#one of them in particular is currently being written by a man (derogatory) because we finished the old campaign (poorly) he's using old pcs

[tragedia]

i'd really like to apologize to two of my tabletop characters for getting stuck in most cursed timelines for the sake of peace at work.

[thegreymoon]

How hot is the character: Webb and Keegan Sherman 😏

| 😐Not My Type😐 | Alright | Cute | Adorable | Pretty | Gorgeous | LORD MERCY |

*dodges sharp objects and runs into hiding*

I know, I know!! 😫 Just hear me out on this one, OK? 

First of all, let me just make it clear that this was absolutely deliberate on the show’s part. The whole point of this character (characters?) is that they are physical perfection and should be so hot, they would set the scenery on fire wherever they pass, yet they are so fantastically creepy, the hotness is just lost and you are sitting there, laughing uncomfortably, going what the everloving fuck?? 😅

Also, let me make it clear, this is yet another role where we see just how absolutely talented Bradley is, he is just gifted when it comes to comedy (not that he doesn’t do the serious, dramatic roles perfectly too, as we all have Damien to attest to that). 

All the characters in this show are caricatures to a greater or lesser degree, the villains are all ridiculous and hilarious. The Sherman twins are so incredibly unlikeable in every possible way, but they are absolutely entertaining! At one point, Leah describes them as “these creepy twins” and it couldn’t be more accurate! When I say “not my type”, I mean, they are exactly what you would expect a cartoon villain in a cartoon to be like; they are obscenely rich, live in this bubble of privilege and self-indulgence and are completely devoid of all empathy and conscience. Of course, this is carefully tailored to provoke a certain level of disgust in the target audience, considering the sociopolitical climate we are currently living in and the outrageous, ever-growing gap between the rich and the poor. The Sherman twins are a cardboard cutout of the sociopathic billionaire we all reserve our unrestrained loathing for. 

Mind you, physically attractiveness aside, the moral failings of various kinds of villains have never stopped anyone from thirsting after them (Kylo Ren and the clown from It come to mind, but hey, I have a loooooong list of my own guilty sins so I’m really not judging). However, one thing this show is extremely good at is taking obviously hot people and situations that should be sexy by all established norms of modern media and making them as unsexy as they possibly can in the most obvious but understated ways.

The Sherman twins are such a great example of this. Let’s start with their introduction scenes; the fencing duel is such an obvious, tropey thirst trap! It’s written and designed in a way that should (stereotypically) hit all the right buttons. Like, Bradley, goddamn: 

But then they go and do *this*: 

Poof! All sexiness evaporated (and everyone who has watched this show will know exactly what I’m talking about 😂😂)!

Also, let’s talk about the incest. I was expecting the subtext (I’d seen all the stills and gifs, after all), but come on now, that is not subtext, it couldn’t be more obvious and there is not a single scene with the two of them together that does not rub it in! Mind you, sibling incest, especially twincest, also never stopped anyone from thirsting (yours truly here pleads the Fifth, not that her AO3 is any kind of evidence against her or anything 🙄🙄), but these two are just so goddamn creepy as individuals and as a pair. 

With all that said and the general understanding that the Sherman twins are the actual worst, Bradley James himself in this role is: 

| 🔥🔥LORD MERCY🔥🔥 |

I mean, this man is a Greek statue, OMG 😭 If he was born in the ancient times, I’m convinced he would be worshipped as a demigod or something: 

Honourable mention to these strategically placed flowers: 

And the infamous handjob scene: 

(When this happened, I howled, I can’t believe they actually went there! Anyway, yes, the resulting mental imagery was very much appreciated! 😂😂)

In conclusion: Bradley James is perfection, news at 11, but I am going to take this opportunity to warmly recommend this show to anyone who has not seen it because, sadly, it doesn’t look like it’s getting much traction and I was shocked by how vicious the reviews on IMDb were when this is, hands down, one of the best things I’ve watched recently. 

The show is just hilarious, almost the entire cast is amazing, I loved every second and binge-watched the first season without even noticing! There was not a dull moment for the whole six episodes! It was such a breath of fresh air in all the cliched, poorly written, depressing nonsenseI’ve been watching lately and the pointless violence and unapologetic misogyny masquerading as being ‘gritty’, ‘edgy’ and ‘realistic’. 

Don’t get me wrong, Bounty Hunters is both shockingly violent and incredibly filthy (seriously, I did not expect that amount of graphic, brutal death going in), but it works. I am also not a fan of comedy in general, humour very rarely clicks for me, but this had me sobbing! The characters are so vibrant, vivid and interesting (with the exception of Nina’s niece 😫 Seriously, who did that girl have dirt on to get hired, she can’t act to save her life and was, beyond a doubt, the worst part of the show and her scenes were the only ones to pull me out of the story, but they managed to do it every single time, she is that bad 😖)! 

The main villains were all delightfully unlikeable and evil (with the exception of the ISIS bunch, who had zero charisma or interesting points and were just kind of… there). The Sherman twins were terrible but hilarious, the cartel was one of my favourite things in the show, Barnaby’s father was just so sleazy but I think that particular actor could make me laugh at anything! Barnaby and Nina are the only actual ‘goodies’ in the show (their words 😂😂) but they are so flawed and ridiculous and not afraid to laugh at their own expense! I just loved them! (Also, their mothers were a piece of work, Barnaby’s mother in particular, that woman is gifted, I swear 😂😂)

And I am really digressing here, but I just have to talk about those reviews on IMDb because I personally found the worst of the complaints completely ridiculous and something I couldn’t disagree with more! They mostly seemed to have an issue with the unapologetic violence, but for me, that was a part of the charm and there is no rule that says that comedy should be kid and family-friendly. I thought this was sufficiently grim without going overboard into exploitative and gross, and in spite of the dark undertones, the overall theme of the show is family, loyalty and love. Also, the second thing that really stuck out to me is that some people really seem to have an issue with the lead actress being an older woman, some complete moron called her a grandma in a derogatory fashion and said that she cannot be ‘a badass woman’ because of it (or a romantic interest, I imagine). Personally, I loved the unusual age difference, where, for once, the woman gets to be the older, more experienced and the more badass one, and the man gets to be young, pretty and naive. They don’t actually get together in the first season (I don’t know about the second one, I haven’t gotten around to it yet), but I personally enjoyed their will-they-won’t they and all the banter (seriously, I have not actively shipped the two het m/f leads in a show in ages). Besides, Barnaby and Nina have crazy amounts of chemistry together and I could totally get behind the two of them having all the filthy, kinky sex they can physically manage! Not to mention, I find it so incredibly offensive that an older woman somehow can no longer be hot of badass (and Nina is so, so hot and badass) and it is depressing that in the year of our Lord 2020 we still have to deal with this sexist, ageist, misogynistic tripe. If the ages were reversed, I promise you, nobody would be complaining! /end rant

And since I’m already way, way off-topic (and the general topic is all about hot people, after all), I’d just like to gush about these two 🔥🔥 LORD MERCY 🔥🔥 individuals, because goddamn: 

This is Charity Wakefield, she plays Leah in the show (who is an absolute delight), and she is, IMO, one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen 😍

And this smouldering piece of perfection is Christian Ochoa:

And these two stupid hot people somehow manage to have the least sexy sex in the history of TV (multiple times!!) and make a demon baby together (I hope, but like I said, I haven’t season 2 yet) 😂 As I mentioned earlier, this show loves to mess with our expectations of perceived hotness and I found it so refreshing and hilarious! 😂😂

I fully admit that if it wasn’t for Bradley James, Bounty Hunters is something that I would never have picked up (I very much doubt it would have even crossed my radar because I really am not a fan of comedies in general), but I am very, very grateful that I did! I am looking forward to season 2 and I read that season 3 is also in the works (please, Bradley, come back for that one too and do some more nude scenes with strategically placed flowers, we are all begging)! 😜

[madcapmoon]

Fugazi interview

by Jeff Clark, originally written for Stomp and Stammer in April of 1998

They stand alone, really. No other group that emerged from America's '80s hardcore scene that's still breathing - not Bad Brains, nor Bad Religion, nor any of a handful of other somewhat related bands, bad or no - has demonstrated the growth, commitment, and righteousness of Washington, DC's Fugazi. From the taut, grinding release of early albums and EPs like Repeater and Margin Walker, their music has steadily evolved with ever-expanding depth and complexity. A Washington Post article from 1993 stated it succinctly and perfectly: "Fugazi is the face of punk growing up." ·

Ian MacKaye turns 36 this month. He and his longtime friend Jeff Nelson started the fiercely independent Dischord Records in late 1980 to issue a single by their high school punk band Teen Idles. The band broke up; Dischord remained, and thrives to this day by issuing records from an impressive array of impassioned bands, most coming from the DC area. Jawbox, Nation of Ulysses, Dag Nasty, the Make-Up, Faith, and Shudder to Think are but of few of the groups the label has helped over the years, while at the same time offering distribution to many smaller, burgeoning DC indie labels. While Dischord began as a way to document a community, it could be argued that the label is the fuel that keeps that community burning.

Musically, MacKaye and Nelson continued on in the highly-influential hardcore band Minor Threat until 1983, and after brief alliances with Embrace and Egg Hunt, MacKaye hooked up with bassist Joe Lally, drummer Brendan Canty, and guitarist/vocalist Guy Picciotto to form Fugazi. While much is made of their strict integrity and work ethics - they don't charge more than five bucks a show, they won't sign to a major label, they won't allow stage diving, etc. - what ultimately makes Fugazi such a vital rock 'n' roll band is its intensely powerful music. With End Hits, their first release in nearly three years, they'll surely further confound close-minded punk purists - no surprise, really, since MacKaye has freely admitted to being a freak for Hendrix, the Beatles, and Cheap Trick, among other classic rockers. End Hits may not come across as immediately visceral as the band's earlier work, but the creative combustion is more than evident. Urgent, organic, explosive - it's music that's alive, and it makes the listener feel as such.

At the moment, MacKaye is at home in DC, doing administrative work for Dischord (the main office is housed across the street,) fielding constant phone interruptions, arranging a short May tour for the band (its first live dates since a ten-year-anniversary show in Washington last September,) and contemplating the future of Fugazi under some new circumstances. It's been a strange, pivotal couple of years for the band - MacKaye became extremely ill during an Australian tour at the end of '96; his chest inexplicably filled with fluid and a lung collapsed, all with no evidence of bacteria. He had to have surgery, followed by an extended recovery, knocking the band out of commission for the better part of a year - "Yeah, it was pretty bleak, to be honest with you," MacKaye understates, after describing the ordeal. Meanwhile Canty married and had a child with his wife, and Lally bought a house. Basically, punk grew up some more. But with the release of End Hits, and a comprehensive documentary film on the band currently being assembled by Jem Cohen, it looks to be one of the most exciting periods yet for one of the world's most exciting outfits. With the help of various titles from Fugazi's past and present, here are MacKaye's thoughts on matters of heart and mind:

Repeater: "I'm a working man. I wake up quite early, usually around 7:30 or eight. And I try to have some food, I do some stretching, I look at the newspaper, and then it's time [to work], and then it's dark, ha ha ha! In other words, I don't really have any sense of what my days are comprised of, because every day is very different. I sometimes struggle for routine, but there's so many details that change every day, that don't have real routines I don't pack boxes, per se, I don't order things. I have a lot of people calling me about things. I book the band, which is extremely involved. Generally speaking, I answer questions."

Long Division: "From my point of view, we started Dischord to document a particular community here in Washington. And I had no intentions at that time, nor do I have any intentions at this time, to be a rock and roll label owner. I never wanted to be in the record business, but, um, I kind of accepted a mission that made me put out records, and somewhat put me in a position where I am kind of in the record business. I kind of assumed it would be somewhat self-perpetuating, but I didn't think it would be permanently self-perpetuating. I have some dream that at some point it'll be clear that the community that I was interested in documenting will no longer really exist, and at that point I don't think the label will exist anymore."

Steady Diet: "The thing about Dischord, as a label, it's gotten bigger and bigger. We've been around for so long, primarily because of the Fugazi stuff, and also Minor Threat, and a lot more people have become kind of involved with the label as a sort of family. They work there, and there's a lot of activity, and a lot of stuff that Dischord is involved with that most people have no idea about. Particularly within distribution. We lend an awful lot of money out to a lot of local labels to help them get stuff done. I think that the label's sort of gotten bigger than itself at this point. So, when I think about stopping the label, it really means it's gonna stop an awful lot of things and people. And I have to be very, very thoughtful about it before I do something like that."

"From my point of view, we started Dischord to document a particular community here in Washington. And I had no intentions at that time, nor do I have any intentions at this time, to be a rock and roll label owner."

By You: "I think some people don't really understand the nature of 'Do It Yourself.' When you do it yourself, you have to do it. And it's a lot of work. And it's not just an issue of, you know, not participating with major labels, or whatever. It's about working. And, it's been a very strong ethic with us, with me, all along. And basically, my work has been sort of all-consuming for the last 17 or 18 years The people who are interested in our band, quite a few of those people are involved in projects, musical or literary or whatever, the kind of things that involve direct action, and interaction. So, I think that at the end of the day, though, when you do this work and you make these decisions, and you kind of cover this ground on your own, you don't have to answer for it later on. You can speak with some responsibility."

Blueprint: "From our point of view, we spend almost all of our time trying to write music which is interesting and challenging. We work very, very hard on our songs and our records. So it's a little discouraging when it's just like, 'Oh yeah, those are the guys that won't sign to a major label.' But at the same time, there are plenty of other people who, maybe they're aware of that, but they're into the band. So I think the people who can only think about us in really simplified terms, like what they perceive as our philosophy or our behavior patterns, that's just more representative of their kind of really tacit concept of the band."

Do You Like Me: "People have this really kind of, I think, bullshit rap about preaching to the converted. I don't know that I agree with that. There is incredible potential created when a band and an audience get into a room together. I mean, obviously I can have a lot of fun with people who don't like the band and wanna yell things, but it gets kind of tedious after awhile. So my sense is, as much as people use that 'preaching to the converted' thing in sort of a derogatory sense, people should re-examine the idea of that, and think about when you have complimentary forces, sometimes you can get a lot more accomplished."

Birthday Pony: "I don't know what to tell you, except that September 3rd, 1987, Fugazi played our first concert at a place called the Wilson Center, it's a church basement here in Washington, DC. And on September 3rd, 1997, Fugazi played the Wilson Center in the basement of the church. There was nothing more. There were 200 people at both shows, it was very small. But I don't think many bands have that opportunity, to play the same venue, ten years to the day, and we felt like it would be good for us. And it was. It was actually the last concert we played. We haven't played since."

Provisional: "There was a lot of discussion - 'Well, are we gonna play more, or not?' We had that really terrific ten year bookend kind of thing, but in any event, we booked some dates for May, so I think were playing. We're gonna do a week. It's a whole new thing, now. We've gotta figure out how to work with a family. We've got a baby on board. So, we're gonna start real lightly. There's a lot of other stuff going on in people's lives right now, in their personal lives, that needs to be sorted out, still. So, this is gonna be a really spotty year. I mean, I am very happy with this record, The band has been very busy, I have been working non-stop on the band. I just don't think we're gonna be able to get out and do that much touring."

End Hits: "It's such a good name. And I think when people listen to the record, if you pay close attention to it, that the title will come more in focus. I don't think it's quite as apocryphal as it sounds. We're not suggesting that the band is coming to an end."

Closed Captioned: "Jem Cohen and I went to Woodrow Wilson High School together here in Washington. He's been quite close to the band since the very beginning. He actually co-wrote the song 'Glue Man,' and he's been filming us, really, since the beginning of the band, in one form or another. And finally, in the last few years, we've been trying to kind of bring all this material together and get it into some kind of two-hour-long piece about the band We feel that as the band starts to kind of wane as far as playing live, we won't be able to tour as much, and obviously eventually we're not gonna be playing any shows at all, then people who are interested in seeing the band are gonna be reliant on video or film. We thought we'd create something that we were really comfortable with, and was aesthetically in keeping with the way we feel about the band."

Turnover: "We've all gotten older, and there's far fewer bands that I feel as passionate about. Which isn't to mean that there aren't good bands, there are plenty of great bands, it just means that they're not speaking to me in the same way. It's a much less cohesive community - however, we've managed to stick it out. We're all very close friends, and the music may not play nearly as much of a role as it did in the past, but I think at this point, even just our company is enough to get together. I think we're stuck to each other now. So, it would be inaccurate for me to say that it's the same, or it's as strong on certain levels, but I would say that we've grown up together, and the community is still intact. These are people I'll know for the rest of my life."

Burning: "I am very interested in what's going on with young bands and stuff, but I have found that as much as I like to go and check out bands, and all that, I don't feel welcome. It's a very small scene, and I'm not suggesting that I'm some big shit. I'm not. But just within this same scene, it is difficult. I feel uncomfortable going to shows, because I just think it freaks people out that I'm there. But within a certain context, it's good to know that kids who are 16-, 17-, 18-years-old, they need to do their own thing. And I don't necessarily have a place in that world. For me, it's all about trying to keep the fire burning. And to make things possible. And who knows what happens next year. When you keep moving, you stay warmed up, and I still feel warmed up."

Reclamation: "The longer we're together, the bigger our past is. One thing I've found out about music is that after you create a legacy, you have to spend time administering that legacy. Keeping your records in print and all that stuff. There's one more goddamned thing you've got to do. I wasn't lying when I said I spend most of my day answering questions. I'm answering questions about things that I have done, and that troubles me sometimes because I feel like I should be doing something."

Long Distance Runner: "I'm not sure I have a life outside of Fugazi or the label. I hope something happens that doesn't involve either one of those entities, but at the moment it's hard to say. I'll try to go take a walk now and then."

[jewelerystorenc]

15 ladies Reveal the Tinder Opening Line they really taken care of immediately

15 ladies Reveal the Tinder Opening Line they really taken care of immediately

These offbeat icebreakers might really enable you to get a date.

Dating when you look at the pandemic is. strange, to place it moderately. With IRL dates more or less from the dining table during quarantine, increasingly more of us have now been relying solely on dating apps like Tinder and Hinge for discussion and companionship. But even that is included with its own challenges.

Relating to a current research, 50 % of US singles are not shopping for a relationship and sometimes even a night out together at this time, as they aren’t “on the marketplace.” Which within one means is sort of encouraging for anyone of us that are in the Apps, whilst the social people we are messaging are ready to accept making a link. In addition it ensures that the app that is dating in basic is more competitive.

Making a great impression that is first crafting an ideal opening line will be the thing that can help you stick out from the rest of the dudes who’re blanket-bombing ladies’ Tinder profiles with emojis or “‘sup.”

“start with a line that presents them which youвЂ

ve taken enough time to check through their profile,” claims sexologist and We-Vibe sex specialist, Dr. Jess OвЂ

Reilly, PhD. “You will need to demonstrate that youвЂ

re not merely copying and pasting a generic Hi. I do believe youвЂ

re attractive. Wanna talk? message. As an example, when they say theyвЂ

re into hiking and theyвЂ

ve posted a couple of mountaintop photos, inquire further about that particular interest. Hey! Love your climbing pics. Is the fact that Valley of Fire? IвЂ

ve always wished to see. Today anyhow, let me know if youвЂ

re up for chatting? That final component departs it available in order for them to consent. In the place of let’s assume that youвЂ

re eligible for their time, ask if theyвЂ

re within the mood. When they state theyвЂ

re busy, ask if they desire to carry on the discussion and when they donвЂ

t, move along.”

Gigi Engle, certified sexologist and writer of most of the F*cking Mistakes: helpful information to Sex, prefer, and lifestyle, thinks that the way that is best to have someone interested is always to “either be goofy or actually thoughtful,” and far like O’Reilly, advises making time for someone’s profile to become more particular in your opening gambit. She adds that creating an authentic, attention-grabbing message can also be worthwhile even although youare looking for something a tad bit more casual.

” In the occasion you are sorts of mass-messaging hotties, which allow’s face it, we have all done, I think asking a actually uncommon question can really spark somebody’s interest as well as straight away weeds out anyone who isn’t clever or doesn’t always have a feeling of humor,” she claims. “as an example: in the event that you had to choose a well liked berry, which berry can you select? or what exactly is one secret-single thing you are doing when nobody is about. We’ll go first: We watch Brooklyn Nine-Nine reruns and appear at puppy memes. Get!”

Generally there’s your advice through the experts. Show that you have been attending to and that you’re interested for more information, without coming across as demanding and entitled, or alternatively, cut loose and simply spend playtime with your messages (which does not always mean unsolicited sexual remarks).

Nevertheless looking for some inspiration? Some ladies shared top communications they ever received on dating apps. It bears saying that context is every thing, but that knows. Possibly one of these simple is useful for you too.

“The most readily useful opening like i have have you ever heard ended up being: ‘IвЂ

m bad only at that, therefore IвЂ

m going to buck the Tinder trend and allow you to result in the very very first move, if that is ok.’” —Ann, 29.

“I as soon as had some guy first message me personally first with, ‘Corny pick-up line, gif, or becoming expected away?вЂ

It had been clear he had been referencing his opening line, but being the person that is obnoxious am, we replied, ‘All of these.вЂ

Then did them all. He sent me personally a adorable gif, came up with a corny pick-up line, and asked if i needed to seize beverages next Friday. I liked the known fact[that] he surely could show up along with three, but in addition, in asking just exactly how he should begin the convo, it acknowledges the fact opening lines are weird for both the girl together with man.” —Hayley 29.

“I always like when men start with two concerns. Not merely any questions—questions certain to my profile. I love if they reveal theyвЂ

ve looked past my images and are also using a pursuit into the things We have said. I favor two questions because I have an extra choice. if I donвЂ

t wish to respond to one,” —Brooke, 30

“In college whenever I ended up being on Tinder, I had within my bio that I became a philosophy major. This 1 man was able to make puns Plato that is using, Descartes, and Spinoza inside the opening line. I must say I appreciated your time and effort.” —Rose, 24

“The most essential part, for me personally, is the fact that a guy opts for my profile over my images. Yes, all of us set up photos that do make us look attractive, but ideally youвЂ

re trying to actually keep in touch with me personally, too. Any effort at personalization rocks !. The pet names.” —Lauren, 28

“My favorite opening line most likely has to be described as a match. Perhaps Not really a intimate one, but the one that programs I caught their attention for some reason. Yes, it could be about my photos and look, but nothing derogatory or implying that IвЂ

m getting naked for you personally.” —Sally, 32

“One man told me personally a whole tale about our prospective first date using just emojis. In the one hand, it revealed he previously great deal of the time on their hand, but in the other it made me smile and showed he had been innovative together with a feeling of humor.” —Gabby, 30

“I like keeping it light, but in addition practical. Ask me personally one thing random, like ‘Hawaiian or pepperoni?вЂ

Then purchase me personally pizza.” —Susan, 31

“Tinder is a hellscape in most cases. We donвЂ

t want to begin to see the term ‘hey.’ i do want to see which youвЂ

ve read the thing I published during my bio and they are current enough to ask me personally about this. It does make you be noticeable from the audience. We ladies have a good amount of weird grab lines from random dudes. It may look like the lowest bar, but making time for information goes a way that is really long. If sheвЂ

s hiking together with her closest friend in anotthe woman of her pictures, inform her exactly just how fun the hike looked. Ask if she goes hiking usually. It can help you over time.” —Jasmine, 29

“I answer dudes who’re sincerely good, maybe maybe not ones that are meaning make reference to on their own as good. ThatвЂ

s a giant warning sign. I love some guy whom informs me facts about his life and interests straight away. Showing youвЂ

re not scared to start up about things inside your life suggests that youвЂ

re not really a huge device case, but somebody well worth getting to understand. Remember, inform the facts. We constantly understand whenever youвЂ

re lying!” —Gabby, 27

“They messaged me, ‘Remind me personally to never ever challenge one to an supply wrestling contest, muscle tissue.’ It had been the mix that is perfect of and flirty. In addition about passed away when I was called by them Muscles.” —Gabrielle, 26

“He accurately guessed the artist that is tattoo provided me with the flower tattoo to my supply.”

“some guy messaged me, ‘Would it is intimate if we wore a turban that fits your own hair whenever we go out?” we really thought that was therefore pretty. My hair is bright green www.flirt.reviews, for context.” —Lo, 25.

“He said, ‘You get one of the smiles that produce me smile just taking a look at you. Many thanks for brightening up my day.’” —Charolette, 33

“He accurately guessed the artist that is tattoo gave me the flower tattoo on my supply. I became in surprise.” —Alyson, 24

“The guy i am dating now did not actually state any such thing excellent. He asked the things I ended up being reading—it says I’m a bibliophile within my bio—and he occurred to own browse the written guide already. Therefore we spoke about this!” —Emma, 28

[praphit]

UnKempt Gems: Rant or Review? Fight or Cuddle?

For a while, everything has felt wrong. Everything still kinda feels wrong, but we’re moving more towards normalization now. Kinda like a stanky smell in the room that people notice when they first encounter it, but after being around it for a while, they don’t notice it anymore. But, things are still very wrong. 

And people are on edge!  - as well they should be.

Every gesture, every word, every post, someone can find a reason to say that your attention towards what's going on in our country right now is insufficient and or offensive:

For every inspirational word, there are people who want to stay angry and aren't ready for that type of talk (which is valid). For every negative word towards the police and their life time of brutality, there are cops or families and friends of cops who are up in their feelings about it. 

For any post that is humorous  (not about life destroyed, of course) there are people who will want to dictate when you're allowed to laugh again. 

One must be careful of any post not in tune with certain sensibilities to what's going on right now, because people are quick to call you tone deaf. So, keep the posts concerning your cute kids, your less than bright pets (or vice versa), and your weight loss selfies to a minimum.

For every word about other serious stuff (like COVID-19), people don't want to pay attention (if only the crappiness of life only hit us in one area at a time) For any post about what you're doing to help the cause (BLM), people will say that you're not doing enough (and maybe they’re right).

If you say nothing, people will judge you. Even when we were posting black boxes, people were still divided on THAT. 

Remember that scene in "The Dark Knight", when the Joker set Gotham up? 

(if you haven't seen this movie by now, put it on the quarantine binge list):

The Joker caused chaos in Gotham City (though honestly, that city was already chaotic). Part of his plan within this chaos was to play a game with two boats full of people - both boats had explosives on them. Each boat had a detonator. Each detonator went with the bombs on the opposite boat. Decisions had to be made, and if the people on the boats didn't decide which boat of the two would blow up, the Joker would step in and make things horrible for everyone.

It feels like that right now... TENSE. Everyone seems to be part of a group, you're trying to survive, you're hoping that other groups don't do something terrible, and hoping that you won't have to do something terrible, but times are crazy (#apocalypse2020).

You've got people who want to defund the police. You've got the police doubling down, as if they're the victims here. You've still got people peacefully protesting. You had secret groups causing all kinds of trouble (which we've oddly not done much about). You've got people just trying to work - not everyone in Gotham City was part of the chaos; some people were just trying to get through their shift. You've got people taking matters into their own hands. And with all of this, we've got a "leader" who only has three moves (like an old school fighting video game) - lying, dividing, and bullying. Feels like we have to pick a team, and just hope that it works out for us. Idk.

You've got people hiding under their beds, hoping that if they wait it out long enough, it'll all blow over and get back to normal. I hate to burst your comfort bubble, but "normal" has been gone and dead for a while now; there's no going back to that.

For black people, we've been in this fight forever. For us, it comes down to whether or not we want to believe that this current installment of the movement will be any different.

For white people.... well, I've seen some white people who look at me with MORE distain now (their true colors are evident) But, other white people have been extra nice to me... it’s awkward, but I appreciate the sentiment.

Meanwhile, other white people are doing stuff like this - 

.A group of random white actors apologizing to all black people - say that sentence out loud... it doesn’t even sound right.

I still haven't been able to get through it; it's too cringe-worthy. I couldn’t even bring myself to add a link (but it’s still online, if you’re up for the challenge). Celebs, hear me, don’t make anymore videos until we’re done with the quarantine. It's not so much tone deaf as it is useless. It only serves their own guilt. Sarah Paulson is up there with her serious glasses on. Jesse Pinkman blubbering throughout the vid, looks like he’s is up there praying for us. And some of them said some things that made me think “What the hell did you actual do? Are some of these criminal confessions?” - Just totally useless. 

Imagine if we were still riding on the METOO movement, and a bunch of random men put out a vid:

"I'm sorry for every time I went to reach for a bag of chips, and brushed up against your butt, and said it was an accident... it wasn't."

"I'm sorry for every time I laughed at demeaning, sexual jokes at your expense... they WERE kinda funny though."

"I'm sorry that every day, at work, I stared at your chest. You'd catch me. I'd apologize, you'd walk away, and then I'd stare at your butt."

"I'm sorry for all of the unsolicited pics of my junk that I sent you during our first and last date; for calling you derogatory names once you declined my advances. Getting drunk the next night, when I would send you more junk pics, and ask you out again."

“I’m sorry for not taking my young daughter to see Wonder Woman in the theatres. I wasn’t in the mood for a comedy about a woman saving the world. My bad.”

"We hear you. We believe you NOW. You matter. So... we're good right?"

We don't need to make announcements about the changes that we're making. Or how “woke” we want others to believe we are now. If you’re going to change, just change.

And then there's this guy...

I... I just can't...

Of course there's what's happening with other races and cultures, and other life stuff (did I mention COVID-19? I have a feeling it's getting jealous, and that's not good for us).

Oh, and did y’all hear about Officer Karen?  (here’s the link)

Pretty much, she had to do some waiting for an Egg McMuffin, and after all of the waiting, she didn’t get it (the food... but also, you know... IT), and then she cried because of all of the anxiety and tension that she has had to endure recently, due to all of the protests. When criticized she replied that people were missing the point.

I’m not heartless. Normally, a person breaking down like that would be my kryptonite. But, in this case, there is some funny behind those tears.

Let’s see - feeling anxious, threatened, forced to be patient when you deserve better treatment (and leaving unfulfilled), crying, ridiculed, and when you voice your perspective people shout you down, while you feel like people are missing the point - hmmm.

Plus, cops are supposed to be bad ass and dangerous! Keeping us safe from all of the scary people out there. How am I supposed to have confidence in you and your badassery, once you post a vid of yourself crying over some McDonald’s?

 It’s gonna be aiight, Karen. I’m sure someone will solve the case for you. But, in the meantime, pull yourself together.

I (not unlike our friend Karen) was emotionally drained, so I watched

 "Uncut Gems"

I had actually written a complete review, but... you know... I did this instead:)

This movie, "Uncut Gems" is about a degenerate gambling jeweler named Howard (played by Adam Sandler). Howard is a hot mess. Howard's professional life is a hot mess. Howard's family life is a hot mess. Howard's hot mistress (yep, MISTRESS) is a hot mess. You get the idea; that's the whole movie. I look at jewelers totally different now; I've stereotyped them all. That's how you do it, right? Here's a person who's different than me. I'm not going to ask many questions. I'm just going to assume things about him, as well as assume that all of his people are the same way All jewelers are high-risk-gambling degenerates.

Gambling is a vice that I've never quite understood. An addiction to ice cream makes total sense. An addiction to my lovableness is completely understandable. 

I guess I've never had the money or the patience to be a degenerate gambler. Every now and then, I'll venture to the casinos, but once I lose for the first time, I'm ready to go. I'm a starving artist. You don't hear about too many artists struggling with gambling. Drugs and alcohol, baby! Those are vices that I can respect!

This is the most stressful movie that I've ever watched. It didn't even feel like a movie. It was like following the IG stories of the most stressed out person that you know. Considering the stress that's already in the world right now, this was the WORST movie decision I could have possibly made. It IS technically a good movie, but I can't say that I enjoyed it.

Grade: a very stressful B

Kevin Garnett is in this movie. 

He was my favorite basketball player before he retired. He played for the Boston Celtics. Pretty good in this movie... though playing himself. 

Boston is notorious for its racism. The realm of sports has amplified this fact in the past. But, KG has stated that he didn't experience much of that, BUT he was also an amazing player, who was a big part of a championship team.

Food for thought: 

Imagine if he had stunk up the joint. He could have very well have just been a tall black man, who stunk up the joint in a racist town. In this rare case, we have KG here who had lessened experiences of Boston’s racism, but he had to be exceptional in that particular industry for that to be a possibility. We can’t all be KG. 

In the beginning of the movie, a question is asked to Howard by his hot mistress - "Do you want to fight or cuddle?"

I didn't know that cuddling was an option.

All I want to do right now is fight. (Side note: White people, you're going to have to be ok with the black people in your life that are more hostile right now than you're used to) 

Someone recently asked me if I'm ok - not because of the racial tensions on the incline, but because they're not used to me being this unsettled... it makes them uncomfortable. 

We've gotta hold on, and keep fighting. 

(btw #justiceforbreonnataylor)

But, there are also times when you have to take flight. Not, run, necessarily, but regroup and think things through. Try fighting fire with water instead of more fire.

(former Atlanta police chief listening to protesters) 

I'm trying to think of any times when one should choose the cuddle option.

Though I suppose, if I had that same hot mistress that Howard had, I'd choose to cuddle as well. You gotta take care of your mistresses.

Though if your hot mistress is TOO hot, she’ll eventually end up cheating on you with The Weeknd

I don't think it would work in reverse, for me. People always seem to want to fight me. Am I not cuddly?

Perhaps in politics, where we have fought for so long, and are still screwed up. Both sides stink!

Picture the Left and Right having a giant sleepover. Trump and Pelosi in their pj's. Do you think Trump has pj's? Or does he go nothing but tighty-whities? 

They’d of course have to take some precautions - Idk if ANTI-COVID-19 Snuggle Gear exist or not, but it should. Perhaps we should try to scrub-up and snuggle it out, until we make some progress.

Idk.

I also don't know what my future movie review posts will look like. Like most black people, these events have stirred something monumental in me. Something has changed in me, and I can't nor do I want to go back. But, like many, I need a lil escapism.

I can compartmentalize with the best of them, so I could see myself giving my normal praphitic review as soon as next week. I could also see myself trying to review some animated family flick

- and out of nowhere, start ranting about systemic racism.

I guess we'll find out together :)

Power, peace, and love.

[science-criticaltheory]

This Cohen Hearing Moment Was Everything Wrong With How America Talks About “Racism” by Dara Lind

Michael Cohen and Republican Mark Meadows had a massively awkward argument about whether Donald Trump is a racist.

Michael Cohen’s congressional testimony before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday generally did not reflect well on the character of President Donald Trump. He accused Trump of committing crimes while in office; lying to the public about his business dealings in Russia and tacitly encouraging Cohen to do the same; and ordering Cohen to bully Trump’s alma maters out of releasing his school records.

But what Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) took issue with was Cohen’s recounting that Trump had made racist comments on multiple occasions.

The brief exchange exhibited a lot of the worst problems with the way people talk about racism in the early 21st century — and Trump’s racism in particular. Here’s what Cohen said in his prepared testimony:

Donald Trump is a racist. The country has seen Mr. Trump court white supremacists and bigots. You have heard him call poorer countries “shitholes.”

In private, he is even worse.

He once asked me if I could name a country run by a black person that wasn’t a “shithole.” This was when Barack Obama was President of the United States.

While we were once driving through a struggling neighborhood in Chicago, he commented that only black people could live that way.

And, he told me that black people would never vote for him because they were too stupid.

In response, Meadows cited Lynne Patton — a longtime Trump business associate who (among other things) planned Eric Trump’s wedding, who currently oversees the New York and New Jersey region for the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, and who is a black woman — to champion Trump’s anti-racist bona fides:

MEADOWS: You made some very demeaning comments about the president that miss Patton doesn’t agree [with] in fact, it has to do with your claim of racism. She says that as a daughter of a man born in Birmingham, Alabama, that there is no way that she would work for an individual who was racist. How do you reconcile the two of those?

Cohen’s response: “Neither should I, as the son of a Holocaust survivor.”

It was a remarkably unenlightening moment — except when it comes to demonstrating the problems with how many Americans talk about and define racism.

There’s no need for a smoking gun tape of Trump’s racist comments

These comments aren’t relevant to Cohen’s testimony about Trump’s criminal involvement, but Cohen brought them up to show that Trump’s “true” character is repulsive: that as Cohen put it in his prepared statement, “I know what Mr. Trump is. He is a racist. He is a conman. He is a cheat.”

By saying this, Cohen is making two claims: that being “a racist” is proof of an individual’s bad moral character, like being a cheat is; and that being “a racist” is a matter of making derogatory statements about people of color.

This is already an overly narrow way of thinking about racism — and one that encourages politicians, in particular, to shallow he-said-she-said conversations about race. As my colleague Jane Coaston has written (and you should really read her piece for a fuller treatment of this):

The way we talk about race and racism in the United States is wrong. In short, we think of “racist” as an insult rather than as an adjective. And we have narrowed down the concept of racism to an almost ludicrous extent, in effect often excusing real racism — such as that espoused by people like King — and its impact on nonwhite Americans because it is not literally wearing a hood or setting a cross alight on a lawn.

That’s exactly what Meadows went after Cohen for: calling Trump “a racist” as an insult.

In his defense, Meadows didn’t quite pull the full “I have a black friend” maneuver, in which an individual defends against claims of racism by saying they respect individual black people — instead, he paraphrased Patton’s own assessment that Trump isn’t a racist. But he is saying that because a black woman who has known Trump for years says that Trump is not a racist, he cannot actually be a racist.

That’s not a helpful way to talk about racism. It’s not a surprise, for example, that someone might be willing to say things to a fellow white person they wouldn’t say in the presence of a person of color. But it’s a foreseeable consequence of treating “racist” as nothing more than an epithet.

Meadows then challenged Cohen to produce tapes of the racist comments he had mentioned in prepared testimony — implying that since Cohen had taped some of his conversations with Trump, he would have captured anything newsworthy on tape. After all, Meadows said, “I’ve talked to the president over 300 times. I’ve not heard one time a racist comment out of his mouth in private.”

The idea that there is some smoking-gun racist comment that Trump has made and that might be caught on tape somewhere isn’t a new one; last year, former Trump aide Omarosa Manigault wrote about the Trump campaign’s reaction to a rumored tape of Trump saying the n-word while on the set of The Apprentice.

But as my colleague P.R. Lockhart wrote at the time, the obsession with private racist comments deliberately ignores everything Trump has said and done in public — stretching all the way back to the beginning of his real estate career, when he was sued by the federal government for violating anti-discrimination laws — that could be characterized as reflecting and perpetuating racism.

If the point of talking about racism is to address the ways that racial inequities are perpetuated in America today, maybe it would be better to discuss the Trump administration’s insistent support for restrictive voting laws.

If it’s to talk about how some people are treated as less full citizens than others because of ethnicity or nationality, it might be worth examining the difference between Trump’s response to hurricanes on the mainland United States and his obsessive interest in cutting disaster aid to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.

If it’s to talk about how some people are seen as less human than others, it might be worth thinking about that famous “shithole countries” comment after all. According to the sources who’ve leaked details about it, the context of that comment was that Trump didn’t want to extend permanent legal status to immigrants from Central America with Temporary Protected Status.

None of this is to say that these policies are ipso facto racist. It’s to say that what Trump has done as president of the United States matters more to the racial state of affairs in America than what he says in private.

“That Trump allegedly saying the n-word is positioned as eye-opening proof of his racism is part of a larger issue that continues to paint racism as solely being about bad words and deeds rather than policy and white supremacy,” Lockhart wrote.

Cohen explicitly said in his testimony that Trump’s private comments are “even worse” than what the public already knows — which is only true if “racism” and “racial insults” are the same thing. Meadows, for his part, turns that logic on its head: that if someone hasn’t used any “racial insults” in the presence of someone he talks to frequently, he must not be “a racist” at all.

[michael-radi-the-glamorous-life]

5 Changes for the Future of the Theatre

Anyone in the theatre world who has been paying attention to social media over the past two weeks will have seen the outpouring of information related to the treatment and experiences of BIPOC folx in the theatre.

*Note: BIPOC (pronounced like “buy-pock”) stands for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.

There is no question that - despite theatre’s tendency toward liberal ideals and actions - the theatre as an institution in America is heavily steeped in a hierarchy built to keep white folx (especially white men) in the positions of power and authority.

So, with our industry currently on pause due to a pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement gaining steam and voice, theatre is finding itself at a crossroads.

We know it should change and needs to change, but will it? And how?

5 Major Changes

Howlround has been doing an excellent job of amplifying BIPOC voices for a long time, but they have doubled down on their efforts recently.

I’ve read some fantastic essays and articles written by BIPOC folx about the important structural changes the theatre is going to need to make in order to become the safe, equitable, and decolonized space that it has often claimed to be and should always have been.

Here are 5 major change takeaways from these articles, with links to the pieces they came from down below.

1. Dismantle the Hierarchy

Hierarchal power structures are meant to keep the people at the top in power. Their voices and opinions matter the most, always.

Due to the American theatre’s history of being established and led by wealthy white men - aka the only ones who could afford the land to build spaces - theatre across the country and at all levels has adopted this hierarchal structure that was meant to benefit this one demographic: Wealthy, white, land-owning men.

Whether or not a theatre currently has a white man at the top (whether that means Artistic Director, Producer, Director, etc.) this system is not built to amplify the voices of everyone, but the voice of one. And that one tends to listen to, enjoy, and hire other voices that sound the same.

Is there a direct solution alternative? Not yet. We haven’t yet dismantled the structure enough to truly try out alternatives. But there are certainly other options being explored, including the idea of Shared Leadership.

No matter what, this is a power structure that needs to not only be rethought, but to be dismantled altogether if we are going to have any hope of amplifying the voices and experiences of BIPOC folx in the theatre.

2. Be Anti-Microaggression

As a cis white man, I do not have the experiences to pick up on the insane multitude of daily microaggressions felt by BIPOC folx. I have certainly noticed some and have often not spoken up, which makes me part of the problem. I need to do better.

Microaggressions are: “brief and common daily verbal, behavioral, and environmental communications, whether intentional or unintentional, that transmit hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to a target person because they belong to a stigmatized group.”

White folx - I want you to pay particular attention to the part of the definition that says “whether intentional or unintentional”.

Microaggressions can range from the smallest of things - an extra beat of hesitation before answering a question - to much more readily noticeable acts, like crossing the street when you see BIPOC folx walking toward you.

Why are these so important to eradicate?

Every microaggression is linked to trauma, whether it triggers a previous trauma or creates a new one.

Allow me to repeat that - Every microaggression is linked to trauma.

That means each time someone purposely or inadvertently microaggresses toward another human, they are causing that human trauma. And according to all the stories I’ve been reading by BIPOC folx in the theatre, these are common and daily occurrences.

We need to not only be aware of microaggressions, but we need to be actively anti-microaggression. They are unacceptable. We need to call them out and stop them from being allowed as a part of our theatrical culture, immediately.

3. No More “Saving”

Bringing our white stories and white theatre history into “developing,” “at-risk,” or “under-serviced” communities is not saving anyone.

Sorry not sorry.

Bringing educational practices and exposure to theatre into communities where it does not exist is certainly well-intentioned, but it perpetuates the notion of the “White Savior” bringing their knowledge and ideas to “save” or “improve” the lives of BIPOC folx.

It’s an idea founded upon the same principles as Colonization.

It is basically saying: “I am here to invade your space because you do not have and know what I have and know, and therefore I bring you enlightenment far more important than anything you have to offer.”

This is not a good practice and we need to stop, like yesterday.

4. Stop Erasing Native Culture

We are all on Native land.

Every single one of us. Every building. Every institution.

Every bit of America is built upon Indigenous lands that were stolen, which contain the bodies of the Indigenous people who were enslaved or killed because they were in the way of colonialism.

We cannot keep erasing this fact. Theatre needs to recognize the land on which is built, create relationships with the local Native American communities, and begin representing their lives and experiences on the stage.

Theatre could have been a voice for Indigenous folx this entire time, and I’m particularly ashamed that until this was pointed out to me, it never even crossed my mind.

We have to do better.

5. Decenter Ourselves

White voices are always in the center, particularly white male voices.

When we find ourselves talking too much, over-valuing our opinions, shutting out the other voices in the room, or being attracted to only other voices that sound like our own - this is centering ourselves.

We must instead:

Check our biases

Listen better

Step out of the center

Find ways to amplify the least heard voices

Fight systemic silencing of BIPOC narratives

And this cannot be done only in the interest of gaining further funding through “equity, diversity, and inclusion” programs and grants. This needs to be real work.

Our voices have had the center, always. It’s far past time we give up the microphone to everyone else.

And Plenty More

This is just a small sampling of the material I’ve read over the past two weeks, and there are so many more changes that need to be made. Here are links to the articles whose ideas are represented in today’s post:

Decolonizing Theatre an Introduction by Annalisa Dias and Madeline Sayet

The American Theatre Was Killing Me: Healing from Racialized Trauma in an Art Workspace, an interview with Lauren E. Turner

The Ugly Truth about Art Institutions Led by Women of Color by Teresa Coleman Wash

We must all keep learning and improving for the betterment of our industry and for the lives, voices, and experiences of BIPOC folx.

Cheers, everyone.