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michibikionmain · 4 years ago

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This isn’t THE tommyinnit villain essay but it sure is one of them

Ok ok so 4 those of u who aren't on discord with me: i have two main essays that have been in the works for MONTHS, these being my Complete Dream character analysis essay going in-depth for nearly all of his canon interactions and finding his character traits and motivations through the story, and my Tommyinnit (and Wilbur Soot) were Always The Villains on the server essay talking about how the only reason so many people view them as the good guys or heroes is because we see the story from their perspective mainly. This essay? Is not either of those. BUT, it does go through a lot of my thoughts on Tommy and Dream’s characters so I figured I’d post it. maybe itll help me organize my thoughts 4 my Mega Projects lol

@ranboocore bc u helped me pop off on this so hard LMAO

Warning, it’s VERY Tommy Critical, what a suprise. I do not like Tommy as a character lol. idk what triggers yall might need me to tag but if u need one in particular pls lmn!

My biggest issue with tommy's character is that he SAYS hes learned but he never does he is exactly the same person he was at the start of the server just More Sad and with Trauma, when out of all the characters he's had the most push to change. c!Tommy is a very tell-don't-show character which can make it hard for some people to connect to him, especially those who don’t directly share his trauma or see themselves in his character. Of course, there is still a MASSIVE amount of people who relate to his struggles and thus love him regardless of his writing, but those who can't relate to him will always feel some kind of barrier until the things they've talked about are actually shown to the viewer instead of being spoon-fed to them.

It is a very beginner writing thing, and I'm hoping that Tommy is figuring out how to fix this, maybe with support from the many other writers on the server. There's the 3 you mentioned, plus fundy, niki, and maybe tubbo who also play dnd, plus Dream who said he would've been an English major and does a lot of personal writing for fun. I think the biggest issue in the writing lies in the individual ccs being inexperienced in the medium, particularly with planning out their own character growth.

Another glaring issue I have with c!Tommy is how he's framed to be sympathetic and he goes through all these horrible things without acknowledging his role in any of them. The things that have happened to him are a direct result of his actions, but the thing is HE won't acknowledge and so it falls flat. This isn’t to say that being abused is his fault, because it’s NEVER the vicitm’s fault, but being exiled? His multiple fights with c!Dream? His friendships falling apart? Losing the disks in the first place? They’re the direct consequences of HIS OWN actions, but he never acknowledges this and constantly just... brushes off any accountability by either saying that it’s Dream fault or simply SAYING he feels bad without properly showing it through redemption and GROWTH.

Denial is useful in storytelling sometimes, but Tommy's character has been in denial since the very beginning of the server and at this point it's just exhausting. He only ever switches between denial and depression, not really going through all 5 stages of grief properly. His violent/upset reactions would be more powerful if they were any different from how tommy usually acts, but this is always how he is. When he “lashes out” because he’s reached the end of his patience, it doesn’t SEEM like the snap it is because that’s just... it’s seriously just his standard reaction to everything. It hold no WEIGHT to see c!Tommy yell at someone violently or threaten to fight them because he does that anyways!

Static characters can be a good thing, and can be interesting if done correctly, but not every character SHOULD or CAN be static in a story.

Static characters need to have their position or behavior challenged and question, where they look into if the way they see and interact with the world is really the 'correct' one or just evaluated to see if they truly believe in them. This questioning period is CRUCIAL! and NEEDS to be well done in a way that ACTIVELY SHOWS the conflict between the two ideals. If they decide to hold onto their beliefs/continue their behavior then, it feels deserved, because rather than just being a flat "they do thing its who they are" they have defined WHY. WHY is a very important question to think of when telling the difference between dynamic and static characters. The why of a character is ESSENTIAL to developing them as a relatable, sympathetic person rather than a flat story telling device. It makes them a human rather than a puppet. When a character's motives aren't well defined or discussed, they're doomed to fall flat in everything else, because the WHY is the foundation of what makes them who they are.

c!Tommy has an underdeveloped "why", his motivations are weak, rarely properly discussed and when they are it doesn't particularly stick with him. His motivations change without showing us the internal struggle that should come from literally shifting your driving principles. There are some good MOMENTS of him reevaluating the importance of certain things, but they're so spread out and contradictory and immediately spat one that they're hard to piece together. He TELLS us what his motivations are as well, which is another big flaw when it comes to all that but we don't have time to unpack all THAT Anyways, the key to static story telling is reaffirmation. The character goes through a complete journey and ends with the same beliefs because they've looked into why they have them and determined that they still matter to them. A great example of static writing in my eyes is c!Techno, who since the beginning has believed that governments are bad. c!Techno enters the server to destroy a government, and still ends up doing that because he sees and we see him experience that the reasons he didn't like government before still hold true and he has no reason to support them any more than before, and so his anarchist beliefs are REAFFIRMED, proving to him that they way he handles things is the right one for him.

c!Tommy’s attachments are all just... they're all so weird. like he LITERALLY SACRIFICES HIS LIFE MULTIPLE TIMES for L'manburg. By action of sacrifice it seems like it should be the most important thing to him, but then he throws it away for some disks that mattered less to him just a minute ago. But then it's all about how c!Tubbo is worth more than Anything and maybe he's found something more important! but then he shoves THAT out the window for the discs again ig!!! but then it's about l’manburg again? Make it make sense.... pls....

Here's smth that really irks me about Tommy's character, and is kind of weird but give me a second to explain: Tommy has never actually permanently lost much of anything on the server. Every punishment he's ever received he's tried to find some way around. And like... I'm not expecting him to be HAPPY to face the consequences of his actions but seeing him constantly have his cake and eat it too is very irritating, especially when there are characters who DO have to deal with actual permanent sacrifices. The whole thing with the disks. where he WILLINGLY OFFERED THEM UP AND GAVE THEM AWAY THEN SPENT FOREVER TRYING TO STEAL THEM BACK WHILE CLAIMING DREAM STOLE THEM FROM HIM, is the biggest example of this, but it's generally his characters way of dealing with things. He's very backhanded and conniving, constantly calling himself "big man" except for when he wants things from people and he plays up the "iM a MiNoR" card to try and get them to give him things or feel bad. He's not just some sweet innocent kid like people paint him, he knows damn well he's messed up and while he SAYS he feels bad about it, he has never once really shown, with his ACTIONS, regret for what he's done except for the stuff with c!Sapnap, which could it could be argued he did because he thought it would help get c!Sapnap on his side to fight Dream and he knew c!Sapnap was a skilled warrior and could possibly be persuaded to fight with dream.

c!Tommy is in NO way some sweet innocent child, he knows what he's doing. He KNEW l'manburg was a drug empire, and wanted to turn his hotel into the same He was FULLY prepared to just murder c!Schlatt for legally winning an election that he KNEW was rigged AND INTENDED TO HELP RIG HE LITERALLY TEAMED UP WITH c!TECHNOBLADE KNOWING THAT HE INTENDED TO BLOW UP L'MANBURG AND ONLY LEFT WHEN HE REALIZED IT WASN'T GOING TO ACTUALLY HELP HIM--

The line of c!Wilbur saying "Tommy, are we the bad guys?" wasn't him mentally going batshit it was him realizing that the entire time they've been doing terrible things. c!Wilbur was literally ALWAYS Vilbur but the time people CALL Vilbur is when c!Will himself realized he was a villain.

#like. VERY critical #i do not like the child can you tell?#im sorry tommy fans but i am not one of you #and before you ask: Yes I have and do watch his perspective of the SMP just so i can try to understand his thought process #dream smp #dsmp #dream smp analysis #dsmp analysis #critical analysis #prince/pea and i pop off about this so much LOL #this is the first of MANY essays/collective analysis bits ive written about Tommy #lets see how many ill have by the time i finish going through the discord #tommyinnitcritical #discourse #ig. i saw a lot of ppl asking 4 this tag on similar posts so i thought id add it?

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elytrafemme · 3 years ago

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i made a mistake in saying i would write an analysis about 30 day SMP because, despite hyperfixating and being a writer, when i talk about my special interests my brain either allows me to write a lot of words on the subject, or absolutely none because it distracts itself. so i am going to cross my fingers and hope that this is like, somewhat decent?

anyway, i am just thinking about 30 day SMP, man. because while i really like a lot of other minecraft roleplays circulating right now (most notably dreamSMP, as i’m planning on getting into third life and hermitcraft when i have more time in around a month), there’s something about 30 day SMP that just... resonates. see, i really like complex narratives and the like, but what i enjoy about 30 day SMP is that it is a smaller selection of people that are, oftentimes, always interacting, and generally have to be very active due to the time constraint. and it is improv lore that is, questionable, even if it is lore, because while they’re roleplaying nobody’s declared that yet, so take this with a grain of salt.

but i think this makes 30 day SMP very interesting narratively. because unlike dreamSMP, where there are so many different protagonists and antagonists and scopes depending on the lens you view it through, 30 day SMP, at large, has one central sort of plot line. in my perspective which may be biased and is undeniably rather stupid.

so, you have the set. from memory, forgive me for those i forget, we have: wilbur, tommy, philza, tubbo, ranboo, sneeg, jack, and charlie. these characters quickly settle into their own roles when we look at it from a plot and relationship perspective.

let’s start with the protagonist: ranboo. also one of the protagonists in dreamSMP (in my opinion, though i think all of benchtrio are arguably the protagonists there), i think it is undeniable that he takes the protagonist role simply due to his character being one of the most active ones, and his character relationships.

then we have tubbo. the instant sidekick, so to speak, who is considerably more powerful than the other people (and undeniably much more than ranboo himself) and is thusly cursed to exist for a very select period of time. he is reckless and defiant, and ranboo often slots himself into a protective role. we’ll cycle back to this.

philza, next. because phil is an interesting character, but for now, until i later revisit him, i will simply consider him a mentor character. he is well versed in hardcore world, and him and ranboo work well together to form their underground base and salvage resources.

last character i will specifically address before unpacking the lore and its impact is tommy. tommy, i would argue, is the primary antagonist. the antagonist that is closer to home, so to speak. he is friendly with the others in a sense, but he holds power over all of them, and he is directly what opposes ranboo’s prime desire-- to protect those he cares for, which ultimately resolves to protecting tubbo fairly quickly-- due to his restrictions he places. tommy is not an evil character in any sense, but from ranboo’s pov he is undeniably one of two antagonists. and i think he’s a very very interesting one.

now, plot develops. and we find charlie to be the first victim-- and a perfect first victim at that, amicable and unassuming yet startilingly ominous, in a way first read as a joke but after his death is more haunting. and his killer? jack. jack, who always had views that defied tommy, defied everyone. jack, who had a bloodlust underneath him. jack, who isolates himself and quickly becomes the madman, who killed a man once and won’t hesitate to repeat his actions.

then, we have the next sequence of deaths. the tragedy that was unwritten in a way that solidified it. wilbur accidentally murders his father and is griefstricken, going as far as to sacrifice his own life for philza, as he believed his father had more he could offer than he ever could. but philza was not willing to accept that, and even as tommy altered the laws of the universe to revive them both, only wilbur accepted that position.

and then, of course, the incident happens. what kills ranboo’s innocence, so to speak. this, here, is when i establish one critical fact about this SMP that i love: ranboo is not just a hero. ranboo is a tragic hero, plagued by his tragic flaw of overprotection. you see it in everything he does: the way he drops what he’s doing to find tubbo when the other is out of sight and quiet, the way he searches for resources and devotes hours of time to that task, the way he kills phantoms and mobs to protect the other-- everything. and this overprotection is what kills wilbur in the end, this foresight and innocent act that drew wilbur closer to the enemy than farther away, that kills wilbur permanently and leaves ranboo riddled with guilt as the ghost of wilbur instructs him on what he inherited, and what he must do to honor wilbur’s death.

it’s the first time, but not the last time, that ranboo is mentored with ghosts. conclusively, though, it is the first time that ranboo’s image is altered-- though not drastic, sneeg and jack see him as a murderer, and both have very different reactions. ranboo is quick to lie to the others, like philza and tubbo, and state that it was the creeper’s fault, slyly leaving out his own part and continuing his ventures in protecting tubbo and the others he cares for.

this is the launch of ranboo being a tragic hero. and this is the launch of philza not only being a mentor character, but a catalyst. see, philza encourages ranboo to start acting violently, specifically against jack, who is pegged as the antagonist because he is the easiest antagonist there. he’s bloodthirsty, he thought he was akin to ranboo despite the circumstances being different, and philza has a disdain for him that he does not have for tommy. philza speaks to ranboo’s language when ranboo denies this path, saying that philza didn’t want his friends to die, which is the same line of thinking ranboo has; he doesn’t want himself, tubbo, or anyone else-- hell, even jack himself-- to die. in the end, philza’s words just haunt him, but he continues fishing. be it in company, or in solitude.

we’ve gone an impressive amount of paragraphs before directly hitting the mare staple, so i may as well clear it out here. yes, a lot of this is a comparison drawn to macbeth. you’re welcome. one of these days, i’ll compare these roleplays to another shakespeare play, but for now all you get is this.

anyway, i kind of need to conclude this here. but i will end it with: i am very excited to see how lore develops, if they even want this to involve lore, which they may entirely not. it is possible ranboo will die soon, but i wonder if tubbo will die first. too many close encounters, after all, and maybe a faceoff with tommy and the loss of the one person he cared for more than anything, seemingly, would be what shakes him. and i wonder if that, in of itself, could spur him into violence. all to protect, of course. never to hurt.

... it seems like today was a several paragraphs sort of day, then. thanks for reading this far. no i’m not proofreading this are you kidding?

#nightmare.personal #nightmare.analysis #30day smp analysis #30day smp #free trial smp #free trial smp analysis #not sure what to tag

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katsidhe · 3 years ago

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Hello as a long time silent lurker with post notifications on, and someone who has been very into the minecraft roleplay for about 9 months, I am oh so incredibly intrigued on your thoughts! I hope you don't mind if I ramble a little. Sam (both minecraft and spn, but in this context the minecraft one) is one of my favourite characters because he's so incredibly complex. The prison story has sparked so much discussion and conflict in this fandom, so I would love to hear your thoughts if you want to share!

oh noooooooooooo don’t enable me. (Jk <3)

I’m putting this under a read more for those of you who don’t want to be inflicted with my minecraft roleplay brain worms. I would apologize but I think we’re well past that.

So, like, full disclosure that I am pretty new to dsmp and am surely missing out on big ol swathes of Essential Character Content, etc etc. But I do know the basics, and I’ve (naturally) watched all the Torture Box Content, because I mean come on, that’s my brand.

k so First of all, THE most essential part of any media: x-coded y girl. Dream is a textbook Cas-coded Sam girl. Sam (Minecraft) is a Cas-coded Dean girl. Quackity is a Dean-coded Sam girl. I’d say Tommy is Dean-Dean. Techno is, hmm, Cas-Cas. Okay, important part done.

Minecraft Sam is very fun! I find it absolutely delightful that he clings to moral high ground while torturing and starving a prisoner. And at least from what I’ve seen, there’s a lot of room for interpretation as to the level of guilt and involvement he actually feels about what’s being done to Dream. He goes back and forth between justifying the treatment as something Dream categorically deserves, and justifying it as a means to an end. Whether that end is the book itself, or whether it’s Quackity’s cooperation/satisfaction, or whether it’s some twisted and bloody sense of justice and duty, seems to vary wildly. On top of that, of course, is the irony that Dream was the one to give him this commission and this job in the first place: in every respect, it’s a duty to Dream (to punish him; to secure him; to uphold his rules) that Sam’s fulfilling. Dream isn’t the only one to suffer from Sam’s inflexibility surrounding the entire concept of Dream: Tommy and Ponk do too.

And yet it’s not the inflexibility that ends up hurting Dream the worst: it’s the gaps in that rigidity. If Sam had kept the prison operating as apparently originally commissioned, it would be inhumane but just about bearable: hardly the level of absurd, over-the-top war crime that it’s reached by now. His choice to begin starving Dream in earnest seems to have been mostly an emotional reaction, after Tommy’s death. (Ironic, too, that Tommy also suffered the result of this choice.) And this is fine, because it’s not active: it’s passive, something that’s happening by inaction. Same with giving Quackity specially made weapons and total carte blanche.

The level of trust that Dream has in Sam’s sense of duty is also fascinating. Even as late as the most recent stream, after the guy’s been permitting him to be tortured for months, Dream appeals to Sam’s need to keep Dream static, in one place as his prisoner, in order to save his life. Incidentally, I do think that convincing Sam to keep Quackity from straight-up murdering him is the only concession Dream was actually hoping to win with that conversation. because like, food and a courtyard visit? after a jail break? Like hell is Sam going to grant that, even before the stunt he and Techno pulled, and Dream knows it. I think that the rest of that conversation was just to deflect, and keep Sam from questioning Dream more sharply about whatever he and Techno have planned. Bringing up Tommy and letting Sam go off on his predictable diatribe about morality and just desserts seemed similarly strategic: Dream knows what Sam thinks about what kind of treatment he deserves. He’s had months to figure it out, and it wasn’t exactly rocket science to begin with.

Anyway, that trust is the same reason Dream appealed (unsuccessfully) to Sam when Quackity first showed up: it devastated him to realize that he’d miscalculated the degree of Sam’s willingness to set aside his duty in this one particular way. Quackity in general represents a HUGE blind spot in Sam’s otherwise completely rigid inflexibility: so huge it’s almost baffling, given what Sam was ready to do to Tommy and Ponk and Ghostbur. But Quackity represents a loophole Sam badly wants. He badly, badly wants some good old-fashioned vengeance, without dressing it up with any pretensions of procedure or justice, but he can’t allow himself to actively act on those impulses—or else he would be Bad, and he can’t have that. He has to believe himself to be Good, and he wants to indulge himself with Dream’s suffering anyway. So he explains that, actually, Dream’s treatment is Dream’s own fault. It’s hilariously deluded.

Which brings me to Quackity, because what makes Quackity fun is that he’s actually NOT hilariously deluded—not about this, at least. Unlike Sam, he’s not laboring under the insane mental acrobatics necessary to convince himself that torture is Good Actually. He knows that what he’s doing is terrible, but he owns it: he’s fine admitting that he enjoys it, that he’s doing this for personal gain and personal vengeance and not for reasons of high-minded civic duty. He’s justifying the torture with brutal simplicity: Dream has hurt him and Dream has something he needs, done and done. He seems to be a firm believer in vengeful and disproportionate retribution, just as with his whole Butcher Army thing. To which I say, neat and fun! I also really really enjoy the power dynamic between him and Dream. Dream is someone who commands respect and fear and power, who could murder Quackity with one hand tied behind his back if they were on equal footing, and who probably barely spared him a thought as a threat. Quackity lives in terror of the thought of Dream escaping and wreaking his vengeance. And Quackity is trying his very best to wrestle that power away from him.

He seems to be pretty unpracticed and ineffective at torture, too—like, yeah, I get this is Minecraft and props are limited, but torturing someone long-term with an ax and a sword is going to be more than a bit unwieldy. and did he even bring in health potions his first day? It’s pretty telling and hilarious that Sam is the one who offers the shears, a far more practical choice of tool. Not to mention that the entire premise of his interrogation gives Dream massive, massive incentive to never give Quackity anything. Quackity straight up admits to Dream that the information he wants is the only reason he’s letting Dream live, which is utterly counterproductive if he wants the book sometime this year. Functionally, he needs to torture Dream not merely into admission, but into suicide. And as the days and weeks and months pass, he’s still got nothing to show for it but growing vindictiveness, paranoia, and frustration. By the time of the latest stream, he’s completely lost the plot—his threats don’t even make sense, his violence is ineffective and unhinged and indiscriminate. He’s lost all leverage and he’s needlessly (re)made a powerful enemy in Technoblade.

So, like, characters like Lucifer are fun because they’re good at torture. Characters like Quackity are fun because they’re bad at torture. But that doesn’t much matter. He doesn’t need to be particularly talented, or strong, or skilled to make Dream’s existence hell: the bare facts of the situation are more than enough for that. What does he learn, over the course of these visits—what skills does he hone, what kinds of violence does he discover that he can stomach? What depths of ruthlessness and creativity and hatred does he discover within himself? What threats does he make that he finds himself following through on before he’s even thought through the implications? It’s a learning curve, for him and Dream both. They’re learning each other, they’re learning the corners of this little hell together. Dream wasn’t expecting him to be capable of this degree of hostility or violence. Quackity is sick of being underestimated.

Which brings me finally to Dream. My general and hastily-gleaned impression of the fandom gives me the distinct impression that there is somehow a school of thought convinced Dream’s earned this treatment? Which baffles me. not only in how its absurd extremity (daily torture in a tiny box for literal months, jesus fucking christ) isn’t something even the most terrible villain could earn, but also in how Dream himself strikes me more as a morally gray fallen/falling antihero type than anything else. I was honestly completely prepared to find him to be a straightforward Bad Guy pre-prison, but that’s not at all my impression. He’s clearly got people and things he cares about and wants to protect, and big picture goals he’ll ruthlessly sacrifice anything to advance (ahem Cas-coded Sam girl). Really, it’s more that roleplays don’t tend to lend themselves easily to those types of narrative classification: nearly every character is a POV character; consuming the content from every perspective is nearly impossible. There aren’t super neat ways to sort antagonists and protagonists in essential terms, only in their relationships to one another. In terms of manipulation, war crimes, power-grabbing, and general destruction, practically everyone on the server is guilty to some degree or another. Dream’s treated Tommy pretty damn terribly, but that hardly makes him unique. What does make Dream unique is that he’s been singled out for near-universally-agreed-upon confinement (which oh so conveniently aligns with him being held as a tool, for information). And that’s neat!

…Look, tldr I just like it when people are in torture boxes. more media should have torture boxes, they are good and fun.

#not spn #anyway nonny I would LOVE to chat more about this tbh #suicide mention #torture #dsmp for ts

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lonestarbabe · 4 years ago

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How do you think the writers could improve the characters? Like aside from Owen because we all know how he needs to change, they just aren’t doing it and making these changes for his character. I mean for Mateo, Paul and Marjan. I feel like when they have their little storylines, they don’t rly show much I mean they are interesting and I love seeing more of my faves of course but they don’t rly show these characters progressing in any way aside from Marjan’s recent storyline where she saved the girl in the house and maybe Paul’s with his sister. But with TK or Judd and even Grace’s storyline after the crash, we have seen slow growth in their characters and how they have learned from some experience to be better and be more open or something. Mateo’s was interesting because we saw his roommates and life outside of work which I loved but he moved in with Owen and we rolled right into another Owen-center or Owen-related plot line and it’s just annoying. Of course it was nice that Owen offered Mateo a place to stay because his burned down but as soon as Mateo moved in, it was all about Owen’s man pain and we cut to a later intervention about Owen lying about his surgery and other behavior. Paul’s first I think was when he went on the date with that woman who basically told him she couldn’t date him because he is trans at least that’s what I got from it. And like that’s not a nice storyline Paul didn’t learn or grow from that and probably only felt like shit in the end despite brushing it off. And the one with his sister was eventually resolved but I want a storyline for him that doesn’t involve his identity because that’s not just who he is- of course it’s a very important part that shouldn’t be ignored but I just want storylines for him that aren’t JUST about that- he’s Paul with great observation skills and he’s a good friend and a nice guy. And Carlos, too. The one in 2x8 with his dad was *chef’s kiss* amazing but I want more solo storylines for him. I know he’s TK’s partner and I love that for him because they’re cute but I want storylines for just Carlos. And I don’t meant to complain because the arsonist storyline where his place burns down looks rly good and maybe that’s a start if it’s just him in the house but I hope you get what I mean? And I love Marjan, Mateo, Paul and Carlos I don’t mean to complain about their storylines because I’m grateful we even get anything on them with how much the writers have eyes just for Owen but yeah I just want more (and better) for them

You make a lot of strong points, and I really think you’re right that there’s still more to do, adn that there’s a lot I hope for when it comes to those characters. Yeah, I think the main thing is to give them time, but not just time, they need to give them quality screentime. Some characters have been getting more screentime without being more developed, which is a major struggle that the show needs to get over to better showcase its characters. Oh no, this is going to wind me up!!

(TLDR: they just need to flesh out the characters and show that they are more than just one part of their identities.)

You’re right about those storylines not allowing growth. Paul’s storyline with his sister ended up being about his sister’s growth, and the thing is, the Josie storyline was very similar in all the wrong ways. It was about Josie’s discomfort. Transphobia becomes something that is about the phobic people rather than the person who is experiencing it! These people also claim to be accepting of his transition, but they also show the opposite with their reactions (Josie was like, “you’re perfect but I can’t date you because you’re trans” while Paul’s sister also commented that she didn’t care that he was trans but also droned on about how she missed her sister... who Paul points out never existed. Like the whole storyline seems to be a pat on the back for transphobes, as if to reassure them that their behaviors are what we should be empathetic to.) Ultimately, Paul wasn’t the active participant in his own story; thus, he can’t really grow and develop. Paul needs to have more storylines that he is an active participant in (by making the scenes in his perspective rather than that of the subjugators). We also haven’t seen Paul’s flaws, whereas we’ve seen flaws of the more fleshed out characters. We know he’s heavily intellectual, observant, and a great listener, but I also want to see a moment when he has more of a struggle (one that is not related to him being trans because he needs a plot beyond that one part of him).

Mateo also is reduced to basically an object in other storylines. His screentime is rarely about him. Even in that last episode that featured a storyline about him, that storyline basically reduced him to a pawn in Owen’s storyline, which didn’t allow Mateo to have any growth. We didn’t learn anything new about him (at least not anything meaningful to the deeper nature of his character). We know very little about what makes Mateo ticks, and I think he is the character who is most reduced to just a few characteristics. He’s constantly a ditzy figure, and I want to see him as more than the probie. In the first episode, we saw that he’s attentive, and that he works hard. Let’s show those qualities some more. I think that especially because he is dyslexic, that it’s harmful to not showcase more diverse sides of him and to neglect the ways that make him stand out. He’s treated as a kid too often, and it’s okay to make him naive on some things because he’s newer to firefighting, but he needs to grow and show that he is making progress and is growing. I like that they bring up his dyslexia, but I don’t think they’ve utilized it as well as they could have, and it would be nice to show how he deals with it and how it impacts him. Just like I want to see mentions of Judd’s PTSD continue to pop up (and they’ve brought it up several times, whcih is nice), it would also be cool to see his dyslexia pop up casually and not as a forced “look he has dyslexia” plot. Like it has to do more for his character. Further, I would never want to see him reduced to just his dyslexia, so I think it’s a careful balance. With Mateo, I just want to see him become a real person because right now, he just feels like a stock character.

Marjan has seen some more development than Mateo. I’ve liked that she’s joined the Austin Annihilators, and I also enjoy the storyline we just saw with her, which really showed us more of her, and I’m glad we saw a storyline that wasn’t about her religion (because like Paul, she deserves to have storylines that show the full extent of who she is as a person). You see a lot about Marjan’s flaws as well as her deep drive for good in the episode. You see that she cares, but you also see that maybe ego does influence her in a way that isn’t always positive (which let’s be real... that’s true of ANY person haha). She’s going in the right direction, but I still think there’s more developing to do.

Also, Grace seems like she has more development, but she also still hasn’t had that much. Like in the episode where she could have been featured more, that was still Judd’s perspective, which I have no problem with. The episode was beautiful, BUT I still want to see a moment that is just Grace’s. 2x10 gave us some of this where Grace was struggling with her injury, and that was excellent. We know a good amount of her history, too, but I want to see the world from her perspective. Also, add in flaws (which again we got a little bit of in 2x10)! I want Grace to be more than the diligent wife who is constantly there to support Judd. She needs to be her own character.

In some ways, they’ve been letting Tommy down too. They started well with her, but they’ve still got some ways to go for me. We’ve seen a lot of her with her family and the same issues of her feeling out of touch and disconnected from them when she goes back to work, but I’d like to see some fresh storylines on that front!

Carlos, of course, still fails to get all the attention he deserves as well. He’s had some independent development, but I would like to see him in more scenes with other charaters. I live for Tarlos moments, but I also want Carlos to be separately connected and have relationships of his own that they explore in the show because he should never just be TK’s plus one! Like a lot of the other characters, I don’t want him to become an object for other people’s storylines. I’d like to see more of his mental processes and how he deals with his career and maybe see him in action more because we don’t see that a whole lot (and Owen somehow became the hero in 2x08, which is okay, but it was also Carlos’ plot so it was a funny choice to me). Anyways, MORE CARLOS. Let us see this wonderful man in all his multifaceted glory.

Even TK and Judd could use more development, but they’re obviously much better off. Owen, on the other hand, the character we’ve seen so much of, also has an interesting development. We’ve seen a lot of him, but I don’t know that he’s even developed that well (he’s pretty stagnant even if we’ve seen more sides of him) because his storylines are a bit repetitive. That repetition in general is an issue for Lone Star because they tend to latch on to just one trait of a character and then they keep doing plots based on that one trait.

Really the theme here is that without flaws, characters are always going to feel flat. They don’t need to be big dramatic flaws like having murdered someone or something equally dramatic, but I need to see the gradients in the characters and see more range of reactions and their personalities. They need to have balance, and they need to feel like they have depth and aren’t just being used to tell plots. Moreover, I don’t want characters to be props for plots that are not their own. Of course, characters always support other plots, but if they never have any moments that are their own, they become objects rather than actors!

#911 lone star #meta #screentime #character development #character analysis #elise rambles

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obscure-sentimentalist · 4 years ago

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old enough boys. “Not the best with words, but I’m told I’m great with a hug.”

(Here it is: that very first hug.)

From the Comforting Cuddles Starters list

Takes place between the first meeting and the ending scene of the May 2008 section of Old enough--we’re going alllllll the way back to the beginning here!

May 2008

“Well, this has been one of the more… enlightening benders I’ve been on in recent memory.”

Connor cocks his head at that, giving Tommy a just-short-of-judgmental look. “That’s an awfully nonchalant way to acknowledge the gravity of the situation,” he points out, resting his right arm on the roof of the car.

(He doesn’t remark on the classification of Tommy’s latest activities as a “bender,” though it does strike a note of concern in the back of his mind. The sinking of the Queen’s Gambit was covered extensively enough last fall that Connor was at least aware of the tragedy, but learning of Tommy’s closeness to Oliver Queen puts things in a new, more personal perspective.

Grief can be a destructive thing, if left festering and unhealthily addressed long enough. Connor only hopes that Tommy will be safe from that particular spiral.)

Tommy shrugs, conceding that point before he reaches into the back seat to retrieve his lone bag. Swinging the loosely-packed navy blue duffel onto his left shoulder with a flourish, he makes sure the door latches securely and begins to make his way around to the front of the car.

“Hey, in my defense, I’m still not entirely certain that this isn’t a side effect of getting socked in the face.” He waves a hand at the shiner around his right eye—now in full bloom, a couple days in—keeping his fingers a safe distance away as not to inadvertently graze the sensitive skin.

Connor pulls his lips into a thin line, leveling a displeased look at his maybe-brother. “I offered to check you for a concussion, first thing,” he reminds Tommy. “You could have taken me up on that then—or, really, any other time before you needed a ride to the airport—if you’re so concerned.”

Tommy makes an incorrect buzzer noise in response, pointing an accusing finger. “You asked if I had already been looked over, and in a way that was clearly meant to be a dig at me. Also, having the suspected figment of my concussed imagination judge whether or not I have a head injury seems like a faulty method.”

Alright, fair.

“Well, in that case, I guess my only advice would be to get an examination as soon as you get back, and hopefully, in a few days, we’ll have more concrete proof one way or another,” Connor says, glancing over to match Tommy’s stare.

That sobers the light, teasing mood as both men settle into an awed hush at the reminder. Neither dares verbally acknowledge the hair and blood samples and cheek swabs carefully collected the day before, now awaiting delivery to a trusted medical contact for testing—and, ideally, confirmation (multiple times over).

This is just too precarious a situation—stacked with hopes higher than Connor personally wants to admit—to not be a little superstitious.

Another plane takes off directly overhead, engines roaring and drowning out that delicate silence. The sound snaps Connor’s attention back to the present, reminding him of exactly where they are and why.

“I should probably get going,” Tommy admits, twisting his wrist to glance at a watch he belatedly realizes he doesn’t have. That arm instead moves smoothly to his bag strap, giving it a tug to ensure that it’s sitting securely on his shoulder. “Coach class, that’s what I get for catching a flight across the border when Dad has the jet, and I don’t book the return ticket simultaneously.”

“My condolences,” Connor says dryly, giving Tommy a not-so-pitying look.

He gets a mocking face in response, but Tommy eventually relaxes into a friendlier smile. It wobbles slightly, though, as another moment passes and still his feet remain immovable, as if his shoes have melted into the parking lot asphalt.

It seems as if Connor’s not the only one who’s uncertain of where things go from here. Still, he’s willing to give it a try.

“So, uh, goodbyes,” Connor finally stumbles, tapping his hand against the roof in a one-two before pushing off and uncertainly rounding the front of the car. He stops once he’s just out of arm’s reach from his probably-brother, so as not to catch Tommy off-guard.

“Yeah,” Tommy eventually agrees on a half-laugh, shoulders hunching awkwardly to keep his duffel bag from sliding down as his hands disappear into his jeans pockets. “If there’s some sort of etiquette for meeting your lookalike—whether or not you turn out to actually be related—I sure don’t know about it.” He rocks back on his heels as his lips pull into a “what can you do” sort of expression.

Connor may have an answer to that.

“Well,” he starts, arms splaying out as his shoulders rise in a casual shrug. “Not the best with words, but I’m told I’m great with a hug.”

That brings Tommy’s feet back flat to the ground, securing him in place as bewilderment blooms on his face.

“Wow,” he starts, surveying Connor up and down with boggled eyes. “And here I was expecting you to offer, like, a stuffy, cordial handshake and your business card, or something.”

Connor pulls a sour face at that, but doesn’t back down or lower his arms. “Yeah, I get it, you think I’m boring, a wet blanket…”

“Hey, don’t put words in my mouth,” Tommy warns, giving Connor a pointed glance. A beat, then he corrects, “Killjoy, maybe. Missing a certain joie de vivre…”

“You’re just rephrasing.” Connor frowns, and blurts before he can think better of it, “And I resent those remarks. I’m not just some sort of… moody, unfeeling workaholic—I do know how to have fun, you know.”

“Sure, Connie.”

Frosty silence seems like the appropriate response to that playfully condescending acknowledgement.

“What did you just call me?”

Tommy only grins smugly back.

Oh, so that’s how they’re playing things.

“Look, do you want a hug or not, asshole?” Connor finally snaps, jerking his still-outstretched arms for emphasis. If Tommy insists on making this goodbye chock-full of lighthearted insults and teasing jabs, then Connor might as well wrap his sincere offer with the same sharp paper.

Hopefully, if anything, it’ll get his… his brother to make a decision already.

Sure enough, there’s a beat of surprised silence at the renewed offer, before it’s swept under by Tommy’s dramatic sigh.

“Well, if you insist.” The tone makes it sound like compliance stemming out of indifference, but it’s so over-the-top that it’s unquestionably a front. Still, Tommy steps forward and opens his arms, albeit a bit hesitantly.

That’s the only invitation Connor needs to latch on and drag Tommy in with a tight squeeze.

It’s hard to ignore the startle response that makes Tommy jolt and his back go pin-straight in the hold, but the fact that he doesn’t pull away at all is why Connor isn’t more concerned. From the prolonged stillness, it seems that Tommy is stunned rather than uncomfortable—almost like he’d expected something much more half-hearted, just for show. A hasty embrace that’s a hug in execution only.

Connor appends to that observation a moment later, when the tension sloughs off Tommy’s body and he clutches at Connor like the first gulp of air after a massive crying jag. It would be one thing if he hadn’t anticipated a hug like this and had simply appreciated what it turned out to be; this reaction reads like Tommy’s received something he so desperately wanted—needed—but hadn’t dared hope he would be given.

That just makes Connor want to squeeze even tighter, both to validate Tommy’s wishes, and prove that he needs this just as much.

As right as it would feel for this hug to last so much longer—it’s quite possibly making up for twenty-three years of separation, after all—airline schedules are not so accommodating.

Tommy draws back first (much as Connor hoped, out of concern over breaking the hug before Tommy was ready), clapping a hand on Connor’s back in thanks as he does so. In already-perfect unison, they both drop their arms from the hold, allowing themselves to move more freely.

“I actually do have to go now,” Tommy says with a nervous laugh, waving an arm at the terminal. “If I wait any longer, I might end up stranded, and with my luck, Dad’s actually going to notice that I’m not in Starling…”

“Of course,” Connor cuts in with a nod of understanding (and silently files away yet another offhand comment about Tommy and his relationship with his—their?—father). “I’ll… I’ll get back to you soon.”

Tommy acknowledges that promise with a small smile and bob of the head, before tugging on his duffel strap once more and finally heading off to his destination.

He makes it about six steps away from the car before he pivots on his heel, turning back to meet Connor’s eyes.

“You know, I really…” Tommy starts, pausing to swallow thickly. After a moment, he makes as if to continue, but his mouth clicks shut before a single sound escapes. There’s a certain wariness and alarm in his eyes as he does so, like he’s forced back an admission out of fear that giving it voice will jinx the truth, or that he’s alone in that opinion.

Connor can at least offer reassurance on the latter.

“Yeah,” he agrees softly, “I really hope so, too.”

#obscure-sentimentalist writes sometimes #connor rhodes #tommy merlyn #merlyn boys

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dweemeister · 7 years ago

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Swiss Family Robinson (1960)

While on location in Switzerland for 1959′s Third Man on the Mountain, Disney producer Bill Anderson contacted director Ken Annakin regarding plans for a potential adaptation of Johann David Wyss’ The Swiss Family Robinson. Since publication in 1812, the Wyss novel has been mostly forgotten due to English-language versions that have expanded or contracted his original work. While reading that original work, Annakin believed the narrative – its structure and its messages – to be outdated; Anderson and Walt Disney disagreed, believing it suitable for family entertainment. Though set somewhere in the East Indies, Annakin and production staff were astounded by Tobago, in the Caribbean, and began shooting there. They assembled a cast of Walt Disney Studios regulars, and the film became one of the highest-grossing releases of 1960. But the film itself probably proves Annakin’s original point – that the book might be too episodic for a cinematic adaptation, which prevents the film’s tonal shifts from being smoothly structured – and other factors that he did not anticipate.

Before beginning the synopsis, a brief etymological note. “Robinson” is not a Swiss name, even though this Disney adaptation insists that the family’s surname is Robinson. For Wyss’ novel, “Robinson” comes from the word Robinsonade – a genre of isolated, nature survival stories coined after the release of Daniel Defoe’s 1719 novel Robinson Crusoe.

After being chased by pirates and surviving a storm while en route to New Guinea, the Robinsons – father William (John Mills), mother Elizabeth (Dorothy McGuire), eldest son Fritz (James MacArthur), middle son Ernst (Tommy Kirk), and youngest son Francis (Kevin Corcoran) – are the last remaining passengers onboard a rockbound ship after the ship’s crew abandoned it. The Robinsons, over the course of several days, salvage what wood, metals, tools, food, materials, livestock, and things of interest (like an organ) they can to the nearby uninhabited island. The Robinson build a treehouse, assisted by the creative mechanical minds of William and his sons – the women (yes, “women”... there is another lady, so read on) in Swiss Family Robinson are unfortunately rather passive. One day while Fritz and Ernst are exploring the island for other signs of life, they encounter a number of ambiguously Asian pirates (led by Kuala, played by Sessue Hayakawa) threatening “Bertie” and Bertie’s grandfather Captain Moreland (Cecil Parker). Bertie is actually Roberta (Janet Munro), who initially disguises herself as a man to avoid what is implied as sexual violence. Captain Moreland is recaptured, but the Robinsons take in Roberta like family and prepare for the future pirate onslaught.

If you felt like my spoiling the reveal of Bertie as Roberta was uncalled for in the synopsis paragraph, you have not seen enough movies. The entire idea of a woman dressing herself up to pass as a man to avoid detection because of rigid gendered norms or the danger of sexual violence or something else altogether predates the creation of motion pictures. Just as old as this plot device are the reactions after the female reveals that she is not, in fact, male (”oh no he, I mean she, is making it too hot in here”). This is only one of many major feminist transgressions that Swiss Family Robinson – not that Annakin, Disney, screenwriter Lowell S. Hawley probably cared – commits. Here is just a few instances in this film: Dorothy McGuire’s Elizabeth is emphasized as being fearful of animals, and prefers to stay in the kitchen; Fritz and Ernst, upon learning that Bertie is actually Roberta, start treating her like a princess with unsuitable physical attire after assuming that she, while masquerading as a guy, could be physically able to climb over rocks and traverse across dangerous surfaces; and Roberta herself is characterized as constantly needing help from the two eldest sons for pretty much anything.

Sure, some women might be absolutely terrified of wild animals and others might need additional assistance in navigating through treacherous terrain. But the two women appearing in Ken Annakin’s Swiss Family Robinson are too helpless in too many circumstances. We never really see Roberta managing the steep slopes of this island herself, and once the treehouse is built, Elizabeth is largely confined to domestic matters. Both characters become commodified as a result, stunting their development and shifting emphasis from them to the men. Even the character of Roberta is a Disney invention in order to inject this film adaptation with a romantic interest for the elder boys. It is unnecessary and adds little to the stakes when danger looms and the film’s more intimate moments. Kevin Corcoran’s Francis – Corcoran, most famous for his Disney child including Old Yeller (1957), was eleven the year this film was released – is given more to do than the women combined because he is mucking around with the wildlife. Even Sessue Hayakawa, shortly after his tremendous supporting performance in The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) and despite the wretched racism built into his character’s development, has more to do.

This brings us to the rampant Asian stereotypes in Swiss Family Robinson. Hayakawa, a rare Asian-American leading man during the silent era, is relegated to an uncompromising, barbaric, ethnically unspecific pirate (and so are the Asian extras surrounding him as subordinate pirates). Their ship appears to be Chinese, but the language be spoken by the pirates – at least, when they are not threatening the Robinsons during lulls of combat – is gibberish. Hayakwa’s Kuala – a name denoting an Austronesian heritage, not Chinese – and his fellow pirates are portrayed as foolish, bumbling, unintelligent. Their eventual slaughter at the hands of the Robinsons and Roberta is played for enjoyment, perhaps laughs. Some yellowface is also present in the depictions of these Asian pirates, rendering this composite depiction insensitive and thoughtless in its representation. And just like Janet Munro’s character, these Asian pirates never existed in the original Wyss novel. So what is the point?

Can Annakin not have his adaptation of Swiss Family Robinson keep to its conflicts between the stranded family and the island’s nature? Apparently not, despite the fact there is a sizable amount of films dealing with human conflicts versus wildlife or nature released before Swiss Family Robinson – this is not even counting a rich tradition of such literature, either – and that he has a talented pool of actors who all seem wasted to varying degrees here. The original novel’s religious themes are also downplayed, but the idea of familial cooperation holds steady. The Robinsons are not a family that bickers too much. They realize their unfortunate situation, and there is nothing they can do but to make the most of what they have. But other than the formulaic togetherness and guile, there is nothing more that Ken Annakin’s adaptation Swiss Family Robinson can provide to improve the source material.

At 126 minutes, the segmented nature of Wyss’ novel results in problems see too often in earlier Disney live-action films. Setpieces and scenes have predictable, clearly defined beginnings, developments, and conclusions – especially when John Mills and Dorothy McGuire are staring at each other with loving eyes. Yet the action scenes have an excellent sense of proportion and location – thanks to the on-location cinematography by Harry Waxman in Tobago, the decision to have John L. Jensen storyboard every scene before any footage was shot, and the enormous efforts behind those who built the sets.

For the production itself, reports are that the experience of shooting in Tobago proved dangerous. Festering swamps, a typhoid epidemic, a hurricane, explosive malfunctions, and the native wildlife (excluding the dogs, monkeys, elephants, ostriches, zebras, and hyenas seen in the film – Wyss didn’t care zoological-geographical correctness in his book, so why should the film adaptation?) turned into a difficult, but unifying opportunity for the cast. For the crew plagued with infighting, they simply wanted to leave, as chaos mounted for those working behind the camera.

Those old enough might recall that soon after the success of Swiss Family Robinson, Disneyland and, eventually, the Disney parks began to feature the Swiss Family Treehouse in their parks – the original, in Disneyland at Anaheim, has been replaced with Tarzan’s Treehouse. As a family movie, Swiss Family Robinson is suitable, but it is no masterwork for its gendered and racial backwardness – too common in Disney live-action films from this period, and exposing the novel’s limited perspective and partial incompatibility with cinematic storytelling in 1960. This film might be truly for those actively seeking to understand the practices of Walt Disney Studios’ live-action films from all eras. There is nothing like a Disney live-action film produced while Walt was still alive, for all the troubles and the beauty that is offered in each.

My rating: 6/10

^ Based on my personal imdb rating. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found here.

#Swiss Family Robinson #Ken Annakin #Walt Disney #John Mills #Dorothy McGuire #James MacArthur #Janet Munro #Sessue Hayakawa #Tommy Kirk #Kevin Corcoran #Cecil Parker #Lowell S. Hawley #Johann David Wyss #John L. Jensen #Harry Waxman #TCM #My Movie Odyssey

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darklygophilia · 7 years ago

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Personality of a Narcissist: a Character Analysis of Laurel Lance

Before I begin, it should be noted that I don’t categorize myself as a professional in Psychology. I’m a laymen & Psychology is but a hobby of mine as a writer to better create/understand realistic, complex characters. I took Intro to Psychology, Child Psychology, & Psycho-Socio Pathology when I was in college to better understand the human mind (as recommended to me by one of my writing teachers) as a way to improve upon Character Development.

I’ll be using “Arrow’s” Laurel Lance as my base in this meta (heads up). In previous metas/discussions I’ve often lamented at the writing of Laurel (check out my “Love Interest Theory” meta) & typically focused on the faults of the “Arrow” writers & how THEY’RE the one’s who messed up Laurel as a character & are to blame for Laurel’s LACK of characterization. I’m gonna do something, I hope, that’s different. Instead of focusing solely on what the writers did & how they could’ve improved Laurel or how they SHOULD’VE written her as a strong character from the beginning, I’m gonna focus on an analysis that takes in how I perceive Laurel as she was, on what the writers did present with her character.

Buckle up, let’s get started (& get comfortable, cause this is gonna be long)...

While I fully understand that the “Arrow” writers NEVER intended for Laurel to appear Narcissistic in character/personality (considering they’re original goal for her was as the Leading Lady Love Interest) that is however, how I’ve interpreted her. It also makes her “hero” journey that much more false in my eyes b/c as I’ve said in other metas/discussions, Laurel was written more like a villain but was promoted as a hero. I tend to have a lot of “what the fuck” reactions in regards to Laurel.

First, what exactly defines a narcissist?

Definition: the pursuit of vain/egotistical admiration from others of their own abilities. In laymen’s terms, their need to always be right & loved by everyone! But, for how simple this definition is, there are a great deal of complex traits that are embedded within. More importantly, how do these traits fit with “Arrow’s” very own Laurel Lance?

Focusing on themselves during interpersonal exchanges - we all at times talk about ourselves to others, especially when speaking of something that connects to us personally or parallels to something we’ve been through. With Narcissists, it always goes a step too far. It’s okay to talk about yourself, but not to the extent that Laurel did. Often times it goes from talking about one’s self into merely making a situation that’s not about them ALL about them.

There’s simpler scenes, such as 1x06 when Tommy hopes to romance Laurel by doing some good for CNRI by volunteering to host a charity event. It becomes less about proving himself to Laurel, & more about his interest to simply change his ways & do some genuine good. Laurel promptly turns to her friend Joanna & complains that Tommy just wants into her pants, even going as far as to put CNRI in jeopardy by turning Tommy down b/c of her assumption. The fact that she doesn’t even think twice about CNRI & how helpful Tommy could be, nor is she even grateful, to the point of Joanna needing to urge Laurel to deal with it for CNRI’s sake. She’s reluctant throughout the entire situation, through the entire charity party, until she realizes that Tommy is truly worthy of her. This scene also made it seem less likely that Tommy/Laurel had grown up together & were lifelong friends, instead, the ways Laurel treats Tommy makes it seem like he’s just some random billionaire who’s chasing after her & not someone whom she’s know for half her life. Laurel’s abrasiveness also makes Tommy seem that much more genuine in the face of her unfair assumptions.

Then there are more complex scenes like in 4x05 when Laurel’s entire excuse for resurrecting Sara was b/c Oliver did the same with Thea so she should be allotted the same consideration, except Thea was not really dead & Oliver payed a hefty price for having his sister be healed in the Lazarus Pit (I price both he & Thea payed - Oliver sacrificed himself to Ra’s mercy & Thea has since been plagued by bouts of bloodlust) but none of these even crossed Laurel’s mind. She wanted her sister back (even if it caused unhealthy ramifications for Sara herself when she was brought back, IE: her own bloodlust) b/c Laurel wanted to make herself feel better. Laurel essentially makes Sara’s death, Sara’s resurrection, & Oliver bringing Thea back all about her & her own pain.

Another scene in 4x05 in a confrontation between Laurel/Oliver where Laurel says, “I love your family Ollie, I always have, I just wish you’d give a damn about mine.” In this scene, Oliver, Thea & in extension Team Arrow are dealing with what’s happening to Thea, dealing with the consequential fallout of Laurel’s decision to bring Sara back, Sara is also dealing with the consequences as will Dtv. Lance later, but all Laurel does (instead of facing the consequences of her actions) talks about herself, her feelings, what she’s going through!

Humans in general are naturally selfish creatures. The thing with Narcissists is that they take their natural human selfishness, & take it a step (sometimes many steps) too far beyond the norm.

Secondly, Narcissists are unable to sustain long-term, satisfying, healthy relationships - we’ve seen Laurel in many relationships both romantic & familial & they’ve never been healthy or long lasting & fraught with chaos. Whether it be with her father (Lance), her sister (Sara), her mother (Dinah Sr.), Oliver, Tommy, Team Arrow at large - Laurel’s relationships all have one common factor, HER, & all have either ended or are too complicated to be considered healthy. Between her need to be loved, adored (the good girl) in her father’s eyes (needing his approval in life); to her desperate attempts at one-upping/replacing her sister on Team Arrow; her obsessive need for Oliver’s love (she still thinks he’s the love of her life till the day she dies); or even her mistreatment of Tommy; let’s not forget her need to solidify & downright implant herself into Team Arrow whether Oliver & the Team like it or not - none of it ends well. There’s also a steady lacking of relationships in general. It’s assumed by the audience that Laurel never moved on after Ollie/Sara “died” on the Gambit. Tommy has to push & prod to get Laurel to give, to given THEM, a chance (which is exactly what Laurel had to do with Ollie). When she’s not in a relationship with her father, her arc being driven by Tommy & then Sara, or whenever she’s not with Oliver, Laurel’s relationship status is non-existent or defined by everyone else. Zero relationships (inability to move on) is just as bad as unhealthy ones.

This also extends to how Narcissists obtain relationships. Laurel is seen having few friends (Joanna & maybe Tommy/Oliver) & the 2 male friends she does have is drenched in Love Triangle complexities. When Laurel finally reaches out to Oliver’s friends, it is for her own benefit: IE - she needs Felicity to look into something for her, she wants to be apart of Team Arrow, she wants to be trained, etc. Any relationship Laurel does have is under toned by what that person can do to benefit Laurel.

NOTE: Laurel is the only Team Arrow member that puts herself on the Team, everyone else was invited onto the Team. Oliver brought Digg, Felicity, Roy, & Sara onto the Team of his own choosing. Felicity was the one to first welcome the newbies (Rene, Rory, & Dinah) onto the Team, & it was Digg & Felicity who decided to bring Thea onto the Team in Oliver’s absence! Laurel was the only one that had to push herself onto the Team! Laurel felt that she was downright entitled to be on Team Arrow, simply b/c she’s Laurel.

Thirdly, a lacking in psychological awareness - this is prominent in practically EVERY episode of the series! Laurel deludes herself into her & Oliver being an epic couple, she’s the one he’ll change his ways for (not), she ignores the warnings about Ollie that even her own sister tries to divulge to her; her constant need to blame everyone else for her problems (we saw this most prominently in 2x14), & her incessant habit of NEVER taking responsibility for her own actions! Her distorted world view is the only one that matters, & those who don’t bow to her outlook/mindset are emphatically wrong & at fault in her eyes! That same (deluded) worldview is what rules Laurel’s mind in regards to her relationship with Oliver! Laurel logic is the only logic she’ll accept.

Next - issues in empathy. It’s not that Narcissists can’t feel, they have emotions. The idea that they don’t feel anything is a common misconception. Narcissists merely have a problem empathizing with others & putting themselves in another’s shoes so-to-speak is impossible for them. Narcissists feel, just ONLY for themselves. Laurel (& the show writers) insist that she’s a selfless paragon of feminism & heroism when in fact she’s a selfish, false idol of feminism. This essentially makes it impossible for Laurel to view the world as other’s do, b/c she cannot see others’ perspectives only her own!

In the 3x14 Laurel flashbacks, Lance has to reminds Laurel after she’s offered a job in a major law-firm that that’s not why she was supposed to go into law. It’s not her desire to help people that make her decide to work at CNRI. It’s Laurel’s desire to be seen as the good-girl by her father, to live up to her father’s expectations & to be seen as a do-gooder (even if she really isn’t) that changes her mind to work in CNRI.

In 2x13, we see Laurel put the blame of everything that’s gone wrong in her life at Sara’s feet, instead of sympathizing the horrors that Sara’s been through in the last 6 yrs. In 2x14 even after the explosive Lance family fight, when Laurel confronts Sara, she doesn’t connect to Sara on an emotional level or sympathize what her sister’s been through (or even what Laurel herself has put her sister through) but instead on how much stronger & more beautiful Sara is which is the root of strife between the two, not Oliver. Laurel is jealous of Sara, which seems to be the root of their broken relationship, not necessarily Oliver!

Laurel often chooses whom she feels sorry for. She wanted Roy to pay for Sara’s death when it was thought that he was responsible despite evidence showing he possibly had no control over his actions, yet she’s forgiving when it’s revealed that it was really Thea who killed Sara, but Laurel doesn’t blame Thea. She blames Malcolm, & later Oliver for not killing him. “Ollie, I’m not so fr gone that I’d blame Thea for what Malcolm made her do!” Laurel wonders why Oliver didn’t trust her & tell her the truth about Sara’s death, yet is it any wonder considering Laurel was all too ready to hold Roy responsible?!

In Sara’s Arc of death, it is Laurel’s need for vengeance & need to become what Sara was that drives her, not actual growth in grief over her sister’s death. Sara’s death becomes Laurel’s journey to “heroism” essentially. Ironically, Laurel blamed Sara for stealing her life, but in reality Laurel kinda stole Sara’s life, Sara’s role, Sara’s arc. The reason she keeps Sara’s death from Lance is b/c she’s worried about his heart condition & HER loosing him (she never considers that her father needs to grieve to move on & takes that away from him with very little thought).

Even Tommy’s death & what happens afterwards become about Laurel & her deluded view on her relationship with Oliver - it’s no longer about Tommy, it’s not even about grieving for Tommy, its about Laurel hoping to find her happily ever after with Oliver, & when that delusion breaks it’s the real cause that send Laurel spiraling into addiction! It’s not about her heartbreak over loosing Tommy (a man who genuinely loved her) it’s about the fact that ‘Ollie doesn’t love me, boo-hoo.’

Laurel feels, but only for herself! Her woes are always someone else’s fault, & never her own. She is the maker of her own unhappiness. She is the author of her own misfortune - a less funny, less likable version of this guy...

Moving on, Narcissists have no boundaries & cannot differentiate themselves from others - meaning that everyone else has to live up to their expectations, their ideals, their concept of reality. Laurel only hates the Hood b/c he breaks her ideals about the law, but all that goes out the window when he saves her (even then she still sees him as a monster, but he’s an acceptable monster in her eyes so long as its to her benefit). Only when she learns that the Hood is Ollie does she truly accept him, b/c Oliver is the “love of her life” & therefore the same rules she has for everyone else do not apply to her or to him in her eyes! To Narcissists, their rules are the only rules that exist!

Inability to accept criticism/insults is also linked to Narcissists’ inability to accept their own faults & often leads to them turning the tables & making everything someone else’s fault! This, as well as a Narcissists feelings of harboring grudges is seen repeatedly throughout the series. Most notably when Laurel repeatedly brings up & blames Oliver/Sara for their affair (yet, Laurel never listened to her own sister’s warnings, nor did she realize even for a second that Oliver was not emotionally ready to move in with her; she had to push the idea of moving in together on Oliver due to her delusions of their happy-couple-status without realizing that he cheated on her repeatedly)! Her inability to let the past go, is often one of the greatest failings in her relationships. She can’t let Oliver go & let herself have a good relationship with Tommy, she can’t let Tommy go & be with Oliver without a big fallout, & later blames the Hood for Tommy’s death making it impossible for her to have a healthy relationship with either men!

Using others for one’s gain is a big one. The two most notable scenes (though certainly not the only scenes) were at the end of S2 when Laurel blackmails her boss to get her job back (a job Laurel rightfully/fairly lost b/c of her own mistakes). And of course when Laurel used Thea to resurrect her sister! Laurel often used Oliver & Sara’s guilt for their past actions to her own advantage (guilt tripping).

Narcissists often pretend to be more important than they really are - Saint Laurel, Special Snowflake Laurel (whenever Laurel inserts herself into a situation she shouldn’t but it’s her)! This extends to the fact that Laurel claims to be an amazing Lawyer. Yet in the 4 yrs. that she was present did we ever see her actually win a case on her own merit? Think about it! Every case she tried was backed up by the work of others (the SCPD or Team Arrow) doing the heavy-lifting & just giving her the material she needed. Nor did we really even see her win a case that wasn’t somehow connected to the Hood or Team Arrow!

Lastly, Narcissists instead feel shame rather than guilt, & that shame is often translated into others not understanding or loving them enough. Laurel doesn’t understand why people don’t like the things she does. She’s “misjudged” by Oliver when she brings Sara to life (instead of feeling regretful/guilty for what it causes, she instead feels shame that Oliver’s just doesn’t understand her decision), the same happens when she keeps Sara’ death secret from her father (after all, she did it for his “own good”), so on & so forth!

In conclusion, Narcissists are often haughty (Laurel’s high-horse, self-righteous, “only I can save the world” attitude, & how she treats Digg/Felicity like “the help”), flatter only those who affirm their beliefs/mindset & judge those who don’t (Laurel’s black-&-white worldview judges Sara/Oliver for being vigilantes, judges the Hood for being a monster; she only accepts that grey worldview when she herself decides to abandon all her previous morals on legality when it’s her under the mask, when its the Hood saving her). Detesting those who don’t admire them (on the show, Laurel’s character had to be propped up & praised by every other character despite what we were being shown to the contrary).

These traits - shamelessness, distorted thinking of reality, arrogance, envy, entitlement, exploitation, & zero boundaries - were all heavily displayed by Laurel as a character (however unintentional it may have been of the show writers) throughout the entirety of the series, & in a way, explains her character’s inability to grow or change. Just as Edward Cullen & Christian Grey are check-list abuser, Laurel is a check-list Narcissist - all you need do is look up a list of the traits & check them off one by one to each & everyone she’s displayed throughout the series.

Now, time for possible counter arguments that I’m certain many Laurel-stans are going to use to try & explain or excuse her “misunderstood” character.

But, what about all the trauma Laurel’s been through? That’s a big argument I’ve seen many people use for her character. What about poor Laurel? So, let’s go through that list of trauma...

A) But, her boyfriend ran away with her sister, cheated on her repeatedly, & both died! Her so-called, “love of her life” died & on top of that he was sleeping with her sister!

B) But, her own sister betrayed her by sleeping with Ollie!

C) But, Tommy died, so she lost him, too!

D) She was an addict & has a mental illness!

E) But, her sister died...again...right in front of her!

Now, let’s counter the counter arguments. Most importantly, most of Laurel’s trauma’s were not about her, & those that are were due in some part by her own choices!

A) Yes, Oliver cheated on Laurel. Does this have more to do with Oliver’s lack of self-worth? His father had many affairs. Did Oliver know about them & was he raised to believe that was normal behavior? What about Laurel’s own complacency in his playboy antics? Did she just accept them & turn a blind eye, if so wouldn’t that be categorized as her enabling his bad behavior? If so, does that really make her a victim of Ollie’s cheating if she knew & did turn a blind eye (doesn’t that make her own unhappiness her own fault for putting up with it all; is she just victimizing herself)? Laurel never made Oliver face any real consequences to his bad-boy behavior. She was under the delusion that he’d change for her b/c she’s special, not like all those other women! The only real consequence to Ollie’s behavior was what happened with Sara & the Gambit (his 5 yrs. in Purgatory, & Sara’s 6 yrs. in hell; which is why it’s easier for audience members to forgive THEM instead of Laurel, Ollie/Sara redeemed themselves)!

B) Yes, Sara (her own sister) betrayed Laurel by running off with Ollie. But, given the theory of competition between the sisters, it was likely Laurel’s act of betraying Sara 1st, by getting her grounded so SHE could get Ollie, that put Sara herself into a mindset of getting back at Laurel by accepting Ollie’s offer. Karma!

A&B) Yes, Sara & Oliver both died, but this had absolutely nothing to do with Laurel (that was all Malcolm & Robert’s acting against Malcolm that lead to the sinking of the Gambit that lead everyone to think they were dead). That was a whole other story-line in no way connected to Laurel. Neither did their respective arcs: Oliver’s 5 yrs. in purgatory or Sara’s yrs. with the League, none of that had anything to do with Laurel. They were both physically, psychologically, emotionally tortured - Oliver was forced to witness others being tortured - while Laurel was making her way through Law School seemingly having a normal life. Oliver came back with PTSD, living 5 yrs. feeling he deserved to be in Hell b/c of the douche that he was as Ollie, while Laurel had time to grieve & move on (but LL didn’t move on which was her own choice, she chose to become bitter & live in the past, that’s on her).

C) Yes, Tommy did die! B/c of Malcolm’s Undertaking, the device, &...oh, yeah...b/c he was saving Laurel (LL who was busy saving papers, fucking papers)! Of course, it’s all the Hoods fault (the Hood who was too busy saving the entire city that he didn’t get to Laurel & Tommy in time). Laurel also had to deal with being chased, loved, & admired/idolized by not one but TWO handsome billionaires vying for her heart & she really just couldn’t choose between them. Yes, her life is ‘sooo’ difficult.

D) She was an addict! She had a mental illness! Her mental illness is driven by her addiction! That same mental illness is a fundamental part of her Narcissism. She NEVER had to face consequences for her actions, not even consequences for her addiction. Her father helped get her out of a DUI, & even though she rightfully lost her job (she victimized herself & her situation) she was able to blackmail it all back!

(NOTE: The only accuracy in Laurel’s Addict-Arc was showing her lashing out at everyone, everything else was medically inaccurate. Laurel would NOT have been able to quit cold-turkey like she did! Consequences for her addiction were next to nonexistent! Given that Laurel did quit cold-turkey, she would’ve faced serious withdrawal symptoms: fevers, headaches, hallucinations, possible heart attack (even for someone as young as LL, a heart attack was possible), the shakes/tremors, etc. My mother is a cardiac nurse & she saw a lot of people suffering from drug & alcohol addiction go through serious withdrawal that caused serious heart problems! The fact that Laurel faced NONE of these symptoms when she quit cold-turkey was the most insultingly inaccurate portrayal of addiction I’d ever seen!)

E) Yes, Sara did die, again, in front of her. But, the act of Sara’s death had nothing to do with Laurel & everything to do with Malcolm getting leverage to use against Oliver (he blackmails Oliver into facing Ra’s to save Thea so Malcolm doesn’t have to worry about the League)! The only part of Sara’s death that effected Laurel was that it, tragically, paved the way for Laurel to once again try to compete with her sister (even in death) in a means to one-up Sara by becoming the Black Canary. Laurel took Sara’s mantel, her purpose on the show, & even took Sara’s place on Team Arrow!

Also, in comparison: Sara & Ollie vs. Laurel. Sara & Ollie both faced the consequences of their actions. They suffered for yrs. & even developed the mentality that they didn’t deserve “Happy Endings.” They paid their penance. They both felt guilty & accepted culpability for their many, MANY mistakes. We often saw Laurel making Sara & Oliver “jump through hoops” as @eilowyn1 put it, to earn her forgiveness, to be worthy of her again.

But, yes, poor Laurel...

How did Laurel become a Narcissist?

One of my favorite meta writers is @eilowyn1 who’s done many “Arrow” centric metas focused on Laurel as well as her relationship with Sara. Which, for me helps explain just how Laurel developed a Narcissistic personality (Narcissism is a Behavioral Disorder, btw).

Essentially, the idea is that while Laurel was the good-girl in the family, & Sara categorically the bad-girl (the rebellious troublemaker), in spit of that, Sara was also, still the favorite. Sara, no matter what she did was still forgiven & loved by their parents. Dinah Sr. (Laurel/Sara’s mother) even went as far as helping Sara run away with Ollie, behind Laurel’s back! The moment Sara returns, changed & altered for the better (having payed in spades for all the bad things she’s done) she is welcomed with open, forgiving arms by her parents. It goes a step further in the sense that Sara, as a character, is also very much welcomed by the audience of the show while Laurel remains a less-then-liked character on the show. Laurel’s reaction, “It’s Sara,” says a lot in just two words - that Sara being so easily forgiven was always expected in their family, b/c it’s Sara, the favorite. Though, perhaps the audience loves Sara, & not Laurel, b/c of her faults. Unlike Laurel, Sara grows, matures, & wholly acknowledges her faults & her wrong doings & seeks redemption for them. Despite all she’s done, Sara is the sympathetic character we can relate to.

B/c Sara was the bad-girl, the rebellious one b/c the categorized “good-girl” - the driven perfectionist. The one who always follows the rules (only when it suits her) & later she does this to shamelessly gain her father’s approval. That strive for perfection & endless unconditional love from others (which is the driving force of Narcissism, IE: see definition) is Laurel’s impetus! She need her father’s approval, needed him to see her as perfect b/c that’s how she saw herself; she needed that reaffirmation. Just like her own view of self-perfection, Laurel sees Oliver as perfect boyfriend material, but it’s all in her head which only affirms her distorted views of reality. Being perfect was how Laurel got her parents attention & praise, Sara acted out (much like Ollie) to get that same attention though not necessarily praise. As @eilowyn1 mentions in her metas, its Sara’s rebellious nature that puts her right in Ollie’s path & makes her have a lot more in common with Ollie & Tommy than Laurel could ever hope to have. That’s what made Laurel jealous, as I mentioned before, Sara had the 1 thing Laurel didn’t: Ollie. So, naturally, Laurel intervened.

(But, Laurel wasn’t good for Ollie. She pressured him the same way his parents did - wanted him to be more responsible, to become CEO; she needed him to be perfect in her mind b/c she was perfect, & since she viewed them as a perfect couple Ollie needed to fall into her way of thinking. But, that pressure his parents put upon him always drove him to act out (after all, that’s a pretty big legacy to put on the young shoulders of a 22 yr. old) so, naturally when Laurel pushes him, he acts out! He cheats, he sleeps with her sister. Hell, I bet Laurel even blames Oliver for “dying” even though he had no control of that.)

When she felt she was more deserving of something than Sara, Laurel took it. IE: Laurel getting Sara grounded so Laurel would have a chance at getting Ollie for herself 1st. Perhaps, that is the very thing that set off the chain of events between Sara/Ollie. Many theorize that Sara said yes when Oliver asked her to come with him on the Gambit b/c she originally wanted to get back at Laurel for what she did to her 1st. But, Sara did something Laurel didn’t. Sara warned her sister about Ollie & if he was really ready to move in with her. Laurel never warned Sara about that raid/party being crashed by the SCPD & their father (which later, logically would’ve been put on Sara’s record, & got Sara grounded).

We later see this same competitiveness between the sisters, or really just with Laurel, in her desire to become the Black Canary. The entire BC-Arc being built on Laurel’s need for vengeance (a categorized selfish reason, IE: Christopher Nolan, Batman Begins, “Justice is about harmony, revenge is about making yourself feel better.”) as well as her need to literally become Sara, which was explored in episodes 3x02 & 3x13.

Laurel even once again seeks her father’s approval in S4 when Dtv. Lance is decidedly against Laurel being the BC (for very legit reasons, I might add). But, Laurel argument is that if Sara did it, so should she!

So, b/c Saint Laurel is such a Special Snowflake, it’s not even really her fault that she’s a Narcissist, after all, the writers didn’t mean to write her like that! Lol.

P.S. check out on AO3, BookofLife’s fanfics “Indecent Proposal” & “What Wouldn’t I Do.” BookofLife does a BEAUTIFUL job of showcasing not only the complexities of the Lance-sister relationship, but also the Narcissism of Laurel Lance & Laurel’s distorted view of reality (most especially in “Indecent Proposal”)!

#Narcissism #Character Development #Writing #Psychology #anti-Laurel LAnce #Sorry Not Sorry #Meta

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ulyssessklein · 6 years ago

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Fingerstylist Jordan Brodie Talks about In Good Company, His Love of the Guitar and Influences

By: Rick Landers

Images: Courtesy of J.Brodie

Jordan Brodie

Of late, Guitar International has been enjoying guitarists known for “fingerstyle” playing who work inside and outside the CAGE to find all kinds of choice sounds that can be melodic, dissonant, romantic and oftentimes otherworldly.

We happened upon Australian, Jordan Brodie, a few months ago who travels the path of some who led the path for him, including Tommy Emmanuel, Ralph Towner, Pat Metheny, Bruce Mathiske, Michael Fix, and Julian Lage.

Brodie’s 2018 release, In Good Company (MGM), offers up a fine bit of guitar mastery and showmanship, technical precision and nuance and has us anticipating his next release, even before In Good Company has made the rounds of his touring performances beyond his native shores. His debut album, First Take, made clear the young man’s guitar virtuosity and his performances proved a fine way to “wow” a growing huddle of fans.

He’d come a long way since his early fumbling with his Yamaha nylon-stringed guitar to today, with his outstanding clarity and accuracy in find the right notes, bending them intuitively and virtually telling a story through his masterful playing.

In Good Company took three years to pull together, while he was a student at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music. So, there was a bit of juggling between the books, guitar practice and songwriting.

And speaking of otherworldly, on the track, “Travels”, you’ll likely hear an instrument you’ve never heard before called a Handpan. Written during this travels in China, Brodie incorporated the instrument’s sonics broadening and deepening the songs ethereal appeal, almost keeping us on metallic rim or edge of balance and edginess.

Last year, Jordan toured Australia, Canada, Ireland and Germany and we’re looking forward to a future tour here in the States.

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Rick Landers: Listening to your music, I enjoyed not only the technical skills you use to weave around a song, but the emotional nuances, the phrasing and your movement from a point of a note to a light touch, almost like a soft brush of a sound. What road did you take on the guitar that led you to your style?

Jordan Brodie: Thank you for the kind words! I started playing guitar like most seven year olds did – wanting to become a rock star! I have AC/DC to thank for that. I was extremely lucky to have a great teacher, Andy Redhead, who introduced me to fingerstyle guitar, and more importantly, Tommy Emmanuel and Chet Atkins from a young age.

I fell in love with the challenge and freedom of playing the bass, rhythm and melody simultaneously. I imitated them for years. But, studying jazz guitar at University was where my style really developed.

Jordan Brodie

I discovered Julian Lage. I was obsessed with him – the fact that he was an extraordinary jazz guitarist, but could play the most beautiful, delicate and simplistic melodies on acoustic guitar was eye opening.

His solo acoustic guitar album, World’s Fair, was a big turning point. It was a much-needed fresh perspective to acoustic guitar! A few other artists are Ralph Towner and Pat Metheny.

Another massive feature of my style is my thumb-pick. Over time the tip of my thumb-pick wore down to almost no tip. And that’s how I kept it.

It allowed me to use the thumb-pick to create solid bass lines, while keeping my fingers free for melodies or chords. However, I also hold the thumb-pick like a plectrum to play faster single note lines, or for certain rhythmic strumming. This is highlighted in the song “Luna”.

Rick: Your track, “Luna” brought to mind Davey Graham’s “Angie” and I wondered if you studied his style and technique?

Jordan Brodie: I actually haven’t heard of Davey Graham! I have some homework to do!

“Luna” was inspired by Julian Lage, in particular his tune “233 Butler from his album, Gladwell.

I think the main lick of “Luna” was drawn from Lage’s guitar etudes on YouTube. As I mentioned before, I was obsessed!

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Rick: I’ve found each of my guitars has its own personality, feel and something like an old L-1 bites a bit more than, say a ‘40s J-45. What are you playing and what draws you to them? And, do you prefer a particular grouping of tone woods?

Jordan Brodie: Absolutely! I play a Taylor 514ce. It’s been my main guitar for years. When I perform it handles numerous tuning changes without a hiccup. Standard tuning to BGDGAD and back, no problem.

But, what I really love about this guitar is how the open tunings, like DADGAD or BGDGAD sound through an AER Amp into a PA. It is a huge, full sound! I haven’t played anything that compares yet. So I suppose the Cedar/Mahogany combination is what I like at the moment.

Rick: You obviously excel in our world of guitar, but what other things do you do that you find inspiring enough to approach in a disciplined way?

Jordan Brodie: I enjoy teaching and sharing my ideas and knowledge with my students! Apart from music, I’m a big Liverpool soccer fan. But, really, it’s music 24/7.

Rick: Where are you at in Australia and what’s the music scene there like for instrumentalists, like yourself?

Jordan Brodie: I live in Cairns, Queensland. For a regional city, there is a lot of music, and talented musicians around, but my plan has always been to tour rather than gig in one place! It’s a great place to base yourself though.

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Rick: Did you grow up in a family environment where music surrounded you or did you have to discover it? Did you find you were obsessed with the guitar like a love affair of sorts?

Jordan Brodie: Yes I did! I was surrounded by Australian rock and Americana music like AC/DC, Credence Clearwater Revival, Chris Isaak and Johnny Cash etcetera. It’s definitely a love affair! It has never been anything else but the guitar for me. I’m 23 and my friends and family still buy me random guitar related gifts and accessories – I have too much, please stop feeding my addiction! I have other interests too!

Rick: I would tend to think that playing in smaller intimate venues with rich acoustics, that that environment would be a more inspiring place to play than, say a huge auditorium where that intimacy can get lost. What’s been your experience?

Jordan Brodie: I agree! Lately, I have been doing a lot of house concerts and my favourite aspect is the intimacy and that the audience can shout questions! I love it.

Rick: Man, I just listened to “Song for You”, a beautifully melodic piece and your phrasing is touching. I can only imagine this song is for someone special. Would you elaborate on how this song came to be and if it has a deeper meaning that a song that just arrived out of the blue? A sweet ending, as well…

Jordan Brodie: Thank you! This piece is written in BGDGAD a tuning I stumbled across and fell in love with. I wrote “Song For You” and “Until We Meet Again” around the same time – both in the same tuning. Nothing can beat a strong melody, I take a lot of influence from Celtic melodies.

At the time of writing, my father was diagnosed with cancer, so these two pieces were an emotional reaction of having to live with the news and the reality of it. I dedicated my latest album to him. He was my biggest fan.

Rick: I always like to ask performers if they been on the street busking, especially if they’ve become well known, maybe just to see if they could survive on the street. What kinds of experiences do you have like that?

Jordan Brodie: I have only ever busked as a kid down at my local shopping centre. It was great practice and not bad money for a kid. However, my dream was and still is to perform to people that sit still and quietly listen to me!

Rick: Please, tell us about your latest release and what projects you’ve got churning around at the moment that we can all look forward to.

Jordan Brodie: My new album, In Good Company, came out this year! It is a collection of songs that I wrote over three years while studying at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music.

It’s a special album to me. They are the last pieces my Dad heard before he passed away, so it’s a tribute to him.

I spent the first part of the year touring Australia, Canada and Ireland. But, for now I get to spend the rest of the year writing, practicing and taking all of the culture and sounds in Europe.

Rick: Jordan, I love the mix of music you sent, each with its own stylish personality. I look forward to talking to you again on when your next release comes into play.

Jordan: I appreciate the kinds words. Thanks for taking the time to interview me Rick! I’m always up for a chat. Until next time!

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survivormyanmar-blog · 8 years ago

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Ep. #6 - “A Target Fully Stocked With All Kinds of Gimmicks” - Brett

After tribal it was announced to the players that once again they would be playing for Individual Immunity. Each tribe would participate separately in the live challenge Ready Aim Fire. The Togye tribe went first with a quick win by Ashley, her second individual immunity so far. The newly formed alliance of Amanda, Ashley, and Nehe began to plot the vote to take out Brett. Mata completed their immunity the following day with some tribe members being more interested in going to The Cave than winning immunity and Ting Ting ended up pulling out the win. Back on Togye, paranoia was running wild and when Nehe filled Brett in on his alliance and the “fake” plan to vote out Tommy, Brett went to Tommy with this information. Tommy then went to Amanda and Ashley saying Nehe exposed their secret alliance to him which caused Amanda and Ashley to lose all trust in Nehe and flip the vote on to him. Nehe went home in a 5-2 blindside. On Mata, the Fans were all turning against each other wanting to vote any of the others out to ensure their safety. The Favorites thought this was too good to be true so they came up with a plan to split the votes 4-3 On Krysten and Linus. The vote ended up being 5-2 for Krysten as Jay pretended she wasn't online because she didn't want to switch her vote to Linus. At tribal Linus went to play his Hidden Immunity Idol but when there was little reaction from the rest of the tribe he decided to hold on to it a while longer.

Update: My whole brain is bleeding.

I love this I LOVE THIS. Adrian went home and his last words that “tommy is a fuckin snake” TOMMY DIDN’T DO SHIT!!!!!! OH MY GOD. and ashley is regarded as the michele of our group so it looks like i’m doing a better job at staying under the radar.

anyWAY. I’m just happy we spread enough paranoia to flush an idol too!! like fans just really shot themselves in the foot huh. now it’s all about keeping people close.

I’m salty.

Well I won Immunity!! I did not think I would win but I guess people couldn’t keep track of where the hots were? Kinda easy tbh. But anyways. Now Amanda and I have sort of a f2 going on. We also are with NeHe, and in the future possibly adding Keegan. I like our little group. We can get shit done and no one will expect it. Amanda and I learned tonight that NeHe really doesn’t like Brett. So we are going to try and use that to our advantage in the next tribal. I think Brett will be the next to go home. But thank goodness it wont be me. All those votes I got at tribal was supposedly to “keep me safe at rocks” which makes sense. I guess they chose a fave that they wanted to stay safe and that was me…. So that is cool.

They don’t lie when they say never go into tribal thinking you know what was gonna happen. Amanda had an extra vote and Keegan had an idol which they both played and Adrian was blindsided 5-4. I was shocked that it was Adrian targeted. I was strongly hoping they target Brett. I gave Amanda hints all day that it was Brett I rather have gone. I knew that right after tribal I was not in a good spot and I immediately called the girls Ashley and Amanda to talk and cover my bases. We made a chat so we could talk without anyone walking in on us. I explained to Ashley the reason I voted her which she understood. And I made both girls aware I wanted to work with them. Before tribal I dropped hints to them that I wanted to. I have this way when I talk to people that gets them hooked after a while. I am satisfied with my new alliance with Amanda and Ashley that i’m dubbing A&A (ANA). I know moving forward in this game we need to leave this persona that it’s fans vs favorites. We share equal hate for Brett and Tommy and those are 2 along with Sam I want out. I need to speak to Keegan and get him on board. He’s the vote that will make things go right for us. Especially the fact this round is another double tribal and I lost immunity. Safety is a pricy thing and I need to do everything I can to buy myself a ticket.

When you wanna vote out a favorite for the hell of it because you feel like going rouge during this double tribal council, but you need to wait until the merge. I love chaos and destruction!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlBHwjAITJg I would seriously vote out a favorite during this double tribal BUT favorites have majority in the game right now, and since merge is happening after this vote (I know it is) I don’t wanna lose their trust at this stage in the game. Steffen, Jay, and Ting Ting seem like they want to stick with the favorites once merge happens, but that’s boring. I love stirring the pot. But with the tribal swap that happened recently, the tribe chat is way more active than the old Favorites tribe. I definitely like the fans a lot, especially Linus. Kyrsten seems like a great person too.

People. Instead of giving someone else the option to go to the cave in the challenge. Eliminate yourself!

Day 13 It hasn’t even been two weeks? How is that possible? Last night aged me severely. Severely. For all the steadfastness, for all of the perseverance, for all of the diplomacy and keeping a unit as strong as it possibly can be–ultimately none of it mattered because of an advantage found in a cave. For me, this is my version of being idol-ed. These advantages are part of the game and it sucks to be the victim of one. Of course, I am a massive hypocrite. I love a good advantage when it benefits me, surely. So I have no hard feelings towards AMANDA. Her move was the right one and I’m very proud of her as a player. I hate that I can’t find a damn thing in this cave (which based on AMANDA’s smashing success is actually a Target fully stocked with all kinds of gimmicks). I’m devastated that we lost ADRIAN in the aftermath. I was ready to go to rocks with a 80% chance of staying alive and a 60% chance that a Favorite would leave the game. If I went out that way, cool. I knew no one was going to flip. That’s just how it was. So KEEGAN, NEHE, and I all felt differently after the vote. NEHE claims AMANDA isn’t playing fair which is ludicrous and I haven’t bothered to listen to him further than that. KEEGAN, shockingly, is spinning the fuck out and he won’t talk to TOMMY at all. Sidenote: TOMMY, though he was a douche throughout Tribal Council, feels bad for hurting KEEGAN and filtered an apology through me since he can’t talk to KEEGAN one on one. But anyway, I’m surprised at KEEGAN’s reaction because he exhibited so much self-control up until this point and it had to have simply boiled over for him. And for me? I’m sad that ADRIAN went home, yes. But I’m irritated that I got off the freeway to witness it. I should have kept driving and missed the whole thing to get home earlier. I told a select few that we honestly should have known. This is what happens in Fans vs. Favorites seasons. The Favorites steamroll and the handful of Fans that make the merge are expendable pawns until their inevitable departure. I was hoping to take the upper hand this round to change all of that, but unfortunately this major Tribal Council might be what causes my house of cards to fall apart. I also competed in that short challenge very poorly, even taking a shot at myself, but it was difficult to compete as I was driving (that can’t be safe) and I couldn’t hold up the challenge for anyone else. I made it home safely, by the way. I really didn’t want to get off the freeway again for more disappointment. After ADRIAN’s departure, my immediate instinct was sportsmanship. Being on the losing side sucks, but let’s keep this in perspective, people. I had a great vacation in Arizona. I have a wonderful job in Orange County and I just received a promotion today. I am active and healthy and I don’t live behind my computer screen. In the event that I am the next one voted off–cool. I had fun. I met a handful of cool people. I played the way I wanted to play. I also have to keep in perspective that this game means a HUGE FUCKING DEAL to some of the players like NEHE who have centered their lives around it. It’s a testament to the hosts that people can invest themselves in this so much and I hope it doesn’t appear as if I’m not invested. I definitely am, more than I want to admit, but I have a lot of other plates spinning in my life. I’m giving this my best. And I’m pragmatic. So in light of that spirit, I congratulated AMANDA on a job well done, offered cheers to SAM and TOMMY, and checked with ASHLEY to make sure she understood why she was the target by the old Fans. I’m getting along with TOMMY a lot better. I’m being friendly with everyone. It’s hardest to be friendly with NEHE because of how rash he is and how personally he takes everything. I think with age and experience, NEHE will become much more bearable to play with. For now, KEEGAN and I are screaming. At the next vote, I’m down to vote for NEHE if I feel like I have no way of succeeding because I can’t believe players like NEHE and LEAH are going to last longer than me. Neither deserves it, but that’s the game. There might be some hope on the horizon with ASHLEY and KEEGAN associating with one another. ASHLEY doubts AMANDA a bit for concealing her found advantage(s) while I am trying to get TOMMY to see a similar thing. SAM doesn’t feel the need to address me at all past small talk, so I’m not bothering with that, and AMANDA is pleasant as ever, but uninterested in working with me at all. I’d love to flip tomorrow’s vote on AMANDA using ASHLEY, KEEGAN, NEHE, and maybe even TOMMY, but it’s very unlikely. This could be my last confessional before my final words. If it is, it’s been a pleasure.

So Keegan is finally coming around and I think he would be a good addition to the Nehe, Amanda and I alliance. I hope to god he isn’t extremely close to Brett because he doesn’t need to know there is a lot that he doesn’t know about. Hopefully Keegan sees that us four could be very strong and really no one would see it coming. Amanda and I are tight. We are just in that awkward place where we are in two different alliances but don’t know which to vote with exactly. Tommy and Sam are our faves with us on the tribe, and some are wanting to vote Tommy. but if we vote Tommy, the fans and faves would be equal again and that is scary if merge doesn’t actually happen soon. Amanda and I are trying to get people to want Brett out, it seems that some of the other fans don’t like him so we are hoping his name is the one that is brought up in our chats.

Today has been an interesting day. Propositions have been made to me by Ashley, with her proposing we essentially dissolve the Fans vs Faves and work with Nehe and Amanda, to form a majority. I love the plan with the exception of them not including Brett, who’s by far my closest ally. They’ve said we’d keep him around to merge, which for me and him amazing. For them maybe not so much. If everyone is being honest, this game just got turned on its head.

rip me my heat and mass final is tomorrow also i’m still tryna figurrrr out who to vote so that’d be nice. i think if we all just stay loyal to each other it may be merge after this and then I CAN SEE STEFFEN

Yesterday and today I feel way more comfortable than I was the night of last tribal. I regrouped and formed bonds with both Amanda and Ashely in a sense I want to work with them. And they want to work with me. I have that sort of charisma when I speak. So they can definitely be new versions of Leah for me. God hopes Leah makes it out of this tribal for her. I know she isn’t the best socially but she needs to like pick that social game up. Going to tribal tonight a vote has not been settled upon and I don’t think I have hid my despise rn for Tommy or Sam. I don’t engage in conversation with Sam and Tommy keeps trying to talk to me but I give him like no tea. I spoken to Keegan last night and solidified an alliance with him. I do feel he’ll stick to it. I informed him of my awareness of Brett and which he needs to be aware of that too. Keegan definitely is flippy floppy but we have the numbers if he votes with me Ashley and Amanda. Keegan wants Tommy out as much as I do so I am all in on pushing Tommy. Why Tommy? Well the way he presents himself is very shady and seems like a bit manipulable and possibly will be a very dangerous player moving forward. When I look at Tommy I see he’s playing the exact same game as Brett. Both are threats in my eyes and I need them gone. I’m gonna make sure the girls settle into voting Tommy out tonight. The game isn’t Fans vs. Favorite anymore and we all need to wake up and realize that. We need to better each others games and right now this is my chance to strike a move before I start laying back. Tommy is that move.

Well, your local icon/future winner snatched herself in the challenge, so I don’t have immunity. Luckily, though, Ting Ting got it and she’s a member of my alliance. We’re looking to vote out one of the fans tonight so the faves can go in to the merge with a solid majority. Thus far, I think I’ve done a pretty good job of laying low and we’re expecting a merge after double trouble tonight, so then I’ll start trying to manipulate the game. I got what I’m assuming is a lame advantage in the cave, so hopefully that’ll help me out eventually.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ytbdj3cOryA

I’m kinda trying to play both sides RN. So, I could vote with the faves, Linus. Or vote with the fans, whoever they want. Or, we could pull someone from the faves and get like, Steffen out. OR it could be me going and nobody is telling me haha

So this vote seems like a real make me or break me moment. I’ve formed an alliance with Christian (I also told her about my idol, which may have been a huge mistake :X), and then Steffen also formed one with the two of us. I finally got to have a good talk with Jay today and maybe see a bit where her head is at. So I’ve decided I will be voting with the favs. I’d rather try to make a change for myself than go down calmly just to protect people who have been against me in the past. I hate having to do this to Krysten, but that’s just survivor I guess, you win some you get swap fucked some. I’m a little nervous that it could be a Linus blindside just because everything seems almost too perfectly fallen into place. Krysten is claiming no one talks to her, favs formed an alliance with me, but Steffen is also freaking out, and if Christian did tell him about my idol (which I’m doubting she did) this could be all one really really elaborate move. That said even with the very little bit of nervousness I have I think I’m hiding it quite well. I had my gameplay described as bold today so now I feel cool 8) . My biggest reason for flipping isn’t even a lack of trust in the fans, but rather that I need a viable group at the merge and if the other tribe cuts another fan that will just be a sinking ship. As always wish me luck at tribal council, Linus out.

Hmm, so apparently there’s a possible split vote now that I hadn’t heard about and a bunch of scrambling still amongst the favourites. Oops I think Jay told me something she wasn’t supposed to :P

No one will really talk to me about the vote, so I’m incredibly worried. Tonight will show whether two individuals (whose names both begin with A) are lying snakes, or whether there’s some amount of decency among the faves. I’m leaning towards the latter.

I MIGHT BE TARGETED TONIGHT LET ME KNOW LMAO like so how did this happen? well so nehemiah , another young kid who thinks his ego is really big, thinks he’s a good player by going and telling the other fans about a secret alliance that he has with ashley and amanda!!!! which what the fuck!!!! anyway i might get some more votes tonight based on what else i’ve heard because i was perceived as threatening on the favorites tribe it’s frustrating because this time i wanted to prove my loyalty to my allies because that was something i was lacking in my previous games and i really wanted to improve that and improve my social game and IF I DON’T GET TO REAP THE BENEFITS OF THAT then imma be upset! maybe now that i have more time to play since you know like finals are over i’ll be more #woke on the plans but hey… that’s survivor.

So me and Ashley were joking that we were Roxie and Velma from Chigago and that we were gonna kill all the boys so we made an alliance chat with us two called “THEY HAVE IT COMING” which i think is hilarious. I really do like her and wanna move forward with her and she’s def my favorite person on Togye right now. So right after tribal me her and Nehe were the only ones still on call so we got to talking and Nehe was like “I WANNA WORK WITH YOU TWO BLAH BLAH BLAH” so we made a chat and then now here we are at tribal and THIS BITCH tries to throw it in my face by telling tommy? no way thats not gonna fly. ive been nothing but nice to your ass you can fucking go. So that being said if things go as planned, Ashley Tommy Sam and Myself are voting Nehe out and he’ll be leaving tonight. If he has something and my ass ends up leaving well fuck my life i guess im NEVER GONNA MAKE IT TO MERGE. Literally all i’ve wanted in this game is to get to merge i honestly dont care about winning yet. I just wanted to beat my placement and make merge like i didnt get to do last time and this week is being extra hard on me. ITS LIKE THE SURVIVOR GODS KNOW IM ALMOST THERE AND WANNA MAKE ME DIE. Anyways i just really hope i can make it past this week cause if i do than ive beaten my placement and i can be satisfied after that. ALSO I REALLY WANNA BE ON A TRIBE WITH LEAH AND STEFFEN UGH. CAN I JUMP IN THE OCEAN AND SWIM TO THEIR BEACH?

Also Brett seems to think i have magical cave powers where i can pull shit out of my ass….ITS JUST LUCK DUDE CHILL

i have such a low tolerance for idiots

Well there’s definitely segregation. Like in the other tribe it was totally fans vs. faves and i think it’s kinda like that in our tribe but not as much. Steffen: he’s chill but i’ve heard he’s good at the game so after merge idk what’s gonna happen. Love the giraffe. Jay: She’s really nice luh her Christian: ok so idk what to think about her. I’ve heard that she cheated in one of her games which makes me not trust her but she seems to be pretty loyal with the alliance so that’s that. Leah: She cool pls don’t get into anymore car accidents. Linus: He’s pretty lit. It’s cool that he definitely wants to break off of the fans vs fave mentality and it’s understandable bc he was at the bottom of the fans tribe earlier. Krysten: I guess we’re voting her out this time. Idk i haven’t talked with her much so i feel bad about voting her out, but the faves want to keep majority in the tribe so… anyways i guess another reason for her getting voted out is that she really wants to stick to the fans vs faves mentality which i’m not so much a FAN of. haha. ok i’m done Trevor: um trevor is kinda mean to me. sometimes i feel like he really hates us but idk Owen: he lied to me so… k bye

I’m so confused. I have a really good shot at going home tonight. It’s between Nehemiah and I going home tonight. Ashley, Amanda, and Nehemiah apparently had an alliance and Brett told me. I exposed it and now stuff is going crazy. People are going around scrambling and I just don’t want to go home. I’m scared I’m going to be taken out again, if I had a real idol it would be so played tonight. If I get idol’d out again I’m gonna be so pissed. Sam is my closest ally and I really feel uneasy about everyone else. There are two other duos. Keegan and Brett. Ashley and Amanda. All I can think of is, this is going to be so crazy this tribal and I’m so anxious. Wish me good luck tonight because I’m going to need it!

Day 14 It seems I have more to say. I really thought it was time for me to just accept my fate that I’m completely screwed. And for a lot of this round, I was. But there’s hope. There’s genuine hope. Originally, I thought maybe KEEGAN and I could cast doubt on AMANDA for her advantage concealment. That’s not a thing. I tried spinning it to ASHLEY and she was having none of it. So I knew that I had one shot to try to float that and it was a disaster. NEHE claimed he had a plan. KEEGAN then told me that NEHE can’t stand me because I’m a threat and I cockblock him from making the moves he wants to make–all of which are completely brainless and could have completely imploded our alliance. Everything he said was true. I only say no to NEHE because he sucks! It’s so awful having to wrangle this 15 year-old to not doing absolutely moronic things that put all of us in danger! I’m never having kids after this, I swear. KEEGAN tells me he might have something going with ASHLEY, AMANDA, and NEHE (still putting me on the outs) that is bent towards eliminating SAM or TOMMY. I tell KEEGAN that I’m along for whatever ride. I assure NEHE the same thing–I tell him I’ll do whatever he wants. NEHE tells me I’m panicking and he’s working on it and instantly, I’m turned off. I’m not taking direction from him. I’m just not. Three hours before Tribal Council, I ask KEEGAN if he knows anything. KEEGAN hasn’t heard from either ASHLEY or AMANDA–he even thinks ASHLEY hasn’t been online when I had just been talking to her about the date I have tonight like 20 minutes prior. KEEGAN then has an epiphany that he thinks he’s the target from the Favorites–and he very may well be. I tell him that we should definitely expose NEHE’s dealings with ASHLEY and AMANDA (or at least ASHLEY) to TOMMY, another loose cannon. KEEGAN and I have nothing else left to lose, so he gives me the go ahead. I throw NEHE under the bus to TOMMY. He opens up a dialogue between SAM and me, and we go from there. If I’m successful, I’m finally free of NEHE, 4-3 or 4-2-1 or whatever. It’s losing another Fan, but I am just done with NEHE. The Fans are a sinking ship anyhow, especially if we lose KRYSTEN, LINUS, or even LEAH on the other side. Plus, it’s too large of a heist to think I could get TOMMY and SAM to eliminate a favorite while they have the majority. Eliminating NEHE gives them plausible deniability with the girls to an extent. If this does work out and KEEGAN and I are still here, I’m interested to see where the girls vote. If they were in fact in league with NEHE (which I don’t believe they actually are), that would create a major rift in the Favorites. TOMMY’s nervous about idols. He has every reason to be, but hopefully I have built trust by being the only person not to lie to TOMMY (or any of the Favorites for that matter) last round. I didn’t try to sway any of them or tell them they were safe with me or anything. I was solid. They knew where I stood. Hell, that’s probably why the ladies don’t want to work with me. NEHE comes at me and tells me it’s in my best interest to vote for TOMMY–one hour before Tribal Council. No rhyme. No reason. Just do it. I’m not your Phillip Sheppard, child. I’m not going to take orders from you, especially when you felt I was on a need-to-know basis enough to only tell me a fraction of the grand plan an hour before the vote! Screw you. My vote is for NEHE. And even if I go or if KEEGAN gets backstabbed by the Favorites, I’m fine with NEHE just being a personal vote. Who chooses Susie Smith as their representative Survivor anyhow? In what world?! There’s 400 or some options and you choose Susie Smith? Unreal. I think there’s a chance KEEGAN might go. I’m feeling alright at the moment for myself (which means it could definitely be me, of course). We’ll have to see. SAM and TOMMY have told me they are going to vote for NEHE. We’ll see if that’s actually a thing or not. I wish the absolute most of luck to my best friend in the game KEEGAN and I hope we’re both still here on Day 15. If it’s my turn, it’s still been a pleasure. I didn’t lay down and die. I gave this everything I had to try to keep me and my main ally safe. :)

I am really heartbroken that i got blindsided tonight. I felt I was genuine with the people I talked to while Tommy and Sam were fake people and will be major threats moving forward in this game. Amanda and Ashley truly are idiots if they voted me off tonight based on false allegations. I what so ever did not tell people to vote out Amanda or Ashely or said nothing bad about them. I was very open with my hatred for Tommy and wanted him gone tonight but I did not see this one bit. I do wish luck to Amanda, Ashley, Keegan. Hopefully I can come back and redeem myself in some other seasons. I was so short lived.

#mustlearntoadapt #confessionals

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