#from the HIT BAND… nickelodeon…?

[mint-mumbles]

What I wouldn’t give to see these three interact with each other (and potentially write a story)

Update: I found out through one of Jhonen Vasquez’s Fortnite streams that he is aware enough of the band Muse to the point where when there was a high pitch noise (either in the game or the movie he was playing) he said how “It’s like a Muse song.” Chat, how do I process this information?!?!?!

[theficlistpodcast]

See y'all in just ONE WEEK at Awesome Con! (no but for real; we will have extra ibuprofen and band-aids if you need 'em)

You can see us at any of our four (4!!!!) panels listed below! Badges are still available here.

Friday, April 4

Um, Actually…Fandom Trivia 3:45-4:30 PM Room 202 Um, actually… are you sure you know your fandom history? Based on the hit game show from DROPOUT, the creators of The Fic List podcast (a fan-fiction book club podcast you should *definitely* be listening to) return with new questions to test your knowledge of fandom facts, figures, and tropes. Reign victorious and be rewarded with the greatest prize of all - being right!

Filters, Warnings, and Tags - Oh My! or, How to Navigate AO3 8:45-9:30 PM Room 206 Archive of Our Own, otherwise known as AO3, is a self-described “fan-created, fan-run, nonprofit, noncommercial archive for transformative fanworks, like fanfiction, fanart, fan videos, and podfic.” It is also an incredible resource and repository for fanworks of all flavors - if you know how to use it! Join two long-time fic readers and AO3 lovers as we demonstrate how it all works, from understanding filters and the rating system to its more unique features, like creating pseuds and orphaning works. We will also dive into the history of AO3 - why it was created and how it has shaped fandom as we know it today. All fandoms and levels of familiarity are welcome!

Saturday, April 5

Poppin’ the Biggest Bottles: Celebrating Queerness in Animation 11:00-11:45 AM Room 201 Ten years ago, Korra and Asami walked into the Spirit World hand in hand, confirming their love in the finale of Legend of Korra. Fans were delighted and shocked to see a queer ship become canon in a Nickelodeon cartoon. But how were they able to pull it off? And what effect did it have on other cartoons? Join us as we discuss the history of queer characters in animation and how Korra and Asami helped to further push queer representation in children’s animation.

Sunday, April 6

OTP or NOTP: A Tournament of Cosplay Pairings 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Room 202 Blackbeard/The Joker? Jawa/Princess Peach? Vegeta/Bob the Tomato?!? Join The Fic List (a fan-fiction book club podcast you should definitely be listening to) and special guest Emmy (from Empcosique) for the fourth annual (!!!) low-stakes, highly silly Tournament of Pairings. Do we ship it? It’s up to the audience! Cosplayers of all levels and fandoms are welcome and encouraged to drop in, show off, and square up in random pairings to determine the ultimate OTP. Participation in the tournament will be on a first-come, first-served basis, so come by early to ensure your spot! During the event, we will randomly pair cosplayers together, and the audience will vote for the pairings they ship (OTPs). Silliness will ensue. We’re voting on the character pairing - not the quality of your cosplay - and the goal is to have fun and generally celebrate fandom and shipping culture.

[ooops-i-arted]

Hey! I found your blog the other day because I was salty and looking through fandom opinions to make myself even saltier. You said something about Ahsoka that made me stop dead. I had to read it several times just to be sure and even then I couldn’t believe it. I thought I was alone in not liking Ahsoka - this entire fandom is set on making her out to be this ✨Super Awesome Special Best Girl Who Does Everything Right All The Time✨ and those are literally the only opinions you hear about her. But right from her introduction I didn’t like her. That’s a rant for another time, but I’m just going to leave it at how I’m so confused by her personality. She grew up in the Temple, right? So why is she so Rebellious™️? Why does she wear a crop top and mini skirt? Why’s she so sassy and rude to people? That’s not normal Padawan behaviour no matter what anyone says. They were just trying to find a marketable character for a children’s show and gave her the personality of every Nickelodeon American Teen Protagonist!

Welcome to the fold, new sibling. Have some candy, we like to share here in the Ahsoka Haters Club. >o<

I think you hit the mark on focusing on making her ~relatable to the Youths~ in her intro more than making sense for her character/how a real teenager would act. (Sabine and Ezra felt much more natural to me in that aspect.) I also think part of the issue is something soooo many female characters are forced into - male-dominated fandoms like this tend to be hostile to women (see: Ahsoka's debut period, Rey, Rose, Cara Dune before those types realized the actress was One Of Them, the Kotor fans who are intensely against female Revan or sexualize Mission, etc) so the creator(s) go overboard in trying to make them appealing to that particular loud section of fandom. So Ahsoka wears age- and character-inappropriate clothes*, she's snarky and sassy and "one of the guys." And in this rare case, it worked. She was eventually assimilated. Notice how she's replaced Padme in 99% of official and fandom merch? Padme, a character who is reduced to "sadness" or "fashion icon" (neither as easy to box up and tie with a neat Girlboss bow despite her demonstrated political activism and combat prowess) aka has actual character traits and flaws, reacts to things in a not-always-appealing-to-fandom way but in a way that makes sense for her character, is written to be multifaceted and not just designed to appeal to the common majority? Huh.

(Leia's "she's not a princess anymore she's a general" thing also felt that same way to me and rubbed me the wrong way, but Leia largely escaped Girlbossification because she was already a fully realized character in her own right, and also being created before the internet-style fandom probably helped.)

*Apparently we can lay that at the feet of George "there is no underwear in space" Lucas though. Once Filoni took over Ahsoka started wearing MUCH better outfits. Credit where it's due. (Ripping off Gandalf for your shitty oc still sucks though, let's be clear. But contrast her Rebels and TCW S7 looks with her tube top or cocktail dress for example. And as someone who had boobs about Ahsoka's size at her age, a tube top wouldn't cut it for marching band let alone lightsaber combat. Her first look was AWFUL.)

[7grandmel]

Todays rip: 23/01/2024

CG Man HD Remastered Edition

Season 3 Featured on: Inspector Gunner 2 With Critic

Ripped by Knay

That's right - while I was digging through the Nostalgia Critic takeover of Season 3 to cover Fragile Snowman (Remastered), I was reminded of yet another of its fantastic remasters. And while the former rip is mostly associated with the very beginnings of the channel, ones that were oft quite simple in concept yet still unpredictable in contents, the original version of CG Man HD Remastered Edition is in the far opposite camp: as part of the Season 1 finale.

And like, look, it's not that I INTENTIONALLY cover so many rips from around the time of Season 1 ending in particular. Really, it's just a natural consequence of the event having some of the channel's most memorable rips, as if everyone was firing on all cylinders to leave a mark on the channel before its (supposed) end. Memey Hell, Planet Wisp Mashup Medley, File Select Fusion Collab, Everyday Goodbyes (SiIvaGunner Band Cover), Stone Halation, and of course - Epic Flintstones - all had this underlying tinge of bittersweetness to them, as if to encourage us to smile despite the very real possibility that the channel would never return, never be truly recaptured. And as a remix of the late-90s Nickelodeon kids' childhood anthem, CG Man HD Remastered Edition falls right under that same umbrella.

I've covered a few rips of Donkey Kong 64 on here, of course, with Friday Night Minecartin' and DK Rap God, yet the latter rip and its insane sentence mixing of the DK Rap was only made possible through the influence of DK64's most famous rip on the channel - The Coconut Gun Rap. Made early in the channel's life by the ever-talented Harmony Friends, its classic YTP sentence mixing in a direction few would expect, focusing on Donkey Kong's hit weapon the Coconut Gun. The rip is an actual masterpiece that I'm well overdue to cover on here, yet the most brilliant part of it is that its able to referenced in its entirety through nothing but a two-second soundbyte - the Coconut Gun lyric itself! Ever since its release, the Coconut Gun soundbyte has appeared in numerous rips, including the aforementioned File Select Fusion Collab, but few rips feel as much like a whollistic tribute to it as the one in focus today.

Indeed, by being based on Ocean Man from Ween, more well known as the credits theme to The SpongeBob Movie, there's an inherent bittersweetness attached to the song, something I imagine is only enhanced by the nostalgia-factor for those who grew up with the movie (sorry, spongeheads). Yet, those feelings ARE enhanced by the Coconut Gun cover itself, as CG Man HD Remastered Edition and its non-remastered counterpart is an all-new sentence-mixed cover of the song, again in the same vein as DK Rap God. To my knowledge, this was one of the first time that a rip utilized sentence mixing the DK Rap *after* the debut of The Coconut Gun Rap, and it sort of ends up feeling like a full-circle moment as a result? I mean, sure, it is still edited to be spouting obscenities and insults, but it would almost feel out of character if it wasn't - that is to clarify, out of character for a sentence-mixing shitpost.

Because that was part of the magic of the Season 1 finale, the magic of The Reboot, and really the magic of SiIvaGunner's lore in general. It made a lot of us genuinely care and become attached to jokes, mere tools to be used by rippers for shitposts. Because the team's just had such a good track record of paying tribute to and building atop a joke's prior established history, keeping them "in character" as it were, to where it did actually end up feeling bittersweet to see them all go in the Season 1 finale. File Select Fusion Collab captures that essence more whollistically, but for The Coconut Gun Rap in particular as a meme, I could not think of a more befitting sendoff than CG Man HD Remastered Edition.

[popentertainmentconcertreviews]

Big Time Rush – Hersheypark Stadium – Hershey, PA – July 2, 2023

In the words of Big Time Rush, “The city is ours.”

This absolutely rang true at Hersheypark Stadium last weekend, as the group took over Hershey, Pennsylvania. The foursome – including Kendall Schmidt, Logan Henderson, Carlos Pena-Vega, and James Maslow – made an appearance in the chocolate capital of the country on their “Can’t Get Enough” Tour. “

Rushers” were excited to see their favorite band back in action after their split in 2014. The group got back together in 2021 and then went on a reunion tour, releasing several hit singles including “Not Giving You Up,” “Call It Like I See It,” “Fall,” and more. 

For years, fans had been unsure of when they would hear more new music or see the squad again, and the guys of Big Time Rush had good news in store. They released their newest album Another Life in June 2023, and kicked off a supporting tour of the album later that month. 

We were lucky enough to attend a stop on the tour and had the time of our lives. 

Accompanying Big Time Rush on the tour were JAX and MAX, two incredibly talented performers, whose names rhyme, coincidentally! The first of the three performers of the night was viral sensation JAX (Jaclyn Cole Miskanic) who literally took the stage by storm. We’ve been covering JAX for years, so it was an amazing experience to see her perform in a stadium.

She kicked off her set with “90s Kids” followed by “Cinderella Snapped,” and a cover of Wheatus’ “Teenage Dirtbag.” Among other hits, she closed out her performance with everyone’s favorite “Victoria’s Secret” while coming down from the stage to the barricade to sing with fans. This was a performance we’ll never forget.

Up next was Max Schneider, more commonly known as MAX. He got his start on Nickelodeon on the TV series How To Rock, followed by a starring role in the network’s movie Rags. Since then, MAX has gone on to tour with Victoria Justice, Fall Out Boy, Wiz Khalifa, and now Big Time Rush.

The singer started his set with a bang, singing smash hit “Love Me Less” followed by an electric performance of a mashup of “Holla” and a cover of Snoop Dogg’s “Drop It Like It’s Hot.” We’re not kidding when we say that everyone in Hersheypark Stadium was on their feet! MAX then went on to play “Someday,” “Lights Down Low,” “Mug Shot,” and more. Once MAX left the stage, fans knew it was time to see their favorite band. 

The next thing we knew, the lights went down, and the silhouettes of four familiar figures were highlighted on stage. They stood silent for a few moments, as the crowd was anything but that. The first few notes of “Can’t Get Enough” blasted over the speakers, filling the stadium, as did the screams of hundreds of fans. Big Time Rush was officially in the house!

They then played “Elevate,” “Song for You,” and more crowd-pleasing tracks. Kendall, James, Logan, and Carlos are all such talented performers. They not only hit every single note in every single song, but they make sure each member of the audience feels seen and appreciated. Their fan interactions while performing were so special to see. 

Next was the acoustic set, where the guys played “All Over Again,” early-career hit “Any Kind of Guy,” followed by “Ask You Tonight” from their most recent album. After the intimate acoustic section, it was time to start dancing again. The rest of their set was nothing less than electric. The group played hits new and old, including “Love Me Love Me,” “Paralyzed,” “Nothing Even Matters,” and “Worldwide.”

“Worldwide” is everyone’s favorite section of the show because the guys each select a lucky fan to sit on stage with them as they perform. Every fan’s reaction to getting selected is drastically different – from being extremely shy, to crying for the entirety of the song, to taking over the song themself and putting on a performance. This is a special thing that the guys have done since they began performing this song, and we hope they continue the tradition. 

After an incredible lineup of tracks including “Famous,” “Confetti Falling,” and, of course, “Big Time Rush,” it was time for the finale. The guys returned to the stage to sing “Windows Down” – where they walked through the entire stadium greeting fans – “Boyfriend,” and finally fan favorite “Til I Forget About You.”

We’ve covered Big Time Rush numerous times over the years, but this tour was by far our favorite. If you get the chance to attend the Can’t Get Enough Tour, do it! You’ll have a night you won’t forget.

Kayla Marra

Copyright ©2023 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: July 4, 2023.

Photos by Kaylee Marie © 2023. All rights reserved.

[inkaliuchiswetrust]

BTS and the Power of Music: Breaking Barriers and Spreading Love

BTS, also known as Bangatan Sonyeodan is the biggest boyband in the world (according to the economist.com) and debuted under the HYBE LABELS. They started from humble beginnings. They once begged people to go to their concerts and lived in a small dorm which did not fit all of them. But now all their concert tickets just get sold out at a blink of an eye. And their fans have been mentioning them paving the way of their life and the K-pop industry when it was at its worst. Their 40 million fans loved them because of their music which gives them inspiration, motivation and loving themselves is a must in the fandom. In Fact, they have released an album dedicated to loving yourself (Love Yourself: Answer) on the 24th of August, 2018.

BTS released their first Korean and Japanese-language studio albums, Dark & Wild and Wake Up respectively, in 2014. The group's second Korean studio album, Wings (2016), was their first to sell one million copies in South Korea. 

ACHIEVEMENTS:

MAMA Award for Best Male Group

2022, 2021, 2020, ...

Teen Choice Award for Choice Collaboration

2019 · Boy With Luv

MAMA Award for Album of the Year

2022, 2021, 2020, ... · Proof, BE, Map of the Soul: 7, ...

Billboard Music Award for Top Duo/Group

2022, 2021, 2019

MAMA Award for Worldwide Icon of the Year

2022, 2021, 2020, ...

People's Choice Award for Favorite Group

2022, 2021, 2020, ...

American Music Award for Favorite K-pop Artist

2022

MTV Europe Music Award for Best Pop

2021

People's Choice Award for Favorite Song

2021, 2020, 2018 · Butter, Dynamite, IDOL

MAMA Award for Best Dance Performance - Male Group

2021, 2020, 2019, ... · Butter, Dynamite, Boy With Luv, ...

MAMA Award for MAMA Platinum

2022

People's Choice Awards for Favorite Social Media Celebrity

2018

iHeartRadio Music Award for Best Music Video

2023, 2022, 2021, ... · Yet To Come, Butter, Dynamite, ...

MAMA Award for Best Music Video

2021, 2020, 2019, ... · Butter, Dynamite, Boy With Luv, ...

People's Choice Award for Favorite Concert Tour

2022 · Permission to Dance on Stage

Golden Disk Award Most Popular Artist Award

2023, 2022, 2021, ...

Golden Disc Award Album of the Year

2023, 2022, 2021, ... · Proof, BE, Map of the Soul: 7, ...

Billboard Music Award for Top Social Artist

2021, 2020, 2019, ...

Radio Disney Music Award for Best Song that Makes You Smile

2018 · DNA

American Music Award for Favorite Pop Song

2021 · Butter

NME Award for Greatest Music Moment of the Year

2020 · BTS at Wembley Stadium

Nickelodeon Brazil Kids' Choice Award for Favorite International Hit

2021, 2019 · Butter, Boy With Luv

Nickelodeon Brazil Kids' Choice Award for Challenge Hits of the Year

2021 · Permission to Dance

Golden Disc Award Song of the Year

2020 · Boy With Luv

MTV Europe Music Award for Best K-Pop

2021

Seoul Music Awards Record of the Year in Digital Release

2021

Teen Choice Award for Choice Summer Tour

2019 · BTS World Tour Love Yourself: Speak Your

They have also been invited to the United Nations as their ambassador and the White House by president Joe Biden.

MEMBERS:

Kim Seok Jin (Jin)

Jin is the hyung of BTS (the oldest). Meaning he has to take care of his younger members since they’re very far away from their family due to their training. His younger members were raised by him for more than a decade! And I do think that they were raised right by their Jin hyung with all their awards and recognitions they still have been very humble about it.

He is a songwriter and the vocalist of the group. Jin has co-written and released three solo tracks with BTS: "Awake" in 2016, "Epiphany" in 2018, and "Moon" in 2020, all of which have charted on South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart

For now, Jin is serving his country as a military personnel with Hoseok.

Min Yoongi (Suga)

The lead rapper of the group came from a financially unstable family in Daegu. But due to his hard work he is now part of the Biggest Boy Band in The World and the global ambassador for Valentino. He used to work as a delivery boy in his teenage years. While working as a delivery boy he had a major injury which caused him to have surgery. He's been battling with mental illness for the past years. His fans and group members were a big help to him to overcome it.

Suga has also collabed with big time singers, like PSY, IU, Halsey and many more.

Jung Hoseok (J-hope)

The third hyung in the group. He is the ambassador of Louis Vuitton all because of his great fashion sense. Before debuting with BTS, J-Hope was part of an underground dance team called Neuron, and took dance classes at Gwangju Music Academy for six years, from fourth grade to his first year in high school when he signed with Big Hit Entertainment.[He was relatively well known for his dance skills, and won various local prizes, including first place in a national dance competition in 2008. 

In 2019, J-Hope released a free collaboration single, "Chicken Noodle Soup", featuring American singer Becky G, on September 27.The track debuted at number 81 on the Billboard Hot 100, making J-Hope the first member of BTS to chart on the Hot 100 as a solo artist, the third Korean solo artist to rank on the chart , and the sixth Korean artist overall to do so. "Chicken Noodle Soup" also became J-Hope's second song to debut at number one on the World Digital Song Sales chart. And now, he is currently serving Korea as a soldier.

Kim Namjoon (RM)

RM, is the leader and the main rapper of the group. He is called the Backbone of K-pop, since he was the main reason why it was popular and why the group BTS exists which contributed a lot to the Korean economy. Namjoon, is the only BTS member to be fluent in english which is a big help to them when they go to foreign countries. As a child, RM largely learned English by watching the American sitcom Friends with his mother. As a student, he actively wrote poetry and often received awards for his writing. He posted his work to an online poetry website for roughly one year, where he received moderate attention. He also has an iq of 148. 

RM is the youngest and second most-credited songwriter in the association's history. With 213 songs attributed to his name as a songwriter and composer by the Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA), as of April 2023.

Park Jimin (Jimin)

Jimin’s passion for dancing started at an early age. When he was in high school he learned contemporary dancing as a top student from Busan High School of Arts. Seeing his talent, one of his teachers suggested that he should audition for an entertainment company. With his talent, he successfully made it to Bighit. And now he has a networth of $8 million plus his collaboration with Dior which is $17 million. And a little fun fact is that Jimin is always teased by his younger member Jungkook because of his height. (174 cm)

Jimin's vocals have been described as delicate and sweet. He is regarded as an exceptional dancer among the members of BTS and in K-pop in general, often praised for his "smooth and elegant movements" and charm on stage. In the documentary Burn the Stage, Jimin addressed his perfectionism, stating that even the smallest mistakes on stage make him feel guilty and stressed.

Kim Taehyung (V)

V, also known as Taehyung, first aspired to be a professional singer in elementary school. With his father's support, he began taking saxophone lessons in early middle school as a means of pursuing a musical career. V eventually became a trainee for Big Hit Entertainment after passing an audition in Daegu. He never actually intended to audition, he was just there to support his friend but I guess he was too good.  

Jeon Jungkook (JK)

The moment Jungkook saw Namjoon’s audition video for Bighit he knew he had to join. Jungkook is said to be Namjoon’s #1 Fan and joined the auditions because of him. Jungkook is the maknae of the group meaning he is the youngest and left his home for his dreams to become a superstar. And with that he now has an astonishing net worth of 20 million US dollars and is the ambassador of Calvin Klein.

The group's success can be attributed to their unique sound, relatable lyrics, and dedicated fanbase known as ARMY (Adorable Representative MC for Youth). BTS fans have played a significant role in the group's success, and here are a few ways in which they have helped BTS:

Social Media Presence: BTS fans are known for their active presence on social media. They use platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok to share content related to BTS, such as music videos, pictures, and news. This helps to create buzz around the group and attract new fans.

Streaming: BTS fans actively stream the group's music on various platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. This not only helps to increase the group's streaming numbers but also helps to boost their rankings on music charts.

Voting: BTS fans participate in various online voting events to help the group win awards and recognition. They use their social media accounts to encourage other fans to vote, and this helps BTS to win awards and gain more exposure.

Fan Projects: ARMYs often organize fan projects to show their support for BTS. These projects include things like billboards, mass streaming parties, and charity donations. These efforts help to spread awareness about BTS and show the group how much their fans appreciate them.

Merchandise Sales: BTS fans are also known for their dedication to buying BTS merchandise. This helps to generate revenue for the group and shows record labels and other industry professionals that there is a demand for BTS-related products.

And here are some of my song recommendations for you to enjoy. <3

Next Blog that will be posted when I want to ❤❤❤❤❤❤👁👄👁

HOW FOREST WHEELER TOOK OVER MY HEART

[vivianbernadetteaurora]

Celebrities' bankruptcy Here we’re talking about celebrities who have had bankruptcy issues and the similarity in birth charts and what might show up, 1st that we have Mr Donald Trump who in,2004 and also 2009 in 2011 he said on a TV show or radio showed it wasn’t him who declared the bankruptcy and it was the company that did it, not him.. So what do we think now what happened he has a lot of Sagittarius in his chart a lot of fire. And Sagittarius, can make money. I’m sure it could be the sign of gambling.Because of the risk taking, the excitement. There is also the way Tyson got ripped off by Don king.. he took a lot of his money we've had musicians. A lot of musicians who are not as protected as say actors or you have contracts.. musicians have contracts too obviously and if you watch the film ‘the dirt’,. Which is a biopic about Mötley Crüe in the film you see Nikki 6 the character who plays him and he talks about the deal that he did with his manager but he says that he'd never revealed the secret because a lot of musicians. screwed over massively. Agents, PR, or if you’re anything called the Backstreet Boys you won’t making a penny you’re grafting your **** off especially on Think the boy band which he also created.Lou PEARLMAN everything which is a lot of effort on the body. And you have their manager who went to prison for his Ponzi schemes and was allegedly an abuser. They were getting taken out by him and held him by all his charm to find out that they were paying for these lavish parties. Lou Pearlman ,and literally They made nothing and they got away from him in the end he went to prison and he ended up dying in 2016.

, 57 being another one in 2015 the cloud these assets by his lawyer and that being between 10 million to 50 million early ohh ohh ohh the irony and then in whatever year it was he released a sex tape with one of his exes and their boyfriend in 2009 and was forced to pay money for towards that. To settle. $0.50 is one of the most petty celebrities out there. I don’t know what it is I don’t know whether it’s having that cancer and Gemini energy together.. I think it must be. The CNN talk show host Larry King also called for bankruptcy. In the late 70s and 1960s. the CNN ice went on to be one one of the most famous talk shows host.

Drake bell being another one from Drake and Josh. he's great he's been all over the place and has had many troubles in his life most recently being talking about his SA, ‘on quiet on set’

By prolific child offender who still works on children’s TV probably today even after his offences when he went to prison years ago he ended up playing a mirror on Disney Channel after getting fired from Nickelodeon and good friends with Charlie Sheen which says it all if you ask me is one of the most rotten celebrities out there. so Drake, has had some interesting is with money. He was making out 400 grand roughly. on his best year 2012 he was making nearly 500 grand. but the year after that it dipped to 14.

,MC Hammer being another one. Who is the 90s early 90s rapper who had the hit can't touch this.. he filed for bankruptcy in 1996. well he ended up doing reality TV to make a bit of money back. and he even persuaded flavOr FLAV to flavour of love. he went on to do the real world first before he did his show. And I think MC Hammer had his show too. He owed up to like 13 million. Absolutely crazy as a celebrity because you’ve got a thing you’re being picked up so you got a bit of a narcissistic complex you’re spending all this money Michael Jackson with frivolous it’s spending if you watch the world with Martin Bashir, you see him spending all this money? I think Mars in Taurus has something to do with that. I’m having Leo in his chart also. Me myself I’m in a lot of debt. And I have Taurus and Leo placements.

Celebrities are come up with it I’m gonna put their charts and see what we find with similarities. and what could be causing this. So with Tony we see she is a Libra son with Sagittarius moon what did I say about Sagittarius, I don’t know it just seems like one of the signs that would go bankrupt along with other mutable signs. I’m also seeing Uranus in Virgo. so that could be unusual events with money. And something that you need to be careful with being in Virgo. I’m also seeing that Mars in Sagittarius as well. which with the moon is probably not the best combination,. Her physical energy matches up her emotional energy. and with Sagittarius, is kind of like all of nothing because they can have many hobbies and many interests that cost a lot of money.. which they might say is an investment and especially if the Libra there also. with the indecisiveness. But also the bluntness of Sagittarius, don’t get me wrong levis can be really argumentative as well.. this was the day of the Las Vegas residency which she wasn’t able to finish we don’t know why maybe it was to do with excessive spending I don’t know very much about this woman anyway apart from some of her songs I never watched the braxtons because we don't seem to have it here in the UK.

Then we come to iron Mike he also has a Sagittarius moon but miles and Gemini miles and Gemini can be quite the devil like but like I just said with Sagittarius moons they can also be more frivolous and Sagittarius Suns , he’s got that Mars in Gemini also Venus also, which makes me think of Wendy Williams and Courtney Love Courtney Love fought loads of her money was going missing that was owed to her daughter, she didn’t tell us about where she, sold half the estate until many years later see this is what I don’t like about geminis placements they seem to lie a lot. Same with Wendy she lies about her addiction. I mean why why lie I don’t get it Sagittarius say they’re full of honesty and they could talk about them being honest yeah they’re blunt but they’re not always honest with themselves that’s the biggest one it's not even about other people it's being honest with yourself.

Sorry baby you know I had to get into a bit of a rant.. but I wanted to add in my opinion and layers to this and let’s remember that Wendy’s also a Scorpio moon., so it could be emotional spending also same with Courtney who’s a cancer SUN and a cancer moon. Now that spending could have been down to the fact that she’d lost her husband and she’d never got over the grief.. and it never goes it seems to only get worse I’ve seen it with many people over the years when they’ve lost their loved one. I still don’t know if she killed Kurt Cobain and a big fan of both of them. Both their music I sometimes even love courtneys more to be honest because she’s a woman and she gets .I feel like people with their mouths in Gemini and I know you have this placement so please don’t be offended because it’s not meant in an offensive way at all I feel like they don’t not many people know the real lamb like for instance and this is a bad example of someone who isn’t very good at and it’s a relative of mine ohh my mum constantly says I’m like which really hurts because she was abusive to my basically our elder sister because me and my elder sister don’t really talk and don’t really have a relationship not that I have a relationship really with any of my siblings anymore but anyway that’s not the point so basically my nan died in 1999 September. and her funeral. Oh my God there was so many people in this street it was so busy it was so packed even the man who worked on the corner shop who is a Muslim came. But they didn’t know the real roots they didn’t know that she was so abusive to my sister and smacked her and beat her I called her back because she didn't have a dad who is present in her life and she was an illegitimate child basically what happened my mum was pregnant with her first child in Egypt she just got married to the love of her life. Starting a family and they moved abroad and he suddenly died of a in a car crash at 27. And he was a Capricorn. And I asked my mum recently my mum hates to talk about the past and I love it unfortunately This is why we don’t get on anyway my mom came home pregnant and she had the baby and my name was doting on her she was really close to my eldest sister the one I don’t have a relationship with and they well my mum basically said my name was basically like another parent to my eldest sister and she was extremely spoiled by my NAN as well. anyway my nan knew my second oldest sisters father now this is my theory my nan fancied my second eldest sister's father and my mom had a child with him and she got pregnant obviously lol. Am I nan liked it being just the three of them and my sister came along and she was mean since the moment she was born my mum said I asked her the other day because I wanted to know more about the situation I could also add to this list my mother who’s not been bankrupt but put it this way she’s out to ruin mortgage which I don’t understand because I’m a millennial and I feel like I’ll never own a house I’ve started to be a bit more optimistic about the future but I’m just being realistic play… anyway my mum received riches and her due to the death of her husband who had insurance and when she got the money she was told if she was clever and smart with it that she’d be a wealthy woman for life well she wasn’t she’s had this house under her feet for about 22 years. And before that it was the old house that I grew up in which was gorgeous I didn’t have an idea like childhood but I had an idea like home and outside life in that garden. Anyway my mum’s had money problems it wasn’t because she wasn’t smart with it and she used it and was forever unless now she has Saturn I mean ruler in Sagittarius. In the second house I think.

Then we’ve come to Larry King again who’s a Sagittarius moon. Wow, astrology is so amazing. WITH Mars in Capricorn 0°.in the 12 cusps, the 1st. Saturn's chart ruler is Aquarius, which brings the energy of the unknown. Not Mars in Capricorn ruling over money certification bankruptcy debt and courts. Legal situations debtors creditors. But see how it happened to him early in life. With Capricorn being the chart ruler.

[maxtalksalarmclocks]

Spotlight: Nickelodeon TimeBlaster

I barely need to say anything about this alarm clock. I mean, just look at it:

But I am going to say a whole bunch of stuff anyway, because that's what I do!

We all know Nickelodeon, the children's TV channel full of hits like SpongeBob SquarePants and iCarly, and known for its history of drenching people in green slime. (Like on BrainSurge, a show nobody talks about enough, frankly.)

In the 1990s, Nickelodeon licensed their brand name to a now-defunct company called Long Hall Technologies. And Long Hall went to town, creating a whole line of relatively inexpensive kids' electronics replete with garish colors, slimey accents, and goofy features. Take a look:

Aren't these amazing? They're before my time, but something tells me I would have begged for some of this stuff as a kid.

Now let's discuss the TimeBlaster specifically. This thing is a fairly basic alarm clock, featuring a battery backup and an AM/FM radio with analog tuning. According to the JCPenney catalog above, it retailed for $35 back in 1998, which is about $70 now. Maybe a little expensive for a kids' product, but honestly not exorbitant for an alarm clock, in my opinion!

And Long Hall Technologies gave you quite the bang for your buck with the TimeBlaster. The centerpiece of this clock was the goofy wake-up sounds, in place of boring old beeping. You could wake up to a bugle, a "cuckoo" sound, a bouncing sound, or the Nickelodeon jingle. For maximum wake-upped-ness, all sounds are preceded by an "authentic space launch countdown" (not kidding). A later version of the TimeBlaster added several more sounds, now arranged in pairs, but was otherwise identical. This YouTuber has a helpful demo of the alarm sounds:

Those sounds are certainly something. I prefer gentle beeping myself, but to each their own! At least this clock's volume dial controls the alarm sounds in addition to the radio (per the manual), so you can choose a quiet Nickelodeon jingle. And you could also set the alarm to play the radio (sans space countdown) if the sounds ever got old.

And can we just talk about the design of this clock for a second? It is delightfully absurd. It's purple and green with a bright orange Nickelodeon logo. The outside of the clock looks like tank tracks, the alarm switch looks like a big industrial lever, and the jagged radio dial scale is paired with a gear-shaped dial.

(Spot the difference: The model on the left has more alarm sounds around the bottom dial than the model on the right!)

But it gets even better on the top, which features a "Green Slime™ Power Rod" (per the manual) that looks like a lightning bolt or a piece of chemistry equipment. And it LIGHTS UP! It flashes when the alarm sounds, or you can press the small button near the top of the clock to turn it on indefinitely, as a night light. (Honestly, no expense was spared with this clock.)

And to the right of the Power Rod is the "Big Red Button™" (yes, according to the manual, that is also trademarked). There are very few buttons in the world that look as press-able as the Big Red Button™, and thankfully, there are several reasons to press it! You push it to turn the radio on and off (delightful), and you also press it to snooze the alarm when it's sounding.

(One weird quirk of this clock: Rather than including a sleep timer to turn the radio off automatically, the radio just always turns off automatically after 59 minutes. Though if you want to listen longer, it's just a whack of the Big Red Button™ to turn it back on!)

Despite the extremely-not-minimalist front panel of this clock, Long Hall Technologies still didn't have room for all the controls. The back panel includes the AM/FM band switch, plus the "Time Set," "Alarm Set," "Minute," and "Hour" buttons (shown below).

From what I can tell on the internet, this clock inspires both joy and opinions everywhere it goes. (Including various Reddit threads and several YouTube videos.) And I love that about it. The TimeBlaster is proof that our everyday devices don't have to be boring. They can be creative and delightful...and maybe even make some of our childhood dreams come true.

Image credits:

Nickelodeon TimeBlaster (first photo): Nickipedia

Nickelodeon electronics: Reddit

Nickelodeon electronics with prices: Reddit

Demo of alarm sounds: YouTube

Nickelodeon TimeBlaster (second, third, and fourth photos): Retrospekt

[greensparty]

Movie Review: Chasing Chasing Amy

There is a joke among documentarians and filmmakers that often times, a filmmaker sets out to make a doc about a topic and instead of diving deep into the topic, they end up interviewing their siblings and parents and they end up talking a lot about their own interest in the topic. But the genius in the new documentary Chasing Chasing Amy about Kevin Smith’s 1997 film Chasing Amy is that director Sav Rodgers has it both ways: it’s a deep dive into the indie comedy but it’s also a very personal film about the role the film had on Rodgers coming out and transitioning to male. You get the deep dive, but also the talking with parents about their interest in the topic! The doc has been creating a buzz at film festivals in recent months. I took an interest immediately when I heard about this because of my interest in Kevin Smith and Chasing Amy.

movie poster

For context: Chasing Amy was the third film in Smith’s NJ Trilogy about guys dealing with their relationships in NJ following the sardonic Clerks and the whimsical Mallrats. After the $6 mil. studio production Mallrats flopped, Smith went back to his indie roots and did Chasing Amy for $250K. At this time, I was heavily influenced by his films. A few weeks before the release, Kevin Smith came to Boston to do a special advance screening at the Nickelodeon cinema. He did a lively Q&A and was joined by his lead actor and Boston native Ben Affleck. They talked about how they were getting ready to film Good Will Hunting (Affleck was an actor/writer and Smith an executive producer). Afterwards, I met them and they signed autographs for me. Cool guys! This is definitely Smith’s strongest directing. I still consider Clerks my favorite movie, but Amy is superior in many ways. I saw Chasing Amy again a few months later and again in 1998 at Smith’s Vulgarthon Festival. There wasn’t an official soundtrack album released, but I ordered an unofficial CD from the News Askew website (early fan website of Smith’s films). The film itself looks at the complexities of relationships. It is about a heterosexual male (Ben Affleck) who falls in love with a lesbian (Joey Lauren Adams), but on many levels it is about the insecurities one can face in a relationship and the problems therein. But I digress. In the year 2023, Chasing Amy is looked at very differently. In 1997, sexual identifications like pan sexual, poly sexual or sexually fluid were not well known terms. One way of reading the film is that it’s a woman who is gay until she meets the right man and then she is “cured” of being a lesbian. Another way of looking at it is that the character of Alyssa Jones is independent and owns her sexuality, doing whatever she wants regardless of labels or what her lesbian friends might think or her male partner might think of her. Another reading of this from the standpoint of film history is that gay characters were rarely represented in cinema and when they were they were victims, stereotypes or caricatures, but here was a hip young New Yorker who creates comic books and jumps onstage to sing with an indie rock band. She was cool that’s for sure!

theatrical movie poster of Chasing Amy

Rodgers did a Ted Talk about Chasing Amy in 2019 that went viral. This doc is seriously unpacking the film from a lot of different angles: film pundits, cast, crew and programmers chiming in on it, but it goes beyond that and actually talks with Kevin Smith about all of the influences on the movie, most notably his relationship at the time with actress Joey Lauren Adams. As a documentarian who has made a doc heavy on archival footage, I was quite impressed with a number of the clips and footage presented in this doc. Interwoven throughout the doc about Chasing Amy is Sav’s story about growing up in Kansas and even before knowing their own sexuality was inspired by Chasing Amy’s representation. Sav does talk with his girlfriend and mother and he even hits up all of the locations featured in Chasing Amy in NJ and NY. But it’s the interviews with Smith and Adams (together and separately) that push this beyond a fan doc. That is when it’s getting deeper into the idea that the film might have meant something to Sav, but it wasn’t a positive memory for those involved (the time period and what went along with being an actress at that time was very different for Adams). Smith actually forms a friendship with Sav and it seems like he is very appreciative for getting recognition for the film all these years later that many now look at as problematic. This doc is really two docs about the film and about the doc filmmaker, but Sav’s story is so fascinating that the interweaving of both works here in a way it wouldn’t for just anyone.

For info on Chasing Chasing Amy: https://www.chasingamydoc.com/

4.5 out of 5 stars 

[toonrandytalkstoons]

“Back to the Wayne” Kickoff!

What do you get when writers from the world of preschool cartoons and other Nicktoons and the voices of anime, Broadway theater and Aqua Teen Hunger Force team up together? You get Welcome to the Wayne!

The supernatural animated mystery comedy didn’t last long (just two seasons and 30 episodes), typical for any non-hit Nicktoon these days, but in my opinion it should’ve lasted longer. It was entertaining, with clever humor, great visuals, an impressive cast of characters – and, of course, non-stop mystery.

Welcome to the Wayne was the brainchild of Billy Lopez, the creator of the Nick Jr. series Wonder Pets, related to Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez – perhaps best known as the composers of songs from Disney’s Frozen franchise – and is also the voice of Olly Timbers, the main character and one-third of Team Timbers. Broadway star Dana Steingold voices Olly’s sister Saraline, and Alanna Urbach voices their friend Ansi Molina; she is also best known for her voices on another Nicktoon El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera, and is the voice of Mamá Imelda in the Pixar film Coco. The main voice cast of Aqua Teen Hunger Force is also prominent in Wayne: Carey Means, Dana Synder and Dave Willis all have roles in the series. From the anime world, Veronica Taylor, who is the original voice of Ash Ketchum in the early seasons of the Pokémon anime, voices the Spy from Apartment 8-I, the series’ antagonist, who also heads her band of henchmen -- Masterson and Floweshirt -- to stop Team Timbers.

Welcome to the Wayne also had a large but impressive writers’ unit. While Billy Lopez co-wrote the majority of the episodes, the writers also included Susan Kim (Arthur), Craig Carlisle (Sofia the First), Zach Parez (Gravity Falls – yeah, you read that right!), Johnathan Greenberg (Dinosaur Train, Hey Arnold!), and many more! I’ll make sure that in my episode reviews I’ll include the writers and the series they have worked on prior to Wayne!

As mentioned above, Wayne had a very short life. It was also some sort of abnormality, as it’s a rare Nicktoon that’s also serialized. Another serialized animated series that debuted around this time on Nickelodeon was the Canadian acquisition Mysticons. It didn’t last long, either.

As for the allegations of Wayne being a rip-off of Gravity Falls (for which I will talk about more at the end of this review project), I really do believe it’s its own thing. It’s a whole different presentation compared to what Gravity Falls did. Both series are mystery-oriented, sure, but with Wayne you get non-stop thrills while bringing on the laughs! Plus, the mysteries and wonders of Wayne are on full display in each episode (known as Wayne Phenomena, or WP) -- guaranteed to leave you in awe.

Welcome to the Wayne also has the rare distinction of a Nicktoon being mainly produced out of Nick Jr.’s offices in New York, with voices, writers and artists for the series based in both New York and Los Angeles (Yowza! Animation of Canada provided the animation. Currently they’re animating the Nicktoon Middlemost Post). The series’ official Instagram account even had the main characters in many New York landmarks in several of its posts. The series is distinctly New York, which I do love, considering that I’m a native of NYC!

Anyway, may we allow the Back to the Wayne review project to commence! Before the series was announced for the eventual 2017 release, there was a series of Web-only shorts divided into chapters that set up the story and the characters. I never watched the shorts, but I do want to rectify that by kicking off the project reviewing them (hopefully, time permitting) beginning later this week! See you then!

[amazinggrace00]

another name goes up in lights, you wonder if you’ll make it out alive

Chapter 1: yelling at the sky, screaming at the world

Part of @julieandthephantomsbb

Rating: T

Relationships: Julie Molina/Luke Patterson, Background Willex, Background Kayla/Reggie

Tags: Past Julie/Nick, Alternate Universe, no ghosts, Well kinda but they aren't real, Everyone Is Alive, TV Show, Hollywood, Cussing, Hollywood sucks, All the guys parents suck, Bobby is okay, hollywood is sexist, Sexism, Song references galore, JATP Big Bang 2022

Chapter 1 Posted: 8/7/2022

Summary:

Phantoms, the new Network TV show, recently got picked up for its second season and filming is already underway. The show follows a special government unit tasked with dealing with the supernatural. The series will return Marci Harrison who portrays the lead detective in charge of a group of junior detectives (Reggie Peters, Alex Mercer, Kayla Caro), forensic scientists (Luke Patterson and Julie Molina), and a rookie detective (Flynn Rider). 

Julie Molina is enjoying her time on Phantoms, the supernatural detective show. It had been her saving grace after being blacklisted from basically everywhere following her media feud with former Disney Channel costar Carrie Wilson that tanked her music career before it even started.

But with rumors that the show isn’t going to get a third season, Julie is worried about her career completely ending with no jobs or recording contracts in sight.

Add in the fact that even if they get a third season, Julie’s costar might leave the show and go off to pursue his music career.

And Julie is trying to understand why said costar potentially leaving is making her so upset.

Collection: JATP Big Band 2022

Read on AO3

Keep Reading for an excerpt

Excerpt from TVDaily

Phantoms, the new Network TV show, recently got picked up for its second season and filming is already underway. The show follows a special government unit tasked with dealing with the supernatural, the characters teasingly referring to themselves as ghost hunters. The series will return Marci Harrison who portrays the lead detective in charge of a group of junior detectives (Reggie Peters, Alex Mercer, Kayla Caro), forensic scientists (Luke Patterson and Julie Molina), and a rookie detective (Flynn Rider).

Marci Harrison, 46, affectionally called Mrs. Harrison by her costars, is definitely the most veteran member of the cast, previously starring in two other shows for the Network, playing a teacher on the hit ten-season show Recess, and is recently coming off of a four-season show starring as the mother on Home with the Houses. Mrs. Harrison plays Captain Hopkins, the serious no-nonsense lead detective constantly dealing with the antics of her younger and less experienced detectives.

Flynn Rider, 22, plays detective Fiona, the fun and wild rookie whose first day on the job opened up the series. Rider previously played the youngest daughter in the Freeform show, Life with the Clarks, for eight seasons, spending almost her entire teens growing up on the show. She also has been announced as part of the cast for the new superhero movie coming next Spring. Rider was moved up to second billing behind Harrison for the second season, the showrunners stating that it was always the plan and that the show will spend time following her storyline.

Alex Mercer, 24, and Reggie Peters, 24, play detectives Allan and Rick respectively. The two play the buddies on the show, with Peters playing the more chaotic and jokester of the two and Mercer playing the more levelheaded one, although his character still gets roped into all of the antics. Mercer previously starred on a handful of Nickelodeon shows while Peters has spent a lot of time doing voice work and only a few camera jobs.

Kayla Caro, 24, plays the strong detective Kristen, who has the most experience of the detectives besides their captain and spends a lot of time putting the guys in their place and kicking ass. Caro spent many years in the industry, modeling and doing many commercials. She is most known for her dancing, specifically as a troupe dancer on Dancing with the Stars for two seasons. She also starred as the love interest in the superhero-themed Disney Original Movie, Super Senior.

Julie Molina, 22, and Luke Patterson, 24, might be last on the cast list, but the two have been slowly gaining a small but mighty following for their portrayal of science duo Dr. Jane Ortega and Logan Guise. The two characters take care of the forensic side of the show, playing the inseparable best friends and partners who might be a little nerdy and cannot always understand the social cues of their fellow team members. Molina is best known for her lead role on the Disney Channel show Dirty Candies but is known even more for the very public feud with her costars Carrie Wilson and Nick Danforth-Evans. Patterson has probably the most extensive resume out of all of the younger cast, even rivaling Harrison. Patterson has worked since he was a small child, starring in many movies, tv shows, and commercials since. Patterson has also been announced as the lead for Frank Wolfe’s new film about a struggling indie rockstar. Molina and Patterson had previously worked together on the  Disney Channel's Original Movie Meddling, playing the older siblings of the two main characters that they try to get together.

After barely getting picked up for season two, showrunner and executive producer Caleb Covington says that he plans on making the second season more impactful, with more character development, more spooky (and a little wacky) storylines, and scenes to really show off the talented casts acting chops.

[chaceccrawford-archived]

How are you feelin’ New York?

Wow, this festival gets bigger and better each year. Weren’t those some amazing performances so far?! I hope you haven’t tired yourselves out yet because this next group will make you want to move every muscle and bone of your body with their music! They started as a Nickelodeon show and quickly decided to make their passion for music a thing in real life too, releasing hits like Any Kind of Guy and Halfway There. Not only have they made their most loyal fans’ lives last summer when they announced their reunion but they have also recently finished the US leg of their Forever Tour. While they’re getting ready for the South America leg of said tour, they decided to stop by today to show they’re no strangers to the big stage. Having several Kids’ Choice Awards from the 2010s in their bags as well as being ranked number fifteen of the Washington Times’ Best Boy Bands of the decade, these guys sure know how to make the crowds scream.

So please get loud and give it up for Big Time Rush! @schmidtkendall​ @jamesmfame​ @hollywoodfamerp​

[upyourgeek]

SAD NEWS: Singer Aaron Carter was found dead Saturday morning at his California home after sheriff's deputies responded to an emergency medical call. Representatives for Carter's family confirmed the singer's death. They did not provide any immediate further comment. Carter, the younger brother of Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys, performed as an opening act for Britney Spears as well as his brother’s boy band, and appeared on the family’s reality series “House of Carters” that aired on E! Entertainment Television. Deputies responded around 11 a.m. following reports of a medical emergency at the home in Lancaster, said Deputy Alejandra Parra with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Carter was pronounced dead at the scene. In accordance with protocol for an unintended death, homicide detectives were summoned to the location to conduct an investigation, a sheriff's spokesperson said. The official cause of death was not immediately known. Carter’s fiancé, Melanie Martin, asked for privacy as the family grieves. “We are still in the process of accepting this unfortunate reality,” Martin said in a statement Saturday. “Your thoughts and prayers are greatly appreciated.” Carter’s 2000 album, “Aaron’s Party (Come Get It),” sold three million copies and produced hit singles including the title song and “I Want Candy. His videos received regular airplay on Disney and Nickelodeon. In 2009, Carter appeared on the ABC competition show “Dancing with the Stars,” finishing in fifth place with partner Karina Smirnoff. In recent years, Carter opened up about mental health issues and drug addiction. In a 2019 interview on the television show "The Doctors," he said he suffered from multiple personality disorder, schizophrenia, acute anxiety and manic depression. That same year, Nick Carter filed a restraining order against his younger sibling after he allegedly said he had thoughts of killing Nick’s wife. Carter's fifth and final studio album, “LOVE,” was released in 2018. Up Your Geek extends its condolences to Carter’s family, friends, colleagues and fans. #peaceinparadise #rip #AaronCarter #PopSinger #Rapper https://www.instagram.com/p/CkmSI6cLPnD/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[dream-a-little-bigger-x]

Life in Quarantine (Part 1) | Owen Patrick Joyner

Summary: A series about being stuck in quarantine with your best friend Owen and trying not to lose your mind over being stuck inside all day every day. 

Pairing: Owen x reader

Warnings: Fluff, minor swearing, lots of singing

Songs used: Don’t Let Go by En Vouque/ Washington on Your Side from Hamilton/ More than Words by Little Mix / Not a Pop Song by Little Mix  -- All credits go to owners of these songs

A/N: I know nothing about songwriting and none of this will probably ever happened in real life, but it just worked for the story, alright? Alright. Enjoy! 

Words: 3,372

Part 1: Not A Pop Song

Norman, Oklahoma. My home town. The place where I was born and raised. The place where I learned how to live and love. Where I learned what heartbreak is. Where I met and lost friends. The town all my most valued memories reside. 

It’s also where I met my best friend, Owen. Our mothers were, and still are, college besties. So, us becoming friends was kind of inevitable. We went through everything together. Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle School and High School. Wherever you saw me, you saw Owen and vice versa. A lot of people often thought we were a couple, but that’s been off the table since day one. In Elementary School, Owen and I made a pact with five different rules to seal our friendship forever. The list only grew as we got older. But here’s the gist: 

1. If one is teased or bullied, the other takes revenge 2. Always sing and dance together whenever one asks, even if you don’t want to 3. Always share cookies 4. Always play together at recess 5. Always sit together at lunch

Then the additions from Middle and High School: 

6. We will never, ever, ever date each other or each other’s siblings 7. Ethan, Evan and Emmy are off limits too 8. Crushes too 9. Always go to Broadway shows together 10. Never lie even if you wanna do it for the right reasons. There is no right reason.  11. Always support each other’s dreams and successes 12. Always hate each other’s exes 13. Always share ice cream 14. Never share our secrets with other 15. Always go to parties together

That last one was added by Owen in senior year of High School when I didn’t want to go to a party since it was my exes party and we’re supposed to hate each other’s exes. But, since he’s been in LA for most of senior year to pursue his acting career, I really couldn’t say no. Him going off to Los Angeles for months, sometimes even longer, started in eighth grade when he landed the role of Crispo Powers in a Nickelodeon show called ‘100 things to do before High School’, which I religiously watched, of course.  Rule 9 tells you to. After High School, the two of us split ways. I headed off to Boston to study at Berklee College of Music to major in songwriting as it’s always been a dream of mine to become a songwriter, while Owen went to LA to further pursue his career in acting. We’ve tried to keep in contact, but daily calls turned into weekly calls turned into monthly calls. Five months in, we just try to at least check in with each other every now and then, which is what works best for our busy schedule. Then December 2018 came and changed my life entirely for the better. The representative of Syco and Columbia records said he was in need of fresh blood to co-write songs with none other than Little Mix on their next album.  They held a competition at Berklee College, and long story short, I won! Yay me. To say I was nervous to write with a girl group I’ve been a fan of since the very beginning is an understatement. But they were so nice to work with. We’d take turns flying to each other’s countries and wrote about five songs together of which only two made it onto the actual album. None of it made much sense to me at the time, it all just seemed like one big dream. Owen was pretty excited about it too. He knew how big a fan I was of the girls. Even though he wasn’t a big fan himself, he still listened to the album, mostly to listen to the songs I’d written. Over FaceTime, we even played a game called ‘Guess what song I’ve written’, and he’d gotten one right. The girls even gave you a full-time job as co-writer on more projects of theirs and even recommended you to other artists. This meant you had to quit college and become a full-time freelance songwriter. Thanks to Little Mix, though, you’ve gotten the nicest people to hire you. Since then, you’ve worked with artists like Meghan Trainor, Bea Miller, Isabella Merced -- who you could gossip with about Owen from her time working with him -- and even Harry Styles. The fifteen-year-old inside you didn’t know what to do with herself when that collaboration happened. But working with all those people also meant I had to move again. This time to Los Angeles. When I told Owen the good news, he immediately suggested you move in with him. It’s the thing you guys said you would do once you got older; get an apartment together. So, it was the only logical move. “Welcome to your new casa!” He said dramatically when leading me into the apartment. The tall white walls and large windows illuminated the entire place with a welcoming feeling. “Let me show you to your room, so you can drop off your excessive luggage and then I’ll give you the tour of the entire space.” I raise an eyebrow at his words. “Bro, I have excessive luggage because I just moved from Boston to freaking LA!” I exclaim, followed by an amused chuckle as I try to push him, but fail since he’s much stronger. From that moment on, I knew moving in with Owen would be the best and worst idea I ever had. 

And speaking of ‘worsts’. From March 2020, the two of us were stuck at home together due to the outbreak of the coronavirus. Just when I was supposed to start working with Little Mix on their new album. I would’ve been in London now, but instead, I’m stuck in LA with my best friend who doesn’t have a job at the moment since he’d just finished filming a new Netflix show called Julie and The Phantoms. What I heard from it this far, it sounds pretty amazing. I even went to Vancouver with Owen for a few weeks. It was a fun trip and gave me some new inspiration for some songs. “Hey, Nugget,” Owen says as he walks into the room we call our studio where I’m working. “I’m kinda in the middle of something, Ace. Can it wait?” I know I shouldn’t work out my frustration on my best friend, but it kind of fell out of my mouth before I could stop myself. “Sorry, Nugget, I’m kinda bored…” I sigh exasperatedly and bob my head to signal his permission to come in. “What are you working on?” he asks as he sits down on the armrest of the armchair I’m sitting on. “This Little Mix song I can’t seem to make work,” I reply and point to the notebook in front of me. “I’ve got a few good lyrics, but the melody seems impossible.” Owen takes the notebook from me and closes it before getting up. “Time for a little break,” he says and goes to sit behind his drum kit. “Guess what song I’m playing,” he then says and starts with the cymbals, then hi-hats and when a beat finally floats through the room, my brain starts to work. This is a game we’ve been playing every time I’m in need of a break or just for fun. We’d take turns in playing a part of a song on our respective instruments and the other has to guess which song it is by singing along. “What’s it gonna be? Cuz I can’t pretend Don’t you wanna be More than friends Hold me tight and don’t let go Don’t let go Have the right to lose control Don’t let go” A smile appears on Owen’s as I get the first song right. He always underestimates my love for girl bands from the 80’s and 90’s. Though, I think he might’ve given me this one because I’m so frustrated from working on that song. “Your turn,” he then says after having hit a couple more toms and cymbals. I think about it for a moment, and then start plucking the sixth string to create a more bassy sound. Owen stares at the guitar for a moment trying to figure out what song I’m playing. Then, his eyes widen as he recognizes the sound. “It must be nice, it must be nice To have Washington on your side It must be nice, it must be nice To have Washington on your side” I let out a loud whoop in excitement, choking the strings to stop the sound. “I still can’t do that rap though!” he actually sounds disappointed in himself. “Washington isn’t gon’ listen to disciplined dissidents This is the difference This kid is out!” I proudly yell out, earning impressed applause from my best friend. The smile on his face warms me up inside. Owen has always had the most beautiful smile, in my opinion. He has one of those smiles that could just instantly make you happy. No matter how bad a day you had. “Very impressive, Nugget,” he replies with a smirk that sends shivers down my spine. Ever since I moved in, he’s gotten more and more flirty with me. I’m not sure if it’s just a change in his personality that he’s acquired in Los Angeles or if it’s something else, but it’s there. Not that I mind. Something has shifted in me too since we moved in together. It’s even gotten me thinking about removing rule number 6 from our pact. “Your turn, Ace,” I quickly change the subject, just so I don’t have to think about him like that too much. Our dynamic as best friends is too good to ruin it all. Twenty years of that is a long time to just throw away like that. “Alright, an easy one,” he says and simply starts stomping the bass pedal to activate his bass drum.  It’s a slow, almost menacing thump that sounds very familiar. A little too familiar. “Oh, I need you more than words can say Oh, You saved me in ways I can’t explain Always been there for me, now I’ll do the same Oh, I need you more than words can say” It’s one of the two songs on Little Mix’s last album that I helped write. The song that means most to me since I wrote it with Owen in mind. It was a period of time where all I wanted was to see Owen and be able to talk to him and just spend time with him like we used to before his whole acting adventure. I think he’ll stop after the chorus, but instead, he picks up his drum sticks and starts playing the rest of the song on his drum kit. Deciding it could be a fun jam session, I start playing the chords on my guitar as well whilst continuing with the lyrics. “Won't forget, won't forget Won't forget when he broke my heart How you helped me through You turned, you turned, you turned a disaster into a dream Gave me the power, made my life brand new When the world try to break us, we found magic And we grew stronger, though every line, line, line Every night, every night, every night I strain and sing the truth Now, now they know that they gonna be alright, alright” The memories of when I wrote this song start slipping through my mind. I remember how alone I felt, even in a room with a dozen other people. I remember how much I missed Owen. “I find peace in every story you told I think of you, I'll never be alone It's true, true, true You know I do, do, do” My eyes lock with Owen for a moment. He shoots me a comforting smile that makes me feel right at home. And I don’t mean here. I mean home as in Norman, Oklahoma. “Oh, I need you more than words can say Oh, you save me in ways that I can't explain Always been there for me, now I'll do the same Oh, I need you more than words can say Oh, I need you more than words can say” We both stop playing and just look at each other for a while. I’ve never told Owen I wrote this song for him, but at the same time, I think he might already know. That doesn’t take away the urge to tell him though. “I wrote that about you when I missed you,” I blurt out without properly thinking about it. “Really?” he asks while coming out from behind his kit. Combing his long, blonde hair back, he makes his way over to me and grabs the guitar from my lap. “Yeah, I thought you’d know?” He chuckles, shaking his head whilst tickling the strings. I’d taught him a couple of songs on the guitar since we started living together. “You write with a lot of people, Nugget. Could’ve just been their words as well....” He isn’t wrong about that. Maybe it was a lot less obvious than I thought it was. “So, what are the guidelines for this one?” he questions. I grab my notebook again and open it on the page I was working on before he fluttered into the studio. “They didn’t want another pop song. Kind of more like a ‘fuck you’ to Simon Cowell for treating them so badly and telling them what to do and what to wear and whatnot,” I explain, showing the few lines I have already. Some of them Jade had sent me, others were Perrie’s, a couple were mine. “What are most pop songs about?” Owen queries. I know he’s trying to help me, but he’s kind of making me nervous with the constant strumming of the guitar. “Songs about falling in love, or drinks and drugs…” I sum up at the top of my mind, “Or heartbreak…” Owen nods his head whilst continuing to play the same few chords over and over again. I focus on the melody for a moment as my creative juices start to work again. “This ain’t another pop song ‘bout falling in love Or a party song ‘bout drinks and drugs No more singing songs ‘bout breaking my heart And my lonely nights dancin’ in the dark” I look up at Owen for validation. Nodding his head encouragingly, he keeps playing the same few chords but a little louder this time to support the flow of my lyrics. “If I’m a guilty pleasure I want this life forever I’ll take it all ‘cause anything is better Than another pop song ‘bout falling in love But if you wanna sing along say ‘I don’t give a fuck!’” Owen starts jumping around excitedly, and I can’t help but laugh at his adorableness. He used to get this excited whenever I sent him a demo of the songs I was working on. “Let’s record a demo!” he exclaims and, after handing me my guitar back, moves towards the recording equipment. “Let’s start with some guitar,” he says and that’s how our recording starts. First, the guitar, then Owen records some drums, and then I get behind the mic to sing the song all by myself. I can just imagine how amazing this’ll sound with the girls’ voices instead of mine. “No broken bottles Or glitter on the floor form the night before Ain’t no boy troubles If that’s what you came here for then you should know” I lapse back into the chorus one last time before we finish recording and put everything together. We listen to it a couple more times before sending it over to Little Mix and their management. Awaiting their answer, we head into the kitchen to make some dinner together. It only takes about half an hour before I get a call from Jade. “This song is epic!” she shouts into my ear before I can even say hello. “Exactly what we needed, Y/N, thank you so much!” I’ve grown accustomed to her thick Geordie accent, though it was hard to understand in the beginning. “Thanks, Jade! Owen helped me out a little,” I reply, looking up at Owen himself who shoots me a wink that sends a rush of heat from my head all the way to my toes. The girls all know about Owen. I’d told them about my best friend and how supportive he was, and they always teased me saying I was so in love with this guy. Which I didn’t realize at the time and always denied. Rule 6 clearly states no dating each other. “Give him a big snog as a thanks then!” Jade jokes, and I can even hear the others in the background. “I’m on Zoom with the girls at the moment. They say hi!” “Hi back!” I can’t stop the giggle from escaping from my lips. “I gotta go, Jade. Thanks for getting back to me about the song. I can’t wait to hear you guys singing it!” Jade snickers on the other side of the line. All while I’m watching Owen make some pasta at the stove. There’s something so attractive about him in the kitchen, I’m not sure what it is. Fuck, Jade is right. I am very much in love with my best friend and there’s nothing I’m going to be able to do about it. Stupid pact we made in the first grade. “We’ll call you later to discuss some more arrangements and stuff. Bye, Y/N!” “Bye, Jade! Bye girls!” I say loudly, knowing I’m probably on speaker phone anyway. “Bye, Y/N!” the girls chorus. I hang up the phone and look at Owen for a few seconds before bursting out into an excited cheer, dancing my way towards him. “They loved it! They loved it! They loved it!” I shout loudly, and cup Owen’s face in my hands before pressing my lips to his in an outburst of elation. I’m surprising yourself at first, but then melt into the familiarity of his embrace as his arms snake around my waist whilst kissing me back. He’s actually kissing me back. “And that’s rule number 6 out the door…” Owen mumbles when he pulls away. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have,” I mumble and step away from him, or at least try to. His arms tighten around my waist, restricting me from taking another step. “I’ve been thinking about talking to you about that stupid rule, Nugget. I’ve hated it ever since we were 16.” My eyes widen at his confession. Since we were sixteen? SIXTEEN? That’s four years ago. That’s even long before I realized I felt more for him than just a platonic love. “16? Why didn’t you say anything?!” Owen chuckles, retracting his arms from around my waist and instead tucking a strand of hair behind my ear before placing his hand on my cheek. “You were pretty enamoured with Ryan, remember?” My heart breaks at the mention of the prick’s name. Ryan was my very first heartbreak and the worst at that. Owen was in LA at the time, but when he heard the news, he almost immediately flew back to Norman Oklahoma to comfort me and eat ice cream together. “Besides, I was constantly on the move from LA to Norman, it wouldn’t have been fair to you…” “You’re the sweetest human being alive, Owen Patrick Joyner,” I tell him with a smile tugging at my lips, but then turn serious again as I flick his forehead. He lets out an ‘ow’ and shoots me a confused glare. “And the stupidest! I’ve been in love with you since I don’t know when, but I never realized until now! The girls from Little Mix even knew but I was too oblivious or stubborn to see it myself. If you’d told me, I probably would’ve realized sooner!” “Well… I told you now?” he tries, the cheesiest smile on his face that makes me roll my eyes. “I love you, Ace,” I whisper, “And not the platonic kind this time.” “I love you too, Nugget.” He leans down again after that, reconnecting our lips into a passionate kiss. The first of many. This ought to be a very interesting quarantine together.

Taglist: @hannahhistorian92 @marinettepotterandplagg @thequirkybookaholic @bookdealer5 @tenaciousperfectionunknown @hemmingsness @iainttakingshitfromnobody @ifilwtmfc @angryknightstatesmantrash @kiss-themoongoodbye @rudysbay @thedarkqueenofavalon​ @caitsymichelle13​ @calamitykaty @wiselight @kcd15​

Lemme know if you wanna be on my taglist! 

[seeksstaronmewni]

The Bear Roots of Burbank Cartoons: A Lookback at Boo Boo Runs Wild

5 years ago, [adult swim] aired the greatest of all Yogi Bear / Ranger Smith episodes, “Boo Boo Runs Wild” (1999), on August 13th, 2016 A.D. at 4 AM.

Look and see, kids, how America’s not-so-average bear connects in the wide world of animation that produces many of the cartoons that you love in Burbank, Canada and more!

As and after I saw it, I knew that I found the greatest band of cartoonists out there, and that greatest band of cartoonists out there was none other than...

Spümcø, whose many creatives would end up working at Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Cartoon Network Studios, and many other popular Burbank and Canadian studios that made the cartoons I grew up and beyond watching.

Obviously, the character design is rather different, but they still look like the right characters, even with the slight color changes...

and with their items of human attire out. Ranger Smith, on the other hand...

Ranger Smith is wildly off model, and probably on purpose, throughout the picture.

Only in one scene appears he with a more familiar face.

Now, I didn’t have to watch Wild Kratts (which, by the way, features 6 Spümcø Canada creatives) to learn that “there’s only one thing a bear likes more than raiding a pic-a-nic basket.”

As the title suggests, Boo Boo loses his temper when Ranger Smith restricts him from tearing bark and decides to go primal in returning to his bear roots: “From this day forth, I’ll not dress in the man’s attire, and I’ll not speak in the man’s tongue. From now on, it’s going on all fours and grunting for me!”

Boo Boo wreaks havoc for the trees with his natural bear roots.

Unlike past episodes, however, the artists went far wilder than the usual Hanna-Barbera cartoon, making the trees alive and screaming in pain! OH, WHAT TOURTUE! Not to mention how I love Boo Boo’s goofy/manical laugh, a beautiful product of John Kricfalusi’s voice (Yes; I know that he was a formerly abusive megalomaniac who still has ADHD, but God knows what cartoons would be like today—at least those produced in Burbank and Canada—if it wasn’t for the many layout artists that he led).

Also unnatural to a Hanna-Barbera cartoon is the extreme levels of slapstick, wackiness and graphic nature of cartoons since such shows as Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures, Beany and Cecil’s DiC reboot, and The Ren & Stimpy Show. Boo Boo and now Cindy Bear are licking away at all of the honey... and bees... with insanely long tongues (may be that they’re sloth bears?). This left Yogi Bear practically speechless.

The mere sequence of dialogue between Yogi and Ranger Smith, discussing what to do about Boo Boo, involved HEAVY work in the storyboards by Vincent Waller. So many expressions that they couldn’t fit in each of Spümcø’s 3-panel storyboard pages!

As you see, in addition to Vincent Waller’s storyboards, John K. added extra poses (storyboard revisions more or less, but definitely layout poses) under the respective scenes. That way, Vincent could focus on telling and writing the story in rough pictures. (source of storyboards)

I also love the sound design. While it’s definitely true to a Hanna-Barbera cartoon, John K. and the late Henry Porch were very creative with some weird, dated and out-of-context sound effects, similar to what they and Horta Editorial did on The Ren & Stimpy Show in the first two seasons. The production music (probably APM and Capitol Records) also gave it a vintage, nostalgic feel.

Ultimately, with the aforementioned abusive megalomaniac aside, Spümcø undoubtedly harbored some of the finest animators and artists ever. Such names as Bob Jaques (Spongebob Squarepants, Buy One, Get One Free*, The Baby Huey Show), Ben Jones (DC Super Hero Girls, Cats Don’t Dance, Teen Titans GO!), Vincent Waller (Spongebob Squarepants, Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog), Albert Lozano (Inside Out, A Kitty Bobo Show), Todd White (Spongebob Squarepants), Eric Koenig (Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Madagascar, Cats Don’t Dance, The Simpsons, and The Tigger Movie), and Erik Wiese (Samurai Jack, The Mighty B!) are among the hundreds of creatives who ended up almost everywhere working in Burbank and Canadian animation.

Other names on the Spümcø team that one might recognize include Gabe Swarr (Dexter’s Laboratory, The Buzz on Maggie, Foe Paws, El Tigre), and even background artists such as Richard Daskas ( @rdaskas​ - Samurai Jack, Time Squad, Sym-Bionic Titan, Batman Beyond), Richard Ziehler-Martin (Tiny Toon Adventures, The Wacky World of Tex Avery), Hector Martinez (Tom and Jerry: Robin Hood and His Merry Mouse, Timone and Pumba, Captain N, Evil Con Carne, Dora the Explorer), and Tony Mora (MAD, Teen Titans GO! to the Movies, Pickle and Peanut). I mean: in short, these artists worked for Warner Bros. Animation, Disney Television Animation and Walt Disney Feature Animation, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network Studios!

Spümcø’s production assistants on Boo Boo Runs Wild feature Matt Danner —a fantastic character designer, storyboard artists, director and producer, whose credits range from (Johnny Test and The Legend of the Three Caballeros to Team Hot Wheels and The Looney Tunes Show—and Cartoon Brew editor Amid Amidi. Brian A. Miller was an executive in charge of production, not for but probably in association with Cartoon Network.

Spümcø’s creatives, as I said, are all over the place in Burbank animation. Other shows that still air on @adultswim​ have ex-Spümcø creatives. For example: today’s re-run of Samurai Jack EPISODE XVI features Chris Reccardi (The Powerpuff Girls, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy)...

Scott Wills (Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal, The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat)...

Lynne Naylor-Reccardi (The Shnookums and Meat Funny Cartoon Show, Wander Over Yonder) and Jim Smith (YooHoo and Friends, Tom and Jerry Tales, McGee and Me)...

and Leticia Lacy (TRON: Uprising, Sym-Bionic Titan, Wander Over Yonder, Korgoth of Barbaria).

Even outside of Cartoon Network Studios, where most ex-Spümcø artists end up, @cartoonnetwork​’s The Amazing World of Gumball, from Cartoon Network Studios Europe (AKA Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe), features ex-Spümcø artist Charlie Bean (The Powerpuff Girls, Robotboy, Batman: The Animated Series, Timone and Pumba, Creature Crunch) on The Cartoon Network Europe Development Team.

One of Cartoon Network’s biggest and craziest hits, Teen Titans GO!, also features such ex-Spümcø artists as storyboard artist, director and producer Luke Cormican (The Buzz on Maggie, Brandy and Mr. Whiskers, Brickleberry, The Replacements, El Tigre)...

Gerald de Jesus (The Book of Life, The Ricky Gervais Show, TMNT)...

and Eric J. Pringle (Fosters’ Home for Imaginary Friends, The Problem Solverz). What wacky cartoon filled with live-action images, unpredictable visual gags and extreme slapstick humor wouldn’t?

Relatively, you could even tune in to Nickelodeon, the original home of Spümcø’s ground-breaking hit, The Ren & Stimpy Show, and see names of creatives associated with Spümcø and Ren & Stimpy, such as Zeus Cervas (Star vs. the Forces of Evil, Spongebob Squarepants, Clarence) on today’s episode of The Patrick Star Show...

or even Gabe Del Valle (Mighty Magiswords, Spongebob Squarepants) on today’s episode of Middlemost Post!

Overall, Boo Boo Runs Wild introduced me to the cartoon studio whose works I took for granted and on which I was missing out all of my life, and I strongly encourage this generation to support this Yogi Bear / Ranger Smith episode, which you can watch RIGHT NOW on [adult swim]’s site. It was officially on their YouTube channel, but it was removed for unknown reasons. This short never even got a DVD or VHS release!

The last televised airing of Boo Boo Runs Wild on [adult swim] so far was January 6th, 2019 A.D., but Spümcø also produced “A Day in the Life of Ranger Smith” and “Boo Boo and the Man” (based on true events in the life of John Kricfalsui) for Cartoon Network.

As I come to a close, it’s worth noting that layout Ed Benedict, an animator and artist whose credits go all of the way back to the 1930s with Disney and continued with MGM and Hanna-Barbera/Cartoon Network Studios, originally worked on Yogi Bear episode “Yogi’s Birthday Party” as a layout artist, and reprised that very role for “Boo Boo Runs Wild”. What a legacy the animators and artists of this episode leave!

Always will I remember how Spümcø, whose legacy connects to my Cartoon Network-infused childhood, blessed me and graced me that fateful day, August 13th, 2016 A.D., with the ultimate example of the fine art of cartooning that is the Yogi Bear / Ranger Smith episode “Boo Boo Runs Wild”. I was living in the moment, and I thank God for it.

“For years they have [been] asking me to make new Yogi cartoons, but I can’t even get a half a million [dollars] to make one, probably because I actually like the characters, but 60-70 million $ to make walking corpses is economical.” - John Kricfalsui on Yogi Bear (2010)

Another Ranger Smith, Boo Boo or Yogi Bear cartoon from the people behind The Ren & Stimpy Show is highly unlikely today, due to the abuse and harassment of John K. angering the world to the point of hating and condemning the man who helped to shape not only Cartoon Network but also television animation—and animation as a whole—with an undeniable legacy of artists and animators who deserve way more credit and respect than we perhaps thought of giving as kids.

Tweet version of this post here.

[uncloseted]

Can you explain to me the point of music reviews? Like that one white YouTuber guy who does them lol. I get movies and tv shows because that's more of a time investment and I think there's a more technical understanding of how a movie or TV show is ""good"", but isn't music more subjective? I don't get how people can listen to a song and not know whether or not they like it enough and they have to listen to someone else's opinion to tell them what to think. It's just a song, what do they lose from a song being "bad" besides not listening to it?

What's the point in any type of art review, really? Movie reviews, TV reviews, visual art reviews, music reviews, video game reviews, they're all kind of doing the same thing, right? They're not really telling people if they'll like a piece or not. They're looking at the technical aspects of the piece, the meaning of the piece, the larger cultural context for the piece and how it fits into that context, the aesthetics and emotions of the piece, and overall, they try to help people understand how to engage with the piece. Regardless of the medium, it's not really about whether the reviewer personally enjoys the piece or thinks that other people will enjoy it. It's more about the external cultural value of the piece. That's how you can get 13 hours worth of cultural criticism about the Nickelodeon TV show "Victorious", a show that got generally mixed reviews for its entire run. To reviewers, it doesn't matter whether people liked it or not. What matters is the show's cultural legacy and what we can learn about our culture through the lens of this piece.

Taking movies as an example, "The Godfather" is widely recognized as one of the best movies of all time. Personally, I don't care for it as a movie. But I can still accept that it's culturally valuable- that it's "a good film". It transcended and reinvented the gangster movie genre, it was both commercial and artistic at the same time, it took a cynical look at the American Dream, it used innovative shots and filmmaking techniques, it managed to be captivating for the entirety of its 3 hour long run... I don't need to like it to see the appeal or to "get" why it's important.

Similarly, with music, you don't necessarily have to like a song, album, band, or musician to be able to appreciate its cultural value. For example, a lot of people don't like The Beatles. But I think it would be hard to argue that their music has no cultural value. They made a huge impact on music, both when they were making music and in their legacy. They have the most #1 hits of any band, which showed that they could be commercially successful, but also wrote very complex and artistic songs that are valuable from a composition and technical standpoint. They made huge innovations in artistic presentation, recording techniques, and production techniques. It's hard to overstate the impact they had on culture, not just in terms of music, but also in terms of 1960s counterculture and political activism. Generally, I think music reviewers exist to help us understand the cultural value that music has more than they exist to tell us whether or not we "should" like a piece.

On a kind of separate but more practical note, music reviewers are holdovers from a pre-internet world. Before you could easily listen to an album on Spotify or find a rip of it on YouTube, you had to decide whether or not to buy an album before ever hearing it. Up until 2000, when LimeWire and Napster started allowing people to illegally download music for free (or 2008, when Spotify launched and this practice became legal), there was real money on the line. Each album cost about $33 in today's money. Music reviewers helped people to guess whether they would like an album or not so that they could make better decisions about whether it was worth it to spend their money to be able to listen to the album.

These days, I think the practical value in music reviewing is helping people narrow down the content that's available to them. There are 70 million songs on Spotify. Assuming each song is 3 minutes long, it would take you 400 years to listen to them all if that's the only thing you ever did. And of course, the music on Spotify isn't even all the music that exists; Taylor Swift, The Beatles, Coldplay, Adele, and other big artists have pulled their music from Spotify. And there are millions of other indie artists out there whose music is only on TikTok or BandCamp.

Music critics can help us to decide which out of those 70 million songs are worth paying attention to, and which we might enjoy. Sure, that's not super helpful if you're trying to decide if you like Billie Eilish's latest album or whatever, you'll just listen to it and decide. But it's really helpful if you're trying to find new artists to listen to since otherwise you would never be exposed to the musicians they're talking about. For example, right now I'm looking at NME's list of 100 Essential Emerging Artists for 2022. I never would have heard of any of these artists otherwise, but now I know that I might be interested in Anz, whose music is "kaleidoscopic dance music from a club culture polymath", and that a good song to start with is "You Could Be" (update: this song is actually a bop. Glad I looked it up). Or I might be interested in Eades, because NME suggests them for fans of the Talking Heads and they describe themselves as “David Byrne and Lou Reed’s dyslexic child playing out of a Motorola Pebl”, which sounds like a vibe I would like (update: it is).

Of course, you don't have to like music criticism or care about it. If you prefer to discover music organically and make your own assessments about whether it's good or not, that's totally fine. But I do think it has a point, both in terms of the larger culture and just practically speaking.