#i think i could draw connections between clark kent and superman if i saw both of their collarbones

[voiddaisy]

superman's suit is so slutty... like man put your collarbones away you're making me blush

[acsversace-news]

Given how different the second season of American Crime Story is from the first, there’s really no use in comparing them. But I can’t help it (no one can?). The People v. O.J. Simpson was a big deal, initially so popular because of the nostalgia and the appeal of seeing re-creations of the “trial of the century” with John Travolta camping it up as Robert Shapiro, but then so celebrated for its breakout performances. Sterling K. Brown was a relative unknown before the series. Sarah Paulson saw a boost in her career, as well. The Assassination of Gianni Versace doesn’t have as well-known a story. Its ensemble isn’t so packed with famous names, with its characters or the actors portraying them. The follow-up series can therefore be surprisingly disparate. But it nevertheless does a good job of pulling us into what it offers.

Even if we can forgive the unfair expectations, though, Ryan Murphy’s latest production is a bit of a bait and switch. The first two episodes of The Assassination of Gianni Versace promise as much of an operatically tinged biopic about fashion icons Gianni Versace (Edgar Ramirez) and sister Donatella (Penelope Cruz) as the circumstances of his murder. Ricky Martin is there and impresses as Gianni’s longtime partner, Antonio D’Amico. These are the promoted stars of the show, and yet they’re not in very much of the ensuing chapters. When they are on screen, they’re incredible and worth the wait, but the irregularity of their involvement is more shocking than any contrast against the O.J. installment of this anthology program. I’ve seen eight of the nine episodes (all that were shared with press in advance), and they’re a mixed bag.

The series might as well be called The Assassin of Gianni Versace because it’s almost completely about Andrew Cunanan (Darren Criss), the spree killer who finished out a five-murder run when he shot Gianni in the face outside the fashion designer’s Miami Beach mansion. After depicting the murder in the pilot then continuing with a bouncing-around of time to show a years-earlier meeting between Versace and Cunanan and also some of the police investigation, the series jumps rewinds in chronology with each episode. Watched all together, the structure is reminiscent of the movie Memento. It also plays like each chapter is a prequel to the one that came prior. Villains tend to get such backstories to reveal their fall from innocence to become the evil monster we were originally introduced to. But not in backward spurts.

So we follow in reverse as Cunanan’s other killings are shown. The middle episodes of the series are sort of like standalone vignettes presenting who the victims were and how they met their end. Episode three (“A Random Killing”) is particularly strong as its own thing, mostly thanks to how it plays as a character piece about Marilyn Miglin, wife of the murdered Lee Miglin, and for Judith Light‘s exceptional guest performance in the role. It’s the peak chapter of the show (so far) for me, even if it’s the first instance where we realize The Assassination of Gianni Versace isn’t going to actually have much Versace in it. And that it’s scarier, gorier, more akin to Murphy’s American Horror Story than the sort of legal drama we saw with The People v. O.J. Simpson. For the next few episodes, these are the tales of a true American psycho.

Spree killers can be interesting, though they aren’t always as compelling as serial killers or one-off murderers. The former lends to psychological character studies, the latter more to whodunits and courtroom procedurals such as the first American Crime Story season. Apologies for the spoiler, but there was no trial for Cunanan, as he took his own life before he could even be apprehended. So instead of moving forward in time and dealing with retroactive explanations and defensive claims in the form of legal proceedings a la The People v. O.J. Simpson, here we get an attempt to connect the dots that may provide some understanding of Cunanan’s bloodshed. Of course, most of what we see is, while not necessarily fictionalized, certainly full of speculation. Many scenes solely involve people not around to provide details.

The series never makes a definite case for the why. We will never know what exactly triggered Cunanan to kill two of his friends, one of his many closeted and married lovers, a random cemetery worker, and a fashion legend whom he may or may not have ever met beforehand. In its best-directed episodes (the Murphy-helmed first, as well as the three by Gwyneth Horder-Payton, including “A Random Killing”) The Assassination of Gianni Versace doesn’t even explicitly spell out everything going on from scene to scene, which is respectably trusting of the intelligence and attention of the audience. The real question explored, as it is in the journalistic and more pointedly titled book it’s based on, “Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace, and the Largest Failed Manhunt in U. S. History,” is how did authorities let one of the most wanted men in America elude capture so long that Versace’s slaying could occur.

That inquiry takes this story through a cloud of themes and contexts pertaining to being a gay man in the ’90s. Not unlike The People v. O.J.‘s essential addresses of race and gender as it informed and mattered to the case of O.J. Simpson and the arguments and conduct of the trial, The Assassination of Gianni Versace touches on how homosexuality was viewed and treated at the time and how Cunanan and his victims’ lives were impacted by the difficulties and dangers of both secrecy and disclosure (one episode even focuses on the military’s “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy), the HIV/AIDS scare and eventual life-saving drug cocktails that arrived mid-decade, and the plethora of stereotypes. But it’s all kind of tricky, as viewers shouldn’t come away focused on the story’s unavoidable alignment with the “depraved homosexual” trope.

Murphy manages to avoid crossing any lines that could generally offend, I think. Where he doesn’t succeed as well is in the attempt to integrate the Versaces’ story with that of Cunanan. Following the first two episodes, Gianni and Donatella, joined often by Antonio, only sporadically return to the narrative. Initially they’re welcome distractions, but their part in the whole thing becomes inconsistently significant. Weak parallels are made, including one very bad cross-cutting between the nervous coming-out moments of Gianni and another character. Other times it seems like the series is just taking us back to the Versaces randomly now and then because they’re famous persons of interest, there are real events that can be reenacted, and well, Ramirez, Cruz, and Martin are deservedly the primary draw.

As Cunanan, Criss is also pretty phenomenal and this should be a breakout performance for the lesser-known former Glee regular. But the character becomes less interesting over time  (especially during a binge-watch, as I experienced them). It’s a tough task to pull off such a mysteriously maniacal charlatan and have him carry a nine-week program so prominently without humanizing the monster too much nor depicting him as an unrealistically heightened caricature. Criss makes it work in spite of the character’s absence of complexity, coming off as a clever yet deranged Clark Kent who never felt loved enough to become a superman with his strengths rather than a villain. Still, the actor is overshadowed by Light and the uncannily perfect Ramirez and often unintelligible but magnificently committed Cruz.

Without seeing the finale, which is being held and which will surely return to the setting of the first two episodes (many viewers will suddenly be reminded after two months that Orange is the New Black‘s Dascha Polenco, as a police detective on the case, once seemed to be one of the stars) I can’t make a call on the series as a whole. But even halfway in it was clear that The Assassination of Gianni Versace is an uneven and sometimes disappointing take on this true-crime story. But as usual with Murphy’s shows, there is enough good to outweigh the bad. They’re mainly watchable for their casting and slew of standout performances — this one even slips Cathy Moriarty in for a bit role and Aimee Mann gets a nice cameo. And the attention to detail in the production design here will make you feel like you’re literally going backwards in time with the narrative.

It’s also worth remembering that these series are never perfect. Even The People v. O.J. Simpson has tons of flaws but might be misremembered as being more substantial than it is if you also saw the documentary O.J.: Made in America around the same time (perhaps all of these true story based anthology shows could use an unaffiliated but complimentary documentary accompaniment). Of course, they also tend to be more fun. The Assassination of Gianni Versace is dark without the camp and levity that fans are likely to anticipate. Whether it will manage to keep most viewers tuning in anyway, I don’t know. But I recommend at least watching the fantastic first three episodes.

[bethgreeneishopeunseen]

THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN (and Beth Greene)

The other week I added my thoughts to one of @bethgreenewarriorprincess asks on Robert Kirkman’s involvement with the show (X). As I mentioned there, my father has worked in comics for over thirty years, his most notable job being an inker in the Superman department in the 90s. He inked The Death of Superman graphic novel. The drama behind the storyline’s origins came out in a documentary about the graphic novel, which my father was interviewed for. I rewatched some of it for Christy’s ask, to refresh myself, and something my father said caught my attention (from 14:09 to 14:29).

“I think a lot of people still have this notion that we just had this big abomination smash pound him into the ground and he died. But the idea was that Superman gets to a point where the only way he can stop this creature is to basically sacrifice himself. He’s going to have to go the point where he loses in order to defeat [Doomsday].”

My father has always hated when writers made blatant comparisons/parallels between Christ and Superman. But ironically, he described Superman there as a Christ figure; he just didn’t use the term. Christ “loses”, sacrificing himself for humanity, freeing them from sin. Doomsday represents “sin” in this case. Superman is often derided for being a Golden Boy character, much like Captain America, but isn’t that what a Christ figure is? A truly good person making it their mission spread that goodness. Superman could have stepped back from the fight and let someone else handle the monster, but he didn’t. Much like Superman, Beth had to lose in order to stop Dawn and the evil that was Grady Memorial. She couldn’t stand by and let Noah take the brunt of Dawn’s cruelty. Before all of this though, I already knew that Superman and Beth shared many similarities. I noticed them when I rewatched the Christopher Reeves Superman movie over winter break. Clark Kent and Beth Greene both started out humbly as children of farmers, growing up learning to care for the earth, for animals, and to respect people. Then, their Hero/ine’s Journeys kick into high gear after the death of their fathers. Clark, with all of his powers, couldn’t save his father from a heart attack, and Beth had to watch the Governor murder Hershel. (You also see this humble but brutal beginning with characters like Luke Skywalker)

On a hunch, I dug a little more into the graphic novel, and I found some surprising parallels between the storyline and Beth’s story. After Superman defeats Doomsday, Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen rush over. Lois tearfully cradles Superman, but he dies in her arms once he’s certain that Doomsday is dead.

The shot of Lois holding Superman evokes the classic image of Mary holding Christ after he was taken down from the cross. Da Vinci depicted a famous version of this image in his Pieta. Since the early days of Team Delusional, members made connections between the Pieta and the second bridal carry. The Pieta/tragic bridal carry image is used so often in media. The shot conveys suffering of the highest magnitude, of goodness being extinguished. I

Even the way Superman slumps over, as Lois wails in anguish, reminds me of Coda. Look at the curvature of the hand. On top of this imagery, there are numerous witnesses to this event, from Jimmy Olsen to the other superheroes in the background. Just look at any painting of the crucifixion.

(While looking up pictures for this meta, I even found an article that mentioned  Lois holding Superman as a comparison to Mary holding Christ: X.)

The graphic novel sparked controversy, to say the least. It was highly anticipated, with long lines and comic book shops running out. But some people were furious. There were death threats against the people involved - my parents keep our house number unlisted because of what happened back then. The Death of Superman still came out regardless, and though Superman had been killed in the past, this time the writers were serious. After the graphic novel came out, all four Superman titles went on hiatus for three months. The public was allowed to truly feel the loss of this cultural icon, alongside the characters. Once the titles resumed, four characters emerged to fill the void left by Superman (Steel, Superboy, Cyborg, the Last Son of Krypton; more in detail from 35:00-38:00). This was the Reign of Superman arc, and readers were left to figure out if any of these characters were the “real” Superman. My mind immediately jumped to all of the Beth proxies (X) (X). In the Bible, Jesus’s followers kept seeing visions and signs of him for the 40 days after his resurrection until he ascended to Heaven (X). The writers keep introducing Beth proxies to remind the audience of her and her story, as well to also stress the void she left. @xbluemagnoliax once described Beth as the emotional glue of the group, and she is. Even as a background character in season 3, her emotional stability shone through as she cared for the characters in small but powerful ways.

Superman’s body was also stolen from his tomb after the funeral by the Last Son of Kryptonite. He placed Superman’s body in a regeneration matrix in the Fortress of Solitude in order to gain energy for himself, but in actuality, Superman regenerated. Once he finally returned to the comics, officially, he returned with more powers and a slightly altered appearance, in a black-and-silver suit (temporarily) and long hair that he wore for most of the 90s.

We never saw Beth’s funeral, never saw what happened to her body. Going by the car theory, then we know that she was left in a vehicle and later taken back to Grady. Which ultimately saved her life. And when she does return officially onscreen, she’ll have changed. She’ll be older, with another scar, and harder. She won’t be the Beth that we knew.

Furthermore, The Death of Superman is the best-selling graphic novel in history. Even if Gimple hasn't read it, he would be familiar with it, as he’s admitted being into comics. He knows about comic tropes, such as the convoluted resurrections and fake deaths. The Walking Dead comics make use of these tropes too - Kirkman loves to mess with his audience. For example, on the road to D.C., Maggie hung herself out of despair. Abraham was about to put her down when she regained consciousness at the last second. Gimple might have even planted eggs that implied Beth would take on more comic-like features. A long time ago, @bethgreenewarriorprincess found drawings in Jessie’s kitchen that implied Beth would return as a “superhero” (X) (X):

Beth won’t have actual superpowers. But she will be a hero, and she will be almost mythic, having coming back seemingly from the dead and immune to the virus. Her story really isn’t that original, in terms of being a Christ figure. It’s almost cliche. If you don’t believe me, just watch this cartoon that parodies superhero deaths in comics:

Superheros come back for a reason. We need them to come back, much like the world of TWD needs Beth.

[365daysofj2]

Clark + Lex = Clex (Library Boys, NC-17, 17/?"

“Want me to make lunch?” asks Jared when the end credits of Smallville disappear and Hulu asks them if they’re still watching. It was Jared’s idea to binge-watch the first season while they’re stuck at home, and they’ve gotten through the first four episodes. Jensen seems to like it so far, but Jared had to ban him from talking because he was asking too many questions. “Depends. Are you gonna cook and mess up my kitchen, or are you just gonna make sandwiches and spare my pans?” “I thought I’d heat up the leftover hamburger macaroni soup and make grilled cheese sandwiches,” answers Jared. “And I’ll scrub your stupid pan, God.” “You better,” says Jensen. He picks up his coffee mug and heads for the kitchen. “Use the red skillet, not the cast-iron.” “Okay.” Jared follows him into the kitchen and accepts the red skillet that Jensen hands him. “You are so uptight about your kitchen.” “That’s because this isn’t a frat house,” replies Jensen, opening the refrigerator and handing Jared the sliced provolone cheese. “It’s a grown adult’s kitchen, and I expect you to act—and clean—accordingly.” He French presses another mug of coffee and sips it with those plump, sinful lips that Jared loves kissing so much, and it nearly makes him get hard right then and there. Jared opens the pantry door and pulls out half a loaf of seeded Italian bread. He sets out four slices and butters them with butter from the countertop butter dish. He puts two of them in the skillet, under which Jensen has turned up a small flame, and sets two slices of cheese on each. Then he covers them with another slice of bread and grabs a spatula from the drawer beside the stove. Jensen may be anal about his kitchen, but Jared knows he’s lousy at washing up and he’s got to work a lot harder to be up to Jensen’s standards of clean. He takes the leftover soup out of the fridge and puts it in the microwave. He flips the sandwiches and starts heating the soup. They both end up getting done at about the same time. Jared removes the soup and dishes it out in two of Jensen’s handmade stoneware soup mugs. He plates the sandwiches, cuts them, and calls Jensen to help him carry stuff. “It smells great in here,” says Jensen. He picks up his soup mug and sandwich plate and carries both to the table. “You did good, kid.” “Does that mean I get a reward later?” Jensen smirks. “You wanna play Clark Kent and Lex Luthor?” Jared laughs. “So you saw that too.” “How could you miss it? It’s worse than The Great Gatsby, for fuck’s sake.” Jensen takes a bite of his sandwich. “This isn’t half bad.” Jared grins. “I’m not a total loser in the kitchen.” “Good to know. Maybe I’ll have you make dinner a couple times a week,” replies Jensen, quirking an eyebrow. “That’s a little drastic.” Jared dips his spoon into his soup. It’s his mom’s recipe, and Jensen made it even better by adding cannellini beans and Italian herbs. “Maybe once a week, to start.” “Deal.” Jensen finishes the first half of his sandwich and turns his attention to the soup. “But I’ve got dinner tonight. I stocked up before the storm.” “Oh really?” It’s Jared’s turn to quirk an eyebrow. “And when was this?” “When you were doing Online Resources for Adults,” replies Jensen. “I went out to Karns for meat and poultry.” “Huh. Get anything good?” Jensen smirks. “You’ll see.” He starts on the second half of his sandwich. “Eat, and I’ll help you clean up.” “And then it’s roleplay time?” “Indeed.” Jared and Jensen both finish their food in silence. Jensen gets up first, rinsing his bowl and plate and putting both in the dishwasher. Jared was lucky to have running water at his old apartment, so he’s thrilled to have a dishwasher. He generally did dishes about once a week. Jensen doesn’t abide that shit. Jared rinses his own dishes and sets them in the dishwasher, and Jared washes the soup tureen and skillet with Jensen’s citrus-scented dish soap and Scrub Daddy sponge. Jensen dries them both and replaces them in the cupboards. “So, you feelin’ heroic?” Jared slaps Jensen’s ass. “Always.” They both head up the stairs to what Jared still considers to be Jensen’s bedroom, even though he sleeps in it seven nights out of seven. Jared doesn’t even have a bed in the room that he considers his, but he’s still reluctant to claim ownership of Jensen’s bedroom. There’s so much of Jensen’s stuff in there and so little of Jared’s that it doesn’t seem right for Jared to assert a claim to it. The majority of Jared’s possessions are still in the other bedroom. Only his TV and Amazon Fire box have made it downstairs so far, because his TV’s bigger and Jensen doesn’t have a set-top box—or a Netflix account. Jared nearly swallowed his tongue when he heard that. He vowed to drag Jensen kicking and screaming into the twenty-first century. “You got a costume for this?” asks Jensen. “Smallville!Clark doesn’t wear a costume,” Jared points out. “He wears red and blue,” counters Jensen. Jared smirks. “And Lex is bald. Do I get to shave your head?” “Touch my hair and die.” “That’s what I thought.” Jared grasps Jensen’s shoulders and turns him around so he’s facing the bedroom door, and then gently pushes him forward. “Just go in. I’ll be there in a second.” Jensen shoots him a dubious look, but complies. Jared ducks into “his” room and grabs his Superman hoodie from the closet. He pulls his shirt and sweatpants off, leaving only boxers and the hoodie. He pulls the hood over his head and goes into Jensen’s bedroom. Jensen’s sitting on the edge of the king-sized bed, looking lost. “What do I do?” Jared stands by the dresser. “You pretend you’re driving.” He pulls his phone out of his pocket and connects it to Jensen’s Echo. Then he calls up “Unstoppable,” the song that plays during the driving scene. “You see me, careen off the bridge, and I rescue you.” Jensen plays along, turning an imaginary steering wheel. Jared moves to the bed, which Jensen takes as a cue, and then Jensen wrenches the imaginary wheel and falls to the floor, eyes closed and holding his breath. Jared kneels down and scoops him up. He lays him out on the bed with a delicate grace and unbuttons his pajama shirt, shoving it off his shoulders. He also strips off Jensen’s pajama pants and boxers. Jensen raises his eyebrows but doesn’t open his eyes. Jared crawls up on the bed beside him and tilts his chin up, pretending to prepare him for mouth-to-mouth. He covers Jensen’s mouth with his own and licks at the seam of his closed lips, that plump, perfect Cupid's bow of a mouth. Jensen parts his lips and lets him in. Jared thrusts his tongue into Jensen’s mouth and tangles it with Jensen’s own. Jensen responds, perhaps more than he should, but Jared doesn’t mind. Jared kisses him like a man possessed, and their tongues twirl like can-can dancers, swift and precise. Jared spreads Jensen’s legs and steps up in between them. “You okay?” he barks, improvising his dialogue. “You saved me,” says Jensen, a wondrous lilt to his voice. “Why did you do that?” “Because you needed to be saved.” Jared reaches down and grasps Jensen’s half-hard cock between his long, nimble fingers. He jacks Jensen lazily a few times, but Jensen’s already fully hard. He reaches for the nightstand drawer and retrieves the lube. After squeezing a generous amount on his fingers, he starts to prep Jensen. “I don’t deserve it,” breathes Jensen. “You should’ve let me die.” “I see something in you,” replies Jared, thrusting one slick finger into Jensen’s hot, tight hole. “You deserve a second chance. I’m giving you one.” “I’m not worthy,” protests Jensen, his voice choked with need and desire. “Yes, you are,” replies Jared, adding a second finger. “You’re going to do great things. You just need a chance to escape your father’s shadow.” Jensen sucks in a sharp breath as Jared starts to scissor his fingers. “What do you know? You’re just a kid.” “I’m more than I seem,” breathes Jared, adding a third finger. “You have no idea.” “I guess I don’t,” says Jensen. He bucks his hips, pushing Jared’s fingers past the ring of muscle. “But I’m ready to find out.” Jared withdraws his fingers and inserts his dick instead. Jensen goes silent, breathing through the apparent burn, but Jared presses on, knowing that Jensen gets off on this. “Still think you’re ready?” “Definitely,” gasps Jensen. He tightens around Jared’s dick, and it’s all Jared can do to keep pushing forward, past the ring of muscle into the sweet spot. Jensen cries out and Jared draws back, worried that he’s pushed the boundaries too early. But Jensen bucks his hips again, pushing Jared further in. “I’m yours. Always.” Jared pulls back and starts to thrust with a furious rhythm. Jensen moans, long and loud, and Jared’s glad they don’t have close neighbors the way the condos across the street do. “Yeah, babe, just li’ tha-” “You’re so strong,” murmurs Jensen. Jared fucks him as hard as he dares. He can tell Jensen’s fighting to stay loose and relaxed. He softens his approach, but Jensen just bucks his hips and invites him further in. “Take me. I’m yours. Now and forever.” Jared hits the sweet spot once, twice, and on the third time, Jensen shoots his load all over Jared’s abs. Jared hits home a couple more times and achieves his own release. He pulls out and barely manages to crawl on the bed next to Jensen with his jelly legs. He nestles his head into the curve of Jensen’s neck and gasps for breath against Jensen’s neck, raising goosebumps on Jensen’s skin. “Holy fuck, that was hot,” he breathes, letting his eyes fall closed in an attempt to conserve energy. “Yeah,” whispers Jensen. He turns over and rakes a hand through Jared’s sweat-soaked hair. “You’re fuckin’ awesome.” “Can’t do it without’cha,” mutters Jared, still fighting for breath. Jensen pushes Jared onto his back and supports his head with pillows. “I love you,” he purrs into Jared’s ear. “Love you too,” Jared chokes out, still struggling to breathe. Jensen pushes himself up on one elbow and smiles softly. “Next time, I get to be Clark.” Jared tangles his fingers in Jensen’s short spikes. “It’s a deal.”