#love life hbomax

[aetee]

I was watching 13 Sins when I realized Rutina Wesley is the black Anna Kendrick. Are ya picking up what I’m putting down? And I only was able to make this connection cuz I’ve watched Love Life 10 times over so I know Anna’s face like the back of my hand 😭

[wishtherebestars]

ya suffer for your art, darlin’

[gentlebeardsbarngrill]

My current letter to the HBO Folks.

@stardust-sadie's latest letter, @merryfinches, @poison-into-positivity and so many others inspired me to write my own letter to David Zaslav. This is what was sent, feel free to use any of it if you'd like, I stole some of Stardust-Sadie's commentary with their permission (in their letter).

---

Email Addresses:

Only emails that worked:

support@hbomax.com

kundeservice@hbomax.com

The rest of these are not working at the moment:

david.zaslav@discovery.com, david_zaslav@discovery.com, To whom it may concern: attention David Zaslav, help@hbomax.com

---

To whom it may concern: Attention David Zaslav

I realize you all are probably being swamped at the moment by an influx of responses to your decision to not greenlight Season 3 of Our Flag Means Death, so I appreciate you taking the time to read this if you do. 

I am writing today, much like many of my fellow fans, hoping to provide you with evidence and earnest feedback as to why you should reverse the decision not to renew. I have used HBO Max in the past, but once a show I liked was over, and another one on another network came up that we wanted to watch, we decided to cancel. I was on HBOMax before I knew about Our Flag Means Death, and aside from Doom Patrol and Harley Quinn, we didn't have too many other shows we wanted to watch. After cancelling for many months, I heard of Our Flag Means Death from an artist that drew for other fandoms that I liked. Looking into the fanbase, I quickly found pieces that I felt were definitely up my alley and decided to cancel other networks for a few months to jump back into HBOMax.

Why is this important? I don't watch ads in a lot of places. I block pop ups because they are often very spammy, so I don't get recommendations for shows like most people. I'm a [AGE][GENDER][PROFESSION] and I avoid advertising in most cases. You know where I get my recommendations? Fanbases, casts and crews. The absolute adoration of an artist or writer that I like loving a series will get me to look into and watch that show before any other kind of advertising. Your fanbase is free advertising. THAT BEING SAID -- I'd like to explain to you what meant so much to me about this show.

Not only was I absolutely floored by the quality, and story of Our Flag Means Death, but the thing that kept me wanting more was the messages it portrayed. So rarely is there a show that embodies drama, comedy, and an all encompassing belief in forgiveness and change, and accepting others for who they are. This show gave me a new outlook on life. It helped me to heal parts of myself I didn't realize were hurt. I found love and compassion in the cast, the crew, and the fanbase that I haven't experienced in modern television in a very long time. I became engaged in other max shows because of it (Wellington Paranormal, The Last of Us, His Dark Materials, Lovecraft Country, etc). I'm actively watching shows and content I had previously decided not to worry about because of the influence of Our Flag Means Death. 

For me, as a fan, knowing that Max has content that means so much to me and others, shows that as a company, you're willing to have content that not only sparks the imagination, but fosters kindness, acceptance, and forgiveness no matter what race, gender, sexuality, or financial background you're from. That is the content we, the fans, have been looking for in so many places and have found them lacking. Another great example of this is the Barbie movie that you had a sign language interpreter for. While I am a hearing person, I still watched it because it was fascinating and so incredibly inclusive, and that tells me that you, HBOMax as a company DOES care about inclusivity.

When we waited for the renewal announcement this winter, I purchased Our Flag Means Death merchandise from your store (a mug and a blanket) because I knew I needed something to commemorate this great show no matter what happened. I am one of many fans who did this. Fun, reasonably designed merchandise is something we the fanbase can get behind. 

Our Flag Means Death is a powerhouse in television, and I know that it's only meant to be 3 seasons, so it won't be a cash cow forever, but I can tell you it's brought SO MANY PEOPLE to your platform that would normally just not have joined up. I am on HBO Max right now so that I can watch Our Flag Means Death whenever I want to. You're getting monthly subscription fees from me and so many other people JUST for this show. Your decision to cancel it is actually hurting your numbers, as can be seen in the clear drop in shareholder confidence since the announcement on January 9th.  Attached is a screenshot of the WB Discovery Inc Stock for reference.

In addition, a colleague of mine said this best so I will quote them here:

"Furthermore, the decision to cancel the show has led to a very prominent and public backlash from the very passionate and vocal fanbase of Our Flag Means Death. Fans have made their displeasure known across all the major social media platforms: X, Instagram, TikTok, Tumblr, YouTube, Facebook, etc etc. This backlash is unlikely to die down in the near future, and is likely to continue to reflect a poor image of HBO Max to subscribers and investors. 

The egregious decision to cancel Our Flag Means Death has also caught the attention of journalists writing for major publications, such as Vanity Fair, The Hollywood Reporter, The Independent, and even more niche internet publications such as Collider. "

All of this is true. As an active member of this fanbase, I am seeing this across all platforms.

I implore you, as a huge consumer of  fiction, fantasy, sci-fi, historical, and lgbtqia content, to please reconsider renewing Our Flag Means Death for its 3rd and final season. We the fans are willing to put our hearts and souls into these letters because this show made an impact on our community that is so immense and cascading that it can't be quantified. I guarantee that a good faith act to do so will not only restore your reputation but open new revenue streams if you continue with this kind of inclusive and heartfelt content.

Thank you for your time,

[NAME]

[alixandra-multifandom-version]

Hi loves! Hope you guys are doing well. Here's a nightwing fanfic to feed everyone's obsession! I used HBOMAXs nightwing Pic but that really doesn't matter if anyone has any requests or cool pics for me to use Please don't be shy and message me♡! Sorry if there's any spelling mistakes I wrote this late at night

Warnings: Nothing triggering or tragic is mentioned. Romantic content is mentioned female reader!!! Sorry♡

Likes reblogs and follows are appreciated

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

I have always loved you

"Sometimes all it takes is a moment of bravery to change everything."

Your relationship with dick was...complicated strangers to best friends to well strangers again, but after all these years, you found him on your doorstep asking for some sense of familiarity maybe if it was anybody else you would've told them to go away but you can't just to that to him no matter what

"So what are you doing here?...after all these years?" You said, raising an eyebrow at him as you sat down on your couch.

"What i can't visit my best friend now?" He said with his signature boyish smirk that you found yourself loving it so many years ago

"You know usually people don't visit their so-called best friend after what? Four or five years"

He sighed you knowing you had a point he couldn't just waltz into your life again after disappearing

"I know, I know....I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have left...I shouldn't have left you like that it was wrong but I needed to come back to take a hold of what i loved and love"

"Well then, you came to the wrong place because I can't find the person you want to meet" you said trying to play it cold he didn't need to know that you've missed him every day sometimes even going as far as asking Bruce or Alfred if there's anything knew about him....

"I think I'm looking at her right know"

"No you're not she isn't the person you knew she moved on and she doesn't have any intentions of going back"

Dick knew he had no rights demanding anything yet he looked at you with a pleading expression

You wanted to say no kick him out and tell him to never come back to you ever again, yet the other part of you wanted to hug him too tightly that he couldn't breathe and tell him how much you have missed him

"Fine I guess you can stay"

He smiled at you immediately, appreciating the empathy you had oh how you wish you didn't though you don't know how you ended up in this situation with the both of you two guys in your room cuddled up talking to each other like old the old times....

Your head was on his chest as you looked up at him as his gaze flicked to your lips lingering for a moment before meeting your eyes. He could sense the tension between the two of you, the undeniable attraction that had been there for so long but never acted upon.

He brought your hand up to his lips, pressing a soft, gentle kiss to your knuckles, his eyes locked on yours as he did so.

"I love you...I have always loved you since the day I meet you and I know I have been a damn idiot to never tell you that before" you melted at his words...he loves you he had always loved you all these times you spend thinking nothing would ever happen was for nothing....

The rest of your night was spend making up for the lost time as you guys spend the time away by whispering words that were just meant for the two of you to know....

[aksually2008]

aksel's guide to relaxing media

A lot of people have asked me to compile a list of my go-to depressing/dooming media, but I feel it would be irresponsible to give you that without an antidote.

Maybe this will be of help to you on an anxious night and instead of smoking a cigarette you'll turn to this or maybe its a nice cozy afternoon and you need something to maintain that feeling.. either way here's stuff that I consume on those days:

Film/TV

Joe Pera Talks You to Sleep

This is something I have recommended to most of my friends at this point and if you ever give me the opportunity I'll probably talk your ear off about this man. I have a very special affinity towards this video, as it randomly found me on a particularly stressful quarantine night and boy am I glad it did.

I'm not gonna talk about it too much further, but if you're feeling a little bit lost or anxious, even after my 250 watches of this, I end up feeling a little bit better. If you like it make sure to check out his show, Joe Pera Talks With You on hbomax as it's one of my favourite shows ever!! The episodes are short and easy to digest :)

How to With John Wilson

It's hard for me to exactly describe this show, it's just one of those things you have to see for yourself to fully understand the appeal of it. For the most part, this show uses street footage of New York City and interviews with average everyday New Yorkers to convey some kind of narrative, usually disguised as a tutorial(hence the "how to"). There's a lot of absurdity, laughter and sometimes it plays with your emotions a bit, but sometimes it's nice to just unwind and learn about the insane industry of scaffolding in NYC.

Come and Visit Us Again

Okay, so this is probably one of the most niche things here.. Considering that it has 205 views as of me writing this and it's in estonian with no captions available.(Maybe someday I'll translate it)

As far as I can tell, it is a documentary short made by Liis Nimik, who at the time was a film school student. It follows the day-to-day of a village grocery store cashier and her interactions with the people who visit her store everyday.

Moms, dads, scary little kids and village bums.. It has it all and serves as this kind of a sweet time capsule of one particular week in this one Estonian village. I will admit this is probably extra comforting for me as I grew up near a village similar to this that also had a store just like this one. In a small village, the people who work at the local grocery store really become apart of your everyday life and I loved to see it captured like this.

I feel like even if you don't understand Estonian, it's nice background noise.

Malcom in the Middle

Need I say more?

Youtube

If you know me, you know I'm a fiend for comforting youtube personalities. Here are some of my favorites:

Steve Wallis

Even if you aren't particularly interested in camping, you'll still probably enjoy these videos. Steve is probably one of the sweetest dudes I've found on YouTube and he really knows how to keep a conversation. All in all, just nice to throw on if you just wanna disconnect for 30 minutes

Shirley Curry

I've loved Shirley's stuff for years now. She calls her viewers her grandkids and posts vlogs & let's plays. I think that covers the gist of it.

Featureman a.k.a. Tom Willett

This is an older gentleman, who for the most part shows you different meals that he makes & tells you stories about his time as an actor in the 1980s. Every video feels like you're visiting your grandpa.

GIFGAS

I found them quite recently, but they're quickly turning into my favourite Youtube channel. Videos of trainhopping, which are so well shot and the music choices are soooooo gooooood. Every travel vlog should have a mandatory requirement of at least (1) shoegaze song.

Roger Hance

Found this guy randomly on my recommended and him only having 4k subs feels like a crime. He's a bird photographer, who vlogs his outings and talks about all the little birds he sees. super cute.

Music

Below are a couple of playlists and tracks I recommend for this occasion:

Mixture of ambient tracks and just relaxing instrumentals. There's no vocals. During the summer, I would always listen to this if I was sitting in a park or doodling.

This is just some of my favourite ambient tracks. If you've never really listened to ambient music before, check this out I guarantee you'll like it.

I have fallen asleep to this so many times that sometimes i just constantly hear it in the back of my head. Maybe thats not a comforting thought but it helps me sleep so that's a price I am willing to pay.

That's about it though.. I didn't include everything, because this is already pretty long and I have to keep some things secret, but I hope you find use in some of this. bye

[destielcrack]

With the CW network canceling almost all scripted shows on its network, many great shows have been canceled or are facing the threat of cancellation. Gotham Knights is potentially one of the shows that unfortunately, could share this same fate.

Many fans all over the world support Gotham Knights and would love to see it continued for more seasons! Gotham Knights has an immense following all around the world. The show has been a massive success globally, where streaming services like HBOMAX and the CW app have continuously shown the series in the top 10 most watched of 2023, ranking number six for the current year and number three for the last two months with only the international hits "The Last of Us", and "Succession" ahead, respectively. That's astounding statistics considering the series has only been on the air for two months.

Gotham Knights is the most talked about show on the CW. From its gripping and action-packed storylines, to production and costume design, to the phenomenal acting talent of a diverse cast, there is constant buzz about potential award nominations for this series. Misha Collins, playing the tragic Harvey Dent who, eventually becomes the iconic villain Twoface, has been exceptional invoking the duality of an honorable and upstanding man, who succumbs to his darker, deadlier side. Olivia Rose Keegan, as Duela Doe, not only provides comic relief, but is also effective showing her vulnerable side.

If the show is canceled, then the producers of the show will have to find a new home for it. However, that's not an easy task. The CW network, as well as, Nexstar Media Group, Inc. will have to be convinced to sell the show to other networks or streaming services. I do believe, however, that with the show's immense popularity and success on HBOMAX and the CW app, that selling it would be the best option if it's not renewed. Considering its popularity worldwide, other networks and streaming services would hugely benefit from acquiring Gotham Knights due to its cheaper production costs and potential buyers of streaming memberships.

I was moved to start this petition because I believe that Gotham Knights is a television series that is needed on air and to be seen not only for its talented cast and hardworking crew, but also for its diversity and real life issues that people around the world suffer with. In today's political climate where discrimination is rampant, Gotham Knights, embraces a cast of characters, as well as, actors of different race, sexual orientation, and sexual identity. They promote inclusion and acceptance, especially with the LGBTQIA community. Gotham Knights's storylines are emotional and raw because they tackle issues that are relevant in the world today, such as, substance abuse, mental health issues, homophobia, transgender discrimination and income inequality. Gotham Knights deserves to be renewed!

I'm writing this because this is something I care about deeply and it won't happen without the support of people like you. Starting a petition isn't something would normally do, but I was moved to do so because not only is this a show that means so much to the fans but also, to the entire cast and crew, who worked with dedication and love to create a series that fans would adore. It would be incredibly sad to see them so disappointed. I know I'm not alone and together we can make this change happen. Please sign and share!

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 4.5/5

Book Blurb: Gripping, romantic, and impossible to put down, this dark and immersive post-apocalyptic debut YA novel is about two teen girls who loved each other before the end of the world — and before one of them became infected with the virus that turned her into a monster.

Perfect for fans of Krystal Sutherland, Adam Silvera, and the darkly human side of the HBOMax horror-drama, The Last of Us.

Seventeen-year-old Mara is dead—mostly.      

Infected with a virus that brought the dead back to life and the world to its knees, she wakes up in a facility to learn a treatment for the disease has been found. No longer a Tick, Mara is placed in an experimental resettlement program. But her recovery is complicated by her destination: she’s sent to live with the best friend she hasn’t seen since the world ended—and since their first and only kiss.      Seventeen-year-old Rory is alive—barely.      

With impaired mobility from an injury and a dead sister, Rory’s nightmares are just as monstrous as the Ticks that turned her former best friend. Even after the Island—one of a handful of surviving communities—rebuilds itself, Rory is prepared for the Ticks to return at any time. She never expected them to come in the form of the only girl she’s ever loved.      

As the girls struggle with their pasts and the people they’ve become, the Island’s soldiers go rogue and come after the Ticks and anyone harboring them. With the Island’s fragile peace in the balance, Rory and Mara must lean on each other to survive—or risk losing the girl they love all over again.

Review:

The Last of Us meets a love story about two girls dealing with the aftermath of of a virus taking over the world and what happens when one of them is infected... and now is being let back out into the world. Mara and Rory were best friends, they've even thought about being more... until a virus known as "the Tick" happened turning people into flesh hungry zombies essentially and Mara gets infected... and that was two years ago... and now she has been rehabilitated and been put on a treatment program to treat her disease. Mara is put into an experimental resettlement program... and who better than to be her host family than her godparents... aka the same family with her old best friend and the girl she loved who she knows now hates her lives. Mara is still traumatized from what happened to her, she remembers everything she did as a Tick... everyone's she's killed including her parents. Rory is reeling from losing her younger sister, having sene her been killed, and she has impaired mobility from an injury. She is still plagued by nightmares and she's dreading facing Mara again. Rory has spent her time preparing to face off against Ticks, what she didn't expect was facing it in the form of the only girl she's ever loved. Both girls struggle with dealing with their pasts and the girls they have become since then, all the while the island's soldiers have gone wrong and are coming after the rehabilitated ticks and anyone who is harboring them... with the leader of the island's soldier particularly going after Rory and Mara, the girls will have to learn to lean on each other and grow past their differences in order to survive this new horror... and maybe fall for the new girls they are now. This was the perfect read for anyone who loved The Last of Us or loves a post-apocalyptic Romance!! The angst was real and the tension was so good. The world building in this one was fantastic and I loved how the book has you so interested in what was happening all the way to the end of the book. The romance was so well done and I loved that the girls were both healing and trying to get to know the new version of the person they loved. This is a fun read and I would absolutely recommend it!

*Thanks Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[mothrocks]

Actually yknow what I can't forgive HBOMax for cancelling Our Flag Means Death. So today (it's currently 11:01 pm :D) I'm going to talk about why I love this show so much and why I (and the entire fandom if I'm being honest) am so upset over its cancellation. Spoilers ahead for those who haven't seen the show!

This show has helped me through so many rough times and I'm sure it's done the same for many others. The lighthearted comedy aspect is wonderful, but the themes of love and acceptance means so much to me. These characters are unabashedly queer and the show doesn't even make a big deal of their identities. Jim is just Jim, Ed and Stede are just Ed and Stede; the list goes on. Sure, several comparisons between the characters' issues and the current issues of queer people worldwide can be made, but their identities are never the root of their problems and it is just so refreshing to see.

Stede's arc of finding his own identity and place in his world is wonderful and very relatable. Throughout his life, he never fit in with other people and societal expectations. This is shown through his interactions with the Badminton brothers, his relationship with his father, and even his marriage to Mary. He leaves his old life behind to make something for himself and finds a home with the crew where he is accepted for who he is and eventually forms a loving relationship with Ed.

Furthermore, Izzy's entire arc of finding a loving family hits close to home. Izzy had gone so long without any kind of actual, real, unconditional love and from the moment he receives it, he changes as a person and grows. No longer is he the bully he once was, desperate to live in Ed's shadow. He now lives to be his own authentic self and it makes him a happier person overall. This is evident in Calypso's Birthday when he performs La Vie en Rose for the whole crew, makeup and all. The Izzy we knew in season one would never expose himself like that, let alone to this specific crew. Instead of being mocked or looked down upon in any way, the crew, his newfound family, celebrates him for being himself and it's just... so beautiful and meaningful.

This show means so much to me and it will forever hold a special place in my heart. Producing queer media in this world is such an uphill battle, and while I'm utterly devastated by this show's cancellation, I'm forever grateful to everyone who made it possible in the first place.

[talkinfanfic]

Episode 305 - Talkin' Music with shineswithyou

Summary:

🎧 Find Talkin' Fanfic on your favorite podcast app. Or stream here!

Sara takes (kind of sort of) a break from talking fanfic and bandfic to talk about a different form of storytelling– music, and writing about music! @shineswithyou is a familiar face around Oasis and U2 tumblr, but what you might NOT know is that she has recently embarked on a writing journey of her own, with a substack blog about music and its place as the soundtrack of her own life.

Sara and shines talk about her blog, and the difficulty of “writing words about sounds”; how music is a language in and of itself capable of telling its own (and our own) stories.

Of COURSE we loop it back around to fanfiction and RPF (or, ‘real person fanfiction’), and how bandfic is, at its core, a pure form of love for the musical artist. Other talking points include: how awesome Bono is, and how we wish we could have been at Slane Castle in 2001; the perennial dysfunction of the Gallagher brothers; and the dichotomy of the U2 and Oasis fandoms.

Contact and Credits:

Theme Music: Kyle Laurin "Oasis Supersonic Theme" (Twitter: @cobrakylemusic)

Clips from "Pop Muzik" by M (℗ 1979 Robin Scott Limited) and "Marquee Moon" by Television (℗ 1977 Elektra/Asylum)

Tumblr: talkinfanfic.tumblr.com 

Instagram: @talkinfanfic

Email: talkinfanfic@gmail.com

Time caps:

00:00 - Introduction

14:52 - Interview start

23:07 - Music memories and growing up

30:40 - Tumblr and bandom

34:27 - the pf+hb blog!

39:32 - Blog entry 1 

44:40 - Tom Verlaine and Television

46:50 - Excerpt of blog entry 4

48:56 - shines’ music writing style and influences, and the difficulties of writing about music

57:15 - Art in the time of Covid and intentional listening

01:10:56 - More on Television’s style and ‘Marquee Moon’

01:22:22 - CBGB’s and ‘the scene’

01:28:29 - Music mags!

01:32:05 - Speaking of U2…

01:36:55 - The dichotomy of the U2 fandom vs Oasis fandom

01:43:01 - Rapid Fire Questions!

Episode References

“Pf+Hb” shineswithyou’s substack blog 

Shineswithyou on Tumblr 

Music vid for The Stone Roses’ “She Bangs the Drums” (title inspiration for the blog)

M - Pop Muzik (Official Video) (Youtube) 

Book - "Heartbeat" by Sharon Creech (Goodreads) - a children’s coming-of-age story told in free verse

Music writing rec - Liz Barker’s tinyletter (music writer and blogger, this is Liz’s main website: Words by Liz Barker ) Here is an an excerpt from her novel��

Blog rec - Hanif Kureishi’s substack and a piece he wrote which shines recommends 

Album - Nirvana MTV Unplugged (Spotify)

Album - The Velvet Underground & Nico (Spotify)

Trouser Press - “The biblio of alternative rock”

"The Too-Muchness of Bono" by David Brooks for the Atlantic

Achtoon Baby - U2 music blog project by Kelly and PJ

Fic mentioned - "The Passing of Peggy Gallagher" by Jeevey   

Fic mentioned - “Stop the Clocks” by savageandwise 

Youtube Clip from “My Beautiful Laundrette” (1985, starring Gordon Warnecke and Daniel-Day Lewis, screenplay by Hanif Kureshi. You can stream it on HBOMax)

Film Trailer for “CBGB” (2013) starring Alan Rickman

Book - Meet Me in the Bathroom: Rebirth and Rock and Roll in New York City 2001-2011 (Goodreads)

Documentary - Meet Me In The Bathroom (2022) - Youtube trailer stream on Paramount+ or rent on Amazon Prime Video 

Documentary - "Gimme Shelter" (1970) - “A harrowing documentary of the Stones' 1969 tour, with much of the focus on the tragic concert at Altamont.”

Music Video - “Dark Sunglasses” a single off of Chrissie Hynde’s 2014 album ‘Stockholm’. The album doesn’t appear to be on streaming platforms.

Youtube - Where The Streets Have No Name (Live From Slane Castle, Ireland (2001) (you can see the heart-shaped stage that shines mentions really well at about 58 seconds!)

Shines’ Desert Island Discs: “Achtung Baby” by U2 (but on another day it might be “Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends” by Coldplay

Shines is listening to: “Lucifer On the Sofa” by Spoon (album, 2022) 

Shines is listening to: “Wet Leg” (self-title debut album, 2022)

Music Discovery - Paul Gallagher's MixCloud channel (Sara rec, Paul does a weekly playlist with tons of great and lesser known artists. You can listen for free and there’s no ads, but to get the tracklist you have to be a paid subscriber)

Justin Hawkins Rides Again (Youtube channel, and he has a new podcast)

Music Discovery - Shines recommends finding your local independent radio station with real human DJs! You can google, and most colleges have student run stations, and TuneIn is a site that has a “find a local station” feature you can try out!

Fic Rec - “cheaper than a dime” by harmonising (Beatles RPF, George & Paul gen) -  Shines says it’s a “beautiful, angsty study of Paul and George’s relationship, written in a choppy, time-jump style”

Fic Rec - “Dare, Disturb the Universe” by @penaltybox14 (ao3, Bruce/Steve)

Fic Rec - “Wharf Rats on the Stage” by @penaltybox14 (ao3, Bruce/Steve)

Fic Rec - “Fictitious Characters” and “You Wanted Me Alone” by @likeamadonnau2. Shines says: “gorgeously written and very meta - an alternative history of U2’s early days framed by Bono & Edge’s relationship, & written by them.”

Rapid Fire Questions (starting at 01:43:01)

Beatles or Stones?

Which of these best describes your inner rock star? (I picked ladies because they don’t get talked about enough): Chrissie Hynde, Joan Jett, or Stevie Nicks? 

What’s the best way to experience music? Live show, or headphones and vinyl?

You have a free Wednesday afternoon. Are you going to the Man City Match with Noel, or spending a day at the pub with Liam?

The Doctor suddenly appears with the TARDIS and offers to take you to ONE of the following shows: 

Jan 1969 - Beatles on the rooftop of Apple Corps in London

1974 - sneak into one of Television’s regular sets at CBGB’S

Nov 1995 - Oasis at Earl’s Court, London

Sept 2001 - U2 at Slane Castle, Ireland

What’s your desert island record?

Name a recent album you’ve been enjoying. 

Any music discovery recs? (ex. For me, Paul Gallagher’s mixcloud shows / Justin Hawkins)

Can you give me a couple of RPF band fics off your bookmarks list?

What does music mean to you?

[adultswim2021]

Space Ghost Weekend (part 2)

It's the second season of the dang GameTap episodes of Space Ghost Coast to Coast, and the second of two posts covering them on this dang blog. I have very special thoughts about these, so please! pour over every word. Read this out loud to a loved one if needed.

Space Ghost Coast to Coast #98: "Richard" | September 11, 2007 | S09E01

In this episode: Moltar discusses Linda, solidifying her into the canon of Space Ghost. I will not rest until she gets her first onscreen appearance on HBOMax’s Jellystone. In the cold open they joke about Moltar being whipped. Space Ghost proclaims to be the Earl of Peppercorn, which is pretty wacky. Moltar is self-conscious about having a huge head. And other garbage. 

Space Ghost Coast to Coast #99: "Stephen" | October 31, 2007 | S09E02

Okay, so Yar is back in this one, and he doesn’t actually sound like the one guy I said from yesterday’s post, I fucked up. He also is clearly drawn in a pixel art style, which I didn’t realize because of the questionable provenance of the video files I’m watching. He’s sorta the Bubba Duck of this show (readers! Bubba Duck was introduced late into Ducktales’ run, and those episodes are largely considered [by whom?] to be inferior to the ones that came before them!).

There’s a non-verbal (like Val Kilmer aww) appearance from the Council of Doom. This one is abysmal. They really chopped up the interview to make it sound nonsensical, and I personally consider this to be cheating at making Space Ghost. Worse than having your main character follow an ant around for 11 minutes (Which I like!!!).

Space Ghost Coast to Coast #100: "David" | November 11, 2007 | S09E03

Seems like this show thrives on coming up with silly words like “Lava Chicken”. I sorta liked this one but it’s still pretty weak. Zorak takes over the show after bogusly claiming that Moltar went on “vacation”, tantamount to “escaping” Space Ghost's enslavement. Space Ghost goes on a wild goose chase looking for him. If this were a higher-budgeted episode they’d probably take it to funnier places, but Space Ghost talks to little Space Ghosts instead and it’s mildly amusing. Moltar was in the bathroom the whole time, nasty!

Space Ghost Coast to Coast #101: "Chantal" | December 2, 2007 | S09E04

Why do these all start with a weird click noise? I’m guessing that’s the website’s fault and people screen-recorded these? This one features Chantal Claret who seems like she’s a fan of Space Ghost. She’s also one of the biggest babes the show has ever had. It’s a shame she was wasted on a Gametap episode! I have not heard her music or googled her name + "Israel" so I’m not sure if I respect her or not yet. But she seems cool I like her. 

Space Ghost Coast to Coast #102: "Mark" (lost) | May 4, 2008 | S09E05 Space Ghost Coast to Coast #103: "Bruce" (lost) | May 16, 2008 | S09E06

Two losties in a row. No Idea who these schmoes are. I can’t even google these dildos. My pal London told me that the lost episode's titles/guests could very well be bogus; filled-in by some ne'er-do-well on a wiki, and that this information has self-replicated itself ever since. I am very interested to find out if that's true or not, but I believe it. I did do a cursory search on the library of congress website and was astonished to see some GameTap episodes listed, but it was missing episodes that definitely do exist so I can't really conclude anything from that.

Space Ghost Coast to Coast #104: "Dee" | May 25, 2008 | S09E07

Dee Snider who I heard is MEAN IN REAL LIFE appears in Space Ghost’s monitor. The compositing effects look bad again. Maybe Dee had to self-tape and this is what we got? They bleeped the word bitch in this. The Ghost Planet building is shown to blow up and a title appears on screen saying TO BE CONTINUED. This turns out to be a FUCKING joke. Dee is sorta funny in this, he gets into the spirit of the show pretty well by egging Moltar and Zorak to rebel against Space Ghost. 

Space Ghost Coast to Coast #105: "Barenaked Ladies" | May 31, 2008 | S09E08

This is easily the best episode of the GameTap batch, because it made me laugh twice. I expect this gag might be polarizing, but the weird live-action nipple with the fly crawling on it made me laugh. It’s unlike anything the show has ever done, really, and it was probably the element of surprise that got me. I suspect that gag might’ve pissed some people off, though.

The other part that made me laugh was when Space Ghost urges the band members to do something “sinsational” and the smack his lips. No joke, I laughed so hard at this, and it was one of those rolling laughs that feel like they’ll never end. They deserved the Peabody award for that joke. 

Space Ghost Coast to Coast: "Jonny Quest" | March 19, 1996 | Special

I wanted to throw this in there because I do sorta feel like this comes close to being a SORTA episode? It’s not really any better than the GameTap episodes, in my opinion. It’s mostly Space Ghost being excited about Jonny Quest’s VHS releases. Space Ghost never got an official retail VHS tape release, if I’m not mistaken, and couldn't you just imagine the world we’d be living in if there had been? 9/11 wouldn’t have happened! But Jan 6th still would have :( 

That's that for Space Ghost Weekend. We'll begin doing 2010 pretty soon. Maybe not exactly tomorrow, but soon.

[bethanyactually]

Ok you're making me want to watch Nancy Drew. I wasn't going to because I love the books so much but it looks so fun.

It is a very fun show! And GOOD, in a way that has me finding nuances and parallels I hadn't spotted before even on my fifth or sixth rewatch. It's not without flaws, but the writing is excellent, the actors are all fantastic, the cinematography is frequently beautiful, and attention is paid to details of costuming, set design, text conversations, etc. in ways that truly enhance the storytelling. And the supernatural part of the story is mostly about trauma, how it affects us and our loved ones. I have an essay about that somewhere, I should probably post it one of these days. I have also been a fan of the books since I was kid, and I watched the first episode when it aired, saw that ghosts were a part of the world of the show, and thought, 'Ah, perhaps this show is not for me!' and went on with my life. A couple years later, a mutual (hi, @lisbonsteresa! 😘) kept putting the show on my dash and I was finally like, do I need to watch this?? She yelled YES at me in a message and I watched and fell in love. If you, or anyone else reading this, has been thinking of checking it out, the show's first three seasons are all on HBOMax (and probably elsewhere online, yo ho ho), and are also available on DVD. The fourth and final season starts airing on May 31st on the CW, so you have time to catch up. Please join us!!

[yeahiwasintheshit]

Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles

so some magazine, sight and sound, named Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles the GREATEST FILM OF ALL TIME, last year. i hadnt heard of it before and found out its actually on hbomax right now, and decided to watch it. well it isnt... the greatest film. i dont know sight and sound but clearly they are either trolling or theyre the pretentious film snobs types, and being an art school faggot, i kinda loved it too. its by no means the greatest film ever tho. its just not. people will absolutely hate this, and tbh maybe that makes me love it more. but its pure film snob wankery. LOOOOONNNNGGGGG boring static unedited shots of this woman, jeanne dielman, making meatloaf, folding her sons clothes, washing dishes, getting dressed, sitting, getting undressed, walking to the store, taking a bath, reading a letter, dusting, buttoning up her housedress, waiting for the elevator, making breaded veal cutlets, waiting on the elevator, fixing her bed, eating dinner with her son, drinking coffee, wondering if the milk went bad, peeling potaotes, shining her sons shoes, buying groceries, prostituting herself... all very common boring housewife things. and all these scenes were shot with the camera LOCKED DOWN. not one zoom or close up in the whole french movie. yes, its also in french with subtitles, but dont let the language barrier dissuade you from watching it because in the whole 3 hours and 20 minutes of the movie, there may be 18 minutes total of dialogue. its mostly a silent film. a 3 hour and 20 minute silent film, and if you think: silent film... it must has a nice score? no. nope. no score/soundtrack whatsoever. just lots of sound of jeanne dielman’s heels on the hardwood floors tho. lol and even with all that i watched every damn minute of its 3 hour and 20 minute run time, waiting to see what was going to happen next. i didnt pick up my phone once. i didnt even fall asleep. part of the reason was the lead actress, Delphine Seyrig, who really made the movie worth watching. she has the film presence thing... i dont know. captivating to watch. the movie starts with a hook that keeps you waiting to see what is going to happen next. this woman clearly has a very strict rigid life, where daily tasks are repeated exactly the same over and over and over again. her life is on a loop day in and out. and once you see the cracks in that regimented life, things... change... for her, and you start to wonder how someone who lives so precisely can handle change. i wont say anything to spoil, but this worked on me. i was with jeanne dielman the whole way through. loved it.

[linkspooky]

Hiya! I love Donna Troy and want to know more about her but don't know what comics to read or shows to watch. Can you recommend anything? Also, I too am team cyborg needs to be back on teen titans lol

Okay, so it is a bit difficult to reccomend Donna Troy stories because she tends to be a supporting character in others arcs but you probably don't want to hear me say "Just read ALL OF NEW TEEN TITANS" and you'll get it.

Here are my reccomendations for individual storylines.

#1 Who is Donna Troy? New Teen Titans #38

This is the chapter that made me love Donna, it is very different from most comic book story arcs it's heavily noir, and it tells a much more down to earth story. This is also the Donna Troy backstory I like to go with when interpreting her character. The other origin stories are all dumb, she is best when she's just some girl that Diana rescued from a fire and brought to live on Themyscra. Donna's entire character is she's just kind of normal... BUT THAT'S INTERESTING when everyone else in the friend group is insane.

#2 New Teen Titans 18-21 HOMECOMING

Homecoming story arc, this demonstrates number one a lot of the personal flaws of Donna's character. Dick leaves Donna in charge of the Teen Titans and Donna is bad at it, the team falls apart under her leadership because she can't manage her personal life. At the same time this points out the flaws in Dick and Donna's relationship, Dick expects her to be perfect, Donna is not.

Donna has what I call "Second oldest daughter syndrome" everyone expects her to be Diana, but she is not, she is not as strong and selfless as Diana but she tries to live up to that anyway (ironically, I think Cassie is actually a lot more like DIana in terms of self confidence she just has a meaner edge to her). Donna's biggest recurring story arc is how much other people's opinions on her influence her because she always tries way too hard to conform to other people's expectations and suffers herself because of it.

3. Darkstars 1-38

The Donna gets divorced and flies around in space with Kyle Rayner her rebound guy, Era. Once again an arc that focuses on the humanity of Donna Troy and the faults underneath her good girl image, her marriage falls apart (like wow the marriage of a 35 year old college professor and a 20 year old wasn't exactly healthy, surprise surprise), Donna became a mother way too early and she has no idea how to balance being a superhero and raising a kid. This arc also has like, the most horribly tragic consequences for Donna's character I don't want to spoil it.

2. Titans (1999) #1-50

If you want a Teen Titans run more focused on Roy Harper, and the fab five while throwing new members on the team this is for you. I say Donna is usually a supporting character but this series Donna and Roy are essentially the most major characters (there's a lot of Garth too!!!). Donna's story arc especially early on in the comic follows on what I find compelling about Donna's character in that she is so focused on living up to the Donna that everyone else sees she's completely lost sight of herself.

5. DC Special: The Return of Donna Troy

This is Donna's only solo, and it's basically a tribute not only to everything Donna Troy has been as a character so far, but also all of the connections she has made with other characters, including the Teen Titans, and the wondergirls. If you want a short comic about who Donna is, and what she means to the people around her this is the one! Though I would reccomend reading this last because otherwise you'll have no idea what past events they are referring to. This was also DC's attempt to just kind of move past Donna's weird backstory problem and focus back in on who Donna Troy is as a person, because Donna's greatest character trait is the connections she makes to the people around her.

Also the only adaptation Donna ever appears in is Titans the live action series on HBOmax where she is fantastic and I highly recommend her it adapts the best part of her character as baby sitter extraordinaire and her relationship with Dick. Without the backstory bullshit. If you want a taste of her character I would watch that first.

[styxhuntress]

Just watched The Winchesters for the first time, binged it with a VPN on HBOMax since it’s not on anything in the US or Canada.

And can I just say: Carlos is hands down the best character. He gives me life. He was the most entertaining to watch and I love him.

Anyone who disagrees can fight me.

[follower-of-romcommunism]

Shows with poignant endings that are actually satisfying

Since season 3 ended on such a pathetic note, here are shows I think that actually do what Ted Lasso was trying to do with its ending, but in a way that doesn’t rob its audience or gaslight them about what they showed us in literally everything else leading up to it 

1. The Newsroom - written by Aaron Sorkin, watch on HBOmax

2. Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story - written by Shonda Rhimes, watch on Netflix

3. Derry Girls - written by Lisa McGee, watch on Netflix

4. Fleabag - written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, watch on Prime Video

5. M*A*S*H - many writers, watch on Hulu

Notice I didn’t say happy endings, because none of these shows have an ending that’s neatly tied up and everyone’s hunk dory. You don’t need that to have your ending be satisfying and well-written. You can have a gut punch goodbye without destroying everything you built. Feel free to drop more recs in the comments.

spoilers under the cut for explanations

The Newsroom ends with the death of Charlie Skinner, Will McAvoy’s mentor and dear friend. The message of the final episode is about how life will go on without him, but the characters are consistent, and while some things are open-ended (like where Jim and Maggie stand with her moving to DC), we aren’t left feeling empty. They give the viewers some fucking credit here. 

Queen Charlotte may seem like a silly historical romance series on the surface, but it has more depth than its parent show, Bridgerton, especially with the end. It shows us that George will never be cured, not even with Charlotte’s love, and she is choosing him anyway. The whole show preaches that those with mental illness will always be that way, and they are still deserving of love and respect. We can meet them where they are. And life will not be easy at George’s side, but Charlotte wants to be there anyway. That is the real power of love. 

Derry Girls has what I’d consider the happiest ending out of all these, but the questions at the end leave the audience hopeful but with that seed of doubt. As each of these young women place their vote, and decide how they want to live their lives after the Troubles, it’s moving in a surprising way. It’s the end of their childhood, the end of an era, and yet with that comes this exciting new world. The final shot of Granda Joe and Erin’s little sister walking hand in hand perfectly shows the old life and the new coming together. 

Fleabag has probably the most devastating of all endings here, but it’s probably closest to what Ted Lasso wanted to accomplish by showing how one person can come into you life and change it forever, but that doesn’t mean they’re meant to stay. But what makes Fleabag’s ending effective is not only the dialogue, both characters actually voicing their feelings for each other and stating why they can’t be together, but Fleabag finally looks at the camera and shakes her head before walking away. She doesn’t need the audience anymore. And we aren’t left loving her or Hot Priest any less. 

M*A*S*H is along the same lines as Fleabag. All these doctors came together because of the war, and they were the epitome of found family while they were all so far away from home. At the end, as they all part ways, they let each other know through words and gestures what the experience meant to them. And there isn’t some weird sequence showing what everyone’s up to now, they let the audience fill in those gaps themselves, so we can’t be disappointed by things missing (Ted at Beard’s wedding *coughcough*).