#but yeah interesting to know that public opinion is about the same globally then

[mekatrio]

im learning that ajaa was widely hated in japan? ohohoho?

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #449-450

(both from yesterday)

What do you dislike about the house you live in? It's in the suburbs. Have you thought more about your funeral, or your wedding? My hypothetical wedding. Dinosaurs or unicorns? DINO BOIZ. What do you think of Maroon 5? I like some of their old stuff, and one or two of their newer songs, like "Payphone." What about Coldplay? I enjoy them. Fall Out Boy? Love 'em. Katy Perry? She's okay, I guess. There are a few songs I enjoy. Have you ever snuck into an R-rated movie when you weren’t old enough to see it without parents? No. What is your favorite Disney show? I don't have the slightest clue what's on Disney nowadays. What do you miss most about elementary school? Digging tunnels in the sandbox during recess with my friends. :'( When was the last time you saw the person you had your first kiss with? The start of February 2017. Hard to believe it's been four whole years... Is there anything hanging from the doorknob in your room? Ha, yes. Mom got me a little sign that says, "If I can't wear my flipflops, I'm not going," lmfao. All I wear are flipflops. What's your opinion on wearing pajamas in public? Do you yourself do that? I LITERALLY couldn't care less. I wear pjs in public sometimes; it really depends on where I'm going. What was the most severe punishment your parents gave you when you were growing up? Taking away technology was the worst. Do you usually fill up at the same gas station? Mom goes to a few different ones, depending on proximity and price. Have you ever owned any pet birds? What kinds/colours? I have not. I used to want a cockatiel for a long time, though. Do you pay much attention to your YouTube recommendations? If so, what was the last video that caught your attention? Kinda, I guess. I'm not sure what was the last recommended video I clicked. What has been the happiest time of your life so far? It's complicated. Most of my best memories are from high school with Jason, yet at the same time I was HORRIBLY depressed. I think my most pure happiness when I was really progressing with recovery. Moving on from him, losing tons of weight, feeling motivated... Have you ever had a crush on a celebrity? Who? My two biggest celebrity crushes ever have been/is Link Neal and Mark Fischbach. Do you have any fears you would rarely admit to anyone? Nah. Admitting fears isn't a big deal to me at all. What website do you spend most of your time on? YouTube. What did you have for dinner last night? A chicken sandwich. What could you talk about for hours? Meerkats, Silent Hill, Mark... Do you have a lamp beside your bed? Yes. What's your favorite ice cream topping? Chocolate syrup. What was the last TV show you binge watched? Avatar: The Last Airbender. Would you rather eat burgers or tacos? Oh, burgers for sure. I don't likes tacos. Did your mother change her maiden name when/if she got marred? Yes. Do you use TikTok? Nope. Are you closer to your mother or father? Mom. Do you own any costumes? No. Would you care if your SO went to a strip club? Hm. So long as they're not laying hands on any of the strippers and they ASKED me first, I don't think I'd care? I'm pretty sure I'd also only be okay with that if we were a long-term couple where very strong trust has been built. How helpful are your parents to you? Would they help you to pay for your first apartment? College? Where does the line end? They are so, so very helpful and I'm pretty sure would go to the ends of the earth to help me in any way they could. I know they WOULD help pay for the things you mentioned, but it's not something I want them to do. I want to be able to financially provide for myself, one day... Have you ever had to evacuate due to natural disaster? No. What video games did you have when you were growing up? LOADS. I looooooooved video games. What was the first election you ever voted in? This last one, actually. Can you hear anything right now? Yeah. I'm watching Gab play the Resident Evil 3 remake on hardcore mode. What's the coolest, most unusual pet you can think of? I've always thought sugar gliders were quite interesting as pets. I wanted one for a looong time, but I am not informed on how well they do in captivity and if it should even be legal for me to truly want one anymore. Have you ever seen a UFO or other weird object in the sky? By definition, it was a UFO. Sometimes I do even wonder if it was an alien spacecraft, given JUST how strange that shit was. I won't explain it again, just 'cuz I've done it in many surveys before. Are there any albums you know every single lyric to? I could probably nail Ozzy's Black Rain. What's your go-to painkiller? Advil. Does your mom have a celebrity look-alike? No, but there's a celebrity with her exact name. Do you think it’s pretty when 100s of balloons are let loose into the sky? NO NO NO NO NO that shit is SO upsetting. Where do you think they end up??? It's littering. Animals get choked and tangled by them all the time. What do you draw more than anything else? Definitely meerkats. Have you ever visited someone in a psychiatric home or ward? No, but people have visited me in one. Have you ever received a parking fine? No. Are you in any group chats? Who's in them? No. Do you have a lisp? No. Do you have an Instagram account? Do you use it often? I have three, but one's pretty much dead. I don't post stuff regularly on my other two either, really... Can you parallel park? I would absolutely hit another car. Have you ever played paintball? Did you get hit? No, that shit's dumb. You can get really hurt. What was your favorite fairy tale when you were a kid? Maybe Little Red Riding Hood? Are your parents still together? If not, do you know why? No. Mostly financial disagreements, but I know there's stuff I don't know. Have you ever been evicted? Why? Yes, because we couldn't keep up with rent. Have you ever worked as a manager or supervisor? Noooo. What was the last thing you voted for? So Snake Discovery (a reptile channel I love) hosted an enclosure build-off recently, and the winners were selected by fans via voting. The guy I voted for got 3rd. What's the most amazing animal you've ever seen in captivity? I've been very close to an elephant at a zoo once. They're magnificent. Having been to Sea World as a kid (I would NEVER go now), I also saw the killer whale show. As much of a spectacle as it was, it was animal abuse regardless. Do you like white chocolate? It's okay in small doses. Have you ever eaten snow? Yeah. Do you talk to your pets? Um, duh. Have you ever adopted a stray? (Cat or dog?) Cats, yes. Do you read about any mythology? (Greek, Roman, Norse, Egyptian, etc) No, not by my own will. I DO love mythology, I just... don't read it. Do you ever use bath bombs? No. Have you ever gotten angry at an employee and complained to the manager? No. Have you ever sent your food back at a restaurant? Yes, because they got my meal wrong. I was REALLY shy to do it, but I made sure to do it politely and apologetically. Do you sleep in a bra? What mad lad sleeps in a bra???????????? Has your ex ever gone out with someone close to you? No. Can you suggest someone funny on YouTube? I'll go for someone what isn't my obvious vote, ha ha. There are truly so many, but Garrett Watts is high on the list. Elena Bateman, too. Can you do a handstand? No. Has anyone close to you ever been suicidal? Yes. Have you ever broken someone's heart and didn't care? Tyler sure acted like I did, and to be entirely frank, I didn't care very much, but only because it was a HUGE overreaction and I knew he'd be fine quick. What color is your hairbrush? It's just a white comb. Who was your most recent call from? My psychiatrist. Have you ever watched someone die? Only animals... It's the absolute worst. Are you currently "seeing" someone? No. Are you friends with someone who's autistic? I might be, but I know my niece is on the spectrum. Do you like humans? To be entirely transparent... I think I wish humans were never a thing. We've done so, so much harm to the planet, some things irrevocable. Earth would be a much healthier, far more peaceful place if we'd never existed. Do you like pandas? I love pandas. P.S., fuck outta here if you're one of the people who don't support conservation efforts for them. That shit blows my mind. What do you think of Evanescence? They're great. Amy's voice is absolutely incredible. I don't even think that's an opinion, but global fact, ha ha. What do you think of Avenged Sevenfold? I like some of their stuff. I haven't heard a whole lot though, honestly. What do you think of Halestorm? ^ Do you think you are attractive? God no. I don't see me as an attractive person at all. Do you like dinosaurs? I love 'em; I was OBSESSED as a kid, and my first aspired job was a paleontologist. Do you like lasagna? No. Do you share a room? No. When was the last time you climbed a tree? Never, actually. Have you ever been hospitalized for more than 2 weeks? I think my longest was three. What can you do that none of your friends can do? I dunno. Why did you last go to the airport? Mom and I were dropping Sara off so she could go home. Who was the last person to see you in your underwear? My mom. Who’s the most attractive female you’ve ever seen? Maybe Alissa White-Gluz from Arch Enemy? Or my friend Alon. I'm certain there's more, because women are just so fuckin beautiful asdkfajlwejkrjqwe Red, white, yellow, or pink roses? I actually like the original, rich red. Do you think someone would ever want to marry you? Well, two people have, but one absolutely doesn't anymore and the other knows that it's not healthy or emotionally safe for either of us to imagine that at this time. I don't know if anyone ever will again. Do you like Thanksgiving? No. Like I enjoy the focus on thankfulness, but the history isn't right and I don't enjoy the food. Do you ever wear colored eye liner? No. Have you ever used a darkroom? No. Have you ever been "popular"? No. Has someone ever tried to convert you? Yes. Have you ever been told that you dress like a slut? No, not that how someone dresses has any relevance to their sexual activity. What’s your most recent obsession? Final Fantasy X jfccccccc. Video games or board games? The former. Are you scared of tarantulas? As much as I talk about them... you can probably tell I have a massive interest in them, ha ha. However, even though I love them, they're still sorta scary. Like, threat poses are no joke. And it's terrifying on the very rare occasion they hiss. During Covid, do you wear a mask or no mask? I'm fully vaccinated, and yet I still wear a mask because I'm a considerate human fucking being. Do you have a PlayStation 4? No, but I reeeeaaally want one. :/ Have you ever played Fortnite? Nah, not my type of game. Do you like anime? Yeah. Have you ever been on a boat? Yeah. I was always SO excited as a kid when Dad would take the boat out for a fishing trip. Have you ever played Kingdom Hearts? I've played some of it with Jason. I wasn't a fan of it. Have you ever built a snowman? Yes. DC or Marvel? I don't really have a preference.

----------

Do you prefer your nails long or short? Why? Short, because I can't keep my nails long for the life of me. I pick/peel my nails badly. Do you have any vinyl records? No. Are you still in touch with your best friend from high school? No. Have you ever visited any celebrity gravesites? No. How do you feel about archaeology? It's extremely fascinating. Would you have a big cat (like a tiger) for a pet if you could? No. I could never provide the environment they need, and it's simply not safe. They are not domestic animals, and even the ones that seem most tame can surprise you. What are your favorite smells? Cinnamon rolls, coffee, lilac, fresh baked bread, barbecue, etc. Have you ever had to block people online for harassing you? I'm not sure, actually... What is your favorite thing to do on The Sims? Surveys have a lot of questions about those games... I only ever played the ones that focused on animals, and I think I most enjoyed breeding them and naming the bbz. :^) And watching their behavior. Which hair color you've had has been your favorite? Red. If you were stupid-rich, would you ever actually want a mansion? No. I do not need all that room, nor am I wasting my money on such excessive space. What drinking games have you played? None. Do you take lessons for anything? No. Has something really heavy ever fallen on you? No. If you wear makeup, what colors do you usually wear? Only black. Does your shower have curtains or a glass door/wall? Curtains. If you have more than one pet, do they ever get jealous of each other? One is a snake and the other is a cat, so. Is there a room in your house that you don’t like going in? No. Besides salt and butter, do you put anything on your popcorn? Nothing besides what you mentioned. Are you lonely? I'm way too lonely for it to be healthy. Do you like pineapple? Yep. Have you ever seen fireflies? Yes; they're endemic to here. Have you ever trespassed? As a kid, yes. Do you raise your hand or participate in class? I did sometimes. Are you afraid of heights? Yes. Are you afraid of the dark? No. Would you ever be your school’s mascot who wears that costume? No. Have you ever written a poem? I've written a lot. Would you ever be a tornado chaser? FUCK TO THE HELL NO. What is your favorite thing to eat with bbq sauce, if you even like that stuff? I hate bbq sauce. Have you ever had to do a class in summer school? No. Have you ever been to the rainforest? No. Ever thought about writing a book? Yes. Have you ever had a dream where you killed someone? Yes. Have you ever solved a Rubik’s Cube? Nope. Have you seen all of the Jaws movies? No, only the first one with Tyler. It was aight. Have you ever had a black eye? No. Is your ex sexually attractive to you still? I haven't seen a picture of Jason in years, and I don't want to. Not because I care about how he looks now, it'd just be extremely triggering to see his face. I still find Sara gorgeous. Have you ever been to couple’s counseling? No. How often does your employer ask you to work overtime? N/A When was the last time you were scared? Ummmm I really can't say I know. What’s your favorite song by Rihanna? "Disturbia" is where it's AT. There's this synthwave edit of it that I positively adore. Can you speak binary? No. Have you ever had a pet that you disliked? A family pet, yes. Do you like boys with long hair? UGH yes. Do you like root beer? Not really, no. Do you like ice cream cake? Not really. Do you ever dream of yourself dying? That's not all that rare in my nightmares. What song always makes you sad? I think two songs are tied for what makes me most sad: "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin and "Eternally Yours" by Motionless In White. Were you mean as a little kid? No; I was a sweet kid. Have you ever tried spam? No, it looks SO gross to me. How fast can you run? This is pathetic, but I don't think I CAN run. My knees are too weak. I think my weight coming down on them would just make me crumple over. Have you ever bought something from Spencer's? Yeah. Have you ever been on a diet? I've tried diets many times. Do you prefer light or dark jeans? Dark. When you listen to music, do you generally sing along, or just listen? I almost always just listen. Do you have any of your exes as friends on Facebook? Yeah. Who was your first love? Do you ever miss that person? Jason. I miss his memory every day. I say "memory" because it's been years, and I have no way of knowing who he is today. How many cars are parked at your house right now? One. Has anyone ever told you you’re a control freak? No. Do you know anyone who has gone missing? If so, were they ever found? Not personally. What was the spiciest thing you’ve ever eaten? Some wings with extremely hot sauce at Buffalo Wild Wings. Have you ever deliberately tried to get someone drunk? Um yeah, no. Do you like sprinkles on your ice cream? No. I don't like sprinkles in general. Do you know how to do the moon walk? No. Has anybody ever told you that you have a good singing voice? Yes, somehow. Onion rings or french fries? French fries, for sure. Who is the best cook that you know? Dunno. If you have your ears pierced, when did you get them pierced? When I was a kid. I don't remember the age, but I was old enough to decide myself that I wanted them pierced. If you have siblings, have they moved out or do they still live with you? They have their own places now. Do you like fried rice? Yessss. Are there any animals you refuse to touch? Some bugs. Have you ever intentionally fed a house spider? I don't believe so, no. What makes you feel lucky? That I have the family I do. What is something nice going on in your life right now? Just the gym-going, really... Who’s the worst person you’ve encountered on the Internet? An old friend I just knew as Shakes. If death wasn’t a consequence, what would you try? Maybe sky-diving, idk. Has a teacher ever told you off? No. Have you ever told off a teacher? No. Do/did you take school seriously or not? I certainly did. How do you usually cope with breakups? Not well. I obsess over how something's wrong with me and I'm not good enough for anyone. Disney princess or Disney animal movies? Animals, for sure. What's your favorite Katy Perry song? It's evading me right now... Have you ever made/tried friendship bread!? Omg, I forgot that was a thing! I actually have. I've completely forgotten the gist of it or even how it tastes, but I remember I loved it. What do you want to know about the future? If I'll ever be content and happy. What's your biggest insecurity? My weight. Ever found something disgusting in your food while eating out? No, thank god. Does the area where you live have a good or bad reputation? A very bad one. Are there any holidays that you don't celebrate? Yeah, like St. Patrick's Day, among some others. If you could find out who you're gonna marry right now, would you? Yes. Save myself time and heartbreak. How important is it to you that your partner has the same religious views? I wouldn't date someone very religious. If they're more tame about it, that's fine, but I'd prefer to not date a religious individual. Do you own a Wii? Yeah. I've kinda been wanting to play Guitar Hero or Rock Band lately on it... Do you like a lot of cheese on your pizza? "A regular, reasonable amount of cheese." <<<< This. I really don't like when things are so cheesy that it leaves a ridiculous trail when you try to separate pieces. Have you ever been made fun of because of your sexuality? Not directly to my face, but I can guarantee people I know had certain ~opinions~ on it when I came out. I also like just came out as pansexual versus bi, and I'm not even telling a lot of people in my personal life because I know they'll find the concept absolutely ridiculous. What would you do if you found an abandoned animal? "Depends on what type of an animal it was, and whether it was friendly or skittish." <<<< This. I'm obviously not going to try to usher a rabid dog over to me (I'd call a rescue or something if the animal appeared potentially dangerous), but if the animal appeared safe, my heart would absolutely lead me to try and get the animal to come to me so I could take it home and try to find the owner. Have you ever kissed someone who had a tongue piercing? No. What singer/band do you think deserves to be more famous than they are? Jonathan Young from YouTube. He is INCREDIBLE. He deserves to be picked up by a label so badly. What is your favorite PlayStation 1 game? The original Silent Hill, no competition. Do you think objectum sexuals are real, or attention seekers? I really can't imagine someone pretending to want to fuck their car for attention. I don't get it AT ALL, and it's weird as shit to me, but I mean, I don't think people can control what they're attracted to. How far out of your age bracket would you date? 21-early 30s, probs. Have you ever had an STD? No. Have you ever tried pho? No. Pick one: Crash Bandicoot or Spyro? Spyro!!!! I have the original trilogies of both series, but Spyro is where it's AT. Does your job allow piercings or tattoos? I'm unemployed, but I wouldn't work at a job that didn't, honestly. If you could dye your hair any color right now with absolutely no restrictions, what color would you dye it? Maybe like a galaxy-esque mixture of layered colors. I've wanted that for YEARS. Have you ever known a white supremacist? This region is swimming in them. Have you ever spoken to a detective before? No. Do ladders scare you? Climbing them does, yes. Do you have any tattoos on your arms? Yeah. Have you ever thrown up on anybody? Unless I did unknowingly as a baby, no. How many people have you turned down when they asked you out? Uhhh two or three, maybe? What is your favourite kind of fruit cobbler? I actually haven't tried enough to have an educated favorite, but I can say I love peach. Do you hear any other people talking right now? I'm watching a let's player play Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, so I hear her, obviously. When was the last time you started a new medication? It's been a while, idk. What is your favourite type of nut? Cashews, I guess. I don't really like nuts, but I definitely like cashew bars. Where did you eat the best pizza you’ve ever eaten in your life? ... Domino's lmaoooo. Did you ever watch The Rugrats when you were a kid? Yeah, I loved that show. I even had two video games. Do you know anyone who was adopted? Yes. Can you name all 50 US state capital cities? No. Can you tie balloons? I can't, actually. Have you had a deep conversation with anyone today? Yeah. I wanted Sara's advice on something I'm dealing with. On your Facebook friends list, who was the last person to have their b-day? One of my sisters' was yesterday, actually. What did you/are you having for dinner tonight? I had Special K cereal. Name some healthy foods that you enjoy eating. Strawberries, apples, bananas, (sometimes) broccoli, other things that aren't coming to me. Who was the last person you Facebook messaged? My friend Girt. What flavor was the last cupcake you ate? The cupcake itself was chocolate, and the icing was uhhhh... blue? Apart from sleeping, what do you plan to do tonight? I haven't done anything of note. I'm probably going to bed soon. What’s the age difference between your parents? Two years, I think. When was the last time you ate an apple? Today. I have been on a big sliced apples w/ peanut butter kick lately. Have you had any caffeinated beverages today? I have soda every day. :x Have you eaten any chocolate today? What kind? Mom brought me a Reese's home today when she went out with a friend. How many different towns/cities have you lived in? Three. Have you ever written a song or poem for someone special? Poems, yes. Are you attracted to the last person you Facebook messaged? Not very much physically. Emotionally... I don't know. Do you have any ice cream in your freezer? What flavor is it? No. Ice cream is my #1 comfort food, so that's a big "keep out of the house."

[doomedandstoned]

Know Your Scene: Electric Valley Records

~By Peter Willmott~

Electric Valley Records is a name in the underground Stoner/Psych/Doom community that inspires enthusiastic support from every corner. Based in the small island of Sardinia Italy, founder Marco Nieddu started off releasing his own music for the band Raikinas. Now years after Raikinas has joined the great festival in the sky and the label lives on. Now Marco continues to play with 1782 and he has been making serious waves with Electric Valley Records with a stable of great bands and a growing reputation for boutique vinyl, deliciously dark art, and all round killer releases.

Started by Marco in 2014, the label grew over the first few years from a boutique Italian market to take on the world stage and by 2018 was generating serious media attention. Marco’s great art and attention to detail in his releases created a loyal stable of fans - if it was Electric Valley Records you knew it was going to be a great album.

Fast forward to 2021, as Italy slowly climbs out of the COVID-19 mess, Electric Valley Records has a great family of bands who support each other - you can’t underestimate the power of community in helping bands stay strong and keep the fire alive to produce great music. The power of vinyl and fuzz worship has never been stronger! 2021 sees Electric Valley Records take a global position with one release a month in the first half of 2021, including bands from Australia (Amammoth), Chile (Dixie Goat), Cyprus (Stonus), Italy (1782, Cancervo) and more. We can’t wait to see what’s coming next!

We spoke with Marco Nieddu about some of the label’s history.

When did you decide to start Electric Valley Records, and where did the name come from?

The label was born in 2014, with my band at the time, Raikinas, we were looking for a label, we sent tons of emails but we got just two or three replies. I couldn't stand it, so I decided to create my own label just for that band, but as you know Electric Valley has much more than just one band, plus Raikinas no longer exists. (laughs)

As for the name instead, there is no particular reason, that name had been spinning in my head for a long time, so I didn't think twice and chose it as the name of the label.

What do you love about the Italian heavy music scene?

The Italian heavy music scene is really beautiful, there are so many good bands that take out fantastic albums; bands like Ufomammut, Black Rainbows, Elepharmers, Humulus, Cancervo, Atomic Mold, just to name a few, I could spend hours writing.

Also from the point of view of labels it is not bad at all, one of the strongest labels of this genre is Heavy Psych Sounds Records, and it is from Rome, then we have Argonauta Records, GoDown Records and many others.

One thing I love about the Italian scene is the small festivals, people are very interested. In my opinion we are not at the level of other countries such as Germany, for example --but I must say that in our small way we move well -- there is a lot of interest from both the organizer and the public.

What gives you the biggest buzz running the label?

Basically everything! (laughs) The excitement starts from when the band signs through to the release of the album and beyond. This with every single release!

The coolest thing is when you realize bands are going strong, I don't mean sales, I mean, when people start talking about bands, share them on social media, include them in playlists and take record photos. For me the most important thing is that the band is doing well and growing more and more. Before being my job, it is my passion.

What is the special sauce that makes an album an “Electric Valley Records” release?

There isn't exactly a special sauce, each band has its own special sauce. When I listen to new bands, generally, if I like them I immediately realize, as I said before, each band has its own particularity and this is what strikes me, it can be a certain type of sound, a certain style of riff, the groove, the voice and any other kind of peculiarity.

What I try to do is make the listener feel the same feelings I feel when I listen to that particular band. I can't pick bands at random or without listening to them just to make a release, Electric Valley isn't that kind of label.

Marco Nieddu may be the most popular man in the underground stoner-psychedelic and doom community. We reached out to bands on the Electric Valley Records label, and boy were they ready to talk about it, there’s a whole lotta love for Marco and his work over the years!

What attracted you to Electric Valley Records?

Amammoth: We first heard of them through the band 1782 which we are huge fans of. We love their sound and they have amazing artwork. When we were looking into getting some artwork done for our band we looked at Electric Valley and we discovered Marco was the one who did it all. We were super lucky to have Marco do some art for us and it all stemmed from there. We were already fans of the label and listened to a lot of the bands on the label, as they promote a lot of the influential up and upcoming bands of our genre.

Atomic Mold: It was 2015, our first album "Atomic Mold" had just been released. Marco contacted us to find out if we would like to collaborate, we wrote a lot and we decided to make a split. He put us in touch with Mount Hush and in a short time we made a split that had good success and was sold out in a few months. In October 2016 we met with Marco in Sardegna who organized the tour with Fatso Jetson.

Stonus: Well, back in 2019 we were looking for a record label to release our debut album “Aphasia” which was our main aim at the time. The reason for seeking a label contract was to get more reach, release our music on vinyl, more gig opportunities and to learn how things work from a more business/professional perspective. We had 4 or 5 options at the time and Electric Valley Records was the most appealing as we liked the bands that were signed and they do things in a really professional way. Marco is an excellent guy although we never met in person. (laughs) He is always available for questions and he is really flexible and understanding. In a year, we had two releases on vinyl, “Aphasia” and “Séance” and they also have some cool options like tapes. I must say we are very satisfied even though the pandemic caused some delays but what can you do, fans have been patient on their side and we have to thank them for that, too.

Loose Sutures: EVR is one of the best labels in doom, stoner, fuzz rock. Beautiful roster, high accuracy in every detail, respect and personality. For us is more about a brotherhood than a simple contract sealing: we belong to the same island and share the same studio with 1782. We're friends and we all feel friendship with all EVR bands.

Hadewijch: EVR attracted us for many reasons but the first would have to be the great communication back and forth and the complete belief in our vision and Herbal Doom from day one. Marco is a professional and creates an environment where we as artists and our music feels safe and respected. It’s clear that he cares very much about the bands and the music itself and is not afraid to take risks on what he releases in line with a level of quality that has become known from the label.

High N' Heavy: What attracted us to EVR was we really dug their aesthetic, and we were already big fans of Atomic Mold and Weed Demon.

Dixie Goat: We don't know if you can put this (we can - Peter) but the last days of last year we were contacted by Paul from The Cosmic Peddler. He asked us if we had physical copies from our 2nd album (new one) so we said no. Then he asked us if we were interested in releasing the album and if we want to have a label. Our answer was Fuck Yeah! man. We don't care if they want to release our new album on tape, cd, lp, laserdisc, betamax, minidisc, whatever they want! We were just happy that someone was interested in the band and they wanted us to release our music outside our country also considering our difficult times. So that is how it starts. Kinda fairy tale. They have a great roster of bands. Also they released a split including our brothers from Chile, Arteaga. Awesome band, by the way.

Cancervo: We’ve known EVR through friends. We already listen to some bands from this label and we like their works, so we tried to send our first record, when they told us that the song was liked and that we could do something, we were so excited!

Weed Demon: When Marco approached us about signing with EVR we were completely unfamiliar with the label but it didn’t take long to realize that they were headed in the right direction. The roster of bands was killer and label branding was on point. It just felt like a perfect fit for us. They had a little bit of everything, just like our sound in Weed Demon. It also didn’t hurt that Marco is a super nice dude and has always been easy to work with.

Marmalade Knives: I found my way to Electric Valley through Heavy Psych Sounds, and I instantly really appreciated Marco and his openness to hearing new music and growing his label in different psychedelic directions. I think his attitude and demeanor find their way into all corners of the EVRverse. All of the other bands on the label I've interacted with have been super supportive and cool.

Desert Suns: We started working with Electric Valley right when we had finished our latest album Carry On. We were shopping it around to see who would want to release it. Marco was down to put it out.

Wormhog: Since we were determined to release our first LP Yellow Sea on vinyl we had made some contacts with various labels and pressing plants. Electric Valley and Marco showed us right from the start how much they wanted a collaboration between us. Of course, we knew of EVR’s existence long before our release and we were flattered to be part of such a great family with so many great bands! However, what actually attracted us, was that there was a feeling of mutual respect in our communication, right from the start, which was also depicted on our contract. Everything is straight and simple, which was the main reason we wanted to be part of the label, and we couldn’t be happier about it!

Elepharmers: We met the guys from Electric Valley before their label was even founded. Marco was the bass player of Raikinas, we met at a concert, then we shared the stage and beautiful evenings. We also did some gigs in Germany together thanks to him and his band. We appreciate their desire to grow and make space for themselves in the stoner, psych, doom music scene.

What was the most exciting part of your release with Electric Valley Records?

Amammoth: We were super stoked to be working with a label that we were already fans of, and to be on a label that gives a fuck and actually cares about the art and the artists. It was fun working with Marco to design the record cover too, as we really appreciate his art. It was exciting to work with a label that works so hard to expose their bands to people all around the world and we really appreciate them pumping our songs out for people all over to hear. Coming from Australia and being in a genre like ours it is a great honour and privilege to be on a label like Electric Valley, as our music is being heard and reaching places further than we could have ever imagined.

Atomic Mold: Surely to see our records arrive all over the world!

Stonus: Nothing can beat the excitement of releasing your debut album on vinyl and being featured by blogs and magazines all around the globe. We feel very thankful for the feedback and support we received and Electric Valley Records was a catalyst on this small success.

Loose Sutures: Being part of EVR means being part of something getting bigger every year . You realize immediately that this label cares a lot about their bands. You can see it in every step: music, promotion, merch, album covers etcetera. Now we are close to releasing the first single of our new album and we can't wait for it! So excited and proud.

Hadewijch: The most exciting was to have 100 percent freedom with the artwork and control over the release, but still feeling like this was a collective team effort with EVR behind us every step of the way.

High N' Heavy: Most exciting part about releasing through them was they did such a great job getting us out there and fully supporting our ideas. They’re great at working with you on making your release the best it can be. From the music to the art direction and everywhere in between.

Dixie Goat: As we said above, the label has great bands so being part of it's like a dream come true. Also releasing our music for the first time on a label and for the first time on vinyl woooow, we were jumping like monkeys. Pretty happy!

Cancervo: The most exciting part was planning the release and all the technical details of our first album.

Weed Demon: Our last two releases with EVR gave us way more worldwide exposure. It’s difficult for an Ohio based band to gain a following across the pond in Europe. Having a label based out of Sardinia definitely helped increase our fan base.

Marmalade Knives: As this was my band's first release ever, I have to say that each milestone -- each a first -- was very exciting for me. The signing, the selection of vinyl colors, holding a copy in my hands for the first time: it was all exciting.

Desert Suns: Electric Valley had been on our radar for a couple years so it was cool to actually have our second album released by a label from Italy. Electric Valley has been putting out some solid releases from some really rad bands! We are stoked to be on their roster.

Wormhog: Since Yellow Sea is our first physical release, the most exciting moment cannot be any other than the moment we saw our new records in the flesh! The printing and pressing quality are absolutely amazing, and that’s what anybody should expect from a label like Electric Valley Records.

Elepharmers: One thing we appreciate about Electric Valley is that it's a label run by people with so much enthusiasm, people with whom we've created a bond of friendship that goes beyond the stage and making records. Marco from EV collaborated in setting the dates for the 2020 European tour, which unfortunately was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Anything else you’d like to share about Electric Valley Records?

Amammoth: We can’t thank them enough for everything they have done for us as a band. They are one of the best independent record labels in the world and we are super lucky to be working with them.

Atomic Mold: Yes, we are currently composing the new album which we will release with Electric Valley Records. Over time he has built a great relationship with us. We have a lot of trust and respect for the work he has always done for us.

Stonus: For us the whole concept of a release is important, from music to artwork, vinyl colour, special inserts and posters. We like to experiment with ideas and possibilities so we often discuss with Marco things that he has never done before and he is keen to learn and do his research, always offering a solution. We are really happy to be part of this awesome family of heavy bands, they are all amazing artists and people. We can't wait to meet them in person and connect through music!

Loose Sutures: Get Ready for the new album: it's gonna be hot and nasty! We are proud to continue being part of this great family and we are more than sure that it will continue to grow and improve more and more.

Hadewijch: Yes! I think it’s worth saying, even at the risk of sounding a bit cliché, that there is a very positive feeling environment on the label. All the bands are kind and willing to help each other, like a group of friends you know? We’re all willing to help uplift each other and it’s an awesome feeling.

High N' Heavy: And I’d like to say again that the support is real with EVR. Not just from Marco and the crew, but from the bands, too. We constantly refer to it as the EVR family, and it really feels that way. Everyone reps everyone else. It’s a great label, and they continue to grow with new awesome bands.

Dixie Goat: They have treated us awesome since day 1. Always kind and respectfully. We like that and we have just gratitude for the label. We think it's not that easy to sign a band from the end of the world. We have so much love for Marco from Electric Valley Records and Paul from The Cosmic Peddler. Thank you so much, guys!

Cancervo: We found a great family and a good vibe who pushed us to plan our second album still with them. It will come out in the first part of 2022! Stay tuned!

Weed Demon: The thing I love most about being a part of this label is the feeling of family. All of the bands are super supportive of one another. Even being spread out all across the world, it still feels like you are all buds in a local scene. Everyone working towards a shared goal of growing the Electric Valley family and pushing each other’s music and art to the next level!

Marmalade Knives: Just that I'm psyched to continue the working relationship. I'm hopeful that the second Marmalade Knives LP will be released later this year.

Desert Suns: We’ve had a little line up change over the last year so we are writing some new material we’d like to record and get out within the next year and hopefully have the privilege to keep working with Electric Valley Records.

Wormhog: We just can’t wait for our next release together!

Elepharmers: At the moment I don't have other things to tell: there would be many anecdotes related to parties and concerts, drinking beer till dawn and listening to great music.

Highlights from the Electric Valley Records Catalog

Amammoth

Amammoth - The Fire Above by Electric Valley Records

Atomic Mold

Split Atomic Mold / Arteaga by ATOMIC MOLD

Cancervo

I by CANCERVO

Desert Suns

Carry On by Desert Suns

Dixie Goat

There's No Light Without Darkness by Dixie Goat

Elepharmers

Lords of Galaxia (2019, Electric Valley Records) by Elepharmers

Hadewijch

Herbal Noise by Hadewijch

High N' Heavy

V by High n' Heavy

Loose Sutures

Loose Sutures by Loose Sutures

Marmalade Knives

Amnesia by Marmalade Knives

Stonus

Séance by Stonus

Weed Demon

Crater Maker by Weed Demon

Wormhog

Yellow Sea by Wormhog

Follow The Label

Get Their Music

[blucmoon]

━  ☾ ⊹  ( bang chan, cis male , he/him ) say hello to HWA YOHAN / CHANCE HWA, the TWENTY FOUR YEAR OLD that seems to have a lot in his hands with HIS job as a STREAMER AND CONTENT CREATOR! beyond that, they seemed RELIABLE AND PASSIONATE upon first glance. i heard someone say they’re sort of SELF-CONSCIOUS AND CAUTIOUS though. HE seems to live in a 2 BEDROOM APARTMENT in SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA. anything else to add? oh, yeah! he also USED TO BE A PROFESSIONAL GAMER PART OF SEOUL DYNASTY (OWL) UNTIL HE GOT KICKED OUT.

basic information

― full name: hwa yohan / chance hwa ― nicknames: yohwa ― age: twenty four ― date of birth: october 3rd, 1996 ― birthplace: cheonan, south korea. ―hometown: sydney, australia ― current location: seoul, south korea ― living arrangements: 2 bedroom apartment ― ethnicity: korean ― nationality: dual, korean (natural born) and australian (naturalized) ― gender: cis male ― pronouns: he / him ― orientation: demiromantic, heterosexual. ― religion: atheist ― occupation: streamer ― language(s) spoken: korean (fluent), english (fluent) ―accent: heavy australian accent

physical appearance

― faceclaim: bang chan / christopher bang of stray kids. ― hair: naturally brown, though he often dyes to a variety of colors, mostly black and blue. right now, it’s a purple color that’s already fading. ― eye colour: coffee brown ― height: 171cm ― weight: 56kg ― tattoos: none at the moment. ― piercings: lobe and upper lobe on both ears. anti-tragus, orbital and rook on the left one. double helix on the right one. ― clothing style: regularly techwear when he goes out and athleisure at home.

personality

― label: the cynical ― positive traits: attentive, dependable, reliable, passionate, brave, energetic, honest, humorous, clever, versatile, truthful, affectionate, sociable ― negative traits: self-conscious, cautious, opinionated, arrogant, detached, critical, tactless, stubborn, loud, quick-tempered, harsh, unfiltered, cynical, restless, ambitious, ― hobbies: baking, collecting enamel pins and funkos, jigsaw puzzles, skateboarding, reading, listening to music, curating playlists when he has time, learning origami. ― habits: obsessively organising, borrowing books and rarely ever returning them (he forgets who they belong to ok), really bad road rage, awful at keeping track of time, people watching, always wears a black ring on his left index finger, always hugs something when sleeping, gets easily impressed by things, quotes movies and shows in regular conversations, knuckle cracking, snacking between meals, eye rolling without noticing, squinting when concentrated, crossing his arms over his chest, running hands through his hair, slouching, rolling his shoulders. ― zodiac sign: sun libra, moon gemini, ascendant libra. ― mbti: infp-t “the mediator” ― enneagram: 8w7 “the nonconformist”. ― temperament: melancholic ― hogwarts house: ravenclaw ― moral alignment: chaotic neutral ― primary vice: greed ― primary virtue: diligence ― element: air

trivia:

― he’s played all kind of games and his twitch channel was created 9 years ago (whew) and it currently has over 5 million subscribers. currently, he streams mostly genshin impact, valorant, league of legends, overwatch, spider-man: miles morales, cyberpunk 2077 and the witcher iii. every now and then he makes charity streams. he also makes special lives with other gamers and figures where they play games like among us, minecraft, fortnite (though he absolutely hates it), party animals, fall guys and other party games.

― despite the rumours around him and his parents, he’s never talked about them to the media. it’s not like chance hides the information, after all it’s online, but he swerves questions about them and pretty much decides to not say anything about them just to avoid controversy. his parents didn’t mind until last year the company they worked at offered him a sponsorship and yohan turned it down. it’s safe to say they were pretty hurt over this and they haven’t talked much recently.

― yohan is, in his words, the biggest fan of spiderman (not really) but he’s his favorite heroe of all times and he collects everything and anything that has him in it. his biggest collection is funko pops with over 30+ figurines. he collects funkos of various other interests of him as well as enamel pins.

― lowkey a weeb. he likes watching anime in his spare time and if he likes it too much, he’d buy the manga and read it as well. his latest obsessions are kimetsu no yaiba, boku no hero academia, haikyu and jujutsu kaisen.

― won’t ever admit this out loud, but almost every ghibli movie makes him cry his eyes out, even when he’s watched the same one over and over again. he prefers to watch these on his own. his favorite one is grave of the fireflies.

― it took him a while to get used to korean culture, a part of him is still trying to. luckily, his family would speak in korean in their household most of the time and this helped him not struggle as much when it came to the language. his streams are most of the time in english to cater to a bigger audience, but recently he’s got himself a small team of an editor and a translator that’s helped him add subtitles to the videos he uploads in youtube.

― his current setup is completely sponsored except for a few extra things he’s bought himself and he has minimal experience when it comes to builds, though he’s really interested in learning and has recently researched more about the whole topic, hoping to get his first custom build by the end of the year.

― has terrible road rage and this is the reason why he doesn’t own a car or a driving license, even being in the backseat makes him anxious and would much rather prefer to use the bus, a bike or his skateboard to commute between places. taxis and other rides are his last option, if he’s quite honest.

― as a neighbour, he’s polite and tries to be mindful just to avoid needless problems. the first thing he did was soundproof his office in order to not disrupt others, but sometimes this doesn’t work as well due to how loud he can be. chance will try to greet every neighbour he encounters either with a wave or a simple nod.

― loves dogs but doesn’t feel he’s responsible enough to take care of one yet, though he will certainly volunteer to pet-sit his friends’ dogs.

background:

born in cheonan, south korea to two very affectionate parents and an older sister, yohan was the name given to the first boy of the hwa’s; a small loving family who moved to australia two years after his birth.

the reason for this is that his mom was promoted to become the director of a renowned gaming company that was opening its new headquarters in sydney. his father is a software engineer specialised in videogames development who works under the same company.

his sister is a graphic designer and she, too, is currently working with them in the multimedia and design area. she’s almost 7 years older than him and ever since they were kids, she took a protective role over yohan.

it was easy for yohan to get really invested in videogames from a young age, after all, his parents would often bring home their newest releases as well as games from other various companies (his father liked to play a lot as well and he himself was a fan of many games, mostly the nintendo classics).

fast forward to his teenage years; he was actually good at school, not the best, but definitely did good enough to not worry his parents with his grades. sports always piqued his interest. he was part of the basketball team and would use his skateboard often to get to school (which would earn him earfuls from the teachers saying how dangerous it was.) other than that, he was an active member in the gaming club (shocking, i know).

at 14 he got his first close up at what esports were like after participating in a tournament of counter strike, junior division. his team (which was made up by members from the gaming club) won and he got to watch matches from other divisions, only growing more and more fascinated about the whole thing. the idea of becoming a professional gamer didn’t seem so far fetched then.

around late 2011, the same year twitch started as what it is, yohan found the platform and immediately grew curious about it. it was fascinating to watch other people play, thus it didn’t take him long to start his own channel under the username “chance” right after he turned 15. it took him a while to find his own pace there, not quite sure of what to say or how to act. eventually, he saw that the less reserved and cautious he was, the more people watched and liked his stream, so from then on, he stopped worrying about what ifs and what people would think about him.

this is a double edged sword: as his popularity grows, he becomes more and more brutally honest and less mindful of the consequences his words and actions could have. whereas he quickly became one of the public’s favorites, he was also viewed as someone potentially problematic that could bring a bad reputation to the community, though this only seemed to be a prejudice from other gamers and public figures.

he doesn’t care, however, and chance was pretty dead set on keep doing his thing. he was also really active in tournaments, either small or big, and other teams would often reach out for him to fill in. he rarely ever turned down an opportunity and even though they didn’t always win, participating was more than enough for him to gain the favor of the audience.

when he was 18, a formal contract to be part of the chiefs esports club (a recently founded professional club with teams competing in counter-strike: global offensive and league of legends based in australia) was presented to him and of course he signed.

between his streams, which had become a tri-weekly kind of deal, and the “training” with his teammates the rest of the days, it was clear that yohan wasn’t in the slightest interested to pursue a higher education, and honestly his parents didn’t complain about it as he was already doing well on his own. nonetheless, his sister was concerned and pushed him to at least take a couple of online classes (which he did, but mostly to learn how to edit videos and understand audio aspects to improve the quality of his streams.)

around this time, nasty rumours about his parents buying his way into the club were spread which earned him the dislike of some of his teammates. it was the first time yohan ever encountered a situation like that but thanks to the management, he was able to move past that. the oceanic pro league was founded in 2015, a professional league of legends competition, and the chiefs esports club participated and won. this helped the rumours around him disperse for he proved his skills were what put him into the team. sadly, he left the club a year later.

for the next couple of years, he focused on his stream and growing his community. yohan was invited to different events, tournaments and other collaborations during this time and he was always excited for them. he even decided to create a youtube channel to upload highlights and vlogs.

then, the overwatch league was announced (chance quickly became addicted to this game and even reached top 500 in competitive) and he was contacted by the seoul team (seoul dynasty) to become part of their team for the inaugural season. like that, at 21, yohan packed his bags and moved to south korea.

between 2017 and 2019, he was part of the team as dps. he had to change his schedule yet again to stream only on the weekends and with some restrictions his contract established (like not talking about the team or the league live). some of his fans voiced their dislike for this new attitude of his, which yohan brushed with a roll of the eyes and a joke.

however, before the 2020 season started and the team was on break, chance was one day streaming and offhandedly said a comment about another player in the league which he had a match with. this caused a really big commotion online and several pro-gamers were rubbed the wrong way about his words (to this day, he still doesn’t know what was so wrong about calling out someone t-bagging him in a pro game) and his reputation was admittedly tarnished. the seoul dynasty’s management team decided that it was better to let him go.

that’s how last year, chance moved into his current apartment after looking online for a new place to live.

in the present, he streams 5 days a week a variety of games and his schedule varies, some days he goes live in the mornings and other days really late at night. he has a steady income from various sponsorships as well as the monetization of his youtube channel, which he updates twice a week.

[incarnateirony]

The government only allows the person working to cross over for quarantine so at the earliest Mish won’t be in Van until tomorrow so he’ll only be able to be in like 2 days of 15.20. We know 19/20 are filming somewhat simultaneously and scene 46 (probably the last scene since most epis have around 42) was already filmed. I’m worried that even if he films part of 20 it’s minimal and not part of the grand finale. The possibility of Cas not getting his toes in the sand with his family just hurts.

What part of “you’re completely lacking the rest of the context of whether that’s a directly experienced story, a relayed story, a zoom call during wife driving story, or any other potential context of that second to the fact that we already know he’s been quarantining in a hotel for weeks” missed you?

I know you guys want really, really, REALLY bad to be upset and imagine worse case scenarios, but he’s /already been quarantining./

Stop.

Or at least stop spamming my inbox trying to get validation for the whackadoo because you’re not going to get it here. If you want to get reason and points where you’ve possibly missed discussion options, that’s fine. But if you’re going to double down, I say again: save my previous ask if you’re so certain, come back at me with I TOLD YOU SO if I’m wrong in like 4 months, but don’t clutter my inbox with some weird dedication to taking the worst possible read ever.

Even IF you're right with amount filmed while already there and "only two days" he could easily be in a third of the episode like most of his eps. Ffs, stop.

Which, by the way, you’re not. All you need to get to Canada is an eTA right now which the Collins could easily afford to do. It’s like 7 freaking bucks to apply and go through due process right now.

Travellers coming from outside the US who are exempt from the travel restrictions (list truncated to ones the Collins’ could fit within)

temporary foreign workers

any person who does not pose a significant harm to public health, in the opinion of the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada, and who will provide an essential service while in Canada

any person whose presence in Canada is in the national interest, in the opinion of the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship; Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness; or Minister of Foreign Affairs

a person who is authorized, in writing, by a consular officer of the Government of Canada to enter Canada for the purpose of reuniting immediate family members

Who is an immediate family member

An immediate family member is defined as a

spouse or common-law partner

dependent child

dependent child of a dependent child

parent or step-parent

guardian or tutor

Public health measures for travellers to Canada

If you’re travelling by air, you need to

pass a health check conducted by airlines before you’ll be allowed to board your flight

wear a non-medical mask or face covering during travel (including to the place you’ll quarantine)

*jazz hands* I think you all forget that the WB is one of the most powerful companies in the world and all it takes is one plea to a Canadian official to let their families come along and that’s it, it’s done. Covid test before flight and still quarantine by agreement and it’s not hard.

When you arrive in Canada by air, land or sea, we’ll assess your health before you leave the POE. If you’re a foreign national, and you have symptoms of COVID-19, you won’t be allowed to enter Canada.

You must have a plan to quarantine for 14 days when you arrive in Canada, including

a place to stay

how you’ll

get to your destination

get your groceries

access essential services and medical care

This plan is mandatory, even if you have no symptoms. If you don’t have a plan, you should not travel to Canada. Otherwise, you may not be allowed to enter the country. A border services officer will determine if you can enter the country.

Seriously.

And again all of THIS is a huge aside on people not getting how powerful the WB is and how easy it would be to wiggle them in, which again *is not necessary* to approaching the matter because *we don’t even know if Misha was there for the story he retold or if he’s trolling the fuck out of you over something his wife just said the kids did while he was calling her*. 

And again, even with THAT, there would be a total of 4 days total filming at anywhere from 4 to 12 shots per day based on your worst case scenario, so again, I really don’t know why someone is coming to basically lowkey argue through anon just to post sad stuff at me after I showed the many ways this is being blown out of proportion. I’ll say it again: save my posts, if I’m wrong and Misha just totally isn’t in the finale at all, come back in 4 months and Told You So’ed me. Otherwise, like. Seriously, stop insisting on posting negativity at people and doubling down at them when they clearly disagree with you, wtf?

This shit is ENDLESS guys, wave after wave, year after year, upset after upset, panic after panic, and somehow nobody ever catches a clue about it, and it starts all over again every season, every finale, sometimes every episode, and more bafflingly every tweet that people leap several football fields of conclusions in a single step over. Every time. *wHY*

The logic of “WHY DON’T THEY JUST SPOIL ALL THE ENDING STUFF FOR US RIGHT NOW WHILE WE GET SUPER LOUD ABOUT IT” is roughly tantamount to “WHY NOT JUST POST THE SCRIPTS FOR THE ENDING NOWWWWW” and I’m so very very tired of trying to be gentle and logical with everyone. I was gently logical last ask, but this doubling down, I’m not gonna just keep going “Yeah ok pls keep sending me stuff that’s arguing out the side of your mouth and spamming my ask box with things you know I clearly disagree with”

You have a right to feel feelings, hell, you have a right to be sad about ideas. But as much as “it just hurts to think XYZ”, I think there’s an absolute lack of consideration that people spraying their incessant dark takes at people in the middle of a pile of global crisises for the sheer dedication to said dark take is itself one emotional black hole for the people on the receiving end, even if they very confidently disagree with you, it’s e x h a u s t i n g

Imagine being stuck on a loop having ten thousand emo takes being thrown at you even if you have an answer to all of them, but once you answer them all, they loop back over again from different people, and all the people try to argue with you. Doesn’t matter how confident you are, you can and will be depleted of energy and give a damns by the end of it.

Add in that chunks of this fandom try to make it seem like a cardinal sin to post positively in your own space or want to maintain your space as a positive space, while going around and negging on other people’s shit, and calling it positivity policing if they literally don’t want people dropping flaming poo bags on their doorstep, and somehow this has been entirely normalized. Holy fuck I’m tired of this fandom and honestly couldn’t be gladder the show is ending.

If people wanna spend months hurting themselves with things that hurt to think about and feel that’s their prerogative, I can’t control that, but a simple point to ask is if it hurts to think it, why be so dedicated to staying on a specific interpretation that is far from the only viable one? So you... don’t get hurt in several months? So you spend several months choosing to hurt yourself and other people? Sounds self destructive, can’t relate.

So one last time: There is no recent image of Misha with his kids. Misha has posted a picture of his kid with a spatula with no proof it was him that took it. As recently as Aug 19th he was confirmed to be at “someone else’s place” than his own when Yang was talking about quarantine, has had that background for a few weeks (he had the same painting--or painting style, such as a persistently decorated building--behind him Aug 6 and 8 from a different angle), and even implied pre-GISH that he was going to be in vancouver at the end of GISH. His recent streaming is not his house environment, does not match recent images of where his kids last were, we don’t know if he was even there in person for the convo, and even if he was, he could get his kids there if he really needed to. The entire crew has been intentionally cryptic about his location for a damn good reason and that alone should tell you everything, but if it doesn’t, just save these goddamn asks and come back months later if I’m wrong, instead of wasting my time and energy.

So your options are: 

Misha is in a large suite, or rotated suites, in a hotel with extremely stock decor across its rooms or

Misha is malevolently finding copies of mountain art and matching hotel furniture to move around pretending to be in quarantine and getting a politician to help him lie about being with someone else in a machiavellian plan just to fuck with everyone.

QUICK HE TWEETED A PIC OF HIS KID WITH ENTIRELY DIFFERENT BACKGROUND AND POSTED A NO CONTEXT TWEET ABOUT A KID BEING A KID IN THE CAR, SLAM THE BREAKS. 

The quarantine info is just extra, because I’m like 99% sure the kids aren’t even there with him right now. And that he is in fact in Van. But just a little note about how people don’t consider the full spread of potential before going off.

The logical answer to all of this is simple:

Misha went into quarantine only about 2 days behind the other guys (who started aug 4thish), to attend either day 3 or 5 shooting for episode 20 shoots mixed into ep 19 shooting which is why his colors are recently visible on the tape ball THEY ZOOMED IN ON DURING THEIR SONG WHEN HE SAID HE WASN’T ON SET “today” (Aug 20th -- a day they were doing NO EPISODE 20 FILMING UNLIKE THE DAY BEFORE AND THE DAY AFTER), because he’s paid by episode and not by day/hour, and the three stars will be fitted to what costars need flown in for a scene or two; Misha is trolling the fuck out of everyone’s anxiety, either with the kids being legally entered to Canada (unlikely) or by just second hand relaying some silliness that happened while he was calling his wife over the phone bluetooth (likely), or something else in that wheelhouse (likely.) and will be in Van a few more weeks.

The least logical answer to all of this:

In direct conflict with other script leaks earlier this year, Misha came in just to die deadeded in episode 19 instead of 18, and instead his death is the feature in 19, and he’s already shot his scenes and been totally happy with it as a cas ending despite being thrown into the trash the way fans keep imagining because of a random tweet with no physical evidence for the conclusion they jumped to from the tweet, and went home before even episode 19 filming is done, because people want to envision the worst case scenario.

He wasn’t documented in Van/quarantine location until Aug 6. He couldn’t have attended shooting until day 3, by all odds. Like I said, he came a few days behind the others. Almost like, gee, he was aiming to be there for day 3 of filming or something.

if you really think they’re gonna fly Misha out early just to literally film, like, scene 46 of episode 20 or something too as the new argument--I really don’t know what to tell you beyond the fact you’re dedicated to being upset.  Another logical read of this is, as one of the three stars that’s going to have a sizable impact on the final episode, he’s going to need to meet other guest stars that will have a few scenes between 19 and 20, so days 3 and 5 probably have someone like Billie or Bobby or some other character that needs to be in both in the related scenes so they only have to be on site for one day of filming instead of weeks as opposed to the core stars. Take note several of the 28PartWhatevers are on the multifilming days, for example. Do some detective work. Figure this out past initial kneejerk when you literally know the entire cast is fucking with you at this point.

Whoever’s in 15.19 28pt4 and 20 also needed to be around for a Misha shot for 15.20 shot 46 which will be hella close to the end. Bet your ass. Be that Billie or Mary or what, I don’t know. Hell, maybe they got JDM to show up for one final shot, we don’t fucking KNOW. Same for 15.19 28pt7 and 8, the fact 28pt4 was shot AGAIN, and possibly 23pt2 with possible overlaps of 15.20 11, 12, 43.

Coincidentally, day 3 only had like 4 shots while we do know Misha had availability at his quarantine spot from PST onward. Of course, that would make sense, if the 15.20 scene 46 shot being listed first on the board means they did it first and Misha was home before lunch. Hell, his hair was still Cas-styled on his time on with Yang, as opposed to “I kinda brushed my hair today”. Light scruff, check, but full beard, nope. 

Read as: That would mean he was filming for late/final shots of 20, not 19.

[loavesofoaves]

De Mort of the Author

This is why they say “Don’t meet your heroes.”

Over the past few years, it has become increasingly apparent that J.K. Rowling has some very terrible opinions that she only seems to get more and more vocal about. As a result, I’ve unfollowed her social media platforms for quite some time now, but still followed Harry Potter-related ventures like Fantastic Beasts (which…that could be a whole essay in how I feel about those) and her Robert Galbraith mystery series (which I have some opinions about that could also be a whole other essay).

(Oh, I can’t resist…for someone who claims to be all about feminism, J.K. Rowling is not great at writing women. There, I said it.)

Recently, it has come to light that she is a trans-exclusionary radical feminist, which I disapproved of, but after reading her blog post from today oh God is it so much worse than I thought. Instead of anything resembling any sort of empathy for her trans fans who have been so very deeply hurt by her support of TERF hot takes on social media, she is so terrifyingly committed to justifying her transphobia that it’s sobering. This, this is the hill that the woman who gave us the book series that defined a generation wants to die on? This was the woman who gave us Hermione who always stood up for justice, who gave us a metaphor for standing up to bigotry and eugenics through Dumbledore’s Army and the Order of the Phoenix, who created terrifying villains like Umbridge and Voldemort who were so very real.  How can she not see that she has become the very thing her books preached against—a villain committed to eradicating a certain type of people from the world because they are different? The irony, the fucking irony.

And the cherry on top is she just had to throw ableism into her response as well by throwing in that autistic woman are more likely to transition as if that is something to be concerned about. If you don’t know by now, you should know that I am autistic. This hurts me so fucking much. Part of the experience of being autistic is being constantly gaslit about your ability to think intelligently and rationally because you are different. Telling autistic people that they don’t know what’s good for them because they are autistic and therefore insinuating that their decision-making capabilities and sanity are lacking is ableist. Being trans is valid, regardless of whether it’s a choice or always having felt one was assigned the wrong gender from birth, and trans autistic people are valid and it’s none of your damn business in how they express their gender identities. Again, from the woman who gave us Luna Lovegood, who I have related to deeply, this is so fucking disappointing.

And let’s not even get started that this is what she so selfishly chooses to focus on when Black oppression is at the forefront and we’re in the middle of a global pandemic that is disproportionately affecting Black and Brown people. Oh yeah, and it’s fucking pride month. Woohoo Dumbledore and retroactive representation!

So the good portion of the Harry Potter fandom has established that J.K. Rowling is hurtful and should not have a platform as a public figure. And I think a lot of us who love Harry Potter but are so deeply hurt by its author are wondering, What does this mean? Where do we go from here? Can I possibly still love these books while knowing the person who wrote them is deeply problematic?

I think there is a lot of pressure right now to divorce oneself from Harry Potter entirely, as if the series will taint everyone who touches it because of the author. And if removing it from your life will make you feel better and in a better place mentally, then let go. But I always get wary when people police what media others consume, because, let’s be real, mostly everything we liked from our childhoods is problematic in some way and even though it has gotten so, so much better in the books and shows and movies coming out now, who knows what we’ll be saying about stuff Steven Universe and She-Ra in twenty years? As The Good Place would put it, there is no such thing as completely ethical consumption.

I was an English major. Part of being an English major is reading a lot of books by old dead white dudes who had offensive beliefs. Let’s look at William Shakespeare. He created hundreds of words we still use today and wrote plays that have become ingrained in our culture. His works also contained sexist, racist, and anti-Semitic ideas. And people have reclaimed these plays, challenged these ideas—supported the work while also presenting it in a satirical and critical eye. A performance I saw recently of Much Ado About Nothing with an all-Black cast comes to mind (it’s no longer streaming for free on PBS, but I highly recommend checking it out at some point: https://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/much-ado-about-nothing-full-episode/10194/).

So yes, death of the author. The author had intent, sure, but once that work enters out into the world, it’s in the hands of the people, baby. And while, no, we will never look at Harry Potter the same way and will always read it with a more critical eye, I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing. In a post-J.K. Rowling world (which will happen completely at some point anyways), it will be interesting to see the new content the fandom generates, the new perspectives. Harry Potter fans are creative, brilliant, diverse, and resilient; they’ve brought us podcasts and porn and puppets. And that is the content that I am excited about, because it belongs to the fans, and the fans say TRANS RIGHTS loud and clear.

So personally, I will not be supporting any new work from J.K. Rowling, which, without making this a whole other essay, has spiraled down the tubes since the Harry Potter series ended. She wrote a book that defined my childhood, for which I will always be grateful, but it was time for her to say goodbye years ago and she is in grave need of time away to reflect on how her actions and writing affect others. I hope she realizes how deeply hurtful she has been one day, but I won’t hold my breath.

But I can’t just pretend I hate Harry Potter now purely for performative virtue signaling, and I think many others are in the same boat. If you are queer and/or autistic and Harry Potter was there for you when you needed it, don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t read it and reflect on it fondly. Do what’s best for your mental health, and as I said earlier, if you need to distance yourself from Harry Potter to heal, that’s also valid. While the series is far from perfect as time continues to reveal to us, it still represents characters and ideas that I still see as good and validating of my own personal identity, and I know many other fans feel the same way. It will never be the same, and let’s not let that be a bad thing.

[thestraggletag]

Public Affairs, a Starbucks Series Fic

Summary: Nick and Belle’s relationship is still fresh and new and they both agree the best course of action is keep it private, at least for a while. And Nick is completely fine with that. Totally.

Set a few months after Addiction.

Anon prompted: starbucks prompt: gold sees a colleague of belle taking light office flirting too far

Rating: PG (brief mentions of sex)

Nick hadn’t much minded that Belle was dedicating a lot of her waking hours to her new role as Mallory Ficent’s PA. It was a position to die for (as well as a possible cause of death according to the rumour mill) and Belle had worked hard during her internship to get it. In the interest of avoiding any future misunderstanding she’d disclosed their relationship with her employer. To her credit Mal was of the strong opinion that Belle was her own woman and that who she dated mattered not as long as she was capable of separating business from pleasure. The few times they’d seen each other in public she’d given him a passing withering stare, but nothing more.

Even so he always more than welcomed whatever time alone they could squirrel away for themselves, and it so happened that Belle had texted him about one such opening. A whole weekend to themselves starting Friday afternoon after a business event at Uni Global, one he was also attending. They would discreetly leave together and head to his penthouse for a weekend of old movies, decadent food and drink and unrealistic amounts of sex.

He had made all the necessary preparations. He’d purchased some gelatto from Grom- Gianduia and Fiordilatte, Belle’s favourites, and Tiramisú for him- had added a few promising movies to his Netflix list, had stocked up on eggs and smoked salmon for their breakfast and had acquired a vast array of undergarments and nightgowns from La Perla for when he inevitably lost his patience with Belle’s underthings in the heat of the moment.

The event itself was more of a networking affair than anything else, and it required little of his attention. He was at a stage in life where people wanted to make his acquaintance and not the other way around. His job was to stand and seem approachable or not depending on who was trying to have a word with him. It wasn’t a complete waste of time; hands were shook, vague promises were made and interesting information was exchanged, but nothing that required all of his attention. Which meant, of course, that every now and then his eyes could scan the room and rest upon Mal’s hard-working PA, demurely dressed in a grey Valentino fit-and-flare dress she’d found on sale at Bergdorf Goodman. It was plain but it fit her well and she’d paired it with a red belt and shoes for a little bit of flair. As a PA a lot of her clothes were supposed to be understated, but Mal did not mind if she spiced it up a bit. Nick wagered she liked it. Belle’s backbone was, without a doubt, one of the most attractive parts of her.

She was flitting about the room, making sure everything went as seamlessly as possible, and checking in on Mal every now and then, no doubt ready to estrincate her from mediocre company the moment the older woman gave her some sort of prearranged sign. He often did the same himself. Fidgeting with his pocket square brought Mary Margaret running over with a vague reference to “something that required his immediate attention” every time. Woman had the eyes of a hawk, never missed the signal, which is probably one of the main reasons why he kept her around and paid her so well.

He kept his distance, content with admiring her from afar as she checked in with the catering staff. Every now and then she’d smile his way and that was enough for him. They had agreed that they wouldn’t seek each other out. They weren’t about to hide their relationship but there was no need to advertise it either. A smooth, slow transition into the public eye seemed best.

He frowned when he got a glimpse of Keith Nott, Mal’s Junior VP of Accounting, leaning over a little too much in front of Belle, pointing at the pomegranate pin above her left breast before actually extending a meaty hand to touch it. He had gifted it to her, a souvenir from his two-day trip to Granada. He had bought a lot of things as a way to cope with missing her, and though she hadn’t accepted some of his more extravagant purchases she’d fallen in love with the pomegranate pin at first sight. It irked him to see the buck’s meaty, uncoordinated hands touching it almost as much as it infuriated him to see any parts of Mr Nott anywhere near Belle.

He’d seen him circling her before, like an ungainly vulture. But he’d let it slide because the idiot had at least minded his manners. But as the event had progressed that had become less and less the case. Mr Nott was a new legacy hire, as it were, the firstborn son of one of the big shareholders under Mal. His title was just that, and his main function was to network and schmooze, because the Dragonlady had made it clear there would be no growth opportunities for him within the company. But being young and new it seemed he had gotten carried away with the complimentary champagne going around, a rookie mistake. He would almost feel sorry for him is his new lack of inhibitions hadn’t led him to corner Mal’s PA near the sweets table, using his ridiculously tall stature to loom over her in an almost threatening manner.

They had agreed to keep a low profile, he reminded himself as he strolled over, his grip on the gold handle of his cane tightening when he saw fucking Keith curl a lock of Belle’s hair around his fingers and pull, the gesture likely meant to be playful and suggesting but looking rather painful as he pulled a little hard when Belle tried to take a step back. He bet the lad was not drunk enough to have missed the fact that his would-be conquest was unlikely to wish to call attention to herself, lest she risk the event, so she could hardly tell him off or raise a fuss. Neither could she leave the premises before Mal gave her the okay to do so. Captured prey, as it were. The preference of pampered, spoiled predators. Lucky for Nick he was the big cat around, and no one messed with him or his.

“Everything looks wonderful, sweetheart.”

There was no need to raise his voice, or make a spectacle. He kept his tone soft, an accented burr that usually meant people bent over backwards to try and catch everything he said, lest they inconvenience him. He slipped his free arm around Belle’s waist and kissed the side of her head, catching the faint orange blossom smell of her perfume. She was wearing the scent he liked best on her, the demi-bespoke Fleur Narcotique they had picked together last fall.

“Thanks darling.”

She relaxed against him, warm and soft and completely at ease and he breathed a sigh of relief. It had been a gamble, to be so open without having discussed it, but he’d read her unease well. And, after all, it was all inevitable. Might as well get people used to it sooner rather than later. And it was amusing, really, to see the welp lose all his ill-deserved cockiness and turn white as a sheet. Nick didn’t need to glance towards were Nott Senior was to know the old man was mimicking his son in complexion. Funny how the man hadn’t even batted an eye when it looked like all his young progeny was doing was harassing a woman who could not tell him loudly to go fuck himself.

Keith seemed to pull himself together as much as he possibly could, straightening up and offering his hand.

“Keith Nott, Mr Gold, it’s a pleasure.”

Nick took a step forward, letting the tip of his cane dig deep into one of the man’s Oxfords. He took the offered hand, squeezing hard and smiling sharply.

“I’m sure it is. And I see you’ve met my girlfriend.”

He thought saying the term out loud would make him feel foolish or old, but it didn’t. Though it felt like it wasn’t enough to encompass all that Belle meant to him it filled him with pride nevertheless.

“Yeah, I-”

“And you’ve been following her around. Cornering her in places. Leaning menacingly into her space and the like. Hardly appropriate behaviour in polite society.”

The idiot was starting to sweat, and he was sure he had the eyes and ears of everyone in the room. The threat had been delivered, the message received. No need to prolong the encounter. He snapped his fingers in the general direction of one of Mal’s other VPs, this one a dark-haired Englishman that has been hand picked by the dragon herself. Smart as a whip, and Belle often spoke well of him. Came from humble origins, if his unrefined accent was anything to go by.

“Mr Ravenwood, I believe our friend here has drunk rather a little too much and finds himself indisposed. It would be better for everyone involved if he was escorted out as discreetly as possible.”

There was no way to do anything discreetly, not with everyone staring at them, but it was certainly possible for the company to save a bit of face. Dylan, to his credit, handled the situation with aplomb and, dare he say it, a little bit of relish, taking the taller man firmly by both arms and making it seem like they were engaged in lighthearted conversation as he dragged him away. No wonder he was Mal’s little pet. Kid had potential. No doubt he’d be able to use the incident and a few others to unseat the young Nott in no time. Perhaps he could lend a bit of a helping hand in there.

“Belle, dear, everything’s gone splendidly. I think you’ve more than earned a bit of a head start on your weekend plans. Leave any last-minute instructions with Dylan and then you and I presume Nick can go enjoy yourselves.”

Mal had appeared out of nowhere and he wondered for a moment how it was possible for a 5’9’’ woman wearing ten inch heels to appear without making a sound or being seen. The smile she directed at Belle seemed genuine and reassuring, which put the younger woman at ease. It wasn’t until she was out of their view that she dropped it.

“What the fuck, Nick?”

“I don’t know what you mean?”

“I mean the macho posturing that’s gonna be the fucking talk of the town for a week, instead of the project I just unveiled.”

He bristled at her affronted tone.

“Well, I couldn’t very well let a fucking boy green between the ears manhandle Belle. It’s not my fault that you let it go on for as long as it did.” When he saw she was about to defend herself he cut her off. “Oh, I can imagine what this was about. You wanting to get rid of the little idiot, and him causing a scene when Belle was finally forced to slap him or otherwise put him in his place would’ve given you a nice bit of ammo. And Belle, bless her soul, wouldn’t have batted an eye at being used like that. Doesn’t mean I have to like it or tolerate it.”

She scoffed, but she looked like she grudgingly agreed with him. She snatched a vodka Martini from a passing waiter, not ready to give up the fight.

“We need to meet and hash this out properly. Go and enjoy your little weekend of sin as much as your old age allows you to but come Monday we’ll sit down and come up with an arrangement. Do’s and don’ts of sharing Belle’s time and attention.”

“A contract? What an ingenious thought.”

He tried not to let his glee show. Contracts were his purview, his stock and trade. There was no way he’d ever negotiate a bad contract. Mal was going to regret ever coming up with the idea.

[langdvnshepherd]

Good For You ~ Part 2 (Duncan Shepherd x fem!reader)

PART ONE (Part 3 linked at the end)

Summary: You’re a broke ass college student whose one night stand with the infamous Duncan Shepherd leads to the development of a rather interesting relationship between the two of you. — You thought your relationship with Duncan was nothing more than an arrangement. But when he catches wind that you’re seeing other people in the mean time, is that really all it is?

Word Count: 4.7k

Warnings: sugar daddy!Duncan, fem!reader, smut, oral sex (male receiving), jealous!Duncan lmao, dirty talk, rough sex, spanking, plot heavy obvi

A/N: Sorry this took forever, I wanted to work out all of the details before I continued this story! Let me know what you think, and what you want to see in the next part, because I have one more part planned to wrap this up if that’s something you guys are interested in! I have the main plot outlined, but I’m totally open to suggestions for other little scenarios! Also shoutout to @avesatanormalpeoplescareme for the inspo for this! It helped so much thank u I owe you my life.

     The following months after agreeing to Duncan’s little, arrangement, per se had been going pretty great. Well, better than great actually. You were less stressed than you’d ever been. Working less hours at the coffee shop due to the continuous stream of cash flowing into your account had done wonders for that wrinkle in your forehead caused by the constant worry of trying to make rent. Not living paycheck to paycheck whilst simultaneously having some of the best sex of your life was a situation you’d never thought you’d find yourself in, yet here you were. You had acquired a new pep in your step, and you never wanted it to end.

     Keeping Duncan happy was pretty simple. He’d fallen into a routine. The two of you met on Thursday nights, the same hotel and the same room. He always texted you beforehand, but it’s not like you weren’t already expecting it. A blacked out SUV arrived promptly at your apartment, and dropped you off at the front steps of the hotel. He’d greet you at the door, and have your clothes ripped off before you made it to the bed. You started to wonder if maybe he was married, that he had a wife and kids somewhere and that’s why he always insisted on meeting at the hotel. He assured you that he wasn’t, he just didn’t want his security team alerting anyone of the new role you now played in his life.

     He wasn’t lying when he’d said he’d take care of you. Usually, your gifts were delivered to your apartment. A new laptop, a Birkin bag, Prada sunglasses, random all-inclusive weekend trips with your roommate, and anything Yves Saint Laurent made you probably owned now thanks to Duncan. The packages, regardless of their contents, always came with a delicately wrapped parcel of lingerie. Sometimes it was just a new pair of lacy panties, other times a full set complete with fishnet stockings and garter belt. He’d never told you outright that he wanted you to wear it when you were together, but you figured those were his intentions. It always got him going to see how beautiful you looked thanks to him and his money.

     Other times, he would just slide you his black card and let you keep it for the week to do whatever you pleased. You were hesitant at first, not knowing what his limit was. But given that he had been supplying you with enough funds to pay your bills, you didn’t think he really had one. Still, you tried not to go too overboard. You’d get your nails done, change up the tone of your hair, maybe have a spa day or pick out a few new pairs of shoes for yourself, all at Duncan’s expense. You quickly found out that he couldn’t care less how much you’d end up spending, it was more of a kink for him than anything. The more, the better in his opinion. He was far more preoccupied by the way your ass looked in the jeans he’d bought you the week before than to worry about the charges on his account.

     In the beginning, you’d felt dirty about the entire situation. It kinda felt like you were doing something illegal by allowing Duncan to buy you such extravagant things when all you were doing was fucking his brains out. Not that there was anything inherently wrong with the way your relationship worked, it was just something you’d only ever seen in movies and never once thought you’d be living out yourself. Turns out, Duncan was decent company. You always hung around for a few hours after fucking just to talk to each other for a while. Duncan would ask you about your classes and make sure you were taking care of yourself. He’d vent to you about the assholes that worked for him and you’d rant about your stupid professor that gave you a C on an essay you knew for a fact you’d deserved as least a B+ on. “I can get them fired if you want, you know. Got a few secrets of theirs up my sleeve that I’ve been dying to share,” he would joke.

     “Oh yeah?” you’d laugh along, “You’re sponsors. Don’t think that would serve your family all too well now would it?”

     “Yeah, I guess not.”

     Having more free time away from work also meant that you also had more time to socialize with people your age for once. A few weeks ago, you’d met a guy at a party thrown by a fraternity your university. He was tall, hot, charming; at least that’s what you initially thought. You’d hooked up with him that night, and somehow he ended up with your phone number. He asked you out on a proper date, and you said yes seeing as there was no harm in giving it a shot. The entire night, all he did was talk about himself. Anything that came out of his mouth served no other purpose than to boost his ego, not that he even had anything to be proud of; his frat was notorious for being sexist pigs and it was beginning to be blatantly obvious. It was clear that he was far more interested in you than you were into him, but you kept him around. You only hooked up with Duncan once a week, so you needed someone to fill the gaps during his absence. He was tolerable.

     With this new man in your life came a problem: every time he would fuck you, all you could think about was Duncan. The way his hands would roam your body like he knew every inch and every pressure point that made you squirm. The way his tongue felt gliding over your hips before dipping down to taste you. This guy had nothing on Duncan, and you knew it. He was rough, but not in the way that you liked. He didn’t care about your pleasure in any capacity; sometimes he pulled out without even bothering to make sure you finished too. As much as you hated to admit it, the only time you were even able cum was when your eyes were screwed shut, completely ignoring the boy on top of you and imagining it was Duncan pounding you into next week. There was just something about the way he carried himself and the fact that he had given you everything you could ever ask for that made every other man seem dull and bleak.

-

     One particularly hot day, a Tuesday, you were seated at a picnic table in the courtyard on campus. Enjoying the sun, you figured you’d spend your break in between classes outside studying. Your exposed legs were perched atop one of the bench seat, on full display for anyone that walked by; your chest adorned with a see-through blouse that was unbuttoned a few more holes than what was considered appropriate. The beams that shone on you made your slightly sweaty skin glisten in an almost otherworldly way. Not getting to enjoy the rays for long, your tranquil state was brought to a halt when none other than your favorite frat boy made his presence known by tugging one headphone from your ear.

     “What the fuck, dude?!”

     “Hey dollface, whatcha up to?” he asked, clearly unaware that you were a bit preoccupied.

     “Well, I was trying to study for my Global Politics exam. But it seems like that’s not going to happen with you sitting here,” you answered, clearly annoyed. He smirked and laughed as if you’d meant it as a compliment. Yuck.

     “I was going to ask you if you wanted to go to Chad’s party on Thursday night. It’s gonna be insane! He’s got basically all of Sigma Chi coming, so you know that some crazy shit’s gonna go down.” God, you really couldn’t stand to listen to this man talk. He’s lucky his cock was so big or else you’d have blocked his number by now. Thursdays were reserved for Duncan, so even if had any inking of an interest in going it was an automatic no.

     “Sorry, I’ve got plans. I can’t,” you didn’t want him to press the matter any further.

     “Oh yeah, like what?” he questioned, his hand moving to rest on the top of your bare thigh.

     “Listen, I just can’t. Okay?” He didn’t move his hand from your leg. Instead he began to massage the soft skin on the inside of your thigh in a manner that was far too crude for the public eye. It was his poor attempt at trying to persuade you, as if his actions actually had any effect on you as of lately.

     He continued to go on and on about this stupid fucking party, his fingers still kneading your skin. Not wanting to look at his face any longer, you rolled your eyes and tilted your head in the other direction. That was when you heard the deep, rich voice you’d recognize anywhere quickly coming in your direction. The voice that occupied your thoughts at all times, the voice that muttered those words that made you come undone in a matter of minutes.

     Your breath hitched in the back of your throat as soon as you saw him. There, walking with the dean of your university, was Duncan fucking Shepherd looking as entrancing as ever. Even in this stupid fucking heat, he still looked like he just walked out of a fucking magazine. He was making his way through the courtyard chatting with the Dean of the university. Most likely, he was talking up some another sponsorship deal that would inevitably promote the Shepherd Freedom Foundation as he always was, but you didn’t have time to listen to what he was saying. Before you knew it, his eyes were on yours. They flickered with recognition before realizing the position in which he had just caught you in: sprawled out on a bench seat, short shorts, chest out, with some boy’s hand between your legs. He took in your form, his eyes lingering for a noticeable amount of time on your thighs and the way the boy beside you seemed to be getting a little too handsy. He looked angry, his eyes boring a hole into your skin and his lips pursing just slightly. 

     In an instant, he was back to acting like he hadn’t even noticed you in the first place. He carried on his conversation with the Dean and kept walking until he was out of your sight. What the fuck just happened? Was he actually mad? It sure as hell seemed like it. He’d never told you that you couldn’t see other people. Your relationship was an arrangement, not exclusive. You quickly removed the boy’s hand from your leg and threw your books into your bag. You had to get the fuck out of there before Duncan came back to confront you.

     “Damn, leaving so soon? We’re still on for this afternoon though, right?” You weren’t really sure how you’d even caught his question with all of the anxiety flowing through your body from being caught red-handed with another boy in front of Duncan.

     “Uh, yeah sure. Whatever. I’ve got to go. See ya.” Your brief interaction with Duncan, if you could even call it that, had left you with your panties soaked. If he wasn’t there to give you release, you had to make do. This impotent frat boy was going to have to work.

-

     You never heard anything from Duncan after the incident at school. Maybe he wasn’t as bothered by it as you’d thought. Maybe it had just caught him off guard as much as it did you to see each other unannounced like that. After cooling down, you’d decided it wasn’t a big deal regardless. You were allowed to see other people just as much as he was. The sex and money were just that. You were friends at most. It still didn’t stop you from fantasizing about him the entire time during your hookup that afternoon.

     Just as you’d arrived back to your apartment, you received a text from Duncan asking you to meet with him. It was only Tuesday, so that was odd. Shit, maybe he was mad. You quickly responded, and within half an hour the SUV was parked outside waiting for you. Climbing in, you were preparing yourself for the worst. Was he going to break it off? Was he going to yell at you? You honestly had no clue. When the driver passed the usual exit you took to get to the hotel, you grew confused. 

     “Excuse me, where are we going? You passed the exit for the hotel.” you stated.

     “Mr. Shepherd has requested your presence at his residence this evening, Miss,” he retorted. This was new. Duncan’s never invited you over to his place before. You’d only ever seen him within the confines of the lavish hotel. Something was definitely going to go down, and you weren’t sure if you were more nervous or excited.

-

     It didn’t Duncan but a second to greet you at the entrance of his apartment after a few hesitant rattles of your fist against the door. His face broke out in a slight smirk, satisfied that you’d agreed to come over on such short notice.

     “Y/N, I’m glad you could make it. Sorry I couldn’t make a reservation at the hotel this late, and it was...urgent that I saw you tonight,” he stated. His manner was very composed, but somewhat cold. Yep. He was definitely mad. You didn’t say anything, you simply followed him further into the apartment. The exposed brick walls were painted a stark white, and sleek, black furniture littered the open space. A giant Keith Haring painting hung perfectly on the wall, and the kitchen was probably larger than your room for Christ’s sake. The entire apartment was dripping with wealth. He walked you to what was presumably his bedroom, also adorned with minimalist decor you knew cost more than all four years of your tuition.

     “Care for a drink?” he asked without even turning to look at you whilst making his way over to the bar cart that rested in the corner of the room.

     “Uh, sure,” your voice went up an octave as you tried to suppress the way his stoic composure made you so incredibly nervous and turned on at the same time. You took the glass from him and quickly threw it back. Alcohol was necessary for whatever he was about to say or do to you. Handing the glass back to him, his hands lingered on yours for a moment, relishing the feeling of your skin on his. 

     Sensing your timidness, Duncan moved his hands to grip you by the shoulder and brush your hair out of your face to try and calm you. As he tucked the loose strand behind your ear, his eyes caught a glimpse of a blue-ish purple shadow that adorned the column of your neck. You weren’t aware of this, however. It wasn’t until he took your cheek in his hand, ran his finger along the edge of your jaw, trailing it down slowly to firmly apply pressure to the bruise on your neck that you realized what he had seen. Wincing at the feeling of his thumb digging into the bruise, it dawned on you. Fuck. You had told your little frat boy you’d met with earlier that afternoon no marks, guess he really wasn’t good for shit. His eyes blackened, and his nostrils flared slightly at the thought of knowing someone else had done this to you, that someone else had been inside of you.

     “Get on your knees.”

     Out of instinct, you let out a chuckle. “What is this? A punishment? Because I fucked another guy? Are you jealous or something?” He only continued to stare deep into your eyes as you lashed out. He hummed in response before speaking.

     “You can be a real fucking brat sometimes. You know that, Y/N?” he replied while moving his hands to his belt, beginning to undo the buckle. You hadn’t had time to notice the tent in his pants begging to be set free. “But no, sweetheart, this isn’t a punishment. Far from it, actually. Think of it as a reward.” Oh, he was definitely jealous. He just wasn’t going to admit it. And it was hot.

     His words sent sparks ablaze inside of you. Reaching for the buckle yourself, you quickly made work of unzipping his dress slacks, grabbing both his pants and his boxers and letting them pool around his ankles in one go. You were now eye-level with his throbbing erection, small beads of pre-cum leaking from the tip of his cock. Taking his member into your hand, you guided it to your lips and ran your tongue around the tip before partially taking him into your mouth a couple times. He hissed in response and shut his eyes tightly, pleasure already taking over him.

     You withdrew him from your mouth completely and ducked your head down to lick a flat line from in between his balls along the underside of his cock to the tip, feeling the large vein that ran along his shaft brush against your tongue. He let out a shaky breath mixed with a strangled, “Fuck,” at the feeling. You smirked against him as you went back to alternating between small kisses and kitten licks along his head. Done with your teasing, he abruptly grabbed you by the back of your hair and eagerly forced himself down your throat. You gagged slightly as his cock brushed the back of your throat, Duncan finally letting out the moan he’d been suppressing. He couldn’t help but buck his hips into your mouth, only pushing himself further into you. Tears pricked the corners of your eyes and slowly rolled down your cheeks at the sudden sensation of his movement.

     Once Duncan was fully seated in your throat, you began to bob your head up and down along his cock. Setting your pace, you took him in your mouth as far as you could, pumping what you couldn’t with your hands. Your steady rhythm elicited a strong of grunts to fall from Duncan’s lips. He continued unravel and found it incredibly difficult to keep from pushing your head further down onto him each time.

     “That’s it, take daddy’s cock. God, your pretty little mouth feels so fucking good when I’m fucking your face like this.” His praise caused you to moan against his cock, the vibrations making his knees shake slightly. He was beginning to lose his composure, and you knew he was reaching his breaking point. 

     Without warning, he ripped you off of him by the roots of your hair. Letting out a yelp, you looked up at him in anticipation of what he was going to do next. He peered at you with blissful eyes as he helped you off your spot on the floor. The hem of your shirt was over your head before you were back on your feet, your shorts and bra hitting the ground with an aggressive whack as he threw them to the side. Backing you up to the bed, he bent down and swept your legs out from under you, causing you to fall back onto the plush mattress. You backed yourself slowly up the bed, maintaining eye contact with Duncan and he quickly removed what was left of his clothing. He was still rock hard, his cock bobbing in the air as he made his way back up to you at the front of the bed. 

     You could feel his breath fanning across your body as he kept his head almost flush with your chest and made his way up to meet your face, supporting himself with a firm grip on your legs. He took in the mess he had made of you: cheeks sparkling with tears, lips plump from the events that took place only moments ago, hair in knots from his tight grip. Approving of his handiwork, he trailed back down your chest, leaving sloppy, open mouth kisses from the bottom of your ribcage down to the waistband of your panties.

     “Were you wearing the panties I bought you?” he questioned, breaking the silence.

     “W-was I what?”

     “Were you wearing the panties I bought you when you fucked that boy I saw you with today?” You froze. His words paralyzed you. You couldn’t do anything but stare at him as your labored breaths caused your chest to dramatically rise and fall.

     He smirked at the look on your face. Hooking his thumbs around the thin lace, he slowly slid your panties down your legs and dropped them at his side. You knew you were soaking wet by now, Duncan’s blatant rage and jealously at the thought of you fucking someone else only fueled the fire in the pit of your stomach. 

     “Were you this wet for him? Were you dripping for him like you are for me right now?” He ran his pointer and middle fingers through your slick, finally touching you for the first time that night. The simple touch made you jolt forwards and exhale loudly. 

     After a few more slow, antagonizing circles around your clit, Duncan removed his fingers from your core. He quickly gripped you by your ankles and flipped you over so you were lying face down against his bed, your cheek now pressed into his fluffy pillow. You felt one of his hands grab at your waist, raising your ass into the air and then using the other hand to press your chest back down onto the mattress so your body was arching forwards.

     “I wonder if he knows what you really like? That you like to be thrown around,” he paused to rear his hand back and lay a firm smack against your ass that was sure to leave a bright red handprint, “spanked. That you cum harder with a hand wrapped around your throat.”

     You finally felt the tip of his cock run along you ass down to your clit, preparing you to be split in two. Duncan chuckled before adding, “Fuck, did he even make you cum, Y/N? Or was he too caught up in himself to care about you?” His questions were rhetorical. It was all for his benefit, to prove that he was better for you than the little boy he had caught you with in the courtyard. An ego boost. A way to displace his jealousy. He was right though, and you knew it. Nothing compared to the times you had shared with Duncan. The frat boy you’d been seeing was just that, a boy.

     With a swift thrust, Duncan buried himself inside of you. The pillow muffled your scream, but it was still loud enough to echo throughout the room. He pulled himself all the way out before slamming back into your aching cunt with a jealous force. He was determined to have you so full of him that you wouldn’t be able to remember the name of guy who you’d been screwing before him. His speed combined with the angle of your ass in the air made every inch of his cock fill you with ecstacy. Your moans were replaced with chants of his name. Combined with the sounds of his hips smacking into your ass and the sloshing coming from each thrust into your core, you were becoming unable to even hold yourself up in the air.

     It felt like he had been pounding into you for an eternity, and you never wanted it to end. You felt your release winding up inside of you, causing your eyes to screw shut and your body to hold as still as possible in order to bring it on faster. Your moans became whimpers, and you gripped at his sheets so hard your knuckles turned white. Duncan sensed how close you were, and promptly pulled out before flipping you over once again to rest on your back. 

     He gripped the base of your neck and applied slight pressure as he entered you again and set his pace, only this time he was able to see your face. “Tell me, Y/N. Does he take care of you? Does he take care of this pussy like you know I can? Does he even have the means to make you feel the way I can?” Your mouth fell open in a silent scream as the words left his lips. It was almost enough to send you straight over the edge, but now quite.

     “I need to know, love. Before I let you cum, does he take care of you like I can?” He took your leg and wrapped it around his wait so he could give your ass another hard smack and simultaneously hit your inner walls deeper and deeper.

     “NO! He doesn’t make make me feel the way you do. No one does.” the words ripping through your lungs as you finally gained the energy to form something coherent. He was clearly pleased with your answer. Smirking to himself, he used the hand that was wrapped around your neck to pull you in for a kiss. It was sloppy and your noses smashed together, but it felt right. He dropped his head to your ear and moved his hand down to begin rolling your clit between his fingers.

     “That wasn’t so hard, was it? Go ahead, cum for me. Daddy’s got you. You can let go.” He whispered as he placed hot, wet kisses over top of the hickey left by the guy he wanted to beat into oblivion.

     With that, you were cumming. Hard. Duncan continued to fuck you through your orgasm, allowing you to ride every wave of pleasure that pulsed through your body. The way your cunt contracted around his cock brought on the start of his release in turn. His hips started to sputter and his eyes were screwed shut. He quickly removed himself from you before pumping his length in his hands a few last times. You felt hot ropes of his cum shoot up your belly and onto your breasts as his moans filled the room. The expression on his face was nothing less than a dream: mouth hung open, jaw tense, eyes rolled back like they were going to fall out of his head. Duncan immediately flopped back onto the bed, trying to recover from everything that had just happened. 

     After catching his breath, he propped himself up on one elbow and ran his fingers through the cum on your stomach before pressing two of them into your mouth to taste him. You eagerly accepted, wrapping your tongue around his digits to such them clean similar to the way you’d taken his cock earlier in the night. You couldn’t help but feel like the events that transpired from earlier today at school up until right now had changed things between you two. That the boy he’d seen you with triggered something inside of him that he’d perhaps been trying to avoid. 

     “What was that for?” you asked, hoping he’d clarify the reason behind his actions.

     “Nothing. Just wanted to make sure you knew who you belonged to.”

PART THREE

~

Tagging:

@avesatanormalpeoplescareme @sloppy-little-witch-bitch26 @venusxxlangdon @langdons-rep @ccodyfern @michaellangdong @michael-langdon-owns-my-soul @wroteclassicaly @omg-hellgirl @aveiangdon @belusima 

[shermandelux-blog]

HOW TO NEVER EVER OFFEND ANYONE ONLINE...EVER!!!

***spoiler alert....it's not possible!! so HERE's what to do when the internet  TURNS ON YOU!

So I'm walking out the front door of the brewery the other day and there at the bar was great friend and fellow brewery owner from down the block Damon Moreau of Common Crown Brewery. "How's it going buddy?" I blurt out, happy as always to see fellow brewers in our taproom. The somewhat fatigued look on his face said everything but yet he replied "Well our new beer just launched and social media is EXPLODING right now!!" Well, that's GREAT news I begin to attempt to congratulate him but he stops me in my tracks with a "yeah but NOT in a good way!" The reaction to the name "Cherry Karen Sour” hit fast and hit hard.  Some people were clearly offended by the use of the Karen meme on their cans and accusations of ignorance and racism began to fly. 

From my viewpoint, I thought it was a clever play on a sour beer being named after a sour personality. I've seen enough of the Karen meme vids and GIF's online to get the connection and was truly surprised to see such anger and attacking comments towards them. Of course, I'd witnessed the Karen meme developing over the years since seeing #FuckYouKaren on Reddit YEARS ago. I'd heard the many tales of  "the Karen in the dental chair" when my wife comes home from work. I'd just simply never EVER associated this meme with anything racist. My thoughts on the worst part of the Karen meme was the unfortunate effect on the poor ladies who, despite being incredibly nice, respectful, lovely ladies who DO NOT need to speak to the manager and simply happen to be named "KAREN"!

Growing up a redhead I've certainly dealt with my share of being the TARGET of the internet's "less than flattering" meme's that range from my obvious lack of any semblance of a soul, all the way to people celebrating "kick a ginger day" (thanks south park) essentially mobilizing the world towards an entire day of the year promoting actual ASSAULT on myself and my fellow soul-less Gingers. 

To be clear, I do not think my personal experiences as the target of the latest internet meme excuses ignorance towards other internet meme's. I do wonder, however, how much responsibility we are to shoulder for keeping up to speed with the latest EVOLUTION of a meme? From my ignorant line of sight "Karen" had not yet manifested herself into a racially charged concept causing fear and possible harm to people of colour. 

"Karen" had been making us laugh since 2017 on Reddit but a quick search of Karen on "Know Your Meme" cites that a pretty significant change happened in 2020! May 25th, 2020 to be precise! That day saw the global pandemic collide violently with the killing of George Floyd AS WELL AS the Amy Cooper Central Park incident. Dr. André Brock, associate professor of Black digital culture at Georgia Tech stated "..the viral widespread resonance of “Karen” footage now is the result of an interest convergence where the coronavirus pandemic intersected with collective outrage over police brutality. The weekend that the video of Amy Cooper in Central Park went viral was the same weekend that George Floyd was killed after now-former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck, suffocating him. The Central Park video only highlighted the extreme violence — and potentially fatal consequences — of a white woman selfishly calling the cops out of spite and professed fear."

That happened May 25th, 2020. 50 days ago at the time of writing this. My point about the timeline of the evolution of the meme is that, as a fellow brewery owner, I can say with certainty that ‘50 days ago’ our friends at Common Crown Brewery would have still thought Karen was funny! They also would have already ordered beer cans labeled with Karen based artwork and they would have been so head down, consumed with keeping their business alive during the pandemic that they would have most likely missed the significance of Karen’s shift over the past weeks. I know i missed it. There's simply no way anyone could convince me that any of the fine folks at Common Crown would ever intentionally offend anyone with their branding and I'm positive that every single person who has ever met them feels the same way. So WHY such a violent and angry outcry towards them? I think Ricky Gervais from his time eating vegan wings on "hot ones" has some relevant insight! 

 The video above is obviously an overgeneralization of this new world we live in but it's also hilariously accurate. When did we become a generation of people swiping endlessly through other people's lives, waiting eagerly for OUR turn to be offended and stoke the internets mob justice flames? In today's day and age, I wouldn't feel safe announcing ANY kind of beliefs online be it political, religious, medical, sexual, etc. The internet is now a terrifying place, ready to attacknat a moments' notice and bully you for announcing that you wanted the Olympics in Calgary, or that you voted for Nenshi, or that you drive a Tesla, or, or, or,....

So NOW what!!?? Imagine you're a small business owner and despite your best efforts to make your customers happy, to make a living doing what you love, and to create a great environment for your staff to call home, you find yourself on the receiving end of the angry internet? Recently my good friend and fellow business owner James Boettcher of Righteous Gelato (the artist formerly known as Fiasco Gelato) found himself in this similar situation. After releasing a Black Lives Matter Gelato the internet backlash was swift. I watched terrified from the sidelines as my good friend and true Canadian LEGEND of an entrepreneur battled his way through a minefield. What started as criticism quickly turned into a pretty savage attack with people assaulting him as a person and as a business owner. It was brutal. And knowing the incredibly high level of intentions that both Righteous Gelato AND Common Crown Brewery uphold in every decision they make, I'm sure more and more people are thinking "when is it going to be ME who makes a mistake? When will I be the target of the internet's wrath? And what will I do when it happens to me?" 

Having caused a few controversial nationally viral stories myself, I'm no stranger to picking a fight and I'm no stranger to spending 24 hours a day for up to a week at a time responding to every single engagement, every single opinion, every single review, and every single media request during these times and I have a few suggestions for you if your turn ever DOES come around!!

1. Take a Deep Breath - Right or Wrong, Good, Bad or Ugly when you find yourself staring down the loaded barrel of an angry internet, the first step is to recognize that these situations are INCREDIBLE opportunities to let the world see who you really are! What you do next will be a defining moment in the history of your business, so take a deep breath and think "how do I let the TRUE spirit of my company's DNA shine through." 

2. Decide COLLECTIVELY on your position - We often react quickly with anger or defensiveness towards a seemingly unjustified criticism aimed at ourselves or our business. And why WOULDN'T we? NO ONE knows how hard we've worked as business owners to get to where we are right?? But that type of thinking is like a biased parent who's kid can do NO WRONG!! Anyone with kids on a sports team knows those parents! They are the WORST and usually have the worst kids! haha. But by involving your entire team to address the situation cooler heads can often prevail and can help a business see the situation from another position. Compassion, sympathy, and understanding of how others see our actions differently than we do is a hard skill to master. It's also perhaps the most important first step in admitting that we may, have truly made a mistake and need to genuinely make things right. Collectively Involving your team members with a less emotional connection to business is a great way to show them your level of respect for their insight as well as arrive at a position that the entire business believes and OWNS!

3. OWN your position...GENUINELY! - The internet can spot a fake a MILE away. Bullshit meters these days are finely tuned to sniff out shallow apologies, or disingenuous attempts to make the situation "go away". As Ricky Gervais stated above, it's OK if people don't agree with your decisions, even if they're MAD at your decisions. But don't waffle. If you were wrong...OWN IT! Apologize and mean it! Here's a sniff test example of whether you own an apology or not: If you apologize online for your actions and then someone posts in support of you that they thought your actions were justified....and you don't CORRECT them? then guess what? YOU'RE NOT SORRY so don't say that you are.

4. Don't delete the thread! - I love reading other business' reviews online! But I never waste my time with the 5-star reviews. I always feel they're either fake or the business owners' parents! either way, there's no value to me reading them. It's the ONE-star reviews that show me how a business responds to the challenges of business and most of THOSE are BS as well. When a bar gets a one-star review because some jackass felt vindictive towards the bartender who "cut him off" for the night. I laugh at the drunk idiot who thinks that bad review of this nature makes ANY negative impact on the business. On the contrary, a witty, clever response to a one-star review of this nature can do wonders for letting the world see your business's personality. And when a REAL one-star review comes in. It's a TRUE opportunity to show how your business is managed and you "right the wrongs". But somehow as business owners, we FEAR the one-star review!! Don't! Trust that the public will read between the lines and make their decision based on all the information. Again, we all have highly tuned bullshit meters, and deleting threads of this nature not only stop the public from gaining the full context of the situation you may find yourself in. It also, more often than not, creates a perception of guilt. If I hear about a company experiencing something similar and I look them and can read the threads I can make my OWN decision on where I stand on the matter. But if the threads have been deleted, I instinctively assume "boy they must have really screwed up!"

5. Don't be intimidated by the volume of the angry - People who "oppose" are ALWAYS louder that those who "support". Just because you've never had this much attention on your social channels and it ALL appears to be negative. You have to know that in general people who support you are much less likely to dive into shark-infested waters with you. However other SHARKS smell blood and are MUCH more likely to join in on the feeding frenzy. I guess it's just not as fun to stick your neck out there when you can safely watch the attack from the shore. Have faith, however, that despite the feeling of helplessness and the isolation of feeling totally alone in these times, there are TONNES of people who will read the posts, perhaps see both sides and potentially send you some support on a private DM, email, or phone call in support of what you're going through REGARDLESS of whether you're right or wrong. OTHER business owners are the friends you need to lean on, or shoulders to cry on during these times. The “swim in the deep end with me” quote from the video above is awesome to me as I’ve sent up the bat signal in my business before and called upon my pal Jim button of Village Brewery to wade into deep waters with me on issues in the past. It meant EVERYTHING to me that he dove in, headfirst with me!  It’s incredibly important to have people around you who, when they believe in your cause, are willing to stand with you on the front lines taking fire while  helping keep the flag in the air! Have those people around but also BE that person when YOU’RE called upon.

6. LEARN, LEARN, and LEARN SOME MORE- Regardless of the situation you've experienced, if you come away without learning and actively attempting to be better moving forward than you're an idiot. The entire WORLD is receiving a crash course on what acceptable behaviour looks like from all corners of humanity. The last few years have exposed a lot of mistakes humanity has made. The #MeToo movement, #BlackLivesMatter, and LGBTQ issues (to name a few) have allowed the world to learn how our past behaviours, past stereotypes, and even past ways of thinking are just not enough anymore. Being truly open to learning about what matters in the lives of those around us is truly eye-opening and incredibly important for loving forward progress of humanity. And without willing hearts, open to the opportunity to LEARN we'll all just be s bunch of angry internet trolls looking for people to attack who don't think the exact same way WE do or vote the same way WE do, etc!!

Finally, My hope for this blog is a call for PASSIONATE understanding and forgiveness. It's OK to be offended and it's OK to let a person or a business know how they've offended. The piece of the puzzle I've seen missing for some time now, however, is understanding and forgiveness. UNDERSTANDING that the initial outward appearance of a can of beer named after "KAREN" does not reflect the INTENTIONS of the great people trying to do great things for our community. But also the FORGIVENESS towards them once the issue has been raised. Most businesses today would stand stunned, eyes wide open, paralyzed in fear, and totally unaware of what to do next when faced with the attacks I've witnessed over the past year. Forgiveness is LIBERATING. It feels GOOD! But it takes empathy and compassion.

Imagine a thread someday where the offender realizes their mistake after reading criticisms they receive online. They regret it. They genuinely apologize. They learn a tonne, become more culturally aware, and the offended parties empathize with them, show them compassion, and openly forgive them for their mistake? Jack Handy probably said it best..."I can picture in my mind a world without war, a world without hate. And I can picture us attacking that world because they'd never expect it"

[theangrypokemaniac]

There's a sneering attitude that the dub is inherently inferior solely for being a dub, and when I say 'dub' I mean the American one. No one attacks the South American interpretation, funnily enough, or the variety that exist globally.

Why not if foreign languages are so abhorrent?  Do you think it's kewl to hate America?

That's so original you know.

If the moan centres on the dub changing certain things, well that's a pointless stance, because it's impossible to do otherwise.

What's accepted in one country is not always permitted elsewhere, so either you make those alterations or it's never shown. I'd prefer seeing a slightly toned down version rather than have it never reach the West at all.

This is without considering the technical obstacles that a direct translation brings. The words do have to fit the mouth movements, and if they don't, truncation must follow.

America and Japan are different; the population of the former are not going to comprehend the references to the latter's history and culture, which necessitates some divergence from the original to give it mass appeal.

Anime is a branch of entertainment. It has to attract the public's good will to stay in business. If impenetrable, it'll fail, with all the resulting unemployment and finacial losses that brings.

Those in charge of dubbing understandably think they're on safer ground promoting familiarity rather than the strange, but that's not to say Pokémon was stripped of its identity. On the contrary, it was like nothing I'd ever encountered before.

I may have watched Western cartoons then, but the idea of doing so now is silly. I won't give time to any modern animation unless it's Japanese. Growing up on the dub has not produced an ephemeral fan less serious or 'true'.

The 4Kids dub had wit, humour, deep emotion, suggestive comments and flights of fancy. The voices fitted the characters well.

Unlike the current one, where everyone sounds on the verge of vomiting, but then they're clearly working with substandard material on a miserly budget. You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear after all.

Dubs can be bad, but the very state of being a dub doesn't confer worthlessness automatically. Considering the work gone into them, attempting to gain your favour, it seems rude not to appreciate the time and energy spent in production.

Knowing a little about history, sub-only fanatics remind me of the kind of folk who opposed an English Bible, because it was too good for the oiks to read the word of God.

Of course it was alright for them, rich enough to be taught Latin, but not so much the ordinary man.

It amuses me how dozens dismiss the dub, but see no hypocrisy in using its evidence to further their ship or anti-ship arguments, so it can't be that revolting.

It's also bizarre that so many hold sacred the sub of a series currently in a frenzy to shed every aspect of its anime and Japanese origins, leaving a vague, rootless ghost, supposedly making it easier to slip down the gullet of the masses.

Pokémon I've seen referred to as a 'gateway drug', as in the anime that introduced a generation to the entire concept. This means the dub. You would not have got enough kids in the late Nineties to read a screen rather than watch it, and even today most would lose interest rapidly.

Where would you be without that dub? Unless you're Japanese, your first experience of Pokémon will have been a dub, and if not the American, the one where you live, which was only made because there was the funds available.

You may have then progressed to watching the sub, but only because that dub stirred love in your soul.

Where would the franchise be without that dub? You think Pokémon would've grown to be a world-wide obsession raking in billions by itself? No, it'd still be a solely Japanese phenomena, and most likely never lasted this long.

Its decades of supremacy rests on the quality of that dub. It sold games and merchandise to kids by the ton, giving an incentive to keep the series going. If you're not a fan from the first wave, then your favourite era would have never existed had it not been financially attractive carrying on.

The team who wrote the first film actually preferred the dub, moved to tears by its emotive use of music, therefore they aren't so precious as the fans.

Where would anime be without that dub? Pokémon brought it to the West. A handful slipped through previously, but made minor impression.

To those who would dismiss Pokémon entirely in favour of more 'worthy' output such as Studio Ghibli, I would say that Pokémon, first the games, then the programme they inspired, must have an integral quality to have caught on in Japan, which isn't exactly short on similar concepts.

To have gained popularity in a crowded market, and so fervently a dub became an option, can only have come about because it held a certain magic.

It was the dub that smashed a hole in the cultural barrier, setting free the tidal wave to engulf the world. In Pokémon's trail followed Digimon, Cardcaptors, Monster Rancher, Yu-Gi-Oh! et cetera.

Without Pokémon, I doubt they'd have been translated, and definitely never broadcast on mainstream television. That came about as channels desperately hunted down anything Japanese to serve as the next craze.

I really appreciated the effort made by 4Kids in converting every aspect of the series to suit American tastes, including changing text on signs, letters and books into English. I assumed this was standard practice until I watched others.

I could never be as involved in them as I was Pokémon because of that block. It was like being denied access to the deeper waters, fenced into the shallows, and implied a rushed dub, with little care shown but to chase the same crowd and money.

If personified, the dub 'n' sub wouldn't be one human being, but rather identical twins: the same to a casual observer, but easy to tell apart by the more attentive.

It's like the games: Red and Blue are versions of a single adventure, but not totally one. Take the dub and the sub the same way. They are parallel dimensions running on separate rails, and beyond reconciliation, and that's before we consider that, sub and dub alike, each generation has only a faint relation to its predecessor, working on its own whims.

Everyone has a favourite, or can like both, and there's nothing wrong in that, but so many are proud of the fact they hate the dub, as if it conveys a revered status of supremacy.

When Disney films are shown abroad, they too are translated, and I'm sure references and jokes are redesigned to make sense to the locals. It's no use selling yourself as a comedy then being surprised when the audience refuses to laugh, having no idea what you mean.

If people prefer that one, for being what introduced them to Disney as a whole, or as a fond memory of childhood, then so what?

I don't mind if their view of a character is minutely at odds with mine, having seen the original, because what they think is canon to their version, so can't be wrong.

I don't go round declaring every Disney dub to be pathetic by its nature, that viewers of them are of a lesser breed of fan for preferring their own tongue, even though more of the world's population understand English than they do Japanese.

If you enjoy one tailored to your country there's no crime in it, just as I like one at least comprehensible to mine. It's not even my culture, but I pick it up mostly.

The choice must be made on which to follow, and this blog runs on dub canon, as that has a claim on my heart. Just because I don't acknowledge what takes place in the sub doesn't mean I'm unaware of it, but it has no bearing on what I write.

The idea that the dub alters things willy-nilly without rhyme nor reason is also mistaken. Often it does it because the original does not make sense.

In the sub, I know Nanny and Pop-Pop are just a couple of old duffers taken at random and dropped in to a castle, supposedly as James's far away nannies.

Oh yeah, that's a cushy position. You doing a lot of child care from miles off?

Mind you, it used to describe 'em as 'caretakers' on Bulbapædia, as if Nan serves as housekeeper whilst Pop tends to the garden.

That's right. Ma and Pa finally got some work out of this pair of freeloaders.

They're not related, remember? No, no, absolutely not, no way. Of course their style reflects that. They just gave Pop a 'tache, thick eyebrows and a bigger nose, and Nan got a bun and lines in her hair, but there's certainly no connection. Oh no. Such a thing is ridiculous.

They're NOT family. No. Yet Hoenn James still panics they might learn he's joined Team Rocket, spending the whole episode trying to hide the truth.

Why? Who are servants to criticise the son of their employers? Why should their opinion be of any consequence to Hoenn James, especially when his parents, fiancée and butler are cognizant of reality?

Children of aristocrats are usually brought up by governesses, thus develop a stronger attachment to these figures rather than their parents, but that isn't the case here.

James lived with Ma and Pa, not the codgers minding the castle. He would have very little contact with distant employees compared to those who waited on him daily, so why seek out their approval?

Hoenn James apparently was permitted visits to Nan 'n' Pop, which is strange considering they're not relatives. Why them and not any other house-stters?

That's right, Ma and Pa sent their son to one of their properties without them, entrusting him to the care of two shrivelled pensioners of his size that he barely knew, and who could keel over at any minute. There are no other servants present. Apparently Nan and Pop clean an entire castle by themselves.

Oh, and they run a makeshift Pokémon sanctuary, but since it's not their home it has to be done with Ma and Pa's blessing, who also have to pay for it, but they're eevul aren't they?

The idea that somehow Nanny and Pop-Pop have not cottoned on to James's occupation by now is risible.

Servants gossip about their masters. I bet the entire household of his home know, and so in turn does the county. That Nan and Pop remain oblivious proves how isolated they are, for no one's thought to inform them.

When it came to dubbing it, they were made his grandparents, removing all the above nonsense. Of course he visits his nan and granddad, it's their gaff and their money funding the place, and it is likely his mother or father would keep James's job a secret, for fear the shock would finish 'em off.

It should do really. If they're not bothered by it that's a sign of where his rapscallion ways were inherited.

They aren't facially akin to Ma and Pa, but display the same additions, so if staff it's bloody lazy, as if nannies have to resemble your parents, but inventing a blood link excuses the slothful characterisation.

Every reference I've seen on Tumblr relating to the coffin-dodgers calls them Nanny and Pop-Pop. Apparently the dub decision is met with universal approval. It does have redeeming aspects then.

Now the sub writers, rather than ignore this development, took to it too. They aren't exactly bursting with ideas these days and are probably grateful for the lifelines offered.

Remembering James had parents, they forced a likeness between them and Nanny and Pop-Pop. How else do you explain the inexplicable ageing, even when Sinnoh Ma and Sinnoh Pa are younger than Ma and Pa?

I've also known for years that the sub has this woman as Jessie's foster mother, not Ma Jess, but that's stupid.

I can grasp the idea that Jessie and Ma might have endured extreme deprivation, considering that's what Team Rocket has brought to Jessie anyway, and that they may have lived at the bottom of Mew's mountain prior to Ma's death.

What I find difficult to take in is that social services (or as they're known where I live, the S.S.), however notoriously awful they are, would give a child to a mad bitch in a shack with no running water.

Come on, they have to at least pretend to be concerned for Jessie's welfare.

As Jessie is very young, bereavement can't have befallen her in the distant past, so how can she be happy this soon after becoming an orphan? How could the grieving period be a cherished memory?

If that woman's creaming off the money, why hasn't she fixed the place up by now? Where do the payments go, sniffing glue?

Then there's the depiction. If this is just some daft bint never to be mentioned again, why do they conceal her face? Who cares what she looks like when she's unimportant?

Here's another figure from Jessie's past. She isn't disguised, and why not when she too briefly appears and is then forgotten?

Who was she?

The only sort of characters they tended to hide were other members of Team Rocket:

During the early scenes featuring Giovanni, he was enveloped in shadow, adding both intrigue and a sense of menace.

Madame Boss also got this treatment, even though there was probably no intention to ever feature her in the anime. What's the use in keeping an appearance a mystery if it'll remain masked?

With that pattern, it implies this woman is in the same category, like Ma Jess.

When it came to animation, it definitely was intended to be a foster mother. Not her real one. No.

What did they do?

They gave her Jessie's skin tone and purple hair hanging down her back!

You know, like Ma Jess?

Any colour would've done. Any at all, and being anime I do mean any colour, but no. The choice was made to give her the looks of the exact person she's not meant to be!

Is it that surprising the dub simplified things?

I don't mind if you like the dub, sub, both, or any from around the world, but I'm tired of the smug condescension, as if we all agree the sub is the only one that counts, and that dub fans are grunting troglodytes, or not 'proper' aficionados.

None of us would be here were it not for the dub. Pokémon would not be here. I think it deserves some respect for how much of a difference it made, to my life and to yours.

[eldritchsurveys]

671.

Do you use wide ruled or college ruled notebooks? >> I always preferred college-ruled, like it was a hard rule for me when I was young. I refused to use wide-ruled paper. It was anathema. I still don’t care for it, but I don’t use paper much anymore, period, so it doesn’t matter.

On a pair of jeans, which pocket do you most use? >> The back right one, I guess, because I usually have my phone in there so I go in and out of it a lot.

Do you have a class ring? >> No.

What about a letterman jacket? >> No.

Do you still have a piggy bank? >> I don’t recall ever having one, tbh.

Is it actually shaped like a pig? >> ---

What is the name of the hospital you were born in? >> It was called Elizabeth General Medical Center when I was born, but now it’s been folded into a citywide system of hospitals all using the name “Trinitas”.

What is the legal drinking age of the country you live in? >> 21.

What type of internet browser are you using? >> Firefox.

What's your favorite search engine? >> Unfortunately, it’s Google. All the shit I hate about Google is the same exact shit that makes it so good as a search engine.

Are you a "Master Googler"? >> I don’t really know what that means. Honestly, it doesn’t take much cleverness to get what you want out of Google -- other search engines, on the other hand...

Do people often buy you photo albums when they don't know what else to buy? >> No. No one even uses photo albums these days.

Have you ever literally lent someone a shoulder to cry on? >> No.

How long do your showers typically last? >> Between five and ten minutes, usually skewing to the shorter end. I really just don’t like being in there, so I got real efficient at it.

What is the most annoying accent you've ever heard? >> ---

Have you ever seen a mariachi music video? >> No.

Have you ever watched a movie with the commentary? What about the subtitles? >> I’ve never watched a movie with the commentary on, but one day I might like to try that with a movie I’m already well familiar with, just to see if it’s interesting. I always watch things with the subtitles on, if I can help it.

What are your thoughts on re-constructive surgery? What about plastic surgery? >> I mean... they’re good things for people who want/need them? I don’t know what kind of opinion I’m supposed to have.

Or should people learn to love their flaws? >> Oh, that’s what you mean. No, I don’t think “people should learn to love their flaws” is an appropriate attitude for me to take. Especially since it’s not like I’m a paragon at unconditional self-acceptance or anything.

Do you style your hair regularly? >> I don’t style my hair at all.

What does your laundry basket/hamper look like? >> It’s round and purple.

Do you have a favorite word? What is it? >> There are words I like more than others, but I don’t think I have a favourite one or anything.

McDonald's sweet tea: Yes or No? >> No.

When was the last time you had a papercut? >> I don’t remember. I almost gave myself one earlier today, putting some papers into my tote bag.

What was the worst Halloween costume you ever had? >> ---

Is violence ever really the answer? >> Sure.

Do you have a favorite brand of pen? >> I don’t think so.

Do you enjoy the smell of sharpies? What about gasoline? Or even chlorine? >> I enjoy the smell of the first two, in moderation. Not chlorine, though.

Have you ever sung in a choir? If so, what section were you in? Bass, Tenor, Alto, Soprano? >> I was a soprano as a child, shifted into alto as a preteen, and I think now I’d be most comfortable as a tenor.

Did you ever pronounce bologna how it's spelled? >> Yeah, to be silly.

Are either of your parents in the medical field? >> No.

What about educational field? >> No.

Can you cry on cue? Do you wish you could? >> No, I can’t, and I don’t really care to.

Do you prefer gold or silver jewelry? >> Gold.

Have you ever shaved your arms? What about your stomach? >> No to arms, yes to stomach.

Facebook or Myspace? Which is your favorite? Or is there another one? >> I mean, only facebook is even relevant now. I don’t like it, though. I prefer to socialise here or on Discord.

Have you ever made a friendship bracelet? >> I don’t think so.

Have you ever been sledding on a real wooden sled with metal runners? >> No. I’ve never been sledding, period.

Are you allergic to any particular animals? What about foods? And medicines? Or are you one of the lucky ones who don't have any allergies? >> I am one of the lucky ones, yeah.

Did you or anyone you knew get swine flu? >> No.

Do you think that people caused global warming? Or is it more of a natural earth cycle thing? >> I think it’s a little of column B and a lot of column A.

Do you watch Curling during the Olympics? >> I don’t watch the Olympics.

Is bright red lipstick classy or trashy? >> It’s just lipstick.

Do the potential lovers you pursue typically have tattoos and piercings? >> ---

Do you like your teeth? Have you had any work done on them? >> I mean, they’re fine. They serve their purpose. No, I haven’t had work done on them.

Do you know what a lobotomy is? >> Sure.

Have you ever put ranch dressing on pizza? >> No.

Do you remember the purple and green colored ketchup from the 1990s? >> Ha, I do.

Have you ever taken a dance class? >> When I was a child. I wouldn’t mind taking one now, but I can’t afford stuff like that.

Do you ever actually buy CDs anymore or do you just download music? >> I just use Spotify. I’ve chosen the path of least resistance.

Who is prettier? Jennifer Love Hewitt or Megan Fox? What about Ellen Degeneres or Mariah Carrey? >> None of these people even cross my radar when it comes to aesthetically pleasing faces.

Have you ever been to failblog.org? >> No.

Do you own a guitar? >> No.

Do you pop your knuckles? >> Sometimes.

Do all of your photos in yearbooks usually turn out looking terrible? >> All of them did until senior year, weirdly enough.

Did you have uniforms at your high school? >> No.

How often do you dust your room? >> I don’t. I probably should, but it just never occurs to me.

Do you ever use Febreez? >> No.

Have you ever been to Japan? What about Germany? Or Mexico? >> No.

Does your family ever take fun vacations? >> ---

Where was the last place you went on vacation? >> New Orleans.

Have you ever seen a castle in real life? If you said no, please note that the castles at Disney parks count. =D >> There’s an apartment complex near me called the Grand Castle and it’s just the most plastic-toy-castle looking thing I’ve ever seen. Hold on, here’s what it looks like...

It looks fake, or like one of those photos that plays with perspective and scale, where it’s actually a Lego castle or something. But nope, it’s an apartment complex. smh. Anyway, no, I’ve never seen a legitimate castle in real life.

Do you remember the first book you read by yourself? >> No.

Did you ever read R. L. Stine's Goosebumps books? >> Yep, I read a lot of those as a kid.

What about Lemony Snicket's "A Series of Unfortunate Events" books? >> I didn’t even hear of those until I was grown.

Have you ever seen a nun in public? >> Sure. One time back in the day, Sigma and I ran into a couple of nuns on Eighth Avenue and Sigma talked to them for a solid hour. They were... very accommodating.

Have you ever heard of a musician named Priscilla Renea? >> No.

Have you seen the Austin Power's movies? >> I think I saw the first one. This was a long time ago, though. I couldn’t sit through five minutes of one now.

Do you, or did you ever, have a Gameboy? >> No, I’ve never had one.

Are you sitting in a rolley chair? >> Nope.

Were you a Nancy Drew reader when you were younger? >> I wasn’t.

Do you think Twilight is losing lots of original fans because of the movie? >> It didn’t appear that way to me, but I also wasn’t in the fandom so I wouldn’t really know for sure.

Do you think Zombieland was like an American version of Shaun of the Dead? >> I mean, in the sense that it is a comedy film about zombies, sure, why not. But really, they’re just in the same subgenre of movie, is all. They’re their own things.

Have you ever ice skated? What about roller skated? >> I’ve done the latter but never the former.

Do you have a video camera? What about a digital camera? Webcam? >> There’s a camera on my phone, and there’s one in both my computers but I never use those.

What is your preferred instant messaging service? >> Discord.

Do you enjoy being in photos? Or do you prefer taking the photos? >> I prefer taking them.

Know anyone named Gus? >> Sparrow’s former cat was named Gus.

Do you know anyone who seems to break EVERYTHING they touch? >> Nope.

Are giraffe's weird animals? >> They are and I dig it.

[elsaclack]

hi em how are you? i've been dying to get your opinion on the lover album, if you have the time/interest :)

hi i’m good!!! i’m real good my mom’s doctor gave us really good news yesterday so i’m cruising on good vibes rn and yeah i’m great!!!

literally i have been DYING to unload my thoughts on lover since 3 seconds after it came out omg????? i had a deeply intense discussion with my roommate last night about each song on the album and what it specifically means to us so like this is Peak Talking Opportunity For Me which as a messy hoe i honestly love

i’m putting it under the cut though bc i do not want to be Obnoxious

okay first and foremost, i forgot that you existed? DEEPLY iconic. my roommate doesn’t like this one as much as some of the others on the album but it’s def top 3 for me. like, everything about it is so perfect - the message the song sends is one of hope for people who are kind of hopelessly tangled up in drama at the moment (i.e. don’t worry, soon enough you’re going to wake up one day and forget that all of those people even exist (which is HELLA true)) but like!!! even the music she wrote with the song kind of supports the message!! my roommate’s biggest complaint with that song is that she feels like the music needs to Build and Go Places more than it does, but like........god the whole point of the song is that it’s written to a person taylor’s indifferent toward, shouldn’t the music seem a little indifferent too?? like yes there’s joy and it does build and it does move but if it DID get super dramatic it would actually contradict the message of the song so like??? it’s??? perfect??? and i have scream-singed it in my car a million times already thank u for asking

i’ll be honest, cruel summer doesn’t do as much for me as some of the other songs on the album,,,,,i mean i like it and i can DEF sing along to it and the line “i love you ain’t that the worst thing you’ve ever heard” is such a mood. it’s the first song on the album that i was like oh she probably started writing that (or at least getting the idea to write it) the summer every angry mob in america was calling for her head bc like there’s definitely a sense of self-deprecation/preservation in some of the lyrics. idk it strikes me as a song about how terrifying vulnerability is especially in the face of such public and global hatred directed toward you

LOVER. lover. lllllllover oh my god i love lover which i was not prepared to do since that word seriously bums me out 100% of the time but it’s so sweet??? so sweet and honest and like. what i thought love was when i was a kid?? just finding that other person and being like “oh, you’re like....you’re IT” and like HA wouldn’t it be grand to be in love?? also the brIDGE??? THE BRIDGE!!!!! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN WILL YOU PLEASE STAND!!! WITH EVERY GUITAR STRING SCAR ON MY HAND!!! I TAKE THIS MAGNETIC FORCE OF A MAN TO BE MY LOVERRRRRR!!!! MY HEART’S BEEN BORROWED AND YOUR’S HAS BEEN BLUE!!! ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL TO END UP WITH YOU!!! SWEAR TO BE OVER-DRAMATIC A N D T R U E TO MY LOVERRRRR!!!! and oh man i wanna be in love anyways moving on

the man honestly took me a few tries to like but i definitely have a healthy amount of respect for it now. like idk it felt a little out of place at first given that this whole album is supposed to be about love and that song is,,,,,,not (at first glance) but the more i listen to it the more i realize that it sort of is in a way? like she’s been painted as this serial dater since day one when in reality her dating history isn’t really that sordid?? just extremely public. and in listening to the lyrics it sort of dawned on me that her frustration with the way society treats women stems from that reputation (ha) that was forced on her and the way that reputation colored every other interaction she’s ever had with popular culture. like every microinteraction i’ve heard about involving her has been overwhelmingly positive but then you look at media as a whole and they make her out to be this entirely different person and part of u has to wonder if it would even be an issue if you took all the same behaviors, dating history, microinteractions etc. and applied them to an equally famous man. and the answer is no it would not be an issue

the archer made me cry the first time i heard it and it still kind of strikes me at my core a lot if i don’t distract myself with other things while it’s on? like sitting down and actually listening to the words is. tough bc i relate to it a lot and not in the fun scream-sing in the car way that i relate to i forgot that you existed. that song actually makes me really uncomfortable with who i am bc like god!!!!! i have been the archer!!!! i have been the prey!!!! i don’t understand why people have left me and i REALLY don’t understand why people stay!!!!! in all seriousness though it goes back to that struggling with vulnerability thing - by being vulnerable you’re opening up the scariest, rawest parts of yourself to other people and risking being rejected for those scary raw parts. it’s a song about struggling between building those walls up to protect yourself or risking getting hurt for the sake of love - and lucky for her she seems to have found someone who has seen the scary raw stuff in her life and has decided that he wants to stay

i think he knows is the song both me and my roommate bump in our cars whenever we go places together because it’s SO FUN i don’t even know what else to say other than i cry laughing every time my roommate tries to sing “lyrical smile indigo eyes hand on my thigh we can follow the sparks i’ll drive” bc it’s SUCH a tongue-twister for her it’s fhaldskfhadslfkj FUNNY

miss americana & the heartbreak prince is another one that i was kind of so-so about at first but the more i listen to it the more i love it?? it’s so Dramatique in the best way like it makes me feel like i’m watching a movie preview about a dystopian high school in slow motion and honestly i LOVE it

my roommate’s favorite song on the whole album is paper rings and i love it too honestly it’s another one we bump in the car bc it’s SUPER fun to sing with other people lmfao she described it as “the song you hear in a preview for a romcom set in new york city” and i was like YEAH THAT’S ACCURATE but what’s really funny is that?? that’s probably?? exactly?? what it is?? anyways

i’m kind of...meh...about cornelia street yikes i’ve read people talking about how good it is and i’m trying to like it but it’s just,,,,i mean it’s not bad not by any stretch of the imagination but personally i like other songs on the album more hfaldskfjs

death by a thousand cuts!!!!!! that’s my roommate’s other favorite song lmao!!! again the more i listen to it the more i like it but i def like others on the album more at this point

i had london boy stuck in my head all day yesterday it’s so funny god i know a lot of people who live in and around london have some issues with it which is FINE i won’t pretend like i know anything about it but i think it’s cute LMAO

i can’t listen to soon you’ll get better without legit ugly crying (like we’re talking full on sobbing) just because of everything going on with my own mom right now so maybe in a year or two when things have cleared a little for her i might be able to listen to it again but rn i’ve only listened to it all the way through once

honestly i don’t really like false god that much and i can’t really identify why it’s just,,,,fhasdlfk

you need to calm down is just a straight up bop that i sing in the shower a lot and i know it was controversial esp after the music video came out but like. on a base level the song is just fun

afterglow is one of my other top three on the album,,,,,,,,bc again,,,,,,,,,,relatable,,,,,,,like realizing that she’s safe with this person after kind of instinctively flying off the handle,,,,,,,god. idk i’ve heard a lot of apology songs in the past but this one kind of strikes me bc like,,,,idk she takes full responsibility for it rather than trying to justify it with the conditions that beat that kind of behavior into her over the last few years. she’s taking responsibility for her actions, she’s apologizing, she’s asking him to stay, and at the same time she’s pointing out that she’s human and will probably make similar mistakes in the future and idk that’s just reassuring? bc i’m also human and i also make really big dumb mistakes that hurt other people in the name of self-preservation and i can only hope that someday i’ll meet someone who will stick around anyways

me! is a bop as well it’s massively overplayed at this point and i kind of skip it when i’m listening by myself but my roommate and i scream-sing that one too LMFAO

it’s nice to have a friend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! this really is what i thought love would be when i was in like 3rd grade and just becoming aware of it as a concept!!!!!!!! there was a little boy who lived next door and we were best friends growing up and there was never any romantic aspect to our friendship (that i am aware of) but we used to play outside together all the time and it was sweet and simple and secure and that’s the way that song makes me feel!!! also i read that every single instrument/vocal performance on that song (outside of taylor herself) was done by a children’s music group which just adds to the childlike sweetness of the song and gah it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside

daylight,,,,,,,,,,,,,that’s my number 1 y’all i freaking LOVE daylight holy HELL i can’t wait to make my other roommate play/sing it with me at our house show next month??? god it’s just. it’s so indicative of where she’s been, the hell she’s been through both internally- and externally-imposed, and how it makes this moment she now gets to have with the person she loves that much sweeter?? i don’t know i feel like my heart is going to explode every time i hear it and i’m not even remotely close to being in love so i can’t imagine how much deeper it’ll hit if/when i ever do fall in love again and

god i just

i really like lover as an album a WHOLE lot 

[thecourtneychronicles]

“Ever since, Act has enjoyed enormous success. From participating in the Emmy-winning TV show RuPaul’s Drag Race to becoming the first drag performer ever to sing live with the San Francisco Symphony to being in campaigns for big fashion brands to winning Celebrity Big Brother to touring the world with her live shows – there is nothing she doesn’t do! Without a doubt, she is a multi-talent and enjoys her career with full passion.

In a time where gender equality, women’s rights and LGBTQ+ movements have become more visible and important than ever, Courtney Act has played a massive role in the conversations concerning it by engaging and educating people about it.

We’ve had a chat with the versatile drag queen and talked about all things drag race, the conversations around drag, and her future plans.

Hi, nice to meet you!

You too, where in the world are you at the moment?

I’m in rainy London unfortunately, and you? Are you back from Hong Kong?

I’m here too! Hong Kong was good, but a lot of civil unrest which wasn’t so good. But then I went to Thailand for the weekend and had some fun! I have only been once before; I had a marvellous time.

Sounds amazing. So, what’s a typical day in the life of Courtney Act then?

Every day is different! Yesterday, I was flying from Bangkok to London, today [18th November] I’m talking to you and debating politics at the BBC, then tomorrow I’m going to the opening of & Juliet which is a new musical. Thursday, I’m recording music for my new live show – it will be sort of a cabaret live show tour through the USA and Australia, and this time all my music will be original! It’s just super exciting and super daunting. Each Thursday, I’m going to the studio and recording. My mission was to write one song a week and so far, it’s been going really well. This time, it’s a different process to what I usually do. Usually, I will sit in a studio with different songwriters and producers and we are trying to come up with pop songs together. But this show is about my views and experiences in life, so I sit at home, sit or stand on the Tube, and just writing down notes. I’ve written songs that are so personal, there is nobody else writing them with me. So, quite often someone says, ‘we need to change this or add that and so on’ and you feel pressure to make creative decisions. But now, it’s just all me, staying up until 4am if I want, in order to perfect and craft songs.

Wow, that sounds busy! How do you ever unwind and let go of the stress that could come up?

Well, all I do is what I love doing anyway. The songwriting thing is so relaxing; you can sit there and watch TV, it’s a good process just sitting there and be creative all night long. It’s been digging up some old emotions! The show is called Fluid; it’s all about the fluidity of life, gender fluidity, fluid sexuality and all sorts of forms. The kind of work that I do is usually exciting and stimulating but when I have a day off, I usually lie in bed all night long, watch some TV or read a book or something like that. I love doing absolutely nothing, I’m extremely good at that when I get the chance!

Well, we’ve got that in common! So, which TV shows are you recommending then?

Oh, Pose Season 2. It’s on BBC iPlayer! It’s just, ‘Oh My God!’ In the first episode, I was already bawling like a baby; it’s just so beautiful and so tragic and yeah, it was amazing. I’ve been watching Strictly [Come Dancing], RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, and just reading lots of books on feminism and fluidity. I just read that great book, called ‘Mother Camp’. It’s about female impersonators in America, it was written a long time ago. It was super fascinating to read about drag and all that in such a pre-revolutionary era, and so many things were actually quite similar. It was really fascinating!

Sounds amazing! Good recommendations. Going back to work, how was the whole experience of Celebrity Big Brother? Congrats on winning!

Haha, I think when you win, all of it has been wonderful. If I hadn’t won, I’d probably be like ‘Oh, this happened, and oh god, that happened’. But I have really fond memories of it all. It was so wonderful because the reasons for me were mainly that I was sitting with people, talking to people respectfully – whether it was sexuality, or gender, very sensitive subjects which people tend to polarise. People, I think, just appreciated me and the conversations. That part of myself is one of my favourite things – talking to people and hopefully sharing my story, and hoping to bring understanding in times like these.

The interesting thing was when it came down to me and Ann Widdecombe who has literally voted against every single right against LGBTQ+ in all of her years in the Parliament, so basically everything that I stand for and that I am. She not only had a different opinion but literally legislated against queer people, women’s rights, the environment and more, all across the UK. And even though she had those views, we still remained civilised but, of course, distanced. It was kind of like a Brexit, Courtney vs Ann! Although I’m sure the actual Brexit is more important than me winning [laughs]. Let’s see if we even get the Brexit though!

Oh dear, let’s hope we won’t! You said you’re currently in London – considering you’re from Australia and have found major success in the States as well, what made you want to settle down in London for now?

I was living in the US for eight years, and although things might have been a little tumultuous over here in terms of politics and Brexit, it’s practically smooth sailing compared to Donald Trump and his administration. I lived there for eight years and loved the understanding that came to live in a country. We see the world through media and press, but I realised how much I really don’t know about the US at all. So living there, during an Obama era which was much nicer, I came to appreciate the US.

But then after Celebrity Big Brother, it was a calling to come here and I grew to love the country even more. The UK has a long-standing history of camp and queer and punk, and whereas there are posh institutions, there is also this other side that respectfully co-exists, which is all about diversity, and drag and queer identities in the media. You’ve got people like La Rue, Boy George, Graham Norton and so many more on UK television. Whereas in America, you are starting from the bottom and trying to educate people. Like I mentioned early, I’m going to the BBC to discuss politics. The US doesn’t have a broadcaster that is as dignified as the BBC and also, I would have never been invited at a broadcaster in America. Here, there is a respect and it’s not just about how sensational you are!

Gender equality, pride, drag and everything around it is starting to finally become recognized worldwide by everyone. People are getting woke. Why do you believe people who are not in this scene are only properly respecting it now, and not earlier?

I think there has been so much more visibility now. And visibility always leads to understanding. There are TV shows about drag and queer identity, which has made it really accessible to a wide audience. Drag Race is predominantly watched by females aged 16-35. That filters through. Sexual and gender revolution have been going on with the likes of Laverne Cox and Caitlyn Jenner for example. Caitlyn is a visible person and brought a lot to the conversation. I think this is really the first time that we’ve had some transmissibility around gender. The examples of people, like Laverne Cox, are just really interesting people and so public. Of course, there is still misinformation but there is a lot of conversation going on.

Even with RuPaul’s Drag Race – I keep reading about it all the time and people really seem to love it!

It’s such a fun show that celebrates identity, creativity and has drama that people love about reality TV in general. But there is a real hots for the show. The fashion and creativity elements make it belong to the fashion industry which makes it so cool. It’s just a brilliant celebration about drag and a middle finger to what society thinks of us.

How did your appearance on the show change the way people respond to you, in particular?

Drag Race Season 6, when I started out, aired in 2014 and I had been living in the US since 2011. I just started touring around the world and through the States. I was constantly performing and earning money. I’ve done shitty jobs in gay bars, don’t get me wrong, but then we decided to tour and perform in bigger venues. And when it came to the UK it became hugely popular. And during that time, I was performing in Edinburgh for the first time, and everyone came to see me because they watched Drag Race. And then I started working on so many things, and I feel like it really changed the global way people view drag, and I got to be a part of that.

Do people come up to you a lot and ask for photographs?

Yes, for sure! When I was in Bangkok with my ex-boyfriend last weekend, he was asking me the exact same question when we had lunch, literally! And then someone came up and asked, ‘Excuse me, are you Courtney Act?’, so I was like ‘Oh, perfectly timed, haha!’ Sometimes people just hug me, and I just hug back. And they are like ‘How are youuu, oh my god’ and I just go along. They’re usually respectful, but I have learned that I’m kind of public property in a gay bar – so I pick and choose where and when I go out! But I do get a lot of discounts and more, so it’s not all that bad [laughs]!

[Laughs] I bet!  

Live performances and being on TV must be two different things; you do both. Which one do you personally enjoy more and why?

They’re different. I love performing live, it’s so exciting and also easier. I did a Christmas special for Channel 4, and it was a big live show, but on TV. I love performing with a live band. I love honing and crafting, and finding out what the audience loves; it’s so gratifying.

Sounds like you are living your best life!

I kind of am! We had this offer for a big TV show in the States and I was so hoping it would happen, but then I was like ‘Meh, even if it won’t happen, I will still do my cabaret show and tour all around the world’. So, I’m doing what I love either way!

Besides your cabaret show, what else does your future hold?

Well, the music alongside the cabaret show is exciting because sometimes music in pop is sometimes pointless in a way. You put it out, a few people listen, and it costs a lot to make and create videos. But we are sort of packaging the music into my live show, so I’m excited to put my original music out.

Also, I have a different TV project that I’m working on. Also, I’m working on YouTube videos in which I want to discuss political topics and current affairs, sort of like a web series. It seems like a lot of people don’t know what is going on in the world, so I want to give them an understanding!”

Courtney’s interview for 1883 Magazine - November 26, 2019

[visualcommune]

Ari Wil  0:00   Okay. So first question what are your preferred pronouns. And is there anything I can do to make this easier for you. Fala  0:13   Oh, ok. she her, no and   I guess we can start a conversation, okay? Ari Wil  0:19   Sweet. Okay, Um, what description would you give of your general like work experience Fala  0:28   Of my work experience in gallerys? Ari Wil  0:30   Yeah, in arts administration particularly. Fala  0:35   I've been like, you know, I've done things with auction house, like auction basically in a gallery in Dubai. And as an administrator the closest thing I've done is worked as a curatorial assistant at Washington, Great gallery, here in New York. Ari Wil  0:55   Um, and, how much do you feel like these institutions have incorporated ideas of access and inclusion. Fala  1:08   Honestly, not as much as they should. Ari Wil  1:10   Mm hmm. Fala  1:11   I think, yeah, I think the most that they've done in terms of like accessibility. right? is, you know, they have a ramp to get to the gallery galleries that are working right now, for example, they have, what is that text thing? Is it called alternative? Ari Wil  1:35   Yeah, alt text. Fala  1:37   Exactly. So they're starting to implement that now, it hasn't been implemented. And with with Latchkey Gallery. I feel like it's still in the process of becoming, you know, a more accessible company, I guess. Unknown Speaker  2:02   And I do want you to be very candid because we both know how latchkey Gallery runs and stuff,  but also what motivates you to be part of the arts world? Like why are you entering into arts administration. Fala  2:20   Great question. I don't know there's something about it that makes life better. And I think the way I take it is art is very political. So, it's a great way to deliver a message in a way that many people can understand, no matter where you're from. That's the reason why I joined. Ari Wil  2:51   Do you feel like because museums are kind of inherently political that it puts like an increased responsibility on them to be socially aware or just maybe or what are your ideas surrounding that? Fala  3:05   I think that they should be. Unknown Speaker  3:06   Yeah? Fala  3:07   I think they should be aware. I am in my experience from what I've been studying in my program, I dont think they have been. I think they cater to a certain type of person, you know? and if you just look at the board, like just look up for the museum, they cater to specific types of people but I think they have a responsibility, you know as an institution that's supposed to preserve works for future generations,to be more responsible about society that they're in. Ari Wil  3:45   you just kind of mentioned, like the board and maybe like the internal functions of like museums and galleries, Um, do you feel like the target audience for the internal piece of a museum is different from the target audience, when they're considering like the general like the patrons and stuff. Does that question make sense? Fala  4:12   So the viewers and the people who walk in to view the artwork, versus people who donate the work? Ari Wil  4:16   well yeah like first of the people who work inside of the museum, and then versus the people like the patrons and the external factors like do you feel like galleries are targeting the same people like do you think the people who work in the museum represent those who are coming in. Fala  4:36   Ah, I don't think they represent those who are coming in. Ari Wil  4:41   Mm hmm. Fala  4:43   But I think galleries and museums are very different. You know? we always have this image of being a nonprofit space. So and, you know, your insincit is to think oh a nonprofit space like oh that's a good thing they're doing good right? But I think that museums do a lot more to seculde people. Because a gallery, for instance, has a goal, a you know, a goal of profitability, like that's their company at the end of the day, and they find clients for the artists that they represent. And they really take care of the artists that they represent I mean look at LKG. Going to the studio, you know, giving, giving advice and helping their artists and all of that. With the museum is just preservation of work, museums need to get funding. So, they have this mentality that's like extremely money driven. So they're targeting people of like the 1%. So that's, yeah that's just my opinion, I don't know that's the difference that I've been seeing. Ari Wil  5:58   Know that's really interesting I haven't heard something like that. So, thank you. That was really good. Um, and then. Okay. Um, yeah, no I mean no but no but that was also like very important you know, because yeah like what are some obstacles that you see, like, to accessibility and inclusion then, in gallerys. Fala  6:30   I have a big one, that I'm guilty of actually. So if I can sure that one with you. Ari Wil  6:35   Yes. Please. Fala  6:38   When I went to the Whitney Biennial. I saw an artwork by an artist called, I might be butchering her name Christine funkin, I'll send you the link. And she is deaf. Her artwork is about Deaf culture and their specific series called Deaf rage. And it just shows you how people don't consider Deaf culture in anything. And specifically, people in administration in the art world. So, this is something that when I saw this artwork I was like oh my god I didn't even cross my mind to even be considerate to Deaf culture right. So, I think that we have a long way to go.I think that, you know, back to the point about why I got into art. This is something that I learned from her work. So it starts the conversation and then allow for things to progress and get better. Ari Wil  7:54   Why do you think that that's culture just isn't considered like what's the main thing that's preventing people from even touching it. Fala  8:05   So if I'm going to look at it from the perspective of the museums I think its resources. So what they're going to do is they're going to focus their resources on A.  getting money so that they can preserve the art work. Thats the priority for them. right? So that's, let's say that what 60 % of their focus. Okay. And then you have, let's say 20% is their focus is the general public. For example, I'm just putting numbers, like yeah, they're not accurate. And then there's a small percentage of care towards accessibility because it's just starting now. You know? it's like, it's like being inclusive.This is something that they're realizing they're responsible for now. It was never something that they have to do. And don't forget, at the end of the day as much as you like to think that it's not, it's worth it. Or it's worth it. Can you Ari Wil  9:16   Can you talk a little bit more about that particular demographic, like, Who are you talking about when you say like, it's the elite, or it's a small group. Fala  9:27   The 1 %. Ari Wil  9:27   yeah so like are they typically white rich off Fala  9:31   White, rich, mostley male, majority are male. You know, it's like people who live in Connecticut. Ari Wil  9:42   Aha.And so, whose perspective, do you feel is missing. Fala  9:51   Well, now you know that 99% for example, you know, people who have. I don't know, you know, demanding jobs and like work like work their fucking ass off. And you know, like me being... even gallery dont make it welcoming for people in general so if you're feeling threatned in your life in general, you're not going to enter in to another space thats going to make you feel threatned.Right. Ari Wil  10:22   Oh no good. Fala  10:25   So gallery spaces. Look at the amount of security,very, you know sensitive issues. Ari Wil  10:39   Yeah, Fala  10:41   if you're if you're if you're just like day by day walking in your normal life. Ari Wil  10:49   Oh wow. Yeah, things like that. That put a barrier, and like, It's like they're not saying it directly but it's in their actions. Right Fala  11:08   For example, you know, I don't know I'm talking like specifically about there was an exhibition of Syrian Art at a Museum. Look at, look at Islamic art for example. A lot of Arab artists,  which is what my thesis is about a lot of Arab artists don't categorize themselves under the umbrella of Islamic art. But museums put them under that umbrella. And they're just now starting to realize, realize they're starting to recognize these things.  You know, they're starting to listen to people who aren't white males. They're starting to listen to people to change their direction and I guess their mission. And I'm hoping it gets somewhere basically it's just,you have a long way to go. Ari Wil  12:10   Can you describe. Can you describe your thesis to me a little bit. Fala  12:16   Sure thing. Its on the westernization of the Middle Eastern art scene. Specifically in the UAE, the United Arab Emirates. Okay. And I'm touching upon globalization and how like the East countries of the East, which such as the UAE. You know, it's like a puppet state basically. And they're, they're buying or leasing. For example, or they can use the time as a method to put themselves on the map. It's like you have to leave a Western institution to put yourself on the map. Every, like, it's like you have to do things in a Western framework to be recognized. Ari Wil  13:05   Mm hmm. Fala  13:15   Right, that's another source of the problem. I can talk about colonization all you want. yeah. Yeah, so, Ari Wil  13:20   um, what do you feel like people positioned on the internal side of gallery gallery work can do to like help. Or like, make it a more accountable situation like what can we do to put pressure on Amanda, or could we have done, or is there anything we could have done. Fala  13:42   I think we could have, you know, prepared a document that list everything that we think, or we feel is not acceptable on, for example the website. Let's start with the website because they don't have a physical space yet you know yeah so we could have maybe prepared a document. Listing everything that we think should be done for accessibility reasons. And we'll get back to her, Ari Wil  14:18   And what resources do you feel like we would need or that are lacking. Yeah, Fala  14:29   where, like, Ari Wil  14:30   in order to do in order to implement ideas of accessibility inclusion Fala  14:35   of knowledge. Ari Wil  14:36   Knowledge. Ooh, that's a really good one. Fala  14:41   Yeah. Oh no. Everyone keeps talking about accessibility. Everyone's like " yea, yea! Accessability." But the truth is, 74% people don't know what the fuck they're talking about. You know what I mean? Ari Wil  14:54   Yeah, totally. Fala  14:56   We need people who either are experiencing the art that I just mentioned, Deaf culture. Mm hmm. Like how great was that, you know, now I know, yeah, yeah I want to make an effort. Ari Wil  15:14   Yeah representation is so important. Fala  15:17   Exactly. You know, Ari Wil  15:22   what's the most accessible or inclusive, or, like, innovative on an audience engagement. You've seen or worked with. Fala  15:37   Well, I haven't seen but I've heard that the Brooklyn Museum has an event where basically, where people. I think if people can can't see go in, and they're able to touch the work, to feel Ari Wil  16:06   nice, so that's great. Fala  16:08   Yeah. That's a really creativeway to do things and like an incredible way to allow people to experience. You know the artwork that you promised your future generations. Right, Ari Wil  16:24   yeah Andyou kind of touched on a little bit earlier. But why do you think it's important that people are able to touch the art or be able to experience it like, what's the drive, like, why do we want people to see art or be a part of it, or experience it Fala  16:44   that hard question. Ari Wil  16:46   Yeah. Fala  16:50   It's about culture. Mostly, okay. It's about learning about other cultures, but it kills me to say that. Yeah, because museum started as a way to exotify other cultures. So, I think we need to have a conversation about how we change that first, you know, art is fun for everyone.and you know even an art therapy I don't know much about it but it really help people. Ari Wil  17:25   Yeah, no. Fala  17:30   I can give you words it's a form of therapy. Yeah, it's a it's an education that is understood across many cultures and languages like you don't have to speak English to undersrand. Ari Wil  17:47   Okay.vAnd my final question is, do you feel included in museum spaces and in gallery work. Fala  17:59   As, I, me myself, or as an Arab woman. Ari Wil  18:02   Fala  18:07   I do. I do feel included. but theres a limit.  Yeah, I feel, I mean in the, in the work that I've done its been amazing but  I've heard like horror stories about major  galleries here, basically. And the mistreatment of their female interns. I think that I think I've been blessed to have female role models in the work that I've been doing, like, Amanda LKG for example, and Nicola and Columbia at Washington E Gallery I think it's great to see women in positions like the director of the gallery or in our head curator, or co founder. I think I've been, I've been lucky enough to be in safer spaces than most people and so personally, it's been good but it depends really. Unknown Speaker  19:18   In auction house I feel like it's mailed off like dominant like the word. It's a male dominant thing actuion space. about like selling and all of that crap. I don't know for some reason they just keep hiring males. It's so different. Like, it's so different in each sace. Yeah, for profit and nonprofit.  then within that you have galleries auction houses. And then you have like a. There's so much to go through you have art advisory. Each have a culture of their own. Unknown Speaker  19:56   Huh, that's really good point. That's a really good point. And so this word kind of has to be done across the board, like on all of these spaces in different ways. Unknown Speaker  20:07   Yeah, you Unknown Speaker  20:10   are you my dude, I'm gonna hit end on this recording.

[roidespd-blog]

Chapter Four : MODERN QUEER MUSIC featuring Mike, Troye, Janelle & Annie.

Back when my grandmother was my age (1963), no huge celebrity was officially a homosexual. Andy Warhol’s sexuality was an open secret and Rock Hudson was far inside the closet his shirts and trousers were his roommates. When my mother was my age (1992), Freddy Mercury had just died due to complications from AIDS — so did Hudson a couple years before. George Michael was hiding and Elton John would still be bisexual for another year. A couple of years ago, I complained to a friend of mine about how so many few music Artists were full-blown Queer. Where’s that fresh music that everybody (and I mean, EVERYBODY) could listen to ? Sure, Lady Gaga and Madonna said loud and clear that they weren’t against taking a dip in the lady pond but there are still constraint to basic heteronormativity in their public lives. Sure, we have Christine and the Queens but I’m talking GLOBAL.

I was so wrong I would like to time travel and smack the shit of my past me.

Perfume Genius was considered a pretty low key artist from the commercial and critical strength of his first two records (Learning in 2010, Put Your Back N 2 It in 2012). 2014’s Too Bright brought him more recognition with a more synth-pop power sound. This album’s music videos were filled with glitter, genderfucked outfits and SM fantasies. He objectively coined the best lyric of all time with “No family is safe when I sashay” (1). No Shape confirmed his incredible talent. Deepening in his idea of masculine and feminine combining into one, Perfume Genius gave us a more optimistic fourth effort about love and the search of a peaceful mind. Singles like Slip Away (2) and Wreath (3) emerge as full queer anthems with lyrics like “they’ll never break the shape we take” and “I’m high, I’m out / I see the sun go down / I see the sun come up / I’m moving just beyond the frame” Though not actually a mainstream artist, Perfume Genius helped all decade long to usher a new wave of Queer Artists and with them, Queer acceptance.

One that benefited greatly from PG’s way-paving journey was South-African-Australian child actor-turned pop sensation Troye Sivan. 

After making his intentions clear with his debut album (2015’s Blue Neighborhood) and his fantastic music video trilogy — Wild, Fools, Talk Me Down (4) — Troye created what I personally a pop masterpiece with Bloom and possibly the first major mainstream album that doesn’t shy away from queer themes and same-sex pronouns in love songs. In Seventeen (5), he explicitly talks about losing his virginity to an older man. The title track (6) was confirmed (though it’s obvious) to be about bottoming. A friend of mine seems to think it’s about fisting though I would respond that every anal pleasure is valid and the listener is free to interpret the lyrics with his/hers/theirs own liking in mind. The music video for Bloom shows him play dress up, wearing gorgeous gowns and makeup, shattering preconceived notions of how a male pop star should act publicly. “Lucky Strike” (7), the album’s sexiest cut, has “And my boy like a queen /Unlike one you’ve ever seen /He knows how to love me better” to say about desires. He closes the record lying next to his “fellow”, singing “An ode to the boy I love /Boy, I’ll die to care for you /You’re mine, mine, mine, tell me who do I owe that to?” (8). We’re not far enough in the future to know for sure, but I’m sure Bloom will be recognized as revolutionary. Nevertheless, we can all “Dance to This (9)”.

While Perfume Genius and Troye Sivan went further into their explorations of the opposite sex trait, Janelle Monae liberated herself from the chains of her previous persona adopted through her first records. With 2018’s Dirty Computer, the artist said bye to tuxedos and welcome a sexier, more feminine aesthetic. 

That doesn’t mean a woman should absolutely be feminine to be considered. No fuckin’ way. But when it comes to Monae, I sometimes felt that her visual choices, though fantastic at times, were restraining her from showing her true self. A mystery for years, it seemed like the character of Cindi Mayweather (10), a messianic android sent back in time to free the citizens of Metropolis from The Great Divide was just the surface of the real living person behind that. 

“Dirty computer, walk in line / If you look closer you’ll recognize / I’m not that special / I’m broke inside /Crashing slowly, the bugs are in me” (11) were the first words uttered in her third opus, a concept album exploring the power of women and the spectrum of sexual identities. The album’s 14 tracks can be grouped into three loose categories: Reckoning, Celebration and Reclamation. The first deals with Monae’s recognition of how she is viewed by society, the middle explores her acceptance of “the cards she has been dealt”, and the closing tracks deal with her reclamation and redefinition of American identity. Overall, the album is Monae’s attempt to “step into a more authentic self”. A coming out party of sorts.

“If you try to grab my pussy cat / this pussy grab you back” (12). Dirty Computer is a declaration of independence from a woman who has nothing else to fear and a homage to Queer life. Was it mainstream ? Well, it was nominated for the Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards. So, yeah. Go listen to it. And watch the 48 min movie that goes with it (13) We’re all Dirty Computers.

Also taking a more sexually explicit approach to music is St. Vincent is her latest LP, Masseduction (14) (2017). Annie Clark never hid her sexuality to the public, with high profile girlfriends like Carla Delevingne. She responded to a journalist asking if she was gay or straight : “I don’t think about those words. I believe in gender fluidity and sexual fluidity. I don’t really identify as anything. I think you can fall in love with anybody. I don’t have anything to hide but I’d rather the emphasis be on music.” 

Clark has stated that the album focuses on themes of power, sex, drugs, sadness, imperiled relationships and death. Contrary to her previous efforts, Masseduction is very first person narrative, a diary encompassing years of her life. Though not a explicit in her lyrics as some of her companions, St. Vincent made an incredible album that infuses in its listener the idea that it actually does not matter if she’s singing about a male or a female love interest. In the eye of the storm called life, we’re all the same.

The visuals (15), though, have clear intentions of destroying the male gaze and give more value to the female body and mind. From the mouth of a Queer icon, it has value on so many levels.

Okay, okay. Four is enough for this article. I was told not to be too talkative around here. But guys, there’s so many great Queer artists at the moment. 

Serpentwithfeet (16) released his debut album Soil a year ago and this guy will break your heart with his incredible vocals and poetic imagination. Jake Shears (17) remains a fascinating creature to admire, even more so now that he’s taking a little time off from Scissor Sisters. Courtney Barnett (18) is awesome as fuck and her second opus was just as good as the first one. Frank Ocean (19) needs to do a third album — and make it better than the second one. Eddy De Pretto (20) is not my cup of hot jizz but he’s objectively great and , apart from Chris (21), who else is Queer in France right now ?

For the first time in our history, Queer people are able to exist in the public eye as Queer people, ending tabloids’ craziness about who’s closeted or not. Those artists, and some much others that I didn’t mention, give us voices that stays inside the minds of people that are not us and don’t always understand who we are. In my opinion, they are doing God’s work… and I’m a atheist. But we all know that God is a Queer Jewish Black Woman. Halleloo.

[kpopchangedme]

A fortuitous encounter with Jung Daehyun might be exactly what you need to take your mind off your recent breakup.

Protagonists: Jung Daehyun & You

Word Count: 1.3k

Genre: Angst - Fluff - Barista!au

Lyly’s note: Here; have this Daehyun drabble because my drunk bias-wrecked feelings are way out of hand.

M A S T E R L I S T

 That damn downpour.

You reach your hand forward, letting it get soaked. The edge of your red coat turns darker, drinking the rainwater. Darker, like my heart. You can’t help the grim giggle that escapes your lips at your sarcastic thought. You always despised people who indulge in self-pity over a simple relationship. You aren’t usually like that. Still, maybe you should give yourself a pass. Allow yourself to feel the gloomy weather in your bones, let it engulf you. Just for a day, acknowledge that you aren’t almighty, aren’t as unaffected by your cheating ex-boyfriend as you wish you’d be.

The sound of the heavy rain on the bus shelter you’re waiting in is deafening. The sky has been crying for almost two weeks now. Has it already been two weeks? You shrug at your own question. Who knows? Does it matter? They say time is unimportant when it comes to heartbreak. It can take days, weeks or sometimes months. He seems to be moving on just fine while you are stuck in this sad, seemingly eternal rain.

“UGH. I can’t believe it! It’s a real deluge!” A man enters the bus shelter, shaking the rain of his dark grey coat and umbrella. “How is this even possible? Global warming?” You’re alone, but you’re not sure he’s speaking to you since he’s turned away. He ignores your lack of reaction and goes on: “I mean; where’s that much water coming from? Like, really clouds, you’re going to be dicks like that?!” Facing straight in front of you, your lips curl into a subtle smile; he seems to be quite a colorful character. “I hear houses are flooded everywhere outside the city. Don’t you just hate weather on these days?”

“I guess rain feels right when you’re sad.” The stranger falls silent, taken aback by your taciturn statement. For a whole minute he stays quiet and you start to believe you’ve killed his need for small talk.

“I wish winter would come faster, don’t you think snow is better than that? Snow is cold, but at least it’s pretty and less depressing.” You shrug and the man sighs. “Anyway, when is this bus coming? Have you been waiting for lon- Oh!” At his exclamation, you steal a glance sideways and find that he’s staring at you with renewed interest.

“7:15 Latte?” The man claps his hands, seemingly pleased. “That’s you! 7:15 Latte, right?” Frowning, you turn to face him, not getting what he’s talking about. “Ah sorry! I mean; you are the one who always comes in on Monday, Thursday and Friday mornings to get a Latte, right?”

That’s when you recognize him too; his friendly grin, playful conversation skills and gorgeous dark puffy eyes.

“Ah, yeah yeah… That’s me.” You face forward again, vaguely embarrassed to be meeting an acquaintance. You don’t even know his name, never took the time to read his nametag. Accidental meetings like this make you uncomfortable; you never know what to say to a person who’s almost a stranger.

“Right!” The young man chuckles, pleased. “I thought I it was you!” You wish the bus would come this instant. It’d interrupt this impromptu conversation; keep you from feeding your devious curiosity. You want to know about the girls he probably saw come in on Tuesdays or Wednesdays mornings; the other girls. You bite the interior of your cheek to keep from yielding to your self-destruction tendencies.

“You haven’t come in for a while! Are you one of those rare human beings that can survive without caffeine?” He laughs, ignoring everything of your inner battle. “Or are you grabbing your coffees elsewhere?” His voice dies down, almost sad and you shake your head.

“It just…” The man cocks his head to the side, genuinely curious, awaiting for your explanation. You know he doesn’t really want to know about that, but still; it’s the truth. “Your coffee shop is actually across the street of my ex’s apartment.”

“Oh…” His face falls for a second then goes back to his usual warm expression. “I get it… An Ex… Two weeks, right?” You nod; amazed that he remembers when you stopped coming in. The man’s shoulders begin to shake like he’s repressing laughter.

“Is there something funny about my breakup?” You ask, trying and failing to not sound offended by his amusement.

“No.” He winces and then bites his lips to refrain from grinning. “I mean yes.” You raise an eyebrow and he shakes his head at your inquiring look. “Wah- It’s just weird… I don’t know why, but I never thought about the possibility of you having a boyfriend!” He chuckles again, nervous.

“What?” You suck in a breath, way more affected by his opinion of your love life than you should be. For some reason, this man insinuating you aren’t datable bothers you. “What’s so surprising about me having a boyfriend?!” A cheating, liar and shitty boyfriend, but still.

“Oh no! That’s not it!” He wiggles on his feet, your sensitive reaction visibly making him uncomfortable. “I’m just glad that I never actually asked you out before.” He lets out the same nervous laugh. Asked me out? You watch as he pouts pensively. “It would have been kinda humiliating…”

“You…Wow…” You breathe out in disbelief “the cute barista wanted to ask me out?”

“You think I’m cute!?” The man beams and his plump lips curl up to reveal perfect pearly white teeth. There’s no way a guy like that doesn’t know how hot he is. “My name’s Daehyun…” He pauses to ponder on something. “But I definitely prefer cute barista!” He claps his hands, laughing with his whole body. “I think it sounds way better, I can’t wait to tell Himchan, that I-” he points a finger to his chest “-am the cute barista. Burst his bubble!” You stare at him with a mix of incomprehension and shock. “So what’s your name, 7:15 Latte?”

“Y/n.” It’s your turn to laugh this time and he smiles wider, satisfied. The sight warms you, making you almost forget about the gloomy weather.

“Nice to finally meet you Y/n… May I propose something?” He leans in and waits until you nod to go on. “It’ll eventually stop raining…” Daehyun stops to comically mimic skepticism and you find yourself laughing again. “When it does and you feel better… I’m thinking, maybe you could come visit the cute barista to get a coffee. On the house, I mean… If you want to?”

“I would like that… A lot.” You feel a blush tint your cheeks and you smile, suddenly timid. “When the sun comes back?”

“Please…” Daehyun grimaces. “Please don’t wait ‘til Summer… This isn’t what I meant by sun. I’m just saying that you should drop by my coffee shop when you’re ready. I’m actually a co-owner by the way… When you’re over the one-that-lives-across-the-street… We could meet each other and hang-”

“Daehyun” You interrupt his babbling when the public bus you were waiting for turns the corner of the street.

“We agreed on cute barista” He corrects. “But, please, do go on…” Chewing on his lower lip, he glances down at you, hopeful.

“I get it; you’re asking me out.” You look sideways at the bus that’s approaching his stop. “And my answer is; Yes, I’ll drop by the coffee shop soon…”

“Wow! Uh- I mean perfect…” For a second he seems surprised and you giggle. “I’ll eagerly wait for the sun to come back then!” He nods, opening his umbrella again.

“Wait, aren’t you getting on?” You ask curious as the doors open in front of the shelter. The cute barista turns to smile warmly at you, one last time.

“Oh, I forgot to confess; I wasn’t really waiting for that bus!”

M A S T E R L I S T