#doctor who podcast discussion

[esonetwork]

Doctor Who: The Legend of Ruby Sunday Review | Earth Station Who

New Post has been published on https://esonetwork.com/doctor-who-the-legend-of-ruby-sunday-review-earth-station-who/

Doctor Who: The Legend of Ruby Sunday Review | Earth Station Who

Dive headfirst into the Earth Station Who Podcast as we unravel the thrilling Doctor Who episode, “The Legend of Ruby Sunday.” Everything this season has been building up to this captivating moment! Join hosts Mike F., Mike G., and Mary, along with special guests Shannon Clute, Charles Martin, and Chip Johnson, as they dissect the episode’s exciting plot, intriguing character developments, and key themes. Uncover the mysteries of Ruby Sunday and explore the looming darker evil threatening the entire Doctor Who universe. Whether you’re a dedicated Whovian or a newcomer, our lively discussion and expert insights will keep you hooked. Don’t miss out on the adventure—tune in now to the Earth Station Who Podcast for an in-depth review of “The Legend of Ruby Sunday” and all things Doctor Who!

We want to hear from you! Please write to us at feedback@earthstationwho.com. Also, please subscribe and rate the show on iTunes, Amazon, YouTube, or wherever fine podcasts are found. Feedback is always welcome and much appreciated.

Links Listen to older episodes of the Earth Station Who Podcast ESW on iTunes Earth Station Who on Spotify Earth Station Who on Instagram Earth Station Who on Facebook Earth Station Who on YouTube Make-A-Wish Foundation The ESO Network TeePublic Store The ESO Network Patreon

Promotion Modern Musiccology

#EarthStationWhoPodcast #DoctorWhoLegendofRubySunday #LegendofRubySundayreview #DoctorWhoepisodereview #RubySundayDoctorWho #DoctorWhoSeason14 #DoctorWhopodcastdiscussion #Whovianpodcast #LegendofRubySundayanalysis #DoctorWhocharacterdevelopments #DoctorWhoplotbreakdown #TARDISadventures #EarthStationWhoreview #DoctorWhoepisodeinsights #DoctorWhofanpodcast

[please-attend-carefully]

The Holy Trinity of Big Finish Time Lord characters that need to be brought through to the TV show.

Rufus Hound as The Meddling Monk

Mark Bonnar as The Eleven

Alexander Mcqueen as The Master

[coldflasher]

fuming cos i went to the library to write today and sat for 2 hours and in that time, all i wrote was a fucking email

[cultfaction]

Cult Faction Podcast Ep. 117: The True Story of Gef The Talking Mongoose

In anticipation of Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose arriving on Amazon Prime video this month, we’re going to take a look at the true story behind the film. Fact? fiction? a hoax? or a genuinely supernatural phenomenon? We’ll let you decide. In the drop zone we take a look at The Pond, It’s a Wonderful Knife, and The Toxic…

[n1et]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but is that not basically the entire premise of Michel as a character?

We never see most of the developments that led him to becoming how he is (was?) And it's outright stated that most of them never happened and will not be discussed.

He said "You turn into me, remember that" which might come true in the coming episodes, but not at all in the sense implied at the time. Without intervention Mike Mikey Michael and M.W. all remained distinct characters, without much drift into eachother's personalities.

This of course isn't *the same* but I think it shares some narrative parallels with the concept. There have been narratively significant events, that led to the cast developing, that nobody is privy to because those events never happened in the first place, with said characters being the only person still affected.

I think without that tie in to the story line, the question becomes slightly moot. If a tree falls in a forest but the only witness gets deleted out of the timeline along with it, does it make a sound? The answer I think is no, because the tree never existed, and it's not like the only guy who can disagree ever existed either.

listen the thing that really sticks in my head about woe.begone is the potential that the utilization of time travel within the canon storyline changes the events relative to the way we (the audience) experience it.

maybe this has been addressed in the pod or is altogether just too meta, but the idea that, for example, something could've happened to some version of mike that now, thanks to continuity/corrections/ the like, we (as meta w.bg pod listeners/in-canon listeners to w.bg as "mike's podcast"?) don't remember, because the iterations of him that initially experienced the event in their timelines, for one reason of another, are equally unaware that it ever even happened.

[copperbadge]

Hi Sam, could you please recommend any resources/websites to learn about ADHD medication? Until reading your post about second-line meds I thought Adderal was the only one

I can definitely talk about it a little! Always bearing in mind that I am not a doctor and this is not medical advice, etc. etc.

So, I've had many friends with ADHD in my life before I got my diagnosis and I picked up some stuff from them even before getting diagnosed; I also spoke with my prescribing psychiatrist about options when we met. If you think your psychiatrist might be resistant to discussing options, or you don't have one, doing your own research is good, but it's not really a substitute for a specialist in medication management. So it's also important to know what your needs are -- ie, "I want help with my executive function but I need something that's nonaddictive" or "I want something nonsedative" or "I don't think the treatment I'm on is working, what is available outside of this kind of medication?"

The problems you run into with researching medication for ADHD are threefold:

Most well-informed sources aren't actually geared towards non-doctor adults who just want to know what their options are -- they're usually either doctors who don't know how to talk about medication to non-doctors, or doctors (and parents) talking to parents about pediatric options.

A huge number of sites when you google are either AI-generated, covert ads for stimulant addiction rehab, or both.

Reliable sites with easy-to-understand information are not updated super often.

So you just kind of have to be really alert and read the "page" itself for context clues -- is it a science journal, is it an organization that helps people with ADHD, is it a doctor, is it a rehab clinic, is it a drug advertiser, is it a random site with a weird URL that's probably AI generated, etc.

So for example, ADDitude Magazine, which is kind of the pre-eminent clearinghouse for non-scholarly information on ADHD, is a great place to start, but when the research is clearly outlined it sometimes isn't up-to-date, and when it's up-to-date it's often a little impenetrable. They have an extensive library of podcast/webinars, and I started this particular research with this one, but his slides aren't super well-organized, he flips back and forth between chemical and brand name, and he doesn't always designate which is which. However, he does have a couple of slides that list off a bunch of medications, so I just put those into a spreadsheet, gleaned what I could from him, and then searched each medication. I did find a pretty good chart at WebMD that at least gives you the types and brand names fairly visibly. (Fwiw with the webinar, I definitely spent more time skimming the transcript than listening to him, auto transcription isn't GOOD but it is helpful in speeding through stuff like that.)

I think, functionally, there are four types of meds for ADHD, and the more popular ones often have several variations. Sometimes this is just for dosage purposes -- like, if you have trouble swallowing pills there are some meds that come in liquids or patches, so it's useful to learn the chemical name rather than the brand name, because then you can identify several "brands" that all use the same chemical and start to differentiate between them.

Top of the list you have your methylphenidate and your amphetamine, those are the two types of stimulant medications; the most well known brand names for these are Ritalin (methylphenidate) and Adderall (amphetamine).

Then there's the nonstimulant medications, SNRIs (Strattera, for example) and Alpha-2 Agonists (guanfacine and clonidine, brand names Kapvay and Intuniv; I'm looking at these for a second-line medication). There's some crossover between these and the next category:

Antidepressants are sometimes helpful with ADHD symptoms as well as being helpful for depression; I haven't looked at these much because for me they feel like the nuclear option, but it's Dopamine reuptake inhibitors like Wellbutrin and tricyclics like Tofranil. If you're researching these you don't need to look at like, every antidepressant ever, just look for ones that are specifically mentioned in context with ADHD.

Lastly there are what I call the Offlabels -- medications that we understand to have an impact on ADHD for some people, but which aren't generally prescribed very often, and sometimes aren't approved for use. I don't know much about these, either, because they tend to be for complex cases that don't respond to the usual scrips and are particularly difficult to research. The one I have in my notes is memantine (brand name Namenda) which is primarily a dementia medication that has shown to be particularly helpful for social cognition in people with combined Autism/ADHD.

So yeah -- hopefully that's a start for you, but as with everything online, don't take my word for it -- I'm also a lay person and may get stuff wrong, so this is just what I've found and kept in my notes. Your best bet truly is to find a psychiatrist specializing in ADHD medication management and discuss your options with them. Good luck!

[riacte]

Actually I’m thinking about Ren doing a podcast but the guests rotate so it’s him and someone every time. Eg. “Star Wars nerd discussion with Scar” “Food, Gardening, Colour Theory, and Doctor Who with False” “Martyn and I make out for 50 minutes”

[helloliriels]

GIFT WRAPPED 2024

SENDING OUT A GREAT BIG THANK YOU to everyone who made this year such a lovely experience!!! Including those that came to the Writers Retreat; to @friday411 @ghostofnuggetspast and @calaisreno's for the May Prompts challenge and sucking me into Limerick writing; Plus the IRL chatting of the Johnlock Community (at long last!) and special encouragement of @totallysilvergirl and @thegildedbee! Tysm you two!!! I owe you both so so much!!!

And since fandom gifts are meant to be shared, please go and share some love for these amazing authors and artists!! 💋xoxo - Liri

🎁 SH-221 by ??? (TBA!!!) a Holmestice Winter 2024 gift

The year is 2035 and John Watson is desperately looking for a job, trying to survive in a dystopian world run by technology. But Mike Stamford might just have the offer he needed: partaking in an experiment with a unique new android.

💝 H.O.U.N.D. by @k2ntwo

Behind the facade of Baskerville, Sherlock suspects there's a darker trial being run. One that involves a very human subject! It will take all of his courage to unleash the H.O.U.N.D.

🎁 Ode to Your Hands Upon My Waking at 3AM to Hear the Violin by @ghostofnuggetspast a poem response to 36 Views of London!

John turns to his hidden journal to let off a bit of steam in a (maybe?) healthy way. Well, it's healthy as long as Sherlock doesn't find it. O_o

💝 The Part of You That Stays by @holmesianlove @was-fuck-off-watson a FTH 2024 fic, brilliantly written! xoxo

Sherlock comes home a broken man and after serving as John’s best man he seemingly has a mental breakdown. Checking himself into a mental rehabilitation center. The medicine he needs is his Doctor ... but will John be able to put all of Sherlock’s broken pieces back together in time?

🎁 Sherlock and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week by @chriscalledmesweetie

John is away. Sherlock is NOT pleased.

💝 And Back Again by @anyawen a FTH 2024 gift poem remix

A book familiar and meaningful to both men offers guidance and hope.

🎁 What If I'm Not? (fanart) by @safedistancefrombeingsmart a FTH 2024 gift GIF image.

A stunning visual for the fic 'What If I'm Not'

💝 Body of Years by @gaylilsherlock (LipstickDaddy)

Sherlock has been dead for two years, fighting to stay alive each day to see John again. So, when he comes back to London and sees John about to close the door on their life together, he reaches a breaking point.

2023

💝 Of Scars and Revelations by @catlock-holmes for Holmestice Winter 2023

Sherlock has returned from his presumed death, but he isn’t the same he used to be. John isn’t the same either. Can they rekindle their friendship, or maybe even become something more?

🎁 Human Urges by @topsyturvy-turtely

John hated it. He utterly and truly hated it. Despised himself for it … That stupid, always present, torturing urge to be kissed!

💝 The Case of the Serial Secret Admirer by @hasenkind687

It is seven days until Valentine’s day. Humbuk - if you ask Sherlock. But then, anonymous gifts appears!

🎁 “John what the bloody hell are you doing?” by Atrocious_Magpie

Sherlock catches John baking cookies while listening to abba, what do you think happens next?

💝 This perfect JOHNLOCK IMAGE photo manip for ‘It Belongs in a Museum’, a gift made by @a-victorian-girl

2022

🎁 Live from the Morgue by @disfictional Holmestice Winter 2022.

A very special podcast episode 'Live from the Morgue’ with Molly Hooper, featuring guest star Sherlock Holmes, discussing his years away playing dead - while John listens … Brilliant!

💝 Mrs. Hudson’s Crack Brew by @chriscalledmesweetie for 2022 Year of the Crack Fic!

Mrs. Hudson is beginning to regret the part she played in bringing Sherlock and John together. Not to put too fine a point on it, those boys are LOUD. XD

🎁 Knitting Needles Out by @fluffbyday-smutbynight

Knitting. How hard could it be? Pretty hard, as it turned out. Especially cable knitting. Bahaha!

💝 This lovely GIF collab made by @liquor-liquor-lips for 'pack up the moon, and dismantle the sun’ quote by W.H. Auden and the reichenbach feels. 💋

2021

🎁 Shared Proximity by @fluffbyday-smutbynight for Holmestice Open Promptfest Winter 2021

“As ever, you see but you do not observe. Our respective lives are so enmeshed together, that such labels - like flatmates or colleagues or, yes, even friends - evidently fall short. Partners might do, and it’s not a coincidence that it’s a stand-in for couple.” A definition might prove necessary, but still not enough in itself. What’s the next step?

💝 (Full) Contact With Nature by @fluffbyday-smutbynight

John’s abs and thighs harden as he bucks up to get into a sitting position, but Sherlock puts all his weight on him pushing him back on the ground, and simultaneously catches John’s arms and pins them down by the wrists at the sides of his head.

🎁 A Story of Scent by maelle_lardeux & 💝Un affaire de sentur by malle_lardeux (french translation) 🥰 for @ohlooktheresabee & me

It’s amazing how smells can affect people’s emotions, in a good or bad way.C’est incroyable comment les odeurs peuvent affecter les émotions des personnes, d’une bonne ou d’une mauvaise façon.

🎁 The Mystery of the Red Pants by @simplyclockwork for Holmestice Summer 2021

A few spectacular laundry mishaps lead to revelations between Sherlock and John - and maybe a bit more …

💝 Practice Date by Fantasy_Fan_26

Sherlock wants to go on a date with John to figure out his feelings, but doesn’t want to be rejected, this is the plan he comes up with.

Plus these translated fics 💖:

🎄Шерлок – это женское имя [Sherlock is a Girl’s Name] translated by Flamyenko_No_Kami 🎄Бутылочка [Spin the Bottle] translated by Flamyenko_No_Kami 🎄Таксофон [Payphone] translated by Flamyenko_No_Kami  🎄Эксперименты по проводимо��ти [Experiments in Conductivity] translated by Little_Unicorn 🎄【福华福】[授翻]Kiss Me Now Before You Go／离开前请吻我 translated by 十三横夏 [Whale_Juan] 🎄Dawno utracone [Long Lost] translated by Tulippa 🎄Помни меня [Remember Me] translated by Little_Unicorn

Is there anything better than a fandom gift??

[saywhat-politics]

The panel voted along party lines.

The Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday voted to advance Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s controversial nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services under President Donald Trump.

The panel voted along party lines 14-13.

It was a high-stakes vote for Kennedy, as with the committee’s makeup it would have taken just one Republican to oppose him for his nomination to be potentially sunk.

All eyes were on Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican and longtime physician who, during last week's hearings, expressed deep concerns about the impact of Kennedy's past comments casting doubt on vaccines, including saying on a 2023 podcast that "no vaccine is safe and effective.

Cassidy told Kennedy he was "struggling" with his nomination as those proceedings came to a close. The two spoke more over the weekend, according to one person familiar with the discussion, though it's unclear what was said. Cassidy avoided reporter questions ahead of the vote on that conversation and on whether he’d support Kennedy.

[auntie-social-acab]

Two more women have come forward accusing Neil Gaiman of sexual assault.

It is very difficult for anyone to come forward about sexual assault. It can ruin your life to say “this person assaulted me” when you’re both just normal citizens. When you accuse a celebrity, you’re put under a proton microscope rather than just a regular one.

Anyone who comes forward about sexual assault is disbelieved from the get go. You are suddenly guilty until proven innocent. Different things are said about women than are said about men, but at the core it is all about disbelief and the court of public opinion just doesn’t think you were actually harmed.

Victims are also forced to tell their story over and over again, and often must undergo painful and intrusive examinations, all of which only causes more trauma.

A few weeks ago, I found this comment on reddit while looking at a thread for celebrity rumors:

Screenshot discussing one user being happy that Neil Gaiman is writing for Doctor Who. Another user expresses concern about seeing Neil’s name because they believed he would be accused of sexual assault, and then the final comment by u/elliegriezler: unfortunately, yes, him too. A friend of a friend stay d overnight in his house and he warned her he may wander on Ambien (note: a sleep drug that does cause actual sleepwalking, sleep eating, and sleep impulse buying in a lot of people). She woke up to find him in her room and she didn’t go into specifics, but she was upset and implied that he was groping her. She didn’t want to hurt her career so she didn’t share it publicly. I’m just waiting for something worse to eventually come out about him. Don’t pin your hopes on him being a squeaky clean guy. There’s another comment about his ex wife Amanda Palmer who is also known for odd behavior and liking very young looking “boys” around her. This thread is 184 days old.

This situation is very sad and very upsetting. I hadn’t held out much hope after the initial reporting, even if the podcast it was reported on may have their own agenda. I said to my bff @goblynn whom I’ve known for over two decades, that even if Gaiman isn’t guilty of rape, there’s no way to have him come out of this looking good. He preys on young women and uses his celebrity and friendships with other celebrities to get what he wants.

We’ve discussed how now, in light of these accusations, there are parts of his books that I’ve read and at the time said to myself, “wow, that’s an odd way to write that.” Of course at the time, I figured it was a way he wanted us to see things and not how he feels. Ha! Yes, that’s a sarcastic ha!

Anyway, I feel like this is just the beginning. I would HOPE that Gaiman makes a more complete statement and offers some sort of recompense to his victims. I would hope that he gets the help he needs. I hope this isn’t swept under the rug and forgotten about just because we actually do like his work.

It’s a sad day. It’s okay to be upset. You can be upset and still support the victims at the same time.

[esonetwork]

Doctor Who: Dot and Bubble Review | Earth Station Who

New Post has been published on https://esonetwork.com/doctor-who-dot-and-bubble-review-earth-station-who/

Doctor Who: Dot and Bubble Review | Earth Station Who

In this episode of Earth Station Who, Mike F, Michael G, and Mary are joined by guests Janne McKamey, Alan J. Porter, and Romona Schnitger to dive into the Doctor Who episode “Dot and Bubble,” examining its commentary on social media and the impactful twist ending. They explore the emotional depth, character development, and societal issues presented. The episode’s monsters, psychological horror, and practical effects are also discussed, along with setting details and foreshadowing. Additionally, the panel pays tribute to the late William Russell (Ian) and speculates on Susan’s role in the new series. Tune in now for the excitement and adventure of our review of ‘Dot and Bubble’ exclusively on the Earth Station Who Podcast!

We want to hear from you! Please write to us at feedback@earthstationwho.com. Also, please subscribe and rate the show on iTunes, Amazon, YouTube, or wherever fine podcasts are found. Feedback is always welcome and much appreciated.

Links Listen to older episodes of the Earth Station Who Podcast ESW on iTunes Earth Station Who on Spotify Earth Station Who on Instagram Earth Station Who on YouTube Make-A-Wish Foundation The ESO Network TeePublic Store The ESO Network Patreon Bat Chums

Promotion The Flop Cast

If you would like to leave feedback or comment feel free to email us at feedback@earthstationwho.com

EarthStationWhoPodcast, #dotandbubble #DoctorWhoDotandBubble #DotandBubblereview #DoctorWhoepisodereview #DotandBubbleanalysis #DoctorWhopodcastdiscussion #DoctorWhoSeason14 #NewDoctorWhoepisode #Whovianpodcast #DotandBubblebreakdown #DoctorWhocharacteranalysis #DotandBubblethemes #DoctorWhoplotdiscussion #EarthStationWhoreview #DotandBubblesecrets #DoctorWhoepisodeinsights #DoctorWhoadventure-review #DotandBubblerecap #DoctorWhofanpodcast #Podcast #WilliamRussel #WilliamRusselPassing #ESO #ESONetwork #Geek Review

[denimbex1986]

'Doctor Who star David Tennant has managed to inadvertently raise thousands of pounds for LGBTQ+ charity the Albert Kennedy Trust (AKT) by wearing a TARDIS pin in the colours of the trans Pride flag.

Tennant appeared on sketch show The Last Leg on Friday (17 November) and The One Show last night (20 November), to discuss his return as the Doctor for the upcoming Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials.

On both programmes, he donned a small pin badge shaped like the Doctor’s spacecraft, the TARDIS, in blue, white and pink – the trans Pride flag colours.

The creator of the badge, Dr Jamie Gallagher, has since shared on social media that all profits raised from purchases of it will be donated to charity AKT, which supports homeless LGBTQ+ people in the UK.

Hours before Tennant’s appearance on The One Show, Gallagher updated their followers to announce that more than £18,000 had been raised for the charity.

“Thank you beautiful humans. That will make a huge difference to LGBTQ+ people living with homelessness this winter,” Gallagher shared, adding that their website was “blowing up” with people trying to order the TARDIS Pride pins.

Tennant’s wife, actress Georgia Tennant, has also promoted the badges on her social media.

In recent months, the Tennants have become staunch trans allies, as one of their children is reportedly non-binary.

David Tennant has been spotted on TV numerous time wearing a range of trans and non-binary pin badges, including one which read: “You are safe with me”.

In July, he was spotted wearing a “leave trans kids alone” t-shirt while promoting his Prime Video series, Good Omens.

The t-shirt drew fierce backlash from anti-trans campaigners, most notably from The IT Crowd creator Graham Lineham – who suggested that Tennant was an “abusive groomer” for his support of trans children. Lineham was later reportedly dropped by his TV agent, who also represented Tennant, over his comments.

To mark Pride month in June, Tennant appeared on the Reasons To Be Cheerful podcast, urging that while the community can’t “expect that we will always travel in the right direction towards acceptance,” everyone should be “fighting that fight every day”.

David Tennant will make his much-anticipated Doctor Who return this Saturday, 25 November, as part of the queerest series yet, with LGBTQ+ icons Ncuti Gatwa, Yasmin Finney, Miriam Margoyles and Neil Patrick Harris also starring.'

[panlight]

also continuing off the Informed Traits discussion, just how much of Caslisle's compassion/kindness is informed? Bella and Edward both make it seem like he's this saintly figure and pillar of goodness, but then there's moments where he does things that make you wonder if the view on him is just really rose-tinted.

Again, going back on BD where he invites his friends to witness and doesn't seem to care that they're hunting humans just outside forks/la push and let's them stay even after already knowing what their presence triggers the tribe to phase, the book also reveals that he took Jacob's blood sample to study without his consent?? Like a lab experiment???? (I learned this through a post showcasing that part in the book) Also in a podcast I listen to that discusses the plot of MS, he apparently fakes being Billy's distant relative (impersonating an indigenous person uhhmmm 😬) and, well,,,, lets just say I can see why some people think that entire phone call just gave colonizer vibes. AND!!! didn't he drug a woman to steal their car and kinda doesn't react much when they caused a massive car pileup??

On the one hand i dont mind if it's meant to show us that even Carlisle's sense of morality is flawed, but between Bella's "the Cullens are good to the core" and every time Edward talks about him in MS, it's feels more to me like another unreliable narrator trope.

This one is harder for me because, see, I want the compassion to be real because I think the concept of a vampire blessed/cursed with Super Compassion is legit fascinating! As I've said about 23470234 times, my favorite aspect of vampire stories is how they become a vampire, how you cope, the choices you make, what you accept and what you deny about your new reality. The idea that for this one guy, becoming a vampire made him even more compassionate is just the kind of twist on it that I've never seen anywhere else and I think it's really interesting, actually. A dud of a superpower, sure; the innate push-pull of vampire instincts vs super compassion compels me, though.

But obviously I can see where it comes from that it could be an unreliable narrator thing or outright lie. Or at least a show vs tell problem where we're told he's compassionate but actions suggests otherwise.

I think it falls apart in two major ways:

The protagonist-centered morality. Everything in the story is about facilitating the E/B romance. Carlisle's alleged compassion can only help that, he can't hinder it. They HAVE to move back to Forks so the story can happen, he can't say "huh maybe it's NOT compassionate to move back to a place where people know what we are and are terrified of us." He can't refuse to drug the soccer mom because they have to save Bella! He can't object to having witnesses gather in Forks and force more teenage boys to phase and put humans at risk of being eaten because we have to save Renesmee! He can compassionately offer Bree surrender, but neither he nor Esme can do any more than that to try and save her, because that would complicate Bella's upcoming wedding. The Bella-centricity of it all sits like a supermassive black hole in the middle of the story, disrupting the orbits and bending the light of the other characters.

Carlisle can't be any more compassionate than his author, and that limits him. We had a fandom discussion about this a few years ago, but basically because SM doesn't see the problems with how the Quileute characters are treated in the story, none of the characters can, either. I remember calling it the moral version of how Alice is supposed to be a fashionista, but because SM doesn't really know anything about high fashion, there's a lot of 'tell' about her being this fashion icon but the actual show of clothes in the story doesn't live up to it. Or Carlisle himself -- he's supposed to be this genius doctor who has studied medicine and science for centuries, but SM isn't a doctor or a scientist, so some of the stuff she makes him say doesn't live up to the idea she planted. SM totally missed the settler-colonial stuff, the dehumanizing language, etc etc, so none of the characters, not even Compassionate Carlisle or Power-of-Heart Esme can.

tl;dr I like to think the compassion is real but hindered by the narrative insisting on prioritizing the love story AND Carlisle being unable to be more compassionate than his author. But that's because I WANT it to be real because I think the concept is really interesting, even if the execution is lacking. I don't need or want him to be Perfect or a Saint, and I'm sure existing as a VAMPIRE of all things would naturally come into conflict with compassion all the time (examples in the book is him not wanting to kill James and it leading to the extended hunt instead; offering surrender to Bree but knowing if he goes against the Volturi they could kill the whole family; telling Sam in BD that this isn't his fight and 'don't get your family slaughtered for pride,' even as Sam insists they have to be there for Jacob and Jacob has to be there for Nessie [blargh].) and that struggle and how he deals with it when he's in a situation with no Compassionate choice is available would be great. Even that car chase in Midnight Sun could maybe work if the story gave Carlisle any room to protest until Alice insists it's the Only Way!!!! or whatever, and some follow up where like oh huh weird some random charity swooped in to pay all the medical bills of everyone involved in the pile-up and bought them all new cars. If Edward, Jasper, etc can't turn off their gifts, Carlisle shouldn't be able to either, even when being forced into uncompassionate actions. But SM doesn't care. She only cares about Carlisle, let alone his compassion, inasmuch as she needed a kindly father figure to set up the vegetarian vampire thing and for Bella to have a convenient doctor.

[bengiyo]

I can say with confidence that our collective favorite show, between you and me, is What Did You Eat Yesterday?, the GOAT BL, and an exemplary example of a slice of life drama. What are your other favorite slice of life dramas, BLs and non-BLs?

Thank you for this ask. I have been trying to stay out of a bunch of discussions about this, but it seems that people feel really strongly about how people talk about a mid-tier BL produced by the largest producer of BL content in the world, currently sold as a premium product exclusively on a Chinese streaming platform, and currently receiving almost universal acclaim from its viewership on this platform. So, since I am possibly the only person who has posted publicly how much this show doesn’t work for me, I will continue with my task and clear up some confusion I’m having with the discourse.

We Are…Struggling With Definitions

Thankfully, @lurkingshan provided a good framework to discuss what slice-of-life even means. While I am willing to accept that a strong episodic structure is not inherently required for a good slice-of-life drama, the bite-sized nature of an episode lends itself to enabling clear stories about the complexities of mundane human existence. It’s a very popular genre, especially in anime. As I said in an earlier post, this is a mature genre with a long tradition.

Most of my favorite approaches to slice-of-life are from Japan. When America does slice-of-life, you get it more as sitcoms than thoughtful dramas about everyday life. One of my favorites would probably be Midnight Diner. As Shan defined before, a good slice-of-life drama could go on forever, and in so many ways Midnight Diner has. 

I’m actually currently watching Three Star Bar in Nishi Ogikubo because Machida Keita and Fujiwara Kisetsu are in it.

We Are…Already Familiar With Slice of Life QL

We’ve actually had a few QL projects cover the slice-of-life feeling before.

You and I are both big fans of What Did You Eat Yesterday?, a show I loved so much we had to do a whole podcast episode about it.

On the lesbian side of the equation, we have the lovely She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat.

We also had Naked Dining, which I had some mixed feelings about.

There's the gay dads drama from Taiwan in Papa & Daddy.

For people who seem to struggle with non-Thai productions, there’s also Ingredients with everyone’s favorite singer Jeff Satur.

Besides, I argue firmly that Tadaima, Okaeri is the only true slice-of-life BL airing right now. It’s the married gay dads show we’ve been asking forever to get, and it’s even in the omegaverse!

We Are…Possibly Suffering From Recency Bias

It’s surprising for me how hard everyone has fallen for this show, considering the long history of reactions to New Siwaj’s work. He’s been in the genre for over a decade.

I am intimately familiar with this man’s work, and have been a Make It Right Apologist for years. I’ve been with this man since I got into the genre. This isn’t even his first attempt at 16 episodes about boys in college.

Everyone else watched My Engineer at the time, but I watched EN of Love and was not surprised when Love Mechanics got its own full series afterwards. I’ve been with this man working through gay angst in Make it Right, examining intergenerational queer trauma in Until We Meet Again,  fumbling through Between Us, trying for something in Dear Doctor I’m Coming For Soul, hustling in Even Sun, still crying with him over Love of Siam (2007) in My Only 12%, and squandering everyone’s time in Absolute Zero. 

It’s kinda baffling to me that I’m catching strays over not liking New Siwaj works in 2024. It feels weird that the show I’m getting heat over not liking is the least-queer thing I think he’s ever made. I don’t know what that says about current BL tastes. I will say this plainly every time: Queer Truth is Non-Negotiable For Me In a Genre About Boys Kissing Each Other. If that statement bothers you, please swerve on.

We Are…Not the Only Examples of Queer Fun

While we’re here, I wanna talk about how there really is a whole gay world outside of BL. I feel very strongly that Western viewers are extremely rude and often racist when it comes to their disdain of BL. However, there is all kinds of fun to be had in queer cinema if you can handle projects made more than a few years ago. 

If you want silly fun, you can always go to TLA Releasing. They funded an entire gay parody of the American Pie franchise. They’re great for the types who want to see pretty people smile at each other and have sexy times. 

If you’re in the mood for something a bit more serious and heartfelt, you can dip by Strand Releasing. They have one of the best coming-of-age queer films I’ve ever seen. They also picked up a really melancholy Japanese film called Egoist. 

My favorite studio, who shows up repeatedly on my BL Syllabus is Wolfe Releasing. They have my all-time favorite Big Eden (2000), and many others. 

My point is that there is a huge world of queer media out there well beyond the latest mid-tier BL from GMMTV designed to keep the boys working. We also don’t need to argue that some of their shows are more queer than they actually are, especially when Cooking Crush is right there.

Thanks for the ask!

[cultfaction]

Cult Faction Podcast Ep. 116: Lifeforce

Based on Colin Wilson’s 1976 novel The Space Vampires, Lifeforce was the first film of Tobe Hooper‘s three-picture deal with Cannon Films, following Poltergeist in 1982. It received mixed reviews upon release and has been largely forgotten, but is it really that bad? Find out as we shine the spotlight on 1985’s Lifeforce. Plus in what we watched we look at Shelter, Ahsoka, The Raggy Dolls, Blue…

[bekaterrier]

Happy Audio Drama Sunday! New job means new commute to listen to podcasts to!

@ameliapodcast S3 Part 2: The second half of this season did not go where I thought it would...and I loved it!! I was definitely not expecting The Incognito Project or Miguel! Alvina's backstory is fantastic. The body bag shenanigans between the CIA and MI5 were hilarious, and then that epilogue ending!! Still no sign of our favourite Italians though... 🐦‍🔥

The Amelia Project S4: Another fantastic season. Part of the team is back together in Paris! We're getting Kozlowski time! CIA backstories! The most ridiculous series of near misses in a gas station's history! All of this contrasting with the slowly building concern I had for the Interviewer made for some very emotional moments. In particular, the final episode with Alvina's gentle yet firm concern and the Interviewer's quiet fear. I also have to mention the melody hummed at the end of the first and last episodes of the season - eerie and absolutely beautiful. 🐈‍⬛

@forgedbondspod Chapter 5: While we didn't get any new Aphrodite and Hephaestus moments, we did see just how much support Aphrodite, Hera, and Ares have from their friends. I love that they're being checked in on, and having honest discussions about what's happening. Though methinks that Ares is totally oblivious to Hermes' feelings... Case in point:

ARES: Who knows? Maybe you'll have a bear of your own one day.

HERMES: (wistful but not for bear ownership) Yeah, maybe.

🐻

@vestaclinicpod S1 Re-listen: I just had to listen to S1 again in preparation for the first episode of S2 being released this coming Thursday!! My love for this show has not diminished at all. It's interesting though how the context of certain episodes can change based on your own life experiences. For example, I had a seizure for the first time a couple months ago and now can't drive until I've undergone testing and receive clearance from a doctor. My sympathy for Sung Fang and his FASERUNR has definitely turned to empathy (though my mode of transportation is just a car vs his time traveling device...) I can't wait for more cases, more Fey, more Rai, more Xael, and of course, more Sec! ⚕️

@midnightburgr Chapter 42 - Speedrun!: Effie and Zebulon doing their sports commentator thing is my favourite, especially when they do random interviews with the other diner crew. I loved the different team combinations that we saw, and the growth (and conflict) in the different relationships. Also hell yeah Fiona, I see you. I am very concerned about the ending though, they can't take our Mucklewains! 📻

@starfallpod Fennel's Food Cart Episode 4 - Velsum, Liborotes: Another Fennel's Food Cart, another interesting look at an area of Falsten. University towns and...quite the economics theory... 🥞