#mania fan club

[hyacinthi-mortem]

£1 in a charity shop. One.

[heartbreakfeelsogood]

truly doing the most for team mania today, bless you fr fr

i go to bat for mania all day every day, but i’m glad you enjoyed my monday ritual 🥰💜

[maybeemden]

I have been freaking out on Twitter about the magic 8 ball songs and the medley and tourdust in general but like you don't understand. you don't UNDERSTAND. it's not just the fact we've gotten stuff they haven't ever played. it's not just that they're bringing back deep cuts. it's not just all of that.

it's the fact we're all older. the guys are twenty years older, most people in here have been fob fans for at least a decade. it's the fact that they're not just playing them for the nostalgia factor, they're doing it because this tour is a celebration of two decades worth of this weird little emo band that changed the emo scene forever and became legends to at least two generations of emo kids so far.

it's the fact they've gained the courage to play folie a deux. the album patrick said they would likely never play live again because of the initial reception, the album that got booed whenever they played songs off it live in 2008-2009. it's the fact that headfirst slide went from a very shaky first attempt at a secret show to a setlist regular pat can now sing with a smile every night.

it's the fact that pete wentz, who thought he'd die young, who thought he'd join the 27 club, is now a father in his early 40s playing his bass and having fun with his best friends while they play songs about the time he almost ended it all. it's the fact we've seen him not only heal, but highlight the scars and the beauty in the pain. like kintsugi.

it's the fact andy and joe got exactly what they wanted. joe got a guitar album he loved, he got to focus on himself and take some time off knowing full well the band and the fans had his back, being included in everything from music videos to promotional things, and now he can enjoy his time going on the road again in a better state of mind. it's the fact andy lives for drumming, and he can do what he does best with his favorite song on the album, one that he basically begged to play the entire press run for the album.

it's the fact that the piano medley songs let patrick lay his heart out for everyone to see. it's the fact he's playing golden, what a catch, beautiful songs we haven't heard in so long. it's the fact he's gotten the courage to sing fucking soul punk in front of a crowd that ten years earlier told him they liked him better in fall out boy, to make a new spiritual successor in stardust and sing it too. it's the fact he's lost the fear to do those things, because he's realized there's nothing to fear anymore, people will sing back those songs to him with affection.

it's the fact they're also doing newer stuff. the fact they haven't forgotten about srar, ab/ap, mania. they still affirm those parts of their history, because they are still unashamedly fall out boy.

it's the fact these four guys have all gone through hell and back together, and we're all stronger on the other side. it's the fact we've all grown up together, and now we're all adults in this fucked up world trying to figure ourselves out but we know it will be okay because we made it through all that and we're still standing. it's the fact that they built it, and we came, and we stayed.

it's the fact we're still here.

[untitledrockstar-if]

R being the most toxic person on earth and I'm here for it. I wonder how R would react if we ended up getting pregnant from them or someone else but stayed with themmm

they would lose themself in the idea of doing right by a kid, making things better for them than they had it themself, disregard the issues within their relationship to make it work and then unknowingly mirror their parents before things get much worse and break apart and they fall back on their own vices only now they ruin the life of another kid as well ☹️

(joy even if its not their own -> promising to do better -> sobering up getting shit together -> more joy to the point of mania -> kid gets here -> things start to get real, they're no longer just R and mc -> they start to resent leaving behind their lifestyle they miss the stage, the fans, the freedom -> they miss mc! they miss being the center of their world! -> they start resenting the kid like their own dad did with them -> relapse -> if not their own kid, hold that over mcs head -> break up -> go back to how things were before mc -> get much worse -> smth smth they're lucky not to end in club 27 but not by much)

[finitevariety]

watched A Hard Day's Night for the first time yesterday and had some feelings about it that I want to share beyond my letterboxd, sorry!! In a world where they didn't go on to have acrimony and stabbing and shooting, this would still have been a fun film, but it wouldn't have made me this insane:

I feel the same way watching early footage of The Beatles as I do seeing photos of tourists posing in front of the Twin Towers pre-9/11. They don't know! 

It's as though I'm watching a pantomime but the performers can't hear the audience participation. Instead, they're just ambling around, clueless, all 'I Sure Hope The Villains Aren't Here'. I can yell 'THEY'RE BEHIND YOU all I like but it won't do shit! The train is on its tracks, inexorable. 

Very quickly, as the train chuffs along through our first few scenes, I start thinking about how stupid I was when I was 21, 22, 23, as the Beatles were here. Had I been in their position, with fame and adoring fans, I would have been giddy with my own stupidity.

Give us a kiss, John tells the old curmudgeon on the train.

It's interesting to see fans portrayed here like a natural force: they're a tsunami of shrieks, a roll of shaking thunder. People love you just, it seems, for being you—indeed, the reason this movie is good is because it's quick and deft and silly, like The Beatles so clearly were themselves. Simultaneously it operates slightly to the left of reality, a premise that was immediately capitalised upon by The Monkees, and which the late 90s/early 00s pop machine tried and largely failed to emulate with Spice World and the S Club TV franchise (is it just me that remembers watching that as a child?). 

So, fictionalisation. We might love them just, it seems, for being them—but we don't know them. We know a version Igored together from real and contrived moments. We sew one once-lived scene haphazardly to another and pronounce the dead alive. It's nonsense, of course, but not unique: every relationship is necessarily a terrifying exercise in best-guess. In this case, though, the fiction is so large that it metastasised far beyond a few silly movies. There is so much accumulated and discussed lore about the Beatles that no two fans, over decades of passionate discourse, will have invented the same people.

PAUL: No, actually, we're just good friends.

If we don't know someone, then we can't love them—and in this case, where the fiction is so large, and the reality so unique, how can a Beatle find themselves loved? Even in this film, at the height of giddiness and mania, there's an awareness of isolation captured in scenes of flight from, and simultaneous failure to connect with, the people around them.

Script detail: Every time one of the BOYS attempts to get a sandwich or a drink, it is either too late, the plate is empty, or they are intercepted. The single and constant thing we see in the scene is the pushing and pulling, heavy impersonal handling. The boys are just things to be placed like still life in one advantageous position after another.

In the eye of the storm, all they have are their fellow victims of circumstance.

[writing-for-life]

Sandman Master Post and Intro

Hi, I’m so glad you’re here! This started out as a small writing blog but has developed a horrifying (^jk) life of its own over the past two years, so it was about time I just faced the facts:

A Sandman Blog it is!

I organised the links and tags to all my Sandman stuff for you to make it easier to find your way around.

I love getting asks, about analysis, about my fics, prompts or generally just to chat, so see this as an encouragement to slide into my inbox…

[For quick reference:]

[The Ultimate Sandman Character Tag Library]

[The Women of the Sandman Tag Library]

[Sandman Comics: Original Artists Library]

[Sandman Reread (Comics)]

[Sandman Rewatch (Netflix)]

[Sandman S2 News, Casting and Speculation]

[Sandman Reference: How to Collect the Comics, Companion Books, Annotations/Reference Literature etc]

[Sandman Movie Concept Art by Jill Thompson & John Watkiss]

[In Light of Recent Allegations]

Ordered by topics (recommended):

Sandman Meta-Analysis: My literary/conceptual/psychological analyses. I have also written some musical and art metas. You will find further links via all three.

The Sandman Book Club Community: Just follow the link if you’d like to join.

Sandman Fics & Poems: My own work, mostly m/f and f/f canon pairings and OCs, both long fics and shorter works.

I’m also Dream’s Therapist. I think we all agree he needs one.

Sandman Art (general tag that contains all art posts, from fan-art to gif-sets. Separate tag for official Sandman artists. Plus the very few pieces of my own art I’ve ever posted on here).

Sandman March Mania was an event we specifically ran for the comics art lovers, so check it out.

Sparkle Content Curation (a not-quite-serious collection of Dream/Morpheus thirst-trap fan-art and unhinged posts). Please also peruse the tags #contraceptive sparkles, #glitter herpes and #murphy and his cool hat (yes, I am sort of responsible for the #muhulhu tag on here) if this hell-site has left you in a state of being desperate for laughs

A Little Intro…

…and why this blog will keep on existing

Once there was a girl with so many words, so many images, so many songs in her head that had no place to go. So she decided some of them will just go here…

Well, that sounds a bit contrived, but it’s not entirely untrue. Apart from the “girl”-part, because I’m at the younger end of Gen X. Or the “no place to go”-part, because some of my work actually *did* go places. Just not the stuff I decided to put on here…

Which is mostly Sandman stuff right now, let’s be honest (I fell in love with it when I was 16, and it still has a tight grip on me three decades later). And the fact that my blog a wild mix between my metas, my fanfic and a bit of my doodling already shows the pull in different directions I have experienced for most of my life:

I guess I’m just a multi-hyphenate who can’t make up her mind what she wants to do with her life, so she tries to do it all and ends up burned out half of the time.

Somewhere along the way, I managed to publish a few novels under a pen name, and only a select few people know about it. And I intend to keep it that way.

I used to draw much more (mostly pencil and ink), but between working and having a family, something had to give, and if I have to choose, writing always comes first. But I doodle and experiment a lot in Procreate, and it usually helps me when I procrastinate on my writing. I drop the odd drawing in here (like my profile pic), but I don’t see myself as a fine artist, and I’m in perpetual awe of the talent I see on here.

This is just an account for unapologetically being me, with all my hyperfixations—and undoubtedly some pointless shitposts just for fun…

In light of recent happenings, I explained my personal stance and, by extension, why this blog will keep on existing.

[greensparty]

Sam Mendes partners with Sony and Apple for Four Beatle Theatrical Movies

Today it was announced that Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes will be directing four movies about The Beatles, each one about the individual Fab Four: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Sir Paul, Sir Ringo and the estates of Lennon and Harrison have granted life rights and music rights to the scripted films. As a lifelong Beatle fanatic (I just named "Now and Then" my #1 Song of 2023 last week) this peaked my interest!

Mendes is a solid director. I was a big fan of American Beauty, Road to Perdition, Jarhead, Away We Go, 1917 and Empire of Light. So I'm confident he's going to do the right thing and not mess this up. There's been quite a few Beatle documentaries in recent years notably Peter Jackson's The Beatles: Get Back. But in terms of a scripted film about The Beatles' that's been easier said than done over the years. There have been a number of TV movies about the individual Beatles, but theatrically it's been few and far between. There's been loads of films inspired by The Beatles, i.e. Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, Across the Universe, and Yesterday. One of the great films about Beatle-mania (not so much The Beatles themselves but the fans) was I Wanna Hold Your Hand. The best one about Lennon was Nowhere Boy, in which Aaron Johnson played Lennon as a teen. One of my favorites about The Beatles is Backbeat about their early days in Hamburg, mainly the relationship between Lennon (Ian Hart) and Stu Sutcliffe (Stephen Dorf). Paul, George and Pete Best were also portrayed in the film too, but very minor roles outside of the performances.

Bottom line: getting the life rights and music rights to The Beatles is a serious get, which is why is hasn't been done too often, done right, or they tried to do it without the music. I think if each movie is going to be each Beatles' story with their own POV of what happened that could really work, especially for a director like Mendes!

Oh and Mr. Mendes - if you need a consultant for any of these films, feel free to contact me!

The link above is the article from Deadline.

[bulletproofthroat]

ABOUT ME:･ﾟ✧:･.☽˚｡･ﾟ✧:･.:

Name// Rose

Age// 18

Pronouns// She/Her

Ethnicity// Arab// Iraqi Kurdish

Religion// Agnostic(Ex-Muslim)

Favourite Groups/Bands/People:･ﾟ✧:･.☽˚｡･ﾟ✧:･.:

✧˖° Slipknot (Only Iowa) (2001 Corey Taylor)

✧˖° Slayer

✧˖° Nancy Ajram

✧˖° Akira Yamaoka and his work for Silent Hill's OST.

✧˖° Alice in Chains

✧˖° Stone Sour (Only Self-Titled- Come Whatever May)

✧˖° Kanye West

✧˖° Wu-Tang Clan

✧˖° Pearl Jam

✧˖° Black Sabbath

MISCELLANEOUS:･ﾟ✧:･.☽˚｡･ﾟ✧:･.:

✧˖° Vocalist (Practicing Iowa tone and Deaths tone.)

✧˖° Bassist

✧˖°Guitarist

✧˖°Ex-Violinist

⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡ ⋆

✧˖° Artist// Both traditional and Digital

✧˖° Artist for two books published in Kurdistan

✧˖° Gold medals in 100M sprints

✧˖°3rd Place in chess against private school students

✧˖°Gold in Triathlon(Run, Cycle, Swimming)

✧˖° Completed all certificates in swimming// Competitive

✧˖° Brown belt in aikido

✧˖° Skateboarding, re-learning heelflips and ramps

✧˖° Conquered the black slope while skiing in Italy

✧˖° Controlled addiction of smoking cigarettes and alcohol

⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡ ⋆

✧˖° Studying A-Levels in Law, History and Psychology+ EPQ (DROPPED PHYSICS)

✧˖° Applying to study Law at university

✧˖° Self-taught physicist and at mechanical engineering

✧˖° Enjoyed cars and working on them, dream car to work on is a Nissan 240SX (1993)

FAVOURITE GAMES:･ﾟ✧:･.☽˚｡･ﾟ✧:･.:

✧˖° Silent Hill (1-3) (2 Mostly)

✧˖° Lollipop chainsaw

✧˖° Minecraft

✧˖° Need for Speed Underground

✧˖° GTA V and San Andreas

✧˖° Roblox

✧˖° Forza Horizon 5

✧˖° Osu! Mania

✧˖° Papers, Please

✧˖° Yakuza 0

✧˖° Tony Hawk Pro Skate 3

✧˖° Spiderman 2 (PS2)

✧˖° CSGO

✧˖° Doki Doki Literature Club

also please don't talk to me if you're either:

a furry, age regressor, pet regressor, pro shippers, polyamorous, drug addicts, retarded pronouns, dream stans/ retarded minecraft stan, retarded femenists, slipknot fans who enjoy albums that's after 2004, people who don't drink jack daniels straight, people that don't smoke marlboro reds, keyboard warriors, SJWs, people that say kurdistan isn't a country (HER BJI KURDISTAN) people that keep fawning over 2000s corey because yall make me want to drink my vomit, joey jordison fans because yall stink of poo anyway, boring people, people that make corey a rapist for no reason, people that make fun of religious people, people that are keyboard warriors, twitter bumsweats, tiktok retards, people that make being gay/trans their whole personality ALSO MINORS DONT TALK TO ME IM NOT EDP445

ok thanks byeee

[flanneljammies]

2024 Best Electronic/Beats Records

Outstanding

Mr. Moods - Retrospective 2015 to 2023 (self-released) - Beatmaker from Quebec filling the DJ Shadow-sized hole in my heart.

Funk'n'SloCuts - various singles (self-released) - Beatmaker from New Zealand mining some Thievery Corporation trip-hop vibes.

Kim Gordon - The Collective (Matador) - Blown-out hip-hop-adjacent beats with stream-of-consciousness spoken word musings from the former Sonic Youth chanteuse.

Very Good

Emily - Eclipse (self-released) - Indiana bedroom producer making drifting fever-dream Bjork-pop.

Haircuts For Men - 沈​ん​だ​子​守​唄 (Genom) - Barber beats kingpin cranks out chill plunderphonics.

Kosmischer Läufer - Track Club (Unknown Capability) - Secret cosmic music of the East German OIympic Program 1972-83. Sublime synth-driven krautrock.

Also Good (but probably only for genre diehards and true fans)

Llarks - Dub IV (Lamour) - Ambient dub/drone from Birmingham, Alabama.

Mick Harris - HedNod Nineteen & Twenty (self-released) - Post-industrial dub terrorist concludes his HedNod series with otherworldly soundscapes.

Sam Link - Concerta (Yuku) - Madison producer making broken-beat idm glitch mania.

[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

For some reason the whole Taylor Swift mania thing has made me reconsider the way I look at celebrities and stan culture… I’m a huge fan of bts, especially jungkook, sometimes even to the point of obsession. But I see these people losing their minds over Taylor, following her every move, worshipping even the small actions she does, defending her like their life depends on it and it’s like? You don’t know her? She doesn’t care ab you, not to say she doesn’t care ab her fans but to her, you’ll always just be an indistinguishable “fan” no matter how much of your life you dedicate to her. She’ll just keep getting richer and richer.

It made me realize how I do a lot of these same things for bts, especially Jungkook, and has really made me rethink my behavior and how stan culture has kind of warped my thinking. Like yes, Jungkook is incredibly attractive and talented and kind, but he’s still a person. And it’s such a fine line in stanning spaces between admiration and straight up worship. stan culture seems to be getting more and more unhinged and it’s so strange to watch from another perspective. Just my rambling thoughts, haha

Yes, you're absolutely right, but it's also very easy to fall into the trap. It's not just the individual fan's fault, but a myriad of reasons that lead to it, including from the artist side. I recently listened to someone explaining one of Swift's methods of keeping her fans so attached and interested and it was presumably because she stopped giving promotional interviews and in order to have that gap filled, fans turn to her lyrics in order to find clues about her life. Her dating life is mediated and very public, but she creates a distance by lack of more candid or intimate appearances (in depth interviews and so on). It's easy to create this cult-like image and to have a fandom that moves like that. The bigger it is, the more unhinged the behavior gets. See Army as well or other Kpop fandoms. The Swarm tv series was definitely inspired by the beyhive. When the artist turns into this larger than life figure, this phenomenon is to be expected.

Can we keep ourselves in check? Yes, sure. But not always and it's not easy. Stan behavior is complex and its levels of craziness are on a scale. I see myself falling into the trap. But just because I have awareness, it doesn't mean I stop, you know. Often I have this issue with "babying" some of these men which is ridiculous because I have never done that and I still don't do it with others, except for JM and JK. More in the sense that I see them through rose-tinted glasses sometimes, I can find justifications, they're two babygirls and can do no harm and so on. You know how easy it is for me to check myself? I only have to apply the same way of thinking to other idols and guess what? It doesn't work. I don't see it. In some cases I find some of it completely ridiculous. But this says something about me, not the idol in question. It's the result of being biased and it's difficult to step away from that, but I do try to find a balance.

Another thing that happens when we spend a lot of times in fandom spaces is that we might tend to forget that celebrating achievements and the way we write about these people can turn ridiculous very fast. And if you like the person, it's harder to notice. Writing about an idol through this perspective of them being extraordinary, every minor or mundane aspect has to be praised, etc., gets very close to sounding like propaganda texts. Again, I notice it better when I read stuff about people that I'm not really into. Ten minutes scrolling through Club Chalamet's twitter page and it's like getting a cold shower.

[heartbreakfeelsogood]

fob invited me to wwwyf to throw things at people who express displeasure at the playing of mania songs and i was supposed to keep it a secret but then i said i had to bring the mania fan club president and they said oh yeah for sure

they’re actually going to have me stand in front of patrick with a shield and a bucket of rocks to throw into the crowd it’s gonna be a great time

[jhsharman]

The prehistory of the Archies

The Memorial Day Special -- a tad more involved than my Christmas and New Years Special.

So in 1963 Archie, Jughead, Moose, and Reggie had a whirlwind rise and fall as the band The Beetles. Though it was only a dream, it re-taught Archie the lesson on the high price of fame that he had learned some years' prior when he dreamt he was a Frankie Avalon clone, and the lesson Jughead learned before that when was Elvis.

Despite that harsh slide, the pull of music and the overwhelming power of Beatle-mania kept him enthralled -- so he was still trying his hands with the probably sue-able The Beets.

Reggie was headlining his own group in 1966 along with a shaggy bown haired boy and original Beetle Moose. Though Archie had been a part of Reggie's Rockers, Archie cut out once he was shown some overly aggressive female fan behavior.

But the three -- Reggie, Moose, and shaggy brown hair kid -- were still together as "Reggie's Rocking Rockers" in 1967.

At this point Archie had gotten Jughead and Dilton together to form their own not named competing band, a big hit at Harold's Teen Club, before inadvertently sabotaging their way to victory at the Battle of the Bands against Reggie's Rocking Rockers. To be sure I am not sure what a rock contest victory judged by Mr. Weatherbee is worth -- The Pinheads were never going to get a fair shake from the Hill Valley judges -- but they considered it something.

1968 and Archie is dabbling with a band with Jughead, but also taking up solo gigs -- not a good sign for nascent band dynamics.

Reggie's Rockers imploded, leaving him to a bitter anguish and jealousy --

Yet, Reggie ended up in the band -- replacing the rotating third and sometimes fourth anonymous members. They were not yet able to settle on a name, but Archie's Archers was the clear favorite. And even as they were always on the hunt for the big chance, working any available connections -- most obviously Mr. Lodge --

which was an exercise in desperate stubbornness --

They got themselves one record executive hearing at least, and one clear rejection --

and had to have been getting the sense of their greenness and limitations --

And pulling their way out of a bad Beatles imitation, Archie spearheaded an era of experiments -- experimental nature, bringing in unusual instruments for rock as they sought to find their own more industrial sound.

Indeed, even after finally settling on their permanent name of The Archies, and despite a lot of aural dead ends, Archie's musical experimentation continued.

Needing a fuller sound, perhaps with Reggie's familiarity from when be was a part of his bands, they brought Moose in for a couple tries in 1967 and 1968

But it did not last. And while initially showing a decided bias against female rock musicians --

-- with the Gallant Gals appearance in the Riverdale Music scene possibly inspiring Veronica to form her own group --

-- Veronica and The Groovers quickly evolving into the more stream-lined set The Veronicas -- made up of Veronica, Betty, and a never set third member --

-- and despite Reggie's snide comments on and low regard for The Veronicas, as too the opinions expressed by members of that group toward the music of The Archies --

The Archies soon found the need for a female vocalist, and so poached Betty out of the band -- spelling the end for The Veronicas.

The record is a little hazy on how Veronica ended up in the band. But once there it was set -- the three member Archies expanded to five members. Except for some instances where for plot purposes when they needed to jettison Jughead or Reggie. As too a hefty backlog of stories written when there were three members. Otherwise --

As with the dynamics of any band, Creative Differences and fights reared their head behind the scenes. But this too marks for creative energy.

After much struggle, and missing a shot to get on Johnny Carson -- the band was able to once more lean on Mr. Lodge's connections -- wearing him down through incessant pleading -- to get a hearing with Don Kirshner ...

And from there it went. To the top of the charts in 1969. Where Archie and his group would learn again the high price of fame, as sitting at the top of the Riverdale Music scene they found that rival musical acts would stop at nothing to elbow their way past them. Freek and Weirdo. B.G. and the Scurvys. The Three Tones. Joker's Wild. Cabaret singer Jezebel. Ruthless in their jostling against their prime competition.

Not to mention having their eyes open and naivete shattered when experiencing the deeds of their unscrupulous business associates.

As for the cast-aways of earlier formations of the band, Dilton and Moose and a shaggy haired kid had an unsuccessful band named The Diltons.

And though Moose was not able to deal with the rejection and quickly dropped out of the music business, Dillton kept at it -- through a couple failures

moved on through his scientific theory and approach in engineering music,

until after much fine-tuning, he finally hit gold, and was able to hire some musicians to fill out a successful prog rock project.

No clue on what became of the third member of the group, or of the various members of Archie, Reggie, and Veronica's earlier band attempts.

[deewellsosd]

The Evolution of Sneaker Culture: The Shift

Sneaker culture in 1994, was a lot like Michael Jordan himself: untouchable, iconic, and still soaring from that ‘Last Shot’ magic. When Jordan Brand re-released the Air Jordan 4 in black and red, it wasn't just a shoe hitting shelves again — it was the birth of a new era. Suddenly, people weren’t just buying kicks to ball in, they were buying history. This wasn’t about sneakers anymore. It was about sneakers with a story.

Hear me out. 👂🏾👂🏾

I knew that the sneaker world was about to get a lot more crowded but was happy that the 4s ended up at Nike outlet stores.

1994: Jordan Retros Are Born, and the Game Changed.

Jordan Brand drops the retro Air Jordan 4, black and red, and boom — sneakerheads everywhere lose their minds. It’s like Jordan-mania got a sequel. No longer just about playing basketball, this retro release turned sneakers into must-have collectibles, and paved the way for the boom of re-releases we’re swimming in today. But Jordan Brand wasn’t alone in the game. Oh no, we had #K-Swiss out here dropping their signature tennis whites and staying clean in the country club scene, while #Diadora and #Ellesse were holding it down on soccer pitches. Sneaker culture wasn’t just about hoops anymore; it was becoming global.

Early 2000s: Collaborations, Hip Hop, and the Sneakerhead Scene

Fast forward to the early 2000s. While everyone was still buzzing over Jordans, something wild was happening: #adidas was teaming up with everyone from Pharrell to Missy Elliott, #FILA was riding that retro wave, and sneaker culture was going digital. Enter the message boards — places like NikeTalk, Instyleshoes where sneakerheads could gather and post news and photos of kicks and trade rare pairs like digital currency before anyone knew what cryptocurrency even was.

It wasn’t just about what you wore on your feet anymore; it was about where you were buying them, who you were talking to online about them, and how you were hustling to get the next big release. The #New Balance "Dad Shoe" (S/o Steven Smith) renaissance also quietly began, sneaking into wardrobes with its chunky, comfort-first aesthetic. The early 2000s were all about collaborations and the beginning of sneaker culture’s obsession with exclusivity. #Puma was pushing their Clyde sneakers, while #Saucony—yes, the running brand—was quietly building its own cult following with sleek, comfortable designs that were street-ready.

Legacy Brands in the Mix

While Nike and Jordan were grabbing headlines, let’s not forget the underdogs. K-Swiss continued to carve out a niche with those iconic five stripes, while Diadora and Ellesse were quietly getting love from soccer fans and Euro-stylish types. FILA, meanwhile, was riding high on the back of Grant Hill’s signature sneakers, and it would see a full-blown revival in the 2010s, with the Disruptor II becoming the chunky sneaker everyone suddenly couldn’t get enough of.

Remember when people made fun of chunky sneakers?

New Balance? Don’t sleep on them. While everyone was busy drooling over the latest Jordan or Yeezy release, New Balance was already a legend in the DMV and those who knew….knew. Those "dad shoes" became the ironic fashion choice for the cool kids, and suddenly, New Balance wasn’t just for your lawn-mowing dad — they were fire on the ‘gram.

Saucony, meanwhile, wasn’t just for marathon runners anymore; their Shadow and Jazz models crept their way into collections. (Shout out to The Floor Lords for their 2007, Courageous sneakers.)

Hip Hop and Sneaker Domination

Let’s be real: sneaker culture and Hip Hop go together like peanut butter and jelly. As sneaker culture evolved, so did its Hip Hop connection. Enter Kanye, Pharrell, and a host of people making sneakers not just part of their brand, but central to their identity. Kanye’s #Yeezy partnership with adidas wasn’t just a big deal; it was a tectonic shift. Suddenly, sneakers became art, social currency, and an investment all wrapped in one.

And let’s not forget the OG brands keeping things fresh. Puma reimagined their classics with help from collaborations like Rihanna’s Fenty line, making old-school silhouettes new again. Meanwhile, FILA staged a comeback that felt like a ‘90s nostalgia tour, with chunky sneakers like the Disruptor II becoming must-haves.

And while these brands rode the waves of Hip Hop and sneaker culture are no longer just a U.S. phenomenon. It’s global.

2010s to Now: Sustainability, Resale, and Nostalgia on Steroids

By the 2010s, sneaker culture hit hyperdrive. Online reselling became a thing, and StockX made flipping sneakers as common as flipping burgers. Suddenly, people were buying kicks not just to wear, but as an investment. Remember those New Balances your dad swore by? Well, suddenly those "dad shoes" became the ironic fashion statement everyone couldn’t get enough of.

And then came the sustainability wave. #adidas started using ocean plastic, #Nike launched the Move to Zero campaign, and Puma got serious about eco-friendly kicks. In today’s sneaker world, it’s not just about looking good, it’s about doing good, too. We’re not just talking about aesthetics anymore; we’re talking about carbon footprints.

What’s Next: Virtual Sneakers and the Metaverse

So, where’s sneaker culture going? We’ve got NFTs, virtual sneakers, and even digital sneakers for your Metaverse avatar. Yes, that’s a thing now. Brands like adidas are already dropping virtual kicks, and as much as we love the feel of fresh leather underfoot, the next frontier of sneaker culture might just be something we can’t even lace up.

At this point, sneaker culture is about a whole lot more than shoes. It’s about art, fashion, self-expression, sustainability, and even digital futures. And if there’s one thing we know for sure, it’s that sneaker culture will continue to evolve.

Change is inevitable.

[mania-sama]

So, I have ask these questions (ask game) to quite a few people, but most of their unpopular media, at least I know one of them. Except yours (sorry). Can I ask what made you love these 3 media : Child of Light (Video Game), School - Live! (Anime), The Unlisted (TV Show)?

Also, it's okay to be an Oikawa fan (he is also in my top 3 fav Haikyuu characters). And yes, I agree with all you say about him as a character. Though, I pity him a little because in twitter he must be on the same list as any other anime antagonist/villains that are murderer or terrorist or worst 😑😶

Have you finished Haikyuu, Mania-sama? A bit spoiler : he became Argentinian citizen and at the end of manga, his team vs Japanese team (with Kageyama and Hinata). Oh and Iwaizumi became athletic trainer in Japanese team (ironic, right)....

Oh, can I ask what do you think of Oikawa/Ushijima and Oikawa/Kageyama ships?

Some say, Ushijima or Kenma or Miya twins are the best antagonist of Haikyuu. But come on, we know better, right 😆😄? (Along with the majority of Haikyuu fans)....

P.s Do you know why Furudate sensei don't draw Oikawa that many? Because "He is an ikemen (so handsome), that I have to make him look good in every panel (and that is hard)"...😉

hello again!!!

No worries! That's why I listed them - I NEVER set people talk about those three online. EVER. I was not expecting for you to recognize them, or anyone to for that matter!

Child of Light -> Honestly, just an incredibly spectacular game. It takes about ten-twelve hours for a full playthrough without breaks, including side quests and messing with certain crystal combinations for upgrades. It's short, it's simple, it's sweet, but it is just. Beautiful. Very unique, and I haven't quite found a game like this since. One of the stand-out parts of this video game is that it is written entirely in verse. All of the character's sentences and words rhyme, aside from one character, Rubella, a jester, who consistently doesn't say the right word to make the rhyme complete or flow. The introduction of the game is also told in a soothing voice. The vibes are impeccable. Then, not to mention the visuals of this game are in a watercolor art style. It's just... unique and absolutely stunning to look at. The soundtrack is just banger after banger. I strongly encourage everyone to listen to it. Not that you have to intensely focus on the music, but just enjoy the atmosphere it brings. I was actually among the artists' top listeners on Spotify last year, and it was only from listening to the Child of Light soundtrack. The story itself is simple, but that doesn't mean it's not fun or impactful. You play as a little girl who has, well, died from illness, and wakes up on an altar in a "strange, new land" that has fallen to darkness. It is up to you to save the land of Lemuria from monsters and the evil, dark queen. The monsters are really fun to fight and look at (as in, their designs and the way they are drawn are phenomenal). The upgrade system isn't hard to grasp at all, either. You collect characters and help them in their stories. It's a fun, turn-based combat RPG. Everyone should play it, honestly. It's my favorite game. (Oh, yeah, you have a cute sidekick with a quick-wit, too).

School - Live! -> Okay, this anime isn't as phenomenal as Child of Light, but it sticks out in my mind anyway for the way it masterfully portrayed the world it's set in. It's about a group of girls who have a club at their school where they essentially live together at the school. Seems kind of odd, but they are happy with it and enjoy being each other's friends. Well. Turns out the main character is very, very delusional while trying to cope with the world around her. And the world around here is trapped in a zombie apocalypse. It's intriguing to me how her friends try to preserve her delusions (obviously a coping mechanism that I love seeing portrayed in media) while also keeping themselves alive. The narrative bounces back and forth between the main character's delusional reality where everything is normal to the bloody classrooms, reeking dead bodies, and boarded windows. The characters are all flawed individuals who, while being able to deal with the apocalypse, still struggle and flounder and yell and scream. It's just absolute whiplash tilting between these two realities, and it's done very well. Also, the intro song is a banger.

The Unlisted -> This TV show has more similarities to School - Live!, than it does to Child of Light, but is still pretty unique. It's about this organization that brings dental health to students in Australia, but in reality, they are chipping students in the mouth with trackers that can, essentially, brainwash and mind control the kids into mindless machines. The trackers also increase their strength and dexterity (I don't know how it works; some suspension of disbelief is required to enjoy this). The main characters, two twin brothers, find out what's going on in their school after one of the twins purposefully goes into the "dental checkup" twice in place of his brother. The main characters then find out about the existence of a group of runaway kids who are being tracked by the organization because they are all "Unlisted" - kids who were meant to be chipped, but somehow escaped - and conspire to both help the kids and inform the world about the truth of the organization. It's VERY entertaining. I fell in love with the characters and their relationships. The acting is... rough, especially in the beginning, but you get through it for the plot I swear. All of it pretty much hits my fancy; runaway kids, trauma and injury, mind control, funny banter, and family. I just. Really like it. And everyday I think: wow, what a shame this never got a second season. Because it is good and I love it :(. I've attempted to write this as an AU multiple times for different fandoms, but I never succeeded. Who knows, maybe one day I will.

Anyway, Oikawa being "the most evil anime villain" jokes will never not be funny to me. He is just so easy to pick on. I did see recently on Tiktok a video where they said off-handedly and in seriousness that Oikawa and Dazai Osamu from Bungou Stray Dogs were very similar, and I had to do a double-take. No. They are not similar. Not in the slightest. One has conspired to murder/has murdered HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE and is a LUNATIC. The other is a high schooler who plays fucking volleyball. Can we NOT. (It is really, really funny though. I hope the Internet never changes.)

I've considered rewatching the anime because of my recent sudden and violent re-hyperfixation, but I don't know if I'll ever get around to it. I have never actually read the manga for Haikyuu, but I do know about the time skip and how it ends. In fact, I've been writing a fanfiction about the IwaOi during the Japanese vs Argentina 2021 Olympic gold match (not rooted in reality, where Argentina received bronze and Japan came seventh in the actual 2020 Olympics). I hope to release it sometime soon. It's... interesting, I suppose. I'm up to my usual bullshit, and "usual bullshit" means that one character gets unreasonably hurt in some way. It brings me unparalleled happiness.

As far as OiUshi and OiKage, they aren't my favorite but I can certainly see the appeal. OiUshi less so - I think they have negative chemistry, but the idea of them being together is funny enough to be enjoyable for me. I have read one or two drabbles of them before. OiKage is a rather controversial ship, which I understand. I don't think it works well when they are high schoolers at all, but the idea of something shifting in their adulthood is a fascinating concept. I don't mind it, honestly. It would show a lot of character growth between the two characters both individually and together.

[emberfrostlovesloki]

Books Aaron Has Read and Enjoyed [a ramble]

Photo credits: Left (mine) Center (@hotch-girl) Right (@lone-nyctophile)

So deep down I think Aaron loves to read. Not all the time, because there isn’t time for it often. But every now and then he’ll pick up a book for one reason or another. Because of this, I’ve compiled a list of six books that I think Aaron has read, why he read it, and what his favorite line of the book was and why. I think this list might prove Aaron is a romantic, even if he doesn’t think so. Enjoy all of that below the cut. Sending my love to you all this Saturday evening - Levi 

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbra Kingsolver 

When and why he read it - Aaron had to take an America Novel class his sophomore year. 

Why he likes it - Aaron really wasn’t a fan of the book at the beginning. It was the longest book on the reading list, and even though he is a fast reader, he found it tedious at the beginning. However as the story progresses and he saw Mr. Price spiral out of control and eventually succumbs to his mania, Hotch feels a connection to the man and his own father. He felt a sick sort of satisfaction as Mr. Price was burned alive due to his madness. This is a book Aaron wouldn’t reread, but he remembers it well. 

His favorite quote from the text - “Don’t try and make life a mathematics problem with yourself in the center and everything coming out equal. When you’re good, bad things can still happen. And if you’re bad, you can still get lucky” (Kingsolver). 

King Lear by William Sheakspeare

When and why he read it - Aaron read this in high school when he was starting to fall in love with Hailey. He joined the theater club and went as far as reading King Lear because Hailey loved it and was writing a paper about it. 

Why he likes it - He likes it because it brings him fond memories of Hailey and their very early relationship. He has reread the play a few times though he has no idea where his original copy is. He went looking through a few boxes in the attic once with no success. 

His favorite quote from the text - “In jest, there is truth” (Shakespeare). 

The Sound and the Fury by Willaim Faulkner 

When and why he read it - This is one that Aaron picked up for himself. He’d been told it was a classic so many times, and he figured he would see what all the fuss was about. He read this over a quiet weekend when the team was having a break. 

Why he likes it - Aaron enjoys the second and fourth sections the most. The stream-of-consciousness style in Quetinen Compson’s section was a nice change from the first. Aaron wouldn’t say it aloud, but it had been a challenging read for him. He shudders at the thought of reading something like Infinite Jest, another book that he had been told that he just must read in his lifetime. 

His favorite quote from the text - “I give you mausoleums of all hope and desire… I give it to you not that you may remember time, but that you might forget it now and then for a moment and not spend all your breath trying to conquer it. Because no battle is ever won he said. They are not even fought. The field only reveals to man his own folly and despair, and victory is an illusion of philosophers and fools” (Faulkner). 

The Complete Stories of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle  

When and why he read it - During a few cases in the winter when Aaron felt that he wasn’t his sharpest, he had complained to Rossi about questioning his abilities to profile and lead the team. That Christmas Dave had given him this collection and a note on the inside read: “If you’re doubting yourself, why don’t you read about a real profiler?” The note had been a joke, but one day he decided, ‘What the hell? Let’s see how wrong Doyle got the science.’ 

Why he likes it - Aaron didn’t expect to like the character of Sherlock as much as he had. The Britishisms and Holmes's dry humor made him chuckle. The science was very wrong. 

His favorite quote from the text - “As a rule, the more bizarre a thing is, the less mysterious it proves to be” (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle). 

The Brothers Karimozov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

When and why he read it - This was a gift for his forty-seventh birthday from you (the reader). It’s their favorite book, and they thought he might like the themes of family, atheism, and loss of faith. 

Why he likes it - He found reading this both easier and more challenging than The Poisonwood Bible. He was much older, but the depth of the story and the ideas brought up challenged him to introspect in a way that he hadn’t in a long time. After he finished he felt a bit cathartic and he had to call you to give some thoughts. 

His favorite quote from the text - “I believe like a child that suffering will be healed and made up for, that all the humiliating absurdity of human contradictions will vanish like a pitiful mirage, like the despicable fabrications of the impotent and infinitely small Euclidean mind of man, that in the world's finale, at the moment of eternal harmony, something so precious will come to pass that it will suffice for all hearts, for the comforting of all resentments, for the atonement of all the crimes of humanity, for all the blood that they’ve shed; that it will make it not only possible to forgive but to justified all that has happened” (Dostoyevsky). - Aaron isn’t sure if this is his favorite because he likes it, or because it’s your favorite line. When you tried to explain why, you cried, and he held you close. Aaron’s not sure he believes everything said here. He’s not sure he’s earned a spot for that type of bliss when he goes. But he wants it for you and for Jack and Hailey too. And for him, that’s good enough. 

On Beautry by Zadie Smith 

When and why he read it - This was a gift from Emily after her first month on the team. She was just so grateful that she was with the BAU. It felt like home to her. 

Why he likes it - Aaron likes satire. The biting and witty phrases of Smith make him smile. He may not understand that it's a spoof of Howard’s End, but it doesn’t really matter for his understanding of the text. The last line, his favorite, also reminds him of Hailey and it makes him a bit sad, but not in a heartbreaking kind of way. More that there was hope. Hope for broken people, and he wanted to believe in that. 

His favorite quote from the text - “Though her hands were imprecise blurs, paint heaped on paint and rolled with the brush, the rest of her skin had been expertly rendered in all its variety -- chalky whites, and lively pinks, the underlying blue of her veins and the ever-present human hint of yellow, imitations of what is to come” (Smith)