#listen netflix needs to renew and there needs to be a musical episode
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Someone on Twitter found a video of George singing......!!!!! (And Jayden!)
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#dead boy detectives#george rextrew#jayden revri#listen netflix needs to renew and there needs to be a musical episode#a must
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shows that were cancelled
(but were pretty good and should've gotten more seasons)
the society (2019)
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synopsis:
a group of teenagers go on a school trip, but are forced to return to their town because of a storm; only to realize that everyone on the town has vanished. the series shows them trying to understand what happened and finding ways to survive on their own.
genre: mystery, teen drama
starring: kathryn newton, gideon adlon, sean berdy, natasha liu bordizzo, jacques colimon, olivia dejonge, alex fitzalan, kristine froseth
platform: netflix
thoughts:
i was so surprised when this show got cancelled. it didn't really have the biggest audience but a little before it got cancelled (if i'm not wrong), its popularity grew. and before it got cancelled, it was already renewed for a s2 but because of covid affecting production (idk how), they had to cancel, and of course i was very pissed bc it's a really good show. it was interesting because you legitimately had no idea why they disappear, you can only assume.
fate: the winx saga (2021-2022)
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synopsis:
after causing a fire in her family home, bloom peters is invited to attend alfea college for fairies to work on her skills and learn how to control her magic.
genre: teen drama, supernatural, fantasy
starring: abbey cowen, hannah van der westhuysen, precious mustapha, eliot salt, elisha applebaum, danny griffin, sadie soverall
platform: netflix
thoughts:
i love this show so much, i am still very upset that they cancelled it. i understand that at first it got a lot of backlash because they replaced flora with terra and musa was white instead of asian. and people hated the fashion as well. i get all of that. but i also feel like the writers really learned to listen to people more as the show went on because s2 was such a big difference compared to the first one, and that's why the audience grew because the fashion was better, the plot was better, all around it was much better. so i was really looking forward to see how the writers would make the show better than it was, and it surprised me when it got cancelled bc it was pretty popular and it had a lot of potential. i miss the cast so much, and i really wish we could've seen more of them.
grease: rise of the pink ladies (2023)
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synopsis:
it's four years before the events of grease and follows the lives of the founding members of the pink ladies. they are four outcasts who decide that they don't want to live up to the expectations of everyone else.
genre: musical, romantic drama
starring: marisa davila, cheyenne isabel wells, ari notartomaso, tricia fukuhara, shanel bailey
platform: paramount+ (they removed it, so you'd have to look for it on the web)
thoughts:
i fear paramount is not seeing the pearly gates for cancelling this show. it was absolute amazing, the chemistry between the main girls and the t birds. the cliffhanger, the music, the plot, the inclusion, it was all wonderful. what pisses me off the most about this cancellation is that they did it a few weeks after the last episode aired, like literally not even a month after. and it sucks because it's been shown time and time again that some shows need time to grow in order to reach more people. an example of this is on my block. barely anyone watched on my block s1, but by the time on my block s2 was released more people were watching, and the same thing happened with each season. same thing happened with fate: the winx saga. so i don't really understand why they didn't give it a chance. plus a lot of these actors are young and this was one of their first acting experiences on tv and they did absolutely amazing. i totally recommend it if you're into musicals.
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I thought we all agreed years ago that trying to stamp down piracy is a losing game. Like, Netflix pretty successfully demonstrated for years that making media inexpensive and convenient to access can make bank (at least until they fucked it up with metric driven bullshit and every other media company decided they needed their own streaming service). Or how much we (rightfully) hated EA, Activision, Sony, and others for all the bullshit DRM that got packed in with their games, music, and movies.
One of the podcast networks (Duckfeed TV) I listen to has some good commentary on people who insist on games being played in a particular way. It's a decent rebuttal to the "You cheated not only the game, but yourself" crowd. They point out that the people who believe that are starting from a flawed assumption - that the options are "play the game with cheats/accessibility features" or "play the game correctly the way I played it". In reality, the options are "play the game with cheats/accessibility features" or "don't play the game at all".
People who lose their mind about piracy/the internet archive/libraries/DRM/etc... don't realize that the options aren't "pirate my media" or "pay for my media", but instead "pirate my media" or "don't engage at all".
The people who are going to pirate your work are not going to suddenly give you $5/month because you made it harder to get free copies of your work; they're either going to double down and pirate harder or they're going to move on to other creators. And in the process, you've probably just made things harder for your paying customers - the people who you should care about most.
I'm going to finish with two examples of creators who I think have a pretty reasonable perspective about their work.
The first is the aforementioned Duckfeed TV podcast network. They offer a few tiers on their patreon that give you access to bonus shows and premium episodes of their flagship podcasts. They have explicitly said multiple times on their shows that it is perfectly okay for you to sign up, pay your $5, download as much of their back catalog of paid content as you can, and then cancel your subscription before it renews. They have explicitly priced this into the way they do things. And this works for them - they can not only afford for this to be a full-time job for the two main hosts, but they even just hired a producer for part-time work.
The second is a pornographic artist by the handle of NotZackforWork. They create comics, pin-ups, and other adult art, posting them initially on patreon for a limited period of time. Once the exclusivity period is over (a few days to a month depending on the specific piece), they not only post them for free on twitter, but also on some of the NSFW gallery sites. They only insist on keeping things locked down for a very short period of time. This again seems like a rather reasonable strategy to me, since it acknowledges that the people who aren't going to pay never were and allows them to grow their audience over time.
I understand that reasonable people can disagree on this and that I'm going at this primarily from the customer/audience point of view, but it is a losing game to constantly try to lock down your content. Be reasonable with your expectations and know that any audience worth courting will meet you half way.
people in hiveworks gave out similarly grimey advice about making or contributing to wikis/tvtropes about your own comic and not only is feigning mass interest in your comic underhanded and sad, but those fan spaces arent places for you to advertise yourself. those are for people who demonstrate sincere enough interest in what they like to join together to keep track of it. what kind of asshole bumbles in and pulls the rug out from under that by turning it into something for themselves :/
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oh heyyy omgg director's cut on Falling for you (sorry I'm so late in sending this!🥺)
Lol I was late responding to the previous ask so honestly no need to apologise.
The first concept for Falling For You sparked during the Klaroline AU season in March this year? I think? Around the same time I wrote the first chapter of Divided We Fall. They were planned out together, but I didn't post FFY until later in the year when I had two chapters written. The reason I waited to post, which is something I rarely do, is because the chapters had turned out shorter than what I normally write (around 3k instead 8k+) and wanted to give @certifiedceraunophile more to chew on. This fic was first and foremost written as a gift for her, because of how much an amazing person she is. I was immensely grateful for her support at the time, new to the fandom and with few people who I knew, so repaid her the only way I knew how.
(with lots of feels and pain lmao)
The first visuals that came into my head was a snippet of dialogue, which hasn't been written into the fic yet, but was used as the fic summary. Klaus asking "Did you miss me?" while the walls are covered in blood, dead bodies at his feet, and a very peeved Angel of Death!Caroline debating the pros and cons of hauling his ass back to hell.
As the rest of the fic formed, I'm honoured to say I feel the most proud of this fic. I never rushed or forced the writing for it, only working on it when the mood struck, and although its unproductive to do that all the time it worked well for FFY, creating what I like to think is my best work. It's not like TBBW, which has a bunch of OCs and separate character arcs - this fic is solely focused on the Klaroline and I loved the change of that. I also deliberately scattered canon references everywhere, making parallels to the progression of Klaus and Caroline's relationship in canon and in the fic, bringing something both new and familiar to the chapters.
I listened very attentively to srishti's favourite tropes and prompts, and have great confidence that I know how to break her now 😂🤣 You can see it in how I write Klaus and Caroline interact, in the intimate gestures like holding each others hands and Klaus kissing her on the cheek (I swear I’m squeezing in a nose kiss at some point just for you, srishti). Klaus is also totally whipped for Caroline in this fic, and in a unique spin, it’s actually Caroline who is the most powerful one out of the two instead. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t equals - Klaus is powerful and deadly in his own right, something you will start to see from chapter 4 onwards as he rises through Hell’s ranks.
Another thing I should mention, is this fic is heavily inspired by the Lucifer TV Series which I absolutely ADORE. Like I love it so much and if anyone out there hasn’t seen it, you need to add it to your watch list NOW. It got cancelled at s3 and the fanbase was so powerful and loved the show so much they managed to get Netflix to renew it for two more seasons - like seriously the P O W E R. There’s a lot of elements I used in FFY that are common tropes in Lucifer fanfiction, like the wing grooming scene (I guess that’s popular in all angel au’s but still) and I often listened to the season soundtracks when writing (I highly recommend checking them out, season 5 had a musical episode and it was awesome not gonna lie).
To this day my greatest ambition is to get srishti to watch it. Because if you can’t drag your friends kicking and screaming into other fandoms, what is the point? 😂😂😂
#ask games#klaroline#falling for you#klaus mikaelson#caroline forbes#angel of death!caroline#demon!klaus#angels and demons au#i'd make a playlist for the songs I listened to while writing but I don't have spotify#also#srishti#you better be ready gal#cause I finished chapter 3 last night#and it will be coming your way soon#heatherstyles#as always thank you so much for liking my fics so much#like thank you for all the comments you've left on my fics#i'll try to get to your other ask soon#love you all
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Go Back Couple made me cry it was so sweet and wholesome ;-;;; and it was really clever too! And I thought it said a lot about people it really made me think about how we really see only one or two sides of someone else in a relationship. I saw Hospital Playlist at the start of quarantine and I spent the whole time just being “I miss my friends!!” bc it has such beautiful friendships and platonic relationships (and cute romances too)
Also if you have more recs please share bc once this quarter finishes I really want to watch more dramas I’m collecting recs ^^
ooooh, i just read the plot of go back couple and i’m so curious, and i’ve added it to my to watch lost! and yessss, i’ve been meaning to watch hospital playlist! i think i watched the first 10 minutes of the first episode, but i never got around to continuing, but i most certainly will resume my watch once finals finish for me too :’))
oh yes, but as for more recs...well, there’s this list that i compiled a few months back, but since then, i’ve been thinking of other kdramas i’ve watched and liked, so...below the cut!
1. penthouse (1 & 2, renewed for a season 3, which will be coming in june!)
where to watch: viki (although with some kind of plus plan, but if you don’t have plus,,,here’s a place where you could theoretically watch)
favorite track on the ost: idk, i haven’t really been paying attention to the ost because like...this kdrama is also so incredibly focused on opera / classical music, and it’s actually introduced me to a lot of wonderful pieces, one of my faves being mozart’s die zauberflote.
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listen: it usually takes me a hysterically long time to get through a new kdrama, but i was so invested that i got through the first season (complete with 21 episodes!)n within like,,,two or three weeks, and i have about 3 episodes left of the second season (which has 13 episodes!). this kdrama is just that good. it’s basically about these families living at this super fancy apartment complex called hera palace (which is fitting...hera, the queen of the gods, also the goddess of maternity...). honestly, there’s so much going on in this kdrama that it’s kind of hard to explain everything that happens, but essentially, the show opens up with the murder of a young orphan girl and works backwards from there. we learn about each of the families’ secrets, ambitions, and some really shocking twists and turns along the way.
honestly, i’m surprised by how much i love this kdrama. there aren’t a whole ton of likable characters--literally almost every character is deeply flawed and obvious about it, but honestly, the complexity and layers built into each character is worth it. we really see how environments shape people, especially with each of the family’s children. we see all these moralities clash with each other, and we see how greed and ambition can muddy those waters, even amongst the children. i’ve been super enjoying season 2 especially, because we’re learning even more, not to mention that i’ve been so surprised by the level of character development going on here. i won’t spoil anything, but like...it’s wonderful and impressive, and i cannot believe this kdrama has me actually rooting for certain characters. also, on another note: this kdrama does a lot with addressing exactly how far a parent would go for their kid--and it’s bonkers and wonderful. honestly...an addictive kdrama, full of suspense and drama and with deeply complex characters.
a fair warning: this kdrama is rated r, although i’m learning that rated r in south korea would probably pass off as pg-13 in the us--there’s more explicit scenes of violence, really harsh bullying, murder (of course), and implied sex scenes (nothing ever shown, very much a “camera pulls away” situation).
2. pinocchio
where to watch: viki
favorite track to the ost: pinocchio by roy kim
okay, this kdrama is...just really sweet, and again: i liked it a lot more than i thought i would? it’s a little older, like it started airing in 2014--but i just...really liked it. it’s about these two people from separate families (but they grow up together under the same roof, it’s a whole complicated thing), and both of them become reporters. the only issue is that one of the characters has pinocchio syndrome, which is basically that she can’t tell a lie without hiccupping. you’d think this makes for a goofy drama because of that, but this kdrama def. has a lot of heavyhanded/serious moments. it’s so weird to think this kdrama aired in 2014, just because i think a lot of the themes--all of them about truth and what counts as the truth especially in journalism--feel still so relevant today.
this kdrama also has a lot to say about generational trauma/the burdens we inherit from our parents and our older siblings, and it also has a lot of stuff about taking responsibility for the sins of our parents, etc. it’s so wonderfully and beautifully done, and i’m honestly...again, surprised by just how deeply they ran with this concept. the romance is also cute, although i’ll def. admit there’s some stuff that still makes me “???” but overall, i really enjoyed the actors’ chemistry with each other, and i was still satisfied with the ending!
3. fight for my way
where to watch: viki
favorite track on the ost: i don’t think this kdrama has too much of an ost? and i don’t think i was paying attention to the ost in this kdrama either, oops
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i’m still watching this kdrama / have i think 5 episodes left of this kdrama, but i’ve been really enjoying it so far! it’s following the story of these four twentysomethings, and they all have these big dreams for themselves. unfortunately, they’re also twentysomethings, and achieving their dreams is...kind of hard. honestly, this kdrama is just so wholesome, and it has its serious moments, but i really love it. the friendships in this kdrama are solid, and the romance is super sweet, and it’s very much so the classic childhood friends to lovers that just makes me :’))
also, just like...it’s hopeful. and empowering. and just like, seeing characters go “i know this is hard for me to achieve and i know it would make so much more sense for me to just sit down with my head low and quietly accept where i am, but i’m going to pursue my dream anyways” just...idk, i feel like it’s a kdrama that a lot of young dreamers can relate to, and i really need to finish this kdrama, but it’s...really sweet and relatable.
4. space sweepers
where to watch: netflix
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okay, so this isn’t a kdrama, but i need to rec this movie because it’s...so good. this is a science fiction film following this crew of...space sweepers. basically, earth is now uninhabitable/unsafe to live in, and the wealthy are all living on a repurposed mars. (bro doesn’t that sound familiar?)
in order to get money, a lot of people risk their lives by cleaning up debris still floating around orbit. these people are known as space sweepers, and they’re basically space janitors, only with a lot more flying and swearing. this crew winds up accidentally getting ahold of this mysterious child, who may or may not have a huge bounty on her head. i won’t go any deeper than that, but...this movie is so wonderful for its found family elements, and each character has such an interesting background, and i’m honestly surprised by how this movie went so deep into each character in such a short amount of time? (although honestly i would 1000/10 want a netflix series following each character’s lives just because)
admittedly, there’s some issues i have with this movie--like, idk, one character wears dreadlocks, and i’m just :/// about that, because :///// it really shows that south korea isn’t exempt from cultural appropriation. i still like the character, and i still like the movie overall, but that’s just a heads-up.
but besides that, this movie is really good at showing how sometimes the villain is just a wealthy old white dude, and sometimes family can really just be a ragtag team of outcasts, and sometimes it is really the younger generation that can literally bring hope and etc. it’s very much :’))
and that’s all i’ve got! thank u for asking me about kdramas, because...as you can tell: many thoughts.
#answered#i have....so many kdramas to watch too#like hospital playlist and king eternal monarch are def. kdramas i need to resume watching#and i've also....steadily been making my way through romance is a bonus book although i still don't really know how to feel about it#it's cute but i don't have too many thoughts/enough thoughts on it#i've just been watching a lot of lee jong suk's kdramas let's be real#i've also been meaning to watch what's wrong with secretary kim? because i remember liking it but i've only watched the first 3 eps#so i wasn't sure whether to rec it#tbh check back on me in a few months and i'll def. have more kdramas to rec asdfsfasdf#i now have the yearly viki plus plan and as you can tell: i am using it
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Kylo Ren, The Rising Star
Summary: You are Kylo Ren’s personal assistant. The rising star doesn’t know how to cope with his sudden popularity. You let him take sanctuary in your apartment, and help him return to who he was before, Ben Solo.
A/N: I’m stating this now, no romantic relationship blooms in this. But, the seeds are planted. And I will write more where the relationship does grow, if requested.
Prompt, from an anon: But I got an idea, how about worn out actor Kylo Ren aka Ben Solo has been doing to much lately he doesn't even know what time zone he's in sometimes. Reader is average Joe lucky enough to be his PA in his new film. With the stress of everything and fans following him everywhere Ben hides out at your house, were he sleeps all day in your bed and you feed him lots of food, cos you like to cook?
Chapter 2
🌟🌟🌟
You didn’t know what you were getting into when you applied to be an assistant for a local movie shoot. But being the new personal assistant to the biggest rising star was not it at all. And you weren’t always local like you expected. Being Kylo Ren’s PA meant you had to go with him on his other press tours during breaks in shooting. Caffeinated anything had become your friend, and today was one where you were dependant. You had jumped across every American time zone in a day and a half, and now you had crossed the Atlantic, only to turn around in twelve hours and fly home.
You checked your watch and went to knock on Kylo’s dressing room door, “Twenty minutes until you’re on, sir. Do you need anything else?”
He opened the door, still in the t shirt and jeans he wore on the plane, “I just have one question, where are we?”
You looked at him, concerned, “We are in London, sir. You’re doing an interview for ‘the rom-com’ right now. Your suit should be hanging up for you.”
He yawned, “I told you to call me Kylo, not sir. And it is there. Could you step in real quick?”
You nodded and waited for him to step aside, following him inside, “Sorry, Kylo. So used to using sir. Now, what do you need?”
He closed the door and sat on the couch, “First, no need to apologize. Second, can I have a caffeine pill?”
You pulled out a packet from your bag and handed it to him, “You can hold onto these. But, uhh, Kylo, you didn’t need to ask me in here for that. Nobody cares how you stay awake.”
He hummed, “Thank you, (y/n),” he quickly took a pill, “and that isn’t why I asked you in here. I have an unconventional request, that nobody can know about.”
“Yes?”
“This movie, people are going crazy over it. They have surrounded my building at home, waiting for my return apparently. It is exhausting having to go through all these people, some have even found ways inside my building and to my door. I need a break. Could I stay at your place? I’ll sleep on the couch.”
“Kylo, sir, I live in a run down apartment. You wouldn’t want to stay there. And my couch is only a bit longer than this one, you wouldn't sleep very well."
"I'd much rather stay there than possibly anger fans. Please, think about it."
You gave him a pointed look and checked your watch, “Fifteen minutes, Kylo. Now get changed.”
You left the room, closing the door. Kylo was, but also wasn’t, your boss, and he was asking to stay at your place? He had bodyguards, couldn’t they tell the fans to leave? No, he cared too much about his fans’ feelings to have them told to leave. Maybe you would let him stay. Once back he was off for a week, so he wouldn’t have to leave. It would be fun to hang out with somebody for once, even if it was the person you worked for.
The interview went well, and before long you were being taken to a hotel for the night.
You followed Kylo outside to the car and he looked at you once inside, “Woah… It is already night?”
You nodded, “Yeah, it is almost eight. I think we are here for like ten hours then we head home to rest for a week.”
As you pulled up at the hotel, there were clearly a bunch of fans waiting for him, and you heard a muttered “shit.”
You looked at him, “When we get home, you can stay at my place, okay?”
He smiled wide for once in his life, “Thank you, so much, (y/n). I’ll give you a bonus.”
You shook your head, “We’ll talk about it later. I don’t want any extra money. Think of it as a kind gesture from a friend.”
The door was opened and Kylo was escorted into the building. You stayed in until the car parked before grabbing your own stuff and going up to your room; there were shrieks from girls, obviously he decided to stop and talk. You went up to your room and got ready for a bit of sleep.
As you washed your face you heard your phone ringing in the other room. When you went out to check it, you read it was Kylo calling, so quickly answered it.
“How can I help you, Kylo?”
“What time do I have to be ready by? Need to set my alarm.”
“Six. Hopefully the crazies won’t be awake then.”
He groaned, “Hopefully. Thank you. Goodnight, (y/n).”
“Goodnight, Kylo. Text me in the morning so I know you’re awake please.”
He hummed in acknowledgement and hung up.
In the morning he clearly hadn’t slept much, or well, he was a living zombie in a somehow oversized sweatshirt, clutching to a cup of coffee.
He looked at you in the hallway, “Oh, I forgot to ask if you wanted a cup. Security brought it up to me. They said everybody left at like 2 am, so the coast is clear.”
You gave him a warm smile, “It is alright, Kylo. I’m fine. Let’s head down to the car then.”
You thankfully got to the airport and onto the plane without incident, people have better things to do between 6 and 7 am on a Tuesday apparently. Landing back in Los Angeles was a different story, people don’t care that it is noon on a Tuesday.
Kylo still looked exhausted, and you hoped nobody followed you. As the car pulled up to the studio you knew you would be safe. You showed Kylo to your car and got in to drive to your apartment.
He looked at you as you pulled out of your spot, “Hey, thank you so much. I appreciate it, more than you might think.”
You nodded, “You’re welcome, Kylo. Do you want to listen to some music?”
“Sure. Listen to what you normally do.”
You turned on your radio, the bluetooth connecting and automatically playing your playlist. You tapped along to the songs on your steering wheel as you drove. After twenty minutes you pulled up to your run down building and parked in your spot.
You turned to Kylo, “No crazy fans it seems. That is good.”
He hummed, “Yeah. But there are still people around that could recognize me.”
“If they ask if you’re Kylo Ren just tell them no and give a fake name. I don’t talk with my neighbors so they don’t know what I do. And none of my friends know who I work for.”
He nodded and prepared himself to step out. He messed up his hair so it wasn’t as perfect as his normal style, put on the hood of his sweatshirt and stepped out, slinging his duffle bag over his shoulder.
You stepped out and got your bag from your trunk. You looked over at him awkwardly looming next to the car, “Let’s go, sir.”
He followed you like a lost puppy, and then you heard the voice of your annoying neighbor from the floor below yours, “Hey, 32! Is that Kylo Ren?”
You turned to her voice, “No. This is my friend.”
She acted like you were lying, “You sure?”
He stepped in, “Uh, yeah. I’m Ben. But I get that a lot. It is a bit tiresome.”
You tried to pull him away and walk inside, but she wouldn’t relent, why did she have to be out? And why did she care? She has always been vocal about despising everything about Hollywood, especially celebrities.
“Do you have ID to prove it?”
Kylo stopped and you turned, “Ben, don’t pay her any mind, let’s go get some lunch.”
He didn’t move when you pulled, “No, she wants proof I’m not stupid Kylo Ren, I’ll prove it,” he pulled out his ID and showed it to her, “See? Benjamin Solo. Now, can me and my friend go have some lunch? I’m rather hungry and I have a short fuse when I haven’t eaten.”
She just walked away after reading his ID. He looked to you and you just walked in, taking the elevator up and getting him in your apartment.
You threw down your bag as soon as you closed your door, “I’m so damn sorry Kylo. She is so annoying, and thinks she can know anything she wants. She isn’t even on this floor, she is in 21. But, uhh? You aren’t really Kylo Ren?”
He sat on your couch, “Well, I am now. I legally changed my name last year when people started recognizing me, but I still have my old ID, which I had just renewed a few months before I changed my name.”
You nodded, not wanting to pry further, "Alright then. Can I get you anything to drink?"
"Can I get some water please?"
You went and dropped your stuff in your room then got him a glass of water.
You sat on the floor after you gave him the cup, "TV? Food?"
"Watch whatever you want, (y/n)."
You turned on Netflix and turned on the show you were currently binging, then your belly grumbled, “I’m going to go fix some lunch, any requests?”
He looked at you hopefully, “Tacos?”
You thought for a moment and nodded, “Yes, I have everything to make tacos.”
You left the show on, you could rewatch the episode later, and went in to cook. You cooked some carne asada you had prepared for this week, some rice and beans, then prepared all the toppings you needed. Assembling Kylo's tacos were easy, he liked his tacos almost plain, just meat on the tortilla with some fresh pico de gallo. When everything was finished you fixed each of you a plate of your preferred tacos with some rice and beans then brought the plates to the living room.
"Here you go, Kylo. Just as you like it."
He took the offered plate and began to eat, "Did you make all of this right now? This is amazing."
You nodded, "I did most of it. I had the carne asada marinating to fix this week, and the salsa I just made. The beans and rice are pre-packaged, but I try to make them myself too, when I have the time. And the tortillas I buy fresh from a neighbor."
He hummed, "Well this is all delicious. Thank you so much."
You smiled and ate your meal. When you finished you took your plate into wash along with all the items you cooked with once you stored the leftover food.
After a moment Kylo sheepishly walked in with his plate, "Excuse me, (y/n)? Is there anymore?"
You turned to look at him, "Yeah! I just put it away in the fridge. Help yourself."
Kylo took out the containers and fixed himself more tacos, then stood at the counter to eat them while talking with you. "Where did you learn to cook like that?"
"Mostly self taught. I had to learn how to stretch my food budget when I moved out. Cooking from bulk purchases helps. So I had to learn how to use the same ingredients in as many ways as possible so I wouldn't get bored."
He handed you his now empty plate, "Can you be my personal chef and my PA?"
You laughed, "You don't want to see me 24/7 Kylo."
He walked out of the kitchen, "Maybe I do."
You just shook your head and finished washing everything. When you walked back into your living room, Kylo was passed out on your couch. He looked so uncomfortable, he was almost bigger than the old thing. You went to your room, changed all your bedding, then hid all the embarrassing things you had out.
You gently woke up Kylo once you finished, "Hey, go sleep in my bed. It is a lot more comfortable than this small thing."
He groaned and stretched, voice heavy with sleep, "No. That is your bed. You sleep in it. I'm fine here."
You crossed your arms, "No. Kylo. You are sleeping in my bed. I don't need to sleep right now anyways. You do. You've been working so hard recently. Go sleep in a damn bed."
He stood up and pat your head, clearly still mostly asleep, "Whatever you say, my dear. Goodnight."
Your cheeks burned and you just shook your head as you watched him shuffle into your room and unceremoniously flop face first onto your bed, snoring within moments. You went and shut the door most of the way, but first you placed his bags in plain sight in case he woke up and wanted to change out of his jeans.
You worked around your apartment, not letting the fact you had an unplanned guest keep you from your planned chores. You swept and dusted, set your bedding on to wash, the one nice thing about this apartment, you had a washer and dryer in your unit. While the wash was on you sat down and restarted your show and went through your social media. One of your friends shared a tabloid article theorizing that Kylo Ren is in a secret relationship since he has yet to return home after landing earlier today and has spent a lot less time interacting with fans these past few months.
You mumbled to yourself, “He’s staying away from you pricks. You’ve exhausted the poor man.”
You continued perusing, finding nothing else of interest, then paused your show before moving everything to the dryer. You continued watching until it was time to make dinner, pasta is what you had planned for tonight, so you doubled everything to have enough for Kylo.
As you were cooking you heard Kylo enter the kitchen, “Good evening, sleeping beauty. Are you hungry?”
Kylo was still a bit groggy, but rapidly waking up, “Yeah. The smells woke me up. What are you making?”
He sat at your kitchen table and you brought him a glass of orange juice, his favorite, “Pasta. Specifically homemade cheese tortellini with meat sauce. And garlic bread.”
He took a sip and hummed, “You make pasta?”
You nodded, “Only filled pasta, it is cheaper that way. And I made the sauce and garlic bread. Including the bread. But I freeze a lot of stuff so I didn’t actually make any of it tonight.”
He held up his glass, “And this juice?”
You laughed, “That is store bought. I can’t make it as well.”
“You’re lying. I’m sure you can.”
You hummed, “Yeah. I can. But only when oranges are in season.”
You turned back and began to stir the sauce and added the pasta to the now boiling water. You pulled out the garlic bread and shut off the flame for the sauce. After a few minutes you drained the pasta and added a bit of the water to the sauce, then added most of the sauce to the drained pasta.
"Alright, food is ready Kylo. Come help yourself."
"It smells amazing."
You handed him a plate and he served himself then sat back at the table. You followed suit and served yourself, then sat across from him.
You shared pleasant conversation, taking turns asking about the other's life. While you worked for him, and were around him more often than not, neither of you knew much about the other, but this time together would change that.
When he finished he looked up and smiled at you, "Now for a more personal question, if you want to answer it. Are you dating anyone?"
You smiled back and chuckled, "So asking about my parents and childhood isn't personal, but asking if I'm dating is?" You paused to take a sip, "No, Kylo. I'm not. Haven't dated in awhile. What about you then? There is a tabloid article out there theorizing you're in a secret relationship since you haven't come home yet and aren't interacting as much with fans."
He groaned and covered his face, "No. I'm not. Same as you, haven't in awhile." He rubbed his face and looked at you again, "And you know that tabloid is wrong. I'm here with you."
"But what about the fan interactions? Just the burn out?"
He nodded, "Yeah. I've really just wanted to go to bed recently, or get into work. They're great and all, but I don't want to be on at 7 am or 9 pm, especially if I just came from a different timezone."
"I can't even imagine. But you don't have to be on at all this week. Stay here for as much of that time as you want. Be Benjamin Solo again, if only for me."
His eyes lit up, "Yes. Call me Ben. Please. Only my mom and dad call me that anymore. I need to be Ben for a week. I'll order some plain clothes online to be delivered here too. I’m going to be Ben Solo again."
You nodded, "Okay, Ben. Let me clean up, and you can work on ordering everything you need. Then tell me when you're checking out and I'll fill out my address."
He stood up and grabbed both plates, "Let me help you please."
"Alright. You can help me Ben."
He grinned and had a tiny celebration, "Yes! Thank you."
He set to work filling up the sink with water, placing the plates and utensils in the sink, then turning to you, "Uhh, the leftovers need to be put away. Where are your containers?"
You moved to the right cabinet, "This one, Ben. But I'll put it away. You focus on washing."
He nodded, "Okay, (y/n)."
You put away the food and Ben grabbed each empty piece and cleaned it. Once the food was put away you sat up on your counter.
You looked to Ben, who was meticulously scrubbing the saucepan, "I had no problem cleaning up, Ky… I mean Ben. I do it all the time."
He turned to you, "I'm your unplanned guest. I want to do has much as possible to help and not throw off your schedule and routine. I'm sure you have one here too."
You looked away, feeling your cheeks warm a bit, "Well I do. But I'm fine doing it all myself."
He pointed a stern finger at you, but his face held a small smile, "No. I'm washing the dishes. Go relax. Put on a movie. Pour yourself some wine if you want, and have any. I'll be out in a bit."
You just nodded and listened, going to turn on some super cheesy rom-com your friend told you to watch. After a while you heard the sink draining and footsteps coming back out.
Ben plopped down on the couch right next to you and outstretched his arms across the back, then groaned, "Really, (y/n)? You like rom-coms too?"
You paused it, "Shit, sorry. Wasn't thinking. I just think that they are funny, especially the real cheesy ones. And one can dream about randomly falling in love with a stranger. But I'll change it to something else."
Ben shook his head, "No, you can keep watching. I'll order those clothes."
You started playing the movie again and he pulled out his phone and wallet to find clothes with rush shipping. After twenty minutes he silently passed his phone to you and you typed in the address information then handed it back. Once the order was placed he put his phone away and again stretched his arms out. You didn't know if he was actually watching or just zoning out, but you were happy he didn't mind.
As the credits rolled, you let out a yawn, “Alright, time for bed for me,” you tapped his thigh, “That means it is time for you to move, Mr. Solo. You’re on my bed.”
He turned to you, “No. I’ll sleep here.”
You grabbed his arm and stood up, “Nope, this is not an option. You are sleeping in my bed,” you began to pull on his arm, “Now come on you big oaf. You are going to sleep in my bed, just like you did earlier.”
He stayed planted in his spot, chuckling, “You’re gonna have to pull harder than that. I’m almost all muscles.”
You pulled harder and then tried to pull both his hands, starting to laugh, “Come on Ben. Go sleep in my damn bed.”
He stood up suddenly and caught you before you fell back, “Fine. Just this once.”
You crossed your arms, “This will be the second time, Ben. You slept before dinner.”
He smirked and walked away, into your room, “That was Kylo Ren, thank you very much. Now, do you need anything from in here before I close the door?”
You ran in, “Yes!”
He chuckled and just sat on your bed, pulling out his pajamas from his duffle bag. You grabbed everything you needed and went out.
You paused in the doorway, turning to Ben before closing the door, “Goodnight, Ben. See you in the morning.”
“Goodnight, (y/n). Thank you again.”
You nodded and closed the door then went to change and grab your bedding from the dryer. After setting everything up you crawled into your cocoon of blankets and pillows on the couch and fell asleep.
You were awoken a couple hours later by the sound of whining and screams, coming from your room. You quickly got up and knocked on the door, “Ben? You okay in there, sir?”
He didn’t respond, just more whimpers, so you opened up the door and walked in to find him asleep but thrashing.
Carefully, you approached him, reaching out to rub his arm, “Ben. Kylo. Wake up, sir. You’re having a nightmare.”
He woke up and clung to you, wrapping his arms around your waist. He was panting, repeating your name, “I’m so sorry. So sorry. For waking you up. Sorry.”
You ran your fingers through his hair, “Ben. It is okay, Ben. I promise.”
He nodded and slowly calmed down, “Okay. Okay. Thank you. Thanks for waking me up. I normally have to fight for much longer to wake up.”
You softly scratched his scalp, “Lay back down. I’ll stay until you’re asleep again.”
He hummed, “Can you keep doing that, and playing with my hair?”
You chuckled, “Sure.”
He moved back to laying normally and you moved to keep petting his head. It didn’t take long for him to get drowsy again, and he began mumbling to you.
His voice was barely audible and clearly full of sleep, “I like this. I like you. Don’t tell though.”
You felt your cheeks warm and continued until his murmurs turned to snores. You got up again and softly kissed his forehead, “Goodnight, Ben Solo. Sweet dreams.”
#a-r-t creation#ben solo / reader#kylo ren/ reader#kylo ren x reader#ben solo x reader#kylo ren/ you#ben solo/ you#kylo ren x you#ben solo x you
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February Picks
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And just like that another month is coming to a close. I can’t believe how fast it has gone by. I’ve continued watching some favorites from last month and am sad some have come to an end. Meanwhile a bunch of shows came back from their winter hiatus, so it was a lot of fun getting back into their story-lines again.
Be prepared for spoilers once again...
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SANDITON
Masterpiece’s Sanditon ended this past Sunday, here in the states, and I am jumping on the campaign that we need a season 2! It can’t end like that with so many open ended story-lines (okay maybe just one or two, but still we deserve more).
Who would have guessed that Esther would become one of my favorite characters in this series and that’s mainly thanks to her well written character development. From the “villain” in episode 1 she grew into so much more and was such a complex character. I really enjoyed watching her story unfold. I am SO HAPPY she married Babington and his speech to her about living side by side, knowing he loves her more and just wants to see her happy. Wow....Goals. I want to see this relationship progress even more (if that’s possible) with a season 2. Speaking of things I want to see: Will Sanditon be rebuilt and how long will it take? Will there be an alternative allowing Sidney to be with Charlotte? Major twist there as their relationship doesn’t end with a happily ever after (very un-Austen like for the main protagonists). When he returned at the end stopping Charlotte’s carriage, I seriously thought he would have said he broke up his engagement, but alas. The previous episode I really wanted them together (thanks to Sidney’s speech to Charlotte when he told her his ex-fiance left and how Charlotte makes him a better person *melts* and of course their dancing scene the episode prior was amazing). In the early parts of the season, while I knew Charlotte and Sidney would be a thing-eventually, I couldn’t help but have a soft spot for Young Stringer’s character and my appreciation never truly left. I felt he was paired well with Charlotte. Such a tragic ending for him. He wanted to better himself (much like the Parker brothers) but after his father’s death he no longer will. Throughout the series, I enjoyed Miss Lambe’s character, but I agree with many reviews that I was reading that her character was kind of dropped at the end. I’m curious what her reaction will be when she finds out about SIdney’s engagement...
Thank you again, Andrew Davies. I was not expecting to like this adaptation so much.
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ZOEY’S EXTRAORDINARY PLAYLIST
The best way to describe one of NBC’s latest shows is that I feel happy and in a good mood whenever I finish an episode. (And then I’m immediately upset that I have to wait a week for the next one. I watch them too fast.) I’ve heard many people compare it to Glee and while I could definitely understand that I keep getting drawn back to Abc’s short lived Eli Stone. There Eli (played by Jonny Lee Miller) could hear people around him sing and dance, which helped him solve upcoming law cases. In this show he was experiencing a brain tumor, but so far Zoey seems all clear. Instead, a freak accident while she is getting an MRI scan and listening to music, allows for her to hear people sing (and perform) their innermost feelings. There’s still some logistics to discover like what Zoey looks like when she watches these performances (does she move around or look like she’s just staring into the air. I might be thinking into this too much...I know). We just recently found out that sometimes she can speak to others as they are happening. Each time she hears someone sing she is meant to help them with something in their life. It could be a family member, co worker, friend, or like this past week her boss. While there’s one major problem (that she has to fix), there are often multiple songs in one episode which I really enjoy. The cast is also very strong, both musically and as actors. I can’t wait to see where the rest of the season is headed!
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TO ALL THE BOYS P.S. I STILL LOVE YOU
When the first film was released on Netflix about 2 years ago, I was instantly a fan. I was unfamiliar with the book, but quickly added to my TBR list. (My to read list is extremely long, so I still haven’t gotten to it. Story of my life.) I really enjoyed watching Lara Jean experience the results of having her secretive love letters distributed to her past crushes. I was definitely Team Peter and Lara by the end of the film. They were adorable. The sequel was released earlier this month and I kind of forgot about it. It felt like we had been preparing for the sequel for a bit and then I must have been watching too much Disney Plus to miss the trailer. Watching P.S. I still love you, I just missed the original film. There were parts I liked and I was a big fan of John Ambrose (and of course Jordan Fisher because he’s great), but overall I felt like much didn’t happen. Also, Lara and Peter’s relationship kind of bothered me in parts. I understand that for both of them this was the first time they were in this kind of relationship and could feel awkward about certain things (like the Valentine’s singing-gram or writing an original poem). The main part I did like about them was towards the end when he arrived at the retirement home. I don’t say this often, but I have no want to re-watch it any time soon.
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VIOLETTA SEASON 1
Speaking of Disney Plus....
In a quick month and a half I have successfully watched ALL 80 episodes of season 1 of Violetta. I feel so accomplished and know the withdrawal will happen very soon. (I just finished last night and I’ve been listening to the music a lot recently). I’m so upset that season 2 has not be released on Disney Plus yet. I thought it would be by now because the streaming service has been up for a good amount of months and this show was so popular around the world. Unfortunately, I have not been lucky with my Google searches for when they’ll release it and no luck with YouTube either (no English caption options). I’ve been hearing that season 2 is really great because season 1 did a nice job of establishing these characters and now we get to see more story-lines. I will miss the students and teachers at the Studio as well the home-life at the Castillo’s house. Throughout 80 episodes it’s understandable to love and hate several characters as you’re with them for a good amount of time. For some people it was a roller coaster, but there were a good amount that I liked pretty consistently. I am a fan of Violetta and Leon and they had some super cute moments. I think it was about episode 35 where I truly felt like connection. When Tomas left the love triangle for a bit I actually grew to like him and would often joke how he never smiled and had a Tomas face. I really liked You Mix and the introduction of Frederico. Some great songs came out of that section like Ven y Canta and Tienes el Talento, but my favorite is definitely Ser Mejor. And of course, I will always have love for Pablo. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m going to miss reading subtitles (I really do feel like I know more Spanish now). Definitely check out this show if you want something drama filled and funny at the same time.
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LEGACIES
I know I dedicated a whole post to Chris Wood’s return as Kai Parker on Legacies. (See the article here:https://talesofafangirlwithadvr.tumblr.com/post/190761328673/omg-legacies-2x12) But I still had to include it in this wrap up because once again Legacies is doing a great job this season. I was so excited to see it when it came back from the mid-season hiatus. Since the return of Wood it has gotten more of a TVD vibe than usual, which is great. I haven’t watched the last episode, but have seen a clip of Kai masquerading at the school. I am going to be very interested to see for how long he hangs around and how long it takes for them to discover him AND how Josie handles the evil inside of her.
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BROOKLYN NINE NINE
Thank goodness this show got renewed (and picked up from NBC). When it started a couple of weeks ago, I was reminded how much I missed it. I can’t get over that this is already the second season on NBC. As usual the hi-jinks of the Nine Nine have been entertaining to watch. The Jimmy Jab games were great. I loved how Hitchcock was so desperate to win that he was taking Scully’s array of pills. What an ending with Debbie! Did not think she could be capable of that. I can’t wait to see the outcome next episode. I’m so excited for a Santiago-Peralta baby. It was a great episode when they were hiding it from Charles and Adrian returned. I’ve seen the movie Memento and it is great! It was hilarious each time he was like, ‘I don’t know what that is’ and then saying ‘Finding Dory’ solved everything. I am so happy that this show was suggested for me to watch and fill my Office and Parks and Rec void. Whenever a new episode’s on the DVR I can’t wait to watch it.
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LEGENDS OF TOMORROW
And last, but certainly not least, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow has once again not disappointed me this season (I know it’s still early, but I’m optimistic). It started at the end of January following the events of Crisis and I liked how this season transitioned with all the changes (the major one being the introduction of Zari’s brother). I am really happy to see her again though and how she is having these flashes of her old life on board the Wave-rider. I can’t wait to see that reveal happen (especially because as of right now only Nate knows the ‘truth’). I love seeing Ava as a permanent part of the Legends crew and as stepping in as Captain when Sara was away. She is a great addition and I like how quirky she is since we first met her. Her and Sara are perfect. I also love Ray and Nora. Nora as a fairy godmother is fantastic. One of my favorite episodes was the one with the 80s dance. Her role in all of that was great and her realization with what she can provide for these kids. I feel like this is going to be the reason Ray leaves the Legends. I remember seeing Brandon Routh’s Instagram Post about leaving the show and this feels like the reason he will. I hope that isn’t for a while though because I am going to miss him a lot.
Until March!
#sanditon#masterpiece sanditon#sidney parker#charlotte heywood#sidney x charlotte#esther denham#esther x babington#renew sanditon#zoey's extraordinary playlist#team simon or team max#to all the boys ps i love you#lara jean#disney’s violetta#violetta season 1#we want season 2 disney plus#violetta season 2#Legacies#legacies season 2#kai parker is back#brooklyn nine nine#jake x amy#dc legends of tomorrow
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Quarantine Tag Game
No one tagged me, but it looked fun!
Are you staying home from work and school?
I am and have been for three weeks now. My job’s fairly easy to do from home anyway, being mostly admin, so hopefully it’ll stay that way.
If you’re staying home, who’s there with you?
My housemate (and ex, fun story!) Aidan, and our semi-shared cat Scully, which has actually been really nice. Aidan and I get on really well (barring the occasional fit I throw over washing up) and being home everyday with Scully has been low-key delightful.
Are you a homebody?
For sure lol.
An event that you were looking forward to that got cancelled?
My best friend’s wedding was meant to be in early May, in Australia, and I’ve been saving for almost two years for it. Luckily I needed to renew my passport and that delayed me buying tickets, so I didn’t lose any money, but it’s still really sad.
What movies have you watched recently?
I watched a documentary on Netflix yesterday called Barbeque and loved it! Also Ponyo, Howl’s Moving Castle, Kiki’s Delivery Service, 1917, Dunkirk (that was a fun double bill), Pride, There’s Something In The Water (another documentary, very good), and Knives Out. The Ghiblis, Dunkirk, and Pride were rewatches, but I’ve definitely been watching more movies since being on lockdown, which I really like.
What shows are you watching?
Roswell New Mexico, ofc. Gogglebox is the only other one I’m watching as it’s released. I’m also working my way slowly through Leverage, Dark, and Chef’s Table, and occasionally rewatching episodes of Tidying Up With Marie Kondo.
What music are you listening to?
A lot of Punch Brothers rn, with a smattering of SZA, Kesha, Hayley Kiyoko, Lana Del Rey, and my road trip au playlist. I also listened to some Weepies last night and really liked that, I forgot how much I like them.
Also, not music, but I listen to podcasts whenever I’m in the kitchen - Savor, Stuff You Missed In History Class, Death Sex and Money, Call Your Girlfriend, Nancy, and Be The Serpent are my regulars, and I’m catching up on The Magnus Archives.
What are you reading?
Fanfic, always. But book-wise, I’m re/reading the entire Animorphs series because I love to suffer and they’re REALLY GOOD. I’m also working my way through Making Magic by Briana Saussy and I’m going to start Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir imminently.
What are you doing for self-care?
Sitting out on my balcony more than I ever have before in my LIFE and actually really enjoying it. I signed up for the Les Mis Big Bang to force myself to finish one of my old Les Mis fics, and that’ll feel fantastic when I do it. Witchcraft. Taking my sweet time with breakfast. Keeping my flat immaculately clean and tidy. Drinking more varieties of tea throughout the day because we have a huge number of different teas and now I’m home all day I can try/retry them all. I just dug my keyboard out and set it up so maybe I’ll relearn some of the pieces I’ve forgotten. Eating a mini cheeseboard almost every day. I skated outdoors today for the first time ever and I think I’ll keep trying to do that.
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Jonathan Groff is not, he says, “a serial killer sort of person”, which will probably come as a relief to the millions of adoring families who know him best in wholesome animated form, as the voice of mountain-dwelling ice harvester Kristoff in Disney’s Frozen.
What drew the 34-year-old actor – nominated for a Tony for his Broadway performance as Melchior Gabor in Spring Awakening and his scene-stealing turn as King George III in Hamilton – to the dark, murder-heavy Netflix drama Mindhunter was, he says, precisely what a radical departure it was from his previous roles.
His FBI profiler Holden Ford is, as he puts it: “This corn-fed, all-American, earnest Midwestern guy, having an existential crisis, finding meaning and purpose while talking to incarcerated sociopathic murderers.” Groff tells me all this, it should be noted, with an enormous grin. Apparently, the only major note that David Fincher, Mindhunter’s director, ever has for his leading man is to stop smiling so much. “[Fincher] would be like, ‘We’re rolling, and, Jonathan, stop smiling. And you’re still smiling, you’re still smiling, and… action.’”
Television, of course, hardly needs another FBI drama, but what elevates Mindhunter above the procedural is not only Fincher’s precision direction, but also the tension inherent in Ford’s mission. Set in the late Seventies and based on the career of real-life FBI profiler and “serial killer whisperer” John Douglas, “Holden is pushing for understanding and curiosity, rather than simply dismissing these killers as crazy,” says Groff. Using the emerging social sciences of criminology and psychology, he hopes to gain some understanding of what motivates these apparent monsters.
The first series saw Ford interviewing notorious murderers Richard Speck, Ed Kemper and Jerry Brudos; season two, which begins this week, will delve into the Atlanta Child Murders (in which an estimated 28 children were killed between 1979 and 1981), and see the protagonist land an interview with “the rock star of the serial killer world”, Charles Manson.
There is also the added layer of Ford’s personal development; over the first season, he grew from a buttoned-up boy scout (literally drinking milk from the bottle in an early episode) into a skilful manipulator of his subjects; some critics have gone further and accused him of sociopathy.
“I never saw Holden as a sociopathic character, but he definitely wants to win,” says Groff. I agree about the sociopathy but, I suggest, Holden is perhaps guilty of wielding empathy as a weapon. “Yeah, I love that – weaponising empathy!” Groff cries, excitedly. “That might be the title of my autobiography.”
It’s early on a Friday morning in Los Angeles and, in spite of the unusually anti-social call time, Groff, boyishly handsome and sipping on a Diet Coke, is infectiously bouncy and Tiggerish. During the filming of Mindhunter, he has, he tells me, been listening to the audiobook of Fosse, Sam Wasson’s bestselling biography of the legendary Broadway choreographer and film director, on which the current show Fosse/Verdon was initially based. After finishing the book, he went back and watched all of Fosse’s films.
“He does such a good job of capturing that drug of being on stage, and the sadness that you get when you come off stage,” he says. “The huge rush of performing and the let-down afterwards. I get both happy and depressed about it. I don’t want to love it this much, but then I do, but I want also to have perspective.” He waves his hands in the air as if to bat away his only apparent torture: loving this job, which he is incredibly good at, a little too much.
Groff grew up in Pennsylvania, in a conservative, Methodist family, but his parents encouraged his theatrical ambitions, driving him several hours each way to audition for musicals in New York City. He won a place in a touring performance of The Sound of Music and deferred his spot at Carnegie Mellon University. At 20, he was cast in Spring Awakening, earning his first Tony nomination at 21, in 2007.
Television roles followed in Glee, The Normal Heart and Looking, the critically acclaimed but short-lived HBO drama about the lives of gay men in San Francisco. His parents, he tells me, “didn’t watch that one”.
Openly gay himself, in Mindhunter Groff is playing straight, in a role that features a solid amount of sex scenes as well as psychosexual content. Ryan Murphy, his former showrunner at Glee, and the creator of Pose and The People vs OJ Simpson, was so moved to see this, Groff tells me, that he rang to congratulate him.
“He got really emotional about it, partly, I think, because when he first met me [Groff made a pilot with him during Spring Awakening, which was never picked up] I was still in the closet. Then I came out, owned my identity and, thankfully, still get to play all different kinds of parts. Ryan said: ‘I know that it was something you were scared about, but you worked through your fear, and now here you are, getting to do this amazing show, and not being defined by your sexual orientation.’”
Did he really worry that if he came out he’d never be given a “straight” role again? “Totally,” Groff cries, slapping his thighs. “No agents or producers had ever said: ‘Don’t come out of the closet, it will ruin your career,’ but it was an unspoken thing. And there were no out gay movie stars as examples. But then I fell in love, at 23. And I thought, ‘OK, if I come out, and I only do off-Broadway plays for the rest of my life, I am totally happy with that – that’s what I moved to New York for. So maybe I won’t be a romantic lead in a movie – who cares? I would rather be doing cool stuff with people who don’t give a f--- than pretend to be someone I am not.’”
Happily, that couldn’t be further from the case. While filming the second season of Mindhunter in Pittsburgh, he’s been simultaneously reprising his role as Kristoff for Frozen 2, due out in November. “It was the dream,” he beams. “To be able to sit with Charles Manson, and then drive to New York to pretend to be in a blizzard, singing a Disney song.”
But, in truth, he’s never really stopped being Kristoff. “I make Voice Memos for kids,” he reveals. “I sing for them and do the reindeer voice, which they get really excited about. I do a lot of King George Voice Memos too, actually.”
He was in Hamilton for only two months, in the spring of 2015, but made enough of an impact with his campy, knowing performance, to earn another Tony nomination.
“It was like being in the eye of the storm,” he says of his spell in the Broadway phenomenon. “I listened to the Bill Gates Desert Island Discs the other day; he has My Shot from Hamilton as his final song. And I thought, ‘Oh my god, that’s right, I met Bill Gates – he came to the show.’ You really can’t take it in, in the moment, but looking back, I’m like, ‘Wow, I really met Beyoncé?’”
Given his experience in voicing Frozen, one might assume Groff would be a dab hand at recording audiobooks. Not so, he says. When he was asked to record the audio for John Douglas’s latest non-fiction book (his 13th), The Killer Across the Table, “it was SO hard,” he says. “So much harder than I thought it was going to be. I never made it through one page without f------ up.” It did mean, however, that he finally got to meet the legendary FBI agent in person. “We’d emailed before, but getting to meet him was a great moment. He loves the show, and even talks about it in the book that I recorded.”
This second series is launching at a moment of renewed obsession with Manson, thanks to the 50th anniversary of the murder of Sharon Tate, and the release of Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. I wonder out loud whether the period that Mindhunter explores, when serial killers began to be studied seriously, was also the moment that they also began to be glamorised in popular culture.
“Yes, David and the writers try to address that question. You have Holden, who is a sycophant and obsessed with Manson, and you have the Bill Tench character [Ford’s FBI colleague, played by Holt McCallany], who is like: ‘Dude, these people are disgusting and deplorable.’
“David is uninterested in creating conversation in which any one person is right and any one person is wrong,” says Groff. “He likes to hold a bunch of different perspectives at the same time. That’s what makes it worth working on, that’s what makes it worth watching.”
Mindhunter, series one
and two, are available
on Netflix
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Getting to know yourself more through a social media detox
Sometimes, we never really realize the realities of what we’ve been doing until they’re pointed out to us. Before I even came across Thomas Bragg of Yes Theory’s video on social media cleansing, I hadn’t even realized that I spent an average of six entire hours a day on my phone—doing God knows what. That’s equal to me spending a quarter of an entire day on my phone.
When you begin to realize the amount of things that could be done in the minutes you spend scrolling mindlessly on Twitter or viewing your friends’ and celebrities’ Instagram stories, you start to question if what you’re really doing with your spare time is good for you. And so, you begin searching for alternatives.
On taking that first step.
Not much people talk about what happens when you begin the journey of a social media detox, like the time you spend sitting with yourself after hitting the delete button, wondering how to turn yourself into that productive member of society you had envisioned in your head. And as someone that went through the exact same thing, I can assure you: it is completely normal. It’s perfectly fine to want to get back to the comfortable routine of opening Facebook, then Twitter, then Instagram until it’s a hole you find difficult to get yourself out of, only to find yourself on your fifth straight Youtube video.
It’s hard to steer yourself away from things that have already begun to be considered normal and acceptable for you and everyone else, even when you know it isn’t doing you any good anymore (this applies to situations offline, too). But that’s why it’s even more important to take this first step and attempt to distance yourself from these types of things.
This isn’t goodbye.
Here’s the secret behind social media detoxing that needs to be said out loud: digital minimalism does not necessarily mean completely eradicating it from your life; it’s learning how to control the way you use what you’ve so conveniently been given to make sure that it isn’t controlling you. When you find yourself unable to prioritize other things because you cannot put your phone down, it might be time for you to develop what is commonly called digital discipline.
Sometimes, digital discipline simply means setting your phone on “Do Not Disturb” while you study or write a paper, or just want to be alone and undisturbed. It could mean permanently turning off your push notifications to stop that habit of constantly checking your phone for a text or a reply to that Tweet you cared so much about.
To detox is to remove whatever it is you found toxic from your life, whether referring to your immediate surroundings or the digital space. So, maybe instead of using social media to view the stories of people you don’t really like anyway, use your platforms to benefit you. Follow your favorite artists, athletes, scientists—people who inspire you. Or, explore other platforms forms of social media that could provide inspiration instead of gossip, generate ideas instead of fill you with complaints.
As I slowly learned to do this over the weeks I spent trying to renew the way I used social media, I began to actively use my social media accounts and channels for things I deeply cared about or even exploring new things I would learn to love, like watching Yes Theory change the world with a bunch of other creative content creators, learning more about things like astrology or the way the brain works with Vox’s 20-minute, graphically extravagant episodes on Netflix, listening to podcasts about love and life as I cleaned my room, or even just browsing Spotify discovering new music to add to my endless list of favorites.
In the moments I found myself falling in love again with the way it felt to intentionally learn things that were always just at my fingertip’s reach, I began to see the beautiful side to the internet and social media. I was reminded of the belief that its power can change the world. Use the unlimited freedom of social media to get to know yourself more. There is so much to learn if you look in the right places; social media isn’t exactly your enemy unless you make it out to be. Just like what you should do offline: keep only what you know can serve you better.
I originally wrote this for RATEDAHRT!
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This roundup covers May 6-18 2019. Shadowhunters news, updates, sneak peeks, and behind the scenes. All the stuff you need to stay up to date.
Official Promotion
FreeformTV: Three seasons of runes, magic, and love all lead up to tonight’s 2.5 hour #Shadowhunters finale and the #Malec wedding everyone has been waiting for.
Original Concept art: New York Institute, Magnus’ loft
Thank you to every #Shadowhunters cast and crew member. Thank you #ShadowFam. For all being a part of the journey. #ShadowhuntersLegacy
So many great songs. Listen to all your favorite songs from #Shadowhunters season 3B now on our @Spotify playlist
Heart=melted. Behind the scenes of #Shadowhunters.
Happy we get to love these two. @HarryShumJr & NicolaNCD dancing to @Ruellemusic’s “I get to love you” behind the scenes of #Shadowhunters
GLAAD shared some of their favorite moments from when Shadowhunters won a GLAAD Award in season 1.
Maia, Jordan, and Raphael behind the scenes of #Shadowhunters
Shadowhunters in the News
3x20 Previews: Film Daily
3x21/3x22 Reviews: TVFanatic, Pure Fandom, Film Daily, Spoiler TV
3x21/3x22 photos: ScreenSpy
ET Online (video): ‘Shadowhunters’ series finale: Stars say goodbye to fans in tear-jearking video (Exclusive)
E! News (article): These Shadowhunters series finale tributes from the cast will make you emotional
TV Insider (video): ‘Shadowhunters’ cast says goodbye to fans before the series finale (video)
TV Insider cast BTS videos: Emeraude, Harry, Dom, Kat
Entertainment Weekly (video): It’s time to say goodbye to @ShadowhuntersTV. Ahead of tonight’s series finale, watch the cast say an emotional goodbye to their characters #Shadowhunters
International Business Times (article): Katherine McNamara on ‘Shadowhunters’ series finale spoilers, set souvenirs, and saying goodbye
TVLine (article): Shadowhunters series finale explained: What that twist ending means for Clary, plus more questions answered
TVGuide (article): Shadowhunters bosses imagine what’s next for Malec after that ‘Glorious’ wedding
TVGuide (article): Shadowhunters’ Matthew Daddario and Harry Shum Jr say Malec’s wedding was a ‘perfect’ ending
TV Insider (article): ‘Shadowhunters’ showrunners explain all from the heartfelt series finale
Hypable (article): ‘Shadowhunters’ series finale: The 21 best moments
Hidden Remote (article): Shadowhunters: 13 Clace moments that made us swoon
Film Daily (article): Malec forever: We’re still not ready to say goodbye to our fave ‘Shadowhunters’ couple
TVGuide (article): Shadowhunters bosses drop hints about season 4 in the series finale
Pure Fandom (article): ‘Shadowhunters’ series finale: A heartbreaking, yet hopeful end
Cosmopolitan (article): Malec (aka Matthew Daddario and Harry Shum Jr) say goodbye to ‘Shadowhunters’...for now
Digital Spy (article): Shadowhunters cast say an emotional goodbye to the series: “This fandom is truly unstoppable”
Entertainment Tonight (article): ‘Shadowhunters’ series finale: Bosses explain Clary’s cliffhanger and Malec’s near perfect wedding
CinemaBlend (article): Why Shadowhunters’ series finale ended Clary’s story the way it did
OnTvToday (article): ‘Shadowhunters’ bids farewell with a supersized finale
Digital Spy (article): Shadowhunters bosses reveal who they couldn’t get back for the finale--and who would’ve returned in season 4
TVInsider (Photos): ‘Shadowhunters’: Behind the scenes of the finale’s biggest moments (Photos)
JustJaredJr (article): ‘Shadowhunters’ fans did everything right to try and save the series, showrunners say
Entertainment Tonight (article): ‘Shadowhunters’ star Katherine McNamara reacts to series finale and rumors of a reunion movie (Exclusive)
TV Insider (video): ‘Shadowhunters’: Harry Shum Jr & Matthew Daddario on Malec’s future post-finale (video)
JustJaredJr (article): Matthew Daddario & Harry Shum Jr open up about Malec’s wedding in ‘Shadowhunters’ series finale
Meaww Entertainment (article): ‘Shadowhunters’ fans talk about their favorite moments and Malec emerges as a clear winner
SoManyShows (article): Fans react to Shadowhunters finale
Pride (article): The Malec wedding made Shadowhunters stans everywhere emotional AF
Tremblay (Interview): Kimberly Sue Murray talks the Shadowhunters finale (May/June 2019)
I Am Nova Magazine (Interview): Introducing her royal highness: Kimberly-Sue Murray (and the Queen she plays)
Carter Matt (video): Shadowhunters season 4-Shadowhunters Forever
Carter Matt (article): Why Shadowhunters season 4 will always be more than a mirage
Brief Take (Interview): Interview: Shadowhunters’ Dominic Sherwood
Young Hollywood (video): Shadowhunters cast play loaded questions!
Meaww Entertainment (video): ‘Shadowhunters’ star Jade Hassoune on that epic series finale: “We know it’s not the end absolutely”
Variety (article): ‘Game of Thrones’ nabs No. 1 spot as Most-Social TV show in Q1, while Netflix’s engagement surges
Meaww Entertainment (article): ‘It was really moving,’ Kimberly Sue Murray aka the Sealie queen of ‘Shadowhunters’ on show’s mega finale
TVGuide (article): The week in superlatives: Best tribute, worst dog dad, and the goodbye bliss
TVGuide (video): Shadowhunters cast thanks the fans and gives them a teary goodbye
JustJaredJr (article): Shadowhunters’ Harry Shum Jr & Nicola Correia-Damude dance together in cute BTS video
Film Daily (article): ‘Shadowhunters’ finale: The cast speak
Spoiler TV (Voting results): Performers of the month-April 2019 Voting *Results*
Buzz (video): Kimberly Sue-Murray talks Shadowhunters final show | Buzz 360
Neilson (Ratings): Top 10 list for Neilson Social content ratings-week of May 6, 2019
Close-Up Culture (Interview): Interview: Sydney Meyer talks ‘Shadowhunters’ and working with Ian Somerhalder
Film Daily (article): #SaveShadowhunters: Data doesn’t lie, so why hasn’t it been saved yet?
Hidden Remote (article): Shadowhunters fans confused by Season 4 renewal of The Bold Type
Tune Find (article): A bittersweet farewell: Favorite music moments from Shadowhunters
IBT (article): What’s the ‘Shadowhunters’ cast doing next after series finale?
Shadowhunters Finale Cast Party
Harry Shum Jr (Magnus) shared a photo of some of the cast getting ready for the finale party on Instagram
Shadowhunters TV tweeted: Crew is here. (Missing @IsaiahMustafa & @arosende, but they’ll be here soon!) Live tweet with us the 2.5 hour #Shadowhunters series finale using #ShadowhuntersChat
A fan attended the cast party and shared some photos with the cast: Jack Yang (Asmodeus), & Luke Baines (Jonathan), Jack (Asmodeus)
Shadowhunters TV shared a photo of Isaiah Mustafa (Luke) and Harry (Magnus) from the party, and several group photos from the party
Taylor Mallory (writer) shared a photo of some of the Shadowhunters writers
Michelle Argyris (Kaelie Whitewilllow) shared a photo of some of the cast
Sydney Meyer (Helen) shared a photo of herself and writer Taylor
Shadowhunters TV tweeted: @HarryShumJr at it again. #Shadowhunters #ShadowhuntersLegacy
Jack Yang (Asmodeous) shared a video he took at the party on his Instagram,
#SaveShadowhunters
Digital Spy (article): Shadowhunters fans organize another Times Square billboard ahead of the series finale
Social Media/Twitter
Cast/Crew Goodbyes: Dom (Jace), Chai Hanson (Jordan Kyle), Kat (Clary), Jade Hassoune (Meliorn), Harry (Magnus), Folks VFX (Visual Effects team), Kevin Alves (Bat), Matt Hastings (Director), Joshua Horvath (vampire), Claire Hupy (writer), Peter Binswanger (writer), Kristen Creamer (production team), Celeste Vasquez (writer), Zoe Broad (writer), Alberto (Simon), Jonathan Ho (Brother Zachariah)
Kat (Clary) shared a behind the scenes video from season 1 of the cast practicing their demon fighting tactics, a side by side photo of herself on her first day and last day along with a thank you to her character, a behind the scenes video from the finale, Clary Fray #FrayFriday playlist part 2, some of her favorite memories from the show, a video of herself and Alberto (Simon) dancing, some behind the scenes photos featuring herself and several cast members
Darren Swimmer (showrunner) shared a behind the scenes look into the writers room during 3A, some behind the scenes information regarding the musical themes in the finale
Javier Munoz (Lorenzo Rey) shared videos of himself with Matt (Alec), Emeraude (Izzy), Harry (Magnus), and Matt Hastings (director) in a Hamilton/Shadowhunters mashup
Verity Fiction (makeup artist) shared a photo from pilot of her applying Dom’s (Jace) runes
Taylor Mallory (writer) shared a behind the scenes photo from her set tour with director Matt Hastings, a “cheat sheet” she made for her friends when they watched episode 2x14
Luke Baines (Jonathan Morganstern) posted a photo of himself in character on his Instagram, a picture of Jonathan getting his first rune, some behind the scenes information about the black goo he wore during the finale, a video of himself attempting to text with his “demon” hands on his Instagram
Lola Flanery (Young Seelie Queen) shared the first ever photo she took in character
Todd Slavkin (Showrunner) shared a shout out to Farid Yazdani (table reader) for his help during table reads, tweeted a thank you to fans regarding the finale
TV Guide shared what was engraved om Malec’s wedding rings
Ruelle announced a special “Ode To Shadowhunters” collection
Ariana Williams (Madzie) shared some photos of the Lightwood-Bane family at Malec’s wedding, some behind the scenes photos of herself and Jack Fulton (Max Lightwood), a behind the scenes photo of herself and Nicola Correira-Damude (Maryse Lightwood) from the Malec wedding, some behind the scenes photos of herself and David Castro (Raphael Santiago), a video of herself, Kat (Clary) and Alberto (Simon) between takes of the Malec wedding
Brian Hui (makeup artist) shared a photo from the filming of the finale with Dom (Jace) and Kat (Clary), two photos of Anna Hopkins (Lilith) from the finale filming, a photo of Luke Baines (Jonathan Morgenstern) behind the scenes of 3B, a photo of himself with Todd (showrunner), a photo of Harry (Magnus) and camera operator Drew Potter, a photo of David Castro (Raphael Santiago), Javier Munoz (Lorenzo Rey), Sydney Meyer (Helen Blackthorn), Jacky Lai (Aline Penhallow) on set of 3x22, a video of Kimberly Sue Murray (Seelie Queen), and Luke Baines (Jonathan Morgenstern) from the set of the finale, a photo of “artist” Clary, a photo of Jonathan Ho (Brother Zachariah) from the finale, a photo of Sydney Meyer (Helen Blackthorn) ,Jacky Lai (Aline Penhallow), and Kat (Clary) from the Malec wedding, a Lightwood family photo from the Malec wedding, with Arianna (Madzie), and Steve Byers (Andrew Underhill)
Bryan Miller (writer) shared some behind the scenes information about the original end to 3x20
Jim Halterman of TVGuide/TVInsider tweeted a goodbye message to the cast and crew
Kevin Alves (Bat) shared a thank you to fans
Lindsay MacDonald shared a thread of behind the scenes photos and videos from the Malec wedding
The Series Regulars twitter page shared a peak into Jonathan’s (Brother Zachariah) feelings on being able to officiate the Malec wedding
Isaiah (Luke) shared a photo of himself, Matt (Alec), and Harry (Magnus) on his Instagram
Joshua Butler (director) tweeted Through all the highs and lows, it’s important to remember: Love is LOVE. #MalecForever
Vanessa Matsui (Dot) shared some photos from her time on Shadowhunters on her Instagram, an alternate version of her dance scene with Harry (Magnus)
Stefanie Terzo (hair stylist) shared a behind the scenes secret featuring Harry (Magnus) on her Instagram story, a behind the scenes look at the Idris demon attack on her Instagram story, a behind the scenes look at her character’s hair on her Instagram story
Jacky Lai (Aline Penhallow) shared a behind the scenes look at her transformation into Aline on her Instagram
Sydney Meyer (Helen Blackthorn) shared a photo of herself with Javier Munoz (Lorenzo Rey) from the Malec wedding, a photo of Todd (showrunner) and Dom (Jace) hugging it out on set
Harry (Magnus) shared some behind the scenes photos and videos on his Instagram
Jade Hassoune (Meliorn) shared a behind the scenes video on his Instagram
Amanda O’Leary (writer) shared some behind the scenes photos of the Malec wedding on her Instagram, some photos of Harry’s (Magnus) post wedding hairstyle on her Instagram,
Other News
Harry Shum Jr was announced as a guest at the Hunters of Shadows con in France
Buzzfeed (article): 24 things you didn’t know about Harry Shum Jr.
Harry (Magnus) is featured in the second episode of season 1 of Family Style
A preview for Emeraude Toubia’s new movie on Hallmark Channel is now available
Anna Hopkins (Lilith) was announced as a guest at Hero & Villain’s Fan Fest Nashville in August 2019
Kat (Clary) was announced as a guest for the Big Slick KC event
Harry (Magnus) was the MC for the Smithsonian APA Party
David Castro (Raphael Santiago) was announced as a guest at the Italian Institute 3 Con
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Camless Episode 5
All The Writers Of This Show Are Shit
We had us a brand new writer this week and all we got was the same old same old: OOC, Retconing, and Repeats of Old Story Beats.
I’ll attempt a recap, but this episode really sucked the will out of me.
(gif credit: gallavichlovies)
I’m not going to do my usual character by character recap because frankly some really awful shit went down this week that I’m just going to refer to and not go into in depth. Plus, so much of the episode was tedious repeats of shit the writer had JUST TRIED to say.
We had both Debbie and Ian go knocking on the wrong doors for advice. We had two endless Lip scenes where all that was happening was he was running and riding a motorcycle. Maybe next week he can paint a fence and we can all watch as the paint dries. Liam is sexually molested (off screen, but still) by another child who had been sexually molested. Carl and Frank both get slapped around in sexually-adjacent situations just as the show is once again trying to drive home what’s unacceptable for men to do to women-hey, Shameless, that goes for what’s unacceptable for women to do to men, women to do to other women, and men to do to other men as well. They tried to make “going Fiona” a thing-twice. There were at least four scenes where Frank tried to get an erection. There were endless retcons (more on those to come).
My notes are all over the place and the show’s such a shit pile I can’t even begin to make a smooth narrative out of them, so here’s a list of my observations, saving the Ian shit for last.
Debbie had a running thread through a big part of the episode where she’s literally bored to the point of falling asleep listening to Alex-that is exactly how I feel about their relationship/the Debbie thinks she might be gay storyline. Also, if anyone cares, Debs has completely dropped her equal rights/equal pay fight. She doesn’t even seem to go to work anymore. Later, Debbie goes to visit the lesbians in Fiona’s building (rather than, I don’t know, talking to Vee about her experiences with Svetlana, since that seems maybe more in line with feelings Debbie is experiencing?) and the scene was clearly written in lieu of Shameless ever showing sex scenes anymore.
The blond lesbian, Mel, exposes herself to Debbie in the doorway of her apartment (but sadly for the Netflix fans, her back is to the camera), without establishing if Debbie is not a minor, and then she kisses her in a sloppy slo-mo saliva string sharing close up. Debbie is supposedly stunned stupid by this, but the whole “you like what you like and you don’t have to justify your sexual orientation to anyone” message falls flat. Debbie has ALWAYS been starved for attention, and she misreads any attention she gets from anyone of any sex. Since Matty she’s always equated someone trying to be interested in her as being interested in her sexually. And that kiss wasn’t sexual at all-it too was a form of molestation-it wasn’t asked for or consented to. This show is shit.
Carl meets a young woman at a West Point mixer, the daughter of the scary military officer who is throwing the party. Hello, we’ve done this already with Dom and her scary cop dad. Yawn. Carl films them not having sex after she passes out drunk so he can prove he didn’t molest/rape her, should it ever come in question. At first the young woman is mad (and jumps on him and starts slapping him around, just like Katey Sagal will do in a scene with Frank), but then later she returns Carl’s phone and says she saw he didn’t film them having sex, but there is a recording on there of him having sex with someone else. He says that’s Kassidi, his ex, but fails to let Kelly (the new chick) know she’s dead and he’s an accessory to her murder. And how fucking creepy is it that Carl’s kept sex with his dead ex on his phone? Is that something he’s still watching? Does he get off to it? This show is shit.
Kev and Vee get stuck with Frank in a few scenes, foreshadowing the boring seasons to come, should the show get renewed (why are they still sitting on announcing that, btw?). There’s a subplot for Kev where he’s going to speak at a women’s rally in his new-found position of Vagina Safe consultant, but he wisely bows out when he hears the real hell women face on a regular basis. Why this show is trying to be socially conscious this late in the game I’ll never know. Especially since they’ll keep pulling their bullshit and defend it with “it’s Shameless!” like they’ve always done in the past. This show is shit.
There’s the weekly Fiona/Bored disagreements-this time they’re about little things like music preferences and whether or not Fiona should care about her brother going to prison for up to two decades. Bored winds up singing along to a song to Fiona at the end-it should’ve been Gus Pfender’s Fuck You, Fiona and they could’ve had a cute discussion about Gus being Fi’s ex-husband. This show is shit.
Now Ian. Sigh. Nothing makes sense. Everything’s either a lie or a retcon and we the audience still don’t know which. At breakfast he’s telling the family his plea options, and when Liam questions temporary insanity, Ian rattles off, “Bipolar, off my meds.” So is Ian saying that’s just the definition of the defense he could use, or is he saying “I was off my meds”???? WHY won’t the show give us any answers? There were two significant scenes in Season 8 where he staunchly said he was taking his meds and that he (rightly) was entitled to feel emotions and be angry at times. Are we supposed to think that right about then is when he stopped taking them and then Gay Jesus happened? But if that was the case, why did he stop taking his meds, and now how long has he been off them-or did he start taking them again and now they’re working after being off them for all the GJ stuff PLUS when he was in jail for 9 months? IF he was off his meds for any amount of time but especially a long amount of time (pretty sure an argument could be made he’d been off them since leaving Mickey/Monica dying/stalking boring Terror, blowing that old couple for money), why did his manic phase seem so different than when he was back from the army? Can the show try to explain anything?
Ian and Fiona and Geneva all go to the lawyer’s office-why? There IS such a thing as client-attorney privilege and the lawyer, at least, would ask them to wait outside once the screaming began if not sooner. But oh well. Ian finally says, “Does anyone want to hear what my lawyer has to say?” Me at home: YES!!! Lawyer starts to talk, “I know this judge-he’s under...” Geneva starts yelling again and what gets lost in her bullshit is that later on, the judge is not a he?
Outside Fi asks Ian, “Are all lesbians that dramatic?” I asked last week, I’m asking again: Is Geneva a lesbian? Is this just another retcon? Her initial interactions with Ian seemed like she was crushing on him, that she wanted him, and there’s been nothing about her being a lesbian in canon. I know it’s not important, but the lack of attention to detail on this show contributes mightily to its shittiness.
Suddenly Ian has a question, and he can think of only one place to get an answer (even though Liam was able to Google “what is cocktail attire?” and get an answer in seconds. Ian should’ve asked him to look up his question as well).
Ian goes to the Milkovich house and it’s so fucking OOC I don’t even want to think about it. For whatever reason, Ian politely says, “Hi, Mr. Milkovich,” when Terry answers the door-why would he even bother? Terry’s not big on manners, for one thing, and for another, the last time Ian saw Terry he was flipping him off as he was being carted back to prison. Don’t think Terry’s going to be warmed over by a polite greeting. Anyway, Ian asks him about being in the pen, and Terry says there’s ass and mouth rapings that Ian would probably enjoy, shitty food, and beat downs from the guards. Ian asks if Terry was mouth raped (I think he specified that, I didn’t put it in my notes) and Terry indignantly says that Milkoviches don’t “bottom”. Ian says, “Was Mickey adopted?” and I can’t tell if he was trying to piss Terry off or if he was genuinely curious, but as a joke it didn’t work-Ian knows (or the old Ian did, anyway) better than anyone that Mickey was absolutely nothing like Terry, in any way, not just in sexual preferences. Another OOC comment to just make the viewer weep thinking about the old days. Also, having Terry know, let alone USE, the term bottom was also OOC in the extreme. He might as well have said, “All Milkoviches are cishet.” It would’ve been just as believable.
But back to the scene. Ian says, “Rapings, food, guards-I can handle that shit. I just need to know...” Terry interrupts him. “Anyone can handle that shit. (Again, me at home: Really?) It’s the boredom that’ll kill ya...Start reading books, lifting weights...” (Mickey already told him that about juvie AND prison-how dense is Ian that he never got it?) “But you’re in the same place, with the same assholes, doing the same shit, every second of every minute of every hour of every day of every god damn year. If I was you I’d pack my shit and run.”
Ian’s face while he’s running down all the segments of time seems to look like Terry’s getting through to him. And Terry telling him to take off is actually the best advice Ian winds up getting-in the long run Terry seems to care about keeping Ian out of prison more than his own family. Terry easily could’ve slammed the door in Ian’s face and ignored him. Does that mean I forgive Terry at all for everything he did to Mickey, Mandy, and Ian-not to mention his other sons and Svetlana? FUCK NO. But how telling is it that this show is now so bad that a villainous piece of shit like Terry is the one character we are listening to and agreeing with?
One last thing about Terry-he just got out, but he knows Mickey’s in Mexico? How? I’m hoping this is a set up for Ian being able to find Mickey next week (or at the end of the season if we have to wait that fucking long), but this show doesn’t do continuity anymore, so I’m sure there’s no logical explanation for Terry knowing that fact.
Fi goes to the Gallagher house looking for Ian and finds an empty box of hair dye, and a towel stained with hair dye, and that Ian’s drawers are empty. I also noticed that his pillow was gone-did he pack that up too? If so, I’m hoping it’s because he and Mickey shared it and he wanted to keep some part of Mick with him always, but we know this show ain’t about that anymore. Anyway, Fi goes and tells Lip she thinks Ian skipped bail and they have to go find him. Lip says no, Ian’s an adult. This conversation also just took place with Debbie-or takes place right after, the show was so boring I couldn’t keep the repeated scenes straight if you put a gun to my head.
WHY are the siblings so uncaring about Ian going to prison-or getting caught as a fugitive and spending even more time there? WHY is everyone so stupid about whether prison is “bad” or not, especially for their apple cheeked, puppy-eyed brother who is dealing with mental illness? Who may or may not be off his meds at any given time? Ian couldn’t even handle VISITING Mickey in prison, why does he suddenly think he could do a stretch of multiple years if not decades? All those years stealing cable and watching bootleg DVDs, did none of the Gallaghers ever watch Oz? In a prior season it was established that Lip has read so much he was able to determine a Louis Vuitton purse was authentic by the stitching and the lettering-he’s never read about prisons and how they affect young men that are in them for a period of time? “Hardened criminal” is a phrase he’s never come across? Lip doesn’t realize how hard Ian’s future as a convicted felon will be when he gets out? Trying to find a job (especially one with medical benefits), a place to live, all that stuff? This show is shit.
There’s a meaningless shot of Ian at the train station (we don’t even get to know where he was planning to run to-as if we didn’t know-show us he’s at least headed south, you bastards!) and then there’s a scene where Lip comes home in the dark to find Ian at the kitchen table eating ice cream right out of the Edy’s carton. (They don’t show us the flavor-it looked like it might be chocolate chip? I didn’t see any chunks of cookie dough or anything. Again, this is only important because everything else is so boring that actually knowing what kind of ice cream Ian likes would be interesting in comparison.)
I guess the ice cream is sort of a metaphor? Ian’s last sweet taste of freedom? Or maybe I’m reading too much into it and they just came up with something for the brothers to share and it couldn’t be beer-because of Lip, not because of Ian’s meds because god knows they never cared about that, plus we STILL don’t know if he’s just magically back on them-if he is, how is he paying for them? Anyway, after Lip’s earlier attitude about Ian being an “adult” and not caring all that much about him ever, he doesn’t deserve ice cream! Here’s a snippet of their dialogue:
Lip: So you didn’t run. Ian: Oh no-I ran. I just...ran back. (well, at least that’s in character since he ran away to the army and came back, and ran away with Monica and came back, and the fucking Mexican border, but I’m not happy about that fact)
They start listing the things Ian will miss if he’s gone for the next ten years. Debbie may be married to a woman (I would think her being divorced is more likely, but whatever, I won’t be around to watch it either, I’m gone as soon as Ian’s back with Mickey), Carl will be a war criminal, Liam will be the father of a ten year old, Frank, dead. Ian asks Lip, “You?” “Still in AA, if I haven’t drunk myself to death.” Ian says, “Do me a favor? Don’t.” IAN CARES MORE ABOUT LIP THAN LIP CARES ABOUT IAN. Always has, always will. “Lip deserves to get out of the ghetto.” But Lip’s fine with Ian going off to prison because of the whole Gay Jesus thing that he never even began to try to understand or help Ian find a way out of. This show is shit.
Next there’s a scene of Ian in a suit, dressed for court and talking to his Bible that’s on his bed (still no pillow-weird). He’s asking Shim to talk to him one last time, maybe give him a hint what he should do. His voice is soft and pleading and he’s almost in tears and all I can think is he needs Mickey to talk things out with. Lip comes to the door and says something like they’re all downstairs, it’s time or whatever. Ian gives the Bible one last look and seems to do a little wink-did he hear something from Shim? Would it kill this show to let us in on some things? This show is shit.
His plea hearing was so factually inaccurate it hurt. His lawyer doesn’t say anything, and when asked what he pleads Ian launches into his entire defense. And the judge lets him. OMGJ.
Again I’m pretty sure I’m witnessing a retcon when Ian says “A young man was being forced against his will into a van to be taken to a conversion camp.” Um, as I recall (and I won’t rewatch the episodes to get all the exact details, they were too stupid), a young runaway came to the Church of Gay Jesus and claimed his parents were trying to make him get conversion therapy and they were giving him drugs so he couldn’t get erections because they didn’t like the fact that he was gay, but when Ian talked to the dad he said the kid ran away on his own because he suffered from mental illness, was off his meds, and was living on the street and prostituting himself. As I recall the dad/parents didn’t say anything about conversion, they just wanted him home. Maybe the dad sought help from the guys in the van because there was no other way to get the kid home-none of this has been established for the court, if nothing else! This show is shit.
Ian gives a speech in a voice like wimpy Jeremiah trying to convince everyone Jerome was the bad one and it was just lame. He claims his family loved him unconditionally-since when? They only gave him crap about being with Mickey, or ignored him. And then when he became “like Monica” there were definitely conditions on loving him-mainly that he be on his meds. Right up to this episode they were all going around saying it’s time to let him go-they didn’t love him enough to want to keep him at the house and try to help him!
Anyway, he then states in open court he was off his meds and in a manic state when he torched the van. Then he looks back at Fiona and starts to give a tiny smile right before the credits. Was he lying to get a lighter sentence and he’s smiling because he got away with it? Or does he look to her like that because he knows she’ll be proud of him for finally telling the truth even if it disappoints/ruins the GJ movement (that is so implausible as a concept it makes my head ache)?
By next week the show will be in another writer’s hands and I’ll never get the answer to that question either, I bet. IF this means the-fucking finally-end to the GJ storyline, I’ll have to be happy enough with that.
In conclusion let me say that once again the only “great” thing about the episode was ZERO mention of Terror!
But the rest of the show was shit.
#Recap#Season Nein Episode 5#Nobody wants it#So much to hate in this week's episode#They keep finding new depths to sink to
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The Final Blog Post of 2020
Greetings, friends. It has been a while.
I think, as it has been for so many of us, 2020 is going down as a year where I accomplished pretty much nothing.I had big things planned for 2020, as I am sure a lot of you did, and they just… did not happen. Most of the downhill slide started in March, when I accepted a third-shift job. My body did not respond well to working third shift, and it sapped me of just about any will do to anything. I spent my days asleep, and my nights hovering through a weird twilight state where I was awake and doing things, but I was not happy about it. On my days off, I could barely function, and I started getting little fits of narcolepsy. After a doctor’s appointment, I mentioned these issues, and the doctor told me that someone who has the sort of thyroid and metabolic conditions that I have should not work third shift because it throws my whole system into whack.
So, I’m looking for a new job, a better job (hopefully), and something that I actually look forward to doing. If nothing else, I’ve learned that money isn’t as important as actually enjoying your work.But, with this job, and the pandemic, of course, all my routines were knocked out and I have been struggling to figure out a new routine. I used to be able to write at home back when I lived in rented apartments. Since I bought a home, I’ve found it difficult. There is always something around the house that needs doing. I found a refuge at my local Culver’s restaurant. I’d go in, get a diet Mt. Dew to drink, and kick over 3-5 hours in my favorite booth grinding out pages. Now, with that not exactly being a favorable option, my writing output has decreased to almost nothing. A sentence here. Maybe a page or two, if I was lucky. The inability to generate a solid routine has made the story harder to solidify in my mind. So, it’s been a rough year is what I’m saying.
I’m still kicking, though.
As is traditional, I like to list a few things that I found that brought me some joy this year and share them with you, as maybe you might like them, too.
Movies:
--I have not watched a ton of movies this year. The last movie I saw in a theater was “1917,” which I enjoyed greatly. It was an excellent WWI film, and the fact that they made it look like it was done in a single take was a masterstroke. It was beautifully filmed, and almost every frame could be a painting. Well worth the time.
I also just watched “Soul” on Disney+. There was a lot reminiscent of “Inside Out” in “Soul,” but “Soul” was a much quieter, more existential film. I liked it a lot, but it wasn’t one of Pixar’s best outings.
I watched George Clooney’s “The Midnight Sky” the other day. It was a long, dreadfully slow, and ultimately pointless film. I did not care for it. Most of the other films I’ve watched this year were fairly forgettable.
They were titles on streaming services that have been out a few years, but never generated a lot of noise.
Television:
I watched a ton of television this year. What the hell else was I going to do, right? I’m sure most of you are in the same boat. Anyhow, I have long believed that TV has become superior to films in the last few years. Better characters, better stories, and the time to tell those stories. I prefer episodic television to just about anything film has given us in the past few years, so here’s what I was watching this year.
--“19-2” (purchase four season on Amazon Prime): If you’ve watched “Letterkenny” on Hulu, then you must be familiar with Jared Keeso, who plays the central character Wayne. Keeso won some awards for a Canadian cop drama called “19-2” before he made “Letterkenny,” and I can understand why. This is a fairly dark, but realistic cop drama about the 19th Precinct in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and deals with the new guy (Keeso) transferring into the precinct from a small town and dealing with his new partner (Adrian Holmes) and the rest of the flawed members of the station in addition to dealing with policing duties around the city. One thing I liked about the series is that it never got away from the day-to-day grind of policing in a big city. The characters’ story arcs had to be worked in around the calls and patrols. The first episode of the second season of “19-2” deals with the precinct responding to a school shooting. It is, by far, one of the finest hours of television I’ve ever seen. Chaotic and hurried, brutal and bloody. It’s everything that keeps your eyes glued to the set. There were only 38 episodes of “19-2,” but I could have watched another four seasons of it. It supplanted “The Shield” as my favorite cop drama. Well worth the time.
--“The Queen’s Gambit” (Netflix): I’m not going to add anything original to this that hasn’t already been written by other people. This highly lauded limited series was well-written and acted, and it actually made competitive chess interesting. Anna Taylor-Joy was excellent in the lead role, and the costumes and sets were fantastic.
--“The Uncanny Counter” (Netflix): My mother watches an insane amount of South Korean TV shows. I don’t know why. She is the butt of many jokes because of this. However, “The Uncanny Counter” is a pretty cool series that feels like an indie comic book. The premise is a group of Grim Reapers run a noodle shop and fight demons. However, the show is much more complex than that. The characters’ stories are all intertwined in odd ways, and it’s very watchable.
--“Hospital Playlist” (Netflix): Another show my mother suggested was the sappy, and almost twee hospital show “Hospital Playlist.” This show is a fairly soft, airy, and cute little hospital drama about five doctors who have been friends since medical school. They’re all heads of their respective departments now, and they work at the Yulje Medical Center. While the show centers around the five main characters, there’s a whole slate of other doctors and interns who add to the story. Inevitably, the show is about life, love, and death—like any other hospital drama. However, the core group of friends also get together once a week and play music to relax, so there is a cutesy pop song at the end of the episodes that plays into a montage of that week’s story wrapping up. The characters in the show are very likeable, and that’s about the best thing this show has going for it. Each episode is like 90 minutes, and there are 12 episodes in the first season, but I watched them all, and I hate to admit it, but I’m interested in seeing what season 2 will bring.
--“Upload” (Amazon Prime): Greg Daniels of “The Office” fame created and produced this series about the Singularity, a hypothetical point in the future when we will be able to merge our consciousness with a computer, and thus physical death will mean we have a chance to live a digital afterlife where we can still interact with our loved ones on the earthly plane through VR. The show is funny and extremely intelligent. It’s satire and commentary wrapped up in a solid existential premise.
--“Star Trek: Discovery” season 3 (CBS All Access): I’m not going to write a ton about ST:Disco, but I will say that season 3 is the first season that felt like “Star Trek” to me. It’s one of the few shows that I have actually looked forward to week-to-week.
--“The Mandalorian” season 2 (Disney+): Like ST:Disco, this is one of the few shows I actually looked forward to. The first couple of episodes felt like the series was in a bit of a rut, but the last three episodes made it all worthwhile. Total fanboy moments abounded.
--“Ted Lasso” (Apple+TV): Strangely enough, a sitcom based on a single-premise joke from a series of Superbowl ads from a couple years ago is, hands-down, my favorite new show of 2020. Jason Sudeikis of SNL fame plays Ted Lasso, the former head coach of the Wichita Shockers college football team who is hired to be the head coach of FC Richmond, a Premier League Football team in England. Initially Ted is hired by the new owner of Richmond, who happened to have won the team from her ex-husband in a messy divorce. Her initial goal is to have Ted unknowingly destroy the team, but Ted’s boundless optimism and true concern and care for his players flips the script. This is the show that 2020 needed. It is funny and joyous, and it’s another feather in Bill Lawrence’s (Scrubs, Spin City, etc…) cap. I watched this show out of a sense of loyalty to Bill Lawrence, but I ended up LOVING it. The fact that Apple renewed “Ted Lasso” for two more seasons immediately is very telling about how good this show was. Highly, highly recommend.
Music:
I barely listened to anything new this year. Not many bands I liked came out with a new record, and I was usually listening to podcasts or watching TV instead. However, there were two albums that came out year that I would note.
--Kyle Kinane, “Trampoline in a Ditch”: Kinane’s newest stand-up album, recorded in Madison, Wis., is a fun jaunt through Kinane’s weird sense of humor and excellent writing style. This record had me and my daughter laughing out loud on the day it came out, and I’ve listened to it several times since. Kinane’s writing is so good, I pick up subtle jokes on additional listenings.
--Brett Newski, “Don’t Let the Bastards Get You Down”: Milwaukee Dork Rocker Newski put out another solid album this year. Check out the video for “Wha’d Ya Got to Lose?”
Podcasts:
Spent a ton of time listening to podcasts at my third shift job. I’m not going to write a ton about them individually, but here’s the list of the podcasts that got the most listens from me:
--Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing, Colossal Podcast --Fake Doctors, Real Friends --Timesuck --Scared to Death --Office Ladies --Unexplained --Lore --Cabinet of Curiosities --Haunted Locations
Books:
I probably read the fewest books I’ve read in ages this year. I’m usually good for 20-40 books a year, and this year—I just did not get there. I maybe read 12 books this year, and that bothers me. I just could not focus on reading. However, much of what I did read, I enjoyed. The best of those are as follows: --Craig Johnson, “Next to Last Stand” --CJ Box, “Winterkill” --Joe Ide, “IQ” --Sebastien de Castell, “Crownbreaker” --Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child, “Crooked River” Anyhow, I hope some of those media suggestions will bring you some joy. We sure could all use some in 2021, no doubt. In the meantime, do continue to stay safe and healthy. Take precautions. Don’t throw caution to the wind. My plans for 2021: --Lose weight (as usual) --Finish the second Abe & Duff novel --Maybe finish another of the several novels on my desktop --Get a job I don’t hate --Make it to 2022 Here’s to hoping I have some good news about Abe & Duff in 2021. Thanks for reading, and Happy New Year. --Sean
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This is pop culture's moment of reckoning on matters of race | Appradab
New Post has been published on https://appradab.com/this-is-pop-cultures-moment-of-reckoning-on-matters-of-race-appradab/
This is pop culture's moment of reckoning on matters of race | Appradab
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However by no means fairly like this.
Popular culture has at all times been fast to replicate shifting public moods. And Individuals have grappled with cultural works about race and brutality since earlier than Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit.”
However Black students say there’s been a way in latest weeks that Individuals’ attitudes on race and tradition are altering for actual this time — and that entertainers who ignore them achieve this at their peril.
“It’s a long-overdue reckoning,” says Karsonya Wise Whitehead, a documentary filmmaker who teaches African American Research at Loyola College Maryland. “It is a second to do a radical reshaping of how we’re seen.”
In a number of methods, it is already taking place.
There’s renewed curiosity in Black-themed artwork and leisure
Books about race have been topping the bestseller lists: This contains each fiction and nonfiction. At one level earlier this month, 15 of the top 20 bestselling books on Amazon have been about race, racism and White supremacy within the US.
Demand for titles that assist White folks perceive racism has spiked: Books corresponding to Ibram X. Kendi’s ” be an Antiracist” and Robin Diangelo’s “White Fragility: Why It is So Laborious for White Individuals to Discuss About Racism” have sometimes been out of stock.
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“We have now been writing, singing and rapping about these societal ills for years,” says Whitehead, the Loyola professor. “This isn’t new. It is simply being lastly observed by the White group.”
Streaming platforms have been prominently that includes Black-themed content material: Netflix has been selling a new “Black Lives Matter” collection to prospects within the US, that includes dozens of flicks and sequence about racial injustice and the lives of Black Individuals. Amongst them are Ava DuVernay’s documentary “13th,” about racism within the prison justice system, and Spike Lee’s new drama “Da 5 Bloods,” about Black troopers returning to Vietnam to seek out the stays of their fallen squad chief.
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Curiosity in these and different Black-themed content material has spiked. Demand for the Netflix sequence “Pricey White Individuals” has surged greater than 446% over the previous 30 days, according to Parrot Analytics, which measures the recognition of TV programming. “When They See Us,” DuVernay’s 2019 miniseries concerning the wrongly convicted Central Park 5, additionally acquired a large bump.
“New audiences look like turning to those tales as a type of schooling and understanding of the Black expertise in America,” says Ashley Alleyne-Morris an insights director at Parrot Analytics.
Audiences are turning to podcasts about race: On the earth of podcasts, Apple’s charts present audiences are gravitating towards the New York Occasions’ “1619,” concerning the historical past of slavery in America, and NPR’s Code Change, which options journalists of coloration speaking about race.
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Audiences looking for to channel their anger over police brutality and different points raised by the George Floyd protests are looking for out non-Black content material as nicely. Streams of music by rock band Rage Towards the Machine, identified for his or her revolutionary political beliefs, have surged over the previous month.
It is tempting to counsel that the newfound recognition of all this woke content material will result in significant social change. However Vincent Stephens, director of the Popel Shaw Heart for Race & Ethnicity at Dickinson Faculty, urges warning.
“We should be cautious to not mistake gross sales for social reform,” he says. “Translating the data and content material from books and digital media into on a regular basis antiracist practices is the one significant method for this renewed consideration to affect society.”
Persons are reappraising racist or inappropriate cultural content material
Hollywood has had an uneasy relationship with race relationship again to “The Start of a Nation,” the landmark 1915 silent movie that glorified the Ku Klux Klan.
Problematic content material is being pulled: “Gone With the Wind,” one of the crucial standard motion pictures ever made, has lengthy been criticized for its legendary depictions of slavery however remained a TV staple till this month, when HBO Max pulled the 1939 film from its slate of choices.
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On Wednesday the streaming service — owned by WarnerMedia, Appradab’s dad or mum firm — brought back the movie however with two extra movies that debate its historic context.
Disney has taken an identical strategy to the unique animated “Dumbo,” which incorporates a character named Jim Crow, voiced by a Caucasian actor utilizing a stereotypical African-American accent. On the Disney+ streaming service, “Dumbo” is presented with a disclaimer saying the film “could comprise outdated cultural depictions.”
Kevin Willmott, a professor of movie and media research on the College of Kansas who received an Oscar for co-writing “BlacKkKlansman” with Spike Lee, says movies like “Gone With the Wind” ought to include warning labels that place them in historic context and educate viewers about racism.
“The extra you realize about our racist historical past, the extra you perceive what is going on on now,” he says. “We’re on this popular culture second proper now. America is struggling about what sort of nation it needs to be.”
However Wes Jackson, an educator at Emerson Faculty and co-founder of the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Competition, has no persistence for dated cultural works with racist caricatures.
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“Get ‘Dumbo’ off Disney Plus. I do not wish to see any extra ‘Little Rascals,’” he says. “A teachable second? You have been in a position to educate this second for 500 years, and you have not,” he says. “So I would like it gone. It is insulting to me.”
Stars are apologizing for their past use of blackface: This week Tina Fey, creator and star of the Emmy-winning sequence “30 Rock,” asked streaming services to remove four of the show’s episodes that function White actors in blackface. Fey apologized for the episodes and the “ache they’ve precipitated.”
Discuss present host Jimmy Kimmel and radio persona Howard Stern have additionally not too long ago addressed carrying blackface throughout previous TV sketches.
Persons are viewing long-established acts and exhibits by way of a brand new lens: Actuality exhibits about cops, together with “Live PD” and “Cops,” have been canceled over criticisms that they glorified police violence.
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Whitehead, the Loyola professor, says she’s been revisiting exhibits like “Seinfeld” and “Mates,” which featured no main characters of coloration, with extra essential eyes.
“You take a look at this and assume, ‘The place are the Black characters on this present?’” she says. “How has this been OK?”
This revisionist considering has even prolonged to the names of musical acts. Nation music trios Woman Antebellum and the Dixie Chicks each modified their names this month.
Sure, issues are altering. However will it final?
That relies on who you ask. However cultural observers are cautiously optimistic.
Requested why popular culture appears to be changing into extra racially enlightened in latest weeks, Wes Jackson has a easy reply: cash.
The Emerson Faculty professor says enterprise executives regarded on the sheer breadth and variety of the George Floyd protesters and realized there was cash to be made.
“Somebody pulled out a spreadsheet and mentioned, ‘We higher get on the opposite facet of this,’” he says.
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As educators, Jackson and Willmott, the Kansas professor, each say they’ve one more reason to be hopeful: their White college students, who respect Black tradition and do not tolerate racism of their leisure.
“These are White youngsters coming in right here, progressive and engaged,” Jackson says. “These are individuals who grew up on Obama and Beyoncé and Jay-Z. They’re like, ‘Yeah, in fact Black lives matter — when did they not?’”
Some students say they sense a seismic cultural shift concerning pop-culture portrayals of individuals of coloration. However others warning it is too quickly to say whether or not that is greater than only a fleeting second of media wokeness.
“We have now to be very cautious about saying that one second clearly represents a completely new shift in media,” says Rebecca Wanzo, an affiliate professor at Washington College in St. Louis who research African-American literature and tradition.
Wanzo sees the current second as only one in a sequence of historic moments by which activism has spurred folks to look at African-American artwork and literature that addresses oppression.
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“There has by no means been a second, nor can I think about there’ll ever be … when everybody within the nation ‘wakes up’ to racism,” she provides. “The warfare towards antiblackness has lasted for hundreds of years, and it’s a sluggish chipping away.”
“The motion is doubtlessly thrilling, however the jury continues to be out on substantive change,” says Bridgette Baldwin, a professor of legislation at Western New England College who has studied the intersection of race and social justice. “A few of the change is being fueled by model administration within the want to look political but stay secure,” she provides.
“Proper now, cultural critics and Black figures are en vogue. Everybody needs to get the Black perspective and carry a ‘Black Lives Matter’ signal. However we’ll see if persons are nonetheless listening when the buildings cease burning.”
Some observers say that actual, lasting change when it comes to race and illustration in popular culture will solely occur when the leisure trade hires extra folks of coloration as writers, producers, administrators and showrunners.
As if to drive residence that time, greater than 300 Black actors, artists and executives, together with Issa Rae, Michael B. Jordan and Viola Davis, signed an open letter Tuesday urging Hollywood to “show Black Lives Matter” by now not telling tales that glorify police brutality and by investing in anti-racist content material and the careers of Black inventive figures.
“Resulting from Hollywood’s immense affect over politics and tradition, all the racism, discrimination and glass ceilings Black folks in Hollywood expertise regularly have direct implications on Black lives in every single place,” it says.
“…this offers us much less management over our narratives (and) continues the legacy of white supremacy’s affect over our tales.”
The reckoning is right here.
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West Week Ever: Pop Culture In Review - 8/25/17
In movie news, there was quite the controversial casting this week, as the color lines blurred for some comic book adaptations. First up, it was announced that English actor Ed Skrein would be portraying Japanese character Ben Daimio in the upcoming Hellboy reboot. Now, according to what I’ve read, Daimio’s Japanese heritage heavily influences the character, so this whitewashing of the character doesn’t seem to be in the best interest of the character. I mean, after the problems with whitewashing in Doctor Strange, Ghost in the Shell, Aloha, The Great Wall, and Ni’ihau, you’d think Hollywood would avoid shit like this. Yes, movies are made to make money, but it’s not like Skrein is a bankable star worth slotting into the role, so it doesn’t make a lot of sense. Usually this is done for the film’s STARS. Damon, Johansson, Stone. This is a secondary character, so it really wouldn’t have hurt them to seek out an Asian actor. Normally I’m just like “Well, Hollywood’s gonna Hollywood”, but this decision just doesn’t make a ton of sense.
Next up, 24: Legacy’s Anna Diop has been cast as Starfire in Warner Bros’ Titans series, slated to air on DC’s upcoming digital service. Some folks are saying they should’ve cast a Latina, but she’s gonna either be painted or CGied in orange, so it’s not like it’s gonna matter at the end of the day. Personally, if they wanted authenticity, I think they should’ve cast an actual orange alien princess. Right now there are just too many unknowns for me to get excited about this. I mean, DC announced the digital service without a lot of information. What’s gonna be on it? What will it cost? How much of the DC library will be available to be housed on it? As for Titans, this is the show TNT passed on. Ya know, the home of such illustrious shows as The Librarians and The Last Ship. I mean, they’re basically just about a notch up from what we got in the 90s from Universal’s Action Pack lineup. If Titans couldn’t fit anywhere on that schedule, then it probably just isn’t “ready for primetime” yet.
Speaking of aimless Warner Bros decisions, they announced 2 different Joker movies this week. First up is an origin tale, directed by Todd Phillips of Old School fame, and produced by Martin Scorsese. Hmm, one of those things is not like the other. I mean, why would Scorsese touch something helmed by the dude who gave us Road Trip? And who even WANTS a Joker origin story? First of all, it’s reportedly not even going to be part of the DCEU, so why confuse the audience with a story that won’t even really “count” in the grand scheme of things? Nobody needs a standalone origin of a take on a character they’ll likely never see again. This is just as foolish as Sony’s Don’t-Look-For-Spider-Man-To-Appear Venom movie. Next, the guys behind This Is Us (SO hot right now!) and Crazy, Stupid, Love are working on a Bonnie & Clyde-style Joker and Harley film, with Jared Leto and Margot Robbie reprising their roles from Suicide Squad. Since this would sort of negate the empowerment that Harley gained by the end of Squad, it’s believed that this actually means that the planned Gotham City Sirens film, also slated to star Robbie, is now dead. Honestly, I could do without either of these movies. I found Leto’s take on Joker to be…interesting, but Less is More with that character. Plus, I don’t really think the DCEU would be strengthened by this sort of movie. It’s not the world-building they need to be doing right now, as they haven’t even figured out the core of their star characters like Batman and Superman yet.
In TV news, Christopher Sebela’s comic Heartthrob has been optioned as a TV series by Felix Culpa – a production company launched by actress/Elvis’s granddaughter Riley Keough. Now, comics are optioned every day, and the final product never comes to fruition, but I hope this series sees the light of day. I’m actually a big fan of the comic, which is published by Oni Press. Set in the late 70s, it focuses on Callie, who’s received a heart transplant while the process is still in its infancy. Given a new lease on life, but still told she’s basically living on borrowed time, she decides to change her life when she meets Mercer, a charming guy with a shady side. She immediately falls for him, and he teaches her how to be bad, like rob banks and commit other crimes. She gets off on the rush. Pretty soon, however, she realizes that Mercer isn’t real. No, he’s actually the ghost of the guy whose heart is now in Callie. So, it’s a Bonnie & Clyde story where Clyde’s calling the shots from the afterlife. The book is published in “seasons”, so the first 5-issue miniseries wrapped up back in early 2016, while season 2 is hitting stores now. If you’re looking for a new comic not from the Big Two, I highly recommend it.
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In music news, Taylor Swift did a whole social blitz to announce that her next album would be called Reputation, and would be released Nov 10th. On top of that, the first single was released last night, with rumors that the video will premiere at Sunday’s MTV Video Music Awards. Ya know, the same awards hosted my Taylor’s enemy Katy Perry. Yeah, that should be pretty interesting to watch. Anyway, the new song is called “Look What You Made Me Do”, and I’m not too impressed. It lacks a real hook, while the chorus itself is basically spoken. I feel like it has all the ingredients for a great song, but it’s not living up to its full potential. If this is an indicator of what to expect on Reputation, though, I’ll admit I’m curious. It can’t be worse than Perry’s Witness.
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Speaking of Katy Perry, we got the premiere of her video for “Swish Swish”, which was reportedly her diss track against Taylor Swift. After a lot of backtracking and sucking up, though, it seems Katy wants to put that feud behind her. That’s why this horrible video does everything it can to take the bite out of a song that was never really that biting to begin with. I mean, just look at it – Molly Shannon? Terry Crews? Even Nicki Minaj was clearly CGied in, as I’m sure she didn’t wanna be anywhere near this shitshow. The sad thing about the Perry/Swift feud is that Katy bailed on it the minute she realized the Swifties were a more powerful lobby than she had thought. Nobody was feeling her SNL performances, and Witness didn’t exactly fly off the shelves. She realized that she can’t really survive by making enemies, so suddenly she became conciliatory to save her ass. Plus, it’s kinda lame that this blood feud started just because Taylor stole a few of Katy’s dancers for her tour. Anyway, you’ll never get those 6 minutes back. You’re welcome.
I had the pleasure of joining my buddy Zac for his new podcast, The Zac Shipley Show. He’s treating these first few episodes as pilots for ideas he’s wanted to try, so our ep was called Streaming Pile, where we talked about the worst things we could find on streaming services. I talked about a Star Trek: Voyager episode where formerly perky pixie Kes returns all middle-aged and bitter. You should check it out, and give a listen to his other episodes while you’re there!
Song of the Week
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I’ve been a big Maren Morris fan since she released “My Church”, and I was really into her next single, “80s Mercedes”. With this song she continues not to disappoint, as I love the groove on this thing. Listen to the bassline. It’s not a dance song, yet you can do a MEAN two-step to it. Hell, I think you could even do a casual version of The Hustle to it. This will definitely go to #1 given time.
Things You Might Have Missed This Week
NBC’s planned reboot of Xena: Warrior Princess – which would’ve featured a full-on lesbian relationship between her and Gabrielle – is officially dead, as they said “it didn’t warrant a reboot”. Man, if only other studios would realize this about some of their projects…
Director James Gunn mentioned in a Q & A session that the 3rd Guardians of the Galaxy film would set up the next 10-20 years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yup, you’re just now realizing your own mortality. I’ll give you a minute to deal with that.
Speaking of Gunn, he’s attached to write the pilot for (and possibly direct) a reboot of 70s series Starsky & Hutch. This adaptation is supposed to be similar in tone to CBS’s upcoming S.W.A.T. and not comedic in tone like the 2004 Ben Stiller & Owen Wilson movie.
Surprising every critic in Hollywood, Netflix has renewed the maligned comedy Friends From College for a second season.
Known for controversial publicity stunts, Alamo Drafthouse is reportedly organizing a Clowns Only screening of the new adaptation of Stephen King’s It.
We got a new poster for Thor: Ragnarok. So many colors!
Michael K. Williams has reportedly been cut from the Star Wars Han Solo film, as Ron Howard’s reshoot schedule conflicted with another role that Williams had accepted.
There are, like, 8 different Knight Rider reboot treatments floating around Hollywood, but the latest rumor is that one of those productions is looking at John Cena as Michael Knight, with Kevin Hart as the voice of K.I.T.T. Of course, it would be a comedic adaptation, a la the popular Jump Street franchise.
Super Troopers 2, the sequel to one of the most overrated films I’ve ever seen, will hit theaters April 20th, 2018.
Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson will star in Nasty Women, which is a female-led reboot of the Michael Caine/Steve Martin classic Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
Independence Day: Resurgence‘s Jessie T Usher will star in Son of Shaft, with Samuel L. Jackson potentially reprising his role as John Shaft (from the 2000 reboot film), the nephew of the original John Shaft, played by Richard Roundtree, who is also in talks to join the movie. Man, that gave me a headache.
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Always on the cutting edge, here’s Sesame Street’s parody of 2017’s song of the summer, “Despacito”
According to the creators, the Netflix series Stranger Things will most likely end after its fourth season
The actress formerly known as “Andrea Zuckerman”, Gabrielle Carteris, has been re-elected to a 2-year term as the President of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA)
Ryan Gosling will host the season premiere of Saturday Night Live, with musical guest Jay-Z, on Sept 30th.
Jamie Bell is developing a Jumper TV series, based on the 2008 film about teleporters
Suicide Squad 2 is reportedly being fast tracked, but I hope they fast track it right into the garbage. I mean, I enjoyed the first one, but I don’t need a sequel.
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I like Nick Kroll, even though I never saw even a second of Kroll Show. Anyway, he’s got a new animated series about puberty called Big Mouth coming to Netflix and after watching this teaser I am ON BOARD!
We’re a month away from the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery, and it was revealed that it will be rated TV-MA, for Mature Audiences. Now, it doesn’t mean there’ll be tits and phasers, but it does mean they can tell more complex stories. That said, I still feel like they don’t truly understand the source material.
After a scathing essay from his ex-wife went public, accusing him of adultery and other generally shitty behavior to women, Joss Whedon went underground and the fan site, Whedonesque, shut down after 15 years.
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We got a new teaser for Netflix’s The Punisher. With the rate I’m getting through these Marvel shows, I’ll probably get to it just before Evie goes off to Hogwarts.
There was a national solar eclipse this week, which was the first occurrence since 1918. I’m sure you might’ve heard something about it. It was kind of a big deal. Folks were pimping out special cardboard glasses on Craigslist for insane amounts of money, and the American President made news by looking directly into it. It seems that it had a strange effect on different folks. For example, Netflix viewership went down 10% as people went outside to view the phenomenon. Not everyone understood what was going on, bless their hearts. At work, a frantic parent called in and said “Y’all watching the news? You hear about this eclipse? Is it serious?!” Apparently she thought it posed some sort of danger to her kids and the school. No, ma’am. It’s just a beautiful sky ballet. Anyway, the eclipse was EVERYWHERE. I didn’t get to see totality, but it was still nice to stand outside for a bit on a nice day. What am I saying? I hate the outdoors! Well, it was nice to not have to work for a few minutes. You couldn’t escape the Eclipse Fever at the start of the week, so that’s why the Solar Eclipse of 2017 had the West Week Ever.
#80s#Batman#Comics#Country#DC#Indie#Knight Rider#Marvel#Movies#Music#Politics#Pop#Race#Star Trek#Star Wars#Television#West Week Ever#Wrestling
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