#la chimera icons

[kratosfilms]

𓈒 ﹒ ☆ 𓂂 ˚ ☆ ꙳ * ࣭

josh o’connor icons

[iconsfilm]

josh o’connor icons | like or reblog if you save

[socially-awkward-skeleton]

When the boys are away, the girls go out to play

some art of Rory and the bestie Cappie De La Costa (oc belongs to @g0dspeeed )

I do believe some horrible dirt on Price is about to get dragged out of the Lieutenant

[britcision]

Not gonna lie, we’ve been watching YuYu Hakusho alongside the release of Delicious In Dungeon and uh

It’s been illuminating

Like on the one hand hoooooooboy you can taste the 90s animation techniques (and the Netflix version is somehow more strobey and seizure bait, and they’ve fucked random chunks of audio?? I have the dvds I can prove they’ve fucked around)

On the other hand… yeah, it really, really highlights what people have already been talking about with the Delicious In Dungeon - the pacing issues, especially with going shot for shot from the manga instead of embracing their own medium

Cuz I will stand by YuYu Hakusho being the best anime version of a manga I’ve ever seen. It’s true to the manga, but keeps up the pacing and fleshes things out by leaning more into the side characters, and particularly our audience surrogates, Koenma and George

The fights all pace well because we cut to the people watching them, so it’s not just repetitive punch punch punch shots (although we do get those)

Whereas this week’s episode of DunMeshi in particular…. Really suffered from skewed pacing on that fight

They had way too much time just standing around talking, both with the harpies and in between Falin’s attacks, and I’d bet even an anime-only fan could pick out which shots were literal panels in the anime because nothing moved to flow between them

Those shots of the separated groups especially; this is anime, not manga. Those people could have been moving, interacting, doing things instead of panning over a still

I get that it takes more time and money but this was a really significant fight and it does make me worry a little for season 2, because the red dragon fight also had some pacing problems (although to a much lesser degree) and season 2 is when the combat pops off

I really do appreciate them wanting to do a faithful interpretation of the manga and sticking close to Ryoko Kui’s vision, but anime is its own medium and by sticking too closely they’re not taking full advantage of that medium

You have more time to fill in an animated episode vs a manga chapter because your characters literally move and flow, and three panels of action happen in a second

They’ve been folding two or three chapters into each episode, but this week’s especially (ep 17) really played too close to that two chapter timeline, instead of taking out the important story beats and the time to fill and working out how to pace around that instead

(Funnily enough though, they actually nailed the exact same kinda pacing issue in the exact same episode for the Laios and Shuro fight; that one was fucking great, it was clear that action was ongoing even while we focused on other people, and it had good weight and emphasis despite being largely offscreen, just like the harpy fight should have been

I. Guess. They coulda put more work into that than the Falin fight? Cuz it’s a huge character moment but for fuck’s sake Chimera!Falin SHOULD be the bigger one! We the audience got hints but this was the REVEAL)

Honestly just… the 1000% disinterest in the harpy fight was jarring, and it leading immediately into the Falin fight that was basically stop motion without the time lapse didn’t help

Cutting to Marcille and Shuro on the shirt tear was fucking great though, chef’s kiss, someone out there is still watching over us, I just hope they work out a happy medium soon

I get that there’s lots of iconic and fantastic panels in the manga, I made a complete summary of every single chapter, but the anime shouldn’t be showing them as stills

The characters should be moving in between them, not snapping from one face to the next like a slide show

In a perfect world I’d also love some more little character asides and things a la YYH, but there just isn’t the same easy audience characters to cut to

But but but

Thistle reacting a la Koenma to some snippets of the bullshit in his dungeon would give me fucking LIFE he can’t be watching all the time for obvious plot reasons but I want him to find a veggie golem

I want him to see the kraken and find some leftovers and be searching for Delgal and plotting their dinner and wondering why he can smell something delicious and what is it and can he make that

Move the background stuff that got cut from the Tances’ episodes, cut to Namari and the twins hanging out and talking about leg guards, there’s SO MUCH supplemental material

It might be less one for one to the manga but it’d stop the weird dragging out and give us something more, something extra to appreciate the anime on its own merits

It’s nice to have an anime experience that is very close to reading the manga, but it’s something really special to have the anime shine and add to the experience on its own

Anyway next week is the shapeshifter and I’m so hype for that and wondering if they are gonna include just a smidge of meta knowledge since Kui did tell us whose impersonations are whose 👀

[hottestthingalive]

ok so i know i’ve been dorothy gale-posting late at night recently but for those unaware of the lore I need to explain to you why the wizard of oz series by L Frank Baum is in fact Gay TM and not just because all the characters are friends of dorothy.

so just about everyone knows the plot of the first book. the first book was huge. the first book is incredibly famous. the first book got a monumentally famous movie adaptation and inspired countless works after it including critically acclaimed plays, books, and songs/albums. but while the first book is great and features some fascinating little tidbits about nick chopper/the tin woodman and the scarecrow’s developing ‘friendship’, the second book is where it really starts getting good. because the marvelous land of oz has it all: single teenage fathers. the women of oz deciding to unionize. depressed furniture chimeras. the scarecrow talking about how he and nick chopper are Such Good Friends Such Great Friends and eventually deciding to move in with nick chopper permanently (and notably, the old cover features the two of them sitting across from each other like they’re the main characters, which they super aren’t, but good for them and their old man yuri anyways). Here’s an actual quote from the book about their relationship:

“Thank you,” replied Ozma. “Some day I may accept the invitation. But what is to become of the Scarecrow?”

“I shall return with my friend the Tin Woodman,” said the stuffed one, seriously. “We have decided never to be parted in the future.”

But lastly, and perhaps most famously, my favorite queer plot point from this book: the main character, who for the entire book has been Tip, The Boy, transitioning to become Ozma, The Fairy Queen Of Oz.

It’s slightly more complicated than I’m making it out to be—it’s a whole thing about Mombi having taken Ozma in as a baby and changing her into Tip so she can’t be princess anymore—but notably there’s two bits that really have made people hold up Ozma as a trans icon. The first is how Tip is like “um but I’ve never not been a boy” and Glinda basically says “that sucks. want to be a girl?” and they have a whole talk about it, wherein Tip is understandably nervous and Glinda explains that if he decides to turn into Ozma he can’t really go back (which in the context of the time reads more like an awakening thing a la the Matrix movies than the gender rigidity we might read it as today). and Tip turns to his friends and goes “well. Could be fun. let’s do it” and then takes a magic potion and wakes up as Ozma.

but what really matters to me specifically is the second bit: that when told that she is actually a girl, and when meeting her for the first time as Ozma, her friends are totally fucking chill with it. which is WILD, for a book published in 1904: but they all just basically go “huh! Good for you!” while also acknowledging a thing that I think goes under acknowledged in a lot of queer media: that the self pre and post transition are, in fact, Different. the book shows this in a quick conversation between Tip/Ozma and the rest of the cast, but specifically Jack Pumpkinhead:

“I hope none of you will care less for me than you did before. I’m just the same Tip, you know; only—only—”

“Only you’re different!” said the Pumpkinhead; and everyone thought it was the wisest speech he had ever made.

But the point is that her being different isn’t bad—in fact, it’s quite good, both for Ozma herself and Oz as a whole. She finds that she likes being a girl, that she’s more comfortable in her skin that way, and Oz benefits by having its princess returned and Jinjur ousted. Ozma’s ‘transition’ is never reacted to negatively by anyone but Tip (who is, as stated earlier, incredibly apprehensive and taken aback by the whole thing) or by figures like Jinjur, for political reasons.

This book, like all of the Oz books, of course is not perfect (Baum was likely a feminist, but his writing is full of the casual sexism typical of his time, and he notably said and wrote extraordinarily racist things, especially regarding his editorials on the death of Sitting Bull, the massacre at Wounded Knee, and the Lakota people as a whole), but it establishes a stronger queer undertone to the Oz books that continues through the rest of the series, and into pop culture today. Many modern adaptations play into these themes, such as the excellent, ongoing Yellow Brick Ramble comic by Daisy Finch McGuire (@/gastrophobia here on tumblr), which adapts the story through the lens of Ozma explicitly being a trans girl, as well as perhaps Oz’s most famous adaptation, Wicked, which in the book features a complicated but explicitly queer relationship between Glinda and Elphaba, and in the musical features perhaps one of the most queercoded songs in sapphic history.

Basically, this is a very long post to say that while many people know and acknowledge the relationship of the Wizard of Oz to queer history and art, I think it’s important we also acknowledge the following books in the series as being just as, if not more, queer than the first, and that the merits of fame do not mean that it has more value than what came after it. and also Ozma was a trans icon

[ajs-bookmark]

guess who fucking finished EPISODE SIX

that’s right it’s meeee

okok my thoughts: SPOILERS AHEAD

IRIS MESSAGING OH MY GODS ITS SO COOL ITS SO FREAKINGG COOOOLLLL! !!!! like ARGGGG its like a really badly connected facetime i love it.

omgs luke “HOW DO YOU KNOW😳😳” that’s some interesting foreshadowing there uncle rick

CLARISSEEEEEEEEEEEE HAHAHAHAH I FORGOT ABOUT THAT PART IN THE BOOKS

“compared to the chimera on monday and medusa on sunday” percy’s so real for that idc. icon.

WHEN DID YOU TWO START ACTING LIKE AN OLD MARRIED COUPLE LMAOAOAOAOA how did luke know. mans knew from the very beginning

animals running amok in las vegas💀

i’m guessing the one with the giant lotus blossom on it annabeth, queen of calling out percy’s bullshit

LEVITATING IS PERFECT (not as perfect as poker face but still pretty good)

the graphic novel. counts. my bro ain’t wrong. the graphic novels count

THEY FIGURED IT OUT SO SOON IM SO PROUD OF THEM

I MAYBE SAW BIANCAS HAT like i saw in the background a girl with a green floppy hat ??? bianca is that you ???

are augustus and ferdinand gay ????

if i tell you something will you promise not to make fun of me and annabeths lil “dude” like percy ofc she’s going to make fun of you

IS THAT NICO INTHE RED JACKEF I SEE HIM I SEE HIM I LOVE HIM I LOVE HIM HES SO AWWWWW AW AW AW AW AW I LOVD YOU

^^^^my actual reaction as a saw a lil short kid with black hair wearing a red jacket

LIN MANUEL MIRANDA HAPPY BIRTHDAY FATHER

youre a really good guesser. lmao percy he’s a god😭😭

luke changes everything. like he always does. 

poor bb looks so sad about his son :( i can tell he wants to go back and fix everything

i remember JUST FINE.  GO QUEEN GO.  LIKE YES YOU DO, TELL THE BITCHY GOD

and i feel a lot better about having stolen his keys. exactly !! wait what. this whole scene was so perfectly their dynamic

HAHAHAHAHHA PERCY DRIVING A CAR IVE NEVER LAUGHED HARDER HOLY HADES

imagine your first driving lesson being saving the world i think i would kms

HELP HIM HITTING THE WALL IM DEAD

grover getting his memory back is so cute 🥰🥰🥰

yes king go meet ur dad even though he’s not there

PREPARE FOR WAR OMGS WHAT …. i was NIT expecting that

this is not your fault. you are brave. you are strong. you made your father proud. me when the daddy issues kick in and i almost started crying

HEY NOW. THEY ONLY GAVE HIM THREE IN THE BOOKS. RESPECTFULLY, WHY DOES SALLY JACKSON GET TO LIVE INSTANTLY WHY IS THERE NOT A STRUGGLE !!! THATS PERCYS WHOLE REASON FOR BEING PISSED

[denimbex1986]

'...4.5 Stars

You could be forgiven for assuming that the new "Ripley" series on Netflix is a cash grab. Patricia Highsmith's Tom Ripley books (beginning in 1955 with The Talented Mr. Ripley) have already inspired a slew of film adaptations, and it's hard to top Anthony Minghella's 1999 version of the first book. Who didn't feel for Matt Damon's awkward social climber as he tried to claw his way into the world of the beautiful people, iconically represented by Gwyneth Paltrow and Jude Law?

But even die-hard fans of that film recognize how fundamentally it deviates from its source. Despite featuring a non-canonically older Tom Ripley (Andrew Scott), the new "Ripley" is a truer adaptation.

Scripted and directed by Steven Zaillian (The Irishman), the eight-episode Netflix series moves at a deliberate, detail-oriented pace perfectly suited to its midcentury setting. There are no action scenes or blockbuster flourishes to obscure the machinery of a well-constructed psychological thriller whose characters are all too human. The impeccable production design and the meticulously composed black-and-white cinematography of Robert Elswit (Oscar winner for There Will Be Blood) bring postwar Italy to life in all its grubbiness and glamour.

Unlike Damon's version of the character and like Highsmith's, this Ripley is something of a sociopath — low on affect and eager to pour himself into the mold of someone else, preferably someone richer. A small-time con man, he jumps at the all-expenses-paid trip to Italy offered him by a shipping magnate who wants someone to convince his wayward heir, Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn), to return to the fold.

But once Ripley arrives in the coastal village where Dickie lounges on the beach with his writer girlfriend (Dakota Fanning), he doesn't want to leave, either. What he wants is to be Dickie — to live Dickie's golden-boy boho dream better than Dickie himself can do. Ripley clumsily yet methodically works toward that goal, eliminating every obstacle in his way.

Scott's almost schlubby Ripley is the perfect antidote to the glamorized killers of series such as "Dexter." For him, murder has such a steep learning curve that it's a comedy of errors. With forensic technology in its infancy, he's often less talented than just lucky. Ripley honed his criminal cred in Highsmith's four subsequent books about him, however — and, with any luck, the series will explore that evolution in a second season...'

[news365timesindia]

[ad_1] The 29th edition of the European Union Film Festival , which will travel across New Delhi, Kolkata and Hyderabad, will run through November 7 and November 16. The festival, billed as an annual celebration of European cinema, will screen 26 award-winning films in 31 languages, offering a window into the society, culture, and people of the continent. Organised by the Delegation of the European Union to India, in collaboration with the Embassies of EU Member States and regional partners, EUFF will kick off in New Delhi and will be hosted across three iconic venues in the national capital: India Habitat Centre, Instituto Cervantes, and Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan. The gala will showcase films, including “La Chimera” , “What A Feeling” , “Five & A Half Love Stories in an Apartment in Vilnius” , “Stairway To Heaven” , “Death is a Problem for the Living” , “Jim’s Story” , “The Last Ashes” , “Blood on the Crown” , “Afire” and “How is Katia?” . Yile Yara Vianello, lead actor in “La Chimera”, Tomas Vengris, director of “Five & A Half Love Stories in an Apartment in Vilnius”, and Pedja Miletic, producer of “Blood on the Crown” will also participate in the festival. Herve Delphin, the Ambassador of the European Union to India, said Europe and India are bound by a shared passion for cinema and storytelling, and EUFF is a vibrant celebration of this unity. “This year’s #EUFF2024 proposes to the Indian public a top selection of award-winning European films from renowned international festivals, offering a unique #WindowtoEurope through the cinematic lens. I invite you to EUFF 2024; feel free to walk into any screening, sit in the cinema dark room and embark on a luminous cultural journey of entertainment and reflection with a European touch,” Delphin said in a statement. Veronica Flora and Valerio Caruso, curators for EUFF 2024, said this year’s programme delves into the turmoil of the human soul and the often unfathomable complexity of daily life. “The 29th edition of EUFF India promises to take audiences on a cinematic journey, surprising them with new experiences by presenting a rich array of genres and languages. It explores the unexpected landscapes of the imagination, revealing the ghosts of the present, while celebrating humankind’s resilience and its relentless pursuit of love and collective fulfilment,” they said. EUFF will also feature films from other member states Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden. [ad_2] Source link

[news365times]

[ad_1] The 29th edition of the European Union Film Festival , which will travel across New Delhi, Kolkata and Hyderabad, will run through November 7 and November 16. The festival, billed as an annual celebration of European cinema, will screen 26 award-winning films in 31 languages, offering a window into the society, culture, and people of the continent. Organised by the Delegation of the European Union to India, in collaboration with the Embassies of EU Member States and regional partners, EUFF will kick off in New Delhi and will be hosted across three iconic venues in the national capital: India Habitat Centre, Instituto Cervantes, and Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan. The gala will showcase films, including “La Chimera” , “What A Feeling” , “Five & A Half Love Stories in an Apartment in Vilnius” , “Stairway To Heaven” , “Death is a Problem for the Living” , “Jim’s Story” , “The Last Ashes” , “Blood on the Crown” , “Afire” and “How is Katia?” . Yile Yara Vianello, lead actor in “La Chimera”, Tomas Vengris, director of “Five & A Half Love Stories in an Apartment in Vilnius”, and Pedja Miletic, producer of “Blood on the Crown” will also participate in the festival. Herve Delphin, the Ambassador of the European Union to India, said Europe and India are bound by a shared passion for cinema and storytelling, and EUFF is a vibrant celebration of this unity. “This year’s #EUFF2024 proposes to the Indian public a top selection of award-winning European films from renowned international festivals, offering a unique #WindowtoEurope through the cinematic lens. I invite you to EUFF 2024; feel free to walk into any screening, sit in the cinema dark room and embark on a luminous cultural journey of entertainment and reflection with a European touch,” Delphin said in a statement. Veronica Flora and Valerio Caruso, curators for EUFF 2024, said this year’s programme delves into the turmoil of the human soul and the often unfathomable complexity of daily life. “The 29th edition of EUFF India promises to take audiences on a cinematic journey, surprising them with new experiences by presenting a rich array of genres and languages. It explores the unexpected landscapes of the imagination, revealing the ghosts of the present, while celebrating humankind’s resilience and its relentless pursuit of love and collective fulfilment,” they said. EUFF will also feature films from other member states Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden. [ad_2] Source link

[qocsuing]

The Timeless Majesty of Notre-Dame Cathedral

The Timeless Majesty of Notre-Dame Cathedral Notre-Dame Cathedral, also known as Notre-Dame de Paris, stands as one of the most iconic and enduring symbols of French Gothic architecture. Located on the Île de la Cité in the heart of Paris, this medieval Catholic cathedral has witnessed centuries of history, art, and culture. Its construction began in 1163 under the direction of Bishop Maurice de Sully and was largely completed by 1260, though it has undergone numerous modifications and restorations over the centuries.To get more news about notre-dame cathedral, you can visit shine news official website.

Architectural Marvel Notre-Dame is renowned for its pioneering use of the rib vault and flying buttress, which allowed for the creation of its enormous and colorful rose windows. These windows, particularly the north and south rose windows, are masterpieces of stained glass art, depicting biblical scenes and saints in vibrant hues. The cathedral’s façade is adorned with intricate sculptures, including the famous Gallery of Kings, which features 28 statues of Judean kings.

The cathedral’s twin towers, standing at 69 meters (226 feet) tall, offer a breathtaking view of Paris. Visitors can climb the 387 steps to the top, where they are greeted by the iconic gargoyles and chimeras that have become synonymous with Notre-Dame. These stone creatures, designed to ward off evil spirits, add to the cathedral’s mystical allure.

Historical Significance Throughout its history, Notre-Dame has been the site of numerous significant events. In the 1790s, during the French Revolution, the cathedral suffered extensive desecration, with much of its religious imagery damaged or destroyed. However, it was restored in the 19th century under the supervision of architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, who added the now-famous spire.

One of the most notable events in Notre-Dame’s history was the coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte as Emperor of France in 1804. The cathedral has also hosted the funerals of several French presidents and other dignitaries. In 1944, the Liberation of Paris from German occupation was celebrated within its walls.

The Fire of 2019 On April 15, 2019, a devastating fire broke out at Notre-Dame, causing significant damage to the roof and spire. The world watched in horror as flames engulfed the historic structure. However, thanks to the heroic efforts of firefighters and the resilience of the cathedral’s stone construction, much of the main structure, including the iconic towers and rose windows, was saved.

The fire sparked a global outpouring of support, with donations pouring in from around the world to aid in the restoration efforts. French President Emmanuel Macron vowed to rebuild Notre-Dame, and restoration work began almost immediately. The goal is to restore the cathedral to its former glory by 2024, in time for the Paris Olympics.

Cultural Impact Notre-Dame has not only been a place of worship but also a source of inspiration for artists, writers, and musicians. Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel “Notre-Dame de Paris” (known in English as “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame”) brought the cathedral to the forefront of popular culture. The novel’s success led to increased interest in the cathedral and ultimately contributed to its 19th-century restoration.

The cathedral’s grandeur and mystique have also made it a popular setting for films, books, and other works of art. Its bells, immortalized in Hugo’s novel, continue to ring out over Paris, a testament to the enduring legacy of this architectural masterpiece.

Conclusion Notre-Dame Cathedral is more than just a building; it is a symbol of the resilience and creativity of the human spirit. Its architectural innovations, historical significance, and cultural impact make it a true marvel of the medieval world. As restoration efforts continue, Notre-Dame stands as a beacon of hope and a reminder of the timeless beauty that can be achieved through dedication and craftsmanship.

[darlenicy]

I finally made a list of my favourite episodes from s1-s3

season 1

1x8 "La festa della rosa" / "A Friendship Sundered" - Simply for the DRAMA

1x9 "Il tradimento di Riven" / "Betrayed!" – again for the DRAMA and omg driven so much driven

1x16 "Il nemico nell'ombra" / "Cold Spell" – because of Tecna’s ass scary nightmare

1x17 "Il segreto di Brandon" / "Secrets Within Secrets" – Diaspro??

1x18 "Addio Magix" / "The Font of Dragon Fire" - simply because I liked it best as a kid and I just  love how Bloom gets ripped of her powers, ok?

1x19 "Attacco ad Alfea" / "The Fall of Magix"- hello? Army of decay? Darcy treating those little friends as pets? Iconic

1x22 "Il ritorno di Riven" / "Storming Cloudtower" - because Riven has to face his actions and it is underrated

season 2

2x2 "Il ritorno delle Trix" / "Up to Their Old Trix" – because Stormy finding out that switching something off is more peaceful than shatter it

2x4 "La Principessa Amentia" / "Princess Amentia" – because BRELLA

2x5 "Magico Bonding" / "Magic Bonding" – because the Trix are totally beating up the Winx and also Sky and Icy, okay

2x6 "Il matrimonio di Brandon" / "Runaway Groom" - because BRELLA and because Sponsus cute

2x10 "La cripta del codice" / "The Crypt of the Codex" – another favorite from my childhood days, plus icy is super smart and super deadly

2x17 "Gemellaggio con le Streghe" / "Twinning with the Witches" - because..cloud tower is just an aesthetic of its own kind ok

2x18 "Nel Cuore di Torrenuvola" / "In the Heart of Cloud Tower" – same above also the trix winning again

2x20 "Il villaggio delle Pixies" / "Pixie Village" – because icy healing livy’s head is cute and icy meeting amentia is two queens fighting

season 3

3x1 "Il ballo della principessa" / "The Princess' Ball" – because a whole new beginning and valtor doing shit and chimera being bitchy

3x2 "Il marchio di Valtor" / "Valtor's Mark" – still because valtor’s doing shit and because of stella being the center

3x10 "Alfea sotto assedio" / "Alfea Under Siege" – because the trix finally come home to cloud tower and valtor’s and griffin’s backstory

3x11 "Trappola per fate" / "A Trap for Fairies" – because turning Faragonda into a tree is the most ridiculous way of revenge valtor could get

3x22 "Il labirinto di cristallo" / "The Crystal Labyrinth" – I mean, do I have to write something to this?  No? good.

And the third bracket proposal is

Winx Episodes Battle

Do you find this episode memorable? Or maybe it is so weird that it stuck with you? Should everyone watch it or not speak of it again? Anyway, send it to this bracket!

It can be from any season, I won't judge

You either give it's title, number (ex. S1E26) or describe it :)

The only episode that gets into the bracket by default is the first episode of the show!

You can submit through asks, comments or reblogs.

In the bracket:

- Season 1 Episode 1

[robbyrobinson]

The Most Evil Anime Villains

1) Johan Liebert (Monster): He is the eponymous monster after all. Where to start? He manipulated a large group of people onto killing each other when he was still a child. Killed his foster parents repeatedly and then hiring serial killers to kill every foster family he was with. Manipulates children to jump off buildings. Johan simply put is probably one of the most horrifying characters in anime and manga with how inhuman he acts. He commits acts of horrifying evil without really seeming to take pleasure in it. He tries to drive Dr. Tenma or his twin sister Nina to kill him because he believed that people were like him deep down. He also talks about wanting to be the only one left when the world ended.

2) Frieza (Dragon Ball franchise): Horrific sadism. Destroying life on planets to sell them to the highest bidder. Torturing the Namekians whilst collecting the Dragon Balls on that planet. Frieza is one of the most iconic anime villains for a reason. 

3) Prime Minister Honest (Akame ga Kill!): Corrupter of the Emperor and the one behind all of the suffering in the empire.

4) Muzan Kibutsuji (Demon Slayer): Evil MJ. Created a system of consuming human flesh. He is responsible for many mass deaths including Tanjiro’s family as well as being responsible for Nezuko’s transformation into a demon. He is also ungodly short-tempered with killing a woman by transforming her into a blob with his blood despite her doing nothing to him. Or when he massacres the Lower Moon Demons.

5) Griffith (Berserk): Sacrifices his men to the God Hand for a chance of more power and rapes Casca in front of Guts’ eyes.

6) Ragyo Kiryuin (Kill la Kill): This woman is the worst mother in anime. Sacrificing her humanity to serve the Life Fibers, she conducted experiments on her own daughters before tossing one out under the assumption she was dead and sexually assaults/molests the other. Ultimately aims on destroying mankind with the Life Fibers.

7) Medusa Gorgon (Soul Eater): Another instance of a mother performing experiments on their child all as a means of unleashing the chaotic Asura.

8) Junko Enoshima (Danganropa): Orchestrated the death of her student council; kidnapped and lobotomized a teacher; attempting to make the other students commit murder-suicide, the list goes on. All so she could unleash the Ultimate Despair to bask in her victims’ suffering.

9) Light Yagami (Death Note): More in line actually with the manga, but Light shows that absolute power corrupts absolutely. He is a narcissist who starts off his murders by claiming them to be for the greater good, but then he takes a nosedive, killing people for petty reasons and in the end being nothing more than a psychotic serial killer with delusions of godhood.

10) Manager (Happy Sugar Life): A woman from the Princess Imperial restaurant who is a narcissist that kidnapped Mitsuboshi to rape him for a week to make him love her.

11) Shou Tucker (Fullmetal Alchemist): Not as powerful or prolific as other baddies in the series, but this asshole turned his own daughter into a chimera when his license was going to expire.  

12) Grings Kodai (Pokemon: Zoroark Master of Illusions): Shocks a baby Pokemon to near death in front of its adoptive mother. He caused the destruction of the vegetation in Crown City 20 years ago and was willing to start it again.

[littleblackqrow]

(Don't want to sound clueless/out of loop, but unless you don't feel comfortable talking about him, who is Ray?)

((Ray’s current blog that he apparently logged into recently is @whitecanvased  Here’s the callout we did about a year ago, but I understand its long and there’s a lot of trigger warnings for abuse, rape, racism, ect involved.

Keep in mind that the entire time that we knew each other, I was Ray’s friend, not his ex’s. I’m not just ganging up on him or picking sides in a messy breakup.

To just do a quick run down of the stuff i witnessed first hand (that is in the callout, I wrote the stuff from the rvb rpc,and about the icons that he didnt ever make me):

Claimed to have multiple mental illnesses, including autism, OCD, dissociative identity disorder (which he called multiplicity), AVPD, but when confronted with inaccuracies, he would accuse people of being ableist

Used to make his white Jewish character darker skinned because "white people aren't Jewish"

One of his rvb muses (Felix, a Canon genocidal murderer) he made a "Chimera" so that he could have two different skin tones and made that character both Korean and Japanese, playing into stereotypes on both ends

Had at least one Native American character who's two traits were Bloodthirsty Rage and Flower Power

Told a friend of mine with autism that they didn't have it and disregarded them and the way they expressed those traits

Forced that same friend to write a relationship as abusive even though they did not feel comfortable doing that

Forced different multiple friends to write rape kink and abuse

Drove multiple people offline or out of the rpc entirely for capricious reasons.

Insisted that his characters were never in the wrong because they were constantly victims even when others' characters had legitimate issues.

This is not an exhaustive list, and I know I’m forgetting something, but I know for a fact that if you called him on any of the problematic shit he’d do, you were instantly labeled racist/homophobic/transphobic/ableist. I know for a FACT that he hated being corrected because when I brought up to him (on anon because I’m not stupid) that Chimerism in humans usually only presents as like, two different blood types, he complained bitterly and refused to acknowledge it.

Now with the exception of giving his characters mental illnesses that he badly misrepresented and obviously racist toned traits, he mostly pulled his abuse of other people behind my back. I had very little idea that he’d been treating my irl best friend like garbage behind my back. I ALSO didnt know that he was talking shit about me behind my back to his ex. We communicated mostly over skype which means that I dont have 90% of our correspondences anymore, but I can promise I have some back to back messages where he said one thing to my face, and the complete opposite about it to Tony.

Now the big thing is that Ray made a lot of graphics and icons. Hell, the theme I have on @abitofafatass was made by him, and the icons that I use there and on @ceohargrove were made by him. I paid him to do that. I paid him to make me more icons and a theme for my Apollo blog basically when I first started the damn thing, and he never delivered. FOUR YEARS he strung me along, and I was willing to wait because I know how difficult it can be and I thought we were good friends and that he would produce something. He never did.

I did eventually get the money back, after an anon reminded him that technically that was non-delivery fraud, and I could sue for damages. I was not and still am not in a position to do so, especially because there are two different countries involved, but c’est la vie. He did end up paying. But even in his last message he was lying to me, saying that I “must not have seen” his message despite the fact that you can contact me at literally any time of day and I will respond. My email, my dms and tumblr ims are always open. Hell, I dont even turn off anon.

So this got long, but I put up with Ray for 5 out of the 6 years I’ve been rping, and like fuck him and anyone who’s defending him.

I do have screen caps that include timestamps if anyone would like to see, and some images of at least one of his old blogs from the good old Wayback Machine. You can also see his writing on Grif and Apollo since I dont delete shit ever.

[scrivimiquandoarrivi]

Il "non finito calabrese”, le ragioni di un paesaggio ferito

“Anche quando vado nelle altre città l'unica cosa che mi piace fare è guardare le case. Che bello sarebbe un film fatto solo di case” (Nanni Moretti nel film “Caro diario”).

Mi affaccio alla finestra. C’è la piana di Gioia Tauro e le isole Eolie che galleggiano sul Tirreno. Più in là l’infinito. Ma accanto, a pochi metri da qui, c’è il non finito del mio vicino di casa: tre piani di mattoni nudi senza intonaco, l’ultimo costituito solo da colonne di cemento armato esposte alle intemperie.

Ricordo quando da bambino da quel portone vidi uscire la figlia del vicino vestita in abito da sposa. La perfezione dell’acconciatura e il candore di quel vestito contrastavano col rossiccio dei muri grezzi, che all’epoca di certo non suscitavano in me particolari sensazioni. Era normale. Anche per me.

Siamo in Calabria. E sto parlando di quello che negli ultimi anni ha preso il nome di “non finito calabrese”, una presenza ingombrante quanto costante, che fa ormai parte di questo paesaggio.

A differenza delle opere incomplete di Michelangelo, in cui l’incompiutezza dell’opera è un valore, segno di totale libertà espressiva, queste costruzioni lasciate a metà, che sfigurano il territorio, non sembrano essere frutto di una coscienza estetica consapevole.

La casa è una delle icone più facilmente rappresentabili. Bastano solo quattro linee. Un quadrato con sopra un triangolo. Forse è il primo disegno che un bambino riesce a realizzare. In Calabria però è diverso e questa figura ha spesso contorni un po’ meno definiti.

A queste latitudini la fase di costruzione può prolungarsi in maniera indefinita. La casa può essere abitata già in fase intermedia. A volte viene terminata solo in parte, mentre il resto è lasciato in sospeso. Per sempre…

Sono un calabrese che ha trascorso gli ultimi quattordici anni fuori dalla sua regione. Dopo tanto tempo lontano dalla Calabria mi sono posto delle domande su questo fenomeno a cui non mi sono ancora abituato.

Sono sempre stato incuriosito, se non ossessionato, dalle ragioni che inducono a non terminare questi edifici, spesso abitati per metà. Sono ragioni economiche? Sociali? Storiche?

È molto facile cadere nella condanna e nella rabbia per un paesaggio spesso deturpato da questo cemento. Ma vorrei andare oltre l’indignazione e cercare le radici culturali di questo fenomeno.

In questa riflessione ho cercato di ascoltare alcune persone, calabresi come me, che hanno già affrontato questo tema, secondo la loro prospettiva.

La prima persona che decido di coinvolgere è Angelo Maggio, un impiegato delle Ferrovie della Calabria con l’hobby della fotografia, che da più di venti anni immortala il non finito nostrano. Mi perdo fra le foto del suo progetto “Cemento Amato”. Trovo immediatamente che i suoi scatti siano carichi di tutta quella decadenza e contraddizione che mi affascina e ripugna allo stesso tempo. Angelo mi racconta di quella volta in cui fotografò la statua del Cristo a San Luca, in un contesto di case di cemento e mattoni. Con sua grande sorpresa quella foto piacque molto agli abitanti di quel paese. Per loro era un normale contesto urbano. È proprio questo il punto centrale: come è stato possibile assuefarsi a questo codice architettonico?

“Il problema non è tanto che quelle case sono brutte” mi dice Angelo, “quanto che sono disabitate, o abitate per metà. Buona parte di queste abitazioni è stata realizzata tra gli anni ’70 e gli anni ’80. Ognuno cercava di costruire per i propri figli. Nelle culture più tradizionali si tende a non far spostare la figlia femmina dal nucleo familiare d’origine. Quindi si cerca di allargare lo spazio domestico per tenere unita la famiglia”. È forse questa la ragione che spinse a erigere questi appartamenti sovradimensionati poi rimasti in gran parte vuoti? La mentalità dei padri è stata questa: “Io intanto costruisco la struttura. Poi ognuno se la finirà per i fatti suoi”.

Scopro che anche il mio amico architetto Vincenzo Bernardi si è occupato di questo tema. Un altro calabrese emigrato, che lavora prevalentemente all’estero. Con lui iniziamo a parlare di viaggi, del fatto che se hai la possibilità di spostarti un po', riesci a vedere le cose con un altro occhio. Per Vincenzo “il non finito non è da bollare semplicisticamente come una vergogna, ma è un fenomeno da comprendere. Rappresenta una speranza. O almeno l’ha rappresentata. Sull’onda del boom economico si è cominciato a costruire con l’illusione di chissà quale chimera”.

Vincenzo mette l’accento sulla precarietà, in tutti i sensi, del territorio calabrese. “Un territorio spesso poco ospitale e che nel corso della storia è stato periodicamente devastato da terremoti e alluvioni”. È come se in Calabria si fosse storicizzata questa sfiducia, questa attitudine a non costruire “bene”, perché comunque prima o poi qualcosa renderà tutto vano.

Tramite Vincenzo, finisco per conoscere anche il punto di vista più antropologico di Angela Sposato. “Sono luoghi di drammaturgia che però esprimono il nostro essere calabresi. Prima che estetico è un problema dell’ethos. Siamo tutti un po’ dei non finiti, approssimativi, procrastinatori, tendiamo all’attesa. L’attesa è incantesimo, è delirio. Attesa di un avvento che non ci sarà mai”.

Un aspetto da considerare è tuttavia che in questi spazi disabitati ci sono piccoli segni di vita. Il non finito viene in qualche modo “goduto”. Diventa uno spazio in cui si mettono i pomodori a seccare, si fa la conserva, si stendono i panni. Spesso sono i cani a beneficiare di queste aree inutilizzate. Li senti abbaiare minacciosi verso i passanti dai piani alti. A volte diventano persino luoghi di divertimento. “Non dimentico quella festa di 18 anni in una casa non finita (il piano superiore finito nei minimi particolari ed il piano terra in mattonato). Fecero la festa al piano terra, in mezzo alle colonne di cemento armato con luci psichedeliche, buffet di tutto punto. Il contrasto era molto forte”.

Ma allora, che cosa ce ne facciamo di tutto questo non finito, che è un po’ l’estetica dominante del paesaggio calabrese? Bisogna abbatterlo? È una delle domande che rivolgo ad Emilio Salvatore Leo, architetto ed imprenditore. “Innanzitutto bisognerebbe indagare il fenomeno costruendo una tassonomia dei casi. Il non finito è un po’ questo sogno tradito di poter continuare a costruire i propri castelli. È opportuno considerare che una-due generazioni hanno investito le loro energie finanziarie (e non solo) per costruire tutta questa carica di bruttura. Alcuni di questi manufatti, all’interno di una nuova progettazione, potrebbero diventare dei “contenitori pubblici”, dei luoghi che, opportunamente trasformati, restituiscano questa dimensione della spazialità, dell’architettura come ricucitura del sogno collettivo.

Bisogna però spostare l’asset dall’autocostruzione ad una serie di professionisti che hanno gli strumenti culturali per rendere questa complessità non precaria, che la convertano in linguaggio che sia sovversivo e contemporaneo e che includano i moderni concetti dell’abitabilità”.

L’ultima persona con cui mi confronto è Vincenzo Filosa, un fumettista che è riuscito a coniugare il mondo dei manga con la Calabria. L’architettura calabrese finisce spesso nei suoi disegni. Vincenzo pone giustamente l’attenzione sul fatto che il non finito può essere “finito” dall’osservatore, con la fantasia. Può essere potenzialmente ancora tante cose. “Sono degli spazi vuoti su cui si può inventare qualsiasi tipo di storia. Crescendo ti rendi conto però che quei palazzi sono così perché l’emigrazione li ha svuotati, anzi ha fatto in modo che non venissero mai riempiti. Quelli sono gli edifici che la nostra generazione avrebbe dovuto abitare, ma che non occuperà mai”.

In Calabria ogni giovane si trova prima o poi di fronte ad una difficile, spesso dolorosa, scelta: rimanere o partire, cercare di sbarcare il lunario qui, fra mille difficoltà ma godendo di un territorio di grande bellezza, o cercare fortuna altrove, in luoghi più favorevoli allo sviluppo e alla valorizzazione del proprio talento.

Oggi questi edifici sono il segno tangibile di un abbandono, di un’assenza. È una delle sfaccettature, forse la più visibile, della famigerata e complessa “questione meridionale”.

La complessità è grande, soprattutto da un punto di vista antropologico. Il non finito oggi è paesaggio. Ci rappresenta. Fa parte della Calabria. È una categoria non facile da decifrare perché i mondi che richiama non sono solo estetici.

Il non finito spesso assume i tratti di una tensione verso il cielo, un’estensione dello spazio privato, di una sospensione del tempo. Questi totem di cemento che spuntano dai solai sembrano quasi fungere da congiunzione fra il finito e l’infinito, fra il privato e il pubblico, fra il dentro e il fuori.

Da bambino ero solito giocare nella casa dei miei vicini. Ricordo benissimo quei mattoni forati, la sensazione che mi davano al tatto quando mi appoggiavo al muro. Tra un mattone e l’altro si intravedeva il cemento. C’erano degli spazi segreti in quei muri. Delle fessure in cui un bambino poteva nascondere le sue cose più preziose.

E ricordo l’ultimo piano, senza pareti, sempre molto ventilato, che nel corso degli anni ha assunto le funzioni più disparate. Anche quella di pollaio. Oggi mi pare sia adibito a sola lavanderia. Eppure il piano del mio vicino di casa doveva essere diverso. La figlia avrebbe dovuto completare ed occupare quello spazio, invece vive in Valle d’Aosta e torna con i suoi figli solo in estate.

Oggi vedo questi ragazzini, dall’accento nordico, in vacanza aggirarsi per casa. Una casa che è loro. Ma loro forse non lo sanno.

Foto di Angelo Maggio (progetto “Cemento Amato”)

(presso Calabria)

https://www.instagram.com/p/CFHlq0jI5uZ/?igshid=1evw7pfw6rwx1

[muachronicle]

Met Gala 2019

While most of us have a serious case of #TheMondays, entertainment and fashion’s elite are decked out to the nines for the 2019 Met Gala (formally known as the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute benefit). Every year the Upper East side in New York City closes down Fifth Avenue to roll out the pink carpet at the Met for the gala, which is a fundraiser for the museum’s Costume Institute. The Vogue editor-in-chief of has served as a trustee for the museum since 1999 and has helped the Institute raise millions of dollars. The space was even renamed the Anna Wintour Costume Center in 2014, after a two year renovation.

The Gala also sports a theme reflective of the exhibit that opens to the public just days after the benefit (May 9th for this year) as well as a changing roster of co-hosts. The 2019 exhibit/theme is “Camp: Notes on Fashion”. Camp favors a constructed aesthetic not found in nature, something that can be punchy or satirical in terms of societal norms. Camp can be flamboyant, androgynous, or any definition of an artistic construct.

The event is invitation only, has a heady waitlist, and individual tickets go for $30,000 (with a table going for $125K). Since the event is completely sponsored so all proceeds from ticket sales go directly to the Costume Institute. The closest that most of us will get to the Met Gala was watching Ocean’s 8 on a consistent loop. Don’t let that stop you from dreaming big and aiming high, though. Maybe one day we’ll be choosing you (or your work) as one of our top looks for the night.

Susan Sontag said it best in her essay, Notes on Camp, when she attributed camp as being, “the hallmark of Camp is the spirit of extravagance. Camp is a woman walking around in a dress made of three million feathers.” The primary driver of camp, however, is the dedication to it; extravagance without consistency is not camp. This explains why the co-hosts for this year’s Gala are and co-hosting are Serena Williams, Lady Gaga, Alessandro Michele (creative director of Gucci), and Harry Styles. One can’t imagine a group of individuals more likely to subvert the norm and create magic.

This also explains why there were so many feathers on the pink carpet.

To support the Metropolitan Museum of Art, donate here or become a friend of the Costume Institute.

Products with an asterisk (*) were the actual products used by the artists for the event.

Lady Gaga

The Makeup: Sarah Tanno

The Hair: Frederic Aspiras

The Outfits: Brandon Maxwell

Try: While Sarah made the lashes by hand, you can try Chimera Glitter Lashes ($25) when mimicking the look.

Billy Porter

The Makeup: La Sonya Gunter

The Emsemble: The Blonds

Try: Pat McGrath Labs EYEdols eye shadow in Gold Standard* ($25).

Celine Dion

The Makeup: Justin St Clair

The Hair: Dee Amore

The Headpiece: Noel Stewart

The Dress: Oscar de la Renta

Try: The Chanel Les 9 Ombres ($70) palette, bringing the gold up to (and past, if you’re bold) the brows.

Cardi B

The Makeup: Erika La’Pearl

The Ensemble: Thom Browne

Try: Pair PermaGel lip pencil in Manhattan* ($25) with MatteTrance lipstick in Vendetta* and/or Guinevere* ($38 each) - La’Pearl mixed both shades for Cardi’s look.

Winnie Harlow

The Makeup: Adam Burrell

The Hair: Has Hounkpatin

The Headpiece: House of Malakai

The Dress: Tommy Hilfiger

Try: Use the Monoi Body Glow ($59) from NARS on the body for glowing skin all over.

Katy Perry

The Makeup: Michael Anthony

The Hair: Rick Henry

The Ensemble: Jeremy Scott

Try: Affordable alert! Use the Trublend line from Covergirl for a flawless complexion starting with Matte Made* ($11.49) foundation, which comes in 40 shades.

Lucy Boynton

The Makeup: Jo Baker

The Hair: Jenny Cho

The Dress: Prada

Try: Run (don’t walk) to grab the Duo Bronze Et Lumiere* ($95) from Chanel. We say run because it’s part of the brand’s Cruise 2019 collection and once it’s gone it’s gone for good.

Lily Aldridge

The Makeup: Quinn Murphy

The Hair: Bryce Scarlett

The Ensemble: Richard Quinn

Try: Quinn Murphy kept Lily’s skin flawless and clean and added a pop of color around the eyes using Marc Jacob’s Glitter Highliner in Glam Jam* ($25). While red can be intimidating for some, the pencil comes in seven shades for your to ease into glitter and is a gel texture so it won’t budge.

Jared Leto

The Ensemble: Gucci

Try: Jared’s hairstylist, Chase Kusero, is the cofounder of IGK Hair so naturally we recommend the brand’s Beach Club ($29) texture spray for volume and wave.

Lizzo

The Makeup: Alexx Mayo

The Hair: Shelby Swain

The Dress: Marc Jacobs

Try: The Eye-Conic palette in Provocouture* ($49.50) from Marc Jacobs goes from pastel pink to hot pink with hues and sparkles along the way. The perfect palette to recreate Lizzo’s look or get the perfect pink smokey eye, even if you’re easing into color.

Gemma Chan

The Makeup: Monika Blunder

The Hair: Owen Gould

The Headpiece: Raven Kauffman

The Dress: Tom Ford

Try: Might as well make this a Tom Ford look head to toe with the Orchid Haze ($88) eyeshadow quad from the brand. Use this one palette for the metallic shades on the lid and a pretty violet along the lower lash line.

Ezra Miller

The Makeup: Mimi Choi

The Hair: Sami Knight

The Ensemble: Burberry

Try: While most of us were shocked by this look, it’s just another day for Mimi and her work. Grab her Illusion Palette ($69.95) from Mehron and watch one of her tutorials for a glimpse into her process.

Tessa Thompson

The Makeup: Alex Babsky

The Hair: Lacy Redway

The Ensemble: Chanel

Try: Use Chanel’s Joues Contraste in Pink Explosion* ($45) to amplify those amazing cheekbones.

Julia Garner

The Makeup: Sofia Schwarzkopf-Tilbury

The Hair: Bobby Eliot

The Dress: Zac Posen

Try: Sofia is the niece of Charlotte Tilbury so it was make total sense that she would use her aunt’s line for this look. To recreate Julia’s perfect red lip, use Hot Lips Lipstick in Tell Laura* ($34). The chiseled tip gives you definition or you can pair it with Charlotte Tilbury’s lipliner in Walk of Shame* ($22).

Darren Criss

The Makeup: Jessica O

The Hair: The Vélo Barber

The Jacket: Balmain

Try: We’re so happy that Shiseido came back into the color cosmetics game so that you can pick up the Essentialist Eyeshadow Palette in Kaigan Street Waves* ($34) to recreate this look.

Florence Welch

The Makeup: Lisa Aharon

The Hair: Ryan Richman

The Dress: Gucci

Try: While Florence doesn’t really wear makeup, she is big into clean beauty skincare. Lisa used Lapis Facial Oil* ($72) from Herbivore Botanicals on the star to keep her skin hydrated and dewy.

Hammish Bowles

The Hair Color: Lena Ott

The Hair Styling: Teddy Charles

The Cape: Maison Margiela

Try: Use the semi-permeant hair dye that’s a part of L’Oreal’s Colorista ($10.99 each) collection - it comes in five shades of pastel magic to choose from.

Whembley Sewell

The Makeup: Jeannie

The Suit: Christopher John Rogers

Try: Grab the Killawatt Highlighter from Fenty in the shade Diamond Ball-Out* ($34) and let it double at your eyeshadow for the night.

Danai Gurira

The Makeup: Kim Bower

The Hair: Larry Sims

The Ensemble: Gabriela Hearst

Try: Sorry but we have another limited edition product for you. From Charlotte Tilbury comes the Iconic Palette* ($65), the brands most extensive palette to date.

Jordan Roth

The Makeup: Maud Laceppe

The Hair: Rutger

The Ensemble: Iris Van Herpen

Try: To recreate this universally (and unisexually) flattering smokey eye, go for an all encompassing palette like Laura Mercier’s Extreme Neutrals Eyeshadow Palette ($58).

Alessandro Michele

The Ensemble: Gucci

Try: For the beardos in the audience, the Conditioning Beard Oil ($20) from Port Products will keep your facial hair soft and manageable. For the rest of us? Use it on the ends of your hair to help with breakage and split ends.

Zendaya

The Makeup: Sheika Daley

The Hair: Ursula Stephen

The Dress: Tommy Hilfiger

Try: Grab the Color Design Palette in Teal Fury* ($50) from Lancome. It includes five eyeshadow shades as well as a guide on the back of the case giving you advice on color placement.

Regina Hall

The Makeup: Lewina David

The Hair: Shornell Mcneal-Young

The Dress: Gucci

Try: Invest in the Rolls Royce of eyeshadows with Pat McGrath’s Bronze Seduction Palette* ($125) to achieve Regina’s winged out smokey eye.

Janelle Monae

The Makeup: Jessica Smalls

The Hair: Nikki Nelms

The Dress: Christian Siriano

Try: For a beautiful wispy look to your lashes, use the Lashify Control Kit* ($145). Even false lash novices will find application easy and lash extension enthusiasts will find themselves converted.

See you next year!

[malinallispeaks]

Day 9 - Research Using Beans

We woke up and decided we needed more tostadas. So we set out to the Coyocan market once more to eat, buy supplies for today’s research, and check out some of the other shops.

We saw some exquisitely crafted alebrijes, a Mexican style of art that goes back to prehispanic. Making these little creatures involves creating animal chimeras with and painting them with vivid colors. 

After that, a woman selling fruits saw Glen and I staring curiously at some fruits we’d never seen before and stopped us. She cracked jokes and fed us large quantities of fruits we hadn’t tried, as soon as we’d finished one type she was slicing into a new fruit and giving us samples. We bought a mamey, an ataulfo mango, and a fruit whose name I forget but was intensely soft, sweet, round, and was one of the fruits that the Nahua people of this valley enjoyed. 

She charged 90 pesos for the three pieces fruit, definitely overcharging, but we had such a good time chatting with her and having her show us around that we were happy to pay the turistas pendejos tax. 

We reminded each other to ALWAYS ask for the price of something before we get it.

Then we drove to UNAM: “The National Autonomous University of Mexico (Spanish: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, abbreviated as UNAM) [which] was founded in 1551, making it the oldest in North America. It is the largest university in Latin America and was ranked the best in Latin America, Spain and Portugal, and 95 in the world according to a study conducted by The Times and released in 2005,” (www.topuniversities.com)

We decided that students here would probably have a better grasp of the historical La Malinche than the average person on the street we interviewed. 

Our objective was simple: in the classroom, students have to decide whether La Malinche should be remembered as a hero, victim, or traitor. 

While this question is not terribly nuanced, is rather reductive, and can be answered in many different ways looking at many different contexts, it’s a question that 7th grade students were able to latch onto. 

It allowed them to judge her as a person and it forced them to understand the historical context she lived in for them to decide how her legacy should be seen. 

So we made three baskets, put out a bowl of dry beans, and asked passersby to vote by placing the bean in the corresponding basket (hero, victim, or traitor). Many people stopped to talk with us, to give interviews, or simply to ask us questions. 

The results: 

Hero: 14

Victim: 55

Traitor: 18

We got very interesting perspectives, but most people asserted the fact that her being a slave, and a woman, someone who was an object and property, was the strongest factor in considering her actions.

Many people also scoffed at her being a traitor. “A traitor to whom? The Aztec, the people she hated? Mexico didn’t exist yet!” 

They echoed one of out learning objectives. Although she’s been seen as a traitor for a long time for helping the Spanish, we want our students to understand what it means to be a traitor then question who exactly she was betraying by helping the Spanish forge allies against the Aztec and translating for Cortes. 

One woman commented on how that the strongest bonds and alliances we have are to our family, if she had a child with Cortes, why wouldn’t she be invested in protecting their success? Did this make her more aligned with the interests of the Spanish than that of the natives she lived and worked for? 

What struck Glen and I the most, however, was long people stopped and thought before casting their vote, and the group think that came with it.

Often, a whole group would stop and ponder the question for minutes, before the first person placed a bean. More often than not it went in the “victim” basket and more often than not, the rest of the group followed suit, casting their vote for victim as well. Glen and I wondered if the victim vote was the safest. After all, calling someone a hero or traitor is a personal and subjective judgement. It’s taking a side. Maybe it’s easier to defer to the trauma and limitations La Malinche’s oppression rather than ascribe value to her enormously significant actions. 

After spending hours there talking to people and counting the beans, we head back to Coyoacan to see the Frida Kahlo house and museum. We were very glad we bought a ticket ahead of time for a time slot since the line to enter wrapped around the block. 

I guess Frida Kahlo is synonymous with Mexican culture nowadays, and it’s not a stretch to call her the most important icon of Mexican culture and history to the rest of the world, so the lines weren’t all that surprising. 

 It was masterfully curated, and we got to see her wardrobe that was hidden away until recently. It also showed their house as it was, preserving the original artwork, kitchenware, personal affects, and furniture. 

It was an intimate look at the life of an artists I admire greatly.

After that we saw yet another store that had La Malinche’s name! 

We stopped by for some sangria soda, then we went to la Casa de los Tacos, a place Glen and I had been very excited about visiting.

They have delicious from scratch tacos, including a bunch of prehispanic tacos (mostly bugs and veggies) but also boar and veal, which were exquisite. 

Here are the baja style fish tacos we started with. The ones wrapped in banana leaves were the boar tacos which were my favorites. They were served with a side of sweet caramelized chipole in a balsamic style brine. I ended up putting this on all the tacos and regretted nothing! 

The food was so damn good I forgot to document the rest for y’all, but here are some pics I found on the internet, enjoy!

(Pics courtesy of TripAdvisor.com) 

I still dream of those tacos...