#kenny is also looking at the movie but is more focused in how hes holding hands with butters

[yukiconr]

Day 1 - First date

[crimsonblackrose]

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Johnny looks like he's trying to figure out what's going on and is looking at Silver like trying to place him, figure out who he is.

Daniel walks straight up to Silver and says yeah, right bullshit to Silver's nice to see you again.

Silver says fair enough and he'd probably react the same way, and that his past behavior was inexcusable. I think to an extent, part of me could buy this, because I don't think Silver's fully relapsed yet into dark Silver.

Johnny's probably also confused because they sent all their kids to hide in the house from this guy.

I don't know what padded cell you crawled out of or twisted game the two of you are playing but if you don't get off my property right now I swear to god--- Your dad is pissed who is this guy.

Looks like a highlander. (I kept getting this 1986 movie name drop mixed up with an outlander and never understood the reference because I haven't seen outlander either. But it's a different thing. 🤣💀 I'm not used to the kids making old movie references)

Terry has convinced himself he tried.

I hate to say this but Terry is right: "we'll still hold our students to--

provided you also do the same.

Aka you poked the bear too many times by scaring Kenny/bullying Kenny and the sprinkler prank. Like yes no one has fought yet but they have definitely intimidated Kenny and that's not cool. But it's interesting because like Terry said to Kreese in the last episode, this time they're the old men defending their students against Daniel's students. Flipped the script there a bit.

Kreese pointing out that everything is Daniel. The dojo, the sign out front, and that there is probably more if Kreese new them, just enough to get back under his skin.

Johnny calls Silver Kreese's bridge partner.

I also want to point out Johnny's loyalty that I think was mentioned earlier, he waited till Silver left to ask Daniel who he was. Just silently backed him up and only spoke to Kreese when kreese stopped to talk to him before leaving.

Kreese: LaRusso can sure hold a grudge.

Yes, but also YOU HOLD A GRUDGE TOO like omg Kreese.

hello dark silver, didn't take you long at all. Like wow, he tried for an episode and a half. 🤣 But Daniel didn't accept his apology and kicked him off his property and bam he's pissed.

Kreese looks delighted Silver is pissed off. Also Silver's car:

Tory and Robby helping Kenny spar, noting that they're the biggest threat but that they can't do anything due to their probation. (What about the break in at the house????)

So that's when Mr. Miyagi agreed to take me back, after the tournament I never saw Barnes or Silver again.

I wish they'd told us what Daniel said because while this gets played as Johnny got stuck and focused on how Daniel didn't have to fight anyone but Mike Barnes for his second trophy and that's for giggles.

Which maybe it's not, like I'm 90% sure Terry rigged the All-Valley so that Daniel only fought Barnes, but it kinda does seem, probably to Johnny that Daniel's not a true 2 time champion. Because he didn't fight the rest of the people to get his way there. He just fought in a rigged competition.

But also because it sounds like, based off of Johnny's future actions, that Daniel's warning about what Silver did was diluted. Like it feels like he brushed off a bunch of things, especially when we get to the end of it and the whole tournament gets swept under he won and never saw them again, not how Silver had Barnes literally drag out the fight to torture Daniel and for some reason Barnes got to keep staying in despite cheap-shots and Daniel ended up crying out to Mr. Miyagi that he was too scared to get back up.

Like Daniel this isn't a good enough warning to Johnny. Silver knows how to fight but as far as Johnny knows you've told the All-Valley he's worse.

The game has changed and we need to change with it. Which is why I need to take over our student's training from now on. Exactly what Johnny was worried about and also what Kreese was pointing out before he left.

Like we're once again back into, my way is the right way, with 0 respect for your way.

It's not the one point. It's also literally everything else, Daniel believes he better on every level. Not just that one point.

Lol the bartender having to come over to tell them they have to quiet down. Johnny: Shut the fuck up. Beat it. And the poor guy leaves.

Fight to the first 3 points tournament style and winner takes over training.

Johnny puts down $3 and Daniel pays for the rest.

Sundown tomorrow sparring deck.

Demetri doing research, not much dirt.

The not much dirt is surprising to me.

Also I like the purple

Demetri took a photo of Silver at the dojo and then used an old facial recognition software beta test to get his name, tweaked the code to make it HEIC compatible. Which, wild Demetri, wild. (HEIC is an apple photo file)

I like Yasmine's shirt with the navy see through long sleeves. She said "I love when you talk nerdy" and Demetri said she's the first and his favorite person to ever say that. Moon says purple is the crown chakra and symbolizes enlightenment. Yasmine's dad is getting married in Sydney. It's in may, so she'll miss prom and the tournament.

Hawk gettting some of Daniel's lines from TKK. "Weeks? How many weeks?" (He asked Ali that about how long she'd been broken up with Johnny if I remember correctly) But Piper and Moon are broken up.

Johnny got drunk and went on a twitter rant:

First tweet April 28, 2018: Hello Second: How does this thing work? December 18, 2018

Then yesterday: Tomorrow night. Eagles reign supreme. It's time for the Valley to see what karate is all about!

IT'S ON: LAWRENCE-LARUSSO REMATCH! hashbrown dead meat

I wouldn't call that a twitter rant Miguel, it's more like an announcement for an event. Only hasbrown dead meat would be of concern. But really it sounds like a promo for a wrestling event or something.

Also Miguel, you're his only follower, so it's not really a damage control thing.

I can't believe the SDRP didn't put work in coming up with a solution for this eventuality. I mean Miguel you were the one to bring up Rocky III rematch fight again last time.

Hawk's delighted.

I get Johnny getting pissed and leaving, but he shouldn't have left Daniel there by himself to get drunk. It is nice someone set out some Bayer aspirin and water for him though.

Amanda's dress is amazing.

Also Daniel didn't even go home? He went to the office and slept on a couch?

I love that both Anoush and Louie are like are you sure you want to fight this guy? He kicked both our asses.

I also love Amanda's: Another one? Are there any other one's who might come out of the woodwork to try and destroy our lives and how Daniel's like no....well...I don't know. 🤣Which is once again proof that Daniel doesn't tell everyone everything. Which I always expected he had told Amanda at least.

I also appreciate that Amanda heard what Daniel said and immediately realized how it'd gone wrong. Let me guess you told him that, and he didn't like that, and you didn't like that he didn't like that and this is where you landed.

Daniel: I'm sure he woke up just as hungover as I did, that we let the booze get the best of us and realized how stupid this all is. Meanwhile Johnny:

At some point Johnny must've bought or rented that abandoned factory to train in since he's there again.

And case in point for why Johnny's not believing that Terry Silver is a true threat:

Johnny is terrorizing the valley though while working out. He jump kicked a mail box, kicked a ball out of a guys soccer juggling, grabbed a guy off his scooter, threw him and then broke the scooter, and now he's out here trying to fight the ocean. 🤣

Daniel does the talk out what he's going to say too. "I'm sorry if I offended you...no, don't apologize it shows weakness" ( A great mirror to Johnny's version)

Sam coming in hot to roast her dad and be pissed at him. "So what did you do to set him off?"

Sam coming to Johnny's defense 🥺💖💖💖

I do appreciate Sam going to Johnny's defense, but she's Daniel's little girl, and her being related to Johnny in any way is a hair trigger to Daniel. He stops listening and just gets pissed and this I think will push him into really fighting. Especially when she flicks her cap like Johnny. 🤣

Terry's 3 D speech word for word to actual students.

The waiting stance is called junbi stance

I feel like the start of the sparks between Kreese and Silver are now. Kreese has been trying to teach them real world karate, aka be ruthless because the world is ruthless and fight wherever. But Silver is pulling it back to we're here to fight in a tournament so keep the fighting limited, which goes against everything Kreese has taught them, even if it's the agreement they have with Johnny and Daniel.

Johnny trying to figure out how to defend against the crane kick.

I think if Johnny didn't speak up for himself well enough with his conversation with Miguel. Miguel has that tired look on his face, says he wants to learn both styles and wish they weren't fighting.

The reason why Johnny's fighting in the first place is because Daniel wants everyone to just learn Miyagi-do now. I feel like if he said that Miguel would've understood why Johnny's prepping to fight. Because Johnny tried, he let himself get kinda pushed to the side, but now Daniel's pushing him even further. Telling him to sit in the back which isn't his thing.

Daniel you're the one who wants all the students for yourself. That's not teaching together.

"I tried to put aside the past"

Did you? Or did you use the past as an excuse to raise Johnny's rent, to try and keep his students from competing in the All-Valley, for being rude to Carmen, to not accepting Miguel and speaking so poorly about all the students who you knew nothing about to the point Sam hid her boyfriend from you? You've used the past as justification to cockblock Johnny from living his life every step of the way, and everyone who has anything to do with him, including his own son that you took in and then dropped multiple times until the kid combo'd with his already fragile trust issues from Johnny, literally trusts no one now.

Like Daniel, Kreese already stole Johnny's students and now here you are on a level going for the rest of them. For you this is battle, it's war, it's a side hobby. For Johnny this is the passion he found later in life that actually makes him happy and pulled him out of a dark hole. The war, the fighting, that's not what he wanted. He just wants to help kids like Miguel and heck Sam.

Silver asking for the most expensive scotch they have when Kreese ordered cutty and water.

I mean, yeah. Everyone keeps kidnapping Robby. 🤣

Help, the old men, grandpas are fighting. It's fascinating how they mirror Johnny and Daniel at their alliance (which is shorter in this moment) starts crumbling around the same time. Because Terry and Kreese are really old friends and this is their business they started together. You'd think they'd be more cohesive then ex-rivals Johnny and Daniel.

Well I guess it is, since Kreese agrees with Terry.

I want to know how they know where hawk gets his tattoos, and know that he's there.

They're not supposed to be fighting, so I don't know what they call this attack on hawk, let alone the fact, Kyler gets a cloth around Hawk's neck and holds him down. I guess not enough to stop him from breathing or talking.

The other kids are holding him down too.

I gotta say Robby coming up to Hawk with a razor is really terrifying.

Chris, huge fan of wrestle mania eating this up does not surprise me. His, he's here, he's here to Johnny is sweet.

Johnny didn't expect all the kids to be there. He probably sort of realized no one follows him on twitter and was just...venting? I guess? 🤣

Daniel his only follower is Miguel! What are you talking about. And he didn't say when and where.

Johnny didn't want to fight with all the kids there, and it looks like not when he sees how upset both Sam and Miguel look.

Cobra Kai Daniel? No. Or at least, very rarely.

Also would like to point out that Johnny's in street clothes and Daniel is in his gi.

Oof, "You want to rehash your entire baseless argument from last night in front of the kids?"

Daniel I think they'd like to know that you want Miyagi-do to be the only style they learn. Which is essentially Daniel having popped out of nowhere with a hobby and like kicked Johnny out of his own job. Because reminder, this is Johnny's job, this is not Daniel's main way to provide shelter for himself and his family or put food on the table. It's like he's shown up to volunteer for the betterment of his community and then is recommending kicking out the guy whose job it is to be there because he's not doing it well enough in Daniel's eyes even though the guy loves doing it and the kids love him.

Which is what Johnny's been saying since...season 1ish and meant.

Sam and Miguel are so done with all of their sensei's shit.

Johnny left to go change he's in a gi (where's his no-sleeve one? 😭)

Chris is living for this and even doing commentary with Mitch, probably a BFF dream moment for the both of them.

the look of betrayal when Sam says point Lawrence on Daniel's face.

Johnny gives a similar look to Miguel when Daniel gets a point.

Daniel whipping out the secret Okinawa Miyagi pressure point moves is not cool. that's literally for when you're life is in danger and he's 2 to 1. Johnny does not need that and it's unfair. Johnny's what the hell, man. 😭 Like the last time Johnny saw Daniel use this was to try and kill Kreese.

I am proud of, despite Daniel going nuclear on Johnny he still wraps his legs around him, knocks them both to the ground and gets a point. 2-2

I want to point out a couple kids faces realizing that maybe something is off:

Like I think these two realized that something is up and that this fight isn't maybe just a rehashing of old things but that there's a lot more at stake here and that Daniel isn't quite fighting fair, he's literally using life or death moves.

Daniel says "I'm not the one who fights dirty" even though he just went for a pressure point.

I do like that they knocked each other out at the same time, kick and punch to the face. So it's a tie.

But I also don't think Mr. Miyagi would've approved of the use of the pressure point technique in this moment nor Chozen.

Because as much as Daniel believes he's in the right, he's essentially pulling out the nuclear option to try and end an argument, not a battle.

Miguel is the first person to spot Hawk and run to him. Our sad little bird:

The tears he has in his eyes. 💔

Johnny goes straight up to him and asks who did this. Eli says Cobra Kai, so he says Kreese and Silver have to pay.

Daniel: Kreese nearly killed you last time, now you want to take on both? Johnny: Damn right. Look what they did. Daniel: Dousing the fire with gasoline? That's your answer? Why am I not surprised?

(Pretty sure that's what Chozen says he'll be in a later season and Daniel doesn't get into quite as much of a huff about it)

Also Johnny's taken one look at his student and is trying to comfort him via action. Not against other students but adult to adult. Daniel has said nothing towards Eli or tried to offer any comfort.

just because you sepnt your fair share of time in both the hospital and jail doesn't mean the kids have to.

Did I mention how much I love that Sam starts standing up to her dad and reigning him in when he's mean and pushing too far/hard at Johnny. But of course it just becomes gasoline to the fire.

Poor Hawk, he came to get some comfort or something and instead it just tipped the scales in the parent...er...sensei divorce.

When Johnny took the eagle fangs, he also took Hawk.

Hawk was maybe the one eagle fang who might've stayed since he hadn't joined back with eagle fang when it'd just been eagle fang but after they merged. And he probably doesn't feel comfortable with Daniel/like he's been forgiven, but Johnny already did the work to heal the bridge between his students and Hawk.

And Daniel doesn't say 'cobra kai' this time when he's upset about what's happening to Sam and his students, he specifies that he doesn't want them to turn out like Johnny which is exactly what Robby said.

[ericsonclan]

Stop and Smell the Stew

Summary: Duck goes down to the kitchen to see if dinner is ready and ends up helping his mom cook.

Word Count: 1759

Read on AO3:

Duck lay on his bed, his legs lazily kicking as they dangled off the edge. His eyes focused on a weird dot on his ceiling for a second, wondering how it got there before his attention was stolen by the TV as Final Fantasy music began to play on the title screen of the game. He had just finished an intense gaming session of grinding his weaker team members, cheering for them when they leveled up and laughing with Tidus as he did the laugh alongside Yuna.

It was a ton of fun but his stomach had been growling and sadly all he’d had was some Batman fruit snacks. Well, not some - one pack. He had inhaled that like it was nothing and now his stomach demanded more. It gave its usual pleas and angry cries, making Duck wonder if dinner would be ready soon. He knew it was only four but still maybe his mom would have started dinner early tonight or maybe she had made some treats.

With that thought in mind Duck swung his legs off his bed and swayed up to his full height in one awkward movement. Strolling forward, he walked past his bookshelf filled with nothing but comics and mystery novels. Batman, Spiderman and Scooby Doo figures stood proudly by the great reads he had collected over the years. His eyes stuck on the Shaggy figure who was definitely a bit worse for the wear due to being such an old toy. Still his goofy expression was still as strong as ever. With a small smile Duck reached out to grab the figure but accidentally knocked over Daphne in the process.

“Shit, sorry, Daphne,” Duck apologized with a smile and leaned down to pick up the toy when his eyes locked onto a Rubik’s cube. Oh, so that's where it had ended up. He could’ve sworn he had lost it in his pants. Eh, no use thinking about it too hard. Snatching up the Rubik’s cube, Duck began to flick around the colored sections while he put Daphne back on the shelf.

With a grin he turned and began to solve the cube. He had always had a love and a knack for puzzles and this one was one of his favorites. Spinning around the different sections, Duck quickly solved it then blindly reorganized it. His mind was easily distracted by the thought of a new puzzle game coming out and after a few minutes Duck had no recollections of how many spins he had done or what order it was in. The Rubik’s cube would remain a puzzle to solve later. Still holding it in one hand, Duck walked down the stairs with a smile and headed towards the kitchen.

“Hey, Mom, what's going to be for dinner?” Duck poked his head in the kitchen and noticed that Katjaa was busy getting out the dutch oven, carefully placing it onto the stove. The sound of her son’s voice made Katjaa look over with the brightest smile.

“I’m just getting started on it: carbonnade flamande,”

The name of the dish brought back fond memories and made Duck’s stomach growl.

That caused a laugh to leave Katjaa’s lips.“Want to help me?”

“Sure!” Duck beamed and placed down the Rubik’s cube in a spot he would most likely forget about by this evening. Rolling up his sleeves that immediately fell back down, he went to work grabbing all the ingredients. His loud footsteps rang around the kitchen as he grabbed the chuck roast that had been marinating overnight in the sour ale, bay leaves, garlic and some salt and also snatched up the bacon, beef broth and way too many other ingredients to try to carry all in one trip. Yet he still tried.

“Duck!” Katjaa exclaimed then bustled over, helping her son out.

“I wanted to carry it all in one trip,” Duck grinned at his mom who shook her head good naturedly before setting down the ingredients on the counter.

“I can see that and that was a very kind thought but you have to be careful,” Katjaa pulled Duck close to her and placed a gentle kiss on the side of his head.

“Okay, I’ll be more careful. Promise,” Duck gave a smile to his mom then turned his attention to the stove. “So, what’s step one?”

“We’re going to drain the beef and pat it dry,” Katjaa leaned down and grabbed a food strainer from the lower cupboard.

“On it!” Duck was off like a shot after snatching up the food strainer from his mom.

“Wait!” Katjaa called out, making Duck pause. “We have to reserve the marinade,”

“Oops, okay. I’ll do that,” Duck corrected his action and soon the beef was safely drained. Passing it over to his mom, Duck watched as Katjaa patted the beef dry with paper towels.

“Can you get the olive oil heated up in the dutch oven?” Katjaa smiled over at Duck as she sliced the onions. Duck nodded excitedly and was off once more, preparing the dutch oven.

Once the oil was piping hot Katjaa began to cook the beef in batches, careful to not let the oil splatter when she did so, and told Duck to do the same. Even though he was  a young adult sometimes he still got too excited for his own good and forgot things. The two of them worked well together, making sure the beef was golden brown on all sides as the smells started to permeate the air around them. It was a warm, comforting smell that made Duck nostalgic as his stomach continued to growl.

After about ten minutes they removed the beef cubes and went on to the next step. It was time to cook the bacon and Duck had volunteered to take the lead on this one. Being ever vigilant, he made sure the bacon was cooked to crispy perfection while Katjaa hummed a Belgian tune that made Duck bop his head. Both of them shared a soft smile and soon Katjaa was back over beside him giving him hugs and ruffling his hair.

“Great job. You’re such a wonderful cooking helper,”

Duck gave a light laugh at that and grinned. “I had the best teacher,”

Katjaa gave his head another kiss then gave the instructions for the next step. After the bacon was taken out and put to the side, the onions were thrown in with some salt. The smell cut through the deep, meaty air that the beef and bacon had made, adding notes of onions that complemented it greatly. Soon some flour was added to the dutch oven to coat the caramelized onions and after that the beef broth was used to get any scraps off the bottom. Once all of those had been snagged, Duck gave a thumbs up and Katjaa added the reserved marinade, beef, bacon and thyme.

“Is that everything?” Duck asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet in anticipation for dinner.

“For now, yes. It needs to cook for an hour and a half first before we finish up the last few steps,”

Those words made Duck’s eyes grow big and his smile faltered. “An hour and a half?!? I thought it would be like twenty minutes. I can’t wait that long!”

Katjaa laughed at that; patience wasn’t her son’s strongest suit. “Don’t worry, you can have a snack to help tide you over,”

“I guess,” Duck mumbled, looking a bit defeated.

“Y’know, Duck, sometimes you just have to stop and smell the stew,” Katjaa placed a hand on her son’s arm and smiled, hoping he would get the twist on the saying. He didn’t. Instead he took it literally and began to smell the stew.

“It smells good,” Duck’s nose scrunched up when he saw his mom laugh. “What?”

“Nothing, it's just I was trying to put a twist on that saying. Y’know the one that talks about stopping to smell the roses. Duck, sometimes you need to slow down and relax, okay?” “Okay,” Duck nodded then tried to think of what to do to pass the time. “Wanna watch a movie while it cooks?”

“I’d love that,” Katjaa smiled and watched in amusement as Duck scampered off to put on Knives Out . He knew that his mom hadn’t seen it yet and he wanted to see if she could guess who the killer was.

It was a fun experience. Duck was on the edge of his seat as he munched on apples and peanut butter while Katjaa threw out guess after guess on who the killer was. Many laughs were shared, gasps given and their attention was captured. The hour and a half flew by in no time and even though they were both reluctant they paused the movie.

Duck repeated his same action from the beginning of dinner prep, his sleeves rolled up for three glorious seconds before falling back down as he helped add in the last few ingredients. Katjaa quickly added in the brown sugar, parsley, mustard and fresh pepper, giving the contents of the dutch oven a quick stir before putting the lid back on. The warm, deep flavors stayed in the air though, overwhelming Duck’s nose in the most wonderful of ways. His steps had a bit more pep to them as he guided his mom back to the living room, excited to finish the movie and then have a feast.

It didn’t take long for both of them to get swept up in the movie again and the reveal of the killer made Katjaa gasp. She gave her commentary as the credits rolled, Duck listening with a big smile as he added his own thoughts here and there. The two continued to gush about their favorite parts of the film as the fries cooked and soon dinner was ready. Duck eagerly set the table for three then looked over at the luscious Belgian stew that held a depth of flavor. The crisp smell of the french fries complemented the stew, adding another layer to the smells that danced around the kitchen.

Just as the table had been set and the food placed down the front door opened, revealing Kenny. He gave a big smile as he shifted his jacket off. “Hey there, Kat, Duck, it smells delicious,” He strolled forward and gave Katjaa a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Alright!” Duck sat down a bit too quickly, nearly slipping off his chair but gave a grin to his parents to show that he was a-okay. “Let’s eat!”

[blackfuckistar]

The juke age gap conflict

I'm going to rant here about something but english is not my first language so sorry if it is confusing.

I think that the discussion about the age gap between man and woman( especially when there's minors in the context) working in movies and series is very important and should be raised more often, but I also think that most times people lose the track of what is really important in the discussion and are just being disgusted and cancelling things and shaming other people who enjoys the shows etc without further information so I will put some topics that should be analyzed along with the age.

I will use Julie and the phantoms as an example because is where I'm seeing this discussion more recently so yeah.

the actress who plays julie is 16 and the actor who plays luke is 20/21 they have a 4/5/6 year gap beteween them aaand she is a minor so yeah it's concerning that they are paired romantically, but let's explore the context of the show ok?

1. Who is directing?

The series are directed by Kenny Ortega (guys you need to have more faith in Kenny Ortega) he is a director who have a lot of experience working with teens and young adults and in doing content aimed at a young audience in general besides that he is a man who knows about the social discussions that are being raised for years and is involved in them.

He is a director who listen to the people he's working with and want everyone to be confortable with the things that are happening, he cares. Another thing relevant in Kenny Ortega works for young audiences is that he usually doesn't makes the romantic ship do a lot of (and unnecessary) contact ( like the kisses in his movies look like the kisses in korean dramas lol ) he prefers more chastes displays of affection like hugs or hand holding, so a kiss happening between luke and julie is not very likely to happen so soon. Besides that he and maddison already said that they want to focus more on the mental conection of the relationship and not on the physical aspects

2. If someone is a minor, is the family involved? Is it a health involvement?

There is a lot of cases where the family don't give a shit about what happens on set or they care but only about the money and forces the minor to do a lot of bad things so is very important to see how the family is dealing with the situation.

In the case of the actress who plays julie, her family is super involved and in a healthy way, her dad is frequently in the set and interacting with her co-workers, her little sister too, and they give her a lot of support and encouragement and i really believe that if she start to struggle with something related to the character they will help her make the best decision.

3. How is the relationship with co-workers and the environment.

It is very important to have a work environment welcoming and respectful and to have a good relationship with the co-workers, with respect and if possible friendships, it makes work easy and fun and healthy.

In the case of the cast of julie and the phantoms it's very obvious that they are fond of each other, they built a cute friendship, and the boys treat Maddison(julie) and Jadah(flynn) like little sisters, so it's very unlikely that they will force anyone to do something that makes anyone uncomfortable because healthy environments are like that.

4. How big is the age gap?

In this industry is very unlikely that the cast will have the same age as the characters or that the actors and actresses will have the same age even more if you take in consideration the way that they will choose the cast, but it's very important to pay attention ate the age gap and demand that the industry stop choosing actors and actresses with big age gaps and it's even more important to demand that when one of them is a minor.

The age gap between maddison(julie) and charlie( luke) is 4/5 years and it's not so big or so worrisome even considering that she is a minor, is it ideal? No but it could be a lot worse like it is in a lot of other shows and is a lot less worrisome when you remember that most of the interactions between them are very chaste. let's remember that have a minor acting with someone older ( if the gap is not so big) when it's age friendly it's very different than having a minor doing sex scenes or something like that.

5. Are you shipping the characters or the actors?

In the series we are very lucky that the characters are almost the same age, it's ok if you ship the characters of any show because they are fictional what is not okay is you shipping the real actors because in the case of jatp they are in different phases of life and one of them is a minor and they treat each other like sibling so disturb them with things like that is not cool.

6. Do you feel disgusted by the age gap or you are trying to take off the focus of the protagonist who is a POC by focusing on a non canon white couple?

I will let this one for reflection because as a white girl I think there is people who can explain this point a lot better so if you are a POC and feel like explaining feel free to add.

Anyway i'm not an expert about the subject, but I wanted to help in the discussions and i think that there is much more to look in than only the age gap, and is importante to keep in mind that is not possible to always have people with the same age in the shows but is possible to demand smaller age gaps and an acting that respect the age difference. We are fighting for no more 10 or 15 or 20 year of age gap and fighting for people in the industry start to respect the actors and stop demanding from them things that are bad when you look in the context.

[popculturebuffet]

Mission Hill Review: Plan 9 From Mission Hill or I Married a Gay Man From Outer Space!

Commission for @weirdkev27​. Hallowen Havoc marches on! For my first commission ever, I take a look at the cult classic mission hill’s final produced episode and one of it’s most loved. Kevin’s visit to an x rated movie pays off less with boobs and more with a friendship with his elderly gay neighbor and film buff wally and a new appreciation for cinema, only for this new friendship to nearly end over Kevin’s good natured attempt to spotlight Wally’s only film, the man from pluto. Gay spaceman, a touching gay love story, and a surprisingly likeable guy with a neckbeard insue. Spoilers and full recap FROM PLUTO, under the cut. 

Well this was a nice suprise. After the utterly draining process of my review of “Let’s Get Dangerous”, it was a nice suprise to find out one of my handful of fans had tried to comission me a while back and I hadn’t realized it, and I was happy to oblige him. I was even happier when I found out what his commission was: Plan 9 From Mission HIll, an episode i’d planned to cover for pride but got squeezed out due to how little i’d planned the month out in advance, a lesson I still REALLY need to learn. Regardless not only was it a nice, funny, and heartwarming ep to cover after the sheer amount of analysis and recapping the last one took, I realized it ended up fitting the spooky season, as there’s just as much fun to be had in truly fantastic horror movies like “Nightmare on Elm Street”, “Get Out”, “Child’s Play”, “Tales from the Hood” and “The Thing” as there is from so bad it’s great horror films like “House (The Japanese one), C.H.U.D. II: Bud The Chud, Terror Toons and House Shark. Seriously watch House Shark i’ts hilarious. Hell I fully plan on watching the Gary Busey film Hider in the House tomorrow. I mean it’s a film about hollywood’s favorite nutball  living in the walls and attic of someone’s house. What’s not to love? Maybe it might be entirely boring but that’s the risk you sometimes take to find so bad it’s gold filmaking. Plus cheeestastic films like these are the reason we have the classsic and incomprable mystery science theater 3000 and it’s succesor rifftrax. So while I need to watch more of them, I have a spot in my likely overtaxed heart for this kind of film, and as a result this episode resonated with me on rewatch in a way it didn’t the first time around, even if it was still my faviorite. 

Backing up a bit as usual I like to give my history with a show first time covering it: Mission HIll was one of a handful of shows picked up by Adult Swim in it’s early days. Since most of Adult Swim’s early originals were 11 minutes at a time when this was still a new and radical thing they were doing having 11 minute shows that weren’t sold as half hour pairs of 11 minute episodes, they likely needed more shows to fill up the air and clevelry simply bought the rights to several shows that had only had one season, along with Family Guy and Futurama which as history would bear out both made the shows into huge names in the animation industry but brought both back.. though in Family Guy’s case sometimes dead is better. Point is, several shows got a second life thanks to Cartoon Network if sadly not more seasons, with the sole exception of the utter classic Home Movies which I really need to talk about at some point, and thus are really more associated with Adult Swim than their original networks. Hell before doing this review I genuinely didn’t know what Mission HIll’s original networks. But now you know the framework this show came out in what IS Mission Hill anyway? 

MIssion Hill was a cartoon from the wonderful brains of Bill Oakely and Josh Weinstein, no relation to the MST3K one who due to this confusion now goes by J. Elvis Weinstein instead, who showran the simpsons and did some great episodes, my faviorte of there’s being $pringfield, aka the casino one. 

The show was about Andy, a 24 year old slacker whose happily lazing about after college in his loft with his friends Jim, a stoic but friendly stoner played by Brian Posehn, and Posey, a sensitive hippie. However when he goes to pickup his childhood dog he ends up with an unexpected roomate: His nerdy, sheltered and neurotic brother Kevin, who has a love of sci fi, a type a personality and a habit of going bling blong to focus when studying or just whenever. He’s also voiced by future robin and future psychopath claming to be robin Scott Mellinville. Also in the building are Carlos and Natalie, an unemployed artist and college professor and their baby Nameless.  I forgot they existed.  And of course saving the best for last we have the brother’s neighbors, and a very early gay couple for animated television Wally and Gus, played by the legendary Tom Kenny and Nick Jameson who hasn’t done much of note but does a great job anyway. Wally is a fastudious, Gus is angry and very brooklyn, but the two genuinely love each other, makeout frequently, with their first showing off the two as a gay couple, and are an adorable but very beliviable couple. It’s part of WHY I wanted to spotlight them. The late 90′s/early 2000′s, the show originally aired in 99 and into 2000 and aired on adult swim in the early 2000 for the curious, were not a great time to be gay in animation with most gay characters used as punchlines and hardly any queer stories. Not only that but just a year earlier will and grace had to have one overly camp chracter and one “regular” gay character in order to get made. Granted that show has it’s issues but still, the point stands having a gay couple that plays fairly realistically, is shown to both be sexually active and love each other and who’ve been together for decades was a hell of a step for a medium where Family Guy around the same time had a joke with the punchline “Whoa transvestite back off!” Granted Family Guy would do far worse to both the gay and trans communities, but we’ll get to that someday. Or sooner if you commission me, but I swear if you do I will pull a gary busey on your house. Point is not only is it INCREIDBLY forward for it’s time but it holds up even now. There’s a reason the creators are working on a spinoff/revivial focused on the two and a reason these two tend to be one of the most talked about elements of the show. That and frankly their hilarious having realistic banter.. and also having one episode where Gus has a knife in his head for a whole episode. It helps that this episode, their spotlight one and the last one produced, is also one fo the series best. So with all that build up let’s take a look shall we? 

We open with Kevin passing a theater showing x rated movies and are shown, over a bunch of times of him passing it him condeming it publicly but his tone clearly telegraphing the classic battle between a teenage boy and his dick. Dick wins and Kevin heads inside and gives us... this. 

.... If you will excuse me, please enjoy the musical stylings of the late great Zorak while I go shower the “EeEEEEEEUUUUGGggggggHHHhhuuuuuuggghhhhhhhhewwwwuuuuugggghhhhggooooodddddddwwwyyyyyy” off me. 

God rest his soul. Okay i’m good now. Thankfully this isn’t an episode about Kevin getting addicted to x-rated theater, and they already did an episode about him masturbating. No really it actually had a good message as Kevin was so embarassed about the incident, he nearly let two other guys, granted not remotley good people who were stealing from there anyway, take the fall. Andy even ends up giving a great speech coming to his defense

“People, you mock this boy, but it's your fault he's here today. Your hypocrisy has made this boy a prisoner, terrified of his own sexuality. So much so that he'd rather send two relatively-innocent men to prison than admit he looks at pornography! He thinks his natural urges are filthy and perverted, and why? Because of your conspiracy of silence! Nobody dares admit the truth - that you're all just like him!”

IT’s a damn good moment and a good message. That sadly is still relevant as America still views sex as worse than violence for some weird reason. At least he has the internet now. Anywho when Kevin goes to see what’s up he runs into Wally who explains the confusion: He’s just showing old “X-Rated films”. Now some of you are probably wondering “Wait non-porn films used to use that?” Or “Wait what’s an x-rating?” Well while I knew some films did used to do that I was honestly curious myself as to why it was retired and why porn films got to use it and took a quick hop to google to find out reading both the wikipedia article for the rating and this vulture article on the subject to get a slightly deeper look at it. 

It’s actually quite intresting as I genuinelly also didn’t know when the MPAA ratings started for films: When the rating’s board started in 1968 there were four raitings: G, GP (Later flipped to PG), R and X. X was the modern equivlent of today’s R really, and films like Last Tango in Paris, Midnight Cowboy and a Clockwork Orange, with Orange even having a poster up at the cinema in this episode and Midnight Cowboy being part of the plot very soon. We’ll get to that in the moment. Point is it allowed filmakers to push the envelope break barriers all that good stuff and makes me curious about those very films, which is a good thing as i’ll admit to not being exactly a film buff.  But as Kevin’s confusion here shows, eventually the porn industry took a hold of it, using the X as a way to get sex movies into regular cinemas and have an air of legitimacy, hence why Debbie Does Dallas was a mainstream hit.. and yes that’s an actual film that I only know about thanks to I Love the 70′s. If your wondering why the MPAA just couldn’t you know, tell them to know or why they didn’t take over other ratings it turns out for some weird reason why the G and R ratings were owned by them, and later PG , they forgot to trademark X and by the time they even thought of it it was too late. Hence terms like XXX rated and what not or the ungodly stupid XXX porn parodies. Just.. just give them actual names and slap “A porn parody” ont he end if you want to avoid a lawsuit.  Naturally the film industry struck back and X soon went from a way to have daring, interesting films.. to basically a threat by the MPAA that your film wouldn’t be carried by any major distributors if it had one, with Dawn of the Dead having to just go unrated just to get distributed. The 80′s brought the killing stroke: With the rise of big theater chains, mall theaters with restrictions I wasn’t aware of, and big home video outlets like blockbuster that didn’t carry porn, the x rating was well and truly dead and the MPAA lukewarmly added NC-17 which serves the same bullshit purpose as theaters still refuse to carry them and the MPAA still uses it for essenitally the same reason. Nothing changed! If your wondering why people sometimes have problems with the MPAA, yeah there’s your answer, as they could’ve campaigned harder for NC-17 but clearly enjoyed having a raiting to hold over films heads. 

So yeah if you don’t know, know you know bud, let’s move on. So yeah Wally explains the confusion and decides to educate Kevin on film by showing him Midnight Cowboy, with John Voight “Before his head looked like a radish” and Dustin Hoffman. Also Andy brings up Sphere.. a film I also know nothing about. Hang on... checking Letterboxd and okay. It’s a Dustin Hoffman starring Sci-Fi film about a research team investigating a mysterious sphere at the bottom of the sea. Huh.. I prefer Cube myself but to each his own.  But once Kevin clams up he really enjoys it. Will grant the episode lays it on a tad thick, with Kevin comparing the film to , of all things, Armageddon. I mean I get MIcheal Bay is a good metric for crowd pleasing schlock but still, even nerds have standards. My standards aren’t very high at times mind as I still want to watch this sometime today. 

But I still think even awkward teens have better standards. Then again one of my faviorite films at the time was Saving Silverman which while I can’t hate it due to nostalgia , having watched it from 5th grade well into my teens, I can see was not very good. Though it did have R. Lee Ermy being both really funny and turning out to be gay so that was awesome. 

And he does make a good point that heroes like Ratzzo Rizzo don’t go well on Taco Bell cups.. though it also feels weird to me in 2020 where while not big sellers films with deep stories and unlikeable heroes are some of the biggest on tv and one of them was one of the greatest animated series of the last decade, so things must’ve been pretty damn bleak in 1999. The two also run into Gus who wants dinner and a fight ensues between the couple about the fact Gus owns a restraunt, could just bring his lunch etc. It’s hilarious and as I said I like how they feel like a couple you’d meet in real life. Sadly I don’t have an elderly gay couple in my neighborhood but here’s hoping. Or maybe i’ll be the neighborhoods wally when I grow up who knows. Also Tom Kenny’s delivery is great. 

Kevin later relays his fun day to his loftmates, with Andy expressing genuine suprise at Wally’s job and love of art house cinema, as none of them knew what he actually did. Andy’s genuinely shocked and mildly appalled they’ve lived near Wally for so long but having no idea what he does.. but really I had a sweet old lady, Delores who lived next to me for almost my entire life before she moved to be closer to her family, visited her house frequently pet her cats, went to her house after school at one point.. and I cannot tell you what he did, so it’s incredibly relatable. However in a scene that’s both hilarious but also really, really sweet, the three relate that they do know him well and due to being neighbors after all and know Gus and Wally’s morning routine: They wake up at 8, Wally brews the Coffee, Gus reads him the funnies, then they shower together while singing college fight songs, and then, with Jim saying this part so picture it in Brian Posehn’s voice please you won’t regret it, argue or have gay sex and then it’s off to work. It’s really sweet, both in showing off their well worn dynamic with each other, and the fact that the loftmates really DO know these two even if they dont’ know everything and they are close in their own way. Kevin can only give out a “Hm” in response... which is probably the closest he can get to saying touche without breaking into nerdy giggles. 

Cue the good times montage as Wally introduces Kevin to Ingmar Bergman, who I have heard of even if i’ve never seen any of them, and some director I never heard of who made old timey comedies apparently. IT’s a really nice sequence. Kevin also shows 2001: A Space Oddesy to his friends, who are bored to tears by it while Kevin’s enraptured. Which I would say was another heavy-handed swipe at late 90′s cinema but being a teen myself who had mostly watched things like Star Wars, I did not gel with 2001 and need to rematch it at some point, so I totally relate to his friends utter boredom and confusion with it given it’s rep. It’s a visually stunning film. I will however stand by not liking Star Trek: The Motion Picture, as that film TRIES to be 2001 but is instead just really, REALLY boring. 

But naturally things can be entirely good natured bonding between an elderly gay man and , as Wally puts it in the best line of the episode “The son god never wanted me to have”, as Kevin notices a film coming up that Wally apparently made, and looks to star gus. Wally panics and shoos his young protégé away... which yeah he could’ve just you know told him he doesn’t like the film or anything else and prevented this episode but then we wouldn’t of seen the gay equilvent of plan 9 from outer space so fair enough. 

At the Gus’ Diner, the loftmates and their neighbors I mentioned earlier look over the poster, and we find out from Gus that that is him, and he starred in a movie.. and naturally Wally explained never showing it to his husband in the simplest way possible: By claming a shark ate it. You know while I watched the show I didn’t quite get it when I was younger and it’s probably why it took me decades to revisit it.. but I wish I had sooner this show is REALLY damn funny and i’m really looking forward to that spinoff with Wally and Gus. 

Wally continues to dodge Kevin, so Kevin, trying to find info about the film and it being lost, goes to the video store.. back when those existed. Something I have to give the show is honestly the use of vhs, visits to video stores, and the movies Kevin mentions are the only things that really date this film. While swapping another Dustin Hoffman film in proved impossible, it is plausible Kevin would see it streaming somewhere. and it’s easy enough to swap Armageddon for Rise of Skywalker given that film’s just as good.. Last Jedi was excellent though. Point is this story REALLY holds up, which is the sign of a good story: where even if some elements are stamped to the time, the story itself could easily be told again with few changes. It’s also why i’m not AGAINST Reboots, as my coverage of ducktales makes obvious: As long as stories can still be told or you can retell a story in a unique and intresting way, it’s fine to reuse something. I do think hollywood overdoes it, but I’ve never thought there was genuine harm in it or reviving old franchises. It’s all in how you do it.  But yeah while the local video store dosen’t help at all, Andy happens to know just the man for the job, though Jim and Posey nope out of going with them. Also something to note is the series animation: It’s animated like an old 30′s cartoon or a comic strip, modernized a bit in color and realisim, but still having comic strip stuff like shaking head lines, heat lines coming off coffee that sort of thing.  I really love it. 

Anyways the brothers head off to a funky out of the way video store, I wish there were more hole in the wall used media stores where I lived. We mostly have chains like Vintage Stock and Half-Priced Books, though I genuinely love both of those stores and VIntage Stock is the modern equilvent of places like blockbuster honestly. Anyway after Beardo confuses Kevin for an Employee kevin asks him about the man from pluto which Beardo reveals he knows about but is very rare and has few prints. I like Beardo.. he’s a neckbeard who seems more liable to complain abotu some reboot on the fact their rebooting it again rather than “gasp” women are involved. I prefer my neckbeards just a tad pretentious rather than you know, sexist, homophobic, deranged assholes with nothing better to do. I mean i’m still living at home and didn’t get out much before the pandemic either but you dont’ see me bitching every time a franchise gets a female lead. 

Anyway, Kevin is inspired by that and with help from everyone gets the word out about the film. As you’d expect though this can’t end well, as Wally tries avoiding the premire entirely (And we get a great bit where Jim happens to see him trying to flee down the fire escape and Wally’s expression is priceless) 

Huh.. I bet that’s what Rob Reiner when North had it’s premire. As you can probably guess the showing dosen’t go well: The film itself is a hilarious combination of the day the earth stood still (the general plot as we’ll find out more in a second) and Plan 9 From Outer Space (A cheestatic no budget film with a hulking man brute who can’t act as the lead), and in catching the feel of a b-movie it’s utterly perfectly done. This film would go perfect on MST3K and the audience’s howls of laughter agrees with me. 

Wally however is utterly humiliated and doesn’t want to speak to Kevin which.. yeah is about the only issue I have with an otherwise marvelous episode. While I get Wally’s humiliation was Kevin’s fault.. Kevin GENUINELY meant well. While Kevin is book smart at his core he’s a dumb kid who didn’t know any better and didn’t realize Wally hated his film and it’s Wally’s own damn fault for not telling him.  Sure Kevin should’ve picked up the hint, but given the kid is oblivious and didn’t even know what an x raiting is it’s clear he’s not the sharpest crayon in the box when it comes to life experince. Wally had every opportunity to just explain his story but didn’t. And I put most of the blame on Wally when he’s you know, the adult. He’s a 60 or so year old man. He should know better. But it really doesn’t take away from the episode entirely.  But the loftmates clearly love the film and are quoting bits from it, with jim having a fishbowl on his head, when they run into Wally, though Wally is fine with them admitting it’s crap and he knows it is. We then get what REALLY makes the episode and really makes me primed for a spinoff: Wally and Gus’ backstory, which also makes it obvious the crew was probably going to use the two more had the series got another season. 

Anyways it was the 50′s, Archie Andrews was an average teen and not shredded both in muscle and by a bear that one time, Fonzie was out and about and eyying, and Wally was a first unit director given a shot as the studio asked him for a script having utter faith in him. HIs script was a day the earth stood still esque parable on the Cold War.. until he met Gus who, naturally for Gus, was outrunning a ton of police having stumbled on set and likely defeated them all bare handed because Gus is as incredible as the hulk and likely also comes back through a glowing green door when he dies.  So Wally made the tragic mistake of mixing his love life with his career, and lost both Kurt Douglas, who he bumped down from lead for Gus, and Charleton Hesston who just walked off and they got a dinkier stage and worse actors as a result. The resulting film ended Wally’s career but he was able to sell the rights to cinemas to make enough for them to start over in mission hill and buy the diner.. and at least they had each other. It’s a really great story that explains why it upsets Wally so much: This was his baby and while he dosen’t even for one second regret meeting gus or the life they’ve had, he regrets that his one film was a total trainwreck and goes off to the theater to mope as he plays his film for laughing crowds, as it was naturally held over. I mean when you get the next plan 9 from outer space, this was a bit before the room mind you, you hold onto that shit. 

Kevin, who heard the whole thing, goes to mope by watching what is likely a MIcheal Bay film, who was a target even then folks. Oh you poor poor fools you knew not how much worse it could get... i.e. robot testicles. Just.. robot testicles. And their MAKING A DELUXE MOVIE DEVISTATOR. Why. Just.. why who wanted this after that scene. He’s sworn off good movies as he feels he no longer deserves them. Andy however bluntly tells him to cut the pity party, while he’s moping his friend really needs him and when you love somebody, you put your pants on for them. When you love somebody you see it to the end, when you love somebody the conclusions forgone when you love somebody you put your big boy pants right onnnnn! ... I’ll put the song at the end. Point is Kevin goes to help his friend, and as Wally is moping in the projection booth and wonders what he was thinking Kevin tells him the obvious truth: He was thinking of how far he’d go.  “You taught me the best films are personal stories.. and this film is your valentine to Gus” While Wally starts to break a little, he does point out it doesn’t make it good.. but Kevin rightly counters that he’s not so sure of it. Wally sees the audience enjoying the film and goes down, with all of them carrying red light bulbs like the one gus has to show when he’s mad in the film. And Wally finally realizes waht I got to in the beginning: It doesn’t matter if a film’s good or bad, what matters is someone enjoys it. A film can be utterly terrible, and still be good. It can be a mess and still have merit. And Wally finally realizes it doesn’t matter if it’s the film he wanted, it’s the film he made for his future husband, it’s a film that brings laughter and sticks in people’s heads and really  brings them a godo time. It’s a film worth remembering and Wally finally accepts that and his film as his own.  Later that night Kevin and Wally exit the theater, with Wally no longer mad at him and the two still friends or as Wally puts it in the second best line of the episode “As close as an elderly gay man and a straight boy can be” Awwww. The two depart and we get a touching final scene as Wally comes home and finds a bottle of wine and a note from gus saying he has a suprise for him> Turns out Gus put on his old space helmet.. but fell asleep in it. So we get a really nice tender moment as Gus takes the  helmet off, smooches his husband on his bald head and smiles brightly as the episode ends.

Final Thoughts on The Man From Pluto or I Married a Gay Man From Outer Space: Before you ask each episode had two titles for funzies, the first one to get past the censors and the second for fun and likely what they would’ve gone with if they could. As for this episode.. it’s spectacular. It holds up well even 20 years later, it’s touching, sweet and really damn funny and makes me want to rewatch the show as a whole again. I highly recommend seeking it out and hope mission hill is eventually made officially available somewhere. Till then you can find the whole series including this episode on YouTube and despite being the last one you could easily watch this one first if you want and it’s a decent enough intro to the show as a whole. I highly recommend it, an utter pleasure to watch.  If you liked this review, you can comission your own by PMing me on this very blog, just mention you want to do a comission and we can talk it out. As this review proves, it dosen’t have to be a show i’ve done before or even one that’s remotely recent. Hell i’d gladly do Fonz and The Happy Days gang, the animated happy days spinoff that’s like dr. who but with the Fonz. Yes really. Whatever you want i’ll do it as long as it’s not porn for just 5 bucks an episode and 10 for a movie. YOu can also join my patreon, and for 2 dollars a month get acess to my discord (that i’ll start once I get patreons) and once I get enough patreons exclusive polls or 10 bucks for all of that and a review of your choice each month. You can find said patreon right here. And even 1 buck a month would be apricated if you can spare it and if not simply reblog this and share it around.  You can also follow this blog for weekly ducktales, loud house and amphibia coverage as they come out.  I’d also personally thank WeirdKev27 for both being a long time fan of this blog and for the comission. 

Until we meet again say safe, wear a mask, check your atttic for Gary Busey and happy Halloween! Play us out Mr Heere!

[honeyopinion]

20/20 Albums of the Year

Circles by Mac Miller  |  Hip-Hop, Soul, Funk Released: January 17, 2020

Best Album For... Pouring One Out for Mac

I wrote a few different drafts of this album summary, and none of them felt like they really fit the impossibly large bill of accurately describing the posthumous importance or brilliance of this album. If you are a fan of hip-hop or soul music of any kind, try to give this piece of work a chance. I for one, used to judge Mac based on his early frat rap days in the late 2000s. But a decade later he came to leave the world with one of the most surprising and frankly impressive artistic evolutions that I’ve been able to witness in real time. RIP Mac. 

Spotify      Apple Music      YouTube      Pandora 

Start With: “Circles” or “Everybody”

Marigold by Pinegrove  |  Alternative Country and Folk Rock Released: January 17, 2020

Best Album For… Passing Through a Small Town on a Cloudy Winter Day 

Pinegrove was one of the last great concerts I got to experience before the pandemic. And it was my favorite performance of theirs from the last 6 years of seeing them play live. Is this my favorite album of theirs? Honestly, it’s not. But I still find it extremely enjoyable, and the memory of seeing these songs performed live, along with some of their classics, was enough for me to include it on this list. This is an album that marks Pinegrove’s exit from their pop punk roots. It’s still sentimental, but much more country and folk rock focused vs. anything trying to be associated with emo or punk. 

Spotify      Apple Music      YouTube      Pandora   Start With: “The Alarmist” or “No Drugs”

Watch This Liquid Pour Itself by Okay Kaya  |  Synth Pop, Art Rock, Folk Released: January 24, 2020

Best Album For… Crywanking at 3am, Bathed in The Dull Light of Your Overheating Laptop

What if Feist and Father John Misty had a secret love child? They might sound something like Okay Kaya. Self proclaimed “Singer ~ Crywanker,” Okay Kaya brings serious BDE to weirdo art pop that she seems like she could be a plant  from the mind of Nathan Fielder. Kaya delivers with such deadpan precision as she rolls out line after line of sarcastic joy, staring blankly at our dystopian reality. “Here I am, the whole world is my daddy,” “Netflix and yeast infection,” “Sex with me is mediocre,” “I just want us to do well like Jon Bon Jovi’s Rosê,” and, “My parasite and I are blushing / In the zero interaction ramen bar,” are just a few examples of some of her memorable and biting lyrics. The entire album is both a critique and nihilistic fondness for the absurdity of our lonely technological society, not quite sure how to deal with taboos like repressed female sexuality, depression, and codependency. 

Spotify      Apple Music      YouTube      Pandora  

Start With: “Baby Little Tween” or “Asexual Wellbeing”

UNLOCKED by Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats  |  Hip-Hop Released: February 7, 2020

Best Album For... Nodding Your Damn Head To, Feeling Cooler Than You Actually Are

I had to double check that this was an album. Clocking in under 20 minutes, this collection of songs feels more like an EP, especially with the track titles that purposefully look like file names and placeholders. But for a short album, Denzel wastes no time, furiously zigging and zagging effortlessly over Kenny Beats’ 90s New York-indebted production (ad libs and all). Kenny pulls out samples of an array of pop culture references made by Denzel (like quotes from movies and weapon sound effects like a lightsaber) — as he rotates his flow between admirable impressions of DMX, Nas, and Joey Bada$$.

Spotify      Apple Music      YouTube      Pandora  

Start With: “So.Incredible.pkg” or “DIET_”

Cardboard City by Zack Villere  |  Pop, Electronic, R&B Released: February 14, 2020

Best Album For… Pal-ing Around With Your Friends From High School, Maybe Quoting Superbad At The Same Time

The first time I watched a music video from Zack Villere, I noticed the top comment said: “how did frank ocean get trapped in mark zuckerberg.” And while that definitely gets at the heart of how Zack Villere presents himself, he is not a phenomenal singer like Frank Ocean is, nor does he come off as an asshole like Mark Zuckerberg does. I would say that he is just a slightly awkward nerdy white guy who loves hip-hop production and R&B melodies. So the better question is really, “how did drake get trapped in michael cera?” This premise should not work at all, but somehow it does. This is only Villere’s second album, but he shows some serious production and songwriting chops, plus a commitment to his delivery that comes across as genuine, charming, and unique. 

Spotify      Apple Music      YouTube      Pandora  

Start With: “Grateful” or “Superhero Strength”

The Slow Rush by Tame Impala  |  Psych Rock, Synth Pop, Disco Released: February 14, 2020

Best Album For... Throwing a Silent Disco For One 

Tame Impala continues on their now 10 year streak of psych rock dominance. Along the way we’ve seen Kevin Parker master and stretch the boundaries of psychedelic production. This has resulted in his music coming as close to sounding like the best aspects of The Beatles, while also expanding into hip hop drums, R&B hooks, plus more and more electronic elements. This is an album that I was not super impressed with when it initially came out, but as we entered the pandemic and were tasked with finding small joys in staying at home all the time, I found myself going back to this album and appreciating the themes of solitude and self reflection that Parker has drawn from throughout his career.

Spotify      Apple Music      YouTube      Pandora  

Start With: “Posthumous Forgiveness” or “One More Hour”

1988 by Knxwledge  |  Hip-Hop Released: March 27, 2020

Best Album For... Pumping Your Brakes and Driving Slow, Uh *Homie* Although this album is named after a year in the 80s, the sound here is a perfect portal back to 90s golden era hip-hop, with all the gospel, soul samples, and the kind of deep bass you want to feel in your chest. This is the rare, largely instrumental hip-hop album that I find myself going back to, other than works from the legendary J Dilla and MF Doom. Knxwledge is good friends and a frequent collaborator with Anderson .Paak (in the form of NxWorries). Here we get Anderson to grace us with his presence on the track “itkanbe[sonice]”, and of course it sounds just like an authentic vintage soul sample. When I hear this collection of songs it makes me wish I still had a car, so I could inevitably damage my speakers listening to this.

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Start With: “dont be afraid” or “thats allwekando.”

Future Nostalgia by Dua Lipa  |  Pop, R&B, Funk, Disco Released: March 27, 2020 Best Album For... Alarming Your Pet With Your Enthusiastic Lip Syncing

This album is a pure sugar rush. Like Bruno Mars with the help of Mark Ronson, or Calvin Harris a few years ago, Dua has harnessed a nostalgia (it’s even in the title, wink) for disco, funk and R&B, and is instantly a sexy, catchy, not-so-guilty pleasure. It’s sad that the majority of these songs are all bonafide club hits that didn’t have a proper home this year … except for my living room. And hopefully yours.

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Start With: “Pretty Please” or “Future Nostalgia”

Hold Space For Me by Orion Sun  |  Alternative R&B and Hip-Hop Released: March 27, 2020

Best Album For... Wishing Frank Ocean Was Your Dad

“Alternative R&B” is a contentious term, but what else would you call one of a few R&B singers cool enough to make it onto (NYC indie darlings) Mom+Pop Records?? On one hand, she brings the vulnerable and introverted lyrics of an indie singer songwriter like Tracey Chapman, crossed with the raw presence and sweet melodic delivery of a true R&B star like Aaliyah. I’d even go far enough to refer to her as the musical stepchild of Frank Ocean and SZA.

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Start With: “Ne Me Quitte Pass (Don’t Leave Me)” or “Lightning”

You and Your Friends by Peach Pit  |  Indie Rock and Dream Pop Released: April 3, 2020

Best Album For... Going Back To Your College Town To Crash A Party

Peach Pit seem like they would be cool dudes to hang out with. You have no problem picturing them as the band playing a house show in an indie movie about college kids. And that’s because there’s a familiarity to the scenes that their songs portray, of stumbling through your 20s, either being too dumb or having too much fun to notice. It’s funny to refer to this as “Indie” rock since this is Peach Pit’s major label debut with Columbia Records. But It has all the trappings of Indie; sticky melodies, gentle reverb, an “I’m not trying that hard” vibe, and lyrics that are oddly specific enough to be interesting, but still vague enough to be relatable.

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Start With: “Feelin’ Low (Fuckboy Blues)” or “Shampoo Bottles”

Heaven To a Tortured Mind by Yves Tumor  |  Psych Rock, Indie Pop, Post-Punk, Alternative R&B, Experimental Electronic Released: April 3, 2020

Best Album For... Tearing Up The Fucking Dance Floor With Your Hot Robot Girlfriend

If Tyler the Creator, Alex G, King Krule, and Blood Orange all got into the studio together and dropped a shit ton of acid on Halloween, their recording session might sound something like Heaven To a Tortured Mind… And even then, you still might have trouble putting your finger on exactly what you’re hearing. “Dream Palette” is a good reference track for Tumor’s most wild and mesmerizing qualities. The biggest styles of the past half century of music have been loaded into this gleefully effective genre blender, with blades of dissonance slicing everything up, creating a surrealist sonic smoothie.

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Start With: “Super Stars” or “Dream Palette”

The New Abnormal by The Strokes  |  Indie Rock, Dirtbag Disco, Synth Pop Released: April 10, 2020

Best Album For... Mixing Yourself Another Drink This Saturday Night

Back from the dead, The Strokes return with their first album in 7 years to turn some heads and settle back into some old habits. The charming messy haired garage rock of the early 2000s still pops up here and there, but this is really a record where the group is mature enough to show you that they actually are trying, and are unafraid to take joyous swings for the fences. Julian Casablancas pushes his scratchy alley cat yelp of a voice into something more vulnerable, sunny, and sweet, like he asked for a piña colada (you know, with one of those little umbrellas) instead of a double shot of scotch before hopping up on stage… Or maybe he did both. But these days, everyone is looking for some sort of break from our groundhog day lives any way that we can. Sometimes that sounds like selling out, or depending on how you look at it, stepping up. This album is the result of a group of old friends who got together to make music they simply want to make for themselves. Now far removed from the 2000s New York scene where their younger selves were acting too cool and disaffected to care about having fun.

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Start With: “Eternal Summer” or “The Adults Are Talking”

The Loves of Your Life by Hamilton Leithauser  |  Indie Rock and Alternative Country Released: April 10, 2020

Best Album For... Drinking Down At The Docks, Watching The Sun Set

While I am a fan of The Walkmen, I have no idea what their frontman Hamilton Leithauser looks like or how he dresses. But hearing these songs off of his latest solo, I imagine the following: a member of Mumford and Sons if they were edgy and cooler, giving off a “cowboy rocker meets depression-era dock worker” aesthetic. That’s exactly how his music comes off to me. It’s a convincing blend of blues rock, Americana, and old timey country music. All expertly narrated by dusty country guitars and standup bass, tarnished horns and flutes, and what I imagine to be a restored saloon piano. The Loves of Your Life originally started as a collection of short stories, each about characters based on both people he knew and strangers. Leithauser then wrote the music separately, and finally came to mix and match their parts together in a surprisingly convincing fashion to create the album.

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Start With: “Wack Jack” or “Cross-Sound Ferry (Walk-On Ticket)”

What Kinda Music by Tom Misch and Yussef Dayes  |  Neo-Soul, Electronic, Hip-Hop

Released: April 24, 2020

Best Album For... Cooking For Someone You’re In Love With

Exactly what kind of music do Tom Misch and Yussef Dayes make? It’s orchestral, it’s jazz-infused, it’s hip-hop beats joined with gentle soul. It’s a little sexy, it’s a little mysterious, and you’re going to want to listen to it a whole lot. That’s it. That’s what kind of music it is! Send tweet. 

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Start With: “What Kinda Music” or “Storm Before The Calm”

Petals For Armor by Hayley Williams  |  Electronic Pop and Art Rock Released: May 8, 2020

Best Album For... Browsing Depop for Your Next 80s Normcore ‘Fit

Hayley, Hayley, Hayley. You are too good for this wretched world!! After exploring more adventurous sounds and genre hopping over the last few Paramore records, Hayley decided to go out on her own. This really frees herself from the expectations that come along with being the face and heart of a wildly popular band for the last 15+ years. Thom Yorke fans rejoice, because Hayley Williams has a clear admiration for Radiohead’s haunting indie electronic vibe, while emoting some pain and darkness atop her love for 80s pop and art rock (think Genesis, Devo, The Talking Heads). This is a promising new avenue for Hayley to explore herself and process her pain and desire completely on her own. I see this new project of hers only blooming further from here.

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Start With: “Simmer” or “Sudden Desire” 

Set My Heart On Fire Immediately by Perfume Genius  |  Indie Pop and Art Rock Released: May 15, 2020

Best Album For... Daydreaming That You Were Somewhere Else

For his 5th studio album, Perfume Genius enlists production wizard and guitar god Blake Mills, along with Grammy Award-winning arranger and multi-instrumentalist Rob Moose to create a beautiful swirling mosaic of 80s pastel pop that also packs serious classic rock grandeur. Bass guitar dances between satin smooth lines on one song to churning distorted currents on the next. Sparkling string arrangements and organs bleed together to expose a fading sunset that you’ll want to try and hold in your hands to keep it in sight. Perfume Genius is unafraid to challenge traditional masculinity, packing a 21st century queer machismo into both the quiet moments and jubilant explosions.

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Start With: “Without You” or “Describe”

græ by Moses Sumney  |  Indie Pop, Art Rock, Neo-Soul, Psychic Folk Released: May 15, 2020

Best Album For... Astral Projection 101 

I mean this in the best way possible, but I think that Moses Sumney is a witch. Or maybe a wizard? There’s no other reasonable explanation for the level of creativity and wonder that he summons. This album feels like a private concert by a waterfall (similar to one on the cover), with ethereal pleas, and heavy ideas—like meditating on what lies beyond the constraints of the physical self and reconsidering how well we can actually trust memory and the mind. Sumney layers his voice to create the effect of a ghostly choir, accented by a stark intimidating falsetto that reverberates through the ruins of an abandoned temple where Sumney is the only one in attendance.

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Start With: “Cut Me” or “Polly”

WILL THIS MAKE ME GOOD by Nick Hakim  |  Psychedelic Neo-Soul Released: May 15, 2020

Best Album For... Playing Pool in a Hazy Dive Bar

Nick Hakim is a silky smooth smokey crooner who paints with warbly piano loops, dreamy reverb-heavy guitar, boom bap beats—not to mention a falsetto that would make Smokey Robinson jealous. Clearly a fan of Motown and 60s jazz, Hakim could be considered a peer of Thunder Cat and Anderson .Paak’s to a degree. I remember seeing him perform at Music Hall of Williamsburg a few years ago. The performance ended with him falling down on stage (presumably from being under the influence of multiple substances). But while the song continued he popped back up and belted an impressive high note like it was nothing, drink in hand. And it’s that kind of messy beauty that also makes this album so engrossing. Like watching the eye of the storm get closer and closer, but unable to look away from the sheer magnetism that nature can wield.

Spotify      Apple Music      YouTube      Pandora  Start With: “All THESE CHANGES” or “ALL THESE INSTRUMENTS”

RTJ4 by Run The Jewels  |  Hip-Hop Released: June 3, 2020

Best Album For... Making Your Next Protest Sign

Run The Jewels’ fourth outing might be the most unapologetically angry rap album in the “fuck this” year of 2020. And it reminded me that I should absolutely still be furious about everything that happened during this groundbreaking yet terrifyingly familiar year: country wide protests over the continued murder of innocent black people at the hands of the police, government drone strikes and detaining kids in cages, the state of our environment worsening—and that’s not even addressing the pandemic or election. Killer Mike and El-P are here to scream from the rooftops that our current system of cutthroat capitalism and white supremacy is killing the planet and its inhabitants, and I’m glad that they’re using their platform to continue to sound the alarm.

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Start With: “out of sight” or “ooh la la”

Your Hero Is Not Dead by Westerman  |  New Wave Revival and Indie Pop Released: June 5, 2020 Best Album For... Wanting Your Old School MTV

The cover of Westerman’s first proper album is mostly black and white, except for the title, which is scrawled out in lettering which spans the Crayola color spectrum. It’s an album that on the surface is cold and buttoned up, but when these choruses open up, the maximalist 80s power pop bursts like the bulbs of a neon sign. There’s a level of even-keeled cool and confidence in small moments on display here that makes this relatively new artist seem well beyond his years. Having seen him play at Rough Trade a few years ago (opening up for the stellar Puma Blue), the songwriting growth on display on this record is impressive. I’m only sad that there wasn’t an opportunity to have seen him play these new songs live.

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Start With: “Easy Money” or “Confirmation (SSBD)” 

Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers  |  Indie Rock and Alternative Country Released: June 18, 2020

Best Album For... Burning Incense and Breaking Out a Ouija Board to Talk to The Ghost of Your Former Self

This is without a doubt, a career defining release for Phoebe. Taking everything she’s learned from writing, performing, and touring with the likes of Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker (in boygenius), and Conor Oberst (in Better Oblivion Community Center), Bridgers levels up to become the truly prolific singer-songwriter she’s been telling us she would always be. Bridgers has explained her personal definition of “a punisher” as a well meaning person who’s, “just talking to you and they don’t realize that your eyes are glazed over and you’re trying to escape.” Vital to understanding this album and its central message is that Phoebe finds herself caught between the contradiction of falling victim to this phenomenon while also doing it herself, especially if she ever met her musical idol, Elliott Smith. Punisher serves as a warning to her audience that if you focus too much on trying to find yourself through other people (via escaping through fandom, drugs, toxic relationships), you’ll always feel lost and dissatisfied, without the proper self awareness to ever quite know why. 

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Start With: “Garden Song” or “ICU”

Women In Music Pt. III by HAIM  |  Rock, Pop, Folk, R&B Released: June 26, 2020

Best Album For... Preparing For A Better 2021, lol 

With this album, HAIM skyrocketed to the #1 position of family bands that start with an “H.” Sorry, Hanson! But seriously, HAIM has outdone themselves on this one. If there was one album from this list that I would dub my personal AOTY, this would be it. You might wince at any tracklist longer than 10-12 songs these days (I know I usually do), but almost every song proves itself worthy, pulling at a different thread of my heart until there’s nothing left. Sunshine State Beach Pop? Check. Blues Tinged Dad Rock? Yup! Dive Bar Country? Mmhmm! No, wait, what’s that you say, Glitched-Out R&B? Yes, yes, and yes. You can have it all, sister! ‘Cause when you’re Haim, you’re family! ;) And these three “women in music” continue to prove that they are just about the best Assorted Pop Rocks(™) act in the world right now.

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Start With: “I’ve Been Down” or “Don’t Wanna”

Lianne La Havas by Lianne La Havas  |  Neo-Soul and Indie Pop Released: July 17, 2020

Best Album For... Sipping Coffee and Journaling on a Weekend Morning

This album exudes a warm vulnerability, like a comforting hug we all needed this year. On her third album, Lianne La Havas makes the risky decision to self title it, a move that artists make when they believe that it is the piece of work that they most want most directly associated with their name. It’s one thing to name your first album after yourself if you can’t think of anything else at the time, but to make a self titled album in the middle of your career, it means that you are sure about having captured who you really are and who you want people to remember you as. “If I love myself, I know I can't be no one else,” La Havas admits on the standout track, “Paper Thin.” She knows that she will meet her destiny and reach self actualization, but only through self love. And finally, I cannot overstate how breathtaking La Havas’s voice comes across on this album. The strength and control on display in her vocal tone and vibrato is quite a spectacle. 

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Start With: “Paper Thin” or “Sour Flower”

Limbo by Aminé  |  Hip-Hop and R&B Released: August 7, 2020

Best Album For... Trying and Get Over Kanye With

On Limbo, Aminé establishes himself as one of the torchbearers of soul-sampling, lyrics-driven hip-hop that still cares about storytelling, skits, and presenting vocals clearly. Kanye West, Drake, and J. Cole all paved the way for someone from the next generation like Aminé to keep the dream alive and avoid succumbing to the “feel good, don’t think” form of passive listening that mumble rap has made the standard for mainstream hip-hop.

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Start With: “Pressure In My Palms” or “My Reality”

Shore by Fleet Foxes  |  Folk and Indie Rock Released: September 22, 2020

Best Album For... Running Along The Beach With Your Arms Stretched Out

It was really kind of Robin Pecknold and co. to have released an album this triumphant, calming, and awe-inspiring during the year of our Lorde 2020. On behalf of myself and anyone else who suffers from Seasonal Affective Disorder, the SAD people of the world really needed this, man. And to anyone who is quick to judge these beard-o’s of being boring, you’re simply not using your ears properly. Yeah, you know those two things on either side of your head? Get the gunk out of them! That way you’ll hear the choir of angels with acoustic guitars who are here to guide us through quarantine and beyond. 

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Start With: “Can I Believe You” or “A Long Way Past The Past” 

Listen to all of these albums together in our playlist.

[thebigladjake]

AX3001: Graphic Novel Idea #1: CHAPPIES - Research: South Park

South Park and it’s Creators:

A series I’ve got much more into these last few weeks is South Park by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. I’ve always had a fondness for the series, but my exposure really was mainly South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut.

I originally saw this film as a kid which allows me to really feel for the kids now because the whole plot of the film is basically symbolism of South Park in the real world, where parents will get offended and cause a fuss because of shows like South Park affecting their kids rather than taking responsibility and being good parents.

After re-watching the movie, finding out that it holds up remarkably well and makes way much more sense to my mind now as an adult, really gave me appreciation for this series and for the writers who both don’t seem to give a single toss with what people may think.

Trey Parker and Matt Stone

A series of interviews on YouTube gave me tons of little titbits of information on how the show is made, whether it goes from the basis of characters or locations or what to poke fun of. These two guys are geniuses and are able to stay relevant due to the speed of which they can produce work. One of these bits of information was the “But-therefore” story structure and it’s what they use to construct their episodes.

The basic principle of the structure is that there are beats in the story, you’ve got to get from point A to point B. But, these events should flow naturally into one another so that it all comes together nicely.

“And then“ is what you want to avoid because that doesn’t flow, what you should do instead is either include the words “But“ or “Therefore.“ For example, if I write the line.

Jake was heading to uni and then he was hit by a bus.

There’s not much to go off there. However, if we replace “and then” with “but”...

Jake was heading to uni, but he was hit by a bus.

It immediately tells you more, letting you know that getting hit by a bus was not on Jake’s agenda. And if we replaced it with “therefore” it’d make it sound intentional. So, we get a much clearer concept on what the actions are doing for the story. And we can add even more onto it.

Jake was heading to uni, but he was hit by a bus. Therefore, he was taken into hospital and couldn’t go to uni.

We get another location we can go to and another problem to add for the narrative. And they just keep adding on and on and on.

To see this story structure in practise, I will be taking a look at the Season 4 episode “Fingerbang” as not only is it a good example of this story structure. But, as an example of the antics I would like to write in Chappies.

Fingerbang Story Structure:

The episode begins with the four boys in a boyband called “Fingerbang” and they are in a crowded stadium with millions of girls screaming in adoration. But, Cartman wakes up, revealing it to be a dream. Therefore, he finds his friends and pitches them the idea to be a boyband.

But, Kyle brings up the fact that they need five members to be a proper boyband. Therefore, they arrange auditions the next day for the fifth member.

Onto the B Plot, Stan brings up that him and the boys were going to start a boyband at the dinner table. But, Randy (Stan’s dad) says that he’s not going to have a part in the boyband. Therefore causing Stan to bring up that all of his friends are doing it and that they can make ten million dollars, making Randy tell him that he is not going to be in the boyband and that’s final before leaving the dinner table.

The next day, the boys hold the auditions with only a few people turning up to audition. One of them being Wendy, a character which Cartman doesn’t like and also a girl. And girls can’t be in a boyband! 

But, Wendy turns out to be the best audition they get. Therefore, getting the place and having to disguise herself as a boy.

After rehearsing their dance routine and songs, they need a venue to play at and Cartman suggests the mall. But, the mall security let them know that they can’t speak with the manager unless they have an appointment. 

Therefore, they cause a distraction for the security guards, so that they can hit the mall manager with their pitch. But, the mall manager refuses to move a cheese and sausage cart due to them not being as good as cheese and sausage.

Back with Randy, he asks Sharon where Stan is, but unfortunately he’s at Cartman’s house. Therefore, making Randy angry and we get to see a little more reasoning behind Randy’s motivation, he is worried if they do succeed.

Cartman is feeling down from recently being turned down by the manager, therefore he visits Chef for advice. But, Chef tells him that boybands aren’t about the music, that they’re all about the money and teaches him about the “Garmlich Effect” where if one girl screams about something, they’ll all start screaming. 

Therefore, Cartman takes this advice to heart and creates videos with some of the girls from school, hoping that this video will be able to change the mall manager’s mind.

After finishing the video, we return to the B plot where Randy has arrived to know what Stan is doing, knowing fully well that he is disobeying him. Stan tries to defend his case, but Randy is persistent that there are better things which Stan could be doing on a Saturday. Therefore, the two go back and forth with Randy making suggestions such as doing marijuana instead of the boyband.

Cartman makes a return to the mall with a brand new video to woo the mall manager over. But, the recorded video turns out to be of very poor quality as the camera does not remain focused on them, with the manager calling the video dumb. Therefore, Cartman pleads for the manager to give them a chance with the manager saying that he could move the cheese and sausage cart off to the side for twenty minutes. Setting up that they have limited time.

The arrangement was made for 3 o’clock on the same day, but back at Stan’s house, Randy refuses to let Stan go. Therefore, Stan fights his case, but Randy lashes out! Putting his head through a glass cupboard and shocking Stan, therefore Randy decides to come clean and explain everything to Stan.

Randy was a singer in a men’s choir when he was eighteen, a record dealer was in the audience and offers him the chance of a lifetime, causing him to leave his old life behind. 

The band was successful, but Randy finds out one day that his manager has a new band that were replacing him and the other boys. Therefore, Randy lost everything with the only option being to return to South Park and face everyone that he had abandoned. 

He became a joke to everyone, showing us his true feelings and how he doesn’t want Stan to go through the same pain he did.

Back with the boys, they are short for time and Stan hasn’t arrived causing the manager to tell them they need to hurry up because he can’t keep the cheese and sausage kart off of there for much longer. Cartman says they’ll start right away and that they’ll have to do this without Stan. But, Kyle retorts, saying that he’s not going to be a part of a four boy boyband because they’ll look stupid. Therefore, they have to keep waiting.

Stan talks to his dad, telling him that he doesn’t think that he is a joke and that he’s the best dad he’s ever had. The two make up with Randy saying that Stan needs to make his own mistakes. Therefore, allowing Stan to get down to the mall just before it’s too late.

Cartman and the crew are about to be kicked off stage, but Stan and Randy arrive just in time to save the day! Therefore, the manager allows them to play and for them to be quick! But, an unfortunate accident occurs while Cartman is introducing the band, Kenny is squashed by an elevator! 

After getting so close too, the manager has had enough telling the kids to get out! Cartman says they have to perform, but Kyle asserts his point that they no longer have a fifth member before Stan tells him that they indeed have a fifth member. Therefore, they get to perform...

With Randy filling in for the role of Kenny... The performance goes on without a problem with only a few claps from the audience, but to Fingerbang it means everything. With two dollars, an autograph and the offer to perform at a club, Cartman decides that he can’t handle all of this fame and all of the boys decide to return to their lives.

Conclusion

And that it is the “But-Therefore” story structure that Trey Parker and Matt Stone go by. Everything plays into each other, nothing just happens and that’s what makes this structure much more entertaining. From Cartman’s dreams to the final product, to Randy’s embarrassment of his past and slight jealousy of Stan, the struggle for a fifth member being a theme throughout. It all plays into each other perfectly. 

These are the kind of stories that I would like in the Chappies project, just a group of friends who want to do something and they go and do it. Whether it be making a boyband, trying to outsmart an older kid and making his parents into chilli, a female classmate getting breasts or the boys playing with weapons. South Park can make it interesting and always find ways to surprise you. Wherever this goes, no one knows, but it can be as ridiculous as it needs to be. It’s a great example on storytelling, even if an idea is done, you can still make it fresh!

[morningfears]

Summer Nights [Chapter Two]

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Calum and Kennedy meet again for the first time in over a year but things have changed since they last spoke. Will they ever be able to reconnect or have things fizzled too far to fix?

Word Count: 4.1k

                                              Chapter One

“Good morning, Camp Clear Lake. The sky is a beautiful cloudless blue, the sun is shining bright, and the temperature is already a sweltering ninety-five. The children who will be left in our somewhat capable hands are on their way with the most annoying people known to earth, moderately wealthy parents. We can only hope and pray that all of them are vaccinated and that we don’t contract the bubonic plague. That said, we have thirty more minutes to ourselves before the end of the world as we know it.”

Kennedy groans and pulls her pillow out from beneath her head only to place it on top of her head in an attempt to drown out Jade’s booming voice. Her hangover has magnified every one of her senses. Everything is far too loud; the chirping of the birds, the shuffling of Jade’s feet as she moves around the cabin, the laughter of the new counselors who had retained some of their common sense and hadn’t drowned themselves in cheap beer and even cheaper liquor. Kennedy can feel her heartbeat in her temples and the sun is still too bright, even through the pillow on top of her head, and she swears that she’s never drinking again.

“I crave death,” she grumbles, voice muffled by the pillow on top of her head as she wills her churning stomach to calm. “And maybe bacon, after I puke.”

“Death, I can do nothing to help you with,” Jade hums as she straightens out the last of the camper’s mattresses. “As for the bacon, there’s probably some in the mess hall. Not sure how edible it is but I feel like it’s there.”

Kennedy groans as she feels Jade pull the sheet from her body and shakes her head beneath the pillow. “Bacon from the mess hall might kill me,” she breathes, a thoughtful lilt to her voice as she allows Jade to pry the pillow out of her hands. “Unless the sun gets me first.”

“Put on a hat and some sunglasses,” Jade advises as she drops Kennedy’s ‘staff’ shirt onto her face in place of the pillow. “You got fucking hammered last night.”

“Beer before liquor,” Kennedy breathes as she attempts to sit upright in bed, her hands clutching the edges of her mattress for support, “guess the old saying is true.”

Jade hums her agreement as she tugs on her own ‘staff’ shirt and tucks it into the waistband of her neon green shorts. “Pretty sure you had Everclear,” Jade nods with an impressed look on her face. “Doesn’t mean I don’t I hate you for choosing this fucking color, though,” she grumbles as she turns to look into the floor length mirror she and Kennedy had brought two years ago. “Green is fine but, like, toxic sludge green. Not a good look, Kenny.”

“Just trying to live my eighties summer camp horror movie fantasy,” Kennedy grumbles as she stands and kicks off her pajama shorts and tosses her tank top onto her bed. “If there isn’t any real toxic sludge, guess it just has to be symbolic.” Jade rolls her eyes as she watches Kennedy tug on her ‘staff’ shirt before she places a pair of sunglasses over her eyes. Jade hands her an identical pair of neon green cotton shorts and watches as she tucks her shirt into them before she shoves her feet into a pair of black and white Vans.

Jade stares for a long moment, watching Kennedy robotically go about her morning routine as if they’d never left Camp Clear Lake in the first place, before she grabs a pack of hair ties and moves closer to Kennedy’s bed. “Before you got absolutely fucked last night, did you happen to notice who showed up?” Jade asks as she adjusts her socks. As Kennedy thinks about it, Jade reaches for Kennedy’s brush to help her pull her hair into a ponytail.

“The only thing I noticed last night was how comfortable the ground was,” Kennedy grumbles before she catches the look Jade levels at her. “No,” she sighs as Jade runs the brush through her hair. “I didn’t notice much of anything at all, really. I noticed the new group of counselors off to the side, the returning counselors with you and Abbey,” Kennedy hums as Jade finishes putting her hair in a ponytail. She pauses for a moment to think before she adds, “After that, I remember talking about music with Joey, talking about politics with Cole, and then I’m pretty sure I ended up putting a lizard in Aiden’s cabin but don’t hold me to that.”

“Oh, you definitely did that,” Jade nods as she shifts to allow Kennedy to help her clip on her necklace. “I don’t know how his screaming didn’t wake you up, honestly. But while you were drooling over Joey and getting shitfaced with the boys, Ashton and Calum appeared. It’s almost like they heard us talking shit.” Jade pauses for a moment to adjust her necklace in the mirror before she turns to face Kennedy and adds, “Calum looked super interested in you and Joey.”

Kennedy blinks in surprise upon hearing this. It’s rare for counselors to come in late but not entirely unheard of. However, she was certain that after they’d missed Maxwell and Aiden’s welcome, Calum and Ashton weren’t coming. In the brief moments of sobriety she’d had the night before, she imagined that they’d be doing something better with their time this summer. Calum talked about hiding out on a beach somewhere the summer before, writing and drinking and enjoying the solitude, and she’d thought that maybe he’d done that. She also remembers that they’re Australian, far from home and missing their families. She’d briefly considered the option that they’d gone home for the summer.

Whatever they’d done, she was sure that they wouldn’t be returning to Camp Clear Lake to spend their summer with a gaggle of giggling children surrounding them.

But upon hearing Jade’s confirmation that they had indeed arrived, Kennedy doesn’t know if the butterflies she feels in her stomach are excitement or anxiety. She’s glad that Calum is back, she really had enjoyed the time she spent with him, but Jade’s reality check rings through her head like a mantra.

Summer camp romances aren’t real. You get two months to flirt, fuck, and then you forget. And Kennedy doesn’t know if she can do that.

Kennedy thinks about Calum, about the instant attraction she’d felt and the comfort that filled her body whenever he was around, and can see something more than just a fling. She can see a future with him, can see waking up beside him and wearing his sweatshirts. She can see getting a dog, living in some cozy apartment in the city, and figuring life out together. 

And then she realizes that she only knew him for two months, only knew what he wanted her to know, only saw the Calum he wanted her to see, and she thinks that maybe she’s crazy. She thinks that Jade is right, she’s a hopeless romantic with too many thoughts running through her head. She should focus on herself, on the future that she knows exists (the one in which she graduates from college and then has no fucking clue what to do next) and leave the romance alone.

And then she thinks about Joey.

She remembers the summer that they spent together, the awkward flirting and the fun times. She remembers thinking that he was cute and offering to teach him how to shoot a bow just so she could spend time with him. She remembers him teaching her how to play the drums (even though he was better at making her laugh than teaching her how to play) and her making any mistake she could to have him guide her. She remembers being paired with Joey and Cole for nearly every activity that summer and she can see herself having fun with him again.

Now that they’re adults, comfortable in who they are and a little more certain of themselves, she imagines that maybe things will be different this time. She imagines there won’t be any awkward attempts at hand holding or attempts to stare at the other unnoticed. She imagines that this time might be easier, more natural. And she can see the same future with Joey that she can see with Calum. A cozy apartment, comfortable nights, and the best damn music collection in the city.

But she knows that she’s jumping ahead of herself. She’s thinking too far into the future when she should be focusing on the present. She should be focusing on the hordes of children that are currently en route. She should be focusing on the GRE that she’s decided to take in the fall. She should be focusing on anything other than a fling that likely won’t mean anything in six months.

However, Kennedy can’t help herself as she wonders what had gone through Calum’s head when he saw her with Joey. She wonders if he was jealous or if he gave it a second thought. She wonders if Jade is trying to stir the pot or if maybe he’d really felt something last summer and was interested in picking up where they left off.

She also wonders if Joey noticed Calum’s staring.

Before the thought of what it all really means can fully form in her mind, a knock sounds on their cabin door. 

Jade glances at Kennedy out of the corner of her eye, a look Kennedy doesn’t recognize on her face, before she opens the door to reveal a grinning Ashton. “Good morning, counselors,” he greets happily. “Walk with me to the mess hall?”

Jade notices Kennedy glance around Ashton and out into the small clearing in the middle of the ring of cabins. She figures that Kennedy is searching for Calum (or maybe Joey, she can’t be sure) but when she sees only the remaining new counselors decorating the fronts of their cabins, she shrugs at Jade and reaches for her sunglasses. 

“I’m gonna nap on the walk,” Kennedy murmurs as she wraps her arm around Jade’s shoulders once they step outside the cabin, “guide me.”

“You should know better by now,” Ashton teases as Jade wraps her arm around Kennedy’s waist. “She let you walk into a tree during that trust exercise last year.”

“I did not,” Jade protests. “I told her to turn left, away from the tree, and she turned right. It’s not my fault she can’t take directions.”

“She did turn left,” a new voice chimes in as the three of them head up the path to the mess hall, “the tree was on the left, not the right.”

Kennedy tenses at the sound of Calum’s voice but doesn’t stop walking. Jade, feeling Kennedy’s reaction, rolls her eyes. “When I said left, I meant my left. Not her left. We were facing different directions,” Jade defends. “Maybe it’s my fault for not specifying but she’s the one who gave herself a concussion, so.”

Kennedy rolls her eyes at Jade’s dismissal but says nothing and keeps herself stuck to Jade’s side as the four of them make their way to the mess hall. She listens as Jade and Ashton fall into an easy conversation about the hike at the end of camp. They argue over who should hold the map, as if they’ve already committed to hiking together, and Kennedy doesn’t know how she feels about that. 

She doesn’t know how she feels about Calum anymore, either.

He’s is trailing behind the three of them, his eyes burning into the back of her head, but Kennedy can’t bring herself to look at him. She keeps her gaze forward, her eyes on the expanse of trees that surround them, and she tries her hardest to pretend like the weight of Calum’s gaze isn’t affecting her. She pretends that it’s the hangover that’s making her knees weak and her stomach churn. She pretends that it’s the anxiety that comes with meeting parents, that it’s the excitement for the summer ahead, but she knows that it’s all Calum’s fault and Kennedy wants to cry when Jade untangles herself from her grip and grabs Ashton’s hand.

“We’ll meet you guys in the mess hall,” Jade calls as she and Ashton head in the direction of the art cabin, “we’ve got something we need to do super quick. Promise I’ll be back by the time the kids come in!”

Kennedy watches as Jade disappears with Ashton, confusion clouding her brain. “I feel like I missed something,” she mumbles with a frown as she watches them giggle. “Like, they went from hiking to horny in a shockingly short period of time.”

“Is it really that shocking for them?” Calum questions as he watches the pair disappear from beside her. “I’m surprised they lasted this long, honestly.”

Kennedy nods her agreement and shrugs. “I thought she was going to lose her mind when we thought you guys weren’t coming. Like, she was fully miserable for the whole day. Didn’t know what she was going to do without Ash.”

“He talked about her the whole ride up here,” Calum informs Kennedy as the pair resume their journey to the mess hall. “He really liked her. Couldn’t wait to see her again.”

Kennedy isn’t sure if she’s imagining the softness in Calum’s voice or if he’s no longer talking about Jade and Ashton but she doesn’t want to assume. So she nods, takes his words at face value, and hums, “She liked him, too. It’s gonna be tough to keep them away from each other this summer. At least I’ll know she’s with him if she goes missing, though.”

Kennedy can see Calum nod out of the corner of her eye but he doesn’t make any further attempt at conversation as the pair of them move closer to the mess hall. It’s an awkward silence, one she isn’t used to having with Calum, and it makes her frown as she crosses her arms over her chest and wishes she had something to say that didn’t feel forced. 

Conversations with Calum were easy before she started to think too much about feelings and intentions and hypothetical futures. They flowed and when they didn’t, the silences weren’t just a thing to be filled. They were comfortable, happy and carefree, and Kennedy wants to return to that but she isn’t sure how.

So, she keeps walking. She keeps her eyes on the wooden boards beneath her feet that serve as the porch to the mess tent and almost makes it to the door when a hand grips her elbow.

She blinks at Calum’s grip, her eyes catching the tattoo on his hand that she spent so much time tracing the previous summer, before she lifts her head and glances at his face for the first time in nearly a year. Physically, he hasn’t changed. He’s still just as beautiful as she remembers him being. His eyes are just as expressive and his face just as difficult to read as she’s always found it. She can’t tell what he’s thinking and she isn’t sure if she’d change that.

“Kennedy,” he begins quietly, his eyes roaming her face for any hint of emotion. He’d always told her that her eyes gave her away, that he could see every emotion just as clear as day, but with the tint of her sunglasses keeping them hidden, Calum is just as blind to her emotions as she is to his.

He isn’t quite sure what he wants to say to her. He doesn’t know if he should apologize for not texting her or ask her if they can start over. He doesn’t know if he should tell her that she looks beautiful, even with a hangover from Hell, or if he should just let her go.

Calum has never been this uncertain so he goes with the only safe option. He lets go of her arm and shoots what he hopes is a genuine looking smile in her direction as he says, “It’s good to see you again.”

He doesn’t see the flicker of disappointment in her eye. He doesn’t feel the sting of rejection burning the back of her throat. All he sees is the nod of her head before she mutters, “It’s good to see you, too.”

Kennedy doesn’t know why it bothers her so much. It wasn’t like she was expecting a declaration of his undying love. However, she was expecting something a little more substantial than, “It’s good to see you again.”

But before she can spend too much time dwelling on his first direct comment to her, about their time spent together, a voice calls, “You’re alive! I’m glad the Everclear didn’t kill you.” Kennedy turns to see Joey bounding up the steps, a grin on his lips as he steps closer to her. She can see Cole dragging behind him, a pair of sunglasses matching her own covering his eyes, and she grins.

“I’m, like, half a degree more alive than Cole right now,” she laughs as she watches him drag himself up the steps. “Maybe a full degree.”

“I don’t know what I did to deserve this,” Cole sighs as he leans against the wooden post, “but I’ve learned my lesson.”

“Beer after liquor next time?” Joey asks with a grin.

“Yeah.” Kennedy laughs at the interaction and shakes her head as she watches Cole attempt to drag himself into the mess hall only to fall into one of the rocking chairs beside the door. “Leave me here,” he sighs. “If you could all live quietly while I die, that’d be great.”

Kennedy, Joey, and Calum glance at Cole. They watch as he leans his head against the wooden side of the building and sighs, green strands falling into his face and covering the red of his cheeks. The three of them stare at him for a long moment before Kennedy shakes her head and points to the door.

“I’m going to go get something to eat. The campers will be here soon and I can’t deal with them on an empty stomach,” she mutters as she steps around Joey. “If I do, I’ll end up dying with Cole.”

“The afterlife’s looking pretty sweet,” Cole mutters, his words muffled by the hat he’d pulled down over his face. “No campers, at least.”

Joey laughs at Cole’s antics and shakes his head. “I’ll come with you,” he offers to Kennedy. “I think the only edible thing in there is peanut butter and jelly but living off that is better than joining him in the afterlife,” Joey shrugs as he moves to follow her. However, before the two can get more than a few steps closer to the door, he turns back to Calum. “Shit, sorry. I’m Joey,” he offers with a grin, “nice to meet you, man.”

Calum nods. He wants to say that he knows, to ignore the greeting and walk away, but when he catches the look on Kennedy’s face, he sighs and says, “Calum. Nice to meet you, too.”

Calum really wants to be annoyed as he watches Joey and Kennedy disappear into the mess hall. He wants to be annoyed that Joey seems to be such a nice person. He wants to be annoyed that he’s grinning and bright, that he seems like he doesn’t have a care in the world. He wants to be annoyed that he’s got Kennedy laughing just by being near her. He wants to be annoyed that he’s just waltzed in and picked up right where they left off all those years ago as if a day hadn’t gone by when he can barely get a full sentence out in her presence.

But the only person Calum is annoyed with is himself.

He knows that he’s the only one to blame here. He knows that if he’d just taken the risk over the summer and kissed her or held her hand or fucking told her that he liked her like one of his campers suggested then maybe he’d be the one she was giggling at. Maybe he’d be the one she was making doe eyes at. Maybe he’d be the one with her undivided attention.

But he’d played it cool, kept her at a distance because he didn’t want to fall too hard too fast and get his heart broken, and now he’s suffering the consequences.

“Green’s not a good color on you, dude.” Calum glances over at Cole whose head is lolled to one side, his hair covering his face, and Calum isn’t sure how he can even see in front of him. Calum stares at Cole, a look of confusion on his face, when Cole shrugs. “I mean, real green probably is but jealous green is not. It’s summer camp. Lighten up.”

Calum wants to roll his eyes. He wants to tell Cole that he can’t lighten up because he’s been thinking about Kennedy for nearly a year and it’s driving him insane. He wants to tell Cole that he can’t lighten up because he thought about their reunion and this is absolutely not how he imagined it’d go. He wants to tell Cole that he can’t lighten up because things just aren’t going how he imagined they would but he doesn’t.

Instead, he asks, “How the fuck did you even know?”

As Calum listens to Cole explain himself, Kennedy allows Joey to guide her through the tables filled with counselors. She waves hello to those she remembers, smiles politely at those she doesn’t, and laughs when Joey stops her in front of the table containing the necessary ingredients for peanut butter and jelly. She remembers living off of them her first summer at Camp Clear Lake. She remembers sneaking the ingredients out of the mess hall after breakfast and hiding in the edge of the woods with Joey to eat them and laugh at one another attempting to speak through a mouthful of peanut butter as their campers splashed in the lake. 

She remembers wondering if sharing a kiss with Joey would taste like peanut butter and jelly. 

But she also remembers sharing the sandwich with Calum. She remembers making sandwiches and the two of them sneaking out in the middle of the night for Calum to smoke and write. She remembers listening as he hummed the melodies that were stuck in his mind and grinning when he began scribbling words onto the pages of his notebook. He’d been slightly weirded out by the combination, unsure of it, and hadn’t really enjoyed it much at all. 

“You’re from Australia, Calum,” she remembers telling him when he made the comment that Americans had weird food combinations, “you guys eat sprinkles on buttered bread. You can’t tell me shit.”

“Yeah,” he shrugged, “but that’s, like, for kids. Birthday parties and shit. This is just something people eat. It’s weird.”

She remembers laughing at him getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of his mouth and him scoffing at the suggestion that he should feed his dog some. She remembers him putting a spoonful of it in Ashton’s shoes and biting back a grin when he blamed a camper. She remembers being carefree, not worried about the future or the past but living in the moment. She remembers being happy with what she had and not caring if she got anything more.

And Kennedy knows that she wants that again.

She wants to be happy. She wants to find love and grow old with someone she cares about. Realistically, however, she doesn’t think that’ll happen at Camp Clear Lake. She doesn’t think she’ll meet her soulmate by the tire swing or in line for the showers. She doesn’t think she’ll fall madly in love by the rusty swings or near the too-smokey fire. So, as she meets Jade by the signpost welcoming campers to Camp Clear Lake, Kennedy vows to just live.

“If we flirt and we fuck and we forget,” she mumbles as double checks the stack of name tags attached to her clipboard, “then that’s what happens. I’m not going to be weird and anxious all summer. I’m just going to live.”

Jade, brain still mildly fogged from her encounter with Ashton, stares at Kennedy for a long moment. She isn’t quite sure who Kennedy is talking about when she says she’s fine with just living. Part of her hopes that it’s Calum, another part of her hopes that it’s Joey. Calum kept her calm, Joey helped her have fun. Each boy brought out something different in Kennedy, helped her be a better version of herself, so Jade can’t help but ask, “When you say we, who do you mean? You and Joey or you and Calum?”

And there, Kennedy realizes, lies her problem.

When she says she wants to live in the moment, who does she want to live in the moment with?

Author’s Note: I love this so much so far. I haven’t been this excited about a fic in A G E S. Who are we feeling for Kennedy to end up with? Cal or Joey? (Also, I’ve seen Captain Marvel twice now and I want to see it again, send help.)

[mst3kproject]

Abraxas: Guardian of the Universe

This is another treasure from the dollar bin at Wal-Mart, and unlike some movies I have acquired thus (Samson vs the Vampire Women comes to mind) it was actually worth spending a buck on.  It’s bizarre and hilarious and put me in mind of MST3K even before it became a Rifftrack – and the Rifftrack is great.  It gets off to a very strong start with Mike laughing out loud and going, “no seriously, what’s the real title?”

Abraxas is a Finder, one of ‘the cops of the universe’. His partner Secudus has gone rogue and is out to create a being called the Comator, who will solve the Anti-Life Equation.  What does that mean?  I have no fucking idea but it’s definitely bad, so Abraxas is sent to stop him. Secundus is eventually captured, but not before he impregnates a woman named Sonya, who promptly (and I do mean promptly) gives birth to her son Tommy.  Abraxas is ordered to kill Sonya and Tommy both, but spares them – which just means that six years later, Secundus can escape from prison again and returns to Earth to claim his son.  This is all set to music that sounds like a Kenny G. Christmas album.

This entire movie is just one big what.  You can usually tell what they’re going for but the execution is always weird, starting with the title.  Abraxas: Guardian of the Universe sounds like a shitty 80’s cartoon created to advertise a line of cheap action figures. What the film actually is, is a ripoff of Terminator II: Judgment Day, and nobody much bothers to try to hide that. There’s a precocious little boy with a very important destiny, his independent and protective mother, and two equally threatening burly dudes, one of whom is trying to kill him and one of whom is trying to protect him.  A family dynamic forms between good Burly Dude and the mother and son, while bad Burly Dude pursues them implacably until the final showdown between good and evil.

Because the makers of Abraxas: Guardian of the Universe couldn’t afford to be sued by James Cameron, they have of course made a number of changes to the story, most notably using aliens instead of robots from the future, but the script gives the impression of having been written in too much of a hurry to get these changes right.  For example, one of the rules of the Terminator universe is that you can’t take anything with you back in time, so nobody has any weapons or even any clothing from the future.  Abraxas doesn’t need to keep this rule, but it does anyway, by ‘crossing the teleportation streams’ or something so that both Abraxas and Secundus lose their weaponry (but not, thank god, their clothes) on their way to Earth.  There’s no reason for this, it’s only there because it was there in the Terminator movies.

Occasionally the movie tries to be funny.  It rarely works – the only bit that actually got a snicker out of me on purpose was when a waitress presented Secundus with his bill and he ate it.  The rest of the jokes just fall flat.  There’s a scene in which one alien snippily informs another that “parsecs are not an appropriate Earth time unit!”, and it’s obvious what they’re referencing but that’s not the same as being funny.  Another really bizarre moment has Abraxas telling some campers that the artificial intelligence implanted in his wrist, his ‘Answer Box’, can find Secundus by detecting his vibrational frequency, and what he actually says is “my Box has V.D.” Was that a joke?  If so, was Ventura in on it?  Or did somebody just think it would be really funny to trick him into saying that his vagina has an STI?  What?

On a similar note, there’s a bit where Abraxas, sitting in bed with no shirt on, tells Tommy he’s going to tell him a story ‘about two men who were partners’.  I’m at least pretty sure that wasn’t an intentional innuendo but man, it’s an icky thing for a large hairy man to say to a six-year-old boy.

The main thing people who’ve seen this movie remember about it is the soundtrack, which is entirely inexplicable.  There’s one little strain that really does sound like the opening to I’ll be Home for Christmas on alto saxophone, and the fact that the whole movie happens in the winter only heightens the effect.  This is the entire score, too – Sonya contemplates killing her child, then decides against it, to saxophone music.  Abraxas and Secundus pursue each other through the woods to saxophone music.  The one major exception is the song that plays over the final showdown and that’s equally out of place.  What were they thinking?

Performances and casting are weird.  Ventura and Sven-Ole Thorsen mostly come across as robotic, which is okay for nigh-immortal defenders of the cosmos but quickly crumbles when they’re supposed to display emotion, as when Secundus proudly addresses Tommy as ‘my son’ or when Abraxas starts to develop feelings for Sonya.  I have no idea how old Sonya is supposed to be – an early scene with her parents suggests that she’s a teenager but Marjorie Bransfield (Jim Belushi’s wife, if you’re interested) is clearly thirty-odd and nobody tries to make her look younger.  Everybody else is kinda low-level bad with one rather stunning exception, and that’s Francis Mitchell as Tommy.

Tommy never speaks throughout the movie, until he finally gets two words in voiceover at the end – this means that his entire character arc must be communicated non-verbally.  We see that Tommy loves his mother, that he knows he has strange powers and is afraid of them and the harm he could do with them, and that he’s terrified of Secundus but doesn’t know if he should trust Abraxas either. Mitchell isn’t a brilliant child actor but he’s good enough in a movie where very little even rises to that level, and that’s fairly impressive.

If this movie has a point, it’s that there is no destiny – Tommy can be the Comator and bring about the end of the universe, but he doesn’t have to be if he doesn’t want to.  He can choose how he uses his powers.  This is the same thing Kyle Reese tells Sarah Connor in The Terminator: the future isn’t written yet, and our choices are important.  In this one instance, Abraxas actually manages to make its point a bit better than Terminator did, because it doesn’t have the time travel.  The story of Terminator was a closed loop: John Connor sends Kyle Reese back in time to meet Sarah so that John can be born.  All this must happen because in a sense it already did.  Abraxas is not chained to its own ending in this way, and so Tommy’s destiny is entirely his own without requiring a sequel to make it so.

This is also, as the summary implies, a film about rape, and the way the topic is treated ties in with the idea of our destiny being based on our choices.  When Secundus kidnaps Sonya, he tells her I need your body, and makes it clear that he will use it with or without her consent.  When she comes home with an infant, her father throws her out, accusing her of being sexually irresponsible.  Sonya herself is tempted to do violence to the child who will always remind her of this traumatic evening.

But Sonya is actually a pretty tough cookie. She defends herself to her father, telling him she has nothing to be ashamed of.  When she finds herself out in the cold, she picks herself up and builds a life for herself and her child, and she never lets the awful circumstances of Tommy’s conception colour how she treats him.  Because Sonya raises him with love and support, Tommy is able to understand that his destiny does not have to be destruction.  He can at last allow himself to speak, knowing his words will harm no one unless he chooses.

That’s honestly a really powerful arc for a movie, but Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe doesn’t use it effectively.  The acting is way too bad and the situations far too silly for it to have an impact, and the ending focuses on Abraxas and Secundus fighting when it should be about Tommy’s internal struggle. Admittedly, external fistfights are way easier to film, but Sonya and Tommy are the emotional crux of this story, and after the arcs they’ve been through they deserve better than to be spectators at the end.

At some point in the writing process for this movie somebody seems to have realized that if Abraxas is going to be the main character he needs to learn something or evolve somehow, so that’s what they try to do.  How do they do that?  They have him learn emotions.  Yes, it’s really corny.  Yes, it involves falling in love with Sonya and deciding to retire and stay on Earth.  I wonder… if they have more children, will they do it the human way, or will Abraxas hold a hand over her stomach while his Answer Box announces reproduction commenced?  The other way they show us Abraxas learning emotion is having him argue with his Answer Box and eventually tell it to shut up, signifying that he’s becoming less of a machine, himself.  The movie seems to think this is really funny but it’s not.

After two pages of complaining I need to reiterate that Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe is not annoying­-bad, it’s hilarious-bad.  In true B-movie style, its entertainment value lies in the disconnect between what the film-makers were going for and the result they produced.  It’s much like Space Mutiny that way, trying so hard to be epic and falling comically short, and it would have made for similarly classic MST3K.

[patronusofthepugs]

Team Mysterion: Wendy

Powers: She’s on fire. Literally. Her body is always burning as if she has coal smoldering in her chest. When she focuses, she can direct all that heat to the palms of her hands where she can either control it like a fire geyser or in short, explosive bursts.

 When she get’s really happy, smoke will start to pour out of her mouth especially when she’s laughing. She gets super embarrass it and every time she feels it bubbling up, she runs away. A lot of kids at school think she’s a bitch because they never see her laugh or even smile that much. A lot of people  are intimidated by her which she encourages but she’s also scared that everyone will realize how not in control she is.

Wendy tries to present her life as being perfect but she’s anxious all the time. Anxious that she’ll hurt someone with her powers. That she’s not cut out to be a hero. That it’s all too much and she’ll burn out. Become a has-been like her parents. She’s scared that she can rage and burn all that she wants but she’ll never make a difference. She puts a lot of pressure on herself, sometime the voices in her head are so loud that she feels like screaming. She’ll usually go for a grueling run to just find some peace. She holds these worries close to heart, no one knows about it besides Kenny and Butters.

They help calm her down. Whenever she begins to panic and overheat, Kenny is there with breathing techniques and Butters is there with soft hugs and whispered assurances. She feels oddly at peace with the two of them.

Wendy may seem like lawful good but she’s more chaotic good. Whatever gets the job done, she’s willing to do whatever it takes whether it be a little manipulation or lots of explosives. Team Mysterion usually has the riskiest, dangerous plans and Wendy is 100% on board for it. Butters is the worrier, Kenny is the planner, and Wendy is the action.

She’s fiercely outspoken about social issues especially about women superheros and sexism in the media. She hates the concept that women have to wear skimpy clothing for costumes and demands equality in both. After a blog photo shopped Wendy’s outfit to be more revealing, she dressed in Mysterion’s costume, while Kenny and Butters wore outfits with cleavage windows. They all loved it.

After her relationship with Stan, she isn’t in a hurry to date anyone. At least that’s what she tells herself but her traitorous heart has started to develop feelings for someone. Right now, she is in denial about it and refuses to give it another thought. Emotions are a liability for heroes. 

Her weakness is being submerged in ice cold water for a long time. When her powers manifested, she was skating on Stark’s Pond when she literally burned a hole through the ice and plunged into the freezing water. She remembers looking up as she sank to the bottom, the water boiling around her, she was certain she was going to die.

 Someone rescued her that day. She doesn’t know who, all she remembers is waking up, soaked in Stan’s arms. She always thought he rescued her and he never corrected her until years later. It was a catalyst for their breakup. He doesn’t know who rescued her either, he just assumed the glory, something that Wendy thought was unforgivable. Since then, she has always wondered who was her hero that day.  

She still loves hanging out with her friends but she has made it clear that Kenny and Butters are her boys. She’s super protective of them and if she catches anyone talking trash about them (usually Cartman) she isn’t afraid to fight them both physically and verbally. She doesn’t care what people say about her but mention Kenny or Butters and you’re dead.

She is stubborn and hard headed. She hates to admit that she’s wrong. The biggest thing about Wendy is that she feels everything so intensely. Love, hate, fear, anger, everything she feels is passionate and consuming. It’s why she’s protective over the ones that she loves and it’s also why she and Stan didn’t work out. She was putting more work in their relationship and eventually it just burned her out. She still cares about him and is always rooting for him but she’s happier being friends. 

She’s ultra competitive and loves pranks. Her sense of humor is dumb and dorky, like the pinnacle of humor to her is replacing every utensil with rubber duckies. It doesn’t make sense but for some reason, she finds it hysterical. There is a prank week and Team Mysterion takes it seriously every year. Every year they get disqualified from it. 

Wendy sobs at Disney movies and always insists on a movie marathon after a grueling mission. They camp out in her basement, wrapped up in blankets and drinking hot cocoa.

 One time, Wendy fell asleep during the Lion King. When she wakes up, she feels something heavy on her shoulder. Butters is passed out on her, his hand is tangled with hers.  He looks so young and sad when he’s asleep like a Renaissance painting of a cherub. A scarred cherub who is one the strongest people that she’s ever met. And then Wendy looks up and she nearly forgets how to breath because she fell asleep on Kenny’s shoulder, who is also passed out. If Butters is a cherub then Kenny is an avenging angel, all harsh lines and sharp cheekbones.

 His arm is slung around her shoulder, his fingers brushing against Butters as if he’s making sure they’re still okay even in his sleep. And she marvels at how unfair it really is, that the two of them are so pretty with their fine eyelashes and their soft, golden curls. That’s when she realizes that she would die for them. She would go down fighting, with everything that she has. Even if it meant that her fire was extinguished, it wouldn’t matter if it meant they were safe. The thought frightens her so she closes her eyes and tries to go back to sleep. Emotions are a liability when you are a hero.

[libraryresources]

Wikispaces: Youth Services Librarianship - Booktalking

[Wikispaces is closing down over the course of 2018. It’s not clear if the information collected there will be archived in any way, so I’m copying pages here for safekeeping! Hopefully I can make the copies interlinked the way the originals are, but it will take time. c: Be advised: Some links may lead to deleted or inactive webpages.]

Booktalking

(Last revision: Nov 26, 2013)

According to The Institute of Museum and Library Services "A booktalk is a commercial designed to get someone to read a book. It is a way of 'selling' your merchandise, a performance to get the audience excited about your book." Booktalks are incredibly valuable for both patrons and librarians. They motivate readers to engage in material they may not have originally been interested in. Booktalks may be given by librarians, teachers, and fellow readers to get a reader motivated to read material.

Booktalks:

increase circulation

increase communication between patrons and library staff

promotes the collection

increase audiences awareness of library

expose children to new vocabulary

builds relationships among stakeholders

provide outreach for community groups

Evidence-based Booktalking

In his 1992 dissertation, David Terrence Nollen researched the effects of booktalks on the attitudes and behaviors of 53 fourth grade students over and eighteen-week period. In his research Nollen found that there was no significant impact of booktalks on the perceptions students hold about reading, however he does report a large jump in book circulation following the talks. Circulation after the booktalk study was a total of 79 titles checked out, compared to the 20 titles in the same time period before. There was no gender difference in either attitude or behavior, with neither holding a changed attitude but both increasing the number of books checked out post-booktalk. This increase was temporary. There appears to be a rather lengthy gap between this dissertation and other studies about booktalking that involves quantitative methods alongside qualitative.

Studies that have been published in the past decade show clear correlations between increased reading activity in classrooms and libraries and booktalks. A more recent thesis, submitted by Natalie E. Clower in 2010, focuses on the effects of booktalks given to second graders on the circulation of award winning titles. Titles were chosen using two criteria; the first was that it be an award winning book and the second being that it had low circulation. Clower found that sixty-eight percent of the students who heard booktalks immediately sought copies of one or more of the titles featured. Circulation records were collected during the three weeks after the booktalks, and found a statistically significant increase in circulation for all of the titles from the talk.

In 2011 Dr. Cheryl Wozniak, a teacher and reading specialist, conducted a brief six-week qualitative program in hopes of rehabilitating some dated techniques she was witnessing in reading intervention classrooms. Wozniak created syllabi for two classrooms to implement during their language arts block, with a special focus on booktalks and interactive learning. While she did not collect quantitative data, Dr. Wozniak observed a noticeable increase in student participation during lessons that began with booktalks, as well as better attitude overall about reading.

The vast majority of literature about booktalking use anecdotal evidence much like the 2006 article by J. Marin Younker from the Seattle Public Library. Younker claimed that he has seen circulation statistics up 600 percent for adolescents after booktalks were presented in local classrooms. Wealth of material similar to this article about the effectiveness of booktalks exists among both librarians and teachers.

Planning Your Book talk

It is important to plan your booktalk. Booktalks can be rooted within many topics, including theme, developmentally appropriate material, genre, author and calendar year. It is vital that as the "book talker" you are enthusiastic. In addition to planning your talk around an idea, it is good to consider the following when planning.

Know your audience. Understanding your audience's reading interests, personal interests, and attention spans, and curricular goals is imperative when planning your presentation.

Like the books you are booktalking. Your audience can tell authenticity- enjoy what you are selling!

Think accessibility. Select books for your talk that are available in multiple copies in possible or provide children additional avenues to access the presented book. If you do not have many copies of a particular title, provide books by the same author or books similar in theme, literary style, etc. You may want to create a display in the library so that the audience finds the booktalking selection when they visit.

Always prepare more than you will need. Have a script available- but do not memorize it. Booktalks are best when candid and interactive.

Don't try to "elevate" their tastes. Include some titles that you know are super popular (e.g. Captain Underpants for young kids; Steven King for young adults). This will give you credibility, thus making the group more likely to pay attention.

Start strong and end strong. You may find it best to begin with a known author.

Accept that a booktalk program is a performance and learn how best to influence the audience.

Variety is key. Since you may be covering over 15 books in one shot, vary the types of books you present as well as the lengths and styles of the booktalks. If you present a "dark" title, follow it up with a light or funny one. Be sure to include nonfiction as well as fiction. Some people like to use themes, but if you do that, make sure it is very broad (e.g. "survival" and then use wilderness, growing up, dysfunctional families, etc. or "food", and have that be the entrée into a number of stories)

Remember to repeat the title. Your audience will forget the name of the book unless you repeat it and hand out a booklist or bookmark.

Remember why you're there. Don't just sell books, sell reading and sell the library too. Talk about new resources, upcoming programs, etc.

Have a system ready so listeners can check out books on the spot.

Keep records of the books used and make notes about what worked and what did not.

Booktalking with Technology

Using technological tools can be an engaging way for patrons to access your book talks. Technology based book talks are easy to make and easy to access. You can create the booktalk or request your patrons submit booktalks as well. Digital booktalks reach many different kinds of learners and are relevant to children who interact with technology every day. Once you have created a booktalk using Web 2.0 tools, anyone can access your post via the Web.

Listed are free softwares and online tools to use when creating book talks.

iMovie- easy to use software available on Macs

Windows Movie Maker- easy to use software on PCs

PowerPoint- Office slideshow

Prezi - cloudbased presentation software

Animoto - online video maker using photos, video clips, and audio

GoAnimate - animated videos

Digital Booktalks vs. Digital Book Trailers

Digital Booktalks use multimedia to review and "sell" a book. They are accessible online and allow patrons access any time. Digital booktalks are also an excellent way to reach patrons with many different learning styles and reluctant readers.

Digital booktalks tend to be a discussion or analysis of what worked or was engaging in the text. They may incorporate supplemental visual and audio to enhance the talk, or could simply be taped presentation of an actual booktalk. Booktalks will often discuss the "highs" and "lows" of the book, examine literary elements (plot review, character analysis, setting, etc.) providing a review, read alikes, and " if you like this..." statements. These ideas examined in digital booktalks are similar to what would be presented in a traditional booktalk. According to Dr. Robert Kenny, Florida Gulf Coast University and digitalbooktalk.com, "Digital Booktalk expands {the} literary booktalk model by providing children with interactive visuals of the books that they used to only read. Many children are reluctant to read and would rather watch a movie made from books. It is our belief that you can use that reality as an educational advantage."

Booktalk "One and Only Ivan"

Digital Book Trailers are similar to Booktalks in that they are used to entice readers. Book Trailers will "show" the audience exciting points of a text, similar to a movie trailer. Book trailers will often preview the most exciting sections of the book. More and more often, book trailers are created by publishing houses in hopes of engaging readers. Kenny states, "While these trailers may serve well their commercial purpose, they often do not always accomplish the educational goal of creating avid readers...Drs. Kenny and Gunter hypothesize that, if a student experiences a 2-minute book trailer done in the style of a motion picture, they will be better able to find a book that matches their interests, and will expand their reading to an ever-widening range. Furthermore, they believe that the book trailer production process is a fun and effective literacy pedagogy for today’s technologically advanced youth."

Book Trailer "One and Only Ivan"

Booktalking for the 'eens

While booktalks can prove effective for inspiring reading in people of all ages, this section will focus on booktalking to young persons at the middle school through high school levels ("'tweens" and "teens," respectively). With increased social and school schedules alongside pressure to look "cool" so as to impress their peers, young adults in particular stand to benefit from an engaging approach to reading promotion.

Talking the Talk

"As a booktalker, your mission is nothing less than to set teen brains on fire for books" (Mahood, 2006, 171).

Booktalking, when done well, is an performance art that offers tantalizing glimpses into selected stories, giving the audience just enough information that they want to know what happens-- and will read the books to find out. It reaches out to bookworms and reluctant readers alike, demonstrating all that reading can offer: "excitement, wonder, heartbreak, hilarity, and insight" (Mahood, 2006, 172).

So how do you create and execute an effective booktalk? This multi-step process can seem intimidating, but it can also be a lot of fun. Creating a booktalk calls for creative thinking, a passion for connecting young people with books, and active engagement with YA literature (a professional way of saying you get to read a lot of YA novels). Here are some tips to get you started.

Meet Your Material

Pick a Genre, Any Genre - Books can be of any genre, whether mystery or romance, science fiction or non-fiction, horror or humor. Selected books should feature themes relatable to young adults that you can describe with excitement and conviction.

Know Thyself - It's best to booktalk titles you have read and enjoyed. Teens have an amazing ability to spot phoniness, so don't fake it-- either the reading or the enjoyment. If you didn't enjoy a particular book but know that it has merits worth sharing, be honest and explain why you didn't like it yet you think your audience might.

Know Thy Audience - Maybe your bookish, brooding cousin Sasha loved Crime and Punishment, but unless you're speaking to a room of aspiring Russian Literature scholars or future theologians, you might want to stick to titles with broader appeal. Think Alice in Zombieland or 12 Things To Do Before You Crash and Burn. 

Represent - make sure the titles you're talking represent people within your audience. "Guy" books and "girl" books should both be featured, as should stories with multicultural characters and varied groups of protagonists to whom teens might recognize and relate: musicians and meatheads, news-makers and newspaper editors, geeks and gleeks. [Transcriber note: Books that blur these boundaries and appeal to multiple “types” are always a plus! In general, you’re likely to reach more readers when you don’t describe a book as “for” a certain person or gender.]

What's New, What's Hot - Stay tuned in to the latest YA titles. Trade publications (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, School Library Journal, etc.) as well as broader media, such as the New York Times Bestseller List offer looks at what's popular. When in doubt, plug "latest teen books" into your search engine of choice.

Cheers and Jeers - Journals and websites devoted to librarianship and/or children's and young adult literature contain reviews that can help guide your selection. Keep in mind, though, that such reviews are generally written by adults for adults. Try exploring Amazon.com and/or websites dedicated to YA literature, as teens may have posted their own opinions on books you are considering. 

Put the Pieces Together

Leave a Note - Scribble down thoughts as you read through your selected titles. What scenes, characters, or ideas grab you? Be sure to flag or write down specific pages that will shape your talk.

Tone Up - Know that the how of your talk is just as important as the what: "It is so important not to allow your talk to sound like a list of books to read; instead it should sound like a conversation or announcements of what is going on in the news world of teenagers, like gossip, music videos, or movie trailers" (Bromann, 2001, 54).

Work on your Hook Shot - As you read and for days, weeks, or even a year after, pay attention to your thought process on the material. Sometimes an idea for a hook -- a grab-their-attention move -- comes easily, and other times it takes a while to make the connections necessary for a compelling way into a book. Be patient with yourself and the material if you can. If you absolutely must come up with something right away, consider discussing the book with a friend or colleague or reading reviews (particularly by teens) to discover what caught the attention of other readers.

Practice Makes Perfect - Write down your talk, either in detail or in outline or bullet form, then practice. And practice some more. Stop shy of sounding rehearsed, but feel confident that you know the major points of what you're going to say and the way in which you'll say it. You're essentially telling a story about a story; what are some qualities of stories you enjoy hearing?

Mix Your Methods

In Booktalking That Works, YA librarian and seasoned booktalker Jennifer Bromann advises varying your approaches when discussing different books in a booktalk session. By mixing the methods she has identified as particularly successful (below, from Bromann, 2001, 63-69), "your talks will be more interesting and you will reach more members of the audience" (Bromann, 2001, 63).

Setting a Scene - In this approach, you describe a particular moment (or series of moments) from a selected book. The chosen scene should grab the audience's attention and get them thinking. You want to use these plot elements to intrigue teens, so don't offer closure.

Asking a Question - This method is useful for getting teens thinking and participating. Opinion and casually asked rhetorical questions are good-- the point is for teens to feel involved without being put on the spot or quizzed.

Drawing Connections - Here, Bromann suggests, you might hook teens by correlating current issues or trends or common elements of teenage existence (whether news or pop culture or curfew) with the plot of a book.

Focusing on a Character - Pick a remarkable individual (or a character so unremarkable he's remarkable) from the book at hand, using action statements to convey that person's uniqueness. Bromann also recommends comparing such a character to someone the audience may recognize or relate to.

Setting the Mood - Use your vocal and physical presence to convey the feel of a story. Adjust tone, pacing, and volume to both engage your audience and underscore the strengths of a book.

Hinting at the Plot - While your booktalk should not simply summarize a story's plot, with this approach you

Read Aloud - Bromann advises that this method should be used sparingly, and only when the author's message and talents cannot come across successfully any other way.

Above All... - Booktalks can employ a range of styles, from performance-driven to highly conversational-- a highly effective booktalk might use both ends of the spectrum during the discussion of multiple books. 'Tweens may be more open to theatricality, but don't over do it, lest they "think they are being treated like little kids" (Mahood, 2006, 122). With teens it is important to not appear too earnest or instructive; follow their lead and even seem dismissive of reading if necessary, for, as Bromann repeatedly notes, "teens are often likely to do what they are told not to do" (Bromann, 2001, 55). [Transcriber note: If you’re flat-out dismissive of reading, many teens will assume they don’t have to bother. Go for “encouraging/supportive, but hands-off.”]

Give Them a Place to Go

Once you've talked and tantalized, you have to let your audience know where they can find the books you discussed. This is an ideal time to talk about the library and what it can offer teens in the way of books and other media as well as programming. Librarian Kristine Mahood intersperses information about the library, including how to obtain a library card and an overview of teen programming, with her discussions of different books (Anderson, 124). This approach provides young audiences with factual information while they are still on the emotional journey of the booktalk-- that is, while they are still with you in the moment and curious how these books end.

Booktalking Resources

General Booktalk websites

Peggy Sharpe- An educator's website about books

Nancy Keane Booktalks

Children's Literature Comprehensive Database

Vermont Department of Libraries How to Booktalk

Teen focused

Teenreads

Goodreads

YALSA's Top Ten

Abby the Librarian

Booktalking Colorado

Booktalking Wisdom from Vermont

Booktalks-- Quick and Simple

Technology sites

BookWink

Digital Booktalk

Storytube

Read up

Recommend Resources from ALA

Serving Young Teens and 'Tweens

Booktalking that Works

A Passion for Print

Booktalking with Teens

Teen Talkback with Interactive Booktalks!

Listen In

Be a Better Booktalker Podcast

Just One More Book!!

Guardian children's books podcast

References

Bromann, Jennifer. Booktalking that works. Chicago: Neal-Schuman Publishers, 2001.

Clower, N. E. (2010). Using booktalks to increase the circulation of award-winning literature. (Order No. 1485871, University of Central Missouri). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, , 53. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/750959296?accountid=14553. (750959296).

Crowther, Eleanor. "BookTalks/Read Alouds, Special Programs, and Service Projects To Encourage Middle School Student Participation in the Library." (1993).

Gunter, Glenda A. "Digital Booktalk: Creating A Community Of Avid Readers, One Video At A Time." Computers In The Schools 29.1-2 (2012): 135-156.

Mahood, Kristine. I want to read that book!: Booktalking to tweens and younger teens. In Sheila B. Anderson (Ed.),

Serving Young Teens and 'Tweens (pp. 111-145). Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2006.

Mahood, Kristine. A passion for print. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2006.

Nollen, Terrence David. The effect of booktalks on the development of reading attitudes and the promotion of individual reading choices. Ph.D. dissertation, The University of Nebraska - Lincoln, United States – Nebraska, 1992. Retrieved from Dissertations & Theses: Full Text database. (Publication No. AAT 9225488).

Wozniak, Cheryl L. "Reading and Talking about Books: A Critical Foundation for Intervention." Voices from the Middle 19.2 (2011): 17-21.

Valenza, Joyce. (2007, August. Booktalking 2.0 (2.0). School Library Journal. Web.

[Transcriber: Camilla Y-B]

[whatifitscool]

PPV Impressions – AEW Full Gear 2020

By  Timmy Daytona

Despite the continuing pandemic, All Elite Wrestling has achieved a level of consistency that competitors in the wrestling industry have struggled to match. In their final PPV event of the year – Full Gear – it featured a sizeable card featuring some possibly exciting match-ups. Did it help them go out with a bang?

World Title Eliminator Tournament Final: Kenny Omega vs Hangman Adam Page

Prior to the match starting, it’s worth noting that Omega’s entrances have gotten longer since his and Hangman’s tag team championship loss at the hands of FTR. His introduction to his ring entrance included these digs at Hangman:

“He has headlined more PPVs, scored more AEW singles wins, has a better AEW winning percentage and has 8 more years’ experience than Hangman Page.”

Kenny’s interviews before the tournament presented a version of himself that is laser-focused on returning to singles glory. To demonstrate this intent, see his squash of Sonny Kiss. All business, his attempts at sportsmanship after the match looked insincere and the flashes of arrogance on the way to the final may be teasing a heel turn at some stage.

Since their days in NJPW, the Elite have enjoyed success in their storylines of friendships disintegrating and they have not disappointed when incorporating that drama into their matches. Omega and Page’s tag team match against The Young Bucks at Revolution is still the top-rated match of 2020. Their chemistry shines whenever they face one another.

That chemistry was evident in this match which felt realistic in its depiction of a competitive match-up of two former partners who know each other’s arsenals so well. It was hard-hitting, they countered each other repeatedly throughout but towards the end, Page missed a Buckshot Lariat and was hit with two V-Triggers and a One-Winged Angel before succumbing to the 3-count. This was perhaps Page’s best singles performance in AEW’s young history. The man can go and because we haven’t seen the two former partners really explode since Page betrayed the Bucks and was kicked out of the Elite, there is a sense that there could be more confrontations down the road.

The camera lingered on Page’s lost and dazed expression following his defeat. Omega barely acknowledged him and did not wait for Page at the end of the match. And Page appeared later, watching from a distance following the Bucks’ match. These subtle but significant developments are as exciting as the matches themselves.

Orange Cassidy vs John “4” Silver

In the second match of the night, Orange Cassidy and John “4” Silver would settle their short feud. As number 4 in The Dark Order, you’d think that he’d just be a generic villain but it’s great that AEW remain committed to giving opportunities to wrestlers – who aren’t main draws – their moments to shine. Silver definitely did shine – the man is a beast. The way he manhandled Cassidy, unleashed those roundhouse kicks and how he powered out of a swinging DDT, Silver showed potential that he is quickly becoming a threat. Also, how great was it that he ripped out Cassidy’s pockets and put them in his mouth? His loss to Cassidy was never in question but AEW consistently teases that unexpected wins could happen at any time. The presentation of the product is that it is a place of elite wrestlers so hypothetically, anyone could win (see Private Party’s elimination of the Young Bucks).

 TNT Championship Match: Cody Rhodes (C) vs Darby Allin

Darby Allin and Cody Rhodes battled for the TNT title and the honour of being the face of TNT. Including the latter brought even more focus on AEW’s intent to elevate the TNT title to a level of importance. The package for this match was brilliant. Cody exaggerated his “victories” over Allin, casting doubt on whether Allin could be the face of TNT. They tried to sell that Darby’s unconventional appearance is not suitable to be that face while Cody came across as someone believing too much in his own hype. He stated Darby could be the face of TNT but the silent shake of his head at the end of that sentence negated that sentiment. Awesome.

Cody hadn’t handily defeated Darby twice. So it was fitting for the championship to go to Allin. He’s the first wrestler to be portrayed as confounding Cody. Cody’s overconfidence and showboating tendencies were on full display. During his first run with the title, he was once the babyface but in a reversal of roles and in particular on this night, he had become the bully in an almost David vs Goliath encounter.

Some complaints were that Darby was shown to be too resilient and while he took a beating, he got a lot of his trademark offence in throughout the match. It was a great touch on Cody’s part to drop to a knee to present the title to Darby and later put it on his shoulder.

Whatever comes next, it is great that Cody went out on a high note and his hold on the TNT title is over. It will be exciting to see what comes next during Darby’s reign for AEW’s strong and diverse mid-card.

AEW Women’s Championship: Hikaru Shida (C) vs Nyla Rose

Nyla Rose and Hikaru Shida’s last championship meeting was a decent outing. There were reasonable expectations that they could deliver a solid match in this next instalment in their feud. The result was solid, if unspectacular. There was the avalanche Falcon Arrow but it didn’t pop as much as the sight of Shida V-Triggering Nyla into a casino chip back at Double or Nothing. Also, Nyla’s “claw” to the knee looked silly and unbelievable. This could be wrong but Nyla’s diving knee drop onto the back of Shida’s knee looked like it actually connected. Was this a botch? In a more obvious botch, Vickie Guerrero was seen visibly failing to catch Shida’s foot in her attempt to trip her up. The ending sequence also looked like both competitors were gassed. And were the cameras meant to show Nyla asking Vickie to slap her? Let’s hope this feud is over as the overall performances when these two meet are mixed.

AEW World Tag-Team Championship: FTR (C) vs The Young Bucks (Stipulation: If Bucks lose, they can never challenge for the tag team championship again)

With the stipulation in place, the result of this match was telegraphed well in advance. There was no doubt that the Bucks would walk away with the titles. Cody had already fallen on his own sword with his stipulation for the World Championship so AEW and The Elite couldn’t afford to put themselves in a similar situation for the Young Bucks. How could they demonstrate they are The Elite if most of them are ineligible to challenge for titles?

Though the result was predictable, arriving there was very fun to watch. In a love letter to tag team wrestling, both FTR and the Young Bucks brought out finishers from tag teams that have likely influenced both. Seeing FTR use Meeting in the Middle to the Bucks performing the Hardy Boyz Twist of Fate – Swanton Bomb finisher was just a sample of the awesomeness on display. Despite their high-flying tendencies, it was a simple Superkick from Matt’s injured leg that ended it. Fitting because that was the leg FTR attacked prior to the PPV but you knew it was going to factor some way into the match’s finish.

While the Young Bucks have looked better in other matches, they certainly put over FTR who looked great. Let’s see what happens next for FTR – some sites have suggested they could form a new iteration of the Four Horsemen stable but they will likely be challenging for the tag team titles again in the near future.

Elite Deletion – Matt Hardy vs Sammy Guevara

With good reason, many were probably worried as to what could happen in this match. From Hardy getting hit by the wrong prop chair to the near-tragedy suffered at All Out.

In this COVID-era, cinematic matches remain a viable alternative to a live match and with the seemingly cursed combination of Sammy Guevara and Matt Hardy, this pre-recorded match in a controlled environment was possibly the safest option to see them conclude their feud.

Some of it was genuinely fun to see. Sammy’s golf cart was crushed by Hardy’s monster truck. Sammy performed a moonsault off the top of one of the monster truck’s wheels. Fireworks were used. Calling on his past, Gangrel appeared in support of Sammy while the Hurricane appeared in support of Hardy. The Lake of Reincarnation allowed Helms to transform twice. A small touch that was nice to see was Sammy’s creative counter out of a Twist of Fate. It was mostly the level of bonkers befitting a Matt Hardy match.

Entertaining goofs included seeing the cameraman’s shadow as Sammy drove up the driveway, the skull on the Staff of Mephistopheles flew off when Matt swung it and the fireworks disrupted the audio feed preventing Matt’s voice from being recorded. If there were minor criticisms, the commentary fell flat in spots.

In terms of major criticisms of the match, there was the near replication of Matt and Sammy crashing through a table, instead busting Sammy’s head open in a reversal of their roles from All Out. Sammy then staggered trying to get to his feet, appearing punch-drunk. Up to this point, all that could be said is that Matt has always drawn on stories or situations from his personal life. The breakdown of his and Lita’s relationship and her cheating on him with Edge became a feud in WWE. So it stood to reason that he would draw on his history with Sammy including the dangerous botch at All Out.

But then it ended with a Con-Chair-To to Sammy’s head on the floor. While some could accept them recreating the All Out botch, this ending was likely what turned most people off. It was a horror movie ending that was so shocking that it really took viewers away from this cinematic match. It was so brutal, verging on snuff and it’s a wonder they chose to end it on this note.

While these attacks or finishers have been seen on other wrestling shows or in films like The Raid, it shouldn’t have to be part of AEW simply to elicit shock. And then it ended with fireworks and a shower of Alize. Talk about tonally jarring.

Le Champion Chris Jericho vs MJF (if MJF wins, he joins the Inner Circle)

After seeing the end of the Elite Deletion, a traditional match was a good call to move on to and Le Champion and MJF had a decent outing. Jericho received a hero’s welcome during his entrance, smiling while the crowd sang Judas acapella. It was so great seeing Jericho utilise the camera to flip off MJF. It was even better seeing the Jericho of old hit the Lionsault before yelling “come on, baby!” He even brought out the Frankensteiner. But in a battle of the heels, Jericho would be outdone in this capacity. MJF’s influences have seen him look like the dirtiest player in the game but he definitely called on Eddie Guerrero when he played dead towards the end ,before rolling up Jericho for the 3-count. Simple but effective storytelling. This match served its purpose and it will be fun to see how it all blows up. Please let there be a big hoss fight between Wardlow and Hager.

Or have Jericho reveal to MJF and Wardlow that while they’re part of the Inner Circle, there’s an Innermost Circle within it that they aren’t a part of.

I Quit Match for the AEW World Championship: Jon Moxley (C) vs Eddie Kingston

“You’re gonna have to kill me! You better get ready to kill me! You better get ready! This is real! This is real!”

Eddie Kingston is still one of the best signings for AEW. He isn’t a ring technician but he’s as venomous as a freestyle rapper on the mic and harder hitting in the ring.

With that promo in particular, Eddie Kingston was at his most captivating. The barely contained rage as he said those words with Moxley behind him likely had many on the edges of their seats. Kingston sounds like he is one of the hardest bastards in the sport.

This was a stiff-looking match with plenty of the clubbing blows that Kingston makes look real. It had the violence that Moxley has loved to put on display since leaving WWE. They were both on the receiving end of attacks using barbwire. Schiavone even asked, “What the hell are we watching?”

This was not athletic or as protracted as the Lights Out Unsanctioned Match Moxley had against Omega at Full Gear last year. It certainly had less plunder. But this looked just as painful. The rubbing alcohol poured over the wounds Moxley incurred on the thumbtacks would have had many wincing, as if they felt the pain themselves.

You’ve also got to love Kingston’s defiance. Casually flipping Moxley off, he then had to endure being choked with barbwire before quitting. The measure of respect Moxley had at the end for Kingston was also believable. These two put on a brutal showing and tore the house down in a style that suited them both.

Did Moxley just tease Blood and Guts at the end?

It could be argued that this is the strongest main event Moxley’s had since Full Gear 2019. While his title match at Revolution was fun when he revealed that he wasn’t blind in one eye, his chemistry with Kingston and their physicality should be applauded. They seem convincing as brawlers and this was a great brawl.

Conclusion

This was yet another strong PPV card for AEW. While nothing screamed instant classic or was anywhere near the fun of Stadium Stampede, it’s the long-form storytelling that is the key strength to AEW’s dominance in professional wrestling. The seeds laid out for feuds-in-progress or setting things up for the future are as tantalising as the matches on display.

In terms of what they had, the opening bout, the tag team championship and the main event were easily the strongest matches on the card with Cody vs Darby III being the next best. Despite a weak Women’s World Championship match, everything else that could have been seen as filler either progressed or ended storylines appropriately.

AEW ends their 2020 PPV run on a high note. But the year isn’t over yet. As they’ve said in recent weeks, “Winter is coming”. Can’t wait to see what they do to close out the year.

[aion-rsa]

Watchmen Episode 4 Easter Eggs Explained

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Watchmen episode 4 introduces Lady Trieu and deepens the Adrian Veidt mystery. Here's all the Easter eggs and references we could find.

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This article contains Watchmen episode 4 spoilers.

HBO’s Watchmen did most of its comic book referencing, additional worldbuilding, and character introductions in its first three episodes. So you would think that by the time we got to Watchmen episode 4, they’d be done mining the book for little flourishes of backstory to reference or use to make this new world even richer. You’d be wrong. There’s still plenty of Easter eggs to hunt in Watchmen episode 4, and we’re here to try and find all of ‘em.

Let’s start at the beginning...

THE FARM

The Superman vibes are strong in this episode once again. Just as episode one felt like it snuck elements of Kal-El’s escape from Krypton as it was destroyed into young Will Reeves’ escape during the Black Wall Street Massacre in 1921, “If You Don’t Like My Story Write Your Own” plays with other elements of the Superman origin story, particularly his adoptive Earth parents, the Kents.

Let’s start with their names: the farmers we meet are the Clarks, and they own Clark Acres Farms. Of course, Superman adopted the human identity of Clark Kent, but there’s a reason Jonathan and Martha Kent chose that first name: Clark was Martha’s maiden name. Perhaps not coincidentally, the husband here is named Jon (his wife is named Katie, and I’m having trouble finding any additional significance for that name, but there you go).

The “egg” theme that has been recurring through all of these episodes is once again present here, as that seems to be one of the primary products of Clark Acres. That also plays into the matter of fertility, as the Clarks are unable to have children of their own, just as the Kents were, and have a child miraculously brought to them via super science. Here, the Clarks get their child thanks to advanced genetic technology pioneered by Lady Trieu, while the Kents got theirs via an interstellar rocket.

And whatever it is that crash lands on Clark Acres sure feels like it could be a vessel from another world. The rocket containing baby Kal-El in the comics always landed in the fields of Kansas, while here, whatever it is that Lady Trieu is so interested in, comes to the fields of Oklahoma.

- At one point in the opening montage (set to “Islands in the Stream” by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton), Katie Clark can be spotted reading a novel. That novel is Fogdancing by Max Shea. Shea was the author of the Tales of the Black Freighter comic book story that runs parallel through the Watchmen book. Shea disappeared in 1983, but was in actuality sent to an island to help design the giant squid that Adrian Veidt used to kill millions of New Yorkers on Nov. 2, 1985. You can spot another novel on Katie’s bedside table, and while I can’t make out the title, it has a similar jacket design to her copy of Fogdancing. Presumably, it’s a copy of Shea’s other novel, The Hooded Basilisk.

DOCTOR MANHATTAN

- Cal displays an incredibly atheism with the kids. He tells them “heaven is pretend,” as matter-of-factly as he might tell children that Santa Claus isn’t real. This isn’t met with much more than a raised eyebrow by Angela. Is an almost complete lack of religion in the Watchmen universe perhaps another byproduct of the existence of Dr. Manhattan? I’m having trouble thinking of much in the way of appeals to the divine or even the presence of churches in the book.

- Laurie Blake refers to a “thermodynamic miracle” to explain (and even intimidate) Angela about all of the coincidences that keep popping up around her. Dr. Manhattan had told Laurie that her very existence, being that it was a product of a consensual union between two people who had every reason to dislike each other (as Dale Petey points out, Edward Blake had previously sexually assaulted Laurie’s mother, Sally Jupiter). 

LOOKING GLASS

Once again, the Rorschach parallels with Wade Tillman/Detective Looking Glass are somewhat unavoidable. Looking Glass seems to keep a genuine survivalist’s bunker in his yard, the kind of weird reactionary behavior that would make Rorschach proud. On the other hand, Tillman has a sense of humor, and is clearly capable of having genuine friendships, and even romantic relationships, as we learn here that he has been married.

But who was his wife? Apparently she was some kind of scientific mind. Is it possible that she was also a costumed police officer?

- Looking Glass has a hobby, though, and that’s studying the squid rain that periodically falls on the Watchmen universe. You can see the photos he takes and develops in his darkroom (again, note the lack of widespread use of digital technology in this world), and up close, they do indeed look exactly like the giant psychic squid that killed millions of New Yorkers in 1985.

- Looking Glass is wearing a Tulsa Tornados hat. The only reference I can find to a sports team like that was for a professional soccer team that existed for exactly one season...in 1985, the year the original book takes place. Is it possible that one other detail of Watchmen’s alternate history is that soccer is far more popular in the United States than it is in OUR America today? And if so, did this team that struggled to eke out an existence in 1985 continue to thrive into modern day Tulsa sportsfandom?

NITE OWL

We’re now four for four in Nite Owl references on this show, even though we seem no closer to having Dan Dreiberg actually appear in the hooded flesh. Nevertheless, while it’s far less overt than what we saw in the previous three episodes, Nite Owl is once again here in spirit. How, you ask?

When Laurie is driving Angela and Dale Petey to Lady Trieu’s headquarters, the song playing in her car is Billie Holiday’s rendition of “You’re My Thrill.” That was a favorite of Dan’s, and it was the song playing in the Owlship when they had their first costumed hookup (we will never, ever speak of the horrid and unsexy abuse of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” in the misguided movie adaptation of the book). Laurie is still dealing with feelings for Dan, just as she is for Dr. Manhattan.

We wrote more about the possible whereabouts of Nite Owl right here.

WILL REEVES

Our mysterious old man now has a full name: William Reeves. That last name seems significant, as it ties him to the real life fictional lawman he idolized as a child: Bass Reeves. But “Reeves” also brings up those Superman vibes again. George Reeves was an actor who played Superman for seven seasons of the (excellent and available on the DC Universe app) The Adventures of Superman TV series in the 1950s. And young Will escaped the Black Wall Street Massacre just as baby Kal-El escaped Krypton.

But as we’ve surely all noticed by now, Will is fond of Hooded Justice’s preferred colors of purple and red (just as Will’s possible ancestor, Bass Reeves, looked suspiciously like Hooded Justice in that silent film portrayal in Watchmen episode one). Will was apparently a police officer in the 1940s and ‘50s, but “retired young and fell off the grid.” Could that have happened around the same time Hooded Justice stopped adventuring?

We wrote more about the history of Hooded Justice right here.

LADY TRIEU

While we still don’t know much about Lady Trieu, she certainly seems to idolize Adrian Veidt. In fact, it’s possible that she holds Veidt in the same kind of regard that Veidt held Alexander the Great. She purchased his old company, dedicated her mysterious Millennium Clock project with a quote from Percy Bysshe Shelley’s “Ozymandias” (which, of course, was Veidt’s superhero name), and keeps a statue of him in full superhero regalia in her vivarium.

In fact, just the fact that she has a domed vivarium at all is a nod to Veidt, who had one in his arctic fortress, Karnak. There it was to prove that he could keep tropical flora and fauna alive in the most inhospitable environment. Here, Lady Trieu has brought a little of Vietnam into America’s heartland.

Veidt was fascinated with the old world, particularly the exploits of Alexander the Great. Trieu seems focused on creating “the first wonder of the new world” with the Millennium Clock. Veidt felt that Alexander the Great, despite conquering roughly half the known world, had fallen short of a truly lasting impact. Is it possible that Lady Trieu feels the same way about Veidt?

Anyway, speaking of Adrian Veidt...

ADRIAN VEIDT

Veidt confirms in this episode that he has been wherever he is for four years. So any speculation I may have had that time passes differently wherever he is appears to be nonsense. Instead, those “anniversaries” are indeed real, and each episode we’ve seen has indeed taken place one year apart for him. But keep in mind that Veidt has been missing since 2012, so unless additional anniversaries are going to be marked in upcoming episodes, that doesn’t necessarily mean that he has been in his mysterious “prison” since 2012.

Veidt also makes it clear he was “sent here” so he is absolutely in some kind of prison, and the lake and “baby microwave” stuff should be enough to make it obvious that “here” isn’t our usual earthly realm.

He also makes comments indicating that he knows who created where he is, referring to Mr. Phillips and Miss Crookshanks as “flaws in this thoughtless design” (as opposed to “intelligent design” nonsense) and that he is “not your maker.” At the conclusion of the book, Dr. Manhattan claimed to be departing our galaxy, and seemed to contemplate the possibility of creating human life. Are we witnessing the result here with Adrian Veidt?

There’s also this continued weirdness about how he seems to need to get these “flaws” to perform a set of actions in a certain sequence in order to make his mistake. In this episode, it’s a horseshoe that he doesn’t “need yet.”

MISCELLANEOUS STUFF

- Who is the weird silver runner? Red calls him Lube Man. This show absolutely gets the quaint, weird vibes of the regular people who try to be superheroes in this world.

- Can anyone make out Keene’s lapel pin? It looks like it could almost have elements of the Comedian’s badge in it, but I can’t seem to get a close enough look.

- Cal is reading Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. This episode’s title, “If You Don’t Like My Story, Write Your Own” is a quote from that book.

- The lamp in the Abar household living room looks like the face of the squid.

- Petey’s fandom shows pretty strongly with his “that show is garbage” critique of American Hero Story: Minutemen.

- The episode closes with Irma Thomas’ powerful 1964 rendition of “Time is on My Side.” It was Thomas’ arrangement that the Rolling Stones rode to considerable success a few years later.

Did you spot anything we missed? If so, drop it in the comments or let me know on Twitter!

Mike Cecchini is the Editor in Chief of Den of Geek. You can read more of his work here. Follow him on Twitter @wayoutstuff.

Read and download the Den of Geek NYCC 2019 Special Edition Magazine right here!

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Feature

Books

Mike Cecchini

Nov 10, 2019

Watchmen

HBO

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[chunsoftie]

Bri Watches South Park - Season 1 Overview

So, a couple days ago I made a post about how I was going to watch every single episode of South Park since I’ve never seen every episode. I managed to watch the entirety of the first season in a day a half, so I’m going to go ahead and talk a little about every episode individually - what I liked, what I didn’t like, etc.

Keep in mind that when I review these episodes, I’m going to try to stay on a critical side. This isn’t to say I won’t gush about certain things - It’s South Park. I absolutely adore the show and will find many positive things to say. However, you learn to take the good with the bad in stuff that you like. It’ll be pretty interesting to see how my opinions have changed from episodes that I’ve seen before, to how I feel about them with this rewatch.

Season 1 won’t really be as long as the others, just because I didn’t write notes this time around (next season’s overview will be longer, just because I’ll have written stuff to go back on). If there are people who follow me that are interested, I can also make a similar post for the movie, as well.

(Also, for the sake of having these posts be specific to seasons, I won’t be covering the pilot here. I might do that in another post).

But let’s go ahead and start with Cartman Gets an Anal Probe.

(Overview will be having a ‘keep reading’ after this point.)

Cartman Gets an Anal Probe:  Cartman tells his friends Stan, Kyle, and Kenny he had a dream about being abducted by aliens.

I feel like it would be pretty redundant to talk about how this episode contrasts from the others. There are obvious differences, and the stop motion aspect does make me impressed with how well the animation held up in that style. This was the only episode from the first season I had watched up to this point (except for maybe some of Big Gay Al, but we’ll get to that later). 

This episode focused on a lot of things from South Park that I enjoy more than others - priority with the cast of kids rather than adults, a narrative that doesn’t feel too slow, and great introduction to the main cast. I feel like earlier episodes of South Park are charming for being able to hold up on their own without resorting to political satire - not saying that part of the show isn’t interesting, but it definitely makes the writing drag. This episode was one of the better-written episodes that felt like it knew exactly what it wanted to do from the start. 

This episode was also hilarious. I laughed more for this episode than some of the others this season. The association with the cows and the aliens was especially enjoyable.  

This was also one of my favorite Cartman episodes. There are plenty of great contestants for the character throughout this season, which I was really surprised to notice. Stan also was enjoyable this episode - I find that I am liking him more as a character after seeing him be more active in this episodes (which is probably why I didn’t really care for him too much beforehand).

Overall, not my favorite episode of the season, but a great start.

Volcano:  Stan's uncle Jimbo and his friend Ned take the four boys on a hunting trip in the mountains.

Considering that I’ve watched more modern South Park compared to earlier seasons, I definitely will say that Jimbo and Ned were hilarious characters and I loved their little mantra about the importance of hunting just for the boys at the end to be like, “Hunting sucks.” I liked the tone where for the boys it wasn’t much about the hunting as it was getting away and spending time to themselves in a different place. Stan’s conflict with Jimbo and how he viewed Kenny was also more than they needed to put in the episode, but something that gave the writing more volume.

I also really liked how Randy was introduced in this episode and how it didn’t really drag with his characterization. Randy overall this season was pretty tame, I kind of felt relieved with that...but not for long, I know. Not for long.

The episode did have good moments but overall didn’t pack as much of a punch as the first episode. I kind of felt it was dragging at points and when I look back at season one, I probably won’t think more of this episode compared to the others. But I will say that Mayor McDaniels is an awesome character, I love her.

The improvement of animation was a change, though.

Weight Gain 4000:  The town prepares for an event involving Kathie Lee Gifford presenting an award to Cartman.

I didn’t know who Kathie Lee Gifford was until I watched this episode. I love Cartman, but I didn’t see this episode until yesterday, and this has to me one of my favorite episodes for him. I found myself scrolling through Beefcake shirts on Redbubble afterwards just because, I mean, that’s what you gotta do.

Wendy and Cartman going against each other this episode with regards to the essay was hysterical to me. Wendy is a lot different this season compared to future seasons, but I really like her. I had only seen earlier versions of her with Anal Probe, and I won’t be surprised if she ends up my favorite character by the end of my rewatch.

This episode was a lot funnier than Volcano, and Mr. Garrison’s deal with trying to take Gifford down was great. They really add more meat than they need to with characters, and I’m so glad that they actually take the time to develop them, even with an episodic sense. 

Both sideplots are great, but I definitely enjoyed Garrison’s more. Something tells me I’m going to like Garrison a lot the first few seasons before he really starts to annoy me, like Randy.

Big Gay Al’s Big Gay Boat Ride:  Stan's new, gay dog runs away and finds the town's most flamboyant, gayest man, Big Gay Al.

I had seen a lot of this episode years ago when South Park was still on Netflix and I was waddling my way through earlier episodes just based on their plots. I did find the side-plot with Stan and Sparky to be compelling, but the rest of the episode felt very hit-or-miss with me. However, I realized I had been quoting Big Gay Al for a very long time without recognizing where I got it from. The actual boat ride based on It’s a Small World made me chuckle.

The other plot with football and Jimbo and Ned was alright. I didn’t think it was nearly as fun as the central plot, but I was glad to see more from those two characters, as I really liked them from Volcano. 

I honestly felt this one bored me more than made me laugh, but the references that I caught with this episode were enough to make me glad I watched it again.

My favorite part from the episode was when the kids brought the female dog to try to convince Sparky he isn’t gay, just for Sparky to take her collar off so he could wear it. Sparky has some good taste, man.

Overall, it was a good episode, just bored me to tears with some scenes.

An Elephant Makes Love to a Pig:  The boys try to breed a pig with an elephant and look for Dr. Alphonse Mephesto's help.

It’s pretty repetitive to say a plot is good if I find Stan really enjoyable in them, but this episode is one of my favorites that star him. I really like what he’s going through with Shelly, and in the next episode, his grandpa. One things that makes me laugh with South Park is just how the violence is portrayed with the animations - just how Shelly flings Stan like she’s literally throwing him across the room. I know that was a smaller thing, but I find those scenes funnier than a lot of the other kinds of jokes.

Anyways, I really liked Kyle’s persistence in this episode, and how Chef helps the kids with thinking of a ‘pocket-sized’ elephant pig. When Chefs tries to get the mood right for the elephant and the pig, I could not stop laughing. I loved that scene, so much. It is one of my favorites from the entire season.

I also found Dr. Alphonse to be pretty funny at parts. I found him funnier in the season finale, but I’ll get to that in a little bit. 

The last scene when the clone of Stan and Shelly made this episode solid for me. I would definitely mark this in my top three episodes for the entire season.

I realize I haven’t talked much about Chef this season either, but I feel like if you’ve seen Chef, you know Chef. I love him as a character, and this episode made me love him even more.

Death:  Stan's grandfather attempts suicide and tries to enlist the boy's help.

I’m not really going to spend much time talking about the Terrence and Phillip side-plot, but I will say that seeing Sheila in this position earlier on in the season was a pleasant sight. I was wondering if there was going to be any Jewish mother rage before the movie, and I’m glad to see that there was. 

This episode had a good plot going with Stan’s grandfather, but I feel like depending on the person you are, you’ll either find this episode brilliant or boring. I personally found it more boring than anything, even though there was a great scene where the boys call Jesus on his talk show and Stan asks about whether he should take someone’s like when that person wants it gone so badly. That point in the episode was what it needed, and definitely was what I would say to be the highlight. 

Didn’t really think much of the episode after watching it. I guess for that one scene, I’d come back to it, but for anything else, I’d probably pass.

The way that Kenny dies in this episode was pretty funny, though.

Pinkeye:  Kenny is killed by the Mir space station and becomes a zombie. This goes unnoticed as he is thought to have dressed up for Halloween.

When I went back to look at the episodes after watching the first season, I actually forgot this episode was a thing. I would say it’s the more forgettable episode of the entire season.

It wasn’t as if the episode was bad, it was just really bland. Kenny acting as a zombie is a funny premise, especially on a Halloween special, but the execution wasn’t played that well but only for a few things.

The side-plot with Cartman dressing up as Hitler and eventually a KKK member was really funny. That was probably the one thing I remember from this episode.

Not really going to go into too much detail with this one, but even though I love a lot of episodes this season, there are also a lot that could definitely be skipped.

Starvin’ Martin:  A starving Ethiopian child is accidentally sent to South Park. Cartman is sent back to Ethiopia instead, while mutant turkeys begin rampaging the town.

This episode was absolutely a joy to watch. I loved the commentary with Marvin as well as the tone of the episode. It could have easily slipped in the discomforting direction and I’m so glad they didn’t take that route. The actual design of Marvin was excellently done, I am not going to forget the way Marvin looked. And the way that the boys behaved around Marvin (except for Cartman, of course) was super sweet. 

it also reminded me of the toy-craze regarding watches in the late 90′s, earlier 2000′s. 

My favorite scene from the episode was when Cartman walked into all the food being stowed away by Sally Struthers (who I also had to look up...I’m not good with celebrities, okay?). It made me want to eat cake. 

The ending to this episode was also fantastic, and I really loved it overall. I definitely will be finding time to watch it again.

The music was already really good in this season. I really love how Matt and Trey are putting in their musical talents for the show, it’s awesome.

Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo:  As a Jew, Kyle feels excluded from the rest of the town during Christmas and is comforted by Mr. Hankey, a talking, singing feces.

I love this episode and definitely put it next to a future episode as my favorite of this season. Kyle is my second favorite South Park character, and I enjoyed everything about his characterization. The holiday episodes of this season were a lot better than some of the others in this season, and this one was my personal favorites. 

My favorite part was when Cartman sang about Kyle’s mom (like he did in the movie, which I thought was kind of cool that the song was in the series, as well), and they all thought Mr. Hankey was actually Kyle’s poop that he threw on Cartman. The Kyle and Cartman interactions in this episode were great, I love how they actually talk more like kids earlier on than in later seasons. 

The entire debate regarding religious incorporation into schools and performances was something really interesting. I am sure they’re going to tackle it again in a future season, but this was a really good way to take time for this topic. I like how the controversial things they talk about in this season aren’t blown up compared to later seasons, and they can take the time for more jokes with the satire rather than establish their points of what they’re making fun of. It’s great.

If anything, I would recommend this episode from any other besides Anal Probe in this season. It was a great holiday episode, and I hope we’ll see Mr. Hankey again.

Damien:  A new student arranges a boxing match between Satan and Jesus.

This is going to sound pretty strange, but I felt as though I preferred the Satan and Jesus boxing fight to any characterization from Damien.

Damien isn’t a bad character, but I found him uninteresting in this episode, even though his interactions with Pip were pretty funny. It’s kind of humorous to know that people ship him with Pip even though I can’t really see much of the dynamic, but I know that they’re both in the movie and when I rewatch it, I’ll get more of a liking towards Damien - probably? I don’t know. I haven’t seen the actual movie in many years. Either way, I found him a tad bland, but hopefully it’ll change.

Cartman’s side-plot in this episode with his birthday was alright. I felt like if they spent more time with Damien, it would benefit the episode - how Damien works with the others kids, or maybe if he was more of a threat at Cartman’s party. I will say the scene where Kyle gave him the game instead of the action figure was hilarious. I don’t really see how telling your friends what you want for your birthday is too much of a selfish thing, I mean, it is your birthday and they’re going to be asking what you want anyways, so...

The Jesus and Satan stuff was pretty great, though. Chef and Jesus training together was one of my favorite scenes, and one that I’ll definitely remember.

This episode was alright with one plot, but pretty freaking solid in the other.

Tom’s Rhinoplasty:  Mr. Garrison gets a rhinoplasty and quits teaching to become a model

The past few episodes spare a couple were not as great as I felt these next three episodes were. I absolutely adored this episode. Natasha did a great job on her role as Ms. Ellen and oh my god, if I could fall in love harder with a voice...

I guess that’s Ms. Ellen getting to me, too.

I loved Wendy in this role. Kind of reminds me of a certain someone when their man got taken from them...(Basically I’m getting at her similarities to Cartman in Cartman Finds Love, but whatever. I’ll be getting to that one, eventually).

I laughed the most at Mr. Garrison though. I take it that he looks like Hasselhoff, but I didn’t know when I watched it (Looking it up, I was right, thanks Spongebob). This episode was a great laugh after a few boring episodes, and I loved when the boys were trying to be lesbians by licking Cartman’s carpet from what Liane said. 

Definitely a great episode. I can’t really think about anything negative except that sometimes Wendy would annoy me with her yelling, but it could just be the voice acting.

Mecha-Streisand:  Mr. Garrison takes his class on an archaeological dig where Cartman finds a mysterious triangle.

This episode was just as well-written as the previous one. 

I really liked how Cartman and Kyle were at each other’s throats this episode - and how Cartman snuck in just to get the triangle. Looks like old habits are going to die hard, or never die? Who knows. 

I don’t listen to much of her, but I did recognize Streisand with this episode, and her turning into an Evangelion-like robot at the second half of the episode was hysterical. I loved with Sheila came up to her to ask for an autograph during the attack on South Park - she would be the type of person to adore her. Overall, the second half of this episode was a lot more enjoyable than the first. I found that actually letting the crazier stuff unfold and the boys trying to figure out what to do about it was pleasant. This isn’t  my favorite episode of the season, but I really liked what they did with it.

Can’t really say anything else than it was great, just like the last episode, and one I’ll definitely watch again.

Cartman’s Mom is a Dirty Slut:  Cartman attempts to find his real father only to find that his mother slept with just about every man in town.

This episode was a good watch. I really liked the concept of Cartman wanting to know who his father was, just because it was kind of weird going through the season not having that brought up. The pilot was its own thing, but not everyone is going to know about it when watching the season, so it felt off. However, I’m glad they at least got to address it.

Cartman is my favorite character of the show, so of course I found this episode enjoyable just because he was in it for most of the screentime. I kind of found it annoying how Kyle and Stan put the video of Cartman for 10,000 dollars and didn’t really apologize for it when Cartman found out (even though he got to use the money), and I mean, I get it. Kyle isn’t really dug out to be his morally righteous self yet, and as of right now, they have plenty of the same characteristics, but it still felt weird and didn’t sit well.

Considering I am actually in the process of writing a Cartman-centered fic of the moment, knowing more about Liane from this episode was a great thing. I really loved the flashback scenes with her and the men she had slept with. The thought of Mr. Garrison being Cartman’s father was really weird though, I’m glad he’s not actually his dad.

My favorite part of the episode was when Cartman first thought that Runningwind was his dad and he dressed up as a Native-American. It was hilarious and now I’m not going to get the image out of my head.

This episode was a tight way to end the series, even if the ending made me shake my head a couple times.

If you guys think I should do more of these for other shows (I’ve been thinking Hey Arnold or Bojack), please let me know. I’d be interested to see what you guys think.

[iamthechocobabe]

May I requests some cute Cor fluff? 💜😎

*Deep deep breath* Okay, I’m trying not to panic. I hope you enjoy this. I honestly feel like it could be better-I had this idea when writing Cor fluff and I was like ‘what’s fluffier? Wedding day or first date?’ I went with first date, but now I’m kinda wishing I went with wedding day. Oh, well, story for another day I suppose. Hope it’s fluffy enough, it kinda got angsty towards the end. Sorry. (｡•́︿•̀｡) Also, I went more tame and didn’t go with NSFW (only slightly) I hope that was okay. 

Tagging the senpais: @themissimmortal @roses-and-oceans @bespectacled-girl  @gladiolus-mamacitia tagging’s being a bitch for me right now so i’ll come back and tag others later. 

Anywhere at AnytimeCorXReaderSFW (with a teaspoon of NSFW in the mix) Word Count: 2,473

When you walked in Cor’s apartment, you knew it was going to be a good night. Not only was the place practically spotless unlike the last time you’d been there (which wasn’t horrifically dirty, but your main concern was the month old Kenny Crow food in the fridge) but there was also a pleasant aroma, your favorite fragrance that you had in your own apartment. Soft and romantic pop music played from a stereo on the counter and the only lighting in the entire apartment were lamps and a few candles on the dining room table. Clearly, your boyfriend had done his research and you couldn’t help but smirk at the adorable lengths he was going for your first official ‘date’. 

But strangely…it just felt off for some reason. You weren’t sure why. 

Well, then the smell from the kitchen hit you and you were instantly distracted. Ignis had clearly given the man some pointers. 

Cor apparently didn’t hear you come in, as he was facing the stove with his back to you, his concentration very clear judging by his stance and occasionally glancing at the open cook book with highlighted tidbits from Ignis in the book. You had seen Cor cook before and he certainly wasn’t the worst cook ever, but he was no Ignis; it melted your heart to see Cor trying so hard to make dinner for you that night. Taking off your jacket to reveal your tight form fitting red cocktail dress, you observed quietly as he kept sighing exasperatedly and muttering to himself on how pink the meat was supposed to be before he took it off the stove and placed it into the oven. 

The marshal, no doubt one of the strongest men in Insomnia-in all of Eos, probably-was worrying if olive oil was supposed to be that color. It was actually pretty adorable. 

But that still didn’t stop you from sneaking up behind the man and yelling 'BOO!’ in his left ear. 

“GAH” One of the many things you adored about Cor was the cute little noises he would make whenever you scared him-the fearless and amazingly strong marshal, who would face daemon’s and all sorts of deadly threats to the Crown City on a regular basis, would sound like a wounded puppy whenever you poked him in the sides, whenever you cried out as you jumped in front of him from behind a corner-your favorite was when you tossed an orange wash rag over the shower curtain and yelled 'FIRE!!' 

Him going into warrior mode and almost body slamming you into the tub wasn’t much of a side effect. You had no regrets. 

Cor immediately tensed and prepared himself for a fight, but when he saw it was you, he began to relax. “I really wish you wouldn’t do that," 

Pouting slightly, you lean against the counter next to the stove and observe the fancy-ish looking meal cooking in separate skillets and one about to go into the oven. "Smells good," 

"Hopefully, it’ll taste just as good,” Cor mumbled in concentration, but the lines in his face were filled with…worry? Cor wasn’t self-conscious, but he wasn’t cocky either-he knew he was strong and he also knew he was capable of many things, but you had never seen him this anxious before. And while it was adorable to see him this worried about doing something sweet for you, it was still just…off. Like something wasn’t right. 

Figuring you were just nervous, you poked Cor in the sides gently to get his attention. “Um, ahem?” you tilt your face over just slightly to show your cheek and neck, an old fashioned trick you had learned in the movies. 

The sigh that came from Cor was deep and sounded mentally exhausting, but he still found the energy to lean over and place a gentle kiss on your cheek. “Sorry, it’s just…this was a lot harder than I thought it would be," 

"Do you want some help?" 

"No, I think I can manage,” Cor’s deep blue eyes were squinted in concentration at the sizzling meat before he moved it over to the small oven dish that contained potatoes, carrots and onions and placed the lid on the dish. 

“Crown City Roast?” You clarified as he moved the dish into the oven. 

“Yeah, I figured-wait,” Cor’s movements froze before he closed the oven and you noticed the worry lines in his face getting deeper and deeper. “Is that okay? Maybe I should have-" 

"Cor,” you interrupted Cor’s anxious rambling by placing your hand gently on his arm and giving him a reassuring smile. “Relax-it’s going to be delicious," 

"I hope so,” The same sigh from before came, but you could see Cor starting to relax a bit and it prompted you to grab the wine bottle on the counter, holding it up with a quirky smile. 

“Would the marshal be requiring a drink?” Faking a posh accent was your way of trying to lighten the tense atmosphere as you began to try and uncork the wine bottle, though unsuccessful as you couldn’t get the screw into the cork. 

“Let me,” Cor tried to reach for the wine bottle and corkscrew in your hands, but you back away against the kitchen island and held up both items tauntingly in front of him.

“Come get 'em,” You teased in a graceful voice, singing the words as you perched yourself against the counter. 

Cor’s chuckling was always sexy, and you felt tingles when he approached you with a particular look in his eyes and grabbed the items from your hands; rather than open the wine bottle, he placed both items on the counter behind you, trapping you in his arms while doing so. 

“Well, aren’t you the little temptress,” Snaking forward, Cor trapped your mouth beneath his and hummed as he tasted the slight fruity taste of the gummy worms you had been snacking on while waiting in traffic. When you felt Cor’s tongue on your bottom lip, you were more than eager to let Cor probe your mouth open with his tongue and you knew when you felt him riding the skirt of your dress up that pretty soon you would be lifted onto the counter-

BZZZZZZZT. A loud buzzing sound made you jump and break away, breathing harshly as Cor cursed softly and turned the buzzing egg timer next to the stove off before moving a skillet off of a lit stove top. 

“Maybe it’s for the best,” You muse as you successfully manage the corkscrew into the wine cork and pull it up. “Wouldn’t want the night to be over too soon, am I right?” You hand Cor his wine glass and wiggle your eyebrows and Cor chuckles once again. 

“Hey,” You lift your hand to Cor’s cheek, below his eyes after you noticed the smile he was giving wasn’t reaching them. “Everything okay?" 

"Rough day,” he mumbled, taking a sip before leading you into the dining room. 

“'Bad Monday’ rough, or 'we should do this some other time’ rough?" 

Cor didn’t answer as he practically collapsed in his chair, set aside his wine glass and pulled you into his lap to trap your in his strong grip. You let it happen, resting your head against his shoulder and breathe in his musty cologne as the smell of dinner wafted into the rest of the apartment. 

"If it was that bad, you could have called and asked to do it another time,” Your suggestion made Cor’s shoulders tense and you put your hands on his shoulders to try and get him to relax. “Cor, I’m serious-I would have understood," 

"I know, I just…I knew how much this means to you and-" 

"Cor, when I said I wanted an official 'date’, I meant anytime would have been fine. It doesn’t have to have a strict schedule," 

"I know, I know…” Cor sighed deeply once again and it probed you to sit up and smooth out his frowning eyebrows. “I think today just threw everyone for a loop," 

"Do you want to talk about it?" 

"I guess…though, this has to stay between us,” When you nodded, Cor bit his lip slightly before starting. “Ardyn Izunia approached the royal court today," 

Your eyebrows dipped downward in confusion of the mention of the name-it sounded familiar, but you couldn’t seem to place it. "Ardyn Izu-” You stop when the memory of who the name belonged to popped into your brain and you look at Cor in shock. “Chancellor of Nifleheim? That Ardyn Izunia??? What did he want?" 

"A peace treaty, apparently,” Cor shifts, giving off an unspoken suggestion that he needed some space to talk and you reach over to grab the other chair, pull it forward and move into it. “Under the condition that Lady Lunafreya and the Prince are wed," 

Your nose is wrinkling, though you’re too busy focused on the information to care. "Uh, all these years and they suddenly want a peace treaty? After they’ve conquered over most of Eos? No offense, but that sounds…sketchy," 

"You’re not the only one who thinks so,” Leaning forward, Cor ran his hand through his hair before taking another sip of wine (well, it was more of a gulp). “Regis and I both think it’s wise to evacuate the city when the peace treaty is signed, but the other council members think it’s unnecessary, as if a betrayal could never possibly happen," 

"Gods,” You whisper softly. “So, what’s going to happen?" 

"The peace treaty is going forth as planned, but Regis and I and a few members of the Kingsglaive are going to approach the council and officially request an emergency evacuation process be put into motion-who knows whether or not that’ll actually fall through, though," 

"Okay, I think I understand why you’re stressed. You sure you don’t want me to come back another time?" 

"I’m sure…we’ve been planning this night for weeks, and not even the Imperial Army could stop this night from happening,” Cor backtracks when you quirk an eyebrow. “Okay, bad analogy," 

You open your mouth to question this when a slight bitter smell reaches your nostrils-sniffing a few times, you bite your lip and feel your stomach drop when you realize what had happened as you gaze at the oven that now protruded thin plumes of smoke. 

"Um, Cor? Not to damper the evening, but…" 

Cor notices your gaze, sniffs a few times, then his eyes go wide as saucers when he realizes what had happened. ”Shit!“ 

The wine glass on the table was knocked over in the process as he raced over to the oven and yanked the roast out with a towel and placed it on the stove top. Using the towel to waft the smoke away, Cor groans when he sees the now burnt roast and you approach him to give emotional support. 

"I put the oven on too high…” Cor mumbled miserably as you reached over to the stove top where the risotto he had been making was cooking. 

“Well, we at least have-” You stop when you noticed the risotto was completely soupy and bubbling-he had put too much water in with the rice. “Oh…that’s unfortunate," 

"Fucking, inconsistent fuck-” Cor slammed the towel into the sink and hissed every curse word he could think of under his breath and damned every God in Eos as you shrugged casually. 

“Never a bad night for pizza?” You suggested, but withered under Cor’s intense gaze. “Bad time?" 

"I just wanted-fuck, the one night we have and now-" 

"Cor, it’s not a big deal-" 

Cor reached under a cabinet for some air freshener before kicking the cabinet door shut and you winced when you heard the wood splintering. "It is a big deal, alright? It’s just…Gods, this is ridiculous. How long have we been dating?" 

"Six months,” You mention immediately, though blush a little when Cor quirks an eyebrow at you. “…give or take," 

"That’s a long time to go without an official 'date’," 

"It actually isn’t that big of a deal, Cor,” You approach Cor, smoothing the worry lines out of his face. “I know I’m the one who insisted we have a date, but I really don’t care where we go or what we do or when it happens. We knew our schedules would be hectic and wouldn’t have that much time for each other when we started dating-and if you ask me, when we are able to make time, it’s pretty damn good," 

Cor swats your hands away, grunting his frustration out through his nose-it was an odd sound. "I don’t want to just see you to occasionally have sex-I want to be able to spend time with you, alright? I want to see you, talk to you, compare stupid shit we did when we were younger, and now-" 

"Cor,” The flat palms of your hands are now on both of Cor’s cheeks as you made him make eye contact with you. “What makes you think having a fancy dinner over candlelight is essential for a good time for me? What makes you think just chowing down on pizza and watching a movie afterwards isn’t a good date? I’ll take what I can get, Cor, because guess what? As long as I’m with you, our date could be in one of the Royal tombs and I’d still be a happy camper…" 

When Cor gives you an odd look, you wince once again. "Please don’t make a trip to the tombs a date though, please?" 

Laughter ripples through Cor as he tugs you closer, squeezing you for a tight bear hug and you almost don’t notice the tears now on your scalp. "I’m so…the Empire’s going to betray us. Everyone seems to know this, yet no precautionary measures are being taken. What am I going to do if I can’t be there to protect you that day? I-" 

"Cor,” You interrupt once again and kiss his cheek. “You’re thinking too hard about this-we don’t know for sure if the Empire’s going to attack or not. For now, we’ll take this just one day at a time, okay? So, let’s just enjoy what time we do have together and order some fucking pizza. I’m hungry," 

Chuckling and finally releasing the tense atmosphere around him, Cor reached for his cellphone and made the order while you helped clean up the ruined dinner. 

The rest of the night was spent washing dishes while waiting for the pizza and then playing cards on the couch with wine while casually talking about the most random things, Cor’s work, your childhood, etc. Out of all of the first dates you’ve had in your life, this was by far the best out of all of them. 

Because Cor was there-and as long as he was there, it was going to be a good time. 

[violet--minds-blog]

Awesome Queer Media to Check Out!

Piper Gibson | March 20, 2017

Sorry for the absence (school is kicking my ass but what else is new) but I’m back with another list! This time, I’m cataloging some of my favorite pieces of media with LGBTQ+ characters and plotlines. Of course, nothing is perfect, and all these shows/books/movies/etc. have their problems, but I still think they’re pretty damn cool.

1. Check, Please!

What is it: A webcomic

Who makes it: Ngozi Ukazu 

Why you should read it: Queer boys who play hockey! Lots of pie! Discussions of mental illness and drug abuse! An ensemble cast! Comedy and drama in one! Slow-burn, healthy, communicative, gay relationship!! Confirmed happy gay ending!!! Most of my friends know that I love this comic with my whole heart, and it’s really easy to see why. There’s a character in it for everyone, and they’re all easy to relate to and care about. Personally, I relate so hard to Jack having anxiety and trying to navigate his life and career in the intersection of being mentally ill and queer. No spoilers, but this comic includes the best queer relationship I’ve ever seen portrayed. Don’t get discouraged by the hockey-- I knew nothing about the sport going in and it really doesn’t stop you from enjoying the comic at all! Currently in Bitty’s third year and gearing up for more spring updates, Check, Please is a master of storytelling and will make you laugh and cry. Read it here!

2. The Get Down

What is it: A Netflix Original series

Who makes it: dir. Baz Luhrmann

Why you should watch it: Almost the entire cast are people of color, it’s set in the 1970s and focuses on both the dying out of disco and the arising hip-hop scene, and the performances are incredible. You see this world through young Zeke’s eyes, a complex and talented kid looking to be a part of something bigger than himself and for a community to fall back on. No matter what’s going on, the story never lets you forget these characters are in the middle of the South Bronx in the seventies, fighting for a way out of poverty, strict religious family, or gangs, all while holding on to their passions. The music and the performances of these young actors are what sold me immediately. The queer relationship in it (I won’t spoil it) is lovely and gentle and blooms very naturally. The story, the characters, and the music are the focus, and if you’re like me, you’ll be hooked immediately. The second season just came out this month and it’s incredible but holy shit so intense. Catch it on Netflix!

3. Carry On

What is it: A young-adult novel

Who makes it: Rainbow Rowell

Why you should read it: Did you read Harry Potter and think: “Wow, Harry is super bi. Wow, he’s pretty obsessed with Draco. Wow they could be friends if Harry was sorted into Slytherin WOW THEY COULD EVEN BE MORE THAN THAT!” ...Okay, well this is the book for you. Set in a magic school more different from Hogwarts than you’d think, Simon and Baz are roommates that hate each other. But things are complicated when you’re the chosen one and you think your roommate might be a vampire and there’s an evil something out for you. It’s like Harry Potter except different and more queer people and people of color. Plus a happy ending that’s so, so much better than that “17 years later” shit. If you like gay magical boys and ass-kicking best friends and plot twists, you’ll definitely enjoy this.

4. Fourth Man Out

What is it: A 2016 movie

Who makes it: dir. Andrew Nackman

Why you should watch it: If you’ve been searching your whole fucking life for a queer rom-com like me, this’ll make you immensely happy. The story centers around Adam, who comes out to his mostly clueless friends in his twenties. They’re all a little uncomfortable and shitty at first, but they all grow and learn and by the end of the film have created the kind of caring and casual atmosphere any queer person hopes for when initially coming out to friends. The movie explores those awkward first steps after coming out, including online dating and homophobic neighbors, in a comedic yet respectful way. It’ll make you laugh and it’ll make you care a lot about Adam-- his puppy-dog face just makes you root for him from the beginning. Watch this if you hate that more comedies don’t center around queer themes, and then please recommend me more!!

5. About a Girl

What is it: A young-adult novel

Who makes it: Sarah McCarry

Why you should read it: Okay, maybe you should read the first two books in this series first, All Our Pretty Songs and Dirty Wings, but I read this one first and I think it can stand alone pretty well. There is an abundance of queer people of color in this, a beautiful, mythological storyline, a girl/girl romance, and a main character you’ll fall in love with. This book is so gorgeous to read and so rewarding, and I couldn’t put it down. In fact, I’m due for a reread... good thing I just impulsively bought all three of these so now I OWN THEM. Please, please give at least About a Girl a read, though-- the lyrical, soft nature of it was so incredibly healing and I can’t tell you how much I loved it.

5. Moonlight

What is it: A 2016 film

Who makes it: dir. Barry Jenkins

Why you should watch it: First of all, if you haven’t been following the mess that happened at the Oscars with La La Land being announced incorrectly and this film winning Best Picture, where have you been? I saw this rather recently, I’ll admit, but it blew my socks off. This film is so completely centered on the experience of black queer men, and allows them to be so honest and tender, so complex and multi-faceted, in a way we haven’t much seen in mainstream media so far. We know why this is-- mainstream media is overwhelmingly white, overwhelmingly straight, and wants to put down and silence differing experiences as much as possible, making Hollywood a boring and homogeneous space. But Moonlight has broken through and shown that when these stories are told, and they are listened to, something incredible can happen. 

6. Ask the Passengers

What is it: A young-adult novel

Who makes it: A.S. King

Why you should read it: Holy shit, y’all, I loved this book so fucking much. I reread it a little while ago and it still punches me in the gut just as hard. The book centers around Astrid, a teenager navigating her sexuality, her family, and suffocating small-town life. She’s a philosopher at heart, so nothing comes easy, especially not love-- it’s not as clear-cut as her other queer friends may think. This is a really honest portrayal of figuring out sexuality and Astrid is such a lovable narrator that you just want to bundle her up and let no one else hurt her. The book hit close to home as a queer girl who spent a lot of time figuring out my identity and what it meant to me personally. If you have a similar story, prepare to get emotional.

7. One Day at a Time

What is it: A Netflix original series based off Norman Lear's 1975 series of the same name

Who makes it: Too many directors & executive producers to name! But if you’re a Norman Lear fan, he stayed on to be an executive producer for the remake.

Why you should watch it: The show centers around a Cuban-American family living in California and tackles topics like immigration, religion, sexuality, PTSD, divorce/separation, and more. Elena’s coming out storyline is beautifully and respectfully done and I really appreciate how realistic it is. This show will make you laugh and make you cry, but mostly, you’ll just fall completely in love with the Alvarez family and their story. And they’ve just been confirmed for a second season!! (GET ELENA A GIRLFRIEND!!)

8. The Real O’Neals

What is it: An ABC comedy series

Who makes it: Executive producer Dan Savage

Why you should watch it: Okay, I’ll admit, I have more problems with this show than the others-- namely its consistent biphobia and very few characters of color-- but besides the problems, it’s still hilarious and honest. In the very first episode, Kenny comes out to his conservative, Irish Catholic family in an... explosive way, and what follows is them all trying to figure out how to navigate his identity while still being religious. It’s important to see representation of queer people who keep their faith after coming out; it reminds us that religion and queerness aren’t mutually exclusive. Plus, I love Kenny’s relationship with his siblings, and the fact that his younger sister Shannon is the smartest and most put-together of them all. The show just finished its second season, and as of yet there has been no announcement of a renewal for a third season.

9. The Raven Cycle

What is it: A young-adult novel series

Who makes it: Maggie Stiefvater

Why you should read it: Holy wow, this book series is fantastic. I had no idea what it was about when I read it (because I read it for the gays...), but the story is complex and fascinating. Blue is our narrator most of the time, the daughter of a psychic who has no psychic abilities herself and who lives in a house with a bunch of other awesome psychic ladies. Her life has always been surrounded by magic, but it gets even more magical when she meets Gansey, Ronan, Adam, and Noah, four boys who go to the near Aglionby Academy and are dubbed “Raven Boys” because of the raven on their uniforms. I’m pretty sure shit starts to get Really Actually Gay in the last book, but the entire series is fantastic and well worth a read. If you like ghost boys, dead kings, magical dreamers, and weird curses, this series is for you. It’s recently been announced that there will be a TV show based on the books, and there will also be another book series just about Ronan, so I’m super pumped for those cool things... Unless they ruin the TV show, in which case I will be incredibly disappointed. (In the meantime, though, you can read the first chapter of the first book, The Raven Boys, here!)

10. Yuri On Ice

What is it: An Japanese sports anime series

Who makes it: Creator Mitsurō Kubo, dir. Sayo Yamamoto

Why you should watch it: LISTEN, I’ve never finished an anime before this, because I’m not really that into anime. But this series is about figure skating, has twelve episodes, and is hella gay, so it’s not hard to binge it. (For the love of God, please watch the subbed version if you can, the dub voices give me nightmares.) The story is beautifully done, Viktor and Yuuri’s relationship is stable, loving, and realistic, and the portrayal of Yuuri’s anxiety is so important and made me cry in spots. Plus, it’s really funny and the competition scenes are thrilling as all hell. You can watch the series in literally a day, so what are you waiting for?? Binge it and then listen to the soundtrack on Spotify on repeat while crying, like I did.

11. Brooklyn Nine-Nine

What is it: A Fox-produced police sitcom

Who makes it: A million directors and producers, it’s a comedy sitcom

Why you should watch it: A diverse ensemble cast, comedy that isn’t at the expense of any marginalized group, complex characters, a stable gay relationship, Andy Samberg??? I love this show so much, y’all. To be fair, the main relationship is between a man and a woman, but the captain of the 99th precinct is an openly gay black man who’s in an amazing, loving relationship with his husband. And the relationship between Jake, the main character, and Amy (Spoiler! But you’ll see it coming from a million miles away, promise.) is one of the most delicious slow-burn plotlines I’ve ever seen. And as far as I know, the writers have no intention to break them up for “conflict” (cough cough New Girl cough). In an episode from the current season, a character called something transphobic, which was the first time I’ve ever heard that word on television, and I had to pause and look at my girlfriend in wonder, like “Did he just really say that? Oh my God??” Anyway. Please watch this show. It’s currently in its fourth season, just recently back from its haitus, so go binge it now!

There’s so many more to add to this list (Legend of Korra! Rock and Riot!! Etc etc etc!), but since you now have 11 new (or not-so-new) pieces of queer media to consume, I’ll leave you with that. Till next time!