, she is looking at pictures of her, she's watched all the movies she's been in, she wants to ask how thsi girl was in bed. Here is a small selection of lyrics (and the link to the full lyrics on genius)

If I told you how much I think about her / You'd think I was in love I've seen every movie she's been in, and, oh God, she's beautiful I know she's been asleep on my side of your bed, and I can feel it I'm starin' at her like I wanna get hurt She's got those lips, she's got those hips / The life of every fuckin' party Is she friends with your friends? Is she good in bed?

yeah its capital G gay, (and im not truthing, that's just how it is)

And while performing this song... Olivia rolls around on the ground and stares at a camera imbedded on the stage then humps the air. (link to full performance on youtube)

and HERE is a fun lil clip (13 seconds on tumblr) just to get the point across. (i hate that tumblr wont let you add videos to posts)

tiktok objectively sucks in a lot of ways but I will admit that getting to witness thousands of allegedly heterosexual young women have an identity crisis in real time after attending Olivia Rodrigo's Guts tour is both a) not something I'm seeing on tumblr and b) an absolutely magical experience

[harts4dani]

okay, now time to speak up about the Chappell Roan controversy.

if u don't know what's been going on, i'll tell u: basically popular singer Chappell Roan has posted many statements and opinions on her thoughts about how her fans treat her. she basically has said by that fans asking her for photos and autographs even if it's asked politely is an "assault and abuse"

here are the 2 videos regarding this drama(i had to clip the 2 videos together so they would fit)

if u feel to tired or don't want to watch the videos, i'll explain in the video Chappell says:

"I need you to answer questions, just answer my questions for a second. If you saw a random woman on the street, would you yell at her from the car window? Would you harass her in public? Would you go up to a random lady and say 'Can i get a photo with you?', and she's like no what the fuck, and then you get mad at this random lady. Um, would you be offended if she says no to your time because she has her own time? Would you-, would you stalk her family? Would you follow her around? Would you try to dissect her life and bully her online? This lady you don't know um and she doesn't know you at all …would you assume that she's a good person, assume she's a bad person… would you assume everything you read about her online is true? I'm a random bitch, you're a random bitch. Just think about that for a second okay?

I don't care that abuse and harassment, stalking whatever is a normal thing to do to people who are um famous or a little famous whatever. I don't care that it's normal, i don't care that this crazy type of behavior comes along with the job. The career field i've chosen, that does not make it okay. That doesn't make it normal. I don't- doesn't mean i want it, doesn't mean that i like it. I don't want whatever the fuck you think. You're supposed to be entitled to whenever you see a celebrity. I don't give a fuck if you think it's selfish of me to say no for a photo or for your time or for a hug. That's not normal that's weird. It's weird how people think that you know a person just 'cause you see them online and you listen to the art the make that's fucking weird. I'm allowed to say no to creepy behavior okay?"

okay so now that i am done revealing Chappell's full statement on what she thinks of her fans let's break it down into what i think of the situation and make truth out of it. so Chappell starts of by asking us(her fans) if we saw a random woman on the street, would we yell at her from our car, would we harass her, would we ask her for a photo, etc. first of all no, i would not ask a random person for a photo or definitely not yell out of my car window at them. especially not the last part considering i have RESPECT for celebrities and people and i think it's very RUDE to YELL at someone from your car window, me personally i would never yell at anyone, let alone a celebrity, if anything i would be embarrassed and ashamed. now secondly, asking for photos, no i would not ask a random person for a photo, that's just weird like they're some RANDOM person walking the street. But a celebrity is different, especially you Chappell. you are no RANDOM PERSON, you are a very popular singer-songwriter who has become famous over ur catchy songs. if you can't handle someone asking you POLITELY for a photo then that's just weird and kinda dumb in my opinion. now if they're BOMBARDING you and FOLLOWING YOU AROUND like the PAPARAZZI, yes that's weird and i wouldn't do that either. if i politely asked for a photo of one of my fav celebrities and they said 'no' i would be fine with it. but now the reason why you're getting backlash and heat for saying no is becuz of the way you stated how u said no to ur fans. u said the response "no what the fuck?". okay now see that's a valid reason to be offended because saying no isn't a problem it's the fact that you said "what the fuck" after as if they are being weird by simply asking u for a photo. if someone said that to me i would be offended becuz of their rude tone of response and how they said no. all u have to say is "no, sorry." or "no, sorry i have things to do." u shouldn't say "no, what the fuck" like girl OBVIOUSLY ur gonna get heat and backlash for saying that becuz it sounds RUDE. now the stalking, yes, creepy stalker fans are weird, absurd, and absolutely the most rude and creepy people on the planet and i do not support stalking at all. yes, it's weird to follow people around for photos and constantly beg them for photos and autographs. BUT, if it's just a normal fan who's being polite about asking for a photo or autograph, there is absolutely NO reason why u should be responding that way. u also stated that u don't care that this is the job u chose and that this is what comes with the job. well Chappell, u kinda have to deal with that. every smart and living person on this planet knows that if u start making catchy music and albums, ur gonna become famous and develop fans all over the world. u need to start realizing that this kind of stuff is expected and beyond normalized within the fame community. ur gonna have way worse than nice fans. ur also gonna have rude fans, stalkers, creeps, pedoph1les, haters, exes everyone around the world is gonna have some sort of problem or obsession or love for u. the job u chose is not working at McDonald's or something, it's a job where u sing and perform songs all over the world in front of millions of people. yes it's rude to assume someone is rude or nice based off of one conversation, but Chappell u've clearly shown ur fans that ur not at all used to being famous and in fact u seem against it. ur fans are mad and lashing out becuz u are acting like ur just a random girl who isn't a huge popstar, u can't act like that in Hollywood or in the fame industry. u will and u currently are being cancelled by a bunch of people and this is gonna continue to happen if u keep acting this way towards people. u also claimed that fans simply asking for photos is abuse and harassment? that does not make ANY sense, that is the most ridiculous and stupidest shit i've ever heard. if someone is talking rude about u and shit, that's verbal abuse, if someone's trying to hit u or touch u in an inappropriate way, that's physical abuse but in NO WAY is a(continued)

[llovely]

get 2 know me!

@ilostyou @911onabc and @eddiebabygirldiaz tagged me in these a while ago so im just gonna combine them into one giant tag lmao ❤️❤️❤️

nicknames: abby is a nickname technically but i never go by my full name. abs sometimes i guess

zodiac: virgo sun, aqua moon, leo rising

height: 5'9"

fave music: indie/alt pop? i guess? it depends on my mood tbh i listen to many a genre

followers: 1072 on this blog

following: 681

do you get asks: occasionally! mainly video requests on @butchdiaz that i usually forget to respond to </3 im sorry

amount of sleep: i probably average like 5? 6? hours which is concerning but sometimes its 2 and sometimes it's 12 because i have depression + insomnia 🙃

what are you wearing: vintage speak now world tour shirt + neon turquoise athletic shorts (i am Sick)

dream job: basically what i do rn? crazy (id like a little more money/consistency though lol but) dancing, making theatre, making music

languages: english, thee shittiest high school french, and learning super basic asl currently

random fact: brain empty uhhhh

aesthetic: multiple people have told me my outfits are giving zookeeper recently? so that i guess? also like butch cowboy farmer kindergartener IDK

last song: super graphic ultra modern girl - chappell roan

favorite color: brown! + green and yellow

currently watching: merlin rewatch. it's rough out here

last movie: practical magic last night

sweet/spicy/savory: all of the above. i've grown out of my sweet tooth lately though i'd say savoury

relationship status: in a relationship 🫣

current obsessions: merlin (again), buddie (always), the rise and fall of a midwest princess, crosswords

last thing you googled: “practical magic cast" LOL

im literally so tired to see whos done this but if u see this i tag u answer as many or as little as u want mwah

[sanchoyo]

5, 11, and 20 for the artist ask game!

5. Estimate of how much of your art you post online vs. the art you keep for yourself

I don’t post my notebook doodles, irl paintings, or a lot of my warm up sketches, and atm I have a lot of spoiler-filled oc art I don’t want to post… the post to unposted ratio is like. 60% posted/40% unposted probably 🙈

11. Do you listen to anything while drawing? If so, what

yeah I need SOME kind of background noise, but I can’t usually watch full Big Shows. I just need mindless background noise… (like the other day I tried to watch prehistoric planet and had to turn it off bc I thought. This is too much rn I want to watch this when I can give it my full attention yk? For that reason anime is usually also Out Of The Question bc it requires me to look at subtitles) so usually it’s a random hgtv show where they’re house hunting or whatever or some documentary lol. I do sometimes listen to video game stream vods or podcasts but only the ones I can zone out of, so like. Nonfiction entertainment ones of just ppl chatting usually so I don’t have to pay a ton of attention. (Here lately it’s been normal gossip or trixie and katyas podcast) also music…been way into chappell roan lately her music makes me go craaaazy I need ppl to go listen to her rn 😭

20. Something everyone else finds hard to draw but you enjoy

hmm. Maybe like. The fact I like coloring over lineart? I know that might SEEM like the general Art Opinion on tumblr but literally 98% of my friends prefer lineart. I know they are the outliers but in my group it makes me feel so jealous I want to enjoy that too… 😭 maybe also mech/furry/armor stuff bc 90% of commission posts I see say none of that and it’s like. Well I don’t draw it a LOT but when I get to I have a lot of fun!!! One day I’ll bust out a full mechagodzilla drawing and Then You’ll All Be Sorry 😾

Ty for asking!!! ^_^