#it’s just Janice from the muppets all over again

[teethburger]

me as soon as i heard about pomni and jax being genderswapped in the concept art

[palettepainter]

Dr Teeth and/or Janice

Had another ask for Teeth so sticking them both together here! Once again may be spoilers to Muppets Mayhem so be wary if you haven’t seen the series 

Teeth:

-While gumbo is one of his families favourite dishes since Teeth originated in New Orleans, he also knows how to cook other dishes famous from his home town. Namely beignets and jambalaya. Teeth is more then happy to easy fast food and sushi, but for special occasions or holidays sometimes he’ll cook up a big meal for the rest of the band 

-When he gets drunk he trips over his own arms, a lot 

-Inspired by the show but his accent shined through when he’s especially nervous 

-Again, inspired by the show, back when the band first started and sometimes in the present day he has a bad habit of sometimes being a bit of a yes man/people pleaser. A habit he got from wanting to make his parents proud of him. Thankfully the band are always patient with him, it’s often Floyd who lightly reminds him he doesn’t have to be anything special other then himself 

-If it wasn’t obvious from the series but Pansexual king 

-He and Rowlf are really good pals. They met on the road when Floyd and Teeth where making a pit stop for a few days to restock on food. Rowlf played in a local bar for tips as a smaller side gig, but it wasn’t his main focus in life. Teeth heard him playing and - a little nervously at first - approached him and complimented his skills. It didn’t take long for the two to become pals, Rowlf admitting that music just wasn’t for him because there’s little chance it could work out, Teeth encouraging him it could if he tried, and then explaining his story of being on the road with Floyd and Animal. Teeth trusts Rowlf almost as much a he trusts the band, he practically sees him as family for all the time Rowlf has been there for him (helped him out when he was drunk, supported the band in their early days, helped Teeth get out of a creative funk, etc) 

Janice:

-I like to think she came from two strict parents. Not controlling in the same way Teeth’s mum was, but they didn’t really get their daughter. Janice was a care free girl who, unlike her twin, struggle in school and didn’t get very good grades. This led to a lot of passive aggressive fighting between herself and her parents, with her twin often feeling stuck in the middle. Janice eventually ran away from home after a huge fight between her and her twin, leaving her family devastated (they totally didn’t spend weeks sick with worry, and her sister totally didn’t spend long nights crying in bed wondering how to fix things)

-I want to write a story of Janice and her sister (let’s call her Jamie for now) eventually reuniting. Jamie probably goes on to have a big career like her parents and is a lot less ditzy like her twin. Janice and Jamie at first don’t talk to each other, leaving the band feeling awkward when Janice (out of politeness, forced politeness) asks Jamie round for dinner. It leads to a conversation that gradually gets less and less friendly while the band look between them quickly growing panicked 

-Before joining the band she spent her days with a band of travelling hipsters, sleeping in pitched tents in fields of wherever their was room on the road. A lot of singing round the campfire, weaving flower crowns, spending lazy afternoons singing songs (skinny dippy-). Floyd and Teeth with baby Animal stumbled upon her camp while on the road and that’s how they eventually met. Janice looks back on those memories very fondly and views the hippies she travelled with as like another family 

-She loves camping, it reminds her of her time with the travelling band of hippies. Floyd isn’t as enthusiastic as her so he lets her take the reins with camping trips most of the time, he still likes it and Janice always makes sure it’s a fun time 

-She took to baby Animal right off the bat, loved him from the get go and still does to this day. 

-Want to know what other Animal she loves? Foofoo. With Piggy and Janice being close friends it was inevitable that Janice would meet Foofoo, and Foofoo loves the free attention. Foofoo also loves stealing away Janice’s attention and dotting from Floyd, which makes him so annoyed because that attention and hugs are rightfully his excuse me? Who does this rat dog think they are?!

[babybutlerarthur]

[request <3 !] regressor lips from the muppets w cg animal n dr teeth ? i think it would be interesting to see animal try to be a caregiver, given that he has help from other cgs

I love this so much!

Cg! Animal and Little!Lips

Animal and Dr. Teeth sat in the living room together. Animal was retaping his drumsticks (again), while the good doctor scribbled some lyrics into an old note book. The others had gone out to do who knows what. They were all adults. Both the band members looked up when the front door slammed. They were expecting Floyd to be standing there. Other than animal, he was the only one either of them could see slamming a door (and even then, that was unlikely).

What neither of them was expecting was for Lips to be standing there. His fists were clenched and his breathing was heavy. His body has a slight tremble to it, and his eyes were squeezed tightly shut. Something was bubbling under the surface, and Teeth knew to tread lightly. He kept his voice soft and even.

"Woah, Lips, is everything ok, my man? You don't look so hot. What happened?" The trumpeter stayed quiet for a long while. Suddenly, his bottom lip started to wobble, and his face scrunched up in agony. The next thing they knew, Lips collapsed to the ground. Loud sobs erupted from his mouth.

Teeth made a move to get up, planning on running and comforting the now crying baby, but he watched in surprise as a red ball of furr ran in front of him. Animal held out a gold paci to Lips. The little still had his eyes closed tight, so he didn't see his band mate.

"Hey, wild man, maybe we should-."

"Here, baby! Ok baby!" Animal began to use his free hand to pet the blond curls in front of him. The touch made Lips calm to sniffles and whines. His eyes were open wide as he took in which band member was taking care of him. He opened his mouth and let Animal pop the paci in his mouth. He reached his arms out, and Animal pulled him into his lap. He started rocking back and forth to further calm down the distraught baby.

"My baby. Sh, my baby." Teeth walked over and kneeled next to the two.

"Way to go, wild thing! Pass him here and I'll-"

"No! My baby!" The drummer glared as he cradled the blond close to him. Lips hardly noticed the slightly rougher treatment, too busy playing with the chains around the creature's neck.

"Alright, he's your baby. How about I assist you in caring for our turbulent little friend there?" Animal looked at help for a few seconds, assessing his intentions. Eventually, he nodded.

"Help." Animal stood up, still holding Lips close to him. The baby happily babbled to himself, playing with Animal's fur and chains. Teeth and Animal took him to the room where they kept all their little supplies. He pulled out a diaper and looked at it, confused. When he was little, he didn't wear diapers. He had no idea how to do this, but he wanted to help his baby. He tossed the diaper to Teeth, who caught it with ease. Animal turned and grabbed Lip's favorite fox onesie. He reached and started tugging off the clothes on his friend.

"Bye bye big boy clothes." Lips waved as Animal tossed them to the other side of the room. From there, the Doctor took over, showing Animal the proper way to secure the diaper around the little's waist. Once the diaper was snug around his hips, Animal got to work on sliding the onesie on. He snapped the crotch closed and held Lips to his chest again.

"All done! Feed the baby!"

"I think that is a splendiferous idea, my man! I think we've got some nuggets in the fridge. Not the vegan ones. Those are for Janice." The three made their way into the kitchen, where they just popped the nuggets into the microwave for a few minutes. Once they were done, Animal set Lips in a chair and sat next to him.

He held out a nugget to Lips. The little just looked at him with his eyes closed (none of them knew why he always kept his eyes closed, or if he could actually see with his eyes closed or not. It added to the mystery that was one Lips). The paci bobbed under his nose. Animal let out a growl and shook it.

"Eat!"

"Woah, woah. Calm down, Animal. Getting him to start eating is the hardest part. You gotta make it a game."

"Oooh! Game!" Animal shook the nugget and made train sounds, but nothing happened. He blinked some before trying airplane sounds. Again, nothing happened. He let out a shout of frustration and started shaking the food agressively. He stopped when he heard a loud giggle come from the baby across from him. Lips was kicking his feet and holding his sides as he laughed.

Animal took the opportunity to shove the food into the horn player's mouth. Once he ate the first one, he pretty much demanded another one.

Teeth was right: The hardest part was getting him to start eating.

Once lunch was over, Lips put his paci back in his mouth and clung to Animal once again. The three wandered into the living room. Teeth turned on one of Lip's favorite cartoons: Garfield and Friends.

Within a few minutes, the little was fast asleep. Animal walked over to his hammock and set the baby in it. He tucked a little stuffed fox into his arms and covered him up.

"Night night, baby." He laid a kiss on those blond curls before walking back over and sitting next to Dr.Teeth. The pianist smiled and ruffled his fur.

"You did good, wild man, you did good." Animal bristled with pride. He did do a good job! He took good care of his baby!

And who knows, maybe next time Teeth would let him do it alone!

[catalogercas]

Whumptober Day 26 Prompt (though this isn't really whump):

"Sometimes I get so tired; I don’t even know myself."

Seeing Double | Working To Exhaustion | “You look awful."

XXX

Roy, fuming about Jamie's unhealthily defined abs in Lust Conquers All, drunk dials him.

A03

Roy's still fuming a little when he pulls the Lust Conquers All recording up at Keeley's. He knows he shouldn't rewatch it because it's just going to piss him off all over again.

But Maureen and Janice, and, hell, the whole fucking lot of them, wouldn't stop going on about how sexy Jamie fucking Tartt's six pack abs were. Like he'd achieved the pinnacle of the male form with them.

When he really fucking hadn't.

The muppet was fucking up his whole body for the sake of publicity for Christ's sake.

"Look at 'em, Keeley," he slurs after taking another sip of his Rose. "That's not...it's not fucking healthy. He ever gets some fucking sense knocked back into him and goes back to playing football, like he fucking should, he's going to collapse on the pitch from fucking dehydration."

He tries to ignore the fact that he's mentally conjuring the image of catching Jamie as he collapses, and berating him for not drinking enough water afterwards, because what the actual fuck is that about, as Keeley pats at his shoulder and hums. "He really does look fucking fit like that though."

Roy should have known then, when Keeley's words incite a fierce protectiveness over Jamie -- because he doesn't fucking need abs like that at the cost of his fucking well-being -- rather than jealousy, both that Keeley knew he was too drunk to think things, like what she'd just said, or why he's now pulling Jamie's number up on his phone, through, and that his feelings for Jamie have never once been normal.

But he doesn't.

So he calls him anyway.

When Jamie answers his phone, with, "What do ya want with me, you grumpy old twat?"

He responds with, "To force some fucking water down your stupid fucking throat followed by some fucking protein. What the fuck do you think you're doing on that fucking show anyway? With no fucking nutritionist? Those amateur producers don't give a shit if you're eating fucking proper as long as you've got sexy fucking abs for the camera. You look fucking awful, you fucking muppet!"

"Since when do you care what I eat and drink?" Jamie asks, sounding utterly bewildered. "And, like, this ain't me voicemail? You know you're actually talking to me, right? Like, sure, you're yelling at me and all, but it sounds like you're giving me advice, like you give a shit about me?"

Roy just grunts and mutters, "Yeah, well, fucking take better care of yourself, Tartt, and then I won't fucking need to."

Keeley takes the phone from him, then, like she should have before he even dialed and puts him on speakerphone, "He's drunk, Jamie, but he's still probably right. Eat some proper food and hydrate, yeah?"

"Yeah, alright," Jamie says. "Didn't know me sexy abs weren't healthy."

"Course you fucking didn't," Roy mutters before jabbing at the end call button.

XXX

The next morning, Keeley tries not to grin too hard or even laugh as Roy frowns at his phone over his coffee and water, since he apparently does listen to his own advice about hydrating, and mutters, "Why's the fucking prick's number even in my phone? And why's it say I called him? Stupid fucking phone."

She can't say she's particularly surprised, though, when, two years later, that, as Jamie's in her bedroom showing off his less defined chest to her and telling her Roy has been forcing protein and water on him like a drill sergeant that Roy says, "Because you'd still have a stupid fucking six pack, like you did on that stupid fucking show, if I didn't make you fucking take care of yourself properly."

"You thought it were sexy, though. Even called me to say so," Jamie says, waggling his eyebrows at Roy.

"Fucking when?" Roy asks.

"You drunk dialed me, mate," Jamie says. "Keels was there. Ask her."

And Keeley really can't stop herself from laughing then.

The fact that it took Roy as long as it did to realize how much he cared about Jamie and how was really something, honestly.

[princesssarisa]

Fictional Character Ask: Miss Piggy?

Favorite thing about them: Where to start? Her glamor and confidence. Her hilarious ego. Her unstoppable feistiness and determination. The funny contrast between the elegant, glamorous lady persona she performs and the tough, brash "pig" side she can never quite hide. (Which I just recently realized is relatable to those of us on the autism spectrum trying to perform social expectations). Her unexpected moments of real sweetness and vulnerability. It's no wonder she's such an icon!

I also love that even though she's heavyset, she has total confidence in her own beauty. And even though the other Muppets sometimes make annoying jokes about her weight, she's still treated as beautiful and desirable by men of various different species.

Least favorite thing about them: Her violent streak, especially her habit of karate chopping Kermit. The tradition of female-on-male violence being played for laughs should really be questioned, not just with the Muppets but in all media.

Three things I have in common with them:

*I'm a plus-sized female.

*I have a temper, though I don't let it show as much as I used to.

*I love music and entertainment.

Three things I don't have in common with them:

*I'm not an actress or a model.

*I'm not attracted to frogs.

*I'm not blonde.

Favorite line:

From The Great Muppet Caper, when she's insulting Nicky Holiday after he frames her for the jewel theft:

"You can't even sing! Your voice was dubbed!"

From Muppet Treasure Island:

"Well hello, Looooong John!"

And when Long John suspends her over a cliff (after Kermit/Captain Smollett had left her at the altar and Captain Flint had marooned her):

"You know, I'm beginning to see a pattern in the men I date."

brOTP: Most of the other Muppets (even if they do sometimes make fun of her, it's clear that they really are friends), and her dog Foo-Foo.

I'd especially like to see her share more friendship moments with Janice, since they're the two most prominent female Muppets from the "classic" era of the '70s and '80s.

OTP: Kermit, in the moments when her temper and his reluctance to commit don't get in the way.

nOTP: Nicky Holiday from The Great Muppet Caper, or worse, Constantine from Muppets Most Wanted.

Random headcanon: Quite a few of the other Muppet pigs are related to her. According to Frank Oz, she has many siblings – part of why she went into show business was because she couldn't bear the thought of becoming an overworked housewife with too many kids like her mother was. It makes sense to think that some of her siblings went into show business too, as did their children. Muppets Tonight made it canon that Andy and Randy, who originally played her brothers in Muppet Classic Theatre, are really her nephews – I also imagine that the two little girl pigs who played her daughters Belinda and Bettina in The Muppet Christmas Carol are her nieces, cousins to Andy and Randy.

Unpopular opinion: I agree with @ariel-seagull-wings that she looks better with curly hair, or at least wavy hair, than with straight hair. That said, her frizzy '80s perm in The Muppets Take Manhattan was a little extreme: loose curls suit her better.

Song I associate with them:

"Mad About the Frog" from the Leslie Uggams episode of The Muppet Show.

"Some of These Days" from the Loretta Swit episode of The Muppet Show.

"Never Before, Never Again" from The Muppet Movie.

"Miss Piggy's Fantasy" from The Great Muppet Caper.

"I'm Gonna Always Love You" from The Muppets Take Manhattan.

Favorite picture of them:

[anerdwithapen-blog]

Odyssey's Story Chapter 1 💜

( This story is Sfw, for the most part so read at your own will, but keep in mind this story is on the mature side of things, you have been warned ⚠️ )

Odyssey Starlett. What a name, too bad no one knows it. It's almost like she never existed, which is strange because she knew she was real. Or was she? Odyssey is not her name, but before she got the job as a backup singer for Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem, she didn't go by anything else, well unless it's Kermit handing out checks; then she'll hear her "birth name." Things were good for Od; everyone got along with her. She even did a guest role on The Muppet Show back in the '70s when she was in her 20s. Things did change for her leaving, her family behind after seeing Kermit put out a flyer for "Groovy backup singers, Bring some soul and spirit to Muppets House band Dr. Teeth ATEM." She was so happy that she dropped everything and went; she would have never met Dr. Teeth and his lovers if it wasn't for her quick thinking well maybe still but it wouldn't have been in that lifetime. She could still picture the first time she met them.

1975 NYC, they needed someone to help sing backup for a skit. "I can't believe this is all you could find for the number?" Kermit belted out.Well, sorry boss, this is all on short notice," Scooter said defeated. "Good grief" was all that Kermit could get out before a purple-haired and felt puppet comes up to him almost towering, looks at him. Kermit looks up, trying not to gulp. "Sorry there Mr. Frog, but I wanted to try, I swear I won't let you down... please, I won't," Odyssey said, feeling her heart down to her ass. Kermit sighs and looks Od up and down; he smiles a bit and stands by Scooter. "Let's see what you got Ms. -" "Starlett, Odyssey Starlett, sir."

Kermit: Let's see what you got Ms. Star, let's see if that last name suits you.

Odyssey felt her heart stop, but she swallowed her fear and started to tap her high heels and snap her fingers. Kermit looks at her in amazement; he whispers to Scooter to grab the Electric Mayhem. Scooter says a quick "On it, boss" and dashes off. Odyssey starts to sing "Stairway to Heaven" but shorts it to where she skips a lot of the instrumental bits. Odyssey doesn't notice, but The Mayhem has set up behind her; Dr. Teeth gets ready on his keyboard, and Floyd and Janice already chimed in. Zoot waits for him to chime in, and Animal lets it loose on the beat drop. Kermit looks at the rest of the casting sheet, and he throws it away. Odyssey finishes up to her surprise; the band and her are drenched in sweat from feeling her energy. Animal startles Od with an "AGAIN AGAIN AHahahaha!!" Odyssey turns around and sees the Mayhem, and she faints. Luckily for her, Dr. Teeth stretches out his arms and catches her. "Woah there, ah-ahaha, someone got too excited," The doctor said with a belly laugh. The rest of the Mayhem was a bit more concerned for the purple puppet. "Oh, poor thing," Janice said in a soft voice. "I think someone got overwhelmed by the power of the Led Zep," Floyd said, leading him to wheeze laugh. Zoot stands there and looks at Od. "They look a bit purple." "I think they are always purple, Zoot." "Oh, then they look fine to me." After Floyd and Zoot's little back and forth, Od starts to wake up. " Look! Look! they're up! " Janice said trying to not startle odyssey. " W-what what happened " by this time Dr teeth put her closer to his chest while the mayhem surrounded her a bit and Kermit looked worried. " you blinked out for a few seconds there Purple hahaha " The Doc said in his cool and calm manner. Kermit dashes to them " oh good grief... you okay? "  " their fine now green stuff... " Floyd looks at him rolls his eyes. " oh did you eat today or drink water ? " Janice said pulling out some snack from their shared bag. " Oh haha... yeah i just forgot to eat breakfast no biggie haha... " Kermit calls over scooter " hey scoot order breakfast again Breakfast sandwiches from the deli down the road please " Scooter nodes his head " anything specific boss? " Kermit looks at Od " do you have any allergies ? " Od wipes her eyes " i-- don't eat pork so no pork bacon ill take a turkey and cheese with ketchup salt and pepper " scooter nodes at Odyssey and dashes off  //// 

Odyssey drafting off to space looking up at the ceiling. they're on the floor, filled with pillows they share with the Mayhem. Janice doesn't believe in mattresses so they all sleep on the floor, most of the time animal sleep on their own human size doggy like-bed. When Od is the only one at the house they sleep and nap in animal's bed. Od gets out of their thoughts by Dr Teeth walking in with some breakfast and their coffee." Hey there Afros haha " he grins showing his golden tooth. God Odyssey loves The Doc's features all of him up and down, Before Od could drool over one of their lovers Floyd pops in to treat Od. The three of them joke and laugh a bit than the landline rings.  Dr Teeth picks it up , his smile turns to a frown, he goes back to a small grin Floyd and Odyssey look at Teeth trying to figure out the news before it is said. Before they could get a guess out the Doc hangs up and looks at them. " we gotta go to the theater " Od and Teeth watch as Floyd groans and sighs as he gets back up " Nah, hell man today was our day off " " well Sarge now its our day back on, come one Janice and Zoot is already there "

_________< End of Chapter 1 >_________

If you made it this far and your reading this thank you so so much 💖 and thanks for putting up with my bad Grammer and sometimes spelling errors 💜

I write these at like 3 am and sometimes just don't feel like proofreading all the time 😕

Anyways thanks again for reading and i hope you read the rest of their story 💕

[alwaysachorusgirl]

Playing Matchmaker

Pairing: Rafael Barba x Female Reader

Word Count: 2,028

Square: Blind Date

TW: none

Tagging: @thatesqcrush

A/N: Well, it took a massive re-write, but it’s done. This isn’t the story I originally started writing, but I’m okay with that. I like this version better. I like that it became more of an ensemble piece. And then there’s Janice. She’s named after Janice from the Muppets, and her personality is a combination of a few people that I know. She’s that friend who really cares and means well, but doesn’t always understand boundaries. And once I started writing her, it was hard to stop.

           “Janice, can you please just knock it off already?”

           You swallowed two ibuprofen tablets with a swig of your white chocolate mocha and rubbed your temples. As an SVU detective it was rare for you to have a Saturday off. You had agreed to meet your friend and neighbor Janice for coffee and breakfast. Everything had been fine until she had started sticking her nose into your love life, or lack thereof, and now you had a headache.

           “But Y/N, Valentine’s Day is a few days away, and once again, you don’t have any plans. Come on, just let me set you up with someone. One more blind date isn’t going to kill you.”

           “No, but I might kill you, “you shot back, glaring at your friend. “Look, I’m sorry, I know you mean well, it never works.”

           “It might, if you ever gave one of them a chance,” She countered. “You’re the one who always bails after one drink.”

           “I’m a detective, Janice, and a good judge of character. I can tell pretty quickly if a guy isn’t going to meet my standards. And besides, I hate Valentine’s Day. It’s not a real holiday, and it’s not worth me wasting my time and energy.”

           “Damn, Y/N,” remarked Janice, “You’re too young to be that jaded and cynical.”

           “I’m merely stating a fact, “you said with an exasperated sigh.  “It’s not my fault if you can’t handle it.”

           “What about your partner, that Italian guy? He’s cute.”

           “Sonny?” You nearly spat out your drink. “He’s like my big brother. I think I’m technically an adopted Carisi sister, at this point.”

           “Okay, so that’s a “no”. You mind if I ask him out?”

           “Janice, no; he’s a good Catholic boy and I will not have you corrupting him.”

           “Okay, okay, chill,” said Janice, sitting back and putting her hands up in defeat. “Oh! Wait! I know! What about that ADA you always hang out with? What’s his name…Raymond?”

           “His name is Rafael, and he’s also a “no”. I don’t think he feels the same way about me, as I do him.”

           “Aha! So, you do have your eye on someone!”

           “Janice, please, just drop it already. I have a headache and I don’t want to talk about this right now. Can we please order food? I’m starving.”

 ******************

After breakfast, you bundled up and headed out into the February air. You knew that Janice was just trying to help, but sometimes she just didn’t understand the concept of boundaries. Your love life had been non-existent since you had caught your last boyfriend cheating red-handed. That had been two years ago. Rafael Barba had offered you his shoulder to cry on, knowing all too well the kind of pain and humiliation that you had been feeling. He’d gone from work colleague to one of your best friends after that, and at some point, you had developed romantic feelings for the handsome, Cuban ADA. But for the sake of your friendship and working relationship, you intended to keep that to yourself. It wasn’t worth taking the risk of losing him or making things weird between the two of you.

Your feelings for Rafael were also why all the blind dates never went anywhere. Some of your dates had been nice, others total douchebags, but they weren’t Rafael, and therefore, there was no point in the stringing them along. As long as you were comparing them up against the standard that was Rafael Barba, they could never measure up. You were fine with that.

 **************************

           Janice walked into the SVU squad room on Monday and breathed a sigh of relief when she didn’t see you. She wasn’t there to see you anyway. Instead she looked around and tried to find someone who looked like they worked with you.

           “Excuse me, miss? You look a little lost. I’m Detective Amanda Rollins, Can I help you with something?”

           Janice turned and smile at the blond woman with the Southern accent. She recognized the name right away.

           “I think you can. I’m Janice Wilson. I’m a friend of Detective Y/F/N Y/L/N?”

           “Oh, Y/N’s not here right now. I think she’ll back in about a half an hour?” Amanda paused. “What a minute…did you say Janice? Janice the Matchmaker?!”

           “She’s mentioned me?” Janice’s eyes went wide.

           “Oh honey,” said Amanda, “we know all about you. You’re kind of famous around here. Hey! Carisi! Finn! Get off your butts and get over here!”

           “What?” Sonny called back from his desk, his mouth full of food. “It’s lunchtime, Rollins, I’m eating over here!”

           “Yeah, Rollins, what’s the fuss?” Asked Finn, rising from his chair.

           Amanda walked Janice a little further into the squad room.

           “Guys, this is Janice, the Janice! You know, Y/N’s friend?”

           “Wait, seriously? Janice the Matchmaker? Nice to finally put a face to the name,” said Finn, coming over and shaking Janice’s hand.

           “Hey, we’ve met before. It was that one time at Y/N’s apartment, “said Sonny, finally putting down his sandwich and standing up. “You live down the hall. So, what brings you to SVU?”

           Janice quickly filled them in the conversation from the coffee shop.

           “So, the thing is, I’ve been getting it all wrong. If I had had known sooner about the ADA, I would have tried setting her up with him. I feel bad and I need to make this right with her. The problem is, I think she’s a little pissed at me, and she’s not going to listen to me. That’s where you guys come in. I have an idea, but I need your help.”

           “Count me in, “said Amanda. “If anyone needs to get together, it’s Y/N and Barba.”

           “I don’t know, Rollins, “said Sonny. “Isn’t this kind of going behind her back?”

           “Carisi, have you seen the way they look at each other? Have you ever noticed how he’s less cranky when she’s around?”

           “Yes, Rollins, I know, we all know! But she’s still my partner, and I gotta look out for her.” He looked at Janice. “If I agree to this, what exactly would I have to do?”

           Janice motioned for everyone to come closer.

           “Bring it in, folks, here’s the plan.”

*********************

           When you came back from picking up warrants and getting lunch, everything appeared to be normal. Amanda and Finn were working at their desks. Sonny was nowhere to be seen, but that wasn’t exactly unusual. Any one of you could be called out on a case at any time. You took off your coat and sat down at your desk. You were just starting to dig into your lunch when Amanda got up and came over.

           “Hey, you, just the person I wanted to see.” She flashed her best smile, and you immediately suspicious.

           “Hi Amanda, what’s up?”

           “Oh, I was just wondering if you had any plans for Valentine’s Day…”

           “Amanda, you know that I don’t. What’s really going on?”

           “Okay, so I know this guy. He also doesn’t have any plans for Valentine’s Day, and I think he might be a good fit for you.”

           “Oh, dear God, are you seriously trying to set me up on a blind date?”

           “Yes, I am. Look, I vouch for this guy. I wouldn’t try to set you up with someone that

I couldn’t vouch for, and he’s a nice guy. I think you’ll like him.”

           “Fine,” you sighed, hanging your head in defeat. “But if this guy sets off even one red flag, I’m bailing.”

           “That is totally fair,” agreed Amanda. “You would be disappointed, I promise.”

********************

Sonny walked into Rafael Barba’s office at 1 Hogan Place and hoped that he wouldn’t screw this up. He still couldn’t believe that he’s agreed to this, but Janice and Amanda had been so sure that this would work. He heard his phone ping in his coat pocket. He checked it and saw it was a text from Amanda. She had succeeded in getting you to agree to the blind date. Now he had to do his part. Rafael’s assistant, Carmen, was sitting at her desk.

“Hey, Carmen, he in?”

“Yes, but he’s prepping for court, so he’s in a mood. Don’t take up too much of his time, okay?”

“No problem, hopefully this won’t take long.” Sonny knocked the door and waited until he heard “Enter!”, before going in.

Rafael looked up and wasn’t thrilled to see the detective striding into his office.

“What do you want Carisi? I’m busy, and Y/N already came by earlier to pick up those warrants for Liv.”

“I’m actually here to ask you a question. What are you doing for Valentine’s Day?”

“The same thing I do every year, working,” replied Rafael, rolling his eyes. “Why do you ask?”

“I ask because I have this friend, and she is into you. I really think you’d like her, and she doesn’t have any plans for Valentine’s Day. So, I’m just trying to be a good friend and help her out…”

“You’re trying to set me up on a blind date with your friend? Are you kidding me right now?”

“No, no I most certainly am not. Come on, Barba, it’s one date. Trust me, you’re going to like her. She’s worth it.”

“Does this friend have a name?” asked Rafael, suddenly realizing that the detective wasn’t backing down without a fight.

“I can’t tell you that because it will ruin the surprise, but come on, what have you got to lose?”

**********************

And so, on Valentine’s Day, Rafael Barba found himself walking into a little French Bistro a few blocks away from Hogan Place. He still didn’t know his date’s name. All he had been told by Sonny was what she’d be wearing, that she was beautiful, and that he’d know her when he saw her. It was all a bit too vague for his tastes, but Sonny had insisted. So, the ADA had chosen the restaurant and made a reservation. He looked around, hoping to see someone that fit the description he’d been given. Instead, he saw you, sitting at the bar and nursing a glass of red wine. He made his way over to the bar, secretly wishing that he was meeting you instead of his date.

“Y/N? What are you doing here?”

“Rafael!” You said, looking up in surprise. You got up and hugged your friend. He was warm and it felt so good to be wrapped up in his arms. He smelled of coffee and his cologne and it was nothing short of intoxicating. You probably held onto to him for a bit too long, but he didn’t seem to mind.

“Believe it or not, Amanda set me up on a blind date,” you told him, finally pulling away and sitting back down.

“Really? This is going to sound weird, but Carisi set me up on a blind date.”

“He did what? He didn’t tell me about that. Is it just me, or does it feel like something’s up?”

“Yes,” Rafael nodded, “Something is definitely up. Y/N, what color would you say your dress is?”

You looked down at your dress, and then back up at Rafael, thoroughly confused.

“I like to think of it as a cranberry wine,” you replied. “Why do you ask?”

“Carisi said my date would be wearing a cranberry wine-colored wrap dress, is beautiful, and that I’d know her when I saw her.”

Your eyes went wide as your thought back to what Amanda had told you about your date.

“Amanda told me that my date has green eyes, dark hair, is well-dressed, and that I’d know him when I saw him…” You trailed off, gazing into Rafael’s eyes, realization dawning on you. “It’s you. I’m so glad it’s you.”

“I’m glad it’s you, too,” said Rafael, taking your hand in his. “So, want to you say to having dinner with me?”

“I say ‘Yes’, nothing would make me happier. Just let me text Amanda real quick.”

Y/N: I’m going to kill you!

A. Rollins: Lol, that’s fine. Just make sure you say ‘thank you’ to Janice. She’s the brains of the operation. We couldn’t have done it without her.

[musemelodies]

The Muppets 👀👀👀

Favorite character: GONZO AND JANICE AND THE REST OF THE BAND. ALSO ROWLF AND UNCLE DEADLY.

Least Favorite character: if you asked me this like, five or so years ago, i probably would’ve said pepe, but he’s grown on me a lot since then, so i’m gonna go with andy and randy. i feel like somebody in the marketing team really loved them because they were all over muppets tonight and made it pretty extremely hard to watch at times. i can’t say that i was happy to see them again in the 2015 series. blehhh…

5 Favorite ships (canon or non-canon): gonzo/camilla, polymayhem, bunsen/beaker, rowlf/piggy, and kermit/piggy when the writers know what they’re doing.

Character I find most attractive: JANICE AND PIGGY

Character I would marry: I WOULD SAY JANICE, BUT SHE’S A FREE SPIRIT SOOO…ROWLF 

Character I would be best friends with: ALL OF THEM, BUT ESPECIALLY THE BAND AND FOZZIE AND ROWLF

a random thought: it goes without saying, but disney needs to stop sleeping on the franchise in general

An unpopular opinion: the muppets take manhattan is just as amazing as the first two movies, man. i really like the way it’s filmed and the more down to earth tone it has and the way it handles kermit and piggy’s relationship.

My Canon OTP: BUNSEN/BEAKER (IT’S TOTALLY CANON)

My Non-canon OTP: ROWLF/PIGGY

Most Badass Character: PIGGY. FLOYD HAS HIS MOMENTS TOO. ANYBODY WHO CAN SASS PIGGY AND LIVE TO TELL THE TALE IS A TRUE BAMF. 

Most Epic Villain: UNCLE DEADLY (PRE-REDEMPTION ARC) 

Pairing I am not a fan of: kermit/piggy when the writers don’t know what they’re doing. also sam/janice was really squicky and ooc on his end and just…ewww.

Character I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another): oh lord, piggy, kermit, and scooter in the 2015 series. you could really tell that his scenes were written by the folks from the b/ig b/ang t/heory. :S

Favourite Friendship: TOO MANY TO LIST

Character I most identify with: MOSTLY YOLANDA AND I HAVE MY KERMIT MOMENTS AS WELL (“yeesh…”)

Character I wish I could be: ROWLF

[keelywolfe]

FIC: Between Meals

Summary:   No one is starving in this corner of the universe. Not if Edge has any say in it.

Notes:  I have a weird thing for Edge having issues about food and wanting to feed people. It's a thing.

Series: By Any Other Name, Stocking Stuffer

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Hunger wasn’t the same for a skeleton Monster as it was for most others. There was no growling tummy, no truly visible signs. Their gnawing ache came from somewhere deeper, one that lingered in the soul rather than the belly, and could only truly be detected if the one looking for it wasn’t afraid of the consequences of Checking.

It was how Red had concealed the worst of their childhood days from him. Edge hadn’t figured out what his brother was keeping secret until he had been old enough to do something about it, going to work for the guard to bring in extra money. Coming to this universe and discovering that Red’s height and HP weren’t the cost of years of borderline starvation was a source of guilt-stricken relief for Edge and always would be. He would never know exactly how much his brother had gone without to ensure he had been kept meagerly fed but the refrigerator in his home often held red-lidded containers filled with his brother’s favorites. Pasta swimming with sauce and cheese, chili con carne, loaded with peppers and perfect for spooning over the hot dogs that were always in one of the drawers.

Edge never told him they were there and Red never asked about them, and when the dishes were empty, Edge only washed them to be filled again. Stretch never mentioned it either, only moved the containers out of the way whenever he dug through the refrigerator for whatever Edge had left for him, in his own blue-lidded containers.

It wasn’t only his brother who fell prey to his urges. Whenever Stretch ended up surrounded by his neighborhood minions, Edge found himself giving in to the impulse to feed them.

None of these children were hungry, their cheeks were round and flush with health. They laughed and chased each other, made snowmen and had snowball fights, sprawled out to make angels in the piles of whiteness around their home.

Reminiscent of another home, a lifetime away.

He remembered other children, the wan, listless little ones of Snowdin whenever the supply lines failed, their hollow-cheeked parents worse off still and…Edge knew these children were not those ones. He knew it.

He still found time to bake treats for them. Healthy treats, apple oatmeal muffins and cookies made with wheat flour. Whole grain brownies that were devoured the moment he brought them out and donuts still warm from the fryer eagerly stolen.

Their glee when he offered them stilled a frantic little flutter in his soul, eased it. This was not Snowdin and these children were not starving, and with every snack Edge gave them, he proved it.

On Friday night, he and Stretch were lying on the sofa together. Rather, Edge was sitting, and Stretch was sprawled out, more in his lap than not, sighing as Edge gently stroked his skull with gloved fingertips. This was the third time they’d watch the Muppet Christmas Carol this month, but it was Stretch’s favorite and Edge couldn’t say he minded. Not when he got to have Stretch close to him, soft and warm and content. It really was the best part of his day.

The knock on the door was unexpected. Stretch stood up before he could, yawning.

“nah, stay there, keep the sofa warm. if i don’t move i’ll fall asleep.” He slouched his way over to the door. It was probably one of their brothers or possibly Papyrus. He’d been wanting to finish up the details on their Gyftmas day celebration and it was entirely possible he’d stop by.

He did not expect Stretch to say in surprise, “janice? is everything okay?”

“Oh, yes.” Came from the other side of the door, “I was hoping to speak with…ah, Edge!”

He had been on his feet before she could finish, wracking his memory for any reason his secretary could be on his doorstep on a Friday night. “What’s wrong?”

Janice gave him a warm smile and shook her head. Next to her was a child that Edge recognized as one that regularly came over for Stretch’s little events. “Oh, nothing at all! It’s just that my son has been telling me the two of you are feeding him on the weekends.”

“I…yes,” Edge said slowly. Her intent came into brutal focus. Surely she was here to ask him to stop and she was well within her right to do so. He should have asked the children to check with their parents to begin with, they weren’t his children, not his responsibility any more than the children in Snowdin had been and—

(He’d been the captain of the guard, his duty was to protect them, he’d failed them in the end, always failed them)

“Well, you can’t be the only one supplying these little Monsters with snacks,” Janice said cheerily. “Oscar and I made chocolate-banana muffins for them tomorrow.” She held out a package and numbly, Edge took it, feeling the light weight of the baked goods through the paper sack. “I thought I may as well bring them over now since they usually end up in your yard by noon. I heard there was an experiment this weekend?” She arched an eyebrow at Stretch.

“we aren’t blowing anything up,” Stretch assured her. His grin was probably not reassuring. “not yet.”

“So long as you aren’t blowing up the children,” she said dryly. “Anyway, have fun tomorrow!”

“I…thank you,” Edge managed.

“yeah, thank you!” Stretch said cheerily. He crouched down to Oscar’s level and the child seemed oddly shy in his mother’s presence. “gonna help me out tomorrow with the experiment?”

He nodded timidly and Stretch grinned. “good, i can always use an assistant. see you tomorrow, kiddo!”

“Good night!” Janice called, and she took her son by the hand and led him down the walkway.

Stretch closed the door behind them. “that was nice of her. think they’ll miss one of those tomorrow?”

He reached out for the bag and Edge instinctively held it out of reach. “This is for the children.”

“c’mon, i bet she made lots!” Stretch tried to reach around him, blinking as Edge planted a hand on his sternum and pushed him firmly back.

“There’s food in the kitchen. This is for the children,” Edge said, too sharply. He was being ridiculous, he knew he was, Janice had surely made plenty and yet…

His husband’s expression softened, the sudden understanding as painful as it was soothing. “it’s all good, babe. put them up, yeah? i bet the kids will like them tomorrow.”

He nodded slowly, fluttering anxiety in his soul easing, and walked away to do just that. The kitchen was quiet, empty, and he set the bag on the back of the counter, and hesitated.

The light from the refrigerator was stark as he opened it and each shelf was filled, with containers of finished food, with ingredients, plenty to eat for anyone who opened the door. There was a blue-lidded container of lemon bars on one shelf, Stretch’s favorite, and each one was cut the same size, carefully dusted with powdered sugar. Edge took the container out of the fridge, started to grab a plate and paused.

Instead, he took the entire container out to where Stretch was waiting for him.

His love could have as many as he wanted.

-finis-

[timona-lisa]

since i’ve been getting a lot of questions about them (and by a lot, i mean four), i decided to compile a list of my old muppet fics that i’m really embarrassed over now. 

note: pretty much all these fics were written when i was in high school and have since been deleted but i think you can still find the breakfast club one through the wayback machine. 

so without further ado, here’s ai’s greatest cheesiest hits:

don’t you forget about me: so this one was made back in 2008 and it was essentially a parody (eh) of the breakfast club. originally the cast was going to be kermit as bender (i know, so fitting), piggy as claire, gonzo as andrew, camilla as allison, and fozzie as brian but then i noticed there weren’t too many fics starring the band so i changed it to floyd, janice, teeth, zoot, and scooter who, now that i think about it, was a probably a better choice for brian.

there’s not too much to say about this one, other than it was a basic script fic with some changes from the original movie to make it more pg and piggy who would show up now and then ‘cause she was furious over not getting the part of claire. (yeah, my handling of piggy’s character was pretty awful but that was before i grew to appreciate her and realize there was more to her than being a diva.) also sam was the principal which was the only casting i can still say i’m proud of.

long way to the top: also written in 2008, basically my since abandoned oc aurie (short for aurora, i think?), a tambourine player and obvious fangirl, auditions for the band and catches the eye of all the dudes (except floyd) and…i’m kinda blanking on this one? i know it was pretty much your standard cheesy wish fulfillment fic and i think she got kidnapped near the end and the crew had to go out and save her from some evil record producer guy. yeah. i don’t have too much else to say about it. 

all sewn up: also 2008, so this one actually kinda brings back good memories, it was a journal fic written from zoot’s perspective with some random observations and behind the scenes antics and it was set during the first season of the muppet show. i remember literally watching the joel grey episode on youtube while working on the fic and trying to capture what zoot’s voice was like back then. there were a couple entries about his relationship with janice and he probably sounded more like a dorky teenager than a burned out sax player but aside from that, it was pretty in-character but short-lived, about five or six entries.

coming of the roads: the first of the giant “epic” fics, set during modern times (modern being 2009), and centers on the band going on a tour around the states and they end up in a town that’s half stepford, half the slums. while there, they find an abandoned baby and take her in and name her melody (yes, i was that unoriginal). eventually, they go to the town hall and try to explain the situation but they get dismissed because it’s run by assholes and it’s in the stepford part of town so they call the rest of the muppet gang to help them and fix up the place through shows and montages and all that good stuff. 

on the surface, the story seemed to have a lot going for it but unfortunately, it was weighed down by a lot of soap opera drama and corny moments. like, there was one subplot where janice was struggling between her feelings for floyd and teeth (bear in mind, this was long before the series was a thing) and there was a super ooc scene where janice and teeth shared a kiss after a show and floyd got all pissed and stormed off stage. (spoilers: it was just a heat of the moment thing and it got resolved within a couple chapters.)

there was another subplot where lips was struggling to figure out his own feelings for zoot and every time he tried to ask what their relationship status was, zoot would be like “i dunno, man” until near the end where they got attacked by stepford people for trying to change things and they spent the night bandaging each other up and zoot was all: “yeah, um, i like you.” if i remember right, i was going to have lips kiss zoot on the cheek but i got told off by an admin that it wasn’t “appropriate” so it ended with a “just bros being bros” hug. :/ 

the last subplot was about teeth and his father-daughter relationship with melody and there were some flashbacks to his childhood and how he spent time between various foster homes and the streets and was able to rise up and become a rock legend. then there was a subplot within that subplot that focused on his relationship with another old oc joelle, who was pretty much a fusion of tiana and esmeralda, and made her living as a street performer. basically, they were childhood sweethearts but lost track of each other for some reason or another and they reunited near the end of the second act. looking back, jo wasn’t as poorly written as aurie but then again, she didn’t have a whole lot to do besides fill the long-lost girlfriend role, hang out with janice, and occasionally make snarky comments. also i love how lips kissing zoot on the cheek was considered “inappropriate” but a heavily implied sex scene with her and teeth didn’t raise any eyebrows.

honestly, besides the elements i already addressed, i think the part where i really missed the mark was the ending. literally everything was resolved by way of plot conveniences. the town got a new mayor. jo became the new tambourine player. melody was adopted by the band but also by jenny and ronnie from mtm. yeah, remember them? they were part of the fic too. i’m not sure why but i guess the story needed human characters? i have no idea what i was on back then.

hit the lights: oh boy, this one’s a doozy. so it takes place almost immediately after coming of the roads (early 2010) and the band are being stalked by this tmz-esque journalist because...yeah, because. let’s go with that. after cornering zoot, asking a bunch of super personal questions, and failing to get any answers, tmz dude starts to trash him in reviews and such and makes a big deal over his shyness. in short, tmz dude is pretty much the worst and he winds up getting murdered in the second chapter. since zoot was the target of his criticism and was close to the scene of the crime, he ends up being the primary suspect. much of the fic is focused on the gang trying to clear his name as well as flashbacks to his childhood, his relationship/s with the band, etc.

so yeah, there’s a few elements that were recycled from the previous fic, such as the flashbacks, zoot’s relationship with his family, another long-lost girlfriend (only she was the victim of an unsolved murder as well) and a reunion between him and their daughter near the end. again, the biggest problem with the fic was it was played really straight and soap opera-ish and there was little room for muppety antics. there were like, paragraphs upon paragraphs of zoot lamenting about the past and it got to be draining after a while. i love exploring lesser-known characters and it wasn’t the first time i tackled zoot but unlike the journal fic, which was pretty lighthearted and didn’t take itself too seriously, this was like an avalanche of angst. also clover (his daughter) was probably the least embarrassing of my ocs but she didn’t have much of presence in the fic until the end. 

i’m trying to think of something else to say other than, “it tried way too hard to be sad and ended up being corny and exhausting.” i did try to incorporate more of zoot and lips’ relationship but again, because of the forum’s weak ass policy, they could only hug or hold hands and the fluff took a backseat to the drama. i was going through some personal stuff at the time and i think a lot of that was evident in my writing and i even based tmz dude after somebody who was bullying me and when i reflect on it nowadays, it’s pretty painful. i think i went through a three year gap when i kinda forgot about the fic and then one day, just reread the whole thing in one sitting and was like, “yeeeah, this needs to go...”

so there you have it, ai’s mupfics of yore.

[spaces--explorer]

Artists & Artworks

Below are the artists and artworks I have viewed as key informants for my work this year. 

(Note: The NightMind link(s) is/are included with several of the works as he has created explanation videos for those works that are interactive, online and hold mystery within them. I have included these as they are often what introduced me to the works or have helped me understand the works in a different perspective. If the work interests you I suggest viewing it and then the NightMind video.)

It is upon compiling the artists and works I have looked at over this year that I have found the correlation of the uncanny and a representation of real, public life within all of the works and how this influenced my own work.

Please click ‘keep reading’ to view all of the information.

Alan Resnick (and Wham City Comedy) (This House Has People In It + Sculptor’s Clayground, Unedited Footage Of A Bear, AlanTutorial, Live Forever As You Are Now, Children Of The Mirror) Links: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 NightMind 1 2 3 4

Alan Resnick and Wham City Comedy create complete alternate universes within their works. Resnick started with AlanTutorial, a youtube and twitter based immersive art work that left viewers questioning whether Alan and his problems were real. This invasion of the suspended disbelief a viewer enters is present in all of the works listed above, and bar AlanTutorial, use this and the innate curiosity of a person to created a twisted narrative that comments upon society and its controlling aspects on the viewer.

It is the aspects of discovery that I have brought into my work, with the websites for UFOAB, THHPII and COTM all have between 20 minutes and 2 hours worth of extra footage and hidden text that does not leave the narrative it is creating or reverts to the “artist’s voice”.

UFOAB is film and website that follows a mother as she goes insane and pushes the fake medicine of Claridryl and can see to be commenting upon Big Pharma and our reliance on medications that cause more problems than what we are medicating for.

THHPII is a huge mass of information behind the initial video. Using security camera footage and logs we view the family, the newly connected family with the children being one of each parents and the baby being both of the parents’ child. After digging into all of the information with Sculptor’s Clayground it can be suggested that the work could be commenting on society and advertising pressures. The family are concerned about the contraction of a fake disease which is put into their brains by the media they consume and may be finally represented by Madison and the non-family members sinking into the ground.

The expanding sense of discomfort and confusion upon viewing just the videos is heightened when viewed in their original time slot (again bar AlanTutorial) at 3am on the American channel Adult Swim as part of their infomercial series (see below). However there is an understanding that all of these works do not have a definitive and absolute explanation and reasoning behind and within them and it is the viewer’s interpretation that creates the narrative also.

Also discussed in my dissertation.

Joe Pelling & Rebecca Sloan (Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared) Links 1 2 3 4 5 6 NightMind

Another video works that comments upon society, becomes chaotic and has many easter eggs within each video. DHMIS is the first work I viewed that informs my vein of work this year. First seen online July 2015 and also viewed at the cinema screening at Dismaland, we as a viewer are transported to a set like a children’s television show, and in each ‘episode’ we are given a barely graspable idea - Time, Creativity, Love, Internet, Health - that is introduced to children early in life and then something goes awry and we are greeted with a horror version of the show.

Nostalgia lulls the view into a false sense of security in the first video, the bright colours, puppets that are reminiscent of the Muppets or the Tweenies and the bright colours and simple set falls into the tpye cast of children’s TV show. The obnoxious lies that are then presented with these visuals jar against each other.

There are any interpretations of what DHMIS means, such as a comment on society and its use of control through advertising, the brainwashing of children through television and brand influence on presentation of individuals. It is the multiplicity of meaning that I have aimed to use in my work and the false sense of security and nostalgia of the child like appearance that is used in parts of all the installation-intervention works I have created.

Jeffrey Cranor & Joseph Fink (Welcome To Night Vale, Alice Isn’t Dead) Links 1 2 3 NightMind

WTNV is a podcast which developed into a touring show and several books that then lead to other podcasts such as AID. A fictional town described as “if Stephen King and Neil Gaiman created a town in The Sims and left it running”, Night Vale is a faux radio show hosted by Cecil Palmer giving out community information and news, which can be both ordinary and extraordinary for the viewer but treated as normal by Cecil and the townspeople.

WTNV’s use of just audio to create such a vivid mental image for the viewer is incredibly inspiring. Disparition and the voices selected for the characters create a perfect combination that created a universe that the viewer can easily fall into until the odd happenings question the ease in which you enter the town.

This has influenced some of the creepier comments and aspects in my work, loosely created the basis for the eye logo. Night Vale is one of the overarching background influences for my work as well as a piece I thoroughly enjoy itself. 

EverymanHYBRID Links 1 2 NightMind Playlist

EverymanHYBRID is a ARG work, part of the lore that has created Slenderman. Filmed and presented in a documentary/real life style drawing the viewer into the narrative it weaves. Multiple inputs and links from around the web as well as real life events that can be found on the web (the trials).

Aspicio Omniam Links 1 NightMind

An audio-visual piece that uses sound well to create an atmosphere, visit the apartments from hell, with ‘educational videos’ that explore the apartment in relation to the sound track with it.

Spectacular Organic Links 1 2 3 4 NightMind

A faux company that offers you a product that you never truly know what it is or recieve. This work holds the chipper and over exaggerated ‘happiness’ that I have emulated in the audio piece for Artist (i)nformation and in several of the posters in ETB.

The Modular Body Links 1 2 NightMind

A website and advert that shows the latest creation in biology. A creature that you can build.

The production value of the video is high and the technical aspects of creating a machine that can emulate the idea of a biological creature is interesting to be but the suspended disbelief is broken on the website however.

Abstractions Links 1 NightMind

I did not view this work much/for long, but the use of images and layering (the subtitles, the contrast and such) is intriguing and the act of having to search for meaning in an image or work is something I have used within my work just to a different degree.

Infochammel Links 1 NightMind

An over-exaggerated mockery of infomercials and advertising. A channel that can actually be streamed to television which on the surface seems like it can make sense but viewing the individual videos gives the sensation of your brain being fried but no knowledge being contained within them.

Adult Swim’s Informercials Links 1 2 3 4 5 6

Adult Swim has commissioned a variety of artists to create 11 minute long videos to be shown at 3am. Many of these videos parody a form of popular entertainment and showings typical of the 3am time slot - Too Many Cooks parodies the 80′s television themes and casting, Icelandic Blue and Miracle Man parody the style and content of infomercials, religious or consumer (Alan Resnick’s work was shown as part of this section as well) - and imply that these infomercials are not fake and are truly part of our universe and society.

The15Experience Links 1 2 NightMind

The15Experience plays with what is true and what is not and what is live and what is prerecorded and created. The viewer is given access to 15 cameras in an abandoned house, told by the creator/installer to be viewing a haunting. We are then privy to a group breaking in to the house and a demonic possession occurs.

The blending of true and fiction is important to me and my work and the horror aspect interests me.

Darren Cullen Links 1

Cullen’s key work for myself is Pocket Money Loans. It is a faux shop from that displays loans for children in return for their pocket money, mocking the loan shark culture of the work and the destruction of Romantic childhood ideals. His play in the space between real life and art is interesting to myself and the realisation of my work. The outcry he had in response to PML as people found the work either too realistic (therefore believing it) or too hard on the point it is putting across is something I wish to emulate in the future with my own work.

Also discussed/Discussed further in my dissertation.

Dismaland

Dismaland is a key exhibition/art work that has influenced my works this year. Showing several of the works on this list (Wasted Rita, Darren Cullen, DHMIS) Dismaland creates/reflects the overbearing ‘Big Brother’ state that I have emulated as the corporation of ‘(i)nformation H(eye)ghway’ . The merchandise and atmosphere is recreated and influential on the stickers and business cards in Elder Tour(i)sm Board. 

Yet another work that asks the viewer to suspend disbelief and enter the world it creates, Dismaland uses images we recognise and ones we don’t and manipulates them into a realistic but uncanny valley portrayal of theme parks, advertising and consumerism.

Also discussed/Discussed further in my dissertation.

Janice Kerbel

Kerbel uses language, wording, typography and staging to create art pieces. Nominated for the 2015 Turner Prize for DOUG, Kerbel subverts the tradition presentation of storytelling.

Her works comprise of audio, print and performance which as elements I have used within my own work.

Joëlle Tuerlinckx Links 1 2 3

While last year Tuerlinckx’s work was incredibly important to the creation of my own, this year her influence has lessened.

Her use of language and manipulation of language has influenced the duality I have created in my work, whether explicitly through the language - Expens(iv)es being a combination of expensive and expenses and how the reading and pronunciation of the word effects how the written piece is read - and the manipulation of thoughts and interpretations of the viewer themselves.

He combination of gallery and studio spaces in the exhibiting of her works has also helped with my realisation of the presentation of ETB. 

Also discussed/Discussed further in my dissertation.

Johan Deckmann Links 1 2 

Deckmann paints short statements onto book covers which hold somewhat private thoughts or information. The covers are then framed and photographed and aired to the world.

Katrina Palmer

It was Palmer’s work that cemented for me that writing and longer form writings can be art. Statement artists such as Wasted Rita, Lawrence Weiner, Johan Deckmann and Seamus Gallagher all told me that short but precisely focused statements can be presented as art outside of the literary sense of words, but Palmer’s works such as Geraldine The Goat  presented ‘story-telling’ as an art form outside of the traditional view of the narrative. 

Lars Laumann Berlinmuren Links 1

With Berlinmuren being a mockumentary of sorts following the true stories of two women in love with the Berlin wall.

The oddity of real events is something I want to replicate within my work while combining it with mundanity and ‘true’ extraordinary ideas.

Lauren Wolcott Some of The Lied I Have Told Links 1

The use of own thoughts and hidden feelings helped in creating the graffiti in all of my installation-intervention works.

Lawrence Weiner

Weiner has been a heavy influence upon myself, many through his discussion of what is art and how it is created or perceived or situated with Siegelaub and the others (see notes on the Siegelaub interview and the Lawrence Weiner book).

However I did not come to his work until late into this year, but his use of text as art to create a dynamic between thought and space is incredibly interesting to myself, and with a quick google search is apparently so with a mass of artists worldwide.

Mark Wallinger Link 1

Richard Littler Links 1 2 3 

Littler is the creator of Scarfolk, the blog, youtube channel and book that shows the town of Scarfolk that is stuck in the decade of the 1970s.

Scarfolk is a major influence for me: ‘for more information’, the use of posters to imply information without actually giving any, the over arching power of the town council and how they control the output of the town. 

With the book it is presented as a found document of writings by a father who is searching for his missing sons in Scarfolk. The legitimacy of Scarfolk is pushed by the printed document and its layout of the book makes it feel like a real guide to Scarfolk and his history as well as a documented search.

Littler makes the works look relevant to the time they are supposedly from while referencing current events as well (such as the election of Trump). The posters and audio-visual works on the youtube are convincing enough some people state that they remember them from their childhood in the 1970s, even though they were not created until 2009-now.

Also discussed/Discussed further in my dissertation.

Richard Prince Links 1 2 

Prince’s ideas on appropriate in art/as art have always been a point of contention for me. The copying exactly of a piece (in his sense redeveloping an image) does not create a new art piece, or an art piece you can apply your own name to, but using ‘found’ images to create different works in a major part of my work. Such as using the idea of bubblegum broccoli from McDonalds or the image of Apple’s Macbook.

Samuel Beckett Links 1

The performance an execution of Not I aided the production of the script and performance of (I)nformation H(eye)ghway. Beckett demanded perfect speech of the script but a continuous babble of words becoming unable to be understood, while the actress is strapped into a harness and suspended above the ground for the entire performance. Her endurance is part of the performance and the only object the viewer is given is the gaping mouth.

Seamus Gallagher Links 1 2

I discovered Gallagher’s work on instagram mid-November, and the worry became that the work I was producing at the time was too similar to his (the classifieds).

However both of us have developed down different avenues from a similar starting point over he same span of time.

His work has shown me how the ideas I have can work through a different aesthetic and process and has influenced some of the book covers made for A(I) and ETB.

Wasted Rita Links 1

Her fly-posters were the most interesting to me at Dismaland. The miminalistic images she creates through the use of private-made-public statements on faded papers are incredibly pleasing to me.

Also discussed/Discussed further in my dissertation.

[devilsrecreation]

Thoughts on MFTFBG part 3:

Snowdrop and the Seven Penguins:

Honestly, Piggy being salty about her evil Queen roles here is hilarious

THE FACT THAT WALDORF AND STATLER PLAY THE MIRROR😂😂😂 PERFECTION

You know, I never got why the evil queen ONLY asks the mirror about her looks. It’s an ALL-KNOWING MAGIC mirror. MAGIC. It LITERALLY knows the cure for cancer or whatever disease people are dealing with around that time. All the queen has to do is ask! But nooooo! Looks are FAR more important! I mean, I know it’s a fairy tale, but these are facts, man!

The fact that Scooter prefers to die rather than follow Piggy around....damn. Luckily Piggy lowkey doesn’t want that

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! Scooter’s too sweet! He got Janice a whole damn meal just so she could survive🥺

I’m getting “Finding Nemo” vibes from reading “mine” over and over

I like how instead of Janice waking up and seeing the penguins, the penguins are just like, “Ah screw it. We’ll deal with it in the morning.” and they manage to make their little sleeping plan work

Why make a something lethal yourself when you got Bunsen and Beaker to do it for you? (yes, they’re in the story)

Eyeliner called “Drop Dead, Gorgeous”.....amazing

Also an eyeliner instead of an apple.....okay, creative

Damn these penguins are smart. They see the eyeliner, wipe it off, and—bam! Snowdrop’s alive

Bunsen better be kissing Beaker after the poisonous comb experiment

Once again, Piggy’s plan doesn’t work cuz the penguins are smarter than they look

Of course she eats a kumquat. Of course

“Vincent Price in the ‘Thriller’ video”......That’s Michael Jackson....authors. Get your facts right

I swear to god, the prince in this story BETTER be Floyd

YAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY!

I think ya’ll mean “mustache”. Floyd does not have a beard. Unless Floyd is actually wearing a fake beard

AND INSTEAD OF KISSING JANICE FLOYD JUST PLAYS HIS GUITAR AND IT WORKS! I LOVE IT

About time Floyd and Janice got married

Overall, fun ending!

Unclestiltskin:

First off, the title: HVAGSHDHCGHFHHU PERFECTION

I love how they made Dr. Teeth a king. He’d be the best king ever

I never understood the alternative to the spinning-straw-into-gold thing. Death’s a bit much, don’tcha think? I mean, I guess it’s illegal to lie to the king so....there’s that?

I DON’T KNOW WHY JACQUES ROACH IS HERE BUT I’M GLAD HE IS

Also the implication that multiple people have been in Piggy’s place and lied to Teeth-oof

WHOOOOOOOOOO! AND THE TRUE STAR HAS ENTERED THE STORY

I like the riddle alternative instead of actually giving Rumpl-I mean-Unclestiltskin an object (if he tries to take MY phone, and we’d both be doomed)

Why’s this book describing Deadly as an alligator? He’s clearly a dragon

Teeth being greedy is something I nevet wanna read or picture ever again. The boy’s too generous!

“Prehistoric-looking pest”-Come on! Deadly’s old but he’s not that old!

This book is calling Deadly every creature but a dragon

Oh damn boy, wasn’t expecting Deadly’s little tantrum but ok (The ending line tho😂)

Overall:Better than the Muppet Classic Theater version

[stevenwhunt]

Anchorwoman

I was at my parents’ house, as I am at least once a week, and they had turned on one of the local news stations. This wasn’t one of the ones I normally saw when I’m over there, but I assumed that it was once again, because my dad just got “tired” of seeing the same thing over and over. 

The anchors came on one by one. First was Bill. I like Bill. He had a dry sense of humor. He made the news somewhat entertaining sometimes. I didn’t understand why my parents didn’t watch this channel more often, but I suspect that my father didn’t like him.

The next was some new anchorwoman. She apparently had only been there a few weeks. I didn’t catch her name. She was short and young, but that’s all I noticed. I didn’t have enough exposure to her style to form an opinion on her.

The third anchor was someone who had apparently been there for some time, but I wasn’t familiar with her at all, a “Roberta” apparently. I couldn’t remember the last time I saw this station’s news anyway, so it wasn’t surprising. What *was* surprising, was that she had just come back from plastic surgery; this was her first day back afterward.

You know that female Muppet that’s in the band? The orange one who doesn’t have eyes but just has eyelashes? Janet or Janice or whatever? That’s exactly what she looked like. No exaggeration: the only difference in her appearance was that she had her mouth pulled into an almost inhuman, toothy grin.

Bill started off with some news nugget, nothing important and I honestly don’t remember what it was. He bantered a bit with the new anchor, brandishing his trademark wit. The newbie wasn’t able to keep up, either because she didn’t have the skills or she just hadn’t had time to settle into the role. The camera suddenly zoomed out and jerked out to the right, showing all three of the anchors. Roberta was slumped backward, her head hidden by her hair and the back of the chair. Her body was covered with some sort of white splotches. The new anchor screamed over and over, and Bill pulled out his cell phone and was trying to get the paramedics on their way while simultaneously keeping the new anchor calm.

Roberta suddenly slumped forward, almost if thrown by an invisible force, the camera zooming in on her grinning orange Muppet face before they cut the station completely, not even leading to a screen explaining there was technical difficulties. Just a blank, black screen indicating dead air.

Later, I’d learned that Roberta had been dead since she sat down, apparently her surgery had been botched and something had been festering in her the entire duration since, the hot lights exacerbating it to the point to where it was just too much for her. 

For a long time, I saw that face from right before the program went off-air, every time I closed my eyes or even blinked. And to this day, I have experienced anxiety attacks any time I even see Muppets, fearing flashbacks of that fictional band member’s dead doppleganger.