#like a classic Disney animated musical film

[bixels]

Do you imagine the MLP 1920s AU as a musical?

Definitely, yeah.

[doyoulikethissong-poll]

Johann Sebastian Bach - Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 1700s

The Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565, is a composition for organ by German composer Johann Sebastian Bach and is one of the most widely recognisable works in the organ repertoire. Although the date of its origin is unknown, scholars have suggested between 1704 and the 1750s. The piece opens with a toccata section followed by a fugue that ends in a coda, and is largely typical of the north German organ school of the Baroque era. Little was known about its early existence until the piece was discovered in an undated manuscript produced by Johannes Ringk. It was first published in 1833 during the early Bach Revival period through the efforts of composer Felix Mendelssohn, who also performed the piece in 1840. It was not until the 20th century that its popularity rose above that of other organ compositions by Bach, as exemplified by its inclusion in Walt Disney's 1940 animated film Fantasia that featured Leopold Stokowski's orchestral transcription from 1927.

BWV 565 was used as film music well before the sound film era, becoming a cliché to illustrate horror and villainy. Its first uses in sound film included the 1931 film Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and the 1934 film The Black Cat. The 1950 film Sunset Boulevard used BWV 565 as a joking reference to the horror genre. The 1962 film adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera used BWV 565 in the suspense and horror sense.

Recordings of BWV 565 that have appeared on popular music charts include rockband Sky's 1980 rock-inspired recording (#83 on Billboard Hot 100, #5 on UK Singles Chart) and Vanessa-Mae's 1994 violin recording (#24 on the Billboard charts). Eurodance music act 2 Unlimited's 1994 hit "The Real Thing" uses BWV 565 and, in a list published by Classic FM and PRS for Music, was revealed to be among the best-selling pop singles to incorporate classical music.

Toccata and Fugue D minor, BWV 565 received a total of 94,7% yes votes! 🎉

[cumulo-stratus]

request- hanging out with your two best buds spencer and penelope and watching lady and the tramp

or could be just with spencer

i just love seeing them together and need to hang out with both of them. and i know they are both fans of Disney movies like c’mon it just makes sense

BEST BUDS [S.R]

Penelope, spencer, and you share a nice night at penelope’s watching Disney classics with spaghetti

spencer reid x gn!reader ][ fluff drabble ][ 0.6k ][ masterlist!!

a/n- MAY ILYSM FOR THIS REQUEST!! its a drabble not a full fic but oh well lol

“Spencer pass the cheese!” Penelope's many bracelets jingling on her wrist could be heard as she reached out for Spencer to hand the cheese to her. 

When Spencer placed the bag in her hand she shook it onto her bowl of spaghetti. There was now a little pile of white parmesan cheese on top of her spaghetti. 

Penelope leaned against one end of the couch wearing her Mickey headband while you and Spencer cuddled up on the other end for best buds night as Penelope so lovingly called it. The name hadn’t changed even when you and Spencer got together a few months ago.

They usually happened whenever there was the time for one, which wasn’t often. This made them special. Special meant Penelope often got very excited at the prospect of a best buds night. 

Tonight she had decided to make spaghetti to go with their viewing of The Lady And The Tramp. Ever since you had discovered Spencer's secret love of old disney movies, both you and penelope insisted on watching his old favorites.

Penelope had heard about this from Spencer when she saw him blushing at texts, and being the guy who never normally even takes a second glance at his phone unless it's work related. Of course, Penelope being the lover of matchmaking insisted on knowing what Spencer was looking at.

Said previous events led to the three being cozied up on the couch with the light of the movie illuminating Penelope's otherwise dark apartment. The old style music and animations brought back memories from Spencer's childhood. 

“You know my mom used to play this for me a lot” Spencer spoke with a fond smile, and you could almost see the memories flickering like old film behind his eyes. You smiled up at your boyfriend from his shoulder. You placed a small kiss on his growing stubble. 

ever so often, either penelope, you, or Spencer would make a comment (though most of them were spencers). Spencer usually said something about how the animation was done, or a historical inaccuracy. “You know that architecture is quite unrealistic for supposedly the early 1900s- are you guys seeing this brickwork?” he would call out, only earning a giggle from the others. 

When Penelope made a comment it was usually along the lines of “ahhhh!!! look at these two cutie pies!!” and other phrases in the same vein. Her excitement was at its peak in the classic spaghetti sharing scene. there had been lots of penelope screams/yelps of joy. 

You preferred to stay quiet, leaving a sentence hanging in the air every once in a while. But you found more pleasure in listening to your two best friends.

The more the night wore on, the more the warm bowl of spaghetti in your stomach and the soft sound of Spencer's heartbeat lulled you into a drowsy state against his chest. His warmth radiated into your soul, allowing a blanket of peace to roll over you as the movie's credits started to play. ‘’

Spencer looked down to find you asleep on his chest, and his second thought after how adorable you were- was how was he going to bring himself to wake you up and go home for the night. 

Then again, Spencer noticed someone asleep. Penelope had her head rested against the couch and an empty bowl still in her hands. She also sported a small squishmallow of a unicorn at her side. with her eyes closed you could see the eyeshadow she hadn’t had the thought to take off yet.

And as spencer looked at his two best friends, and then back to the tv with the credits still rolling, he wondered how he got so lucky.

spare a reblog?

[racheyace]

Do you possibly have a list of the G/t movies and/or shows? I've been looking for stuff to watch and would love to know what good stuff you've come across!

Okay so I've compiled a list from my poster and from more that have popped into my head as I wrote them down, fairly sure there's even more, but these are the ones I know well, if you know of any more please comment, I'd love to add to the list, there's actually so much out there when you really think about it!

Anyway enjoy and I hope I've listed at least some that you haven't seen before

Gt in media list:

Percey Jackson and the Lightning Theif (Literally a 3 minute scene toward the end of the movie but a great scene!)

Gulliver’s Travels (2011 Jack Black)

Gulliver’s Travels (1996 film)

Black Adam (The Atom smasher is a size shifter kinda like ant man)

Ant Man (Ant man and wasp, ant man quantomania, all three of these movies are great!)

Avengers Civil War (Airport scene)

Earths Mightiest Hero’s (Tv show featuring ant man and the wasp with great gt scenes)

Help! I shrunk my teacher (This movie is in another language however I have been able to find an English version pretty sure on YouTube)

Help! I shrunk my parents (Again in another language but should have English version on YouTube)

Help! I shrunk my friends (Now this one I haven’t been able to find with English version or English subtitles so if you find one please share, but visually even better than the other two in regards to gt!)

Tinkerbell and the great fairy rescue

Disney’s Thumbelina

Disney’s original animated Peter Pan as well as Return to Neverland (Tinkerbell gt scenes)

Ella Enchanted

The Borrowers (1973) A little old but super cute!

The Borrowers (1992) Pretty sure this is a mini series or at least 2 or 3 short films and it is great!

The Borrowers (1997) Classic movie, great visual effects, epic cast, amazing gt!

The Borrowers (2011) Another great remake of the movie, a little more modern

Alice in Wonderland – Whether it be the Disney animation or the Johnny Depp remakes, great gt scenes in this also, I personally like the live action remake

Hook – Oh my god is this movie great! Julia Roberts plays Tinkerbell and Robin Williams as an adult Peter, the chemistry and gt interactions in this are amazing!

Wiplala (Also known as Help! I shrunk the family though not from the same series of movies as the other Help! Movies I mentioned above) This is also found in a different language though English versions are available on youtube – Totally underrated movie and has amazing gt all the way through!

Barbie as Thumbelina (For a kids movie this has a super cute story and great gt enemies to friends vibes)

Jack the Giant slayer

Peter Pan (2003 live action) One of my favourites and I rewatch this a lot! Poor tink gets grabbed a lot sometimes gently and sometimes not so gently!

Honey I shrunk the kids

Honey we shrunk ourselves

Honey I blew up the kid

The Secret World of Arrietty (Another one of my all time favourites and rewatches!)

The Iron Giant (Again just amazing and one of my favourites!)

The Indian in the cupboard (So sweet with a lot of really powerful messages)

The Littles (Kids tv show and just all around great gt!)

The incredible shrinking woman (I personally didn’t enjoy this movie as much as I thought I would but still great gt scenes)

The incredible shrinking man (Again didn’t love this but it is also very old, great special effects for its time)

Fern Gully (Another all time favourite!)

Fern Gully 2 the magical rescue (Not as great as the first one but still pretty good as far as gt goes with more interactions with humans)

Epic! (one of the newer gt animations with a fantastic cast, didn’t like that the human’s move so slow but from a scientic viewpoint that does make sense)

Tom Thumb (This is fairly old and a musical, but has some excellent scenes for its time)

George shrinks (A kids tv show I grew up watching, all around amazing)

Jack and the beanstalk: The real story (Fantastic movie, though it may be a mini series, I can’t quiet remember but great gt again!)

Attack on Titan (this is an anime series, it’s also really good in the fact that one of the humans, well a few, but the main character can become a titan and helps to protect his city and his friends, now this show is not for the weak stomach, the titans are quite disturbing and there is a lot of vore and gore so fair warning)

Dinosaur (Disney movie – gt found family the tiny lemurs take in a dinosaur and raise him as their own, inspired my most recent story)

Transformers (There are many of these and can be hit and miss with regards to gt, but its there)

Sugar Apple Fairy Tale (Another anime, actually just started this and its fantastic in regards to gt)

Night at the museum (All three movies as they all include our favourite tiny cowboy and roman)

Robotech (I’ve been told this is great as it contains giant mech people and some gt scenes)

Land of the Giants (TV series, it’s fairly dated but well worth a watch)

Downsizing (Starring Matt Damon, I personally didn’t like this film, it had so much potential and just missed the mark but there is some great gt in it)

Monsters Vs Aliens! (I can’t believe I almost forgot this movie and it’s not in my gt media poster ahhhh! Amazing gt all the way through, one of my favourites!)

Dwarfina (Such a cute tv series, it is in another language but I was able to understand a fair bit, following the series on youtube can be confusing but it is so worth the effort, the story is so sweet with amazing gt and romance)

My little lover (A Japanese series, though I believe there is an english dub, I’ve heard there is a remake now out but I’ve not seen it, the original is fantastic though!)

Okay I’m gonna list a few more below, they all have the same sort of vibe, I didn’t personally enjoy them they were like on the cusp of pornography but for the sake of the gt in media list I’ll put them here:

Attack of the 50 foot cheerleader

Attack of the 50 foot woman (There is two of these, an older one and a remake)

Attack of the 60 foot centrefold

The 30 foot bride of candy rock

The Amazing colossal man

Village of the giants

[paperstorm]

I have decided with my bestie to watch all the Disney movies in chronological order and what better pairing than to subject tumblr to my thoughts about them. Obviously we aren't gonna watch every single movie that Disney owns so we'll be somewhat subjective on what counts as an official animated feature film. And will probably skip some of the racist ones and maybe some sequels. But I digress.

Dumbo (1941)

Preface: movie number two with the “sorry for being racist” warning.

Pros:

I do genuinely miss when movies had credits before them. It feels so nostalgic but also respectful of all the people who worked on the movie and we’ve lost that in favor of only caring about the actors.

The scene at the beginning of all the baby animals being delivered by the storks is one of the more delightful things I have ever seen.

The animation is cute in a new way, I don’t know enough about art to put my finger on exactly what’s different but it’s got more of an adorable quality to it, and less of that 1930s creepy quality

A stork voiced by Sterling Holloway!! (beloved voice actor best known for Winnie the Pooh)

Cons

Like 90% of the characters in his movie are MEAN. The ringmaster is mean, the other elephants are mean, the circus attendees are mean, the crows are mean, the clowns are mean. My sensitive heart was not built to withstand a bunch of characters being mean to a crying baby elephant. Genuinely upsetting.

There is a drunken hallucination scene of dancing elephants that goes on for like 8 minutes and has nothing to do with anything.

The crows are as racist as I remembered and then some. The irony of writing a movie about how awful it is to be mean to someone because they’re different (Dumbo with his big ears) but then still having a super racist caricatures within that movie is Joanne Rowling levels of not understanding the point of your own story.

Verdict: Mostly just kind of boring. It’s not terrible but it’s not really good either.

2/10

[older movie reviews under the cut]

Fantasia (1940)

Preface: This is the first of the handful of movies with the “sorry for being racist” content warning before it, however the version streaming on Disney+ has actually removed the offending scene (a truly horrendous depiction of a black centaur).

Pros:

I was not looking forward to this one. I remembered from childhood that it was very weird and boring. And here’s the thing, to a child it would probably still be weird and boring. But the purpose of this feature (which I had not remembered) was to be a giant love letter to MUSIC. It was a bold and creative idea to use animation, a still somewhat new art form, to visually display the way music makes you feel and to reimagine the stories being told in the pieces. And unlike child me, adult me has a degree in classical music and generally nerds out a whole lot over music so unexpectedly this movie was so right up my alley

Visually stunning. The thought of this being a showcase for what animation can do since it was still somewhat new in cinematography, is very cool.

The music is beautiful, and even without my education I think I would have recognized most of these pieces which gives it a familiar feel. The Nutcracker Suite is a personal favourite and it’s beautifully done by the Philadelphia Orchestra.

The animation really does match the music in a pretty magical way – during the dinosaur chapter where the music is 20th century modern (brash and bombastic) the animation is much harsher with dark colours and sharp edges, vs the animation in the segment about Greek myths set to Romantic era Beethoven, which is softer and pastel.

Cons:

It’s too long. Over 2 hours, which is very lengthy considering the concept. In parts my attention drifted. But there is an actual intermission with a title card for it and everything so you can break it up neatly into two, like we did.

The chapter depicting the evolution and then extinction of the dinosaurs is the least entertaining in my opinion and it drags on, despite Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring being a messy neoclassical masterpiece.

Obviously because of what it is, there isn’t a larger story, which makes it just sort of an odd venture.

DINOSAUR SLANDER. This con is mostly a joke but there is a part where the narrator goes on for like 7 minutes about how dumb dinosaurs were which just feels mean.

Verdict: Better than I remembered or expected! If you do not like classical music it might not be for you but your adult self might like this one more than your kid self did.

6.75/10

Pinocchio (1940)

Pros:

I love an aminated movies opening with a book, and someone telling us the story. Also loved that in the opening scene that shows Pinocchio in book form, books of Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan are also in the shot, which Disney hadn’t yet made movies for

Patches on clothing are such an interesting staple of old cartoons, from a bygone era when people used to actually repair their clothes. I don’t know if that counts as a pro of this particular movie but it’s a thought I had

Figaro the cat is such a hater which is so perfectly on brand for cats

More impressive advances in animation – I don’t know how they made the Blue Fairy transparent but it’s very cool

Cons:

Despite the transparent Blue Fairy, in general the animation in this movie doesn’t have the same magic to it that some others do. It feels sort of cheap and uninspired, I can’t explain it but it’s missing something. Snow White was beautiful, the animation in this one is kind of bland

Pets are a thing that exist in this universe - Geppetto has a cat and a fish - but then there's randomly a fox and a cat (both the size of humans) walking around in clothing as if they are people when every other character is human

Stromboli is supposed to be Italian I think but his animation and character feels deeply racist in a way I can’t quite put my finger on. He is referred to at one point as the G slur so I’m not sure if maybe he’s meant to be Roma? He feels like a weird mix of anti-Jewish and anti-Arab stereotypes even though I don’t think he’s supposed to be either. It’s highly uncomfortable

I feel like we’ve all Mandela-effect-ed ourselves about Pinocchio and his growing nose. I remembered it being a big part of the plot but it’s literally one small scene about halfway through and then it never happens again

Pleasure Island is incredibly creepy and the scene where boys are turning into donkeys is super unsettling. Perhaps that should be a pro since it was probably supposed to be unsettling, but it’s a con for me because I did not enjoy it

How is Geppetto alive in inside a whale. I know it’s a cartoon and I know it’s based on an old story but STILL. Also Pinocchio is totally fine just like hanging out at the bottom of the ocean for like 25 minutes (because he’s made of wood and isn’t really alive yet), but then somehow at the end of the scene he drowns to death in a puddle? Make it make sense

The plot is … weird. It’s just weird. It feels like a combination of about 4 different stories – the creation of Pinocchio, falling in with Stromboli and the puppet show, going to Pleasure Island, and rescuing Geppetto from the whale all feel like separate stories that come one after another but don’t really relate to each other that much, and the tone of the movie also changes significantly with each one in a way that is not cohesive

At the end of the movie there’s still a whole island of enslaved, kidnapped donkey children that are just never mentioned again so … dunno what to do with that

Verdict: Weird. Very, very weird, and not in a good way. I did not remember from childhood how genuinely strange this story is.

1/10

Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (1937)

Pros:

The animation is beautiful. I got weirdly emotional thinking about people in 1937 seeing this for the first time, how mind-blowing it must have been. I know almost nothing about animation but I was genuinely impressed with the techniques used for movement, considering how old this is and how new the medium was. Also the movement of people’s hands and faces is so similar to other cartoons of the same era (I’m thinking Betty Boop but also others) which was kind of cool to see

Weirdly nostalgic in a way I wasn’t expecting, there are several songs I had in the back of my mind but had totally forgotten were from Snow White – Whistle While You Work and the song the Prince sings

The evil queen is so fucking cunty I was flabbergasted. I love her. More cunty Disney villains please (also, ICONIC scene where her cape flows as she runs down a spiral staircase. I was obsessed with that as a kid and the fluidity of the animation is incredible for the time)

I loved how melodic it all was, the sound of footsteps down the stairs or the dwarves falling down all to the beat of the musical score made the whole thing flow so nicely. I miss when movies did this

Cons:

Obligatory note that you shouldn’t kiss strangers in comas

The ending is kind of a bummer, I forgot she leaves the dwarves who love her for some guy she met 10 minutes ago. But alas, I guess that’s how the fairy tale went

Adriana Caselotti’s squeaky operatic soprano is iconic, but not particularly pleasant to listen to

Verdict: Delightful. Truly delightful. Obviously not a new or innovative story but it was very nostalgic and I enjoyed it much more than I was expecting.

8/10

[crooked-wasteland]

The rapresentation of abusers in helluva boss is something that particularly frustrates me, Stella in particular, it seems to be done just to victimaze certain characters not to show the complex dynamics of those relationships. It seems to me the writers aren't mature enough to handle these topics properly.

Abuse and Vivienne Medrano

Christmas 1962, a man renowned the western world over for his revolutionary approach to animation sat in a withering melancholy as he watched what could only be called a cinematic masterpiece based on a novel classic. Walt Disney, now in the twilight years of his life, saw the walls closing in and his legacy coming to a close. This man, who pioneered the animated feature film, saw his greatest accomplishment as his greatest obstacle. The man responsible for the tales brought to life of Cinderella, Snow White, Pinocchio, and Dumbo felt trapped in his achievement. “I wish,” Walt lamented, “I could make a picture like that.”

To Kill a Mockingbird was a piece that challenged its audience. The discussion of a white man defending a black man in southern America, years before the civil rights movement. The movement that, at the time the movie hit cinemas, was in its infancy. Released during the height of the historically revisionist counter movement taking place to combat the rising push of African Americans towards their human rights. The last film Walt Disney ever saw the production of before his death in 1966 was The Jungle Book, a movie that was the epitome of “Safe” and a message that upheld the status quo of segregation.

It wasn’t until 1972 that the media of animation became raucously adult with those political and challenging concepts Disney felt were unattainable. Fritz the Cat was an X-rated animated film composed of vignettes that were unapologetically perverse, violent, and aggressively political. Critical of politicians and the police with a sympathetic if exploitative lens towards the LGBT and racial minority communities Brooklyn-based director Ralph Bakshi grew up around. Bakshi proved that animation was not strictly a child-friendly media and that adult animation could be financially and critically successful.

(For more on Ralph Bakshi's career and animation history)

If one has ever had the opportunity to listen to a Brad Bird (director of Ratatouille and The Incredibles) interview, it is clear to see that the success of Bakshi was generally quite limited. That animation is considered a genre and not a medium of art has resulted in animated films being knee-capped in the box office. There is far more potential to animation, highlighted by Howard Ashton in his collaboration with Disney studios during the Renaissance. Responsible for resurrecting the feature-length animated movie through The Little Mermaid and credited for the monumental success of Best Picture Award winner Beauty and the Beast, Ashton once said that the potential animation was ideal for musical theatre. The limitless possibilities given the medium gave the possibility of introducing Broadway to the common folk who didn’t live in New York and otherwise couldn’t afford the theater. He was quoted saying that live action musical films were “an exercise in stupidity,” highlighting the freedom that comes with a blank page.

However, the success of animation, and media in general, comes down to the message the media wishes to send. The reason the Disney Renaissance films have enjoyed their position as cornerstones of pop culture and creativity was because it did introduce the artform of musical theater into homes and made them readily accessible to everyone with an even heightened sense of fantasy that revitalized Walt’s ethos of making films for the child in everyone.

With Bakshi, it was the loud and violently political message of a revolution taking place. This continues in adult animation with the Simpsons, a series critical of hyper-capitalist America and the fallout of Reagan’s economic disaster that the effects of which are still being felt today and a satire of toxic masculinity and abusive family dynamics.

So, ultimately, the value of a piece of media is a cross between its social artistic influence and the message the creators are intending to make. While Medrano’s influence on the field of indie animation is often mischaracterized as a “pioneer”, the fact is that indie animation and pilots have existed and been funded before Spindlehorse existed. It is simply that Medrano has had the spotlight handed to her for the myth surrounding the production and subsequent success of his indie projects. Artistically, her influence can be summarized as a double-edged sword. For some, she is the motivation for inspiring artists to connect with the community to one day, hopefully, create their own work. On the other hand, she is the cautionary tale of why investing in an indie project is a financial risk for an audience member and a risk to the community as a whole that poses a real danger of making the indie sphere financially cannibalistic, as her public persona is off-putting to “normies” and her show is simply not good.

Much like Disney, the man in 1962, and Disney the company circa 2023, the revolution of animating "because you can" loses its luster very quickly. Without something profound to say, an entire company, regardless of its social influence, can fade into irrelevance despite still being "successful". The story of Disney is a cautionary tale for Indie animation as a whole and Spindlehorse in specific.

And that is the other axis on this chart. Her narrative lacks a message worth telling, and that’s very much due to her not having anything worthwhile to say.

“I really liked when things and shows and stories allow the characters to be flawed, and allow them to grow and to change. And I think that’s something that’s, you know, the world is not black and white. And I like things that explore the gray and that and the complexity, of life and mistakes and of things like that.” - Vivienne Medrano

It is not for want of mockery that I carefully transcribe Medrano’s words in her interview. To read the words aloud tells the story just as clearly as I have set out to do here. This is someone who is highly inspired by better media, who has ideas and a belief that she has something to say. But that is where the belief ends. There is no conclusion to that thought any more than there is one in the unfocused and run-on sentences she rambles along throughout the interview. She talks of “Things” without clarity, because she herself is a fundamentally incurious individual who has never once spent the time critically analyzing herself, let alone the work of others to better grasp what about it resonated with her. She merely consumes art insatiably and without any substance. Like a diet of fruit, it has a superficial veneer of positive value. Fruit would be considered healthy as it is “natural”. However, it is the nutritional equivalent of candy, lacking vital components that are necessary to sustain basic life, it is pure sugar. Her work, similarly, lacks any value of depth that would qualify as meaning.

Which comes back to what the message is in her work.

When it comes to others in the field of indie animation, Medrano does not have many friends. In response to the Lackadaisy situation, creator Tracy explained why she returned Medrano’s donation. For one, the donation was not Medrano’s money, but money she crowd sourced from her employees. While the $5k for the producer spot of the fundraiser would have not been a dent in her personal wallet, Medrano is so uninterested in supporting fellow creators while presenting an impression of camaraderie that she instead took money from the people she is in charge of the paychecks for to get her name in the credits of another creator’s work. In regards to why Medrano was declined her support, it was due to numerous individuals who had such an awful experience working for Medrano that they did not want her involvement associated with the project to any extent. When the money was returned, she made the situation extremely public and encouraged harassment by liking tweets attacking Tracy and the Iron Circus team.

A well-known member of Medrano’s crew, Hunter B, was leaked speaking crassly of other animation projects that were still in the process of production, met with support from other members in the discord. One of these creators being Ashley Nicoles from Far-Fetched. A former friend and creative partner on the Hazbin Pilot whose podcast streams featuring Edward Bosco and Michael Kovach single-handedly maintained interest in the show until the winter of 2021, free of charge. Ashley once spoke of how Medrano would speak disparagingly of an employee to her, saying that this individual was “Too unstable to work with”. Which, regardless of whether or not that is Medrano’s honest opinion, counts as defamation by an employer. It is the exact reason why most previous employers will not give a negative, detailed review of a former employee, maintaining instead to verify facts of the employment. If Erin Frost was more experienced and less involved in social media exposed culture, they could have easily sued Medrano and Spindlehorse for damaging their reputation in their field of employment.

Which circles back to Medrano’s self-assigned message of her show:

“Abusers rely on your silence. They rely on knowing you can’t retaliate without consequence. That they can tell any lies and vague around without getting called out. But we see you, and you don’t have the power you think you do anymore. A message I put into my work. “Fuck you!” - Vivienne Medrano

Medrano, who has vague and sub tweeted individuals like Lackadaisy Tracy, The Diregentlemen, Michael Kovach, and Ashley Nicoles. Medrano who has instigated and incited harassment campaigns knowing that no one can call her out without severe and relentless backlash from her cultish fanbase that she personally encourages through positive reinforcement of liking the tweets of fans. Medrano who relies on the silence of other creators in the field due to the fear of her ire collapsing their projects before they even have a chance to begin.

Vivienne Medrano with an extensive abusive history that continues to this day, has something to say about abuse.

What Medrano has to say about abuse comes from someone who has the position of superiority in all of her relationships, but feels like she’s the outcast and bullied loser. Her self insert that is repeatedly expressed in every character at one point or another is how easily they abuse those around them just because they can, but that the narrative justifies their “acting out” because they are sad. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, “An abuser externalizes the causes of their behavior. They blame their violence on circumstances.”

Indeed, the lists of abusive characteristics and traits, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, overwhelmingly encompasses the characteristics shown by characters like Loona, Blitz and Stolas that Medrano repeatedly has attempted to rationalize, justify and minimize. Which, “An abuser often denies the existence or minimizes the seriousness of the violence [including emotional and mental abuse] and its effect on the victim and other family members.”

It is not surprising, then, that the conversation of abuse in Helluva Boss is often infuriating. The narrative underplays the harm done by characters we are supposed to see as “good”. Not allowing for them to grow or change, but ignoring and minimizing the behavior, justifying it through circumstances and perpetuating the false belief that victims are not, themselves, abusers.

One of the first blog post rants I ever made about mental health and abuse was the affirmation that not all victims of abuse are survivors. I wholly stand by that. Victims of abuse perpetuate abuse. A victim and an abuser are one in the same, whereas a survivor is someone who has actually done the difficult work of being self-critical. And the one thing we all are very aware of is how much Vivienne Medrano rejects criticism.

[radio-ronpa]

Disney I want songs for each V3 character, go!

I got this a few days ago and I've been ruminating on it. I think I've finally settled on them? Plus notes on why I picked that song.

Here's the rules: Has to be from an official Disney Animated Classic (no Pixar, live action, or straight to vid sequels). Must occur within the run time of animation (no songs that only appear in the credits, ala True to Your Heart from Mulan). Only one song can be used from a particular film.

Let's fucking goooooo.

1. Angie Yonaga - Give a Little Whistle (Pinocchio)

Have you ever seen Jiminy Cricket and Atua in the same place? Think about it.

2. Gonta Gokuhara - The Bare Necessities (The Jungle Book)

Optimistic, joyous, and appreciative of all of life's moments, even if they are very small.

3. Himiko Yumeno - The Next Right Thing (Frozen 2)

If there was a DRV3 stage musical, this would be the number she does at the end of Trial 3. It's literally perfect.

4. Kaede Akamatsu - Good Company (Oliver and Company)

The scene with this song in the movie is literally a piano lesson, and it's about being friends and having faith in that. How could I not?

5. Kaito Momota - Go the Distance (Hercules)

Oh, I want to be a hero because I feel like I don't belong anywhere and I want to be strong enough to give my friends good hugs? Herc and Kaito are both beautiful himbos.

6. Kiibo - Strangers Like Me (Tarzan)

I mean, Keebs is real Pinocchio sometimes, but I started crying imagining him to this song. He's so earnest and I love that for him.

7. Kirumi Tojo - Very Good Advice (Alice in Wonderland)

Classic, underappreciated, and sad as fuck.

8. Kokichi Ouma - The World's Greatest Criminal Mind (The Great Mouse Detective)

Look, this song is just fun and chaotic and delighted by its own mischief. There's so many ways you can go with Kokichi, but I had to pick this one for sheer giggles.

9. Korekiyo Shinguji - Never Smile at a Crocodile (Peter Pan)

JUST READ THE FUCKING LYRICS.

10. Maki Harukawa - Reflection (Mulan)

It's cliche. It's also true.

11. Miu Iruma - The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers (The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh)

Kind of unhinged and still somehow endearing. Miu Iruma is bounchy flouncy fun fun fun fun fun.

12. Rantaro Amami - Thomas O'Malley Cat (The Aristocats)

The fucking swagger. The worldliness. The feet that can't stop moving. (Of course Rantaro is my favorite character. I adored that cat.)

13. Ryoma Hoshi - Not in Nottingham (Robin Hood)

For the love of god, somebody hug that man.

14. Shuichi Saihara - This Wish (Wish)

If The Next Right Thing is Trial 3 of the DRV3 Disney musical, This Wish is the end of Trial 6. This is Shuichi standing up and telling the villain that they're not going to give in to despair, honoring Kaede's wish with his own. Plus, it's a princess song. I gotta give the main protag the princess song.

15. Tenko Chabashira - Surface Pressure (Encanto)

Tenko doesn't have a complex about being strong and defending people, what gave you that idea?

16. Tsumugi Shirogane - Mad Madam Mim (The Sword in the Stone)

Using your powers of shapeshifting to delight in causing despair and gloom? Can't relate.

This was a wild three hours of research and spreadsheets, and it was delightful fun to do.

Thanks, anon.

[the-sage-libriomancer]

Rewatched Princess and the Frog today and honestly it feels more like a celebration of Disney's 100 years than Wish. A classic fairy tale respun in interesting ways while still being undeniably Disney? Check. A traditional story with modern twists and a (narratively) strong female protagonist? Check. A return to 2D animation in a time when the medium was dying out? Check. Hell, it even takes place in the same time period (1920s) that Walt Disney released the first animated feature film and started a hundred years of magic. There are multiple references to older Disney movies, from classics like Pinocchio and Sword in the Stone to (then) recent films like Aladdin and The Little Mermaid. It features the fucking wishing star! In a more narratively sound manner than Disney's actual 100th year celebration!

And even beyond that, Princess and the Frog feels like it pays tribute to the magic of magic - the power of believing in stories, of having a dream, of working hard to reach your happy ending while never losing sight of what's really important. There is so much effort put into this movie and it shows: the animation is gorgeous, the story is creative and structurally sound, and behind the scenes reveals that the producers put their backs into making sure both the African American aspect and the New Orleans cultural aspect were accurately depicted. It was the first Disney movie in over a decade to return to the Broadway musical format, and they literally had to dust off the abandoned 2D art tools because the company hadn't used them since 2004.

Princess and the Frog was a labor of love through and through, a heartfelt tip of the hat to Disney's legacy while still being its own story. I don't know what could be more celebratory of Walt Disney's dream than that.

[princesssarisa]

The Most Common Types of Fairy Godmother in "Cinderella" Adaptations

Since @ariel-seagull-wings and I have already posted about the different portrayals of Cinderella and her prince, I thought it might be nice to look at the different portrayals of the other characters too.

Each portrayal of the Fairy Godmother is unique, but patterns do emerge across the different adaptations. I've found that the different portrayals of the character can be divided into five categories, with some portrayals combining two of them together.

The Regal, Ethereal Lady

This beautiful, elegant creature is emphatically a fairy godmother, not a godmother who happens to be a fairy. She wears a gorgeous flowing gown, not of any earthly fashion, and though her age is indeterminate, she seems youthful yet wise. Her demeanor is kind and gentle, yet serious and stately, though she might have a slight playful streak. She takes on the role of the story’s moral authority as well, usually emphasizing that she comes to reward Cinderella for her goodness. Often, she first appears disguised as an old beggar woman to test the respective virtue of Cinderella and her stepfamily, and Cinderella earns her good will by giving her bread while the stepfamily scorns her. Sometimes she has attendant fairies or other magic-users to assist her as well: she might even be portrayed as the Fairy Queen, who lives in the forest like Shakespeare’s Titania and has countless fairies, elves, and sprites as her command. Fairy Godmothers of this type are most often seen in earlier adaptations: they include “La Fée” in Massenet’s opera Cendrillon, the Fairy Godmother in Prokofiev’s ballet, Inez Marcel in the 1914 silent film, Varvara Myasnikova in the 1947 Russian film, Celeste Holm in the 1965 version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical, and the animated Fairy Godmothers both in the 1935 Betty Boop cartoon Poor Cinderella and in the 1979 Russian animated short.

The Grandmother Figure

This Fairy Godmother is a little old woman, and she’s very human as fairies go. She might not be regal, or beautiful, but she radiates a sense of warmth and comfort like all the best grandmothers do. Her sweetness, gentleness, and maternal affection are just what Cinderella needs in her despair, and sometimes she can be adorably absentminded – forgetting where she put her wand, almost sending Cinderella off to the ball in her rags, etc. – which adds gentle comic relief to the story. Yet she also conveys the wisdom that comes with age, and her magic is just as powerful as that of any younger, more glittering fairy. The quintessential Fairy Godmother of this type is the one voiced by Verna Felton in Disney’s classic 1950 animated film. Several other animated versions aimed at children feature grandmotherly Godmothers too, like the versions from Jetlag Productions and Burbank Animation Studios. In the 1995 musical A Tale of Cinderella, “La Stella” is Cinderella’s actual grandmother, whose magic sadly couldn’t save her daughter’s life, but can save her granddaughter’s future. Jean Stapleton’s Fairy Godmother in the 1985 Faerie Tale Theatre adaptation is also very grandmotherly, although she has additional glamour and a sense of humor that bring her closer to the next type of Fairy Godmother on the list (see below).

The Sassy Glamour Queen

She’s beautiful, she’s elegant, she’s as smart as a whip, and she knows it! This is a more modern, lighthearted twist on the Regal, Ethereal Lady. The sparkle of the gorgeous gown she wears is matched only by the sparkle of her playful wit, and her confidence in herself is surpassed only by her confidence in Cinderella. Her sense of humor lifts Cinderella’s spirit, while her intelligence, poise, and indefatigable spirit make her a strong role model for the girl. Yet though kind and caring, this Godmother tends to be a bit more standoffish than others – though not in a bad way. She urges Cinderella to solve her own problems, not just rely on her, and to have courage and faith in herself against all odds. The most famous Godmother of this type is probably Whitney Houston in the 1997 version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical. But Edie Adams’ elegant and mischievous Godmother in the original 1957 Rodgers and Hammerstein telecast is a good example too: although since she spends most of the story masquerading as a human, she combines this portrayal with another type (see the bottom of the list). Meanwhile, Jean Stapleton’s Faerie Tale Theatre Godmother has the elegance and humor of this type, but as an elderly woman, she combines it with the Grandmother Figure. Last, but not least, is Billy Porter’s nonbinary “Fab G.” in the 2021 Sony/Amazon musical.

The Eccentric Mage

This funny and kooky Godmother is one of those beings who combine magic with just a little insanity. Her mind is like her powers: not entirely of this earth. Like the Regal, Ethereal Lady, she tends to disguise herself as a poor, ragged old woman to test Cinderella’s virtue and befriend her before the ball – but she takes it a step further and masquerades as a crazy homeless woman, who spouts odd remarks and whom anyone less kind than Cinderella might try to avoid. Yet even when not in disguise, she’s a bit of a ditzy oddball, who sometimes fumbles her spells once or twice before she gets them right: e.g. dressing Cinderella in the wrong type of clothing at first, or turning the pumpkin into the wrong item, or accidentally making it grow to a gigantic, greenhouse-shattering size before it becomes a coach. Fairy Godmothers of this type include Helena Bonham Carter in Disney’s 2015 live action film, “Crazy Marie” in the 2013 Broadway version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical, Joyce Gordon in the Muppets’ Hey, Cinderella! and Estelle Winwood as Mrs. Toquet in The Glass Slipper. Although since Mrs. Toquet never takes off her “crazy poor woman” disguise, she combines this variant with another one: The Godmother Who Happens to Be a Fairy (see below).

The Godmother Who Happens to Be a Fairy

This is the most human portrayal of the Fairy Godmother: an ordinary woman who just happens to have magical powers, which she hides until they’re needed. Cinderella typically befriends her long before the ball, sometimes knowing her from childhood. She might be a household servant, or a kindly neighbor, or a traveling portrait painter, but whoever she is, you wouldn’t guess that she’s a fairy. She might even pretend not to believe in magic. She might also be Cinderella’s literal godmother – a close friend of her late mother’s, or even a relative. But no matter who she is, the friendship and the simple, human advice she gives to Cinderella (e.g. never to lose hope, or not to be afraid to love the Prince) are just as valuable as her spells. Edie Adams’ mischievous Godmother combines this characterization with the Sassy Glamour Queen in the 1957 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, Estelle Winwood’s Mrs. Toquet in The Glass Slipper combines it with the Eccentric Mage, and Annette Crosbie’s sensible and ladylike yet quirky Godmother in The Slipper and the Rose combines it slightly with the Eccentric Mage too. Other examples are the artist Paulette in the anime series Cinderella Monogatari, the cook Mandy in the original novel of Ella Enchanted (who is also the Grandmother Figure), and the pasta-stirring grandmother La Stella in the musical A Tale of Cinderella (ditto).

@ariel-seagull-wings, @thealmightyemprex, @adarkrainbow, @themousefromfantasyland, @faintingheroine, @angelixgutz, @softlytowardthesun, @amalthea9

[miss-conjayniality]

enhyungline as mariah carey songs 🦋🌟

genre: fluff. PURE FLUFF!

pairing: enhyungline x gn!reader

word count: 1766

A/N: MERRY CHRISTMAS DAAHHHLLIINGSSS!!! 🌟omfg i meant to post this over a week ago 😭 but I’ve been soooo fawking busy with life and I got sick but I’m all good now so here y’all go! as a huge engene AND lambily, I wanted to pay tribute to the queen of christmas by assigning different songs by her to our beloved enhyungline! 🩷 christmas may be almost over but mariah’s got a vast catalogue that’s classic, timeless, and sonically diverse. i’m a mimi stan all year round dahhlliinnggss 💅🏼 I’ve been meaning to do this for a while too🫣

also…can we fucking TALK about how enhypen dropped an EP called daydream, which also happens to share the same name as one of mimi’s BEST ALBUMS EVER!?!?? GOOD FUCKING GOD!!!! THEY DID THIS SHIT FOR ME ISTG!!!!

ALSO….i definitely didn’t cry or get delusional while writing this🤠🫣

P.S.: heeriah leerey IS in fact mariah’s adoptive son. I SAID WHAT I SAID! PERIODT.

HEESEUNG: MUSIC BOX.

“when i am lost, you shine a light for me and set me free. when i am low, you wash away my tears and take me through the loneliness and emptiness. through the darkest nights, somehow i survive through it all”

“your love is strong enough to lift me up. if i’m afraid, oh baby. you chase away my fears and take me to a brighter place.”

do you remember those music boxes you loved during your childhood years because they would open up to little angels dancing around in circles to melodious tunes? heeseung is exactly that - in human form. being around him evokes feelings of nostalgia and comfort because he reminds you of a simpler time when life felt magical and full of wonder. his presence is like the soft melody of a music box, enveloping you in warmth and tranquility, making you feel cherished in a way that feels timeless.

heeseung is a dreamy, delicate angel come to life. he has a calming energy that feels timeless and effortlessly comforting. the type of lover to cuddle with you underneath a weighted blanket after taking a warm soothing bath together. the type of lover to steep green tea for you, watch vintage disney films with you, and softly hum sweet melodies to you as he holds you close, making you feel cherished and at peace in his embrace.

heeseung’s love feels like a safe haven, a quiet sanctuary where time slows down, and the world outside fades away. his presence is a gentle reminder that even in life’s chaos, there’s always space for warmth, tenderness, and the beauty of simple, meaningful moments. with him, every shared glance and unspoken word feels intentional, like he’s crafting a world where love is soft, steady, and substantial. he has a way of making you feel as if you’re the only person that matters, wrapping you in a sense of security that feels both grounding and ethereal.

with heeseung, love feels like being carried through life’s storms with unwavering strength and care. when the weight of the world feels too heavy, his arms are always there to be wrapped around your shoulders. his quiet reassurance dissolves your fears like the clouds in the sky after a thunderstorm.

heeseung is an uplifting lover. when times get rough, he encourages you to overcome your fears and persevere through the madness. just his belief in you alone could move mountains. in his arms, you feel safe enough to dream again, his love lifting you from darkness and showing you the light of brighter, better days ahead.

your admiration for heeseung is never-ending. there is no one before him that could ever match his level. and there’s certainly no such thing as “after” once he appeared into your life. his warm, compassionate nature is rare in this cold, harsh and cruel world. you are his sunshine, and he is your sunshine protector. ever since you met him, he’s inspired your sense of adventure.

whether it’s buzz lightyear action figures, legos, or stuffed animal deers, heeseung serves as a powerful reminder to never neglect your inner child 🩷

JAY: VISION OF LOVE.

“treated me kind. sweet destiny. carried me through desperation. to the one that was waiting for me. it took so long. still i believed…somehow the one that i needed would find me eventually.”

“i had a vision of love. and it was all that you’ve given to me. i had a vision of love. and it was all that you turned out to be.”

you CANNOT tell me this man isn’t the personification of this song. jay HIMSELF is theee vision of love! PERIODT.

jay is the type of lover most people envision when it comes to experiencing true love. not just romantically. but on every level. eros. philia. storge. agape. in a world of fakers disguised as lovers, jay floats above the fray and proves that love is real. the lover whom you’d encounter by chance one day, only to realize he was the one your soul had been searching for all along. you had been trying to hard all these years to seek out love, yet eventually you found him…unintentionally.

jay’s embodies the type of love that’s even better than what you witness in novels and films. even in the mundane tasks such as filing taxes, doing the laundry, etc., he makes it enjoyable. and because of those enjoyable moments, he inspires you to conquer anything life throws at you. that’s how transformative his love is. he’s the reason why you’re so grateful for life, no matter how tough it gets.

jay doesn’t just love you in the extraordinary ways (i.e.: buying luxury gifts, or wooing you with lavish vacations). he loves you in the unassuming ways too - the kind of moments that go unnoticed. for example, if you’re nervous at a public gathering, he’ll recognize that feeling and hold your hand tight. sometimes, he’d look at you like you’re the only person in the room. or maybe he’ll give his jacket to you when you’re feeling cold. no matter what the situation is, his attentive love reminds you that you’re never alone. it’s the love that strengthens you, grounds you, and pushes you to believe in the beauty of life, no matter how unpredictable it may be.

sometimes you even wonder how on earth you managed to land such a generous, patient man like jay. the gratitude you hold in your heart for him is unmatched. it’s hard to even believe he’s real. but there he is. as real as can be. sometimes you cry because you’re afraid he wouldn’t love your imperfections - such as the way you manage your emotions under stress, or the moments when you doubt yourself.

but jay would assure you that no matter what, you are worth loving. and you are his vision of love too.

JAKE: YOURS.

“you brighten up the moon and stars at night. you keep me seeing rainbows in the sky. you bring new meaning to my life now. i believe in miracles. baby, i’m forever yours.”

“i keep thankin’ the lord above for blessing me with oh so much. ‘cause i know how it feels to be part of you boy. everyday my life’s so abundant with joy. and i honestly never thought love could be real until the angels guided you to me.”

jake is a living embodiment of the australian sunshine. because he HIMSELF is the australian sunshine! whenever he walks into any room, the whole place brightens up. his presence is the midas touch. he’s the rainbow to your rainy days. it’s the little things that make you fall for him even deeper. his hospitality towards other people, the way he treats animals and children, and his overall selfless nature.

jake’s love is bountiful. he knows how to make you feel cherished in ways you never thought possible. he remembers the subtle details - your favorite song, the way you order your coffee, the board games you enjoy, and the sparkle on your face whenever you see layla. he turns them into valuable moments of connection. with him, love isn’t just spoken in grand declarations, it’s the kind of love that speak louder than words ever could. ultimately, love is a verb. it is performed through daily actions.

with jake, the level of gratitude you possess has increased. he has a way of shifting your perspective, helping you notice and appreciate the little things that once went overlooked. you know…like the beauty of a sunrise, the tranquility of a quiet moment, or the comfort of simply being together. quality time is his love language. he is the living meaning of “quality time”. no matter how minuscule a moment may seem, he inspires you to see the beauty in those moments. his unwavering positivity and selflessness inspire you to find happiness in even the smallest of blessings.

jake’s positive attitude is contagious. it even influences you. he’s what it means to be a miracle. he’s a warm and nurturing lover to you. he’s the partner whom you’d be happy to share and embrace your life with.

in fact, he’s more than just your significant other. he’s your best friend and your partner-in-crime. he’s….yours.

SUNGHOON: I’LL BE LOVIN’ U LONG TIME

“there's no stopping you and me. i'll be loving you long time (as i can breathe). i'll be loving you long time (eternally).”

“don't care what no one has to say. they don't understand us like we do. i need you near me night and day. together, there ain't nothin' we can't do. scoop me up and we can go to that little spot where no one knows. spend a little time just us alone. you can caress my body and never let go.”

sunghoon is the kind of lover that just randomly appears in your life one day. he is someone who starts off as your friend first, and gradually becomes your lover. hoonie isn’t one to open up so easily. he’s guarded with whom he shares the fullness of his heart with because he’s someone who loves deeply. and he can’t bear the feeling of heartbreak. he craves a stable, healthy, wholesome relationship void of petty drama.

sunghoon is a loyal friend to you. he always supports your endeavors and is a shoulder to cry on during the rough times. he’s exactly everything a good friend should be - someone who listens without judgment. the type of friend who remembers subtle details like your comfort film or your favorite dish. he brings light to your life even during the darkest moments.

sunghoon eventually finds himself falling for you, his best friend. and it hurts him because he fears that you don’t love him back. when you noticed him behaving unusually and not interacting with him as much, he had no choice but to reluctantly confess his feelings for you. when he noticed the tears falling down your eyes and the smile that formed on your face, he was caught off guard from it.

finally, you admitted. someone who feels the same way about you the way you feel for them. the moment you gave him that initial hug, he too hugged you back. as your friendship evolves into courtship, you two are in it with each other for the long haul. that was the moment when both of you never looked back. you are each other’s allies and confidantes. you are each other’s lovers and friends.

you two love each other for life. your love for each other is unwavering and timeless. it’s the kind of love that feels both magnetic and enduring. sunghoon’s style of loving isn’t the kind that’s frequently communicated through histrionics commonly seen in films and literature. his loyalty for you is shown through his daily actions. ultimately, sunghoon knows that real love takes sincerity and discipline. he has a natural, effortless charm that that captivates you, not just in fleeting moments, but in ways that linger and stay with you long after.

he’s a reminder that true love is about consistency, depth, and a connection that withstands the tests of time.

[jadelotusflower]

And Kansas, she says, is the name of the star

So, Wicked. I actually saw it two weeks ago but have been letting my thoughts marinate a bit. As with anything currently dominating the cultural zeitgeist, the film has received both overwhelming praise and unmitigated hate - although the latter seems to be directed more towards its stars than the film itself, where the line between playful meme-ification and genuine unkindness has been crossed.

Like many, I've been a fan of the world of Oz since I was a child, not only the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, but the quasi-sequels Return to Oz (check out my rewatch/analysis here) and the animated Journey Back to Oz (yes, the one with Liza Minelli). I read The Wonderful Wizard of Oz at some point in my childhood (and have been making my way through the rest this year) but it was the films that really captured my imagination. Also a long time fan of musicals, I was first exposed to Wicked through the documentary Broadway: The American Musical, and was able to see the show in London in 2007 with Kerry Ellis and Helen Dallimore (+ Miriam Margolyes), and subsequently in Australia with Lucy Durack and Jemma Rix (interestingly, Glinda and Elphaba billing swapped for this production). I also read Gregory Maguire's novel shortly after first seeing the show, although have yet to read the sequels.

I very much enjoyed the film, even if for me it isn't really the definitive version, but simply another interpretation of a classic story, a different telling of the same fairy tale. Oz is particularly malleable in this way, the story very much of its time and yet also timeless. As Gregory points out in his preamble of the Wicked musical program: "Tolkein's Middle-Earth reinvigorated readers' interest in older narrative conceits of the hero in battle just as Europe was tumbling towards its mid-century paroxysms of genocide and war. Lewis Carroll, three quarters of a century earlier, had gently mocked Victorian certainties and niceties by portraying Wonderland as an anarchic dreamscape...While Oz was being invented and charted by Baum at the turn of the twentieth century, the American experiment in democracy was coming to resemble, in ways both bad and good, a great and powerful empire."

Maguire wrote his own revisionist tale in 1990, at the end of the Cold War and the beginning of the Gulf War, the musical adaptation premiered on Broadway just after the invasion of Iraq, and now the film is released in times that are no less turbulent, and in which the threat of fascism and the power of propaganda are more acute than ever. It's a story that was resonant in 1900, and is resonant now - albeit in different ways and through different perspectives.

It's all a parable - whether it be Baum's fairyland of childhood adventure, MGM's loving devotional to "the young at heart", Disney's dark fantasy of a splintered mind (and later, their own take on the villain/anti-hero origin story), Maguire's exploration on the nature of evil, the musical's bittersweet ode to the power of friendship, and the film's empowering of the other - a folk tale, a dream, a prophecy, a cautionary tale, a tick of the Time Dragon Clock.

But my thoughts! Here they are. Needless to say, spoilers for the film, stage musical, and all other Oz-related media.

Oz has always been a story that centered its heroines - in the books the arrival of the Wizard disrupts the natural order of the world by usurping Ozma, his power an illusion compared that of the women who surround him - good in Glinda the witch of the South and the unnamed witch of the North, and the wicked in the witches of the East and West. The Wizard and his successor the Scarecrow must both be deposed - the former by Dorothy (albeit unintentionally), and the latter by Jinjur and her girl army, until finally harmony is restored when Ozma returns to her throne.

Wicked of course plays with this notion, where good and evil are not so linear, where Elphaba (in the musical) is the only witch with actual magic - other than Madame Morrible, the true power behind the Wizard’s throne. It's not so simple as restoring a queen to the throne to benevolently reside over a utopia - Elphaba's activism either ends with her death (in the novel) or her escape from Oz (in the musical), Glinda replaces the Wizard as figurehead with the Grimmerie she doesn't know how to read, and the intention to deploy her other skills and popularity this time "for good" - whether she succeeds is unknowable. But I'm getting ahead of myself, because the film is only Part I, aka Act I of the stage musical.

On that point, it was absolutely the right decision to split into two films, even if Part I is almost double the runtime of Act I and seems to add very little (although I enjoyed what it did add). It’s Part II that will benefit from breathing room to pack in a lot of plot (and hopefully flesh out some of the holes). Although from the audible groans in my theatre when the “to be continued” title came up the marketing did its job hiding the split.

But back to my point, it's so gratifying to see not only a big-budget musical that's unashamed and unapologetic to actually be a musical, but one that so unequivocally is a story about women, not only their own struggles, but embracing their own power and exercising their own agency. Elphaba's faith in the Wizard as the cure for all her problems, both internal and external, is viciously shattered and she must take responsibility for her own destiny, Glinda as the epitome of privilege must learn to look beyond the superficial of both herself and others.

It's almost reflective of the classic golden age musicals that were often driven by women and their stories - Maria in The Sound of Music, Eliza in My Fair Lady, Anna in The King and I, Dolly Levi in Hello Dolly!, Fanny in Funny Girl, Mama Rose in Gypsy, and of course the (literal) mother of them all, Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. And I think Wicked in some ways does hearken back to that classic style of movie musical in the setpieces and choreography, though not as much as I would like (more on that later). I don't think its a coincidence that Wicked's audience is skewed 70% female and it's been enormously successful, and much like last year's Barbie, has shown that women will show up an support a film about women when the story and characters are captivating rather than just lazy girlboss faux-empowerment sludge.

The casting is across the board good - I admit I had my reservations about Ariana Grande and while I don’t think she quite hits the rich vocal heights of Chenoweth, she certainly sells the comedy moments, even if there is more calculation and less ditz to her Galinda - there’s very little Billie Burke in her. Which is not a criticism, it's a valid take and her reverence for the musical is clear so of course that's her guiding light, while also making the role her own.

But the emotional core of Part I is Cynthia Ervio’s Elphaba, her isolation and otherness powerful astride her vulnerability and immense inner strength. I’ve always felt in the musical Glinda is the meatier role just because she has a more dramatic character arc, but splitting the film into two has really allowed the first part to centre Elphaba, and Ervio brings the emotional moments - her faith in the Wizard and subsequent loss of it in particular, as well as her humiliation at the Ozdust Ballroom which is just heart-shattering and so relatable. Ervio brings a fragility to the role where on stage there was hostility, and I actually think she is my favourite interpretation.

Michelle Yeoh brings steely manipulation to Madame Morrible, it was a good change to siphon off the comedic elements to new character Miss Coddle (heh) and lean into Yeoh’s natural gravitas. Yes, she talks on pitch rather than sings but who cares. There’s a menace to this Morrible, and yet we see her manipulation of Elphaba so very deftly (setting up Elphaba to need to prove her powers to the Wizard by reading the Grimmerie for example). I'll watch Yeoh in anything, although I do wish we'd seen her actually deliver "this wicked witch" line rather than Elphaba both times.

Jonathan Bailey is appropriately handsome and charming as Fiyero, with enough fluidity of movement to foreshadow his transformation into the Scarecrow (although not to the extent of my favourite Fiyero Adam Garcia, whose limbs were practically liquid).

Jeff Goldblum is doing Jeff Goldblum things, although leans into the sinister - the Wizard is genuinely wicked and fascistic in this version even moreso than the musical. It is kind of amusing that there is absolutely no hiding his distinctive voice in No One Mourns the Wicked so it's blatantly obvious he's Elphaba's father even for those who haven't seen the musical. I do wonder if they are going to make him well aware rather than being told by Glinda at the end - the way he plays A Sentimental Man it's certainly possible.

On that point, the screenplay is actually very faithful to the musical's book, which makes sense since Winnie Holtzman wrote the former and contributed to the latter. There’s some great changes that tweak and tighten the narrative - the relationship between Nessarose and Boq is given greater foundation, as is Elphaba’s connection with Dr Dillamond and her meet-cute with Fiyero. Making Glinda's minions Bowen Yang (Pfannee) and Brownwyn James (Shenshen) comic relief was also a great addition - "Elphaba, love you and your shoulderpads" made me cackle and I kind of wish there was more of them.

However I do feel there were some opportunities missed - I had thought with Act I being it’s own film we may get a bit more meat to Elphie and Glinda after they become friends - we do see that they form a group with Fiyero, Boq, and Nessa but more would have been nice (there were evidently scenes filmed we may see in flashback in Part II). I did appreciate the setup of the Wizard and his diorama (a nice way to visualise Oz) but could have done without Glinda naming the Yellow Brick Road. Not everything needs a reference!

I wish there were some references to Ozma, but it makes sense that the Wizard’s propaganda would erase her from history in favour of the “wise ones” (perfect cameos for Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth). It's interesting that, like in Oz the Great and Powerful, they invoke a prophesy the Wizard co-opts - this really is a mashup of all the Oz lore than came before it.

It also seems they cut "I got what I wanted" from the Ozdust scene (unless I missed it?) which is one of my favourite Glinda moments, so that was a shame.

I did find John M. Chu’s direction oft-times too frenetic. While this is effective and dynamic in numbers such as What is this Feeling? cross-cutting between Elphaba and Galinda and their early rivalry across various school activities, in many others I was desperate for the camera to slow down (or stop!) already and let me see what was on screen. There were so many beautiful things to see! But I missed half of them because the dolly was seemingly fixed to a rollercoaster. The set piece in the library and rotating bookshelves for Dancing Through Life was fantastic, but most of the choreography is muddled by frenzied camera motion, as is the cacophony of the Emerald City. Coming back to classic musicals, I wish he'd taken more a lead from them in locking a wide shot and letting us see the dancing.

Perhaps this is just my sensibility, but although a movie musical must justify its existence and rise above simply becoming a filmed version of the stage performance, there’s power in keeping the camera still and letting the performance speak for itself. In The Wizard and I Elphaba speeds through Shiz passing lakes and hallways and people - now there’s coloured glass! now there’s a cave! now she’s running through a field! now she’s looking over the Deadly Impassable Desert! (a change I'm assuming was made to allow Elphaba and Fiyero to leave Oz through it at the end of Part II). Even I’m not that Girl has luminescent flowers blooming in the background as Elphaba wanders yet again, this time in the dark. It’s almost as if Chu doesn’t trust the audience not to be bored unless there are Things to look at every moment.

I also think it was a mistake to set so many scenes at night rather than leaving that for the narrative turn with the Wizard. The Ozdust Ballroom re-imagined as undeneath the lake at Shiz is inspired, but ultimately is gloomy and dull because of the way it's lit (or rather, not lit). The sets however, particularly Shiz, are genuinely beautiful so I give Chu a great deal of credit for not going full cgi.

There’s also been a lot of criticism of the colour grading and I don’t disagree with it, “muddy” effects and muted palette seems par for the course these days and the camera movement was much more distracting for me. I can appreciate that Chu wanted this to be a less colourful Oz to contrast to '39 visually as well as thematically, but I still would have preferred a bit more vibrancy, especially in Shiz and the Emerald City.

I also didn’t care for Defying Gravity to be so broken up - it’s like that on stage, but still feels like it’s all building to towards that incredible climax. But the film inexplicably breaks up the final verse which absolutely halts the momentum, rather than the build of So if you care the find me/Look to the western sky to And nobody in all of Oz/No wizard that there is or was, we get an interlude of the Unlimited motif which prevents the final lines from soaring as they should. I get what they were going for, but it seems that Elphaba delivers the lines about the West, then flies out and sees it, and comes back to deliver her denouncement when it should have been the other way around. For all the papering over of possible holes in the musical’s book, it’s odd that there wasn’t some foundation to Elphaba’s reason for choosing to go West. For example, if that’s where the Animals said they were going, or if she and Fiyero had discussed his homeland.

However these are minor quibbles! I enjoyed the film enormously, and is a worthy contributor to the Oz canon.

On that point, I've been interested to see fandom discussions around the film, and have noticed that quite a few viewers now see Wicked as "the true story" to the Wizard of Oz's "propaganda". While it's certainly a valid interpretation, if the goal is to interrogate narratives, who is telling the story, and why, to replace one version wholesale with another and declare it "the truth” seems simplistic. This is storytelling, it is both truth in its purest form and propaganda, as all art is on some level. There is not, and cannot be, a "true" version of the story - just different perspectives, and different retellings.

It’s easy to forget that while 1939 has defined so many iconic aspects of the story (ruby slippers, green skin), it was made after forty years of books and staged productions exploring the world of Oz - which the '39 film acknowledges in its opening text. This has always been a story that has grown and changed, been added to and subtracted from, each version taking what they want and discarding the rest, building upon what came before.

And perhaps this is an unpopular opinion - but Wicked (be it book, musical, or film) does not work as a strict prequel to either Baum's novels or the 1939 film - Elphaba is clearly not the Wicked Witch we see in ‘39 (there’s no way this Elphaba would ever try to straight up murder a child to get her hands on shoes), similarly Fiyero and Boq becoming the Scarecrow and Tin Man respectively is fine as a throwaway on stage but just doesn’t line up with the film characters. It's a different version of the same fairy tale - much like Barrie's Peter Pan is different to Disney's, which is different to Hook, which is different to Once Upon a Time etc etc.

If Dorothy’s Oz in is a dream where she needed to find the strength within herself, Maguire’s Oz is gritty nightmare where fate is inescapable. Wicked the musical finds balance between the two, although I am interested to see how they incorporate Dorothy in Part II, as she is very much a bridge between all adaptations as her character changes very little between them (I've yet to see Dorothy as the villain, and honestly hope I never do).

Baum’s vision was an American folk tale, the ‘39 film framing of “it was all a dream”, the stage musical takes place inside the Time Dragon Clock, a mechanical propaganda machine inside which book!Elphaba is literally born. Even this film opens with the haunting voiceover of Glinda’s announcement of witch’s death, purporting to tell the "true story" but even that can only be from her own perspective, coloured by her own guilt. Maguire’s novel bills itself as the “Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West” - it’s the telling of a story, the employing of a literary device.

I love thematic mirror, and the Oz of Wicked is in many ways a mirror-verse of the Oz of Baum/MGM - flipping the narrative to re-examine good and evil, to see familiar characters from the other side of the glass. Mrs Gultch takes Toto away on her bicycle to be destroyed, Elphaba take the Lion away on her bicycle to save him from captivity. Ruby slippers return to being silver shoes, the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion are not just happenstance companions of Dorothy but the result of Elphaba's magic - even Elphaba's "i want" song in The Wizard and I can be mirrored to Dorothy's Somewhere Over the Rainbow, their respective unmasking of the Wizard as a fraud can be contrasted, and in the end the Wizard abandons Dorothy, but pursues Elphaba.

Glinda is perhaps one of the most fascinating mirrors from previous works - where she is the ultimate deus ex machina, stepping in at just the right time to save the day. But she is removed from the action, the hand of god, arguably the most powerful being in all of Oz. Wicked seems to both tear down this goddess figure and feed into it - in Part I Glinda wants to be seen as benevolent and perfect and kind when she starts as anything but, and ultimately Glinda the Good is a persona she adopts, like the Wizard she has no real power herself, only the power of myth-making.

Each of the character arcs in Wicked revolves around the stories they tell themselves/others juxtaposed against who they really are. This is a further mirror to the archetypes in Oz - the good witch, the bad witch, the powerful wizard. Elphaba's wickedness is confected, her otherness amplified to make an enemy of the people, but even before this she was using her exclusion as a shield, as Glinda observes, she cares deeply what others think of her, she just pretends she doesn't - and by the end of the film she throws off those shackles, willing to be cast as a wicked witch rather than betray her cause. Fiyero pretends to be "deeply shallow" while Elphaba sees through to his unhappiness, Morrible presents herself as wise mentor but is revealed as cruel puppetmaster, etc etc.

However, even Baum plays with this notion of artifice - the Emerald City is not in fact made out of emeralds, instead visitors don green-tinted glasses on entry, even his Wizard proclaims himself “a good man, just a very bad wizard” but the narrative condemns him as the man behind the curtain - although the subsequent books can never really quite decide if he a lovable rogue with pockets of enchanted piglets, or is he a sly trickster who deposed Ozma. Ultimately, he is both. He is a man from our world transplanted into a fantasy world, and cannot help but corrupt it.

I really have so much more to say! I love Oz in all its various incarnations but have probably rambled long enough.

[synergysilhouette]

10 more Disney hot takes/unpopular opinions (Part 4)

"I See the Light" is my least favorite Disney duet--I don't know why, but it isn't emotional or impactful to me like other duets. Perhaps it was due to not being emotionally invested in Flynn like I was supposed to be at this point, and his and Rapunzel's different personalities making them feel almost like father and daughter rather than love interests.

2. Anna's "Frozen 2" look is very boring--It's wildly disappointing that they opted not to give her her double braids because they seemed too childish. This is only three years after the first film, and while I love seeing her hair down, I would've enjoyed her having her two braids as well when traveling. And don't get me started on her main outfit; the black look being chosen to show maturity/seriousness could've easily been a darker green or magenta to keep with her main look rather than going with black, especially since Kristoff's look is black (and also boring; it's just recoloring his look from part 1).

3. The post-renaissance era is very disappointing--No seriously. I'd save "Fantasia 2000" and maybe "The Emperor's new Groove" and everything else can be erased.

4. "Zootopia" is the best Disney movie of the 21st century so far--Given that I tend to appreciate Disney's musical films more and don't usually care for animal-centric films, this surprised me just as much as anyone else. However, the message, while not 100% transferible to human racism, was so impactful and emotional to me. I can only hope the sequel does it justice.

5. Yokai is the best "modern" Disney villain of the revival era--To clarify, by "modern" I mean that he isn't written like classic Disney villains as only having "evil" as their only setting; his villainy has a meaning to it, serving as a cautionary tale to what the hero could become. TBH, I think it was better done than the "Know Who You Are" message with Moana and Te Fiti (see my other hot take post). Granted, I do think some of his sympathy was removed when he tried to kill his students, but the message and overall theme itself is very good to me.

6. "Encanto" was good, but not great--Don't get me wrong, I loved most of the songs, and the animation was phenomenal as well as the message, but the film felt like it was overstuffed. With twelve family members, it was inevitable, but trying to give lessons with Luisa and Isabela along with giving Dolores a romantic arc felt underwhelming since they weren't major characters with Mirabel, who's main thing was feeling left out and isolated. If they wanted to incorporate other arcs, they'd have to be more included in the narrative, and you can still have Mirabel feel isolated; you can be around others and still feel like they don't get you or listen to you.

7. Ariel's sisters should've had more relevance than just being plot-accurate--I never really thought about this until the live-action remake, but yeah. Ariel's six older sisters don't do anything and don't exist except for the fact that the source material said she was the youngest of several sisters (thus where we get the title from; I think the fairy tale only gave her five, though). While this is more of a modern Disney idea, I would've liked it if Ariel AND her sisters became human, and each of them grow closer to Ariel upon seeing why she likes the human world so much, and further highlight the anguish Triton feels at driving all his daughters away. That said, due to the amount of characters in the film, perhaps condense the six sisters into one to three of them, and they could still have their hair cut as their payment to Ursula. In fact, perhaps because of this trade, their time on land is shorter than Ariel's (but they don't belong to Ursula until the third day is up), allowing them to get King Triton and disrupt the wedding at the last minute.

8. The Disney prince line should be more relevant--It baffles me greatly that this hit the backburner in contrast to the princesses. The unnamed prince Charmings could be given names and more fleshed out personalities, and their books/stories could be promoted just as much as the Disney princesses. There is other merchandise to be used besides dolls (even if that is the money maker).

9. Disney needs to consider PG-13 animated films--Animation in the western world seems to be synonymous with family/young audiences, 3/4 times, while Japan has shown that animation has huge potential in the young adult market. I desperately hope that "The Boy and the Heron" being so acclaimed inspires Disney to be more PG-13--not just for the rating, but because the story benefits more from the mature content. Note: this is more for violence/scary imagery than innuendo or profanity.

10. Disney should be more sparing when they hire celebrities for films expected to start a franchise--This is a personal opinion of mine, but while I don't think celebrities should be excluded from major motion animated films, I do think companies, particularly Disney, should use them carefully. These are for two reasons: if you hire a well-known voice actor, the character's voice may not sound as unique for a major property since the voice is somewhat ubiqitous thanks to the actor's work. Secondly, hiring a celebrity actor known for live-action productions, it may be hard to meet their schedule or salary desires when you want them to return for a short, sequel, and/or tv show. Not saying it happens every time, but I do have concerns about that, especially when I thought "Wish" was going to be something spectacular and show up more in Disney's merchandise.

[frie-ice]

This Disney Twisted Wonderland collage is par of a series that showcase the parallel comparisons between the original TWST characters with the classic Disney villain characters (or trademark items) that they are based on upon and inspired from. In which has those Twisted Wonderland characters be seen as the TWST counterparts of those Disney characters. I got the idea for this series after seeing Tumblr posts of the TWST Housewardens and Vice-Housewardens being featured beside the original Disney characters that they represent, and I didn't want to limit myself to the Dorm Heads and overblot victims, but also for the other TWST characters. That's why I didn't leave out Lillia Vanrouge, Sebek Zigvolt and Silver (like I did with Jack Howl and Ortho Shroud). Although it has been clear that Malleus Draconia and the Diasomnia dorm are modelled after Maleficent, who the other three are based upon is a bit of a mystery.

From what I read on Google, they say that Lilia's bat motif is a reference to dragon!Maleficent, Sebek is of Maleficent's thorn and lightning magic and Silver's tiredness is a hit to the spindle of the Spinning Wheel that put Sleeping Beauty to sleep. Spoilers from chapter 7, however, has me question these claims and I don't really trust the source that this information came from. In case I turn out to be wrong and there might be some truth to this, I featured the three in the same collage to be safe. It is also why I dubbed the collage as "Magic of Diasomnia."

If you want my opinion, I believe that Lilia might have been inspired from one of Maleficent's goons, the same with Sebek. The reason for this thought is due to face of the goblin-like goon being part of Lilia's Pop Music club wear and Lilia was a knight who served the royal Draconia family. The same with Sebek's grandfather, and there is Maleficent goon that has a crocodile-like face. Sebek is also the name of an Egyptian god with a crocodile face, unless it is only Grandpa Zigvolt alone who is based on that Sleeping Beauty character.

Another group is saying that Lilia's character could be a reference to the bat style of Maleficent's throne, or that part of his character is drawn from the Three Good Fairies. Since Silver has some Aurora-like traits, not only does be nod off and animals are drawn to him, but it is mentioned that Lilia raised him a prince. If you take a look at the later parts of chapter 7, you'll see that the story of how Lilia came to be Silver's father paradelles with the 2014 Maleficent film. There was also a reference to the Three Good Fairies in a chat between Silver and Lilia about Lilia's cooking, from how he placed candles on a cake when it was still being made and put eggs in the bowl without taking the eggs out of their shells. Along with Lilia's groovy Platinum Jacket card having him looking at a portrait of the three fairies in question.

If you don't think any of these are the case, please share your thoughts and keep them kind. I'm still new to the TWST fandom, and still learning about it.

[quitealotofsodapop]

In the Wukongverse, who are the bigger Disney fans??

(asking since I've been on a metal Disney kick)

Smokey would rock Poor Unfortunate Souls by Jonathan Young but would get so into it he needs his Macaque cuddles afterwards to right his head (self demon issues, he is a hero but he also tricked people in the past and is on his journey to change and be good)

While Cherry on the other hand would hands down have fun singing Peyton Parrish's version of I'll make a man out of you since he just started his journey and his pilgrim brothers could use the advice.

The LMK Wukongs love themselves some animation goodness! Mostly to chill after a rough day. Wrap up in a blanket, stick on a film he's seen a million times, Eat some peach chips; he's a happy monkey.

LMK Macaques get distracted by the animation!! Cus? "Peaches look! They're using layered paintings to simulate movement!!" Their faves are Fantasia ( Original and 2000) naturally cus of the high animation quality set to classical music. Dawn/Peach walk in one day and find their Dusk/Plum on the ground crying while watching the cut Dali "Destino" segment.

MK's fave is "Treasure Planet". Try not to ask why or he will change the subject and switch on "Princess and the Frog".

Dasheng doesn't really care, but he watches them anyway cus Liuer and the rest of the kids really like them. He's embarassed to admit that he can sing every line of "Beauty and the Beast" perfectly. Also good date night movies - Zhanshi's fave are the fairytale romances. <3

Smokey don't care about the cartoons, but he does get down to the villain songs. Blasting "Poor Unfortunate Souls" and "Hellfire" so hard that his LEM has to step in to calm him down. Liang is more interested in the technical side of the works, but he just beams with joy whenever the babies chirp/bark excitedly at that opening logo. Shared fave is "The Little Mermaid" naturally (though Sandy argues that it's not an accurate depiction of sea fish demons).

Ace and Joker pretend that they don't care, but you know these goobers take the kids and grandkids to Disneyland whenever they have the excuse. Lots of the classics (since they just got made in their universe) and shared infodumping. Ace will send the other SWK's classic Donald Ducks and Goofy cartoons in the group chat without context.

Cherry and Olive are equally super excited cus "Moving paintings!! Heck yeah!". Cherry's faves are the og animated "Mulan" and "Lilo and Stitch" without question. The latter caught him by surprise cus it made him remember who he's always felt like "a weird little alien" on earth, and Lilo and Nani remind him of Lin. ;_; Olive is just delighted to watch anything Cherry is super-hyped about, and they both hoot happily at the tv together.

Shihou and Mihou are kids and they love cartoons no question. Shihou likes the Milt Kahl-era ones like "Sword in the Stone" and "The Jungle Book" cus he vibes with the themes of growing up, but he finds the romantic ones boring. Mihou in contrast secretly adores the classic "princess" movies like "Sleeping Beauty" and "Cinderella" cus of the sweet stories and music. Shihou will watch Mihou's "boring" films with him without complaint cus he knows how much his opal love them.

Sugar likes the "roadtrip" movies the most; "Atlantis", "Treasure Planet" etc. He's still technically on his Journey, and he loves hearing/seeing tales of others. Spice is pretty shy to voice his opinions but... he likes "Pinocchio" the best - the concept of being created and having to adapt to the world mostly-made tickles his brain in a good way.

Starfruit don't care. Why should he? He knows the real guys! He sees Peter Pan on the regular in the Library! Lilac is the complete opposite, they hold streaming parties with associated Legends to watch their "adaptations" and critique them based on accuracy vs execution. Starfruit joins in, only because he, Goldie, and Peter get to read the movies to filth in the group chat XD

Two movies that hold a place in all their hearts are:

Hercules: Themes of obtaining godhood, heroism, an unclear purpose, goth gf, and weird horses.

Moana: Island life, wanting to explore farther, doing what you can for your people, the inherit tragedy of demi-gods, the whole Te Kā situation...

[heart-swirls]

This is a 18+ only blog, that contains both sfw and nsfw posts.

About me below! ✿

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Hi and Welcome! 🙋‍♀️

✿ I'm a 31 year old little, brat and ropebunny.

✿ Dd/lg is my preferred dynamic in a romantic relationship.

✿ Favourite kinks: physical dominance - cnc, choking, slapping, being pinned down etc, size difference, tickling, praise & infantilization, control/surveillance - as part of Infantilization, restraints & bondage - shibari, cuffs, tape, chains.

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All kinds of pop music ♡ Anime - comedy, romance, slice of life ♡ K-dramas - romance/comedy ♡ Watch films - drama, psychological thrillers & dark comedy ♡ Disney & Dreamworks ♡ Read books - children's classics, graphical novels & non-fiction ♡ Cats Cats Cats ♡ Mixed media art - drawing, coloring, painting & collage ♡ Go for walks ♡ Discover new music ♡ Learn about thing - browsing and falling down the rabbit hole ♡ Disney princesses ♡ Cute aesthetics ♡ Coffee in the morning ♡ Vegan - i don't want to hurt anything ♡ Candy - chocolate, liquor chocolate & licorice. ♡ Games: Disney dreamlight valley, Palia etc, puzzles & dress-up app/browser games ♡ Wonder & philosophize - ask questions ♡ Engaging conversations with flow & depth ♡ INFP - Introvert ♡

[eretzyisrael]

by Shiryn Ghermezian

Academy Award-winning Jewish American songwriter Richard M. Sherman, one of the creative geniuses behind some of Walt Disney’s most iconic and timeless songs, died on Saturday at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills “due to age-related illness,” the Walt Disney Company announced. He was 95 years old.

The Walt Disney Company described Sherman as “one of the most prolific composer-lyricists in the history of family entertainment, and a key member of Walt Disney’s inner circle of creative talents.” The company added that it will announce at a later date its plans for celebrating Sherman’s life.

“Richard Sherman was the embodiment of what it means to be a Disney Legend, creating along with his brother Robert the beloved classics that have become a cherished part of the soundtrack of our lives,” said Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company. “From films like Mary Poppins and The Jungle Book to attractions like ‘It’s a Small World,’ the music of the Sherman Brothers has captured the hearts of generations of audiences. We are forever grateful for the mark Richard left on the world, and we extend our deepest condolences to his family.”

Sherman and his late brother, Robert B. Sherman, made up the songwriting team known as the Sherman Brothers. Together they wrote music for the 1964 film Mary Poppins, including “Chim Chim Cher-ee,” “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” “A Spoonful of Sugar,” and the lullaby “Feed the Birds.” The brothers won the Oscars for Best Score – Substantially Original and Best Original Song for “Chim Chim Cher-ee.” “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” made it on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1965 and “Feed the Birds” was one of Walt Disney’s favorite songs.

“You don’t get songs like ‘A Spoonful of Sugar’ without a genuine love of life, which Richard passed on to everyone lucky enough to be around him,” said Pete Docter, chief creative officer of Pixar Animation Studios. “Even in his 90s he had more energy and enthusiasm than anyone, and I always left renewed by Richard’s infectious joy for life.”

Born on June 12, 1928, in New York City, Richard’s family relocated to Beverly Hills in 1937. He attended Beverly Hills High School and later studied music at Bard College. He was drafted into the United States Army and served as conductor for the Army band and glee club from 1953 to 1955.

Walt Disney hired the Sherman brothers as staff songwriters for The Walt Disney Studios after the success of their song “Tall Paul,” which sold more than 700,000 singles. The brothers together ultimately wrote more than 200 songs for some 27 Disney films and 24 television productions. Their credit included The Horsemasters (1961), The Absent-Minded Professor (1961), The Parent Trap (1961), Summer Magic (1963), The Sword in the Stone (1963), That Darn Cat! (1965), Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (1966), The Jungle Book (1967), The Happiest Millionaire (1967), The Aristocats (1970), Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), and The Tigger Movie (1998). Richard later wrote new lyrics for the live-action The Jungle Book in 2016 and two years after appeared in the film Christopher Robin, for which he also composed three new songs.

The Sherman brothers also wrote music for Disney theme park attractions around the world, including “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow,” “The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room,” and “It’s a Small World.” In the early 1980s, they wrote songs for EPCOT and Tokyo Disneyland, including “One Little Spark” and “Meet the World.”

The Sherman brothers left The Walt Disney Studios in the early 1970s and went on to write music, songs, and screenplays for films such as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), Snoopy Come Home (1972), Charlotte’s Web (1973), The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1973), Huckleberry Finn (1974), and The Slipper and the Rose (1976).

In 1972, the duo became the only Americans to ever win 1st Prize at the Moscow Film Festival for their film musical The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, for which they wrote the script and music. The brothers were inducted as Disney Legends in 1990 and into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005. Three years later, the brothers were awarded the National Medal of the Arts.

In 2010, Richard and award-winning composer John Debney collaborated on the song “Make Way for Tomorrow Today” for Marvel Studios’ Iron Man 2.

Over the course of his 65-year career, Richard received nine Academy Award nominations, won three Grammys, and received 24 gold and platinum albums. Richard’s father, Al Sherman, was also a songwriter.