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absolutepx · 4 years ago

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So I've been playing Death Stranding lately. Wait, that's not what this post is about. Well, it kind of is. Hang on. What is Death Stranding about?

A: Norman Reedus getting bare ass naked B. Sneaking around ghosts with the help of your sidekick, an actual baby C: Carrying 50 Amazon packages up a hill while trying to not topple over D: Waking up in the morning and drinking 5 Monster Energy™ for breakfast

For those following along at home, the answer is actually none of the above. Despite the set dressing being bizarre to the point of near absurdity, what the game is actually about, like thematically, is actually really simple.

See, the development of Death Stranding was actually quite a trip. Hideo Kojima is the video game world's equivalent of an auteur director. He has a very recognizable personal style. It's thoroughly horny – he caught a bunch of shit for the design of Quiet in MGSV, but like, a lot of Kojima characters are just -like that-, including the dudes. Also, this is going to possibly be important later.

Anyway, so Kojima was going to do a rebootmakequel of Silent Hill, and the demo actually made it to the PS store and I could actually write a whole side essay about why P.T. (it was called P.T. for some reason btw) was brilliant game design for how it used the same hallway over and over and it was somehow beneficial to the overall feeling of horror. So Konami it turns out kinda sucks nowadays and they like, fired Kojima (they were huge dicks about it behind closed doors, too) and scrapped the project and kicked him out on the street and kept the Metal Gear series which was his baby (literally the baby in the sink in P.T., he snuck a bunch of messaging about the Konami situation into the demo like a breakup album) and Kojima would go on to form his own studio and poach some of the people who worked with him to boot. So the thing about Kojima is this: he's got a reputation for already putting some wild shit in his games, like a ladder that takes like 10 real time minutes to climb in MGS3 for dramatic effect, and a boss in MGS3 that summons the ghosts of all the people you were too lazy to stealth past and killed, or a sniper battle with a really old guy that he wanted to have last two weeks or some shit until he died of old age but he was "told that "this was impossible and not recommended." That is a real quote I just looked up. So he's coming off the heels of making this hugely successful game with MGSV and the hype of the P.T. Demo and he fucking, he like took all the people that were going to be working on P.T. Along like Guillermo Del Toro was going to co-write it and Norman Reedus was going to star in it, and he's like, I'm going to make this game called Death Stranding. And the first trailer comes out for it and it's completely nuts. Norman Reedus wakes up naked on a beach crying with a baby and there are floating people in the sky? So we're all like hooooooly shit, there's no one to tell him "this is impossible and not recommended" anymore. What's he going to make now!?

So the whole time the game is in development I keep seeing these tweets where it'll be like, Kojima and one of his homies smiling with some saccharine message about being spiritual warriors and changing the world. And not just Del Toro and Reedus, there was Mads Mikkelsen (another guy Kojima puts in the game just because he apparently loves him), and the band Chvches, and also like, Keanu Reeves at one point? You know how everyone has just kind of accepted that Keanu is a being of light? Here he was endorsing Kojima. The hype was pretty confused and frantic.

The game eventually comes out. A lot of game journos hate it because I think there was this expectation it was going to be, you know, less weird and have more of the conventional structure of a video game. That's not to say the average gamer wasn't also dismissive of it, but I think on the ground level there was more of an understanding that like, yeah, Kojima just be like that sometimes.

Because the game was a timed console exclusive and your homie don't play like that, I spent the first year or so cautiously viewing Death Stranding from a distance. I wasn't sure I was going to like it – except for being really impressed with P.T., I wasn't actually a big fan of Kojima's games as games – but I -was- sure that I was going to buy it, because of the way Konami fucked him over, just out of support. And the shit I was hearing was really out there. The primary mode of gameplay is just delivery packages. You collect Norman Reedus' bathwater and pee and use it as grenades. You get a motorcycle that looks like the one from AMC's The Ride with Norman Reedus, and when you sit on it, his character in the game says "Wow, this thing is like the one from AMC's The Ride with Norman Reedus!"

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But I didn't really want to know that much about it. Something has that much fucking crazy person energy, you want to go in mostly blind, right? So maybe people just weren't talking about this, or maybe I wasn't seeing it, but then I watched Girlfriend Reviews' video about it and they came right out and said it (link provided if you want to hear Shelby say it more articulately than me):

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Death Stranding is basically about the exact opposite of Twitter. It's about remembering how to be kind to each other, how to reconnect in a world where people are so often hostile to each other by default. Prophetically, it's about a world where people are afraid to go outside or touch other people and how damaging that is. It's not a game about carrying packages, it's a game about helping people by being brave enough to walk through a wasteland carrying their burdens because they can't. It's about rebuilding the lost connections between people, about restoring roads and giving people hope. I bet, for Kojima and the people close to him, it's about how to answer hostility with compassion. You can't kill people in Death Stranding. You can and are absolutely encouraged to fucking throw hands with people sometimes, but all the tools and weapons are nonlethal. So I think Kojima took all the Twitter heat he got over the Quiet nontroversy, and all the feelings of isolation he had from Konami separating him from his team during the end of the development of MGSV, and all the support and encouragement he got from his bros Del Toro and Mads and the rest, and decided to channel that into making a game that was a statement about all of it. And sure, it's a little heavy handed, and sure, it's a little saccharine, and sure, the gameplay sometimes borders on miserable in service of creating emotional payoffs. For me, especially in 2020, this message is a huge success. Social media should be an opportunity for all of us to feel more connected to each other, yet primarily it feels like one of the main forces driving people apart. Why is that? Why is the internet of today such a hostile place? I'm old enough to remember web 1.0: I can haz cheezburger memes; YTMND; the early wild west days of Youtube... What happened to us? I've thrown the blame at Twitter in the past, and I think the architecture of the user experience on Twitter is absolutely a big piece of the puzzle, because it fosters negative interactions. But in terms of the behavior, people have observed that 2018 Twitter was actually almost exactly like 2014 Tumblr. (For the record, Tumblr is now one of the chillest places left on the internet, because so few fucks are left to give.)

I think part of it is the anonymity. The dehumanizing disconnection of the separation of screens and miles. Louis CK, before he was cancelled, had a great point about cyberbullying, and why it's so much more savage than kids are IRL. When you pick on someone in person and you are confronted with seeing the pain you caused them, for most sane people it causes negative feedback and you become disgusted with your actions and eventually learn to stop being a shithead. Online, at best you can "break the wrist, walk away".

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At worst, you can become addicted to "clout chasing" and the psychological thrill of being cheered on by your social ingroup. It's even worse if you feel like it's not bullying and your actions are justified because whoever you've targeted is a bad person so you don't have to feel bad about what you do to them. This is where reductive, unhelpful catchphrases like "punch a nazi" come in. For every argument, one or both sides have convinced themselves that the other side is subhuman because their beliefs are so disgusting. And sometimes it's even true! A lot of times, especially these days, people really are acting like animals or worse online. Entire disinformation engines are roaring day and night, churning out garbage and cluttering the social consciousness. (Kojima talked about this bit, too, way back in MGS2. As if I wasn't already in danger of losing my thread through this.)

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The human brain was not built to live like this. You can't wake up every morning, roll over and open your phone, and be immediately faced with a tidal wave of anger and indignity. It wasn't built to be aware of fully how horrible the world is at any moment ALL AT ONCE, ALL THE TIME. And you will be. Because of another way that our brain works – the way we are more likely to share negative opinions. And because of the cottage industry built on farming outrage clicks, and because of constant performative activism.

It's not that I don't agree that being informed is important.

It's not that I don't agree that the causes people get riled up about are important.

They are. They absolutely are.

But we can't keep living like this. The constant, unending flood of tragedy, arguments, and hot takes. How much of the negativity we associate with online culture is the product of this feedback loop? What if the rise of doomer culture has been, if not entirely created by, has been nourished and exacerbated by our hostile attitudes toward each other? Incels and TERFs, white supremacists, radfems, tankies and Trumpers – it seems like on every side of every issue, there are people simultaneously getting it wrong in multiple directions at once and there are more being radicalized every day. They are the toxic waste left behind by the state of discourse. And any hill is a hill worth dying on.

So what am I actually advocating? I don't know. There are a lot of fights going on right now that are important and we can't just climb into bunkers and ignore our problems hoping that Norman Reedus and his fine ass are going to leave the shit we need on our doorsteps. We need to find the strength to carry those hypothetical packages for ourselves sometimes - and hopefully, for others as well. Humans are social creatures. We need interaction and enrichment.

We need love.

So just try to remember the connections between humanity. Try to put more good stuff into the world when you can. Share more shitposts and memes. Tell your friends and family that you love them. Share good news when you hear it. Go on a weird fucking tangent about Death Stranding. Find a way to "be excellent to each other, and party on, dudes."

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#death stranding #hideo kojima #video games #cancel culture #essay #oc

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sincerelyreidburke · 4 years ago

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Ok wait so that stupid post about me wanting to marry the insanely cool Reid Burke actually makes me want to know: how does Reid's life play out? We know he becomes a comedian and goes to Sp*ncer's wedding, but what else?

I was in such a Reid mood the night you sent this ask that I almost wound up answering it straightaway, despite it not being the designated drama club day of Monday. In the end, I had to eat dinner that night, and decided I wanted to write the ask fill when I could actually pay full attention to it— so we’ve waited until now to address this topic.

Here’s the post that sparked this ask. I was going on and on about the forthcoming drama club fic on ao3 (which, by the way, new chapter or possibly chapters tonight), and I wound up shitposting about how I love Reid. Via agreed.

And now we’re here! So in the spirit of it being Monday (not evening, but still Monday), I am going to tell you about Reid’s post-college future. For the curious mind.

You’re right, Via— Reid becomes a comedian, and yes, he does go to Sp*ncer’s wedding for the sole and deliberate purpose of wanting to tell fake stories and get free food. By the way, here’s a fun post about the dynamic between Reid and Spencer, which you will see in more depth in the future chapters of the drama club fic.

Also, this was pointed out to me quite a little bit ago in the comments on the first fic with the drama club characters, but the naming of two characters who interact a lot as Spencer and Reid respectively is apparently a Criminal Minds reference. I don’t actually watch that show. But I thought you should know I’m not doing this on purpose.

Anyway, Reid’s future. Let’s talk details.

- He graduates with honors from Kiersey because he deserves it and I love him. His major is a double, in history and theatre. That’s a weird double major, and screams ‘struggling to find a job’, but who cares. Let him live. And before you roast me for roasting humanities students, I’m a double major in history and religion, so I’m in the exact same boat as Reid and his brethren.

- Before I even talk about Reid after graduation, I want to talk about Reid’s love life, because it becomes relevant when talking about his future. He has the same girlfriend from his freshman year at Kiersey all the way up until they graduate. This makes it sound like they break up when they graduate. They don’t. I was just trying to illustrate that they date the whole time.

- Bri, Reid’s girlfriend, is featured very briefly in this ficlet (which now doubles as the drama club fic prologue on ao3). I think I also had Reid talk about Bri in the drama club ask game awhile back, because there was a question for everybody about whether you’re in a relationship.

- From Missouri with a major Midwestern accent to prove it, Bri (her full name is Brianna) is an art student through and through. She probably knew Lardo, although Lardo was two years ahead of her. Her focus is in ceramics, but she also studies art history, so her future is not only in selling her own art but also in working in a museum/gallery.

- That’s important for you to know with respect to Reid only because I am now going to reveal to you that, even though they are both from the Midwest (Reid is from Wisconsin), Reid and Bri move to New York (City) after graduation. Bri secures a job at the MET because I want her to prosper in her artist ways, while also selling her art on the side, and Reid...

- Oh, Reid. :)

- Alright. The first thing of many things. Reid and Bri have literally no money. They’re in serious student debt, and their apartment is so small that their bedroom is also their kitchen is also their living room, and it’s also not even a clean/nice apartment, so basically: living is rough.

- Why do they do it? For the love of the struggle... nah, because they’re starving artists and this was sort of always their plan.

- It’s true, and always has been, that Reid wants to be a stand-up comedian. Through his time at college, Reid does open mics and even goes off-campus for really small shows at clubs in Boston or Providence or wherever he has to drive to get onstage for ten minutes. Actually, bold of me to assume Reid has a car on campus. Correction. He will Uber. Or get somebody to drive him. I’d say Jhiron, because they’re best friends, but Jhiron is from Philadelphia and also definitely doesn’t have a car on campus.

- So, like, whatever. Maybe someone else who lives in their senior apartment has a car. Or maybe Reid goes through increasingly ridiculous public transit adventures just to get to some random comedy club in, like, Hartford, Connecticut. The point is that he does all of this, because it’s what he loves to do, and it’s his dream.

- Here’s the thing about a dream, especially a dream in the arts. That shit is difficult to achieve. When you enter the real world, even if people all your life have told you that you’re good at whatever your hobby is, odds are you’re not that special.

- Reid knows this. He may be a smartass, and he puts forth this boisterous persona, but Reid is an incredibly humble person. He knows he isn’t special, and that if he wants to achieve his dream, it’s going to be hard. Why am I getting the one song about having a dream from Tangled stuck in my head right now. Don’t let me imagine the guys in the drama club doing a re-enactment of that scene.

- All of this tangential material (though I’m bold to assume this entire post isn’t incredibly tangential) is to tell you that Reid gets to New York after graduation and immediately commences The Struggle of a performance artist trying to make it big.

- As you can imagine, this is a long and arduous process which is only rewarding some of the time. He does, by the way, work a few day jobs (a lot of food-service and minimum wage stuff) while he spends his nights trying to do the comedy stuff.

- Factors against Reid include: the fact that he’s barely squeaking by financially, the sheer probability of having actual success in such a difficult industry to crack, the fact that Bri’s parents think he’s a loser who is never going to get a real job...........

- One time he literally tries to break up with her because he thinks he’s dragging her down, and Bri is like, no. :)

Reid at 3am, feeling sorry for himself after getting home from a club where his set fell flat and it was awful: I’m breaking up with you because you deserve a better life than this—

Bri: No

Reid: ???

Bri: Go to bed and we’ll talk about this in the morning :)

Reid: But we’re breaking up?

Bri: No we’re not :)

*In the morning*

Reid: (wakes up and immediately panics because he tried to break up with Bri last night and how could he be so stupid????)

Bri in the kitchen already drinking her coffee: So are you done?

- Anyway. Reid does the whole struggling/starving artist thing for a couple of years. To his credit, he refuses to give up entirely, even when it gets really difficult. He’s working pretty much 24/7 and it’s a grind.

- Because this is my party and I love him, though, he does eventually get his big break. I want him to work for SNL, actually. I feel like that’s how he really starts getting started. From there, he builds an actual career, and he starts getting noticed, and, well. That’s that.

- He and Bri get married right around the same time he gets that job. They’ve been engaged for, like, three or four years.

- Reid is really good at making people laugh and he’s really gracious about the fact that he gets to do that to make a living. :’)

- Other things: yes, he goes to Spencer’s wedding, which takes place after his big break, because Spencer invites him because he’s famous and Spencer wants clout.

- “Spencer sucks major ass. Why does Reid bother going to his wedding?” Because Reid knows he sucks, and Reid likes to cause problems on purpose. [Insert goose emoji if there was such a thing.]

- By the way, Reid never intends to (and doesn’t) ruin Spencer’s wedding. He just refuses to allow the clout-chasing occur that drove Spencer to invite him in the first place.

- I’ve never actually planned out specifically the idea of Reid and Bri having kids, but I know without a doubt that they would have them. I just haven’t named them, or thought of how many they would have. It’s likely 3 or 4. Reid would be a really good dad. Why am I about to cry right now?

Okay, so for the moment, I hope this satisfies your want for future Reid content. This is so peripheral and meta that I feel very annoying for posting it at all, but in my defense, I was asked. And thank you, Via, for asking, because I’ll use any excuse to talk about the insanely cool Reid Burke.

The ask box is open for anything anyone’s heart desires, no matter how peripheral!

#the insanely cool reid burke #kiersey drama club

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alyssa-explains-it-all · 4 years ago

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15 More Things I Learned About People

When I turned 25, I did a Tumblr post about 25 Things I Learned About People and honestly, while it was pretty pedantically written, it holds up. So in honor of finishing my 20s soon, I wanted to add 15 more things I learned.

The second half of my 20s had much healthier relationships, more career stability but also my first two serious relationships, my first big heartbreak, the Trump administration, and a pandemic. So you know, highs and lows, but still a pretty fine time. Here’s what I want to add:

1. Be nice to yourself. Sometimes that’s way harder than being nice to other people. But the world is hard enough. You have to prioritize your mental health and self care.

2. Making an effort to be optimistic and thankful can be hard at times, but makes the day to day and your life generally a lot happier. Gratitude is the best attitude. Being in quarantine during COVID has isolated everyone from everyone. But it’s been life line crucial to me to try to find and focus on bright spots.

3. Don’t rush your timeline. The societal timeline for women is bullshit. You don’t have to be engaged, married, etc by a certain age. Wait for the right person. Don’t try to make something work that doesn’t because you think your time is running out. A lot of people, including yourself, your partner, and any future family (if you have kids, them especially, but also your friends and loved ones) suffer when your marriage/relationship isn’t happy or healthy.

4. One healthy person isn’t enough to make a relationship healthy. Childhood trauma doesn’t have to define people as adults; they can always get help. That said, you can’t make someone get help. I dated someone with parents who were absent and who had a lot of darkness in his past. But while he was functional, he held onto his pain like his cynicism was some kind of shield or superpower. In reality, it was a poison on our relationship. I tried to encourage him to get help. I’m not sure he ever did. It’s never hopeless to get out of stuff like that, I’d like to think. It just takes a desire to try and do the hard work to; I’ve seen friends go to therapy and it really changed their lives for the better.

5. Be aware, do your best to help, but do not let societal wrongs eat at you completely. The Trump administration did a lot of hurtful things to many groups of people. These past four years have put into perspective how broken and divided American society is. But it’s overwhelming to obsess about, in part because you feel your powerlessness. Help in your community, vote, donate to organizations you believe in. And then put the agony aside. Do not let it destroy you because you cannot keep fighting to make things better if you let the wrongs drain you now.

6. A lot of people don’t agree with you. Don’t completely dehumanize them. A lot of my relatives disagree with me politically. Half the country does, seemingly. I’m not going to say let’s all be friends, but you do have to try to maintain a level of respect and empathy because we all have to coexist still. When we are completely divided, we are weaker. And I like to think fundamentally, we all want the same things: to provide for our families, to work, and to be able to take care of ourselves aka the things that let us survive in this world. Try to preserve some level of kindness. I know it can be hard sometimes though.

7. Just be nice to people. Like honestly, the world is hard enough. Also wear a mask during a pandemic when it is advised. It isn’t that hard.

8. Try to be present rooted. It is the healthiest, least overwhelming way to live. Don’t stress over longterm future stuff. You don’t have to make decisions about big life things until they are closer to happening. Enjoy the ride, enjoy the growth, enjoy the journey. Be in this moment, because it is the only one guaranteed.

9. Heartbreak really sucks, but it gets better with time. Don’t try to date other people while still talking to your ex. It’s unfair to them; finish your business then take some time apart. If what you have with your ex is very, very broken, let it go so you can heal and open yourself up to dating people who are a better fit for you. I know people have to go on their own journey, especially with that first big heartbreak. Write out your feelings. Cry. Talk to people who aren’t your ex. Mend yourself and then get back out there and be open to finding something happier, healthier and better. It’ll happen with time.

10. Having a work-life balance is crucial. Take your time when you aren’t on the clock. Take a vacation if you can, even if it’s a staycation. You need to have balance in your life, especially to prevent burnout.

11. Material goods don’t matter as much as people. I’ve been on the periphery of elite New York society, going to the same ritzy fashion industry events. It’s interesting to people watch there, but this year in quarantine, being without all that glamour, I’ve really realized that the best way to find happiness isn’t to clout chase or money chase. It’s to invest in healthy relationships. Getting to be there for people is the greatest, most meaningful gift that keeps giving in life.

12. You’re doing better than you think you are. Sometimes life is just hard. This year has been for most people. But hey, you’re surviving. So give yourself credit, practice self care rather than self loathing. Sometimes it isn’t you handling thing badly; it’s just things are really tough and we’re all human.

13. Eat healthy. Exercise. Just take care of your body and mind. You function a lot better when you do. It makes life a little easier. And again, life is hard enough.

14. Sex is not the most important thing in a relationship. It’s nice, but what’s more sustaining is your emotional bond. It’s ok not to have sex if you aren’t feeling it. It’s ok not to be horny during a pandemic. It’s ok to prioritize and vocalize how you’re feeling to your partner. He or she should want to know. And if your partner doesn’t care? That says a lot about them, how selfish they are, and how undeserving they are of a future with you.

15. Don’t date people who don’t treat you well and add to your life. Don’t date people who take away your light and give you nothing back. Relationships should be reciprocal; otherwise they’re longterm draining and a breeding ground for resentment and burnout. You deserve an equal partner, not someone who uses you as just a support system or security blanket and then gives little back to restore you.

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wrestlingisfake · 5 years ago

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All Out preview

Chris Jericho vs. Hangman Page - This match is to determine the first AEW men’s world champion. Page qualified for this match by winning a 21-man battle royale at Double or Nothing on May 25; Jericho qualified by defeating Kenny Omega later in the same show. Jericho has held six world heavyweight titles; this would be his first outside of WWE. Page has never held a singles championship of any kind in a major-league promotion, although he’s been talking about being the first to hold this title since the original AEW press conference in January.

AEW is trying to position this as a true main event, mainly on the strength of the title and Jericho, even though the ladder match and (at one point) Omega-Moxley were clearly bigger draws. I expect that this match will go on last just to establish the primacy of the world championship. That’s a lot of pressure on Page, who was barely even a midcarder 18 months ago. Of all the talent getting pushes to elevate them to the Kenny Omega’s star power, he’s the one with a rocket strapped to his back. There’s a sense that this match is his Rocky moment, and he’s carried that idea well in interviews.

Jericho has handled the story convincingly, pushing the notion that Page is ready for this level of competition, while still asserting that he’s the favorite going into the match. Page is great...but he won’t be good enough on this particular night. Jericho has also stressed that he needs to beat Page, because a loss would set up talk about him passing the torch in the twilight of his career, and he’s not willing to be treated like a used-to-be. It’s an interesting approach for the 48-year-old Jericho, because the tipping point between “veteran superstar” and “old timer doing jobs on the way to retirement” is precarious. It makes sense that he would fight tooth-and-nail to keep from going over that tipping point, and direct that fury towards his 28-year-old opponent.

Assuming this really will close the show, it needs to be a great match. I don’t think it will be, or needs to be, the best match of the night. But it needs to be great enough that we leave thinking they were right to put it on last, and that Page has what it takes to close the show. More critically, we need to come away thinking AEW title matches are epic conflicts, so the promotion can credibly use the championships as box office attractions in their own right.

I would be fine with Page as champion, but I think the best move is to have him deliver a star-making performance and then suffer a heartbreaking loss to Jericho. That’s not to say Page shouldn’t eventually win the title. But Jericho has both the clout and the heel heat to sustain a very long chase from multiple contenders, which will make the first men’s world title change as important as the first men’s world title match.

Rey Fenix & Pentagon, Jr. vs. Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson - The Lucha Bros, Penta and Fenix, are defending the AAA tag team championship. The Young Bucks, Matt and Nick, are defending an AEW undefeated streak. This is a ladder match, so the title belts will be suspended above the ring; to reach them ladders will be provided at ringside for the wrestlers to climb. The first person to retrieve the belts will win the match, and the championship, for his team. Since that’s the only way the match can end, there are effectively no count-outs, disqualifications, pinfalls, or submissions.

The feud between the Lucha Bros and the Young Bucks in February, when Penta and Fenix took exception to the Bucks claiming to be the best tag team and attacked them at their own press conference. On March 16 the Lucha Bros headlined AAA’s Rey de Reyes and won the tag team title, but the Bucks showed up for an impromptu title match and took the belts back to AEW. The Bucks successfully defended the title in a rematch at AEW’s Double or Nothing on May 25, but the Lucha Bros finally won it back at AAA’s Verano de Escandalo on June 16. The Bucks teamed with Kenny Omega against the Lucha Bros and Laredo Kid at AEW Fyter Fest on June 29 and AAA Triplemania on August 3. Penta and Fenix issued the challenge for this match at Fight for the Fallen on July 13.

Fenix suffered some sort of leg injury in the past week. From what I’ve read, it might not be anything, but he was worried he tore something and had to get it checked out. The fact I haven’t heard an actual diagnosis suggests that they couldn’t find anything wrong with him. That doesn’t mean there isn’t anything wrong, but I’m hoping it turned out to be nothing and Fenix just needed to rest it up. Either way, I expect the possible injury to be worked into the story of the match, and for the Bucks to do a bunch of moves and stuff onto the leg.

I kinda think the Mexican team should walk out with the Mexican championship, but it is the Bucks’ show and they’ve talked up how legendary their ladder matches are. They can easily win here and then drop the belts at a AAA show, without any apparent impact on the AEW win-loss stats. I gotta pick the Bucks to win (at least all the way up to the finals of the AEW tag title tournament).

Kenny Omega vs. PAC - Pac, formerly Adrian Neville in WWE, is a substitution for Jon Moxley, who had to pull out of this match last week due to a staph infection. Ironically, the substitution pays off on plans that were canceled a while back.

Pac’s involvement in AEW was announced at the company’s original press conference, while he held Dragon Gate’s top title (the Open the Dream Gate championship). He was set to feud with Hangman Page, and the storyline played up the idea that Page wanted to be a champion, implying the match would figure into the AEW world title picture. Then on May 18 Page beat Pac by disqualification at a British indy show, setting up an angle where Pac refused to face Page at their scheduled AEW match on May 25.

It turned out Pac would not agree to lose any matches during his title run, and AEW had decided never to do DQ finishes to get out of booking clean finishes. There was talk that Pac wasn’t even supposed to lose to Page, but he would be feuding with Omega later. I seem to remember speculating that Omega and Pac were meant to win their matches on May 25 and meet for the AEW title here. Obviously that didn’t happen. But Pac has since lost the Dream Gate belt on July 21, which puts him back in play at AEW. And just in the nick of time, it seems.

I was expecting Moxley to be the slight favorite in the originally scheduled match, but now that Pac is in the mix anything is possible. The outcome is totally up in the air, and it’s just as well since I expect the focus is on delivering a killer match to make up for failing to deliver the advertised match. Even though Omega was playing a dick by mocking Mox’s “boo-boo,” Pac is an even bigger dick, so I’m lowkey pulling for Kenny.

Cody Rhodes vs. Shawn Spears - Spears will be seconded by Tully Blanchard, playing on the legendary rivalry between Blanchard and Cody’s father Dusty. Cody brought an entire entourage to the ring a year ago at All In, but for this match he is contractually limited to a single person in his corner. We haven’t been outright told this person will be a big surprise who will make a big difference in the match, but it’s been set up to let us think that, so I hope Cody doesn’t just bring out Dustin Rhodes or Dallas Page.

Rhodes and Spears were friends in OVW when they were coming up through WWE developmental. Cody hit it big in WWE, while Spears (as Tye Dillinger) languished for most of his thirties. When Spears jumped to AEW, fans generally considered it a positive move for both parties, although Cody made an offhand remark about Spears being a “player-coach” and a “good hand,” curiously implying that he was dismissing his friend as a journeyman. Spears took offense and blasted Cody with a chair on June 29, leaving Cody a bloody mess.

This is easily the biggest match of Spears’s career, and it’s probably one of his last chances to escape the stigma of being a never-was. A win would give him momentum as a key figure in the early weeks of AEW’s TV show, as Cody would need to chase him for a few more months to seek vengeance. A loss would simply validate WWE’s lack of interest in Tye Dillinger--and worse, affirm Cody’s kayfabe dismissiveness on AEW’s own programming. Cody hasn’t actually been pinned yet in AEW, so I assume they’re saving that for something; I hope this is it.

Evil Uno & Stu Grayson vs. Chuck Taylor & Trent Beretta - The team that wins this match earns a bye in the AEW tag team championship tournament. So basically you have to win this one match in order to skip one tournament match. That’s kinda screwy. Both of these teams won three-ways to qualify for this match. The Best Friends (Taylor/Beretta) qualified on June 28, while the Dark Order (Uno/Grayson) qualified on July 13.

I think the plan was for the Dark Order to be super-over as a hot team with a spooky gimmick and a cult following on the indies. It hasn’t been working out. Honestly, Chuck Taylor manages to come off as creepier than the Dark Order’s gimmick just by being a really weird dude who is oddly devoted to hugs. Hopefully the popularity of the Best Friends will override disinterest in the Dark Order to heat the match up. Logically, the bad guys should get the bye, so I think the Dark Order better cheat a lot.

Riho vs. Hikaru Shida - I’ve heard talk that the winner of this match will qualify for the first women’s world championship match on October 2, but I haven’t been able to confirm that. It wouldn’t make a ton of sense anyway, considering Riho is 2-1 in AEW and coming off of a loss, while Shida is 1-0 but hasn’t appeared in the company since May. I don’t have stats in front of me, but I would think at least one other woman in the company would have more credibility in this spot. Then again, Britt Baker was sidelined with a concussion for much of August, so maybe she was originally slated for this spot and they decided they couldn’t wait to see if she’d be cleared. I guess I’ll go with Riho to win, even though I’m still not sure what’s at stake.

Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian & Scorpio Sky vs. Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus & Marko Stunt - The Daniels team is SCU. Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus are “A Boy and His Dinosaur,” so I guess with Marko they’re “A Boy and A Boy and His Dinosaur” or something like that. This could be a good chance to put over the Luchasaurus team, but their gimmick is going to be over either way, so maybe they should keep up momentum on SCU.

Darby Allin vs. Joey Janella vs. Jimmy Havoc - This is a three-way match, so the first man to score a fall on either of his opponents wins. These guys were on the losing end of a six-man tag match on July 13. At the time I believe I observed that nobody in that six-man had yet won a match, so now the losers of the Weenie Hut Jr.’s Bowl are having a Super Weenie Hut Jr.’s Bowl. I guess the guy who scores the winning fall gets to escape into the midcard, while the other two open the next show, and the loser of that match gets to hang out with Brandon Cutler backstage or something. Of the three, Allin is the biggest project with perhaps the least indy scene cred, so he’ll probably be the Super Weenie Hut Jr.’s champion.

21-Woman Casino Battle Royale - This is set for the free pre-show. It’s a gauntlet battle royale with timed entrances and over-the-top-rope eliminations, but with the same special rules as the one AEW did on May 25. Five women start the match, and every three minutes another group of women enter; the 21st woman enters alone. Eliminations can occur at any time by exiting the ring over the top rope and placing both feet on the floor before re-entering. The last woman left after everyone else is eliminated wins the match, and qualifies to wrestle...uh, someone (maybe the winner of Riho vs. Shida?) for the women’s championship on October 2.

As soon as AEW announced the match, they admitted they didn’t have 21 women on the roster, so we can expect a lot of new faces. Confirmed so far:

Allie

Awesome Kong

Big Swole

Brandi Rhodes

Britt Baker

Ivelisse

Jazz

Nyla Rose

Sadie Gibbs

Shazza McKenzie

Teal Piper

I heard AEW and Impact Wrestling were in talks to put Tenille Dashwood in this match, but even if that’s true they might not get the i’s dotted in time. Taya Valkyrie was on Being the Elite the other day, but I don’t know if that means anything. Obviously Chicago is wondering if CM Punk will be at this show, but I never see anyone wondering if his wife, AJ Mendez, might show up. Apparently something is up with Kylie Rae but nobody’s talking about it, which is troubling. I don’t even know what continent Bea Priestly will be on during this show, so she may not be available.

It feels like AEW’s biggest plans in this division are for Baker, although that could be just to have her put over someone else when the moment comes. The safest bet is Britt, though, until someone else emerges from the pack.

Jack Evans & Angelico vs. Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen - Another match for the pre-show. Kassidy and Quen are Private Party, and everyone likes them but the big issue I’m always hearing is that they’re green and need to be protected by veterans until they’re ready. Evans and Angelico are veterans, so there you go. My guess is that AEW won’t book Private Party to actually win a match until they’ve decided the team is truly ready, but since we don’t know when that’ll happen we have something to look forward to every time they wrestle. For now, I gotta pick Evangelico (is anybody calling them that?) to win.

#aew #all out #hangman page #chris jericho #the young bucks #lucha bros #kenny omega #pac

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arabellaflynn · 6 years ago

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About a week ago, I crewed a show at the studio theater for a non-profit outfit up from New York. The guys who run it are friends of our executive artistic director, and they come up two or three times a year. I like them; I dealt with them a bunch when I was at the box office, because when you're the most experienced person they have around they hand you all of the EAD's friends, and I have an unofficial standing request to work their shows even when I'm not the only crew who is both in town and not drowning in finals. One of the guys, as it turns out, is laid up with an injury right now, so the other one had to fly solo, on top of performing in the show. I ran into him coming down the stairs as I was going up, and as soon as he saw me he just lit up like, oh, it's you! How are you are you working are you going to be my box office again! I told him I'd swapped over to doing tech and he asked if I was disappointed that I didn't get to dress up anymore. I'm not often visibly rattled. The internal monologue is a different matter. My mouth was making bubbly, sociable conversation, while my lizard brain was huddled in the back of my skull, peering suspiciously out through a slit in the blinds, going, "I don't understand, you are a producer, why do you know who I am?" Because frankly, for the most part, they don't. Aside from the yawning chasm between tech and talent at all levels of the entertainment industry, producing a show is an undertaking not entirely unlike juggling an armload of emotionally-compromised cats to a series of increasingly short deadlines. It's not personal. They have much more pressing things to do than keep track of the minion who is assembling their rented tables. [Belated recollection #1: This group comes back every year to book their spring show in our cabaret theater. This producer gets a gentle reminder from the event staff every year that he is in fact paying us to clean up after his show, and he does not have to help us. This reminder fails every year, and he ends up striking half of the tables by himself.] [Belated recollection #2: The dress code for front of house in the studio theater is, in its entirety, "wear black". I used to entertain myself by dressing splashy. The first time he got a load of one of my box office outfits, he asked to take a picture, so he could show his house manager in NYC and tell her to, and I quote, "step up her game". I would have assumed he was flirting except that he is, to the best of my knowledge and in roughly descending order of relevance: gay, taken, and twice the age he probably thinks I am.] By the end of then night I was like, you know what? He clearly likes me and thinks I am an actual human. He co-directs a non-profit whose mission is providing opportunities to dancers and multi-modal movement artists. I hate pestering people about work when they're trying to do other work, but I bet if I catch him after the performance I can get him to talk shop for a bit and give me some career advice. Or life advice, which is pretty much the same thing in the arts. God knows I need some. It was a brilliant plan, and it was chugging along beautifully right up until the part where he derailed it by inviting me to our EADs birthday party. Actually, he asked me first if he'd be seeing me there. I thought he was talking about a different event entirely, because why the fuck would I be at our director's actual personal birthday party? I have no idea what he thinks I do there. Officially, stage crew and event staff are one rung up from the bottom of the ladder, and that only because we get a per-show contract that specifies they will be paying us in money. (Unofficially, I have a lot more clout than that, but only because of longevity and institutional knowledge. It works only irregularly because, you know, unofficial. Nobody else at my pay grade has enough social capital to rattle any cages.) The office staff have meetings we don't go to, lunches we're not invited to, and loads of conversations we're not a part of. A large part of the reason I know as much as I do is because they like to have meetings out in the lobby when "no one" is around -- which is to say, they have forgotten that I am at the reception desk and that I can eavesdrop in at least five languages. I know one of them is getting married in the fall, and I also know that there is a 0% chance I will be invited to the wedding, or any wedding-related activities. They're great people to work around, and most of the time they're even reasonable people to work for, but there is this unspoken assumption that we're all going to go home to different planets at the end of the day. It took him like three tries to invite me to one party because I could not for the life of me figure out why he was telling the help all about the director's birthday plans. It finally got down to me pointing out that I had none of the details necessary for attending said party -- such as, for example, the time and date it was taking place -- because I had not received an invitation, and him telling me to go poke the EAD's assistant to get one. Then he hugged me and left to catch his train back to New York. Have you ever spent an entire day trying to get useful work done with your lizard brain jumping up and down in the back of your skull shouting things like, YOU JUST WROTE AN EMAIL TO SOMEONE'S EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TELLING THEM THAT AN IMPORTANT PERSON JUST TOLD YOU TO INVITE YOURSELF TO ANOTHER IMPORTANT PERSON'S PARTY, SINCE WHEN IS THIS A THING YOU DO? It's really annoying. It also does not go away when the assistant replies to your email to say she's put you on the guest list. That just adds a counterpoint all about, YOU ARE ON THE GUEST LIST FOR A PARTY THAT HAS AN ACTUAL GUEST LIST MAINTAINED BY AN ACTUAL ASSISTANT WHOSE JOB IS TO MAINTAIN THESE THINGS WHAT HOW WHY. I'm not in objection to any of this. Clearly I have made myself a friend. The context is just really doing a number on my brain. One of the reasons I was so good at that job was that I was charming and helpful when you were looking right at me, and I was completely out of sight and out of mind otherwise. Nobody paid attention to me because nobody had to; I just ran around and did things and they didn't have to think about it. The class division between management and minions there also irritates me on a regular basis, mainly because it means people don't talk to each other about really obvious stuff, and it takes me a while to cotton on when I run into someone who is either entirely ignorant of it, or entirely indifferent to it, which this dude plainly is. Which of these is the case is an open question. Judging from what I've seen of his performances, whatever got his attention is the same thing that keeps getting attention from the ballroom people. Everything I have ever personally seen him do on stage has been, at some fundamental level, experimentation with and exploration of the delicate clockwork of interpersonal connections. The last piece I was witness to was a duet that I can only describe as an intimate tap dance, a phrase which I encourage you to not think about too hard, lest it stop working. I saw him run it with his dance partner in an empty theater before one of the shows. There was a ringing silence when it ended, as the two of them had to re-adjust to a world that contained more things than tap shoes and each other. He was doing comedy ballet panto at one of our holiday shows last year, and the joke he ran with was still that he kept getting way too closely intertwined with the other dancers in increasingly outlandish ways. He's done a lot of pieces with his co-director and performing partner of 25+ years that are literally just creating a shared pattern and turning it around over and over again, so the audience can see it from all of its many intricate sides, and saying, look at all the marvelous ways this fits together! This seems to be a capital-T Thing for him, and it's probably the same capital-T Thing the Eccentric is aiming for with bachata, and that the flamenco dancers get from chasing duende, and possibly that Ye Ballroom Instructor was going for when he quit actually asking me to dance and started just walking in my general direction with his hand out. Normally, I err on the side of assuming that folks talk to me because I'm friendly and I'm in front of them, but these people keep zeroing in on me. It's becoming a pattern. right down to the part where they are super confused when I don't immediately realize what's going on. I'm just like, I'm happy you have decided we are friends! But I'm unsure when this happened! Sorry for the confusion, I'm adjusting! I like to think I'm quicker to catch on now, what with this being my third or fourth time through this dance in as many years, but it's also a terrifying conclusion to come to, mainly because jumping is the only way to get there. One, they think they're being obvious and are bewildered when I have questions, and two, the more important someone thinks this stuff is the more likely they are to gnaw their own arm off at the elbow to escape having any kind of conversation about it. Breaks the hell out of the whole 'back away and look at this logically' tactic. Based on history, the correct course of action here is to go to the damn party and bluff like I'm not utterly confused until that is actually true. And also possibly find out if he knows swing or merengue, because I can lead those without stepping on anybody too much. from Blogger http://bit.ly/2JBk3mV via IFTTT -------------------- Enjoy my writing? Consider becoming a Patron, subscribing via Kindle, or just toss a little something in my tip jar. Thanks!

#IFTTT #Blogger #Unsolicited Advice

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amplifiedesq · 4 years ago

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Where Things Stand with Dr. Disrespect’s Twitch Ban

Last Friday (6/26/2020) news broke in the afternoon that Dr. Disrespect had been banned from Twitch. Details are still scarce as to why he was banned, but that hasn’t stopped everyone from trying to figure it out on their own. Suffice to say, there’s a lot of bullshit out there right now. In making this post I hope to provide accurate information as to where rumors got started, what facts we actually know, and what seems likely based on any actual reporting being done. So, let’s start with what we know from the two parties involved: Twitch and Dr. Disrespect himself.

What Twitch Has Stated

Per Zach Bussey’s tweet at https://twitter.com/zachbussey/status/1276620223576186880 and Shannon Liao’s tweet at https://twitter.com/Shannon_Liao/status/1276617617730568195, Twitch’s official statement reads:

As is our process, we take appropriate action when we have evidence that a streamer has acted in violation of our Community Guidelines or Terms of Service. These apply to all streamers regardless of status or prominence in the community.

Twitch has provided no further public comment since Friday on this matter, but they did refund Twitch users their costs associated with an active Dr. Disrespect subscription.

What Dr. Disrespect Has Stated

Dr. Disrespect has made one statement through his Twitter account, https://twitter.com/drdisrespect/status/1277060051744591872, it reads:

Champions Club,

Twitch has not notified me on the specific reason behind their decision... Firm handshakes to all for the support during this difficult time.

-Dr Disrespect

This statement was made late Saturday night, nothing else has been said by Dr. Disrespect at this time.

Also, while not directly referencing anything, video have been posted of the final 8 or so minutes of his most recent stream before the ban. It can be viewed at https://youtu.be/yxGBwDVmzRA. I can’t say I have personally seen the end of too many Dr. Disrespect streams, but there are some strange moments in this for sure.

For example, at the 1:58 mark he reaches for what seems like his pocket, looks down at something (presumably a cell phone), and seems pretty shook for the next 20 or so seconds, before going back into character. Around the 4:30 mark he appears to mute himself while telling someone in the room to hold off (he did mention his wife was in the room shortly before). Then, around the 8 minute mark he abruptly cuts off the stream after sighing/making some other similar noise and saying fuck”. Not to mention the discussion about conspiracy theorist David Icke and the watching of Roblox video while seemingly trying to collect himself. It was overall very strange in my opinion and seems telling that something was definitely going on.

What Was Being Reported Friday (the day of the ban)

When news broke Rod Breslau, better known as Slasher, was at the forefront for additional news he broke on the matter at https://twitter.com/Slasher/status/1276613302483812352. The tweet reads:

Sources: it is not DMCA

One of the popular theories when the ban came down was that this ban had to be DMCA related (so popular that DMCA was a trending topic on Twitter much of the afternoon). This tweet put that theory to rest.

Slasher also went on to post the following tweet in regard to the ban (https://twitter.com/Slasher/status/1276742960286183424):

look: for several hours now I have been told from credible sources the reason DrDisrespect has been banned. however due to the importance and sensitivity around the subject I have refrained from going on it. i don't feel comfortable with it currently

A similar statement was tweeted by Twitch streamer ShannonZKiller that stated:

From my own sources: Doc is indeed done, and not just on Twitch. I know why and cannot say. But this is serious.

While the Tweet has since been deleted, it of course lives on thanks to the internet (https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EbeE7tkX0AIc8oT?format=jpg&name=large). Shannon did provide the following explanation for deleting the tweet (https://twitter.com/ShannonZKiller/status/1276634901643747329):

Hey, I totally get that it turns out ppl didn't want more confirmation that it is a permanent ban without the reason and felt the tweet was clout chasing, so I will respect those perspectives and delete the tweet.

Thanks for putting me in check!

I don’t recall seeing, nor am I finding now, any other reports that provide additional details outside of this being 1) a permanent ban; 2) not DMCA related; and (according to two individuals) 3) a serious/sensitive matter.

The Rumor Mill

With no clear information pertaining to the reason behind the ban it has left those interested to come up with their own theories and push them out to the masses. From what I have seen the following theories are the most popular right now:

1) A new streaming service

2) Highlighting Conspiracy Theories

3) A Sexual Assault Allegation

A New Streaming Service

This theory keeps gaining steam, though I don’t think anyone is convinced of just what that new streaming service is. One theory provides for a new service called “Brime”. Another provides for a Spotify backed service. Seeing as Dr. Disrespect just signed a multiyear deal with Twitch in March to remain on the service (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/dr-disrespect-signs-multi-year-deal-stay-twitch-1283878) this seems highly unlikely in my opinion. Why would a new start-up risk a tortious interference claim against them that could trouble them before they even got started?

Highlighting Conspiracy Theories

Dr. Disrespect has dabbled in conspiracy theories on multiple streams, not just his last one. He had one strike against him on Twitch already, but that related to filming in a bathroom during E3. The Twitch Terms of Service read:

you will not:

i. create, upload, transmit, distribute, or store any content that is inaccurate, unlawful, infringing, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, invasive of privacy or publicity rights, harassing, threatening, abusive, inflammatory, or otherwise objectionable;

While the creation of content that is inaccurate is a violation of the terms of service, it seems far fetched that the conspiracy theory talk on his last stream is what landed him a permanent ban. It certainly seemed like something was up prior to those topics being brought up. I’ve also seen him watch conspiracy theory YouTube videos live on stream in the past with no ban following, so in my opinion this one also seems like a stretch.

A Sexual Assault Allegation

Prior to Dr. Disrespect’s ban, sexual assault allegations against streamers and Twitch’s role in it was the main topic of discussion in the industry for the week. Wired has an article up detailing much of what transpired in this area at https://www.wired.com/story/twitch-streaming-metoo-reckoning-sexual-misconduct-allegations/.

With all the allegations that were popping up Twitch felt the need to respond and made a post on their blog on June 24th: https://blog.twitch.tv/en/2020/06/24/an-update-to-our-community/. Part of the statement reads:

We want to provide an update on our investigations into the recent allegations of sexual abuse and harassment involving Twitch streamers and actions we’re taking. We are reviewing each case that has come to light as quickly as possible, while ensuring appropriate due diligence as we assess these serious allegations. We’ve prioritized the most severe cases and will begin issuing permanent suspensions in line with our findings immediately. In many of the cases, the alleged incident took place off Twitch, and we need more information to make a determination. In some cases we will need to report the case to the proper authorities who are better placed to conduct a more thorough investigation.

So, just two days before Dr. Disrespect’s ban Twitch issued a statement involving their investigations into sexual abuse and harassment that had a line that states: “We’ve prioritized the most severe cases and will begin issuing permanent suspensions in line with our findings immediately.”

On top of that, you have two (non-random) people on Twitter who claimed this to be a sensitive/serious matter (granted, neither would provide details and could easily have just been trying to draw attention to themselves). Of all the theories going around, this would seem to be the most likely of any of them. That said, like some of the other cases popping up, there is no identified victim here or public accusation. As such, it remains just a theory at this time.

Conclusion

With Twitch staying silent on the matter it’s next to impossible to fully understand what has happened here and why Dr. Disrespect is banned. Maybe as this week goes on some of the reporters that claim inside knowledge will get comfortable with their sources and/or find out more details to expand upon their original tweets. For the time being we’re stuck not knowing for sure and it’s basically giving the content creators that thrive on gossip plenty of fodder for their following.

#Twitch #esports #dr. disrespect

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theteenagetrickster · 5 years ago

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Meet Jelani Aryeh, the Different R&B Musician Destined for Success/ Ones To View

Titles carry electrical power. They give individuals the aptitude of ownership, creative expression, and the capacity to include supranatural value to themselves and their bloodline. Take one check out the Kardashians for more proof. Names are actually certainly never just labels, they hold along with all of them energy like no various other. When a private wields a title whose literal definition is actually "power," it's safe to presume that individual is actually undoubtedly predestined for success. That person concerned is the extraordinary 19-year-old artist Jelani Aryeh.

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, the alternate R&B entertainer has actually been actually discharging his Frank Ocean-adjacent monitors atop saintly vocals, with his first seven-track EP Country Destinesia debuting in 2017. For many years, his uniquely distinctive creation skills, sinkhole-depth of lyricism, and holy vocal potentials rapidly gained him a complying with. He credits considerably of his development to his near friends in Elevated through the Internet, an internet collective begun through Jelani over a passion for Frank Ocean, Odd Future, and also BROCKHAMPTON. Jelani's popular music forages a difficult limbo in between R&B, hip-hop, as well as an alternative experimental noise that is thus distinctively its own. It's no miracle folks drew to his popular music rather quickly.Cut to 2019 and also the

world has actually been beautified along with a whole lot even more popular music from Jelani like the organic, synth-heavy noises of "Union Place"to the amazing storytelling narrative behind"Patagonia."Complying with the wave of talismanic songs happened his nine-track project that came by Oct, Helvetica. Considerably like the rest of his music, Helvetica, narrates-- his personal. The venture isfilled to the brim with private

stories and a wondrous amount of psychological intensity that provides audiences a glimpse of what it means for Jelani Aryeh to be Jelani Aryeh. Passionate listeners of his popular music soon knew that while our team engage along with him by means of the photo he illustrates in his tracks, our company are in fact increasing and establishing with him. Jelani advanced this connection with his newest monitor,"Determine ".

The haunting vocals, raw emotions, and explorative manufacturing of the monitor send out audiences on a self-reflective spin that our team can not assist but obtain lost in time and time once more. As our team start our very own quests via his music, it ends up being important that the power the young artist instinctively works out is his power to coalesce.So join the area and also stream" Determine"listed below:

This content was originally published here.

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lookatthisdork · 7 years ago

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First Impressions: Harper Row

Pursuant of my long-term goal to write more about my AU-meta Where are the grandkids?, I decided to track down and read some of the New 52 canon of Harper + Cullen Row and Duke Thomas. Immediately after starting this quest, I realized that for my own sanity, I simply MUST write about why Harper Row bothers me. Because I actually LIKE the character, but I HATE the context she appears in.

I’ve read a max of ten issues with Harper, which is why this is titled First Impressions, not Final Judgement. If you don’t agree with me, cool. If you agree with me, also cool.

(Warning: this post is really really long.)

The first time Harper (named) appears is in the Court of Owls arc, saving Batman’s life. She is entirely unfamiliar to the viewers, but Batman knows her and tells her “I told you once already, leave me alone. I meant it.” Her name is dropped by Harper herself who, after Bruce storms off, says:

Ignoring my immediate cringe at “epic bat-fail”, this is a weird introduction. This had me going back to google, convinced that I had the comic order wrong. But no, this is Harper’s first named appearance. For some reason. (In media res is going to kill me one day.)

(She has a cameo in the first New 52 Batman issue, but lord knows she’s not recognizable without hindsight. This is her)

The next time she shows up in Batman #12, we actually confirm her hairstyle changed between her last two appearances via flashback. We also get a proper origin as well as an intro for her brother Cullen.

Two things here: 1) Harper focuses a lot on providing for Cullen, who would instead like his sister to chill out and live a little; and 2) Cullen would like to win the heart of Tim Drake. (+1 canon points for Cullen/Tim, if anyone ships that)

Harper goes to a Wayne gala, stuffs her bag with pastries, and chats with Alfred (who recommends she take some brownies, gosh I really love Alfred). She’s super skeptical about the Wayne development that’s going to replace her current apartment building because she doubts Bruce has even set foot in a neighborhood like hers, let alone knows enough to not screw them all over.

She comes home to find some people broke into her apartment, beat her brother and shaved “FAG” in the back of his hair. Which, wow, fuck his unnamed assailants. Cullen’s hair is pretty much unsalvageable, so Harper cuts her own hair to match in solidarity.

Harper has nerves and a spine of steel.

We find out that Harper is emancipated from her abusive dad, her mom is dead, and she works as an electrical engineer (she’s not old enough to have the education for that, but comic logic, don’t think about it too hard).

Going home from school, Harper and Cullen run into the guys that messed with Cullen. Harper tasers the fuck out of one, but about a dozen more crawl out of the woodwork. The Row siblings are pretty screwed, but then Batman swoops in and knocks some heads. He leaves, and we get this:

If this were a manga, the artist would have drawn literal stars in Harper’s eyes on that last panel.

She then proceeds to stalk the shit out of Batman, watching what little video the internet has before staring at street cams long enough to notice that Batman is hacking them. Upon realizing this, she tracks down the physical grid mods for the hacks and improves them as a “thank you” to Batman. Of course, she runs into Batman chasing a dude down, almost gets hurt but still helps apprehend the villain. Bruce, bit of a dick that he is, tells her not to do it again and ditches.

Ignoring the weirdness with her in media res introduction during the Court of Owls, I honestly like this origin and I like the potential of Harper as well as Cullen. She reminds a bit of Jason with her more troubled childhood grounding her approach to vigilantism, and there’s a bit of tech-guru and stalker tendencies (lol) that echoes Tim. I get a bit of Stephanie too, though less so than Jason and Tim. She’s also unique in having a younger sibling that she has a solid, loving relationship with even before the Bat-stuff. I hope writers capitalize on the Harper-Cullen dynamic; it’s the strong point of this origin.

After the origin, things get...contentious. Harper next shows up in #18 which I think happens after Damian’s death? And maybe after Dick’s “death?” I’m not quite sure. She confronts Batman who is spiraling, beating on low-level people who don’t really deserve that level of force while also getting injured from stupid mistakes.

This whole section echoes the time immediately after Jason died a lot, and her thoughts on the matter are pretty close to Tim’s (pre-Flashpoint). Which...isn’t a super good thing because Tim’s “Batman needs a Robin” shtick was a bit tone-deaf while Batman was grieving his youngest son back in 1988-9. In 2012, it was still a bit tone-deaf.

“I have no interest in knowing whoever’s under that mask. I don’t want you to be a person.” Harper, I know you don’t know Batman just lost a kid, but holy hell, you’re echoing the worst Batman tendencies Bruce has, please no.

(Also, while I’m making the Tim parallel, post-Jason’s death it was just Dick and Bruce against the world, with Dick firmly not at home (and Barbara still in recovery from the Joker iirc). Post-Damian (and post-Dick), Tim is still alive. Tim, the guy who’s origin involved pulling Bruce out of his funk the first time, is around for this second crisis of faith. Tim, what are you doing while Bruce is self-destructing here? Off with the Teen Titans and exploiting his New 52 origin as a reason not to be interested, I imagine.)

We then get this response:

Now, I haven’t tracked down Stephanie’s first appearances, but to my untrained eye, this strongly resembles of Bruce’s early and complete disapproval of Spoiler. And since Stephanie is noticeably absent from the New 52 at this point, we have example 1 of what I think is Pre-Flashpoint’s fans’ biggest complaint: Harper Row occupies roles formerly established by Stephanie and/or Cassandra. Because someone at DC (writers or publishing execs, I don’t know) decided to reset the Batgirls rather than port them over with their experiences intact, New 52 introduces Harper first (also Barbara, but that’s a discussion for another day).

It makes some sense in the narrative to give Harper the same difficulties as Stephanie since Spoiler didn’t exist to pave the path, but Spoiler not yet existing was an arbitrary executive decision unpopular with long-term fans. It’s not weird to think that people who like a female batfam character from pre-Flashpoint - Stephanie, Cassandra or Barbara - are the fans DC should be courting to accept Harper. Giving Harper a parallel to Stephanie without also giving them Stephanie does the opposite - it alienates them and causes them to project their saltiness onto Harper.

Even after Stephanie is introduced, she comes back as Spoiler, losing her hard-won (very hard-won) progress form her days as Robin and Batgirl. Meanwhile Harper and New52-Stephanie become friends, meaning that an older Stephanie fan cannot consume Stephanie or Harper content without seeing the other girl. Thus Steph fans are constantly filled with low-burning rage at DC and probably also Harper for not giving them their preferred version of Steph.

It gets even worse with Cassandra. DC reintroduces her two years after Steph and four years after Harper’s first cameo, so Cass fans have been living in a content desert with no promise of salvation. Like Steph, Cass’s hard-won progress as Batgirl and Black Bat is gone, supplanted by a new origin as Orphan. Cass becomes good friends with Harper and Steph, which on the surface is great for original Cass fans - her pre-Flashpoint friendship with Steph is very important to her character. But now you’ve retconned away Cass as Batgirl playing rooftop tag with Steph. You’ve erased the gravity of Cass giving Steph the Batgirl title. Now Harper is a vital part of a dynamic that can no longer emulate the original.

And Cassandra killed Harper’s mom in her origin. Not randomly either - Batman & Robin Eternal has Mother - the villain of Cass’s origin and the B&R title’s final boss-villain - ordering Cass to kill Harper’s mom to forge Harper into a better minion down the line. Disclaimer: I didn’t read all of this arc - but tying Harper and Cassandra irrevocably to each other’s origins is really bad. To an older Cass fan, it feels manipulative, as if the writers are trying to give Harper some of Cassandra’s clout by making them both important to the same villain. Having entwined origins makes it near impossible to separate out Cass and Harper going forward if you like one but dislike the other.

I therefore conclude as a newer comic reader that there is nothing wrong with Harper Row herself and A LOT wrong with how she was packaged. By herself, Harper is a capable engineer and hacker who utilizes her expertise well and with training could be a capable vigilante. But with New 52 Spoiler and Orphan, she is a constant reminder of how this is not the Pre-Flashpoint Earth. Retconning the Batgirl histories back into existence would be the same as retconning Harper’s character development back out of existence. DC basically shot itself in the foot by resetting Cass and Steph while tying them both to Harper, dividing their original Batgirl fanbase into polarized pro- and anti-reboot groups.

Which is a pity, because I really think Cass and Steph fans could have found something to like in Harper without the resets.

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j3-suis-partout · 5 years ago

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Week 4, Camus Part Deux

Week Four, Camus Part Deux Readings: The Fall & The Myth of Sisyphus So I really enjoyed these two readings and was super excited to see how discussion would go in class. Without a doubt, the whole time I was reading “The Fall” I kept thinking about the saying “character is what you do, and who you are when no one is watching.” I thought a lot about the contrast between The Stranger and The Fall. There are so many major differences between Mersault and Clamence. In The Stranger you've got Mersault who essentially goes through life with hardly any consciousness...literally going with the flow and not really inserting himself into life but rather just living life as it comes. Then you've got Clamence who is our main character in the Fall who in contrast almost seems overly conscious. I found these two fellows to be interesting foils to one another, and I wish we would have discussed that in class. A lot of the class discussion centered around religious and it's place in the world of absurdity. I saw the discussion going in another direction and was really hoping to talk more about this one theme: do we do good things because they make us feel good or because they make other people feel good? Clearly this isn't black and white and all of our actions having some degree of selfishness behind them...but it kept me thinking about what our intentions are when we “do a good deed” or do something nice for someone else. Is there such a thing as full-on selflessness? Clamence seems to be addicted to helping people, or perhaps the perception that he believes his helping people conveys. There’s a point in the text where Clamence tips his hat to some blind men (knowing that they are blind) and this gives us the impression that in fact his kindness is really a public display as opposed to genuine or sincere. Clamence states as he reflects on this moment: "To whom was it addressed? To the public. After playing my part, I would take my bow". Following up on this theme of public displays of kindness for clout as opposed to humanity is reflected in his lack of drive to help the woman whom he hears “fall” off of the bridge…once he just walks away from the suicide he just technically witnessed…it is difficult for him to avoid his hypocrisy. This is a turning point in the story. Post his ignorance to the woman’s suicide…Clamence’s lifestyle takes quite a turn and he went from being a reputable and well renowned man (and lawyer) to basically a drunkard…however his motives and “character” remain. Before the suicide incident he is constantly chasing this motivation to set an example for all of his fellow humans through shallow social interactions, and as the story continues and post suicide, he is simply a drunkard providing sincere yet still ego-driven advice on “humility.” Another quote reads "too many people have decided to do without generosity in order to practice charity." This exemplifies that his motivation in good deeds and being generous is not for the person on the receiving end of the good deed…but rather for the public perception and reputation of the good-doer. I can relate to this, I have had certain people in my life who tell me that I “need to be more selfish” or I should consider putting my needs before other peoples’ sometimes…but often times my response (which can sometimes go misunderstood) is an effort to explain to someone the fulfillment that I get from doing that good deed. Perhaps not so much so for a public display but sometimes I feel I benefit just as much form being generous towards someone as the recipient of the generosity…which makes it a semi-selfish act, I suppose. In general, throughout The Fall we are faced with societal social norm and the idea that it is difficult for a charitable person to do “good” without some sort of benefit coming from doing said charity. Think about how when donating or volunteering it is often made a very public display…corporate companies who host team bonding events where they volunteer…or sports teams who do the same, it is always heavily documented and publicized. We could argue that this documentation and publication of said acts is to simply spread the word and encourage others to follow suit, but generally it also shows our desire to let it be known when we’re doing something charitable. How can one differentiate between doing good since it's the right thing and doing good because of how it makes them feel? That's the main question The Fall made me seek an answer to.

The Myth of Sisyphus I found equally as riveting and I just find it so ironic and fascinating that something that was written so many years ago is still completely relevant today in (almost) 2020. It kind of drove the point home to me that these existential ideals are literally timeless and contemplating the meaning of life and our purpose as humans knows no bounds. We'll never have the answers, and most of us will continue to push our rocks up the mountain only for them to tumble down again. But we keep doing it. A whole lot of our lives are just monotonous...so what compels us to keep going? Through class discussion and hearing the debates arise about why we live our day-to-day-lives and what keeps us interested in or motivated to wake up again tomorrow and “do it all over again?” I came to the conclusion during class that it just comes down to the fact that we all attribute our own meaning to our own lives an that's really all that matters. For now that's how I feel and (of course) this idea and feeling of mine will probably be challenged many times throughout this class. A lot of my fellow classmates are a lot more well versed and informed about other branches of philosophy and their teachers and teachings so I've been delighted to hear the well-supported arguments of those around me in class. I think we learn a lot through comparing...and this is relatable on a personal level, meaning we learn about ourselves by comparing ourselves to others...and in addition comparing and contrasting helps our learning process, too. Someone brought up how Aristotle compares us to “tools” and how each tool has a purpose...but what is the meaning? For example, a hammer might have the purpose of helping you to construct or build a house...but what is the meaning behind that act? I’m really thankful the person who contributed that thought did so because I’ve been giving it a lot of thought ever since. Overall I loved these readings and both groups did a great job in presenting, and the one group that made the rap music video really had me laughing and appreciating their hard work and ability to use the content in a creative way. I wish we would have unpacked more of a diverse set of themes and ideas from these readings instead of centering the discussion so much around religion – but that's just my opinion.

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sempiternalsandpitturtle · 5 years ago

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Better email content begins with these best practices

They say you can earn $44 for every $1 spent on email marketing, but they almost never tell you how.

So we’re gonna take a crack at it.

At the very least, you’ll hopefully learn something about creating email content that improves your odds of getting a desired result.

And who knows? Maybe you’ll even make liars out of us by doing a lot better than $44 .

Getting started with email marketing: You’ll need a few things

Email lists

You can build your email list by getting people to sign up for things like newsletters and gated content. You should always build your list organically rather than buying email addresses from a third party. That way you know some level of interest is there and you reduce your risk of getting spam complaints.

A marketing or email automation platform

Pardot, MailChimp, Drip, Marketo—something to help you manage your lists and distribute your emails.

Segmentation

Align contacts as closely as possible to your customer personas. Understand their location, demographics, industry, job titles, prior interests in your content (what were they reading when they decided to subscribe?). This will help you tailor messages later on.

Content

Content is a powerful incentive to get people to give you their email in the first place, and it gives you an excuse to email them again (example: “Liked our eBook? There’s more where that came from!”).

Realistic expectations

Email was born to build revenue. It’s cost-effective, highly targeted, it often follows some sort of interaction (meaning there’s precedence for the contact), it can be used anywhere in the sales funnel and it’s fairly easy to record conversions.

But open rates for all marketing emails are only about 20.8 percent. Click through rates (when recipients click calls to action or links) are only 2.4 percent. These numbers are even worse for say, prospecting emails (5 to 10 percent open rate, 0.5 percent CTR).

So don’t panic if you see numbers like these. They don’t mean that you’re failing miserably. They just come with the territory.

Best practices by type of marketing email

How you write your email will depend on the type of message you’re sending.

Let’s cover best practices for some of the most common email types before we get into more general writing tips:

Welcome emails

Send these emails after someone entrusts you with their email address. For instance, somebody signed up for a mailing list while shopping at a store. Or an interested web user subscribed to your newsletter or downloaded a gated whitepaper.

A good welcome email should do three things:

Be gracious (“thanks for subscribing!”).

Tell you what to expect now that you’re signed up.

Say something about who your brand is.

Here’s an example:

Notice this example includes a video for the “who we are” portion of the email? That’s far preferable to an in-line manifesto.

You can’t see it in the image, but the subject line is “Welcome to the club!” Keep it simple, a little playful if you want, and always to the point.

Do not skip the welcome email. It has a higher open rate than most other types of engagement emails (nearly 60 percent) and a higher CTR (14 percent).

The high open rate should tell you that subscribers expect it. It’s the first impression your brand makes, and it can affirm they’ve made a good choice or send them running.

Prospecting emails

Even the other name of this email (“cold”) juxtaposes the warmth of the welcome message. Prospecting emails are largely unsolicited and mostly ignored.

They often don’t work, but this doesn’t mean that they can’t work. The three most important “dos” of prospect emailing are:

Get to the point.

Give the reader information they can do something with. Prospecting emails aren’t introductions; they’re more like mini demonstrations of value.

Give the recipient a single, clear action (should they contact you and, if so, how? Are they downloading something? Choice is the enemy here).

For example:

Other pointers?

Personalise. The example above very clearly targets a specific person (Tracy), ostensibly from a particular company, and most likely someone who can either influence or make a decision about actions to improve website performance. This is where segmenting really comes in handy.

Also, there’s a graph in there. You don’t necessarily have to use imagery, but it beats a big wall of text any day, and it can give the eye something to immediately latch onto.

Newsletters

A newsletter is an email series spotlighting the week’s (or day’s) content.

Because people opt into them, newsletters tend to have higher open rates than prospecting emails.

The hard part is keeping those open rates high and driving CTR (you want people clicking on links). We recommend:

Concise copy in an elegant, eye-pleasing template. Your audience won’t tolerate too much text or overly busy design work. They want something digestible.

A subject line that says something other than “[Company] newsletter.” Use the week’s top headline or a short and punchy sentence that summarises the week’s theme.

Copy that speaks for itself. Entice with strong headlines, a relevant or interesting thumbnail (preferably not stock) and a brief synopsis of why they should care.

(See more examples of newsletters we like, here.)

Other general tips:

You can pepper in content from other sources if you think it’s relevant to your brand or in some way adds value or intrigue to your audience’s day.

Feel free to recycle old content in a new context. On occasion, an evergreen post chases a recent study or news article quite nicely (especially if those breaking stories support your thought leadership).

Try to be aware of the content sequence in newsletters, as CTR does drop farther down into the email. Descending order of importance or newsworthiness might be best one week, chronology might be better the next. On another week, there may be a benefit to arranging content in a very particular order. Just be mindful of opportunities to present newsletters that are more than smatterings of marketing content.

Also, your target audience cares about what’s on the other side of each click. The blog post, video or eBook has to be as good as the wrapping for them to keep opening emails and clicking away at the links.

Lead nurturing emails (and specifically drip campaigns)

A lead nurturing email is broadly any email intended to move a lead closer to buying. You could probably argue that any marketing email that isn’t a transactional email is a lead nurturing email.

But we’ll sidestep the semantics for now and home in the microcosm of all lead nurturing emails: the drip campaign.

A drip campaign is an automated sequence of emails that adjusts the next message based on the action a recipient takes.

Here’s one of our favorite visualisations of the concept:

The main things to keep in mind for creating content for a drip email are:

Create all your email copy before sending out a single message so each stage flows nicely into the next.

Every word, from subject to sign off, should be centered around the single action that you want the user to take for that email.

Play it cool. Don’t send one email right after the other, because that’s basically spam (and it’s a bit desperate).

Not all of the lead nurturing emails you send will be part of a drip campaign. Maybe you’re conducting a survey. Or maybe a compelling whitepaper or ebook would delight specific contacts on your email lists (say, mid-level managers in accounts receivable), and you want to make sure they see it.

Fair game, go for it. But don’t do it too often, or you’ll seem spammy.

Event invitation emails

Event invitation emails can promote a webinar, attendance at a conference, your own expo, a company lunch and learn or some other event.

Some marketers think more information in the body of the email is better, which is why you might come across something like this on a list of “great” event invitation emails:

We love Neil, and he certainly provides solid information in this email. One could even argue that these types of messages are part of his brand.

But we hold fast to the philosophy that shorter is better. The reason?

You’re not Neil Patel. You may have some solid brand recognition, but people are very choosy about the sender when it comes to combing through 200 words.

Data. Boomerang’s analysis of 40 million emails found that 50-125 words is the ideal length if you want people to respond or take some other desired action.

Landing pages. This is where all the event’s nitty-gritty details and information should live. Your email’s job is simply to build interest with the basics (who, what, when, where, why and how to learn more).

Also, there aren’t a lot of clear calls to action in Neil’s message, and there’s almost nothing going on visually.

Here’s an example of an event email follow-up from a different bald guy that gives all the most important information up front, has copy that conveys a sense of urgency (using numbers, no less) and finishes with a strong CTA:

For the actual event invitation, you can lean a little more into visuals like in this example:

It tells you the name of the conference, the date, where it’s happening, what it is (“Two full days of insights”) and encourages signup (“Get your tickets now”) within the first fifth of the email.

As for subject lines?

Keep them action-oriented and to the point. If the event is obscure, lead with the value (“Learn X at [event]” or “Master X during [webinar]”). If the event carries clout, then lead with it (“Join us at X for Y” or “We’re going to X: Attend our keynote address about Y”).

Product updates

These email messages promote new products, services, features, templates and other updates of interest to existing users or customers.

Don’t gloss over product update emails. They play an important part in the customer journey—upsells, rebuys, moving freemium users to for-pay users and building loyalty.

When it comes to crafting them, context is everything. For example:

New features for freemium users

You’re Canva and you just added some new design layouts for users. Something like this passes with flying colors:

It’s simple, to the point and it links straight to the new goods.

Big updates to your product or service

On the opposite end of the spectrum, let’s say you’re a software-as-a-service vendor who just made a significant update to your application.

In this case, you need to craft emails from a customer service mindset because change can be scary. Always take a positive, reassuring tone, be forthright about what’s changing, briefly explain why it’s better, link to any tutorial or help resources, and make yourself very available for support or questions.

Keep in mind that some clients won’t like learning about big changes that affect their day-to-day operations through mass email, and may require a more personal touch.

Everything in between Maybe you added new metrics or a new dashboard to one of your apps. Or perhaps you just released a new feature on the for-pay version of your app or service that might also sway free users.

Whatever the case, keep a few things in mind:

Your audience. Does the update pertain to them?

Targeted messaging. For example, if you’re using a product update to get freemium users on the for-pay version, create two emails: a basic one informing existing for-pay users, and a lead-nurturing email incentivising freemium users.

Tone. It should be informative, brimming with new possibilities and, in the case of much bigger overhauls, reassuring.

Transactional emails

Transactional emails are updates about any account activity.

Examples include onboarding emails, order confirmations, delivery updates, setting adjustments, security notifications, payment reminders, etc.

They have the highest open rate of all other types of email by a long shot. This is because they convey basic information that’s of great value to existing customers.

Most service providers and retailers rely heavily on email automation for transactional outreach, and they generally require a bit less craft than say, lead-nurturing emails.

Other types of emails?

There are plenty we won’t have the chance to discuss here, but a few that deserve mention include:

Surveys, interactive quizzes, requests for reviews

These engagement emails help you collect information that can be used to create new content, further personalise your email marketing and turn existing customers into brand advocates, respectively.

Deals and promos

The approach should closely mirror an event email. You want that same sense of urgency and forthcomingness about what product or service is on sale, when, where and how to cash-in on the discount or promo.

Cart abandonment This is akin to a transactional email in that it’s typically automated, with a little bit of lead nurturing in the mix since you’re trying to spur purchasing behavior. They can be fairly basic like this one from Amazon:

Or a bit more playful and visual like this one form Dollar Shave Club:

The idea is to nudge the shopper over the finish line with a simple reminder.

Finally, a few email content general best practices

1. Give each email a single goal

Craft your email copy and design around that singular goal, and make it easy to achieve (CTA buttons that say “read more” or “start your free trial”).

2. Create pithy subject lines

You don’t want them too long because they’ll get cut off, or too short because they won’t convey meaningful information. Otherwise, data suggests there isn’t actually a relationship between length and open rate, just a few dubious correlations. We’d say around 55-65 characters makes sense in terms of logistics (getting the point across and displaying the entire subject).

3. Don’t spoil endings

Curiosity works in the email marketer’s favor. “Find out which WordPress plugins marketers use most” gives more of a reason to click than just saying the answer outright.

4. Be concise and conversational

Use first names, and say things in simple language. It makes the message feel a little more intimate and disarming.

5. Use active language and short sentences

You only have a few seconds to make your point, so make it fast.

6. Break up copy to make it more scannable

Make one point per paragraph and use bullets when listing things.

7. Use second person pronouns

Uncle Sam doesn’t want that guy over there. He wants you!

8. And first person, too

We, I, us and our convey humanity.

9. Personalise, but not too much

Personalisation is good when you reach out to a prospect about a demo after they download a product-specific eBook. It’s bad when Target breaks the news to a man that his teenage daughter was pregnant (true story).

10. Embed imagery in moderation

Graphics, charts and GIFs all have their place in email, but a hyper-polished look is easy to associate with spam. Even Google is into textural design these days, so don’t overdo it.

11. Create multiple drafts

Not just for A/B testing, but because it’s rare that you’re first draft is your best or your most concise.

12. Keep mobile in mind

About 50 percent of all emails are viewed on mobile devices. A mobile-unfriendly email template will halve your odds of engagement, and users delete an email in 3 seconds or less if it loads poorly.

13. Don’t be spammy

Roughly 20 percent of permission-based emails end up in junk folders. Evading spam filters today is less about using a dedicated IP address and more about being smart. Always send welcome emails, grow lists organically instead of buying them and follow the law—like including an “unsubscribe” button and a physical mailing address. (MailChimp has a few more useful tips.)

Measuring your results

As you employ these best practices across your email campaigns, the key performance metrics you’ll want to track include:

Bounce rates: Percent of recipients who never receive your emails in their inbox. Inversely, you can track this as deliverability rate (those who do receive the emails). High bounce rate likely indicates problems with your email lists.

Open rates: Percent of recipients who open your emails. Pay attention to which messages see the best open rates.

CTR: Percent of recipients who clicked on the links in your emails.

Conversion rates: Percent of recipients who completed a particular action after clicking through (they successfully registered for a demo or event, for instance).

Unsubscribe rates: Percent of recipients who no longer want to be subscribers. It’s OK if they’re relatively high, especially in the early days.

Complaint rates: Percent of recipients who mark your email as spam. This is also known as abuse rate.

An objectively good rate for these metrics can vary by industry.

For example, CTR is highest in the hobbies industry (4.78 percent) and lowest in public relations (1.63 percent). Across the board, it’s 2.43 percent.

As for ROI: In theory it’s just the amount of money the campaign brought in minus the amount spent.

Recurring expenses like monthly cost of your email service and marketing automation platform are fairly easy to tally up.

Time and effort put into crafting email content is harder to track. And attribution (figuring out the exact piece of content responsible for a sale) is notoriously challenging.

Still, email technology is objectively cheap, and attribution is easier to pinpoint than for most other content marketing channels.

More importantly, most B2B marketers (74 percent) say email is their most successful method for distributing content. Among B2C marketers, email is cited as one of the most effective channels for achieving specific marketing goals.

Our advice on ROI?

You’re welcome to take a stab at finding a dollar figure. Some businesses like Sleeknote and Sendgrid provide free online tools that help make the calculations for you.

But that’ll just give you a number without very much context.

Close scrutiny of engagement metrics will show you precisely what you’re doing well and where you’re falling short. In other words, they’ll tell you if you’re doing email marketing right.

And once you’re doing it right, we can begin to take a harder look at that $44 figure.

from http://bit.ly/31NaQhh

#content marketing

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