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popculturebuffet · 2 months

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Before we get to Disney, I'm gonna make a little detour with Total Drama. Since you talked about Island 2007 and Action in the late 2000s Cartoon Network shows ask, may as well try for the other seasons (not including the two reboot seasons since you haven't seen them yet). Who is your favorite character from each of these later seasons/spin offs: World Tour, Revenge of the Island, All Stars, Pahkitew Island, Ridonculous Race, and DramaRama? And as a bonus, I'll also throw in 6teen as well since it shared a lot of staff with Total Drama and it's implied to be in the same universe as Total Drama (plus Jude being a main character on DramaRama, with Nikki getting a cameo and mention in one episode of that show as well).

Oh i've seen most of the first reboot season just not the second yet (I'm waiting till we get a us airdate. I might still binge it , but I want to have it synch up with the us airdate to put it on my best of list. ) So it's included. Also big thanks for including 6teen 6teen: Used to be jude but I think it might be Jonesy.. while he coudl be an ass, he was an entertaining ass who had a lot of style and his realtionship with Nikki was just.. pure greatness. The best. The show itself is great and one I need to watch again, a nice slice of life that uses the mall setting well. Honestly wouldn't mind a revivial just maybe update it to a more modern outdoor mall or have the mall not doing great. It also had a stand in for christopher walken so that's always good. A funny, fun down to earth slice of life show.

Stoked: Dont' really have a faviorite character but since you included 6teen why not. I never quite vibed on this one. I have friends who did and I like the CONCPET, teens working at a fancy resort ala that one arc of saved by the bell.. but the cast felt mostly like copies of the 6teen cast just transplanted to a surf setting. The oppistes attract couple, the chill as hell guy, the sporty girl, the heriess forced to work.... it felt like a weak rehash and that they could've done way better.

World Tour: Noah and Tyler. I was going to say noah with tyler as a tie but.. fuck it they both get the gold as World Tour took two fan faviorites who had a good moment or two in island, but not much else : Noah left very early and tyler was primarily there to cause tension between heather and lindsay that never really payed off as while Island is still excellent it does have a habit of setting up things that never go anwhere (See the whole idea of a tribal council type thing during brunch of disgustingness.

Noah was great, getting to be sarcastic surrounded by mostly idiots, and getting a fun odd couple friendship with Owen. Action hadn't been exactly kind to owen, having him stay around way too long only to come back for boring subplot that didn't really pay off, only serving to get best boy harold eliminated when Duncan and Harold made the most sense for the final two. So instead we got Owen being stupid, and Noah reacting to it while still being supportive of his pal, a perfect foil for Tyler's dumbassery and dj's weird runner, and overall a character who should've stuck around a bit longer.

Tyler meanwhile was just adorable. The running gag with lindsay was great, but also got a truly heartwarming payoff, while his tendencies to fall on his face got nicely exagerated making him nature's perfect butt monkey.

As for world tour itself it's a decent season and one of the franchises best... but is a bit overhyped in hindsight. The first half DOES live up to said hype: a good cast, the series best antagonist, Heather in a fresh roll stuck on a team that dosen't want her while combatting a villian she has both great chemistry with and who is running circles around everyone. It has some stupidity like Leshawnas and Bridget's cheating on their partners, but it largely works. The second half, while having a great finish and some good songs.. is a step down. The gwen and duncan and courtney drama drags on WAY too long and elemnates gwen for so reason as with Blanely getting added post merge, we didn't need three antagonists and without the gwen friendship she was firmly back in that roll. Cody dosen't really get any devleopment despite the clear room for it, Sierra is one of the worst contestants in the shows history and her one gag is awful, and that gets only worse as the show goes on and there's less people to protect cody from harassment. It's still a solid season, the songs are great and even the second half has some good jokes, but it's one that looses steam as it goes. It's still one of total drama's best, a solid fourth place for me and third beofre the reboot aired... but it's still a tad weak like action, if still an improvment over it.

Revenge of the Island: Is excellent. It's not perfect, a cast member or two dosen't work (looking at you sam and ann maria), the depection of DID with mike is messy as all hell (though I still LIKE mike DID should not be a throaway joke or quirk) and the Ezikel thing continues to be dumb.. but it's flaws.. don't overshadow a great season. It's challenges may be forgetable, but it's cast is fantastic, with Scott being an easy second faviorite antagaonist as his team killing strategy is unique and fun, standouts like Dawn, Cameron, Brick and B, and easily the best final challenge in the shows history: brains vs brawn. Faviorite is Cameron. He's shy, hilarious and his friendship with mike works REALLY well: the two have great chemistry and trying to help mike with his mpd is a nice subplot and one of the few times it's not used to have WACKY CHARACTERS ABOUT YUK YUK. He also gets good character developments, going from a shy scared guy mostly carried by having good friends or working with one of the main villians out of necisity, to a truly self reliant young man who wins the million (In the verison I watched and frankly my canon) and earns his victory.

All Stars: Scott again, whose turned into a down bad butt monkey and it works: he can't team kill again, there are better villians who outclass him, so having him be a comedy asshole not only gives him the buckets of karma he deserved from Revenge, but also makes him oddly adorable and I wish they hadn't half heartedly broken him and courtney up. They worked. The season itself.. is the series worst so far. and of the franchise. I may not like Pahketew or Dramarama and have some issues with action and world tour... but their at least.. watchable. All Stars is a series of bullshit elimeinations, recycled jokes, plots that make no sense, sinking duncan and gwen which while not a ship I liked is taken to stupid lengths here, and a one note villian. Not to mention the finale which while having easily my faviorite total drama line ever

Wastes a good obstacle course on possibly murdering old contestants and the bullshit RESET BUTTON. Just.. the reset button. So much stupidity, not enough fucks to give to go into why pressing a button to cure mental illness is fucking embarssing. I do like Gwen and Cameron's relationship, it's somehow the most healthy she's ever had which I admit is both bogus and sad, but it's really sweet and that cheek kiss is adorable. Pahktew Island: Is boring. It has a few great contestants in Shawn, Ella, Amy and Samey... and not much else. Most of the cast is kinda boring, the sky and dave thing can eat my entire ass in a bad way, the challenges are forgetable and sugar just fucking sucks, taking the problems with ann maria and sam of just being a giant refrence and compounding it by also being the main villian and thus far more prominent. All Stars is far worse.. but I have more to talk about. I forgot Pahkitew soon after it aired and have no real desire to go back for a refresher.

Ridonclous Race: Ridonclus Race is , putting it with the others, my third faviorite season. I didn't think to include it when I was talking about world tour earlier but since it didn't get a second season (though I hope it does get revivied one of these days) and functions similar writing wise, I lump it in these days. Race was a MUCH needed breath of fresh air after the awful production season before it, and if brought back ever has a nice way to bring back old contestants now their all older thanks to the time skip. My faviorite character is hard as the goths are great, Noah and Own once against slap... but I give it to Kitty and Emma, the two have a great dynamic, kitty being adorable and fun to follow and Emma being driven, and their later hooking up with Noah and Owen not only provides great chemistry (Emma and Noah are adorable as hell and Kitty and OWen could work once she's you know, legal), but one of the seasons best subplots. Overlal the show is just solid: While the best friends and daters suck, their pretty much the only long standing teams that are a pain to watch: everyone else works, the shakeups in both a new format of reality to parody and a new host whose not a monster, tons of great arcs and jokes. This season is an easy faviorite of mine and the series third best.

Dramarama: Jude. including him is weird as fuck but i'll take it. The show itself.. I saw a few episodes, coudln't get into it and while it's readily avaliable on max I have no intention too. Why they coudln't be in elementary school, which would provide a bigger cast and most of the same stories is beyond me. Or just have a continuity reboot with everyone from all three generations at the same high school and also the 6teen cast is there why not. This ones more annoyign for the wasted potential of a fresh total drama continuity with whoever they wanted to pick and choose from the series massive cast> it's not as bad as all stars but ceases to make me give a fuck either.

Reboot season 1: God this is good. Faviorite is the hockey players, though a lot of the cast is good (I also like damien, scary girl, and bowie), my love of letterkenny means I can't.. not love these guys as they have a LOT of riley and jonesy energy, but without their accidental jackassery> Their just purehearted jocks with suprising strategic game, and Raj and Bowie's romance is great, as is Wayne hoping Raj will tell him soon so he can ship them openly. THeir just the best. The season itself is my second faviorite, though RR i still closely behind it. The new cast is almost all bangers and even ripper, who annoys the fuck out of me, is at least entertaining as his jackassery goes SO over the top sometimes it's funny. Chase is the only one I really TRULY hate, being an abusive asshat who won't shut the fuck up and adds nothing comedicaly, which says something. The cast is just great filled with good ideas, great chemistry and some all time standouts.

The challenges are also a step up as I hadn't realized till this season that aside from RR (That had the beneift of both going global again like world tour and the amazing race format).. the challenges were just forgetable. Revenge had maybe three that stuck out. In contrast all the challenges for the reboot are pretty good. Id idn't care for the farting episode with real life dinosaurs or the puking challenge, but I can at least give that one points for chef's cooking show style intros that while gross were hilarous, and the rainbow vomit.

It's a solid season, lots of fun to watch and a sign that even if season 2 hits some rough waters the show can still go and the time off for spinoff babies may of been good. It gave the show time to refocus, think of new ideas, and update it for the modern era and it's payed off wonderfully.

#total dama

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occasionaloneshots · 2 years

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Stranger Things X Country Music

Okay? Here’s the thing, stranger things is in small town Indiana, most of the teens there know how to use a weapon, and the Byers were taken hunting on their birthdays, that’s a hicktown. As someone from small town south, everyone is raised a little on country and has a soft spot for at least one song, regardless of main music taste. Our “before he cheats” if you will. So here’s my list of 80s-early 2000s country that I think would be the stranger things characters’ (from Hawkins so no Max and Billy) favorite country song with lyrics and an added headcanon type thing

ALSO country is mainly just narrative poetry out to music, trigger warning for death and suicide

Jim Hopper

Don’t Take the Girl - Tim McGraw (1994)

“Take the very breath you gave me

Take the heart from my chest

I’ll gladly take her place if you’ll let me

Make this my last request

Take me out of this world

God please, don’t take the girl”

He cried the first time he heard it because it made him think of all of the awful things life unfolded for the women in his life, still cries at the last verse despite none of the women in his life dying in childbirth. He relates to the hopelessness of it

Eleven Hopper

Stay Beautiful - Taylor Swift (2006)

“You’re beautiful

Every little piece, love, don’t you know?

You’re really gonna be someone

Ask anyone

And when you find everything you’ve looked for

I hope your love leads you back to my door”

El still has that childlike adoration of beauty well into her early adulthood and Taylor’s debut album really spoke to her. But stay beautiful really reminds her of people like Max, Mike, and Nancy who she always saw as beautiful and could see the good in

Will Byers

Wildflowers - Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris (1987)

“The hills were alive with wildflowers

And I was as wild, even wilder than they

For at least I could run, they just died in the sun

And I refused to just wither in place

Just a wild mountain rise needing freedom to grow

So I ran gearing not where I’d go”

Will is someone still heavily attached to the wild feeling of not having worries as a child because of losing the tail end of his childhood to the upside down, the idea of comparing that to the beauty of flowers brings him comfort

Johnathan Byers

He Didn’t Have to Be - Brad Paisley (1999)

“And then, all of a sudden, oh it seemed so clear to me

How we went from something’s missing to a family

Looking back, all I can say about all the things he did for me

Is, I hope I’m at least half the dad that he didn’t have to be.”

I’d like to believe that at some point (probably post season 2) Johnathan began to see Jim as some sort of father Figure, thinking of him comforting himself and his mother when they thought will was dead and how he put himself into caring for will after the upside down. He idolizes the way he cared for their family when he didn’t have to because Lonnie never did

Joyce Byers

One Promise Too late - Reba McEntire (1986)

“Where were you

When I could have loved you

Where were you

When I gave my heart away

All my life I’ve been dreaming of you

You came along one promise too late”

It makes her think of her younger self in combination with her feelings for Jim. The constant promises getting in the way of finding their way to each other

Nancy Wheeler

Strawberry Wine - Deana Carter (1996)

“The fields have grown over now

Years since they’ve seen the plow

There’s nothing time hasn’t touched

Is it really him or the loss of my innocence?

I’ve been missing so much”

Nancy definitely associates the song with Steve and her season one self. Unsure of if she really misses who she was with Steve or just who she was before the upside down tore her understanding of life apart

Mike Wheeler

I’m Still A Guy - Brad Paisley (2008)

“Well, love makes a man do some things he ain’t proud of

And in a weak moment I might

Walk your sissy dog, hold your purse at the mall

But remember that I’m still a guy”

This song has a lot of energy of a man trying to cling to his own masculinity in insecurity which I think Ike relates to a lot. Especially in this point where he can only tell people he loves that he loves them when they’re in danger, he relates to this concept of clinging to what makes a man a man like his father does

Lucas Sinclair

Heads Carolina, Tails California- Jo Dee Messina (1996)

“We’re gonna get out of here if we gotta ride a Greyhound bus

Boy, we’re bound to outrun the bad luck that’s tailin’ us

Oh, heads Carolina, tails California

Somewhere greener, somewhere warmer”

Lucas after getting Max and himself wrapped into the upside down drama begins growing obsessed with the idea of running away with her and just getting her out of Hawkins before she can get hurt again, he doesn’t care where, just somewhere safer

Erica Sinclair

That Don’t Impress Me Much - Shania Twain (1997)

“Oh no, alright alright

You’re Tarzan

Captain Kirk maybe?

John Wayne?

Whatever, nuh-uh

That don’t impress me much”

This is a song on her getting ready mixtape, definitely singing along to it while getting ready in her young adulthood. The energy of it reminds her of the fire her younger self had

Dustin Henderson

Somebody Like You - Keith Urban (2002)

“There’s a new wind blow in’ like I’ve never known

I’m breathing deeper than I’ve ever done

And it sure feels good

To finally feel the way I do

And I wanna love somebody, love somebody like you.”

Dustin associates his adult freedoms and his love for people who surround him as this new breath of air after basically parenting his own mother. The love he finds in adulthood feels like coming up for air, breathing that first deep breath when you come out the water

Steve Harrington

Live Like You We’re Dying - Tim McGraw (2004)

“And I loved deeper

And I spoke sweeter

And I gave forgiveness I’ve been denying

And he said some day I hope you get the chance

To live like you were dying”

Steve truly does believe that his brush with death in dealing with the upside down found it’s way to bettering him. despite the trauma he gained he sees himself for having a new love for life and the people in it from how easy it was to lose people to the monsters of that other world, he finds it relatable

Robin Buckley

9 to 5 - Dolly Parton (1980)

“Working 5 to 9, you’ve got passion and a vision

‘Cause it’s hustlin’ time, a whole new way to make a livin’

Gonna change your life, do somethin’ that gives it meanin’

With a website that is worthy of your dreamin’

Well you got dress and you know they matter

Be your own boss, climb your own ladder”

Robin would LOVE how Dolly makes herself an individual with her style and definitely seems like someone who would love to follow her own passions but lives in fear of not being able to make a living off of it. She’d love 9 to 5

Eddie Munson

Whiskey Lullaby - Alison Krauss and Brad Paisley (2003)

“The rumors flew but nobody knew how much she blamed herself

For years and years she tried to hide the whiskey on her breath

She finally drank her pain away a little at a time

But she never could get drunk enough to get him off her mind”

Hear me out, Eddie would NEVER admit to actually liking this song or any country of that matter. But I think he tends to take on guilt for things that aren’t his fault and he’d find something really relatable in a sad away about Alison’s verse. Also I believe in the country music to emo music pipeline, so this is a song that would be on the list to getting him into darker lyrics in my opinion

Chrissy Cunningham

She’s In Love With The Boy - Trisha Yearwood (1991)

“But Katie’s young and man

She just don’t care

She’d follow Tommy anywhere

She’s in love with the boy

And even if they have to run away

She’s gonna marry that boy some day”

Chrissy seems very into the idea of true love and keeping an image up. And the idea of running away with someone who truly loves her is something that has her twirling around her room while she gets ready

#stranger things headcannons #stranger things season 4 #stranger things #country music #jim hopper #eleven hopper #will byers #johnathan byers #joyce byers #mike wheeler #nancy wheeler #lucas sinclair #erica sinclair #dustin henderson #steve harrington #robin buckley #eddie munson #chrissy cunningham

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katieelizabeth · 4 years

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What would you call your body type? Definitely curvy

Are you a morning person? Yes and no. I’m taking sleep meds for nausea so right now waking up is kinda hard.

Have you ever been to Target? Loveeeeee Target

Do you like iced tea? Iced tea is always my jam

When is the next time you’ll be at work? Hmm it’s kinda up in the air right now. I’m itching to get back tho.

Do you have a savings account? Yes. one for myself, one with my boyfriend

Has anyone ever hacked your accounts before? Only once.

What color bedsheets are currently on your bed? Currently grey

Have you ever been to Disney World? If so, how many times have you been? Yes, I wanna say total like 6 times.

Does grammar and capitalization mean anything to you? It absolutely does.

Are you good at wrapping gifts for others? My boyfriend thinks I'm a terrible wrapper hahah

Do you have a dirty clothes hamper in your room? Yes.

What would you say is your favorite television show? If I had to narrow it down, probably Skins.

Do you enjoy big holiday dinners? Yes and no. I don’t care for holiday dinners with my family but I love holiday dinners with my boyfriends family.

Is there any piece of jewelry you’re constantly wearing? I’m not married or engaged but I do wear a small silver band on my ring finger.

What is one thing you desire as of now? To be able to just go and sit down in a restaurant. This virus has everyone living in fear and I'm tired of it and want to live normally and enjoy my pregnancy

What kind of phone do you have? An iPhone XR.

If you could move anywhere, where would you choose? Canada or London

Do you blog a lot, if at all? No not really. I used to when Xanga was big.

Is your present hair color, natural? Nope.

What makes you the most angry when it comes to people? My boyfriend thinks that anytime my opinion is different than his, then I'm trying to argue with him. It’s so fucking frustrating.

Describe your current outfit? Anaheim Ducks shirt and matching pj pants hahah

What was the last thing you ordered online? Some toothbrushes lol

Have you ever felt as though you were drifting apart from a best friend? Ive had two best friends in my life completely shut me out before. It sucks.

What color are your eyes? Poop brown

Have you ever worn color contacts? I have but I could never wear them because of the astigmatisms in both my eyes. Lasik was the best decision of my life

What’s the best thing about a hug? Right now I miss everything about hugs

Biggest fear? Losing my loved ones, death, never getting better/getting worse, never doing anything with my life....

If you have a significant other, how long have you been together? Just celebrated three years

Do you know any genuinely friendly people? Yes.

Do you buy your friends gifts? I try to when I can

What was the last thing you plugged in? My phone to the charger.

How old are you? 29

What color headphones do you own? They’re black.

Have you ever shopped on Urban Outfitters? No, just a reminder than I'm fat

Where do you buy the majority of your clothing? Amazon, Goodwill

Would you rather wear necklaces or earrings? Necklaces

Do you consider yourself fortunate? Very

Do you enjoy watching fights? Nooo.

Have you ever been in a physical fight? No way

Do you tend to talk badly about people? I try not to but everyone is guilty of that

Where are your parents as of now? Watching tv in the tv room

Does your computer cooperate most of the time? I literally just bought it so yes haha

Does your family have any cheesy traditions? Kind of

When did you last go to a book store? Gosh it’s been a while!

What’s the closest book store where you live? Barnes & Noble.

How much money do you have on you right now? On hand, $20.

Favorite personal feature? my hair and my lips

Are you wearing make up at the moment? Nope.

Favorite television channel? Bravo, E!, ID, HBO

Describe any piercings or tattoos you might have? 6 tattoos no piercings

Have you ever been fired from a job? INope

Are you currently losing a best friend? No.

Describe the worst day of your life: I’m good.

Do you play any video games? Not at the moment

Would you say you hate anyone? I feel hatred towards racists, homophobics, ect.

Do you think freckles are cute? Very cute!

Last time you went to the mall? Gosh its been a really long time

Name something that’s your favorite color: anything teal

Have you been to Red Lobster before? Yesssss. I want seafood

Do you judge by appearances? Anyone who tells you they don't to some degree is a fucking liar.

Do you follow a certain religion? No thank you

Who is your role model, if you had to choose? Im not really sure

Would you rather have nice hair or lips? Hair.

What are you most self conscious about? Pretty much my whole body

Do you have any family members who live out of town? Yeah.

Do you consider yourself short? Nope, I'm average height for a girl

What room are you in? Mine.

Hoodies or jackets? Hoodies.

Are you outside a lot? No not really. The sun doesn’t like my skin haha

Have you ever been dumped via text message? Nope

Do you like dreamcatchers? Not really

What is your favorite letter of the alphabet? I don’t have one.

Do you hate repetitive people and things? Depends on the situation

Do you think autocorrect is a blessing or curse? BOTH

Do you believe in any particular curses? No.

Ever play a Ouija board? Nope, my mom wouldn't let me growing up

What movie scares you the most? The Exorcist. I can watch the movie now no problem but it FUCKED up my childhood.

What was your bedtime as a child? 9. I remember watching Happy Days from 8-9

Reason why your favorite holiday is your favorite: Who doesn't love Christmastime?

Do you work with any close friends? I work with my baby daddy

Do you consider yourself spoiled? I would say in some way I'm probably spoiled

Do you listen to any country music? yes

Favorite high school teacher: I don’t specifically remember any high school teachers I liked. Probably my French teacher. He was super cool!

Do you ever get drunk? Of course. Can’t drink yet tho until after baby

Have you ever had highlights before? Nope

Favorite number: 7,10

Do you still sleep with any stuffed animals? Not anymore. I used to for a a long time

What is your biggest regret in life? Eh I've got a few

Would you say you think you have a mental disorder of some kind? Depression/anxiety. Ive taken meds for it

Are you normally an independent person? I like to think myself as independent but my boyfriend sure takes care of me. I dunno what id do without him

Do you have any paintings? a few

What is one clothing fad you wish never existed? anything from the early 2000s haha

Do you like to be organized? Do I like it? Yes. Am I organized? NO

Have you ever failed a class before? oh yes

Ever been judged because of your weight? All the time. Not so much as an adult tho

What is your favorite breakfast cereal? The sugary bad ones, ha.

Ever had a wish come true? Nope

Do you regret meeting any of your exes? No way

Do you own any coloring books? Yes haha those adult ones

What’s the meanest thing someone’s called you? I can’t think of anything specific. Probably fat

Have you ever bullied someone? I likely have, unfortunately :(

Do you ever watch Lifetime? Only for the reality shows

Ever tried to intentionally sabotage someone’s grade? God no

Do you own any brown clothing? Hmmm I don’t think so

What color are your walls painted? White.

Last thing you drank: I’m drinking decaf coffee

Have you ever seen a tornado in person? Noooo.

Do you have an inground pool at your house? Nope

What is the first digit of your phone number? 9

What’s the prettiest town you’ve been to? Anywhere in England

Do you tend to sleep a lot? yes and no. I’m taking sleeping meds but it’s hard for me to fall asleep

Silver or gold jewelry? Silver

Do you sometimes celebrate holidays early? Not usually. My boyfriends family Is out of state tho

Have you ever been in love? Yes.

What’s the best gift you’ve ever received? My unborn child

When was the last time you showered? Last night

Would you consider yourself attractive? Sometimes yes

Has anyone made you mad today? Nope

Favorite smell: Vanilla

Are you afraid of insects? I wouldn't say afraid

Do you have any children? I’ve got one cookin in the oven haha

If so, what are their names? I’ll tell you when I know the gender

Would ever consider having children in the future? MORE children? Lets see how traumatized this first one is haha

Have you ever lived on a farm? No.

Ever played any sports? Oh yes, played soccer till I was 18

Do both of your parents have jobs? They're both retired from jobs they were at for 40+ years

Where is the best place you’ve been on vacation to? Its a tie between South Africa, London and Colorado

Are you afraid people won’t accept you? Not anymore. Being an adult means getting over that haha

Are you, for the most part, an honest person? I try to be

Did you make prank phone calls as a child? oh yes!

Do you like to make donations? Yeah.

What is your current ringtone? Just the standard apple ringtone

Meet anyone from your past lately? No.

Have you ever called a teen suicide line? No.

Have you ever caught something on fire? Not that I can think of

Ever been obsessed with a show? Ive been obsessed with many shows

What type of perfume or cologne do you use? English Laundry Signature

What’s the last book you read? The book that Ted Bundys girlfriend wrote

Dream career: Zooologist

Have you ever climbed a mountain before? Yes, in Colorado

At what age do you plan to get married? Not sure, we aren't in a rush to marry

Ever been in a car accident? Yes, three

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sebeth · 6 years

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Young Justice: Independence Day, Fireworks, and Stopover

Warning, Spoilers Ahead…

My goal is to re-watch the Young Justice series and re-read the comics before the January 4th launch of Young Justice: Outsiders. Let’s begin.

Episode 1: “Independence Day”

July 4th: We begin, appropriately enough, on the United States’ Independence Day. The title will have multiple meanings by the end of the first two episodes: the kids’ semi-independence from their mentors and Superboy’s freedom from the Cadmus Project.

Do cold villains hate the Fourth of July?

Dick is the only Robin who would have laughter as a trademark.

“Juniors doing this for attention?” – One of my favorite parts of this series is the depth of knowledge for the characters of the DC Universe – even the obscure ones. The current Icicle is a “junior” – his father was the original Icicle of the Golden Age era. As a huge fan of the B through D list characters, I have a huge appreciation for anyone who remembers the small details.

Kaldur was an interesting choice as he was a new but fairly obscure character when Young Justice debuted. Garth would have been the more logical choice as he was a founding member of the Titans along with Dick, Roy, and Wally.

I admit I wondered why the series was called Young Justice because all I was seeing were the founding members of the Titans at this point (minus Garth and Donna).

“You’ll chat it up with the cops, the bystanders, with Cold even.” – One sentence reveals so much of Barry’s personality.

“I knew we’d be the last ones here.” – Again, a Barry trait.

“Speedy is Green Arrow’s sidekick.” “Well, that makes no sense.” – Accurate.

“Why isn’t anyone just whelmed?” – Dick’s mangling of the English language begins.

“02” – The assigned numbers correspond with the members joining the team. The way to my heart is the small details.

Roy has a huge hissy even by his impatient, hot-headed nature. We discover the reason later in the series.

“We could make an exception.” – Really, the Justice League wouldn’t allow their proteges on the Watchtower? Why?

Zatara and Wotan! Yay, obscure characters for the win!

“Glad you didn’t bring you know who?” Foreshadowing!

The boys invade Cadmus in all its glory: Guardian, G-Nomes, Genomorphs, Dubbilex, and, of course, Superboy.

“Dr. Desmond” is a hint for his upcoming transformation. The “Blockbuster” label confirms it.

Wally is a science nerd. Makes sense with Barry as a mentor.

“File KR” – another hint.

“Sub-level 52”. – DC does love its 52.

Superboy! Looking more like the Teen Titans-era version than the early, scrawny, fresh out of the pod version.

Hack! – Tim is typically the Robin most associated with computers. To be fair, the Internet was pretty much non-existent when Dick and Jason were Robin.

Superboy, unsurprisingly, curb-stomps the team.

Episode 2: “Fireworks”

First appearance of the Light aka the Cadmus Board of Directors.

“Clone them.” – We later discover that one sidekick has already been cloned.

Dubbilex, the sneaky traitor, awakens the boys.

“Project: Sidekick” – Desmond is so imaginative when it comes to naming projects.

“He can talk.”

“Yes, he can.”

“Not like I said it.

Wally, listen to Dick and Kaldur and keep your mouth shut.

Kaldur is clearly the wisest of the original group.

“Batcave’s crowded enough.” – Well, it’s been said three is a crowd.

“What would Superman do?” – Everyone should apply this standard to their decisions.

“Don’t you give me orders either.” – I can see why it would be a sensitive issue – his whole life (all 16 weeks) has been controlled by others.

“You can leap tall buildings in a single bound. Still cool.” – Sweet Wally being supportive.

“Don’t apologize. This is perfect.” – That’s how you know Dick was raised by the Batman.

“I finally have room to move.” – Yeah, speed is more useful when you have to space to run.

“Grab something from Project Blockbuster.” – If you were familiar with the villain, you knew what was about to happen.

“The Genomorph hero.” – Unfortunately, this bit wasn’t followed up on.

“Everyone back.” – Protective Guardian for the win. Sadly, he’s outmatched by Blockbuster.

“Got your nose.” – Gross!

“You incredible bulk.” – Shout out to the competition.

Oh, look at protective Superboy and Aqualad covering their more delicate teammates.

The League arrives with Superman taking point.

Not loving Hawkgirl/woman’s costume.

Poor Kal breaks Superboy’s heart. Bad Kal! I understand Clark’s upset and confusion but don’t take it out on the newborn child.

“All 52 levels.” – Again, DC loves the 52.

“Why let them tell us what to do. It’s simple. Get on board or get out of the way.” – Superboy declares the true mission statement of Young Justice.

Red Tornado as team supervisor is a nod to the comic book version of Young Justice.

I did like the addition of Black Canary as team trainer. It’s a nice nod to Dinah’s combat skills which Gail Simone spent most of the 2000s building up.

“This is the Martian Manhunter’s niece.” – Another surprise choice as Miss Martian wasn’t very well known in the comics. Never will a character start out so cute and then devolve into creepiness.

M’gann’s obsession with Superboy begins immediately. We’ll discover why later in the season.

Young Justice #1: Stopover

The issue begins immediately after Superboy declares “Get on board or get out of the way.”

“Give me three days” Batman responds.

The group then realizes Superboy has nowhere to go in the meantime.

Kid Flash brings Superboy to Central City. Wally explains the situation to his parents. There is a cute moment when Mrs. West corrects Wally’s grammar: “Robin, Aqualad, and I…”

Superboy interjects with a “You weren’t there.”

Cadmus clearly didn’t instruct Superboy in conversation nuances.

Mrs. West informs Wally that he “leads a very strange life. But we’re use to it. Largely.”

Wally’s parents are way more understanding and supportive than they are in the main DC Universe.

Wally’s parents ask Superboy’s name. Wally responds “I call him Supey. I think he likes it.” Conner doesn’t look like he likes it.

We stop in on Kaldur and Arthur’s return journey to Atlantis.

Kaldur: “We meant no disrespect.”

Arthur: “I would not be much of a king if I did not allow my subjects freedom of expression. Especially when their words carry such wisdom.”

Somewhere, Garth is wondering why he never had this type of relationship with Arthur.

Conner wonders “Think Superman knows I’m here?”

Wally awkwardly reassures Conner that Superman knows he’s in Central City.

Wally awakens the next day to find Conner sleeping upright in his closet. Conner informs Wally that he is not “used to sleeping in a bed. Your closet reminded me of my Cadmus pod. Except for the funny smells.”

Poor Conner. A bed shouldn’t be a foreign concept.

The boys spend the day vegging in front of the tv. Conner is very bored. Each panel has Wally eating something different: a bag of chips, pizza, and a bucket of fried chicken.

Nice nod to Wally’s metabolism.

Late in the day a card arrives with a credit cart addressed to Wally “for expenses.”

Superboy wonders if it’s from Superman.

Wally vaguely confirms it’s from Superman with a “who else could it be from” even though he’s clearly aware it was sent by Batman.

Wally is so sweet – he keeps trying to reassure that, of course, Superman would care about Conner’s location and well-being.

Batman is also a very sweet Bat-Dad this issue. Bruce would deny it but he was consistently sweet and supportive to Conner in the first season. None of the other Leaguers thought Conner would need money to buy basic essentials like clothes. Or that the middle-class Wests would need financial support to care for Superboy. Wally’s appetite alone has to put a serious dent in their income.

If Wally hadn’t offered, I’m positive Bruce would have taken Conner back to the Batcave. If for no other reason than Alfred wouldn’t have been thrilled with the idea of an underage child being left alone. Batman would have also thought of the risks of leaving Conner on his own – Cadmus operatives could have tried to regain custody of a lone Superboy.

The boys head to the mall to shop for clothes. A nice easter egg is the name of the store the boys enter: “Forever Sixteen”. Conner was genetically locked in that age for some time in the comics.

Conner buys multiple copies of the same black shirt. Not someone who’s big on fashion.

We bop over to Gotham where Dick is impatiently wondering what Bruce is doing in the Batcave – it’s been almost two and a half days!

Alfred patiently reminds Dick that when one says three days, one means three days.

Poor Alfred has the patience of a saint. Imagine what the poor man endures on a daily basis: Bruce in all his glory; hyper, energetic Dick, Jason’s explosiveness, Damian’s demanding arrogance, and Stephanie’s boisterousness. Tim, Cassie, and Duke are the quieter children. They don’t cause Alfred as much fuss.

Back to the mall where Wally and Conner encounter Tommy and Tuppence, the Terror Twins – the same twins that Conner and M’gann impersonate at Belle Reve.

Flash and Superman arrive on the scene of the fight. Conner mutters a single “Superman” before Clark flees from the scene. To be fair, he was pursuing the Terror Twins but he couldn’t even offer a “hi” before he left?

Flash tells the boys to go home. Barry will pick the boys up in the morning because “Batman has made his decision”.

Honestly, Batman made his decision as soon as he told the kids “three days”. Bruce simply needed the three days to implement his plan.

Conner asks Wally if “Superman will be there tomorrow”. Wall responds “Uh, sure, you know…if there’s no emergency somewhere.”

Conner’s downcast face shows he doesn’t believe Wally’s statement.

Conner asks Wally “Why’d you invite me to stay with you?”

“Well, un, Aqualad lives underwater. And the Batcaves’s kind of a big secret. So I figured it’d be cool for us to hang.”

Conner smiles after Wally’s statement.

Wally is so sweet and supportive in this issue. It also shows that Wally is very trusting. He is inviting Superboy into his home with his civilian parents – and he knows how easily Conner curbstomped the entire team. But Wally knows Conner is one of the good guys and doesn’t even hesitate to bring him to Central City.

The issue ends with the final moments of the second episode.

#Young Justice #Superboy #Kid Flash #Robin #Aqualad

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flipomatic · 6 years

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Good Morning Onee-chan!

Summary: “Good morning Onee-chan!” Hina practically skipped over to where Sayo sat. “What kind of cereal do you have?” She peered over Sayo’s shoulder instead of waiting for an answer. “Ooh, looks boppin. I’ll have some too!” “Must you be so noisy in the morning?” Sayo asked between bites of cereal.

Word Count: 2000

A few rays of early morning sun pushed past the curtains and into the room. They fell on a teenage girl, one who had school starting in just one short hour. Her phone beeped in a familiar jovial alarm.

Hina’s eyes shot open. She reached out with one hand to silent the device, climbing out of bed in almost the same motion. She flicked the lights on and changed into her school uniform quickly, eager to see the day. She could already hear another family member moving around the house. Her parents both went to work far earlier than the teens needed to wake up for school, so it could only be one person.

A few minutes and one hair brushing session later, Hina was ready to emerge into the house. She pulled the door open and wasn’t surprised to see the lights already on in the hallway. Even though Sayo’s school started half an hour after Hina’s, she always woke up before Hina and was probably in the kitchen already. She worked hard like that.

As expected, Sayo sat at the kitchen table. The older twin was already dressed for school and had left her bag by the door. She didn’t react when Hina entered the room, instead continuing to eat her cereal.

“Good morning Onee-chan!” Hina practically skipped over to where Sayo sat. “What kind of cereal do you have?” She peered over Sayo’s shoulder instead of waiting for an answer. “Ooh, looks boppin. I’ll have some too!” Hina hopped over to the kitchen to pour herself a bowl. She was midway through adding milk when Sayo finally spoke.

“Must you be so noisy in the morning?” She asked between bites of cereal.

“I’m just so excited for band practice today!” Hina poured some milk in her bowl before grabbing a spoon and carrying her food back to the table. She placed it on the surface a little too hard, causing the milk to sway and almost tip out of the bowl. “We’re playing the new song together for the first time, though we were supposed to do it last week.” She sat slightly turned in her seat, body facing Sayo. The other teen still faced directly forward, her bowl almost empty. “I still don’t know why we didn’t, it isn’t that hard. Do you have practice today too Onee-chan?” Hina scooped a huge spoonful of cereal into her mouth while looking at Sayo for a response.

Sayo did not provide that response. Instead she stood up, taking her bowl with her. She walked away from the table and Hina turned to watch her wash out her bowl, spoon dangling childishly out of the younger twin’s mouth.

“Onee-chan?” Hina removed the spoon and tried again.

“Yes, I do.” Sayo replied bluntly. She placed the bowl and spoon in the dishwasher, closing the device with enough force to make noise. “I’ll be going now.” Sayo added with little fanfare.

“Okay!” Hina grinned. “Wanna walk home together after practice?”

“I’ll have to pass.” Sayo picked up her bag, walked over to the front door, and slipped her shoes on. She opened the door and left without another word.

Hina waved as the door swung shut. “See you later Onee-chan!” She called, even though Sayo probably couldn’t hear her any longer. With a satisfied hum, Hina returned to her breakfast. That had gone pretty well, she thought. Sayo actually spoke with her that morning! She said more than “don’t come in my room” and “go away.”

Maybe mornings were the best time to talk with her older sister, Hina mused as she crunched the cereal. She pulled out her phone, setting tomorrows alarm for a few minutes earlier.

Another day, another alarm. Sayo opened her eyes slowly, fighting the impulse to just go back to sleep. She stretched slowly, turned off the alarm, and checked the time on her phone. It was about ten minutes earlier than she normally got up and, for a moment, Sayo wondered why she tortured herself like this. But as she shook off the fuzziness of sleep, Sayo remembered.

Hina had been especially annoying in the mornings lately. She always seemed to be waiting to ambush Sayo out in the kitchen and she talked incessantly the entire time they were there. She blabbered on about how well her band was doing and when the next show was and how Sayo’s band was doing and how school was going and blah blah blah. Sayo could barely handle conversations with her in the evening, let alone in the morning when she was still half asleep.

So, Sayo started setting her alarm earlier. It was only about five minutes at first. Those extra five minutes didn’t seem to make a difference though. Hina still managed to be there somehow, running her mouth at the kitchen table or calling out from her room.

Now Sayo set it to ten minutes earlier in the hope for some peace and quiet. She got ready for school at her usual pace, optimistic when she didn’t see the hallway light on under the door.

When Sayo exited the room, the hallway light was indeed off. Letting out a sigh of relief, Sayo continued about her morning. She grabbed a bowl of cereal, dry today, and sat down to eat. For a few minutes the only sound in the house was the crunching of cereal. With the calm, Sayo could almost pretend she was still asleep. She finished the meal quickly and stood up to wash her bowl.

Then, as if on cue, Hina appeared. “Good morning Onee-chan!” The noise grated against Sayo’s ears as she ignored the loud greeting and continued the process of cleaning up. “The weather looks great today! Do you have band practice this afternoon? I don’t, so I’ll be home early.” Once everything was put away, Sayo picked up her bag and put on her shoes. Hina had grabbed some food, Sayo couldn’t see what, and was watching Sayo get ready to leave. “Onee-chan, do you want to go to the mall after school?”

“I have practice today.” Sayo felt a twinge of annoyance at the question, despite not answering Hina’s earlier question about whether or not she had practice. She walked to the door, opening it to leave.

“Alright then, see you tonight!” Hina seemed unperturbed by her tone, waving her off as usual.

Sayo almost responded, almost turned back and said, “see you later,” but she didn’t. That would only encourage this asinine yelling at ungodly hours of the morning.

For the first time in her life, when Hina stepped out of her room before school there was nobody else in the house. Her parents both left over an hour earlier, which was expected, but Sayo being gone was not. Hina had even gotten up a whole fifteen minutes earlier than usual to make sure she could talk to Sayo.

As it was though, Hina had no choice but to eat alone and head of to school. The walk felt like it took longer than usual, even though she went the same way every day. Once she was in class, Hina found herself staring out the window, wondering why Sayo left so early that morning. Did she have morning band practice? No, they had a middle school student in the group, so they couldn’t have morning practice. Was there some kind of emergency? That wasn’t possible either, since their parents would’ve let Hina know. Or maybe it was the case and they just didn’t want Hina to worry. Either way, the whole situation wasn’t very boppin.

The day dragged on far too slowly for Hina, but it did come to an end eventually. She didn’t have band practice that day, so her afternoon was free. She sat at her desk for a few minutes after dismissal, thinking through her next actions.

The obvious choice was to walk to Sayo’s school. Since they started later than Hina’s school, they also ended later. If Sayo didn’t have band practice, then they could walk home together. It would be a great chance to make up their lost time from the morning.

With that thought in mind, Hina left her school and set off towards Sayo’s. The walk took about twenty minutes, so she still had a few minutes to spare when she arrived. Hina leaned up against the gate, waiting for the students to dismiss.

A few minutes later they started pouring out of the school. Many students passed by, a few even glancing Hina’s way as they passed. She barely noticed, only looking for one person.

“Onee-chan!” Hina called out when she saw Sayo approaching the gate. Sayo’s eyes widened in surprise when she met Hina’s gaze. “Over here!” Hina gave a big wave.

“What are you doing here?” Sayo stopped in front of Hina, her tone cold and a distinct frown on her face. “Shouldn’t you be home by now?”

“I wanted to walk home together.” HIna beamed at her sister, hoping to flip that frown around.

Sayo sighed, the frown still present. “I guess we are going to the same place.” She started walking out of the gate, and Hina followed with a pep in her step. She always enjoyed spending time with her sister.

“Why did you leave the house so early this morning?” Hina caught up to Sayo and walked directly next to her, looking directly at her twin as she asked the question.

“No reason.” Sayo cleared her throat. “I just needed to get to school.” That answer was suspicious, Hina thought.

“But your school doesn’t start that early.” Hina mused, one hand on her chin. “Unless you’re getting extra tutoring… is that it?” It would make sense, Hina knew that Sayo had a harder time in school than she did.

“No.” Sayo scoffed. “I am not getting extra tutoring.” She increased the pace of her steps. pulling ahead of Hina.

“Then why?” Hina continued to ask. Then, she thought about something she’d said to Aya before that led to interesting results. “I want to know so I can understand you better, Onee-chan.”

Sayo stopped mid-step, putting her foot back down. Hina had to stop just as abruptly, almost passing her twin.

“I just had to get out of the house.” Sayo spoke quietly and smoothly. “It’s been so busy and noisy lately, I can’t handle it so early in the morning.” Her eyes were cast towards the ground, refusing to meet Hina’s gaze.

“Oh.” So that meant, Hina thought, that Sayo left early to avoid her. She didn’t want to talk to HIna because she was noisy. “I didn’t realize.” Hina managed to say, wondering what else she didn’t realize about Sayo.

“No, you clearly didn’t.” Sayo’s tone was biting as she resumed walking towards home.

“I just wanted to spend time with you.” Hina followed behind her, focusing more on speaking than on walking as she justified herself. “That’s all. I’m sorry if I disturbed your mornings.”

Sayo looked back in surprise. “Thank you.” She said slowly. “For apologizing. I suppose I am sorry as well, for leaving this morning before you awoke.”

“It’s no problem at all!” Hina pushed a smile on her cheeks, bouncing to catch up to her sister.

They walked the rest of the way home without substantial conversation.

That night, Hina thought long and hard about what to do.

An alarm beeped.

Hina switched it off with her usual precision. She looked at the clock, noting that it read her old alarm time before any of this waking up early stuff began.

She got out of bed, got ready for the day, and stepped out into the hall.

Much to her surprise, Sayo still sat at the kitchen table. Hina was about to call out to her, but then she remembered. Be considerate, she told herself. Be quiet.

“Good morning Onee-chan.” Hina said in as calm of a voice as she could muster.

Sayo inhaled sharply and turned around. “Good morning.” She replied at an equal volume.

“Can I join you?”

“Yes.”

End note: I’m not exactly sure about this piece, but I’m posting it anyway. I wonder if these two characters will ever mend their relationship. It’s so broken the way it is in canon and it is going to take a lot of effort from both of them to fix it. I think they need to start by listening to each other.

#bandori #bang dream #hikawa sayo #hikawa hina #fanfiction #bandori fanfiction #sibling relationship #relationship study #flip writes #the twins interest me a lot #I don't know if you know this about me #but I have an identical twin #we get along much better than the hikawa twins

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gingernightowl · 4 years

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The Mall by Megan McCafferty

The Mall by Megan McCafferty My rating: 4 of 5 stars

*(I received an ARC from Wednesday Books in an exchange for an honest review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.)* I’m going to start this review by saying that I absolutely adore Megan McCafferty. The Jessica Darling series is one of my absolute favorites. It — with a few others — got me into reading, and reading young adult especially. When I saw that she had a new book coming out, set in the same town as Jessica Darling . . . I just knew I had to read it. Then I was approached by Wednesday Books asking if I wanted to read and review. Of course! I devoured this book! I didn’t want to put it down! I had been in an end of the year slump — I read and reviewed this in January — so I needed something to pick me up and The Mall delivered. You know how a lot of authors write time period books but their facts and what not don’t quite match up with what actually happened or was even available in that time period? Well, McCafferty nailed it. It was a 90’s themed book and it brought me back! (I’m totally showing my age here). Yes, okay, I do think you might’ve had to be a tween or teenager in the 90’s to really grasp it, but some of it even felt early 2000’s (as someone who worked the mall then). Sam Goody, Orange Julius, even KB Toys — which I worked there until it went under — and just the overall feel of being a teenager hanging out at the mall during the summer. Not only is about coming up as a teen in the 90’s, friendships and breakups, but there’s an added unexpected scavenger hunt that I loved. It brought Cassie closer to her best friend after they had a falling out many moons ago. This scavenger hunt made absolutely no sense, but it was fun to play along and really kept everything moving along. Oh! And of course there’s a summer fling! I love summer flings/romances, but don’t really read many “one night stand” versions, or summer flings that don’t become something. I found that fun and interesting, that there isn’t always a HEA with a romance element. In the end, The Mall was everything I needed from a book, and everything I expected from Megan McCafferty. Oh! And a character from the Jessica Darling series makes an appearance or two throughout the book! I’m sad that it’s not Marcus Flutie, but with time frames between the two universes, I won’t be too upset.

Thank you Wednesday Books for an early copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

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igen-thoughts99 · 5 years

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Film v.s. The World

Hollywood films have survived and endured many obstacles and challenges that have emerged over the years. Even though the idea of Hollywood films ceasing might be difficult for many to grasp now, it wasn’t such a crazy idea during certain points in history. There were multiple events throughout cinema history that could have led to the downfall of Hollywood cinema, but yet it still remains perhaps stronger and richer than ever. However in modern society today Hollywood faces a new threat, the series of streaming services which have become the new popular fad for not just Americans to use but the entire globe. With streaming services people never have to leave the comfort of their rooms to enjoy a multitude of films, or they can stream it from mobile devices virtually anywhere with data. However despite all this, Hollywood still remains strong due to the rise of franchises and people’s general love of cinema.

This is not the first time Hollywood has faced a threat to its existence. In the 1940’s when it seemed like the beginning of another golden age for hollywood as business was booming from the success of propaganda films, the main eight studio companies were sued by Supreme Court. In 1948 the Paramount Case forced these top movie studio companies to sell their movie theater chains so they would stop the oligopoly they had over the film industry (Schatz and Perren 499). Not only this, but leading into the 1950’s and 60’s Hollywood cinema would now have to forever compete with a new form of media that emerged at this time; commercial television. Television opened up a whole new form of media where people could enjoy quality entertainment that was not just audio as it was with radio. “{Television became] a medium that threatened to displace the motion picture as the preeminent cultural commodity in twentieth century america” (Anderson 2). An example of how heavily the “Big Five” were affected by the emergence of television is how Warner Bros went from having a net worth of a 22 million dollars, a huge feat at the time, to 2.9 million in 1953. A 90% decline in net worth in only six years (Anderson 2). Luckily the Hollywood industry had a strong hand over the entertainment system that allowed them to persevere through this decline.

The next decline for box office sales would come around the mid 1970’s when the invention of the home video box “VCR” from Sony (Schatz and Perren 499). This device allowed people to record television programs to rewatch later. At the time this new device seemed just as a heavy threat as television was, but even more so as later the VHS would emerge and allow people to buy their favorite films to watch at home at any time (or at least until the tape wears out). Although this provided some decline, VHS tapes of films still took months, even years in the early stages to become VHS tapes. So audiences would either have to see the film while it was playing in theaters or wait a long time for the tape to be released.

Today the Hollywood industry faces perhaps the biggest threat they have ever faced with the emergence of the highly popular streaming services. These streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Video are all paid sites that provide thousands of film and television content all available at a single time for a viewer to watch as they please. One would think that because of such a brilliant service, box office sales must be suffering, and they have. However they are not suffering as much as one might guess. According to a post on Variety.com by Brent Lang, in a study by EY’s Quantitative Economics and Statistics group, they found that “people who go to the movies in theaters more frequently also consume more streaming content” (Lang) . This means that the same people binging on streaming services are also going to the movie theaters just as often. This blatantly shows how people who have a love for movies will watch them from any platform. This idea is backed up by the other findings of the study, which found that people who were not visiting movie theaters, were also watching little to nothing on streaming services. This is illustrates why box offices are not facing such huge losses as people might have assumed. Phil Contrino, who is the director of media and research at the National Association of Theater Owners, states “people who love content are watching it across platforms and all platforms have [a] place in consumers’ minds” (Lang).

Box Offices do not just rely on people’s general interest and love for films, they also rely heavily on movie franchises. If one was to look at the top 100 top grossing films of all time, one would notice 77 of those films are franchises including prequels and sequels. Film franchises such as Marvel, DC Comics, Pirates of the Carribean, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Twilight, Lord of the Rings, and more all fill up the majority of top grossing films. In this era of film, it seems that people are more interested in sequels and long running stories than stand alone films. Just recently Avengers: Endgame (2019) had surpassed Avatar (2012), who had been the number one grossing film for seven years with a current grossing of 2.7 billion dollars from the worldwide box office. Marvel films takes up five of the top ten spots on the list, all generating well over a billion dollars. Movie companies and industries can clearly see through these numbers that people enjoy their franchises. In an article by The Business Insider, a few people from Citadel, the American global financial institution, discussed why film companies keep releasing more sequels; “they want to minimize their risk, appeal to an international audience, and bolster the potential for additional revenues through games and merchandise”. In basic terms, in an era full of streaming sites, they want to keep their audiences happy in order to keep the audience’s attention and also make the maximum amount of profit.

When it comes to box office sales, usually the highest age group to visit theaters are teenagers. Yet in this new era of iGen teenagers, people born between 1995 and 2012, studies have shown that they are going out less and less compared to previous generations. Jean Twenge examined a study on done on iGen teenagers and young adults by SDSU and it showed that there was about a 20% drop of teenagers visiting their local malls from 2003 to 2015 (Twenge 73). In another chapter of hers, Twenge states how iGen spend “nearly all their leisure hours on new media” (Twenge 51). This ties into her idea that iGen people are much less social and more invested in their smartphones. She also states that “iGen teens dont go out to see movies as often” (Twenge 67). She backs this up with a graph that shows how their has been a decline in teenagers visiting the theaters from average of 67% in 2000 to an average 53% in 2015 (Twenge 67). When she asked teens about this decline they state how they prefer to use streaming services on their phones or smart TV’s. Even with decline because of the rise of mobile devices, if we recall the EY’s Quantitative Economic and Statistics group study, this means that even though teenagers streaming more than anyone else, they are still the one’s visiting the theaters the most. In the study “Respondents between the ages of 13 to 17 went to a mean of 7.3 movies and consumed 9.2 hours of streaming content, the highest of any age group” (Lang). This shows that teens still love films and because of new media, it’s easier for them to watch more movies than any other generation.

Hollywood and the rest of the film industry has been through many ups and downs over the course of history. Hollywood has learned to adapt to these rapid changes and with the rise of franchises among movie companies, they remain a respected conglomerate Despite many other industries trying to overtake them, people’s general love of cinema has kept them going strong, possibly stronger than ever. New media may emerge in later years, but the film industry will no doubt find a way to stay on top.

SOURCES:

“All Time Worldwide Box Office.” The Numbers, 2019, www.the-numbers.com/box-office-records/worldwide/all-movies/cumulative/all-time.

Anderson, Christopher. Hollywood TV: the Studio System in the Fifties. University of Texas Press, 1994.

Lang, Brent. “Netflix Isn't Killing Movie Theaters, Study Shows.” Variety, 17 Dec. 2018, variety.com/2018/film/news/streaming-netflix-movie-theaters-1203090899/.

Schatz, Thomas, and Alisa Perren, “Hollywood.” In The Sage Handbook of Media Studies, edited by John Downing et. al, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2004. Pp. 495- 516.

Turner, Matt. “The Simple Reasons Movie Studios Keep Putting out Blockbuster Franchise Movies.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 21 Dec. 2015, www.businessinsider.com/movie-studios-produce-more-franchise-movies-2015-12.

Twenge, Jean. “In Person No More: I’m With You, But Only Virtually.” In iGen: Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy--and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2017. Pp. 69-91.

Twenge, Jean. “Internet: Online Time--Oh, and other Media, Too.” In iGen: Why Today's Super- Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy--and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2017. Pp. 49-68.

*All images were hand drawn and photoshopped by me.

#Hollywood #film #film industry

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simptasia · 7 years

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Prompt: rebellious teenaged Miles Straume headcanons. Where does he live (we know it's not with his mom)? Is he in school? How punk is he? Does he shop at Hot Topic? What's his fave song? Can he play an instrument (if so, which one)? Does he like movies (if so, what's his fave)? Is he already using his powers to survive financially or does he have another job?

Oooh, okay, yay, I love thinking about this Miles, or Miles in general. But late teen/young adult punk Miles! Thank you, LOST for giving me that.

And thank you!

Wow, that’s right, he wasn’t living with his mum. I remember that now. Good question actually, where the fuck would one go? I assume he saved up his money to leave, to get like a very shitty shoebox room in some apartments. (Congrats, Miles, you went from a tiny house with your mother to a tinier house on your own. In the city.) He was out of high school when this happened

I think he went thru school & high school like everybody else (Lara was glad for the time to work, I imagine she had two jobs to support them) but got expelled during his last year due to too many absent days and lack of participation. He ditched school a lot, to kill time at the local mall, or the park. He got bad grades, not due to a lack of skill/intelligence, he just didn’t do the work. He couldn’t have gone to college even if he wanted to, for obvious reasons.

(in many ways, he’s a huge contrast to Dan. rich, poor. best education, almost no education. bad mother, good mother)

How punk is he? Well, besides the look (he got frowned at by old people a lot), young Miles was very, uh, pissed off at life and people in general. (anger masking vulnerability, fear and pain) Basically, fuck the system, fuck school, fuck life. Listens to 90s/early 2000s punk/emo rock. Kicks vending machines.He ditched school soooo much, shoplifted several times (in his defense, he was poor) and got arrested a couple of times. And escorted home in a police car several times. He, along with most people, thought he was a loony bird freak with no future so why try? Sad punk. He felt guilty about making his mum sad and disappointed so much but he just kept acting out, anyways.

I looked it up and Hot Topic started in 1988, holy shit. Hardcore. Anyways, yes. Hot Topic was amongst the shops he’d hang out during school days. But, like, his look was, like, flannel and piercings and a skunk stripe. Which he got at garage sales, piercing parlors (or any goth weirdo willing to poke holes in Miles’ face) and like, a spray can. So, I imagine Miles at Hot Topic not so much to buy stuff, but to hang around people who were like him. He wanted friends. Aw…

I haven’t picked out any fave songs. But whenever I hear sad-ish, mopey but thrashy punk/emo rock, I think of Miles. Including that song “boulevard of broken dreams” which is weird, because that song came out in 2004??

I’ve decided Miles can play harmonica and is a fairly decent singer. He also played with the instruments at the local music store but isn’t, like, good

Oh, sure, he likes movies.

horror, especially suspense horror. but he likes the campy shit, too.

mystery, detective movies. i picture him watching and enjoying buddy cop movies with his mom. he was a rebellious teen but he did love his mom

there was a time when he’d watch a movie solely based on if a lady gets her top off during it (some greasy dude at the vid store would tell him)

his fave movie is Ghostbusters. something he doesn’t like to admit because Miles is too punk (and later grown up) to like that sorta thing

he became a ghostbusters fan at age 7 (lara took him to the cinema to see it!) and his powers kicked in when he was 8… besides miles trying to act less childish than he was, he didn’t want these two traits associated. being the guy who can hear ghosts and is into ghost stuff? nooope

Job wise… He did a gay porno when he was 18 but that doesn’t count as a job, at least not in Miles’ mind, because it was just one time. They were filming across from Miles & Lara’s unit and he just happened to wander by and somebody saw him and was like “hey, kid, wanna make 500 bucks?” and hell, yeah, he did. I think he didn’t start using his powers for conning until, uh… early to mid 20s? (nobody is gonna allow a teenager to come in to do psychic shit)

Also it’s canon that Miles was a mechanic before that. (It goes: punk, mechanic, ghostbuster, science team member) It was his first real job. One of the few options he had, with such poor grades and a police record. But an old local mechanic (with kids of his own) took a chance on this poor angry kid. This meant he had to remove the piercings (all 15 of them) from his face.

#drdanielfaraday #haroldwrens #lost headcanons #THANK YOU #I LOVED WRITING THIS #long post //

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purplesurveys · 7 years

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249

Have you ever been to Las Vegas? No. Doesn’t seem all that appealing to me anyway. What did you have for breakfast this morning? I didn’t eat breakfast which is a stupid idea considering I drank quite a bit last night...I did have a small piece of chocolate Pop-Tarts from at Gabie’s place this morning to mask my breath when I came home. Do you have any loose change in your pocket? I don’t have pockets on me right now. Do you like Taylor Swift? Her past singles were catchy, but that’s all I’ll give her. Everything I’ve heard about her attitude has just yelled petty to me. What’s your favorite Disney Channel movie? Strictly Disney Channel? High School Musical or Tw*tches.

If you met your favorite celebrity, would you be calm or starstruck? LOL I would probably cry if faced with Kristen Stewart. I’ll be starstruck in a calm way (so to answer your question, I’ll be both) and just maybe pull her in for a huge hug because I love her so much. Are there any lights on in the room you’re in? Yeah we have lights in the dining room but it’s daytime so the natural lighting from the sun is enough for now. What’s your favorite subject in school? I was always the teacher’s pet in history. I’m in college now though and have different classes per semester; my favorite class in the last sem would have to be art studies. What’s your favorite holiday? Halloween, even though I hate referring to it as a holiday because it’s not. I just pick that because I hate every other holiday. Do you ever have to do yard work? No. Sounds like something I’ll always put off haha. Do you think Bad Romance is a catchy song or an annoying one? Catchy. Whether played in 2009 or 2018, best believe I’ll sing along and even slightly dance to it. Do you use perfect grammar online? If perfect = formal then no. Are you currently using a laptop? Yep. Do you have any live versions of songs in your music software? Music software? Damn. Anyway, no I don’t really like live editions of songs, no matter how much I love the artist or no matter how good it is. Did you or do you listen to Britney Spears songs? I never did voluntarily, even as a kid in the 2000′s. I remember her songs were everywhere though - in kid’s parties, at the mall, on TV, everywhere. Is it a windy day? It has been today, actually! The nicest surprise I’ve had all day so far. In the past week, have you ridden in a taxi? No, I never ride taxis because the drivers here are creepy and even be kidnappers. I’d much rather book an Uber or Grab, which is an alternative to Uber but in Southeast Asia. Do you ever wish on stars at night? Not really. I would if I chance upon a shooting star, but those never happen in my area. What color are your eyes? Dark brown. What album is the current song you’re listening to off of? I’m not listening to music at the moment. What’re you doing after you finish this? Move upstairs and either take a nap or another survey. What song’s the most overplayed right now? There is another song by The fucking Vamps called Personal and as usual they are bugging the living shit out of me. It literally plays in three different radio stations within five minutes and it drives me nuts when I’m driving. They are the actual worst. Please break up. Are you in a band? No. How clean is your bedroom? Super tidy. Is there a pen within reaching distance of you? No, there isn’t. Are you sitting at a desk? No. I’m at the dining table but moving to my bed after. Does your favorite band have a male or female lead singer? [continued after taking a nap three hours ago] Female singer from an awesome band that rhymes with ‘paramour’! Do you normally shut your bedroom door before you go to sleep? Yes, absolutely yes. Rest assured I will not fall asleep if it’s ajar even the slightest bit; it has to be shut all the way through. I can’t sleep with any light around, so. Have you seen the movie Moulin Rouge? No. I know Gab has a physical DVD but I’ve never seen the movie. Would you ever dye your hair a different color? Of course. It’s just a matter of when I’ll do it, because right now I’m still pretty indecisive about which color I’ll be getting, bitching about how expensive and high-maintenance it’s going to be, and worrying about everything having to do with bleach. Are there any framed pictures in the room you’re in? Yeah. My kindergarten grad photo is framed, and my high school clique’s photo is also in a frame on my bedside drawer. Have you ever been to a Broadway show? Nope. Not really my thing, but it’s the sort of thing I’d surprise my girlfriend with since she’s all about Broadway. What’s your favorite movie soundtrack? I don’t have one. I’ll just stick with my default answer Carol. Do you prefer group or individual work? Really depends on what kind of work we’re talking. Anything with creatives or logistics, I would much rather be in a group since I cannot for the life of me be creative, or even be forced to be creative. I can be helpful in other ways when it comes to that; but every other work outside of that–say a research paper, or a chapter report, or an investigatory project, I’m okay with doing on my own. Do you have a key to anything besides your house? Just my car. Are you wearing anything with stripes? Oooh I am. My top is black and white striped. It was actually the top I wore to the high school batch reunion last night, but it’s a little comfy so I haven’t changed out of it yet. What time did you go to sleep last night? Er around 1 or 2 AM, not really sure. I just instantly passed out on Gab’s bed and don’t remember anything since I was waaaay too tired. Did anyone tell you that you were beautiful today? Yep. What show did you last watch? RuPaul’s Drag Race, which I watched with Katreen and Gabie when we were at the former’s house last Thursday. I initially groaned when Katreen suggested it cos I thought the show was going to be too loud and fast-paced for my taste, but thEN OH MY GOD EVERYTHING IS PINK AND BRIGHT AND FABULOUS. We ended up watching a second episode. Do you think you’ll do anymore surveys today? I hope so. I’m kinda disappointed with myself for taking very few surveys during my break, when I said I was excited to finally spam my own blog with them after the last sem practically ate me up and never gave me time. I go back to school Tuesday and I probably took like 10-15 surveys total in four weeks, yuck @ self. What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? Cookies and cream. I also really liked queso real in my early teens. When was the last time you stayed home from school sick? 6th grade. Eight years ago. Insane. Could you ever complete a 500-piece puzzle? I could try! My girlfriend actually has a 1000- or 1500-piece puzzle of a painting that we tried to finish with her little sister during a sleepover, but I was boring and fell asleep by 2 AM. It’d be nice to try it again. If you could run a red light and not get caught, would you? No. Thing is, so many Filipino drivers do that already; hence why we are one of the most terrible on the road. I’ve seen enough videos to not want to even try it. Do any bands flat-out annoy you? I would say yes but it’s an insult to the word ‘band’ if I referred to The Vamps as one, because they’re my sole annoyance. Do you have a mirror in your bedroom? I had before my mom got it removed ugh. Was today a birthday for any of your friends? It’s Reggy’s birthday, who’s a girl I went to grade school and high school with. I wouldn’t consider her a friend. When was the last time you rode in a limo? I’ve never done it. Do you take naps daily? Hahaha yeah almost everyday. That’s gonna stop when I go back to school. Do you still make Christmas lists? No. I think I made it for one or two years before I finally called bullshit on Santa. Do you watch the show Dexter? Yes, mainly because they said it was like Breaking Bad and because CM Punk watched it. Didn’t like the first episode, haven’t tried rewatching it since. Have you ever been to any sort of convention? No. Which song did you last listen to on repeat? Probably Tessellate by Alt-J. < Good choice. I’m now super garbage compared to that, because mine is Bruno Mars’s Finesse collab with Cardi B hahaha. Where do you want to live when you grow up? Just in the city where all the hurly-burly is. It gets boring living in a suburban ish environment. Are you currently using a blanket? Nope. Are there any songs that make you cry? Yeah sometimes, there are instances I’ll sing along to a certain song and feel them more than usual. I’ve cried to When It Rains by Paramore on my bad days. How many siblings do you have? Two, both younger. What’re you doing this weekend? Binge-watching Black Mirror and enjoying the final days of my Christmas break. Do you prefer swimming at the beach or in a pool? Beach. The chlorine in the pool turns me away from it, plus with so many kids swimming in pools you never know if you’re already swimming in wee. When was the last time you had a haircut? Some time in November. Which musical instrument do you think sounds the prettiest? PIANO. Without a shadow of a doubt. Do you know what you want for Christmas? I didn’t want anything for Christmas for the first time in my life. That’s a little sad, innit? I got the 2018 Starbucks planner, which I was more than happy about. Gabie got me all sorts of jewelry, a blanket, and a sparkly pink tumbler and I loved each gift; and my sister got me a doggy pencil case and made personalized stickers for me. I loved all of them. Do you watch fireworks on New Year’s Eve? Yes, that’s a family tradition. Not going out to watch them just feels foreign and empty to me, since we’ve done it all my life. Is your birthday within the next three months? Yup. *silent panicking* How long is the song you’re listening to? Three and a half minutes. Are you anticipating anything this week? Yeah I am pretty excited to attend my new set of classes. It’s my first sem to have four majors too, so that’s another thing I’m waiting to experience. Will I be okay? Will it kill me? Will I have nervous breakdowns? Who knows. Is your mom or dad the older parent? They were born in the same year, but my dad is older by eight months. Do you watch anything on E!? Just Keeping Up. Are you going to get off the computer now that you’ve finished this? No, I might take another one.

#survey #surveys

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angrybelieverconnoisseur-blog · 6 years

Text

New Orleans Louisiana Cheap car insurance quotes zip 70142

"New Orleans Louisiana Cheap car insurance quotes zip 70142

New Orleans Louisiana Cheap car insurance quotes zip 70142

BEST ANSWER: Try this site where you can compare quotes: : http://freeinsurancequotes.xyz/index.html?src=tumblr

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How much does car insurance for a 17 years old cost in UK ?

Help me about my car insurance please?

I havnt paid my car insurance for 4 months but I have enough money to pay it in a few days. I just got the letter that they cancelled myinsurance . I'm wondering if I pay the remaining balance, could i stay at the car insurance company?""

""How to save more money as a teen, for a car and motorcycle?""

I'm about to turn 16, and would like to save up for a reliable, cheap (2k-4.5k), good-looking, car. It has to be American, or anything other than Honda, Subaru, Toyota, Lexus, Hyundai, etc. cause dad works for GM. I am paying for the car on my own, most likely, but maybe I can convince parents to pay 1k or so. Money is tight right now in my family. Dad got demoted last year during GM's bankruptcy, and may get a promotion in spring. My Mom is opening a restaurant this year, which is going to cost a lot. I got a job in November at a brand new Kroger grocery store, where I get minimum wage and cannot work over 16 hours per week because I'm only 15. I have saved a little over 1.2k in the bank. I also have invested $500 of my own money this year into stocks, which are up a little. This might sound dumb to some, but I have dreamed of buying a motorcycle. I want a Kawasaki Ninja 650R. AND YES, I KNOW INSURANCE COSTS MONEY, (FOR CAR AND MOTORCYCLE) I'M NOT AN IDIOT. I also need to plan on how to save for that. Any tips, help, and info would be great! Thanks so much.""

How much for insurance on a Scion Tc? Does it get good MPG?

I am looking into getting a Scion Tc, I went to the dealer to look at the car and the sales man said that insurance will be a lot for a new scion. But he didn't know how much. I am 18, female, I will have my license for almost 2 years(by the time I get a new car), I have no tickets and have never been pulled over by a cop. And I live in California (if that makes a difference) Instead of getting a brand new Scion I am looking into a used one. A 2006 or 2007. I have Wawanesa car insurance. So does anyone know how much it would be a month? Oh, and from someone who has a Scion Tc, does it get good gas millage? It will be a deal breaker for me if it doesn't.""

Why are pickup trucks so cheap to insure?

i went to go look at a truck that is 10 years newer than my ford explorer. it was a ford f150 even with full coverage its still lower. the insurance for the explorer is nearly $2,000 a year. and the f150 is $1800 a year even with a big powerful V8""

Car insurance ideas?

Im nearly 16 next year im 17 (obviously) this sounds pathetic but im going into the forces i realized when i come back from training i could afford a Jaguar XF but i need an idea about the insurance i want it as soon as im 17 i know im abit young but im careful and responsible so if anyone could tell me how much my insurance roughly would be ill be paying like 12k for the car.

Has New Republican Joe Wilson become the biggest STAIN on the FAILED Conservative movement thus far?

...or something else?, I know there's a lot to choose from, Thx. for sharing.""

Car Insurance help No claims bonus?

Ok so i passed my test last month and have been driving about 3 weeks. i got an insurance quote with Aviva for 1800 per year (roughly) and im an 18 year old male, however because i had a provisional license for a year my dad thought i had 1 year NCB so told aviva this. They now want proof of my NCB (which i obviously don't have) so i will have to tell them. But my quotes are about 4500 without any no claims bonus !!!! and i drive a Y reg 1.2 fiesta ghia! is there anyway i can get this premium down? please help! i'd be really grateful!""

""Where can I buy cheap auto insurance in Houston, Texas?Just moved here, only paid $30/month in California!?""

Want to buy cheap auto insurance in person! In California I paid $30 a month at a place that catered to poor people basically, but had good coverage for cheap. I am not interested in paying double online with Geico, progressive, etc (as the quotes I've gotten are). Where can I get cheap basic coverage in person in Houston Texas? Thank you.""

How much will my insurance rate go down if i take driving school?

...I just turned 18 and im wondering if i should go through the schooling..

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What are average prices for teen auto insurance in CA?

just averages not a sports car i have good grades too if that helps

Why my car insurance is so high and how can I lower it?

Recently I moved my house and my insurance went off the roof. For a 03 reg ford-ka its 2300 whereas the car cost only 1400. I also have passed pass-plus, but in vain. Checked on gocompares and other sites, but of no use. I am 28yrs old. I don't know what to do, I love to drive and want that car so bad? Do you guys have any idea? Should I go and check out with my bank for insurance and stuff? please help?""

16 years old looking for car insurance?

I live in miami florida and i plan to get a pontiac Solstice. I want to know how much car insurance will cost per month. My mom has statefarm and her credit history is good but i have no credit history. how much will it cost on average?

Good health insurance for a small family?

My husband and i are looking to health insurance for our family and i was wondering if any one knew of a good company (in Florida) that was affordable. He is 21, I'm 17 and our daughter is 10 months. We are also expecting another one in November and need prenatal care as soon as possible. Thanks.""

Can i sue my car insurance?

Can I sue my car insurance if they refuse to pay for my car damages

How much is motorcycle insurance for a teenager?

Im 17 and want to get my motorcycle license but i have a speeding ticket and an accident on my record. Anyone know about how much insurance would be?

Which life insurance companies pay for death by suicide?

I'm 27 and live in New York.

Does anyone have Traveler's Auto Insurance?

I got a quote from a travelers auto insurance agent thats a good $75 less a month than what im paying now to progressive. The coverage isnt even bottom of the line either, its all the recommended selections. Anyone have any experience with them?""

Whats an Affordable Auto insurance if you have 2 at fault accidents?

Hi I just turned 18 and in May I was blocked in at school and I had to leave. I hit a car and was dropped from Geico because it was my 2nd at fault accident. It just left a scratch on the car but still. I want to go to college full time and I need a job but I cant go to college at all if I have to pay 300 a month, which esurance was the lowest quote I got. So is there any places that can help me with my insurance so I can work part time and go to school full time?""

Will I receive confirmation my insurance covers it?

I'm 19 and currently living at home with my parents and I am trying to keep this medical problem a secret and I found out that my insurance will cover the mini procedure. My parents keep track of the health insurance, however I have all my information. Will my parents get something in the mail saying my insurance is covering this, or will they never find out? Thanks.""

What is the bare minimum for full coverage auto insurance?

I live in Idaho. I have not yet payed off the auto loan so I'm required to have full coverage insurance. According to some people I am paying too much (about 700 for 6 months), as they are paying far less. I have geico, but from time to time I look around and get quotes, and it is always slightly higher than what I have now. However, that might be because I am opting for coverage I might not need. So the question boils down to, what is the bare minimum requirements for full coverage auto insurance in Idaho?""

What is a reliable car with a low insurance group?

I've done a little research and noticed they put cars together in insurance groups - like 2e for example. Is the letter for the level of security - so is 'e' bad, for example and 'a' good? Could someone please explain the process, and as I've just passed (I'm 18) - could you name a suitable car for me - lower insurance bracket if possible?""

Car Insurance - No claims bonus-?

As I understand it no claims bonuses can be retained for a maximum 2 years after expiration of last insurance. Its approaching two years since I owned a car and had insurance for it. My father added me to his own policy to be able to drive his car , does this mean I will be allowed to keep my no claims bonus when I eventually get my own car and insurance again ?? I dont want to lose my 8 years no claims. Many thanks in advance to all answerers :)""

Insurance price for a 16 year old?

I'm 16 live in Minnesota and i want to get a car maybe around $5000 just wanted to know how much a month it would cost for insurance with and without my parents

How do you get health insurance?

I'm try'na get emancipated from my parents, and they said I medical/health insurance. No ******** answers.""

Help!!!! changing car insurance?

I called another company and had a quote with them and they offering me a way better price than my current insurance company... I wanna make a change.. what do I do? Do I have to call up the current insurance company and cancel the policy?

I need cheapest auto insurance?

I am 17 years old, and i need an auto insurance that costs around $100-150 per month. i cannot afford higher than that.""

Do insurance companies operate on bank holidays?

I wouldn't mind getting some insurance for my moped tomorrow, but I heard its bank holiday monday...Will this stop me getting through to them?""

License suspended because of no insurance?

What happens after that? I live in California and I couldn't afford insurance then but now I can. Question is will i be able to get my license back if I get insurance immediately or will I have to reapply for a new one and pay back fines which add up daily?

""Why is it cheaper to add another person to your car insurance, shouldn't it cost more?""

I am going to add my boyfriend to my car insurance and it is going to be cheaper, (not that I am complaining any) but wouldn't it make sense to charge more? So why is it cheaper to add another person to car insurance.""

Young adult health insurance?

Young adult son cannot find job, not in college, has no health insurance - any ideas?""

How do I fight an auto insurance company's liability decision?

I was T-boned by another driver who I believe rolled through a stop sign and could not have been paying attention to the road. It was a four-way stop intersection, and the insured ...show more""

I need some help with car insurance please.?

About a year ago my husband and I sold a car. We went through the usual channels with dealing with the plates, calling the insurance company and so on. Well today we got our yearly insurance cards in the mail and didn't recognize one of the cars they had given us a card for so I went over the statement. It turns out they have been billing us for insurance on a car we sold over a year ago. We never really noticed how much we should be paying in insurance for our cars and only get our statement once a year with these cars. We only pay $1504 a year for what we thought was two cars and I had assumed that was pretty good. In fact we were paying for three cars and an extra $663 a year on the car we sold. I haven't contacted the insurance company yet but my question is what are my options here? Will they give us the money back for the year we payed on a car we legally sold and what do they need, if any, proof of that? We have paperwork of the sale but no real proof we called them to inform them to take the car off the insurance. Will that we enough?""

What is The Cheapest Auto Insurance for A Beginner?

....

Does anyone know where to get affordable insurance rates for high risk drivers?

Any insurance companies offering affordable insurance for high risk drivers

New Orleans Louisiana Cheap car insurance quotes zip 70142

My mother added her car to my insurance policy without telling me?

i jus got a letter in the mail informing me of changes made to my insurance on my car, changes i didnt make and apparently my mother did, without telling me. what should i say to her?""

""Hi all, does any 1 no where i can get multiple car insurance quotes instead of searching 1 by 1?""

i would like 2 enter my details and have multiple companies offering insurance, instead of doing it 1 by 1 does any 1 no where i can search for multiple insurance quotes thanx all""

Should I open a whole life insurance policy or a 401k first?

I met with a financial consultant who told me that the 401k is the last thing I should start. She says it makes more sense to open the whole life which compounds 8% return on my money yearly and pays a yearly dividend. Which is smarter to do first?

Do i need an auto insurance to drive a motorcycle? how much that would be if it is yes? higher than auto insu?

I think i need to know before i buy a bike that whether i would pay more $ on my insurance if there is 1 or would it be cheaper than an auto insurance, like car insurances?Ooh, i am an new driver so how much would it be?""

What should I do regarding my auto insurance situation?

I hit my dad's expedition with my Dodge Ram and caused about 1500 dollars in damage to my Ram, as estimated for parts and labor by a collision center, I hit the expedition's hitch which caused damage to me but barely a few scratches on the expedition. The expedition doesn't run, and is not even registered or insured. My dad is aware of the situation and has no interest in fixing his car and will not report me to the insurance or police. We have and still are on good terms. I have liability insurance, so it will not cover damage to my vehicle. My insurance policy expires in two weeks. What if I update my insurance with collision and comprehensive coverage that will cover my vehicle. Then I report that I hit an object and have them pay for it. Would this be cheaper in the short and/or long run than paying to fix out of pocket? Is such action above illegal, unethical, and/or against policy? I live in California and have Progressive insurance.""

""I need to get an insurance but not sure which is a good one,?

i am a cleaner and need to get insured for accidental damage as i work in the customers homes. thanks

What is individual and family health insurance?

I am planning to have family health insurance in these days but I want to understand the basic difference between individual and family health insurance.

""Car insurance question, does adding someone to a policy for a car you own cost more? so 2 people for 1 car.?""

Okay, young and stupid here with car insurance I am moving to fla, from louisiana. I have a car,and my girlfriend does not have a car. At this point, she refuses to drive the car because of insurance issues if something happened. So, to the question! Will it cost me more money to add my girlfriend's name to my insurance policy, so she can drive the car if I do not need it? Basically, im just adding someones name to the policy for 1 car.""

""How much is PPD rating schedule for %13 lumbar spine discs and knees, If my insurance company was putting me?

on Permanent Disability and my company Laid me out because of my limitation of to work? How much the insurance company has to pay me for my injury and disability?

""I touched a car bumper when i was backing, how much that would affect my insurance?""

I touched a car bumper when i was backing, how much that would affect my insurance?""

How long does it take to get billed for an ambulance ride?

I was given an ambulance ride back in April. My insurance had covered it and I am supposed to pay the co-payment as soon as I get the bill via mail. To this day, I still haven't received the bill and I'm told that the billing depends on the ambulance company when I call and ask about it. Does the billing usually take this long?""

I'm 24 yrs old. should I get whole life or term insurance?

Currently I have no children yet, what's best for me?""

""I'm 24, I'm young and healthy. PPO or HMO policy?""

I'm 24, I'm young and healthy. PPO or HMO policy?""

What would be a good life insurance policy?

What is the difference between 10 and 20yr terms etc. What is the benefit of the whole life insurance? And why do those one's cost much, much more? What should the average 35yr old female enroll in. I'm looking at probably 500,000. That's way more then ten times the amount I earn in a year. Do they grow with interest? So many question's I know. But if anyone has the time to give me the basics I will appreciate it. Thank you.""

What is the best insurance company for a recently passed young driver?

I passed my test last week and i am looking to buy a corsa, punto, clio like car. Its gonna be either a 1.0L or 1.2L car. How much will this cost me and what companies will give me the best quotes? Also, i am a boy""

Insurance for 98 prelude?

i found a 98 prelude that is in my price range but before i could buy it i was told to find how much insurance would go up. i am 17 and have been driving for about a year now and not been in any accidents or had any tickets. i don'tt know much about how car insurance works so if anyone knows from experience or any other way how much it might go up that would be great thanks in advance :)

How to get cheaper car insurance for a new young driver?

I passed my test the other day but ive been looking for hours trying to find some cheap car insurance on a 1.2 ford ka but all the quotes im getting are minimum 3-4 thousand pound and some are even quoting up to 8 thousand ! Im 17 and male does anyone know where to get relatively cheap insurance something between 1000-2000 pound? or any methods that are used to get cheaper car insurance?

Children's health insurance?

Just had custody of 15 and 18 year old changed from me to their Dad . All their lives I've been responsible for their insurance . As far as CHIPS goes in Texas . Since kiddos now live with their Dad . I can no longer get them enrolled . And our custody papers say I am to keep insurance on them till they are no longer eligible . Well , they are no longer eligible . Through the guide lines of CHIPS here in Texas . I even have the paper they sent to me . I can't get insurance on them . What am I to do now . Or is it up to my ex to go and enroll them ? I am a stay at home Mom who babysits . So I do not have access to private insurance .""

Anyone know the best company to go to for life insurance?

Do i need insurance?

If my mom has geico insurance and im 15 and just got my permit do i need to be on her insurance. Insurance is requiered in oregon but i dont know if teens need it?

Help!!!! changing car insurance?

Low car insurance rate??

hello i'm an 18 year old guy i passed my DMV tests and should be getting my license in the mail anytime I LIVE IN TEXAS. I have a 1999 Ford f-150 Black Truck and since i'll be hitting the mean streets soon, i need insurance of course. i AM trying to find a much cheaper one, if you'll say but keeps me legal but for less. Oh and I am a senior in high school so yes I'll be having an after school job so I guess you can say I don't make much..... please help""

""Car Insurance claims, time limit to file claim?""

I got in a auto accident a few days ago it was a three car pile up. The guy who caused the accident was cited and his car was towed away from the scence. Out of all three cars his brand new lexus was the least damaged, my car on the other hand is a total. His insurance company progressive is telling me and the other victim there is nothing they can do as far as a rental car for us or payments for our medical bills or to fix or total out our cars until they speak with there client who is avoiding them. Is there not a time limit? Because I have to go to work, I have childern and I am pregnant so this is a bad situation for me, my insurance company is not going to pay for all the damages just a few so it would be pointless for me to file thru them. What can I do and expect?""

""Is it illegal to drive a right hand drive car in america, and if not would the insurance be high?""

i just got a deal on a skyline r33 for sale in japan, and it is dirt cheap, so i was thinking about buying it and importing it, but it is right hand drive and i am a little concerned about laqs and insurance, does anyone have any ideas about this kind of thing?, please help, it is the car of my dreams""

Car insurance rates?

i am a 23 year old male and have a 1993 lexus sc 300 auto 2 dr. i know for a male the rates go down when you hit 25 years old, but is there anything when you turn 23? doesnt it go down a lil. i have had 1 ticket for speeding in nov of 2005, but took that course online to get it off my record since it was my first one.""

New Orleans Louisiana Cheap car insurance quotes zip 70142

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/auto-insurance-16-year-old-female-rop-michael-ford/"

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glassbirdheart-blog · 7 years

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The Secret Sexism in the Jewelry Industry by Tricia Norling

By now it’s hardly a secret that there is a sexism problem on the corporate level in the jewelry industry. A class action lawsuit filed against Sterling, the parent company of some of America’s most recognizable chain stores like Kay and Jared the Galleria of Jewelry, has brought the issue to the forefront. While that suit undoubtedly has merit and will expose even further the discrimination women in the business face on a daily basis, it won’t ever shed light on the industry as a whole.

Retail chain stores are hardly representative of the jewelry and diamond industry. These corporate outlets in malls and shopping centers around the country make up a small percentage of the business. Sure, they’re the most visible and the most well known because they’re the names you see on tv, the jingles you jokingly sing to anyone who tells you they’re thinking of getting married, usually to their chagrin. They’re the every man’s jewelry store where prefabbed, machine-set pieces bought and made in bulk are proffered for sale to the consumer who wants the convenience of buying something ready to wear and “popular”. It’ll offend plenty of people but I have no problem going on record as saying these corporate chain stores are the WalMart of the jewelry industry. The real jewelers of the world are hidden in plain sight. They’re the small businesses and dealers that repair the rings you drop off to those mall stores for sizing and they are the ones supply those same mall stores’ corporation’s buyers with everything from diamonds to metalsmithing tools to display elements. These jewelers are the real deal, most of them having apprenticed and studied for years (10 year minimum just for diamond cutters), they hold prestigious credentials and spend lifetimes completing formal continuous education for everything from identifying gems, grading diamonds to stringing pearls.

Indie dealers and jewelers don’t have much in common with the big corporate conglomerates. While your local mom and pop jewelry store might have retail cases filled with brilliant, tantalizing baubles just like the chain shops, they are a different animal completely. That is, except for one insurmountable detail: sexism.

In the interest of transparency I should disclose that I am in fact an independent jeweler. I have been in the industry for nearly 20 years. I am obviously going to be a bit biased but I need not be. The issue is hardly mine alone. In fact, it’s fair to say that over the last year I’ve been communicating with upwards of 100 other female jewelers from around the United States. We range in age from early 20s to to 72 and we run the whole gamut of industry positions. We are gemologists, designers, gem cutters, diamond cutters, store owners, bench jewelers, shop managers, silversmiths, diamond wholesalers and more. We might have varying job titles but we share at least one thing in common in that nearly all the women who contacted me face blatant sexism routinely, shockingly, sometimes daily. There’s a really surprising aspect that kept creeping up, one that none of us truly realized was a common truth: the sexism we deal with doesn’t stem only from men in the industry. It’s our customers that dish out the biggest doses of ignorance and offense. What makes it worse is that it’s widely accepted as “part of being a girl in a boy’s club industry”, according to Stephanie P., 36, a gemologist and repair shop owner in Sarasota, Florida.

Stephanie admitted she gave up correcting sexist remarks or offensive commentary from her clients long ago. In her own words, “It feels like a no-win battle and an emotional expense. I used to get so upset over winks or getting called sweetie but now I just let it slide. I’m too busy trying to prove myself through my work to argue with words.” Unfortunately, Stephanie isn’t alone. More than a few women jewelers were eager to explain how they’ve risen above challenging the sexism they encounter daily. Though this might be a noble approach in theory, it’s not helping anyone to quietly ignore the insults veiled as questions and back handed flattery. I’ve experienced these myself from the beginning and still do on a routine basis. Not one week goes by in which I am not asked to consult “my boss” for a second opinion. Usually, the offending client is referencing a male in my shop in my employ. It is hardly a big leap to deduce that by inferring a man would or could give a better, more reliable answer to whatever query is at hand I am clearly being disregarded as less experiened, less trustworthy or less able than a nearby man.

I am hardly alone.

Across the board, my own unofficial but unrelenting research into this issue has shed light on a slew of comments and questions women in the industry hear routinely. These off color remarks are so alike and so repetitive from coast to coast it’s almost hard to believe they aren’t coordinated. Alas, they are not. In fact, most of the women I’ve talked to about this issue don’t know each other and have not been privy to the anecdotes I’ve collected. Unbeknownst to them, they were telling me the same story over and over as if they were reading from a script written seemingly in 1952 when June Cleaver was the model of the ideal American woman.

Casey, a 20something jeweler, store manager and graduate gemologist is often met with dismissive comments like, “Isn’t that cute that your dad lets you work here. I bet you get to wear the best stuff.” or “Is the real jeweler here?” even after introducing herself as the shop’s manager and jeweler. She shrugs such things off as nothing more than an annoyance, focused more on the tasks on hand than the social slights littering their interactions. Casey doesn’t often stop to address such comments. Like many other female jewelers, she is caught between a rock and a hard place. Pointing out the offense immediately and correcting the misguided commentary risks making the client feel stupid or awkward, possibly resulting in a lost transaction.

“It’s like walking a tightrope when I have to make an on-the-spot decision to stand my ground.” says Aviva K, 48, a diamond wholesaler and dealer based in New York. Aviva was born into a long line of diamond cutters and dealers. She knew in her teens she would follow the family tradition and become a gemologist, graduating from the prestigious Gemological Institute of America at 21. She has assumed control of the family business with her father retiring and employs a staff of 16. “I don’t get it at trade shows but I do get it a lot in our own showroom. People think nothing of having me show them this or that and they ask me for details but when it comes time to talk price, they often ask me to check with my boss for a ‘bottom line’. I am the boss. There is nobody that will outrank me or give them a better price. It’s demeaning and it does weigh me down some days but I smile and stick to what I do. I sell diamonds. Sometimes, I get one of my male employees to come over and confirm that the deal on the table is the best it will get and that makes me feel like I look weak. I hate having to ask to be validated when I’m the boss. But the sale matters more than my hurt feelings. Hurt feelings don’t pay the rent.” Aviva is a prime example of the dilemma faced by every woman in the industry on a daily basis, including myself. When we encounter this kind of client or this kind of situation, we have a split second to make a decision and neither choice feels very good.

Do we grandstand and hold our ground, pointing out the offending sexism presented to us blatantly? If we do, we are usually seen as ball busting, argumentative and even “snowflakes”, a term we can certainly thank the political machine for inserting into our collective daily jargon. Women who speak up when insulted this way are often assumed to be emotional, irrational and unreasonable. On the other hand, women can opt to say nothing, to ignore the tasteless inquiry or statement and press on, closing the sale or completing the job not in spite of the anger and insult but to spite it, indeed. By choosing this option, the principle behind the issue is ignored and swept under the rug. The deal is closed and the profit is realized. The business will remain in the black and to many, that is the end game. But the cost to women’s confidence and self worth might be much higher than the cost of losing a sale or two, especially when confounded over time.

Both Sheila M, 38 of Michigan and Michelle L, 46 of Oregon recounted nearly identical anecdotes to me. Considering they’ve never met and live 2000 miles apart it lends credence to what didn’t need any to begin with in my eyes. Both women provided me a list of the most common phrases and questions they hear from clients, both male and female, that should be obviously sexist to anyone but apparently aren’t obvious to the people actually saying them. Both Sheila and Michelle are jewelry store owners, bench jewelers and jewelry designers in their own right. They, like me and thousands of others, hear comments like these routinely:

“Is this your dad’s or your husband’s store?”

“You’re so lucky you get to work here. My husband wouldn’t let me near this place.”

“Is the boss around? I’d like to talk to the owner. You? Ok, what days is your husband here?”

“Does your dad/husband make you work here or do you just like it?”

“You know a lot! What is your other job, your real job when you’re not helping here?”

“Oh, you own this place? Smart lady! Wish I’d married a jeweler. Better than marrying a doctor even!”

“I’ll come back when the regular jeweler is here. When does he come in?”

I could go on but the gist is clear and the stories are true. I know firsthand because I live it, too. For a long time I assumed it was just me, that I was somehow inviting this kind of thinking from my clients in my Virginia based store. I beat myself up day after day for not being more forceful, for not being more firm, for not coming across as skilled enough in my own right. I adopted various tactics through the years, trying on different suits of mental and emotional armor, prepared to do battle with weapons like wit, sarcasm, humor and even plain kindness. Admittedly, I depleted my own arsenal in no time flat. I tried ignoring the comments. I tried playing them off as cute, as jokes meant to amuse instead of insult. From time to time I’d simply stop the client and ask them directly why they assume I have a husband or father to thank for the little shop I’ve built from scratch. It’s never gone over well.

Offending male customers usually get tongue tied and defensive and to be fair, often apologetic but they become uneasy and in my own experience, often don’t return. Women clients called out on sexist comments tend to react differently, openly showing disdain over being questioned or corrected and on more than a few occasions even aggressively challenged my statements. To be fair, there have been plenty of clients of any gender that offered a quick apology and went on to admit that hadn’t ever thought it through before and on occasion will even agree that such statements or questions are indeed sexist, sometimes even degrading.

It’s a very difficult path to walk when you’re the woman boss in a male dominated industry. Women jewelers are no exception. I’ve pondered how to combat this issue for along time and I’ve come up with no good answers that could apply to the industry across the board. Instead, I came to the conclusion that it is high time to shed light on the matter as it affects the independent jewelers. Obviously, the class action suit against Sterling making headlines in mainstream news prompted me to act sooner than later so while I was hoping this piece would end with advice on how to handle this issue, the time has come to put it out now, as is. The reason being that it became clear to me that I’m not going to come up with the answers on my own. The problem is industry wide and one that is rarely discussed. Because of this, it’s my hope that this little write up will serve but one purpose and that it to get us all talking about it.

The first step to fixing a problem is to recognize and admit there is one. Now we know. We women in the business have always known. But here it is in the open, for us all to read and absorb. Hopefully, this issue starts getting the attention it deserves. Perhaps we will see the industry embrace the problem instead of reject it or ignore it. Just maybe this is the kind of thing we could see scheduled as panel talks at trade shows or seminars at trade conventions. That would be a massive step in the right direction for us all, men and women and every jeweler. We might see women jewelers band together to start open discussions in their shops, online in trade forums and groups. If nothing else, it would have been worth my time and effort to have opened a few eyes to the problems women in this business are facing on the forefront of the showroom floors.

Indie jewelers and dealers are a tight knit community. Over the course of my own career I’ve come to know people of all walks of life involved in this industry in one way or another and I’m proud to say that more often than not, jewelers look out for each other. They help, advise, counsel, comfort. Though in theory we are all competing with each other, it doesn’t often feel like a cut throat, winner takes all industry. Nearly every independent jeweler and dealer I’ve known or worked with wants to see others succeed. For this I am proud to be in the industry. Those of us on the inside know we often do business the most old fashioned way; that is by the honor code. We often trust each other unconditionally because as it has been for hundreds of years, a jeweler’s word is as good as cash until he or she proves otherwise. Few ever prove otherwise and though there are thousands of us in the industry, it’s never more than six degrees of separation between any of us. I have boundless faith in the people that make up this business. I know that they will continue to be some of the most honest and friendly ‘competitors’ on Earth. It’s because of that I feel this introduction to the sexism on showroom floors will be welcome instead of rebuked. It’s time we admit it’s happening and the it’s high time we talk about it.

#feminism #feminist #jewelry #womenatwork #diamonds

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